10 most disappointing things about the Fine Gael/Labour Coalition

ONE YEAR SINCE THE DÁIL GENERAL ELECTION

ROBBIE SMYTH

“ON 25TH FEBRUARY, a democratic revolution took place in Ireland.” These were the opening words of the 2011 Fine Gael/Labour Programme for Government. So how has it been for you, what with Enda Kenny’s Obamaisms, report cards for ministers, continuing billion-euro bail-outs for bank bond holders, more cutbacks, failed referendums and broken election promises?

ROBBIE SMYTH picks out his 10 disappointing episodes of the first year of the Enda & Eamon Coalition.

 1  Wage ceiling

Lavish wages and pensions for Government ministers and high-ranking civil servants was just one of the unacceptable aspects of Fianna Fáil in government. So to set a wage ceiling for advisers and then break it not once but 14 times is inexcusable. In some cases, a wage hike of €35,000 was sanctioned, a rise greater than the average annual wage, proving we are not really ‘all in this together’.

2  Tax equality

“Both our parties are committed to protecting the vulnerable and burden sharing on an equitable basis.” Another line from that pesky Programme for Government. So why the imposition of a Household Charge, a 2% VAT increase, health insurance increases, cuts in Child Benefit, increases in Motor Tax, all of which disproportionately affect low- and middle-income earners, while still no new tax band for high-earners?

Does Eamon Gilmore remember his pre-election promise that “no one earning less than €100,000 a year would be taxed more and children would not be punished for the failure of Fianna Fáil”?

 3  Where are the jobs?

A new jobs plan was promised in the first 100 days of office. It came nine months late, a rehash of already announced ideas but with less funding for the agencies implementing it and long-term unemployment up 14.5% in 12 months.

4  Privatisation agenda rolls on

Sinn Féin’s EU/IMF/ECB troika briefing gleaned critical information that the group had no privatisation agenda. But the Government is considering quick sell-offs with forestry agency Coillte, Dublin Airport, the remaining Aer Lingus shares and the ESB all heading to fire sales.

Remember Eircom? Seven owners since privatisation in 1999, massive under-investment in vital infrastructure, now €3.8billion in debt, thousands of job cuts.

Fine Gael/Labour Cabinet

5  Health reform: we are still waiting

A 25% increase in waiting lists for hospital treatment and for most of 2011 a 30% increase in the numbers of people on hospital trolleys. At the moment, figures are 27% lower for A&E trolleys but even Health Minister James Reilly recognises that “we benefited from a mild recent winter and the absence of any significant flu outbreak”. So, one epidemic and the health service is screwed again.

6  Driving in bus lanes matters

The ending of Garda drivers for most ministers meant that the bus lanes were off-limits. However, a majority of the Cabinet voted on 18 October 2011 to give themselves access to the bus lanes. One rule for the Government and a different one for everyone else?

7  The JLC

Richard Bruton’s refusal in July 2011 to appeal a High Court ruling that the Joint Labour Commission that set wages for 200,000 low-paid workers was unconstitutional implied it would be a Government imperative to put a new system in place quickly. Bruton only published the new legislation in the last weeks of December. What’s the hold-up? Don’t low-paid workers matter?

8  Tescopoly

One of Fianna Fáil’s greatest crimes against small retailers and Irish food producers was removing the ban on below-cost selling, flooding stores with cut-price alcohol and greater amounts of imported foodstuffs. Many small Irish businesses can’t match the scale of this high-volume, low-margin competition, though Tesco and Dunnes have benefited significantly.

In November, Environment Minister Phil Hogan announced plans for removing existing limits on the size of out-of-town shopping centres and superstores, which was a long-term objective of the retail giants.

So, one law for increasing Tesco profits and another for protecting Irish jobs.

9  The failed referenda

The laziness with which the Government approached the two referenda on judges’ pay and Oireachtas investigation powers was stunning in its arrogance, particularly the carping by Justice Minister Alan Shatter.

10  Boys first

Why has failed Progressive Democrats leader Ciarán Cannon and now first-time TD been made a minister in a Cabinet with just two Fine Gael women members? Olivia Mitchell and Mary Mitchell O’Connor, for example, are both more qualified than Cannon.

Why too did Eamon Gilmore, having had Joan Burton do all the legwork pre-election, give plum ministerial posts to Howlin, Quinn and Rabbitte. It is ‘boys first’ in this Coalition.