why is kilkenny so loyal to fianna fail?

gunner11

ive been thinking about this for a long time now and yesterdays reshuffle isnt any real surprise. the carlow-kk constituency continually elects 3 fianna fail tds and never gets in the mix for a full cabinet ministry. isnt it over 30 years since the last one now! no full minister in a 5 seat constituency returning 3 ff's is quite shocking really.

yet every time a local or national election comes round there's a flurry to give a strong fianna fail vote in this city/county. i dont understand it really. (btw im not affiliated to any particular party, just depressed at the lack of attention given to this county at national level, which is predominantly fianna fail led since the foundation of the state)

Nightwish

To be honest geography should be secondary to ability when choosing ministers, something which the government rarely consider. I suppose if we do not elect "able" people, we only have ourselves to blame. Our local TD's are glorified gofers for local electorate. This is a consequence of the political system we currently have.

gunner11

i do agree with most of what you're saying there, but its the system we're stuck with for now and it'd be naive to think that ministers do not look out for their own constituency problems regardless of portfolio. like if kilkenny is a hub status town, i didnt see too many new industries or companies clammering to set up here, even in the "good" times. Like i struggle to think of any recent IDA initiative for this part of the country. fieldcrest in the 80s comes to mind!

Captain Havoc

In the same way as religion, a lot of the time it would be family thing. I would know some members (not all that well) of a party as do my family, so on the bases I believe them to be semi-honest and competant I vote for them. It can go all the way back to the civil war and in some families you would be shunned for voting for the wrong party.

Nightwish

In 90's and 00's the local government decided to focus its employment initiatives on service industry. Tax breaks allowed more hotels than I care to count to open. Although Banking 365 and Statestreet were encouraged to open here, that is little in comparison to other areas of the country when it comes to job investment. I do believe the local government have just as much to blame in how Kilkenny is at the moment. I am aware we had a Junior Minister in Enterprise Trade + Employment for a few years and he publicly placed the blame for the overall inaction at the Táiniste.

But back to your original point, Kilkenny people appear to have very short memories. The city and county have had little or no inward investment in what seems like decades, the country in general is on the brink, political unrest amongst the electorate is at breaking point and yet we returned the highest ever vote for a FF local representative in McGuinness Jr last year. It is depressing to think all you need to get the votes in Kilkenny is to sort out someones driving test waiting time, or arrange for local flower bed to be planted and turn up at every funeral mentioned on the Radio Kilkenny death notices.

gunner11

well purely voting for someone due to their family name or some past great before them is another thing that gets my goat. whatever happened to strong policies, ideas and past record of achievement in a business, local campaign, etc, rather than worrying about where the next photo opp is gonna be?

Nightwish

I despise the inherited seats and the automatic sense of entitlement that comes with political families. Fair enough if I personally feel the person is competent enough for my vote but in this constituency I dont think that is the case.

D bold one

Nightwish wrote: »

I despise the inherited seats and the automatic sense of entitlement that comes with political families. Fair enough if I personally feel the person is competent enough for my vote but in this constituency I dont think that is the case.

Depends on whethr d youngr politician is capable tho....

femur61

Captain Havoc wrote: »

In the same way as religion, a lot of the time it would be family thing. I. It can go all the way back to the civil war and in some families you would be shunned for voting for the wrong party.

It is a very Irish thing not just specific to Kilkenny, though it is changing. I am of an age where most of my peers go to mass. they go because of guilt and blind faith. Luckily things are changing polictically not just religiously.

I do have to agree I can't undrestand why FF do so well here because the only industry is Glanbia, an indiginous industry, but no investment for years from any other industry. I do think the voting system in this country has a lot to blame for the our inept politicians. Not only are majority teachers on sabatical leave but they are voted in for the wrong reasons. People here are voted in because they are our neighbour, friend or they attended a funeral. Ireland and Malta are the only two countries in the world that have the same type of elections.

Cabaal

gunner11 wrote: »

like if kilkenny is a hub status town, i didnt see too many new industries or companies clammering to set up here, even in the "good" times.

- Taxback
- BOI 365
- VHI
- Statestreet

Thats all I can think of off the top of my head, now tell me how many new companys have setup in Waterford during the "good" times in the IDA estates?

fabbydabby

Tourism is our industry. Kilkenny is one of the most popular places to visit in Ireland. That's why we don't get large factories located here.

Also, high tech (and heavy) industry (Intel, Pfizer, Medtronic, irish Steel etc) is usually located in areas with the appropriate backup services and infrastructure: a university, a port, a large pool for employment, a decent road network, high quality broadband / fibre optics.

The only industry which makes sense here in Kilkenny is that which is not dependant on the above, i.e. phone banking and Tynan's walking tours.

We still have factories though, if you look hard enough.

catbear

A few posts have mentioned that Kilkenny gets overlooked etc...
What about what Kilkenny can do for itself. Why be beholden unto Dublin, especially when the nationally government no longer take their orders from their mandate but from the banks.

In a truly free market these banks would be gone! Yet the power zombies of all parties insist that the banks must come first.

People have to come before profit because people make profit, all other monitory gain is mere speculation.

I agree with a lot of posters that votes are caste on traditional lines, but that dynamic decreases with every funeral. However we are an educated people now and government should not be a hinderance to what a community can do for itself.

When a government becomes an obstacle to its people, they must reconstitute and renew the system so that it is not a burden. Right now our government, regardless of who's in power is a burden upon its people.