Icelandic Indications, Forestry and Fracking

Iceland is dealing with the financial crisis, and part of that is holding people responsible.
Of those responsible in Ireland, a small select group of bankers, politicians and senior civil servants, they are not being charged, they have been moved into NAMA.


People say that the establishment link between politicians and property developers is a conspiracy theory, but the connections are clearly there.


Bertie Ahearn has instead of facing an investigation about links with property developers and banks has become a paid advisor to Parker Green International, a multi-national property developer.


We will not benefit enough from natural resources like the Corrib gas field, but we are also in danger of losing other resources like our state forestry, Coilte, in a drive to privatize state assets to bail out the banks.


Now Bertie Ahearn is working for the International Forestry Fund, financed by Hevetica Wealth AG - their intention is to take over Coilte, and get an area twice the size of County Meath at a bargain price from the new coalition Government.


Neil Ginty has written at length about this issue. Its not just trees and land though, this is state owned property, minerals will lie under the earth, but we do not know what is there because the survey done is not subject to the freedom of information act.


"Pat Carey’s signing off of the Corrib gas line on Election Day marked what many considered one last act of treason in giving the go ahead for Shell to build infrastructure that will pump gas from the west coast to their interconnectors in Britain."


Bertie is being paid by a foreign company who want to purchase an area twice the size of County Meath!! Is it just me or is there something wrong about this?


The driving force behind the planned sale of state assets is Colm McCarthy. 
His report wants to sell pretty much everything to the highest bidder.
As well as being a lecturer in UCD, Mr McCarthy also works with the ERSI and DKM Economic consultants.


Also on the board of DKM is Annette Hughes - a former BP employee. Ms Huges is an expert on energy, with particular focus on interactions with demographics and regional development - one sees what that means in Mayo. 
She is also on the board of FÁS as well as being a Director of DKM.


This takes us back to the issue of resources, and the looming threat of fracking, a very destructive means of extracting minerals, and the ownership of vast tracts of land, that when privatized means we the people if we protest can be done for trespass.


We need to stop this happening. We need to hold those responsible for the financial crisis responsible, and certainly not put them into new positions of power to do further damage.

If default happens, so be it. If we need to revert to our own controllable currency so be it.

Iceland was warned that it would never borrow again if it failed to honour the debts of its financial sector. 

But the country already seems to have been forgiven by the markets. 

The Icelandic government issued $1bn in sovereign debt in June at an interest rate of around 6 per cent. 

This was twice oversubscribed by investors. The contrast with Ireland, which assumed responsibility for all the liabilities of its bust banking sector, is stark. 

Thanks to Dublin's blanket bailout, total government debt is now more than 100 per cent of GDP, four times pre-crisis levels. 

And Ireland's reward from the markets has been a rise in the cost of insuring its sovereign bonds. Iceland's currency depreciation also looks good by international comparisons. 

Latvia doggedly kept its peg with euro after the 2008 crash and has experienced a catastrophic 25 per cent decline in GDP and seen unemployment reach 22 per cent.

The economic policy orthodoxy through this crisis supported by McCarthy and others – sale of national assets and pushed by ratings agencies and European politicians alike – has demanded that the national governments honour the private debts of their banking sectors, protect their exchange rates, eschew capital movement restrictions, and impose massive austerity to earn back the confidence of bond markets. 

Much of that wisdom was ignored by Reykjavik. And the early signs are that Iceland is doing quite well - it is a model that has been working, and it should be this model we adopt. Part of that is accountability, which again in Ireland is failing badly.

Also, our media is failing to address these issues. McCarthy is a commentator on RTE, but no-one elected him - why does an unelected person get to decide to sell of national assets?

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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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Ivor Calley

Ivor Calley has been caught out on expenses, and yet he still clings on to the senate seat gifted to him by none other than Bertie Ahearn.
The only apt quote I can think of is from Oliver Cromwell
"You have sat too long for any good you have been doing lately... Depart, I say; and let us have done with you. In the name of God, go! "
 
Not only has he caused himself grief, he has also given Paul Gogarty a chance to give himself a bit of positive veneer work to save his skin, even though he continues to prop up the Fianna Fail party.
 
Dan Boyle of the Green Party, another Senate Apointee, called on Ivor Calley to resign from the Seánad.
One unelected Senator calls for another unelected Taoiseach nominee to resign
 
Another person jumping on the bandwagon is Fianna Fail TD Mary O'Rourke who said the controversial Senator should step down from the Seanad and stop looking for a way out of his problems.
 
Funny how Boyle, Gogarty and O'Rourke jump on the easy target while totally silent on the by-elections.


This follows his resignation from Fianna Fail following a Seanad Committee investigation into his expenses claims.

The Committee found him guilty of "conduct unbecoming".
There are others who sould be examined as to their expenses, Beverly Flynn in particular. RTE has failed in this regad, but at least TG4 had the guts to start looking into things.


The corruption allegations in the Calley case also draw attention away from the far more serious cuts in public services, NAMA and the fact that the people of Donegal South West do not have proper representation.
 
Calley is just one example of a corrupted and broken system.
Another quote from Vince Cable MP worth mentioning is that "Sometimes the best thing a government can do is simply get out of the way" i.e. let the Gardai look into fraud and corruption - like falsified reciepts

Banking Scandal -and its not even a headline

If Fianna Fail had one bit of good news in the past few weeks, it was FGs melt down. The media management has been magnificent..
The entire medias eye was off the ball, and FF will get away with the biggest failing in the political history of the Island.
The two reports dealing with a disasterous financial meltdown that lay the blame squarely on the Government.

Dermot Ahearn said the crisis was no ones fault, and the mantra is repeated.
The FF/Green manta is the crisis is outside our control - it was due entirely due to external factors.

This is a lie

The Watson/Reingling report states the crisis was home grown - and due to overly light regulation and political mismanagement.

Governor Honohan said in his report that the collapse of Lehman Brothers did not cause the Irish banking crisis.

The financial regulators were disfunctional, 'intrusive demands" from line staff were set aside when senior regulators were approached.

To quote the Watson Reingling report “internal procedures were overridden, sometimes systematically.”
The regulators did not do their jobs, and on the basis of political and business favours they were overlooked.

Having light touch regulaton is one thing, but the shelving of investigations is to me criminal, and someone needs to answer that.
The excuse that the crash was unforseen is untrue - there were some very serious people who warned of the crisis.
In April 2007 Prof. Morgan Kelly warned we were heading for a recession with a hard crash because we had a classc set up for a property bubble bust.
Bertie in response to this and other warnings said that sitting on the sidelines moaning and cribbing - and was surprised that people who warned of a potential bust did not commit scuicide.
Regling / Watson said that by the middle of the decade, the financial and property boom in Ireland presented features that should have sounded alarm bells loudly.
Domestic financial stability reporting by the Central Bank had failed in this regard.
Brian Lenihan emphasised that the reports were "preliminary, scoping reports", which would point the way to a more detailed examination by a Commission of Investigation.
One wonders who is going to be in charge of it? Perhaps a tame high court judge or Fianna Fáil Senator Ivor Callely?
It will investigate the banks, but not the government, this is pointless - the politicians were as responsible as the bankers.
In the banks already a few token heads have rolled.
But the people who have been bought in to run our banks were alreeady senior members of those boards.

We are leaving foxes in charge of the henhouse
I believe we need someone like Eva Joly, a Norwegian born French judge with an outstanding history investigating corruption by politicians and vested business interests.
She finished her work quickly in Iceland.
We need to know what senior regulators failed to investigate concerns, we need to know what politicians were involved in getting tax breaks for regulators.
We need to uncover and prosecute those guilty of corruption and incompetence - otherwise they will do it again.

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Balance of coverage - Freedom of the Press

An independent and free media are cornerstones of a modern and open democracy.

Traditionaly on matters of referendum in the state, both sides of a debate are given equal time and funding on a question put to the people, as constitutional changes are different to politics as usual.
But a Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) conference who are meant to ensure this balance and fairness in state media have been told the rules are a "charter for every awkward squad".

The rules have now been changed. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes?

The BCI are meant to be an independent statutory organisation responsible for a number of key areas of activity with regard to television and radio services in Ireland.
Part of that is to ensure fair and balanced poltical coverage - for that reason this decision is unacceptable.

The constitution, the contract between the elected and the electorate, and referenda on that contract are the cornerstone of our democracy.
Any changes to the constitution must be debated openly and fairly.

Just because the result is not to a Governments liking does not them the right to suppress debate and dissent.
Part of democracy is that the Government must listen to dissenting voices who do not promote violence or hatred.
Reduction or restriction on airtime by the states broadcaster is supresson of debate.

Dont forget the 1948 European councils declaration of human rights included article 10, that Everyone has the right to freedom of expression. This right shall include freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart information and ideas without interference by public authority

In Ireland the state through a licence fee partially covers the cost of our public broadcaster RTE.
Perhaps it is a question of 'He who pays the piper calls the tune'

Broadcasters are no longer required to allocate exactly the same amount of time to both the Yes and No campaign when it comes to editorial coverage.
It now appears each political party will be given equal time.

Considering the fact that a great deal of opposition comes from groups such as PANA and the Peoples Alliance who are not in political parties, this will skew coverage.

The only parties that oppose Lisbon are Sinn Fein and a independents.

The Greens have sacrificed their morals and independence in a desperate bid for political survival.
I find this very disheartning, but with Andrew Byrne on the executive, it seems the party has changed.
Despite their traditionally strong stance on non-alliance and workers rights the current Greens elected or appointed to the Dail and Senate put their personal political survival before the grass roots of the party and the good of the Nation.

Our reminants of Civil War politics, a discredited and unpopular Fianna Fail and an uninspiring Fianna Gael - tweedle dum and tweedle dumber, or two cheeks of the same arse - are also backing this re-run of the same referendum with the meaningless garuantees given by Brussels.

Having lost the debate on the treaty the Yes side now are creating a skewed pitch so they can make unfounded, misleading and alarmist claims about a No vote being a vote for withdrawal from the EU or withdrawal from the Eurozone.

But it is an example of media manipulation by the Government which disturbs me.
We have seen examples of this before, and discussed them on this blog.

We have seen how disproportionate coverage of the idiot Justin Barrett was used to smear the No campaign in the second Nice Treaty.
In the first Lisbon Treaty Declan Ganley had unproven allegations over funding thrown in his direction, however, if you throw enough shit at a wall - some will stick, regardless of the truth.
Similar questions about Andrew Brne in CIPA were never really explored.

There is no official public funding for groups in a referendum campaign, although questions remain about Generation Yes,CIPA, Ireland for Europe and the IIEA.
Lack of funding is a severe disadvantage for less affluent groups.

To balance this, airtime on public stations has normally been split evenly between both sides of the argument, which helps groups with low funds which wouldn’t be able to buy a great amount of airtime.

In past referenda this protocal was followed, RTE took great care to give both camps the equal amount of airtime, but it was often perceived by observers that members of the Lisbon No-Camp were treated with less respect by the hosts than the representatives of the Yes-Side.

The Questions and Answers program was a great platform for debate, but this is not scheduled prior to the Lisbon II vote.
This is hardly surprising when Dr. Paul Anthony McDermott, probably the country's most eminent constitutional-law expert, said on Q&A that the 'assurances' gotten by Cowen were worthless

McDermott on assurances when they were 'leaked'- June 15 2009
http://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0615/qan...63057,null,230
Strangely in the show notes he is not listed being on the panel for the epsiode, hence the RTE google application search does not find it.

Also worth seeing McDermott on a second referendum - November 17 2008
http://www.rte.ie/news/2008/1117/qanda_av.html?2450381,null,230

The budget of the Referendum Commission is public, and Government spending on the campaign should be monitored by the press.
However, editorial policy in the Irish Times and Independent are pro Lisbon.

The use of taxpayers’ money for the Yes campaign by the government in Lisbon 1 was unfair as the No side didn’t have access to public funds.
We will look more at funding and media manipulation in the near future


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Child abuse in Ireland - the Christian Brothers and CORI

Made famous in the hymn Jeruselum, in his preface to Milton, William Blake wrote about 'Dark Satanic Mills'
The expression is sometimes interpreted as the destruction of nature and human relationships in the early Industrial Revolution.

I cannot think of a more apt term to describe Irelands Industrial schools and institutions where such staggering abuses took place.

I am rarely moved to tears, but the heroism and honesty of Mr. Michael O Brian on RTE’s Questions and Answers was something nobody could not be moved by.

His courage in the face of such savagry and his decency in search for redress is readily apparent.
The same qualities of decency and morality are sadly lacking in the legal, political and spiritual establishments on this Island.

As an aside, with his record of public service I feel Mr. O Brian should be appointed to the Seanad, if he is willing to serve a State that has failed him so abysmally - he owes the State nothing – but that perhaps in such a position he could help steer the implimentation of legislation and needed constitutional change.
The numbers involved are so staggering there is no question of constituancy.

The state, education system, legal structures and clergy all failed these people, as did in many cases the general public.

Mr. O Brian has not.

He has already served the country that failed him as a child when an adult as a Mayor and Councillor.
He has also shown himself to be a man of honour, conviction, bravery and determination in his work for other survivors.

Mr. O Brian and others who survived have been failed again by this country.
Their treatment during the legal inquiry is nothing short of a continuation of abuse.
The cowardice of the political establishment further abuse.
The weasel financial chicanery of the orders is further abuse.
The lack of accountability and a credible apology further abuse.

Mr. Ahearn and his Governments deal with the Orders is an absolute abomination.

Of the Orders involved in the endemic and systematic abuse of innocents, the Christian Brothers are among the largest.

The Christian Brothers speak of review resources for reparations, and as investment in child education and welfare for present and future generations.
They speak of maintaining resources to maintain their community, as well as commitments at home and overseas.

The continuation of the Christian Brothers as an entity is, I believe, not tenable, and any connection to any education system is completely unacceptable.

The Brothers have been down this road before. After similar horrific systematic cases in Canada and the US they transferred or attempted to transfer assets and properties into complex trusts to protect against liability.
Brother Garvey, the current spokesperson for the Brothers, was then world leader of the orginisation.

This patern is being repeated in Ireland. The reason given is to protect Catholic Education.
I believe this Island and the world has seen enough of the Christian Brothers concept of education.
It is time for them to disclose, divulge, deliver and disband.

They and their colleages in CORI have continued to drag their feet, and the Government acting like Pontius Pilate have decided to wash their hands of any further responsibility in the palace, while the crucifiction of the Nation, morally, emotionally and financially goes ahead.

It is time for them to show some backbone, be less Catholic and more Christlike.

And what can we do as a Nation?
I do not know, but I would suggest that we consider using our unprecedented connectivity - the internet, social networking sites, forums, emails, our mobile phones to arrange to go to our churches every Sunday - not to enter, but to stand outside and hold silent protests or even prayer meetings, until the clergy understand that without the solution to the problem to the satisfation of Mr. O Brian and other survivors, that without our participation and support - that they cannot ignore our wishes.

We as a nation failed to stand up for children in the past, let us not fail to stand by the survivors today and tomorrow.

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Worries on Association

In writing this blog the only thing that really concerns me is the concept of being regarded as on the margin by associaton.

I dont want to be associated with parties I do not vote for because of my opposition to the Treaty.

I consider an undemocratic attempt to push through a treaty I do not believe and certainly have not been convinced as being good for the EU.

I am an independent voter. I have friends, relatives, neighbors and colleges who I admire and like, who I respect, from right across the European political spectrum.

If the politicians have any respect for their electorates or democracy then this has to stop.

As an independent I have canvassed and normally voted for the Labor Party in Ireland.

In the next local elections I will vote Fianna Gael, possibly continue to vote Labor at National level and in the past I have voted for Fianna Fail.

All the main Irish parties are in favor of the treaty/constitution, is this out of conviction, fear or inadequacy? If it is out of conviction, why did they fail to convince the 93.1% of voters who in 2007 put them in office to accept the treaty/constitution?

Maybe its peer pressure, wanting to impress their bigger political partners on the mainland?

Or is it simply the politicians belief this is too big a decision for the regular voter to make themselves? This is something I don’t know.

The main problem for me right now is no major party represents my views on Europe.
I thought that this is what being in opposition meant, to at least offer an alternative.

The only group I can find with a broad base of support, across the political spectrum are called The Peoples Movement - more about them and other alternatives as I find out more.

We should be able to disagree without being disagreeable, and should not the democratic opinion of the Irish electorate be accepted if we are part of a comunity of nations?

In my opposition to the Lisbon treaty, I worry that I might be associated with Sinn Fein, I am not, but they are the only party in the Dail objecting to the Lisbon Treaty.

But then again, the Turks have a saying that I really like – that a broken clock is right twice a day.

In my opposition to Lisbon, I might be associated with Libertas – a grouping who have no seats in the Irish Parliament, no council seats or any representation in the European Parliament are also being promoted as the main opposition to Lisbon.

To be blunt Libertas scares the crap out of me, a Pan European party with a mandate which is specifically anti European, nothing about Ireland. They are closer to UKIP than they are to the Irish political scene.
Are we going to end up a laughing stock with a party in the EU parliament but no national representation?
I don’t want to support a party with no national mandate.
They don’t even have a .ie website for gods sake, yet the Irish media expect me to take them as the only opposition to the treaty.
That is a failing by the Irish media in my opinion.

They are in rhetoric closer to parties who I would not naturally be inclined to vote for like UKIP or the US Republican party than they are to the Irish political scene.

I admire many aspects of conservative political thought – self reliance and personal responsibility, the importance of a stable family unit, and for true conservatives like Lincoln the importance of civil liberties and a less intrusive government.

The Libertas.eu site trumpets an alliance with a German Party – the AUF, who I cannot find on wikipedia, but whose German website gives me the impression they are quite conservative, for a Christian God, Work, and the environment.

I understand that many aspects of our traditions, morals and laws come from a religious background – but I am politically secular. Personal faith is a separate issue.
But I really believe that mixing religion and politics always seems to be a bad idea.

That has been especially true when the leaders were unelected.

Europeans in particular, with the history of the continent, should understand that.

Again, as always – thanks for reading, or listening.

Even if you don’t agree with me –

I hope you give some thoughts to the points made

And please let others now about these blogs, podcasts and youtubes.

Citizen Simon - out

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