He may have disgraced himself before the Tribunal of Inquiry (Dunnes Payments), where he was characterised as a triple liar by its counsel, but Charles J. Haughey remains a substantial figure in the eyes of the State, and a significant expense to taxpayers.
The former Taoiseach still serves the people, all of the people, to the best of his ability, as a member of the Council of State. He also has important roles in two major projects involving the State - building the millennium extension to the National Gallery and bringing the Cutty Sark Tall Ships Race to Dublin next year.
Despite his reliance on big business for cash - in one known instance at any rate - Mr Haughey enjoys, as do other retired occupants of the office, substantial benefits as a former Taoiseach. He has a State car with two drivers working alternate shifts. Providing the car and armed gardai costs the State about £100,000 annually. There is also the constant presence of a uniformed garda at the gate of his Kinsealy mansion - provided by three or four gardai working in shifts at a cost of at least £80,000 a year.
In addition, Mr Haughey receives a ministerial pension amounting to about £40,000 a year, plus his TD's pension of almost £15,000. Similar sums are paid to other ex-Taoisigh such as Dr Garret FitzGerald, Mr Liam Cosgrave and Mr Jack Lynch.
As a member of the Council of State, Mr Haughey is one of a select group of 22 who advise the President on whether legislation might be unconstitutional and should be referred to the Supreme Court for its opinion.
Seven members of the Council of State are Presidential nominees, the rest are present as of right. Mrs Robinson - who has called meetings of the council seven times since becoming President - is not obliged to follow its advice. As a Council of State member, Mr Haughey considers Bills which concern the President, with a group including the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and Attorney General of the day, as well as other former Taoisigh Albert Reynolds, Liam Cosgrave and Garret FitzGerald, the Chief Justice, Mr Justice Hamilton, the President of the High Court, Mr Justice Costello, former chief justices and the former President, Patrick Hillery.
Meetings typically last between one and two hours and take place in the drawing room or dining room at Aras an Uachtarain. The President starts by explaining the possible problems she sees with the legislation, and once the discussion is under way everyone is free to contribute or say nothing. Mr Haughey's contributions have tended to be short and to the point, particularly in comparison to other members who adopt a chattier approach. Winding up the discussion, Mrs Robinson conducts a quick tour de table in which everyone is asked to give their view as to whether or not the bill should be referred to the Supreme Court.
In April, the supermarket tycoon's done went up to the Aras to attend the Council's meeting on the Employment Equality Bill, designed to outlaw discrimination in employment. He did not attend the May meeting on the Equal Status Bill.
On retiring, Mr Haughey made a point of not being involved in public life. However, he was tempted to become involved in two projects in areas in which he has a particular interest. The Tall Ships are to come to Dublin in August of next year, while the National Gallery's Clare Street extension is to be completed by the year 2000.
Mr Haughey is chairman of the National Gallery of Ireland Foundation, which was set up to raise funds for the project.
It meets about four times a year to review efforts to raise £6 million, to add to the £7.5 million in EU funds earmarked for the scheme.
Fellow fundraisers include Martin Naughton of Glen Dimplex, stockbroker Brian Davy, Bernie Gallagher of the Doyle hotel group, former Fine Gael TD Peter Barry, the builder Ken Rohan and Howard Kilroy, former second-in-command at Smurfit.
Apart from chairing the foundation's meetings, Mr Haughey is what US firms term a "rainmaker", a big name deployed to impress potential donors. He is particularly valuable for lunches and dinners, and walking around the gallery with the donors while talking knowledgeably about Irish art. Fellow foundation members have been delighted with his efforts.
Mr Haughey is also praised by people involved in the Tall Ships project, where he chairs the meetings of the organising committee which gathers at Dublin port.
The committee's work is principally to smooth the logistical difficulties involved in co-ordinating the efforts of State and city agencies for such a big event, and to help him, Mr Haughey has, among others, the Point Theatre founder Harry Crosbie the public relations consultant Mary Finan; Noel Carroll of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce and Padraig O hUiginn, former secretary of the Department of the Taoiseach.
A series of events over four days is being planned for the arrival of the ships in late August 1998. It will be a "lavish programme" (according to the brochure), and therefore a pleasant occasion for Mr Haughey who, of course, has not enjoyed a lavish lifestyle.
