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Noel Ahern Suggests Gormley only Following Harney
Read more about: Bertiegate, Fianna Fail, Green Party, Progressive Democrats 
Noel Ahern doesn’t give much weight to John Gormley‘s worries aired yesterday and captured here by Green Ink. He reckons that Gormley was only following Harney and anyway he is Minister with responsibility for tribunals so should be keeping counsel. Well it is only “small money” we are talking about here so perhaps the partners in government should pipe down and get back to their jobs.
Ahern has set himself against making a statement, which means that this should overshadow his upcoming trip to Congress, the next few weeks in the Dail and any attempt to coherently campaign on Lisbon Treaty. As usual this may die down, it may not force him to resign but there is every reason to think that the drip-drip of information and the slow unravelling of a story will continue.
He will continue to brass-neck this particular issue and hope it goes away but it is another cut, another slow wound and they are adding up. Varadker termed Ahern’s refusal to make a statement an arrogant “slap-down” (how very WWF) and to be honest it reminded me ever so slightly of this:
And the latest developments on the day when Dermot Ahern is briefing his EU colleagues about the preparations for Lisbon — with still no date, increasing instability in the coalition, and an air of scandal around the would-be candidate for the EU Council Presidency if and when Lisbon is ratified. One of those moments when it would be good to be a fly on the wall.
Jesus the guy spends enough on cosmetics without him getting into handbags. OH… now I see what you mean…
P – interesting point on the treaty.I wonder are we going to see a mid- july or later even treaty vote. A new FF govt. under Coewn could push energetically for a yes and give the new admin a fresh feel as winners. would certianly give a strong impression of reinvigoration. of course fine line to balance between so many factors. Good luck to them cause they are trying to build on sand.
Deirdre DeBurca claiming on Newstalk that Gormley’s statement was coincidental in its timing. Oh dear.
Paul gogarty gave that game away on the News at One (link) saying none of this would have happened had we all not been following Fiona O Malley and the PD leadership race. It sounded like Gormley only acted to follow Harney and show he did something, then gets the rest to go out and make a fist of defending him.
There is no two ways about it, I am glad that these sentiments are finally being expressed but it really does look like a ham-fisted effort.