Republic – Page 58 – Slugger O'Toole

Failed union points up Bertie’s promises but incapacity to deliver?

Mick Fealty on July 29, 2008, 5:24 pm

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World by Storm picks up some detail on the possibly terminally delayed merger between Fianna Fail and the SDLP… Particularly in contrast with the relatively smooth (and completely private) track taken by Empey and Cameron, he reckons it points out a “a further example of the lack of substance of the Ahern years”. Shades of Fintan’s black hole theory of Bertie’s politics? Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on …

“In common with the Republic of Ireland’s approach to travel within the CTA..”

Pete Baker on July 25, 2008, 3:50 pm

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Fair Deal got there first, but the actual proposals – “Strengthening the Common Travel Area” [direct pdf link here] – are worth noting. The proposals on the Common Travel Area follow from the Cabinet Office report in November last year and are expected to be implemented via the the draft Immigration and Citizenship Bill. As Mick noted a week ago it’s presented as a reciprocal move to what’s already in place in the Republic of Ireland. Not that there was …

Democracy is good for us…

Mick Fealty on July 24, 2008, 3:30 pm

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Mark over at Global Dashboard notes that the top five countries in the development table (including the Republic) “have had 44 changes of government following peaceful democratic elections” since 1960. The bottom five? Just 2 each! Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK and Europe. Twitter: @MickFealty

“The first 50 years were extraordinarily repressive..”

Pete Baker on July 23, 2008, 3:05 pm

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The Irish Times has a short editorial on the official renaming of the Irish Film Censor’s Office (Ifco) to the Irish Film Classification Office yesterday. The history of the censorship of literature in the nascent republic began in 1926 with the ominously named Committee on Evil Literature but it was preceded in 1923 with the Censorship of Films Act. Current film censor classifier John Kelleher was interviewed in the Sunday Times 2 years ago and the Irish Times has some …

“But not shiny and sustainable social democratic states”

Mick Fealty on July 22, 2008, 2:05 pm

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Interesting angle on the UN’s peacekeeping effort. Richard Gowan blogs a summary of his own report International Peacekeeping in which he says the UN “is being asked to go to too many places at once, including places where peacekeeping stands no chance…” Places he quotes include the Irish and French deployment in Chad, where he has argued elsewhere (in Spanish) the real need is for negotiators, not soldiers.On Darfur he notes: I pick up on David and Alex’s concept of …

French President in Dublin

Pete Baker on July 21, 2008, 8:45 pm

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French president Nicolas Sarkozy’s brief diplomatic high wire act is in full flow as he attempts to manoeuvre past the “real political mess” in Dublin. As the Irish Times notes He arrived in Dublin shortly before 1pm and following a working lunch with the Taoiseach, Brian Cowen, Mr Sarkozy held private discussions with the Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny and Labour’s Eamon Gilmore. Mr Sarkozy, who currently holds the presidency of the European Council, then meet leading figures from the …

Dismantling the CTA, or the border hasn’t gone away you know?

Mick Fealty on July 18, 2008, 1:13 pm

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Think about it. Every time you enter Dublin from an airport in Britain, you have to show your passport, whether you are British or Irish or some other EU citizen. In law, only British or Irish citizens are allowed free travel between the islands, but you have to show your passport anyway. In Belfast, nothing. There’s a very sharp letter in the Irish Times yesterday worth quoting with regard to the fate of the Common Travel Area between Britain and …

What are the top 20 Irish political blogs?

Mick Fealty on July 15, 2008, 1:28 am

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Iain Dale has just asked me to try and repeat last year’s feat of spotting the top 20 Irish political blogs for his 2008 Guide to the UK and Ireland’s Blogosphere. I’ll be writing another overview (last year’s below the fold) of where we are at the end of another year. I know there have some good blogs getting into their stride since last year, particularly in Northern Ireland, but I also want to hear about new blogs from the …

“The genocide is ongoing”

Pete Baker on July 14, 2008, 5:23 pm

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The Republic of Ireland’s Minister of Defence, Willie O’Dea, has described the current situation in Chad as “highly volatile” and the most challenging mission ever undertaken by the Defence Forces. It won’t have been made any less volatile after the decision by the International Criminal Court to file 10 charges of war crimes against Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir. The New York Times reported that thousands of his supporters had protested in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, ahead of the announcement. The Guardian …

“It is a real political mess..”

Pete Baker on July 12, 2008, 1:11 am

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Today’s Irish Times editorialised about the “real political mess”, and French President Nicolas Sarkozy’s ‘Lisbon or Nice’ comments to the European Parliament, “We are gradually becoming aware of the damage done to Ireland’s reputation and loss of influence among political leaderships in existing and applicant states”, before ending on this note. Most EU opinion agrees with Mr Sarkozy’s remark yesterday that “institutional things are for members of parliament, not referendums” but, alone among the 27states, we have a written Constitution …

“It is either Lisbon or Nice..”

Pete Baker on July 10, 2008, 9:14 pm

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The Dáil voted itself on holiday today, until September 24th, which might give Taoiseach Brian Cowen time to work out what happens next in Europe. French President Nicolas Sarkozy never did get round to visiting the Republic of Ireland in the aftermath of the Lisbon Treaty referendum but he has just opened France’s six month presidency of the EU by laying out some stark choices ahead. Mr Sarkozy said the choice was either to stick with the Lisbon Treaty or …

McFarlane trial collapses

Pete Baker on June 26, 2008, 6:51 pm

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The trial of prominent Provisional IRA member Brendan McFarlane had only just got underway after a lengthy failed legal battle to prevent it taking place, and there had been testimony from kidnap victim Don Tidey and other details heard. But today, following a ruling that an alleged admission by McFarlane should not be admitted as evidence the trial collapsed. The Special Criminal Court ruled this morning that admissions allegedly made to gardaí by Mr McFarlane following his arrest in 1998 …

Hold your European Horses there Mr Brown…

Mick Fealty on June 20, 2008, 6:52 pm

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Stuart Wheeler’s url has been appearing regularly in my gmail feed for the last couple of months… He’s taken an action against the Labour Prime Minister over an alleged breach of promise to hold a referendum on the original European Constitution. Mark Mardell reports the Judge’s brisk shot across Mr Brown’s bow: “The court is very surprised that the Government apparently proposes to ratify while the claimant’s challenge to the decision not to hold a referendum on ratification is before …

Two big problems with Lisbon the voters may have missed…

Mick Fealty on June 20, 2008, 4:59 pm

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The fear, loathing and grief over the lost referendum has been palpable, both in some of the commentators on the pages of Irish newspapers, and in the news emanating from that peculiarly small bubble, call it a cocoon, around Leinster House. John Waters this morning for instance, blames the voters for voting on an issue they didn’t understand. Of his father voting for the 1937 Consitution, he notes: “the idea of voting against a proposal because he did not grasp …

On the myth of Irish ingratitude….

Mick Fealty on June 19, 2008, 4:43 pm

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Richard picks up the Chad post noting that Saturday was the day that Irish NO voters took a mild kicking from some Europe’s political and media elite: Irish troops serving in an EU command came under fire on Saturday. The very day Irish voters were being described as, at best, useful idiots for unpleasant No campaigners in newspapers across Europe and in Ireland. That would include French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner and Germany’s Frank-Walter Steinmeier… Mick FealtyMick is founding editor …

“requested him to communicate the fact..”

Pete Baker on June 19, 2008, 3:32 pm

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There’s an interesting detail from this report on the Brendan McFarlane trial which failed to make it into subsequent reports Cross-examined by defence counsel Mr Hugh Hartnett SC, the superintendent said he had no knowledge that Mo Mowlam was due to sign [McFarlane’s] final release papers at 3pm that afternoon but he said that McFarlane informed him of this and requested him to communicate the fact that he has been arrested to the Northern Ireland Office, which he did. Pete …

“Yes, we have the right to ask about the effectiveness of such a force in Chad…”

Mick Fealty on June 19, 2008, 3:10 pm

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One thing that ought to give EU leaders some pause for thought in their dealing with the recalcitrant Irish electorate, is the current position of 500 Irish troops in an EU frontline peace keeping force in Chad. They are stationed just outside the small town of Goz Beida under UN resolution 1778, with a specific mandate to protect refugees. On Saturday last, a rebel column attacked the town and injured 24 people. Reuters reports that they also attacked Irish troops …

UK press ahead with ratification of Lisbon Treaty

Pete Baker on June 18, 2008, 10:37 pm

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With the defeat of a Conservative amendment, by 277 votes to 184, which sought to delay the ratification of the Lisbon Treaty for four months the UK government now look set to complete the passing of the EU (Amendment) Bill tonight, with royal assent to follow tomorrow. Four protesters were removed from the Lords’ chamber earlier. Meanwhile Taoiseach Brian Cowen is hoping other states would “accord us the time we need to play our part in understanding last week’s vote”. …

Next Referendum: inside Europe, or out?

Mick Fealty on June 18, 2008, 7:27 pm

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Fintan asked yesterday, and Mary Lou replied today (subs needed). She won’t be going to renegotiate a new treaty for the Republic with Europe. But she has a drawn up a list that’s more remarkable for its length than its detail. I won’t comment on them directly, other than to note that since the Republic has already assented to the change from the first thing on the list (all countries to retain a Commissioner) in the Nice Treaty, it is …

“Are you sure?”

Pete Baker on June 18, 2008, 6:11 pm

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In the Irish Times Miriam Lord settles down to hear another ripping yarn..[subs req] as told by the former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern at the Mahon tribunal. Yesterday, the Mahon tribunal revisited the ripping yarn of how the former taoiseach came by his house in Drumcondra in the late 1990s. Oh, but we could listen all day to his tangled accounts of fit-outs and dig-outs, conservatories and bedroom arrangements. Of course, they make no sense whatsoever to anyone with half a …