Political promises are perilous if they are not delivered on

IT WAS unfortunate that Leo Varadkar’s first big foray into the land of the microchip ended with the shadow of very serious doubt over Apple’s €850m investment in Athenry.

The Taoiseach’s tour of west coast high-tech USA was about protecting existing jobs, and attracting more, and he did score some successes. But there is nothing like a little bad luck in political timing to turn the spotlight on other problems, especially shortcomings.

There have been a number of other negatives in recent weeks which were part of Mr Varadkar’s Government’s general trend of promises that things will continue on the up economically. The Government’s tendency to raise public hopes, either implicitly or more explicitly, on things not within its control risks provoking a voter backlash.

There has been a raft of examples in recent weeks, beyond the likelihood that Apple will not go ahead in Athenry. There was, while Mr Varadkar was in the USA, Ireland’s serious knockback on its 2023 Rugby World Cup bid; there has been the likely failure of a bid to get the prestigious EU Medicines Agency quitting Britain in the wake of Brexit; and a general malaise caused by the deadlock of Brexit itself.

Granted, large elements of these issues cited above are beyond Dublin’s control no matter who is in power. But that is precisely the point. And the corollary of that excuse is that if any of those items did come home, there would be no reticence about Mr Varadkar and colleagues claiming the resultant political kudos.

The Fianna Fáil opposition, struggling in its half-in/ half-out of Government role, has already identified the potential to gain political advantage by attacking Leo

Varadkar as “more style than substance”.

It never stinted on public relations spending itself over its years at Government Buildings.

But Mr Varadkar’s revamped press operation is now firmly in Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin’s sights.

There is no doubt that “Martin’s elves” are busy working on lists of missed targets and shortcomings such as these. Soon we will hear of Leo Varadkar being styled “the do-nothing Taoiseach”. The next election will feature a major Fine Gael-Fianna Fáil face-off, and Leo Varadkar’s record of delivery will be closely examined.

The Athenry issue denting the Taoiseach’s USA trip may involve a deal of misfortune.

But as Oscar Wilde’s Lady Bracknell might be paraphrased, the loss on other issues might be deemed to smack of carelessness.