Retina Scorching

at

This afternoon.

Dáil Eireann, Dublin 2.

“You need to relax, you need to relax a bit now…Deputy Healy Rae, Deputy Healy Rae, through the chair, all I remember, I was reliably informed that, through the chair, Deputy Healy Rae approached people outside of Mass, to say ‘I can get you on the bus if you want a cataract’.”

Taoiseach Michael Martin

“You should take that back, you’re a disgrace. You’re only the bottom of the barrel now coming out with that sort of a statement. And cop on a small bit Taoiseach.”

Independent Kerry TD Michael Healy Rae in response.

The Taoiseach tangles with Independent TDs Michael Healy Rae and Michael Collins, who had just revealed that he and Deputy Danny Healy-Rae have organised 2000 people (with some into their 90s) from all over Cork and Kerry to go to Belfast (over the past two years) to get cataract treatment.

Even a patient forwarded by Mr Martin’s own constituency office.

Previously: Our Cap Overfloweth

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41 thoughts on “Retina Scorching

  1. AC

    Is that a bad thing to do to go to Belfast to get the operation? I honestly don’t get the anger here…. anyone explain????

    1. Paulus

      It harks back to a time when a TD would be credited with “getting Granny the pension” i.e. providing something to which the constituent was entitled to regardless of a TD’s intervention.

      Many a TD built there career on similar.

      1. Delacaravanio

        I’m not so sure. Healy Rae is a twit, but this is genuinely helping those people. Off course, brexit will put an end to the easy bus journey up north and will instead mean a flight, but what harm is it doing? The people are entitled to get their treatment anywhere in the EU and waiting lists here are too long.

    2. Redundant Proofreaders Society

      Also confused.
      Is there a fleet of buses going around rural Ireland picking up pensioners who did a deal with a TD to get their eyes treated in a fancy hospital? Are the Paddywagons involved? Is Belfast a site for sore eyes?

      1. Redundant Proofreaders Society

        Thanks for this insight.
        So this is how the Healy-Raes (and similar gombeen TDs) get elected? Their constituents cannot afford to pay for health insurance. Either way, it’s very unparliamentary for a Cork and a Kerry TD to scrap about it in the House.

  2. rominick

    Worse than a creche.
    Martin reminds me of the type of kid who’ll rat on the whole class to get himself out of trouble.

  3. GiggidyGoo

    https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/election-2020-unclear-visions-of-political-change-on-cataract-bus-1.4160464

    Danny Healy Rae and Michael Collins were organizing buses. Two independent TD’s taking care of their constituents.

    It’s more of a indictment of Micheal Martin (he of Confidence & Supply for years, and also he that had been a Health Minister) that buses have to be organized like this.

    Extreme backfire there Michilin Trying a bit of the Varadkar style of childish poiltics.

      1. GiggidyGoo

        No you’re correct in what you wrote Bodger. – Martin was not getting at Michael Healy Rae for telling people about the bus, but spinning it that he was saying ‘I can get you on the bus’ as if it was some sort of favour.
        Any TD worth his/her salt would do as Healy Rae (Both of them) and Collins are doing.Help people apply, and then organise the logistics of it.

          1. GiggidyGoo

            What did Martin mean with ‘Through the Chair’ – is he saying that the Ceann Comhairle told him?

          2. ReproBertie

            It’s a Dáil protocol thing. All speeches, questions, answers, etc. are given “through the chair” and members should always speak “through the chair”. It’s basically a reminder to wait until the Ceann Comhairle gives you the OK to speak rather than just shouting across the chamber.

          3. benblack

            It’s what said in formal settings as a call to order from the speaker to direct the interrupter to respect the rules of discourse – which are, in this case, only the person granted permission to speak by the impartial chairperson is allowed to speak.

            But of course you knew that.

            *Snap

            ReproBertie got there before me.

          4. GiggidyGoo

            I learn something new every day.
            I can’t figure out though how that explanation would fit in with a phrase such as ‘, I was reliably informed that, through the chair, Deputy Healy Rae approached people outside of Mass,’
            As I say, I learn something new every day. It’ll give me something new to refer to with in the coming months here I suppose.

          5. ReproBertie

            Watching the clip it does seem an unusual use. It may be that he’s not using it to admonish anyone’s behaviour but to refer to something previously said in the Dáil. It’s a short clip though.

          6. benblack

            I thought the problem might have been that the Ceann Comhairle may have been a rat.

            Not the case GG.

            If that’s what you were suggesting?

          7. GiggidyGoo

            No, ben – if you look at my post, I was asking a question and not suggesting anything. But you did think so?

          8. benblack

            I thought the problem might have been that the Ceann Comhairle may have been a rat?

            Sorry, the above is what I believed to be your understanding.

            Are we clear?

            I’d like to drop this miscommunication, if that’s OK with you?

            Still on your side when it comes to Covid!

          9. ReproBertie

            An Taoiseach was responding to what Michael Collins said about himself and the Healy-Raes getting people cataract procedures. Perhaps that was what was said “through the chair”.

        1. benblack

          As in the Ceann Comhairle informed MM of the deputy’s behaviour outside a church – on a Sunday.

    1. Nigel

      What a pity the Healy Raes have never had enough power in the Dail to affect goevernment policies in a way that might have made it easier for people all over the country to get such procedures done without leaving the country.

    2. Rob_G

      “Danny Healy Rae and Michael Collins were organizing buses. Two independent TD’s taking care of their constituents.”

      Who organised the cataract operations that they were being brought to?

    1. Rob_G

      No; at least not according to The Lancet, which ranked Ireland several places above the UK in terms of healthcare access and quality of outcomes.

      It’s a small island, it makes sense to look for synergies in provision of healthcare – sometimes people from here are sent to N.I for treatment, sometimes people from N.I. are sent here for other treatments.

    1. GiggidyGoo

      Rampant all over probably. Just that those Cork & Kerry independents are doing something about it, so it gets media coverage.

  4. george

    “His father fixed my father’s eyes, he fixed my eyes and, by God, his son will fix my son’s eyes.”

  5. Eoin

    Maybe we should replace NPHET with the Healy Raes? At least they wouldn’t willfully attempt to destroy the country.

    1. Nigel

      Suddenly everyone loves parish pump politics? There are TDs in plenty of neglected and forgotten parts of the country who could be forgiven for helping their constituents in any way they can, but the Healy Raes held the balance of poer in the Dail for years – they’d as much chance of helping to fix the health service as any government minister.

      1. alphasully

        Jackie was a number of independents in the 97 to 02 Dail that helped get and keep bertie in power. since then they haven’t held the balance of power

  6. Gavin

    Enjoyed watching Martin for once, best way to treat that too,l like the insignificant fool he is

  7. DOC

    That would be something you would expect from Varadkar
    MeHole has been hanging around Leo a lot lately
    Taking lessons from the master of insults

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