Hi ho, hi ho it’s off to....North Korea!!!!

Much of the news last week, focused on the announcement that three Irish TDs would be paying a visit to the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK). North Korea to you and me. 

Yes, that madcap totalitarian dictatorship, run by their supreme leader Kim Jong-un, will be visited by Ireland’s “Three Stooges”. Messers Ross, McGarth and Waterford’s very own Minister Halligan, will fly out, at their own expense, to the capital Pyongyang, we assume. To stop, in their own words, “The inevitable move towards war with the good old USA”.

This amazing story began last week. Just like many people, I immediately checked my phone, when I first read this, to see if it was the 1^st of April. I also checked that this was not a Waterford Whispers news story. Lastly, I even went online to look up The Daily Mail, that font of knowledge for ALL spoof news stories. Low and behold the oracles told me, that this was actually true!

This was not fake news, but a real and current, national news story. A letter has been penned and sent by Minister Halligan, requesting that this parliamentary Troika be allowed permission to visit DPRK. We can also assume that they have requested a meeting with Kim Jong-un, otherwise that whole junket, would of course be a waste of time. After all, you don’t ask the monkey to play you a tune on the organ – do you?

The justification for this visit is that “Larry, Moe and Curly” are, “a group of three prominent politicians in a country highly-respected around the world for its neutrality.” That’s a fair enough statement, but the word neutrality, can be very loosely defined these days, depending on which side of the fence you sit!

 

I would also be pretty sure, that Kim Jong-un’s school lessons, did not have so much as a sentence about Ireland’s standing as a world powerhouse, when covering global history. One could even hazard a guess that Kim could not point to Ireland on a world map. Much the same as many people wouldn’t have a clue where the DPRK sits, between the Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan.

The thought that this Troika could do any good on the world stage just beggars belief. Does it not show contempt, for the very people of Ireland who voted these three into power? For “Huey, Louie and Dewey” to think that they represent some kind of World Peace Brokers, is delusional beyond anyone’s imagination.

Donald the Trump, is hell bent on giving Kim the bloodiest of noses. He has even taken his golf bats with him, to help relieve the monotony of his marathon tour of Asia. He’ll be visiting Japan, China, Vietnam, Philippines and South Korea. Do our three, secretly living, in their own wee world, see themselves on a par with other world leaders, never mind other politicians? It would appear that they do, which is worrying for us, their electorate.

Whilst our “Three Amigos” are plotting and scheming to save “Who?” from the El Guapo character, we are left wondering why they are so willing to apparently disregard their own people.

There are far too many pressing problems in Ireland and Waterford to list in this wee column. Currently there are 8,000 homeless people, with 3,000 of these being children. NO Cath Lab in Waterford City, to service the 500,000 people across the South East. University status for WIT appears further away than ever. REAL regional development is nonexistent. A skills shortage, in key industrial areas, that has been endemic for years. I could go on and on.

We have far too many current issues that these “City Slickers” need to tackle right here, right now. To think that they believe they are doing us a favour by going East, has all the makings of a slapstick film. I can see comedy writers bashing out scripts as we speak, on their Apple Macs.

Even if in some parallel universe, they succeed in getting an audience with Kim, they will NEVER get to see the “maniac” Donald. They quite happily burned that bridge last year!

Maybe they’ll meet the “Stay Puft Marshmallow Man” next?

It’s “Oh So Quiet!”

“Sssh, sssh, it’s oh so quiet....sssh, sssh and so peaceful until...” are the words from the first verse of that wonderfully weird, Icelandic singer Bjork’s, 1995 song. A year I remember very, very well. This was the year I would marry an Irish lassie and through the fickle fate of fortune, ultimately end up living here, in Waterford City. Settling with my young family, in January 2001 and I have no intention of moving on.

My during my time to date in Waterford there have been a number of issues constantly courting media attention. Cementing Waterford City as the economic gateway to the South East. Delivering University status for the WIT and not may I add to this argument not a fudged “Technological” status. The full Scotch Bonnet chilli version, with ALL the associated kudos. More importantly, with the necessary funding bells and whistles. Giving our youth the very same third level opportunities to enrol at a REAL university, just like the other four cities in Ireland. A regional hospital which provides “Adequate” services for the half a million population in the region. Finally, our fare share of IDA Foreign Direct Investment into Waterford, to service our economy.

The recently published statistics, by the IDA themselves, detailing activity for 2017 are inexcusable and indefensible. Only “Four”, yes “4”, visits in the first six months of this year! Quite clearly we need to work harder on our visibility. Not only did our NHS mobile catheterisation laboratory struggle to find us, but the IDA is now having trouble pinpointing Waterford on an Ordnance Survey map.

If Ireland Inc’s economic recovery is “Well underway”, according to Leo, it’s incomprehensible that Waterford has received only 0.016% of total potential FDI visits. Why is our Government Minister and absent TD, not screaming and shouting about this s*”@e statistic?

My calculator actually coughed with embarrassment, when trying to work out such a low, low percentage! No matter how much spin you put on this figure, it must indisputably show that Waterford is being ignored and quite literally wiped off the map, in terms of REAL regional development.

Yet, it is against this myopic back drop, we are seeing Local Property Tax to be increased by 2.5 % in 2018. The suggested proposal was 10%!!!! Commercial Rates will likely face a significant increase, in the forthcoming final Council budgetary meetings. Where are the people living who are making theses decision on our behalf? Are they living in such a cosseted, cocooned financial bubble that increases are irrelevant, given their own financial circumstances? 

Last week I wrote about the Council’s very own Indecon Report. This delivered an irrefutable argument for central exchequer funding, for our Strategic Development Zone on the North Quays. This report outlined just how tough our current economic circumstances are. When you add in the lack of IDA interest in Waterford, is it any wonder that our fragile economic recovery is miles behind the rest of Ireland? It cannot come as any surprise, that we have some of the lowest disposable incomes of any of the regions.

Yet, we constantly allow others to take more and more of our hard earned cash from our pockets, without as much as a whimper!

Lots of people are shocked and annoyed about having to pay more LPT and many have told me this is the case. Has anyone actually contacted their local Councillor and asked them “Why my LPT is going up?” “What is the increase actually paying for?” I am sure we would all, albeit reluctantly, pay a little bit more if this would ensure better services, better roads, better footpaths etc. Is that what this increase is essentially paying for? Are there not indications that all these budgetary lines are remaining the same, as in 2017?

 

Last week, we also saw the release of the much lauded National Planning Framework document, showing many new key performance indicators for Waterford. Regrettably, the language used, is once again far too vague on delivery. I for one, won’t be holding my breath, awaiting these miracles, for I’d surely suffocate!

Our perplexing ability, not to question so many of these issues, ensures that we will continue to remain on the bottom rung of the funding ladder.

There are indeed mysterious forces at work!

No sooner had we just started to get over our team’s, oh so close All-Ireland hurling final exploits, when along comes another magnificent sporting success. Waterford FC, are promoted back to their rightful place in the Irish Premier League. A very significant achievement in the Blues chequered history. All the more remarkable when you consider that the team have had to drag themselves from the gutter of the lower echelons of first division football.

The new owner and assembled backroom team, have undoubtedly worked miracles, in an incredibly short period of time. Akin, perhaps, to seeing a Leprechaun’s Pot of Gold!

To take the disaster left by the previous manager, turning this around into a championship winning team, is nothing short of miraculous. Yes, significant money was injected into the club, but that’s precisely what was needed, to be fair. That speculation has now paid off handsomely. We can expectantly assume that additional investment will be forthcoming to get Waterford back to competing in some form of European football. Despite some social media soccer lovies criticising said spend, just how else was this Waterford club to climb the league ladder?

For those, such as John O’Sullivan and Paul Cleary, who have had to endure the toughest of times, may they and many others enjoy the celebrations. Then start looking forward to top flight football next season.

I have said for many years that for Waterford to succeed commercially, we would also need sporting success, running in tandem. It would appear that we have reached a turning point in Waterford’s hurling and soccer stories. There is no mystery as to why this corner has been turned. The hard, hard graft endured during cold Winter’s nights of training under floodlights, is finally beginning to reap suitable rewards.

“You can’t beat live football”, local pundit Matt Keane often reminds us and next year we should have an abundance of top soccer coming to the Regional Sports Centre.

All too often, just as you reach for the summit, you can come back down to earth with an almighty bump. Something that we here in Waterford seem to experience far, far too regularly.

“We giveth in one hand and we taketh away in another!” could easily be the calling card of our current Government, when talking about all things Waterfordian.

Our sporting highs have been overshadowed by what would appear to be yet more bad news looming, in relation to University Hospital Waterford. At the time of writing, according to unsubstantiated reports, our Tipp neighbours may be annexed from our hospital grouping, by those masters of preposterous-piss-poor-planning – the HSE. It looks like mysterious forces have been covertly working away behind closed, barricaded doors in Dublin. One would assume in consultation with Government and appropriate Ministers. Nothing happens in the civil service, without the odd compliant TD here and there, agreeing to “Changes in principle”.

If we are to believe that these changes are afoot, then yet more services will bleed from University Hospital Waterford, leaving us with a hospital that has no regional bias whatsoever. As more and more capacity is removed from UHW, we have to ask ourselves just when is enough ENOUGH? 

Waterford has a Minister and one, almost impossible to spot TD in Government. We have people at the top table and yet we constantly have to climb up Mount Everest unsupported, without crampons or oxygen!!!

Are our Government colleagues prepared to say that they know nothing, nil, faic, zilch of the proposal from the HSE, in relation to Tipp? If they are going to adopt this proposal then we have to ask “Should they not make it their business to know?”

Rest assured Teflon TD Lowry will know exactly what is on the table for his beloved, demanding, adoring constituents.

So once again, according to our pair of, “In power TDs”, there are mysterious forces at work. Prepared to drive yet another nail into our coffin lid. But wait, hold the hammer, did not the South East FG regional Councillors write a letter to “Dear Leo”? Yes, they did and of course that will make all the difference.

I think we have more chance of seeing John’s aliens!

Our catheterisation laboratory is still “Missing In Action!”

As the temperature dropped, quite dramatically in the last couple of days, we left the Summer behind and Autumn began to colour our lives. Not before one last hurrah in Waterford City. Our Harvest Festival celebrated “All things foodie” in this South East region.

The Terra Madre Slow Cook Festival organised, by amongst others Donal Lehane and Donald Sutherland (not the actor), was looking to expand, develop and “Grow to the next level”. I was CEO of Waterford Chamber of Commerce at the time and remember this festival’s origins. I jumped at the chance to bring this fledgling festival under our wing, help nurture it, allowing it to mature into the festival we love and recognise today.

A suitable committee was formed, with great support from Waterford Council. Harvest Festival stretched almost the length of our waterfront quay. One kilometre of food offerings, stalls, entertainment, educational classes, GIY conferences and even a petting zoo. The very best of our region, the “Breadbasket” of Ireland. It was a huge, roaring success, if you can recall and the finest in my opinion. Bringing enormous numbers of people to Waterford City, looking to sample or discover something new, to titillate their taste buds.

It is not only the Harvest Festival that has been a “Last of the Summer Wine” distraction. There were plenty of other events taking place, in and around our county to entertain us.

There has been a diversity of sporting achievements. Our magnificent young (youngish Mr “Brick” Walsh) hurlers’ odyssey to Croke Park and of course Waterford FC chasing promotion back to their rightful place in a Premier League. Lots of charity fundraising events such as the Donal O’Connor Memorial Cycle, the De La Salle GAA annual fundraiser, then last weekend I “Chased a Duck” all over County Waterford!!!!!

We have read more and more Census 2016 information telling us, here in Waterford, what we already knew! Our unemployment is still proportionately far too high, when compared to the national average. Third level uptake is ridiculously low. We don’t use public transport and our disposable income is one of the lowest in Ireland.

The promised North Quay Strategic Development Zone project is still according to our Council Executive, on stream. Waterford Council has now applied for the €60-70,000,000 funding needed to kick-start this “Once-in-a-lifetime-opportunity!” We are also reading through social media spinners, that this twin-development game changer will bring untold opportunities to Waterford. There has even been talk of a cable car type gondola, across the River Suir and up to the old hotel site on the hill. Just how we will get adequate visitor numbers, to sustain such a development economically, is yet to be teased out or convince a bank to lend a developer the money!

All of the above are just some of the headline grabbers, which have been a welcomed distraction for our holidaying TDs. Whilst we have been “Enjoying ourselves” the pressure to deliver some very key pieces of infrastructure, has de-escalated.

Yes, we were fittingly reminded of what we are missing, by our “Gentleman” hurling manager. In Derek McGarth’s Monday homecoming speech, he talked about the City and County’s urgent need for a catheterisation laboratory and a university. Our Minister was within earshot, sharing the same stage with our successful hurlers!

Governments are skilled experts in constantly kicking cans down the road. Our missing catheterisation laboratory was promised far too long ago and yet still no sign of its arrival. I live within a stone’s throw of UHW, passing it every single day of the week. I hope like so many others, one day soon I will see this now mythical unit, appear in its grounds, opening its doors to reduce much needed patient waiting lists.

The sense of urgency for Waterford seems all but lost on our representatives. Surely during their long summer recess, they should have been getting together? Formulating a proactive, real-time plan, to loosen Exchequer pursue strings, before the next budget.

Collectively, we must ask them just what have they been doing, whilst away from the Dáil, to ensure the delivery of the catheterisation laboratory?

It would appear that our promised, part-time laboratory is not the only thing “Missing In Action”, in Waterford.

Who is listening? #awaitinganotherreview #missinginaction

We are being heard, but no one is really listening!

Now, there is a very distinct difference between hearing and listening.

When you hear something, your ear is quite simply picking up and perceiving a particular sound. If you remember your Physics classes in secondary school, you hear and then your brain interprets those sound waves and vibrations.

Listening on the other hand, is a conscious effort to choose what you want to hear. To do this, you must concentrate on the messages you receive and understand them. Many of our senses are involved in listening and the result is more often than not, an immediate call to action. Whether that be a fight or flight response, or a simple “Yes, I am listening” response, to when Mrs Garland asks you about housework, when Scotland are playing rugby, on the TV!

Many people get these two completely mixed up. As a result, there are far too many people assuming that other people are listening to them, when in fact they are only barely being heard.

It would seem that the root of many of Waterford’s current woes and problems, stem from our inherent inability to get Waterford’s message out to the wider public and those in power. We do enough shouting and we are very good at getting people to listen on a local level. Outside of that very narrow boundary, we do not seem to be able to get the right influencers to listen to, appreciate and grasp our case. This of course has been happening to Waterford for many, many years. When we do eventually connect to the island’s consciousness, we are thrown the odd crumb, an appeasement for another few years. M9 motorway, case in point.

Could we learn from other regions?

It seems that we continue to climb our Everest, unaided, unsupported and without oxygen, whilst others are gaining copious help. Many, many Sherpa Tenzings, considerable quantities of that essential life giving odourless gas and base camps supporting the treacherous ascent. The result is that “Regional Development”, and I use that phrase very lightly, is given to those who are able to make people listen to their plight and struggles.

For some reason we just seem to be an irritating background noise, annoying far too many “People in power” and “Influencers”. This can even be heard and seen, across the world of our terrestrial broadcasters. Ask them to highlight Waterford’s current health problems, third level educational issues, unemployment struggles etc and to a man and a woman they seem disinterested. It is almost as if they have not listened to our messaging. They are only hearing an irritating buzzing in their ears.

It is clear that we need to change the way we are engaging with people on a national level. Our regional issues appear to have become solely Waterford issues by the time they reach Leinster House. Thus, diluted and diminished on impact.

Yes, a lack of political clout and Ireland’s love of parish pump politics does not help our case. But we should surely become just a bit more tactical in our campaigns? To gain Dublin’s ear?

It might be time to get our national broadcasters to sit up and to give more than a few seconds to our many issues. Of course the sixty five million dollar question is “How?”

Maybe we could take a leaf out of Fianna Fail’s recent social media campaign, #askfiannafail, and ask them to deliver for the region? Maybe this hashtag should actually read #askalloppositionparties, if we are really to get things moving?

Or better still we could just #askfinegael, as they are in power and we do have two TDs, who form part of this current Government. We even have a Junior Minister in Waterford. Of course I forgot, one is #missinginaction and the other is #awaitinganotherreview.

Our other option is to #takethefighttoDublin. I have heard people talking about taking a 90-minute protest to Dublin. #driveslowly or #blockthetolls on the M50! This would get us noticed. But would we be listened to if we were to take such a direct approach?

We clearly have an awful long way to go, #tobelistenedto. 

Finally, for the weekend ahead "Happy 25th Birthday Spraoi!" Looking forward to the fireworks display and parade. #Spraoi25

“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!!!!!

Forget the first 100 days, Leo’s first 100 hours were mighty!

Donald “The” Trump, as president of the “Good Old US of A”, was assessed on his progress, as the newest resident of the White House, after only 100 days. Our latest and youngest ever Taoiseach, Leo “The Lion” Varadkar, has already courted so much controversy that we need only look to his first “100 hours” in office to read his mindset.

When you dig deeper into his cabinet appointments, you can see that there is really very little to shout about, for Ireland’s Oldest City and the wider region.

As with ALL cabinet reshuffles, there will be the inevitable winners and losers, prior to all the dust settling and before the unavoidable fallout starts. The best you can hope for, is that your own TDs get a gig on the back of putting at least one of their big feet into the right camp. For Waterford that foot surprisingly, belonged to our very own “Scarlet Pimpernel”, from the “Westh” of the county, John Deasy. There can be no doubt that having put his head above the parapet to support Leo, he could have expected a small token Junior Minster post, in one of the more obscure Government Departments.

 

“Surprise, Surprise!”, as Cilla Black would have said, Waterford was given no such recognition. In fact the whole of the South East was left remarkably short of any representation at Leo’s round table of cabinet lovies. As he was ignoring the “Sunny South East”, he also disregarded many a talented female TD and loaded his Ministerial roles with men from Mars.

Across the border in County Kilkenny, there was significant recognition for John Paul Phelan and a post to the very Department that looks after our local government. This was after all the very man who was so vociferous on the boundary issue, that I and many others suspected he was the very reason that Simon Coveney choose not to implement the report’s recommendations. Did John Paul have one foot in each camp during the Fine Gael leadership election campaign? He may very well have done and do you know what, it was such a pity that our own could not manoeuvre the chess pieces around the board to do the same? He supported Coveney and yet wooed Varadkar. The result was a role as a serious influencer for his constituency and lots of positive PR for himself.

Unfortunately, both the political heavyweight parties see our nearest neighbours as either 2 or 3 seat constituencies. Waterford on the other hand looks like it may well return 1,1,1,1, for the foreseeable future. Unless, I hate to say this, we somehow return 3 FF or 3 FG we will continue to see political tumbleweed blowing us through Dáil Éireann. Waterford, as a political force, has been out flanked by our surrounding counties and the net result will be the odd minuscule crumb, thrown to us every now and again.

The sad truth is that we cannot even get this Government to deliver a poultry circa €2 million project for increased Catherisation Laboratory facilities. This is chicken feed spending to an Irish Government! All around the country other TDs are delivering quietly and efficiently, services their constituent voters want and demand. All done outside of the glare of national press scrutiny and publicity. We here in Waterford, are being stitched up like the proverbial kipper!

I fear that unless the UHW situation is fixed with a long term plan, we could very well see a stand alone candidate being elected for Waterford in the next general election. The sad truth is “What good will this do us?” As he/she will be one lone voice, outside of the sphere of Government influence, wandering aimlessly around the corridors of Leinster House.

Our other crumb of comfort is that Leo’s mother hails from County Waterford. This of course means that he will see his home county as somewhere that needs special attention, ahead of all other constituencies! A Junior Minister post for a sitting FG Dungarvan TD perhaps? Oh bugger, I forgot that dice has already been cast!

So we in Waterford are once again waking up, scratching our heads, thinking “Groundhog Day?”

Who’s battling for Waterford, now that the leadership contest is heating up????

“In the blue corner” we have Simon “The Cork” Coveney. “In the other blue corner” we have Leo “The Lion” Varadkar. Two Fine Gael political heavyweights about to slug it out in a leadership contest. After the long and protracted retirement of Enda Kenny, we can now say for certain that this is a two horse race for the leadership of FG. Perhaps a new Taoiseach of this wee green isle as well.

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.

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.

So it begins......AGAIN!!!!

If you are in favour of the expansion of Waterford City and the greater South East region (which I am), then you will be positively disposed to support the “Report of the Waterford Boundary Review Committee”. A rather meaty 70 page document, which was released last week and immediately, started World War III. With ALL manner of, hitherto silent TDs, from “Across the border”, suddenly getting their tuppence worth on the local airwaves. In fact I would not be surprised if some had contacted The Donald and asked him to fund building another wall!

It will be our shootout at the Ferrybank Corral, with party TD against party TD. The opening salvos have already been fired in the run up to the report’s release. Locally, we have FF and FG Councillors, upsetting their elected TDs, by clearly and openly being in favour of the expansion. Putting their electorate first, above inter-party politics. There have been contradictory radio interviews, thousands of written words in the “North side” local newspapers. As for social media. I am sure the fallout may well take down Mr Zuckerberg’s Facebook empire!

The Report recommends that the Administration area of Waterford Council, be extended to include a significant area, lying to the North of the River Suir. Thus, allowing the City to naturally expand and this in turn should allow for greater economic flexibility in marketing brand Waterford. In time this will help the whole South East region to catch up with the other regional areas of Ireland, which are quite simply miles ahead of Waterford/SE, in terms of their economic recovery?

Our Government’s track record, with regard to accepting and implementing reports, can be vividly demonstrated in the delivery of the Herity Report, on UHW. This of course means that the “Report of the Waterford Boundary Review Committee” will have to be realised, in full, no matter what the political outcry or consequences are!

The Ministers in the Dáil, cannot cherry pick which parts of this independent report they wish to activate. It is all or nothing, as with the Herity Report. A u-turn due to political carping from diametrically opposing views, will not be tolerated and in fact if this happens every “Independent report” can now be questioned, ridiculed and binned.

Unfortunately, like the current health campaign, many will to their own benefit, turn this into an entirely Waterford issue. Deflecting from the stark economic realities, that the South East region is so far adrift from the rest of the country, this expansion needs to happen to generate jobs, jobs and yet more jobs.

Those high horse political naysayers, with rose tinted glasses and myopic vision, need to realise that Dublin’s economic sphere of influence is creeping, rather rapidly, ever closer to our region. This will not only affect Waterford but Wexford, Kilkenny and Carlow too. Jobs will be sucked towards the capital and we will very quickly become dead, soulless commuter belts. It is already happening and to have any chance of stopping the tumbleweed blowing across the whole of the South East, we MUST compete. These recommendations will go some way to levelling the playing field.

It beggars belief that so many, can be influenced by such a few, with only one real agenda. The agenda of getting re-elected. These absent TDs now espousing a “Land grab” and some supportive Hacks, even likening the boundary extension to certain a Mr Hitler invading Poland, need to take a long hard look at themselves. Perhaps they have a rather jaundiced view of European history when it comes to Adolf et al?

The campaign opposed to the boundary extension, took the rather easy option. Asking people to duplicate, copy and regurgitate the same message, on a simple A4 piece of paper. Where’s the passion and emotion in that?

If this was such an emotive issue, then surely that should have been reflected in 19,000 individual heartfelt letters written from the soul? Not a Xerox duplicate.

The wider picture, like our health issues, needs to be addressed. We need investment and more jobs in the region. Moving a line on a map will undoubtedly help.

Imagine ALL the people!

“No need for greed or hunger, a brotherhood of man.”

On Saturday last, we all marched, once again, for the very basic of welfare state rights. Better cardiac care, serviced by University Hospital Waterford.

I would estimate that around circa 6,000 took part in the march and I noted, perhaps for the first time on such an occasion, that there were significant numbers of “Older people” taking part. This was the silver generation getting out and voting with their feet. Something that Government should be very wary of, as this generation has real teeth (well some do)!

The social media pages have been awash with TDs’, posting pictures to let their adoring hordes know that they marched for us. With perhaps the exception of one, who has made it very clear that he will stand by his man. The youthful Minister Harris and that now infamous Herity report? A report that was given such precise “Terms of reference”, it would have been impossible to have had a different outcome.

Whilst, three quarters of the Waterford brigade were out in force, there appeared to be very little political support from our other sister counties. This is the root of our poor showing on this issue.

The national media and Government, see this as Waterford’s problem and NOT the South Easts’ problem. It suits the trolls working the corridors of power, to go out of their way to ignore so called one horse town issues. “LOOK! We are running a country.” Is that Waterford we hear moaning once again?

A Government so full of really quite clever, bright people, greedily working the system to massage their parish pump egos. We are very poor at this type of politics. It would suit our neighbours to have muted colleagues sharing a county boundary.

Unfortunately, we witnessed on Saturday little or no support from our nearest neighbours. Our fellow citizens, who are without doubt far worse off in terms of the Blues and Twos travel time, to Cork or Dublin. Swathes of Wexford are significantly over the “You’ve got 90 minutes or you might be dead”, life saving window. Yet, there seems to be absolutely little or no concern shown whatsoever?

The local newspapers across Wexford, Tipp and Kilkenny, will probably carry very very few column inches on the march. Some are just too concerned and preoccupied, with portraying Waterford Council, as acting like Adolf ‘H’ whilst attempting a 1939 style “Land grab”, than the health of a substantial proportion of their readership. They don’t see this as a regional issue. It’s as if the message is just not getting out to the people in these affected areas.

The people across the South East have for years and years, not been treated equally. There is no brotherhood of man. We pay the same taxes and yet we are constantly left short changed. Institutionalised discrimination towards Waterford appears to be a tsunami that cannot be stopped unless we have the support of those around us. Yet, getting that support will prove harder than finding a set of hen’s teeth. In fact, I fear it might be easier for us to seek out and discover, the whereabouts of the Holy Grail!

Our part-time catheterisation laboratory is of course welcome good news. Yet we have to accept the absence of no concrete plans as to when this life saving unit might arrive. Even more importantly, start operating. No one knows what those hours of operation might be? We don’t know how long it will be in situ? Will we even have sufficient extra staff to allow it to be operated efficiently? These open ended questions are just De Rigueur for Waterford. I can assure you this wouldn’t happen in Cork, Dublin or Limerick!

 

So, how do we move forward on this prickly issue? The campaign needs the urgent and fast mobilisation from the people across the region. For sure we all know that!

But here is the hard part. Is there truthfully the appetite for those people to get involved? Where are the voices asking, “We’ve got 90 minutes or we might be dead!!!!” 

Whoopee, my 100th Blog! Who would have guessed I could have lasted so long?

It’s Christmas time!

Nollaig Shona, Nadolig Llawen, Joyeux Noël, Fröhliche Weihnachten and as we say in Scotland Merry Christmas!

Yes, yes, yes, there are only a few days left, until the Big Man dressed in red, creeps down your chimney in the middle of the night, wanders around your house, whilst you are asleep, eats your food, deposits a few presents and then leaves! Now if you think about that, logically, that’s weird and unsettling. But, “Hey Ho!” it is Christmas time and this is the only time of the year when our houses are open season for a stranger to simply waltz in.

I hope that all your letters have been sent and posted on time, by snail mail. Reaching those wee elves, who work tirelessly, 24-hours-a-day, making millions of toys, in time for a delivery deadline date of 25th December.

It is by all accounts, an impossible task, but so was The Donald winning the US Presidential elections and we all know what happened there!

2016 was a great year for news and stories. It has also been a sad year, with so many wonderful people, stars and friends passing away.

Politically, the year I think, can be defined by the death of opinion polls. The pollsters getting it unbelievably wrong in the Irish, UK and US elections and as for the Brexit predictions – well I imagine that those guys will be working in Santa’s sweatshop next year. Just what were they doing when they were “canvassing the opinion of the people?” Either everyone was being two-faced or they were making it all up!

In Waterford, we had our very own Neville Chamberlain moment, of September 1938 and the euphoria of waving an A4 letter, when returning from that Munich meeting. Our newly appointed Minister was also saying there would be “peace of our time”, as we were told that, “I will deliver, with bells and whistles, 24-hour cardio care for UHW, despite the need for a specialist report!” Then along came Herity and in July, delivered something completely different. Now where in the annals of history have we read that before?

Keeping the WWII theme, the escalating boundary dispute, between the Councils of Waterford and Kilkenny, has seen thousands of column inches written, particularly in the last week. The pens for hire have had a field day liking the “land grab” to Mr A. Hilter invading Poland! Now, I am no

history expert, but Germany invading Poland and Waterford Council taking over the administration of, a wee bit of Kilkenny are poles (excuse the pun) apart. It does make good reading though and I suppose, those headlines, also sell newspapers – the ultimate aim of the hacks!

I still believe that we have missed a huge opportunity, to build our own wall, by using the rubble from the flour mills, as in “The Great Escape”. Using the people of Waterford to carry the rubble, across the bridge, in their trousers and dump, strategically, along the proposed new border frontier line. Alas, we have missed the chance and now await on yet another report on the future of Waterford, again, completely out of our hands.

My quote of the year has to be from Mr Des O’Keeffe, partner of the sadly departed and yet never to be forgotten Billy McCarthy. During Billy’s funeral eulogy, Des stated, “I even whispered in his (Billy’s) ear that Donald Trump had won the US election, in the hope that the fright would wake him up!!!” With all the pressure associated in delivering a tribute to the one you love, we were all amazed, that in addition to the fortitude and strength Des showed, he could also share such a humorous and intimate moment. All in attendance knew that Billy would have appreciated the sentiment.

On a personal note, I do hope that over the past year you have enjoyed my wee column, as much as I have enjoyed writing for you.

So, as we move ever nearer to the morning of 25th December and that mad one hour of tearing open presents, I wish you ALL a very Merry Christmas and of course a Happy Hogmanay.

“Are we there yet?”

“Are we there yet?” are the very words that we all fear, here in Waterford and the South East, when directly related to ambulance transfer times for cardiac patients.

These are the dreaded four words that no wife, husband, father, mother, brother, sister, grandmother or grandfather will every wish to ask, when accompanying a loved one, unfortunate enough to need cardiac care outside the Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm window available in University Hospital Waterford.

If you have not experienced the anxiety of this horrifying journey, and I have not, to Cork or Dublin, in the back of an ambulance, then none of us can understand the stress of knowing that the clock is ticking ever so slowly to and, more than likely, beyond that 90 minute safety window.

The simple fact is that getting to Cork and Dublin, even with the blues and twos, will in truth take longer than 90 minutes. One simple hold up, one unaccounted for set of road works, a sporting weekend, a car crash or simply hitting rush hour traffic, will eat into this safety time zone. No matter what spin is put on this by Minister Harris or other Government Ministers it would be a miracle if that 90 minute window, could ever be achieved in the real the world.

Perhaps, the Minister has never driven to Cork along the N25? It is at best an o.k. road and at worst full of bottlenecks, eating into any journey time. The road does not allow for consistent travel and therefore we cannot rely on time to getting to our sister Cork hospital for coronary care within the golden timeframe.

Going to Dublin now has a much better dependable journey time, up the M9 motorway. That is until you hit the outskirts of Dublin. Once again you are in the hands of the traffic gods and getting into the heart of Dublin can be hit or miss. Even if you are in the back of an ambulance, when every second counts, it is still a time gamble.

24th September 2016

Our Minister is adamant that he is “not for turning”, a modern day Mrs Thatcher perhaps. He has been at pains to let everyone know that the Herity Report, with all its flaws, will be taken as Gospel. The people in this South East region will forever be playing traffic roulette in the back of an ambulance.

I recall meeting Minister Harris, on a number of occasions, in his previous role with reference to his old portfolio, which included responsibility for national Government tendering. Thankfully, he listened to our reasoned and sound arguments to make changes, to allow local businesses to compete with multi-national companies and he did implement change on this basis. So we can take some encouragement from this. He is sometimes willing to listen.

As I have said many times, perhaps we have gone about this in the wrong way! Look at our Teflon neighbour, Mr Lowry, getting ALL that he wanted, in terms of local health care provision for Tipperary. We would not have heard about this, only that we started looking at what other “Government Independents” were getting for helping Enda come back into power. Mr Lowry went about his business quietly, methodically and ultimately delivered “exactly what it said on the tin” of his election manifesto.

Hook & Browne?

Have we been too naive in fighting this battle in the glare of the national media? Quite simply we have given the likes of Messer Hook and Browne the opportunity to use a substantial baseball bat, to bash Waterford once again. They are collectively laughing at us from their Dublin Towers. But rest assured if they were unfortunate enough to have to endure a 90 minute life or death journey in the back of an ambulance then their mindset would change in an instant.

We marched once again in monsoon like conditions, at the weekend, and received breviloquent RTE coverage. Where now for the Waterford and the South East?

What is guaranteed is that it will take more than 90 minutes to fix this dilemma.

Lost In Kilkenny!

With the papers, quite rightly, giving blanket coverage to #GE16, and journalists and their editors writing many column inches debating the rights and wrongs of the possible makeup of the next Government. I thought that it would be appropriate to stay away from such political commentary this week and besides it has become very clear that I not great at making predications. I had tipped Scotland to win the Six Nations!

I did get three out of the four candidate selections right, but admittedly in the wrong order, and I did suggest that a large cohort of the population were not engaged with politics and therefore they would not be voting. The 36.3% of the electorate or 30,000 people in the Waterford constituency who did not vote could have made a substantial difference to the final results, but as they did not engage or were not engaged, through what was after all a very sterile campaign, we returned two new candidates and two existing candidates. Clearly there was something for everyone from #GE16.

Having decided to stay away from the politics over the weekend, though still receiving regular updates directly from the count centre on the auld smart phone, I squeezed into the Lycra, packed the unicycle into the Mini and headed to Clonmel to take part in a charity cycle for Down Syndrome Ireland and specifically the Cycle for Sarah.

Around 100 Lycra clad people took part in the 130km Cycle for Sarah and there were six plucky members of the Waterford Biscuit Club who made the trip on a very, very cold and wintery Saturday morning. Suitably dressed in our unique Cookie Monster cycling tops we headed out of Clonmel shortly after 10:00 and cycled straight into a freezing cold Arctic wind as we set our sights on getting to the pit stop in Kilkenny as fast as possible.

Once out of Clonmel the large group naturally began to fracture into smaller packets of biscuits and being the competitive Scotsman that I am I chased down the guys at the front and soon we were a small selection of six, six men that really had no idea what so ever where we were actually going.

Spotted hiding in Kilkenny. 

As we ploughed on, counting down the kilometres, one of the marshals directed us right, off the main road, and straight up a rather steep hill and onto some very quiet back roads that seemed to be taking us in an easterly direction. We eventually decided to turn left cycling a few more kilometres, up some more steep hills, through some very small hamlets and onto the ubiquitous single track roads you inevitably come across in Ireland when you take a wrong turn.

Clearly we were lost in Kilkenny.

But no man worth his salt would ever admit to being lost, so we continued battling the wind and cold and then “BANG”! No were not shot by some Deliverance cast member we had a puncture that took an eternity to fix due to a very finicky valve that would not play ball. We had stopped in the middle of nowhere and the silence was only broken by the sound of the odd gunshot, crows calling and the cackle of male pheasant who was no doubt laughing at us. Eventually, we got moving once again and steered roughly in the direction of Kilkenny.

SPEEEEEEED!

Arriving with hypothermia in Kilkenny we stopped for a warm cup of coffee and some soup, where I checked the election update and knew that there was every possibility of some shock results on the way. I jumped back onto the bike for a quick flat-out blast back to Clonmel to get home to see if I needed to buy yet another wooden spoon!

It was a great way to spend a Saturday morning and to stay somewhat remote from all the #GE16 results. The company was great and the scenery was not too bad either.