The Irish chapter of anti-corruption organisation Transparency International (TI) has called on the government to tackle systemic corruption rather than satisfy itself with the prosecution of former government Press Secretary Frank Dunlop who was sentenced on Tuesday to two years in prison and fined 30,000 euros on five counts of bribery.
The Chief Executive of TI Ireland, John Devitt, called for the prosecution of all alleged bribe takers where there was sufficient evidence to bring a case.
He pointed to the need for whistleblower protection for everyone who reports an issue of public concern and a register of lobbyists to shine more light on the role of money on government policy making.
“Government may be tempted to believe that this prosecution, while welcome, draws a line in the sand. The sad reality is that eight local politicians [three of whom are deceased] were also accused of taking bribes from rogue developers via Mr. Dunlop.
“If we are to prevent the same thing happening again, the government has to commit itself to introducing comprehensive whistleblower legislation for all employees together with a register of lobbyists,” Mr. Devitt said.
Green Party say sentence justified
The Green Party welcomed the sentencing of the former government press secretary.
MEP candidate for Dublin, Deirdre de Burca said, “The jailing of Frank Dunlop is a welcome development. His sentence is fully justified but must not represent the end of this process. Others who contributed to this situation similarly have to account for their role in planning corruption.
“I hope that this will be the first of a series of imprisonments for the widespread corruption that poisoned the Irish political system in the 1980s and 1990s.
“Dunlop’s bribes and the complicity of the predominately Fianna Fail and Fine Gael politicians that took his payoffs and recklessly approved the planning of unsuitable developments have created problems in our societies that many people still live with today.
“There are victims of Dunlop’s crimes. These are the people who live in communities with inadequate schools, healthcare and public transport facilities.
“The Green Party is determined to clean up politics and end corruption in the planning system.”
Ms. De Burca said that Green Party Minister John Gormley will soon publish a new planning bill that aims to “mark a sea change in planning in this country.”
“But even with this new legislation and new rules on spending there is no room for complacency. I want to see ethics legislation improved to ensure that politicians account fully for the money they raise and spend,” she concluded.
Ireland’s reputation damaged
Corruption is believed to have badly damaged Ireland’s reputation overseas according to a statement by TI. Ireland’s score on the worldwide Corruption Perceptions Index worsened dramatically in the wake of revelations of corruption at the Planning Tribunal.
The Corruption Index which measures business perceptions of corruption in some 180 countries is often used by foreign investors to calculate political risk and is believed to directly affect levels of foreign direct investment. In 1995, Ireland’s score on the corruption league table was 8.57 out of 10, with a score of 10 denoting a country free of corruption. By 2002 that score had dropped to 6.9. The latest rating positioned Ireland as the 17th least corrupt country ahead of the UK and US. Denmark is currently ranked as the least corrupt country on the index.
The Council of Europe and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have called for whistleblower safeguards in Ireland that will protect any employee reporting wrongdoing to their employer, the authorities or a third party. The European Commission is also supporting a groundbreaking whistleblower protection and advice programme in Ireland to be led by Transparency International later this year.
The Chief Executive of TI Ireland, John Devitt, called for the prosecution of all alleged bribe takers where there was sufficient evidence to bring a case.
He pointed to the need for whistleblower protection for everyone who reports an issue of public concern and a register of lobbyists to shine more light on the role of money on government policy making.
“Government may be tempted to believe that this prosecution, while welcome, draws a line in the sand. The sad reality is that eight local politicians [three of whom are deceased] were also accused of taking bribes from rogue developers via Mr. Dunlop.
“If we are to prevent the same thing happening again, the government has to commit itself to introducing comprehensive whistleblower legislation for all employees together with a register of lobbyists,” Mr. Devitt said.
Green Party say sentence justified
The Green Party welcomed the sentencing of the former government press secretary.
MEP candidate for Dublin, Deirdre de Burca said, “The jailing of Frank Dunlop is a welcome development. His sentence is fully justified but must not represent the end of this process. Others who contributed to this situation similarly have to account for their role in planning corruption.
“I hope that this will be the first of a series of imprisonments for the widespread corruption that poisoned the Irish political system in the 1980s and 1990s.
“Dunlop’s bribes and the complicity of the predominately Fianna Fail and Fine Gael politicians that took his payoffs and recklessly approved the planning of unsuitable developments have created problems in our societies that many people still live with today.
“There are victims of Dunlop’s crimes. These are the people who live in communities with inadequate schools, healthcare and public transport facilities.
“The Green Party is determined to clean up politics and end corruption in the planning system.”
Ms. De Burca said that Green Party Minister John Gormley will soon publish a new planning bill that aims to “mark a sea change in planning in this country.”
“But even with this new legislation and new rules on spending there is no room for complacency. I want to see ethics legislation improved to ensure that politicians account fully for the money they raise and spend,” she concluded.
Ireland’s reputation damaged
Corruption is believed to have badly damaged Ireland’s reputation overseas according to a statement by TI. Ireland’s score on the worldwide Corruption Perceptions Index worsened dramatically in the wake of revelations of corruption at the Planning Tribunal.
The Corruption Index which measures business perceptions of corruption in some 180 countries is often used by foreign investors to calculate political risk and is believed to directly affect levels of foreign direct investment. In 1995, Ireland’s score on the corruption league table was 8.57 out of 10, with a score of 10 denoting a country free of corruption. By 2002 that score had dropped to 6.9. The latest rating positioned Ireland as the 17th least corrupt country ahead of the UK and US. Denmark is currently ranked as the least corrupt country on the index.
The Council of Europe and the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) have called for whistleblower safeguards in Ireland that will protect any employee reporting wrongdoing to their employer, the authorities or a third party. The European Commission is also supporting a groundbreaking whistleblower protection and advice programme in Ireland to be led by Transparency International later this year.
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