Yesterday’s ‘compromise’. Isn’t this water ‘deal’ what was offered already? April 25, 2016
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.trackback
Well, another day, another day. No signs of movement between FG and FF in relation to the negotiations over government (btw the Phoenix hinted that perhaps the real talks are somewhere else).
Fine Gael is willing to offer Fianna Fáil a temporary suspension of water charges in a bid to end the political deadlock.
Acting Taoiseach Enda Kenny is understood to have told the Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin he will pause the levies while an independent commission explores a new charging regime.
This was yesterday.
Oddly though this seems to be near identical to the ‘deal’ on offer four days ago. For on the 22nd NewsTalk and other outlets reported:
It was suggested yesterday that the parties were close to an agreement on government formation, after reaching a compromise on suspending water charges until a fairer system is brought in.
Not surprising then that some think the whole dance is a charade – whether to position either party in the best light as the other walks away from a ‘deal’ it cannot make, or a ‘deal’ is already done and this is merely the optics surrounding it.
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
Despite everything I really think that the talks will fail and we’ll be back to the polls when the Seanad Election results are in.
The talks are there to establish the differences between the parties rather than what they have in Common.
The problem of course is what happens ina new election? Both parties will target Independents. FF will target SF and FF will hope to come back larger than FG. Who forms a government then?
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I think you’re right re another election. It just feels as if the exit strategies are ready. But as you say, it’ll essentially be the same problem inverted and why will FG do anything to help FF in that position?
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In a way I hope the election drives people in all directions and forces FF to realise that it’s no longer 1977.
What happens if FF get more seats than FG, well FG will insist on coalition.
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Naughty, naughty Fergus Finlay on why ‘Setting up of Irish Water is a model for how to get things totally wrong’.
It was all Fine Gael’s fault apparently.
“So, it wouldn’t just be stupid, it would be downright irresponsible, to insist that water charges and the commercial enterprise that is Irish Water remain in their present form. A government that is clinging by its fingertips to a greatly reduced mandate simply doesn’t have the right to insist that its past mistakes be accepted by everyone else as a point of principle.”
http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpoints/columnists/fergus-finlay/fergus-finlay-setting-up-of-irish-water-is-a-model-for-how-to-get-things-totally-wrong-394985.html
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