The Labour Civil Union bill and Colm O'Gorman's leader's reaction

I was struck when listening to the radio on last Tuesday night by the vehemence of Minister McDowell's response to the opposition during the debate about the Labour civil union Bill.

It then occurred to me that it must be even more strange for Colm O'Gorman, someone for whom the notion of civil unions in Ireland is of more than academic interest, that the party he is now a member of and a candidate for was playing politics with this issue.

What exactly is so defective about the Labour Bill? Indeed, what was so terrible about the Labour Bill that meant that he as minister for Justice wasn't proposing amendments and then passing it into law with a view to revising it later. Instead he has long fingered the proposal for a number of years at least.

Perhaps the truth lies more in the fact that the PDs may be dependent on the transfers of FF candidates in a number of constituencies and irrespective of the PD's own position it is important not to spook the FFers.

The so called progressive Arab world and U.L.

I was looking for some news on blogs and came across this awful story. And to think this is one of the so called progressive Arab nations that the US is so keen to promote.

And to think my own alma mater is allegedly "after me" for this lidal, biddy veedayooh. I guess I can hope to avoid a spell in cokey.

Mention in 'da paper'

My nomination got a mention in the paper or should I say da paper today. One minor inaccuracy I'm a UL graduate and as such not an NUI graduate, won't want people to think I was try to deliberately mislead anyone.

NUI Update on the register

I was talking with someone from the NUI recently and it appears there may be something of a quandary over the registers of the two university panels.

There is a new register available every June 1st. The register to be used for an election is meant to be the one in effect when the Dail is dissolved. For this upcoming election it is widely believe that the Dail will be dissolved mid April. Meaning the new 2007 register would not be used, reverting to using the existing 2006 register. This means that recent graduates will not be included on the register.

However, when a similar situation arose in 2002 the NUI used the new register which they had compiled even though it had not yet come into effect. In the same election TCD on contrast used its previous register.

This time out the pressure is on TCD to use a new register as in the preparation of the 2006/07 register they misled 700 voters who had properly set in their registration forms

The boxes that the votes were in were overlooked/lost/misplaced. Senator Norris of TCD has raised a stink - rightly so in my view. It now seems that the best way for TCD to get out of their problem is to use their new register which should include these 700 names along with any other new folks. Unless they perchance mislay some of them too! However, that in turn means that the NUI is highly likely to also use a new register. So what you might say? Well, one thing is that candidates need the register in order to campaign .And given that the resources the NUI and TCD allocate to the task of updating their registers typically have from end of Feb to beginning of June to complete their task, slightly more than 3 months but this year they may need to issue the register earlier perhaps 6 weeks earlier in 50% of the time they would normally have. With it would appear at this time no extra resources allocated. And also no actual deadline to work against since they don't know when the Dail will be dissolved.

Either a decision should be made to use the existing register unless the Dail is dissolved after June 1st or more resources need to dedicated to updating the register to ensure that the work can be completed in time.

NUI

Last autumn, I declared my intention to contest the NUI Seanad panel. Since then I've been hugely encouraged by the support I've received from people across the country and beyond. I am contesting this election for the 23rd Seanad as an candidate for the NUI Constituency. Feel free to read some biographical information

While the main reason for deciding to contest these elections is that as a UL graduate I, like many others, not allowed to vote in the Seanad elections, that isn't my only concern. I am seeking to draw attention to a number of other issues. Amongst them

A reversal of the imposition of residential charges on disabled adults.

A commitment to resourcing research and facilitating lifelong learning.

Broader Seanad Reform to allow all Irish citizens a vote.

Reforms to ensure consistency in sentencing and the delivery of real justice.

I'm running as an independent but doesn't mean that I'm indifferent to the government. I'll be straight with you, if you genuinely believe that the last ten years of government have been the remotely close to the best we could have aimed to have then I'm probably not the guy for you. We've had governments that have contented themselves with not rocking the boat, cabinets of mediocrity and a Taoiseach more in the moulds of middle management than leadership.

I believe that we have more in our grasp that we imagine. And if we were to lift our eyes above,

I know that much of my views will sound like they were lifted from the script of the West Wing but would that be so bad?

McDowell sells own grandmother for votes

I can't help wondering if the dangling of an offer of €300 per week for pensioners might not come to be seen as the PD's Eircom and taxis moment of election 2007.

It has been just...sort of..thrown out there with no context for the increase. I initially thought it was rushed in response to the Labour tax cuts but then it is the frontpage of the PD freebie in yesterday's Indo. Why €100? Why not €123 or €94? Perhaps Michael likes nice round numbers, or he's scared of the number 23, maybe he thinks the public are too thick to work out that this money is going to be at the expense of something else.

Naturally, McDowell is not so much selling his own granny but trying to buy ours (or in my case my mother). Yet even my mother at the time of the last election when they gave the Gold medical cards to every pensioner over 70 was complaining that "sure many of those over 70 didn't need the cards as they had plenty of money to pay for visits to the doctor" and pointed out that it should have been the kids who got medical cover as a matter of course because that is when it is needed. After all, she had been a parent and had some experience of when parents help with their children's health. Most older people have been parents too.

Indeed, I suspect many grandparents in and around Dublin in particular will look at the state of the schools their grandkids are going to, the distance that their children have to travel to find a childcare place because they aren't able to live anywhere close to them.

Also, what does it say about a government that is desperately trying to get young people to take out personal pension cover when the state is stepping in and giving a massive boost to the pensions of those who didn't make such a provision. It is hardly setting a good example now is it? There are so many conflicts between this proposal and other areas of government policy it seems hard to understand it in any context except that of an election.

If the government made some effort to reduce heating and energy prices for the elderly, ensured that we had mixed communities so they weren't left alone to fend for themselves, and that their families could live reasonably close to each other such that grandparents could see their children and grandchildren that would do much more than a €100 per week.

Comfort and company is what most older people need and lack. A €100 bribe per week isn't going to provide either.

Ah sure go on - vote for me!

I seem to have gotten nominated for the Irish Blog awards in two categories, Best Political Blog and best Videocast.

The full list of nominations for the Irish Blog Awards is up. There is quite a strong line up of political and current affairs orientated blogs across the categories, and there are a few that I had not come across before.

Even more shockingly I'm up for two categories! Best Political Blog and Best Videocast for "You pay taxes". The Best Political Blog category has some really heavy hitters and I'm quite a novice at that side of things so I'm not expecting a significant showing there. However, I might actually stand a chance in the Best Videocast section. In the interests of non-partisanship I'm happy to follow the tack of the Taoiseach and will accept votes and support from whatever quarters they may come.

Please don't try to vote twice as that will void your votes. And it is worth noting that voting will close on February 16th at 5pm so don't leave it too late.

And I'm offering to do the narration live for the "You pay taxes" clip if I win!

Ethics

With the proposal from the government that we should have new ethics legislation to stop Bertie doing what he did when he took cash for a 'dig out' before I wonder if I should follow the lead of a FF Seanad candidate and send a book to all FF councillors, senators and TDs.

This one seems like it might be appropriate.

Luntz on Irish politics - part 2

There was another dose tonight of what RTe believes passes for American style focus groups as part of a Week in Politics season. I think a number of things were interesting, one was the dislike of Cowen which is something that the opposition could use particularly in urban areas. The reaction to Bruton's comments was good. Harney and McDowell seemed to catch the brunt of things from the audience members. There was no mention or reference to any FF ministers, and Labour appeared not to get much screen time or attention.

Michael 'Vicky Pollard' McDowell

Recently, Minister McDowell appears to have lost the plot. He is coming across as petty and silly as his partner in government throws winks at all and sundry in a desperate effort to ensure that he has alternate options for his dance card after the election. It is behaviour strangely reminiscent of a possessive lover bitching about other parties that his current partner FF is casting his eyes at.

Oh er look at Labour, isn’t she fat?

Sinn Fein, they’ve no breeding. They're completely nouveau riche.

And the Greens she's a flaky spend thrift, buys all her clothes from a charity. She never washes herself and she smells…

This is what passes for intellectual debate in the law library these days I guess.

Representing or representative?

The Tony Killeen saga drags on. According to our friends in the fourth estate he is coming under increasing pressure to resign. From where? Bertie? Killeen's defence appears modelled on the Bart Simpson mantra of 'I didn't do it, nobody saw me do it, you can't prove anything.'

It is quite unlikely that he will stand aside at this point though the view taken by the Irish Sundays will tell all in the end. I suspect in the various publications at the weekend there will be an effort to move the issue on from specific to the general.

The unfortunate people in all this are the family and friends of Robert Lynch. For them it is much more than a conversation piece about the specifics of a letter from a junior minister and it is entirely about the personal loss they have suffered. Perhaps, if Killeen or his 'people' had made some effort to check the facts they might have been spared all the raking over their loss.

The odd thing is that many people in the meeja are choosing to talk about how this is all bundled up with the work of TDs in asking questions and making representations to organs of the state. Does it strike no one as wrong that in republic that a civil servant should answer a question from one citizen when in the guise of a TD while stonewalling other citizens?

I've had half post in my mind for the last 6 months about the difference between TDs and other public reps representing us instead of being representative of us. The Irish electorate has always exhibited a preference for TDs who they feel are one of them or like themselves. This is all well and good but kind of defeats the point of a democracy. You see the point is to elect people who will represent you to the best of their ability on the issues of day, not to be representative of the kind of person you actually are. Certainly, the TD should represent your views on matters political but we tend not to worry so much about that at election time rather it is often of more concern that the TD look and sound like you.

In essence my view is that TDs are meant to be professionals at their job of working for us. I might think it a good thing that I get on with the plumber when he calls to fix a problem with the boiler but I really do not want him to be like me when it comes to fixing the plumbing or we'll all be drowned inside of 15 minutes. I believe he should be better at doing his job than I would at it. That is why I pay him to do it and don't do it myself.

Sadly, we've done the complete opposite when it comes to public reps and elected captains of football teams and the popular lad from school or the friendly auctioneer, or the lassie who hold a tune. Sure, we've lucked in sometimes in that a number of them have proved up to the job they've ended up with, the depressing fact is that for the most part we ended up with TDs who do no better than if they had been randomly selected as our representatives much like happens for jury duty. And they get the run around from civil servants who are selected for their ability to do their jobs.

Is it any wonder we have Martin Cullen as minister for transport?

Tony Killeen - vote for my staff, they do it all

This story doesn't seem to going away, but it also doesn't seem likely to cost Killeen his job.

My personal view is that as a TD he ran for election largely based on what he does for his constituents, then we find out he does not actually do these things for his constituents it is in fact his staff that do them (who are in part or wholy funded by the taxpayer who provide money for a constituency office). This being the case why then do we not get to vote for his staff if they are doing the work rather than him?

Irish blogs awards

The nominations for the Irish blogs awards are now open and this is the post where one would normally expect to hear the poster asking/begging/pleading for people to nominate their blog for consideration. You can do it here.

However, I would have to say that compared to some of the more established politically orientated Irish blogs out there I don't reckon I would rate very highly given my inconsistent and infrequent rate of posting. My own fault.

Still if anyone feels they must, feel free. Just don't be disappointed íf my name doesn't end up appearing in lights. I won't be. And the best of luck to those who are nominated.

You pay taxes so we don't have to

For all my talk about new technology and its potential impact on the next Irish general election you'd think I would make more of an effort to use it. Well here is a start



It is something I knocked together in about half an hour. I admit it is somewhat harsh but not nearly as harsh as it could be.

Seanad Reform

We've had quite a few reports in total on Seanad reform down the years since the Seanad was created by DeVelera as part of his 1937 Constitution. The most recent document looking at the issue is the Seanad Reform report published in 2004.

In fact as the report notes there are have been 11 previous reports on Seanad reform prior to this. That would tend to make any future proposal the unlucky 13th. It might be an idea to spare this next report a few problems by addressing what we can.

Naturally as UL graduate, I want the government to legislate to provide for the 7th amendment to the constitution and to extend voting rights to those graduates outside of TCD and the NUI. As a nation we haven't tend to go to the bother of amending the constitution willy nilly and when the proposal is passed by a margin of 9:1 you would expect that the state would have gotten around to acting sooner than now. As part of this we need to act to fix the registers for the third level seats and here's my suggestion how to do it.

Beyond that regarding the broader reform of the Seanad which are arguably more important but which will take more time and requires constitutional change. I believe that we should value and respect the intent of the original Seanad which is that it would represent sectoral interests and recognise that the role of the Seanad should not be to become the source of an alternative government.

It is very feasible to have 60 seats elected by all the population, choosing on the day of the election which panel they would wish to vote for and in turn which candidates on those panels. The actual panels on offer could be decided at the time of the census, with the number of seats for each panel being allocated in proportion to the number of votes cast on election day. The Seanad could be fixed term or elected on the same day as the Dail I see merits in both ideas.

There may be merit in the idea that we have provincial Seanad panels for the four provinces. The reformed third level seats in this scenario would form part of the educational panel. People would only be able to vote for one panel.

Such a system would also allow for Irish emigrants panel with a minimal seat of one senator open to those who have registered with their Irish embassy.

Regarding votes in the Dail for those overseas, I believe that we should look at some form of observed proxy voting from the embassies. In other types of elections the votes of those overseas can be merely added to the total once the elections is completed. In our form of PR, it would be necessary to have the completed ballot papers be present at the count centre at the time of the opening of the boxes.

Were BUPA blocked from public sector group schemes?

Part of the basic problem with Risk Equalisation (RE) as the government have chosen to implement it is that the vast block of older people with health insurance who simply didn't move. Why was that?

Could it be that many people are actually members of group schemes rather than individual members and it is at this top level of those who selected which schemes were available that the choice has been made not to move. For example taking just the teaching sector the TUI, INTO appear from their websites have only VHI group schemes. Whereas the ASTI seems to have a 10% saving for both VHI and BUPA though their site only hosts a document related to VHI finances but not one for BUPA. Why would public sector organisations be favouring the VHI, I wonder? Could it be ideology, or protecting public sector jobs at the expense of the taxpayer? It would also seem that SIPTU also has only a group scheme link-up with VHI. Most private sector organisation will offer their employees a choice of scheme and then fund that group scheme with the usual discount since it is a group scheme.

It would be illuminating to know the extent to which public sector organisations are locked into group schemes with VHI and employees were not offered an option to choose between the 3 competitors. I continue to be surprised that no one in the dead tree meeja has bothered to investigate this.

I suppose this means the question in focus should be did large public sector organisations which had links with the VHI and the concept of a state operated monoploy insurer refuse to allow BUPA pitch for their group schemes?

Gun Crimes - solved or sorted?

The Garda commissioner has said today Dec 15th 2006 that of the 23 gun murders this year 8 are solved and they are close to solving 3 more. However, solved does not mean people being arrested or charged, not to mind convicted and sent to jail.

Part of the problem we have in Ireland now is that the Gardai are solving crimes but they can't bring convictions. We saw that with the Gardai's knowledge about two of the men killed in Dublin this week. Both 'Martin "Marlo" Hyland' and the man killed in the IFSC were done to the Garda but where they are jail?

Our hard working forefathers

Every budget time in Ireland there is a cap tiping reference to paying back our forefathers who made this country what it is. Now, I have no general objection to taking care of our older people and especially those who have fallen on hard times or find themselves unable to take care of themselves. However, the suggestion that each and every one of them had slogged all their lives to provide for the overall wellbeing of the nation as if they were all engaged in some national struggle just doesn't hold water.

It is the sort of wishy-washy nonsence that makes most people under 40 in Ireland wonder if the past really happened at all. We're forever hearing about how much easier and relaxed life used to be in days gone by. If that were the case then they can't have worked as hard as people have done in the last 10 years.

Oddly enough you never hear about paying back our forefathers for the appalling mistakes they made, instead that is all the past, water under the bridge. If you turned 65 last year in 2005, you would lived through the 60s when educational opportunities expanded widely, then in 1977 more than half the population voted for the FF manifesto that abolished rates, car tax, and did they worry where the money was going to come from? They've made out like gangbusters in the property market in large part because of planning screw up they were directly responsible for.

I know plenty of people nearing retirement or who have retired who worked damn hard in Ireland and they will be the first to tell ya about the wasters in their areas who never worked a hard day in their lives. They are disgusted to find that their contribution is lumped in with those others who didn't pull their weight when times were tough.

For help our older people, but do it because they require the assistance and not because of some smokescreen of how it is something that each and every one of them earned.

The Shamday Independent.

In today's Sunday Independent (Dec 10th 2006) on Page ten of the Life magazine, one of their writers a Pat Fitzpatrick does a Top Five piece as a guide to rugby

Their No.1, is "Limerick : The myth states that only the common man plays rugby on Shannon-side, so Limerick's middle class need to take working class lessons if they want to go to Thomond Park. In any other place, this would involve lessons in how to behave on the buses, what to say at greyhound racing and the best way to fold your tabloid under your arm. However, in Limerick, these are the signs of an aristocrat. There, you need to study top tips for driving a getaway motorbike, the beginners guide to walking free from court and the dos and don't's of showing your guns to Pat Kenny."

Now, I'm as much in favour of free speech as the next person but this sounds quite out there even to me. Firstly, and as if to prove the person writing the piece made minimal effort to ground their humour in reality, the real myth about Limerick and rugby is that everyone plays it and everyone is a fan indeed that even disaffected teenge goths are aficionados of the game unrivalled throughout the world. There is no suggestion that only the common man plays it. Seriously, what game is Pat Fitzpatrick suggesting middle class kids in Limerick play, ice hockey?

And Pat then moves on to make comments about working class people being the sort to use buses, frequent greyhound racing and read tabloids. Hmmm, we're really going to sort out traffic problems by implying that the better class of person doesn't need to take the public transport unless its on rails. While I'm not much of a fan of greyhound racing I recognise that the folks driving into most greyhound racing stadiums around ireland could buy and sell the rest of us. And isn't the home of greyhound racing in D4? Ok, it might be the Ringsend part of D4 but it's less than 10 minutes from Lansdowne rd. Lastly, isn't the Irish Independent a tabloid these days?

Then to finish up by claiming that all of Limerick's working class are criminals displays a lack of concern for personal safety that would make one certain that Pat Fitzpatrick has to be a pseudonym. Fact is that few criminals would choice to use a moterbike in this weather, far easier to steal a car and burn it out. walking free from the courts is usually assisted by the judicacry and showing your gun to Pat Kenny is such a primary school thing to do. Perhaps, that is where Pat heard about it during sos.

madame guillotine

I wrote the following last summer and sent it to the local press. Needless to say, it didn't get carried by any of them. The reason for revisiting it now is that Cllr Cosgrave would have absented herself from Dublin City Council meetings for 6 consecutive meetings after tonight but she turned up and made it her first meeting since March. If she had missed this meeting it would have been possible to rule thar she had vacated her seat and to select a co-option to replace her. So she struggled through the wind and the rain and passport control to ensure her grip is retained on her council salary. And she should at this point have lost most of her allowance for expenses as they are meant to be paid pro rata with her attendance. You know when everyone talks about the various scandals that happened down the years on local authorities and people comment as to why no one ever printed anything. Well now we know why. When the media can''t even be bothered to expose someone who doesn't turn up for work when the meetings are held in public sure why would they bother paying attention to what happens in darkened corners.

She has so much more to be proud of when it comes to the more local focus of north central area committee meetings where she has attended all of...zero meetings this year. She has asked no questions nor put forward any motions to the city council or the area committee during the entire year.

I'm also curious to know as to whether or not she claiming to be tax resident in France and thus claiming her council salary tax free? Or does she claim to be tax reisdent here but uses French public services and how the French authorities must feel about that. And could her actions have anything to do with the rejection of an attempt in January 2006 to demolish her house at Foxfield rd., Raheny (or at least it is still the place she is registered to vote at) and build 10 retirement condos? She was quite vocal about her dislike of new apartments, but sure when it would herself profiting her tune has changed. Anyway, below are my comments from July. They seem too mild now.

July 2006 -

'I feel very disappointed for the people of Artane and for Cllr Bourke personally that Cllr Cosgrave couldn't bring herself to support a Northsider for the position of Lord Mayor of the city instead favouring the Southside again for this position.' said Daniel Sullivan reflecting on the defeat for local Labour councillor Paddy Bourke in the Mayoral election. 'This is the second year in a row that Cllr. Cosgrave has chosen to throw her toys out of the Democrat Alliance pram. And it would seem that she was intent this year on voting against the Democratic Alliance candidate whoever the candidates on offer were. She did this, despite the fact that she was returned at the last election as part of that same offering, which the people supported in huge numbers. I suppose she expects Fine Gael voters should be grateful that she didn’t vote for the Sinn Fein candidate for Mayor Cllr Christy Burke. Or is she saving that for next year’s performance.'

Contrary to some of the reporting she was not expelled from Fine Gael last year, rather she simply lost the party whip in the council chamber for a period. That sanction appears only to have whetted her appetite for destruction. Dan Sullivan commented 'I think the appropriate expression is 'Spare the rod and spoil the child'.

The Cllr. in addition to turning her back on Donaghmede and Dublin for the sunnier climes of France for much of the year has decided to completely abandon her roots in Fine Gael. It is a very sad end for what was a long tradition of representation in the north east of Dublin.' Speaking as someone who stood unsuccessfully for Artane in 2004, I believed at the time and still believe that it was much better to tell the truth rather than to say something you don’t believe simply to get elected. I believe in telling it like it is. “Let justice be done, though the heavens fall”. Contrastingly, Cllr Cosgrave has, I believe, decided to deceive the entire electorate in Donaghmede and most especially the people who voted for her. It seems it was always her intention to be a part time commuter councillor. Jetting in from foreign parts when it suits her, I’m sure Marie Antoinette would be most impressed. If the councillor had any honour left, she would resign her seat now and allow the position be filled by someone who would be more available to the people of Donaghmede all year round.