Alan Shatter celebrates his 2007 win with supporters.
2000s Former TD Alan Shatter acts as a family law mediator for the FriaryLaw group.
2007 Receives €1,000 political donation by Oliver J Connolly, ‘principal’ of the FriaryLaw group. Returns to Dail as a TD.
2007-2011 Rails against FF-led government cronyism right up to March 2011.
March 2011: Becomes Justice minister
[100 days later]
June 2011, Appoints Oliver J Connolly to €12,500-a-year-but-about-as-part-time-as-you’re-likely-to-get state role*.
June 15, 2011 On RTE R1’s ‘Morning Ireland’ Shatter describes the Irish Independent’s report about the appointment of his friend and one-time colleague/boss as “despicable”. Minutes earlier, the minister had deliberately evaded a question about something actually despicable: why the victims of the Magdalene Laundries cannot even get a pension before a verdict on the exact level of the state’s role in the horror is established.
*Oliver is to act as as a “confidential recipient”, which is a person whom Gardai whistleblowers may talk to in confidence (they may or may not be alarmed that their confidential whatsit is so tight with the justice minister).
Shatter Gives State Post To Supporter Who Donated €1,000 (Fiach Kelly, Irish Independent)