Green Party Cronyism

We have been concerned in the past week about a rift in Government between the Green Party and Fianna Fáil. Now we appear to have a rift within the Green Party regarding the rotation of cabinet posts.

We should understand this for what it is, however, because it is the worst form of cronyism.  It is not about party or country.  It is about individual jobs for the boys. 

We had the Green Party preach about cronyism before the last election.  Since that election we have had appointments of Green Party candidates to FÁS, the National Disability Authority, the Organic Food Agency, the Library Council, the Irish Film Classification Office and the Private Residential Tenancies Board. 

We also had the spectacle of a Senator who rejected the Green Party because she failed to get appointed to the cabinet of the European Commission an independent office.    

The Greens promised to clean up cronyism.  Does they not how appreciate how this hypocritical action on their part is damaging politics? 

Urgent need for debate on NAMA and the Banks

Yesterday in the Seanad I asked why we are being given the runaround with regard to a debate on the banks and NAMA. The only logical explanation is that the Government is at sea on the banks and totally confused with results such as those posted by AIB yesterday.

The implications for the Government of the corrections to the NAMA scheme in the final approval being given by the Commission may not yet have been fully assessed.

At the same time, I do not consider it acceptable because last year the Leader promised that we would be regularly updated on NAMA. For two weeks in succession, he has promised the House a debate on the banks and NAMA.

We are a year and a half into the banking crisis, credit is still not flowing, no one is responsible for what has happened and no one has been held responsible. It can be seen in the AIB results that between bond buybacks, the selling of assets, the transferring of toxic loans to NAMA, the rights issue and the divesting of assets, that it will be another 18 months before all of this is done and dusted and credit flows.

It would be very useful to have a debate on the banks as well as some clarity on the part of the Government as to where we go from here.

EU Green Light Not a Ringing Endorsement of NAMA

The conditions applied to NAMA, as called for by Fine Gael, are welcome. The European Commission must now ensure these conditions are rigorously adhered to.

Continue reading EU Green Light Not a Ringing Endorsement of NAMA…

Regan urges Cowen to answer question and not get personal- Irish Times

Regan urges Cowen to answer question and not get personal

JIMMY WALSH  Irish Times

Thu, Feb 25, 2010

SEANAD REPORT: FINE GAEL justice spokesman Eugene Regan said that having raised a legitimate question on Tuesday about the Taoiseach’s relationship with Seán FitzPatrick of Anglo Irish Bank there was no need for Mr Cowen “to get thick with me” over the matter.

Mr Regan said it would be much better if the Taoiseach addressed the question raised rather than attacking him personally. “The Taoiseach raised the borrowing limit that allowed the fiasco of the Dublin Docklands Development Authority and its purchase of the Irish Glass Bottle site.

“The second issue is the private dinners that were held at a very critical time when he was taoiseach-in-waiting and the veto [by the Taoiseach on Anglo Irish Bank being excluded from the bank guarantee scheme].”

Mr Regan asked Terry Leyden (FF) to clarify his comment about him being on the next assassination list.

Mr Leyden had not meant to “imply that Senator Regan was on an assassination list but he is a political assassin. That is the difference. He took out Bertie Ahern, Willie O’Dea . . . who is next on your list, Senator?”

Continue reading Regan urges Cowen to answer question and not get personal- Irish Times…

Irish Times Opinion Piece: Party loyalty and political survival put before ethics

OPINION: The most damaging aspect of the O’Dea affair is the evident loss of a sense of what is right and what is not in politics writes, EUGENE REGAN 

Continue reading Irish Times Opinion Piece: Party loyalty and political survival put before ethics…