7th July 2011

As Shylock said in the Merchant of Venice “I hold the world but as the world, a stage where everyman must play a part”. The theme of responsibility was considered in relation to finance by a number of Senators in the Seanad last week.

With continuing reports of bonuses being provided to CEOs and senior management in the Semi-states, hats off to Minister Varadkar with the clear message to the CEO of the DAA) and later in the week to NAMA staff (they’re hardly in the door and already 84% of them are achieving bonuses), I emphasized that ‘we must send out the message from this House that the bonus culture is over’. The theme was taken up by many others. At a time of austerity, when constraints on households and communities are at an all time high, bonus payments from the public purse, on top of generous salaries are completely unacceptable, a practice that became the norm during the unaccountable Bertie years. High time we got real – we have embargos on recruitment in the public service, it is time we had embargos on bonuses too.

Kerry Senator Tom Sheahan struck a note of reality for families everywhere when he called for a mechanism to reduce the cost of professional fees, particularly those of doctors and consultants. However, it was Galway East colleague Senator Michael Mullins who managed against the wishes of the Chair, to call for Michael Healy-Rae (a dead ringer for the father) to pay back the €2600 to Leinster House, the outrageous cost of premier rate calls made in his favour, to win a Celebrity in Wild competition a number of years earlier. In fact Sen. Mullins got a successful result within twenty-four hours! He wasn’t stopping at that though, he also called for an enquiry to ensure abuses of this nature wouldn’t happen again.

A welcome counter-balance was offered by Senator Katherine Zappone when she challenged us to refocus our attention from ‘economic sovereignty’ to what she termed ‘social sovereignty’, “and, specifically, the social wealth that has been created over recent years by actors in the social, community, cultural and voluntary sectors. This social wealth has been built by tens of thousands of people throughout our country who are putting their shoulders to the wheel”.

On Wednesday, Minister Howlin came before the House to guide the legislation establishing his new Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. He elaborated on the quick measure of capping CEO and Senior Civil Servant salaries at €250,000 and €200,000 respectively. On the cost of public services, he also announced that he intends to have all data on current public expenditure broken down and available for viewing on the website, www.databank.per.gov. I think the public will be interested in this.

Howlin, committed to the reform agenda, aims to recalibrate the culture in the public service. An indication of his thinking is evidence by his address to Fianna Fáil Senator, Thomas Byrne:

‘We need to do things differently. That is why we asked people to think fundamentally outside the box. All ideas should be put on the table and let us decide on them. I will not ideologically exclude anything from consideration’.

On that same day the Government announced JobBridge. The internship scheme is open to all ages and to all sectors. In the disheartening cycle of trying to gain work experience in order to get a job, this initiative aims to break it with an extra €50 in your pocket on top of unemployment allowance. It goes without saying that the opportunity to gain experience is far more valuable than the monetary amount suggests. This week I am pleased to say that a new parliamentary assistant from Galway City has started work with one of our TDs. No one deserved it more, he spent three months interning as a volunteer in my office in Galway city prior to the General Election. I was only sorry that it was I who couldn’t have offered him the post but c’est la vie. The internship scheme could be your passport to a great future – check out JobBridge.ie to learn more.

On Thursday morning was filled with anticipation as the Fine Gael Presidential-candidate hopefuls took to the ‘stage’. The Parliamentary Party heard a pitch from each – Pat Cox, Avril Doyle, Mairead McGuinness and Gay Mitchell in that order. Fittingly, all have a strong and testable background in European matters – at a time when never before has the dialogue between the EU and Ireland been so important. I had my mind made up earlier as to who I was going to back but thought it was only fair with recent entrants to the FG race, that I hold fire on a decision until I met with each of them. At the time of writing this blog I am down to a final two! We vote on Saturday. More on this next week.

Thursday evening is always an important evening in the constituency. Last Thursday presented myself and my eleven year old daughter with a very special experience, a first for both of us. I was invited by local activist Martin Concannon to the blessing of a burial ground wherein lie some five hundred unbaptised babies at Waterdale (near Loughtgeorge). On a quiet June evening about one hundred people each bearing a lighted candle, loosely gathered around the humped ground where a small unnamed stone jutting from the ground was the only reminder of a buried child. I had a sense that this piece of unconsecrated ground was indeed a most sacred space. In a peaceful setting, a space beautified in a simple way by locals, Martin said ‘we have brought the light in to a place that was once dark’. He has since told me it has the draw of a grotto. Well done to all those who have contributed to opening this up. Worth the visit.

Friday morning was a very early start (not an early bird, me!) with Minister Richard Bruton and my Oireachtas colleagues Brian and Sean in the Clayton Hotel for a business breakfast and a lively Q and A session with Galway chartered accountants. We were all struck by the fact that we are spending 40% more as a country than we are taking in income. New city mayor, Hildegarde Naughton joined us that morning for the announcement by Alere of one hundred new jobs in Galway city. Specialising in medical diagnostics, MD David Tuohy said “you may not know our company name but if I say Clearblue pregnancy tests you will know one of our products.” Knowing glances were exchanged by women across the room. By all accounts a winning company to have attracted to Galway – well done to Jim Murren and the IDA team.

Saturday night was all abuzz in Oranmore. We had a fundraising ball for the new Celtic Shore Festival being planned for the last weekend of August (Aug 26-28). It was a great success. Brian O’Higgins did a marvelous job as compere and encouraged us all to spend money at the Auction. We donated an organic lamb only to see it fetch €1000! Festival chairman, Niall Woodlock and his committee are working very hard to make this first festival a big hit for Oranmore. Major acts like Mundy and Sharon Shannon are on the programme. An appeal is out for volunteers, a lot of work in hand, still more to do . . .Watch this space for more on Celtic Shore Fest. http://www.oranmorecelticshorefest.com/