With all the posters now slowly coming down the process of forming a government which, in this part of the world is no easy task it seems, gets underway. Fianna Fail won the most seats with 48 followed by Sinn Fein who collected 39 seats and Fine Gael with 38. Micheal Martin, Fianna Fail Leader, is therefore in poll position to form the next administration with a host of parties and independents waiting to court him. People Before Profit have categorically ruled out going into government with either Fianna Fail or Fine Gael much to their credit. The Green Party were all but destroyed claiming just one seat. This was a result of them playing ‘mudguard’ to Fianna Fail and Fine Gael in the outgoing government, a lesson others should take on board.
Both the Irish Labour Party and Social Democrats took 11 seats each and neither, I understand, have ruled out entering coalition with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. If either of them do go in as junior partners they could well face the same fate as the Greens at the next election in 2029. Labour should know better as they have been used as ‘mudguards’ before and were almost wiped out at the following election. They are both trying to court Micheal Martin in the vague hope some of their manifesto would be implemented by a Fianna Fail led administration. My advice to these two parties is; if you think Fianna Fail will bow in any way to either of you and implement any of your, admittedly progressive policies, you’ve more chance of “knitting fog.” Forget it. Stay in opposition and build a left-wing block.
Then came the case of Eoin Hayes of the Social Democrats. He was elected on the 12th count beating the Sinn Fein candidate, Chris Andrews, and the party are privately claiming another election for Dublin Bay South constituency should be held. They have a reasonable argument as Hayes refused to say when he sold his 7,000 shares in Palantir Technologies who supply the Israeli Defence Forces currently involved in bombing the shit out of Palestinian civilians. First, he refused to say when he sold his shares when asked by reporters, changing his story slightly after much pressure to implying his sold the shares “some-time this year”. Hayes answers were “embarrassing”, forcing the Parliamentary Party to suspend the TD. The situation in Gaza is of great concern to people in the 26 County’s and had they been aware Hayes held these shares in a company fuelling the Israeli Army would they have voted for him? A fair question and Sinn Fein have a fair point even though they are not pushing the issue too far. Perhaps a by election for the constituency might be the answer because with Hayes suspended from the Social Democrats means technically the electorate in Dublin Bay South have no TD. Will the electorate in that part of Dublin get a chance to vote again now they know of Hayes involvement with Palantir who are supplying the Israeli killing machine? Don’t hold your breath for another election, supporting the Palestinians verbally is one thing but going to the trouble of another election because the elected TD got there through false pretences is something else!
Perhaps the largest hypocrisy of the circus is Micheal Martin's refusal to talk to Sinn Fein. He has spoken to every other party and even though he has no intentions of forming a government with the party who came second it is only manners to speak to them. He talks a lot about respecting the “mandate” delivered by the people but he then choses through his childish pathetic attitude to speak to the party who represent over 400,000 voters! Clair Kerrane, Sinn Fein TD for Roscommon-Galway, said on The Week in Politics hosted by Aine Lawler; “he’s not respecting our mandate” which is perfectly true, Martin is very choosey about mandates and whose mandate he respects. Not, it appears, Sinn Fein’s! This I’m not talking to Sinn Fein is childish to say the least and says a lot about the man who, in all probability, will be the next Taoiseach.
It is my view Sinn Fein should make no attempt to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They should have made this clear prior to the election as should Labour and the Social Democrats. They did not and because of this lack of clarity on the issue may have lost votes? But the Micheal Martin refusal to talk to Sinn Fein may have nothing to do with coalition or no coalition; he appears to be refusing to talk to the Party Leader, Mary Lou McDonald full stop! If this is the case a clear attitude of ignorance surfaces on his part because they are, like it or not, the second largest party and it would be courteous to at least acknowledge this. Sinn Fein will be the largest party in opposition assuming, that is, Fine Gael agree to go back into government with Fianna Fail. In this ‘flying circus’ in what passes for politics take very little for granted! I cannot see what Micheal Martin's gripe with Sinn Fein is? They have dumped most of their once republican policies, as have Fianna Fail, so what is he beefing about? He keeps referring to Sinn Fein's former relationship to the (Provisional) IRA. Well, Micheal, if I were you, I’d keep a bit stum on that issue because one day somebody with a bit of gumption might ask about your own party’s former relationship with what is often termed the “Old IRA”. That is history but so is Sinn Fein’s former relationship with the IRA. It is comparatively recently that “Old IRA” men who sat in the Dail, including former Fianna Fail Taoiseach Sean Lemass, died. Both these once upon a time ‘republican’ parties have historical links to the Irish republican Army. No wonder they were referred to by Gerry Adams as; “first cousins”. Micheal Martins ‘no talking to Sinn Fein’ attitude could sum up a family at war. RTE could make a soap out of it; ‘Micheal and Mary’ referring to the two “first cousins” and party leaders. You could not make it up except, perhaps, on Monty Pythons Flying Circus, a hilarious (I thought) farce of the 1960s and early 70s! Just a point of observation; if Martin continues this ‘not talking to Sinn Fein’ stance how the fuck will he answer Leaders Questions when the Dail finally functions as a seat of government again?
The 26 County electoral system of Proportional Representation using the single transferable vote is probably one of the fairest in the political world of liberal democracy. It is certainly a huge improvement of the ‘first past the post’ system used in British general elections. It is a shame some of those who consider themselves government material do not conduct themselves in an attitude to match the maturity of the electoral system which appoints them! These constitutional politicians should conduct themselves better and in an adult fashion. The ‘I’m not talking to her’ attitude is something to be found in a school playground, or is Dail Eireann exactly that? In true childish fashion there are a host of independent TDs who will all go round to Micheal’s house to ask ‘if Micheal is coming out to play’. It could well be these Independents who may call the shots in the next government. One thing is for certain and that is for the next five years expect exactly what we have had for the previous five. Twenty hour waits in our A+E Departments and that is for the lucky patients, no meaningful improvement in the housing crisis and these are only two fuck ups of the outgoing Fianna Fail/Fine Gael and Green Party, the ‘mudguards,’ administration!!
Then came the case of Eoin Hayes of the Social Democrats. He was elected on the 12th count beating the Sinn Fein candidate, Chris Andrews, and the party are privately claiming another election for Dublin Bay South constituency should be held. They have a reasonable argument as Hayes refused to say when he sold his 7,000 shares in Palantir Technologies who supply the Israeli Defence Forces currently involved in bombing the shit out of Palestinian civilians. First, he refused to say when he sold his shares when asked by reporters, changing his story slightly after much pressure to implying his sold the shares “some-time this year”. Hayes answers were “embarrassing”, forcing the Parliamentary Party to suspend the TD. The situation in Gaza is of great concern to people in the 26 County’s and had they been aware Hayes held these shares in a company fuelling the Israeli Army would they have voted for him? A fair question and Sinn Fein have a fair point even though they are not pushing the issue too far. Perhaps a by election for the constituency might be the answer because with Hayes suspended from the Social Democrats means technically the electorate in Dublin Bay South have no TD. Will the electorate in that part of Dublin get a chance to vote again now they know of Hayes involvement with Palantir who are supplying the Israeli killing machine? Don’t hold your breath for another election, supporting the Palestinians verbally is one thing but going to the trouble of another election because the elected TD got there through false pretences is something else!
Perhaps the largest hypocrisy of the circus is Micheal Martin's refusal to talk to Sinn Fein. He has spoken to every other party and even though he has no intentions of forming a government with the party who came second it is only manners to speak to them. He talks a lot about respecting the “mandate” delivered by the people but he then choses through his childish pathetic attitude to speak to the party who represent over 400,000 voters! Clair Kerrane, Sinn Fein TD for Roscommon-Galway, said on The Week in Politics hosted by Aine Lawler; “he’s not respecting our mandate” which is perfectly true, Martin is very choosey about mandates and whose mandate he respects. Not, it appears, Sinn Fein’s! This I’m not talking to Sinn Fein is childish to say the least and says a lot about the man who, in all probability, will be the next Taoiseach.
It is my view Sinn Fein should make no attempt to go into government with Fianna Fail and Fine Gael. They should have made this clear prior to the election as should Labour and the Social Democrats. They did not and because of this lack of clarity on the issue may have lost votes? But the Micheal Martin refusal to talk to Sinn Fein may have nothing to do with coalition or no coalition; he appears to be refusing to talk to the Party Leader, Mary Lou McDonald full stop! If this is the case a clear attitude of ignorance surfaces on his part because they are, like it or not, the second largest party and it would be courteous to at least acknowledge this. Sinn Fein will be the largest party in opposition assuming, that is, Fine Gael agree to go back into government with Fianna Fail. In this ‘flying circus’ in what passes for politics take very little for granted! I cannot see what Micheal Martin's gripe with Sinn Fein is? They have dumped most of their once republican policies, as have Fianna Fail, so what is he beefing about? He keeps referring to Sinn Fein's former relationship to the (Provisional) IRA. Well, Micheal, if I were you, I’d keep a bit stum on that issue because one day somebody with a bit of gumption might ask about your own party’s former relationship with what is often termed the “Old IRA”. That is history but so is Sinn Fein’s former relationship with the IRA. It is comparatively recently that “Old IRA” men who sat in the Dail, including former Fianna Fail Taoiseach Sean Lemass, died. Both these once upon a time ‘republican’ parties have historical links to the Irish republican Army. No wonder they were referred to by Gerry Adams as; “first cousins”. Micheal Martins ‘no talking to Sinn Fein’ attitude could sum up a family at war. RTE could make a soap out of it; ‘Micheal and Mary’ referring to the two “first cousins” and party leaders. You could not make it up except, perhaps, on Monty Pythons Flying Circus, a hilarious (I thought) farce of the 1960s and early 70s! Just a point of observation; if Martin continues this ‘not talking to Sinn Fein’ stance how the fuck will he answer Leaders Questions when the Dail finally functions as a seat of government again?
The 26 County electoral system of Proportional Representation using the single transferable vote is probably one of the fairest in the political world of liberal democracy. It is certainly a huge improvement of the ‘first past the post’ system used in British general elections. It is a shame some of those who consider themselves government material do not conduct themselves in an attitude to match the maturity of the electoral system which appoints them! These constitutional politicians should conduct themselves better and in an adult fashion. The ‘I’m not talking to her’ attitude is something to be found in a school playground, or is Dail Eireann exactly that? In true childish fashion there are a host of independent TDs who will all go round to Micheal’s house to ask ‘if Micheal is coming out to play’. It could well be these Independents who may call the shots in the next government. One thing is for certain and that is for the next five years expect exactly what we have had for the previous five. Twenty hour waits in our A+E Departments and that is for the lucky patients, no meaningful improvement in the housing crisis and these are only two fuck ups of the outgoing Fianna Fail/Fine Gael and Green Party, the ‘mudguards,’ administration!!
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| Caoimhin O’Muraile is Independent Socialist Republican and Marxist. |
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