Resisting change - Speed of reform still far too slow

It is hard to reconcile Irish conservatism, our political, professional and social inertia, our never-say-die devotion to processes or principles that have failed repeatedly, with today’s received wisdom that man has seen more change in the last century than in all of humanity’s existence.

It is far easier to identify the consequences of our resistance to the new, our visceral fear of how change might move the goal posts to our individual or sectoral disadvantage.

It is not coincidental that one of the first stumbling blocks preventing a more modern, fairer society identified by the troika were the professional monopolies, some of them still self-regulating, that dominate our business, health, and justice systems. It is typically Irish, though, that Government assurances that reform will be imposed in these areas must be taken with a pinch of salt. That is not to question the sincerity or intent of would-be reformers, but rather their ability to outlast the age-old cabals’ resistance to change.

The length of time it takes to reorganise, much less reform, our public services — Croke Park and Haddington Road agreements, not to mention the benchmarking swizz — is an example of how powerful interests can resist threatening change.

Another example of that professional sense of entitlement is the absolute expectation — and likelihood — that the next Garda Commissioner will be appointed from within the ranks of an organisation more characterised by the norms of the last century than today. If that expectation is realised how wise might it be to expect anything resembling real, service-enhancing change in our police force?

Our resistance to change has wider consequences, too. Just yesterday the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned — again — of the consequences of not preparing for accelerated climate change, yet we still don’t have a climate change bill. Even more importantly, we seem unable to recognise the possible consequences of not changing our ways, especially our absolute dependence on imported fossil fuels.

In another sphere, Education Minister Ruairí Quinn’s efforts to change patronage arrangements at schools so they might reflect our society, rather than one set of beliefs, continue but not with the speed or force anticipated. The reluctance to impose third-level fees so our institutions might be viable, and so students would value the opportunity more, is another indication of how very hard we find change.

What moves this snail’s-pace evolution in an internet world into the realms of the bizarre and heartbreaking is how Government is under-using the unprecedented mandate for modernisation it was entrusted with in the 2011 election. Even if its hands were tied by economic crisis and agreements entered into by its predecessors, even if it had to stabilise a society tottering towards something approaching chaos, the optimism generated by the great purge of 2011 remains unjustified.

Weekend opinion polls show where the future might lie if things continue as they are. If the Coalition hopes to return to office in less than two years, it is time for the kind of big ideas that define and shape progress. It is time to express them, to communicate them enthusiastically and to show that, unlike universal health insurance, there is a determination to implement them during this Dáil. Anything less will hardly suffice.