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Ireland: FF proposal to slash school buses is unfair, blinkered & daft - Feighan

The school transport scheme was set up in the 1960s to ensure access to primary and post-primary education for children who live in rural areas. It now costs the taxpayer €170 million annually to run the scheme. Dublin FF TD Chris Andrews argues that given that most families now have access to their own transport it is time to revise the scheme. He told the Evening Herald: "It is hard for me as someone in the city to see how it is fully justified. "It's very much a rural scheme and given the traffic in Dublin, if anything it's Dublin it should be in. "It's a huge expense and I would have thought that there were other things higher up on the priority list."

Frank Feighan TD FG Deputy Spokesperson on Transport & Education, with Special Responsibility for Rural and School Transport has blasted Andrews proposals. The following is the text of a statement released by Mr Feighan on the issue.

FF proposal to slash school buses is unfair, blinkered & daft - Feighan

"More than 135,000 children in far-flung rural areas use the State transport scheme to get to school. Many would not be able to get to school at all without school buses, and many schools would be forced to close.
"So I was astonished to hear Dublin Fianna Fáil TD Chris Andrews suggesting that the school transport scheme should be scaled back in rural areas, and instead be rolled out in his own city. Deputy Andrews's mindless proposal shows just how out of touch the Government has become.
"This proposal is shot full of holes:
- Most urban areas already have extensive public transport networks, while most rural areas do not;
- Scrapping school buses in rural areas would force more parents to drive their children to school, driving up pollution levels and adding to congestion.
"Furthermore, in the midst of the deepest recession in living memory, it would add considerably to household bills. Brian Lenihan has already pushed up the cost of school transport by over 200%. Fianna Fáil's proposal to abolish school transport in rural areas is unthinking, inconsiderate and beyond the pale."

Chris Andrews is out of touch with life in rural Ireland. His proposals are a cynical ploy geared to curry favour with his own urban constituents. Rural backbench TDs of all political parties would strongly oppose this nonsensical proposal. Arise rural Ireland from thy political slumber.

FG leads FF by 5% in latest Sunday Business Post/Red C poll

The Red C poll in tomorrow's Sunday Business Post shows that FG leads FF by 5%. There is an improvement in FFs fortunes with a rise of 4% since the last Red C poll. However FF is still down 12% on its general election result. FG at 35% gains 2% since the last survey. FGs support is up 8% on its general election showing. Labour is down 1% since the last poll but is still 4% higher than its 2007 general election outcome. A 1% drop is statistically insignificant. The Greens drop 1% for the second successive month. Support for the Greens is likely to evaporate in the coming months as the economic recession, tax rises and public expenditure cuts bite. This is the first poll since the PDs were wound up.

FG will be buoyed up by its showing in various polls and by a very successful conference in Wexford this weekend. Nevertheless it is likely that FF will come in at around 40% in any general election situation unless FG can break FFs stranglehold on the loyalties of a significant proportion of the electorate. The economic crisis has damaged FFs claims to competence in the economic management of the country. The FG party must improve organization and communication and continue to demonstrate economic competence. Finance Spokesman Richard Bruton is by far the most impressive performer on the economy in the Dail. His talents are wasted in opposition.

The reality is that the core support for all Irish political parties will continue to drop. This opens up prospects for huge swings in support in future elections. It is a moot point as to when these huge swings will occur. Could the organizational structures of the larger parties blunt the severity of such swings?

The next general election is due in 2012.-assuming that the FF/Green coalition survives. If the economy has not rebounded strongly FF will lose marginal seats. This would be sufficient to send the party into opposition unless it could cobble together a coalition with Labour.

• Fine Gael 35% (+2%)
• Fianna Fail 30% (+4%)
• Labour 14% (-1%)
• Greens 5% (-1%)
• Sinn Fein 8% (-2%)
• Independents/Others 8% (+0%)

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Ireland –Government allocation to Local Authorities slashed for 2009-Rates to rocket

The Government-in the person of Minister for the Environment John Gormley is expected to slash support to Local Authorities by 13% in real terms. If as appears likely this is the case, rates on businesses will rocket. In addition water rates will climb steeply. This is stealth taxation in operation. It will escape analysis on budget day. Local Authorities –if deprived of an adequate Government subvention- will plug the gap by hammering businesses and agriculture. This will be the coup de grace for many in urban and rural Ireland. Water rates for farmers are already much too high. The FG Party has now advised councillors not to support such steep rises.

The Government should think again. It will kill the goose that lays the golden egg. It is just not fair to expect county councils and corporations to solve the government's funding difficulties. FF and the Greens face melt down in the Local Elections of 2009. In short the Government subvention cut is a massive stealth tax.

Mandelson's WTO cuts: Time to use the veto

Mandelson's WTO cuts would result in:

• €4 billion per annum loss to the Irish economy


• 50,000 farmers put out of business


• 50,000 job losses in food processing and agricultural services


• Beef prices of €2/Kg (70p/lb)


• 1 million suckler cows slaughtered


• Milk prices of 24c/litre


• Sheep industry decimated by imports from New Zealand and Australia


• Damaging losses in pigs poultry and grain


• WTO has wiped out the sugar beet industry


• (Source:IFA)

As these statistics indicate Mandelson's concessions at the WTO will destroy rural Ireland and seriously damage the Irish economy. It is time for the Irish Government to use the veto. The Government must not fudge the issue. Failure to block the Mandelson proposals will result in the destruction of Fianna Fail in rural Ireland. Brian Cowen promised to use the veto if necessary in the run up to the Lisbon Treaty referendum.
The arrogant Mandelson has continued to plough ahead oblivious to the needs of the Irish economy. Put manners on him. Use the nuclear option.

Ireland:Cowen's Downfall-What happened after referendum on Lisbon Treaty went down (Comedy)

Per Damien Mulley

Very funny comedy. Brian Cowen goes to war with the the middle class, working class, farmers, Dick Roche, Brian Lenihan, Micheal Martin, Enda Kenny, Eamon Gilmore, Patricia McKenna and Sinn Fein.

Fianna Fail And The Cult Of The Leader: The Deification Of Brian Cowen Has Begun

Since the foundation of FF in 1926 much of its success has been based on the cult of the leader.
On the election of the new leader the FF spin machine swings into action propagating truths, half-truths and myths if necessary to build up the profile of the new chief. It is a form of deification.
Hand and hand with this goes the demonization of political opponents.

Eamonn De Valera founded the party in 1926. Certainly he was successful in maintaining FFs grip on power. However he singularly failed to reach out to Northern Unionists. Through his constitution he effectively widened the divide between North and South. He took the anti treaty side in the civil war in 1922 but did nothing about unity on accession to power. He failed to tackle the scourge of emigration. He instigated an Economic War, which bankrupted many farmers. He did of course win back the Treaty ports and kept Ireland out of World War Two. He was no colossus.

As Taoiseach Sean Lemass was driven by a desire to promote economic development via the Programmes for Economic Expansion. He was fortunate that the FG Minister for Finance Gerald Sweetman had promoted TK Whitaker who masterminded the development of economic planning. Lemass attempted to reach out to the North. The Lemass O’Neill meetings were a step forward.

Jack Lynch helped alter FF policy on Northern Ireland. Nevertheless he led FF to a landslide victory in the 1977 General Election on the back of the infamous FF Manifesto which triggered the massive economic problems of the 1980s. Lynch was a failure on the economy.

Charlie Haughey doubled the National Debt between 1979 and 1981 and gave a 30% Public Sector pay rise in an effort to bribe the electorate. Under that Haughey Government interest rates hit 21%. This was as irresponsible as the FF Manifesto of 1977. These activities of Lynch and Haughey have been airbrushed from history. In opposition in the 1980s Haughey incited interest groups against the FG/Labour Governments. He fought the 1987 General Election on the slogan of "Health Cuts Hurt The Sick And The Poor". On accession to Government he butchered the health service. Between 1987 and 1989, 200,000 people emigrated. This served to reduce pressure on the Government finances. Gradually the economy recovered. Haughey sought to improve relations with Margaret Thatcher and made some worthwhile moves on the North. Quite frankly he deserves little credit for improvements in the economy. After all Haughey and FF created many of the economic problems.

Albert Reynolds made worthwhile moves on the North and successfully secured 8 billion punts in Euro transfers. Then the FF/Labour Government collapsed.

Bertie Ahern deserves credit for the Good Friday Agreement and social partnership.
He benefited from the 12.5% Corporation Tax rate proposed by the Rainbow Government. This boosted economic development. He was partially responsible for economic success. This was further boosted by low Euro interest rates.

Already the FF propaganda machine with its supporters in the media has been in overdrive talking up new leader Brian Cowen whilst attempting to undermine FG leader Enda Kenny. It glides over the problems in Government Finances major difficulties in the housing market, rising unemployment-up 30,000 in the last three months and 5% inflation.

Yes indeed the cult of the leader is alive and well in FF and in sympathetic media organs such as the Sunday Independent.
The deification of Brian Cowen has begun

Ireland-Who will be the next leader of FF?

Today in the Dail Enda Kenny and Eamon Gilmore attacked Bertie Ahern’s evidence to the Mahon Tribunal. Brian Cowen’s defence was interesting to say the least. He concentrated his fire mainly on FG and Enda Kenny. He gave qualified support to Bertie Ahern. He stated that Mr. Ahern had the support of the Dail and the FF party. He also emphasized that Mr Ahern would continue to lead while he holds that confidence. Cowen’s defence left few hostages to fortune.

Ever since Bertie Ahern announced that he intended to stand down as leader, aspiring candidates for the leadership have begun to prepare the ground for the impending contest. Bertie Ahern’s decision to anoint Cowen as his successor has not deterred Micheal Martin, Dermot Ahern and Noel Dempsey. It has fueled some thinly disguised resentment among likely leadership candidates.

The assumption amongst most media commentators and cognoscenti is that Cowen is home and dry. Nevertheless there is many a slip twixt cup and lip.
Cowen was a strong supporter of Albert Reynolds and belonged to the country and western wing of the party. Superficially he has huge support within the party. Nevertheless much of this support is soft and could desert Cowen. Micheal Martin had links with the Haughey wing. To a certain extent the Haughey and country and western wings still exist within FF. Martin will have huge support from Munster TDs and Senators and from many in the Haughey/Ahern wing. He cannot be ruled out.

In addition Dermot Ahern is able and could be a dark horse.

A vigorous leadership contest has the potential to reopen old animosities. If such a scenario were to unfold Brian Lenihan could emerge as a compromise leader.

Ireland-Green Party wobble??

According to Newstalk Green Party Senator Dan Boyle has said that he would prefer if the Taoiseach's legal challenge to the Mahon Tribunal didn't happen.
Speaking to Lunchtime with Eamon Keane on Newstalk Senator Boyle added that his opinion would be the general feeling among his party.
He was also indicated that it might be time for Bertie Ahern to set a date for when he plans to leave office.

This indicates unease within the Green Party. The comments of Boyle may be significant as he was one of the negotiators of the Programme for Government. He also comes from an FF background. However it is possible to read too much into these utterances.
There is a subtle distancing of the Greens from Bertie Ahern's difficulties at the Mahon Tribunal. This tried and trusted formula served the PDs well on many occasions. Huff and puff but do little else.

It is highly significant that no Green Party TD or Minister has expressed such opinions. Bertie Ahern has very little to fear. The Greens have no intention of walking. John Gormley berated the opposition. He claimed that it was inconsistent.

Last May Green Party leader Trevor Sargent described the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern as a political "dead man walking." He stated that no party would be willing to serve in a coalition government led by him.
Is the Green Party consistent?

Ireland-Red C/Sunday Business Post poll shows FF down 6% on its General Election result

The Last Red C/Sunday Business Post poll took place in November 2007. Such polls are taken monthly-with the exception of December. This is the first poll in the series for 2008. Its results are quite similar to those of the Irish Times/ TNS mrbi poll published earlier this week.


It is a more fruitful exercise to compare Red C poll results with the ’07 General Election outcome.

According to Red C, FF support has increased by four points -since the last poll at the end of November -to 36%. Nevertheless the party is down 6% on its General Election result.


Fine Gael is up by one point to 32% on November. It is up 5% on its General Election result.

However the Labour Party is down three points on the November poll to 10%. Labour also secured 10% of the vote in ‘07 General Election.


The Green Party is down two points to 7%- but up 2% on its General Election result.

Sinn Féin stands at 9% -2% higher than its General Election result.


The PDs are unchanged at 2% but down 0.7% on the General Election result


Independents and others drop two points to 4%-down 2.6% on the General Election.

Asked if they believed Bertie Ahern's evidence to the Mahon Tribunal, a clear majority, 54% said they did not, an increase of 12% since last September.

This is a poor poll result for FF as the party secured 42% in the General Election. Much of the soft FF support has moved to Sinn Fein and the Greens. This will in all probability return in the course of any future General Election campaign. It is unlikely that FF would secure anything less than 39% in a General Election. The poll probably understates the real level of FF support. Some FF supporters for obvious reasons are unwilling to indicate their real voting intentions. In the privacy of the ballot box no such inhibitions exist.

The FG performance is impressive as it is up 5% on the ’07 General Election. The party must endeavour to hold this new support with clear-cut policy positions on a wide variety of issues. Fine Gael has been rejuvenated by the influx of ambitious new TDs. It now has a strong front bench, which is more than a match for its FF counterparts. In some polls prior to the 07 General Election FG secured 31% of the vote but fell back to 27% in the actual election. This is soft support. Nevertheless FG appears to be returning to the support levels, which it obtained, in the early 1980s.

The Labour Party is stagnant. It is under pressure from Sinn Fein on the left. It has serious organizational problems in many constituencies. It must wrest working class support from FF if it is to make progress.

Sinn Fein may take some encouragement from the 2% rise in support from the ’07 Election. In all probability it a temporary abode for unhappy FF supporters who will return to their natural party in the course of the next General Election.

Similarly the Greens would be unwise to read too much into the 2% rise in support since ’07 General Election. The Green Party is a temporary rest home for some unhappy FF supporters. The Greens having already sold out on many of their core principles may face retribution from the electorate – a la the PDs.

The PD performance is abysmal. Looks like the good ship PD is heading for the rocks.

Ireland- Embarassing u-turn by Government on schools water rates

Fine Gael Education Spokesman, Brian Hayes TD, has described as embarrassing the u-turn by Mary Hanafin on school water charges saying that he welcomes her belated recognition that schools shouldn't pay these charges until the crisis is sorted out. He said that the latest climb down is a fine example of Ballymagash politics.

Under the Government proposals primary schools were classed as "businesses" so they could be charged water rates.Yet schools neither manufacture nor sell goods or services for profit, nor register for VAT. The groundswell of opposition nation wide spearheaded by FG Labour and the INTO has finally shaken the Government out of its lethargy. It is probably safe to assume that Government proposals have been sufficiently neutered to ensure that the flat rate -now proposed by Bertie Ahern- will be of minor significance. It is estimated that under the original proposals up to €10 million would have been paid by a national school system which is already grossly underfunded.

This Government has become increasingly accident prone. The opposition has already scored direct hits on the cancer care crisis and now on the schools water rates issue and on the childcare subvention scheme which also saw a Government u-turn today. In times of economic boom the Government could increase public expenditure to smooth the sensibilities of the electorate. Public expenditure has increased in 2007 by 13%. This was sufficient to mollify a sizeable segment of the electorate.

Now however The FF/Green /PD Government is hoist by its own petard. The chickens are coming home to roost. Efforts to curb public expenditure and to impose stealth taxes will inevitably result in more serious political miscalculations.

No confidence motion-Government TDs and Independents chicken out

The Government has won tonight's no confidence motion in Minister for Health, Mary Harney, by 83 votes to 73

Cork East Fianna Fáil TD Ned O'Keeffe voted to support the Government amendment to the no confidence vote in Minister for Health, Mary Harney.
However Mr O'Keeffe said that he had neither confidence in the health system or in Ms Harney as minister. On this basis he decided to abstain on the no confidence motion itself.
It is an open secret that Ned has been disenchanted with the direction taken by the party in recent years. On several occasions he has referred to the fact that the party is losing contact with working class voters.
Mr O'Keeffe has resigned the Fianna Fáil whip.

Essentially Ned has adopted a compromise formula to express his unhappiness with the present health imbroglio. Supporting the Government amendment ensures a quick return to FF ranks if he so desires. It also ensures an FF nomination - to contest the next general election -for his son. He may decide to return when Bertie Aherne retires as party leader.
The present crisis is so severe that he should have supported the no confidence motion.
This would shake the government out of its complacency. FF in Cork NE requires an O'Keeffe on the ticket to ensure a second seat. This allows him huge freedom of action.
At least Ned has backbone.


Junior Health Minister Jimmy Devins opposed government policy in Sligo and tonight supported it in the Dail. Other government back benchers adopted a similar approach. Unfortunately such cynical posturing is of little benefit to cancer sufferers.

Finian McGrath’s decision to support the government may cost him dearly in the next general election. As a Socialist he has strongly supported Fidel Castro in Cuba. He is now propping up a government, which has co-location as one of the cornerstones of its health policy and has presided over a shambolic state cancer care service. Of course Finian expressed disquiet but then chickened out.
The Green Party has dispensed with most of its core principles in the interests of power. It has sold out on cancer care, incineration and co-location. Green TDs mouth the usual platitudes to mask their u-turns. The Greens have now morphed into Fianna Failers.

Beverley Flynn, Jackie Healy Rae and Michael Lowry dutifully supported the government.

Ireland- Green Party spin cannot hide the truth

The Green Party has abandoned most of its core principles in the rush to join a coalition government with FF and the PDs.

In opposition it strongly opposed US military use of Shannon Airport. On entering government it made a u-turn. It has u-turned on incineration and on co-location. It has lost out on the M3. New building regulations announced today will require all new homes to be 40% more energy efficient from next year. However last week the Greens cut 'The Greener Homes Scheme' . Instead of slashing grants to existing householders who wish to reduce energy usage, funding should have been increased.

Green Ministers wax lyrical about the harmony between themselves and FF Ministers. We are informed that there is no interference from the FF side. This is easily explained by the fact that the Green Party sold out on its principles and accepted FF policies hook line and sinker.The Greens are being absorbed by FF. FF never looks a gift horse in the mouth. The Greens- having sold out on their core principles- are now busily endeavouring to make a silk purse out of a sow's ear.

Dermot Ahern opens Fianna Fail leadership campaign

The Fianna Fail leadership campaign has begun in earnest. Dermot Ahern -in a side swipe at the Taoiseach Bertie Ahern-stated that Bertie had jumped the gun in nominating Brian Cowen as his successor.



The fact that Dermot Ahern would express his opinions in such a trenchent manner is a clear indication that Bertie's authority is beginning to wane. This is reminiscent of Tony Blair in the UK. It was interesting to watch the smile on Mary Hanafin's face as Dermot made his statement.

It is by no means a foregone conclusion that Brian Cowen would win an FF leadership battle. Micheal Martin backed by a huge block of Munster TDs and Senators could mount a formidable challenge.

It is known that Noel Dempsey fancies his chances. Possibly Mary Hanafin could stand.

If the party splits a compromise candidate such as Brian Lenihan could emerge. Interesting times ahead for FF.

The Mullingar Accord-the reality

Several journalists have incorrectly claimed that Labours failure to make seat gains in the 2007 General Election sprung from the Mullingar Accord. One of these is Kevin Rafter in today's Sunday Tribune who states:
The one significant difference, however, is that Fine Gael has made it out of the doldrums and, largely thanks to the Mullingar Accord, the seat gap between Labour and Fine Gael has widened once more. The opportunity for Labour after 2002 was to focus not on whether it ever went into government with Fianna Fail but rather on replacing Fine Gael as the second largest party in the state. Fine Gael was in such a mess after 2002 that Labour could have achieved a historic realignment in the Irish party system.....
This analysis is fatally flawed on a number of counts

• When FG bombed in the 2002 General Election it lost 20% of its vote. Much of this scattered to Independents. Some FG voters switched to the PDs to prevent an overall majority for FF. In 2002 Labour adopted a go it alone strategy. Yet the lost FG votes did not go to Labour. These FG votes were largely conservative and were on loan to Independents and PDs. Labours go it alone strategy also failed.
• FG conservative voters would not give first preferences to Labour. If Labour were to replace FG it had its chance in 2002. That was its chance for realignment. It was never on.
• When Enda Kenny assumed the leadership of FG he reorganised the party from top to bottom. The fruits of this reorganisation were seen in the excellent local election results of 2004 where FG got within a handful of seats of FF. FG won most seats in the Euro Elections. This was prior to the Mullingar Accord. The Mullingar Accord evolved from a belief after the 2004 Euro and Local Elections that FG and Labour together could replace the FF-PD coalition. The Mullingar Accord did not exist at the time of the Euro and Local Elections.
• Kevin Rafter and others fail to realise that there is a conservative block of voters which votes FG and will not switch to Labour to facilitate a realignment. It is by ideology conservative. It largely distrusts FF. It may go on loan from time to time to Independents and smaller parties. It eventually returns.
• Labours organisational problems in constituencies such as Tipperary South and South Kerry cost it vital seats. The Mullingar Accord did not prevent the election of new TDs such as Sean Sherlock.
• FF is Labours greatest enemy as it competes strongly and successfully for the working class votes.

To summaries: Labours difficulties stem not from the Mullingar Accord but from the conservative nature of the Irish electorate and organisational difficulties in several constituencies. When Labour adopted a go it alone position in 2002 it also failed to make a big breakthrough.