Tag Archives: Media

Too many twits

Posted on by
Reply

Or something like that was how David Cameron put it. Now normally I wouldn’t have much time for a Tory but he is the young energetic leader of a party which was out of power for over a decade after a decade prior of being in power until the people got so sick of them they turfed them out for the alternative. And now after a rebuild (and time for people to finally get sick of the new crowd) looks like they’re back in vogue again. I like Labour (old and new) a lot and whilst I was never particularly a Blairite, I was certainly a Brownite and an avowed fan of the new generation such as the mellifluos Milliband, some of which I’ve discussed here before.  But all politics is cyclical and whilst we wait out the turnabout Cameron is living proof that there’s hope for us all.

Anyway I’ve digressed but my original message was to say whilst I haven’t been posting (blog wise) a lot lately, I’ve been busy over on twitter which to be honest is a whole lot easier than writing a full article. So for anyone interested you’ll find me over here in between blog posts…

PS Our former leader (Bertie Ahern TD) begins his News of the World column tomorrow, and whatever about apple tarts, the man knows his sport. Might even pick up a copy as my usual business post is sadly lacking in the green field department..

Seanad Reform

Posted on by
1

There was quite a good debate on RTE’s Late Late Show on Friday night.

Setup was awry as there was an opening statement and soapbox provided to one side of the motion (that the Seanad be abolished) yet no counter statement or soapbox to the other side, yet the numbers were skewed hugely to the other side. Would it not have been better have equal representation for both sides of the argument and allow them make equal and opposite opening statements?

That aside, there were questions asked about the role of the Seanad and many answers given. Donie Cassisy, the leader of the (upper?) house gave quite a robust defence of the legislative scrutiny performed by the senate and how each bill was read through the chamber line by line before passing into law. Tales of long nights and early breakfasts were involved. Worthy stuff although one must wonder whether a team of constitutional barristers could do the same job at potentially less expense.

Otherwise the principal argument seemed to be the volumes of worthy work performed by Seanad members, as Senators from the four corners recounted tales of enterprises saved, industries revitalised, local interests protected, all through the auspices of the various Senators, whom it must be said all came across as decent, hard working and dedicated servants of their communities and committed to public service. However that then begs the point as to how exactly this correlates back to their work in the Senate. There are undoubtedly good people, doing a good job, but very little of this particular function is likely to be found under Senator’s job description and quite probably not even performed in Leinster house.

There are a number of populist but misleading arguments doing the rounds of course, the common chestnut of hours or days worked a week being a good one. Donie Cassidy gave an excellent and illustrative answer when he pointed out how people could accuse the broadcaster, and host, Pat Kenny of doing twelve hours work a week but the reality is there are a hell of a lot of hours put in outside the public eye. And equally so for the Senate. In a more general sense there is almost an obsession at present with politicans, their earnings and their hours, to the detriment at times, of proper debate on the substantive issues of the day. Leading by example is important of course, and the cabinet took a self-imposed 10% pay cut last October, quite likely more is to come in next months’ budget but we’ll reserve judgment until then in any case. But all that aside, even if the entire Oireachtas were turfed out on their Louis Copeland clad behinds onto the cold tarmac of Kildare street, apart from bringing a perhaps temporary blip in public good humour, it would do very very little to dent the hole in the public finances, and is really an irrelevance in a form of media blame game. (I will also confess of course, to a personal grievance, in that Councillors are paid very little, and candidates not a shilling, but it doesn’t stop people tarring ‘politicians’ all with the same brush, whatever colour or level one might be at)

Back on the Senate subject, the government parties appear committed to bringing through a reform package, according to Green and Fianna Fáil spokesmen on the show, and that should make interesting reading. One concept that was highlighted also was that most members of the Senate are elected by county councillors (and being canvassed by them will be interesting if I make it that far) but must first be nominated by a nominating body which includes many diverse institutions across commerce, healthcare, industry, agriculture, and the social partners. Securing the nomination is the first step then one must get elected. There was a suggestion that perhaps these nominating bodies could also aquire votes in their own right, perhaps a block vote, or a number of delegates and these could then be mandated by conference or decided in line with member interests. That may be an initial move which would not represent a huge shift from the current system but would instantly confer more democracy and representative status upon the members thereby elected.

Budgeting over the brink

Posted on by
10

There’s been a huge amount of reaction the past couple of days over provisions in this hot off the press budget, particularly the over-70s medical scheme changes, but also class size increases and other draconian style measures contained within.

I don’t generally believe in dealing on the basis of media frenzy, as there is often a ‘rent-a-mob’ element at work (the Joe Duffy effect) and also I have often found an amount of artificial outrage can be manufactured on the airwaves which is not in fact matched by people on the ground. A good example is the last general election when the media weaved tales of Fianna Fáil canvassers being ran from the doors, whilst in fact I canvassed night after night and met with little, if any hostility, rather an occasional robust debate, in many cases a hearty welcome and probably the majority a polite but brief interaction as people get on with their busy lives.

But I digress. My point is that, media reaction regardless, on this occasion I feel there is substance behind the controversy and my sympathies extend across the divide. I think most people understand in tough times, tough measures are called for and I think most people, whilst they may grumble, will in the long term thank a government for taking necessary but unpopular decisions for the long term greater good. That being so, I believe many measures in this budget present bitter pills but will be swallowed, in a spirit of solidarity and the end justifying the means. The new income levies for example represent tough but fair measures.

However the particular issue of medical card cuts and education cuts I believe are a step too far. I have always believed Fianna Fáil to be a broad church, one that can harbour many ideologies within but I personally have always identified with an ethos of social democracy which I believe runs throughout the party and would have been shared by many of the founding fathers. From the radical polemicism of Liam Mellowes on the “men of no property” to Frank Aiken (a proud Republican if ever there was one) “workers and small farmers republic” right through to men like Lemass, and that ethos continued in greater or lessening degrees right into the current decade when the party pledged to prioritise the old age pension as a manifesto promise I was proud to see honoured in many successive budgets over the past decade. Arguably even this year social welfare payments have been increased as perhaps the only payment moving against the otherwise downwards tide.

However it is not acceptable after a decade of growth, much of it fostered by Fianna Fáil policy and prurience over previous years (I will put it to anyone that MacSharry, Haughey and Ahern in departments of Finance, Taoiseach and Labour laid the path for which Ireland would travel from ‘sick man of Europe’ to ‘An economic miracle’ in the turn of a decade) to be in a situation where classroom sizes are now being threatened with once again climbing, threatening to jeopardise the pivotal but pain-staking progress of recent times. The school building programme thankfully continues but I would rather sacrifice my beloved transport projects than see class sizes go backwards.

As for the medical card scheme there are a few points to be made. The proposal is not, as some would have it, an out and out wrestling of the card from people’s grasp in an across the board gesture. Rather the proposal is to end the automatic age-based entitlement that currently exists. As such it is less draconian than may first appear, but nonetheless I have stated my belief in social democracy and social justice, and I count it a principle in a civilised society that certain things are provided on a universal basis, independent of means or ability to pay. Fundamental services should be delivered to our citizens in an advanced society irrespective of means, income or social status. Fianna Fáil pioneered this philosophy when it was still regarded almost subversively radical, introducing free education for all, a public health system, the creation of the welfare state, free old age travel scheme, numerous assists for heating and energy bills many the latter benefits specifically targeted at older people. Are we now to lose decades of policy progress to squeeze a few extra pound from the exchequer purse?

I listed and agreed with much of what Deputy Joe Behan said on tonight’s news after resigning the party whip. He came across a noble and decent man and I hope he will come back to the party because we need people like him to help us to be all that we can be, as a party, and by extension because the Fianna Fáil party is passionately patriotic if it is anything, as a nation. For the first time in a long time I heard Joe Behan give voice on the airwaves to what I know the Fianna Fáil party to be. The voice of cumann secretaries, of grass roots activists, of local councillors and backbench deputies. What to me is the real social democratic heart of the party, an ethos that prizes community values and social justice for all. The voice that will speak up for the bowed whilst encouraging the brave. The party that will enable enterprise whilst nourishing the needy. That will allow progress to prosper but with noone being left behind. The voice and the will that I know the party to have.

I have raised issues of social justice before, at a time when I felt strongly on a an issue of fundamental fairness. I wrote to the Minister at the time, in correspondence that has echoes of the current dilemma where it appears GP contracts are not facilitating the intended workings of the scheme. It is not the first time I have exchanged such correspondence with the present health Minister. I was heartened to see An Taoiseach appear in public view tonight on the nine o’clock news when he said he would progress a ‘pragmatic response’ to what he acknowledges was a far more wide reaching reaction than anticipated.

The over-70s medical card was not up until recently an automatic entitlement. It was introduced only at the start of this decade in an earlier Fianna Fáil budget. It was a progressive move to bring it in. It was a regressive one to take it back. Let’s hope that social justice prevails and that the real soul of the Fianna Fáil party now has the courage of its convictions. I know there is the will. Now let’s find the way.