Triumph and tragedy: politicians and events that marked our year
Political Image of the Year
Among the international events which generated the most striking images were the funeral of Pope John Paul II in April and the election of his successor, Benedict XVI. The images from the Live 8 concerts in July were also iconic.
In 2004, the most significant international images were those from Iraq and Darfur. Sadly, the situation hasn’t improved much in either case in 2005.
Somewhat inevitably, images from another disaster region win my award in this category in 2005. Although it occurred on Stephen’s Day last year, the most poignant pictures from those country devastated by the tsunami didn’t get onto our screens until the first few days of this year.
In Ireland, a photograph of IRA decommissioning would have won the prize if there had been one.
The video footage of a former prisoner reading out P O’Neill’s statement didn’t do justice to the historic significance of the occasion. As photographs go, the picture of Willie O’Dea pointing a gun at a camera was the most memorable, if only as a reminder to all politicians never to allow themselves to get carried away, even for a fleeting second, in the presence of cameras.
My award for this category in Ireland, however, goes for the pictures of fatal crash scenes which have featured in our newspapers this week and almost every week of ’05. They are so regular we have become immune to them, but they are stark reminders that road safety is an issue crying out for greater political effort.
Minister of the Year
As head of the Cabinet, the Taoiseach cannot actually qualify for this award. In any case his year has been mixed. Support for his Government has slipped slightly. However, his repositioning of the Government a little left of centre appears to be enduring. On the North’s peace process, he has had some considerable success. In 2006, sustaining social partnership will be his biggest challenge.
My award for Minister of the Year 2005 goes to newcomer Mary Hanafin, because of her style and teaching background, she has managed to rebuild relationships with the unions in the sector.
After the Meath bus crash tragedy, Ms Hanafin’s response was empathetic and appropriate - she avoided any kneejerk reactions on policy, yet before the year was out she had delivered solid improvements in school bus safety.
Last week her decision to go public to warn teachers that those who abandoned classes to participate in ICTU’s day of protest would be docked their wages was tough and appropriate. She also has struck the right balance on the issue of league tables by opting instead for the publication of inspectors’ reports on schools.
Ms Hanafin was one of the ministers who benefited most from the Budget with the announcement of an elaborate capital programme for third-level colleges and greater funding for fourth-level education and research initiatives. All round she had impressive first year.
Opposition Frontbencher of the Year
Fine Gael’s improving parliamentary performance in 2005 was again due mainly to their leader, Enda Kenny, and their deputy leader, Richard Bruton, who share this award.
Their effective opposition on the issues of nursing homes and accountability for Government expenditure in particular was impressive. From the FG runners-up Fergus O’Dowd has impressed as much for his performance on issues outside his environment brief as for those in his own area.
Labour’s best all-rounder in 2005 was Eamon Gilmore who manages to be relentless without being irritating - a skill which some of his party colleagues could learn. Joan Burton also deserves some credit for highlighting the issue of high income earners paying no tax.
Of the others, Trevor Sargent deserves an honourable mention for his speech on the Ferns Report in October and his party’s finance spokesperson, Dan Boyle, has also been a solid performer.
Opposition Backbencher of the Year
Yet again this year nobody came close to Joe Higgins. No more needs to be said.
Government Backbencher of Year
Some of those on my shortlist for this award must also be on Bertie Ahern’s list to fill the Ivor Callely vacancy as minister of state. In fact, the mistake is that he hasn’t created more space to promote all of them. The obvious contenders are Pat Carey, Jim Glennon, Sean Haughey and Sean Ardagh.
ALSO worthy of promotion are Sean Fleming, Billy Kelleher and Denis O’Donovan. However, I give the award in this category to the Fianna Fáil Dun Laoghaire deputy Barry Andrews.
Articulate and independent, he may not yet be in the promotion stakes but he is making a considerable impression even though this is only his first term in the House.
Good Law/Policy Decision of Year
The childcare initiatives announced in the Budget and elaborated on in recent days is very good policy and will have a significant long-term impact. Micheál Martin’s repeal of the Grocery Order is also a good law.
However, the most significant policy achievement this year undoubtedly was IRA decommissioning in July. Sinn Féin’s leadership deserves credit for its role in this, as do the Taoiseach and the Justice Minister who in a good cop/bad cop routine in the difficult months after the Northern Bank robbery and the McCartney murder kept the pressure on SF.
Bad Law/Policy Decision of the Year
The winner is the proposal announced last month to give a pardon to so-called on-the-runs.
This is a bad, ill-considered initiative. It will be seen by most of the electorate as unnecessary and as a concession too far to Sinn Féin.
The use of the presidential pardon mechanism to achieve this questionable objective is a constitutional contortion designed to avoid legislative embarrassment or a court challenge to what the Government knows is an unpalatable proposal.
The Fine Gael proposal for legislative change on what homeowners could do to intruders (promised in the frenzy that followed the sentencing of Mayo farmer Padraig Nally for the manslaughter of a Traveller in November) would also be bad law if it were to see the light of day.
Most Forgettable Event of the Year
In March there were two by-elections, one in Meath and the other in North Kildare.
The fact that Fine Gael won one was a boost to them, and that an Independent won the other was a setback to Fianna Fáil. Overall, however, neither result had any long-term impact on the Dáil arithmetic or on its deliberations.
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