Don’t expect a government… April 20, 2016
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.trackback
…at least not according to RTÉ this morning which notes that:
the Dáil convenes today – the fifth time since the General Election.
The will be statements on health this morning followed by statements on insurance costs this afternoon.
A vote on nominations for taoiseach is not on the agenda.
RTE suggests that all is relatively well between FF and FG:
Irish Water and water charges are contentious issues for the two parties.
Fine Gael went into the negotiations in favour of a national utility and an affordable regime.
Fianna Fáil favoured abolishing Irish Water and suspending the charges for five years.
However, it is understood there has been movement on both sides although there was no agreement on the issue.
The IT seems to suggest otherwise;
The two parties remain divided on the principle of paying for water, however. Fianna Fáil fears that a failure to abolish charges will be used against it. Fine Gael, on the other hand, has repeatedly committed itself to maintaining a charge.
Though:
However, both sides are said to have made significant progress on the arrangements to facilitate a minority government. Chief among these is a “no surprises” rule – frequent briefings for Fianna Fáil by government officials.
Fine Gael has baulked at some of Fianna Fáil’s demands, with sources complaining privately to each other that they were being criticised for “not clearing up Fianna Fáil’s mess quickly enough”.
Mind you this is the same IT that in the space of twelve hours in respect of the same letter from Joan Burton decided it was initially about the LP ‘considering its role in the formation of a government’, then in a reemphasis and slightly rewritten piece signalling the LP ‘should not re-enter government’ and then that the LP was ‘telling the LP to prepare for an election’.
Quite some letter – eh?
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
Would you ever in all your life have thought that water would be this important a political issue in Ireland?
The EU is pressing for national water utility behind the scenes (to be privitised later), threatening the corporate tax rate, again. So this may be a hill FG has to die on, but given the problems capitulation would cause for FF, it would appear FF has to die there too.
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You mean like the ideal Manchester derby result, they could both lose?
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I reckon it’s more of a zero sum situation. FF’s position is a fudge that leaves it as a campaign issue for the next GE. FG appears to be holding out for outright victory. Something I can’t see FF going for given the obvious political fallout.
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If FF stays out of government but supports a minority with FG in it which holds onto water I wonder how that plays out. I think you’re right though gendjinn, FG is holding out for victory. And in a way they may have a reverse hold on FF now because FF surely don’t want to have to be in government this time out (or after a rapid election) if they have to implement water charges etc – that’s them sunk in Dublin, Cork, and many other parts of the country subsequently for a good long time to come. I’ll bet they’d want to sit this one out and get some sort of a fudge.
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BTW, great initial point by you, to see water have such importance…amazing.
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But couldn’t they allow enda to be elected and then introduce a bill to eliminate water charges. The Dail would surely vote in favour, and what could FG do – go to the country directly on the issue of irish water?
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I guess that’s possible. They wouldn’t like it.
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Thanks. It’s an odd, bizarre juxtaposition of image and meaning.
Thinking more about sonofstan’s comment, maybe they could both balls it up. Are those that paid their water bills spread equally over the parties or did they overwhelmingly vote for say FG? That differential is going to be complicating things.
If they can’t come to a deal on it and that results in a re-run, does water become the GE issue?
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And if it’s a fudge no doubt the left and SF will hold FFs feet to the fire at the next election too. Ah, what a mess FG and the LP made.
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Or in Flint.
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-36094881
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Or Detroit.
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Yes and people from Detroit did attend some of the protests in Ireland.
There also appear to be frequent ‘boil notices’ issued in Ireland. A contaminated water supply is not good.
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-More than 800,000 people are being served by drinking water supplies where supply and quality is regarded as “at risk”-
http://www.rte.ie/news/2016/0420/783154-water-supply/
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It’s ridiculous, I mean, even James Bond is against it ffs.
Making people agitate about water is very foolish. There are few things more powerful at cutting across identities.
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“the availability of water will be a key driver in the development of the world’s economy and government policies in the next decade. In fact, global water shortages are already threatening economic growth as well as impacting geopolitical stability.”
http://www.waterpolitics.com/
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Sorry, didn’t really finish that… My point is that FF wont do that because they want some sort of fudge now to take this off the agenda for the future -they fully intended to introduce water charges themselves after all, and believe in them -as a way of keeping “taxes” low and the EU neo-liberals happy.
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+1 I think it’s all bad faith. That said they may well be caught by their own rhetoric on the issue.
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