When should the Gardai be called in – Well, it depends

What kind of suspicious incident needs to happen in Ireland before the Garda get involved?

Well, it depends.

Take, for example, the thirty-seven pieces of state-owned art that recently went missing from Leinster House.

The Gardai were not called in and are, apparently, not interested.

It’s all being quietly dealt with ‘in house’, so to speak.

First of all the art pieces are, apparently, only ‘missing’, ‘misplaced’ or otherwise ‘unaccounted for’. They have not, apparently, being stolen.

The accommodation managers have beeen ordered to locate the artwork and if they cannot then they will be officially declared missing.

This will take two or three weeks, so no hurry; no panic.

It seems that when staff take a fancy to a particular piece of art they ‘take it’ with them when they move office.

According to an official the resources necessary to keep track of everything are not available.

While some of the pieces went missing after the last general election other items went missing well before that.

It appears that the whole matter of artwork going missing from Leinster House is as common and as unremarked upon as a politician doing a favour for a constituent.

No need to call in the Guards, sure the art will turn up somewhere, sometime and if they have to be officially declared ‘missing’ sure what’s harm.

But what happens when state-owned artwork goes missing from a location outside the control of politicians and state officials?

Well, it’s theft, pure and simple and the Gardai are called in immediately.

A major Garda investigation is underway after state-owned paintings were stolen, not ‘missing or misplaced’ now, but stolen from a warehouse in Co Kildare.

Gardai are investigating staff at the private warehouse where the paintings were stored.

Neither Leinster House staff nor politicians are being investigated by Gardai.

Gardai want to know how the thieves were able to gain access to the warehouse.

Nobody in Leinster House is being asked about access to the missing artwork.

The Gardai are trying to determine when the artwork was last checked.

In Leinster House nobody seems to know the when, who or how when it comes to checking artwork.

Gardai are trying to establish a timeline of events leading up to the theft of the paintings.

In Leinster House, well, some of the artwork went missing before and some after the last election; nobody really knows what’s going on.

Gardai are trying to establish who had access to the warehouse and who had knowledge of its contents.

In Leinster House it seems everybody had access to the artwork and just took what they liked.

Gardai want to know what security procedures were in operation, how they were bypassed and how the theft went unnoticed.

In Leinster House there is, apparently, no security and the ‘missing’ artwork wasn’t missed for ages.

The Department of Arts and Heritage is carrying out a massive review of security within the department.

In Leinster House the accommodation managers have been instructed to have a look around and see if they can find anything.

So it seems, when state property goes missing at a location where state officials and politicians are responsible nothing much really happens.

There’s no suspicion that a crime may have been committed, the very thought.

When state property goes missing outside of the political/administrative sector there is a strong and immediate reaction by state authorities.

And the lesson is?

If you fancy a nice piece of free art – Leinster House is the place.

Snouts in the trough – out with principles

Letter in today’s Irish Times.

The letter supports the core principle of Public Inquiry – that Ireland is an intrinsically corrupt state.

That all politicians and political parties, once they have their snouts in the trough, have no problem in abandoning their principles.

Sir,

Prof Ray Kinsella has suggested that at least one seat in the Seanad should be reserved for the Diaspora (October 24th).

Frankly, such a seat would have all the attraction of a berth on the Titanic as it approaches the iceberg.

One of the unremarked benefits of emigration is that the emigrant can leave behind the endemic sleaze, nepotism and corruption of Irish political life.

The fiction that the creators of the Republic sought power for the people of Ireland has been totally exposed as successive “governments” of the same political clique overturn their “principles” as soon as they get their snouts in the trough.

The reality is that in a country much smaller in population than London there are far too many TDs, far too many “political advisers”, far too large political salaries and far too large allowances.

Moreover, there is clearly no intention of changing matters except around the fringes.

When Enda Kenny and his cronies go crawling to Angela Merkel, does it ever occur to them how they must appear when they are paying themselves pretty much the same as their German equivalents who have a 10 times larger population?

I suggest the time to offer emigrants a say in Irish political life is when political degeneracy here has been eliminated.

In the meantime, they would be better served by involving themselves in the political life of the countries to which they have emigrated rather than trying to prop up the edifice of the country that has failed them.

Yours etc,

Kevin O’Sullivan
Co Donegal

Double standards

Letter in today’s Irish Examiner.

Double standards

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore is to be commended for immediately launching an investigation into the alleged misappropriation of Irish charity funds in Uganda.

In addition to the investigation Mr Gilmore has also made it clear to the government of Uganda that he will not tolerate any misappropriation or misuse of Irish money.

This prompt and appropriate action stands in stark contrast to Mr Gilmore’s response to a report from Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly that the Department of Health has been effectively misappropriating funds due to disabled citizens over 66 years of age.

Instead of acting immediately to halt this, Mr Gilmore has decided to seek legal advice on the matter.

It seems we are once again witnessing the double standards of Irish politicians when it comes to law enforcement and accountability.

Anthony Sheridan
Cobh

Feck them, feck them all

There was a very angry woman on Liveline yesterday complaining about the harassment she has received from the incompetent Local Government Management Agency.

Despite having paid her household charge the woman continues to receive threatening letters from the agency.

She told Joe that she’s sorry now that she obeyed the law and paid up immediately ending with:

Feck them, feck them all.

Reply to Office of Public Works

My reply to Office of Public Works Press Office regarding thirty seven pieces of state-owned artwork missing from Leinster House.

Dear…

Thank you for the generalised overview of the State Art Collection.

Unfortunately the information you provide bears little relevance to the series of questions I had asked.

You did confirm that the art collection is managed by an inventory system and therefore you will be aware that such a system is very efficient in recording and tracking the location and movements of all art items.

The system also allows for the immediate identification of those responsible for art items at any particular time.

You will be aware, for example, that if a work of art is moved from Leinster House to another location in the country it is signed out of Leinster House and signed in to its new location and that inventories at both locations are changed to reflect the event.

This also applies when items are moved from office to office within the same building.

You will also be aware that inventories and those responsible for their contents are regularly checked by a higher authority to ensure that all items are present and correct.

My queries are specifically concerned with the art items missing from the Leinster House complex over a very specific period of time.

On the assumption that the Leinster House inventory system was properly operated and supervised it is reasonable to assume that the information I have requested is in existence.

With this in mind I have re-submitted my questions below.

If you are unable to answer any particular question I would be grateful if you would simply state that fact and provide a reason for your inability to answer.

I would also request that in replying to my queries that you extend the same courtesy to me that I automatically extend to you – that I am a person of at least average intelligence.

Yours Sincerely
Anthony Sheridan

What are the name, position and rank of the person/s responsible for the safe keeping of the missing items?

What action has been taken in response to the missing items?

In particular, what action has been taken in respect of items that went missing prior to the last general election?

What is the overall time period in which the items went missing?

Please supply a list of the estimated value of each missing item

Please supply a list of the exact offices/locations from which items went missing

Please supply a list of the officials/politicians who occupied offices from which items went missing.

Please confirm or otherwise if members of the public are entitled to speak directly to OPW officials regarding this matter.

If only Ireland had law enforcement like Uganda

I see the Tanaiste Eamon Gilmore has suspended all Irish Aid payments channeled through the Ugandan Government after allegations that €4 million has been misappropriated.

The move comes after a draft report by the Auditor General of Uganda found that millions had been transferred to unauthorized accounts in the office of Ugandan Prime Minister.

The Ugandan Auditor General has the power to investigate the Prime Minister?

The Ugandan Auditor General actually used his powers, he enforces law?

The state of Uganda has independent authorities that are willing to act against the most powerful people in the land?

If only Ireland had such dedicated, independent law enforcers.

The equivalent action here would be a fifteen year- long multi-million euro tribunal with not further action.

OPW replies but gives no answers

The Office of Public Works (OPW) Press Office has replied to my questions regarding the missing art items from Leinster House.

Predictably, none of my questions were actually answered. Instead I got a generalized overview of how the OPW handles public works of art.

Dear Mr. Sheridan,

I refer to your below e mail.

The art works located throughout the buildings in the Leinster House complex are from the State Art Collection.

By its nature, the State Art Collection is mobile.

The works circulate from building to building and inventory keeping is an integral part of day-to-day collection management.

The art works are placed on loan to many buildings throughout the country and locations are routinely checked.

There are over 15,000 art works in the State collection located in thousands of rooms in hundreds of public buildings.

Works that are not located during a routine inventory check are not necessarily missing. In most cases, these works have simply been moved to a different location within a building.

The staff from the OPW Art Management Office work closely with building managers in other State properties on a regular basis.

An inventory check is taking place in Leinster House at present in co-operation with staff there.

I hope the above is of assistance to you.

Regards,

KildareStreet killed by the Government. Funds urgently required

The website KildareStreet has effectively been closed down by the Government.

For some years now KildareStreet has provided a very valuable information serivice which allows citzens to keep tabs on what politicians are up to in the Dail and Seanad.

On September 18th last, with no warning or published statement of intent, a significant change was made to the Houses of the Oireachtas website which had the effect of killing KildareStreet for the foreseeable future.

KildareStreet urgently needs donations from the general public in order to get up and running again.

Anybody interested in keeping this valuable service alive can donate here.

Dozens of art works missing (stolen?) from Leinster House

It has been reported that thirty-seven pieces of state-owned artwork are missing or “unaccounted for” from within Leinster House.

A spokesman for the Office of Public Works (OPW), who is responsible for the safekeeping of such items, made the following response.

We don’t have the resources to constantly keep a track of where things go.

Often, when staff move offices, they take artwork they like with them and this poses great difficulty to the OPW and management staff in Leinster House to keep a track on them.

Given the size of the collection under the auspices of the OPW, it is impossible to know where everything is all of the time.

This response indicates a complete abdication of responsibility for valuable state/citizen owned property.

In effect, this spokesman is extending an open invitation to any thieving official, politician or member of the public to steal at will.

While serving in the Naval Service I was appointed as a storeman for a number of years. I had absolutely no training for the job and was given just one assistant.

We were charged with keeping track of items ranging from radio equipment on several ships, bedding, lockers and other equipment in three billets, thousands of items in stores and a large volume of arms and ammunition.

When something went missing it was usually noticed quickly and acted upon immediately.

The claim by the OPW official that it is impossible to know where everything is all the time is complete rubbish.

These art items went missing from Leinster House, presumably from offices and public areas like halls and stairs.

The standard method of keeping track of such items is simple and effective.

An inventory of all items in any particular office is typed up, signed by the politician/official responsible for that office and displayed on the wall for all to see and inspect.

When that politician/official is vacating office they simply ask their successor to check that all items on the list are present and take responsibility by signing the inventory.

All inventories are independently checked on a regular basis to make sure all is in order.

The system is simple, effective and easily operated.

I phoned the OPW to ask some questions regarding the missing items and, as usual, was referred to the Press Office who asked me to put my queries in writing.

Dear Ms.
Re our phone conversation today regarding the missing pieces of art from Leinster House.

What are the name, position and rank of the person/s responsible for the safe keeping of the missing items?

What action has been taken in response to the missing items?

In particular, what action has been taken in respect of items that went missing prior to the last general election?

What is the overall time period in which the items went missing?

Please supply a list of the estimated value of each missing item

Please supply a list of the exact offices/locations from which items went missing

Please supply a list of the officials/politicians who occupied offices from which items went missing.

Please confirm or otherwise if members of the public are entitled to speak directly to OPW officials regarding this matter.

Yours Sincerely,
Anthony Sheridan