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Micheal Martin's leadership of Fianna Fáil is under the microscope. Leah Farrell/RollingNews.ie

Fianna Fáil ministers back Taoiseach as by-election fallout rumbles on

Fianna Fáil’s Marc MacSharry called on Micheál Martin to resign as party leader this summer.

EDUCATION MINISTER NORMA Foley and Public Expenditure Minister Michael McGrath have publicly backed Micheál Martin after a Fianna Fáil colleague called on the Taoiseach to step down as party leader.

Martin’s leadership of the party has come under the spotlight following its disastrous performance in the Dublin Bay South by-election.

The party’s candidate Deirdre Conroy secured just 4.6% of the first preference vote, its worst-ever result in a by-election.

Sligo TD Marc MacSharry urged Martin to resign during the Dáil recess this summer.

“The sooner the better as far as I’m concerned, quite frankly,” he told Newstalk.

“It’s not my preference he would lead us into the next general election.

“I think a party with a performance of below 5%, with the history, culture and heritage of Fianna Fáil, must address that as a matter of the utmost urgency,” MacSharry added.

This afternoon, MacSharry also tweeted an image of an egg and a chicken which read: “If an egg is broken by an outside force, life ends, if broken by inside forces, life begins. Great things always begin from the inside.”

Former Agriculture Minister Barry Cowen also called for a special meeting to address the “alarming” election result.

However, Minister Foley rejected MacSharry’s comments and paid tribute to Martin’s leadership.

“Micheal is a very experienced, solution-focused leader. We see the benefit of that in Government, we also see the benefit of that in Fianna Fail,” she said on The Week In Politics on RTÉ.

Foley said she does not believe there are 10 TDs in Fianna Fáil who would back a heave against Martin but added that there is “a job of work to be done” following the poor result in Dublin Bay South.

Prominent leadership contender Jim O’Callaghan, Fianna Fail’s director of elections, said he would not sign a motion of no confidence in the Taoiseach.

O’Callaghan told RTE’s This Week programme that he is interested in leading the party, but would not do anything to undermine Martin.

“I believe it’s an honour and a privilege (to lead the party), but I’m not going to do anything just to undermine the leader or give the media an impression that there’s something going on when I don’t think there is,” he said.

Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Michael McGrath also used Twitter to weigh in on the leadership situation.

The Cork South Central TD threw his weight behind his constituency colleague, saying Fianna Fáil faced an “outstanding opportunity and a monumental challenge.”

“To succeed, we need to support our Taoiseach, our team, work together, have unity of purpose and show the public that their concerns are our priorities at all times,” McGrath said.

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    Mute James
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    Jul 11th 2021, 2:49 PM

    Nobody cares about FF anymore,time to move on.

    559
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    Mute John Duggan
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    Jul 11th 2021, 2:52 PM

    @James: ah to be fair James, FG need FF to stick around, just so they look semi-competent by comparison.

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    Mute Fionn Darland
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    Jul 11th 2021, 6:21 PM

    @James: Yet they hold most seats in the Dáil after last year’s election. Lots cared then. Let’s face it, Conroy was never going to win DBS. Says more about the FF campaign manager O’Callaghan than Michael Martin.

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    Mute Liam Mernagh
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    Jul 11th 2021, 9:34 PM

    @John Duggan: you gotta be joking

    2
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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:05 PM

    Isn’t Norma very good friends with Mrs Martin? Of course she’s going to defend the man who gave her a job she clearly isn’t qualified to hold.

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    Mute Eugene Comaskey
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    Jul 11th 2021, 6:21 PM

    @David Corrigan: And of course Michael McGrath is actually in the same Constituency as Martin . So they would back him, BUT they are blind to what has happened to the Party under his Leadership.

    61
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    Mute John Duggan
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    Jul 11th 2021, 2:51 PM

    FF don’t stand for anything, that happened under Martin’s watch; he has to go. He’s afraid to make decisions, and has no guiding principles which would help him overcome that fear.

    Imagine hanging around waiting to get into office for a decade then outsourcing the governance function to an unelected technocracy (NPHET). It would be funny if not so shameful.

    Anyone advocating his staying on is doing so because they know if he does FF are done (not that I think anything bar a miracle could save them).

    326
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    Mute Frank Cauldhame
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:26 PM

    @John Duggan: I’m one those advocates John, I truly hope he stays on in the interests of the Irish electorate. FF haven’t reached rock bottom yet…

    99
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    Mute JusticeForJoe
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    Jul 11th 2021, 4:25 PM

    @John Duggan: The National Public Health Emergency Team were charged with giving advice during the pandemic. You shout technocracy because, being the worst pandemic in 100 years, and given the state of our public health system before any of this, they had to make some unpopular decisions. I think that’s short-sighted and, frankly, immature.

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    Mute John Duggan
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    Jul 11th 2021, 4:57 PM

    @JusticeForJoe: do NPHET give advice or make decisions? Clearly, in practice, it’s the latter and as such we are in an effective technocracy. A weak Taoiseach has outsourced his authority to an unelected group of technical specialists who are, through their advice, keeping us under the most stringent lockdown in Europe.

    52
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    Mute Tony Lewis
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    Jul 11th 2021, 5:20 PM

    @JusticeForJoe: where is the evidence this is the worst pandemic in a 100 years… I have not seen it anywhere. The Hong Kong flu late sixties as a percentage of population greater. Certainly the Spanish flu after the first world war as a percentage was much greater. This covid-19 has been totally over hyped because of modern media

    38
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    Mute D. Memery
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    Jul 11th 2021, 5:43 PM

    @Tony Lewis: you have stated the evidence yourself, the Spanish Flu was 101 years ago, and Hong Kong Flu killed between one and four million. So, covid being more than 100 years since the Spanish Flu, and having exceeded four million fatalities, and still going, would make Covid the worst pandemic in 100 years.

    19
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    Mute Mick Andrews
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    Jul 11th 2021, 6:12 PM

    @Frank Cauldhame: Whatever you think of Michaèl Martin, to be undermined by a chancer like Mc Sharry must be the ultimate insult to his tenure as co-leader.

    14
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    Mute Fionn Darland
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    Jul 11th 2021, 6:25 PM

    @Mick Andrews: McSharry and Cowan do not even try to be in the long grass!

    10
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    Mute Richie
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    Jul 11th 2021, 2:56 PM

    Not one of them will bring this down until they have clocked up there time for the pensions in their role.

    They are not public servants they are self servants. And whatever lobbyists have that particular one in there pocket.

    I love this country and it’s people. But it’s being broken up and all we do is give out but all ourselves to be divided by deliberate Govt messaging.

    The normal working person wants to do something about this from what I’m hearing but there to afraid to be labelled for actually just doing what should happen In a democracy anytime a Govt stops serving the ppl and looking after vested interests.

    Democrat protest – carefully managed and purely peaceful.

    258
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    Mute Fran O'Keeffe
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    Jul 11th 2021, 2:56 PM

    All of FF should resign

    216
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    Mute Phil Redmond
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:07 PM

    Shock horror. Minister that doesn’t have a breeze what she is doing backs the person that gave her the job

    245
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    Mute Gerard Heery
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:08 PM

    Only 3 and half years left of indecision for the public to put up with, and leave them with a lotto winning pension ,it’s all so wrong

    171
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    Mute Margaret Kane
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:24 PM

    Fffg has to go and take the greens with them

    150
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    Mute Fionn Darland
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    Jul 11th 2021, 6:25 PM

    @Margaret Kane: Yawn.

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    Mute Margaret Kane
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    Jul 11th 2021, 7:07 PM

    @Fionn Darland: how rude go back to sleep

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    Mute Tomo
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    Jul 11th 2021, 7:38 PM

    @Fionn Darland: Yawn at Ireland voting the same inept people into power since its foundation

    19
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    Mute Fionn Darland
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    Jul 11th 2021, 8:03 PM

    @Tomo: double yawn.

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    Mute Margaret Kane
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    Jul 11th 2021, 9:43 PM

    @Fionn Darland: is that the top end of your vocabulary

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    Mute Nollaig Ó Ceallaigh
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    Jul 11th 2021, 11:48 PM

    @Fionn Darland: That’s all you seen to write here. Never seem to have anything intelligent to add to a thread, though you do seem to think very highly of yourself. You’re either a trôll or suffering from narcolepsy.

    12
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    Mute ferris
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:17 PM

    FF simply going the same way as SDLP. Sliding into obscurity.

    128
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    Mute John Bathe
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:18 PM

    Answer to housing problem. State agency set up. Head hunt project managers from private sector and build 50,000 houses.. cost about 200K.. sell to first time buyers for 250K.. priority to those already renting.. Not for social housing.. private sales…
    Young couples get affordable house.. state profits.. economy booms… but FFG TDs rent out a load of properties… they will never halt house price toses…

    114
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    Mute Niall Dunne
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:27 PM

    @John Bathe: and for the over 50% of under 40s who are single? (According to UCD data)

    32
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    Mute John Bathe
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    Jul 11th 2021, 4:08 PM

    @Niall Dunne: yep agree its not perfect but they should also be catered for.. after first phase then ask singletons to express an interest in a house and build accordingly into a second phase.. people need to be given access to a reasonably oriced home and that wont hsppen with private market..

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    Mute Niall Dunne
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    Jul 11th 2021, 4:27 PM

    @John Bathe: I would argue if we have 50% of the effected demographics single then 50% of builds should be 1 beds or studios. The 2 and 3 beds are just ending up as house shares.

    In fact mass housing single people will free up housing to families. As the house sharers no longer have to rent forcing landlords to sell up and putting second hand family homes on the market

    7
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    Mute Rochelle
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:49 PM

    Housing was the biggest election issue and 1 year in we have FF endorsing a policy to give vulture funds tax breaks while house prices continue to rise.

    What else did they expect would happen? They’re a party out of time and out of chances.

    110
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    Mute Niall Dunne
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:03 PM

    I dont care if its FF, FG, SF or anyone at this stage. Anyone who can provide me with affordable secure housing I’ll vote for. Without that my future seems dark and bleak

    135
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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:08 PM

    @Niall Dunne: It’s not going to improve anytime soon. It will take years to repair the damage. Moving to a real country is the only option for the foreseeable future I’m afraid.

    97
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    Mute Davey Ohanlon
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:25 PM

    Foley backing Martin….just making sure she doesn’t get the push before her term is out as she knows she won’t see ministerial office again let alone secure enough votes to remain a TD.

    Nothing to lose and just another selfish FF’er placing personal gain before her country.

    129
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    Mute Eddie O'Neill
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:36 PM

    M.Martin couldn’t care less about his party, his colleagues or the people of this country whom he is supposed to serve. He got everything he wanted bar a trip to DC. He has practiced ineptitude in politics for decades and supported inept colleagues and their policies. He is another Enda Kenny, get the time done, secure the pension and eff off and that’s actually what he will do in coming months when the farcical hand over to the other wastrel Varadkar and we get another 2 years of his dangerous brand of ineptitude. It is a giant farce in which we just watch and despair and do nothing. If we want to improve the fortunes of the hard working people of this country we need to demand, much, much higher standards from the Office of An Taoiseach and from the government in general. The farcical Norma Foley standing up for the farcical Taoiseach only a few days after the farcical vote on giving tax breaks to cuckoo funds amid a long standing and deepening housing crisis. It will be far worse when Varadkar and his ego takes over and still FF will support him all the way. If a person works their backside off and still cannot buy a modest home what is the fupping point. Farce.

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    Mute Chewey Bacca
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    Jul 11th 2021, 2:49 PM

    Heave, Heave

    83
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    Mute William Tallon
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:09 PM

    @Chewey Bacca: Have you tried prune juice? It tends to do away with all that need for heaving. You can say goodbye to irregularity and give it the old heave-ho! ‘A warrior’s drink…’ as Worf called it in Star Trek…

    32
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    Mute Neuville-Kepler62F
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    Jul 11th 2021, 3:33 PM

    Fianna Fail: 4.6% of the electorate want them in power … but they are still “in power”!

    The only way to put citizens in power and in control of Housing for the benefit of citizens and not “others” is a Referendum on Housing … like the German Constitution and many other countries.

    https://www.change.org/p/irish-referendum-on-family-home-special-status

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    Mute Kerry Evans
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    Jul 11th 2021, 4:17 PM

    Mehole is Toast

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    Mute Paul Byrne
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    Jul 11th 2021, 4:25 PM

    Fianna Fail are gone

    54
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    Mute Niall Dunne
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    Jul 11th 2021, 5:04 PM

    If we paid 30 billion to help the older generation, at the expense of the young over covid lockdowns, why cant we spend 30 billion to house the young?

    34
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    Mute Declan Doherty
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    Jul 11th 2021, 5:24 PM

    @Niall Dunne: Because until now, the young are less likely to vote. Look at the demographic of the FFG voter base and it explains why the government don’t care about younger people.

    29
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    Mute Franny Ando
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    Jul 11th 2021, 6:10 PM

    The beginning of the end for Martin no matter what they all say.

    32
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    Mute Tim Oconnell
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    Jul 11th 2021, 4:04 PM

    Please stay Michael you’re doing a great job haha!

    29
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    Mute speedy
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    Jul 11th 2021, 5:30 PM

    New leader ain’t going to make one bit of difference.they need to blame their downfall on Fianna gael and call an election

    28
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    Mute Derek Lyster
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    Jul 11th 2021, 6:31 PM

    Absolute shambles of a leader who is leading the party into the abyss. History will not be kind to him as a half arsed taoiseach or the leader of ff

    30
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    Mute Joseph Duggan
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    Jul 11th 2021, 5:57 PM

    The reason you got 5percent of the vote simple way to win is do every thing you promised before last election treat everybody equally regards medical education housing equality etc etc

    21
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    Mute Charles Coughlan
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    Jul 11th 2021, 7:36 PM

    In terms of popularity FF are the new Green’s

    16
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    Mute Tim Oconnell
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    Jul 11th 2021, 4:04 PM

    Please stay Michael you’re doing a great job

    12
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    Mute Tim Oconnell
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    Jul 11th 2021, 4:04 PM

    Please stay Michael you’re doing a great job

    9
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    Mute Derek Anderson
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    Jul 11th 2021, 5:33 PM

    Never thought I would see s tu pi di y leading st up ity. But anything goes

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    Mute Brian James Moss
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    Jul 11th 2021, 5:51 PM

    Job of work is the worst phrase in the English language !!

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    Mute Malachy Guilfoyle
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    Jul 11th 2021, 8:35 PM

    He gave them their ministries……….of course they back him!

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    Mute ChronicAnxiety
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    Jul 11th 2021, 9:43 PM

    Turkeys vote to cancel Christmas.

    4
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    Mute trebloc01
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    Jul 11th 2021, 11:44 PM

    Keep ye heads in the sand and the problem will go away

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    Mute anne
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    Jul 12th 2021, 6:34 AM

    The Taosaigh’s personal Poll ratings tell us the public are behind him. Some in FF & it’s a small number of TDs that continue a personal vendetta against him! The media must be thrilled! I mean to say, McSharry gets more traction from Media than the Party! I wonder why?
    This is like a copy of Enda Kenny’s demise in FG where he was undermined . There’s a time & a place for changing leader and its not now!

    2
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