President was wrong to entertain that old political monster Paisley

I DON’T how President Mary McAleese did it. Last Friday she and her husband Martin entertained Ian Paisley and his wife Eileen at Áras an Uachtarán.

There were plenty of smiles for the photographs as he signed the visitors’ book. Later he took lunch and watched teenagers perform Irish dancing. A jolly time was had by all, apparently.

This was a remarkable event given Paisley’s history – one that must be only too obvious to McAleese, as a Catholic from north Belfast.

Paisley was the most outrageous and sectarian bigot on the Protestant/unionist side of the murderous conflict that bedevilled this island for more than 30 years.

There were many bad men on the Catholic/nationalist side of the equation too, but a special place in history awaits Paisley because of the venomous approach he took to belittling those of the Catholic faith and with legitimate aspirations towards a united Ireland. Even those who looked for fair play, through power-sharing, were dismissed by his desire to reinforce the unionist hegemony.

While a difference in political opinion is understandable and can be condoned as part of a normal democratic society, the manner in which Paisley rabble-roused was a disgrace. He may never have fired a shot in anger, but he was guilty of incitement on many occasions.

While he may have regarded himself as defending his faith and tradition he stepped consistently over the boundaries that should be respected in a properly functioning democracy, or even one that was not functioning properly.

Eventually, as he aged, he relented and his leadership was crucial to bringing the DUP belatedly into a power-sharing executive with, among others, Sinn Féin. But the suspicion remains that the Damascan conversion was all to do with Paisley’s monstrous ego needing attention.

Paisley loved being the first minister of Northern Ireland – a political vindication as he saw it. Thankfully it didn’t last long.

Removed forcibly from his position by his party he now clearly craves continued attention and the suckers down here gave it to him last week, feting him in the Dáil on Thursday and then on Friday. He was indulged as some kind of loveable old rogue whereas he should be remembered as a monstrous figure. He should have been ignored. Why did our state waste money indulging his ego given all he had done over so many years to defeat the efforts of others to bring peace?

Of course, such hospitality has been offered to many people who didn’t deserve it. It is regarded as pragmatic to treat killers or their political mouthpieces as acceptable, as long as they are no longer killing. It has happened with many more than just Paisley, and from the nationalist side too.

There’s a strange irony at work here. While we are not forgiving (rightly) of politicians who enrich themselves at the expense of others or who are the kept men of the business elite, our state honours and excuses both those who killed and those who incited them.

I hope our president – misguided in this act of generosity, even if well-intentioned – never has Paisley back again.

* The Sunday Business Post reported last weekend that David Drumm, the former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank, wants to cut a deal with his old employer. He wants to pay back less than the full €8.3 million he owes and, in return, he will drop a legal counter-action to secure payment of €2.7m in unpaid wages and bonuses he says he is owed.

How the Government – as owner of Anglo – handles this will be revealing, especially as Finance Minister Brian Lenihan has guaranteed to approve or reject any settlement of litigation involving former directors that is brought to him by officials of the bank.

The obvious thing to do would be to reject the offer and insist Drumm repay his loans in full. However, that would be a most improbable outcome. Drumm’s loans include €7.7m to buy shares in Anglo itself and, as these are worthless, they cannot be sold.

Drumm has property, of course, famously living in luxury at Cape Cod in Massachusetts. He is also a neighbour of Boyzone’s Ronan Keating at the expensive Abington estate in Malahide. In late 2008 Drumm moved ownership of the home into his wife Lorraine’s name, presumably to provide protection against its seizure by his creditors. Anglo has taken legal action about that too, trying to set aside the transfer of the property.

Clearly, Anglo should want to arrange for the seizure and sale of the houses and for taking whatever other assets Drumm has. While the Drumm family has the right to a home, it does not need to be the one in Malahide, now rented for income, or the luxury property in Cape Cod. They can live in something more appropriate to Drumm’s current financial status.

I suspect some involved in the process will want a settlement. The argument will be made that a court case will only bring about unnecessary legal costs for the state and that Drumm’s position is so banjaxed it will not secure the repayment of any more money than a settlement would produce.

But more serious questions emerge. Will the state want a court hearing to take place in public when Drumm might make claims that could be embarrassing or damaging to politicians or officials in the Department of Finance, Central Bank or Financial Regulator’s office?

Already we have had the bizarre spectacle of the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement (ODCE) telling the High Court that Anglo – now under full state ownership – has not supplied all documents and information required of it to assist the ODCE in what are official inquiries. Clearly, there are still people who want things hidden. The question is why? A deal with Drumm would not only be unfair to taxpayers who have had to pay for his mess, but it would raise legitimate fears of a cover-up.

HEALTH Minister Mary Harney was busy on Wednesday. She issued a statement that she would seek government approval for a ban on the use of sunbeds by those aged under 18.

While this is welcome it is not the first time that such a suggestion has been made by her department. Indeed this has been an issue for debate for a few years now. Why has it taken so long to do something so easy or obvious, given the known skin cancer risks and the greater susceptibility of young people?

But more importantly, while Harney was issuing this statement on Wednesday she was silent on the latest scandal involving the hopeless and literally deadly work practices at the HSE, this time the treatment of women with suspected miscarriages at various hospitals. For any minister to have been silent on this matter is outrageous; for a woman it is extraordinary.

On radio in recent days this newspaper has been advertising its series on the health service and its analysis of Harney’s achievements during her five years as Minister for Health. In fairness to her, she has a few, but the list of failures is much longer.

The Last Word with Matt Cooper is broadcast on 100-102 Today FM, Monday to Friday, 4.30pm to 7pm. The paperback edition of his book Who Really Runs Ireland? is in shops now