A New wave of Nepotism

Keep an eye on your local councils. Lets see how many family members are appointed to council seats now vacated by elected TDs moving to the Dail.

In fairness it has been pointed out to me that Labour want to avoid this -
The Labour Party alledgedly are trying to stop nepotism in the party, but after the FG deal we will have to wait and see.

" LABOUR FAMILY dynasties are at risk following an edict from head office that relatives of TDs will not be considered for vacated local authority seats. "

Already the Michael Healy Rae seat on Kerry coco seems to be going to retired TD, and father, Jackie.

Some of these are double whammys, in that the newly elected TD's sometimes have two seats, one at county and one in town.

The other appointments now coming are the Taoseachs appointments to the Senate, a 60K per year job not including expenses.
It is astounding that the caretaker Taoiseach, a man who is no longer an elected official, has the gall let alone the right to appoint a failed Fianna Fáil election candidate - Darragh O Brien - to the Senate

They have no remorse.
The media are even worse -Terry Prone (Irish Examiner)

Toughest of all, of course, is the situation, today, of those who lost their seats, their livelihood, and in some cases, their self-respect. We have become so furious and cruel a society that the general reaction to their loss is “serves them right”.

It is deeply insulting to the millions of Irish people who are victims of our corrupt political system to witness self-righteous journalists like Prone accuse them of being cruel because they are furious and want justice.
his is especially the case when failed politicians get massive pay-outs having instigated policies that saddle the tax payer with massive debt.

And of course, the most sycophantic of the lot - RTE's Marian Finucane:

This must be a terrible personal tragedy for him (Brian Cowen’s fall). I mean to see the party he loves so much, to be at the head of Government of a party that you’re so proud of that brings in the IMF, I mean on a personal level that has to be very difficult.

Isn’t it amazing that a politician who has led a privileged life, who won a seat on the basis that daddy died and he got the by-election - who has never wanted for anything, who was among the best paid politicians in the world, who is retiring with a fortune at the expense of the people he betrayed can be described as a tragic figure?

It is for these reasons of corruption, of unwarranted influence, this unacceptable cost that I helped start Amhran Nua

LIST OF COUNCILLORS ELECTED TO DAIL EIREANN 2011

Ann Phelan (LAB) - Carlow/Kilkenny
Kilkenny County Council (Thomastown)

Pat Deering (FG) - Carlow/Kilkenny
Carlow County Council (Tullow)

Sean Conlan (FG) - Cavan/Monaghan
Ballybay Town Council, Co. Monaghan

Heather Humphreys (FG) - Cavan/Monaghan
Monaghan County Council (Clones)

Tom Barry (FG) - Cork East
Cork County Council (Mallow)

Sandra McLellan (SF) - Cork East
Cork County Council (Midleton) & Youghal Town Council, Co. Cork

Jonathan O’Brien (SF) - Cork North Central
Cork City Council (Cork North West)

Dara Murphy (FG) - Cork North Central
Cork City Council (Cork North East)

Jim Daly (FG) – Cork South West
Cork County Council (Skibbereen)

Noel Harrington (FG) – Cork South West
Cork County Council (Bantry)

Padraig MacLochlainn (SF) – Donegal North East
Donegal County Council (Inishowen) & Buncrana Town Council, Co. Donegal

Charlie McConalogue (FF) – Donegal North East
Donegal County Council (Inishowen)

Thomas Pringle (IND) – Donegal South West
Donegal County Council (Donegal)
Pringle replacement: 31 year old teacher John Campbell, Glenties, Deputy Pringle’s Director of Elections.

Robert Dowds (LAB) – Dublin Mid-West
South Dublin County Council (Clondalkin)

Derek Keating (FG) – Dublin Mid-West
South Dublin County Council (Lucan)

Clare Daly (SP) – Dublin North
Fingal County Council (Swords)

Alan Farrell (FG) – Dublin North
Fingal County Council (Howth/Malahide)

Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (LAB) – Dublin North Central
Dublin City Council (Clontarf)

Sean Kenny (LAB) – Dublin North East
Dublin City Council (Donaghmede)

Dessie Ellis (SF) – Dublin North West
Dublin City Council (Ballymun/Finglas)

John Lyons (LAB) – Dublin North West
Dublin City Council (Ballymun/Finglas)

Michael Conaghan (LAB) – Dublin South Central
Dublin City Council (Ballyfermot/Drimnagh)

Eric Byrne (LAB) – Dublin South Central
Dublin City Council (Crumlin/Kimmage)

Joan Collins (PBP) – Dublin South Central
Dublin City Council (Crumlin/Kimmage)

Eoghan Murphy (FG) – Dublin South East
Dublin City Council (Pembroke/Rathmines)

Kevin Humphreys (LAB) – Dublin South East
Dublin City Council (South East Inner City)

Sean Crowe (SF) – Dublin South West
South Dublin County Council (Tallaght Central)

Eamonn Maloney (LAB) – Dublin South West
South Dublin County Council (Tallaght South)

Mary Mitchell O’Connor (FG) – Dun Laoghaire
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (Dun Laoghaire)

Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP) – Dun Laoghaire
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (Dun Laoghaire)

Paul Connaughton (FG) – Galway East
Galway County Council (Ballinasloe)

Colm Keaveney (LAB) – Galway East
Galway County Council (Tuam)

Derek Nolan (LAB) – Galway West
Galway City Council (Galway East)

Brian Walsh (FG) – Galway West
Galway City Council (Galway East)

Sean Kyne (FG) – Galway West
Galway County Council (Conamara)

Arthur Spring (LAB) – Kerry North/West Limerick
Kerry County Council (Tralee) & Tralee Town Council, Co. Kerry

Brendan Griffin (FG) – Kerry South
Kerry County Council (Dingle)

Tom Fleming (IND) – Kerry South
Kerry County Council (Killarney)

Michael Healy Rae (IND) – Kerry South
Kerry County Council (Killorglin)

Catherine Murphy (IND) – Kildare North
Kildare County Council (Celbridge)

Anthony Lawlor (FG) – Kildare North
Kildare County Council (Naas)

Martin Heydon (FG) – Kildare South
Kildare County Council (Athy)

Barry Cowen (FF) – Laois/Offaly
Offaly County Council (Tullamore)

Brian Stanley (SF) – Laois/Offaly
Laois County Council (Portlaoise)
&
Portlaoise Town Council, Co. Laois

Patrick O’Donovan (FG) – Limerick
Limerick County Council (Newcastle)

Robert Troy (FF) – Longford/Westmeath
Westmeath County Council (Mullingar West)

Gerald Nash (LAB) – Louth
Louth County Council (Drogheda East) & Drogheda Borough Council, Co. Louth

Michelle Mulherin (FG) – Mayo
Mayo County Council (Ballina) & Ballina Town Council, Co. Mayo

Regina Doherty (FG) – Meath East
Meath County Council (Dunshaughlin)

Peadar Tóibín (SF) – Meath West
Navan Town Council, Co. Meath

Ray Butler (FG) – Meath West
Meath County Council (Trim) & Trim Town Council, Co. Meath

Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan (IND) – Roscommon/South Leitrim
Roscommon County Council (Castlerea)

Tony McLoughlin (FG) – Sligo/North Leitrim
Sligo County Council (Sligo Strandhill) & Sligo Borough Council

Michael Colreavy (SF) – Sligo/North Leitrim
Leitrim County Council (Manorhamilton)

Seamus Healy (WUAG) – Tipperary South
Tipperary South Riding County Council (Clonmel) & Clonmel Borough Council

Ciara Conway (LAB) – Waterford
Dungarvan Town Council, Co. Waterford

John Halligan (IND) – Waterford
Waterford City Council (Waterford South)

Simon Harris (FG) – Wicklow
Wicklow County Council (Greystones) & Greystones Town Council, Co. Wicklow

There are also two MEP positions, Joe Higgins in Dublin and Alan Kelly from Tipperary.


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Independent dependency 1 - Lowry

Partially due to an out of date electoral system, in the Irish republic we have a situation where Independents frequently hold the balance of power.
Quite often, independents like the late Tony Gregory are honourable people, with no blemish on their record and who really want to make things better for their constituency.
But other independents are frequently those who have lost a party whip, and as we saw in the case of Beverly Flynn, get back to base eventually.
Our constituency based system means local clientism is what is important, far more important than national issues. One current TD worth mentioning, who supports the current Government is Michael Lowry from Tipperary North.

Lowry had started his working life as an apprentice at Thurles based Butler Refrigeration in 1971.
He worked his way up to sales manager, a position that bought him into contact with Ben Dunne, as Butler Refrigeration installed and maintained refrigeration systems for one of Ireland's largest retailers, Dunnes Stores.
DUNNES DEVICES
Ben Dunne, a well known Irish business man saw his family business increase turnover from IR£300M to IR£850M between 1983 and 1993.
He devised a method of gaining influence and control over companies that supplied goods and services to the supermarket chain, a system that created a series of companies which were, in effect, subsidiaries of Dunnes.

One such company was run by a Minister in the Fine Gael led government at the time, Michael Lowry, first elected to the Dail in 1987.
His contact with Ben Dunne and the financial donations he secured for Fine Gael played a critical role in his rapid rise in the parliamentary party, so much so that he was from 1994 to 1996 Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications.
Lowry left his job at Butler Refrigeration soon after his election, and in addition to his work as a TD he also started up a consultancy work for Dunne's.
He then set up a company, Garuda Ltd, that traded under a different name - Streamline Enterprises - and started to conduct work for Dunnes, after Ben Dunne had told the TD he was no longer going to use Butler Refrigeration, and offered Lowry the work.

The auditors to Streamline would be Dunnes own inhouse team of Oliver Freaney and Co.
Dunnes chief accountant, Michael Irwin - on secondment from Oliver Freaney would have full access to Streamlines accounts.
An arrangement was reached whereby Streamline would work for Dunnes and be paid in a way that a modest profit would be returned annually.

The second part of the arrangement - and the most lucrative - was that Dunne would give Lowry a personal bonus.
This payment was essentially based on how pleased Dunne was with the services Lowry provided.
Lowry told the McCracken tribunal that Dunne had told him "The bottom line is, if you are good for Dunnes Stores....I will certainly make it worth your while and your company will be successful and you will be a wealthy man"

In addition to his TD salary, provided by the tax payer, he received a number of large payments from Dunne amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
These payments were given to him in such a way that allowed tax evasion, much of the money was lodged in offshore accounts.

The McCracken tribunal ruled that by accepting payments and evading tax in the way that he did, Lowry made himself vulnerable to all kinds of pressures from Dunnes Stores had they chosen to apply them.

Regardless of Mr. Dunnes actual intentions, the threat of disclosure about the offshore accounts or indeed the threat to cut off a lucrative source of income could have been used to apply pressure on a senior government politician to obtain favours.

At the McCracken Tribunal it was also revealed that Dunne had paid IR£395,000 for an extension to Lowry's home. This allegation prompted Lowry's resignation from the Cabinet in November 1996.
He also resigned from FG to run as an independent.

It is an appalling situation that a Minister benefited from the black economy starting shortly after his election - if such a person can behave in such a way without serious sanctions, it is very difficult to condemn others who similarly flout the law.

TELEPHONE TROUBLES

The circumstances surrounding the awarding of the second GSM mobile phone licence to the Esat Digifone consortium in 1996 (the biggest contract ever awarded by the State to a private company) by the FG led government has been the focus of the work of the tribunal since 2007.

The tribunal is still investigating whether money changed hands prior to the awarding of the licence to Esat Digifone by then Minister for Transport, Energy and Communications Michael Lowry TD.

Denis O'Brien of Esat Digiphone has claimed preliminary findings by the tribunal effectively state that the Esat consortium was “illegally” issued with the state’s second mobile-phone licence because he had a “corrupt” relationship with Michael Lowry.

THE COST OF CORRUPTION
Lowry, as a TD has a current salary of €106,000 and Independents allowance of €41,000 provided by the tax payer - and this does not account for the pension rights he is entitled to.
In March 2010, it was estimated the McCracken tribunal had cost the state approximately €39 million, with final costs expected to exceed €100 million. Up to February 2010, the biggest earners are (including VAT):
John Coughlan SC: €9,046,499, Jerry Healy SC: €8,861,924 and Jacqueline O'Brien SC: €6,334,134

To date, Michael Lowry has not been charged with any offence like tax evasion.

Due to the questions about the phone licence, a number of failed bidders are suing the state over the handling of the competition process.
 
Payback has been limited. In early 2007, Lowry announced that he had made a full and final settlement of all outstanding payments with the Revenue Commissioners. His company Garuda had to pay €1.2 million after a Revenue audit. He also paid almost €200,000 to settle his personal taxes

TRUE BLUE
However, it is clear that the ties to FG still remain. In 2009 1,400 people gathered to celebrate the political career of Michael Lowry. Prominent among them were two important public figures associated with FG. Ivan Yates, a former Fine Gael minister for agriculture and a successful businessman and Seán Kelly, a highly distinguished former president of the GAA, then a Fine Gael candidate and now FG MEP for Ireland South.

The Tipperary politician is a self-pitying cheat and a liar – yet still his career is deemed worth celebrating.
At the 1997, 2002 and 2007 general elections, Lowry topped the poll in his constituency.

Clearly, as Dunnes would say, better value politicians beat them all.
And Clearly, we have learned nothing.

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FG - FF, same old, same as!!

Well, I glanced at today's Indo to see that Dep. Lucinda Creighton TD has upset the dear leader Enda Kenny as FG took bribes - sorry - "donations" from NAMA backed developers

These are the same unscrupulous people who bent the rules, paid off unaccountable officials and due to their greed - and that of the banks - have led this country to the verge of collapse with NAMA, empty hotels and ghost estates.

As we saw in the Watson/Reingling report, the crisis was home grown - due to overly light regulation and political mismanagement rather than the credit crunch.

The only phrase that springs to mind is Avé! Duci novo, similis duci seneci! - or in modern terminology, same crap, different day

One feels rather than Allons it is actually Allors! enfants de la Patrie, and we see the constant infighting and divisions within FG still, despite the brave face and the unified front after the last headless chicken act.

Lets face facts.

1) Despite what they say about clearing house and unity FG is in disarray, fragmented and disjointed, with a built in self destruct function due to infighting

2) Despite what they say about honesty and integrity, they are accepting funds from the same crooked shower as FF. FG director of elections Phil Hogan has already said the party would oppose plans by the Government to introduce legislation banning corporate donations.

3) Despite what they say about New Era FG (most ideas lifted from Amhran Nua) is as dynastic, gombeen and post civil war as FF - and there will be little or no change.
We saw after the heav"heave" against Dep. Kenny in FG, most of the rebels were dropped from the front bench - other than those with dynastic ties.

We saw the stalwarts from FGs Old Guard like Dep. Noonan called up to the front, the Praetorians replaced the progressives, and those who have remained on the front bench are there for cynical political reasons.

In a future, probable FG government, those token few will end up on the back benches making up the votes.
In a way it is our own fault, both FF and FG depend on us, the voters, to return them to office because we look at local politics first, and party politics second. Our local TD will agree with us on our problems with the party, but have no doubt that other than an extreme case of political survival, they will tow the party line.

The so called 'rebels' who lose or drop the party whip, will in 99% of cases still vote with the Government.
They are less maverick than John McCain FFS!!!

If there is any people in FG it is Dep. Creighton - who did not cow-tow to Kenny after the failure of the so called heave, and has maintained her integrity at least.
"It is not a good image for any political party to be in receipt of donations from developers who are associated with NAMA, full stop," She insisted that there could be no room in Fine Gael for "cute-hoor" politics, which she said had "defined and tainted Irish public life like an incurable cancer".

Where I would disagree with Dep. Creighton is that it is not the cute hoor that is the worst part of Irish politics, it is what causes cute hoorism - that is the dynastic constituency driven system that we ave, perhaps suitable for the 19th century - but not the 21st

Dep. Creighton, like Dep Varadkar are a new wave for FG, they are young, non-dynastic and have been elected on their own merits.
However, by joining a party so deeply steeped in the dynastic post civil war traditions of the first 60 years of independence, she should perhaps consider - as should Dep Varadkar - looking at another way.

They need to consider their political futures, and as I have said before, they have little to loose.

This is because given the probability of an FG led government after the next election, there is no way I can see them anywhere other than the back benches.
After the heave, we have seen FG leadership go back to the Christian Democrat stalwarts.

It is for that reason, rather than accept the status quo people of their calibre should drop the party whip, leave FG and help real change by joining Amhran Nua.



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FG Deal Politik

Fine Gael’s newly appointed deputy leader James Reilly insisted in the Irish Times the party had emerged “much stronger” from the recent challenge to Enda Kenny’s leadership.

He's Back

You have got to be joking, the parliamentary party heave, and its fallout show how ill-prepared for Government the FG party is.
Dr Reilly - no doubt now deputy leader as a reward for his loyalty to Enda said the new bench is a “proven performers and new energy”.
It would be truer to say it is a mass marriage of convenience based on gender and geography.

Kenny could not fire East Coast deputies, as they are at risk from Labour, and had to keep a few token women in the front rows of the FG team, even if it meant keeping those who have publicly stated they have no confidence in his ability or leadership.

Michael Noonan is the new finance spokesman while Richard Bruton, who led the recent heave against Mr Kenny, is appointed as spokesman on enterprise, jobs and economic planning.
How can he plan our economy when he plots for his brothers former job?

Two others involved in the heave, Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar, were retained on the front bench.
Coveney is a dynastic politician who is importat in the FG power struggle.
Varadkar - who on Primetime stated he had no belief that Kenny could take them over the line next time out is kept on because he is a modern, friendly face for FG - but I doubt very much either would be in a FG cabinet post election.

FG's attempt at damage limitation has been ineffective “There was always going to be a change or a freshening of the front bench,” Dr Reilly told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland programme, suggesting the leadership struggle had merely brought the changes forward.
“We now have a new, exciting, energetic mix on our front bench that has the required qualities to bring this country back from the brink"
Well, I for one very much doubt any of those who heaved against Kenny would be in a cabinet portfolio, it will be the stalwarts in the mold of Noonan, the old reliables

Dr Reilly also said Kenny had the “decisiveness and incisiveness” to lead the country of the morass it finds itself in.
This when he could not even foresee or control his own front bench, most of whom declared no confidence in him and ran around like headless chickens after one bad poll - so much for quality leadership!

Asked if former finance spokesman Richard Bruton has lost his credibility in the recent heave against Mr Kenny’s stewardship, Reilly said: “I believe that Richard believed he was the best man for the job at the time. He went to the party, to let the party decide, and he lost"

We have seen in the past that an individuals political survival is far more important than the state of the nation. We are in crisis and should have a government that picks the best person for the job - and at a time of crisis we should perhaps look at a government of national unity.

However, as usual, loyalty to a leader is more important than competence. Horse trading is the most important part of the Irish Economy

With this in mind Phil Hogan, Alan Shatter, Jimmy Deenihan and Michael Ring along with Reilly are certainties for ministries.

Others who may well make future Ministers are Noonan, Catherine Byrne, Deirdre Clune, Andrew Doyle, Frank Feighan, John Perry, David Stanton and Paul Kehoe.

Speaking of Richard Bruton Reilly said “He understands perfectly well he has a huge important role to play in the future of this country and he will be in the next government and he will be a minister in the next government,” he said.

I really think that's a non-starter, If FG manage to become the leading party in the next election, Bruton will be on the back benches, in the good company of Charlie Flanagan, Coveney, Varadker, Bruton, Olivia Mitchell and Fergus O’Dowd.

Revenge, as they say - is a dish best served cold.


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FG Dynastic squabbles

Well, again we see the headless chickens running the coop, or ruining the coup perhaps, as Enda Kenny has fired one of the most popular deputies on his bench.
It also shows that FG, after a few polls not favouring Kenny, hit the panic button and head for self destruct.

At the age of 24 Enda Kenny - like Brian Cowen - was elected to the Dail to replace his father Harry died.
Kenny is currently the longest-serving TD in Dáil Éireann still in office, and is the incumbent Father of the Dáil.

He was challenged as leader by Richard Bruton, the brother of a former leader who - unlike his brother John - seems popular with people, and is very bright.

We want change in this country, we need a change in the way things work - but yet again, in the main opposition party, we see the same names and the same families and that will not deliver change.

With the set up that we have, dynastic politics are here to stay, and make no mistake about it - it wont change, as that requires legislation, so politicians voting to reform the way things are done on this Island is like turkeys voting for Christmas.

It is laughable when FG talk of reform, the same clans have been in politics since the foundation of the state.
They are as culpable as FF for the current system, which is not fit for purpose.

This jittery response also took the attention off FF and the banking reports published by Klaus Regling and Max Watson, which are far more serious issues than the internal squabbles of dynasties within FG


 

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