
OUTGOING FIANNA FAIL TD Ned O’Keeffe has given another doom-laden interview, this time warning that Ireland might have to go “cap in hand back to the UK”. He also said that the recent Cabinet had been short of businessmen and had “too many intellectuals”.
The Cork East TD raised some eyebrows yesterday when he suggested to the Cork Evening Echo that there was a “real possibility” of a military coup happening here. When contacted by TheJournal.ie he stood by that comment, saying he said it because “of the state of the economy”.
In an interview with Matt Cooper on Today FM’s Last Word show this evening, O’Keeffe again stood by his coup remarks, saying:
If the crisis continues someone will have to run the country. If we continue to expand our debts and borrowing, there’ll be no hope for this country.
The outspoken TD said that he had been inspired to make the comments because he was so “shocked” by people’s frustration on the campaign trail. He was speaking by phone from the hustings in Youghal, Co Cork where he is canvassing on behalf of his son Kevin who is running to try and fill Ned’s seat.
O’Keeffe senior also claimed that he had raised the issue of Anglo Irish Bank being in crisis “four years ago” in the Dail and was nearly “laughed out if it”. He said he had gotten his information on Anglo from a “tip from a stockbroker”.
Eschewing Fine Gael’s proposals for the country’s economy, O’Keeffe said that while there is no tradition of military coups in the State’s recent history, “if the government that goes in doesn’t work out, people will be very annoyed and upset”.
Of the most recent government, in which his party was in power with the Greens, O’Keeffe concluded that there had been “too many intellectuals and too many people from outside business” sitting in Cabinet. Shopkeepers, businesspeople and those with a farming background – as O’Keeffe himself has – would be better equipped to get the country back on economic track, he said. He then asked:
Who there in Cabinet ever bought a bale of hay?
Reiterating yesterday’s comments that Charlie Haughey was the best leader Ireland ever had, he also said Ray McSharry had “saved the country in the 1980s from rack and ruin”. Asked for an alternative leader of the country, O’Keeffe namechecked Ryanair’s Michael O’Leary as his suggestion.
Kevin O’Keeffe had said today that he had “no idea what he (Ned) said” but that he would “leave him to his own” (devices). Asked by Matt Cooper this evening what he thought of Kevin’s chances of being elected for Fianna Fail were, Ned told him that he believed there was a chance.
However, he noted that the Youghal area where he was currently canvassing for support had always been a Fianna Fail stronghold but now appeared to be leaning towards Sinn Fein.
Micheal Martin and the army play down Ned O’Keeffe’s ‘army coup’ comments>
Contribute to this story
370 days ago #
Too many intellectuals in the last government ??? Haughey was the best leader ???
Im lost for words, I must be living in a different country.
I suppose it is one of the downsides of democracy that sometimes we get the politicians we deserve.
Could someone please ask that gob***** to stop talking and then take him to a doctor to be checked for early onset dementia !370 days ago #
This is exactly why I moved my vote from Cork East. I refuse to be represented by a man who is so clearly of such questionable behaviour and belifed.
370 days ago #
Some of that makes sense – but I don’t think Charlie Haughey was the best ……ugh , can’t even say it!
370 days ago #
This Ned chap make Jackie Healy Rea look like brain-box and I don’t mean that as a complement to either fools!
Idiot people really do elect fellow other idiots sometimes – this Ned plonker is perfect example of case in point!
370 days ago #
He is crazy. Same guy who wouldn’t help a school in Rathcormac, because they didn’t vote for him in 07.
370 days ago #
Schools have votes?
370 days ago #
Gees, I can’t comment. I’m just sitting here laughing my face off.
370 days ago #
Ned you are the biggest plonker!!Ask yourself WHY Sinn Fein are getting all FF,s votes.Stick at the pig farming and do us all a favour and your son likewise
370 days ago #
What a loss to politics…
370 days ago #
I spent 17 years in the Army and I’m disgusted at this insult. This clown knows nothing about the Army if that’s what he thinks. Good riddance!
370 days ago #
Look at the photo. Gombeen 1 to gombeen 2.
370 days ago #
I always believed there were one or two spacers in FF, now it seems that the entire party is out there.
Whats that about power and absolute power?
My God, when you look back over the years and see some of the ridiculus decisions,
369 days ago #
not just ridiculous but some of them downright nasty
370 days ago #
Funny, Ned’s recent comments led me to believe that there were far too few intellectuals in government.
370 days ago #
Is this the same Ned O’Keefe who said that Ireland shouldn’t borrow from the Chinese as it would be their intention to use Ireland as a military base??? Believe me, as one who is currently in China, the Chinese would be much kinder to Ireland than either the IMF or the ECB. Any connection with China in the near future, in ANY capacity, has the potential to solve all of Ireland’s economic problems overnight.
People like Ned O’Keefe don’t know what intellectual is!
370 days ago #
Too many ned O’Keefes. Thankfully that’ll be fixed in seven days.
370 days ago #
“He was speaking by phone from the hustings in Youghal, Co Cork where he is canvassing on behalf of his son Kevin who is running to try and fill Ned’s seat.” This political nepotism is just a joke at this stage!!!
He fixed the road! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cjl8OIZijjY
369 days ago #
Yes Ned and his attitude to Rathcomac school is quite an eye opener. His son should be questioned about this before election day. The kids are stuffed into portacabins. Who owns all these portocabins?
http://www.mytown.ie/town4,fermoy/news382,okeeffe-rathcormac-row-rages-on.html
and his “over claiming” of expense from TheStory.ie
http://thestory.ie/2011/02/17/over-100-politicians-overclaim-expenses/369 days ago #
from thestory.ie
Fianna Fail’s Ned O’Keeffe received 11 separate letters from the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission regarding his expense claims for 33 “overnight” claims – with an estimated tax-free value of €4,290. Minister of State Peter Power also had a total of 16 overnights, which would have yielded around €2,080, blocked from his claims.
369 days ago #
WTF????????
I mean, he’s part of the party that screwed it all? Bail’s of hay? Ok, no disrespect to farmer’s, they are business men after all, but bail’s of hay? Buying one qualifies you to run a country? Is there something in the water?
That and that BAS$%^D’s comments about denying school children their right to education over their parents voting… And besides, if, IF I STRESS, there was a coup, who would wind up first against the wall? The labour party?? Don’t think so.
369 days ago #
Ned ‘Kermit’ O’Keefe does do a great job representing the brand values of FF
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