O’Donoghue quits - No option other than to resign

LATE last night Ceann Comhairle John O’Donoghue accepted the inevitable and announced that he would resign next week. His position had become untenable and represented a running sore at the heart of this beleaguered Government. For some days there has been the strengthening feeling he could not sustain his position once the Lisbon Treaty vote was out of the way.

Had he refused to resign Taoiseach Brian Cowen would have been forced to remove him. It would have been utterly impossible for the Government to impose the draconian measures anticipated in the December budget while tolerating Mr O’Donoghue’s indulgences.

The resignation represents an enormous personal tragedy for Mr O’Donoghue and his family but, unfortunately for him, it cannot be denied that it is one of his own making.

However, it would be foolish and too cold hearted to gloat as he and his family have paid a huge price for being part of a culture that has taken root in Fianna Fáil because it has been so long and so often in power.

This air of entitlement and assumed majesty will more than likely end more political careers before this economic crisis is resolved.

His flagrant abuse of his position as the Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism brought Irish politics into great disrepute. That his indulgent behaviour continued after he became Ceann Comhairle suggests a detachment from the reality of the Ireland of today that meant that he would eventually pay for his behaviour.

Mr O’Donoghue’s resignation came after calls from the leaders of Fine Gael and Labour demanded that he jump or be pushed.

In reality the South Kerry deputy’s fate was sealed when Labour leader Eamon Gilmore told the Dáil yesterday afternoon that his party would propose a motion of No Confidence in him.

The prospect of facing what would have inevitably been a tight-run vote, in which the support of the Greens and Mr O’Donoghue’s long time constituency adversary, Independent Jackie Healy Rae, could not be relied on was probably more than Mr Cowen or the country could endure.

It would have encouraged the very political instability the former Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald so forcefully warned about some weeks ago. A political instability we just cannot afford.

Though the primary casualty of yesterday’s events is Mr O’Donoghue Dr FitzGerald’s successor Enda Kenny was again shown to be less than inspiring. A steely Mr Gilmore set the pace and the agenda and exposed the Fine Gael leader once again. Mr Kenny wrong footed and forced to follow the Labour lead on the No Confidence motion.

Mr Cowen’s performance yesterday will not bear scrutiny. He, probably for the best of reasons tried to protect a colleague, but by trying to have the affair resolved in a forum other than the Dáil he undermined that institution.

Mr O’Donoghue’s resignation should not be the end of the affair however. It might be convenient to put some of the questions surrounding Mr O’Donoghue’s expenses aside but that would be foolish and leave the system open to similar abuse in the future.

Mr O’Donoghue has joined a very small and elite group of Irish politicians – those who have resigned because of their behaviour was deemed an affront to the people he was elected to serve. Though he had no choice it must be recognised that sanity and a degree of dignity prevailed at the end of this shabby affair.