Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005
In response to the latest health abuse scandal the Minister for Health, Dr. James Reilly, has told the Health Information and Quality Authority that it will have to consider actually regulating instead of relying on whistleblowers to uncover abuse.
Ok, it’s nothing more than a suggestion but none the less it is indeed historic that an Irish politician is even hinting that an Irish ‘regulator’ should actually regulate.
Changing times indeed.
The Health Information and Quality Authority did a report on Rostrevor Nursing Home last year and found it was fit for purpose.
Last week, after whistleblowers in the home came forward with horror stories of abuse, HIQA made an Interim Order cancelling the registration of the home.
These events are the norm in dysfunctional states.
In dysfunctional states, regulatory authorities are not established to actually regulate, they are established to give the impression of regulation so that those who run the state can pretend to citizens and the wider world that the state is normal and functional.
When this system of pretence and hypocrisy is upset by pesky whistleblowers the state reacts with ‘committees’, ‘tribunals’, ‘reviews’ and promises of ‘reform’ all of which provide the magic ingredient that guarantees non accountability – time.
There is a long running joke that tells us the only difference between Ireland and Iceland is one letter and six months.
Well, judging from two headlines in last Saturday’s Irish Times there is now a significant difference between the two countries.
Here are the headlines with some quotes from each article.
At the end of May, the banks’ total borrowings from the Central Bank in Ireland and the ECB stood at €156 billion, down from €160 billion in April.
The gradual loss of deposits at the Irish banks over the past year has led to a surge in borrowing from the ECB which reached a peak last November, when banks here were in receipt of €136.4 billion in funding.
The dramatic rise in Irish financial institutions’ dependence on ECB funding, at a time when other countries were reducing their reliance, is believed to have been one of the key triggers behind the IMF-EU bailout.
Iceland returned to international debt markets for the first time since its banking meltdown more than two years ago as investors offered to buy twice the amount the government offered in dollar-denominated bonds.
Iceland, which averted a sovereign default by refusing to bail out bondholders when its banks failed in October 2008, will enjoy economic growth of 2.2 per cent this year and 2.9 per cent in 2012 as its budget deficit narrows to 1.4 per cent of gross domestic product, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The island’s approach to resurrecting itself from financial ruin has won the praise of Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, who says Iceland is now better off than euro member Ireland.
Dr. Labros Chatziz, president of the Hellenic Community (In Ireland) and co-owner of the River Medical Group was on The Business this morning discussing the growing financial crisis in Greece and the Irish government’s negotiations in Europe.
The presenter, George Lee, put it to Dr. Chatzis, that tax evasion was rampant in Greece.
Yes, tax evasion is a national sport. Unfortunately, the only people who are paying tax in Greece are people on salaries; all the professions are tax evaders.
George didn’t intervene here to say that the situation is the same in Ireland, he allowed the doctor to continue.
I’m ashamed to say you have doctors, like me, who have been declaring €10,000 income for the past ten years. When the taxman went in they found yachts, swimming pools and mansions.
Again, George didn’t intervene here to say that the situation is worse in Ireland because ordinary and long suffering taxpayers are still waiting for the taxman to act against the rich tax evaders.
But this is done by everybody in Greece. It’s the mentality and this is the big difference with Ireland. In Ireland it’s not like that.
Once again, George didn’t intervene to say that the mentality is exactly the same in Ireland; that Ireland is exactly like Greece.
Instead George went on to advise the doctor that his country will have to end its culture of tax evasion and added, that it’s not a banking crisis his country is suffering from but a fiscal crisis.
Clearly, George is of the same mind as the Minister for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton. He seems to believe that Ireland is a normal functional state that just happens to be suffering from a temporary banking crisis.
The doctor went on to explain how the already severe austerity measures were being imposed on people who were already paying high taxes.
They’re squeezed even more; I can’t believe how much more they can give. Now you will be taxed for the size of the house you live in on top of the stamp duty.
And that’s just driving them nuts, said George, helpfully, without the slightest hint that he was aware of the raft of similar taxes about to be imposed on ordinary Irish taxpayers.
Labour Minister Pat Rabbitte was on Saturday View today defending the government’s policy on the continuing economic crisis.
We are where we are, we didn’t create the situation that we’ve inherited.
I made plain on the night it happened (Bank guarantee) that we would be in a straight jacket as a new government. We remain in very difficult circumstances.
There has to be a willingness on both sides in negotiations to move and up now that willingness has been there except for one head of state and it has made the task very difficult.
Translation:
We are where we are, it’s not the government’s fault, it’s not my fault, it’s Sarkozy’s fault.
A comment from a listener cut through Rabbitte’s dishonest waffle.
The Greeks are alive and fighting, the Irish are stupid, corrupt and dead, may we rest in peace.
Last night’s Prime Time analysed the differences between the financial crisis in Greece and Ireland.
Greece, we were informed, was in crisis because of a dysfunctional political and public service which is largely corrupt and no longer serving the best interests of Greece.
When Minister of State for European Affairs, Lucinda Creighton, was asked would Ireland, like Greece, require a second bailout she replied:
Certainly not, you cannot compare Ireland with Greece. The crisis in Greece was caused by structural problems, in Ireland the problem was caused by a credit bubble.
Such denial and/or ignorance is deeply disturbing and bodes ill for the future of Ireland and its people.
The cause of the Irish crisis is exactly the same as that of Greece – Political corruption which has infected every sector of Irish society and ultimately destroyed our country.
No recovery is possible until that brutal fact is accepted and acted upon.
David Norris for president.
David who?
I take back all the bad things I said about the Irish political system.
I was wrong to suggest that promises of radical reform in the Senate were just hot air.
Independent Senator Feargal Quinn has identified an area where major savings could be made.
Apparently, each senator is issued with a sealed envelope containing each day’s running order of the House.
It just doesn’t make sense, said the Senator, and it would save a lot of money if stopped.
Leader of the House, Maurice Cummins agreed with Senator Quinn saying that the matter had been raised on several previous occasions.
Neither of the visionary senators indicated when the practice would actually stop but I’m sure, after the establishment of the traditional committee, a decision could be expected, say, within five years.
Such quick action, I’m sure, would have a significant impact on the 250 billion that the nation owes; would go a long way in reforming our corrupt political system and could even lead to a resolution of the EU/global financial crisis.
Surely now, our worries are over.
Fionnan Sheahan was writing about broken government promises in yesterday’s Irish Independent.
The average member of the public does prefer to get accurate accounts from their elected leaders and demands a high degree of honesty.
This is a ridiculous statement.
Irish politicians are very, very seldom honest. They operate within a deeply corrupt political system where lying, cheating, stealing and generally betraying the people is the norm.
Honesty within a system that runs on the fuel of corruption can quickly end a political career.
Such corruption flourishes because of the chronically low level of political intelligence among Irish citizens.
A few scraps from a politician’s table, even from criminal politicians like Haughey, is all that is required to ensure election time after time.
The credibility of the previous government was eroded because the public gradually couldn’t believe a word their ministers were saying.
This is also a ridiculous statement.
Irish ministers lie all the time. Political lying is a deeply ingrained part of our corrupt political culture and is fully accepted by a chronically politically ignorant electorate.
Irish citizens have no problem with political dishonesty/lying so long as it does not affect them personally.
They vote, overwhelmingly, on a selfish, personal basis – what’s good for me, not the wider community, not the country.
It was only when the previous government led the entire country over the cliff of destruction, affecting the individual interests of a great number of citizens; that they found themselves thrown out of power.
It’s not about honesty, it’s not about good government; it’s not about the country.
It’s about how well a corrupt political system based entirely on the buying and selling of votes through clientelism can deliver a few crumbs to a politically ignorant peasantry.
In its refusal to disclose the names of banks that are robbing Irish citizens the so called Financial Regulator quoted Irish and European law as an excuse for its absolute secrecy.
I submitted a formal request to Europe Advice to check if such EU laws existed. Unfortunately, they were unable to help but did refer me to Europe Direct.
I spoke with an official from Europe Direct and am awaiting a reply.