Irish politics discussion thread

yeah

idk

idk

I mean he was no replacement for rabbitte tbh and Quinn better than either but it'll prob be Burton and idk

stupid knee jerk reaction. twere best done at Christmas after a decent pause.

Don't really know what the popular sentiment is but I'd have guessed that the Labour frontbench as a whole is unpopular, rather than just Gilmore? Like, what replacement is going to save them in the next election if they stay in government and allow SF/lefties to continue gobbling all the working-class votes?

otm

conversation with enda-

we're being killed out there, take some heat or spend money we don't have

no

then I quit

send the next one in on yr way out thks

Who is going to lead Labour now? Howlin? He's old guard though so probably not.

Thought Howlin was the most hated of the lot of them?

depends who you ask.

see it down to Quinn or Burton.

a right cunt

http://www.rte.ie/news/2014/0526/619719-fitzpatrick/

Burton has to put money where mouth is. I have time for her though so hopefully will live up to expectations of some backbone in labour.

Some real duds going to Europe. Their loss is our gain...

her going for it now means no budget or she loses all credibility.

I've no time for her tbh. out of all front benchers she's been the one making cheap political capital by fucking around with false promises and positions she knows to be impossible.

Maybe. I was a bit taken aback at stroke pulled by White before announcing candidature.

It's interesting having all the independents in locals. Will that have an effect on the process of budgets locally, etc. They can't be ignored and it'll be interesting to see how those decisions will be made.

Lots of interesting in tham thar politics...

I haven't seen the figures but I'm going sure they can and will be ignored, which is a better alternative to their gumming up the works with their vanity projects, the majority of which are either out of scope for councillors or are populist disasters.

yes minister is obv a dramatisation (the minister is too intelligent and civically minded, for starters) but my experience is def that the tension btwn a professional and relatively entrenched body of servants immune to the whim of the elected talking heads may not serve democracy brilliantly but is p much a huge boon to actually running the councils, cities and towns with any vestige of sanity or coherence. that's p much my sum total thoughts on councils of any level.

feel free to disagree on Burton obv I only bite depending on the personal digs, and only then if they're lacking style.

Joan Burton is surely the most hated woman in Irish politics right now

idk is there any competition tbf

Most hated person in general perhaps

I would say not top 5

Gilmore, hogan, Reilly def miles ahead, and I'd imagine plenty of ff heads would raise more ire if they dared open their mouths.

Maybe you're right. I was passing through Crumlin earlier and was surprised to see Sinn Fein handing out leaflets. Candidate was there and he'd been voted in. Very weird but hey, it's all about party profile at the moment.

Think Hannafin may be more unpopular than Burton going by hames made of her candidacy.

Burton is alright imho if perhaps a bit institutionalised. I don't know that she's actually done anything at all since appointed.

P4t R4bb1tt3 on Marian again. Why always him? Also 5h4n3 R055. Ego squabbles for the mic 1 2...

on what

Finucane on R1. Gave up, too much political waffle.

This is a first for us, www.ionainstitute.ie but we are urgently seeking people who will be willing to sit in a studio audience tomorrow night for the Vincent Browne show.

Every Wednesday night is an audience -only debate format and the topic this time is same-sex marriage and Irish attitudes to gay people generally.

If you are willing to be part of the audience, you don’t have to utter a word unless you want to, just clap at appropriate moments!

Paddy Manning will be one of the main people arguing against same-sex marriage. No doubt he will appreciate having some people on his side even if it is only small minority of those in the studio.

The show wants people out to the TV3 studios by 7pm for an 8pm start. It will all be over by 10pm.

If you can go please let us know asap. If you can, bring a friend! Lots of audience tickets are still available

I mean.....

xp serves u right tbph

where the fuck is ionaleaks when you need it

just clap at the appropriate moments!

when yr firstborn son tells u he blows tramps for kicks, how's that for an appropriate moment

didn't a fella eat the Iona institute at Christmas? confused.

maybe when someone says how their son killed himself due to institutional & cultural homophobia?

whatever it is you may be sure the ionese won't be clapping it

fuck me

Vinny b show reminding me that outside of ilx I'm a proper liberal these people are fucking appalling monsters

Vinny letting far too much go here

fuck every one of these cunts til they die

I didn't expect to agree with a single one of em but Jesus Christ I reckoned on a fuckin debate at least. this is pitiful.

iona? how many are there?

idk if they're all Ion a but fucks sake they're there in equal numbers and the drivel my god its the most awful circular arguing I've heard in idk when.

Investigate the funding! Are they genuinely an Irish lobbying group if majority funded from US?

Very sad about the 800 in Tuam. No matter how Iona are at least they're a minority (surprisingly prominent though) and as a society I do think we've come very far. Obviously still a bit further to go.

Reilly is snookered looks like.

DMac, ILX libertarian, IRL liberal.

something like that, idk, idk

nothing surprising about Iona's prominence given that they exist in order to gain just that, are well funded to that purpose and the media outlets have a curious, questionable notion of 'balance' in public debate in these and other matters.

I'd agree with lack of balance.

Personally I think John Waters in coalition with Panti should lead the next government. For, as the youth might say, the LULZ...

rip big man

Burton is already a total disaster. gonna go down in history IMO.

He's only sorry to be leaving as son isn't ready to take seat. Career politicians are scary creatures.

what about de oflynns tho

tbh tho id rank quinn as the best or the second best we've had for twenty years or more, ie in my time of even being aware of politics rly

All of them, DMac, all of them. We're not a century into it and we've serious issues with inherited seats. Look at Enda and Childers: neither have skills and are there because of their antecedents (father and grandfather respectively). It's not like it would be unusual for the left either. Look at the Springs.

I don't think Quinn was bad. I just don't think it's appropriate to hold on until next generation can take over family firm.

no, i'd agree with the general point, but in the specific i think there's no case for getting rid of him- he's as good a minister as labour have.

Rabbitte determined to not go quietly into that night!

Poor old (though young or whatever hype machine was going on about) White, that was fairly decisive.

Higgins on banking inquiry is welcome but a pity at cost of one of few qualified TDs.

Also Hogan for Europe seems inevitable. Lord love the poor interpreters on that one...

I also don't have axe to grind with Quinn apart from Long career and intended nepotism. He seems alright and not too self-regarding.

what do ye make of this coming budget?

i dont rly

its taking the outside of the bend and looking for momentum i guess

usual interest groups will bewail as always what else point for the cunts

already tales of breakfast meeting gnashings from financial consultant giants of unfairness to the high income earners reaches our ears

reports are heard from the lower streets of the town that poverty campaigners with interests in poverty campaigning that no doubt include an increase in their budgets the better to campaign against poverty until getting the job they want lobbying someone for something may have complained that this budget will not solve poverty and may even have worsened it from the point of view of the country's wealthy getting more from it than a smithfield junkie

as far as i can personally deign from the irish times calculator and the cast innards of a rat i found in the hotpress my water charges can be offset over a year against the 4ish odd quid returned to my gaping pockets, i though it not much until a fellow philosopher supposed twas like noonan coming down twice a week and buying me a coffee but only not coming down to do it himself maybe leaving a standing tab for me somewhere as suited my own location at the time and looked at like that tbh i guess id rather he stayed doing his job for we mightnt even get on if he were to call in, though i think we probably would.

jesus man

ikr, i blame the long days im at of late

i made up the bit about the rat im not gone pure demented or anything relax

Water. What the hell is going on? Okay - I'm against the PPS number, I think that's a little bit too much but I'm okay with paying for it if they fix the pipes. I'm not sure they're going to fix the pipes though! I also am slightly worried that the privatisation of water will go as badly as the bins.

Whole thing a sorry mess.

Also: The arts. Did anyone see the stories about the massive cuts in funding? I found Fintan O'Toole to be absolutely OTM in this one.

As an aside. I really liked the second letter here.