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!

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!!!!”