Ivor Callely (Take II)

Sulmac

From RTÉ News:

Ivor Callely attacks Select Committee
Tuesday, 13 July 2010 18:22

Senator Ivor Callely has told the committee investigating his expenses claims that he fulfils his duties to the Seanad from different locations and the sale of his residence in west Cork was not an issue.

Senator Callely is appearing for the second time before the Select Committee on Members' Interests.

It is investigating complaints that he claimed travel and subsistence expenses from a house in west Cork while retaining a home in Dublin.

Independent Senator Joe O'Toole asked why Mr Callely had not mentioned that the Kilcrohane house was currently on the market given that he had repeatedly insisted it was his principal residence.

However, Senator Callely said that was not relevant and said the Committee was diversifying away from the original complaints.

When Mr O'Toole questioned information on his website, Senator Callely responded by claiming information on the former INTO chief's own website was itself misleading.

Later, Labour Senator Alex White repeatedly asked if it was not worthy of comment that the Senator justified claiming expenses for staying in his family home in Dublin.

Senator Callely responded by insisting he was within the regulations.

The tension rose when Senator White pressed him on personal circumstances, which he had alluded to in his opening statement.

Senator Callely said he was entitled to a separate private life.

He protested that he would not be bullied when asked repeatedly whether he still attended clinics in Dublin.

Senator Callely forfeited the Fianna Fáil whip over the controversy.

Story from RTÉ News:
http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0713/callelyi.html

Who the HELL does this man think he is?

OF COURSE it matters that the house is up for sale, it's what the entire controversy is over FFS.

Yes, Ivor, you're entitled to a private life - but when you're taking public money under dodgy circumstances we have a right to know why, so you forfeit your "right" to privacy. Deal with it.

I've said it before and I'll say it again - THE MAN SHOULD BE IN PRISON.

MidlandsM

+1

Do you reckon he did'nt shave today to have the deshevelled look and to get some sort of sympathy?

Liam Byrne

It's straight from the stock "FF gangster caught out" handbook.

Ahern tried the same stunt with the tribunal, claiming that he was bullied.
O'Donoghue did the same
O'Dea claims he's being victimised

They simply don't do accountability in FF.

He was asked if he did the clinics listed on his own website (which would imply that he wasn't travelling from Cork), and he started bull****ting about being "victimised and bullied".

Is there ANY country in the world that would tolerate such bull**** ?

radia

In the committee session this afternoon, under questioning from Dan Boyle and Alex White, Ivor eventually admitted that he doesn't own the Kilcrohane house (presumably the wife does) though he has a right of residence there.

This was after extensive to-ing and fro-ing about the capital gains tax implications of selling the house. (It wouldn't be subject to CGT if it were his principal private residence as far as Revenue were concerned - so potentially huge from a financial point of view.)

It's a long thread, but if you didn't see the live feed from the Seanad this afternoon, you could do worse than to skim through the blow by blow account on politics.ie for entertainment value.

eoinbn

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Is there ANY country in the world that would tolerate such bull**** ?

Ireland?!

It's straight from the stock "FF gangster caught out" handbook

Even the criminals are sitting up and taking note! Today John Gilligan was in the High Court using one of Bertie's old tricks- "Ah sure I won it all on the GG's!"

Elevator

eoinbn wrote: »

Ireland?!



Even the criminals are sitting up and taking note! Today John Gilligan was in the High Court using one of Bertie's old tricks- "Ah sure I won it all on the GG's!"

this excuse has been used for donkeys years by crims all over the planet,

I wish people would stop giving credit for it to bastard ahern

mrboswell

The guy has a neck like a jockey's B****x!

Doesn't even own the house in Cork!

Did you see that he was giving out about his home being damaged or something to that effect. Possibly a scorned lover?!?

Have to laugh his audacity. He must believe his own bull.

bmaxi

I laughed at Joe O'Toole telling him it wasn't a court of law and there was no onus of reasonable doubt. More like saying "You're guilty, you p*ick and we know it"

Liam Byrne

mrboswell wrote: »

Did you see that he was giving out about his home being damaged or something to that effect.

Imagine that! Someone having the gall to damage something and leg it without owning up.....

other people's boats, maybe ?

expectationlost

dont let brian dobson near him

bamboozle

mrboswell wrote: »

The guy has a neck like a jockey's B****x!

Doesn't even own the house in Cork!

Did you see that he was giving out about his home being damaged or something to that effect. Possibly a scorned lover?!?

Have to laugh his audacity. He must believe his own bull.

Poor Ivor, did he mention the damage he did to 2 other yachts last summer with his careless driving and the fact that 4 months later he hadnt coughed up for repairs?
my favourite part was when asked where he'll be residing in the future his answer was

'yesterday's history, tomorrow's a mystery'

WTF - i'd say he's p1ssed off all the committee by this stage with his walter mitty nonsense

Liam Byrne

bamboozle wrote: »

Poor Ivor, did he mention the damage he did to 2 other yachts last summer with his careless driving and the fact that 4 months later he hadnt coughed up for repairs?

Obviously my post was too subtle! ^^^ What bamboozle said.

kippy

The fact that this guy is pretty much gonna get off relatively scott free is what sickens me most............

Sure, he's "lost the whip" or something to that effect.
Sure, he MAY have to repay SOME of the cash, but thats about it. Investigation by your own colleagues (in a self described "Non court of law") is no way to close this matter.
This guy has been proven to have acted inappropriately in the past. His party had the gall to parachute him into a handy number in the Seanad without as much as a by you leave from the electorate and he turns around and pisses all over us with these expenses?
Come on, call the cops in on this one to investigate. There are numerous laws which this guy has broken, laws for which he should do time at the very least.
But no, this will eventually be swept under the carpet, Callelly will be forgotten about until the next time a politician acts inappropriately where he'll be added to the list of past dodgy geezers who got away scot free.

Dont get me started on the king of them all, Bertie, Still swanning around with a garda driver and car while being paid by us to sign books.

bamboozle

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Obviously my post was too subtle! ^^^ What bamboozle said.

hadnt seen your post!

mrboswell

I thought it was even funnier that he did a runner and when the garda knocked Callely came up from the cabin in a dressing gown! Apparently the garda asked him to put it away and get some clothes on!

Calamity Callely...

Probably couldn't pay for the repairs until he claimed some ridiculous expenses!

simplistic2

Councilman.....please.....

Gunmonkey

I heard a brief part of this, was something like:

"How do you explain claiming overnight expense while you were residing in your family home?"
"Ah sure I'm not the only senator who does that"

So he is pleading "Peer Pressure" as a defence?? If it wasnt the fact he was being investigated by a group in the same positiotn and probably claiming just as much illegaly he wouldnt have a leg to stand on and maybe some new legislation would be drafted to put an end to it ...but alas this is Ireland, why give a job questioning this guy about his actions to a independant group when you can hand it to the boys who have as much too lose by reform......and they can claim a bit of extra scratch off it as expense.

the_dark_side

Gunmonkey wrote: »

I heard a brief part of this, was something like:

"How do you explain claiming overnight expense while you were residing in your family home?"
"Ah sure I'm not the only senator who does that"

So he is pleading "Peer Pressure" as a defence?? If it wasnt the fact he was being investigated by a group in the same positiotn and probably claiming just as much illegaly he wouldnt have a leg to stand on and maybe some new legislation would be drafted to put an end to it ...but alas this is Ireland, why give a job questioning this guy about his actions to a independant group when you can hand it to the boys who have as much too lose by reform......and they can claim a bit of extra scratch off it as expense.

I think he's trying to bring a few others down with him... honour amongst thieves

kippy

the_dark_side wrote: »

I think he's trying to bring a few others down with him... honour amongst thieves

Exactly what I said above.
This guys are investigating each other. We have a political elite who are ABOVE the law. That has been proven countless times in the past. They will look out for themselves and have massive vested interests in investigations of their own. I don't know WHY we LET them do this...........
He could probably hang a few more with him and they know that, hence the pussy footing around the place......
Call in the Gardai for a proper criminal investigation.

North_West_Art

there was a guy from Skibereen on the radio a couple of weeks back.. himself and a few friends decided to drive up to Leinster House from Skibereen and calculate the cost in petrol consumption. He was driving a VW 1.6 petrol car.
He used €11 of petrol from Skibereen to the door of Leinster House..

Sorry for putting this in bold... Im afraid of someone missing it

kippy

North_West_Art wrote: »

there was a guy from Skibereen on the radio a couple of weeks back.. himself and a few friends decided to drive up to Leinster House from Skibereen and calculate the cost in petrol consumption. He was driving a VW 1.6 petrol car.
He used €11 of petrol from Skibereen to the door of Leinster House..

Sorry for putting this in bold... Im afraid of someone missing it

Okay,
I aint going into the ins and outs of public expense rates but they are not designed to cover just your fuel costs.
I do agree that the rates are still overly high even after the 25% haircut last year.....
Also - 11 squids, thats a very efficient car! I want one!

Einhard

Would it be possible for a citizen to make a formal complaint against Callely to the gardai? He's basically dfrauding the Irish taxpayer. I think it's astounding that there's been no mention of criminal sanction in this matter. perhaps the gaurds are investigating, and don't want to comment on it? I'd like to think that, but I doubt it somehow...

Elevator

Einhard wrote: »

Would it be possible for a citizen to make a formal complaint against Callely to the gardai? He's basically dfrauding the Irish taxpayer. I think it's astounding that there's been no mention of criminal sanction in this matter. perhaps the gaurds are investigating, and don't want to comment on it? I'd like to think that, but I doubt it somehow...

why not go and make a complaint and fill out a statement,

afaik they have to act then

Turnstyle

just watched the 6 news report on this, a panel of around 10 or more of his own colleagues questioning him on expenses of around 80k are still deliberating (day 2) in some swish conference room,
we all know nothing will come of this in the end as per usual with FF, I wonder what the total end cost of this BS will be to the taxpayer... got to love this country :mad:

Sully

The Seanad Members' Interests Committee has recommended that Ivor Callely be suspended from the House for 20 days without pay.

The proposal follows three meetings of the committee, which investigated Senator Callely's expenses claims.

RTÉ News understands the report finds that he misrepresented his principal residence as his home in Cork.

Advertisement
The Seanad is to reconvene later tonight to consider the recommendation.

Senator Ivor Callely has twice been questioned by the Committee about travel and subsistence claims from a home in Kilcrohane, Co Cork, while he maintained a base in Dublin.

He denies any wrongdoing in claiming €80,000 in expenses.

Yesterday's Committee hearing was marked by sharp exchanges between Senator Callely and his colleagues.

Senator Callely refused to be drawn on his suggestions that his personal circumstances were changing at the relevant time, insisting that his private life should remain private.

Perhaps the biggest surprise came when Senator Callely admitted he did not own the west Cork house at the centre of the affair but merely had 'a right of residence'.

The Committee did not pursue this disclosure.

Senator Callely insisted he broke no rules, but Independent Senator Joe O'Toole warned that he was not facing the rules of evidence in a court of law and that the Committee only had to base its findings on reasonable grounds.

Details emerge on west Cork house

The house in Kilcrohane, Co Cork, at the centre of the controversy around Senator Callelly's expenses was transferred from joint ownership to sole ownership of his wife, Jennifer, in April of this year.

Documents from the Land Registry reveal that the transfer was registered on 12 April 2010.

Mr Callely surprised the Seanad Members Interests Committee yesterday when he said that even though he claimed the Cork house as his principal residence, he did not own it.

He added that he had a legal right to live there.

Other documents show that the family home on St Lawence Road in the Dublin suburb of Clontarf remains in the couple's joint ownership.

Source: http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0714/callelyi.html

20 days without pay? Seriously like!

Sulmac

What a joke.

fontanalis

20 days, oh. Everyone horde food and water, a Senator has been suspended how will the country go on?

dfbemt

Bring in The Fraud Squad.

Prison term required for defrauding the Irish State and people.

Transferring the ownership of the house !!! This stinks to high heaven.

Seanie Fitz / Ivor Callely / Bertie Ahern / Liam Lawlor / Ray Burke and all the others again giving us 2 fingers and getting away with it all.

BA***RDS the lot of them

Shea O'Meara

This should be a criminal investigation. If the man is shown to have commited fraud he should be charged.

For example; if a person is suspected of using a company's petty cash for personal use they are either fired and/or the law becomes involved. As this is public money charges being brought should be automatic. We have a law enforcement agency for such things. Why are we funding toothless peers to look into this?

Einhard

Elevator wrote: »

why not go and make a complaint and fill out a statement,

afaik they have to act then

If that's the case, I might actually see if I can file a complaint. Methinks I'll pop over to the legal forum and get a second opinion though!

kippy

Einhard wrote: »

If that's the case, I might actually see if I can file a complaint. Methinks I'll pop over to the legal forum and get a second opinion though!

Indeed, and I would be with you on this..........
I believe a number of citizens should complain to the Gardai, if this is the only method of getting them to investigate and issue proceedings against him.
I really am sick of politicians pissing on us.

ciagr297

clearly this shows the expenses system in use has gaping canyons which is allowing people to take advantage. he is obviously someone who knows how to work the system (and we ALL know people like this who infuriate others by knowing every loophole in every rule)

add to that the fact that Callely is now looking for legal advice on the definition of a "residence" - to me this is the biggest admission of ethical wrongdoing.

wasn't this the same guy who failed to get elected locally by his constituency, then failed to get elected to the Seanad and finally got "put" there by the hon B Ahern??

Sleepy

How on earth can he think he has any right to continue to hold a position of public office?

The voters have rejected him repeatedly.

The shyster who put him into the Senate has been exposed for the corrupt gombeen idiot many of use always thought him to be (though hasn't left office yet either).

I've not heard a single person on the street, nor a single one of his fellows or party members defend him.

If we don't have a means of sacking him, I think the Senate / Dail should be able to enact one within days and use it. Otherwise invite him down for a senatorial visit to the Curragh and arrange a training accident.

Doom

He's a moron but aren't all FF

bamboozle

Sleepy wrote: »

How on earth can he think he has any right to continue to hold a position of public office?

The voters have rejected him repeatedly.

The shyster who put him into the Senate has been exposed for the corrupt gombeen idiot many of use always thought him to be (though hasn't left office yet either).

I've not heard a single person on the street, nor a single one of his fellows or party members defend him.

If we don't have a means of sacking him, I think the Senate / Dail should be able to enact one within days and use it. Otherwise invite him down for a senatorial visit to the Curragh and arrange a training accident.

As Ivor failed to get elected to the dail despite one of the most expensive election campaigns in the country, he then failed to get elected to the Seanad so he had to rely on fellow gombeen Burtie to appoint him to the seanad on 3rd August (general elections were mid May)
only at this point did he decide that he felt jettisoned by the good folk of Dublin North Central and decide to 'move' to Cork to get over the trauma.

now, after his peers have made a judgement against him surely the person who appointed him (taoiseach) can also remove him from office?
failing this as this enquiry was as a result of this being reported to the gardai in Clontarf do they have an obligation to follow this matter up?

i heard on the radio this morning 2 other senetors both living in dublin claimed expenses from houses outside of the country but this hasnt been brought as far as Callelly as no complaints were made to the gardai.

Liam Byrne

When I heard about this on the news last night - a 20 day suspension and doesn't have to pay the money back - I was VERY close to leaving the country in disgust.

I know its a small con when compared to Haughey, Ahern or NAMA, or maybe even O'Donoghue, but it proves beyond doubt that this shower of gangsters are perfectly happy to give us the two fingers at every opportunity, and it does make you wonder again about the real reasons behind NAMA, etc; after all, they'll obviously do whatever it takes to get their hands on money, including lying through their teeth.

What does anyone here reckon would happen someone who defrauded somewhere between €20,000 and €81,000 from their employers here in the real world ?

And talk about a brazen, lying u-turning con-man :

Citing it as 'grave and serious', the Committee does not have power to get the money back, though noted his offer last month to do so if found to have done wrong.

Senator Callely is now looking into what options are open to him to appeal, including seeking legal advice, adding that he has made no decision about paying back the money.

http://www.examiner.ie/breakingnews/ireland/callely-considers-appeal-against-seanad-committee-judgement-465554.html

Ah, why am I surprised, FFS.......he's a politician, he's in FF, it's Ireland. They can ride us sideways and 21% will still vote for them, and they'll just pull another con and we'll have no choice but to either accept it or emigrate.

Wicklowrider

Sulmac wrote: »

Who the HELL does this man think he is?

He thinks he is a member of FF and therefore he can and will do whatever he wants.

Muckie

The only crime he probably see's is getting caught.

No wonder we've no faith in our polictial class.

Morally lacking and corrupt. We're never gonna get better as a country

anytime soon. Shame.

the_dark_side

there are a number of people in office who seem to be there through irregular means, shall we say. You would get people to suspect that the likes of Callely and Harney hold their positions because of what 'dirt' they might have on other top brass... the Dail should be gassed, end of.

donkey balls

i was talking to a mate of mine about the lilkes of callely,burtie,jod etc we both came to the conclusion that some of these f**kers need a bit of lead in the head.:) to make sure others dont follow there foot steps.

Darsad

I think this guy Callely is a bit simple and quite a few sandwiches short of a picnic. He would make a great Forest Gump

Muckie

Thats all well and good. Viva La Revolution, but what about their kids

wanting to follow in the fathers political careers.

Rounding up and gassing for all!! Do a Tsar number.

Frank Grimes

Einhard wrote: »

Would it be possible for a citizen to make a formal complaint against Callely to the gardai? He's basically dfrauding the Irish taxpayer. I think it's astounding that there's been no mention of criminal sanction in this matter. perhaps the gaurds are investigating, and don't want to comment on it? I'd like to think that, but I doubt it somehow...

The whole thing seems to have started because two people complained to the Gardai about it (link). I don't know if the Seanad investigation is the only one, I haven't been following the story that much. Pity they can't/won't sack Callely and put Mr. Mulligan in there instead!

bonzos

I just heard Mary o Rourke(mother nature herself:rolleyes:) on the last word dancing around the fact that he has scrwed us.She did however say that he should repay the over claimed expences,which is surprising when you concider when JOD and his wife raped the tax payer for hundreds of thousands in flights,5 star hotels,fine food and horse racing she brushed it off by saying "so what if he enjoys the horses,its his hobby...etc" why was O Donoghue not forced to repay the money he screwed from us?Where was Enda Kenny when the whole JOD scandal was unfolding?..Why is he not speaking out about Lord callely? Why didnt he comment when Harney spent 2 weeks in NZ for St. Patricks day? he is sitting on his finger because he also knows that half of his own crew are milking the system too,total disgrace the lot of them!!!!!The people of this country should give these gansters dogs abuse every time they show their faces in public!

Liam Byrne

bonzos wrote: »

She did however say that he should repay the over claimed expences,which is surprising when you concider when JOD and his wife raped the tax payer for hundreds of thousands in flights,5 star hotels,fine food and horse racing she brushed it off by saying "so what if he enjoys the horses,its his hobby...etc" why was O Donoghue not forced to repay the money he screwed from us?

Con-Man O'Donoghue is a TD
Con-Man Callely is a Senator

If O'Donoghue was disciplined as appropriate, he might decide to go independent and damage FF's slim undemocratic majority even more.

If Callely gets what he deserves, then FF's power remains in place.

So they can pretend to care about ethics and justice when it comes to Callely, but their self-interest takes over when it comes to O'Donoghue.

Einhard

Just listening to the news on the radio. FG Senator Eugene Regan is calling for a garda investigation, likening Callely's actions to social welfare fraud. Hopefully this will add to any momentum towards a possible prosecution. At the very least, we need a criminal investigation, and hopefully charges.

stepbar

No wonder Ivor took it hard when he lost his seat in Teachta Dála.

The fact is, Ivor is in big financial sh1te and it all imploded around the time he lost seat. This isn't "classified" information, it's all has been reported about in the media.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/senator-who-got-six-mortgages-in-a-day-counts-cost-of-property-crash-2114892.html

and

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1207/1224260242288.html

One of the partners in the loan, a Mr John O'Dolan, died last year and I'm sure his estate is still being sorted out.

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/Developer-O39Dolan-had-been-39stressed39.5431014.jp

And furthermore I "think" I know a third partner involved who is in very poor financial shape as well.

freewheeler

Question: Is it compulsory to be a crook to be a member of FF? The list grows longer by the day....

Shea O'Meara

freewheeler wrote: »

Question: Is it compulsory to be a crook to be a member of FF? The list grows longer by the day....

No, but if you get the votes in the party don't mind.

kippy

stepbar wrote: »

No wonder Ivor took it hard when he lost his seat in Teachta Dála.

The fact is, Ivor is in big financial sh1te and it all imploded around the time he lost seat. This isn't "classified" information, it's all has been reported about in the media.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/senator-who-got-six-mortgages-in-a-day-counts-cost-of-property-crash-2114892.html

and

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2009/1207/1224260242288.html

One of the partners in the loan, a Mr John O'Dolan, died last year and I'm sure his estate is still being sorted out.

http://www.limerickleader.ie/news/Developer-O39Dolan-had-been-39stressed39.5431014.jp

And furthermore I "think" I know a third partner involved who is in very poor financial shape as well.

That explains a LOT and more the reason for a criminal investigation to be persued.
I see a lot of political commentators and apologists throwing it out there that he broke no laws as such, they're obviously not that familiar with the law as there were numerous which were broken.
Let us please not let this pass without a criminal investigation.

bijapos

bonzos wrote: »

........ why was O Donoghue not forced to repay the money he screwed from us?

The problem is that John O'Donoghue did nothing illegal, he was, whether we like it or not entitled by their own rules to take what he took and spend what he spent. Thats the pathetic thing about the JOD affair, legally AFAIK he did nothing wrong. Have they changed the system? Have they even tried? I doubt it. Its the same as Willie O'Dea and Mary Coughlan flying to Texas for iirc €150,000 when a half day extra each way they could have flown with a normal air line.

Callely on the other hand has committed fraud in our world, but in theirs they cannot decide as of yet as to whether it is fraud or not.

Where was Enda Kenny when the whole JOD scandal was unfolding?..Why is he not speaking out about Lord callely? he is sitting on his finger because he also knows that half of his own crew are milking the system too,total disgrace the lot of them!!!!!!

Probably... again nothing illegal, morally wrong perhaps but not illegal.