Phil Hogan: Waffler Extraordinaire

[qtman]

Is there anyone in Dail Eireann who is better at saying everything and nothing at the same time?

From yesterday's Dail Debate on the Services Directive:

Phil Hogan, of Fine Gael, said that the motion (to include amendments to the Directive) would represent a strong declaration of intent on behalf of Dáil Éireann to say to the European Commission and parliament that Ireland was at one with regard to the amendments required and changes necessary to the present drafting of the directive. But he added that many in the House, and outside, were using one part of the directive, which had no hope of being passed, to overlook some of its positive elements.

[KingKane]

Is there anyone in Dail Eireann who is better at saying everything and nothing at the same time?

From yesterday's Dail Debate on the Services Directive:

I believe Bertie is the reigning champion.

[GusherING]

Is there anyone in Dail Eireann who is better at saying everything and nothing at the same time?

From yesterday's Dail Debate on the Services Directive:

Phil Hogan, of Fine Gael, said that the motion (to include amendments to the Directive) would represent a strong declaration of intent on behalf of Dáil Éireann to say to the European Commission and parliament that Ireland was at one with regard to the amendments required and changes necessary to the present drafting of the directive. But he added that many in the House, and outside, were using one part of the directive, which had no hope of being passed, to overlook some of its positive elements.

Excuse me, but as complicated and as scary as that paragraph seems on first glance, it makes sense and has a purpose. It expresses an opinion.

[Maximus]

Phil Hogan’s predictions on economic issues need to be taken with a pinch of salt; any casual review of his forecasts over the last number of years shows how little credibility he has in this area…

15 July 2003 - “It is reasonable to assume that this year we will see negative growth in the Irish economy.”

Fact - The economy continued to grow in 2003, GNP by 2.8% and GDP by 3.7%.

4 July 2003 - “By the end of this year, enough people will become unemployed to fill Croke Park to 2.5 times its capacity. … We are now heading for over 200,000 unemployed by the end of this year”

Fact - Unemployment was just over 170,000 at the end of 2003. It fell in 2004 and in the most recent statistics – the year to March 2005 - the economy created a new job every 7½ minutes.

4 September 2003 - “Unemployment has reverted to pre-Celtic Tiger levels.”

Fact – Unemployment in September 2003 was 4.4% - significantly less than half the 10.7% rate inherited from Fine Gael and Labour in 1997

14 January 2004 – “I am calling on the Taoiseach to convene a meeting of the social partners to ensure that the new partnership deal tackles the
growing problem of job losses.”

10 February 2004 - “Youghal’s narrow loss of up to 1,000 new jobs to Slovakia and the loss of 50 existing jobs in Offaly to Latvia and the Far East marks a new low for the Irish economy”

Fact - Unemployment in the first quarter of 2004 was 4.5%. In the first quarter of 2005 it was 4.2%. Over 70,000 jobs were created in the year after Phil Hogan made this prediction.

17 February 2004 - “Meanwhile, any talk of an economic recovery is dampened by FÁS’s prediction that employment will grow at half the rate predicted by the Government in the Budget. This will result in the lowest rate of job creation in 12 years.”

Fact – In the year after Phil Hogan made these comments the number of persons in employment grew by 72,400 to reach 1,908,300 in the first quarter of 2005. This was the highest level of annual growth (+3.9%) recorded since the fourth quarter of 2000.

6 February 2004 - "The level of notified redundancies for 2004 will reach new heights"

Fact – Notified redundancies fell by 16% in 2004

15 September 2004 - The Government doesn’t care that jobs are being lost

Fact – In the year after Phil Hogan made these comments the number of persons in employment grew by 93,000 in the year to reach 1,929,200 in the second quarter of 2005. This is the highest annual growth rate (+5.1%) recorded since the second quarter of 2000.

[qtman]

Excuse me, but as complicated and as scary as that paragraph seems on first glance, it makes sense and has a purpose. It expresses an opinion.

Yes, its an opinion. But an opinion designed to appease everybody and offend nobody. What's the point if using up valuable parliamentary time if you have nothing of consequence to say?

[FranklyFiction]

'Farmer Phil'
Fine Gael's Director of 'Strategy'

[candid]

Phil Hogan’s predictions on economic issues need to be taken with a pinch of salt; any casual review of his forecasts over the last number of years shows how little credibility he has in this area…

15 July 2003 - “It is reasonable to assume that this year we will see negative growth in the Irish economy.”

Fact - The economy continued to grow in 2003, GNP by 2.8% and GDP by 3.7%.

4 July 2003 - “By the end of this year, enough people will become unemployed to fill Croke Park to 2.5 times its capacity. … We are now heading for over 200,000 unemployed by the end of this year”

Fact - Unemployment was just over 170,000 at the end of 2003. It fell in 2004 and in the most recent statistics – the year to March 2005 - the economy created a new job every 7½ minutes.

4 September 2003 - “Unemployment has reverted to pre-Celtic Tiger levels.”

Fact – Unemployment in September 2003 was 4.4% - significantly less than half the 10.7% rate inherited from Fine Gael and Labour in 1997

14 January 2004 – “I am calling on the Taoiseach to convene a meeting of the social partners to ensure that the new partnership deal tackles the
growing problem of job losses.”

10 February 2004 - “Youghal’s narrow loss of up to 1,000 new jobs to Slovakia and the loss of 50 existing jobs in Offaly to Latvia and the Far East marks a new low for the Irish economy”

Fact - Unemployment in the first quarter of 2004 was 4.5%. In the first quarter of 2005 it was 4.2%. Over 70,000 jobs were created in the year after Phil Hogan made this prediction.

17 February 2004 - “Meanwhile, any talk of an economic recovery is dampened by FÁS’s prediction that employment will grow at half the rate predicted by the Government in the Budget. This will result in the lowest rate of job creation in 12 years.”

Fact – In the year after Phil Hogan made these comments the number of persons in employment grew by 72,400 to reach 1,908,300 in the first quarter of 2005. This was the highest level of annual growth (+3.9%) recorded since the fourth quarter of 2000.

6 February 2004 - "The level of notified redundancies for 2004 will reach new heights"

Fact – Notified redundancies fell by 16% in 2004

15 September 2004 - The Government doesn’t care that jobs are being lost

Fact – In the year after Phil Hogan made these comments the number of persons in employment grew by 93,000 in the year to reach 1,929,200 in the second quarter of 2005. This is the highest annual growth rate (+5.1%) recorded since the second quarter of 2000.

Maximus I have to say that you have excelled yourself on this occasion. The above leaves Mr. Hogan with little credibility and reinforces the theory that we should vote for Fine Gael because....they are not Fianna Fail.

[gobshite]

I'm living with his cousin actually, so Im going to tell him all the mean things ye have been saying bout Philly