Garrett Fitzgerald

R

Redbhoy

Guest
My only knowledge on the afore mentioned is snippets on Rte's reeling back the years and old TV programmes so its fairly limited! He made a comment on the Luas line today which infuriated me! He reckons they should have started a tunnel in Ranelagh and came out at the Airport. To me this is someone who doesnt even consider the needs of the Northside of the city.
Can anyone tell me any good things about his time as Taoiseach in Ireland? Was he good for the country or bad for the country?? A chap in my job reckons he was the best Premier ever! Is he right or wrong??
 
Redbohy

With no due respect you can have UNDERGROUND STATIONS all over the Northside duh!

nat
 
Fair enough! But tell me more about this Garrett Fitzgerald if you can!
 
He is a man of honesty, integrity and vision as far as I understand him - qualities which are absent in many politicians today. Like Natchessmen said - he wanted underground stations in the north side, as well as the south side. Thus LUAS would have been the beginings of an underground system for all of Dublin.
 
What's this? A politician suggesting that we need an underground system???


Excuse me while I faint.
 
> A politician suggesting that we need an underground system???

EX-politician.

RedBhoy - if you're really interested in finding out about Garrett Fitzgerald then at least you could try Google first:



All I know is that he once wore odd socks (shoes?) while he was Taoiseach so he's obviously a boffin.
 
Yeah...sorry, ex-politician.

I wonder if he'd stayed in goverment all these years would we now have a decent working underground system (which we're going to have to build anyway at some stage) as opposed to spending approx 800 million on the LUAS?!!!
 
The man's legacy was to double the national debt and leave the country with unemployment and inflation of almost 20%.

Good riddance to him !!

It took almost 10 years to put right the damage that eejits like him ,and Jack Lynch before him, caused this country.
 
that's allright in practice but will it work in theory

Garrett's famous quote "thats allright in practice but will it work in theory" never rang more true. Luas is here - live with it!

ajapale
 
Re: that's allright in practice but will it work in theory

Luas is here - live with it!

I agree. We have no choice anyway. I'm sure it will help matters somewhat anyway.

But considering that travel time between Tallaght and Connolly will be approxiamtely 45 minutes...imagine how long it would take to get there via underground?

I'd hazard a guess at 15 minutes.
 
Garret the Good

G was a truly honourable man, an intellectual who liked to play by the rules, I just couldn't understand him. I remember I was really chuffed when he called me a cancer in the body politic.

Unfortunately his absent minded nutty professor style made him easy fodder for his lefty partners and for the Falklands Mad Witch.

Consequently, as NOelC has pointed out, he almost bankrupt the country and he sold out the North in the Anglo Irish Surrender.
 
Re: that's allright in practice but will it work in theory

Garrett Fitzgerald and Charlie Haughey were political rivals around about the same period.

Garrett was honest, decent, lived modestly, and wanted the best for the country. His downfall was his political naivety.

Charlie was a crook and only wanted what was best for himself. His downfall was his crooked nature and, most of all, his vanity.

Charlie was in office longer than Garrett. That tells you something about our politicians, but it tells you more about us, the electorate.
 
Hi NoelC,

Er, have to point out one or two things in relation to your comments.

1) While the national debt did increase under Fitzgerald's Government, you could equally argue that Garrett's government was the first to apply the break after the appalling economic policies of Lynch and Haughey. People forget how close we came to having the IMF come in and run things. You have to remember that changing macroeconomic policy is like turning a supertanker. While the debt did increase, the rate of its growth started to slow down - by 1987 the overall position viz-a-viz debt had stabilised to a large degree.

2) Garret did NOT oversee an increase in inflation - when he came to power in Nov 1982, inflation was roughtly 20%, but the time he left office in Feb 1987, it was 3%.

You could even argue that his government took the stumbling first steps to economic recovery (perhaps restoring economic stability), which were carried on by successive governments (eg Mac the Knife in 1987-89).

Finally, I thought the Anglo Irish agreement, was a pretty useful piece of work. Not an end in itself, but perhaps more a means to an end.

Regards,

OpusnBill.
 
Opusnbill;
While the national debt did increase under Fitzgerald's Government, you could equally argue that Garrett's government was the first to apply the break after the appalling economic policies of Lynch and Haughe
Click to expand...
He did more or less double the national debt. He also managed to rape the capital budget to stuff money into the current budget in order to paper over the cracks.
People forget how close we came to having the IMF come in and run things
Click to expand...
Very true!
when he came to power in Nov 1982, inflation was roughtly 20%, but the time he left office in Feb 1987, it was 3%.
Click to expand...
Are you sure it was that low?
You could even argue that his government took the stumbling first steps to economic recovery
Click to expand...
He tried to 'till trickey Dickey pulled the rug out from under him.
Finally, I thought the Anglo Irish agreement, was a pretty useful piece of work. Not an end in itself, but perhaps more a means to an end.
Click to expand...
I agree with you there.
 
2.82%

That I didn't know....
It's nice to see a few FG supporters on AAM.
I thought it was all Labour party members here!
 
garret

It was Haughey and his bent chronies that nearly bankrupted the country. Fair play to Fitzgerald for reducing inflation so much. At least Fitzgerald was straight in his personal life and dealings....and what is more he was less green than Haughey.
 
Re: Charlie & Garrett

Both of these Gents are still alive ( well they were yesterday at any rate ) so please no unfounded alligators against them.

Slash might consider a little edit on one of his posties above ( unless he knows something that the country should be told )


eDog
 
Re: Websurfer

"and what is more he was less green than Haughey. "

What is this supposed to mean???
 
Hi purple,

________________________________________________
He did more or less double the national debt. He also managed to rape the capital budget to stuff money into the current budget in order to paper over the cracks.
________________________________________________

I accept your point about the national debt. I didn't know about the capital raid - I thought it was more FF in the 87-89 government in terms of over-raiding the capital side - lots more closures of hospitals etc (remember FF's slogan health cuts hurt the old, poor and the handicapped?) It just that I remember the North Infirmary closing in Cork under FF's stewardship. There were also others as far as I can remember...

In any event, we're still paying for this over-cutting even now!

In any event which was the better option:- having some degree of control over our economic affairs or those nice gentlemen from the IMF calling??

Reminds me of a joke about the IMF - The IMF call to a third world country and saythe following;

IMF:

"We want you to increase your repayments to us, so we want you to reduce your consumption".

The third world government:

"What does that mean?"

IMF:

" Eat less!"

Regards,

OpusnBill
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top