Transparency International critical of lack of action on corruption.

Death and Taxes

http://www.rte.ie/aertel/desktopxhtml/117-1.html

it beggars belief that after all this country has been through that legislation to deal with the endemic political,corporate, and institutional corruption in this country still has not been brought forward.
How can we ever hope to rebuild trust in both political and civil society when there appears to be an official attitude of "carry on as before" from the government?

Floppybits

Add into that revoking self regulation in the building industry and replacing it by more stringent regulation to prevent another Priory hall being built in the future and complete scumbag like McFeely getting away scot free.

Manach

Given the state itself is one of the prime instigators of such and has swept scandals such as the Nursing home payments under the carpet for decades then it is hardly the best watcher of the watchers.

Scofflaw

Link to TI press release - the original link has changed: http://transparency.ie/news_events/government-cannot-afford-drag-its-heels-integrity-reforms-says-transparency-internationa

Anti-corruption group Transparency International (TI) Ireland today warns that the coalition cannot afford to wait for reforms to clean up politics and business that were pledged under the Programme for Government. The warning comes as it publishes a European Commission-funded study on safeguards against corruption in Ireland.

The National Integrity Systems study finds that measures aimed at preventing undue influence over public policy and stopping corruption in local government have yet to be implemented. TI Ireland also criticises the Government’s delay in bringing a whistleblower protection bill before the Oireachtas and its U-turn on a Programme for Government pledge to restore Freedom of Information to its status before it was weakened in 2003.

And the report addendum: http://transparency.ie/sites/default/files/TI%20Country%20Study%20Addendum2012.pdf

cordially,
Scofflaw

View

Oh, this issue the government would appear to be fairly representative of public opinion - by and large, the public don't care enough about it and neither does the government.

PS In politically terms, "Care" = Will vote based on the issue

Death and Taxes

View wrote: »

Oh, this issue the government would appear to be fairly representative of public opinion - by and large, the public don't care enough about it and neither does the government.

PS In politically terms, "Care" = Will vote based on the issue

Regrettably, we already know that Dont Care= Will pay huge amounts of money in the future!
What is really worrying is the absolute lack f action on a whistleblowers charter, in the absence of same those who information on abuse, malpractice and corruption are likely to remain silent!

everdead.ie

There should be a few simple rules surely

1. people who tax dodged in the last ten years can't hold public office
2. Those who have had any kind of criminal conviction can never hold office.
3. Membership of a criminal organization at any point can never hold office

Not to mention they should have no say over their own pay that should be decided by an independent panel and surely look very similar to that they receive in other European countries.

Dannyboy83

View wrote: »

Oh, this issue the government would appear to be fairly representative of public opinion - by and large, the public don't care enough about it and neither does the government.
PS In politically terms, "Care" = Will vote based on the issue

I don't understand.

1. At the most recent election, Fine Gael promised reform.
2. The electorate voted for Fine Gael.
3. Fine Gael haven't reformed (probably because they expect to be the dominant party for the next decade).

I'm not sure what the electorate are supposed to do?

Dannyboy83

There's no need to answer that actually, I'm going to predict the typical boards answer to my question:

i) A few clichés about Irish people (which utterly contradict each other):
Blind loyalty! Irish begrudgery!

ii) Citing one constituency voting for Michael Lowrey (and ignoring Fine Gael achieving a near majority in the rest of the country)

iii) Stating the system cannot be reformed because the Irish people are too stupid! (Refusal to acknowledge that immigrants from supposedly 'mature' countries are forced to vote in the exact same manner when they move here, lol, and refusal to address that the Irish system is broken rather than the electorate)

iv) Stating we have to master representative democracy before we try direct democracy (good idea, let's do this while we all become native Irish speakers)

v) A high horse spiel about how stupid Irish people should write to their TDs/Councillors (ignoring the party whip and ignoring the fact that constituents have done this for decades and it never changed sh1t, because the system has been designed specifically to facilitate this)

vi) stating that the electorate need to punish politicians who are corrupt (ignore the hammering Fianna Fail took 12 months ago), who don't live up to their promises (ignoring that the Green party were smashed 12 months ago) and instead vote for those who DO promise reform (erm, Fine Gael 12 months ago??)

Last but not least:
vii) Utterly ignore the lack of a recall system in Irish politics and instead blame it on the electorate again. WAHAAAYYYYY!!!!

MadsL

Chancer as hero culture. Witness the support for the Quinns.
Utter lack of enforcement for anything, whistleblowers as "rats"
Fixed de road mentaility.

Will I go on?

All of these cultural blindspots means Ireland has no popular will to tackle corruption.

kippy

MadsL wrote: »

Chancer as hero culture. Witness the support for the Quinns.
Utter lack of enforcement for anything, whistleblowers as "rats"
Fixed de road mentaility.

Will I go on?

All of these cultural blindspots means Ireland has no popular will to tackle corruption.

What's corruption?

MadsL

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corruption

Death and Taxes

everdead.ie wrote: »

There should be a few simple rules surely

1. people who tax dodged in the last ten years can't hold public office
2. Those who have had any kind of criminal conviction can never hold office.
3. Membership of a criminal organization at any point can never hold office

Not to mention they should have no say over their own pay that should be decided by an independent panel and surely look very similar to that they receive in other European countries.

Cant agree with that at all, I have a criminal conviction, since getting out I have completed a Diploma in Politics and Government, a B.A. (Hons) in TCD, I now own my own business and am an employer, I am up to date with my taxes and involvent in several voluntary organizations, but according to you I am beyond rehabilitation and can never be trusted!

MadsL

I'd reverse it - anyone convicted of a serious offence whilst in office is disbarred from holding future office, state employment and forfeits pension.