Micheal Martin seems to claim a sudden growth in expertise and knowledge since he went into opposition.

So what did he actually say in Government and how does that compare to what happened? Did he show himself to be good at reading the signs or not?

You judge for yourself.

"Everyone with a stake in our economy - including elderly people, those who are employed, the self-employed, business people and shopkeepers - will benefit [from the guarantee]. Comments in the 2nd stage of the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill, 2008 in Dáil Éireann. 30th September 2008.

"Capital markets are looking on us with some favour." 24th May 2010 - speech to the Irish Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong.

"The Irish economy will return to some growth this year [2010] reaching 3% in 2011. 24th May 2010 - speech to the Irish Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong.

"Concern about Ireland is somewhat overblown and [this debt] is manageable." Fox Business. 29th September 2010.

And of course, though not to do with the crisis, there was that comment about Bertie's evidence to the tribunal - "I believe what the Taoiseach is saying." 27th February 2008 in the Irish Independent.

Not a great record, eh?

Guess there must be more crap about FG getting ready to break in the next few days if you are busy shilling for FG again.

Regards...jmcc

FF really need to wish Martin a decent farewell within the next year or so.

You cannot have a candidate who spent 14 years in cabinet among the most discredited people ever to sit in Government and yet still be considered an alternative Taoiseach at the next GE.

He has no chance of being taoiseach and knows that.

Nobody that I know anyway would trust him or his party as far as they could throw them. No he doesn't have a good record and the whole FF 'clan' make me ill. McGrath sprouting on the whole time about how unfair this that and the other are for people but my blood just boils when they show any FF'r talking like this because it was FF that made the policies that have us up the creek to begin with. Then O'Cuiv being brought back into the fold like a little misbehaved child last week. It just makes me so nauseous.

Can someone on this site please put up a poll? Would you ever vote for FF at all/again? I mean why are they even still in existance at all?

Originally Posted by RobertW

FF really need to wish Martin a decent farewell within the next year or so.

You cannot have a candidate who spent 14 years in cabinet among the most discredited people ever to sit in Government and yet still be considered an alternative Taoiseach at the next GE.

Martin has not the slightest chance of ever being Taoiseach.

Yet FF would make a big mistake in getting rid of him. He did save the Party in the 2011 election. Imagine if Cowen had led FF into that election. They might have won only 12 or 13 seats. It would have been the end of the party. Compared with Cowen Martin looks exceedingly good as a leader and FF don't have much in the way of credible alternatives.

Meehaul is nauseating, discredited and a prime example of Zero talent. FF are over, Labour are over, Pds/Greens over, FG are current but better come up with the stones in the next 12 months.

Why do we think that politicians have any talent? Clearly most of them have none but still we have no better system of eliminating rubbish from our poll booths.Dick Roche ? WTF. then we elect more rubbish like Clare Daly, Darragh Calleary and Mick Wallace. Complete spoofers that are only there for their own reasons and not for the betterment of their fellow citizens.

We all know that new Political Party's are desperately needed, left/right/centre, as long as there is fresh idea's and include talent and integrity.

I would love to start a Party but it would be too sensible, leave the euro, stop the welfare state, get back to being an economy like in the nineties , tax the rich and encourage everybody to get the F uk out of bed in the morning and do something creative.

I would then go after the bankers/developers and take back what they stole. tax the hell out of the landlords that are getting free houses paid for by the taxpayer and change our education system to reflect the future, intel/microsoft/google would be asked to send people into primary schools let alone third level.

The massive loans that the West owe will have to be paid soon, we must re-invent ourselves ASAP. Food/tourism/IT/green energy/Restocking fish for future generations, the list of common sense is endless.

The Country is up to it's neck in debt and the only person in jail is the son of a Cavan gambler, not the bankers/politicians/developers,
It reminds me of the Goodman scandal when old Labours Susan O Keefe got jailtime and the gangsters got richer.

Originally Posted by storybud1

Meehaul is nauseating, discredited and a prime example of Zero talent. FF are over, Labour are over, Pds/Greens over, FG are current but better come up with the stones in the next 12 months.

Why do we think that politicians have any talent? Clearly most of them have none but still we have no better system of eliminating rubbish from our poll booths.Dick Roche ? WTF. then we elect more rubbish like Clare Daly, Darragh Calleary and Mick Wallace. Complete spoofers that are only there for their own reasons and not for the betterment of their fellow citizens.

We all know that new Political Party's are desperately needed, left/right/centre, as long as there is fresh idea's and include talent and integrity.

I would love to start a Party but it would be too sensible, leave the euro, stop the welfare state, get back to being an economy like in the nineties , tax the rich and encourage everybody to get the F uk out of bed in the morning and do something creative.

I would then go after the bankers/developers and take back what they stole. tax the hell out of the landlords that are getting free houses paid for by the taxpayer and change our education system to reflect the future, intel/microsoft/google would be asked to send people into primary schools let alone third level.

The massive loans that the West owe will have to be paid soon, we must re-invent ourselves ASAP. Food/tourism/IT/green energy/Restocking fish for future generations, the list of common sense is endless.

The Country is up to it's neck in debt and the only person in jail is the son of a Cavan gambler, not the bankers/politicians/developers,
It reminds me of the Goodman scandal when old Labours Susan O Keefe got jailtime and the gangsters got richer.

you sound like a SF spokesman.

they get paid too much

Originally Posted by TommyO'Brien

Micheal Martin seems to claim a sudden growth in expertise and knowledge since he went into opposition.

So what did he actually say in Government and how does that compare to what happened? Did he show himself to be good at reading the signs or not?

You judge for yourself.

"Everyone with a stake in our economy - including elderly people, those who are employed, the self-employed, business people and shopkeepers - will benefit [from the guarantee]. Comments in the 2nd stage of the Credit Institutions (Financial Support) Bill, 2008 in Dáil Éireann. 30th September 2008.

"Capital markets are looking on us with some favour." 24th May 2010 - speech to the Irish Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong.

"The Irish economy will return to some growth this year [2010] reaching 3% in 2011. 24th May 2010 - speech to the Irish Chamber of Commerce, Hong Kong.

"Concern about Ireland is somewhat overblown and [this debt] is manageable." Fox Business. 29th September 2010.

And of course, though not to do with the crisis, there was that comment about Bertie's evidence to the tribunal - "I believe what the Taoiseach is saying." 27th February 2008 in the Irish Independent.

Not a great record, eh?

Is that the best you can do, really?

And do remember while Martin was saying any and all of that and there's nothing there he wouldn't be expected to say, the FG "expert" on finance, one R. Bruton, had a lot of his money in Anglo shares.
Not a great decision eh?