From top: Louise O Reilly at Leinster House after the General Election; Skerries and Crumlin to Leinster House, Dublin
Ken Foxe writes:
Sinn Féin’s Louise O’Reilly – a newly elected deputy in North Dublin – had originally given her home address in Crumlin in her formal declaration to Leinster House.
If she had been paid her travel and accommodation expenses on the basis of that address, she would have received just €9,000 per year like most Dublin TDs.
However, around a month after the election, she moved to Skerries in North County Dublin where she is now being paid a travel and accommodation allowance worth €25,295 annually.
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Get that snout in the trough. Everyone else has.
Person moves house. SHOCKER.
That’s not the issue, it’s politicians being paid €16k more for a minor commute.
Oh give me a break. The article here is specifically about a named TD from a named political party, and the implication is that this specific named TD has done something improper, or has somehow deliberately jumped on the gravy train by moving house. Many of the comments below reflect that view.
The system itself is the problem and it is in need of total reform, we are in complete agreement on that point. But picking on individual TDs is just grubby and petty. The woman was asked to fill out a form and she did.
“Picking on individual TDs is just grubby and petty” -Gerry Adams, when Sinn Féin TDs are caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
“the implication is that this specific named TD has done something improper, or has somehow deliberately jumped on the gravy train by moving house.” -Gerry Adams, when any other TDs are caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
“Everyone who disagrees with me is a shill for a political party I don’t like!” – eejits on the internet.
Can you show us the source of your “quotes”.
I hear you….
However, Ms O’Reilly is part of a political party whom pride themselves on the point that all of “their” TD’s are remunerated the average industrial wage of circa €35k; (which they have now voted to review). I travel from my home in North County Dublin to my job in Dublin 2 everyday, yet I don’t get a free €25,295 per annum from the state to make this journey. And interestingly, those from Leinster House whom do make this trip must be going via John O’Groats because it sure as heck does not cost me €25k to make this journey everyday over a year.
Let’s not forget the over extended summer break which those from Leinster House enjoy (while the statutory minimum holidays for “ordinary people” as in Leinster House refer to us is 20 days). One is still trying to reconcile the justification for such a claim for expenses.
Nobody in private employment receives anything like the free expenses as preferred on Leinster House TD’s….. The sooner the Animal Farm Politics (four legs better than two) ceases the sooner stories as per above will loose headlines.
Well said, AssPants.
You will be waiting a long time AssPants, unfortunately. Normal logic is where you identify a problem and then you address the problem. Irish government logic is where you identify the problem, then you argue whether it’s actually a problem, then you put it on the long finger, then you sweep it under the carpet, then you commission a report, then you re-identify the problem, argue again, re-commission a report as the first one is out of date, then you wait until the governments 5 year term is almost up, then it gets kicked down the road and the the next government picks it up and repeats the same steps and gets away with it because we are a nation of sheep.
You may be right that the primary problem is with the system.
That should not mean that individual TDs cannot be criticised for how they game the system. Nobody here believes that it should cost 25k pa to travel to the Dail from Swords. (I’m not sure what the accommodation could even refer to). She could travel by taxi each way 365 days a year and still have money left over.
‘The woman was asked to fill out a form and she did.’
She is a TD, not a senile patient in a nursing home. I’m sure she spent plenty of time decrying how Irish Water was set up wastefully.
Ah of course they’re not above criticism, but claiming this TD is somehow cynically “gaming the system” in a highly calculated manner is just rubbish. She fupping moved house, as she had clearly planned to do during the election. People focusing on this one individual and blathering about Sinn Fein’s hypocrisy on pay distracts from the real issue here. The system is b*llocks and it needs to change. That’s what we should be talking about.
Classter: ” I’m sure she spent plenty of time decrying how Irish Water was set up wastefully.”
Love it…. no doubt she was crying foul/fowl from the roof tops upon Irish Water during the election campaign :) :) :)
Its only shocking when you are getting the taxpayer to stump up for your mortgage.
Political figure arrested 3 times over the weekend. Name with held by media. Why.
file being sent to DPP. Only details is that they are not from Cork, in their 30s and has served at national level.
Also, they’re male.
Looks like they’re currently serving at national level but have served at local level previously.
Responsible journalism.
Take a wild guess who that is…
Because it’s not a Sinn Fein TD.
Did she accept the new rate, or is this article just saying she’s entitled to it?
“…she is now being paid a travel and accommodation allowance worth €25,295 annually”
that’s disgusting. would’ve expected better from her.
I don’t know who she is. I certainly would not recognise her in public. So why does she need 25 grand per annum to drive to the day job? Something wrong with the bus? Is she afraid of being approached by the scum? Aren’t Sinn Fein supposed to be a party of the people? Then get off the taxpayers back.
Yes I agree Eoin, There is an express bus from Skerries that uses the port tunnel. 33X
Shin Fein are not a party of the people, they are the political wing of the IRA. A terrorist organization that kills innocent people. They pretend they are secular progressive in the ROI, but in NI play the Catholic oppression card. Don’t worry Louise O Reilly wont benefit personally from the extra cash. The profits this gang member will make from this travel expense scam will go into a IRA weapons cache fund. That’s the rules of SF membership. SF’s number one mandate that takes precedent over every other political issue. United Ireland governed by SF, even it takes a thousand years. Realistic? of course not, Will it stop them? Well, lets looks at the members of this organization. Look at Louise O Reilly face. Does she look like a sane ,intelligent person? Do the people who show up at SF rallies look like the peace loving , forward thinking types? No they are not. She looks like your typical SF scumbag.
Get back on your meds!
Is that you Willie Frazer?
They are certainly not a normal party. Exactly how much money do they need?
The rake it in between elected reps donations, online shop selling ra memorabilia, US donations, local lotto & fundraisers. How many radio, TV, newspaper & cinema ads have they had for their show in Ambassador cinema?
They are the richest party in this country. And west Belfast is still most utterly deprived area, despite all the cash. Nothing like keeping people poor to keep them controlled.
+1
They get to do all that *and* blame the British government (while taking billions and billions from London). Cushy number, isn’t it?
Excellent
Gravy.
It’s so lovely though.
It really shouldn’t cost a whole annual wage to drive to Dublin’s outer suburbs, surely?
Why is this even a story. She moved house, If she is only pretending to live there and claims allowance for it then there is a problem. But she seems to live there.
And she’s getting €16k more for it. It’s not a swipe at here, but the system that is clearly ripping off the public.
She’s being paid someone’s annual wage in order to do a normal Dublin commute to supposedly represent that worker earning the same as she gets in pocket money.
It’s not a knock against her individually, but the system that takes representatives of the people and immediately sets about separating them from the lived lives of the people they’re there to represent.
The system is at fault? She doesn’t have to take it, its an additional payment.
Thought shinners live on the average industrial wage anyway.
They do though that looks to be ending. They take the full amount though with the rest goes the party. I think they are allowed to keep their allowances hence they always seem to take huge amounts in this.
Do Labour TDs refrain from additional payments? All of our political class are at this crap, that’s the problem.
Eamon Maloney didn’t.
http://www.thejournal.ie/the-only-td-in-ireland-who-claims-no-expenses-344258-Feb2012/
There are legit expenses for politicians. If you live in Mayo, Donegal, Kerry, Clare etc there are additional travel and living expenses that are needed to attend the Dáil.
There are constituency offices that are run as well.
Noel Rock (Fine Gael, I kid you not!) didn’t for years, and now states that he is taking the fund to reinvest in his area because otherwise it is wasted, which is another interesting angle on this whole debate: http://www.dublininquirer.com/2016/04/27/which-new-dublin-tds-are-and-arent-taking-travel-expenses/
I’m a day out of touch – SF to end the average industrial wage policy. Did anyone ever take it seriously?
http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/sinn-f%C3%A9in-to-end-industrial-wage-policy-for-tds-1.2741686
The system IS at fault. It’s utterly corrupt and corrupting.
And no she shouldn’t take it. None of them should. It’s a bit like an arms race though, the person who doesn’t is voluntarily reducing their election warchest while the others stock up.
I’ve never been comfortable with the average industrial wage muck SF and the PBPABCQAF come out with, the party will never see them short and it’s probably all ploughed back into their re-election campaigns anyway, which is what I’m sure most TDs do with it.
It is a knock against her personally.
Did she refuse it?
Has she brought forward a motion to sort out the expenses?
SFIRA funding goes up…..gravy be gravy
The whole ‘TD does nothing legally wrong by claiming expenses they are entitled to’ bit is wearing thin. Every time this comes up, can we shift the focus to the fact that TDs think it is acceptable that they should be legally allowed to claim over 25k expenses just to travel to work. That’s the issue. Whipping up the ‘it’s a disgrace, Joe’ crowd in the wrong direction each time means that individual instances will be addressed, not the overall system that allows it.
+25,295
if she got a hailo to the dail and back EVERY single day of the year, it would cost between 18k and 19k. How they decide expenses is clearly not based on any logic or the briefest guess work. So frivilous with tax payers money. sickening.
Is this news? If an elected SF member moves house, and the distance to work increases, then the allocated allowance increases, just as if an elected member of FF, FG, Lab, SD moves house…whether or not a relatively moderate commute to work justifies an allowance, is another argument.
*Oh, daily mail. right so.
“whether or not a relatively moderate commute to work justifies an allowance, is another argument. ”
No, that’s the actual argument being had.
That’s the point that’s being made in these comments. To focus on the individual gets us nowhere, you have to condemn the system. The system that gives Mary Hanafin and Brian Cowen a quarter of a million every year for the rest of their lives. The system that ensure that even if you fupp up the country, the economy, it doesn’t really matter because you’ll never have to actually live in it – Being a representative in this republic means you’re fabulously wealthy for the rest of your life. It’s sick. The definition of no accountability.
Pensions for TDS were changed in the 2012 Public Service Pensions (Single Scheme and Other Provisions) Act 2012 so that normal pension age is now applied. Brendan Howlin, Labour, changed it.
http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2012/act/37/enacted/en/html
But you should also condemn the individuals.
Simply pushing it back to the system is a cop-out for her & all the other TDs with unvouched expenses.
She is moving to her constituency. What is wrong with that? Also, in the article linked:
“The Sinn Féin TD had flagged in advance of the election that she was planning a move into the heart of her new constituency.”
I don’t like SF, but this lady is no dodgy GPS Zappone.
I don’t think that’s what people are getting riled up about to be fair.
I think its the huge wage they are paid to travel a few miles is the problem.
Nobody else gets money to go to work, they should get some, but very little. A few grand.
They don’t actually need to go to every funeral in their constituency.
Still in moderation I see. For a couple of months now and no idea why…
me too Disasta ……. lets have a ‘coming out of moderation’ party ….. in about 20 years time :)
It’s obviously systemic.
And there is nothing anybody can do about it… until the revolution that is.
This system is ridiculous! To be fair, its not her fault that someone decided expenses should be 25k for a standard commute. Why is she getting ANY expenses for that trip? Why should she be paid to go to work!
Ireland is a f’ing joke. 25k?? For what?
It is her fault. She claimed the expenses.
‘The system;’ doesn’t obviate the need for personal accountability.
I never said it was not her fault she claimed expenses. I said its not her fault Ireland allows, and even plans for, this situation to ever occur.
The personal accountability should fall harder on the clowns who sign off on the dated expenses policy. Does anyone know when this was made policy? What was it in 2008?
So yes, blame the system and all who support it. But blame the system first. Make it so people cant cheat it.
I is strange that the rules made by the revenue commissioners for the plebs ie us specifically prevents any worker claiming expenses for travel to or from work. Then we have the special people who get close to the industrial wage for travel to and from work whether they live in Donegal or skerries
This nothing to do with Sinn Fein. It’s an entitlement all TDs have. And all TDs claim it.
So if you want to do something about it, write to ALL of your TDs and ask them to revoke it.
Deafie who can barely walk paid cash for houses for his tiddlers. Gulp.
And I thought Skerries was a nice place…
For those who want to make this a party political issue, it is not.
I have previously highlighted all of the Band 1 TDs and the fact they all get this €16,000 (which is calculated on the basis of overnight subsistence rates) despite them all living standard commutes from the Dail: http://www.kenfoxe.com/2016/06/why-do-tds-living-a-relatively-short-drive-from-work-in-commuter-towns-get-e15000-a-year-in-accommodation-expenses/
This case only differs because the change of band was made later. But like the famous Frank O’Rourke case, where he lives just 500 metres over the threshold, this instance is again an attempt to highlight these absurdly high and arbitrary rates of payment.
Ken,
You have exposed a lot of monetary waste and expenses abuse by our elected reps over the years.
I for one appreciate it greatly.
Thank you.
Keep up the good work.
Does she take the expenses as extra pay or does it go against the 35k she gets from Sinn Fein after the party takes their cut?
Politicians (of all stripes) forget to mention the expenses bit (though some can be justified)
Some can be justified, though unvouched expenses cannot.
If they want higher salaries, they should vote for this openly rather than trying to sneak it in the back door. This sort of thing corrodes the public’s trust.
No arguments her with that. I just want to know if she’s taking the expenses as part of the 35k or in addition. Everyone has a different definition of an industrial wage/workers wage etc. Paul Murphy at the time of him getting legal aid said he took home 1800 net a month