“Labour want US style political advertising” It wasn’t the biggest ever story, but the Sunday Times liked it enough to pay me for it. It even got a bit of social media traction at the time. And it was based on three lines at the end of an internal RTÉ memo. In May 2010, a… Continue reading RTÉ and the political lobby
Tag: Greens
Caption contest
Entries below please:
Don’t Know
A cabinet minster is unable to say whether or not public funds have been awarded to An Smaoineamh Mór, the company behind Your Country Your Call (YCYC), or on what basis they might receive such funds. YCYC, a competition to come up with Ideas To Save Ireland, has previously been mentioned here, mostly because I’m… Continue reading Don’t Know
Willie Woes
Green party senator Dan Boyle used his twitter account to express his frustration after the government won a Dáil vote of confidence in Defence minister Willie O’Dea earlier today. The Cork-based politician said he was “not happy with what happened today” using the online messaging service. “As regards to Minister O’Dea I don’t have confidence… Continue reading Willie Woes
Missing
Compare and contrast the following news reports: 13 June 2007 Green Party members have voted by over 86% to go into Government with Fianna Fáil. Of the 510 members who voted, 441 voted to accept the deal after studying the draft programme for government. 67 voted against and there were two spoiled votes. 19 January… Continue reading Missing
Uncivil Partnerships
The Civil Partnership bill specifically prohibits any ceremony other than that before a civil registrar being recognised as valid. That means that unlike straight couples, gay couples can’t be legally united in a humanist ceremony (or by a religious minister, though not in many religions). Ceremony is important. One civil ceremony I attended was brilliantly… Continue reading Uncivil Partnerships
Two Hundred Words to John Gormley
Dear John, Right now, you’re probably wondering where to begin. Half your membership wants you to pull out of coalition on Tuesday, the rest want you to stick the course. The wiser course is probably to knuckle down and get on with it. But to make that work, you need to change some things. First.… Continue reading Two Hundred Words to John Gormley
Last Past the Post
At a recent Meet the Bloggers event, John Gormley spoke about a plan to reduce the influence of clientelism in Irish politics. The Greens want a hybrid combining the single transferable vote with a list system, so that 150 or so TDs are directly elected, with the balance of seats going on a party basis… Continue reading Last Past the Post
Just One Ireland
Fianna Fáil has the support of one in five voters, if the latest Irish Times poll is to be believed. Labour are three points ahead of them, and Fine Gael lead the pack with 36%. Independents are supported by one in ten, Sinn Féin by one in twelve, and the Greens by only 3%, a… Continue reading Just One Ireland
What Dan Boyle really meant in Tralee
Dan Boyle went down to Tralee last week to say ‘something controversial’. Boyle must have been aware of poll findings, and told his Kerry audience it was time to review the programme for government. ‘Most of the Green Party elements of it have now been implemented,’ Boyle said. ‘It is a document that is in… Continue reading What Dan Boyle really meant in Tralee