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LUKE ‘MING’ FLANAGAN has compared Fine Gael MEPS to fascists after they voted to postpone a European Parliament debate on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) trade deal.
The Midlands North West MEP took to Twitter earlier to express his views on the subject, posting the below message:
TheJournal.ie contacted all of the MEPs involved, including Flanagan, for comment.
The Fine Gael MEPs did not directly refer to the tweet, but did defend the deal and called for “a constructive debate” on the issue.
Flanagan claims the party is refusing to debate him.
However, in a Twitter exchange with the independent MEP today, The Week in Politics clarified that it had not made any decision to facilitate a debate:
Yesterday a discussion and vote on the deal was postponed as more than 200 amendments were tabled in relation to the deal.
The vote to suspend the debate was passed by 183 votes to 181 after it was supported by centre-right and conservative groups, this includes the European People’s Party of which Fine Gael is a member.
The parliament’s trade committee is due to debate the TTIP report and potential amendments next week (16 June) with a plenary vote to be rescheduled for a later date.
‘Elements of concern’
In a statement, Fine Gael MEPs Seán Kelly, Mairead McGuinness, Brian Hayes and Deirdre Clune said they “would like to see greater progress in the on-going negotiations between the EU and US which aim to establish a trade partnership”.
Speaking in Strasbourg, the leader of the Fine Gael delegation in the European Parliament and Ireland’s only member of the International Trade Committee (INTA), Seán Kelly MEP said:
“The Fine Gael delegation supports a balanced TTIP agreement that would guarantee and preserve high standards, strengthen economic, enhance investment opportunities and increase competitiveness and innovation.
Investment is crucial for further European growth in jobs and economic development. TTIP could greatly benefit Ireland’s strong trade relations with the US, with 21% of all Irish exports already going to the US. Indeed, an additional €2.4 billion could be added to our real national income with a successful TTIP agreement.
“However, the proper implementation of regulation is necessary in order to ensure our policy objectives in Europe are preserved and advanced,” Mr Kelly continued.
“One sensitive issue which will be discussed at the Trade Committee meeting of Parliament next week deals with a compromised amendment on investor-to-state dispute settlement (ISDS).
Fine Gael MEPs support the compromise proposal by the EPP Group for a permanent solution for resolving disputes between investors and states by having a revised version of the old ISDS system, subject to democratic principles and scrutiny.
Deirdre Clune said TTIP “has the potential to create 10,000 jobs for Ireland”, but admitted there are “elements of concern”.
It is still under negotiation. I cannot understand outright opposition to the prospect of a deal at this stage. Yes, there are elements of concern, for instance in relation to ISDS and food safety. We have acknowledged those and they will be addressed in due course. They form part of ongoing negotiations. What we are striving for here is a good deal which will create jobs and stability for Ireland and Europe.
Flanagan isn’t the only MEP who isn’t a fan of TTIP – or at least certain aspects of it:
Sinn Féin’s Lynn Boylan said the deal “will benefit the corporations at the expense of the citizens”.
Meanwhile, independent MEP Marian Harkin has raised concerns about the ISDS aspect of the agreement:
Nessa Childers, the only Irish member of the Socialists & Democrats (S&D) group which caused the vote in the parliament to be postponed, said Fine Gael is “downplaying valid and serious reservations about TTIP”.
“This is a very serious issue across Europe and, to put it simply, my concern and the concerns of many others are centred on the question ‘How can we trade with the US when that country has vastly different standards for example around affordable health care, food safety and employment law?’”
Childers has tabled an amendment to remove private arbitration mechanisms from the trade agreement. The amendment was tabled with fellow S&D parliamentarians who also oppose the ISDS scheme.
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TTIP is a monster. Resist Ming, all the way.
According to a recently published cross-border study over 1150 Irish people aged over 30 die annually as a result of air pollution, and burning turf is a principle cause of these deaths. Ming is a leading proponent of burning any and all the turf still remaining in Ireland and by implication possibly guilty of crimes against the Irish people on a huge scale. Does this qualify Ming as a Fascist also?
A third of the population are obese. Are all parents who give their kids an ice-cream murderers too?
thats a pile of crap.. stopping turf cutting only allows the Gov’t to sell carbon tax credits, to billionaires, the likes of Denis O Brien & others, so he can fly his fat ass around the world on his private jet, alone, causing serious damage, burning aviation fuel to beat the band..
who knows, Gov’t probably make a nice x mas prezzie of them credits to their puppet master…
we should certainly resist Ming.
I was waiting for that, wait over…
How many Irish people does Denis O’Brien employ?
How many people does cutting bogs in rural Ireland employ?
spoken like a true member of young FG…
do you FG bots not realise you can be identified by your pandering to oligarchy comments yet?
all young FG are looking forward to the next windfall of party donations, to help them along on their political careers…
shameless creeps…
The question should be: how many people die prematurely as a direct result of lung disease and other ailments directly related to burning turf, compared to how many people die as a direct result of working for Denis O’Brien?
Have children died as a result of eating ice cream?
how do u quantify what co2 came from turf. or came from DOB’s burning of highly toxic aviation fuel fumes?
you can’t.. more utter stupidity…
what are you even talking about? how many died working for DO’B?
are you capable of rational thought?
What do you think Denis O’Brien does all day? Fly around Ireland in his private jet polluting the skies? Like him or hate him (which you probably do out of jealousy) he has done a lot more for this country than a few anti establishment bog men who just can’t bear to be told what to do.
ross question for you
how many die on trollies everyday in our hospitals
how many take their own life as a result of all the austerity measures brought in by gov and by brought in I mean not part of the few “protected” citizens etc,
get your priorities right troll
How many FG politicians does Dobby have in his pocket & how much money has he made courtesy of FG and FF? Power corrupts and absolute ……
It is not the COs that kills, over 1150 Irish people over age 30 die annually as a result of inhaling the cancer and other ailment causing particles as emitted by peat when burnt. To my knowledge CO2 emissions from power plants have not resulted in the death of a single person. As to how many workers have died when employed by Denis O’Brien, I don’t know, do you?
@ ross;
which is completely unquantifiable…. your point is self serving conjecture, with zero basis in fact…
You may have a point @banner, unfortunately the question remains how much did he make honestly and without preferential benefits. Clearly FG helped him win a sweet deal re mobile networks last time they were in power. Funny how his name appears when FG are in power yet again and with a lot of questions.
Yeah, BannerBoy, Denis O’B is a true Irish hero. That’s why he doesn’t pay taxes here and does all he can to silence the press. Are you high?
@Ross…..Your knowledge is minuscule then so
And what about all the people who didn’t die of air pollution from burning turf? I reckon they outway the numbers of those who died because of it.
Has anyone asked the poor fascists how they feel being compared to a bundle of g*bsh*tes?
They won’t respond to ttip questions on Facebook, won’t respond to ming on Facebook and won’t debate ming on irish media. I feel if they had something to say it would have been said by now
I got the joke after my comment by the way, good one!
And Kevin, they wont even discuss it on the telephone. I called Sean Kelly, FG MEP, in Brussels. I could only speak to his assistant. Obviously Sean hisself wasn’t available to talk to a pleb like me. I was told that Kelly will be voting Yes, and that was essentially that.
Oh, anyone got a bit of spare credit on yisser fones? Give him a call on +333 88 1 75206 … let him know yer not happy with his lack of discussion on #TTIP. Indeed, if yis so believe, let him know yer not happy with him voting yes!
Fg are conning the Irish again fascism is a live and well within fg. Fg = dob and banker lackeys eu yes men ttip is a disaster waiting to happen._.
Ming is a nice chap, but at the end of the day he represents only himself at the European Parliament. He says what he likes and turns up when he likes. Even though I voted for him, I wouldn’t trust him to sit on the toilet properly…….
so u think the corpo facists, who are trying to destroy democracy & our freedoms, are representing us, and ming, who is one of a few who really do speak up for us, is only representing himself?
I’m embarrassed for you Chris .. really…
You are exactly wrong…..
So you for vote and then ridicule the man, WTF>
Why would you vote for somebody you don’t trust to sit on a toilet properly, assuming sitting properly on a toilet is a red line issue to you…
has anyone noticed that the media, newspapers, radio have not said one word about TTIP or CETA or the Bilderberg secret meeting being held for the Elites. total blackout!
Fascism:a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism, regimenting all industry, commerce, etc., and emphasizing an aggressive nationalism and often racism.
Enda and Co?
or as Mussolini said “Fascism is the merger of government and corporate power “…..TTIP epitomizes that to a tee.
“forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism”
Well if they were fascists Ming would be locked up… Alas we Irish would never be that lucky. Ming is the biggest waste of space politician I have ever seen.
I remember him being on TV once and being asked what his policies were… He didn’t answer the question and instead launched into a tirade about the government.
Negative politics of the worst kind. I abhor the man.
because everything is grand for you and your family / friends no doubt… another blue shirt shill here if i ever saw one…
is this how the irish water call center staff fill their days, with all the queries ye are not taking, all day, every day?
You’re wrong. When Ming got elected as a TD he outlined his policies pretty well. He stood for local issues like turf cutting. He campaigned on these issues and won on them. He may be the king of hyperbole but he has a large set of balls. Even if he achieves nothing but sticking it to the man then I am a fan. We have completely sold our souls to the interests of big business, from Sepp Blather to Denis O’Brien everywhere you look there is another business winning and another government bowing bending over backwards.
Good man Ming ( the merciless ) telling it like it is.
Oh my apologies, I was wrong. I suppose he does have a policy on turf… That is true. That is the one policy area on which he is fluent.
But I’ve never once heard Ming say what he would do to the Health Service if he were Minister for Health, or what he would do in Finance if he were Minister there bar “ending austerity” which isn’t a complete policy in any form if you don’t spell out how you will do it. Likewise “sticking it to the man in Europe” is not a policy on how the country should be in the future.
Stephen Donnelly and Catherine Murphy prepare their own costed budgets each year at Budget time. Mick Wallace and Ming (when he was a TD) have never done this as far as I know. Stephen Donnelly and Catherine Murphy are the Independent politicians we need, not gombeen men against everything like Ming.
@ DisruptiveTechnology:
I’m far from a “blue shirt shill”
Please tell me how Ming’s policy on the health service will help improve my father’s treatment? Tell me how his tax policies will help create new jobs in my locality. Turf cutting won’t create many jobs, that I can tell you… Tell me how his education policies will improve Ireland’s education rankings…
I just prefer politicians with ideas and policies…
what has that got to do with TTIP, and the nefarious way FG/ PPE are trying to vote this psychopathic law through EU parliament without even a debate on its contents before a vote?
The same way they did with Irish water privatisation… we are governed by traitors, selling us out, for the benefit of corporates, who seem to be writing these law and force them through undemocratically.
you are scraping the bottom of the political barrel, trying to obfuscate the actual thread, while carrying out a character assassination in the process…
Good day Sir…
Ryan…….I must say that watching Ming at EU meetings is quite refreshing, he doesn’t mince his words and lets them know what he thinks.
But Ming understands TTIP better than Richard Bruton…
https://www.facebook.com/Lukemingflanagan/posts/829124837164834:0
Bruton claims a growth rate for Ireland two and a half times the best estimates of the ‘EU payed for independent experts’ his figures are pulled out of his arse, like most pocket stuffers he hangs around with in this country.
https://www.facebook.com/Lukemingflanagan/posts/829124837164834:0
Who writes this stuff for ming. Where has he been since the election. FOI questions well overdue.
Justin…the only time Independents get media time is when the do something controversial, otherwise it’s a FG/Lab love in with a media afraid to print anything that upsets the applecart of their owners.
too risky to be seen to give opposing view these days just look at what happened to the journalist who knocked on callinan’s door, got the boot nad won her case plus damages and apolgies from the independent newspaper, but still gone all the same
Ryan. this is how it starts, bit by bit they take away your rights.
Ming can be a bit rude and abbrupt but he makes good points The Irish Nigel Farrage
I don’t think we need a suave thug like Farage in Ireland.
Ming is on the ball here. This is a bad deal unless you’re a fat rat.
He’s just reminding them of their predecessors in the Blueshirts and how they’d be proud of present day Fine Gael, I don’t see the problem..
Fine Gael expelled the blushirts.
looks like they’ve been back a while..
they must have forget to send us all out the memo….
@IrishAmbitions. Well said brother Irish. #KnowsHisHistory
@ThomasAquinas. You spelled Blueshirts wrong. Fact. #LearnToSpell
You’re right Uncle Sam! I did spell it wrongly. But I also know my history and another fact is that Fine Gael expelled the Blueshirts while Eddie Coll was busy imposing his corporatist constitution, modelled on Mussolini’s, and executing splittists from his own splinter off the original Sinn Fein which ratified the Anglo Irish Treaty.
Forgot my hash tag Sam…#Learntohistory
@ThomasAquinas. Whats your point?? What you seem to be saying is that the Shinners also have a Fascist past. Interesting. I did not know that. Well, Fianna Fail, The Republican Party, unlike Fine Gael and (according to you) Sinn Fein, definitely does not have ANY Fascist past and has always been fully committed to Democracy. Fact. #GoodatDemocracy
I suppose “slightly constitutional” means nothing to you and neither does “humpph, don’t like that vote so we’re outta here… see you in the civil war”.. democratic… my eye
Forgot the hash tag again.. #goodatlies
A trade agreement written in secret by corporations ,whereby sovereign goverments are liable to be sued by the same corporations if they don’t do as these corporations wish.
We may as well accept the microchip in the hand if this goes ahead , this is global corporate government in our faces .
I bet not one of our MEPs has read this treaty or will , much the same way no politician read the lisbon treaty .
It’s a scary thought. First person i heard bring it up was Carthy of SF. Not too much talk of it since. Until now. NWO folks what can we do?
DOB is illuminati, his rise in Ireland is all part of a bigger plan, a world wide plan where we are only a pebble in the lake, he is in fact systematically taking over the media and as much as he can get his hands on in Ireland, he doesn’t once have FF in his pocket he has numberous other politicians too from all parties, Irish water, TTIP, the IMF bailout, it’s all part of the big plan for a one world government, no borders, depopulation… It’s all a sinister plan!! JFK spoke against them he got shot, many others have suffered the same fate, open your eyes people!! This shit is real!!
The powers that be know exactly what they’re doing my friend. At least your comment will annoy them a tad as people will read it.
Indeed Jamie my friend I hope it does, if it just wakes up one person I consider it a job well done!
Disinformation!!! What is the secretive Bilderberg Conference – and why has Michael O’Leary been invited?
http://jrnl.ie/2153804
I agree with Ming.. Kenny and Noonan are under the command of Dennis the menace with Varakar and Buttimeir bringing up the rear.
Was your “bringing up the rear” reference to FG’s gay TDs a lame attempt at a homophobic “joke”?
the only one who mentioned sexual orientation was you ryan….
you’re the one with their mind in the gutter…
All I want to know is what has Buttimer got to do with this debate exactly? He’s not in any way involved in the TTIP debate as far as I know. He’s not on the Dáil committee dealing with the issue. Why is he singled out from an FG group of 70 TDs?
well you’re the only one who mentioned sexual orientation on here…..
no one else is interested…
might be time to have a word with yourself there Ryan…
Ming is being merciless
Did Ming actually turn up to work for a change?
And why are you asking me this question for ?
he actually has the best work attendance record in EU Parliament from all irish MEP’s, since his wife recovered for a serious illness.
of course a fool such as yourself wouldn’t know about this, since your hero’s paper the indo don’t do balanced reporting, only character assassinations on the people who are fighting the oligarchs for real change for the better of all the people they represent…
What a typically ignorant comment from a government shill….
Anybody remember the cannabis debate on TV where Ming was pro cannabis all the way. Then, when asked at the end if he would let his kids smoke it he said NO!! What an idiot of a chap.
you’re the idiot..
why would any reasonable, responsible adult let their kids smoke weed?
he also said it was their own choice when they were old enough to make that decision for themselves.
some of these idiot FG/Lab troll bots should get a life.. not much to do in the irish water call center, to actually earn their wages, with all the customer queries they don’t have…
Maith thú. Spot on. These trolls know they can’t win a reasoned debate so constantly resort to character assination.
I was pointing out what a double standards hypocrite he was. Imagine going on for an hour about how harmless Cannabis is, insisting that alcohol was far worse. Then they asked him will you bring your son for his first joint when he turns 18? He completely contradicted his own argument.
That is being an idiot.
it is his kids decision to make for themselves you fool…
are you hoping he will tie them down and force feed them week, just to avoid a blatantly obtuse, ridiculous accusation of hypocrisy from a journal commenter?
as far a hypocrisy in Irish politics go, your point is beneath contempt… utterly stupid even..
So who was he suggesting cannabis was harmless for? Other peoples children?
You don’t argue in favour of something that you wont allow your own kids to do.
Fool.
No you were trying to be smart.
and failed miserably… why can’t banner understand its a persons right to chose for themselves?
there really is a lot of utter stupidity on here today… total bunkum…
I have absolutely no problem with people choosing for themselves.
I do have a problem with the number one cannabis legalisation lobbyist admitting that he wouldn’t take his adult son for a joint. Its obviously not as harmless as Ming claims. If it was, why would he have a problem with taking him for a joint.
Thousands of dads take they’re son for there first pint. Ming claims alcohol is far safer than alcohol. But yet he wont bring his son for a joint? That’s pure idiotic hypocrisy.
He’s an idiot because he won’t encourage his kids to smoke? you are a complete clown.
I think you missed the point Bannerboy. Ming is a father and advocates the right to let his children make their own adult decisions when they are of age to do so.
If Ming Jr says to his dad on his 18 birthday, “Da, I’d like to try a joint” I’m sure he’d say “Son, your old enough to make your own mind up now, if you wanna smoke your gonna have to run to the shop, grab skins and dominos is on me”
Ming wasn’t advocating anyone under the age of 18 smokes cannabis. That would be silly now wouldn’t it.
Yes exactly. If he does not want to encourage his own kids to smoke it, then what he is he doing lobbying for and encouraging its legalisation?
You’re some fool.
@ buzz; absolutely pointless exchanging with bannerboy… some points can only be argued by the utterly obtuse… no grey area here…
My point is, you don’t hear the head of the NRA telling people he wouldn’t encourage his own kids to use guns.
you have no point… thats the point…
I won’t let my kids drink smoke or drive. But when they are old enough the decision is theirs to make. No hypocrisy involved. Just logic.
@Banner….not really. I drink but when my daughter reached 18 and said she didn’t want to drink I found a drink.-free way to celebrate the occasion
You hit the nail on the head there Ming. Fact #TalkingSense
Hi,Sam
Sam do you like fianna fail?
@Supernova. They’re alright. #Understatement
@Thomas Mac. Hi Tom!! Hows it hanging??
I’m not sure a metaphorical cliché can be a fact, but then I’m not a Fianna Fail supporter. Fact. #nailinthehead
Been a long day brother Sam.Fact. Hanging like a donkey .Fact. Enjoy the rest of your evening,Sam.
When a piece of legislation which 71% of the country don’t know about gets passed in a parliament where the irish people make up 2-3% of that very parliament one has to ask how diluted democracy gets before its considered fascism. fascism is always one vote or one law away and ming is right to bring up the founders of fine gael and to draw comparison. If fine gael won’t debate him In the irish media then why are they voting yes? Surely they can defend their reasoning for their yes vote
Great to see that Ming is actually in the Parliament for a change…
“Independent MEPs Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Brian Crowley have the worst voting record among Irish MEPs at the European Parliament, new figures show.
Data from VoteWatch Europe shows Mr Crowley participated in none of the votes held during the plenary sessions of the European Parliament since the European elections in May, while Mr Flanagan had a voting rate of 16 per cent.”
ming had one of the best attendance records in roscommon council for a decade. After the spindo falsely reported his attendance record we found him to be one of the highest attended tds in the dail and the only reason he missed a few weeks in Europe was because his wife was in hospital. despite this he worked from home and you want to use these circumstances to paint a negative picture? sad individual.
there are some commenters on here that will stoop to any new low to score a political point Kevin…
the shameful face of treachery in irish society… corrupt, self enriching, scurrilous traitors..
As much as I hate fianna fail Brian cowley was also in hospital. another low blow…
A vote is required to happen but just won’t happen yet… Is that too difficult for Ming to understand?
The vote postponement was objected via a citizens initiative with 2.5 million signatures and if 40 MEPs stood up (which they did) in the parliament the vote had to be added to the agenda, it wasn’t.
Then ming asked all the YES MEPs on twitter to debate him and they all refused. Comparison to fascism or not we are far away from a inclusive, open democracy.
Is Ming turning up at work again? Or doing all of his work by Twitter these days?
I actually am against the TTIP myself but this guy should start going to work again if he has not done so already.
I hope you have contacted your MEP to voice your concerns regarding TTIP.
ming had one of the best attendance records in roscommon council for a decade. After the spindo falsely reported his attendance record we found him to be one of the highest attended tds in the dail and the only reason he missed a few weeks in Europe was because his wife was in hospital. despite this he worked from home and you want to use these circumstances to paint a negative picture?
Check out his expenses and it might help. The biro is working anyway.
Makes a difference as to when he wasn’t bothering to get off his ass to attend the European Parliament!
Ming has returned he has been hiding since he got the big wage
Fine Gael always have been a fascist party even going back to mick Collins !
Time to leave the Euro…
He’s just looking for publicity. I hardly blame him, we haven’t heard a thing from our MEPs in the last year.
They are doing the will of Merkel, I can see why, not mentioning their history either???
have your say