If you are thinking of donating to a charity this year you might consider the Kerry Rape Crisis Centre for their support of a victim of sexual assault subject to horrific community bullying in Listowel.
Stephen Collins today reading the mood in the corridors of Leinster House –
When the Dáil resumes next month, the Greens, the Independents and disgruntled Fianna Fáil TDs will all be looking at each other to see if anybody looks like losing their nerve and making a bolt for the Opposition benches. The other side of [...]
Minister engages in excessive expenditure for private jet citing pressures of schedule and lack of commercial options to attend an event. Resulting public outcry causes minister to resign before he is sacked.
It’s France, last month, when the aid minister Alain Joyandet chartered a jet to go a donors conference for Haiti — conveniently located in [...]
A couple of days ago, we had a discussion about whether a Fiscal Policy Council could work for Ireland. There is one basic problem: as such a council would imply reduced power for Fianna Fail, they’d never go for it. Anyway, move along to another power that FF governments will never surrender: appointments. Today the [...]
A day after George Lee’s departure, we can see a situation that would have warranted another George politician to say “Heckuva job”. Lee’s departure obscured the implosion of the year-long government talking point that NAMA would increase bank lending: the IMF had told them, quite sensibly, that it wouldn’t. According to Enda’s statement yesterday, Lee [...]
Gordon Brown statement to House of Commons on Hillsborough Agreement –
None of this could have been achieved without working closely with the Irish government – and I pay tribute to Brian Cowen, the Irish Foreign Minister, Micheal Martin and to the Taoiseach’s predecessors Bertie Ahern and Albert Reynolds.
Who’s missing from that list of predecessor Taoisigh?
So Boy George has bit the bullet. Fallen on his own sword, hoist by his own petard, crashed and burned, came a cropper.
At 1pm today former RTE economist and more recently celebrity by-election candidate, George Lee, announced he is resiging his Dáil seat and his membership of the Fine Gael party.
It wasn’t happening fast enough [...]
From Dublin City Council.
Dublin City Council last night voted in favour of a motion by Councillors Tom Brabazon and Críona Ní Dhálaigh that will oblige developers give new estates in the city names in the Irish language only. The names of the new estates in Dublin city will reflect local history and topography.
Now I know [...]
There are various reasons why the “12 Days of Christmas” went down like a lead balloon. Central Bank board member David Begg seems to have settled on blaming the media. But among the explanations is also that the government and the unions were promising to deliver something that people thought had already been promised — [...]
If you have a few minutes, read the 2008 Annual Report of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority. The 1st paragraph –
We will develop Dublin Docklands into a world-class city quarter, a paragon of sustainable inner city regeneration, one in which the whole community enjoys the highest standards of access to education, employment, housing and social [...]
Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheal Martin is in charge of the Lisbon II campaign. With summer schools apparently forming the main forum for policy debate with the Dail in recess, he was perhaps giving us a preview of what the Yes campaign will look like in this evening’s remarks to the MacGill event. Writing as [...]
Joe Higgins is both a councillor and MEP in waiting. The dual mandate ban means that he has to pick one over the other – with the choice being made by Joe to head to Brussels and nominate a replacement in his council seat.
Only Fine Gael are miffed that he doesn’t take up the MEP [...]
In case you missed it earlier here’s the entrance of Maureen O’Sullivan TD and George Lee TD into the Dáil Chamber this afternoon.
The most compelling race in the country is over with the victory of Alan Kelly in the race for the final seat. Kelly took the seat in a final head to head with Sinnot by 10,000 votes after Toireasa Ferris was eliminated as ever you had it first on the liveblog.
The MEPs so far for [...]
As talked about here. Video of Maurice Ahern after losing seat.
Quota: 101, 658
1st Count:
Byrne, 18 956
De Burca, 19 086
De Rossa, 83 471
HIggins, 50, 510
Mary Lou 47, 928
McKenna, 17 521
Mitchell 96, 715
Ryan 55, 346
Simons, 13, 514
Sweeney 3,583
2nd Count (elim of Simons and Sweeney):
From ALexia at the RDS
Dublin tallies. Mitchell 100k, DeRossa 87k, Ryan 66,205, Higgins 53,036, Mary Lou 50,980, McKenna 22,380, de Burca 21,991
Seat totals at 9:00 – FF (180), FG (293), Lab (123), GP (3), SF (48) and OTH (118)
Recount called by De Burca – we now are behind. Higgins seat to lose on these [...]
Dan Boyle sheds the green jersey. His Sunday Tribune comments (which only got a weblink late in the day) are noted by Reuters.
Ivor the Driver — full Seanad report. It was nice of Bertie to send Ivor’s letter of appointment to his Cork address.
How ossified is Irish politics? In the blink of an eye, Australia — which had no recession — replaces its Prime Minister.
I’m a victim of unique Irish blame culture, says Harney
Things Ministers don't do part 2: Harney is not really responsible for these clinial fuck-ups. Sure kick her over policy but not failure. Typical Irish begrudgerry.
