This clearly demonstrates how far from reality your post is. Give Micky McDowell a call and tell him policiticians never get fired. Ask him to pass on the word to Tom Parlon. Get Tom Parlon to email Nora Owens with the news. They can all get together on a conference call and let Dick Spring know that he is still Tanaiste.
Just because you disagree with my post you do not need to be condescending about it.
Did I say that they never lose their seats ? No.
I said they never get fired for complete incompetence.
Has anybodys ass been kicked for PPARS, either at ministerial level or civil servant level ?
That project would have been axed at a much earlier stage if it was been undertaken within a private sector organisation. Also some people would have gotten their asses kicked or at least their career prospects would be seriously halted in limbo.
But in the public service nothing happens, sure the fuss will die down in a few months and it's only the taxpayers money anyway.
Did Michael McDowell lose his seat because he was inadequate as minister or was it becuase there was a feeling among the elctorate that his party were to blame for government problems or was it just to do with the fact that lots of people just do not like the guy?
Also Parlon suffered like other PD TDs, I don't think the people of Laois/Offlay sat down and thought he had done a bad job with the OPW?
Nora Owen had not been a minister for a number of years when she lost her seat. She was also victim to the move away from FG that resulted in lots of FG sitting TDs losing their seats.
BTW Dick Spring resigned from the Dail, he did not seek re-election, to best of my knowledge.
Thats not what the poster was saying. He was pointing out that politicians fail to get re-elcected due to local circumstances but who was the last minister of senior civil servant for that matter to get sacked for gross incompetence or wasting millions of Eur on a national level. Nursing home charges, electronic voting, PARS system are examples. Ministers should be accountable to the whole country and not just their local constituancy like a CEO is accountable to all its shareholders but thats not the way it works. Not unique to Ireland I know but there has to be more accountability at senior ministerial and civil service level if they are going to be paid the wages that they get
Thank you Sunny, at least you can follow my point without claiming I inhabit a parallel universe. Actually maybe I do inhabit a parallel universe where it would be considered normal for our politicans, and as Sunny pointed out civil servants, to get fired when their incompetence costs the shareholders (i.e. the taxpayers) millions of euros.
So Martin Cullen presides over numersous cock ups and he is just moved to another department.
Why?
The only reasons can be he either has some major influence over the taoiseach or else it is political expedient to have a minister in that area of the country.
I think it may be a combination of both.
It is interesting to look at the breakdown of TDs, ministers and their actual qualifications. How many TDs are teachers, solicitors, baristers, academics and public servants? These are not exactly the type of people you would usually find running successful busisnesses.
How many successful businessmen have actually entered the Dail?
One of the few I can think of is Albert Reynolds.
Of course somebody may come on here and name a few.
If politicans, especially ministers, and civil servants, expect to earn salaries equivalent to people in the private sector then they should be judged by the same yardstick and suffer the same consequences.
This leads us nicely onto the whole benchmarking ficasco.
