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Updated 10pm
FINE GAEL AND LABOUR’s weekly parliamentary party meetings were dominated with discussion about the controversial appointment of a Donegal shop manager to a state board and his subsequent nomination for the Seanad by-election.
This evening’s meeting of Fine Gael Oireacthas members heard from several TDs who expressed anger at how the party had handled the selection of John McNulty to take Deirdre Clune’s vacant seat in the upper house.
There was criticism of Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Arts Minister Heather Humphreys – who signed off on the appointment – with calls for Kenny, who is in America, to explain the circumstances which led to McNulty being selected.
Speaking in Rhode Island this evening, Kenny told RTÉ that it was his right as leader of the day to pick the party’s nominee and rejected criticism over the fact he did not choose a female candidate.
A meeting of the Labour parliamentary party heard criticism over the issue tonight, some members describing it as “stroke politics”, but the party is likely to back McNulty in the by-election of TDs and Senators.
Donegal-based McNulty was appointed to the board of the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) just six days before he was confirmed as the party’s nominee for the Seanad by-election leading to accusations that Fine Gael has pulled a ‘political stroke’.
McNulty addressed the Fine Gael parliamentary party in Leinster House this evening and was said by those present to have come across well while not directly addressing his controversial appointment to the IMMA board.
“He seems like a very good candidate. So why did we f*** it up for him,” said one TD.
Many of those present said the party had made itself look bad and questioned what had happened to the two candidates nominated by the party’s national executive council – losing local election candidates Samantha Long and Stephanie Regan – who were passed over in favour of McNulty.
One TD told colleagues that McNulty’s appointment to IMMA was a “cynical, politically naive manoeuvre which cost us votes”. Another said the party had come across like “Fianna Fáil lite” with its actions.
Despite calls for the process to be revisited there appeared to be no appetite among senior members of the party. Describing the tenor of the meeting, a party source said: “It was a good row in fairness, but no answers.”
Separately the Trinity branch of Young Fine Gael has hit out at the appointment process and this evening the UCD branch of YFG supported this stance:
Meanwhile senator Fidelma Healy-Eames, formerly of Fine Gael, has written to Arts Minister Heather Humphreys with a number of questions about McNulty’s appointment, including:
1. Did McNulty apply for the IMMA board appointment?2. If not, who brought Mr. McNulty’s name to the Minister’s attention?3. Who recommended that Mr. McNulty be appointed to the board of IMMA?4. Is the appointment to IMMA a legal appointment? I ask this question given that the two new appointments to the board of IMMA now bring the total board number to eleven (11), two more than the maximum currently allowed, and in light of the Minister saying in her statement to the Seanad yesterday, that the draft legislation is not yet enacted for these two extra board appointments.
First published 7.31pm
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Oh gawd ! I thought she was full of something else !
No we don’t. That’s what your doctor’s office is for.
I think we should talk about ……. Jam!, when I was eating jam sangages last week for lunch the jam dripped onto my hand, It was sticky and very annoying . Why not start a debate about that!??
Gimme a jasus break!!!!
@Stephen, It’s really depends on the brand of jam that you use and of course the flavour of jam, chivers strawberry jam is notorious for its dripping qualities, some people will think that I’m a jam racist after that!
There’s a song about it..http://youtu.be/oFRbZJXjWIA
She suddenly feels a need to talk about it AFTER somebody else brought up the topic publically.
why do we need talk about it? it’s a personal medical issue get it sorted and save us having to know about it.
When a woman like Bláthnaid says, “we need to talk about it.” it usually means ‘shut up and listen…or else.’
I don’t see the need to talk about it, – maybe she means ‘women need to be educated about it…??
Kate Winslet said it was” part and parcel” of child birth so if that’s the case, why feel the need to talk about it?
As a taxi driver I can fully vouch for what she’s saying.. It’s actually unbelievable the amount of Women that will leave a stain in the seat when they get out..
Ah, that’s different though… And sure any woman would be the same around such a smooth talker….
Is this a piss take?
Definitely talking the piss.
Indeed. No justice in the world when a poor innocent dog gets his mouth duct taped shut and this bag of piss gets to open hers all too freely.
The New world intercontence champion
Literally pissin myself here!
Billy Connolly had been talking about incontinence for years
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XCysEz4nFDc
Really enjoyed the interview Blathnáid gave to Moncrieff yesterday. This wasn’t the only topic she talked about, she also talked about going to college for the first time at forty five, the pressures placed on a woman’s appearance in the media and life in general.
She had keyhole surgery recently to sort out her incontinence problem and is enjoying a better quality of life. Seems like she had a difficult fifteen years with it, and if she chooses to talk about something that affected her personally good for her.
@Chauncey Gardiner,
Yeah but she’s doing a nonsense degree, Women’s Studies.
Gender Studies actually. Why worry about it, what Blanáid does or discusses has no consequence on your life.
We need to talk about crop dusting
Is that the less successful follow up to ”We need to talk about Kevin” ?
Never tell a pregnant woman a secret so
Or how about not talking about it. Just put up with it, or treat it, or whatever the doctor recommends. But definitely, definitely, don’t talk about it. That would work better for all concerned.
Echo island surround by water, makes ya think
No we dont
My mates in England were more interested in how on earth to pronounce her name
Flatulence needs a discussion as well and smelly feet could do with a bit of understanding
Ah she’s just talking shit
Sorry, it’s gone outa me head.
Does she file her taxes in her English name, married name, maiden name , Irish maiden name, Irish married name —- what is her name in English ?? If Irish people want English translated into Irish it should work both ways and her name should appear in English also.
Thank god for c sections!
PMSL
Worse if it was peed others while laughing lol.
Flaps
Her name in english is flower coffey
Awful thing but Billy Connolly had a great parody about it…
have your say