First victim of smoking ban is sacked, and he is John Deasy T.D. ?...

Paddy20

John Deasy T.D. and the Fine Gael spokesperson on 'Justice' has been sacked for breaking the law and smoking several cigarettes in the bar in the Dail :eek:

Should he be fined the statutory €3000 fine as well ?...

P. :ninja:

magpie

What was the date when you heard this news Paddy? April 1st? work with me here....

Mossy Monk

it happened yesterday didnt it?

parasite

yeah, it's no april fool's, unless enda kenny & bertie ahern contrived in an elaborate joke on the media

Paddy20

He smoked in the Dail bar on Tuesday night the 30th of March 2004 . The day after it became illegal. He was sacked by Enda Kenny in the early hours of today. The story is even being reported online in all the media including The Times in the UK.

P. :ninja:

Frank Grimes

Originally posted by magpie
What was the date when you heard this news Paddy? April 1st? work with me here....

I don't think it's a joke, take a look at my post here.

ambasite

will he be fined? methinks not. only way for him to get some sort of publicity - muppet.

Frank Grimes

Originally posted by ambasite
only way for him to get some sort of publicity - muppet.

By getting himself sacked? I doubt it was for publicity, I'd agree with the muppet alright.

ChipZilla

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0401/deasyj.html

http://quote.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=aBJGzEHiTvOU

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2726647

MrPinK

Has he commented on it yet? Was he trying to stand up for smokers right or is he just unbelievably stupid?

LegacyUser

AFAIK he cannot be prosecuted because he is a member of the Dail within one of the Houses of the Oireachtas. It's like a TD caught speeding. He can claim he's on his way to the Dail on officials business (as has happened numerous times), and cannot be prosecuted.

Anyhoo, he got sacked for failing to show up for two consecutive party meetings with Enda Kenny ... give it a couple of days and the papers will cadge onto that. It was nothing to do with the smoking.

Paulw

Seems he was just being stupid, and he didn't think anything would come of it. It certainly wasn't a protest against the law. He's staying very silent today, but the govt and even his party are saying how wrong he was, and that he will be punished.

Frank Grimes

Originally posted by MrPinK
Has he commented on it yet? Was he trying to stand up for smokers right or is he just unbelievably stupid?

Judging from what he said here, he was being stupid.

Paddy20

Buckfast,

Are you saying that Mr Deasy T.D. is not subject too the statutory €3000 fine. Simply because he was within the confines of an enclosed working government building known as The Dail ?...

BTW, Mr Deasy has always made it clear that he is 'anti' the smoking ban, and it is a legal product which he buys and intends too continue smoking. If he is not made to pay the fine. Then what about the rights of the workers within
the enclosed working environment of The Dail ?... :dunno:

P. :ninja:

ChipZilla

Originally posted by Buckfast
AFAIK he cannot be prosecuted because he is a member of the Dail within one of the Houses of the Oireachtas. It's like a TD caught speeding. He can claim he's on his way to the Dail on officials business (as has happened numerous times), and cannot be prosecuted.

Anyhoo, he got sacked for failing to show up for two consecutive party meetings with Enda Kenny ... give it a couple of days and the papers will cadge onto that. It was nothing to do with the smoking.

Unlike being caught speeding, you can't say you were smoking on official business:eek:

Oriel

Is it not the Dail that would get the fine, and not yer man?
Either way, I'm not sure he should have lost his job over it.
Fair enough - if a Dail member isn't going to adhere to the new law then who is?
But saying that, would a bus driver lose his job for smoking in a pub?

S.

Frank Grimes

Originally posted by Sinecure
But saying that, would a bus driver lose his job for smoking in a pub?

If that bus driver was the opposistion's spokesman for justice he might

magpie

Jesus, I stand corrected. Fact is stranger than fiction after all.

Now where did I plant that Spaghetti Tree?

Cabaal

such a good PR move for the goverment of Ireland that brings in a anti-smoking law
what a friggin muppet he was!

Was he trying to be like the Russian lad in lethal weapon, diplomatic immunity?

padraigmyers

Its a bit over the top that he gets fired though. Do they have any right to fire him. TD's have been cought drink-driving before and not had to resign. Very stupid thing to do, but I don't think a guy should lose his career over it.

LegacyUser

Originally posted by Paddy20
Buckfast,

Are you saying that Mr Deasy T.D. is not subject too the statutory €3000 fine. Simply because he was within the confines of an enclosed working government building known as The Dail ?...

BTW, Mr Deasy has always made it clear that he is 'anti' the smoking ban, and it is a legal product which he buys and intends too continue smoking. If he is not made to pay the fine. Then what about the rights of the workers within
the enclosed working environment of The Dail ?... :dunno:

P. :ninja:

A Senator or Deputy cannot be arrested/detained/prosecuted while en route to a House of the Oireachtas (Dail or Seanad) or within one of the Houses if conducting official business. A;ll he has to say is he was discussing official business.

Genghis

It is a bit of a stretch to say that he was fired.

In fact he was demoted. The way I heard it first reported in the media first I thought he had been relieved of his seat in Dail Eireann (that would be a sacking). He is still a TD, he still paid for his work, he is still in Fine Gael.

He is simply no longer their representative for matters justice. (And given his illegal behaviour and blatant flouting of the law, demotion seems entirely appropriate to me).

As a member of the opposition I doubt he was even paid for the work he is now relieved of (though I am happy to be corrected on this one).

padraigmyers

Originally posted by Genghis
It is a bit of a stretch to say that he was fired.

In fact he was demoted. The way I heard it first reported in the media first I thought he had been relieved of his seat in Dail Eireann (that would be a sacking). He is still a TD, he still paid for his work, he is still in Fine Gael.

I must have heard the same report 'cso I though he had been relieved of his seat too.

Paddy20

AFAIK, any citizen caught smoking in an enclosed working environment, who is requested too stop smoking and refuses, as Mr Deasy refused. Is therefore guilty of breaking the [ban on smoking in places of work legislation] and is subject to a fine of €3000 ?....

BTW. This fine is applicable to individual citizens/smokers afaik, and Publicans can be prosecuted and fined different amounts as well as possibly losing their license ! :eek:

Hope the prisons have plenty of spare beds for all those poor citizens who will not be able too afford a €3000 fine, as they have already spent all their money on Fags & Alcohol ?...

P. :ninja:

LegacyUser

Originally posted by Paddy20
AFAIK, any citizen caught smoking in an enclosed working environment, who is requested too stop smoking and refuses, as Mr Deasy refused. Is therefore guilty of breaking the [ban on smoking in places of work legislation] and is subject to a fine of €3000 ?....

Yes, he was asked to stop.
Yes, he continued smoking.
Yes, he broke the law.
No, he can't be prosecuted.

As for the licencee of the Dail bar ... well, I'm sure he can be fined, but he did make efforts to prevent Deasy smoking.

I need a fag ...

MrPinK

They did say that no one will be fined in the first two weeks or so, they'd just get a warning, but I reckon they should make an exception for this guy. If anyone deserves the first fine it's him.

Sarky

Out of curiosity, how many other houses of parliament also contain fully stocked bars for their ministers? That sort of thing seems typically Irish to me, but I don't know for sure...

padraigmyers

It all sounds a bit convienient, dosn't it. I still thinkit may be April Fools

Paddy20

So, the first licensed premises that could be prosecuted for allowing one of its customers to break this governments new smoking ban law could be our own governments Dail bar ?....

Is it any wonder the worlds media is again concentrating on Irelands revolutionary New Smoking Ban and laughing up their sleeves, God only knows what their audiences must be thinking.

P. :ninja:

Sleipnir

prosecuted for allowing one of its customers

Who said anything about the bar in the Dail allowing him to smoke?
I doubt a pub could be prosecuted if someone lights up and is made to stop or thrown out.

Are the world's media laughing? I don't get that impression.

joseph brand

I think he will be made smoke a whole pack of cigs and given a slap on the wrist, . . . and a lovely bucket to get sick into.

Maybe he was just so pissed off at the ban, it says in papers that he was asking for a door to be opened to outside but was told no!! Because it was not in designated smoking area or something, which would piss ye off slightly.

My friend smokes 30 or so per pub outing, he will be leaping off his stool more often than a tourist in spain with the trots

BuffyBot

Originally posted by Sarky
Out of curiosity, how many other houses of parliament also contain fully stocked bars for their ministers? That sort of thing seems typically Irish to me, but I don't know for sure...

House of Commons in the UK does

The Beer Baron

omfg!
He was endangering the lives of other patrons of the Dáil bar!
What a crying shame!

Personally I'd give him a medal.

black bunny

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Raphael

He'll get away scot free

One of the most ridiculus and useless laws in the whole country, is that a TD cant be arrested/prosecuted while on his way to or from the Dáil

ah well

sceptre

Originally posted by joseph brand
I think he will be made smoke a whole pack of cigs and given a slap on the wrist, . . . and a lovely bucket to get sick into.

Well, we could do that.

Or we could do this instead.

Sleepy

Bollox to that, he wasn't on his way to or from the Dail. He was already ****in' there. If he can't get arrested for that, what's to stop me from getting elected, bringing an MP5 to the Dail and wasting everyone there? This "can't get prosecuted" thing sounds like an urban legend to me...

Walter Ego

Now all we have to do is arrange for the other 165 resident gob****es in the Dáil to be caught smoking and all our problems will be solved.

rubadub

on the news last night some woman said that the bar and person get fined if a health official sees them. i doubt health officials were in the dail bar so he probably wont be prosecuted. however they say they are going to interview him, so if he admits it to the health officials maybe he will still be done.

hope he is done just like the gardai fine other people who abuse drugs in an illegal manner

Paulw

On the news this morning, the Dept of Health are consulting with their legal team to see will they prosecute him.

He could be the first charged and fined under the new law.

Fair play !!

combs

Originally posted by Sarky
Out of curiosity, how many other houses of parliament also contain fully stocked bars for their ministers? That sort of thing seems typically Irish to me, but I don't know for sure...

I'd ask how many other workplaces contain fully stocked bars. Typically politics. If you've been drinking in other (less well-paid) jobs, you're sacked immediately.

The Brigadier

Originally posted by Sarky
Out of curiosity, how many other houses of parliament also contain fully stocked bars for their ministers? That sort of thing seems typically Irish to me, but I don't know for sure...

They have them in Westminister as well as most houses of parliament in europe...