Mary Harney has left the building

Wednesday January 19, 2011 23:07

by patient

Micheál and Mary thus far...

The government statement service, has for the second time in 24 hours released the statement of a Taoiseach
on the resignation of a Minister.

It may be found here : http://www.merrionstreet.ie/index.php/2011/01/resignati...cat=3

We all know what Mary Harney looks like, so I thought not to add i na file pic or google image, nor indeed is it
of any purpose to write for her a political obituary. She is incredibly lucky to warrant an obituary, given the remiss,
scandal, ommission and clutter of crap that has beleagured her Department for many years. Interestingly,
my most vivid image of her is Brian Cowen accompanying her into his office to re-iterate his endless and benevolent
support for policies that have wrecked havoc upon people's lives.

Not to get to personal but the only time I saw a hint of humanity in the woman was at the death of her mother , and
the optimist in me thought that for one teeny moment that she would understand, loss, pain, separation and suffering.
That maybe this would be reflected in policies that would give us dignity but that was not to be. St Lukes is gone,
Our Lady's is to be moved to an Ahern constituency and poverty is a dirty word to the Ex-PD/ex-Minister/ex-person
that she has become.

I am sure there will be vitriol, or there might be if the next government open the books on FF/PD/GN and look at
spending.

Here is my Obituary for Ms Harney : " since 2006 , you have achieved one quarter of our annual budget, where did that
money go ?

Here's a Taoiseach statement :

2I want to pay tribute today to Mary Harney. She is a politician of substance and has given many years of outstanding service to Ireland. She has been a most capable and loyal colleague. She has made a positive and lasting contribution to the development of Irish politics and Irish society.

I first got to know Mary Harney when I was elected to Dail Eireann in 1984. From the outset, I saw Mary as a politician of courage, candour and commitment. It has been a pleasure to serve with her at cabinet for many years.2

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Comments (12 of 12)

irish Times masters of the understatement

by teeny bit impatient

Wed Jan 26, 2011 10:55

Mary Harney had since 2006 achieved the Taoiseach's confidence in everything that she did.

This was re-iterated post the 2007 election. More than anything else (and this is becoming increasingly
obvious ) Fianna Fáil failed most spectacularly in their inability to change, the winded arrogance was set
into a basic principled formula : 'Everyone is wrong always and we will bring the country down to prove it'.

Fianna Fail/PD/GN kept going on that same mantra through everything and the only people whom it
served was they and their families, they ignored without reference their public duty (as servants) and
once elected set about utilising our parliament for their own private (unmandated) hobby-horses.

I will NOT be voting because there is little in the way of safeguard for the people, hiding as the government
do behind their facsimile of democracy and ceremony.

I want to know where she spent the billions, which is what 1/4 of our annual budget amounts to over her tenure?

Gamble with our lives

by children_of_lir

Tue Jan 25, 2011 22:32

Lest we forget women like" Bloody" Mary Harney who gambled with oridinary Irish people's lives when she set out to destroy social medicine.

"WE ARE NOT SOLELY AN ECONOMY WHEREIN A BUNCH OF MEN GAMBLE OUR FUTURES AND
IGNORE THE EFFECT OF THEIR POLICIES."

I have to thumbs down at "Bloody" Mary's acolyte - Professor Drumm's- first chief executive of HSE 2005-2010 - summation of Harneyis achievements in office:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/health/2011/0125/12....html

lots has happened

by bored (ish)

Tue Jan 25, 2011 19:50

The only effect that the last few days has had on me is to convince me that politicians
fight incredibly hard to get onto the media and if they sneeze there is a scrum !

The fact that the media spends a lot of time (and money) chasing people who evade, obfuscate
and twist the truth is more about continuing failure with regard to our sense of political perception:

Politics is about men, it always was and it will always be so because there is a lack of lateral thinking
in Ireland, we allow a bunch of dudes in suits dominate air time rather than encourage reportage
about the political effect of policy VIS poverty, impoverishment, lack of representation and lack of
women's voices in the Dáil.

marginalisation and alienation are scary things, I do not think that the extent of political failure
over 14 years will become apparent until the GE. Every single issue that was guillotined, ignored,
and put on the back-burner will bite them in the arse imo. There has been a refusal to acknowledge
that Ireland is a society, a culture and a place where people live (or try to exist)

+

WE ARE NOT SOLELY AN ECONOMY WHEREIN A BUNCH OF MEN GAMBLE OUR FUTURES AND
IGNORE THE EFFECT OF THEIR POLICIES.

Correct

by Des - None

Mon Jan 24, 2011 22:24

Yes, no doubt Martin is the front runner, Mary is your token women as a gesture to gender equality and Conor will be aiming at the FF ethnic vote:)

Harney is gone

by Louise

Mon Jan 24, 2011 17:28

I agree with what you say about Harney's health legacy.

But you say that St Luke's is gone.

It isn't yet. yes she did get it taken over by the HSE to run down and close. but it aint gone yet - and the new govt will hopefully save it. make sure to ask election candidates on your doorsteps about St Luke's.

The Save St Luke's Campaign is still up and running - see www.savestlukes.ie

a few years on the benches in opposition will teach them manners

by andy

Sun Jan 23, 2011 18:04

there are five candidates (I think) for the post of Úachtaran of Fianna Fáil :

O Cuiv
Hanafin
Lenihan B
Lenihan (Kebabs)
Martin

Hanafin was the late entry, possibly because the cough is so low-esteemy that she doesn't get it and
needs it explaining. Interesting then that focus would be on O Cuiv, when clearly the moderates want
Micheál Martin TD.

personally I am uninterested in who cattle-drives them through the PR-STV system, all I want to know is
if the letters drafted by the greenies were received and if they will be leaked to us, because Gormley only
confirmed that those letters were sent 7-8 mins into the conf at the Merrion today.

(I also believe hanafin was pushed forward to avoid the gender-balance accusation by the FF grassroot
and has'nt a HOPE)

Surely the second coming is at hand...

by opus diablos - the regressive hypocrite party

Sun Jan 23, 2011 16:42

..for at last Dev's decendant has suddenly discovered his social conscience in his cellar and is pumping it up for the salvation of the party his grandda delivered unto us before his ascent into the celestial realms of FF where he sits with CJH on his right hand, and Saint John McQuaid at the sinister flank, awaiting the elevation of Blessed Bertie the Cutest to the great Aras hole in the O zone.

The rough beasts are aslouch. And the worst are still full of passionate conviction.

The Greens have left the building

by hmmm

Sun Jan 23, 2011 16:15

They will be taking their positions upon the opposition benches on Tuesday, having written letters to
An Taoiseach (but not Úachtarán Fianna Fáil)

....

updates

by not even impatient

Thu Jan 20, 2011 12:33

Hanafin is nowhere to be found, and apparently the whole world gives a shit about the snarling dogs of Fianna Fáil.

Greens are in crisis meeting (odear)

Chess

Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:45

Greens are left exposed on the Chessboard.

calls from 'the oppostion' to make haste with the Finance Bill 2011 and dissolve the Dáil.

it's like a square-dance tbh..

LIVE: RTÉ One is broadcasting a special programme showing Dáil proceedings from 10.38am. You can also watch it LIVE on http://bit.ly/IDZs

the script is appalling

Thu Jan 20, 2011 10:20

This coordinated set of Fianna Fáil departures evidently is set up for two reasons:

i). To ensure Micheál Martin gets them through the election (he is awaiting in the wings btw)
ii). To expose the folly of the Greens and most especially Ryano and Gormley.

Bravo !

The Greens are now watching how a cute hoor party will self-destruct and regenerate, Gormley should
have listened when he was told that he was now playing with the big boys. He refuse to do so and in this
case what emerges is political naievete and unscrupulousness. I give him 12 months and expet that the
corporate PDs who own his party will get another pretty boy to head up the Green movement. They don't like
women in the Greens and have built their party on traditional sexist lines.

Latest resignations , Ahern (D) , Killeen (T), Harney (M), Martin (M), O Keefe (B) > this list will continue

Panic

Thu Jan 20, 2011 00:22

At this particularly painful time in Irish history, we must keep calm and avoid panic at all costs. Ms. Harney's dynamic leadership of our health service has been taken from us, but I am sure that our Taoiseach has a suitable candidate in mind to continue her policies. When I urge people not to panic, I of course, exclude anyone who is ill and does not have health insurance.

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Mary Harney has left the building

Comments (12 of 12)