Sandra McLellan (Cork East, Sinn Fein)

I welcome the opportunity to contribute to this debate on the final report of the Mahon tribunal. It is a shame it took 15 years for the tribunal to complete its work and that the costs associated with its work were so large. However, taking into consideration the findings that have been revealed regarding the core corruption within Irish politics, it may yet be a small price to pay. The conclusion of the Mahon report is that corruption was systemic and pervaded public life. The tribunal's conclusions and its criticism of the political elite in this state are damning. The report revealed what many people had been all too aware off, that the culture of corruption has blighted the political life of this state for decades and has caused widespread social damage.

Corruption in Irish political life was both endemic and systemic. It affected every level of Government, from certain holders of top ministerial office to certain local councillors. Its existence was widely known and widely tolerated. The findings of the report show that some people in elected office did not tell the truth. For me, this is the most disheartening result of the Mahon tribunal.

I was elected to my constituency in good faith to represent the people of Cork East. These people trust me to represent them. The findings of this report that politicians put their pockets before the people will further deepen the public's perception of politicians, which is damning for Irish politics.

It also reveals a culture of corruption within our political institutions. This culture began with the development of relations between greedy developers and politicians corrupting planning for profit. At the heart of this corruption lies what was once the most powerful political institution in Ireland, Fianna Fáil. The tribunal referred to how the Fianna Fáil Ministers launched what was described as "extraordinary and unprecedented attacks on the Tribunal" to erode its independence and collapse it. Questions must be asked of these former Ministers. Why were they so quick to attack the tribunal? Was this due to the fact that they did not want the truth to get out?

The tribunal found that former Fianna Fáil Taoiseach Bertie Ahern had been untruthful, that former EU Commissioner and Fianna Fáil Minister Pádraig Flynn was corrupt, that former Fianna Fáil Taoiseach Albert Reynolds turned a blind eye to it all, and that former Fianna Fáil member Liam Lawlor abused his role as a public representative. This statement, that the Head of State and the person who represented our country throughout the world was found by the tribunal to be unable to tell the truth, is horrific.

Deputy McConalogue referred to some people in Fianna Fáil being honest and he is correct. However, many Ministers around the Cabinet table turned a blind eye to what was going on and that is a very poor reflection on the Fianna Fáil Party. We attempt to teach our children from an early age that lying, even a small white lie, is unacceptable yet the final report of the Mahon tribunal is telling the entire world our former Head of State cannot tell the truth. How do we intend to teach our children right from wrong when our former Taoiseach, who held the highest office in the land, is unable to tell the truth? The evidence our former Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, gave to the tribunal was seen to be inadequate. It was clear from the outset that he was unable to give an honest account of the substantial amounts of money he received. His explanations were laughable and, during the period he was Minister for Finance, he did not have a bank account. The widespread opinion at the time was that his evidence was not believable, something the tribunal has now confirmed to be true. The final report makes references to corrupt developers who were knowingly making authorised payments to politicians for their backing for the rezoning of land and these payments were willingly embraced by all sectors of the political institutions in Ireland, from council to Government level. Greedy developers sought to corrupt greedy politicians. These greedy politicians were mainly from, but not limited to, Fianna Fáil and sought to extort brown paper envelopes from developers. The result was poor planning and devastated communities.

The evidence of this corrupt system is to be seen throughout the country. Land was rezoned from agricultural to residential use, regardless of whether sufficient housing existed. Housing estates popped up in the middle of nowhere, with no amenities to support the residents. Some local authorities also appear to have flouted their own development plans in granting certain permissions. The consequences are visible and the taxpayer, via NAMA, is now the reluctant owner of many of these empty houses and ghost estates. The Mahon report lays bare how our democracy was subverted by an unhealthy and corrupt relationship between politics and business. This rotten political culture has contributed directly to the economic catastrophe visited on this State, with all its horrendous consequences such as mass unemployment, mass emigration and the devastation of our public services through austerity and cuts. There are the many homeowners in mortgage distress because some politicians chose to facilitate developers and bankers and pursued an economic strategy that brought the State to its knees. There are growing numbers of elderly citizens who do not know if they will have a public nursing bed when and if they need it.

Within our education system, we have had Traveller support teachers removed, teachers of English as an acquired language removed, SNAs removed and home school liaison officers removed. We have had an attack on the DEIS schools and small schools are under pressure, which causes major problems in rural areas, especially in the Gaeltacht. Some students are now unable to attend university due to the increase in the registration fee paid by third-level students, a figure that is likely to continue to increase. These austerity measures are being placed upon families who are already struggling to make ends meet.

The Mahon report confirmed widespread suspicions that bribery was a tried and tested way for developers to get the decisions they wanted. Councillors do not have a great deal of power under the Irish local government system but one they do hold is the ability to rezone land. What a lucrative income stream that proved, for some, during the boom.

That corruption did not begin with the events of the individuals dealt with in the report. It dates back to the 1960s and involves several leading members of the Fianna Fáil Party. That created a culture of corruption in which many of those who rose to prominence regarded their elected positions and positions held in government as a licence to earn large amounts of money by selling their influence and votes. The Fianna Fáil Party should take a good hard look at themselves and examine what happened. Many Fianna Fáil elected representatives involved, although not corrupt, were complacent. We also saw the defiant and defensive attitude from many in the leadership of Fianna Fáil during the Mahon tribunal. It is without question that these elected representatives should have acted differently and more appropriately, both within their party at the time and to the public. Many of the people who were so defiant and defensive of the then leader Bertie Ahern, now sit on the Opposition benches.

I have little doubt this report has damaged the view of the Irish politician but I doubt the findings of the Mahon tribunal have surprised many. We need to ensure the citizens of Ireland regain confidence in their public representatives. We must ensure we have an Ireland of equals, a real republic, one that stands with the citizens not against them.

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