Sean Fleming TD: A jellyfish in charge of PAC

Accountable-Government-Cartoon

By Anthony Sheridan

The mainstream/establishment media commonly refer to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as a watchdog relentlessly working on behalf of the public to bring wrongdoers to account.

The brutal truth is that the PAC is a fake (See here for the truth of fake Irish regulatory authorities). It has no effective powers to actually bring anybody to account, it is nothing more than a waffling chamber where over-paid politicians listen endlessly to the echo of their own worthless gibberish.

And this is no accident; the PAC, in common with all so-called Irish regulatory authorities, is specifically designed to give an impression of accountability. With no real accountability the corrupt have a clear road to continue with their activities without hindrance. We see the proof of this every day throughout the media.

In recent times however some members of the PAC such as its previous chairman Fianna Fail TD John McGuinness and Sinn Fein TD Mary Lou McDonald committed the cardinal sin of Irish politics – they began to take their role as public representatives seriously, they actually began to ask real questions, make real demands for accountability.

This would not do, some very powerful people were very upset at this development, their interests were being put at risk by this outbreak of democratic accountability.

And so, as part of the negotiations to form the current government, the PAC was not only put back in its box, there was a heavy padlock fitted and the key thrown away.

And to make double sure that this so-called watchdog knows its place and does what it is told a new chairman, Fianna Fail TD Sean Fleming, was appointed.

Fleming has the backbone of a jellyfish as demonstrated by his response to the new restrictions imposed on the committee he is, allegedly, in charge of.

So the power has now been taken… they don’t want them (committees) operating independently of the commission with free reign.

And his personal view on the stripping away of any vestige of power his committee might have wielded?

Use the powers you have to the best ability without having to use the powers you don’t have.