Zappone appointment a step too far...

She may also have been interested in the role and the good that she thought she could do.

Sure Purple,

She's bright enuff so that she is capable of influencing the hearts and minds at UN level and simultaneously intellectually challenged to the point that she didn't understand that she was being offered a concept.

I find the contributions to this thread depressing.
 
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I know, I wasn't suggesting it was the parties themselves being lauded. An oxymoron in the political sphere.
It is the existence of power sharing between two sworn enemies that is lauded.
It's same in the South. We have a power sharing arrangement in place and I would be inclined to heap praise on the leadership of FF/FG if it weren't for my thinking that they are 20/30yrs behind mood of the people.

It's nothing to do with any respective party. It's to do with political enemies/opponents taking pragmatic decisions to ensure political stability in the country - that is what is to be lauded.
sorry my dear Wolfie but @Ceist Beag caught you out completely
Wolfe Tone said:
It is hypocrisy to laud the power-sharing government in the North but to pour scorn at the mere prospect of SF holding power in the South.
Typical attempt to wriggle out, you would make a good Shinner. Just to add to CB's point. I would say most in RoI and indeed the World at large were pleased to see the SDLP/UU executive. but again, most have thrown their hands up in near despair at the takeover by the extremes,
 
You're a funny guy sometimes @Duke of Marmalade.

The Sunningdale-ites still despair. How can it be that the moderates are squeezed out of power-sharing?

It's called democratic mandates.

Those 'extremes' are the reason why Sunningdale would never work. It doesn't seem to register with you but I will say it again. If you try to exclude extreme positions, those that hold significant quarter in the communities they come from, then any political agreement is already walking with one hand tied behind its back.
Sunningdale failed because it had no political leaders to sell it to loyalist extremists.
GFA is prevailing because Loyalist and Republicans were part architects of it.

SF have travelled an imperfect road into constitutional politics. Pretty much like FF and FG before them. But now they are in the tent of constitutional politics by virtue of a democratic mandate, it is wholly hypocritical to pour scorn on their participation in government in the South on nothing more than some failed Sunningdale elitist view.

Slow learners indeed.
 
@WolfeTone
I think that SF being part of this country's government would be an absolute disaster. That is irrespective of any democratic mandate they might get (I will resist falling foul of Godwin's Law).
But I think SF sharing power (on and off) with Paisleyites in a glorified county council is preferable to their military wing lining up innocent Protestants and machine gunning them to death.
You call that hypocrisy. Can you withdraw that slur, please.
 
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But I think SF sharing power (on and off) with Paisleyites in a glorified county council is preferable to their military wing lining up innocent Protestants and machining them to death.

Yes of course it is. What that has to do with them being in power in the South i do not know?
 
It was you who said supporting the first whilst opposing the second was hypocrisy. It was you who made the linkage

Yes it is.
What it has to do with Kingsmill (I assume that is the reference) I don't know. Please explain. The only inference I can take from it is that you think that if SF get into power in South it will lead to a return of such massacres?
Is this really what you think?
 

Neat summary of Coveney's 5 undisputed errors.

In addition of course, anyone that I respect with whom I have spoken on the fiasco doesn't believe his version of events.

Personally, I think - and I seem clearly and depressingly to be in the minority here - it's sad that people don't seem to care if Coveney is lying or not.
 
Yes it is.
What it has to do with Kingsmill (I assume that is the reference) I don't know. Please explain. The only inference I can take from it is that you think that if SF get into power in South it will lead to a return of such massacres?
Is this really what you think?
Wolfie you really have a habit of twisting views to suit your own argument - either that or you really fail to grasp the obvious. I'll try and spell it out.

1. SF in Government in the North is preferable to SF supporters toting guns and killing innocent people.
2. SF in Government in the North have performed pretty abysmally and show that they really lack the maturity to be a party in power.
3. Those of us watching on in the Republic can see this and a lot (the next election will tell us if there are enough) of us really fear seeing SF in Government down here given how they have performed up North.
 
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Neat summary of Coveney's 5 undisputed errors.

In addition of course, anyone that I respect with whom I have spoken on the fiasco doesn't believe his version of events.

Personally, I think - and I seem clearly and depressingly to be in the minority here - it's sad that people don't seem to care if Coveney is lying or not.
In any walk of life people make mistakes. There is no doubt Coveney has made a pigs ear of this and there is also no doubt that his story has changed. However is it really a story that warrants his sacking or resignation? Do we really want to lose someone who has performed really well in his role outside of this one story? Obviously the opposition would love to take out such a high profile minister, for them it's not about what is best for the country here.
For those trying to equate this with Barry Cowan as well, it's a real apples and oranges comparison.
 
In any walk of life people make mistakes. There is no doubt Coveney has made a pigs ear of this and there is also no doubt that his story has changed. However is it really a story that warrants his sacking or resignation? Do we really want to lose someone who has performed really well in his role outside of this one story? Obviously the opposition would love to take out such a high profile minister, for them it's not about what is best for the country here.
For those trying to equate this with Barry Cowan as well, it's a real apples and oranges comparison.

totally agree, this is a non-story and there are far bigger fish to fry at the minute. Zappone was largely useless as a minister and a TD (and her own constituents rapidly realised that) and FG made a complete manure heap of it but aside from that, it's an irrelevance.

Sinn Fein better be cleaner then clean if and when they get into office
 
Can I take it - Peemac and Ceist Beag - that you don't care if Coveney lied at the committee meeting? If you do care that he lied (my belief, no more), please state this unequivocally.
 
What outcome do you want to see here SGWidow? Do you want to see him resign or be sacked? Care has a whole lot of different levels. I care if my team lose a game but I tend to get over it pretty quickly. I care if the dog chews my slippers but I can always buy another pair. So yeah I care that Coveney lied but I don't want to see him lose his job over it. What do you want to see happen?
 
My belief is that Coveney was lying.

I want our leaders to not tell lies whilst simultaneously requesting, as he did at the committee shambles, for us believe in his integrity. Now that's hyprocisy.

I believe this stuff matters because I believe that this type of behaviour just hastens - for reasons that should be obvious - the day when the Sinners will be able to say tá ár lá tagtha......

I believe that this is the last thing either of us wants!
 
I think Coveney should do the honourable thing himself and tell the truth and show genuine integrity.

If he is sacked, tiocfaidh ár lá becomes tagann ár lá - again for reasons that should be obvious!
 
I think Coveney should do the honourable thing himself and tell the truth and show genuine integrity.

If he is sacked, tiocfaidh ár lá becomes tagann ár lá - again for reasons that should be obvious!
Does that mean you think he should resign?
 
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