Minister for Agriculture attends 81-person golf event in breach of health guidelines

Phoebas

Phoebas wrote: »

Seems very harsh.
Is the Moroccan Ambassador now going to be expelled? Are we now going to go down through the list and have everyone who attended the dinner removed from their jobs?

And then, will we start hanging around pubs with stopwatches and start targeting anyone who exceeds their 105 minutes?

Kinda begs the question, WTF is the Moroccan Ambassador doing at the dinner? It has to do with a potential junket for the recently renamed Oireachtas Wedding Society (max 50 people per room) to Morocco - they seem to like to visit sandy, hot places. Don’t forget to bring your own balls

Shelflife

I rarely get upset by these things, its usually a roll the eyes and sure what would you expect from from them from me, but this hit a cord. I got madder and madder as it unfolded twitter on Thurs night. So much sacrifice by people and they just drive a horse and cart through the regulations as if they dont apply to them.

I would like to see them ALL resign their seats and/or positions, they arent fit to hold public office !

So far DC has lost his ministerial position plus a few other posts he held, but what of the others ? Does Noel Grealish get away scot free with just an apology ? What price has he paid ? What of the others ?

TDs, Senators Judges should all step down and resign their seats, any of the others with semi state positions should also resign from them.

Hogan should step down as well.

Its gone too far, this is the straw that has broke the camels back for me anyway.

The arrogance/stupidity/lack of empathy shown is astounding ! Its time we stood up to them and demanded higher standards !

gmisk

Phoebas wrote: »

Seems very harsh.
Is the Moroccan Ambassador now going to be expelled? Are we now going to go down through the list and have everyone who attended the dinner removed from their jobs?

And then, will we start hanging around pubs with stopwatches and start targeting anyone who exceeds their 105 minutes?

I honestly don't think the two are comparable.
Sean o rourke was/is a political commentator.
This shows he wasn't really unbiased tbh not a good look, it really screwed up his wee cushy contractor gig with RTE....tough.

Spanish Eyes

Don't understand the Moroccan Ambassador's attendance lol. Sure they don't drink (if Muslim), and would never fit in with an Irish hooley. Hmmmm.

Must have connections, and the plot thickens again.

padd b1975

Truthvader wrote: »

This is beginning to appeal to the nasty vindictive side in everyone.

O'Rourke was just a reporter tagging along to get an inside track on whatever. Hogan and His Judginess are at the top of the government food chain and should be held accountable because they are meant to be leaders - and are paid accordingly and should know better.

O'Rourke does not deserve to be judged by the same standards

It wasn't too long ago he was demanding Simon Harris stake his job on something to do with Covid.

Fook him.

Hammer Archer

Probably nothing to add to all this but just my 2c.

This entire pandemic has been difficult for myself and my wife. She's expecting our second child since late February (our first daughter is 2 years old) and pretty much bang on the initial lockdown announcement, she was crippled with sickness. Probably 4 or 5 days a week, she was confined to bed for most of the day, barely able to keep food or water down. I was still working at the time meaning that my work started at around 5am until my daughter woke between 7 and 8. I'd look after her until around lunchtime when she'd have a nap and I'd get another hours work done. Then I'd be looking after my daughter until bedtime (around 8pm) and then I'd get my final 3 or 4 hours of work done. Most nights I'd be working until between 11pm and midnight. If I was lucky, my wife was physically able to help out with minding our daughter for a bit during the day. But most days were as I described above from mid March until mid May when she was prescribed medication for her sickness and she was more able to help with childcare.

However, we were both still working from home so we were alternating doing 3 hours of work followed by 3 hours of minding our daughter for another 6 weeks or so until the creches reopened. That meant that we had little or no time to ourselves as one of us was usually working. We abided by the rules and didn't request any help from family during that time. However, we didn't complain. We were both still working. We were saving money from our daughter's creche being closed and from spending nothing on petrol. My job were also very understanding of our situation and even gave everyone a decent bonus for the work we were doing during the pandemic (which was appreciated). I understood that huge numbers of people were out of work and business owners were probably crippled with the stress of it all. Countless people lost loved ones (either from Covid or something else) and weren't able to go to their funeral. So while it was physically and mentally exhausting, and we had to cancel a number of mini holidays and days out during the year, we weren't complaining. We were, of course, "all in this together".

Things got easier when the creche reopened as we could both get our days work done and have time with each other and our daughter in the evening. We also heeded the call to holiday in Ireland and booked a few days away this month as a family while also booking a night in a hotel for just for me and my wife, knowing that this was probably our last chance for a night to ourselves for god knows how long (our second child is due in October).

But we live in north Kildare so we're obviously affected by the new restrictions. Our family holiday is next week and when it was mooted that the restrictions were being extended for Kildare, we were resigning ourselves to another disappointment in having to cancel it. However, that went completely out the window when this came to light. We were absolutely livid. The fcuking audacity of these cnuts. A minister, a TD, an EU commissioner, senators, former TDs and senators, a fcuking supreme court judge and others, thinking that these rules are just for the plebs. Hogan's story particularly grates with me given he's obviously been in and out of Kildare during these new restrictions.

So we decided, fcuk it, we've been through enough over the last 5 months and we're going on our holiday. And having chatted with a lot of our neighbours, they're of the same opinion. They've had it with the restrictions. No one has an issue with wearing a mask or socially distancing (from my own experience locally, people have been mostly abiding by these), but people in my vicinity are basically going where they please unless stopped by the Gardai. And this government only have themselves to blame. The selfish fcuking cnuts.

Spanish Eyes

Hammer Archer,

I don't blame you one bit, go off and enjoy your break and do the usual things for safety and protection.

The entire country is livid believe me. The audacity of that shower in Galway is just beyond belief.

But stay safe anyway.

stockshares

Phoebas wrote: »

Seems very harsh.
Is the Moroccan Ambassador now going to be expelled? Are we now going to go down through the list and have everyone who attended the dinner removed from their jobs?

And then, will we start hanging around pubs with stopwatches and start targeting anyone who exceeds their 105 minutes?

They can't employ him to comment on current affairs when he has no credibility now. No one would watch so no advertising. It wouldn't work even if they wanted it to.

Fann Linn

Just breaking; Chief Justice Frank Clarke wants a report now on Woulfe's attendance at Clifden.

Madame Guillotine still at work by the looks of things.

MrMusician18

gmisk wrote: »

I honestly don't think the two are comparable.
Sean o rourke was/is a political commentator.
This shows he wasn't really unbiased tbh not a good look, it really screwed up his wee cushy contractor gig with RTE....tough.

Covid or no covid, an impartial journalist shouldn't have been within an asses roar of a political shindig. Not if he was trying to keep the pretence of being impartial.

Chiparus

MrMusician18 wrote: »

Covid or no covid, an impartial journalist shouldn't have been within an asses roar of a political shindig. Not if he was trying to keep the pretence of being impartial.

Professor O'Rourke to you.

https://www.advertiser.ie/Galway/article/104674/rts-sean-orourke-appointed-adjunct-professor-at-nui-galway

Edgware

FrancieBrady wrote: »

I was a fan of O'Rourke too but I think he gets away without answering a question I would like asked.
How many of these events did he attend during his active career and one for journalism in general: how often do journos attend these type of get togethers

Just ask yourself. After every change of government how many journalists end up as Commuication advisers etc for different Ministers? The journalists like to have their head in the trough too.

Edgware

MrMusician18 wrote: »

Covid or no covid, an impartial journalist shouldn't have been within an asses roar of a political shindig. Not if he was trying to keep the pretence of being impartial.

Golf and dinner sitting around a table with the politicians one day.
Then a few weeks later trying to play the tough questioner of his golfing buddies.
He's lost his credibility. He will be remembered for lasts weeks junket long after any work he did in R.T.E.

Yurt2

Edgware wrote: »

Just ask yourself. After every change of government how many journalists end up as Commuication advisers etc for different Ministers? The journalists like to have their head in the trough too.

It's a function of journalism as a stable pensionable job being essentially gone in Ireland (bar RTE somewhat). In many ways I don't blame the individuals, it makes sense to cash in on your industry skills and contacts when you can. But, it's deeply unhealthy for the credibility of the fourth estate in this country.

Fann Linn

Fann Linn wrote: »

Just breaking; Chief Justice Frank Clarke wants a report now on Woulfe's attendance at Clifden.

Madame Guillotine still at work by the looks of things.

Still at work? I think they would

1. Have to find Mme Guillotine (if we have one)
2. Send it off for repair, sharpening, service, safety checks
3. Advertise for an executioner - on Adverts.ie, should be plenty of applicants
4. Work out where to put it
5. Get OPW to rearrange the site to accommodate it
6. Rebuild the walls around the execution chamber because someone didn’t measure the doorway right first time
7. Train the staff to load, clean and oil the instrument
8. Enter into protracted negotiations on Ts & Cs, extra payments and allowances with said staff
9. Give up, because the process has taken so long, everyone involved would have died of old age long ago.

But I’m just an old cynic.

ShamNNspace

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Don't understand the Moroccan Ambassador's attendance lol. Sure they don't drink (if Muslim), and would never fit in with an Irish hooley. Hmmmm.

Must have connections, and the plot thickens again.

He was seated at the same table as Lorraine Higgins whos now in the diplomatic service as honorary counsel for the slovak republic and has visited Morocco in the past, she might be gettin a few tips off him. The big bad Woulfe was also at the same table innit

ShamNNspace

ShamNNspace wrote: »

He was seated at the same table as Lorraine Higgins whos now in the diplomatic service as honorary counsel for the slovak republic and has visited Morocco in the past, she might be gettin a few tips off him. The big bad Woulfe was also at the same table innit

Tips - or trips?

ShamNNspace

[Deleted User] wrote: »

Tips - or trips?

Diplomatic TIPS my dear man

Edgware

Anyway like everything else this will blow over. Turniphead will be back with the Late Late Show and talking ****e about the Toy Show in the "new normal". Big Phil will hold on to his job and O Rourke, Calleary etc will get used to people talking about them and laughing at them behind their back.

Spanish Eyes

Am still intrigued as to why Mr Fez with the Ferrero Rocher was there. I'd really love to know, but probably never will now.

stockshares

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Am still intrigued as to why Mr Fez with the Ferrero Rocher was there. I'd really love to know, but probably never will now.

Sticks out like a sore thumb. New Irish Embassy will be opening in Morocco. Business opportunities a plenty but why these 80?
https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2019/0729/1065888-the-growing-links-between-morocco-and-ireland/

Spanish Eyes

ShamNNspace wrote: »

He was seated at the same table as Lorraine Higgins whos now in the diplomatic service as honorary counsel for the slovak republic and has visited Morocco in the past, she might be gettin a few tips off him. The big bad Woulfe was also at the same table innit

Thanks, and the gas thing is, this is but ONE jolly that was revealed to us.

This country appears to be just one huge gang of the connected hanging out together.

Spanish Eyes

stockshares wrote: »

Sticks out like a sore thumb.

Ah gwan and tell us.

Edgware

Spanish Eyes wrote: »

Am still intrigued as to why Mr Fez with the Ferrero Rocher was there. I'd really love to know, but probably never will now.

The idea of a Golf Society is a social event where people of similar interests, backgrounds meet up to play golf and enjoy a day out. Members are encouraged to bring guests.
Ambassadors are not here to be kept locked up in the embassy. They get out and about, meet people in formal and informal situations, make contacts and on a regular basis report back to their own Government their views on the political situation.
Whackers Pub Golf Society play to have a bit of fun. The Oireachtas Society is there to make contacts in the Golden Circle outside the adversarial atmosphere of Dail Eireann that will be of use down the line

stockshares

Edgware wrote: »

The idea of a Golf Society is a social event where people of similar interests, backgrounds meet up to play golf and enjoy a day out. Members are encouraged to bring guests.
Ambassadors are not here to be kept locked up in the embassy. They get out and about, meet people in formal and informal situations, make contacts and on a regular basis report back to their own Government their views on the political situation.
Whackers Pub Golf Society play to have a bit of fun. The Oireachtas Society is there to make contacts in the Golden Circle outside the adversarial atmosphere of Dail Eireann that will be of use down the line

Read this. Some, many or all were going to benefit.
https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2019/0729/1065888-the-growing-links-between-morocco-and-ireland/

Spanish Eyes

stockshares wrote: »

Sticks out like a sore thumb. New Irish Embassy will be opening in Morocco. Business opportunities a plenty buy why these 80?
https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2019/0729/1065888-the-growing-links-between-morocco-and-ireland/

Thanks just saw your updated post.

Couscous Gate lol.

Viscount Aggro

gmisk wrote: »

Sean O'Rourke's planned return to RTÉ cancelled by 'mutual decision' https://jrnl.ie/5184693

Seems pretty harsh but only himself to blame

Why is it harsh?
This another wise guy who retires from RTE,
yet is cute enough to be lining up new work at the mothership.
Same thing with John Bowman.

Why not give younger talent a chance?

Coillte_Bhoy

Viscount Aggro wrote: »

Why is it harsh?
This another wise guy who retires from RTE,
yet is cute enough to be lining up new work at the mothership.
Same thing with John Bowman.

Why not give younger talent a chance?

Had to retire i believe given his age

Spanish Eyes

Coillte_Bhoy wrote: »

Had to retire i believe given his age

Yes many have to retire like that, but they don't automatically get a gig in the same organisation they retired from like SOR.

But I suppose I will be corrected, since he is a self employed contractor now. Handy that if you have connections with your former organisation and are a shoo in.

maestroamado

Gay Byrne, John Creedon, Bowman and the rest.
Poor bankrupt Ivan Yeates...