Government withdraws expenses for former taoisigh

meglome

THE ENTITLEMENT of former taoisigh to a range of perks has ended, a move that will particularly hit Bertie Ahern, who has claimed €367,000 for secretarial services since 2008.

The expenses relate to secretarial assistants, computer equipment, telephone costs and airport VIP facilities paid for by the State. The Department of the Taoiseach stopped paying for these services in respect of former taoisigh yesterday.

The provision of secretarial services for Mr Ahern since 2008 is more than all other former taoisigh combined. He has also run up mobile phone bills of almost €11,000.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/0102/1224309717025.html

Not a massive sum of money but it needed to be done. Especially to stop good ole Bertie taking the piss.

_AVALANCHE_

It's just 1 thing in a long list of stuff that should have been stopped years ago.

meglome

_AVALANCHE_ wrote: »

It's just 1 thing in a long list of stuff that should have been stopped years ago.

Well it looks like it wasn't costing that much money until Bertie came along.

Maura74

_AVALANCHE_ wrote: »

It's just 1 thing in a long list of stuff that should have been stopped years ago.

It is a start in the right direction and at the top where most of the abuse goes on...now let's see if they will go all the way and cut out all the waste in government and public services departments. Empolyees in these cosy jobs have been over paid and are and have been sucking the life out of the country for the privilege of being in a well-paid secure jobs........ and they are still leeching as much as possible out of the joe public the taxpayer.

I bet if someone with common sense was to go into government and check all the waste that goes on there it would bring tears to the eyes.:eek::mad::(

MadsL

Seriously impressed. Now to cut out absurd quangos like the Digital Hub.

Nody

meglome wrote: »

Not a massive sum of money but it needed to be done. Especially to stop good ole Bertie taking the piss.

Should be happy he did; highlights what they can claim, creates public anger over it and gets it removed faster then if they had all kept going at lowish amounts below the radar....

gerryo777

Maura74 wrote: »

It is a start in the right direction and at the top where most of the abuse goes on...now let's see if they will go all the way and cut out all the waste in government and public services departments. Empolyees in these cosy jobs have been over paid and are and have been sucking the life out of the country for the privilege of being in a well-paid secure jobs........ and they are still leeching as much as possible out of the joe public the taxpayer.

I bet if someone with common sense was to go into government and check all the waste that goes on there it would bring tears to the eyes.:eek::mad::(

Bring in Michael O'Leary!! Can you just imagine.......:D

sh1tstirrer

How much will Berties expenses be next year? One thing for sure the secretary won't be getting over paid.

edwalsh

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

How much will Berties expenses be next year? One thing for sure the secretary won't be getting over paid.

next he will be claiming for hard neck.

Bullseye1

This is pure politics by the government. "well if we are going to hit he ****ers with a €100 household charge we better be seen to give something back ourselves".

How about tackling the huge social welfare and public finance bills and stop with the continuous attacks on people still working and trying to make a living. It will get to the stage when people will say enough is enough I'm out of here and it won't be just 30-40,000 we will be talking 100,000's of people leaving. Why stick it out here just to scratch a living.

MadsL

Bullseye1 wrote: »

stop with the continuous attacks on people still working and trying to make a living.

Yes, leave the poor struggling artist alone..

murphaph

Bullseye1 wrote: »

This is pure politics by the government.

The government (many mistakes and all that it has made so far) has recognised that people are p!ssed off with these sort of extravagant perks for ex-politicians and has moved to eliminate them. The fact that they have thus far failed to face up to the public sector pay and pensions and social welfare issues (the former more so than the latter IMO) does not make this decision a poor one.

mikom

Jaysus, they move at light speed on cutting waste this government.....
*slow hand clap*

gerryo777

MadsL wrote: »

Yes, leave the poor struggling artist alone..

Shouldn't that be 'p**s artist'!!!

murphaph

mikom wrote: »

Jaysus, they move at light speed on cutting waste this government.....
*slow hand clap*

Jesus Christ, talk about damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Solair

I have to say that I met a very elderly Garret Fitzgerald on a Dublin to Cork flight. He was unaccompanied, carrying his own luggage, appeared to have brought a packed lunch and got a lift from Cork Airport rather than a taxi!

He chatted away to people about economics while waiting in the non VIP departure area too!

Difference between him and bling bling Bertie couldn't have been more stark!

Bertie seems to still be inhabiting some kind of parallel universe where money is no object!

mikom

murphaph wrote: »

Jesus Christ, talk about damned if you do and damned if you don't.

Do more and we'll be less damned.

murphaph

Solair wrote: »

I have to say that I met Garret Fitzgerald on a Dublin to Cork flight. He was unaccompanied, carrying his own luggage, appeared to have brought a packed lunch and got a lift from Cork Airport rather than a taxi!

He chatted away to people about economics while waiting in the non VIP departure area too!

Difference between him and bling bling Bertie couldn't have been more stark!

I've heard similar stories from a mate who often saw him on Ryanair flights between Dublin and (I think) Gatwick. Says he always had a plastic carrier bag as his carry on luggage and couldn't have looked more ordinary.

Fitzgerald made (honest) mistakes while Taoiseach but by God Ireland would have been a thousand times better off with a man like him in charge than Bertie Ahern. As you say: chalk and cheese.

eire4

Whether a cosmetic PR move or not by the government they got this one right. Well done and credit where credit is due for the ending of this wasting of tax payers money. It is not a big sum in the overall grand scheme of things but well done all the same. I have to say Bertie Ahern really does have some brass neck to have been getting that much in expenses over the last few years when so many are being forced to leave the country never mind those fighting just to get by at home.

robd

Solair wrote: »

I have to say that I met a very elderly Garret Fitzgerald on a Dublin to Cork flight. He was unaccompanied, carrying his own luggage, appeared to have brought a packed lunch and got a lift from Cork Airport rather than a taxi!

He chatted away to people about economics while waiting in the non VIP departure area too!

Difference between him and bling bling Bertie couldn't have been more stark!

Bertie seems to still be inhabiting some kind of parallel universe where money is no object!

I was sitting in a restaurant in Clontarf a few weeks back and Bertie happened to be sitting at the table beside us with the missus. To be honest, I didn't really believe it was him and kept looking him up and down he looked so different. Was only when he left and everyone was in agreement that I actually knew it was him. He's very much and eyes down man these days. Looks like someone afraid to look up, for fear of what might be said to him. Was just the 2 of them, no detective or anything and he paid his bill. Very very low key.

100% in agreement with cuts here. Bertie's expense bill was an utter disgrace.

Maura74

robd wrote: »

He's very much and eyes down man these days. Looks like someone afraid to look up, for fear of what might be said to him. Was just the 2 of them, no detective or anything and he paid his bill. Very very low key.

100% in agreement with cuts here. Bertie's expense bill was an utter disgrace.

Emm.....Him fear of looking people in the eye, no wonder with all that he has con the taxpayer. He should be afraid, taking into consideration the very large salary he was making why in power and wrecking the country and got no problems in carry on taking joe public taxes when the country was made bankrupt. He should be in jail.:mad:

Sleepy

robd wrote: »

I was sitting in a restaurant in Clontarf a few weeks back and Bertie happened to be sitting at the table beside us with the missus. To be honest, I didn't really believe it was him and kept looking him up and down he looked so different. Was only when he left and everyone was in agreement that I actually knew it was him. He's very much and eyes down man these days. Looks like someone afraid to look up, for fear of what might be said to him. Was just the 2 of them, no detective or anything and he paid his bill. Very very low key.

100% in agreement with cuts here. Bertie's expense bill was an utter disgrace.

Aragh, pull the other one, you'll be trying to tell us the man has a soul next

Delighted to see this move. As mentioned many times already it's a drop in the ocean but small drops fill a cup if you get enough of them and the optics of cutting from the top are important.

zero_hope

meglome wrote: »

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2012/0102/1224309717025.html

Not a massive sum of money but it needed to be done. Especially to stop good ole Bertie taking the piss.

The most sane, reasonable and rational solution would be to burn him at the stake while we chant DIE WARLOCK, DIE.

robd

Sleepy wrote: »

Aragh, pull the other one, you'll be trying to tell us the man has a soul next

Delighted to see this move. As mentioned many times already it's a drop in the ocean but small drops fill a cup if you get enough of them and the optics of cutting from the top are important.

I think you've mistook my angle on this one. Just saying his bling bling days are behind him. I feel no sympathy for him. As another poster says he should be in jail. I would have liked to pour a jug of ice cold water over him.

Park Royal

How in the name of God , could an Irish person with a scintilla of pride in this

country , respect an appointed Finance Minister , who goes to Manchester

and stuffs Sterling Notes in his trousers ........


a Boy Scout would have more respect for himself and his reputation....and

that of the country he is representing.....

Bertie a total disgrace......:mad:

tayto lover

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

How much will Berties expenses be next year? One thing for sure the secretary won't be getting over paid.

Bertie is his own secretary.