The absence of three local outgoing TDs from the recording of ‘The People’s Debate’ programme in the Greville Arms Hotel, Mullingar on Monday night of this week, 1 February, has caused considerable controversy, with some of those attending claiming their absence was “an insult to constituents”.
“If viewers think this debate is one-sided, you’re right. People are not getting the Labour point-of-view and only one Fine Gael point-of-view because the two sitting Fine Gael TD’s and the one Labour TD in Longford/Westmeath chose not to be here. In addition, both those parties chose to not take up seats in the audience which we offered them. If the programme is not balanced, it’s their doing, not our doing,” said host Vincent Browne during the debate.
“We gave both Deputy Bannon and Deputy McFadden a range of dates that we would hold the debate but they consistently said they were unavailable. We can only assume they don’t want to face an audience of their own constituents,” said Vincent Browne, as the debate got under way. “Willie Penrose also seems allergic to facing an audience of his own constituents,” remarked Browne, resulting in rapturous applause from the audience.
Attending Monday’s debate were: Robert Troy TF (Finna Fáil), Cllr. Peter Burke (Fine Gael), Brian Fagan (Independent), Connie-Gerety Quinn (Fianna Fáil), Cllr. Paul Hogan (Sinn Féin), Donal Jackson (Independent), Jim Miller (Public Banking Alliance Group), Manchán Magan (Green Party), Cllr. Kevin ‘Boxer’ Moran (Independent), James Morgan (Independent), Dominic Parker (AAA) and Barbara Lynch (Independent).
Dominating the debate were social issue and issues on the health service, with the matter of the pension levy kicking-off the debate.
Representing the Retired Eircom Pensioners’ group, the chairman of the group, Seamus Browne, questioned the panel on what he claimed was the “robbing” of the fund by the current government.
“Minster Noonan levied the funds by 0.6% and then levied it again by 0.75%. In Eircom alone he has taken over 100 million. When the money was taken out of the fund, he said it was to create jobs. We’ve heard about the jobs created but not one mention of paying back the fund which was taken. If this fund isn’t paid back, it will fall on the pensioners.”
Deputy Troy responded to this saying that the issue of pension levies was an “attack on pensioners” providing an example of Cyprus’ economic woes. “This was a direct attack on our senior citizens by this government. We were all outraged at the situation in Cyprus when money was taken directly out of peoples saving accounts. This was the very same as what happened in Cyprus except it was people’s pension funds.”
PUBLIC SERVICE PENSIONS
On the matter of pensions to public servants, broadcaster Browne questioned Deputy Troy on the pensions of former minsters. “Is it right that the pensions of former Fianna Fáil minsters run into huge sums?”
The Spokesperson on Children for Fianna Fáil said that the pensions for all public servants needed to be addressed. “The pay and pensions and perks of all senior public servants need to be addressed. It’s easy to say it’s politicians, but the politicians as a percentage of all public servants is a very small percentage. It’s not right for any former minster belonging to any party to get a pension befere they are 65. Thankfully, the late Brian Lenihan changed legislation to ensure anyone retiring from pubic life won’t get a pension until they reach 65, which is only right. They only way to tackle the problem of high pensions is through a progressive taxation system.”
Candidate Jim Miller of the Public Banking Alliance Group also weighed in on the debate of public service pay.
“Unless structural problems are dealt with there will be no change. I cannot understand how anyone can earn ten times the salary of a nurse in the public service. Nobody is entitled to that,” he said.
Sinn Féin candidate, Paul Hogan added his words to the debate on pensions, while also highlighting issues of homelessness in Longford/Westmeath.
“We’ve heard about pensions being robbed. While all of this is going on, bankers and speculators, former Taoisigh and minsters are going off with pensions running into hundreds of thousands of euro. In Longford/Westmeath, we have 4,500 families on the housing list, 19.2% youth unemployment, chaos in our hospitals and what the government is trying to do is have a U.S. tax system and ignore public services, which just isn’t possible.”
HEALTH
On the issue of the health service, Cllr Peter Burke defended the government and spoke of the investments he said were made at Midlands Regional Hospital, Mullingar.
“Fianna Fáil tried to downgrade the hospital whereas Fine Gael has strong record with Mullingar Hospital and they have delivered.”
Responding to this, Deputy Troy accused the government of cutting funding resulting in over-crowded hospitals. “I’ll acknowledge that funding has been put into Mullingar, but our hospitals are clogged because people cannot stay in their homes any longer because home help have been slashed by this government.
‘The People’s Debate’ will be broadcast on TV3 this Wednesday evening, 3 February at 10pm.
Four more debates will take place before the general election at the party leader constituencies of Mayo, Dublin-West, Louth and Cork South Central.
