“I Have The Fight Back In Me Again”

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In case you missed it.

Westport, county Mayo Fine Gael TD Michael Ring made his contribution to Wednesday’s debate on the Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021 felt.

Deputy Ring said:

“What we have done in this country is not the Minister’s fault. I blame fellas like Deputy Boyd Barrett and the Green Party, who come down to Mayo, Cork and Kerry wanting to build a holiday home but the minute they build it they do not want anyone beside them and they object.

We had objections from Dún Laoghaire, Wicklow and Germany to local people building homes.

“This week, this State is 100 years old. It is 100 years since we signed the Treaty. The Minister must do something with local authorities and planners. There are inconsistencies with planners because some of them have been trained in Belfast and some in Dublin. There is no consistency.

“We have a dictatorship in this country. It is not a political dictatorship but a public service dictatorship and it has got to such a stage now that they think they are more powerful than the Minister. The local authorities do not care about the Minister anymore. They are out of hand.

“When I was part of the previous Government I preached at every Cabinet meeting that these people were gone out of hand. The Dublin 4 media, RTÉ and all these media people criticise the likes of Deputies Durkan and Kehoe for making representations for the people who elect us. They want it left to An Taisce. They are the ones deciding on planning in this country now.

“I am going to start a campaign in the new year. I have the fight back in me again and I am ready for a fight. If the Minister, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Government do not kick on the public service I do not know where this country is going to be. It is time a small bit of power came back to the elected representatives.”

Deputy Mary Butler:

“Hear, hear.”

Deputy Ring:

“I have been in this House nearly 26 years. I have a question for the Ceann Comhairle and the Minister. Have they ever seen a public servant sacked or disciplined? Do they know what is done with them? They are rewarded and given a bigger office just to get rid of them if they are causing trouble. There has to be accountability. If these people were working for the private sector they would be accountable.

“There is no accountability in the public service. There are fellas here who will lick the county managers and there are fellas here that rub them. It is time that power was brought back to the elected representatives in this country. The Minister is an elected representative and he might think this is a joke but if we do not bring power back to the people then the people will take the power from the politicians. There was talk about the Ard Comhairle or Sinn Féin, bringing people to public meetings.”

Deputy Paul Kehoe:

“The Army Council.”

Deputy Ring:

“When the Army Council is on one corner and the public servants are in the other corner then it is going to be hard luck for this country so it is.”

FIGHT!

Transcript via Oireachtas.ie

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18 thoughts on ““I Have The Fight Back In Me Again””

    2. Sara

      Ring and Durkan are pee-ed off because they’ve no ministerial positions, and haven’t had any for a long time. Rather than look at their own inadequacies, they throw rattles out of prams.

    2. goldenbrown

      lol that’s a conundrum
      “Ringer” is an apex pork barrel I fickshed deh road kenny shoeshiner
      yet his views regarding the unelected amateur planning charity aren’t off the mark

      hmm

  6. GiggidyGoo

    ‘time that Power was brought back to the elected representatives.”
    News for your – the elected representatives in the Dail have little power. The local authority elected representatives have far more. Live with it Ringer.

  7. scottser

    Is this the same Michael Ring that when he was minister for rural development, diverted a disproportionate amount of the funding to his own constituency?
    Answering his own question as to why civil servants have more power its because they’re not allowed to be brazenly corrupt as TDs are.

    1. Otis Blue

      One and the same. ‘‘Twas ever thus though.

      Ring’s words are hollow. His tenure as Minister changed nothing, nor did he seek to do so; he was just happy to finally swill at the trough. A gaimbín with eyes only on dispensing funding for few pet projects. He was bought off easy. Meanwhile, his civil servants ran rings around him.

      There’s little value in being wise after the event.

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