Retired Fine Gael politician and former Minister Ivan Yates is a man without any moral standards.
He doesn’t believe in restraints or principles, he’s completely indifferent to questions of right or wrong. He is, according to himself, a totally amoral person (The Saturday Night Show).
During his interview with Brendan O’Connor Yates clearly and cynically demonstrated his amorality.
On politics
He left politics because it was too difficult. Funerals, clinics, public meetings – all too much hassle. TDs are nothing more than glorified County Councillors in a system that regularly throws up ill equipped people.
Politics is not about the country, it’s about getting re-elected, I wanted to change the world but I copped myself on, he cynically declared.
On the economy
Adjustments have to be made and we (the peasants, not Yates) have to be disciplined and do what’s necessary.
This should include; getting rid of quangos, reform the civil service, means test or get rid concessions to the elderly such as free travel, free electricity, free TV licence and free telephone.
Pensioners should also be made to pay more because they invariably have their houses paid for and the cost of living has come down.
On his own pensions (To my knowledge this greedy businessman is in receipt of two pensions from the taxpayer)
O’Connor: You get a fairly hefty pension?
Yates: I have a fairly hefty pension; I’ve collected it since the day I left the Dail.
O’Connor: That’s the kind of thing…you’re loaded. (Big cheer from the audience).
Yates: Can I answer that, can I answer that. Whatever the system is, I’m entitled to it.
O’Connor: You shouldn’t be getting a pension at all. By your own rationale would you not say the country is going down the toilet.
You’re a fairly wealthy businessman and we’re still paying you a pension even though you’re not of pensionable age?
Yates: To be honest with you, for me to do something on my own behalf would be a cosmetic stunt but I’m quite happy to reform the system.
This type of cynicism and rank hypocrisy is the predominant attitude within the Irish body politic.
Yates is only unique in so far as, as a self confessed amoralist, he wallows in and actually enjoys milking the system at the expense of pensioners, the elderly and ordinary citizens.
In contrast to the ecstatic welcome afforded to Mary O’Rourke the previous Saturday, Yates was subject to some challenges from the audience, especially with regard to his greedy and arrogant attitude to his pension.
Presenter O’Connor, in line with most RTE journalists, was having none of it.
Constantly apologising to Yates for asking (embarrassing?) questions he also acted as a buffer between the greedy ex politician and the angry audience.
O’Connor scolded one disrespectful peasant who angrily demanded that Yates give up his pension.
It’s not Prime Time and we’re not going to ambush Ivan Yates. I don’t think he’s the worst of them anyway.
The bizarrely ironic aspect surrounding the attitude of this greedy and amoral businessman is that he regularly preaches to the nation about what needs to be done to resolve our problems while remaining totally oblivious to the part he personally has, and continues to play, in the destruction of our democracy.
He is, in effect, Fine Gael’s Bertie Ahern
Copy to:
Ivan Yates
The Saturday Night Show
The idea that you are “entitled to” a pension whilst still earning a salary is totally ludicrous. Most people in this country are going to be asked to work until 68 to get a pittance of a state pension, if they get anything at all. This is the same man who wants ordinary public sector workers to endure further pay cuts and who has called for the minimum wage to be reduced. These disgusting hypocrites who talk about “restoring our competitiveness” want ordinary people to pay for the sins of the elite ruling class. Meanwhile Arthur Cox, PwC et al charge the state Celtic-tiger era fees for their services.