Why does anyone in the midwest vote Fianna Fail?

Amazotheamazing

Just looking at the complete failure of FF TD's to stand up to their Government colleagues, looking at back at the continual failures of successive FF Governments to support any of the regions. I've read the FitzGerald report and it too is damning about the way successive Governments have neglected Limerick city. What has Willie O'Dea done for the region to justify his presence in Dail Eireann? Sure, he's great for medical cards and getting street lights fixed but what has he achieved for the region, compared to what Frank Fahy has brought to Galway or Micheal Martin has brought to Cork? The guy is a joke nationally. Jim Kemmy summed him up perfectly as "a mighty man in Limerick, a mighty mouse in Dublin".

Even worse, we have Peter Power, who has again completely disappoeared after months of being utterly unavoidable, has there ever been a politician who lacked presence like Peter Power? He probably wouldn't make a splash if he fell into water.

The midwest region has suffered for years from under-investment in infrastructure, like much of the west coast. Now we have a great airport that is neither connected to the main hubs in Europe or even properly connected to it's next nearest city, Galway. Between Limerick, Ennis and Galway there is a population capable of sustaining Shannon, but it's needs proper infrastructure to do so, the Government, FF, have completely failed to do so.

Furthermore, what is this Government doing to ensure that if and when Dell leaves Limerick, there is proper local industry capable of sustaining the job losses? Absolutely nothing.

I hope people are happy with their medical cards, we're paying a very high price for them if it means clowns like the guys above keep getting back into office.

Would the opposition be any better? it's hard to know, but could they be much worse? Impossible.

Andystoran

Willie O'Dea isnt a clown. It is true that willy has been overlooked and undervalued by Fianna Fail. He deserves to get votes in Limerick because he is the politician that gets the Medical cards and potholes fixed and whatever else he is asked for....Peter Power on the other hand disappears for years and then turns up before an election with a head like a slapped ar*e and gets elected...

Who should get the votes in Limerick? There isnt an alternative!!!!

As for Dell moving on.It is inevitable but i drove around raheen industrial estate and was surprised to see a couple of new factorys. If we could get a couple of Pharma/medical/healthcars multinationals they would be a lot more reliable than the electronics companies limerick has in abundance.

I do agree Limerick needs a rail line to Galway.

ninty9er

Andystoran wrote:

Willie O'Dea isnt a clown. It is true that willy has been overlooked and undervalued by Fianna Fail. He deserves to get votes in Limerick because he is the politician that gets the Medical cards and potholes fixed and whatever else he is asked for....Peter Power on the other hand disappears for years and then turns up before an election with a head like a slapped ar*e and gets elected...

To take issue with the latter...yes Willie is a great man to get that stuff fixed, but if you saw the constituency files in Power's office you'd know that he's doing a lot more on the ground than the media or people like you give him credit for.

The main reason: "Is he the same as Willie O'Dea??" with confused look on face

He has a visibility issue that is common countrywide but not acceptable in Limerick because Willie is the benchmark. Ask someone on the streets of Listowel whenwas the last time they saw Tom McEllistrem and they're likely to give the same response as someone in Cappamore would with regard to Power. Not recently, but he does the work when it's needed.

Limerick East citizens are probably amongst the best served outside of Dún Laoghaire and DSC.

Party unity wouldn't go amiss, but then again that's not particular to FF either, eh Labour voters;)

Just because you don't see the guy who cooks your meal doesn't mean he's doing Fu<k all.

The same applies across the board...not party specific.

Amazotheamazing

ninty9er wrote:

Limerick East citizens are probably amongst the best served outside of Dún Laoghaire and DSC.

Which is why Limerick has some of the worst council estates in Ireland, has the highest unemployment figures of all the cities, has gangland problems, has chronically understaffed hospitals etc etc. Thanks for all the good work Peter, see you in 4 years and 10 months.

Limerick people have been failed by all their TD's, but especially those who support the Government.

ninty9er

It's not like Willie, Peter, Michael, Kieran and Jan have been quiet on the Shannon issue. I heard at least one clip from each of them, though I must admit Noonan's initial comment was probably the most thought out and sensible.

It's hardly like FF are unpopular in Limerick; the party took the first 2 seats edit in (not oin) both constituencies

Amazotheamazing

No, Willie has shouted his usual rubbish but what has he actually done for the city? What great projects has he brought to Limerick? Medical cards and potholes are important, but imo, they're better dealt with by local councillors, not TD's.

I must say I'm impressed Peter actually managed to speak, first time for everything I suppose, is it too much to ask that he'll actually do something? I wouldn't want to tire him out, after all, he didn't speak or act for the last 5 years, it might be too much to expect him to do both all of a sudden.

What is Peter doing to ensure the boundary extension? I know Willie is against it, but like I said, he's a joke.

Limerick Dude

I lost all respect for Peter Power when I saw him drunk the night before the election at the woodfield with his gang of ff chronies

ninty9er

Limerick Dude wrote:

I lost all respect for Peter Power when I saw him drunk the night before the election at the woodfield with his gang of ff chronies

Was he abusive or disorderly?? out of place with the rest of the patronage???

didn't think so...actually I know so. It's his local, and he was there with some family, friends and supporters on the night before the election and also the day he was elected. Is there a law against it?

A sense of rationality doesn't come into play at all whe you have something in for someone to begin with, does it?

Politicians are normal people just like you and me, yet some people expect them to be holier than thou:rolleyes:

none of the above relates in the slightest to politics. The majority of people I canvassed who were going to vote FF were doing so because they were
a)comfortable
b)happy
c)a lot better off than 10 years ago

Limerick Dude

Im just talking about pp not ff in general.

He was stinking of booze and when we quizzed him about the whole skatepark issue, he was slurring his words,spitting and really didnt know what he was on about.

Not a pleasureable experience at all.

Aesop

Willie O'Dea performance in elections is extraordinary. He has topped the poll in Limerick East for the last twenty years. The last candidate to beat him was Des O'Malley. Not even Micheal Noonan as leader of Fianna fail in 2002 could get more first preference votes than Willie. He not only brings his seat to Fianna Fail but consistently brings others with him. In fact in the last election if Fianna Fail had brought in a more palatable third candidate he possibly would have delivered three seats. The problem however is he is an extremely loyal Fianna Fail man and Fianna Fail know this. There is no need for Fianna Fail to "look out" for Limerick as Willie is going to deliver regardless. Competition is a good thing and all the more so in politics. At the moment there is no one to compete with Willie O'Dea and Limerick East is worse off for it.

Peter Power gets elected for one reason and one reason only. Willie O'Dea transfers. Peter Power does not win votes himself. He had 3,500 first preference votes which was thee lowest by (quite a margin) of any of the elected TD's in Limerick East. While Willie is getting 38% of the first preference votes Peter Power will stay where he is and he has little need to be a high visibility TD.

Liam Byrne

Limerick Dude wrote:

Im just talking about pp not ff in general.

He was stinking of booze and when we quizzed him about the whole skatepark issue, he was slurring his words,spitting and really didnt know what he was on about.

Not a pleasureable experience at all.

Hang on a sec, Limerick Dude.....I'm no apologist for Fianna Fail or Peter Power, and I think FF being back in is the worst thing ever for the country, but your post above is completely unfair.....

He was in the pub the night before, on a night out with his family, and you approached him and asked him about a skatepark ? If someone had asked you about a work issue at that hour of the night, how would you have fared out ?

"Stinking of booze" is also an emotive description.....was there a smell of drink off him ? Probably - he was in a pub on a night out.

We are becoming increasingly obsessed with public figures, viewing them somehow as "our property"......paparazzi take photos of George Clooney while on a night out with friends - so what ? As long as he's able to act when required, then he's doing his job.

The same should apply to TDs - let them have a life outside work.....if they're rude or obnoxious or rowdy, yeah, it'll affect their public perception and rightly so, but if they're just letting their hair down like the rest of us, let them be - they're entitled to, just like the rest of us!

Amazotheamazing

I tend to agree with Liam, while Peter Power is undoubtedly a poor representative, the night in question he had finished up a long campaign and was entitled to a little privacy.

Amazotheamazing

€39m Ennis hospital project delayed HSE will divert funds to St Vincent's facility in Dublin

PAT FLYNN

THE HEALTH Service Executive (HSE) has decided to delay the start of a €39 million redevelopment of Ennis General Hospital and will instead divert the cash to St Vincent's hospital in Dublin where planning permission has been granted for a new cystic fibrosis unit.

The Government had already allocated the money for the Ennis project, while Ennis Town Council has granted full planning permission. However, it is now believed that the HSE plans to further stall the Ennis project and use the cash for the new unit at St Vincent's.

Fianna Fáil councillors in Clare have called on the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and Minster for Health to intervene and direct the HSE to allocate the money, promised by the Government, to the project for which it was intended in Ennis.

Rumour has been rife in Clare in recent weeks about a further two to two and a half year delay in the start of the Ennis hospital redevelopment. This is the same timeframe which the HSE has given for the completion of the new 120-bed isolation unit at St Vincent's hospital. Planning permission was granted earlier this year for the new unit where the national centre for cystic fibrosis patients will be based.

Pending confirmation of when work on the Ennis redevelopment will start, Fianna Fáil councillors in Clare have expressed concern that the party will be wiped out in the next local elections which are a little over 12 months away.

Fianna Fáil councillor Richard Nagle said: "Any delay in upgrading the hospital in Ennis is totally unacceptable. This has been going on for quite a considerable length of time and we were guaranteed more than once that the upgrade would take place immediately.

"When the four mayors in Clare met the Minister for Health and the HSE, they were given same assurances that the money was ring-fenced for the Ennis project. People in Clare are heavily dependent on the hospital and it must be developed.

"The HSE should proceed with the development at Ennis without delay and any plan to divert the cash to any other project is not acceptable." In a letter last week to the Fianna Fáil general secretary Seán Dorgan, the secretary of the 15-strong group of Fianna Fáil councillors in Clare, Cllr Pat Daly said: "Unless the development of the hospital takes place, the local Fianna Fáil councillors will be wiped out".

"For the past two years, the HSE have been playing around with planning briefs and designs for the upgrade of the hospital. It went to the planning stage with Ennis Town Council and in 2007 full planning permission was acquired," the document stated.

While not confirming or denying plans to divert cash from Ennis to Dublin, the HSE has said: "When the other acute priorities, which have no contractual commitments, are taken into account, namely the National Paediatric Hospital, St Vincent's Phase 2, Minor Capital and Modernisation, there are some projects which will have to be delayed for a year or so, or may have to be put on hold unless additional funding can be identified or they can be substituted for another project in the plan.

"In the context of the capital funding available this year, existing contractual commitments, competing national priorities and cash flow projections, the Ennis project is one such project."

© 2008 The Irish Times

Amazotheamazing

Just another kick in the guts for the midwest, thanks FF.

Liam Byrne

As I've said before, the second word in their name might be Irish language, but it's becoming more and more apt to remove the fada.

Shower of useless wasters; if they don't represent us on road & rail links, hospitals, school buses, additional garda resources, and refuse to use their shareholder vote to implement their own supposed regional policies, why the HELL should we pay them ?? :mad:

Lies and broken promises all the way......