Standards in politics - Healy Eames’ record is not acceptable

As late as yesterday Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore used the usual catch-all to repel a Sinn Féin attack.

Defending Health Minister James Reilly from accusations of corruption from Mary Lou McDonald he, right on cue, offered: “You have a neck, Sinn Féin ... you know, so much illegal activity. How many bodies are buried on this island because of Sinn Féin?” He, like many of his colleagues, followed the lead of Taoiseach Enda Kenny who, a week earlier, when asked a reasonable budget question by Gerry Adams, responded by asking about the IRA murder of Jean McConville four decades ago.

Another version of this muddy-the-waters two-step is to talk about the terrible economic situation they inherited, how appalling the public finances were after a decade of Fianna Fáil mismanagement. That indignant set piece usually closes with a few muted but earnest we’ll-do-our-best sentences about the obligations forced upon them — and us — by deals agreed by Brian Cowen’s government with international financiers.