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Questions and Answers, 18th May 2009

By Simon McGarr ⋅ May 18, 2009 ⋅

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3:10 PM: Suzy Byrne Dublin Candidates tonight – MEP’s on panel and other candidates in audience.
10:35 PM: Suzy Byrne it’s called a European Parliament Election special!
10:36 PM: Suzy Byrne Emmanuel Who?
10:36 PM: Suzy Byrne In this economic crisis what should irish people expect from their MEPS.
10:36 PM: Simon McGarr Questions and Answers Liveblog is running here and the hashtag is #qa10 on twitter. Panel guests confirmed so far: The sitting MEPs for Dublin.
10:37 PM: cianflah great. pat leahy.
10:37 PM: Mark_Coughlan Emmanuel? Anyone got background? Left wing, right wing?
10:37 PM: Simon McGarr I’m feeling Gay is killing the audience with dullness.
10:37 PM: Mark_Coughlan @Cian Pat Leahy is great gas. Super panel member…
10:38 PM: Simon McGarr Mary Lou “I have no part to play!”
10:38 PM: Christine Bohan I like Gay Mitchell. I do. But that answer made me want to bang my head off something. Or possibly his. Yawn City.
10:39 PM: Simon McGarr Mary Lou is now engaged in the longest sentence in history.
10:39 PM: Simon McGarr Eoin Ryan seems to have had a stand in for his posters. One that only had one of his chins.
10:39 PM: Christine Bohan I know it’s not all about The Look but jaysus, Eoin Ryan has put on a hell of a lot of weight since he was elected.
10:39 PM: Fergal Crehan I think Sweeney is a conservative catholic of some sort. He may have run before for one of those conservative catholic parties that materialise for one election before disappearing forever.
10:40 PM: Mark_Coughlan I dont like when they give their answers like election maifestos. I’d respect this lot more if they actually answered the questions instead of trying to say “vote for me!”… though it’s never gonna happen…
10:40 PM: Christine Bohan @Mark Yeah, exactly. This is all just soundbites so far. Get to the juicy stuff.
10:40 PM: Simon McGarr Those eurodinners have taken a terrible toll. Take Ryan home, for the sake of his arteries.
10:41 PM: Simon McGarr Where’s Vincent Browne to tell them to stop talking past each other. “No, you’re passing the buck”.
10:42 PM: Christine Bohan Is Eoin Ryan being a bit rude calling her Mary, rather than Mary-Lou? Personally I refer to her as That Crazy Shinner Who I’ll Never Ever Vote For, but you get my point.
10:42 PM: Mark_Coughlan Proncias stutter getting worse of late?
10:42 PM: Simon McGarr Oh, my heart is sinking. Now they’ve all spoken. None can be listened to. And its only 12 minutes in.
10:43 PM: Mark_Coughlan Pity, I always think it undermines his some-what admirable speaking abilities… I’m a fan, of sorts. Lately.
10:44 PM: Simon McGarr Vincent Browne’s twitter just told me he was going to have the Munster candidates on later. I think I’ll be jumping ship.
10:44 PM: Alexia Golez Watch for the 3D chickens of Doom … !
10:44 PM: Simon McGarr Caroline Simons! Things are looking up!
10:44 PM: Christine Bohan I think Pronsias’s stutter has gotten better than it was a few years ago tbh.
10:44 PM: cianflah she is wearing death’s clothing.
10:44 PM: cianflah must have scythe hidden under the seat
10:45 PM: Christine Bohan Caroline Simons: “We’re seeing the same faces in the European Parliament…” Camera pans to Eoin Ryan – BECAUSE AT LEAST TWO OF THOSE FACES ARE HIS.
10:45 PM: Simon McGarr Disrespect is not a verb.
10:45 PM: Alexia Golez Totally stealing @tupp_ed’s thunder
10:45 PM: Fergal Crehan Having a panel of candidates sort of gives the game away for Q & A: that it’s not a forum for questioning and debate so much as an opportunity for vested interersts to say their respective pieces
10:45 PM: AdamMaguire Simons talking about the need to represent Ireland; she of the only pan-European party.
10:45 PM: Alexia Golez LOLing at “upfront and open” from Simons.. Jesus, like
10:46 PM: Simon McGarr I meant to get a picture of those 3D chickens this week.
10:46 PM: Mark_Coughlan Hah. Libertas preachyness is wearing thin. Especially when they aren’t holding themsleves to the same standards…
10:46 PM: Simon McGarr She’s still banging away on that budget talking point. Well, screeching point.
10:46 PM: deebdublin Caroline’s eyes looked like buttons there for a minute. Really.
10:46 PM: brettmirl Deidre de Burca obviously only has the one dress suit it seems…
10:47 PM: guybague ready and waiting #qa10
10:47 PM: lauramcgonigle @doneganland your girlfriend is on Questions and Answers #qa10
10:47 PM: leotraynor De Burca’s coming across as smug and insufferable as ever
10:47 PM: Simon McGarr Joe Higgins is going to tell us what working people need- Fighters!
10:47 PM: Mark_Coughlan Eoin Ryan and Mary Lou going head to head early on #qa10 yay!
10:47 PM: chrismehigan No! you’re passing the buck! #qa10
10:47 PM: AdamMaguire My reports are bigger than yours. #qa10
10:47 PM: gearoidorourke watching #qa10 now and not impressed with Ryan at all
10:48 PM: Simon McGarr I love Joe. As DeRossa is dead to me since his Data Retention vote, my number 1 is up for grabs.
10:48 PM: leotraynor De Burca really is out of her depth. Her sole claim to fame is that Bertie appointed her to the senate
10:48 PM: AdamMaguire Higgins sounds like he’s running for the Dail via Brussels.
10:49 PM: Mark_Coughlan Gah… ah Joe. I’ll vote for you because you’re a fresh voice and because you work hard around here. But please… stop with the “in the pockets of the speculators” and “neoliberalism” none of your voters even know what it means!
10:49 PM: leotraynor 2-1 on Joe will fail to be elected but will come 5th in poll with deBurca and Simons at his heels
10:50 PM: Simon McGarr Emmanuel Sweeney, tell us please who on earth you are.
10:50 PM: chrismehigan Poor Eibhlin Byrne looks uncomfortable beside Caroline Simmons #qa10
10:50 PM: leotraynor Who’s that Sweeney eejit
10:50 PM: Simon McGarr Ireland have been depreciated.
10:50 PM: trjh watchin #qa10 on delay – will be in audience (no agenda) nxt wk! — wouldn’t Mary Lou’s emphasis on local politics for MEP detract from job?
10:50 PM: AdamMaguire People in Ireland AND Dublin, eh? I missed that break-away vote.
10:51 PM: Simon McGarr What is this gibberish?
10:51 PM: brettmirl Hello independent who hasn’t a hope of getting elected
10:51 PM: Mark_Coughlan Emmanuel… I’m getting left-wing eh, capitalism with a populist edge…
10:52 PM: Fergal Crehan Emmanuel Sweeney, is founder of both the Christian Democrat Party and Muintir n hEireann. That’s two more parties than most people ever found. Though I suspect his party-founding days are not yet over
10:52 PM: brettmirl Wonder why Byrne aint wearing the Mayoral chain…
10:52 PM: Bazalini At least this has not turned into a shouting match like Ireland North West
10:52 PM: leotraynor www.independent.ie Article on Sweeney
10:52 PM: Fergal Crehan “What we need now is not empty platitudes” is such an empty platitude
10:53 PM: AdamMaguire Is Pat Leahy running too?
10:53 PM: Mark_Coughlan I’d love if Leahy went off the cuff and took on a few of the candidates. He’s a gas man and knows his stuff. Very entertianing…
10:53 PM: Simon McGarr Ah, my old contemporary, Pat Leahy. One of Ireland’s great reservoirs of conventional wisdom.
10:54 PM: paul_m_hayes back from the gym, watching Q&A #qa10 – is this the second last show?
10:54 PM: guybague mary lou looking regal #qa10
10:54 PM: guybague camera’s added 10 pounds to ryan #qa10
10:54 PM: Christine Bohan The most unpopular government IN THE HISTORY OF POLITICS. No hyperbole there.
10:54 PM: leotraynor @brettmirl Byrne’s afraid of McKenna making a grab for it. Ms. McKenna will possibly run for mayor next summer, according to good sources
10:54 PM: dermotcasey Theres no show like a Joe show. At least the man cares.
10:54 PM: Alexia Golez The incredibly shrinking FF logo!
10:54 PM: Simon McGarr “Eoin Ryan, yours is very small. It used to be much bigger.” Bowman gets tough.
10:54 PM: Bazalini Talk about your posters Ryan
10:55 PM: Christine Bohan Ryan is completely dodging the question about his logo. Acknowledged that at least he has the logo on it.
10:55 PM: leotraynor Ryan looks like a dead man walking
10:55 PM: dermotcasey Theres a FF logo where?
10:55 PM: Fergal Crehan This poll-talk is what the Americans call “insider baseball” and has no place in any real debate
10:56 PM: Mark_Coughlan Fair play to Ryan for being so up front.
10:56 PM: Simon McGarr Of course, Eoin Ryan has his record of flaming achievement, which has burned across the sky.
10:56 PM: dermotcasey FF v’s SF for last seat. Devil and the deep blue sea. Can we get Joe instead.
10:56 PM: Simon McGarr You’re SF. Of course you can’t tell the truth.
10:56 PM: leotraynor here we go…..MLM’s gonna get stuck in…
10:56 PM: stephencrowley lol at “well eoin would say that” its a fact
10:56 PM: Fergal Crehan “You would say that wouldn’t you?” Ladies and gentlemen, we have a winner in the whining petty idiot competition!
10:57 PM: johnj Mary Lou and the truth! An oxymoron?
10:57 PM: Mark_Coughlan In fairness, I think Ryan has stuck with the party (if not with the party line) more than nearly all his party colleagues… if I had to vote FF…
10:57 PM: Simon McGarr She has delivered an end to homelessness by 2010! Wait, no, she’s timetabled it to end.
10:57 PM: Christine Bohan This is the most passive-aggressive bitchfight I’ve seen on Q&A in a good while. Ryan isn’t even looking MLM in the eye.
10:57 PM: AdamMaguire MacDonald did the only thing she could to defend her own record – remind people Ryan is a member of FF.
10:57 PM: Bazalini Go on MLM tell us what you have done – sh@g all
10:58 PM: Alexia Golez what’s with Mary-Lou’s mole? Has that always been there?
10:58 PM: Fergal Crehan I operate my own in-house Section 31 regime by way of the remote control whenever I start to hear Sinn Féin verbiage
10:58 PM: leotraynor The difference between MLM and Ryan is that the electorate actually know who the hell MLM is.
10:58 PM: AdamMaguire “The only poll that counts is the poll on the day. And polls do count…”; well said, Gay.
10:58 PM: Simon McGarr George Lee makes his first appearance. He’s able to be in two places at once now.
10:59 PM: Bazalini Good Man – use George Lee. He has to bring Donohue home
10:59 PM: leotraynor Jaysus, George feckin Lee again
10:59 PM: stephencrowley i could never bring myself to vote for the EPP. not even a transfer.
10:59 PM: Simon McGarr Eh, I asked a question? I can’t remember.
11:00 PM: Christine Bohan There was a question before this stream-of-consciousness stuff?
11:00 PM: leotraynor Gay Mitchell is very touchy on the subject of salaries and expenses
11:00 PM: Simon McGarr NOTE READING A DECLARATION!
11:00 PM: AdamMaguire MacDonald is very active in the Dublin Central constituency. It explains her poor attendance record but let’s be honest, that and her party prominence is worth 100 times more than an EU report.
11:01 PM: johnj I hate people reading out pre-prepared statements! It is ridiculous.
11:01 PM: Alexia Golez Off to VinnyB land
11:01 PM: Simon McGarr Anti-Lisbon man doesn’t seem to realise that speech reading without a mic is not effective.
11:01 PM: hughgreen Dude has eyebrows clipped to his glasses frame
11:01 PM: dermotcasey Not sure that Vincent would listen to this stuff
11:01 PM: Mark_Coughlan BTW, no official party reps in the audience tonight…
11:01 PM: Simon McGarr Worst accent in the universe. Must be part of the European Movement.
11:02 PM: Simon McGarr A second question. Save us!
11:02 PM: leotraynor Some of the audience look as though they’re retired Father Ted extras
11:02 PM: Simon McGarr Expenses. Disaster.
11:02 PM: Fergal Crehan When people ask “how can you sit there and say that?”, I wish a politician would smile and say say “Oh it’s quite easy. I’m a hypocrite”
11:02 PM: leotraynor Here we go. Expenses. Hot button issue
11:02 PM: Mark_Coughlan Ah… of course they should be published. There is nobody going to answer no.
11:02 PM: Christine Bohan Two major issues of the night so far seem to be 1) MLM’s lack of attendance at votes and 2) The lack of FF logo on posters.
11:03 PM: Simon McGarr Jumpers may find the Vincent Browne liveblog at www.scribblelive.com
11:03 PM: finkeegan Hope Pat Kenny’s new show is savvy enough to have visual gotchas like Poster Logos ready to roll at these moments #qa10
11:03 PM: dermotcasey Yes. Anyone want to look at all my expences from work no problem. Sunshine good.
11:03 PM: dermotcasey Good answer from Pronsias
11:03 PM: leotraynor Give us the numbers Proinsias. Yours are huge
11:03 PM: Bazalini De Rossa has not changed at all since his Workers Party Days.
11:03 PM: Fergal Crehan De Rossa puts all his expenses on his site. Others not quite so forthcoming
11:03 PM: dermotcasey derossa.com Service Temporarily Unavailable ROFL
11:04 PM: Christine Bohan Simons looked like Harney from that angle.
11:04 PM: Simon McGarr DeRossa website FAIL.
11:04 PM: Mark_Coughlan Gah, Derossa’s site is down.
11:04 PM: leotraynor How very convenient
11:05 PM: Christine Bohan “Libertas should be introduced to Veritas” – love it.
11:05 PM: leotraynor Mr Mitchell voted against the publication of salaries and expenses
11:05 PM: chrismehigan Proinsias de rossa looks very comfortable up there, real old warhorse of Irish politics. #qa10
11:05 PM: leotraynor Eoin Ryan should be introduced to a P45
11:06 PM: stephencrowley derossa.com
11:06 PM: stephencrowley can you watch tv3 online?
11:06 PM: Christine Bohan @stephencrowley No, you can’t watch it live, unfortunately
11:06 PM: Simon McGarr Oops, nearly missed Caroline Simons and her hectoring teacher schtick.
11:07 PM: johnj What’s the VB link please?
11:07 PM: Bazalini Don’t understand that at all – complete confusion
11:07 PM: Simon McGarr www.scribblelive.com Vincent Browne Liveblog
11:08 PM: johnj Thanks
11:08 PM: dermotcasey derossa.com back up
11:08 PM: Mark_Coughlan Yeah, DeRossa.com has a blog on it. Oldest blogger in Ireland?
11:09 PM: nealwalsh Really like what Gay Mitchell has to say on #qa10 Giving it to the Duplicitas liars too.
11:09 PM: Christine Bohan Depends. Has Maurice Ahern set one up yet?
11:09 PM: AdamMaguire Eoin Ryan justification of expenses has echo’s of Pee Flynn’s Late Late plane crash.
11:09 PM: Simon McGarr @christinebohan maybe, but I think he’s waiting for Bertie to tell him what to say on it.
11:10 PM: Mark_Coughlan Christine, did you see the video of the lads hanging Aherns posters on Property Pin?
11:10 PM: Mark_Coughlan @Adam, aye… crazy move…
11:10 PM: Simon McGarr Ok, Everyone can clearly afford to pop off and amuse themselves with this “My passion for Fianna Fail” www.fiannafail.ie
11:10 PM: Mark_Coughlan Prediction: Joe’s going to tell people that he lives on the industrial wage… again.
11:11 PM: Christine Bohan @Mark: No, linky?
11:11 PM: adrianweckler Gay Mitchell was outboxed on that one #qa10
11:12 PM: johnj Kathleen Lynch is a good enough rfeason for me not to watch VB!
11:12 PM: Bazalini Following on from what the Conservatives did today there
11:12 PM: leotraynor Easy to say that when she hasn’t a cat in hell’s chance thanks to McKenna
11:12 PM: Simon McGarr An ad! Blessed relief.
11:13 PM: leotraynor I’d rather have tickets to the dentist
11:13 PM: finkeegan Interesting. #qa10 is particular to Dublin constituency
11:13 PM: guybague good man joe! #qa10
11:13 PM: Mark_Coughlan www.thepropertypin.com Christine…
11:14 PM: Mark_Coughlan McKenna is polling higher than DeBurca… shows the green backlash to the Greens?
11:15 PM: guybague Simons – modelled on mary harney. appalling woman. #qa10
11:15 PM: gomaonaigh Gay Mitchell’s star seems to have faded from what it once has. #qa10
11:16 PM: Christine Bohan Thanks for that, Mark. Guess the Drumcondra Mafia are getting a bit old to be hauling themselves up ladders. Or something.
11:16 PM: leotraynor Gay Mitchell is well out of it and he knows it. Who’d want to be a party leader in ireland at the moment
11:16 PM: Christine Bohan Dan Boyle looks like Desperate Dan over on VB.
11:17 PM: Simon McGarr Vincent Browne having to explain Twitter to the viewers.
11:17 PM: johnj Tewwting his intentions in Tralee
11:17 PM: leotraynor Did any of you see the Toxic Bank poster outside the BOI in rathmines? Here it isc:http:c//twitpic.com/photos/leotraynor
11:17 PM: Mark_Coughlan Jesus, that “My Passion for Fianna Fail” blog post on FF.ie is strange.
11:17 PM: johnj Sorry about the spelling!
11:18 PM: Fergal Crehan More insider baseball. These are the questions journalists want answered, not voters
11:18 PM: Mark_Coughlan Leo, is that a political poster?
11:19 PM: leotraynor Proinsias in severe danger of disappearing up his own orifice
11:19 PM: Simon McGarr Have to say I’m going to be abandoning this side of the fence. I’m TV3 bound unless someone pulls a knife in the next few moments.
11:19 PM: stephencrowley @mark sinnott polls high as well. is that a backlash against sane people?
11:19 PM: leotraynor @Mark – apparently not. read my blog post here -http://leotraynor.wordpress.com/
11:19 PM: Mark_Coughlan DeBurca often gets flustered somewhat under this style of questioning…
11:20 PM: johnj VB really having a go at DB! Good stuff!
11:20 PM: Bazalini God – she is attractive but as confusing as hell
11:20 PM: leotraynor @Mark. The artist’s contact details are on his site which is linked from blog.
11:21 PM: Mark_Coughlan @Stephen you tell me. I asked for an opinion, you can do that without toeing the party line is needs be…
11:21 PM: Bazalini Eoin – You clearly are just talking to FFer’s
11:21 PM: leotraynor Eoin Ryan – finger on the pulse of popular opinion as ever
11:21 PM: Christine Bohan Has Eoin Ryan been canvassing support in his local cumann or something?
11:22 PM: leotraynor Gay can smell blood…
11:22 PM: Christine Bohan No-one does indignant and high-pitched like Gay Mitchell.
11:22 PM: Mark_Coughlan Such a waste of time writing to 15k young people to ask them to stay in eduction. How about tackling the fact most of them are disenfranchised
11:22 PM: Simon McGarr NAMA has sunk before it was launched. Everyone now looking to what comes next.
11:23 PM: Christine Bohan Gay Mitchell = Nostradamus
11:23 PM: Yvonne O’ Callaghan Thank God De Rossa put Ryan in his box about government coherence………at least de rossa seems to know what the people want
11:24 PM: leotraynor @Christine if you want to hear Mitchell totally losing the plot – listen to this. audio.todayfm.com
11:24 PM: johnj Same old shouting match again – so annoying!
11:24 PM: Christine Bohan Cheers Leo
11:25 PM: leotraynor Keep taking the tablets Gaybo
11:25 PM: Mark_Coughlan @gomaonaigh He’s been in Brussels for so long, it’s not surprising. Long time in politics… #qa10
11:26 PM: stephencrowley @ mark truth be told she was a poll topper before so a lot of people have voted for her in the past. there’s about a 60% chance that people will repeat their vote. its easier than choosing a new representative. the fact that Deirdre as a new candidate is achieving 6% is impressive considering. considering our support is 3% nationaly
11:26 PM: Mark_Coughlan Wished Leahy got more time.
11:26 PM: naois how much worse could the polls get for FF? negative %s?
11:26 PM: Bazalini Important point – Of course she would
11:26 PM: VoteJoeHiggins <campaign team> ddb seems to have made a bags of that last question.. admitting they have no support! #qa10
11:27 PM: leotraynor It’s moments like this that we can see why Bowman needs to go
11:28 PM: Christine Bohan That was one smug questioner
11:28 PM: leotraynor Joe’s great craic. He shoul stand as Mayor of Dublin. Our very own Red Ken
11:28 PM: Mark_Coughlan Joe has a point, there needs to be more extreme voices in the Irish political landscape…
11:28 PM: johnj Waste of time getting a directly elected mayor!
11:29 PM: Mark_Coughlan @John Do build on that point… why?
11:29 PM: Simon McGarr Oh, tedium thy name is Questions and Answers.
11:29 PM: kieranmurphy Just got an awful fright. Turned on TV to find politicians arguing yet again on #qa10. The horror!
11:29 PM: davidcochrane Ersi or Esri ? #qa10
11:29 PM: paul_m_hayes Given up on Q&A #qa10 , watching @vincentbrowne query @sendboyle on TV3 instead. hope this finally sparks a general election.
11:29 PM: leotraynor Thanks be to god.
11:29 PM: johnj That was a poor show!
11:31 PM: leotraynor Goodnight all. That really wasn’t great but I was strangely compelled to stick it out.
11:33 PM: mneylon @davidcochrane ah now – you don’t honestly expect them to remember aconyms? #qa10
11:33 PM: stephencrowley I was thinking that in a reform of the dail there should be local reps and publicly elected speakers. I’d love to be able to make sure that joe higgins keeps a seat nationally. he’s a great speaker. reserve 6 seats for great speakers elected by the public.
11:37 PM: Christine Bohan This is a bit of a diversion on VB, talking about the Dublin-Monaghan bombings, but still interesting.
11:39 PM: Mark_Coughlan @Stephen, WHAT? You cant reserve seats for great speakers. You’d have to reform the system to better give the possibility of strong individual voices getting in. A top-up list system maybe of some sorts. Which Gormley said he wants to implement (though probably wont get the chance to)
11:40 PM: Christine Bohan This is compelling stuff. Vincent Browne is grilling Treasa Ferris about whether she feels any shame for anything done by the IRA. “Bloody Sunday? Enniskillen? And there’s no shame at all?”
11:41 PM: Christine Bohan “And you expect people to vote for you? When you don’t have a particle of shame?”
11:44 PM: Simon McGarr That segment on VB was worth staying up for, all by itself.

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