Enda isn’t even capable of faking a vision

LAST week, the country was introduced to the Republic of Sums and Soundbites. The location was the annual gabfest up in Donegal, the MacGill Summer School.

Each year, as the Dáil closes, the thinking person’s body politic decamps to Glenties and tries to imagine a state that functions rationally.

Politicians cut loose and say what they really think about the system, where it has gone wrong, and what should be done to fix it. Usually, a member or two of the cabinet give their tuppence worth. It can be difficult hearing the thoughts of a minister about how the country should be governed, when they are in the driving seat themselves, but at least they try. And for the week, anybody with an interest in the country can kick back and imagine a better place.