34 Comments

• IrelandNorth | Dec 21, 2012, 08:29 AM EST

  I think what the Rt Hon Dep Sean Crowe, TD SF was driving at was whether there was any conflict of interest in arms procurement by a Jewish-Irish Min for Justice, Equality and Defence (JED) from Israeli arms procurement agency he may be invested in? And to what extent it's advidable from a seperation of powers perspective for a government minister to be holding three ministerial portfolios, two of which are extremely sensitive. And if a triple portfolio carrier is paid three salaries, allowances and pensions? Or if they get a average thereof in the light of justification for such amalgamation being cost cutting?

• seanomelb | Dec 20, 2012, 05:57 PM EST

  Let China sleep for when she awakes the whole world will tremble" s said Napoleon.

• darragh S | Dec 20, 2012, 01:08 AM EST

  @hooligan6a I saw a nice doco on the tank battle Isreal had with Syria. I just goes to show you. It has a similarity with the American War of Independence. While the Yankee's had rifled barrels and could pick off the British Officers, the Isreali's were out numbered to and had better tanks which could fire in elevated positions. Syria was repeatedly cought in tank traps and limped home despite having such a high numerical advantage. This should serve as another example to China's more recent assertions about its numbers and its ambitions. Just saying.

• seanomelb | Dec 19, 2012, 06:51 PM EST

  Hooligan by name and hooligan by nature.

• hooligan6a | Dec 19, 2012, 12:48 PM EST

  Since 1948, Israel has been attacked by Egypt, Lebanon, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq and Hamas(Palestinians). And Israel, a much smaller nation has beat their butt every time. I know this pisses off all you bigots but you better live with it. Israel is here to stay and when the Arabs run out of oil, they can go back to herding goats. Up the IDF.

• esatdigiwank | Dec 19, 2012, 02:23 AM EST

  Does that mean our justice minister is now Alan 'Shrapnel -oops!

• seanomelb | Dec 18, 2012, 06:59 PM EST

  I dunno Tom eggs are 4 bucks a dozen in Melbourne!!

• merefalow | Dec 18, 2012, 06:36 PM EST

  money,overcomes principle.if ireland cant sympathise with an impoverished and invaded country,by a stronger and merciless foe,?there is no hope for justice.

• tbradynumber1 | Dec 18, 2012, 05:53 PM EST

  To Caoimhin: You said the following in your post: "As an Irishman I’m outraged that Shatter representing Ireland is doing business with war-criminals and child murders, its Barbaric and obscene that our Taxes will help keep these murders productive at what they do best." So let me understand you. You think that the Arabs are all good and the Israelis are all bad. And you also think, I'm guessing, that there was not the slightest reason for the Israelis to mount an assault on the Gaza strip recently. The Israeli 'murderers' as you call them were just doing what they do best for the sake of killing innocent people? Is that what you believe? From where I'm standing I feel some empathy for the Palestinians because I see them as being uses as pawns in a war they want no part of. They have suffered for long enough as have the Israelis and I bet if you got the people of both nations around a table (it would want to be a big table) you would come up with a resolution to stop the violence. But the problem, as I say, is that outside forces are using Palestine as a platform to attack Israel and the Palestinians are somewhat powerless to prevent this.

• tbradynumber1 | Dec 18, 2012, 05:42 PM EST

  To WoundedKnee. Amazing how you can only see one side of the story. I guess you never heard of the 700 or so missiles that were fired into Israeli territory since February of this year. But then again, why would you when the media reports only half the facts. Why wouldn't they defend themselves against such provocation. If it was Ireland being attacked do you think people would stand idly by?

• WoundedKnee | Dec 18, 2012, 03:33 PM EST

  "the Israeli developed Cornershot which allows a weapon to be fired around corners." Now I get it. This is how the Israelis are able to murder people who are trying to take cover in their homes.

• ancavker | Dec 18, 2012, 02:24 PM EST

  Tom S: Shows how little you know about Ireland's Defense Forces, but ties in with you running down everything about the place.

• anglo-norman | Dec 18, 2012, 10:44 AM EST

  This is good buisness by Shatter

• darragh S | Dec 17, 2012, 11:42 PM EST

  Classic Post Hoc Failure.

• cillowen | Dec 17, 2012, 11:34 PM EST

  poor bastr..... foreed to pay reparations - may the wretched country be fracked beneath the sea. the effers didn't do enough for shatter's tribe during wwii.

• darragh S | Dec 17, 2012, 11:33 PM EST

  I have found that allot of people forget that Ireland has an armed force. A small one at that but its got some nice kit in it, good eneough to join UN operations such as UNIFIL. I personally have my eye on the Super Davora III's which would be ideal for intercepting illegal arms and drugs shipments from small and fast boats. And if you watch Future Weapons you know how good the Javelins are which are also produced by Ford in the USA and would understand why the gun that shoots around corners is worth having for counter terrorism in built up areas. And Ireland used British Armour up until the Swiss, French and South Africans came up with a better deal which might also have been influenced by the Troubles who knows. However Irish Howitzers use the British 118 and 119 and some British Sniper rifles. So whats this all about. You people are saying we should stop buying Swedish guns because the vikings invaded Ireland? Or stop buying American made equipment because of the Iraq and Afghan conflicts. Cop on. seriously though the Super Davora III...Awesome.

• Stiofain | Dec 17, 2012, 09:06 PM EST

  hooliigan: Every hear of a Jew putting a bomb in hotel,full of reporters, and blowing it up?

• maryosullivan | Dec 17, 2012, 08:15 PM EST

  Hooligan6a; Another Fox News twit heard from, your comment on Arabs saying Jews not allowed to exist is a lie. and if you don't know that simple fact you are just a useful fool I have picketed every Sunday for many years with a Jewish group, who are committed to Israel, but who refuse to condone the murder of Palestinians and the destruction of Palestine. Israel will bring the wrath of the world down one more time on its head and this time they will deserve it

• maryosullivan | Dec 17, 2012, 07:03 PM EST

  Sean, a cara, I wasn't referring to the Irish Navy but just knowing that you had served in that great flotilla I am quite sure that it meets the nation's requirement and then some. However, the Irish Coast Guard isn't quite the same thing - as well you know. Re. the Coast Guard, I wasn't saying anything that isn't generally known. The Irish Coast Guard VFM (Value for Money) Review was submitted to the government last April. It's tedious reading but you can always go to the conclusions and recommendations. Basically, more training, more staffing, more equipment. A small number of vessels plus a half dozen aircraft cannot adequately patrol and provide SAR services over 132,000 square miles of territorial waters - thus, it has called on the British Coast Guard for assistance - and several other private British based SAR groups. Let's be honest about this: Ireland has always done defence on the cheap and its vaunted neutrality is a bad joke. The country's security depends, not on its meaningless neutrality but on its free NATO cover. As for your post on the mullahs, what in Hell has that got to do with the price of eggs.

• CaoimhinMc | Dec 17, 2012, 06:31 PM EST

  hooligan6a. Where do you read such stuff “is it the Arabs that say, that Jews not be allowed to exist” Read the Talmud you might be surprised what it contains. Also Israelis prefer to blow up schools and apartments blocks full of women and children on a precise & massive scale with state of the art weapons, or haven't you seen or noticed. If you have the stomach look for yourself, type “There Killing Children in Palestine 1” into YouTube. be warned, you will witness war crimes in its true horror. As an Irishman I’m outraged that Shatter representing Ireland is doing business with war-criminals and child murders, its Barbaric and obscene that our Taxes will help keep these murders productive at what they do best.

• seanomelb | Dec 17, 2012, 05:10 PM EST

  BTW Tom the U.S.did not mind buying arms for cash from the Mullahs in Iran to murder innocent children and women in Nicaragua.

• seanomelb | Dec 17, 2012, 05:05 PM EST

  Tom Swinford as an ex Irish navy member I take exception to insults. The navy is modern and large enough to meet Irelands needs as is her army. In fact the Irish ranger battalion is one of the best in the world.Both Irish and British ships co-operate with each depending on who's nearest the distress point. We do not hide behind NATO we did not join NATO as this would affect our well respected neutrality. I find it rerehensible to buy arms from a terrorist state (israel),a state which murders and incarcerates women and children.

• bobby | Dec 17, 2012, 03:28 PM EST

  @TomSwinford, Ireland is not in NATO. The British do not help police irish waters. They have enough ships of their own to do that. 8 in total, more than enough to patrol irish waters.

• Joe Kelsall | Dec 17, 2012, 02:29 PM EST

  Shatter? They've got the wrong vowel!

• Joe Kelsall | Dec 17, 2012, 01:56 PM EST

  Listen up dunces, the Irish government has a shamefully small military budget. It has an entire army that is less than half the size of a single U.S. Army division. It has no airforce to speak of and a pathetically small navy and coast guard, so small, in fact, that it must regularly call upon the British Coastguard to help it police Irish waters, especially in pursuit of drug runners. As a neutral, it has justified this meager defence but, in truth, happily hides behind the security umbrella of NATO without paying a cent. Although tiny, the regular army is well trained and well equipped - Shatter buys wisely wherever he can get top quality weapons for company and battalion type defence. The Israelis make top quality arms for this kind of market. Smart guy!

• seamus60 | Dec 17, 2012, 11:24 AM EST

  Funny how Slatter was replying to Crowe. Surely Adams should have been asking any questions as head of the party. Thats right it would have looked too hypocritical as Adams and Mc Guinness are now greatfriiends with Isreal and are still hoping to set up trade delegations with the isreali state.

• hooligan6a | Dec 17, 2012, 11:10 AM EST

  It is the Arab's that say, that the Jews can not be allowed to exist. And they get that from their "Holy book". Of course they are the religion of peace, right? I have never heard of a Jew blowing up a Bus full of women and children.

• starlight33 | Dec 17, 2012, 10:11 AM EST

  this a Joke right????? jews all over the world are against the the israeli state and its treatment of the poor palestinian's they've even burnt their israeli past ports this has nothing got to do with the Jewish religion, the orthodox jews say that the israelies go against everthing the Jewish Torah stands for steeling murdering oppressing and racist behaviour, "the abused have become the abusers" shame on ireland and god help the good Jews all over the world that have had their religion soiled by the wolf in sheeps clothing. I'm all for human rights and the jewish way of life, israel even voraciously spy on the USA W.T.F

• hooligan6a | Dec 17, 2012, 09:12 AM EST

  Your just a bunch of anti semites, no better then the French or the Poles.

• slainte9 | Dec 17, 2012, 09:06 AM EST

  Help me with this. Why in the world does Ireland need unmanned spy planes. To monitor the clandestine activities fo the leprechauns?

• Ray1Gordon | Dec 17, 2012, 08:57 AM EST

  This ia a disgrace. Shatter is an Israel-firster, pretending to be Irish. Israel is a warmongering, apartheid state and should be condemned by the world community, especially Ireland, which suffered so long from English occupation.

• Portia777 | Dec 17, 2012, 08:30 AM EST

  Shatter and Israel go hand in hand, do they not?

• Portia777 | Dec 17, 2012, 08:29 AM EST

  the use of false Irish passports by an assassination squad from Mossad"Oh yes Irish passports sold openly in UK and USA. We only learned when my son's birth cert was sold several times on the black market. The dept claim there is nothing they can do. Amazing!!!

• Portia777 | Dec 17, 2012, 08:25 AM EST

  The Dublin government has spent over $20million on Israeli weapons in recent years" I never knew Eire was at war?