Own goals abound – but Shatter fall tops all

World of Politics with Harry McGee – harrymcgee@gmail.com

Well it certainly was an equal opportunities week for political parties shooting themselves in the foot.  First there was Sinn Féin contradicting its own arguments on policing standards when criticising the arrest of Gerry Adams.

Then there was Fianna Fáil making a dog’s dinner out of the Mary Hanafin nomination. It was a Lannigan’s Ball performance only that Mary was not willing to step out again when the party told her that her selection to stand on the party ticket was actually a de-selection from standing on the party ticket.

The net effect? It’s more or less guaranteed her election and could also result in Kate Feeney, her running mate, also getting elected.

That kind of sparring generates interest and raises profile. Look at how the spat between Mairead McGuinness and Avril Doyle sorted itself out in 2004. Both of them got elected.

This time around Fianna Fáil may very well buck the trend and win two seats in Fine Gael-dominated Dún Laoghaire when it ought to have won only won. Fianna Fáil has still made a complete mess of it but gets rewarded for its own incompetence.

The third foot wound that was self-inflicted was the most serious. Alan Shatter had been an embattled minister for some months but most people were of the opinion that he had weathered the storm. But lightning sometimes strikes twice in the world of politics.

He had a bad enough start to the week when the Data Commissioner Billy Hawkes criticised his action in releasing personal information on TV about a minor incident where the independent TD Mick Wallace was observed by Gardaí using a mobile phone in his car while waiting for traffic lights to change.

But then thunderbolt was delivered on Wednesday when a solemn Taoiseach informed the Dáil that Shatter had resigned. When one read senior counsel Sean Guerin’s report the reasons became apparent. Guerin inquired into a dossier of ten cases compiled by Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe, alleging incompetence and malpractice in investigations carried out by Gardaí.

What was most damaging was his analysis of the response of the Minister and the Department of Justice. Essentially, there were statutory obligations to inquire into and investigate the claims as long they were not frivolous or vexatious. Guerin found that that wasn’t done, that the Minister, and his officials, had accepted “without question” the work of senior Gardaí.

Had they carried out their own investigation or inquiry, Guerin found, they would have found that the allegations contained in the dossier were substantial.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.