Dynasties

Sorry for such a delay between blogs folks.

We live in a Republic, that means Res Publica - of the people, but we have develped a political caste verging on feudalism.
Robert Emmet once said something about accidents of birth in a dock while on trial for his lif - for the crime of looking for self determination for all the people on this Island, and as Citizens of this Republic it is something we would do well to remember remember.

I have written in the past about the FF and FG dynasties on the Island, and it would be unfair of me not to look at the other parties.

The now defunct PDs had some of the basest nepotism.

Dessie O Malley, known as the man from UNKLE as he came from a Limerick FF dynasty which started with his Uncle Donogh O Malley.
Dessies daughter Fiona is still a Senator, still being paid from the public purse.

Dessies Cousins, Tim O Malley and Patrick O Malley were also PD TDs

So, next stop is Labour. Well, even in two parties that I have always admirted there is dissappointment.

The dynastic streak in Irish poltics was highlighted in a speech by the SDLPs new leader Margaret Ritchie at the Labour conference in Galway
"the next election in the Republic would be a great day for the Labour Party. “And on that night I will be watching a TV, in Downpatrick, looking out for one particular result. The name Spring, restored to its rightful place, heading the poll in Kerry North.”
Dick Spring was preceeded in Kerry by his father Dan, and it appears his Nephew is to succeed.

Seeing Labour develop this type of dynastic mentality with the Sherlocks, Quinns and the Springs, where other local candidates are sideligned for family members it is getting obvious that now Labour are also becoming acolites to this blight on Irish politics.
And the leader of the SDLP, the party of Mallon and Hume, a party based on fairness, honesty and equality should not be supporting this tribal mentality.

One positive thing about SF was a lack of dynastic castes, but we see its development in Kerry.
When Martin Ferris went to Dail Eireann in 2002, his daughter Toiréasa was to replace him in Kerry CoCo.

Although he failed in his attempt to gain a seat as an MEP, Toiréasa was put forward in the last Euro elections, by virtue of the fact she was his daughter.
No doubt, when it is his time to step down as a TD, she will be the leading contender to replace him as the SF candidate in Kerry.

Kerry seems very susceptable to gombeen politics. Even so called independent, Jackie Healy Rae, seems to be grooming junior to take over as TD after him, down to the trade mark hat.
Even cosmopolitan Dun Laoire can throw up a Green from a political dynasty. Ciaran Cuffe the new clean and keen Minister for State from a party that rides itself as a break from the past does not really publicise the fact that his Granduncle was FF TD Patrick Little.
It is also reflective of the Greens U-Turn that as a Minister of State in an FF led administration he wrote after the general election of May 2007 in his blog: that "a deal with Fianna Fáil would be a deal with the Devil. We would be spat out after 5 years, and decimated as a party" - well, at least her got that one right - but he will have secured a ministerial pension at that point.

And this does not take into account councillors who are related to TDs and Senators

Roll on the electorial list system
 


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Tribunals and corruption

The Mahon Tribunal is the longest running, most expensive legal process in the history of the state.
It was established back in 1997, dealt with bribes and payments in relation to planning issues

The Moriarty Tribunal, established in 1997, investigated payments by Ben Dunne to, among others, CJ Haughy - who is dead, and Michael Lowry , ex FG TD - still in office and now supporting an FF Government.

By the time this is done, no-one involved at a senior level will still be in office. Final reports keep being delayed, and their is no end in sight with little or no accountability.

People like Ray Burke, the man who gave away our most lucrative natural resource, Bertie Ahearn and several politicians from the two main parties have been implicated.

However, it is my opinion that unless reports are published soon, and prosecutions are bought, the Tribunal has outlived its usefulness and is simply an overpriced quango.

I do think it was an astute political move to establish the Tribunals as they drag out and run into each other.
It leads to a wave of informatio that overwhelms the public, and is confusing with different references to different tribunals in the media.

What we really need is an anti-corruption office, dealing with these issues as they arise.
Tribunals should be given strict time frames when they are established.

What bothers me most is that we should simply apply existing anti-corruption legislation.
We have an established legal system, the Tribunals are being used to circumvent this, action is not taken as it is said this will affect the outcome of a Tribunal.

Why do we have a court system then?

The greatest detererent to corruption is to ensure that anyone in public office found guilty of corruption, or recieving illegal payments, or using their office to enrich themselves, should be disbarred from public office and lose pension rights earned while in public service.


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