About

This website is an ongoing effort to organise and filter the volume of allegations and reports concerning corruption coming out of Ireland. It was set up as a result of disenchantment with the failure of successive Irish governments to deal adequately with corruption.

Public Inquiry is an entirely pro bono project, receiving no funding whatever from any source, besides that of running it’s website – a cost met by it’s founders. It is operated by concerned citizens who receive no money for their effort, citizens who simply wish to create a valuable resource for the Irish public. We aim to foster debate and discourse both on and offline.

The people writing are not members of any politcal party, nor do they have any party affiliation. This website is not about political views or agendas, it is about understanding and discussing the corruption that appears to be pervasive in our society.

If you have any question in relation to the content, or have any information about an issue you are concerned about feel free to contact. However, there are some rules to emailing and commenting, to borrow from Dan Drezner:

The feedback policy is simple:

1) Every e-mail sent about the blog and every comment posted on the blog is read.

2) We won’t necessarily reply to every e-mail message or respond to every posted query.

3) We’re truly sorry for the non-responses.

4) Unless otherwise indicated, we will not attribute any quote from any email on the blog.

5) When it comes to the comments feature, remember that we control the horizontal and the vertical. Moderation is in
operation because of previous abuse of the feature. We will delete comments that we think are personally insulting, completely off-topic from the post, or so incoherent as to pass all understanding. Our space, our rules.

6) When you’re posting your comments, bear in mind that people are watching. Libel rules apply.

You can contact Anthony at: anthony AT publicinquiry DOT eu
You can contact Gavin at: gavin AT publicinquiry DOT eu

This site is not affiliated or connected to the now defunct
Centre for Public Inquiry.

18 thoughts on “About”

  2. Poolbeg Incinerator

    Draw your own conclusions from this apparent extortion attempt by the hierarchy at Dublin City Council:

    Dublin City Council has insisted the project will go ahead, warning that if it pulls out of a contract with private companies Covanta and DONG to develop the facility the taxpayer will lose millions of euro in a breach of contract lawsuit.

    The public-servants’ pensions are protected from any penalties which may be caused by the curious contract.

    http://galwaytent.blogspot.com/2009/11/attempted-extortion-of-public-by-dublin.html

  3. Great site,

    Myself and a couple of friends have been considering setting up a site which just has the name of everyone politician in the Dail with links to every corruptionethicalstupidity story related to them.

    And I see on your site you have a categories drop down where you can select Charlie Haughey or select Fianna Fail, this is very similar to the way we were talking about doing things.

    So before we start I see from your post above that “Libel rules apply”, can you tell me what they are or where I can find them?

    It’d be nice if Irish people could see at a glance, how corrupt or unethical the people they were voting for are.. come polling day people forget about national scandals and only remember the pothole that got fixed. We need to change that.

    So any tips you’ve picked up over the last few years would be welcome.

    Cheers,
    Gav

  5. It’s a pity our mainstream media have not the cahones to pursue these corrupt politicians and those who corrupt them with money and gifts. Is there any truth in the story that Vincent Brown sought funds or investment from Charlie Haughey to save one of his failing publications?

  6. The following is a contribution of mine from the Examiner. I note you have included a more recent effort. I have written numerous items in same vein for the Independent. I was so pleased to find your website.

    Friday, December 03, 2010
    THE greatest damage done to Ireland by our leaders has been the death of shame and trust. The financial bankruptcy of our country has been matched by the moral bankruptcy of those we trusted to lead us.
    The shameless misuse of our nation’s finances is evident particularly in the exorbitant pensions and golden handshakes enjoyed by, for example, the Justice Minister and Bertie Ahern who has been outlandishly rewarded for leading the country into near destitution. Ireland’s enemy is no longer England but the enemy in our midst — those politicians and bankers who have been driven by blind ambition and greed, operating in a world of crass acquisitiveness. Though there is enough amiss in Ireland to fire a revolution, the ordinary decent citizens of Ireland are tolerant beyond belief. They can only hope that the next generation will redeem our country from the darkness that has descended on their lives.

    The decline in public morality began when Charles Haughey came amongst us. Here was a man who almost made a virtue of appropriating the countries resources through every available means of chicanery in order to feed his vanity. He was followed by a series of leaders who seemed to have taken Haughey as a role model and like him nurtured their worst instincts, vying with one another in feathering their own nests at the expense of the country. Cronyism, and sheer brass neck are at the heart of the country’s present woes. Yet there is not a single apologetic voice nor the vaguest acknowledgement that we have experienced a generation of politicians who have failed to honour the trust placed in them.

    Who can we trust? The banks, once the symbol of security and trust, were up to their ears in dubious practices and played a leading role in the current debacle. The leaders of the church had betrayed the trust of our children and only when pressurised admitted that they had failed in their duty of care.

    One can only hope that the preoccupation with the restoration of the economy will not distract us from the equally urgent task of restoring our people’s trust in those who lead them.

    Philip O’Neill
    Edith Road
    Oxford
    England

    Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/opinion/letters/death-of-trust-a-terrible-blow-138284.html#ixzz1fqOeCyEU

  8. There are so many more of us out there who have views similar to those of Philip O Neill—surely there some mechanism established to bring such like minded people together to pressurise Govt. to implement the reforms necessary to establish a proper Republc here.

  9. Tackling corruption to improve prospects for young Europeans

    Corruption and fraud are major factors preventing many European countries from finding their way out of the Euro crisis. Large-scale tax evasion makes fiscal deficits worse, leading governments to cut public expenditure, thus deepening the effects of recession and causing increased unemployment.
    Young people tend to be the most exposed to the effects of the Euro crisis. Being at the end of the chain, they can end up paying a high price in terms of prospects for employment and career development. With greater transparency in public finances, the young might not suffer as much.
    This is the theme of the next Connect.Euranet debate, which will take place in the European Parliament in Brussels on September 19th, 2012, at 12h00 CEST.
    This debate, the 13th in an ongoing series organized by the pan-European radio network Euranet, will bring together students from Euranet’s network of campus radio stations and members of the European Parliament.

    The invited guests will include:
    Monica MACOVEI, Group of the European People’s Party, Romania
    Bill NEWTON DUNN, Group of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe,
    United Kingdom,
    Ana GOMES, Group of the Progressive Alliance of Socialists and Democrats, Portugal.

    These guests will be questioned by four students from Euranet’s Universities Network:
    Katarzyna GARDZINSKA, reporter at Radio Kampus Warsaw
    Matthew TAYLOR, Station Manager, Trinity FM Radio, Dublin, Ireland
    Sandra MAGGI ALONSO, studying Public Relations at the Universidad de Vigo,
    Portugal
    Oana ALEXA is a first year Journalism student at the Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj-
    Napoca, Romania

    Debate Connect.Euranet
    September 19th, 2012, at 12h00

    Vox Box, Building Altiero Spinelli, 3rd floor
    European Parliament, Brussels

    Webpage
    http://connect.euranet.eu/
    Live Stream:
    https://www.facebook.com/Connect.Euranet?sk=app_196506863720166

    JOIN OUR LIVE STREAM TOMO AND SEND IN COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS THAT I CAN PUT TO MEPS

    GREAT WEBSITE YOU HAVE

  10. Great site.

    You would think we get tired of hearing about the corruption and nest feathering of our elected ‘public representatives and unelected and unaccountable public officials who are apparently unaware that they have created an underclass of the rest of us by placing themselves as our unwelcome and undeserving aristocracy (self appointed).

    I have kids so I ‘soldier on’

    I for one would think we will continue to listen and silently fume until breaking point is reached. The level of this breaking point is unknown and the consequences unimaginable.

    Of course we could have become so immune that we no longer have a breaking point which means

    those greedy bast****s have won.

    I’m one unhappy and unhealthily angry camper

  12. So good to find other brave voices speaking out about corruption and cronyism. Once you have seen the inside of the problem – and the shocking extent of the problem – it is increasingly hard to believe that the Irish public continues to put up with it.. but sadly, and inexplicably, we do.

    A group of like-minded ‘concerned citizens’ are setting up a new website called http://www.integrityireland.ie which aims to function as a sort of citizens ombudsman and support network for people who have been abused or betrayed by the Irish legal system and law enforcement agencies in particular, with a view to collating and publishing citizens complaints, and offering real, effective support to abused citizens.

    The website is nearly ready and should be online soon. We would be honoured to be linked into this site.

    Keep up the good work guys.

  14. Ah yes the old court corporation with solicitors soliciting business for the corporation while pretending to be working for justice.

    The judge being the banker.

    Then we have the Barristers who swear allegiance to the B.A.R corporation in London, who in turn swear allegiance to ??? Vatican.

    Hence the Red Mass to start every legal year in Dublin, etc.

    Need one say more.?

  16. I enjoy reading your blog. Just like I enjoy having teeth filled. No really, I am grateful that you continue to expose the rottenness in this state. But my inquiry this time is. Do you all believe that at the time of the next election that this government will have bought enough people off to secure enough votes to keep themselves in the comfort they have become used to? Or, have we any hope at all! I get the impression that our media, all of our media are falling over themselves to report every press release this shower put out, eg, ‘Thousands of new social houses to be built before 2017’. Councils have no resources, so developers will fill the void – again!

    1. Thanks for the comments James.

      To answer your question:

      I think it’s uncertain whether the Irish people will fall for the same old propaganda. But, in a way, it doesn’t really matter because after the election, if it’s the same corrupt regime in power then it will continue to abuse the people/democracy for its own ends. I believe the people rebelled over the property tax but were suppressed by the power of Revenue. A great deal more people have rebelled over the water tax and even if that battle is lost there will be another one as the system continues on it’s corrupt course. I believe, eventually, enough people will rebel/become politically radicalized to a point where the old corrupt regime will be defeated. I hope I don’t have to wait too long.

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