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Paschal Donohoe expenses controversy

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Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 3,580 ✭✭✭Kat1170


    Ask the shepherds about red sky in the morning 😉



  • Registered Users Posts: 13,705 ✭✭✭✭Hello 2D Person Below


    Another two years of FFGG is perfect for SF.




  • Registered Users Posts: 8,354 ✭✭✭Cluedo Monopoly


    2 state appointments for Paschal's benefactor Michael Stone. Nice work.

    Fine Gael 'New Politics' document 2011

    The expressions “Golden Circle”, “Crony Government” and “Cosy Capitalism” all describe the same thing: The abduction of our Republic by both public and private sector vested interests, aided and abetted by the present Government. 

     End “Crony Government” in Ireland by opening up government and giving the Dáil, for the first time in its history, real power to hold ministers and public bodies to account;

    All lies

    What are they doing in the Hyacinth House?



  • Registered Users Posts: 12,141 ✭✭✭✭Calahonda52


    The agitator is the head-the-ball from the seb wummit who funds the "trench" to dig this stuff out on FG after Leo refused to bankroll the seb wummit before it went to ...

    The first referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon held on 12 June 2008 was rejected by the Irish electorate, by a margin of 53.4% to 46.6%, with a turnout of 53%. The second referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon held on 2 October 2009 and the proposal was approved by 67.1% to 32.9%, with a turnout of 59%.

    “I can’t pay my staff or mortgage with instagram likes”.



  • Registered Users Posts: 7,467 ✭✭✭Floppybits


    But it was the indo that broke this story and not the F'ing Ditch as ministers like to call them.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 553 ✭✭✭iffandonlyif


    No. The issue is that it wasn’t registered as being either. He claims he found out subsequently about the loan of the van, valued at €147 (which he didn’t report for whatever reason), but that it was only since the complaint that he discovered workmen had been lent, too.

    It seems patently clear to me that Donohoe had nothing to gain or lose from declare the donation. The question then comes down to how harshly you view mistakes of this nature. But as someone said before, you can be absolutely certain that every TD has inadvertently filed minorly inaccurate expense returns. It’s just an inevitability.



  • Registered Users Posts: 13,705 ✭✭✭✭Hello 2D Person Below


    It seems patently clear to me that Donohoe had nothing to gain or lose from declare the donation. The question then comes down to how harshly you view mistakes of this nature. But as someone said before, you can be absolutely certain that every TD has inadvertently filed minorly inaccurate expense returns. It’s just an inevitability.

    A prominent political figure that broke the rules has nothing to gain?

    I'll tell you what, let's audit all TDs.



  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    I suppose one of the big issues here is that there is little in the way of repercussions for the politicians involved. We have an agency specifically setup to monitor political donations but can only start an investigation if a complaint is made, there should be continual audits and I'm sure we would find a lot more errors in all the parties.

    Mistakes happen all the time but we are often penalized to ensure we don't let it happen again.

    Take your eye off the speedometer bang 160 euro fine.

    Underdeclared your taxes, interest and penalties are now applied.

    Huge fines should be applied when errors are found and I'm sure more care would be taken when filing the declarations.

    While its a relatively small figure here political donations leave the politicians open to owing favors that might not be in the publics interest, that's why we need complete transparency.



  • Registered Users Posts: 4,713 ✭✭✭Oscar_Madison


    Someone is likely “auditing” many TD’s as we speak - between this and a 14 year old planning application last week, someone or some people are on a mission.

    Lying on a planning app is much much worse than a few election expenses not submitted but it’s deputy dependent what’s uncovered - undeclared landlords and houses should be an easy one to find if they exist but if a TD hasn’t declared these already, they’re an idiot considering the publicity such news has got over the last few years and deserve an outing.

    Must be so stressful being a rich TD- hard to keep track of the olde assets 😀- just awaiting the Pee Flynn moment- try it sometime !😀



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,027 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    Meanwhile with SF...

    Sinn Féin has criticised Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe for not declaring more than €1,100 worth of election campaign costs. But Mary Lou McDonald’s party “accidentally omitted” the €7,000 cost of a well-publicised poll, carried out by a London-based firm in the closing days of the campaign.

    The Dail is made of glass and all of them think chucking stones around is a good thing.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 3,234 ✭✭✭HBC08


    This story is a whole big bunch of meh,

    A nothing slider (haha!) as someone said.

    I don't always agree with Pascal but he's one of if not the most competent minister.

    The fact that the Indo tried to spin it as some big deal shows a good bit of desperation on their part but then again it's been an outlet for eejits for nearly two decades.Outrage sells but there's no outrage over this,embarrassing on a few different fronts.

    A paltry 2 pages on boards nearly a week after it broke tells you all you need to know.



  • Registered Users Posts: 553 ✭✭✭iffandonlyif


    What you seem to think is true by definition is not. A TD can ‘break the rules’ and not gain from it. And why the hell would you bother auditing TDs over such trivial amounts, if only because the cost of the audit would greatly exceed it?

    Absolutely. The crusading journalism of the Ditch seems to consist entirely in such auditing.

    Two pages on Boards but have a look on Twitter. Got a lot of tongues wagging about corrupt elites.



  • Registered Users Posts: 13,705 ✭✭✭✭Hello 2D Person Below


    Trivial amounts add up and also test integrity...



  • Registered Users Posts: 3,234 ✭✭✭HBC08


    Why would I look at twitter?

    People really have an over inflated view of opinions on twitter,its makes up a very small,very angry amount of people in Ireland.

    Boards similarly but this is no Maria Bailey no matter how you spin it.



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,890 ✭✭✭Furze99


    The shine went off Paschal a good while back. You'd see through it interviews over last year, as fond of himself as anyone who gets into a senior position for a long spell.



  • Registered Users Posts: 7,467 ✭✭✭Floppybits


    Peter Burke is that you? There is a small difference between with English and Donohue have done compared to what SF did there, Firstly SF admitted the mistake and rectified it right away, off their own backs without needing newspaper headlines to do it. English has sat there and watched what happened to Troy and at no stage has he tried to fix this or own up to it and the same Paschal.

    Look we all know mistakes happen, its easy to forget about a house you own when you have 11, or which cheque can from which donor or which uncle in the case of McEntee or forgetting about lying on a planning application form but at least when you find out about it or you see one of your colleagues having to resign their position over something so minor as forgetting to list that they are a landlord or have an interest in a business, then don't you think it would be wise to hold your hand admit the mistake yourself and correct it. All it does when it is exposed is erode public trust in them or confirm to the public that they are all as corrupt as each other.



  • Registered Users Posts: 24,133 ✭✭✭✭Sleepy


    Lads, wouldn't it gladden your heart that our government ministers "scandals" amount to something as minor as this? I mean, when you look at the carry-on of their equivalents in Washington or Westminster it really does make you proud to be Irish.



  • Registered Users Posts: 7,467 ✭✭✭Floppybits


    The surface hasn't even been scratched on what our government ministers get up or have gotten up too.



  • Registered Users Posts: 437 ✭✭TipsyMcStagge


    Jaysis the indo is really going after Paschal.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 27,981 ✭✭✭✭AndrewJRenko


    Parked on the bloody footpath and cycle lane! Who's going to pay the fine for that now?



  • Registered Users Posts: 7,467 ✭✭✭Floppybits


    Wonder what he did on the indo that makes them do this? Or is it that the Indo thought they could get a bit of popularity like the Ditch by throwing up what they thought was a "nothing burger" but it has kinda got away from them?



  • Moderators, Science, Health & Environment Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 60,027 Mod ✭✭✭✭Wibbs


    They pretty much are. FF, FG, Lab, SF, all cheeks of the same arse. A Hobson's choice for voters.

    Rejoice in the awareness of feeling stupid, for that’s how you end up learning new things. If you’re not aware you’re stupid, you probably are.



  • Registered Users Posts: 9,639 ✭✭✭buried


    Minister Donohoe is no stranger to being wheeled out in media circles to take the flack and heat off for his own teams complete mismanagement of every single facet of their rule. He used to go on Vincent Browne's TV show and do the exact same thing every night of the week. Didn't give a $hit then, doubt he gives a $hit now. Nothing will come of it either.

    "You have disgraced yourselves again" - W. B. Yeats



  • Registered Users Posts: 15,918 ✭✭✭✭Loafing Oaf


    Wrote his unmissable book reviews for the opposition...



  • Registered Users Posts: 6,481 ✭✭✭Allinall




  • Registered Users Posts: 5,273 ✭✭✭xxxxxxl




  • Registered Users Posts: 5,273 ✭✭✭xxxxxxl


    Never an issue filling out expense forms though is there. And always manages to end up the max you can claim or a few € off it.



  • Registered Users Posts: 7,228 ✭✭✭jmcc


    This isn't going to help FF's confidence in FG despite whatever Martin does.

    The upcoming opinion polls should be interesting and FF may actually overtake FG in popularity. And the Dail resumes today.

    Regards...jmcc



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  • Registered Users Posts: 19,369 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    Once again we see the dodgy shenanigans of FG and their associated cronies- the way they drone on about “Paschal” you’d swear he was some kind of messiah figure- let me tell you as a middle income earner he’s pretty far from that when I scan my pay slip monthly.

    High tax high welfare big state all propped up by multinational tax windfalls- which they blow on wasteful rubbish like welfare “bonuses” instead of building up the infrastructure of the country. He is easily one of the worst finance ministers we’ve seen - as he’s wasted such good times on zilch.

    I say all this as a former FG voter and indeed canvasser. Delighted to see him squirm, I fear he’ll weasel his way out of it though alongside his media pals. FG need to be fcuked out of office. Badly.



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