Author: Anthony

Irish journalism – Soft as a marshmallow

This video, exposing MEPs as they sign on for expenses they are not entitled to, is an excellent example of hard hitting, professional journalism in action.

The German reporters ambushed the MEPs as they arrived to sign on for their expenses. Some of the MEPs legged it in embarrassment as soon as they spotted the reporters. The reporters were not shy about challenging these politicians. “It’s seven o’clock in the morning, what are you doing here with your suitcase?”

German Green Party MEP Hiltrud Breyer ran for the lift in a panic but the reporters kept the lift door open and strongly challenged her behaviour.

“Why are you running away, are you ashamed that you wanted to sign the list? Please come out of the lift, what is your problem?”

“Such impertinence.”

“Why is it impertinence? Why are you in such a hurry to get away, why won’t you speak with us, you are a member of the European Parliament.”

“Leave me alone,” she pleaded.

It has been many long years since we witnessed such robust journalism in Ireland. RTE, in particular, has gone soft as a marshmallow when it comes to asking the hard questions. Indeed, the dangerous friendship that has developed between Irish journalists and the body politic has seen some members of the press getting angry when their favourite politician is attacked.

Irish Times journalist, Michael O’Regan, got very angry recently when Fine Gael TD Leo Varadkar attacked Bertie Ahern’s fantasy tales at the Mahon Tribunal.

“I thought that was utterly unfair, I thought the language he used was unfortunate to be quite honest with you and I thought he’d want to get his act together. He’s in the door, he’s wet behind the ears, and he’d want to think before he speaks.”

O’Regan has never displayed such passionate disapproval when reporting on the endless stream of corruption that infects Irish politics and business.

Ignorance and naivety are also common in Irish journalism. Irish Daily Star journalist Catherine Halloran recently (10th July) gave us the ‘benefit’ of her thoughts on Bertie Ahern’s fantasy tales.

“If Ahern had come out at the start and come clean, given the full story and not veered away from that story maybe his legacy would be completely different, maybe he would still be in office.”

Still waiting for Tammany Hall passport review

Last February the Department of Foreign Affairs began a review of the special passport scheme operated by TDs.

All TDs, Senators and political parties were to be asked their opinion on the usefulness of the scheme. The minister would then consider these views and make a decision. Five months later and we’re still waiting for a decision.

Throughout the review I have been in regular contact with staff from DFA but that all ended a few days ago, the curtain has come down. My regular contact hasn’t been available and the Press Office says they have no information on the review and cannot say when or if it will be published.

Perhaps the politicians have forgotten about the review as they excitedly pack up for their very long summer holidays, perhaps it will be published in late September when they come back, perhaps not.

In any case, We’ll keep on enquiring.

Hot air and cynical strategies

On 13th May last I discussed the DCC/Fyffes case with Fine Gael TD David Stanton.

I wanted the matter raised in the Dail; specifically I wanted to know why the State was failing to take effective action against a man who the Supreme Court found had engaged in insider trading.

In addition, knowing that I would be wasting my time, I requested that deputy Stanton ring the Director of Public Prosecutions to enquire if his office had received a report from the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation who, it was reported, was investigating the case.

The DPP told deputy Stanton that they could not give out such information over the phone and that I should put my request in writing. I phoned the DPPs office myself and was given to understand, just as deputy Stanton was, that my question would receive a favourable answer if I put it in writing.

With a great deal of skepticism I wrote to the DPP.

To Whom It May Concern,

It was reported in the Irish Times on the 22nd December 2005 that the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation had started an inquiry into the share trading activities of DCC.

I would be grateful if you could confirm or otherwise whether the Garda Fraud Squad submitted a report or file on this case to your office.

I would also be grateful if you could say whether your office has ever considered the DCC/Fyffes insider trading case in any other form or under any other heading.

I am aware that your office cannot comment on the details of any individual case and want to emphasise that I am not looking for details but merely to ask if the DCC/Fyffes case has ever come under consideration by your office.

Yours sincerely
Anthony Sheridan

Over a month later and after a number of phone calls to remind the DPP that I was still around I received the following letter.

Dear Mr. Sheridan,

I refer to your letter of the 29th May 2008 in relation to the case of DCC/Fyffes.

“By way of general comment I would say that it is not the practice of this Office to confirm whether or not a file has been sent here by the Garda Siochana or other investigative agency, other than to people directly involved in the matter.”

Yours Sincerely
Barry Donoghue
Deputy Director

What happened here was the age old and cynical ‘make them put it in writing’ strategy. The DPPs office could have given this information to me or deputy Stanton over the phone in about 15 seconds. Furthermore, I simply do not accept that the information I was seeking is in any way sensitive.

So where does this leave the DCC/Fyffes case?

Well the DPPs office is a dead end as is the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation because both agencies are protected by state secrecy laws.

In my opinion neither of these agencies have any intention of acting against DCC. Neither has any other state agency, apart from the ODCE, shown the slightest interest in acting in response to what is the most serious financial fraud in the history of the state.

Paul Appleby of OCDE, to his credit, is attempting to have the High Court appoint an inspector to investigator the case. He is, of course, wasting his time and taxpayers money.

He has already been to the High Court twice where a lot of hot (legal) air has been expended but as yet no inspector has been appointed.

I spoke with a staff member from the ODCE and asked him when we could expect a decision from the judge. Sometime in the immediate to medium future he replied vaguely.

Another lid lifted – another overwhelming stench

Yet another Government agency has had the lid lifted on its activities and the stench is overwhelming.

FAS, the national training and employment authority is under investigation by the Gardai. As usual in Ireland the alleged corruption wasn’t uncovered by any state regularity agency but came about when Mary Harney received an anonymous letter way back in 2004.

Fine Gael TD, Leo Varadkar, one of the very few effective politicians in Ireland, has been asking questions about what’s been going on in FAS (Morning Ireland, 6th report).

When he questioned Tanaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, he was dismissed with the comment that everything had been sorted out and that FAS had changed its procedures.

The Gardai are conducting a criminal investigation into allegations that a company hired by FAS defrauded the agency of significant amounts of money but the amazing aspect of the scandal is the activities that are not being investigated by the police. According to Varadkar these include.

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.

Let me repeat – These are the activities not being investigated by the police.

Varadkar wants to know what’s being done about this situation, who has been sanctioned and what’s going to change.

May Zeus bless his innocent head if he thinks he’s going to actually get answers never mind action.

Tammany Hall Passports – Update

The review into the Tammany Hall passport scheme is continuing – and continuing – and continuing.

The scheme is an expensive scam that allows politicians to do favours for favoured constituents.

In my regular contacts with the Passport Office I am constantly told that the review is ongoing but should be complete before the summer recess on 3rd July.

I rang again yesterday and was told that as the Dail was sitting an extra week the review would not be complete until sometime around that date.

Obviously the strategy here is to publish the review just before the politicians head off on their long summer holidays in the hope that all will be forgotten by the time they return.

It’s a sly but standard strategy designed to avoid accountability.

Aruba? Where the feck is Aruba?

According to Colm O’Gorman of Amnesty International, the US department of Homeland Security is coming to Ireland.

Speaking on The Last Word (Thursday), O’Gorman claims that the Government is in talks with the Americans to allow the establishment of units of Dept of Home Security and Secret Service to operate in Shannon airport.

The units will have the power to board private aircraft, vet crew and passengers and check for radioactive material.

O’Gorman makes the reasonable point that it is extraordinary that the Irish Government is considering allowing the US government to check planes at Shannon while at the same time seeing no need to check CIA operated private aircraft known to be involved in the commission of significant crimes in violation of international human rights

Actually, I don’t think it’s extraordinary at all. Imagine you’re George Bush dealing with a gang of cowardly, double dealing, unscrupulous Irish political chancer’s who will do anything if the price is right. You already know they’re turning a blind eye to American activities so what’s to stop them adopting the same attitude to say, the Iranian Government, if the right deal is offered.

No wonder George is putting his own team in to keep an eye on the slippery Irish.

Fine Gael spokesman for foreign affairs, Pat Breen TD, confirms the point. On the same show he argued that Shannon needs the business to compensate for the loss of Open skies and the Heathrow service. He said dozens of other European countries were looking for the ‘facility’ but only Ireland was getting it because of our special relationship with the US.

Well, not just Ireland. Apparently Aruba is also in negotiation with the Americans for the same ‘facility’. Aruba? Where the feck is Aruba? Check it out here; it’s a small 21 mile long island off the coast of Venezuela.

Ah yes, I imagine all those other countries that opt for self respect in matters of security are just green with envy when they see how easy it is to sell for a few dollars.

Shock and horror – on hearing the truth

An absolutely outrageous event occurred in this country last Tuesday. The incident shocked hardened journalists and appalled a member of academia. The event was so abhorrent that a warning was issued before it was re-broadcast.

Fine Gael TD, Leo Varadkar was the culprit and he was expressing the view that Bertie Ahern’s evidence to the tribunal played a part in the referendum defeat. Here’s what he had to say.

“And of course we should not forget the issue of the tribunals, which is a serious matter…And I don’t think it’s just about the cost of the tribunals. I think people would be prepared to bear the cost of the tribunals if they actually saw consequences but there are no consequences.

We have a former Taoiseach who has gone into the tribunal essentially giving the John Gilligan defence, that he won the money at the horses. Now this is a defence for drug dealers, this is a defence for pimps, this is not the kind of thing that should be tolerated from a former Taoiseach and a former (sic) member of this house but we do nothing, we wash our hands, we say it’s a matter for the tribunal and there is no accountability, there is no ethics and we ask ourselves why people have such a low opinion of politicians.” (Morning Ireland, 3rd report 1st item).

The RTE presenter who introduced the report spoke in a solemn and concerned voice normally reserved for reports of mass murder or the assassination of a head of state.

To avert any possibility of legal action he emphasised that Varadkar was speaking under privilege in Dail Eireann. At he end of the report the presenter felt compelled to comment – “Fairly strong stuff.”

Varadkar’s views were discussed on Today with Pat Kenny (Friday) by journalists Michael O’Regan, Michael Clifford and DCU lecturer Marie-Louise O’Donnell.

O’Regan – “I thought that was utterly unfair, I thought the language he used was unfortunate to be quite honest with you and I thought he’s want to get his act together. He’s in the door, he’s wet behind the ears, and he’d want to think before he speaks.”

O’Donnell – “And he’s out of control.”

O’Regan – “And his party leader might want to speak to him. The fact of the matter is we’ve all commented, media and indeed some ministers, TDs and senators have commented on Mr. Ahern’s evidence and it is as Michael Clifford said, you know, unbelievable etc. but we have to await ultimately the judgement of the tribunal…”

“…I have some sympathy for Fianna Fail ministers who had a Taoiseach who was giving evidence to a tribunal and the tribunal had yet to give its definitive judgement on it. If it was any other party it would have been the same.”

O’Donnel – “And you have to talk about loyalty there too, you’re right Michael, I mean you have to talk about loyalty.”

So, why were these people angry, why was the RTE presenter so worried about re-broadcasting Varadkar’s comments? They would claim, and most would agree, that it was because they were outraged to hear Bertie Ahern being described in such terms.

But they’re wrong – These people were angry because Varadkar spoke the complete and unvarnished truth. This kind of brutal truth is unacceptable in corrupt Ireland; it is unacceptable to journalists who have evolved a seamless and unhealthy bond of friendship with politicians, journalists who have lost all objectivity, journalists who can instantly recognise, condemn and objectively report on corruption so long as it is happening outside Ireland. (See here for a good example of this double think).

O’Donnell, like the Taoiseach, obviously sees loyalty to the leader as the greatest virtue. She obviously believes such loyalty takes precedence over loyalty to the State, to its people and to the law of the land.

She obviously believes that the massive damage done to the State and its people by low pedigree politicians is of little consequence when compared to the need to show blind and unquestioning loyalty – even when they resort to the tactics of pimps and drugs dealers as Varadkar rightly claims.

White collar crime in Ireland? – Where?

Crackdown, fraud, hundreds of arrests, greed, fraud charges. These are some of the words used by RTE in a report (6th report) on the action taken by US law enforcement agencies against those involved in the sub-prime scandal.

In the same report we see film of two executives from Bear Stearns bank who were charged with fraud being led away in handcuffs.

It really is fascinating to compare this report with how RTE (1st report) covered the resignation of Jim Flavin when he resigned from DCC recently.

Keep in mind that the Supreme Court found that Flavin fraudulently engaged in insider trading involving sums of over €83 million.

Not once in the report are the words fraud; greed, charges or arrest mentioned. RTE economist George Lee is also interviewed on the scandal and again no mention whatsoever of fraud, greed or crime.

RTE, in common with the rest of official Ireland, simply refuse to accept that white collar fraud exists in Ireland.

Meanwhile, Flavin remains a free man with not the remotest chance that he will ever be charged much less filmed being led away in handcuffs.

Copy to:
RTE News

Mansergh – A dangerous fool

Minister of State for Finance Martin Mansergh is a dangerous fool.

He’s a fool because he’s a great admirer of the corrupt Haughey and numbers himself among those who have publicly admitted that they believe Bertie Ahern’s fantasy tales.

The Minister is dangerous because he’s one of those politicians who find democracy to be very inconvenient.

During the Dail debate on the Lisbon Treaty referendum Mansergh strongly suggested that perhaps it’s time to ‘re-interpret’ the Crotty Judgement, not as an attack on democracy you understand but because it would save the peasants, er citizens from having to deal with complex matters and would make things easier for our fellow EU partners.

“It is with good reason that all our other European partners chose to seek parliamentary ratification of the Lisbon treaty and the ruling party in France won a mandate to do that last year.

Referendums on something as general yet as complex as this treaty are vulnerable to all sorts of cross-currents, some quite unconnected with it. While many people passionately cherish the right to vote directly on such treaties now and in the future, I encountered many others who implicitly and sometimes explicitly resented a matter this complex being referred to them.

While I am certain the decision to hold a referendum was based on both clear legal advice and sound political considerations, it could be argued that since 1987 we have taken an expansive interpretation of the Crotty judgment.

While no longer relevant in relation the referendum just past, it is an issue that needs to be looked at carefully if we are not continually to be hampered in the future vis-à-vis all other member states. While our strict constitutional requirements must be respected, we do not necessarily have to go well beyond them.”

Ahhh Mr. Schulz…

Martin Schulz MEP is not happy with Charlie McCreevy (RTE, 1st report 3rd item).

Schulz, who is chairman of the Party of European Socialists in the European Parliament, wants McCreevy fired from the Commission because of his remarks during the Lisbon Treaty referendum campaign.

“He has one of the highest responsibilities in the European Commission and then to tell people – ‘I don’t care about this treaty, I have not even read it’ is not only a mistake it is a catastrophe because the message is clear – I don’t care about the legal framework in which I have to act.’ That’s inadmissible for such a high responsibility.”

“I don’t care about the legal framework in which I have to act.” ?

Ahhh Mr. Schulz you are so innocent. Do you not know that working outside the legal framework is the default position for most Irish politicians and officials.

“And the responsible minister is McCreevy who prefers to go to a horse race than come to the European Parliament; that is the behaviour of a lord of the 19th century.”

Ahhh Mr. Schulz, are you not aware that McCreevy is merely aping the low standards of another Charlie who acted like a lord over the people for decades?

Schulz was asked should Charlie McCreevy be in the Commission at all

“I’m not an employment institute, we could find certainly another dossier. Multilingualism is another dossier, perhaps it would be good for him because if you listen to him when he’s speaking English I have always the need to speak to the Commissioner of multilingualism to help me to understand Charlie.”

Ahhh Mr. Schulz, now you’ve hurt our Charlie’s feelings but also given us all a good laugh.