Katherine Zappone Envoy Gig

The former Minister for Children exercising her freedom of expression:

Apart from the absolute glee in Opposition, well Labour circles, and vain efforts by the media to keep the story above the fold where does this actually go? It's not a resigning matter and Coveney really should have known better and may end up with a severe finger wagging. It's ultimately a three day story that has dragged on for weeks after anybody cared about it.

I just hope it runs and runs because it is doing reputational damage and the longer that goes on the more likely the chaos of the power merger will be remembered in the ballot box. I don't think Coveney will resign, he should, but he won't. Relations will be fruity at the top in FG for the rest of the term I'd imagine.

The 'damage' adds up.

I said Leo would lead FG back to GE levels of support and I think by the time we get there (to a GE) he will pull it off.

Coveney was elected leader by the membership of FG.

FG, through their own version of democracy, have a system that denies the memberships choice if the party elders/backer don't agree.

BTW, 'limps' is a curious definition, given it has dominated the news cycles several times now and even after that dies down a bit, Coveney has to embarrassingly go back to the FAC to 'explain' some more, PAC have to have a look at the actual appointment process.

Plenty left in this yet.

This is just the same handwaving and 'nothing burger' stuff pushed out when ever there is a **** up by the government.

We saw it with Golfgate, Maria Bailey, the Leak, etc etc and now we see it being pushed out again. Tired stuff.

Did they not mean it?

Microsoft Word - New Politics.doc (thejournal.ie)

The New Politics is designed to tackle head-on the major weaknesses in our archaic system of government, so that the huge policy mistakes of the last few years will not be repeated. It will:

End “Crony Government” in Ireland by opening up government and giving the Dáil, for the first time in its history, real power to hold ministers and public bodies to account; and

The expressions “Golden Circle”, “Crony Government” and “Cosy Capitalism” all describe the same thing: The abduction of our Republic by both public and private sector vested interests, aided and abetted by the present Government. 

Who decides who is the best person for public jobs now?

Of these three I only immediately recognised the Bailey one. That's about as much an average voter could do, if even that. It's the big stuff they care about - currently that's housing but health will be back. My take on this is that he was completely obtuse about this, but saved by the common sense of the putative nominee. If people want to perpetually rage about this that's just fine. For some there's political capital in this, which is equally fine but it dilutes any sense of principle they might claim. Ultimately it may mean that Simon will get a quieter and smaller office in 2023.

Hadn't he already been given the job when this stuff emerged?

With a bit of thought yes they came back, there's been other stuff going on in the world, but I'd expect very few of your average voters to nod at that list. Those who'd still be annoyed by them probably have plenty of other reasons to have a poor opinion of them anyway.

So, the Tanaiste/Taoiseach gets embroiled in a lengthy controversy and ends up the centre of a still ongoing Garda Criminal investigation in which he could technically get jailed, and you have to 'give a bit of thought' to remembering that?

I am not sure why you are implicating the general populace in this extraordinarily convenient forgetfulness.

Thank you Father Jack!

If we didn't have the Covid restrictions, it may well have been the case that Varadkar and Coveney et al might have had their chats over a cups of coffee in a Ministerial office or the Dail bar, instead of conversations by text. In that case there would be nothing to see. I never thought that virtually private conversations would be subject to the full rigours of FOI.

To be fully consistent maybe all ministers should be permanently wired up so that everything hey ever say to anyone would be subject to FOI. (Except at Cabinet meetings of course). This is all getting a bit absurd.

Brendan Howlin getting in now too.

Well, thats most political dramas tbf but this has breaking covid guidelines, political crap like lobbying, government disregard for FOI, breaking FOI rules, a minister saying his phone was hacked, ministers throwing each other under the bus etc. There's a lot wrapped up in this particular issue outside of Zappone being given the position.