Charge Fianna Fáil chiefs of treason - Castlebar Town Council

Charge Fianna FΡil chiefs of treason - Castlebar Town Council


Edwin McGreal

TAOISEACH Brian Cowen, former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and former Minister of Finance Charlie McCreevy, along with banking chiefs, should be charged with treason, a crime still punishable by death under the Irish statutes.
That was the near unanimous consensus of Castlebar Town Council last week when they voted eight to one in favour of Cllr Frank Durcan’s motion to call on the Government to indict for treason the politicians and bankers responsible for undermining the Irish economy.
Only Fianna FΡil Cllr Blackie Gavin, the sole FF representative on the council, opposed the motion and the authority is now to write to Government calling on them to charge with treason politicians and bankers who undermined the economy.
While it is a near certainty that such an action will produce no prosecution, Cllr Durcan and many of his council colleagues insisted their feelings ought to be made known.
In a at times emotive address, Independent Cllr Durcan stated that things were so bad in the country, that many people were taking their own lives due to financial stresses.
The outspoken councillor particularly cited politicians Bertie Ahern, Charlie McCreevy and Brian Cowen, along with disgraced former Anglo Irish Bank chief SeΡn Fitzpatrick.
“These people are still driving around in Mercs while wives are being left without a husband, children without a parent because of the financial strain that is resulting in a lot of suicides. In any other country these politicians and bankers would be behind bars,” Cllr Durcan argued.
Cllr Harry Barrett (Labour) seconded the motion, describing the NAMA programme as ‘the biggest three card trick ever pulled in any country’.
When it was pointed out that treason is still punishable by death, Cllr Barrett responded: ‘this is no less than an act of treason and the death penalty has been abolished so that’s not an issue here’.
Fine Gael’s Cllr Ger Deere became embroiled in an angry exchange with Cllr Durcan when he requested that the motion be amended to add auctioneers to it.
Cllr Durcan, an auctioneer by profession, reacted furiously.
“Cllr Deere if you want to get personal you can. The reality is auctioneers were employees of developers, if I couldn’t sell something at a price they wanted, they’d go elsewhere. If you want to go on a platform anywhere in this town, any night, I’ll do it. That is a very unfair remark.”
However the suggestion that more than politicians and bankers be added to the motion was then taken up by Cllr Therese Ruane (Sinn Féin).
“I don’t think we can limit it to politicians and bankers. Greedy property speculators and developers are culpable. To me though Anglo Irish Bank is our Enron but we have had no criminal investigation. What happened with SeΡn Fitzpatrick and the €80m loans - if that is not a criminal act, I don’t know what is.”
However Cllr Durcan was not for turning.
“I’m not changing the wording and it is an act of treason, investigations like the tribunals are nothing more than a whitewash to protect the gangsters.”
Supporting the ‘thrust’ of the motion, Fine Gael’s Cllr Eugene McCormack singled out Bertie Ahern for criticism.
“One Bertie Ahern has to be left on his doorstep. History will treat him very coldly and badly. The bankers did what they got away with.
”I’m not speaking of you personally Cllr Durcan, but auctioneers have questions to answer in terms of the lack of transparency in their business dealings.”
Mayor Michael Kilcoyne argued that banks should have been let ‘go to the wall’ instead of being ‘bailed-out’ by the taxpayer.
Fianna FΡil’s Cllr Blackie Gavin was the only councillor not to have the floor during the debate, instead calling for a vote.
“I can’t support this motion, lets just get on with our business,” he said.
Despite Cllrs Heston, Deere, Henaghan, McCormack and Ruane expressing initial concern, they all voted in favour of the motion together with Cllrs Durcan, Barrett and Kilcoyne.
The successful motion will now be passed onto the Government.