What does Beverley’s return say about standards in high places?

THE legendary Scrap Saturday mocked the Flynnstones — Ireland’s leading stone age political family — but its clear that the Mayo clan is having the last laugh.

As the father, Padraig Flynn, continued to give evidence to the Mahon tribunal on Wednesday morning about the circumstances in 1989 in which he trousered £50,000 he was supposed to hand onto Fianna Fáil, his daughter Beverley smiled her way through Brian Cowen’s press conference to mark his accession to party leadership. Beverley had returned to the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party the previous evening and her delight at being back in the fold was obvious. But what does that say about Fianna Fáil and the standards of behaviour we demand from our politicians?

In some respects, she may as well never have been away, although she’d say her two expulsions have cost her a junior ministry at the very least. She must have hopes now that promotion will come swiftly.