Statesmen V The Parish Pump Patriotism

Het-Field

What do Albert Reynolds, Charlie McCreevy, Mchael McDowell, Garrett Fitzgerald, and Pat Cox have in common with Tony Gregory, Joe Higgins, Tomas McGiolla, Richard Boyd Barrett, and Gerry Adams ? They all had a vision for the state that we live in. Each has a very differing view of how to improve Ireland, but that is not relevant. They believed that by utilising a specific ideology, they could make Ireland a better place. This was reflected in the legislation of the former group, and the rhetoric of the latter. Activists like the late Seamus Brennan, Dessie O Malley, Declan Ganley, John Bruton, Eamonn Gilmore equally fall into this type of catagory. They are simply carrying on the flame which was lit by those involved in the formation of the Irish State, Sean Lemass, James Connolly, Liam Cosgrave, and in a more dubious manner, Charlie Haughey.

However, in 2009 we lack leaders such as these. Our leaders are simply patriots to the Parish Pump. It is contended that if a TD is succesfully lobbying for a local playground, or is attending a local funeral, or opening of a business premisis, they are fulfilling their role as a public representative. It is this mentality which has seen the re-election of countless duds on both the Government and Opposition benches. Between 1997-2007 this issuewas not even noteworthy. However, since the recession has sped into overdrive, it has become a more pertinent issue.

Ireland operates under a very centralised system of Government. The work of the local representative is done by the TD, and the remaining power of the Local Counciller has been aroded by the existence of the County Manager. This has left the Town Council/Borough Council as another layer of Bureaucracy, which bleeds the taxpayer of millions of pounds each year. In spite of this its function is redundant, and its existence seems to owe more to nostalgia, rather then its benefit to the local person.

Its time for the Irish Politicians to get real. If they wish to work on schools, playgrounds, medical cards etc, then it is time that they effect some major reform in the way Ireland is Governed, resign their seats in the lower house, and run for their local council. The longer we have a group of jumped up local councellors acting as legislators, the longer we will remain in recession, or tiptoeing around recession. I dont have faith in a local politican to take the mantle of the people I have mentioned in my opening paragraph.

It is vital that Ireland considers the wider scheme of things. The fact that the Taoiseach, Tanaiste, and Minister For Finance are all the offspring of deceased TDs is a troubling subject. A name should not be enough for one to be elected. It is relevant to consider the policies that any potential elected will bring to the National Table. At this present time, it must be all hands to the Economic Pump for all TDs. On behalf of their constituents, they must represent the nation in a pragmatic and non party political manner.

I realise that everything is local in Ireland, not least the political realm. However, we will never come out of this recession if we keep giving creedence to the parish pump politician, who can use his/her local influence to rezone land, or get a new local amenity built, but cannot contribute one iota to national strategies on issues of finance,enterprise,justice, or health. The way we can attempt to root out this, is to elect candidates who offer national solutions to national questions. Brian Cowan, Brian Lenihan, and Mary Coughlan, have offered poor solutions to national problems, and in some cases have fanned the flames of already existing fires. A friend of a friend (who lives in Dublin West) referes to Brian Lenihan as the worst local politican in Dublin. If that is the case, coupled with his ineptitudes since he took over Finance, it should result in his expusion from Dail Eireann by the constituents of Dublin West in 2012.

It is also time for the people of Ireland to call for the decentralisation of Government. Abolish the needless layers of bureaucracy (Town Councils), heavily reform the useless Upper House of the Oireachtas, and the slimming down of County Councils. Powers of Local Develpment (not especially to do with Land )should be vested in these county councils, and it should be standard practive for Irish people top go to their local councellor to deal with local issues.

We needs Statesmen with a vision. We dont need pot hole fillers.

Consider this, does anybody on this fourm believe that Barack Obama, Sarkozy, Gordon Brown, or Mrs Merkel have every had to deal wity a pot holes style issue since they entered National Politics ?

Frankie Lee

Het-Field wrote: »

What do Albert Reynolds, Charlie McCreevy, Mchael McDowell, Garrett Fitzgerald, and Pat Cox have in common with Tony Gregory, Joe Higgins, Tomas McGiolla, Richard Boyd Barrett, and Gerry Adams ? They all had a vision for the state that we live in. Each has a very differing view of how to improve Ireland, but that is not relevant. They believed that by utilising a specific ideology, they could make Ireland a better place. This was reflected in the legislation of the former group, and the rhetoric of the latter. Activists like the late Seamus Brennan, Dessie O Malley, Declan Ganley, John Bruton, Eamonn Gilmore equally fall into this type of catagory. They are simply carrying on the flame which was lit by those involved in the formation of the Irish State, Sean Lemass, James Connolly, Liam Cosgrave, and in a more dubious manner, Charlie Haughey.

However, in 2009 we lack leaders such as these. Our leaders are simply patriots to the Parish Pump. It is contended that if a TD is succesfully lobbying for a local playground, or is attending a local funeral, or opening of a business premisis, they are fulfilling their role as a public representative. It is this mentality which has seen the re-election of countless duds on both the Government and Opposition benches. Between 1997-2007 this issuewas not even noteworthy. However, since the recession has sped into overdrive, it has become a more pertinent issue.

Ireland operates under a very centralised system of Government. The work of the local representative is done by the TD, and the remaining power of the Local Counciller has been aroded by the existence of the County Manager. This has left the Town Council/Borough Council as another layer of Bureaucracy, which bleeds the taxpayer of millions of pounds each year. In spite of this its function is redundant, and its existence seems to owe more to nostalgia, rather then its benefit to the local person.

Its time for the Irish Politicians to get real. If they wish to work on schools, playgrounds, medical cards etc, then it is time that they effect some major reform in the way Ireland is Governed, resign their seats in the lower house, and run for their local council. The longer we have a group of jumped up local councellors acting as legislators, the longer we will remain in recession, or tiptoeing around recession. I dont have faith in a local politican to take the mantle of the people I have mentioned in my opening paragraph.

It is vital that Ireland considers the wider scheme of things. The fact that the Taoiseach, Tanaiste, and Minister For Finance are all the offspring of deceased TDs is a troubling subject. A name should not be enough for one to be elected. It is relevant to consider the policies that any potential elected will bring to the National Table. At this present time, it must be all hands to the Economic Pump for all TDs. On behalf of their constituents, they must represent the nation in a pragmatic and non party political manner.

I realise that everything is local in Ireland, not least the political realm. However, we will never come out of this recession if we keep giving creedence to the parish pump politician, who can use his/her local influence to rezone land, or get a new local amenity built, but cannot contribute one iota to national strategies on issues of finance,enterprise,justice, or health. The way we can attempt to root out this, is to elect candidates who offer national solutions to national questions. Brian Cowan, Brian Lenihan, and Mary Coughlan, have offered poor solutions to national problems, and in some cases have fanned the flames of already existing fires. A friend of a friend (who lives in Dublin West) referes to Brian Lenihan as the worst local politican in Dublin. If that is the case, coupled with his ineptitudes since he took over Finance, it should result in his expusion from Dail Eireann by the constituents of Dublin West in 2012.

It is also time for the people of Ireland to call for the decentralisation of Government. Abolish the needless layers of bureaucracy (Town Councils), heavily reform the useless Upper House of the Oireachtas, and the slimming down of County Councils. Powers of Local Develpment (not especially to do with Land )should be vested in these county councils, and it should be standard practive for Irish people top go to their local councellor to deal with local issues.

We needs Statesmen with a vision. We dont need pot hole fillers.

Consider this, does anybody on this fourm believe that Barack Obama, Sarkozy, Gordon Brown, or Mrs Merkel have every had to deal wity a pot holes style issue since they entered National Politics ?

Your having a laugh.

Otherwise good point in relation to local government but decentralisation of power has to be protected from corruption. All power needs to be justified.

juuge

I couldn't agree with you more.
Look at the legacy of Haughey and Bertie. The damage they have done to politics by virtue of their selfish behaviour over the years has set the bar for practically all Irish institutions. The lack of governance that prevails in the likes of the banks, the semi-state organisations (Fas and Aer Lingus et al), the Catholic Church and indeed the government itself where there is a belief that they are answerable to nobody and can and will do as they like.
There is no one presently in the government that I would cross the street to listen to. Certainly no statesmen. Each and everyone of them is out for what they can get for themselves and feck everyone else. Just look at the arogance of the likes of Willie O'Dea, Dick Roach, Michael Martin, Beverly Flynn etc and try and tell me they have a political vision. They are clowns and the world is laughing at them, however we decide to elect them time and time again. Long live the cute huur!

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

P. Breathnach

juuge wrote: »

...however we decide to elect them time and time again...

That's the core of the problem.