Who will form the Government?

I'm clinging to the hope the Greens will be the coalition partner, otherwise this election will have been a complete disaster.

Independents are easily bought off with a few local projects and investment in their constituency leaving FF free to engage in whatever cronyism and shady practices they fancy at a national level.

There's going to be one hell of a party in Ballybrit this year....

Originally Posted by Erstwhile Bóz

He didn't get elected off 900 first preference votes. He got elected because of the massive amount of other people giving him a second preference knowing that Bertie was safe on the first count.

It's a remarkable result and it will have civics teachers rubbing their hands with glee at the thought of a juicy example to explain PR STV with, but it's hardly "disgraceful".

That's why I said "Galling".

I hope it will be FF/Independents (surely the PD's are so small now they come under the "others" category rather than having their own listing?).

Heard Tony Gregorys opening gambit is to state that if the PDs are entitled to a Ministry with two seats, then the Independents must be entitled to one with 5! Now that's a guy who knows how to play hard ball - fair play to him.

Wonder if the good people of Mayo who voted for Beeverly Cheesey Grin will stump up for her legal costs so that she can return to the gene pool? By all accounts her partner is a very wealthy man (no surprise there) and sure isn't her dad a propety magnate thanks to his loyal service to the state

Originally Posted by MyTown

Wonder if the good people of Mayo who voted for Beeverly Cheesey Grin will stump up for her legal costs so that she can return to the gene pool? By all accounts her partner is a very wealthy man (no surprise there) and sure isn't her dad a propety magnate thanks to his loyal service to the state

Cost of her support might be re-admittance to the party...

A few observations:
The 'disgraceful' thing about Cyprian getting elected was the blatant shafting of Mary Fitzpatrick by her own party leader. 5.30am on the mroning of the election and the whole Navan Road (where Mary lives) was leafleted by FF with a vote Bertie 1, Brady 2 and Fitzpatrick 3 campaign.

Interesting comment by Pete on Justice and Dermot Ahern...I had the exact same thought myself; I think he will go for it.

Correct that a bankrupt cannot sit in the Dail. Hence Albert Reynolds made a couple of off-the-record phone calls to John Ellis's bank to save him a few years ago. (Ellis subsequently paid off all his debtors is his consitutency while bankrupting some small farmers outside of his constituency. He lost his seat in this election after a re-drawing of the constituency boundaries.)

Don't think for a minute that FF will let Beverley go bankrupt. But if they, her wealthy partner (property developer) or anyone else pay her legal bill she will have to pay a big lump of gift tax.

Don't discount Lowry either. A 'Gregory deal' for Tipp and he'll guarantee his election for the next 20 years.

Don't be surprised if the Ceann Comhairle is strategically chosen from the Indos or even PDs.

No doubt in my mind it will be FF, PDs and Indos.
Then Harney can get Health and FF can deflect all the crap onto her, whilst the Indos a bought off with sweetheart local deals.

Ahhhh, stability!

Originally Posted by Galway Harps

Healy Rae is an old man and may not last the five years.

His sons have been groomed to take over, they wear the cap and all. One or two of them are councillors already.

Originally Posted by Galway Harps

On the other handy Healy Rae and his supporters could probably be most easily bought off simply by providing them with access to modern dentistry.

I actually did laugh out loud at that.