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Averil Power said A LOT of harsh things about Fianna Fáil today

The independent senator launched a scathing attack on her now-former party today.

File Photo Averil Power Resigns from Fianna Fail. Avery Power had lots to say about Fianna Fáil and its leader today Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

AVERIL POWER QUIT Fianna Fáil with a bang today, launching an extraordinary attack on the party, its direction, its leadership and its campaign in the marriage referendum.

A visibly emotional Power shocked Fianna Fáil members with her announcement on the Leinster House plinth. Though her unhappiness with the party, particularly in relation to its referendum campaign, was known there were no indications she was about to resign.

She made the decision some weeks ago – and was waiting for the referendum to conclude – but confirmed she had not spoken Micheál Martin, whom she described as “a leader without any followers.

Indeed, we understand Power didn’t even consult with her own staff about the decision.

Senator Averil Power has resigned from Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland Sasko Lazarov / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

“It’s been a very difficult personal decision. I suppose I’m an optimistic person so for a long time I wanted to believe that I could help to change the part from within,” Power said today.

I also knew there were many members relying on me to do that but I just don’t believe that’s possible any more and I can’t in good faith go on the media and argue for a party I don’t believe in, stand on doorsteps and ask them to put their confidence in a party that I don’t believe in.

Here’s what else she had to say about her now-former party earlier today:

1. The referendum was the final straw

Gay Marriage Equality Referendums Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland Eamonn Farrell / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Power said she had been “really unhappy for quite sometime” but the referendum was the final straw. It became clear in recent weeks that Fianna Fáil was divided over the issue and she was one of the few members who actively campaigned for a Yes vote.

Others kept quiet and worried what impact it would have on their vote at the next election. Power described this as a ”cowardly and cynical approach”.

For me, marriage equality goes to the core of what republicanism is about. We should have been the lead party in that campaign and instead most of my parliamentary colleagues hid on it and refused to campaign.

2. Fianna Fáil is “not fit for office” 

IMG_6120

What does Fianna Fáil stand for? It’s a criticism that’s been levelled at the party for sometime now and Power made the same charge today, saying it is “constantly pulling in ten different directions”. She said that many members all over the country feel the same way.

They can’t decide what they stand for and as we get closer to an election, I can’t ask people to vote for a party that I simply don’t believe is fit for office.

3. Her colleagues were selfish 

Power said various members of the frontbench put their own success ahead of the party’s in recent months.

I just don’t think we are a cohesive party any more. A party is a group of people who have a collective vision and I just don’t think Fianna Fáil can be described as that any more.

4. Her own party laughed at her 

Power recalled one meeting of the parliamentary party where she suggested that people campaigning in the Carlow-Kilkenny by-election should wear Yes badges and carry leaflets.

I was laughed at for making that suggestion. Colleagues seemed to think it was crazy that I would go out on an issue that nationally we say we stand for but locally we were running scared from.

Martin later described Power’s claim that she was laughed at as “a gross distortion”.

5. This wasn’t about political expediency 

Power insisted that ending her 15-year association with Fianna Fáil was not for the purposes of political advancement and the anticipated battle in Dublin Bay North to be the party’s Dáil nominee. Though she faced stiff competition for nomination she was confident she would be in the running:

I never had any fear that I wouldn’t be a candidate for the party. I always felt that I would win the convention but in any event if I didn’t it was made very clear to me that i would be added to the ticket. I also never had any fear of running as a Fianna Fáil candidate if I believed in the party.

6. Micheál Martin means well but he’s “ineffective”

Publicly at least, Power has enjoyed a good relationship with her party leader who has put her front-and-centre of many of its initiatives on greater female participation in politics. But the senator thinks he’s just not good enough:

I like him on a personal level, but I just don’t think he’s an effective leader.

File Photo Averil Power Resigns from Fianna Fail. Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland Sam Boal / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

7. But it’s not just Micheál

If I thought the only problem was Micheál Martin I’d stick it out but I don’t believe that’s the case. I think the party as a whole lack courage, commitment, and conviction. I don’t think that’s going to change regardless of who the leader is.

8. She thinks the party is incapable change 

Power describes herself as an optimistic person but she does not believe Fianna Fáil is capable of changing. Asked about the future of the party, she said:

I don’t know. I suppose that’s no longer my business.”

9. She might not stay in politics

Power said she has no intention of joining another party, has not been approached by any party and intends to remain independent for the remaining Seanad term.

She gave no indication as to whether she will run for the Dáil at the next election and pointed out she had other options.

I don’t know what the future holds, I know I have other options. I’ve a business degree from Trinity I have a legal diploma from the King’s Inns.

Earlier: Averil Power launches scathing attack on Fianna Fáil as she quits party

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93 Comments
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    Mute Jane Dwyer
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    May 25th 2015, 7:02 PM

    What was she doing in FF in the first place?

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    Mute Paul Roche
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    May 25th 2015, 7:13 PM

    Seeking “respectability”.

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    Mute Jane Dwyer
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    May 25th 2015, 7:15 PM

    In FF??

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    Mute Micheal Johnson
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    May 25th 2015, 7:16 PM

    Yeah more than likely; but what a coward not even notifying the party first and then stepping on the plinth to call MM one. Averil has effectively let the media do her dirty work, not very honourable, not very dependable, and not qualities I look for in a TD

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    Mute CSOB
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    May 25th 2015, 7:19 PM

    Nobody ever makes it after leaving FF, apart from Mary Lou.

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    Mute Joe
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    May 25th 2015, 7:21 PM

    Michael that shouldn’t surprise you she is in bed with the media literally and figuratively speaking.

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 7:28 PM

    Come on now guys lets not go doing the partisan hackery you see on here so often; Some of you may have axes to grind as members or supporters of other parties, sure. But being a member of FF is no diff to being a member of any other party. There are as many reasons to be a member of FF as any other party esp in a country where for most parties 80-90% agree on policy, if you were locked in a cell for the last govt term and I told you the govts policies but not who won the election you’d swear Brian Cowen was still in charge.
    Much fun as it is to be part of one tribe and mock the others it does not help the democratic discourse or move our country forward. We need a decent opposition with real weight and cross community support to prevent a govt becoming arrogant and complacent

    ‘I don’t like dem cuz dere not my tribe, they’re blue I’m red’ is not that great an argument.

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    Mute Paul Mc
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    May 25th 2015, 7:32 PM

    All aboard the gravy train cho cho.

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    Mute Emlyn Grant
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    May 25th 2015, 7:33 PM

    Hate how they never resign there seat. So what you resign from a political party but still keep your cushy job. Then expect people to believe in your integrity.

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    Mute Jane Dwyer
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    May 25th 2015, 7:35 PM

    I am not a member or supporter of any particular party, I tend to vote for the individual. FF are the most conservative party in this country so I find it rather strange that someone with fairly liberal principals would find a home within them.

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 7:46 PM

    @Emlyn we don’t have a party list system, so you hold the seat personally not as just a party rep, in fact in many cases, ESP in FF, they vote for you personally called the ‘personal vote’ sometimes even though they can’t stand your party.

    That is why there is always a gap between FF in the polls and FF in reality in elections, people say “I can’t stand them, but xyz is ok I met him and agree with him on a lot”

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    Mute Anthony Lang
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    May 25th 2015, 7:46 PM

    A sincere idealist in a party of expedient pragmatists.

    I can imagine the reaction to the wearing of badges, showing a commitment to one position.

    As an FF Minister said to me once, “The fact that I have not opposed this, does not mean that I’m in favour if it but it does not mean that I’m opposed. But you can reply on the full support of my best will whatever about what I think of the proposal, which I admit has some merit although those merits have to be balanced with the opposing view, which have merits too, if you agree with although I’m not saying that I Agree with them. “

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 7:50 PM

    @Jane the explanation is that those of us who are politically active dont’ base our decision on what party to join just on one issue alone even if it’s important to us.

    Getting the government out of citizens personal lives is a very important principle to me but I also care about welfare reform, the economy, crime, the fact that Ireland is the only EU state without universal free at point of use healthcare and now third level education, )with the UK policy change). Many people like FF because it’s a party for everyone. FG is perceived by many as being the party of the upper middle class and well off farmers, SF is almost entirely working class (or younger kids of middle class in some cases) wheras FF has a diverse mix of everyone, and is generally much more ‘best of both worlds’ with left and right wing ideas, so someone who thinks of themselves as a moderate centrist would easily find a home there. No party member agrees with party policy on every issue by a long shot

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    Mute mammysdinners
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    May 25th 2015, 7:50 PM

    Exactly, what was it about FF circa 2011 that motivated her? She should spend the rest of her political life explaining why she was there in the first place.

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 7:52 PM

    @Mammy is it that hard to understand? Maybe she felt the party was making the tough but necessary decisions at the time? Even though they knew it would doom them.

    FG and Lab people can no longer be critical of those decisions since they not only continued them but as the OECD noted a much more regressive version of them.

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    Mute Emlyn Grant
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    May 25th 2015, 8:01 PM

    @Ryan. Power won her seat as a F.F. candidate. She was voted by F.F. councilors because she was on a list given to them by M.M. The only reason she has her seat is because she a member of F.F. So if she had integrity she would resign her seat and then stand for election as an Independent but that will not happen as like a lot of them its all about the Money not honesty and integrity.

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    Mute Jane Dwyer
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    May 25th 2015, 8:02 PM

    She’s left wing Anth. Nobody could accuse FF of being lefties so what was her motivation?

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    Mute Jack Bowden
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    May 25th 2015, 8:10 PM

    I have a theory about her.
    She joined Fianna Fáil in the boom time when it seemed like everyone liked them. I think that was her motivation for joining them. She could see herself in cabinet making decisions. She wants to be liked and popular. Fianna Fáil have said that they won’t go into government as the smaller party so that means she’ll be a backbencher at best if she stays with them. She’s got more ambition that that.

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 8:14 PM

    @Em that’s not how our system works, people run as individuals and you get your seat as individuals. Thats why party list has always been rejected here because people want the choice to vote for a person.

    @Jane there are lots of progressives in FF, it was afterall FF who introduced the minimum wage, nondiscrimination laws, decriminalization of homosexuality, the free travel pass, raised welfare rates every year during the good years…they’re a lot more progressive than FG or indeed Lab I would argue, Labs record on progressive issues is awful, they had how many terms of office and never bothered with something as basic as a minimum wage, even during the spring tide.

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    Mute Emlyn Grant
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    May 25th 2015, 8:16 PM

    @Ryan that is how she was elected.

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 8:40 PM

    SHE was on the ballot not her party. She was a candidate of her party but elected in her own right. That’s how PRSTV works, it’s not PR-List which is when you vote for a party.
    What the hell diff does it make anyway? It’s the Senate for gods sake a powerless, ineffective rubber stamp that could not actually do anything even if it tried.

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    Mute Jane Dwyer
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    May 25th 2015, 8:40 PM

    How much of what they have done on so called moral issues has been driven by Europe though? And the economic changes they made were never going to lose them votes. Who doesn’t want their granny to have a bus pass. It just doesn’t seem like a natural fit to me and I question her motivation in joining them in the first place.

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 8:42 PM

    I’m just playing devils advocate based on why the people I know joined FF, I don’t know her personal motivation. I’m just saying FF policy has in reality (as opposed to manifestos) had the most progressive policy track record of any party

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    Mute Jane Dwyer
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    May 25th 2015, 8:56 PM

    Time to come out of the closet Anth.

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    Mute Sergeant Yates
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    May 25th 2015, 9:10 PM

    Giving out that ff never took a ‘position’ when she joined the party under Bertie.. The master of not taking positions but being all things to all people.. It was always about the fastest road to office .. Completely cynical and self serving move.

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    Mute Duncan
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    May 25th 2015, 10:47 PM

    Jack,

    I think you’re spot on. It’s nothing to do with integrity. We’re talking FF here!!
    She’s ambitious and hungry. I believe her timing was very measured and her political footballing of the equality referendum is sickening. She’s no different to any of her FF predecessors only she knows FF will not be in government anytime soon. I could see her crawling to FG
    Watch this space

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    Mute Bobby Phelan
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    May 26th 2015, 12:45 AM

    Rumor is her husband works for dob i think she will do just fine its only a game there playing.If she becomes an indp i wonder who she will jump into bed with!!!!!Maybe i am wrong they say if you want to learn how to act become a politician.

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    Mute The Todd
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    May 25th 2015, 7:02 PM

    A lot more going on behind closed doors, I doubt she’s the only one thinks Mehole is unfit for the job

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    Mute richard kenny
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    May 25th 2015, 7:14 PM

    FF wouldn’t know what to do if they miraculously won enough seats!
    They would be afraid of another obliteration.
    Who do they have 2 replace their leader?
    He appears like a nice chap but he’s probably too afraid to make any mistakes-Jackie Healy-rae once said anyone that never chances anything never had anything! !

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    Mute The Todd
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    May 25th 2015, 7:24 PM

    That McGrath lad seems alright but then he’s the best of a very bad bunch. Just hand it over to younger politicians and build for 2100 haha

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 7:33 PM

    Not taking positions has always worked for them in the past, but now it’s hurting them badly.

    People feel very angry over the 2011 election where they voted for a govt that promised no water charges, abolition of college fees, universal healthcare, a stimulus package instead of just austerity…and got an action replay, a more regressive action replay, of the govt they just vote out. So a party not even pretending that it would be any diff to the ones currently in power is not going to get very far. Having smart policies does not mean 1977 style giveaways it does not have to be reckless, just to have a bit of imagination. Look at the issues, the key issues for people atm and FF position on them:

    -Water charges (in favor, helped introduce them)
    -College Fees (in favor, tried to reintroduce them themselves, never tried to introduce a free up front pay later deal either)
    -Economy (no new ideas what-so-ever)
    -Constitutional reform (a really terrible Senate reform idea they know they’ll never implement)
    -Healthcare (oppose the governments plan but their alternative is basically the status quo)
    -Crime (no ideas)
    -Public Transport (no ideas)

    31
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    Mute Chris
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    May 25th 2015, 8:07 PM

    I’ve heard and read a few things about Mehole. He is supposed to be dismissive and very arrogant, not endearing qualities at all.

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 8:20 PM

    They say bad things about all politicos personally, I’ve been warned before that such and such was ‘unbearable, horrible, you’ll want to run out of the room’ and the person was as charming and lovely as it gets. Take those rumors with a grain of salt, politics is a ego bruizing business and sometimes people take loosing or loosing out badly and act like a school girl complaining that such and such “was always a c__t anyway”

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 7:08 PM

    The reason they are not coming up with new policy ideas is that historically they just had to wait a term and they’d be back in office. They don’t seem to have absorbed that we’ve more than just the 2.5 parties to vote for that they have SF, Indos and FG all sucking their key voters from them.

    They need to draw a clear line under the past, show the public they are not the party of Padrig Flynns dodgyness and Brian Cowens short term vote buying anymore. They need to put new younger faces up front with original and bold ideas that actually speak to swing voters. Offering to tinker with tax rates a little and give out more medical cards won’t do it. She’s right about one thing I’ve found it talking to friends in the party they are TERRIFIED of taking a firm position on ANYTHING. All their policies involve tinkering around the edges, there are no new fresh ideas, FG in 2011 had more big ideas than them today, the graduate tax, UHI, the stimulus package they’ve no ideas like that. There is a HUGE gap in the market for people who think SF are too far to the left and FG too far to the right and they’re not exploiting it.

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    Mute The Todd
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    May 25th 2015, 7:12 PM

    Fair analysis but the voters gotta go somewhere. As you said, they should really be exploiting that gap even if it means by being somewhat populist. Maybe party strategists fell off the bandwagon the last time it crashed

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 7:35 PM

    They don’t have to be populist, it’s actually more of a branding strategy than anything the voters don’t really care about policy unless it personally affects them so they need to develop a policy platform that targets every swing voter group, and it needs to be a good idea that will survive media scrutiny, a media that hates them and has always hated them and had it in for them.

    Yeh we know where they are gonna go if FF don’t shape up…the bloody independents and we’ll have 50 of them in the next Dail leading to a hung dail and gross instability right as the country is taking off

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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    May 25th 2015, 7:38 PM

    I think what MM said about the 8th encapsulates the current state of FF. I would like to think they just weren’t trying but it looks more like they are just broken and are extremely fearful of losing more of their core. If they did they would prob swing to FG and that could have a highly tipped endorsement from Enda in ’21.

    It is a salient point regarding Irish politics as a whole that nobody chimed up in the last few to fill that gap between SF and FF. I was sincerely hoping someone like Ross ( not a fan but he was making noises) would take it on but more and more he just seems to be a man who knows who butters his bread….I think that is a saying. Close like.

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 7:44 PM

    In fairness with abortion I understand why they’re hemming and hawing, FG have that problem too, it would split the party to take a firm stance on it, has to be left up to a free vote.

    It’s the lack of policy on economy etc that bothers me
    There is also a critical part of the policy problem were not discussing and it’s heresy to say it but I’m not in a party so I will….part of it is FF agrees with most of what the govt are doing, because there really IS no big policy diff between FF and FG, were it not for the civil war they’d be one party and the alternative would be SF-Lab.

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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    May 25th 2015, 8:02 PM

    Spot on. I take your point on FF and the 8th but it was just the delivery. That man has never looked able. As you said, they really are not that different and, although not privy, tis clear how similar the two parties are. That is why i ponder did they just sit this one out? Let MM go easy, keep what you have and try push on later.

    It really hasn’t been made hard for FF either. Not a single sign of a decent center-left party. Labour can talk about this referendum but not a hope of shaking this coalition anytime soon. I said it before and i will say it again. SF are gonna gain whatever your “beliefs”.

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 8:18 PM

    He’s adequate just not GREAT. They have not got anyone to replace him yet and won’t until the next election, and since the next election could lead to a FF-FG govt or a FG-FF govt so he could be Taoiseach or Tainiste depending how a number of factors play out.

    I know politics Charlie and reading election data was a key part of my job for a long time, SFs rise is not as huge as people think it is for a number of reasons they will prob draw even with or slightly behind FF next time, even with FFs troubles. There are a lot of wild cards, FF peoples ‘personal vote’, SFs lack of transfers, their glass ceiling to the middle class voter…a lot could happen

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    Mute Charlie Fogarty
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    May 25th 2015, 8:44 PM

    Nicely put. It is always nice to hear a nonpartisan and informed opinion. I am not a supporter of any particular party (anymore) so the election is enthralling for the reasons you put and more.

    I tend to forget that it very likely to see MM giggling, looking up to his right with his arms crossed and dome shining, then slowly shift his gaze to…….Next year in Dáil Éireann!!!!

    The Journal should start a week by week op-ed with people from each constituency in the run up to the election. Litigation kept to a minimum.

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    Mute Tony
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    May 25th 2015, 7:04 PM

    Typical woman doesn’t know what she wants.

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    Mute Irish Druid
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    May 25th 2015, 7:07 PM

    Her treatment at the FF meeting was disgraceful and demonstrates FF has not changed as much as its leader would have us believe.

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    Mute mickmc
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    May 25th 2015, 7:18 PM

    Heard her on the last word earlier. Sound like a spoilt child throwing her toy out of the cot

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    Mute Niall K
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    May 25th 2015, 7:03 PM

    Will she pay back the money she raised to run as a FF candidate in the election?

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    Mute Mike Cantwell
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    May 25th 2015, 7:06 PM

    Already I miss her shrill voice

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    Mute Karl Waters
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    May 25th 2015, 7:13 PM

    Fair play to her. The people in Carlow/Kilkenny seem to have forgotten Fianna Fáil’s true colours. A gentle reminder of that for them today.

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    Mute Mike Cantwell
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    May 25th 2015, 7:23 PM

    In Bertie’s FF everyone had to obey , Power it seems expected everyone to campaign for a Yes vote , with her there was no dissent , the Shinners would suit her , in fairness she is someone who could wear jackboots

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    Mute Joe
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    May 25th 2015, 7:22 PM

    Absolute cowardice this woman is nothing more than a political opportunist I hope she never wins election and going on her track record as a career loser that shouldn’t be a worry.

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    Mute Al Ca
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    May 25th 2015, 7:30 PM

    “I can’t ask people to vote for a party that I simply don’t believe is fit for office.”

    Now….if you could just tell that to the people of Carlow-Kilkenny who seem to be suffering from collective amnesia about those who drove Ireland off a cliff.
    There’s something seriously wrong with peoples mental state to vote FF.

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 7:42 PM

    I’m sick hearing this bs about one party driving us off a cliff, our entire establishment was jacking off over the celtic tiger bubble and all 3 main parties had nearly identical economic policies, none of them saw the crash coming.

    FF did not cause a global recession, they may have managed it badly, and failed to anticipate it in their fiscal policy, but to suggest the other parties would not have made the EXACT same mistakes is painfully naive. Even if they had slammed the brakes on they’d have had to do it way back in 2002-2003, and there is no way the public would have stood for the govt in the face of huge surpluses saying “no were spending it all on infrastructure, or banking it in a savings account or both instead of spending it on 10ers on childrens allowance and tax cuts. There is no WAY on earth that would have been allowed, even if they tried to explain the revenue was from a temporary stream so they had to spend it on long term stuff. The only thing they could have done back then that the public would have ok’d was proper banking governance and regulation and with Noonan being advised by bloody Goldman Sachs these days I don’t see FG would have done that either.

    Lets live in the real world, shall we? Not put partisan blinders on us. God I’m so glad I’m not a member of a party right now it leaves you free to think your own mind

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    Mute Joe
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    May 25th 2015, 7:45 PM

    Who is your party Ryan?

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    Mute Al Ca
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    May 25th 2015, 7:54 PM

    They didn’t see it coming because they are inept to the job and were too busy feathering their own nests. Blaming global recession is the usual excuse to pass the buck and deflect. The reason we are in this sh*t is because they don’t know their arse from their elbow.
    I do live in the real world and past events have shown me that we have people in politics that care little for the people they represent as long as they can make it through and grab a pension as they waltz out the door.

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 7:56 PM

    I’m not a member of any party, I just don’t like disingenuous bs . I was one of the few people around politics at that time yelling ICEBERG to anyone who’d listen, and I recall what FG and Lab people were saying about the economy in 2007 and it was not “were about to have a crash” it was “we all agree on economic policy we’ve fixed the economy we’ve gotten that right, the debate now is how to allocate the resources (spend the dosh)”

    The IDA used to brag to investors that our main 3 parties would all do the same thing in govt so they could have certainty that there would be no radical Syrza style shifts as with Greece today. There was no way to avoid a recession for an Irish government, it was IMPOSSIBLE. We could have avoided a banking crash, definitely, which would have meant not needing the troika possibly (possibly), but no FG led govt would have regulated the banks the way needed to prevent that crash, most of their elected reps would not have the sliestest understanding of even the basics in the financail sector so how could they reform what they don’t understand, and the ones who do believed in deregulation same as FF

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 7:58 PM

    @Al I don’t deny they had no understanding of the financial system or what was going on, all they knew was money was coming in and they could buy elections with it.

    I’m not disputing that, what I’m saying is no other govt would have done any different either, so it’s NOT just a FF thing, it’s our entire establishment went off the rails and we were not the only one, it happened all over the western world

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    Mute Al Ca
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    May 25th 2015, 9:32 PM

    Iceland.

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    Mute Rochelle
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    May 25th 2015, 10:38 PM

    Correct Ryan, we need a shift in emphasis in politics in this country. Thinking FF were the cause of all evil and FG are any different are the thoughts of a fool.

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    Mute TotalScrotal
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    May 25th 2015, 7:38 PM

    The timing of this stinks….she might not stay in politics my hoop. She does this straight after the referendum campaign where she raised her profile, on the plinth outside Leinster house, chucking out lots of juicy quotes. Pure publicity seeking

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    Mute AlanHarte
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    May 25th 2015, 8:20 PM

    And no doubt she is well coached in media matters by her hubby.

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    Mute Martin Mc Donnell
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    May 25th 2015, 7:14 PM

    A little bitter I think. Back stabber comes to mind.

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    Mute Michael Cunningham
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    May 26th 2015, 6:49 AM

    So she should’ve kept her mouth shut??

    “Why are you leaving FF?” Seems an obvious question she would be asked.

    It would be moronic not to prepare for that one.

    In any case, describing the party as directionless mess was hardly a revelation.

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    Mute Tommy_Numan
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    May 25th 2015, 7:33 PM

    Another shrieking harpie. The country’s full of them.
    Worse than listening to a dentist’s drill. Always looks on the verge of tears.
    Good riddance.

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    Mute cosmological
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    May 25th 2015, 7:13 PM

    Very sharp and very damaging claws mauling FF. Hooray!

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    Mute Jane Ryan
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    May 25th 2015, 7:32 PM

    Close the door on your way out power ,twisted back stabbers like her belong in the fine gael party

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    Mute Marty Flood
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    May 25th 2015, 7:33 PM

    Could have kept her trap shut and left with dignity. I’ve little respect for FF but even less for her now.

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    Mute Ryan Anth
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    May 25th 2015, 7:37 PM

    You think a public representative should just end her career, and slink away into the night without bothering to tell the public why? Why would ANYONE do that? If you’re gonna keep your mouth shut why not stay inside? The only reason to quit is so you can speak out. People don’t leave their parties over smal things, esp career politicos who were looking for a Dail seat, the political ego is huge and the desire to conform to the group dynamic huge, to override all that she must have been v v v frustrated

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    Mute Pat O Neill
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    May 25th 2015, 7:17 PM

    Her departure is one good reason to join FF. We do need a centrist Republican Party, they are the nearest thing at the moment, warts-an-all.

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    Mute Tony Hickey
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    May 25th 2015, 7:31 PM

    She might be right – met several high profile politicians canvassing for a yes vote over the past few weeks – only one with a team of photographers was Micheal Martin!

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    Mute GO GREEN
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    May 25th 2015, 7:29 PM

    I doubt very much we have heard the last of Averil Power in Irish politics. Whatever her politics she is astute and a formidable politician.

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    Mute Joe
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    May 25th 2015, 7:31 PM

    And she has the media in her back pocket.

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    Mute GO GREEN
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    May 25th 2015, 7:36 PM

    That could be said of most of the political establishment.

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    Mute Joe
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    May 25th 2015, 7:41 PM

    Not all of them are married to the political editor of a national newspaper.

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    Mute GO GREEN
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    May 25th 2015, 7:46 PM

    I wasn”t aware of that and I see where you are coming from now.

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    Mute cosmological
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    May 25th 2015, 8:23 PM

    Utterly reasonable comment undeserving of red thumbs.

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    Mute Anthony Lang
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    May 25th 2015, 7:54 PM

    Senator Averil Powervis a new breed of young politician, knows her mind and has principles. Does not favour the cute hoor and Machiavellian approach, supports her causes passionately and unequivocally, knows the electorate and empathises with them. She has energy, ideas and values. I respect her and I think that the younger generation of upcoming politicians will share a lot of these atributes.

    The old guard are hanging on to political office but have lost energy, zest, passion and ideas. Time for them to make way.

    Senator Power’s frustration and difficulty derived from her position as a passionate idealist in a party of expedient pragmatists, who follow, not lead public opinion.

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    Mute Bob Murphy
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    May 25th 2015, 8:17 PM

    She was not elected in the last election for areason

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    Mute AlanHarte
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    May 25th 2015, 8:06 PM

    Who is she, only a partially-elected senator with an overinflated sense of importance. It was an odd time to lambast the leader after his party takes a seat off FG in a fairly important by election.

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    Mute Bob Murphy
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    May 25th 2015, 8:06 PM

    Unelected and unelectable. still looking for the gravy train

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    Mute ConcernedCitizen
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    May 25th 2015, 8:00 PM

    Inevitable that a bright modern thinker like Avril Power would leave FF who can’t resist clinging onto its old, conservative, catholic, intellectually bankrupt, self serving and monumentally deluded principles. Good on you Avril. Best of luck to you.

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    Mute Conor Ruth➰
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    May 25th 2015, 8:53 PM

    Labour is the party closest to her views, shouldn’t have been in FF in the first place.

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    Mute James Gorman
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    May 25th 2015, 10:30 PM

    Ageed Conor Ruth – I rate her and would like to see her in Labour.

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    Mute Jane Dwyer
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    May 25th 2015, 11:50 PM

    If she’s as ambitious as some think I doubt very much she’ll join a sinking party. She does seem closer to their way of thinking though, so it’ll be interesting.

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    Mute Mary McDermott
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    May 25th 2015, 8:23 PM

    Fair play to you Averil. Loved u but not your party and often wondered why u were in it. U are a strong woman and a courageous woman. Should be more like u in politics. U told it as it is and did not stand by those who are covering up for a party that had and seemingly still has cracks in it covered up by two faced idiots that’s in the party for their own gains .

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    Mute @mdmak33
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    May 25th 2015, 8:27 PM

    All TD,s on the left have to get together and form an alternative for the people, or feck off out of politics. Families are suffering and you are running too many candidates against ff,fg,lab,and the vote is being split.

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    Mute PaoloFreire
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    May 25th 2015, 10:25 PM

    Averil Power looked passionate in her speech today. I don’t agree with the Gravy Train comments. To me, her reasons were insightful. She summed up the problems with FF really well; that they are a jaded coalition of careerists, whose vision is fragmented and dated. Their voter base is aging rapidly and like the Church, they are not attracting the young to their ‘vision’. It’s full civil-war, family dynasties and hacks and should disband.

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    Mute Jarlath Murphy
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    May 25th 2015, 8:20 PM

    “A party incapable of change”

    And that from a high flying party insider?

    Even if she has an Axe to grind it is a damning indictment on party and leader!

    Roll on #GE2015!

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    Mute sean de paore
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    May 25th 2015, 9:06 PM

    FF were happy to take renegades from other parties and rather than stage bi-elections they eventually made ministers of them.
    Martin Cullen has a ministerial pension , apparently flowing out to the USA, each month as a result.
    Fair play to Power for realising FF is no party for young women.

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    Mute Micheal S. O' Ceilleachair
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    May 26th 2015, 12:12 AM

    I guess Avril wanted her moment on the Plinth. Very discourteous of her not to have informed Micheál Martin of her intentions. She was very ungracious to say the least. FF are well off without her.

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    Mute Bob Murphy
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    May 25th 2015, 8:10 PM

    I agree

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    Mute Anthony Halpin
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    May 26th 2015, 3:11 AM

    Well I’ll put it this way. 10 years ago I was involved in a situation in which the guilty party appealed his conviction. I was provided a ‘State solicitor’ who practically fell asleep during the appeal of this, and at one point my assailant said the walked “A couple of inches” into my driveway, then quickly followed up by letting slip that he was standing between two cars on the driveway. Mr. State solicitor said nothing (then again, like the Garda who perjured himself, they were all rooting for the vigilante) Fast forward 10 years and guess who Fianna FailURE have been trying to woo with the promise that he would be the sole candidate should he decide to run for them? – that’s right! – the man who responded to subsequent letter of complaint with the words “I represent the State, not the individual”! Rotten, rotten rotten … always have been and always will.

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    Mute Chris
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    May 25th 2015, 8:36 PM

    Years ago our perrsonal development lecturer in DBS told us how he rudely and dismissively waved away a young lad who wanted to talk to him. It was the lecturers son, needless to say he was told that he just lost his vote and his sons when he was old enough to vote.

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    Mute John Fairclough
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    May 25th 2015, 7:58 PM
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