“Burton’s nonsense is typical of Labour’s cynical, two-faced approach” - Ó Cuív
Written by Eamon Ó Cuív Wednesday, 18 November 2009
Commenting on Deputy Joan Burton’s remarks in the Dáil yesterday evening, the Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív TD said today that it was a typical example of Labour’s policy of arguing both sides in the hope of currying favour with as many people as possible.
“Labour are obviously trying to have it all ways,” said Minister Ó Cuív. “Deputy Burton expressed her amazement that no decision had yet been made to abolish the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs and asked whether I had ‘refused point blank to walk the plank’.
“However, only a few hours before Deputy Burton was calling for the scrapping of my Department in the interest of savings, her own colleague and Labour Spokesman on Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Deputy Jack Wall praised the work of my Department on the Dáil record. Speaking also of the McCarthy report, Deputy Wall said: ‘Will those who are employed through the various agencies funded by the Department find out that their jobs are safe and that they can look forward to progressing the many wonderful projects they are implementing at the behest of the Government and the House?’
“I find it rather ironic that Deputy Burton can stand up in the Dáil and question the existence of joined-up Government, when there is an obvious lack of joined-up thinking and communication within her own party. If they can’t even have an agreed position within their own party, how on earth are we to believe that they could have an agreed position with Fine Gael? Is this simply a case of the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing? Or worse than that, is it a deliberate and cynical tactic to speak out of all sides of the mouth at once in an attempt to gain popularity with as many people as possible?
“This exposes the Labour party’s lack of common policy and lack of integrity. In contrast, this Government will do what is right for the country, not just what people want to hear. We will look at the McCarthy report recommendations in the context of the long-term welfare of the people of Ireland, and not, like the Labour party, as a means of scoring points in what they see as a popularity contest.”
