It started to go pear-shaped in late May when, finally, the broken promises reached critical mass and the media started to take sides. For example, on May 24 the Irish Independent headlined “740 more broken promises’.” a reference to jobs that had not materialised in four regional centres.
The main line of attack concerned promises made in the general election campaign on inflation, health (especially hospital waiting lists) and extra Gardaí – emotive words like “lies’”were used.
The Government published a rebuttal but, as the Irish Independent pointed out, “23 of the statements by the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance quoted in the document were uttered up to seven months after the general election.”
Government popularity sank and is still sinking. People even started to boo the Taoiseach. And it got worse.
Remember the heady sunny days of August? Ah yes, and the feeding frenzy over the wedding of Taoiseach’s daughter Georgina and Westlife’s Nicky Byrne in Gallardon in France. In Chateau d’Esclimont…
For the E850,000 they got from Hello, there were blacked-out cars, a tent over the entrance to the church and a media blackout. The locals were very pissed off at their village being hijacked by a shower of minor celebrities and there was a lot of bad press here too. It wasn’t Ahern’s gig but, symptomatic of the way things have changed, he got all the flak. And his partner left as well.
Autumn and early winter have brought no respite. There have been sleaze and scandal problems and fallout from Michael Woods’ deal with the clergy on compensation for victims of abuse in institutions. GV Wright crashed into a woman pedestrian while over the limit. Michael Collins TD was revealed to have had a bogus non-resident account for the purposes of avoiding tax. Micheál Martin’s incoming ban on smoking in the workplace has generated a lot of heat.
Oh, and the services we have don’t work. Not only that, but the Government has, or is seen to have, cut them back. And you have to pay more for them - there’s charges here and charges there and stealth taxes and tolls.
Well, like it or not, the Government is in charge and the citizens aren’t buying the excuses anymore. The European Presidency will keep everyone in line for the first half of 2004. But after that, especially if there’s a bad show in the local authority elections, the bell might toll.