Sunday Times journalist Mark Tighe has published some interesting documents concerning Minister of State for European Affairs, Dick Roche. The correspondence details Mr Roche making representations relating to a tender for patient transport services for the HSE. As Mark explains:
The Wicklow firm that Roche lobbied for is run by Pat and Irene Sweeney in Arklow. Pat Sweeney has been a town councillor in Arklow for Fianna Fail while Irene, his wife, ran unsuccessfully for Fianna Fail in last year’s local elections.
Roche wrote to Brendan Drumm, chief executive of the HSE, and the HSE’s board to criticise the “fundamentally flawed” HSE tender process for taxi services in which the Sweeney’s failed to win a contract.
Ms Sweeney was also appointed to the board of the EPA. Mr Roche claims to have been acting on behalf of constituents, but they are constituents who were clearly party political, and Mr Roche was trying to interfere in the tender process on their behalf. This type of behaviour from a politician is sadly, likely all too common – political loyalty above serving all of the people.