Commentary: Opinion
Evin Daly – 7th January 2011
What do we call people who make promises and don’t deliver? Liars.
Barry Andrews the Irish Minister for Children was in the news in mid-December congratulating himself for a job well done in continuing to record the plight of poor Irish children while doing nothing about it.
December 31st records Maeve Lewis, CEO of the abuse survivors groups One in Four, taking Andrews to task for never delivering on the funding he promised two years ago for counseling services for victims.
This funding was emergently needed after the publishing of the Ryan report which highlighted child abuse at the country’s industrial schools. The report prompted an overwhelming increase in the demand for help for victims. In promising the funds and by not delivering Andrews demonstrates his impotency of office. It also makes him a liar.
Andrews has had a short and ineffective stint as Minister for Children. Perhaps in his appointment to the post he was at the receiving end of a favor owed. His getting the job was certainly not for his talent in getting things done.
Repeated attempts by this agency – One Child International – to meet with Andrews throughout 2010 to promote national child protection measures went for the most part unanswered. Form letters of receipt aside, he did send a representative to meet me looking for a hand-out to fund the 116 000 project. This we offered to do if the government would pitch in 25%. We were told no funding was available.
Over a 150 million Euros has been spent recording a slice of the sexual abuse endured by Irish children at the hands of the clergy. While the recording of such diabolical activities is important, one must ask if it would have been better to spend, say, 50 million on the reports and 100 million on providing services for the abused and in putting preventative measures in place.
Revealed records from 40 years ago show that the same issues were being discussed then. And what has happened in the mean time? Nothing, except the continuing transfer of wealth from the taxpayer to an elite few who compile these reports. Hint, they’re among the same elite who manage Ireland’s meaningless tribunals.
Not much is needed to ease the plight of Irish children. It doesn’t take a lot of money, although more than less certainly helps. It takes a minister who is not afraid to go among the people and be seen to be doing something – anything – to help the down-trodden. Narrative and sound bite commentary is not what is needed; action and the provision of promised, adequate funding is. It takes a minister who leaves his insecurities behind and takes the lead.
In the coming election one must hope that the Irish electorate will not be lethargic and re-elect the failed politicians of the past. The next four years will be tough no matter who is in power. Historical party affiliation is meaningless; we need effective leaders. History has shown us that politicians are economic cheerleaders taking credit when times are good and scurrying for cover like rats when times are bad. Ireland needs fresh blood.
Remember this, Andrews exemplifies a failed political administration that hid behind form, formality and deception while pushing Ireland into bankruptcy, burdening it with a near insurmountable debt. A debt created not by a bad economy but by unqualified politicians who oversaw and cheered on the gamblers at the property roulette table who make un-winnable wagers with what ultimately turned out to be your money.
George Orwell’s Animal Farm was a supposed satire on the communist regime. On closer look one finds that it is also a comfortable fit for the current Irish government where the elected hide behind the walls of office enjoying the privilege – and fruits – of position while doing nothing. Proof of this was at the debate in December about the emergency IMF funding where fewer than 15 members attended the debate in the Dail – the Irish parliament. Fifteen out of 166 – imagine.
These people are public servants; elected to serve the electorate. Remind them of that in the upcoming election. And while you’re at it ask Andrews why he got into politics to begin with because looking at his record with helping Ireland’s children it’s impossible to tell.
Evin Daly is the CEO of One Child International and a contributing writer to the ButlerReport.com.
Info: Child Abuse Watch
The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author only, not of Spero News.
its not only that we get no help from these groups . there is also the fact that many of us had never even heard of them ‘ and yet we are all paying thier very good wages.i think thats mainly what its about for these so called leaders.
Please please do away with all funded groups a waste of money,why can the Government not understand what we are asking.I and many others never have any help from them.
the right of place say they are improving under new management ohh but wait the free number has just been stopped great wages though if you want a job there mmm.
there is also no coverage or documentary on how survivors are coping with their lives after such an ordeal.
I asked the Right of Place what are they doing on behalf of survivors they do not know. full stop.
statuary fund? do not know full stop.
welcome house closed full stop.
no web page full stop
welfare and care for survivors nothing full stop.
if you want any information no news full stop.
No problem. I’ll do the best I can to keep a check on spellings etc.
this is not just about money for the groups. its about the moneys promised to the survivers. all these peaple in politics have been to the same schools. None of them know what we are feeling like. and thay dont care. we were at no time asked if we would want the money spent by these groups if we agreed with what thay are doing. if i decided that the workers give money to charity.
without asking them firstI WOULD BE IN TROUBLE.but thats whats going on .
Will do Paddy. Excuse me for taxing you and it wont happen agaain.
While I’m happy to correct spelling, it does take time and hence can delay a comment being posted. I would ask people if they can to write their comments in Word, do a spell check on them and then copy and paste it into the comments section of this website. That makes life easy for all of us and speeds things up. Paddy.
Paddy, will you correct my spelling. It’s been a long time since I wrote in English, hence the spelling. Thanks.
Yes a clean out is needed in the whole of Irish society beginning at the top. We have clerical terrorism and now economic terrorism caused by the most incompetent and criminal government in western Europe. The population is being turned into serfs to the IMF for generations to come. The spinelessness we are witnessing has been the reason why clerical terror against children and even the population has never been challenged. Either Ireland rids its self of these gombeens or we might as well declare the republic a failure and request the EU to appoint a guardian for the country and failing that re enter a union with the UK. They at least have some decent leaders.
TO clarify, funds that were allocated weren’t delivered. Andrews blamed the HSE (as everyone does these days). He allocated – promised – what wasn’t there – a naked man offering his shirt. The upside for him was that he got political reward that he hopes will further his career. His call recently for a Taoiseach from the ‘younger generation’ is a transparent and obvious reference to his own wish to become the ‘cáis mór.’
Barry Andrews you are a disgrace and should be dismiss from your job.
Dear Evin,
As much as we all hate to see nothing done by Barry Andrews I personally applaud him, applaud him for withholding FUNDS to the 10 or 11 groups who are squabbling at the trough for more money to them. There is approx 12 million Euro already in a FUND for what is ailing our kind. I want the money Mr. Barry Andrews has control of to be paid out individually to all of us, not just the few represented by the Groups who claim to have thousands on their books, I want all the groups to be disbanded. Sorry if that sounds a bit harsh but claim for your members out of the 12 million already available.
Respectfully Yours.
Seanie.
I would add ‘1984’ to Animal Farm; Georges Orwell’s work is a very accurate description of Ireland today. Irish society together with her system of government is UNBELIEVABLY CRUEL, if you’re not a member of this CALLOUS ELITE called THE IRISH CHURCH-STATE GULAG.
This is the society – IRELAND – where –
in 2010 !!!! –
the PRACTICE of ‘BREAKING CHILDREN’ ROUTINELY TAKES PLACE.
BEHIND THE CLOSED DOORS OF FAMILY LAW.
WHERE A CHILD IS LOCKED IN WITH HIS/HER ABUSIVE PARENT (in a SOLITARY WARD).
UNTIL THE CHILD EVENTUALLY BREAKS.
HE/SHE IS THEN FORCED INTO THE ABUSIVE PARENT’S CARE AND ACCESS.
BARBARIC. AND WE HAVE BEEN VOTING THESE PEOPLE IN YEAR IN YEAR OUT. AND THE WHOLE THING IS STILL HAPPENING. AS IT UNRAVELS BEFORE OUR OPEN EYES
RIGHTS FOR THE CHILD? HUMAN RIGHTS? WOMEN’S RIGHTS?
IT WON’T DO MUCH GOOD APPEALING TO ‘SAINTS AND SCHOLARS’ NOW. THAT ONE SURE DIDN’T WORK……