Bruton’s Seanad stance criticised
I have great difficulty in accepting that the Mr Bruton I know and have respected greatly for 30 years actually drafted the pathetic, sloppy and repeatedly ‘unfactual’ (sic) diatribe issued under his name. Or that he vetted it before it left his office.
Leave aside the Constitutional and legal reality that the Taoiseach is accountable to us, the citizens, for all and every action he takes as Taoiseach — including the nomination of Senators.
For his own sake and for that of his political future, Richard, who is the ‘Minister for Jobs’, needs to clarify with his boss that this comment of his has nothing whatsoever to do with Mr Kenny’s meteoric and fast-track appointment of Ms Hildegarde Naughton to the Seanad.
It is clear from her cv that Ms Naughton has many intrinsic positive qualities and qualifications. However, the inevitable begrudging cynics will proclaim that her principal qualification in this instance is that as a prospective Dáil candidate in the turbulent constituency of Galway West she was most unlikely to dissent from, let alone vote against the party line on the Protection of Life Bill. Or anything else. Regardless of what happens in the referendum she will be able to use her position as senator to advance her political interests and those of Fine Gael.
In the unseemly event of the citizens refusing to beat the Seanad to death, Fine Gael will gain an extra vote, (from her councillor replacement), in the subsequent Seanad election.
As for Mr Kenny, he has the point-scoring instincts of a very fine footballer. As the old Irish saying has it: What would the cat do only kill mice?
