Politicians: face reality and tell us the truth

I don't know about anyone else, but I am already tired of election coverage, especially when it is concentrated on the narrow range of discussion in which we have allowed ourselves to be corralled. The be-all and end-all seems to be who is going to be in power after the election. The fact that we are supporting a system whereby as soon as elected, our representatives will set about pretending that they can confer priveleges on their constituents so that they will be voted in again next time, is largely ignored.

I would love to see or hear a debate about the clientelism which the politicians use to give us the impression that they can ensure that we get services to which we are entititled anyway. It is not completely the fault of the politicians, because even those of us who don't entirely believe them use the system just in case. It is like not believing in God, but maintaining religious practice all the same just in case we will need the little bit of influence to get into heaven.

We have a vast number of public servants whose job it is to deliver the services we pay them to deliver whether it be in housing, health, education or whatever. It is the job of the TDs to ensure that the public servants deliver what they are supposed to, not to take the credit for doing it themselves. This system, apart from being comandeered as part of election campaigns, which it was never designed to be, allows public servants to become lazy and not deliver unless they are badgered. It sets people and TDs from different areas against each other, and even TDs in the same area who compete to appear the most effective. It also discriminates against those who are unable to mobilise their local representative, and the people who fit into this category are liable to be those who are already marginalised through ill-health, poverty or some other similar factor.

The sad thing for the voter is that politicians of all parties and none collude in this conspiracy to make us feel under a compliment to them for what we are paying for and are entitled in the first place (and in the case of healthcare, over half of us pay for it twice). It depresses me that in the 21st Century no politician is saying that maybe it is time that a real difference was made, and that we were presented with politicians who will face reality and tell us the truth.

I would like to see justice, healthcare and social welfare removed from party politics and to have cross-party agreement on the policy governing these issues. This would allow talented people form all parts of the house to have an influence and perhaps attract more able candidates who under the present system have no hope of making a difference unless they belong to the parties in power.

Teresa Graham
Waterford