Public Inquiry – Page 18 – Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

Editing letters to the Irish Times

Over the years I have had many letters published in the Irish Times and with very few exceptions they were published exactly as written.

A letter in today’s paper, however, is heavily edited almost to the point of being rewritten. I’m not complaining (yes, I know, it’s a first) as the point I was making in the letter just about remains but, in my opinion, (which is as humble as ever) with much less punch.

Here are both letters for comparison.

The original of the species:

15 December 2015

Sir,

The news that junior minister Ann Phelan was the only TD present in the Dail chamber for the passing of legislation is a perfect representation of the relevance of our much debased parliament.

No sarcasm or cynicism intended, just brutal reality.

Yours etc.,
Anthony Sheridan

The Irish Times edited version:

15 December 2015

Sir,

Further to “Minister of State talks to herself in Dáil as other TDs fail to show up” (December 15th), the news that Ann Phelan was the only TD present in the Dáil chamber for the passing of legislation is a perfect representation of how relevant our parliament is.

Yours, etc,
Anthony Sheridan
Cobh,
Co Cork.

Stephen Collins: An enemy of my country

This is, without a shadow of doubt, the most stupid, most ignorant comment/opinion ever written by a so-called journalist in the history of our corrupt/failed state.

The notion that corruption is rife across the political system because of the dubious behaviour of a few needs to be challenged, not simply because it is wrong but because it has the capacity to further erode confidence in our democracy.

Stephen Collins is either a complete and utter moron or he is a supporter of state/political corruption. There can be no other reason for his sheer idiocy.

As a private individual it does not matter a damn what this ignorant journalist thinks but as an opinion maker in one of the most influential newspapers in the country his comments do serious damage to Ireland and its people.

For that reason I see this idiot as an enemy of my country.

Copy to:
Stephen Collins
Irish Times management

Elaine Byrne: Suffering from chronic naivety

Elaine Byrne is, allegedly, an expert on the subject of corruption. She has written a great tome on the subject that involved years of research and writing. She regularly guests on radio and television offering her expert opinion on the subject and writes regular articles in such respected newspapers as the Irish Times and Sunday Business Post.

It is therefore incredible to realise that Ms. Byrne has little or no idea of what she’s talking about. She understands and indeed is angry that corruption exists in Ireland but she has no idea whatsoever of the nature, extent or origin of the disease that is destroying our country.

Her ignorance is clearly demonstrated by the following comment in response to the latest corruption scandal as exposed by RTE.

It is a few councillors. I don’t believe that those actions are reflective of the vast majority of elected officials in Ireland who believe in public service and who believe in making Ireland better.

However, those few politicians undermine all the good work that successive government’s have done in implementing legislation because it damages public trust in the ability of public life to operate ethically.

Ms. Byrne’s claim that successive governments have implemented good anti-corruption legislation is laughable. Yes, an ocean of legislation has been introduced to, allegedly, combat corruption but it is specifically designed not to be effective. We know this because it never is.

This is no accident, it is a deliberate strategy implemented by all mainstream parties with the conscious intent of protecting the corrupt. The evidence for this is overwhelming should Ms. Byrne ever care to check it out.

That Irish anti-corruption legislation is no more than a mountain of paper gathering dust in government departments is confirmed by the news that there is very little that can be done to bring this latest nest of corrupt politicians to justice.

This proves how effective banana republic legislation is in protecting the corrupt.

In a functional democracy, well informed, objective journalists and commentators play a crucial role in educating and informing the general public of the activities of politicians and other state officials.

Influential opinion makers like Ms. Byrne, who are obviously blinded by chronic naivety or are actively supportive of corrupt regimes, do enormous damage, not only to their own credibility but also to society at large.

I suspect Ms. Byrne’s thinking, seriously flawed by chronic naivety on the issue of rampant political corruption, operates as follows:

She feels there’s something wrong with the body (politic) so she goes to the doctor for advice. The doctor tells her that the body is suffering from the very serious disease of political corruption.

If the disease is not rooted out immediately, the doctor warns, using the strongest medicine (law enforcement) available the body will be destroyed with the subsequent catastrophic consequences for every cell in the body.

Unable to face the reality of this appalling vista she retreats into the comfortable bubble of denial. When asked by family and friends (readers and listeners) how serious the condition is she replies:

Oh it’s just a few cancerous cells, the vast majority of cells in the body (politic) are fine and healthy.

On the way home I met a man who knows a man who knows a politician who said powerful new medicine (legislation) is being drafted as a matter of urgency to combat the disease, so no need to worry.

But…but…asks one of her friends anxiously, isn’t that the same man who sold you fake medicine on several previous occasions?

Yes, but this time he said he’d keep his promise.

Copy to:
Elaine Byrne

Free speech under state attack in Ireland

I do not agree with the water charges protester who called President Higgins a midget parasite.

I do, however, totally and unconditionally support the quote attributed to the French philosopher Voltaire.

I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it.

Neither does the writer Salman Rushdie pull his punches on this issue.

Nobody has the right to not be offended. That right doesn’t exist in any declaration I have ever read. If you are offended it is your problem, and frankly lots of things offend lots of people.

The Irish state, probably under instructions from the current government, does not tolerate such freedom of speech.

This contempt for the universal concept of freedom of speech is most clearly demonstrated by the charging of four citizens with the allegation that they insulted the president as his convoy sped past.

Specifically, they are facing a charge of:

Using threatening, insulting or abusive language.

Let me be absolutely clear about what’s going on here:

It is nothing less than state oppression. It is an abuse of the law and manipulation of state agencies in order to inflict political punishment against those who disagree with government policy.

Another quote from Voltaire makes the point:

It is dangerous to be right when the government is wrong.

In a functional democracy every citizen should have the right to call the president or any other citizen a midget parasite. In a robust, functional democracy nobody has the right not to be offended.

In a dysfunctional democracy like Ireland, where the corrupt political/administrative system is facing a serious challenge from disaffected citizens, such freedoms are curtailed or withdrawn completely.

An almost identical incident occurred in South Africa in 2010 when a student, Chumani Maxwele, was arrested for allegedly insulting the president as his convoy sped past.

In stark contrast to the Irish incident, where the protesters were the target of almost universal media condemnation, the South African media strongly condemned the state for its abuse of free speech.

An investigation by the Centre for Constitutional Rights found that Maxwele’s rights of human dignity, security of person and freedom of expression and peaceful/unarmed demonstration had been violated.

One media commentator wrote the following:

(A concern is) that when a private citizen is arrested for ‘insulting the president’…the Government and the ANC take one step closer to assuming the comical status of the typical African tin-pot dictatorship.

Citizens of our tin-pot democracy do not enjoy the protection of a Centre for Constitutional Rights. Neither can citizens who participate in democratic, non-violent protests expect much support from a media that is overwhelmingly pro government/establishment.

A media that does not see free speech as a fundamental human right, no matter who it offends, but rather as a conditional right confined within very narrow parameters.

In a follow-up article I will analyse an Irish Times editorial on this issue which reflects a disturbing blindness within Irish media to the frequent abuse by the state of citizens rights.

Copy to:
President Higgins
Government

Denis O’Brien: Are the sharks moving in for the kill?

Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times writes an article with the headline:

The question is, why has Denis O’Brien sold Topaz now?

Taylor doesn’t actually give an answer so here’s my take on O’Brien’s decision to sell.

I’m no expert on the markets but I suspect Denis O’Brien is in trouble after his failure to successfully float his company Digicel.

While Denis is fabulously rich to ordinary folk like you and me, on the Stock Market he’s just another billionaire shark swimming around looking for a kill. But great danger lurks here; when a shark attempts but fails to make a kill the other sharks immediately sense weakness and move in to attack. Financial market sharks are a species that have a particular taste for cannibalism.

And really, ‘poor’ Denis has only himself to blame for his predicament. He must have thought he was dealing with bog standard extremely obedient Irish politicians when he presented his fellow market sharks with the following terms and conditions.

Despite the company running at a loss with massive debts of $6.5 billion Denis was intending to:

Retain 61% equity stake in the company and 94% control. Ordinary investors were being offered A shares but he held on to B shares with 10 times the voting rights of every A share.

He’d have the right to decide which directors were appointed to the board, and have control over decisions such as mergers and acquisitions, sale of assets, salaries, dividend payments, and the entire direction of the company.

I imagine, after recovering from fits of laughter, the market sharks quickly got down to the serious business of sharpening their best butcher knives.

So, I think ‘poor’ Denis’ decision to sell Topaz is a desperate attempt to get in some cash, to reduce his massive loans and liabilities before he’s torn to shreds by his fellow market sharks.

Nothing personal you understand, but I hope they get him first.

Diamaid Ferriter: Mean-spirited in giving credit to Atheist Ireland

Historian Diamaid Ferriter has an excellent article in today’s Irish Times on the issue of what he rightly describes as the blatantly sectarian education system operating in our country.

Widespread discrimination backed up by a range of draconian state laws are the order of the day for parents who do not want their children indoctrinated into the faith of the Catholic Church.

Some parents have been forced to resort to the humiliating practice of baptising their children against their wishes; such is the stranglehold that exists, bolstered by the Equal Status Act 2000, which permits schools to discriminate in their admissions policy on the basis of religion.

Mr. Ferriter’s article is, unfortunately, somewhat spoiled by his mean-spirited failure to give credit to Atheist Ireland, ably led by Michael Nugent, as the driving force resonsible for bringing, and keeping, this disgraceful discrimination to the attention of the wider public.

Fintan O’Toole: Falling for the myth that the people are to blame

Fintan O’Toole is, as always; spot on in his damning critique of how things are done in Ireland, of how our political system is incompetent and totally incapable of reforming itself.

Surprisingly, however, Mr. O’Toole is now blaming the electorate for this failure.

Until we as voters elect politicians with enough self-respect, and enough respect for us, to demand the right to do the job we pay them for…

This tendency to blame ordinary people for political incompetence and corruption is common among the media – it is also false.

For over thirty years Irish voters have been desperately struggling to bring about political change. In election after election they have clearly indicated that they want a political system that puts the country first.

Here’s a section of an open letter I wrote last March to Green Party leader Eamon Ryan on the issue.

A brief look at recent political history over the last three decades proves the point.

The people trusted the Progressive Democrats (PDs) because they promised accountability and reform in response to corruption within Fianna Fail

Ultimately, the PDs betrayed the people when they abandoned their integrity and principles in exchange for power and influence.

The people rejected the PDs for their betrayal.

Dick Spring gained the trust of the people in the run up to the 1992 election on the basis that he would deal with what he called the cancer of political corruption that was doing so much damage to Ireland and its people.

He immediately betrayed that trust when he went into coalition with the very cancer (Fianna Fail and the criminal politician Haughey) he had just condemned.

The people rejected Dick Spring for his betrayal.

In opposition, the Green Party gained the trust of the people by promising to reform politics, to challenge corruption.

Once in power however, the party abandoned the responsibilities of power/government and instead focused entirely on getting its own green agenda enacted. The party looked the other way as political corruption continued to wreak havoc on the lives of Irish citizens.

Here’s John Gormley in response to political corruption:

We’re not the moral watchdog of any political party…we look after our probity and our standards…we cannot be responsible for events that took place before our entry into government.

The people rejected the Green Party for its betrayal.

The Labour Party (again) and Fine Gael gained the trust, of a by now desperate people, in the run up to the 2011 election by promising to take immediate action to counter political corruption, by promising to urgently introduce the political reform the people have been desperately seeking for more than thirty years.

But once again the body politic betrayed the people.

The people will reject this government for its betrayal.

But, on this occasion, there is a difference in the people’s response.

They have finally rejected the system itself that has betrayed them. Our country is now in a transition period that will ultimately see the end of the old regime and the beginning of a new type of politics.

Recent polls have clearly demonstrated that the people have lost all faith in the political system as currently constituted. This fact is most clearly seen in the form of hundreds of thousands of citizens on the streets in protest against oppressive taxes.

These people are not on the streets primarily to protest against taxes, they are, effectively, in rebellion against the political/administrative system that has betrayed them for decades.

Your comment that the people must re-engage with politics is symptomatic of a political mindset that is in the process of passing into history. I would invite you to wake up and look around you.

A significant percentage of the people are in open rebellion against the political system that you represent, they have taken to the streets in rebellion, they have begun voting in their droves for Sinn Fein and independents for just one principal reason – they no longer trust you, your party or the political system that you represent.

Not since 1916 have the Irish people been so politically energised, not since 1916 have the people been so radically politicised, not since 1916 has the ruling power been so blind to what’s been happening on the streets and in the minds of the people.

Not since 1916 has the governing power been so disengaged from politics and the people.

Sadly, it has to be said, this disengagement from the true mood of the Irish people is also prevalent throughout the media.

Copy to:
Fintan O’Toole

Tom Lyons: A journalist unlikely to ask the tough questions

Tom Lyons is the business editor of the Sunday Business Post so you would think he would know more than most about what goes on in our corrupt state.

But judging from the questions he asks in a recent article regarding the ongoing Siteserv scandal it seems that Mr. Lyons is, in common with most Irish journalists, almost totally ignorant of the political corruption that lies at the heart of our failed state.

The problem with journalists like Mr. Lyons is that they fly at a very comfortable height above the deep dark sewer of political corruption. They only see the surface, they have little interest in probing the depths to see what lies beneath. They see a flat, calm surface surrounded by beautiful trees and flowers. For these journalists all is well within the world of Irish politics and business.

Of course, from time to time a blob of pus surfaces giving off an obnoxious stench. On such occasions the journalists get all excited and head for their keyboards to analyse and speculate about the origin of the stench.

But because they have little knowledge of the rot beneath the surface they end up asking silly/naive questions similar to those asked by Mr. Lyons in his article.

Lyons, seemingly puzzled and angry that the Commission of Investigation into the the former Anglo Irish Bank is on the brink of collapse asks:

Did the Attorney General provide advice? If so, what advice? if not, why on earth not?

Can the commission legally carry out its job?

Did anyone ask that question? And if so, why did they get it so wrong?

Here’s the answer which I suspect will shock Mr. Lyons.

Ireland is an intrinsically corrupt state ruled by an elite group of people who enjoy the full support of all state agencies including the civil service and Gardai. There is a corrupt nexus between the political system and practically every state agency.

This corrupt nexus facilitates and protects the interests of the corrupt ruling elite at the expense of Ireland, its people and democracy.

Over the past several decades Irish citizens have witnessed, to their utter despair, an avalanche of corruption that has destroyed everything they value.

And yet there has been no accountability whatsoever and there never will be until the current corrupt political/administrative system is removed from power and influence.

And that is unlikely to happen without informed and objective journalism leading the way.

Instead of flittering about over the sewer of corruption journalists like Mr. Lyons should be asking tough, relevant questions such as:

Why is there so much white-collar crime/corruption in Ireland?

Why do white-collar criminals almost always get away with their crimes?

Why does the State resolutely refuse to act to stamp out white-collar crime?

Why is it that the media/journalists seldom, if ever, deal with political/business corruption as a subject in and of itself rather than just responding to the latest incident of corruption?

Why is there almost always a close link between white-collar crime and the political system?

Why is Ireland governed under a cloak of Soviet style secrecy?

Why are they so many legal bars to accountability?

Why is it that Ireland, despite decades of rampant corruption, has still to establish a powerful, independent and efficient anti-corruption agency similar to those in many other countries?

Judging by Mr. Lyons’ concluding point in his article it is unlikely that he will be the journalist asking such tough questions.

The collapse of Anglo Irish Bank cost the state billions, destroyed the wealth, hopes and ambitions forever of thousands of Irish citizens and almost certainly led to many deaths by suicide.

Yet Mr. Lyons can only find room in his article to express sympathy for the former management of the rotten bank.

The management that received lotto sized salaries, the management that can rest easy in the absolute certainity that, if they did any wrong, will find comfort and protection within our corrupt political/administrative system.

Copy to:
Tom Lyons

Breaking news: Sinn Fein responsible for IBRC farce

What I want to know is – when is RTE and other establishment media outlets going to grill Gerry Adams/Sinn Fein about their part in the Anglo Irish Bank/IBRC farce.

And before anybody says that it’s ridiculuous to claim that Sinn Fein are behind the IBRC debacle I can now reveal that two former IRA men told me that they sat with Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald at an IRA Army Council meeting where the downfall of the Commission of Investigation was plotted with evil intent.

Of course, I’m not at liberty to reveal the names of the two upstanding IRA patriots. The very fact that they told me is, I believe, evidence enough to treat their words as unquestioning fact.

Atheist Ireland banned while Iona Institute enjoys full access to schools

A Dublin-based Dominican girl’s secondary school has cancelled a formal invitation to Atheist Ireland chairperson Michael Nugent to speak to a group of final year students.

The comprehensive response by Atheist Ireland to the disgraceful and cowardly decision can be seen here.

This refusal to allow Atheist Ireland address students is in stark contrast to the apparent unrestricted access to students afforded to religious militants like David Quinn.

Last April Mr. Quinn, who is director and founder of the Iona Institute, a Catholic pressure group, wrote in triumph about how he lectured students regarding the alleged weaknesses of science when compared to the so-called strengths of his religion.

Here’s his opening paragraphs:

By David Quinn
April 3, 2014
Irish Catholic

The question of the origin of the universe isn’t a scientific one at all, but a philosophical and religious one, writes David Quinn

I was in a school a few days ago addressing a group of fifth and sixth years about ‘the new atheism’. There is actually very little that’s new about the new atheism because it hasn’t developed any new killer arguments in favour of atheism. The only thing that’s new about it is that it is newly in vogue thanks to best-selling writers like the scientist, Richard Dawkins.

I made a formal complaint to the Department of Education regarding Mr. Quinn’s biased and dishonest lecture.

I am reproducing the article I wrote on the issue including the correspondence between the department and me.

Is the Iona Institute guilty of intellectually abusing schoolchildren?

Posted on 17th July 2014

Last April, religious militant and director of the Iona Institute David Quinn, delivered a lecture to fifth and sixth year students falsely informing them that the origin of the universe had nothing to do with science but was strictly a matter for religion/philosophy (See full article here).

There is an abundance of scientific evidence relating to the origin of the universe. Scientific discoveries such as background radiation, inflation and the recently discovered gravitational waves are all scientific facts supporting the idea that the origin of the universe is scientific.

In stark contrast, Mr. Quinn’s claim that the origin of the universe is a philosophical and religious one has no basis in fact whatsoever.

Despite centuries of philosophical and religious debate on the question of the origin of the universe not a single fact has been produced to confirm the myriad of speculative opinions emanating from that quarter.

What is really disturbing about this incident is the fact that Mr. Quinn and the Iona Institute appear to have unrestricted access to propagate what is effectively, religious propaganda to innocent students.

It is obvious from reading Mr. Quinn’s article that his lecture had nothing to do with genuine education, that it was not designed to inform students about the pros and cons in the debate between science and religion.

In addition to the lie concerning the origin of the universe Mr. Quinn’s lecture seems to have been nothing more than a vicious attack on New Atheism and in particular on Richard Dawkins.

Mr. Quinn regularly makes such attacks across various media outlets and, while rationally obnoxious, he is entitled to hold and express those views.
But what is not acceptable and what is deeply disturbing, is the apparent freedom extended to the Iona Institute to effectively intellectually abuse innocent schoolchildren.

I made a formal complaint on the matter to the Department of Education.

The response, while entirely predictable, was nevertheless shocking.

Effectively, the Department said – Nothing to do with us, it’s the responsibility of the boards of management and the patron of each school (See below for my formal complaint, reply from Dept. of Education and my response).

This is the same irresponsible response by the Dept/Government as that taken in the Louise O’Keeffe scandal.

Ms. O’Keeffe, who had been sexually abused by a teacher as a schoolgirl in the 1970s, lost her case for justice in the Irish High and Supreme Courts but finally found justice when the decision of the Irish courts was overturned by the European Court of Human Rights.

Although disgusting in the extreme it seems that this ‘legal arrangement’ is proving very useful to politicians and civil servants as a means of abdicating any responsibility whatsoever towards protecting children from abuse whether physical, sexual or intellectual.

Copy to:
Department of Education
Iona Institute
All political parties

Formal complaint: 10 April 2014

For attention of Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn

This is a formal complaint regarding a lecture delivered by the director of the Iona Institute David Quinn to a group of fifth and sixth year students earlier this month.

Mr. Quinn wrote about his lecture in an article in the Irish Catholic newspaper of 3 April last. The title of the article, which is provided in full below, is:

The atheist’s act of faith

The question of the origin of the universe isn’t a scientific one at all, but a philosophical and religious one.

My complaint is as follows:

Mr. Quinn’s lecture is based entirely on a falsehood; namely that the origin of the universe is not a scientific one at all but rather a philosophical and religious one.

There is an abundance of scientific evidence relating to the origin of the universe. Scientific discoveries such as background radiation, inflation and the recently discovered gravitational waves are all factual events that give the lie to Mr. Quinn’s claim that the question of the origin of the universe is not scientific.

Furthermore, Mr. Quinn’s claim that the question of the origin of the universe is a philosophical and religious one has no basis in fact whatsoever.

Despite centuries of philosophical and religious debate on the question of the origin of the universe not a single fact has been produced to confirm the myriad of speculative opinions emanating from that quarter.

In effect, Mr. Quinn was permitted to encourage students to ignore established scientific facts regarding the origin of the universe and instead accept that his Christian god created the universe.

It is unacceptable and indeed disturbing that somebody with a very strong religious bias like Mr. Quinn would be granted apparent unrestricted access to students to promote a religious viewpoint based on a falsehood.

It is unacceptable and indeed disturbing that any outside influence would be permitted apparent unrestricted access to students to promote a particular view without the long established safeguards of independent/objective supervision and the right to hear an opposing argument.

According to legislation the Board of Management of schools are accountable to the patron and to the Minister. This complaint is addressed to the Minister in this context.

Yours sincerely
Anthony Sheridan

Response from Department of Education:

Dear Mr Sheridan

I refer to your letter addressed to the Minister for Education and Skills.

While this Department sets out the constitution of Boards of Management and rules of procedure it is not directly involved in the management of schools. Under the provisions of the Education Act, 1998, the Board of Management is the body charged with the direct governance of a school. The schools Board of Management is accountable to the school Patron.

Accordingly, whereas the Department provides funding and policy direction for schools, the Department does not have the power to instruct schools to follow a particular course of direction with regard to individual complaint cases.

Religious Education is one of 33 Leaving Certificate subjects available to schools. The selection of text books and classroom resources to support the implementation of the curriculum is made by schools, rather than by the Department of Education and Skills or the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment.

The Office of the Ombudsman for Children may independently investigate complaints relating to the administrative actions of a school recognised by the Department of Education and Skills, provided the complainant has firstly and fully followed the school’s complaints procedures. The key criterion for any intervention by the Ombudsman for Children is that the administrative actions of a school has, or may have, adversely affected the child. The office can be contacted at: Ombudsman for Children’s Office, Millennium House, 52-56 Great Strand Street, Dublin 1; tel. 1800 20 20 40 or (01) 865 6800 or email oco@oco.ie.

I hope the information that provided is of assistance to you.

Yours sincerely,

My response to the Department of Education

28 May 2014

To Whom It May Concern:

Your response to my formal complaint concerning a lecture delivered to fifth and six-year students by the director of the Iona Institute David Quinn is a disgrace for the following reasons.

One: Apart from issuing meaningless bureaucratic waffle, the decision to do nothing will almost certainly result in some degree of damage to innocent children.

After decades of horrific child abuse the very least we could expect of officialdom is to make some enquiries into the matter. Given the history of child abuse in Ireland it is highly likely that the Iona Institute is not the only organisation that enjoys unrestricted access to preach religious and other damaging propaganda to children.

Two: Your indifferent response is a further disturbing reflection of how unprofessional civil servants have become. Scandal after scandal, on an almost weekly basis, gives witness to this decay of professionalism right across all departments.

Three: Your response is an insult to my intelligence. It is an obvious fact that the Department of Education is intimately involved in every aspect of education across all levels. It is also a fact that if you wished, you could easily carry out an investigation into this matter.

That you chose not to thus placing children in potential danger is a disgrace on you and your profession.

Yours etc.,
Anthony Sheridan