Mayo View: The sad decline of our parliament into a parish pump forum
by Caoimhín Rowland
Ireland stands on the cusp of a significant transformation in its global standing.
This shift is occurring as the world moves from a unipolar, US-dominated system to a more fractious, multipolar order.
Yet, at the same time, political discourse in Ireland remains bogged down in parochial concerns.
The government seems more focused on ensuring additional Dáil speaking time for its Independent supporters to discuss local, parish-level issues rather than addressing pressing national and global matters.
Why has the Dáil devolved into a parish pump forum?
This shift is no accident but a direct consequence of the abolition of town councils and the gradual erosion of local democracy.
The result is that nationally elected representatives now find themselves engaged in work that was once the domain of county councillors.
Our TDs, instead of legislating on national policy, are preoccupied with hyper-local concerns.
This phenomenon is often noted by the media, yet rural counties continue to be derided by national media - particularly by a South Dublin intelligentsia that neither knows nor cares about these communities.
At the same time, the biggest losers in this centralisation of power are local communities themselves.
They have little say in local governance, and any attempt to develop infrastructure or services is stifled by excessive bureaucracy and inadequate support.
Local development groups, tidy towns or parish councils, despite their critical role, are burdened with an overwhelming workload that is far too much for voluntary committees to manage.
In Mayo, I have repeatedly heard from dedicated rural development advocates about the arduous process of securing grants.
Before they can even apply for funding, they must first gather community consensus, prepare project proposals, hire architects for drawings, meet with county councils for pre-planning discussions, and navigate the planning permission process - all before their initiative becomes eligible for funding.
Even if a project is fortunate enough to receive funding, there is still the challenge of delivering it. Years of fundraising efforts are required to secure the necessary match funding.
By the time the funds are in place, enthusiasm has often waned, and community consensus has eroded.
What frequently happens next is that a new committee comes in, scraps the original plan, and starts from scratch - leading to a cycle of stalled projects, frustration, and ill will within parishes.
An all too familiar feeling of apathy then rises. “Nothing ever happens so why even bother” becomes an all too common refrain.
A local TD may eventually raise the issue in the Dáil, questioning the relevant minister about grant delays. Occasionally, this intervention speeds things up, but it is neither a reliable nor appropriate solution.
TDs have a vested interest in advocating for their constituents, yet at a time when urgent national issues demand attention - including the erosion of Irish neutrality, threats to foreign direct investment, the cost-of-living crisis, and a growing homelessness crisis affecting over 15,000 people with many more in precarious or substandard living quarters - it’s high time our national politicians step up to their actual role at national level.
They should be forming committees, crafting legislation, and addressing these broader challenges while engaging in debate about the most pressing concerns. Indeed it’s what they were elected to do.
But, unfortunately, if a politician does work on such matters too much they will all but certainly lose their seat, seen to forget their local constituents.
It remains to be seen whether local democracy will improve under this government.
Ireland’s small and medium-sized rural towns need elected local chambers to manage development projects and tackle dereliction.
However, achieving this would require a decentralisation of power - something that runs counter to the deeply entrenched ‘executive’ style of government in Ireland, where the Taoiseach wields near-presidential authority and party discipline stifles independent thinking.
Too much power is concentrated in Leinster House, yet, ironically, the best talent in Ireland is found elsewhere.