Category: Fianna Fail

A challenge to Haughey’s friend; Colm Tobin

According to writer Colm Tobin writers and artists should be raising a secret glass to the disgraced Taoiseach Charles J Haughey (Sunday Independent).

Since it is not fashionable, or even wise, nowadays to raise a glass to Charles Haughey, I will follow Anthony Cronin in suggesting that those of us who have cause to be grateful to him, and to his policies, should wait until we are at home alone, and then we should turn off all the lights and raise a glass to him in the dark alone. Tell no one.

The suggestion seems to be that the legacy of the criminal Haughey is under attack by sinister forces and therefore his admirers should be careful when celebrating his great work, they should only do so at home, in the dark, tell no one.

Perhaps, one day, when the dark forces who oppose the hero have been banished from the land the Haugheyites can once again emerge from their dark, lonely, glass strewn hideouts into the bright sunlight of accountable, transparent, democracy – so beloved of the criminal.

Tobin’s attitude can be summed up in one sentence – Haughey did me a favour therefore I will always remain loyal to him no matter what crimes he has committed against the Irish people.

This selfish, intellectually narrow mindset is one of the principal reasons why criminals like Haughey can safely live out their long careers plundering the resources of the state without the slightest concern that they will ever be brought to justice.

Tobin’s ignorance of the origin of the disaster facing the Irish people today can be seen from the following bizarre statement.

It might be a comfort in what will be not only a hard time, but a time of strange introspection in Ireland, when we are deeply concerned with our own dilemma, the puzzling question of how we got here, and who is to blame, and who should pay for the party it seems some people had.

The puzzling question of how we got here, of who is to blame?

I’ll put this as simply as I can for Mr. Tobin’s sake.

We got where we are because the Irish political system is corrupt to the core.

The criminal Haughey introduced the disease of corruption to Ireland and his party was the chief carrier. The disease spread rapidly through every level of Irish society particularly in the political, financial and public service sectors.

It is this disease, introduced by Haughey, that has destroyed our country and impoverished this and many generations of Irish people to come.

It is clear that Mr. Tobin has cause to be grateful to Haughey for favours granted but I would like to challenge the writer to put pen to paper and explain to the Irish people why they, the victims of the criminal, should be grateful.

I won’t be holding my breadth.

Copy to:
Colm Tobin

Noonan confirms Lenihan as a liar

Interesting to note that Michael Noonan has effectively (and rightly) called Brian Lenihan a liar over his postponement of the injection of a further €10 billion into the banks until after the election.

Noonan said he did not believe the decision had been approved by the Cabinet, ECB or the IMF. This suggests that Lenihan was acting as a rogue minister outside of Cabinet and made the decision purely on the grounds that it was good for Fianna Fail.

This sort of behaviour is only possible in a seriously dysfuntional state.

Fianna Fail: Sticking firmly to its low principles and values

Mary Hanafin was on the radio this morning saying that Fianna Fail wanted to reach out to voters with the same principles and values that the party has always shown.

We witnessed a good example of those ‘principles and values’ just yesterday on Six One News (21.15) when Fianna Fail’s most accomplished liar Brian Lenihan pulled yet another stroke by postponing the injection of 7 billion into the banks claiming, falsely, that he no longer had a mandate for such actions.

Dr. Byrne; respect for politicians and political reform

Trinity lecturer and Irish Times columnist Dr. Elaine Byrne is obviously very passionate about the need for radical political reform in Ireland.

She may therefore be surprised to learn that she is part of the problem herself. No significant reform of the political system will occur until those in the media wake up to what is actually happening in Ireland.

That Dr. Byrne is unaware of the reality of the situation was evident last Wednesday on The Late Debate when she engaged in a comfortable, light-hearted discussion with Fianna Fail TD Mary O’Rourke.

Clearly, Dr. Byrne has great respect for O’Rourke saying at one point:

I think Mary O’Rourke has made a fantastic contribution (to politics) particularly on her Seanad reform report which was one of the better reform reports.

Here’s the reality that Dr. Byrne does not see.

Mary O’Rourke is a traitor to her county and people. In common with all Fianna Fail politicians O’Rourke believes strongly in loyalty; to herself, to her family dynasty, to her party, and most of all, loyalty to the rotten political system that sustains her in power and comfort.

O’Rourke is an admirer and supporter of the criminal Haughey and seems to have no problem with the fact that her party has been a hotbed of corruption for years.

As for that Seanad report – like all politicians, O’Rourke see such reports as nothing but a big joke on the Irish people.

If O’Rourke was a citizen of a functional/accountable democracy she would be treated with utter contempt whenever and wherever she showed her face. Neither she nor any of the cabal of chancers that makes up her party would last a week in public life.

In our corrupt state she is feted as the Mammy of Parliament and is treated with utmost respect by the media and academics like Dr. Byrne.

If Dr. Byrne was truly aware of what has happened to our country and who is responsible she would treat the likes of O’Rourke with the contempt she richly deserves and therefore greatly hasten the cause of real political reform.

People like O’Rourke are enemies of the state and a state that fails to act against its enemies is doomed to destruction.

Copy to:

Dr.Byrne
Mary O’Rourke

Shock/Horror: SIPO rejects Callely complaint

On 28th August last year I submitted a formal complaint to the Standards in Public Office Commission relating to expense claims made by Senator Ivor Callely (Complaint reproduced below).

I received a judgement last Friday informing me that the Commission found no basis on which to initiate an investigation.

My reply to the judgement.

Dear Mr…

Thank you for your efforts in this matter. I would have been truly astonished if the outcome had been otherwise.

Yours sincerely

Anthony Sheridan

The judgement is worth reading because it demonstrates just how slyly intelligent our politicians are when it comes to looking after their own interests.

I predict that this era of legal corruption is very close to an end.

(My emphasis throughout)

4 February 2010 (sic)

Dear Mr Sheridan,

I refer to previous correspondence to the Standards in Public Office Commission (Standards Commission) concerning a complaint about Senator Ivor Callely relating to expenses claims made by him while he was a Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children.

The Standards Commission sought and received copies of the expenses claims from the Secretary General of the Department, Mr Michael Scanlan.

It also asked the Secretary General to set out the relevant rules under which Ministers of State were allowed to claim mileage expenses at the time and to set out the steps taken by the then Secretary General at the time in his capacity as Accounting Officer to secure compliance with those rules.

The Secretary General replied stating that Government decisions of 16 September 1983 and of 7 February 1984 regulate the payment of mileage claims by Ministers of State.

He said that under those decisions the head of a department shall certify mileage claims for Ministers of State on being provided with a statement, certified by the Minister of State concerned, that the mileage travelled was for official purposes only.

The following are the relevant sections of the decisions:

16 September 1983

“3(a) that the new arrangements, in respect of Ministers of State,… should be made with effect from the 1st October, 1983,… that in all cases the arrangements under which they would provide their own cars in place of State cars, should be on the basis of a mileage allowance being paid in respect of mileage, other than that unrelated to their Office, and civilian drivers being provided by the state in lieu of Garda drivers”

“(b) that the mileage rates payable in respect of (a) above should be those applicable to members of the judiciary, subject to payment in respect of not more than 60,000 miles a year in each case,”

7 February 1984

“the Government following further consideration of the matter, agreed that paragraph 3(a) of that decision (of 16th September 1983) should be amended by the addition of

“such mileage allowances shall be payable and certified by the relevant accounting officer on the basis of a statement to be furnished from time to time by the office-holder certifying the total mileage travelled and related to the office in the car provided by the office holder in place of a state car, in the period covered by the claim.”

The Secretary General also stated that all payments were made on the basis of claims certified by the Minister of State concerned in accordance with those decisions. He said that on occasion some claims were queried by the (then) Secretary General but paid on the basis of certification by the Minister of State concerned.

Having considered your complaint in light of the documentary evidence provided, the rules under which the claims were dealt with and the observations of the Department’s Secretary General, the Standards Commission has decided that there is no basis on which to initiate an investigation under the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995 and 2001.

Initial complaint

28th August 2010

To Whom It May Concern,

I wish to formally lodge a complaint under the Ethics in Public Office Acts 1995.

The complaint concerns an article in the Sunday Tribune newspaper on the 22nd August 2010 which outlined the following expense claims made by then junior minister, Ivor Callely.

Claimed 5,000 miles per month in expenses during his term as junior minister at the Department of Health even though he lived less than three miles from his office.

Claimed for the 5,000 miles (the maximum allowed) even when he had been out of the country on government business, including March 2003 when he was away for at least eight days on trips to France, England, Malta and Slovakia

Claimed the maximum allowed mileage for May 2003 even though he spent seven days in the US during that month.

Claimed for more than a dozen dining expenses at the Leinster House restaurant. These particular claims were questioned by the department but were eventually paid out.

I request that these claims be investigated to clarify what appear to be very serious inconsistencies.

I include below a full reproduction of the newspaper article

Yours sincerely

Anthony Sheridan

Living in a parallel universe

Some quotes from The Late Debate (Wed. 26th Jan).

Journalist and historian Tim Pat Coogan.

Michael Martin is an honourable man, he’s courageous, and he has a straight forward mind.

Coogan then went on to express anger at the complete lack of accountability within the political class for the mess they and the banks had made of the country.

Like the 30% of people who believe Martin would make a fine Taoiseach, Coogan remains completely blind to the connection between the new Fianna Fail leader and the destruction of our nation.

Coogan asked the politicians on the panel if they would support the bringing in of a retrospective law to punish the people who are responsible.

Fianna Fail TD Barry Andrews (In anger).

The only other time that a retrospective law was used was in Nuremberg when war crimes and genocide were created post the armistice (sic).

Now I think to approximate genocide and the crimes of Nazi’s which is effectively what you’re talking about is…(interrupted)

This has to qualify as the most bizarre, stupid, straw man argument in history.

RTE: Still pulling its punches

Commentating on the appointment of Willie O’Dea to the new Fianna Fail front bench George Hook didn’t pull his punches.

This is a man who swore a false affidavit in the High Court.

Predictably, RTE did pull its punches.

Mr. O’Dea resigned over a controversy concerning an incorrect High Court affidavit.

Martin under investigation – No worries

Just three days after being elected leader of the most corrupt political party in the country, Michael Martin TD, is under investigation (Irish Times).

Four citizens have alleged that Mr. Martin sent them personalized, unsolicited emails in breach of the law.

Of course, Mr. Martin has nothing to worry about, it’s not as if the Data ‘Protection’ Commissioner is likely to do anything silly like applying the law – the very thought.

No, an ‘agreement’ will be reached just like ‘agreements’ were reached concerning about 50 complaints made during the 2007 election.

Not a single political party or politician was made accountable for alleged breaches of the law, why would they have any fears on this occasion?

Even if, by some miracle, this so called regulatory body does act against Martin the maximum punishment open to the authority is a €3,000 fine.

This paltry fine is no deterrent whatsoever to a ruthless political party bent on harvesting maximum votes.

I wrote about this matter last week after the Data ‘Protection’ Commissioner issued a warning to political parties about breaking the law in this manner.

Let me reproduce the last two paragraphs of that post.

The failure to rigorously enforce laws by a wide range of state agencies over a prolonged number of years has led to the inevitable – political chaos, impoverishment and hardship for ordinary citizens and national shame in front of the world community.

Allow me to end by making another (mad) guess/prediction – not a single politician or political party will receive an enforcement order from the so called Data Protection Commissioner as a result of any breaches of the Act in the forthcoming election.

I stick by that prediction.

Copy to:
Data Protection Commissioner