Author: Anthony

The Green's – Fully integrated

Senator Dan Boyle of the Green Party was pure Fianna Fail on the Pat Kenny Show this morning on the subject of the FAS scandal.

Senator Boyle claimed that no elected representative of the Green’s had expressed any confidence in FAS chief executive Rody Molloy.

Fionn Sheehan of the Irish Independent strongly disagreed claiming that he was told by a Green Party spokesperson that they had full confidence in Mr. Molloy.

Asked about the inconsistency Senator Boyle said:

“I believe the context in which he made the statement was because there was a series of questions in relation to the statement the Taoiseach had made which the Taoiseach had to make in the context of an ongoing process.”

Ah yes, the Green’s have been fully integrated.

Circle of unaccountability

The continuing scandal at FAS is not important. We have seen hundreds of such cases over the past few decades; we will see many more into the future. What is important is the response to the scandal because it gives us a clear indication of how bad things really are in this country.

Brian Cowen responded by defending his pal Rody Molloy. This tells us that Cowen’s much lauded intelligence and leadership skills amount to nothing more than that of a typical Fianna Fail backwoodsman who will remain loyal to his constituents to the death but has little understanding of what’s going on in the wider world.

Mary O’Rourke accepts that some of the things that happened in FAS were unacceptable but is absolutely sure that such things are not happening in any other Government department. This is arrogant stupidity on a massive scale.

Rody Molly believes it’s all a media conspiracy to bring down FAS. This is the defence of a desperate man running out of excuses.

Bernard Allen (FG) chair of the PAC refuses to comment because he doesn’t want to prejudge the outcome of PAC ‘investigation’. This is a standard response for politicians who don’t have the courage to challenge the corrupt system.

That corrupt system is specifically designed to go around in circles so that nobody is held accountable. The powerless PAC will carry out an investigation and pass on their findings to the powerless C&AG.

The C&AG will then conduct his own investigation and pass his findings to PAC. PAC will then call in FAS officials (again) to ask them meaningless questions and the bureaucrats will reply with meaningless answers.

The whole thing will be widely covered in the media for a few days and then forgotten.

But by far the most serious aspect of this scandal, which seems to have been overlooked by everybody, is the continuing and alarming tendency of civil servants to take on powers to which they are not entitled or at least should not be entitled.

Recently we had the absolute refusal by the FSAI to name the water company responsible for supplying contaminated water to the public thereby putting the health of consumers at risk.

Just yesterday we had yet another report from the financial ombudsman, Joe Meade, outlining the outrageous exploitation of consumers by renegade financial institutions. Yet, Mr. Meade steadfastly refuses to name these vultures thus allowing them a free hand to continue exploiting consumers.

The FAS case is even more serious. When Senator Ross first submitted his FOI he was told that it would cost him €1,000. Later, he was told that the cost would actually be about €200.

Senator Ross believes, and I agree with him, that the civil servant lied to him in an attempt to prevent the release of damning information.

In a functional democracy Senator Ross would have immediately realised the gravity of the situation and reported the civil servant to an appropriate authority who would have sacked the corrupt civil servant on the spot.

Weird and wonderful fantasy world of FAS

The musical chairs of investigations surrounding the State training agency FAS continues apace.

Now let’s be clear here, the aim of all these investigations is not, I repeat, not to uncover the truth and bring alleged wrongdoers to account. No, the aim is to give the impression that action is being taken so that we can all continue to pretend that we live in a normal, functional democracy.

There are at least two Gardai investigations in progress but these can be immediately discounted. It’s rare, very, very rare for the Gardai to actually follow through on such investigations; it is likely they will be allowed to run into the sand

The Public Accounts Committee is also investigating the matter although ‘investigating’ is probably too strong a word, it might be more accurate to say they’re ‘looking into the matter’.

However, because the committee includes opposition TDs there is a slight possibility that somebody might be made ‘accidentally’ accountable. This, I believe, is why Tanaiste Mary Coughlan is trying to transfer the job to the so called independent Comptroller and Auditor General.

The C & AG, who has no legal power to act on any findings, produces very ‘government friendly’ reports as we saw from his whitewash report into Bord na gCon.

In that report he uncovered very serious corruption, fraud and incompetence yet concluded that

“In material respects the financial affairs of the company were properly run.”

Yes, the C & AG is the man for the job.

Indeed, Taoiseach Brian Cowen said as much recently.

“The comptroller’s report into the training body would ensure that the good reputation of the organisation would be upheld.”

I’m sure the report will do exactly that Brian!

Here’s an up to date list of the weird and wonderful ways FAS spends taxpayer’s money.

Huge amounts of money spent without obtaining the necessary authority from the board of FAS. (Echoes of the Bord na gCon scandal here).

An advertisement contract given to a local newspaper, possibly in a pub, where it is alleged match tickets were exchanged for the contract.

€1.7 million spent on duplicating a website that already existed.

An exhibition contract of €250,000 given to somebody at double the going rate.

A general disregard for normal procurement procedures within the organisation.

Hair and beauty treatment.

Pay per view movies.

Golf games.

Dinner for 33 persons at the Merrion Hotel at €200 a head.

€640,000 travel expenses on flights to the US over the last four years.

Chauffeur services.

Staff with credit card limits of €76,000.

Gifts given to various people including a €500 glass barometer presented to the former Minister for Education when she visited a FAS operation in the US.

€1,633 for flowers at a FAS function in the luxurious Carton House Hotel.

€146,000 on hotels in 2005.

Hard to believe but true

Dublin City Council has admitted that they are incompetent, that they are not up to the job of keeping the city clean and generally well run. This is despite the millions they receive from the State and hard pressed traders by way of penal rates (Liveline, Wed 19th Nov).

In order to resolve the problem DCC have set up a private company to make itself more accountable. The new company, called BIDS (Business Improvement District) Scheme, has a team of ambassadors who patrol the streets with clipboard, pen and camera compiling a daily log of every bin not collected, every street light broken, every wayward scrap of litter.

The ambassadors have no legal powers but do meet with DCC officials once a month to present them with a file of their daily logs, which, we are told will result in DCC becoming efficient and accountable.

At first glance it seems like a good idea, traders not happy with DCCs performance can opt to employ the company or even become a member in order to get things done. But that’s the catch, membership is compulsory, all traders must become members and pay an annual fee of €500.

One trader called the whole scheme insane. She pointed out that in addition to penal rates traders also have to pay for bin collection, water and even damage caused by vandals and now they have to pay this additional €500 to get DCC to do the job they’re already paid to do.

One trader in favour of the scheme argued that the company arranges for floral displays, Christmas lights and the removal of chewing gum stain.

Joe pointed out that there’s already a tax for gum removal but the trader quickly retorted. No, that’s for the removal of gum but not the stain. We employ a powerwash company to come in and remove the stain left after the gum has been removed – I mean, can you get any more Irish than that?

Ok, we all know what’s happening here. DCC needs money but don’t have the neck to impose yet another direct tax so they create a new indirect tax collecting agency. And when they need some more dosh they’ll simply create another company to monitor the company that monitors them.

What continues to astonish me is how docile the traders are; they come on Liveline and complain but take no direct action like just refusing to pay what is an unjust tax.

The business to be in for a quick buck

Former Taoiseach (and professional chancer) Bertie Ahern was asked about falling shares in the banking sector (News at One, 2nd report 2nd item).

“I think anyone in shares has to look at the long run. If you’re trying to make a quick buck, it’s not the business to be in.”

That’s right Bertie – politics is the business for a quick buck.

It's just a 'hypothetical' crisis

And still the commentators and analysts are insisting that a crucial part of any reorganisation of the banking sector has to mean that those who caused the mess must be fired, they must be made accountable. Here’s what AIB CEO Eugene Sheehy, one of those responsible, thinks of that attitude (New at One, 2nd report 1st item).

“We have no comment to make.”

“You have nothing to say to reassure your shareholders and customers.”

“They read what they read but we have no comment to make.”

“But people are very concerned about the situation.”

“The Government and the banks are talking to each other, we have no further comment.”

“It’s the taxpayer who is potentially poised to rescue the banks should there be a serious problem, don’t you not think the least you could do is make a short comment on it.”

“It’s a hypothetical situation you put there, we have no comment.”

So, there you have it. A €480 billion guarantee from the taxpayer with anything up to a €15 billion pay out in real money and, according to this greedy, irresponsible and incompetent banker – it’s all just a hypothetical situation.

Lol

Letter in today’s Irish Independent.

Eimear Ni Bhraonain informs us (Irish Independent, November 19) that Joe Dolan recorded the song concerned “before he died”.

No — really?

NIGEL P COOKE
ST HELENS, LANCASHIRE

Is the FSAI doing deals?

Joe Duffy and Liveline (Wed) have taken on the responsibility of protecting the public from danger because the so called Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) is adamantly refusing to do so.

The FSAI is refusing to name a company which was found to have had high levels of contamination in its bottled water nearly a year ago.

Innocent water bottle companies such as Tipperary Water, Uisce, Ballygown and several others are phoning the show to reassure the public of the quality of their product and to protect their business from further damage.

According to Joe Duffy, the FSAI is still refusing to name the guilty party and say they will never reveal the name of any company that they have reprimanded – because it wouldn’t be fair.

There was a new and crucial piece of informaton revealed on the show yesterday.

Four months ago the FSAI did name a company, Pure Springs of Monaghan; that had problems with the quality of their product.

This raises very serious questions. Why the selective naming – Are deals being done?

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FSAI

Bertie hates 'Bertie'

Bertie is not happy with ‘Bertie’. Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern said the documentary on his life is probably a big turn off for viewers (Irish Independent).

Figures from RTE show that 601,000 tuned in for the first episode, 594,000 for the second and in excess of 500,000 for part three – I’ll bet RTE would love ‘big turn offs like that every night.

Ahern says he hasn’t been watching the series but has been told (by one of his mafia ward bosses?) that there has been non stop coverage of his personal finances

First shot in Lisbon II campaign

I see the Government is to considering amending the ethics law to force organisations and individuals to declare where they got the money to pay for their political campaigns.

We can take this as the first shot in the Lisbon II campaign.

Now (says Cowen) how are we going to force these people to reveal the source of their money while keeping our own sources secret?