Stanley questions IFA president's commitment

ROBBIE MacGABHANN ponders the merits of parachuting in celebrity candidates as the general election campaign starts to wind up in earnest


Yes, there is no doubt that election fever is hitting the political establishment this week. Across the political spectrum, feelers are going out into the world of entertainment, sport, media, academia, interest groups and under any rock or in any ditch where a minor celebrity skulks.

The absence of policies or perhaps an unwillingness to debate the failed political record of all the establishment parties has fueled an SOS from the respective party HQs. "We need our celebrity candidates" is the cry from the trenches.

Earlier in the week, RTE's George Lee moved to quash rumours that he would be standing for election, although it is understood serious approaches were made. Then there was Tom Parlon, who just this week finished his term of office as President of the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA). Tom Parlon has had, according to one media source, "more offers than Madonna" from political parties looking for him to stand in the next election. We were also told that Mr Parlon is "no slut who will just go off with anyone".

An Phoblacht contacted Laois Offaly Sinn Féin, where we were reliably informed that no proposition had been put to Mr Parlon. Local councillor Brian Stanley told us that though he may have considered giving way for Madonna, there is no way any serious political party would have entertained giving a nomination to Parlon.

Stanley said that the reports that Parlon was considering offers from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Progressive Democrats showed that there is "no difference in policy between the three parties". It also showed, he said , that those parties "have no real commitment to the constituency at party political level".

Stanley dismissed the Parlon affair as "an opportunistic stunt. The fact that Tom Parlon is willing to jump on any bandwagon shows how little real interest he has in the constituency and the concerns of the voters in Laois-Offaly."

The real issue, according to Stanley, is "how to sustain more families on the land and produce things people need. People need clean, safe food. We should be encouraging farmers into this area.

"Instead, the years of Parlon's term as IFA President showed a continuation of the failed policies of seeking increased compensation and headage payments. Small farmers should have been getting the subsidies, rather than creating a system of encouraging farmers to produce foodstuffs in quantities people clearly don't need.

"We should be concentrating on the organic sector and vegetable crops. It is amazing that a rural constituency like this should be importing food products like basic vegetables.

"We need to take the Rural Environment Protection Scheme (REPS) and LEADER type programmes a step further. Increase the funding to these programmes now and try to find sustainable ways of keeping farming families on the land. The Parlon presidency was characterised by the exact opposite mindset and the farming sector is in a perpetual state of crisis as a result".

Parlon has said that he is considering now whether to run for Fine Gael or the Progressive Democrats. Given that Parlon stated he wants a position of "real influence", it is unlikely he will throw his lot in with the ever-weakening Progressive Democrats.

The Labour Party are also considering their options and have decided that their price of entering coalition is a chance for Ruairi Quinn to be Taoiseach for half of the government's term of office.

In a way, it makes the election quite simple for voters. Don't bother about policies - you are merely choosing the Taoiseach. Maybe we don't really need Leinster House elections at all, just a popularity test between prospective leaders. The election campaign could then become a new reality TV series, possibly called Powerstars!

Maybe Sinn Féin has been approaching this election all wrong. This morning the party are launching their health strategy discussion document. They should be unveiling their new celebrity parachute candidates.

Maybe a dynamic trio of Ruth Dudley Edwards, Conor Cruise O'Brien and Eoghan Harris could run in some of the party's Dublin's strongholds. Edwards could run alongside Daithi Doolan in Dublin South East, O'Brien would be a shoe-in in Dublin North Central while Harris would be a vote winner in any constituency. Maybe he would work well in the Dublin South Central five-seater, alongside the tenacious Aengus Ó Snodaigh.

No doubt the battalion of electoral boffins and publicity spin doctors in Sinn Féin Headquarters are right now using their dark powers to woo the dream team of Kevin Myers and Fintan O'Toole onto the party ticket.

Martin Ferris could make way for O'Toole in North Kerry. Maybe it is time for Paudie O'Shea, who is being talked about as a candidate for Fianna Fáil, to pass on the football supremo job to a fresh pair of legs and Ferris could face up to a new challenge. You wouldn't have any dissent in the training camp then!

What to do with someone of Myers talent? The voters of Louth just might have the sophistication to truly value the humour, wit and tremendous insight he could bring to tackling the issues of this constituency, plus he could be a way of winning the Brendan McGahon vote.

Don't be surprised, because if the establishment media are to be believed, there is no angle that Sinn Féin will not consider exploiting to win this election.

Sinn Féin, of course, does indeed have a masterplan for winning votes in the coming election. The party will cunningly present policies to the electorate, not giveaways or promises, just firm proposals and new ideas on how to solve the issues of health, education, housing, transport, job creation, regional development, and agriculture. I know it's the easy option and they should be offering the big bucks to Gay Byrne and Hugh Leonard, but sometimes you have to take the easy option.

Now if we could just find some celebrity canvassers...

Coalition dithers on An Post

An Post has forecast losses of €30 million this year and is clearly in need of direction and support from the coalition government, but none is forthcoming. Lack of agreement on the future role and direction of this important state resource, combined with the effects of the economic downturn, has turned profits in 2000 into a €7.2 million loss last year, with even greater losses anticipated this year.

In 2001, An Post signaled to the telecoms regulator and government the need to increase postage prices, which have been unchanged since 1991 and fell in 1998. It also highlighted the need for subsidies to keep open its network of sub offices.

There is a clear need for immediate action on the future of the company, yet it doesn't seem to be high on the coalition's priority list.


Intel and US economy


The reduced profits from Intel announced this weak coupled with a fall in US manufacturing output and losses at Kmart and General Motors are all worrying omens for the Irish economy.

Intel had profits of $998 million in the last quarter of 2001, compared to $2.63 billion in 2000. US industrial output fell for the fifth successive month in December, the worst streak since 1982. Profits at US car giant General Motors fell by 58% while Kmart, the US's second largest retailer, is on the brink of bankruptcy.

Together, these three economic indicators show a US economy, upon which ours is so dependent, clearly not moving out of recession. More importantly for Irish jobs, there is still no sign from Intel of its plans to restart construction of the next phase of its Irish plants in Leixlip.

The figures show that now there is a clear need to start developing economic strategies to decrease the exposure of the Irish economy to these international economic crises. It is also important to recognise that the one part of the economy still showing even minor positive growth signs is in computer and information technologies.

Now, nearly a year into a clearly slowing economy, we are still waiting for the coalition masterplan. Some things can obviously be put on the long finger until after the election.