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Ireland is the second best small country in the world to fight Covid.
But does anyone give you a flying Finn?
“One would hardly notice that with the tension over the place and the attacks and the criticisms and the renditions, etc.,” the Taoiseach grumbled. “The bottom line” is that Ireland has had the second best second wave performance in Europe, with only Finland achieving a better result.
Micheál Martin thinks this is positively Finntastic and well done to all of you for putting in the effort, we’ve been brilliant.
Well, almost everyone, so we must be vigilant.
The Taoiseach reminded the Dáil of what happened when the country slowly reopened during the summer after the first closure.
“The restrictions were lifted, certain things happened … And you all know it,” he said pointedly, trying to suppress a smile. “You all know it in terms of certain locations. Certain events “.
What could he have been referring to?
Probably Golfgate.
Before the evening debate on Covid-19 and what could happen next, Micheál was frustrated at a lack of credit for our response to the pandemic in recent weeks. It would be nice to hear some positive feedback for a change, with Finland and Ireland atop Covid’s gold star chart.
“Will anyone recognize him?”
In vain, Micheál pleaded with a stone-faced opposition too busy mowing down to discuss the Helen McAbsEntee mystery to bother to pat her on the back.
Then the Taoiseach answered himself.
“I think you have to admit it,” he shrugged loudly.
Not so, the seven currents of political opinion in the room responded, in a very rare display of complete unity and common purpose.
They have been saying all along that what needs to be acknowledged is why the Taoiseach and his Minister of Justice are singing and dancing over an independent statement from the Minister al Dáil on a subject they both continue to insist on is simple, clear – cut and good practice model. And why is the normally even-tempered Micheál Martin getting so angry at his insistence that Helen McAbsEntee enter the camera according to a long-established procedure for answering questions about the process, not the personalities, involved in the recent selection of our new Supreme. Court judge
This is the second week that they have accumulated pressure due to the refusal of the Government to present the relevant member of the Cabinet to account for his ministerial actions before the Dáil when the Opposition so requires.
Careful
It is not that McAbsEntee does not want to give answers, the Fianna Fáil Taoiseach has been explaining in detail on his behalf, it is because the “format” requested by his fellow MPs is not acceptable. The Government wants to use the highly controlled questions submitted in advance with little margin for the follow-up format for routine ministerial questions. The opposition rightly has none of that.
For almost 90 minutes, at the beginning of Dáil’s week, Micheál was subjected to sustained attack by the leaders of all the main opposition parties, the leaders of the various independent groups, and several other TDs from across the chamber who were standing equally determined to see McEntee take responsibility for his report and confront his teammates.
Why not?
Throughout the stormy questions from the leaders and agenda, the leader of Fianna Fáil stood rigidly in his weak defense of his Minister of Fine Gael and the events that happened for the most part on Fine Gael’s watch while still It wasn’t Taoiseach. He continued to cling to his strongest piece of political remnants: that Séamus Woulfe was appointed to the Supreme Court on the “recommendation” of the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board (JAAB), which is chaired by none other than the Chief Justice and includes of the Four Courts ”and other legal luminaries.
He keeps forgetting that the three sitting judges who submitted expressions of interest cannot apply through JAAB (although he was not informed about them anyway), nor did he know if the names of potentially suitable candidates were submitted by third parties.
After being completely attacked by an opposition that was clearly trying to get the government to adhere to the procedure, Micheál baffled them all by declaring bullish: “There is, uh, really much here in terms of how Judge Woulfe was appointed” .
They disagreed. And the more the Taoiseach is reluctant to endorse his minister’s bizarre refusal to broach an issue that, in his words, “isn’t really a big deal,” the more suspicious this seemingly routine quote makes.
Rejected
Mary Lou McDonald, Alan Kelly and Róisín Shortall led the charge, promising that the Opposition’s legitimate request for an independent session will not be rejected by the Government. They were roundly and solidly endorsed by Paul Murphy, Peadar Tobin, Mattie McGrath, Thomas Pringle, Pádraig Mac Lochlainn, Duncan Smith, Martin Kenny and Michael Healy-Rae, representing all shades of the political spectrum.
“You are creating the most dangerous precedent that I have seen in this House since I came here,” Kelly said.
“Denying us responsibility by protecting Minister McEntee,” Shortall charged.
“I, for the life of me, cannot understand why they continue to block legitimate parliamentary work,” McDonald marveled, recalling how he “led the charge” of such responsibility in 2017 when a former attorney general was appointed to the Court of Appeals.
“You’re cheating the House,” roared Mattie McGrath, later lashing out at “the weakest and most inept Taoiseach I have ever met … Oh, and by the way, my commiserations for Sunday too.” (Cork lost to Tipp in the Munster Football final.)
Michael Healy-Rae reminded Micheál that when you are in a hole you should stop digging and asked him to “give in” and “you know in your heart and soul” that the leaders are not going to give up and “you are not going to win.” .
Thomas Pringle summed up the view that the Taoiseach was acting out of place. If he was still in Opposition, “Leo would be standing there saying ‘oh no, no, no, no, no’ and you would be saying ‘oh yes, yes, yes, yes, yes!'”
Even Micheál laughed. He got the joke.
There was a touch of bravado when he told Paul Murphy that the last minister dragged into the House was the Tánaiste, “and I don’t think you’ve put a glove on anyone.”
This controversy is meaningless if there is nothing to hide.
It seems like a strange hill to choose to die when an hour or so in the Chamber last week would have been enough.
Unless, for some unknown reason, they can’t take the risk.
This is far from over.
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