Tag: politics

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Rise of the ‘DONT GIVE A FECK’ Party

Michael Green

It is becoming apparent that not all politicians are taking the upcoming elections in Ireland seriously. A launderette-owner from Duleek in County Meath named Dave Keaveney cant have guessed how popular his campaign would become after he placed a poster in the window of his local business: ‘Vote Dave no 1 for a cleaner Duleek’. It started off as a joke. I made up the poster because I’m fed up listening to the same bull from politicians and the same electioneering promises that aren’t kept. He now intends to run for election as a non-party candidate in the Laytown-Bettystown Area. … Continue reading Rise of the ‘DONT GIVE A FECK’ Party

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Irish Rejection of Seanad Abolition is a National Disgrace

Michael Green

The defeat of the proposal to abolish the powerless Seanad House in the recent Referendum in Ireland is a damning indictment of the Irish people. The Seanad House is the upper house of the Irish parliament. It cannot prevent legislation from Dail Eireann (the main parliament) being enacted and has for decades been used as a way to bail out failed politicians and to reward public figures who supported the Government of the time. It is not accountable to the Irish electorate with many members of the Seanad either being appointed by University Graduates or directly by the Government of … Continue reading Irish Rejection of Seanad Abolition is a National Disgrace

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Labour Party Exile May Form New Political Party

Michael Green

Speculation is mounting that a new left-wing political Party may be formed in Ireland. The Labour Party are currently in a Coalition Government with Fine Gael that has effectively continued the policies of the Fianna Fail Party that it ousted at the last election. It is this position that has seen support for the Labour Party plummet in recent opinion polls. Labour is supposed to be the Party representative of the working classes and yet has supported the imposition of a property tax as well as the never-ending austerity measures. Against this backdrop the possibility of a new Party with … Continue reading Labour Party Exile May Form New Political Party

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Calls For End To Austerity As Ireland Plunges Back Into Recession

Michael Green

Those commentators who have been critical of the overuse of austerity policies in Ireland are claiming that Ireland’s plunge back into recession is proof of their views. Since 2008 the Irish economy has been battered by international forces beyond its control in addition to massive self-inflicted damage caused by a property market bubble and the near collapse of the Irish banking system. The effects were far-reaching. Unemployment stands at 13.7%, public services have been slashed, bitter wrangling continues between the Government and its own employees in the Civil and Public services. Emigration has soared to Famine-era levels while those left … Continue reading Calls For End To Austerity As Ireland Plunges Back Into Recession

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Rebellion in Labour Party Might Suit Fine Gael

Michael Green

The Irish Government Coalition of Fine Gael and the Labour Party looks very unlikely to run its full term despite the insistence of the two Party leaders. Rarely has a Political Party leader looked in so much peril of removal as does Eamon Gilmore at this moment. To the despair of his Labour Party colleagues it is their Party who are taking the lions’s share of the blame for the never-ending austerity measures that the current Government is imposing. Never mind the fact that the policies now being implemented were first started by the previous Fianna Fail administration. Never mind … Continue reading Rebellion in Labour Party Might Suit Fine Gael

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Further Fianna Fail Poll Surge Is The Low-Mark Of Irish Despondency

Michael Green

The ruling Fianna Fail Party was trounced in the 2011 election. At 17% of the vote they seemed to be on the very edge of oblivion. Fine Gael and Labour had brushed them aside, bolted into power on a wave of optimism about ‘real change’ and ‘burning the bond-holders’ (a reference to not paying back bank loans to unsecured bond-holders in Europe). For a while it seemed that there might actually be some a change in direction. But alas it is now clear that the current Government has merely assimilated the trappings of power worn with such gusto by Fianna … Continue reading Further Fianna Fail Poll Surge Is The Low-Mark Of Irish Despondency

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Irish Constitution to be Changed in Radical Shake-Up

Michael Green

A ‘Convention on the Constitution’ Committee is meeting to make several recommendations to the Government so that the Irish Constitution can be changed. The Committee is made up of 66 members of the Irish public, chosen by random, with 33 politicians from various political parties and a chairman making up the 100 strong group. The first order of business they faced was whether to leave the voting age at 18 years or to lower it to 17 or 16 years. They may also vote on reducing the term of the Presidential office from 7 years to 5 years. As many … Continue reading Irish Constitution to be Changed in Radical Shake-Up