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ON MONDAY, EIGHT Fine Gael TDs co-authored an article in the Irish Examiner that voiced criticism of the Government’s stance on the Croke Park Agreement.
Today, questions surround what happened next: Has the party begun disciplinary action? Writing in today’s Irish Times, Harry McGee says that a source said there will be “consequences” for their actions, and that there will be disciplinary measures taken against the eight.
The eight TDs who wrote the article are: Sean Conlan, Paul Connaughton, Pat Deering, Brendan Griffin, Noel Harrington, Sean Kyne, Anthony Lawlor, and Eoghan Murphy.
When contacted, the Fine Gael press office said that it doesn’t comment on internal party matters, and that this constitutes an internal party matter.
The government whip, Paul Kehoe, also refused to comment, saying that the issue is between the party and the TDs.
However, a source told TheJournal.ie that the party has met with a number of the TDs individually – although it is not known what was discussed during the meetings or what action, if any, could be taken.
One TD said that the subject had been discussed between party members but in conversational rather than an official manner.
In the Irish Examiner article, the TDs argued that if the Government wants to tackle the budget deficit, pay increases for those on higher wages “must be put back on the table”. They also questioned the savings being made under the Croke Park Agreement, and whether they had been overstated.
Labour TDs criticised the eight TDs yesterday, with one backbencher describing their arguments in the article as ‘rants’.
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I cannot understand why the Irish people voted for a new Fianna Fail government that is Fine Gael. Irish people will never learn…
I don’t remember FG promoting the fact that they would turn into a continuity FF in the run up to election, it wasn’t in the infamous 5 point plan. I presume people like myself who did vote FG, based their votes on the fact that they said NOT ANOTHER RED CENT. What a huge wasted opportunity for them to actually deliver their pre election promises which IMHO were achievable and a chance for a change in the political landscape. However I’m like other voters who are utterly disgusted at a wasted vote!
In reality, few enough people actively wanted to vote FG in, their main aim was to vote FF out. That we have a FG/Lab government is a highly unfortunate side-effect of that.
The Labour tail seems to be wagging the FG dog. Howlin will make sure the bad boys are put on the bold step for stepping out of line. Whatever I think about the issue, it’s no harm to see a few TDs who aren’t mindless sheep. Labour seem to be calling all the shoots which isn’t what people voted for in the last election. Nor did people vote for more and more cuts to families who are already struggling to just put food on the table and pay the bills.
I voted for them and I am so angry that I did. It is the lies and arrogance that gets me. How ignorant they are of all the suffering they have imposed after promising ”not another cent”.
What’s the point in having TDs if they can’t have an opinion ? This is exactly why the country is up the shit.
Disciplinary action for speaking the truth ? Even the dogs on the street know the Croke Park agreement is a joke !
The brass neck of these 8 TD’s these guys claimed 35,OOO Euro between them in expenses during August ,even though the Dail was not in session. How about starting there.
Hear hear.
Could that be classed as an ethnic minority, being a Hypocrite?
Send in the heavies: Phil Hogan and James Reilly will go to their houses with billy clubs!
Hogan is definitely gone at the next election. His taxes will also be rolled back when a new government wins. We should be taxing the rich instead of pillaging the Irish people.
Agree with the sentiment, Joe, and I hope you’re right.
Ryan
If I recall correctly the term ” not another red cent” was made by a front bench spokesperson but was never mainstream Policy or a part of the Manifesto put to the people at the Election or any part of the Programme for Government agreed between Labour and Fine Gael when the electorate decides they didn’t want either Party but a mix of both in Government.
The constant attack on Government over that statement in the manner you and other make is dishonest and deceitful and comes not from you but a political Party. This makes your contribution doubly dishonest.
FG/Labour/FF should all be consigned to the dustbin of history. Remember Gilmore’s accusations of being economic traitors? We didn’t realize that FG/Labour just wanted their turn to sell our country out.
Paddy
I couldn’t care less what you think!
Paddy Rodgers
This will help you recall !
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LTCT7QIeP8
Eileen my little star
You are welcome Ryan O’N . :) :)
Maybe Fine Gael would want to look up the article on the constitution that guarantees Everybody Free Speech . Just because you belong to an organisation does not mean that organisation can take that right away from you !!
thats what party whips are for.get into line boy or else.free speech me arse.
Being a Member of a Political Party means that you give up the right to speak out against the Party and invariably when one does they give up their membership. Simples.
So if you’re a TD, you just have to be a Yes man. Ridiculous system!
There better not be disciplinary action taken. They should have every right to speak their minds as elected representatives. The whip applies to votes last time I checked, not opinions.
It’s seem to me (regardless of the party involved) you are only allowed to have an opinion when it follows the party line……
david isnt voting an opinion as well? correct me if im wrong.
David
My understanding is that if you speak out against the Party publicly as opposed to criticism at the Parliamentary level you could be expelled . I certainly know that has happened previously in other Parties.
David if you keep that up Enda will set Phil on you or maybe even Paddy.
Una duce, una voce. Remember those days?
Graham
You have stated that Sinn Fein is the Party you will vote for at the next election
@paddy i think if you seen my comments i advocate a change to the current system.a direct democracy with the powers of recall when a politician isnt keeping their promises & doing their duty.its a million miles away from party politics but having said that there is more i agree with in sf policies than any other party.im pretty much done with voting as it dosent change the real power structure behind the curtain.
Is David Higgins growing a spine and speaking out in favor of speaking out and
having individual opinions within the party ? If you can call 8 being individual !
get Mick Wallace to make a quick phone call to the “boys”
Graham
Your quaint expression of “free speech me arse” reminds me of a local who spoke out one night in a small pub against the thuggery and law breaking going on in the name of Republicanism.! Three weeks later they got him as he made his way home from the Meath village. They used broken bottles Graham and he needed five operations to keep him alive. He hasn’t walked since.
Don’t come on this site with your quaint expressions when you support Sinn Fein completely without any criticism.
You clearly know what free speech would cost you!
@paddy what makes you think im a sinn fein supporter? have you ever heard me saying that? where did that incident you described take place & what is the background to it.if what you say is true & the guy was smashed up for his opinion then the people who done it are thugs.whats your point?
Rodgers, are you suggesting the whips will be meting out the same treatment?
@David Higgins – I get what you’re saying, but if they truly meant what they said, they should have resigned from the Party and become Independents. In Irish politics, once you’re part of a Party, you must tow the line. Only Independents can truly be trusted to say what they believe. I suspect that these 8 TDs were just rattling off populist sentiments. If they really did disagree with Party policy, they would have resigned in disgust.
The only reason 8 of them came out and spoke out was so that they would not be expelled from the party .
8 td’s to lose the party whip would not be a good thing in fairness … They did not want to stand alone either . Cowards the lot of them ! They will never be voted in again . !
Party politics is croneyism. It matters little WHO we vote in , because once they are in , the whip is applied and they have to toe the party line or be punished. Across the parties we have intelligent people from all parties who could together come up with some strong leadership which didn’t involve the parish pump and the party line. In this time of crisis , we need leaders and positivity and cohesion , not kow-towing , internal wrangling and defragmentation. If ever we needed a national government to shape policy it’s now. But it won’t happen : too many vested interests and snouts in the trough and egos to be massaged.
Celtic Lady
Could you imagine having a Government at the moment that included the ULA . It wouldn’t last five minutes before they were tearing each others throats out. Say what you want about the larger Parties but the advantage of discipline means that Policy tends to remain Policy and be implemented when they are in Government. The current opposition are a positive disgrace at the moment.Sacrificing the right to speak out gives us some chance of stability.
Could you also imagine a worse nightmare than a Cabinet that included Wallace Higgins Daly and the Turf Cutter Flanagan. You would need to put Ross in there to make it look respectable and still we would be the laughing stock of Europe.
Yes I could, one that included Kenny, Hogan, Shatter, Noonan, O’Reilly, Gilmore, Rabbitte and Howlin. Now that’s a nightmare cabinet.
Yeah Paddy look at the towering intellectuals we have presented to Europe in the past. CJH, Bertie “canary pants” Ahern, Cowen and assorted ministers. TBH I doubt the inclusion of the ULA or even SF compared to that list of the good and the great would make Europe laugh any louder then they have in the past. Wallace, Higgins, Daly & Flanagan. Can I offer you James “stroke” Reilly, Philpot Hogan, Brendan “3.5 million” Howlin & Michael Ring. I won’t even bother mentioning Enda “I’ll not have a defaulter stamp on my forehead” Kenny and Eamon “Frankfurts way or Labours way” Gilmore.
Regarding the right to speak out if those in power or members of parties in power are afraid or prevented from speaking out against what they consider wrong or unjust then democracy in Ireland is in a darker place then I thought.
Revolution may have made Ireland independant, but it will take another revolution to set the country free.
The reason the government won’t approve the building more prisons… Is for fear they may be residing in one someday.
Must be something in the Carlow/Kilkenny Constituency when it comes to being a “Rebel” TD. 1st it was John McGuinness, now it’s Pa Deering!?
Of course aside from that this shows that Govts. discourage free-thinking.
To be fair backbenchers have to be heard someway & such are the archaic rules of “speaking time” that they will never be heard in Dáil Eireann.
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