Public service unions now the `real rulers of Ireland'

The public service unions "are becoming the real rulers of Ireland" and that is an unhealthy situation, warned the Kilkenny People…

The public service unions "are becoming the real rulers of Ireland" and that is an unhealthy situation, warned the Kilkenny People in an editorial entitled "Beginning a Winter of Discontent". It criticised the nurses' unions for threatening the Government, blamed non-nursing staff representatives for "heightening the atmosphere of discontent and confrontation" and reprimanded "political spin doctors" for manipulating the media.

The economic and social achievements of the last decade were remarkable and had set Ireland apart, but, warned the People, "the atmosphere of contentment has largely evaporated and it has been replaced by a bitterness of attitude that is permeating right through society."

The Nationalist and Leinster Times praised the "courageous and open contribution" of Bishop Willie Walsh at the National Conference of Priests. Dr Walsh said that as a result of recent traumas the church "is far more close to what the church is about than when it was too powerful". But the newspaper also commented that "the image of priests in Ireland has been on a downward spiral for some time . . . The clergy must be seen to be more relevant to their flock".

"Nuclear Nightmare" screamed the Ballymena Guardian. "Ballymena caught up in Japanese radiation alert . . . Minister flies out to be with son and family." The explanation for Ballymena's involvement in the recent nuclear accident in Japan was that a local minister, the Rev Brian Savage from Ballykeel Presbyterian church, had a 29-year-old son, 30-year-old Japanese daughter-in-law and three-month-old grandson living in Japan, five miles from the plant where a nuclear accident made world headlines.

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"Before jetting out, Mr Savage told the Guardian that they were still concerned about the long-term effects of the situation but that Patrick's family had been screened and checked and were found to be safe. Mr Savage said his trip to the Far East had been scheduled for some time and the radiation scare wasn't putting him off making it, but in fact made them want to embark on the trip to console the family after the radiation leak." Rural Ireland is becoming more American every day. Tesco is close to signing the deal on its first purpose-built store in Ireland, to be located in Castlebar, where it will be the third large supermarket, stated the Connaught Telegraph.

Meanwhile, Ward Anderson, the "Dublin-based cinema moguls", are proposing to build a multiplex cinema directly opposite the entrance to Dunnes Stores supermarket.

Ireland's lakes and rivers have been so neglected over the past 30 years that some English anglers who once came to Ireland twice a year are now turning towards Alaska, Russia and Portugal for fishing. Frank Quigley, the editor of Angling News, has called for the establishment of a new authority which "should be properly funded and be responsible for looking after all waterways from source to sea and everything therein," stated the Northern Standard.

The Kildare Nationalist claimed that "Kildare authorities are failing miserably in meeting national quotas for employing people with disabilities." Jane Mullins wrote that "only nine of the 720 employees of Kildare County Council have a disability. This is 1.25 per cent of staff and falls far short of the national minimum target for 3 per cent of total staff." Frank Mullen of the Kildare Network for People with Disabilities described the figures as "ludicrous".

A "white elephant" advance factory in Longford has sat empty since it was built five years ago and the Longford Leader has "given up" seeking explanations from its political representatives, particularly Mr Albert Reynolds TD. The total absence of industrial development in Longford was "an absolute disgrace", it stated. The editorial writer was smarting at the announcement last week that over 100 jobs are to be lost by Christmas in the IEC factory in Longford town, which is "the latest in a long line of employment disasters in the county", among them Atlantic Mills.

"Longford is woefully represented in the places where decisions are made about new industrial developments . . . Leadership seems to be a forgotten quality in Longford and we are paying the price for it now," it concluded. The Limerick Leader said "Sorry Frank" and asked, "What is it with Frank McCourt? He is still making millions out of Limerick and he has hardly a good word to say about the city of his youth.

It is not entirely surprising, therefore, if even liberal people in Limerick are now beginning to turn against him. "So what? Is his failure to understand Limerick then or now sufficient reason to cold-shoulder him? If Limerick is to remain true to its wonderful tradition of loyalty to its own, native and blow-in alike, it will try to understand him. Whatever the cause, he is one of her wounded sons, and he is still hurting. Come home, Frank. All is forgiven."