Former minister Shane Ross has delivered a feisty and honest account of his time in coalition with Fine Gael, says RTÉ political editor David Murphy
Shane Ross generated some memorable headlines and quips during his four years in government.
One came about after the former Transport Minister accidently voted against his own measure to tighten drink-driving legislation.
It happened just after Ross and his colleagues in the Independent Alliance discussed a possible trip to North Korea - quickly scotched by their government colleagues.
His voting errors prompted one social media wit to post a photograph of North Korean leader Kim Jung-un with the caption: "Shane Ross, no come to Korea, no touch buttons."
On another occasion, he turned up uninvited to Dublin's Shelbourne Hotel to ask rugby stars Johnny Sexton and Rob Kearney to pose with him for a photograph, after their 2018 Grand Slam triumph.
Ross prompted an onslaught on social media when he mistakenly tweeted that Rob Kearney's brother Dave was in the photograph with him - leading to the front page headline 'Chilly Wrong Kearney’ in the Irish Daily Star.
Former Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan observed that Ross's new book In Bed With The Blueshirts should have been called "Tittle-Tattle from the margins of Government."
It is not surprising that Mr. Flanagan was dismissive of the memoir, given the series of arguments between the two when they were fellow Cabinet members.
But there is more to this book than idle gossip, and it contains fascinating insights into Ross's unsuccessful attempts to reform the way judges are appointed.
Granted, it is a breezy and engaging account of his four years at the Cabinet table. It covers his failures, successes and multiple slip-ups, and provides laugh-out-loud moments for any reader.
It is also more candid than many of his former colleagues might, perhaps, wish.
Shane Ross, variously a stockbroker, journalist and politician, helped to lead the Independent Alliance into a minority government with Fine Gael in 2016.
His recollections of the years in government is honest about his own faux pas, which often occurred when he tried to manufacture publicity for himself. He is candid about wanting to be part of good news stories.
Such as when he gate-crashed boxer Katie Taylor's homecoming. "I stuck to her like a limpet. Was I conscious of the cameras? You bet; I was determined to feature in the pictures with Ireland's most successful sports woman ever."
The public was quick to call out what he describes as his "shameless" behaviour.
"Never before in the history of public relations stunts has an Irish politician been battered by a bigger boomerang," he admits cheerfully.
In fact, many of his slip-ups were entirely self-inflicted and caused by the Minister running his own social media. He is also honest about the failings of others.
His overhaul of drink-driving legislation met with resistance from lobby groups and some rural TDs. But those who disapproved had difficulty arguing with dignified campaigners who lost family members in traffic accidents.
He writes: "Some did have hearts of stone. While the Irish Road Victims Association (IRVA) held its vigil outside Leinster House, Danny Healy-Rea approached them and appallingly insisted 'only two or three glasses' would not be the cause of road accidents."
Ross also saw to it that two campaigners from victim groups joined the Road Safety Authority.
The recent controversy over the process to elevate Séamus Woulfe to the Supreme Court bench makes this book both timely and particularly interesting.
Ross has believed for many years that the judicial appointment process is outdated and badly in need of reform.
"Far from there being a real 'separation of powers' between our judges and politicians they are joined at the hip," he says.
He tried and nearly succeeded in introducing legislation to overhaul the process.
It faced huge opposition, partly because he wanted a new commission which would select judges to be headed by a lay chair.
In 2017, just after Leo Varadkar was appointed Taoiseach, the "judges broke cover," he says.
"The president of all five courts including the outgoing chief justice Susan Denham took a swipe at the measure, writing to Leo that it had 'serious implications for the administration of justice.' Simultaneously the Association of Judges released a statement which described the bill as 'seriously flawed.'"
The Attorney General at that time, one Séamus Woulfe, described the legislation as a "dog’s dinner" of a measure.
The proposed law was also held up by a marathon filibuster in the Seanad involving Independent senator and senior counsel Micheal McDowell.
Finally, when the legislation was about to return to the Dáil to be passed at the beginning of the year, Leo Varadkar called the general election for February.
The proposed law which was "tantalisingly close to completion after four years, fell at the last hurdle," according to Ross.
The current Government has now committed to a version of the reform which does not include the planned lay chairperson.
Some key players who are not often in the public eye emerge well from the book. The civil servants who tried to keep the sometimes wayward Minister Ross on track are unflinchingly professional and dedicated to public service.
Sinn Féin also wins his respect for remaining solidly in support of his drink-driving reforms.
It is also clear that Ross trusts Leo Varadkar.
Despite engaging in "pork barrel politics", Ross lost his seat in Dublin Rathdown in February 2020.
He blames a turn in the tide against Independent politicians. His social media gaffes didn’t help either.
And as for that Kearney blunder: "I goofed badly with my Kearney brothers blunder in a rugby-mad constituency," he says.
In fact, go easy on Twitter is an important lesson he’s taken from his time in public office: "There is no doubt fewer votes would have been lost if I stayed away from Twitter."
In Bed With The Blueshirts by Shane Ross is published by Atlantic Books.
