Politicians paid mileage for attending virtual meetings from their homes

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/politicians-paid-mileage-for-attending-virtual-meetings-from-their-homes-39908880.html

Politicians are being paid mileage to attend virtual meetings at home, it has emerged. Councillors from across all parties on some councils are getting
expenses, as normal, despite the Covid-19 restrictions.

And the controversy over the failure to pay student nurses and a forthcoming vote on a public sector pay deal has resulted in the delay of a
substantial pay rise for councillors.

A councillor has complained to the Department of Housing that local authorities across the country are “paying mileage to elected members for
journeys that are simply not being made”.

Our political system is beyond disgusting but how are there no regulations to prevent this sort of nonsense?

suicide_circus

RandomViewer

Cluedo Monopoly wrote: »

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/politicians-paid-mileage-for-attending-virtual-meetings-from-their-homes-39908880.html


Our political system is beyond disgusting but how are there no regulations to prevent this sort of nonsense?

Is there a list?

RandomViewer

Looks like no one wants to come out and play, can we assume that they are all at it ?

Cluedo Monopoly

RandomViewer wrote: »

Is there a list?

I don't know. I imagine they are all at it. The likes of Dara Murphy (FG) showed you could get away with it.

elperello

Just a small caveat.

That article is a bit light on detail.

In my experience travel expenses can only be paid when a journey is claimed for.

The claimant has to sign off that a journey was made.

punisher5112

Gdpr was brought in to help hide all this....

punisher5112

punisher5112 wrote: »

Gdpr was brought in to help hide all this....

That’s simply not true.

RandomViewer

elperello wrote: »

Just a small caveat.

That article is a bit light on detail.

In my experience travel expenses can only be paid when a journey is claimed for.

The claimant has to sign off that a journey was made.

So if they've signed they're toast?

elperello

punisher5112 wrote: »

Gdpr was brought in to help hide all this....

It's not to say that false claims can't be made and paid but if they are making them for journeys that never existed then it's a whole new level.

elperello

RandomViewer wrote: »

So if they've signed they're toast?

If it can be proved yes.

In this case it seems fairly easy to prove.

Just thinking that they may have made some deal to cover the lockdown period that we don't know about.

Wildly Boaring

RandomViewer wrote: »

So if they've signed they're toast?

This ****er was reelected

https://youtu.be/zpko_hXWb7Q

So I'd not hold my breath

elperello

Wildly Boaring wrote: »

This ****er was reelected

https://youtu.be/zpko_hXWb7Q

So I'd not hold my breath

In fairness that was different sort of case.

Fraud is much more clear cut.

punisher5112

JayZeus wrote: »

That’s simply not true.

Gdpr is a front for hiding all monies in many forms.
Check it out for yourself.

un5byh7sqpd2x0

punisher5112 wrote: »

Gdpr is a front for hiding all monies in many forms.
Check it out for yourself.

FOI was brought in so we’d all know about it.

wally1990

I feel like this news comes up every year , some sort of td getting travel expenses but not traveling

purifol0

Dogg Munde wrote: »

FOI was brought in so we’d all know about it.

FOI was hamstrung by Enda Kenny and is widely (and safely) ignored by civil servants


Here's a fantastic podcast on what its like to actually try and get "smoking gun" info from the Dept Education and also from RTÉ


https://blog.hereshow.ie/2020/10/heres-how-113-unfree-information/

RandomViewer

Not getting any traction, all councillors on the make?

OMM 0000

Isn't this the entire point of the political system? Chancers and psychopaths becoming politicians so they can feast themselves on as much expenses, opportunities and power without crossing a line and going to prison? I'm not sure why we expect better. It's like being confused a person who wants to join the mafia turns out to be a violent scumbag.

I don't know what the solution is.

RandomViewer

OMM 0000 wrote: »

Isn't this the entire point of the political system? Chancers and psychopaths becoming politicians so they can feast themselves on as much expenses, opportunities and power without crossing a line and going to prison? I'm not sure why we expect better. It's like being confused a person who wants to join the mafia turns out to be a violent scumbag.

I don't know what the solution is.

Its theft, court reports full of people being charged with shoplifting so why arent we dragging these thieving ba####ds before the courts?

There’s a bit more detail here.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/theres-no-such-thing-as-virtual-mileage-tds-anger-at-councillors-receiving-travel-expenses-39912595.html
It’s not as bad as OP would like us to believe.

“ Some councillors have waived the payments, including Fingal Council Independent Jimmy Guerin who said: “You can’t justify paying mileage to go from the kitchen to the study for a virtual meeting.”

Minister Mr O’Brien said: “It’s up to each council to look at how they remunerate their councillors.

“It’s quite a meagre remuneration if I might say. It’s about €17,000 a year.

“It’s then up to each council to ensure that they work within the scheme that is set forth by the department.”

He said while meetings are held virtually, he knew of councillors who are ‘attending’ on a virtual basis the meetings from their own county offices because they don’t have the facilities to do so at home.”

RandomViewer

[Deleted User] wrote: »

There’s a bit more detail here.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/theres-no-such-thing-as-virtual-mileage-tds-anger-at-councillors-receiving-travel-expenses-39912595.html
It’s not as bad as OP would like us to believe.

“ Some councillors have waived the payments, including Fingal Council Independent Jimmy Guerin who said: “You can’t justify paying mileage to go from the kitchen to the study for a virtual meeting.”

Minister Mr O’Brien said: “It’s up to each council to look at how they remunerate their councillors.

“It’s quite a meagre remuneration if I might say. It’s about €17,000 a year.

“It’s then up to each council to ensure that they work within the scheme that is set forth by the department.”

He said while meetings are held virtually, he knew of councillors who are ‘attending’ on a virtual basis the meetings from their own county offices because they don’t have the facilities to do so at home.”

Very few without Wifi anymore, name,shame, sack and jail, no excuses

Normal One

I'm assuming that SF weren't getting this payment, due to the lack of FFG outrage.

RandomViewer

RandomViewer wrote: »

Very few without Wifi anymore, name,shame, sack and jail, no excuses

If guilty, yes. But, let’s have more than one mans gripe before whose sale executions.

RandomViewer

Normal One wrote: »

I'm assuming that SF weren't getting this payment, due to the lack of FFG outrage.

I'd say their all at it, that's the reason for the silence, Blanch and the Bish muzzled ?

James Brown

elperello wrote: »

Just a small caveat.

That article is a bit light on detail.

In my experience travel expenses can only be paid when a journey is claimed for.

The claimant has to sign off that a journey was made.

Some places have a base travel payment which can be topped up depending on distance etc. No idea if that's how they work.
How did that Callely lad try it? Maybe they put down milage they didn't travel?

James Brown

[Deleted User] wrote: »

There’s a bit more detail here.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/theres-no-such-thing-as-virtual-mileage-tds-anger-at-councillors-receiving-travel-expenses-39912595.html
It’s not as bad as OP would like us to believe.

“ Some councillors have waived the payments, including Fingal Council Independent Jimmy Guerin who said: “You can’t justify paying mileage to go from the kitchen to the study for a virtual meeting.”

Minister Mr O’Brien said: “It’s up to each council to look at how they remunerate their councillors.

“It’s quite a meagre remuneration if I might say. It’s about €17,000 a year.

“It’s then up to each council to ensure that they work within the scheme that is set forth by the department.”

He said while meetings are held virtually, he knew of councillors who are ‘attending’ on a virtual basis the meetings from their own county offices because they don’t have the facilities to do so at home.”

You are the only one putting a spin on it here. You don't know his/her intent. Relax it might be Paul Murphy or Shinners.
Some councilors are charging travel expenses for zoom calls. Thats confirmed by your post.
'Why' is up for debate. What councilor doesn't have the internet or a webcam or a smart phone and also feels the need to charge the tax payer milage to use someone else's....sounds legit.

17,000 a year for telling lies, meager? :rolleyes:

RandomViewer

Bowie wrote: »

You are the only one putting a spin on it here. You don't know his/her intent. Relax it might be Paul Murphy or Shinners.
Some councilors are charging travel expenses for zoom calls. Thats confirmed by your post.
'Why' is up for debate. What councilor doesn't have the internet or a webcam and also feels the need to charge the tax payer milage to use someone else's....sounds legit.

The "meagre remuneration " works out the same as the PUP, is the minster saying he's upping the payment?

elperello

Bowie wrote: »

Some places have a base travel payment which can be topped up depending on distance etc. No idea if that's how they work.
How did that Callely lad try it? Maybe they put down milage they didn't travel?

Like I said last night we don't know the whole story yet but it doesn't look good.

They have always claimed for journeys they did not make but this is different in that there was no location of a meeting to travel to.

Poor broadband is a problem in some rural areas which might be a justification for some.

O'Brien's casual dismissal of €17k pa for a part time job may come back to bite him.

James Brown

RandomViewer wrote: »

The "meagre remuneration " works out the same as the PUP, is the minster saying he's upping the payment?

Its disgusting if true. I don't care the party.

elperello

elperello wrote: »

Just a small caveat.

That article is a bit light on detail.

In my experience travel expenses can only be paid when a journey is claimed for.

The claimant has to sign off that a journey was made.

Some folk claim unvouched expenses iirc.

James Brown

elperello wrote: »

Like I said last night we don't know the whole story yet but it doesn't look good.

They have always claimed for journeys they did not make but this is different in that there was no location of a meeting to travel to.

Poor broadband is a problem in some rural areas which might be a justification for some.

O'Brien's casual dismissal of €17k pa for a part time job may come back to bite him.

The best scenario here is charging the tax payer to go from your house to your office. Most if not all companies do not see that as a claimable expense.

Bowie

Bowie wrote: »

The best scenario here is charging the tax payer to go from your house to your office. Most if not all companies do not see that as a claimable expense.

Is there any other councillor stuff they could be up to that requires travel in their cars?
I've no doubt they are taking the piss TBH.

RandomViewer

Bowie wrote: »

Its disgusting if true. I don't care the party.

Same here, lot of people took a huge hit in salaries this year and these thieving little b#####ds are crying about only getting 17k for a couple of hours work, next they'll be asking for compensation for all the tea and biscuits they've missed out on with no wakes to attend

RandomViewer

Augeo wrote: »

Is there any other councillor stuff they could be up to that requires travel in their cars?
I've no doubt they are taking the piss TBH.

No wakes or funerals, drycleaning bill will be tiny

punisher5112

Bowie wrote: »

Some places have a base travel payment which can be topped up depending on distance etc. No idea if that's how they work.
How did that Callely lad try it? Maybe they put down milage they didn't travel?

He was using bills for phones where if I recall the phone company wasn't even a thing anymore, god knows what else and who else....

He upset someone and paid the price.....

RandomViewer

punisher5112 wrote: »

He was using bills for phones where if I recall the phone company wasn't even a thing anymore, god knows what else and who else....

He upset someone and paid the price.....

He'd put in invoices from a phone shop that had closed years earlier and mileage from a holiday home somewhere down south

punisher5112

RandomViewer wrote: »

He'd put in invoices from a phone shop that had closed years earlier and mileage from a holiday home somewhere down south

Yes I was close.....

Johnthemanager

elperello wrote: »

Just a small caveat.

That article is a bit light on detail.

In my experience travel expenses can only be paid when a journey is claimed for.

The claimant has to sign off that a journey was made.

I e mailed all the councillors in my municipal district last night, one has replied saying they can't "claim" anything. That they receive an annual allowance based on attending a set number of meetings.

BrianD3

Has it been clarified if this is a yearly allowance or an actual per km rate. If the latter and someone is calming they travelled 100 kms to a virtual meeting when it was conducted using Zoom in their normal place of residence, surely that is both fraud and something that Revenue would be interested in.

elperello

https://www.clarecoco.ie/your-council/publications/register-of-councillors-expenses-2018-31705.pdf

This link gives an idea of the expenses claimed.

I'm using Clare because it is clearly laid out and accessible.

James Brown

Johnthemanager wrote: »

I e mailed all the councillors in my municipal district last night, one has replied saying they can't "claim" anything. That they receive an annual allowance based on attending a set number of meetings.

Thats not very prudent. Its very easy to process a milage claim. Many companies do it based on distance and if its not at home or the regular workplace.

elperello

Johnthemanager wrote: »

I e mailed all the councillors in my municipal district last night, one has replied saying they can't "claim" anything. That they receive an annual allowance based on attending a set number of meetings.

Having looked into this further I see that at least some of them have been using a system whereby they are paid set expenses for attending regular council meetings.

This year of course the meetings were held virtually so there was no venue to travel to so expenses should be adjusted.

Other meetings, official council functions, conferences etc. are claimed for on an individual basis.

(see link in previous post)