The Minister for the Environment, Mr Dempsey, may become a candidate for the title of weakest link in the Coalition Cabinet. Last Wednesday, he was forced into a humiliating u-turn on important legislation when four Independent TDs refused to give up their council seats. In adjoining democracies, such a setback might lead to a resignation, or even to a general election. After all, the Minister had failed to implement Government policy. Worse than that, he had lost the support of his Cabinet colleagues when the choice lay between passing the Bill (with guaranteed Opposition party support) or retaining the goodwill of a handful of Independents. On Tuesday, Mr Dempsey declared he was fully committed to abolishing the dual mandate as a fundamental element of local government reform. The only way that would change, he said, was if the Government decided otherwise. A day later, it did so, effectively annihilating the Minister's authority.
The Department of the Environment embraces a very extensive and difficult portfolio. Back in 1997, few predicted the scale of our rapid industrial growth. As a consequence, bottlenecks developed in relation to roads, housing, water and waste management and a range of other issues. Mr Dempsey was strong on vision, but he failed to deliver in key areas. The much hyped Road Safety Strategy became bogged down and a driver penalty system will only operate from next year. The Government is being taken before the European Court because of poor quality rural drinking water. It is threatened with a multi-million pound fine for failing to implement EU regulations on regional waste management. A tax on plastic bags is still awaited. Attempts to direct and moderate the housing market failed as prices doubled, waiting lists rose and completion figures fell. Strategic growth centres have yet to be identified under the National Development Plan. Road construction is falling behind schedule. The list goes on.
Some of Mr Dempsey's colleagues argue that he has been the author of his own misfortune: that he should have backed off when Mr Jackie Healy-Rae, Ms Mildred Fox, Mr Harry Blaney and Mr Tom Gildea made their objections to his legislation known. But such a response ignores Fianna Fail's pledge to the electorate, dating back to 1995, to abolish doublejobbing involving local authorities and the Oireachtas and to reform local government. Keeping faith with the public, however, appears to be of less importance than keeping four Independents sweet. The Government had offered to amend its Bill by allowing the dual mandate continue until 2009. But nothing short of the excision of this major reform was acceptable to the Independents.
Coming on top of the defeat of the Nice referendum, last week, this episode will certainly damage the credibility and authority of the Government. The four Independents have exercised an absolute veto on Government business, to the extent that they derailed long-standing Fianna Fail policy. As long as their activities were confined to fast-tracking infrastructural projects in their own constituencies, their behaviour was bearable to most Fianna Fail TDs and to the Progressive Democrats. But to have the Independent tail publicly wagging the Government dog may be a different matter. With a general election less than a year away, and tensions increasing, such behaviour could lead to early fragmentation. In abandoning his Minister for the Environment on the dual mandate issue, it must be assumed, the Taoiseach is hopeful of buying long-term insurance to form another minority government with the help of Independents.