our health is our wealth,thanks to Bertie Ahern.

national | politics / elections | news report Thursday June 10, 2004 13:57 by john mcdermott dublin

Especially for members of Fianna Fail's golden circle

Anyone like to set up a new charity- and get rich doing good(quick,Join Fianna Fail ,first!!)

Details of where some of the 12 billion Euros of the irish taxpayers money allocated by Fianna Fail To pay for the long suffering public health service,-have really gone,are now beginning to emerge in an investigation championed by ‘The Phoenix Magazine’(June 4th).
In contrast to Bertie’s beggarly attitude to such voluntary organizations as ‘The St.Vincent De Paul Society,or his withdrawal of all funding for ‘An Taisce’our environmental watchdog,it would appear that Fianna Fail have a soft spot for the nations Autistic children.
Very laudable indeed,but pray trouser the hankerchiefs a little longer, however…
A more in depth glance at the charity which is the main beneficiary of Fianna Fail’s largesse in the South Western Area Health Board;entitled ‘The Irish Society for Autism’and managed by one Pat Matthews,indicates that he has paid himself a total salary of half a million Euros in 2001 and 2002,in return for his expertise and unstinting commitment to this worthy cause.
And we thought the big- salaried fish were all in the corporate business and banking sectors?
More recently audited figures will not be released for another 6 months(maybe..).
There are suspicions abroad in the land that when the ‘South Western’ County Councillors are not preoccupied with rezoning ‘one off rural sites’ in Kerry etc. they are busy re-lining the pockets of ‘Friends of Fianna Fail.’with health budget funds.
All further enquiries on this matter should now be addressed to a newly appointed PR ‘spin’company;Setanta Communications,(more friends of Fianna Fail?) who will no doubt make ‘the worse appear the better reason’and deflect the rising anger of a gullible people.
There remains a question which must now be asked,in this enquiry as in many of Fianna Fail’s other donations,to their special circle,- when we view with alarm the rising cost of health care in our small island.Is this organization a charity for… Autistic children…or for one Pat Matthews …a member of that other generous recipient of taxpayers funds nationwide;-‘Circle of Friends of Fianna Fail’?