Chris O’Leary defects to Sinn Fein July 11, 2010
Posted by Scandalcentral in Local Politic's.Tags: Chris O'Leary, Cork North Central, Dan Boyle, Green Party, SF
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Cllr Chris O’Leary who left the Green Party last year has this week joined Sinn Fein and now may be on the ticket for the next General Election in Cork North Central. He has been Councillor since 2002 after replacing Dan Boyle. He was later reelected in 2007. Last year, he stepped down from the Green Party declaring that it “had lost its way and was more interested in light bulbs than ensuring that families could put enough food on the table” It also worked out nicely allowing him to save his seat, leaving the Green Party without a single seat on Cork City Council. He has fought for social justice and has never been afraid to fight for his constituents in the South Eastern Ward. His reasons behind joining Sinn Fein are because “he believes it was the only party which would fight for working-class principles, and that Labour had moved into centrist politics” The irony to this is if he had changed to Labour he would have stood a fairly good chance of winning a second seat for Labour in CNC. Under the Sinn Fein umbrella he will stand an outside chance of winning a seat if selected instead of established candidate Johnathan O’Brien. It also appears that he has family who are also very active within the party which may have helped him make his decision. The leftist vote is quite strong in CNC and will have Labour, Sinn Fein and Socialist transfers available.
He got elected last year on the 7th count with 0.82 of a quota. He previously ran for the Green Party for the 2004 European elections and in 2007 for the 30th Dáil- failing to get elected on both occasions.
One still has to wonder perhaps why he didn’t wait a few more weeks to try to examine the new “recycled Green’s” Party which is to be launched or else continue as an Independent. Nevertheless he now has dug his grave and taken the bullet.
Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/former-green-to-join-sinn-fein-in-council-124412.html#ixzz0tOj9IN00
Boyle announces date of Donegal Bye-Election? July 4, 2010
Posted by Scandalcentral in Current Affairs, Politics.Tags: Bye- Election, Cork South Central, Dan Boyle, Donegal South West
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In yet another shocking move today, Green Senator Dan Boyle today appeared to announce the date of the Donegal South West Bye- election. Speaking on radio he declared that as it was over a year it would probably be held at the same time as the children’s rights referendum in the Autumn. There has so far been no comment on the issue from the Government. I expect little comment, as they appear opposed to holding anything! This once again to be yet another startling gaff from Boyle who normally announces personal policy like this over his Twitter page. I did go and check his Twitter page and no it doesn’t carry any information either to this announcement. He went on to say that the Waterford and Dublin South bye- elections wont be held because they aren’t over one year. Since when is there a law requiring them to be over a year anyway? It’s still unclear if any of his Government colleagues are even aware of this apparent election schedule. However the point he raises about it being over one year should be taken at face value. Perhaps law should be changed to ensure they are held within a certain (reasonable) period of time?
I personally find it humorous that it’s Boyle announcing this when less than 2 months ago he declared that bye- elections “undermine the Government mandate“. Another remarkable turnaround for the Cork South Central based Senator. Tomorrow will tell if this is merely Boyle’s personal opinion or an actual commitment from the Government to hold one of the three outstanding bye- elections. Until I hear it from Brian Cowen’s lips, I won’t believe it! Nevertheless they surely have to be held at some stage. Don’t they?
Green Party: A True Political Disaster. May 19, 2010
Posted by Scandalcentral in Current Affairs, Topical.Tags: Carbon Tax, Dan Boyle, Eamon Ryan, Eddie Hobbs, FG, Fine Gael, GP, Green Party, Greens in Crisis, IRFU, John Gormley, New Era, Peak Oil, RISE Campaign, Rugby Free to Air, Simon Coveney
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This week it appears the Green Party has reached yet another low and with that, I believe the point of no return. They have single handedly destroyed their chances of remaining a force in Irish Politics after the next General Election.
Whilst in Government the Greens have always had this idea that as long as what they’re doing is for the “greater good” then its correct. They follow a moral code that they seem to believe is like a bible, never to be questioned. This week Eamon Ryan announced that he was planning to interfere with sports broadcasting by attempting to make Heineken Cup and other rugby games free to air. This move was at first greeted by shock and later livid anger by the nations rugby followers and management. IRFU chief executive Philip Browne has said he believes “Minister Ryan’s proposal would destroy both the sport and the very cultural events the Minister believes he would be protecting.” The IRFU claim the plans would cost them €12million, 18% of their annual income, with damaging long-term effects for the game in Ireland. The IRFU believes, as do many rugby followers that the drop in revenue will mean the provincial sides will be unable to hold onto their best players, opening the door for the country’s top stars to walk away. It has also been predicted that for Connaught, it will be the end, as for many know that they are being keep alive only due to the funding streams available. Why, you ask is the minister getting involved in the free market? All due to the fact that he and his son had to visit the local publican to watch Leinster play last week! A Facebook group protesting against this proposal has been set up and has in excess of 1,500 members in just a few days.
Dan Boyle has added fuel to the fire. (About all he is good for anyway) By announcing via twitter that he was rowing in behind the Communications Minister. Naturally Dan Boyle these days feels its acceptable to announce anything via Twitter. He appears to think it is appropriate to make comments about policy that dont even appear sometimes to have yet been announced/exist over Twitter. Then again, we are talking about Dan Boyle. He’s only been rejected by the electorate eight times! God loves a trier is the saying that is relevant here, however scandalcentrals view is, that Boyle is handicapping the Green Movement. Until they get a real politician into the Cork scene they will not win a seat in Cork South Central (CSC). 
2010 has been a bad year for the Green Party as a whole. They have lunged from crisis to crisis. We have already seen both Trevor Sargent and Deirdre de Burca stand down in shady circumstances, this follows in the background where the Greens no longer have any power at local level due to their decimation at the Local elections. Dan Boyle continues to plague the Party like a wart that wont go away. Meanwhile they have ruined any chance of them ever getting a foothold into the rural vote by the party’s continued stance on coursing. The party is proposing an outright ban on everything that they define “blood sports” This idea has lead to massive protests far greater than those seen outside Dáil Éireann these days, against this plan by the RISE campaign. It has been described by commentators as a lack of understanding by the Green Party. Scandalcentral calls it pure stupidity.
However the single biggest failure of the Green Party, has been their failure to implement legislation in areas that they have huge support. Eamon Ryan would do well to legislate the things that has huge national and cross party support instead of marginalizing an already marginalized party! Most people in the state now realise that peak oil will be upon us in a matter of years. Dear God, even Eddie Hobbs is writing books about it these days! This state is hugely dependent on oil. So this dependency must be reduced at once. Yet where is the massive Green strategy rolling out a solution? Tiny snippets of investment is not enough, we need a national solution like the one proposed by Fine Gael’s Simon Coveney. New Era will revolutionize this country if implemented,both creating jobs and reducing our carbon footprint. Yet the Greens are worried about TV rights? Dan Boyle is worried about some Fox in Carlow? John Gormley is meanwhile introducing carbon taxes like there’s no tomorrow. Once again quoting “their bible” describing this as for the greater good. Pity for the Greens, Gormley is a total dimwit. Fianna Fail have only allowed this back of the envelope idea to be implemented because it will raise money for the empty coffers and the Greens will get the blame.
ERSI’s Richard Tol has said “that a carbon tax that is levied on emissions covered by the EU ETS, would not reduce emissions, but would cost Ireland and the rest of the EU money.” (Exactly the kind of tax introduced by Gormley) However Gormley expects this to reduce emissions is beyond me. The ironic thing is that carbon taxation is nothing new. Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden have all had these taxes since the 1990′s. For most of these countries the tax has not led to a reduction in emissions, for Norway a 43% increase!! Only Denmark has seen a reduction in emissions. What have they done differently? They have used the proceeds from the tax as subsidies for firms with environmentally innovative ideas. So, is Gormley doing this? Not a chance, even cent of this tax is going straight to pay our now massive public debt. All Scandalcentral asks is how these blockheads get into Government? Naturally it was that 4.7% of the electorate who gave them a number 1 in 2007. I hold them totally responsible.
The Greens are not being blamed for the economic crisis, for they didn’t cause it. They are being blamed for having farcical policies and failing to tackle the real issues…and for that, they will pay a high price, very likely with the majority of their 6 seats. I cant wait for the Twitter updates on election day 
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Links: http://www.rte.ie/sport/rugby/2010/0518/ireland.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/blogs/politics/2010/05/18/if-its-not-broke-dont-question-it/
Image: www.greeninkpen.blogspot.com
