McNamara excels in candidate face-off

CONSIDERING the short run-in, the campaign for Election 2011 seems to have gone on for an eternity. For many, looking at a 16-candidate field makes for a difficult decision, while for others, hereditary party lines dictate their ballot preferences. The Burning Issues Debate, in limited time considering the size of the field, managed to chip away at the surface to reveal the faces of the most likely contenders to become Clare TDs in the 31st Dáil.

While the argument between advocates of new voices and those supporting the capable hands of experience smoulders on nationally, it was experience, though not necessarily incumbency, that emerged the clear-cut winner on Monday night.
Michael McNamara, though a first-time general election candidate, was confident, articulate, persuasive and informed, perhaps a reflection of his training as a barrister. He ran for election to Europe in 2009, capturing a respectable 12,744 first-preference votes, more than 2.5% of the valid poll for the large Ireland North-West constituency, which stretches as far as Donegal. At The ’Champion debate, he wooed the crowd with his passion, policies and his no-nonsense approach. For the European election he was an independent, now he runs under the banner of Eamon Gilmore’s Labour and he addressed his eleventh-hour change of heart during the course of the debate.
“Independents, I believe, can achieve something in the European parliament. Pat Cox is an independent. I don’t believe independents can achieve anything in the Dáil and I believe the Labour party offers the only possibility for a real reform of the political system. That is why I am proud to represent and be nominated by the Labour Party in this election and I hope to be a new TD in a new Labour-led government,” he stated. His tone was genuine but the odds certainly don’t support such a result.
Fine Gael’s Tony Mulcahy also proved popular with the crowd. His down-to-earth passionate responses to questions about Shannon Airport, health and education further endeared him to those present.
“In 2000, there were 14 Grade 8s in the HSE. They are paid over €100,000 each. Today there are 1,300 Grade 8s in the HSE and that is where the money has gone. It has been gobbled up in bureaucratic administration positions. We have to deal with that situation. It will take quite a bit of time to blow that system apart and move out a lot of those positions at the very top,” he said.
Councillor Mulcahy was critical of the outgoing government’s record on disability issues, an area in which he has a particularly vigorous interest.
“It is the absolute mismanagement of the last 23-and-a-half years of a primarily Fianna-Fáil led, cobbled-together government if they weren’t there on their own. I will absolutely guarantee you that the type of mismanagement that has been allowed is not going to continue in this country,” he promised.
Despite the night’s sticks and stones, Fianna Fáil incumbent TD Timmy Dooley put in a sturdy performance in the debate. As the party’s only Clare TD seeking re-election, he has had to face down much of the electorate’s anger and criticism but whether or not his quick thinking and strong responses will translate to the necessary number of votes on February 25 is difficult to predict.
Defending himself and the Fianna Fáil legacy in the area of political reform, he highlighted the banning of the dual mandate. He acknowledged that the jobs crisis is the biggest issue in every constituency ahead of the election and responded to the charge that families, those out of work and mortgage holders in particular had been let down by the government in relation to the banking bailout.
Deputy Dooley’s running mate, Dr John Hillery seemed to distance himself from his party’s legacy. He proved articulate, polite and as popular among those in the audience polled as Tony Mulcahy and Michael McNamara. Dr Hillery, during the debate, remained very much future focussed and refused to get pulled into defending the government’s record. He called for the control of Shannon Airport to be devolved and stressed the need for local control of the airport. In the area of health, as one would expect given his profession, his points were particularly strong both in content and delivery. He pointed out that he is not against reconfiguration but he is against what is being called ‘reconfiguration’ in the Mid-West region. He was critical of the removal of services from Ennis hospital and the lack of investment in the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Limerick.
“Things should stop now and we should not allow any further changes happen to Ennis until the Mid-Western hospital can be proved that it can deliver what it is meant to deliver. We must return the services to Ennis that will make people feel safe,” he stated.
The county’s sitting Fine Gael deputies were vocal during the panel discussions. Deputy Joe Carey executed himself especially well on the topic of Shannon Airport, questioning whether the Dublin Airport Authority should be in charge of Shannon when it is trying very hard to get passengers into the newly completed Terminal 2 in Dublin. Deputy Pat Breen stressed that his party’s plan to cut 30,000 workers from the public service would come from voluntary redundancies and natural wastage and would not include frontline staff. He called for greater access to better broadband and for improvements to water services, as well as stressing the need to develop alternative energy in order to give impetus to businesses and entrepreneurs. Both Fine Gael TDs were up to speed on their party’s job creation plans and its scheme for universal health care.
Green Party hopeful Brian Meaney appeared anything but at the ’Champion debate. The Clare County Councillor emphasised his long-held view that Shannon Airport be relieved of “the cold dead hand of the DAA”. He defended his party’s policies on the introduction of a carbon tax and on the implementation of across-the-board water rates. He pointed out that the current system where businesses pay all the water charges does not represent “an equitable system”.
He also refuted claims that the Green Party contributed to the county’s economic collapse.