Rabbitte: Haughey attracted great loyalty

Labour party leader Pat Rabbitte has described Charles Haughey - who died this morning - as a dominant figure in Irish politics for almost four decades.

“He was at all times a hugely controversial figure who attracted great loyalty among his supporters and fierce opposition from his opponents,” he said.

“As Taoiseach and as a government minister, Charles Haughey had many achievements of note. He was a skilled parliamentarian and a genuinely reforming Minister for Justice and Minister for Social Welfare.

“There was probably no other Irish politician over the past 50 years who was such a controversial figure and there is a darker side to the Haughey political legacy.

“However, now is not the appropriate time for a full political assessment of the career of a man who has endured such a painful and debilitating illness in recent years.”

Mr Ahern also noted the huge successes Mr Haughey’s three governments brought to the country with the development of the International Financial Services Centre, Temple Bar and the thoroughbred bloodstock industry.

But he also noted the clouds which hung over the former Taoiseach’s financial dealings.

“History will have to weigh up both the credit and the debit side more dispassionately than may be possible today but, I have no doubt, its ultimate judgment on Mr Haughey will be a positive one,” he said.

“Over a long period now, Charles Haughey has faced one final battle, which he knew ultimately he had to lose. He bore his illness with great dignity and fortitude, his fighting spirit evident to the end.”

When Mr Haughey was admitted to the Mater in April, his family tried to avoid reporters and photographers descending on the hospital, and decided not to accompany him when he was admitted.

Mr Haughey’s illnesses have prevented him from giving evidence about his financial affairs to the Moriarty Tribunal, and the judge agreed in 2001 to exempt him from being called before it.

But over the last few months, Mr Haughey’s finances made the news again due to a series of revelations from the Moriarty Tribunal. It emerged that he had paid more than €5m to settle a tax bill with the Revenue Commissioners in 2003 in relation to large sums of money he received from businessman Ben Dunne and others.

At the time, the sum was one of the largest tax settlements made by an individual taxpayer.

Mr Haughey and his wife were forced to sell part of his beloved Kinsealy estate in Co Dublin to settle the tax bill. In August 2003, the house and lands at Kinsealy were sold to Manor Park Homes for €45m but Mr and Mrs Haughey were given the right to continue living in the house.

He was elected leader of Fianna Fáil and Taoiseach on December 11 1979 and left office in 1992.