Corruption index - A fight we must win

LAST Monday the Mahon tribunal sat for the 900th day. Established in 1997 to “inquire into matters regarding planning and payment to politicians”, it has been exhaustive and exhausting, not least in terms of resources.

Whether it, or any other inquiry into corruption or perceived corruption, has achieved what was expected of them remains to be seen. We have had endless cross-examinations, claims and counter claims, but precious little in the way definitive of rulings. All we can say with certainty is that they were needed and there remains a strong perception that influence and advantage can be bought in this country.

This unflattering opinion was supported yesterday by the publication of a corruption league table by Transparency International (TI). Ireland scored 7.7, up from 7.5 last year. A score close to 10 suggests extremely low levels of corruption. We ranked 16 out of 18 with Denmark, New Zealand and Sweden sharing top spot.