Public Apology. Earlier this morning, I posted a thread about Donie Cassidy and his long-standing influence within Fianna Fáil. Regretfully I forgot to mention one of the most blatant examples of political favouritism and insider dealing in modern Irish history…the Dublin Airport bar licence scandal. In 2010, while leader in the Seanad, Cassidy held shares in both the company that lost the lucrative Dublin Airport bar licence (Atwell) and the company that was mysteriously awarded it (Cavtat). The deal was described in the High Court as “extraordinary and inexplicable” , a state-owned licence quietly shifted from one Cassidy-linked company to another, without a public tender, in apparent breach of EU rules. While creditors lost millions, Cassidy walked away with a new contract and nearly €1 million in “managerial fees” that even former executives said were bogus. I apologise to all followers for omitting this. Lessons will be learned.

Posted by Fred Bassett