'This is not all about Micheál Martin, but he needs to bring more urgency,' TD says
James Cox
Fianna Fáil TD Malcolm Byrne has said Taoiseach Micheál Martin needs to bring more urgency to delivering on critical infrastructure, and tell people "if you're not finding solutions, you're part of the problem".
Sources have indicated unrest within Fianna Fáil at Mr Martin's leadership following Jim Gavin's disastrous presidential campaign, which met a premature end.
In an interview with BreakingNews.ie, Mr Byrne said this was an issue but that the main priority should be faster delivery in areas such as housing, childcare and disability services.
"The presidential election will fade from memory in a relatively short period of time. Jim Gavin will be the answer to a table quiz question in four years' time but if we're not seen to have made significant progress on housing, infrastructure, disability and childcare, those are issues that will really impact the wider public.
"I think I'm just articulating a frustration. Yes, the economy is doing well... we have a very good education system, really bright, incredible people.
"But for some reason in Ireland, there is an incredible slowness about getting things done. That is painful to watch at times. It never used to be that way to the same extent."
While he acknowledged frustration at Mr Martin within the party, Mr Byrne said "this is not just about Micheál Martin". However, he said the Taoiseach needs to take a more proactive approach in injecting urgency into delivery on key issues, particularly housing.
"I'm always conscious that 100 years ago in 1925 Ardnacrusha [power station] was conceived, designed and construction started, within six years it was providing energy to over 80 per cent of Irish homes.
"In many ways, on energy in Ireland today, we need an Ardnacrusha moment, that's with offshore renewables. Even with all the modern technology we have, we're not able to get that six year turnaround that we could a century ago.
"That for me is really frustrating, it is what's holding up our country's economic and social development to be blunt.
"This is not just about Micheál Martin, I have to be clear about that. But ultimately he is the leader, and I want to see him succeed and the Government succeed, but on issues like housing and infrastructure we need to start to take on where some of the bottlenecks and delays are.
"The point that I've been making is that we've been tieng ourselves up with red tape in a lot of those critical issues over the last couple of decades.
"Don't get me wrong, there are good reasons for some of it, but housing is the top issue in the country at the moment. The question I'm asking is every relevant minister, every secretary general of a government department, every chief executive of a relevant agency, they should all be asking themselves every morning 'what am I doing to ensure the building of more homes?'"
He said all government departments should be focused on faster delivery on criticial infrastructure issues.
What the Taoiseach needs to do is start to pull all these people in around the table and say to them 'if you're not there finding solutions, then you're part of the problem'.
"Being blunt, if they are not doing that then they're part of the problem. I think we have to start to be more radical. I often use the example of Charlie Haughey with the Irish Financial Services Centre in Dublin's Docklands. Every Monday morning he would pull all the key players in around the table and ask them had they got their homework done.
"We need a similar type of approach to housing and infrastructure. Everyone can look at the figures, why it's personal to me is it's family, friends, people who I know that are impacted.
"By the fact that we are not seeing affordable homes being built, by the fact that on the M11 the traffic jams are getting worse and we don't have a reasonable rail services to provide an alternative. I know people with challenges around childcare and families who have to fight just to be heard around gaining access to disability services.
"We are a successful, wealthy country. It's not that historically the line would be 'this would be great, if only we had the money', this isn't about the money, it's about being able to make the decisions that will have a real impact on people's lives."
He added: "That's why I'm saying what the Taoiseach needs to do is start to pull all these people in around the table and say to them 'if you're not there finding solutions, then you're part of the problem'."
Mr Byrne also cited the Metrolink and issues with the Dublin Airport passenger cap.
He also said some agencies are not working as best they could, "frankly some of them are not focused on the issues they should be focused on".
As an example, he revealed he had organised a meeting between community organisations in his Wicklow-Wexford constituency and Uisce Éireann, only for it be cancelled at the last minute.
"I was particularly annoyed recently where I was looking to bring two local community groups to meet with Uisce Éireann and they refused at the last minute.
"There is a question to some of those agencies, are they really serving the public or are they serving themselves? As politicians, we've got to start to hold them to account for that."
He expressed hope that the Government can bring a faster pace to providing solutions on the critical issues, adding that this is what the people in his constituency want.
"We're one year in government, there is time, but it's about injecting an urgency into some of these processes. Every morning I get up I am influenced by the people that I represent in north Wexford and south Wicklow who are the ones who get up early in the morning, do everything right, go to work, they're the ones we have to represent. They are the ones who are deeply frustrated by the slow pace of delivery."
