Time to stop hiding behind FF mistakes

A DEVOURING cancer at the heart of Irish society — an apt description of the exodus of so many of our brightest young people seeking jobs anywhere they can find them, be it in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Europe, Canada or America.

Sadly, in thousands of homes across the country, the absence of loved ones, sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, will never be more painfully evident than empty places at the table when families gather tomorrow for Christmas dinner. What should be a time of joy will for many be one of sorrow.

That depressing reality is the backdrop for Taoiseach Enda Kenny’s Christmas message to a population struggling to cope with the worst economic crisis the country has experienced.

In terms of political honesty and economic reality, the thrust of his address to political correspondents couldn’t have been more blunt.

He acknowledges the stark reality of 40,200 Irish passport holders emigrating in the 12 months up to April of this year.

That figure is now much higher as hundreds of young people continue to leave the country every day, a brain drain no country could sustain.

People have a right to be disappointed with Mr Kenny’s end-of-term briefing, which is lacking in any positive policy measure that might give emigrants and their families some reason for hope.

Having kicked out the last government, voters are growing tired of the predisposition of both the Taoiseach and his Government to continue blaming the “wasted years” on the previous administrations under Fianna Fáil.

Now a much diminished party, it bears heavy responsibility for Ireland’s current plight.

But the Coalition can’t continue to hide behind the mistakes of its predecessors.

The more it beats that drum, while not producing tangible policies of its own, the more it deserves to be charged with failing to give people something positive to hold onto in these troubled times.

After nearly a year in power, the mantra broadcast by Fine Gael and Labour is wearing out.

As the Taoiseach has it, nothing will be solved until the public finances are back on track, and that will involve more tough decisions.

Psychologically, the subliminal message of the Government is that donning the hairshirt is good for us.

To the ears of ex-workers, pensioners, disabled people and the new poor, all struggling desperately to make ends meet, that has a ring of cynicism, coming as it does from politicians on fat salaries with generous perks and obscene pensions.

We have heard much talk of job creation but there has been very little follow-up by way of action.

A case in point concerns an Irish ex-pat in Sweden who apparently wrote to Mr Kenny suggesting that the resources of like-minded emigrants around the world be harnessed to Ireland’s benefit. He claims nobody got back to him.

It is time this Government adopted a more positive outlook than the public has seen to date.

While the eurozone crisis and fears of global recession are certainly impacting negatively on Ireland, there is urgent need for more positive initiatives, for meaningful indications of how the country can get out of this black hole, and for more tangible measures to stimulate job creation, growth and encourage hope for the new year.