As a boy caught involved in some mischief, it was a regular phrase conveyed verbally by my grandmother Liza Jane, which out of respect resulted in my immediate head bowed silence. “Always when in a hole, stop digging George”, that wise old woman would say.
On Friday March 8th, the family amendment, which proposed extending the meaning of family beyond one defined by marriage and to include those based on durable relationships, lost, (67.7% to 32.3%).
The second care amendment, latter which proposed deleting references to a woman’s role within the home and replacing it with a new article acknowledging family care, not surprisingly, also lost, (73.9% to 26.1%).
According to the Irish Independent newspaper, Tipperary Fine Gael Senator Mr Garret Ahern went abroad last weekend and failed to cast his vote on both Irish Constitutionnal Amendments. Which reminds me, I will book a flight abroad, in advance of the next General Election.
Fianna Fáil Senator, Ms Lisa Chambers, latter a contestant for the European elections expected in June next, and a former barrister; yes I repeat “a former barrister”, and leader of Fianna Fáil in the Seanad since June 2020, has confirmed that she had voted No in the recent referendum; despite canvassing for a Yes vote in Dublin city centre, last month.
Cavan/Monaghan Fianna Fáil Deputy, Ms Niamh Smyth, also canvassed for a Yes vote on the Care and Family referendums, but had voted No on her election paper. But then Fianna Fáil blood flows deep in Ms Niamh Smyth, what with her being a grandniece of former Minister Paddy Smith.
Meanwhile, here in Thurles, according to RTE, Fianna Fáil TD Mr Jackie Cahill stated, quote; “I think this is a serious wake up call for us. We need to start listening to the ‘ordinary people‘ on the ground. We’re doing things in Government that they don’t agree with”.
Mr Cahill was elected to Dáil Éireann in 2016 and was, prior to that, a member of Tipperary County Council from 2014 to 2016. Was it the ordinary people who elected Mr Cahill, or was it some higher power?
No matter, we now fully understand why Thurles has no ‘Ring Road’, no ‘Inner Relief Road’, no ‘Local Employment’, yes we fully understand why Thurles has ‘Potholed streets’, reminicent of the moon’s surface, and works to upgrade the ‘drainage infrastructure’ in Thurles may not be completed until 2029. It appears that it is all because Mr Jackie Cahill and Fianna Fáil have not been listening to those annoying “ordinary people“.
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