FF Ministers for Agriculture

Just shows you enda Kenny a very shrewd man, straight away he saw the problem with such a dinner which even a former attorney general and judge did not see. I'm afraid our "learned friends" are not that learned or smart and it is ridiculous that they are put up on such pedestals.
 

It showed cop on alright, but he might have more obvious health motives than anything political... he is near 70.
 
69 but fit as a fiddle.

His predecessor Brian Cowen though ten years younger would be far more at risk due to his obesity (not withstanding his vegetative state and hospital confinement).

Take Mary Loves McDonalds, she’s in her early 50ies, is mostly healthy but her presumably it was her obesity led to her having a horrendous dose of the Covid.
 
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I assume you’re joking, since you say “fat shaming” but not “age shaming”.
 
I'm going to give Norma Foley the benefit of the doubt at this stage, she is an ex secondary teacher and is married to a teacher so I'd hope she at least understands how education works at the coalface. I'd much prefer to see if she is a competent Minister then a coached PR person, we've had enough of those over the years.
When the Leaving results come out, there will be a lot of noise from some students who won't get what they wanted and the Matt Coopers of this world will make a meal of it ignoring the fact that every year some students don't get the results they expected and appeal it. It will be scale of the appeals against previous years which will be interesting, not that some occurred. What will be really interesting is when the teachers marks come out. I'd say a lot of teachers are bricking themselves because some kids and some parents really won't be happy with them

As for Phil H, he will try and brazen it out but at least he seemingly won a George Foreman grill in the raffle. !!
 
It would be a ridiculous own goal if the Irish government were to try to force Phil Hogan's resignation over this. Irish commissioners do not always have one of the major portfolios, were Hogan to resign it is unlikely that his sucessor as Irish commissioner would command any significant job in the commission.
 

I don't really get this argument. Most people couldn't even tell you what a commissioner does. We have heard over the past few days that once a commissioner is appointed, they no longer represent national interests, are not accountable to national governments, are not electable etc etc. Phil Hogan was inclined to leave the commissioner post himself when he thought he had a chance to get the WTO job which he never had a chance of getting so he didn't care much about Ireland or Irish interests then. If our whole approach to Brexit and EU/UK trade talks is to rely on Phil Hogan having Irelands back, we are well and truely doomed.

It's the John Delaney argument. We are lucky to have him so we should just let him away with anything....I never thought we would consider ourselves lucky to have Phil Hogan involved in anything. He wasn't a loss to Irish politics and he won't be a loss now.
 
IMHO Phil Hogan is a dangerous person for Ireland to have any significant influence in the Brexit negotiations. Phil was vociferously anti Brexit and very much played the Green vs Orange card. That may or may not have been a reasonable tactic whilst there was a chance that Brexit wouldn't happen.
Brexit has happened. Ireland's interests are now completely turned around - we want the Brits to get the best deal possible. Is Phil capable of making that volte face? Don't think so.
 
cremeegg said:
Irish commissioners do not always have one of the major portfolios, were Hogan to resign it is unlikely that his sucessor as Irish commissioner would command any significant job in the commission.
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This is the most senior portfolio any Irish commissioner has ever held. If he leaves the commission there will be a reshuffle of sorts and the newbie Irish commissioner will get lowest rung portfolio. The Commission for European Integration, or something like that.
 
Sunny said:
Most people couldn't even tell you what a commissioner does.
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Their ignorance is no excuse.

Sunny said:
...they no longer represent national interests, are not accountable to national governments,
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All true. However, the Trade Portfolio is crucial in the Brexit talks. And Ireland will be most affected by Brexit than any other European state. I’m pretty sure that an Estonian politician, for example, wouldn’t be as familiar as the an Irish politician, with the nuances of trade with the UK. Or the land border. The better the deal the Trade Commissioner negotiates for the EU and all it’s members, the better it will be for Ireland.
 
Drakon said:
The better the deal the Trade Commissioner negotiates for the EU and all it’s members, the better it will be for Ireland.
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Barnier made it clear from the word go that the UK cannot be better off outside the EU than in it.
The argument is that that would be in the best interests of the EU as a collective so as to prevent further defections. For example that might mean tariffs or frictions on agricultural trade.
A Latvian might feel that that is a reasonable price to pay to preserve the integrity of the union. For Ireland it would be cutting off its nose to spite its face.
I have this suspicion that Phil, given his previous arrogant anti Brexit/anti British stance would be prepared to cut Ireland's nose off to teach those Brits a lesson. After all, his pension is safe, especially as no one dares sack him.
 
If Hogan is not forced to resign, it probably means everyone else at the dinner is safe. It also puts a big hole in the government strategy with regard to covid. Probably when they get the schools open then a radical change in their approach to covid, The current approach is unsustainable and getting increasingly unpopular
 

Oh please. Brexit or trade talks are not decided by one Commissioner. Do you think the German Government are sitting there allowing an Irish commissioner dictate US/EU never mind future EU/UK trade talks to the benefit of Ireland's interests? Do you think Phil Hogan was protecting Irish farmers when he was working on the Mercosur trade deal? Ireland are in an impossible position with Brexit. Protecting the single market and protecting our relationship with our largest trading partner. The issues go way over Phil Hogan or any trade commissioners head.....
 
That’s like saying there’s no point in having a health minister as decisions are made by consensus at the cabinet table.
 
Sunny said:
Phil Hogan was inclined to leave the commissioner post himself when he thought he had a chance to get the WTO job.
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Most of your other points have been well answered, but as regards the WTO job it would be an even bigger success for Irish diplomacy than securing the trade Commissionership.
 
Looks like Phil Hogan will not be removed by Europe, it's an Irish storm in a tea cup in their view. What about the judge, I bet they will also not remove him, as usual they will take ages to make a decision and use legal mumbo jumbo to justify not removing him.
 
Everyone knows what "consider your position" is a euphemism for. But Phil cynically but totally predictably availed of the literal wriggle room available.
Either Leo or Michael or both should issue a statement making it clear that they meant that he should resign.
At a very minimum when the Dail resumes they should each be asked to put on record that they meant that he should resign.
 
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