Liz’s irrational tirade against the Church serves no useful purpose

IT IS one of the more simple and predictable tricks of public relations that when you are about to put the boot in, you should start by saying something nice about your victim.

That approach has a number of positive results. It catches your opponent off-guard and it adds dramatic effect to what you are about to say. It also establishes your credibility as a fair and honest broker in the ears of your listeners.

So it was, perhaps, that when Deputy Liz O’Donnell rose to address the Dáil last week about the relationship between Church and State in the wake of the Ferns report, she had “a word of support” for all those priests who had done no wrong. “They deserve our support and sympathy at this difficult time. The majority of priests are living out their Christian message in an exemplary fashion,” she said.