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NEW POLITICS? WHAT’S that? Well, it’s two grown men sitting across the Dáil chamber from one another talking about why they are not talking to each other.
That has been the state of play ever since three well-known words began to be bandied around during this so-called silly season – ‘confidence and supply’.
For the everyday punter concerned with some of life’s real problems like housing, rent, homelessness and hospital waiting lists, these words might not mean much – but essentially, it is the deal Fianna Fáil signed up to to facilitate Fine Gael setting up a minority government.
Even though they are the opposition, they have agreed to support the government on some of the big issues, like getting a Budget passed.
The deal states that Fianna Fáil will facilitate three Budget – the third of which is due this October.
So why all the talk about it this summer then?
With the Dáil rising this week, Leo Varadkar appears to be anxious to begin talks with Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin about extending the deal.
Last December, the Taoiseach said he could see no reason why the confidence and supply agreement could not be extended past a third budget and those colours are still on that mast.
Just another year – appeared to be Varadkar’s mantra – and sure why not, with Varadkar still high in the polls, and confidence in the government relatively decent, things seem to be going swimmingly (some might argue that these stats mean it would also be a good time to go to the people).
At the time, the Taoiseach hinted that he wanted to get the renegotiation going before Budget day.
“I wouldn’t like to see it drop dead the day after the budget either. That wouldn’t be in anyone’s interest and it would not be in the best interests of the country certainly to have a government on Budget night with a confidence and supply agreement but not the day after.”
However, he also said he would give Martin the courtesy of not going into detail in public before he had spoken to the Fianna Fáil leader. In recent weeks, Varadkar has not been so faithful to that promise.
No talking
As time ticks on, Varadkar is more keen to sit down – but Martin has said there is a timetable, and getting into those talks before the October Budget was not the deal.
“We are very clear we want to honour and fulfil the confidence and supply agreement,” said Martin last week.
“I’m very clear that we are willing to engage in budget negotiations and we will,” he said, but added that negotiations on October’s budget will take place before a review of the confidence and supply agreement.
While Martin sat across from the Taoiseach, Varadkar told Labour’s Brendan Howlin that he hasn’t heard from the Fianna Fáil leader yet about renegotiating the deal.
It is my preference that we would have already started discussions on renewal of the agreement. It is not in the country’s interests for us to be trying to negotiate an extension to the confidence and supply agreement in October-November when we are dealing with the Brexit negotiations and so many other matters.
It is a matter I will discuss with the Leader of the Opposition in due course. It is the intention that the government will introduce a budget in October.
The Taoiseach also hinted that he wasn’t in the market for an autumn general election, saying it is “very much in the national interest for us to have political stability in the autumn”.
Frankly, not everyone believes him.
‘This is crazy, here’s my number, so call me maybe’
Leo Varadkar said at the end of the week that he has asked Martin to meet, but as of yet there’s been no reply.
All he can do is wait. But he could be waiting a while if Martin’s speech to a room full of journalists on Thursday is anything to go by.
The invite barely issued and Martin was talking about how the Taoiseach appears to need assurances of two more years in power.
“In a lengthy series of interviews and in strategic briefings they have not only demanded that my party give them a guarantee of two more years, they have said that a failure by us to do so immediately might require them to call an election.
From the first moment it has been clear that this has all been about putting politics before policy. The idea that a government can’t do its job unless it has a guarantee of an extended term is palpable nonsense.
He said a lot of people have been quite rightly asking why there has suddenly been so much talk about the next election.
“The answer is a very simple one, the Taoiseach decided for whatever reason that it is in his interest to make this a central issue at the moment,” said the Cork TD.
He added:
We’ve played this agreement straight from the start and will continue to do so.
The Agreement says three budgets and then review. It couldn’t be clearer and it was accepted by the Taoiseach when he negotiated it and when he assumed his new role last year.
Martin said Varadkar has decided to play some form of political game.
If the Taoiseach’s primary concern was to actually try and extend the Agreement he would have raised it directly with Fianna Fáil – something which he continually failed to do.
So, where do we stand now?
Leo wants to talk but Micheál’s not ready.
Are we in for a bad break up?
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Brendan O’Caroll managed to give €450,000 of his own money.
Fair play Brendan.
Not his biggest fan but I doff my cap for that. Marvellous gesture
Especially since he’s an ex jail bird
Protestant aid?!
We really do live in the funniest little country.
My taxes are being put to good use as usual!
What would you prefer, a million given to help the less well off regardless of religion or the same amount squandered as we know Irish governments are well capable of?
Protestant Aid is a charity with collects money from Protestants and distributes it to people in need regardless of their denominational status. It’s help FROM Protestants, not necessarily TO Protestants.
Unbelievable wise up you muppet! I don’t know if you’re to be pitied or just plain old thick, I hate to burst your wee sectarian bigoted bubble but guess what there are Protestants living, working and PAYING TAX in this what did you call it “funniest little country” Are you seriously saying that Protestants (be that people or charities) should not be given access to the same public charity funding? Sorry again about to burst another of your wee thick as…bubble the St Vincent de Paul is a Catholic ethos charity but I, like most other right minded people, support any charity who provides a service for people who need a helping hand.
Maybe you’d like to expand your mind and experience why these charities need this funding by coming along with me on Christmas day to serve dinner for people who are homeless, elderly people who live alone and anyone who won’t otherwise have Christmas dinner – oh and by the way we don’t ask anyone what religion, race, gender, sexual orientation they are!
Sorry that was ignorant, my first impression was that it was simply money to go towards the Protestant church. I would have laughed just as much if it was called ‘catholic aid’ ‘Muslim aid’ or ‘Hindu aid’
In fairness, with the recent bad press, donations from the public have dropped off considerably – the poor CEO’s wouldn’t get their bonuses if it wasn’t for this intervention.
Has the horrendous Homeless issue ended in Ireland overnight.
No, but a giant brush and mat spring to mind.
Sure didn’t enda “talk”to a “homeles” man
He did’nt. He said “Move or I’ll have ye arrested!”
SVP are the largest provider of homeless accommodation in the country.
SVp CEO Kieran Murphy salary 115K & 125k sure he could put up at least half the homeless in his big house.
John, just to be pendantic, Kieran Murphy is not the CEO of the SVP, he’s the National Director. There is no CEO, Geoff Meagher is the National President. What did the members of the National Management Council earn? Nothing. So, out of the 19 most senior people running the SVP, one is paid (you can check all this on page 23 of their 2012 annual report on their site).
Kieran Murphy on €115,000 + there some wages for someone working in a charity.
The SVP employs a significant number of people across the country and provides services to thousands of people. Doing that requires a professional approach or the whole system would be disjointed and ultimately futile. The SVP employs people to produce reports, manage staff, do campaign work and all this with the assistance of thousands of volunteers. There is a nonsense being spouted by various people recently which would posit that everyone in a charity should work for free, but this would lead to less of a service and a less professional service. We as a society need to provide coherent services to people in the most need and to do that, we need to have professional services offered to those people. Volunteerism is fantastic, but there are specialised services which these people require, meaning that these services need to be sourced and available full time. The only way to do this is to pay people.
Other charities use most of their money on staff and this is being rubbished by some of people recently without any idea of what they do. If you needed a disability service for a child who is non verbal and Option A meant you had a service which offered you a speech therapist, a social worker, an occupational therapist and maybe a specialised day service (like Enable Ireland), whilst with Option B there was a service with some well intentioned but unqualified and unskilled volunteers with the equivalent cost of the staff per client (in Option A) being given to the client directly at the end, most people would realise that Option A offered a better service, but the nonsense being spouted against charities recently may discourage qualified staff from applying for these posts.
Maybe a few top up too
Nobody is saying these executives should work for free, don’t be ridiculous. But their salaries really are taking the piss.
Director or CEO He is still over paid the job dosen,t warrant that kind of money no charity director or CEO should. It,s just greed just because they know an over paid politician doesn’t mean they should be.
That’s nice of the ministers to give a million from there wages to charity well done lads. Oh wait ;)
Bosses of 14 charities get salaries of over 100k….
http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/bosses-of-14-charities-get-salaries-over-100k-29707277.html
Ams that money does come from charity donations…
Protestant Aid? WTF is going on?
Great to be a rich Catholic country.
Dave and Niall, what is you’re problem with “Protestant Aid”? Have you both researched the work they do? “Bigot” springs too mind.
To
Lots of Catholic agencies out there, why not one for Protestants, some members of that religion also require assistance…
They are non-religious don’t ask what religion you are
You’re complaining about protestant aid, when you are probably one of them who calls Catholicism the work of a sky fairy. Ye can’t have your cake and eat it
People shouldn’t be refused aid based on religion, exclusionary charities like those mentioned need a more inclusive model
Protestant Aid? WTF is going on?
Great to be a rich Catholic country.”
Hard to credit this – and some other posts .
Those in need should get money whether they be of any religion or none
Why call it Protestant aid then.?
Once upon a time it was established as a Protestant relief agency, much as the St Vincent de Paul was established as a Catholic relief agency. Crosscare is the relief agency of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin. Today, they all give relief to people of all religions and none. They all make efforts to offer relief to those in desperate need not based on their religious ethos.
The name is historic and reflective of the fact that it would still be a favoured relief agency for many Protestant. Much like the Vincent de Paul would do some of it’s collecting through the Roman Catholic community. I find it disappointing and troubling that people would be offended by giving money to Protestant Aid, but the same people seem to have no hackles about giving to the Vincent de Paul or Crosscare. Even though who they give to is based on need, rather than belief, it would be good to remind people that people of all religious communities and none experience poverty, homelessness and poor mental health and isolation in Ireland.
The Irish government gives = the Irish taxpayer gives
The heads of these three charities must be well connected…
“The Government is giving €1 Million to Government cronies this Christmas”
Sorry, the headline of this article needs to be corrected. It should have read: The Irish people is giving €1 million to charities this Christmas.
Let’s not make this lot out to be any sort of modern day Robin Hoods.
The money being handed over, and great that it is, comes directly from national taxation. Included among the contributors to the €1 million are many families, some of whose members may perhaps still be lucky enough to have jobs and who themselves may be now on the financial brink, as a result of the radical and continuing austerity policies being so enthusiastically pursued by this administration.
Its the Irish people who need to be applauded here and not the politicians.
In a country in which so much food poverty exists in this 21st Century its nothing short of scandalous that despite the recent departure of the Troika we are still, in a manner of speaking, being told:
Keep calm and continue suffering.
Correction. We are giving one million quid. The government is deciding how much the CEOs of these corrupt entities are getting.
Charity should be optional to those who give and not mandated by crony politicians.
In what way is the CEO of SvP corrupt? Anything there to back up your claim?
I didn’t say he was. I said the organisations were.
Moan moan bleedin moan, journal should add a “moaner alert” button (great to see VDP getting some funds – they do fantastic work)
Thumbs up to the Government! http://www.itsnearlychristmas.com
The Government is giving,
€1 million to charities,
And P45′S to the fu*ckers who robbed them blind.
A very Happy Xmas to both…..
We are all very angry about the charities getting money it seems.
If the country was run the way it should be, charities would not be needed
Putting back a small percentage of what the government dogs stole from the charities
Don’t see a problem in giving to these groups, they send millions to other countries ever year and nothing about if, it’s about time the people of Ireland are looked after for a change,
Its about time we start looking after our own who really need it
€630,000,000 in foreign aid this year alone. Makes sense..
A gift has been made in your name to The Human Fund.
In the form of top ups no doubt!
I hope this includes animal charities!
And still there’s no law requiring charities to publish transparent accounts where every Euro is traceable.
That’s what would help real charities.
Real reform, not a plaster on a sick sector.
have your say