Cronyism is a close relation of Irish politics and this is a chronic case

BERTIE AHERN’S promotion of his former partner Celia Larkin to the interim board of the new National Consumer Agency (NCA) is hardly a bad hair day for him.

Of course, it’s cronyism of the most blatant variety, but it is not new in this country. Cronyism and Irish politics are not distant cousins, being far more closely related than that. It could be said that this was why State boards were invented - so that political parties of all hues could reward party hacks. And it has been practiced since the foundation of the State - the Irish answer to the honours list.

That is not to suggest that every member of a State board is, or was, a political hack, but the boards have been a reservoir of payback for the party ultra-faithful. That’s why it was so amusing to hear members of the opposition foaming at the mouth at Bertie’s favouring an old girlfriend. Anybody would think he was the first to put an old buddy on a board. He might be the first serving Taoiseach to look after a girlfriend in this way, but that’s the only first.