Sorry tale of misuse of taxpayers' money, says Labour leader

The Moriarty tribunal report findings were a "damning indictment" of former taoiseach Charles Haughey's record and of the entire political culture of Fianna Fáil during the period when he dominated that party, the Dáil was told.

Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte said this was the reason "that a new conventional wisdom has grown up that Fianna Fáil cannot be let out without an escort. Even those likely to support that party don't trust them to govern alone."

Criticising the Progressive Democrats and Tánaiste Michael McDowell, he said: "Assenting to this kind of truncated debate on the profound issues raised by the Moriarty report, shows that the Rottweiler has become a lapdog." It was "testament that the watchdog no longer even barks".

Mr Rabbitte had criticised the fact that Mr McDowell was not in the House. The party's deputy leader Liz O'Donnell, the only PD deputy in the chamber, left shortly after the debate began.

Mr Rabbitte thanked Mr Justice Moriarty and his team for this important report, which revealed a "sorry tale of misuse of taxpayers' money, the placing of public servants under pressure to do the will of the then taoiseach and a group of craven colleagues who were unwilling to challenge his writ".

Despite his many achievements, Mr Haughey had done the State a "profound disservice. He devalued the State as a political entity because he devalued the profession of politics and thereby he devalued our status as fellow politicians. We have collectively been lowered in public esteem as a result of the self-serving swathe he cut through public probity and when it came to the Lenihan fund, common decency." This was the "most shocking" finding.

"It is difficult to believe that somebody as wealthy as Mr Haughey could actually have set out to raise more money than he knew was required to fund Mr Lenihan's operation and then apply part of these funds for his own purpose."

Mr Rabbitte quoted Mr Ahern's remarks in the Dáil in 1997 when the tribunal was established. The Taoiseach "was disingenuous to put it at its kindest".

Mr Ahern had told former Labour leader Dick Spring in reference to the party leader's allowance that he was satisfied "having spoken to the person who administered the account, that it was used for bona fide party purposes, that the cheques were prepared by that person and countersigned by another senior party member. Their purpose was to finance personnel, press and other normal supports for an Opposition leader. There was no surplus and no misappropriation."

Mr Rabbitte said that "nowhere in that account of events did he admit the fact that the 'other senior party member' he referred to was in fact himself, or that his practice was to sign blank cheques by the dozen".

"If Deputy Spring on this side of the House knew enough about the abuse of the leader's allowance to write to Mr Haughey about it at the time, how is it that the man signing the cheques suspected nothing?" he asked.