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LAST UPDATE | 23 Aug 2020
THE DÁIL IS to be recalled at the start of September following opposition demands for the house to return to deal with the response to the coronavirus crisis.
Those calls intensified on Friday and over the weekend in the wake of mounting public fury over revelations that around 80 guests, including serving and former politicians, attended a golf dinner in a Co Galway hotel just a day after the government had announced strict new measures in order to stem the continuing spike in Covid-19 cases to protect the vulnerable and save lives.
Fianna Fáil’s Dara Calleary – who sat at the Cabinet table as the new measures were decided – has been forced to resign his position as Agriculture Minister after he attended the function. Fine Gael Senator Jerry Buttimer also quit his role as deputy chairman of the Seanad. Six serving senators – three each from Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, including Buttimer – have been thrown out of their parliamentary parties.
The controversy tipped an already calamitous week into political crisis territory for the government and led to speculation it could spell the beginning of the end for the three-party coalition just eight weeks after Micheál Martin’s election as Taoiseach.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Six One news on Friday Martin said he had no plans to bring TDs back early to the Dáil and that it was not a decision for him but for government as a whole.
“The government is increasingly chaotic, confused, with no direction. They must be held to account,” Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald tweeted on Friday night. Labour leader Alan Kelly also called for the Dáil to return on Friday – as did a raft of other opposition politicians.
In a further statement on Friday night Kelly pointed out that the Taoiseach could, indeed, recall TDs if he wished to do so.
“The Taoiseach said tonight it was not for him to recall the Dáil but he specifically has that power under Dáil rules. That is Standing Order 26: ‘Special Summons for earlier sitting’. On the request of the Taoiseach, the Ceann Comhairle may summon the Dáil for an earlier sitting than that set on the adjournment.”
A statement issued on Saturday night by the government said the Taoiseach, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar and the Green Party leader, Minister Eamon Ryan, “have agreed that the Dáil should be recalled following the reopening of schools”.
“The Taoiseach will make this request to the Ceann Comhairle on Monday.”
It’s expected the Dáil will return the week after next – with Tuesday 1 September pencilled in as the most likely date. TDs had been due back on Tuesday 15 September.
However, opposition TDs have said there’s an urgent need for the Dáil to return sooner than 1 September.
Labour leader Alan Kelly said today: “Announcing in the middle of the night a recall of the Dáil that won’t happen for over a week sums up the chaos at the heart of this government. A delayed return of the Dáil is not acceptable, and it should come back this Tuesday 25 August.
We have too much to discuss. There is a serious crisis of confidence in the institutions of the State and the Government’s ability to handle this pandemic after so many high-profile public figures acted with impunity.
It makes no sense that the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minister Ryan are prepared to wait over a week in the hope this storm will pass.
Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy, meanwhile, said there’s “too much at stake for the government to be waiting around”.
“Schools will start opening this week; students are very anxiously awaiting exam results; businesses in lockdown in Kildare are in crisis; other businesses are trying to rebuild. Getting through these complex issues needs good leadership, significant resources and information, transparency and honesty around decisions,” she said.
“The Dáil is the place where this needs to happen and it should be recalled immediately.”
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald echoed these calls on Twitter, saying that “politics needs to get ahead of the big challenges of school returns, healthcare capacity, protecting jobs and workers”.
Golfgate
The fallout from the Golfgate controversy continued last night meanwhile as the government confirmed that the Taoiseach and Tánaiste had called on EU Commissioner Phil Hogan to consider his position in the wake of the former Fine Gael minister’s attendance at the dinner and the tenor of his response to criticism on Friday.
As apologies, whip-removals and resignations came thick-and-fast on Friday morning, Hogan at first only offered a perfunctory statement through a spokesperson insisting that he had complied with all HSE guidelines to restrict his movements after arriving back in Ireland some weeks before the golf event.
The statement also blamed the hotel for any potential breach of public health rules.
Martin, speaking on Six One on Friday, called for Hogan to apologise properly and said he “would like a meaningful response to the mood of the public and the anger of the public towards this issue”.
A spokesperson for Hogan said after the broadcast that the Trade Commissioner “regretted and apologises” for attending the event.
In a statement last night a government spokesperson confirmed that:
“The Taoiseach and the Tánaiste did speak with Commissioner Hogan today and asked him to consider his position.
They both believe that the event should never have been held, that the Commissioner’s apology came late and that he still needs to give a full account and explanations of his actions.
A spokesperson for Hogan did not initially respond to queries from TheJournal.ie but told RTÉ:
“There will be no response this evening to the call from the Taoiseach and Tánaiste that he consider his position.
“We will reflect on that.”
With reporting from Sean Murray
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I hate the race card being played, ie even though the mother acknowledges that it is likely due to having the same name as someone else of importance, she blames it on being Muslim.
It is the race card! Surely they can differentiate between people of same name!
Islam isn’t a race.
The problem is probably with the computers and I’d say the people working security have to check him if he comes up as a security risk even if they know he’s not a risk. It seems like an innocent mistake.
John for Christ sake you can use the term race for a variety of things now.
James, no, you can’t, unless, you are suggesting that Scientology is also a race? As the previous poster said, likely a computer glitch tagging the same name. I’m sure the parents could have just notified the relevant authorities and do it without a fuss, but hey, you can’t stir up some “racial” debate then.
I believe this kind of thing (being unfortunate enough to share a name with a criminal and being flagged because of it) happens to white people and non-Muslims too. Racism my ass!
Eh John you mentioned the race card for being a Muslim! It’s in your first post. But you’re right being Muslim is not a race.
Bingo he’s six! We’re not talking about a grown man!! He is obviously not the person that could be a terrorist because he is six but is still checked the same because he is a Muslim. You would feel angry if you’re child happened to have the same name as a criminal/terrorist but was treated just as severely. Especially if he were six!!!
John B: “I hate the race card being played”
John B: “Islam isn’t a race”
Pick one….
If there’s one thing worse than someone being pedantic about profiling it’s some donkey contradicting themselves by being pedantic about profiling.
The kid is 6 FFS.
Deborah, I really wouldn’t – if it meant the safety of children and other people in general – I wouldn’t feel angry about it.
Bingo, so you say because you don’t have that problem at the moment, if you were affected you’d sing a different tune
Deborah, Islamic extremists are not above using children in their attacks or plots. Children can and have been purposely added to lists like this due to close association with known terrorists or terrorist sympathisers.
Larissa, NO, I’m saying I would not sing a different tune.
Anyone who defends this or thinks it’s OK to have a 6 year old on a list such as this is a half wit.
Cus his name is same as the guy they’re actually looking for …perhaps?
The guy they’re looking for can hardly disguise himself as a child now can they?
Oh for god sake. This is common practice now in counties and airlines. You provide Advance Passenger Information to airlines who give them to the airlines & immigration/homeland security. They check No Fly lists and flag anyone with the same name. The check is done at that airport and you can travel. If they are that bothered apply for a Redress Number and this is then given at the time of booking and bingo…no more issues. This could happen to any person of any skin colour or religion. Once someone with the same name as you does something dodgy, you get the fallout. It’s a robot somewhere checking, not a person!!!
Yeah, after forging the passport in a name that’s on a watch list, the potential terrorist jumped into a machine that did a “Vice versa” job on it and the only reason they got through is because Judge Reinhold came along and said “It’s been done”
The amount of Muslim families that travel to/from North America whom we don’t hear about, would lead me to believe that there is more to this story than, as usual, the Journal has researched. Maybe he has a DHP because family may try to take him from the country (are they on the list?), and this will flag him up?
I have friends who own property in Canada/US, of Muslim faith, and they have not faced problems when travelling with their kids.
About the author:
Associated Press
The Journal buys in (which, admittedly, many news sites do – though the journal tends to let the price go down before DOB opens his wallet) stories so it’s not the journal’s research.
What you’re talking about isn’t so much journalism as investigation. Speculating on % of muslims versus world population on flight lists by suggesting “I wonder……” doesn’t say anything either.
What says something is that this is a SIX YEAR OLD.
Over dramatic. Clearly a glitch or guilty by association. Parents on a suspicious watch list maybe
So you have no problem with such a glitch? Imagine it wasn’t spotted and he ended up on that list into adulthood?
Did he have a clock? Or is this just another crock?
You really hate that Muslim child, don’t you? Let it out, all that hatred.
And you proudly display the French flag, the flag of a murderous imperialist country that millions literally millions in Africa.
No sign of PJOC when there are Israeli terrorists.
@tony Canning……Still working with that charity fixin;up the injured ISIS guys Tony?
@PeterTasasov……..Idiotic comment…..idiotic man/boy!
No Patrick – I went out there to try to help with people who had suffered due to warfare. I’ll be continuing trying to support but am DELIGHTED to report to you that the PEOPLE I worked with who had no interest in anything other than seeing a free and open Syria and who had nothing but hatred for daesh and what they see as the theft of a revolution by fundamentalist forces have arrived in Berlin a number of months ago.
But I know what you think – because you assume a lot of things. I have never once mentioned the religion of those involved – but you assume them to be muslim. But that’s the Pro-Israel-no-matter-what-the-criticism reaction you give……
So here’s the deal Patrick “don’t call me an islamaphobe because I’ll quote you a dissertation that suits my agenda” JOC.
You keep presenting me as some kind of terrorist sympathiser and I will sign off every single comment I ever make on this site with:
“Patrick J O’Connor often comments on this site. Keep your own scoresheet on how often he is not willing to comment on negative points in Israel that even the Israeli press are willing to be honest about. Every person and/or group deserves criticism when criticism is justified. PJOC simply despises Muslims – If you pay attention this bias will be obvious. This is a disgustingly biased man who tries to tar people who don’t agree with him as being “Jew-haters” or “terrorist sympathisers” in a habitual manner. None of this is to be in any way critical of what this foolish man believes in – however, the continuing biased narrative deserves criticism in the obviously aggressive and self-serving, fear induced trajectory that he doesn’t appear to be able to leave.”
Also – grow up.
It’s 6 year old boys and 90 year old ladies who are most dangerous. I saw a 90 year old lady in a wheelchair in Atlanta Airport get the third degree.
The other obvious terrorist risks are young blonde Caucasian mothers with little crying babies. Typical terrorist profiles.
Fiona, So you’re saying some sort of common sense profiling IS a good idea then? I agree!
Aisha, Yes – married at 6! According to the Hadith she went to Mohammed’s house with her dolls at the age of 9! (shiver)
I saw a video of a cute little 5 year old terrorist making threats earlier today, wonder where he’ll end up. It just goes to show that terrorism knows no boundaries, age or otherwise.
That’s a heartbreaking read , Vladimir .
Vlad, It’s sickening!! Are her diaries in the Hadiths or did you read them somewhere else? I read roughly what you read (in the Hadith) – but as far as memory serves it suggested she first went to Mohammed’s house after her sickness at the age of 9 – but there are lots of passages and lots of authors and they can vary. Some truly horrible things in those books!
Why are the Koran and Hadiths accurate history while the Torah is a fairy story?
It seems that the sickening truth about Islam’s founder, Muhammad must not be spoken or written, – well, not in the Journal.ie anyway.
I guess the Clonskeagh gang made a few phone calls/threats.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtrtxW_64PU
Did that truthful comment you made get deleted Vladimir ?
indeed it did Suzie.
The truth is incompatible with Islam.
- A criminal organization masquerading as a ‘religion of peace’
I weep for our future generations of beautiful young girls, – sex-fodder for these amoral paedophile-worshippers.
http://www.thejournal.ie/sexual-assaults-german-city-new-years-eve-2532129-Jan2016/
-
http://dailycaller.com/2015/10/23/sweden-opened-its-doors-to-muslim-immigration-today-its-the-rape-capital-of-the-west-japan-didnt/
How did she cone to the conclusion it’s because he’s Muslim ? Would it not be because he’s the same name as a suspected terrorist maybe ?
*come *
Muslim fundamentalists seem to have no problem with using children to carry out atrocities.
No other religion in the world advocated this obscene practice.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKv2GGw7f4M
Don’t know why they bothered to black out the flight info on the screen when it’s still showing on the top banner – Air Canada 17Dec flight from Toronto (YYZ) to Halifax (YHZ).
Mulsim, seriously?
This is terrible, children are totally innocent, aren’t they?
‘Child in Islamic State execution video is my grandson, says London man’
http://www.thejournal.ie/grandson-islamic-state-2531023-Jan2016/
Islamophobia, in all its ugliness.
A word made up by some journo. Like baby spice. Ye loon
Islamophobic hatred rears its ugly head again.
A phobia is an irrational fear. With terrorist attacks and threats of the same by Muslim terrorists becoming more frequent, terrorists hiding among refugees like the Paris suicide bombers who travelled through Greece, trepidation or caution among Muslims not known to you is quite rational. Its not our fault the threat is constant
Jimmy — BOO!
You sound like a frightened child.
@petr Tarsov. Are you a grown up? Does your mom know you’re talking shite on the Internet.
This is not new or uncommon. There are quite a number of people on so called no fly lists who state that they have no idea why they are on them. Some are cases of mistaken identity. Some are the consequence of idiots inputting data incorrectly. The problem is that it is extremely difficult once placed on a list to get off that list for any reason or even to have someone acknowledge that you are on a list. National security don’t you know.
This is actually a real problem. Many people in such circumstances are Muslim (for obvious reasons). The underlying problem is the lack of any accountability or appeals mechanism especially in the USA. Security is essential but so is some mechanism for accountability for decisions that impose such restrictions on individual liberty with no effective oversight or redress.
Syed Ahmed (the adult terrorist) if you didn’t know before, you now know they’re onto you!
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