TD's & Senators Expenses Available Online from today

RATM

Their expenses are now available online from today. Unsurprisingly more abuse of the system by a FF'er has already been revealed -Ivor Callely (yes, him again) has been caught out living in west Cork and claiming overnight expenses for a house he owns. He scrambled to hand back over three grand of it but yet again the ethics of the FF party are called into question.

http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/mediazone/pressreleases/title-1816-en.html

Houses of the Oireachtas Fulfils its Commitment to Publish Members’ Expenses
The Houses of the Oireachtas Commission has today (Tuesday) announced its intention to publish details of payments made to Members of the Oireachtas under the single parliamentary allowance.

From today, all amounts paid to Members will be published on the Oireachtas website on a retrospective monthly basis. The figures for March and April 2010 are published simultaneously and thereafter on the last working day of each month. http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/tdssenators/parliamentarystandardallowance

In publishing these records the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission is fulfilling a previous commitment to provide this information in an accessible way for the public.

Laminations

And unlike in the UK there will be no pressure for these dodgy expense claimers to resign. It's not necesarrily that they have greater ethical standards in Britain, it's just that they protect their party more whereas here the Irish politicians know they won't be punished by the electorate and so their party isn't damaged by wholly unethical behaviour. Callaly will get in again, so will o donaghue and o dea and the list goes on

mike65

True but at least this list means the days of claiming for all sorts are over, they will now have to find other ways to cushion the blow of being a representative of the poeple.

That said I would like a fully broken down list of items.

wes

Well, this is a great idea, and will help hold accountably politicians trying to get away with all sorts of expenses shenanigans.

JonathanAnon

Seems like Ivor Callaly learned a bit of bookkeeping from Anglo.

Laminations

mike65 wrote: »

True but at least this list means the days of claiming for all sorts are over, they will now have to find other ways to cushion the blow of being a representative of the poeple.

That said I would like a fully broken down list of items.

I agree it's a start but what's the point having this information if a sizeable portion of the electorate don't factor it in to how they vote? I'd also like a better breakdown, clocking in and out of the Dail and a breakdown of how public representatives spend their time i.e. a weekly acount of their attendane at meetings/committes/talks with lobby groups/votes in Dail. And while I'm at it a complete separation of local and national issues

thebaldsoprano

Laminations wrote: »

And unlike in the UK there will be no pressure for these dodgy expense claimers to resign.

That depends on whether we tolerate them or not. In light of what happened to David Laws last week, I'll be writing to my local FG/Lab TDs to ask them if they can whip up some pressure. I'd prefer my taxes go to people who need it rather than another greedy FF politician. If there's enough interest I'm sure the opposition will take it up given that they the may get some votes from it.

bamboozle

JonathanAnon wrote: »

Seems like Ivor Callaly learned a bit of bookkeeping from Anglo.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/callely-got-836480000-mileage-from-cork-2200569.html

his carry on is appaling, between him being removed as a junior minister over getting his house (his clontarf house that is) redecorated for free, last summer crashing into someone else's yacht and sailing off until gardai found him and now his latest show of disdain and comptemt for this state by screwing us tax paying citizens for thousands of euros of expenses he was not entitled to.

most shocking thing about Callelly is that it was Bertie that appointed him to the Seanad, even after all his colourful activiites as a TD Bertie still looked after him.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/boat-owners-threaten-court-action-over-callely-collision-1893496.html

Laminations

bamboozle wrote: »

most shocking thing about Callelly is that it was Bertie that appointed him to the Seanad, even after all his colourful activiites as a TD Bertie still looked after him.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/boat-owners-threaten-court-action-over-callely-collision-1893496.html

that's not shocking. In fact it's completely unsurprising and true to form of Bertie, and until we expect more from our politicians we will get this **** whether it be abuse of expenses or some other disrespect of public office. I started posting on boards to convince people to hold FF accountable for the shambolic government they have given us for ten years. I've learned that some people don't want to be convinced and concluded that my attempts were futile and naive to begin with. If the obvious evidence hasn't convinced people to reexamine how they vote, then there is no convincing them, it's like arguing with the religious

bonzos

Another "honorabe" FF man ,Just like CJH,Ray Burke,John O Donoghue...:rolleyes:

funnyname

mike65 wrote: »

True but at least this list means the days of claiming for all sorts are over, they will now have to find other ways to cushion the blow of being a representative of the poeple.

That said I would like a fully broken down list of items.

Maybe not!

The biggest unvouched claim was made by Fianna Fail TD and former Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue, who pocketed more than 4,340 euro per month.

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/tds-and-senators-defend-expenses-2203081.html

bmaxi

Already the excuses, Phil Hogan says it will lead to a witch hunt. So what! We don't want witches in the Oireachtas, it's enough that we we have liars and crooks.

ballsymchugh

bertie himself claimed 2250 in april....

for what??

i know i could ask this about the majority of the claims, but what is bertie at these days? i could've sworn he was out on the lecture circuit charming thousands out of gullible fools..

What ever

Why is Mary Harney claiming 1000 per month in unvouched travel expenses as a TD when she has a ministerial car with two drivers - cost to the taxpayer 200k according to Vincent Browne, unfettered access to the government jet and an unlimited Departmental budget for direct expenses as Minister for Health. Presumably the FAS funded beauty treatments have ceased but we cannot see if the HSE or the Drug Company funded conferences she likes to attend are as lavishly remunerating.

Laminations

ballsymchugh wrote: »

bertie himself claimed 2250 in april....

for what??

i know i could ask this about the majority of the claims, but what is bertie at these days? i could've sworn he was out on the lecture circuit charming thousands out of gullible fools..

Just an aside on Berties lecturing career. I don't know if this made the press but he has been unceremoniously dumped by NUI Maynooth as an honorary professor- someone must have copped themselves on and realised if you carry sh1t in your pocket, you yourself start to smell of sh1t.

Liam Byrne

Laminations wrote: »

Just an aside on Berties lecturing career. I don't know if this made the press but he has been unceremoniously dumped by NUI Maynooth as an honorary professor- someone must have copped themselves on and realised if you carry sh1t in your pocket, you yourself start to smell of sh1t.

I don't remember seeing this in the headlines ?

And wasn't the sh1t around at the time that they appointed him ?

That doesn't make sense.

Re Callelly - I'm sickened that someone can get 3 times the average wage in expenses alone.

When are these self-serving pricks going to the the reality check (as opposed to cheques) that they badly need ?

I could work at ANY job - even a "voluntary" one - if I was getting €80,000 a year in expenses!

What ever

What does John Gormley need 1666 euro per month for travel expenses given his ministerial car and the fact that he is only a couple of DART stops from the Dáil? Surely the ministerial salary is enough for this poser without ripping us off just to walk from the Custom House to the Dáil.1666 per month is more than twice what an unemployed couple with children gets to live on. How can ministers ever understand poverty if they can so shamelessly cream off unearned income like this.

walshb

Out and out lowlifes, the damn lot of them. The system is a disgrace, yet as ridiculously generous as it is, these people still wanna' expolit and break the rules. Disgusting people. ****ing jail time is what is needed here.