Fianna Fáil not to contest Áras

For the first time in history Fianna Fáil has opted out of the presidential race. The party confirmed today that it will not field a candidate to contest the election.

The decision, taken at a lengthy meeting of the parliamentary party today, did not go to a vote and goes along with the recommendation of a sub-committee that met on the issue earlier this week, which was chaired by Michael Martin. The TDs and Senators agreed "by consensus" with the view of the party leader that entering the contest would not be in the best interest of the party.


Some 20 members spoke at the meeting, which lasted over three hours, much longer than had been expected. Many of those who did speak were in support of party leader Michael Martin including Limerick City TD Willie O'Dea. Not all those present however were in agreement most notably deputy leader Eamon Ó Cuív who spoke strongly in favour of the party running a candidate.

Several of those present said that the issue being pressed to a vote was never a realistic option, as it would have been seen as a challenge to the authority of the leader. At a press conference after the meeting Mr Martin said that it has been a difficult decision for the party and "understandably there have been different perspectives and position" expressed by members.

The meeting in Leinster House was the first parliamentary party meeting for Fianna Fáil since the summer break and the first since the party's failed overtures to TV man Gay Byrne became public.

Martin rejected the suggestion that he handled the situation badly, firstly by making what became a very public approach to the broadcast legend, and secondly by not been more encouraging to South MEP Brian Crowley who had expressed a very strong interest in contesting the election.

He said that he had been criticised in the media for making a direct approach to Mr Byrne but insists that it was "old politics" to use an intermediary and his preference was to use the "direct route". Adding that knowing Gay Byrne as he did he was aware of the way he did things in a public manner.

"I know that when you make a phone call to Gay Byrne that will happen," he said.

Mr Martin said he did not agree that Brian Crowley's willingness to run was badly handled, saying he met the MEP last Easter and spoke with him again during the summer and they agreed to wait until the end of August.
He said Mr Crowley is an excellent candidate but research conducted by the party suggested he was getting very much a Munster showing and his support was not strongly based nationally.

Fianna Fáil says it will advise members how to vote in the election once nominations close at the end of next month. The party also remains open to the possibility of facilitating the nomination of any independent candidate.

Meanwhile, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has said he believes he would have “done all right” in the presidential election but for the decline in the popularity of Fianna Fáil. The ex-party leader is now predicting that the Fine Gael candidate, Dublin MEP Gay Mitchell, will be the next president. Mr Mitchell is appealing to Fianna Fáil members to support his presidential bid but it is not yet clear how voters will react to an endorsement by the former taoiseach.

The Government announced yesterday the closing date for nominations for the presidential elections will be September 28th. Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan said voting would take place on October 27th, with polling stations open between 7am and 10pm.

Four candidates have already indicated they have secured the support required by the Constitution. These are; Gay Mitchell of Fine Gael; Michael D Higgins of Labour; and Independents Seán Gallagher and Mary Davis.

A formal decision, on whether or not to field a candidate to run in the election, would be made by Sinn Féin early next week.

Trolleys in hallways not our biggest problem.

A number years back, during my schooldays, I went Cork University Hospital's A&E department with severe stomach pain and after more than 10 hours of waiting, which was briefly interrupted by short conversations with a doctor and one scan, I was informed that my condition was in fact caused by a build up of gas. Fast-forward 2 years and a dozen or so GP visits for the same stomach pain, a new young doctor who was covering for my holidaying GP informed me and my mother that I would need to be immediately brought to A&E as I had an Inflamed appendix which had been flaring up and down again since my first visit to A&E.

Upon arriving at the hospital, and after a little waiting, I was brought in to be seen by a doctor who claimed he could find nothing in his examination and was promptly by a verbal barraging at the hands of my parents and as a result of this I was seen by the interns superior who, after several more scans, diagnosed me with appendicitis and was to be admitted. I then spent several hours lying on a trolley in the A&E depatment whilst awaiting a bed.

Now fast-forward another 6 years and the news reports tell us Tallaght Hospital has been warned that if it continues to place patients on trolleys in and around its A&E department, it will be shut down. According to a report on RTE's News at One, an unannounced visit by four inspectors from the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) on this past Wednesday has resulted in the hospital being told that it must stop the practice from September 1st as it poses an unacceptable and serious risk to patients.

Is this really a risk? How many patients conditions have worsened due to their being treated on trolleys in a hallway? Compare the answer to that of the following questions. How many patients conditions have worsened due to being made to wait for hours before being seen by a doctor? How many have worsened from the lack of concentration of a doctor who has been on duty for 48 hours or more? How many have worsened from having to wait to be treated by a person who is actually qualified to treat a patient? And how many patients have worsened or died in understaffed and under supplied hospitals?

I'm not saying the trolleys are safe and should stay but maybe if HIQA really want to make our hospitals safer places then perhaps looking at the basic laws of physics is the best way around it. If a patient needs a place to lie down and wait to be admitted then perhaps HIQA should recommend funding be provided for the hospital to purchase more beds. Perhaps the over-worked doctors and nurses of our nations hospitals should be given a break or at the very least less hours and "the powers that be" hire new doctors and nurses to ease the pressure. Perhaps with extra doctors and nurses in our hospital then more patients will be treated faster and we will have no need for the dreaded trolley in our A&E hallways in the first place.

Hoops set another record

Finally a truly historic night in sport. After years of shortfalls and many crushed dreams the League of Ireland can finally give itself over to the European game.Shamrock Rovers will soon find themselves in a state of delirium as they enter the sometimes endless pit of torture in the group stages of the Europa  League. However as an utterly unknown entity on this stage is it possible to fathom that "The Hoops" will take a point or two or even shock us all and defeat odds.

In 2004 Shelbourne became the first Irish club to reach the third qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League. However Shelbourne's historic Champions League run came to an end when they were beaten by Spanish club, Deportivo La Coruña 3-0 on aggregate, having achieved a 0-0 draw in Lansdowne Road in front of 25,000 fans. Derry city, Drogheda and 2005 league champions Cork City all completed historic runs in European football in recent years with the latter becoming the first league of Ireland club to get to the final 8 of a european competition in the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

But now, after years of perseverance and inevitably falling at the final hurdle, an Irish club has arrived in the big time. Having just missed out on UEFA Champions League group stages earlier this month, Shamrock Rovers have qualified for the Europa League group stages, becoming the first in the country to achieve this great honor. And it is perhaps fitting that all others have failed in this achievement as Rovers hold so many records in the Irish game, it just seems right.

In an era of continuous uncertainty and controversy in the league it is always good to see the critics silent at last and after a goal as special as Pat Sullivan's equaliser against former European Champions Partizan Belgrade few can expect those critics to speak up any time soon. In stifling heat that registered 32 degrees at kick off time, Rovers never gave up as they went o extra time before Stephen O'Donnell sent the keeper the wrong when he buried a 113th minute penalty to seal the victory.

Selfishly as a Cork native I would like to offer my own congratulations to the man who captained Cork City  through their European Odyssey's in recent years, a truly great servant to the club and indeed the league as a whole. Also Congratulations to our other former players such as Billy Dennehy and also both the goalscorers in Belgrade on the night.
Congratulations to all