Pleased my arse
I am going to be ‘pleased in the long’ run am I?
Michael Woods was challenged yesterday to explain the appalling agreement made in 2002 whereby the religious institutions would only be liable for a maximum of €128 million in compensation to the victims of abuse.
At the time of this agreement the religious orders were well aware of the extent of the abuse but lied through their teeth about it. The government were duped into believing that the numbers of victims were in the low hundreds, rather than high thousands. They also cleverly played the poverty card and Woods and Ahern were conned into picking up the tab. This tab now stands in excess of one billion.
If Woods had a shred of decency or honesty, he would have admitted that he was wrong. But of course, we all know that a politician in this country can never ever admit that they made a mistake.
I was interested to hear what excuse he would come up with. He was defending the indefensible, but Fianna Fáil are renowned for their ducking and diving.
Sure enough, Woods announced that ‘this generation of Irish people will be very pleased in the long run they they are the very ones who have at least done something to compensate the people`who were so badly treated’.
Holy shit!
Let’s examine this statement.
The abuse was carried out over decades by the religious institutions. The government were aware of the abuse but did nothing. So there are two parties to blame. Seeing as it was the religious who were doing the abusing, they must take the majority of the blame. If I were a judge, I would say they were at least 90% liable. Instead of which, they have paid a mere 10% of the damages.
On the non-religious side, who were to blame? Was it the people of Ireland? No. Was it the department of education? Yes. So where is the compensation coming from? The people of Ireland!
The government have a long standing failing in that they fail to realise that the money they spend does not belong to them. It belongs to us. Not too long ago, I passes a large sign at the side of a motorway announcing that it had been funded by the Irish government for the people of Ireland. That is symptomatic of the arrogant attitude they have to our money.
So the people of Ireland are paying for the Department of Education’s mistakes?
I don’t begrudge the Survivors their compensation. But again, Woods is overlooking a vital point. I don’t think the Survivors are in this for monetary gain? Correct me if I’m wrong, but I would say it is very important to the Survivors that the compensation is a means to penalise the transgressors.
If there were any justice in all of this, the religious institutions should pay 90% of the compensation, and the rest should be paid out of the party funds of whatever parties were in power during that period.
Of course the religious institutions are now pleading poverty. The Christian Brothers have moved all their properties into the equivalent of an off-shore company. If I owe the banks a debt, do they accept a plea of poverty? No. Of course not. They pursue me and sell everything I have until the debts are paid off. And let’s not forget that the Vatican is complicit in all of this, and don’t try and tell me that they are broke?
Am I pleased in the long run?
Fuck you, Woods!
Holy shit.
Some of the statements coming out in the last few days are so off the wall I’ve wondered were they spoof sketches.
Is there a way in which the Department of Education can pay its share, that doesn’t involve the money indirectly being taken out of the pockets of the people of Ireland?
Xbox – I included the snippet of audio just in case anyone thought I was making it up. It is just so ridiculous, and it shows once again how how out of touch they are.
Brian – That is a difficult one, and that is why I suggested the use of party funds rather than using the national coffers. After all, the national funds belong to the Survivors too, so they are going to end up paying for their own compensation?
I may have to return to Ireland shortly. Its clear my country needs me. And I won’t be in a good mood.
I’m as shocked and horrified as everyone else about what has happened, but not in the least bit surprised at the attitudes of the government and the abusers.
Not in the least.
I am however surprised that others find it hard to believe the reaction from the government etc. What else have we come to expect?
What makes you think Woods and Ahern were conned into picking up the tab?
I’m more inclined to believe Bertie knew exactly what he was doing but was more interested in the votes he could win than fairness for either the tax payers or the victims. But would you expect anything else from that crook?
You can be sure el-Berto was counting on the elderly constituents in Dublin Central who would think “Ahh sure Bertie/Fianna Fail looked after the church that time – I’ll give them my vote”.
I’m coming a bit late to this, but I don’t know if you heard Woods’ comment on Marian Finucane on Saturday.
In this, he tried to blame all the abuse on the British legacy
(I kid you not). I couldn’t believe what the man was saying (but on another level, it’s all too believable)
Absolutely staggering in its condescension and wrong-headedness
Captain – You got stuck in my spam trap! You are more than welcome back if you have a few billion to spare.
I have reached the stage where I am no longer surprised at anything that shower will come up with. Why not blame the abuse on the British legacy? It is an insane theory but frankly it is no better nor worse than most of the other shite they come up with.
Brian:
“Is there a way in which the Department of Education can pay its share, that doesn’t involve the money indirectly being taken out of the pockets of the people of Ireland?”
Surely the Department of Education has records of who worked there at any point in time. There would have been appointed civil servants who dealt with certain channels of communication, i.e. from victims, lay-people and clergy in the institutions who were attempting to blow the whistle.
The clear line of communication and responsibility must be readily available, or are they running our Department of Education like some sort of cooperative? Find the responsible chain of command responsible and expose who covered up and who made the decisions to ignore or move the problem.
Have a tribunal, bring in the clergy and their very clearcut chain of command and responsibility. Hang them all out to dry.
What would it take for the author and others like him to be appeased. Should every church property be sold and then the church kicked out of the country? Would that appease his anger? Would he be satisfied if there were human sacrifices of those who are guilty? How about their families too? Would this then be enough? How about the slaughter of innocents? Would his conscience then be clear? Could he then move forward?
No. I’m afraid that you will never get what you think you deserve. But any pay-off is an admission of guilt. Any settlement is an acknowledgement that the church and the government were wrong. If this isn’t enough for you, then I’m afraid you need some therapy.
For while you had absolutely no part in the original incident(s) you do have a part in carrying the resentment long after the crime was committed. Why don’t you look at your part in this resentment while you’re trying to demonize everyone else. Acknowledge your own hurt. Acknowledge your own victimhood. Then grow up, become a man, and move forward. Your very life depends on your ability to forgive others who have wronged you.
Lee – I am at a bit of a loss to understand what you are saying here? Are you saying that an apology is enough? Are you saying that the guilty should remain in office after all they have done? Are yous aying that it is right for the people of Ireland to pay one billion in compensation for the sins they didn’t commit?
Incidentally, I am not suffering hurt. I am suffering anger at an institutuion that still will not acknowledge in any practical way that they have done anything wrong.
Now please, I personally brokered the deal with Mr.Woods and let me tell you, he was no pushover! However, I think that it is correct that the people of Ireland should pay for this condering all the Church has done for them over the years. And the ‘abuse’ victims get their dirty money (God will take care of them later, he told me so). Everyone is happy so let’s just move on.