Irish politicians have expressed grave concern at the fact that the Irish public seem to be more interested in the US political system than local Irish politics.
Fine Gael TD Michael Ring suggested that he could not understand “this fascination at all. There are people going around parishes in Mayo more interested in Barack Obama’s plan to reduce global warming over a nine year period then the fact that I attended three funerals in Westport and two in Castlebar last Tuesday.”
Dublin South West TD Charlie Tallaght O’Connor lashed out at voters more concerned with regulating global finance then the fact that he had mentioned Tallaght twice in the same day in a Dail debate on Shrimp regulations. The deputy stated: “ Global financial stability is all well and good, but when are people going to pay attention as to who got his press release out first welcoming the council’s decision to consider putting new traffic lights on the Greenhills road? It’s about priorities.”
FG leader Enda Kenny just can’t see the attraction: “ Vision? Policies? When will the Irish people realise that the level of earnest political discourse in this country is just as invigorating. Why, only last week the Taoiseach said that the steak and kidney pie in the Dail restaurant was probably the nicest dish, which is absolute nonsense. The dogs in the street know the lasagne is far superior, and if the Taoiseach doesn’t get it, it’s time he found himself another occupation.”
Labour leader Eamonn Gilmore dismissed the FF/FG spat as civil war politics, and pointed out that the shepherd’s pie was by far the nicest, especially with a small avocado and rocket salad.