Futuristics?

Government. Local or Central?

What is the political future for Co Louth or what is the future for politics in Co Louth? Where are we going and how do we get there?

Judging by discussions I heard on the radio on the Monday and Tuesday after the recent elections the main cause of the setback to the government parties was "arrogance" on the part of ministers and those generally in power. More than one speaker called for a "softening" of the image of Fianna Fail (whatever about the Progressive Democrats)?

This is a superficial diagnosis although I agree that good manners and consideration for others is far more than a cosmetic consideration in all human commerce.

No. The government was engrossed and aggressive over comparatively minor and unpractical matters like immigration and "Sinn Fein’s private army." The issues about these things will solve themselves over time with a commonsense and decent and less fussy approach.

There are other harder questions hanging over us in this locality - questions like energy supply, health, transport and communications, waste disposal, anti-environmental practice in agriculture and fishing. These will be the abiding issues for us in Co Louth for the next century and they will not go away.

The elections have thrown up plenty of talent and I am confident that Louth County Council and the town and borough councils will give us palpable and welcome leadership in the years immediately ahead in this county. And I hope they will promote a cooperative effort to harness the resources of "The College" and other educational establishments as well as the hospitals and local voluntary and community organizations to address real and key issues - some of which I have already mentioned.

It seems to me that every effort should be made to develop our own resources, including human resources, at local level. We cannot expect a fairy god-mother like Micheal McDowell in the capital to copperfasten civilization in Louth and guarantee our way of life for the future.