Waterford election hub

spaceCreated

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122244264#Comment_122244264

I could see Cullinane and Shanahan getting in easily enough but the rest is up in the air, we could end up with any kind of combination. Something to consider is that Mary Butler might not even be running. Last election Butler and Marc barely got in ahead of Cummins so anything could happen.

As usual though the candidates we're given are horrible, we seem to either have a choice of all funds diverted to Dublin with Fine Gael/Greens or Cork with Fiana Fail… or anywhere but Waterford with Sinn Fein going by the Cullinane's carry on with the WIT.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122246421#Comment_122246421

He'll get a big vote from the west. He's been spending a lot of time in the west of the county to build his profile there.

Local elections show the support for FG in the west of the county.

FG are also only running one candidate, they know he'll suffer a bit in the city but by only having one candidate he'll get all the FG votes and that will be enough to see him through.

Butler could be under a bit of pressure but again if FF are clever and just run 1 candidate she'll get all the FF vote. She'll suffer from the POV due to her junior minister position and not having 24/7 delivered (but yet the anger probably won't be taken out on FG who have been in power 13 years and failed to deliver it)

I suspect we'll see 1FG, 1FF, 1SF and a fight for the last seat, surely some independent gets a seat.

Unless SF can run a good candidate in the west which would attract a large vote, then we could possibly see, 2SF, I independent, and FF/FG battling for the last seat.

The annoying thing is SF are only worth the vote if they actually form a government as we should have a full minister then.

If we have a government with FF or FG I can't see any of their candidates here becoming a full minister, maybe Cummins gets a junior minister, but without a full minister, the next 4 years will be the same as the past 13 years for waterford

decies

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122246421#Comment_122246421

one candidate for FG and not 2 split down the middle like last time .

spaceCreated

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122247123#Comment_122247123

Its lining up to be a right bloodbath of transfers. And, unfortunately, I cant see much changing for Waterford whatever the outcome unless we get a fifth seat.

spaceCreated

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122247905#Comment_122247905

All the people who voted for a Fine Gael candidate were not voting for Fine Gael, If Damien Geoghegan's transfers went to John Cummins he would be a Td right now. This makes for good reading https://waterfordreturningofficer.com/images/2020-02/results.pdf

decies

well am sticking to my prediction . Sf Ff FG and a dart throw for fourth seat not named Green Party .

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122248202#Comment_122248202

Unfortunately I don't think you will be wrong.

914

Am I reading that wrong, did Cummins not get 2500ish transfers from Geoghegan?

Speak Now

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122248223#Comment_122248223

Yeah he got about 40% of them.

My god the choices are dreadful, replacing rubbish with rubbish.

Asdfgh2020

can anyone explain and give a good solid reason for voting for shahahan or any other independent. Unless an independent or group of them hold the ‘balance of power’ (as has been the case in the past with the Healy-Rea’s, Michael Lowry, Tony Gregory when they propped up / supported FF minority governments ) what can they achieve for their voters. Asking the government ministers ‘awkward’ questions during ‘leaders question time’ is about all that comes to mind and that’s also limited as an independent will only get a short period of time allocated to them during each session….getting elected as an independent is definitely an achievement but they are effectively powerless unless they propping up a minority ‘gubbermint’

ArtVandelay76

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122248858#Comment_122248858

When someone keeps kicking you in the balls you'll tend to side with somebody who might not kick you in the balls.

JimWinters

I think it is important to have local TDs in government. We should be voting for the candidate most likely to be successful and senior in a government party, not just in the next government but in the long term.

We should also be electing opposition TDs to hold government to account. Ideally SF would be strong voices for local/regional issues but that simply isn’t happening. This is why we need a good independent and/or opposition TD who advocates for local and regional issues.

All that said, we should have a five seat constituency, we are under represented. I’m not sure how the electoral commission can justify keeping us at a four seater in the recent review!

johnnykilo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122249168#Comment_122249168

Was that recent review made public? Would you have a link to it?

JimWinters

We should have one TD for every 20,000-30,000 people. The Electoral Commission recognised Waterford’s population in the 2022 census at 31,841. They also chose to exclude the 7,000+ living over the bridge for fear of breaching the county boundary. Page 94: https://ec-report.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/constituency-review-report-2023.pdf

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122248595#Comment_122248595

Ah ye I get it now, thanks

Chip Whitley

This is probably a stupid question, so forgive my ignorance, but how would it work if we got another seat, would a seat be taken from elsewhere, or can I assume the number of seats grows as the population does?

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122248934#Comment_122248934

any chance you could translate your riddle there…………?

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122250308#Comment_122250308

If you can't translate that into political events over the past decade in Waterford, then you should stop posting on this page until you can.

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122251262#Comment_122251262

It’s not jumping out at me sorry.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122250308#Comment_122250308

I'll presume he means, government haven't been great for Waterford and with limited options you end up voting for an independent as they rarely form any part of a government so they are not the bad egg

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122251663#Comment_122251663

there really are some ‘glass half empty’ people contributing to this thread/forum…….I’m sure there are plenty in Sligo or maybe Roscommon/Longford/Laois that feel the same way

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122251811#Comment_122251811

Waterford city is not Sligo, Longford or Laois and your posts are borderline trolling? Glass half empty, my ass. 15 years waiting for investment in WIT and its not jumping out at you? Are you paying attention at all?

Asdfgh2020

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122251950#Comment_122251950

the widespread (particularly online) belief that there is a deliberate and sustained anti south east and wateford in particular policy by successive ‘gubber-mints’ is what is so amusing……25 yesrs ago who would have believed there would be a motorway (toll free) linking wateford to the M50 and almost the whole way to Belfast…..a waterford bypass and second bridge, fully off road ‘greenway’ to Dungarvan, outer ring road, another bridge under construction including a relocated railway station, pharma/med device sector that is growing…..tourism to the region continues to expand significantly…..and I’m sure there are plenty more things I’ve left out

spaceCreated

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122248934#Comment_122248934

Worked for Parnell though

spaceCreated

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252467#Comment_122252467

Its not so much a big anti south east conspiracy people think is happening, its merely every time money needs ot be allocated very little of it will be headed towards the South East.

Motorway + bypass pretty much forced through by Martin Cullen (heavy opposition from Mary Hearney as well at the time). Greenway funded by the council. The second bridge was the only part of the M9 that was tolled. Growing phrama/med device sector is minor compared ot msot other investments, look up the history of the IDA in the South East if you want.

You come across as trying to make rainbows and sunshine out of basic developments when you exclude anything that wasnt put through by Cullen.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252579#Comment_122252579

I'd agree it's not an anti south east conspiracy, it's a lack of political power in Waterford and the in house fighting politically in the South East.

A lot of what the poster mentioned was delivered by Martin Cullen a senior minister, that just shows the power a senior minister can have.

Cullen was 1 vote away from having a stand alone University, since then we haven't seen one new teaching building built, not one capital project take plane at WIT, and have since seen WIT merged with IT Carlow despite WIT performing to TU level since 2014 on its own.

The Greenway the council were left short of funding of FG wouldn't step in, bilberry was left idle for years, I'd imagine the greens were helpful in getting that project finished.

The NQs is largely down to Paudie Coffeey, he did serious work in getting that site as an SDZ. Government funding has been slow in delivery, new pedestrian bridges in Galway and Athlone as examples have been delivered well before our new sustainable transport bridge.

The hospital we won't even go there.

The airport, we are still talking about it. With SETU we had all politicians from across the SE united and stating how important it was largely because Carlow, Wexford and KK all wanted their slice, outside of Waterford we are not hearing a word of the airport.

Everyone in the South East is out for their own slice which is doing serious damage and has done serious damage, had a stand alone Uni had the same support as SETU the SE could possibly have a stand alone Uni in Waterford and a TU in Carlow but no, politicians are in South East out their own parish ahead of what the SE actually needs to be successful and the college was a prime example of this. The hospital is in the same boat as is lack of support for the airport as it's not delivering infrastructure in neighbouring counties.

So it's not anti south east conspiracy, it's pure lack of strong political representation in Waterford and the in house issues in the SE.

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252579#Comment_122252579

Exactly and the investment in third level facilities and in our Model 4 hospital which would drive future growth has been conspicuously absent. Take a trip to Galway to see investment in both these vital areas. I also believe that IDA job creation has lagged badly behind other cities. Other than the North Quays, its the investment deficit between Waterford and other cities, Limerick and Galway especially, in these three areas that most concerns people.

When comparisons are made in the vital areas that will move the economic needle between Waterford city, the designated economic driver of the south east region in the NDP , Ireland 2040, and Sligo.Roscommon,Longford etc then its fair to say the point is being missed by a mile. Whether ASDFGH 2020 is doing so deliberately or not is open to question. He/she finds it amusing that these deficits are pointed out, I do not!

The investment this area received when Martin Cullen was a minister highlighted what could be done.

azimuth17

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122252467#Comment_122252467

Please note that it is you who has raised the conspiracy notion. I dont subscribe to it. We are simply subject to political decisions made by powerful ministers. 914 has mentioned above that WIT, now SETU has not seen a new teaching building in years (since the Humanities building of 1998). A new engineering building is on the stocks since 2009. A photo attached from SEPAG of a PQ response gives some inkling of how UHW is faring.

Maybe you might comment on either of thes ethree items instead of that "gubber-mint" thing you always mention?

invara

An interesting feature of the campaign was FF and FG MEP candidates talking up the airport (particularly Cynthia Ní Mhurchú; and more diffusely with Simon Covney leading for John Mullins and Sean Kelly) as part of putting the squeeze on the Greens. My guess is that this trick works once, and by GE time FF and FG will have either delivered or not.

914

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122254253#Comment_122254253

I actually couldn't get over Cynthia Ní Mhurchú doing videos outside the airport saying it is top of her list, a business proposal sits with the government for the past 26 weeks which her party is apart of, you actually couldn't make it up.

Grace O Sullivan has been an MEP for the last stint, if it is possible to deliver airport investment in Europe it would have been delivered.

Airport is solely down to national politics, seeing her talk about the airport is like seeing local councillors taking about changing government policies.

While we are on the subject of Simon Convey and political decisions.

During the campaign of 24/7 cardiac care, minister of health Simon Harris said there is no way that the government could go against the result of the independent report, as what would be the point in independent reports.

Boundary commission supported Waterford extending its boundary, ignored by government as Convey had his eye on becoming party leader then and wanted the KK vote.

The extra Dail seat, based on the figures from the independent report one would have suspected Waterford to obtain an extra seat but due to political pressure from neighbouring counties that wasn't the case.

Two independent reports recommending Waterford go it alone for university status again ignored despite having two senior South East politician's in Hogan and Howlin as they wanted to ensure they got something for their own patch hence SETU.

When WIT were being told they had no choice and only the TU route and a merger was on offer, they wanted to proceed with Cork IT as at the time they had a very close relationship and completed a lot of research projects together and howlin was quoted somewhere as saying "WIT joining with CIT would be disastrous for Wexford" yet fast forward a few years he was nearly in tears on WLR about SETU not becoming the first TU, had he have backed Waterford we would have had a stand alone Uni or at worst a TU a good 5-6 years prior to SETUs establishment.

Again the above just highlights personal political interest effecting Waterford's growth, so it's not a conspiracy that everyonr is out to get Waterford, it's more everyone is out for themselves and due to our political weakness we suffer from it.