Irish politics discussion thread

it is. God knows what will happen tho. I'm kind of zen about the presidency tbh, wd gladly swap Gallagher in the aras for Coppinger in Dublin West and nos to the two const amendments

i'm either way on judge's pay being a vital part of separation of judiciary and executive, tbph.

Gallagher, just don't like him. Have a feeling that if there's anything beneath the shitetalk buzzwords then it's nasty. And he's FF, a celtic tiger entrepreneur and probably owes us money.

oh yeah don't get me wrong i HATE gallagher. and I do find it somewhat depressing that so many Irish people are apparently considering swinging right back to FF within the fucken year. but it's such a meaningless gig that he can stew in the park for 14 years afaic. think he's finished tho now, altho who knows?

and yep judges' pay is less important than the other referendum.

Well FF+FG always get dunno 60% of the people behind them...FF have no official candidate and nobody likes Gay Mitchell, so there's a massive floating centre-right and rural vote that has to go somewhere.

mcguinness, tho it'll fracture obv

not on right or left lines, tho, on rural nationalist ones

Yeah and Dana is obviously going for obviously going for some of that vote too. But for one reason or another it looks like they're splitting for Gallagher now.

Fair few friends on Facebook trying to whip up support for Michael D; he'll get all the Norris transfers but I don't know how he can get to 50%+1 unless Gallagher's support collapses.

Didn't see tonight's action though.

michael d will get everyone's transfers imo

fg voters will vote michael d first, imo, if they think gallagher has a chance

dana unpopular, can't really see her drumming up support from any demographic tbh. Hard right catholics? I dunno, maybe it's a bigger market than i think, or at least they'll all show up on the day.

highly doubt ff/fg will get 60% tho

the audience on last nights debate doing a collective "AWWWW!" to Gay Mitchell after pleading to Pat Kenny to ask relevant questions about the role of president (so as he could waffle on) was hilarious.

i think seanín may just fall away in a sthrong wakeness

took a few envelopes, passed them here and there, nbd.

how much of the michael d transfer logic is just out west assumptions though

sure this is it

i for one welcome our new fraggle overlord

hear hear

^

All hail Michael D. He asked my Mum to a dance once.

my dad rid haughey's daughter a few times but hey it's not a contest

you win

Pretty sure everyone in Ireland has stories about an intersection with a "notable public figure".

lol i was going to say i didnt but actually i do but i wont post cuz it isnt rly interesting or salacious

also deems i was trying to work out what 'rid' was a euphemism for in that context but it turns out it was the opposite of a euphemism

yep

nb my dad is an old seadog so pinch of salt pinch of salt

http://s3.jrnl.ie/media/2011/10/Silver-Surfer-Awards-403-630x332.jpg

lol

oh wow, portrait of an election

could do with a tiny Dana as the Virgin Mary crying in a corner, but yeah, couldn't ask for better.

and pixie lott as mary davis

i hadn't given any credence to the polls showing gallagher the big lead last week, but the red c poll data about swingers backed it up

Transfers doing wonders for gay.

paying 1bn tranche of anglo bonds from taxpayer funds tomorrow- not even senior debt afaik

Politicians and bankers lining up on primetime now to tell us why

Corrupt, lying motherfuckers

studio discussion was 'unsatisfactory'

and again at the end of this week, though at long, long last the media are starting to attempt to profile where/to whom and therefore why the irish govt is paying such huge sums to unsecured investors in dead companies

Ironic thing is that there'll be a huge and IMPORTANT debate when terry pratchett or whoever finally goes the assisted suicide route, we're not only lemming it financially, we've to fuckin report progress to the doctor in charge every three months

NAMAste, deems

deathlols

i've a fine righteous anger on me today, channelling it into landlord negotiations. Averaging 13% across the board so far, can't work out if i'm helping or exacerbating the problem tbph.

Dunph taking it to the bin companies on the Late Late. Fight the power

He's had a few

way to scorn his main source of nutrition

any time Eamon needs to reach for a symbol of Irish greatness he goes for horse racing. It's hilarious

& padraig harrington

Referendum a coming! I love EU refererendums.

Taking Sides:

Passing the referendum will lead to our enslavement, forced abortions for all, and mass conscription v. Rejecting the referendum will lead to our expulsion from the EU and reversion to a barter economy based on the potato.

latter, pls

latter all day

right

FF split
Referendum
Hotel in bundoran sells for 650k
Central bank to ease into negative equity sales
Exchequer take up by 1bn vs last year
IMF lobbying for us

Is there really nothing to talk about

plus sean sherlock passed that fucking awful legislation

1000 messages to get from ff re-elected to here.

― socks & pwns may break my bwns (darraghmac), Monday, 9 May 2011 02:40 (10 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

160 million euros per message, that

― socks & pwns may break my bwns (darraghmac), Monday, 9 May 2011 02:41 (10 months ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

chilling

hows all

flynn corrupt
Lawlor corrupt
Rambo corrupt
FF corrupt
Bertie- ah jaysus, hard to say

!?

The following is the full text of a statement issued by former taoiseach Bertie Ahern tonight, in response to the findings of the Mahon tribunal:

"I note the publication today of the Mahon Tribunal Final Report which are not the findings of a court of law.

At the outset, I want to make clear that I have had the great honour and privilege to serve as an elected politician for over 30 years. I have dedicated my life to politics and serving the interest of the Irish people in politics. I have never accepted a bribe or a corrupt payment.

The Tribunal into Certain Planning Matters was established to inquire into allegations of planning corruption in Dublin. After spending over a decade of inquiries and countless millions of euros, the Tribunal has not made – nor could it make – a finding to support the scurrilous and untrue allegation that I had been given a corrupt payment by Mr Owen O'Callaghan (the Cork based developer of Quarryvale) or any of his companies.

On this key substantive point there is no evidence whatsoever to show I received anything from Mr O'Callaghan.

Nor could there be because, put simply, this never happened.

The only reason that the Tribunal was allowed to investigate me was the entirely untrue and unworthy allegation that I had received money from Owen O'Callaghan. Without that allegation (which in truth was no more than rumour and gossip) it had no mandate at all to carry out a general inquiry into my finances and a trawl of my personal life.

>From the report it is clear, not a single witness at the Mahon

Tribunal directly stated that I was given a bribe (other than Mr Thomas Gilmartin). And he stated he was only repeating what he claimed he had been told by Owen O’Callaghan. Mr O’Callaghan was always clear that he never made that claim to Mr Gilmartin.

It is a matter of fact that I had nothing at all to do with the rezoning of the lands at Quarryvale. I was not a councillor on Dublin County Council and never exercised planning or zoning powers in respect of that site.

I am disappointed that the Tribunal has said that I failed to give “a truthful account.” That statement is unfair and inaccurate having regard to the evidence. It is one that I cannot and I will never accept and I will continue to examine ways in which to vindicate my name.

I was honest with the Tribunal and I gave it truthful evidence and I reject completely any suggestion that I did otherwise.

What I find most remarkable is that even where there is no evidence to the contrary, in many instances, my evidence has been summarily rejected and no good reason has been set out for why this is the case.

I am incredulous that the Tribunal has made findings rejecting the evidence of a number of individuals – including a number of friends who loaned me money –whose evidence supported mine. In the case of almost every person who lent me money, their explanations were not challenged at the hearings in any substantial way. I believe this is fundamentally unfair.

I find it extraordinary that the Tribunal has also disregarded the expert evidence that was given to it on tax, accounting and banking matters which supported me.

In particular, I believe that the notion that I got large sums of sterling and dollars is objectionable, inaccurate and without an iota of foundation.

Given the significance of the issue, this conclusion is all the more surprising because it has been arrived at without deploying the resources of a forensic accountant or an independent banking witness.

The Tribunal had unlimited resources available to it.

I find it startling and disturbing that despite its resources, the Tribunal did not employ any relevant experts but at the same time, declined to hear my expert banking witness to establish whether in fact their hypothesis could form the basis of any finding about foreign currency.

I note that the Tribunal’s report does not explain why the Tribunal did not call my expert in evidence, but still contradicted his conclusions.

I have accepted before that my personal finances were chaotic and this arose from a busy and personally traumatic period in my life.

I have apologised for any concern that this has caused people but I have never done anything wrong or illegal.

I have never received a corrupt payment and I have never done anything to demean any office I have held. I know that some people will feel that some aspects of my personal finances are unusual and that in retrospect it is obvious I was wrong not to have paid more attention to my financial affairs and records.

I truly regret if this has caused any confusion or worry in people’s minds. All of these issues arose in a period when my family, personal and professional situations were rapidly changing and I made the best decisions I could in the circumstances in which I found myself. I have long said that if I could go back in time I would do things differently, and for that confusion I am sorry. But I must repeat I never took a bribe or corrupt payment.

I never made a political decision in return for a payment.

I hid nothing. I gave the Tribunal unfettered access to all my financial records, and after years of investigation, this Tribunal has not made any finding of corruption against me. I have told the truth to this Tribunal, and I reject strongly any suggestion that I sought to mislead it."

tragic huh

Martin has recommended that he be removed from the party.

Probably less work and better off if those worthy of leaving it did the moving.

http://i.imgur.com/DwRGV.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/FqDmr.gif