Heart Beat: My late mother used to say, "come here to me now 'til I ask you something".
In her place, please tell me that I am not the only person who thinks there is something surreal about our current existence in the country. Are we so habituated by ineptitude and baffled by spin that we cannot accept the evidence of our own eyes as to what is happening, or more often not happening, all around us?
Robert F Kennedy said that "about one-fifth of the people are against everything all the time".
I sometimes wonder if that could possibly include me. Maybe it is just that writing encourages me to voice my concerns and hopefully occasionally those of other people.
This train of thought was set in motion on my return from Kerry to Dublin. I wondered how it was possible that the "power" could dig up the road on the Kerry-Limerick border at such a busy time. I appreciate of course that roads must be improved and repaired, but surely near the end of the holiday season is not the best time.
Families with children, passengers making for flights from Shannon, commercial vehicles with schedules to meet were all disadvantaged.
Did all this have to be done then and was there no way these people could have been diverted?
Did anybody care?
It takes more than a traffic jam to ruffle me, but six hours later, when I finally completed my journey, I was thoroughly ruffled. I spent the rest of the journey travelling at or just below the legal speed limit. Accordingly, I was passed by a variety of vehicles, including prams, caravans, bicycles, tractors and buses.
Yes, there was some sort of checkpoint on the Nenagh bypass, where all slowed down temporarily and I saw a real live garda.
It was comforting to know that you can now be put off the roads for over-indulgence in wine gums or using a hand-held mobile phone. We've got laws all right - lots of them and they're growing by the session. Laws don't remedy anything however - enforcing them does.
Tacitus once wrote: "The more corrupt the Republic, the more numerous the laws." The laws are the easy bit of road safety. The hard bit is providing decent roads and lighting. That costs money. In fairness, this is provided, and is usually of high standard, but it tends to take time to be completed. This was illustrated by the transformation of the old Naas road. Years of delays, frustration and overspend were finally overcome. I am left with the suspicion that it only became urgent with the approach of the Ryder Cup. We couldn't let our soon-to-be ripped off visitors think that in this mightily successful country we had Third-World roads.
On reaching home after my epic journey, I discovered that these everlasting roadworks had arrived opposite my house. Just before I came away, the local politicians were telling us it was going to take longer than expected and when completed, you'd be able to eat your dinner off it.
In the meantime, there is nothing that can be done about it. Wrong there folks - we all have votes and memories. We might want to know why work does not extend all through daylight hours, and why there is no weekend working. This would not happen in any other country in the EU. Why should it happen here?
While I am on the subject, where was the public involvement when quality bus corridors (QBCs) were foisted on the people?
What democratic process decided that Mount Merrion Avenue, running from the old Mount Merrion House gates in a straight line to Blackrock and fringed with mature trees, should have QBCs for largely empty buses? The more so in that this act of cultural vandalism would involve the sacrifice of many of the trees.
In other parts of this city and throughout this country, similar problems arise. They almost all have one common denominator. The decisions are not made by the people and are almost never even discussed with them before the event.
Wake up folks: apathy and indifference have their price. Do we want to continue with overpriced houses in unfinished estates with no facilities? Do we not require schools, hospitals, roads, sporting facilities and basic amenities?
In 1829, the then British prime minister, Robert Peel, said: "There is no appetite for truth in Ireland." He was right, but he might have added that we have an endless capacity for self-delusion and so we get what we deserve.
Congratulations to Prof Brendan Drumm on his anniversary of accession to the HSE. I am glad he perceives things to be going well. Since I started with my mother, I will finish with her: "Come here to me now son. Self praise is no praise."
•Maurice Neligan is a cardiac surgeon.