nav[aria-label="Primary Navigation"] { padding: 0; & ul { list-style: none; width: 100%; display: flex; flex-direction: row; justify-content: start; align-items: start; gap: 30px; padding: 0; & li { margin: 0; } & ul li { list-style: none; } } }

Child Item

Paschal Donohoe expenses controversy

iffandonlyif

I cannot get over the amount of coverage that has been given to this story. A constituency businessman and friend lent him a van and some workmen to put up posters. Somehow a valuation of €10k was given to this although Donohoe says, having consulted with the donor in question, that its value is actually €1047. Depending on how you apportion the ‘donation’, he was perfectly entitled to accept them provided he registered them, which of course he didn’t. And now the lead story on the Independent website is that this businessman was appointed to the board of the Land Development Agency, implying cronyism, despite the fact that he was appointed by the minister for housing and that he has waived his trivial allowance of €15k since his appointment.

I have long been a strong advocate of political oversight, but there comes a point beyond which pursuing trivial mistakes and omissions becomes destructive. Such low-level indiscretions will always be present - Eoghan O Broin, for example, was found last year to have claimed €2500 in ineligible expenses - and if expectations are set that they should be eradicated, the public will be forever be aggrieved. Irish politics has never been less corrupt but giving credence to such stories gives people the opposite impression.

Find more posts tagged with

Quick Links

Comments

Cluedo Monopoly

Remember that in his initial statement to the Dail, Donohoe confirmed that an allegation about a vehicle being used in his 2016 election campaign had been brought to his attention in 2017. Why didn't he clarify the record then?? Why did he wait 5 years to amend his "mates rates" expenses?

Donohue also confirmed he had sold a total of €1,700 of tickets for Fine Gael’s draw to Stone in 2020 and 2021.

The fish rots from the head.

Cluedo Monopoly

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

Precisely. Amongst other favours. When will the penny drop Blanch?

Now would you mind listing all the Ethics Reform FG have implemented since "New Politics" in 2011.

howiya

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

That isn't all that this individual has donated though. Frequent supporter of the annual draw. What's in it for him?

Money buys access.

JRant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145726#Comment_120145726

Did they?

Wouldn't surprise me in the least. I reckon if a person stands still long enough around election tine someone would stick a poster on them.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145719#Comment_120145719

They spent two weeks full-time putting up posters?

Did they work for the Council? That's some amount of posters.

JRant

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145588#Comment_120145588

Nevermind under the table, 6 lads + 1 van + 2 weeks =/= €1057

_Kaiser_

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

That's based on the info that has been disclosed - so far. Investigations needed regardless. He is giving another statement tomorrow isn't he? Plus questions raised over the weekend.

You're around long enough Blanch to know how this works...

allegations made, denial/nothing to see here/go away, allegations continue, admit some slight "technical" error/minor infringement to try and end it, more allegations, more admittence etc...

We'll see if he follows the form soon enough! Even if found at fault, do I think he'll resign over it? Of course not! If Leo can brazen it out after the document leaking debacle then Pascal will stay on as well. Even in the UK they'll resign/be forced out in most similar cases, but this is Ireland after all! We don't do acountability - that's for the plebs!

Yurt2

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

Yes that is the suggestion. And Irish politics has always been that tawdry and cheap. I don't know why you're surprised.

Not saying Paschal is guilty of such behaviour, but let's not put a halo on him. This is how things get done in Ireland and I think the scales need to fall from your eyes.

blanch152

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

Are you really suggesting that jobs are being handed out in return for a few lads in a van hanging posters?

TipsyMcStagge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145304#Comment_120145304

First of all those issues have been caused by the current and previous governments all of which Paschal has been a senior member of. Cronyism and the politics of favours for the well connected should never be ignored it undermines the core principle of democracy.

Floppybits

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

Imagine what is paid under the table, never mind the pittance that is being declared to SIPO or any other authority.

TipsyMcStagge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145490#Comment_120145490

A swing and a miss Tom McFeely is a dissident republican.

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145304#Comment_120145304

The point though, and regardless of the figures involved or whatever else Pascal discloses tomorrow, is that it's this "favours" and "access" culture that is in fact a big part of why we are facing the numerous ongoing crisis you mention.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145222#Comment_120145222

Tom McFeely?

howiya

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145304#Comment_120145304

I think you're right that it's a distraction. Damien English the big winner here

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145304#Comment_120145304

And all caused by the cack handling of this by Donohue and now looking to blame everyone else.

Stephen_Maturin

Not an FG supporter.

Couldn't give a solitary **** about this story. Total mountain out of a molehill stuff.

A complete sideshow distraction for government to busy themselves with rather than doing anything about the numerous ongoing crises of housing, health, refugees etc

Cluedo Monopoly

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120145264#Comment_120145264

😂 Classic!

TipsyMcStagge

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

Funny that so many people would be talking about something that has blown over?

Water John

But Matt Carty said PD was being funded by a millionaire developer.

blanch152

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120140892#Comment_120140892

It was actually strange to hear so many people talk like this over the weekend. Unlike the permanently outraged on these boards, ordinary people I met either weren't bothered by this, or thought is was an awful lot of fuss over a man with a van putting up a few posters.

When you think that there are Americans pouring $1m dollars a year into Irish politics to try and influence things, the idea of the difference between €1,000 and €1057 or whatever for a lad putting up posters being suddenly a hanging offence is ludicrous.

Floppybits

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120144909#Comment_120144909

With this government it is always someone else's fault.

Augme

Amazing really. He gets caught trying to pull a fast one and it's everyone else's fault but Pascal's. The arrogance is quite staggering, but all too common.