IRISH POLITICS: There's more than one Monica Leech

Everybody now believes there’s an inside track, a golden circle, and that someone somewhere is getting more of something than others, because of inside knowledge or friendship. It may not actually be the case. Indeed, what with all the tribunal revelations, it probably isn’t. But perception is reality, and that’s the perception.
So it was that people fell with such glee on the Martin Cullen/Monica Leech mystery. Leech provided PR support and advice to Cullen. The usual unsubstantiated mutterings suggested other layers. Cullen has always irritated people, so there was added value for his detractors.
The affray led to a clampdown on ministerial use of PR agencies. Cullen put his head down, and tried to limit his exposure to places where he was palpably doing reasonably effective work. A win-win situation, one might opine.
But it then emerged that there are two Monica Leech(e)s. One we knew about, the PR person. The other is a barrister. Weirdly, both their houses had been broken into and laptops stolen – only laptops.
There was speculation that the IRA carried out the robbery. It was made known that the IRA was involved in surveillance of politicians.
With some regret, one ends by saying that we know no more of these things than we did months ago. It could be a great movie, but you’d love to know who did what and when by the end.
Meanwhile, the tribunals rumble on. The death of Liam Lawlor has robbed the Mahon Tribunal (formerly the Flood Tribunal) of a central character. It may also allow others to fudge and evade questions that they couldn’t have, had Lawlor been around.
That may mean that Mahon’s conclusions, whenever we get them, will be less clear-cut than we’d like. And that, in turn, will allow free rein to those who believe that someone somewhere is getting a slice that they shouldn’t.
And you know, what with all the building boom and economic growth we have, they may well be right.
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What's €40 million between friends?
Cost overruns became a big issue this year. Why this year is unclear, given that overruns have been around since Noah, and also that most big road projects are coming in on or below budget, but there you are. An early one concerned the floodworks scheme on the River Nore.
This cost €48million, four times the original cost. Then it had to be redesigned, after it was discovered that errors were made in calculating water levels on the project. The wrong type of fish pass was built on the Lacken weir, and it was too high for salmon to reach because the water levels are too low.
It’s not just building and engineering that goes wrong. Look at the disaster that is the Garda PULSE computer system. An even worse debacle surfaced in October, this time to do with the health service’s computer systems, PPARS and FISP.
The original budget for PPARS in 1998 was €8.8 million. In 2002, a new budget was agreed for an expanded version – now up to €100m. To date, the cost of implementing it is €116m while €40m has been paid to consultants Deloitte and Touche. Pat Rabbitte said they should be renamed Deloitted and Touche. The minimum total (if it’s implemented) will be €165m.
As for FISP, €30million has already been spent. Of this, €18.12m has gone to Deloitte and Touche! And it’s estimated that it will cost €176m… if it’s implemented, that is!
The outturn means a colder Christmas for consultants than they might have expected. But given the Government’s preoccupation with keeping public service numbers down, there will be a continuing need to import expertise, and with it, a continued risk that things will, inadvertently of course, go wrong.