One-party state during Celtic Tiger years

Subsequent to the publication of the Mahon Tribunal report there seems to be a consensus in the media that we knew all along about the venality of the most powerful of our public representatives and the report only confirms that.

Well that does not stand up to scrutiny.

Because of the longevity and seeming security of the Ahern governments, it is difficult to reach any other conclusion but that this was a virtual one-party state during the Celtic Tiger years.

Given the results of elections, the largest party in government was entitled to see itself as untouchable.

We believed them when they said that we ordinary folk had no right to know that allegations were being made that the most powerful politician in the land had received payments from private individuals.

We believed them when they said that the opposition had no experience and that there was no alternative government. Contrary to what we are being told now, therefore, we were not told then about the corrupting effect of continuous power on those exercising that power.

A Leavy

Sutton

Dublin 13