Horror Of Chambers

at

Last night.

On RTÉ One’s Claire Byrne Live, Ms Byrne held a climate debate.

During the debate, Fianna Fáil’s Jack Chambers took issue with Ms Byrne’s questioning of his party’s climate change policies and said she was being “very unfair” and “disingenuous”.

He accused of her trying to “undermine” the party’s climate action plan by raising the fact that their manifesto pertaining to climate change contains promises about child pornography, Traveller rights and female representation. Mr Chambers argued that those matters come under the remit of the “broad” line department.

Mr Chambers said:

It’s unfortunate RTÉ spends all it’s time looking at polls and process and not looking at the issues and climate action.”

Later, speaking about Sinn Féin, he said:

They oppose everything to be populist and it’s a new kind of Trumpism in Irish politics.”

Sinn Féin’s Eoin Ó Bróin, who was sitting on the same panel with Mr Chambers, told him to “be serious”.

Mr Chambers replied:

“You want the public to take you seriously? I think you need to be serious. What about, what about, what about, what about the Special Criminal Court? What about the Special Criminal Court? Do you support the Special Criminal Court in this country?”

He then turned to Ms Byrne:

“You see, these are the hard questions. The media has spent the last two weeks talking about polls and if Mary Lou McDonald is in or out of the debate. I’m glad she’s in the debate tomorrow night [tonight] so she can face the scrutiny because it’s all about the big drama and obsession with Sinn Féin.”

Sounds familiar?

Watch back in full here

Meanwhile…

From front page of today’s Irish Times

This morning.

The Irish Times reports in full on its Ispos/MBRI poll which puts Sinn Féin at 25%, Fianna Fáil at 23% and Fine Gael at 20%.

The results were announced at 10pm last night.

Sinn Féin leads way in Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll with highest support ever (Pat Leahy, The Irish Times)

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21 thoughts on “Horror Of Chambers

  1. Barry the Hatchet

    This guff about the Special Criminal Court is really beginning to pee me off. Fianna Fail has quite obviously sent out a briefing to its candidates, instructing them to mention the SCC every time they’re asked about Sinn Fein, to ensure the public will hear the words “Sinn Fein” and “criminal” in the same sentence. Not everyone who has a problem with the SCC is a terrorist or a drug lord. There are plenty of legitimate criticisms of the SCC from lawyers and academics (and even from the UN), which I doubt any of these FF clowns have ever bothered to engage with.

    1. Rob_G

      In fairness to Chambers, SF’s objections to it do seem to be more from the ‘terrorist/drug lord’ angle than the legal scholar one – Gerry Adams objecting to ‘good republican’ Slab Murphy being tried there, for example.

        1. Rob_G

          Perhaps Chambers had a grandad involved in some hooky business also; you could go and look it up, besmirch his reputation with the sins of his forefathers, too.

    1. Rob_G

      They might not have expected SF to be polling so well, and to have to blow MLM up to the size of six Howlins.

  2. 01101101 01100011

    on the money Broadsheet!

    I watched that live last night, there were a good few other moments too where this guy seemed to lose the run of himself, very OTT and shouty at everyone. I guess he was trying to be assertive and he’s probably very passionate about his thing but he just came across as fairly scary instead, overcooking, trying to bully. In a way I’m glad he did it because you were seeing the real Jack Chambers there under whatever media polishing he gets…so eh no thanks! I was really interested in hearing what Eoin OBroin had to say about how to square the housing issue but this guy was obviously on a mission and kept loudly talking over everyone. I doubt his party would be too happy after that.

    there was also a weird bit right at the end where an American? audience member was asked what she thought about it all and sorta went a bit ballistic, seemed odd

  3. Slightly Bemused

    Very Ben Shapiro. It’s the ‘I don’t want to listen to you so I will keep talking over you, and redirect’ approach.

    Reminds me of Ben’s run in with Andrew Neil

  4. class wario

    The rapid fire “WHATABOUTTHECENTRALCRIMINALCOURT? SEETHESEARETHEHARDQUESTIONS” stuff really underlined how little he or FF care about this issue outside of using it to bash SF. It’s like he was told he had to quickly set the narrative but understood that as meaning he had to talk as quickly and as loudly as possible and get to the end of each point in a second or two.

    and the Trump stuff is just super embarrassing

  5. Kate

    There would be no need for a Special Criminal Court if there were enough garda capable of outsmarting foot soldiers for criminals. A mandatory 12 years in prison for witness intimidation , no if’s or but’s, would be far more effective for community safety.
    FG and FF have done great damage to law and order and never take responsibility . Hit the road, Jack!!

  6. V

    Peter Casey must have him rattled
    (¬‿¬)

    messing aside tho
    I think Paddy Power have him priced wrong tbh
    Varadkar
    Coppinger
    Donnelly
    with a scrap between himself, Joan, Emer Currie who’ll guzzle up on transfers from Leo’s suplus, and the green Roddy O G who is going to collect trasnfers from everywhere, for that last seat there in DW

  7. A Person

    The SCC is a legitimate concern, which SF won’t address. They dismiss it as a non-issue, as an academic issue, no less. BS, try living in an area where crime and victim intimidation is prevalent….oh, I forgot, the shinners are used to this.

    1. GiggidyGoo

      Except that they don’t want it abolished. They’re asking it be reviewed given the current mess that law and order is in this country.. But you know that already?

  8. Steve White

    It’s the department of Communications, Environment and Climate Action. Hence the stuff about child abuse material.

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