With two
contenders having been announced, each protagonist’s fight team, will start to
prepare their “Big fight plan” on just how to defeat an equally youthful
opponent. The two combatants are only 38 (Varadkar) and 44 (Coveney). They are
literally “Babies”, in terms of a political career. It will certainly be an
interesting few weeks ahead, seeing just who matures enough, in the eyes of the
FG party cohorts, to take the majority of votes and therefore Kenny’s still
warmish leader’s seat.
Mind you, age
seems to be no longer a barrier to political immortality. You only have to look
east, to France and Emmanuel Macron, who is 39 years old and now the President
of France. Sacré bleu!!!
Coveney and
Varadkar have held various senior cabinet positions, in the last and current
Government. In fact, in equal measure, they have tried to tackle some of the
toughest ministerial portfolios. The FG faithful will have marked these times
in office as roaring successes. Yet for many, perhaps the majority, there will
be a very different definition to success.
Just how do we
measure the success of their ministerial office?
Varadkar has
held the keys to the offices of; Transport, Tourism and Sport from 2011 to
2014, Health from 2014 to 2016 and currently Social Protection.
In the other
corner Coveney has been letting himself in and out of the offices of;
Agriculture, Food and the Marine from 2011 to 2014, Defence from 2014 to 2016
and currently Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government.
Interestingly,
both sets of localised FG party supporters, will ultimately claim that each
candidate has some form of affinity and love for all things Waterford. Coffey is
now battling for Coveney’s corner and Deasy, miraculously reappearing from the
depths of the “Wild wesht”, has declared for the Varadkar corner. It will also
be captivating to see just which way our FG councillors vote? Perhaps we should
be party to who they might place their “Paddy Power” wager on?
What of
Waterford when all the dust has settled?
In order to
answer this question, you need first of all reacquaint yourself with each fighter’s
past portfolio.
Has our
regional airport not been crying out for money for a runway extension for
donkeys’ years? It’s University Hospital Waterford’s plight, to be at the heart
of a south east hospital grouping, without the much needed catheterization laboratory or the implementation of the conveniently forgotten Higgins
Report, very well documented by now. These game changers for Waterford, with
the stroke of a pen, could have been signed off many moons ago. The one consistent
factor with these not being delivered seems to have been the Minister in charge
at the time, in these Government departments, namely Leo “The Lion” Varadkar!
As for Simon
“The Cork” Coveney. He cannot be absolved from blame for stymieing Waterford’s
progress either. Our coastal fishing industry remains unprotected and many
believe devastated. Regional defence bases in the region closed. The “Gifting”
of the LE Aoife to the City, as a centre piece to a maritime museum, rejected.
Expansion of the City boundary, to the north of the River Suir, dismissed. Despite
the recommendations of an impartial independent review committee.
So there we
have it. The two contenders do NOT have any real meaningful track record of
supporting this blue and white city and county. Both could have made a
significant difference to where our economy finds itself today. Right here,
right now!
Unfortunately, if
the last six years are anything to go by, Waterford appears to be on the ropes
once again, with both these contenders.
I for one won’t
be throwing in the towel.
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