Sweetness and light?

The EU Court of Auditors dredged something up from the past that came honme to bite Fianna Fail and the Greens yesterday. When the court examined the demise of Irelands sugar industry they established that the prices to consumers hadn’t dropped as promised and that the closure had been based on inaccurate information. In short the court concluded that the Mallow factory didn’t have to close. 4 years on from closure the factory has been flattened, the plant sold off and the EU has gone from being self sufficient in sugar to relying on imports for 15% of our sugar. The producers Greencore got over €100M to in compensation from the EU and has morphed into a food additives company that speculates on their former sites at Carlow and Mallow.

Of course Fianna Fail and the Greens will defend their decision even though the greens once upon a time proposed that the Carlow plant should be redeveloped as a gasohol plant. Out of sight was the last act of the closure a few months ago and that was the closure of the railway that carried the sugar beet from South Wexford for processing at Mallow. Fianna Fail and the Greens do embarrassment really well because they care little. Its all getting beyond farce., 6 months ago the need for an alternative to airlines off this island pointed to a need to retain a passenger service to Rosslare. This was ignored based on out of date information. 6 years ago the need to retain sugar production in the country pointed the need for food security. Once more ignored again on out of date information.

The sugar price at the time was beyond the world average by a third but with farmers under pressure now it may just give some tillage farmers an extra crop to bring in some badly needed cash. The time has surely come for the case for re-opening the sugar industry in Ireland. The IFA reckons that over 4,000 jobs were lost between Greencore, farmers and agricultural contractors. Now you can add Irish Rail workers to that!
And all for nothing, sugar never got any cheaper and Greencore still have an effective monopoly in the market. I’ve to laugh at the Siucra label! Talk about plastic paddies! I believe that the next government must look at re-establishing the sugar industry here. It would have a huge benefit in South Wexford. It would give a boost to the campaign to re-open the railway as there would be about 200,000 tons of beet that the roads cannot take. It would improve farm incomes and that would be reflected in spending. It would require the Irish government to seek a return to sugar production from the EU and it may be that Greencore may have to return some of the compensation . If that is the case then so be it.

Snow Joke in Wexford when Gormley's grit hits the fan!

It’s early January and the government are out of bed! When they pulled back the curtains they found what the rest of us knew for 2 weeks. Wexford Town is treacherous with snow and ice. Wexford is no different to many other parts of the country. The N11 was particularly hazardous with the Gorey by-pass being especially bad. I wouldn’t attempt to drive a long distance in Ireland on the national primary routes that the Environment Minister claims are open. On Wednesday I spoke to Joe Duffy on RTE’s “Liveline” in response to concerns that Irish Ferries cancelled sailings when Wales had good weather because it was snowing heavily in Wexford.

Last Sunday with with a number of councillors, I spoke with the Director of Services for Roads and he explained that rock salt was more effective than anything else but that it was fast running out. To be fair to the officials (I hope I’m not accused of having been domesticated by officials), they cannot spread grit that they are not responsible for ordering. Rock salt supplies are ordered by the NRA and the provision is put out to tender because of the value. Moreover the council has let go workers because of the reductions in allocations by central government. The point I’ve made to people who’ve raised it with me is that I cannot spend what I’m not given to pay someone who isn’t there to spread what isn’t bought! And to be fair people are beginning to understand that. I did make the point to officials that sand should be used but they replied that sand blocks drainage pipes and gullies and will eventually lead to flooding. I understand where they’re coming from and that they have been put in this position by the government, however they can’t make the political points that I can

The Minister for Transport is said to be on holidays on the beach in Malta while the Minister for Environment (who says he’s not the Minister for Snow) told RTE News tonight that he didn’t know the minister’s whereabouts. There’s one thing John Gormley is sure of and that’s that he’s passing the buck to local authorities because they are responsible for the gritting roads, just as he passed the buck to local authorities for all the flooding by blaming flooding on rezoning. I’m fed up of last November’s floods being described as a one in a hundred year event or the snow as a one in a thirty year event. Minister Gormley is bang out of order when he said that Local Authorities have enough money, we don’t. We had a cut in both 2009 budgets and another in 2010. Our estimates reflect that and allocations are made arising from what we can raise. The minister needs to stop hiding behind clichéd figures plucked out of the cold air.

In 1982 the late Michael O’Leary (who was slaughtered at the time for his response) was in charge as Garret Fitzgerald was on an holidays when snow fell. He acted to convene an emergency cabinet meeting, if a minister couldn’t make it then he got Health Boards, Garda Commissioners, Army Chief of Staff and RTE, Emergency services and anyone who could affect change. Soldiers were put out on the Curragh to protect abandoned cars, Irish Rail ran a train to bring milk to Dublin, Radio stayed on air 24 hours broadcasting information. My point is that every state body played a role. At least to O'Leary's credit he tried to do something. Now when a similar emergency is even longer all we get is finger pointing at the local authorities. Why? Because FF don’t control them.
Calling out the army will make little impact in Wexford. We have 2 full time soldiers and 20 RDF members in the town. Indeed RDF numbers are being run down in line with budget cuts. The RDF will not be mobilised, Wexford’s needs will still go unmet. The “problem” is merely now seen as one of keeping roads free and then everything else will fall into place. Many of our major roads are tolled and constructed by PPP. When the projects finished and opened early they were held up as examples of how things should be done. Should the PPP companies now be charged as the state has to step in to maintain them? I think there’s a case for levying these companies now.
There are a wider number of needs, isolation in particular among the elderly, medical as the injured make their way to A&E as well as leaks that can mean no water or sewage or increased cost in water treatment. Social welfare payments didn’t arrive at some post offices while there now exists a clear need to pay now the fuel allowance so that those on limited means can kept their homes warm.
My own party spokesman on Education Ruairi Quinn’s suggested that schools make up days that are lost. I’m not so sure how this would work. I’m also not so sure as to who would do the work. Where caretakers or secretaries were in working during the snow, would these be expected to show up on the extra day and would they be paid extra? When would the days be worked? In the event of a teacher who may have been on maternity leave on the “snow day” and had returned before the snow day was worked, would she have to work a day that she never had off? I don’t believe that the Department of Education will go there given the wider reality of frayed industrial relations in the state.

It should provide an opportunity for neighbours and communities to pull together rather than for Minister Gormley to pull the other one! We’ll make it through despite the government. There exists the possibility of more snow before the week-end is over, Lets hope we cope better. At least Minister Dempsey, who gave us the e-voting machines won't have to worry about a cold front where he is!

Even the ancillary workers came out in sympathy!

Today’s public sector strike has seen a significant show of support for the call by ICTU to oppose public sector pay cuts. The media has portrayed the strike as effectively shutting schools and hospitals. However the real impact has gone much further than that.
In Wexford Town government buildings in Anne St are closed. This means that the Revenue Commissioners, Probation Service, Department of Social and Family Affairs are shut. Round the corner on Crescent Quay, the offices of Wexford Borough Council are closed with a large picket in place. This means that those wishing to enquire about local authority housing cannot do so, fines can’t be paid, rent or rates cannot be collected and planning applications cannot be lodged or inspected. At the local authority depot in Whitemill Industrial Estate pickets since 7.30 AM have been in place. This means maintenance on houses won’t be carried out, streets won’t be swept nor roads repaired. Fro the first time in many years traffic can move down Wexford’s Main St as there’s no one to block it at 11AM.

At County Hall similar pickets ensure that bins won’t be collected, water bills cannot be paid nor any leaks in the system be fixed and Wexford is a county with regular problems in water supply. Environment, Planning and Enforcement are also closed meaning that any contravention of planning law can go unchecked today. At the Garda station the small Social Welfare office is picketed and while the garda are not on strike it was evident to me as I made my own way for picket duty at lunch time that gardaí were sympathetic to the strikers.
Yes, the schools were on strike and while second level teachers picketed their own schools the primary teachers picketed offices in the Cornmarket as did the NEPS employees. Co Wexford VEC was also shut with pickets at Ardcavan. Next door at the District Court and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, pickets are also on duty. The office of the Department of Agriculture, at Johnstown Castle, was also shut by pickets. Wexford General Hospital also had a picket at the front gate although it’s relocation off a side road made the protest less evident. So the effect has been significantly more than kids not getting taught. Grants are not being processed by the department and routine operations are deferred at WGH.

By and large the response from the public has been supportive although I did notice one man who rolled down the window of his silver luxury Mercedes to tell us we should be ashamed of ourselves as we picketed. He returned 10 minutes later to tell us that he paid €40K last year in tax and that he paid our wages and that we should go back to work. Now given that the tax was €40K I reckon he surely grossed €180K in annual income. Strangely he didn’t say what he was going to contribute to get the state out of this slump.
That said, I’ve got to mention a parent that sent in a box of chocolates to the early morning picket. Much appreciated. I hope the chocs last as it seems likely that we’ll be on picket duty sooner rather than later.

Notre Oui

Finalement nous avons un result en Irlande. Nous dissons oui á Lisbon. Apres deux ans la route est clair á faire progress avec Lisbon. Apres Irlande, il y a maintenant la question des Presidents de Pologne et la Republic de Czech a signé la Traite.

Je suis heureux á la result. Je habites dans la sud-est. Ici nous sommes pres de Europe. Il y a beaucoup des connections avec La France. La mer, les fermes, la peche sont ensemble tres important á notre economie local. L’Europe est plus important maintainant que jamais.

Voila des images de comptage en Wexford. C’est manual comme d’autrefois, mais c’est un autre histoire! Notre administration est faux. Ce n’est pas un vote de confidence dans Cowen mais un vote de confidence en Europe.

The final countdown to polling day.

It’s the kiss of death for any candidate and last week I was given it. A local newspaper described me as being unpopular with my colleagues but virtually certain to be re-elected. It’s like the vote of confidence by the board in the soccer manager. 5 years ago the same paper was luke warm about me at this stage.
I don’t mind the bit about being unpopular with colleague councillors, I’m not clubbable and never set myself out to be. If you do, you can sometimes compromise yourself. I rarely socialise with other councillors after meetings because I prefer to get home and get the children’s school lunches ready. When you’ve a young family you have to have priorities. What actually hurts me is the “virtually certain” bit. That can easily make for complacency among voters and personally. Otherwise I think the profile was fair, an editor has a hard job. He’s got to be objective all the time. A journalist who deals with councillors on a regular basis develops a relationship. Not so the editor. Rightly Editors and politicians shouldn’t be friends. I’ve never met the editor of this paper, I know Tom Mooney from the opposition Echo to see and in 5 years may have spoken to him twice, never about his paper. I’ve found the local papers to be in the round fair. If they’ve given you a sting one week they may well make it up to you another time.
When you compare the relationships in Wexford to that between Aonghus Faning and Bertie Ahern there’s no comparison. Faning has lambasted FF but comes on side for elections to ensure his stable of writers push the middle class buttons to deliver for FF. He’s a little like a mongrel ignoring his owner until he knows the bowl is going to be filled with dogfood. It’s why I don’t buy the Sunday Independent. I admire Ryan Tubridy for saying he doesn’t read it also. A mixture of opinion with news is attractive but damages the value of the writing as it elevates the writer to the role of a player in the news. Should this be allowed? Ryan’s reward for being candid was to get it on the neck the following Sunday!
Since I started this blog I felt it was about opinion based on facts that were established elsewhere. My political own motives are apparent and my agenda will either be endorsed or rejected on Friday . That’s what makes the real poll different to an opinion piece that I’m virtually certain of anything. The real rather than the virtual world means I account to the public ultimately not to an Editor.

An Toghchán Aituil in Loch Gorman 2009.

Is é an toghchán áitiúil seo an suimiúil againn anois i Loch Gorman. Tá seans le gach uile pairti dul chun chinn a dheanamh, ach amhain Fianna Fail. Tá gaoth ag seidú ar dhroim Fine Gael sna pollana naisiúnta. Tá an Lucht Oibre ag fás fresin. Ón taobh clé, an ceist mór againn na an mbeidh an toradh cheanna againn I Loch Gorman? Chun feachaint ar aghaidh caitheann tú feachaint ar ais go dtí an toghchan deireannach.
Í 2004 theip ar Fianna Fail suíochaní a cosaint. Ceaptar nach raibh an partí in ann suíochan eile a chiallaint ach anois tá ceisteanna faoi suiochan amhainn I Ceantar Guiare agus faoi suiochan eile í Ros Mhic Thuraim ar an Comhairle Contae. Bhí saghas seat bonus le Fine Gael agus thainig siad ar ais ón bás a bhí acu I 2002. Deirim saghas bonus mar cé go raibh vota mór don pairtí I Guaire bhí 5 iarrathoir ag iarraidh 4 suiochán a bhuacaint. Bhí 45% don votaí ach bhuaidh said ach suiochán amhainn. Anois tá triur iarrathoir ag an phairtí. Athrú eile na anuraidh d’fhág an Comhairleoir Jimmy Fleming Sinn Fein agus anois tá sé san rás ar fhoireann Fianna Fail. An raibh an rogha seo an glic? Tá sé faoi bhrú ó Bobby Ireton ón Lucht Oibre agus tuigim go bhfuil Bobby ag dul go h-an mhaith. Tá seans mor ar Bobby “saghas upset” le seoladh go dtí Brian Cowen. Má fhanann Ireton san rás agus má bionn sé in aghaidh iarrathoir ó Fhine Gael beidh Comhairleoir ar an contae ag an Lucht Oibre don cead uair ó am Brendain Corrish .

Chiall Ros Mhic Thuram suiochan go dtí Guaire agus tá FF faoi bhrú. Tá Ollie Somers ag rith ar son Loch Oibre. Tá John Dwyer ó SF slán agus I mo thuraim beidh an beirt FG comhleoirí in ann buachiant fresin. Ceapaim go bhfuil FF I troibloid mór anseo. An bhfuil said in ann coimead suiochan anseo tar eis an vota ard do bhí ag Sean Connick ach dha bhlian ó shinn? Má chailann siad an suiochan is é Ollie Somers I mo thuraim an fhear a mbeidh in ann é a togaint. Beidh Ollie ansa ag an deireanach count le seans maith.
Is é Innis Corthaidh i lar an contae. Tá seisir le togha anseo. Is maith chun eisteacht go dtí an radio aituil agus a cloisint le Pat Cody ag caint faoi rudaí I lar an contae ón Lucht Oibre. Iarrathoir laidir is ea é. I mo thuraim beidh an phairtí in ann suiochan ag bhucaint ar comhiarle an baile. Is é ceantar an mhór, Innis Corthaigh. Ó na sleibthe go dtí an mhuir. Ní suileann votaí anseo. Fhanann votaí san paroiste, Trasaíonn an vota thar line na phartí chun choimead an comhairlleoir aituil. De reir é sin is é nios easca le Fianna Fail choimead beirt do na comhairleoirí ach nios dheacar ag parity beag suiochan ag bhuacaint Tá ceist faoi suiochan amhainn ta seans ag Sean Doyle neamhspleach Sinn Fein, Pat Cody, Jackser Owens neamhspleach eile. Chaithim a adhmáil nílim cinte ach taim cinte go bhfuil Pat Cody fear go lufear an t-anim san todhcaí!
Agus chun criochnú Loch Gorman, Tá seacht suiochán anseo. Tá George Lawlor agus Ted Howlin ag rith sár campaign ansa. Creidim go bhfuil George in ann suiochan a bhuacaint. Cé hea le chialluint? Nílim é sin le fhreagrá. Tá me cinnte go mbeidh dha siochan leis an Luch Oibre. Tuigim go bhfuil an vota neamhspleach ag tuitim. Is cosuil go mbeidh ceann do na neamhspleachí faoi brú tar eis an taca a thug sé ag Fianna Fail. Nilim ach seachtain fagtha chun feachail cad a tharloidh. Duirt Harold Wilson uair amhain go raibh seacthain am gear I cursaí polituil, Fheicimid anois an fhíor é fós?