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MICHAEL MCGRATH IS to be appointed Ireland’s new EU Commissioner.
The three coalition leaders met this evening to discuss the matter.
Tánaiste Micheál Martin will now bring the nomination to Cabinet for approval on Tuesday with the resignation of the minister to follow shortly after.
It is understood the name of the new finance minister could be known by the end of day tomorrow.
Finance Minister McGrath has represented Ireland on the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) and has held governor roles in many international bodies, such as the European Investment Bank.
Speaking reporters ahead of a meeting with the European Foreign affairs council in Luxembourg this morning, Martin confirmed that the next commissioner would need to be a “high-calibre candidate”.
Upon the formation of this government, it was decided that Fianna Fáil would appoint the next commissioner to replace Fine Gael’s Mairead McGuinness.
There had been widespread reports that Finance Minister Michael McGrath was set to be named as Ireland’s commissioner.
Commissioners are regarded as the highest-ranking diplomats in the EU and are the people who are put in charge of drafting and amending various types of new European policy.
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He is a very capable Man & Best wishes to him & a hard Person to replace as Finance Minister
@Sheila McNulty: Won’t happen until November so he’ll get his 2 years , Pascal will run both depts until GE , of course there’s mounting speculation that GE might be on 15th of November.
@Sheila McNulty: fluck sake Sheila ye have me in tears here..
@Sheila McNulty: dirty creep of man should have been bet out of the country years ago
@Sheila McNulty: You said the same about Barry Cowen..
@Paul O’Mahoney: did you put a bet on that date,,asking for a friend in goverment.
@Sheila McNulty: it’s all the haters I am most happy for :) if they have issues may I suggest a hunger strike as the best form of protest lol
@Sheila McNulty: Sheila, you have hit the booze again I see
Irish people are so petty and bitter about other people’s successes in their respective fields it’s sad. Whether you like Michael McGrath or not, he was elected by the people to serve in Dail Eireann, and now he’s been selected by our other elected representatives to serve and represent Ireland in a very important role. Personally he seems like a genuine man and I wish him the best of luck for, for Irelands sake.
@pat d: yeah go kiss his hairy arze then,
@pat d: well said he was always respectful and never engaged in the nasty vitrol opposition politicians seen to live. Ordinary guy who studied and worked hard to succeed and enabled others to do so.His vote says everything. Best wishes and he will do a great job for Ireland
@pat d: Agree. All the name calling, false news and hyped up comments on problems in the public services did little for the opposition cheerleaders in the local and European elections. A lot of the comments here are childish.
Jobs for the boys !!
” hi- calibre spoofer ” congratulations indeed.
@Paul Gorry: well, more brains than the average SF politician. Found ‘behind SF office ‘. High calibre indeed lol
@Alan: Alan, go lick a ff politican they love it. ” lol ” jaysus.
@Paul Gorry: obviously your not very good at spotting talent
@Tim Brennan: spoofers are what i watch out for tim. That would be ff,fg,labour, pds, and the outrageous greens. Have you seen the state of the country at the moment tru your ” spotting talent glasses ” or what?
@Paul Gorry: looking forward to seeing you on the ballot at the next election PG. That’ll show your minerals
@Ian McDonald: That’s a very hardcore comment ian, although not funny.
@Paul Gorry: country is booming, but I must say I am enjoying your tears lol
@Paul Gorry: Ah you mean all the TDs and Councillors that most of the sensible grown ups in the electorate voted for?? I assume you didnt like the results??
An extremely high calibre to waffle and lull the masses.
Another self-serving career politician!
@Brian Hunt: Far from it a decent honourable man
@Tim Brennan: Agreed Tim. Very genuine guy
another nose in the bigger trough …
He’ll do a fine job but i would have thought Paschal would have been even better, and he is very well respected in Europe. Am sure he has something else in mind if he is tiring of TD life.
@Jimmy The Mink: certainly by his former advisor running one of the largest reit divisions in Europe for a swiss bank and one of the largest foreign institutional investors in Irish housing market.
So does he have 2 jobs now i dont no,answers on a post card,TIA
@james rowan: Many jobs
@james rowan: no. He will be giving up his Dáil seat
@james rowan: He will resign once ratified by EU parliament, which should be after Budget, so November time, roughly, they probably won’t be a by-election as GE will be around the corner.
His brother is a shoe in for his seat , got over 5000 first preferences in local elections.
@Paul O’Mahoney: so one more budget from him thnx,,,his brother, typo im guessing
@james rowan: no his brother will probably run in GE as he got over 5000 first preference votes in Local elections, I might be wrong but getting that in a GE would get him elected. If he runs ….
He never did xxxk all for Cork
@leo oleary: Like his boss so.
Well done another rat leaving the ship
Hard to replace the invisible man, yes man!
Can they now see the elephant in the room up there in the dail,it now says on the news that aging population will cost 50 billion more by 2050. Surprise,surprise tends to happen when you open the floodgates without any regard for current population. We now will have a huge portion of people looking to claim old age pension by then and a fair amount of young people emigrated due to no livable future here. Basically same thing which is happening in Japan,Italy and other countries. There boiling everything up to melting point and when the lid lifts it’ll be unreal. Unsustainable housing which there already is. Unsustainable health system,same. Lower birth rate like countries mentioned,an absolute disaster coming head on and being ignored to the last.
@Paddy C: If a recession hits which seems possible now,we’re in big trouble the homeless problem will get worse people are struggling week to week. Yes there’s an argument a certain amount of people are earning good money but it’s a certain amount not the vast majority despite the bullcrap. My heart goes out to those who are barely meeting mortgage and rent payments and those who are aging paying huge rent terrified of what they will do when they hit pension age they have been betrayed by a shower of gluttons with careless self thinking.
This boring tool would put a corpse to sleep. When people in the chat are calling him smart and capable then why have none of the Irish people seen it?.
Another rat feathering his pillow
@Richie Whelan: He will never be able to do as well the rats from Belfast seeking to corrupt the Irish electorate with promises and policies that must first be passed by the Belfast army council
@Richie Whelan: and so fluffy and comfortable it is,bunch of gluttons.
It must be eating all you Shinners from the inside out and I’m lovin’ it!
He was going to have a tough time being re-elected. It’s a wise move for him at this point
@Darth O’Leary: your some joker
@Tim Brennan: Won the last seat and only just in his 4 seat constituency after the 8 count in the last general election.
@Leonard Barry: isnt that the same constituency as Micheal Martin?
Our loss is their gain – top man. Who now for FF leadership after MM??
@Ben dover: He will be back in time for to be election after November
@Tim Brennan: for to be, or not for to be, that is the question
Will he rectify the Bonkers Pension System that he condoned on his watch. Discriminates on over 100k Irish Pensioners when a pension increase is not paid in full across the board. Shameful Skin Flint Government Tactics
One of the rare capable FF gone for EU. Or maybe looked capable because he made no wave and high enough in the ranks. Last time there was a Irish EU commissioner, we saw how entitled he was during COVID.
Hopefully this one will have more decency.
Bye Election?
@John Nolan: Our prediction at the Lite Bite Lunch is that by elections will be called for December (6 months after Euro Seat winners take their seats), but will then be overturned by Article 40 for a general election on November 15.
The only one who knows for sure is Simon Harris, but you can be sure that MM is already getting an election plan in place.
Would ya go a chicken supper bobby sands lol
have your say