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

ChikiChiki

FrancieBrady wrote: »

Hogan lied to his bosses that is why he lost his job. His own fault in other words even if FGers are trying to blame everyone but him.

This is exactly it. It wasn't the Irish public that lost him his job and Von Der Leyen acknowledged as much.

Hogan, a long time slippery conniving individual met his match.

elperello

Yellow_Fern wrote: »

MEPs should get high wages but is each seat worth €2.3 million? There is serious largess. Their move from Brussels to Strasbourg every month is a 100 million example.


https://gript.ie/niamh-ui-bhriain-golfgate-the-real-scandal-is-that-a-man-was-left-to-die-with-maggots-in-his-face/

I agree that there is waste of money in many areas of the EU Parliament and it should be tackled.

The link you posted is a very sad story we should all be concerned about.

Yellow_Fern

Shona Murphy of EuroNews reported on Newstalk that there is a feeling in the commission that although they wanted to sanction Phil Hogan, they didn't want a resignation and they feel their power has been undermined by the Irish media and Gov.

ChikiChiki

Mairéad McGuinness Irelands new EU commissioner and takes the Financial and Capital Markets Portfolio. Former Latvia PM gets Trade.

maestroamado

Yellow_Fern wrote: »

Shona Murphy of EuroNews reported on Newstalk that there is a feeling in the commission that although they wanted to sanction Phil Hogan, they didn't want a resignation and they feel their power has been undermined by the Irish media and Gov.

Phil Hogan behaved like the Catholic church did when caught, he lied and ran off to hiding behind EU Commission.
I think if he had stayed in Ireland he would have survived as be impossible for us to ditch our top EU person.
Its right that he is gone, it should set a standards for future?

Yellow_Fern

I was trying to think of Mairéad McGuinness's achievements but then again MEPs don't really have any power anyway. Now that she has Financial and Capital Markets Portfolio she has real power I hope she does some good like scrapping MiFID II.

maestroamado wrote: »

Phil Hogan behaved like the Catholic church did when caught, he lied and ran off to hiding behind EU Commission.
I think if he had stayed in Ireland he would have survived as be impossible for us to ditch our top EU person.
Its right that he is gone, it should set a standards for future?

Losing your job if you break health guidance? No thanks.

FrancieBrady

Yellow_Fern wrote: »

Losing your job if you break health guidance? No thanks.

He lost his job because of his arrogance and repeated lying. I.E. his own fault.

maestroamado

ChikiChiki wrote: »

Mairéad McGuinness Irelands new EU commissioner and takes the Financial and Capital Markets Portfolio. Former Latvia PM gets Trade.

Can an MEP just be selected without election?

elperello

maestroamado wrote: »

Can an MEP just be selected without election?

No.

However member countries have different electoral systems.

Many use a list system where seats are allocated inline with vote share.

Also some MEP's are replacements from a list like M M'G's sub.

maestroamado

elperello wrote: »

No.

However member countries have different electoral systems.

Many use a list system where seats are allocated inline with vote share.

Also some MEP's are replacements from
a list like M M'G's sub.

Who were on this list?

I remember reading of a few weeks ago of a by-election if Hogan resign.

It may be that I do not understand but if the vice-chair of the EU can be replaced by a County Councillor?

ShamNNspace

maestroamado wrote: »

Who were on this list?

I remember reading of a few weeks ago of a by-election if Hogan resign.

It may be that I do not understand but if the vice-chair of the EU can be replaced by a County Councillor?

It was expected that Simon Coveney would head for Europe in Hogans stead thereby prompting a by-election I believe

elperello

maestroamado wrote: »

Who were on this list?

I remember reading of a few weeks ago of a by-election if Hogan resign.

It may be that I do not understand but if the vice-chair of the EU can be replaced by a County Councillor?

If you are referring to the substitute list for Irish MEP's it was published before the election. You should be able to find it for your EU constituency, if not contact one of your MEPs offices.

No by-election to replace Commissioners because they are not elected.

The councillor got the gig because he was on the list as explained above.

maestroamado

elperello wrote: »

If you are referring to the substitute list for Irish MEP's it was published before the election. You should be able to find it for your EU constituency, if not contact one of your MEPs offices.

No by-election to replace Commissioners because they are not elected.

The councillor got the gig because he was on the list as explained above.

As I said I do not know but I certainly read an article on this.

The Councillor replaced an elected representive?

He was not selected for non elected position?

elperello

maestroamado wrote: »

As I said I do not know but I certainly read an article on this.

The Councillor replaced an elected representive?

He was not selected for non elected position?

I don't know what you read but before each EU Parliament Election every candidate publishes a list of substitutes.

This avoids the need for a by-election in the event of an elected MEP not seeing out their term for whatever reason.

It's all above board.

stockshares

elperello wrote: »

I don't know what you read but before each EU Parliament Election every candidate publishes a list of substitutes.

This avoids the need for a by-election in the event of an elected MEP not seeing out their term for whatever reason.

It's all above board.

Regarding the list:
Is there any requirements that the substitutes have to meet before they can be placed on the list?

maestroamado

elperello wrote: »

I don't know what you read but before each EU Parliament Election every candidate publishes a list of substitutes.

This avoids the need for a by-election in the event ex of an elected MEP not seeing out their term for whatever Exereason.

It's all above board.

I do not think avoiding election called decomantic?

Ursula selected our commisioner.

The rules selected the replacement for us gombeens.

Well that's what I see..

elperello

stockshares wrote: »

Regarding the list:
Is there any requirements that the substitutes have to meet before they can be placed on the list?

Just that they be members of the political grouping of the MEP.

maestroamado wrote: »

I do not think avoiding election called decomantic?

Ursula selected our commisioner.

The rules selected the replacement for us gombeens.

Well that's what I see..

That's a valid opinion.

The process of appointing Commissioners is a separate issue.

You can find full details on the Commission website.

StupidLikeAFox

maestroamado wrote: »

As I said I do not know but I certainly read an article on this.

The Councillor replaced an elected representive?

He was not selected for non elected position?

Not unprecedented - Paul Murphy became MEP a few years ago when Joe Higgins was elected to the dail

Muahahaha

Former FG TD Frank Feighan is on the list of four substitutes anyway

elperello

Muahahaha wrote: »

Former FG TD Frank Feighan is on the list of four substitutes anyway

Frankie is a current TD for Sligo Leitrim and newly minted Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and The National Drugs Strategy.

That should keep him busy for a while.

stockshares

stockshares wrote: »

McGuinnesses replacements if she gets the job.
https://twitter.com/gavreilly/status/1301865296202956803?s=19

elperello wrote: »

Frankie is a current TD for Sligo Leitrim and newly minted Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Well Being and The National Drugs Strategy.

That should keep him busy for a while.

If Markey didn't take the post what would the ramifications have been with Feighan next in line.

Hawthorn Tree

I wonder is the Garda investigation for the Clifden Elite covid party ongoing or has it just stopped. I imagine FFG would be happy to put it behind them. Given there were so many Garda cars outside the hotel you would expect a short investigation

elperello

stockshares wrote: »

If Markey didn't take the post what would the ramifications have been with Feighan next in line.

A by-election in Sligo Leitrim for sure.

Edgware

StupidLikeAFox wrote: »

Not unprecedented - Paul Murphy became MEP a few years ago when Joe Higgins was elected to the dail

Pauls first real taste of the gravy train. He has his head in the trough since lecturing the great unwashed

stockshares

Sinn Feins Pat Buckley has written to Sean O asking him to investigate in what capacity did members of the Oireachtas attend the golf event in Clifden.
https://amp.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/call-for-probe-into-attendance-of-senior-officials-at-golfgate-dinner-39521838.html?__twitter_impression=true

Quote
Captain of the Guard John Flaherty, a senior Leinster House official who oversees the management of the complex, and Cáit Hayes, head of protocol in the Oireachtas, both attended the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in Clifden last month.

Sinn Féin has asked the Dáil chairman to investigate whether or not staff attended in a personal capacity and whether they are responsible for compliance with Covid-19 guidelines in Leinster House.

Sinn Féin TD Pat Buckley asked that the matter be probed by either the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission or the Committee of Procedures and Privileges (CPP

I imagine this is to draw attention to Brian Hayes also.

elperello

stockshares wrote: »

Sinn Feins Pat Buckley has written to Sean O asking him to investigate in what capacity did members of the Oireachtas attend the golf event in Clifden.
https://amp.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/call-for-probe-into-attendance-of-senior-officials-at-golfgate-dinner-39521838.html?__twitter_impression=true

Quote
Captain of the Guard John Flaherty, a senior Leinster House official who oversees the management of the complex, and Cáit Hayes, head of protocol in the Oireachtas, both attended the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in Clifden last month.

Sinn Féin has asked the Dáil chairman to investigate whether or not staff attended in a personal capacity and whether they are responsible for compliance with Covid-19 guidelines in Leinster House.

Sinn Féin TD Pat Buckley asked that the matter be probed by either the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission or the Committee of Procedures and Privileges (CPP

I imagine this is to draw attention to Brian Hayes also.

Seems a bit tenuous to me.

The CPP can only deal with members of oireachtas.

The OC has no remit to control the private lives of civil servants.

Unless there is a specific rule forbidding the named staff members from socialising with elected members this seems to be going nowhere.

Probably a poorly thought out bit of mud slinging and if it is aimed at BH pretty convoluted.

ohnonotgmail

elperello wrote: »

Seems a bit tenuous to me.

The CPP can only deal with members of oireachtas.

The OC has no remit to control the private lives of civil servants.

Unless there is a specific rule forbidding the named staff members from socialising with elected members this seems to be going nowhere.

Probably a poorly thought out bit of mud slinging and if it is aimed at BH pretty convoluted.

It is so SF can claim they tried to do something. The oireachtas golf society is a private organisation. SF know this yet they put forward this nonsense of an investigation.

Hawthorn Tree

Hawthorn Tree wrote: »

I wonder is the Garda investigation for the Clifden Elite covid party ongoing or has it just stopped. I imagine FFG would be happy to put it behind them. Given there were so many Garda cars outside the hotel you would expect a short investigation

there are no penal penalties for people attending an event. Therefore no one attending should be investigated for anything, it's a waste of time.

Cute Hoor

Edgware wrote: »

Pauls first real taste of the gravy train. He has his head in the trough since lecturing the great unwashed

It was Paul’s first taste of the gravy train, but it lasted just 3 years when he spectacularly lost the 2014 election losing nearly half of Joe Higgins’ vote in the process. Under normal circumstances it would have been back to Goatstown at that stage for Paul leaving the great unwashed now pondering ‘Paul who’.

Then along came the Blueshirt/Dennis O’Brien coalition, suddenly throwing Paul an unexpected but heaven sent lifeline and chance of resurrection, and to be fair to Paul he grabbed it gleefully with both hands. The water charges campaign will probably go down as the best organised and most successful street protest (other than the Joan Burton incident obviously) in Irish history. His constituency understandably rewarded him in 2016, quintupling the socialist vote. This inserted his head in the trough for the next 5 years, that troughing can be directly attributed to the Blueshirt/Dennis O’Brien coalition as I’m sure even Paul would recognise.

By 2020 the shine had worn off of course and by then some people might even have been looking at his policies. There was still a residual Blueshirt/Dennis O’Brien coalition vote there obviously but nowhere near enough to get him elected, losing half of his first preference vote. It was only the failure of Sinn Fein to correctly read the mood of the country back in January/February that saved him, running somebody with Crowe would have been Paul’s deathknell.

IMO Paul’s days of feeding at the trough will end at the next election, unless, unless, unless of course FFG come up with something to rekindle his career – stranger things have happened.

elperello

Edgware wrote: »

Pauls first real taste of the gravy train. He has his head in the trough since lecturing the great unwashed

Cute Hoor wrote: »

It was Paul’s first taste of the gravy train, but it lasted just 3 years when he spectacularly lost the 2014 election losing nearly half of Joe Higgins’ vote in the process. Under normal circumstances it would have been back to Goatstown at that stage for Paul leaving the great unwashed now pondering ‘Paul who’.

Then along came the Blueshirt/Dennis O’Brien coalition, suddenly throwing Paul an unexpected but heaven sent lifeline and chance of resurrection, and to be fair to Paul he grabbed it gleefully with both hands. The water charges campaign will probably go down as the best organised and most successful street protest (other than the Joan Burton incident obviously) in Irish history. His constituency understandably rewarded him in 2016, quintupling the socialist vote. This inserted his head in the trough for the next 5 years, that troughing can be directly attributed to the Blueshirt/Dennis O’Brien coalition as I’m sure even Paul would recognise.

By 2020 the shine had worn off of course and by then some people might even have been looking at his policies. There was still a residual Blueshirt/Dennis O’Brien coalition vote there obviously but nowhere near enough to get him elected, losing half of his first preference vote. It was only the failure of Sinn Fein to correctly read the mood of the country back in January/February that saved him, running somebody with Crowe would have been Paul’s deathknell.

IMO Paul’s days of feeding at the trough will end at the next election, unless, unless, unless of course FFG come up with something to rekindle his career – stranger things have happened.

You both appear to have a somewhat jaundiced view of PM and you are of course entirely entitled to that.

However in my opinion there is no trough or "gravy train" and subsequently no place that politicians are entitled to.

They are elected representatives and depend on the votes of their constituents to have the honour of taking their place in our parliament.

They put their names before the people and success or failure must be dealt with and carry on.