Labour Senator Denis Landy is not a fit person to be a public representative. Not only is he a political coward but he has no respect whatsoever for the democratic institutions of our country.
It was therefore grotesquely hilarious to hear him whining (Morning Ireland, 10th item) about democracy when water protesters gave him a hard time recently during a protest outside our parliament, an institution which he holds in absolute comtempt.
Here’s why Landy is not a fit person to be a public representative.
In July 2013 Landy announced to the media that he had been effectively offered a bribe by a political person within the confines of the Oireachtas.
Despite the fact that this is one of the most serious crimes in political life, Landy refused to identify the person who offered him the bribe. He also refused to report the matter to the Gardai or Oireachtas authorities.
Incredibly, the Labour Party responded by saying the matter was a personal issue for Landy.
Just let me repeat that. The official policy of the Labour Party on bribing politicians is – it’s a personal matter for the politician involved.
Nothing to do with crime, law enforcement, the courts, prison or any stuff like that, stuff that’s the norm in functional democracies.
I made a formal complaint on the matter to the Gardai. Two years later, the investigation is still ‘ongoing’.
After a great deal of resistence I also managed to lodge a complaint against Landy with the Committee on Members’ Interests of Seanad Eireann.
The response of this Committee was just as disgraceful as Landy’s cowardly behaviour.
The Committee, chaired by Fine Gael TD Deirdre Clune, decided to discontinue the investigation principally because the coward Landy flatly refused to attend for questioning. Not only did he run away from his obligations as a public representative, he also hid behind his solicitor in all dealings with the Committee.
The final confirmation that Ireland is a banana republic came in a warning to me from the Committee that it was an offence to disclose information on the matter.
In other words, say nothing to the media – or else?
The water protesters, who rightly gave Landy a hard time in the recent protest, have more democratic principle and integrity in their little fingers than he will ever accumulate in a lifetime of pretending to be a principled public representative.
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Landy