Announcement

Collapse
No announcement yet.

Bye bye Minister for Defence

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts

  • Bye bye Minister for Defence

    So the new government arrive with great fanfare and fresh hope for the country. They publish a 64 page agreed coalition Programme for Government with one line mentioning the Defence Forces. It says they will implement the Defence Forces Medical Review in line with resources.

    Then they demote the Defence Forces to not having a Minister. And then the new junior Minister's are announeced with not even a junior looking after Defence. This is not good. We will be fighting for the same budget (in the not too distant future) as the Gardai. And with crime constantly reported and people always "worried" about it we will be the runt of the litter in terms of money.

    The new Minister, Alan Shatter TD, has a big job with all the perks. I earnestly hope he spares time for the sole armed uniformed body of the state. Even today after he attended the commissionning ceremony in the Curragh the most reported issue were his words on crime. We have a serious uphill battle on our hands at the best of times.

    maybe we should dye the uniforms blue and be like the Costa Rican's...'cos it seems that's the way we're being pointed,

  • #2
    Just to point out a small inaccuracy, the Chief Whip is also the junior at Defence.

    As for the rest you won't find many here to disagree !
    "Are they trying to shoot down the other drone? "

    "No, they're trying to fly the tank"

    Comment


    • #3
      Thursday March 10 2011
      Alan Shatter has a very unusual claim to fame.
      "I am the only person ever elected to Dail Eireann on the strength of distributing his balls around Dublin South," he boasts. ....more
      Local News from Dublin with Independent.ie. Get local Sport, Entertainment, Business & Lifestyle news for Dublin City, North and South Dublin.

      Comment


      • #4
        The Junior Minister at Taoisaigh Office will be pushed to most of the DF functions and Shatter will only be there for the Commissioning and the Easter commerations can't see him wandering too far from the Gardai.

        Comment


        • #5
          It isn't the first time Defence has been merged with another department.
          Nobody cared when minidev was minister for defence and everything else in the last dail. Hugh Coveney was defence and Marine before that.

          It doesn't spell the end of Defence as a department.


          Catch-22 says they have a right to do anything we can't stop them from doing.

          Comment


          • #6
            Originally posted by Goldie fish View Post
            It isn't the first time Defence has been merged with another department.
            Nobody cared when minidev was minister for defence and everything else in the last dail. Hugh Coveney was defence and Marine before that.

            It doesn't spell the end of Defence as a department.
            I cannot remember the details exactly now but I will look it up but was it not Mr.Shatter who was discourteous to Col.Desmond Travers when he was attempting to speak at an Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs concerning Op. Cast Lead/Gaza.

            With a Lebanon UN tour just ahead I trust that our new minister fully understands that, as far as he is concerned, there is only one IDF - which also goes by the name Oglaigh na hEireann.

            Comment


            • #7
              Originally posted by timhorgan View Post
              I cannot remember the details exactly now but I will look it up but was it not Mr.Shatter who was discourteous to Col.Desmond Travers when he was attempting to speak at an Oireachtas Committee on Foreign Affairs concerning Op. Cast Lead/Gaza.

              With a Lebanon UN tour just ahead I trust that our new minister fully understands that, as far as he is concerned, there is only one IDF - which also goes by the name Oglaigh na hEireann.
              Check your details then get back to us.

              Just because somebody does not dance to your tune and wave your flag Timbo, is no reason to infer that he will be pro Israeli Defence Force over the Irish Defence Force on U.N. Peace-keeping missions.

              Connaught Stranger.

              Comment


              • #8
                Connaught Stranger;329136]Check your details then get back to us.

                Just because somebody does not dance to your tune and wave your flag Timbo, is no reason to infer that he will be pro Israeli Defence Force over the Irish Defence Force on U.N. Peace-keeping missions.

                Connaught Stranger.

                Thank You CS.

                The Oireachtas Debate is here- it is for people to make up their own minds, of course.

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by timhorgan View Post
                  Thank You CS.

                  The Oireachtas Debate is here- it is for people to make up their own minds, of course.

                  http://debates.oireachtas.ie/FOJ/2009/10/08/00004.asp
                  Still no reason to snidely infer, that he will be pro-Israeli military and opposed to the Irish Defence Forces in U.N.I.F.I.L., (whereas a matter of fact they UN IRish-Batt) are under the U.N.I.F.I.L chain of command.

                  But hey Timbo, any chance to troll then you will take it as usual.

                  Connaught Stranger.

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Connaught Stranger View Post
                    Still no reason to snidely infer, that he will be pro-Israeli military and opposed to the Irish Defence Forces in U.N.I.F.I.L., (whereas a matter of fact they UN IRish-Batt) are under the U.N.I.F.I.L chain of command.

                    But hey Timbo, any chance to troll then you will take it as usual.

                    Connaught Stranger.
                    Nothing snide in my post-on re-reading the Dail reports I still think that Col.Travers was not given due respect-although I note that throughout he conducted himself as a perfect gentleman and was very measured and thoughtful in all his responses. He was a credit to the Army and the Nation.

                    I have no doubt that the deployment to trhe Lebanon will be one of the most significant events on Mr.Shatters watch and that the two Dail reports I refer to are indeed highly relevant- nothing could be further from trolling.

                    Could we now please have an adult debate without personal abuse.

                    Comment

                    Working...
                    X