Author: Anthony

O'Donoghue's 'servants' should also be brought to account

The Sunday Tribune staff is to be congratulated for their hard work and determination in ridding Ireland of at least one of the wasters that rule from on high.

The same cannot be said for the so called civil servants involved in the scandal. In a strategy that is becoming ever more common civil servants demanded an exorbitant sum of money for an FOI in an obvious attempt to suppress information that might be damaging to a politician.

There can be no doubt that this was a deliberate and dishonest action on the part of the civil servants as we now know the information was readily available.

These civil servants were not serving the people of Ireland; they were cravingly and knowingly serving the interests of their greedy and arrogant political master.

They also should be brought to account.

Kenny outflanked by the real leader of the Opposition

Once again Enda Kenny has been outflanked by Eamon Gilmore.

From a purely political point of view Gilmore’s reading of the situation and his timing were perfect.

Kenny was forced to fall in behind the Labour leader and his demand that O’Donoghue resign immediately instead of next week is a pathetic attempt to appear strong and decisive.

Fine Gael backbenchers should start sharpening their knives.

Good riddence O'Donoghue

John O’Donoghue is gone and good riddance. No doubt we’re now going to be subjected to a tidal wave of hypocritical cant from the usual elements of the body politic and media.

He was a good man, he served his country well, we must think of his family, he was brought down by the mob; the media were out to get him blah, blah, blah.

And of course there will be at least one journalist who will make the nonsensical, but by now standard, accusation that – we’re all to blame.

The truth is always simple – John O’Donoghue has joined a long list of Fianna Fail politicians, including Bertie Ahern, who have betrayed their country for their own greedy ends.

Lenihan and Fianna Fail have all the answers

Some recent comments by Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan.

On the Rody Molly scandal:

Salaries paid to public officials are unsustainable; they are overpriced arrangements which are being reviewed.

The Minister didn’t say if his own salary or that of his party leader would be part of the review.

On public anger and the media:

People had to get over their anger to make progress. I despair at times at the standard of public discourse about our current difficulties.
The reluctance of some commentators to grapple with the arguments, to go beyond the loaded cliché and the populist jibe, does a real disservice to the public.

Clearly the Minister is unhappy about the standards of intelligence and responsibility outside of the body politic.

On the referendum result:

What I saw in this debate is a growing realisation among the people that junk economics and junk politics from far-left politicians are not going to solve any of our problems.

It’s reasonable to assume the Minister thinks that his corrupt, greedy, arrogant and unaccountable party holds the answer to all our problems.

Mary Harney saves the nation

The crisis is over, the nation is saved, John O’Donoghue, get back in your limousine, Rody Molloy, all is forgiven.

Mary Harney announced to the nation today that in the interests of reviving the economy she had cancelled her attendance at two conferences.

And to think there are cynics out there who question the courage, vision and integrity of our political leaders – shame on them.

Referendum illegalities

There’s an interesting article in today’s Irish Independent which, among other things, outlines the illegalities committed by the Yes side in the referendum.

The Yes side backed up the deliberate confusion with a number of illegalities committed in the name of the Government, the State and the Referendum Commission. These were non-precedents. They brought the European Commission, its personnel and their staff directly into the campaign, which was unlawful.

It was also unlawful to involve Yes – supporting European political parties in providing funds, in our own Government using public funding in support of one side, and in representing inaccurately the issues.

This should have been regulated by the Referendum Commission. It did no such thing, nor did it fulfill its statutory purpose, which was to explain the text of the referendum amendment on which people voted. At no time did the public get a full and clear indication of this.

The public media, including notably RTE and Newstalk 106, pursued a strongly ‘Yes’ side promotion, contrary to the State’s broadcasting acts that give them their licences.

I agree with the writer’s view that the results leaves almost 600,000 No voters without any significant mainstream party to vote for and the other 1.2 million voters trusting to a hopelessly wishful interpretation of the benefits of voting Yes.

The brutal truth is slowly beginning to dawn on Irish voters – They are misruled and misrepresented by an incompetent, greedy and largely corrupt body politic.

Predictable result – consequences later

As I predicted last November the referendum was passed by a large majority.

Of course, it didn’t take genius to make such a prediction as people will understandably take the safe option when immediate danger presents itself.

The consequence of the decision will only become evident years into the future when, for example, our politicians are casually sending Irish citizens off to war with the words ‘but you voted yes’ ringing in their ears.

Corruption, ignorance and political naivity will see Fitzpatrick off the hook

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.

Copy to:
John Gormley

The pot calling the kettle black

Foreign Minister, Michael Martin strongly attacked Sinn Fein’s Mary Lou McDonald on the Pat Kenny show last Tuesday.

The extraordinary duplicity and cynicism of Sinn Fein in this campaign is incredible. In Northern Ireland you have opposed every single treaty since 1973. You portray Europe but anti Lisbon, it’s a con job.

In Northern Ireland over the last fifteen years the EU allocated about €1billion for the transformation of Northern Ireland. Talk to Martin McGuinness and people up there who sing the praises of the EU and you come down here then in the South and take a different stance.

It’s appalling cynicism and appalling duplicity and I don’t believe the integrity of the Sinn Fein position on Europe because I think you’re doing it to advance your own political agenda in the Republic and nothing else.

It is disingenuous to say that we can go back to Europe and renegotiate with 26 other countries, that is not reality and you are dishonest to say so

Appalling duplicity and cynicism, con job, (dishonestly) advancing a political agenda, disingenuous, dishonest – all this from a senior member of the most corrupt political party in the country.