€2,000 to talk economics with ministers
Cocktails have been offered to business people who want to rub shoulders with the country’s leaders at an event in the Conrad Hotel on October 30 organised by the Economist magazine.
The “Business Roundtable with the Government of Ireland” will be addressed by Mr Cowen, Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, Tánaiste Mary Coughlan and Communications Minister Eamon Ryan.
Despite taking part in the privately held event, three of these ministers were not present during a Dáil debate on the economy on Tuesday night.
When the debate got under way there was only one person sitting on the Government benches — junior minister John Moloney. He was joined 10 minutes later by another junior minister, Martin Mansergh.
Mr Lenihan arrived 20 minutes late, by which stage he had already missed the speech proposing the Dáil motion by Fine Gael Finance spokesman Richard Bruton.
Labour Party leader Eamon Gilmore said last night that ministers are more available to people with enough money than they are to their fellow politicians: “It appears that those who are willing to cough up €1,950 to participate in this conference will have far greater opportunities for discussions with Brian Cowen, Brian Lenihan and Mary Coughlan — the three ministers responsible for economic policy — than are normally available to most members of the Dáil.
“I have no problems at all about government ministers meeting with business people from at home or abroad, but I have very strong reservations about government ministers participating in what is essentially a commercial enterprise dressed up as some sort of public forum.
“It seems that the Government is now intent on privatising debate on the economy.
“I am particularly surprised that a Green Party minister should be participating in a commercial enterprise of this nature.
“The decision of so-many government ministers to participate in such a ‘round-table’ at a time when they have refused to allow the Dáil to have a comprehensive debate on the economy suggests a skewed set of priorities,” said Mr Gilmore.
During Tuesday night’s debate, Fine Gael’s Allen Shatter said it was “a discourtesy to the house” that Mr Lenihan had not been fully present.
Mr Shatter said that the Finance Minister was “treating the house with contempt”.
Fine Gael’s Michael Ring said: “We can see how bad things are when government ministers are running away”.
A government spokesman said last night: “Decisions regarding TDs attendance of such conferences is based on an assessment of whether such attendance would benefit the State.
“In this particular case it was felt that the event offers an important opportunity for international and domestic investors to learn about business opportunities available in Ireland and the policies being pursued by the Government and to build to build on the considerable success of the Irish economy in recent years.
“The acceptance of this particular invitation is pertinent in the current economic situation,” he said.
