Meet the new boss, same as the last one
First off, credit where credit is due. Enda Kenny and his cabinet look fresh and busy. After 14 years in opposition, you would expect the honchos among the coalition partners to display some hunger for the job, and they have.
Kenny has shown the way, literally, by providing little visual hints of a new dispensation through, for example, walking to work rather than swanning around in a Merc. He gives the impression of possessing bags of energy, and he always presents himself in a positive light. The world may be caving in, but at least the nation’s leader can give the impression that he has a steady hand on the tiller. Even if it’s just an optical illusion, these things matter.
In terms of the business of government, the cabinet has come out of the traps like a kennel of souped-up greyhounds.
Ruairi Quinn’s performance has been particularly notable. He has moved quickly to start reconfiguring the patronage of primary schools, which heretofore have been dominated by the Church. Work is already underway in revamping the Leaving and Junior Certificates. He is driving the agenda to better the results in vital areas such as science and maths. Speculation has it that he may be nominated as the next European Commissioner, and is therefore in a rush to get things done in a short space of time, but, whatever the reason, he has been a busy bee.
The Department of the Environment’s Phil Hogan is another man who has the cut of trying to make up for lost time. In the last six months, he has made major inroads in the area of planning. The municipal incinerator earmarked for Ringsend in Dublin was stalled through the tenure of his predecessor, John Gormley, but is now being advanced with haste. And last week, he announced major changes to climate change policy. Some see his hyperactive agenda as designed to undo what was done by the Greens in the last government. Maybe so, but at least he is flat out.
Dr James Reilly got into his stride in the Department of Health by removing the board of the HSE. He is tackling waiting lists and has taken a few shot across the bows of vested interests, such as hospital consultants.
Pat Rabbitte is another who is busy getting things done, and Alan Shatter’s recently published Legal Services Bill is probably the first real attempt by a government to reel in the worst excesses of the legal business. The troika put a rocket under the Government’s ass in this regard, but Mr Shatter has taken to the task with gusto, in the face of sustained resistance.
All of the above illustrates the freshness that the current government has brought to the job. However, there have been other signs that suggest that power has already gone to the heads of these people, far quicker than it did, even to their predecessors.
Arrogance is raising its ugly head all around. In the Dáil, the large majority enjoyed by the current administration often leads to withdrawal of traditional courtesies afforded to opposition speakers.
Whenever Michael Martin or Gerry Adams get to their feet, a low growl of heckling begins to spill across from the Government benches, transmitting the message that no voices other than those in power will be tolerated.
It may be difficult to stomach Martin lambasting the Government over economic issues, considering his history, but he does deserve to be heard. Equally, Sinn Féin policy can sometimes resemble voodoo economics — although that is changing — but it does not negate Adams’ right to a modicum of respect when he is addressing the chamber.
At cabinet level, the recent contremps over the referendum on Oireachtas inquiries showed some elements at their worst. Mr Shatter’s reply to the concerns expressed by eight former attorneys-general typified the arrogance.
He said the senior lawyers were “speaking nonsense”, and had “no credibility”. He played the men rather than the ball, as if they had shown temerity in daring to question the Government.
Brendan Howlin’s accusation that the chairman of the Referendum Commission, Brian McMahon, bore some of the blame for the “No” vote beggared belief. He gave no credit to the electorate for independent thinking. He took no blame for a flawed wording or rushed campaign. No, it was all down to the referee, whose poor performance won it for the other side.
Elsewhere, the ghosts of Fianna Fáilers past made themselves known in the five-star accommodation enjoyed by Dr Reilly during a visit to Beijing. Despite a decree that ministers should confine themselves to three stars, Reilly was upgraded to five when visiting China. His spokesman said that five in China equated to three over here. There was also the little nugget about him charging the state €15.35 to have his trousers pressed after they were “crumpled during transportation”. That’s the kind of detail that did for the last crowd.
The arrogance might be some way acceptable if the Government was distinguishing itself from the previous one on the big issues. But it’s as you were, with a few bells and whistles thrown in.
During the general election campaign last February, Enda Kenny promised to “burn the bondholders”. Eamon Gilmore declared it would be “Frankfurt’s way or Labour’s way”. According to the most up-to-date information, it is Frankfurt’s way, and far from being burnt, a Fine Gael minister has managed to reap profits for the bondholders.
Last June, Mr Noonan declared bondholders in Anglo Irish Bank were en route to the stake for a roasting.
“We don’t think the Irish taxpayer should have to redeem what has become speculative investment. I don’t think it should be redeemed at par,” he said in Washington. “I got an agreement that they [the IMF] will work with us to seek to resolve it.”
As a result of Mr Noonan’s declaration, Anglo bonds were sold on at a discount on the basis that they would not get their full value. Last Wednesday, Anglo paid the out the full value — €715 million — on the latest bond, yielding major profits for those who had bought in on the back of Mr Noonan’s empty threats.
The episode showed that the Government is as capable of incompetence as its predecessor. Combined with the arrogance, and following the same policy stars, it makes you wonder how much has changed.
Meanwhile, Labour welcomed its latest recruit to the Government benches last week in Patrick Nulty, the victor in the Dublin West by-election.
Nulty is something of a throwback to old Labour. He has previously voiced opposition to going into Government with Fine Gael, and he doesn’t regard socialism as a disease to be cured at the ballot box..
How long he will last as a member of the Government benches will be interesting to observe. As the cuts bite, as social welfare comes under attack, expect to see him taking judicious pops at the Government. The last in may well be the first out.
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