Your view: TDs' secondary roles must not interfere with national duties
Robert Troy's behaviour only further cements the image many have of 'dodgy landlords'. Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie
While Robert Troy said that ‘he has never used his public position for private gain’, he expected the public to forgive ‘errors’ that most of us would face legal or criminal sanctions for — because of the public role he held. He held the misguided assumption that his role as a busy hard-working TD meant he could off-load inconsequential jobs to others and that doing so and blaming back-room staff, someone in Sipo or someone in the RTB who gave him the wrong information, absolves him from obligations that the rest of us would face sanction for, whether we’re busy or not.
There are two very serious issues here; firstly, his easy-breezy attitude to the job of being a landlord, allegedly failing to register tenancies – both with Sipo and the RTB and acquiring regulatory certification regarding fire and planning. If we are to strengthen the private rental market in this country and present it as a viable, secure, and long-term option for the young and old among us that rely on it — then we need to move away from this portrayal of the shyster landlord — someone who only sometimes follows the rules, receives cash in the hand, paperwork bedamned.
We have had enough of that approach and many would argue that the housing disaster we continue to experience would not be what it is had landlords and property developers in this country followed the rules and the government had not allowed the hyper-commodification of homes.
Surely the pyrite dilemma and the escalating number of property defects in developments across the country — resulting in so many people in this country losing their homes with zero accountability would not be the issue it is.
There is an ethical issue within this sector and Robert Troy’s behaviour only further cements the image many of us have of ‘dodgy landlords’.
The second issue here is his approach to what, for most of us, would be the most important job we could ever imagine. He was a TD — a member of our national parliament and a junior minister in the government. His role involved informing policy that shapes how we live and sustain our families. In the midst of a housing, cost of living, and climate crisis, facing some of the most existential issues of our time, being a member of government must surely be unrelenting.
The responsibility that comes of being a member of government at a time when the homeless figures are growing exponentially; children are going hungry and relying nightly on food banks to keep them going; families are rearing their children in hotels where they learn to play in the space between two beds; where our climate targets are so beyond where we are, it is hard to see how we can get to the critical point where we preserve our planet — the responsibility our national parliamentarians hold must keep them awake at night. This is not a part-time job, and the idea that members of government hold other roles that take them away from their national responsibilities is hard to believe.
In Robert Troy’s case, his second job was actually his main job — his real bread and butter. As a landlord of 11 properties, his interest lies primarily in ensuring maximum gain for that sector, to behave otherwise is simply not believable.
Therefore, not only was he treating his role as a TD and minister as a part-time job, he was using it to progress his own private and business interests.
Whether he likes it or not – Robert Troy’s professional and business dealings must be above reproach. Even the busiest among us cannot take regulatory shortcuts, if we do, we face consequences. The over-used trope of ‘the busy hard-working man’ does not absolve him in this instance — it only serves to present his actions as intentional.
We thought we had moved away from the era of brown envelopes and lobby groups pushing the agenda. We thought we had standards in ethics in public office that actually meant something. For people who remain on housing waiting lists, or people struggling to pay the bills, buy the uniforms, or simply put food on the table, the Robert Troy fiasco must be a kick in the gut.
It has been reported in the newspapers and TV news that our school bus system is in chaos.
As if the long-suffering public didn't have enough on their plate keeping their houses warm for their children and keeping dinners.
It is now a lottery as to whether a parent can get a seat on a school bus for their child. It is patently obvious to me in the first instance, that there are not enough school buses. Secondly, parents should not have to pay for their child to get a seat on a school bus, there is plenty of money available to provide free school buses. Thirdly, the scheme should also be extended to secondary school pupils.
The benefits of having an adequate supply of free school buses are many and the first that springs to mind is the household which has a child going to primary school and a little baby at home. The parent has to secure the baby into the baby seat in the back of the car and strap the child into the front seat of the car, and then try to make the journey to and back from the school safely.
Another benefit is the obvious fact that it would take tens of thousands of cars off the road in the morning, which has to be a huge benefit to road safety, not to mention the peace of mind of the poor unfortunate parents.
Another point I would like to make — free school buses should be provided regardless of the financial situation of parents. This is not rocket science and I call on all TDs of all political persuasion to make the introduction of free school buses for all a priority.
I would also ask every voter to contact their TD about the issue as soon as possible. We are failing our parents and children miserably and it is time to do something about it now.
I read with great interest the recent coverage of the 100th anniversary of the death of Michael Collins. The sheer amount of articles and features related to the events of August 22, 1922, is a testament to the enduring appeal of Collins and his legacy as one of the most important figures of modern Irish history.
However, one of the most insightful articles about the Big Fella was published in the 'County' section on Tuesday, August 18, 2009. Written by my late father, Peter Levy, the piece was perhaps somewhat provocatively titled 'Honouring the father of all terrorists'.
In the article the author went into some detail to explain why some are wrong to remember Collins as a talented military general or politician when in fact he was neither of these things. A shrewd politician would not have allowed himself to be trapped into doing a deal with Lloyd George during the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations while de Valera stayed in Dublin occupying the moral high ground.
Neither would a trained soldier have ignored Emmet Dalton's order to 'drive like hell' when his convoy was ambushed at Beal na Blath. Certainly, they would not have stood out in the middle of the road in full view of his attackers during the ambush.
So while Collins had his flaws, one cannot argue with the assertion made by Peter Levy that he was a 'brilliant terrorist' who 'set the standard for future terror leaders'. He gives the example of former Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Shamir who modelled himself on Collins while fighting with the notoriously bloody Stern Gang against the British during the Israeli War of Independence in the late 1940s.
The fact is that Michael Collins 'uncompromising brutality' and 'ability to merge with the crowd while being Ireland's most wanted man' have made him the subject of many questionable attempts at re-interpreting his life and legacy with most falling short of truly appreciating the complexity of the man.
The orations at Beal na Blath usually do little but use Collins' life as a method to reinforce the speakers' current political beliefs.
Irish historians for their part have suffocated Irish historical discourse with their jaundiced opinions with few having had anything noteworthy to say about Collins. One hundred years after his death, the life of Michael Collins is due a more balanced and honest reflection than it has been afforded thus far.
For the last two years I have vehemently protested against the introduction of the GAA ‘split season’.
My basic arguments were that it benefitted no one but had the potential to destroy the GAA. Clubs were deprived of their top players from December until July, the club players' championship season was crammed into the August to October period and from a promotional point of view, Gaelic games having no TV coverage of major games from July until February, would be absolutely crazy.
I was wrong and now I can see the full picture, the master plan, the new forward-thinking, sportingly ecumenical GAA. Apparently, those of us who decried the GAA ‘Ban’ on big games on TV from July until February are being catered for. What a clever, devious, and cunning thing this spilt season is turning out to be. By having all club games done and dusted by late October all the major stadia like Croke Park, Semple Stadium, Limerick's Gaelic Grounds, and Páirc Uí Chaoimh will be free to cater for other sports.
In fairness, for far too long the GAA concentrated on promoting hurling and football so now is the time apparently to broaden our horizons and encourage and really promote other field games.
By having big sporting fixtures on our pitches — like possibly the Springboks, the GAA will get brilliant coverage and publicity. All over the English and Irish-speaking worlds, viewers will be awe-struck by the magnificence of our stadia and this will lead to thousands more taking up hurling and football all over the world.
By having big live sporting games from GAA stadia in the winter, people like me who yearn to promote Gaelic games even more, can have our chests fill with pride as the melodious strains of 'Ireland’s Call' waft out from GAA pitches everywhere.
Truly then we can all fully realise the benefit of the split season and our ultimate vision of the GAA will have been finally realised; we will be an association that caters for everyone and stands for nothing.
So, Finland's Prime Minister Sanna Marin likes to dance and have a drink on the weekend, what an amazing story. The only concern really is that she has a friend who let her down by publishing a private moment.
We complain that politicians have no idea of what the life of the general public is like and then condemn them for enjoying themselves.
Of course, these accounts would have been much more confronting if there were videos of JFK and his apparent liaisons with Marilyn Monroe. It might be concerning if a member of the royal family were caught with their pants down, oh wait that was Prince Harry in 2012. There was also the John Profumo affair, who was the UK Secretary of State for War and even former Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi with his bunga-bunga parties, whatever they were.
Let's judge the Finnish Prime Minister on her performances in Parliament, not what she does on the weekend off duty.
Regarding the story 'Meath family held overnight at Turkish airport amid Irish visa confusion' (Irish Examiner, August 22), the same issue happened to us on August 22.
We were travelling back from Chennai to Dublin via Mumbai and Munich. The Lufthansa airline in Mumbai did not accept the Ireland visa arrangement and kept asking for the transit visa for Germany. This caused us to miss the flight and the money. We are now stuck in India looking for an alternative arrangement.
