Haughey had sought `abject loyalty', says O'Malley

Former Taoiseach Mr Charles J. Haughey's conduct in office during 1982 was "out of character with a normal parliamentary democracy", the former leader of the Progressive Democrats, Mr Des O'Malley, has charged.

In the second of a four-part RTE series on his political career, Mr O'Malley said Mr Haughey had demanded "total, abject loyalty". "If it was not forthcoming then the person was suspect."

Besides the tapping of telephones of journalists Bruce Arnold and Geraldine Kennedy, Mr O'Malley said he was told that he and a number of other Cabinet members were tapped.

The then head of the Industrial Development Authority, Mr Michael Killeen, called to Mr O'Malley's Dublin home early one morning with a letter, Mr O'Malley said. "He handed me the envelope and said, `I have been asked to deliver this.'

"He said: `I don't know what is in it.' It was a note written in pencil telling me that my phone was tapped, that certain other ministers were tapped and that two journalists were tapped.

"I did not know whether to believe this or not. I asked him [Mr Killeen] who had given this to him. Mr Killeen told me. I asked where did he get it. He told me, `From within the police.' "

Highlighting the pressure facing Fianna Fail TDs, Mr O'Malley said Dun Laoghaire TD Mr David Andrews was threatened that he would never again get legal work from PMPA if he voted against Mr Haughey in 1982. Following that vote, Mr O'Malley said: "Within two days, he [David Andrews] got a phone call saying that he would never again be briefed by them. The threat was carried out. There were others who received threats and they succumbed."

The Tanaiste, Ms Harney, said: "Every weapon was used to make sure that Mr Haughey stayed in power. They did not have the courage to stand up. They were afraid of the consequences. In some cases people were genuinely terrified."

During this period, Mr O'Malley said he began to feel that the relationship between some FF TDs and Mr Haughey was like that "of a cult member to a cult leader, even when there was objective evidence that the leader was on shaky ground.

"I know you are supposed to respect everybody, but it is very hard to respect people who know themselves that they are doing the wrong thing but they are prepared to do it for some perceived advantage which they hope will accrue to them."

Progressive Democrat Senator Mr Jim Gibbons said his father, Mr Jim Gibbons snr, suffered "a very severe heart attack" shortly after he was accosted inside the Dail by supporters of Mr Haughey.

This was not just to punish Mr Gibbons for his "temerity" in speaking out against Mr Haughey, but also to warn others to support the party leader, Mr O'Malley said.

During the autumn 1982 leadership heave, Mr O'Malley said he had opposed Mr Haughey's demand for a written pledge of "total and unwavering loyalty" from the Cabinet. He said he had pointed out that this was not a Cabinet matter, but rather one for the Fianna Fail parliamentary party. Faced with Mr Haughey's fury, he resigned from the Cabinet.

He remembered that on one occasion he had pointed out to the then Fianna Fail Kerry North TD, Mr Tom McEllistrim, that Mr Haughey was living beyond his means.

"He reacted quite violently and said to me: `To say such a thing is treason, treason.' The sad thing is that he probably believed that himself. The nation and himself had become in their minds the same thing. He personified the nation."