Mary Hanafin - Demoted

[Xray]

I still have a bit of FF DNA in me and I like Hanafin. She is a gutsy and intelligent young woman. She would be a good leader of a party or dare I say government. She is by far the best female minister and probably the best overall.

This woman is loved by teachers and PS unions, but went on TV to sell social welfare cuts. She is tough and could deal with tough decisions regarding the PS. The unions would listen to her.

What is Cowens reaction to this. He has demoted he twice!
He has probably done her a favour, it is good news for her future post Cowen. I spot a future leader of FF.

[ang]

I would have to say she came across very well on the Frontline a while back.

She held it together during that outburst, staying very composed and though I may not have agreed with some of what she said, I do believe she thought she was making cuts for the greater good.

[C. Flower]

I would have to say she came across very well on the Frontline a while back.

She held it together during that outburst, staying very composed and though I may not have agreed with some of what she said, I do believe she thought she was making cuts for the greater good.

Can see how she would go down like a lead balloon in that jolly corner of the Dail Bar.

[Baron von Biffo]

I'm delighted she was shafted. She was happy to abandon the poor to Lenihan so she deserves what she got.

[toxic avenger]

It makes no sense, unless there's bad blood. I'm no fan of hers but it was obvious that she was one of the extremely few ministers that actually had any ability. I wonder is there dynastic bad blood there?

More generally, it's clear that the reshuffle was a giant '******* you' to the outside world from Cowen, the laager-mentality at its finest. With all the calls for radical change recently, including from the spiv Ahern's mate Beades, Cowen decided to show everyone who was boss. And the way to do that - do the exact opposite. This was a classic middle-finger to the Opposition, the media, and to opponents in his own ranks...

[Digout]

Its very odd, she got the social welfare butcher job done with no blood, making another €1 billion for Anglo and other friends of FF, and then gets demoted.....maybe she was asked to cut more and refused?

[Digout]

This was a classic middle-finger to the Opposition, the media, and to opponents in his own ranks...

And ultimately to himself.....

[toxic avenger]

I'm wondering is it a personality clash or a dynastic clash. Her father was an odd fish...

[Digout]

Her father was an odd fish...

A blueshirt? Or a non gombeen? Clowens old man is dead years, so how would he know ?

[toxic avenger]

A blueshirt? Or a non gombeen? Clowens old man is dead years, so how would he know ?

Des Hanafin. Virtually lived in the Berkeley Court while the great and good came to pay financial homage to the mother-ship, Fianna Fáil. A drunk, now reformed. Was shafted by Haughey in the end.

[Digout]

Des Hanafin. Virtually lived in the Berkeley Court while the great and good came to pay financial homage to the mother-ship, Fianna Fáil. A drunk, now reformed.

So, without the reformed bit, he's the same as the top 3 in the current government?

[Xray]

She looks like a leader in waiting to me, thats enough to get shafted in any political party.

[Digout]

She looks like a leader in waiting to me, thats enough to get shafted in any political party.

Especially in FF. I wonder does she have many supporters on the back benches?

[Andrew49]

I'm delighted she was shafted. She was happy to abandon the poor to Lenihan so she deserves what she got.

'Tough decisions needed to be made" she said but it's not a tough thing to steal from widows, blind people and children. On the radio this morning she was outraged that the media exposed her €400,000 pension - and her teaching pension is in addition to the Rolls Royce retirement nest eggs she enjoys as a TD and minister.

[johnfás]

Perhaps more to do with the fact that Cowen knows Fianna Fáil are dead in Dublin anyway and will face an onslaught on both sides from Labour and Fine Gael. In the Dun Laoghaire constitutency (which is currently a 5 seater but will fall to a 4 seater in the next election) there are already 2 FF TDs, both of whom sit at cabinet. Barry Andrews as a Super Junior and Mary Hanafin as a Minister.

FG only have one TD in that constituency and Senator Eugene Regan, who resides in it and has previous stood for election there, will be confident of taking a seat. As a consequence, Cowen will know that it is likely that either Hanafin or Andrews will lose their seat after the next election and there is not much he can do about it. But he has retained both with some degree of office in order to raise some profile as he seeks to retain one.

Therefore it is unsurprising that the gift of high office is being given to people in other (generally rural) areas of the country where it might save the seat of a TD or help in bringing another candidate over the quota.

[Iarmhi Gael]

I liked the line that the Summit in Farmleigh in September identified the importance on Tourism & culture to the County and how new jobs could be created....

What aload of waffle... This either means that the recent Ministers in this position failed in their job or its spin to make people believe they are creating jobs.

Good luck to her in her post however.

[C. Flower]

Yes, I heard her saying that "Tourism is important to the economy, too" .... apparently a new thought for her.

[Baron von Biffo]

I liked the line that the Summit in Farmleigh in September identified the importance on Tourism & culture to the County and how new jobs could be created....

What aload of waffle... This either means that the recent Ministers in this position failed in their job or its spin to make people believe they are creating jobs.

Good luck to her in her post however.

Recent ministers in that Dept. include John O'Donoghue and Martin Cullen.

[Iarmhi Gael]

Recent ministers in that Dept. include John O'Donoghue and Martin Cullen.

So why was Cullen not sacked before this if it was thought he was doing a poor job....

Fecking FF for ya

[Baron von Biffo]

So why was Cullen not sacked before this if it was thought he was doing a poor job....

Fecking FF for ya

The Mafia put a horses head in your bed, FF take the door off your helicopter. Either way you get the message :)

[Iarmhi Gael]

The Mafia put a horses head in your bed, FF take the door off your helicopter. Either way you get the message :)

:D:D very good

[C. Flower]

:D:D very good

very good indeed...;)

[Xray]

Perhaps more to do with the fact that Cowen knows Fianna Fáil are dead in Dublin anyway and will face an onslaught on both sides from Labour and Fine Gael. In the Dun Laoghaire constitutency (which is currently a 5 seater but will fall to a 4 seater in the next election) there are already 2 FF TDs, both of whom sit at cabinet. Barry Andrews as a Super Junior and Mary Hanafin as a Minister.

FG only have one TD in that constituency and Senator Eugene Regan, who resides in it and has previous stood for election there, will be confident of taking a seat. As a consequence, Cowen will know that it is likely that either Hanafin or Andrews will lose their seat after the next election and there is not much he can do about it. But he has retained both with some degree of office in order to raise some profile as he seeks to retain one.

Therefore it is unsurprising that the gift of high office is being given to people in other (generally rural) areas of the country where it might save the seat of a TD or help in bringing another candidate over the quota.


Lets face it, every FF TD now knows are are probably within 12 months of an election. They also know that they will not form the next government. So all that really matters now is saving the seat. The best way to save a seat anywhere, but partucularly in Dublin is to be seen publicly as an Anti-Cowen candidate. FF people will come out of the woodwork against everything he does now. He is running out of time and has no goodies to dish out to keep them quiet. If I were Andrews or Hanfin scapping it out for at best one FF seat I would do one of two things. I would either not waste my time running for the seat or I would make a move against Cowen now. It all about the post Cowen era now, the dreadful reshuffle has ensured that. If Hanafin is anyway clever and ambitious for the future she will start stirring the pot, maybe she already has. That maybe the real reason she is minister for cutting ribbons.

[jmcc]

Good analysis, Xray,
I would not be surprised to see the government fall before the end of April.

Regards...jmcc

[Iarmhi Gael]

That maybe the real reason she is minister for cutting ribbons.

Interesting you should say that....

Colaiste Bride in Clondalkin opened a new school a few years back when Hanifin was Ministe for education...

Mary Harney is a past pupil of the School and had worked tirelessly in getting a new school for the presentation Convent there. Hanifin did nothing and was seen to be just rolling in for the Pictures.

As Far as I am aware, an agreement had to be made between Harney and Hanifin as to who would officiate at the opening with everyone concerned wanting Harney to do it, but Hanifin wanting the honor as position holder.... I don't think there is much love between the 2 Mary's after it.