Already I have found that some state agencies and organisations are very difficult to deal with and can be quite obstructive when you seek information to assist a constituent or in trying to deal with a local problem. If a government department behaves in this way you have the option of putting down a question to the relevant minister, in an attempt to receive some information. However, there is no option in the case of many of these organisations.

For instance the Health Service Executive (HSE) has begun to cut back on hospital transport services. This is the service which provides patients, otherwise isolated, with a means of getting to hospital appointments. It is a vital service for people (particularly older people) in rural Ireland, yet the HSE has decided to cut it back in degrees leading to genuinely held fears that it will ultimately close it down all together. Yet, as a Dail deputy, I cannot ask a Dail question on this and when I write to the minister my queries are referred back to the HSE. And whilst the local staff in charge of the service are often doing their best, their superiors at HSE HQ are hiding behind budget management. It begs the question: why not give this very necessary service a proper budget in the first place?

Earlier this summer there was an attempt to begin a debate on the role and responsibilities of such bodies, created in recent years, that have assumed a range of powers and responsibilities. The debate sunk amidst the claims Fianna Fail has established many of these bodies in the past 10 years.

And whilst we did, this shouldn't prevent a debate on the effectiveness of their structures or on the damage these structures may be doing to the standing of the government or the Oireachtas. The Oireachtas committee system will be getting underway in September. I hope that the success of the committees in the last Oireachtas on issues such as the price of insurance, etc can be repeated across a range of subjects. Maybe each committee can take up this debate in relation to each of the organisations under their surveillance?

ONE of the trends of the recent general election was the failure of high-profile 'celebrity' candidates to be elected. People such as Graham Geraghty, Frank McNamara, Brody Sweeney (left) and Mairead McGuinness brought massive profile and previous life experiences and successes to their respective campaigns. But at the end of the day, the voters in their constituencies chose to opt for the candidates who were on 'the ground' and working in their communities long before the election.

It's a lesson for all parties and indeed for commentators. In local and general elections, people are thinking very local. I call it 'the road outside my door' argument. Big issues such as the economy are relevant to this voter but often the deciding factor for their vote is the condition of their road, the light on their street or the state of their local school.

And this is where a locally based, locally in-tune candidate has the edge over their higher-profile celebrity rivals. The locally grounded person understands the importance of local issues; they understand it is necessary to deal with these issues as soon as possible and if they're on top of their game they will deal with the issue before it becomes an issue.

It's an amazing achievement to win an All Ireland medal or to be a world-class businessman, but if you don't understand the importance of local issues, chances are you won't be elected to Dail Eireann. Tipp O'Neill was right . . . all politics is local.