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Gerry Adams Oireachtas

Gerry doesn't think Phil's fit to send to Europe.. A "3 or 4 hour session" with MEPs should sort it, says Enda

The Government is expected to announced either Hogan or former Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore for the EU post by tomorrow…

SINN FÉIN LEADER Gerry Adams has raised questions over Phil Hogan’s suitability to become Ireland’s next EU Commissioner — but the Taoiseach has insisted that who-ever’s nominated for the job will be fully vetted by members of the European Parliament.

Adams pointed to various controversies and “debacles” involving the Environment Minister — who’s long been expected to take over from outgoing Commissioner, Maire Geoghegan-Quinn.

Other Cabinet members have been forced to defend Hogan in recent days, after it emerged that he had appointed seven former Fine Gael and Labour councillors to State boards in recent weeks.

Adams asked whether it would be “inappropriate to nominate” Hogan for the role until certain questions of perceived conflicts of interest could be settled.

Responding, Enda Kenny said it that when filling positions on State boards, it was important to appoint people who “bring a measure of experience and additionality”.

He also said he “didn’t agree with the basis” of Adams’ question, regarding Hogan’s suitability.

Phil Hogan... Laura Hutton / Photocall Ireland Phil Hogan... Laura Hutton / Photocall Ireland / Photocall Ireland

Vetting

The Taoiseach also pointed out that who-ever is nominated for the European role would have to answer questions before MEPs ”in regard to their suitability and appropriateness for appointment” — after Adams raised the possibility of incoming commissioners being grilled by TDs here before being confirmed.

“For the first time ever, you’re going to have a few people yourself out there,” he said — referring to Sinn Féin’s positive showing in the recent European elections.

He said that all of the Parliament’s 751 members would have an opportunity to ask questions over a “3 or 4 hours session”.

If and when somebody’s appointed here you can send your questions.

The Government is expected to announced either Hogan or former Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore for the EU post by tomorrow, at the same time as the new ministerial positions are confirmed as part of a full Cabinet reshuffle.

Read: Howlin: ‘I am going to work away until somebody tells me that I shouldn’t

Read: Michael Noonan expects there will be a new Cabinet by Wednesday

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44 Comments
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    Sep 28th 2017, 10:54 AM

    Aren’t we lucky our country doesn’t have issues like this or others.

    179
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    Mute Shawn O'Ceallaghan
    Favourite Shawn O'Ceallaghan
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    Sep 28th 2017, 12:27 PM

    Helps not building on an island with a Volcano.

    To be fair though, we did settle beside arguably the biggest and strongest colonial power in the world. So we all make mistakes.

    65
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    Mute Brown Boots
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    Sep 28th 2017, 12:41 PM

    I dunno, I guess you’ve not seen Mrs Boots erupting at the slightest thing!

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    Mute Harry Whitehead
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    Sep 28th 2017, 5:34 PM

    @Shawn O’Ceallaghan: People settle near volcanoes for the same reason they settle near rivers and shorelines – it’s a tradeoff between convenience and the occasional disaster. In the case of volcanoes, the convenience is agricultural – volcanic soil is known for being rich and fertile.

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    Mute dangermouse
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    Sep 28th 2017, 10:46 AM

    Isn’t prince Philips a god to these people maybe he can peg the top with the duchess of York

    35
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    Mute TravellingTheWorld
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    Sep 28th 2017, 11:11 AM

    Surprised AFP haven’t blamed ‘Global warming’

    28
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    Mute Gerald Kelleher
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    Sep 28th 2017, 11:28 AM

    @TravellingTheWorld: Well they once tried to incorporate plate tectonics into ‘climate change’ , looking on 9 years later at the propaganda that Goebbels would have be delighted with , it is time to normalize climate as a research topic -

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVGGgncVq-4

    The big idea is comparing evolutionary geology between our planet and our sister planet Venus which are roughly the same size but with very different dynamics. The current batch of geologists don’t have the expansive view to investigate these comparisons much the same as climate guys can’t manage to look at planetary climate within context of all planets in the solar system.

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    Mute Michael Geraghty
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    Sep 28th 2017, 1:05 PM

    @Gerald Kelleher: venus is 42 million miles closer to the sun so pointless comparing the two

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    Mute Gerald Kelleher
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    Sep 28th 2017, 2:43 PM

    @Michael Geraghty: It is not entirely your fault that you can’t adapt to more challenging reasoning but the distance of Venus and the Earth from the nothing has nothing whatsoever to do with evolutionary geology on either planet.

    The Earth has a 26 mile spherical deviation between Equatorial and Polar diameters, in other words it is not a perfect sphere while Venus is. The Earth has both plate tectonic and volcanic activity while Venus has only volcanic activity. When I showed about a decade ago that it is impossible to exempt the Earth’s fluid interior beneath the thin fractured crust from differential rotation across latitudes, the community threw the kitchen sink at rotation and made a balls of it. I trust readers here to see to see how the planet’s rotation connects the planet’s Equatorial bulge (misnomer) with the motion and evolution of the surface crust (plate tectonics).

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    Mute Tomás Havana Kavanagh
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    Sep 28th 2017, 11:54 PM

    @Gerald Kelleher: so are ye saying earth is wobbling about the sun like a water balloon?

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    Mute Noel Allan
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    Sep 28th 2017, 11:36 AM

    Is it just me that noticed on the aircraft wingtip a new website address with an added w?
    when did wwww. become the norm…..lol?

    13
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    Mute Brown Boots
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    Sep 28th 2017, 12:43 PM

    @Noel Allan: and they wonder why their branding ain’t working!

    8
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    Mute Pa Curran
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    Sep 28th 2017, 7:13 PM

    Maybe they’ll pack in the prank calls now.

    11
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    Mute Nicholas O'Halloran
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    Sep 28th 2017, 11:12 AM

    They should watch Von ryan’s express, plenty of tips

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    Mute Brown Boots
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    Sep 28th 2017, 11:16 AM

    @Nicholas O’Halloran: what sinatra running at the end, beaten only by the scene from Heat as the greatest movie running scene ever!!! What actors they all were!

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    Mute Mark Dervan
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    Sep 28th 2017, 1:54 PM

    That’s freaky! I had a missed call this morning from a strange number and when I looked up the country code it was Vanuatu which I’ve never heard of ever!

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    Mute Brian Murphy
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    Sep 28th 2017, 2:51 PM

    @Mark Dervan: So did I!

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    Mute Robc
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    Sep 28th 2017, 10:23 PM

    @Mark Dervan: so did I. I googled it and found out its a phone scam

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    Mute Jonathan Power
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    Sep 28th 2017, 2:16 PM

    I wonder could we do the same for Ireland ‘entire population evacuated prior to Leo’s budget’

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