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TDS WILL HOLD a video conference with Scottish counterparts today who are looking into proposals for an independent Scotland and it’s potential membership of the EU.
Members of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on European Union Affairs will be involved in the discussion but its’s vice-chairman Dara Murphy TD has insisted that they have “no desire to impact on what is ultimately a sovereign decision for the Scottish people later this year”.
Membership of the EU is a central part of the Scottish Government’s plan for a independent nation if the 18 September referendum is passed.
Last week there was a degree of disagreement over the issue after the EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said that it could be “impossible” for Scotland to join the EU because other nations with independently-minded regions would block it. Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond rejected his comments saying that the EU with resprect Scotland’s democratic decision.
Today’s discussion therefore is not planned to touch on whether or not Scotland may join the EU, but rather Ireland’s experience of being a member.
“We hope that the diverse perspectives of the cross-party delegation will assist the Scottish European and External Relations Committee in their inquiry,” according to Fine Gael’s Murphy.
We expect to discuss how Ireland’s engagement with the European Union has evolved since accession since 1973 and consider recent Treaty changes which have increased the role for national parliaments in European decision-making.
The Irish Government has also said that it will not be taking a formal position on the Scottish vote and Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams also said in a recent interview with the BBC that his party would not either.
The work to date of the Scottish Parliament’s committee to look at independence proposals can be viewed here, with committee convener Christina McKelvie saying that Ireland is relevant example of how Scotland’s EU future could work.
“Ireland has much it can share with Scotland about its experience as a small member state within the European Union. The contribution of the Irish parliamentarians will be most valued,” she said.
The meeting takes place at 10:15 am this morning and can be streamed live on the Scottish Parliament’s website.
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No surprise there then. Party of sham
@Kevin Conway: u think it only happens there
Can anyone think at this stage that ANY govt has its peoples wellfare at heart … a resounding NO. All rotten to the core.
@Lydia McLoughlin: wow wow hold yer horses there lydia. Yep u right
@Lydia McLoughlin: critical thought would tell me that if the Democrats are the ones that brought the bill forward, well then they have the publics and interest at heart.
@Lydia McLoughlin: at least Biden is making some sort of attempt to fix it.
@Kevin Conway: I dunno. The pessimist in me always thinks it’s all a front. Promise this, promise that but its only half hearted or it turns out it can’t be done anyway .. our lot are masters at it! Only those consulted benefit by producing report after report to come back and report it can’t be done!
Yes Minister springs to mind!
I just find it interesting this article did not say the reason the Republicans voted against it. Yes we heard why the Democrats think they voted against it but not their own response. Usually when Republicans vote against something that seems to make sense they have a reason that isnt as nonsensical as this article suggests. Im not saying I agree with them I’m just saying this is biased.
@Sean Casey: Yes, it does make sense. They want the dark money since it benefits them more than the Democrats.
@Peter Peterski: Why wasnt Mitch McConnells reasoning covered in the article?
@Peter Peterski: even though the article says the democrats benefited substantially more $1.5 million compared to $900k
@Anthony Mcgee: 1.5 BILLION versus 900 million. Just a tiny bit more.
Unfortunately In the end you get “the best government money can buy”.
Both sides are guilty but it would seem the Democrat party is at least willing to change the rules.
The amount of money (that doesn’t have to be declared where it comes from) that’s spent by on political advertising is phenomenal.
Less than 7 weeks to go until the midterms, in the US you can’t watch TV or watch anything online without being bombarded constantly by political attack ads.
This election cycle I’ve noticed that “radical” seems to be the buzzword. The 2 candidates for senate and the 2 candidates for governor in my state are running ads where they both just accuse and call each other “too radical for Wisconsin”
Political donations are corruption, plain and simple
Breaking news! facts in an article completely contradict the headline…
The irony of the democratic party bemoaning nefarious uses of political funding in American elections, while they themselves are funding extreme far right candidates in the US primaries to both make the Republican party look as far right as possible by association and also because they believe they can motivate undecided voters to vote for the democratic party candidates if the perceived alternative candidate is a far right looney that they themselves promoted into the political spotlight..
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2022/09/12/democrats-interfere-republican-primaries/
Just to add, the amount of money spent by the Democratic party funding far right candidates in the current US primaries, is an eye watering $50 million to date.
@David Van-Standen: they want the ‘radical’ Republican candidate to win the Republican primary because they reckon the mad radical Republican candidate will lose to the Democrat candidate in the actual election in November. They are funding the weakest Republican in the primary so they beat them in the election.
It’s not for ideological reasons it’s so they can beat them in the actual election.
The Republicans did the same, backing Bernie Sanders to win against Hillary in the Democratic primaries.
It’s inherently risky, the mad radical they think will lose can end up winning sometimes.
After all, Hillary Clinton lost to Trump in 2016.
@Diaspora’d: thanks, that’s what i said.
I never claimed it was ideologically motivated, just a nefarious use of funding, in an attempt to rig the ultimate outcome in favour of the democratic party, while also slinging muck at the Republican party.
I just cannot figure how the Irish Government hrre have been able to afford Brexit, Covid, and, now the cost of living crisis it seems is going to bring a give away budget! Who is bank-rolling them? and Why?
Remember they announced a surplus of €6.3bn recently!
@Caoimhghin Whyte: the EU massively supported the Covid measures.
The benefits of being in the bloc are there to be seen.
Republicans cannot stand against corruption and still support Trump. They don’t want to live in denial. Might as well defend corrupt money and don’t be called hypocrite later
Just like ours.
Biden could be on fire and the Republicans wouldn’t urinate on him to put it out. They wouldn’t do that for any democrat and that’s what’s wrong with politics in this day and age, the most basic concepts of civility is dead and gone
Dark money is that given to the Democratic party by the likes of Planned parenthood (who make a profit and promote abortion).
Should cap all donations to say around 50′id say
have your say