DRAPIER: Drapier was amused to see Robin Cook accept the award of "Politician's Politician of the Year" on British TV recently. Television awards programmes have become something of an embarrassment, though Drapier sees the case for "Worst Journalist of the Year Award".
Recently a Sunday newspaper columnist eulogised wealthy pop stars and businessmen and compared them to the politicians who, it was claimed, make little or no contribution to Irish life. When will such writers (journalist would be too flattering a term) wake up to the fact that politics itself is important? Do any of these self-appointed commentators realise how difficult it is to keep a political organisation alive between general elections? To have it at the ready for local, European and presidential elections as well as referenda?
The first Nice referendum was lost because political parties did not campaign. Political parties are made up of volunteers and most TDs, senators and councillors keep those volunteers active and involved from one end of the year to the other. These volunteers provide an invaluable public service.
Duties inside Leinster House have grown exponentially with the demanding work of joint committees, in particular. The biggest demand on a TD's time outside Leinster House is not clinics in the constituency but keeping the political organisation itself motivated and in gear. We must get away from the absurd and shallow measure of the successful politician as the one who has the smartest comment or the brightest smile.
It is time for more conviction, and the case for a more egalitarian society needs to be put up front. Of course we need to encourage enterprise and reward effort. How else will we create wealth? Having done that, how can we justify leaving so many people behind at a time of plenty?
It is practically impossible for persons on lower incomes to aspire to own a home; access to third-level education is not even on the agenda for whole swathes of Irish society. Poorly funded home-help services are being cut to pay bigger salaries to managers. Medical cards are available to the wealthy while poorer people die younger and are denied access to health services. Prison reform is not even discussed and yet again we are falling well short on our promised commitment to pay 0.7 per cent of GNP to the third world. Endemic racism and xenophobia in Irish society goes unchallenged and there is no pro-active policy to integrate the indigenous and immigrant communities. Suicide among young males is at epidemic levels. While keeping political organisations in gear is important, those organisations must make a difference.
For Enda Kenny, Pat Rabbitte and Trevor Sargent to make a real difference they should set about offering a centre-left alternative government, led by conviction and a will to create a fairer society. They will form the next government if they have the courage of conviction and are prepared to confront some of the dreadful injustices that permeate Irish society.
They should ignore know-all media columnists and spend more time convincing considered journalists and the public of their ability to provide better government. Drapier believes that if such a government took office and governed fairly for five years without fear or favour, they would stand a better than 50/50 chance of getting a second term.
Drapier is appalled at the handling of the issue of electronic voting in local, European and general elections. Electronic voting may well be a good thing but it must be accompanied by a verifiable audit trail.
Pat the Cope Gallagher made the best case for verification when he stated that he feared that an accompanying paper trail could give a different result!
That an unverifiable system could be introduced based on the will of a minister who convinces one or two colleagues is truly frightening. What if the system does not work? What if the system can be rigged? What if the system is faulty? We are talking about the election of a sovereign parliament and government.
This issue is of such fundamental importance that the collective opposition came together earlier this week in Fine Gael private members' time to highlight their concerns. There are issues of the first importance involved here and ministers who have been in office too long have become far too arrogant in trying to impose their individual and collective will on the Dáil.
While figures from various parties are regularly in and out of the tribunals, the main corruptors of Irish politics swan around the place. Provisional Sinn Féin have been promised a ransom of safe conduct and little or no examination if they simply stop kidnapping and murdering. Giving credence to an organisation which continues to have a secret and armed wing is a further symptom of what is wrong in Irish society.
Drapier is concerned, but not surprised, at the level of support for Sinn Féin in the recent Irish Times TNS/mrbi opinion poll. A public which accepts the injustices outlined above will accept almost anything. Still, there is a healthy majority which can be led towards real social justice.
There is hope for the future, however; the same opinion poll indicates that, despite the profile given to the Government by Ireland's EU presidency, the mainstream opposition parties are in a position to present the electorate with an alternative government at the next election when Fianna Fáil will have been in government for almost 18 of the previous 20 years.
Some awards are worth winning and Drapier congratulates Maurice Hayes on receiving the European of the Year award earlier this week. Many of his Seanad colleagues go unsung but do a really good job. Labhrás Ó Murchú and Eamon Scanlon of Fianna Fáil come to mind, as do Noel Coonan and James Bannon of Fine Gael. Labour's Brendan Ryan and Independent Mary Henry, along with Progressive Democrat John Dardis, are consistently impressive performers.
In the Dáil, Fine Gael's Pat Breen and Seymour Crawford, Fianna Fáil's Dermot Fitzpatrick, Máire Hoctor and Michael Finneran, as well as Labour's Jack Wall and Independent Mildred Fox, are all quiet, unassuming and steady contributors.
These are among the people who do the everyday work of politics and who often do not get the public recognition they deserve. They, and the voluntary organisations they lead, keep our democracy alive. With a little encouragement, and less abuse, they - and the other colleagues - could bring about a society we could be truly proud of.