The amount of spinning and counter-spinning thats going on regarding the proposed Waterford City and County amalgamation due to be announed next week is phenomenal. In fact those 'in favour' of it think I'm doing a fair amount of spinning - or scaremongering as they call it - myself.
I have only one thing to ask. After the amalgamation - which NOBODY asked for, and which NOBODY had in their programme for Government - will Waterford be the same as Galway?
Just keep asking that question: is it the same as Galway?
If not, then its not equal - whatever they may tell you. A curse on all their houses if they dishonour the oldest city in Ireland.
By the way, the reason I think there's so much spinning is because this proposal is fluid. They're making it up as they go along.
And incidentally, Galway which was a town council up to the eighties found that that structure was hindering their ability to deliver and they applied for and were granted city status. They now want us to go back to some makey-uppy structure akin to the level of an urban town council!
A Municipal Borough or whatever makey-uppy name they have on it. Interesting that that is almost the exact title of Kilkennys Borough Council..... If it's that good; apply it unilaterally - across all our Irish cities. Don't single Waterford out.
Don't mind me. Don't believe my 'spin'. Make up your own mind. Ask the question: IS IT THE SAME AS GALWAY.
If it's not a City Council; it's not a city.
Thursday, October 11, 2012
Friday, October 5, 2012
More on Waterford City/County Proposed amalgamation
To those who have read my previous pieces on this topic - apologies you will understand the issues and how I feel about them already. This is a status update I posted to Facebook this evening and I have been asked to publish it here for those who don't use Facebook.
STATUS UPDATE
Since the Munster Express headline yesterday my phone hasn't stopped hopping! Suffice to say that I don't think the merger issue is under the radar anymore. I try not to do politics here but there's been such an outcry I wanted to summarise...my thoughts. For those who want to read more there are 4 articles on my blog going back as far as August 2011. The address is http://www.cllrmaryroche.blogspot.com/
So. As succinctly as I can. Here's what I see as the main threats of amalgamation:
1. The loss of our history as Ireland's oldest city. We have had a dedicated City Council since the late 1100's. A dedicated stand alone city council focussed purely on the city and it's future. Founded in 914 - are we to lose our city status on the eve of our 1,100dth anniversary. But you either get the historic significance of this, or you don't. I do.
2. Regardless of whatever spin is put on it, without a dedicated stand alone city council we will not be the same as Galway, Cork or Dublin. Is there some policy at play that sees those three locations being the focus of future investment? Current IDA activity would appear to suggest it.
3. Without a dedicated city council would the entire southeast lose investment and focus? What would become of our gateway status? It is a struggle as things are. I cannot see how being relegated to some second tier type administration would be better for our city.
4. We would be taking on a County with a €7.9 million deficit meaning any future investment in the city from a future joint council would be severely curtailed.
5. I cannot see where any significant savings would come as there is a national project in shared services being undergone as we speak anyway. This means that things that can be done jointly, or regionally or nationally are already being put in place.
6. I do not understand why a very small number of authorities are being singled out. If this was about delivering better local government surely it would be done on a national basis with well thought out, strategic things that we want to aim for. Why this pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey approach?
7. My objection is not because I am afraid to lose my seat. If this is about saving money then cut the number of Councillors in both authorities. The city council has already cut our annual budget by €8million per year. I believe cutting numbers (of councillors) and the shared services will deliver actual savings whereas what is being proposed may actually end up costing money as it means the introduction of a whole new organisation. It also means a focus on shaping the organisation for a number of years, taking the focus off driving the city forward.
8. I also believe that local government needs reform. But that won't happen as our centralised parish pump TDs and Ministers will not give up any real authority as it might mean they would have to focus on national issues solely and that would cost them votes in their opinions. Most have no vision of a future Ireland anyway IMHO.
9. In any amalgamated authority the city would form a minority part of any new council as there are more people in the county. This would lead to a prioritisation of resources FROM the city TO the county as decided by a majority. So your household charge could end up fixing pathways down on the east Cork border - while we still have no say just 200 yards across the river from the clock tower.
10. Finally I have NO faith in Minister Hogan, nor do I think anyone at Cabinet level cares enough to stop him - despite the fact that I hear on the grapevine that the Taoiseach has told him to back off Galway City, the Gateway to the West. There is silence when it comes to someone defending the Gateway to the Southeast.
And finally finally, I quite simply do not believe that Dungarvan will be the new Headquarters of the Council because it is, in my mind, just too preposterous.
However. Let me say this. If the change that the Minister delivers does, in my opinion, make things better for WATERFORD CITY, I will acknowledge it.
BUT. If Waterford City is downgraded, disadvantaged, compromised or dishonoured in any way I will NEVER accept it and will fight with every weapon in my arsenal to undo that wrong.
Sorry. I know that's long and a rant. But this is very important. To me. And it should be to anyone who cares about our history, our status, or our future.
Thanks,
Mary x
STATUS UPDATE
Since the Munster Express headline yesterday my phone hasn't stopped hopping! Suffice to say that I don't think the merger issue is under the radar anymore. I try not to do politics here but there's been such an outcry I wanted to summarise...my thoughts. For those who want to read more there are 4 articles on my blog going back as far as August 2011. The address is http://www.cllrmaryroche.blogspot.com/
So. As succinctly as I can. Here's what I see as the main threats of amalgamation:
1. The loss of our history as Ireland's oldest city. We have had a dedicated City Council since the late 1100's. A dedicated stand alone city council focussed purely on the city and it's future. Founded in 914 - are we to lose our city status on the eve of our 1,100dth anniversary. But you either get the historic significance of this, or you don't. I do.
2. Regardless of whatever spin is put on it, without a dedicated stand alone city council we will not be the same as Galway, Cork or Dublin. Is there some policy at play that sees those three locations being the focus of future investment? Current IDA activity would appear to suggest it.
3. Without a dedicated city council would the entire southeast lose investment and focus? What would become of our gateway status? It is a struggle as things are. I cannot see how being relegated to some second tier type administration would be better for our city.
4. We would be taking on a County with a €7.9 million deficit meaning any future investment in the city from a future joint council would be severely curtailed.
5. I cannot see where any significant savings would come as there is a national project in shared services being undergone as we speak anyway. This means that things that can be done jointly, or regionally or nationally are already being put in place.
6. I do not understand why a very small number of authorities are being singled out. If this was about delivering better local government surely it would be done on a national basis with well thought out, strategic things that we want to aim for. Why this pin-the-tail-on-the-donkey approach?
7. My objection is not because I am afraid to lose my seat. If this is about saving money then cut the number of Councillors in both authorities. The city council has already cut our annual budget by €8million per year. I believe cutting numbers (of councillors) and the shared services will deliver actual savings whereas what is being proposed may actually end up costing money as it means the introduction of a whole new organisation. It also means a focus on shaping the organisation for a number of years, taking the focus off driving the city forward.
8. I also believe that local government needs reform. But that won't happen as our centralised parish pump TDs and Ministers will not give up any real authority as it might mean they would have to focus on national issues solely and that would cost them votes in their opinions. Most have no vision of a future Ireland anyway IMHO.
9. In any amalgamated authority the city would form a minority part of any new council as there are more people in the county. This would lead to a prioritisation of resources FROM the city TO the county as decided by a majority. So your household charge could end up fixing pathways down on the east Cork border - while we still have no say just 200 yards across the river from the clock tower.
10. Finally I have NO faith in Minister Hogan, nor do I think anyone at Cabinet level cares enough to stop him - despite the fact that I hear on the grapevine that the Taoiseach has told him to back off Galway City, the Gateway to the West. There is silence when it comes to someone defending the Gateway to the Southeast.
And finally finally, I quite simply do not believe that Dungarvan will be the new Headquarters of the Council because it is, in my mind, just too preposterous.
However. Let me say this. If the change that the Minister delivers does, in my opinion, make things better for WATERFORD CITY, I will acknowledge it.
BUT. If Waterford City is downgraded, disadvantaged, compromised or dishonoured in any way I will NEVER accept it and will fight with every weapon in my arsenal to undo that wrong.
Sorry. I know that's long and a rant. But this is very important. To me. And it should be to anyone who cares about our history, our status, or our future.
Thanks,
Mary x
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Proposing speech for Motion That Waterford City Council demands that Minister Phil Hogan desist from his proposal to abolish Waterford City Council as an independent entity.
The Minister for the Environment & Local Government Phil Hogan is currently considering the abolition of Waterford City Council as a stand alone entity. I oppose this move as it would strip the city of a dedicated administration. Anyone who has visited either the newly opened medieval Museum or the Bishop’s Palace can see that for 800 years the city council has worked to protect the rights and privileges of this ancient city and the citizens that live here and make it the place that it is today. Todays Council is the inheritor of that work and we continue to work to lead and develop our city. I for one am proud of our achievements so far.
We would not be here without the determination and energy of the great Viking merchant traders who founded this Waterford almost 1100 years ago . Are we on the eve of the 1100th anniversary of the founding of this city going to allow it to be relegated to a second class city when for centuries Waterford was Ireland’s second city and greatest port?
The Great Charter Roll in the Medieval Museum and the story it tells leave us in no doubt that protecting the rights of this city has been a continuous struggle and that for over five hundred years this city council went to great lengths to defend its rights and its trade and commerce from outside interference.
Is this council going to go down in history as the Council that after 800 years of governing and protecting Waterford allowed the destruction of one of the most ancient and noble centres of local government in Europe? We are a city that is older than Oslo, Stockholm, Helsinki, Moscow, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, or Brussels! We need to stand together and stand up for Waterford city and perhaps we will be treated with the dignity and respect that we and the people of this ancient metropolis deserve. We are the elected representatives of the people of Waterford if we don’t defend the city, who will?
Are the people of this ancient City to be given a chance to vote on this proposal? Where is the democracy in this decision? I demand that at the very least the Minister conduct a plebiscite on this most important issue and I call on the leaders of Waterford City to follow the example of over 800 past Mayors and Councils to defend our City. Perhaps the European Union, with its principle of subsidiarity might even insist that we look again at any dilution of democracy in Ireland – already the most centralised country in the western world, if the Government refuses to listen.
We admire the traditions of our European neighbours yet Minister Hogan seems to be singlehandedly trying to destroy over 1,000 years of tradition in Irelands oldest City. Who will speak against him? Who will stand up for Waterford? Who will defend our City and ensure that it can grow and thrive into the future?
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
Why Are We So Full of Road Rage?
Is there something in the water? Or the air? Has the rain and cloud caused us psychological resentment that we need to vent on others? What is it about being behind the wheel of a car that makes some motorists (I include myself in this generalisation) behave in a much more aggressive manner than they would do in face to face meetings with other people???
In recent weeks I have really been watching people in cars. We think we own the world! We drive too close to cyclists; we don't give pedestrians priority - even when they're out in pouring rain; we bully drivers who make the slightest mistake; we are aggressive!
Personally I have started to try and modify my driver behaviour, to be more conciliatory. More human. I have tried to stop yelling at motorists who don't indicate on roundabouts....perhaps they're lost. I have tried to be more aware of other types of road-users, they're entitled to use the space too. I have tried to become more polite...to allow pedestrians to cross, to not take a motoring fauxpas as a personal slight. Not to assume other drivers are pulling out in front of me deliberately, or going too slow just to annoy me or breaking red lights just because they feel superior. In a word to be more patient.
It isn't easy. There are a lot of bad drivers out there. A lot of inconsiderate drivers. A lot of stupid drivers. A lot of downright dangerous and aggressive drivers. But everyone who makes a mistake doesn't fall in to that category.
Perhaps they are a person who has just had bad news? Perhaps they were up all night with a sick child? Maybe they don't know where their next mortgage payment is coming from? I try to reach out for the people behind the wheel rather than just the anonymous driver.
I've made mistakes myself, distracted maybe by whinging children or worried about some problem or other. Sometimes I've been plain wrong - although I am a very aware driver and try to take utmost care. But I'm human. Who isn't? I don't deserve the kind of vitriol that as drivers, we have become accustomed to doling out to other drivers who we think have slighted us. We need to pull back and become a bit more understanding and less precious. After all none of us is perfect. And other drivers (mostly) aren't just out to abuse the rules and or us!
A bit like in real life, we can't make judgements on people until we've walked in their shoes. (Or driven lol.) We need to pull back from a coarsening in our society indicated by our perceived absolute superiority complexes when we're behind the wheel.
Chill out people. We behave when in cars in a way that we would never behave when we meet people face to face. We're polite and accommodating. A little more of that from us drivers wouldn't go astray!
In recent weeks I have really been watching people in cars. We think we own the world! We drive too close to cyclists; we don't give pedestrians priority - even when they're out in pouring rain; we bully drivers who make the slightest mistake; we are aggressive!
Personally I have started to try and modify my driver behaviour, to be more conciliatory. More human. I have tried to stop yelling at motorists who don't indicate on roundabouts....perhaps they're lost. I have tried to be more aware of other types of road-users, they're entitled to use the space too. I have tried to become more polite...to allow pedestrians to cross, to not take a motoring fauxpas as a personal slight. Not to assume other drivers are pulling out in front of me deliberately, or going too slow just to annoy me or breaking red lights just because they feel superior. In a word to be more patient.
It isn't easy. There are a lot of bad drivers out there. A lot of inconsiderate drivers. A lot of stupid drivers. A lot of downright dangerous and aggressive drivers. But everyone who makes a mistake doesn't fall in to that category.
Perhaps they are a person who has just had bad news? Perhaps they were up all night with a sick child? Maybe they don't know where their next mortgage payment is coming from? I try to reach out for the people behind the wheel rather than just the anonymous driver.
I've made mistakes myself, distracted maybe by whinging children or worried about some problem or other. Sometimes I've been plain wrong - although I am a very aware driver and try to take utmost care. But I'm human. Who isn't? I don't deserve the kind of vitriol that as drivers, we have become accustomed to doling out to other drivers who we think have slighted us. We need to pull back and become a bit more understanding and less precious. After all none of us is perfect. And other drivers (mostly) aren't just out to abuse the rules and or us!
A bit like in real life, we can't make judgements on people until we've walked in their shoes. (Or driven lol.) We need to pull back from a coarsening in our society indicated by our perceived absolute superiority complexes when we're behind the wheel.
Chill out people. We behave when in cars in a way that we would never behave when we meet people face to face. We're polite and accommodating. A little more of that from us drivers wouldn't go astray!
Saturday, March 24, 2012
Second Submission Document in relation to Amalgamation Consultation Committee
Second Submission Document on behalf of the
Members of Waterford City Council.
For the attention of Waterford City Council & Waterford County Council
Amalgamation Consultation Committee.
We would like to thank the Chairman and members of the Committee for affording us the opportunity to address them a second time and indeed for allowing us to make a further written submission. Essentially we have no desire to go over the ground covered in our first combined submission. However as more information has come to light in the interim which deals specifically with costs & savings we would ask the committee to give serious consideration to the points below:
The following can be said with certainty
· At face value there would appear to be €1.8 Million per annum possible additional saving for the amalgamation option but this will be neutered by the shared services initiatives at National level, by political and staff vested interests and by the sheer length of time taken to achieve the change with the instruments available. The truth is, nothing is ever achieved in a ten year timeframe, particularly in the political and public domain, as the world will simply have moved on and the environment driving the proposal will have changed so much that the project will never be completed.
· It is simply implausible for the Committee to say with any certainty that there will be additional savings of more than €1 Million per annum for the amalgamation option over the shared services option and that these savings will be achieved without significant cost and in anything less than a six or seven year period.
· The Committee has no certain knowledge that there will be betterment of service consequent on either option and there is almost certainly likely to be a worsening in service and capacity in the combined organisation.
· It is certain that there will be reduced democratic representation and consequent reduction of real subsidiarity.
· There will certainly be resource drift from the gateway consequent on the demographic and electoral profile.
· There are certainly reputational and status implications for the City.
· There are potential gains from a merger that are unmeasurable but there are also potential risks that are unmeasurable but far greater. These are primarily consequent on the mission difference - particularly in the social area. This risk can be quantified by comparison to Limerick where the regeneration, social, policing and future health bill is in the order of €1.5 – 2 Billion.
· Is the possibility of taking on a €1-2 Billion future cost anyway viable for a saving of €1 Million per annum.
What logic is there to taking this risk when a viable alternative exists?
What is the viable alternative?
Undertake the Shared Services piece of work in the first six or seven years. This will yield the majority of savings in this period anyway - at a lesser cost. Review the operation after six years with a view to possible implementation in 2018 – if it is the right thing to do at this stage.
If the cost of the democratic representation consequent on two Councils in the interim is considered too great – reduce the numbers across both Councils for the 2013 to 2018 period.
What are the advantages of this alternative?
It yields certainty and manages risk better.
It achieves the majority of the savings that are immediately available anyway.
It allows the mix at national level to settle down and national efficiency initiatives and other proposals such as continuation or otherwise of the Croke Park Agreement to be resolved.
It makes the amalgamation far more deliverable post 2018.
Members of Waterford City Council.
For the attention of Waterford City Council & Waterford County Council
Amalgamation Consultation Committee.
We would like to thank the Chairman and members of the Committee for affording us the opportunity to address them a second time and indeed for allowing us to make a further written submission. Essentially we have no desire to go over the ground covered in our first combined submission. However as more information has come to light in the interim which deals specifically with costs & savings we would ask the committee to give serious consideration to the points below:
The following can be said with certainty
· At face value there would appear to be €1.8 Million per annum possible additional saving for the amalgamation option but this will be neutered by the shared services initiatives at National level, by political and staff vested interests and by the sheer length of time taken to achieve the change with the instruments available. The truth is, nothing is ever achieved in a ten year timeframe, particularly in the political and public domain, as the world will simply have moved on and the environment driving the proposal will have changed so much that the project will never be completed.
· It is simply implausible for the Committee to say with any certainty that there will be additional savings of more than €1 Million per annum for the amalgamation option over the shared services option and that these savings will be achieved without significant cost and in anything less than a six or seven year period.
· The Committee has no certain knowledge that there will be betterment of service consequent on either option and there is almost certainly likely to be a worsening in service and capacity in the combined organisation.
· It is certain that there will be reduced democratic representation and consequent reduction of real subsidiarity.
· There will certainly be resource drift from the gateway consequent on the demographic and electoral profile.
· There are certainly reputational and status implications for the City.
· There are potential gains from a merger that are unmeasurable but there are also potential risks that are unmeasurable but far greater. These are primarily consequent on the mission difference - particularly in the social area. This risk can be quantified by comparison to Limerick where the regeneration, social, policing and future health bill is in the order of €1.5 – 2 Billion.
· Is the possibility of taking on a €1-2 Billion future cost anyway viable for a saving of €1 Million per annum.
What logic is there to taking this risk when a viable alternative exists?
What is the viable alternative?
Undertake the Shared Services piece of work in the first six or seven years. This will yield the majority of savings in this period anyway - at a lesser cost. Review the operation after six years with a view to possible implementation in 2018 – if it is the right thing to do at this stage.
If the cost of the democratic representation consequent on two Councils in the interim is considered too great – reduce the numbers across both Councils for the 2013 to 2018 period.
What are the advantages of this alternative?
It yields certainty and manages risk better.
It achieves the majority of the savings that are immediately available anyway.
It allows the mix at national level to settle down and national efficiency initiatives and other proposals such as continuation or otherwise of the Croke Park Agreement to be resolved.
It makes the amalgamation far more deliverable post 2018.
(photo shows restored section of Waterford City Great Charter)
Tuesday, February 7, 2012
Mullane. Corbett. Time To Pay The Players?
Okay, so it's not my area of expertise - but I know a tremendous sportsman when I see one. And John Mullane is just such a sportsman. In the last 24 hours John, along with Tipperarys' infamous Lar Corbett have both announced retirements (of varying degrees - we hope John will be back in time) from Inter-County hurling causing shock and dismay across their respective Counties.Listening - as I do - to a lot of commentary, it is obvious that the level of commitment required from amateur players in these days is, to be honest, excessive. They seem to train almost as much as professionals; their fitness and conditioning regimes are similar to professionals and their commitment and passion are in most cases from what I can see, superior to professionals. And that's all before they do their so-called 'real' days work!
What I can't understand (especially in these days of so much unemployment) is why the GAA refuse to even consider paying players or allowing them some kind of representational payment which might go some way towards allowing them to ease up on the requirement for a day job.
Why can't young boys grow up and dream of being a professional hurler - the same way they can aspire to be a professional rugby or football player? Surely with a little imagination it could be organised that Inter-County teams would have at least semi-professional players? That is in fact what they are - in every aspect, except pay.
We are expecting too much from our hurlers to expect them to give us the level of commitment now required at that level - and to hold down a full time job. Mullane and Corbett prove the case. We need guys like them on the field, playing for their Counties and for our entertainment. Not pulled in so many directions that they quite simply have to drop out - even if it's just for season!
I have to say, it's a no-brainer to me - and it creates jobs into the bargain. I'd call that a WIN:WIN.
But sure what do I know? (I hear you jeer....) I know we've lost two great servants to the sport - and I think that could be avoided. End of. (Other than that, I know nothing - I admit it!)
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Dangerous Enough To Cause Death: Have I Got Your Attention Now?
I normally try to steer away from medical issues - local Councillors after all were taken out of the governance of hospitals and I feel I ought to concentrate my efforts on areas over which I have (or try to have) some role or influence. But I'm about to break that rule. Why? Because people seem to be dangerously unaware of what is going on out in Waterford Regional Hospital (WRH). And what is happening out in WRH is, quite frankly, dangerous.
Dangerous is a much abused word these days. But for the purposes of this article I mean 'dangerous' in a pretty conventional sense: dangerous to health and indeed life. The health and lives of our loved ones and ourselves. Dangerous enough to cause death. Have I got your attention now?
Like other politicians I have gained access to some data about WRH which I have read with increasing concern. When you read quotes from senior, respected medical personnel which state that 'Patients in the Southeast have a real and appreciable risk of being blinded...' - it pretty much makes you sit up and take notice! People will go blind in the Southeast? And then I read about the withdrawal of vital drug therapy for serious asthma patients and then onto the really startling quote that 'mortality and morbidity in our catchment population will increase....' Now they have got my attention. And despite the fact that I have no formal role in the health system I find I have to raise my voice.
People will be blinded and die in the Southeast as a result of the cuts now being forced on WRH. That's the stark, simple message. (And yes folks, it's 2012 - in the first world in case you are asking yourself the same question I asked myself!)
Here are some interesting figures.
Waterford Regional Hospital has a budget of €145 million.
Cork University Hospital has a budget of €277 million.
St. Vincent's University Hospital has a budget of €215 million.
Midwestern Regional Hospital has a budget of €145m and
University College Hospital Galway has a budget of €259m.
No big issues there? No? Well perhaps if you look at the next set of figures you might think a little differently:
Between Inpatient Discharges, Outpatient attendances and Emergency Department Presentations the hospitals treated the following numbers of patients in 2009:
Waterford Regional Hospital treated 212,521 people. (Budget €145m)
Cork University Hospital treated 220,346 people. (Budget 277m)
St. Vincent's University Hospital treated 184,520 people. (Budget 215m)
Midwestern Regional Hospital treated 210,946 people. (Budget €145m) and
University College Hospital Galway treated 291,089 people. (Budget €259m)
Pretty startling stuff. And there's more:
Waterford has 1,761 WTE (Whole Time Equivalent) Staff, while CUH has 3,329, St. Vincent's has 2,462, the Midwestern has 1,906 and Galway has 3,188!!!
The discrepancies are stark. And there's even more with
+ huge differences in Intensive Care/High Dependency Beds numbers;
+ ridiculous comparisons in Cardiology provision versus procedures;
+ numbers of Cardiologists - two in WRH performing 2,452 procedures versus 6 in St. Vincent's performing 1,740 procedures (I mean, hello???);
+ no 24/7 Interventional Cardiology (don't have a heart attack or stroke out of hours if you don't mind), and many other unfavourable comparisons.
I don't want to go into figures ad infinitum as it becomes confusing. But suffice to say that WRH is funded very poorly in comparison with most other hospitals - on almost any measure you care to take.
This situation has now become critical. I would like to pose a number of questions which I would like to see the HSE (and the Minister for Health) answer.
These include:
1. Why is WRH so chronically underfunded - and how can this be justified?
2. Why can the obvious efficiencies which have been effected at WRH not be rolled out across other hospitals?
3. Why are WRH being punished for performing so spectacularly well?
4. Can continued patient care across all specialities to International Best practice standards be guaranteed?
5. What specialities have been or will be reduced and/or eliminated as a result of further budget cuts?
6. What happens patients who have a heart attack or stroke out of hours?
7. What happens to patients who need Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillators?
8. What drug treatments are to be or already have been discontinued or withdrawn?
And there are millions more questions culminating I guess in the bigger questions of how many people will suffer more, will wait longer for treatment? But I digress. We are suffering from nothing short of medical apartheid in this Region!
While the budget cuts are not the fault of the HSE, their implementation and management is. And asking WRH to implement more cuts this year is equivalent to asking an anorexic to go on a diet!
And here's a few more questions that lead directly to the door of the HSE South management in Cork....
Why has the Southeast Region been split into two ISA's (Integrated Service Areas) of WATERFORD/WEXFORD and KILKENNY/TIPPERARY, thereby duplicating governance and clinical structures aswell as doubling administration? Do they realise that a billion euro motorway has been constructed which now means that Kilkenny is 30 minutes from Waterford? Thirty minutes!
What politics is afoot amongst the medical community that means that resources and medical provision is downgraded across the entire region at the expense of having multi-hospital provision. So, for example, instead of having one unit in the Regional Hospital, accessible from across the region, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for victims of heart attacks - we have 9 to 5, Monday to Friday provision in several locations? Surely this is an example of a lack of clinical leadership at best - and downright idiocy at worst? It means that the entire region suffers! What's the old question 'cui bono'? Who benefits? I'd sure like to know - because it certainly isn't the patients in Wexford or Kilkenny or Tipperary or Waterford.
With the upcoming appointment of a new Clinical Director, will the new person be appointed for the Region or will the artificial split be maintained?
Why has no-one in the HSE South the 'kahunas' to Manage the Southeast as a coherent region with proper provision in the Regional Hospital to service the medical needs of the region 24/7? And I'm not even getting in to the whole Capital investment debacle.
So, if I could just have those questions answered, that'd be great.
Oh and the big question too of course: HOW MANY PEOPLE WILL DIE?
Having had a little experience of the HSE during my year as Mayor I don't have high hopes that these questions will be answered, or God forbid, addressed. But somebody, somewhere higher up the food chain might, just might, start asking them too.
Isn't this a great little country all the same, where we have pledged to pay €3 billion a year, every year for God knows how long, to save...wait for it...no not peoples lives - to save the banks?????
I'm sorry but there is something almost biblically wrong with that. Something rotten at the core of a system that prioritises banks and money over people and life itself.
And I'm saying now: not in my name. That is all.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Out with 2011. In with 2012
As we head out of an old year and into a new one many people (me inlcuded) have a little more time on their hands and I suppose time inevitably leads to reflection - particularly at this time of year.
And I suppose its fair to say that 2011 has been a seminal year for me - and indeed for the country.
Personally, the first six months saw the second half of my Mayoralty of Waterford City; my home City and a City which I love and am immensely proud of. It was a great privilege to serve in that role for a year and an experience which I will treasure and be grateful for, for the entire length of my life. Forever!
On the home front, we welcomed our first grandchild, little Mia - an angel and treasure; daughter to our eldest Ailish - who has done and continues to do a smashing job as a young mother. She is dedicated, loving and capable and I hope that I can give her as much help and support in that role as she generously and uncomplainingly gave to me when I was working as Mayor.
Our own youngest, Carein started school in September and is happily settled in with her big brother in Newtown Junior School where they both have a happy, open, multi-cultural experience in the Quaker run school.
My parents continue thankfully to be well - although we still miss greatly Liams' parents Michael and Irene, both taken suddenly from us in the last five years.
I have lost some of my love-affair with Facebook - although that has largely been replaced by my new obsession with Twitter! (You can follow me @maryroche lol).
Through friends I have learned that people are there for you when you need them - and if you let them and that you cannot take life for granted. It is fleeting and precious and you ought not sit around waiting for it to happen to you but go out and shape it into your own signature life. It is all any of us have so try to live in the now. Try to appreciate what you have and not to worry about the future if you can help it. Things have a way of working out - and if they don't, sadly, worrying about it changes nothing.
I am grateful for all the good things in my life and although I'm not too good at the silence (lol) I try to keep the lovely Desiderata in mind:
Go placidly amidst the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love; f
or in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy
If we can do that, we can survive whatever 2012 has to throw at us. I wish you
all a healthy and a peaceful 2012. Be happy :)
Mary x
And I suppose its fair to say that 2011 has been a seminal year for me - and indeed for the country.
Personally, the first six months saw the second half of my Mayoralty of Waterford City; my home City and a City which I love and am immensely proud of. It was a great privilege to serve in that role for a year and an experience which I will treasure and be grateful for, for the entire length of my life. Forever!
On the home front, we welcomed our first grandchild, little Mia - an angel and treasure; daughter to our eldest Ailish - who has done and continues to do a smashing job as a young mother. She is dedicated, loving and capable and I hope that I can give her as much help and support in that role as she generously and uncomplainingly gave to me when I was working as Mayor.
Our own youngest, Carein started school in September and is happily settled in with her big brother in Newtown Junior School where they both have a happy, open, multi-cultural experience in the Quaker run school.
My parents continue thankfully to be well - although we still miss greatly Liams' parents Michael and Irene, both taken suddenly from us in the last five years.
I have lost some of my love-affair with Facebook - although that has largely been replaced by my new obsession with Twitter! (You can follow me @maryroche lol).
Through friends I have learned that people are there for you when you need them - and if you let them and that you cannot take life for granted. It is fleeting and precious and you ought not sit around waiting for it to happen to you but go out and shape it into your own signature life. It is all any of us have so try to live in the now. Try to appreciate what you have and not to worry about the future if you can help it. Things have a way of working out - and if they don't, sadly, worrying about it changes nothing.
I am grateful for all the good things in my life and although I'm not too good at the silence (lol) I try to keep the lovely Desiderata in mind:
Go placidly amidst the noise and haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others,
even the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons, they are vexations to the spirit.
If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain or bitter;
for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself.
Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans.
Keep interested in your own career, however humble;
it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time.
Exercise caution in your business affairs; for the world is full of trickery.
But let this not blind you to what virtue there is;
many persons strive for high ideals; and everywhere life is full of heroism.
Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection.
Neither be cynical about love; f
or in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is as perennial as the grass.
Take kindly the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune.
But do not distress yourself with dark imaginings.
Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness.
Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself.
You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars;
you have a right to be here.
And whether or not it is clear to you,
no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should.
Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be,
and whatever your labors and aspirations,
in the noisy confusion of life keep peace with your soul.
With all its sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
Be cheerful.
Strive to be happy
If we can do that, we can survive whatever 2012 has to throw at us. I wish you
all a healthy and a peaceful 2012. Be happy :)
Mary x
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Submission to Local Government Committee concerning the Amalgamation of Waterford City Council & Waterford County Council
For the attention of the Waterford Local Government Committee
From: Councillor Mary Roche, Waterford City Council
(Representing the Independent Grouping, including Cllrs. David Daniels & Laurence Cha O’Neill.)
Date: 1st December 2011
To whom it may concern:
I refer to the call for submissions from interested parties concerning your commissions role of making a recommendation to Minister Phil Hogan on whether Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council should be unified and set out my objections to said unification. I have tried insofar as possible to stick to the questions raised for your examination under the Terms of Reference.
My submission, while stand-alone, can be read as part of a larger submission which is being made in separate parts by several members of the City Council. The larger submission covers the areas of History & Heritage; Drain on Resources, Finance, Organisation and the Status of the City as a Regional Driver – the latter being my focus.
We have looked at the areas including
• The potential outcomes to be achieved, including likely benefits and costs.
• The actions and arrangements that should be implemented in order to maximise savings, efficiency and effectiveness and achieve desired outcomes generally with regard to key elements of local government.
• Key issues that are considered likely to arise in the implementation of revised arrangements and how these should be addressed.
And we have come to the conclusion that the merger would not deliver substantial savings to the exchequer but could indeed do great damage to the City and its ability to deliver on our focus of renewal and economic development for our citizens.
Context
If this is merely – as is alleged – a cost saving exercise (we ‘being where we are’ etc.) then by all means save costs. Offer a voluntary redundancy package for staff and cull the number of Councillors if need be. Eliminating Town Councils might tick that box. But please do not break what isn’t broken by ending Waterford as a City, or hindering the City’s ability to deliver to our ‘customers’ through a diversion of focus and resources. (The irony is that towns with a far smaller population than Waterford City may be left with Town Councils while the City would be left without a dedicated administration.)
In the recent amalgamation of Limerick City & County Councils the issues were different – as were the sentiments. And indeed I would question where the suggested savings of €15m will come from, without substantial costs also being factored in. It certainly has not been detailed in any documentation I have seen and seems rather to have been a fanciful figure which no-one is quite sure if or how it can be attained. However time will tell.
Waterford City is the oldest and most historic City in Ireland – and has a proud heritage which should not be sacrificed for short term and spurious financial gain. Is the year 2014 in which Waterford City celebrates its 1100 year anniversary to be the year of its demise?
I do believe that the City needs to expand. It needs to expand not just into its natural environs in the East of County Waterford, but it should also logically extend for administrative purposes into South County Kilkenny.
The future administration of Waterford City and County - and indeed the entire local government system in Ireland which badly needs an overhaul - should be looked at as part of a strategic, national framework rather than Waterford being singled out in some form of ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ exercise. There is simply no gain - but much energy to be wasted - on merely replacing on an ad hoc basis, old irrelevant boundaries with new irrelevant boundaries.
We need to look nationally at where we ought to be and how we can get there in a way that will instill confidence and encourage ‘buy in’ from all the citizens and stakeholders. There is simply no public ‘buy in’ for the demise of Waterford as a City.
Saving that, I believe that there are effective efficiencies to be gained in some sharing of back office functions on a National, Regional and joint basis between the two Councils. These could include, at National level, some Human Resource Functions, Payroll, Third Level Grant Applications, Motor Tax and some Information Systems. At a Regional level Waste Management and Major Emergency Planning. And on a joint basis, Procurement, Veterinary Inspections etc., some of which is already in place.
It makes no sense that citizens in the environs of the City, for example, should have to travel to Dungarvan or Kilkenny to tax their cars. However it is not clear if even these efficiencies could be merged or delivered without significant costs being incurred.
After that, saving office closures – with consequent redundancies and service diminution, it is hard to see where further significant savings might be delivered. Roads will still have to be swept and housing stock maintained.
The last point I wish to make before I get onto the topic of the status of the City is the drain on the resources of the City that this unification would give rise to – with one small example. I am certain that had the Councils been unified already, Waterford Crystal would not have been saved for the City.
Firstly, the financial resources simply would not have been available – taking into account the financial situation in the County (€6m deficit) and its statutory obligations. Secondly, I wonder would there have been much sympathy or understanding from amongst the majority of the unified Council – who would come from a County perspective – on the importance of such an investment in the City?
There would also, beyond doubt, be diminished resources available - from an already ever diminishing pot – to deliver for the day to day needs of the City from housing, to road repair etc. This could in time become a source of resentment from the citizens of the City.
Status of Waterford City as a Regional Economic Driver
The Status of Waterford City and the City’s ability to act as a driver of regional growth are paramount – even gaining special mention in the terms of reference for your consideration:
• The need to maximise the capacity of Waterford City , in particular, to act as a strong and dynamic focus and generator of growth for the wider hinterland under the National Spatial Strategy, and that of other urban and rural areas to contribute in that regard in the context of balanced development.
• The need to enhance the capacity of local government to promote the economic and social development of Waterford City and County as a whole.
• The need to ensure that that the particular status, identity, character and heritage of Waterford City are maintained and where possible, enhanced, within a balanced overall system of local government for Waterford City and County.
Waterford is a City in transition. It is moving from an old, strong portal and manufacturing base to a new economy based on the knowledge industry and tourism as our two strong economic drivers. Historically the City has suffered from the lack of a number of strategic game-changers which are now either in place or on the way. These include the Motorway to Dublin, the new Suir Bridge and Outer Ring Road, the waste water treatment plant, water supply, flood defenses and last but by no means least, a University. Indeed, everything that the IDA’s of this world have historically pointed to as impediments.
With this investment, the City is well positioned to take advantage of any upturn once it arrives. The City is a focus for the region with the majority of citizens from as far away as 30 kilometers relying on it for jobs primarily as well as shopping and other services. In the 2006 census - the most recent document for which these figures are available - there were 25,389 people working in Waterford City, with 11,685 of those jobs being filled by people not from the City. That amounts to over 40%. It is fair to say that anything that risks the City’s capacity to be able to provide and maintain jobs for that kind of workforce is not to be welcomed.
Waterford City Council only recently won the Council of the Year Award for 2010/11 from the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland – along with 3 other wins and several placings in other categories. The City was also voted a few short years ago as the best micro-City in Europe. These serve as independently verified reminders of the dynamic leadership role the City Council has played in recent years driving Waterford through this transition period.
Waterford has all the ingredients of a successful micro City. This is possible because of a number of things – but crucially because of clarity of purpose. Any analysis of successful cities which have regenerated themselves, from Barcelona to Bristol, reveals that they have certain things in common:
clarity of purpose
clarity of leadership
clarity of governance and
clarity of investment.
If you take away that clarity you will fatally damage Waterford City s’ ability to deliver - not just for our own citizens - but for the citizens of the region who depend on us to be able to attract and provide employment.
It is a simple equation: the majority of the population is in the County, meaning the majority of representation would come from County, meaning a majority of resources would go to the County, therefore reducing spend in the City. It is a truism that ‘all politics is local’ – and that is even more true of local politics. Is it fair or reasonable that Genzymes rates would be spent in Kinsalebeg? How would future potential investors view this?
Another element affecting our status as a City is Mission. Both the City & County Councils have completely different Missions – ours being as a Gateway City, expected to lead and drive economic growth in the Region but also to deliver relevant services and supports to an Urban population.
The County Council has a Rural Mission which is completely different in character and culture. Will there be any capacity or democratic will to maintain the investment in communities, in the Arts or, for example in social supports such as our refuse waiver scheme? Individual County Councillors have already cited publically the availability of the resources of the City, for the County, as a positive argument in favour of the unification. This would inevitably mean the City would be left with fewer resources for social, cultural, historical, economic, and day to day requirements.
The South East Region is unlike any other region in Ireland insofar as there are four other urban centres of considerable size all within 60 kms – Kilkenny, Wexford, Dungarvan and Clonmel. Any diminution of the City’s status and resources will hamper our ability to lead and drive the region and could damage Waterford City and the region to a serious extent.
As one of the five cities in Ireland Waterford City has a clear role and is competing not just nationally but internationally with other micro-cities. If we lose that status we make it that much more difficult to compete and indeed to deliver. Investors comparing a future down-graded Waterford with the dynamism of Galway, Cork or Dublin cities could not fail to make an unfavourable comparison. It would be much more difficult to compete.
Is the South East to be left as the only Region without a City? Regardless of what it would say on paper, an amalgamated Waterford City & County would NOT have the same status as the stand-alone City of Galway or Cork, for example.
Any unification would also mean the City having to deal with the Counties €6m deficit. This would inevitably lead to a severe leakage of resources – in an already stretched fiscal environment – from the City to the county and a consequent reduction in both focus and delivery. It is equivalent to putting an anorexic on a diet. The City would suffer enormously from lack of investment – which in an urban environment would become apparent quickly, and in a concentrated manner - as soon as the first pot-holes went unfilled due to lack of finance.
Waterford City has reduced our budget by €7m in the last four years and is - and has always been – at the lower end of the numbers of employees scale. We have no deficit to speak of. Huge efficiencies have been delivered. Why now should we be lumbered with a massive debt which would impoverish our City for who knows how many years to come?
If the object is to save money (as we can categorically say that it not part of any strategic plan) then that realistically and simply means diminished resources to a diminished body and inevitably, a diminished City. We will be left with a City with no leadership or focus, no administrative body with sole responsibility or capacity to drive the City in these difficult times. A City with massive debts and no finance for investment or delivery of our many projects from the Viking Triangle to the economic growth we are trying to nurture here and to attract. A City dominated by a governing authority with a majority who would have no understanding of or affinity with it.
Conclusion
I am begging the commission to consider the true cost of the proposed unification for the City. Not just fiscal, but also the perception it would give rise to, that Waterford City would not be on a par with other cities in Ireland; that our 1100 year history as a City would come to an end in 2014.
I would also consider that the timescale allowed simply does not give sufficient time to examine all of the issues in enough detail.
I ask you to protect Waterford City and its future. To protects its ability to deliver for the region and the country and not to throw away the proud heritage of our ancient and beautiful City for the 30 pieces of silver which it is sought to save.
It would be a short term and small saving, with, in my opinion, long term, negative consequences for the City, for our citizens and for our children and their children.
Please consider this issue with the utmost diligence. A truly weighty responsibility lies on your shoulders – one which future generations will reference for good or ill with the benefit of hindsight.
I am asking you to recommend against the unification of Waterford City and Waterford County Councils.
Thank you.
Prepared by: Councillor Mary Roche and submitted on December 1st 2011
From: Councillor Mary Roche, Waterford City Council
(Representing the Independent Grouping, including Cllrs. David Daniels & Laurence Cha O’Neill.)
Date: 1st December 2011
To whom it may concern:
I refer to the call for submissions from interested parties concerning your commissions role of making a recommendation to Minister Phil Hogan on whether Waterford City Council and Waterford County Council should be unified and set out my objections to said unification. I have tried insofar as possible to stick to the questions raised for your examination under the Terms of Reference.
My submission, while stand-alone, can be read as part of a larger submission which is being made in separate parts by several members of the City Council. The larger submission covers the areas of History & Heritage; Drain on Resources, Finance, Organisation and the Status of the City as a Regional Driver – the latter being my focus.
We have looked at the areas including
• The potential outcomes to be achieved, including likely benefits and costs.
• The actions and arrangements that should be implemented in order to maximise savings, efficiency and effectiveness and achieve desired outcomes generally with regard to key elements of local government.
• Key issues that are considered likely to arise in the implementation of revised arrangements and how these should be addressed.
And we have come to the conclusion that the merger would not deliver substantial savings to the exchequer but could indeed do great damage to the City and its ability to deliver on our focus of renewal and economic development for our citizens.
Context
If this is merely – as is alleged – a cost saving exercise (we ‘being where we are’ etc.) then by all means save costs. Offer a voluntary redundancy package for staff and cull the number of Councillors if need be. Eliminating Town Councils might tick that box. But please do not break what isn’t broken by ending Waterford as a City, or hindering the City’s ability to deliver to our ‘customers’ through a diversion of focus and resources. (The irony is that towns with a far smaller population than Waterford City may be left with Town Councils while the City would be left without a dedicated administration.)
In the recent amalgamation of Limerick City & County Councils the issues were different – as were the sentiments. And indeed I would question where the suggested savings of €15m will come from, without substantial costs also being factored in. It certainly has not been detailed in any documentation I have seen and seems rather to have been a fanciful figure which no-one is quite sure if or how it can be attained. However time will tell.
Waterford City is the oldest and most historic City in Ireland – and has a proud heritage which should not be sacrificed for short term and spurious financial gain. Is the year 2014 in which Waterford City celebrates its 1100 year anniversary to be the year of its demise?
I do believe that the City needs to expand. It needs to expand not just into its natural environs in the East of County Waterford, but it should also logically extend for administrative purposes into South County Kilkenny.
The future administration of Waterford City and County - and indeed the entire local government system in Ireland which badly needs an overhaul - should be looked at as part of a strategic, national framework rather than Waterford being singled out in some form of ‘pin the tail on the donkey’ exercise. There is simply no gain - but much energy to be wasted - on merely replacing on an ad hoc basis, old irrelevant boundaries with new irrelevant boundaries.
We need to look nationally at where we ought to be and how we can get there in a way that will instill confidence and encourage ‘buy in’ from all the citizens and stakeholders. There is simply no public ‘buy in’ for the demise of Waterford as a City.
Saving that, I believe that there are effective efficiencies to be gained in some sharing of back office functions on a National, Regional and joint basis between the two Councils. These could include, at National level, some Human Resource Functions, Payroll, Third Level Grant Applications, Motor Tax and some Information Systems. At a Regional level Waste Management and Major Emergency Planning. And on a joint basis, Procurement, Veterinary Inspections etc., some of which is already in place.
It makes no sense that citizens in the environs of the City, for example, should have to travel to Dungarvan or Kilkenny to tax their cars. However it is not clear if even these efficiencies could be merged or delivered without significant costs being incurred.
After that, saving office closures – with consequent redundancies and service diminution, it is hard to see where further significant savings might be delivered. Roads will still have to be swept and housing stock maintained.
The last point I wish to make before I get onto the topic of the status of the City is the drain on the resources of the City that this unification would give rise to – with one small example. I am certain that had the Councils been unified already, Waterford Crystal would not have been saved for the City.
Firstly, the financial resources simply would not have been available – taking into account the financial situation in the County (€6m deficit) and its statutory obligations. Secondly, I wonder would there have been much sympathy or understanding from amongst the majority of the unified Council – who would come from a County perspective – on the importance of such an investment in the City?
There would also, beyond doubt, be diminished resources available - from an already ever diminishing pot – to deliver for the day to day needs of the City from housing, to road repair etc. This could in time become a source of resentment from the citizens of the City.
Status of Waterford City as a Regional Economic Driver
The Status of Waterford City and the City’s ability to act as a driver of regional growth are paramount – even gaining special mention in the terms of reference for your consideration:
• The need to maximise the capacity of Waterford City , in particular, to act as a strong and dynamic focus and generator of growth for the wider hinterland under the National Spatial Strategy, and that of other urban and rural areas to contribute in that regard in the context of balanced development.
• The need to enhance the capacity of local government to promote the economic and social development of Waterford City and County as a whole.
• The need to ensure that that the particular status, identity, character and heritage of Waterford City are maintained and where possible, enhanced, within a balanced overall system of local government for Waterford City and County.
Waterford is a City in transition. It is moving from an old, strong portal and manufacturing base to a new economy based on the knowledge industry and tourism as our two strong economic drivers. Historically the City has suffered from the lack of a number of strategic game-changers which are now either in place or on the way. These include the Motorway to Dublin, the new Suir Bridge and Outer Ring Road, the waste water treatment plant, water supply, flood defenses and last but by no means least, a University. Indeed, everything that the IDA’s of this world have historically pointed to as impediments.
With this investment, the City is well positioned to take advantage of any upturn once it arrives. The City is a focus for the region with the majority of citizens from as far away as 30 kilometers relying on it for jobs primarily as well as shopping and other services. In the 2006 census - the most recent document for which these figures are available - there were 25,389 people working in Waterford City, with 11,685 of those jobs being filled by people not from the City. That amounts to over 40%. It is fair to say that anything that risks the City’s capacity to be able to provide and maintain jobs for that kind of workforce is not to be welcomed.
Waterford City Council only recently won the Council of the Year Award for 2010/11 from the Chambers of Commerce of Ireland – along with 3 other wins and several placings in other categories. The City was also voted a few short years ago as the best micro-City in Europe. These serve as independently verified reminders of the dynamic leadership role the City Council has played in recent years driving Waterford through this transition period.
Waterford has all the ingredients of a successful micro City. This is possible because of a number of things – but crucially because of clarity of purpose. Any analysis of successful cities which have regenerated themselves, from Barcelona to Bristol, reveals that they have certain things in common:
clarity of purpose
clarity of leadership
clarity of governance and
clarity of investment.
If you take away that clarity you will fatally damage Waterford City s’ ability to deliver - not just for our own citizens - but for the citizens of the region who depend on us to be able to attract and provide employment.
It is a simple equation: the majority of the population is in the County, meaning the majority of representation would come from County, meaning a majority of resources would go to the County, therefore reducing spend in the City. It is a truism that ‘all politics is local’ – and that is even more true of local politics. Is it fair or reasonable that Genzymes rates would be spent in Kinsalebeg? How would future potential investors view this?
Another element affecting our status as a City is Mission. Both the City & County Councils have completely different Missions – ours being as a Gateway City, expected to lead and drive economic growth in the Region but also to deliver relevant services and supports to an Urban population.
The County Council has a Rural Mission which is completely different in character and culture. Will there be any capacity or democratic will to maintain the investment in communities, in the Arts or, for example in social supports such as our refuse waiver scheme? Individual County Councillors have already cited publically the availability of the resources of the City, for the County, as a positive argument in favour of the unification. This would inevitably mean the City would be left with fewer resources for social, cultural, historical, economic, and day to day requirements.
The South East Region is unlike any other region in Ireland insofar as there are four other urban centres of considerable size all within 60 kms – Kilkenny, Wexford, Dungarvan and Clonmel. Any diminution of the City’s status and resources will hamper our ability to lead and drive the region and could damage Waterford City and the region to a serious extent.
As one of the five cities in Ireland Waterford City has a clear role and is competing not just nationally but internationally with other micro-cities. If we lose that status we make it that much more difficult to compete and indeed to deliver. Investors comparing a future down-graded Waterford with the dynamism of Galway, Cork or Dublin cities could not fail to make an unfavourable comparison. It would be much more difficult to compete.
Is the South East to be left as the only Region without a City? Regardless of what it would say on paper, an amalgamated Waterford City & County would NOT have the same status as the stand-alone City of Galway or Cork, for example.
Any unification would also mean the City having to deal with the Counties €6m deficit. This would inevitably lead to a severe leakage of resources – in an already stretched fiscal environment – from the City to the county and a consequent reduction in both focus and delivery. It is equivalent to putting an anorexic on a diet. The City would suffer enormously from lack of investment – which in an urban environment would become apparent quickly, and in a concentrated manner - as soon as the first pot-holes went unfilled due to lack of finance.
Waterford City has reduced our budget by €7m in the last four years and is - and has always been – at the lower end of the numbers of employees scale. We have no deficit to speak of. Huge efficiencies have been delivered. Why now should we be lumbered with a massive debt which would impoverish our City for who knows how many years to come?
If the object is to save money (as we can categorically say that it not part of any strategic plan) then that realistically and simply means diminished resources to a diminished body and inevitably, a diminished City. We will be left with a City with no leadership or focus, no administrative body with sole responsibility or capacity to drive the City in these difficult times. A City with massive debts and no finance for investment or delivery of our many projects from the Viking Triangle to the economic growth we are trying to nurture here and to attract. A City dominated by a governing authority with a majority who would have no understanding of or affinity with it.
Conclusion
I am begging the commission to consider the true cost of the proposed unification for the City. Not just fiscal, but also the perception it would give rise to, that Waterford City would not be on a par with other cities in Ireland; that our 1100 year history as a City would come to an end in 2014.
I would also consider that the timescale allowed simply does not give sufficient time to examine all of the issues in enough detail.
I ask you to protect Waterford City and its future. To protects its ability to deliver for the region and the country and not to throw away the proud heritage of our ancient and beautiful City for the 30 pieces of silver which it is sought to save.
It would be a short term and small saving, with, in my opinion, long term, negative consequences for the City, for our citizens and for our children and their children.
Please consider this issue with the utmost diligence. A truly weighty responsibility lies on your shoulders – one which future generations will reference for good or ill with the benefit of hindsight.
I am asking you to recommend against the unification of Waterford City and Waterford County Councils.
Thank you.
Prepared by: Councillor Mary Roche and submitted on December 1st 2011
Thursday, September 8, 2011
Actions Not Words For Waterford
You will have heard the unprecedented coverage from Waterford since yesterday, when the horrible news about TalkTalk and the 575 jobs which are to be gone in just 30 days, broke. There have been a lot of words but I still have heard nothing concrete that, in my opinion will actually create one single job. And while there are very many aspects of this story that one might rightfully rant about (the speed of TalkTalk's exit; how the employee's found out; the lack of govt investment during the good times, etc. etc); really the only show in town in jobs. Jobs. Where will they come from; how can they be attacted to the city/region; how can they be kept here?
Lets start with a little background. Yes unemployment in Waterford is high. Higher than other parts of Ireland. Yes the uptake of third level education in the region is low. Yes the level of companies locating here is miniscule. Yes locally created jobs growth is low. So how do we change that? What specific measures are companies looking for? We score well, from my discussions last year as Mayor with businesses on a number of fronts: we have a young, available, educated work-force. We now have far superior motorway infrastructure and an airport linking to major International hubs. We have an array of fantastic companies with International reputations already located here. It is a fantastic place to live, work and play. We are on the Eastern seaboard with good portal access to the UK and Europe. There is superior IDA grant levels available to companies who locate here. But despite all this, they have not come. Why?
Well firstly let me take Barry O'Leary of the IDA to task. Barry said on Morning Ireland this morning that he didn't think that the lack of a University was a corse issue in the lack of jobs coming to the region. I disagree. But if that is his opinion, Barry did not elaborate (and was not asked) what is the core issue then? He also said that he accepted that the bulk of investment goes to Dublin, Cork and Galway. There are only three things as far as I can see that distinguish us from all of those locations. One is size, scale. They are simply bigger than us. The second is an International Airport in Cork and Dublin although less so for Galway but with Shannon within a short distance you could argue (and I'm sure they do) that they tick that box also. And thirdly, a University. And while I'm not suggesting that a University is the cure for all our ills, it is definitely, unarguably a key component. And anybody who tries to tell you otherwise is being political, underestimating your ability to figure it out for yourself and quite simply, denying the obvious. Look at Galway, which a short few decades ago had a smaller population and far less industry than Waterford. That has changed - thanks to the University. In fact you could even make a plausible case that Galway has far fewer other advantages than Waterford being located as it is on the Western seaboard, away from ports and quick access to markets (and with worse weather!). But they have passed Waterford out. If it's not a University, Barry - then please tell us Barry, what exactly is it???? Tell us. We're willing to do it.
So that's the first thing. University designation for WIT. Simple. Clean. Do-able. Promised to us by the current Government parties in the run up to the election only a short 8 months ago. And absolutely crucial for our future development - and not just future development, but also to try and mitigate against further decline - a scary thought but a real possibility.
So. Stop waffling Government and don't bother coming down to visit us ulness you're bringing something worthwhile. I am amazed at how quickly those parties are now accepting the line that there will be no more Universities in Ireland - and selling it. While I will welcome a Technological University if it delivers equality to us with the Unversities, I sadly suspect that that will not be the case - as there is currently no such thing as a Technological University in Ireland - we can but speculate. But on past performance - of this exact same governmental coalition make-up - I wouldn't hold out that much optimism. (All politics is local.)
So. What else. Well firstly scale. We are very proud of our city status - rightly so. But in International terms, Waterford City at under 50,000 population is small - and while there are some great companies here, there are not enough to represent a so-called cluster. What's a cluster? Well, you know that 'birds of a feather flock together'? Well companies like to locate in an area where there are like industries. Now where we can win on this score in my opinion is to have a more REGION based approach. You zoom out a little from Waterford City, onto the South East Region, and suddenly you have a population of 470,000 people and an even better and more impressive industrial 'cluster' to sell, incorporating a whole plethora of International companies.
But the region is not marketed and does not operate as a recognisable unit. This, I believe, has to change. It is one of the things that has shifted in my view since my trip to the States on the Trade Mission for Waterford. The South East needs to get together, sell together and attract together. And yes, Waterford is the regional capital and gateway but we cannot operate on the basis of ancient, administrative, tribal boundaries. We need to stop working and pulling against each other and start fighting alongside each other. This, to my mind is crucial - because if there is one thing that is more important in my book than anything else - it is selling. Selling the City, selling the region. The Trade Mission proved it to me but it needs to be worked, nurtured, relationships built, information passed. If we had far superior attributes (and we do have many) what does it matter if no-one knows? And whatever Barry O'Leary says about the IDA office in Waterford having 5 people in it - it has not delivered and those people from my information - are more administrative positions. There used to be an IDA representative on the City Development Board and there is not now - because there is no IDA rep in Waterford. Simple. In fact my information is that Waterford is now 'looked after' from Athlone and not Cork - but that's neither here nor there. There use to be an Enterprise Ireland representative on the Board of the City Enterprise Board and there is now not one - because they too have no EI rep in the city. So both the IDA and EI have restructured to downgrade Waterford and they want us to believe it has no effect? Bullshit.
My idea is that the South East Local Authorities should adopt our Doing It For Ourselves motto and get together to fund (along with local private sector funding) and do the job themselves. This has beome something of a clarion call for me in recent years but it is the only way at this stage. Do it ourselves. Cut out the middle man. Develop our own contacts and leads. Sell directly to the market. We did it for tourism (and the City Council continue to do fantatsic work in this area - and I apologise to no one for saying it - that is and will create real opportunites and real jobs). But how much more important is it to do in the area of job creation?
It should concentrate on three areas; attracting jobs into the region; seeking expansion and diversification opportunities for locally based companies and it should cover the Services Industry - for which no state agency exists and seek to work with and develop new markets for their services. There is also the area of grant allocation etc. but I am trying to focus on what we can achieve ourselves. Who in the Far East knows about the new billion euro motorway? Who in Silicon Valley knows about our International industries located here? The IDA are selling Ireland Inc. We need to sell the South East Inc.
Incidentally there are local projects that could be fast-tracked which would create direct employment. The Coursthouse needs serious upgrading and has been on the waiting list for years. For this to happen the new Fire Station needs to be provided - and it's been on the waiting list also. Perhaps local companies could compete for these contracts if they were brought to the top of the list. If the Government is serious about helping us - and not just filling our ears with words - there's something concrete they could deliver. Same with the multi-education campus in Gracedieu. All would create jobs. Now.
I'm sure there is more and I will come back to it again but - the baby needs changing - so that must be seen to. My sincerest sympathies to those in TalkTalk and their families. I think they have been treated abominably by TalkTalk and it should not be allowed. But there you go. That's just words and we need actions. I hope that some of what I have suggested sparks some more thoughts and ultimately, actions. Waterford IS a great place to live, work and play. We love it. We will survive but we need to move and move quickly. And we need help. Is that too much to ask for? Actions. I have started a hashtag on Twitter #actionsnotwordsforwaterford and I intend to keep 'tweeting' it until I hear something concrete. I wonder how long that will take. But for now that's my warning...listen critically....where are the deeds that will help us? Words mean nothing. Keep safe.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)