FF the leader of low standards - Flanagan

A HISTORY of Irish political corruption would show Fianna Fáil as the leader of low standards in high places, Fine Gael justice spokesman Charlie Flanagan claimed.

In a strongly-worded attack, he said: “Over the past 15 years, the State has been rocked by sleaze and scandal on a massive scale, with Fianna Fáil politicians in the driving seat on almost every occasion. We all remember the Al Masri passports affair. Politicians such as Haughey, Lawlor, Foley, the two Flynns, Burke and, most recently, the former taoiseach, Deputy Bertie Ahern, were frequently aided and abetted by Mr Frank Dunlop.

“Mr Dunlop, who fuelled the engine of planning corruption in this country for many years, was strongly associated with Fianna Fáil at all times. He was the ringmaster extraordinaire in a tangled web of deceit and profiteering. Perhaps Mr Dunlop’s only saving grace was that he eventually agreed to lay bare to the Mahon tribunal some of the detail of some of his activities.’’

Mr Flanagan asked whether it was any wonder that many citizens were disillusioned and indifferent to the State’s politics, public affairs and politicians. He was speaking during a debate on the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Bill, which was introduced by Minister of State Peter Power.

Mr Power said the purpose of the legislation was to strengthen the law on bribery of foreign public officials and to give fuller effect to certain provisions of the OECD convention on combating bribery of foreign public officials in international business transactions.

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times