It’s the final weekend of the general election campaigns and party leaders on Saturday continued canvassing voters across the country before polling day on Friday.
Taoiseach Simon Harris said he “feels really bad” about an exchange he had with a visibly upset Charlotte Fallon in Kanturk on the general election campaign trail, where he denied claims that the disability sector had been ignored. He later apologised and said he would meet Ms Fallon.
Elsewhere, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has praised Nikita Hand for her “bravery”, “determination” and “leadership” in the wake of her victory in her High Court civil action against Mixed Martial Arts fighter Conor McGregor.
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- Disability worker says she was ‘shaken’ and in tears after exchange with Fine Gael leader Charlotte Fallon speaks out after her confrontation with Simon Harris.
Independent Ireland general election candidate Cllr Philip Sutcliffe has quit the party, it has emerged, writes political correspondent Jennifer Bray.
Limerick TD Richard O’Donoghue, a co-founder of Independent Ireland, said there was a meeting of the party executive last night.
“Philip was approached. There was to be a further meeting today. Before the second meeting could take place, Philip resigned from the party,” he said.
He said the reason was because “Philip does a lot of great work with people in boxing but we do not condone his association with Conor McGregor. It was also reported that he said he wanted to meet Gerard ‘The Monk’ Hutch, and we don’t stand for that either. We work for law and order.”
Mr Sutcliffe is a candidate in the Dublin South Central constituency. He has been contacted for comment.
It is understood that Mr Sutcliffe will continue in politics as a non-party representative. It is expected he will continue his general election campaign and if elected will take up a seat in Dáil Éireann as a non-party TD.
Mr Sutcliffe is Mr McGregor’s boxing coach. He accompanied the MMA fighter to the High Court on Friday for the conclusion of the civil action for assault taken against Mr McGregor by Dublin woman Nikita Hand. A High Court jury awarded €248,603 damages to Ms Hand after finding she was raped by Mr McGregor in a Dublin hotel in 2018.
Taoiseach Simon Harris has said the private dinner meeting between Paschal Donohoe and Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary did not fall into the category of lobbying, writes political correspondent Cormac McQuinn.
Fine Gael’s Paschal Donohoe has defended his private and previously undisclosed dinner meeting at an upmarket Dublin restaurant with Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary.
On Thursday the Irish Times revealed February 2022 private and previously undisclosed dinner meeting at an upmarket Dublin restaurant involving Mr Donohoe and Mr O’Leary.
The Taoiseach said that he does not think that he himself has ever met Mr O’Leary, adding “not that there’s any problems with meeting Michael O’Leary.”
Asked if he had similar private meetings with other executives from multinational companies Mr Harris said: “I’m not aware of any such dinners that I’ve had.”
You can read more here.
The Irish Times voter panel for this week is back. You can read it here.
Taoiseach Simon Harris has said disabilities worker Charlotte Fallon was “absolutely owed an apology from me” after he cut short an interaction with her where she was accusing the Government of ignoring the disabilities sector, writes political correspondent Cormac McQuinn.
The exchange happened while Mr Harris was canvassing in Co Cork on Friday evening.
The video has since been widely circulated on social media and Opposition politicians have criticised the Fine Gael leader.
Speaking to reporters in Dublin Mr Harris said: “I called Charlotte this morning as she was absolutely owed an apology from me. The buck stops with me entirely here.”
He said the pair had a “good conversation” over the phone and “I was grateful to her for her time and her kindness.”
Mr Harris said they spoke about disability services, issue of pay parity for people in Section 39 organisations, and the means test for carers which Fine Gael is promising to get rid of.
He said he was “really grateful for the conversation” and “learnt a lot from it.”
Mr Harris has also said he wants to visit Ms Fallon’s workplace in Cork, St Joseph’s Foundation, “and she said I’d be very welcome.”
He added: “I’m annoyed with how I didn’t give that person, Charlotte, the time last night. She deserved that time.
“Generally I’ve been around the country and I’ve had hundreds of conversations some days and I’ve learned a lot and I always learn a lot from listening to people.
“And I’m very sorry that that didn’t happen last night.”
He said there was “no excuse” for what happened insisting: “Disability is what makes me tick.
“I wouldn’t be a politician or I certainly wouldn’t have been a politician this early in life were it not for my own lived experience”.
He has previously spoken about how his brother Adam’s autism led him to a political career.
Mr Harris said: “It will always be my passion and it’s Charlotte’s passion too and I’m really grateful to her for giving me the opportunity to speak with her today.”
Here’s more on Micheál Martin’s reaction to Simon Harris’s meeting with the disability worker in Kanturk. Barry Roche in Cork reports:
Tanaiste Micheál Martin said he hoped he wouldn’t have behaved like Taoiseach Simon Harris did when he turned on his heel when he was challenged by Ms Fallon in Kanturk yesterday, but he said Mr Harris had apologised to Ms Fallon and it was time to move on from the issue.
“I think the Taoiseach has acknowledged that he could have done better yesterday in his engagement with that person in Kanturk ‚.. he has essentially apologised and acknowledged he should have dealt with it differently and in a better manner and I’ll leave it at that this stage.
“I would hope not,” said Mr Martin when he was pressed further about the engagement and asked if he would have behaved in the same way as Mr Harris who quickly disengaged from shaking Ms Fallon’s hand and turned on his back on her and walked away.
Asked if it was perhaps an experience issue given that it’s Mr Harris’s first general election as a party leader, Mr Martin would not be drawn, saying that all candidates can encounter challenging situations and exchanges with voters on the campaign trail.
Jennifer Bray’s interview with Charlotte Fallon, the woman who confronted Simon Harris on Friday night about disability services, is attracting huge interest. It can be read here.
Fine Gael TD Neale Richmond says that Simon Harris has agreed to meet the woman who he encountered in Kanturk, Co Cork on Friday night.
The 45 second encounter has gone viral. Charlotte Fallon, who works in the disability sector, told Mr Harris that his party was ignoring the disability sector. Mr Harris said that was not true.
He has since apologised to her. She told The Irish Times that she was “shaken and upset” following the encounter.
Speaking on Saturday with Colm Ó Mongáin on RTÉ Radio One, he said: “They’ve agreed to meet and agreed to actually discuss what more needs to be done on foot of a budget where we’ve increased the carer’s grant, increased the payment, and a manifesto commitment to remove the means test as well as review the pay and salary going to Section 39 workers.”
He went on to state that Simon Harris entered politics as a 14-year-old to improve disability services.
“He’s brought that to the fore at every opportunity be it on a county council - as chair of the disabilities committee - or indeed now as Taoiseach of our country,” he said.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said Simon Harris “should have done better yesterday” in relation to his meeting with a section 39 worker in Kanturk.
On a canvass in Cork, Mr Martin said his government colleague had apologised for it and acknowledged he should have handled the encounter in a different fashion.
He declined to elaborate further to the media saying he would “leave it there”.
Fianna Fáil wants to move Section 39 workers, who work in disability services in the private sector to pay parity with public healthcare providers.
There is an interesting story in today’s Belfast Telegraph by its reporter Sam McBride about Sinn Féin’s attitude to housing in the North.
It concerns the party’s former Mid-Ulster MP Francie Molloy who is one of the longest-serving Sinn Féin members.
Speaking at the ard-fhéis in Athlone, Molloy criticised the opposition by Sinn Féin local councillors to a housing development of six homes in Broughberg, Co Tyrone.
He told the ard-fhéis: “I supported that family looking for six homes in that area; six bungalows in a rural area where nobody had built a house for 100 years.
“But it was rejected by the Sinn Féin councillors in the area who opposed it — and it was coming with planning approval; twice it had been recommended for approval by the planners so it was there for the taking and yet the councillors rejected that and refused it.”
He concluded: “So if we’re gonna have a policy which ensures everyone can have a home then we need to ensure that our councillors across the 32 counties of Ireland support the right of people to have a home, support the right to actually ensure that people can build a house for themselves on their own land, in their own townland.”
The exchange was not aired on the livestream of the Sinn Féin ard-fhéis. A party spokesman said it was a technical glitch and not an attempt to censor what Mr Molloy said.
Sinn Féin says it is in favour of allowing one-off housing to recommence in rural areas.
Fianna Fáil has set out its stall in relation to childcare costs if it is returned to government.
It plans to reduce childcare costs to a maximum of €200 a month, place the ECCE scheme on a legal footing and increase core funding to provide supports to creches.
They say they will buy and build additional childcare facilities in blackspots to increase supply in a demanding sector, and supply more childcare facilities on school sites, including Irish-medium naíonraí.
Speaking on the matter, Senator Lorraine Clifford Lee has stated that Fianna Fáil is committed to a universal approach to support families.
“We have a range of targeted and universal measures to support families. During our term in government, we have increased parent’s leave and benefit, provided additional Child Benefit payments and provided GP visit cards to all children under eight years old.”
Sinn Féin have seized on the footage of Taoiseach Simon Harris being confronted by a disability worker, with Eoin Ó Broin claiming it was “the real face of Fine Gael”, writes political correspondent Cormac McQuinn.
He argued the party has “absolute contempt for hard-working people, for carers and people with disabilities”.
At a press conference in Dublin Fine Gael deputy leader Helen McEntee responded to the criticism saying: “I think the Taoiseach himself has been very clear that he wished the encounter had gone differently.
“It had been the end of a very, very long day.
“I’ve been with him around the country.
“He’s met thousands of people.
“And what he said very clearly is that he should have given her more time and should have engaged for longer with her.”
However, she said helping people with disabilities was the reason Mr Harris got into politics referring to how he has a younger sibling with a disability.
“He [Mr Harris] wanted to make the system better, and he has consistently, throughout this campaign, focused on, prioritised and made it very clear that if he is re-elected as Taoiseach, that he will continue... to focus on how we can do more, not just for those with disabilities, but for their families, for their carers, and for their communities”.
She also said: “I think one encounter, one engagement, does not reflect a person and their values, their beliefs, their work, their ethics, and certainly when it comes to this issue, their commitment to it.
And he’s been very clear that he had wished that that maybe had gone a little bit different, but he has and will be reaching out, I believe and hope to speak to that woman and to be able to have a longer conversation.”
Political correspondent Jennifer Bray has spoken to the disability worker who confronted Taoiseach Simon Harris about his party’s record on disabilities.
You can read it here.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee has praised Nikita Hand for her “bravery”, “determination” and “leadership” in the wake of her victory in her High Court civil action against Mixed Martial Arts fighter Conor McGregor, writes political correspondent Cormac McQuinn.
Ms Hand had alleged she was raped by Mr McGregor in December 2018 in the civil case and the jury found in her favour.
The jury awarded €248,603 in damages to Ms Hand against Mr McGregor after finding she was assaulted by him in a Dublin hotel.
Mr McGregor has said he will appeal the verdict.
Ms McEntee said: “I just want to commend Nikita for her bravery, for her determination, and the leadership that she has shown in what has been, no doubt, a very, very difficult time for her and indeed, for her family.
“We need more women coming forward.”
The Fine Gael minister added: “It is so important that any victim of domestic or sexual violence knows that when they come forward, they’ll be listened to, they’ll be supported, and that help is there.”
Ms McEntee also said that during the trial many organisations that support victims and survivors have reported increased numbers of calls.
“The number of people coming forward for the first time has increased, and that can only be a good thing,” Ms McEntee said.
Simon Harris has apologised after his encounter with a carer in Kanturk admitting that he should have spent more time engaging with her.
The meeting typifies Fine Gael’s attitude to those employed in the community and voluntary sector, Sinn Féin believes.
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Workers’ Rights, Louise O’Reilly, said health and community workers employed in community and voluntary sector agencies have been fighting for pay equality for years.
“These workers are essential in providing healthcare and services for people with disabilities on behalf of the state and they have been badly let down by Fine Gael for the last 14 years,” he said.
“It’s time to respect these workers and pay them properly. The failure to do so not only involved pay inequality, it is resulting in a huge turnover in these staff and ongoing difficulties in recruiting much needed staff.”
Labour has launched its plan to support carers - an issue which has come to the forefront of the election after Simon Harris’s confrontation with a carer yesterday.
Labour’s new Social Contract for Care will abolish the means test for the carer’s allowance if they are elected to Government.
They would also gradually increase the half-rate carer’s allowance, recognising the invaluable contribution of carers, starting with pensioners.
Fine Gael deputy leader Helen McEntee says her boss should have spent more time with the woman in Kanturk.
But she defended Simon Harris’s meeting with a voter who accused him of not caring about carers.
He got into politics because of the lack of disability services, she said and is committed to improving them if re-elected to office.
Sinn Féin’s manifesto proposal to establish an “independent human rights and journalist expert review into the objectivity of coverage by RTÉ of the Israeli genocide in Gaza and other international conflicts” has drawn a strong rebuke in this Irish Times editorial.
“And if it can do so over Gaza, it presumably believes it can do the same over coverage of domestic issues. That would be an outrageous breach of fundamental principles.”
You can read the editorial here.
Ireland is a rich country no matter what any of the opposition parties say to the contrary, writes David McWilliams.
There are big challenges ahead and we risk repeating the mistakes of 2004-2007 when there was a series of giveaway budgets before the economy collapse.
You can read his column here.
Will Simon Harris’s meeting with a carer in Kanturk be his Gordon Brown moment?
Political anoraks will recall during the 2010 British general election, Brown was confronted by a woman in Rochdale named Gillian Duffy.
She questioned why she was being taxed at the age of 66 and what he was going to do about the debt.
She also confronted him about immigration and the influx of Eastern Europeans into the UK then.
It would have been forgotten about but for the fact that he still had his Sky News microphone on him which picked up his comments when he got back into his car.
“That was a disaster – they should never have put me with that woman. Whose idea was that? Ridiculous.”
Asked what she had said, he replied: “Everything, she was just a bigoted woman.”
The clip was picked up and went viral. It seemed to confirm to voters traits of Brown’s personality that they didn’t like.
Will the same happen here? Harris has quickly moved to apologise to the woman in Kanturk and to reiterate his commitment to addressing disability issues, but will it be enough?
Speaking on Saturday morning, Mr Harris apologised to the woman after the clip, recorded by RTÉ News, was widely shared on Friday night.
The Taoiseach made his comments on Instagram on Saturday morning, saying: “One of the reasons I got involved in politics, in fact the reason I got involved in politics, is disability services. I wouldn’t be a politician, or certainly a politician at such a young age, was my brother not born with autism, did I not see the struggle my parents, particularly my mother, went through in trying to fight for services and answers and the loneliness that my family often felt as well.”
Read more here.
