SF Aengus O'Snodaigh has claimed €50,000 in expenses for Printer Ink

Hannibal

K-9 wrote: »

Well I'll remember come voting in a constituency with a SF TD. I'll also remember Thomas Pringle claiming his allowance that he chose not to give back, as basically they're all at it. Well AOS and Pringle, you weren't elected to be all at it, just like FF/FG!

Thomas Pringle isn't a member of Sinn Féin, he left the party in 2007 and got elected as an independent!!

K-9

Dotsey wrote: »

Thomas Pringle isn't a member of Sinn Féin, he left the party in 2007 and got elected as an independent!!

Yep, well familiar with that, my old constituency after all. Notice I didn't mention SF in that post, just individuals? That was on purpose.

yourpics

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Well they shouldn't have moved on until he is forced to pay back most of it and possibly even suspended for a while.

It won't happen though, because far too many of them are at it.

Hopefully all other politicians will pay back what they owe to the taxpayer aswell, unlikely though.

john reilly

raymon wrote: »

Not true ..... I care

Not true ...... it was covered by all media outlets

Not true ........ millions of leaflets was the number provided by experts

Personally I don't believe his explanation, I think it is more likely that others used the cartridges

you missed the most important part of the post . specifically refering to those who would never vote sinn fein and yet the next few posts. are from those very people

lugha

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Speak for yourself.

Liam Byrne wrote: »

Do not taint me by association, please.

Liam, I think you are missing an essential point in what I am saying, which is that the Irish electorate (i.e. “we”), as opposed to many of us as individual voters, do not punish unethical politicians. There is no “I” in electorate!

You are at pains to disassociate yourself from the ranks who would put people with low standards in high office. Of course you can only be responsible for how you use your own vote, and if you maintain high standards, then certainly you can say “I deserve a better standard of public representative”

But it is the electorate as a whole, in the various constituencies, that decide who holds public office. You can distance yourself from the decisions that they make if you wish but you can’t say “we deserve a better standard of public representative”, or “Limerick does”.

The people (plural) in a democracy always get the representatives they deserve, notwithstanding that a great many individuals within the collective may deserve much better. In my contributions, I am referring to the former.

raymon

john reilly wrote: »

you missed the most important part of the post . specifically refering to those who would never vote sinn fein and yet the next few posts. are from those very people

You missed the most important part of my post. I didn't mention any party.

If there is a suspected thief in leinster house , that should be investigated regardless of party.

kippy

john reilly wrote: »

there is a cost for me getting to work. but i pay that myself. also the bigger parties get more money ensuring they will stay the bigger parties. hardly suprising given it was them that introduced these expenses

The problem isn't with the political expense system, how often does that have to be said.
You have to see the logic of politicians getting expenses.
Yes, we can and should question them, there should be more accountability and there definitely should be a system of punishments for those that abuse it. But guess what, there isn't and that is the problem. Not the fact that they get expenses in the first place.


Who introduced these expenses? FF were the biggest party in the last Dail - therefore they got the most expenses - they sure as hell aren't the biggest party this time out. There goes your logic about expenses.
The bigger parties being the bigger parties has nothing directly to do with the amount of expenses they claim.

I have to say, your attitude depresses me. You are defending and backing the indefensible.

raymon

I think we are all being too lenient here.

Let's say I started swiping the coffee at work. I am entitled to free coffee after all. There is no rule that says stealing the coffee is prohibited. And because I was told coffee is free I am not breaking the law.
Every evening I throw a few bags of freshly ground into my bag. I do this for a few years until someone tells me to stop.

Now I am not a thief so this scenario is hypothetical.

If I was caught I would be fired I am sure. Or sent to counselling for kleptomania.

Why are politicians different than workers in the real world?

walshb

raymon wrote: »

Why are politicians different than workers in the real world?

Beacuse it's their club, their rules, and they investigate if rules may have been broken. A disgusting system set up by some disgusting people.

Bannasidhe

raymon wrote: »

I think we are all being too lenient here.

Let's say I started swiping the coffee at work. I am entitled to free coffee after all. There is no rule that says stealing the coffee is prohibited. And because I was told coffee is free I am not breaking the law.
Every evening I throw a few bags of freshly ground into my bag. I do this for a few years until someone tells me to stop.

Now I am not a thief so this scenario is hypothetical.

If I was caught I would be fired I am sure. Or sent to counselling for kleptomania.

Why are politicians different than workers in the real world?

Exactly - it's just eejits like us who don't see the stuff supplied to us to help us do our work as an invitation to help ourselves to what ever is available.

Perhaps I should pop into work and load the car up with the boxes of paper they supply for staff? I have the keys to the room they are kept in, and they are 'free' (i.e paid for by the taxpayer). May as well stock up on folders, envelopes and the like while I'm there.

Now that I think about it - my colleagues have some books I wouldn't mind having copies off...and I get unlimited photocopies....and I do use those books for work....

nuac

Any statement yet from SF on this.

I think they are hoping it will go away - not likely to do so

walshb

nuac wrote: »

I think they are hoping it will go away - not likely to do so

Eh, very likely to do so, isn't that the problem here in Ireland?

Liam Byrne

raymon wrote: »

I think we are all being too lenient here.

Let's say I started swiping the coffee at work. I am entitled to free coffee after all. There is no rule that says stealing the coffee is prohibited. And because I was told coffee is free I am not breaking the law.
Every evening I throw a few bags of freshly ground into my bag. I do this for a few years until someone tells me to stop.

Now I am not a thief so this scenario is hypothetical.

If I was caught I would be fired I am sure. Or sent to counselling for kleptomania.

Why are politicians different than workers in the real world?

You probably don't get paid extra for actually turning up to work either, or expenses for actually getting to work.

nuac

In any organisation such abuse of resources would risk disciplinary action - exept Dáil Éireann.

yourpics

raymon wrote: »

I think we are all being too lenient here.

Let's say I started swiping the coffee at work. I am entitled to free coffee after all. There is no rule that says stealing the coffee is prohibited. And because I was told coffee is free I am not breaking the law.
Every evening I throw a few bags of freshly ground into my bag. I do this for a few years until someone tells me to stop.

Coffee? Like Minister for Health James O'Reilly who spent over €600 on 2 coffee machines, too lazy to walk to the canteen!

Raiser

nuac wrote: »

Any statement yet from SF on this.

I think they are hoping it will go away - not likely to do so

Are you mad? Rabid Mary Lou already came out and blamed the 'system'.

- Be a good little dumb as fcuk Irish person now and forget all about it.

SF have always made my skin crawl...... never met a Shinner that I could tolerate for more than 30 long seconds either.......

GombeanMan

This cNut should be forced out of office over this. No justification for this whatsoever. I would consider this as an act of criminal theft. This guy is a thief.

raymon

yourpics wrote: »

Coffee? Like Minister for Health James O'Reilly who spent over €600 on 2 coffee machines, too lazy to walk to the canteen!

That was excessive.

However the thread is not about Reilly

It is about o Snodaigh

50,000 euros vs 600 euros ......

tayto lover

nuac wrote: »

Any statement yet from SF on this.

I think they are hoping it will go away - not likely to do so

This will probably go on until Christmas. I can hear it in my mind already -

" two turtle doves,
... and a cartridge in a pear tree"

Liam Byrne

nuac wrote: »

Any statement yet from SF on this.

I think they are hoping it will go away - not likely to do so

We should constantly remind them about it until the individual involved is forced to resign.

You've actually prompted the perfect karma campaign slogan :

"It hasn't gone away you know"

gerryo777

Liam Byrne wrote: »

We should constantly remind them about it until the individual involved is forced to resign.

You've actually prompted the perfect karma campaign slogan :

"It hasn't gone away you know"

If every TD who fiddles their expenses were to resign, there wouldn't be one left.
They're all corrupt, one way or another.

Sully

yourpics wrote: »

Coffee? Like Minister for Health James O'Reilly who spent over €600 on 2 coffee machines, too lazy to walk to the canteen!

This was denied by one of his colleagues on Facebook. Have you proof to support this accusation? I never did hear about this in the media.

raymon

Sully wrote: »

This was denied by one of his colleagues on Facebook. Have you proof to support this accusation? I never did hear about this in the media.

In any case , o Snodaigh took this amount of printer cartridges ( 600 euro ) every single week for 2 years.

If I was o reilly I would check if my coffee machine was still there... I would fasten it down with an anti theft device. ( I am not implying that O Snodaigh would steal it...... but it is always a good idea to secure items of value)

Liam Byrne

gerryo777 wrote: »

Liam Byrne wrote: »

We should constantly remind them about it until the individual involved is forced to resign.

You've actually prompted the perfect karma campaign slogan :

"It hasn't gone away you know"

If every TD who fiddles their expenses were to resign, there wouldn't be one left.
They're all corrupt, one way or another.

If that's true then great! Get rid of all the leeching con-men in one go!

Pompey Magnus

Sully wrote: »

This was denied by one of his colleagues on Facebook. Have you proof to support this accusation? I never did hear about this in the media.

Link

James Reilly spent €624 of taxpayers’ money on two deluxe Bewley’s coffee machines — one for each of his offices. One has been installed in his office in the health department at Hawkins House while the other sits in his Leinster House rooms.

His spokesman said the minister needed the machines because he worked long hours and the Dáil restaurant and department canteen were not always open.

Which colleague denied it?

kippy

A least we know where the coffee machine is, what it does and who is using it.Which is a lot more than we know about 50K worth of toner/ink.
600 euro on a coffee machine is a disgrace, but I would class this as a waste of money as opposed to a potential abuse of power/privilege.
There are spendings in the public service that need to be questioned and in a time of austerity, indeed any spending such as this coffee machine are to be frowned on and I agree that the people who sign off on this spending need to be taken to account. An ideal area for the PAC at the very least. The PAC is made up of politicians however and that is an issue.

john reilly

Sully wrote: »

This was denied by one of his colleagues on Facebook. Have you proof to support this accusation? I never did hear about this in the mea.[/diQUOTE]

sure why would you he's not in sinn fein

john reilly

tayto lover wrote: »

This will probably go on until Christmas. I can hear it in my mind already -

" two turtle doves,
... and a cartridge in a pear tree"

it probably will.

kippy

john reilly wrote: »

Sully wrote: »

This was denied by one of his colleagues on Facebook. Have you proof to support this accusation? I never did hear about this in the mea.[/diQUOTE]

sure why would you he's not in sinn fein

SF really have a persecution complex don't they?
Search this forum for threads on John O Donohoe, Ivor Callelly (multiple threads) and many more cross party politicians who have been acting inappropriately.
The reason this might piss off SF supporters is simply because the years of trying to replace the association with the IRA and what they did, with an image of a "working mans" party with the good of the country at heart have been wasted with this one piece of factual information.
The fact that the item hasn't been handled at all well and that the answers given to add up when scrutinised by anyone but a hardcore party supporter make the issue all the worse.

rodento

This is well worth the read

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/jim-cusack-shinner-abuses-the-system-but-doesnt-explain-3038837.html