Jim Power 'outed' on Questions & Answers

dublin | miscellaneous | news report Monday October 04, 2004 20:21 by Mark - SWP

On last Monday night's Questions & Answers, Jim Power denied Friends First was a multinational. But the group's website appears to contradict his claim.

On last Monday night's Questions & Answers, in reaction to the panel's comments on the question of whether the cabinet reshuffle would improve the Government's popularity, Martin O'Sullivan pointed out that the Government has been pursuing a neoliberal agenda since it took office, leading to savage cutbacks. He also managed to 'out' Jim Power as representing a corporation - Friends First - that is part of a multinational called Eureko. In response, Jim Power claimed: 'We're not a multinational!'. Watch the clip: http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0927/qanda/qanda56_1.smil (Fast forward to Martin's contribution, which comes 10 minutes into the clip.)

Jim Power's claim is false. A quick glance at the About Us section of the Friends First website (http://www.friendsfirst.ie/about_us.shtml) reveals the following: 'In an international context, Friends First is a subsidiary of Eureko BV. Eureko is a leading European financial services group, with a total asset base of €92.8 billion and over 15,000 employees in 15 countries. Eureko has a rating from Standard & Poor of A+.'

Not a multinational?