Fidelma Healy Eames' train ticket scandal

gordongekko · 13-07-2012 8:27pm #1

Biko its no longer denied by fhe.

Link from your sister site

http://www.thejournal.ie/senator-denies-dodging-ticket-fare-520239-Jul2012/

She remarks about it on twitter

https://twitter.com/senhealyeames/

Here it is on broadsheet

http://www.broadsheet.ie/2012/07/13/a-fare-to-remember-allegedly/

Here it is on politics.ie

http://www.politics.ie/news/boards-ie-user-claims-have-seen-fine-gael-senator-fined-train-having-no-ticket-368.html

Biko are you related to her or a member of FG or why do you keep closing the threads?

darkman2 · 13-07-2012 9:42pm

In fairness FG has had a bad week. The Minister for Health appeared in Stubbs and now one of them is a fare dodger.:cool:

4zn76tysfajdxp · 13-07-2012 9:45pm

gordongekko wrote: »

Biko are you related to her or a member of FG or why do you keep closing the threads?

I heard Biko's Dad is John Bruton.

biko · 13-07-2012 9:49pm

Mr Gekko - I've no relation to FG nor her. How about your own political affiliations?

Several of those links are just mirroring that a user here made a statement or citing each other. I don't see why you'd think that would be important.
This one http://www.thejournal.ie/senator-denies-dodging-ticket-fare-520239-Jul2012/ has a proper response from FG:

Fine Gael issued a statement that said Healy Eames had boarded the train at Athenry station yesterday morning in a rush and thought she would be able to purchase a ticket on board as she had done on previous occasions.
The ticket inspector asked her for identification and she produced her Senator ID card and offered to pay for a ticket as normal. She was told she could not buy a ticket from him and he fined her €100.
Fine Gael said the Senator said she was shocked to learn this as she had purchased two tickets on board just weeks earlier in June. She even showed the inspector the counterfoils which proved she had purchased tickets on a train. Healy Eames has appealed the fine.

See how easy it was when you had a proper source?
Discussion may now continue.

gordongekko · 13-07-2012 9:52pm

http://fidelmahealyeames.ie/2012/07/13/clarification-re-senator-healy-eames-train-journey/?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

And that link is from her own web site

gordongekko · 13-07-2012 9:55pm

biko wrote: »

Mr Gekko - I've no relation to FG nor her. How about your own political affiliations? .

I am not now or ever have been a member of any political party. In past elections i have voted for a wide and diverse spectrum of candidates including people from FG.

biko wrote: »

Several of those links are just mirroring that a user here made a statement or citing each other. I don't see why you'd think that would be important.

You closed the last thread as there was no links so i added a few for you.

Rob A. Bank · 13-07-2012 10:05pm

biko wrote: »

Fine Gael said the Senator said she was shocked to learn this as she had purchased two tickets on board just weeks earlier in June. She even showed the inspector the counterfoils which proved she had purchased tickets on a train. Healy Eames has appealed the fine.

It could not be clearer… silly woman... her appeal is on a hideing to nothing.

NO TICKET
NO TRAVEL
NO EXCUSE

INTERCITY & COMMUTER SERVICES PASSENGER INFORMATION LEAFLET FIXED PENALTY NOTICE (FPN)

5. IF I DON’T BUY A TICKET BEFORE TRAVELLING,
IS IT AN AUTOMATIC PENALTY NOTICE?
Yes. You are responsible for ensuring that you buy a
ticket that is valid for your entire journey before
travelling, otherwise you will have to pay the fixed
penalty.

6. IF THERE IS A QUEUE AT THE TICKET OFFICE OR
THE TICKET VENDING MACHINE CAN I BOARD THE
TRAIN WITHOUT A VALID TICKET?
No, it is your responsibility to allow yourself reasonable
time to buy a ticket before travelling. Ticket vending
machines are provided throughout the network at
stations in tandem with the facility of buying tickets in
advance from the booking Office, internet or an
accredited ticketing agent.
(See also Answers to questions 1 and 2).

7. CAN I PAY AT MY DESITINATION IF IM IN A
RUSH?
No, if facilities are provided at your departure point and
you board the train without a valid ticket then you will be
issued with a fixed penalty.

Redhairedguy · 13-07-2012 10:20pm

I don't want to start bashing FHE, but I would be more inclined to believe the words of a deranged person on the street than anything that would ever come out of her mouth.

She is notably tight as well, so I would not doubt for a second that she tried to get a free train ride.

Mearings · 13-07-2012 10:20pm

17. IS THERE A RIGHT OF APPEAL AGAINST A
FIXED PENALTY NOTICE?
If you wish to appeal against a Fixed Penalty Notice, with
which you have been issued, you must do so in writing or
via email to the addresses shown on the receipt given to
you by the inspector within 21 DAYS. Failure to pay will
lead to a prosecution and a Criminal conviction plus a
fine of up to a €1000 in the District Courts.

Everyone has a right to appeal, even those who differ from us in politics.

jased10s · 14-07-2012 3:34am

Wow another travel expenses scandel.

FFS woman have some class and at least go first class.

thesandeman · 14-07-2012 4:58am

Rob A. Bank wrote: »

biko wrote: »

Fine Gael said the Senator said she was shocked to learn this as she had purchased two tickets on board just weeks earlier in June. She even showed the inspector the counterfoils which proved she had purchased tickets on a train. Healy Eames has appealed the fine.

It could not be clearer… silly woman... her appeal is on a hideing to nothing.

NO TICKET
NO TRAVEL
NO EXCUSE

INTERCITY & COMMUTER SERVICES PASSENGER INFORMATION LEAFLET FIXED PENALTY NOTICE (FPN)

5. IF I DON’T BUY A TICKET BEFORE TRAVELLING,
IS IT AN AUTOMATIC PENALTY NOTICE?
Yes. You are responsible for ensuring that you buy a
ticket that is valid for your entire journey before
travelling, otherwise you will have to pay the fixed
penalty.

6. IF THERE IS A QUEUE AT THE TICKET OFFICE OR
THE TICKET VENDING MACHINE CAN I BOARD THE
TRAIN WITHOUT A VALID TICKET?
No, it is your responsibility to allow yourself reasonable
time to buy a ticket before travelling. Ticket vending
machines are provided throughout the network at
stations in tandem with the facility of buying tickets in
advance from the booking Office, internet or an
accredited ticketing agent.
(See also Answers to questions 1 and 2).

7. CAN I PAY AT MY DESITINATION IF IM IN A
RUSH?
No, if facilities are provided at your departure point and
you board the train without a valid ticket then you will be
issued with a fixed penalty.

Think #5 and #6 says it all. But if she ever convinces people to elect her to the real Government then we can all do things her way seeing as then she can 'make the law'.

fishy fishy · 16-07-2012 4:20pm

I'm just wondering why she produced her seanad ID. What has that got to do with her not buying a ticket.

tphase · 16-07-2012 4:44pm

fishy fishy wrote: »

I'm just wondering why she produced her seanad ID. What has that got to do with her not buying a ticket.

She was asked for id ... quote from her website

"She was approached by an officer from the revenue protection unit on board who asked her for ID. She produced her Seanad ID card."

fishy fishy · 16-07-2012 4:52pm

tphase wrote: »

She was asked for id ... quote from her website

"She was approached by an officer from the revenue protection unit on board who asked her for ID. She produced her Seanad ID card."

how convenient.

tphase · 16-07-2012 4:56pm

fishy fishy wrote: »

how convenient.

What has that got to do with her not buying a ticket?

Robbo · 16-07-2012 4:58pm

fishy fishy wrote: »

I'm just wondering why she produced her seanad ID. What has that got to do with her not buying a ticket.

The RPU guys usually insist in seeing some ID so that they can verify that they're not going to post off a fine to Jesus c/o The Pentagon. Perhaps her Seanad ID was all she was carrying.

As the Mail pointed out over the weekend, she would have passed at least 3 signs on her way to the platform about not boarding without a ticket. The IE staff selling tickets on the train are very much the exception to the rule these days, usually it's just an RPU member who gets on and off at various points.

antoobrien · 16-07-2012 5:23pm

[QUOTE=Robbo;79758092
As the Mail pointed out over the weekend, she would have passed at least 3 signs on her way to the platform about not boarding without a ticket. The IE staff selling tickets on the train are very much the exception to the rule these days, usually it's just an RPU member who gets on and off at various points.[/QUOTE]

The ticket office in Athenry isn't always open, especially for early morning trains, so her story is plausible. I haven't been in the station in Athenry in years, so I don't know if they have the ticket machines there - which would be the only way for her to buy a ticket if the office wasn't open. It could be an honest mistake.

Wait, no, this is a politician we're talking about - witch hunt! Burn her!:rolleyes:

Robbo · 16-07-2012 5:34pm

They have ticket vending machines in Athenry.

Unrealistic · 16-07-2012 10:03pm

Going off on a tangent, one of the links above led me to FHE's website and when I started nosing around I came across this photo.

Does Brian Walsh really still wear his First Communion tie or did the crafty people at FHE HQ photoshop the pic to make him look like a bit of a gob$hite?

Sconsey · 17-07-2012 10:10am

Robbo wrote: »

They have ticket vending machines in Athenry.

I heard her on the radio yesterday and she had two main arguments:

1. She was in the station a few minutes before the train was due to leave, there were people ahead of her at the ticket window and the vending machine. She said in the past the train had left the station early and she had missed the train as a result (I think she said she had previously lodged complaints about this) so did not want to risk queing based on previous bad experience of train departing early.

2. She had always been allowed buy tickets on the train previously and produced two ticket stubs from her bag to prove that as little as last month she had bought tickets on the train.

I didn't hear her mention the multiple signs which are apparently on display saying you cannot board without a ticket!

The rest of the arguments all seem like bull just because people like/dislike politicans.

Personally I'd be raging too if I was in her situation. What happens if you arrive at the station ten minutes before the train only to find a bus load of tourists have dropped in ahead of you, they have no clue how to use the vending machine, slow to pay at the ticket window....tough you miss the train.

Unrealistic · 17-07-2012 10:45am

Sconsey wrote: »

Personally I'd be raging too if I was in her situation. What happens if you arrive at the station ten minutes before the train only to find a bus load of tourists have dropped in ahead of you, they have no clue how to use the vending machine, slow to pay at the ticket window....tough you miss the train.

Maybe it's just me but that's exactly the reason why I would never go to catch an intercity bus or train without a ticket already in my hand. You want to fly on a plane you are advised to be at the airport 2 hours in advance to ensure you can complete formalities on time. Trains aren't on the same scale so Irish Rail asks you to be there 20 minutes before departure. If it is critical that you should be on a certain train then you should make sure you have a ticket for it in advance.

squonk · 17-07-2012 11:16am

At the end of the day she has a job in Dublin and is up and down on the train at least twice a week. If she's been finding that ticketing at the station is a problem, she has the option of logging on to IE's website and purchasing an advance ticket there. What's more, she can reserve her seat at that stage as well. It's not as big a deal on the Galway route but carriages on the Cork-Dub service are a pain with all the reserved seats on there.

Were I a frequent traveller I'd be looking into at least Monthly tickets anyway so that I could buy a ticket when I had time and then use it for the duration of the month without any hassle. It'd work out cheaper as well.

What would work out even better would be to buy a yearly TaxSaver ticket. She could buy the following ticket for instance http://www.taxsaver.ie/Ticket-Types/Annual-Tickets/Iarnrod-Eireann-Irish-Rail/ which would save her quite a bit of money and a load of hassle as well.

I could completely understand her predicament were she taking a form of transport that she rarely uses and got into difficulty in that case. The reality though is that she has Oireachtas duties in Dublin for quite a significant portion of the year so I think that, based on that, most of us would look to minimize the cost to ourselves in that case by purchasing a multi trip ticket. By not doing this she's showing at the very least that she's content to waste money by purchasing tickets on a per journey return basis. It's simply another case of "It's not MY money, so who cares". If the money came from her own pocket she'd be first in line for a commuter ticket I'd bet. I'm sure it's certainly not at all the case that she'd be content to board a train without any ticket and take her chances.

Unrealistic · 17-07-2012 11:51am

squonk wrote: »

The reality though is that she has Oireachtas duties in Dublin for quite a significant portion of the year so I think that, based on that, most of us would look to minimize the cost to ourselves in that case by purchasing a multi trip ticket. By not doing this she's showing at the very least that she's content to waste money by purchasing tickets on a per journey return basis. It's simply another case of "It's not MY money, so who cares". If the money came from her own pocket she'd be first in line for a commuter ticket I'd bet. I'm sure it's certainly not at all the case that she'd be content to board a train without any ticket and take her chances.

That's the strange thing. If I understand correctly the way their travel allowance works she is the one who will be out of pocket. A flat allowance allows the recipient to shop around for the best deal and pocket the difference.

Shakti · 17-07-2012 12:27pm

Rob A. Bank wrote: »

It could not be clearer… silly woman... her appeal is on a hideing to nothing.

NO TICKET
NO TRAVEL
NO EXCUSE

INTERCITY & COMMUTER SERVICES PASSENGER INFORMATION LEAFLET FIXED PENALTY NOTICE (FPN)

whats being a woman got to do with it? how is she a silly woman?

squonk · 17-07-2012 1:59pm

Unrealistic wrote: »

That's the strange thing. If I understand correctly the way their travel allowance works she is the one who will be out of pocket. A flat allowance allows the recipient to shop around for the best deal and pocket the difference.

I agree but there are two possible logical explanations, either the travel allowance is too large in reality in that she doesn't need to bother worrying about saving it as there'll be some left over and she doesn't really miss it along with her regular salary, or she plays the odds and jumps the train betting that getting stuck for buying a ticket on board every so often actually works out at better value than purchasing a season ticket? Obviously a Senator and upstanding member of the community and any good citizen would never choose the second option but these are the only two possibilities that make sense given the evidence to hand.

K.C · 18-07-2012 8:59pm

She's a chancer. just reading about it now in Galway independent

Sappa · 26-07-2012 10:37am

An article in today's indo,this senator who is supposed to represent our fine city has been shafting local plumbers and disputing payment for work carried out at her home to build a war room for her political campaigns.
She comes accross as a privileged,arrogant and ruthless person who is waving the flag fianna fail style in the senate and completely trying to weasel her way out of paying this guy.
Met her at one of her events before the election and she convinced me not to vote for her by the way she worked the room from her high horse.
What's opinions of her politically,a bit of a spoilt brat ?

I_smell_fear · 26-07-2012 10:39am

Tell us how you really feel

26-07-2012 10:40am

Sappa wrote: »

An article in today's indo,this senator who is supposed to represent our fine city has been shafting local plumbers and disputing payment for work carried out at her home to build a war room for her political campaigns.
She comes accross as a privileged,arrogant and ruthless person who is waving the flag fianna fail style in the senate and completely trying to weasel her way out of paying this guy.
Met her at one of her events before the election and she convinced me not to vote for her by the way she worked the room from her high horse.
What's opinions of her politically,a bit of a spoilt brat ?

Is she not Fine Gael?

Donnielighto · 26-07-2012 10:41am

FGish here from a FG family near enough her. She is a wagon in every conceivable way.

biko · 26-07-2012 10:42am

No discussion of ongoing cases.
Also attack the politics, not the politician.

biko · 26-07-2012 4:13pm

The case is now over so I'm opening this again.
http://www.independent.ie/national-news/courts/court-orders-fg-senators-husband-to-pay-plumber-3180642.html

THE HUSBAND of Fine Gael Senator Fidelma Healy Eames has been ordered to pay over €12,000 to a builder who had sued the couple after he was forced off a job he was carrying out at their home.

Judge Rory McCabe ruled in favour of tradesman Michael Allen at Galway Civil Circuit Court this morning.

He found that a contract had existed between Mr Eames and Mr Allen for work to be carried out at the Eames home at Oranmore in Co Galway in 2009.

Judge McCabe dismissed the case against Senator Healy Eames as he said he was satisfied she wasn't intimately involved or even peripherally involved.

Please note that the judge found FHE not involved, as opposed to the thread title.

Sponge Bob · 26-07-2012 4:53pm

biko wrote: »

Please note that the judge found FHE not involved, as opposed to the thread title.

Indeed. Poor woman has no walk in wardrobe either since an oversized jacuzzi was installed in there instead according to the Daily Mail today.

I pity her the lack of a fully functioning walk in wardrobe! That is simply not on in this day and age.

Here is the housheen in question, planning permission applied for in 2007...not long after election...and granted in 2008

http://goo.gl/maps/ExEQ and
http://goo.gl/maps/i97jA

I note also that she was told to build a single storey garage in application 074926 and applied for retention for a 2 storey garage last year in application 111282.

The planner was not minded to grant the retention for the 2 storey garage either but luckily wiser heads in the Council directed that the Garage be permitted too.

Rob A. Bank · 26-07-2012 5:10pm

Healy Eames decides not to appeal train fine as she meets Iarnrod Eireann over customer communications

Senator Healy Eames decided in advance of the meeting not to appeal her fine so that the meeting could completely focus on the public interest.

from the Advertiser

Looks like Healy Eames is working on getting that nascent FG Blueshirt 'fascination with trains' gene under control.

That and the plumber make this an expensive week for the Healy Eames's !

BhoscaCapall · 26-07-2012 5:55pm

Thread title is so misleading

nuac · 26-07-2012 6:40pm

thread title leaves much to imagination if she had that 50 shades of Grey book, or is that just me.?

In fairness Judge held she was not involved.

As we say in the west - "far from jacuzzis she was reared"

jkforde · 26-07-2012 8:11pm

biko wrote: »

Please note that the judge found FHE not involved, as opposed to the thread title.

so FHE did not screw a subbie. this has been proven in court, the case against her was dismissed right? but the slanderous title of this thread stands? and what's up with SB's attempt to dig up dirt against her, when all she has done is 100 per cent legal? who ever called us begrudgers and window squinters!? brings to mind Waits' 'What's He Building In There'!

Mrs OBumble · 26-07-2012 8:18pm

Ahh, so she didn't hire the contractor herself.

But her husband did. And the work is on the house she lives in. So it's not like she's really not involved.

pleasant Co. · 26-07-2012 8:18pm

jkforde wrote: »

so FHE did not screw a subbie. this has been proven in court, the case against her was dismissed right? but the slanderous title of this thread stands? and what's up with SB's attempt to dig up dirt against her, when all she has done is 100 per cent legal? seriously folks, are the begrudging, lace curtain peering brigade back...?

libellous

the internet is serious business

gordongekko · 26-07-2012 8:27pm

JustMary wrote: »

Ahh, so she didn't hire the contractor herself.

But her husband did. And the work is on the house she lives in. So it's not like she's really not involved.

The report on the news said that the judge said pretty much the same. It was alone the lines of that she was not involved but her husband was and she lived there so it was fair that the subbie sued her.

Unrealistic · 27-07-2012 6:07am

jkforde wrote: »

so FHE did not screw a subbie. this has been proven in court, the case against her was dismissed right? but the slanderous title of this thread stands? and what's up with SB's attempt to dig up dirt against her, when all she has done is 100 per cent legal?

The old Ivor Callely defence again? "I didn't break any laws." Just because something is not illegal does not mean that it is moral or right.

jkforde wrote: »

who ever called us begrudgers and window squinters!? brings to mind Waits' 'What's He Building In There'!

Squinting windows has nothing to do with this case. FHE is not a private person. She is public representative. She has been seeking (and failing) to represent us in Dail Eireann for more than ten years. A story like this that sheds (unfavourable) light on her ethics and behaviour is very much in the public interest.

jkforde · 27-07-2012 9:35am

give me a break. us Irish are the biggest hypocrites, we constantly peg stones at public people who we deem to have transgressed morals & ethics (again, she, FHE, was found by our courts not to be personally culpable in this case but don't let that stop the personal damnation here) but we wouldn't blink twice at trying to get away with a fast one ourselves and will secretly back-slap someone we support who tries or succeeds. Sanctimonious moralizing is always a bit rich coming from Irish people (and I'm born and bred here).
/

Unrealistic · 27-07-2012 9:45am

jkforde wrote: »

give me a break. us Irish are the biggest hypocrites, we constantly peg stones at public people who we deem to have transgressed morals & ethics (again, she, FHE, was found by our courts not to be personally culpable in this case but don't let that stop the personal damnation here) but we wouldn't blink twice at trying to get away with a fast one ourselves and will secretly back-slap someone we support who tries or succeeds. Sanctimonious moralizing is always a bit rich coming from Irish people (and I'm born and bred here).
/

FHE was found not to have been the one who created the contract with the plumber and that was the reason why the award was made against her husband (who was the counter party to the contract). That doesn't change the fact that she allowed a situation to persist where someone was allowed to go unpaid for three years for work done on her home. And you can speak for yourself, thanks, because I certainly would not try to screw a tradesman who had done work for me. The fact that you 'wouldn't blink twice' at trying to get away with it, and would back-slap someone else who does, says all about you that I need to know.

snubbleste · 27-07-2012 9:47am

Good post Spongebob.
I want pictures of the jacuzzi though.

masalbeagdubh · 27-07-2012 9:55am

jkforde wrote: »

give me a break. us Irish are the biggest hypocrites, we constantly peg stones at public people who we deem to have transgressed morals & ethics (again, she, FHE, was found by our courts not to be personally culpable in this case but don't let that stop the personal damnation here) but we wouldn't blink twice at trying to get away with a fast one ourselves and will secretly back-slap someone we support who tries or succeeds. Sanctimonious moralizing is always a bit rich coming from Irish people (and I'm born and bred here).
/

People are entitled to air their views on this case, regardless of what the court judgement. Just because you are born and bred in Ireland doesn`t mean that you can classify all Irish people as stone- throwing hypocrites. The courts can only rule by the law of the land even if the judge felt what they did was morally wrong.

nuac · 27-07-2012 9:57am

Many people leave tradesmen waiting for their money for far too long.

Many cod excuses used to claim job not properly done.

Many rely on fact that it is difficult and expensive to sue successfully in "informal" building contract cases

Redhairedguy · 27-07-2012 10:17am

jkforde wrote: »

we wouldn't blink twice at trying to get away with a fast one ourselves and will secretly back-slap someone we support who tries or succeeds.

Well, I think that speaks volumes for your own morals and the company that you keep. Not everyone is 'trying to get away with a fast one'. To be honest, if I heard that someone I knew pulled the same stunt, I'd be equally appalled and distrustful of them from that day forth.

The fact that a someone who is supposed to represent the average Irish person would be involved (indirectly or otherwise) in such a tight, miserly scam just makes it that million times worse.

biko · 27-07-2012 11:13am

*silently judges everyone*

gaeilgegrinds1 · 27-07-2012 11:15am

She hasn't done herself any favours between this and the train though, damage control needs to be done!

barryd09 · 27-07-2012 12:32pm

Uncle Inda will be on to FHE to tell her what a bad bad girl shes been.

Robbo · 27-07-2012 12:33pm

Even without the bad PR side of it, €12k and at least 3 days of Circuit Court costs (multiplied by two), Captain Hindsight will certainly be wagging his finger at Mr Fidelma and saying it would have been better to settle.

Fidelma Healy Eames' train ticket scandal

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