Bertie Ahern is a liar

If Ireland was a functional democracy Bertie Ahern, Padraig Flynn and many others named in the Mahon Tribunal Report would have been arrested immediately and placed under police investigation.

Bertie Ahern lied under oath. In functional democracies this is perjury and is treated as a very serious crime. In Ireland perjury is only a serious crime for citizens who do not enjoy the benefits of power and influence.

Over the last three decades or so politicians, senior civil servants, gardai, solicitors, bankers, property developers and a whole host of other individuals from the so called professional classes have lied under oath.

They have committed the crime of perjury in the full knowledge and confidence that no state authority will act against them. No member of the ruling elite of Ireland has ever been charged with the crime of perjury.

Bertie Ahern will never face such a charge because our corrupt political/administrative system will ensure that he is protected from any such charge.

It is also obvious from reading the Mahon Report that many other witnesses committed the crime of perjury. None of them will be charged not just because they are untouchables but becasue any charge of perjury against anybody could force the state to act similarly against liars like Bertie Ahern.

Minister Rabbitte: Happy in his ignorance on top of a mountain

Anyone listening to Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte talking about white collar crime could be forgiven for thinking he was a politician from Outer Mongolia on a fact finding tour of Ireland (Marian Finucane Show, Sun, 11th March).

The single biggest issue that I encounter at meetings around the country is the demand from audiences to know why nobody in the banking fraternity has been made accountable for what has befallen us.

Minister Rabbitte is an experienced politican of long standing. It’s reasonable to assume that over the decades he’s noticed that white collar crime is endemic in Ireland.

It’s also reasonable to assume he’s aware that the State has never, ever taken any significant steps to bring white collar criminals to account.

At some point in his long career Mr. Rabbite must have thought to himself; why is it that Ireland, alone among all Western states, steadfastly refuses to prosecute white collar criminals?

What’s going through his mind when all those desperate and now impoverished citizens are screaming at him at meetings around the country:

WHY THE FUCK DOESN’T THE STATE DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS WIDESPREAD AND CONTINUOUS WHITE COLLAR CRIMINALITY THAT HAS DESTROYED OUR COUNTRY AND OUR LIVES?

Does he think to himself; I must tell Marian the next time I’m on her show about this deep anger that I keep on encountering which seems to have come out of nowhere.

And Mr. Rabbitte (who, apart from his current visit to Ireland, has spent his entire life in a windowless hut high on a mountain in his beloved Outer Mongolia) seems genuinely puzzled about this problem that has destroyed Ireland.

It’s a very difficult question to answer and one is assured that the Office of the Director Corporate Enforcement and the fraud squad and others are seized of this issue.

Mr. Rabbitte seems to be genuinely ignorant of the fact that neither the ODCE nor the Fraud Squad have ever managed to bring a major white collar criminal to account.

He seems genuinely ignorant of the fact that even if the ODCE, miracluously or by some mad accident, brought a successful prosecution the ‘punishment’ available is a paltry fine and/or disqualification from managing a company for a few years.

But most of all Mr. Rabbitte seems genuinely unaware that he’s a senior government minister, that he has power, that he can, if he chooses, take action to force the state to bring the white collar criminals to account.

Unfortunately, for Ireland and its people, there’s as much chance of that happening as there is of an Anglo Irish Bank official ending up in jail.

Copy to:
Minister Rabbitte

Politicians comfortable within a corrupt political/administrative system

Deputy leader of Sinn Fein Mary Lou McDonald was not pleased when Pat Kenny said the nation was scandalised over the Inkgate incident (Frontline, 5th March).

To say the nation is scandalised is blowing things out of proportion.

That Ms. McDonald seems blind to the deep anger generated by this latest rip off of taxpayers hard earned money indicates that she and her party are more in tune with the corrupt political/administrative system than the radical reform ideals they constantly proclaim.

Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Pat Rabbitte is another politician who seems very comfortable operating within our corrupt political/administrative system.

The implications of the new standing charge for low-use electricity customers were ‘not earth-shattering‘ according to Minister Rabbitte.

He was responding to the move by ESB Electric Ireland to hit more than 100,000 domestic electricity customers with a 50 per cent increase in their standing charge if they use an average of two units or less per day from February 1st.

Minister Rabbitte has suggested that the new charge is aimed at (by definition, relatively wealthy) holiday cottage owners (100,000 of them?) rather than a scam to rip off the most vulnerable in society.

Independent TD Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan is yet another politician who has settled very easily into our corrupt political/administrative system.

Just after he was elected Mr. Flanagan said he would donate half of his €92,000 salary to fund projects in his community.

One year on from his promise Mr. Flanagan has refused point blank to give even a broad outline of where his alleged donations have gone.

I decided to donate on the basis of guaranteed anonymity. The alternative is that I get community groups complaining that one group was favoured over the other.

In a functional democracy this silly excuse would be greeted with hilarity and even deep skepticism.

In a deeply corrupt state like Ireland, where barefaced lying is the norm among the political class it is simply unbelievable.

I don’t believe for a moment that any of the above politicians are corrupt in any way but they do operate within a deeply corrupt political/administrative system and must, like almost every other state official, react to that system as circumstances and their own particular personal/political interests dictate.

Whether that’s denial, lying or arrogant dismissal doesn’t matter a great deal.

In the end all such reactions do serious damage to Ireland and its people.

Copy to:
Mary Lou McDonald
Pat Rabbitte
Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan

NAMA chief Frank Daly: An attitude that destroyed our country

Last June I wrote an article entitled:

Frank Daly, CEO of NAMA, is not to be trusted.

Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly is probably of the same mind.

Arguing that the Gardai, NTMA and NAMA should all come under the Freedom of Information Act she quoted the following comment by Mr. Daly (Marian Finucane Show, Sat. 10th March).

You can have commercial viability or you can have transparency but you can’t have both.

Ms. O’Reilly likened Daly’s comment to a particular episode of Yes Minister in which Sir Humphrey says to Prime Minister Hacker, who was all for open government;

You can have openness or you can have government but you can’t have both.

The tragedy for Ireland is that while Yes Minister was great comedy and provided hilarity for the nation, Daly’s comment is sinister and is typical of the attitude that has destroyed our country.

No admission by Martin that FF did wrong

Letter in today’s Irish Examiner.

No admission by Martin that FF did wrong

In her staunch support for Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin as a politician of some substance, Terry Prone made claims regarding his ard fheis speech that simply do not stand up (Opinion, March 5).

On Mr Martin’s apology she claims: “He said he was sorry. No hiding behind global factors: Fianna Fáil had been in government. No reliance on the weasel word ‘mistake’: they’d done wrong.”

This is a complete misreading of what Mr. Martin actually said.

By including the world recession, the Eurozone crisis and the Opposition in his apology, Mr Martin was actually blaming those factors.

This is one of the oldest tricks in the speechwriter’s guidebook for politicians.

At no point in his speech did Mr Martin admit that either he or Fianna Fáil had done any wrong, as Ms. Prone claims.

He did use the weasel word ‘mistake’ and admitted that his party had got things wrong. But there is a world of difference between making mistakes or getting things wrong and doing wrong.

One is an error made under the best of intentions; the other is a deliberate action with a particular agenda in mind.

I can only conclude that Ms. Prone is either a closet admirer of Micheál Martin, or she’s an innocent abroad when it comes to free-floating political guff.

Anthony Sheridan
Cobh
Co Cork

Ceann Comhairle abuses Dail privilege?

Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett became very angry with Sinn Fein TD Pearse Doherty when he made allegations about the new Secretary General at the Department of Finance, Mr. John Moran (RTE News).

Will you resume your seat or you’ll be taking a walk. Will you please resume your seat? You’re not making allegations in this house, leave the house deputy.

You’re not making allegations in this house?

I was always under the impression that Dail privilege was extended to politicians precisely so that they could raise issues and make allegations in the public interest without having to worry about being hauled into a court of law.

Irish Stock Exchange operates in total secrecy

The following is a snippet of conversation about stocks and shares between George Lee and business editor of the Sunday Independent, Nick Webb (The Business).

Nick: The only way that you’re guaranteed to make money out of the stock market is to cheat.

George: Oh yeh, how would you do that?

Nick: I think inside information, if you know something’s going to happen, a takeover that’s going to happen and you buy shares but unfortunately it’s illegal.

Not that anyone’s ever been prosecuted in Ireland; it happens everywhere else but doesn’t seem to happen here at all.

Now this conversation was conducted in a jocular fashion but beneath the tongue in cheek banter there’s a very serious message.

Not once since the establishment of the state in 1922 has anybody, ever, been charge with insider trading in Ireland.

This can only mean one of two things.

Either the Irish Stock Market is the most closely regulated market in the history of the world admitting into its membership only those who are passed 100% honest by the Mother Theresa School of economics or breaches of the law are dealt with ‘differently’ from every other country in the world.

Here’s a hint.

The ISE does not come under the Freedom of Information Act. It does not submit annual reports.

‘Accountability’ takes the form of the submission of a very general, confidential statement to the Minister for Finance once a year.

In other words, the Irish Stock Exchange operates in total secrecy with no accountability whatsoever.

Fianna Fail to remain toxic for a long time to come

It’s great to see Fianna Fail still wallowing in complete denial regarding the party’s betrayal of Ireland and its people.

Party leader Michael Martin:

It’s not enough to point to the worst world recession in 80 years and the Eurozone crisis. We were in government and we should have acted differently.

Translation: Yes, we made mistakes but it was really the fault of the world recession and the Euro crisis.

We made mistakes, we got things wrong and we are sorry for that.

Fianna Fail, and its willing collaborators, the Progressive Democrats and the Green Party made no mistakes.

The leadership of these political parties, including Michael Martin, knew exactly what they were doing as they led Ireland down the road to disaster.

They put their own interests and the interests of their banker and property developer friends above the interests of the Irish people.

Fianna Fail grassroots members are also in denial.

Party representatives on Saturday with Charlie Bird were in no doubt as to where the blame lies -the media.

Quote from grassroot member on This Week.

Historically Ireland does better under Fianna Fail than it does under Fine Gael or Fine Gael coalition.

And to top it all the obnoxious John O’Donoghue recently indicated that he’s to stand in the next election.

This greedy Fianna Fail fat cat is in full gombeen mode claiming to have (personally?) built two local hospitals in Kerry.

His return to the forefront of Fianna Fail politics, coupled with all of the above, will ensure that the traitorous party will remain toxic for a long time to come and that can only be good news for the people of Ireland.

Copy to:
Fianna Fail

Irish Mail on Sunday reports on SIPO complaint

I received a call from Irish Mail on Sunday journalist Ken Foxe during the week regarding my complaint to SIPO on the scandal surrounding Minister Quinn’s expenses.

An article in today’s edition of the paper quotes extensively from our conversation and also reproduces the original complaint.

Hopefully this publicity will add pressure on the system to make Minister Quinn accountable although I won’t be holding my breath.

O Snodaigh scandal confirms Sinn Fein as just another party operating within a corrupt political/administrative system

The abuse of public funds by Sinn Fein’s Aengus O Snodaigh to the tune of €50,000 is no big deal financially speaking.

Politicians have been plundering public funds for decades and that situation is unlikely to change until the corrupt political/administrative system is totally dismantled.

The incident is important, however, in that it confirms that Sinn Fein is not the radical party it has always claimed to be.

The reaction by Gerry Adams, Mary Lou McDonald and O Snodaigh himself places their party firmly within the main stream body politic sphere of get what you can out of the system while the going is good.

It was excessive but, we’re told, he broke no law, he did nothing wrong.

These words have confirmed (and condemned) Sinn Fein as a fully signed up member of an irredeemably corrupt political/administrative system.

If Sinn Fein was the radical party they have always claimed to be they would never even have engaged with the rotten system in the first place. If they were truly revolutionary they would have refused to take their Dail seats.

Instead, they would have stood outside the gates of Dail Eireann, with the people, and stayed there until the disease of corruption had been excised from the body politic.

This incident, and the reaction to it, also puts paid to any hope that the party might reform the rotten system from the inside.

It’s doubtful that Sinn Fein, in common with all other parties, is even aware of how corrupt the political/administrative system really is.

Sinn Fein’s rising popularity in recent years, I believe, is a desperate plea from ordinary Irish citizens for real accountability and transparency from a courageous and visionary political party.

This incident and the cynical/dishonest reaction to it have dashed any hopes that Sinn Fein is the party with the courage and vision to root out the disease of corruption from Irish public life.

Copy to:
Sinn Feinn