“Rotten apples – we’ve a barrel full of them!”

“Surprise Surprise”, as Cilla Black would once have said. Leo “The Limelight” Varadkar has with all the Wisdom of Solomon, decided to give his full backing to his embattled, beleaguered, Tánaiste, Minister Frances Fitzgerald. In many ways, he is very quickly becoming our very own version of the “Iron Lady”, Margaret Thatcher. He is very clearly “Not for turning!”

Over the last few days, right across our national media, he has repeated the same mantra, time after time, after time. He will, come hell or high water, not throw out, sack, dismiss, get rid of, abandon, or ask her to resign.

As a result, there has been nothing but incessant talk about a possible general election before Christmas. Come on Leo, we have barely had time to recover from “Trick or Treating”, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Winterval starting and the switching on of our Christmas lights. We were all beginning to feel at lot like Christmas and with one fell swoop, you have with your Scrooge “Bah humbug” attitude, put back the misery in our hearts.

If you follow through with your hard line Maggie Thatcher attitude, you will do nobody any favours. The Irish public do not want another general election and your aides, spin doctors and political advisers MUST be telling you this. Even Santa Claus, is probably writing a letter to you as we speak. You’ll be placed at the VERY TOP of his “Naughty list”, if you continue with this election threat.

I for one, don’t wish to see any politicians this side of Christmas. We want to greet carol singers knocking at our doors and not political activists, pushing regurgitated 2016 fake election promises into our face. The mood of the electorate is no election this side of Santa’s arrival. Yet once again, you seem to be ignoring the wishes of the very people who gave you the keys to the Dáil.

It now transpires, that not only did your besieged Tánaiste ignore an important email, a senior official in her department, also appears to have taken a phone call as a follow up to said email. An email, which was very conveniently forgotten by the Minister, despite the content being the hottest gossip in town.

For sure, we all make mistakes and errors of judgement, however there is a feeling that a select few are now trying to give us the run-around. Are we, the public, once again being treated like the dirt on one’s shoe?  

When this current Government and FG came to power, there were undertakings that favouritism and cronyism would be a thing of the past. That was OLD Irish politics, they said. Then Leo seized power. Grabbing the limelight and promising that there would be open transparency never seen before, in Leinster House. He very quickly rolled back on that pledge. We are now in the midst of a whirlwind of corruption, sticking two fingers up to the people of Ireland.

I am not sure there is ONE good apple in our political barrel.

Our members of the Dáil, are quite clearly prepared to do everything it takes, to greedily grab more power for their own gain. Long gone are the days, when you would throw your hat into the political arena for the betterment of your constituency. It has become more about “What’s in it for me”, rather than how can I make a real difference to the lives of the people of Ireland?

I would quite happily blacken ALL political parties with the same brush. No matter what they say in public, behind closed doors they are all the identical. All from the same malevolent gene pool. Opposition parties promise the earth, moon and stars to be elected. Yet, when and if they get in to power, their election manifesto, turns out to be a wish list, nothing more.

Will we be going to the polls before Rudolph et al, deliver Santa to your chimney, ready to sip his now customary malt whisky or even whiskey? I for one hope not.

I secretly think, that the political glitterati also wish to avoid a GE. Are they perhaps accruing a few more months on office, whilst augmenting their sizeable pensions! 

“Walk on by!”

Just over a week ago Ex Ophelia left these shores to be followed very quickly by the oh so terrifying, storm Brian.

Brian was never a name that, in all honesty, struck fear into any man (sorry Brians of this world)! To me, this name will be forever associated with the BBC children’s, stop animation TV series, “The Magic Roundabout”.

Those of a certain vintage, will recall that the snail in the Trilby hat, was called Brian. He never did anything exciting, or frightening for that matter. Episode after episode, he would do nothing more than wander ever so slowly and aimlessly, around the set and that roundabout. He attempted to dish out the odd piece of advice, but never an angry or cross word was uttered, by “Brian the snail”.

If these weather themed names were to be maintained, then I think that the next few storms should have been called; Coral, Dougal or Dylan and not forgetting Ermintrude, the pink coo! None of these names would strike terror into any human being.

Caroline is the next designated storm for Ireland and the UK. Followed, coincidently enough by a Dylan. I assume not identified with the dozy, lethargic rabbit, from “The Magic Roundabout”? Apparently named, after the real Bob Dylan! There is even an Iona, a Hector, a Larry and a Winifred!!! I doubt there’s a scary forename, amongst this year’s chosen 21.

Is it me or has anyone else noticed, that the storms bearing female specific gender, are more wrathful and angrier than the male counterparts? I know I may have just opened up an astronomic can of worms with this statement, but it does seem so!

In the midst of saying goodbye to one storm and welcoming another, the Government’s post-budget road trip was cancelled last week. On safety advice both Leo and Paschal, quite rightly, chose to park the company jet, save on a wee bit of fuel and leave visiting Waterford City and County until a future date.

There was much excitement in many a local Fine Gael Councillor’s household, with this imminent visit of the two most powerful men in Irish politics. We even heard on thegrapevine, that they were coming to announce securing the circa €61,000,000 for our North Quay development. Alas, we will have to wait just a wee bit longer for this project to get over the line. In the meantime we continue to anticipate and be intrigued by the many other reported developments apparently in the pipeline, supporting this SDZ.

I just hope that these two TDs actually manage to find their way to Waterford. To date, this Government’s record has not been overly encouraging. Let’s face it, we are a priority to neither of these Dublin-Centric power brokers.

No good news on the money front!

But fear not, as we read about Waterford taking the lead in building a tranche of brand new council houses. The work of one Councillor doing another solo run, apparently! Yet our Minister is also claiming credit for this miracle delivery, of 31 new housing units in Waterford City. Read the small print! You’ll see that these have been scheduled, planned, designed and talked about for some significant time. They should have been provided long before even Ex Ophelia appeared.

Red tape and bureaucratic shenanigans, by senior civil servants, conspire to hold this project up. Sounds familiar? Not for the first time we have had to wait for someone else to line up his or her ducks.

Building council houses on Local Authority owned land has to be a simple, quick process, doesn’t it? By all accounts it’s not. There are many, many hoops to jump through. Why does everything have to be sooooo complicated? Can we not just make the right decisions and deliver on the “Programme for Government”?

Ex Ophelia and Brian have walked right on by Waterford, en route to another destination. They came promising so much and gave us a very small insight into the dormant power of nature. I am sure that they’ve both left plenty in the tank.

Will we get as excited when Leo and Paschal next storm into our City? I leave that for you to consider, dear readers.

A colourful City?

At the time of writing, Minister Pascal "Use the Force" Luke Donohoe, would have been polishing the finer points of his 2018 Fine Gael Budget.

After being “Anointed” in June this year, to Leo’s Cabinet, as Minister of Finance, his wee primary school abacus has been dusted down and no doubt, never worked so hard. As TD after TD has demanded that their very own field of green deserves much, much more than their nearest neighbour.

There is NO sense of teamwork. Friendships are completely forgotten. Camaraderie goes out the window when budget time comes around. It is dog eat dog in the halls of power, in Leinster House.

I grant you, it is slightly more complicated this year, with the thin bonds holding this Government together. The sticking plaster is under tremendous strain, or so the spin would like you to believe. Yet, at the end of the day there is really very little between our two “Centre, right, left” parties and neither is going to step down from the seat of power just yet. There are deadlines to reach, in terms of securing pension rights, pay rises to accept and the feeling is that our next election may well be pushed out to 2019.

Just who, from Waterford, has been battering down the door to the Minister’s office in Upper Merrion Street? We have suspiciously heard very little from our two sitting Government TDs. You have to wonder just which side they’re batting for?

The jungle drums are beating out messages, telling us that the likes of our neighbouring Teflon TD, is working miracles for his Tipp constituents. Kilkenny’s new boy on the block, is steamrolling yet more investment into his county, to make up for the disappointment of their hurlers!

All around this wee green isle, deals were being done and papers signed, to advance parish pump politics. Something our elected few seem particularly bad at. We know the game plan, but just like some of our soccer teams, we find it impossible to stick to. When we need a “Plan B”, well, it is simply not there. Good in practice but poor in execution. “He talks a good game”, could be our political mantra.

Will Waterford be any better off once all the dust has settled on Budget Day 2018? Will the granny knot on Pascal’s purse strings be untied, affording Waterford much needed exchequer funding. Improving our access infrastructure, starting the North Quays, giving the South East proper cardiac care and delivering a REAL university for our region......I am not so sure.

Printed words will promise the earth, moon and stars, however I fear much of the same old, same old rhetoric. We have for far too long, been used to reading paragraph after paragraph of waffle. Commitment with absolutely NO substance, in how Waterford will likely benefit from the remote decisions being made, on our behalf, in the Dáil?

Don’t hold your breath! We are once again bottom of the pecking order and have been thrown the odd crumb or two. When will we ever get the chance to order, once again, from the à la carte menu?

My spirits were lifted on Sunday, despite this concerning backdrop. Once again I was involved in stewarding for the Solas Cancer Support Centre Run and Walk for Life. Having been Chair of the organising committee for the last two years, I was delighted to see the new committee run the most successful event to date.

The 5-mile walk, introduced in my first year as Chair of the RWFL in 2015, has as expected grown exponentially and has now become the main stay of the event. Well over 2,000 people took part in this the third walk. This annual event may now have become the biggest participatory event in Waterford.

A spectacular and solid sea of orange could be witnessed along The Quay and up The Mall.

Once again, I managed to get hold of a loud hailer. I positioned myself on the corner of John’s Street to bark, Sherk-like, instructions, to the runners and walkers. Then, I found myself balance on my push bike, cycling alongside the walkers, using the hailer to shout encouragement.

“Only 4-miles to go!” may well be my new calling card. 

Who remembers THAT letter? “What letter?” I hear you cry!

In May last year, I wrote about a certain Neville Chamberlain’s political faux pas, which defined his office as Prime Minister of “Blighty”. On the 30^th September 1938, after a meeting with Chancellor Adolf Hitler, Chamberlain returned to England, via Heston Airport. He exited his “Corporate jet” waving a letter from his now BFF, announcing that there would be, “Peace for our time.”

Chamberlain, in those few brief minutes, was claiming that he had singlehandedly stopped the prospect of Armageddon. He had prevented World War II.

Scroll forward just under twelve months, to the 1^st September 1939, which we now recognise as the “Official start date” of WWII. For all Chamberlain’s letter waving and pontificating, there was no substance to Chancellor Hitler’s letter. In fact we now know, that the letter was used to stall for time, to allowing Germany to build even bigger military forces. More disturbingly, this hand typed A4 piece of embossed paper, meant that the European powers could “Legitimately” stand back, empowering Germany to make some significant land grabs.

Recorded history is a great reference point and I would advocate that we all every now and again, dip into it to see the journey we have taken.

On 6^th May 2016 we, particularly in Waterford, became very excited about a similar piece of correspondence. A letter from the then Minister of Finance, Michael Noonan TD, was waved to us, by our own Junior Minister Halligan. This declared that a second Catheterisation Laboratory had now been signed, sealed and delivered for Waterford and the wider South East. The funding and building of the second laboratory was cast in stone. Written into that mythological document, “The Programme for Government”. Fine Gael, supported by a few Independent TDs, would construct our Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

We should have been very wary of such claims and promises. History has taught us to be cautious of people waving letters. But then again we somehow choose to learn so very little from our immediate past.

“Subject to a favourable recommendation from an independent clinical review of the needs of the region....” in the first paragraph of the Minister’s letter. This should have set alarm bells ringing. We were told that this review was merely a formality. Boy were we sold a banana boat with no paddle!

14 months later and we are in reality, no further forward. We’ve yet to see foundations being dug to build a Catheterisation Laboratory. This would give us access to the very basic rights to appropriate emergency care.

The political fudge, to appease the Waterford/SE hordes, was to provide a mobile laboratory. This too was also given lots and lots of PR spin. Yet many, many weeks have passed since this unit was supposed to find its way to Waterford, for the month of June. We are led to believe that September is now the promised landing date for this unit – maybe we should club together and buy Minister Harris a sat nav?

What is for sure is that Fine Gael, with its Independent Alliance support foundations, could sign off on the procurement, build and delivery of a Catheterisation Laboratory for Waterford and the South East, at the stroke of a pen! Far too many do not see Waterford and the SE as a priority, certainly Leo and Simon don’t.

There is, in all honesty, NO need for people to be asking for other parties to threaten this and threaten that, if the lab is not delivered. Let’s face it, the opposition parties are only interested in getting into power and not bringing down a Government. Asking the people to vote at another GE is not on the cards. There is NO appetite for this type of political revolt. Anyway, we only have two opposition TDs in Waterford, so in the Number’s Game, we’re zero/zilch!

OUR issue is that we need politicians who are prepared to box clever, whilst driving OUR agenda. We need people in power, representing us, who can forge alliances and work the dark, dingy corridors of power in the Dail.

OUR Political talent pool is just too small to make any real difference. Maybe next time around?

“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!!!!!

Help float our boats on this rising tide!

Believe it or not, it has been over one year since we last went to the ballot box to vote in the 2016 general election. 403 days have passed, when we all trouped in damp wet conditions, into our local polling station. We were filled with the promise of new politics and a new dawn for Waterford City and County. There was much trumpeting across the local airwaves and all forms of social media. Alight with candidates promising to fix our woes. The theme running throughout most of the campaigning, was that “I” can get Waterford back into the premier league of Irish cities.

It was with excited hearts that we placed our mark onto the ballot papers. I know that many a first time youthful voter, countless having registered to vote in the same sex marriage referendum, were looking for a “New Politics”. Our elected representatives would hopefully deliver exactly what they said on the tin – just like that decking varnish we annually spread on the wood in the corner of our gardens.

When all the dust had settled, we had two new and two returning politicians, making their way to the Dáil. To a man and a dog, we had entrusted our votes to our elected representatives to deliver for Waterford. The Proportional Representation system we use, pretty much ensures that people can, in reality, vote for every elected TD. I am sure that people who gave John Halligan a first preference, would have voted for David Cullinane and a vote for Mary Butler, may also have sneaked a second preference for, dare I say another closely related political party? But of course nobody will openly admit to this close “Vote sharing”, or “Strategic voting”, which does happen. Consequently, we are all in part responsible, for what we the circa 52,000 voters, elected to the Dáil on 26^th February 2016.

So, one year on from the last GE and we are still waiting for that hot political potato, which is the second Catheterisation Laboratory to come to University Hospital Waterford. The promised report was delivered and the findings were the polar opposite, of what we were lead to believe was merely a formality, a done deal! Back to square one. But there was light at the end of the tunnel. We would get an interim mobile Cath Lab delivered to Waterford City, to service our unacceptable waiting list numbers. Even this mobile unit has failed to materialise and appears to be wandering aimlessly around Ireland looking for Waterford City, its new temporary home.

Maybe we can borrow this one!

Our regional airport, which has not seen any commercial flights since last summer, was also apparently, promised revenue for the much needed and long awaited runway extension. This would ensure its future viability and a capability to fly small jet engine passenger planes to the UK and further afield to European destinations. This too seems to have been put on the very back burner and with Minister Ross currently up to his elbows in ever escalating industrial discontent. We may never see in the near future a positive resolution to our airport’s woes.

What of our Technological University status for WIT? The insistence of a merger with Carlow, is simply allowing other regions to get ahead of us and possibly scupper our plans to develop our third level offering. Drive passed Carlow IT and you will see that they are expanding and expanding. With lots of new buildings and hoardings, stating regional “University” status will be with them soon.

These three; UHW, our Airport and Technological University status, are still game changers for Waterford and the greater South East region. Without these, are we really going to get our fair share of future development? I read a recent report, which stated there is a very real possibility that 60%-70% of jobs, and therefore the population, could migrate to the Greater D-region in the next number of years.

Our recent good news story, of the €300,000,000 investment, will help our profile and create more interest in Waterford. But to raise all our boats, on this rising tide we need our elected to remove some more ballast.

Bun fight across the Oireachtas bar!

No need for us to anticipate the proposed, Conor McGregor ‘v’ Nate Diaz, rematch in that rather strange sport of UFC. Or the fact a possible Conor McGregor ‘v’ Floyd Mayweather, carnival boxing match, is being considered and was further reported on, over the weekend.

As we here in Waterford, now appear to have the prospect of watching Coffey ‘v’ Deasy, in the run up to the next general election. The two local Fine Gael politicians appear to be squaring up over a number of issues, with the University Hospital Waterford being the main fight topic on the card.

We have known for some time now, that Mr Deasy is well and truly playing the same hand of cards as Minister Harris and standing by the flawed Herity Report. In fact, they have been singing from the same hymn sheet for a number of months. Specifically, in relation to the provision of equality in our South East health service.

Well, it now appears, that from the corridors of the Seanad Éireann, Mr Coffey is starting to shout just a wee bit louder on this subject than his FG colleague. Now that I think, is a good thing. But we have to ask why this was not done a few years ago when Mr Coffey was in fact a Junior Minister, in Government?

When we had the much trumpeted Higgins Report, (I know, we have so many reports lying around we could actually build a wall in Kilkenny!) did our then TDs not act upon the very clear findings by Higgins? Immediately implementing the necessary changes to our health service, for the betterment of all citizens of the South East? All the recommendations were apparently there, in black and white, in the last “Programme for Government”? But alas, like so many other Waterford promises, these were not written in indelible ink! Quite clearly, all matters Waterford seem to be written in pencil, easily erased at the behest of others.

With FG beginning to fight internally, on Kildare Street, they are obviously concerned about the possibility of ever returning back to a two seat constituency, here in Waterford. So the battle lines have been drawn. The first shots across the bow have been fired. But will this very public spat actually benefit the campaign to secure our basic right to adequate health provision out of UHW?

The answer I fear will be no!

It does appear that come election time, we all conveniently forget what has happened over the past 2, 3 or 4 years. Yet we recall the day, which came out of the melting pot, having kicked the neighbours out of Ireland and the subsequent formation of the two main current political parties – namely FF and FG.

Old habits certainly die hard when it comes to putting a number against the ballot paper. We seem to conveniently forget past atrocities and vote the same old way. The last election proved this point and come the next election, will we really vote on the basis of what we read and feel today, in this moment?

The spat between our two FG heavyweights, will bring many column inches to local newspapers, but very few to a national level. Political posturing is akin to the Peacock flashing his wonderful tail feathers, to attract a Peahen into his harem. Not all are fooled.

As a few more regional TDs join our campaign, this will further highlight the deficiencies in those unwilling to support, what should be rightfully be in place here in Waterford, benefitting of the whole region.

Our mobile catheterization laboratory is apparently so mobile, that no knows where it is and when it might actually get round to visiting Waterford. Maybe, Mr Coffey could give Minister Harris these GPS co-ordinates of the hospital, 52.2486° N, 7.0781° W, so that they can be passed to the appropriate Department!

The real fight will of course not live up to the hype, as Mr Deasy will continue his radio silence on all matters Waterford.

Come the next knock at your door, remember the immediate past!

Shhhh – have we all gone too quiet!!

I am quite sure that the powers that be, in their Dublin bastion, know that all political momentum has a lifespan!

Sooner or later the drive, enthusiasm and determination, initiated maybe by an awkward political question, will dissipate and in no time at all we will have moved on to another issue. This is undoubtedly what seems to be happening with our Waterford problems.

We have yet to secure our place, metaphorically speaking, as the awkward elephant in the corner of each and every parliamentary meeting room.

Our sheer revulsion at the shenanigans, currently going on in the Department of Health and the HSE, around the life and death issues in University Hospital Waterford, seem to be falling on too many deaf ears.

On this subject there is absolutely no doubt, that in the halls of power, we have no voice. The issue of a 90 minute drive to a safe operating table, is clearly being lost. All subject matters cardiac, for the South East, are seen purely as Waterford’s problems. There has been no expansion of the issue, to include the wider region.

I can guarantee that there have been very few column inches, if any, in the likes of Tipperary, Wexford, Gorey, Kilkenny... and so on. Dublin know this, from their TDs on the ground and as they feel no pressure, from their own electorate, they are doing very little to come up with the right solution. The whole matter around UHW needs to become THE political hot potato for the South East region. TDs across Waterford, Wexford, Tipperary etc need to fear for their cosy political armchairs in Dublin. They need to be aware that the very people who put them in the Dáil, want cardiac cover that will save their lives, if called upon.

 

There will be many who do not wish to see this issue become politicised. Well it has gone down that route and now, a truly regional voice needs to sing as one. Each and every TD across the region needs to act our behalf.

The stark reality is, that if you suffer a heart attack and have to be transported by an ambulance to Cork or Dublin, you have a 90 minute window or you die!

Maybe this is the message we need to get out to the people of Wexford, Tipperary, Kilkenny...and so on. A few years ago, when there was the very real threat of Rescue 117 being moved from Waterford, people power across the whole South East region secured the service at Waterford Airport. The message was simple – be rescued by the 117 crew, out of Waterford airport, or you drown!

People were galvanised by this messaging. It was stark, brutal, simple and to the point. Everyone understood what was needed and TDs feared for their seats, if the service was not secured for the South East region. People power won this argument as a regional and not a Waterford issue.

Are we seeing the very same weak messaging, regarding the University status for WIT/Carlow, the airport runway extension, the money for the SDZ on the north quay and so on? I would say “YES!” We have not yet stimulated the latent “People Power,” that argument is clearly simmering away underneath the surface.

How we unlock this, is the key to the region getting what every other region has, namely – adequate cardiac cover, a university, real regional investment, IDA driven FDI (not just visits) and real political influence.

We seem to be rather diffident when asking for what is ultimately, the same as every other citizen in Ireland. Do we not all pay the same taxes? Do we not all contribute equally to our societal environment? Well as far as I am aware we do.

We are very poor about shouting in a positive manner here in Waterford. We must be prepared to work as a region to deliver for everyone.

Sometimes in life, you have to be prepared to shout louder than those around you. To do this you need to be equipped to stand on the parapet. 

Programme for Government OR Room 101?

Remember this?

Room 101 originated as a BBC Radio Five programme in the early nineties and was hosted by the comedian Nick Hancock. The concept eventually moved to mainstream BBC Television and the show is currently being hosted by comedian Frank Skinner. There are also the endless repeats being shown on a “continuous loop” on the satellite channel Dave.

Room 101 was of course inspired by the novel “Nineteen Eighty-Four”, author George Orwell, where ALL the worst things in the World would be gathered, placed and forgotten.

The current BBC series allows us to view an endless stream of celebrates, in a panel of three, placing all manner of objects, themes, ideas, people etc into Room 101, having discussed the merits for inclusion with host Frank Skinner. As a “dip-in viewer” I have often wished that Skinner had placed all three celebrates into Room 101!

Over the years there has been an eclectic mix of “things” that have ended up in Room 101 including; the FA Cup, Postman Pat, Ferrero Rocher, Margaret Thatcher, cyclists, golf, novelty underpants, hangovers, moths and even poor old Bono!

Clearly then, Room 101 has become synonymous with somewhere to place “things” that clearly do not matter to you, me and our TDs.

I have a sense that the new Programme for Government will become Ireland’s very own Room 101!

There has been great interest in the new Government’s minestrone soup of a Programme for Government, which can be viewed on the good old interweb, through various sources. This huge 155 page document, aptly titled “A Programme for a Partnership Government” outlines ALL and I mean ALL of the proposed plans that will be carried out during the term of this 32^nd Government.

In realty this is just a big wish list or our TDs equivalent of a Dear Santa letter!

Sarah's cats.

I recall a meeting in the Granville Hotel many, many years ago when I was CEO of Waterford Chamber. The event’s Top Table was Enda Kenny and a young (younger) Simon Coveney, with George Lee conducting the proceedings. You will recall that George Lee was trumpeted by FG as the new kid on the block, the new face of FG’s Irish politics and would be the man to shape the future of FG economic policy to ensure stability and drive the country’s recovery!

In the end the dinosaur that is Irish party politics made him resign; “For the last nine months I've done my best to have an influence on that (FG economic policy), but I have to confess that I have virtually no influence, no input whatsoever.”

At this meeting we were promised in FG’s Programme for Government, should they be elected in 2011 to the 31^st Dáil, that amongst other “things”, Waterford Hospital would be suitably resourced and funded as a regional hospital, Waterford Institute of Technology would get “University” status, the south east would be supported for economic development etc etc.

In reality ALL of these promises were nothing but election husting’s spin and when push came to shove everything that was promised for Waterford was literally dumped into Room 101!

I fear that we are yet again reliving that Groundhog Day, and strangely enough the same people are promising to deliver for Waterford, yet their track recording in doing this is, well to be polite, diabolical! Yes, we have had some small wins, and these have been small wins, but the big ticket items have just not been delivered.

Who would you put in Room 101?

Proof that this Government is NOT serious about delivering for Waterford and the South East is the complete and utter lack of a FULL ministerial role for a south east TD. The last ministerial portfolio for Waterford was Cullen and our current crop of TDs are not even making the team sheet.

Rest assured that our Dublin centric TDs are lining up plenty of entries for Waterford and the south east for Room 101 – I just hope that our big ticket items do not end up back in there once again!

A Political Disaster-Class!

Is it just me or is anyone else shocked, annoyed, p@#$*d off and distinctly uncomfortable with the delay in forming a new Government? Was the election not seven weeks ago and yet we are still waiting to hear and read about the make-up of the next Dáil?

We all know that the wheels of Government tend to turn very, very slowly, but they appear not to be moving at all on the important issue of actually governing this country. It just goes to prove that the Humphreys of this world, which so famously amused us during the early eighties in the UK sitcom “Yes Minister”, are the people actually running this country.

Despite no Government, at the time of writing this article, this country continues to run and function efficiently enough. We have not yet turned into a lawless anarchistic state with angry hordes taking to the streets to demonise our political class thus begging the question just what have our newly elected representatives been doing for the last seven weeks?

Have we the tax payer just been subsidising one big Dublin shindig?

Is this not a clear case of demonstrating just how unproductive the political system is in Ireland? Were we to benchmark the productivity over the last seven weeks I am quite sure that the outcomes would not make good reading. Businesses and employees are constantly being told to be more productive, be more streamlined and yet the very people championing this mantra are themselves not practising what they preach. Never have I witnessed such ineptitude and incompetence.

Does it really take seven weeks to get round a table, bash a few heads together, forget historic playground jibes and “barter a better deal for the people for Ireland?”

Of course it should not.

The people, on 26^th February, gave a mandate for a new type of political representation and yet those elected seem to have forgotten this and now seem to be once again ploughing their own furrow for the betterment of who? There was just one chance to sweep the political map clean and start afresh? But we are back once again to sweeping the same dirt round and round the room.

Being openly pro all things Waterford, these delays are not doing our City, County and the greater South East any good what so ever. The longer the negotiations, (or should that read child’s play?), go on, the more and more we lose focus, on the very issues that need to be fixed to get us back to some sort of viable economic stability.

Wander around our City on a Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and even a Thursday and you will see very few people out spending money in our retail heart. We are still in that third tier of Ireland’s economic recovery and our disposable income is one of the lowest in the country. This elephant in our room will not go away and longer the procrastinations and childish bickering that goes on in Dublin the more our economic issues will fade as a distant election manifesto memory.

So who should we blame for the delay in getting on with governing? Well, I would blame ALL politicians for not sorting this mess out. People need to swallow their pride and find a solution that suits the county and not a solution that suits the politicians.

 

I wonder if we paid our politicians based on results, actions, productivity and delivery would we be in a different place? I do not know of any business or organisation for that matter, that would pay staff for what has in actuality been seven weeks of inactivity and downtime!

Finally, I must say that our TD’s are all looking extremely smart, save one or two exceptions, with new suits, perfect hair, and new gunas, on that satellite channel Oireachtas TV. Clearly, they have been spending their time wisely, seeking the advice of Gok Wan.

Though some have evidently engaged Trinny and Susannah for styling tips!

Does my bum look big in this?

The #GE16 button has now well and truly been pushed and as we now countdown the days to polling day, 26^th February, we have already seen our streetscape change and alter with the plethora of election posters proliferating every lamppost and telegraph pole across the City and County.

Despite the best efforts of storm Imogen to blow these posters from the poles and posts, over the last week, most have managed to cling on due to the wonders of the modern day cable tie, which obviously has amazing tensile strength.

Having observed the many posters and leaflets, that have started filling up my letter box, I started to consider if the candidates “on offer/for sale” actually fit the party they are supporting and standing for.

For example you will know what I am implying when you see a picture of a friend or family member with their pet and you start to see similarities in looks and there are many examples of people posting pictures on social media and they look exactly like their pet!

It is uncanny that some people and their pets are a perfect match and I started to wonder if this was the case with candidates and their political parties.

Nickel mining.

This got me thinking if our #GE16 election candidates actually mirror their party and vice versa, basically do they do exactly what it says on the tin?

For example, if we have a candidate who is promoting an eco-friendly all things green ethos, does said candidate travel around the City and County, electioneering, on a bicycle or perhaps they might have one of those Nissan Leaf cars that is promoted as being Polar Bear and Penguin friendly. But in reality the energy and technologies needed to actually produce the car in the first place are in fact far from eco-friendly. I would find it hard to give such a candidate a vote if in fact they did not practice what they are preaching and could be seen driving around in V8 petrol Range Rover.

I suppose that we all need to listen to what our candidates are advocating and decipher whether or not they are actually practising their pulpit ramblings and electioneering husting promises.

Those candidates on the right that are promoting a business agenda, job creation and a commercial recovery under their party manifesto, which in all honesty is a book of pipedreams and fairytales, do they have any track record in creating, developing and nurturing a business?

Unless you have been in the extremely stressful position where you have to actually generate €10 in sales to make €1 to spend you will have absolutely no idea just how hard it is to succeed or fail in business. If your role in life and specifically your salary is not dependent on actually making your own money to live off then how can you possibly be in a space that relates to a business specific mantra.

Alternatively, those candidates on the left hand side of the centre line, who are championing Citizen Smith’s “power to the people” politics, are certainty not in the same space as many of the electorate they are proposing to support. After all how can you possibly be in that space when your Dáil salary will be circa €87,000 and average annual expenses available could be as much as €34,000 (net) and then there are other allowances on top of this to add to the gravy train.

Who bought one of these?

It is all very well that these candidates are talking about cutting this and cutting that but I do not see many of these people offering to accept the average industrial wage or in fact a living wage! And I do not know how many of us also get paid to travel to and from work, so why are such large and excessive expenses needed as well?

So to come back to “does my bum look big in this”? I do think that we have to look at what is on offer and ask ourselves if any of the candidates essentially match the politics being championed. 

If you have to question this then maybe you will have to look elsewhere.