Harney steps down [Archive] - Rail Users Ireland Forum

Mark Hennessy

07-09-2006, 16:15

As PD Leader.

http://www.rte.ie/news/2006/0907/harneym.html

Thomas J Stamp

07-09-2006, 16:45

She's going to be the new Minister for Transport.

http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/1651/iconlolej7.gif (http://imageshack.us)http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/1651/iconlolej7.gif (http://imageshack.us)http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/1651/iconlolej7.gif (http://imageshack.us)http://img366.imageshack.us/img366/1651/iconlolej7.gif (http://imageshack.us)

Derek Wheeler

07-09-2006, 18:46

Navan Junction

07-09-2006, 18:52

I think that says it all as what the PD's are expecting after the election. They will be too small to hold the balance of power, they'll either be minor partners in coalition or they'll be in opposition.

If Fianna Fáil lose the 10 - 15 seats being spoken about the are irrelevant. The niche market of being the public conscience is gone out the window..

Where now for them?

Harney's jumping at the right time.. The PDs have reached their zenith.

Oisin88

07-09-2006, 19:35

Harney's jumping at the right time..

Like a big dirty brown rat... leaving a sinking ship.

ACustomer

07-09-2006, 20:23

The last remark is a bit ad hominem (ad mulherem?) and uncalled for. One thing we should note is that in Senator Morrissey, the PDs have someone who speaks more sense on transport policy than anyone else in Leinster House. (That implies nothing one way or another about my political preferences!)

Thomas J Stamp

07-09-2006, 22:07

From a rail perspecive none of the parties are going to go outside the box that is t21, all they will tinker with is the small print.

Noticed that Mary's resignation has come just as her insistance regarding the 200 buses in Dublin go to private operators were given very short shift last week in Westport. Surely mere co-incidence?

Even if that was not the reason, you have to feel for her, having McDowell looming over your shoulder all the time, always thinking that a pat on the shoulder is only a foot away from a kick in the backside. She's done 13 years at the coalface, she's better off out of it.

As for anyone in dublin who has a bad chest, getting rid of the smokey coal has probably saved your life. She should have been in health years ago, too late to make her mark, she'll be out of there come june.

Oisin88

08-09-2006, 18:21

Apologies if anyone has been upset by my Harney remark.

At risk of being barred etc., I am now going to give my opinion, which is only my opinion, and I am not an expert in anything, just a railway passenger that tries to improve the health of hospital patients in a small part of the country.

However, I have no time for the lady. It is true to say that in 1987 she did something for the country almost as great in health terms as Micky Martin's smoking ban, but everything else is tainted with pure Thatcherism.

I am a pharmacist and I work in the public service. For the past year there has been an employent cap to try and make her look good. This has not been good for the health service. There are rumours that the so called "de-regulation" of Irish community pharmacies that has allowed them to be bought up by various international companies who are in the business of rewarding shareholders and not looking after their patients might have had something to do with a problem someone in her constituency may have had with opening a pharmacy. I have only heard rumour of this.

Obesity is also a very large public health problem. She delegated the Obesity strategy away from herself. As a result the strategy has probably not advanced very much. The oportunity of a minister for health that had problems in the area herself, taking the issue by the horns would have been an ideal opportunity to make serious inroads into the issue. In my humble opinion what she did was the equivalent of the minister for health smoking in a pub.

In transport, her ideological insistance on Dublin Bus following the failed 80s British privatisation model is just more of the same.

In general, Mary Harney, has epitomised the Michael O'Leary-Tony O'Reilly agenda where big business builds more roads and cars (preferably fuel guzzling SUVs with bull-bars for running over other peoples children) and forgets about the environment, and public transport.

That has no reflection on the other public transport policies of other PDs which I know very little about. It has more or less been a 2 personality party though, so the sins of "the leader" are what most publicly see.

So now, that's my rant in fullness.:D

NOTE: A small edit has been applied to this post in the interests of ensuring that content contains no name calling.

Derek Wheeler

08-09-2006, 23:07

Actually, I, personally, have no problem with your "dirty big brown rat" remark. I think it sums matters up for you in a comparitive fashion.

Your second post is a very good "view" from within our health service and Im very glad that you decided to express it here.

Now Im off to the "smoking on trains" thread to have a go at you, Oisin.:D

Thomas J Stamp

09-09-2006, 00:44

Interesting post oisin. One paper said today that she had a basic privatise everything as solution approach to problems, which dosnt really work everywhere, if you start ecomonic darwanisim in hospitals you'll soon end up with obtaining a medical degree by saying "pull yourself together" in a sarcastic tone of voice.

alek smart

09-09-2006, 04:54

Oh there`s more to this than meets the eye .....
My belief is that her jump was more of a slight nudge before the true reasons enter the public domain...It`s all about funding I suppose.

How for example is this Party of Fiscal Rectitude and Progression going to fund a major general election campaign..?

Perhaps some company with 5,000 buses lying around and wishing to enter the Irish market might be interested in "supporting" a Party which champions its cause....?

In the meantime folks...just watch those ESB bills.....!!