Oireachtas members, free postage/envelopes and unfair advantage

Dostoevsky

I posted this on another forum, but it might have a better chance of being answered here.

It's really annoying me that certain candidates are using Oireachtas envelopes, and thereby saving a fortune, to send us their promotional material.

This morning we received one of these envelopes on behalf of Councillor Nick Killian of Fianna Fáil, who isn't even in the Oireachtas. Re-read that. The outgoing Fianna Fáil TD, Mary Wallace, decided to use her Oireachtas envelopes to promote him. That's what I'd expect from that crowd. What I didn't expect was Dominic Hannigan of Labour, a member of Seanad Éireann, to use his envelopes to promote himself. I'm going to give Hannigan a preference because I agree with his views on many issues. However, I think he, like Killian, is giving himself an unfair advantage by using a state-funded posting facility to promote himself. This should be made illegal.

In contrast to this, this morning we also received promotional material from the Independent candidate Joe Bonner, with a 55c stamp on the envelope.

Someone please tell me: how is this fair??

Liam Byrne

Dostoevsky wrote: »

I posted this on another forum, but it might have a better chance of being answered here.

It's really annoying me that certain candidates are using Oireachtas envelopes, and thereby saving a fortune, to send us their promotional material.

This morning we received one of these envelopes on behalf of Councillor Nick Killian of Fianna Fáil, who isn't even in the Oireachtas. Re-read that. The outgoing Fianna Fáil TD, Mary Wallace, decided to use her Oireachtas envelopes to promote him. That's what I'd expect from that crowd. What I didn't expect was Dominic Hannigan of Labour, a member of Seanad Éireann, to use his envelopes to promote himself. I'm going to give Hannigan a preference because I agree with his views on many issues. However, I think he, like Killian, is giving himself an unfair advantage by using a state-funded posting facility to promote himself. This should be made illegal.

In contrast to this, this morning we also received promotional material from the Independent candidate Joe Bonner, with a 55c stamp on the envelope.

Someone please tell me: how is this fair??

It isn't, and it should be illegal.

Unfortunately even the likes of Shane Ross are doing it.

Sickening. And stamps/headed paper are only the obvious incarnation of it, because I wouldn't put it past the shower to use their state cars and drivers and state mobile phones, etc, during canvassing*

* An assumption, but given what we've seen them do / condone, one with plenty of justified suspicion behind it

Ivor Callely & his apologists are probably putting in an invoice that he got last week from The DeLorean Motor Company as we speak

[Jackass]

Very good point raised OP, especially considering the cost to the independent TD.

I think you should raise this with whoever is elected in your area, but I would be surprised if anyone in a position of power (and thus having this advantage) would do anything to stop it...

It's not illegal, but ethically, very immoral.

Your best bet is Joooooeeeeeeeeeeeee DUFFFEHHH!