Micheál Martin: “If the Executive is not making progress on child poverty, or economic inactivity, or sectarianism”

Okay, so one of the good things about a political crisis in Northern Ireland that it draws a multiplicity views on our general situation (riots will always divide opinion). Not all of that has been bad by any means. Allan Massie in the Scotsman is generally sanguine about Northern Ireland’s future, if not David Cameron’s. But it’s brought the leader of Fianna Fail back on the local news pages too. In an op ed in today’s Irish News Micheál Martin …

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Martin: “flags and emblems tacitly encouraged as a distraction from fact politicians are not delivering”?

If you have not read it yet, check out Brian Walker’s analysis last night on how Stormont’s incumbents are failing the populations of Northern Ireland by leaving the real and contentious business of politics to a small band of hyperactive terror merchants. The leader of Fianna Fail, Micheal Martin has a few similarly hard truths to deliver this morning’s Belfast Telegraph: The problem as I see it is this – if politics is not demonstrably and tangibly about making people’s …

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Micheál Martin: “As a Republican I feel an obligation to make my contribution to the debate…”

Micheál Martin’s interview with Mark Carruthers on The View last night is interesting viewing. Not least at the point (about here) where Carruthers mentions Gerry Adams’ dismissal of the Fianna Fail’s interventions as being driven by a concern for politics in the south. I’ve no doubt that the general thrust of Adams statement is correct. As argued here before, that’s what competitors do do. But the idea that FF and SF are neck and neck in the Republic only really …

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“The peace process was always intended to be about more than an absence of violence…”

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin’s criticism of the Irish Government’s ‘complacency’ over Northern Ireland echoes that of the Labour Party’s Vernon Coaker in regard to the UK Government.  And that was more a disagreement on strategy, rather than a difference of opinion on the problems with the NI administration – as outlined in July by former NI Secretary of State, Owen Paterson.  All of which somewhat undermines Louth TD Gerry Adams’ attempted defence of the northern wing of his party. ANYhoo… the Irish …

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“…this DUP attempt to shift responsibility to Dublin, is a fiction too far.”

Fascinating OpEd in yesterday’s Irish News from Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin. It’s the first time since I remember that a senior political leader in the Republic has taken the gloves off with anyone in Northern Ireland, let alone the First and deputy First Minister. So what is it that’s got his goat? Nothing less than the DUP’s motion in the Assembly (hot on the heels of the SDLP using the same mechanism to embarrass both ‘ruling parties’) criticising the …

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Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein battle it out for title of leader of the Irish opposition

So did anyone see the great Micheal V Gerry fight on PrimeTime last night? RTE billed it as the ‘who truly is the leader of the Opposition?‘ gig. But at the end of the day it turned out to be a bit of a damp squib. As Mary Murphy notes in the pre roll from Katie Hannon, Irish politics is generally geared to winning elections rather than making proposals for better government. The lack of support for the re-introduction of …

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Martin asks who on the No side will fill Ireland’s €18 billion shortfall?

A broadside from Micheal Martin the Irish Times today… He warns the Yes campaign not to get bogged down in a rebuttal game, but instead make its own case for a yes vote: namely that “for Ireland to recover we need Europe’s support”… And he explains why he thinks that: Any alternative funding would lead to billions in extra interest payments, meaning more taxes and less spending. To be fair, some No parties are being honest in admitting that they …

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“But throughout, his government and party turned a blind eye…”

In the Irish Times the peerless Miriam Lord tackles Micheál Martin’s “swift and decisive” response to the Mahon Tribunal report.  From the Irish Times article SPARE US your indignation, Micheál Martin. Button your disgust, Fianna Fáil. We don’t want to hear it. You had your chance and you chose to do nothing. So don’t pretend to be shocked now. Just do us that much. We won’t buy it. If the tribunal were to take another 15 years to deliver its …

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“One step forward. Two steps back. Very awkward.”

In the Irish Times, the peerless Miriam Lord with a useful corrective to more enthusiastic witnesses of the Fianna Fáil Ard Fheis at the weekend.  From the Irish Times article. IT WAS all terribly awkward. An excruciating comedy of manners where the anxious principals were petrified they might say the wrong thing and upset the whole country, again, while simultaneously fretting about bumping into embarrassing old acquaintances who would make a show of them. The tense undercurrent made for an odd …

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Fianna Fail will vote Yes in a referendum on Fiscal Compact…

Having made the point that calling a referendum on matters that don’t sort out the underlying problem is less than meaningful, Micheal Martin announced yesterday that he would be backing the Fiscal Compact in any forthcoming referendum… Hmmmm… not exactly shadowing Sinn Fein then Eoghan? Mick FealtyMick is founding editor of Slugger. He has written papers on the impacts of the Internet on politics and the wider media and is a regular guest and speaking events across Ireland, the UK …

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Yes Taoiseach, but if we’re going to have a Referendum why not have a meaningful one?

So, it’s official. The Irish people want a referendum, whether the Constitution says they need one or not? Micheal Martin thinks it’s overblown, and that the real problem is that the current treaty does not actually address any of the real problems facing the Irish (nay, the European) economy: For all of the fighting in December about the place of existing European Union treaties and institutions, existing treaty law will remain fully in force. The draft treaty explicitly states that …

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No official Fianna Fáil candidate for Irish Presidential election

As recommended by the party’s six member sub-committee on the issue, and with Gay Byrne not accepting the invite [and Micháel Ó Muircheartaigh? – Ed], Fianna Fáil have confirmed they will not be putting forward a candidate in this year’s Irish Presidential election.  But they reserve the option to back someone else.  [If anyone will accept that endorsement? – Ed]  You might very well think that… In the Irish Times Harry McGee adds Speaking at a press conference after the …

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Judge Smithwick: “I think this was singularly ill-advised.”

I had mentioned the apparent disagreement between the chair of the Smithwick Tribunal, Judge Smithwick, and the Irish Justice Minister, Alan Shatter, over the latter’s proposed ‘deadline’, of 30 November, for the Tribunal’s final report. And in correspondence from the time, just released to the Oireachtas along with the Tribunal’s interim report [pdf file], Judge Smithwick made clear the extent of his disagreement. Judge Smithwick wrote to the Minister accusing him of a “wholly inappropriate” attempt to “interfere with the independence” of the inquiry. He …

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“Gerry Adams has given his answer and that’s the end of it as far as I’m concerned.”

The Northern Ireland deputy First Minister, Sinn Féin’s Martin McGuinness, has been in Dublin, wearing one of his other hats ahead of the Irish general election.  And he’s been getting outraged on behalf of the still Crown Steward and Bailiff of Northstead, his party’s president, Gerard Adams, at questions over his credibility.  Oh, and on behalf of “people in the North”. From the iol report. Mr McGuinness said: “Gerry Adams has given his answer and that’s the end of it as far as …

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Micheál Martin: “I think there is a huge problem for Gerry Adams in a credibility sense”

The Sinn Féin president, and still Crown Steward and Bailiff of Northstead, Gerard Adams has taken exception to Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin raising the credibility question in relation to the SF leader’s murky past. [added final link] From the Belfast Telegraph report “There is a fundamental problem for Gerry when he continues to deny his membership of the IRA,” said Mr Martin. “Because every time he talks in this debate during the election about honesty, about being up front and transparent, it jars …

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Micheál Martin: I’m ready when you are boys?

Your captions please? Brian SpencerBrian is a writer, artist, political cartoonist and legal blogger. Actively tweeting from @brianjohnspencr. More information here: http://www.brianjohnspencer.com/ www.brianjohnspencer.com/

It’s Micheál!

As widely expected, Micheál Martin T.D. has been elected as the 8th Leader of Fianna Fáil. The Finance Bill Committee Stage continues in the Dáil. adminA slightly inhuman presence that bans bad comments and works late at night to remove the wrinkles in Slugger’s technical carpet. You will need to know about the comments policy to stay off the fightin’ side of me and there is a bit of background about me here. You can email me using this spam-proof …

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Is Micheál Martin the kernel of Fianna Fáil nua?

Cute fox you might say. But Micheal Martin is undoubtedly a shrewd operator. He survived Bertie’s attempt to destroy him by giving him the politically murderous health portfolio earlier in his ministerial career. In this last passage of play, if he did anything at all that was right, it was to serve his resignation as Minster of Foreign Affairs and, crucially, go through with it. It contrasts markedly with the party’s shambling ‘we’ve had tough decisions to make, so don’t …

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Fianna Fail: Crisis round to Cowen; next round to Martin…

I’m a big fan of restating the bleedin obvious. It’s a much underestimated tool in the journalist’s skillset. So here’s Harry Magee with the first sentient post leadership crisis analysis after Brian Cowen won his intra party competition tonight: Obvious Conclusion One: The middle ground had not shifted. Obvious Conclusion Two: Nobody other than Brian Cowen has built up a support base in the party. From the evidence of the past week, the pretenders can each rely on only a …

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Leadership scrap fritters away precious time for Fianna Fail…

Well, in the last few weeks we’ve had a very direct lesson in the peculiar politics of the Republic: two dismal heaves within Ireland’s two main political parties by insurgents who seem motivated less by personal ambition than by damage limitation at the polls. Of course in Northern Ireland we’ve had a few heaves of our own in the last year. In the first, the SDLP leader Mark Durkan anticipated any prospective move by his party rivals by helping to …

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