Paralysis on policy decisions
The government this week deferred, yet again, decisions on the proposed second terminal at Dublin airport and the funding of Aer Lingus. Also this week, the European Court of Justice found Ireland in serious breach of waste directives. The Minister for the Environment, Dick Roche, acknowledged the State had been slow to implement environ-mental legislation. The revelations merely underline the state of paralysis there is within the government on a wide range of issues. An audit by Village on the key promises made by the government parties prior to the last election shows that at least 25 major promises have been broken or are now certain to be broken within the lifetime of the government (ie by May 2007). They range from hospital beds, Accident and Emergency, infrastructural commitments, education, housing, taxation, poverty and overseas development aid. But they also include commitments made on preventing corruption in politics, an issue of sensitivity for Fianna Fáil in the light of the revelations of the Flood (Mahon) and Moriarty tribunals established when it came into office in 1997. No review has taken place of the ethics legislation, as promised. The promised Proceeds of Corruption Act has not materialised. Far from ensuring financial contributions to political parties would not influence decision making, the possibility of precisely this happening has been enhanced by the new Fianna Fáil initiative to encourage donations from business people. Furthermore, contrary to an explicit commitment, the Freedom of Information Act has been undermined. The paralysis extends to the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform and An Garda Síochána, which have failed to meet their own commitments of nine months ago to respond, as a mater of urgency, to the recommendations of the Morris Tribunal report. By Hilary Curley and Vincent Browne
1. Hospital beds
Promise: Increase the number of hospital beds by 650 by the end of 2002.
BROKEN Not alone was the target not met by the end of 2002 but it still has not been met over two years later, as the number of additional beds is just 299.
2. Accident & Emergency
Promise: Improve Accident & Emergency services. BROKEN
An average of 291 patients were treated on trollies during the months of February, March and April 2005. The situation has worsened significantly since this promise was made in 2002. On 19 February 2002, 25 patients were treated on hospitals trolleys in Beaumont hospital A&E department. The most recent statistics taken on April 27, 2005 show that a total of 29 patients were treated on trolleys. In the Mater hospital on the same date in 2002, there were no beds available for 17 patients in the A&E department. The figure in April 2005 had risen to 31. Similarly, Naas Hospital in 2002 had to treat 15 patients on trollies. Three years later, the figure had risen to 25.
3. Hospital waiting lists
Promise: Permanently end hospital waiting lists by the end of 2004. BROKEN
Fianna Fáil promised in 2002 to "Permanently end waiting lists in our hospitals within two years through a combination of bed capacity, primary care, secondary care and targeted reform initiatives". The Progressive Democrats promised: "We will make the necessary reforms to guarantee that patients will receive their hospital treatment within three months of their out-patient appointment. This is a commitment in the health strategy 2001 to be met by 2004. In government the Progressive Democrats will ensure that this commitment is met".
They stopped giving information on hospital waiting lists at the end of 2004. By then 43 per cent of public patients were still waiting between six and 12 months for surgery (that is from the time the consultant recommends surgery to the actual operation – the promise was there would be no more than three months to wait).
4. Dublin airport:
Promise: Deal with capacity problem at airport by end of 2003 by building a new pier. BROKEN
Fianna Fáil promised Pier D, the Progressive Democrats promised "the development of new independent terminals at Dublin airport, funded entirely by the private sector". Nothing done. Worse than that – no decision.
5. Aer Lingus refinancing
Promise: Willie Walsh, former head of Aer Lingus, said there was a promise to source additional finances for the airline in 1999. BROKEN
Over six years, the Government has been unable to agree on whether to fund Aer Lingus from public finances or to privatise the airline. Paralysis.
6. Metro line to Dublin airport
Promise: Develop a metro line to Dublin airport by 2007. BROKEN
Fianna Fáil promised: "particular priority will be given to the development of an early (metro) link to Dublin airport". The metro project has been shelved. No prospect of a metro link before 2010.
7. Roads:
Promise: Implement the National Roads Programme by 2006. BROKEN
Fianna Fáil specifically promised delivery by 2006. The roads programme is now running seven years late and the cost of the programme, which was to be €5.6 billion will certainly be over €16.4 billion (according to the Comptroller and Auditor General) and, very likely, far higher.
8. School building
Promise: All schools will attain modern standards by 2007. BROKEN
Fianna Fáil said: "We will build on the unprecedented investment, which we have made in school buildings, to ensure that every school attains modern standards within the next five years". The Progressive Democrats said: "We will ensure that every primary school in the country reaches and is maintained at an acceptable explicit national standard, within three years (ie by the middle of 2005)".
There are 800 schools (both primary and post-primary) listed for construction and/or renovation. Only 50 have been completed to date according to the school building list published by the Department of Education.
9. Class sizes
Promise: Reduce class size for children under nine within five years. BROKEN
Fianna Fáil promised: "We will ensure that the average size of classes for children under nine will be below the international best-practice guideline of 20:1". The Programme for Government reiterated this.
According to the INTO not a single teacher has been committed to reducing main-stream class size, since this commitment was made. Although more teachers have been appointed, they have been deployed to the area of special needs or resource teachers. The average class size is 24 for primary schools, the second highest in the EU (pre-accession states).
10. Garda numbers:
Promise: Increase An Garda Síochána by 2000 extra Gardaí. BROKEN
Nothing at all was done to meet this commitment for over two years. Then in October 2004 the government agreed (having promised in May 2002) to increase the strength of the force from 12,309 to 14,000 (note 309 fewer than was promised) on a phased basis over the following three years. Additional recruitment commenced this February with the additional intake of over 125 recruits (there is a fresh intake four times a year). On the most favourable turnout, it will take seven years from February 2005 for the target of an additional 2,000 officers to be achieved. That is February 2012, five years after this government is expected to go out of office.
On the Garda web site it is stated unambiguously: "Basic training (to become a member of An Garda Siochana) is divided into five phases and lasts a total of three years". However a spokesperson for the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform insists that recruits become "fully-fledged" members of An Garda Siochana after two years, ie at a stage where they have yet to compete one third of the "basic training" (the press spokesperson was relying on a reply to what Michael McDowell said in answer to a Parliamentary Question). The significance of this is (aside from what it says about An Garda Siochana and the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform) is that they are able to maintain that targets will be a year before it actually happens.
11. Morris Tribunal
Promise: Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform promised "urgent" action on the recommendations on Garda reform of the Morris Tribunal. BROKEN
Michael McDowell promised on 5 August last "action must be taken to address the findings" of the Morris Tribunal report. This action, he said, must address not just the findings of specific wrongdoing "but must also address the systematic failings that permitted that individual wrongdoing to continue unchecked and to damage the Force".
He said he was glad to see the "immediate and determined" response of the Garda Commissioner, Noel Conroy, and of Garda senior management generally to address "each and every one of the issues that fall within their responsibility" and to devise proposals to remedy the identified problems "as a matter of urgency".
Nothing has happened, aside from the establishing of nine working groups with An Garda Siochana. None of the key recommendations have been implemented.
12. Housing
Promise: Expand the various social housing programmes to meet the housing needs of 15,000 houses per annum. BROKEN
Fianna Fáil promised: "Further expansion of the various social housing programmes, so that we reach a target of meeting the housing needs of 15,000 households per annum". The Progressive Democrats promised: "We will ensure that the overall social housing output for 2002-2007 will meet the needs of 100,000 households".
This objective is way off target. A total of 7,191 social and affordable housing units were provided in 2003 across all the various schemes and programmes. In 2002, 6,971 units. No breakdown is yet available for 2004.
13. Voluntary housing
Promise: To assist the voluntary housing sector to meet the target of 4,000 accommodation units per annum. BROKEN
In 2002 only 1,360 accommodation units were built by the voluntary sector. In 2003 the number was 1,617, and in the first nine months of 2004 there were just 906 units built.
14. Taxation
Promise: Ensure over the five years from mid-2002 that 80 per cent of all earners pay tax only at the standard rate. BROKEN
In 2005, 32 per cent of all earners are paying tax at the standard rate.
15. Poverty
Promise: To reduce "consistent poverty" to below 2 per cent. BROKEN
Fianna Fáil promised: "We will work to effectively eliminate poverty with a minimum target of reducing it to below 2 per cent". BROKEN
The most recent data from the EU Survey on Income and Living Conditions in Ireland reveals that in 2003, almost 10 per cent of the Irish population were living in "consistent poverty" in 2003 and no radical measures have been taken since then to reduce the level at all, let alone reach the government's own target of reducing it to a "minimum" of 2 per cent.
16. Social Welfare payments
Promise: Commitment to new benchmark level of €150 per week for social welfare payments. BROKEN
CORI has stated social welfare payments would have to rise by €37 over the next two budgets to reach this level. That is an increase of around one third and there is no prospect of that occurring.
17. Old age pensions
Promise: To increase the basic state pension to €200 by 2007. BROKEN
Fianna Fáil promised: "We will increase the basic state pension to at least €200 by 2007. To achieve this pensions would have to be increased by €34 in the next two budgets. Again, there is no prospect of this happening.
18. Overseas Development Aid
Promise: To increase overseas development aid (ODA) to the UN target of 0.7 per cent of GNP by 2007. BROKEN
The government has announced it is reneging on this promise, having canvassed and won support for Ireland's candidature for a place on the Security Council in 2002 on the basis of this commitment. There is now no target date for reaching the 0.7 per cent level.
19. Ethics in Public Office
Promise: To review ethics in public office measures and, where necessary, improve them. BROKEN
Fianna Fáil promised: "Within two years, Fianna Fáil will initiate a wide-ranging review of both the range of ethics measures passed in this last 28th Dail, as well as the Ethics in Public Office Act (1995). We will examine how well these measures are working in practice, at both national and local level, and, where it is necessary, improve on then".
This was a key commitment to deflect criticisms of Fianna Fáil arising from the revelations of the Flood and Moriarty Tribunals since the previous general election in 1997. No wide-ranging review has taken place. The only action taken in this area is an extension of codes to cover all office holders.
20. Proceeds of Corruption Act
Promise: To introduce a Proceeds of Corruption Act to further target white collar crime and corruption in both public and private sections. BROKEN
This has not been done. The Government maintains that measures which were to be considered under this Bill have been incorporated into the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Bill 1999 and amendments to this effect were published in 2004.
21. Corruption
Promise: To eliminate any potential financial influence on decision-making and to prevent corruption. BROKEN
He cap on donations to political parties has been increased and in April of this year, Fianna Fáil introduced a new 'Forum for Opportunity' fundraising scheme inviting business people to contribute €1,500 for the next three years. In return they would receive the opportunity to "network" with Ministers and decision makers within the party and contribute to policy making.
22. Access to Information
Promise: allow people access to publicly held information under the Freedom of Information Act. BROKEN
Fianna Fáil promised: to recognise the "central importance of the Freedom of Information Act in ensuring transparent and accountable public administration.
The Freedom of Information Act was amended to restrict access to State documents and charges were introduced for access, thereby further inhibiting public access to those documents.
23. Free-travel for pensioners throughout Ireland
Promise: to give pensioners free travel throughout the island of Ireland. BROKEN
The programme for government promised: "to put in place an All-Ireland Free Travel Scheme for pensioners resident in all parts of this island". This was also included in the Fianna Fáil manifesto.
Nothing done. We are informed it is "under review as part of north/south dialogue".
24. Protect the environment
Promise: to makes sure that discharges of untreated sewage from cities and towns will cease by 2003. BROKEN
Effluent from Tramore, North Dublin and Dun Laoghaire Rathdown in Dublin still flow into our seas untreated, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.