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Foot in Mouth moment for Power

One of the lower profile Fianna Fail politicians, Peter Power may be wishing he remained low profile after he announced the names of this new fangled task force being set up to tackle the employment hole left by Dell’s withdrawal from Limerick

On local radio, Power announced that former Kerry Group boss Denis Brosnan was to chair the task force.

The only problem is, that Brosnan has yet to decide whether or not to accept the position.

“I will probably make my decision sometime next week. I just want to think it over in peace. This is no normal task force. This is no normal chairmanship. A lot of jobs and careers and the social fabric of many communities are resting on theability to get it right. It needs a lot of time, thought and effort.” Mr. Brosnan is quoted as saying in the Limerick Leader, City Edition.

This wouldn’t have happened if Charlie was till around!

Other people on the task force are

John Fitzgerald, chairman of Limerick Regeneration, John Hurlihy, chief executive of Google Ireland, Vincent Cunnane, Chief Executive of Shannon Development, Martin Cronin of Forfás, Brian O’Connell, Chairman Atlantic Way Anita Higgins, Ken O’Sullivan and Kay McGuine

UPDATE: Limerick Labour TD Jan O’Sullivan has called for the Tainiste and Enterprise Trade and Employment Minister Mary Coughlan to consider her position after Powers premature announcement.

‘The Tanaiste was clearly more concerned with ensuring that her pary colleagues and local Limerick ministers were informed of the new members of this Task Force before she had even received confirmation that Mr. Brosnan was willing to accept the position as both Chairman and member of this jobs task force’

‘It is quite clear that the Tanaiste has made little or no personal effort to speak directly with potential members of this new task force despite her original promises. Her rush to ensure that her party colleagues were informed of the new members has caused huge embarrassment to Mr. Brosnan who is still considering whether he can commit the necessary time to this important project.”

Deputy O’Sullivan also called for the regeneration project for the city’s disadvantaged estates should play an integral part of the task force’s goals.  She also welcomed the appointment of John Fitzgerald to the team.

This entry was posted on Friday, January 30th, 2009 at 9:46 am and is filed under All. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • Polonius
    Panic is setting in. Perhaps the people see through this lot, with their self-serving attitude to other peoples' problems. These politicos are well insulated from reality and the prospect of any form of economic hardship. Our passivity has allowed it to happen. We allow them the political space in which to feathernest and acquire and do not use our votes to promote any real reform. We either passively accept them, even endorse them in our voting patterns or else large numbers do not even bother voting. They have become too comfortable. Stir them up...
  • Hoof
    Wasting your time Realist.

    I recall mailing Power about his silence on the Shannon-Heathrow debacle some while back.

    The reply was iirc of the "frankly sir, I do not agree with you....you are wrong" condescending bullshit type. Another later response accused me of having "partitionist views" because I objected to the Shannon slots being taken to Aldergrove, and again, in the same patronising tone.

    Shrewd enough to know how to keep his trap shut on local matters in order to land a cushy Junior Ministry, this Task-Force foot in mouth incident will probably ensure its the last we'll hear of Powerless until his ignominious defeat at the next General Election - I'm presuming we're not giving WillieO "his" two quotas next time out, so no organ-grinders monkey can get in on his back.
  • the realist
    I recently wrote to our TDs in East Limerick about the bad redundancy package in Dell and what they endended to do about this problem. All of the TDs except Peter Power replied and to be fair to them they said the pakage was bad.. I contacted Peter Power two more times but received no comment. To me this is a snub to the workers in Limerick from a serving Junior Minister and hopefully people will remember this in future elections.
  • starkie
    willie odea gets a huge vote because he represents unmarried teenage mothers and fathers by getting them bungalows and houses with the click of a finger. most of these people are unemployed and just have baby after baby and willie doesnt give a fuck because he is guaranteed his job with all the votes. as for his status as defence minister , that was given to him to fool the people of limerick at the last election, he is the most hopeless politician in ireland.
  • john
    Squid. Thats when Corporal O'Dea had principles! Not anymore. He could have made numerous stands on Shannon, The Elderly, 12-year-old girls not getting the human papilloma virus vaccination.........ETC. Give me a break...willie stands for one person. HIMSELF!!!!!!
  • Squid
    Charlie Haughey, O'Dea found out the hard way the price of going against him back in the 80s
  • henriksen
    whos charlie?
  • hunter
    sitting around bitching hasnt done us any good and its not gonna start now, makin the peoples voices heard has worked for the icelandic (which were not too far away from in any terms) and its workin for the french. our biggest mistake was to let the likes of mr odea and mr power into the positions they hold now. thousands of jobs have disappeared from our city in a few months and a lot more to go, personally i think the city deserves a lot better
  • liberache
    Why don't they save us all a right few quid and just admit they have no fukin idea what to do? I mean, that's the truth isn't it? No need for any time-wasting task force.
  • Hoof
    New series starting on TV soon.

    Peter (Jump De) Gunn.
  • law abider
    I can hear Brian Cowen now.

    "Quick there's bound to be an election soon the way we're running the country. Get yer man in Limerick to do something that gets him in the news and papers. What's his name?? No! No! Not the one with the moustache..... his sidekick. Yeah that fellow. What do you mean is he in our party?!?!! I don't care if he's doing less damage keeping his mouth shut and doing nothing. Put him in charge of sorting out that Dell mess and ask him if the Castletroy Park is any good. The daughter's getting married"

    Switch to the Taoiseach's office following the press conference.
    "Lenihan, if you say I told you so I'll put you in charge of the Limerick regeneration. Just shut it!"
  • Hoof
    A White Paper must be prepared for Consultative Review before a sub-Committee is formed to discuss the possibility of forwarding a Green Paper to select a possible base for putting together a Task Force to oversee the workings of the Committee who will report directly to The Junior Minister, who in turn will submit a Pink Paper to the newspaper on the understanding that any information for public consumption of a negative nature must first be reviewed by a sub-committee.

    Simple really.
  • countrygirl
    This guy is first in line fi theres a cull in junior ministers.... Lets hope there is talk about filling ib the gaps with idiots not to mention useless task forces.
  • GreenRaven
    "Limerick can and will bounce back. We should not adopt a defeatist attitude." Quote by Peter Power 8th Jan 2009.

    Not by jumping the gun Peter, just so you can look good in the media.
    Willie must have been chocking with laughter at this.
  • hunter
    good to see were off to a flying start, lets hope mr power doesnt bring this down to the ranks of the numerous other impotent political committees more interested in soundbytes than gettin something done for the city
  • john
    Where has Peter Power being hidiing? Its a bit late for a "TASK FORCE" after Dell announced 1800 redundancies? Surely the "TASK FORCE" should have been in place months ago? Another Fianna Fail sham.....shame on Corporal O'Dea and Power.
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