[ad_1]
And that would bring to four the number of ministerial resignations from this Government in two and a half years.
ne average one goes every seven and a half months.
And that’s not counting the former Attorney General, appointed to the Supreme Court, who was called on to go by his Chief Justice but simply refused to budge.
Nor the numerous ministers, including the current Taoiseach, who have survived motions of no confidence, supplanted by Coalition votes of confidence, in this Dáil.
The resignations are mounting – and the four who were forced to fall on their swords since this grand coalition took office make for quite a bunch.
Indeed, the quartet of resignations from this Government are starting to look a bit embarrassing. Let’s remember who they were.
Fianna Fáil minister Barry Cowen resigned in a scandal over a previous drink driving offense, after just two weeks in the job. Photo: Tom Burke
Barry Cowen
The first to go, Mr Cowen managed two and a half weeks in office, being appointed Minister for Agriculture on June 27, 2020, and then being harvested on Bastille Day, July 14.
It emerged that the brother of the former Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader had forgotten to mention a brush with the law to Micheál Martin involving a drink-driving ban. Mr Cowen has said that suggestions he sought to evade a Garda checkpoint were “completely untrue”.
Mr Cowen, of course, considered that he had done nothing wrong. Mr Martin considered that it would be good if he explained all that to the Dáil and took some questions, and sure he could carry on after that. Mr Cowen did not see the need to justify himself. In which case, said Mr Martin, I’m afraid I have to ask for your resignation. And off Mr Cowen in a form of dudgeon that was not in any way on the low side.
Dara Calleary resigned as Minister for Agriculture just 37 days after taking over from his predecessor Barry Cowen. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Dara Calleary
Phew, he’s back — as minister of state for something or other (ah sure you know yourself, digital and trade promotion). But he had been the glorious new minister for agriculture after Barry Cowen, correcting a perceived wrong by the people of the west who are ever ready to perceive wrongs, in there not being somebody at the Cabinet table from the far side of the Shannon.
The Mayo man was all set to get his hands dirty with this farming thing as a genuine son of the soil, albeit from the towny end of things. And in fairness he lasted a whole lot longer than butterfly Barry…
Yes, he doggedly stuck it out from July 15 to August 20, which was a whole month and five days. Sensing the public mood after a huge hoo-hah over the Golfgate dinner in Clifden – where he made a speech and promptly cleared off – Calleary did the same again, promptly clearing off before many people had even heard about it. Who knows if Barry briskly rang up or not, but that the third agriculture minister was to be Charlie McConalogue. How on earth is he still in place? It’s been ages.
Robert Troy resigned as junior minister amid pressure over his property portfolio. Photo: Frank Mc Grath/Irish Independent
Robert Troy
Has there been a whinier loser in living memory? Troy had an opportunity to take a leaf out of Calleary’s book, to press the ejector seat button early doors (to recklessly mix metaphors), and then, in the fullness of time, to be back once more – snug as a bug in the governmental rug. He comprehensively blew it.
The Fall of Troy came on August 25 last year. The 40-year-old junior minister with responsibility for what Calleary’s now doing, had been generally accounted a bold boy over his property declarations, or the lack of them.
He then took out an onion to publicly weep for himself, even though he had compromised the entitlements of some of his tenants by failing to register with the Residential Tenancies Board.
Departing, he said: “I personally will not apologise for being a landlord. I bought my first house at the age of 20 as I went straight into a job after school, so I was in a position to purchase my first property.”
“I am not a person of privilege and I have not been brought up with a silver spoon in my mouth, I have worked for all I have.” Yeah, yeah, grand – there’s your coat.
Damien English resigned from his junior minister role after failing to declare ownership of a property in 2008. Photo: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Damien English
Another one caught on the old property telling-the-truth business that seems so important to all those ‘woke’ folk with their witch-hunts nowadays.
English at least had the good sense to run his resignation apologia past the press office so as not to compound his being caught out. And, indeed, in the greatest help to any hand-wringer in Ireland, “sure it was all a long time ago”.
Mr English’s statement was about at 7.45am, before the Taoiseach had confirmed he’d gone. “Planning application from 14 years ago… wrong, not up to the standard required, and I apologise.” Fairly frank.
But that’s yer lot: “I would like to thank the people of Meath West… I will continue to serve them and work hard on their behalf in the constituency.”
Ministerial Resignations — The Half-Time Score:
Fianna Fáil 3, Fine Gael 1.
(The Greens are the spectators – so far.)
[ad_2]
Source link
