Neatly summed up by Gene K today:
Gene Kerrigan: Is your toilet half-empty, or half-full? - Gene Kerrigan, Columnists - Independent.ie
"Let's explore the toilet arrangements of Mr Brendan Howlin TD. Mr Howlin is the Minister for Frowning Sternly at Waste of Public Money. The minister wakes up thinking of costs he must chop, he nods off to sleep muttering about spending he might slash. It's a dirty job, but someone's got to do it. A bit like this column -- who else will take on the job of peering closely at Mr Howlin's toilet arrangements?
It's been a momentous week, with workers fighting back against despicable treatment and the euro inching closer to the edge. There's been a sudden lurch away from the economic fashion for austerity. But Mr Howlin's toilet arrangements must take priority with us. In fact, Mr Howlin's toilet arrangements are pertinent to these matters.
Some time ago, word went around that Mr Howlin had spent €47 on a toilet seat for his ministerial office. The usual suspects sneered at this supposed extravagance by Mr Austerity. In fact, the toilet seat story was a lie. The evidence is that Mr Howlin spent €47 of our money on getting a key cut for his personal toilet.
I know these things because I occasionally click into an indispensable website, thestory.ie, run by journalist and researcher Gavin Sheridan. Mr Sheridan has an admirable devotion to digging out and archiving raw data on the running of the Government. He acquired a detailed list of the costs of Mr Howlin's offices.
Why did Brendan need a key for his toilet? To keep unauthorised personnel from using The Official Ministerial Lavatory, of course. One can't expect a minister to pee and poo in the same facility used by all and sundry. Besides, one needs a toilet nearby when one has installed a "Tea Station" at a cost of €7,638 (plus plumbing and electrics costing €4,368).
However, this raises another question. Why did Brendan spend another €47 installing what the records call a "sign for Minister's toilet"? Presumably this sign said something like, "Brendan's Toilet -- Piss Off". But the Sherlock Holmes in me wonders why Brendan needs to tell others they can't use his toilet, if he has the only key?
Perhaps the sign isn't on the door. Perhaps it's inside the facility, above the actual toilet. And it reminds the minister, "Poo Here".
All this came to mind with last week's revelations that Brendan Austerity authorised a €133,000 salary for his "special adviser", Ronan O'Brien. He did this back in April, at the time he was vigorously resisting Richard Bruton's demand that his "special adviser" should get a salary of €127,000. Officially, there was a salary cap of €92,000 for these positions.
"Ah, here," said Mr Howlin's officials, or words to that effect. So, the King of Austerity shrugged and arranged for his adviser to get only €114,000 -- i.e. a mere €22,000 above the salary cap. (You'll be glad to know that Richard Bruton's adviser, Ciaran Conlon, got his full €127,000, on the instructions of Taoiseach Enda.)"
If you tremble with indignation at every injustice, then you are a comrade of mine.
How can a right wing party claim to be left? Gilmore if you are out there I would like an answer....