Taoiseach Bertie Ahern's decision to have his friend and financial backer, Joe Burke, reappointed as chairman of the Dublin Port Company was condemned as totally inappropriate yesterday by Labour spokeswoman on transport Róisín Shortall.
"Mr Burke is, by the Taoiseach's own account, one of those involved in the series of controversial payments made to Mr Ahern in 1994," Ms Shortall said.
"In addition, Mr Burke will also shortly be required to give evidence to the Mahon tribunal on these payments and in regard to a series of allegations made against the Taoiseach by Mr Tom Gilmartin.
"Clearly Mr Burke's evidence will be of vital importance to the Taoiseach. For all these reasons Mr Burke should not have been considered for reappointment," she said.
It is expected that the Cabinet will today consider a recommendation from the Department of Transport that Mr Burke be reappointed to the position he has occupied for the past five years.
Former minister for transport Martin Cullen signed the letter of reappointment in his final days in the department, but the memorandum covering the appointment will have to be brought to Government by the new Minister for Transport, Noel Dempsey. It it is understood that the instruction to make the appointment originated with the Taoiseach.
Mr Burke was one of the 12 people who contributed to the "dig out" of €49,500 given to Mr Ahern in 1993 and 1994. Mr Burke's building firm went into liquidation in recent months with debts of up to €2 million.
He was made chairman of the Dublin Port Company five years ago. His appointment in the dying days of the first Fianna Fáil-PD coalition in 2002 resulted in criticism and accusations of cronyism from Opposition parties.
The Donegal-born builder has been close to Mr Ahern for over 20 years and was a Dublin city councillor between 1985 and 1991. He is also one of the trustees of Mr Ahern's constituency office at St Luke's in Drumcondra.
Condemning the appointment, Ms Shortall cited the Taoiseach's remark in his RTÉ interview last September that he had appointed Mr Burke and others who had made payments to him to State boards because they were friends and not became of anything they had given to him.
"Despite the addition of two new Green Party Ministers around the Cabinet table, the evidence from the first days of this Government is that nothing has changed," Ms Shortall said.
"Firstly you have had the decision on the Lismullen national monument; then the decision to increase the number of ministers of State and now the reappointment of Mr Burke. Clearly, the message that Fianna Fáil is sending out to its own supporters is that it is business as usual."
The term of office of the Dublin Port Company board and Mr Burke expired on April 24th, a month before the general election, but no reappointments were made in the intervening two months.
Mr Burke's pub renovation firm, J&H Burke and Son Builders Ltd, is in liquidation. It has debts of between €1.6 million and €2 million.
