Contacting TDs/Ministers

ilikepears

Just wondering have any of you ever contacted any member of government to lodge a complaint or to show your appreciation (????) for something that concerned you. Did you just receive a generic thanks for your message type thing or was action actually taken.

ItsAWindUp

I live in a constituency where Mattie McGrath is one of the representatives, I think I would be wasting my time.

starbelgrade

ilikepears wrote: »

Just wondering have any of you ever contacted any member of government to lodge a complaint or to show your appreciation (????) for something that concerned you. Did you just receive a generic thanks for your message type thing or was action actually taken.

I have contacted quite a few TDs over the years for different reasons. Some have been very helpful while others just send generic replies.

The best ones for personal replies have been Labour Party members, the worst, Fianna Fail.

However, in general none of them have been much help at all in actually doing anything.

omahaid

I did years ago in Cork (north side) about car insurance and the shocking state of broadband (in 2002 I think it was). I wrote to every TD. Not one Fianna Fail TD replied. All the others did expressing the usual ****e (we agree with you, this is what our party thinks is wrong etc etc). I was very annoyed that none of the government TDs replied tbh

Dionysus

ItsAWindUp wrote: »

I live in a constituency where Mattie McGrath is one of the representatives, I think I would be wasting my time.

That's probably one of the few constituencies where a complaint would be worth making. I guarantee you he'd have the story of your lost goldfish/poodle/tyre on Pat Kenny the next morning. He'd probably even threaten the government's majority with it, if he could.

PR-STV, as an electoral system you've got to love it.

starbelgrade

ItsAWindUp wrote: »

I live in a constituency where Mattie McGrath is one of the representatives, I think I would be wasting my time.

Mattie McGrath is a political huer.. he'd do anything to keep his seat in the Dail & for some reason - the only one I can really think of is that half the electorate are retarded - he manages to keep it.

ItsAWindUp

Dionysus wrote: »

That's probably one of the few constituencies where a complaint would be worth making. I guarantee you he'd have the story of your lost goldfish/poodle/tyre on Pat Kenny the next morning. He'd probably even threaten the government's majority with it, if he could.

PR-STV, as an electoral system you've got to love it.

Not unless he thought it could benefit him in some way

casandra

Slightly off thread, but now that we have been lied to consistantly time and time again by politicitians, is it time we Never believe any words from their mouths ?

Wertz

ItsAWindUp wrote: »

I live in a constituency where Mattie McGrath is one of the representatives, I think I would be wasting my time.

You should send him a turd in a shoebox. He likes that sort of thing.

Dionysus

I did contact a local TD years ago to get this gorgeous foreign babe whom I was doing a line with into the country. He fast-tracked her application to Enterprise and Employment.

If the truth be known, however, you can usually find somebody in the relevant department/county council who will sort your problem out. Everything else I have needed from local or national government has been done through contacting the relevant person in the local or national authority/department responsible.

It's important to get through to the person who can make the required change, however.

Political clientalism/localism should be dispensed with and a professional legislative assembly should be elected. A good start could be made in this direction by changing the electoral system which feeds the current clientalism.

tayto lover

casandra wrote: »

Slightly off thread, but now that we have been lied to consistantly time and time again by politicitians, is it time we Never believe any words from their mouths ?

I am a long time on the go and I wouldn't trust any of them. Lies flow naturally from their mouths.

woodoo

I think it is worth contacting them. I wish more did.

I have emailed a few and always get a response. No doubt its from one of their staff. But you can be sure the staff are keeping them up to speed with what is coming in.

later12

Society has become so used to criticising parish pump politicians that it may have over-reached and forgotten that constituents should communicate with their local representatives. Their opinions should inform his or her policy because he is their representative.

In Ireland, I have regularly contacted local TDs and councillors about matters within their remit. Some have been particularly engaging, others less interested.

Communication with your local representatives should not be discouraged in the bid to rid Irish politics of the parish pump. You just have to be aware of the difference between your local representative's job description, and that of civil administration's role.

Biggins

ilikepears wrote: »

Just wondering have any of you ever contacted any member of government to lodge a complaint or to show your appreciation (????) for something that concerned you. Did you just receive a generic thanks for your message type thing or was action actually taken.

Contacted a lot of them many times.
I found the most responsive was SF by far.
Some would just completely ignore you or IF YOUR LUCKY AT ALL, sent the generic rely.
Other would send a reply on the topic you asked/had thoughts on - making sure to send you their sales pitch - then later in another letter ask you to aid their latest cause by working for them in some fashion!

On a rare occasion I get a genuine interested response - but its usually then obvious by later wording that the writer has reined themselves in and in not saying too much, is trying to stick to the party line - lest the whips find out prematurely that their own members differ in some thoughts/areas.

later12

Biggins wrote: »

lest the whips find out prematurely that their own members differ in some thoughts/areas.

The whips have nothing to do with publicly or privately expressed opinions, merely voting behaviour in parliament.

Biggins

later10 wrote: »

The whips have nothing to do with publicly or privately expressed opinions, merely voting behaviour in parliament.

If only it was that easy.
They keep watch on what goes on outside the Dail so that when it comes to voting inside, no other influence has previously made itself known and they make it their objective sometimes to 'cut things off at the pass' if it can be helped prior-wise.
...So they keep an eye on others beyond just later voting procedures.

later12

Biggins wrote: »

If only it was that easy.
They keep watch on what goes on outside the Dail so that when it comes to voting inside, no other influence has previously made itself known and they make it their objective sometimes to 'cut things off at the pass' if it can be helped prior-wise.
...So they keep an eye on others beyond just later voting procedures.

I've never, ever heard such a suggestion. Whips are TDs themselves with their own respective workloads, they don't have time to pore over other deputies' inane ramblings outside of the Oireachtas.

What gave you this opinion?

Biggins

later10 wrote: »

I've never, ever heard such a suggestion. Whips are TDs themselves with their own respective workloads, they don't have time to pore over other deputies' inane ramblings outside of the Oireachtas.

What gave you this opinion?

Seeing them in action and talking to them.
Part of their role (understandably) is to ensure that the party-line is followed.
This don't always be restricted to just voting. Their role in some parties relate to material getting into the press for example that might expose to the public/other parties that there is a split or indecisiveness within one own org'.

They don't follow all inane ramblings but with experience, they do keep ears to the ground in regard to a particular few at times - just to be on the safe side and pre-empt any forking of direction roads/thoughts of others from within.

later12

Whips, of all people, understand political manoeuvering. They have absolutely no role in disciplining party members for mere statements even if (out of political naivety) they were to take such statements seriously.

A whip's role is very well defined across the parties.

Which party are you thinking of specifically?

Biggins

later10 wrote: »

Whips, of all people, understand political manoeuvering. They have absolutely no role in disciplining party members for mere statements even if they were to take such statements seriously. A whip's role is very well defined across the parties. Which party are you thinking of specifically?

We will have to agree to disagree.
I have been informed, learned and experienced different - close up.
I'm NOT naming parties on an open public forum.
The press might have a field day!
I have the trust of a number of people in the Dail - I'm sure as hell not going to start naming or give hints to some good people just for your pleasure.

TheZohanS

Was dropping a friend home over the Xmas and drove around a bad bend, was amazed to see a "concealed entrance"sign in the middle of the bend so I asked my friend about it. Apparently the owners of this house were able to get planning because they were "well in" with the TD. Absolute disgrace, accident waiting to happen.

Fcuk off parish pumps politics, you have no place in this country, FCUK off CORRUPTION by another name.

DEFTLEFTHAND

I've contacted Shatter in the past few days over the disgraceful closing of Roscrea Court House. Got the usual runaround bull**** reply. We need to remove this clown from office, he will destroy our legal profession.

AgileMyth

Countless times to countless individuals and departments. Always in relation to VAT on personal protective equipment for motorcyclists. And yet the latest budget sees it rise to 23%.

Richard Hillman

I sent an email to Mary Mitchell-O'Connor, she never replied. I also sent one to Leo Varadkar and he did reply.

Mark200

tayto lover wrote: »

I am a long time on the go and I wouldn't trust any of them. Lies flow naturally from their mouths.

In fairness, when they need to pretend to care about potholes and painting fences just to get elected, what do you expect?

It's the electorates fault. No politician who tells the truth would ever get elected.

Gloomtastic!

One of my pet gripes with Irish politics is why does each constituency need more than one TD.

When you do have a query regarding some political matter do you write to one or all of your TDs?

Do you only ask the TD you voted no. 1?

Do you include the TD you didn't vote for?

Logically it seems a stupid, wasteful system that only guarantees three or four people doing the job of one. All paid-for, with unvouched expenses, by us fools!

Whenever I have written to each of my TDs asking them why I need more than one of them, only one independent bothered replying saying it was due to the Constitution and what a wonderful job he was doing.

ArmaniJeanss

Biggins wrote: »

I'm NOT naming parties on an open public forum.
The press might have a field day!

You should name the party.

I'd be fairly sure that you naming a party on boards.ie isn't going to result in the Fouth Estate descending en masse to After Hours.

Biggins

Sitec wrote: »

An email is generic, a hand written format is better.

Whenever I send one, I always register it.
I know its slightly costly but I've learned through experience that some deny ever having received correspondence.