Should Gov Press Secretary be attending tribunal?

[NotDevsSon]

On Friday the Government Press Secretary, who is paid for by the taxpayer, attended the Mahon Tribunal. Surely that was completely wrong. The allegations against Bertie Ahern are against him personally and his conduct as a Fianna Fail politician who it was claimed received corrupt payments from a property developer. They relate to personal affairs and party business (ie, money that was given to the party ending up in his bank account or safe).

The allegations do not relate to the government. They do not relate to his conduct as taoiseach. For part of the time covered he wasn't in government at all.

In the circumstances it is a gross misuse of state (taxpayer) resources to have the Government Press Secretary attending to allegations that are party-political rather than governmental. If Bertie needed a press secretary there (and to be fair to him, yes he did) it should have been the Fianna Fail press secretary who is the spokesman for the party on party issues, and paid for by the party.

Fianna Fail's ability to blur the distinction between party and state is legendary but this is a classic.

[toxic avenger]

Maybe the former Press Secretary, the esteemed Mr. Dunlop, could fill him in...

You need to understand that the thugs in charge now see no distinction between Party and State. Ahern has the resources of the State behind him, Gilmartin has nothing. Truth and justice, Irish-style...

Even RTE, the State broadcaster, won't do anything to offend Ahern. The 11 O'Clock radio news included an excerpt of the 'public's' opinion that Ahern was harshly dealt with by the Tribunal, basically two crones sent by FF, and this was included as 'representative' of public opinion. No counter-voices. No acknowledgment that FF had sent party hacks to pretend to be the ordinary public. Just these two. And this is what passes for unbiased news in this country.

Welcome to the Sicily of the North...

[Apparatchik]

Welcome to the Sicily of the North...

You girls are getting very jumpy. The Government Press Secretary accompanies the Taoiseach pretty much everywhere.

[Podolski]

Like the guy with the electronic suitcase that follows Bush?

[mollox]

Fianna Fail's ability to blur the distinction between party and state is legendary but this is a classic.

It's matched by their inability to distinguish between party and personal funds.

[Pauli]

Welcome to the Sicily of the North...

You girls are getting very jumpy. The Government Press Secretary accompanies the Taoiseach pretty much everywhere.

Why??

[Pauli]

Maybe the former Press Secretary, the esteemed Mr. Dunlop, could fill him in...

You need to understand that the thugs in charge now see no distinction between Party and State. Ahern has the resources of the State behind him, Gilmartin has nothing. Truth and justice, Irish-style...

Even RTE, the State broadcaster, won't do anything to offend Ahern. The 11 O'Clock radio news included an excerpt of the 'public's' opinion that Ahern was harshly dealt with by the Tribunal, basically two crones sent by FF, and this was included as 'representative' of public opinion. No counter-voices. No acknowledgment that FF had sent party hacks to pretend to be the ordinary public. Just these two. And this is what passes for unbiased news in this country.

Welcome to the Sicily of the North...

Sicilians have nothing to teach us. The opposite in fact. Expect to see some swarthy-looking Mediterranean types attending the Corruption Masterclass Workshop at the next FF Ard Fheis.

"First, lads,ye get a really big tent. Den ye get dese builder fellas ........."

[NotDevsSon]

Welcome to the Sicily of the North...

You girls are getting very jumpy. The Government Press Secretary accompanies the Taoiseach pretty much everywhere.

To the FF Parliamentary Party? To meetings of cumainn in D Central?

The GPS accompanies the Taoiseach when as taoiseach he is attending a function. He is not supposed to accompany the Taoiseach to places where Ahern is going as FF leader. He is supposed when acting on a party matter to be attended only by party functionaries. (The only exception would be his bodyguards, who follow him everywhere.)

FF seems unable to distinguish party from state, or indeed personal funds from party funds. In other states an extremely strict demarcation line exists. When Blair as PM went to his constituency he would use his state car. At the end of each month the Exchequer would then bill him for the use of that car for any function other than his role as PM. So he would have to pay to use his state car to go to his constituency. Government Press Secretaries refuse point blank to attend any function that is not government related. If Blair was going before a tribunal investigating his personal actions before becoming PM, and he brought the government press secretary with him, there would be an immediate outcry and the GPS would have to resign.

But of course this is Ireland . . . and Fianna Fail.

[Reece]

....blah, blah, blah about FF,... Government Press Secretary...further blab, blah, blah,.....

Why the fu*ck don't you ring him up and ask him, his name is Eoghan Ó Neachtain and here's his number:
Telephone +353-1-619-4098 Fax +353-1-676-3302.
Better still send him an e-mail with your stupid questions, at Email Address press.office@taoiseach.gov.ie.

Or sue him or something, anything is better than this shi*t.

[Apparatchik]

Welcome to the Sicily of the North...

You girls are getting very jumpy. The Government Press Secretary accompanies the Taoiseach pretty much everywhere.

To the FF Parliamentary Party? To meetings of cumainn in D Central?

Taoiseach can be doorstepped anywhere, on any issue at any time. He could easily be asked about water bills in schools on the way out of Dublin Castle. Can we be a little less po faced?