Something to get you ready for the weekend:
Archive for the ‘General’ Category
Rain Colbert dance off
Friday, May 9th, 2008My reaction
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008Long-time readers will be aware that the Mahon Tribunal, and more specifically Bertie Ahern’s role in that tribunal, have been a bugbear of mine for some time.
Today, finally, we have the announcement that Taoiseach Bertie Ahern will resign on May 6. It is welcome news.
Mr Ahern spent much of his speech spelling out his contribution to Irish political life, and his service to the State. In the latter part he dealt with the allegations that have been his undoing. While I accept that Ahern made a contribution to the peace process, in no way does this mean that somehow he has a right to stay on in political office, nor does it excuse him from being accountable.
Cian rightly points out that it was not the media, bloggers, or even Facebook groups that led to the appalling vista of Ahern’s incredible tales and ultimate resignation. It was Ahern himself that got himself into this mess. And the only recourse, ultimately, was his resignation.
I have called for his resignation several times since his now infamous interview with Bryan Dobson in September 2006. In truth, we have spent nearly 20 months stewing over his changing stories, his incredible tales, and the sums of money involved in those tales kept growing.
As time went on it became clear that at the time he spoke to the nation on national television he had yet to tell the tribunal half of what we now know. Celia Larkin’s accounts only came to light in April 2007. Ahern changed his story in relation to the second digout during evidence in September 2007. The list goes on.
Increasingly, critics said the tribunal was no longer about the original allegation that Owen O’Callaghan gave cash to Ahern, that it had become some sort of vendetta. To some degree they are right on the former but wrong on the latter. Simply put, it was Ahern’s reaction to the tribunal’s inquiry that led directly to his resignation.
Indeed, if the Tribunal reported tomorrow and found that there were no corrupt payments it simply would not matter. Ahern’s changing positions on his own finances are what led to this result – as far as I can see he was caught up in a tangled web of his prevarications. It became less about the original allegation and more about what tribunal found – and Ahern’s response to those discoveries.
But I don’t see this as a victory for accountability. Ahern was dragged kicking and screaming to a resignation, when he really should have resigned a very long time ago. If, for example, PTSB had not found the documents that they did, Ahern would very likely still be clinging on to power, and brazening it for as long as possible – and to hell with standards or perceived standards in public life.
We have to ask ourselves what sort of society we want. One where the leader of our country spends an inordinate amount of time answering questions about vasts sums of money in his accounts, appoints friends to State jobs, takes cash from businessmen… and all the rest… or one where politicians do all of the above – but when found out resign immediately for the good of the country.
Ireland is a very long way from a democracy which is accountable to its people, and Ahern’s games around the tribunal have only served to bring the country into disrepute and to blacken the highest political office in the country.
Ahern, Taoiseach or not, has very serious matters to answer. Tribunal matters. Cash matters. Corruption matters. Criminal matters. How we deal with those matters, and how we punish wrongdoing in public office, will define our nation.
If we fall short in that regard, we all lose.
The media reaction and more questions
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008Now we have to see how the media reacts to the news. So far RTE television have been bringing on a stream of FF deputies. And each of them runs the usual ‘trial by media’ line.
This is clearly nonsense. The media in fact did not go out of its way to criticise Ahern, all it did was seek answers about his tribunal evidence. And even after Carruth’s evidence broke two weeks ago, the media remained quiet for a very long time.
Ahern’s silence since Carruth’s evidence is perhaps a sign of how bad things are. We still await explanations of sterling lodgments, and indeed more lodgments. Questions remain over potential allegations of money laundering and the vast sums of money going through Ahern’s accouns and other accounts to which he is linked.
Ahern is not off the hook. I look forward to his next day in the tribunal.
Bertie Ahern announcement
Wednesday, April 2nd, 2008If he says it’s all over now, fine. If he says it’s all over after the speech to Congress, fine.
If he puts a date on his departure within the next six months. Not good enough.
Upate: May 6, he’s a gonner. Saying that this had nothing to do with Grainne Carruth’s evidence is bullshit. He still has a lot of explaining to do. And I wait to hear where the sterling came from.
The Facebook group is delighted (which peaked at 2,634 members), an outpouring of wall posts.
From my own point of view, I have no sympathy whatever for Mr Ahern. For 20 months we have been dragged through this nonsense. If this country was truly functioning, he would have resigned a very long time ago indeed.
And it all was of his own making.
Grainne Caruth evidence
Thursday, March 20th, 2008MR. O’NEILL: Ms. Grainne Carruth, please.
104
1 MR. GRAINNE CARRUTH, HAVING BEEN SWORN, WAS QUESTIONED BY
14:57:54
2 MR. O’NEILL AS FOLLOWS:
3
4 CHAIRMAN: Good afternoon, Ms. Carruth.
5
6 Q. 624 MR. O’NEILL: Ms. Carruth, I think you worked with Mr. Bertie Ahern from 1987
7 until 1999, is that correct?
8 A. Yes.
9 Q. 625 And you have already given evidence before the Tribunal in relation to the
10 operations which were taking place in St. Lukes in Drumcondra which is where
14:58:15
11 you were based, is that correct?
12 A. Yes.
13 Q. 626 Recently the Tribunal wrote to your solicitors on the 6th of March 2008, on the
14 subject matter which has been the subject of the examination of the last
15 witnesses who were heard today by the Tribunal. And I will read that letter,
14:58:35
16 it’s at page 27275 on screen, please.
(more…)
St Luke’s – again
Friday, March 14th, 2008Hmm.
This is new. Masterson et al said quite clearly in their book that St Luke’s was bought in 1988 for £57,000. £25,000 of this amount came from £1,000 donations from 25 individuals, “with further contributions over a five-year period”. The rest was mortgaged, with “the repayments paid through the constituency organisation’s own bank”. Another £50,000 was then spent on renovations.
The house was “assigned to five trustees”. They are not named in the book, but we now know they were Mr. Des Richardson, Mr. James Keane, Mr. Patrick Reilly, Mr. Joe Burke and Mr Tim Collins.
But the story is contradicted by Collins.
Q. 181 And where did that money come from?
A. By that, that money came from about 24 or 25 people that got together to buy it.
Meaning that the entirety of the house was paid for by those people. He also says the house was falling into the Liffey, though surely he meant the Tolka. Collins can’t remember it there was any debt on the house they bought it (Q207). O’Neill pushes him, asking again. Collins restates that 25 people paid for the house.
Masterson was quite clear that the house was vested with the Dublin Central Fianna Fail organisation. One of the legal documents drawn up says:
The trustees hereby acknowledge … I will read it as it is written here. “Are not to hold the property for their own absolute use and benefit but upon the trust here and after declared and as directed by the settlors of the trust the St. Luke’s club.” (Q219)
Club? What club? Collins is just as puzzled as I am.
The Tribunal have also been unable to find any evidence that there was any outstanding debt on the property.
Dead people save the day
Friday, March 14th, 2008Another amusing passage from the Collins evidence.
Collins is being asked about the Davy cheque. He can’t remember anything about it. He can’t remember if he discussed it with Ahern. He can’t remember anything really. (Q77-83)
The Davy donation was the biggest. £5K. But he can’t explain to the Tribunal why the biggest donations intended for an election campaign ended up in an account that Collins now says was intended for the St Luke’s ‘Building Trust’.
“I can’t comment on that,” he says. (Q88)
“Well, no, the committee made the decision. We had four or five people, five people, and we’d have a meeting every week to ten days and a decision would be made — ”
The Tribunal asks who are these people.
Collins replies:
Paddy Reilly was, he is deceased.
Q. 92 Yes.
A. Jimmy Keane was.
Q. 93 Yes. He is deceased also.
A. He is deceased, yeah. Joe Burke I think is or was or is, I’m not sure, you know.
Q. 94 Yes.
A. Gerry Brennan, I’m not sure. He’s deceased, the solicitor.
Q. 95 Yes.
A. Myself, I was never a member of the Fianna Fail. Although I worked with them for years, you know.
Indeed.
Driving test
Tuesday, March 4th, 2008I passed my driving test yesterday. I have been a provisional driver since October 2006. Waiting lists suck.
When Mahon goes to town…
Friday, February 22nd, 2008Judge Mahon is absolutely correct. He has put it up to Ahern to put up or shut up. And the crowds cheered.
It is time to resign Mr Ahern.
Undersea cables
Friday, February 22nd, 2008A feature on the recent cable cuts in the Middle East penned by me is in today’s Examiner. Go read it, if you get the chance. There’s also a nice map of undersea cables to go with the story.
I really should write more.
Charity Meme
Wednesday, June 27th, 2007Bill tagged me, so…
Hmm. I tag:
Return…
Friday, May 4th, 2007I have been mulling a return to gavinsblog since I left it back in November. Thestory.ie has been doing well, though my posting is still lacking form or consistency.
My thoughts are to spin thestory into a new media/finance blog, and return gavinsblog to a mainly politics/personal weblog.
Interestingly the traffic here has remained relatively static, so it still seems to have some sway with Google.
In any event, any return shall occur after my exams.
Article
Monday, October 2nd, 2006I wrote a piece in today’s Irish Examiner about the BarCamp event on Saturday. Page 17, no Internet link. Will copy here shortly.
Back for a note
Tuesday, September 26th, 2006I am forced to come back to react to the Ahern revelations.
The most interesting name spotted: Des Richardson, one of his closest friends and one of the Drumcondra Mafia.
Why? Richardson’s company, Berraway, is thought to have received large payments from, Rohan Holdings, owned by developer Ken Rohan. Rohan was perhaps the sole beneficiary of a tax break in Section in the 1994 Finance Act introduced by Ahern when he was minister for finance. The developer is believed to have saved £1.5 million in tax at the time and a further £150,000-£180,000 per annum thereafter.
Another man named by Ahern who ‘loaned’ money, was founder of Marlborough Recruitment, Dave McKenna. Richardson earned up to 70,000 a year from Marlborough as executive director.
The Planning Tribunal is looking at links between Richardson and Frank Dunlop. Both have an interest in a company called Beraway. Beraway is also apparently related to Rohan Holdings.
Bare in mind that with £40,000 in 1993 one could easily buy a 3-bed semi-detached house. How on earth a simple legal separation could have cost this much is beyond me.
Bertie Ahern should resign, now.
Update:
The IT has a transcript. I like this part:
Q. But some of them were people in business, they had business interests, they were in position potentially to benefit from decisions you would make as minister for finance.A. Well you know all I can say on that they didn’t and never did they ask me. They were not people that ever tired to get me to do something. I might have appointed somebody but I appointed them because they were friends, not because of anything they had given me. and you know, I think they appreciate that these were debts of honour, they gave them to me, I suppose on hindsight back I wasn’t to know then that I would be Taoiseach that I would have more money. That my daughters would be far more self sufficient, I didn’t know these things. You know, so whether I should have took it or not, but I always seen them as loans. I didn’t see them as any risk other than friends at a time of need when they knew I was in difficulties, when they knew that where I was staying and how I was living was a source of conversation.
In 1999, Jody Corcoran wrote an article about how Rohan benefitted from the 1994 Finance Act.
Twenty disagrees
Tuesday, June 13th, 2006Following his classic ‘let’s burn him on a pyre outside the Central Bank‘, Twenty suggests we throw eggs at the hearse.
But he disagrees with me about the odds, arguing that everyone will forget his corrupt political donation legacy.
I am sympathetic to his anger.