28th April 2002
Independent Candidate in the forthcoming General Election Cllr Tom Crosby states that one of the major issues being raised on the door steps by the general public on his canvass campaign throughout both counties Roscommon and Longford is that of Corruption and Sleaze in Politics and State Agencies in this Country.
Cllr Crosby says that the public are extremely angry with the extent of corruption throughout the Irish Political system and State Agencies, clearly some very positive steps have to be put in place as the Public tolerance is at breaking point with the clear lack of efforts being made to limit or stop this cancer in the entire system.
The Cllr states that the Sleaze that has emerged in recent times is clearly being seen as State Boards accommodating their Political Masters who appoint their own cronies on to these boards and who in turn make the decisions which in so many cases have been the subject of serious question.
One can only look at the most recent botched attempt by the Mini CTC enquiry to unravel the huge discrepancies of state funds on our Rail Signalling System where millions of pounds of Irish Tax Payers money was squandered or unaccounted for.
The recent decision to divert the Gas Pipeline from its natural route the N5 route through counties Roscommon and Longford from the Mayo coastline to Dublin was clearly a political decision to accommodate the Ministers in constituencies such as Westmeath and Offaly and of course this was made possible by the political appointed members of An Board Gais.
The Public outrage with the Planning Process in our country is now clearly seen as the worst Political Corruption machine. All one has to look at is the way An Board Pleanala is established where the nine members are appointed by their Political Masters for a five year period and which can only be renewed by their political superiors.
There are many other state boards that have been the subject of very serious question and again the same thing applies where the board members are appointed politically.
Cllr Crosby is adamant that appointments by politicians to state boards must stop and proposes that the new Government should immediately set up a totally Independent structure which would be responsible for the appointment of Members on all State Boards and could not be in future interfered with by the political process. He is confident that this would be major step to regain some confidence in the entire political system in our country.