Fianna Fáil bred culture of corruption, cronyism and golden handshakes - Ferris

Martin Ferris

Speaking during Dáil Private Members’ Business on the scandal at 26 County employment and training agency FÁS on Tuesday Sinn Féin TD Martin Ferris accused Fianna Fáil of breeding a culture of corruption, cronyism and golden handshakes.
He said the Tánaiste should resign as she has stood over the indecent golden handshake to disgraced former Director General Rody Molloy and has shown herself incapable of addressing the unemployment crisis and getting FÁS doing the job it is funded to do.
Ferris said, “Reform has to be implemented as quickly as possible. Sinn Féin have already called for the Tánaiste to resign - she has stood over the indecent golden handshake to disgraced former Director General Rody Molloy and has shown herself incapable of addressing the unemployment crisis and getting FÁS doing the job it is funded to do.
“Rody Molloy should have been sacked, fired, booted out and shamed for his wholly disgraceful behaviour in FÁS. But he wasn’t. He was allowed to resign and save face after having squandered millions of euros of taxpayers’ money.
“What we have seen is double standards in Government; Government officials across the board looking after their own, making sure they get a little extra something while workers across the state are feeling this recession harder than anyone else.
“Where was the government intervention and support when, for example, the Thomas Cook workers had to protest and hole themselves up in Thomas Cook headquarters, when they were brought before the High Court for seeking a decent remuneration for themselves? I’ll tell you where it was – it was in seedy backroom negotiations with Rody Molloy, fluffing up his nest egg and giving him a pat on the back.
“How was this allowed to happen? The answer is simply that the Fianna Fáil government has bred this culture of corruption, cronyism and indeed golden handshakes. Indeed NAMA is a case in point: the only beneficiaries of this government intervention will be the bankers and developers. There is no NAMA for ordinary people.”