Cabinet Reshuffle

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Originally Posted by juan

On a serious note though I'm baffled as to why Mary Coughlan and Mary Harney still have Ministerial positions. Incompetence doesn't begin to cover them. Mary Hannafin seems able to do a job wouldn't mind seeing her in health.

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I'd take Harney over Hanafin any day of the week*.

I agree with Mr A about the stability of the government, I can't see it lasting the year. If only Kenny and Gilmore could be "misplaced"...

* The author would like to note that this is not a sexual innuendo in any way, shape or form.

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Originally Posted by Mr A

I think the government is on the road to collapse. A lot of FF backbenchers getting stroppy and looking to disassociate themselves from the leadership to give them a chance of keeping their seats and a very thin majority at this stage. Plus the Greens may feel that if it looks like falling apart then maybe they should be the ones to pull the pin on it.

It could be that the next issue to blow up could be the governments last one.

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I don't think so. They got through Lisbon. They got through the renegotiation, and the budget, they got through the resignations, and they'll get through this. FF'ers are pragmatists after all, and the Greens haven't the bottle to vote turkeys for Christmas. Even the PD's were prepared to stick it to FF down through the years, but the Greens just ask how high every time when FF ask them to jump.

That's a very simplistic view mypost. It's not just about public opinion, plain jane numbers come into it too. The government already has a very slim majority, and they're going to lose more votes. They won't last the year. You may present me with a hat to eat in January if I'm wrong.

Simplistic or not. it's reality. Every scandal that's broken in the past two years, from the credit crunch, to the banks, to the confidence motions, to the budgets, the coalition has remained upright. For most votes now, they have a majority of 6 or so in the Dail to carry them. Short of a major unexpected scandal, I can see them seeing the 2 years out.

2 FFers came out to criticise Cowen for his reshuffle to something they voted for. I'm afraid lads, it's too late. If you don't believe in something, don't approve it. They should have thrown down a party no confidence motion instead, if they believed what they did. All their words have done, is made Cowen's supporters rally round him.

If you can't see the difference between the stability of the government a year ago and the stability of the government now, you don't understand how governments work.

But wouldn't the FF backbenchers want to get rid of Cowen if they were going to head into a general election - no chance of doing well at all with Cowen at the helm, so maybe they will be looking to oust him soon or at least September?