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File photo. Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

Joan Burton says the banking inquiry vote is good news for women in politics

But Alex White thinks it’s “the sort of behaviour that gives politics a bad name”.

THE TWO CONTENDERS for the leadership of the Labour party have been giving their views on this morning’s vote to extend the membership of the banking inquiry committee. 

There were angry scenes in the Seanad earlier as the Government put forward a motion to bring about a coalition majority. Fianna Fáil said outcome had “severely undermined” the credibility of the panel, while Sinn Féin described it as “a sham”.

The banking inquiry had been made up of nine members – five opposition and four government – but in seeking to regain a majority the coalition added Fine Gael’s Michael D’Arcy and Labour’s Susan O’Keeffe this morning.

Speaking at an event in Ballymun, junior minister Alex White said the attempt to add two members was “the sort of behaviour that gives politics a bad name”.

However, he stressed that that the priority now was for the inquiry to begin its work and get to the truth of what happened in the run up to the banking crisis.

White’s comments were later were put to his rival, Social Protection Minister Joan Burton, at an event at the Guinness Storehouse.

Regarding the morning’s developments, she said ”I think politics would have a very bad name if there were no women on the banking inquiry or indeed women of the calibre of Susan O’Keeffe who has a huge amount of experience in terms of carrying out investigations — and these are very important investigations — in an impartial and very professional manner.”

The Government decided to bring about this morning’s Seanad motion as a result of a procedural mistake last week. Opposition senators succeeded in adding Fianna Fáil’s Marc MacSharry to the inquiry team, after a number of government senators missed a crucial vote of the Seanad selection committee.

Until this morning’s vote there had been no women on the panel.

Asked about last week’s selection screw-up, and the Government’s response today, Burton said she wanted to stress “what is important is that we get the inquiry under way”.

“There appears to be relatively little representation of women on the inquiry so someone like Susan O’Keeffe in my view has a huge amount to offer.”

Read: Taoiseach compared to Hitler as government regains majority on banking inquiry

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    Mute Paddy Reid
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    Feb 16th 2018, 1:29 PM

    That’s so sad. He must have been so confused. RIP.

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    Mute Dizzy
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    Feb 16th 2018, 1:57 PM

    Gosh I’m so sorry for that man and his relatives and friends.

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    Mute Deborah Behan
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    Feb 16th 2018, 2:00 PM

    Heart wrenching. I hope he didn’t suffer. RIP.

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    Mute Daniel Carson
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    Feb 18th 2018, 5:26 PM

    @Deborah Behan: oh god what a fairy you are

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    Mute Daniel Carson
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    Feb 18th 2018, 5:27 PM

    @Daniel Carson: that comment was not meant for you. I apologize

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    Mute Henry Matthews
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    Feb 16th 2018, 4:34 PM

    Could you not have wrote Mr Burke.?…why can’t journalists have basic respect….

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    Mute Charles Alexander
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    Feb 16th 2018, 4:59 PM

    @Henry Matthews:
    I agree. Quite often see victims referred to by their surname on online news forums.
    It lacks compassion although I would say it is more through laziness and poor editing.

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    Mute Henry Matthews
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    Feb 16th 2018, 5:17 PM

    @Charles Alexander: i contacted the journal about this before….I was told they follow best European journalistic standards..

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    Mute Brendan Hughes
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    Feb 16th 2018, 6:45 PM

    @Henry Matthews: It’s a generational thing. More and more the younger the person the less respect is given. Bar a few whose parents raised them right.

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    Mute Smiley
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    Feb 16th 2018, 9:24 PM

    @Henry Matthews: Bullocks to “best standards”. Are the journalists sheep?

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    Mute Bill O'Brien
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    Feb 16th 2018, 2:19 PM

    RIP

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    Mute Gordon Fitzpatrick
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    Feb 16th 2018, 5:44 PM

    “Best European journalistic standards”
    Well then we need to go back to best Irish journalistic standards. Again more
    Bull hsit from the journal and its ahem, “journalists”.

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    Mute Owen Flynn
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    Feb 16th 2018, 5:43 PM

    So sad. R.i.p. Mr Burke.

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    Mute Leo Bissett
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    Feb 16th 2018, 8:47 PM

    Deepest condolences to the family of Mr Burke. May he rest in peace.

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    Mute miked
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    Feb 16th 2018, 9:22 PM

    The only consolation is that his body was found rip Mr Burke

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    Mute Ray Farrell
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    Feb 17th 2018, 12:56 AM

    Tragic, the poor man and his family , RIP.

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    Mute Grasshopper
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    Feb 18th 2018, 9:34 AM

    Reading some of the comments i think people are rambling on with nothing to do with this article.
    R.I.P

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    Mute JJ
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    Feb 17th 2018, 12:25 AM

    So a body washed up in Wales in November and the pigs didn’t think to share this info with each other and try and establish a link. FFS Sherlock Holmes me bollix.

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