Barry Cowen sacked

Auguste Comte

hurler32 wrote: »

If Sinn Fein have some such a problem with drink drivers how come their own TD in Cork who had a far higher alcohol reading doesnt resign?

How many sections of society do Sinn Fein hate? Fianna Failers, Fine Gaelers , Labourites, Catholics, Anyone who owns their own house, anyone who goes horse racing ( sulky racing is ok though)..the list goes on and on ...

The sound of rattles hitting the floor is deafening. 😂😂

dubdaymo

All this talk. There are no complications here. There is no politics here that matter.

Barry Cowen did not "make a mistake". He made a conscious decision on that day.

He was going to drive to Dublin and back but, like the other 80% of the population who are so addicted to alcohol that they cannot attend any event without it, he could not resist either.

That's all there is to it.

Thousands of others do it every day and get away with it.

If, on that day, as a responsible person, he had made a conscious decision not to drink and drive he'd still be a Minister. So, why couldn't he?

That's the only bottom line and there's nothing more to it than that.

Yurt2

political analyst wrote: »

How was Micheál Martin not aware of the Cowen drink-driving incident when it took place in 2016? As FF leader, wasn't it his business to be aware back then that a TD in his party had a brush with the law?

Who was FF whip at the time? That's his/her job to know this stuff. A good party whip will have a little black book containing everything from TDs mistresses to how many pints they skulled at the Dáil bar after a late night voting session.

My spider senses tell me this was a known known back in 2016.

BonnieSituation

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I was actually thinking about this. I’m from Cork East and Sinn Fein voters had no issue voting for Pat Buckley. So, I take it they accept him and would have accepted him as a government minister of SF did get into government.

But he was sacked for the coverup and obstinacy in the face of requests for clarification.

Why my must this be repeated on an hourly basis?

political analyst

Yurt! wrote: »

Who was FF whip at the time? That's his/her job to know this stuff. A good party whip will have a little black book containing everything from TDs mistresses to how many pints they skulled at the Dáil bar after a late night voting session.

My spider senses tell me this was a known known back in 2016.

Then why wasn't the Taoiseach informed of the 2016 incident before he appointed Cowen?

Auguste Comte

political analyst wrote: »

Then why wasn't the Taoiseach informed of the 2016 incident before he appointed Cowen?

Plausible deny ability.

FrancieBrady

BonnieSituation wrote: »

But he was sacked for the coverup and obstinacy in the face of requests for clarification.

Why my must this be repeated on an hourly basis?

This all day long.
Martin set the bar...if he/she served their sentence/punishment then they should be allowed to move on...that's what he said when the drink driving allegation came out and he didn't sack him.

He very clearly said he 'sacked' him when he refused to take questions on what was in the Pulse report.

I actually agree, we all make mistakes and as long as we are open about them and don't make them again you should be allowed to move on.

eagle eye

BonnieSituation wrote:

But he was sacked for the coverup and obstinacy in the face of requests for clarification.
Why my must this be repeated on an hourly basis?

This Buckley lad also had a run-in with the Gardai in 2018 and was convicted of abusing them.
He was three times over the limit when he was tested for drink driving.
Clearly he was in no fit state to drive a car.
So should SF kick him out of their party?

Fann Linn

hurler32 wrote: »

If Sinn Fein have some such a problem with drink drivers how come their own TD in Cork who had a far higher alcohol reading doesnt resign?

How many sections of society do Sinn Fein hate? Fianna Failers, Fine Gaelers , Labourites, Catholics, Anyone who owns their own house, anyone who goes horse racing ( sulky racing is ok though)..the list goes on and on ...

By all accounts it happened 2 years ago. He came out there and then on the foot of the courthouse and apologised after just having being found guilty, RTE played it that night on air.

A few differences between the two cases before we even get into possible, 'evasion at checkpoint, GSOC involvement, refusing to answer questions' territory.

McMurphy

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I was actually thinking about this. I’m from Cork East and Sinn Fein voters had no issue voting for Pat Buckley. So, I take it they accept him and would have accepted him as a government minister of SF did get into government.

So you keep telling us, no.doubt the only reason no-one was calling for Buckley to resign was because of the FG cllr Michael Hegarty, also done in 2013 in East cork though.

Did you not know about him, or what is it makes you repeatedly refer to Buckley being caught, and only Buckley being caught?

BonnieSituation

eagle eye wrote: »

This Buckley lad also had a run-in with the Gardai in 2018 and was convicted of abusing them.
He was three times over the limit when he was tested for drink driving.
Clearly he was in no fit state to drive a car.
So should SF kick him out of their party?

Is this like some weird and warped game of Jeopardy?

The post of mine that you quoted:

BonnieSituation wrote: »

But he was sacked for the coverup and obstinacy in the face of requests for clarification.

Why my must this be repeated on an hourly basis?

Was in response to this post:

freshpopcorn wrote: »

I was actually thinking about this. I’m from Cork East and Sinn Fein voters had no issue voting for Pat Buckley. So, I take it they accept him and would have accepted him as a government minister of SF did get into government.

I could have picked any number of the "Buckley" posts above to respond to, same difference really, but yet here we are with eagle eye asking a question that has been answered above repeatedly.

BonnieSituation

FrancieBrady wrote: »

This all day long.
Martin set the bar...if he/she served their sentence/punishment then they should be allowed to move on...that's what he said when the drink driving allegation came out and he didn't sack him.

He very clearly said he 'sacked' him when he refused to take questions on what was in the Pulse report.

I actually agree, we all make mistakes and as long as we are open about them and don't make them again you should be allowed to move on.

Not a minute went by and it was asked again.

This place is like a Beckett play sometimes.

walshb

eagle eye wrote: »

This Buckley lad also had a run-in with the Gardai in 2018 and was convicted of abusing them.
He was three times over the limit when he was tested for drink driving.
Clearly he was in no fit state to drive a car.
So should SF kick him out of their party?

Yes

Out....absolutely.....

There should be no place in politics for this type person(s).

Cowen should not be a TD

We need far highers standards applied to people in high places.......it's that simple....

Only then will we get quality. And this quality may juts trickle down and influence others in society. Raising standards for many.

Glebee

Yurt! wrote: »

Who was FF whip at the time? That's his/her job to know this stuff. A good party whip will have a little black book containing everything from TDs mistresses to how many pints they skulled at the Dáil bar after a late night voting session.

My spider senses tell me this was a known known back in 2016.

Of course it was... I had heard mumblings about it and im not a bloody TD... M.Martin sounding surprised about it is laughable.. He was off the road for three months. Are you telling me no one copt he was not driving his car, unless maybe he was...

There is an adage - "bad news doesn't get better with age"

I find that it's very true

Better off coming clean asap.

Best chance that he would have had of surviving.

Especially in his situation.

But he made an absolute bolliix of it.

Muahahaha

BillyBird wrote: »

And that left MM and all other government TDs covering for him. And after a certain point they all came to the conclusion that he wasn't worth providing cover.

Thats an important element for coalition governments suffering an ongoing scandal. TDs from FG and Greens were forced to defend Cowens actions and to try to draw a line underneath it.

They'll hold their noses to do that once maybe twice for the tv cameras but when they're still defending someone who isnt even in their own party after a week or 10 days then they get p1ssed off and call for Martin to sort out his mess once and for all. Catherine Martin had publicly said Cowen needs to answer Dail questions on the day he got sacked so you can take it from that the Greens were done with sucking lemons for Cowen in front of the media. If FF had a majority in the Dail they could have brazend it out but with coalition theres only so far politicians from other parties will go in defending a scandal.

dubdaymo wrote: »

If, on that day, as a responsible person, he had made a conscious decision not to drink and drive he'd still be a Minister. So, why couldn't he?

That's the only bottom line and there's nothing more to it than that.

As said back up the thread he has 2,700 of unvouched expenses paid to him per month, every month. He could have drove up to Dublin for free, got bladdered on free pints, had a free slap up meal in a restaurant and then stayed for free in a hotel. He could have had a great night out after the All Ireland and it all paid for by the taxpayer. But instead he chose to drink drive and put his entire career on the line. He is not the sharpest tool in the box.

Cute Hoor

glasso wrote: »

There is an adage - "bad news doesn't get better with age"

I find that it's very true

Better off coming clean asap.

Best chance that he would have had of surviving.

Especially in his situation.

But he made an absolute bolliix of it.

Absolutely spot on. However there may be a lot more on his driving record, pre and post 2016 that might have seen him immersed even deeper in the merde, if there wasn't why would he not have put it all out there from day 1.

Cute Hoor

Cute Hoor wrote: »

Absolutely spot on. However there may be a lot more on his driving record, pre and post 2016 that might have seen him immersed even deeper in the merde, if there wasn't why would he not have put it all out there from day 1.

yes it's such a cluster-fook of his own making with so many angles and unanswered questions that there was probably no saving it maybe

- the 20-plus years on the provisional licence
- penalty points on the provisional licence?
- L plates?
- driving on the motorway on a provisional?
- accompanied driver?
- expenses claimed when off the road besides the unvouched?
- what's in the guarda report ->spinning the U-ey when he sees the checkpoint?

it's too much of a gold-mine of newspaper headlines and revelations that could go on for months, all with only himself to blame for putting these questions in the frame.

oceanman

i guess the ff vote in offaly is down the tubes for a long time to come..

oceanman

oceanman wrote: »

i guess the ff vote in offaly is down the tubes for a long time to come..

not a word of it.

"har' done by"
"he served his time and shud be allowed to move on"
"it was 4 year ago"

He'll top the poll.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=281553489738161

Bannasidhe

hurler32 wrote: »

If Sinn Fein have some such a problem with drink drivers how come their own TD in Cork who had a far higher alcohol reading doesnt resign?

He should absolutely be sacked as a minister and go sit on the backbenches immediately.

Oh...wait....

Muahahaha

Cute Hoor wrote: »

Absolutely spot on. However there may be a lot more on his driving record, pre and post 2016 that might have seen him immersed even deeper in the merde, if there wasn't why would he not have put it all out there from day 1.

Yeah Id agree there is likely more on his record. Between the drink driving on a provisional and holding that for 30 odd years without doing a test, the two speeding offenses, done for no tax disc on his car and then parking tickets on top it all points to someone who is completely cavalier with a car and the laws surrounding it. Hes been going around like the laws dont apply to him and feck the consequences.

Its a long way back for him now in FF while Martin is leader. Only thing he can do now is cosy up to Jim oCallaghan, OCuiv and John McGuinness and lay the groundwork for the heave. He can sit in the Dail bar crying to FF colleagues about how hard he was done by Michael Martin for thats the Fianna Fail way.

eagle eye

BonnieSituation wrote:

I could have picked any number of the "Buckley" posts above to respond to, same difference really, but yet here we are with eagle eye asking a question that has been answered above repeatedly.

I'm asked by because you haven't given an answer from what I've read, you just keep deflecting back to Cowen.

eagle eye

eagle eye wrote: »

I'm asked by because you haven't given an answer from what I've read, you just keep deflecting back to Cowen.

The thread is about Cowen and in particular the ministerial appointment and the information-release mess that caused his sacking. It wasn't the drink-driving offence on its own that made him gone.

It led to all sorts of other revelations and irregularities not befitting a minster of state.

Buckley is a back-bench nobody who will never be in the frame for a ministerial appointment.

I mean the shinners have a sitting TD linked to tens of murders in British government documents so maybe Buckley is on the lower-end of the scale in their case.

Former Former

glasso wrote: »

not a word of it.

"har' done by"
"he served his time and shud be allowed to move on"
"it was 4 year ago"

He'll top the poll.

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=281553489738161

Yep. This could be the thing that elevates him from being Brian's brother/Ber's son to being an Offaly legend in his own right. He'll be a TD for as long as he wants to be now.

Auguste Comte

Ten Pin wrote: »

That is brilliant. That snapper deserves a prize.

Sunny Disposition

People in his home town would be very reluctant to go on TV and say he totally deserved the bullet for being such a chancer. I think they should stop doing those reports, a normal person isn't going to blacken one of their own in such a small town, whatever they think privately.

Sunny Disposition

Sunny Disposition wrote: »

People in his home town would be very reluctant to go on TV and say he totally deserved the bullet for being such a chancer. I think they should stop doing those reports, a normal person isn't going to blacken one of their own in such a small town, whatever they think privately.

there is some truth in what you say.

does make the local populace look like gombeens as a result but it's an RTE standard "production" whenever something like this happens -> the big moment for the regional RTE guy who was too ugly to make it up in the smoke in Dublin to get in front of the camera.

not going to be cancelled any time soon.

McMurphy

Anyone hear Fionnan Sheehan say that it was reported that O'Cuiv, McGuinness and Cowen were apparently spotted somewhere last night presumably having a meeting?

This was all I could think about.


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TheCitizen

McMurphy wrote: »

Anyone hear Fionnan Sheehan say that it was reported that O'Cuiv, McGuinness and Cowen were apparently spotted somewhere last night presumably having a meeting?

This was all I could think about.


[

Martin is hopeless. FF used to be the Republican party Martin has turned them into a pale shade of FGLite.

Cowen said he was waiting on legal advice. Martin should have waited for that process to go through and then ask for his resignation if needed. Instead he panicked for fear of what FG or the Greens panicking. Doesn't look like Martin will be a good Taoiseach. SF and the rest of the opposition will have plenty to pick at with this government.