A newsletter for Department of Government students and staff Volume 1, Issue 1, Monday 14 September 2009 Department hosts conference about Irish women’s voices on Europe From left to right: Dr Emmanuelle Schön-Quinlivan, Professor
Yvonne Galligan, Dr Gavin Barrett, Dr Clodagh Harris and
Mary Hanafin, Minister for Family and Social Affairs (see the
report from the conference on page 10).
Inside this issue:
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Aislinn Stanton, Auditor of the Government & Politics Society presents her vision for the year
Two students graduate with doctoral degrees from the Department of Government
Mark O’Regan talks about his experiences on the Washington-Ireland Programme
Tim McCarthy meets with TK Whitaker
Top 2009 graduate set for the LSE
Killian Collins explains about life as an intern in the Massachusetts State legislature
Departmental staff publish two books on local government
Editorial Page
Welcome to the first issue of Government Times. The purpose of this fortnightly newsletter is to highlight
the activities of staff and students in the Department of Government, one of the most active departments in
UCC. For example, in this issue you can read about: Professor Neil Collins being elected an Academician
of the Academy for Social Sciences (UK); Mark O’Regan’s successful internship on the Washington –
Ireland programme (the only UCC student selected); Tim McCarthy’s meeting with TK Whitaker; the
publication of books by current and former staff members and the successful EU conference organised by
the department last week.
Throughout the year we will continue to draw your attention to activities within the department. We are
especially keen to spread the word about our superb placement programme and to publish regular reports
from past students. For example, in the next issue, Helen Collier (2003 graduate) will be telling us about
her experiences working for the Mayor of London and the different approaches taken by Ken Livingstone
and Boris Johnson.
Government Times will also serve as an invaluable link between staff and students and make everyone
more aware of what is going on. In the coming academic year we are especially keen to strengthen the
relationship between the department and the Government & Politics Student Society.
We hope that you will enjoy reading Government Times and that you will find it entertaining and
educational. We welcome your contributions as the year progresses.
Finally, congratulations and best wishes for the future to the 46 students of the BSc Government class of
2009 who graduated on 10 September.
Aodh Quinlivan
Director of the BSc Government
Co-editor of Government Times
Aislinn Stanton
Auditor of the Government & Politics Society
Co-editor of Government Times
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Auditor lays out her plans for the year “Welcome back to another year in college and an
especially warm welcome to our incoming Freshers.
My name is Aislinn Stanton and I am the auditor of
the Government and Politics Society, also know as
POLSOC. To those of you who don’t know a lot
about the Society – it was set up 11 years ago to
cater to students with an interest in politics and to
facilitate debate between the student political party
societies in UCC. As you are now an official student
of UCC (congratulations by the way), you are also a
member of the POLSOC. As a society we organise
lots of academic and social events for students
studying Government and Politics degrees in
particular, as well as the student body at large. This
year the society will be holding a series of academic
events for Government and Politics students which
will cover the topics that you will all be studying
throughout the year. Every month an event will be
held to cater to a different individual year of the
Government and Politics degree courses. We will
also be asking various politicians and individuals
working in the political sphere to come and debate
on different issues. The society’s aim is to make
this year as exciting and interesting as possible. We
are always interested in feedback so if you have any
suggestions please let us know!
Some of the highlights of the coming year are:
 At the start of the year, we will be organising a MYSTERY TOUR. It is one of the best ways
to get to know people in your class and those doing the course, so be sure to mark it in your
diary!
 This year will also see the start of the POLSOC CUP – a soccer tournament where we want
you to get a team together and come along, it’s a good way to practice for the Gov Cup –
current champions are second years.
 The ANNUAL GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS
BALL will be held in January, this is
always a great event!!! Get dressed up and have a great night out!
the year, so keep an eye out for posters and
 We will also have parties and table quizzes during
notices about them.
If you want to contact the POLSOC you can email [email protected] and one of the society will
be at the other end! We will be visiting your classes throughout
the year too to tell you about different
events!
We better see you at the Mystery Tour!!”
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Major Honour for Professor Collins In July, Professor Neil Collins
was
presented
with
the
prestigious
Award
of
Academician of the Academy for
Social Sciences (UK). Professor
Collins is the first academic from
the Republic of Ireland to be
elected and his award reflects his
contribution to the political
science community in Europe.
Two Doctoral Students Graduate
Two PhD students from the Department of Government
graduated this summer, Monica O’Mullane and Itai Beeri.
Monica’s thesis was entitled ‘Utilisation of Health Impact
Assessment (HIA) Evidence in Decision-Making: An
Exploratory Study of Policy Formulation in Ireland.’ As a
former graduate of the BSc Government we are extremely
proud of Monica’s progression. She is currently working as
a postdoctoral researcher and lecturer in UCC’s Department
of General Practice.
Itai’s thesis was entitled ‘Turnaround Management
Strategies and Recovery in Local Authorities’ and was
based on case studies of Swindon and Walsall. Itai is now a
lecturer in the Centre for Public Management and Policy,
School of Political Science in Haifa University, Israel.
Career Change for Former PhD Candidate A former PhD student in the
Department of Government,
Patrick Burke, was ordained a
Deacon
by
Canon
Paul
Willoughby, in St. Fin Barre's
Cathedral in July. Patrick
(second from left in photo) will
serve in Douglas Union with
Frankfield. We wish him ‘all
the best’ for the future.
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Mark O’Regan and Patrick J. Kennedy Mark O’Regan, now going into Government III, was selected as a summer intern on the prestigious
Washington Ireland Programme (WIP). He was assigned to work with the House Representative, Patrick J.
Kennedy, a son of the late Senator Ted Kennedy and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and
Senator Robert F. Kennedy. In total, 310 students from the island of Ireland applied for the programme;
Mark was the only UCC student selected. Well done Mark!
The Washington-Ireland Programme for Service and Leadership (WIP) is a six-month programme of
personal and professional development that brings outstanding Protestant and Catholic university students
from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to Washington, DC for summer internships and
leadership training. In Washington, participants gain first-hand experience of a mature political process
and are exposed to a culture of diversity. Through an intense eight-week schedule, WIP interns are formed
into a team and challenged to develop their vision for the future of post-conflict Ireland. Students gain
invaluable practical experience by completing internships in US government, media, business and nonprofit organisations.
“I interned in the office of Rep. Patrick Kennedy from Rhodes Island 1st District. Rep. Patrick Kennedy is
the son of the late Senator Ted Kennedy, and nephew of former President John F. Kennedy and former
Democratic nominee contender for the Presidency Robert Kennedy. Life on “The Hill” is unlike anything
you could ever hope to experience elsewhere. The people you meet, the things you hear and the sights you
see are all inspirational. I met Nancy Pelosi in an elevator, I saw Bill Clinton chatting to some friends in a
hallway and I had ice cream with Rep. Kennedy on his birthday, all in my two month internship. I attended
committee hearings and witnessed some of the most powerful men and women in the world making
decisions that would have an impact on the world beyond America. We had a private reception with Chief
Justice John Roberts in the glamorous setting of the United States Supreme Court Building. We had a noholds-barred discussion with Mike McCurry, Bill Clinton’s Press Secretary during the Lewinski scandal.
We had speakers from the EPA, the Aspen Institute, Accenture Consulting and the Obama election
campaign to name but a few. We also hosted a Congressional Forum where United States Congressmen
came and spoke to us as a group in a private function room in the Capitol Building. The friendships and
connections you make on the Washington Ireland Programme, coupled with the things you experience and
skills you learn, make it a life changing summer. I will never forget my time in DC, and encourage
everyone to apply for the programme to be part of the 2010 class.” – Mark O’Regan
* Note: Information on the WIP can be obtained from Fiona Buckley, Department of Government.
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Meeting Dr. T K Whitaker
During the summer, Tim McCarthy, a graduate of the BSc Government and current PhD student,
interviewed T K Whitaker, the famous former civil servant who is credited with playing a significant role
in Ireland’s economic development. In this article, Tim recounts his meeting with Dr Whitaker.
Photo of Dr Whitaker by Tim McCarthy A small, open economy at the mercy of international financial markets, political inertia and lack of
leadership, rising unemployment and emigration, banks refusing to extend credit and an over reliance on
the building industry. Ireland in 2009? It is in fact a description of Ireland in the 1950s. The standard of
living was 55 per cent of Britain and the population was declining due to emigration. Successive
governments had pursued the old Sinn Féin philosophy of self-sufficiency which gave rise to increasing
protectionism and a virtual prohibition on foreign investment. Public discourse coalesced around the
rhetorical themes of self-sufficiency, restoration of the Irish language and a united Ireland.
In 1958, vision, leadership and hope came from an unlikely source: T K Whitaker, Secretary General of the
Department of Finance. With the change of government in March 1957 Dr. Jim Ryan, as Minister for
Finance, on his first day in office received a ten page economic briefing from Whitaker in which, inter
alia, he offered the heretical suggestion that protectionism had failed the country and unless there was a
change in policy it would be better to make an immediate move towards reincorporation in the United
Kingdom. (Bear in mind that de Valera was still Taoiseach!). Bad enough that Whitaker should attack the
sacred cow of self-sufficiency but for a career civil servant to dare to offer suggestions on policy matters
was truly cataclysmic. Over the next year or so, together with six colleagues in Finance, he conducted a
forensic examination of the Irish Economy and issued his findings and recommendations in Economic
Development which was published in 1958. This was to provide the blueprint for the move from
protectionism to free trade and the acceptance of foreign direct investment in Irish industry. His proposals
were widely accepted and enthusiastically implemented by Sean Lemass when he became Taoiseach in
1959. There is virtually unanimous support for the view that Whitaker’s actions were critical in changing
the direction of the Irish state and for the prosperity of the 1960s. (He remained in Finance until 1969. He
then served as Governor of the Central Bank of Ireland until 1976).
As part of my research for my PhD I read a paper that Dr. Whitaker presented at an IPA conference in
Dublin in September 2008 to mark the fiftieth anniversary of Economic Development. More in hope than
expectation I wrote to him to request an interview. Two days later my phone rang and a voice said: ‘Hello,
is that you Tim? Ken Whitaker here’. A week later I visited him at his home in Dublin for what was a very
memorable occasions. I met a very sprightly ninety-three year old about to drive to Mayo on a fishing trip.
The mind is razor sharp and his recall of events truly amazing. At one stage in the interview he quoted at
length, in French, what he had read in the memoirs of Charles de Gaulle over fifty years ago. He provided
me with invaluable help and some great insights. It was a truly memorable experience.
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Politics Graduate Conference is Great Success The annual graduate conference 2009 of the Political
Studies Association of Ireland (PSAI), recently hosted by
the Department of Government, turned out to be a
spectacular success. Research scholars from Ireland, Great
Britain and the United States of America presented their
findings on many diverse areas of political science
research. The plenary address – ‘A Strong European
Union: Good for Ireland and the United States’ – was
delivered by Robert Faucher, Chargé d’Affaires, US
Embassy, Dublin. The picture on the left shows Robert
receiving a gift from Lyndsey Power. Lyndsey is a PhD
student and tutor in the Department of Government and
she was the organiser-in-chief of the conference.
Top Graduate set for the LSE
Colm Diamond was one of the BSc Government class of 2009 which graduated on 10 September. He is
shortly starting a prestigious Masters programme in the London School of Economics and Political
Science.
“Four years in the BSc Government are gone and it has exceeded all my original hopes when selecting the
course. The broad spectrum of classes led me to become interested in subjects that I had never before even
considered. Also, the accessibility of all the lecturers reassured me that whatever efforts I put into my
studies would be matched by their enthusiasm to teach the subjects. However, I believe the most important
thing the course has given me is more subtle. I have undergone a change to myself as a person. It has
taught me a considered and critical approach to problem solving that has served me in employment,
academic work, but also in everyday life. These skills have been combined with a new mindset that
learning is accomplished in all activities, not just the narrow confines of the classroom.
I am going on to further study in the London School of Economics and Political Science with the hope of
working in the environmental policy sector. My immediate intention is to work for a consultancy firm or
international organisation with the chance to help form policy in an area I believe to be crucial. I find
myself amazed at how well the course has set me up to achieve my goals; and how my goals keep getting
readjusted to higher levels.”
New Publication by Graduate of Department Dr Anthony O’Halloran completed his PhD – ‘Dáil Éireann in an era of parliamentary governance and a
hyper- pluralistic public sphere’ in the Department of Government in 2007. Based on his doctoral thesis,
Anthony has now completed a book about Ireland’s Lower House entitled The Dáil in the 21st Century
(Mercier Press). Anthony is also the co-author (with Tom O’Connor) of Politics in a Changing Ireland
1960-2007 (Institute of Public Administration).
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On Placement with Killian Collins
In this article, Killian tells us all about a typical day in the life of a Massachusetts State legislature intern
“First of all, there is no such thing.
The day usually starts at 10:00 but it’s impossible to predict what
work we will be doing by 10:04. With 40,000 constituents, the phone is always busy. We answer
constituent calls dealing with a wide range of issues from unemployment to insurance to funding
applications and many other topics. We prepare citations and letters of congratulations for constituents
who have achieved something of note. We draft press releases. We research and track legislation. And
then we go for lunch! Usually we run into Ben Affleck asleep on a bench somewhere on Boston Common!
The Legislative Education Office at the State House runs a wonderful intern seminar series during June
and July. There are two seminars most days with State Legislators, Lobbyists and Staffers sharing their
insights and experiences with the interns. Some highlights from this summer are the Governor, the
Speaker of the House and the Senate President. Each speaker is introduced by a student and nothing is off
the table when it comes to questions. These seminars are also a great chance to meet and get to know some
of the 300 legislative interns working in the building.
The Massachusetts State House is an impressively large and spectacularly beautiful building. After getting
lost numerous times, it becomes more familiar. Then it is easy to work with and enjoy the company of
many of the extremely helpful staff in all the offices under the golden dome. After work we go for a drink
with Frasier, Norm and all the gang at Cheers! I really enjoy that because everybody knows your name
(even though they can’t pronounce it)! Since we don’t have anywhere to “pahk a cah”, we jump on the T
at Park Street station and head home with Mark Wahlberg and Matt Damon! This is an outstanding
placement opportunity where you can learn a great amount about State government and also have a lot of
fun both in and out of the office.”
Killian Collins, Intern of the office of Representative James Murphy, summer 2009
UCC Government & Politics Society 2009/’10 http://www.ucc.ie/en/polsoc
Auditor
Aislinn Stanton
Secretary
Jean Fleming
Treasurer
Mark O’Regan
Public Relations Officer
Craig Hackett
Vice Auditor
Kevin Hiney
Ex-Officio
Ian Mawe
Events Director
Gregory Loughnane Walsh
Social Secretary
Cian Barrett
Political Liaison Officer
Patrick Higgins
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Two New Local Government Books Published With local elections taking place in June 2009, local government was topical and the Department of
Government took advantage with the publication of two books. All Politics is Local: A Guide to Local
Elections in Ireland was co-written by Liam Weeks and Aodh Quinlivan and was published by The Collins
Press. The book was launched in UCC by the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Michéal Martin, and in Dublin
by the former Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern.
In paying tribute to the two authors, Bertie Ahern said that the book was an excellent read, very accessible
and well-written. He added, ‘Local government is a neglected area of academic research and Liam and
Aodh have done a great service in writing this guide to local elections. As well as providing a thorough
analysis of the historical development of the Irish local government system this book offers practical
advice to people who are considering running for local elected office.” Intriguingly, speaking at the launch,
the former Taoiseach refused to rule out the possibility of contesting the directly elected Dublin mayoralty
in 2011, stating: ‘If it’s worth doing, it has to have executive powers. It should be for someone who has a
proven record in politics. Otherwise you’ll get somebody just joining for the craic who won’t know too
much about politics and will be going around acting as Lord Mayor of Dublin making an ass of
themselves.’ Extracts from All Politics is Local are available on the RTE website at
http://www.rte.ie/news/elections/bookindex.html.
Innovation and Best Practice in Irish Local Government (published by Chambers Ireland and SIPTU),
written by Aodh Quinlivan and Emmanuelle Schön-Quinlivan, was launched in Dublin by the former
Dublin City manager and current chairman of Limerick Regeneration, John Fitzgerald. The book
highlights that, despite inherent weaknesses in the local government system, city, county and town
councils are working hard to cope with societal changes and are making valuable contributions to the
social, economic and cultural development of their communities. According to Emmanuelle SchönQuinlivan, ‘Many people associate innovation solely with the private sector but innovation is multidimensional and can take many different forms. It can be an idea, a practice, a product or a relationship. It
can happen through a bottom-up process, emerging from the activities of line managers, a top-down
process, channelled by high civil servants and their political masters or a lateral process through the
adoption of good practice from other organisations. We give examples in this book of local authorities
across the country that are going above and beyond the call of duty and they are finding innovative ways to
better their communities.”
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Conference Report Irish Women’s Voices on Europe Academic research has shown that after the farming community, Irish women have benefitted most from
EU membership. Yet it also shows that Irish women are more likely than their male counterparts to reject
EU treaties, a fact supported by the latest TNS MRBI poll which shows that 52% of male voters say that
they will vote yes in the forthcoming referendum on the Lisbon Treaty compared with just 41% of female
voters.
With this in mind, Drs. Clodagh Harris and Emmanuelle Schön Quinlivan of the UCC’s Department of
Government hosted a one day public consultative conference on Irish women’s voices on Europe on
September 8th 2009.
Opening the conference, Mary Hanafin, Minister for Social and Family Affairs said ‘there appeared to be a
degree of hesitation among Irish women about Ireland’s participation in the EU’. But she added that she
was ‘hopeful that robust guarantees agreed with the other EU countries would address people’s concerns
this time.’
Examining how Irish women have benefitted from EU equality legislation Professor Yvonne Galligan of
Queen’s University Belfast highlighted the need for a gender equal democracy in Europe. Assessing the
Lisbon Treaty and the recent guarantees secured by the Irish Government, Dr. Gavin Barrett of University
College Dublin told the participants that the only way that Ireland could retain a Commissioner was by
agreeing to Lisbon.
Sponsored by the Department of Foreign Affairs’ ‘Communicating Europe’ initiative the conference took a
deliberative approach. On the day participants engaged with one another and with the expert speakers in
small roundtable sessions. The topics debated included the Lisbon Treaty and guarantees as well as their
vision for the future of the EU. PhD students from the Department of Government did an excellent job as
facilitators on the day. Consultative polls were held to assess if participants’ views on the EU changed after
the day’s deliberations. A future edition of this newsletter will include an analysis of the questionnaire
results – STAY TUNED!!
Above: Dr Gavin Barrett takes part in a roundtable session
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