Irish Independent Investigation Reveals!

diamondtooth · 15-01-2012 01:59AM #1

Front page news of Saturday (15th Jan) Irish Independent reveals that an investigation has found that our Taoiseach Enda Kenny owns:

An apartment in Dublin (imagine he has somewhere to live in the Capital)
A house in Mayo (imagine he has a house where he is from)
An office in Mayo
And a field at his parents house in Mayo

How the f*ck is this front page news :eek:
After all the crap Bertie Aherne got away with, who cares if Enda Kenny owns a bloody field. Have we such short term memories, that now its suddenly front page news that our Taoiseach owns a field in Mayo that we didn't all know about.

El Weirdo · 15-01-2012 02:00AM

Is Alison back?

Biggins · 15-01-2012 02:00AM

Not bad for a school teacher!

Pin_Cushion · 15-01-2012 02:03AM

"Muppet Who Became Taoiseach By Accident Owns More Than His Lunch" would have had a nicer ring to it.

RickRoll · 15-01-2012 02:04AM

El Weirdo wrote: »

Is Alison back?

Who the fuck is Alison?

Spread · 15-01-2012 02:04AM

I suspect there's more to come. Setting a little trap?

later12 · 15-01-2012 02:05AM

"Bull" McCabe: Why're you interfering, Father? This is none of the Church's business.
Father Doran: It's the Widow's field. She has the right to sell it.
"Bull" McCabe: No. It's my field. It's my child. I nursed it. I nourished it. I saw to its every want. I dug the rocks out of it with my bare hands and I made a living thing of it! My only want is that green grass, that lovely green grass, and you want to take it away from me, and in the sight of God I can't let you do that!
Father Doran: Can't you find another field?
"Bull" McCabe: Another field? Another field? Jesus, you're as foreign here as any Yank. Another field? Are you blind? Those hands, do you see those hands? Those rocks! It was a dead thing! Don't you understand?
Father Doran: This is the Widow's field. That's the law.

El Weirdo · 15-01-2012 02:05AM

RickRoll wrote: »

Who the fuck is Alison?

I don't know why she's leaving or where she's gonna go...

diamondtooth · 15-01-2012 02:07AM

Pin_Cushion wrote: »

"Muppet Who Became Taoiseach By Accident Owns More Than His Lunch" would have had a nicer ring to it.

Its hardly an accident if the public voted for him.

Anyway I am not a huge Enda fan. I just don't understand how it is front page news that he owns an office and a field. Who cares? I don't even understand the point of the story.

Liam Byrne · 15-01-2012 02:07AM

diamondtooth wrote: »

Front page news of Saturday (15th Jan) Irish Independent reveals that an investigation has found that our Taoiseach Enda Kenny owns:

An apartment in Dublin (imagine he has somewhere to live in the Capital)
A house in Mayo (imagine he has a house where he is from)
An office in Mayo
And a field at his parents house in Mayo

How the f*ck is this front page news :eek:
After all the crap Bertie Aherne got away with, who cares if Enda Kenny owns a bloody field. Have we such short term memories, that now its suddenly front page news that our Taoiseach owns a field in Mayo that we didn't all know about.

Indo trying to deflect some of the **** from Mahon methinks.

gurramok · 15-01-2012 02:07AM

The Indo investigating, that is a headline story in itself!

ArtSmart · 15-01-2012 02:09AM

diamondtooth wrote: »

Front page news of Saturday (15th Jan) Irish Independent reveals that an investigation has found that our Taoiseach Enda Kenny owns:

An apartment in Dublin (imagine he has somewhere to live in the Capital)
A house in Mayo (imagine he has a house where he is from)
An office in Mayo
And a field at his parents house in Mayo

How the f*ck is this front page news :eek:
After all the crap Bertie Aherne got away with, who cares if Enda Kenny owns a bloody field. Have we such short term memories, that now its suddenly front page news that our Taoiseach owns a field in Mayo that we didn't all know about.

yeah, seen that today (the headline, it's a pure piece of tabloid now, so dont read it any more)

strange stuff. the indo could be gone is a year or two if it keeps that up. unless it goes full tabloid with some topless girls in and a better sport/ racing page. -it really is losing its identity

bleg · 15-01-2012 02:09AM

I played GAA and now I'm taoiseach u mad?

CiaranMT · 15-01-2012 02:10AM

TBH I think the fact that this is the only thread on the story in AH or Politics shows that many people didn't pay attention to that story today.

What a complete waste of print space.

InkSlinger67 · 15-01-2012 02:14AM

I don't see a problem with this. It's not like there's a daily TV ad running asking to "Sponsor a Taoiseach today".

He's still a cnut but he's allowed own a few properties.

Pin_Cushion · 15-01-2012 02:20AM

diamondtooth wrote: »

Its hardly an accident if the public voted for him.

Yeah not being in Fianna Fail done wonders for him.

patwicklow · 15-01-2012 02:26AM

Well i hope hes paying his taxes on the houses and the bog he owns

diamondtooth · 15-01-2012 02:26AM

All I am saying is its pathetic that it is now front page news to say that the Taoiseach owns a house in Dublin and one in Mayo.

Regardless of whether people like him or not, what do they expect? Do they expect him to live on the street or something? And its hardly too extravagant to own a field. One of the stupidest front page stories I have seen in a long time.

And did some journalist actually get paid to write that! Thats the disgrace in the whole piece.

Biggins · 15-01-2012 02:30AM

diamondtooth wrote: »

All I am saying is its pathetic that it is now front page news to say that the Taoiseach owns a house in Dublin and one in Mayo.

Regardless of whether people like him or not, what do they expect? Do they expect him to live on the street or something? And its hardly too extravagant to own a field. One of the stupidest front page stories I have seen in a long time.

And did some journalist actually get paid to write that! Thats the disgrace in the whole piece.

I'm not a fan of Enda but if a paper can be that petty and possibly vindictive, its a sad day for good investigation reporting in Ireland.

Liam Byrne · 15-01-2012 02:33AM

CiaranMT wrote: »

TBH I think the fact that this is the only thread on the story in AH or Politics shows that many people didn't pay attention to that story today.

What a complete waste of print space.

Probably indicative of the Indo's reach at this stage, which is unsurprising given the tripe they print.

Father Damo · 15-01-2012 02:34AM

ArtSmart wrote: »

yeah, seen that today (the headline, it's a pure piece of tabloid now, so dont read it any more)

strange stuff. the indo could be gone is a year or two if it keeps that up. unless it goes full tabloid with some topless girls in and a better sport/ racing page. -it really is losing its identity

What identity? Its been a rag for at least 7 years from memory. And the Sindo has always been a joke.

Einhard · 15-01-2012 02:35AM

diamondtooth wrote: »

Front page news of Saturday (15th Jan) Irish Independent reveals that an investigation has found that our Taoiseach Enda Kenny owns:

An apartment in Dublin (imagine he has somewhere to live in the Capital)
A house in Mayo (imagine he has a house where he is from)
An office in Mayo
And a field at his parents house in Mayo

How the f*ck is this front page news :eek:
After all the crap Bertie Aherne got away with, who cares if Enda Kenny owns a bloody field. Have we such short term memories, that now its suddenly front page news that our Taoiseach owns a field in Mayo that we didn't all know about.

Did you actually read the article? The point wasn't so much that he owned a few properties, but that the laws which supposedly require our elected representatives to list their assets, have such large loopholes that Kenny didn't have to declare his properties. Considering the history of political corruption we've had in this country, and that these laws were designed, in part, to reduce this through increased transparency, I'd say that such oversights in the law are worth reporting upon.

EDIT: Has anyone condemning the Indo actually read the story? It's a reasonable piece, and ficuses on the fact that he didn't have to declare his assets despite legislation which allegedly ensures transparency, not on the fact that he has a few property.

mal1 · 15-01-2012 02:38AM

Einhard wrote: »

Did you actually read the article? The point wasn't so much that he owned a few properties, but that the laws which supposedly require our elected representatives to list their assets, have such large loopholes that Kenny didn't have to declare his properties. Considering the history of political corruption we've had in this country, and that these laws were designed, in part, to reduce this through increased transparency, I'd say that such oversights in the law are worth reporting upon.

Even so, hardly front page for a sunday paper. I think that's the point.

mikemac1 · 15-01-2012 02:42AM

The Irish Independent used to be a good paper

Well back in the nineties it was

I don't know what caused it to change

ascanbe · 15-01-2012 02:43AM

Biggins wrote: »

I'm not a fan of Enda but if a paper can be that petty and possibly vindictive, its a sad day for good investigation reporting in Ireland.

Good investigative journalism in Ireland died last week when Mary Raftery passed away, as far as i can see.
It's only been conspicuous by its absence in the last few years, sadly, and, given what's going on in this country, it's very badly needed.

CiaranMT · 15-01-2012 02:44AM

Einhard wrote: »

Did you actually read the article? The point wasn't so much that he owned a few properties, but that the laws which supposedly require our elected representatives to list their assets, have such large loopholes that Kenny didn't have to declare his properties. Considering the history of political corruption we've had in this country, and that these laws were designed, in part, to reduce this through increased transparency, I'd say that such oversights in the law are worth reporting upon.

EDIT: Has anyone condemning the Indo actually read the story? It's a reasonable piece, and ficuses on the fact that he didn't have to declare his assets despite legislation which allegedly ensures transparency, not on the fact that he has a few property.

Be that as it may, it's not as if he secretly owns an island or something. A home house, a house in Dublin and a bit of land not 'being made public' doesn't warrant front page coverage.

At any rate, the piece is by Fionnan Sheahan, for those who were interested.

Biggins · 15-01-2012 02:44AM

Einhard wrote: »

Did you actually read the article? The point wasn't so much that he owned a few properties, but that the laws which supposedly require our elected representatives to list their assets, have such large loopholes that Kenny didn't have to declare his properties. Considering the history of political corruption we've had in this country, and that these laws were designed, in part, to reduce this through increased transparency, I'd say that such oversights in the law are worth reporting upon.

EDIT: Has anyone condemning the Indo actually read the story? It's a reasonable piece, and ficuses on the fact that he didn't have to declare his assets despite legislation which allegedly ensures transparency, not on the fact that he has a few property.

Personally, unless such properties, etc are possibly a conflict with any area of a person duties, they shouldn't feel that everything they own should be up for scrutiny publicly.
Granted, if they are involved in areas that by secondary nature, by indirect family or friends, are connected to something they are doing in office, they should supply all such info to a department somewhere in capital to ensure no laws might be broken and conflicts might occur which would impede a decision or sway one - but for whole public consumption otherwise, just because some people (not all!) want to be nosey, that shouldn't justify every person to have expose everything they possess of substantial nature.

Hell, the kidnappers of the world would have a field day at looking up such listings!
"Ok' who makes up a good victim this year!"

...Its JUST a point of further consideration.

gsxr1 · 15-01-2012 02:47AM

There must be more important stuff to report.

Einhard · 15-01-2012 02:57AM

mal1 wrote: »

Even so, hardly front page for a sunday paper. I think that's the point.

I'd beg to differ. I think the fact that legislation which was supposed to increase transparency re the assets of our parliamentarians has such a gaping loophole is highly newsworthy, especially considering our history of political corruption. I don't care what Kenny owns per se; I do care that legislation through which members allegedly declare their assets doesn't cover such significant properties and lands.

CiaranMT wrote: »

Be that as it may, it's not as if he secretly owns an island or something. A home house, a house in Dublin and a bit of land not 'being made public' doesn't warrant front page coverage.

At any rate, the piece is by Fionnan Sheahan, for those who were interested.

You're not getting it. Kenny's property portfolio wasn't the story. It was the fact that he didn't have to disclose it under legislation which purportedly meant that such disclosures were necessary.

Biggins wrote: »

Personally, unless such properties, etc are possibly a conflict with any area of a person duties, they shouldn't feel that everything they own should be up for scrutiny publicly.

And who judges whether they are in conflict if they don't have to publish such information. I have to say I'm surprised Biggins. I had imagined that you would be calling for full transparency when it comes to public representatives and their interests outside politics.

Granted, if they are involved in areas that by secondary nature, by indirect family or friends, are connected to something they are doing in office, they should supply all such info to a department somewhere in capital to ensure no laws might be broken and conflicts might occur which would impede a decision or sway one - but for whole public consumption otherwise, just because some people (not all!) want to be nosey, that shouldn't justify every person to have expose everything they possess of substantial nature.

The idea of the legislation is to promote transparency amongst our public representatives, a concept which was sorely lacking until recently, and which, from the article, seems to be somewhat lacking even today.

And yet people seem ok with it simply because they want to have a go at the Irish Independent. Strikes me as odd.

Hell, the kidnappers of the world would have a field day at looking up such listings!
"Ok' who makes up a good victim this year!"

...Its JUST a point of further consideration.

This isn't Mexico Biggins. We don't exactly have abduction gangs roaming the streets, and if we did, it's fairly easy to identify who has money and who doesn't. Further, abducting sitting members of parliament would be a very bad idea for any criminal gang.

paddy147 · 15-01-2012 03:06AM

Every politician has secrets that they dont want to reveal or to be revealed.

They all have somethng to hide.

Oh since FG got into power,County Mayo has had the most amount of grants approved and awarded,out of all the counties in Ireland.

Doesnt a certain political man named Enda hail from County Mayo aswell?

How utterly amazing is that then?

1+1=......:pac::pac:

Zebra3 · 15-01-2012 03:10AM

diamondtooth wrote: »

Its hardly an accident if the public voted for him.

Morons in Mayo voted for him to be a TD.

FG and Labour TDs elected him as taoiseach.

Irish Independent Investigation Reveals!

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