McHugh's Miscellany: Planning, potholes, politicians and public scrutiny

Just to take your minds off the potential if not certainty of food prices rocketing back to prices last experienced in the months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, because of Mr Putin deciding to withdraw from the grain deal that effectively allowed the world to be fed, especially its poorer nations, the local general elections will take place next year.

The legacy of the lost town councils in Bundoran, Ballyshannon, Buncrana and Letterkenny lingers on as I think they were good for local democracy.

Not without fault some would say, but they were most certainly better than nothing.

But rather than axing them, I felt that they should have been expanded to all urban areas with a population of 2,000 plus and community councils with populations below that.

Admittedly, municipal districts bring democracy to more local levels.

One step down from the full membership of Donegal County Council, as a priority for the people of Kilcar and Killybegs, may not be the same for Kincasslagh, Killygordon and Kildrum, but expecting a single councillor, whatever their political affiliation, to try and be the soothsayer for everything in a town or village from planning to potholes is asking a bit much within this current electoral template.

Their evaporation, the local councils that is, in my humble opinion, has increased, if not copper fastened the belief that democracy is at a greater distance now from the electorate, than ever before.

I also think that to a certain degree, the general apathy which exists today towards politics , while greatly fuelled by the unregulated minefield of social media, is somewhat linked to the abolition of democracy, at its most local level.

Unfortunately, that even permeates to Dáil Éireann itself for certain constituents within the south of the county, where they get to choose between a Leitrim or Sligo TD, to represent their interest in our national parliament.

Things are beginning to fray at the edges regarding any real say in how many countries are being run, just take a look across the pond in either direction, as an example.

An old wise political head, who when I asked them once, why they continued to put themselves up for reelection, despite the constant whining by a certain minority of constituents and including political opponents, being giving out to, being expected to get every passport delivered on time or every pothole that was ever created fixed immediately and having to justify cuts in times of austerity, was not perturbed.

He simply replied, that it took us long enough to get democracy in this country, to just feebly throw it away because of a few gurners, who, even if you gave them the moon, the sun and the stars would still have something or other to gurn about.

In our remote control society, where everything that is a challenge seems to demand an immediate response, like changing a channel on the television - I will avoid that particular rabbit hole itself this week -.does not offer any counter balance of budgets and restrictions.

It should be also noted that the power of politicians at local level, must go hand in glove with the executive of county councils and managers.

One only has to view the dynamics of local administration that oftentimes, is like trying to put a square peg in a round hole.

The other thing I have observed over the years is that there are sayers and doers within the political world, both locally and nationally.

Quick thinking bus driver becomes unexpected hero

The alertness of Local Link bus driver Keith Anderson meant a life-saving intervention for passenger Stephen Byrne recently

It would also be great to see more females involved in local politics, for despite the huge progress that we have seen, it is far from equitable.

The bottom line is that we do get the opportunity to have our say in 2024.

But I still think that the work burden on local councillors needs to be looked at, in a fresh light.