New 26-County Cabinet
underlines marginalisation of western and rural Ireland
BY ADMINISTRATOR
01 on MEÁN
AN TSAMHRAIDH 29, 2020
Preas Ráiteas – Meitheamh/June 2020
The composition of the new 26-County cabinet underlines the
highly centralised nature of the 26-County state and the
ongoing marginalisation of western and rural Ireland. A
whole swathe of the western seaboard from Donegal to
Limerick will be without representation at the cabinet
table, while six of the 15 ministers are Dublin based. Also
in keeping with long standing 26-County neglect of the
Gaeltacht and the promotion and development of the Irish
language, ministerial responsibility for the Gaeltacht has
been relegated to one of six areas of responsibility given
to Green minister Catherine Martin.
All of this is in stark contrast to the very real democratic
decentralisation of power and decision making that is set
out in Éire Nua. Under Éire Nua’s proposals for a Federal
Ireland each province would have its own administration with
real power and responsibility for economic and social
development, employment, health and education within the
province. This would ensure two things, firstly, that those
making the decisions are directly accountable to the people
affected by them and are based in the regions affected.
Secondly, that ensures that those making the decisions are
in tune with the needs of their particular province, region
and community.
Currently rural Ireland is in fear and trepidation that
largely urban based Green ministers with no feeling for or
understanding of rural Ireland are set to further compound
the ongoing neglect of rural Ireland. For instance, under
Éire Nua the people of rural Ireland including the Gaeltacht
regions and the islands would be fully represented and
involved in the making of, and implementation of the
decisions that affect them. Likewise, urban areas affected
by high unemployment, social exclusion and drug abuse would
be involved directly in the rejuvenation and administration
of their communities.
Unlike the present partitionist setup, Éire Nua is about
real participatory democracy and not merely pay lip service
to the needs and demands of the people every five years. A
New Ireland would not be simply about jobs for the boys or
girls, the dispensing of political favours by the local TD
or minister like some feudal lord of old. Real democracy
involves all the people including those currently
marginalised from the centre of the economy and society both
urban and rural.
The incoming 26-County administration is simply the same
stale old wine in new bottles. The type of radical, creative
and innovative thinking and action that is required will
never come from parties that are wedded to the status quo.
The Ireland envisaged in the 1916 Proclamation and the
Democratic Programme of the First Dáil will never emerge
from Leinster House. Sinn Féin Poblachtach is proud to put
Éire Nua forward as a credible alternative to a system that
has delivered nothing but failure and betrayal to the Irish
people for 100 years. | 
