A possible answer
One of the charges that is frequently aimed at people who criticise the government is that we are too negative. We complain, but we never give ideas as to how things may be improved.
Well, here is a little suggestion.
If I had any sort of influence on how democracy would be run, I would abolish politicians’ clinics. Yes. It’s that simple.
We have a bunch of brainless low-life running this place at the moment. They are paid sinful wages yet they rarely appear to do the actual job of running the country. Why? Because they are all back home in their constituencies doing things they should not be doing.
On the radio recently, people in Limerick were asked what they thought of that little perjurer O’Dea. They said he was a fantastic representative. Why? Because he would turn up at all the funerals. For fuck’s sake!! The Brain Dead are impressed because some wanker turns up at a funeral?
The latest little nugget is that Trevor Sargent is to be investigated because he wrote to the Gardai asking for charges against a constituent to be dropped. Whatever the rights and wrongs of what he did, I would ask what the fuck he was doing meddling in a single bloke’s affairs when he should have been looking after his government department?
The problem with Irish politics is that TDs are under the impression that their job is to sort out people’s problems. What’s worse, they are under the impression that they only have to write something on government headed notepaper and that problem will be solved. This should not be the way of things.
When I vote for a candidate, I vote not because I like his policies on how the country should be run, but because his policies are less damaging than the other candidates. One way or another, I vote because I want him [or her] to contribute to running the country.
Unfortunately, too many people vote for a candidate because he has promised to get the potholes in the road fixed, or that he will sort out some planning problem. This is so wrong as to be laughable. What we end up with is gobshites, the likes of Jackie Healy-Rae and Willie O’Dea who haven’t a fucking clue about how a country should be run, but who are guaranteed to turn up at a funeral or to get you a medical card.
If I have a problem with planning permission or holes in the road, I go to my local council. It’s what they are there for, and it’s why I elect my local councillors. It is not the business of my local TD in any way, shape or form. TDs should be expressly forbidden from messing in local affairs.
So my answer is to abolish the clinics. Forbid TDs from having any say in anything other than national affairs.
Think of the advantages –
TDs would be elected on national policies, and not because they are good at sorting trivia.
TDs would be available at all times for national business and would have the excuse that they ‘have to deal with their constituency’.
Travel [and its expense] would be drastically decreased.
Fewer TDs would be required, thereby saving millions.
We might actually get TDs who have something to offer other than the fact they are someone’s son or daughter.
The advantages are really too many to mention.
So why don’t we insist on this simple solution?
But Grandad, if that happened there would be a danger of someone saying “What the fuck would a primary school teacher know about running the country.”
Reduce the amount of them, insist all those that run have their qualifications to hold the job scruitinised and laid bare before the public.
No right of succession, just because daddy died etc..
But this will never happen !!
Another idea I had was that ministers should & could be appointed on the basis of their qualifications alone & do not have to be even sitting TD’s or Senators. In fact I believe all ministers should have to give up their TD status & strictly focus 100% on their portfolio, absolutely no constituency work. That way Taoiseach’s could appoint ministers who actually had a qualification in the area they would be working in, instead of having a school teacher as minister of foreign affairs etc.
.-= Lafsword´s last brainfart .. Minister for Defence (His own, not the Country’s) =-.
Considering our second in command is a social worker, I don’t think much would change there.
Under my proposal, because they only have to concentrate on running national affairs, and not go trotting around the country looking after street lighting, we could drastically reduce the numbers, and the reduced numbers would be far more efficient [in theory!].
I would love to see a system whereby candidates would have to be qualified for the job, but unfortunately that would be contra to the idea that any person is free to stand as a candidate, which is part of the constitution. And even then, we have the case of O’Dea, who is supposed to be qualified in law, perjuring himself to further his own aims.
I think the mere fact that TDs would be elcted on the basis on national policies [where the electorate know that being ‘one of the lads’ or ‘being a great fella for fixing the potholes’ counts for nothing] would mean that the political dynasties would die out and we would get better candidates all round?
I’d be careful about some of the qualifications claimed by senior Irish politicians as well.
Remember one in particular claimed to be a qualified accountant and also claimed to have a degree from the LSE.
Turns out he was an accounts clerk for a Dublin hospital. Never been near the LSE in his life. He’s not the only one inflating his credentials like a Pink Floyd pig.
Having attended the LSE (B.Sc (Econ.) 2:2) I was astonished when Bertie claimed to have been a student there.
Lafsword’s idea of aministers outside the Dail would create a distinction between the executive and the legislative ,as in the United States.
I think the complete abolition of the constituency system is needed if clientelism is to come to an end – switch to a list system as in many places in Europe. You get seats according to how many votes you receive nationally..
Cap’n Con – I think you may be referring to our illustrious ex-leader – the bastard who got us into this appalling mess that we’re in now. As far as I remember, someone did discover that he did night classes somewhere.
I did read somewhere recently that there were questions that should be asked about O’Dea’s qualifications also.
Ian – One thing that is for sure – the current system does not work. It needs either a very radical overhaul or to be scrapped entirely.
But surely at a clinic you can look him in the eye face to face, tell him what you don’t like and even call him a cunt if you wish. As opposed to complaining on line. Am I wrong?
That’s true. But the benefits of having the cunt doing what he’s elected to do would outweigh the benefits of telling him he’s a cunt?
No. Not even close.
I heard your man John Browne on Joe Duffy the other day saying he doesnt have to “answer to Fianna Fail backbenchers” referring to the little matter of missing an important vote in the Dail cos he was out and about on constituency business. It was great hearing his wexford constituents ripping him apart on air. The prick really didnt have a leg to stand on.
I wonder how much more the irish public will take of these sly, lazy bastards.
“Simplicity is the peak of civilization”