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Sli Nios Fearr aims to change our political landscape for the better says spokesperson, Martin Critten. Here he tells us what they are all about. He writes:
WHY DO ELECTED candidates look so happy when tossed in the air? Answer: the retirement package has arrived. Are we always destined to be gullible, knowing Enda Kenny is on €44,000 more than the French President, or is it we’re more than happy to stick with what we know – “perpetual sufferance” as historian Diarmaid Ferriter calls it.
Apparently, polls indicate we could be in for a repeat of the same shenanigans that brought us to our knees. What will cross your mind when casting your vote? Will you trust them, even if they profess to empower the people? Will we ever reach that Ronseal moment, knowing that what we voted for, will do “exactly what it said on the tin”.
We can be rightly annoyed into thinking initially that a new system is needed, but given the nature of our problems, vengeance and anger alone are never good building blocks to cultivate social policy, advance social protections, or indeed avoid the foreseeable dangers of transposing flawed mantras from other countries.
Because no matter what political systems we feel we should adopt, there is the recognition that the damage we are eager to redress, will always have been done beforehand. And by that token, we are always destined to work on the back heel, unless that is, we focus energy at the heart of our disillusionment.
Wouldn’t it be great, knowing that whoever said it’s “our way or Frankfurt’s way” wasn’t away with the pension, having done nothing to back-up that statement. Or, that “if you want real change” really meant just that. In essence, it’s right here where the disconnect with politics begins.
Words don’t mean anything; duty and obligation are no where on the radar. Pat Rabbit couldn’t have illustrated the quality of our demise better when saying: “sure isn’t that what you do during an election”. Seriously, there is no hope for any democratic tool when faced with that level of spell-binding.
Emails sent to Sli Nios Fearr say the same thing – accountability, transparency, political will, performance, duty, empathy, ability and that old chestnut ‘value for money’. What all this highlights is, we would have better control over our destiny if we actually enshrined these qualities into the pillars of our political world; a world contained of the people we elect – as opposed to an inanimate system. Someone eloquently said, Ireland has crashed its new car, so do you blame the car, or do you blame the feckless driver who was out to impress the passengers?
Our reforms, or indeed any reform, has to begin right here because what’s said, qualifies everyone’s expectations, establishes boundaries, and forms a relationship, especially with those we elect. Our recently published Citizen’s Charter, crystallises ‘The Seven Principles of Public Office’ which would bring an instant smile to Shane Ross TD, whose recent book ‘The Untouchables’ illustrates why this kind of platform is so essential.
Yes, we have the SIPO, (scant evidence for Europe of best practice) but this ethical footprint provides ‘lip service’ and falls short on two magic words – accountability and responsibility, especially where decision making is concerned.
True ‘principles’ are useless unless backed-up with adequate redress and it’s here we score the points. The redefining of roles and expectations for office holders, formalising electoral conduct, the provision of public appointments; are all aspects contained within the framework of this new Charter; as are the likely penalties which refer to pensions, fines and expulsions for both individuals and parties.
Indeed, to maintain any public credibility, Sli Nios Fearr, had to go in search of a platform which would escape Oireachtas influence and provide substantial oversight. To our surprise, we re-discovered an institution which largely existed as occupied territory, an apparent irrelevance, neutered in De Velera’s day, which is the Seanád.
By creating a directly elected (down sized) Second Chamber, we instantly regain our democratically chosen adjudicator, as we had pre-1936, charged with the oversight of Oireachtas miss-appropriation of duty and obligation. Self regulation by the Oireachtas and Taoiseach, has proven totally inadequate so far, so let’s allow the Second House do what it was originally designed for.
How many times have we heard “if only we had so and so running the country as a business, or a great mind like his to call on”. This would be the general office for such a forum to exist, one which would avoid the costly practice of retrospective referenda, yet maintain daily cognisance, offering a handbrake to stop the ‘car’ from rolling off the cliff.
The rudiments of this Citizen’s Charter remain steadfast, including the Seanád reform package contained within. The time has certainly come to re-establish ground rules that sponsor trust and confidence in the State instruments, because all this has been lost through culturally sponsored miss-conduct in pursuit of parish fame, greed and national notoriety; and as a consequence, public service has been irrevocably damaged.
It’s hoped that what’s lays ahead is the evolution of a society that matures beyond the simplicities of an Athen’s style democracy. As a Californian said “democracy in itself can be the tyranny of the majority”. And now it’s a land where liberties have been lost by referenda. So in viewing aspects of life in pure economic terms, we disengage from the people who make up those numbers. Same when using the democracy word, we disengage from protecting society’s minorities, as we think more of what matches our current opinions and beliefs, it’s a very blunt ‘mé féin’ platform.
In contrast, representative democracy endeavours to take a helicopter view of the world, the very essence of creating a broad holistic society. Whilst our ‘vehicle’ has been crashed in abusing its integrity, let’s remember when getting behind the wheel, in regaining balance, to make sure we take on board the right lessons. That is making sure ‘they’ do what’s said on the tin – first.
The Citizen’s Charter is available as a download from the main sli-nios-fearr.com website. To become part of the Si Nios Fearr panel or to become a party member you can email: martinc@sli-nios-fearr.com.
Libraries are wonderful places and we need to get our kids off their phones and into the library.
I don’t want staff less libraries.
Is is really such a big drain on resources to staff a library?
We are ripping the soul out of our communities in our pursuit of cost saving.
What hyperbole. How does the library staying open a little later without staff ripping the soul of of a community?
Tom’s referring to the pursuit of cost savings, of which staffless libraries are a ludicrous example. If Lenihan hadn’t guaranteed unsecured bonds, and FG upheld his anti-capitalist action (secured bond holders pay a premium) we might have had extended hours with actual Irish workers manning the libraries and paid for their work.
Tailgating? These library’s must be huge.
Big enough to teach you the plural of library
The drunkenness and the children left unsupervised highlight a big flaw in this crazy idea, Health & Safety.
Another big flaw is the countless community events and children learning sessions which will no longer be run.
Well done to the councillors that voted against this.
@Paolo:
How much of this kind of behaviour happens when they are staffed? A comparison would be useful
Why couldn’t communities organise events in libraries regardless? The only blame’s on the stupid parents who drop their child off to use a library after dark with no staff there, as I see it. Why wouldn’t they pay a babysitter to look after their child?
In Fingal, last month FF, FG & so called Independents aligned to both parties came together to vote down my emergency motion to end the scheme.
Oh so staffless libraries are a success? It would be cheaper to hire actual staff than to roll out this nonsense! And destroying my livelihood..
It’s the twenty first century. Time to leave things like libraries, quills and penny farthing bicycles behind.
Seeing as how a person can get a book for free in a library, they’ll always have a certain advantage even over a kindle. Putting them in the same bracket as quills and penny farthings is beyond stupid.
Librarys are without doubt a wonderful amenity. And they do seemto keep up with the times. My only issue is with staff wages. Head librarians are pulling 60k – 70k. The person running the local supermarket is on half that…..
I didn’t say anythimg about switching to Kindles, but there is nothing stopping free book-lending from being done electronically. Personally, paper libraries are useless to be as I am vision impaired, yet I am expected to pay for them throug my taxes.
Ironically, the people tasked with bringing literature into the 21st century have n9 imagination, and continue to tinker around the edges with gimmicks like self-service libraries. Meanwhile, people who don’t live near a library are crying out for broadband services that could benefit everybody.
There’s nothing wrong with my eye sight, but yet in all I have to pay for the “blind persons” tax credit and relief through my taxes.
Libraries are also information and advice centres and are one of the places where citizens can get access to further education, official forms and publications, remedial education, groups and clubs, local announcements, talks etc.
There is usually a librarian and library assistants. The librarian would be qualified at third level in social sciences.
Staffless libraries are book-swap facilities and I’d worry they would excuse councils for continually cutting hours. Libraries in Dublin used to open until 8 every weekday and 5 on Saturdays. That has been cut since the 80s and once cut it doesn’t revert.
My local library still does open until 8 pm, and on Saturdays. In Dublin. Not sure how valid your other points are now.
You’re right about the lack of decent broadband, but where else can people get large print books short of buying them? Libraries have a lot more to offer than books too. A friend of mine got great service there after an eye operation. They have enlargers now for books, large keyboards, online access for people without web access, and DVDs and magazines. I couldn’t subscribe to all the ones I read and am glad to keep up with developments.
@Neal, not Neil.: tell me what library stocks quills and penny farthing bicycles because I’d like to have a look at them. Our library just has books and computers – the computers especially are in great demand and provide a great service.
I’ve been a member of Walkinstown library for 45 years and can honestly say that the staff are the reason that its such a wonderful institution. They brought in a machine a while ago that you can use to take out and return books but I won’t use it. The knowledge that the staff have in recommending authors based on your reading pattern can’t be replaced by machines . Sometimes the old fashioned way just doesn’t need changing and surely with extended opening hours as normal in most areas you don’t need access to an empty library ( unless you’re dropping the kids for free baby sitting ffs)
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