Fianna Fail Code of Conduct

Sir, - Despite the report to the contrary (The Irish Times, February 10th), the Fianna Fail Code of Conduct has not been "parked…

Sir, - Despite the report to the contrary (The Irish Times, February 10th), the Fianna Fail Code of Conduct has not been "parked" until the publication of the Standards in Public Office Bill and has been approved by the parliamentary party.

A great deal of consultation and work has gone in to fine-tuning this document. The end product is a first for the Irish political system. Fianna Fail now stands alone as the only political party in this country which has set out in black and white a series of obligations on ethical behaviour which must be met by those who would chose to serve our party.

Despite the self-righteous carping from the moral high ground which some in the Opposition have chosen to occupy, they have shown no inclination to take the decisive step Fianna Fail has taken. The moral high ground can be a lonely place, and for the Opposition, our initiative has clearly heightened this isolation. Where they have talked about openness and transparency, we have acted.

The Code of Conduct, which will now go to the National Executive and then on to the ArdFheis next month, sets out clearly the ethical standards required for not only office-holders and those who would seek to serve at Oireachtas, local authority and European Parliament level, but also for advisers and those in the direct employment of the party.

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Politics is about public service and accordingly, all who operate within its environs must always recognise that their highest duty is to the public that they serve. Our founding fathers established a party which sought and succeeded in breaking the stifling political mould of the day. They were driven by a strong vocation of public service and by the highest ethical standards. Over the last 74 years the record shows that Fianna Fail has remained true to these founding principles. No party has left its mark in such a positive way on the lives of our people. Fianna Fail has been in Government for over 50 of the last 70 years and our record of achievement, when set against those who seek to denigrate us, is very favourable, to put it mildly.

You are in Fianna Fail for what you can give, not for what you can get. This has always been our way. It is a fact some within our ranks have not lived up to the standards expected of them, but these are but a tiny few, as the vast majority adhere to the highest standards of decency and honesty.

The Code of Conduct builds on electoral and ethical legislation already enacted and will complement the Ethics in Public Office Bill which will be put before the Oireachtas later this year. It remains to be seen if other parties will follow our lead. The challenge has been laid down. Having failed spectacularly to make any impact on policy matters, perhaps it's time for them to surrender the moral high ground and come down with the white flag flying. - Yours, etc.,

Dr Rory O'Hanlon TD, Chairman of the Fianna Fail Parliamentary Party, Dail Eireann, Dublin 2.