Double standards - FG can not be selective on tribunals

Even allowing for the drawn-out choreography of politics, the reluctance of Health Minster James Reilly, while speaking on RTÉ yesterday, to be even-handed about those indicted by the Mahon and Moriarty tribunals was as disheartening as it was tragic.

It reflected poorly on Dr Reilly, Fine Gael and this society’s self-destructive indifference to accountability.

The senior minister and his Fine Gael colleagues have no difficulty in attacking delusional and, by now, largely irrelevant Fianna Fáil politicians exposed as sleazy blackmailers. Yet they — with at least the exception of Lucinda Creighton — seem unable to accept that “findings of fact” made against magnate Denis O’Brien by the Moriarty tribunal carry weight equal to the findings against Ahern, Flynn or Lawlor by Mahon.

They seem to have great difficulty in accepting that this assessment against Mr O’Brien, no matter how loudly he protests his innocence, should preclude Government from involving him in official engagements while this cloud hangs over him. This prevarication is bizarre and again highlights the ambiguity on accountability that persists as a cancer in this society.

To their credit, Labour ministers have no such difficulty. Their opposition to Mr O’Brien’s endorsement by official Ireland is commendable and correct.

Equally, Dr Reilly’s attempt to hide behind the idea of an undefined due process is pathetic. The Moriarty report’s conclusions are clear and until they are overturned, if ever, they are the reality we must deal with. They are, in terms of the sums of money involved, also far beyond the scale of anything uncovered by Mahon.

Mr Justice Moriarty found that Mr O’Brien, whose company secured Ireland’s second mobile phone licence in 1996, paid some £447,000 to then Fine Gael minister Michael Lowry. The deal was the foundation of Mr O’Brien’s empire but he has persistently rejected the findings. The report found “beyond doubt” that Mr Lowry gave “substantive information to Mr O’Brien, of significant value and assistance to him”.

It can’t be much clearer than that.

Up to yesterday, the furore surrounded Enda Kenny’s recent visit to the New York, where Mr O’Brien was included in photographs with the Taoiseach. This was unfortunate but it is unrealistic to imagine that Mr Kenny had control over who was invited to that event. Linking the two was opportunistic, if inevitable.

However, yesterday’s stonewalling was not determined by chance. It was a deliberate smoke-and-mirrors dodge, and greatly undermines the Government’s and Ireland Inc’s credibility.

Mr O’Brien — personal wealth estimated at €3bn — has been found by a tribunal to have secured decisive influence during the competition to win the second mobile phone licence. Surely that must put him outside the Pale as far as Government events are concerned, at least until it is proved otherwise?

If not, why not invite Bertie Ahern to the next Farmleigh think-in and get him to give one of his €40k economic development speeches? Maybe get Pádraig Flynn to talk about forestry grants? It really is that daft. And it is daft that Fine Gael seem to be unnecessarily digging such a deep hole for themselves. It is time for them to man up and face the truth — not just the bits that suit them.