Duking it out
Published June 22nd, 2010 in Bank Abuses, Consumer Affairs, Economy, Other Issues, Party Political PatronageAlan’s Little Bank of Horrors
Published June 20th, 2010 in Consumer Affairs, Economy, Party Political PatronageWHICH finance minister said: “I was completely against it. The last thing you need is a State-owned bank, because it will end up with every lame-duck, politically attractive proposition being brought to it for finance.
“The more the State owns of it, the less it will be possible to refuse. That’s a complete horror story in my book.”
Charlie McCreevy? Albert Reynolds? Brian Lenihan?
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Anglo Boss too Close to Seanie
Published June 7th, 2009 in Bank Abuses, Consumer Affairs, Corporate Ireland, Economy, Party Political PatronageMICK Bailey was fresh as a daisy. There was a bounce in the builder’s step.
I spent the first hour of Friday morning accosting people in Dublin’s Molesworth Street. Mostly they were people I do not know and, more often, people who certainly do not want to know me.
I spotted Mick Bailey of Bovale builders fame while I was loitering with intent outside Leinster House, coincidentally contemplating a column on Bovale’s bankers, Anglo Irish.
Wanted: Two Political Patsies To Manacle Mannion
Published October 15th, 2007 in Party Political Patronage, TransportJoe O’Toole, my independent colleague in the Seanad, stuck his tongue firmly in his cheek last week and suggested that the two, as yet unknown, new directors of Aer Lingus should be questioned and ratified by a Seanad committee. Good suggestion, but it has as much chance of being accepted by the Government as has my own proposal that party politicians should stop appointing judges.
Many innocent shareholders believe that Aer Lingus left the state sector at flotation time. Last week, it emerged that one of the most independent members of the cabinet, Transport Minister Noel Dempsey, is on the point of naming two new directors. It is not Noel’s style to promote patsies, but true to form, Bertie will seize this sinecure for a couple of reliable party loyalists.
Government Reaping Whirlwind Of Its Own Fudge Over Aer Lingus Decision
Published October 11th, 2007 in Aer Lingus and Aviation, Party Political Patronage, TransportOn Wednesday, statements were made in the Seanad on the Aer Lingus controversy. I told the House that the government was in difficulty over the issue because of its decision to fudge the privatisation of Aer Lingus by keeping a large stake in the company. Thus, it would, we were told, still be under effective state control. The vested interests were kept happy, and this non-privatisation fudge would ensure decisions, like the one taken last week, would never happen.
This was the false impression that the government deliberatley gave at the time. Now they do not know if they have influence or control! Fortunately for them though, they can still use Aer Lingus to reward its party political patsies. Here’s what I told the House:
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Hurray! The Government Is Going To Have Another Outlet For Party Political Patronage!
Published October 4th, 2007 in Other Issues, Party Political Patronage, Social PartnershipThe Copyright Bill was debated in the Seanad on Wednesday. An uncontentious Bill, its purpose is to regularise the position as regards the lending of copyright works through the public library system, and to remunerate authors for the lending of their works.
Minister Michael Ahern spoke for the government on the Bill. He told the House that an advisory committee would be established to advise on the implementation of the scheme, and that its members would be appointees of the Minister. However, as has been so often been the case with such boards, it is more likely to be filled with those with political loyalties to honour rather than those with expertise in the field. This is what I told the House:
Patronage is the Great Curse Of Irish Political Life; And the Senate is its Greatest Symptom
Published September 21st, 2007 in Party Political PatronageLast week, the 23rd Seanad met for the first time. It gave me the opportunity to take the chair before the election of Cathaoirleach took place.
I told my fellow members that there are great problems with the Seanad, problems which must be confronted before the 24th Seanad meets. We are too often seen, rightly so, as the product of the spoils of political war or as the product of patronage or elitist elections.
Much of the Seanad is elected by outgoing Senators, county councils and the outgoing Dáil. This in itself opens us to criticism and difficulties that mean we look too much like political insiders, as being the beneficiaries of outrageous political patronage.
Bertie’s Finest Hour… Shame He Couldn’t Detach Himself From The Developers For It
Published May 21st, 2007 in Corporate Ireland, International Affairs, Northern Ireland, Party Political PatronageIt was Bertie’s day in the sun. Behold the Taoiseach, applauded by priests and poets, by businessmen and actors, by princesses and prime ministers. Up there in the Royal Gallery of the Palace of Westminster, it was Bertie’s finest hour.
His predecessors as guests of honour in the holiest of parliamentary holies included Boris Yeltsin, Bill Clinton and Francois Mitterand. On Wednesday, the list of political dignitaries in attendance embraced John Major, Gordon Brown, Neil Kinnock, Peter Brooke, General John de Chastelaine, Senator Maurice Hayes. All had been players in the peace effort. They came to honour Bertie.
Sportsmen Eddie Jordan and Keith Wood arrived to bow the knee to Bertie. Ireland’s business elite in the UK greeted Bertie. BA chief Willie Walsh was there; investment banker Hugo McNeill was invited; so was designer Paul Costelloe. The Great and the Good of the Irish in England rubbed shoulders.
Suddenly, along the Royal Gallery strode the slimmeddown figure of Sean Dunne (or Lord Ballsbridge’ as he is sometimes known). One of the invited guests told me that he gasped at the sight of Sean.
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Semi-State Appointments must be Transparent
Published February 8th, 2007 in Aer Lingus and Aviation, Party Political PatronageThe Minister for Transport has announced the name of the person to be put in charge of the Dublin transportation authority and the Railway Procurement Agency (RPA). During the past 20 years, I have been among a number of Senators who proposed that the House should vet or meet anyone whose name had been put forward to sit on boards or in the chair of a semi-State body.
Regarding this particular appointment, it is strange that someone is good enough for the RPA but not good enough for Aer Lingus. There is an inconsistency that I cannot understand and it should be explained to us. We are entitled to accountability on appointments of this sort and we are not getting it. However, when I tried to get some answers in the Seanad, there were ructions:
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Politicians Cannot Dictate who will Take their Seats
Published February 23rd, 2006 in Party Political PatronageFine Gael says that the Government should agree not to contest the seat if Fine Gael Senator and MEP Jim Higgins resigns. This is wrong, I argued in the Seanad: Continue reading ‘Politicians Cannot Dictate who will Take their Seats’
