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.
In a week when the use of forged documentation in the asylum-system was highlighted with the rejection by the Supreme Court of the appeal of Nigerian asylum-seeker Pamela Izevbekhai against her deportation, FG and Labour are proposing the allow asylum-seekers to work. Despite 13% unemployment and mass-emigration – Alan Shatter and Pat Rabbitte are now [...]
July 1st, 2010. A momentous day for Ireland, and one that will be remembered in history for a long time to come. Not as momentous as July 7th, 1993 perhaps, but astonishing that we’ve reached this point just 17 years after Mary Robinson signed into law the decriminalisation of homosexuality.
Another day, another confidence motion. Well it may have been if #fgheave was not going on in the background.
If you care to watch the main speeches you can watch Enda Kenny here (with James Reilly his new best friend/wannabe deputy leader sitting beside him) , Brian Cowen and him saying sorry for the government’s part, [...]
Here’s the text of Brian Cowen’s speech entitled “A Decade of Commemorations — Commemorating Our Shared History” to the Institute for British Irish Studies at UCD today. There are various points to make. One is that these speeches — and this is not Cowen’s fault — have adopted a psychobabble language since they are written [...]
The final conference in the season is taking place this weekend as the Labour Party head to Galway (Fianna Fáíl will be holding their conference later this year). Already their prescence has drawn a dig from FF’s Deputy Mayor of Galway regarding that campaign and petition of themselves they launched this week.
The Labour Party will [...]
One of the mysteries of the Irish economic crisis, which historians may eventually puzzle over, is the long-drawn out nature of it. On March 30, 2010, we get decisions regarding the financial sector that other countries made 12-18 months ago. And for all the disruption caused by the selective go-slows in the public sector, the [...]
It is hardly surprising that following a reshuffle in which the conservative streak won out, the back benches in Fianna Fail are slightly angsty. They are in a perpetual knot over keeping their seats and advancing toward the ministerial merc. Interestingly with the reshuffle Cowen has brought both his Kitchen cabinet and the Green party [...]
Trying to cut some numbers to take account of the myriad comings and goings experienced in the current Dáil. Anyone want to poke holes? Sure am missing something. First draft looks like this:
Reports tonight on the pending reshuffle suggest that Green leader John Gormley might be set to step aside as Minister for the Environment to make way for Ciaran Cuffe as part of an ‘internal’ agreement among the greens made in 2007. According to the Irish Times and others, Green memebers were given to understand that [...]
The Green Party continues to move from one pot-hole to the next. This evening Deirdre De Burca is backing up her concerns about the DDDA, which she says she raised with the minister, with personal e-mails released on her website tonight. The email to Minister Gormley in August 2009. The DDDA report is going to [...]
There will be days of digesting the implications of the Willie O’Dea resignation. Here’s a few impressions of where we are; doubtless others have their own.
There’s the old line about the Bourbons when they got back in power after Napoleon that “they had learned nothing and forgotten nothing”. Then there’s Fianna Fail. The Willie O’Dea confidence motion debate today was mercifully short because it showed a government that, after years of scandals and concerns about conduct in public office, has [...]
How long before she is “that woman” in the corridors of Leinster House? An all-guns-blazing statement from Deirdre de Burca in response to the Sunday broadsheet spinning about her resignation. It’s one little detail after another (going back to Dermot Ahern’s blasphemy bill) but including this nugget –
The Green Party had favoured Pat Cox for [...]
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 [...]
4 days is a long time in politics. Remember when the George Lee resignation seemed to dominate? Deirdre de Burca in today’s Irish Times –
In fact, matters have become more serious of late where Brian Cowen appears to have failed to honour two specific agreements that were made at the highest level (ie between the [...]
The Taoiseach’s department has released the text of the Cabinet statement in support of John Gormley which was distributed to the pol corrs last night. Full text below the fold. One thing to note –
The Government has already decided to impose a levy on incineration. The legislation to allow for this is being drafted and [...]
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.
