Eamon Dunphy’s description of the outgoing government.
A mixture of the mafia and the moonies Eamon Dunphy
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A current advertisement warning against insurance fraud goes as follows:
Joe had an accident but when he exaggerated his injuries to get more compensation he put his hand in your pocket and took your money.
Every day in Ireland false and exaggerated insurance claims are driving your premiums up.
Protect yourself, report suspect claims; because you’re the injured party.
A similar advertisement can equally serve as a warning against alleged fraud by politicians:
Politician X receives unvouched expenses but when he exaggerated his claims to enrich himself he put his hand into your pocket and took your money.
Everyday in Ireland false and exaggerated claims by politicians are driving up already high levels of cynicism and contempt for the State.
Protect yourself; throw these people out of public office, because you’re the injured party.
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We are constantly told by politicians that things are different now. We’re told that the (corrupt) political system has been reformed, that the system is now transparent and accountable.
The ongoing expenses scandal gives the lie to all such assertions.
There’s not even a need to make an argument on the matter, the words of the politicians themselves are sufficient to confirm that the system is still rotten to the core.
Michael D Higgins: (Labour TD)
I think it’s important that we acknowledge the new system is there and hope that people will realise that people like Ivor Callely are exceptional and allow the rest of us to address the really serious issues.
I would worry about my own sanity if I regarded it as politically important.
I do insist that presenting this exotic behaviour as anything typical would be quite irresponsible.
Clearly, Higgins does not think that alleged fraud by an Irish politician is a serious issue or politically important.
This attitude displays a disturbing ignorance of reality.
All corruption in Ireland ultimately originates from the corruption of the political system but people like Higgins have yet to even notice that fact never mind actually act against the disease.
He’s happy to wallow in ignorance and denial while blaming the media for everything.
Dr. John Doyle (DCU)
Irish politicians have very few supports in staff and other facilities compared to other EU parliaments…the broader picture is that Irish politicians are not on the gravy train compared to the Europeans and North Americans.
Lise Hand (Columnist with Irish Independent) when asked to respond to Doyle’s comments.
Just picking my jaw up off the floor here.
Mary O’Rourke (Fianna Fail TD)
Apparently he (Callely) is hunting for a get out clause. I think it’s all very nauseating and awfully bad for the body politic and it’s wrong, wrong, wrong.
This is the politician who believed Bertie Ahern’s lies were quite reasonable explanations and was/is a great admirer of the criminal Haughey.
After Haughey died O’Rourke described his long and destructive record of criminality as ‘a few bumps on the road.’
Mary Hanafin (Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism)
The answers that have come forward to date are not very clear. Senator Callely has to explain the situation to the Senate Committee.
There are certainly serious questions being asked and I believe he should be absolutely up front and clear about it.
Answers not very clear? Callely should be up front and clear. Is this the same politician who regularly stated, without embarrassment, that she believed every convoluted word from the mouth of the chancer Bertie Ahern?
The reason for this rank hypocrisy from O’Rourke and Hanafin is simple. Callely is not important; in fact he’s not even liked within Fianna Fail. He’s not a Fianna Fail mafia don so he can be discarded,
Senator Regan (Fine Gael)
I think this is an important issue, an issue of fraud by a member of this house.
Regan was told to withdraw the remark and did so immediately. Fraud by an Irish politician – the very idea?
Senator Dearey (Green Party)
Dearey was asked what should happen next (regarding Callely)
Well, you’ll appreciate I’m the newest kid on the block in there. I was appointed in the last couple of days in February so the intricacies of Oireachtas procedures are not something I would claim to be an expert on yet.
So, this politician needs to become an expert on the intricacies of Oireachtas procedures before he can give an opinion on the difference between right and wrong.
Senator Mullen (Independent) (From Galway but lives in Dublin)
On being asked what advice he received from a fellow politician in relation to claiming expenses when he first entered the Senate in 2007.
You could claim your expenses from Ahascragh (Galway) and if you’re here long enough you’ll have a house out of it.
Senator Mullen’s response to this advice:
We all deal in our own way with bad suggestions like that. You don’t necessarily give the person a lecture on ethics and propriety on the spot.
Senator Mullen is a deeply conservative Catholic who constantly lecturers Irish citizens on ethical matters.
It would appear that ethics in politics, if that’s not an oxymoron, do not feature in this Senator’s sense of morality.
Senator Butler (Fianna Fail)
Gets paid €20,000 more in travel expenses because he says he’s moved home to county Carlow although his home address is listed as Foxrock in Dublin.
Senator Doherty (Sinn Fein, Donegal)
Senator Doherty questions why Fine Gael TD Dinny McGinley, who lives in the same town land as Doherty, claims substantially more travel expenses.
McGinley claims that he was advised by security people back in the troubles to stay within the state. Fear that he might become a war casualty results in him having to take a longer route to and from Dublin.
Apparently, nobody has informed the TD that the war ended about 20 years ago.
Senator Regan (Fine Gael) who angrily accused Callely of fraud said that McGinley’s claims were a minor matter but Senator Doherty responded that they amounted to tens of thousands of Euros.
Senator Doherty believes that politicians are grossly overpaid on expenses.
It doesn’t cost me €466 to get from Donegal to Dublin. I have a car over a four year loan period. Repayments are €310 per month and I get €466 per return journey.
Senator Regan (Fine Gael) on being asked why politicians do not use public transport.
There’s an efficiency problem with that. Coming from Donegal might not work for a local TD who needs to get back to his constituency to attend particular events. Some have to go back mid week so there’s a practicality to it.
Bullshit is the only possible response to this view.
Senator O’Brolchain (Green Party)
Asked did he think people (politicians) were going by train and claiming mileage for it?
Well, I’m absolutely certain of it. I know of many instances of that, there are many instances where people are abusing the system.
Senator White (Fianna Fail) The following comments are a mixture of insult, paternalism and lies.
I’m very conscious listening to the discussion so far that the Irish public is listening out there very, very worried and probably incensed.
They’re not understanding some of the language that’s being used -vouched, unvouched etc and I think it’s very confusing.
First of all I would like to reassure the Irish people that a new regime has just being brought in. It’s a radical change over what has gone on forever as far as I’m concerned.
It is highly transparent system now and to be honest when I first came to the Senate in 2002 I was amazed at the lack of transparency and the lack of having to produce vouched receipts.
I am acutely conscious that it’s taxpayers’ money that I am being paid and accountable for every day.
But I would really like to reassure the people that we now have a highly transparent system.
This stupid politician, who, by the way wants to be President, didn’t say if she intends educating a ‘confused’ and ‘ignorant’ Irish public on the meaning of such ‘complex’ words like vouched and unvouched.
Senator Labhras O’Murchu (Fianna Fail) (Based in Tipperary)
When O’Murchu was asked about his expenses he said that when in Dublin he stays at Comthlas headquarters for about €50 per night. He claims that he uses the balance of money to pay for the rest of his daily expenses.
O’Murchu is Director General of Comthlas. Comthlas has refused to make any comment on the matter.
Jackie Healy-Rae (Fianna Fail independent)
Healy Rae admitted that up until recently he has been driving to the Dail from his Kerry constituency in the company of another Oireachtas member. He refused to name the other politician or whether both of them have claimed expenses.
When pressed on the matter he responded:
I know my own business and I won’t be declaring it to you or anybody else.
In other words this backwoodsman is telling the media and the people of Ireland to take a hike.
His ignorant and arrogant attitude is a clear indication that nothing has changed in this country and as I have said on many occasions nothing will ever change until these traitors are thrown out of public office and the entire corrupt system under which they enrich themselves is brought crashing down.
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Fianna Fail
Fine Gael
Labour
Green Party
Senator Mullen
Seanad Eireann
Dail Eireann
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At last, someone has spotted the elephant in the room.
Green Party councilor Brian Meaney has called for a Garda investigation into the actions of Willie O’Dea (Newstalk, Lunchtime).
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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?
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In a posting last June after the Greens were wiped out in local elections I wrote about Senator Deirdre De Burca.
And although it may not be very charitable I was also delighted that Senator De Burca of the Green Party did not get enough votes to qualify for a refund. De Burca may be a Green in name but in attitude and action she is pure Fianna Fail.
My views on this politician have not changed. She claims to have resigned because the Green Party has abandoned its political values and integrity. Perhaps she’s genuine, we’ll see as events unfold
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Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment, John Gormley was crystal clear on how the Government is going to deal with Sean Fitzpatrick (Six One News, 6th report).
He will be pursued for every penny and I’m very confident that the Minister for Finance will do that. He will not spare Mr. Fitzpatrick and I don’t think the Irish people would accept that.
These are not the words of a clear minded politician with the best interests of his country at heart.
They’re the words of a man who operates within a corrupt system of government saying what he has to say because he foolishly believes that the implementation of his party’s agenda is more important than the rooting out of the disease of corruption.
As in all previous cases of a similar kind the corrupt political and administrative system will make arrangements to ensure that Sean Fitzpatrick suffers little or no loss.
The Irish taxpayer will be forced to pay most if not all of his liabilities and, despite what Gormley says, they will accept it because the great bulk of Irish citizens ignorantly labour under the delusion that power comes from above rather than from below.
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John Gormley
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Brian Cowen responded as follows when challenged on the Late Late Show regarding banks sharing the pain of recovery.
We guarantee that NAMA will not be in a position where it has a deficit and if that deficit emerges we will make sure that a levy system will ensure that the money comes back from the banking system.
Brian Lenihan and the Greens have also sought to reassure taxpayers that the banks will be hit with a levy or extra taxes to make sure they take their share of the pain.
The problem with all these assurances is that they are only promises. To my knowledge there’s nothing in the NAMA legislation that will force the banks to pay their share.
We are being asked to trust politicians who, for decades, have worked very hard to protect the interests of bankers at the expense of consumers.
I don’t believe a word they say.
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The Green Party made a pathetic attempt to boost their flagging credibility by abstaining on a vote in the Seanad on the Criminal Justice Amendment Bill.
Green Party Senator, Dan Boyle, who used to be a beacon of plain honest speaking, descended into the dark pit of Fianna Fail speak in an effort to cover up the party’s cowardice.
We’re unhappy about the current situation and we want it to change and the fact that we’re obliged to take a public action is a clear signal that we feel that things aren’t as they should be and they should be done differently and to presume that the Greens are to be taken for granted is not something we want to allow as a public perception and it’s not something we want to allow to be seen in terms of how our partners in government deal with us.
The brutal truth is that Dermot Ahern told the Greens to take a hike – and they did.
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There has been much discussion about what the Greens are going to do after their wipe out in the recent local elections. Will they jump ship, will they stay the course, will they demand a radical reform of the Programme for Government?
All the talk is just so much waffle, the Greens are in big trouble and they know it. (As predicted by Public Inquiry in Sep 2007). The election result has finally opened their eyes to what happens to any political party that’s stupid enough to risk contamination with Fianna Fail. They have only one course of action open to them – get out as soon as possible.
They can’t go immediately because they would be accused of running scared, of not being able to hack it, of not being a reliable coalition partner. But I have no doubt whatsoever that after a decent amount of time, say about six months or so, they will be on the lookout for an opportunity to remount their ethical horse and put some distance between themselves and the putrid Fianna Failers.
Trouble is, Patricia McKenna, the most honest and democratic politician in the country has already ridden off into the sunset on that particular horse. I was delighted that Ms. McKenna did so well in the election, so well in fact that she qualified for a refund of election expenses.
And although it may not be very charitable I was also delighted that Senator De Burca of the Green Party did not get enough votes to qualify for a refund. De Burca may be a Green in name but in attitude and action she is pure Fianna Fail.
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