Who to vote for?

vincenzolorenzo

Ok so i've just been looking at all the candidates running in my constituency and who i want to vote for. On a national scale I'm siding with FG and reckon they have some good policies. But locally we have no good FG TD. We have one FFer and one Labour TD who are very good local representatives. I don't really want either of these parties in government, but at the same time want a good politician to represent us, so who to vote for???

Zubeneschamali

vincenzolorenzo wrote: »

I don't really want either of these parties in government

Don't vote for them, so.

This is a national election, not a county council one. Vote for the candidate who will back the kind of Government you want.

leincar

vincenzolorenzo wrote: »

Ok so i've just been looking at all the candidates running in my constituency and who i want to vote for. On a national scale I'm siding with FG and reckon they have some good policies. But locally we have no good FG TD. We have one FFer and one Labour TD who are very good local representatives. I don't really want either of these parties in government, but at the same time want a good politician to represent us, so who to vote for???

With the state of the nation, surely we should be getting away from the idea of local representatives and looking at TD's being national legislators. Politicians should bring the opinion of the constituency to Dáil Eireann but, should not get involved in local issues like road ramps, roads, water leaks, medical cards etc. That is what we have councillors for.

vincenzolorenzo

Both very true, but the simple fact of the matter is if you need for example an extension to the local school, unless you have a good TD fighting your case you're wasting your time. They can talk about reform forever and a day but until things change (if ever) that is the way we are at the moment.

Lockstep

vincenzolorenzo wrote: »

Ok so i've just been looking at all the candidates running in my constituency and who i want to vote for. On a national scale I'm siding with FG and reckon they have some good policies. But locally we have no good FG TD. We have one FFer and one Labour TD who are very good local representatives. I don't really want either of these parties in government, but at the same time want a good politician to represent us, so who to vote for???

Labour will most likely be in coalition with FG so I wouldn't discount your local Labour TD, if he's a good local representative.

grahmkeatley

leincar wrote: »

With the state of the nation, surely we should be getting away from the idea of local representatives and looking at TD's being national legislators. Politicians should bring the opinion of the constituency to Dáil Eireann but, should not get involved in local issues like road ramps, roads, water leaks, medical cards etc. That is what we have councillors for.

While I tend to agree with this sentiment. In the OP he also states the FG candidate is "no good" in his constituency. I would rather a decent Local issue TD, then a bad National issue TD.

If you dont want FF or Labour in government though, but still want a TD with local voice. I would probably advise looking into some of the independents who would bring some level of voice or participation for you.

-Graham

nesf

leincar wrote: »

With the state of the nation, surely we should be getting away from the idea of local representatives and looking at TD's being national legislators. Politicians should bring the opinion of the constituency to Dáil Eireann but, should not get involved in local issues like road ramps, roads, water leaks, medical cards etc. That is what we have councillors for.

Yeah but if you take that to it's logical conclusion you'd vote for a literal donkey representing FG so long as that donkey was sure to vote FG in the Dáil.

Pete_Cavan

grahmkeatley wrote: »

If you dont want FF or Labour in government though, but still want a TD with local voice. I would probably advise looking into some of the independents who would bring some level of voice or participation for you.

Independents do not automatically have speaking rights in the Dail so voting for an independent could mean having no voice at all.

P. Breathnach

vincenzolorenzo wrote: »

Both very true, but the simple fact of the matter is if you need for example an extension to the local school, unless you have a good TD fighting your case you're wasting your time....

Budgets for all purposes are limited, and funds should be allocated on the basis of greatest need. If a TD fighting a case for your school gets it moved up the list, then it is at the expense of some other school where the need is greater. That, in my view, is wrong.

I suspect that local representatives sometimes have less impact on decisions than they pretend. I have knowledge of a case where an applicant for funding did not invoke any politician's help, but went entirely through the proper channels (direct application to the government department, meetings with the appropriate officials, etc.). The application was successful, and the grant of funding was announced locally by a political representative of the same party as the Minister whose department made the grant.

nesf

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Budgets for all purposes are limited, and funds should be allocated on the basis of greatest need. If a TD fighting a case for your school gets it moved up the list, then it is at the expense of some other school where the need is greater. That, in my view, is wrong.

I suspect that local representatives sometimes have less impact on decisions than they pretend. I have knowledge of a case where an applicant for funding did not invoke any politician's help, but went entirely through the proper channels (direct application to the government department, meetings with the appropriate officials, etc.). The application was successful, and the grant of funding was announced locally by a political representative of the same party as the Minister whose department made the grant.

Oh I've seen that a couple of dozen times with local TDs taking credit for things that they had feck all to do with. Roads, bypasses etc. Some like Healey Ray get stuff but most just get the scraps that are thrown to them.

Pete_Cavan

P. Breathnach wrote: »

Budgets for all purposes are limited, and funds should be allocated on the basis of greatest need. If a TD fighting a case for your school gets it moved up the list, then it is at the expense of some other school where the need is greater. That, in my view, is wrong.

Excellent point, the people of South Kerry may think JHR is great for getting them bits and pieces here and there but they could be losing out overall because some other gombeen is taking what should be going to them and giving it to his constituents. Their needs may be lesser but that does not matter. By voting for a good "local issues" TD you may well be losing out in the long run and the country certainly is losing out.

grahmkeatley

Pete_Cavan wrote: »

Independents do not automatically have speaking rights in the Dail so voting for an independent could mean having no voice at all.

No specific vocal voice in the Dail at all. But that doesnt mean the same thing as not having a voice, in terms of having a say. But then again, with the expected win-fall of Indepedents being over 7 [ which I believe is the quota for forming a group? ] should be met. I have also heard it said that ULA would support any Independent who wished to make the numbers of that.

Sinn Fein have also been strong advocates to this. My guess if the Left has a decent showing in the Dail this should not be a big issue in the next Dail.

-Graham