TD's make prank call to protestors during a reposession!

Ghandee

Nice to see they've a sense of humour all the same

Five TDs, cosy in the warmth of the taxpayer-subsidised Dail members' bar, played a cruel prank on independent TD Mattie McGrath as he battled on behalf of a farmer in trouble with a financial institution.

As Mr McGrath, who is diabetic, was in the 10th hour of a sit-in at the offices of Friends First along with five others, Dail colleagues were creased with laughter as they made a hoax call purporting to be from Pizza Hut, offering free pizza to the protesters.

In on the mocking skit were Labour's Michael McCarthy, Fine Gael deputies Tom Hayes and Patrick O'Donovan and Fianna Fail TDs Michael Moynihan and Dara Calleary.

Mr McGrath fell for the joke, he admitted yesterday.

In the call, Mr McCarthy who has a reputation as a mimic, purported to be an Italian.

"You no like bank. And we no like bank, so we want to send you pizza. Solidarity!"

"They took me for a fool alright, I fell for it hook, line and sinker," Mr McGrath told the Sunday Independent.

But Timmy O'Brien of the Farm Contractors of Ireland (FCI), who was involved in the stand-off at Friends First, said he was "disgusted".

"They should be ashamed of themselves. While they were warming their backsides in Leinster House, Mattie McGrath was out working for a farmer who wasn't even in his constituency," he said.

The sit-in was in response to an incident near Bunclody in Co Wexford last Friday week, which is now the subject of a garda investigation.

Salvage agents acting for Friends First entered the farm at 5.30am and attempted to repossess a tractor.

It led to a confrontation, which is now being investigated by gardai.

Mr McGrath claims the family was left traumatised by the incident.

"The family are devastated. I saw them on Friday night, they need support; two young children had left the house, their younger children, young girls, when I went to see them on Friday," Mr McGrath said.

"We wanted a guarantee that they can sleep in their house over Christmas in peace. When that wasn't forthcoming at the meeting with Friends First, we decided to sit in," he said.

The financial institution maintains that it "acted legally at all times and was not in breach of any code of conduct".

"The agents made it clear to the borrowers that they were acting lawfully on behalf of Friends First Finance and that they were in possession of a 'bearer letter' from the company, which gave them authorisation to carry out the repossession on behalf of Friends First Finance," they said in a statement issued on the day of the protest.

Mr McGrath left the sit-in at around 11pm, some 10 hours after it began.

Others stayed until 1.30am on Wednesday morning – Budget day.

Mr McGrath said yesterday he had received what he called "a letter of comfort" from Friends First, saying that there would be no further action involving the farm in Co Wexford until the garda investigation was completed..

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/you-no-like-bank-we-no-like-bank-tds-pizza-prank-backfires-3319830.html


We can argue all day on the 'farmers' legal obligations regarding his finacial affairs and what he may or may not owe to the banks (we can also argue what the banks now owe us, the tax payers for bailing them out) however, I think it was wholly inappropriate for TD's to call a fellow TD while working in the community (offering counselling and guidance) to a citizen about to have one of the most important 'tools' of his trade repossessed.

Opinions please?

franktheplank

Leave my tractor alone, it never hurt nobody.

bgrizzley

sure, havent they been pranking us for the last 2 years...

joydivision

Mad . The big three parties getting in on the joke together is even weirder .

newmug

Those TD's are not fit to hold office. Schoolboy stuff. Isnt there a code of ethics for politicians? There should be disciplinary action for this, namely removal from post due to being unfit for the job. Dispicable.

Fr_Dougal

Bunch of wasters.

Sky King

, I think it was wholly inappropriate for TD's to call a fellow TD while working in the community (offering counselling and guidance) to a citizen about to be evicted.

The article doesnt say he was being evicted, it says that they were repossesing his tractor, which he probably didnt pay for.

galwayrush

Sky King wrote: »

The article doesnt say he was being evicted, it says that they were repossesing his tractor, which he probably didnt pay for.

Only a Sheriff can legally enter a premisis and repossess after a court order, the 'agents' here were acting outside the law,

Ghandee

Sky King wrote: »

The article doesnt say he was being evicted, it says that they were repossesing his tractor, which he probably didnt pay for.

Quite right actually.

In saying that, the article leads me to believe that the tractor repossession may be the first step in an eviction.

Doesn't take away from the fact that what the TD's did was wrong though.

OP edited.

Thanks

admiralofthefleet

newmug wrote: »

Those TD's are not fit to hold office. Schoolboy stuff. Isnt there a code of ethics for politicians? There should be disciplinary action for this, namely removal from post due to being unfit for the job. Dispicable.

and all of their perks, pensions ect... should be removed

Gillo

Great to see the political parties coming together, putting differences behind them and working as one.

The tractor was being repossessed, the farmer wasn't being evicted from his home.

Stinicker

It was Mattie McGrath, he is an absolute tool of a gombeen. He was more than a fair target for it.

RoundyMooney

What's diabetes got to do with it? Did his goldfish die recently too?

Chips Lovell

Was a story about this in the Irish Times yesterday:

“Jesus. Grand job. Grand job,” said Mattie, exclaiming “Lads, lads! Pizza Hut is droppin’ around pizza!”

Michael then inquired if he wanted chips as well.

Oh, yes, that would be lovely.

“Hauld on a minute. Hauld on. There’s two guards in here with us as well. Will ya send us four?” The Leinster House pranksters nearly passed out as they struggled to stop laughing out loud. “We send you four,” promised Michael.

That was settled so, except for one further thing. It might not look good for Occupy Loughlinstown to be seen getting in a big feed of pizza and chips.

“Bring ’em around the back,” shouted Mattie. “Bring ’em round the back.” The boys in the bar collapsed.

RoundyMooney

Would be more apt to question why a FFer is running about stirring up things at reposessions up and down the country.

mikom

And they all wore suits.
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=82121554#post82121554

muff03

newmug wrote: »

Those TD's are not fit to hold office. Schoolboy stuff. Isnt there a code of ethics for politicians? There should be disciplinary action for this, namely removal from post due to being unfit for the job. Dispicable.

Of course there should be, but it's Ireland you're living in, so that'll never happen.

mfceiling

I used to like tractors.

Now i don't.

I suppose you could call me an ex tractor fan...

Ghandee

RoundyMooney wrote: »

What's diabetes got to do with it? Did his goldfish die recently too?

Wasn't my initial concern tbh.

nacimroc

FFS would you all get over yourselves. 4 lads had a joke with a colleague after work. "fire them, cut their pensions" for making a joke? Cost nothing, did no damage. Get off your high horses.

Ando's Saggy Bottom

If Mattie McGrath committs suicide because he was pranked AH will explode.

LiamoSail

Why wasn't matter in Leinster house with the others, carrying out the job he's paid to do, rather then protesting about someone not being allowed keep a tractor they haven't paid for?

Where To

I think it's hilarious.

Fr_Dougal

LiamoSail wrote: »

Why wasn't matter in Leinster house with the others, carrying out the job he's paid to do, rather then protesting about someone not being allowed keep a tractor they haven't paid for?

What? Why wasn't he in the Dail bar making prank phonecalls?

TheJokesOnUs

http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=528645267148347&set=o.129123503798399&type=1

GARDAI CALLED TO LONE CARER WITH PLACARD.
E-mail sent to Michael McCarthy TD...read and be very afraid !
Dear Michael,
as the constant assistance that my disabled son needs precluded me from attending the Carers Association picket outside the Daíl today I intended to make my own protest by having my photograph taken with a placard outside each of West Cork's three TD's constituency offices and posting these to the Carers Association Facebook page in support. On arriving at your Constituency Office a young women immediately came outside to ask she could help me. I replied that I was just taking a photograph. Her response was immediate....'This is private property, the Gards are on their way.' I left immediately and the Gardai, heading for your office with a number of Gardai in the car, did pass us as we left.

As you well know, I am one lone parent Carer who provides constant care to a very severely autistic young man and I note your intention to process a Private Members Bill to promote the rights of autistics. My placard read as follows.....

'My disabled son needs 24/7/365 care. I get 1 hour and 8 minutes help per day. I do ALL the rest, every day of every week of every year. Slashing the RESPITE GRANT is INHUMAN.'

We have no Garda cover here for large chunks of time due to cuts and yet a car-full can be mobilised instantly to protect your office from one carer of mature years with a placard.

I await your comments and please note that I have reported this incident in full to the Carers Association.



Good luck finding a job after the next election... I hear a radio station in Australia is looking for someone to do prank calls!!!

Mardy Bum

This is the fella who bought a tractor ten years ago and never paid a cent on it? Why is a TD supporting such a chancer?

Gillo

Just reading the general tone of most of the post's most people here must work in some pretty boring jobs? Has no one ever been part of a wind-up on a colleague before, that's all this was, a simple wind-up.

Daith

Gillo wrote: »

Just reading the general tone of most of the post's most people here must work in some pretty boring jobs? Has no one ever been part of a wind-up on a colleague before, that's all this was, a simple wind-up.

I used to do this...in school and college. Then again in meetings in work when I don't agree with something, I don't start heckling the other person across the room.

They can do what they feckin want but it doesn't change my belief that most TDs seem to belong in primary school rather than in charge of running a country.

Chips Lovell

I'd say if everyone who's ever taken the mickey out of Mattie McGrath got fired for it, the dole queues would be an awful lot longer.

Naydy

Regardless of the farmer’s financial situation, I think it’s disgusting these five would think it funny or acceptable to belittle a TD who is actually doing what he’s supposed to, ie. offering advice and support to a member of the public. Meanwhile they are sat on their arses, getting pissed at the taxpayers’ expense. And to those who think “ah, shur it was just a joke”, that’s the kind of attitude that allows gobsh*tes like this to be in positions of power in the first place.

Furious_George

Whatever about the prank, it wouldnt bother me. It just goes to show all that heckling and shouting across the dail between government and opposition is all for show. You can tell anyway, half the time when they rebuke another TD with a smart comment they can hardly keep the grin from their faces. I dont expect them to be enemies but if they are as ideologically opposed as they make themselves out to be then I wouldnt expect them to be buddy buddy in the bar. Id say they have some great lives. Feck it im running for the FG or FF in next election. Vote Furious