FG’s Mr Fixit has his hands full with Brexit
Maybe it was watching an old movie over the holidays that inspired my ‘Back To The Future’ news review of the year. It followed Irish EU Commissioner ‘Big’ Phil Hogan leading the trade talks to resolve the Brexit crisis – an imminent threat to peace and prosperity on these islands and beyond.
The outcome of those negotiations is important for the EU but nothing less than do-or-die mission to save the trading relationship with our nearest neighbour.
And the ultimate prize potentially casts Hogan as an heroic figure in contemporary history.
Leading such as sensitive mission with the UK also raises many questions about Hogan’s history in Irish public life and also presents the back-to-the-future dilemma: would Phil need to change the past to make him the most suitable man in the present?
Big Phil’s diplomatic quest can only be realised if his diplomatic skills are as effective as his reputation as an enforcer.
His status as a political Mr Fixit was enshrined in Fine Gael folklore when he saved Enda Kenny’s leadership in 2010, the year before he became taoiseach.
Facing down the challenge to Kenny confirmed Big Phil’s status as the party’s kingmaker – but it also reminded others of his long and close friendship with disgraced former communications minister Michael Lowry.
Kenny rewarded Big Phil with the plum job of minister for the environment, responsible for a crucial infrastructure project – Irish Water.
Any appraisal of Hogan’s administrative or leadership skills must examine his performance as a senior government minister.
And any assessment of his potential to lead the EU’s Brexit talks with the UK must be measured against his handling of the launch of Irish Water. Hogan’s first unforced error was to ignore the advice of consultants to set up a stand-alone Irish Water company; he recommend it be based in Bord Gáis.
Yet while he was struggling with his launch of Irish Water in 2014, Enda Kenny gave Big Phil the biggest prize a taoiseach can offer a cabinet minister and appointed EU Commissioner.
But before he left for Brussels, Hogan made the most momentous – and damning – decision of his Irish political life: he proposed that the cabinet approve a €450m plan to put water meters in more than 1m Irish households.
It united the opposition against the government and consolidated their campaign against Irish Water.
The minister for finance said that collecting water charges in working class estates would be extremely problematic.
Yet Big Phil’s argument prevailed against Michael Noonan’s experience.
And then widespread fears that the setting up of Irish Water was a forerunner to its privatisation animated leftist parties against Fine Gael’s partners in government, the Labour Party.
But Big Phil stuck to his guns and spent €600,000 on a glossy television advertisement broadcast in prime time programmes that showed water meters being installed. The advert had to be taken off when a water treatment plant in Ballymore Eustace was temporarily closed and Dublin city centre was without water for three days – just when the international Web Summit conference was meeting.
At a press conference Big Phil said the average charge for each house would be €240 – and the minister warned: ‘Water will be turned down to a trickle for basic human health reasons…And obviously that would not be too attractive for them.’
A Labour Party source later said that the minister ‘almost took pleasure’ in saying it.
And that was Phil Hogan’s last act as an Irish minister before he moved to Brussels to be an EU Commissioner.
His plan to install meters in Irish homes – later abandoned – was an expensive and politically humiliating U-turn. Nearly every element of Big Phil’s plan for Irish water had to be scrapped or changed.
And pundits still speculate that the government would not have survived the shame of Irish Water if Big Phil Hogan had not gone to Europe.
Yet after receiving advice from Phil Hogan during his successful leadership campaign Leo Varadkar reappointed him as EU Commissioner.
And the government were purred with pleasure when Big Phil was given the Trade portfolio – leading the EU negotiations with the British government.
Britain has legislated in Westminster to complete its trade deal with the EU by the end of 2020.
And we all hope that Big Phil handles the deal with the UK more adroitly than his previous big career challenge – Irish Water.