Within the last hour at NUI Galway. From top: Eamon Gilmore, Senator Lorraine Higgins, Derek Nolan TD and press officer Dermot O’Gara; Brendan Howlin; Gilmore facing the media and Gilmore outside the Conference venue.
(Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)
Team #labour is ready with our sign for the #coalitionclashoftheash with #finegael v #labour @broadsheet_ie twitpic.com/8vwlvn
— jennifermallen (@jennifermallen) March 13, 2012
On Friday, the IMF hinted at a possible debt reduction for Ireland. The Minister For Social Protection took the ball and ran with it.
Another sporting analogy, anyone?
JOAN BURTON’S linking of better terms for Ireland’s bank debt with the fiscal treaty referendum is causing problems for the Government’s campaign, her Labour colleagues have claimed.
Labour Ministers are angry over remarks Ms Burton made in recent days. The Minister for Social Protection has twice linked a reduction in Ireland’s bank debt burden to support for the Yes side.
However, Government sources yesterday told The Irish Times while they are confident a deal reducing the debt will be reached, it is unlikely to be finalised before the vote.
“Joan has deliberately created unnecessary difficulties for the Government and you would have to wonder what game she is playing,” said one senior Labour Party figure.
That’ll do nicely.
Previously: Ireland’s Shoulder Angels
Burton intervention on treaty provokes Labour fury (Irish Times)
(Photocall Ireland)
Brendan Howlin wanted to pay his own special adviser a salary of more than €133,600 but was advised not to award such a high wage.
[Officials] cautioned the figure of €133,605 “could set an unwelcome precedent for future requests for exceptions” and pointed out Mr Howlin himself had recently argued against allowing the special adviser to Minister for Enterprise Richard Bruton a wage exceeding the limit.
The guidelines stipulated special advisers should usually be paid €80,051, bringing them into line with the first point of the salary scale applying to standard principal officer positions in the Civil Service, although they could be paid up to €92,672 – the highest point on the principal officer scale – if they had been earning more than the minimum previously.
Mr O’Brien’s salary was eventually settled at €114,000, still well above the recommended €92,672 cap.
He’s on his feet as we write:
“In 1940, my grandfather, with my Dad, climbed onto one of the last boats out of Belgium. They had to make a heart-breaking decision – to leave behind my grandmother and my father’s sister. They spent the war in hiding, in a village sheltered by a brave local farmer. Month after month, year upon year, they lived in fear of the knock at the door.At the same time, on the other side of Europe, my mother, aged five, had seen Hitler’s army march into Poland.
She spent the war on the run sheltering in a convent and then with a Catholic family that took her in. Her sister, her mother and her.
My love for this country comes from this story. Two young people fled the darkness that had engulfed the Jews across Europe and in Britain they found the light of liberty.”
Meh.
We still prefer the Brother.
But you know what?
We’re probably going to vote for you anyway.
We’ve seen you’ve changed.
You’re not snakey or laddery anymore.
You’re thoughtful and cuddly.
We only ask you to consider a slight beard trim.
It’s not the 1870s after all. Lolz.
And, can a man have too much tweed?
Anyway. Get back to us.
[smooth=id:46]
CLICK the ARROW
Labour Leader Eamon Gilmore this morning. When he stopped doing that, he predicted:
* FF/Green/Independent Dingbat coalition will be “over before Christmas”.
* Labour will not – repeat not – enter government with Fianna Fail.
* He’ll close Anglo “within six years”.
* Kilkenny will win on Sunday.
* Vampire Weekend will steal the show at The Electric Picnic.
* But it will rain.
