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LAST UPDATE | 14 Nov 2019
Varadkar strongly hints that Maria Bailey will be off ticket stating the democratic will of the constituency should be respected pic.twitter.com/8cvbzgj0WG
— Christina Finn (@christinafinn8) November 14, 2019
TAOISEACH LEO VARADKAR has strongly hinted that Maria Bailey will be taken off the ticket for the next general election, stating that the “democratic will of the constituency should be respected.
Fine Gael is expected to take TD Maria Bailey off its Dún Laoghaire general election ticket at a meeting of the party’s national executive council later today.
The national executive, which is due to meet in the party’s headquarters this evening, is expected to follow the wishes of the constituency membership, who voted to review the election ticket.
Senior party sources have said Bailey will be removed from the ticket, which some have said has been an inevitable outcome.
Speaking to reporters this afternoon, Varadkar said: “When I became party leader, I said we would democratise our party… and we would listen to our party.”
Controversy surrounded Bailey earlier this year in relation to proceedings she filed against the Dean Hotel after claiming she had been injured when she fell from a swing at the premises.
After withdrawing the claim, Bailey went on RTÉ’s Sean O’Rourke programme, which some of her party colleagues have said was a serious error in judgement.
One senior party source told this website that had Bailey come out and apologised early, like Fianna Fáil’s Lorraine Clifford Lee this week, the Dún Laoghaire TD might not be facing into losing her Dáil seat.
The radio interview gave fuel to the fire, and ensured that the party had to step in, they said.
Following the radio interview, an internal party review found she “overstated” the claim and led to her being demoted from her role as head of the Oireachtas housing committee by the Taoiseach.
Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty told reporters this week that she respects the will of Fine Gael members in Dun Laoghaire after they voted in favour of a review of candidates.
Doherty declined to express support for Bailey to run in the next general election as a Fine Gael candidate, as did many other ministers recently. However, Doherty did state that “on a human level, I think she’s been through an incredible amount in the last number of months”.
After tonight’s meeting, it is expected that a press release will be issued announcing Bailey’s fate, with some party sources speculating that her replacement will also be announced.
Councillors Lorraine Hall and Jennifer Carroll MacNeill are potential replacements for Bailey. One senior source stated that Carroll MacNeill is expected to win out.
The Irish Independent reported this week that former MEP Marian Harkin has been approached by Fine Gael to be a candidate in the general election next year.
While one party member said that Harkin might well be announced as a candidate this evening, another senior party source said that the deal is still not over the line with Harkin, as of yet.
However they indicated that there are a number of high-profile candidates that may be announced in other constituencies across the country in the coming weeks.
With reporting from Seán Murray
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Too much paperwork. This only adds to the burnout that many child protection workers face. The job of a social worker has become too administrative and less front line
@Alison Maguire: Do you think its the front line(visiting dysfunctional homes were there’s child abuse) or the admin element that causes turnover in staff ……
@Murr Paul: the frontline also deal with a lot of admin
I believe there is room for all, please note that some of the private agencies are social enterprises that re-investing the children in their care.
As a country though we need to really start investing in support of vulnerable families from pregnancy, good preschools good family support. Our legislation also needs a complete overhaul with a much stronger emphasis on what’s in a child’s best interest not the parents. A child in foster care can at any time be returned to the birth parents, how can a child fully commit to a new family if they are aware of this.
@Anne Kearney: A child in foster care can at any time be returned to the birth parents, how can a child fully commit to a new family if they are aware of this.
A child will always want to return to their parents as when turned 18 kick out by foster families regardless.
@Murr Paul: a significant number of foster carers would and do keep the child in their care after the age of 18. I feel some of the issue is the after care work that goes on from 15 or 16 preparing for independence can instill a fear in the child so there is increased acting out that causes the placement to break down. I reject you before you reject me. A lot of children during access are told that they can go home also the foster carers in their own eyes is only temporary. We need to be able to make a home more permanent for some children and carers.
Why do they try and privatise everything???
Never has a good outcome
In no way am I comparing a Child to a dog here but look what’s happened with privatization re Ashton Dog Pound. Neglect, Abuse, and power pulling where everyone in Dublin is in fear of calling for the dog warden.
@Margaret Doyle: You don’t want to compare the two, and yet you do.
€325 not much to cover all the costs involved with children who have been neglected. The government trying to do all the really important stuff on the Cheap again.
@Alan Kelly: what costs do they have more then any other child? They also receive child benefit, social welfare CDA increases etc. I know cases were they claimed the foster children were disabled to get carers allowance, care grant and domicile care allowance all untaxed. A right little money earner.
@Murr Paul: you cannot just CLAIM someone is disabled!!
Do you know the trauma these kids have been through? Do you know the time that goes into making sure all the needs of these kids at met?
@Murr Paul: would you work 24/7 for 1.93 euro an hour and take the child’s expenses out of that too.
@Murr Paul: What is wrong with you? The state is neglecting and allowing lifelong damage to occur to children. They are pouring money into private companies and you point to a baseless, imaginary problem of welfare fraud. Do you think that so you can feel better or are you just bitter or thick or both?
@Alan Kelly: Making foster caring financially too appetizing is far too dangerous. It attracts the worst of people, to the detriment of these especially vulnerable children. Of course low income families with the right intentions shouldn’t be excluded from fostering simply because they can’t afford it. But that’s why the system allows for specific expenses for the particular foster child in question (with receipts and review process with regards to expenses etc). But just a nice lump sum lodged into your account with no questions asked every month will end up attracting too much interest for all the wrong reasons.
The cost factor here must be quantified, the cost given of €1,000 in a private placement includes other support. It includes the cost of social work support available 24 hours a day 7 days a week not currently provided by Tusla. The private fostering agencies also provide support services such as educational supports child care workers etc.
The private agencies also may be asked to locate careers for children with a complex level of care needs.
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