Behind Closed Doors
with Cross Bencher

ELECTION AFTERMATH

The first thing that all the establishment parties did was to tear up their election manifestoes. Fianna Fail and the P.D.s are now facing a new reality of government-finance deficits, cut-backs in public expenditure or increased taxes. There was no mention of these matters in any of the programmes for government put before us during the election. As A.T., our economic correspondent, pointed out at the beginning, all these programmes had become inoperative before the printing ink had dried.

To tell the truth, there is nothing new in this. There is a renowned Director of Elections of one of the major parties in Donegal who routinely burns all manifestoes and other election literature which is sent down from the Dublin headquarters. He prefers to stick to his party’s constituency record and achievements which, mind you, is easier done if your party is generally in government and has delivered to the constituency.

What is new this time is that this government has stated straight off that their election manifestoes are not relevant to a situation of tight finances. They not only have the problem of reining in public expenditure but they have the impossible task of doing it at the same time as doling out gratuitous public pay increases across the board.

BENCHMARKING of public pay sounded like an excellent idea but this current report is the outcome of one of the most cynical exercises ever perpetrated.

When first mooted, all public sector employees excluding nurses and junior doctors felt little shivers of alarm. They were initially fearful of being ‘found out’! They then began to wonder if their particular sector might suffer a pay reduction or a complete stand still for a few years.

They were right to worry. For the past fifteen years, public pay increases were more than double those to unionised private sector workers. Naturally, non-unionised private sector workers had to fend for themselves; the bulk of them having to take what they got and no minimum wage base until very lately. Even with the onset of the ‘Celtic Tiger’ public sector jobs continued to be highly regarded and sought after; there were massive numbers of applications for every job advertised, politicians would be particularly aware of this. Public sector jobs are safe and permanent with guaranteed pay increases and promotion opportunities. Conditions have improved immensely, including overtime and extra pay for non-social hours.

Then, before the bench-marking body commenced their work, government spin doctors and public service union leaders were able to hint that pay increases across the board would follow.

It is reported that Dorothy Parker asked on hearing that President Coolidge was dead - “How do they know?” It is also fair to ask how these people could know that bench-marking would mean increases across the board.

The non-public service might have had hopes of a level of reality breaking through, but the spin doctors over this last year prepared us all for the outcome. There is now a sense of relief that it isn’t worse. But it is worse - the government now can’t afford the bill.

It would be funny if it was not really happening; some commentators are even suggesting that the cost of 1.2 billion is really only half that as the government will get 50% back in income tax and P.R.S.I. The exchequer will also get another 15% to 20% back through V.A.T. and excise duties. On this calculation it turns out that the 5% being given to the Gardai, for example, is costing us less than 2%. I sincerely hope we are not expecting any extra efficiency or effort on the back of this niggardly percentage increase and, looking ahead, I see little prospect of any groups shaping up their act in anticipation of the next benchmarking review.

Whatever about bench-marking, the bottom line is this - during the booming economy of the last six years there has been no exodus out of the public sector to the private sector which has seen an ever increasingly tight labour market. On the contrary the public sector has had an employment increase of up to 40,000 with very little improvement in public services to show for it, or so the radio talk shows tell us.

The age of computers and information technology was heralded as work load reduction, increased efficiency and hugely increased productivity. It has happened in many of the large PLCs e.g. the banks and in Revenue but where else in the public service do we see results? With better schools and lower class sizes, teachers are still experiencing so much stress that the idea of an extra hour or two supervising pupils for a mere 35 per hour only increases that stress. They have also gone through a period where they have seen former students doing well in the private sector which fuelled an envious inner grievance. Thank God, their top billing in the bench-marking will reassure them of their self-worthiness. Some of them can also breathe a sigh of relief that they are all being treated equally good and bad.

LOCAL POLITICS

Having a full complement of ministers in government, Fianna Fail in the South/West are feeling very satisfied and have expectations of either, or both, Enda Bonner and Patrick McGowan winning senate seats. Sean McEniff, coming towards the end of his political career, would be chuffed to be one of Bertie’s eleven come September.

Fianna Fail also have a very strong team in place approaching the local government elections in two years time. Behind Closed Doors, the party will have discussion on who their candidate will be for the big prize of mayor of Co. Donegal which will be by direct vote of the electorate. At the moment Terry McEniff is hot favourite. He is Sean’s son, Managing Director of the Mount Errigal Hotel and Chairman of Letterkenny Urban Council, while his sister Elizabeth is Chairperson of Bundoran’s Urban Council.

This is a highly prestigious public position and will be held for five years. The danger to the political parties is that the public may prefer a county-wide personality as against a political insider. Again Fianna Fail may have the edge by nominating Brian McEniff, who is that type of modest personality ideal for the contest. Terry might then get his chance in 2009. Another who springs to mind is Noel O’Connell, charity fundraiser supreme, who was a bank manager here in Donegal Town for a number of years. Although if the McEniffs want it, Noel will not stand in their way as he is a close friend of the family.

Fine Gael will definitely have to seek out a personality that they can support. Not only that, they will need a fresh team in the Donegal Electoral area. It looks like Big Jimmy McGroary will replace Julie Mundy here locally. Julie did well on her first outing but she kept a very low profile during the General Election, so she is probably agreeable to let Jimmy try his hand.

Manus Brennan will probably stand again for the Labour Party but Keith Anderson is unlikely to stand. If Mary Harney offered Keith one of her senate seats he might change his mind.

The 2004 council elections will hardly be as exciting as last time and at this stage Peter Kennedy can feel very secure. There is much less backbiting of politicians at the moment; the ball has been at the feet of the Community Chamber for some time but it is taking quite a while to appoint a town manager.

What the town really requires is urban status with an elected urban council which could draw on resources that seem to be available to Bundoran and Letterkenny - developments such as Drumlonagher and Revlin could be better supported and facilitated and there would be an official body at hand with responsibility to provide and improve amenities and to fight for the necessary infrastructural funding. Maybe the main priority of the town manager should be to promote a move for Urban Status.