Bheir sùil a-rithist air buidheann ùr dha na h-eileanan

Dh’fhaodadh fum faigh e èisteachd a-nis, le Murray MacLeòid​

Chaidh innse dha comhairlichean iad fhèin ullachadh airson am moladh a tha seo a thighinn am follais a-rithist

[English-language version below]

Chan eil fhios am bi cus ùidh aig daoine a dhol an sàs ann an còmhraidhean mu bhith a’ stèidheachadh aon bhuidheann phoblach ùr anns na h-eileanan. Chan eil ann ach beachd a nochd bho luchd nan deiseachan spaideil anns na h-oifisean gleansach aca, air falbh bho shùilean dhaoine (bha là ann nuair a bhiodh na rumannan sin làn cheò nan toit, ach dh’fhalbh sin).

Ach, uaireannan tha feum air na dorsan fhosgladh agus sùil cheart a thoirt a-steach air dè dha-rìribh a tha anns an amharc, gu h-àraid, ma tha an rud gu bhith gu feum, no a dh’fhaodadh a bhith gu feum.

Tha am moladh fhèin sìmplidh is furasta a thuigsinn: ‘s e sin a bhith a’ toirt nam prìomh buidhnean poblach ri chèile, gu sònraichte, comhairlean agus bùird-slainte, far a bheil iad a’ riochdachadh agus a’ cumail seirbheis ris an aon sgìre agus na h-aon dhaoine.

Gu follaiseach, tha sin fìor anns na h-eileanan agus sin as coireach, gu dòigh bheag no mhòr a choireigin, gu bheil a’ bheachd seo air èirigh aig diofar amannan anns na h-Eileanan an Iar, Arcaibh is Sealtainn.

Anns na sgìrean seo, tha na buidhnean nas lugha na gheibh thu ann an àitichean eile, airson adhbharan a ghabhas a thuigsinn, agus tha sin dìreach a’ neartachadh na h-argamaid an toirt ri chèile.

Ach, gu ruige seo, chan eil cus coltais g’ eil e a' dol a thachairt. Ged a tha gu leòr a’ faicinn na buannachd a bhiodh na lùib, tha cus a tha gu tur na aghaidh, bhon a mhilleadh e an saoghal beag a tha iad air a chruthachadh dhaibh fhèin. Sin as coireach, gu ìre mhòr, nach eil e air a dhol ro fhada.

Agus cuideachd, chan e rud a th’ ann a ghlacas mac-meanmna a’ mhòir-shluaigh - cò, le ciall, a tha airson bruidhinn mu mar a tha biurocrasaidh phoblach air a sgeadachadh.

Ach, chan eil poileataigs na tàmh ro fhada, chan eil ann ach saoghal caochlaideach, mì-chinnteach.

Cò ann an Alba nach tuig sin an-diugh agus le sin, ‘s dòcha, gu bheil an t-àm ceart ann sùil a-rithist a thoirt air a' mholadh a tha seo.

Fear de na prìomh nithean a thathas a’ cur às leth an riaghaltais ann an Dùn Èideann an-dràsta, ‘s e mar a tha iad air a bhith a’ tarrainng cumhachd chun a’ mheadhain - na poilis, seirbheis-smàlaidh agus mar a tha iad a’ gearradh airgead nan comhairlean agus a’ cur riaghailtean cruaidh sìos air mar a ghabhas a chosg. Bhon t-sealladh againne anns na h-eileanan, tha e air a bhith a’ tachairt gu ìre a tha mì-fhalainn agus cronail.

Tha butarrais nan aiseagan, gun sgeul air eileanaich no iadsan bhon iar air buidhnean riaghlaidh CalMac, dìreach a’ cur ris an fhaireachdainn g’ eil ana-ceartas aig cridhe cùisean.

‘S dòcha a-rèisd, gum bi an sluagh deònach a-nis èisteachd a thoirt ris an argamaid gum bu chòir aon bhuidheann phoblach a stèidheachadh anns na h-eileanan. Nan gearradh e sìos air biurocrasaidh, nan toireadh e na h-oifigearan agus na seirbheisean aca nas fhaisge air na daoine, ‘s e rud a bhiodh ann air an cuireadh mòran fàilte.

Chan eil duine a’ sùileachadh gum bu chòir don mhodail seo a leantainn ann an Glaschu is Dùn Èideann - tha na buidhnean ann a sin ro mhòr air a shon - ach ann an suidheachadh eileanach, tha na h-uimhir a' chiall ann agus e a’ coimhead reusanta gu leòr.

Tha Malcolm Burr, àrd-oifigear Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, air innse dha comhairlichean iad fhèin ullachadh airson am moladh a tha seo a thighinn am follais a-rithist, an dèidh dha èisteachd an ìre mhath fhaighinn às ùir' ann an Dùn Èideann.

‘S dòcha gur e cothrom a tha ann cuideachd dhan dearbh fheadhainn sin sealltainn g’ eil iad deònach sùil a thoirt air slighe ùr. ‘S e rud mòr a bhiodh ann an sin fhèin.

English-language version:

As statements go, “a single unitary public body” is not something that’s likely to capture the imagination of the masses, given it is exactly what it sounds like: an esoteric concept dreamt up by policy wonks in nice, air-conditioned rooms (well, they can no longer be smoke-filled). But sometimes it’s necessary to open the doors to this strange universe to try and make sense of something that, actually, might have tangible benefits for those of us living in the real world.

The concept, if elaborately named, is actually rather simple: it involves bringing together key public agencies, chiefly local authorities and health boards, into a single organisation where they share responsibility for the same geographic area. The obvious example is in the islands and the proposal has been kicking around for some time to various degrees of enthusiasm in the Western Isles, Shetland and Orkney. The fact that public bodies in these areas tend to be much smaller only reinforces the argument for consolidation.

However, so far it’s proved a tough nut to crack. For all those that see the benefits of closer alignment of working arrangements and, crucially, accountability, there are equally those who are stubbornly resistant to anything that might threaten their own fiefdoms. That’s why, to date, it has failed to gain much traction, along with the fact that the concept of bureaucratic reorganisation is a difficult sell in terms of firing up the public.

But politics is not a game of constants, as the SNP know to their cost, and the time might be right to revisit the principle of single island authorities. One of the key criticisms of the current administration in Edinburgh is its complete obsession with centralising power – police, fire, even councils with reduced budgets placed under tight restrictions over how to spend them – to a degree that verges on control freakery.

The current ferry shambles and lack of west coast and island representation on CalMac’s tripartite boards (or five or six if you take in all the different Scottish Government levels above them) only heightens the sense of a civic administration that is far removed from the people it should serve. So, the case for a “single unitary public body” might now be in a more favourable position. Streamlining bureaucracy, increasing accountability and bringing more services closer to the people sounds like a bit of a winner in the current climate.

No one is suggesting that the same principle be extended to, say, Glasgow or Edinburgh – the sheer size of the organisations there makes it unworkable and counter-productive – but in an island context it makes perfect sense. Malcolm Burr, the chief executive of Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council), has advised councillors to expect the proposal to be “back on the agenda”, after receiving a fairly positive response from his recent discussions in Edinburgh.

It’s also a chance for these very same people to show that a change of direction is something they are ready to embrace. That in itself would be unexpectedly radical.