FORMER MINISTER of state John McGuinness has criticised the possible delay in publication of the €15 billion four-year budgetary plan until after the Donegal South West byelection as “a little bit more” of the Government’s “business as usual” philosophy.
The Carlow-Kilkenny Fianna Fáil TD said the Government was “putting a byelection before the country” as it emerged that the unveiling of the cuts and taxes plan up to 2014 could be delayed until after the November 25th poll in the Donegal constituency.
Mr McGuinness was speaking before the launch yesterday in Kilkenny of his book The House Always Wins: Time to Turn the Tables.
Written with political consultant Naoise Nunn, the book is part memoir, part sharp critique of the political and administrative system and government leadership.
In the book, the former minister of state for enterprise repeats his oft-voiced criticism of Taoiseach Brian Cowen. “I just believe that we need a different direction in Fianna Fáil,” Mr McGuinness said. The Taoiseach “is interested in maintaining the current state of play, the status quo”.
The book is equally sharply critical of the public sector. “I had a go at the culture and management systems,” he acknowledged. “It’s not personal. It’s about the middle-to-senior management sector.
“There are good decent people all over the public sector but the system doesn’t allow” them to “transform the public sector.”
