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THE GREEN PARTY has said the government should honour the spirit of this morning’s High Court ruling and agree to move the writ for the Donegal South-West by-election.
In a statement released this lunchtime the party said that in light of this morning’s High Court ruling – in which it ruled that there had been an “unreasonable” delay in the holding of an election to replace Pat ‘the Cope’ Gallagher who was elected to the European Parliament in June 2009 – the government should honour the decision of the court and allow the writ be moved.
The party’s chairman Dan Boyle told reporters the remaining three elections, however, should be held in the first quarter of next year, as the government had originally intended.
The timing of when the writ could be moved was a matter for the cabinet, he said, but the cabinet would decide when to make such a decision as soon as possible, and that it could decide the Donegal South-West writ could be decided as early as tomorrow.
The Green Party had a responsibility to make its views known, Boyle said, and said the party wanted the by-election to be held before Christmas. This view would be relayed to the cabinet when it met to discuss the matter.
Speaking on RTÉ Radio’s News at One, Boyle said the party wanted to abide by the court’s opinion, but refused to confirm whether the government would be planning on submitting a Supreme Court appeal or not – though he said the Green Party did not want the decision to be appealed on its own right.
The court decision is in relation to Donegal South-West, it’s the one with the longest delay in being held and there are implications in the court judgement that the cabinet will have to examine – may may want to examine by way of a Supreme Court appeal that might have implications for all by-elections in the future – it could be important that that’s tested in the courts.
It’s for the cabinet to decide [whether to appeal the decision on principle], but we certainly don’t want to see a Supreme Court appeal happening and a further appeal in relation to Donegal South-West. And that’s why we’re making this annoucnement.
If the writ was to be moved tomorrow, the election would be held at the latest by December 1, four weeks from tomorrow – meaning that if the Government were to lose the ballot, with Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty now seen as a favourite to take the seat after winning the High Court action, its majority would be down to 81-79.
Such a small majority would mean that the Budget, which is to be announced on December 7, would be defeated if the two independent TDs, Michael Lowry – who yesterday said he hadn’t decided on whether to support it – and Jackie Healy-Rae were to vote against it.
Should the Government bite the bullet and hold all four by-elections together – or just call a general election? Let us know your thoughts.
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How about they post details of how much money donated actually reaches the victims before they go blaming the donors. Food supplies entering black Market, stealing, local corruption, lack of accountability? Don’t blame me if you want to get another donation, you are a professional charity, it’s your failure to communicate and react to the situation.
Economic issues matter more than human life. It is a shame that famine gets ignored because there is an over abundance of food in this world and yet we can’t share it. The idea that governments running these country’s that are famine hit are keeping funding and food supplies is also sickening. Something needs to be done but if governments stop aid from getting to the people that need it, then UN should be the ones policing this yet they seem to be unresponsive as they do not want conflict even though it means saving lives.
“I want proof”, in another words “I know well its happening, I just want to relieve myself of the guilt of it by pretending I think its not happening”
Foreign aid is killing Africa, a number of African economists have written about it. The West is failing to grasp that the intuitive thing to do doesn’t always solve a problem.
2012…and this is still happening,all the charities are doing thier best but still not enough…were do we go from here…is heartbreaking to see a human like this…
A lot of this is due in no small part to the IMF, this is the style their help comes in. Too many of the African countries that received or were put in a position to accept such loans had to face severe austerity or hand over rights to mineral or other national resources to the IMF and global corporations. Slowly stripping these countries with even the means to finance the ability to repay its loans.
Sounds familiar today doesn’t it?
The value of human life is shocking. They shipped my cousin with an automatic weapon on his back to Afghanistan in a heart beat (unfortunately he was happy to go) but mobilize to help starving children. use a super power to cut out the corruption, the back handers and get the food directly to those who need it and help them actually build their country properly…………not today pal. John Pilger made a great documentary in which he stated that in the 85-86 after live aid Africa gave more cash to the west than we gave them. I think bono would have more success for his cause if he organised mass protests in front of world bank and IMF head quarters instead of throwing a gig.
incredible that the wikipedia story gets more views than this
@ Harry I agree but I think people bury their head in the sand when it comes to these types of stories and particularly with that heart wrenching picture of the (probably now deceased) child. Its just mind boggling how one half of the world is up to its eyeballs in an obesity epidemic but these poor people are left to waste and die.
The western governments, huge private companies (is there a difference?) and the animals the west uses to control and rape these countries of there natural resources are completely responsible.
I am so sorry but I can not read this or look at the pictures .Too horrific . I can donate to charities …. Was it lways so bad through the decades and centuries in these places ?? Or is this an historically recent phenonomon ? I am sorry if I am displaying ignorance,I do not want to offend anyone.
Charities really just don’t cut it when it comes to issues on this scale, yet the members of the government don’t need to worry about someone dying if it’s not in their family.
It also doesn’t help that there are 10 different charities with the same goal. Can’t see why they don’t just amalgamate into one, would save costs on admin and other stuff too.
How the western nations attempts at a painfree solution to the crisis of their own making is crippling developing nations.
http://economichorizon.blogspot.com/2010/11/sound-dollar.html
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