O’Donoghue: The political class still don’t get it

Willie O’Dea’s reaction to John O’Donoghue’s forced resignation was exactly what we have come to expect from this hypocritical Fianna Fail backwoodsman.

I detest people who talk out of both sides of their mouths.

Fianna Fail Senator Ned O’Sullivan was no better. He predictably attacked the media for their ‘lurid’ reporting on O’Donoghue and called on politicians, who are now living in fear of the media, to fight back (Today with Pat Kenny, Thursday).

Fine Gael TD Leo Varadkar also attacked the media and petulantly reminded the nation that he could have made more money by remaining in medicine (Prime Time).

Varadkar’s comments are a reminder that the expenses scam involves all political parties.

Brian Lenihan angrily attacked Eamon Gilmore for his unacceptable actions in bringing down the Ceann Combhairle.

I don’t think it was a good day for Irish politics.

What all these politicians have in common is arrogance and denial. The expenses scam that they put in place results in millions being robbed from taxpayer’s every year either through legal corruption or legal fraud.

The Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 permits TDs to legally defraud the State. An accountant quoted in the Irish Independent gives the following example of how this scam might operate.

A politician can take a train from, say, the Ceann Comhairle’s constituency of South Kerry that costs €72 and make an unvouched claim for three one-way road journeys to Dublin and collect €531, leaving a tax-free profit of €441.

I wonder does Minister Lenihan think that it was a good day for Irish politics when this banana republic legislation was introduced by his party?