McDowell misusing his Dáil privileges...?

R

redbhoy

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Its obvious the PDs have a problem with the CPI.

As can be seen here.
http://www.progressivedemocrats.ie/press_room/1287/
McDowell using ministerial privilege to blacken the name of its executive director wrongly using Garda information.
[broken link removed]
And after all his witchhunting he gets his wish!
http://www.indymedia.ie/newswire.php?story_id=73356
Surely somethings wrong here? I wonder if he has something to hide? After him bringing out legislation to stop the Garda from speaking to the press he does it himself saying that he's entitled to when the security of the State is at risk. Can anyone explain the threat to our state to me?
 
I am very uncomfortable with a man like Frank Connelly, who has family connections with the IRA, being in charge of a private organisation that seeks to take on a quasi-judicial role but is accountable to no one. I would not like such an organisation with anyone heading it up but there always seems to be the faint echo of jackboots where SF/IRA and its fellow travellers are concerned.
All of the above not withstanding the way in which minister McDowell has behaved is also very concerning and Finnian McGrath of the Green Party summed it up very well in the Dail yesterday; there are parallels to be drawn between 1950’s McCarthyism and the way in which our minister for Justice is behaving.
 
Michael McDowell is a patriot and an honest man.
I intend manning the Martello tower at Sandymount with whatever weapon I can find.
Whatever invasion force lurks , may be waiting to take us off guard over the holiday.No Christmas dinner for me, this year.
 
This controversy will solve itself when and if Frank Connolly tells us where he was in April 2001.
 
jhegarty said:
When did we starting punching people for their relative’s crimes?
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I'm guessing you mean "punishing". I don't think we'll see McDowell use physical violence - well, maybe not yet anyway.

But to answer your question, maybe when they're suspected of travelling to Columbia with their brother on a false passport.

Regarding the like/dislike that the PDs may have for the CPI, I found recent observations in the media very interesting about the fact that the CPI was apparently about to investigate the Department of Justice purchase of the land for the new superprison.

Personally, I don't agree with what McDowell has done, and I'm dismayed yet again the way the government parties staunchly stand behind their ministers no matter how bad their behaviour.

However, I also sort of agree with the poster above about the position that the CPI were putting themselves in. I don't mind the fact that someone will set themselves up to investigate such matters. In my opinion, to be honest, if our journalists in this country were any good, they'd be doing these investigations themselves - the superprison land purchase being a perfect example of a legitimate target.

However, anyone who does set themselves up in such a position as the CPI did should be above suspicion, and should be willing to answer any questions put to them, by anyone.
 
ubiquitous said:
This controversy will solve itself when and if Frank Connolly tells us where he was in April 2001.
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Perhaps, but no individual should be required to account for their movements unless required to do so as part of a due process investigation by the forces of law and order in the state.
 
ClubMan said:
Perhaps, but no individual should be required to account for their movements unless required to do so as part of a due process investigation by the forces of law and order in the state.
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Well, journalists such as Mr Connolly never seem to mind asking politicians to account for their own movements

Frank Connolly was not slow in the past to ask Dermot Ahern the details of his trip to London to meet Joseph Murphy Junior in the context of Ray Burke's appointment as Minister for Foreign Affairs in 1997. Neither was he slow to ask searching questions of this nature to certain Donegal Gardai in advance of the setting up of the relevant Tribunal. Neither was he slow to ask Bertie Ahern to account for his movements on the evening of the 1989 All Ireland final after Connolly had published what turned out later to be baseless allegations that Ahern had accepted a bung from a Cork businessman on that evening.
 
ubiquitous said:
This controversy will solve itself when and if Frank Connolly tells us where he was in April 2001.
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I need proof of where you were on the September 11th 2001... if you can't give it I will let the papers know you where busy flying planes into the world trade centre...

I have the prefect proof , you didn't explain yourself to someone with no power to question you....
 
jhegarty said:
I need proof of where you were on the September 11th 2001... if you can't give it I will let the papers know you where busy flying planes into the world trade centre...

I have the prefect proof , you didn't explain yourself to someone with no power to question you....
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Well if he did fly the plane into the world trade cetnre it would explain his inability to respond to your queries<g>
 
jhegarty said:
I need proof of where you were on the September 11th 2001... if you can't give it I will let the papers know you where busy flying planes into the world trade centre...
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You would be dead by now if in fact you were doing that, and so unable to produce proof.

If McDowell has made a false accusation, he should be made resign.

If Mr. Connolly is suspected of using a false passport, he should be prosecuted.
 
Well if the US Government had a copy of a fraudulent passport with your own photo on it, and if that passport had been used by the 911 bombers or persons intimately connected with them, you would be now in Guantanamo Bay.
 
IMHO

The false passport application is legit. That it was used to facilitate someone travelling to Colombia, as Sam Smyth claims, is probably legit.

From there to claim that Frank Connolly was in Colombia on a fake passport is, IMHO, a huge leap.

I suspect he (FC) knows more than he has disclosed to date which is why he is being cagey with his answers. If he can prove he was elsewhere, then McDowell will be sitting beside Ivor on the back benches.
 
jhegarty said:
I need proof of where you were on the September 11th 2001... if you can't give it I will let the papers know you where busy flying planes into the world trade centre...
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I was driving a hire drive Hertz Vauxhall Vectra car up the M1 and M6 from London to Liverpool. I got there about 5.30 and had a drink and some food in a pub close to Anfield. And from there, I went to the Liverpool v Boavista, in the Anfield Road end, for the first ever group Champions League game played.
I have receipts and ticket stubs and photographs taken during the game.

jhegarty said:
I have the prefect proof , you didn't explain yourself to someone with no power to question you....
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I have absolutely nothing to hide about where I go, and who I go with, and what I do when I get there, so I've no problem telling people where I was in September 2001.

Can Frank Connolly say the same thing?
 
ubiquitous said:
This controversy will solve itself when and if Frank Connolly tells us where he was in April 2001.
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Indeed. I hope he can and does show that he was elsewhere, so we might see an end to McDowell's draconian reign. He should, however, no more have to account for his movements than any other citizen of this Republic. His work as a journalist, and his family links, provide no justification for the minister's proclamation.
 
Even if he wasn't in Columbia, but he did use a false passport, does he have a case to answer?
 
CCOVICH said:
Even if he wasn't in Columbia, but he did use a false passport, does he have a case to answer?
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the problem here is not if he has a case to answer...(he may well do)... but who he is expected to answer it to ?

the only ones with the powers to compel him to answer are the guards/dpp and they are not charging him with anything....
 
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