Whatever the outcome of today’s budget, if there was ever a clear message that our political system needs reform, it is the amount of time spent by senior government ministers dealing with the wishes of two independent TDs ahead of the announcement, negotiating on local (as well as national issues – particularly those affecting their key voters). Yes, the two TDs do and should represent their constituents and their interests, and this kind of deal making is always going to be a feature of coalition government, but that national policy and interests can be so cynically warped by vested interests for local issues is clear indication of how clientelism and localism perverts the Irish political system. It is absolutely clear that we need local government reform, with power and funding devolved to the local level to deal with local issues. The national stage should be deal primarily with national issues, with the local clientelism that TDs presently undertake passed to local councillors. That so much of a TD’s time, and indeed the time of Minister’s, is spent dealing with local issues actively fosters localism to the detriment of national interests. To let such a situation continue is to perpetuate the gombeen politics that has partially led us into the mess we find ourselves. Politicians talk about the need for public sector reform – ‘reinventing government’ as Fine Gael puts it – but that needs to consist of more than reducing the numbers of TDs or abolishing the Seanad; it needs to consist of the reinvention of political structures and processes that redistributes political power and public finance across scales. Until politicians are prepared to take the decisions needed to reorganise their own structures and practices, then the sorts of deal making undertaken over the past two weeks by two renegade, localist and clientelist politicians will continue to distort the national agenda. Such reform is actually in the self-interests of TDs, freeing them from significant amounts of commitments and compromises, but whether they can see that is a different matter. Hopefully whatever local deals have been done will be up for renegotiation once the forthcoming general election happens.
Rob Kitchin
December 7, 2010 at 10:45 am
I am becoming more convinced that the Irish do not want to change. They are happy to have a reason to complain. They will accept the losses but keep their corrupt little system. Community is dead in Ireland and we will know otherwise only when emigration is no longer part of the ethos of being Irish.
Keeping Ireland Irish? Not such an extraordinary demand, is it?
What would Swift have said about the evicted Irish?
December 7, 2010 at 11:45 am
This Quirke guy (ex Garda) who went into the same business a Jim Kennedy (slot machine arcades in Dublin)appears to have done equally well for himself.
How come the whole of O´Connell Street is not lined with gambling Casinos?
Why go down to the ar*e hole of Tipperary to build an Irish “Las Vegas”
Surely there is some land available near Terminal 2.
Presumably all the clients will be foreigners for the next decade at least.
December 7, 2010 at 11:51 am
Looks like Mattie McGrath and a few others are going to electioneer the hell out of this until lunchtime.
December 7, 2010 at 7:40 pm
A voice in the wilderness, do turkeys vote for christmas. I agree totally that TD’s should not be involved with local issues such as pot holes and dog litter , here where I live the local TD is known as the undertaker for obvious reasons. Wheeled out in the Dail when his/her vote is necessary.