The right to protest should not be absolute

When does a protest cease to be a peaceful display of opposition and simply descend into thuggish behaviour?

Many commentators feel that a line was crossed this month when the Tánaiste was trapped in her car for a number of hours and had to be protected by gardaí. Subsequent footage has emerged that paints some of those involved in a most unfavourable light.

A journalist colleague of mine was on the scene in Jobstown that day and he recorded the behaviour of some of those involved. It makes for deeply unsettling viewing. The abusive language and aggression directed at gardaí – public servants simply doing a difficult job under difficult circumstances – suggested that, despite the best intentions of the organisers, this was anything but a peaceful protest.

•Joan Burton:  trapped in her car for a number of hours

That is not to tarnish the good names of the majority of the anti-water charges movement – or indeed public representatives – involved in the protest. But it is quite clear that the event became a magnet for troublemakers. As usual, these thugs would have been in the minority but they made their presence clearly felt, running amok under the guise of an organised protest.

Once it became apparent that a nasty element had infiltrated the ranks of the protesters, it should have been immediately called off with the Tánaiste allowed to go on her way. Instead, she was left at the mercy of a baying mob. Even if you strongly disagree with her politics, it’s hard to justify how she was treated that day.

The unsavoury events in Tallaght were in sharp contrast to the dignified protests held in Dublin city centre and throughout the country recently. Quite rightly, many of those involved in the anti-water charges campaign have criticised such behaviour and have sought to distance themselves from it.

Predictably, Government TDs were quick out of the traps in condemning the Jobstown disturbance. Taoiseach Enda Kenny went ridiculously over the top by comparing it to a kidnapping, somewhat undermining his message.

In the days that followed there were reports of alleged bomb threats and menacing calls to politicians. It would be unfortunate if the negative publicity generated by a fringe element deterred ordinary people from taking part in peaceful acts of protest.

We should appreciate that we live in a democratic society where we have a right to protest. But when it comes to violence and sinister behaviour, that right should not be absolute.

A disgruntled nation has finally found its voice

•PHOTO CREDIT: Stephen Kavanagh

A disgruntled nation has finally found its voice, it seems.

Other countries must have marvelled at our apparent tolerance for the brutal austerity measures imposed on us since the IMF/EU bailout in 2010. It’s ironic that this bubbling discontentment only boiled over after the Government unveiled what they widely termed a “neutral” budget.

Once again we were being assured that the worst was over (the late Brian Lenihan rued the day he uttered those words in the Dáil). While all the economic barometers such as housing and employment were starting to head in the right direction, the cumulative effects of punitive taxes eventually took their toll. I find it interesting that it was the issue of water charges that got people out on the streets in their tens of thousands and not the imposition of property tax a couple of years ago. Whatever about the rather spurious case for landing us with yet another household bill dressed up as some sort of water conservation measure, there is something particularly immoral about taxing the family home in the teeth of the worst property crash in modern history.

It beggars belief that people straddled with massive mortgage debt – particularly those in negative equity – should be expected to pay a tax on their ‘asset’. Let’s not forget that the deposits we had to find to get on the property ladder was after-tax income. Our monthly mortgage payments are also after-tax income.

Property tax is a bitter pill to swallow for those who had to pay ridiculous sums in stamp duty during the Celtic Tiger years.

It’s extraordinary that we allowed ourselves to be bullied by the Government into accepting property tax. Why weren’t we on the streets then? What’s going to happen when house values inevitably rise and we have to recalculate our LPT liability after 2016?

The Government’s jittery reaction to the water charges protests shows that Fine Gael and Labour have finally grasped the political reality of the situation. The recent poll showing Sinn Féin to be the most popular party in the country will have further concentrated minds in Government Buildings - and this at a time when Gerry Adams is embroiled in the Mairia Cahill controversy.

We will have a new Government by 2016 but will regime change make any difference to our lives? Recent history will have taught us not to hold our breath. Expect the next Government to blame the old one for all our ills.

Latest fare increases are a tax on working people

Earlier this year I embarked on an experiment to see if we could do without one of our family cars. In this era of austerity, the notion of a two-car household felt a bit Celtic Tigerish.

The cost of keeping two cars on the road has become increasingly prohibitive when you factor in fuel, road tax, insurance, toll charges and servicing. We worked out that getting rid of one car would easily fund a family holiday abroad or – more sensibly – could be put aside for our eldest daughter’s imminent college fees.

Naturally, my car would be getting the bullet. I’d have to bus it to my office in the suburbs or make do with the train if I needed to go into the city. How hard could it possibly be? There’s even free Wi-Fi on the buses these days.

•Public transport needs proper Government funding. FILE PHOTO

I’m not living near the DART line but there is a reasonably regular commuter train service during peak times. The problem is that the station is a two-mile trek from my house so I’d either need to catch a bus to catch a train or park and ride (leaving my wife without a car for the school runs).

On the occasions when I took this option, I was faced with a ridiculous daily rate of €4 to park at the station, followed by a return fare in excess of €10 – and that was before this month’s increase! The train journey into the city was uncomfortably crowded, with standing room only.

The bus option didn’t work out much better. For the privilege of making a return journey to my office (which wasn’t even as far as town), I was charged an extortionate €8.40. This was pretty much on a par with the petrol costs of taking the same trip by car. So after a month of standing in the cold and rain and being forced to listen to commuters loudly babble into their mobile phones, I was back stuck in traffic in the comfort of my car.

Of course, I could have done it slightly cheaper by getting a Leap Card (which is a great initiative) or monthly ticket. But at the end of the day, the saving wasn’t enough to justify getting rid of the car.

The reduction in Government subventions to public transport companies has been directly blamed for the most recent hike in fares. In effect, the increases simply feel like another form of taxation on working people. If our politicians are serious about reducing our carbon footprint and getting people out of their cars, transport needs to be adequately funded by the Exchequer in the public interest.

I suspect that commuters’ tolerance for fare increases is getting close to tipping point.

'Love/Hate' depicts a Dublin we can all relate to

I must admit to being something of a latecomer to 'Love/Hate', RTÉ's riveting and rightly acclaimed crime drama.

Looking back now, the first series bears little resemblance to the tour de force that the programme has become. I remember being distinctly underwhelmed by the show in its early days, despite the fact that it starred acting heavyweight Aidan Gillen. It was late into series four before I dipped back in to see what all the fuss was about. This time, the performances seemed more assured; the writing was stronger; and the tension created by the evolving plotlines was often unbearable.

Nidge is a television character that many communities will be familiar with

There may well have been some disappointment at how series four ended but it set the scene nicely for what was to come. So far, the latest series of 'Love/Hate' has been an absolute triumph and is compulsive viewing every Sunday night.

RTÉ has upped its game in recent years when it comes to original television drama. 'Single-Handed', the story of a lone Garda taking on corrupion and crime in a rural Irish community, was excellent. But last year's highly anticipated missing teen drama, 'Amber', failed to live up to the promise of its opening episode and was ultimately unsatisfying.

The station's upcoming drama on the life and times of Charles Haughey should make for interesting viewing and will no doubt reignite national debate on one of Ireland's most divisive and controversial politicians. Let's just hope that the presence of so many 'Love/Hate' actors in the Haughey production will not prove too much of a distraction.

But back to Nidge and Co for a moment. I was trying to comprehend the huge appeal of the series as the credits rolled on one of the most explosive episodes so far (the one where the young Traveller boy is shot during a botched hit on his dad, Patrick). There is stark realism dripping from every page of writer Stuart Carolan's gritty script. Perhaps it's the familiarity of it all: the recognisable landmarks of the city; the authenticity of the dialogue; the drug lords living abroad; the brutal depictions of the type of violence we read about all the time in newspaper crime reports.

Most of us know parts of the city where residents are in constant fear of  real-life Nidges or Frans. We hear about pub shootings and daylight assasinations with disturbing regularity. It's a story that resonates with us. For all its brilliance, perhaps 'Love/Hate' succeeds most for creating a fictional Dublin we can all too easily relate to.