At The Cutting Edge - Gemma Hussey

At The Cutting Edge: Cabinet Diaries 1982-1987 - Gemma Hussey
1990, paperback

Throughout her time in office as a government minister between 1982 and 1987. Gemma Hussey kept detailed personal diaries. In them she recorded not only events. but also confided her thoughts. feelings and anxieties. She has now decided to publish her diaries and the result is an exceptionally important - and at times dramatic - record of Irish politics and public affairs.

As Minister for Education and later for Social Welfare. Gemma Hussey was a member of a government that encountered formidable challenges and difficulties: an economic crisis of major proportions. the referenda on divorce and abortion, the Anglo-frish Agreement. and above all an uneasy coalition between the parties sharing power.

The functioning of that government is now described at very close quarters, revealing the clashes of personality, the differing political styles. the impact of special interest groups and the relationship between politicians and civil servants. The author's perception of cabinet colleagues and other public figures is revealed in comments of surprising candour expressed frequently with emotion and occasionally with exasperation.

This book from a highly motivated, intelligent and articulate politician who is also a committed feminist. will not only havelan immediate appeal for its controversial topicality, but will also become a standard reference for students of political science and anybody seeking to understand the machinery of government in modern Ireland.

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