Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

We held a remembrance event in Waterford on Saturday to mark the recent passing of Brendan Cummins, someone who I recommended to the Taoiseach to the board of SETU. Brendan was a global CEO of Ciba-Geigy for many years and a board member of two companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange, but it was his civic work in Waterford he will be most remembered for, especially his outstanding work for Respond Housing Association. Ar dheis láimh Dé go raibh a anam dílis.

Anger is an important emotion in politics. After the termination of the prolonged period of social distancing in the Leinster House bubble necessitated by the return to the campaign trail, party elected are meeting palpable anger at many doors and they are asking where is all of this going. Obviously, our first instinct is defensive. How can we protect our society from all of this anger? There is worry, too, that it may spill over into something more sinister.

Anger is also an indispensable political emotion, for without angry speech, how would we know that the powerless get an audience with the body politic. Since my election to this Chamber more than four years ago, I have advised the Taoiseach and the Government about the anger building in Waterford and the south east. I have tried to do this in a measured tone, not to stoke it but rather to relay it, which is my duty as an elected representative. Of course, anyone watching Waterford will have seen the anger rising. In 2013, the Waterford "gives a shirt" protest saw 22,000 people march on the street. People were worried and angry then too, seeing the treatment of their regional hospital and university. That anger did not materialise for no reason. In 2011, the Taoiseach's party, Fine Gael, promised a full university to Waterford. Cut to today, Waterford people continue to remain angry at the failure to progress higher education with meaningful funding - no new promised teaching buildings at Waterford, no new promised courses, no new promised funding resources. After 13 years of Fine Gael rule, there is no publicly funded delivery.

We saw James Reilly, as the Fine Gael health Minister, promise in 2012 that the Cork hospital grouping would be fair to Waterford, but what a story of tatters and tears that has resulted in. Not to be outdone, roll on 2016, where Fianna Fáil promised it would deliver 24-7 cardiac care to the south east. In fact, the Tánaiste took electoral advantage in an infamous 2016 photo showing him on hospital grounds standing with a banner making that very promise. Fast forward to today, three announcements to deliver service funding over a ten-month period by the present Minister of State for health continued to be more political bluster. On 24-7, we have not seen investment even to begin the recruitment for the seven-day service.

The major parties that formed the Government have made promises to the people of Waterford and the south east. All were deeply important promises. All were deeply symbolic. These promises have been made for electoral advantage and they have been subsequently broken. Can the Taoiseach understand the sense of anger and betrayal in Waterford over these promises. Is such anger not justified?

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