FÁS scandal - Change the guidelines

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen has developed an effective tactic for shrugging off challenging questions.

Just yesterday afternoon he used this well-worn shield to avoid one of the issues at the centre of the FÁS scandal by saying that the go-away package paid to the disgraced Rody Molloy was “in accordance with the legislation and guidelines that are in place”.

No one in Government has convincingly explained why an official, who betrayed the trust placed in him, deserved such generous supplements to his enviable “resignation” package.

No one has explained either why any appeal might not be confined to hearings of the Rights Commissioners or the Employment Appeals Tribunal, tribunals under the remit of Enterprise Minister Mary Coughlan.

Of course the real anger surrounding this scandal is that the next time a Mr Molloy has to be removed from office it will be business as usual and that golden handshakes “in accordance with the legislation and guidelines that are in place” will be the order of the day.

What we really want to hear Mr Cowen is that the measures “in accordance with the legislation and guidelines that are in place” are being changed to protect the taxpayers, not those who have failed this State.