And Another Thing

It's frankly unbelievable that Fine Gael has turned inwards on itself at a time when it had Fianna Fáil on the ropes. Last week's opinion poll in the Irish Times did indeed make grim reading for Fine Gael. And there were legitimate question marks over the leadership role of Enda Kenny. But the poll also spelt disaster for Fianna Fáil, which was also facing the fallout from two hugely significant reports into the banking sector. However, the party failed to exploit Fianna Fáil's difficulties when the electorate was clearly signalling its frustration with the Government. The poll also clearly indicated that the electorate saw Labour as a more effective opposition to Fianna Fáil. That's not directly and solely attributable to Enda Kenny. Instead, it's a failing that could be laid at the feet of the entire Fine Gael party. Fine Gael failed to learn this clear lesson though. Instead of going for the jugular and taking the opportunity to establish itself as the leading Opposition party, Fine Gael decided to allow the Government off the hook. The political intrigue played out this week took the focus entirely from Taoiseach Brian Cowen, and the criticism of the previous Government in the two banking reports. Here was a real smoking gun for the Opposition, but rather than heaping on the pressure, Fine Gael took its eye off the ball. I'm not saying that the party should retain Enda Kenny as leader. That's an issue solely for Fine Gael members. But what I am saying is that if Fine Gael continues to act in this politically immature fashion, it won't matter who the leader is. The reality is that it simply wouldn't be trusted with power. Yesterday (Tuesday), we had the farcical situation where Enda Kenny was proposing a motion of no confidence in the Government at a time when his own party was plotting a similar move against himself. Whether Enda Kenny precipitated the crisis by attempting to force Richard Bruton to voice public support, or whether Bruton initiated the heave, is really irrelevant. In either case, the timing was horrendous. The issue with Fine Gael is not simply that its leader may not be palatable to the electorate. It is that the party itself has a credibility deficit. Let's be honest. Richard Bruton is no George Clooney. Yes, he is a decent, intelligent politician. But so were Alan Dukes and Michael Noonan, There is no guarantee that swapping the leader will resolve the problem with Fine Gael. The reality is that Fine Gael has yet to convince the electorate that it is a party fit for Government. That's the crux it faces. The electorate is equally, if not more so, antagonistic towards Fianna Fáil. That's why the recent opinion poll showed the electorate moving towards Labour. Athlone will remain health service's bridesmaid The saga over Athlone's health facilities seems to get more farcical by the day. Last week, local health services manger Joe Ruane came before the town council in order to update members on plans to close Loughloe House and to In some cases, Mr Ruane has been unfairly criticised for his role in the decision. At the end of the day, Mr Ruane is simply charged with implementing HSE and, by extension, Government policy. However, his revelation that there was now "no detailed plan" for Athlone health services, in the wake of the HSE's decision to pull the plug on plans to develop a €22m primary care campus at Clonbrusk, is deeply worrying. At a time when there are serious question marks over much of the country's health infrastructure, it's imperative that there is a plan for the future of Athlone's health services. In recent times, there has been huge protest marches in Mullingar and Ballinasloe, over perceived threats to the hospitals there, as well as a growing campaign in Roscommon. It's emerged last week that the HSE is already €100m over budget in the first three months of this year. We can expect more and more cutbacks in our health services - and Athlone will remain the bridesmaid, until the next time the economy turns around.