Willie O’Dea - the unanswered questions

Unanswered because it seems no one in the Dead Tree Press is asking them.

I was drawn a fortnight ago to the Minister of Defence Willie O’Dea’s entry in the register of Oireachtas members interest. The minister as many people will know has a weekly column in the Sunday Independent. Now, politicians writing the occasional column or making the odd television appearances is not uncommon nor should it be discouraged. However, a weekly column is a platform for promotion of his view with the intent of increasing his electoral chances much like any other piece of advertising and it suggests an employment relationship with Independent News & Media. So why is there no reference to this engagement in his return.

The absence to any reference to his column begs the following questions.

Is the minister actually employed on contract by Independent News and Media and is he paid the going rate for this column? – and why is this not listed on his return?

If he is not employed then does he pay a market rate for the advertising space he is being given to convey his political message to the public each week?

If not then this space is being given as a gift from Independent New and Media to the minister and why was it not noted as such on his return?

Those are the only real options.

The scenario where a senior minister takes up an offer of assistance from a major commercial organisation and it is not viewed as worthy of a question or two is peculiar. An offer that will assist his re-election chances and one that he doesn’t declare it in his entry of the register of Oireachtas members’ interests. Many would think that this would be headline news, right? Well, while we’ve had the usual prurient interest in who owns how many houses and perhaps the exotic shareholders of some Oireachtas members, there are been no mention of this cosy relationship.

Why is this? It would seem that we have a media that will, rightly in my view, highlight any and all juicy morsels that a TD or Senator may be offered except when the sweetener is from the media itself. The declarations are to inform the public of what interests members have and how they may influence the decisions of Oireachtas members and most especially cabinet members. In the case of Minister Willie O’Dea and IN&M we have a situation where a minister appears to be able to avail of free print space, no favours asked or given.

In order to cover all the possible forms of inducement the form that members have to return has entries for contracts, gifts or other remuneration. This arrangement must fall under one of those 3 categories but which one and why did the minister not include it?

The annual focus on share and property ownership in the returns is regarded as good clean voyeurism but free gifts to ministers in the form of print space from media organisations goes to the heart of what the declarations are meant to be about. Exposing the links to and influences from organisations on our paid public representatives. Where is the questioning of the detail of the returns from our friends in the 4^th estate? Could it be that in the case of their own industry that they feel themselves to be outside the intent of the legislation?

I suppose it is much better in the public interest to look at who might have a interest in conflict diamonds. That is much more Hollywood. And whatever did happen to McDowell’s holiday home in Roscommon?