Claims of intimidation as Cardiff secures job

THE secretary general of the Department of Finance, Kevin Cardiff was cleared to become a member of the EU Court of Auditors by the European Parliament amid claims of political abuse and intimidation by some MEPs.

When approved by the member states, which is expected to be a formality, Mr Cardiff will take up the six-year Luxembourg appointment in March at a minimum salary of €264,000 a year.

With the backing of the three largest political groups, the parliament voted four- to-one in his favour. This followed intense lobbying by the Government after he was rejected by the Budgetary Control committee last month.

MEPs voted 521 in favour with 128 against and 34 abstaining. They were not told before the vote, however, a Budgetary Control Committee had last month rejected Mr Cardiff. The other seven nominations before the parliament all had committee support.

Labour party MEP Nessa Childers said her rights as an MEP were trampled when she voiced her opinion against Mr Cardiff, whom she believed was a poor choice.

“Three political parties attacked me including my own. I was spoken against at the group meeting, which is quite unusual. This was supposed to go through on the nod but I raised my voice when I was not supposed to. I really do not understand the ferocity of the reaction and I don’t know what is behind it,” she said.

She had received many emails from the public about the issue, most supporting her position and she believed she also had support from other Labour party members and politicians who were afraid to speak out.

Socialist party MEP Paul Murphy said he voted against Mr Cardiff because of his role in the bank bailout. “This placed the private gambling debts of speculators onto the back of taxpayers in Ireland as well as his role in negotiating the IMF/EU bailout.

“Mr Cardiff is being moved to a job in the Court of Auditors to free up his current position for an appointee from the Fine Gael/Labour government. This is an outrageous abuse of a European position and shows how they value the role of auditing the EU accounts.”

He was also critical of the salary Mr Cardiff would receive saying it is a huge pay increase and was repulsive giving the cuts on the pay of ordinary workers in the public and private sector.

Proinsias De Rossa, leader of the Labour party’s three MEPs in the Parliament, said he had apologised to Ms Childers in public on a radio station and in writing for attacking her and leaving her messages on her telephone which she described as threatening.