Irish Politics, Politicians in Ireland, TDs, Irish Government

This Wee Man Would Like to See Your ID

Seen on The Pleasures of Underachievement

Seanachie’s old friend Nicolas Sarkozy has been catapulted into the news again having been warned of a possible terrorist attack at a meeting in Lyon tomorrow (the fact that he will be attending with his old nemesis, the bourgeois battleaxe Bernadette Chirac, was shocking enough to my sensibilities). The terrorist had the decency to announce his ... Continue reading »

INSIDE POLITICS – Bye Bye Bertie?

Seen on Harry McGee

Yesterday was (possibly) Bertie Ahern’s last Leaders’ Questions before the General Election. And, added Pat Rabbitte in a clear case of wishful thinking, possibly Bertie Ahern’s last Leaders’ Questions ever. And for these (possible) valedictory exchanges between Ahern and Rabbitte in the dying days of the Dáil, why change the habit of a lifetime? ... Continue reading »

‘Memorandum of understanding’

Seen on Public Inquiry

The conflict between Quinn Direct and the Sunday Tribune has yet to be resolved, probably before a judge. The case has, however, revealed an interesting deal between the Gardai and the insurance company Axa Ireland. According to the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell the Gardai have a memorandum of understanding with Axa that gives the ... Continue reading »

Leaking Tribunal Stuff

Seen on GUBU

I see that the Supreme Court made a very significant decision on publishing Tribunal information, which one would hope, will have a favourable influence on my own as yet unresolved predicament. Story here. A recap – The Moriarty Tribunal, in which I was witness, provided me with certain documents to aid my evidence giving. The documents included ... Continue reading »

CCTV announced for Waterford – again!!

Seen on A view from the Left - Cllr Seamus Ryan's Blog

Forgive me for being cynical about the most recent announcement made on Friday regarding the provision of CCTV for Waterford City. This is an issue that I have raised on Waterford City Council a number of times only to be told that we were still awaiting government approval. It is also something that has been announced by at least two Ministers ... Continue reading »

Phone Tapping

Seen on Daniel O Neill

I opened the second page of the Irish Times today and was surprised to see allegations made by Mayo T.D. Dr. Jerry Cowely claiming that his phone may be tapped due to his involvement in the Shell To Sea campaign… Cowley has called for an investigation to establish if his phone is being tapped by gardaí. According to the paper, he raised the ... Continue reading »

Final Report of the Balance in the Criminal Law Review Group

Seen on Irish Law Updates

Press Release from www.justice.ie : Final Report of the Balance in the Criminal Law Review Group The Tanaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell, T.D, has published the final report of the Review Group he established last November, chaired by Dr. Gerard Hogan, S.C., to examine and review aspects of the criminal ... Continue reading »

INSIDE POLITICS – TRIBUNALITIS

Seen on Harry McGee

The Government’s abject climb-down over Tribunal fees is a textbook illustration of political ‘optics’ and hubris. In 2004, then Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy announced that he was going to tackle the spiralling costs of Tribunals. There are lawyers working in the two main Tribunals who are getting two and a half grand a day, a couple of ... Continue reading »

Who the hell is Frank McNamara?

Seen on 'political quote'

Who the hell is Frank McNamara? The Irish Times says he is a “well known musician”. Where is he well known? Not by this blog anyway. The Times goes on “Mr McNamara, who was music director of the Late Late Show on RTÉ for 20 years, was the arranger and producer of two consecutive Irish winners of the Eurovision Song Contest.” Oh that Frank ... Continue reading »

Fine Gael Concerns about Phone Tapping

Seen on Digital Rights Ireland

The Irish Independent reports that Fine Gael share our concern about accountability in the phone tapping system: JUSTICE Minister Michael McDowell yesterday refused to reveal the number of phones taps he has authorised during his time in office. Although bugged phone conversations cannot be used as evidence in court, they can be used by gardai ... Continue reading »

A contemptible institution

Seen on Public Inquiry

Dail Eireann, The National Parliament of the Irish people, is a farce, a joke institution. It’s an institution that I personally hold in absolute contempt and I am convinced that the great majority of Irish people feel the same. It’s nothing more than an ineffective talking shop that has no relevance whatsoever to the every day worries of the ... Continue reading »

Timely Reminder

Seen on Dublin Opinion

This is a genuine press release from The Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform CLOCKS GO FORWARD WEEKEND OF 24/25 MARCH, 2007 The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr. Michael McDowell, T.D., would like to remind the general public that “Summer time” will commence at 1.00 a.m. Greenwich Mean Time on Sunday 25 ... Continue reading »

Cashing in on slopping out

Seen on The Limerick Blogger

Cashing in on slopping out March 21st, 2007 The department of Justice is facing 396 litigation cases from prisoners and ex-prisoners from around the country who have had to slop out while serving time in our jails. 225 of them are from Munster, and the majority of those are being represented by the ailing solicitor and election candidate John ... Continue reading »

Minister McDowell Confirms End of Winter

Seen on The Jaundiced Ireland

In what has to be one of the strangest press releases of the year, the Minister for Justice has confirmed the end of winter by announcing that clocks will indeed go forward this weekend. The press release issued this morning brings to an end weeks of speculation that clocks would not enter into a ‘going forward’ agreement and that each clock would ... Continue reading »

Parlon Me, I’ve Got Some Speculating To Do

Seen on Dublin Opinion

[ tom-parlon_1.jpg] There is a common misconception that the PDs are somehow an ideologically-driven party – a shamrock-shaped soufflé of Margaret O’Thatchers and Friedrich MacHayeks, ‘promoting fairness by pro-competition, pro-consumer policies.’ The reality, however, is that the PDs treat ideology the way a school kid answers questions in ... Continue reading »

SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

Seen on SPIN FREE VIEW

This week an Irish judge gave a loud and clear message to victims of crime allover the country, we don’t care.  The decision by Judge Paul Carney to give a three year suspended sentence to a convicted rapist who entered a woman’s house at night and raped her in her own bed while her children slept next door, has to be one of the greatest ... Continue reading »

Michael McDowell – The Academic Hypocrite

Seen on twentyfivetoone

No one doubts the inebriating intellectuality of McDowell. However, he is too intelligent for grass root politics. The strength of his academic prowess is more than negated by his uncommon touch. Like Martin Mansergh (FF) his position in the PD’s should be in the engine room of the party. He is an academic politician and his passion to serve the ... Continue reading »

Green Party v. Roads?

Seen on Roderic’s Dublin West Election Blog

Green Party v. Roads? March 7, 2007 at 4:37 pm · Filed under Uncategorized Monday evening was pretty miserable and as I fought my way onto the 18:08 Longford train in Pearse with everyone else, I was at least grateful for a few minutes shelter before going out for two hours canvassing in Carpenterstown. Obviously it would have been too much ... Continue reading »

Time to close another loophole

Seen on Byrneo5 DCU Blog

Time to close another loophole March 6th, 2007 at 12:38 pm (Uncategorized) The goverment has published emergency legislation to close a loophole in the law which made it legal to solicit a child for sex. [Read RTÉ news story here] Labour leader Pat Rabbitte pointed out in the Dáil on Thursday that the offence of soliciting a child no longer ... Continue reading »

McDowell to close loophole in law against child sex

Seen on :: Novopress.info Ireland

The Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, announced last night that he intended to close off the legal loophole in child protection law identified by Labour leader Pat Rabbitte, writes Stephen Collins , Political Editor. He maintained, however, that the issue was a relatively minor one, as there were already far more stringent legal ... Continue reading »

Rabbitte says There is no Law that Prevents Soliciting Minors for Sexual Purposes

Seen on Daniel O Neill

“There is no offence under our criminal law at the moment for the soliciting or importuning a minor for sexual purposes ” according to Pat Rabitte. This statement comes in the week when the Gardaí have uncovered a Dublin Paedophile ring and if the statement is true, we could be in for a lot more controversy in relation to the protection of ... Continue reading »

Justice Minister joins thousands to pay tribute to fallen emergency workers

Seen on The Limerick Blogger

Justice Minister joins thousands to pay tribute to fallen emergency workers February 28th, 2007 The Minister for Justice Michael McDowell was in County Limerick this evening to join thousands of mourners who came out to pay tribute to Garda Brian Kelleher and fireman Michael Liston, who died on Sunday in a traffic accident on the N69 between ... Continue reading »

The Privacy Bill (Ireland)

Seen on Fergus O'Rourke - Journal - Of Laws and Men

The Irish government’s proposed law on the protection of privacy is still moving slowly through the Senate, which is the upper house of parliament. Since the lower house has not seen it yet, it is difficult to believe that it will become law before next summer’s general election. This will accord with the Justice Minister Michael McDowell’s real ... Continue reading »

Michael McDowell, Pat Rabbitte and Situational Homosexuality

Seen on Irish Election

Michael McDowell, Pat Rabbitte and Situational Homosexuality Writes Niall of Plain of Pillars on February 23rd, 2007 Read More: Progressive Democrats, Labour Party, Gay Rights, Irish Election 2007 Let me begin by apologising if the headline of this piece has conjured up any disturbing images in your mind’s eye. This little article makes no ... Continue reading »

Local Democracy D4 Style

Seen on eastmeath.org

Local Democracy D4 Style February 23rd, 2007 Obviously local democracy works in Ringsend. Michael McDowell announces shelving of plans to build an incinerator in Ringsend, which is part of his constituency. Oddly the announcement, which comes 3 months before the election, was made much to the surprise of the local council, the authority which ... Continue reading »