Constituency winners and losers.

[Spectabilis]

Jan O'Sullivan on RTE now discussing the regeneration project in Limerick. She repeatedly boasted that as a local minister she will deliver for Limerick and her constituents.

This government doesn't even make a pretence of fairness when allocating scarce resources. They're utterly shameless about claiming credit for draining the exchequer into their own constituencies.

Those of us living in constituencies with no voice at cabinet can only look on with envy.

The Limerick regeneration project has been a total failure. They have merely succeeded in moving around 900 people out of troubled areas and demolishing houses. I can't see how a voice at cabinet has been of help to any of these people.

[Baron von Biffo]

The Limerick regeneration project has been a total failure. They have merely succeeded in moving around 900 people out of troubled areas and demolishing houses. I can't see how a voice at cabinet has been of help to any of these people.

There are people in need all across the country and they too live in dump estates. The story here is that O'Sullivan made a point of saying at least 3 times in a short interview that she was the Limerick minister pumping public money into Limerick.

I can't recall a previous cabinet that was so geographically narrow nor one that was so utterly brazen about looking after it's own constituents. Form Gilmore's swimming pool to hospital closures the message is if you have a minister this government will look after you but if you haven't you can FOAD.

[Dr. FIVE]

Rest assured Baron, her and Baldy will do shag all for Limerick or anywhere else

[C. Flower]

Ah! now Cactus... think about it again ..... could there possiblly be another reason for Fianna Fail dropping from 75 to 20 seats in a single election?

Look at the long trend. They were going there anyway. Presiding over the collapse of the national economy only accelerated it.

[Baron von Biffo]

Rest assured Baron, her and Baldy will do shag all for Limerick or anywhere else

With this government you're probably right that small expectations will lead to small disappointments. What ever bit of delivery there is though will be where the ministers are.

[Baron von Biffo]

Having the Taoiseach in the constituency seems to be a plus for Mayo. According to the Indo, Gump has been writing an average of 3 letters a month to Ruairi Quinn to get funding for Mayo schools.

The constant lobbying has resulted in Quinn doing a volte face and allocating €120,000 to a school in Newport that had been turned down as low priority several times previously.

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/...e-3049073.html

Those of us in the dirty bib constituencies can only press our grubby noses to the window and watch in awe as our taxes are divvied up in ministerial back yards.

[riposte]

Having the Taoiseach in the constituency seems to be a plus for Mayo. According to the Indo, Gump has been writing an average of 3 letters a month to Ruairi Quinn to get funding for Mayo schools.

The constant lobbying has resulted in Quinn doing a volte face and allocating €120,000 to a school in Newport that had been turned down as low priority several times previously.

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/...e-3049073.html

Those of us in the dirty bib constituencies can only press our grubby noses to the window and watch in awe as our taxes are divvied up in ministerial back yards.

I have a faint recollection that kind of thing happened once or twice before.

[Baron von Biffo]

We have no money for health services in Roscommon (no minister) but we have €19m for vanity projects in Dublin West (2 ministers).

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...y-3056298.html

[Baron von Biffo]

We already know that most of the hospitals targeted for closure/downgrading are in constituencies with no minister and now it looks like the pattern will be repeated with garda stations.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...e-3088285.html

The counties listed in the article between them boast just two junior ministers.

[Baron von Biffo]

When he was Taoiseach, Bertie managed to swing the National Children's hospital for his constituency but he was ousted before the project was started. Now the only constituency with two cabinet ministers is being tipped to get it.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...d-3228182.html

Amazing co-incidences that will have cynical people muttering darkly.

[Griska]

When he was Taoiseach, Bertie managed to swing the National Children's hospital for his constituency but he was ousted before the project was started. Now the only constituency with two cabinet ministers is being tipped to get it.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...d-3228182.html

Amazing co-incidences that will have cynical people muttering darkly.

Well, cynicism aside, it does seem to have some things in it's favour:

Connolly hospital is believed to have several advantages over the other two favourites, including 50 acres of land on its own campus and another 89 acres in the adjoining National Sports campus, previously earmarked for the 'Bertie bowl'.

All of this land is state-owned and so would come cost free to the Department of Health.

The site is near the M50/N3 as well as having a railway station nearby and bus access.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...d-3228182.html

[Baron von Biffo]

Well, cynicism aside, it does seem to have some things in it's favour:

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...d-3228182.html

True but a green-field site in Portarlington would better in terms of road and rail access while being more central which some would see as an advantage for a national hospital.

Sticking with the cynicism for a while longer, we can note that Laois/Offaly has no minister.

[Baron von Biffo]

Having a minister or a junior in the constituency doesn't hurt when scarce resources are being distributed. James Reilly's Dept. of Health has just published the list of 35 proposed Primary Care Centre locations and two thirds are in the constituencies of senior or junior ministers.

Carlow/Kilkenny (Hogan), Dublin North (Reilly) and Mayo (Kenny and Ring) get two each as do junior ministers constituencies of Donegal South West (McGinley), Galway East (Cannon) and Meath East (McEntee).

There's one each to Cabinet ministers in Cork South Central (Coveney), Dublin Mid West (FitzGerald), Dublin North Central (Bruton), Dublin South (Shatter), Kerry North/West Limerick (Deenihan), Limerick (Noonan and O'Sullivan), and Wexford (Howlin).

Louth (O'Dowd) and Tipp North (Kelly) got one each.

[Slim Buddha]

True but a green-field site in Portarlington would better in terms of road and rail access while being more central which some would see as an advantage for a national hospital.

Sticking with the cynicism for a while longer, we can note that Laois/Offaly has no minister.

Not long ago, you had the Taoiseach looking after you in "Parlon Country"

[Baron von Biffo]

Not long ago, you had the Taoiseach looking after you in "Parlon Country"

Even if that was true, would it have been acceptable do you think?