Dáil Debate:-Bertie 'Lost' his Moral Compass-again

Tuesday October 03, 2006 19:18

by Chris Murray - The Unmanageables

Pissing Poodles and Other Emphemra.

The debate did not begin at precisely 16.15 pm, because Michael Mc Dowell
was still taking questions on Thornton Hall. The Taoiseach very quietly slipped
in and as if by magic stood up for his less than robust defence of the monies.
(received/gifted/loaned-etc)

The order of busines was simple enough:- Bertie got 15 minutes,
everyone else got 5 minutes. The Ceanncomhairle would not answer
reply, confirm or deny the use of a 'script' and it really went downhill from there.

Bertie-"yes I took money, but sure what harm, it was personal (dark times)
I went on a trip with friends and someone had a whip round. I did not trouser it
because I was Minister for Finance, I trousered it because it was freely given."
(I am paraphrasing btw)

The notebooks, ministerial diaries and expense sheets will attest that I went in
a private capacity and therefore was not official-etc, etc.

A lot of references to personal trouble/separation/dark times, which Mister Kenny
(FG) quite rightly pointed out was introduced into the occassion by the FF
Party and Mr Ahern and that no-one, in the House or outside of it brought the
then Minister for finance's personal life into it -except of course himself and his buddies.

Mr kenny "did not want to divide the house", thus recorded his protest at
the wrongness of accepting personal gifts which were amounting to
60,000.
There were 25 people in the whip round thats 800 each.(Manchester Payments)

He also pointed out that most people accept loans from strangers and gifts
from friends (including non-taxable....) but Mr Ahern did the reverse.

More of it from Labour, issues such as the morality of accepting monies
but they wanted to know about the 50,000 grand which rested somewhere
such as in "a sock In the hotpress" whilst the Minister for Finance had no
bank account. They also wanted to know if he had other accounts, who opened them
how many political donations were accepted? Rounding off with the
"you have lost your moral authority, RESIGN catchcall of the afternoon"

Sargeant (green) asked Bertie to re-establish his moral authority by
1. Resign.
2.Go to the people.
3.Stop political donations.

SF:
Pointed out that Erris was under siege by the corporate interests.
That Monaghan had no Hospital (or won't soon)
They , too asked for RESIGNATION.

Higgins took on both Bertie and Mc Dowell -asked for resignations and
said that the poodles that pissed against the lamposts in Ranelagh
upon which Mr Mc Dowell had rested his moral ladder to watchdog in Government
would not vote for him.

RESIGN WAS THE WATCHWORD.
Bertie of course called it political point-scoring, though he looked a little wilted.

BTW: I was taken aside by security in the Dail, when I left the glass box and told
"Chris (he knew my name) you are not allowed take notes, its for observation only"
I was told to put my notebook in my bag and submit it at the desk.

So I told Finian Mc Grath TD, who told me to ignore security.

I was directed away from the gallery into the AV room, where there is no security desk,
thereby retaining my notebook.
You are and always have been allowed to bring writing materials into the Dail.