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TALKS BETWEEN FINE Gael and Fianna Fáil have been going on for two days, but today one of the parties wasn’t telling us much about how they’re going.
While yesterday’s statement from both parties described the talks as “constructive and cordial”, Fine Gael had no urge to describe how things went today.
This is all we got:
Negotiation teams from both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil had a further two meetings today and have agreed to meet again tomorrow.
Short and to the point.
Meanwhile, Fine Gael’s refusal to support the possibility of a Fianna Fáil-led minority government is understood to be deemed as unacceptable by some independent TDs.
The talks between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil – focusing on how a minority government might work - resumed today shortly after 2pm. It’s believed documents have been exchanged between the two parties.
Independent TDs have seen the power shift in their favour in the last number of weeks, as Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil try to make up the numbers.
The Independent Alliance held their own meetings to go through the policy responses issued by Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil and to discuss their next step.
It is understood that independents have put forward a number of items that they would like to see delivered by each party, should they go into government with them.
However, a number of issues raised with the parties were omitted from the policy proposals, something the independents say they want addressed.
Who leads?
Fianna Fáil has already said that while they will not go into a partnership government with Fine Gael, they will support a Fine Gael-led minority government, if the party can make up the numbers.
However, Fine Gael has not stated likewise, which is believed to be an issue for some independent TDs who say that position is not currently acceptable.
Fine Gael TDs such as Frances Fitzgerald and Paschal Donohue have said on national airwaves that their party is in the strongest position to lead a stable government.
However, one independent TD said Fine Gael has to acknowledge that it saw a drop in their seats, adding that just as Fianna Fáil has, they too must state it would support a minority-led government by the other party.
While it is believed that Fine Gael will not go so far as to prop up a Fianna Fáil-led minority, sources have said there are questions hanging over whether Fianna Fáil are actually serious about wanting to lead such a formation.
If Fine Gael refuses to back Fianna Fáil, and they can’t get the support to push up the numbers, it could mean another general election.
Another vote to elect a Taoiseach will take place on Thursday.
- Additional reporting Aoife Barry
It’s not paranoid it’s true. I think Edward Snowdon confirmed that if you’re too thick to understand what is coming then other people can’t help you.
Agreed Patrick
“Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither and will lose both.” -Benjamin Franklin
what about a data base for the white collar criminals are they not as dangerous .
Very appropriate and wise words.
And freak out paranoid people who think that they are being watched even though if they thought about it their is much to watch really.
It’s like we’re back in the dark ages. We’re only kicking off a central database of DNA for all serious criminals now. How long has this technology been available?
Do we have a database of criminal fingerprints, or do we dare infringe upon serious criminal’s human “rights”?
I agree, it’s about time we have a DNS database for criminals.
Yes we do have a fingerprint database for criminals and have had for a decade or so, and it’s actually decent. The Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) and Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) also use a fingerprint database for immigrants and refugees. The Gardai have access to, and provide access to their fingerprint database to AFIS, Interpol, Europol and the PSNI.
Buy a new iPhone and the NSA will have your finger prints as well.
It will certainly help catch repeat offenders but the majority of sexual assaults are committed by persons known to the victim with little to no criminal record. If it is to be effective in fighting sex crimes it should really be a requirement for anyone working with children and vulnerable people to have their DNA on the system for the duration of their employment.
In addition to the above, fire fighters, Gardaí and medical staff should have their DNA on the system to avoid situations where their DNA may have contaminated a crime scene and end up throwing an investigation off.
“but if it is one more tool we can use to ensure that justice is served and that women are protected then it is great to see it finally come to fruition”.
Don’t forget men and children there RCNI spokesperson. We don;t need stigmas ‘within stigmas.
We need to take back some power from the state not give it more. There is enough tools in the hands of the police forces in Europe as it is. The issue here is using the resources properly. You cannot solve serious crime with a traffic corp & speed cameras. there is far too many police on the roads of Europe. The main reason for this is revenue not road safety. As long as this continues crime will be a secondary issue as not enough money is made from it.
In fairness, there are less than 900 Garda Traffic Corps members out of a police force of 13,500 officers.
Really Dave. Then tell me how there is so many traffic offences before the court. It’s a lot more than 900 a day. When I was talking about the traffic corp I was not actually talking about them as a group within the gardai. The whole force is a traffic corp.
There are less than 900 dedicated traffic officers in the Gardai, the target is in fact 1,300 and above.
Yes, uniformed Gardai do carry out enforcement of traffic law, but it takes them much less time than the Traffic Corps, that’s why they were set up.
Wouldn’t you agree that the fact there are a lot of traffic offences before the court is a good thing? And secondly, when traffic offences appear before the court, generally the state makes no revenue off of this, in fact it may lose some fighting the case. When traffic offences are before courts, sentences or punishments are doled out rather than fines.
Traffic camera speed vans are another thing, but they are controlled by civilian staff, not taking up the time of Gardai and the fact is if you don’t break the speed limit, you don’t get fined. But it’s hard (I know, I’ve been fined too).
Get real will ya, its as clear as day that the standard of driving in this country is a disgrace and needs more not less policing. Its only today i got my wife to take a photo of a “professional” driver in an artic tailgating the hell out of a car on the m1. Now the garda who took our statements has to spend time prosecuting this fool
If you’ve ever been investigated for an indictable offence by a traffic corps Garda, you can be certain you will not get a satisfactory result.
That’s the thing Fin – DNA holds a lot more personal information than a fingerprint does from potential diseases to many things that scientists are working on and haven’t been discovered yet. By all means a database of those convicted of serious offences should be in play – but only those convicted of serious offences.
Some of that is incorrect. Nothing can be taken currently from DNA as a predictor of disease or illness. It’s not scientifically possible. It likely would be in future years.
Would it not be possible to take DNA at birth and keep a database of it.
Why would you want to do that?
Maybe people will think twice about commiting crimes when they know that just sitting in a vehicle leaves DNA evidence,or leaving a minute size skin fragment that is’nt even visable to the naked eye,wellcome to CSI.
You are of the opinion that the state never commits crime & that DNA evidence is never wrong. There was a case here in the UK were a man & his friend were convicted of murder by DNA evidence & they spent 6 years in jail before the convictions were overturned. The real killer was only jailed this week all be it by DNA evidence but several other lives were destroyed in the process. The state has already got to much power. In my job I get to deal with the police on a regular basis & although I have huge respect for most police forces I see them abuse their power regularly & deny basic human rights to people they come in contact with all of which are not criminals. Don’t be a serf. The state is meant to serve the people not the other way round.
Will such a “DNA database” provide the path to an Orwellian nightmare?
It is only a matter of time before such a database is abused by the State. Hence, I don’t believe that it is wise to give the State this sort of power.
If you had a DNA database and a 3D printer could you generate a supermodel report?
Given the past record of miscarraiges perpetrated by elements within the Gardai, I would not trust them with something as powerful as a DNA database – unlike fingerprints, a DNA sample could more easily be planted as evidence against a person, not just by the authorities, but by anybody bearing malice towards somebody else.
A DNA database in a country where simple cancer tests cannot be performed correctly?
Just noted at the end u said to protect “women”.. It should be to protect everyone.. Delighted with the new dna database.. About time ireland moves forward…
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