Irish Politics and stuff.

Former Fianna Fail Cllr Gary O'Flynn charged with soliciting another man to murder three people

http://www.rte.ie/news/2013/0304/371923-conspiracy-charges/

A 37-year old former Fianna Fáil councillor has been before Cork Districk Court charged with soliciting another man to murder three people.
Gary O'Flynn, of Hayfield Drive, Castlecourt, Whitechurch, Co Cork, was remanded in custody until Wednesday, after an application for bail was refused.
Mr O'Flynn is a qualified solicitor and financial advisor who built up his own business as a mortgage broker in Cork over ten years ago.
He is also a member of a well-known political family.
His father, Noel, is a former Fianna Fáil TD for Cork North Central.
Gary O'Flynn replaced his father on Cork City Council when he resigned his dual mandate in 2003.
He held the seat for five years until his resignation in December, 2008, citing work commitments.
Detective Sergeant Denis Lynch gave evidence of arresting Gary O'Flynn at Gurranabraher Garda Station in Cork yesterday afternoon.
He said Mr O'Flynn replied "not guilty" when he put each of the charges to him.
The charges allege that Mr O'Flynn solicited a named person to murder Detective Garda Mary Skehan, an official of the Revenue Commissioners, George Ross, and another man, Patrick Sweeney, between 1 October last year and 15 February this year.
Detective Garda Skehan was identified as the leading investigating garda in an investigation involving Gary O'Flynn.
Despite garda objections, Mr O'Flynn was granted free legal aid after he told the court he had no income, no assets and no savings.
 


''Frape, where a child is raped on facebook''
 
I just don't know, ignorance? Greed?
 
If it was either or them, then surely we just wouldn't vote?

Also the lack of an 'obvious' alternative.

The general public seem to have the following 'one line' opinions on most parties. Some of which I agree with, some not.

Fianna Fail - Inept and corrupt
Fine Gael - See above
Labour - Bottlers
Sinn Feinn - Terrorists
Socialist Party - Communists
Socialist Workers Party - Mad Communists
The Workers Party - Communist Terrorists
 
If it was either or them, then surely we just wouldn't vote?

Also the lack of an 'obvious' alternative.

The general public seem to have the following 'one line' opinions on most parties. Some of which I agree with, some not.

Fianna Fail - Inept and corrupt
Fine Gael - See above
Labour - Bottlers
Sinn Feinn - Terrorists
Socialist Party - Communists
Socialist Workers Party - Mad Communists
The Workers Party - Communist Terrorists

Yeah actually, saying people are apathetic is a bit of a lazy analysis from me, they're not really.

Here's the definition of learned helplessness though:

Learned helplessness is a psychological state where people feel powerless to change their self or situation. This is primarily caused when people attribute negative things in life to internal, stable and global factors. Essentially, it means that the person feels as if change is not possible, since there is a pervasive and unchangeable personal problem

Obviously the country doesn't actually suffer from learned helplessness but it's a pretty good shorthand for how people seem to feel. If people are unhappy with government they could vote for another party. If they're not happy with other parties they could start a new one. But they don't, they just say all politicians are the same really and keep voting for the same people.
 
Yeah actually, saying people are apathetic is a bit of a lazy analysis from me, they're not really.

Here's the definition of learned helplessness though:



Obviously the country doesn't actually suffer from learned helplessness but it's a pretty good shorthand for how people seem to feel. If people are unhappy with government they could vote for another party. If they're not happy with other parties they could start a new one. But they don't, they just say all politicians are the same really and keep voting for the same people.

Pretty much bang on.
 
Whenever I tell people that I'm an aspiring politician and or interested in Politics, I'm just presumed to be a massive wanker.

Which in fairness, is true. I am a wanker, but not because I like politics.
 
Can someone tell me who is considered to be the most right leaning party in the south? i can never work it out.

Out of all the major parties, it's pretty close between Fianna Fail, and Fine Gael.

Ireland is different as the two main parties (see above) were not separated in there leanings on the left/right liberal/conservative scale.

Ironically both parties descend from Sinn Feinn originally.

The main historic difference between Fianna Fail, and Fine Gael is the different views they held on the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921. Fianna Fail were against the treaty, whilst Fine Gael were for it.

Hence Fianna Fail call themselves the 'Republican Party'

This however holds little or no bearings in today's society, as neither party are exactly Republicans. However they would consider themselves 'Center Right' parties, although the cynics, and the left would consider themselves pretty much right wing.
 
Whenever I tell people that I'm an aspiring politician and or interested in Politics, I'm just presumed to be a massive wanker.

Which in fairness, is true. I am a wanker, but not because I like politics.

If there was a party full of jakec's voted into power in the morning how would you go about fixing the cnut of a mess we're in?

Would you abolish the property tax straight away? How would you go about looking after the most vulnerable people in society and still manage to keep that shower of shites at the IMF and trocaire happy?
 
Can someone tell me who is considered to be the most right leaning party in the south? i can never work it out.

Pretty much what Jake said. At the moment Fine Gael would probably be considered more right wing, especially on social issues. Having said that Fianna Fail would have little problem taking up the same position if it improved their prospects at an election, they tend to be quite populist. This "recovering" version of FF has yet to fully define their policies. In terms of economic policies they're near identical.

The classic line from FG is that they like to think they have "a better class of people" to FF.
 
If there was a party full of jakec's voted into power in the morning how would you go about fixing the cnut of a mess we're in?

Would you abolish the property tax straight away? How would you go about looking after the most vulnerable people in society and still manage to keep that shower of shites at the IMF and trocaire happy?

I think we've gone to far now to basically tell the IMF to stuff it. We've put too much time, energy, and capital into pulling out with basically nothing to show for it. However, I'd fight til I was blue in the face to ensure that we don't make people go without the basics.

First of all, every single TD would take a substantial cut to there wages and benefits, as would most people on ludicrous pay packets in the public sector.

I'd increase taxes on personal wealth over say 100k and introduce a new tax bracket for people earning more then 250k.

With the money saved I'd introduce some new training programs in areas such as cloud computing, clean fuels, and other businesses of the future.

Of course it's not as simple as that, but it is all about balance at the moment, we've gone too far into the pockets of the IMF to tell them to stuff it without serious financial consequences.

I'd also straight away call a referendum on abortion and full equal rights for LGBT couples in the eye of the law.

The Catholic Church would have to pay a lot more tax in the country also.
 
In saying what I just said, I understand and appreciate that I'm a 19 year old unqualified student who is without doubt naive and a bit idealistic, but I genuinely believe that we're going completely the wrong way about it.
 
Out of all the major parties, it's pretty close between Fianna Fail, and Fine Gael.

Ireland is different as the two main parties (see above) were not separated in there leanings on the left/right liberal/conservative scale.

Ironically both parties descend from Sinn Feinn originally.

The main historic difference between Fianna Fail, and Fine Gael is the different views they held on the Anglo-Irish Treaty in 1921. Fianna Fail were against the treaty, whilst Fine Gael were for it.

Hence Fianna Fail call themselves the 'Republican Party'

This however holds little or no bearings in today's society, as neither party are exactly Republicans. However they would consider themselves 'Center Right' parties, although the cynics, and the left would consider themselves pretty much right wing.

Yeah I know the origin of the parties etc its just I could never tell who was the most conservative of the two. In comparative terms to other western nations the Irish parties seem to be many shades of socialist/liberal red.
 
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are far from socialist.
 
True but if they were in America they'd probably be considered left wing/ Democrats. Then again, that's America.

They'd be somewhere between Dems and the Republicans, as they're both traditionally conservative.
 
Today is Sean Garlands 79th birthday!

Breithlá sona, a chara.
 
Whenever I tell people that I'm an aspiring politician and or interested in Politics, I'm just presumed to be a massive wanker.

Which in fairness, is true. I am a wanker, but not because I like politics.

But that the problem. In Ireland all you need is neck. Whether it be a politician,company director, to get promotion etc. feck all ability is required in many cases. You could be the biggest idiot in politics or a company and make it to the top on neck alone.
 
But that the problem. In Ireland all you need is neck. Whether it be a politician,company director, to get promotion etc. feck all ability is required in many cases. You could be the biggest idiot in politics or a company and make it to the top on neck alone.

A large dose of arse licking goes a long way too.
 
What's the buzz on the property tax? I see that year one was 100E for every property, now it's a sliding scale based on value of the property (and land it's on presumably). Is it headed the way of the property tax system similar to what we have here in the US where the local jurisdictions set the tax rates (1% of assessed value, or similar)?
 
What's the buzz on the property tax? I see that year one was 100E for every property, now it's a sliding scale based on value of the property (and land it's on presumably). Is it headed the way of the property tax system similar to what we have here in the US where the local jurisdictions set the tax rates (1% of assessed value, or similar)?

Yes. Locally elected councils will be given the power to set the rates from 2014.



http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/1017/1224325341323.html
 
"The tax, expected to be levied at an initial rate of 0.25 per cent of the property value..."

ok. betcha that 0.25% will be increased.

so, as that rate comes into effect (and then increases over time) will the taxes due at state level then decrease? or are you just going to get f*cked royally?
 
"The tax, expected to be levied at an initial rate of 0.25 per cent of the property value..."

ok. betcha that 0.25% will be increased.

so, as that rate comes into effect (and then increases over time) will the taxes due at state level then decrease? or are you just going to get f*cked royally?

I doubt they've decided yet.
 


''Frape, where a child is raped on facebook''


I love the questions she was asking. I thought she would eventually ask the minister how to update to the latest version of iTunes.

My son and his mates always mess with each other's Facebook if they leave it open or on their phones. He his mate used my son's Facebook top announce that he was gay. My son laughed and changed his status to being "in a complicated relationship with the kid who messed with his phone". They all take it as a joke. She seems clueless about technology and doesn't seem to get that bullying is a behaviour and not a technology.
 
We should ban anything that potentially offend anyone really shouldn't we?

Guidelines, guidelines - we need more guidelines.

No, she needs guidelines, if she's actually as stupid as she come across there she probably lives her life according to a series of different guidelines.

'Children are being raped on Facebook? Someone call the cops!
 
''Sinn Feinn are good at talking about solutions, but when it comes to acting on them, it's a different story'' - Eamon Gilmore.

Now as a neutral in this debate, it's sort of hard to act on solutions when you're not in power.
 
''Sinn Feinn are good at talking about solutions, but when it comes to acting on them, it's a different story'' - Eamon Gilmore.

Now as a neutral in this debate, it's sort of hard to act on solutions when you're not in power.

They are in NI and they do the exact things they criticise the Governenet about here. They are all cnuts
 
They are in NI and they do the exact things they criticise the Governenet about here. They are all cnuts

I'mnot disagreeing, thought it was rich coming from Gilmore
 
Tells the guard he's exempt from penalty points because he's on "Dail business". Got the points invalidated.

Then denies having penalty points written off and calls the removal of penalty points "corruption", even going so far as to try and raise the issue in the Dail despite being told it could be defamatory.

Surely one of the most impressive acts of hypocrisy we've seen from the current batch of politicians? Not like that's an uncompetitive category either...
 
I've been told by a local Rossie that Ming used to be a man for the people but since he's gone up to the Dail he's more interested in expenses and acting the billy big bollocks.

He was always a fecking twat TBH and he's an embarrassment to the people of Roscommon.