€240,000 travel expenses for senators during lockdown

Snow Garden

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/240k-travel-expenses-for-senators-during-lockdown-despite-upper-house-being-closed-39443256.html

€240k travel expenses for senators during lockdown - despite upper house being closed

Senators have been awarded attendance and subsistence payments for April and May this year, despite the upper house being closed at that time.

New Politics in action = Pigs + Trough.

The Seanad is a complete waste of money, an extravagant farce....and of course FFG have been promising reform for years. Yeah right.

padd b1975

Snow Garden wrote: »

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/240k-travel-expenses-for-senators-during-lockdown-despite-upper-house-being-closed-39443256.html



New Politics in action = Pigs + Trough.

The Seanad is a complete waste of money, an extravagant farce....and of course FFG have been promising reform for years. Yeah right.

The people voted not to abolish it.

Suck it up buttercup!

Kivaro

Snow Garden wrote: »

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/240k-travel-expenses-for-senators-during-lockdown-despite-upper-house-being-closed-39443256.html



New Politics in action = Pigs + Trough.

The Seanad is a complete waste of money, an extravagant farce....and of course FFG have been promising reform for years. Yeah right.

They are a complete shower of wasters, so it doesn't surprise me.
That particular house lacks any notion of the word "ethics".

washman3

The 'new normal' .....:mad::mad:

Remains one of life's great mysteries how this yoke wasn't abolished in 2013.

GavMan

There's something to be said for legislative oversight

irishgrover

GavMan wrote: »

There's something to be said for legislative oversight

there is, however can that forum provide it/?

The_Brood

It's not surprising, the mind-boggling thing is why people in Ireland and people all over the world continue for decades and decades on end voting to be screwed over and over again by the establishment. No matter what 'changes,' no matter who gets elected, the story is the same. There needs to be a total abolition of the current political structures, and it's as easy as the power of your vote - yet the masses are helpless, they can only vote like sheep and defend themselves with "well at least it's not as bad as the last government." Einstein was right.

um7y1h83ge06nx

padd b1975 wrote: »

The people voted not to abolish it.

Suck it up buttercup!

This +100! I voted to abolish it at the time, too many people in both our houses.

Snow Garden

padd b1975 wrote: »

The people voted not to abolish it.

I know Enda made a complete balls of the referendum but did the people vote for expense fraud?

Whereisgalway

Not surpised with ollie Crowe’s name in there

lawrencesummers

GavMan wrote: »

There's something to be said for legislative oversight

There is a lot to be said for legislative oversight alright. but the Seanad is composed of yes men & women and nominated lackeys who won’t ever go against those in higher power for fear that their cushy overpaid under scrutinized job be put in jeopardy.

So have oversight alright, but it’s no use when those supposedly charged with that oversight turn a blind eye to everything because it doesn’t feather their own nests.

Allinall

Snow Garden wrote: »

I know Enda mad a complete balls of the referendum but did the people vote for expense fraud?

Where's the fraud?

GavMan

GavMan wrote: »

There's something to be said for legislative oversight

But not when the members are handpicked. Seanad members are selected by their buddies and graduates of a half dozen universities.

Utterly shambolic setup.

Apparently there is a reconciliation at year end.

Widdensushi

Snow Garden wrote: »

I know Enda mad a complete balls of the referendum but did the people vote for expense fraud?

He had a referendum anyway, no chance of another one, they want to keep the gravy train in case they lose their seats.

CrankyHaus

Deleted User wrote: »

Remains one of life's great mysteries how this yoke wasn't abolished in 2013.

The outcome of a Referendum is very much shaped in the lead up to it by those with an interest in it. Particularly for one like this where most people don't feel too invested and the arguments for and against are somewhat esoteric. As opposed to say Gay Marriage or the Good Friday Agreement where the issue is relatable to all and relatively straightforward.



I doubt many among the electorate would understand the word Bicameralism. As a result their opinion on the matter can be influenced by those with the best platform to broadcast their arguments from, which is obviously going to be the establishment that profits from the Seanad. Throw in the red herring of "Seanad reform" as a sensible alternative (never to be spoken of again once the result was in) and it's job down.



The same process ocurred with the Referendum on Oireachtas Inquiries, only much more so. The enormous influence of the legal freemasonry was mobilised against it, and I can hardly remember seeing any arguments in favour of it. Most people wouldn't really have undertood the arguments but would have seen Op-Ed after Op-Ed from former AG's and the like and understood they should vote No.

padd b1975

Snow Garden wrote: »

I know Enda mad a complete balls of the referendum but did the people vote for expense fraud?

The senators will claim they're abiding by excisting guidelines, and hard as it is to stomach, they're right.

Zebra3

How is there all this money for politicians' welfare?

I thought there was no magic money tree.

Snow Garden

Zebra3 wrote: »

How is there all this money for politicians' welfare?

I thought there was no magic money tree.

Oh it's borrowed so we get to pay those travel expenses back with interest.

CrankyHaus

https://galwaybayfm.ie/galway-bay-fm-news-desk/senators-receive-attendance-and-subsistence-payments-over-period-of-lockdown/

Nice to see Gerard Craughwell getting mentioned in this, given his past form.

https://www.thejournal.ie/gerard-craughwell-expenses-3802046-Jan2018/

"Presidential hopeful defends advising local councillors about how to 'maximise' mileage expenses
Senator Gerard Craughwell said an email he sent to local politicians was in the public interest. "

suicide_circus

Politics is the career of the utterly shameless.

Zebra3

Zebra3 wrote: »

.....

I thought there was no magic money tree.

where do you think all the €350/week payments are coming from?

Augeo

Augeo wrote: »

where do you think all the €350/week payments are coming from?

Were the senators put on the Covid payment too?

1huge1

I voted to abolish it in 2013 for many reasons, not limited to that I find it not to be the most democratic of chambers given how only a subsection of society gets to vote for it.

I remember one afternoon (while I was quite bored), I flicked onto Oireachtas tv and it was showing proceedings in the Seanad, it was the day after Seamus Heaney died.
While I have great admiration for Seamus Heaney, two people in the Seanad spent over 2 hours giving speeches in honour of his life, while this was a lovely tribute, what benefit is this to society with them pontificating to each other in a chamber?

Anyway, in regards to the topic at hand, a FF senator was on Newstalk this morning (can't remember his name), he said he wasn't going to claim it but said that during lockdown, senators were still attending meetings in Dublin so were entitled to claim the allowance. Make of that what you will.

Strawberry Milkshake

Strawberry Milkshake wrote: »

Were the senators put on the Covid payment too?

I was referring to the source of the money

SEPT 23 1989

we are all in this together:rolleyes:

Shefwedfan

How many in here voted to keep it?

Crying about it now is fairly pointless

It is and always will be a job for the boys and just screw as much money as possible while in it....

_Kaiser_

padd b1975 wrote: »

The people voted not to abolish it.

Suck it up buttercup!

Because having an effective oversight body is important in a democracy. Whether the Senate currently provides this is unlikely but that's why reform is needed.

Remember that at the time of the Referendum, FG/LAB were getting very fond of railroading legislation through without proper or any debate. This makes effective oversight even more vital.

The fact that FG have failed to change/reform anything since then is a failure on them, not the general public.

Shefwedfan

_Kaiser_ wrote: »

Because having an effective oversight body is important in a democracy. Whether the Senate currently provides this is unlikely but that's why reform is needed.

Remember that at the time of the Referendum, FG/LAB were getting very fond of railroading legislation through without proper or any debate. This makes effective oversight even more vital.

The fact that FG have failed to change/reform anything since then is a failure on them, not the general public.

The senate never did and never will provide oversight

The fact it is made up of a lot of people brought in by the government means they will never go against the government, otherwise the gravy train would stop

No party will touch it, not in their interest, the people should have voted it gone but are to stupid to even get that simple vote right

Now start crying about it every time they do exactly what they have always done