No apology just self pity

John O Donoghue’s speech today was a shameful exercise in re-writing history. The half truths he spoke about are surely his own recollections of how he abused the spending of taxpayer’s money. He may not have broken any laws; he may not have broken any rules and he may have acted within guidelines but he is guilty of a cavalier attitude to the spending of public money. Mr O Donoghue is a man in denial. He is indicative of the political class in this country who have lost touch with the people. For John and company no wrong can be done as long as it is within the rules as laid down by his peers. No thought is given to whether the rules may need to be changed.

For those expecting an apology it never arrived. For those expecting self pity and arrogance we got it in spades. John is representative of the disease that runs through Leinster house – this sense of entitlement and of being above the rest of us. It stinks to high heaven. I have no pity for John and I say this not callously but honestly. My only pity is that John and his friends in Fianna Fáil did not see fit to apologise for their lavish spending habits or use the opportunity of reforming the system. Let us not forget that John is only one of many. If Fianna Fáil, the Green Party and others fail to properly reform the system shame on them, if we allow things to continue as they are then shame on us.

New Waterford Crystal Plan is a truly exciting prospect

At tonight’s meeting of Waterford City Council the City Manager presented a visionary plan aimed at reviving crystal manufacturing in the city. The plan consists of two phases the most exciting of which is phase two – an iconic building on the south quays. The intention is two build a barge out onto the river situated either side of the clock tower. The development will complement existing south quay buildings and will be a maximum of three stories. The barge will consist of 16,000sq foot 6,000 of which will involve the crystal dimension. It will also allow for retail and other development. A significant portion of the four lane road infrastructure on the quay will be replaced by single outer lanes creating new public realm in the centre.

This development is tremendous news for the city. Many of the jigsaw pieces are in place. The City Manager deserves huge credit for this. I have long advocated for a major development of our quays. This plan will truly make the quay a jewel in the crown of Waterford and the Southeast. It will create significant tourist opportunities and will complement the planned historic and Viking triangle. It will replace most of the existing quay car parks and replace them with sub-terannian parking. The most significant feature of the plan is that it will restore crystal manufacturing most precious to our city. In fact it will go further and bring it into the heart of the city centre.

In the excitement of the plans potential we must not forget all of those crystal workers who lost their jobs. The Waterford Crystal brand was built on the back of the blood, sweat and hard work of ordinary working people who developed exceptional skills and talent. Their sacrifices and their loss must also be remembered. However I am sure that they will see this plan not only as salvaging something from the wreckage but as an opportunity to build again for the future. I in no way understate my position when I say that this is the most ambitious, the most visionary and the most realistic plan for Waterford City I have seen in my time on the council. It has my full support and I hope it is delivered quickly.

Rearranging deck chairs will not save the country from sinking

So the Green Party claim to have agreed a new so-called ‘Programme for Government’. This new programme is a mixed bag of re-hashed existing policies, vague promises and is a pathetic attempt to cling onto power at any cost. Rearranging the deck chairs will not save this country from sinking. The Green Party had it within their power to pull the plug on plans to make ordinary working people pay for the economic recession through NAMA and the McCarthy report. They also failed to provide new policies aimed at getting people back to work and helping those most in need.

NAMA will cripple this country for a generation. Its effects will be seen year after year at December time as money is put aside at each budget to pay for this flawed scheme. The Green Party and this Government has no mandate for NAMA or the recommendations in the McCarthy Report and they must not be allowed force them through. Internal green party support is no substitute for support of the people. I have no doubt that if NAMA is put to the people it would be overwhelmingly rejected. Saturdays vote by Green Party members was a desperate exercise in self-preservation. Ultimately it will fail. Vague promises and a re-hashing of existing commitments will be soon forgotten as the Government plan for a crippling December budget. The Green Party had an opportunity to put the country ahead of the party. The choosing of the latter will be their eventual undoing.

Obama strange choice for Nobel Peace Prize

President Barack Obama has been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. It is a strange choice to say the least. I am a fan of Obama and I wish him well in his term as US President. However he has not done anything of substance to deserve such a prestigious prize. The prize was devalued for me when it was awarded to David Trimble at a time when he was refusing to take a risk for peace. The awarding of the prize to Obama is at best premature and at worst down right silly. Obama has given a lot of great speeches, has talked a lot about diplomacy and has certainly begun to heal the wounds of the Bush era but has done nothing of substance to earn this prize.

Divide and conquer tactics must not pay off

It is now official. After months of kite flying the Minister for Finance confirmed today that the public sector will be hit and hit hard in December’s budget. Expect to hear a lot about waste in the public sector, inflated salaries, Rolls Royce pensions and anything and everything designed to paint a picture of a bloated and inefficient public service. A clear attempt is being made to divide and conquer and to pit public and private sector workers against each other. This is dangerous as well as divisive and must not be allowed to happen.

I need to make it clear that I am all for cutting public spending where necessary. Indeed my party has put forward reasonable and practical proposals to government on how public spending can be curbed. However in doing so we must protect front line services and those on low and middle incomes. Contrary to the picture being painted most public sector employees are on modest incomes and many are on less then the average industrial wage. The Rolls Royce pensions we hear a lot about are reserved for a privileged few at the top.

Reform and cuts are necessary but they must start at the top. We also need to recognise that the public sector has already seen thousands of job losses as well as abolition of overtime and the introduction of pension and income levies. New and severe cuts as is anticipated will result in dire consequences. While it is the Government who are making the running on this issue they are being closely followed by those in Fine Gael. If these parties have their way expect to see savage cuts in public services and the loss of front line staff such as teachers, nurses and gaurds. Too borrow and twist a Fianna Fáil election slogan ‘a lot were done – we have more to do’. But only if we let them.

Sinn Féin forces O’ Donoghue’s resignation

Earlier today the four Sinn Féin TD’s called on the Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue to resign. They did so because his position was untenable. Labour and Fine Gael followed suit. He has eventually announced his resignation and rightly so. He must go further and pay back expenses which he unnecessarily claimed. However the point has to be made that this cannot be seen as the end. John O’Donoghue should not be a sacrificial lamb. His actions were a symptom of a much deeper problem in the Irish political system. The lavish and outrageous expenses he enjoyed are enjoyed by many in both houses of the Oireachtas. His resignation must herald a new beginning of accountability, transparency and proportionality when it comes to the spending of tax payer’s money.

There is much talk of the need for the banking system to be cleaned up. It is now time to clean up our political system once and for all. The entire system of salaries and expenses to elected representatives at every level must be overhauled. One resignation is not enough. There are many more John O’Donoghue’s and Rody Molloy’s. However at the end of the day it is the system which needs to change. All political parties must now commit themselves to achieving this and bring about a new era of transparency and accountability in Irish politics.

Junket John must go

Recent revelations surrounding the lavish spending habits of Ceann Comhairle John O’ Donoghue are an example of the same cavalier attitude to the spending of public money that became all-pervasive during the Celtic Tiger years. It is an area that I have highlighted time and again and have consistently called for change. A culture of unaccountability and a sense of entitlement prevailed and has not passed with the death of the Celtic Tiger. It must come to an end.

This culture is not confined to John O’Donoghue. The lavish expenses enjoyed by TD’s and Senators are obscene. Our local Oireachtas members between them have drawn down hundreds of thousands of Euro since the last General Election. Those at the top in some state and semi-state bodies are equally as culpable. I am sure what happened at FÁS is only the thin end of the wedge. The un-vouched nature of some expenses to councillors must also be tackled.

While being rightly outraged about recent revelations we must keep a sense of perspective. Reasonable expenses and travelling is required by elected representatives and others in public life. The key here is accountability, transparency and proportionality. All of the political parties must sit around the table and thrash out new guidelines for the spending of public money. However the cavalier attitude of John O’Donoghue has made his position as Ceann Comhairle untenable and he must resign.