LAST night, as I watched RTE’s Primetime Investigates, my blood boiled.

It showed blatant examples of how councillors attempted to further their own ends while holding roles in public office.

Was I surprised? No. Was I pissed off? Absolutely.

These are people who are supposed to have the people’s best interests and not their own at the forefront.

As I look at the Irish countryside destroyed by the sight of windfarms I now question how some were allowed to locate them on such land.

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It started me thinking about the state of our nation and why is it these people get re-elected time and time again?  Is it a case of better the devil you know? I am sick of hearing about parish pump politics.

Have we learned nothing from the incidents of corruption in previous governments under Charlie and Bertie.

When there was any hint of wrongdoing there were lengthy and costly tribunals set up. The voting population became bored and after millions of taxpayers’ money was spent, the outcomes of these tribunals never really taught us anything that we didn’t already know.

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I believe there are some elected representatives in this country that are rotten to the core. They think that nepotism is a good thing as it is getting work for their friends and family. Until we, the voting public, say enough is enough, it will continue to happen.

So how do we stop it? Clearly I don’t have all the answers, if I did I would be running the country. Ever since the Celtic Tiger debacle and the financial crash that left so many on the brink of poverty, I have said that we need to change how we run the state.

We have too many TDs, quangos and semi state bodies. They do little but serve to provide jobs for the boys. I believe many of them are rotten to the core. There really does need to be a major overhaul, my only issue is that the alternative isn’t exactly inspiring.

Cut the amount of elected dail members in half. We as a population do not need the current ratio, in actual fact it is ridiculously high and is only a breeding ground for nepotism and corruption.

I do have a huge amount of empathy for those genuine men and women in politics who do as good a job as they can, alongside their crooked counterparts.

So will there be any more fallout from last night’s programme and talk of changes to the system? Possibly, but sure it will all be grand by the time the general election comes around and the promise of fixing the potholes or getting Mary a house will put the same type of greedy politician back in power.

But sure now it’s a great little country!

Until next week,

Question everything,

Orlagh xx