Luke Ming Flanagan is the new Jackie Healy-Rae

Monty Burnz

I used to have time for Flanagan back when he wanted the right to smoke his drugs in peace, but since he got elected he has really lost the run of himself with his turf-cutting nonsense and his carping about just about everything. All he needs is a bit more fat and a bit less hair and Michael Healy-Rae will be facing stiff competition for the role of replacing the disgusting Jackie Healy-Rae in the current Dáil. Mattie McGrath is in with a shout too, but sure I never expected anything of that clown.

I hope Flanagan gets booted out at the next election, it might soften his cough a small bit.

smash

Did he fix the road yet?

who what when

Just because his policies arent important to you doesnt mean theyre not important to other people!

token101

who what when wrote: »

Just because his policies arent important to you doesnt mean theyre not important to other people!

That was exactly his point.

CardBordWindow

But you can understand what Ming says when he speaks.
His diction will have to deteriorate drastically to be Jackie Healy-Rae!:D

thebigbiffo

Monty Burnz wrote: »

turf-cutting nonsense

obviously your urban way of life is not being enroached upon :rolleyes:...pesky TD's standing up for their constituents - how dare they!

snubbleste

Do you think he should just sit in the Dáil and keep his opinions to himself?
Why don't you email him and let him know how you feel?

token101

CardBordWindow wrote: »

But you can understand what Ming says when he speaks.
His diction will have to deteriorate drastically to be Jackie Healy-Rae!:D

He can't look anyone in the eye though, watch him on TV. He always stares at the table or the ground.

CardBordWindow

token101 wrote: »

He can't look anyone in the eye though, watch him on TV. He always stares at the table or the ground.

That's just the cannabis induced paranoia!

happyman81

thebigbiffo wrote: »

Monty Burnz wrote: »

turf-cutting nonsense

obviously your urban way of life is not being enroached upon :rolleyes:...pesky TD's standing up for their constituents - how dare they!

Believe it or not, that isn't a TDs job.

Sergeant

thebigbiffo wrote: »

obviously your urban way of life is not being enroached upon :rolleyes:...pesky TD's standing up for their constituents - how dare they!

They should take some time to focus on the issues facing the country instead of pandering to the rampant 'me-feinism' that exists amongst some of their constituents. We've plenty of county and city councillors you can visit if you want to get the road tarred or a downstairs toilet for your granny.

Monty Burnz

who what when wrote: »

Just because his policies arent important to you doesnt mean theyre not important to other people!

Yeah, what this country really needed for the last decade is people fixing potholes and moaning about not being allowed destroy protected bogs. Forget about disastrous property bubbles, the loss of our sovereignty, going on half a million on the dole, the return of emigration and all that unimportant stuff.

As long as my road is smooth and I can destroy our environment, sure feck the rest of ye. :rolleyes:

Kurz

token101 wrote: »

He can't look anyone in the eye though, watch him on TV. He always stares at the table or the ground.

I heard he can't balance a broom on his nose either.

ScumLord

Monty Burnz wrote: »

but since he got elected he has really lost the run of himself with his turf-cutting nonsense and his carping about just about everything.

How is it nonsense? The people he is representing have a legitimate complaint and he found legitimate solutions. He did excellent work, the work his supposed to be doing and the work he promised to do.

Monty Burnz

ScumLord wrote: »

How is it nonsense? The people he is representing have a legitimate complaint and he found legitimate solutions. He did excellent work, the work his supposed to be doing and the work he promised to do.

He was elected to the national legislature. His job is to shape national legislation - not get involved in local bog issues. This is exactly the sort of moronic politics that led to the bubble and the crash.

My name is URL

Monty Burnz wrote: »

he has really lost the run of himself with his turf-cutting nonsense

To be fair to Flanagan on this point, he has been vocal about the turf cutting issue since long before he was ever elected as TD. Should he be expected to just abandon his long held values because he is now expected to deal only with national issues rather than local ones? At least he isn't forfeiting on pre-election promises like most of the others in his position.

Cool Mo D

ScumLord wrote: »

How is it nonsense? The people he is representing have a legitimate complaint and he found legitimate solutions. He did excellent work, the work his supposed to be doing and the work he promised to do.

They don't have a legitimate complaint. A small number of ecologically important bogs are being preserved, and people are moaning for compensation, despite being informed about the plan over 10 years ago, and being offered turf cutting rights elsewhere, or money. They should be told to take a running jump.

token101

Kurz wrote: »

I heard he can't balance a broom on his nose either.

Looking someone in the eye is kind of a basic interactional technique. He's a politician, he should know how to interact or he's in the wrong job.

Frank Black

I find his voice annoying and I don't like the way he seems to shout everything when he's being interviewed on radio.

token101

My name is URL wrote: »

To be fair to Flanagan on this point, he has been vocal about the turf cutting issue since long before he was ever elected as TD. Should he be expected to just abandon his long held values because he is now expected to deal only with national issues rather than local ones? At least he isn't forfeiting on pre-election promises like most of the others in his position.

If there was a reasonable offer made and rejected and he's only representing a minority as small as being suggested, then he's worse than any of them. We can all make demands of our local politicians, society is about compromise, everyone else seems to have accepted the offer. These lads can **** off in that case, and him with them.

Logical Fallacy

token101 wrote: »

Looking someone in the eye is kind of a basic interactional technique. He's a politician, he should know how to interact or he's in the wrong job.

He's just a bit socially awkward, hardly a crime.

Beruthiel

Monty Burnz wrote: »

I used to have time for Flanagan back when he wanted the right to smoke his drugs in peace, but since he got elected he has really lost the run of himself with his turf-cutting nonsense

He comes from an area where this issues is very important to a lot of people and he has always been very political about it.
I'd guess it is why a lot of people from there voted for him in the first place.

It may not be your issue, or mine. But for those who are interested, he's a dog with a bone.
Isn't that what we want from a politician that we vote for? Someone who does his level best to be heard?

token101

Logical Fallacy wrote: »

He's just a bit socially awkward, hardly a crime.

Or a bluffer

Pal

When you elect muppets like Ming and Healy Rae, you deserve what you get.

I shudder thinking about the clowns that govern me.

Monty Burnz

Beruthiel wrote: »

Isn't that what we want from a politician that we vote for? Someone who does his level best to be heard?

So your ideal Dail would be 166 Jackie Healy-Raes, all playing 'beggar thy neighbour', trying to get special treatment for their local voters at the expense of everyone else?

Kurz

Monty Burnz wrote: »

So your ideal Dail would be 166 Jackie Healy-Raes, all playing 'beggar thy neighbour', trying to get special treatment for their local voters at the expense of everyone else?

Assuming that there are bogs in every corner of the country and not just Roscommon, what exactly is this local issue that he's pushing?

Fozzie Bear

Monty Burnz wrote: »

... lost the run of himself with his turf-cutting nonsense and his carping about just about everything. All he needs is a bit more fat and a bit less hair and Michael Healy-Rae will be facing stiff competition for the role of replacing the disgusting Jackie Healy-Rae in the current Dáil.

Turf cutting nonsense! It may seem like a culchie, bog trotter non issue to you but its a pretty big in his constituency. You are talking about stopping people from cutting turf to heat their homes. Something that they, their fathers and their Grandfathers have done for decades. These are people with feck all money to start with. The sort who the celtic tiger never touched. The sort without oil heating (or the means/money to install it). The sort who if they are stopped from cutting turf do what exactly to heat their homes in winter?? Buy coal? With what money? The pittance that is being offer by the Gov/EU? Nobody else is speaking up on their behalf so why the hell would Luke not do so?

As for him being the next M.H.R./J.H.R. I very much doubt you will find Luke cutting deals with FF to line his own pocket. As it is he does not take a TD's full wages, drives a battered 97 Almeira car and lives a pretty frugal normal life in a 3 bed semi-d. The slimey gombeens from Kerry apparently own half of their local village, pub/shop/plant hire business and drive Mercs. How is Luke turning into them?

Sergeant wrote: »

They should take some time to focus on the issues facing the country instead of pandering to the rampant 'me-feinism' that exists amongst some of their constituents. We've plenty of county and city councillors you can visit if you want to get the road tarred or a downstairs toilet for your granny.

Think you will easily find (google) he is a very vocal and politically active individual on a wide variety or local and national issues. Turf is but one of them. How about you go research it before making incorrect sweeping statements about the man.

Monty Burnz wrote: »

Yeah, what this country really needed for the last decade is people fixing potholes and moaning about not being allowed destroy protected bogs. Forget about disastrous property bubbles, the loss of our sovereignty, going on half a million on the dole, the return of emigration and all that unimportant stuff.

As long as my road is smooth and I can destroy our environment, sure feck the rest of ye. :rolleyes:

The protected bogs were "protected" about 10 years ago. For decades beforehand people cut them. Its not like they just rolled into them last year and started to hack them to bits FFS. Stop them cutting turf and what happens then? Should they burn the furniture to heat their homes instead? If they could afford an alternate believe me most would have done it long ago. Spending weeks on end try to dry out and transport turf home is a royal pain in the ass.

Cool Mo D wrote: »

They don't have a legitimate complaint. A small number of ecologically important bogs are being preserved, and people are moaning for compensation,

"Moaning for compo" Love it. What should they do so? Care to tell us what the obvious alternate is? I'm all ears.

Cool Mo D wrote: »

.. despite being informed about the plan over 10 years ago, and being offered turf cutting rights elsewhere, or money. They should be told to take a running jump.

What difference does it make when they were informed? Offered cutting rights elsewhere! That's patent bollóx. Its not like there is another bog just down the road they can change to. They were offered a pittence in compensation, I believe something like a grand a year for ten years? Will that fit out a house with upgraded heating system, boiler, tank etc? These are people with nothing as it is. How do they pay for it? Will a plumber take payment over ten years do you reckon?

token101 wrote: »

If there was a reasonable offer made and rejected....

There wasn't. Simply as.

ScumLord

Monty Burnz wrote: »

He was elected to the national legislature. His job is to shape national legislation - not get involved in local bog issues. This is exactly the sort of moronic politics that led to the bubble and the crash.

It was national (Dublin) politics that dragged this country into the bubble. He made promises to get elected and his fulfilling those promises. There are bogs all over the country you know it is a national issue, but as usuall if it doesn't include Dublin it's not seen as national or of any importance. :rolleyes:

Cool Mo D wrote: »

They don't have a legitimate complaint. A small number of ecologically important bogs are being preserved, and people are moaning for compensation, despite being informed about the plan over 10 years ago, and being offered turf cutting rights elsewhere, or money. They should be told to take a running jump.

that's not as I heard it, these people want to cut their own bogs and are willing to set most of it aside for preservation and have even identified more bog that can be preserved.

Monty Burnz

Kurz wrote: »

Assuming that there are bogs in every corner of the country and not just Roscommon

Assume away. You'd be wrong. Only a few raised bogs are affected.

Kurz

Monty Burnz wrote: »

Assume away. You'd be wrong. Only a few raised bogs are affected.

I'm wrong that there are bogs outside of Roscommon?

Are the raised bogs only in his constituency?

Yakult

I like Ming, down to earth lad!

token101

Kurz wrote: »

Assuming that there are bogs in every corner of the country and not just Roscommon, what exactly is this local issue that he's pushing?

I had a quick google and it's all Roscommon:

http://www.roscommonherald.ie/news/kfkfeykfau/

Enda's been crying about the bog. Cop the **** on Enda, no one's dead.

token101

Yakult wrote: »

I like Ming, down to earth lad!

That a bog joke?

du Maurier

Logical Fallacy wrote: »

He's just a bit socially awkward, hardly a crime.

Almost an oxymoron - a socially awkward politician - in a way. He looks like he needs a good wash though:pac:

Monty Burnz

ScumLord wrote: »

It was national (Dublin) politics that dragged this country into the bubble. He made promises to get elected and his fulfilling those promises. There are bogs all over the country you know it is a national issue, but as usuall if it doesn't include Dublin it's not seen as national or of any importance. :rolleyes:

I'm not actually from Dublin. Apologies if that damages your preconceptions and forces you to come up with an actual argument.

And I think you will find that:

a) It wasn't national politicians who were zoning land to beat the band - that was done by local politicians

b) If we elected competent legislators to the national legislature instead of local passport-ordering, pothole-fixing, grant-securing, social welfare-meddling, funeral attending, back-scratching, bog-trotting local political 'fixers' (including the likes of Finian McGrath) then perhaps there would have been proper scrutiny of what Fianna Failure spent the last 15 years doing and a proper focus on what benefits the whole country and not the local bog snorkellers or junkies or whatever.

mikom

Monty Burnz wrote: »

I hope Flanagan gets booted out at the next election, it might soften his cough a small bit.

Lol, he'll waltz in again the next time.
A more honest and down to earth lad you could not meet.
I only wish he was still living in Galway so that I could give him my number one.
Did a mean dance to the stone roses "I wanna be adored" in salthill back in the day too....

Ps. Jackie Healy-Rae don't jog.

Monty Burnz

Kurz wrote: »

I'm wrong that there are bogs outside of Roscommon?

Oh, so you were raising an irrelevant point about bogs that nobody else is talking about? Yeah, you were dead right in that case.

Kurz wrote: »

Are the raised bogs only in his constituency?

No, there are a few dotted around the country. This does not mean that his is not a local campaign, or a campaign that is really of very little importance compared to what national legislators should really be concerning themselves with.

mongoman

Monty Burnz wrote: »

He was elected to the national legislature. His job is to shape national legislation - not get involved in local bog issues. This is exactly the sort of moronic politics that led to the bubble and the crash.

Maybe you missed the memo, but I suspect every TD since since the foundation of the State, has been elected on the back of local promises that were made.

Monty Burnz

mongoman wrote: »

Maybe you missed the memo, but I suspect every TD since since the foundation of the State, has being elected on the back of local promises that were made.

And that's turned out really well. We clearly need more of it.

ScumLord

Monty Burnz wrote: »

I'm not actually from Dublin. Apologies if that damages your preconceptions and forces you to come up with an actual argument.

Your still falling into the Dublin is Ireland trap. Irish bogs are a national issue, Roscommon doesn't hold 100% of the countries bogs this affects many people.

a) It wasn't national politicians who were zoning land to beat the band - that was done by local politicians

And that was the root cause of Ireland economic problems? It's only a small part.

b) If we elected competent legislators to the national legislature instead of local passport-ordering, pothole-fixing, grant-securing, social welfare-meddling, funeral attending, back-scratching, bog-trotting local political 'fixers' (including the likes of Finian McGrath) then perhaps there would have been proper scrutiny of what Fianna Failure spent the last 15 years doing and a proper focus on what benefits the whole country and not the local bog snorkellers or junkies or whatever.

[/QUOTE] Every one in this country was up to their eyeballs in it, everyone got bought out. If local politicians didn't look out for their own turf then most places around the country would have been completely forgotten about. The people had to do something to look out for their interests because the national agenda didn't focus on anything other than development. Development was put above road safety, sewage and even basic health care. The country at a national level was self serving so the only way to survive at a local level was to be just as self serving.

Kurz

Monty Burnz wrote: »

He was elected to the national legislature. His job is to shape national legislation - not get involved in local bog issues.

Monty Burnz wrote: »

Oh, so you were raising an irrelevant point about bogs that nobody else is talking about? Yeah, you were dead right in that case.

Erm...

Dots1982

Jackie healy Rae was effectively part of the government almost anytime he was elected. He did this so he could get things done in his constituency in return for voting with the government.

Ming operates outside the government and I would say will never support any FF or FG led government .

Not a fan of either but they are in no way alike.

elaney

The fact that you are talking about him indicates that he is doing his job. How many TDs in the dail wont be heard from until the next election.
He very well respected in Roscommon/Leitrim.

Monty Burnz

Kurz wrote: »

Erm...

A little bog education, if you are interested. Headlines: only a small amount of our bogland is raised bog. Only about 7% of our raised bog remains. That 7% is about half of all the raised bogland in Europe, so it is a rare ecosystem. Increasing mechanisation means that the bogs are being destroyed faster than ever.

Monty Burnz

elaney wrote: »

The fact that you are talking about him indicates that he is doing his job. How many TDs in the dail wont be heard from until the next election.
He very well respected in Roscommon/Leitrim.

Just like Jackie Healy-Rae in Kerry.

Frank Black

I can't help feeling all this talk about raised bogs and cutting rights is taking away from the real issue I attempted to raise a number of posts back, namely his annoying voice and propensity to shout on radio programmes.

toexpress

Monty Burnz wrote: »

I used to have time for Flanagan back when he wanted the right to smoke his drugs in peace, but since he got elected he has really lost the run of himself with his turf-cutting nonsense and his carping about just about everything. All he needs is a bit more fat and a bit less hair and Michael Healy-Rae will be facing stiff competition for the role of replacing the disgusting Jackie Healy-Rae in the current Dáil. Mattie McGrath is in with a shout too, but sure I never expected anything of that clown.

I hope Flanagan gets booted out at the next election, it might soften his cough a small bit.

Really you seem surprised by this? I can't understand anyone being surprised at the antics of Minger the Merciless he was a shouty bloke on a soapbox that people continued to bat away with all the effort one would invest in batting away a fly so now he has to try and appeal to a bigger crowd in order to get interest and raise his profile.

I wouldn't be surprised at anything he does a desperado, a crusader without a cause.

angry kitten

The guy is an absolute joke. He is a ridiculous little man and frankly is an embarrassment as a political representative. Jesus forbid we see anymore like him. Would it really kill him to dress himself properly and that hair just screams mid-life crisis/aging hippy.

mikom

angry kitten wrote: »

The guy is an absolute joke. He is a ridiculous little man and frankly is an embarrassment as a political representative. Jesus forbid we see anymore like him. Would it really kill him to dress himself properly and that hair just screams mid-life crisis/aging hippy.

I agree.
A charvet shirt wouldn't go amiss........

toexpress

mikom wrote: »

I agree.
A charvet shirt wouldn't go amiss........

He could nip to Galvins we aren't asking him to spend his hash money on shirts, heaven to betsy we shouldn't expect such things but surely a shirt and tie ...

cournioni

elaney wrote: »

The fact that you are talking about him indicates that he is doing his job. How many TDs in the dail wont be heard from until the next election.
He very well respected in Roscommon/Leitrim.

Not just in that constituency, he's respected by people around Ireland, including myself. The OP doesn't like Ming because of what he stands for.