Semantically Speaking

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Independent Alliance ministers, from left: Finian McGrath, Denis Naughton and Shane Ross’ Dan Boyle

Newly-named departments.

Shiny new ‘independent’ ministers.

What could go wrong?

Dan Boyle writes:

Words with established meanings like environment and community have been disappeared. New government departments are being constructed without any seeming logic. Fine Gael thinking isn’t always based on logic.

Take Heather Humphrey’s department – the Department of Regional Development, Rural Affairs, Arts and the Gaeltacht – might as well be called the Department of those things we’re not that interested in.

The department now residing in the Customs House is to be known as the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government. The semantic key is the order in which the department’s elements are listed.

The earlier the listing the more a priority it is seen to be. Of course housing should have such priority but is it also indicative of the short cuts/blind eye turned strategies that have failed so spectacularly in the past?

Then we have the Department of Climate Change, Energy and Natural Resources. This is an imported UK idea, as many Fine Gael ‘innovations’ tend to be. In operating this department will be in constant conflict with itself.

Action on climate change means reducing fossil fuel dependency. This will be done in a department also tasked with encouraging fossil fuel extraction.

This contradiction may always have been part of our national energy policy, but why make it even more marked?

That said I like Denis Naughton. He is one of the more competent of the new ministers. I’m hoping he doesn’t see himself as the Minister for Wind Turbine Worriers and Turf Cutters.

It’s the new Independent ministers who will probably create most of what passes for excitement from this government.

How they make the passage from the freedom of opposition to the circumspection of government, is something I’m greatly looking forward to.It has only taken a couple of days for our new Minister for Toll Roads to compromise himself.

Fine Gael has had some experience of being in government with independents. This is where the carving up of government departments in order to placate has come from.

The 1948-51 government had two cabinet positions a Minister for Agriculture and a Minister for Lands.

James Dillon was then the ‘independent’. He had been in Fine Gael and would later lead them.

The other ‘independent’ in that government was Oliver J Flanagan, (father of Charlie) who was a Minister of State equivalent then known as a Parliamentary Secretary. He too would soon become a full blooded Fine Gaeler.

Maybe Enda Kenny is hoping that similar osmosis can happen in this government? Two of three ‘independent’ cabinet ministers were formerly in Fine Gael.

Reconversion wouldn’t be all that difficult, or that much of a surprise.

Dan Boyle is a former Green Party TD and Senator. Follow Dan on Twitter: @sendboyle

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13 thoughts on “Semantically Speaking

  1. Don Key Don G

    Good column Dan
    Insightful

    One correction though isn’t it the Department of Communications, Climate Change yadda yadda?

  2. DubLoony

    “That said I like Denis Naughton”. “will probably create most of what passes for excitement from this government.”

    I have no doubt he will. Linking children’s allowance to school attendance is his pet project.
    http://denisnaughten.ie/campaigns/child-benefit-reform/

    Completely ignores teens who are ill, have complex family problems, who are carers, suffering from trauma or who have muppets for parents.

  3. DubLoony

    The disappearance of the Dept. of Environment is a concern. y’know, climate change an’ all.

    1. Don Key Don G

      They were fupping useless as tits on a bull in that area in terms of enforcement , made good laws and Part L though. Needs a good kick up the hole now so could be a positive move.

  4. dan

    “Action on climate change means reducing fossil fuel dependency. ”
    20% of Ireland’s greenhouse gas comes from the asses of cattle. I’m surprised you haven’t mentioned this Dan, in fact it’s an issue that the green party ignored totally while in government. Don’t upset the farmers Dan?

    1. Sheikh Yabooti

      Carbon tax on beef = higher price to consumer = consumer consumes less beef = lower carbon emissions & farmer switches to other produce?
      Eh, no.
      Farmers rant about EU rules damaging their livelihood, threaten incumbent party with desertion at next election; government tell EU agri emissions controls are not open to reduction.
      So it goes…

  5. Clampers Outside!

    “Then we have the Department of Climate Change, Energy and Natural Resources. This is an imported UK idea, as many Fine Gael ‘innovations’ tend to be. In operating this department will be in constant conflict with itself.”

    That’s not a bad thing, to have the conflict maintained where the conflict can be resolved before going forward with ideas… ideas that could just get halted later and stall, due to conflict that could have been resolved ‘in-house’ as it is now….. no?

  6. Rugbyfan

    any chance of a dept. of Obesity. some of the bellies in that photo are a long term risk…then again it will be a short term govt.!

  7. ollie

    Don’t panic Dan, this programme for government is so vague on detail it will be implemented without it being implemented, if you follow my drift.

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