Older and wiser provide lessons in clarity

DÁIL SKETCH:OUTSIDE THE Dáil a constant stream of TDs and Senators turned up to meet and be photographed with Older Bolder, the umbrella group for promoting positive ageing.

Tomorrow is International Day of Older Persons and those savvy people were using the opportunity to push the Government to implement a promise made by their predecessors. The new administration has shown a remarkable ability for such tasks.

But unlike demands from troikas, Older Bolder is asking the Government to develop a positive ageing strategy, which would include assisting older people to remain living at home.

Asked about the cost of such a plan, straight-talking Niamh Walker of Older Bolder pointed out that “planning isn’t costly. Implementing is costly.”

The lobby group wants the plan first, and has a list of 10 commitments that need to be in it to make Ireland a better place for people of all ages – things like effective transport, secure pensions and fairer healthcare.

It may prove costly but the group’s proposals are very clear.

Oh, for some of that same clarity in the Dáil, where the controversial topic of the sale of semi-State companies surfaced again. Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald could not have been clearer. The Government was intent on the “wholesale privatisation of State assets” and planning “fire sales”, she accused.

She asked: “Since when has the Labour Party been in the business of lining the pockets of private investors at the expense of taxpayers?”

Not only had the party “bent the knee” to the EU/IMF/ECB troika but, even worse, it had bent the knee to Fine Gael on privatisations – a road to Damascus conversion to privatisation, she claimed, to howls of protest, derision and counter-accusations.

The Tánaiste hit back. “Deputy McDonald should stop fantasising,” he said to cheers.

There was no wholesale privatisation, no fire sales. Instead, “it makes sense to take what I call a whole portfolio approach to the State companies”, he said.

Whole portfolio? Listen up. It is the “progressive approach that has been taken in a number of other countries.” Okay . . .

“The investment strategy, the corporate governance strategy, the obtaining of finance and the entire State shareholding in the State companies are looked at as one.” . . . Hmm . . .

“In all those areas there is a requirement for additional investment and potential for generation of employment.” . . . zzZZZZZZ.

But the Tánaiste and TD for Dún Laoghaire could be absolutely clear when dealing with his constituency colleague.

Richard Boyd Barrett accused the Tánaiste of planning “to connive with the troika in asset-stripping the country” and asked when the legislation would be before the Dáil, so “I can get busy organising the protests”.

The People Before Profit TD asked: “Since when did privatisation create jobs? Is this the new Labour Party line?”

“You’d be serving the people you represent better if instead of picking up a picket, you occasionally picked up a pen and made some constructive proposals,” Gilmore replied.

Clarity – they can do it when they want to.