Ahern: It will not be easy to attract parties to join FG/FF in government

17/04/2020 – 10:18:00Back to Government Formation Ireland Home
The Social Democrats have written to the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil looking for economic projections as they consider the offer to enter government.
They want to assess how realistic many of the promises in a framework document published this week are.
The three smaller political parties that Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil want to entice into government are all holding meetings today.
Labour will discuss it briefly on a Zoom conference call this morning but their position is unchanged.
The Greens have looked for more information on housing and the climate promises.
While the Social Democrats have written to the leaders of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil as well as the Finance Minister looking for economic projections.
They want up-to-date assessments of the economy and projections for the impact of Covid-19 and Brexit so they can properly assess how realistic the goals and promises in the framework document are.
Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern says it will not be an easy task to attract other parties to sign up to the framework coalition document.
Mr Ahern says he would ideally like to see two other parties come on board with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
“For Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael to get a framework document together in itself is not easy and to pull in some of the other parties is not going to be easy but I think what people need to think about is that the next few years are going to be challenging.
“You need a clear majority, you need at least one other party. Personally, I would love to see two because then you have people working together.”
Mr Ahern said that Micheál Martin will want to be Taoiseach first in any arrangement.
“Micheál will say that he is the biggest party but if I was Micheál I would probably also say that I’m over 60 and as Fianna Fáil members as Taoiseach go, that’s old.
“So I’m sure he will want to go first and I don’t blame him for that and I think he has the argument that.”
Mr Ahern said he believes Leo Varadkar will remain in the position of Taoiseach during the current coronavirus crisis – and praised the Fine Gael leader for “doing a good job in bringing us through that”.
It would also “make sense” for Simon Harris to remain in his current role as Minister for Health, said Mr Ahern as the Minister has been doing a “really good job” during the pandemic.
“It is ironic that the reason we ended up with a February 8th election is because a confidence motion in Simon was put down pre-Christmas, and because the Government couldn’t get through they opted to go for an early election.
“The person who that confidence motion was in is the person who’s been doing a really good job in the last few months, but that’s how politics flips around.”

15/04/2020 – 08:10:00Back to
Sinn Féin is urging other parties that are serious about ‘change’ not to go into a government with Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael.
Yesterday both parties moved a step closer to forming a historic grand coalition after agreeing a framework for Government.
However, a third party will be needed to make up the numbers in the Dáil.
Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson, Eoin Ó Broin, says other smaller parties would need to think long and hard about what they would be getting into.
“I don’t think anybody really believes that Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, who spent the last four years creating a housing and health crisis, are now the right people to try and fix it,” he said.
“And I would urge anybody who is serious about change to walk with those of us who are committed to type of change the country really needs.”
Meanwhile, the parliamentary parties of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil will be briefed on an agreement to enter government today.
Their parties leaders approved the framework agreement yesterday potentially paving the way for an historic grand coalition.
Parliamentary parties will be briefed on its contents – before it is shared out to other parties like the Greens, Social Democrats and Labour.
But the process is far from done, or certain.
Both Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin have agreed a third party will need to come on board to give stability to the next government.
So far there’s no takers, and it’s far from clear whether this document of broad policy positions can change any minds.
Fred in awe! Eamon O’Cuiv, the grandson of the Founding Member of FF lambasted Micheal Martin on the Irish Daily Mail a couple of days ago. He was just off saying Martin was committing Political Treason by joining their biggest and most bitter enemy. Let us have a little trip down memory lane because the Blue Shirts are quite good at this when it comes to the IRA and Sinn Fein.
After the Civil War, the Blue Shirts led by the Psycho Kevin O’Higgins shot many IRA men, formerly their brothers in arms, without a Fair Trial. O’Higgins is politely deleted from the Blue Shirts History – in the same way as is General O’Duffy, another dark Occult figure from Monaghan. Let us not forget the Clifford and O’Sullivan case where many IRA prisoners were only days away from execution but a House of Lords decision and the intervention of King George V ended the possibility of the execution. Michael Comyn KC at that time was their lawyer and delivered their case in the House of Lords. In later years he became a Senator and Judge.
Back to the Blue Shirts – when they captured Dan Breen, they dragged him like an animal through a village in Tipperary and broke both of his legs in the process using hurleys as their weapons. Breen was an IRA legend and a former Comrade and yet the Blue Shirts turned like wild animals with the backing of Chuchill and Lord Birkenhead at that time. We all know how O’Higgins ended his days – with a bullet to his head. He died in the arms Eoin O’Neill – the IRA have a very long memory!
Back to the present day, the people of Ireland will have a long memory when this Ship of Fools hit the Iceberg of Reality and falls apart. Bertie Ahern is right: What bunch of other idiots, the Greens or Indendents, would join these Clowns in this Ship destined for Disaster? Eoin O’Broin SF, who is not the greatest visionary, in my opinion, but who holds a very high opinion of himself, makes a fair point in the above article. He is pleading with other TD’s not to enter into a coalition because even he knows it will be a Disaster.
Sinn Fein sadly, since the 8th of February, have literally gone AWOL and if ever the people of Ireland needed Leadership, Vision, and Direction, it is now in the face of this horrendous Pandemic coronavirus COVID-19*. Martin must know at this stage that Varadkar has no respect for him at all. When Leo passed that scurriolous comment comparing Martin to the old sinful priest at the back of the altar. Many people will tell you this was not the first time Leo made such a comment. Varadkar, it is alleged, had made the same comments at parties with his fellow gay friends for months before that.
Martin seemingly has no opposition apart from Eamon O’Cuiv at present. Well Done Eamon. Now where is John McGuinness, the King of all Mavericks? Well John, this is not the time for sitting on the ditch waiting to see what way it pans out so that you can jump on the right wagon. The same goes for Willie O’Dea and others. Stand up now. Be men and women and if need be Walk Out and Form your own Party named “The Real Fianna Fail”.
I say today the PEOPLE OF IRELAND VOTED FOR CHANGE AND WHAT THEY ARE GETTING IS KICK UP THE ARSE FROM MARTIN AND VARADKAR WHOSE MAIN AIM IS NOT THE INTEREST OF THE IRISH PEOPLE, IT IS TO KEEP SINN FEIN OUT AND IN LOCKDOWN.
SPEAKING ABOUT THE INTERESTS OF THE IRISH PEOPLE. WHO WOULD ALLOW 300 ROMANIANS/BULGARIANS ON A RYANAIR CHARTERED FLIGHT INTO IRELAND UNVETTED PUTTING IRISH CITIZENS AND THEIR LIVES IN DANGER? THEIR JOB TO PICK STRAWBERRIES AND OTHER FRUIT OR VEGETABLES. WHERE ARE OUR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO COULD DO WITH ACTIVITY AND A SOURCE OF INCOME? YEARS AGO IT WAS IRISH PEOPLE WHO DID THIS WORK HERE AND IN SCOTLAND YES PICKING POTATOS. Addendum 21/04/20: What people in the UK think about chartered planes and workers taking their jobs. https://www.theguardian.com/money/2020/apr/20/just-not-true-were-too-lazy-for-farm-work-say-frustrated-uk-applicants?utm_term=RWRpdG9yaWFsX0d1YXJkaWFuVG9kYXlVS19XZWVrZGF5cy0yMDA0MjE%3D&utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&CMP=GTUK_email&utm_campaign=GuardianTodayUK
I will close by saying this Grand Opera Coalition will be an interesting Circus and Martin should not forget what his Party did 11 years ago to this Country. Varadkar should not forget what he has done TO RURAL IRELAND IN THE LAST NUMBER OF YEARS; HE HAS TURNED IT INTO A GRAVEYARD WITH THE HELP OF ONE OF IRELAND’S BIGGEST IDIOTS – MICHAEL BOZZO RING. Today I am adding an email from a prominent historian and Chaucerer Dr Gerald Morgan. This man came to Ireland many years ago and his knowledge of Gaelic football, hurling, and Irish history is equal to the late Great Jimmy McGee. To be continued.
From: Gerald Morgan <gmorgan1066@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Apr 19, 2020 at 5:47 AM
Subject: ‘Coronavirus: 38 Days When Britain Sleepwalked into Disaster’ (Sunday Times, 19 April 2020)
Sir, Yet another British Bungle (like Gallipoli, 25 April 1915 or the Somme, 1 July 1916) or Ireland (1886-2020).
Gerald Morgan, FTCD
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