Still by-electionless
I'm happy to report that on his two most recent appearances in RTE interviews (News at One with Sean O'Rourke on radio, Six-One News with Brian Dobson on TV), our election-phobic première has been asked several questions about the three outstanding by-elections (one of them, you may recall, closing in on a year vacant now). His answers, though, are less pleasing. He's fobbed this off by saying, variously that it will happen "in due course", to "not worry", that the government is "busy handling the economy" and that it was "a matter for the Dail". This is nonsense and bluster of the highest (that is to say, Fianna Failish) order. How much "course" is "due"? Why aren't we entitled to "worry", given the blatant abuse of the system for partisan advantage? (Even ignoring the "massively unpopular incumbency" factor, one of the seats was caused by a Fine Gael resignation, so even a direct "replacement" is being prevented (though I've heard it might be more likely to go Labour next time)). Isn't the government able to walk and chew gum at the same time? Or is there a subliminal argument that things are so bad that suspension of democracy in the name of "stability" is somehow justified? And that it's not formally the responsibility of the executive is a total red herring, as it's already been tabled, and the government parties voted systematically against moving any of the writs.
Perhaps if they drag their feet a few more months, they'll next start using the "too close to the next general election" get-out. After all, for the "Pat the Cope" seat, it'll presently be closer to that than to the original resignation.
Perhaps if they drag their feet a few more months, they'll next start using the "too close to the next general election" get-out. After all, for the "Pat the Cope" seat, it'll presently be closer to that than to the original resignation.