BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns

Subject: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)
Date: 22 Jan 11 - 09:24 AM

Taoiseach Brian Cowen has just resigned. It was on the cards all week.

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)
Date: 22 Jan 11 - 09:40 AM

Asked when he had made his decision, Mr Cowen said it was only when he went home last night and discussed the matter with his family, and made a political assessment of the situation, that he decided to come up this morning and make this announcement.

Brian Cowen says that a united party is, in his view, the most important thing going into the General Election.

Mr Cowen said that he had not been in touch with any of his colleagues and that he had made the decision on his own counsel.

He said he had taken everything into account, and that it was the right thing to do for the party.

He said it was about him as Taoiseach directing his attention, for the good of the country, on the Finance Bill.

Mr Cowen said he had spoken to Green Party leader John Gormley before the press conference as a matter fo courtesy.

Mr Cowen said that his decision to step down as party leader does not in any way affect Government business.

The Taoiseach says he believes the Government will win the confidence vote to be tabled on Tuesday by the Labour party.

He said that he will decide whether to contest the General Election in Laois Offaly in consultation with his party organisation.

With reference to his attempted to appoint new ministers last week, he said he believed it was his duty to put in place the best possible team he could to fight the election, and to put them on the front bench, to give them a stake in the election and to make them accountable.

He said that it was not a cynical move by him.

Mr Cowen said whoever would succeed him was a matter for the parliamentary party.

He said Fianna Fáil would now enter a process which would be outlined this afternoon to elect a new leader.

He said whoever that was would have his full support.

The Taoiseach said he does not have a suggestion as to who should succeed him.

He said he took responsibility for the events of the week.

Mr Cowen said Fianna Fáil would fight the General Election with good heart and determination.

Meanwhile, Minister of State Peter Power has announced his support for Micheál Martin to become the next leader.

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 22 Jan 11 - 09:41 AM

He's resigned as leader of FF, not as Taoiseach

Irish Times article

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: Richie Black (misused acct, bad email)
Date: 22 Jan 11 - 10:01 AM

Indeed Peter, that bit did not fit in my thread header I see !
He stepped down as leader of his Fianna Fail party but said he will remain as premier until March. I doubt very much he will be there by the end of the month let alone March.

He has a big day ahead of him on Tuesday. I think Micheál Martin will take up the position.

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 22 Jan 11 - 10:30 AM

Just wanted to make that clear after your first post, as you see something went wrong there and I had to wait a bit until the post 'took'.

Am watching the tellie at the minute to see the latest developments and the comments. There seems to be a pull towards elections before March 11.

In fairness to Cowen I think he had terrible bad luck since he took the post of Taoiseach. Bertie is still posturing as the man who brought prosperity to the country while in reality the foundation of the crisis was firmly laid under Ahern, albeit with Cowen as Minister of Finance.

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Jan 11 - 01:24 PM

no Peter, he is incompetent as are the rest of fianna fail and fine gael.
this government wasted 53 million on useless voting machines, they are going to waste 15 million on introducing postcodes, they have cut peoples social welfare, claimingthe country is going broke, yet dermot ahern retires on a pension of 220 thousand a year, many other retiring tds and ministers are going to receive a pension of 100 thousand a year.50 thousand a year is too much if the country is broke, 25 thousand should be more like it.
a new government should increase social welfare, to stimulate the economy[as Australia did in2009], and reduce the pay of all politicians, and reduce the tax on diesel and petrol, this would bring down the price of goods.
The country is supposed to be bankrupt, yet self serving politicians, are feathering their own nest but expect poor people to take cuts.

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: GUEST,999
Date: 22 Jan 11 - 04:02 PM

Would one of you be kind enough to write how that word is said aloud.

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: Clontarf83
Date: 22 Jan 11 - 05:02 PM

Sounds like tea-shock

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: The Sandman
Date: 22 Jan 11 - 05:41 PM

There was a programme ON TG4, which can be watched again by computer, about one of Irelands heroes General Tom Barry,
Did the Irish fight for their independence from the English, TO BE represented by the present government of incompetent self serving parasites.

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: GUEST,999
Date: 22 Jan 11 - 05:47 PM

Thank you, Clontarf83. Very kind of you.

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 22 Jan 11 - 07:47 PM

If there's any whiff of scandal about this, is it all right if we call it Cowengate?

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: Little Hawk
Date: 22 Jan 11 - 08:02 PM

I had no idea that so many Irish people were interested in Taoism.

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: The Sandman
Date: 23 Jan 11 - 11:22 AM

Cowengate are you taking the Mick ,Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: Clontarf83
Date: 23 Jan 11 - 07:53 PM

He has another title besides Taoiseach. He is popularly referred to as "BIFFO". "Big ignorant F#####r from Offaly." (Offaly is the county in which he was born.)

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: The Sandman
Date: 24 Jan 11 - 02:49 PM

a wounded bear can be dangerous

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: eddie1
Date: 25 Jan 11 - 03:08 AM

Got this in an e-mail yesterday!

One day a florist went to a barber for a haircut. After the cut, he asked about his bill, and the barber replied, 'I cannot accept money from you, I'm doing community service this week.' The florist was pleased and left the shop. When the barber went to open his shop the next morning, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen roses waiting for him at his door.

Later, a cop comes in for a haircut, and when he tries to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you , I'm doing community service this week.' The cop was happy and left the shop. The next morning when the barber went to open up, there was a 'thank you' card and a dozen donuts waiting for him at his door.

Then a politician came in for a haircut, and when he went to pay his bill, the barber again replied, 'I cannot accept money from you. I'm doing community service this week.' The politician was very happy and left the shop. The next morning, when the barber went to open up, there were a dozen politicians lined up waiting for a free haircut.

And that, my friends, illustrates the fundamental difference between the citizens of our country and the politicians who run it.

BOTH POLITICIANS AND NAPPIES NEED TO BE CHANGED OFTEN AND FOR THE SAME REASON!

Eddie

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: The Sandman
Date: 25 Jan 11 - 09:03 AM

we have to grin and bear it, or do we?
if all the retirng tds had their pensions cut from 200 thousand and 120 thousand to 25 thousand a year[500 a week approx , thats more than twice sociil welfare recipients], there would be enough money to be redistributed so that those on social welfare, could be refunded their 8 euros a week.
This would make good sense as it would stimulate the economy.
I believe there are 28 RETIRING TDS,28 MULIPLIED BY 75THOUSAND,= 179 thousand, add on another 6 for retiring ministers on 200 thousand, 185 thousand.
the politicans have created this economic fiasco, if they were in industry it would be expected that their pay would be performance related, on that basis these biffoites deserve nothing.

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: GUEST,Jim Martin
Date: 26 Jan 11 - 07:22 AM

They DO deserve something............being hung, drawn & quartered!

Subject: RE: BS: Taoiseach Brian Cowen resigns
From: The Sandman
Date: 29 Jan 11 - 12:53 PM

JASON MICHAEL

Fine Gael will reverse the minimum wage cut imposed by the outgoing Government, spokesman Michael Noonan said today.

"The lowest paid people in society are facing severe hardship because of the combination of the €1 cut in the hourly rate of the minimum wage, and the punitive Universal Social Charge," said Mr Noonan.

He and party leader Enda Kenny raised the issue with European Commission José Manuel Barroso in Brussels this week.

"Fine Gael's proposals for Budget 2011 were based on a number of principles, one of which was that the most vulnerable members of society would be protected. That is why we opposed the cut in the minimum wage.

"Only about 3 per cent of the labour force is on the minimum wage. The €1 cut is more a piece of ideological flag waving by Fianna Fáil than a positive move for the labour market. But it has significant social consequences," he said."
that is a start, but they should give back the unemployed 5 euros a week, and reduce their own wages and pensions, by at least half

In a statement he said some of the most vulnerable people in society are on the minimum wage, including a large number of part time workers and women.

"Fine Gael fully appreciates that employers should be encouraged to employ more workers. And we appreciate that the wage entry point of the labour force can be an inhibiting factor for small businesspeople intending to employ additional workers.

"However, Fine Gael has an alternative proposal to cutting the minimum wage. We propose that the 8.5 per cent rate of employers' PRSI would be cut by 50 per cent on wages up to the minimum wage level of €356 per week."

Mr Noonan accused the Government of not assessing the impact of the universal social charge on low-paid people in full time employment and said these people cannot afford to have their wage cut also.