Openness in politics - Secrecy on expenses must end
Overall, 157 of 226 Oireachtas members owe the restaurant just under €75,000 for food and drink. The largest bill stands at €5,612.80, the lowest just 22c.
Put in the context of the scandal that has become something approaching a very British revolution in London these figures are smallish cheese.
What is not small cheese, however, is the contrast in openness in these matters in this country and in Britain.
The information surrounding the restaurant bills was established with great difficulty but is still far less comprehensive than it should be.
Over recent weeks the relentless exposure of flagrant abuse of the expenses system by British politicians has ended a good number of careers and reached all levels of Gordon Brown’s tottering government.
Yesterday Mr Brown’s Home Secretary Jacqui Smith announced that she is to step down and it emerged that three more Labour MPs – including a minister – signalled they will leave the House of Commons at the next election. All because their misuse of expenses procedures was exposed when a Commons insider sold the information to the Daily Telegraph.
It is unlikely – at least we must hope so – that any member of the Oireachtas is claiming expenses for cleaning moats, buying duck houses, or keeping “two servants” much less two houses, but we don’t know.
Do we really trust our politicians that much? Are we certain that they are above the self-serving, grasping greed shown by so many British politicians? The answer again is that we have a fair idea but we just don’t know.
The exposes of the last few weeks have made profound change and reform inevitable in Britain. It will clean out and strengthen their politics and democracy. Many British MPs now have to concede obligatory transparency can do what the ballot box failed to do. Secrecy in these matters serves no one but those with something to hide. What are we waiting for?
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