From the Irish Times May 28th 2010 ... Minister for the Environment John Gormley said it was still his intention that Dublin would have a directly elected mayor this year. Minister Gormley said "The Bill is currently being drafted by the parliamentary counsel as a matter of priority."
However, Fine Gael spokesman Phil Hogan said it would be October before the legislation was published and brought through the Dáil and Seanad. There would be no mayoral election before the end of that month. It would hardly be held in December, so that left November. Minister Gormley responded by saying that it was up to the political parties to decide when they wanted to campaign, he added. "They can select their candidates and start campaigning now if they wish."
The Irish Independent May 28th 2010 are also reporting that Mr Gormley said last weekend he believed the three issues (the Dublin Mayorial election, the childrens rights referendum, and the 3 by-elections) could be voted on in one day. The minister's spokesman said it was Mr Gormley's "personal preference" to hold all the votes on the same day and that there was "a logic in terms of cost and the work the Department of the Environment would have to undertake."
Dan Boyle as usual was twittering about this. He said that the timing of the by-elections "depends on the children's rights referendum and the Dublin mayor election. They could be held on different dates. Autumn/spring?" Mr Boyle also said the Greens did not support Fine Gael's proposed law to ensure the holding of by-elections within six months of a TD's resignation or death because the "opposition bill was about political advantage, not improving democracy".
"Improving democracy"! Good one Dan!!! Tell that to the people being denied representation in Dublin, Donegal, and Waterford.
So what does all this mean? Will we have the by-elections this year? Will we have the referendum on childrens rights this year? Surely they will have to be held at the same time as the Mayorial elections. Although, I wouldn't put anything past Green/FF ... they don't seem to care how much they flout demacracy at this stage. Survival of this rotten and incompetent government at any cost, and saving their own skins seems to be the only priority these days.
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On the east coast radio this morning.
ReplyDeleteI just heard Ciarán Cuffe, Green Party TD on your radio show
First of all Mr.cuffe has been in power for the last 2.5 years and there was no mention of this problem “obesity”
He and his colleagues have supported a Government that has systematically dismantled our health system and are forcing people into private health insurance whose prices are climbing every few months.
On Saturday I was protesting about the lack of basic services outside the A&E at the Mater Hospital .The government this hypocrite is supporting have cut the services available to the old and infirm are forcing people to on to trolleys waiting days to get a bed to die in.
With more cuts on the way all this is just self promoting crap!
Shame on this man where his conscious is; let’s call a spade a spade
The health minister is obese and so is Brian Cowen, let them knock off a few stone before sending out this upstart to lecture us!
Things are tough enough now and we don’t need this gutless lout telling us what we should eat!
This politician is using you and us the listeners to get some air time to promote himself,
And his bankrupt policies!
Tell him to stop supporting the fat bankers!