Pre-election promises on education, healthcare and the economy are a developing problem for the Coalition
THE LOCAL is expected to blend with the national in the coming months as further pre-election promises continue to surface, making life increasingly uncomfortable for the Government.
Commitments made during the general election campaign, and incapable of being met because of the tight budgetary situation, are expected to add to voter anger ahead of a hairshirt December budget.
Hospital facilities in a number of locations throughout the State, the increased cost of education, as well as the anticipated reduced incomes and higher outgoings following the budget, are among the agenda-setting issues when Government backbenchers do their leaflet drops and attend public meetings.
However, a rush by backbenchers to vote against the Government and lose the whip, as in the case of Fine Gael TD Denis Naughten last week, is unlikely in the short term.
One backbencher pointed out last night that Fianna Fáil’s Dr Jimmy Devins and Eamon Scanlon had resigned the party whip in the last Dáil in the row over cancer services in Sligo hospital. But they went on to lose their seats in the general election.
“We must persevere and hope that matters will improve in the long term,” said a backbencher.
“We have the political advantage of a huge majority.”
Government backbenchers agree that their big problem centres on one key election promise: to renegotiate the EU-IMF deal and “burn the bondholders” as some of the more outspoken canvassers pledged.
“That has not happened so far and people are getting increasingly frustrated,” said a backbencher.
“The perception among voters was that Fine Gael and Labour would renegotiate the deal, thereby freeing up more money for national and local projects.”
Another remarked on the difficulty in selling austerity to people who see billions being poured into the banks and nobody yet before the courts.
“People are contrasting that with the cutbacks in special needs assistants,” said a TD.
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan sent shock waves through the Government back benches earlier this month when he said the 2012 budget cutbacks could be about €4 billion rather than the €3.6 billion specified in the memorandum of understanding in the EU-IMF agreement.
Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore have pledged there will be no cuts in social welfare and increases in income tax in the budget.
Where the money will be found is exercising the minds of voters and TDs.
The anger evident in Roscommon is spreading, following the HSE’s identification of 10 hospitals where “significant risk issues” exist, necessitating changes.
These include hospitals in Navan, Portlaoise, Loughlinstown, Mallow, Bantry, Ennis, Nenagh, as well as St John’s Hospital, Limerick and Louth County Hospital.
Sinn Féin is organising a number of “hospital crisis solidarity protests” at various hospitals at 1pm today to highlight the consequence of a shortage of junior doctors.
Education cutbacks are also featuring prominently on the list of broken election promises.
The Government is planning to cut 150 routes to save €3.5 million on an annual bill of €180 million in the school transport service.
Minister of State for Education Ciarán Cannon refused to withdraw the proposals when confronted by angry parents from west Waterford, west Cork, south Kerry and Limerick, at a public meeting in Listowel, Co Kerry, last month.
Further protest meetings are planned elsewhere throughout the State beginning this week.
A core election promise in the education area – to reverse the €500 increase in the student contribution fee at third level – has been shelved because, according to Minister for Education Ruairí Quinn, Ireland has “lost control over our own cheque book”.
This will anger hard-pressed parents and their student offspring and is likely to lead to noisy student demonstrations outside Leinster House.
