Matt calls it as he's sees it

Rustyman101

Can't disagree with what he's said, typical response from Harris.

Oh before I'm accused of using gript, you won't find this anywhere else unfortunately.

https://gript.ie/politicians-whipping-up-public-anger-with-their-policies-says-td/

Valhalla90

I believe only for Matt half the electorate wouldn’t have a clue what’s going on in regard to delivery and mostly non delivery of projects, services from this government.

Deiseen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058359123/matt-calls-it-as-hes-sees-it

Why would you be accused of using gript?

Bards

Harris hates hearing the truth and tries to deflect as much as possible..

Junior

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122365870#Comment_122365870

Because it's a sensationalist right wing website funded and run by the Iona Institute.

Bards

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122366470#Comment_122366470

And the rest of Ireland's media is controlled by the government and never tells the whole truth just pushes their agenda... Gript gives us an alternative narrative to that of the politboro

Rustyman101

We should be concentrating on the content of the exchange rather than the source you won't see this on the indo unfortunately.

I look for news in multiple areas but you need to be able to disseminate the facts from fiction.

This was a exchange between an elected representative of Waterford and the leader of they country. I hope this would interest all sections of the waterford community.

Maybe not who know these days.

This exchange should be all over local news.

Nah the guards impounded a car for speeding is the current headline on WLR.

Go figure.......

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122366660#Comment_122366660

…this is completely untrue, and utter nonsense, ireland actually has a very good standard of journalism compared to other western countries, when you look at media outlets such as the irish times etc, the irish government has virtually nothing to do with such sources, jesus how do people believe in such nonsense!

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122368712#Comment_122368712

Much as I agree with your sentiments, the thread should not be diverted away from the Original Post. The Taoiseach gave no clarity on important Waterford developments.

savic04

Matt Shan is the only one worth voting for from last election to get re-elected

Asdfgh2020

independents are a wasted vote unless they hold the balance of power in a minority ‘gubber-mint’ like the Healy-Raes and Lowry did during berty’s years……shanahan can ask as many questions he likes but will continue to get evasive/non committal answers and has zero chance of ‘delivering’ anything.🤯😡😡

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122369828#Comment_122369828

This is true but without someone constantly asking the majority of people would be none the wiser on the lack of delivery.

Otherwise we would be drifting along thinking the government are doing great things for Waterford, as current party reps would be lording the amazing work.

Looking at Waterford representatives in parties, how better have they been than Shanahan?

You could argue any vote in Waterford is a waste unless they become a full minister.

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122369828#Comment_122369828

We had two FG reps up to 2016, hardly a stellar performance there.

Rustyman101

Have a look at the indo, not exactly going swimmingly in the hospital on waiting lists.

At least Shanahan highlights the issues.

other 3 sycophants just keep nodding to the party, sickening best mine myself wouldn't to add to the waiting list......

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/revealed-department-of-health-publishes-league-tables-of-the-best-and-worst-performing-hospitals/a810879461.html

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122370249#Comment_122370249

so we elect someone to ‘ask questions’ for 4/5 years and we are supposed to think that he is a great guy/great achievement……would shanahan have a chance as a Fine Gael / FF TD, is he minister material……we will never know but unless he plus a few others somehow manage to hold the ‘balance of power’ in the next dail his ability to achieve anything other than ‘ask difficult questions’ is limited……is this a valid reason to vote a guy in for 4/5 years on €120k plus expenses…?

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122370488#Comment_122370488

While these are reasonable questions to ask, even if they do make you sound like an FG voter, the fact is that we have had very little delivery in WIT or UHW from FG with two TDs since 2011. We had one FG TD up to 2020 with very scant delivery. If we elect one FG TD now, why would anyone believe it will be different? There must be other issues at play, not least FG strength in Carlow/Kilkenny/Wexford, which seems determined to sidleine Waterford city.

Non delivery has to be called out in the Dail by someone in these circumstances or otherwise we will just drift along without delivery and without knowing? Electing party TDs who by definition are whipped and remain silent, in the hope that they may wheedle something from the party leadership or may end up as a minister, is a recipe to return to the Kenneally/Deasy nothingness. Its very difficult to know.

fuzzy dunlop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122368712#Comment_122368712

Really? The Irish times was a mouthpiece for the HEA when it came to discussing the Technical Universities. RTE's Brainstorm 'analysis' site has a progressive bias which has misrepresented academic analysis to come to the desired conclusions of the person who submitted the piece on 'broken windows theory'. Its no surprise you think its hunky dory. As for international issues, it just syndicates pro-eu and atlanticist think tanks view of international relations.Our media is very far from healthy or independent.

Rustyman101

I take your point re independents.

But whats the alternative another FG TD another Shinner?

Where nobody questions anything, the other 3 won't rock the boat this has been proven at this stage.

So yes I do see value in re-electioning MS.

Unfortunately that's the bind we are in at the moment, not a good situation to be honest...

Bards

If we had 3 x more independents in Dáil Éireann along with Matt pounding on the govt every chance they got we might have a better chance than what we have at the moment.. What exactly has voting along party lines actually achieved for Waterford vis-a-vis our once peer cities?

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122370488#Comment_122370488

Is it a valid reason to have someone shouting and holding government accountable, I would say so.

If Shanahan, moved to a party he would be destroyed, as people would say he used the independent and then entered a party.

I 100% get your point about independents not being able to deliver something unless they hold a balance or have the ear of a minister, but not having someone question the inequality and the masses of Waterford are non the wiser.

Purely take SETU as an example, the other three cheerleadibg the process along and if you only listened to them you would honestly believe Waterford was going to get a University on part with UCC, UL etc. The majority of people I spoke to were of the opinion "it's great we are getting a University"

While some people in Waterford didn't believe this to be case (me included) the majority of people were unaware and due to Shanahan constantly calling it out more people became aware of what was actually happening.

So I would say yes it is worth someone keeping government accountable, and that is not me supporting Shanahan, but I would expect that from any independent.

Honest question have Marc, Mary, David or John been worth the money as you say?

15 years ago three big issues were on everyone's mind, health, University and Airport? 15 years and none of those have been delivered (please don't say SETU is delivering a University), when we speak University we speak of NUI.

Gardner

Is this the same Matt Shanahan who regularly votes with the Government and voted with the Government when votes of confidence were put forward to the Dail against individuals by opposition members?. Easy known there is a GE coming in November and he knows his seat is under the hammer.

BTW, Matt still believes that woman have no right to have full control over woman's medical rights. Sooner he losses his seat the better.

Rustyman101

I have no affiliations with MS in any way or any other party for that matter but as an observer of Waterford politics he seems to be the only one with anything to say re the long list of promised projects for the city.

You are entitled to your views but unfortunately i dont see the other parties or TDs asking any negative questions, if you would prefer that these questions not be raised then i assume you do have some affiliations with one of the parties.

I may be wrong there and if so I stand corrected.

Its so annoying to see these clowns makes promises not deliver and not to be questioned on it.

Unfortunately MS seems to the only one questioning the delivery?

If you can point out otherwise please feel free to clarify ! Tks

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122370616#Comment_122370616

lads, seriously, irish media is actually healthier than many other countries media, yes there are issues with it and biases, but no, its really not that bad, spend some time in far more dysfunctional, more authoritarian countries and you might just see how dysfunctional media can become……

…even look to our nearest neighbors and compare, we re really not that bad at all…

Bards

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122371558#Comment_122371558

Recent referendum is an exact case in point as to how bad they are..all sprouting lies and misinformation

johnnykilo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122371912#Comment_122371912

Given the referendum was rejected, surely that does the opposite of making your point?

Pretty sure I heard as many dissenting voices from Independents and others on RTE as I did from the government parties and Sinn Fein (who were pro the change).

Deiseen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122373726#Comment_122373726

You misunderstand, government ministers actively lied about the consequences of a yes vote in that referendum and the main news outlets were complicit in this.

azimuth17

Thread very effectively derailed.

Bards

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122374249#Comment_122374249

Nope, because most people now see through the lies of controlled media

space2ground1

There’s a place on the pitch for a fella like Shanahan. He’s an independent so unlikely to deliver serious projects alone unless he has the kind of leverage that Tony Gregory or Michael Lowry had. What he can do though is make the kind of noise that points a big obvious finger at what’s not happening and in my opinion that’s an essential phase in Ireland in making sure that projects are delivered.. especially if you don’t live in Cork or Dublin.

Deiseen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122374249#Comment_122374249

You might say so but many would question the news source and disregard the story outright as a result (even though it essentially just repeats the exchange between Harris and Shanahan).

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122375088#Comment_122375088

If people are into questioning the truth of the Dail record, then tinfoil hats and con trails, plus moonlandings will be next.

The question is, is there value in an outspoken independent like Matt Shanahan, not is the source believable?

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122375117#Comment_122375117

outspoken maybe but still hardly anymore useful than ‘t1ts on a bull’ when it comes to achieving anything

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122378152#Comment_122378152

You have still yet to answer how useful the other Waterford representatives have been?

No one has disagreed that independents can't deliver anything unless they hold the balance of power or have a ministers ear.

Without Shanahan, or any independent representing Waterford. We would have had several announcements on UHW cardiac care and several announcements on SETU, everything would look Rosey to the average person, where as truth been told all these announcements have delivered very little if anything at all.

So by having someone like Shanahan raising these issues the majority of Waterford people would be clueless.

We previously had 2 FG TDs while FG were in government and is served us little to no advantage.

While you think independents are useless in your eyes, please state the alternatives from a Waterford perspective?

Currently replace Shanahan with Cummins, would we have been better off over the past government?

fuzzy dunlop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122371558#Comment_122371558

Irish media is dismal! The fact that you have to compare it to the media in authoritarian countries is telling. RTE and the Irish Times and the media in general are glorified 'nudge units'.

Deise Vu

Thete is an opinion piece by Fionain Sheehan in today’s Indo ( behind a paywall unfortunately). Basically calls out some Harris hypocrisy on bullying within FG re Deasy’s resignation in 2020. Anyone know anything about that?

The best bit though is Harris has promised to “win back their seat” and the entire exchange has flagged up the issue of Harris calling for respect and civility while at the same time leaving swathes of people behind with Govt policy.

If we don’t have funds in the bank for the airport before the GE, we need to turn it into a racetrack. Fair play to MS for applying the pressure. Not easy for an independent to be heard on local issues let alone getting national coverage.

Wanderer78

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122382169#Comment_122382169

disagree, and disagree strongly, i understand theres currently a strong distrust in institutions at the moment, including the media, but again, we re actually holding up very well, compared to other advanced countries, yes there is some sh1t out there, but…..

fuzzy dunlop

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122382554#Comment_122382554

I think you disagree because you agree with what you are hearing on Irish media.Why is there a distrust in institutions? The fact is that the media reporting leans into progressive politics in a way that doesn't match the overton window. For example when an outward wave of so called "Irish men" went to fight in the Libyan civil war in 2011, RTE failed to mention that they were almost exclusively all Muslim men or recent immigrants from Middle Eastern countries. You would swear Mick Power from Doyle St and all his mates were going out to fight Qaddafi. That was 13 years ago. It has gotten a helluva lot worse since then. There are literally academics putting content on RTE brainstorm and citing academic papers that give different conclusions to that which they claim because it doesn't suit their politics. Identity politics and luxury beliefs such as Polyamory, white privilege, and all the other junk ideas from America are imported without litigation despite those same parasitic ideas causing nothing but division in the country of origin.

Bards

.. Not to mention the Irish Examiner reporter got caught red handed with an Antifa type protest in a hotel near Newtownmountkennedy with protest placards

.. Virgin media staff bringing immigration back into Dublin City after gardai removed their tent city

The irish media is not just reporting the news, it is making the news and that is a very very dangerous precedent

azimuth17

Thread is so far off topic, which is a pity. Could those who have doubts about Irish media start another thread please and allow local concerns to be aired on a local thread?

Junior

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122382205#Comment_122382205

https://archive.ph/vdAC1 should get you a look at the article in question.

Yeah Right

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058359123/matt-calls-it-as-hes-sees-it

Gript know all about whipping up public anger so they might be right for once. Listen to the experts, folks.

Rustyman101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122388342#Comment_122388342

Same story in the indo and the news n star are they vanilla enough ?

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122389169#Comment_122389169

If anyone wants to read the acual written transcript of what happened, its in the Dail debate for that day under leader's questions.

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/debate/dail/2024-07-09/2/

taytobreath

Taoiseach totally evaded Matts questions, it's backwards we are going in this county, incredibly sad to see it.

Rustyman101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122389345#Comment_122389345

It's the new politics when you can't or dont want to explain, evade, deflect and fake outrage at some perceived slight.

Bertie was actually one of the forerunners of this when asked a question he answered a different one, tbf he was much better at it and at least tried to come across as likeable, not like the current crop of condescending yahoo's