merrion street

Speaking today at the AGSI annual conference in Limerick Minister Shatter spoke of the security challenges facing policing North and South.   Referring to the recent murder of PSNI Constable Ronan Kerr he forcefully rejected this brutal act as an act of terrorism, saying that,

 ...they will not succeed.  The changes which have occurred in Northern Ireland since the Good Friday Agreement should leave no one in any doubt that the interests of all citizens, in both parts of this island, lie in support for the police and the institutions established there.  Co-operation between North and South, and co-operation between the Garda Síochána and the PSNI, is here to stay.

Responding to earlier discussions on the financial difficulties facing individual Gardaí in light of recent revelations of the former AIB Managing Director's retirement package, the Minister echoed the general sentiment,

It defies belief that at a  time when our banks were on public life support as a consequence of bad management, flawed judgements and indefensible practices that a retirement package to the reported value of €3 million could be implemented to benefit a retiring senior executive.  Despite everything we now know it seems that bad judgement, hubris and greed are still alive and well.

Those responsible for the banking debacle should hang their heads in shame.  It is long past the time for a public acknowledgement of the gross immorality of demands made for excessive retirement rewards.  No one should expect Irish taxpayers to carry an ever increasing burden to facilitate retiring bank executives lead lives of unjustified luxury.