Maman Poulet | Clucking away crookedly through media, politics and life

A Canvasser Reception Kit for #GE11

January 25th, 2011 · Elections, Equality, General Election 2011, Irish Politics

Female, male, person with a disability, lesbian or gay, member of an ethnic minority, parent, know anyone in any of those categories? That’s you all covered so.

Go here, print, cut out, put in your window or beside the front door so that when the candidates come knocking you will remember to ask them about their committment to equality and human rights in all their policies. This is part of the Equality and Rights Alliance campaign I mentioned last week.

Posters and avatars are also available in addition to the door hanger.   You could also report the reactions to the challenges to candidates by leaving comments below?

By the way you could mention to FF and Green Party canvassers that they cut the budget of the Equality Authority by 43%, scrapped the Combat Poverty Agency, cut benefits and services for people with disabilities, parents, carers and that more children are living in poverty on their watch. But I’m sure you will have plenty to say yourselves.


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Confirmed – Finance Bill will not cover Civil Partnership issues

January 25th, 2011 · Elections, General Election 2011, Irish Politics, Same Sex Partnerships

It was confirmed last night that the sections to be included in the Finance Bill to provide for the rights accorded to Civil Partners would not be ready for debate for another month.  As I mentioned yesterday it was the intention of the Minister for Finance to include the section at committee stage.

In the negotiations yesterday to bring forward the General Election and pass the key sections of the Finance Bill before the dissolution of the Dáil the section on Civil Partnership and the section on taxing bankers bonuses will not be included.

Given that the Civil Partnership and Certain Rights of Cohabitants Act became law in July and the then Minister for Justice and Law Reform said that various departments would be working on the necessary legislation, one has to ask why it took six months and the necessary sections were not ready to go when the bill was published last week.

Was this a delaying tactic by the Government? Incompetence? It’s really incredible that this was not done.

When the Minister and the party spokespersons (except for Sinn Féin who staged a strop after saying on Saturday that they would support it) agreed the stages of the bill would be debated nobody mentioned in the doorstepping outside that the Civil Partnership section would be missing.  Joan Burton took to her facebook page to explain the situation.

Minister said it would have been end of Feb at earliest that the amendments would be available. Dept of Finance will work on these amendments during election period so they are ready for new Govt to enact as a priority

Glen said that they were

disappointed that the provisions for Civil Partnership are not included. The first Civil Partnerships have already been recognised by the State and a significant number of Civil Partnership ceremonies will take place in Ireland from early April.

I have asked for reaction from Fine Gael and their comment on a committment towards early passage of the legislation in the next Dáil.  Senators Paschal Donohue and Jerry Buttimer both informed me that they would expect that the party would continue their support for the Civil Partnership legislation by supporting the introduction of legislation in the next Dáil to bring in the tax codes.  The Irish Times reports that the meeting of spokespersons agreed ‘that a second Finance Bill would be brought before the next Dáil to deal with these issues.’

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In case you missed them

January 24th, 2011 · Blogging, Irish Politics

– Independent Candidate for Cork South Central, David McCarthy, is blogging the campaign at Campaigntrail.ie It will be interesting to see if the Independent Alliance for Change he mentions develops and if this is a version of Profit Before People (Copyright – Miriam Lord) PDNua (Copyright mise agus Cathal) or the League of Extra Ordinary Gentlemen (Copyright – @daraghobrien)

– Not a lot of coverage of the views of ordinary members of Fianna Fáil in the media at the moment so it’s interesting to see this new project – The Legion of the Rear Guard

Legion of the Rearguard aims to bring together Fianna Fáil bloggers, and most importantly grassroot FF members, to write articles and suggestions with regard to the Fianna Fáil party. In essense, those behind this site wish to provide a means for the membership of the FF party to communicate their views as Fianna Fáil moves into what will be the most important election and post-election period in its history.

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Labour Party deny tapping Pringle to run in Donegal South West

January 24th, 2011 · General Election 2011, Irish Politics

Friday’s Donegal Daily and Donegal News ran lead stories regarding an approach alleged to have been made to Thomas Pringle to run for the Labour Party in Donegal South West constituency in the General Election.   Pringle polled well in the Donegal South West by-election and he beat the  party candidate Cllr Frank McBrearty Jnr. in terms of first preferences and transfers and many believed he was a credible media performer. The former Sinn Fein member serves as Councillor on Donegal County Council and also works for the organisation as an engineer.

In an interview with Highland Radio Pringle said he was approached on December 20 and took a few weeks to think about it and discuss it with supporters before rejecting it.  McBrearty was selected to contest the General Election at a Labour Party selection convention in the region recently.

Donegal News reported that Pringle met with Labour Party Organiser,  George Cummins, in a local hotel and he was asked to ‘consider joining the party and to be their candidate in the General Election.’

I was also told that if I was unsuccessful in the General Election there would be a Senate seat for me as the Labour Party would have control of 14 or 15 Senate seats.  I thought it was their policy to close down the Seanad but was told that it wouldn’t be done before the end of the next Dáil term – at least. ..

I asked about Frank and they said they would sort that out.

Pringle has confirmed that he will contest the General election as an independent.   The Labour Party have denied that an approach was made.

The Donegal News contacted Dermot O’Gara, Labour Party Press Officer and he said

Frank McBrearty is our candidate and his campaign is already up and running. I understand that we had people up in Donegal South West during the recent by-election and conversations at various levels were held with various people but no formal approaches were made to Cllr. Pringle. I wish him well. He’s a good fella and a good candidate.

Immediately following the by-election Donegal News reported that  a previous candidate for the party, Seamus Rodgers,  questioned the party’s strategy and organisation in the region and accused the influence of Dublin in the conduct of the campaign.

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How To Get To An Election In Ireland

January 24th, 2011 · Irish Politics

From Never Felt Better

The last ten days in six minutes – well it’s better that someone in Ireland did it before someone in Taiwan produced it!  (Ok I’d quite like to see the Taiwanese version on NMA!)

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