Just catching up now with the fairly bizarre disclosure from Leo Varadkar that Katherine Zappone’s new envoy position was the brainchild of… Katherine Zappone
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) July 28, 2021
@LeoVaradkar rejects accusations of cronyism.
He says Zappone approached Mr Coveney to create the role.
He accepts her name should have been been flagged to the Taoiseach and it wasnt and he and Coveney accept that— Daniel McConnell (@McConnellDaniel) July 28, 2021
‘Time to move on’: Taoiseach downplays Zappone appointment as Coveney ‘oversight’https://t.co/EDABX1zWd3
— Cianan Brennan (@ciananbrennan) July 28, 2021
This morning/afternoon.
Good times.
Tánaiste denies Zappone got envoy job due to ‘cronyism’ (RTÉ)
Earlier: Guardian of Free Speech
Astonished that the software that can produce emojis for quite literally anything -has still not provided us with a motif for a hearty snigger.
You just couldn’t make it up!
Ah, you could.
And they do. Day in, day out.
No more shopping in pennys for her now.
Too true, no doubt from now on she’ll be sourcing all her pointy hats from Philip Treacy and the like…
… We’re in the wrong industry…
Their smugness is disgusting!, I just hope people remember this when the election comes around!
As a regular establishment voter, cronyism only slightly bothers me.
It won’t make me, say, change parties to someone who I disagree with economically.
I vote according this
1. Economy for the country
2. Economy for my wallet
3. Socially progressive issues – human rights etc
4. Socially progressive issues – funding of education and healthcare
5. Are members of the party crooked / of dubious background
So if I look at the non-government parties, e.g. SF:
1. Don’t agree with their economic approach, finances don’t add up
2. Want to punish my household for being high earning – despite the fact that we already have a very high tax bill.
3. They’re good on this by and large, so they get a plus
4. Good on funding of education and healthcare, but not emphasised over welfare (no-one does this to be fair)
5. Some have made questionable statements, or been silent on atrocities, but my local option I’d consider clean.
Or a government party e.g. FF/FG:
1. Balanced economic approach
2. Don’t screw my wallet unless times are particularly screwed
3. Can be slow on this, wait for the tide, they get a D or an E
4. The talk is there, but they tread water mostly
5. Bits of low level cronyism/nimbyism all over – but this means I’ll exclude a particular candidate, not the whole party.
If you look at the above, you’ll see I’m just not a reactionary voter – I will always vote for a more centrist party, and could possibly be tempted to vote centre-right some time if it such didn’t always come with religion in tow, but they always fail on being either too pro-privatisation, or pro-life or something. Since I would never vote on a single social/economic issue, It’s practically unheard of for me to vote based on water charges, homelessness, or any other single issue which the hard left tend to row behind for rabble rousing.
I’ve given no 1s to Green, Labour, FG and 1 independent in my time, I’ve never had the option of considering a Soc Dem candidate as they haven’t run one in Cork South Central. If I could be tempted by a non-current-government candidate, it would most likely be a Labour/Soc Dem candidate. If either of those parties have momentum again, they’ll likely end up in government, so the cycle continues.
Despite all the pandemic mumbo jumbo on BS and Twitter from the usual brigade, I have never seen the under 40s more politically engaged on one single issue than housing. No longer do they ignore government policies (or the lack of) in this area, rather they parse, dissect and worryingly for Darragh O’Brien, they critique with a good level of understanding. Housing will be the single issue that defines the next election- all the other nonsense like Zappone pales in comparison.
Yes, it will define the narrative, but it will only have a small impact on the result.
If 40% of people combined vote for FG and FF it is extremely unlikely that a government can be formed without one or other of them.
https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/ireland/
Slide along the graph, and you’ll see that the balance of polls have never had their combined support below 41% since the 2020 election.
You’d probably need them on 35% before SF could organise a rag tag of independents.
The most likely result of the next election is a hung parliament, followed by a minority government, followed by one or other jumping into bed with SF, followed by a SF-lead coalition of the hard-left and localised Independents.
Housing played a huge role in the 2020 election taking larger parties by surprise and it is bound to again for the reasons outlined. I do agree however that it may not catapult Sinn Fein to being the largest party but it could likely end FF in the sense of it being a large party and as you say make the emergence of a hung Dáil and unstable coalitions all the more likely. Still, housing will dominate for years to come.
Ah Ronan
Thats lovely, you raised some many thoughts for me there with your manifesto. You are just like my mates; who work in the HSE, Govt Depts, UCD etc. All voting for themselves and feeling they must vote centre just because they always did because they are afraid of paying more tax…. They are the Tommy Hilfiger chinos wearing dads, West Cork holidaying, raising woke children, having sex only at christmas and summer holidays, husbands coaching the kids rugby at the weekend, priming their kids for a conservative, self centred life just like themselves. The Sorcha and Davids of my world. Good college education, not the sharpest knife in the drawer (but hey the HSE don’t look for greatness) and got lucky with the promotions. Jesus, I’m dropping them from my life one at a time as they become more onerous.
Regardless of your attempt to put some cohesive logic behind your reasons for supporting FG/FF- if cronyism only slightly bothers you and you ALSO see social progression as important then inside your mind must be pure chaos with the cognitive dissonance.
Keep voting as you do, its your kind who keep cronyism going and a two tier society fully in place.
and how many times have FFGLAB bankrupted the country compared to the alphabet soup parties and the shinners?
Failed Aussie politicians get sent to Washington or London as ambassador:high commissioner. This is similar.
Gimme a job or I’ll spill the beans.
One comment on that twitter thread – outbreak of Cronyvirus – kinda sums it up.
While not a high-paying role, that title and travel can be spun very nicely into a handy speaking/lecturing/advisory retirement number.
Helps to top up her 5 pensions.
The pure brass neck on these people, a clear fupp you lot, we couldn’t care what you think, to the Irish public.
Never ends jobs for the pals .Do we need her I don’t think so never did anything outstanding .It’s who you know not what you know .Poor show from all Leo Coveney Martin ,Mr paschal .