Paschal Donohoe expenses controversy

Yurt2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120147493#Comment_120147493

A mere coinkeedink that's he's a generous benefactor to all things Fine Gael (and Bertie in another era).

Your credulity is limitless blanch. A cynic perhaps would observe you know you're talking pony, but someone needs to wipe the bibs of the great and good when they get spattered with fleks of dishonesty and cronyism.

howiya

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120147493#Comment_120147493

But I thought the story from Pascal's supporters was that he had nothing to do with the appointments?

Which is it?

howiya

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120147477#Comment_120147477

No. The standard should be that the public appointments service advertise the role and pick the most suitable candidate.

Postering a constituency shouldn't make you ineligible in the same way that being a friend of the minister or supporter of his political party shouldn't form part of the decision for the appointment.

Appointments should be free from any political interference or influence.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120147449#Comment_120147449

Now we are concerned that Paschal is using his Ministerial position, his Ministerial time, his Ministerial influence to get an advantage over his constituency colleagues. That's a clear abuse of power.

Having gotten his buddy into position as the Chair of a public body, it appears that he then exploited that position to get valuable information.

Thanks for clarifying this.

Yurt2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145210#Comment_120145210

A Fine Gael supporter would be wise to pipe down a bit about US fundraising dinners.

Have you forgotten about the Fine Gael white-tablecloth dinner in New York that had the US Department of Justice involved and a dodgy payment from a certain Norwegian telephone licence bidder?

And besides misadventures in the US, Fine Gael has of course conducted regular fundraising in the UK. Any commentary there?

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120148303#Comment_120148303

Oh you can bet they will call it out and it will be the same for their supporters who now claim they done nothing wrong but watch them change fairly quickly if they end up in opposition.

I for one am looking forward to pointing out their hypocrisy when they try call it out. It will be funny watching then try explain the difference in FG cronyism and corruption to others.

keeponhurling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120146058#Comment_120146058

€1700 on tickets to a draw ?!

yerra, maybe Stone should go for a week in Gambler’s Anonymous, and we just draw a line under the whole episode

JRant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120148354#Comment_120148354

Maybe his real name is Fr Billy O'Dwyer.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145512#Comment_120145512

I actually dont think it has anything to do with the crisis we are in.

We are in such a mess as the government is being influenced by populism and the desperation to stay in power.

People lock in to these stories now as the media which is controlled by the top earners in ireland as there is a narrative behind it.

Crisis is a very worn word now homeless crisis. Climate crisis. Covid crisis. hospital bed crisis. Ukrainian accommodation crisis.

People in this country swallow any shite the media feed them stories like this again traction because people find them easy to follow.

Questions like why now such a story exists years after the fact is never questioned.

And the theme here if the old ff fg debate and why is it all we have.

Its because as a population is all we are capable of having.

It's a diversion of a cover story for the next crisis.

No one questions homeless crisis and the Approved housing bodies. Charities making millions from said government not 1000 euro.

Climate / Green energy lapping up grants again millions.

Hospital consultants using hospitals as their own labs and facilities while having private practice and working about 4 hours a day for the HSE.

Hotels making big money housing ukrainians.

Why all this because the media has the shite scared out of everyone with crisis this and crisis that.

Along comes Pascal and his lads with a sign and its like he shot 3 puppies and robbed the central bank.

Prople in government. In media and the top rich level of society are making millions from Crisis a,b,c etc.

The sooner these issues a tackled is the real issue here.

I'm no FG fan either by the way but is put up signs for nothing if it stopped this shite in the media.

Some of these are questions needing answered in 2023 not how many men it takes to put up a few posters worth €57 above the declared donation allowed by politicians.

AndrewJRenko

Sacrificial lamb found

https://twitter.com/seandefoe/status/1617814187283210240?s=46&t=ZFfG7veEQr2W8aSHg7KHhQ

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120149493#Comment_120149493

Another 1400 quid....oh what a tangled web we weave. 100% Cronyism.

Stone taking the bullet, I am sure he will be rewarded for his loyalty.

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120147493#Comment_120147493

Oh the whiff of Zappone off that post is strong. Remember that one. :)

All the minister had to do was nominate Stone to the group that decides on who should go to state boards and then let them handle it. At least then the Minister can say yes I nominated him to the group that appoints people to the state board and after going through the necessary steps appointed him. That is all fair and above board. But now we have the same rubbish being spouted as was about Zappone.

blanch152

Well, it looks like the mob with pitchforks have got themselves a victim. Any more witches to be burned?

Some perspective is needed on this. If a businessman cannot help out a politician with a few posters to the small amount of c€1,000 in an election, when there are millions being poured into politics from much more nefarious sources, including outside the state, then there is something wrong with the system.

road_high

Surely stone resigning puts even more pressure on Pascal? The “it’s all my fault” routine won’t wash- the public don’t know him only that he was a close associate of donohoe and appointed by him to various state boards related to his own business- construction

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120149571#Comment_120149571

Such a disingenuous post, of course the business person can help out the politician all they want as long as the correct procedures are followed its a simple as that as well you know.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120149571#Comment_120149571

We have limits on corporate donations for very good reasons. We have transparency rules for personal donations for very good reasons.

Is Paschal above the rules?

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120149584#Comment_120149584

It's not actually that simple. Any donation over €1,000 is forbidden, so even the putting up of a few posters is illegal. At the same time, huge donations in the millions a year can be received overseas, filtered through other organisations and put to work for a political party.

The system is wrong.

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120149598#Comment_120149598

How long has it been like that? Who is responsible for putting that system in place? Why can't politicians supposedly as smart as Donohue not follow those rules?

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120149598#Comment_120149598

The €1000 limit applies to corporate donations only. The same rules apply to all parties, whether overseas or not.

A cynic might think that you’re deliberately trying to muddy the waters.

elperello

Bit of jostling in the cheap seats.

The real action will be in the house later.

Cluedo Monopoly

What are we up to now for the Minister for Ethics and Reform?

Mates rates of 1,100 + 1,400 (First amount already shown to be flawed in order to evade limits)

Draw tickets 1,700.

Plenty more I am sure.

There is no question that the LDA and Inner City group have massive budgets though.

AndrewJRenko

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120149715#Comment_120149715

Is Stone personally registered as an employer? Did he deduct tax on these payments, or was it an under the counter payment?

howiya

Unbeknownst to the minister? What knowledge did his election agent have?

TipsyMcStagge

Stone has fallen on his sword now to protect dodgy Donohoe. He's says he incorrectly told dodgy Donohoe that he didn't provide any services for 2020 election but it turns out he did. So we are expected to believe that dodgy Donohoe had no idea about anything to do with his own election campaign??? This is laughable stuff.

MegamanBoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145614#Comment_120145614

When you hide and lie about things (really 1000e for all that work?), it makes people believe much more has happened. We're never going to know how much Stone gave to PD, whether through election work, raffle tickets, or whatever other mechanism they had.

The lies and distortion mean we can't trust what PD tells us anymore.

He has to go. Preferably as a FFG member, TD and minister. If FFG want us to believe they're serious about tackling cronyism and corruption they need to take a zero tolerance approach. Not just send guys to the sin bin until people forget.

But I think that ship has sailed, given they're already out defending him, it was only a grand, but, but SF etc.

MegamanBoo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120147477#Comment_120147477

Once it's declared openly and properly there's no problems. Them's the rules.

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120149826#Comment_120149826

Ah ya see them rules only apply to others but as we have seen time and time again rules do not apply to Fine Gael.

screamer

It’s a question of principles, either you are forthright and trustworthy or you are not. Irish Politicians are paid enough and have enough of a gravy train that there is no need to be taking any sort of donations, and personally I don’t know why anyone would, as we all know, there is no such thing as a free lunch, something is always requested in return. Beggars belief that people who simply should know better, don’t. I can’t stand any sort of corrupt cronyism, shows people with 0 principles. Anyways personallly I think this is a hatchet job on PD, and for some reason I think it’s closer to home than SF or any opposition parties.

rovers_runner

Reminds me of the great Father Ted old grey whistle theft episode where Michael Stone takes on the role of Ted with his lie upon lie to cover Pascal(Dougal) . We get the politicians we deserve, this shyster will be off to Europe come the election, this is only about his preservation to keep that job.

Some light reading which is more believable than Mr. Stones heartfelt letter this morning.

I was just about to tell everybody why I stole the whistle.

No, Father...

I've been dying to get it off my chest.

- Ted...

- 15 years ago, I met a young orphan.

Both his parents had been killed in a bizarre accident...

That's it - a tree fell on them.

This young man had nothing to his name except a dream.

- Ted...

- Shut up.

His dream was to own his own stable, with prize-winning horses.

But he was afflicted by a disease that affected his speech.

He could only communicate by raising his eyebrows - once for yes, twice for no.

"If only I had a whistle "so I could train my horses to win the Grand National," he thought.

That same boy wrote to me five weeks ago...

Father Damien took the whistle.

Oh, great. That's that sorted out. See you soon.

What's all this about the horses?

Nothing. I was just going mad.

JRant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120149493#Comment_120149493

"Unbeknownst to the minister" 🤣

These lads think everyone else is just stupid.