Paschal Donohoe expenses controversy

Twice, I think. And he was even a minister with responsibility for dealing with this kind of thing.

Regards...jmcc

The well qualified friend of the politician could go through the public appointments system process like other members of the board and then were wouldn't be any question marks over the appointment. If he is so well qualified he would surely meet the criteria set.

With political appointments we don't know the criteria. All we currently know is that the applicant is a supporter of the political party that appointed him to the roles.

The Housing Minister can appoint 4 members to the LDA and the other members of the LDA go through the Public Appointments Service. There's no real mystery about it. Stone was one of those. You are trying to make it seem like shenanigans were pulled and he was 'snuck' in the back door. He was appointed by the Housing Minsiter which is fully in accordance with the rules. I will agree that he was probably selected because of his friendship with either Donohoe or Eoghan Murphy. Most people would only nominate people they knew. There's no rule saying you can't appoint people you know.

The criteria for political appointments is normally that the person is known to the Minister or a colleague of the Minister and that they deem the person qualified and capable of doing the job.

Is that criteria set out anywhere?

My point is that all appointments should go through PAS. Whilst the appointment is within the rules, the rules are set by politicians so that they can dole out appointments to friends and supporters.

You might be right. Maybe all appointments should go through the PAS. But that's not the system we have at the moment. It's that way with lots of things and people aren't out protesting. Even the Seanad is that way. Certain members are elected and then the Government get to stick a certain number of their buddies in there, all within the rules.

I don't know what the criteria is to be honest. Here's a bit of info on how the PAS system works. I'd imagine the competencies would be more or less the same for the role whether the person was appointed by the Minister or the PAS.

www.stateboards.ie/en/process

The way the ECB is hiking rates, and the vulture funds companies like Promontoria Scariff, or whoever is now controlling those bought up mortgages, are hiking the interest rates in line with the ECB, I wouldn't be surprised if there are some to default on their mortgages.

I agree with you that it would be better if all appointments were through the PAS. I've no problem with that.

I assume you are saying that Ministerial appointments are because they want to give a job to their friends or because they owe someone something? Am I correct in thinking that? Yes, that could be the case.

Exactly that, it may or may not be true but to use a phrase the politicians like "the optics" looks like it is jobs for the boys or payments for favours. It is much cleaner if the minister just hands off the nominations to this PAS group and lets them deal with it. I just don't get why they keep making a rod for their own backs by continuously making the appointments themselves or having another member of the party do it, we had it with Woulfe, we had it with Zappone and now this. Surely to jaysus the lessons would have been learned by now, just hand it off and remove yourself from the appointment that way then no questions can be asked as the minister can just say I followed the procedure I gave my nominations to PAS and they appointed whoever was suitable.

Jaysus Pearse Doherty is some disgrace, just roaring and shouting there at the end.

Mattie McGrath some spacer aswell.

That's true but why did he miss the payments ?

Agree on Doherty. Surely it'd be in SFs interests to allow the minister waffle uninterrupted without answering any questions and then highlight this after the event...

I see there are more unanswered questions. Latest article says the minister had a two hour meeting with his corporate donor but refuses to say what it's about

You hardly think RTE et al are going to bite the hand that feeds them?

Isn't that the story though? He always appears straight principled etc but has admitted knowing about this since 2017 and doing nothing to correct the record with SIPO until now. Hardly the behaviour of a straight principled and honourable man.

Always been something of the Shadows about Pascal.