My advice to Junior Minister Murphy is next time he has a job vacancy, why not opt to employ a ‘failed PR guru;’ he certainly appears to need someone to attach a bit of common sense, decency and spin to his skewed air of entitlement…
Another week, another scandal; this time fresh and disgraceful allegations regarding one of our Government Ministers’ outrageous abuse of privilege and power came to light.
Well readers, I’m sure you’ve heard the reports that ‘on duty’ members of An Garda Síochána drove Junior Minister Dara Murphy 200km from Cork to Dublin Airport so he could catch a flight for a meeting he had in Brussels after his chauffeur-driven car broke down. Er, just wondering Minister, was this ‘chauffeur,’ the very same ‘failed politician,’ you reportedly employed as ‘a €630 per week’ taxpayer-paid driver, by any chance? Surely for that amount you could have got someone with enough basic mechanical knowledge to get the car serviced?
Also readers, earlier in the year, you may remember reports emerged that Mr Murphy had, in grand style, requested the use of the government jet, at a cost of €30,000, to fly home from Latvia so he could vote in the marriage equality referendum. Aah, bless his patriotic little soul.
Now there are conflicting reports surrounding this incident, as, according to the Irish Independent, ‘The Star reports comments from the Minister’s spokesperson that the help was offered – however the Irish Examiner reports the Minister as telling the paper he asked Fermoy garda station to send help as it was an ‘emergency’.’
However, personally I don’t give a rat’s whotsit whether this exclusive and free taxi service, on behalf of taxpayers and provided by our hard-working boys and girls in blue, was ‘offered’ or ‘requested,’ I just care that it happened at all.
In fact I was incandescent with disbelief given the current climate of closed garda stations with the onset being the incredible rise in rural crime where vulnerable Irish citizens, nay, taxpayers, are being threatened, robbed and in some cases beaten to a pulp in their own homes…and why? Because, due to this Government’s closure of 140 Garda stations, rural Ireland is going virtually unprotected and unpoliced while our lovely and highly professional under-staffed and over-stressed Gardaí are being forced to work as taxi hacks for a man who is acting like he is some manner of a Demi God but who clearly cannot manage his finances if, on a Junior Minister’s salary, he was unable to cough up the fee for a private taxi service.
I raise this point given the reported claim made by taxi man Gerdy Murphy that “the Minister turned down the offer (of a taxi to the airport) because he was concerned that he was facing a taxi bill of €300-€350.” A claim which, I must add was denied by the Minister, however Gerdy did insist, “there was a taxi available and it was turned down when the cost was mentioned.” A case of he says/he says…I’ll let readers arrive at their own conclusions.
Now while I do know there is a Government protocol in place, as does Mr Demi God Junior Minister, whereby he could have ‘contacted the Gardaí for assistance’ – and here is the clincher folks – ‘as a last resort,’ i.e. an emergency – the breaking down of a chauffeur driven car is not, in my opinion, one of those times.
So, in the event that Junior Minister Dara Murphy doesn’t understand exactly what does constitute an emergency, let me outline it for you Sir…an emergency is a situation whereby there is an immediate risk to your health or your life, to your property or to your environment. Kinda like, oh, let’s just say for example, you’re a genteel, frail, vulnerable, petrified elderly lady, a precious voter, living alone in rural Ireland, you’ve locked up for the night, popped your teeth into a glass of Steradent and you’re slipping into your flannelette nightie when suddenly you hear an unexpected noise; terrifyingly, you realise that the last remnants of your safety, security and dignity are about to be violated, stolen from you; snatched in the echoing sound of your bedroom door being viciously kicked in; suddenly forcing you, in your autumn years, to shed any dreams you had of living out a quiet, safe and peaceful life in your own home like a serpent’s skin. You know instinctively that dialling 999 is futile, firstly because the signal in your area is sxxte, secondly, who the hell is going to come to your aid because the local cop shop with the friendly and caring Gardaí has long since lain deserted, their excellent, reassuring presence phased out and finally shut down altogether by those in charge of your welfare. That Minister, for your information, constitutes an EMERGENCY!
The fact that this able-bodied Minister and Cork North Central TD, when questioned by reporters, and, I suppose, sensing that blood was in the water, still defiantly claims he was left ‘stranded’ on the side of the road, and blindly insists he “ had to make the call on the night,” makes me think he is possibly a deluded man who needs to be told that just because he has been democratically elected to office, he cannot smugly waltz through his privileged life on pedestals specifically set for his own purpose. He also needs to be told that rural dwellers in his Cork constituency (and this goes for those politicians representing County Roscommon who expect a vote from constituents in isolated areas) cannot and will not be forced to simply get on with it and bear the brunt of the loss of their properties and dreams with a certain dignified grace and stoicism because it is just not good enough.
Rural Ireland and its people will not just curl in on itself like startled snails and yield to the scum of the earth who feel it is their right to invade homes and take what they want, when they want, and to hell with the human and financial cost. Rural Ireland and its people will not be abandoned on society’s doorstep; and most certainly we will not bow down to a Government who has, in effect, ignored its citizens’ basic needs by closing down essential Garda services and instead taken to effectively shooting its wounded.
My advice to Junior Minister Murphy is next time he has a job vacancy, why not opt to employ a ‘failed PR guru;’ he certainly appears to need someone to attach a bit of common sense, decency and spin to his skewed air of entitlement and sorry ass excuses.
