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TÁNAISTE EAMON GILMORE has said he is not “wedded to Foreign Affairs”, and has not ruled out moving to a domestic ministry in the course of the lifetime of the Government.
The Labour leader was addressing suggestions that he needed to make a move away from the Department of Foreign Affairs in order to address dissent within the party.
Speaking to Seán O’Rourke on RTÉ radio, Gilmore said he didn’t accept that he wasn’t able to properly fulfil his role as party leader in his current position, and insisted that the “vast bulk” of his day-to-day workload was carried out in his capacity as Tánaiste across wider Government issues.
Gilmore said that one of the key tasks of his ministry upon entering Government was to restore the reputation of a state that was “in tatters”, but he didn’t dismiss a move from that position:
“Are we going to have some changes in portfolio during the lifetime of Government? That is something we have to decide.”
He again repeated his assertion that the Government should not introduce the full target of a €3.1 billion adjustment in the upcoming Budget, but stopped short of saying what the figure should be.
“Yes we will do what is necessary to get our public finances in in good order,” the Táiniste said. “But we will not do more than that.”
Pressed by O’Rourke on whether his reluctance to commit to a figure was as a result of a meeting last week between Michael Noonan and Brendan Howlin that didn’t go well for the Labour public expenditure minister, Gilmore wouldn’t be drawn — saying only that there were regular meetings between the two. He repeated that the amount of the adjustment “won’t be settled in final Budget figures until closer to Budget day”.
Asked about speculation that the social welfare spend would be reduced by €440 million, Gilmore again repeated that “final figures have to be determined”. He added.
“I would say to anybody looking at kites that are being flown – specific Budget measures have not been decided.”
On the subject of the recent raft of defections from the party, the Labour leader said that the party had always been “self critical”, and that the characteristic was “one of its great strengths”. He added that he had “always said this was going to be a difficult time” and that it was clear “not everybody was up for the battle”.
Gilmore said he was “giving a very high priority to the work I have to do as leader of the party”, and rejected suggestions that the Labour was on the brink of wipe-out at next year’s local and European elections.
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Gilmore will be lucky to make it as leader to next years EU and local elections. He’ll certainly be gone after those results. One of the biggest political mistakes made by Gilmore was not backing Shortall in her dispute with Reilly.
The vultures are circling Gilmore, you’re a dead man walking as Lab leader.
Do you not see what’s coming Niall;
we have been treated to the possibility of Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, and last sunday the suggestion of Sinn Fein and Fine Gael , they are preparing a fall on the sword for Labour , a big walkout , and then a “In the national interest ” let’s “save Ireland one of the other two coming in to put “manners on big bad Enda !
Anything but an election before they have a “neutral budget ” in 2014 , a “we have turned the corner” budget in 2015 and finally a “Giveaway” budget in 2016. ; Anything but a general election , anything but that , the polls suggest there is too much support for independents at the moment ; Independents won’t be whipped and that which can’t be whipped is no good to the “bond (slavery) market”.
Gilmore is a traitor to the labour party.
And the people who voted labour #SellOut
Eamonn, go foreign for the rest of your life. Preferably Easter Island. Take Brian Cowen with you.
Labour is a traitor to the working class
labour are traitors to the irish people
I listened to the interview at the time, I think he has spent so much time out of the country he really has no idea what’s happening at home.
He knows exactly what is happening. He is one of the architects of it. A quote from the interview: “Yes we will do what is necessary to get our public finances in in good order,” the Táiniste said. What he forgot to add was ‘regardless of the cost’
Feel free to go anytime Eamon ; Syria is looking for a Good foreign Minister ; tuck the ould Nobel Prize under your arm and off you go, they’ll be delighted to see a man of such eloquence, integrity, charm , honesty and downright good guy genes; not to mention such vast experience on the international STAGE coming to their rescue;
Here’s a slogan ;
“Burn the jihadists” ..or “Not a chemical weapon more” ,or indeed “It’s Assad’s way not Washington’s way” .
Go on now; toddle off !
Not only will Labour be wiped out in locals and Europeans but also GE 2015/16
Morgan Kelly wrote in 2011 that the recent GE was mundane and predictable but the 2016 one would be anything but.
FF will not recover sufficiently by 2016 to have any chance of even being a junior coalition partner.
Labour are a spent force and will have between 0 and 7 TDs
SF are still too toxic for FG
None of the newly formed parties seem to be making sufficient inroads to make them a credible force.
All in all, FG must be surveying the destruction of the political landscape and grinning like Cheshire cats. Contemplating the holy grail – a FG majority government.
This will definitely not happen, although FG will still be the largest of the established parties and will form the next govt.
The question is, with whom?
The group nobody seems to count as possible coalition partners are the Technical Group of Independents.
In the 2016 GE independents will get a lot more first preference votes than ever and a lot more transfers too as people become increasingly polarized for one party or disallusioned with all of them. Many will take the first or second seat. If each constituency elected just one independent or new party candidate we’d have 40 in that group. 50+ is not beyond the bounds of possibility. If they achieve that and can unite, the next Taoiseach will be an independent TD.
I think Morgan was correct. The 2016 election will be anything but mundane and predictable
I think Morgan Kelly has only made one incorrect prediction.
After the 2016 election the only option for Government without SF will be for a Grand Coalition of FG & FF.
I don’t see FF and FF getting sufficient numbers to form a grand coalition. Even if they joined right now they’d have just 5 over a majority. I don’t see FF picking up many seats. I do see FG losing quite a few
Freudian slip. *FG and FF
Make the most of it now gilmore! The countdown is on for you to be gone, hopefully for good. One less leech, unfortunately still entitled to a massive pension.
Married to the state trough.
I’d say most Labour members are glad to have him out of the country so they dont have to put up with his bullying whenever they voice an opinion.
I wonder if he will squeeze in a trip to Peru before he gets pushed off the gravy train ?
Is he dying his hair? It looks wile yellow in thon photographical.
Like a ripe cornfield bowing before a gentle breeze :-)
Dont trust a word from this trolls mouth.
Listened to O Rourke,fair play to him..gave him a harder time than P.K…dissapointed he didnt grill him on his wifes appointment,and the ongoing salary breaches for advisers etc.!
Could I suggest he move to become head of the Dole queue?
Oh hold on that won’t work; he’s qualified for his Ministerial Pension.
He is not wedded to Foreign Affairs. Let us hpe that he is divorced from Dail Eireann after the next election.
his next move is the dole and the sooner the better
He’s not wedded to reality either it seems
Well piss off Gilmore and give someone else the job ….ur useless .. You sold your soul..
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