It’s not what you know, it’s who you know. That seems to be the way to prosper at Leinster House.
Barely 90 days after the Taoiseach became tangled in a cronyism row, that time involving John McNulty and the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the unquiet wraith of political scandal is about to shroud Mr. Kenny once again.
This time around, the tale of woe begins with former Fine Gael minister and Independent TD Michael Lowry covertly passing a note to the Taoiseach. Such missive expressed a personal request by Mr. Lowry to consider re-appointing Valerie O’Reilly to the board of the National Transport Authority (NTA).
The note of doom said “Taoiseach, would you please consider re-appointing Valerie O’Reilly to the board of the NTA. A woman, bright, intelligent and not bad looking either! Michael Lowry.”
Ms O’Reilly previously worked for Mr Lowry as a press advisor over the last ten years or so.
So there it is, in black and white. Once the note got out in the open, things turned out really interesting for both the Taoiseach and Mr. Lowry, who has said he has ‘no comment on the matter’.
Understandably though, the former minister, who is nonetheless no stranger to controversy, is less than impressed with the note being in the public domain, and neither is the Taoiseach, because once again, it has been proved that nepotism and cronyism are integral elements of Irish politics.