Ireland still under the influence

Fine Gael strategist Frank Flannery was effectively paid from the public purse to influence government policy, writes Elaine Byrne.

Flannery had a vested interest in utilising his preferential access to Fine Gael decision makers. If there is a more inside track, I can't imagine it.

I'm bad enough of a bastard and tough enough to make really unpopular decisions was Frank Flannery's assessment of himself as a senior Fine Gael strategist for almost 40 years.

This off-the-cuff remark at the 2012 MacGill Summer School was accompanied by a speech entitled ''Political Corruption is not just about Brown Envelopes. It was a great speech.

To a rapt audience in Glenties, Co Donegal, Flannery defined corruption as the ''inappropriate use ...