78 Comments

• seamus60 | Jan 17, 2013, 07:56 PM EST

  Adams on TV tonight to justify his call for a border poll. Reporter asks him what of all the people in the North who would fear the severe austerity measures already in force in the 26. Great answer, he said " the people in the North, especially those he had the honour of serving for a long time would have no fear of it because they have always had it". Sounds like another admission that he done nothing for them for all those years. Ye couldn`t make this stuff up. Then again we don`t have to when all thats required is to let Adams talk without a script. LOL

• seamus60 | Jan 16, 2013, 02:42 PM EST

  Butler report. Is he saying the executive in the North aren`t up to the job then ?

• butlerreport | Jan 16, 2013, 12:12 PM EST

  He was right. Why run the risk with Irish healthcare?

• seamus60 | Jan 16, 2013, 10:40 AM EST

  IrelandNorth. Please explain to us non intellects what you mean by " too subjective to be wholesome", as I get the impression people use such phrases and big words to hide behind on occassions.

• seamus60 | Jan 16, 2013, 10:32 AM EST

  IrelandNorth. Thank you for confirmingthe very point I was making about your and other posters selectivety on the subject. For some reason you appear to believe a bishop in charge of a clergy should be open to redicule along with the same, yet a political party leader should be exempt from the same. Or is it just a certain political leader ?

• IrelandNorth | Jan 16, 2013, 04:03 AM EST

  ShameUs60! Yer posts are too subjective to be wholesome. If you read back you will see that my posts have been severly criticial of clerical child sexual abuse by the ecclesia which styles itself the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church (HRC&AC) which, just like Anglicanism, is really Constantianity! RedBranch! My navigation from the Rt Hon Dep Adams TDs bladder (not bowels!) to the Islas de Malvinas was to correlate that armed conflict and political struggle, imperial or republican, leaves very few people with clean hands. Would that it were otherwise.

• IrelandNorth | Jan 16, 2013, 04:03 AM EST

  ShameUs60! Yer posts are too subjective to be wholesome. If you read back you will see that my posts have been severly criticial of clerical child sexual abuse by the ecclesia which styles itself the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church (HRC&AC) which, just like Anglicanism, is really Constantianity! RedBranch! My navigation from the Rt Hon Dep Adams TDs bladder (not bowels!) to the Islas de Malvinas was to correlate that armed conflict and political struggle, imperial or republican, leaves very few people with clean hands. Would that it were otherwise.

• IrelandNorth | Jan 16, 2013, 04:02 AM EST

  ShameUs60! Yer posts are too subjective to be wholesome. If you read back you will see that my posts have been severly criticial of clerical child sexual abuse by the ecclesia which styles itself the Holy Roman Catholic and Apostolic Church (HRC&AC) which, just like Anglicanism, is really Constantianity! RedBranch! My navigation from the Rt Hon Dep Adams TDs bladder (not bowels!) to the Islas de Malvinas was to correlate that armed conflict and political struggle, imperial or republican, leaves very few people with clean hands. Would that it were otherwise.

• seamus60 | Jan 15, 2013, 01:10 PM EST

  Seano. Guess who represented a couple of those (still) most deprived Nationalist wards in the North. A clue..... he represented them for decades until the people of Louth fell for his charms.

• seamus60 | Jan 15, 2013, 01:10 PM EST

  Seano. Guess who represented a couple of those (still) most deprived Nationalist wards in the North. A clue..... he represented them for decades until the people of Louth fell for his charms.

• seamus60 | Jan 15, 2013, 01:10 PM EST

  Seano. Guess who represented a couple of those (still) most deprived Nationalist wards in the North. A clue..... he represented them for decades until the people of Louth fell for his charms.

• seamus60 | Jan 15, 2013, 01:10 PM EST

  Seano. Guess who represented a couple of those (still) most deprived Nationalist wards in the North. A clue..... he represented them for decades until the people of Louth fell for his charms.

• seamus60 | Jan 15, 2013, 01:09 PM EST

  Seano. Guess who represented a couple of those (still) most deprived Nationalist wards in the North. A clue..... he represented them for decades until the people of Louth fell for his charms.

• seamus60 | Jan 15, 2013, 01:09 PM EST

  Seano. Guess who represented a couple of those (still) most deprived Nationalist wards in the North. A clue..... he represented them for decades until the people of Louth fell for his charms.

• seamus60 | Jan 15, 2013, 01:02 PM EST

  Seano. A fairer public housing system, is that the one that has just denied hundreds of Nationalist families homes promised years ago, denied them by a coalition of SF and the DUP. Extension or retention of something that is already there is hardly grounds for a big clap on the back. Water charges are still on the agenda, as SF refused to stop it in its tracks by calling a cross party vote just as they refused to stop the recent Social Welfare reform by the same means, yet 2 weeks later called a cross party vote to stop a pension scheme going through. Introduced grants for school uniform, you mean the grants that were already there by another means. However they have pulled the Educational maintenance allowance that was granted to students from the lowest income families. Only last week students groups protested against the same at SF minister O Dowds office. ( you won`t see any of that reported here though). 80 million pounds for disadvantaged community groups that already had more than that cut off them, however they did get an addittional 200million for Matt baggots one sided police force. What about their problems with groups like the Northern Housing Executive and the fair employment agency both set up to aid Nationalists, now in their bad books for exposing them.What about their proposed Work Fare scheme where young people would be forced out to work for Multinational companies for free. Then theres their wish`s to set up trade delegations with isreal whilst there are ongoing boycott Isreali goods all over Ireland, some run by SF. So and So on. But hey its not all bad cause my Ma and Da have their bus pass`s reinstated.

• RedBranch | Jan 15, 2013, 11:50 AM EST

  IrelandNorth: not too sure how you navigated from the inner realms of Deputy Adams's bowels to the South Atlantic in 1982, but each to their own on mystical, magical Planet Provo. Stand strong Seamus60!

• 6countybrit | Jan 15, 2013, 10:09 AM EST

  May he die a horrible horrible painful death for his actions. RIP Jean McConville.

• seanomelb | Jan 14, 2013, 10:49 PM EST

  Just to mention a few,a fairer public housing system,rejected household water charges,free travel for pensioners, extending the free school meal programme,introduced grants for school uniforms,80 million pounds for didadvantaged communities and so on.

• seamus60 | Jan 14, 2013, 12:00 PM EST

  Seano. Should you come back with that list of SF`s great achievements, it has to contend with facts like Gerrymandering still being used against Nationalists in the North. The 40 most deprived wards in the North are made up with 36 of them being Nationalist.

• seamus60 | Jan 14, 2013, 10:56 AM EST

  Hows about we get back to the private medical proceedure itself, now that you have had time to read Gerrys version on his blog. The one that still doesn`t add up.

• seamus60 | Jan 14, 2013, 10:47 AM EST

  Seano. Where have I used child abuse to demonise Adams political beliefs ? Adams sen was a peadophile according to Gerry and his family ( or do you not want to believe him on this one. When something is broken like SF its hardly moaning to point out that it requires fixing. During the war, not pointing out such flaws came with the charge of " dereliction of duty". It now appears the leadership were also exempt from this standing Army order. Please list the gains Adams has brought about, We`re all ears. Most people in the 26 voted for 2 certain partys and look where they are now. Finally never advise kids on those handlebars.

• seamus60 | Jan 14, 2013, 10:31 AM EST

  IrelandNorth. You mean remove my moral blinkers to accept a peadophile shelterer and prolific liar to remain leader of Republicanism. The same blinkers you and most had no problem with when I was attacking the Catholic clergy in the same manner. Its not surprising either, how many posts I have submitted to the thread and no one has had the ability to bomb my argument out of the water. It is hard to defend such a man and only gets worse as he exposes himself.

• falconflash | Jan 13, 2013, 11:46 PM EST

  No atheists in the cancer ward.....

• seanomelb | Jan 13, 2013, 06:20 PM EST

  Seamus you used chikd abuse to demonise Adams political beliefs now who belittled child abusers. Adams snr. has been accused of paedophilia and that may be true. Sinn Fein have seemed to have forgotten those who died.You continuously moan about their shortcomings and say nothing og the gains that have been made. The majority of nationalists vote for Adams and co. they have moved on. You are stuck in a mindset of what should have been or could have been and I empathise with your point of view. Sometimes you have to let go of the handlebars and take a ride.

• IrelandNorth | Jan 13, 2013, 02:51 PM EST

  A Sheamus, my stout fellow! You're no mean seriel poster yourself - ya know! Well over 60 on this issue alone, I reckon. Phew! The Rt Hon Dep Adams TD is merely one of approximately six million citizens and/or subjects on the Island of Ireland. Do you not think you should remove your self-imposed dray horse blinkers to broaden your parameters. Use your peripheral vision for once, man! And cease and desist head-butting that laptop keyboard. It won't improve either your, or its, memory. And RedBranch! The Iron Lady improved her absymal political rating in good ol' GB by rubber stamping her army councils decision to send 386 young Argentinian men in their 20s to a watery grave in the South Atlantic in one fell swoop. For an insignificant piece of purloined real estate, and not a little imperial ego.

• IrelandNorth | Jan 13, 2013, 02:51 PM EST

  A Sheamus, my stout fellow! You're no mean seriel poster yourself - ya know! Well over 60 on this issue alone, I reckon. Phew! The Rt Hon Dep Adams TD is merely one of approximately six million citizens and/or subjects on the Island of Ireland. Do you not think you should remove your self-imposed dray horse blinkers to broaden your parameters. Use your peripheral vision for once, man! And cease and desist head-butting that laptop keyboard. It won't improve either your, or its, memory. And RedBranch! The Iron Lady improved her absymal political rating in good ol' GB by rubber stamping her army councils decision to send 386 young Argentinian men in their 20s to a watery grave in the South Atlantic in one fell swoop. For an insignificant piece of purloined real estate, and not a little imperial ego.

• WoundedKnee | Jan 13, 2013, 09:29 AM EST

  Seamus: You make some good points. That guy from australia is the first to howl about the Catholic Church and the abuse by a small minority of its priests. But he's very quiet on the abuse in the Adams Family!

• seamus60 | Jan 13, 2013, 09:13 AM EST

  Seano. Your points to date are 1. Republicans just have to do with the best of a bad bunch, even though Adams is far from the best of the same, if thats what you`ll settle for. 2. You have diminished the hurt caused to victims of child sex abuse by inferring a differance because of where the peado`s heart is. ( Republicanism or any ism should be no hiding place for such vile people)or anyone that shelters them.

• seanomelb | Jan 13, 2013, 02:05 AM EST

  Missed the point again seamus, as usual.

• seamus60 | Jan 12, 2013, 10:27 PM EST

  Seano and IN maybe you`s should take a few days away from the keyboard, yous must be fatiqued and can`t possably see what your typing. You are turning your keyboards into the 2 biggest shovels I have ever come accross.

• seamus60 | Jan 12, 2013, 10:07 PM EST

  Redbranch. Exactly and will continue, to the people take better stock of who they`re really voting for.

• seamus60 | Jan 12, 2013, 10:03 PM EST

  Seano. Why would you be disappointed with my so called nastey response. Did I say anything against your father ? All I know is that your father thought he knew Gerry Adams and thats no big deal, sure Brendan Hughs thought he knew him as well. My friends may well have dark or less dark secrets, I don`t know ( they`re keeping them a secret)and won`t tell me. However once things are no longer a secret I won`t be found wanting when its time to redicule if at all. Sort of like what I`m doing here with Adams. Please believe me when I say " I would have applauded Liam Adams had it come out that he was gay" It didn`t and I couldn`t give a monkeys where any peadophiles ( what Gerry called him after sheltering the same) heart is.

• seamus60 | Jan 12, 2013, 09:42 PM EST

  IrelandNorth. I ve already said I couldn`t be a politician as I`m not a good enough liar. What I claim to be is a Republican who believes in adhering to the proclamation that others believe they have the right to rewrite. Anyway it won`t matter too much what you think of me as you appear to genuenely believe that the party was on too tight a schedule to debate the Liam Adams affair and deal with it properly. Criticise policies but not politicians sounds like the ultimate get out of jail ticket. Ok what policy should we blame for Liam Adams staying in the party and being endorsed by its leader ?

• seanomelb | Jan 12, 2013, 05:42 PM EST

  Seamus I'm disappointed with your nasty response Adam's the elder may have been a pedophile and I'm sure that some in your circle friends have a dark secret. AS IN stated we are all flawed. IT reminds me of the gay inferences made about Casement(whether he was or nor is irrelevant,but his heart was in the right place.

• RedBranch | Jan 12, 2013, 03:34 PM EST

  No hypocrisy here. Adams had the cash and did the deed, no case to answer. This is the way it works when you get to the upper levels of the slippery pole of life. Certainly his blood mired past never stopped him getting elected with large majorities and I suspect, neither will this.

• IrelandNorth | Jan 12, 2013, 02:11 PM EST

  Lastly! Have you thought of running for government yourself, Seamus60? I'll gladly give you my #1, if you claim to be what you are - which I sometimes doubt! Then you will see just how virtually impossible it is to operate in a carefully controlled party political environment, with applied whips, weighted numbers, coalitions, tight debating schedules, etc. And how utterly thankless the task. In fact, why anyone bothers I'll never know? You're damned if you do and damned if you don't. Your agenda appears too personal to be wholesome. Criticise policies not politicians. Give up on idelaism and embrace pragmatism. Resign yourself to the imperfections of this world, and your life will be infinitely less bitter. End!

• seamus60 | Jan 12, 2013, 09:46 AM EST

  Folks you only need to look at the section to the right of the page for proof of censorship when some one attempts to highlight an issue of importance. Where has the "most posted" dissappeared to. LOL

• seamus60 | Jan 12, 2013, 09:39 AM EST

  Seano. Again with respect, when you get cancer thats what the surgeon will remove. Sinn Feins cancer is their minority leadership who control the party as they did the Army and we can see much better now how that was actually being run. I`m sorry to hear that your father shared a cell with a peadophile, but he certainly wouldn`t have known that at the time. However it is a total disgrace that senior Republicans who knew of his disgusting past kept quiet and endorsed him as something he was not, even allowing him full trappings and to sullie a Republican grave to this very day.

• seamus60 | Jan 12, 2013, 09:28 AM EST

  IrelandNorth. With respect you ,me, Seano or Gerard aren`t claiming to be the best to lead a political party or a country for that matter. Our individual weakness`s are therefore of very little consequence to the bigger picture. Our problem is that Adams is a liar and imposter practicing a set of moral standards well below the expected standard for anyone in such a position. The 26 have undergone decades apon decades of misrule by gangsters and liars because people kept their heads in the sand and ran with the notion they had the best of a bad bunch. Until people speak up they will only avail of another bad bunch. When I speak up in an effort to fullfill my duties as an Irish Republican ( warts an all) I am accused of all sorts. Yet very few are prepared to stand up and debate the same issue now inflicting the so called Republican leadership that has inflicted other groups and political partys throughout history.

• IrelandNorth | Jan 12, 2013, 04:06 AM EST

  seamusseasca! I hope I don't preach, or if I do that I practice it myself. However, both you, me, seano and Gearóid are very flawed human beings. Why not resign yourself to that existential reality. We all have to give up on our idealised projections of our fathers, or father figures. The are/were entitled to their imperfections. We are too. To find levitating Buddha's go to India. To find gravity defying/aqua planing Messiah's, go to Jerusalem. The Rt Hon Dep Adams is not the Rev Sung Myung Moon - ya know!

• seanomelb | Jan 12, 2013, 12:53 AM EST

  seamus you are justifieing Ireland North "obsessional analysis" by continuing to make Adams the focal point of all arguments. My father knew Adams and was incarcerated with his father.

• bob mcbride | Jan 11, 2013, 11:33 PM EST

  Stay home in your basement Gerry you are a liar,liar,liar anybody who would donate money to yourgobshite has no brains! You are a disgrace to the socialist movement worldwide!

• seamus60 | Jan 11, 2013, 03:08 PM EST

  Folks. whats up ? I feel like i just walked into Connelly House and asked an awkward question about Adams. If he`s the man for the job there should be no problem defending his corner otherwise swallow your pride as a lot of us have already done and its never nice, to accept that you have been duped. The brits are the real experts with thousands of years practice so there should be no shame. We may not even be the last generation of Republicans being sold out before the brits go.

• seamus60 | Jan 11, 2013, 04:24 AM EST

  IrishNorth. Back to your preferred issue of constructive criticism. what do you think of people who don`t practice what they preach. Can`t remember what your opinion was on the Cardinal but if it differs that will be fine with me.

• seamus60 | Jan 11, 2013, 04:14 AM EST

  It must be my knowing him personally that dictates a position of obsessionality. Perhaps its just frustration at a hoax who has used and abused very honest and honourable Republicans for self gain remaining in power. Either way its a sad reflection on the future of Irish Republicanism when so many prefer to bury their head in the sand instead of doing their republican duty of fixing something when its broke. We can hardly equate Adams and others as the foundations of Republicanism. Although people buy into the unhealthy notion.

• IrelandNorth | Jan 11, 2013, 03:30 AM EST

  Seamus60! I've no pronblem with constructive criticism. But when it assumes the proportions of an obsessionality, I begin to have misgivings. I don't know the Rt Hon Dep Adamss personally, though I empathise profoundly with the plight of Irish republicans about the vagaries of hystoryia which trapped them in an artificial statlet not of their choosing. I don't recall him ever claiming to be Mathatma Ghandi. You're entitled to your opinion of course, even if both your and my opinion are a byproduct of our egos.

• seamus60 | Jan 10, 2013, 07:36 PM EST

  IrelandNorth. Plenty of reason to get involved in politics if it allows one to afford such healthcare and people like yourself not prepared to call a spade a spade when its the right thing to do.You have set your standards of expectation from so called statesmen, please allow others to set their own. More to the point,what do you think of people who don`t practice what they preach ? That should not be as difficult for you to answer as a fence sitter as opposed to the staunchy Adamsites on this site who are so filled with BLIND loyalty they remain silent hoping it go away rather than attempt a defence of their heroe`s latest slip of the vale. ]

• IrelandNorth | Jan 10, 2013, 02:56 PM EST

  Geez! Judging from the posts on this website about this issue, it's an argument for anyone staying from political representativeness. Politics sucks. Damned if you do and damned if you don't. Always found guilty for not satisfying all of the people all of the time.

• WoundedKnee | Jan 10, 2013, 02:33 PM EST

  Gerry should have sought an appointment with that Dublin witchdoctor mentioned elsewhere on today's IC site. That would have proved how big a multiculture fan Gerry is.

• seamus60 | Jan 10, 2013, 11:14 AM EST

  So Adams was just making sure he was treated by an English speaking surgeon. So much so he was prepared to part with his first communion money. lol

• merefalow | Jan 10, 2013, 10:25 AM EST

  why hypocrasy when you are being treated at home by people who cant speak english.

• seamus60 | Jan 10, 2013, 08:15 AM EST

  Wmcgowan. My apoligies he says he was advised from Ireland.

• seamus60 | Jan 10, 2013, 08:13 AM EST

  Folks read Gerrys blog on the issue and witness the contempt he has for the Irish public and his own party. Ruling by fooling.

• seamus60 | Jan 09, 2013, 05:25 PM EST

  Irishpjk. Sorry to hear about your hard working cousin. If only he had been as wealthy as the great socialist Adams.

• seamus60 | Jan 09, 2013, 05:09 PM EST

  Wmcgowan. He was advised in Ireland that the best place to have the op was the USA. Unless you want us to think a TD taking ill abroad and needing urgent medical surgery would be turned away from hospital.

• seamus60 | Jan 09, 2013, 05:01 PM EST

  Mamaginnty. Adams gave a great speech about keeping secrets when he admitted his dirty ole Da was the same as his dirty little brother. Admitting such a medical condition needing attention hardly falls into "I`m so vain" category. Any way we are well used to Adams never missing a trick at potraying himself as the victim. He could have said at the time he was forced to go stateside due to inadequate services at this end. He didn`t so we can assume services are adequate ( just not adequate enough for him). He can`t say it was due to waiting lists as there was none in Belfast at thye time of his surgery. Again he has had plenty of time to complain of what forced him to go abroad and call for action to prevent the same in the future, yet he hasn`t.

• WmcGowan | Jan 09, 2013, 04:53 PM EST

  Having had the same proceedure as Mr. Adams last year, I can understand what may have happened. The operation consists of passing a laser up through the penis into the opening of the bladder and burning off excess tissue that is blocking the flow of urine. The condition (like the treatment) is extremely painful...the urinary blockage produces an intense pain and you feel like you are going to rupture your bladder. If Gerry was in the US when this attack occured-flying 6 hours back to Ireland to have it treated would have not been an option. It's a common condition with men over 60 who suffer from an enlarged prostate. (BPH)

• WoundedKnee | Jan 09, 2013, 03:37 PM EST

  There is no Irish health insurance policy that will pay for treatment in NYC. So who paid for it? David Cameron? The Irish bosses organization IBEC? Billionaire busybody Chuck Feeney?

• WoundedKnee | Jan 09, 2013, 03:33 PM EST

  Back in the 1980s I was a member of Irish Northern Aid. We raised money to support a United Ireland. Now the descendents of NorAid, this Sinn Fein Friends outfit, collect money to buy special luxury private health care for Adams. Sure glad I got out when I did!

• mamaginnty | Jan 09, 2013, 03:20 PM EST

  All this rambling about a small op that fitted in with his business plans. None of this two faced government will use the health service unless it happens to be top notch, private and costs a fortune. Gerry had nothing to hide, as most men here will know...they would like to keep a prostrate problem private if it was themselves...get a life.

• seamus60 | Jan 09, 2013, 01:52 PM EST

  90,000 Dwellings owned by the tax payer to be handed over to the private sector. Will SF and others now come after groups like Ulsterbus who Connor Murphy (SF)already had the cross eyes on when the minister in control.

• seamus60 | Jan 09, 2013, 01:45 PM EST

  Low and behold theres just been an announcement that the Northern Ireland Housing Executive are no more.

• seamus60 | Jan 09, 2013, 01:31 PM EST

  Dano. Their statement inferrs they are against a SYSTEM of insurance financed health care. Totally irrellevant when the insured or able to pay takes priorty over the ordinary citizen. We have heard Martin Mc Guinness recently attack the Northern housing executive who were formed on the basis of Housing by need and not creed for exposing gerrymandering by his party and the DUP. Doesn`t say a lot for their policy of health care by need alone.

• seamus60 | Jan 09, 2013, 01:04 PM EST

  Seano. Waiting lists are so long in Ireland North and South due to privatisation practices. The same surgeon carrying out both. The same surgeon trained at the expence of the tax payer who is most likely on a waiting list I have no problem with anyone paying for their treatment if they are in a financial position to do so. But I must ask why Adams tryed to keep this one quiet. Why would he have been doing this ?

• IrelandNorth | Jan 09, 2013, 03:24 AM EST

  The real infamy is publically funded health facilities being used by consultants for private consultations, thereby long-listing those who payed for them, to prioritise those who didn't. This practice was supposed to have been stamped out by the change of government.

• seanomelb | Jan 08, 2013, 10:19 PM EST

  That is correct Dano but he does not state that people can have private insurance outside of a government system as is the case in Britain and most other countries. A public and a private system can co-exist. Therefore you can have private cover and enter a private hospital paid for by insurance or use the public system if you wish(fully paid by the state).

• irishpjk | Jan 08, 2013, 08:51 PM EST

  wtf. If you had a choice where would you get it done, third world or first class? Smart man that Mr. Adams. My Irish cousin had a heart problem the hospital sent him home to wait, they called him to fix it found out his heart was skipping a beat told him to go home and wait that they would call him and fix that fist. Called and gave him a June date, then called and cancelled that. Gave him a date for December 15th then called him in early November to come in for more tests. Found three blocked artery’s told him to go home and wait. He stopped waiting on December 10 when he died out in the field and lay there for three hours. One less operation that their health care system has to worry about. I think they figure if the keep you waiting long enough the problem will be buried with you.

• DanOLoingsigh | Jan 08, 2013, 06:38 PM EST

  Seamus...Sinn Féin Health spokesperson Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin TD “Sinn Féin DOES NOT support the private health insurance model of financing the health service. We are committed to the creation of a fully public health service with equal access for all based on need alone, free at the point of delivery and funded from fair general taxation”…taken from SF website...

• Happyhippo | Jan 08, 2013, 05:57 PM EST

  Where your health treatment is concerned you choose where you can get the best if you got private insurance cover,your options are far better and quicker,where as in the public system you get in the queue and wait,and hope the wait wont be too long,its not ideal but as they say money talks.

• seanomelb | Jan 08, 2013, 05:43 PM EST

  Searlit Seamus is incorrect Sinn Fein is not against private insurance for those who can afford it. They are for a national scmeme where all people have access to healthcare.I live in Australia in which their is a national mandatory health scheme and I also have private health cover. The only difference between the two is I can book into a private hospital and have quicker access to surgery. Adams is not against private healthcare he is a proponent of national coverage of all the people and rightly so. Maybe his procedure was not available in Ireland. And why should his health be a news item? only his doctors can advise him on a way forward they have the facts and we make suppositions.

• Searlit | Jan 08, 2013, 03:52 PM EST

  @seamus60, fair enough. I don't have access to everything that goes on over in Ireland.

• Walter Ellis | Jan 08, 2013, 03:06 PM EST

  The reason I know that, in spite of all the evidence, Gerry Adams doesn't have feet of clay is that if he had he would have had them replaced in America – probably at New York Presbyterian.

• seamus60 | Jan 08, 2013, 03:00 PM EST

  Searlit. With respect SF`s so called problems with the practice of the private healthcare INDUSTRY go much deeper than ones ability to pay for the same.

• seamus60 | Jan 08, 2013, 02:57 PM EST

  As the leader of a party who are a long term opponent of private healthcare he should have at least explained his reason for going against party policy at the time. It was the same with the Army he owned, one rule for the ordinary buckshee soldier and another for family and friends. Volunteers were executed as informers whilst others were merely exiled for a period of time. Sets really well for the new Ireland of equals , with some more equal than the rest.

• alisaann | Jan 08, 2013, 01:34 PM EST

  i see nothing wrong, with him having the surgery here in AMERICA, if he was adviced that it would be BETTER done here, rather then in ireland....he has the RIGHT, to decide WHERE a medical procedure is done.....maybe there was a BETTER doctor here, then in ireland....who knows. alisa

• Searlit | Jan 08, 2013, 01:29 PM EST

  I've always thought there should be basic healthcare services for everyone through a public system. If a person wants elective surgery they should have private insurance to cover that, or if they have enough money - pay for it themselves. Like Cillowen posted, if you can afford to go where your Dr. recommends because the procedure has been performed much more often there, I don't see anything wrong with it.

• LiamScanlan | Jan 08, 2013, 11:52 AM EST

  But of course! The rules are always different for those in power. Rough-n-ready basic services are only meant for the workers —— if they have them at all —— not for the special people.

• cillowen | Jan 08, 2013, 10:30 AM EST

  Based on the numbers of procedures performed in NYC and successful that's where I'd be. Unlike a lady whose artifical hip popped out in Eire and now gone. Gone like those with talent fleeing from the madness that is a dysfunctional isle. Sinn Fein has said the surgery, which was not cancer related, was paid for by Adams who takes the average industrial wage of just over $40,000 from his deputy’s salary and gives the rest to the party. Unlike other politicians who milk whereever they can.