Apathy on dishonesty is a threat to society

THE publication of the report by consultants Deloitte into how the Olympic Council of Ireland goes about its business sadly means the sports body can be added to a depressingly long list of institutions that, after being investigated by an independent agency, have been found to be, if not dysfunctional, then pretty close to that sorry state of disarray.

Just as the once unassailable Catholic Church, most of our banks, our financial regulatory authorities, captains of industry, too many charities, some professional bodies too, An Garda Síochána — a serial offender drowning in a culture of denial — and our battered and bruised health service, the IOC has not passed muster.

Our environmental watchdog agencies may fall into that orbit too. Our fractured, weakened Government — our political system — may have been pushed into that category too by the inconclusive result of the last general election. During and before the boom many local authorities stretched the principles of responsible planning and rezoning beyond breaking point.

If this is not too depressing a thought on a bank holiday weekend Saturday, it is as if that inflexibility, those slap-dash processes, arrogance driving indifference, if not contempt towards the very idea of honesty are representative characteristics of our culture.

Deloitte found that the OCI pays little attention “to ethical functions”, has inadequate audit processes, is not transparent and has no realistic plan to realise its objectives. Compared to their international peers the OCI, according to Deloitte, had “limited or no information” on “managing conflicts of interest, behaviours and ethics and roles and responsibilities”. Sadly, that assessment can, it seems, be applied to many other organisations in Ireland and though perfection is always elusive, if not unattainable, it is chastening that we seem so very comfortable with this culture that shortchanges us all.

Naturally, the IOC executive, in acknowledging the report, has kicked back and said it will immediately review the report for “factual inaccuracies”. We are again, as we have been so many times before, at a Humpty Dumpty moment when words mean whatever a beleaguered individual or institution wishes them to mean. The cover offered by denial and the determination to distract, to sow doubt in minds determined to be objective, are in play once again.

Why is this? Are we an inherently dishonest people? Are we apathetic about how poor values and practice can undermine society? Does any of this really matter in our post-factual world? Or, are we just stupid? The stock response from the national chorus of naysayers is that we’re no different to anyone else, but is that true? Some societies are more corrupt of course, others may look away hearing no evil or seeing no evil even more quickly but is that even the point? Does that mean we are supposed to look away too? It is of course daft to imagine that a Nirvana where everyone is honest can be created but it is equally daft to say that this would not be a better society if we all insisted on higher standards. Honestly.