Category: Fianna Fail

Mary Coughlan, the vegetables and Einstein

Tanaiste Mary Coughlan continues to do what she does best – regale the nation with her ignorance.

Speaking to entrepreneurs to promote IDA Ireland’s aggressive new campaign to market Ireland abroad she touched on the idea of the survival of the fittest.

She said the IDA would be marketing Ireland as the innovation island:

like Einstein explaining his theory of evolution.

Earlier in the week Coughlan referred to the Green Party in Irish as na Glasrai (the vegetables) instead of An Comhaontas Glas

Latest: Fianna Fail found not guilty

I received a decision from the Standards in Public Office Commission today regarding my formal complaint in relation to allegations that Fianna Fail had failed to disclose tens of thousands of Euro in corporate donations.

After four months of investigation and deliberation the Commission found that Fianna Fail had not broken the law. I would have been astonished if the outcome had been any different.

Dear Mr. Sheridan,

Thank you for your correspondence, dated 21 May 2009, in relation to a report published in the Irish Examiner, on 18 May 2009 and donations made by Durkan New Homes Ltd. To Fianna Fail.

The Standards in Public Office Commission has completed its investigation into this matter and has considered the responses from Fianna Fail and Durkan New Homes Ltd.

The Commission considered the responses at its meeting yesterday. In light of the explanations furnished the Commission is satisfied that there was no failure to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 1997 (as amended).

There will be no further action in this case.

I rang SIPO to request a copy of the explanations furnished to the Commission by Fianna Fail and Durkan New Homes Ltd.

I was advised that it would be better if I submitted an FOI to avoid any possibility of legal action been taken against members of SIPO.

That raised my eyebrows a bit but an FOI will be on its way soon.

Irish Examiner report
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Eoghan Harris: In a reality of his own

I seldom make comment on writers like Eoghan Harris or Kevin Myers simply because they occupy a place so far from reality that it seems unfair to criticise them.

For example, here’s how Harris sums up the Cowen Late Late Show interview (Sunday Independent).

By the end, and no thanks to Tubridy, the audience grasped that behind Brian Cowen’s gruff shell is a gentle person, but one grimly determined to do his duty. And the more he reveals himself, the more we respect him.

The dignity and decorum of Fianna Fail

George Hook played the following clip from the interview with Fianna Fail TD Noel O’Flynn earlier today.

I think to attack the integrity of the Ceann Comhairle is a serious, serious matter in politics and in the houses of the Oireachtas.

The Ceann Comhairle was elected by the 166 members of the Dail, there has to be dignity and decorum and indeed you have to have respect for the chair.

Excuse me, I need to find a bucket.

Jody Corcoran's Late Late Show rant

Just came across Jody Corcoran’s article in response to Tubridy’s interview of Cowen on the Late Late Show (Sunday Independent).

According to Corcoran Tubridy is a cowardly creeping Jesus who mugged the leader of the country.

The rest of the article is a sickening indulgence in self praise, self pity and obnoxious hero worship of an incompetent Taoiseach.

Corcoran ends by saying:

Ryan Tubridy makes my skin crawl.

This is from a journalist who believes the chancer and Mafioso Bertie Ahern is a great patriot.

Noel O'Flynn – Latest Fianna Fail TD to defend obnoxious expenses scheme

Noel O’Flynn is the latest in a long line of Fianna Fail TDs who have insulted the intelligence of the Irish people by defending the greedy and unaccountable system of political expenses.

I came in towards the end of the interview when the presenter of Lunchtime, Eamon Keane, was asking O’Flynn about the €55 paid to TDs every day for just turning up at Dail Eireann.

Keane put the €55 question to O’Flynn.

O’Flynn:

Well the expenses are laid down by statute and expenses have been reduced considerably in recent months.

€55 question again

I’m a rural TD and we were getting €139 for our overnight and subsistence. I understand that’s down now to €126

€55 question again

The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission have been looking at all the expenses and have made a number of proposals.

Keane gave up at this stage and asked O’Flynn for his view on the resignation of the chairman of the Houses of the Oireachtas chairman, Tom O’Higgins, because of the absolute refusal of politicians to reform the obnoxious expenses system.

I don’t know anything about that; he has never spoken to me. I never met him, he’s never asked me a question, I don’t even know him.

Once again, it’s not politicians like O’Flynn we need to get rid of, it’s not Fianna Fail we need to get rid of, it’s not even this government we need to get rid of.

It’s the entire rotten political system itself that needs to be torn down before we can start to rebuild this country.

Copy to:
Noel O’Flynn

I don't believe a word they say

Brian Cowen responded as follows when challenged on the Late Late Show regarding banks sharing the pain of recovery.

We guarantee that NAMA will not be in a position where it has a deficit and if that deficit emerges we will make sure that a levy system will ensure that the money comes back from the banking system.

Brian Lenihan and the Greens have also sought to reassure taxpayers that the banks will be hit with a levy or extra taxes to make sure they take their share of the pain.

The problem with all these assurances is that they are only promises. To my knowledge there’s nothing in the NAMA legislation that will force the banks to pay their share.

We are being asked to trust politicians who, for decades, have worked very hard to protect the interests of bankers at the expense of consumers.

I don’t believe a word they say.

Bertie Ahern – Still a hero

The Cowen interview on the Late Late Show was further evidence that Ireland is a nation in denial.

Tubridy asked Cowen did he envy Bertie Ahern’s extraordinary foresight in resigning before the economy collapsed. The audience reacted with loud applause obviously agreeing with Tubridy that Ahern was a great leader who had done all he could for his country before deciding, without pressure, to gracefully retire.

The fact that Bertie Ahern was forced to leave office in disgrace has been completely forgotten by most Irish citizens and media.

Indeed, the very moment he announced his resignation almost the entire nation went into denial and acclaimed him as a great Irish statesman when they should have been making room for him in Mountjoy.

McDaid – John O'Donoghue is a very, very decent fellow

Yet another Fianna Fail politician, Jim McDaid, has strongly defended the excesses of John O’Donoghue (Newstalk 106).

On John O’Donoghue:

I know him, he’s a very, very decent fellow, he’s a workaholic. This whole affair is very unfair on him.

On who’s guilty:

Civil servants make all those arrangements, politicians have no choice but to accept arrangements that are made on their behalf. Politicians have no involvement whatsoever.

On who’s to blame for the negative (false?) public perception of the affair:

The media have vilified John O’Donoghue, they have massively exaggerated the affair; people get angry because the matter is not portrayed in the proper fashion.

On the misuse of a state car:

Sure I’ve often given a lift to people in a state car going to a race meeting or a match in Dublin.