Seán Dee

Our daily dose of Ditch the Triple Lock scutter from RTE, with Helen McEntee scaring the bejaysus out of us. In addition to undersea gas pipelines (there's three including the one that connects Britain to N Ireland, which in turn is integrated with the Republic's network) and the undersea data cables, McEntee now suggests our goods imports/exports by sea are threatened. Is Putin going to sink Irish Ferries? And tsk, tsk she's wrong about the undersea cables...

RTE continues to abuse its position to foist voices upon us which are pro-Nato, pro-weapons spending, anti-neutrality or anti-Triple Lock or a combination thereof. Its weekend flagship current affairs programme with an audience of 399,000 today features US-born lecturer Larry Donnelly, whose views on neutrality & military alliances are well-known. This is the listing of guests over the past year who would be regarded as pro-Nato, pro-weapons spending, anti-neutrality or anti-Triple Lock or a combination thereof.. As was pointed out by someone last week, it omits Alison O'Connor who is also pro-militarisation, based on columns she has had in newspapers. The only well-known anti-Nato, anti-militarisation, pro-neutrality pro-Triple Lock voice in the entire year was Brid Smith on 22 March 2026. That's how unbalanced these panels have been. In 2026, RTE is 100% dependant on Government-backed funding, you saw recently the conniptions it had when there was a €20m shortfall in a €725m bailout. Brendan O'Connor was paid €239,988 by RTE in 2025 for around 40 weeks of 4-hr on-air work. Dismantling the Triple Lock is the top priority for Micheal Martin to show off as his legacy. It's rotten, but despite the concerted effort to plant a negative narrative, the majority of the public who express an opinion want to retain the Triple Lock.

"Where to next after Triple Lock passes first Dáil vote?" RTE does the Triple Lock. So it does. It portrays it as a done deal that the dismantlement legislation will pass the Oireachtas, without mentioning the noted unhappiness of 10-15 FF TDs (John McGuinness and Willie O'Dea are noted as non voters this week, but that's not "sufficient enough" to block the law), and it's a "done deal" that President Connolly will sign it into law without a referral to Council of State and/or Supreme Court. The only non-politician cited by RTE is lecturer Ben Tonra, and of course RTE doesn't disclose his role with an armaments lobbying outfit and his longstanding and widely disseminated views on militarisation and military alliances. Of course, there's no reference to opinion polling which shows the majority of those expressing an opinion, in favour of keeping the Triple Lock. It's a done deal, and you'll just have to get used to it. It's Sunday and apologies for the profanity, but Fuck Off RTE.

Good morning fellow frogs, isn't this water getting a tad hot? When the government said it was buying €600m of surveillance planes and military helicopters from one of the world's most corrupt companies, Airbus, we relaxed in the tepid water When the government said it was buying €1bn of armoured cars and cannon, we splashed some lukewarm water over our bodies When the government said it was buying a €250m warship, we blew bubbles through the pleasant water. When the government said it was giving away our €100m Saab radars to Ukraine, and buying a €500m system, we navigated a yellow duck through the noticeably warm waters, quack, quack. When we bought a €20m drone system, a €60m sonar system, put out tenders for €20m Nato-aligned uniform, we became a bit less relaxed in the borderline hot water And today, "military planners" are making recommendations that may cost us €10bn+ in new equipment. Not so pleasant any more, fellow frogs!

71+79 = 150 votes Out of 173 TDs (174 minus Ceann Comhairle) How many pairings were there? (where someone voting for, agrees with someone voting against, and both don't turn up). #DefendTheTripleLock

From 11am today in the Supreme Court, two TDs challenge a Micheal Martin power-grab whereby he expanded the number of ministers beyond that stipulated in the Constitution, to include "super junior ministers". SF TD Pa Daly and PBP S TD Paul Murphy separate cases and appeals to be heard between today and Friday. And from 4.30pm in the Dail, Micheal Martin's latest powergrab, to Dismantle the Triple Lock, which will remove the UN lever and mean that a Cabinet and Dail majority is all that's needed for foreign troop deployments, and that our troops may be sent to conflicts where they face hostilities from USA, China, Russia, UK, France. #DefendTheTripleLock