The establishment of Irish Water and legal liabilities of Water Fluoridation

Mr. John Mullins,

CEO Bord Gais & Irish Water

Cc: Mr. Enda Kenny T.D. Department of Taoiseach

Mr. Fergus O Dowd T.D. Minister for  NewEra

Dr. James Reilly T.D. Minister for Health

Mr. Phil Hogan T.D. Minister for Environment

Mr. Simon Coveney T.D. Minister for Agriculture, Food & Marine

26^TH April 2012

Dear Mr. John Mullins

I wish to congratulate your company in successfully being appointed by the Government of Ireland to manage Irish Water and wish you every success in bringing our water services into the 21^st century and in line with every other EU Member State. 

In the manner of future management of Irish Water, I wish to offer some professional advice on how Irish Water may save tens of millions in the management and operation of this service, while ensuring full compliance with EU Law and importantly satisfying the needs and health requirements of your customers.  Apart from the obvious engineering challenges in managing and developing  this new entity  there are numerous legislative matters that remain to be addressed by the State and Irish water in the provision of safe drinking water fit for human consumption. 

One of the major legal and liability issues that Irish Water will have to urgently address is that of artificial fluoridation of drinking water with silicofluoride chemicals and the rights of individuals to the provision of safe drinking water. For the past forty plus years, unique to Ireland within the EU, the management of public drinking water supplies form part of a Government medical intervention programme that consumers have not consented to. In addition consumers have not been provided with information informing them of the negative side effects of consuming artificial fluoridated drinking water supplies. Furthermore the State has not tested the chemicals administered in drinking water to meet the minimum requirements of EU legislation for protection of public health or the environment.

As you may know, no other EU member state supports the mandatory legislative fluoridation of water and Ireland is the only country not just in the EU, but in Euro-Asia that continues to fluoridate its drinking water supplies. This practice has been found to unnecessary, unsafe, environmentally damaging and unsustainable.

It is accepted and acknowledged by the EU Commission that the chemicals used for fluoridation of water in Ireland have never been tested for human toxicity or environmental safety. Despite this, there are enormous volumes of scientific research that now demonstrate beyond any reasonable doubt that water fluoridation is harmful to subgroups of the population including infants under 2 years of age and diabetics, whose kidneys are unable to remove fluoride from blood plasma and who are therefore most at risk of chronic fluoride poisoning resulting in both dental fluorosis and musculoskeletal chronic pain. Both these medical conditions are now endemic within the population of Ireland.

The most recent international reviews of water fluoridation by the NHS in England, the National Research Council in the United States and the EU Scientific committees for Food Safety and Consumer protection have all agreed that there is insufficient scientific evidence to demonstrate that water fluoridation is safe and have identified that there is a complete lack of toxicological data on the human or environmental toxicity of silicofluoride chemicals used for fluoridation of water.  This is one of the reasons why every other European State has taken the ‘precautionary approach’ to water management, this approach is legally enshrined in the EU Constitution.  

Prior to taking over the responsibilities of provision of drinking water services in Ireland, I would advise that Irish Water review the contents of my report examining the Human Toxicity, Environmental Impacts and Legal Implications of Water Fluoridation.  This report has been presented to the Government of Ireland, the EU Parliament, the EU Commission, the EU Environment Agency, the World Health Organisation as well as the Medical Councils of Ireland and the United Kingdom, the EPA, Inland Fisheries, and many other public and private sector bodies.

As I have outlined in a recent communication to Minister Fergus O Dowd, in the event that the State continues to insist on fluoridation of drinking water, contrary to the recommendations of the EU and in clear violation of EU and international Law, the State will need to indemnify Irish Water from any liabilities that may result from cases being taken against the State or their agents in the future.

The most recent occasion that the State accepted such liabilities was for the swine flu vaccination. As you may know the pharmaceutical company that provided this product would not accept responsibility for any potential adverse effects and required the State to indemnify it from any potential lawsuits. Parents were subsequently told by the HSE that the vaccine was safe and now the State is facing multiple legal cases due to children developing the sleeping disorder narcolepsy as a consequence of being administered this vaccine. Another example is where the State sold Haulbowline to ISPAT in 1995 and informed that company that the site complied with environmental laws and that there was no contamination on the site. The State is now facing a multi-million euro clean-up operation to remedy the historical environmental liabilities associated with this site.

Apart from the legislative matters that will need to be addressed by Irish Water, as noted in my report, there is also the matter of how Irish Water will deal with households that purchase bottled water for consumption in the home, in order to avoid the toxicological health risks associated with fluoride.

The World Health Organization has stated explicitly that "in the assessment of the safety of a water supply with respect to the fluoride concentration, the total daily fluoride intake by the individual must be considered." This can only be accurately carried out on an individual patient based on age, weight, fluid intake, dietary preferences, level of exercise and nutritional needs.   It is now absolutely clear that the ingestion of excessive amounts of fluoride has become a serious public health problem, particularly in fluoridated communities, because of dietary intake of fluoridated water, in addition to processed food, cooked food and beverages which are made up from fluoridated water as well as other anthropogenic sources of fluoride in foodstuffs from residues of fluoridated pesticides, herbicides, fumigants and fluoride-based fertilizers. If total dietary intake is to be examined one must also include other major sources of fluoride from dental hygiene products such as toothpaste or mouthwashes to fluoride-based pharmaceutical medication. Astonishingly in Ireland, despite the concerns expressed globally by public health and food authorities, the Department of Health or the Food Safety Authority have yet to develop a national database of fluoride in beverages and foods or to commence at a most basic level an assessment of the dietary fluoride exposure of the general population. In the absence of this basic information, fluoridation of drinking water is not recommended and must be discontinued immediately.

The public health risks associated with fluoridation of water supplies have been highlighted by no less than fourteen Nobel Prize winners in chemistry and medicine who have publicly denounced the policy of fluoridation of water.  In comparison not one Nobel laureate has publicly supported this policy. In addition thousands of scientists, dentists, academics and other professionals worldwide have signed a petition to end this unnecessary and dangerous practice.  No other European nation supports the mandatory fluoridation of its citizens yet for some reason fluoridation of drinking water supplies remains enforced in Ireland and the authorities continue to misrepresent both the dangers and degree of international support for such a controversial policy.

At a most basic level it is unconscionable how the Department of Health could continue to support such a policy when there is a complete lack of accurate data or scientific evidence to support its continued use, as has been demonstrated in the findings of the NHS York Review, the National Research Council of the United States of America Review and the various and numerous scientific committees of member European states, in addition to the most recent findings of the European Commission and its agencies.  Any such support is even more questionable when state-funding is being cut from so many essential and vital public health services, including emergency services, mental health and special needs. It is obvious that the overall finances needed to cover the operational budget and management of water fluoridation could be better directed to support preventative healthcare or emergency services and to achieving greater success in behavioural change within society on dental hygiene that would provide far more effective, safer, sustainable and beneficial in the long-term. The annual budget for secretarial services for the Forum for Fluoridation (€400,000) combined with the cost of silicafluoride chemicals (€4,700,000), supervision, training and auditing costs (estimated at €10,000,000), combined with equipment maintenance, overheads, insurance and pollution prevention costs could be most obviously redirected to providing more public health dentists for those in most need of dental treatment especially in socially deprived areas and, in particular, to supporting breastfeeding initiatives for mothers and babies within these communities, which would go a long way to reducing the prevalence of dental fluorosis amongst children. For example in 2008, it was estimated by the UK Department of Health (DOH) that the cost of implementation of fluoridation of water for the greater Manchester area alone would be up to £100million. Ultimately the DOH did not pursue this policy; one of the reasons noted was that it was not deemed to be cost effective.

As I discussed in my report, a legal court in Europe has already found that water fluoridation is defined as medication and refused therefore to sanction its implementation.  Consumers and parents have a legal right to informed choice and bodily integrity that includes the right to limit their bodily exposure to the toxin fluoride. This cannot be achieved with the mandatory artificial fluoridation of public drinking water supplies without offering alternative non fluoridated public water to each household in Ireland.

One would hope and believe that given the enormous potential implications for public health of using untested chemicals for the systemic medication of a population, that the Health Authorities would veer on the side of caution and follow a precautionary approach rather than wait to have the risks confirmed which is the approach the HSE is currently following. You may be unaware that both the EU and U.S scientific reviews of fluoridation identified additional epidemiology, toxicology, clinical medicine and environmental exposure assessments that require to be undertaken in order to fill data gaps in the hazard profile, the health effects and the exposure assessment of silicafluoride compounds.  For your information Chapter 16 of my report lists a minimum of fifty-nine recommended studies required to be undertaken on fluoridation compounds to quantify the public health risks from fluoridation of drinking water supplies as recommended by these international scientific bodies. Not one of these studies has been conducted by the Health Authorities in Ireland.

Clearly, therefore given the scientific uncertainties presented by international scientific committees regarding the health risks from fluoridation of water, the acknowledged inadequate risk assessments and that every other European country has ended the practice of fluoridation of drinking water supplies; in addition, that the Russia Academy of Sciences, the British Medical Research Council, the NHS York Review, the U.S.A Academy of Sciences and European Commission as well as other esteemed scientific bodies, have also detailed their concerns regarding fluoridation, Irish Water must surely therefore take a precautionary stance and request an end to this unnecessary and unlawful policy in line with our European neighbours.

One would believe that this is the most appropriate and only course of action to take until comprehensive scientific toxicological and ecological risk assessments are completed, as recommended by the NRC and other scientific bodies (details provided in my report), in addition to completion of accurate health surveillance epidemiological studies examining the total  dietary fluoride intake of the population as recommended by the WHO to determine their current exposure to fluorides as well as the co-toxicity of fluorides with other known contaminants such as aluminium and lead.

It is advisable therefore in the interests of public health and safety and in accordance with the precautionary principle that is enshrined in European law,  as well as in accordance with appropriate EU Directives, that Irish Water seek an immediate cessation to the water fluoridation policy until human health risk assessments have been completed by the Irish Authorities that demonstrate beyond any reasonable doubt that the chemical compounds used for fluoridation of water are safe for human consumption for all sectors of our community particularly the most sensitive groups including infants and diabetics. Furthermore in accordance with EU Law the regulatory authorities must clearly demonstrate that the anthropogenic fluoride emissions from wastewater treatment plants resulting from artificial water fluoridation do not impact on the environment, food safety or fisheries and comply with all relevant EU legislation. Evidence to demonstrate this must be provided by the regulatory authorities. To date no such evidence has been provided. There is a requirement in EU law that the implementation of fluoridation of drinking water-supplies requires an environmental impact assessment. No such study has been undertaken despite fluoride being discharged in significant volumes into over 120 salmonid rivers in Ireland. Since the commencement of water fluoridation in excess of 75,000 tonnes of fluoride has been discharged into rivers and estuaries in Ireland. The EPA have found that fluoride is a persistent toxin in freshwater ecosystems, fluoride is also known to be harmful to juvenile salmon and trout at concentrations significantly below those currently discharged from wastewater treatment facilities as a consequence of fluoridation of water. It is incredible that 99.5% of fluoridated water is not used for the purpose if was intended and is discharged into the environment as an environmental toxin. This is nothing short of disgraceful.

On the matter of legal liability it is most likely that Irish Water will face a number of legal challenges should fluoridation of drinking water continue into the future. This may involve class action lawsuits by parents on behalf of their children or by individuals such as diabetics amongst others whose health and physical wellbeing has been compromised by drinking fluoridated water. It may also involve environmental organisations, or the EU itself, taking legal proceedings against the State for non-compliance with EU law, in particular the protection of consumer safety or biodiversity protection. Further legal liability may arise from the food industry whose produce becomes contaminated with fluoride when it is washed, cooked or processed using fluoridated water. The most obvious risk here is the food industry which produces infant foods and formula milk as well as the organic food sector.  There are obviously additional risks for the food production sector exporting produce into markets that have banned the use of silicofluorides, which includes all of mainland Europe as well as China, the principle emerging market for Ireland. China as you may know banned the fluoridation of water in the 1980’s due their scientists finding that fluoride was a neurotoxin that inhibited cognitive development in children.

Finally there is also a risk of legal liability in the future from another major industry in Ireland which is the horse breeding and racing industry due to the findings of Cornell University in the U.S.A who found that fluoridated water causes chronic fluoride poisoning in horses where they are provided with fluoridated water as their source of daily water. Research has also demonstrated that the bones of yearling horses are more susceptible to breakages if the source of drinking water is fluoridated.  As with humans, this is due to the effect of fluoride on bone density and composition. In humans fluoride exposure also results in increased risk of hip and bone fractures as well as osteoporosis. According to Professor O Brien of Trinity College Dublin each year in Ireland approximately 60,000 hip fractures occur on an annual basis in Ireland. Furthermore some 500 of such individuals on average prematurely die due to post operation medical complications as a result of fracturing their hip. It is now known that fluoridation of drinking is a contributory risk factor to weakening the hip bone thereby increasing the risk of breakages. Clearly it is only logical and ethical correct that any substance that may contribute to ill-health amongst the community should not be added to public drinking water and it is incumbent on the current Government to end this policy forthwith not just to protect its citizens from risk but to protect the Exchequer from future liability.

The United States Public Health Service has identified that within the wider population postmenopausal women and elderly men, pregnant woman and their foetuses, bottle fed infants and people with deficiencies of calcium, magnesium and/or Vitamin C, as well as people with cardiovascular and kidney problems are most susceptible to fluoride exposure and the biological impact of fluoride on their health and wellbeing.

Currently in Ireland there are approximately 400,000 people who are diabetics alone as representative of just one sector of this overall group. The question must be asked, how will Irish Water address the future liability that will arise from this or other subgroups of the population that may refuse to pay for fluoridated water or seek damages from the State for contributing to their ill-health?

How will Irish Water address the tens of thousands of existing households who may seek financial compensation from the State (as provided by EU law) for having to remove fluoride, a developmental neurotoxin, from their drinking water supply, in order to provide potable safe non fluoridated drinking water for infants and sensitive subgroups of the population, as is recommended by international scientific bodies in?

In ending, the most obvious and prudent manner in which to address situation is for the State or its agents to end the policy of fluoridation of water, as Switzerland did in 2003 (that last mainland European country to do so) and as the leading party of Government Fine Gael committed to doing in 2000. Public policy like science should be constantly evolving; clearly this policy must now end based on current scientific understanding or the potential and known health risks to the population and the environment. Failure to do so in light of recent scientific findings would be criminally negligent.

I hope that Irish Water will examine these concerns and conclude as every other European nation State has done, that it is best to leave water fluoridation in the 20^th century where it belongs.

Wishing you every success in your future endeavours with Irish Water.

Yours sincerely

Declan Waugh

EnviroManagement Services

Risk Management, Environmental Auditor and Environmental Consultant 

The Fraud behind Water Fluoridation

Scientists rely on application of scientific research and the use of evidence to establish or conform facts. This research involves the application of scientific method to answer questions and increase our understanding of the research subject.

In undertaking my risk assessment of the potential impacts of fluoridation of drinking water in Ireland I started with the NHS York Review commissioned by the Chief Medical Officer of the Department of Health which was at its time was the most comprehensive independent examination of water fluoridation every undertaken in the UK, Europe and perhaps the World. The report was published in 2000 and following its publication it became apparent that their was deliberate misrepresenation of their scientific findings by pro-fluoridation organization's both in Ireland and the UK in order to present water fluoridation as safe.

The published letter by the Chairman of the NHS York Review Professor Trevor A. Sheldon dated 3^rd January 2001 raised many serious concerns for the integrity of science when he noted that “It is particularly worrying then that statements which mislead the public about the review's findings have been made in press releases and briefings by the British Dental Association, the British Medical Association, the National Alliance for Equity in Dental Health and the British Fluoridation Society.”  Professor Sheldon felt that this was so serious that it required him to published a letter correcting these misrepresentations, in which he clearly states that the HYS York Review found that review “did not find water fluoridation to be safe” and “to be significantly associated with high levels of dental fluorosis which was not characterised as "just a cosmetic issue".”  

The Chairman of the York Review further noted that the review found that “there was little evidence to show that water fluoridation has reduced social inequalities in dental health” and that the quality of scientific evidence to demonstrate that fluoridation of water reduces dental caries was of particular poor quality lacking rigorous study methodology and analytic techniques.

Following their comprehensive review of published dental studies the NHS concluded that “There ‘appears’ to be some evidence that water fluoridation reduces the inequalities in dental health. This effect was not seen in the proportion of caries-free children among 5 year-olds. The data for the effects in children of other ages did not show an effect. The small quantity of studies, differences between these studies, and their low quality rating, suggest caution in interpreting these results across social classes in 5 and 12 year-olds.”

Clearly, what this is stating is that, despite hundreds of millions of taxpayers money being spent on water fluoridation and after over four decades of implementing this policy, there was no conclusive evidence to demonstrate that it actually benefited children at all. Any evidence of benefit was only circumstantial, furthermore what they found was that water fluoridation had no beneficial effect whatsoever on children under 5 nor did it benefit children over 12 years of age or adults. The NHS York review concluded that was a total lack of high quality research undertaken on public water fluoridation and that any evidence of benefit must be taken together with the increased prevalence of dental fluorosis. The York Review further found that any future research into the safety and efficacy of water fluoridation should be carried out with appropriate methodology to improve the quality of the existing evidence base. No such studies have every been undertaken.Astonishingly not one these findings were presented by the Irish Forum for fluoridation when they published their report in March 2002 and reviewed the findings of this study.  In reality the Irish Expert Body misrepresented the York Review findings suggesting that they found water fluoridation to be safe and did so despite the publication of the letter in January 2001 by the Chairman of the NHS York review which specifically corrected these statements.

For any scientist or professional this raises serious concerns about the objectivity, transpaprancy and accuracy of the review undertaken by the Irish Forum for Fluoridation, as a consequence of which I commenced my own exhaustive review of scientific factual peer reviewed information. This was not easy to undertaken and involved piecing together individual scientific research from over two hundred and twenty separate peer-reviewed scientific publications covering every aspect of science, medicine and environmental toxicology. All of the facts presented in my report are from reputable published scientific and medical sources. That means the facts are published and peer reviewed by academic peers. In total over twelve hundred scientific studies were examined in preparation of my report examining the health, legal and environmental impacts in some detail alongside associated risks that had not yet been previously examined elsewhere.

From my review it is absolutely clear that all of the evidence is convergent and demonstrates that fluoride compounds should not be added to public water supplies, when examined collectively the evidence clearly demonstrates that fluoridation of drinking water supplies is both unsafe and having significant negative health implications for human health, society and the natural environment.

One central and astonishing fact that has been documented repeatedly by every assessment to date is that the products used for water fluoridation have never been tested for safety on humans nor the environment. In quantifying the potential public health risk from fluoridation of drinking water, my review found that in excess of fifty comprehensive epidemiology, toxicology, clinical medicine, and environmental exposure assessments were identified requiring urgent examination on fluoride and silicofluoride chemicals in order to accurately quantify their risks to human health. It is not only incomprehensible but immoral, illegal and criminally negligent that none of these studies have ever been undertaken by the responsible regulatory authories in Ireland.

For the past forty plus years, unique to Ireland within the EU, the management of public drinking water supplies form part of a Government medical intervention programme that consumers have not consented to. In addition consumers have not been provided with information informing them of the negative side effects of consuming fluoride or silicon in drinking water supplies. It is an indisputable fact that the State has not tested the chemicals administered to the public in drinking water or adhered to the minimum requirements of EU legislation for protection of public health or the environment. Incredible the people of Ireland are led to believe without any supporting evidence that the policy is safe and effective for all sectors of society. This approach represents scientific fraud and misconduct of the highest order and should not be tolerated by any society. It is a unquestionable fact that water fluoridation is using untested, unapproved, uncontrolled and unsanitary industrial chemicals to medicate populations in a manner that is illegal and unethical.

My review can be downloaded for free for public benefit from http://enviro.ie/risk.html

Declan Waugh

Risk Management, Environmental Auditor and Environmental Consultant 

Urgency required to enact climate change legislation

While governments, financial markets and the international media devote endless resources in a attempt to save an unsustainable economic model everyone appears to be ignoring the real and present danger that is approaching. We are all passengers on the metaphorical Titanic as a true human crisis and tragedy unfolds. We continue predictable to ignore at our peril the consequences of our failed high carbon energy economic model. According to the findings of a report just published by the International Energy Agency providing the most thorough analysis yet of the worlds energy infrastructure we are fast approaching the last change to combat dangerous climate change. They are very clear in their observation that if we don’t act now to reduce our carbon emissions the opportunity to limit dangerous climate change will be lost forever.

If a fraction of the money used to bail out the failed private banking institutions in this country alone had been used to create sustainable jobs in developing renewable energy, investing in our energy infrastructure and supporting education and investment in new low carbon technologies, that would provide clean indigenous energy to our communities and industry, the economic future of this country would be secure.

Despite intensifying warnings over the past two decades from academic, scientific, medical and engineering institutions and United Nations organisations including the World Health Organisation, governments around the world are preparing yet again to postpone international agreement on climate change. What we are being told in no uncertain terms is that Economic development takes precedence over environmental protection and the very survival of humanity. Only by protecting our environment and investing in sustainable development infrastructure have we any real security. While Ireland beat Australia in the recent rugby world cup, they beat us in enacting crucial Climate change legislation last week. I plead with the Irish Government as a citizen of this country to follow their example and enact climate change legislation as soon as possible and begin the transformation of this country into a truly smart low carbon economy.

Living History Through Film

The Skibbereen Eagle may have been famous for declaring ‘it was keeping an eye on the Czar of Russia’ in the 19^th century but it can definitely be said that Russia is now keeping its eye on West Cork based on the experience of noted historian Gabriel Doherty, lecturer in Irish revolutionary history at University College Cork. Mr.Doherty recently presented a lecture in St.Petersburg, Russia, on the Irish War of Independence and Civil War period, incorporating in part the much acclaimed and award-winning Irish independent film The Wind that Shakes the Barley, which won the Palme d'Or for best film in Cannes 2006.

The film as many will recall was largely shot on location in West Cork, most notably in Timoleague, Coolea and Bandon town where Bandon Town Hall, Hamilton Highschool, the Allen Institute and North Main Street were used as key backdrops for the film. Many of the extras for the film came from the local community in the Bandon and Macroom areas.

The Wind that Shakes the Barley is an Irish war drama film directed by Ken Loach and set during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921) and the Irish Civil War (1922–1923). Written by Paul Laverty, this drama tells the story of two County Cork brothers who join the Irish Republican Army to fight for Irish independence from the United Kingdom. Many of the events represented in the film are associated with real historical figures based in and around Bandon Town during this historic period. Bandon remained largely at the centre of events that occurred during this period, with noted rebel leaders such as Sean Hales and Tom Barry of the West Cork Brigade and Anna Hurley, the leader of the Bandon branch of Cummann na mBan, all residing in the area. Within Bandon town, the British Army were present in force with two factions stationed in separate army barracks, the Essex regiment commanded by the notorious Major Percival and the Black and Tans who were stationed in the Devonshire Hotel. According to Tom Barry, no Black and Tan atrocity in Cork came close to what the Essex Regiment did; he personally attempted to assassinate Major Percival on at least one occasion for his role in what Tom Barry regarded as war crimes. There is no doubt that the Essex regiment were despised for the atrocities that they committed, on one occasion capturing two close friends of Tom Barry’s ; Tom Harte and Patrick Hales and mercilessly torturing them. The torture itself of Hales and Harte is believed to have influenced a scene in the film The Wind that Shakes the Barley.

Many may not realise that during the period of the War of Independence, Bandon town and its hinterland remained one of the most active regions nationally for republican activity. The West Cork Brigade was involved in successful military engagements at Toureen and Kilmichael just one month preceding and after the tumultuous event of Bloody Sunday in Dublin. Within months of it, the West Cork IRA, led by Tom Barry, carried out a large-scale ambush at Crossbarry. They were nearly surrounded but manage to escape. This was one of the largest military encounters of the War of Independence.

Not shortly afterwards, in the summer of 1921 rebel activity reached a high point with the British garrisons at Bantry, Skibbereen, Drimoleague, Clonakilty, Bandon, Innishannon and Kilbrittain all under attack. The period was one of high anxiety with the countryside griped by violence and suspicion. Reprisals by the British forces involved the destruction of property and arrest, murder or harming of civilians; this in turn led to further reprisals by republican forces who commenced a campaign against Irish country houses. Some 16 country houses were destroyed around Bandon town and Commandant Sean Hales, leader of the Bandon Battalion of the IRA kidnapped James Francis Bernard the 4^th Earl of Bandon and Lord Lieutenant of County Cork.

During the final four weeks of the War of Independence, armed parties of the IRA engaged in military activity in Bandon on eight occasions, the Innishannon Post was fired at on four occasions and Kilbrittain Barracks sniped at five times. British soldiers were wounded at Ballylickey as was a Black and Tan sergeant and an enemy agent in Bandon. Yet another Essex soldier was shot dead within sight of his Bandon barracks and one more Black and Tan was killed in Skibbereen. The successes in West Cork were not without sacrifice as many local volunteers and patriots from Bandon, Kilbrittain, Timoleague, Ballinadee, Courtmacsherry, Dunmanway and Rossmore were killed in the struggle for independence. Not long afterwards, two of West Corks most famous leaders suffered a similar fate. On August 22^nd 1922 Michael Collins, Commander-in-Chief of the National Army, was shot dead at an ambush at Béal na mBláth and four months later his friend and comrade Sean Hales T.D. was gunned down outside Leinster House in Dublin. His brother Tom Hales fought on the opposing side and commanded the Flying Column, which attacked the Free State Army convoy at Béal na mBálth resulting in the death of his friend, Michael Collins.

All of this sets the scene for the first screening in Bandon of the award-winning historical film The Wind that Shakes the Barley on Sunday 25th September in the Town Hall by Bandon Film Society in conjunction with the Engage Arts Festival. Of particular interest to many in West Cork and beyond will be the historical talk to be given prior to the film by Gabriel Doherty, lecturer in Irish revolutionary history at University College Cork. Gabriel has edited several volumes on this topic, including studies of Michael Collins, Eamonn De Valera and the 1916 Rising. He has also written and lectured numerous times on the subject. His lecture will no doubt be interesting and insightful with its focus on the historical themes, personalities and episodes alluded to in the film and the extent to which its depiction of the War of Independence and Civil War is faithful to the historical record.

Additionally, to mark the participation of Bandon and its community in this award-winning film a commemorative plaque will be unveiled at the Town Hall on the night at 7.20pm by the Town Mayor.

Booking for the event is highly recommended as places are strictly limited. Tickets for the double bill historical talk and film screening are €10. To avoid disappointment, please call 086-3689939 or 087-1205022 to book tickets. Tickets are also available at the following outlets in Bandon town: An Tobairín, Bandon Books, URRU and Hickeys Newsagents.

Constitutional Challenge to Euro Bailout

Last week the German Constitutional Court made a very important ruling that may have long lasting consequences for Europe and the survival of the euro. What is particularly interesting in an Irish context is that their Courts examined the constitutionality of the Euro bailout with respect to German basic law and the federal powers of the German Government.

Notably the Constitutional Court ruled that the eurozone bailouts were compatible with German Basic Law, since they do not provide an excessive burden on the German budget, do not constitute a significant transfer of power away from the federal government, the Bundestag nor impact negatively on the euro’s purchasing power.

Interestingly the Court also ruled that, in order to conform to the German constitution, “the Federal Government is in principle obliged to always obtain prior approval by the German Parliamentary Budget Committee before giving guarantees.” and“The Bundestag, as the legislature, is also prohibited from establishing permanent mechanisms…which result in an assumption of liability for other states’ voluntary decisions, especially if they have consequences whose impact is difficult to calculate”.

What is evident is that the burden of the euro bailout on German taxpayers can be challenged in their Constitutional Courts and that those same courts can set the legal parameters on which any bailout must comply. How unfortunate that no such Court in Ireland similarly examined the constitutionality of the banking guarantee imposed on the Irish citizen and the transfer of billions of euros of private debt created by voluntary institutions, developers and limited companies both at home and abroad onto the Irish taxpayer.

I wonder is it not too late to still challenge the constitutionality of the Irish Banking Bailout? It is clear given the verdict of the German Courts that the banking bailout imposed on Ireland would be regarded as incompatible with German basic law if it was imposed on the German State given that in Ireland it has created an excessive burden on State and society, the State budget resulting in loss of economic sovereignty and the transfer of power from the nations parliament to the IMF and ECB; violating the very conditions imposed by the German Constitutional Court last week.

What a pity that we do not apparently have laws similar to those of the German legislature despite our common membership of the European Union. It appears that it’s one law of one member state and no law for another. In Germany their parliament is prohibited from establishing permanent financial mechanisms, which assume liability for other states decisions, including decisions to loan to private banks in Ireland. While in Ireland the taxpayer is instructed that we must assume liability for all private banking debt including voluntary decisions made by European banks to loan to private banks in other jurisdictions, an action that has resulted in an unsustainable level of debt burden with disastrous social and economic consequences both in Ireland and other peripheral European countries such as Greece. Impacts we unfortunately are only beginning to witness that will last for perhaps generations to come. In my mind there is no doubt that we must challenge the constitutionality of the Irish banking bailout and where the constitution may be seen to be weak in protecting the rights of Irish citizens it must to be changed to reflect the challenges that we now face.

Gulf Stream threatened by Arctic flush

As reported in New Scientist this week RAPID warming in the Arctic is creating a new and fast-growing pool of fresh water in the Arctic Ocean. Measuring at least 7500 cubic kilometres, it could flush into the Atlantic Ocean and slow the Gulf Stream, bringing colder winters to Europe.

The water is mostly coming from melting permafrost and rising rainfall, which is increasing flows in Siberian rivers that drain into the Arctic, such as the Ob and Yenisei. More comes from melting sea ice, says Laura de Steur of the Royal Netherlands Institute of Sea Research in 't Horntje, who is tracking the build-up.

Salinity anomalies like this are a regular feature of the Arctic. The last major event occurred in the 1960s. They happen when strong winds circling the Arctic restrict southward water movement. Eventually, the winds falter and the water flushes into the Atlantic through the Fram strait, between Greenland and Europe.

Recent Arctic melting opens up the possibility of increasing the build-up, potentially making the consequences of the eventual breakout more extreme, says de Steur. A dramatic freshening of the North Atlantic could disrupt the engine of a global ocean circulation system called the thermohaline circulation, or ocean conveyor. This system, of which the Gulf Stream forms a part, is driven by dense, salty water in the North Atlantic plunging to the ocean bottom near Greenland.

"In the worst case, these Arctic surges can significantly change the densities of marine surface waters in the far North Atlantic," says de Steur.

Some 13,000 years ago, a major freshening of the North Atlantic shut down the circulation and plunged the Earth into a cold snap, known as the Younger Dryas era, which lasted for 1300 years. That was the result of an influx of fresh water much larger than is building up now, but some climate models do predict the circulation could weaken in coming decades, says Detlef Quadfasel of the climate centre at Hamburg University in Germany. The discovery of pooling fresh water in the Arctic suggests how this could happen.

The monitoring is being carried out as part of Project Clamer, a 10-nation European project into the impact of climate change on the waters around Europe.

Avoiding the mindset of reactionary defeatism

We live is a society that should operate on the basis of co-operation as we all have a stake in what kind of future we want for ourselves and the next generation. For too long we as a society have allowed powerful minorities to dictate the direction our entire economy and society has been pushed into. We are now witnessing the consequences.

What happened in this county in the past ten years is beyond absurd, it’s a tragedy. We have allowed profits to dictate the direction our entire society has been pushed into, with the active participation of a corrupt political system that rewarded the minority, rather than protecting the public good. Until we change the models and system of governance we use to determine what directions our society goes from solely profit motivated to notions of the common good, we will be doomed to repeat the past.

Since the foundation of this State we now face our greatest challenge. How will we as a people react to the current social and economic crisis we face?

In the face of the enormity of the economic crisis the most critical danger to us all is the mindset that equates with being a helpless victim, a sort of reactionary defeatism. Jan. 20, 2011 was the 50th anniversary of a quote by the late President John F. Kennedy on the occasion of his inaugural address given on Jan. 20, 1961. Kennedy quoted the Lebanese poet Khalil Gibran when he intoned the famous quote, " Ask not what your country can do for you - ask what you can do for your country”. Has not the time come for each of us as a citizen, a civil member of this country to question what talents, professional expertise or other skills or services can each of us donate to our communities to build a better society. In reality this means what can we do to help our newly elected government (regardless of our status and affiliations) in its responsibilities.

The most critical task our government faces is re-negotiating the terms of the banking bailout, followed by fiscal management, local government and public sector reform. On this note I would end with another quote from President John F Kennedy’s inaugural address when he said “Let us never negotiate out of fear. But let us never fear to negotiate.”

Let us hope that our Government are up to the task?

Questions to ask political canditates for the 31st Dail

What do you see as the main difference between the role of a local councillor and T.D ?

How do you see we can improve the service provided by our elected Dail representatives? Should they work on local issues that should be the remit of local councillors or national issues and policy development?

As a TD what would you like to legislate for?

There currently 6000 people politically appointed to over 800 quangos. How do you believe government appointments to state boards and semi state companies should be undertaken?

What level of funding have you received to support your election campaign? and If elected where you are a standing councillor who have you appointed/named to replace you on the Local Authority?

What is your position or your parties position on the State sellling off state assets and privatising utilities and semi state companies such as the ESB, Bord Gais, Bord Na Mona and Coillte.

Do you believe the establishment of the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) has worked? And what do you see as the future for banking in Ireland?

This Universal Social Charge (USC) is a tax and does not provide a benefit to those paying the charge.
All individuals are liable to pay the USC if their gross annual income is more than €4004 (€77 a week). This will impact most severely on lower income families. Do you support the introduction of the universal social charge.? If elected will you fight to retain or remove it ?

Do you or your party support the recent reduction in the minimum wage, blind pension and carers allowance and would you reverse this decision?

We have entered a period of major upheaval with rising food prices, a growing world population, climate change, peak oil and increasing pressure on natural resources, what will this mean for Ireland and what policies would you or your party advance to address these issues?

Ireland prides itself as a food exporter, yet nearly half the food we eat in this country is imported. How do you explain that imports of food and drink from the UK to Ireland (pop 4.5 million) grew by 6pc in 2010 to €3 billion (equivalent to the average person eating €1000 worth each year) while our exports to the UK (pop 65million) were valued at €3.5 billion? If current trends continue Ireland’s food trade surplus will continue to diminish. What would you do to protect and expand food production in Ireland? (Note: The rise in imports is due to the power and purchasing decisions of retail companies such as Tesco, Lidl, Aldi. Who control the largest market sector in Ireland, Irish food producers cannot compete with the power of large multiples)

What is your position on education? Do you support the existing Government policy decision that fully qualified teachers should work for free to gain work experience? If so what about other unemployed graduate professionals in other disciplines? And why not politicians?

If our domestic economy continues to decline and we must pay the interest on the IMF-ECB bailout and sovereign debt as a result of the bank guarantee how will the state fund future spending on social welfare, healthcare and education?

The national pension reserve fund was established to fund the future public sector pensions; now that it has been used for bailing out the banks what plans have you or your party for the state to fund pensions in the future?

Social welfare spending accounts for 38% of government spending, the main areas of expenditure include old age pensions, widows, widowers and one parent families, Illness, disability and caring allowance, unemployment support and child related payments. With an ever-increasing older population and higher unemployment the demands on social welfare will rise. How will we fund this service in the future? And where do you see cost reductions or savings can be made?

Ireland spends less on education than most other OECD countries. Funding primary education is vital to ensuring access to education for all our children and laying the foundation for future education, growth and development. Spending on secondary and third level students is double what is spent on primary pupils. Do we need to invest more in primary education? Where can we make savings in education spending so we that our investment is more sustainable and long term?

Do you agree that the state should continue to facilitate and fund children being educated in prefabs and temporary accommodation while hundreds of millions was spent on a failed government decentralisation policy including brand new state of the art facilities for public servants? How would you address this imbalance and injustice?

What reforms would you like to see in how Dail Eireann works?

Do you agree with the abolition or reform of Seanad Eireann?

What we have learned from the past ten years is that a government is only as strong as its opposition. Do you believe that a Fine Gael/Labour coalition with a massive Dail majority and weak opposition is in the best interest of the country at this time? And if so please explain why?

Seanad Accountability and the Finance Bill 2011

At a time when the public and political parties are demanding accountability and transparency in the houses of the Oireachtas and when the very future of Seanad Eíreann is being openly discussed one would imagine that the Seanad would have a full attendance for its last and most important act of the 30th Dail, debating and enacting the Finance Bill.

The Seanad comprises of 60 representatives yet the attendance and voting record of Senators for the Finance Bill show that on Friday the 28th January exactly ten Senators were absent for the crucial vote comprising a remarkable 17% of the Seanad.

On Saturday afternoon for the Final Stages of the Bill nine senators were absent.Throughout the debate and vote the Fianna Fáil-led government side had a majority on all divisions tabled by opposition parties, but almost lost a critical vote on one late recommendation made by Labour and supported by Fine Gael, Sinn Féin and the Green Party which would have seen the Dáil asked to vote on whether to force banks to publish the bonuses paid to bank staff since the bank guarantee was introduced in 2008.

The vote was won by a margin of one in favour of the Government with the support of Senator Ronan Mullen of NUI Galway. What may be of interest to voters is that Senator Mullen voted against the Finance Bill at all stages yet for some reason at the eleventh hour supported the government on this recommendation. How is this possible? Where is the transparency and accountability?

What may also interest voters in the forthcoming election are not just the Fianna Fail, Green Party and some Independents who supported the Bill but the absentees voters our public representatives who were required to be present to enact or reject what was one of the most important acts of legislation in the history of the State, one that will have untold consequences for the people of this country. In particular Senator’s Fidelma Healy White, FG Galway West, Paul Coghlan, FG Kerry South, Labhras O Murchu, FF Tipperary, Pat Moyan, FF Laois Offaly and Senator Marc MacSharry, FF Sligo who were absent for all stages of the Bill.

So now the Finance Bill is introduced and we may never know what bonuses were paid to banking staff during the period 2008 to January 2011, thanks in part to some opposition Senators not being present for the crucial vote.

Transparency and accountability indeed.

Zombie Government

We’ve heard a lot about zombie banks in recent months but what got us into this crisis is a zombie government. A government that appears to be staggering aimlessly from one crisis to the next, cannibalising the economy to feed its insatiable addiction to saving the private banking sector at the cost of our economic sovereignty.

The primary responsibility for what has happened in Ireland lies with our own political, administrative and banking sectors. Fianna Fail have been in power for 18 of the past 20years. They represent the Anglo Irish bank of Irish politics. Their political manifesto is one of party cronyism-appointed supporters to key positions in all sectors of the economy from the Financial regulator, to the boards of banks, FAS and 800 other quangos. These are appointments not based on skills or experience but on the basis of who they know. Through these appointments they control the avenues of power in this state.

Nor does it stop there. They have wrecked our health system, mismanaged our education system, destroyed our banking system and now handed over our National Pension Reserve Fund to further bail out the failed banks. Money which should be used for strategic investment will now be used to further bankrupt the state and wreck any opportunity of recovery. This is the latest in a long line of disastrous decisions that have had catastrophic impacts on the state. This government has utterly failed to take responsibility or accept the consequences of their actions and incredibly continue to speak for and represent the nation in negotiations with the IMF and the EU. Slowly but surely it is dawning on intelligent, responsible and productive adults everywhere that the people they have elected to run the country on their behalf are simply running it for themselves.

The political ideology of the past has failed. Today, we as a nation look into a financial abyss brought about by a total failure of authority and democracy. We urgently need political reform based on a new vision for the 21st century. A political system fit for purpose, one that looks to the future not the past, one that encourages people with real skills and experience into politics, not seeking a lifetime career but a period of national service where they have a responsibility to the citizens of the state first and foremost. The time for civil war and trade union politics routed in the 1920s is long gone.

As a people we have evolved but not our government and political system. Unless our political system is radically changed nothing will change. We need to change the political system before this county turns into a zombie retirement village, run by a zombie government in a nation cannibalised by a failed capitalist and political system.

Over 50,000 people turned out in Dublin last Saturday; I was among them. Having talked and listened on the day to a lot of people of all ages from college students to pensioners, everyone had one common belief. We need political reform. It's time we said "Enough!"

Shining a light from West Cork to Rajasthan on the Worlds Poorest Communities

This past week Partnership for Change, a Cork based low carbon and climate change initative received notification from India that the community based, sustainable energy and lighting project it sponsored through the support of West Cork based EnviroManagement Services and Bord Gais was successfully completed.

As we turn the clocks back and darkness desends earlier for the winter months it is a little easier to imagine what life must be like for those that have no access to artificial light or electricity. We have travelled light years technologically since the days when our homes, towns and villages were in darkness after nightfall, save for oil lamps and candles. The daily illumination of our homes is something we take for granted until there is an unwelcome power outage resulting in an interruption to our energy-fuelled lives or indeed until we read about the unfortnate incidences of households in Ireland now being disconnected because they cant pay their utility bills.

It is hard to believe that there are still over 1.6 billion people around the world who do not have access to electricity and are thrown into darkness as soon as daylight fades. Access to electric lighting allows people to illuminate their environment, providing them with artificial light so that they can undertake basic tasks, like cooking, reading, and household chores. It allows children to study, reducing poverty and provides basic human needs within the household. In instances of no access to electricity many people are forced to light and heat their homes with kerosene lamps. The World Bank has found that burning kerosene indoors to be equivalent to smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. It is estimated that almost one billion women and children are breathing in kerosene on a daily basis. Continued use of these lamps can cause infection of the lungs or eyes as well as respiratory problems. In addition to the significant health risk of the fumes, fires can also erupt when a lamp is knocked over or when household items or clothes are exposed to the flame.

It was to help tackle this that Partnership for Change supported the ‘Lighting a Billion Lives’ (LABL) campaign founded by TERI, The Energy and Resources Initiative, based in India. The LABL campaign aims to bring light into the lives of a billion people across the globe who don’t have access to articifical light or electricity.

In support of TERI’s campaign, Partnership for Change organised a major international climate change conference in Cork in November 2008 through which the proceeds have now directly benefitted the lives of 250 people in a village in Rajasthan in rural India. Proceeds from the conference went to two other charities as well as the ‘Lighting a Billion Lives’ campaign.

This Climate Change Conference supported by some of Ireland’s leading companies was the largest and most significant conference on the topic of climate change ever to have been held in this country, hosting international experts from the field of climate change science. Appropriately, Partnership for Change, which was founded by Bandon-based environmental scientist and consultant Mr. Declan Waugh, committed to making the conference as carbon-neutral as possible. Driven by this objective, some of the international experts who addressed the conference did so remotely by live video confereencing which was sponsored by BT. Both Dr James Hansen, the Director of NASA’s Goddard Space Institute and leading world climate change expert, as well as Dr.Vicky Pope, the Director of the British Hadley Centre for Meteorology and Head of Climate Change for the UK Government, spoke to the conference by live-video link up from America and England respectively. Both speakers took questions from the delegates at the Cork-based conference following their lives addresses. Questions and answers flew back and forth between Ireland, the USA and England at what seemed the speed of light. This cutting-edge technological element to the conference which brought world leaders in the field of climate change science to Cork city added greatly to the ‘energy’ and excitement levels on the day not to mention the reduction in the carbon foot-print of the Climate Change Conference.

The third speaker to address the conference delegates remotely was the Chairman of the United Nations International Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), Dr.R.K Pachauri, who also founded TERI.

Over the last two years, the TERI campaign using renewable solar powered energy sources around has illuminated 30,000 households spread over 550 villages across 15 states in India. Work on the village of Balesar in the state of Rajasthan was funded entirely by Partnership for Change has now been completed. The project involved establishing within the community a solar powered co-operative, managed by the women of the village and providing the funding to install the solar power technology. The project also trained the co-operative members and providing recharagable lamps to every household in the village. It benefitted 250 people within the village directly and created one full time green job in the village.

Founder of Partnership for Change, Declan Waugh says that “knowing that so many people, especially women and children have benefitted from the provision of clean renewable energy light sources to their rural village in India is very rewarding. It will increase the standard of living of the villagers and make a real difference to their everyday lives while also supporting and creating sustainable green jobs in rural communities.”

Other charities which benefitted from the proceeds of the conference included Water Aid and Médecins San Frontieres, both organisations that assist populations that are being affected daily by the impacts of climate change and humanitarian crises around the globe including most recently the earthquake in Haite and the catastrophic floods in Pakistan.

Our Bleeding Country

I have had the great Patrick Kavanagh’s words floating in my mind this past few months.

I have taken the liberty of rewriting his poem 'O Stony Grey Soil of Monaghan' to represent our current state of thinking.

Our Bleeding Country

O Soldiers of Destiny

The laugh from my soul you thieved

You took the gay child of my passion

And gave me your clod conceived

You clogged the feet of our children

We believed in your strut and tumble

Having the poise and stride of Bertie

And his voice the thick tongued mumble

You told me the Celtic Tiger was immortal

Our futures were safe and secure

Your country now bankrupt your citizens blunted

A banking and political system impure

You sang on steaming dunhills

A song of coward’s brood

You drained the public purse,

With your nose in the taxpayers trough

You have flung this countries future

A future once bright and strong.

O Soldiers of Density

You burgled my bank of youth!

Lost the joys of employment and pleasure

All the young men and women that leave

O can we still stroke the monster’s back

Or write with unpoisoned pen

Your name in these lonely verses

Or mention the dark future where

The first gay light of our youths future

Got caught in a bankers prayer.

From West Cork to Dublin City

Now there’s four hundred and fifty thousand

In a welfare state that shows no pity

And a population bludgeoned.

Declan Waugh courtesy of Patrick Kavaghan

Economic Crisis and a Failed Democracy

This is the most dangerous Government in the history of this State which has preceded over the destruction of our economy and left my generation bankrupt, unemployed and without effective leadership

Our system of governance is a sham, power is supposed to belong with the people. In the view of this Irish man who actually gives a damn, the democratic system we have in this country has utterly failed its citizens. Its not just Fianna Fail fault, the strength of a government can only be judged by the strength of its opposition and it is fair to say that the opposition has failed abysmally.

The majority of issues started from 1987 when Fianna Fáil got into power, they preceded over deregulation of the financial system, lack of corporate governance, massive overspend in public infrastructure projects, inept planning policy and total lack of enforcement regulation, HSE mismanagement, public sector benchmarking, the property bubble, FAS, decentralisation, the universal bank guarantee, Anglo Irish Bank and NAMA. We were told unequivocally by this Government that the bank guarantee would be cost neutral for the exchequer and may even bring a profit, at this moment it appears our country is insolvent as a result of the bank guarantee.

The Irish banking system is looking as credible these days as the Afghanistan Kabul Bank assuring the world that it absolutely, positively had enough capitol to available meet all its obligations (ie. About five days before it went bust last week). Unlike Anglo Irish Bank it was not guaranteed by the State, what we have witnessed in Ireland is the transformation of private debt into public debt on an unprecedented scale. We are now in unchartered territory, with no compass, no leadership, no map and a rapidly sinking boat.

National debt now stands at 67% GDP up from a surplus of 3% in 2006. On top of this the bill for paying our public sector is soaring, unemployment is approaching near half a million and we need to borrow €30 billion a year just to pay our public sector.

We were in no uncertain terms betrayed by Government, by the unions, by ourselves. We appear unanimously to be furious about this Government, it has the lowest approval rating of any government in the history of the state, yet nothing has changed.

We continue to hear about innumerable indications (and no conviction) of perjury, bribery, corruption, embezzlement, favouritism, self service, abuse of power, etc, and we all know that this is not even the tip of the iceberg.

I am sick to death of this dysfunctional Government (and its opposition) and their perverse attempts to make the ordinary citizen of this county carry the can for the incompetence of a tiny number of wealthy elite.

In a true democracy the state does not command us, we command the state, democracy means government by the people. Right now more than ever we need to change the political system; out with the old failed civil war politics and in with a new form of government for this century and future generations. Democracy in this county has been Government for the highest bidder and in the past twelve years Fianna Fáil and the PD’s greased the system, the unions and public service to ensure three electoral successes and we let them.

Irish citizens have and always should have the right to choose who represents them. Irish citizens should also be given their right to choose who represents them in the middle of an Economic crisis. I believed last year when I spoke against the banking guarantee and Anglo Irish Bank at the Green Party convention on NAMA that an Election was the only answer to this problem. Ireland belongs to its citizens and not political parties who choose power over democracy. When the Green Party voted for NAMA, I along with many other members resigned. We were told that the bank guarantee would be cost neutral for this country and may even make a profit, I did not believe it then and the results are clearly in; it has bankrupt our state.

The failure of this Government to hold the three outstanding by- elections further illustrates their contempt of democracy. Yet the Government remains in power while the opposition dithers and bickers.

Irelands gross external debt increased by 262% under Fianna Fáil and the PD’s from around €521 billion in 2002, to over €1.36 trillion as of 30 June 2007. In March 2010 the Central Statistic Office (CSO) stated that the gross external debt of all residents sectors in Ireland amounted to €1.67 trillion. The bulk of this debt lies with failed banking institutions and we the taxpayer are being left to carry the can. In a population of 4.5 million that’s €370,000 per citizen on top of their negative equity mortgages and reduced income.

In the words of the soldiers of density, a lot done more to do!

So how much more is left to be done?

It is easy to identify who is responsible; they remain sitting in government and on the opposition benches, failed politicians for a failed generation. Our entire political system is corrupt. Something is rotten in the state of Ireland and we need to realise that only we can change it. The longer we dither, the more we lose.