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Beverly Flynn to come back to Fianna Fáil
Read more about: Fianna Fail
According to Bertie Ahern, anyway. He also says she should expect to hold ministerial office during the lifetime of the new Dáil - is that before or after she’s declared bankrupt?*
He also says that he considers Brian Cowen to be his natural successor, in case that wasn’t already apparent.
*For legal reasons I should point out that Beverly Flynn <b>may</b> declared bankrupt as a result of an impending case brought by RTÉ. Naturally, this may not happen and an agreement may be reached which will secure her financial situation, but that will all be decided in court.
A second issue is Bertie’s apparent promise of a junior ministry –
Mr Ahern said had the “difficulties” had not happened, Ms Flynn would have had a “fair expectation” of being a minister of state.
“She can’t do that in the circumstances, but she definitely has a very good future as an office holder,” he said. He appeared to suggest Ms Flynn would be promoted during the lifetime of the Government, noting that a review would be held during the middle of its term in office.
Is that the kind of thing that a quiet FF backbencher, biding his time and not launching ill-advised libel writs, wants to hear?
I think this is Bertie trying to solidify the foundations. Everyone knows Flynn is a weak spot and if she does lose her seat, it’s FG’s for the taking.
Maybe FF will come to an agreement with her on any legal expenses that might arise - why Bertie feels the need to suggest a ministry is on the way is beyond me, but she doesn’t seem like someone who’d be at all humble about anything.
Wouldn’t many more deserving FF backbenchers resent her becoming Minister of State? Seems unfair to favour her.
I see nothing inconsistent in this.
Like so many Fianna Failures, Flynn is dishonest; utterly without principles, as one might expect, coming from an unprincipled family background.
Nor is it surprising that State-Controlled RTE has failed to collect the tax-payers’ money owing as a result of her failed libel suit.
With interest rolled over, the debt should now be sufficient to bankrupt Flynn and disqualify her from the Dail.
But one has to recall the power wielded by the body politic in the persona of the late C.J. Haughey, Don Charleone, when he told the Chairman of AIB that he would find the Don a “dangerous adversary”.
This when he, too, faced incipient bankruptcy.
Even if RTE is bullied into writing off the debt, there are legions of grateful donors more than willing to rally to the cause, as they did to fund de Bert’s marital expenses.
Of more interest to me is de Bert’s recent body language; much more relaxed; casual almost, with less of the familiar stuttering, so beloved of his devoted constituents.
One has to wonder, if having pulled off a third term, he is not about to move over, to make way for Brian Cowen?
Perhaps he will take over the Foreign Affairs portfolio, which he has been been usurping for the past seven years, and move Dermot to, say, Defence; Willie to Social Welfare and Cullen to…?
Well, how on earth did this bonehead incompetent get back into the Cabinet in the first place?
I suppose it’s the sort of stupidity that one has come to expect from de Bert.
Clearly Ahern is trying to cover every base. The government exemplifies this, as does the incorporation of the so-called ‘Independents’. Wonderful five years ahead of us…
My understanding is that Bev would have to be actually declared bankrupt before she can take her constitutional case as you have to be in a position where the situation adversely affects you before you are allowed take those sorts of cases. And it would take longer then 6 months in all likelihood and she’d be out of the Dail before it would be resolved.
surely dan if she were taking a case, an application for injuction would be made (and likely succeed in order to hear the case) so she could stay on until she sorted herself out. Unless Bertie is taking a high-profile calculation that she will be booted out and all this hinting amounts to a hill of beans
My understanding is that you can’t take a constitutional challenge unless you are personally adversely affected. This is to prevent all and sundry taking cases. And she isn’t going to be adversely affected until she is actually declared bankrupt. You can’t take a case based on something that could happen to you. And simply telling the courts you are going to take a case couldn’t be enough, the case would need to be underway.
I was actually talking to someone in the last 2 weeks about a case someone took a good while back about the concept of requiring a deposit from all candidates in elections, and in order for that person to take the case on the constitutionality of the relevant law, they had to stand in a election and lose their deposit. (leading to the odd situation of they asking people not to vote for them in order to ensure they lost the deposit)
I dont contest that bit Dan, but surely if Bev takes a case against expulsion under the EA 1992, she will apply for a stay on her explusion while the case is pending?
or does she have to be expelled before she can take the case?
She has to be expelled before she can take the case, that is my understanding. Otherwise she would not have been personally affected by the legislation.
Yes, but you have six months from being declared bankrupt before you are expelled from the Dáil (so I’m informed), so she would have time for a court challenge then.
Yes, if she has been declared bankrupt. But that means the RTe case has to proceed.