The gloss has been taken off the Government reshuffle by news from the Moriarty Tribunal that Mr Denis Foley, a Fianna Fail vice chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, held up to £100,000 in the notorious Ansbacher accounts for a number of years. The revelation has forced his resignation from the Dail committee which completed an investigation of the DIRT tax scandal, involving financial institutions and thousands of bogus offshore accounts, just before Christmas. His continuing membership of the Fianna Fail parliamentary party is now likely to be called into question.
Coming as it did, while the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, was advising the Dail of a series of changes involving Ministers and Ministers of State, designed to allow the Coalition parties complete a further two years in Government, the timing of the disclosure was particularly unfortunate. It will reinforce the negative public perception of elected representatives in the aftermath of the financial controversies concerning Mr Charles Haughey, Mr Michael Lowry, Mr Ray Burke and Mr Padraig Flynn. It may also revive tensions within the Coalition Government.
Announcing the Government changes yesterday, Mr Ahern conformed to his public image and adopted a cautious and minimalist approach. The resignation of Mr David Andrews as Minister for Foreign Affairs initially forced a reshuffle on the Taoiseach and the subsequent decision of Minister of State, Mr Chris Flood, to resign for health reasons, created a second vacancy. The nomination of Mr Brian Cowen to replace Mr Andrews was expected, as was the appointment of Mr Micheal Martin to succeed Mr Cowen in Health. Dr Michael Woods replaces Mr Martin at Education and Minister of State, Mr Frank Fahey, takes charge of Marine and Natural Resources. The two new Ministers of State are Mr Eoin Ryan and Ms Mary Hanafin.
As details of Mr Foley's involvement in an Ansbacher account swirled around Leinster House last night, the Taoiseach and the Tanaiste initially distanced themselves from the affair. Official spokesmen maintained the issue was now before the Moriarty Tribunal; that Mr Foley was co-operating with it and that matters should be dealt with there. The Taoiseach was compelled to change his tune later as it was confirmed that he had formally learned at Christmas that his Kerry North backbencher was "cooperating with the Moriarty Tribunal". He was not informed of this development by the party, nor by Mr Foley. He only learned yesterday, according to the Government spokesman, that Mr Foley had an Ansbacher account.
These admissions now raise a number of questions for Mr Ahern, unfortunately on the day that he could have anticipated favourable publicity for reshuffling his Cabinet. Did the Taoiseach, who set such high standards for Fianna Fail members of the Oireachtas in his pre-Christmas statement on the setting up of the Standards in Public Office Commission, ask Mr Foley, at any time over the past month, the reason for his co-operation with the Moriarty Tribunal. How could he have been taken by surprise by yesterday's disclosures?
As the Tribunal proceeds to interview Mr Padraig Collery and Mr Foley, the first current Fianna Fail member of the Oireachtas to be implicated in the Ansbacher saga, Mr Foley's own action in resigning has gone some way to addressing the situation. The Ethics in Public Office Act and a succession of public statements by the party leaders have led the public to expect a vigorous response to any suggestion of wrongdoing by politicians. But the very real prospect now exists that there are two sets of Ansbacher beneficiaries - those of the Tanaiste's authorised officer and the additional Ansbacher list now revealed.