Bertie changes his tune on Charlie
The árd fheis passed a motion, almost unanimously, to “send its best wishes to the former Taoiseach Charles J Haughey.”
It is an insult to honest, hard-working people that FF should embrace a man who amassed 11 million in ‘donations’ on which he paid no tax, lied to the tribunals, lied to his own legal team, and lied to the Irish people.
At the 1997 FF árd fheis, Bertie Ahern (then leader of the Opposition) was clear on how Mr Haughey ought to be regarded within the party:
“We could not condone the practice of senior politicians seeking or receiving, from a single donor, large sums of money. There would be no place in our party today for that kind of past behaviour, no matter how eminent the person involved or the extent of their prior services to the country.”
In the eight years since, Mr Ahern appears to have changed his tune significantly. On Saturday last, he said: “Mr Haughey’s a great man, he served his country well, always got into a bit of controversy, but I’m certainly proud of Mr Haughey.”
How could Mr Ahern refuse to condone Mr Haughey in 1997, and then express almost undiluted pride in him in 2005? How can he dismiss Mr Haughey’s wrongs as “a bit of controversy” since he had spoken so gravely of his transgressions while in Opposition?
It is difficult not to conclude that, as the years have worn on, and as the tribunal process falls into further disrepute in the public mind, FF at all levels has slowly shed any illusions it may have had about integrity in public life.
Given the margin by which this motion was passed, it is clear the vast majority of FF members have joined their party leadership in the morally bankrupt wilderness they inhabit.
Barry Walsh
Brookfield Hall
Castletroy
Limerick
