Government must face up to ‘disaffection from politics’ after Hutch votes, says Harris
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The government must face up to the disaffection which led to over 3,000 people voting for veteran gangland figure Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch, the Taoiseach has said.
Mr Hutch ran in the Dublin central constituency in last month's election and came close to securing a seat, narrowly losing to Labour's Marie Sherlock.
Speaking in Templemore, Co Tipperary on Friday, Simon Harris said that it was not for politicians to tell people why they had voted the way they had but that the level of disaffection within the North inner city of Dublin needed to be addressed.
Mr Harris said that Mr Hutch's campaign had largely been treated like a celebrity event and he had received more attention than many party leaders.
"We live in a democracy. Anybody can put their name on a ballot, and that's an important part of a democracy. But I do have two reflections.
"I think it's kind of incredible that a criminal received nearly more media attention the most party leaders in the general election.
"I do think it's interesting how a convicted criminal who has brought so much misery to communities was, in my view, treated like a celebrity throughout the general election, hordes of people at the airport nearly to welcome them back.
"I think there's a reflection on that: criminality isn't celebrity. It's something that brings pain, misery and suffering to communities. And that's the first thing I'd say.
"And the second thing I'd say is this, I think for those of us in politics, I think we do need to reflect on the disaffection that sometimes people can feel from the political system and sometimes that communities can feel in particular from the political system."
Mr Harris said that will work had been done in Dublin's city centre, more may need to be done now.
"I think disaffection is a big issue, and I never, I always think it's very arrogant of a politician to tell the public why they went out and voted that way. That is for the people of Ireland.
"But I do believe, that we must continue to do more in terms of engaging with communities that can sometimes feel disaffected or disconnected from the political system, or indeed from the state more generally."
With Fine Gael continuing to engage with Fianna Fáil, the Social Democrats and a group of independents on forming a government, Mr Harris said that he believes a government can be formed next month. During the election campaign both he and Tánaiste Micheál Martin said that they would like to see a government in place by the January 20th inauguration of US President Donald Trump.
With Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael members having to vote to pass a program for government, that window is beginning to close, but Mr Harris said there will be "no dilly dallying" on his party's part.
"I would like to see a government in place in the month of January. I think that is still possible, but it's important that the policy is right, and that's where our focus will be. So we will not be found wanting in terms of putting in the long hours, the hard yards to get this right. But I'm long enough at politics now to know that what goes in the program for government matters.
"It becomes the blueprint for the next five years, the direction of travel for the next five years, not just for politicians and government, but also for official Ireland, for the civil service, for the public service. So it does matter, and we do want to get it right."