The Politics of Envy

When you live in a society where cutting is almost a sacrament, It had to come to this. The “controversy” about funding the extension of Wexford General Hospital A&E is evidence of a new type of politics, where an austerity ethos  can be used to varnish reality.  So forgive me for throwing out a few facts to spoil the party or indeed the Sinn Fein or Fianna Fail party lines.

Wexford General Hospital annually treats over 33,000 patients at it’s A&E.  The A&E is housed in a converted pharmacy in the hospital since it was built about 20 years ago because funding at the time was not provided for the planned  A&E.  The A&E serves much of the county as well as Arklow.  I’ve brought my kids, pupils and neighbours to the hospital where I’ve nothing but praise for the hospital and its staff.

The failure to provide a proper A&E in Wexford has always been the hospital’s week spot.  In 2007 Wexford General Hospital was a priority for construction or so local FF TD John Browne told us at a meeting in Wexford in 2006.  When no progress was made on the matter another protest meeting and March followed in 2010.  All the time while Fianna Fail were telling us the project would proceed an application to extend Waterford Regional Hospital’s A&E to a capacity of 80,000 was going through planning. There was never a suggestion that the new A&E there would mean Wexford A&E would close as Waterford naturally had New Ross and Carrick on Suir in its hinterland and reconfiguration would see south Tipperary A&E being cared for in Waterford.  It’s a great pity that Sinn Fein & Fianna Fail are playing the old trick of playing one town off against another.  Unfortunately it is backfiring in Wexford and will back fire elsewhere soon enough.

During the 2011 General Election the single biggest issue in Wexford was the retention of the local A&E services.  Labour unashamedly campaigned to retain the services and to lobby for the A&E to go ahead.  The revelation that the hospital was not prioritised in the HSE capital program is a statement of facts that was common knowledge at the time, there is nothing new in what RTE’s “This Week” broadcast today.  The facts are the project went backwards when FF were telling us it was going ahead!

Secondly all this nonsense on the part of the Board of the HSE about not sanctioning the project until July 2011.  I was Mayor when the project was announced and was present at the announcement. So too was the senior HSE official who we on the council were told was in the lead in relation to the development work.  how do I know that he was in the lead? Because when the council wrote to the HSE looking to meet with it, the board referred us to the same official!!  In the picture above you’ll see Brendan Howlin cutting the ribbon on the new Scanner on the day he announced the A&E was going ahead.  Surrounding him are the Clinical Director and Hospital Manager.  Speaking on the rostrum that day was the senior official nominated by the HSE in relation to the extension work.   There wasn’t a sign of any stroke being pulled.  Perhaps the HSE may have internal communication problems?

 So here’s the rub make a promise on a campaign and keep it and Sinn Fein and Fianna Fail will clobber you.  On the other hand if you make a promise and don’t implement it quick enough the same parties will attack you for breaking your promise.

Tales from the Canvass 2011, Anyone seen an FF candidate yet?

After a week of canvassing, it’s time to reflect on how the campaign is going in Wexford. Firstly our own Labour campaign for Brendan and Pat are making good progress. Ivan Yates who knows a thing or two about Wexford says he believes one of the Fianna Fail TD’s will lose a seat but won’t say which. Yates also gives the 4 other seats which as we all know is the kiss of death for any candidate so I won’t repeat it here. He figures that it is between our Pat and Dr Liam Twomey( FG) for the last seat. That’s some acceptance of how rapidly Pat has made progress in Wexford politics. Cork Vs Kilkenny for the last seat in Wexford! Did you ever think you’d see that?
Brendan Howlin is the outstanding candidate, there’s no doubt about that. Few of the other contenders get a fraction of the national airtime as Brendan as their party spokesperson. Few have as much credibility. The rest of the country will have a Gilmore Gale, in Wexford we're having a Howlin Gale!

Evening canvass is a nuisance in the dark. Finding your way round dark paths to front doors in older estates, reluctance of some people to answer in the dark are all factors that irritate the ordinary canvasser. Interestingly we canvassed a working class estate last Saturday night where everyone was in. I think most of these people would usually be out on a Saturday evening for a pint but not anymore. Less money to spend means evenings in. Look on the bright side, it hasn’t rained and many are openly indicating they will support Brendan and transfer to Pat Cody.
The number of young non-nationals coming to answer the door is significantly less than during the local elections of 2009. Many worked in the building industry. If they were single then they’ve likely moved on. They older ones with children in school are still here. They’ve integrated and their children are learning English and indeed Irish, their friends are Irish. Many are thinking twice about returning to their native lands.
The one issue that is coming back to me is from public servants who are worried about their future. As one myself I know the concerns but the baiting of the public service by FF, FG and the Greens is making for huge volatility among public servants. These people will vote and it may yet decide the final seat between Pat Cody the union official and public servant and Fine Gael’s Liam Twomey who regularly reminds us of the part he played on the FG financial team that met the IMF. This may be unwise on Dr Twomey’s part.
Meanwhile there are still no FF posters in Wexford town on day 3 of the campaign. I hear that the FF candidates aren’t exactly fighting over who gets this part of the constituency to be canvassed. No sign of any FF canvassers in town. Effectively there are just 3 candidates running campaigns on Wexford town, Howlin, Twomey & SF’s Anthony Kelly. The greens have yet to select a candidate. The word is that they’re getting close and may have someone in place within a fortnight, god bless them!
It seems bizarre that only these 3 candidates are campaigning in Wexford town. Nobody from the outgoing government parties will darken most doors. That’s an insult to the electorate. I remember 1987 when Labour was hammered on the doorstep only too well. But at least we went out, canvassed for our candidates, because the electorate has the right to engage, political parties are obliged to account. The only FF literature I’ve seen in Wexford was something from Mattie McGrath who is running in South Tipp. It seems someone dropped it inadvertently on a pavement!
With Micheál Martin on every radio station there is no starker contrast than the absence of FF on the ground. One FF TD last night on radio explained that the slow FF start is because they knew the wind was coming. Pity they didn’t see the slump coming!
The big question for the next 3 weeks is; will Fianna Fail and Green candidates ignore the people of Wexford who gave them the mandate 4 years ago and fail to account?