Looks like Berite Ahern has started to loose his mind. The Taoiseachs Department (read Bertie) has appointed Celia Larkin, Berties ex-girlfriend to the board of the new State consumer agency.
Appointing ones significant other, even an ex, to any job is bound to have people claiming you cronyism even if they are perfectly qualified for the job. Human nature and a scandal hungry media will hurl accusations and scream for resignations. Unfortunately for Bertie Miss Larkin would not appear, at first glance, to be qualified. She runs two beauty salons, an industry not famous for its support of consumer rights and low price inflation. She seems to have tried several professions in the public image/journalism field, but I don't think any of them make her particularly well qualified for a lead role in Consumer Affairs.
You have to ask why on earth Bertie thought he could get away with this appointment. He is supposed to be a shrewd operator. He must have known what the public response was going to be. Why did he do something so stupid? Maybe she will be good at the job, but for crying out loud shes his ex-very-public-girlfriend its bound to look bad. Perhaps he should have asked Celia in her former role as a personal image consultant how it would look? She wouldn't have had to be good at the job to tell him it looks like an underhanded deal where a person in power looks out for his mates. Bertie must be going senile if he thought no one would notice or complain.
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