An Taoiseach Michael Martin

More capable that the current gobsh1te

Cee-Jay-Cee wrote: »

.. and only concerned with optics

Is it just me or are we soon to reach critical mass in the use of the word 'optics' in this fashion?

Must be the fifth time I've heard it today and nobody was talking about scopes or binoculars.

I’m not a fan of Leo, either as a person or as a Taoiseach, Martin seems more genuine, more trustworthy, less of a PR show, less Mr Soundbite... but as regards having real ‘leadership’ quality... I’d worry there.

For all their faults I think there is a bit of humility about what's left of Fianna Fail. I suppose 10 years of shame will do that to you. And that puts them ahead of the current brat-pack in the government. I'll take humility over the young entitled elitest pack we have now. Leo, Harris, O'Connell, Murphy and Co are everything Ross-O'Carroll-Kelly books have been warning us about for years.

FF (_)_) FG

Two cheeks. Same arse.

The same Michael Martin involved with Bertie, Cowen, denials of the IMF/Troika, that guy?

Deleted User wrote: »

Brexit is what has saved Varadkar, and in fairness he, Coveney and McEntee have done well in that respect. FG's failures on domestic issues should be low hanging fruit for the main opposition party.....but when that party is supporting the minority government in confidence and supply, any criticism from them rings very hollow.

Martin seems like a pleasant enough man and I don't think he's corrupt in the style of Haughey and Ahern. However he was still part of the FF government that bankrupted the country, had a poor record as Minister for Health and has given tacit support to all of FG's fúckups for the past few years so I don't think he deserves to be Taoiseach.

How have FG failed on domestic issues?

cant be much worse than the current lot

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

It can always be worse.

that should be Fine Gael's new slogan

Quantum Erasure wrote: »

cant be much worse than the current lot

This article is from 2010 showing how FIANNA FAIL wasted 10 billion of tax payers money.

More than €1bn of taxpayers' money has been wasted every year since Fianna Fail came to power 10 years ago, a Sunday Independent investigation reveals.

We can show that since Fianna Failtook office a decade ago, more than €1bn of taxpayers' money has been wasted annually.

A list of failed projects, delayed works, bloated bureaucracy and poor management have all led to more than €10bn being squandered in the last 10 years.

Taxpayers' money has been squandered by every Government department including €100m on the abandoned Stadium Campus Ireland project, the €471m overrun on the Luas, the €150m overspend on the Port Tunnel, as well as almost a €1bn wasted on the Government's botched de-centralisation policy.


Apart from the overspends and underestimation in the cost of the Port Tunnel and the two Luas lines that don't link up, and the chaos that is the M50, Ireland's road building projects since 1997 have collectively cost €3.2bn more than what was originally forecast, according to our figures.

Opposition parties, hospital patient groups and leading economists have said that institutional waste during a time of plenty and the failure to deliver a first world infrastructure is endangering Ireland's competitiveness internationally.

One of the key areas is the health service. Its funding has increased from €3.2bn in 1997 to almost €13bn this year. Despite this massive injection since 1997, the Health Service Executive, which employs 70,000 people and 36,000 indirectly, is now closing wards and has introduced a freeze on new employees.

The closure of a 10-bed ward in Nenagh hospital is just one of a number of high-profile ward shutdowns in recent weeks. The Irish Patients Association has said cuts and ward closures currently being enforced by the HSE are unforgivable.

Steve McMahon of the Irish Patients Association said: "It is an organisation rife with institutionalised bureaucracy. When they formed the HSE in 2005 they should have introduced a redundancy package and cleared their ranks.



Some people here saying FIANNA FÁIL don’t overspend!!!!!!!!

Em didnt Fianna Fáil drive us into the iceberg 10years ago?

No sorry everything is Fine Gaels fault etc etc

What many people seem to forget is the the Green Party were coalition partners with FF from 2007 to 2011. They seem to be given a free pass on their role in the crash because the economy isn’t really their thing. They would much rather focus on their forte of climate change etc.

Varadkar has been a disappointing Taoiseach. Uninspiring as a leader and lacking in vision. A vacuous leader focused on spin and photo ops. Coveney seems much more assured, sincere and competent although he is another member of the aloof establishment.

Has there ever been a cabinet with more privately educated members?
It’s no wonder they are out of touch.