Garda Ombudsman: You are not entitled to any information whatsoever

Dublin TD Clare Daly believes that her arrest on a drink driving charge and the leaking of the story to the media was a deliberate attempt to discredit her because she has raised issues of malpractice within the Garda Siochana.

I agree with her conclusions.

Ms Daly was stopped by Gardai on 28 Jan last and breathalysed; the equipment did not register a reading.

Despite this Ms. Daly was arrested, handcuffed and taken to Kilmainham Garda Station 300 metres down the road.

When she objected to being handcuffed she was told that it was procedure.

Her legal team has told her that this is incorrect.

She was put in a cell and a doctor was called to take a urine sample.

Upon being released a female Garda told her to come back when she was sober.

Turns out she was sober. The urine sample showed that her alcohol level was 33% below the allowable limit.

Ms. Daly made a complaint and the Garda Ombudsman is investigating.

When the penalty points scandal first broke I rang the Garda Ombudsman office to inquire if they were investigating the very serious allegations being made against the force.

I was told that they can only investigate matters that involve complaints from members of the public who have been directly wronged by a Garda or a matter that they deem to be in the public interest

I rang again today to see if they were still of the view that it wasn’t in the public interest to investigate what are potentially the most serious allegations of corruption within the force.

Predictably, I ended up with a headache from banging my head against the solid wall of unaccountable bureaucracy.

Me: Is the Garda Ombudsman investigating the abuse of penalty points allegations?

Official: We can’t give out any information about complaints you haven’t made yourself.

Me: But I’m not referring to a complaint, I’m asking is there an investigation into the penalty points allegations.

Official: I can’t say, I’m not allowed to say because you’re not involved in it and you haven’t made a complaint yourself.

I can’t give you any information about anything, about any investigation or any complaints.

Me: Absolutely nothing? Nobody is entitled to know whether you’re investigating something or not?

Official: No, not unless you’re involved.

Me: That’s incredible.

Official: It’s confidential.

Me: I find that hard to believe. You’re saying that the general public is not allowed to know whether the Garda Ombudsman is investigating any particular matter.

Official: No. I can’t give out any information about any complaints.

Me: What regulation/legislation are you basing your refusal on?

Official: It’s confidential.

Me: Yes, but could you refer me to the regulation that permits you to refuse the information.

Official: It’s a confidential procedure making a complaint; I can’t give out any information on the matter.

Me: Ok, that’s fine but could you point me to the particular legislation that allows you to refuse the information?

Official: If you’re not happy with my answer you can put it in writing to the Commission.

Me: Yes, I’m accepting your answer; I’m just asking what legislation you’re basing your refusal on. Can I find the relevant legislation on your website.

Official: I don’t look at the website, I don’t know.

Me: There is a ‘legislation’ link on your website, would I find it there?

Official: If you’re not happy with my answer you can put it in writing to the Commission.

Me: So you’re refusing to reveal the legislation under which you’re refusing to give out information?

Official: I’ve just advised you, if you’re not happy with my answer you can put it in writing.

Me: Are you refusing to point out the legislation to me?

Official: I can’t give it to you.

Me: Why not?

Official: Hung up.

Pat Kenny: Horsemeat? Ah sure eat away, it'll do you no harm

Catherine Brown, the Food Standards Agency in the UK, said that it was highly likely that criminal activity was to blame for horsemeat being found in some meals.

But Pat Kenny is not worried about the latest revelation that some beef lasagne is actually 100% horsemeat.

There’s nothing unsafe about it, says Pat.

If you fancy having a go of it, off you go. It’s not going to kill you.

As I wrote the other day, this is to make the dangerous assumption that criminals are operating to the same high standards as that of legitimate meat processors.

Pat withdrew his advice after a caller reminded him that the horses used could have been laced with dangerous drugs.

The ignorance of corruption that makes us a banana republic

Since the early 1980s I have been writing, some would say ranting, about corruption in Ireland.

One of the things that has always struck me is just how deeply ingrained the corrupt system of government is within our culture.

There was a depressing example of this ignorance of corruption on Today with Pat Kenny last Friday (1st Feb.).

Roisin Shortall, one of the very, very few politicians who holds, understands and has the integrity and courage to stand by democratic standards, bravely fought against a disturbing ignorance displayed by journalist Tom McGurk and former Fine Gael Justice Minister Nora Owen.

The issue under discussion was the parish-pump politics of James Reilly and Brendan Howlin regarding the upgrading of hospitals in their constituencies.

It is clearly evident that McGurk and Owen see nothing wrong with TDs and ministers abusing their power by taking resources from more needy projects in order to bestow favours on their constituents (my emphasis).

Nora Owen: It does look as if both of these hospitals needed work.

Pat Kenny: But Nora, as a former Cabinet minister, let’s be honest, isn’t if expected of you that you deliver for your constituents?

Owen: Yes.

Kenny: Is that right, moral and ethical or is it simply politics?

Owen: Look it, from time immemorial I was victim of it when I was a backbencher. (The culture of politicians competing with each other to claim favours for constituents).

The difficulty that people have now is that there was a commitment by this government that politics wouldn’t be the same as usual.

Shortall: Do you not think that the public has moved beyond politicians in this regard? The whole thing of pork barrel politics has done so much damage to this country.

Owen: These hospitals needed work.

Shortall: Other hospitals need work as well. What this is about is the basis on which decisions are taken in relation to how money is spent in health.

So do you do it by having a prioritisation system where you identify the areas that are most in need or do you engage in parish-pump politics?

Tom McGurk: Why else would we vote for you unless you got our local hospital sorted, that’s what you’re there for, you’ve got nothing else to offer really.

Shortall: Is that what your want Cabinet ministers to do?

McGurk: Yes, it is.

Kenny: Here we have the naked voter, Tom McGurk, saying why would I vote for you unless you can help me.

McGurk: Yes, that’s what you’re there for.

Shortall: Ok, so what happens to some very disadvantaged constituencies where there are huge problems and never had a Cabinet minister?

McGurk: Historically, culturally, traditionally Irish politics has been about patronage.

Shortall: Hasn’t that got us into an awful lot of difficulties?

McGurk: It’s also been very successful.

Shortall: Wouldn’t it be much better if we used the evidence that’s there, where there’s the greatest health need, do it in that transparent way, isn’t that what the public wants us to do?

John Mooney: I think the electorate is having a slightly allergic reaction to this type of activity by FG because it’s reminiscent of FF.

Shortall: Same old, same old.

Owen: The primary care centres that Roisin had sadly to resign over is slightly different from this, these hospitals were in the capital programme list.

What has come out through a freedom of information request is that James Reilly wrote a letter saying he’d like the two hospitals to be moved along the line and then Brendan Howlin’s department approved the €12 million.

The reverse of what Roisin is saying is that once there’s a minister in a constituency that those constituents are going to suffer because no government would be able to make a decision on that.

Shortall: What I’m saying is you do it in an objective and transparent way.

Owen: Yes, but it looks as if this was done in an objective way.

Shortall: when you look at the situation in relation to these two hospitals the agency that’s responsible for deciding on investment in health facilities didn’t know anything about this.

Owen: That’s not true, I checked that out and they did know about it.

Shortall: Well the minutes of the HSE board meeting…interrupted.

Shortall: In other countries they have what they call a resource allocation model that’s agreed, open, objective and transparent.

Owen: Clearly these hospitals got onto that model in 2010.

Shortall: Nora, we don’t have that capital model as you well know.

What determines spending across all government departments is whether there’s a minister there or not. And that means that areas that have far greater need lose out.

Diplomatic passports: For a special 'class' of person?

I contacted the Department of Foreign Affairs regarding the issuing of diplomatic passports.

I requested the name, position and passport date of issue for all current holders of such passports.

This request was refused on the grounds that the information was too voluminous. I was, however, advised that I could submit a Freedom of Information request on the matter.

I also requested the official definition of a diplomatic and an official passport.

In response I was provided with this link which outlines conditions for the issue of such passports which is, effectively:

For the purpose of travelling abroad in connection with official duties on behalf of the State.

Or, the minister may grant a diplomatic passport to:

A person, or one of a class of persons, to whom the Minister considers it appropriate to issue such a passport.

The key words in this last condition are, of course:

One of a class of persons.

This would probably explain why the likes of Mrs. Haughey, wife of the criminal politician, was granted the privilege.

O'Brien defamed by Irish Daily Mail? I don't think so

I will be amazed if the jury in the O’Brien v Irish Daily Mail case finds that the newspaper defamed O’Brien.

Mr. O’Brien is claiming the article, about his appearance in RTÉ news reports on the relief effort after the earthquake in Haiti, accused him of hypocrisy motivated by self-interest.

Senior Counsel Jim O’Callaghan:

To say he was involved for his own self-interest was unfair and grossly defamatory.

Unfair? Perhaps. Grossly defamatory? I don’t think so.

If the precedent of being accused of hypocrisy motivated by self-interest is established we will see a stampede of politicians into the courts claiming damages against the media, ordinary citizens and their fellow politicians.

Lazy journalism and the horsemeat scandal

According to Irish Independent journalist Ailish O’Hora the horsemeat drama is symptomatic of how we lost the run ourselves during the tiger years.

This is pure lazy journalism.

If Ms. O’Hora was a properly informed journalist she would be aware that the scandal has no connection whatsoever with the tiger years.

She would, for example, be aware that scandals and corruption in the meat industry go back decades before the tiger years.

She would also be aware that corruption between business and politics has been rampant since the establishment of the State in 1922.

She would be aware of the fact that Ireland is an intrinsically corrupt state where scandal and corruption form an integral and fully acceptable part of the governance of the state.

Richard III and the power of science

From a historical point of view the discovery of the remains of king Richard III is fascinating.

But what really impresses me is the role played by science in the discovery.

Meticulous scientific research, the scientific process of rebuilding an accurate face from a skull and the amazing accuracy of Carbon 14 dating to mention just some of the great powers of science.

I just can’t resist comparing the power of science with the ‘power’ of religion.

If all the priests in all the world had prayed every day for the last 500 years asking ‘god’ to show them where the king was buried he would still be lying undiscovered under a Leicester city carpark.

Channel 4 documentary here.

Yuk factor complacency

The so-called Yuk factor seems to be an accepted rationale in the ongoing horsemeat scandal.

The Yuk factor stems from the fact that horsemeat is not generally on the menu in Ireland and is therefore seen by most Irish consumers as a yuk food.

The general thrust of media coverage seems to be that while horsemeat may be a yuk food for the Irish it is perfectly safe and won’t damage their health.

This assumption only stands up if those (criminals?) who are illegally importing the horsemeat into Ireland have a world class processing plant where the highest EU standards in food production are strictly observed.

Somehow, I think this is unlikely.

It’s more likely that the horsemeat is sourced from anywhere they can get it for a knockdown price such as knacker’s yards or from farmers wanting to get rid of rotten carcasses.

And who’s to say it’s just horsemeat? It could quite easily be a mixture of roadkill and abattoir waste from a whole range of animals, wild and domesticated.

Mmmm… I think the yuk factor could be a lot more yuckier than people realise.

Freeza Meats: That meat was just resting in our storeroom?

One of the very funny running jokes in the Fr. Ted series refers to some dodgy accountancy by Fr. Ted in a previous parish.

Fr. Ted, whenever the matter is raised angrily retorts:

That money was just resting in my account.

The joke came to mind after hearing the explanation provided by Freeza Meats for the presence of 80% horsemeat in a product stored at their plant in Newry.

They claim they were approached last August by a meat trader who offered to sell them meat. They declined but, as a goodwill gesture to the meat trader, they agreed to store the meat at their plant.

They claim they never purchased the material, it was never their material, it was kept in a separate area, it had nothing to do with them.

Or, in other words – That meat was just resting in our storeroom.

Diplomatic passports: The privileged elite looking after their own

Yet again we witness how the rich and powerful bestow special privileges upon themselves and their cronies in this blighted banana republic.

A report in yesterday’s Sunday Independent tells us that there are 1,900 diplomatic and 7,400 official passports in circulation.

This massive number includes 48 TDs and nearly half the Senate.

I’m trying to find out what an official passport is so in the meantime let’s focus on diplomatic passports.

In functional democracies diplomatic passports are issued to people who have to travel internationally on official or state business.

So my first question is – why the fuck does Maureen Haughey, wife of the tratior and criminal politician possess such a passport?

Is she jetting around the world working her knickers off on behalf of the Irish people, like fuck she is.

This woman has been given this privilege for one simple but disgusting reason – she’s a senior member of the ruling elite of this blighted nation, a ruling elite that ultimately destroyed our country.

Among the privileged to receive these passports are Breda O’Kennedy and Annette Andrews, wives of former Ministers for Foreign Affairs Michael Kennedy and David Andrews.

Again, this is nothing more than the privileged looking after their own.

Apparently, the Minister for Foreign Affairs is going to write to these individuals and politely ask them to give up their privilege which entitles them to:

Certain enhanced priveleges while travelling abroad.

No question of being so ‘undiplomatic’ as to demand or simply cancel the privilege. No, a polite letter from Eamon asking the nice ladies if they wouldn’t mind handing them over.

The report tells us that the ‘revised criteria’ will mean applications will only be approved for those who can demonstrate they need a passport for travel to undertake official business on behalf of the State.

So, the obvioius question is – what criteria was in place prior to now?

Hello, I’m a member of the priveleged ruling elite, please have your man deliver my special passport forthwith and make sure he uses the tradesman entrance.

As usual with banana republics there’s an element of unintended humour in the ‘rules’ governing such perks for the privileged.

These passports may only be used for official and not for personal travel.

The passports are only valid for the period required to perform any particular official role.

Applicants must pledge that the passport will be returned for cancellation should their role change before the document expires.

Given that fact that corruption is endemic within the Irish body politic, that lying, cheating, stealing and gombeenism is the default position of the majority of our ‘representatives’ we may reasonably assume that these ‘rules’ were created as a joke on the long suffering citizens of our banjaxed nation.

Here’s a partial list of the ragbag of gombeens, traitors, imbeciles, and freeloaders who have been issued with a diplomatic passport?

Fianna Fail: Brian Cowen, Barry Cowen, Mary Coughlan, Tony Kileen, Dick Roche, Ned O’Keeffe, Martin Cullen, Ivor Callely.

Sinn Fein: Aengus O’Snodaigh, Padraig MacLochlainn, Trevor O Clochartaigh and Kathryn Reilly.

Fine Gael: Jim O’Keeffe.

Independents: Michael Lowry, Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan, David Norris, Feargal Quinn, Prof. John Crown.

Green Party: Dan Boyle, Mary White.

Copy to:

All political parties and independents
Passport office
Department of Foreign Affairs