î Cu’v shakes off those ‘Craggy Island’ jibes

Date Published: {J}

EAMON Ó Cuív may not be the darling of the Dublin media, who coined the nickname ‘Craggy Island’ for his department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, but he won a huge promotion when Taoiseach Brian Cowen announced his Cabinet changes this week.

The 2007 poll-topper in Galway West with 9,600 first preferences, Ó Cuív was among those singled out in early media speculation as possibly facing ‘the chop’ in the Cowen reshuffle. But on Tuesday afternoon, he not alone continued his eight year run in Cabinet, he also won promotion to the multi-billion Social and Family Affairs ministry, which, with Health, is one of the mega spenders and is to have further detailed changes in its remit.

Indeed, crucial to Ó Cuív’s new appointment may have been experience of dealing with poverty in communities; a very detailed understanding of the poverty traps which can be encountered by individuals and communities; and an in-depth knowledge of how benefits are delivered at local level.

Many would regard him, for instance, as someone with huge experience in encountering ‘the system’ and how it delivers – or doesn’t – to individuals and communities.

A portfolio like Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, which Ó Cuív has held since 2002, was never likely to hit the national headlines on a regular basis and some in the media interpreted this as Ó Cuív failing to perform in his department.

In truth, Ó Cuív possibly did not help his case with the media by a persistent refusal to court favour with them. He took them as he found them – certainly compared to some high-profile media performers in Government.

But there were always clear indications that Ó Cuív had found ‘traction’ with the Fianna Fáil grassroots around the country; sometimes he was the man with the few pounds to give out to communities throughout the country . . . and with community development initiatives like RAPID, he interpreted ‘community’ as meaning inner city as well as rural areas, and having a role in issues like tackling difficulties like drugs and poverty in urban communities.

It’s all a long way from Ó Cuív’s apprenticeship in politics – which started with eight years in Galway County Council (1991-97), and his first tilt at winning a Dáil seat in Galway West in 1987, when he got 3,831 votes. Those elected for FF in Galway West then were: Bobby Molloy with 9,216 first preferences, Frank Fahey 6,488 votes and Maire Geoghegan-Quinn 4,607, though, even then, Ó Cuív was serving notice that he was one to watch in the ranks of the Soldiers of Destiny.

For more read this week’s Connacht Tribune.