23 thoughts on “De Saturday Papers

    1. Paddy

      He will do more harm than good to the ‘stay’ brigade. I wonder would he appreciate it if Cameron went to the US and told people to vote Trump? After all, Trump has investments in the UK.

      There’s a lot of scaremongering by the ‘stay’ faction. Border controls, trade agreements etc. Except that not too long ago, before the UK or Ireland were EU members, there were bi-lateral agreements in place. There was also free travel between the UK and Ireland. No reason for the same not to be re-introduced easily.
      The EU needs GB more than the opposite. If GB do exit, the EU is considerably weakened.

      1. Bobby

        There’s just as much scaremongering from the leave side. It’s all fairly childish by both sides.
        And I don’t think we can easily go back to unilateral agreements with the UK as EU rules so countries having monopolies on rules trade.

      1. Kieran NYC

        Imperfect, but has really grown into the role. Dislike a lot of what he has done with drones, whistleblowers, etc.

        But I think he is an exceptionally decent person who has done more right than wrong. Not as liberal as I would like, but he compromised where it was needed. Looking forward to seeing what he does after next January.

          1. Kieran NYC

            Yup. Though he did face unprecedented, obnoxious, obstructionist opposition who scream NO at every available opportunity to score cheap political points.

            Like a Dail full of Paul Murphys.

          2. Sheik Yahbouti

            Get knotted. And I hold no brief for Murphy, but that remark negated your previous remarks

  1. SPAX

    McGrath has no mandate to support a FG government. Contempt for the electorate runs right thought political class in Ireland.

      1. SPAX

        Anyone who have their vote to an Independent clearly didn’t want to see FG returning to government

        1. Harry Molloy

          you could argue that anyone voting for an independent doesn’t want anyone in government, or doesn’t care, as voting independent isn’t putting anyone in power. Or removing anyone either.

          independents are voted solely to represent and get a better deal for their constituency. they have a lot more influence if propping a government up, rightly or wrongly.

  2. some old queen

    The water charges dispute between Fianna Gael is contrived theatrics because they got a shock off the richter scale. No other issue since the foundation of the state has brought so many people onto the streets and that was not an Irish thing up until now.

    The very idea that the provision of clean drinking water to every home in Ireland is to be horse traded by a bunch of overpaid political chancers is absurd. Neither Fianna nor Gael is proposing a referendum on ownership despite the fact that a referendum is the only way that this issue will ever be resolved.

    What is the problem with putting the most important utility in Ireland to a vote?

    1. Sheik Yahbouti

      Because the deals have long since been signed, and hefty penalties will have to be paid for non delivery. Couple that with prospective “loss of face”, and you can see why Indah and Mehole choose to ignore the electorate. They are more afraid of someone else than the Irish people. We really should make efforts to change that ;-)

      1. some old queen

        Conspiracy theories are like paranoia. The more intelligent the mind the more complicated they get. No deals have been signed which the electorate did not vote on.

        End of.

        1. Sheik Yahbouti

          I disagree, when the shift from public provision of an essential utility to the private sector was planned, at the very least tenders had to be received, or ‘expressions of interest ‘ and some sort of memoranda of agreement had to be prepared. Apart from Mr. O’Brien, Veolia are already operating in this country and no doubt Nestle might have an intetest.

          1. some old queen

            There is not a chance in hell that privatisation tenders could ever be prepared without it getting into the public domain. Besides, it is an action which would have them collectively hung from the nearest lamp post. I’m of the opinion that it was just a mix of incompetence and arrogance which created this mess. In some ways that is harder to accept because of the plain stupidity of it.

            That is not to say that safeguards should not be in place and that means a referendum. If Kenny won’t do it than it is time to put the heat on Martin. It is what the people want and once it happens, charges become something else entirely.

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