Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
THE FORMER PRESIDENT of Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI) is looking for nine TDs or Senators to nominate him to run for the vacant seat in the Seanad.
Gerard Craughwell, 60, says he wants to run for the upper house to avoid a “sham” by-election for the seat vacated by newly-elected Fine Gael MEP Deirdre Clune.
Craughwell, who finished his term as TUI president in July, says he wants to exercise the right of a citizen to “put themselves forward for elected office” but he admitted “the winning of the thing is a separate issue”.
“I mean the by-election is slanted in such a way in that it makes it next to impossible for anybody to challenge for the seat,” he told TheJournal.ie today.
Vacant Seanad seats are filled through a by-election involving all 226 of the Oireachtas. This means the government, with its majority, effectively decides the successful candidate.
It is widely expected that Fine Gael will put forward a candidate whose profile they will seek to boost before running them for the Dáil in the next general election.
Filling the seat has become an imperative for the coalition in recent weeks due to it being in the minority in the upper house. It is expected the by-election will be held when TDs and Senators return from the summer recess in mid-September.
But Craughwell, a former Fine Gael member who left the party in 2009, has described the by-election as a “silly charade” and has been actively seeking support on Twitter in recent days:
He needs the backing of nine Oireachtas members to nominate him to run in the by-election even though he would almost certainly fail to get elected due to the government’s overwhelming majority.
“Why don’t they just go for the honest thing and let the Taosieach nominate a person rather than play this silly charade,” Craughwell said.
“That is repugnant in every way. Am I qualified? I would say I am eminently qualified. I have just finished a term as TUI president so I would be qualified for the educational panel.”
The father-of-two says that he wants “force as democratic election as possible” and claims he is already amassing the required support but declined to name which TDs or Senators are backing him.
Speculation about Fine Gael’s nominee has centred on a number of Dublin-based councillors and unsuccessful local election candidates.
Among the favourites are Ballymun-based councillor Noel Rock who is in a constituency where the party does not have a Dáil seat. His Dublin city council colleague Kate O’Connell, who represents Rathgar-Rathmines, has also been speculated about.
Other possible nominees are former Dublin lord mayor Gerry Breen, who lost his council seat in May, and failed election candidates Stephanie Regan and Samantha Long.
At last a step in the right direction, pity the way it had to happen.
In July 2013 Ciara Conway asked the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs #Francesfitzgerald when the
findings of the investigation following the absconsions from Gleann Alainn special care unit in
October 2011 will be available; if she will provide an update and a timeline for publication; and
if she will make a statement on the matter.
Minister #Francesfitizgerald said her department has sought the information requested by the Deputy from the HSE and I will provide the Deputy with the information as soon as it becomes available.
The findings of this investigation are still not available over 2 and half years later.
Minister Fitzgerald
Another quango. But one that is needed for a change. So why didn’t Shatter announce this earlier? Unless election sound bites.
Everything will change and nothing will change.
Looks like a scene from Cagney & Lacey. Appointing a new commissioner however should have nothing to do with gender. The intern commish is tainted by who trained her! We need a new outside Commish similar to the PSNI, if she gets the job it’s just a political stunt.
The acting Comm. has lost credibility through association and the senior rank she enjoyed in the force.
No doubt she was the good egg in a stinking basket at the top but we need an outside commissioner.
Agree. New (outside) commissioner required. Ms. O’Sullivan complicit in not taking action.
So that’s what Shatter had in mind post report. These are his proposals.
And they are excellent. Long overdue.
I’d note he resigned but there are a bunch of guards accused of pretty insane corruption or incompetence who haven’t been fired. Or even suspended. Or even talked about or criticised.
If he had come out with these at the time of GSOC or any other scandal in the last year from the force he would now be hailed by the public.
Instead we got huddling with Callinan, not dealing with the Penalty points openly, the way he treated McCabe and Wilson.
His own worst enemy in the end.
Of course the minister is going to express support for the commsioner. You can’t half support the head of your police force.
You either support him fully or fire him.
Paragraph 19.98
———————————————————————————————————————————–
Paraphrase: The Minister went no further in determining McCabe’s complaint than asking and receiving advice from one man, the man who was the subject of the complaint.
————————————————————————————————————————————-
Shatter is an exceptionally intelligent and diligent man. As so often in Ireland the deference to authority and to uniform, to good relations, trumped all reason and learning.
Shatter had enough grounds to fire him.
That Callinan did not even see the need to stand down earlier shows the mindset that leads to problems like this.
No one bar Shatter turned this from a potential triumph in to a a crisis that led to both he and the commissioner being thrown out.
Callinan had Shatter by the short and curlies. Eventually it was taken out of Shatter’s hand. So Callinan went. Shatter’s position was always on a knife edge.
The Department of Justice (?) needs a complete overhaul also. Will we see that ?
So many articles about one subject.
A Journal habit Saul. Surprised we don’t have an article to mark Gerry’s one week anniversary!
I don’t recall ever seeing a Garda Commissioner in public not wearing the full attire which comes with the position, as in the picture above. I’m not sure if this is a good thing or a bad thing. I’m also not sure if I even care, but it’s making 5pm come that bit faster.
I like that Noirin O’Sullivan left the uniform at home.
It underlines the difference between a political meeting and an official Garda meeting. I hope to see a lot more separation of function.
That’s exactly what they wanted you to think Paul and it obviously worked! Beware the wolf in sheep’s clothing!
I see she has taken on the obligatory grumpy face and serious tone and formal outfit.
I just threw-up a little bit.
Relax, women are now in charge. Sorted.
Their needs to be an absoloute separation between the minister for justice and the commisioner.
Right that’s it. As and from today I’m setting up an inquiry to find out why I’m still waiting for a job in this country. Wallace was correct on Ray D’arcy yesterday about the amount of non contract jobs. Do you think if I set up an inquiry I’d be paid? Oh that’s right I’d pay myself!!!!
Minister said: ” … the law is for everyone. And everyone is equally accountable before it. We will ensure that we have a fair and functional system where genuine allegations of wrongdoing are treated in an effective and accountable manner.”. Minister, thank you for seeing it.
Please clarify for us – does this include addressing offences committed in the past during “in camera proceedings” referring to past rapes, defilements, endangerments, abductions, torture, homicides and the like?
No, the corruption in the Child Abuse Industry will continue unabated for now. That’s the beauty of the secret courts and the in camera rule, “Hear No Evil, See No Evil So No Evil Exists” and crimes committed cant be reported or prosecuted because corrupt judges will jail you in secret for speaking out and trying to report crime to corrupt Gardai who wont investigate.
Exactly, and now with the old minister for children becoming the minister for Justice, a lot more will be hidden from the people.
With Ireland assimilating non Irish children into white Roman Catholic families, it is worrying as it an exact copy of Hitler’s regime, “in the best interests of the children” of course. Sweden also doing the same too.
have your say