Cullen’s catalogue of cronyism

THE true scale of the persistent endorsement of Monica Leech by Martin Cullen was revealed yesterday in a report into the awarding of €390,000 worth of PR contracts to the minister’s political associate.

Although Mr Cullen welcomed the report as clearing him of any wrongdoing, the events outlined in the comprehensive document were seized upon as clear evidence of unacceptable political “cronyism”.

That criticism intensified as the report’s author, former Revenue chief Dermot Quigley, concluded the proposal of a person for a public contract by a minister “may give rise to a perception of impropriety”.