Tag Archives: Maria Bailey

In fairness.

Meanwhile, in Dun Laoghaire…

Gavin Reilly tweetz:

NEW: Dún Laoghaire branch of FG PASSES a motion asking party HQ to review its election ticket – in other words, asking it to take Maria Bailey off the #GE20 ticket.

Meanwhile…

Earlier: “The Motion Is Widely Viewed As A Move Against Her”

Previously: Rat’s All Folks

Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey

RTÉ reports:

Fine Gael members in Dún Laoghaire will meet this evening to vote on a motion which demands a review of the party’s constituency candidates for the next general election.

While sitting Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey is not named, the motion is widely viewed as a move against her, following her controversial decision to sue a Dublin hotel after falling off a swing at the property.

Dún Laoghaire FG members seek review of candidates (RTÉ)

Previously: Heave Oh [Updated]

‘I Found Myself On The Floor’

Rollingnews

Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey

Fionnan Sheahan, in the Irish Independent, reports:

A heave against swing fall compensation case TD Maria Bailey has begun within Fine Gael.

A motion of no confidence has been tabled against Ms Bailey within Fine Gael in her own constituency.

The Dun Laoghaire TD is a candidate for Fine Gael in the forthcoming general election.

…The motion in Blackrock was tabled by long-serving and respected Fine Gael councillor Marie Baker.

Ms Baker previously worked for Ms Bailey as an assistant in the TD’s office. But she left the post 18 months ago.

Fine Gael heave against ‘swing-gate’ TD Maria Bailey begins as no confidence vote tabled in constituency (Fionnan Sheahan, Irish Independent)

Previously: ‘I Found Myself On The Floor’

Rollingnews

UPDATE:

Maria Bailey (left) with Simon Coveney (right) and fellow Fine Gael TD Kate O’Connell in The Dean Hotel, Dublin – scene of Ms Bailey’s insurance matter – on May 25, 2017

This morning .

On Today with Seán O’Rourke on RTÉ Radio One.

The host asked Tánaiste Simon Coveney about the Irish Independent report…

Seán O’Rourke: “One other quick question about domestic politics, Tánaiste. Front page story by Fionnan Sheahan in today’s Irish Independent reporting that a motion of no confidence has been tabled for the Fine Gael TD for Dun Laoghaire. She was somebody who supported your candidature in the leadership election. It’s widely believed that you intervened to dissuade the Taoiseach from removing the party whip from her a few months ago. What is your view of this motion?”

Simon Coveney: “First of all the motion failed. So…that’s not covered in the story. But I would stay here is that, you know, Maria Bailey is somebody who has paid a very, very heavy price for making a mistake. And she continues to pay that price but she is a very hard working TD. She’s been selected to represent Fine Gael in the next general election. She’s looking to rebuild her political career and is working extraordinarily hard to do that.

“But what I would say is that there is a need for fairness here. When people make mistakes, particularly in politics, of course there’s a consequence for that.”

O’Rourke: “Even though it brings the party into disrepute?”

Coveney: “Sorry, we have had a detailed internal investigation into what happened here. The results of that have resulted in the Taoiseach taking disciplinary action. That action has now been taken. And so, you know, what I would say is I would encourage people to have some sense of fair play here and in terms of proportionality as regards the consequences of Maria’s decisions for her. They have taken an extraordinary toll on her personally and her family and her place in politics.

“And, you know, I think that when disciplinary action is taken, when consequences have been faced up to, there is, at some point, surely, an opportunity to allow a person to move on.”

“And, you know, I think it’s important that the Maria Bailey story is put in that kind of context as opposed to something else. Politics is a tough business and the electorate, of course, ultimately, will have their say.

“But the Maria Bailey I know is somebody who desperately would want to rewind the clock…[she’s] paid an extraordinary price for a mistake and is trying to put it behind her.”

Listen back in full here

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Hello you.

This afternoon.

Rochestown Avenue, Dún Laoghaire, County Dublin

Fine Gael TD, Maria Bailey (above right and pic 2 with Catherine Byrne TD)) joined, top from left: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Health Simon Harris at the launch of the government’s publication of the HSE Capital Plan in the National Rehabilitation Hospital, in Ms Bailey’s constituency.

They write themselves.

Eamonn Farrell/Rollingnews

Earlier…

Minister for Health Simon Harris said the plan provides certainty for capital spending for the next three years and will deliver 250 projects.

Earlier, speaking on Today With Seán O’Rourke, Mr Harris said all of the projects promised, under Project Ireland 2040, are now secure.

He said some of the projects have already started and there were no projects delayed as a result of the increased cost of the National Children’s Hospital.

“There’s genuinely no delayed projects and the reason for that is quite simple. Paschal Donohoe made a decision in the Summer Economic Statement, which has allowed me to do this, where he set aside what he called a reserve, and that reserve is to meet the cost of the children’s hospital and the cost of broadband. It allowed to me to give the HSE certainty over its funding for 2020,” he added.

250 projects covered in €2.1bn health funding plan (RTE)

Eamonn Farrell/Rollingnews

From  left: Maria Bailey, Kate O’Connell and her sister Mary Newman-Julian

This morning.

On RTÉ’s Today with Miriam, Fine Gael TD Kate O’Connell commented on why she changed her Facebook photograph moments after her friend and party colleague Maria Bailey did an interview with Sean O’Rourke on RTÉ about swinggate in May.

Ms O’Connell’s ‘cover photo’ on Facebook had been a picture of her with her sister Mary Newman-Julian, a Fine Gael election candidate for Tipperary, and Ms Bailey.

Her comments on RTÉ this morning follow Minister for Communications Richard Bruton saying yesterday that he would support Ms Bailey if she decides to run in the next election and reports that Fine Gael are considering adding two councillors to the ticket in Ms Bailey’s constituency of Dun Laoghaire.

Ms O’Connell couldn’t confirm if it is the case that Fine Gael are planning this strategy – saying she’s not on the national executive.

But she added it would be “bizarre to have that many people on the ticket”.

She said, in terms of the “democratic process”, that “if anybody thinks somebody shouldn’t, anybody in Ireland isn’t allowed to run for parliament, I think you’re actually cutting into democracy”.

But she refused to give her opinion on whether or not Ms Bailey should run again.

Ms O’Connell then had this exchange with Ms O’Callaghan:

Miriam O’Callaghan: “And Kate, remember, you Kate, I think, took Maria Bailey down off your Facebook page, hours after Seán’s interview on this show was heard.”

Kate O’Connell: “Well, actually I discussed that with Maria and such was the level of abuse my social media page was getting, it wasn’t actually, I never commented before now, but it was more to protect what my staff were facing.

“I spoke to Maria Bailey pretty much every day, every few days, since this crisis, if you want to call it that, happened. Yes, she made an error of judgement. Yes, obviously, that Seán O’Rourke interview…but I would very much echo Richard Bruton’s words yesterday, you know, are we going to have, you know, a tick box list of who can and who can’t run for Dáil Éireann.”

O’Callaghan: “So were your staff getting abuse?”

O’Connell: “My staff?”

O’Callaghan: “Yeah.”

O’Connell: “Of course, my staff were. And as for the people working with Maria Bailey. They have endured a huge amount of abuse. And these are people who are working, as you know Daragh [O’Brien, Fianna Fáil TD] they’re not on great wages, Dáil staff, and they are dealing with, and they have to get up and go to work every day and get huge social media abuse.

“So I laughed at how it could make a story in a newspaper – my profile picture. But it was very much to protect staff and I think if Maria Bailey wants to run, it’s her decision. She’s a hard-working TD, she had to resign from an awful lot of committees, she does an awful lot of work in Leinster House.”

Listen back in full here

Previously: Time Waster Of The Day

Eamonn Kelly: Not Far From The Tree

Ah here.

Spotted at the Courtmacsherry Festival, County Cork at the weekend.

Uncanny Séan O’Rourke, In fairness.

Previously: ‘I Found Myself On The Floor’

Pic via Barry Holland

From top: Madigan Solicitors, Molesworth Street, Dublin 2; Maria Bailey and  Minister for Arts Josepha Madigan

“I think there has been a fair degree of murkiness…. The degree of Josepha Madigan’s involvement should be fully transparent and should be clarified.

I think the Minister [Madigan] needs to make a full, comprehensive statement in relation to that.

At the moment we’re being told that the report says she hadn’t an involvement, but then we’re told she was involved in the initial documentation.

What does that mean?

Did she advise Maria Bailey to take the case?

She needs to answer the basic question: did she or did she not advise in the early stages Maria Bailey to take the case.”

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin

Josepha Madigan needs to clarify her involvement in Maria Bailey case, says Martin (Irish Times)

Last night: “There Have Been Inconsistencies In Deputy Bailey’s Account of Events”

Leo Varadkar and Maria Bailey in 2016

This afternoon.

Via Taoiseach Leo Varadkar:

“Deputy Bailey was injured following a fall from a swing in a hotel in 2015. She sustained painful injuries and incurred significant medical bills as a result.

“The accident happened and the injuries were real and were confirmed by medical reports. The inquiry states that it was not a fraudulent claim.

“Minister Madigan (then a backbench TD) gave initial legal advice, guidance and assisted Deputy Bailey with her Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) application.

This was a preliminary step which often results in amicable resolution but the hotel did not engage with the PIAB. Minister Madigan did not deal with the subsequent legal proceedings.

These were dealt with by another solicitor in the firm who acted on Deputy Bailey’s instructions.

“She was advised that she had a ‘statable’ case. However, there were concerns that a finding of contributory negligence against her was likely and this was communicated to her on several occasions.

“Deputy Bailey signed an affidavit (linked to a personal injuries summons) that over-stated the impact of her injuries on her running.

The inquiry concludes that it is unlikely that a court would conclude that she deliberately sought to mislead as other legal documents talk about her running being restricted rather than not being able to run at all.

“There have been inconsistencies in Deputy Bailey’s account of events to me and the media that I cannot reconcile.

“It is clear to me, that Deputy Bailey made numerous errors of judgement in her handling of this matter from the outset, during and even after she’d withdrawn the case.

And her approach jars with that of a Government taking action to reduce personal injury payments, claims and insurance costs to people and businesses.

“For these reasons, I am demoting her and removing her as Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing.

“I hope this will send a clear message to other public representatives about taking such cases in future.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar this afternoon

Meanwhile…

Via Maria Bailey TD:

The Taoiseach has removed me as Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government and I accept this decision.

“I initiated legal proceedings following an incident in 2015 in which I suffered painful injuries. I acted on legal advice throughout the process, but ultimately decided to withdraw the proceedings in an attempt to end the extraordinary media and political pressure that arose from the publication of some details of the case.

I began the process leading to the taking of this case before I was a TD, in relation to an incident that took place over four years ago. I regret very much that I took the case.

“I note that the report by David Kennedy SC has found that this was not a fraudulent claim, and that it would be unlikely that a court would conclude that there was any attempt to mislead on my part. I made no attempt to mislead.

“I recognise and regret the difficulties this issue caused for the Taoiseach and my colleagues during the recent elections. I want to express sincere thanks to members of my family, friends and colleagues who have been personally supportive of me during this recent period.”

Maria Bailey this evening.

Previously: ‘I Found Myself On The Floor’

Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey

There you go now.

Previously: ‘I Found Myself On The Floor’

Twisting In The Wind

Blaine Gaffney, who lost out on a seat in Sligo in the local elections, said he was being asked on doorsteps and through social media what his position was on the controversy and on rising insurance costs.

“It did not help. If we are looking at marginal seat losses, I lost out by a swing of 33 votes and it would make you think. It is an issue, and it is on the lips of everyone in Leinster House

FG grassroots call for publication of report into Bailey compensation claim (Irish Times)