Tag Archives: Fianna Fail

Deirdre Conroy (left) and Croatia-born actor Goran Visnjic as Luka Kovač in TV drama ER

This morning/afternoon.

In February 2013 Conroy, having already let one room in her Clonskeagh home, met a “handsome” prospective tenant for another she’d put on the rental market. In a blog she kept at the time titled Diary of a Dublin Landlady, she gave this man the nickname “Kovac” in reference to ER character Dr Luka Kovač…

….By the end of March, Conroy had found a replacement tenant: “I am especially relieved with my current lodgers, after the Latvian experience, better to stick with what you know if you have to share your house,” she wrote…

…Conroy took issue with “Kovac” receiving Child Benefit, despite it being his right under European Union law…

“It will take the property tax of six houses in this cul-de-sac to meet the annual child benefit to one 5-year old in Latvia, where they will be getting their own benefit anyway, and that’s just one child living abroad.”

Ōh,

‘Better to stick with what you know’: Fianna Fáil byelection candidate on letting room to Latvian worker (The Ditch)

RollingNews/NBC

Fine Gael’s Maria Byrne (left) and Fianna Fáil’s Gerry Horkan

This afternoon.

In the Seanad by-elections.

Via RTÉ:

Fianna Fáil’s Gerry Horkan was elected to the Industrial and Commercial Panel, receiving 114 first preference votes and was elected on the first count, with the quota set at 101.5.

Green Party Chairperson Hazel Chu, who contested the election as an independent, got 10 votes.

Fine Gael’s Byrne, from Limerick, won a seat on the Agriculture Panel receiving  118 votes, finishing well ahead of Independent candidate Ian Marshall, who got 69 votes

Democracy.

It’s a beautiful thing.

Byrne and Horkan elected to Seanad following by-election (RTÉ)

Meanwhile…

This morning.

Leinster House, Dublin 2.

Fianna Fáil Senator Mary Fitzpatrick and Deputies Paul McAuliffe and Joe Flaherty outlined their amendments to the Affordable Housing Bill. They want every Local Authority to set affordable housing tagets within six months of the bill being enacted. The three politicians, all members of the Oireachtas Housing Committee, claim this is not a criticism of Fianna Fáil Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien.

RollingNews

This morning.

Merrion Street, Dublin 2.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin arrives at government buildings for a cabinet meeting.

Meanwhile…

A Fianna Fáil cumann in a minister’s constituency (junior minister Thomas Byrne) is calling for the replacement of leader Micheál Martin.

In a letter seen by Independent.ie, his departure is demanded by the entire officer board of the party cumann in Slane, Co Meath.

Mr Martin, who took over the party a decade ago, is said to have presided over its becoming a “laughing stock” on occasion.

“We need someone with fire in his/her belly,” said the signatories in an open letter-email to all Fianna Fáil TDs and some of the party’s senators.

‘Ignore us at your peril’ – Fianna Fáil cumann calls for Micheál Martin to be replaced as party leader (Independent.ie)

RollingNews

Taoiseach Micheál Martin (centre left) with former taoiseach Brian Cowen in 2011

Ah.

Here.

FIGHT!

RollingNews

Aidan Fitzmaurice.

First person brown enveloper.

Contains: Jack Chambers, Pee Flynn.

Previously: Aidan Fitzmaurice on Broadsheet

Fianna Fail TD Jim O’Callaghan

This morning

on Newstalk, Fianna Fáil TD Jim O’Callaghan discussed the possibility of the country moving to Level 5 with host Pat Kenny…

“First of all it [the recommendation to move to Level 5] is advice. It’s on a decision by NPHET and any decision made in respect of this shall be made by Government.

However, I’m concerned that the manner by which we’re doing business at present, it’s not a good idea for the people of Ireland to hear, late on a Sunday evening, a leak from NPHET indicating that there’s a recommendation that the country’s going to go to Level 5, that we shouldn’t be doing business that way.

“NPHET’s job is to advise the Minister for Health. It’s job is to coordinate the health sector response to Covid. But it’s not an independent entity and it’s a group that advises the minister and it’s Government and politicians that will make decisions as to whether or not this country moves to a different level.

“Obviously the advice given by NPHET should be considered by Government and I know that the three leaders of the parties in Government are meeting NPHET today but I would be asking them what’s the reason for the inconsistency in the NPHET’s approach?

“They met last Thursday, there was no recommendation in respect of this. I’m also concerned that if Government are to go to Level 5, it would be completely disproportionate at this stage.

That we’ve to look to see where we are in terms of this pandemic. And I know what [Infectious disease expert] Porfessor Sam McConkey says, you know, we have to look ahead but in terms of assessing a pandemic, the primary way to do it, is you assess it by a number of steps and you assess it by a number of hospitalisations.

“To date, 1,810 people in the country have died of or with Covid and only 47 of them have been recorded as dying since the first of August so the terrible time for this country in terms of our failing in respect of Covid was the nursing home fiasco that happened in March, April and May when significant numbers of people died.

“The numbers are much lower now in terms of death.

“When you look at hospitalisations, Pat, back in mid-April, there were 881 people in hospital in this country who tested positive for Covid and on a particular day, the 15th of April, there were 155 people in intensive care. Today, there are 134 people in hospital and 21 in intensive care, so we’re nowhere near where we were in mid-April.

“If we go to Level 5 now, where do we go after that?

“Like the reality is, we had the lockdown, it reduces the numbers, we can’t eliminate this virus, and if people tell you ‘we’re going to get it to zero, we’re going to eliminate it from Ireland in the same way that St Patrick got rid of the snakes, they’re fooling you and they’re fooling the public.”

Rollingnews

Earlier: What’s Going On?

This morning.

On RTÉ’Radio One’s Today with Claire Byrne.

Further to scenes of students in Galway not social distancing….

Ms Byrne had this exchange with Fianna Fáil Senator Ollie Crowe (above).

Claire Byrne: “You have said today that it’s time to start thinking about putting the army boots on the street to sort this out.”

Ollie Crowe: “Well, Claire, you know I’m from the inner city myself and what I would say at this stage is that you know the gardai are under enormous pressure, they’ve a very challenging job on their hands in Galway. And particularly, you know, in the last, as you’re well aware, it’s Fresher’s Week here in Galway and there’s huge challenges in Galway and other cities.

And I think it’s appropriate for Government, you know, to examine how we can allocate additional resources to the gardai. As an army town here in Galway, we have the barracks in Renmore and I’ve no doubt that the officers, you know, stationed there, would be willing to pitch in and assist the gardai if that was required.”

Byrne: “It’s a serious move, putting an army on the streets?”

Crowe: “Well, look it, as I said, you know I was in touch with the gardai on Sunday night also, and last night. And look it, what I am calling on and what I will be relating to my colleagues is that they, the gardai supported this juncture, you know, they really, really, are under-resourced in Galway with Fresher’s Week and with students coming back…”

Um.

Earlier: Looking Fresh

Meanwhile…

Anyone?

Fianna Fáil TD Jim O’Callaghan

This morning.

RTÉ Radio One’s Today with Claire Byrne

The Dublin Bay South TD said that ratings in an opinion poll last weekend were “disappointing”, and that the party needs to “protect and emphasise its identity”.

He said “for the interest of Ireland” the Fianna Fáil party “has to survive“.

“We are centre ground, centre left national party, that wants to reunify the country, build public housing, reward hard work, protect the vulnerable, the Irish language and save our environment.”

He said if the party does not survive, Ireland will have a political system similar to that of the US, the UK and Northern Ireland….

FIGHT!

Now not the time for change in Fianna Fáil leadership – O’Callaghan (RTÉ)

Rollingnews