Category: Body Politic

Have a question about TDs expenses? Get lost (peasant)

The following excellent letter on the issue of politician’s expenses appears in today’s Irish Times.

Sir,

I write to support the comments of Jason Power (September 22nd).

On August 28th, 2010 you published an opinion piece from myself detailing the history of our politicians’ expenses culminating in the “reformed” system introduced in March 2010.

To highlight just one aspect of the “reformed” system, TDs no longer had to submit detailed travel claim forms with receipts.

Instead they received generous round figure allowances depending on the distance of their home from the Dáil, paid monthly and tax free. These allowances are known as turning up money.

TDs living within normal commuting distance of the Dáil do extremely well.

Those living within 25km of the Dáil receive €12,000 per annum tax free, which is slightly more than the contributory old age pension for a year.

TDs living within 25km to 60km from the Dáil receive €28,106 tax free which is more than many workers earn gross in a year.

These payments are in effect untaxed salary. Allowing for income tax (41 per cent), PRSI (4 per cent) and USC (7 per cent) the payments equate to €25,000 gross for those receiving the €12,000 rate and €58,554 gross for those on the €28,106 rate.

Naively I assumed the new government would genuinely reform the expenses system, and at the very least end the scandal of those TDs living within normal commuting distance getting these travel payments while ordinary workers pay their own costs to work.

Eighteen months in government and no action; but our masters are actively considering curtailing the free travel enjoyed by OAPs!

I wrote to Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin earlier this year pointing out the conflict of interest politicians have in setting their own expenses, and offering to serve on a committee to recommend a proper system.

I stressed the public disquiet about the present system.

I was politely told to get lost.

Yours, etc,

Enid O’Dowd FCA,
Moyne Road,
Ranelagh,
Dublin 6.

Vulture capitalists, corrupt politicians and poverty

Wilbur Ross is a billionaire businessman who specialises in taking over, restructuring and selling on distressed businesses.

Some have referred to him as a grave dancer or vulture capitalist.

He is a key member of a consortium that bought 35% of Bank of Ireland last year to keep it out of state ownership. He personally owns 9% of the bank.

Mr. Ross is obviously a man who checks out every detail surrounding a venture before he commits large amounts of cash.

I assume therefore that the comments he made to George Lee about how well Ireland and its citizens are dealing with the current crisis are meant to encourage the markets while at the same time trying to convince Irish citizens that their situation is not so bad.

It’s very tough medicine but it’s necessary.

The Irish people understand that there’s a big problem, they understand there’s only one way out so as far as I can see they’re bravely gritting their teeth and they’ll get through it.

If Mr. Wilbur actually believes what he says then he’s not as well informed as he should be.

He might, for example, find it useful to listen back to a discussion between Marian Finucane and Irish Times columnist Conor Pope on the brutal reality facing a good percentage of Irish citizens.

Keeping in mind that the average industrial wage is €35,000 it has been found that to run a household, without being lavish, costs the average Irish family about €1,000 per week – after tax.

This figure does not include holidays, social life and expensive events like Christmas.

Neither does the figure include property tax, water charges, or the big increases recently announced for electricity and gas.

It does not take account of cutbacks and extra taxes and charges which are coming down the road in the December budget.

Recent research by the Irish League of Credit Unions found that 1.82 million adults say they have less than €100 per month to spend after bills have been paid.

It was also found that about 17% of adults, about 602,000 people, say they have absolutely nothing left for discretionary spending once the bills have been paid.

More than 150,000 people are unable to pay their mortgage and 300,000 are in negative equity.

About 300,000 are struggling to pay gas and electricity bills.

Wilbur Ross couldn’t be more wrong when he says the Irish people are gritting their teeth and getting on with it.

Irish citizens are still in transition from relative prosperity to a level of poverty not seen since the 1940s.

This catastrophe is entirely down to the corrupt political system that has ruled Ireland from at least the early 1980s and which still holds power today.

People like Wilbur Ross are ruthless businessmen coming in to suck as much blood as possible from the rotten carcass of the first republic which received its final and fatal blow from its corrupt political system on 29 September 2008.

Looking at the big picture Irish citizens have just two things to consider.

Are they going to meekly accept severe poverty for the coming three or four decades?

And

Are they going to allow the corrupt political system that brought them to such poverty to continue to exist?

Time will tell.

A party of national interest is required

Excellent letter in today’s Irish Examiner

We need party of national interest

Minister O’Reilly must be congratulated for his wisdom in announcing that the “burden” of cuts must fall on the “better paid” and not the sick and vulnerable.

However, for some strange reason he appears to have difficulty identifying the “better paid”. He, like the rest of his colleagues to date, seem to be searching for them in the wrong places.

His peers in the previous administration lacked the same powers of detection. Could it be that things ‘too close cannot be observed’ as the poet said? It might help Mr O’Reilly if he started by looking at the pay and expenses he and his colleagues enjoy and make comparison with the going rates in other European countries.

He might also factor in the size of our country and economy and the fact that we are effectively bankrupt and dependent on the benevolence of the ECB and the IMF. If he writes it down on two columns, it might help him to focus his mind.

To help him get underway, I suggest he make a sort of remuneration league table of heads of government worldwide. Where would the noble Enda come, he who so graciously accepted a pay cut of €20,000 that brought his salary down to a mere €200,000, leaving him with just over €70,000 or so more than the British and Swedish prime ministers, and even twice as well paid as the prime minister of Spain.

After that he can look at top professionals like doctors and administrators in the health service and compare them, like with like, with their European colleagues.

Only then, and when he and his colleagues do the right thing and the necessary thing, should they take their search for the “better paid” further afield.

Indeed if he really took this exercise with the seriousness it warrants, he might find himself considering a far more important point, which is the inexplicable quiescence of the Irish people in the face of two successive governments who stand unrivalled in modern times for their cowardice, crass insensitivity, greed and sheer neck.

There is a lethal vacuum in Irish politics at the moment, one that should be feared by both government and opposition. It cannot be filled by commentators and pundits.

The country is crying out for a new movement in politics, a party of national interest, that will field candidates in local and national elections and bring something back to Irish politics that seems to have died with the rise of Charles Haughey — a moral compass.

Margaret Hickey
Blarney
Co Cork

Garret Fitzgerald's elitist mindset still with us today

It may seem bizarre to many that Garret Fitzgerald could write in great detail about his long political career without mentioning, never mind actually analysing, the corruption of Charles Haughey.

But there is in fact a very simple reason.

The criminal Haughey was a member of the same ruling elite club as Garret Fitzgerald.

Members of this exclusive club instinctively know that they must stand by each other if they are to survive as the ruling elite.

So while it is perfectly acceptable to play the game of politics, slagging each off in the Dail, hotly debating issues through the media, it is totally unacceptable for club members to call into question the right to rule pedigree of any member by accusing them of criminal or corrupt practices.

In December 1979 when the criminal Haughey came to power Fitzgerald rightly referred to him as a flawed pedigree

Fitzgerald realised immediately that he had overstepped the mark, that he had offended the sensibilities of the ruling elite who were all present for the nomination of Haughey as Taoiseach (See here for my view of this incident).

Thereafter, and for the rest of his long career, Fitzgerald constantly apologised/explained this insult to a member of the ruling elite club.

In his book, Just Garret (page 288) he once again tries to explain away his (totally accurate) assessment of Haughey’s real character.

The phrase ‘flawed pedigree’, an oratorical embellishment that must have owed something to the hour of the night at which I had finally drafted my remarks, achieved lasting fame.

I should of course have recognised the danger of using a colourful phrase that could easily be distorted by being taken completely out of the specific context of a comparison between Charles Haughey’s and his predecessors’ repute among their peers (my emphasis).

Fitzgerald tells another story that confirms how the ruling elite support each other and gives us a hint of how some in the media are more than willing to cooperate with protecting the interests of the ruling elite.

In 1983 Labour leader and then Tánaiste Dick Spring had a bit of a row with Haughey at a meeting of the New Ireland Forum.

Haughey became so upset that he had to be escorted from the room.

It later transpired that earlier on the same day a biographical book, The Boss, had been published which greatly upset Haughey and his family.

Fitzgerald’s response to this incident is incredible and bizarre when we consider that he had already accurately described Haughey as a flawed pedigree.

In other words he knew that Haughey was nothing more than a political gangster.

The publication of The Boss which outlined in great detail the corrupt activities of Haughey in the short three-year period since becoming leader of Fianna Fail confirmed in black and white Fitzgerald’s flawed pedigree assessment of the criminal.

To avoid being accused of quoting Fitzgerald out of context I include his full response in his own words.

The Forum was immediately adjourned, and Dick Spring made his peace with Charles Haughey.

But following the afternoon session, I realised that I had earlier responded to a query from Vincent Browne, editor of the Sunday Tribune, about my Christmas reading, saying that The Boss was something that I would want to read during the break.

I then found that Dick Spring had also mentioned the book to Vincent in this way.

I rang Vincent, who I found already knew what had happened that morning, and he agreed not to publicise the traumatic event in the Forum and to substitute other works in place of The Boss on my list, and in Dick’s.

So here we had the Prime Minister and his deputy going to great lengths, with the willing cooperation of a journalist, to minimise the impact of an accurate account of Haughey’s corrupt activities.

The response by Fitzgerald and Spring is a perfect example of how members of the ruling class, first and foremost, look after each other.

That elitist political mindset is still the guiding force in the body politic today.

Garret Fitzgerald's delusional tome

While mooching around my local library yesterday I came across a book, Just Garret, written by Garret Fitzgerald.

The book was published in 2010 and is an account of Fitzgerald’s life from early childhood right up to his retirement from politics and beyond to 2010.

I would have no interest in reading the entire book but I do have a habit of checking the Contents and Index of books by or about Irish politicians for the word ‘corruption’.

No mention of the ‘c’ word in the Contents and, amazingly, no mention in the Index.

So here we have an account of political events from one of the most prominent politicians in recent Irish history spanning a decades long career that almost exactly mirrors the career of the most corrupt politician in Irish history, the criminal Haughey, and the word ‘corruption’ is not once mentioned.

It’s like writing a history of World War Two without mentioning D Day or writing a history of Ireland with no reference to the year 1916.

It’s denial and revisionism on a grand scale.

It is an absolute impossibility for anyone to write a credible account of recent Irish political history without an extensive chapter on political corruption.

To write a book of 430 pages spanning the most corrupt years in Irish political history without even once mentioning the word ‘corruption’ is a farcical exercise of the most hilarious kind.

Fitzgerald’s delusional tome is subtitled:

Tales from the political front line.

Clearly, Fitzgerald spent his entire career deep within an Alice in Wonderland bunker well behind the front line of corruption.

TDs: There won't be a fucking peep out of us

According to a report in the Irish Times there was a whoop of cheering, applause and much relieved laughter when nobody objected to the adjournment of the Dail until 18th September next.

Fianna Fáil’s Eamon Ó Cuív represented the morons that make up our national parliament with the following bullshit.

There is no way we can reflect the views of the people in this House if we are not out among the people around the country.

Earlier in the week an opposition TD reflected the squalid truth regarding our corrupt political system when he/she was asked if there would be any objections to the eight-week recess.

There won’t be a fucking peep out of us.

Freedom of Information will not be free

This government has failed to keep its promise regarding the repeal of the Freedom of Information Act (FOI).

This government will not repeal or enhance the FOI in any significant way because to do so would endanger the interests of the corrupt political/administrative system that rules this country.

Letter in yesterday’s Irish Times.

Sir,

“Jam tomorrow, jam yesterday but never jam today” is the only way to think of Government’s action on political and institutional reform.

Consider the promise to repeal the 2003 Freedom of Information (FoI) Act, which changed the original 1997 Act for reasons that are still not clear.

Last week Minister for State for Public Service Reform Brian Hayes deferred a new Freedom of Information Bill until next year, two years after taking office. (Home News, July 7th).

This contrasts with the firm commitment in this Government’s programme of March 2011.

“We will legislate to restore the Freedom of Information Act to what it was before it was undermined by the outgoing government, and we will extend its remit to other public bodies including the administrative side of the Garda Síochána, subject to security exceptions.”

A simple repeal of the 2003 Act would do much of what the Government promised.

In opposition, the Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore pointed out that the 2003 change to Freedom of Information, “did fundamental damage to the way in which the FoI regime ought to operate.

The legislation has, as a result, been handicapped and it no longer functions as effectively as it should . . .”

Passing this law is easy. Doing so would need virtually no drafting effort or even much Dáil time, given the work done in 1997, the Dáil debates on the 2003 changes to Freedom of Information and the current Government’s majority.

This would not get in the way of the more comprehensive measure now promised for next year.

This Government has no excuse for delaying this reform.

The Taoiseach and four current Ministers were also members of the Cabinet which brought in the 1997 FoI Act.

The Tánaiste and three other Cabinet members were Ministers of State in the 1997 government. In addition, both the President and the Ceann Comhairle were also members of the 1997 Cabinet.

Delaying this simple reform does not augur well for the Government’s efforts to rebuild our trust, as citizens, in the State.

Yours, etc,

Donal O Brolcain
Griffith Avenue, Dublin 9.

Joe Higgins just keeps on digging

Socialist Party TD Joe Higgins continues to insist that he was entitled to use his travel allowance to pay for his campaign against the household tax.

This is despite a decision by the Houses of the Oireachtas Service that he was not entitled to use the allowance in this way.

Whining from the bottom of a hole that gets deeper every time he opens his mouth Mr. Higgins claims the he’s entitled (to rip off taxpayers) because the unfair system gives more to other parties than his.

Joe Higgins and his Socialist Party: Just another part of the rotten political system

Joe Higgins and his Socialist Party have lost all credibility and seriously damaged their integrity as a result of the Wallace and expenses scandals.

Their support for the tax cheat Wallace and their dishonest response to the ripping off of taxpayer’s money in expenses puts them in the same camp as the other zero ethical standard parties.

Joe Higgins in particular has been exposed, mostly by his own words, as a gombeen politician, equal in low standards as any Fianna Fail backwoodsman.

Let’s have a look at some of his mealy mouthed excuses.

This is a completely manufactured controversy designed to damage left wing TDs and those who are campaigning against the baleful effects of austerity on ordinary working class people.

It’s an attempt particularly by Independent Newspapers to damage us, to try to suggest impropriety in the most disgusting and underhand fashion.

This has nothing whatsoever to do with so-called conspiracies against left wing TDs, nothing to do with a so-called conspiracy by Independent Newspapers against the Socialist Party.

It’s about one simple but (to use Mr. Higgins’ word) disgusting matter – the ripping off of hard earned taxpayer’s money.

Most politicians are involved in this rip off; it’s been going on for years and is costing ordinary Irish citizens millions every year.

The rotten system was deliberately set up by politicians to make it as convenient as possible for them to rip off struggling and impoverished citizens.

The shock of this particular scandal is that supporters of Joe Higgins (and I was one them until this) expected more of him and his party.

Hypocritical quote of the week from Joe Higgins:

I despise hypocrisy.

What a joke, let’s look at some more of Mr. Higgins’ hypocritical comments/excuses.

When asked: Is it appropriate to use travel expenses to pay for the household tax campaign? (Reply edited for clarity).

I think any TD, who is in a minority in the Dail, supporting taxpayers who are fighting the tax is absolutely justified in taking expenses from travel allowance.

Translation: Because we’re a small party with limited influence it’s ok for us to rip off taxpayer’s money.

Have you used your own travel expenses to attend these meetings around the country? (Reply edited for clarity).

Yes I have. I believe that those who are opposed to the burden of austerity would be very comfortable with this modest use of expenses.

No Mr. Higgins, we are not comfortable with your so-called ‘modest’ (mis) use of our money. We demand you repay every penny and apologise for your dishonest behaviour.

Mr. Higgins has admitted that he could have paid his travel costs from the €120,000 he already gets from the party leader’s allowance which, of course, also comes from the pockets of hard pressed taxpayers.

But Joe and his party, in typical gombeen fashion, decided to plunder the travel allowance pot and use the leader’s allowance to fund party structures and policy development.

Well, that’s what they claim. Given their exposure as standard bog Irish gombeen politicians, they could have used the money for anything.

But the greatest hypocrisy came when Mr. Higgins was asked did he think he was acting within the rules?

The regulation that covers travel allowance that every TD gets is Statutory Instrument 84/2010 and it refers to travel expenses which the members, obliged to incur, in the performance of his or her duties as a member of Dail Eireann.

In other words Mr. Higgins is claiming that Oireachtas regulations back up his assertion that he and his party have acted honestly.

This in incorrect; the regulations are crystal clear and condemn Mr. Higgins for what he is – a dishonest gombeen politician, just like the rest of them.

4. (1) The amount specified in a particular column of the Table to this paragraph is determined as the amount payable to a member of Dáil Éireann as part of the parliamentary standard allowance for the relevant period in respect of travelling facilities for distances, from the member’s normal place of residence in respect of the distance referred to in that column, to and from Leinster House.

The people of Ireland can only cry in despair at the complete lack of honesty, vision and courage within our corrupt political system.

Copy to:
Joe Higgins

Socialist Party expenses abuse complaint – again

Last Friday (June 29) I submitted a formal complaint to the Ceann Comhairle’s office regarding a possible abuse of expenses by Socialist Party TD Clare Daly.

I had intended submitting the complaint to the Clerk of the Dail but was informed by the Communications Unit of that office that the Ceann Comhairle’s office was the appropriate authority.

Today, as I had received no acknowledgement of my complaint, I rang the Ceann Comhairle’s office to check if they had received my email.

I was informed that they had only received my email on Friday and in any case it was not a matter for the Ceann Comhairle’s office, the Clerk of the Dail was the relevant authority for dealing with such complaints.

An official at the office of the Clerk of the Dail confirmed this morning that his office was indeed the correct authority for dealing with such matters.

So, once more:

To Whom It May Concern:

I wish to lodge a formal complaint concerning an apparent abuse of expenses by the Socialist Party.

My complaint is based on the following exchange between Socialist Party TD Clare Daly and journalist Matt Cooper on Today FM on 26 June last.

Matt Cooper: But why claim the expenses? It has been claimed that Mick Wallace doesn’t claim expenses, why not follow his example?

Clare Daly: We do accept the money and the money is used for local campaigning, supporting works in our area or community campaigns or trades union issues or whatever and we account for that.

I have checked the allowances and expenses section on the Houses of the Oireachtas website and can find no reference that allows politicians to use expenses for political campaigning or trades union activities.

Yours sincerely,
Anthony Sheridan