TWICE THE SIZE - DIT Update - Dublin Institute of Technology

12. While the NDP is committed to carry out a cost-benefit analysis (CBA) for all
projects with a capital value in excess of €30million, the current methods for
conducting such exercises are almost exclusively financial. There are many other
social and environmental factors that must be evaluated in assessing the overall
costs and values to society from any particular project. The notion of measuring the
wider impact of social costs and benefits can be extended to most areas of public
service provision, and a ‘balanced scorecard’ approach can give greater
transparency and acceptability.
13. The influence of single issue lobbies will grow, representing specific cultural, faith,
environmental, social or economic interests. Similarly, different intergenerational
agendas will appear across the State as the youth, the ‘grey’, the well-off workers
and the disadvantaged collide in deciding who gets what, and how it is paid for.
14. Irish political structures are characterised by their localist and clientalist nature.
Though difficult to change, formally or informally, the present national electoral
system produces many detrimental effects. The brokerage style of politics all too
often produces a kind of ‘prisoners dilemma’ solution to issues whereby people
pursue individual rational short-term interests at the cost of collective, longer-term
public good. Nevertheless, countries elsewhere have moved away from similar
single transferable voting systems to more ‘mixed systems’ combining national lists
alongside local constituency representation to address the problem of localist
strangleholds. Too often, the present, partial and parochial interests of selected
sections of society prevent longer-term radical decisions designed for the good of
the public at large being made and implemented.
15. Somehow, there is a need to engender greater appreciation of, and participation in
the political process, as well as attract a higher calibre of person to engage in it and
assume leadership roles. Such civic leadership is all about articulating a vision,
harnessing the power of ideas and mobilising municipal energy. The effective civic
leaders learn from failure, accept mistakes, and take risks, as necessary, to promote
creative and collaborative problem solving. In addition to understanding the issues
and seeing the big picture, they must follow through on good ideas, and have the
courage and persistence to stand their ground. Not always easy in the Irish political
context.
16. The private sector must be harnessed in the pursuit of good governance. Public
private partnerships are beginning to help deliver national infrastructure and
quality public services on a long-term value for monies basis. And the introduction
of business improvement districts as a form of collaborative urban governance will
greatly enhance the vitality and viability of Irish towns and cities.
17. There is a fundamental dichotomy in the desired direction of Irish society and its
preferred form of governance between that of social democracy along the lines of
certain European social market economies, and the more liberal open market
economies espoused by the likes of America and the United Kingdom. The model of
social partnership could also be called into question as providing a cosy club where
trade union leaders, civil servants, politicians and businessmen plot the course of
the country in a less than democratic way.
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