Swift action to back up findings ‘vital’

SWIFT action by the authorities is required to back up the strong and lucid report of Mr Justice Feargus Flood, spokespeople across the range of political parties argued yesterday.

There was a consensus among all the parties that the report which found that corrupt payments had been made to former Dublin assistant manager George Redmond was conclusive and specific in its findings.

However, some senior politicians privately expressed concern that little seemed to have been done by the authorities on foot of the second interim report, published 14 months ago in September 2002.

That report found that certain payments made to former Justice Minister Ray Burke at his home in Briarsgate, Swords, had been corrupt payments. It also found that a total of 16 people had obstructed or hindered the work of the inquiry.

A number of politicians said that public confidence in the good work of the tribunal would be undermined if its conclusions were not acted upon quickly and decisively by the State and if tough action was not pursued against those against whom adverse findings had been made.

They also pointed out that obstructing or hindering the work of a tribunal was a criminal offence.

Fine Gael spokesperson on the environment Bernard Allen said the fact that the report had found the four people had obstructed its work should send out strong signals that "nothing less than full co-operation with the tribunal is acceptable.

"The report should be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions," he said. "I would hope we get a swift decision on the issues raised by Justice Flood."

Eamon Gilmore of the Labour Party said it was essential that those involved in corrupt payments were brought to justice and dealt with by the courts.

"Corruption involves those who both receive and make corrupt payments," he said. "Nobody involved in such payments should be rendered immune from prosecution."

Green Party leader Trevor Sargent also called for prosecutions to be taken against those who obstructed the tribunal. He also called for better regulation of senior officials in local authorities.

Sinn Féin's Arthur Morgan also demanded prosecutions. "Not doing so allows others before the tribunal to believe they can get away with hindering and obstructing the tribunal process and face no consequences," he said.

John Dardis of the Progressive Democrats said those found to have made or received corrupt payments, or to have been engaged in obstruction, must be subject to the rigour of the law.

A spokesman for the tribunal confirmed yesterday that the report has been delivered to the offices of the DPP and of the AG.