Fine Gael's sudden implosion could be Labour's, not Fianna Fáil's, gain. By Joe Galvin.
In politics, timing is everything, and in the past year, Fine Gael's timing has consistently been out. Sometimes the party have acted too slowly; their failure to move quickly to condemn John O'Donoghue is an example. In that instance, they were gazumped by Eamonn Gilmore. Last weekend they were gazumped by their own spokesperson on finance, Richard Bruton.
The Fine Gael leader does not have the command of economic policy required for credibility. By Vincent Browne.
After the disastrous performance of Fine Gael in the 2002 election, I wrote a column that began with a prayer for Fine Gael: “May the angels lead you into paradise; may the martyrs come to welcome you and take you to the holy city, the new and eternal Jerusalem.”
Honohan's report casts light on the reasons for our banking crisis. Seventy-five percent of these reasons are internal factors. By Vincent Browne.
Following the Dirt tax inquiry, which revealed criminal fraud in the banks in the 1990s - naturally, nobody was ever prosecuted or even interviewed by gardaí - there was a proposal that directors of financial institutions be required to sign an annual statement confirming their compliance with their duties as directors.
In the week of the publication of the Honohan report on the banking crisis there will be no debate on the issue, no Dáil questions, no Dáil motions, nothing. By Vincent Browne.
Central Bank governor Patrick Honohan’s report on the financial collapse of the banking sector was presented to Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan last Monday.
Lenihan read it then, and told his cabinet colleagues about it on Tuesday. The report is to be considered this Tuesday by the cabinet - or at least by those cabinet ministers who have decided not to go off on an unearned holiday.
Approximately 500 people attended the fourth Right to Work demonstration where protesters again called on government to hold a general election. UCD sociologist Kieran Allen said in an interview with Politico that the Right to Work campaign would change tactics after tonight’s protest. By Shane Creevy
Over 1000 demonstrators gathered in Dublin’s city centre yesterday to protest against the killing of activists bringing aid to Gaza. Such global comdemnation of an international event has not been seen since the invasion of Iraq in 2003. By Denise O’ Riordan
On November 4, 2004, the late Tony Gregory asked the then minister for the environment and local government, Dick Roche, whether there were any conflicts of interest which would inhibit the Dublin Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) from making balanced planning decisions in the Docklands area.
The Croke Park Agreement is a bad deal for taxpayers, public sector workers and users of public services. By Eoin Ó Broin.
Who has the right to comment on the Croke Park Public Service Agreement?
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore says that political parties should not ‘interfere’ in what is a matter for public sector workers. They should be left in peace, he says, to consider the strengths and weaknesses of the agreement and make their decision accordingly.
I don’t agree.
Protests outside Anglo Irish Bank and Dail Eireann passed off peacefully tonight. By Shane Creevy.
Outside Anglo Irish Bank on Stephens Green they marched to the calls of ‘NAMA NAMA no way, time to make the wealthy pay!’
And outside Dail Eireann the crowd shouted in unison, ‘When they say cutback, we say fight back!’
(Audio: Politico interviews James O’Toole, one of the organisers of the protest.)
Up to 20,000 Pfizer employees are to lose their jobs as profits remain staggeringly high. By Vincent Browne.
Jeff Kindler is a bright fellow.
He graduated from Tufts University in 1977 with a summa cum laude, which is saying something.
There are three categories of cum laude. A simple cum laude means with honour. Then there is magna cum laude, which means with great honour. Then summa cum laude, which means with the highest honour.