No missing link between politics and collapse

FINANCE Minister, Micheál Martin, said on RTÉ's Saturday View last Saturday, that there has been no causal link established between our economic collapse and our political culture.

I wonder what would constitute evidence for Mr Martin. I think the keyword in Mr Martin’s display of breathtaking denial has to be the word “established”.

The fingerprint evidence: the Irish building Industry lobbied Fianna Fáil for tax incentives, Bertie Ahern said “leave it with me”. The tax incentives were granted. When the Bacon report raised stamp duty to 9%, to dampen the house price boom, Charlie McCreevy was lobbied to lower it; he said “leave it with me”. Stamp duty was lowered. Both these moves ignored the fact that young families were being forced to borrow more and more money to sustain the “house of cards”. Secondly, the culture operating within the Irish public service is fundamentally corrupt. Historically, no significant position, such as that of financial regulator, or COE of FÁS, is handed out without the express say-so of whosoever holds the reins of power. When anyone exercises that much control over the system of regulation and public appointments, then they take full responsibility for their stooges. Except here of course. The one piece of evidence Mr Martin will not be able to dismiss with contempt will be delivered by the box load on Election Day 2011, by all the eye- witnesses to the “link” between our politics and our economic collapse.