So Michael D IS running again!

Henryhill2

Why is the PAC stepping in now?

Hurrache

Exactly.

richiepurgas

Fleming, PAC chair, is a media whore who will use every opportunity to undermine Martin in his campaign to become party leader himself. Would love to see him get it, because he's not exactly the brightest. All mouth and no trousers.

seamus

Henryhill2 wrote: »

Why is the PAC stepping in now?

Because the kind people who run campaigns for "businesspeople" know that if you throw mud at someone just before they go stand on a podium, there won't be enough time to clean it off.

That is, whatever "relevations" are found about Presidential expenses will be spun reflect badly on Michael D regardless of the fact that it will have nothing to do with him.

And there won't be enough time before the election for this disinformation to be refuted/forgotten.

Not surprising they're thinking about this, the chair of the PAC being a FF man. The vice-chair publicly disagrees with him on whether it's appropriate, so the Dail should be considering muzzling the PAC until the election is over and investigating whether Sean Fleming is acting in good faith.

blackwhite

Henryhill2 wrote: »

Why is the PAC stepping in now?

The PAC has for quite a while now been used more as a vehicle for it's members to self-publicise than for anything else.

Timing this to coincide with an election gives them another opportunity to boost their profiles.

Henryhill2

Might end up working in Higgins favour presuming he stays out of it

Not too many going to be fooled by this nonsense

eastwest

Henryhill2 wrote: »

Might end up working in Higgins favour presuming he stays out of it

Not too many going to be fooled by this nonsense

This is the country that put Ming Flanagan into the European Parliament to represent our best interests.
Never overestimate the intelligence of the electorate.

James Brown

richiepurgas wrote: »

Fleming, PAC chair, is a media whore who will use every opportunity to undermine Martin in his campaign to become party leader himself. Would love to see him get it, because he's not exactly the brightest. All mouth and no trousers.

Did Leo no harm.

Henryhill2 wrote: »

Might end up working in Higgins favour presuming he stays out of it

Not too many going to be fooled by this nonsense

They are making a circus out of it. I think it's the only way to give Higgins any competition. They've nothing positive to bring to the office.

Capt'n Midnight

richiepurgas wrote: »

Fleming, PAC chair, is a media whore who will use every opportunity to undermine Martin in his campaign to become party leader himself. Would love to see him get it, because he's not exactly the brightest. All mouth and no trousers.

He has already ruled out questions about the president.

Martin has taken a dig at him anyway.

And besides they are under budget.


https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2018/0920/994931-presidential-election/

Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin has said his personal view is the Public Accounts Committee should desist from its plans to discuss expenditure of the Office of the President.
...

In the first PAC meeting since the summer recess, committee chairperson Sean Fleming said there had been a number of requests to discuss the expenditure in the President's Establishment, ...
"The President is not answerable to this House," he said.

"There is a long standing principle. We will honour that in its entirety. If anybody asks a question about the President I will rule it out of order."
...
Mr McCarthy told the committee that the office of the current President was coming in under budget and was surrendering 10% of its allocation.

FreudianSlippers

Matt Barrett wrote: »

Did Leo no harm.

Nonsense - we haven't had an election yet so there's no way of saying. I think Leo would get a deserved wake up call if we had an election today. He has been the figurehead of some very amazing and great changes to the country, but the country was ready for these with anyone at the helm. FG and Leo have done very little in real terms due to fear or some other reason that I can't understand.

Capt'n Midnight

WUT ?

Presidential hopeful Sarah Louise Mulligan ejected from Dublin council meeting

Sarah Louise Mulligan said she would not be silenced after being told her allocated time was up
...
Mayor of South County Dublin, Mark Ward, who chaired the meeting said: "She was quite angry and aggressive and she was roaring and shouting demanding an apology..."

Hi Sarah
enjoy some publicity, Vote for Sarah or else

batgoat

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

WUT ?

Presidential hopeful Sarah Louise Mulligan ejected from Dublin council meeting

Hi Sarah
enjoy some publicity, Vote for Sarah or else

There's a video...
https://twitter.com/newsworthy_ie/status/1042938629922975750?s=19

An Ciarraioch

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

Matt Barrett wrote: »

Did Leo no harm.

Nonsense - we haven't had an election yet so there's no way of saying. I think Leo would get a deserved wake up call if we had an election today. He has been the figurehead of some very amazing and great changes to the country, but the country was ready for these with anyone at the helm. FG and Leo have done very little in real terms due to fear or some other reason that I can't understand.

Once Brexit is concluded either way in the coming weeks, the grace period granted to FG for the last 12 months will come to an end, as presumably will ratings in the 30s.

Larbre34

An Ciarraioch wrote: »

Once Brexit is concluded either way in the coming weeks, the grace period granted to FG for the last 12 months will come to an end, as presumably will ratings in the 30s.

Concluded? Unless its overturned, they'll stillbe trying to get a handle on the damage it causes in 5 years time

Itssoeasy

For Forks Sake wrote: »

How to make friends and influence people #2631....

And this is a flat out lie (which a remarkable number of her sheep seem to believe)

Does Gemma not understand that gettting votes from some councillors does not equate to the getting nominations that actually count towards getting on the ballot for the election ? Or have I answered my own question there.

CrabRevolution

An Ciarraioch wrote: »

Once Brexit is concluded either way in the coming weeks, the grace period granted to FG for the last 12 months will come to an end, as presumably will ratings in the 30s.

I don't support/care for Fine Gael, Varadkar or any party, but I've heard this "their support will collapse any second now" for months and months. Each time the reason is something different; house prices, cervical check, the Gardaí, the Health service etc. and now Brexit.

It's yet to happen though.

An Ciarraioch

Sunday Times party figures just published, so a presidential poll will follow in the print edition tomorrow.

Larbre34

Itssoeasy wrote: »

Does Gemma not understand that gettting votes from some councillors does not equate to the getting nominations that actually count towards getting on the ballot for the election ? Or have I answered my own question there.

Course she does, but she genuinely has some sort of weird deluded paranoia. Whats depressing is her supporters on social media who have no knowledge of their own and believe she is just one Council away from the ballot.

Rhineshark

FreudianSlippers wrote: »

Nonsense - we haven't had an election yet so there's no way of saying. I think Leo would get a deserved wake up call if we had an election today. He has been the figurehead of some very amazing and great changes to the country, but the country was ready for these with anyone at the helm. FG and Leo have done very little in real terms due to fear or some other reason that I can't understand.

He's been Taoiseach for a very odd period in our history, a social rights revolution (Ireland's 1960s imo!) and the Brexit shenanigans which are taking up too much time for everyone involved. The British gov has gotten almost nothing done in two years due to it and Ireland is the second-most caught up in it.

I don't think he's done a great deal that anyone else of half a wit wouldn't have done but he's not screwed it up, which is something. The Irish gov is handling Brexit as well as it can be handled given its an almighty ****show.

Right now and as things stand, I'd vote the current lot back in over FF although neither really align with my political position. But I wouldn't take the risk of FF, having sat on the sidelines, coming in and trying to change tack for the sake of it with 6 months to go.

Mind you, housing, homeless crisis, drinking water, Ireland's failure to meet its climate goals and the HSE does make me want an alternative to either lot. Sooner blasted Brexit is done with so we can focus on things other than the national meltdown next door, the better.

Henryhill2

Why is Gallagher making a big deal about debates and who's present?

It sounds like he doesn't actually want to debate himself,I can see why

mrbrianj

Strange piece about Sean Gallagher in the Sindo yesterday. He discussed an eye condition/disorder which effected his performance in THAT debate, apparently TV studio lights phase him and also cause him to squint, he must have forgotten that he gained his celebrity by being in a TV studio day one.

He may have a serious eye problem and fair play for him developing a TV career in Dragons Den and doing the tv media circus for the last election campaign whilst suffering like that - but he was able to operate deftly in such an environment up to that final debate.

marieholmfan

mrbrianj wrote: »

Strange piece about Sean Gallagher in the Sindo yesterday. He discussed an eye condition/disorder which effected his performance in THAT debate, apparently TV studio lights phase him and also cause him to squint, he must have forgotten that he gained his celebrity by being in a TV studio day one.

He may have a serious eye problem and fair play for him developing a TV career in Dragons Den and doing the tv media circus for the last election campaign whilst suffering like that - but he was able to operate deftly in such an environment up to that final debate.

I wonder if we could see proof from a doctor of this condition. No reasonable person could be expected to regard Gallagher as ordinarily truthful.

VinLieger

Gemma got a nomination from laois by begging every politician that didnt support her to abstain, she won the nomination with 3 votes, 13 abstained and 2 absent, how is that the democracy her and her supporters keep banging on about?

marieholmfan

VinLieger wrote: »

Gemma got a nomination from laois by begging every politician that didnt support her to abstain, she won the nomination with 3 votes, 13 abstained and 2 absent, how is that the democracy her and her supporters keep banging on about?

It's sort of weird. What is her aim here. I support her AS A JOURNALIST; I would buy a book if she wrote one but I would never ever vote for her to be President.

Cork Boy 53

marieholmfan wrote: »

It's sort of weird. What is her aim here. I support her AS A JOURNALIST; I would buy a book if she wrote one but I would never ever vote for her to be President.

Publicity/media exposure for herself.

marieholmfan

Cork Boy 53 wrote: »

Publicity/media exposure for herself.

All publicity is not good publicity.

Henryhill2

Presidential elections tend to drag up the dirt so the exposure here may not be beneficial

For Forks Sake

VinLieger wrote: »

Gemma got a nomination from laois by begging every politician that didnt support her to abstain, she won the nomination with 3 votes, 13 abstained and 2 absent, how is that the democracy her and her supporters keep banging on about?

No nomination for her in Cork : https://twitter.com/Borderfoxy/status/1044174900519464961

Gemma O'Doherty is not getting the nomination from #Cork County Council -
5 votes for Gemma
28 against
6 abstained

For Forks Sake

And that's the end of that unpleasant chapter. Although no doubt she'll keep tweeting that it's some sort of conspiracy in spite of all evidence that it was merely down to her being an utterly unsuitable candidate.

https://twitter.com/ConorGallaghe_r/status/1044174167569035264

Penn

For Forks Sake wrote: »

And that's the end of that unpleasant chapter. Although no doubt she'll keep tweeting that it's some sort of conspiracy in spite of all evidence that it was merely down to her being an utterly unsuitable candidate.

https://twitter.com/ConorGallaghe_r/status/1044174167569035264

Can't she still be on the ballot if she gets some Senators to support her, or is she just done now?