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SHANE ROSS HAS defended comments made in his Sunday Independent column yesterday in which he suggested the Taoiseach could be a “political corpse”.
Ross was speaking after the Independent Alliance met with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin this afternoon to discuss their demands for supporting the next government.
But it was the grouping’s meeting with Enda Kenny last Friday that dominated the press conference at Leinster House.
Writing in yesterday’s paper, Ross said of the meeting with Kenny: “Enda Kenny was conciliatory, attentive, even charming.
Sometime in the middle of the exchanges an awful truth dawned. We were possibly in dialogue with a political corpse.
But Ross rejected suggestions that the comment was disrespectful, telling reporters today: “I said quite simply that we might be dealing with someone who I’d call possibly a political corpse.
I think the reality is that Enda Kenny is under a lot of internal pressure and that it is quite correct to consider that in our calculations.
He rejected claims that he had given away the details of the negotiations with Kenny, insisting: “I simply said that he is under pressure. He remains under pressure and it’s very important we’re dealing with someone who has authority. ”
Ross later said: “I said that we were possibly dealing with a political corpse. That is patently true to anybody who’s a spectator on the political scene.”
Two other TDs in the alliance, Michael Fitzmaurice and Finian McGrath, appeared to back Ross despite the controversy.
Of the meeting with Martin today, Ross said that the Fianna Fáil leader had brought more energy to the discussions than Kenny had done last week.
“I think his presentation shows a great deal of energy because he’s hungry and he wishes to put forward some very radical proposals and we didn’t see those from the Taoiseach last week,” he said.
The Independent Alliance presented Martin with a bill to introduce five-year fixed term governments. They also laid out proposals to have a minister for rural affairs, to rural-proof decisions, end cronyism in state board appointments and remove political influence from judicial appointments.
Fitzmaurice said that the Independent Alliance would support whichever party came back with costed and fleshed-out proposals.
“Until you put the meat on the bones, you don’t know who you’ll be supporting,” he said.
Ross said the Independent Alliance is expecting to hear back from the Taoiseach on its reforms proposals later this week and said a decision on who it will support in Thursday’s vote for Taoiseach will be made later in the week.
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Oh aye? What you gonna do about it Taoiseach???
@Greachán Ó Ceallaigh: silly comment
@Greachán Ó Ceallaigh: he’s going to do SFA, just like all the other issues on his own doorstep don’t mind talking about a seperate jurisdiction.
Another soundbite by the transparent Taoiseach, he’s never been interested or has he ever done anything to help the people of the north ( don’t get me started on the sleaze Leo ) just another empty gestures. Insipid Coalition politicking….
@Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: what should he do?? Send in the tanks?? At least the republicans and loyalists can agree on one thing, they both hate Leo and Simon Coveney.
@Andrew Dillon: major issue is we don’t have any tanks
Drawing a false equivalency and playing the “both sides” angle.
The DUP are refusing to form an executive. This is on the DUP, and that’s it. The DUP want Westminster to rule if they can’t hold the majority, and that needs to be called out.
@Donnie Brasco: what I took from what he said, there was no both sides angle. DUP blocking NI executive. No one under any illusions otherwise.
“It is to the detriment of the people of Northern Ireland that their Executive is not in place to take the decisions and provide the leadership that the North needs.”
We have a government here in the south and they won’t make any decisions to help the people dealing with the number of crises we are experiencing.
Focus on the Republic Mick and cut out your nonsense.
Let’s concentrate on our own problems within our counties first
The housing disaster is his failure. As is the health system
Simple answer,, Stop there pay packets, and see how quick they get together
They don’t listen to each other. Why listen to him?
@Mary Nugent: Perhaps they never will…
No whats unexceptable is your weak governance of this country. Watching us be ripped off at every turn. Only to hear your shallow condemnation of issues with absolutely no action
Why do people in NI put up with the sheer lack of performance by their politicians including Sinn Feinn. Wake up and make it happen.
@Appaddy: the same way we put up with the shower we have. For one, the Northern ministers can’t claim travel expenses seeing they don’t go to work. Not like the clowns we have who show up for work and charge the tax payer a fortune for same, but like the crowd up North they do nothing. This is typical Mehole try sorting out something he can’t but don’t dare sort out the problems he can
This should be called the Sinn Fein Journal judging by comments
The only thing I can think of when I hear and see this person is.
What is the difference between Humans and Animals.
Animals would never have the weakest in charge of the pack
Definition of unacceptable. Too bad to be accepted, approved of, or allowed to continue:
So how do you propose to stop it continuing?
It wouldn’t be FF if they didn’t get a diģ in against SF, Mr Martin hope you don’t mind me calling you Mr Martin, you didn’t earn the title to be called other than your name. SF pulling out was nothing compared to the DUP, SF pulled out because the DUP made a mess of the money for heat, or something like that. the DUP are just being childish because SF did better.Now what are you going to do about the DUP don’t forget you have a part to play and don’t be leaving it all for SF to sort out, you will be left in the back room.
Pfft they are simply mirroring Sinn Fein when they were having a strop & they were blaming the DUP back then too they can’t win either way so guess they don’t care what Mr Martin has to say & back there the last time there was uproar at the suggestion that they cut their salaries off.
Soon the new PM will call for fresh elections in the North and if the DUP gets the highest number of seats then the Executive can get back up and running..
It’s that simple..
More tripe from Fine Fail. The GFA allowed for this by allowing the mechanism DUP are using which is the same one SF used before. Just like everyone said back then, stop paying these idi0 ts and they’ll do what they’re supposed to.
have your say