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27th August 2013 • Volume 20, Issue 32 • Leader House, North Street, Swords, Co. Dublin. • Tel: 8•400•200 • info@northcountyleader.ie
Did O’Brien Drop The Ball? The recent recall of the Seanad, which was secured by Fianna Fail to debate the organ transplant controversy, has ended up as an embarrassment for the party. The fact that the absence of one Fianna Fail member resulted in the vote being tied at 22-22, has resulted in red faces among party chiefs. The Cathaoirleach of the House used his casting vote in favour of the Government, thus defeating the motion. What will surprise many readers is the fact that the Fianna Fail leader in the Seanad, local man Darragh O’Brien has been accused of not being more proactive in ensuring that everyone from his party was present for this crucial vote, which was important enough for the House to be recalled. Fianna Fail missed out because one of their senators, Mark McSharry brought his family on holidays, and thus missed the vote. Senator Darragh O’Brien The County Leader asked O’Brien why Senator McSharry was not compelled to be in the House, given the gravity of the issue and the closeness of the vote. He responded by saying, “We had 13 out of 14 senators there on the day and to be fair to Mark, we were in recess and he had booked a family holiday and while a whip applied, we did not insist on Mark’s attendance for that reason. We were unaware that two Sinn Fein senators, who would have sided with the opposition, would not be present. Yes of course, we would have liked to have won the vote and it’s disappointing from that aspect,” he said. The unfortunate reality is that many Fine Gael supoorters will feel that if senators have bigger fish to fry elsewhere, then why should the public be bothered trying to save the institution.? The question that many political opponents will want to know is, as leader of Fianna Fail in the Seanad, why O’Brien was not up to speed with the opportunity to embarrass the Government and score a vital point in the battle for the survival of the Seanad. Why did he not have his ducks all in a row and why did he not know how the vote would pan out.?
By Patrick Finnegan At a time when public opinion is shifting towards retention, or at least reform of the Seanad, this looks like a serious faux pas by Fianna Fail. Local Political commentators will ask why were FF not in contact with everyone who was in support of the motion, including members of other parties, to ensure that everyone was present to inflict an embarrassing defeat on the Government.? It would also have served the function of making the Seanad being relevant in the public eye and a place that has a modicum of control over a the Government. When asked if this was a golden opportunity spurned, O’Brien was very forthright in his defence and insisted that a healthy debate on a life and death issue far outweighed the issue of Seanad survival. “I totally disagree with that assertion because, even if the Seanad had annulled this legislation, we as a Seanad could not have annulled this legislation, it needs to be done in the Dáil. We should not be signing EU directives into law without proper debate. Recalling of the Seanad and subsequent debate had nothing to do with the credibility of the Upper House,” he insisted. O’Brien was highly critical of Health Minister, James Reilly who he said, “didn’t even bother to attend the debate and left it to his deputy Alex White to be there. It can only be hoped that O’Brien, who is being touted in many quarters as a possible future leader of Fianna Fail, will have learned a valuable lesson about the hard edge of politics and that this debacle will serve him well into the future.
Last Minute Back To School Supplies!
Pictured at the unveiling of the commemorative plaque in honour of Harry Hawker at Loughshinny Harbour are, Vera Stone, Cepta Butler, Marian Bentley, acting County Mayor, Ciaran Byrne, First Secretary Paul McEachern and Kevin Murray.
Loughshinny Celebrates ‘Biggles In Brogues’ The residents of By Joe McKenna Loughshinny were honoured on Sunday the four planes entered, last, when the First only Hawker’s managed Secretary to the to get underway. Having Australian Embassy paid completed 1043 miles of a visit to the village to the 1600 mile course, commemorate 100 years and while flying along since Australian aviation the East coast of Ireland, pioneer, Harry Hawker Hawker’s plane crash crash landed in landed at Loughshinny. Despite the crash, he Loughshinny Bay. was awarded a First Secretary, silver medal, for Paul McEachern such a feat had was joined by never been acting County achieved at the Mayor, Cllr time he was Ciaran Byrne, awarded a to unveil a £1,000 consocommemorative plaque in Aviator Harry Hawker lation prize. As part of honour of Harry Hawker. Locals were Heritage Week, the treated to a stunning fly Loughshinny and Rush over from Air Dynamics Historical Society, in after the annual partnership with the L o u g h s h i n n y blessing of the boats. Hawker’s was one of Community Association, four planes to enter the began celebrations on Circuit of Britain Race for Saturday by taking in Seaplanes which took the recreation of place in August 1913. Of Hawker’s epic flight by
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Australian pilot, Jeff Boyling. All were then invited back to St Brendan’s National School where a prize giving ceremony for school children who took part in the recent Hawker Project was
held. Hawker is remembered as an adventurer who risked his life to make advances in aviation and has been dubbed ‘Biggles in Brogues’ due to his impeccable dress sense.
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