Archive for the ‘Fine Gael’ Category
Have They Gone A Bit Mad in Cavan and Fermanagh, Ted? – Michelle Gildernew MP (SF) says Seán Quinn “is being punished for having the audacity to ‘buy the bank; and for being an ordinary man from Fermanagh”
The Fall of the Seán Quinn Family Empire has angered many people in the bankrupt billionaire’s home county of Fermanagh and its near-neighbour Cavan, where a demonstration of over 4000 people assembled in Ballyconnell on Sunday July 29.
Supporters include the Sinn Féin Fermanagh-South Tyrone MP Michelle Gildernew :
Even Sinn Fein MP Michelle Gildernew has come out to defend the family, telling this newspaper that what has happened to Mr. Quinn was “wrong”.
“He has been treated disgracefully by the Irish Government. Had they not tried to strip him off all his assets, including his home, deny him the ability to function in business, and routinely try to humiliate him I believe he would have paid back every penny he owed to the Irish taxpayer.
“He accepted he had done wrong, but all our attempts to make the government show some comment sense were ignored. He is being punished for having the audacity to ‘buy the bank; and for being an ordinary man from Fermanagh who is hugely respected by his community,” she said.
The support hasn’t gone unnoticed by the Quinns who say they will be “forever grateful” to everyone in both Fermanagh and Cavan “who have stood by us as they have been doing for nearly 40 years now”.
Reilly left red-faced as he’s named on debt-default list – National News – Independent.ie
Health Minister Dr James Reilly Named in Stubbs Gazette – Debts of €1.9
The Irish Independent highlights another Government Minister in trouble :
Dr James Reilly, Fine Gael Minister for Health, joins a growing list of Cabinet Members surrounded by dodgy financial deals. Just like the Ahern-Cowen Fianna Fail governments of 1997 – 2011 – Spot the difference?
Stanford University California – Ex-Taoiseach Brian Cowen is a $58,000 student on a Six-Week Course
The Irish Daily Mail is running a story on ex-Taoiseach Brian Cowen :
Link :
Brian Cowen at Stanford University
Let’s wait and see how this story develops.
The words “Stanford University” rang a bell here :
Reilly’s special advisor paid €160,000 for 80% of his time, works here ‘on average’ 2 weeks a month
Health Analyst Sara Burke reported about Mr Martin Connor on February 17 2012 :
Connor, a special advisor to Health Minister James Reilly, divides his time between Ireland and Stanford University, California :
Word was out in the health system that Martin Connor worked here just eight days out of 24 and was based in California. When I asked the Department of Health how much of his time was dedicated to his special delivery unit work and where was he based, I was told, ‘The time commitment is of the order of 80%. Dr Connor is currently completing a research fellowship in Stanford University. He is in Ireland for two weeks a month on average but also conducts work by teleconference on a daily basis.’ Teleconferences on a daily basis must be difficult given the time difference between California and Dublin.
Link :
Health Minister Reilly’s Special Advisor Paid €160,000; Studies at Stanford University California
In recent days mainstream Irish media outlets ran a story about an alleged “scandal” – 3 United Left Alliance TD’s travelled outside their Dublin constituencies to support the Campaign Against the Household Tax.
Link :
Smear Campaign Against ULA TD’s on Travel Expenses
Makes you wonder about the calibre of wealthy students at Stanford University California, Irish State Bodies Paying Very Expensive Fees, and Double Standards in the Main Irish media outlets.
Update 1 :
Link :
John Meehan
Syriza Member of Greek Parliament to Speak in Dublin on Thursday May 24 in Wynn’s Hotel, Abbey Street, 8pm – Supporting Campaign for a No Vote on the Austerity Treaty in the May 31 referendum
The Irish Government’s Finance Minister Michael Noonan explains the crisis in Greece by guessing how much feta cheese Irish people buy each week.
Let Them Eat Greek Cheese
Defending these comments he said :
I’m trying to stop contagion. It’s one of my jobs as finance minister to protect the Irish economy.
According to a well-researched article on politico.ie, Deputy Noonan has got that wrong too :
http://www.politico.ie/social-issues/8569-michael-noonan-there-he-goes-again.html
If you are in Dublin on May 24, come to the meeting addressed by the Syriza MP – we will publish more details as they become available.
International Viewpoint has published three contrasting articles called “What next for Greece?”
50 per cent have not paid the house tax – latest figures
It is official – only 50 per cent of eligible victims have signed up to the house tax – many thanks to Nama Winelake for the story.
In advance of the referendum on 31st May, there appears to be a temporary lull in talk of austerity, at least talk by the Government. It almost feels like being back as a child at home when there are visitors, and you have committed some real or imagined transgression and you know as soon as the visitors leave, you’ll be in for a leathering. And the anxiety is that as soon as the referendum is out of the way on 31st May, we won’t be able to escape wall-to-wall coverage about household charges, septic tank registration fees, fines, prosecutions and the results of the expert group looking at charging structures for a new property tax in 2013 – the only certainty is the commitment with the IMF which states in the Memorandum of Understanding (page 83) there will be “an increase in property tax.”
But what about the household charge for…
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Abortion Legislation Proposed in Ireland – Historic Days
Clare Daly, Joan Collins, Mick Wallace, Action on X, CONGRATULATIONS.
Labour Party pro choice campaigners, many of whom campaigned with courage on this issue since the infamous 1992 X Case, need to reflect on the price they are paying for coalition with Fine Gael.
Here’s a thought on foot of today and tomorrow’s events. The list of those voting will be most interesting, as will the names of those who don’t turn up in the Chamber. It will also be useful to match that against votes subsequent to any attempt to introduce legislation on foot of the report released later this year.
Of course the Labour Party has headed off some of the implications of the above by not allowing a free vote, though will any members of the LP break ranks. As interesting will be others from other parties.
RTÉ reports the following:
Speaking after a silent pro-life protest at the Dáil, Caroline Simons of the Pro-life movement said tonight’s private members bill is not about medical treatment for women but about providing for abortion throughout pregnancy.
She said doctors have practiced with no diffculty for the last 20 years since the ‘X-case’…
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A Government Starting to Crack? Are we over-optimistic?
Perhaps we are over-optimistic, – and the little voice should always say “optimism of the will, pessimism of the spirit” – we think that was Antonio Gramsci’s advice to activists – but it looks like the Kenny- Gilmore government is on the slide downwards towards a Cowen-Gormley meltdown – let’s hope!
By now most will have read the comments Leo Vardkar made about RTÉ, and I’ll get to them in a moment. But let’s start with his less than opportune timing as regards this remark:
He also said RTÉ was “encouraging people to break the law” by giving access to campaigners urging people not to pay the household tax. He claimed RTÉ would not give access to groups advocating that people refuse to pay the television licence fee.
Well perhaps they would if there was a campaign of mass non-payment on the TV license.
But what if instead of ‘law-breakers’ being the problem, the truth is the law itself is broken?
According to The Journal.ie
THE HIGH COURT has granted leave for a challenge to be made against the household charge because the necessary legislation and the statutory instruments are in the English language only – and have yet to be…
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Time to legislate for life-saving abortion – 20th Anniversary of the Infamous X Case, February 1992
Time to legislate for life-saving abortion
Irish State Tries to Intern a 14 Year Old Raped Suicidal Girl Seeking An Abortion
Enda Kenny Grins For The Gintry – But Can He Stop A Referendum on the new EU Fiscal Treaty?
Enda Kenny was one of the courtly mummers in the presence of her britannic majesty in 2011 – good practice for 2012!
See Also :
Old Kenny Apologises For Ireland to the Gintry
http://www.irishleftreview.org/2012/01/27/kenny-apologises-ireland-gintry/
UPDATE :
Enda told Nicolas he would stop an Irish Referendum on the new European Union fiscal treaty – has the Taoiseach broken another promise?
The ruling class discreetly applauds the Fine Gael leader’s broken promises to the little people – such as when he went back on a pre-election pledge to stop the closure of Roscommon Hospital.
http://www.endakenny.com/?p=213
But Enda won’t get any ear-grabs for letting down the big people – a much more serious mistake!
Article 27 and the Independent TDs
A group of Independent TDs who want Europe’s new fiscal treaty put to a referendum will seek to use a little known constitutional provision to petition the President to do so, it has emerged.
Under Article 27 of the Constitution, a Bill can be referred to a referendum if requested by at least one third of the Dáil, and a majority of the Seanad.
Donegal South West TD Thomas Pringle said he was “hopeful of achieving that requirement.”
http://cedarlounge.wordpress.com/2012/02/01/article-27-and-the-independent-tds/
Tomás Ó Flatharta 