Mary Coughlan and the family business

simonj

Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, another dynastic politician, is taking care of family business.

Over €500k of rent has been paid to her uncle over the last 6 years by the department of education to her Uncles company Breslin Limited and the contract will run until 2012

They could have bought a building for 500K, or built one as promised.

But I guess it was time she looked after the interests of the other side of the family.

She got her seat in a by-election after her father Cathal died, who in turn had been elected in a by-election after the death of his brother Clement.

I guess she meant it when she said in May 2008 after becoming Tánaiste "I'll be doing my best for the people of the north-west, particularly my own county" - but can she be related to all of them?

blackdog2

The company is owned by Donegal businessman Dom Breslin and his son Michael Breslin, the uncle and cousin of Donegal South West TD Ms Coughlan.

Wow, that family is a little too close for sure!

Einhard

Well she wasn't Education Minister when that department first decided to lease the building. As for her family dynasty, all people have to do to put an end to such things is vote against the incumbent. Problem solved. You can't blame a politican for running for election.

Wolfe Tone

People always moan about this "dynastic" element. It is rubbish tbh. You would think that these people somhow stole these seats and were not elected.

expectationlost

she wasn't elected the memory of dead relatives was

simonj

Aside from the dynastic element what bothers me is that there are no questions with regards a conflict of interest between the minister for educations family making 90K per annum on rental, or the building of a new establishment.

ANXIOUS

simonj wrote: »

Aside from the dynastic element what bothers me is that there are no questions with regards a conflict of interest between the minister for educations family making 90K per annum on rental, or the building of a new establishment.

So do you think that people who are in anyway related to a poltican shouldnt be able to tender for goverment contracts?

As far as i know he would have tendered for this contract, and won it on the basises that he was the person most capable of providing the service.

I really am starting to find some of your posts laughable.

ANXIOUS

Also she was only made minister for education a few months ago, not when the contract was signed.

aDeener

expectationlost wrote: »

she wasn't elected the memory of dead relatives was

how do you know this? did you ask all of the people who voted for her?

aDeener

simonj wrote: »

Tánaiste Mary Coughlan, another dynastic politician, is taking care of family business.

Over €500k of rent has been paid to her uncle over the last 6 years by the department of education to her Uncles company Breslin Limited and the contract will run until 2012

They could have bought a building for 500K, or built one as promised.

But I guess it was time she looked after the interests of the other side of the family.

She got her seat in a by-election after her father Cathal died, who in turn had been elected in a by-election after the death of his brother Clement.

I guess she meant it when she said in May 2008 after becoming Tánaiste "I'll be doing my best for the people of the north-west, particularly my own county" - but can she be related to all of them?

she was voted in by the people of her constituency, as was her father as was his brother. get over it. :rolleyes:

Wolfe Tone

expectationlost wrote: »

she wasn't elected the memory of dead relatives was

So, people cannot vote in any which way they want?

simonj

Well, with constituancy based politics, you are restricted in whom you can vote for.
Thats why we need a better electorial system, otherwise we keep ending up with the same political caste

Do you not think that the money spent on rental would be better spent investing in building a dedicated institute?

The tender was not transparent, there are questions to be answered that are being brushed under the carpet.

Einhard

expectationlost wrote: »

she wasn't elected the memory of dead relatives was

Well as long as her dead relatives weren't the ones voting then I don't see a problem.

Although, I hear that that can happen in some parts of the country...

Sleepy

Emailed my local TD on this recently after he was bragging in his newsletter about securing €600,000 for the acquisition of two pre-fabs for a local school.

Surely in a climate where a good sized house can be built for 80k, an extension / additional building for extra classrooms could be built for 600k when the land is already there?

fontanalis

aDeener wrote: »

she was voted in by the people of her constituency, as was her father as was his brother. get over it. :rolleyes:

It's the people who vote for her are the problem, they didn't vote for her based on any experience or competence and then decided to gat back at her with the Lisbon vote.

Darsad

Surely the people of Donegal will have seen just how incompetent she is and dump her if she presrents herself at the next election.