"TODAY HAS to be about straight talking," was Taoiseach Brian Cowen's advice to delegates at the party's National Councillors' Forum annual national conference at the weekend.
The 250 town, city and county councillors present duly obliged. As one said, "The Taoiseach got it in the neck. If they didn't know before, they know now." Local representatives were angry and vocal communication from headquarters just has not been good enough.
The Tullamore conference was a response to the increasing pressure facing councillors in recent times as they attempted, unsatisfactorily and to a large degree unhappily, to defend budget cuts to their constituents.
Laois-Offaly's Minister John Moloney was appointed to liaise with the councillors' forum, with a view to meeting its executive on a regular basis. He is to ensure the leader is informed of councillors' issues and concerns. This was promoted as "another conduit in the policy formulation process". Also at national headquarters a full-time, dedicated liaison person will be appointed to work with councillors.
While there was general support for what were seen as progressive steps, there was an air of disgruntlement from some, who felt it ironic that it had taken the party over 80 years to institute such a contact mechanism between the grassroots and the hierarchy.
Councillors said the mood changed from being "like a funeral" to being considerably more upbeat as one by one the Ministers for Local Government, Education, Agriculture, Transport and Enterprise addressed the meeting. A number said they felt more positive about meeting constituents and explaining the rationale behind budget cuts, particularly in education.
Despite the poor turnout - only about half of the party's local representatives attended - the Taoiseach remained upbeat about the success of the event. He did not accept that Fianna Fáil councillors had been virtually abandoning the party mantle as they faced constituents irate about education cuts.
". . . Fianna Fáil councillors are simply reflecting the concerns that are being expressed."