Eoghan Harris (Independent)

The philosopher Plato imagined the perfect republic. To ensure there was no back-sliding, he imagined a class of guardians. The Romans who were wiser people asked, quis ipsos custodiet custodes - who will guard the guardians? That question is apposite this morning in the context of two examples of failure on the part of our guardians. There has been much talk about the responsibility of politicians, Mr. Richie Boucher and other bankers. As Senator Hannigan said, Mr. Boucher did what anyone would do - try to improve his situation. The onus lay on the public interest directors to shout "No" when he tried to do this. Plato said a man's character was determined by his ability to say "No". The public interest directors who were sent there by us slept on duty. Senator Bradford spoke cogently yesterday about the absence of a standard or code of public morality in this country. Did anyone call in the two directors before they were sent to the bank, stare them in the eye and say, "You are being sent there by the Irish Republic to look after its interests, so do not sleep on duty"? Will the Minister now recall them, given that they have slept on duty? They have not done their duty by the State.

There is a second example. The Chief Justice, Mr. Justice Hardiman, has cast a doubt in the strongest terms on the judgment of another public servant, Mr. Justice Flood, in the tribunal. This is no surprise to me. Any judge who could sit down with Mr. Frank Connolly and set up a centre of public inquiry to carry on the habit of abuse by aged loons such as Mr. James Gogarty and bring that carry-on into the public domain has been suspect in judgment for a long time. It is time the State told its public servants that they must do their duty by the Irish Republic.