Stagg urges Lenihan to withdraw racist comments

by hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm Wed May 18, 2005 13:54

by now there ought be a turkish/english translator ready and willing to let the Irish turkish community know how the government minister describes them, and indeed to let the Turkish people in Europe who number many millions know, how an Irish minister thinks of them, and while s/he's at it, the Turkish people awaiting their entry to the €U know how the minister with responsibility for that sort of thing describes them.
http://istanbul.indymedia.org/
I believe the turkish for kebab is durum.
might be wrong.

by hmmmmmmmm Wed May 18, 2005 13:55

terrible lack of respect, its a small world now you know.
http://istanbul.indymedia.org/

by Me Wed May 18, 2005 13:55

As the previous posting shows - he's done it. Not that it means much.

by Dáil Watcher Wed May 18, 2005 14:31

Dáil Éireann; Leaders’ Question; 18th May 2005

Joe Higgins (Socialist Party): Will the Taoiseach state clearly if it is his intention today to hand over a majority of Aer Lingus to private interests? If our national airline finishes up in the hands of the sharks who dominate international big business the Taoiseach, his party and his Government will be guilty of outright treachery and of stabbing in the back the thousands of Aer Lingus workers and those associated with the company past and present who have kept the national airline going in good times and in bad, who have paid in taxes much more than many other sectors of our society and multiples of any meagre State subventions that Governments have given it.
It would stab in the back the communities that depend on the national airline and support it. Privatisation would be an abject admission by the Government that it is incapable of supervising a national asset in the interests of the people, surrendering it to the casino economics that currently dominate international capitalism.
It is not necessary to privatise Aer Lingus for investment. The billions of euro that the Government has wasted in the overruns on the road programme alone would buy planes to fly the entire population around the world several times over and for free.
Has anyone else been struck by the silence of the lambs on the Fianna Fáil backbenches? In the past when cuts in Aer Lingus or privatisation was mooted we heard shrill cries, perhaps strangled cries would be more accurate, from the Government backbenches. This time, when real opposition is needed, when they need to stand up and be counted we have the silence of the lambs. The same lambs who often found their voices to allege that small Dáil parties and Independent Deputies have no power cannot even bleat. At least we have not lost the power of speech to oppose the sabotage of our national airline in the same way as they have.

The Taoiseach: Even the Deputy does not believe that raiméis but he has to say it.

J. Higgins: What raiméis?

Conor Lenihan (Fianna Fáil): What the Deputy has just spoken is the best definition of raiméis I have heard.

Enda Kenny (Fianna Fáil): That is socialist bleat.

C. Lenihan: Deputy Higgins should stick with the kebabs.

The Taoiseach: That is extreme left, even further left than I would ever dream of going. Deputy Higgins knows that none of that is fact. Aer Lingus wants to grow and maintain jobs. The staff and trade unions in Aer Lingus have no objection to equity being put into Aer Lingus. How it is structured and formed are concerns for them but the concept that Aer Lingus can stay as it is and not expand when aircraft cost €150 million is not a sustainable position. We must move into a world that allows the company to examine new opportunities it has identified.
The company has worked hard over the past few years to restructure under the survival plan. In case Deputy Joe Higgins forgets, Aer Lingus like many other airlines in the world almost went under a few years ago and that position was not just caused by the attack on 11 September. Because of trade unions, staff and Departments working with the company, that was turned around. What it needs and wants to do now is to grow back into its previous position. This arrangement will be carefully managed and organised with advisers, and the percentage of equity, the management structure on the other side, and what safeguards are required are all issues for discussion.
For the airline to build on what it has succeeded in doing during two difficult periods, one in 1993 and the other in 2001, it needs equity. To argue otherwise is to totally misrepresent the interests of the workers about whom Deputy Joe Higgins purports to be concerned.

J. Higgins: The snide comment from behind the Taoiseach that I should stick with the kebabs, referring to my fight against the exploitation of Gama workers, ill behoves the Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs, who has responsibility for overseas development.

Bernard Durkan (Fine Gael): The comment should be withdrawn.

J. Higgins: Does the Taoiseach believe, as an island nation, that our people should be at the mercy of aviation multinationals? Does he believe that there is no strategic interest in having a publicly owned airline? Is it the reality that his Government has no loyalty to any concept of public ownership and being in hock ideologically and financially to big business is dancing to its tune?
What was the logic of the Taoiseach making a play less than a year ago denouncing a management buy-out by Mr. Walsh and his cronies when his proposed sell-out today may well finish up with the same gentleman, in his reincarnation as chief executive of British Airways, owning our national airline? Does he agree and can he see that rather than handing it into the hands of the privateers and speculators a different strategy could keep our national airline in public ownership? The alternative is to invest in the airline, bring workers to the heart of the management rather than treating them as the enemy as some sections of management have done and develop the airline as the national asset it is in the interests of our people.

The Taoiseach: Deputy Joe Higgins knows that we operate in a global deregulated world. A management buy-out that would have taken 100% of Aer Lingus away from the staff with no State involvement, and putting in a capital injection with Government remaining as a shareholder and part of the strategic plan are entirely different. Deputy Rabbitte has drawn that distinction, which is one that I accept also. In future, we must try to develop the long-haul operations of Aer Lingus and get more access to US airports and the Far East.

J. Higgins: Invest in it then.

The Taoiseach: The Government has invested in Aer Lingus, putting substantial resources into the company in the 1990s, only a decade ago. We have also worked with Aer Lingus on the survival and redevelopment plans. The Government will remain part of the company. Equity injection is not a wholesale sell-out, but aims to build the airline for the future. Ireland is an island nation and while it may be small, it is quite strong now. We want to remain strong in the future. We should note all the airlines that have gone down in the last ten years in Europe, not to mention in the United States which has a population of 300 million. We should also examine the reasons for their failure. If we want to be serious about maintaining Aer Lingus and having a say in the national airline in a deregulated global industry, then we must make strategic decisions now. It would be folly to do otherwise.

by Pol Wed May 18, 2005 18:37

Ok, what does that word mean?

by padraic Wed May 18, 2005 19:17

Wasnt Stagg found in the Park with a Baby Kebab once, dont throw stones in glasshouses

by Paul - adrift in Asia Wed May 18, 2005 20:24

It means "rubbish" as Gaeilge. A Phol, with a grand Irish name like yours I'd have thought you'd know that! ;->

by toneore Wed May 18, 2005 22:46 toneore at eircom dot net

I don't see the connection with "stick with the kebabs" and a racist slur. Is this the kind of "socialist" politically correct nonsense that taxpayers expect Higgins to waste valuable Dail time on? He should be ashamed of himself. Get over it.

I presume the reference to Stagg is an allusion to him being a homosexual in pursuit of rent boys in the Phoenix Park. I don't see the connect here, expect that he too, is clearly a time waster.

by eeeekkkk Wed May 18, 2005 23:19

stick with the kebabs = stick with the gama workers

kebabs = gamaworkers

even he was not dumb enough to try to brush this off by trying to say JH should stick to eating kebabs

by toneore Thu May 19, 2005 05:33 toneore at eircom dot net

... it's hardly "Juden Raus" material. Calling someone a kebab? It doesn't even make sense.... I thought kebabs were Greek. Perhaps Lenihan was thinking of his Father and meant to say Donor Kebabs?

Anyhoo - I'm sure the usual outrage will be evident tomorrow a la Vincent Browne and the Irish Times. Roll out arch-hebrewcrites the Lentins and their fellow travellers (no pun intended) to lecture us about institutional racism in Ireland...

by the fog Thu May 19, 2005 11:06

Calling a turkish person a kebab is an insult as was explained by a turkish national on the 'Blow Huffy' radio show. its akin to 'spud thick mick' which many thousands of us were called in britain when we were there earning a crust. its racist and if it goes unpunished then it will become prevelant in the Dail and in the wider community. Now Dermot Ahern is throwing is full suppot behind his cabinet colleague which highlights his acceptance of bigotry in public life.

by SP voter Thu May 19, 2005 11:39

Toneore is an idiot as he blames Joe Higgins for the kebab remark. It was FF that made the remark. They are the ones that are wasting time and they are insulting Turkish people. When you talk of wasting money remember that Joe Higgins is on the average wage. And that FF have wasted millions on overpaying their developer friends for state projects. FF have wasted E50million on voting machines. FF have given tax amnesties to their big business friends. I could go on for a while...

I also note how Enda Kenny had a go at Joe Higgins for being a socialist. And this is the person that Labour want to go into government with!

It should also be noted that Conor Lenihan did not apologise for his remarks. He apologised if anyone was insulted. He did not say his remarks were wrong. FF seem to be ok with racism, just that you should not be insulted.

by Joe supporter Thu May 19, 2005 11:45

Labour say: "Deputy Higgins is entitled to praise rather than abuse for the manner in which he has helped to highlight the exploitation of Gama workers, which is in stark contrast to the indifference to the treatment shown by Minister Lenihan and his colleagues."

What about the stark indifference of the Trade Union bureacrats that Labour support totally. SIPTU and BATU have not played an honourable role in the strike. Strike pay only paid 7 weeks into the strike. BATU not lifting a finger to have solidarity action.

Labour say: "If this remark is allowed to remain on the record, it will reflect negatively on our national parliament."

What about Labour wanting to go into coalition with right-wing parties? Does that not reflect badly on "our" national parliament. The Dail is not and never was the parliament of the working class!

Labour should put out press releases about Enda Kenny's "socialist bleat" remark. Do you really want to go into coalition with this right-wing party? Well of course you do as you are only rhetorical lefts.

by Not me, you understand Thu May 19, 2005 17:07

This is the latest - Bertie Boy saying he 'accepts' the apology. Dunno who asked him, surely it it up to the person or people insulted to accept it or not. Not the mate of the person doing the insulting?

Ahern says Lenihan 'kebabs' scandal over  

From:ireland.com
Thursday, 19th May, 2005
 
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said today the scandal of Conor Lenihan's "kebabs" remark was now over as far as he was concerned.

Mr Lenihan apologised to the Dáil yesterday for telling Socialist TD Joe Higgins to "stick with the kebabs" during an exchange.

Mr Higgins said the "snide" comment was a reference to his support of Turkish workers embroiled in a row with construction company Gama.

Opposition parties clamoured for Mr Lenihan, who is Minister for State for Development Co-operation and Human Rights, to resign despite telling the Dáil he "regretted the remarks made and regret sincerely if any offence was caused," yesterday.

Mr Higgins said the apology was insufficient.

But Mr Ahern said today that he accepted Mr Lenihan's apology and the issue was now over. "People should understand the heat of the Dáil," the Taoiseach said. "He shouldn't have said it, but he apologised."

Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern last night said the remarks had been made "in the heat of the moment", and that he did not believe it was a resignation matter.

by Outraged Thu May 19, 2005 17:37

Haven't heard one word from SIPTU on the disgraceful verbal abuse from the Minister responsible for Overseas Aid on their members.
I suppose that's Partnership for you!!!

by Me Again Thu May 19, 2005 18:44

At the end of some report this morning it said even ISME had condemned Thicko Lenihan. But SIPTU not mentioned.

by TERMINOLOGIST Fri May 20, 2005 21:38

In the interests of accuracy does anyone know if there is a formal legal definition in Ireland of "RACIST" in respect of words or actions ?

by notna Fri May 20, 2005 21:52

The United Nations uses a definition of racist discrimination laid out in the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination and adopted in 1965:


...any distinction, exclusion, restriction or preference based on race, colour, descent, or national or ethnic origin which has the purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing the recognition, enjoyment or exercise, on an equal footing, of human rights and fundamental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural or any other field of public life. [1] (http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/d_icerd.htm)

by not surprised Fri May 20, 2005 23:13

Isn't Young Kebab Lenihan the son of the fella who drunk himself out of a liver for the sake of Ireland .... and apart from spending most of his political life up CJH's arse distinguished himself by his remarks on emigration to the effect that the country was too small to support the lot of us ...

Carrying on the family tradition in great style .....

by Ali H. Mon May 23, 2005 10:17

The Turks have a word for a guy like Lenihan.

Kelebeck!

Apparently it means he's as useful as a butterfly on a horses' penis or something to that effect.

Change the pronunciation slightly and it means "henpecked" (by Harney?).

by redjade Mon May 23, 2005 14:00

http://www.unhchr.ch/html/menu3/b/d_icerd.htm