CONTROVERSIAL TD Michael Lowry and former Independent deputy Jackie Healy-Rae were each given three positions on state boards to hand out to supporters as part of a secret deal struck with Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen.

The Irish Independent has learned the six posts — worth tens of thousands of euro a year in payments and expenses — were a key part of the deals reached with Mr Lowry and Mr Healy-Rae to ensure their support for the Fianna Fail-Green Party coalition.

The full details were not known to other members of the Cabinet outside of Mr Ahern and Mr Cowen.

Revealed: Secret Deal For Lowry And Healy-Rae (Fiach Kelly, Irish Independent)

(Photocall Ireland)

Jackie and Michael’s appointments (by private arrangement with Bertie Ahern and Brian Cowen):

Valerie Reilly

“Ms O’Reilly (30) does PR work for Mr Lowry through her company Unicorn PR. Her company also does work for the Tipperary Venue casino project which Mr Lowry is championing and she is also a director of Clonmel Chamber of Commerce. She was appointed to the National Transport Authority and gets €11,970 per year in fees.”

Sean Fogarty

“Mr Fogarty is a long standing member of Mr Lowry’s local team in Tipperary North and is a former chairman of Munster GAA. He was master of ceremonies at Mr Lowry’s re-election launch this year. He receives around €7,695 per year in fees alone for his position with the Equality Authority, based in Roscrea.”

Billy O’Dwyer

“Mr O’Dwyer is also a supporter of Mr Lowry and is a director of the greyhound track in Thurles. His position on the Irish Greyhound board comes with an annual fee of €12,600 and his three year terms ends in 2012.”

Michael Healy Rae

“Mr Healy-Rae was a councillor when he was appointed to the Citizens Information Board by Mary Hanafin in 2009. He has since assumed his father’s Kerry South Dail seat. The CIB job — which Michael Healy-Rae has said he sought for himself — is worth in €5,985 fees, as well as travel and accommodation expenses.”

Rosemary Healy-Rae

“Ms Healy-Rae was appointed to the Criminal Injuries Compensation by Brian Lenihan in September 2007 and was re-appointed last year by Dermot Ahern. She is Ms Healy-Rae’s daughter and is described as a very able barrister. She will get paid €272 for each meeting she attends and up to €361 for each case on which she gives her legal expertise.”

Colm Lonergan

“Mr Lonergan is a Killarney-based engineer who dabbles in rally car racing. He was appointed to the National Roads Authority, which comes with fees of €7,695 per year.”

Hello.

You look awfully like our Minister for Finance.

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan (above) is an investor in German government bonds as well as share funds focused on China, India and the US, according to the 2010 register of interests for Dáil deputies published last night.

Mr Noonan, who has opposed “burning” bondholders in the main Irish banks, owns German government bonds paying a modest 1.75 per cent rate of interest and maturing in 2020, according to his entry in the register…

Good times.

Register Shows Minister For Finance Owns German Bonds (Irish Times)

(Photocall Ireland)

“My niece is going to the Trinity Ball.”

(We’re particularly concerned with her meeting the tall guy in the black parka at the doorway. What is he doing?)

And there’s our old friend marzipan.

Not so happy now, eh?

Via Reddit

Do you have a baby?

Do you own a wig?

Sure you’re half way there then.

Via Olivia McSweeny

He has a Nobel. The cat has no bell.

“From the beginning, euroskeptics worried about one-size-fits-all monetary policy; but what we’re getting is worse: one-size-fits-one, Germany first and only.”

Why People Say ‘Eeh’ When They Learn About The ECB (Paul Krugman, New York Times)