“Terms and Conditions Apply!”

So Frances Fitzgerald finally fell on her own sword. Not before putting up a huge, behind closed doors fight, with her Fine Gael colleagues. There was even talk about her “Having something on Leo?” Nonetheless, he remained so steadfastly on the side of “She has done nothing wrong and let’s wait for the tribunal, before judging her!”

The trouble was, that Leo’s pantomime Dames were also told, in no uncertain terms, to get behind their Tánaiste. “They’re behind you!” The spin was “Innocent until proved guilty.” Then more and more, leaked emails started to appear. Evidence against the Minister was mounting, indications being that Frances knew more about the shenanigans surrounding Maurice McCabe, than she was willing to tell the Dáil. Had she convinced Leo, she was no Panto Baddie, no Wicked Witch?

Pressure mounted on ALL concerned, nobody wanted a pre-Christmas election. The hustings were awash with threats of rebellion. There was no festive cheer. The door knocking over the 12 Days of Christmas, was without doubt, going to be a complete and utter disaster. It would be an election date of infamy.

Joy of joys. Two Tuesdays ago Frances did the honourable thing and tendered her resignation, at the very, very, very last minute. Talk about leaving it late. She took the Government and the country right to the wire.

There must have been terms and conditions attached?

Sure enough, only a few hours later, the now ex-Minister and ex-Tánaiste received the full backing of her party. She stood for and was nominated, as the FG candidate for the next general election in her Dublin Mid West constituency. I have no doubt that a future ministerial role has been pencilled in, if FG are returned to govern.

Scroll forward a few days and on Thursday 30^th November, Scotland’s St.Andrew’s Day, Minister Simon Coveney, can’t believe his luck. Accepting the position of Tánaiste with alacrity. Have absolutely no doubt, he has attached his very own “Ts and Cs” to keep FG and FF happy. Will we see a third budget, as promised in the Confidence and Supply Agreement? “Oh yes we will!” Well, only time will tell.

 

Then out of the blue, the terms of reference are announced, by Minister Simon Harris, for the National Review of Specialist Cardiac Services. We’d rub our magic lamp and Waterford’s Lotto numbers would come up. We’d scoop the Euro Millions jackpot. Professor Nolan would lead the review that would once and for all, deliver the South East’s cardiac services.

Alas, yet another false dawn, I am afraid.

The terms of reference, are once again, comical, laughable, and even “Wishy-Washy”. They are quite evidently worthy lines for a pantomime Dame. “Oh NO they’re NOT!” the Government shout. “Oh YES they are!” we shout back.

An unbelievably long, drawn-out timescale of 12 to 18 months. Hello, we might all be dead, by the time the report comes back to Minister Harris! At least the can has been well and truly kicked down the road, for the next Government to fight Waterford.

Then, we see the now obligatory photo shoot, appearing all over social media. Now, don’t get me wrong. I am sure that some, maybe even all, are trying very hard to deliver our very basic health service rights. But when you see only three TDs pictured with the Minister, is it any wonder that this South East “Crisis”, is seen by those in the Dáil as wholly Waterford’s conundrum?

Could I produce a few more TDs from behind the Minister? “Abracadabra”, I shouted, but without my magic lamp to rub, no more appeared.

There are 158 TDs in the Dáil, yet only 3 turned up for the launch picture. That represents less than 2% of the total number seated in Dublin. If all 19 regional representatives had shown up, that would have increased the proportion to 12%!!!!

Or to put it another way. I win €1,000,000 on the Lotto and offer a lucky reader the chance to get 2% or 12% of these winnings. €20,000 or €120,000 – what would you choose????

Percentages matter in Irish politics. It’s very simple. The bigger representation you have, the greater the slice of the pie - Ts and Cs always apply. 

“Just where were ALL the people?”

"When the socks you wear have priority over lives!"

A “BIG, BIG” well done to ALL the people from Waterford, Wexford, Tipp, Kilkenny and the wider South East region, who ventured by car, bus and train, to the Dáil last Tuesday, the 4^th of July. This was certainly not our “Independence Day”.

To those who had to take timeout from family holiday activities, booked a day’s annual leave and rearranged meeting appointments to travel to Dublin – “I salute each and every one of you!” The most precious time we can give to any cause is our own free time. To give this up for the benefit of others, is a very special commitment and sacrifice that so few, in reality, are really willing to make.

I would estimate that around 200 people gathered for 1 o’clock, outside Leinster House’s imposing black wrought iron gates. To be met by a few keepers of the peace, who were obviously expecting us. Thankfully, they seemed in good spirits. Happily, no water protest aggression shown to the people of the South East.

Those who took time to count the attendees on the 4^th of July, would find the numbers disappointingly low, very, very low. To be honest, appalling low and therefore relatively insignificant to Messrs Varadkar and Harris!

Waterford County’s population, according to the 2016 Census, is circa 116,000 and we saw less than 1% of that number travel to the capital! If you were to calculate attendees, as a representative percentage of the much quoted 500,000 people across the wider South East region, calculators would cough in embarrassment at the answer they spat out!

If we are being candid, to ourselves, in the cold light of day, we have to ask ourselves, “Just where were ALL the people?”

We know only far too well, that marches in Waterford City are very well attended. Seemingly getting very little constructive reaction from the corridors of power, in the Dáil. This was our - “One chance, just one chance...”, in the words of Mel Gibson, to show our Dublin centric leaders, that we must be taken seriously on the issue of 24/7 cardio care.

Where were ALL the social media keyboard warriors, who regularly contribute to posts on the various representative pages? Those people, who are so vociferous in their condemnation of the way we are being treated, had no voice on Tuesday 4^th July. They simply could not be bothered to make the extra effort and travel to Dublin to be one of the faces in our protest rally. Those anonymous champions are championing what? Judging by numbers, they are NOT supporting the 24/7 cardio care!

I spoke to lots of people, who were in attendance and whilst many put on a brave face, you could see that they were all disheartened and saddened by such a small representation. The Gardaí were even expecting “Invading hoards”, from Ireland’s Oldest City. They were ready to close off more than just the immediate area outside the Dáil. Adequate resources were on duty to cover disruption to the whole of Kildare Street and probably Molesworth Street.

Sadly, I saw more people and tourists going in and out of the National Museum of Ireland, than protesting on Kildare Street. We truly are the “Quiet County”. Disturbingly, a plethora of opposition TDs, seeking their natural environment in front of a media camera, were promising 24/7 cardio care can be delivered, by them, if in power! Easier to say than to execute!

I have since managed to speak with a few more of the attendees, who made the round trip to Dublin. They ALL said the very same about the very low turnout. Just how deeply dispirited they felt with the inadequacy of the response. Where does the protest go from here? Some even asked where were all the “Hand on Heart”, higher profile celebrates? Their attendance, might have ensured more than the derisory 25 seconds of coverage from RTE.

How are the heroic efforts of these few, perceived by the deadly duo, Varadkar/Harris and sit in the bigger scheme of their health service plans?

Our two protagonists no doubt returned to their “Golden Circle”, to discuss socks, rather than the health of the people of Waterford and the wider South East!!!!!