Helen McEntee & Those Donations - threadbanned users in OP

Dempo1

Helen McEntee, to a certain extent has been the Darling of Irish media for many year's, all for very good reason. Shes Likable, Efficient, and has an ability to show empathy and is good communicator. (Not Traits to be often found in many, many FG TD'S)

I equally think she's a bit of an enigma, can't explain it but just not sure.

The Indo has been chasing a curious story about Helen, Political Donations and a particular Donor, fond of Cheese & Onion Crisps. 3 stories this week on the same theme. It occurred to me, if this were any other politician, the story would have recieved a lot more attention and yet barely a whisper beyond the Indo.

Thoughts....

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/justice-minister-helen-mcentee-wont-say-if-tayto-boss-ray-coyle-gave-other-donations-41383117.html

I personally prefer King Crisps myself (Full disclosure 😉)

Threadbanned users:

jimwallace197

Relax brah

She is the next generation of politician in Ireland and I think she is excellent. We need more young voices like her in political leadership in this county.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118689334#Comment_118689334

No, no we don't.

She's like her leader. More concerned with virtue signalling and her profile above all.

The crusade she's been on to reward illegal immigration at a time when natives and legal migrants are struggling to find or keep a roof over their heads and pay their bills, and all for the social media feelz and without a mandate is something we will all deal with the consequences of in the years to come.

The justice system and its ability to deal with serious crime and more importantly serial offenders is a joke with shootings, murders and serious violence and attacks now a regular feature on the news, yet she seems incapable of dealing with it effectively.

She was only elected originally on a sympathy vote, had no real experience or anything to offer beyond name recognition, and like the rest of the new generation of FG you refer to, far too easily led by fickle social media and the impact on her career.

Competence, performance, and results should dictate whether someone is a good TD, not their age, sex or ability to work the media. She's not the only one though - Leo himself and Harris would be just as bad.

Boggles

The boards Incels absolutely detest her.

For Forks Sake

@Dempo1 I've bad news for you, King are also produced by Tayto at the same site.

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/agribusiness-and-food/tayto-snacks-becomes-the-crisp-new-name-for-largo-foods-1.3790169

timmyntc

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118689858#Comment_118689858

Ah yes, the only reason anyone could dislike this politician is because they are involuntarily celibate, nothing to do with her actions as minister for Justice...

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118689955#Comment_118689955

You've clearly missed the joke , I am aware who produce both, all I've said is I prefer King Crisps, anything to add on the actual question raised on the thread 🤔

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118689858#Comment_118689858

You probably felt very clever typing that.. but this isn't Twitter and nonsense terms like "incel" mean nothing more than the incoherent babbling of a pre-speech toddler.

It also doesn't change anything I typed above, and indeed if the OP's article is correct, it would suggest that she's not any different than the "old guard" either.

Ms McEntee said the donations were accepted due to a “misunderstanding” about the rules in her constituency office.

The minister said the issue was discovered when Sipo returns were being made by her office and the money was returned at that stage.

When first asked by the Irish Independent about the €4,200 donation, Ms McEntee said she had never assisted Mr Coyle.

However, she later said she had assisted Mr Coyle and Tayto Park on Covid restrictions.

“In the course of her work as a TD for Meath East, during Covid-19, Minister McEntee was regularly contacted by many constituents, companies, organisations and community groups seeking clarity and guidance on Covid regulations,” the minister’s spokesperson said.

As the old saying goes, if you're explaining you're losing!

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118689964#Comment_118689964

I think you are being unfair to Incels, their opinions are far more varied.

But I imagine the thread will soon light up to put this 'uppity bitch' in her place, with the bulk of the rhetoric been focused on bloody foreigners eating our Tayto and taking our houses.

I'll check back later to see if I am correct.

👍️

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118689334#Comment_118689334

Not if she's got questions to answer. Noonan and Lowry were young once.

seamus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118691518#Comment_118691518

Not seeing any new questions to answer based on that article tbh.

Coyle gave her 3 cheques from 3 different companies. I'm sure there's a legal tax dodge in that, which is why he did it that way.

That most likely led to confusion on McEntee's side where what she sees is 3 different donations. When they went to do the SIPO return, they realised that they were in effect a single donation over the limit and returned the money.

The article is full of loaded statements like "refuses to disclose other donations", but she has no legal or moral obligation to reveal the names of everyone who donated every euro, and you'd be a fvcking moron to do so.

Suckit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118689334#Comment_118689334

Has she done anything?

votecounts

Another Minister who has done f all in her brief apart from being the first female minister to claim her fully paid maternity leave. If she has broken the law regarding donations, she should have some honour and resign.

bigroad

She had a Baba and that's it.

Brucie Bonus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118691603#Comment_118691603

That most likely led to confusion on McEntee's side

Fair enough so.....

I'm sure your man decided to donate. Had a think about it and donated again. Then had another think about it and donated again. On different cheques for different companies. Then as you say she was confused that three companies donating owned by the same man, who she knows, thinking it was three different donors. Seems legit.

bucketybuck

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118689858#Comment_118689858

Such a useless response, if par for the course.

seamus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118691738#Comment_118691738

No, it's right there in the article. Your man wanted to donate and was advised by his own tax people to split it into 3 cheques from different companies.

He may have handed her personally the 3 at once, he may have posted them to a constituency office, they may have been handed to someone else during an event. It doesn't really matter.

Anyone who thinks that this isn't how all political parties and donors do things, is codding themselves. In the days leading up to elections, the TDs who look like a sure thing have money coming at them, left, right and centre. There's nothing legally grey about it once the donations are within the allowed thresholds. Ethically, I would personally rather a ban on all and any campaign donations, but that's a separate issue.

Whatever confusion arose, they realised that the 3 donations legally counted as one, and returned the donations when that error was realised.

I see no questions that anyone "must" answer here. Sure there's plenty there if someone wants to be nosy and needs to know the ins and outs.

jimwallace197

Inherited her seat through nepotism and the sympathy vote as a result of her fathers death. Has zero experience of working in the real world(possibly 1 year work experience working in a bank in the city) but has managed to climb her to one of the highest ministerial positions in the land. I wonder why??!!

Decided to appoint the attorney general to the supreme court without consulting the leadership of the government or the group set up to appoint judges. First time this has happened. This judge is well known to be a supporter of Fine Gael & has been embroiled in many scandals as well is being under-qualified for the position.

Decides to give all illegal migrants citizenship after 4 years without proper explanation. Basically giving the two fingers to any migrant who has followed our visa & citizenship process & encouraging other migrants to break the law.

Only barely stopped short of condemning all men after the murder of Aisling Murphy. Vowed to do something about the threat posed by men in Ireland against women. Not realizing that the fact that this individual who has been charged with the crime is not Irish, was able to stay here, claim illegal disability benefits & take advantage of our generous social welfare system including free accomodation. This has been allowed to happen by her own government. The vast majority of other EU countries, if you're not able to support yourself, you go home, you dont hang around claiming benefits.

Accepted policitical donations from a prominent business man in her area & is not trying to play the "I didnt realise" or "I forgot card".

She is everything wrong with Irish politics & dare I say it, even worst than before as she seems completely incompetent too to go along with the above.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118697167#Comment_118697167

She'll likely continue to fail upwards to get the Taoiseach slot at some point as well, and much will be made of how far we've come with the first young female Taoiseach in office ('m not convinced Mary Lou will beat her to the title).

That's how we do things here.. appearance over substance.

jimwallace197

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118697908#Comment_118697908

Its a sad state of affairs but not surprising. I wasnt a fan of Haughey or Ahern but at least you knew they were competent & could explain their actions to a degree.

She is just sitting there going ahead with a liberal woke agenda with little to no understanding of the consequences. Completely insulated from the world & trying to appeal to the mainstream media.

There should be a ban on children of tds inheriting their parents position. Also, it should be a requirement for politicians to have worked a minimum of 5 years in the private sector before being eligible for election.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118697968#Comment_118697968

I think there should also be a max time limit that people can serve as TDs - say 15 years (or 3 full terms). Do away with scenarios like Enda Kenny who sat there for decades.

Suckit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118697968#Comment_118697968

"There should be a ban on children of tds inheriting their parents position. Also, it should be a requirement for politicians to have worked a minimum of 5 years in the private sector before being eligible for election."

While either would be hard to implement, there should be a ban on appointing any of them as ministers. No parties making such appointments will get any votes from this household. Appointing the least qualified person to a senior position is beyond ludicrous.

While they are at it, stop relatives of TD's sitting in local council seats to bypass the dual mandate rule, and personally I think political parties shouldn't be allowed in local councils. It seems to be a training ground for corruption.

Yurt2

I heard another very prominent cabinet minister has been in receipt of donations from the Mega Meanies Corporation. A distinct whiff of pickled onion flavour off their policies.

Kermit.de.frog

Justice Minister Helen McEntee was given three cheques for €1,400 each in the names of different companies owned by businessman, Ray Coyle, four days before the 2020 election.

Either we have standards or we don't. Either we are going to put an end to corruption or we're not.

titan18

Her and Harris seem to be in the running for next FG leader, which says it all about how bad that party is getting. Not a bit of talent to either of them.

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118707259#Comment_118707259

Saw that and frankly shocked , actually bewildered at the level of support Harris is getting, I can understand why and within FG inner circle, Mc Entee getting support but the Minister for everything but his own brief and various but obscure announcements getting such support is baffling. I suppose if he did get the Nod, that's it for FG ,no bad thing I guess 😏

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118707259#Comment_118707259

I seen that and I am thinking what have they done, one was the cause of the last government having to call an election because he wouldn't survive a vote of no confidence and the other is better known for holding umbrellas. How can either of them be considered leader material? God help us.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-40817886.html?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118697167#Comment_118697167

Great post, thanks.

Floppybits

Did Harris ever make a complaint about the TD who named him as the Cabinet leaker in the Dail or is Harris still thinking about it?

Dempo1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118707484#Comment_118707484

I was just about to add to your excellent observations, No, Harris is still , yes, still considering his position, with indecision on that scale , it's hard to fathom how he gets through a normal day 😁

Harris is utterly opaque a poo stirrer and has essentially being undermining his own party colleagues and indeed government for a year now. Its simply astonishing he's getting any support in the leadership stakes, perhaps he leaked convenient results to the articles Author 🤔

Xander10

Is the allegation, that she received the payments for finding a "solution" for Tayto Park to operate as normal through CV19?