How do you achieve accountability?

Dannyboy83

I don't know how this would work in reality, but even tho it's oversimplified, I like DMCW's suggestion at the end of this article:

http://www.davidmcwilliams.ie/2006/12/31/make-politicians-accountable-for-antiquated-road-network

This is high-tech Ireland where best practice is applied and quality is delivered. Remember this place is run by Irish people, not Germans. So we are capable of delivering.

We are not a chronically disorganised nation and when we put our mind to it Ireland can be world-beating. We just need a vision that aspires to this, sets targets and does not tolerate shoddiness.

But something happens when you leave this workplace. You depart the world of ‘‘what is possible’’ and re-enter the old Irish world of ‘‘what is tolerable’’. The most visible expression of the other Ireland, the ‘‘what is tolerable’’ Ireland, is our lamentable road system.
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Why do we tolerate this? What other country has a population that puts up with this type of nonsense? How is it possible for a highly productive, educated, and largely, well-behaved electorate to vote in the same people who cannot even build a road network comparable to countries with half our income? Not only are our roads dangerous, they are stressful, filthy dirt-tracks which are more suited to the poorest areas of Latin America than a rich, western European nation. If money is not the problem, what is?

The problem is attitude and management.

It is the second-rate attitude and management of the organs of the state. The pathetic ‘‘road works’’ between Castlebar and Longford are a good example of this.
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We, the drivers of Ireland, should impose our own NCT – a road NCT. If the roads in your area do not pass such a test, the politicians should be voted out.
Simple accountability directly linking the political class with the state apparatus might focus a few minds.

I know a lot of people are going to say this is hardly a relevant issue, given the scale of some of the other issues facing us at the moment, but it's just an example.

We pay more tax than ever for car ownership and road maintenance, and there are more increases being suggested at present, e.g. 5% increase in motor tax, 2% vat increase, carbon tax, fuel duty and so on.
We also know that Capital expenditure is being slashed and none of this money is ringfenced, so fairly obviously none of this money will be for it's intended/supposed purpose.


Why do other countries achieve much better outcomes than Ireland?
What suggestions do people have for fixing the "second-rate attitude and management by the organs of the state"?