TD's expenses

gerryo777

Does anyone find it a bit suspect that 5 of the current government ministers can budget their expenses so well that they return sums ranging from phil hogan's €11.90 to simon coveney's €37.74?


http://www.thejournal.ie/one-third-of-tds-return-e210k-in-unused-expenses-for-2011-477434-Jun2012/

I know there's another thread about Sinn Fein's expenses, so for this one can we just concentrate on government TD's and ministers.

Your thoughts please.

SocSocPol

not suspect in the least. probably just a single receipted item.

MrReynholm

That URL isn't working at all, gerryo.

MrReynholm

SocSocPol wrote: »

not suspect in the least. probably just a single receipted item.

That's what this amounts to, yes, and it's good that it's based on receipts instead of figures asserted by the individuals themselves.

gerryo777

Expenses from 2011.

Hope this link works, it's from the journal.ie.


http://www.thejournal.ie/one-third-of-tds-return-e210k-in-unused-expenses-for-2011-477434-Jun2012/

I just find it extremely suspicious that a sum of €11 or €12 can be sent back as 'unused expenses'.

MrReynholm

Ugh, sorry, I can't read SinnFeinsGreat.ie/TheJournal.ie. Every sentence written there has been proven to kill brain cells and the quantity killed is multiplied when you get to the comments written underneath the articles.

gerryo777

MrReynholm wrote: »

Ugh, sorry, I can't read SinnFeinsGreat.ie/TheJournal.ie. Every sentence written there has been proven to kill brain cells and the quantity killed is multiplied when you get to the comments written underneath the articles.

The figures are there to be seen though, haven't read the comments myself.

paddy147

The minister for health is a clown,.

Using his chaufer driven car at peak time to go through the port tunnel.Then trying to claim all the expenses or write them off.

Numpty indeed.

Jester252

Good for them

yore

paddy147 wrote: »

The minister for health is a clown,.

Using his chaufer driven car at peak time to go through the port tunnel.Then trying to claim all the expenses or write them off.

Numpty indeed.

He's done alright for a clown or numpty.......has a fair big house down the country and an extensive list of assets from what I recall. Obviously not as intelligent as yourself though, what with your many degrees better than his sh1tty qualification as a doctor and the fabulous wealth and fame you've built up!

The clowns and numptys are the people who complain about this stuff. Jesus Christ, at a conservative estimate, the Irish taxpayer is paying him say 50 Euro an hour....and you'd prefer to have him sitting in traffic, driving himself and not being able to work and be paying him that 50 Euro an hour for it.

Compare this to "woman of the people" Clare Daly who built up expenses of something like 27,000 Euro. For commuting from Swords to the city centre...The 41 bus must have put it's fares up a fair bit!....But sure isn't she ony taking the "average industrial wage" or some sh1te like that. The "average industrial wage" is a nice amount to have in your pocket when all your living expenses are already expensed away! Hypocritical b1tch.

kowloon

yore wrote: »

Compare this to "woman of the people" Clare Daly who built up expenses of something like 27,000 Euro. For commuting from Swords to the city centre...The 41 bus must have put it's fares up a fair bit!....But sure isn't she ony taking the "average industrial wage" or some sh1te like that. The "average industrial wage" is a nice amount to have in your pocket when all your living expenses are already expensed away! Hypocritical b1tch.

You have her all wrong. What she meant was she was only taking the average industrial wage as a basis for her commuting costs.

Wacker The Attacker

Youre missing the point.

They're serving the public.

paddy147

Big Phil is sending out letters to everyone today who didnt pay the 100 euro household "tax".

All 50% of you very naughty people should be ashamed of yourselves for not paying the 100 euro household tax.:D

Because "Big Phil" was only able to spend 12,000 euro of that money on his luxury trip to Brazil recently.:eek::rolleyes:

yore

kowloon wrote: »

You have her all wrong. What she meant was she was only taking the average industrial wage as a basis for her commuting costs.

Maybe so, but my understanding is that the people who claim "average industrial wage" actually take the full wage but choose to donate the portion of it above this mythical number to their party/cause. So she is getting her 27k, paying for all her daily expenses out of that and then pocketing the 35k (or whatever the average wage is).

The figure of 27k (if I recall it correctly) was from the Vincent Browne show. On it, her excuse was something like "blame the system". On the same programme she moaned about Quinn and recalled her martyrdom of going to jail for a month for contempt of court. From what I recall, there was an injunction against her "protests", she broke it, ended up in court and refused to give an undertaking to cease them. Quinn has three weeks to sort his sh1t out before he suffers the same fate. The court scenarios were not the same, and only would have been if Quinn had stood up in court and told the judge he would not assist in the recovery of his assets. She's a publicity seeking cnut!


I'd bet there are thousands of people in Swords, commuting to Dublin and getting wages less than 27k. But that's what she's charging the state in expenses. Fair enough, but don't do that and then moan and talk out the other side of your mouth about other politicians or poor people. Trevor Sergent was in the same constituency; whatever about his policies (I was not a fan of most of them), he seemed relatively honest and consistent.

At least Reilly has a ministerial position and presumably important meetings to go to and important decisions to make. I wouldn't want him to be sitting in traffic. Daly can stick to the 41.....she probably has free travel after all her years as a union leech

yore

paddy147 wrote: »

Big Phil is sending out letters to everyone today who didnt pay the 100 euro household "tax".

All 50% of you very naughty people should be ashamed of yourselves for not paying the 100 euro household tax.:D

Because "Big Phil" was only able to spend 12,000 euro of that money on his luxury trip to Brazil recently.:eek::rolleyes:

Would you rather we didn't ever send any politicians abroad to represent the country or it's interests? That would be incredibly short sighted and idiotic. Penny wise and pound foolish!

paddy147

yore wrote: »

Penny wise and pound foolish!

Thats exactly what Big Phil was thinking and doing while lying (lieing) on the bed in his 630 euro a night hotel room in Brazil and runing up a bill of 12,000 euro of tax payers money.:rolleyes:

yore

paddy147 wrote: »

Thats exactly what Big Phil was thinking and doing while lying (lieing) on the bed in his 630 euro a night hotel room in Brazil and runing up a bill of 12,000 euro of tax payers money.:rolleyes:

yeah, think of the waste. That could have paid Claire Daly's 8 mile bus fare to
the Dail for about 5 or 6 months.

It's strange that the government would just let him take a random paid-for luxury holiday though. I wonder why he chose Brazil? Any ideas? It is a nice country mind but sure while he was down there you'd think he'd have done a few more - maybe a week in Argentina or Peru or something?

cristoir

paddy147 wrote: »

Thats exactly what Big Phil was thinking and doing while lying (lieing) on the bed in his 630 euro a night hotel room in Brazil and runing up a bill of 12,000 euro of tax payers money.:rolleyes:

It was a UN conference. What do you propose we shut ourselves out of the international community to save what is around 0.0005% of the annual deficit.

yore

edited

paddy147

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/celebrity-news-gossip/our-job-is-just-to-shut-up-and-sign-3147594.html

Big Phil tried to 1st deny the lavish costs.

He then got caught out with his lies and had to backtrack.

Story was in in yesterdays Sunday Newspapers.

paddy147

cristoir wrote: »

It was a UN conference. What do you propose we shut ourselves out of the international community to save what is around 0.0005% of the annual deficit.

Big Phil should be practising what he preechs.

Lead by example or else shut the fcuk up with all these stupid threats to the people of Ireland

yore

paddy147 wrote: »

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/independent-woman/celebrity-news-gossip/our-job-is-just-to-shut-up-and-sign-3147594.html

Big Phil tried to 1st deny the lavish costs.

He then got caught out with his lies and had to backtrack.

Story was in in yesterdays Sunday Newspapers.

do you think the ministers book their travel plans themselves? It doesn't excuse them, but at the same time I don't want them to be wasting hours searching expedia or lastminute.com to save an extra 50 euros. they should have people to organise this stuff. If those people are incompetent then the politician should sack them.

paddy147

yore wrote: »

do you think the ministers book their travel plans themselves? It doesn't excuse them, but at the same time I don't want them to be wasting hours searching expedia or lastminute.com to save an extra 50 euros. they should have people to organise this stuff. If those people are incompetent then the politician should sack them.

They have people that organize these things,they all have nice big pay rises too and "big phil" still gets to blow tax payers money too.


Big Phil has a mouth in his head and is quick to use it to publicly bully and threaten Irish people to pay up.

Funny how he cant use that same mouth to say "lets keep the costs down" on our Brazilian holiday (sorry I mean business trip).

But he will tell lies to the media,when they find out about the stupidly high "holiday costs" involved.

Funny that.:rolleyes:



PS-I wonder what a 650 euro a night hotel room looks like??

yore

paddy147 wrote: »

They have people that organize these things,they all have nice big pay rises too and "big phil" still gets to blow tax payers money too.


Big Phil has a mouth in his head and is quick to use it to publicly bully and threaten people to pay up.

Funny how he cant use that same mouth to say "lets keep the costs down" on our Brazilian holiday (sorry I mean business trip).

Funny that.:rolleyes:

It's his job to implement that charge. What do you want him to do? Decide, "hey my trip to the conference in Brazil cost too much, so lets scrap the household charge and any hope of bringing in a proper property tax over the coming years" ?

If he hadn't gone to Brazil, would you still be moaning about the charge? If yes, then shut up about it because you are only using it as an excuse to moan some more.

yore

paddy147 wrote: »

PS-I wonder what a 650 euro a night hotel room looks like??

I missed your edit.

I reckon it looks the same as a 100 Euro a night hotel. Because it probably can be got for the same price. These conferences probably tend to be large events with large numbers of people travelling....kinda like the way that hotel your friends stayed in in Poland was 100 Euro a night instead of it's normal 25 a night because there were soccer matches on nearby

paddy147

yore wrote: »

It's his job to implement that charge. What do you want him to do? Decide, "hey my trip to the conference in Brazil cost too much, so lets scrap the household charge and any hope of bringing in a proper property tax over the coming years" ?

If he hadn't gone to Brazil, would you still be moaning about the charge? If yes, then shut up about it because you are only using it as an excuse to moan some more.

FG ministers obviously dont think that "recession" and "cost savings" apply to them when it comes to "holidays" abroad and advisors/staff saleries.

But the people of Ireland have to "cut their own cloth to measure" and also carry the can for the goverment.

If he hadnt have blown 12k of tax payers money in Brazil,then lied all about it and tried to blame the media for making it all up,and then backtracked on his words,then he wouldnt be public enemy number 1 again.

yore

paddy147 wrote: »

FG ministers obviously dont think that "recession" and "cost savings" apply to them when it comes to "holidays" abroad.

But the people of Ireland have to "cut their own cloth to measure" and also carry the can for the goverment.

If he hadnt have blown 12k of tax payers money,then lied all about it and tried to blame the media for making it all up,and then backtracked on words,then he would be public enemy number 1 again.

I'm not going to argue with you anymore because I haven't read the facts about him lying and backtracking.

paddy147

yore wrote: »

I'm not going to argue with you anymore because I haven't read the facts about him lying and backtracking.

And at 3:37am in the morning,Im off to my bed.

Best regards and goodnight.

gerryo777

yore wrote: »

Compare this to "woman of the people" Clare Daly who built up expenses of something like 27,000 Euro. For commuting from Swords to the city centre...The 41 bus must have put it's fares up a fair bit!....But sure isn't she ony taking the "average industrial wage" or some sh1te like that. The "average industrial wage" is a nice amount to have in your pocket when all your living expenses are already expensed away! Hypocritical b1tch.

Can we keep this one focused on government TD's and ministers?

There are enough threads for SF/ULA/Mick wallace.

I want to concentrate on the people in power, these are the ones who decide the rates etc etc.

Red_Wake

gerryo777 wrote: »

Can we keep this one focused on government TD's and ministers?

There are enough threads for SF/ULA/Mick wallace.

I want to concentrate on the people in power, these are the ones who decide the rates etc etc.

And so your political allegiance is confirmed.

Stiffler2

Why do TD's even get expenses. They get paid €xxx,xxx,xxx a year not to mention the brown envelopes.

Expenses should be done away with altogether bar maybe travelling expenses ( to foreign countries )

They get paid well enough

Red_Wake

Stiffler2 wrote: »

Why do TD's even get expenses. They get paid €xxx,xxx,xxx a year not to mention the brown envelopes.

Expenses should be done away with altogether bar maybe travelling expenses ( to foreign countries )

They get paid well enough

Expenses are there so the employee does not have to be put out of pocket while undertaking his job in unusual circumstances.

Stiffler2

Red_Wake wrote: »

Expenses are there so the employee does not have to be put out of pocket while undertaking his job in unusual circumstances.

I understand that but once you are over a certain wage - say €150,000 a year I think they can afford credit for their phones, petrol etc..


I have to drive into work, does my employer pay for my petrol - I think not

gerryo777

Red_Wake wrote: »

And so your political allegiance is confirmed.

If you say so.

gerryo777

Red_Wake wrote: »

Expenses are there so the employee does not have to be put out of pocket while undertaking his job in unusual circumstances.

Is it unusual that an employee would have to travel to work?

Stiffler2

gerryo777 wrote: »

Is it unusual that an employee would have to travel to work?

my point exactly

we should go further than this, all expenses should be uploaded to each TD's webiste, hidden or otherwise for everyone to look at, not the journal - their website....

Bet ya they wouldn't spend half as much

Red_Wake

Stiffler2 wrote: »

I understand that but once you are over a certain wage - say €150,000 a year I think they can afford credit for their phones, petrol etc..


I have to drive into work, does my employer pay for my petrol - I think not

TD's earn 92,000 pa I believe, so they'd still be under your limit.

Interestingly enough, some employers have a fuel allowance for employees who have to travel long distance(and of course, to a different area of work to their main office) in the course of their work.

Which I believe this could come under.

gerryo777 wrote: »

Is it unusual that an employee would have to travel to work?

I'm not specifically talking about mileage expenses, so I don't know why you're bringing it up.

The issue is not expenses in themselves, but the loose regulation of them. Legitimate expenses occur, but tendency of some politicians to take advantage of them, either diverting them to their own ends (as Pearse Doherty has done) or maximising their consumption of them (Micheal Lowry's mobile phones spring to mind).

However, I notice that a recurring feature of these shysters is they keep getting reelected (Lowry, Healy-Rae,Doherty - will get reelected,etc), so I'm inclined to think their electorates are the type of small minded cretins that only see the crimes of those committed by members of other groups.

gerryo777

Red_Wake wrote: »

TD's earn 92,000 pa I believe, so they'd still be under your limit.

Interestingly enough, some employers have a fuel allowance for employees who have to travel long distance(and of course, to a different area of work to their main office) in the course of their work.

Which I believe this could come under.



I'm not specifically talking about mileage expenses, so I don't know why you're bringing it up.

The issue is not expenses in themselves, but the loose regulation of them. Legitimate expenses occur, but tendency of some politicians to take advantage of them, either diverting them to their own ends (as Pearse Doherty has done) or maximising their consumption of them (Micheal Lowry's mobile phones spring to mind).

However, I notice that a recurring feature of these shysters is they keep getting reelected (Lowry, Healy-Rae,Doherty - will get reelected,etc), so I'm inclined to think their electorates are the type of small minded cretins that only see the crimes of those committed by members of other groups.

I probably should have named this thread 'Government TD's Expenses'.

Anyway, I refer all to the OP.

As there is multiple threads about SF/ULA/Wallace etc, I would like people to keep on topic.

I was told on one of those threads by a couple of wannabe moderator's to start a thread on government td's only, so here is is.

Please stay on topic.....

Red_Wake

gerryo777 wrote: »

I probably should have named this thread 'Government TD's Expenses'.

Anyway, I refer all to the OP.

As there is multiple threads about SF/ULA/Wallace etc, I would like people to keep on topic.

I was told on one of those threads by a couple of wannabe moderator's to start a thread on government td's only, so here is is.

Please stay on topic.....

Censoring things you don't like eh?:pac:

Bit weird that you start a thread saying it's suspicious how some TD's expenses are so low, but you think TDs with extraordinarily large expenses are off topic.

gerryo777

Red_Wake wrote: »

Censoring things you don't like eh?:pac:

Bit weird that you start a thread saying it's suspicious how some TD's expenses are so low, but you think TDs with extraordinarily large expenses are off topic.

Do you find it a bit hard to read?

Read at the OP again if you are able to.

This thread was opened in response to posters on another thread.

Ah look, thanked by dv. Cute!

Red_Wake

gerryo777 wrote: »

Do you find it a bit hard to read?

Read at the OP again if you are able to.

This thread was opened in response to posters on another thread.

Ah look, thanked by dv. Cute!

So what exactly would you like to discuss about the government TD's expenses?

Phill Ewinn

yore wrote: »

Would you rather we didn't ever send any politicians abroad to represent the country or it's interests? That would be incredibly short sighted and idiotic. Penny wise and pound foolish!

Phil hogan had no input into his last trip to Brazil. Nor did eight of his cronys. Enda could just as well sit down and nod aplogetically over hhere as he can in Brussels. And don't get me started on Noonan, everytime he opens his mouth we have to sign checks for billions to unsecured bond holders.

yore

gerryo777 wrote: »

Can we keep this one focused on government TD's and ministers?

There are enough threads for SF/ULA/Mick wallace.

I want to concentrate on the people in power, these are the ones who decide the rates etc etc.

"maximum allowable amount" does not equal "actual expense incurred"

I'm sure that the "people in power" set the rates such as amount per mile for petrol etc that a TD can claim as an expense. It doesn't force them to claim that amount! Either it's legitimate and has to be refunded, or it's fraud. Just because you are below the ceiling does not mean that you are free to concoct imaginary expenses to boost your income tax-free. It's a bit like saying "I was entitled to burgle that house your Honour because they didn't have a decent alarm".

yore

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

Phil hogan had no input into his last trip to Brazil. Nor did eight of his cronys. Enda could just as well sit down and nod aplogetically over hhere as he can in Brussels. And don't get me started on Noonan, everytime he opens his mouth we have to sign checks for billions to unsecured bond holders .

Do you know the meaning of the term in bold? If so, please explain it to me in simple terms.

Red_Wake

Phill Ewinn wrote: »

Phil hogan had no input into his last trip to Brazil. Nor did eight of his cronys. Enda could just as well sit down and nod aplogetically over hhere as he can in Brussels. And don't get me started on Noonan, everytime he opens his mouth we have to sign checks for billions to unsecured bond holders.

I'm guessing you're present at these meetings personally are you?

Or have you an inside source?

krudler

Stiffler2 wrote: »

I understand that but once you are over a certain wage - say €150,000 a year I think they can afford credit for their phones, petrol etc..


I have to drive into work, does my employer pay for my petrol - I think not

But you try keeping a few houses on 150k a year. its not easy.

*polishes monacle with €50 note*

Red_Wake

krudler wrote: »

But you try keeping a few houses on 150k a year. its not easy.

*polishes monacle with €50 note*

It's been so long since I've seen a 50 euro note that I forgot that the EU printed notes that small.

gerryo777

Red_Wake wrote: »

So what exactly would you like to discuss about the government TD's expenses?

Jesus, it's step by step with you isn't it.

OK, slowly now.

Do you not think it's a bit suspicious that 5 ministers in the government return sums of between €11 and €37 from their massive expense accounts ?

Red_Wake

gerryo777 wrote: »

Jesus, it's step by step with you isn't it.

OK, slowly now.

Do you not think it's a bit suspicious that 5 ministers in the government return sums of between €11 and €37 from their massive expense accounts ?

No.

I'd imagine that they charge their costs to a government credit card.

Which is available for scrutiny by any decent accountant and whose legitimacy can clearly be seen and investigated.

Are you suggesting they are somehow scamming the expenses system by not claiming any?

gerryo777

Red_Wake wrote: »

No.

I'd imagine that they charge their costs to a government credit card.

Which is available for scrutiny by any decent accountant and whose legitimacy can clearly be seen and investigated.

Are you suggesting they are somehow scamming the expenses system by not claiming any?

Any decent accountant would say that these figures are a bit too convenient to be correct.

A lot of other politicians returned sums into the thousands, can anyone believe €11?

Red_Wake

gerryo777 wrote: »

Any decent accountant would say that these figures are a bit too convenient to be correct.

A lot of other politicians returned sums into the thousands, can anyone believe €11?

So are you suggesting that they are fiddling the expenses system then?

Most likely they use a government credit card so expenses are never incurred in the first place, but charged directly to the government.