Author: Anthony

Cowen saves the world

We are constantly told that our Prime Minister, Brian Cowen, is an extremely intelligent man but I have yet to see any hard evidence for this claim.

Yesterday we heard that he doesn’t understand why a group of senior civil servants wanted to remain anonymous after they called for radical reforms of the Public Service, including massive redundancies. Mr. Cowen is obviously not familiar with the term ‘career suicide’ used by the civil servants.

Our Great Leader is pictured on the front of today’s Irish Times with some guy called Bono, who, judging by his dress, is some kind of vagrant. Beneath the picture Cowen is quoted:

“I think everyone understands that this is the economic environment in which we now have to operate. So we’re facing some difficult times.”

Surely, future generations will be forever grateful that our Great Dear Leader did not selfishly restrict these pearls of wisdom to the confines of Dail Eireann where only the Irish nation would have benefited.

Instead, he generously shared his insightful and enlightened assessment with the entire world during a visit to UN headquarters in New York.

Surely, now, the world is truly saved.

Why in hell…

Letter in today’s Irish Independent.

Why is Harney still in a job?

Please tell me, in all honesty, why in hell is Mary Harney still in office? What does someone have to do in Ireland to get the boot? How much longer can you tolerate these people? I guess when you elect Mr Haughey in for three terms my question is indeed moot.

It’s only news when someone steals millions, then you have a tribunal which costs millions, only to say, yes, he did indeed steal millions.

BRIAN FURLONG
ADDRESS WITH THE EDITOR

The C & AGs annual (farce) report

The Comptroller and Auditor General has once again revealed a massive waste of taxpayer’s money caused by the incompetence of various government agencies. There are only two certainties about this annual farce – the wastage will continue and nothing will be done.

Here’s how three of our most senior, so called leaders, responded to the latest report.

The Taoiseach, Brian Cowen refused to make any comment whatsoever.

The Minister for Finance, Brian Lenihan, also refused to make any comment and instead referred the matter to the useless Dail Public Accounts Committee.

The Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern said he ‘didn’t ever involve himself in procurement issues.’ He then bizarrely went on to congratulate the officials that were criticised by the C & AG.

Here we go again…

Tánaiste and Enterprise, Trade & Employment Minister Mary Coughlan has asked the Comptroller and Auditor General to launch a special investigation into FÁS expenditure since 2000.

Let us be in no doubt. This investigation will be a complete waste of time, resources and money. The C & AG is a completely powerless organisation. It does not have any power to bring charges as a result of any wrongdoing discovered; it is empowered merely to offer an opinion – that’s it.

In its most recent investigation, into Bord gCon, the C&AG uncovered very serious corruption, fraud and incompetence, yet, bizarrely, concluded that

“In material respects the financial affairs of the company were properly run.”

No action whatsoever was taken by any government authority as a result of these very serious findings. It should be noted at this point that the C&AG was the auditor of Bord na gCon while many of these dodgy activities were going on.

The C&AG is also the official auditor of FÁS. So what are the chances that the organisation responsible for signing off on the finances of FÁS every year is going to make any serious criticisms of that organisation? Isn’t it more likely to conclude that ‘In material respects the financial affairs of FÁS were properly run’?

When completed, the C&AGs report on FÁS will be passed on to another completely powerless body – The Public Accounts Committee.

This group of useless politicians will discuss the matter once in public and once in private and that folks will be the end of the matter. It doesn’t matter how much corruption, fraud or incompetence is uncovered – nothing will be done.

In my opinion it is no accident that the C&AG is powerless, it is no accident that the PAC is powerless and it is no accident that Minister Coughlin has decided to hand over this very serious matter to these powerless agencies.

If Ireland was a properly functioning and accountable democracy the police would be ripping through the files at FAS, civil servants would be answering questions under police caution and politicians would be wondering how their heads fell off.

Depressingly, Ireland is not a properly functioning democracy, there will be no police action, no political heads will roll and corruption and incompetence will continue at all levels of Irish society.

Copy to:
C&AG
FAS
PAC

Special arrangements for special people

The fraudster Jim Flavin of DCC is walking around a free man because Fyffes, in their own interests, decided to take a civil rather than a criminal case against him. Despite the Supreme Court’s conclusion that Flavin was guilty of insider trading to the tune of €83 million the Irish State has made no move to press criminal charges.

The rogue solicitor Michael Lynn is also enjoying the benefits of being dealt with under civil rather than criminal law. Lynn, whose alleged fraud also involves a figure of around €80 million, is due to give evidence from London via video link next month in a case unrelated to his own dodgy activities.

For reasons best known to himself the DPP has decided not to initiate criminal charges against Lynn. This situation makes life very easy for the rogue solicitor; he can come and go as he please so long as he doesn’t return to Ireland.

The Garda Fraud Bureau investigation into Lynn is slow and cumbersome and according to Garda sources will not be completed for a number of months.

When the investigation is complete the DPP must then make a decision on whether criminal charges should be brought. According to a report in today’s Irish Independent this will also take several months. We are not told why a decision like this should take so long.

Here’s what I think.

Civil rather than criminal proceedings allow Lynn the freedom to continue operating his businesses. This means he can work away at trying to resolve his ‘difficulties’.

Meanwhile, the low key and long drawn out process here in Ireland, whether intentional or co-incidental, leaves the way open for a deal to be eventually worked out to the satisfaction of all parties.

We shouldn’t therefore be surprised if at some point there’s an announcement that ‘arrangements’ have been made between the interested parties and the DPP doesn’t have to resort to all that embarrassing and nasty criminal proceedings stuff after all.

The powers that be can then continue to operate under the illusion that Ireland is on a par with other Western jurisdictions where the rule of law is seen as vital to a healthy democracy.

One law for rich and powerful

Letter in this morning’s Irish Independent.

One law for rich and powerful

NOT surprisingly, the fugitive solicitor Michael Lynn has refused to return to Ireland to give evidence in a High Court case (Irish Independent, September 20).

How touching, therefore, to see State and legal authorities facilitating this fugitive in tying up loose ends from his previous work by providing a video link from his bolt hole somewhere in London.

It is, however, puzzling to us ordinary folk how the State can make such arrangements with this man and yet seem totally incapable of taking the necessary action that would make him accountable for the very serious allegations he is facing.

Perhaps those same authorities could arrange an annual two-week amnesty for Mr Lynn so that he could return home and nostalgically breathe in the air of a country where the level of accountability apparently depends on one’s profession and standing in society.

Anthony Sheridan

On a personal note…

Congratulation to my nephew Gavin who has just obtained an honours degree in History/Politics at UCC.

Gavin also co-wrote a story in today’s Irish Examiner where he works as a sub editor.

At the moment he’s ‘taking a break’ in Georgia where he hopes to do some reporting on the recent conflict.

PDs legacy

The legacy of the PDs was discussed on Saturday View. Former PD minister Bobby Molloy said;

“One of the most important things we did was having the tribunal established to investigate the beef industry and all the stuff that has been revealed following that and other tribunals.

None of that would have happened were it not for the fact that we were absolutely adamant there must be an independent judicial inquiry.”

Molloy is right in his claim that the PDs were responsible for the establishment of the Beef Tribunal but when the report was finally published and it became crystal clear that it was a whitewash his party fell into line with everybody else in sticking their heads in the sand.

Every tribunal since has seen the same reaction. Massive corruption revealed but no action taken. Everybody congratulates themselves for doing a wonderful job, the media analyse the report for a week and all is then forgotten until the next investigation.

It will be the same when the present batch of tribunals comes to an end – no action will be taken.

Molloy related an interesting story about how he and O’Malley forced the corrupt Haughey to establish the Beef Tribunal. Apparently, Haughey at first refused outright but when the PDs stood their ground Haughey offered an enquiry by the Attorney General. Again, the PDs stood their ground until finally Haughey gave in and established a full judicial enquiry as demanded.

It was this kind of integrity and courage that made the PDs and it was the abandonment of such principles by Mary Harney that destroyed the party.

Ahern has nothing to worry about

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has submitted his resignation letter to the country’s President, Shimon Peres. Olmert is under investigation by police on corruption charges.

Bertie Ahern, who is suspected of far more serious crimes, is not being investigated by the police and nobody would even think of using the word ‘corruption’ when reporting on the allegations against him.

Immediately after resigning Ahern was hailed as a great statesman and all thoughts of making him accountable in Dail Eireann were forgotten.

Enda Kenny called for a general election and was roundly condemned by all and sundry. The general consensus, even among the media, was that this was Bertie’s day and any criticism was crass and unwarranted. Even Kenny’s party colleagues maintained an embarrassed silence.

By resigning Ahern became untouchable because there’s no State authority capable or willing to make him accountable. The tribunal farce will run its course but no matter what conclusions it reaches Ahern’s status as a hero will not be affected.

During a media interview after his last appearance at the tribunal Ahern said he had nothing to worry about – He’s absolutely right, he hasn’t.

Tammany Hall passport service to remain exclusive

I finally got talking today to a member of the committee that reviewed the special passport facility for members of the Oireachtas.

I wanted to know if details of the service would be published in the Department’s literature and website.

No, I was told. The service is provided for members of the Oireachtas, it’s not a service that’s directly available to citizens therefore details would not be published.

This, of course, is complete rubbish.

I pointed out that he was a servant of the public, the passport office existed exclusively as a service to the public and politicians are servants of the public and therefore this special service should be fully available to all citizens as of right.

There then followed a discussion about what exactly ‘public’ meant. In the end he finally conceded that all services provided by his department were by definition public.

My next question concerned fees. The standard fee for a passport is €75. If the passport is provided by express there is an extra charge of €8. If an urgent passport is required there is an extra €50 charge on top of the €75 standard charge.

The special facility for members of the Oireachtas allows politicians to bypass the system and personally provide a passport within a few days for ‘special’ citizens at no extra charge.

This Tammany Hall facility is just one of the scams operated by politicians as a means of buying votes. The whole system of Clientism that has evolved over the decades is itself one of the chief sources of corruption in Ireland.