Author: Anthony

Unfit for public office

Michael Nugent over at That’s Ireland wrote an excellent piece that gets right to the heart of what Bertiegate is all about. Here’s what he had to say:

At this stage, it doesn’t really matter what findings the Tribunal eventually makes about Bertie Ahern taking bribes from Owen O’Callaghan. Because, even on the basis of Ahern’s own evidence, which is the best spin that he and his supporters can put on things, Bertie Ahern is unfit for public office.

Imagine if Owen O’Callaghan never existed, and the Tribunal had never been established, and yet we somehow became aware of the following behaviour by our Prime Minister. Here’s the situation if Ahern is telling the truth:

• Our Prime Minister took money from businessmen, and put it towards buying a house for himself. He did not pay tax on at least some of this money, which he has described as ‘a political donation for personal use.’

• Our Prime Minister lodged several times his salary into various bank accounts, in his own name, his girlfriend’s name, and his friend Tim Collins name, and he has given varying and unbelievable explanations for these lodgements.

• Our Prime Minister accepted money from friends and businessmen who he appointed to state boards. He said that he appointed them not because they gave him money, but because they were his friends.

• Our Prime Minister was aware for over a decade that political party funds in his constituency had been given to his girlfriend for her to buy a house. This money was not repaid until the Tribunal found out about it.

• Our Prime Minister told our national parliament that he had consulted the tax authorities about certain personal financial transactions of his, when this was not true. He later claimed that ‘the tax authorities’ means his personal tax advisers.

I could go on, but there is more than enough there. Even if he had never met Owen O’Callaghan, Bertie Ahern is unfit for public office. And that is on the basis of Ahern’s own evidence about his personal finances.

Bertie Ahern has corrupted the offices of Finance Minister and Taoiseach, and Fianna Fail, the Green Party and the PDs are corrupting Irish politics by allowing Ahern to stay in office.

PS: Just discovered that Michael Nugent co-wrote the play I Keano with Arthur Mathews and Paul Woodfull. I saw the play recently in Cork Opera House – Absolutely brilliant.

Special passport service to be reviewed

I sent off another email today to the Department of Foreign Affairs asking if they could provide me with a time frame in which I could expect a reply to my original email sent on the 3rd February last regarding the special passport service provided by TDs.

In my original email I asked a series of questions two of which were:

What is the specific reason for this service given that the Passport Office already provides a very efficient service that covers all eventualities?

Given that this special system provided by TDs is a legitimate service involving State employees and State funds it must obviously be open to all citizens. Could you direct me to a source of official information on the service?

I also phoned the Passport Office again to enquire if there was any reply forthcoming to other questions I had asked earlier this month regarding this special service. No answers yet but I was assured that my queries were being dealt with.

Later in the day I spoke to Fine Gael TD, David Stanton, who has tabled a number of questions for me on the matter in the Dail. He informed me that the Minister for Foreign Affairs was conducting a review of the facility including whether it should be continued.

According to a report in today’s Irish Times (Sub. Required) backbench TDs from all parties are expected to oppose any attempt to end the special service.

Fine Gael TD Michael Ring is quoted as saying;

“It is a good system. It doesn’t do any harm. We are not doing any harm, and we are helping.”

I strongly disagree. The service is nothing more than a Tammany Hall scam whereby TDs provide a favour for their constituents in return for a vote.

The service should be discontinued but if it is to remain then details should be available to all citizens on the Passports Office website.

The untouchable golden circle

Sometimes it’s just some small unexpected comment or story that tells us what kind of a country we live in.

An angry caller to last Friday’s Liveline was wondering why people like Bertie Ahern never seem to come under the same scrutiny as ‘ordinary’ citizens.

“One time I had a small business and I had a tax audit. I said to the tax inspectors, why are you hassling the small businesses’? They told me straight out:

‘we’re not allowed go after the big guys.’

They said it reflects badly on Irish business in general, that they have too many smart accountants and smart solicitors and they have friends in high places.

You can ask anyone who has ever worked in Revenue and they will back me up on that. That’s how it is, there’s an untouchable golden circle.”

Joe Duffy – A Bertie man?

Strict balance and the ability to act fairly as devils advocate are the hallmarks of a good broadcaster. Professional broadcasters must also be very careful to keep their own personal views and prejudices out of any discussion.

Few could seriously argue that Joe Duffy doesn’t live up to these laudable standards. But even the most professional of broadcasters can, at times, stray from the straight and narrow.

On last Friday’s show, during discussion about Ahern’s latest fantasies at the tribunal Joe strongly defended Bertie – The ‘loan’ to Celia was not Fianna Fail money per se, it’s in the name of trustees; Bertie works extraordinarily hard, seven days a week morning to night, he can’t remember everything.

Joe was very critical of the overall cost of the tribunal, the length of time it was taking and the fees paid to barristers and even brought up judge Mahon’s tax settlement with Revenue. Generally, he allowed pro Bertie callers to speak without interruption but frequently challenged anti Bertie callers.

At one point towards the end of the programme an anti Bertie caller named Mairead struggled to make her points in the face of an onslaught by Joe, a pro Bertie caller named Mary and Fianna Fail fanatic Jimmy Guerin.

It’s rare to witness someone as professional as Joe Duffy allow his own views to become part of a discussion but it is interesting to note that he is a Bertie man and strongly disapproves of the Mahon Tribunal.

Copy to:
Liveline

HSE bureaucrats should be locked up

I wrote recently that the Health Executive Service (HSE) was a diseased, out of control monster created by and strongly defended by cowardly and incompetent politicians. My analysis has been confirmed by the incredible events of recent days.

A democratically elected public representative has been banned from entering a hospital by an anonymous HSE manager and that same organisation has launched a campaign, with the full support of cowardly politicians, to silence a media outlet that dares to question its activities.

Labour TD Joe Costello is an extremely rare creature, an Irish politician who actually possesses and acts on conviction. Every Saturday for the last four years he and a group of supporters have maintained a presence outside the Mater Hospital in Dublin in protest over the Third World conditions in the A & E Department (Drivetime, 7th item).

As part of his protest Deputy Costello visits the staff and patients of the A & E Department to monitor and inform himself on the situation. This is a perfectly legitimate and necessary activity in a functional democracy but last week Deputy Costello was officially barred from entering the hospital.

This is an extremely serious situation – a lawfully elected public representative has been barred from associating with a group of citizens by a faceless and unaccountable bureaucrat.

In addition to preventing elected representatives from serving the people the HSE has also become involved in attempts to control the media and, incredibly, telling politicians what media outlet they can or cannot speak on.

The HSE has threatened to withdraw advertising from Newstalk 106 because of the station’s policy of ringing the HSE directly to address what the station describes as “horror stories from victims of health service mismanagement, contempt and incompetence.”(Irish Examiner).

A spokesperson for the HSE said:

“In light of staff members being intimidated, bullied and humiliated by Newstalk live on air we are withdrawing co-operation by not providing ministers, press releases and advertising. We believe this is all down to ratings.”

‘We are not providing ministers’??? The bureaucrats in the HSE have decided that they have the power to control the actions of politicians.

‘We believe this is all down to ratings.’??? Since when did faceless bureaucrats, allegedly in charge of health, give themselves the power to sit in judgement on the activities of media outlets?

In reality, their arrogant confidence is justified. It seems that Government ministers are only too happy to allow these faceless and arrogant bureaucrats to trample all over the most basic principles of a functional democracy. The undemocratic imposition of draconian restrictions on free speech means that these cowardly politicians don’t have to answer questions themselves.

While Deputy Costello’s actions deserve the highest praise his handling of the matter requires some comment. He was approached by an unidentified and hostile woman who told him he shouldn’t be in the hospital. He didn’t demand identification and quietly left the hospital.

Apparently, this woman was head of operations at the hospital or represented that office. He has said he intends continuing his protest and has written to head of HSE, Prof. Drumm, expressing his disappointment with the attitude of head of operations at the hospital.

Here’s what should have happened. Deputy Costello should have demanded that this hostile woman identify herself. He should have refused to leave the hospital until he was good and ready.

He should have informed this hostile bureaucrat that as an elected representative of the people he far outranks any official or public servant.

He should not be timidly writing to Prof. Drumm expressing disappointment, he should be writing in passionate anger outlining to the Prof. his plans for dramatically stepping up his campaign outside the hospital.

In effect, the Irish health service has been taken over by unaccountable arrogant and grossly overpaid bureaucrats and public relations companies. Politicians have lost control; they are literally standing outside hospitals waiting for permission to enter.

This grotesque and bizarre state of affairs is bordering on how things are done in Zimbabwe and is resulting in massive suffering for Irish people, in some case even death.

It is long past time that these people were taken out and if necessary put in handcuffs.

Copy to:

All political parties
HSE
Newstalk 106
Joe Costello TD
Mary Harney
Prof. Drumm

Great patriots or corrupt politicians

RTEs Washington correspondent Robert Shortt reported yesterday on a corruption scandal unfolding in the US capital.

The case involves Harriette Walters, a tax assessment manager, who fraudulently approved up to $50 million in improper tax refunds over a period of 20 years.

What’s interesting about Shortt’s report is his attitude to those involved and his use of language.

His headline “Corruption scandal unravels in US capital.” leaves the reader in no doubt that this is a story about corruption.

Shortt and indeed the American people would be astonished if it was suggested that the word corruption couldn’t be used until a court case or a ten year tribunal had completed its work.

There’s a completely different culture here in Ireland. On Morning Ireland (1st item) last Friday, RTEs Cathal MacCoille, challenged Fine Gael spokesperson on Justice Eugene Regan on his description of Bertie Ahern as a tax dodger.

“You have used the phrase in relation to the Taoiseach which is a serious phrase, indeed in many circumstances it would be a libelous phrase, calling him a tax dodger.”

If Ahern was an American politician we wouldn’t be witnessing media sources timidly suggesting to opposition politicians that they should be careful about their language. Instead, we would be getting reports of Ahern being hauled before the courts in handcuffs to face justice.

Shortt goes on to tell us that the Walters case “Puts the extent of planning corruption in Dublin almost literally in the halfpenny place.” It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that Short is not actually Irish or that he has been in Washington for a very long time because, clearly, he has no idea of the extent of the planning corruption that has occurred in Dublin over the decades. The Walters case involves a mere $50 million; planning corruption in Dublin is several multiples of that.

Later, he breathlessly informs us that the most amazing aspect of this story is that it went on for 20 years without anyone noticing. If he was reporting in Ireland he would be in danger of suffocation:

Just a few examples, National Irish Bank and Allied Irish Banks robbed the State and their customers for years and nobody noticed. The Ansbacher and DIRT scams operated for decades and nobody apparently noticed. Planning corruption in Ireland is widespread and barely concealed but apparently nobody notices.

He tells us that it was a diligent bank employee who noticed something wrong and reported it to the authorities. Once the corruption was uncovered, US authorities immediately swung into action. 40 people are under investigation by the FBI, homes have been searched and Walters is in jail. Remember, this is just the initial reaction to the corruption.

This does not happen in Ireland. Reports of corruption from diligent officials are invariably covered up or, if they become public, are side tracked into never ending and powerless tribunals or in some cases, simply ignored.

We had the recent case of Jim Flavin of DCC. Last July, the Supreme Court found that he was guilty of insider trading involving sums of up to €50 million – Nothing has happened.

Flavin is still walking around a free man, still at the helm of DCC, still enjoying all the benefits and respect that all non corrupt citizens are properly due. It can also be said with absolute certainty that Flavin will never be brought to justice; he will never see the inside of a jail.

Because Shortt is working and reporting from a jurisdiction that recognises and acts on corruption he automatically and naturally uses words like rampant corruption, jail, prosecution and embezzlement. Such straight forward and open reporting on corruption is extremely rare in the world of Irish media.

Shortt completes his article by making reference to poverty and corruption. I believe he would be genuinely astonished to learn that most Irish people and a good section of the media are completely ignorant of the direct link between the election of corrupt politicians and the serious consequences such voting habits have on Irish society. If they were so aware we would see corrupt Irish politicians and officials languishing in jail instead of being feted as great patriots.

Copy to:
RTE
Robert Shortt

Government in hiding

What emerged at the Mahon Tribunal yesterday would cause a major political crisis in a functional democracy. In Ireland, not a single Government Minister or representative, to my knowledge, featured on the national airwaves to tell the people what was going on. All we got was wall to wall talk between journalists.

Morning Ireland – Journalist Brian Dowling. No public representative

Today with Pat Kenny – Journalist Fergal Keane and Michael Clifford. Defence Minister, Willie O’Dea was on talking about Irish troops going to Chad and was only briefly asked about the tribunal.

News at One – Journalist John Kilraine – No public representative.

Drivetime – Journalists Fergal Keane, Brian Dowling, Harry McGee, Justine McCarthy, Terry Prone and Noel Whelan – No public representative.

Six One News – Journalist John Kilraine and Brian Dowling – No public representative.

Nine News – Journalist Brian Dowling – No public representative.

Primetime – Journalists Michael Clifford and Sam Smyth – No public representative.

The Late Debate – Journalists Fionn Sheehan and Fergal Keane. At last, in the middle of the night, two lightweight politicians, Fianna Fail TD Frank Fahy and Fine Gael Senator Eugene O’Regan.

Perhaps they’ll come out of hiding over the weekend.

Different countries – different standards

Today with Pat Kenny (Thursday 21st Feb.).

Report from a real democracy where citizens and public figures are aware of the importance of accountability.

Country – United Kingdom.

Politician – Ian Paisley Jnr.

“There is a perception out there that he is careless in ways and he doesn’t always give enough attention to the correct detail…I have to say, no smoking gun has yet been produced either of him or the developer with whom he’s been aligned or linked.

But the perception out there is what he was doing was bordering on the sharp practice and that’s what militated against him and forced his resignation. And the word sleaze is now endemic within his own party ranks and they feel the party will be tainted because of the perception associated with him in terms of his association with developers.”

Report from a corrupt country where almost all citizens are totally ignorant of the very serious consequences that follow when public figures are not made accountable.

Country – Republic of Ireland.
Politician – Bertie Ahern.

On the lodgement of a particular £5,000 to his account.

“He believes he got it from an individual in a company but he’s now gone back to those people. The individual is dead, they can’t locate the account. But he said; ‘It was a donation for political purposes, but a political donation for my personal use. He said he felt free to put this political donation into his own account and use it to save up to buy a house. If he was told it was a strictly political donation it would have gone to the party.”

The poor should be worried

Letter published in the Irish Times 19th February – The Harneyisation of Irish health continues.

Madam,

GPs have received a letter from the consultants and nursing staff of the emergency department at Beaumont Hospital. The letter states:

“The [ emergency] department is in urgent need of an ultrasound machine which is required to speedily assess internal organ damage resulting from traffic accidents and knife trauma wounds.” And with commendable forbearance the letter observes: “It would be reasonable to assume that the machine would be a standard piece of A&E equipment.”

However, it appears there is no money for it. So the A&E staff are going on to the streets to beg for the money – €24,000 – to buy the machine. They hope to raise it through a golf classic or, for non-golfers, by a one-off donation of €100.

This is a scandal. A scandal for Bertie Ahern. A scandal for Mary Harney. A scandal for the HSE. A scandal for the Government. A scandal for the limp Opposition. And a scandal for the local politicians. Here is a major trauma centre in a national hospital having to get down on its knees to beg for basic equipment.

The poor should be worried. And so, may I say, should the rich. If you have a knife stuck between your shoulder-blades, it is no time to go flashing your Plan E card at the Gullawntha Medical Clinic with the oak tree in the atrium and three ladies playing the harp. You will be redirected to the public hospital and advised to have a nice day.

Repeatedly, general practitioners hear praise from patients for the staff at Beaumont A&E. They comment on the courtesy and care of the doctors, nurses and ancillary staff. And this in spite of the squalor and overcrowding provided by the Government.

The Harneyisation of the Irish medical scene is becoming more and more vivid. Wealth is further swelling the wallets of the wealthy. Mary Harney’s relocation system means that millions upon millions of euro are being relocated from the taxpayers’ pocket into the insatiable pockets of the earnestly rich.

Her plan is clear.The poor will please keep left and know their place. The richly insured will please head for the (very far) right.
Would Ms Harney please write a cheque today for €24,000 for that ultrasound machine in Beaumont? If she has difficulty in getting that sum together she might perhaps consult her friends who have special talents in the art of subtle acquisition.

Yours, etc,

Dr CYRIL DALY,

Howth Road, Killester, Dublin 5.