Siteserv controversy: Noonan has some neck

POLITICIANS are generally accused of having necks as tough as certain unmentionable parts of a jockey’s anatomy. 

That description apparently applies to Finance Minister Michael Noonan judging by his no-holds-barred reaction to RTÉ’s Seán O’Rourke during their customary interview in the wake of budgets or the Coalition’s self-congratulatory spring statement.

As night follows day, the discussion turned to Siteserv and, predictably, O’Rourke grilled the minister on why it required 19 freedom of information requests before independent TD Catherine Murphy received the necessary information on the company now in the eye of the storm over its sale by Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, at considerable losses to the taxpayer, to the plutocrat Denis O’Brien.

Not content with accusing RTÉ of failing to disclose a report on its future, commissioned a year ago, the minister turned gurrier-like on the journalist, claiming he was “really scraping the barrel” in his line of questioning and telling him to “get off the stage”.

Not one to be intimidated, however, O’Rourke reminded him that Mr Justice Hamilton said many years ago there would have been no need for the Beef Tribunal, if TDs could only get answers to questions through the Dáil.

The Noonan approach would consign FoI questions to “background information” and typifies the arrogance of a Government which promised openness and transparency.

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