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How long before the scumbags are thrown in jail?

March 12, 2010 in Government, Health/HSE, Regulatory Agencies by Anthony | 4 comments

Dr. Mary Favier of the Irish College of General Practitioners had the following to say on Drivetime (Thursday) regarding the 57,000 x-rays that went unreported in Tallaght Hospital.

57,000 x rays went unreported and orthopedics, where there are waiting times of 600 days, are particularly profitable areas and nobody has answered my question in relation to how many of those 57,000 x- rays were public and how many were private.

The HSE say they don’t know which I find impossible to believe and the hospital is refusing to answer the question. Anybody locally is saying that the vast majority if not all, of those x- rays are public.

A quote from the book, The Bitter Pill, written anonymously three years ago by a doctor working within the health system may provide the answer.

Imagine a radiologist’s office. On his desk sit two stacks of x-rays. One stack, usually the bigger one, is that of public patients; the other is that of private patients.

For each private x-ray the radiologist will be paid upwards of €50. For the public x-ray he has already been paid, in his monthly salary.

Whether the public x-ray is reported on today, tomorrow or next week, the radiologist will still be paid the full amount of his salary, on time.

For private scans, on the other hand, he will be paid only after he has completed them. The upshot is that the private scans often take precedence over the public ones (The Bitter Pill, page 29).

The real question that needs to be answered is – How debased, corrupt and immoral does the administration of this country have to become before the people rise up and throw these contemptible scumbags in jail?

Senator Norris – Defending the corrupt status quo

March 8, 2010 in Government, Seanad Eireann, The State by Anthony | 2 comments

I see Senator Davin Norris launched his campaign for President on the Marian Finucane Show last Saturday.

My respect for this politician has dropped considerably since his hypocritical defence of that very expensive but useless institution – Seanad Eireann.

Indeed, the Senate can be seen as a symbol for all that is corrupt about our body politic. Totally ineffective, very expensive and stuffed with self important politicians who have more in common with the aristocracy of pre-revolutionary France than with the duties of running a functional democracy.

Senator Norris tells us that he likes (the chancer) Bertie but that he damaged himself by applying for artist’s exemption for his book and by the way he handled his lotto win.

Apparently, Norris has no problems with Ahern’s very dodgy evidence to the tribunal or his low grade leadership which resulted in the destruction of the country.

In fact Senator Norris thinks that the political system in this country is just fine, that it’s the people who are wrong.

People are begrudgers…they want blood on a wall, a head on a plate and guts in the bucket.

Yes, Senator, that’s exactly what we want and the fact that you cannot understand the legitimacy and passion of that desire puts you in the camp of those who are defending the corrupt status quo.

Copy to:
Senator Norris

Idiotic defence of O’Dea

February 19, 2010 in Fianna Fail, Government by Anthony | 1 comment

Inevitably, every time a political scandal occurs, some idiot journalist will write an article in defence of the errant politician.

The idiot in this case is Irish independent journalist Eamon Delaney. He makes the following points in defence of the liar O’Dea.

It’s terribly sad that a man of such tenacity, wit and energy should be caught out on such a little thing.

Making a false statement in a sworn affidavit is, according to Delaney, not a huge matter.

It was the fault of the media.

It was the fault of a tenacious opposition baying for blood of any kind.

None of us is pristine clean and (sad old) O’Dea is down there in Limerick bravely fighting the IRA and organised crime.

Delaney compares the ‘witch-hunting’ of O’Dea to that other ‘innocent’ politician, Michael Lowry. According to this journalist, Lowry, a tax cheat and liar, was forced to resign in ‘apparent’ disgrace.

It should have been enough that O’Dea changed his statement after he realised his ‘mistake’.

This ridiculous excuse, which (barrister) O’Dea also used, displays an abject ignorance of how the law operates. It is not possible to amend sworn affidavits as a case develops, to allow such a situation would make the entire legal system impossible.

The matter could have rested (been forgotten) if it wasn’t for Sinn Fein’s skillful spinning and Fine Gael’s robust opportunism.

The Greens are to blame; they needed a head on a plate to boost their image.

The public are not fooled though; they see that O’Dea is a man of integrity and passion, a man who has been cruelly caught out by certain (evil) ‘elements’.

Delaney ends his craven article with a standard, smear everybody, comment, a comment we have heard before regarding people like the criminal Haughey or the chancer Bertie Ahern.

But let’s remember, there’s something of Willie in all of us.

Well, Delaney may be the type of person who will make a false statement under oath, he may be the type of person who will endanger the reputation of a journalist and policeman in a cowardly attempt to avoid being found out but I think that such low grade people are, thankfully, a minority in this country.

Copy to:
Eamon Delaney

Green Party retreat into mental reservation

February 18, 2010 in Fianna Fail, Government, Green Party by Anthony | No comments

Green Party TD Paul Gogarty on the Willie O’Dea scandal.

The collective opinion is that while we’re not happy with the situation at this moment in time it is not a resigning matter and you cannot put pressure on someone to resign if you genuinely feel that they shouldn’t resign.

Have the Greens been taking advice from Cardinal Connell on the concept of mental reservation?

Ireland: A country incapable of dealing with reality

February 17, 2010 in Fianna Fail, Government, The State by Anthony | 1 comment

According to Sunday Times columnist, Justine McCarthy, Minister for Defence Willie O’Dea perjured himself in court.

O’Dea had denied in an affidavit that he had accused Maurice Quinlivan, a Sinn Fein local-election candidate, of owning a brothel.

He only admitted that his remarks were false and defamatory after a tape recording of his comments was produced.

This is very similar to the tactics employed by Bertie Ahern while giving evidence to the Tribunal regarding his dealings in Sterling.

Right up to the moment that documentary evidence was produced, Ahern consistently denied under oath that he had ever had any significant dealings in Sterling.

Let’s immediately cut to the chase here. In a functional democracy perjury is treated as a very serious crime. In a dysfunctional democracy, like Ireland, perjury is only treated as a serious crime for the little people.

People in power and influence are rarely, if ever, even accused of the crime never mind actually charged.

In a functional democracy like the UK, for example, allegations or suspicions of perjury by any citizen are immediately investigated by the police.

There’s no convenient ignoring of the crime by a judge, court or tribunal, there’s no talk about requesting the Prime Minister to ‘advise’ a politician who is under suspicion of committing perjury. There’s no changing the discussion to any other subject that comes to mind so long as it doesn’t focus on the reality of the situation.

No, in real democracies like the UK, when evidence emerges that the crime of perjury may have been committed the police investigate and prosecutions are taken as necessary.

The first thing that happens in a dysfunctional democracy like Ireland is – nothing. The powers that be simply pretend that nothing of significance has happened and hope that nobody notices.

We witnessed the same reaction in other cases like Jim Flavin of DCC or the Neary case. No action was taken by any Irish authority in these cases until somebody from outside the country acted.

O’Dea is alleged to have lied under oath last December and yet it was only when Justine McCarthy wrote her article nearly two months later that anything was done, once again everybody ignored the raging elephant until an outside source pointed it out.

The media and political reaction since the ‘expose’ has also been typical of a country that is incapable of facing reality when it doesn’t suit.

It must be kept in mind when reading the following examples that in a functional democracy there is only one reaction – an immediate investigation by police followed by prosecution if necessary.

The legal system

Nobody involved in the case seemed to take a blind bit of notice when a government minister made a false statement in a sworn affidavit. Compare this to Amanda McNamara who perjured herself because she was in absolute fear of her life about giving evidence in a brutal murder trial.

The judge in this case had no problem in identifying perjury saying that it was a very serious matter that undermined Ireland’s system of criminal justice. McNamara was given 100 hours community service and will have a criminal record for the rest of her life.

Seanad Eireann

Fine Gael spokesman on Justice Eugene Regan demanded to know from Seanad Leader, Donnie Cassidy, if Minister O’Dea was being held to account for lying under oath (Irish Times).

Cassidy ignored the question, simply stating that O’Dea was an excellent public representative and the people of Limerick were very fortunate to have such a capable person. He, (Cassidy) then proceeded to talk about another matter altogether.

This is a typical – if I ignore reality, it will go away – reaction.

Dail Eireann

Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Minister O’Dea said it was a private and personal matter. This is despite the fact that O’Dea said in his sworn affidavit that he was fully entitled to raise the issue and make the allegations as a public representative.

Obviously there’s nothing private about this matter whatsoever. O’Dea, a government minister, defamed another politician in response to questions about his (O’Dea’s) large and expensive staff paid for by the taxpayer – and we’re asked to believe that it’s a private matter?

Even if it was a private matter, is the Prime Minister of our country suggesting that it’s ok for a government minister to make a false statement in a sworn affidavit so long as it relates to a private matter?

RTE, The Week in Politics (34 min)

Sean O’Rourke and Brian Dowling. (One RTE journalist interviewing another RTE journalist).

The fact that very serious allegations of perjury are facing a government minister was completely ignored by the journalists.

The entire discussion focused on the possible political implications for O’Dea if the matter became controversial. Brian Dowling suggested that because O’Dea was a huge vote getter there was unlikely to be any impact on his career.

Irish Times editorial

The following points were made in this editorial.

The Taoiseach was in an invidious position because of the relaxed attitude adopted by his predecessors to ethical issues.

This is just silly logic suggesting that low standards in the past could act as a block to taking action in the present.

Because public confidence in authority had waned there was a need to promote high standards and ensure political accountability.

In real democracies such standards are the expected norm and not something that needs promoting.

The matter may create friction between the Coalition parties.

This is an irrelevant point unless the editor feels that government unity is more important than political, legal and ethical accountability.

This scandal and how it is being dealt with once again confirms that Ireland is nothing more than a dysfunctional, backwater state pretending to be a first world democracy.

Greeks on the street – Irish still sitting at home

February 12, 2010 in Government, The State by Anthony | 1 comment

There is very little difference between the economies of Ireland and Greece: both are on a slippery slope to disaster.

Neither is there much difference between the principal causes of these disasters – Political corruption and incompetence, massive tax evasion by the rich without consequences and the squeezing of ordinary citizens to pay for the whole rotten system.

There is, however, a huge difference between the reactions of ordinary citizens. A Channel 4 news report on Greek protests makes the point.

This is Greece, not Ireland. We the workers will resist.

We will fight; we will not accept the measures and that can only happen if we protest against them, not if we sit in our houses.

The Irish are still sitting in their houses – like sheep.

Rowing in with the Government

February 11, 2010 in Government by Anthony | No comments

Irish Times letter.

Madam,

The circumstances under which I will row in with the Government (February 8th) are very simple.

1. When the Minister for Education Science insists that his office is located in a 12- year-old secondhand Portakabin and he refuses to be relocated until no school children have to receive their education in a Portakabin.

2. When the Minister for Health insists on sleeping on a hospital trolley every night until no overnight medical patients in a public hospital have to receive treatment on trolleys.

3. When the Minister for Transport insists on only travelling by public transport until all Government ministers car-pool their chauffeurs and black Mercedes.

4. When the Minister for Justice has to spend one day a week holding a speed camera on the M7 for as many years as his department took to approve and sign the contract for the provision and operation of a network of safety cameras.

5. When the Government closes the gap between their world and the Ireland that I live in.

Then, and only then, will I row in with the current Government.

Yours, etc,
Dermot O’Rourke
Westbury Drive,
Lucan,
Co Dublin.

Betrayal through incompetence

February 10, 2010 in Government, The State by Anthony | No comments

During the discussion on last night’s Late Debate Journalist and political scientist, Elaine Byrne provided some interesting statistics that, more than anything else, prove how incompetent our public representatives are and how, through that incompetence, they betray the best interests of Ireland and its people.

Since its establishment in 1937 Seanad Eireann has produced 12 separate unimplemented reports about Seanad reform.

In the 88 years since independence there have been less than 40 private members bills that have become legislation in Dail Eireann. In the 32 years since 1978 almost 300 such bills have entered legislation in the UK parliament.

Since 1997, when the Constitutional Review Group met, there have been ten different progress reports, two substantial reports and another three reports since the committee met in 2007.

Elaine Byrne and the thee political morons

February 10, 2010 in Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Government, Labour Party, The State by Anthony | 1 comment

Journalist and political scientist, Elaine Byrne, had her work cut out for her on last night’s Late Debate.

Lined up against her were three moronic dinosaurs representing the current corrupt political system that has destroyed this country.

George Lee’s resignation was the topic of discussion but the underlying discussion was about the Irish political system and the need for reform of that system.

Elaine Byrne was saying the system is broken and, of course, she’s absolutely right but the dinosaurs are so far stuck up their own political rectums that they hadn’t the slightest inkling of what she was trying to tell them.

The political dinosaurs were Senator Regan of Fine Gael, Niall Collins TD of Fianna Fail and Joe Costello TD of Labour.

But before I deal with these morons I want to first quote the daddy of all political morons, Eoghan Harris where he rants on about the need for politicians to serve a political apprenticeship before they get too opinionated.

When reading this quote keep in mind that Harris never did a days political work in his life, he was appointed to the Senate solely for his unassailable ability of licking Bertie Ahern’s rear end

What’s been really concerning and worrying in the last few days is the way the discourse on the George Lee issue has become a general rejection of the notion that there should be no apprenticeship of any sort in politics.

The apprenticeship in politics is a very important preparation in terms of character. Listening to people who are annoying you, boring you, actually cranky people is a test of character and stamina and teaches people how to deal with the public.

I mean at the end of the day politics is about the rule of states and peoples and it starts with human beings, it’s not an abstract issue. I know there’s a delusion among college students and certain sections of the younger sections of the pol course (?) not the old guard I notice.

There is this delusion that all you have to do is assemble people with first class honours degrees and put them into politics and the country will be a land flowing with milk and honey. That is not how the real world works.

Incredibly, this idiot, who pontificates from the benches of that useless organisation, Seanad Eireann, claims to know how the real world works.

This moronic talk about political apprenticeships reminds me of Martin Mansergh’s (a prime example of an intellectual fool) idiotic idea that newly elected TDs shouldn’t address or criticise a Taoiseach until they’ve served for a number of years.

Not surprisingly, the political morons on the panel all agreed with Harris.

Costello (Lab)

I agree with Harris in terms of apprenticeship. I thinks it’s very important that people have to spend some time there learning…Elaine is missing the point she says the system is broken. We all agree that reforms have to take place…it’s not the political system that has failed the country, it’s the government that has failed the country and the two are totally different.

Collins (FF)

There’s an attempted circling of the wagons by the establishment around all the political parties and anyone who’s associated with politics saying the system is wrong. The system needs tweeking in particular areas, nobody’s disputing that, we all accept we have to try and better ourselves but this notion that Dail TDs and senators shouldn’t be available to the public who elects us on any level I think it’s farcical and the people who are making those comments don’t understand the work of public representatives in this country as far as I’m concerned.

Collins went on to give an example of how Irish political representatives work which sounded like a sketch straight out of Ballymagash.

We had a debate in our parliamentary party this evening about the dog breeding legislation. I met three groups of my constituents who are involved in dog breeding, that’s all part of it, we get out and about.

Byrne was completely stumped.

Dog breeding, you talk to them about dog breeding?

At this stage I lost the run of the discussion after falling to the floor in convulsions of contemptible laughter.

Collins wasn’t laughing though, he was, again, attacking Byrne because she’s an academic, what would her type know about the plain people of Ireland?

But Byrne is more tuned into the brutal reality of Irish politics than any of these morons.

It’s about politics, it’s about Ireland. We should have citizen assemblies where the citizens take ownership of the reform process where people can go into a room and say what needs reform.

I agree completely but would go much further. These political dinosaurs and all their fellow representatives from all parties have lost their right to govern or represent the people of Ireland.

The system they represent and defend so strongly is corrupt and beyond redemption, beyond reform.

We should indeed have citizen assemblies, the people should indeed take ownership, not of the reform process, but of the political system itself. The first step in taking that ownership is to destroy the current rotten system.

Waiting for the revolution

February 8, 2010 in Government, The State by Anthony | 4 comments

Thousands of students had gathered to vent their rage. Marching, waving placards and shouting.

We’re standing here united as students; we’re not taking this any longer.

One of their leaders shouted at the nation.

The situation is not acceptable anymore.

Was this the ‘revolution’ Elaine Byrne wrote about recently?

Had the young people of Ireland finally woke up to the wholesale destruction caused to their country by corrupt politicians and bankers?

Had they woken up to the fact that corruption had destroyed any prospects for their future in their own country; that they and their children would be paying for the greed and corruption for generations to come?

Alas, no. The anger and fury was sparked because a dispute in the college was preventing the publication of some exam results (RTE News, 13th report).

Every day I check the headlines, beat the bushes, scan the horizon, waiting for the revolution but, to date, nothing. Not a sign of a ‘revolutionary’ student to be seen.

Vincent Browne was writing about student ‘action’ in the Sunday Business Post yesterday. A group of Trinity College students were invited to give their views on the constitution to the Oireachtas Committee on the Constitution.

Boring and entirely pointless writes Browne. He concluded that nothing can be done about the people who have destroyed our country until the next election.

We can see by this that Browne is just as ‘revolutionary’ as the young people of Ireland. Imagine the revolutionaries of 1916 saying.

The situation is intolerable but let’s waits for the next election and then we’ll show them what’s what.

Sadly, there’s not a revolutionary bone in the body of a single young Irish citizen and ‘revolution’ for most older citizens like Browne involves switching allegiance from one corrupt, ultra conservative party to a slightly less corrupt, ultra conservative party and five years later switching back again.

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