Respecting Mahon - Answers are key to health of politics

Some government ministers appear to be in a state of blatant contradiction, affirming confidence in the Mahon Tribunal in the Dáil, while being bitterly critical of it in public. They can’t have it both ways and still retain public credibility.

The latest Government motion on the Mahon Tribunal would seem to suggest that those ministers are not prepared to back up their words with actions, because the public clearly has serious misgivings about the Taoiseach’s testimony.

The tribunal is expensive but the Fianna Fáil and PD elements of the current coalition were in power when the tribunal lawyers were granted their most recent increase in payments. Of course, that was before the tribunal uncovered evidence of the Taoiseach’s controversial “dig-outs”, and serious questions about the funding of his house in Drumcondra.

Cutting off the deliberations of the tribunal at this stage does not provide a viable political alternative for the Government. Older people will remember that President Richard Nixon was seriously undermined when he tried to restrict the Watergate investigation in the United States by dismissing the special prosecutor in the so-called Saturday Night Massacre. As a result of the ensuing firestorm of criticism, he had to appoint a new prosecutor who became essentially fireproof, and it was the president who had to resign in the end.

The Watergate investigation began as an essentially limited inquiry in a burglary, but in the process it uncovered a wide range of misconduct. The Mahon Tribunal may be little different in that regard. It began inquiring into the matter of planning corruption, and has uncovered payments to politicians (including Bertie Ahern) that have not been properly explained.

These must be fully explained for the health of our political system. Bertie Ahern has been one of the most popular taoisigh in history, running well ahead of his party. He has now served as head of government for longer than anybody bar Eamon de Valera.

But the latest public opinion poll — the Red C poll in the Sunday Business Post — found that a staggering 54% of the electorate disbelieves the Taoiseach’s evidence at the tribunal. That was sworn testimony, so the finding has frightening implications for our body politic, and the issues should be addressed as a matter of urgency.

The Taoiseach claimed before the last general election that he was anxious to explain things at the tribunal, but instead of clearing them up he seemed to complicate matters when he did appear. He is due to appear again on February 21.

Surely, when he still had further questions to answer before Christmas, he could have made himself available much earlier. Complaining about the tribunal’s delays in the face of his own prevarication does not reflect well on anyone, least of all some of his ministers who have been outspoken in their criticism of the tribunal, even though the majority of the electorate do not believe the Taoiseach.

It is not just that people desire answers. The health of our political system requires those answers without further prevarication or delay.