Doherty hits back at Toibin's 'unelected ministers' comments

The leader of the Seanad, and former Fine Gael Meath East TD and Social Protection Minister, Regina Doherty, has hit back at Deputy Peadar Toibin’s remarks in this week's Meath Chronicle, on so-called “unelected ministers” who had to stay on in their roles after the General Election, prior to the establishment of a new government.

“In the five months after the election, these so-called “unelected Ministers” were responsible for captaining this country’s response through the worst public health emergency the world has seen in generations,” she stated.

“It was the years of experience managing our respective departments that allowed us to quickly gain control of the situation and ensure the right resources were allocated to the right areas, and that tough decisions were made when needed to effectively manage the country through this crisis.”

Deputy Toibin, the leader of the Aontú party, was speaking after an Aontú Bill to “remove ministers without mandate” passed the first stage in the Dáil.

“The Aontú Bill that will necessitate the replacement of unelected ministers and junior ministers with elected TDs has past first stage of the Dáil,” according to Deputy Tóibín.

He said: “For 140 days after the General Election we had a Taoiseach with no mandate, a Cabinet with unelected ministers, a legislature that could not legislate and a newly elected Dáil with very little ability to scrutinise or hold to account. That this democratic deficit would be allowed to continue for so long in the teeth of a such a crisis was absolutely wrong. In no other sector of Irish society would such a dysfunctional decision-making process be allowed”.

“For 140 days the result of the democratic election was denied to the Irish people while the government without a mandate made enormous decisions with long-lasting ramifications for the economy and future of the Irish people. This is no small issue and it needs to be fixed to prevent it happening again”.

Senator Doherty pointed out: “In my own role, I was unexpectedly obliged, but willing, to continue to serve as Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection. In the five months after losing my seat in the General Election, I designed and implemented the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, which more than 750,000 people relied on for income support, I redesigned rent supplement to take account of the difficult circumstances Irish people found themselves in through no fault of their own to dart in their own homes, I ensured that redundancy payments were secured for those unfortunate not to be returning to their jobs, I applied new and much needed supports for victims of domestic violence and the continuation of school meal programmes in local communities for those families most severely affected.”

“I genuinely believe these measures helped lessen people’s anxieties about how they would support themselves financially and helped garner the massive public support needed for public guidelines issued to help protect us all. Social cohesion at a level never before experienced.”

“Ministers knew what had to be done and how to do it only because they were experienced in their roles and at directing their Department officials. I’m not so sure the speed of response required could have been achieved with brand-new Ministers only reading into and learning their briefs? If this is the deputy’s first response to the worst health crisis our people have ever seen, I think it speaks volumes.”