Former Fine Gael TD and Minister for Agriculture, Ivan Yates wrote a ‘fantasy’ article in yesterday’s Irish Examiner in which he set out the measures he would take if he was Taoiseach. Some of his suggestions are;
Appoint crime writer Paul Williams as Minister for Justice and retired surgeon Maurice Nelligan as Minister for Health. Drastically cut public expenditure including a 50% reduction in remuneration for all members of the Government. Dismiss all spin doctors, special advisors and stop all advertising and PR spending. Axe more than 50 state agencies and quangos and revoke the national pay agreement.
One of his more bizarre ideas is to appoint PJ Mara to oversee the campaign for Lisbon II. This is as weird as Senator Ross’s obsession with bringing back the chancer McCreevy to save the country.
Ivan Yates, like so many politicians before him, is courageous and visionary when he’s out of the system.
The great tragedy for Ireland is that we have yet to produce a politician who will act with courage and vision from within the system.