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ALAN SHATTER HAS found an unlikely defender of his honour in Tipperary TD Michael Lowry, who said the Minister’s integrity is not in question following days of controversy.
The Independent deputy issued a statement this morning, condemning the use of Dáil time to debate a motion of no confidence in Shatter.
Although he praised the Fine Gael TD’s ’unbridled enthusiasm, intellect, innovation and determination to reform the legal and judicial systems’, there were mixed messages in the politician’s words.
“I do not consider Alan Shatter a political friend,” he said. “He was never the most popular member of the house. He can be irritatingly dismissive and brash.”
Despite that view, he said he intends to vote against the motion as he believes that while a mistake was made, it was not a “sacking offence”. He said the issues raised over the past two weeks are “trivial” and other members of the Dáil are engaging in political point scoring.
He also defended the use of garda discretion, citing examples that could happen in local communities every day.
A heavy handed, prosecutorial approach is not always best for the individual or for community relations. We train Gardaí to high standard and we should have confidence and trust in them to exercise discretion in appropriate and proper cases. Removing Garda discretion will only lead to a blanket application of the law.
The public are “sick and tired of this ongoing farce”, according to Lowry.
“With serious issues such as unemployment, emigration, farmers in crisis and families struggling to keep their heads above water this is not an issue of such gravity that deserves this priority. It is time that we get back to what we were elected for, running the country, addressing the serious issues that pain society and getting our economy back on its feet.”
Deputies Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, Mick Wallace and Clare Daly drew criticism as “new members” who Lowry described as “prepared to sacrifice important principals or democratic engagement to score cheap points and further themselves”.
“In the clamour for attention they are prepared to scrape the bottom of the barrel to achieve headlines. All members of the Dáil have equality of membership. There should be decorum, tolerance and respect for each other as members of the House.”
The motion of no confidence will be debated in the Dáil later today.
Good, I only hope the other remains are returned as well. Plenty of people are willing to leave their remains to science for study. It seems disrespectful to keep bones stolen from a monastery.
And the good people of Kells would also like their book back yesterday.
Cart before the horse decision that reeks of Woke. The skulls should not be returned until a suitable facility is available on the island for their preservation and study.
@Don Hogan: Sounds meaningless to research further – surely science has moved on?
@Don Hogan: How is this woke? The skulls were stolen and the community in Inishbofin are “thrilled” that they are being returned and it “is deeply, deeply personal for them and you only understand that when you’re on the island”
It is NEVER too late to right wrongs nor say sorry! You’re being a bit wokey methinks!
@Paul Furey: The skulls were not stolen. They were removed from the island. Supply names of original owners.
@Fiona Fitzgerald: You know nothing about research into ancient settlers mainland Ireland and offshore islands.
@Paul Furey: Please read article carefully. The islanders do not have a suitable facility to house, preserve and study the skulls. The woke comment was directed at Trinty’s decision which however well intentioned is woken since there is as yet no place on the island for the skulls. Better that Trinity build suck a facility there before announcing their intention to return skulls.
@Paul Furey: Please read article carefully. The islanders do not have a suitable facility to house, preserve and study the skulls. The woke comment was directed at Trinity’s decision which however well intentioned is wokey since there is as yet no place on the island for the skulls. Better that Trinity build suck a facility there before announcing their intention to return skulls.
@Paul Furey: See definition of woke which fits Trinity’s actions to a tee.
@Don Hogan: Quit while you are losing.
@Don Hogan: But they don’t want to study them? They would like to bury them, why’s that a problem/ Do they have a specific scientific reason they are worth studying? My understanding is they are regular skulls. If so, I think they should be returned.
@Don Hogan: why do they need a suitable facility. You’ve seen the drawing, they were considered sacred just as they were in the corner of the monestry ruin there. Just put them back where they were as per the drawings. End of. They don’t need protection from the elements. Some things just pass through time in their own way. They’d be still sitting there had they not been removed in the first place.
No way they should have had to campaign for 10 years. Should have gone to the guards and had the responsible person in Trinity charged with possession of stolen property.
@Shane O Neill: Trinity admin is notoriously slow and not always that professional. I’ve dealt with them before and sometimes didn’t even receive acknowledgement of engagement even when I reached out to them for said acknowledgement. That said, I’ve worked in an admin dept for another third level institution in Ireland and they also were not that fast at moving things along either, might just be that sort of environment across the board.
This is a description of the event by one who was there: “down the enclosure which is practically a large graveyard, on our way we disturbed several cattle. We stumbled along & entered the church tumbling over the stones which are placed over the graves, in the corner we saw in the dim light the skulls in a recess in the wall. There must have been 40 or more, all broken, most useless but on (overhanding) them we found a dozen which were worth carrying away & only one however had the face bones.”
https://ballymaclinton.wordpress.com/2015/07/18/what-happened-on-inishbofin-in-july-1890-three-days-that-changed-the-history-of-anthropology-in-ireland-and-britain/
Is that Inishbofin in Donegal? I imagine there’s a few Inishbofins
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