Fianna Fail - The Wilderness Years

[Shaadi]

Forget about philosophy or expertise or any record of political thought or activities, let's get someone who used to kick football.

What does it say about us as voters that they would make a choice like that?

It says they deserve everything they get.

[Binn Beal]

I wonder if the return of O'Donoghue was welcomed at HQ or was Miceal Martin pulling his hair out at the news.
Bring back Bertie! Now there's a slogan for the new Fianna Fail.

[Baron von Biffo]

It says they deserve everything they get.

Yip. We got Ahern 3 times and replaced him with Gump because we're not vigilant.

[Stanley 2]

I wonder if the return of O'Donoghue was welcomed at HQ or was Miceal Martin pulling his hair out at the news.
Bring back Bertie! Now there's a slogan for the new Fianna Fail.

MeHole will be pulling out the last strands he has left, this is JOD trying to force an issue/election locally thereon taking the decision process to HQ as a fait du complet

[PaddyJoe]

Kerry FF takes a bold decision to revitalise the party. Out with the old and in with the new

A meeting of Fianna Fáil in Tralee last night saw former ceann comhairle John O’Donoghue elected to one of the key positions in the new all-county organisation.
The meeting, chaired by the Listowel senator Ned O’Sullivan, also saw strong support for former TD Tom McEllistrim.

The meeting in the Brandon Hotel to decide on control of the organisation which will oversee the constituency for the next council and next Dáil elections in Kerry drew a crowd of over 300. Around 50 were expected.

Lasting over three hours, it ended with a rousing speech from O’Donoghue, who has made no secret of his desire to contest the next Dáil elections and who was last night selected as PRO of the new Kerry Dáil Ceanntair.

There was no sign of the celebrity footballers who were being tipped as possible single candidates for the next elections.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland...cy-212821.html

[Slim Buddha]

Kerry FF takes a bold decision to revitalise the party. Out with the old and in with the new

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland...cy-212821.html

Almost unbelievable.

Yet these people elected O'Donohue, Jackie Healy-Rae and Denis Foley in the past. That would be the Denis Foley who was hoping against hope that he had not an Ansbacher secret account and was disappointed to find that he did, in fact, possess an Ansbacher account.

As for footballers, Kerry has form in this area. Jimmy Deenihan TD was an accomplished kicker of the pigs bladder in his day.

[Dr. FIVE]

This is good news. we should welcome all and every ego returning to clog up the FF ballot.
They're down a seat in Kerry too. O'Donohue went out early last time and was close enough for for young Healy Rae in south if I recall. McEllistrim was nowhere near in North.

Will be difficult for all of them next time.

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

Wish I'd been there. Just to ask him what he proposed to do about HIV infected Proddie Sea Monsters terrorising Kerry.

I doubt he'd have a plan, like. But I'd just like to hear him try to answer the question.

[PaddyJoe]

The European Liberal Democrats Congress begins in Dublin today hosted by our finest liberal democrats

[DCon]

The European Liberal Democrats Congress begins in Dublin today hosted by our finest liberal democrats

Well, they were Liberal in spreading State funds to them and their friends, and very Liberal in what laws they chose to obey.

As for Democrats,. Not really sure

[PaddyJoe]

The Programme:

ELDR Congress 2012 - Programme
THURSDAY 8 NOVEMBER 2012
10:00
Deadline for submitting urgency resolutions

12:00
19:00 Registration of Congress delegates Conference Reception - Ballsbridge Hotel
12:00
19:00
Registration of Council delegates
Conference Reception - Ballsbridge Hotel
15:30
17:30
Seminar
Campaign 2.0: Promoting liberal parties across Europe

Opening remarks: Sir Graham Watson MEP, ELDR President, Liberal Democrats, UK

Ian Marquardt & Jan Burdinski, political consultants
Cedar Suite - Ballsbridge Hotel
16:00
18:00
Seminar - Hosted by European Liberal Forum
Populism and political apathy across Europe: Social and political implications of the debt crisis

Chair: Giulio Ercolessi, Member of the Board of Directors, European Liberal Forum

Felicita Medved, President, European Liberal Forum
Miguel Duarte, President, Movimento Liberal Social (MLS), ELF member organisation
Blagovesta Cholova, Researcher, Department of Political Science, Université Libre de Bruxelles
Luís Humberto Teixeira, journalist and political scientist, MLS, ELF member organisation
Cecilia Wikström MEP, Folkpartiet Liberalerna, Sweden
Klaas Dijkhoff MP, VVD, Netherlands
Thomas Krings, Deputy Secretary-General, ALDE Group, European Parliament
Oak/Elm Suite - Ballsbridge Hotel
16:00
18:00
ELDR Bureau Meeting (invitation only)
Pembroke Suite - Clyde Court Hotel
18:30
20:00
Cocktail Reception (drinks provided)

Welcome remarks:
Naoise Ó Muirí, Lord Mayor of Dublin
Micheál Martin TD, Fianna Fáil Party Leader
Sir Graham Watson MEP, ELDR Party President, Liberal Democrats, UK
Brendan Jennings, Managing Partner, Deloitte Ireland
Dublin City Hall
FRIDAY 9 NOVEMBER 2012
08:00
09:00
Delegation Meeting for Associate Members (Intro to Congress)
Grosvenor Suite 1 - Clyde Court Hotel
08:00
08:30
Registration of Council Delegates
Conference Reception - Ballsbridge Hotel
08:30 18:00
Registration of Congress Delegates
Conference Reception - Ballsbridge Hotel
08:30
10:00
ELDR Council Meeting

Chair: Sir Graham Watson MEP, ELDR President, Liberal Democrats, UK
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
10:00
10:15
Congress matters of procedure
Announcement and distribution of urgency resolutions.
Call for scrutineers, returning officer and counting assistants.
Announcement of urgencies

Chair: Marc Guerrero, ELDR Vice President, Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
10:15
11:30
Theme debate
A liberal roadmap for Energy Transition

Chair: Chris Huhne MP, Liberal Democrats, UK

Siim Kallas, Vice-President of the European Commission, Commissioner for Transport
Lykke Friis MP, former Energy and Climate minister of Denmark
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
11:30
12:30
Working group - Theme Resolution

Chair: Chris Huhne MP, Liberal Democrats, UK
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
11:30
12:30
Working group - Congress Resolutions

Chair: Lousewies van der Laan, ELDR Vice President, D66,The Netherlands
Herbert Suite - Clyde Court Hotel
11:30
12:00
Press Conference
Cedar Suite - Ballsbridge Hotel
12:30
14:30
Lunch Debate - Co-hosted by General Electric
The EU-US free trade agreement

Chair: Catherine Bearder MEP, Liberal Democrats, UK

Keynote: Karel De Gucht, EU Commissioner for Trade

Metin Kazak MEP, ALDE coordinator in INTA
Hendrik Bourgeois, Vice President EU Affairs, General Electric
Joseph Quinlan, German Marshall Fund
Frank Hoffmeister, Deputy Head of Cabinet, Karel De Gucht
Grosvenor Suite 1 - Clyde Court Hotel
12:30
14:30
Lunch Debate - Co-hosted by Tuskon
Turkey - EU: Revisiting the Common Interests

Opening remarks: Sir Graham Watson MEP, ELDR President, Liberal Democrats, UK

Chair: Anne Brasseur MP, Leader ALDE-PACE, DP Luxemburg

Rizanur Meral, TUSKON President
Andrew Duff MEP, President of UEF, Liberal Democrats UK
Other speakers will be announced at the Congress
Oak/Elm Suite - Ballsbridge Hotel
13:00
14:30
Leaders and Ministers Lunch Meeting
(invitation only)
Conservatory
13:00
14:30
Ralf Dahrendorf Roundtable - Hosted by European Liberal Forum
A Europe of 100 Flags. A Nightmare or a Dream?

Opening remarks: Felicita Medved, President, European Liberal Forum

Chair: Alexander Graf Lambsdorff MEP, FDP, Germany

Marc Guerrero, Vice- President of ELDR, Member of the National Executive Committee for CDC, Board member of the CatDem Foundation
Nils Torvalds MEP, SFP, Finland
Iain Smith, former Member of the Scottish Parliament, Liberal Democrats, United Kingdom
Willem Frederik Schiltz, Member of the Chamber of Representatives, Open VLD, Belgium
Grosvenor Suite 2 - Clyde Court Hotel
14:45
15:45
Official Congress Opening

Chair: Astrid Thors MP, ELDR Vice President, Finland

Sir Graham Watson MEP, ELDR President, Liberal Democrats, UK
Micheal Martin TD, Fianna Fail Party leader
Nick Clegg MP, Deputy Prime Minister, UK Liberal Democrats Leader
Guy Verhofstadt MEP, ALDE Group leader, Open VLD, Belgium
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
15:45
16:30
Presentation of candidates for ELDR Bureau Elections and for the ELWN President Elections
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
16:30
Announcement of Scrutineers, Returning Officer and Counting Assistants
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
16:30
17:00
Keynote Speech

Carl Haglund, Finnish Minister of Defence, SFP Party Leader
Hans van Baalen MEP, President of Liberal International, VVD, The Netherlands
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
17:15
18:45
Working group - Theme resolution

Chair: Chris Huhne MP, Liberal Democrats, UK
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
17:15
18:45
Working group - Congress resolutions

Chair: Lousewies van der Laan, ELDR Vice President, D66, The Netherlands
Oak/Elm Suite - Ballsbridge Hotel
17:30
19:00
ELDR Workshop
From 3,000 to 50,000 ‘likes’ in a month - How to run your political social media campaign
Cedar Suite - Ballsbridge Hotel
19:30
20:15
ALDE MEP/MP Reception
(invitation only – bus transportation provided)
Guinness Storehouse
20:15
22:30
Walking Dinner Reception (bus transportation provided)
Guinness Storehouse
SATURDAY 10 NOVEMBER 2012
08:00
09:00 MPs and MEPs Breakfast meeting Mezzanine Suite - Ballsbridge Hotel
08:30
15:00
Registration of Congress Delegates
Conference Reception - Ballsbridge Hotel
08:30
09:30
Collection of Proxy Cards by Heads of Delegation
Conference Reception - Ballsbridge Hotel
08:30
09:00
Associate Members Meeting
Herbert Suite - Clyde Court Hotel
09:00
10:00
Debate - Hosted by Fianna Fáil
The Innovation Economy, Driving Europe Forward

Chair: Dara Calleary TD, Fianna Fáil Spokeperson for Enterprise

Professor Suzi Jarvis, Director of the Innovation Academy, University College Dublin
Seán O'Sulivan, Managing Director, Avego
Cedar Suite - Ballsbridge Hotel
09:00
10:00
Debate - Hosted by LYMEC
Youth Unemployment in Europe

Jeroen Diepemaat, President of LYMEC
Anne van der Graaf, Treasurer of LYMEC
Slaven Klobucar, Secretary General of LYMEC
Oak/Elm Suite - Ballsbridge Hotel
09:00
10:30
ELWN Fringe Meeting
Female Quotas: an Effective tool to boost up gender equality?

Chair: Astrid Thors MP, ELDR Vice President, SFP, Finland

Norica Nicolai MEP, PNL, Romania
Trine Skei Grande MP, Venstre Party leader, Norway
Margaret de Vos van Steenwijk, President of the International Network of Liberal Women
Grosvenor Suite 2 - Clyde Court Hotel
09:30
12:00
Documentary and Discussion on Mikhail Khodorkovsky
Screening of ‘KHODORKOVSKY’ and expert panel discussion

Opening remarks: Sir Graham Watson MEP, ELDR President, Liberal Democrats, UK

Cyril Tuschi, Director of the documentary
Mikhail Kazyanov, Former Prime Minister, PDU Party Leader, Russia
Grosvenor Suite 1 - Clyde Court Hotel
10:00
11:30
Debate - Hosted by the Union of European Federalists
On Governing Europe

Chair: Lousewies van der Laan, ELDR Vice President, D66, The Netherlands

Andrew Duff MEP, President of UEF, Liberal Democrats, UK
Pat Cox, Former President of the European Parliament
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
11:30
11:45
Keynote speech

Vesna Pusic MP, ELDR Vice President, Foreign Minister of Croatia
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
11:45
12:00
Vote: Name Change of ELDR Party to ALDE Party
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
12:00
13:00
Vote: Congress Resolutions

Chair: Lousewies van der Laan, ELDR Vice President, D66, The Netherlands
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
12:15
14:00
Vote: ELDR Bureau Elections
Herbert Suite - Clyde Court Hotel
13:00
14:30
Lunch Debate - Hosted by Fianna Fáil
The Euro Challenge, Where now for the Economic and Monetary Union

Micheal Martin TD, President of Fianna Fáil
Dr Michael Somers, former CEO, National Treasury Management Agency
Dermot O'Leary, Chief Economist, Goodbody Stokebrokers
Senator Jean Arthuis, Member of the French Senate
Grosvenor Suite 2
13:00
14:30
Lunch Debate - Hosted by ALDE-CoR
Energy Transition: ‘A waste of money or a source of economic growth?’

Chair: Mr Bas Verkerk, ALDE-CoR President, VVD, The Netherlands

Mikhail Kasyanov, Former Prime Minister, PDU Party Leader, Russia
Marc Guerrero, ELDR Party Vice-President, Convergència Democràtica de Catalunya
Piet de Vey Mestdagh, Member of the Executive Council
Oak/Elm Suite - Ballsbridge Hotel
14:00
14:30
Book Launch
‘Letters from Europe’ by Sir Graham Watson MEP
Cedar Suite - Ballsbridge Hotel
14:45
15:45
Vote: Theme resolution

Alexander Graf Lambsdorff MEP, ELDR Vice President, FDP Germany
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
16:00
Announcement of the results of the Bureau elections
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
16:15
17:00 Q&A session with ELDR Bureau Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
17:00
17:15
Closing Speech

Sir Graham Watson MEP, ELDR President, Liberal Democrats, UK
Ballroom - Ballsbridge Hotel
17:30
Reception
The Dubliner Pub - Ballsbridge Hotel

http://www.eldr.eu/en/congress2012/p...5TtHN4.twitter

[Dr. FIVE]

Brian Ó Domhnaill to be investigated for expenses. http://www.rte.ie/news/2012/1120/bri...-expenses.html

I remember having a look at travel expenses the time of the by-election and Ó'Domhnaill's were sky high next to Doherty while both were Senators from more or less the same area.

[Dr. FIVE]

dear oh dear

http://www.donegalnow.com/sp/article..._investigation

The Donegal politician has been under informal investigation for several months over allegations of expense claim fraud from his time as Donegal County Councillor.

The matter related to certain expense claims made for travelling and subsistence by Senator Ó Domhnaill to the Council and separately to Údarás na Gaeltachta in respect of his attendances at conferences and other events in the years 2006 and 2007.

The Donegal County Manager and a number of other high-ranking officials had been made aware of the allegations through an anonymous letter, and it was decided to refer the matter to the Standards in Public Office Commission.

Spokesperson for SIPO, Brian McKevitt, has now confirmed to Donegal Now that after the findings of the preliminary investigation they have decided “a full investigation is warranted”.

[ang]

Ooops not going to go down to well with this FF renewal campaign/love in.

[Ogiol]

dear oh dear

http://www.donegalnow.com/sp/article..._investigation

Gr8 schtuff. Down to 1 in donegal the last time (big ff dynasty country in the past) and with the reduction to a 5 seater i may well put money on them losing all representation in donegal. Defos 2 SF and 2 FG, then either Pringle, FFer or 3rd SF.