Wednesday, February 22, 2006
The money was just resting in their accounts...
Fresh corruption scandals have rocked Irish politics - and Fianna Fáil is the party involved believe it or not!Yes, the Taoiseach was today challenged to take action against a TD and senator under the spotlight of the Mahon Tribunal into planning corruption.
Greens leader Trevor Sargent said Taoiseach Bertie Ahern should ask Dublin North TD GV Wright (pictured left) and Senator Don Lydon to resign.
Both Oireachtas members admitted at the Mahon Tribunal yesterday that they didn’t disclose rezoning donations to an internal Fianna Fáil inquiry in 2000.
Mr Sargent today asked the Taoiseach in the Dáil:
"Is it credible for you to have a TD with no recollection of a €5,000 cheque, receiving it, cashing it, having it in his account?
"We’re talking about a senator who, with other Fianna Fáil and some Fine Gael councillors was apoplectic when I asked a basic question in 1993 if any councillor in Dublin Co Council received a cheque.
"He was apoplectic to the point that he got me in a headlock Taoiseach and went to grab a mere 100 pound cheque that had been sent to the Green Party.
"Taoiseach, is that acceptable behaviour from somebody in your party. Are you going to do anything about it? Are you going to expel them? Are you going to sever your links with white-collar crime? What does a person have to do to get thrown out of the Fianna Fáil party?" (Maybe ask Síle de Valera that one)
Mr Ahern replied:
"I’m certainly sorry if some of my party members caught Deputy Sargent in a headlock in 1993. If I had’ve been there, I would have stopped them." (Nice to see the Taoiseach taking this issue so seriously, don't you think?)
Ceann Comhairle Rory O’Hanlon earlier advised Mr Sargent these matters were currently under investigation by a Tribunal of Inquiry and should not be debated in the Dáil chamber.
Mr Sargent said that the 2000 internal Fianna Fáil inquiry into illegal payments to party members did not fall under the remit of the Tribunal.
He further asked of Mr Ahern:
"Does he condone corruption, bribery, bad planning?"
Mr Ahern said that the Government and the Fianna Fáil party condemned wrongdoing in any area:
"We set up the Moriarty Tribunal to investigate payments to politicians and we set up the Mahon Tribunal to investigate irregularities in the planning process and many other inquiries.
"I condemn any wrongdoing going on anywhere, including in Dublin Co Council.
"That is the position of the Government and that is the position of my party. I think Deputy Sargent knows that very well."
The Taoiseach added:
"If you want to know about my inquiry, I’ll fill you in on that if you fill me in on your chemical shares one."
Nice to see that politics south of the border can be just as farcical as politics north of the border! This latest scandal just confirms a belief held by many Irish people, including myself, that there are an awful shower of gangsters involved in the running of this country.
I applaud Trevor Sargent for tackling the Government on this matter, and it's not very often that I find myself applauding the leader of the Greens.
From what Mr Sargent alleges, this Senator Lydon seems to be a bit of an erratic personality to say the least. As for the TD, GV Wright, he wasn't asked to resign over his 2003 incident where he injured a woman in a drink-driving incident when he was over the legal alcohol limit, so what are the odds that the Taoiseach will ask him to tender his resignation over this?
Fianna Fáil - worthy of another term in Government? I think not.
# posted by United Irelander @ 5:59 PM 
© 2008 United Irelander.
