FF/FG/Green Government - Part 3 - Threadbanned User List in OP

Delighted to discuss it.

Cluedo, what do you think of the power-swap's record on accountability? We can discuss this particular governments record on that to keep it on topic. Please don't deflect.

Francie, accountability is a dirty word for FF and FG. They talk about it and promise to reform but its all nonsense. New Politics.

RTE Investigates completely exposed the BS last week when they highlighted the fraud, corruption, waste of public money, mismanagement, and lack of oversight and accountability.

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Council chamber secrets: Misconduct, falsehoods & waste (rte.ie)

In 2015, the prospect of ethics law reform was on the political agenda when a proposed piece of legislation, the Public Sector Standards Bill, was presented to the Dáil.

Under this legislation, a new Office of Public Sector Standards Commissioner was proposed, in addition to various other reforms that had been initially recommended in the Mahon Tribunal.

The commissioner would have the power to initiate investigations, even in the absence of a complaint. (Currently, the Standards in Public Office Commission can only initiate inquiries upon receiving a complaint.) It would also have powers to impose fines.

"For the first time, a uniform framework of ethical regulations will apply at national and local level in Ireland," said Brendan Howlin, the then-Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, in a Dáil debate in January 2016.

"There will now be a consistency of approach to ethical obligations across the public sector and, in a new departure, overarching integrity principles for public officials will be enshrined in legislation."

Of course, all of this sounded promising. But progress on the legislation later ground to a halt.

In August 2017, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe wrote to the Oireachtas Finance Committee to warn that it was "essential that the Committee now quickly moves" to schedule the completion of thecommittee stage of the proposed legislation.

Mr Donohoe said that this was necessary because of the "public interest in implementing the recommendations" of the Mahon Tribunal.

But this request had little impact.

When asked for an update on the legislation in June 2019, an Oireachtas official replied that the Dáil term was due to finish the following month and that "All our remaining meetings are fully accounted for, and there are no plans to deal with this Bill in the remaining time".

The delays continued, and once the 2020 General Election was called, the bill died.

With the Public Sector Standards Bill now a distant memory, the Government's latest initiative is a "review" of ethics legislation. In November 2021, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Michael McGrath, told the Dáil that this review had begun, describing it as "a very significant body of work".

"We still have outstanding recommendations from tribunals of inquiry that reported several years ago, and I am determined to make progress in that area," said Mr McGrath.

Given the pace of reform, it doesn't appear that anything meaningful will happen anytime soon.

As John Devitt of Transparency International Ireland put it, "Turkeys don't vote for Christmas."

"And politicians are not inclined to want more meaningful or thorough oversight."

What about yourself are you happy to vote SF knowing they would possibly need to go into coalition with FF or FG to form a government?

Would you say the same as some using the word 'stench' in a post about a party?

No.

They = People that are still loyal FF & FG supporters.

I remember the 1970s and 1980s and it was grim. The people of Ireland got us out of that mess and demanded better across the boards. We woke up. It wasn't FF or Rome. I remember the Charvet shirts, the yacht, the island. I remember living beyond our means. I remember his henchmen like Ahern and Flynn and Burke. I remember the ineffective tribunals. I adored Garret Fitzgerald who I perceived as the best and most honest politician since Michael Collins.

But I detest corruption, fraud, cronyism, greed, inequality, dishonesty, bureaucracy, persecution...and I will not vote for it. I don't know how anyone does to be honest.

Good night.

I don't 'support' a party, I vote for party's.

If the one I vote for has no accountability when they get into government then they won't get my vote.

With you guys, the lack of accountability is a plus. Witness what happened here just recently when government inaction has resulted in fraud and corruption throughout local government even though they promised to reform it and had key recommendations to go on.

NOT A WORD OF CRITICISM...just deflect deflect deflect and endorse voting for them again.

So which party did the people wake up to and vote for so that got us out of this mess you speak of?

Going by your logic the people can get us out of this shithole again without the need for government parties?????

Oh so you agree with Paddy Cosgrave this time around? Did you agree with him when he was lying about dead nurses?