I am one of the people who made an official complaint to the Standards in Public Office Commission arising from payments made to Taoiseach Bertie Ahern in the early 1990s (Irish Times).
During my communications with the office a staff member expressed doubt that the complaint would succeed as the alleged events occurred before the present law concerning such matters was enacted.
I’m glad to see that someone else lodged an official complaint concerning appointments made by Mr. Ahern to State boards. It didn’t occur to me at the time.
Once again another pompous offering from that great Paragon of Virtue (website operated under false pretences) Anthony. Bertie Ahern was at least honest enough to acknowledge that Governments of the day appoint people they know and trust to the Boards of State Companies (Fine Gael and Labour would never accept that they would do that, yet they always have made such appointments) But of course Fine Gael and Labour are very rarely given the chance to govern by the Irish electorate. Unlikely that such a situation will change any time soon as people have long memories. John Bruton, Liam Cosgrave and Garrett the good are too fresh in the mind to allow Fine Gael break the 22% or 23% barrier. Democracy can be cruel to perennial losers and despite Anthony’s holier than thou approach perennial losers they will stay. One would have thought Anthony would have learned something from the “Kennedygate affair” but obviously not.
Fair play.
Hey well done for making the complaint. I didn’t even know that there was a Standards in Public Office Commission. If more people had known about it there might have been more complaints
Thank you Gerry,
I was unaware that I could make a complaint until I heard an item on the Pat Kenny Show.
The Standards in Public Office Commission itself is forbidden by law from acting on breaches of the standards it polices, it can only act when it receives a complaint from the public.
What fascinates me is that some civil servant/politician sat down and decided on this neat ‘arrangement’ in the full knowledge that it would result in a minimum of accountability.
Its a pity that Anthony and Gerry wouldn’t have had the same enthusiasm for wanting to apply sanctions to Emmett Stagg (remember he of nefarious activities with rent boys up in the Phoenix Park) But of couse Emmett and Co. are the jolly happy people who are immune from criticism. The Government of the day of whom Emmett was a junior Minister did not see fit to even wrap him on the knuckles for his actions. The same applied when Paddy (thundering disgrace) Donegan forced a President to resign for doing his constitutional duty. That particular Government was riddled with dodgy types (Conor Cruise O’Brien, Paddy Cooney (Minister for Justice when the Dublin bombing documents went missing) in addition to Donegan and a few others.
And we wonder why the Irish people have been so reluctant to allow Fine Gael and Labour any role in the governing of this country. With proponents such an Anthony and Gavin who will only ever see things from one side of the street (despite mascarading as some sort of responsible independent critics of the national political scene on their website) that siyuation is not going to change any time soon.
I have now drawn the attention of the Standards in Public Office Commission to this website and pointed out that it is being operated under false pretences.
Additionally I have asked the Commission to check the backround of individuals making complaints to them. The complaints made in this instance are politically motivated, vexatious and purposive and I have asked that in all situations where complaints of this nature reference is made to the political leanings of those making the complaint and its genuineness otherwise.
Clearly in this instance the complaints are made to influence the General Election.
Nothing has been learned from “Kennedygate”
Hehe. Anonymous Crewser, you crack me up!
One would not really need to be a Barrister at Law to know that this Commission has no authority to adjudicate on the complaints in question. The Legislation upon which this commission is founded was not enacted at the time these events took place and the Act in question has no retrospective effect.
Did Bertie pay his UK Tax liability?
Barry, I did believe the matters in question were statute barred and I included that in my lenghty submission. But I didnt mention it as I didnt want to heap too much disappointment on Gav and Anthony. The humane side of me emerging I suppose. I also directed them to Gavins Blog (particularly Back for a Note) where they could witness for themselves the naked hatred towards Bertie. “Cunt” wouldnt get by that great moderator Gavin unless it was directed at our Taoiseach.
There is never a positive word out of Anthony despite the wonderful things that are happening in Ireland. Hatred for an Taoiseach ensures that. Peace in Northern Ireland of no consequence according to Anthony. Its a banana republic and thats that. Much in common with the Sunday Independent.
The Commission will have little problem working out that Anthony is no independent critic (or Gavin either)
Hehe. Did you use your real name in your submission Crewser, or hide behind your anonymity?
Of course I have no problem with FF party hacks making submissions, nor do I have a problem with FG, Labour, SF or Green party hacks making submissions. But it should be noted the ‘Ethics in Public Office Commission’, as the name implies, applies only to those in ‘Public Office’.
And Barry, I see you hail from East Cork.
To answer Keith Martin’s question : No tax liability arose in relation to the UK revenue authorities.
As Gavin knows all to well I was profiling the backround of the complainants. Lest there be any doubt that they might be mistaken as genuine it was important to make the Commission aware where they were coming from. Anthony and Gavin operate together as far as I am concerned and they both are involved in spewing out one sided analysis of the Government and the Taoiseach for many years in much the way that the Sunday Independent do. They must be prepared for the consequences when the heat is turned up on them.
To be pretending that this website is in any sense independent is laughable. Anthony is the one who made the complaint in the first instance and he must be prepared to have his political backround probed.
Hehe you are a laugh Mr Anonymous. His political background probed by whom? The Commission?
Even if either of us were through-to-the-bone blueshirts it wouldn’t make an iota difference, the Commission investigates complaints from members of the public without fear or favour, and regardless of who the person complaining is. It is obliged to look at the complaint on their merits, regardless of political affiliation, if any.
Just a shame it was given so little power, despite Bertie himself promising it would replace tribunals.
It might be an idea for both yourself and Anthony to put a little “Health Warning” on your wesite giving everybody and idea of what exactly is going on and where you are coming from. Being devious about it really shows that your philosophy is somewhat threadbare. A little editorial honesty would not go amiss either. When there are positive things happening be gracious enough to give a little credit where its due (the peace process in Ireland for example) Now might be a good time to drop the diehard attitude and recognise that this country is a wonderful vibrant place to live. The Sunday Indo really have the negative comment area covered sufficiently.
Ah we reach the crux Mr Anonymous.
What exactly has the peace process got to do with looking at the subject of corruption in the Republic of Ireland? If the country was such a great place, then blogs like this wouldn’t be around, simply by virtue of lack of material to comment on.
One could expect that any blog covering the issue of corruption would by its very nature be negative. (SEE: http://www.tpmmuckraker.com/)
This isn’t a running commentary on the happiness of the Irish people, or indeed on the current FF/PD coalition.
And here’s why the blog will still be here no matter who gets into power next month: corruption exists no matter what party/s are in power.
It has been speculated recenty that Gavin couldn’t get past a line and a half of text. Now we have seen that that theory is completely unfounded.
This Blog / Wesbsite is run by people with a particular political agenda. The editorial pieces comment on lots of issues but the main and abiding principal is to be anti Government and anti Bertie Ahern. You can paint it any way you want Gavin but the archive of material which you and Anthony have produced speaks for itself.
Gavin the supreme moderator as we witnessed in the past but when it comes to anti Government comment anyhing goes.
Anybody adjudicating on any complaint made by Gavin or Anthony can see precisely where they are coming from and what they are about. Public Inquiry indeed.
Speculated by whom?
Surely you mean anti-FF, not anti-Government?
And anyway, what on earth is wrong with being anti-Government, whatever party is in power?
If FG was in power I am sure you would be anti-Government Mr Anon. 🙂
But all that aside, what is the agenda of a loyal FFer who posts comments anonymously?
You have obviously not been keeping up to with the other Blogs, particularly after the recent Bloggers get together.
You will be surprised to know that I have never been a member of any Political Party but I believe that people who do a good job in Government should be returned to power. This Government has in many ways achieved more than any other. Things were never as rosy for Ireland. We are the envy of Europe and indeed the World. One of the highest growth rates in the OECD and yet the best yourself and the Uncle can do is sling mud week after week, month after month. Much of it bordering on National sabotage. I am pointing out in a very diplomatic way the error of your ways. There are others who would take a tougher line.
So Gavin its time to cast aside all the negativity, the student messing, the muckraking. Leave that to others. This will be a brilliant year for Ireland. Be part of it not constantly decrying it and denegrating it. Strange as it may seem people are reading this stuff. People from other countries who want to invest in this country and bring jobs and prosperity. This is no “banana republic” as Anthony would have everyone believe. Why not analyse things in a more constructive way. Give credit where its due, when its due. If Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams who both held deeply entrenched positions can move on and look forward there is nothing to stop anybody else doing likewise.
The future is bright, look forward, you’ll be really surprised how much better life can get.
Whether Ireland is such a great country as you describe is entirely a matter of opinion Mr/Ms Anon.
Governments who are constantly returned to power tend to become more corrupt.
I’m afraid neither me nor Anthony share your view that everything is hunky dory.
And so the blog continues… shall we subscribe to a blogger code of conduct and only allow comments from people brave enough to use their name…hmm
I must say I have enjoyed your use of excellent analytical comment to flush out these two chaps Crewser.
Gavin’s pouring out of his pure heart to us with “Of course I have no problem with FF party hacks making submissions, nor do I have a problem with FG, Labour, SF or Green party hacks making submissions” is truly laughable anyone who has tuned into this propaganda blog over the last year or so cannot but observe a clear bias in the editorial control and comment. Their self appointed role, as they see it, a third eye if you will that the ignorant Irish electorate are in such need of can only be put down to some immature adolescent arrogance.
Lads I believe the auditions for the next episode of BATMAN aka the caped crusader are underway in Hollywood at the moment so put down your comics Gotham City needs YOU not the Celtic Tiger economy the most successful economy in the world.
Oh and by the way if you don’t make it past the auditions send back the Joker to us in your place at least he wears a disguise to cover up his true intentions we all can see through yours.
When your philosophy becomes so discredited and threadbare that you must change the rules to make it stand up you know you are a certain loser. I will always be here marking you, challenging you and in the end defeating you.
It is clear that you only want your own cronies surrounding you,only those who will nod in agreement when you say so. What a pathetic scenario for the future. Just as well that there is a dynamic in Ireland now which goes well beyond any negative backward view Gavin or Anthony espouse on this site.
Hehe, when you constantly fail to deal with points I raise, fail to engage. Rather you spout out the same NI/economy arguments to every point…it is certainly getting tiring.
And fail to use your own name…
Why all the mystery?
Gavin when it comes to dodging points raised you and Anthony are the absolute experts. You guys have no peers atal in this department, I will concede that. When it comes to tiresome and tedious argument you might just have a look back over your archive of editorials. Who authorised you guys to become the policemen of the body politic in this country. You have some nerve to be casting aspersions in my direction with regard to the legitimate and reasonable arguments which I put forward in response to the anti Irish drivel which you roll out day after day. Suddenly who I am becomes an issue because your cage has suddenly been rattled. You guys love rattling other cages but when you are questioned and made account for what you are saying suddenly there is an issue, who are you, where are you from. The same with Barry another who has questioned your ideas in the past. Where is he from? East Cork. Who cares where he is from or who he is. He is certainly entitled to ask questions and call you guys to task over what you write. Remember you chaps started all this stuff. If the heat gets too great, get out of the kitchen. Anthony had been bleating on about his complaint to the Standards in Public Office Commission and I was well within my rights to draw attention to the fact that this guy had a particular agenda. If you have the courage of your convictions or sufficient belief in them, then be prepared to put a note on your site saying what you believe in, where you are coming from politically. Thats not asking too much. Perhaps you dont know exactly where you are coming from. Thats a distinct possibility I suppose given the type of negative view you have of Ireland. Be brave, be courageous, give it a try you might be surprised at what difference it might make in both your lives.
Hehe. It looks like it’s your cage that has been rattled Crewser :-).
“If you have the courage of your convictions or sufficient belief in them, then be prepared to put a note on your site saying what you believe in, where you are coming from politically.”
We have.
If you have the courage of your convictions ‘Crewser’ then stop hiding behind your pseudonym, and comment as a normal person with a real name. Then I might start to respect your views a little bit more. 🙂
Once again the question is simple Gavin. What gives you or Anthony the right to take on the role of Judge, Jury and Executioner in respect of our political system.? Stop pretending to have some sort of obligation or justification to continue being sabateurs in respect of this great country of ours. We have come a very long way since breaking free from Brittish control. It certainly was not achieved by persons with large chips on their shoulders like you and Anthony. I know precisely what you guys are up to and I will ensure that everybody elso knows also. Just answer the question Gavin and forget about where the question is coming from. My name is irrelevant, I am merely one of the great unwashed who wants to get an answer to the question above.
The question really is: What should prevent us from questioning the political system?
And even if we were opposition hacks, as you suggest, what should prevent us from expressing opinions on the political system?
And one more thing: why allow anonymous comments at all, if people don’t have the courage of their convictions to attach their name to what they write then should we bother allowing them to do so on this website?
Of course the option is always open to start your own website crewser 🙂
Just answer the question. What gives you the moral authority to decide whats right or wrong with our political system which has brought us such wonderful success in recent years ? And under Bertie as well. Thats why he will be back as Taoiseach after the election. The most popular choice bar none.
Citizenship.
Always the glib answer. Are you so totally blinded by the need to be totally negative always that you cannot even begin to understand what this country has achieved, particularly in the last ten years. With the right to criticise comes the responsibility to be reasonable, constuctive and fair. With both yourself and Anthony that certainly does not apply.
Crewser … he couldn’t have given you a better answer.
It’s entirely a matter of opinion what constitutes reasonable, constructive and fair. Obviously we don’t agree on what that is. So this argument is a never-ending one.
If your comments are anything to go by, you have little idea what constitutes those three things.
And you think you and Anthony have exclusive rights to what is presumably.
Not exclusive, no. It is entirely subjective.
Thus far many of your comments on individual posts amount to little more than heckling.
If you disagree with the content, feel free to criticise the post on its merits, rather than rehashing old arguments or bringing in entirely unrelated off-topic points.
Attacking the person writing a post is a sign that you either don’t want to deal with an issue, or are unable to counter it rationally. Not reading posts, but then commenting on them, amounts to trolling.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Internet_troll
Many of the attributes described in the wiki are typical of trolling:
“Trolls can be existing members of a community that rarely post and often contribute no useful information to the thread, but instead make argumentative posts in an attempt to discredit another person, more often than not based on what they thought was said rather than what was actually said by the other person, concentrating almost exclusively on facts irrelevant to the point of the conversation, with the intent of provoking a reaction from others. The key element under attack by a troll is the forum or group’s recognized and agreed upon power structure. To this extent, a troll does not necessarily have to make malicious or incorrect comments. For example, a person with political point of view A who approaches a forum frequented by people with political point of view B, may be considered a troll, even if no lies or attacks are made.
…A troll is a person who approaches a board with the specific intention of stirring things up, either with no particular motive or provocation in mind, other than to be purely destructive or if the motive or provocation is against the ethos of the board.”
Hello
I can’t be bothered with anything these days, but shrug. I just don’t have anything to say recently.
G’night
Amazing, the wheels have turned and bertie has been installed as the new taoiseach, again. So what has changed? Not much yuo could say other than, The country feels more like a warzone, a man was arrested over the weekend for carrying an ak47 down the dtreet of a busy irish town. Heroin is not an exclusive dublin drug anymore, it has infiltrated other big cities around the country on a visible scale. Young girls are being brutally raped and murdered on a level never before seen. Polish have discovered that they make more money from selling drugs to Irish citizens, gangs have been formed, they are quicker and far more organized than the Irish ones.
Respect has been lost on the streets for the gardai, for parents and for the elderly.
The government is beginning to destroy and validate the decisions to destroy the heritage of Ireland, its failure to take its head out of the sand is regretably their own decision go down as the money hungry leaders of Ireland. The hospitals are a joke, they are riddled with new viruses.The roads are dangerous, their is no solutions being drawn up outside of dublin. the rail is a sham, it is an untapped source to help ease congestion, we are far too focused on driving our car everywhere.
The one man responsible for sailing this ship is laughable and untouchable.
His caninet spends around £30,000 on make up each year for their appearances on television. Hes done such a good job on driving Ireland into the ground that hes just given himself a pay increase, of over 30,000, which now means he is one of the higest paid civil servants in the world, outstripping George Bush, who I might add has over 330 million people to look after.
We had the chance to build a better Ireland but in essence we have removed any morality from our actions. Our leader seems out of control and lecherous.
I come from a FF familybut I woould rather a change at this stage of the game. Its like someone has let a bunch of kids loose in a sweetshop, and its a free for all, no wonder this country has nose dived, what kind of an example have they set. you must lead by example, not continually take the piss.