Ivor "The Engine" Calelly - out of steam?

SeanW

Sometimes you just read crazy stuff in the newspapers etc that just leave you puzzled and you just have to sit down and ask, "Eh, What The ####?" Today has been one of those days.

The Indo, Dec 2nd wrote:

The pressure's on: Taoiseach expresses concern as Callely staff row takes a new turn

Treacy Hogan and

Gene McKenna

IVOR Callely's future was uncertain last night after his top political aide claimed the embattled minister had offered him the gift of a brand new car not to quit his job.

Taoiseach Bertie Ahern is known to be concerned over the latest twist in Mr Callely's staffing problems.

The junior Transport Minister's personal political assistant, Niall Phelan, expressed "outrage" at the gift offer, branding it "wholly inappropriate".

The minister begged his top political advisor, who earned a basic €40,000-a-year salary plus allowances, not to resign from the Department of Transport and offered to "personally gift" him a new car, according to Mr Phelan.

It is known that Mr Phelan drives a four-year-old Renault Laguna, and that the new car offered by the minister was likely to be a brand new model which costs upwards of €25,000.

Mr Callely spoke to the Taoiseach yesterday and explained his side of the controversy.

The two men had a conversation at Mr Callely's instigation after a scheduled meeting between Mr Ahern and his Ministers of State.

The revelation is the latest in a series of staff problems which have beset the minister in recent weeks.

As revealed by this newspaper, his private secretary Una McDermott resigned last week and he is now seeking his sixth private secretary in his short ministerial career. At least four civil servants who work with him have put in for transfers.

A confidential letter was obtained by the Irish Independent yesterday in which Mr Phelan outlines an early morning meeting with the minister when he urged his aide to reconsider his resignation.

The meeting, according to Mr Phelan, took place in the Javaholics Coffee Shop in Dublin city centre on Wednesday morning.

" As I stated to you during our meeting this morning your offer today to personally gift me a new car to encourage me to remain on in my role is wholly inappropriate," said Mr Phelan.

"In my view you should not have made such an offer and I reject it utterly," he added.

"My decision to resign from my role is, as I have already stated, irrevocable and I have no wish to receive further representations or offers from you in an attempt to dissuade me from this course," the letter adds.

The letter was also sent to Julie O'Neill, the Department's Secretary General, and the department's personnel section.

Last night Mr Phelan declined to make any comment on the matter.

Upset

However sources close to him said he was "outraged and very upset" at the offer.

He viewed it as totally inappropriate.

Mr Callely was maintaining silence.

As was the case with the resignation of Una McDermott last week, the minister would not comment on Mr Phelan's claims. He refused to respond to queries on who was going to pay for the car and the appropriateness of the offer.

A spokesperson for the Department of Transport did not have any knowledge of the car offer. - "none whatsoever."

http://www.unison.ie/irish_independent/stories.php3?ca=39&si=1518963&issue_id=13361

Anyone have a clue what the hell is going on in the DoT?

Maskhadov

Time to go. we need a clear out.

MarkoP11

Question is this supposed offer of a car, Callely is mean't to be solving Dublin's traffic problem just goes to show the attitude. (The senior staff in IE commute by train and Luas) but the head folks in the DoT still believe in the nice set of wheels it would appear

Now if Callely had offered a annual CIE ticket (about €3750) that would be reasonably ok, part of the job maybe

dowlingm

yeah but then you'd have to wonder how many other free tickets were given out.

BrianD

It seems that the knives are out for Ivor! It is worth noting that Phelan is not a civil servant - he is a political appointee by the minister as they are allowed to do. So its not as if he is offering a civil servant a gift. In fairness, the guy probably needs a car to do his job.

Victor

http://www.ireland.com/ITImage/urlpicture_id_1132330266295_20051203/fr0312,0.jpg

Victor

http://home.eircom.net/content/irelandcom/topstories/6883171?view=Eircomnet

Taoiseach waits for Minister to explain gift of car and staff losses
From:ireland.com
Saturday, 3rd December, 2005


Harney says she has not had an opportunity to talk to Bertie Ahern or Ivor Callely about the issues

Mark Brennock, Chief Political Correspondent

The Taoiseach is believed to be waiting to see whether Ivor Callely can explain satisfactorily the recent resignations from his staff, and his offer of a personal gift of a car to one of them, before deciding to take any action against the Minister of State.

Mr Ahern refused to answer a question from a reporter yesterday on the issue.

According to informed sources, he wants to see how Mr Callely deals with this week's revelations, and whether there is any other damaging information to emerge, before deciding on his political future.

In an interview with The Irish Times, Mr Callely said most of those who had quit working with him since 2002 or were now seeking transfers from his office were doing so for routine career or personal reasons.

He said he had offered the car to his personal assistant, Niall Phelan, to try to persuade him not to resign as he was a "loyal and valuable" member of staff.

He had intended to pay for it in full by taking out a personal bank loan.

Tánaiste Mary Harney said yesterday that this was not an issue for her.

"It is up to Minister Callely. Obviously there are issues. I have not had an opportunity to talk to the Taoiseach or Minister Callely about this, and I am not sure what the issues are."

There were concerns that some people felt they were not able to work with Mr Callely, she said. "There are clearly difficulties there. I could not do my job if I could not work with the wonderful civil servants around me. I do not know how these difficulties have arisen."

cyclopath2001

From the "Sunday Independent"

City in Callely traffic ad blitz is not Dublin
WHY LET THE FACTS STAND IN THE WAY OF A GOOD CAMPAIGN? Junior Transport Minister Ivor Callely figures at the forefront of this advertisement for the Operation Freeflow campaign for Dublin - but Dublin is not in fact the background used in this image

LARA BRADLEY

OPERATION Freeflow was launched with nationwide advertisements showing traffic flowing swiftly and calmly through the city streets.The only problem is that the city featured in the ad is not Dublin.

The advertisement, commissioned by the Dublin Transportation Office (DTO) and overseen by Junior Transport Minister Ivor Callely, features a prominent image of Mr Callely standing in front of a congestion-free cityscape.

The ad is meant to promote traffic-calming measures in the capital over the Christmas period, but Opposition parties say it actually promotes Mr Callely.

The DTO last night admitted that the city featured in the ad was not Dublin, but said that this was down to the advertising agency...................

MarkoP11

Looks like the end of the line has arrived for Callely

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/breaking/2005/1207/breaking21.htm

weehamster

He's gone, yipee. One less Mupet, many more to go.:D

SeanW

This is bloody brilliant news.

Cowen thought he could get some pre-election fuzzies with a McCreevyesque pre-election budget. Callely stole the show.


It's just too bad this didnt break in Dec '06.

The Crazy Horse

Good to see the media seeker gone. Cullen, get a proper Minister of State next time!

strassenwolf

But all the ideas that came out at his transport conference out in Clontarf Castle. What happens to them? Does he take them with him to the political grave?

Seth Brundle

The Crazy Horse wrote:

Good to see the media seeker gone. Cullen, get a proper Minister of State next time!

Cullen isn't the best politician out there either. Whilst he has better success in keeping his department staff, he didn't make any friends in the DoE.

cyclopath2001

strassenwolf wrote:

But all the ideas that came out at his transport conference out in Clontarf Castle. What happens to them? Does he take them with him to the political grave?

He made a grand speech at the 'VeloCity' at the same time as defective cycle lanes were being 'constructed' right past his own consituency office. Then, he pointedly excluded cyclists from the Clontarf conference where they might have called him to account.

His career is an example of what's gone wrong with government: speeches & publicity stunts, but no commitment to making real improvements.