The story that wasn't!

Curly Judge

On collecting my grandson from school last week I fell into conversation with one of the other parents who I know to be interested in things political and anything pertaining to politics.
He told me about an article which appeared in the Irish Examiner on 26th Oct 2012 written by their Political Correspondent, Mary Regan.
In it Ms. Regan told of a scandal she had uncovered whereby the government had pushed through an increased budget for the Dail and she listed several of the increases in a very direct and forthright way.
Incensed by this- in a time of increasing austerity- my friend got on to his local TD and demanded an explanation.
The TD wrote back within a fortnight enclosing a letter from a Mr. Mark Mulqueen, Head of Communications at the Houses of the Oireachtas in which he refuted, point by point, most of Ms Regan's allegations.
Now even more incensed, at what he perceived to be sloppy journalism, he e-mailed Ms. Regan, asking for an explanation.
He did not receive any reply.
He then e-mailed the news section of the Irish Examiner.
No reply there either.
On the 11th of November he sent a registered letter to the Editor of the Irish Examiner.
Answer came there none!
After waiting until the 17th of December he wrote to the Press Ombudsman outlining the history of the case, but was told they couldn't act for him as he had not suffered any personal loss.
Another toothless wonder it seems to me!
Are I and my friend the only two people in the country who think this sort of treatment by the press is unfair, rude and downright unprofessional?
Why do these people publish details of their contactability if they have no intention of ever replying to any query the public might raise?
And, finally, what does the whole saga say about the standard of Irish journalism?

expectationlost

Mark Mulqueen can spin with the best of them

brian_t

Dáil ‘a joke’ as €112m spend passed

Dáil ‘a joke’ as €112m spend passed
By Mary Regan, Political Correspondent - Friday, October 26, 2012

The Dáil was branded "a joke of a parliament" after a planned €112m spend next year for TDs and senators was pushed through without any debate.

As it rose for Halloween holidays, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore told the Dáil it would have a chance to debate the Oireachtas budget — an average spend of €500,000 for every TD and senator — when it returns on Nov 6.

However, as the budget was voted and passed on a Government majority yesterday, the opposition questioned the point of holding what was described by Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley as "a retrospective debate".

The estimates outline plans to spend €112m in 2013 — an increase on this year’s €108m. It will bring the average cost of keeping each TD and senator up to €495,700, compared with €479,400 this year.

The spend will include: nSalaries of €15,775,000 for 166 TDs — a slight rise from €15,753,000 last year;

* Salaries for 60 senators amounting to €4.1m — the same as 2012;

* Salaries for the State’s 12 MEPs (who earn the same as TDs) of €749,000 — up from €742,000 last year;

* Travel expenses for TDs of €3.7m — up about €55,000 from last year;

* Travel expenses of €1.3m for senators;

* Other expenses and allowances for TDs of €6.3m — up from €5.7m;

* Other expenses for senators of €1.1m — an increase of €147,000.

Independent TDs demanded a chance to debate the estimates because they include allowance and staff costs that they do not benefit from, unlike members of parties.

"These issues should be debated and scrutinised in Dáil Éireann in full public view," said Richard Boyd Barrett of the United Left Alliance.

Sinn Féin’s deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said it was "almost scandalous" that the estimate was "being put through the Dáil on the nod".

She said the costs for expenses and allowances were "the very things that members of this house examine in respect of other sectors". "They pick over the minutiae of such expenses when they relate to gardaí, nurses or teachers."

Following a row over the carrying of the motion without debate, Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett stepped in to say "these matters are scrutinised" by the Oireachtas commission of which he is chair.

"I have asked that all details be put on the website under every heading so that the public can be aware of everything," he said.

The Tánaiste said the Government was agreeable to a debate on the estimates to take place "at the earliest possible opportunity".

However, he said the vote had to take place yesterday as the motion was required to be passed by the end of October and it was the last opportunity to do so.

Fianna Fáil said it was not good enough that a debate would take place "after the event", while Independent TD for Wicklow Stephen Donnelly said: "This is a joke of a parliament."

The motion that "the statement of estimates for the Houses of the Oireachtas commission without debate be agreed to" was passed by 66 votes to 40.

Ms. Regan doesn't seem to be the only one who thinks that something untoward happened.

Mr. Mark Mulqueen, Head of Communications Spin Doctor at the Houses of the Oireachtas

Curly Judge

Dáil ‘a joke’ as €112m spend passed
By Mary Regan, Political Correspondent - Friday, October 26, 2012

The Dáil was branded "a joke of a parliament" after a planned €112m spend next year for TDs and senators was pushed through without any debate.

As it rose for Halloween holidays, Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore told the Dáil it would have a chance to debate the Oireachtas budget — an average spend of €500,000 for every TD and senator — when it returns on Nov 6.

However, as the budget was voted and passed on a Government majority yesterday, the opposition questioned the point of holding what was described by Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley as "a retrospective debate".

The estimates outline plans to spend €112m in 2013 — an increase on this year’s €108m. It will bring the average cost of keeping each TD and senator up to €495,700, compared with €479,400 this year.

Mark Mulqueen states that the total estimates for 2013 is 112.03 million , down from 115.6 million in 2013.
Compass wise this is 180 degrees out from Ms. Regans report.

The spend will include: nSalaries of €15,775,000 for 166 TDs — a slight rise from €15,753,000 last year;

MM states there is absolutely no question of an increase in salaries or expenses for 2013.

* Salaries for 60 senators amounting to €4.1m — the same as 2012;

Again MM states that saleries are down 11% from 2009 levels and that allowences are down 12 % for the same period

* Salaries for the State’s 12 MEPs (who earn the same as TDs) of €749,000 — up from €742,000 last year;

* Travel expenses for TDs of €3.7m — up about €55,000 from last year;

* Travel expenses of €1.3m for senators;

* Other expenses and allowances for TDs of €6.3m — up from €5.7m;

MM admitted that expenses had increased for committees but that this was mostly due to the hiring of extra staff to deal with Irelands presidency of the EU in 2013. He also pointed out that the Oireachtas now sits for 36% more days than previously .

Independent TDs demanded a chance to debate the estimates because they include allowance and staff costs that they do not benefit from, unlike members of parties.

"These issues should be debated and scrutinised in Dáil Éireann in full public view," said Richard Boyd Barrett of the United Left Alliance.
Following a row over the carrying of the motion without debate, Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett stepped in to say "these matters are scrutinised" by the Oireachtas commission of which he is chair.

"I have asked that all details be put on the website under every heading so that the public can be aware of everything," he said.

The Tánaiste said the Government was agreeable to a debate on the estimates to take place "at the earliest possible opportunity".

However, he said the vote had to take place yesterday as the motion was required to be passed by the end of October and it was the last opportunity to do so.

Fianna Fáil said it was not good enough that a debate would take place "after the event", while Independent TD for Wicklow Stephen Donnelly said: "This is a joke of a parliament."
Sinn Féin’s deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said it was "almost scandalous" that the estimate was "being put through the Dáil on the nod".

She said the costs for expenses and allowances were "the very things that members of this house examine in respect of other sectors". "They pick over the minutiae of such expenses when they relate to gardaí, nurses or teachers."

* Other expenses for senators of €1.1m — an increase of €147,000.

The motion that "the statement of estimates for the Houses of the Oireachtas commission without debate be agreed to" was passed by 66 votes to 40.
Ms. Reganed. doesn't seem to be the only one who thinks that something untoward happen

Mr. Mark Mulqueen, Head of Communications at the Houses of the Oireachtas

I will leave the other aspect of the dispute for another day: government pushing through a vote without a debate and the scandal of well paid staff members getting a pay increase of 0.95 million while people in the private sector have experienced cuts of up to 35%.
That aside, the original article is misleading at best and mischievous at worst , a fault compounded by their refusal to interact with one of their readers.

brian_t

Mary Regan is the only one on the record in all this.

All the rest is Hearsay.

Ms Regan can't be expected to reply to every crank email that she gets.

Curly Judge

brian_t wrote: »

Mary Regan is the only one on the record in all this.

Wrong! Mark Mulqueen is also on record.
As are my friends emails and copies of his letter to the Editor

brian_t wrote: »

All the rest is Hearsay.

Wrong again. There is plenty of documented evidence to back up anything I've said in these posts.

brian_t wrote: »

Ms Regan can't be expected to reply to every crank email that she gets.

Crank email?
If questioning the self appointed guardians of our liberty on their accuracy and truthfulness is being a crank then I suppose, by your convoluted sense of right and wrong, you are correct.

brian_t

Curly Judge wrote: »

Wrong! Mark Mulqueen is also on record.
As are my friends emails and copies of his letter to the Editor.

Sorry but where are they on record.

The only reason Mary Regan's article is on record is because I linked to it.

All the rest is hearsay told to you by someone you met collecting your grandson from school.

If the article is so wrong, why is it that the Governments only response is to get their spin doctor to write a letter to this other fellow ?

The article is a year old !

Curly Judge

brian_t wrote: »

Sorry but where are they on record.

The only reason Mary Regan's article is on record is because I linked to it.

All the rest is hearsay told to you by someone you met collecting your grandson from school.

If the article is so wrong, why is it that the Governments only response is to get their spin doctor to write a letter to this other fellow ?

Mark Mulqueen had a letter published in the Irish Examiner on the 30th of October 2012 refuting Mary Regans article of the 26th.
Although the letter is listed in their archives it won't open for me for some reason.
If anybody can help I would appreciate it.

brian_t wrote: »

The article is a year old !

So what?

IRE60

Your front page article (Oct 26) deserves some context and explanation.
First and foremost, there is absolutely no suggestion of an increase in salaries or expenses for members of the Oireachtas in 2013.

Instead, and like any other organisation’s budgeting process, the Houses of the Oireachtas 2013 estimate provides for possible expenditure relating exclusively to increased parliamentary business.

The facts behind the figures in your front page article are as follows:

* Total estimate for 2013 is €112.03m.

* Total estimate for 2012 was €115.6m.

* The estimate for 2013 continues the downward trend in the Houses of the Oireachtas expenditure which was €123m in 2009, a decrease of 9%. Within this the members salaries have reduced by 11%, from €22.39m in 2009 to €19.89m in 2013. Members’ allowances have decreased by 12%, from €14.269m in 2008 to €12.5m in 2013.

* The key differences over the 2013 estimate and the 2012 projected outturn are as follows:

* Members’ staff has increased by €1.25m in 2013. 28.6 vacancies filled during the course of 2012 have a full year provision in 2013 and vacancies currently being carried are provided for in 2013.

* Staff salaries have increased by €0.95m in 2013. The Oireachtas Service is currently carrying 68.3 full-time equivalent vacancies and there is provision in the 2013 estimate for filling 17.8 vacancies at a full year cost of €0.84m. Even after filling these vacancies the Houses of the Oireachtas Service will still be carrying 50 vacancies. In fact, the staff salaries spend has decreased by 11% from a peak in 2009.

* Expenses relating to Oireachtas Committees have increased by €1.1m in 2013. The increase is mainly attributable to the costs of Ireland’s presidency of the EU in 2013. A sum of €733k has been provided in the 2013 estimate. The remaining provision of €400k has also been provided in the 2013 estimate for any exceptional and additional legal advice and outside expertise to support additional, specialist work that a committee may choose to take on.

* Invariably there are always savings on members’ expenses as members never draw down full allowances. For example, the provision for 2012 under 5(a) & (b) and 6(a) and (b) was €12.8m, and the current projected outturn is €11.7m, which represents an underspend of €1.1m or 8.5%.

Finally, some non-financial facts. The total number of sitting days to date for 2012 for the Houses of the Oireachtas has increased by 36% over the same period in 2011. Indeed, sitting days, year to date, are the highest recorded since 2006.

The real story is that this is a busy parliament that is going about its work more efficiently year-on-year.

Mark Mulqueen
Head of Communications
Houses of the Oireachtas
Dublin 2

Curly Judge

IRE60 wrote: »

Your front page article (Oct 26) deserves some context and explanation.
First and foremost, there is absolutely no suggestion of an increase in salaries or expenses for members of the Oireachtas in 2013.

Instead, and like any other organisation’s budgeting process, the Houses of the Oireachtas 2013 estimate provides for possible expenditure relating exclusively to increased parliamentary business.

The facts behind the figures in your front page article are as follows:

* Total estimate for 2013 is €112.03m.

* Total estimate for 2012 was €115.6m.

* The estimate for 2013 continues the downward trend in the Houses of the Oireachtas expenditure which was €123m in 2009, a decrease of 9%. Within this the members salaries have reduced by 11%, from €22.39m in 2009 to €19.89m in 2013. Members’ allowances have decreased by 12%, from €14.269m in 2008 to €12.5m in 2013.

* The key differences over the 2013 estimate and the 2012 projected outturn are as follows:

* Members’ staff has increased by €1.25m in 2013. 28.6 vacancies filled during the course of 2012 have a full year provision in 2013 and vacancies currently being carried are provided for in 2013.

* Staff salaries have increased by €0.95m in 2013. The Oireachtas Service is currently carrying 68.3 full-time equivalent vacancies and there is provision in the 2013 estimate for filling 17.8 vacancies at a full year cost of €0.84m. Even after filling these vacancies the Houses of the Oireachtas Service will still be carrying 50 vacancies. In fact, the staff salaries spend has decreased by 11% from a peak in 2009.

* Expenses relating to Oireachtas Committees have increased by €1.1m in 2013. The increase is mainly attributable to the costs of Ireland’s presidency of the EU in 2013. A sum of €733k has been provided in the 2013 estimate. The remaining provision of €400k has also been provided in the 2013 estimate for any exceptional and additional legal advice and outside expertise to support additional, specialist work that a committee may choose to take on.

* Invariably there are always savings on members’ expenses as members never draw down full allowances. For example, the provision for 2012 under 5(a) & (b) and 6(a) and (b) was €12.8m, and the current projected outturn is €11.7m, which represents an underspend of €1.1m or 8.5%.

Finally, some non-financial facts. The total number of sitting days to date for 2012 for the Houses of the Oireachtas has increased by 36% over the same period in 2011. Indeed, sitting days, year to date, are the highest recorded since 2006.

The real story is that this is a busy parliament that is going about its work more efficiently year-on-year.

Mark Mulqueen
Head of Communications
Houses of the Oireachtas
Dublin 2

Thanks IRE60!
Now... either Ms Regan or Mr Mulqueen are publishing stuff that's at variance with the facts.
While far from being a fan of government officials, I think Mr Mulqueen has the high moral ground on this one.

brian_t

The main point of the article was the total lack of debate in the Dail regarding the estimates.

The Dáil was branded "a joke of a parliament" after a planned €112m spend next year for TDs and senators was pushed through without any debate.

I don't think that Spin Doctor Mulqueen addressed this at all.

Curly Judge

brian_t wrote: »

The main point of the article was the total lack of debate in the Dail regarding the estimates.

While whole forests have been cut down to write about all the shortcomings of our politicians and public servants, that is not the point of my OP.
I merely want to get to the bottom of why a journalist would print something so factually incorrect and then run to ground when asked for an explanation.

brian_t wrote: »

I don't think that Spin Doctor Mulqueen addressed this at all.

Giving the man pejorative titles doesn't prove him wrong.