Irish Examiner view: McGrath's EU appointment is a mixed blessing for Fianna Fáil

The departure of Michael McGrath removes one of the big beasts in Fianna Fáil ahead of a looming election, one which may be a bruising experience for the party. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen confirmed yesterday that Michael McGrath will be the EU Commissioner for Democracy, Justice, and Rule of Law, a significant announcement for a number of reasons.

It is, of course, a proud day for Mr McGrath himself, an achievement which underlines his ability and competence. His portfolio includes areas such as fair elections and consumer protection, which means his responsibilities extend to matters which are relevant to ordinary EU citizens.

That is the most positive reading of yesterday’s announcement, however. Ireland had hoped for one of the economic portfolios, and when asked why Mr McGrath did not receive one, Ms von der Leyen said 20 countries had sought economic portfolios, a politic answer.

However, did the recent decision in the Apple tax saga, seen as a stinging indictment of the Irish tax system, make it inevitable the EU would not assign Ireland an economic portfolio?

If so, that is not the only item staining Ireland’s current relationship with the EU: Take Ireland’s casual approach to European security responsibilities, as well as the government’s refusal to nominate a woman and man for commissioner when Ms von der Leyen sought gender balance in nominations. This relationship needs some serious work.

There are more local considerations. The departure of Mr McGrath removes one of the big beasts in Fianna Fáil ahead of a looming election, one which may be a bruising experience for the party. Mr McGrath’s calm and controlled image as a capable finance minister will be missed when it comes to time for his party to try to convince skittish voters they can steer the economy safely.

And how significant is yesterday’s news for Fianna Fáil outside the election? The move to Europe removes Mr McGrath as a possible leadership candidate within the party, for the foreseeable future at least. His popularity may help his brother Seamus, a top vote-winner in the local elections, retain the Dáil seat for the party next time out, but his departure thins the ranks of suitable successors to Micheál Martin.

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Driver behaviour deteriorating, not improving 

At the time of writing, the death toll on our roads stood at 131, a shockingly high figure. Little wonder An Garda Síochána are now trying innovative ways to try to stop that carnage, such as the unmarked heavy goods vehicle now patrolling Irish roads.

As reported here, this is a scheme in which said the vehicle is manned by two gardaí, with one acting as a ‘spotter’ from the passenger seat. When the latter sees illegal or dangerous driving behaviour, they notify a following garda car which deals with the offender.

The widespread perception that driving standards have fallen in recent years seems to be borne out by the experience of gardaí using the truck. They have detailed cases of people driving while using their mobile phones, shaving, applying make-up, and, in one case, with a dog sitting on their lap.

Regarding driver behaviour, it was interesting that one experienced garda said “it’s like we forgot how to drive”, while another said there was a “dissertation” in finding the reason for the deterioration in driver behaviour.

However, another garda observation struck home: “Everybody’s in a hurry. Nobody leaves on time anymore. You know, it’s people fiddling with Google Maps. Nobody plans their journeys before they leave.”

Whatever value there might be in an academic dissertation on driving standards, a seminar on journey preparation would surely benefit road users. Many drivers seem to plot out their routes while thinking of the song which accompanied a 1970s road safety advertisement: “If you had the only car in the world/you could drive as you liked.”

When talking of personal responsibility and driving, we often focus on following the rules of the road, but the context is wider than that. The sheer number of cars on Irish roads means that heavy traffic and frequent delays are part of the modern driving experience.

Accepting those, and planning journeys accordingly, would reduce frustration, improve driving behaviour — and hopefully lower the death toll.

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Farcical elements to UL overspend 

The travails of the University of Limerick have been well documented, from the sudden resignation of former president Kerstin Mey to its troubled property dealings.

A scathing Comptroller and Auditor General report last week detailed millions of euro that had been wasted by the university in paying too much for city centre properties.

That report stated it was “difficult to see how the excess cost incurred — of the order of €5m — was warranted, or that it represents value for money”.

Such overspending is a mortal sin in the age of the costly bike shed, but there was finally some good news this week for UL. It was granted planning permission for the change of use of the former Dunnes Stores outlet on Sarsfield St, Limerick, to become the centre for its new city campus.

A note of farce was introduced by the fact that that permission was granted by An Bord Pleanála against the advice of its own planning inspector.

We learned the same day that an investigation into malpractice carried out by a senior counsel and delivered to the chair of An Bord Pleanála last month will now be the subject of further investigations before it can be published.

Organisations scarred by resignations and delayed reports, scathing criticism, and lack of value: This is Irish public life in 2024.

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