FF/FG/Green Next Government

AndrewJRenko

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

Completely agree with you. You can't penalize people for driving if they have no choice. Completely unfair.

Lots of people have lots of choices. Large numbers of people use their cars for very short commute journeys, under 4km - journeys that are easily walked or cycled.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/more-than-half-of-travellers-use-cars-for-journeys-under-2km-1.2303451

jam_mac_jam

is_that_so wrote: »

Fair weather cycling is easy. On a day like this in November much less so.

The danger would bother me much more then rain. You can wear rain gear. If it's very bad get the bus those mornings.

Truthvader

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

I live in Blanch and would love to cycle but I am afraid to on the quays. It's fine to cycle untill you get to town.
Blanch is practically at a standstill due to traffic at busy times. If more people would cycle it would make a huge difference.

My son cycled to college in Maynooth. It's not just people in D4 who have bicycles or want to cycle.

Fine if its a choice. Hope you are living the dream

jam_mac_jam

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Lots of people have lots of choices. Large numbers of people use their cars for very short commute journeys, under 4km - journeys that are easily walked or cycled.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/more-than-half-of-travellers-use-cars-for-journeys-under-2km-1.2303451

I was replying to a comment about commuting from areas like Kildare so not sure what your point is.

jam_mac_jam

Truthvader wrote: »

Fine if its a choice. Hope you are living the dream

Yeah hope you are too. .what a weird comment.

.

AndrewJRenko

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

I was replying to a comment about commuting from areas like Kildare so not sure what your point is.

The point is the more people you can get to switch from private cars to sustainable forms of transport, the more space that is left on the road for the remaining users of private cars.

AndrewJRenko

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

I live in Blanch and would love to cycle but I am afraid to on the quays. It's fine to cycle untill you get to town.
Blanch is practically at a standstill due to traffic at busy times. If more people would cycle it would make a huge difference.

Give it a shot again now, with the segregated cycle route along the quays. Try it out on a weekend or other quiet time before you try rush hour.

jam_mac_jam

AndrewJRenko wrote: »

Give it a shot again now, with the segregated cycle route along the quays. Try it out on a weekend or other quiet time before you try rush hour.

I will do. I haven't seen the new layout and I have heard it's very good. I like the cycle as far as the park gates so if it was safer i would cycle in. It's not that far would be the same time as public transport.

James Brown

Edgware wrote: »

Have a nice cup of tea. It's too early to be getting upset

FG must be so proud. Not too early for dismissing cronyism. Going to be a busy few years for you lads

McMurphy

namloc1980 wrote: »

The rule in NI is to avoid all non essential foreign travel.

And O'Neill could have presented an argument she was coming or going to/from work, which would have been hard to argue with by the PSNI, and irrelevant to the Gardai due to the loophole.

Edgware

McMurphy wrote: »

And O'Neill could have presented an argument she was coming or going to/from work, which would have been hard to argue with by the PSNI, and irrelevant to the Gardai due to the loophole.

So use the loophole instead of leading by example. Thats about right.

namloc1980

McMurphy wrote: »

And O'Neill could have presented an argument she was coming or going to/from work, which would have been hard to argue with by the PSNI, and irrelevant to the Gardai due to the loophole.

She doesn't work in Dublin and has nothing to do with the Dáil. I'm still intrigued to know what was essential about her presence in the Convention Centre yesterday, still waiting on an answer.

FrancieBrady

namloc1980 wrote: »

She doesn't work in Dublin and has nothing to do with the Dáil. I'm still intrigued to know what was essential about her presence in the Convention Centre yesterday, still waiting on an answer.

Michelle O'Neill is the leader of the northern part of an All Ireland party that has input into SF similar to the northern section of the Green party which we know has input into what the Green party does.

Do we get to do this with everyone present yesterday or is it just the Shinners that get the scrutiny?

Martin spoke to a woman when he came down the stairs and the TV presenter didn't know her name nor the elderly man beside her, neither were TD's.
Why were they there and what was their role?
I didn't hear David McCullagh question a single one of the FF's on news at one about them...he gave Mary Lou a robust interrogation about O'Neill though.

Bannasidhe

namloc1980 wrote: »

She doesn't work in Dublin and has nothing to do with the Dáil. I'm still intrigued to know what was essential about her presence in the Convention Centre yesterday, still waiting on an answer.

I'm a bit puzzled by why you expect anyone here to have the answer tbh. Have you tried asking her?
I don't know why she was there, possibly it was because she felt as deputy leader of an All Ireland party she should be there but that's just speculation. Possibly there were unelected in RoI people there from other parties too who wouldn't be as recognisable so there's no "what was xxxxx from the Healy-Rea Party doing there?" faux outrage. I don't know.

Fact remains she didn't break restrictions as they don't apply to her. FG is responsible for that particular loophole.

Bishop of hope

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Michelle O'Neill is the leader of the northern part of an All Ireland party that has input into SF similar to the northern section of the Green party which we know has input into what the Green party does.

Do we get to do this with everyone present yesterday or is it just the Shinners that get the scrutiny?

Martin spoke to a woman when he came down the stairs and the TV presenter didn't know her name nor the elderly man beside her, neither were TD's.
Why were they there and what was their role?
I didn't hear David McCullagh question a single one of the FF's on news at one about them...he gave Mary Lou a robust interrogation about O'Neill though.

She was his niece RTE said, she works in Dublin.
She, had something to celebrate at least, not sure why O Néill was there unless it was to celebrate too, probably was!

McMurphy

Edgware wrote: »

So use the loophole instead of leading by example. Thats about right.

You need to reread what I actually posted, and not what you wished for me to have posted.

I said O'Neill could have presented a very valid argument with the PSNI that she was travelling to or from work, and it would have been extremely difficult for the PSNI to counter that argument.

Now here's the important bit, so sit up, take note, and pay attention.

Once in this state regardless of where O'Neill was headed, be it the Dail or to drink cans in a field with Bertie, Enda and Biffo, the guards had zero powers of enforcement due to the loophole, which was down to who?

McMurphy

namloc1980 wrote: »

She doesn't work in Dublin and has nothing to do with the Dáil. I'm still intrigued to know what was essential about her presence in the Convention Centre yesterday, still waiting on an answer.

If you need that explained to you, you are completely and utterly out of your depth posting in this thread.

Snow Garden

is_that_so wrote: »

Or it could be an opportunity for some ministers to shine!

You have to admit that you are happy with the negotiations. FG have absolutely hoodwinked an experienced politician like MM.

Health, Housing, Education and Public Sector Reform during an economic recession - no voter winners there.

FF have signed their own death warrant. The irony.

is_that_so

Snow Garden wrote: »

You have to admit that you are happy with the negotiations. FG have absolutely hoodwinked an experienced politician like MM.

Health, Housing, Education and Public Sector Reform during an economic recession - no voter winners there.

Two of those FG ministers were staying put anyway. I'm happy we have a government and I am not really inclined towards conspiracy theories. FF may have asked for some of those, Donnelly certainly gives the impression he wanted Health. I'd say FF were also after Housing. It'll be a government of two halves anyway and that "hoodwinking" you imagine will balance out in the second half.

smurgen

As much as I hated the last government and upset SF didn't get a look in I remain optimistic, hopefully not stupidly optimistic that the big issues get a proper tackling by the new arrangement. If MM and crew can deliver on health and housing I'll never moan about the government again.

FrancieBrady

Bishop of hope wrote: »

She was his niece RTE said, she works in Dublin.
She, had something to celebrate at least, not sure why O Néill was there unless it was to celebrate too, probably was!

And the elderly guy and all the people you could plainly see in the hall applauding?

All 'essential'?

What about the groups of TD's you could clearly see not observing social distancing?

Why, in other words, is the focus on O'Neill when nobody is asking about others.

Of course, we know why.

namloc1980

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Michelle O'Neill is the leader of the northern part of an All Ireland party that has input into SF similar to the northern section of the Green party which we know has input into what the Green party does.

Do we get to do this with everyone present yesterday or is it just the Shinners that get the scrutiny?

Martin spoke to a woman when he came down the stairs and the TV presenter didn't know her name nor the elderly man beside her, neither were TD's.
Why were they there and what was their role?
I didn't hear David McCullagh question a single one of the FF's on news at one about them...he gave Mary Lou a robust interrogation about O'Neill though.

That was his niece who actually works in Dublin unlike O'Neill.

StackSteevens

namloc1980 wrote: »

She doesn't work in Dublin and has nothing to do with the Dáil. I'm still intrigued to know what was essential about her presence in the Convention Centre yesterday, still waiting on an answer.

I understand that The OPW had commissioned her and Mary Lou to test the strength of the NCC escalators by both going up the same one at the same time.

And while we're on the topic of fatties, who was the enormous male FF TD who was among those giving MM the Guard of Honour (aka the walk of shame!) in the NCC yesterday?

Cal4567

Truthvader wrote: »

Why all this excitement about the Seanad it has been a retirement reward for jaded politicians forever. Plus it removes annoying egomaniacs to a space where they can mouth on for ever but no-one hears them. Hardly ever hear Ivana Bacik since they shunted her in but she is probably droning on there. Perfect solution to Boyd Barret. Well worth the money

The same could be said of being sent to Europe, Frances Fitzgerald being the latest example.

namloc1980

Bannasidhe wrote: »

Fact remains she didn't break restrictions as they don't apply to her. FG is responsible for that particular loophole.

Ah so use a loophole instead of showing leadership and solidarity with the people of the state down here. Sounds about right for SF alright. In addition in the North people should avoid non essential foreign travel. Her presence in the Convention Centre yesterday was far from essential.

Snow Garden

namloc1980 wrote: »

People aren't moaning about the Seanad. They're pointing out the blatant cronyism of appointing the likes of Dooley and Clifford Lee to the Seanad. Got up to shenanigans and were rejected multiple times at the ballot box but the usual stroke politics come to the fore.

Abolishing the Seanad was Enda's pet project and he personally championed it. This is the reason the referendum failed.

Fine Gael then initiated a report on Seanad reform and promised to implement the reform.

The Manning report was produced and got universal praise for it's analysis and recommendations. Then it was shelved.

M Martin (2015): "It turns out the Government has not even discussed the Manning report. They clearly want any substantive reform kicked-off until the next government, they did not want to talk about anything of significance. We need to bring in direct election for the Seanad, but it is now very unlikely there will be any reforms before the next election,” Mr Martin said.

Fine Gael New Politics document: The current Seanad was included in the 1937 Constitution in significant part as an expression of 1930s Catholic social theory. The early drafts of the Constitution did not include a second house and Éamon de Valera, who abolished the Free State Senate in 1936, included a Second House in the final document only very reluctantly. In several statements in 1937 and subsequently he questioned whether it was really possible to construct a satisfactory Second House. Twelve reports have been published by committees of the Oireachtas on Senate reform in Ireland – ten since the adoption of a new Constitution in 1937. Yet the Seanad has not been reformed in any significant way.

The most expensive flights booked were business class trips to Paraguay for Fianna Fáil Senator Lorraine Clifford-Lee and Fine Gael Senator Martin Conway.

Two Fine Gael TDs - Alan Farrell and Maria Bailey - and Fine Gael senator, Michelle Mulherin accounted for the bulk of the ineligible claims.

A breakdown of the overall figure – supplied by the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission – shows that salary costs remain the greatest expenditure for the 60-seat chamber, at €4.2m. Members’ expenses cost €2.5 million per annum, while members’ staff costs are €2.1 million.
Indirect costs for the Seanad are €9.3 million per year:

• €1.9m on ICT: Desktop and laptop computers, hard drives, iPads, phone calls from Leinster House, printers, ink cartridges and the broadcasting of debates.
• €1.6m on ‘Superintendent Section’ costs - including parliamentary ushers, security and cleaners.
• €2.8m on ‘Procedural Sections’ costs: Services include admin to the Chairpersons of the Houses and their Committees.
• €3m on ‘Other support sections’ – including printing, translation services, procurement, stationery and work for inter-parliamentary bodies.

2014:

Taoiseach Enda Kenny is facing an unprecedented revolt against his plan to elect a "crony candidate" to the Seanad, the Sunday Independent can reveal.
Around 30 Fine Gael TDs and Senators are planning to abstain or even vote for a candidate other than John McNulty, the controversial Fine Gael candidate in a Seanad by-election next month.

2019:

Mr Martin accused him of a “bread and circuses” approach, promising what seemed like well-meaning reform but then refusing to implement it.

Given the record of failure, the next government should at least ensure that the taoiseach’s 11 is not composed of party apparatchiks. Our democracy is facing major challenges; it is more important than ever that the Seanad contains members who can make a serious contribution to public life.

We will be borrowing 30 billion this year to keep the show on the road.

The first move from the FFG government is to fill the Seanad with their failed TDs.

Policy No. 1: Continue the Cronyism.

RandomViewer

Cal4567 wrote: »

The same could be said of being sent to Europe, Frances Fitzgerald being the latest example.

MEPs are silent except for election time , most people don't even know who their MEP is.

Muahahaha

Truthvader wrote: »

Chillax Renko you "won" the bicycle argument. Wont effect me as I dont commute. Just saying it will force a ****ty life on those living in the suburbs who will be forced to endure the consequences. Fine and dandy for D4 Green party fantasists who can do the odd 1k spin if its sunny to get a selfie for the group. Different story if wake up in Finglas or Blanchardstown in January and have to face the cold wet miserable ride in day after day.

Used to cycle from Finglas to town all the time when I lived there. Took me 24 minutes to OConnell St, the bus took 35 minutes and driving 40-50 minutes. For anyone living inside the M50 cycling is a no brainer rather than sitting in traffic, you get to your destination twice as quick than driving and the journey time is a lot more predictable

jam_mac_jam wrote: »

I will do. I haven't seen the new layout and I have heard it's very good. I like the cycle as far as the park gates so if it was safer i would cycle in. It's not that far would be the same time as public transport.

The north quays are a lot safer for cycling now with the recent changes. Its the south quays you need to look out for, its very narrow from Aston Quay to DCCs offices on Wood Quay. Then Victoria quay outside Guinness opens up into 3 lanes and despite a 50kph speedlimt cars there are doing up to 70kph all the time and thats where you need to cross two lanes to turn right at Hueston, its lethal for cyclists and only a matter of time before someone gets killed in that spot. Better to get onto the north Circular road and enter the Park that way, its longer but utimately a lot safer than cycling the south quays.

Bannasidhe

namloc1980 wrote: »

Ah so use a loophole instead of showing leadership and solidarity with the people of the state down here. Sounds about right for SF alright. In addition in the North people should avoid non essential foreign travel. Her presence in the Convention Centre yesterday was far from essential.

So this is just an opportunity to have a dig at SF because FG left a loophole in the legislation. Ok.

FrancieBrady

namloc1980 wrote: »

Her presence in the Convention Centre yesterday was far from essential.

How do you know that? Was Martin's niece's trip 'essential'?

SF are an all island party, HOW do you know what had to be discussed or signed off yesterday?

Of all the mealy mouthed stuff to be getting the undergarments in a twist about.