Fidelma Healy Eames' train ticket scandal

mikom · 24-11-2012 1:31pm

snubbleste wrote: »

Taxpayers fund another FHE trip. Wonder is her husband going to join her at some point?

FHE goes to China
Local Fine Gael Senator, Fidelma Healy Eames, is to lead a week long educational trip to China. The Senator and a delegation comprising twenty six educators, principals and deputy principals leave tomorrow morning.

Probably going over to get them safety chips installed in the ps3's, xbox's, and PC's.

Redhairedguy · 24-11-2012 2:12pm

mikom wrote: »

Probably going over to get them safety chips installed in the ps3's, xbox's, and PC's.

Won't someone please think of the children?

Sponge Bob · 24-11-2012 3:08pm

The money is there in Ruairí Quinns budget to send a delegation of 26 to China for a week at a cost of around €5000 each. And so it must be spent.

nuac · 24-11-2012 5:18pm

What have the Chinese done to us to deserve a visit from Fidelma?

I thought junkets had gone out of fashion

Mrs OBumble · 24-11-2012 8:47pm

I'm no fan of FHE ... but this looks like a sales trip to me, pretty standard stuff from countries that "export" education to China by having Chinese kids come here and spend money on education (and food, entertainment, etc).

(I got all excited when I saw a new post in this scandals thread ... very disappointing that it's only this!)

ted2767 · 25-11-2012 9:44am

It'a a joke that this woman is chosen to represent Ireland at anything.
On another point why would China purchase education fron us?
We can barely educate ourselves as it is after all the cutbacks.

snubbleste · 25-11-2012 10:48am

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

I'm no fan of FHE ... but this looks like a sales trip to me, pretty standard stuff from countries that "export" education to China by having Chinese kids come here and spend money on education (and food, entertainment, etc). (I got all excited when I saw a new post in this scandals thread ... very disappointing that it's only this!)

FHE is not that mundane..some scandal is bound to come out of this :cool:
Also could someone keep an eye on her house in case some builder comes along and builds a regal cottage

ArraMusha · 25-11-2012 10:58am

That 'WAN' sums up all that is wrong in this country. images?q=tbn:ANd9GcTmDd5TozVN9RAWcVLddMhd6pp5OHZapABpyx5p460kmeWBnFb9eA

Red Pepper · 25-11-2012 12:41pm

I am sure if she loses her Senate seat, they will make her mayor of Galway. It is well known that all the prominent Galway councillors have agreed to share the Galway mayor title each year so that they can enjoy the pension that results from holding the position. Wasters.

nuac · 25-11-2012 5:04pm

There is an allowance for being Mayor, but afaik no pension.

I did not know FDE had any expertise in teaching of chinese, nor indeed did I know that there are a number of school principals with similar expertise.

It is a junket, at a time when money is very tight

Mrs OBumble · 25-11-2012 6:58pm

This is not about teaching Chinese, ffs. It's about teaching English (which ye allegedly speak, and 80% of ye read) ... to students who are very keen, and who have parents who are happy to pay the full price. Nothing to do with cutbacks - except perhaps it enables schools to keep teachers who they'd otherwise have to let go.

Agree re keeping an eye on her house

.... other than that, am struggling to get any whiff of scandal here.

ted2767 · 25-11-2012 7:57pm

Surely to Christ we can find someone better in the country than that embarrassing specimen.
She represents everything that is bad about politics in Ireland and make no mistake about it is just as self-serving as any of the FF politicans that we all give out about.
The sooner the Seanad is abolished or directly elected the better.
I mean she was elected by what trade unions/councils, where is the transparency in that?
The sooner we actually get on our politicans backs to make real change in this country the better and the first thing they should do is either abolish the seanad or directly elect the members.
Then we'd be shot of FHE and her like.

aw · 03-12-2012 12:21pm

Fidelma. Not just a local controversy.

Irish Independent wrote:

CONTROVERSIAL Fine Gael senator Fidelma Healy-Eames is insisting another foreign trip she is on is funded privately and not by the taxpayer.

However, the exact cost of the week-long educational trip to China with UCC is still unknown.

Galway-based Ms Healy-Eames was in hot water this summer when she went on a Voluntary Services Overseas (VSO) trip to Rwanda.

And she will return from a China trip later today, where she was the only Oireachtas member among the 25-strong party.

It is understood to have been organised by the Confucius Institute at UCC.

Confucius Institutes are non-profit organisations that aim to promote Chinese language and culture.

A spokesperson for UCC did not respond to queries on the funding of this specific trip, but Ms Healy-Eames insisted it was funded privately.

"Hanban (the Office of Chinese Language Council International) and Confucius Institute UCC are paying for the trip for myself and 24 teachers and principals from across the country," Ms Healy-Eames said.

"I am the only Oireachtas member on the privately funded trip. We visited the Irish consulate and staff in Shanghai, met Enterprise Ireland and Tourism Ireland and discussed the growth of English language teaching of Chinese nationals in Ireland – visas are an issue."

It comes just months after Ms Healy-Eames' controversial VSO trip to Rwanda, where she carried out the voluntary work as part of the 'Politicians for Development' programme and was advising a minister in Rwanda on early childhood education.

Ms Healy-Eames, who is the chair of China-Ireland relations organisation, spoke to a group of 120 Chinese alumni of Irish universities at an event organised by the Irish consulate on Friday.

"We are at an exciting juncture in the development of new and improved relations as highlighted by the respective trips of Xi-Jinping to Ireland and An Taoiseach to China," she said.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/controversial-fg-senator-says-china-trip-was-not-paid-for-by-taxpayers-3312420.html

McTigs · 19-12-2012 3:02pm

In court today

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/courts/senator-fined-for-repeatedly-driving-without-road-tax-3331984.html

Robbo · 19-12-2012 3:50pm

Current List of Things Fidelma Doesn't Like Paying:

Motor Tax
Builders
Junkets
Train Fares

If one were being cruel, one could crassly make a link between to her vast qualifications in the field of education, declining standards of mathematical abilities in schoolkids and Fidelma's own difficulties with numbers. But only a monster would make that point.

mikom · 19-12-2012 3:53pm

Robbo wrote: »

Current List of Things Fidelma Doesn't Like Paying:
Motor Tax

Builders

Junkets

Train Fares

Current List of Things Fidelma Likes thinking of:

1. The children.
2. Jacuzzis and walk-in wardrobes.
3. Playing time limitation chips for x-box, ps3, wii.....

Synode · 19-12-2012 4:41pm

You'd have to wonder why the charge of 'false declaration' was withdrawn. Strings must have been pulled somewhere

fago · 19-12-2012 5:10pm

Reading the article it does seem like a self-incriminating case:

- she was stopped in March 2012
- stopped again in June
- car stopped and seized July 3rd. Paid back tax to May, by doing that implying car was off the road before that.

You have to admit she is a piece of work, even by the standards for a public representative.

In addition just because you are going to sell a car doesn't mean you don't have to tax it if you're currently driving it.

serfboard · 19-12-2012 5:37pm

McTigs wrote: »

In court today

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/courts/senator-fined-for-repeatedly-driving-without-road-tax-3331984.html

I think it's worth quoting the article (I've added some emphasis):

The Irish Independent wrote:

SENATOR Fidelma Healy Eames has been fined €1,850 after pleading guilty to four road traffic offences.

The senator, from Maree, Oranmore in Galway, pleaded guilty at Galway District Court today to three changes of driving without tax and one further charge of failure to display a tax disc.

A fifth charge of making a false declaration was withdrawn by the State. This charge had been described by Judge Mary Fahy as the most serious.
Ms Healy Eames did not appear in court for the hearing but conveyed through her solicitor Colman Sherry that she was deeply remorseful.

The charges related to three incidents ranging from March to July of this year where Ms Healy Eames was observed driving without tax. She was stopped by Garda Garrett Cafferkey on the final occasion in July and her car was impounded.

The court heard that Ms Healy Eames was first detected on March 10 using a mobile phone while driving her Mercedes in Oranmore, Co Galway. On that occasion, Garda Cafferkey did not stop Ms Healy Eames but issued a fix change penalty which was subsequently paid.

When he checked her car tax on the Pulse system later that morning, he discovered it had expired on January 1, 2012, and a summons was issued on the matter.

On June 23, Gda Cafferkey observed Ms Healy Eames driving in Seafield, Maree. When he later checked the car on Pulse, he discovered it was still untaxed. A second summons was issued.

Garda Cafferkey gave evidence that on July 2, at Moneenageisha in Galway city, he witnessed Ms Healy Eames driving and checked the tax status of the car on the in-car system.

On discovering that the car remained untaxed, he stopped the Senator and seized the car.

The court heard that when questioned, Ms Healy Eames told Gda Cafferkey that she had planned to sell the car and it had been off the road.

The garda then contacted the Galway Motor Tax office the following day and discovered the vehicle had been back-taxed for May. However, arrears were not paid for the outstanding three months of February, March and April until October.

A charge of false declaration against Ms Healy Eames was later withdrawn by the State.

Judge Fahy described the case as "unprecedented" adding; "A declaration was made to say the car was off the road but the car was not off the road. However, the State has withdrawn that charge which in my view was the most serious charge."

"The situation is that this lady continued to drive a Mercedes car while fully employed and in receipt of a good salary from the State and was not paying her car tax," she added.

Defence solicitor Colman Sherry said his client was "extremely contrite" but stressed there had been no loss to the State.

In handing down the fines, Judge Fahy said; "Her solicitor says she's remorseful but the court has to take into account that this was continuous."

Ms Healy Eames was fined a total of €1,850 for the four summonses after Judge Fahy said her rationale for the fines was that the "driver had ample opportunity to comply".

The brass neck on this one. Ignores two summonses and continues driving the car.

The judge had her number though.

tayto lover · 19-12-2012 5:50pm

serfboard wrote: »

I think it's worth quoting the article (I've added some emphasis):

The brass neck on this one. Ignores two summonses and continues driving the car.

The judge had her number though.

Can't ever see that Garda getting promoted either. Fair play to him for doing his job though.

mikom · 19-12-2012 5:53pm

Good judge of character is ould Enda Kenny.
He spotted a diamond and proposed her for the senate.....

snubbleste · 19-12-2012 5:55pm

That's a horrible slur on diamonds.

antoobrien · 19-12-2012 6:30pm

mikom wrote: »

Good judge of character is ould Enda Kenny.
He spotted a diamond and proposed her for the senate.....

The only reason she was picked for the Seanad was to shut her up at the count after it was clear she had not won the seat. There was a possibility of a court case over the count at the time. The margins were really tight and there was apparently a discrepancy between the tally and count and an unexpectedly high number of spoiled votes that affected FHE more than anybody else.

At the end of the day FG didn't really care as she was fighting Kyne for the seat, so it was a sop to get her to shut up and let sleeping dogs lie.

WeNeed Another General Election · 19-12-2012 7:03pm

mikom wrote: »

Current List of Things Fidelma Likes thinking of:

1. The children.
2. Jacuzzis and walk-in wardrobes.
3. Playing time limitation chips for x-box, ps3, wii.....

i nearly choked the day i read this dribble in the local rag

pjmn · 19-12-2012 7:43pm

Synode wrote: »

You'd have to wonder why the charge of 'false declaration' was withdrawn. Strings must have been pulled somewhere

... this is the real issue, so she'll up the auld expenses claim no doubt to cover the fines, but why would the State withdraw this initial charge? In this age of transparency it would be good to hear from the person/Dept that withdrew same to explain why.... :rolleyes:

pjmn · 19-12-2012 8:06pm

I just emailed her with this....

Dear Ms Healy-Eames,

I read the attached article in the Irish Independent today – to me this is the absolute final straw – my taxes are actually paying you!

I do not believe you are fit to have any role in public office…

This is your own Mission detailed on your website:

Fidelma’s Mission
I entered politics because I want to make a contribution to improving the society in which I live. While my primary commitment is to represent and respond to the needs of my constituents in Galway West, I am also concerned about the overall direction of our country and the well being of its citizens.

Paying your car tax (like I and thousands more like me have to) would be a nice initial contribution…

If you have one shred of decency I would expect you to resign your position with immediate effect – indeed you asked me and others in Galway West to elect you in three general elections and on each occasion we said ‘No’, yet through this nonsensical political system we have The Taoiseach can ignore democracy and land you in the nice role you currently have…

While I’m on, given your intimate knowledge of the Public and Political systems, would you mind replying and letting me know the name of the person who took the decision to withdraw the State’s charge of ‘false declaration’… I’d like to send him/her a separate email…

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/courts/senator-fined-for-repeatedly-driving-without-road-tax-3331984.html

Michael

ArraMusha · 19-12-2012 8:14pm

And the (i dont give a fec) head on her on TG4 a few mins ago marchin in and out of the court with sunglasses on (in mid December) to hide from the camera's.

In summary she's some quare class ou a c-nut.

bonaparte2 · 19-12-2012 8:45pm

ArraMusha wrote: »

And the (i dont give a fec) head on her on TG4 a few mins ago marchin in and out of the court with sunglasses on (in mid December) to hide from the camera's.

In summary she's some quare class ou a c-nut.

thought she was not in court

Sponge Bob · 19-12-2012 9:09pm

By my reckoning Fiddles was entitled to Huit Points for 3 x Car tax fails and 1 x Yabbering on the mobile. Did she get her 8 points??

Unrealistic · 19-12-2012 9:10pm

bonaparte2 wrote: »

ArraMusha wrote: »

And the (i dont give a fec) head on her on TG4 a few mins ago marchin in and out of the court with sunglasses on (in mid December) to hide from the camera's.

thought she was not in court

That was most likely stock footage from her last court appearance in July when she was sued by that plumber who hadn't been paid for the work done on her house.

WeNeed Another General Election · 19-12-2012 10:21pm

ArraMusha wrote: »

And the (i dont give a fec) head on her on TG4 a few mins ago marchin in and out of the court with sunglasses on (in mid December) to hide from the camera's.

In summary she's some quare class ou a c-nut.

love this :P:P

WeNeed Another General Election · 19-12-2012 10:25pm

I'd also love to know teflon fidelma dodged the serious charge and the points she should have got and if the judge wanted she could have been furnished witha full list of each time her car reg was picked up by any cctv or garda car fitted with automatic number plate recognition

thesandeman · 20-12-2012 5:56am

Think there is still a day or so to get on to Joe Duffy* about this before he goes into 'holiday mode'. Trouble is it will probably be the last item before his break and will be forgotten when it's back.

*I don't like a lot of the Liveline stuff but this seems like something he would love to get his nose into normally.

Birroc · 20-12-2012 9:49am

antoobrien wrote: »

The only reason she was picked for the Seanad was to shut her up at the count after it was clear she had not won the seat. There was a possibility of a court case over the count at the time. The margins were really tight and there was apparently a discrepancy between the tally and count and an unexpectedly high number of spoiled votes that affected FHE more than anybody else.

At the end of the day FG didn't really care as she was fighting Kyne for the seat, so it was a sop to get her to shut up and let sleeping dogs lie.

That's a great story but Healy Screams was elected to the Senate in 2007 whereas the rest of your story took place in 2011.
I am not a fan of hers but let's not make it up...

antoobrien · 20-12-2012 11:00am

Birroc wrote: »

That's a great story but Healy Screams was elected to the Senate in 2007 whereas the rest of your story took place in 2011.
I am not a fan of hers but let's not make it up...

Her seat was up as of the 2011 GE - the government had no need to re-appoint her.

Birroc · 20-12-2012 4:34pm

antoobrien wrote: »

Her seat was up as of the 2011 GE - the government had no need to re-appoint her.

Ah now come on....ok you said "The only reason she was picked for the Seanad was to shut her up at the count..."

Another reason was that she was already a Senator. What did she gain?

antoobrien · 20-12-2012 4:41pm

Birroc wrote: »

Ah now come on....ok you said "The only reason she was picked for the Seanad was to shut her up at the count..."

Another reason was that she was already a Senator. What did she gain?

She kept her seat - there was no political reason to keep her in the senate after 2011, where the benefit of putting her there in 2007 was to help her get a dail seat in the next election.

If FG wanted to bring somebody on, the ideal choice would have been Naughton, who did better than expected in the election. So the only reason to put FHE in the seanad after the GE was to shut her up and prevent a very embarrassing situation for the government before they got started..

Birroc · 20-12-2012 6:41pm

antoobrien wrote: »

So the only reason to put FHE in the seanad after the GE was to shut her up

You're bending the truth...

should read "one of the reasons for not taking FHE's Seanad seat away from her was to shut her up"

They should take her seat away now but Enda and his party of gombeens are cowards.

antoobrien · 20-12-2012 6:50pm

Birroc wrote: »

You're bending the truth...

should read "one of the reasons for not taking FHE's Seanad seat away from her was to shut her up"

Her term was over so she had no seat to take away.

The only reason it would be put that your way is if the seat was a divine right for government candidates defeated at general elections.

buzz11 · 21-12-2012 10:13am

And here she is in this weeks Galway Advertiser displaying the highest standard qualities she can muster.

She says "feel free to contact me on any issue"

Eh Hi Fidelma, I'd like to report a public representative who is dodging road tax...

24EA43ADC443436EAC38C3512BC4E7B3-0000346192-0003107927-01024L-94D38383EDAE4D4785F7DC5D113ED9F4.jpg

JohnFalstaff · 21-12-2012 10:25am

Christmas Geetings?? What are they?

Night Falls · 21-12-2012 11:12am

JohnFalstaff wrote: »

Christmas Geetings?? What are they?

There's an open goal here.....

nuac · 21-12-2012 11:18am

Looks like FHE will be running for Dáil again next time out.

She will score well on name recognition anyhow

biko · 21-12-2012 12:55pm

ArraMusha wrote: »

In summary she's some quare class ou a c-nut.

Try to use a more civil tone folks, I'm sure you have the vocabulary.

McTigs · 21-12-2012 12:58pm

biko wrote: »

Try to use a more civil tone folks, I'm sure you have the vocabulary.

in fairness it is very difficult to adaquately express in civil terms just how despicable some of our public representatives are

serfboard · 21-12-2012 1:05pm

McTigs wrote: »

in fairness it is very difficult to adaquately express in civil terms just how despicable some of our public representatives are

Of course I'd like to see Fine Gael follow through on their manifesto promise and abolish this useless institution called Seanad Eireann. That, coupled with the electorate's rejection or her at Dail Elections would mean she wouldn't be a public representative any more.

Ruben Remus · 21-12-2012 2:20pm

I, for one, welcome Fidelma's Christmas statement that she is "contributing to change in our county and country."

I haven't laughed so much in days.

WeNeed Another General Election · 21-12-2012 8:36pm

McTigs wrote: »

in fairness it is very difficult to adaquately express in civil terms just how despicable some of our public representatives are

i'll second that and go so far as to say she got away light enough with a tongue lashing tbf

if this had happened to a joe soap on the streets and ya caught judge Mary on one of her good days, ya may well not be driving his car for a few years and may even do a few months inside to think about what you done

am i wrong?

Fey! · 21-12-2012 8:41pm

I thought that the advertising banner in the middle of this thread was noteworthy...

cats.life · 21-12-2012 11:43pm

from now on she will be called FIDDLES ,,she wasnt in court this time ,last time she was in court was in the summer.

Fidelma Healy Eames' train ticket scandal

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