COMMENT: Sargent shows his true mettle
TREVOR Sargent's resignation as a Minister of State was a glowing example of why the Green Party TD has been consistently returned to the Dáil since 1992. There were no votes of confidence to survive, no humming and hawing, no dodging the bullet and no days of mounting speculation.
Deputy Sargent instead acknowledged he had done wrong - after realising he had actually done so - prepared his short speech, and stepped down, his dignity and standards still intact, despite what had transpired. It's rare the resignation of a minister should somehow galvanize his credentials, but if anything, last week's events have demonstrated the mark of the man. As he pointed out himself, whatever doesn't kills us, makes us stronger, and that certainly rings true in this instance. While the Green Party may be doused in unpopularity, its former leader has done himself no harm by once again sticking to his core principals and values.
A Garda investigation will aim to determine how and why documentation relating to the case that ultimately led to his demise became public knowledge. In the meantime, Ireland's loss can be rightly viewed as Fingal's gain. Deputy Sargent has vowed to continue in his role as a Dublin North TD and has chosen to focus on helping others, rather than his own worries.
