Nearly 4 months without a government during a national crisis

Snow Garden

The general election was on February 8th. It is now June 2nd. 4 months.

I thought our political system was bad but it really is a complete nonsense.

Leo said the Feb 8th date was chosen to facilitate Brexit when we all knew it was because Maria Bailey decided not to support the confidence motion in Simon Harris which would have brought down the government.

We have endured FG and FF slowly courting each other in a crisis when it's clear they are 2 sides of he same coin. Merge and get on with it. The civil war is over!

We have TDs who have lost their seats like Regina Doherty making important decisions on the social welfare system. It is ludicrous.

The Greens don't seem to know there is a crisis.

SF are happy enough to watch from the sidelines. They know the numbers don't work so that makes sense. However they must have expanded the money tree orchard because everytime I hear them speak, they are promising more and more free money to more and more people. Economic lunacy.

We don't have a government and we wont have a credible opposition. I am sure they are all doing their best to milk the system in the meantime. Even the TDs that lost their seats.

Snow Garden

Over 4 months now. Unbelievable.

Mr. Karate

I've been saying since this lockdown went over a month that certain people [Leo , Harris and other TDs that should be gone by now] are enjoying this lockdown way too much. They're just using this as an excuse to stay in power at this point.

fly_agaric

Snow Garden wrote: »

The general election was on February 8th. It is now June 2nd. 4 months.

I thought our political system was bad but it really is a complete nonsense.

Leo said the Feb 8th date was chosen to facilitate Brexit when we all knew it was because Maria Bailey decided not to support the confidence motion in Simon Harris which would have brought down the government.

We have endured FG and FF slowly courting each other in a crisis when it's clear they are 2 sides of he same coin. Merge and get on with it. The civil war is over!

We have TDs who have lost their seats like Regina Doherty making important decisions on the social welfare system. It is ludicrous.

The Greens don't seem to know there is a crisis.

SF are happy enough to watch from the sidelines. They know the numbers don't work so that makes sense. However they must have expanded the money tree orchard because everytime I hear them speak, they are promising more and more free money to more and more people. Economic lunacy.

We don't have a government and we wont have a credible opposition. I am sure they are all doing their best to milk the system in the meantime. Even the TDs that lost their seats.

True, current FG/independent lot of ministers + the Taoiseach could have done a "3 wise monkeys" on Covid-19 and spent the last few months engaged in talks about what to deliver for all the parish pumps around Ireland with FF/SF/Greens/Soc Dems/nutty rural independents instead.

Then the new govt., new TDs and shiny new batch of ministers could have swept in & tackled our Covid outbreak while also trying to learn what the hell exactly their own departments do (or don't do!) day to day.

Would that have been more productive, or even more popular with the electorate I wonder?

edit: also what is your suggestion for bashing heads together and getting a quick, easy, stable coalition out of the very divided result of the last election?
I didn't see it in your post.

Snow Garden

fly_agaric wrote: »

True, current FG/independent lot of ministers + the Taoiseach could have done a "3 wise monkeys" on Covid-19 and spent the last few months engaged in talks about what to deliver for all the parish pumps around Ireland with FF/SF/Greens/Soc Dems/nutty rural independents instead.

Then the new govt., new TDs and shiny new batch of ministers could have swept in & tackled our Covid outbreak while also trying to learn what the hell exactly their own departments do (or don't do!) day to day.

Would that have been more productive, or even more popular with the electorate I wonder?

edit: also what is your suggestion for bashing heads together and getting a quick, easy, stable coalition out of the very divided result of the last election?
I didn't see it in your post.

Nonsense. Everybody knew shortly after the election that it would be FF+FG+Another. It was abundantly clear very early on that FF and FG would not go into coalition with SF. Instead of dancing around the FF+FG coalition, they dragged it out endlessly and pointlessly. It is the only option other than another election. They could have left Leo and Simon as Taoiseach/Health Minister in the short term to continue the Covid plan. Newsflash, Simon is still a terrible minister for health. Regina is handling social welfare and lost her seat!

The so called program for government wont mean a damn thing until they realise the full economic extent of Covid 19 in Q1 2021.

dresden8

You're right you know.

The government couldn't have solved this crisis without well known epidemic expert Regina Doherty.

It's like Outbreak without Dustin Hoffman.

fly_agaric

Snow Garden wrote: »

Nonsense. Everybody knew shortly after the election that it would be FF+FG+Another. It was abundantly clear very early on that FF and FG would not go into coalition with SF. Instead of dancing around the FF+FG coalition, they dragged it out endlessly and pointlessly. It is the only option other than another election. They could have left Leo and Simon as Taoiseach/Health Minister in the short term to continue the Covid plan. Newsflash, Simon is still a terrible minister for health. Regina is handling social welfare and lost her seat!

The so called program for government wont mean a damn thing until they realise the full economic extent of Covid 19 in Q1 2021.

I'll give you that alright (re the only possible configuration of a govt. if there is no new election).

Still think you are being completely unrealistic & trying to form this new government while the pandemic was kicking off here would have been stupid & a massive distraction + waste of time. As for leaving Leo Varadkar + perhaps a few of the key ministers in place effectively indefinitely with a free hand + FF blessings to run the country (this short term has already been 4 months), maybe it would have been prudent but do you really imagine FF signing up to that to just to go into government quickly?

As regards them all being "terrible" etc. + the usual endless cynicism that pours forth (I know it because I often feel it...), at least they should know their departments (and each other) after x years in power as opposed to a bunch of new ministers being thrown in at the very deep end.

edit: As regards the depth of this "deep end", with this crisis if things are overlooked or handled badly - people die.
If we don't navigate a safe way out of it somehow our economy is going to be in ruins for an extended period.
I know a lot of this falls on various "experts" + the public sector generally (esp. the HSE & Dept. of Health) providing advice and planning rather than politicians but they still have an important role.

Madeleine Birchfield

And here I thought Stormont's lack of government betwern 2016 and 2020 was bad.

Flickerfusion

It’s fairly obvious that nobody wants to be in the driving seat during the impending recession.

This is starting to become ludicrous though. 4 months is just too long, particularly in a huge crisis situation.

The electorate effectively produced a severely hung parliament. The people have spoken, the b@stards.

Politicians are such easy targets.

We’re facing into the greens after this, so long may no government continue.

Soulsun

I can’t see a government been formed at all and I reckon we will have an August general election.
Leo may feel now is the right time whilst MM is the leader of FF.

tigger123

We have a Taoiseach, Ministers, Cabinet and a Government.

The talks are on the formation of a new Government.

Snow Garden

I suspect a new general election will be called very soon. Mid July.

fly_agaric

Snow Garden wrote: »

I suspect a new general election will be called very soon. Mid July.

I'm unsure if this crisis is over yet.
We may be in a breather period so if a new government doesn't emerge out of the talks going on we could be stuck with current lot for a while yet IMO.

WesternZulu

Mr. Karate wrote: »

I've been saying since this lockdown went over a month that certain people [Leo , Harris and other TDs that should be gone by now] are enjoying this lockdown way too much. They're just using this as an excuse to stay in power at this point.

I'd say you're right.

Imagine how much someone like Harris has enjoyed the last 3 months, I's say he's hardly had an hour off - sounds like bliss :rolleyes:

dundalkfc10

fly_agaric wrote: »

I'm unsure if this crisis is over yet.
We may be in a breather period so if a new government doesn't emerge out of the talks going on we could be stuck with current lot for a while yet IMO.

Is their a time where they have to call an election as they could keep up this bull**** of pretending their having meaningful talks when more chance of Louth winning Sam Maguire than a Govt been formed.

Mr. Karate

WesternZulu wrote: »

I'd say you're right.

Imagine how much someone like Harris has enjoyed the last 3 months, I's say he's hardly had an hour off - sounds like bliss :rolleyes:

You're a fool if you don't think they're enjoying hanging onto their positions. It took 5 counts for Varadkar to be re-elected and Harris 15. They know they're gone from their positions if we get this FFG+Greens Coalition.

fly_agaric

dundalkfc10 wrote: »

Is their a time where they have to call an election as they could keep up this bull**** of pretending their having meaningful talks when more chance of Louth winning Sam Maguire than a Govt been formed.

Not a constitutional expert (in other words I don't know) but imagine the other parties could force it on FG via the Dail if they agreed since they'd have the numbers? They may not wish to do that in the middle of a (hypothetical) second outbreak of Covid-19 later in the year (and public might not be happy about it either).

fly_agaric

fly_agaric wrote: »

Not a constitutional expert (in other words I don't know) but imagine the other parties could force it on FG via the Dail if they agreed since they'd have the numbers? They may not wish to do that in the middle of a (hypothetical) second outbreak of Covid-19 later in the year (and public might not be happy about it either).

They can call a no confidence motion, and would easily have the numbers to get it passed.

However, FG would only love for them to do it given current polling.

Edgware

The most vocal are Doherty, Zappone,Halligan with Ross sticking his oar in now and again.
None of them T.D.s

Snow Garden

Well done FFG and The Greens.

Nearly 5 months.

So when are our hard working TDs going on their lengthy summer holidays?