FF/FG/Green Government - Part 3 - Threadbanned User List in OP

jmcc

Have Blanche on ignore. It is funny that the Sindo/Indo, with its rabidly anti-SF obsession (as determined by DCU's FuJo investigation of media bias in the 2016 GE) is trying to talk up a 2% loss for SF in a poll which has a Margin of Error of 3% or so. The real story is the collapse, since the 2020 GE, of FF. SF's support in this small sample national opinion poll is twice that of FF. Under Martin, FF has lost its identity and has become more FG than the FGers. It could be heading for a Labour style catastrophe in the next GE if it doesn't get rid of Martin and start to put clear blue water between itself and FG/Greens.

Regards...jmcc

jmayo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120089328#Comment_120089328

Never mind he didn't declare it, the fooker defaulted on mortgage repayments, but somehow managed to hold on it even though not primary residence.

Good old Ireland.

A fooking joke.

UsBus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120093187#Comment_120093187

I see he's resigned now.

Built a house valued at 700k back in his early thirties. Fecker is still only 44 now........!! No wonder he is out the gap quickly. He'll probably go back in as an independent in 2 years time.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120097303#Comment_120097303

He only resigned as a minister of state for Enterprise and Employment (previous minister was Troy!). He'll stay a self serving Fine Gael TD. The long list of FFG corruption is extended.

I wonder did any of this come up in Leo's sham housing crisis 'summit'.

Thanks to FFG, SIPO remains toothless and never seems to find this dishonesty. Will we ever see the reform bill?

hoodie6029

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120097303#Comment_120097303

Was gonna ask is it at least decent place he had to resign over but valued at 700k, it must be pretty nice.

jmcc

Bad day for FFG. First Troy falls and now English is out.

On The Ditch is showing the Dublin media how real journalism works.

Regards...jmcc

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120097606#Comment_120097606

I was thinking that, why is it the ditch is getting these scoops? Surely you would expect something like RTE investigates to be going after things like this.

Are they doing excellent investigative work?

are they getting whistleblower information?

Are they getting the same info as the ‘dublin’ media but publishing it instead of ignoring it?

Whats so special about the ditch as opposed to the bigger, better resourced and longer established media in the country?

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099031#Comment_120099031

You should put your first question to Rory Coveney who is the director of strategy at RTE...

To be fair RTE Investigates have uncovered similar corruption several times in the past but they also showed how FFG have continually blocked reform in this area. I will do a longer post on that later.

StupidLikeAFox

You have to hand it to The Ditch. I still question how impartial they (whether they are going after any opposition parties now or would do if they were in power) but they are not just being anti establishment cranks for the sake of it, they're doing proper investigative journalism.

Also, it seems being a minister/junior minister gives you 1 get out of jail free card. If there is a scandal you can resign and go back to being a td and everyone can say you took your punishment. If Damien English (or Robert troy for that matter) wasn't a minister what would the medicine have been I wonder

GBXI

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099191#Comment_120099191

Yeah, I'm really not sure about their integrity. Looks good so far but let's see how long they last. I'm skeptical of any organization back by Paddy Cosgrave. Especially, two journalist who call themselves "avid lefties". I like my journalists a bit more impartial and a bit less, "chip on the shoulder".

Also, and call me crazy and all that, but is that not a seriously minor misdemeanor to cause a resignation? I mean, not declaring that he owned his family home when apply to build a house in the countryside? Our politicians are becoming very clean if this is the standard!

lawrencesummers

What would happen a joe soap if they received planning permission after making omissions on their application?

72sheep

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099191#Comment_120099191

Our media establishment (IT, Indo, RTE) is already extremely partial towards the politicians. One website is not even close to countering that and so we're a long way from needing to worry about The Ditch's impartiality. Remember how anxious the politicians and media were to praise us all for being so "trusting" during Covid, LOL!

Gooser14

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099293#Comment_120099293

Is it not the case that he obtained planning permission to build a second home by providing false information. If he had provided correct information his application would probably have been rejected.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099357#Comment_120099357

I would be interested to see how much the various media in ireland get from the government both directly through advertising and indirectly through PR companies, the government has a massive spend and media need every penny they can get

Blut2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099377#Comment_120099377

Not "probably", it 100% would have. The only reason his application was accepted was because he said he didn't own any other property at the time - it was a scheme designed to help people with no other homes build their own. He knew well what he was doing lying to get approval.

If a normal person lies to the government on their tax forms there is hell to pay. He deserves to lose his seat as a TD over this, its fraud plain and simple.

GBXI

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099377#Comment_120099377

Yes, that's correct. And I'm sure it wasn't "just an honest mistake" - he knew what he was doing. I'm just saying, it's pretty low on the all-time political scandals.

Larbre34

I'm a Fine Gael supporter and this seems to me like straight up deception.

If it was in my area of responsibility, I'd push to deselect him.

That isn't likely though so unless he retires, it'll be up to the voters.

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099309#Comment_120099309

Probably nothing, potentially have to destroy the property but seems unlikely for a house.

Joe soaps are constantly building things with no planning permission full stop and then trying to get retroactive permission.

So there isn't some conspiracy behind it if nothing legally happens to him.

That being said, it seems pretty indefensible for a politician.

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099660#Comment_120099660

The Fine Gael national executive de-selected Maria Bailey prior to the 2020 GE. She also lost the whip before that and was removed as chair of a lucrative housing committee (10k per annum if I remember correctly).

English got away lightly.

New Politics FG style.

StupidLikeAFox

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099622#Comment_120099622

He apparently submitted 5 years worth of documents along with the application (bills etc) proving he lived with his parents

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120099750#Comment_120099750

By retroactive do you mean retention for small stuff like velux windows and porches?

I know where was a something associated with the mansfields in citywest that was to be taken down, but that was big building.

PopePalpatine

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120089328#Comment_120089328

How the **** does a TD of 20 goddamn years fall behind on mortgage repayments?

Podge_irl

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120100154#Comment_120100154

People have demolished and built entire structures without planning permission and tried to get retroactive permission.

It sometimes backfires spectacularly of course (Archers Garage being one of the more famous examples).

If the suggestion is that were he not a politician he would face serious consequences for this, then I don't really think that is true.

WishUWereHere

Two caught, I wonder just how many more there are that we don’t know about ………..yet.

lawrencesummers

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120100294#Comment_120100294

Im sure it would be easy to find a case of someone who has been found put in similar circumstances.

Maybe the lesson here is that people should have to submit a tax clearance / compliance cert when applying for planning that would require their tax affairs like LpT to be up to date.

Cluedo Monopoly

Fine Gael New Politics document 2011

"The Planning Process Must be Overhauled"

"We are all paying in some shape or form for this failed planning system."

"What needs to be overhauled is the planning system so it becomes a ‘plan-led’ system rather than ‘developer-led’"

"We need to restore vision, purpose and imagination to our planning process and to build a new future based on fairness and the needs of local communities."

"The final cost of the Mahon (planning matters and payments), Moriarty (payments to politicians) and Morris (Garda corruption) tribunals could be more than €370m."

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This is exactly why these dishonest shysters lost my vote. It must take fair blinkers to continue voting for them.

howiya

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120100193#Comment_120100193

By choice I'd imagine. A case of won't pay rather than can't pay.

I'm surprised there isn't a lot more reference to this in the media.

For years we've been told Ireland has higher than average EU mortgage rates because of defaulters like this and the lack of repossessions. According to FG its just welfare cheats that cheat us all.

Cluedo Monopoly

Prime Time covering it now.

His planning application is void now but nothing will be done.

He repeatedly failed to declare. Repeated lies.

I feel there is more to come with this story.

Nobody available from government to answer questions about this. All busy in mid January.

CarProblem

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120100700#Comment_120100700

No sign of the not FG supporters at all at all on here either

I laughed at this line in the Ditch article "Taoiseach Leo Varadkar did not respond when asked whether he thinks it’s acceptable to lie on planning permission applications"

howiya

Interesting commentary from Leo today.

""I often hear people say that nobody in Ireland ever resigns. We have had four resignations and ministers have been held to account"...

One of those ministers has since been reappointed. Is that holding someone to account?

Leo also doesn't think that English should resign as a TD even though he has clearly breached the code of conduct for members of Dáil Éireann.