tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562073.post6302700322446985116..comments2023-06-19T16:12:50.823+01:00Comments on Harry McGee: INSIDE POLITICS - SHANNONHarry McGeehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11083501942481997668noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562073.post-57012425601528639732007-10-19T22:39:00.000+01:002007-10-19T22:39:00.000+01:00HarryHere's a theory. Civil servants speak to Aer...Harry<BR/>Here's a theory. Civil servants speak to Aer Lingus. Told about plans to move from Shannon to Belfast. Note for Minister gets written. Later that day or next day, D Mannion rings John Murphy. "Listen John, you know what I told you about Belfast...well I shouldn't have said that. We're not a semi state anymore...we're a private company and I can't give you info that I haven't given Michael O'leary and Ryanair. If this gets out O'leary will make hay". So Mr Murphy agrees to unknow what he knows. The note gets buried until a junior official finds it in response to the FOI. Listen carefully to Dempsey...interim period...offer period....<BR/><BR/>When its cock up or conspiracy, its usually cock-up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562073.post-36100556745241235302007-10-19T00:11:00.000+01:002007-10-19T00:11:00.000+01:00After the debacle over nursing charges, the Traver...After the debacle over nursing charges, the Travers Report was meant to have determined the lines of communication between civil servants and minister.<BR/><BR/>Obviously, like all Government Reports it has been diligently neglected. I looked through some of its recommendations today and the impending decision by Aer Lingus in June was a perfect example of what SHOULD have been communicated to Dempsey.<BR/><BR/>Dempsey's case is a little different from Bertie. <BR/><BR/>The poor Taoiseach has a particularly virulent form of selective amnesia that makes him forget who he got to exchange 30 grand for him but makes him remember everybody who has slighted him since year dot.<BR/><BR/>It's different from Micheál Martin too. Though the episode changed his status to the former future leader of FF, he was cleared. But not without a serious conflict of evidence between him and the most senior civil servant in the Department of Health, Michael Kelly. In the event, it was Kelly who shouldered the blame.<BR/><BR/>With Dempsey it's different. The civil servant involved has admitted he did not pass on this informaton to the Minister. Sure, it seems very strange that he heard zippo about it until August 3 despite the DAA and his senior officials knowing, the Belfast authorities knowing, the Belfast media knowing, the DAA knowing etc. <BR/><BR/>The opposition claimed today that his account was stretching credulit. But with the civil servant accepting the blame, we have to believe Dempsey's account unless there is evidence to the contrary.Harry McGeehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11083501942481997668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562073.post-46961481008756223372007-10-18T22:57:00.000+01:002007-10-18T22:57:00.000+01:00So Tony Killeen doesn't actually write his corresp...So Tony Killeen doesn't actually write his correspondence, his staff do that and he then doesn't read it, Michael Martin doesn't quite pay attention to what he is being told in a meeting unless someone cracks him one across the back of the head and Dempsey doesn't even get to read his messages because his civil servant head the problem off at the pass (only they don't actually fix the problem) and don't let on to him about it. Who is it that is in charge in these places?<BR/><BR/>Why is it again that we have elections?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03238749613615582511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36562073.post-53237799812663366162007-10-18T20:40:00.000+01:002007-10-18T20:40:00.000+01:00What I don't get in all of these 'communication br...What I don't get in all of these 'communication breakdowns' is... don't these senior officials and the Minister ever have a coffee break or a Friday pint and ask each other, 'So, what's new?' or 'How was your day?'<BR/><BR/>Or even the 5min wait for a taxi, or the 30 sec elevator ride, or the walk from the office to the Govt car.<BR/><BR/>It beggars belief that there wasn't an opportunity for someone to say, 'you'll never guess what happened today...'Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com