The Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, has moved with commendable, if uncharacteristic, speed to remove Ms Beverley Cooper-Flynn not just from the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party but also from the party itself.
There could be no fudge, even in Fianna Fáil, in the wake of the Supreme Court's unanimous rejection of her appeal against the High Court finding in 2001 that she had encouraged and assisted people to evade tax when an employee of National Irish Bank. The public interest has been well served by RTE's decision to fight the case to the highest court in the land and by the Supreme Court's vindication of investigative journalism, imperfect though such journalism may be on occasions.
For far too long, there has been a marshmallow centre to Fianna Fáil's responses on ethical issues. When Mr Denis Foley and Mr Michael Collins admitted to tax evasion, they were encouraged to resign from the parliamentary party. But they remained members of Fianna Fáil, were provided with party rooms at Leinster House, and voted consistently with the Government. Such lenient treatment had a corrosive effect on the public's perception of politics.
A sleeveenish-style response also greeted the taxation offences of Ms Cooper-Flynn. Three years ago, the party whip was removed "pending the final outcome of any appeal" against a High Court finding that she had encouraged customers to evade tax while working as an employee of NIB. Shortly after lodging an appeal, however, she was selected as a Fianna Fáil candidate and publicly supported by Mr Ahern in the general election campaign of 2002. On being elected as a TD for Mayo, she was readmitted to the parliamentary party.
Ms Cooper-Flynn is now facing legal bills estimated to exceed €2 million and is in danger of being declared a bankrupt. That would automatically negate her Dail membership. She may feature in an official report into tax evasion activities at NIB. She is also scheduled to give evidence before the Mahon tribunal in connection with a bogus off-shore account held by her father, former minister and EU Commissioner, Mr Pádraig Flynn.
The Chief Justice handed down a harsh judgment on a sitting TD yesterday. Ms Cooper-Flynn had no reputation to lose. Fianna Fáil had no option, in these circumstances, but to move swiftly to dissociate themselves from her in the immediate run-up to the June elections. What was somewhat surprising was the Taoiseach's decision to propose the expulsion motion himself and to schedule an Ard Comhairle meeting of the party for a few days later. In these circumstances, Ms Cooper-Flynn should also be asked to vacate the party rooms at Leinster House.
Ms Cooper-Flynn herself is unlikely to make matters easy for the Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil. She insisted yesterday her political future now rested with Fianna Fáil. After years of prevarication about "due process", however, Fianna Fáil seems to have taken a stand.