It’s been 102 days since the election but we still have no government.. FG have been playing politics in middle of this pandemic
Irish Mirror columnist PAT FLANAGAN asks why public was let down after going to polls
ONE hundred and two days after the electorate voted for change Fianna Fail and Fine Gael want to give us more of the same but can’t even manage that.
As talks continue to form a government that no one wants but which is desperately needed unelected ministers make momentous decisions affecting the lives of millions.
And they do this without any Dail scrutiny.
While one side of Fine Gael’s face is supposedly in constructive talks with Fianna Fail the other side is preparing for a snap election in the hope of taking advantage of the pandemic to secure a majority.
Meanwhile, Sinn Fein – which one third of the electorate entrusted with their votes and which could break the deadlock – is excluded by the other two because for ideological reasons.
The leader of Aontu Peadar Toibin claimed yesterday that no other section of Irish society would “allow the dysfunctional decision-making process to continue indefinitely” and he is dead right.
Because there is no urgency I have no doubt that a government would have been formed by now if it was illegal to keep unelected ministers in their jobs.
Mr Toibin’s party is attempting to introduce a Bill that will lead to the replacement of unelected ministers and junior ministers with elected TDS but even if it succeeds it will be too late to stop people like Regina Doherty blowing billions of taxpayers’ money.
Regina Doherty has already cost the taxpayer in excess of €60million on a public service card which many – including the Data Protection Commissioner – believe is illegal and will have to be scrapped.
She pushed ahead with this doomed project despite the warnings of its illegality amid claims the PSC was a national identity card by the back door without the scrutiny of the Dail.
How she is spending billions which will have to be repaid by the taxpayer while she swans off into the sunset on her big pension and no questions asked?
You’d imagine that 102 days on from the General Election there would now be a sense of urgency about forming a government but that’s obviously not the case. Fine
Gael might have got its arse kicked back in February but a couple of good recent polls has convinced some in the party that they could snatch a majority in a snap poll.
Who said there wasn’t an upside to the pandemic? The Fine grassroots obviously disagree.
With both Fianna Fail and its leader on just 14% the polls it’s not surprising Micheal Martin fears he is about to be stabbed in the back. Rural and Community Development Minister Michael Ring is believed to have told a private meeting on Monday the grassroots don’t want a coalition with Fianna Fail and the general public don’t have an appetite for it either. He’s right on both counts.
But he’s wrong when he says his party needs to get their candidates in place for an election. What the public want is a stable government and the only way this is going to come about is if Sinn Fein is included in any coalition.
It is only 102 days since Fine Gael was rejected by the public and mood could easily swing again for callously playing politics in the grip of a deadly pandemic.
A couple of recent polls have convinced some in Fine Gael they could snatch victory in snap election