Blog Archives

Could we be voting on the ESM Treaty Amendment also?

April 17, 2012
By Stephen
Could we be voting on the ESM Treaty Amendment also?

Independent TD, Thomas Pringle of Donegal South West, is taking the Government to court claiming that the ESM Treaty ratification should have been via a referendum rather then just a vote in the Oireachtas. This treaty change is linked to the Fiscal Compact which Ireland will be having a referendum on ratification on May 31st. Deputy Pringle is concerned that the European Stability Mechanism treaty and the Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union (Fiscal Compact)...

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Are You Registered to Vote?

April 16, 2012
By Stephen
Are You Registered to Vote?

Its that time again to make sure that you are on the register to vote in the Referendum on the 30th Amendment to the Constitution (the Fiscal Compact) on May 31st. The deadline for the applying to be added to the supplementary register is Monday May 14th. Local authorities are responsible for the upkeep and maintenance of the register of electors. The current register came into force on 15 February 2012.   People can check with their local authority directly...

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Eurovision 2012: Semi-Final One Preview

April 15, 2012
By Stephen
Eurovision 2012: Semi-Final One Preview

Its that time of year again! Eurovision Time! Like every year I do a preview of the Semi’s and attempt to predict who will get into the final. This year the 57th Eurovision Song Contest takes place in Baku, Azerbaijan. 42 countries will be taking part. Montenegro returns this year to the competition while Poland and Armenia wont be taking part. 10 countries from each of the Semi-finals will proceed to the Final and join the five automatic qualifiers,...

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The European Parliament elections 2014 will be huge – But not in Ireland

April 15, 2012
By Stephen
The European Parliament elections 2014 will be huge – But not in Ireland

Ronny has a good post on his blog why the next the European Parliament Elections will be different from past ones. This election will quiet important with both the Party of European Socialists (PES) and the European People’s Party (EPP) putting forward agreed candidates for the post of President of the European Commission. There is also the possibility of the Pirate Party becoming a European political force as they will be running in most of the countries of the European...

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What is Joan Burton up to?

April 14, 2012
By Stephen
What is Joan Burton up to?

What is the Minister for Social Protection, Labour’s Joan Burton, up to? First she complains loudly about Fine Gael Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan meeting Michael Lowry after the Moriarty report and a photo of taken at the NYSE involving an Taoiseach Enda Kenny and business man Denis O’Brien. It now turns out that Joan Burton met with Denis O’Brien at that same event. Hypocrisy much? This emerged last night at the Labour Party Conference which is currently underway...

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30th Amendment to Constitution – Text

April 13, 2012
By Stephen
30th Amendment to Constitution – Text

The Bill amending the Constitution to allow Ireland to ratify the Fiscal Compact is now available on the Oireachtas Website (PDF). The bill proposes inserting a new sub-section 10 to Article 29 which deals with foreign affairs. The new section will read as follows: 10° The State may ratify the Treaty on Stability, Coordination andGovernance in the Economic and Monetary Union done at Brussels on the 2nd day of March 2012. No provision of this Constitution invalidates laws enacted, acts done...

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Portugal Approves Fiscal Compact

April 13, 2012
By Stephen
Portugal Approves Fiscal Compact

Portugal today became the first state to approve the Fiscal Compact. 25 of the 27 EU Member states signed up to the tightened budget rules. The United Kingdom and the Czech Republic are the only two not to sign up. It is interesting that Portugal were first to approve the treaty as they were the third country to get a bailout of the EU/ECB/IMF after Ireland and Greece. The Portuguese Government were supported by the opposition Socialists in passing the pact which was approved...

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Challenging “The Way It Is”

April 12, 2012
By Stephen
Challenging “The Way It Is”

With a lot of focus on the banks, the debt crisis and the upcoming Treaty Referendum, once again the issue of Children’s right gets pushed back. We are now awaiting the third version of the proposed wording of the Constitutional Referendum and that hasn’t emerged yet. Meanwhile many Children aren’t being taken into account as they have no rights in relation to The Family as defined by the Constitution. With children in care from married families who cannot be...

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Some interesting German polling

April 10, 2012
By Stephen
Some interesting German polling

There has been some interesting polls done in Germany in the last few days. With important state elections coming up in Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia and the Federal Elections next year. The first poll released on the 8th April by TNS Emnid show the following: CDU/CSU 36% SPD 26% Green 13% FDP 4% Die Linke 7% Pirate 10% Others 4% The second poll is by Forsa for RTL and had the following CDU/CSU 36% SPD 24% Green 11% FDP 5%...

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Santorum’s Out

April 10, 2012
By Stephen
Santorum’s Out

The Race for the Republican Presidential Nomination just became easier as Rick Santorum has pulled out of the race this evening. Santorum who was trailing Mitt Romney in the Delegate race for the nomination phoned Romney before making the announcement. “We made a decision over the weekend, that while this presidential race for us is over, for me, and we will suspend our campaign today, we are not done fighting,” After the announcement Mitt Romney issued a statement “Senator...

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