Irish Times Editorial on Decentralisation Re-writes history

[myk]

From today's Irish Times;

An unholy mess - The Irish Times - Wed, May 06, 2009

ONCE DESCRIBED by the Progressive Democrats in government as representing “gombeen politics”, Fianna Fáil’s enormously wasteful decentralisation programme has finally run out of money and been suspended.

...

The designation of 53 locations throughout the State for new public offices in 2003, which paid no attention to the government’s own spatial strategy, was designed to bolster Fianna Fáil’s support in the local elections of the following year.

...

But this exercise reflected much of what was wrong under the leadership of Bertie Ahern.

Yes, Decentralisation was a FF fiasco, but the Irish Times appear to be editing out all PD involvement, and portrays the PDs as objectors to the scheme. McCreevy was the PD choice as Finance Minister. Tom Parlon as junior minister in the Department of Finance at the time claimed much credit for the scheme. Remember the posters "Parlon Country" and "Parlon delivers jobs to Laois Offaly" which went up in the immediate aftermath of the announcement of decentralisation?

[turdsl]

Very true,Tom Parlon was the man the PDs put up to tell how good it would be for the country.It was a great day for this country the day the electorate terminated the PDs.

[Victor Meldrew]

Irrespective of the fact that McCreevy announced it, we will all remember the gombeen's gombeen, Tom Parlon, (ex PD and ex TD) when we think of decentralisation. Madam's airbrush won't change that.

It's good to hear about the €360K per civil servant though. We need every reminder possible about how the state was run for the chosen few in a manner that would make Mao and Mugabe blush....

[Schuhart]

Remember the posters "Parlon Country" and "Parlon delivers jobs to Laois Offaly" which went up in the immediate aftermath of the announcement of decentralisation?

I've a vague memory of reading an article by then PD TD Mae Sexton also lauding the decentralisation programme. I don't know how long the PD website is staying up, but she equally feature in this little gem

Sexton makes a strong case for Decentralisation in Longford / Roscommon

Progressive Democrats TD for Longford/ Roscommon Deputy Mae Sexton last night (May 14th) made a very strong case for the two counties in any forthcoming decisions on decentralisation. She was speaking during a private members motion on the issue in the Dáil.
“I know that every deputy in this House will be pushing hard for their own constituency. And I will certainly be making the case for Longford-Roscommon,” said Deputy Sexton.

A letter writer to the Examiner in 2006 noted

ON RTÉ radio recently, Justice Minister Michael McDowell admitted he’d had his arm twisted by PD deputy Mae Sexton to decentralise the Prison Service HQ to her constituency.

Coupled with the decentralisation antics of Tom Parlon, this is further proof that the PDs are just as capable of gombeen politics as their government allies, with whom many of their members obviously share a gene pool.

So, indeed, the Irish Times is once again showing itself to be inadequate as a source of information.

[mollox]

That Irish Times editorial looks like nothing more than an attempt to give a posthumous pardon to the Progressive Democrats. There is clearly no connection between Madam Editor’s formerly leading role in that party and her current role in the Irish Times!

The opening paragraph of the editorial in question:

ONCE DESCRIBED by the Progressive Democrats in government as representing “gombeen politics”, Fianna Fáil’s enormously wasteful decentralisation programme has finally run out of money and been suspended. At a rough estimate, it has cost a minimum of €360,000 for each of the 2,500 civil and public servants who have been relocated out of Dublin during the past six years. The cost is computed through the sale of €500 million in State property and an additional charge of €400 million for the acquisition of new sites and offices at scores of locations.

In reality, the PDs were fully supportive of that 2003 decentralisation programme and the term “gombeen politics” was most frequently applied to the actions and utterances of Tom Parlon TD; from the erection of “Welcome to Parlon country” signs in his constituency, on the very day on the announcement, to his ongoing performance as chief Govt cheerleader, as junior minister in charge of the OPW, for the decentralisation programme.

The Progressive Democrats were fully supportive of this blatant political scam back on budget day in 2003 when it was pulled, like a rabbit from a hat, by Finance Minister and PD-clone Charlie McCreevy. It was cheered to the rafters by all the occupants of the Govt benches, including the PDs.

That “back of envelope” Decentralisation scam utterly compromised the stated core principles of the PDs and may well have marked the beginning of the end for them.

[hopi watcher]

That Irish Times editorial looks like nothing more than an attempt to give a posthumous pardon to the Progressive Democrats. There is clearly no connection between Madam Editor’s formerly leading role in that party and her current role in the Irish Times!

The opening paragraph of the editorial in question:



In reality, the PDs were fully supportive of that 2003 decentralisation programme and the term “gombeen politics” was most frequently applied to the actions and utterances of Tom Parlon TD; from the erection of “Welcome to Parlon country” signs in his constituency, on the very day on the announcement, to his ongoing performance as chief Govt cheerleader, as junior minister in charge of the OPW, for the decentralisation programme.

The Progressive Democrats were fully supportive of this blatant political scam back on budget day in 2003 when it was pulled, like a rabbit from a hat, by Finance Minister and PD-clone Charlie McCreevy. It was cheered to the rafters by all the occupants of the Govt benches, including the PDs.

That “back of envelope” Decentralisation scam utterly compromised the stated core principles of the PDs and may well have marked the beginning of the end for them.

Agree. The problem we have now is that the authors of all the mistakes are still in positions of influence hence this attempt to lessen the disaster that this policy was, In the same edition we have McCreevy defending the low taxation levels on top end income, another polict that has significantly led to our current position off being up the creek without a paddle.