Tonight’s forthcoming Fine Gael tabling of a motion of ‘No Confidence’ in the office of Taoiseach of Ireland, currently held for the third successive and historic time by Bertie Ahern, TD, will no doubt be watched closely by the nation. It’s expected to follow the timeline outlined by BreakingNews.ie earlier:
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will have to wait until 9pm to know his fate following the first ever motion of no confidence being tabled against him in the Dáil.
The debate will begin around 5pm and votes will be cast at 8.30pm.
A long-awaited Labour Party motion on the decision by Aer Lingus to switch Heathrow slots from Shannon to Belfast has been put back until tomorrow afternoon.
Representatives of Mid-West business and tourism interests were holding a small protest outside the Dáil today.
Opposition leader Enda Kenny earlier revealed plans to move the motion of no confidence following a meeting of his front bench.
Labour TDs are expected to support Fine Gael in the motion.
All TDs from the Government benches will be summoned into the Dáil chamber for the late evening vote by chief whip Tom Kitt.
Minister for Enterprise Micheal Martin and Minister for Overseas Development Michael Kitt are currently away on business.
However they will be ’paired’ with Opposition TDs to balance numbers.
This vote however, I believe, will damage public confidence in politics and no doubt make a life in politics for those with talent and aspiration on the road to the Dáil very difficult. I do not believe that in accepting any monies in the 1990s, Bertie Ahern did any wrong. Ethically I suppose there is a question to be answered, however politically, I do not believe that Ahern has done any wrong either by political favours or any other political deviation.
Therefore it is my estimation that this action by Fine Gael this evening will no doubt curtail anyone with ambitions of seeking office in the near or distant future from doing so. Nobody’s perfect. And let he who is without sin, cast the first stone! (P.S. I doubt that person is Enda Kenny!)
diarmy
September 26th, 2007 at 16:48
Firstly, I’d point out that the motion of no confidence in Bertie Ahern, and not in the office of An Taoiseach. The primary thing damaging Irish politics in the Ireland of today is what I outlined in a previous post on IrishElection.com, and on my own weblog.
The failure of Bertie Ahern to remember every single detail of every single punt he got from businessmen, innocently or not, so that he can prove, and I can know, whether my Taoiseach (because regardless of my political affiliations, that is what he is) is corrupt or not.
When he wibbles and changes his story more than once, that’s one thing. But when he changes it multiple times and claims to have no precise memory of what occurred, that is something else altogether.
Ahern has to go - he has damaged the office of Taoiseach, whether by perception or by misdeed, or by both, that is the fact of Bertiegate.
I am loyal to the office of Taoiseach. That office is the head of the Government that shapes the country in which I live. If a holder of that office is surrounded by allegations, I expect that holder to outline - in a crystal clear manner - what has gone on. Bertie Ahern has completely failed to do just that.
The motion of no confidence will show the Irish people that there is some sort of accountability in Irish politics, and I hope will restore confidence, rather than take confidence away.
September 30th, 2007 at 20:22
You must be a complete moron for two reasons;
Firstly the fact that you “believe” taking monies whilst in political office is not doing anything wrong.
Secondly you actually believe that crock of absolute shit that Ahern has been shamelessly spewing in the Mahon. Plug your brain in the next time you read about it and dare I say it have some bloody integrity.
October 23rd, 2007 at 14:52
ah diarmy what are ya like..leave poor enda alone!