|
|
 |
You are > Home > Politics goes to the dogs again as jobbery rules Dáil agenda
|
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Politics goes to the dogs again as jobbery rules Dáil agenda
By Jim McGuire
PROPORTIONAL representation was given a new political interpretation in the Dáil last week when national concerns on the continuing job losses from the collapse of economic stability and doubts about the country’s ability to meet the massive borrowings involved in the controversial Nama strategy for recovery were pushed aside to debate minor items of animal health and welfare given priority in the national programme for government negotiated in the Fianna Fáil-Green coalition.
The insistence of Green Party leader John Gormley on having a Bill for the abolition of stag hunting by the Ward Union through legislation said as much about the skewing of priorities by the six-member party as it did about the weakness of the Fianna Fáil leadership in allowing itself to be pressurised into conceding priority to animal rights issues at a time of national crisis.
The Greens may have been satisfied with such proof of policy influence in government but it cost Brian Cowen the loss of two dissenting deputies in debates on abolishing stag hunting and puppy farm breeding grounds.
Whether the Irish reputation on dog breeding will be restored from the crusading move when set against the Green reputation for elevating relative molehills into environmental mountains remains to be seen but the smug complacency of party members against the smouldering resentment of Fianna Fáil deputies whipped into assent, had all the hallmarks of a major landmine with fuse attached.
One such booby trap for government was sprung by Ombudsmnan Emily O’Reilly over difficulties on Freedom of Information powers to get confirmation from HSE sources on treatment of patients, which brought the accusation that the health authorities were riddled with addiction to secrecy – just another justification of media complaints on the same grounds but coming this time from a powerful agency of government rather than from slapped down media sources.
It wasn’t the most opportune time for the HSE to draw attention to its arcane complexities and stratified operation of red tape Luddites. Yet another scarifying series of cut-backs in front line services, ward closures, moth-balling of machines, restrictions on recruitment and pursuing centre of excellence strategies at the expense of local facilities came with the usual justification from officialdom of budgetary discipline.
All this pontification was punctured with a revelation that there was to be a Garda probe into a missing €2.35 million training fund which was alleged to have been used by HSE and SIPTU officials for junketing trips on 31 separate occasions with Australia and Los Angeles mentioned among the destinations paid for by funds from the SKILLS retraining programme for porters and staff down in the lower echelons of the health service.
This is the HSE which dictates the level of service we can expect from a dysfunctional, overstaffed and bureaucracy ridden conglomerate resulting from the scrapping of the old Health Boards but failure to rationalise staff numbers and lines of responsibility.
The result is that the service has become virtually ungovernable from delays in reforming restrictive practices that have prevented front-line integration towards a better service for patients. That challenge will not be met by a Government that has squandered resources and which is, in itself, riven by tensions which will only be resolved by the inevitable heave to effect reform.
The scandal of politicians feathering their own nests (epitomised by the bi-location expense claims of one Ivor Callely), while health services, educational aids, home help reliefs, etc, are being cut back, is further demonstrated by revelations that just after the rolling out of a new system to monitor the millions in expenses claimed annually by Oireachtas members, it is already being exploited by new concessions that will allow TDs and Senators travelling abroad on delegations to be marked ‘present’ in Leinster House for attendance purposes and will be able to claim expenses incurred on their foreign trip.
In yet another concession party whips will be allowed to certify that their TDs and Senators were in house even if they have not been recorded as present on any of the electronic, written or voting records for that day.
What is the outcome for the electorate who send already well-heeled representatives to the lush pastures of Dáil Eireann?
We have won the laurels for being the second dearest place in the EU for day-to-day shopping, that our alcoholic drinks cost 67 per cent more than the EU average and that cigarettes are costing more than three times the EU average (comparative levels painfully acknowledged by trippers to European holiday centres).
And now further pain is promised from the introduction of VAT increases from 13.5 to 21 per cent on services such as landfill, buying a grave, library services, recycling, etc, which will hit householders in areas where the councils do not absorb the costs. Many of us predicted that Nama would turn out to be a bail-out for reckless developers whose ‘hair-cutted loans’ would be taken into the agency, but it is also benefitting lawyers and experts who were gainfully employed on such ambitions.
Now Nama has paid out some €117 million to possibly the same experts and consultants who advised developers for guidance because Nama had not the inhouse expertise to handle such specialised projects.
Move on legal fees
From the tribunals to Nama, the enormous fees charged by fat cat legal luminaries have been bones of contention for some time. Now a blow for a suffering lay element has been struck by taxing master Charles Moran in cutting down legal costs claimed to just 18 per cent of the amount charged when ruling on a case involving a solicitor’s firm and four barristers on the one side and three others who were also involved.
Mr Moran’s comments will be welcomed widely outside the golden circle’s contributions which gave such a bad name to quests for justice.
“The costs are revolting in the extreme,” said Mr. Moran, reflecting the spirit of the late Pat Lindsay in the previous exercise of those powers, adding that he was “disgusted and bewildered” at the level of costs claimed.
“In my 15 years as Taxing Master, or indeed in all my years involved in litigation, I have never encountered such grossly excessive fees being marked by learned counsel or solicitors. I can hardly find the words strong enough to describe my disgust and bewilderment at the level of these fees being claimed.”
How about shameful, insufferable and intolerable? Until we see the outcome of the inevitable appeal or the publication of new rules on one more promise from Tanaiste Mary Coughlan.
The Kenny shuffle
The reaction to Enda Kenny’s cabinet reshuffle included justification of my nudge about bringing back Michael Noonan who will put the snarl into challenging the misguided but well polished leadership-in-waiting role within Fianna Fáil.
By bringing back Noonan to handle crucial financial issues and recalling Sean Barrett to tend foreign affairs while retaining the sensitive Northern Ireland brief to his leadership role, Kenny has provided the gravity and seniority in service his first slate lacked when challenged by Richard Bruton and the impatient Young Turks while at the same time retention of rebel talents in his reshuffled shadow Cabinet, while rewarding loyalty, gives him a spread of regional experience and gender representation that assures party priorities will encourage personal abilities and teamwork and rule out any lingering hankering for long grass ambitions.
Richard Bruton is tailor-made for role leadership in enterprise, jobs and economic planning, James Reilly deserves the deputy leader’s slot for his bristling pursuit of failures in public health policies, Alan Shatter is tailor-made for meeting Justice and Law Reform challenges with cool logic, Phil Hogan is rewarded for directing the Kenny leadership success with the Director of Elections imprimatur, Simon Coveney for proof of Kenny leadership and conciliation abilities, Bernard Allen for utilising the role of chairing the influential Public Accounts Committee so successfully, Paul Kehoe as Chief Whip, Fergus O’Dowd, Deirdre Clune, John Perry in recognition of personal and regional status, Catherine Byrne and Charlie Flanagan representing the interests of older citizens and those of children respectively, Leo Varadaker lined up for natural resources and communications as well as grass cutting abilities while Frances Fitzgerald continues as leader in the Senate while Jimmy Deenihan covers for Tourism, Culture and Sports and regional represention.
Which is not to overlook the Fine Gael leader’s appreciation of fellow Mayoman Michael Ring in keeping him even closer in the new role of Social Protection overarching the new combination of rural and urban alliances now underpinning Kenny’s enhanced appeal to an electorate thoroughly frustrated with tribal politics.
Main News Page |
Previous Page
|
|
|
|
Facebook
