Acceptance of large gifts

Our duty is to guard our country and our democratic system from any taint or suspicion of corruption, and to remove any obvious or possible source of danger. While in the terms of the Tribunal’s Report ‘no political impropriety’ has been shown to have occurred, the acceptance of large gifts or payments or personal benefits in a surreptitious manner or the large scale evasion of tax and exchange control regulations by even one or two senior serving politicians or members of Government is deeply damaging to trust in politics, and a serious breach of it, and every effort must be made that is humanly possible to ensure that it cannot happen again.

Bertie Ahern, speaking after the publication of the McCracken report.

I disclosed my financial records to the Tribunal. It is deeply regrettable that these confidential records appeared in a newspaper.

The House will be aware that arising from financial pressures I encountered at the time of my separation, a number of my friends decided to come to my assistance. The loans I received from my friends totalled £39,000, that is £22,500 plus £16,500. I wish to confirm to the House that on Friday I repaid each one of these loans with interest calculated at 5% per annum compound and at a total cost of €90,867.

Bertie Ahern, in a statement of October 2006.

2 thoughts on “Acceptance of large gifts”

  1. of course , in FF land, it is considered extrememly “unfair” to quote old speeches like this. Only those who “have an agenda” would even dream of doing this. In the Never-never land of FF politics it is unrealistic to expect any FF member to be consistent in his or her statements. What will we be expecting next… policies, principlles, decency… FF knows only one imperative; stay in power, keep on board the gravy train. In this they always have been totally consistent.

    It is interesting to compare FF’s progress – from the high principmes of the struggle for independence to the high sleaze of Hoaughey and his accomplices and the descent of the Gaulists i France… from Resistance fighters and the the Free French to the arch con-man Chirac who Haughey’s contemporary and equal in crime. He may even go for a third term.

    Gordon

  2. If Charlie Haughey really did get 45 Million Quid then that was the best spent 45 Million in the history of this Country as that great man was the catalyst for everything that has happened economically since. Despite all the begrudgery when he was alive and lots more now that he’s dead the Irish people know that Charlie put the IFSC in place and generally generated the confidence and sentiment which brought about the economic revolution we see all around us today. Once in every age a great man comes along and rises to the top. So it was with Charlie. However I do not expect the West Brit begrudgers who generally contribute to this forum to understand.
    Charlie was the only leader in the World who had the balls to rebuke Mrs Thatcher publicly for her treatment of Argentenian civillians.
    That alone would have put him offside with the Indo and The Times and of course RTE

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