Local elections

Gaspode

Pat Dunne wrote: »

I am asking a genuine question here. What exactly has Brian Lenihan "done loads" of in your area?

Because I am really at a lose to understand how such a national political figure can preside over an area were shortages of school places at both Primary and Post Primary levels are the norm. Where poor roads and traffic snarl up are a daily reality. And where poor planning decisions and shoddy building standards are brushed under the carpet.

Sounds like just about any area in Dublin, and probably most towns in Ireland at the moment tbh!

Pineapple stu

Pat Dunne wrote: »

I am asking a genuine question here. What exactly has Brian Lenihan "done loads" of in your area?

Because I am really at a lose to understand how such a national political figure can preside over an area were shortages of school places at both Primary and Post Primary levels are the norm. Where poor roads and traffic snarl up are a daily reality. And where poor planning decisions and shoddy building standards are brushed under the carpet.

Nothing wrong in the roads, and the traffic is not his doing. D15 has become a hell of a lot better place to live in the last few years.

I approched him about an issue i had, and he helped me more than he needed to and even gave me his private mobile number incase i needed him for anything else, he helped a local pre school get funding to develop the school, he gave his day off to open a local facility. He is very approchable and he'll tell you out straight if he is able do do anything or not or point you in the right direction.

Sir Humphrey

Pat Dunne wrote: »

I am asking a genuine question here. What exactly has Brian Lenihan "done loads" of in your area?

Because I am really at a lose to understand how such a national political figure can preside over an area were shortages of school places at both Primary and Post Primary levels are the norm. Where poor roads and traffic snarl up are a daily reality. And where poor planning decisions and shoddy building standards are brushed under the carpet.

Nonsense.

Roads and traffic are within the remit of the council. The passing of planning applications in the Dublin 15 area without any reference to or requirement to provide concomitant facilities that should naturally be there is a matter decided at council level.

Who has held sway in the council over the past number of years? Labour and FG. Who is holding sway now after the elections? Labour again. So expect more of the same but don't bother trying to pin bad decisions made locally and supported by the likes of Labour on Brian Lenihan.

athtrasna

As minister for Finance he's lost any remnant of respect I could have had for him. Have lived in D15 for 5 years and none of the FFers have been of any help. Even Joe Higgins was helpful!

Pineapple stu

Did you ask any of them for help?

athtrasna

I'm an equal opportunities help seeker!! I had a few personal concerns re traffic plans, road works, request for a yellow box etc which I sent to all Councillors. I also had issues as part of a community organisation where we contacted all elected reps in the area. Not a single FF response, not so much as an automated reply! Unless you count the mails that bounced back because a certain FF Cllr's inbox was full!

ciaran76

athtrasna wrote: »

As minister for Finance he's lost any remnant of respect I could have had for him. Have lived in D15 for 5 years and none of the FFers have been of any help. Even Joe Higgins was helpful!

I have e-mailed Dublin West members of the Dail and local policticans about Roads/signs/ litter and traffic in the past and got responses mainly from Socialist/Labour/Sinn Fein and Fine Gael.Not once has a FF politican got back to me.

Downside of e-mailing sending letters is that they put you on their mailing list and get the odd letter or X-mas card. I know you can be removed but I don't mind the letters as sometimes they have good information I may otherwise not have known about.

Sir Humphrey

athtrasna wrote: »

I'm an equal opportunities help seeker!! I had a few personal concerns re traffic plans, road works, request for a yellow box etc which I sent to all Councillors. I also had issues as part of a community organisation where we contacted all elected reps in the area. Not a single FF response, not so much as an automated reply! Unless you count the mails that bounced back because a certain FF Cllr's inbox was full!

<SNIP>

Gaspode

Sir Humphrey, please keep it civil or you will find yourself in hot water. Criticise the post not the poster, personal attacks are not tolerated. Please read the charter.

athtrasna

Thanks Gaspode. Sir H you couldn't be more wrong. I am active as a volunteer in several community organisations and get frustrated when people who are paid (generously) don't consider us worth their time to reply. What Ciaran said above backs up my experiences!

Pineapple stu

Try ringing them and you will get a better response.

Sir Humphrey

athtrasna wrote: »

Thanks Gaspode. Sir H you couldn't be more wrong. I am active as a volunteer in several community organisations and get frustrated when people who are paid (generously) don't consider us worth their time to reply. What Ciaran said above backs up my experiences!

I couldn't me more wrong? I don't know about that.

I know if I wrote/emailed 20 politicians I would not get 20 replies. You are guaranteed to have a gripe at the end of such a scatter-gun approach because these people are pretty busy I am sure and will naturally deal in the first instance with those who directly approach them or ring them.

I think it is an utter non-issue to come on here and say that you contacted all the councillors and they weren't all at your beck and call immediately. It'd be a shocking waste the time of public representatives if they all got back to you wouldn't it?

athtrasna

What I'm saying is that none of the Party responded. Parties with one elected rep did as did representatives of the larger parties. I'm not looking for replies from everyone but one from each Party would be useful, especially since FF are the ones in power.

I send emails or letter as experience teaches me that a written reply is the only way someone commits to action. Verbal agreements are worth nothing.

Sir Humphrey

athtrasna wrote: »

What I'm saying is that none of the Party responded. Parties with one elected rep did as did representatives of the larger parties. I'm not looking for replies from everyone but one from each Party would be useful, especially since FF are the ones in power.

I send emails or letter as experience teaches me that a written reply is the only way someone commits to action. Verbal agreements are worth nothing.

This is an astonishing inversion of the truth. The balance of power in the council has been held by FG/Labour since 2004 (though they have managed to deflect this little truth very effectively in the public mind as you demonstrate) and is now held by Labour/Socialists. If you want to deal with the ones in power in your council you are wasting your time barking up the FF tree. Fianna Fáil had 4 from 24 seats on the last council and has 4 from 24 in this council and will be outvoted on every issue. I find it nothing short of bizarre that you believe Fianna Fáil are the ones in power.

athtrasna

Ultimately the Council has little power. Funds come from the Government. You will note I said "elected rep" not Councillor.

Bearing in mind that many of the FF councillors will be looking for votes for a general election, it amuses me that they don't see their constituents as worth replying to.

Sir H, you seem to be very excitable when FF is criticised, is there something you should tell us? Are you a FF politico?

Sir Humphrey

athtrasna wrote: »

Ultimately the Council has little power. Funds come from the Government. You will note I said "elected rep" not Councillor.

Bearing in mind that many of the FF councillors will be looking for votes for a general election, it amuses me that they don't see their constituents as worth replying to.

Sir H, you seem to be very excitable when FF is criticised, is there something you should tell us? Are you a FF politico?

I am very excitable when I read stuff written by people who are verbally incontntinent when it come to offering opinions but clearly don't know what they are talking about.

The council has complete power when it comes to prioritising where funding goes locally. That is the real power. A council can do a horrendous job at a time of huge funding, as it has done in recent years when the FG/Labour majority council constantly and unquestioningly voted as the council officials wished so that they could get as much in levies as possible from development without any consideration for facilities in those areas. Or it can do a reasonable and fair job with less funding.

This is one of the problems with Irish political life since the recent largesse came into play. Acquiring funding seems to have become an end in itself without any real interest in or concern for how that funding is used. Hopefully the recession will put manners on people in that respect.

But look, if you desperately want to have a cut at Brian Lenihan fire away. It just seems an odd thing to be going on about on a Local Elections thread. And when you mention funding now, you are in fact changing your story. The post I took issue with read: "I had a few personal concerns re traffic plans, road works, request for a yellow box etc which I sent to all Councillors. I also had issues as part of a community organisation where we contacted all elected reps in the area. Not a single FF response, not so much as an automated reply! Unless you count the mails that bounced back because a certain FF Cllr's inbox was full!"

You are now claiming that what you actually want is extra funding from the Depertment of Finance. Fair enough, but doesn't it seem a bit odd that you went about this by emailing councillors about a yellow box? How on earth could you confuse parish-pump stuff like a yellow box and a councillor with an abstract debate on funding and the Minister for Finance? It seems odd. Or perhaps you expect this yellow box to be so expensive that special funding needs to be acquired? Like how expensive will this yellow box be?

And will you forget the 'are you an FF politico' stuff and for God's sake have the intellectual courage to make your arguments on their own merits? The answer is 'no' as it happens but I won't be asking you what way you vote or what party you are a member of.

athtrasna

OK I'm bowing out of this thread then. You are dying for a fight, taking things out of context and...I've had enough

Sir Humphrey

athtrasna wrote: »

OK I'm bowing out of this thread then. You are dying for a fight, taking things out of context and...I've had enough

If being willing to stand over what I say and not have a fluid story which changes with every post is dying for a fight, then yes I'm dying for a fight I suppose.

But I took nothing out of context. I simply replied to what you wrote. There's little point in contacting councillors about yellow boxes, road works and traffic plans and then complaining that the government doesn't get back to you about funding.

And knowing who actually runs the council would be a help.