Local Independent TD Noel Grealish came in for blistering criticism this week from a number of politicians who accused him of engaging in “political opportunism” over his threat to withdraw his support for the Government if further cuts to frontline health services in the west go ahead.
The former Progressive Democrat TD told this newspaper last week he was “totally and utterly disillusioned” with what was happening in the country. Slamming the Government for being “removed from reality”, he accused it of putting the banks before people and said it was hard to go to people’s doors and justify “the mess the country was in”. He stated unless provisions are put in place to protect services at University Hospital Galway and in the community he will turn his back on the Fianna Fail-led Government.
However, two Fianna Fail city councillors have rounded on the Carnmore deputy demanding that he “get off the fence”.
City councillor Peter Keane said his comments were “unhelpful in the extreme”.
“Deputy Grealish can fool some of the people some of the time but not all of the people all of the time,” he claimed. “It is abundantly clear to the electorate in Galway that Deputy Grealish is a Government man and whatever vote he gets in the next election will reflect that.
“It was politically convenient for him on the one hand to take all the plaudits regarding the Government’s recent announcement on the provision of a new school for Colaiste na Coiribe and then, less than six weeks later, threaten to pull the plug on the Government in relation to possible cuts to the health Budget, a matter firmly within the remit of his former leader, Minister for Health Mary Harney.
“It would be more in his line to use his limited influence to convince Mary Harney that there should be no further cuts to frontline health services including essential respite care for the disabled. He is fooling nobody with comments of withdrawing his support of the Government.”
Cllr Keane said everybody abhors the suggestion of any further cuts to frontline health services and politicians’ efforts should be focused on this not occurring, not engaging in “political opportunism” as he claimed Deputy Grealish has done.
Mayor of Galway city Cllr Michael Crowe (FF ) said sometimes politicians have to tell people what they do not want to hear.
“That is not easy in any business, particularly in politics. I recall before the last General Election when all candidates were under pressure for delivery of the Claregalway bypass. The community were looking for a commitment from all candidates. We in Fianna Fail were not in a position to do so. While stating we would do all we could we could not and did not give an outright commitment. This was not popular but it was honest.
“Deputy Grealish then a member of the now defunct PDs told the public ‘We will (PDs ) build the by-pass’. Politics involves being straight with people. I think that now more than ever the people want that from politicians.”
Fine Gael senator Fidelma Healy Eames said she was “astonished” to read about Deputy Grealish’s “sudden change of direction” featured in last week’s Galway Advertiser, considering what she alleged was the “damage and hardship he has inflicted on Irish people by supporting the Government in every vote since October 2008”.
“Deputy Noel Grealish should explain why the sudden U-turn on his behalf now, given his consistent voting record to the contrary
“Why does he say the ‘Government is removed from reality’ when the Dail records show that in every cruel cut, in every crazy bank bailout from NAMA to Anglo he has voted with the Government.
He condemns it for putting €30 billion into the banks and ‘putting the banks before people and the community’ yet, this is exactly what he did when he supported NAMA (Nov 5 2009 ) and Anglo Irish bank (Jan 20, 2009 ) among other financial measures.
“He says he now plans to talk ‘tough’ when he meets An Taoiseach Cowen and Minister Harney in September to register his ‘difficulty in supporting further Government health cuts’. This would appear to be an epiphany. What about the drastic cuts he supported to the children’s hospital in Crumlin (June 23 ‘09 ) and his support for the closing of St Luke’s cancer hospital, (June 30 ‘10 ), both of which have saved lives and served the children and cancer patients of Galway West down through the years? What about his support for budget cuts against the over-70s medical card (Oct 22 ‘08 ) his support for cuts to the disabled and the blind (Dec 16 ‘08 ), his support for education cuts (Oct 30 ‘08 ) and cuts to child benefit (Dec 1 ‘09 ) and against children with special needs (May 7 ‘09 and Mar 30 ‘10 )? Or his cuts to get rid of the Christmas bonus for social welfare recipients (April 22 ‘09 )? Do all of these cuts not matter?”
Slamming his words as “pious platitudes”, Senator Healy Eames said they were “a little too late” and “unworthy of credence” at this stage.
“His Dail votes from October 2008 to July 2010 make a lie out of all the bluff and bluster unleashed by Deputy Noel Grealish in last week’s interview.
“Since January 2010 the Dail record shows Deputy Grealish only spoke twice in our national parliament, once on tourism and once to condemn begging. In stark contrast some Oireachtas members in the Dail and Seanad would find cause to speak twice in one day, not alone twice in six months. With arguably one of the lowest speaking records in the Dail, Deputy Grealish has proven himself to be one of the most compliant TDs the Government can rely on for support. Not ‘tough’ at all where it counts. A case of Mighty Mouse in the constituency and Minnie Mouse in the Dail.”
We were unable to contact Deputy Grealish at the time of going to press.
