Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said that the failure of the Croke Park Agreement is a “crisis of the government’s own making”.
Martin made his comments during the party’s 1916 commemoration at Arbour Hill in Dublin 7, today.
Believing the Fine Gael/Labour coalition to be “obsessed with public relations over substance”, he said that they had treated those in the public sector as if “they are to be faced down and fought.”
It [government] has briefed against public servants, disrespected their work and introduced a policy of trying to divide and conquer. Worst of all have been the threats which caused so much damage in recent weeks.
The only way to begin to undo this damage is to go back to negotiations, to treat all public servants equally and respect their good will towards the process.
Northern Ireland
During his address, Martin called Northern Ireland’s political establishment dysfunctional, saying that both Sinn Féin and the DUP are “too deeply invested in their own party self-interest to be left to get on with things by themselves.”
While he believed that the Good Friday Agreement had “marked a triumph for constitutional republicanism”, he said that there was a “clear and dangerous lack of commitment” by both the Irish and British governments to prevent “backsliding”.
Critical of Sinn Féin, Martin said that the party appeared to be happy to allow the Northern Executive to “cruise along on autopilot” while they focused their energy “on trying to pull together some sort of coherent plan in Dublin”.
The Fianna Fáil leader was equally critical of the Democratic Unionist Party, saying that it was quite happy to maintain the status quo.
‘Set-piece meetings and empty communiques’
“The Taoiseach recently told the Dáil that everything is fine because there are lots of meetings,” he continued.
The government has many important things on its agenda, and I respect that, but there is no excuse for the failure to shown any serious engagement with the North.
Martin said that the fact that only 11 pieces of legislation had been passed by the Northern Assembly over the last two years highlighted the fact that both parties had failed to deliver on their promises to people.
“What we are getting from these parties is what has rightly been termed all politics and no governance,” he said.
As a party that claims to promote a Republican ethos, Sinn Féin is also letting down nationalist and republican voters in a very profound way. No number of half baked border poll gimmicks should be allowed to distract from this basic fact.
“The DUP and Sinn Féin are creating a dangerous vacuum,” Martin said. “We watched this year as the flags protests exploded onto the streets. All of us who care about the North should worry about what will move next to fill that vacuum.”
Ard Fheis
Ahead of the party’s Ard Fheis next week, Martin said that he would address “what I believe are the key challenges which must be overcome if our country is to recover strongly and do so in a way which is fair.”
Our membership is rising, our organisation is reformed and we are absolutely committed to renewing ourselves in the spirit of our great founding generation.
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
This guy and this party are full of clever ideas. It a pity him and his party weren’t in power 6 years ago when all those terrible decisions were being made.
FF screwed the country, FG/Labour are screwing the people !
You and I know they were – but “SHUSH” – don’t tell the sheep of Ireland!
They don’t want to hear it…
As much as I dislike a lot of what the current government is doing they are very limited in what they can do. Its either do what Europe says or tell them to eff off. They’re not brave enough to do the 2nd
And Europe are now saying they made a big mistake , austerity doesn’t work !
So is our wonderful government going to reverse some of their disastrous decisions in light of this ?
Unfortunately it isn’t just the EU that we have to deal with Michael. It’s also the IMF and more importantly the ECB. We’re still bound by a lot of agreements made by the previous FF government.
Everybody now knows austerity was a huge mistake , particular to a country with a small domestic economy like Ireland. It’s 101 economies, if you make the pie smaller, there is less to go around. This reality has suddenly hit some bright spark working in Europe.
You should go back to reading your economics 101 then because a small nation like Ireland can’t rely on it’s tiny domestic economy. We’re dependent on exports and the state of larger economies like the UK and the US.
Sorry Michael it’s the IMF that’s realised it’s mistakes and even openly admit it. The other members of the Troika don’t.
Pay cuts and cut backs should start at the top not the bottom
or the middle Dessie!
meant to say they started in the middle and are still cutting the middle. only so much squeezing us middle income earners can take. It’s sad but we’re getting to a stage where unbelievably taxpayers are saying they’d be better off on SW. something seriously wrong when people start thinking like that!!!’
Obsessed with public relations? This government is actually making tough decisions and not giving out unaffordable freebies like this idiot and his predecessors did in a haphazard attempt to buy votes.
This man has as much credibility talking about how to govern as Michael McDowell.
Michael McDowell – a very good Minister for Justice according to a lot of Gardai.
What did you not like about him? His straight-talking lack of schmarm?
You’re joking right, A garda giving a lawyer a good reference and you’d accept it?
Shut up Micheal Martin. You say at the cabinet table where all this chaos and hardship was formulated. At least exhibit some shame about that rather than throwing stones at those who are trying to fix the mess you left behind.
Michael McDowell was when in place was not well thought of, but since he left people realised that he was forward thinking and a good minister even tho’ an arrogant one.
He abolished overtime in the prison service in 2005 and demanded that it happen, and had the deal redrafted and balloted until it was accepted, perhaps Enda to reread the history on that agreement or ring Michael
This is Michael McDowell of the PD’s, Champions of deregulating financial services? That Michael McDowell?
Deregulation isn’t the problem. The state deciding to bail out the debts gathered by private enterprise is the problem
The problem is career politicians from both right wing parties feathering their own nests and looking out for themselves while the population suffers. How many people on here actually believe any member of FG\FF got into politics for any other reason but for their own benefit. Both parties need to dissapear and a new form of politics needs to be born one where there is some real accountabilty.
Arguing over the insignificant differences between these two identical parties is a waste of time.
This government is not making tough decisions
These “tough” descisions were put in place by FF, FG are just carrying those orders out
This government is not making tough decisions
These “tough” decisions were put in place by FF, FG are just carrying those orders out
You can say that again!
Did he get a report on this .?…. thats all he done when in power himself …. its easy to shout and roar when you are not on the pitch ….. you make me sick mr martin …. anything to get noticed ? Oh i think thats known as public relations !!! Pot …. kettle … black !!
Kettle – pot -black are all useful he’s none of
Dear Mr Michael,
ANY Croke park deals – present or past – are a long term consequence of the despicable actions or inaction in some cases, your your own organisation while in government.
…But you don’t want that bit mentioned do you?
Go away – you’re only fooling the sheep of Ireland!
There is, of course, merit in what he says here. However, coming from a party that was itself obsessed by ‘de optics’ (charming phrases) in its time a grain of salt is necessary.
Someone once penned a comment; if you let someone use your car and they wrote if off, would you let them off with your new one? says it all.
If you’re offering, i’ll have yours?
This clown should go back to where he belongs – in a circus.
He came from one – called “Fianna Fail”.
…And we are still paying for their ticket to government!
Maybe we should have an FF government……oh no….wait?
And as for the North, how many seats have FF in the Assembly? Some ‘all island’ party they are.
Martin would want to grow a pair of wings and fly off into the sunset, with the rest of his monkeys!
You have a nerve, f f were the most self serving help yourself party then all the rest put together
The only thing this government is obsessed with is bull$hit!
Michael martin has zero credibility with the public and only for the loyalty of people in his constituency he would be a busted flush like cowen and the rest . But he is right about the present shower. Take Howlin for example , threatening pay cuts on ordinary working people. He certainly does not represent socialism or historic labour party ideals. He would fit in well in the british tory party. Do these labour party ministers ever look at what they are doing by enforcing Fine Gael policies or is it a case of power hungry has beens relishing the trappings of being a minister over principle and socialism. Hammering front line workers while developers and banks were bailed out is scandalous. People in this country are only existing. Most dont have a life and are basically “the working poor” . Time to stand up and decide what kind of country and society we want before this government finishes off the ruination that Fianna Fail started. I am neither a public sector worker or member of any political party .
I noted a lot of anti-austerity sentiment in paper today, not least eminating from Joan Burton. Studies advocating austerity shown to be flawed. Not only has CP2 been rejected but the general policy of austerity. It’s now time for everyone to stand together against austerity, tell the government to wake up to the failed policies foisted on us by Europe and tell the ECB and IMF where to go. The government are making eejits of us with this divide and conquer, instead its time to bring this country forward and out of this hole ourselves. I hope the unions will see this is about more than money, there are principles at stake here, and will duely take up that mantle. Enough with leaving it to government parties to steer the ship, its people power now. It was not the unions that rejected CP2 it was people on the ground. The government need to have their hand turned similarly by the people. We want JOBS, Stimulus packages, a sense that we are moving forward positively, not being relentlessly whipped into submission.
Ps. All I got from M Martin’s soundbyte was..yadda yadda…don’t vote Sinn Féin…yadda yadda… Don’t vote FG or Labour either! Yawn!
@ Carl. With regard to loyalty to Michael Martin. Who would you suggest the people vote for. Deirdre Clune? My Daddy is Peter Barry but I won’t use the Barry name but I’ll remind you every now and again about it and if i don’t get the job, i’ll become a senator. Simon Coveney? The minister for the RCYC and rich farmers who got his Dad’s seat on a sympathy vote. Ciarán Lynch? Google that one yourself. Jerry Buttimer? A saucy brat from Bishopstown. In the next election you’ll probably have the former tree hugger ( Green Party ) Chris O’Leary run for the Shinners as well. I wont even go there. So, I ask you. Who else should they vote for?
Tired of politicians saying one thing in opposition and doing another in government
That goes for all parties
Didnt pat rabbite admit to it ? They are all the same … and who is to blame ? Us ! For voting them in !!
If you vote for monkeys you’ll get a Fianna Fáil government and a Killinaskully Republic.
Fianna Fáil FM, playing the greatest hits of the 80s and 90s: http://youtu.be/UkGQTiRjdEE …
You would never think that this was the same micheal martin that was happy to back bertie and cowen all the way, as long as they threw him a few scraps from the table and patted him on the head the odd time. Crawl back into your hole micheal and take the rest of your party with you!
If FF had a shred of decency or patriotism, they’d disband in the morning. Shower of traitors.
That’s a great Blue Steel look from Zoolander by Martin, ‘I’m a merman Dad, merman’.
I really don’t care what Fianna Fail says about anything! There in no position to talk about any of it, in short feck them.
Micheál Martin has some neck, so he has. The cheek of him, after what he and his party have done to this country. But then I suppose you need a hide like a rhinoceros to be a politician. You certainly don’t need anything approaching a conscience.
Say what you like about Mícheál Martin, he’s right in what he said here.
Does anyone remember commandant Eric lassard giving that famous speech on the podium in police academy, when he received some extra help from Underneath . Is Michael Martin using the same podium. Looking at d pic, I reckon he is!!
Pot Kettle Black
A bit rich coming from the man who leads a party that has destroyed this country, that has wrecked the private sector, and that has via Croke Park I, ensured that the private sector has carried too much of the adjustment that this country had applied to it, which has resulted in approximately 500,000 people unemployed and probably as many people having left the country to find work, while those in a position to organise and strike, largely had their income protected, which is paid for by the smashed Irish private sector.]
This pandering to public sector workers and using them for party political purposes has to stop. They are still at least 15% overpaid, look at the revelations over the weekend on the tax free pension lump sums they have been getting, all of this is being strapped onto the backs of the beleaguered private sector, which hasn’t got the first or last chance of recovering for as long as we are STILL borrowing over 1 billion a month to pay inflated Celtic Tiger salaries & crazy pension lump sum “entitlements” to spoilt public sector workers, that have no place whatsoever in a supposed advanced modern society.
WAKE UP PEOPLE, your country is being destroyed and is eating itself to death from the inside out, in the name of greed, greed and more greed, as people on 65K and upwards salaries try to tell us that they are poorly paid and that can’t take any more pay cuts, as you are left without a cent at the end of the month, paying through the nose for this GREED.
have your say