Dail Eireann – Page 2 – Slugger O'Toole

“Assertion in blog is shameful and cruel” – McDonald

The Firemen on October 23, 2014, 8:44 pm | Readers 3295

Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald has posted a twitter response to a blog circulating on social media which describes Maíria Cahill’s alleged rape ordeal as “a year long sexual liaison”. The blog describes the alleged rapist as a man “whom many a 16-year-old would likely fancy”. The blog prompted a twitter question from Maíria Cahill to Ms. McDonald who replied two hours later. The anonymous blogger who reportedly resides in West Belfast and calls himself “Ruaidri Ua Conchobai” …

Right then, let’s think hard about a border poll

Brian Walker on September 20, 2014, 10:36 pm | Readers 2815

The political conditions for the Scottish referendum were simple compared to anything likely to apply in Ireland. With the dominance of the proportionality principle in the institutions, the weight of the GFA is against it and a new political chapter would have to be turned before it is conceivable. It would become a potential result of a good long time of stability not a way out of the present near- deadlock. So sorry to disappoint, but there won’t be a referendum anytime …

In praise of… the Dáil bar (and parliamentary bars everywhere)

Mick Fealty on September 9, 2013, 2:49 pm | Readers 100

So last week the Dublin press (or some of them) were baying for blood over the Dail Bar bill on the night of the abortion legislation had deputies and Senators at their legislative work till 5 in the morning (are you still reading Stormont?). What set them off was the lap-gate ‘scandal’, which involved a very drunk Fine Gael TD Tom Barry hauling party colleague Aine Collins onto his lap at 2.40am. However the rise in takings at the bar …

Parliamentary written answer of the week

Pete Baker on July 9, 2013, 2:44 pm | Readers 49

Another in an occasional series. An ill-conceived written question can be an opportune moment to remind the questioner of legal technicalities in the State he is in. From Dáil written answers 3 July. 180. Deputy Gerry Adams asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the procedures used by an Garda Síochána when establishing the marital status of a Brazilian citizen living here who proposes to get married in this State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32318/13] 184. Deputy Gerry Adams asked …

“the British Government, and the British State, no longer claim jurisdiction over this part of the island”

Pete Baker on April 15, 2013, 3:10 pm | Readers 251

So claimed Sinn Féin’s Alex Maskey, MLA, in his recent appearance on UTV Live. Here’s the quote again. The fundamental difference between before the Good Friday Agreement and after the Good Friday Agreement is that the British Government, and the British State, no longer claim jurisdiction over this part of the island. That’s very very important, and that’s a very important building block for us to convince those who, at this moment in time, don’t support the idea of a united …

Taoiseach is ‘diluting the impact of the alleged charges against Adams by cynical and lazy repetition’

Mick Fealty on December 17, 2012, 1:31 pm | Readers 41

Eilis O’Hanlon is not so much coming to the rescue of Gerry Adams, as upbrading the Taoiseach for using the abduction and murder of a Belfast housewife to punctuate his own inability to answer fairly straightforward questions from the Opposition: In the right context, the charges against Gerry Adams carry considerable weight. Last week, demanding that the British government come clean about its role in the murder of lawyer Pat Finucane, it would have been perfectly legitimate to inquire what …

Gerry Adams ‘stung’ in the Dail by Taoiseach over his past…

Mick Fealty on December 11, 2012, 11:51 pm | Readers 199

Okay, leaders Questions did not go to plan today. The subject under discussion was Welfare Reform. The Taoiseach had just taken a bit of roasting at the hands of Micheal Martin (over a planned 20% cut in the respite care grant). Then it was Gerry’s turn with the Taoiseach (who was probably already in very bad twist). It all starts here, when Kenny gives him what sounds like an almost playful dunt over the Northern Bank robbery, in response to …

Stalling on abortion law reform North and South

Brian Walker on October 22, 2012, 2:21 pm | Readers 43

Let me try to offer some context on abortion law, with the health warning that I’m not a lawyer. The law on abortion in both parts of Ireland is in question because of a judgment of the European Court of Human Rights almost two years ago which I among others drew attention to at the time. Does that ruling compel the Republic and the North to legalise abortion on demand up to 24 weeks or anything like it ? No …

For all the goodwill breaking out in Belfast, there was precious little of it in the Dáil…

Mick Fealty on June 28, 2012, 2:55 pm | Readers 59

Okay, so partitionism reigns in Leinster House. As Miriam Lord notes beyond a presser at the Plinth, there was only one mention of that handshake in the Dail yesterday… …and that was only so Enda Kenny could deliver a vicious one-liner to a flat-footed Adams. On the eve of the Brussels summit, he heaped scorn on the what he saw as the Taoiseach’s lack of negotiating ability, and accused him of supporting a federal Europe. After a lengthy reply from …

Sinn Fein now being investigated by both SIPO and the Oireachtas Commission…

Mick Fealty on June 21, 2012, 4:26 pm | Readers 63

Michael Brennan has been following up on the admission by both of Sinn Fein’s Donegal TDs that they’d been using travel expenses towards paying for local workers. It is now up to the Dail committee on members’ interests to investigate the redirection of travel expenses by Mr Doherty and Mr MacLochlainn — although it is likely to require a complaint from a member of the public in order to do this. And the Standards in Public Office Commission (SIPO) has …

“We were neutral for one purpose and that is that we were Britain’s home defence”

Pete Baker on January 17, 2012, 3:48 pm | Readers 77

Mick has already pointed to the Irish Times article at the weekend by Joseph Quinn on the post-World War II treatment in Ireland of around 5,000 Irish soldiers who deserted their own neutral army to join the British army and fought in Europe and elsewhere. The “confidential” list of those affected is still available from Ireland’s National Army Museum. But, via the Irish Soldiers Pardon (WW2) Campaign website, there are a couple of items to highlight. Firstly, the instrument at issue – the Emergency Powers (no. 362) Order, …

Court orders Independent TD to repay over €19m debt

Pete Baker on October 10, 2011, 9:52 pm | Readers 7

Independent TD Mick Wallace has been ordered to repay ACC Bank €19,166,680 for personally guaranteed loan facilities made between 2004 and 2008 for his development company, M & J Wallace Ltd, which is in receivership. As the RTÉ report notes The order for summary judgment means the bank can now take steps to recover the money. The court was told the money relates to five loans granted to Mr Wallace’s company, M & J Wallace, which is in receivership. The loans were …

“he may be referring to a situation where under UK company law…”

Pete Baker on July 26, 2011, 7:08 pm | Readers 3

From Dáil written answers on 19 July. 232. Deputy Martin Ferris [Sinn Féin] asked the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation if he will introduce legislation to protect employees in companies under administration who remain working but who are not paid; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20950/11] Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation (Deputy Richard Bruton) [Fine Gael]: There is no procedure under Irish company law for a company to …

Taoiseach’s speech: An end to ‘Never explain, never apologise’?

Mick Fealty on July 21, 2011, 11:42 am | Readers 19

The papers are full of the taoiseach’s speech to the Dail yesterday. Rightly so. It was an audacious speech, and one made in stark contrast to the parliamentary mumbling and stumbling of the two previous taoisigh. And, importantly, it was a defence of thousands upon thousands of ordinary Catholics, ‘who have been shocked and dismayed by the repeated failings of church authorities to face up to what is required’. Somewhere in the Irish media in the last few days, someone …

Phil Hogan is wrong. Ireland needs more elected reps, not less.

Mick Fealty on July 1, 2011, 1:47 pm | Readers 2

Great rant from Noel Whelan on the Late Debate last night, regarding Fine Gael Environment Minster Phil Hogan’s claim that because of the latest census figures, he could not cut the current total of TDs by the twenty promised in his party’s manifesto: If Fine Gael wanted to reduced the number of TDs by twenty they could prepare a very short referendum bill that could be voted on on the same day as the Presidential election. They don’t need a …

“Sinn Féin are increasingly looking acceptable and palatable”

Mick Fealty on June 30, 2011, 12:43 pm | Readers 5

Nice piece of analysis from Cormac O’Cuilan at politico.ie on Sinn Fein’s progress in the southern polity: In the soup that is the 31st Dáil; Sinn Féin are increasingly looking acceptable and palatable. Side by side with Fianna Fáil and the Independents, their credibility as opposition (and future government) parliamentarians, is on the rise. As an organised, coherent and legitimate voice of protest in the face of the economic turmoil they threaten the well that both Fianna Fáil and Labour …

19 Independents meet to form a technical group.

Mick Fealty on March 2, 2011, 2:07 pm | Readers 7

Fascinating little scenario developing here. You can only have one technical group (which affords speaking rights) amongst otherwise unaffliated groups and individual TDs in Dail Eireann. So all 19 Independents are meeting this evening to see if they can agree to form one. It’s thought that as many as 16 or as few as 11 could form a single group. If it was the upper figure it would almost certainly incorporate individuals with some pretty sharply divergent beliefs, that would have …

“at least those smartarses from Vanity Fair didn’t notice the pencils…”

Pete Baker on February 16, 2011, 4:54 pm | Readers 6

Prompted by Michael Lewis’ recent lengthy, and somewhat controversial, article on Ireland in Vanity Fair, Frank McNally takes the opportunity in his Irishman’s Diary to provide a, possibly apocryphal, account of the parliamentary vote which led to the glass partition in the public gallery in the Dáil. From the Irish Times article Thus I suspect reports that O’Flaherty had been “locked out” on the afternoon in question may have referred only to his physical condition, rather than Dáil vote protocol. Either way, …

Why not have a virtual Dail Eireann?

Mick Fealty on February 11, 2011, 11:55 am | Readers 0

Nice post from Dan Sullivan, who also blogs with Slugger, which identfies a kink in the in idea that shorter working days (or rather nights) are more friendly. Hmm, not for those TDs who live down country says Dan. Instead, he suggests: …a solution to this might be to question why we need the Dail chamber aspect of being a parliamentarian requires you to be in Dublin at all. Might we start to reconsider the assembly nature of Dail process …

“It’s all a bit hasty and half-cock…”

Pete Baker on February 8, 2011, 2:10 pm | Readers 1

The Guardian‘s Michael White attempts to get to grips with the various parties’ sudden positioning on the need for political reform ahead of the Irish general election. Why are all the parties thrashing around for reform? You must have guessed. Because after 20 years of purring happily as the Celtic Tiger economy, the Republic of Ireland has suffered a double smash since the crash of 2007, its cronyist politics – obsessed with permanent pork-barrel electioneering – widely blamed for not challenging the …