Assessment

Returns from pre-election spin shake up Bertie

It has been a bad month for Bertie Ahern and the ever popular Fianna Fail/ Progressive Democrat coalition government in the South. First of all, he was unable to deliver the IRA surrender long promised and had to swallow deeply while Blair cancelled the election, making democracy in Northern Ireland once again an optional extra.

Then, the Health Minister, Michael Martin was caught on the hop by hospitals in Dublin and elsewhere closing down beds and wards in an attempt to stay within budget this year. This was surprising and embarrassing for him, as we had just had a litany of horror stories about long waits on trolleys in A&E departments and statistics showing that waiting lists for operations haven’t reduced at all in real terms but hospitals still had to close wards! Mr. Martin’s decision to refuse entry to Special Olympics athletes from SARS infected countries just added to his problems, as rather than being outraged, many concurred that this was a good idea because the health service is so bad, that we can’t cope with flu let alone anything more serious.

Bertie must have been desperately looking for a quick positive hit so he cooked up a sure fire vote winner and issue to make himself look good. Why not make some very rich people pay for their children’s university fees? He could then say that the paltry sums gained will go back into the education system and anyway the point is not the money, but the illusion it will create – This Government cares about the disadvantaged and access to University. Unfortunately, for Mr. Ahern, he misjudged the reaction of the most important person in his life, Mary Harney, who just thought it was unnecessary and silly. While Mary isn’t averse to the whole ploy of pretending to take money from one less popular group and giving it to another, without any real change taking place, she obviously thought this idea so stupid that it didn’t even warrant a try. So, it is Noel Dempsey’s turn to swallow deeply as he quickly backtracks.

Then the opinion poll carried out by TNS mrbi for the Irish Times, published on 16th May one year after the General Election, showed that the vast majority of Irish people do not believe that anything has improved since the Election. Indeed, over two thirds of those polled said that the Government had not delivered on any of the main area’s where promises/ pledges were made prior to the Election. It is clear that the spin employed before the election ‘things will be alright just trust us’ had quickly changed to ‘we must all tighten our belts’ and ‘blame the economic downturn on global factors not us’.

The Irish public do not believe the Government on this and there is a horrible dawning of the reality that infrastructural improvements; the education system; the health system; the public sector; employment and on almost any other issue, Ireland’ s performance is again that of a backward country full of gombeen men/women. We can’t even build a light rail system in the capital city of this country that has been planned for, talked about, funded and wished for since the 1980’s. Charles J Haughey got away with it for a long number of years until the ducking and diving finally caught up with him and the extent of the corruption, lies and downright robbery was exposed.

What has changed? In fact, Bertie Ahern has continued to run the country with Ms Harney along similar lines of jobs and riches for the few chosen boys/girls and lies, corruption and robbery behind closed doors for the rest of us.

One hopes that this time, the Irish people will not be taken in by false promises, fears and hopes but will continue to ask questions, to disbelieve, to demand facts and changes to priorities and will see their opposition to its conclusion. Not only a different Government next time around but a fundamental shift in policy and outlook for any government in this country because the Irish people should demand it and accept nothing less. We want a government that bases its policy not on fear and favour but on equality, justice and democracy for now while building for the socialist, democratic republic of the future.

FOURTHWRITE, PO BOX 31, Belfast BT127EE