FG rebound as Green’s face wipeout. June 26, 2010
Posted by Scandalcentral in Current Affairs.Tags: FF, FG, GP, LAB, SBP Poll, SF
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The provisional results for this weekend’s SBP tracker poll places FG on 33%, LAB on 27% and FF on 24%. It places SF on 8% and the Green’s on 2%. On the week in which the Green’s continued to push their stag hunting bill, this can only spell disaster. In fact considering the margin of error it could actually mean the Green’s are extinct! Politics without the shrubs, what a beautiful thought, however unlikely. The poll is more or less good news for Fine Gael with both the party % and Enda Kenny’s popularity up. It spells a positive closure to the events within the party over the past few weeks. This poll also highlights the fact that Fianna Fail appear to be stabilizing at around 24% (Ish). Gilmore’s goons will also be happy with 27%.
Green’s push ahead with stag hunting bill. June 24, 2010
Posted by Scandalcentral in Current Affairs, Politics.Tags: FF, FG, GP, LAB, RISE, Stag Hunting Bill
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It appears that the Green Party’s stag hunting bill might be in serious trouble. Today, several Fianna Fail TD’s announced to the Dáil that they had major reservations with the proposed bill. Meath TD Mary Wallace said “that banning stag hunting would damage her county and she added that the Ward Union Hunt brings in €1.2m to the local economy” Mattie McGrath and Johnny Brady also announced that they have serious issues with the proposals. Sean Power earlier said “he regrets that the Government is bringing forward legislation to criminalise a long and proud tradition”
Fine Gael front bencher Phil Hogan also announced that he felt the bill was unfair along with James Bannon who said it was “rural legislation being imposed by an urban-based Minister” Fine Gael’s Shane McEntee asked for the Green’s to sit down for the good of rural Ireland.
Even the Labour party has come out against the bill.
Green “Minister” Mary White criticised RISE, suggested much of their campaign was based on lies. She also criticised Deputies from Labour who have staged a u-turn on the issue, she described Labour’s position as on the fence for many issues and that they are now just poll watching. She described herself as a reasonable country woman and said she know’s how the countryside ticks.
It now appears that many rural Fianna Fail TD’s who may vote abstain on the vote which looks like it will be held next Tuesday. If the bill fail’s it may allow the Green’s to exit the already installable Government.
RISE: leading the campaign against the Green Party.
Hope Destroyed by Live Register June 2, 2010
Posted by Scandalcentral in Banking & Finance, Current Affairs, Politics.Tags: Batt O'Keeffe, FF, FG, GP, Leo Varadkar, Live Register, Mary Coughlan, New Era, Unemployment
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As dole queues continue to rise, hope continues to be eroded.
Live register figures released today reveal what we all knew, but didn’t want to hear: that things are still getting worse. Contradicting Brian Cowen who boldly declared the worst was behind us, unemployment has risen by 6,600 to 439,100. (and keep in mind thats after seasonally adjusting it) Unemployment now stands at a startling 13.7% meaning nearly 1 in 7 of the workforce now stands unemployed. May saw the biggest monthly rise in unemployment since August 2009. 439,100 is the highest live register figure ever recorded in the history of the state, highlighting how serious and shocking it really is. It also defies the new Government logic that we have reached rock bottom, for todays figures totally demolishes that idea. It should also be noted that since the beginning of this recession around 60,000-90,000 have emigrated from the country. If one factors this into the scenario, things are even worse. Many economists feel that the only reason over the last few months that the figures have not been increasing by as much was due to the increase in mass emigration. Ryanair’s profits yesterday seem to verify that business is good if your leaving the state to get work. Nevertheless this news can only destroy any optimism that has been created over recent weeks.
The thing about the figures that is truly horrific is the Government reaction. Batt O’Keeffe described the worst figures in the history of the state as a “relatively modest” rise. This is despite the fact the Government budget expects 70,000 job losses in total this year, on top of the 250,000 lost over the past two years. The Government appears almost happy with the figures, with a spokesperson suggesting “the labour market was beginning to reflect greater economic stability.” Total propaganda if I ever heard it. Never before have so many been unemployed in this state. The Government reaction to this overall has been pathetic. It has failed to place job creation and protection at the center of its policy, instead it has been fixated on the ever-growing banking crisis. The harsh reality is that the Government banking policy has so far been an abysmal failure. It is now common opinion that the Bank Recapitalisation scheme along with NAMA has failed to kick-start business lending. Not only has the Government not placed jobs at the center of its plans, but it appears to be almost ignoring it! There haven’t been any announcements of huge investment in back to work scheme’s or retraining schemes or anything of real value. All the Government has done is waste a few million here and there. Questions should also be asked as to the relevance and adequateness of FAS to tackle unemployment in this recession.
The major question however is in relation to why the Government appears frozen and unable to actually do anything about the job crisis. The Government response to the mounting unemployment has been laughable. Take yesterdays announcement by Mary “Calamity” Coughlan, a €20 million fund to target people with no qualifications providing 6,589 places. To put this in context that’s 1.5% of the currently unemployed and is less than the increase in unemployment figures for May. Hence, even if this scheme is successful and all get employed after the course (Which is highly unlikely) we are only at the April unemployment figure. Even to put the €20 million in context, it’s a fraction of the billions poured into Anglo and the banks. The Government simply hasn’t a clue how to tackle this crisis. No one in Government seems to actually know what to do.
Can hope come from the opposition?
The opposition on the other hand are firing at all cylinders. Ideas have been flowing from both Fine Gael and to a lesser extent Labour. Fianna Fail have rejected Fine Gael’s New Era plans, yet have failed themselves to come up with an alternative. But Fine Gael have got one thing majorly right, scale. It plans to create 105,000 new jobs, a number the Government is unlikely to be able to pronounce. What I find most impressive about the idea is that it will make Ireland a net exporter of energy by 2030 and will finally reduce our massive dependence on oil prices and international supply. I also like it because it reduces the Greens to nothing more than shrub status. The Green Party is essentially redundant in this country. The have failed to tackle the major Green issues while in Government a.k.a emissions, dependency on oil and energy imports. The Greens have got caught up in stupid issues like T.V rights and has by extension become complacent. Right now Fine Gael appear not only more Green than the Green’s but appear to be able to make the right decisions.
Today’s unemployment figures are devastating. Keep in mind future figures will include the thousands of University and College students who have just finished their degree’s and can’t now find a job. Today, Fine Gael Enterprise Spokesman Leo Varadkar TD said the Government’s lack of a jobs and stimulus package has never looked more damaging. Personally I’m not overly confident that future months will bring the upturn the Government speaks of. Erst and Young has predicted unemployment will remain at 10% for at least another 5 years. Cowen may spin the idea that the worst is behind us, Scandalcentral doesn’t concur. I still think we have some very choppy waters ahead, lets just hope the economy stops hemorrhaging jobs- for our sake.
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
Eugene Regan: The End of The Road? April 25, 2010
Posted by Scandalcentral in Current Affairs, FG, Topical.Tags: Bertie Ahern, Blasphemy Law, Ciaran Cuffe, Dermot Ahern, Dun Laoghaire, Eugene Regan, FF, FG, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Goldman Sach, GP, Green Party
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It is now widely rumoured that Fine Gael Senator Eugene Regan will not stand in the next General Election for Dún Laoghaire. This is a massive disappointment (If true) for many people. Its believed that his wife is unwell and that this is the principle reason for him not to stand. If this is true then naturally I wish him all the best in the future.
However it still is a blow to Fine Gael in the Dun Laoghaire constituency. He would have been widely expected to get elected alongside Sean Barrett at the next election, hence gaining a seat for Fine Gael, wining a seat off probably Ciaran Cuffe of the Green Party. It leads one to suggest that John F Bailey will more than likely be on the ticket with Barrett, as he already ran in 2002 and 2007.
Not only is it a blow to Fine Gael, it is a blow to Irish politics. Regan has been a moral compass in the Seanad for some time now. During the scandals involving Bertie Ahern, he always demanded that the then Taoiseach came out and revealed the full facts. He has also been a torment to the Green Party, accusing them of cronyism over their idea to rotate cabinet positions- declaring it nothing more than giving jobs to the boys. He was also critical of the fact that Green Party candidates have been appointed to FAS and other state bodies- showing the Greens are no better morally than Fianna Fáil themselves.
Regan also placed himself firmly against the now famous Blasphemy Laws introduced by Dermot Ahern, claiming them to be “a step back in time” He also declared that the Seanad should be abolished, due to the fact that the house wasn’t given time to scrutinize several important pieces of legislation including the Enforcement of Court Orders Bill.
Regan’s background is somewhat impressive to say the least. He worked in the European Commission during the 70′s working with Patrick Hillary’s cabinet and later as a member of Peter Sutherland’s cabinet. He later worked with Agra, a firm which helps firms who trade oversea’s in difficult locations. Regan had to negotiate with traders in Iraq during Saddam Hussein’s regime, in Algeria during its civil war and with pre- and post-Communist Russia. This in itself highlights the remarkable achievements he has made during his life. Today he is mainly known for being a non-executive director with Goldman Sachs- naturally providing a watchful eye over the investment bank.
Regan has been an excellent public representative and will be missed if he does in fact not run for the next Dáil.
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Irish politics reaches a new low? April 20, 2010
Posted by Scandalcentral in Current Affairs, Topical.Tags: Deirdre de Burca, FF, FG, Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, George Lee, GP, Green Party, Politics
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Deirdre de Burca: Morally, could walk the walk, but couldn't talk the talk?
The current political year has been something else. The end of the Dáil term approaches so it is fitting for one to take a step back and ponder the happenings of politics in this country. This probably has been one of the most stunning Dáil terms I have ever seen.
Earlier this year we were stunned by George Lee. He entered the Dáil with the country believing he could move mountains, the problem was, he thought so too. It’s no surprise that he soon got fed up with the lack of action in opposition and quickly departed Leinster House to return to his well remunerated package in RTÉ. Why work longer hours for less pay anyway? Who wants to be dealing with Mary’s pothole issue or Johns planning issue when you want to be dealing with fiscal policy? The harsh reality for Lee is that he was actually more effective in the media then he was in the Dáil. There, he did a great job of locating the massive holes that exist in Government banking policies etc. I wonder how many people can name the new RTÉ economics editor? (Its Sean Whelan and he doesn’t hold any economic qualifications)
This year also saw the final steps of demise if the Green Party. The party who claimed to be this nations moral compass were found out to be what they are, corrupted by power. They talked the talk in opposition but once they got their hands on power they become as bad as Fianna Fáil themselves and failed to walk the walk. I must say its a massive shame. I had a great respect for Trevor Sargent, he was a man who made the Green Party seem less like a crazy far left bunch of shrubs and more like a party that could actually bring morality and decency back into Irish politics. Then he goes off and totally destroys that image by doing such a heinous act. Naturally, the Green image is far from the holy grail it once was. John Gormley started his speech at the Green Conference praising the fact that he now got a new job for one of his boys (Mary White). Then of course you have Deirdre de Burca walking away from them because she didn’t get a job!! This year has seen Green followers appointed onto state boards, Fás and so on. In fact arguably they are no worse then Fianna Fáil, for we knew what to get from them, they never denied they would find jobs for ‘the boys’. For the Greens it is a new all time low.
Another one down? February 23, 2010
Posted by Scandalcentral in Topical.Tags: Government, GP, Politics
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It has been a hectic few weeks in politics, but one has to wonder what odds Paddy Power would have offered 4weeks ago that before March Lee, De.Burca, O’Dea and now Trevor Sargent would have fallen from grace. It is so unbelievable its almost seamingly impossible that all the above figures have now either resigned there Dail position or left politics altogether.
Each Dail member has left in slightly shady, unclear circumstances. First Lee- bowing out in a media circus answering little questions about what he actually stood for or expected. Then De Burca leaving and bringing her axe with her. Claiming the Greens are nothing better than the PD’s in the previous government and then came O’Dea who had to be forced kicking and screaming from Leinster House. A man who committed a heinous crime- allegedly lying in court! Finally now Sargeant, possibly the most honourable politician that exists appears to also have “messed” up. The details appear quite honest, where he tried to help in a court case. Yet it appears he has willingly walked away from public office over this. It once again leaves the Greens in total shock. The party must be internally in tatters. Personally, I still dont quite understand what it is that Sargeant has actually done wrong. I can only presume there is some Law that doesnt allow politicians to go anywhere near the law…but it seems quite idiotic to lose such a great man for such a “weak” crime?
3rd Level Fee’s…back on the radar….. again?! February 21, 2010
Posted by Scandalcentral in Student Affair's, Topical.Tags: College Affairs, Education, Fees, FF, FG, GP, Green, University
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It may seam like I’m giving the poor Green party a hammering this week. BUT, I was in absolute shock to wake up this morning to find once again the 9am news on the radio was informing about how 3rd level fee’s are once again being examined by the Minister. Did I miss something? Was it not only several months ago that the Greens demanded that fee’s not be reintroduced in order to stay in government?! Where are the Greens at all these days? As a political aside I think the public are going to get very sick of the seemingly weaker and weaker front to the Green Party. If the fee’s do go ahead, (As this morning appears so) John Gormley will have admitted that the Greens are nothing more then an extension of Fianna Fail.
The plan anyway, appears to be a graduate PRSI tax. Where have we heard that before? Yes thats it Fine Gael. Are Fianna Fail running out of policy that they are using that of their political rivals? I leave you depressed and contacting my bank manager.
