Take My Wife

at

perry

marieperrySligo/North Leitrim Fine Gael TD John Perry (top) and his wife Marie (above)

Former Junior Minister John Perry.

A colourful character.

Perhaps best known for claiming €31,867 in mileage in one year.

Until today.

Via RTÉ’s Investigation Unit:

Marie Perry, or Marie Mulvey as she is listed in official documents, was hired on 2 January this year, the RTÉ Investigations Unit has learned.
Mrs Perry was given a job as a parliamentary assistant, according to records obtained under the Freedom of Information Act.
The appointment was made despite the fact that Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said giving family members such jobs is “not good practice”.
The role is paid on a salary scale of between €38,760 and €49,035 a year, with overtime payments of a further 20% on top of that salary available.
…Mr Perry and his wife have been in financial difficulty in recent years and had been sued by Danske Bank over unpaid loans relating to their business and property dealings.
In July of last year, the bank registered a court judgment against both Mr Perry and his wife for the repayment of debts of €2.47m.

Good times.

Former minister appoints wife to €38k position (RTÉ)

Photocall Ireland/SligoToday.ie

Mileage update:

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26 thoughts on “Take My Wife

  1. Clampers Outside!

    He’s an equal opportunity employer, giving jobs to Ooompa Loompas should be commended !

    Sinn Fein has Mary Lou. FG has… well, this one. I believe Lucinda is working on her transformation, soon to be made into a TV show called ‘Operation Orange Nation’ for release before the elections on UTV Ireland. Labour has been told, red is not a substitute for orange and *we’re awaiting their next candidate a-peel.

    * I have no idea who ‘we’ are or is…

  2. Mr. T.

    We often hear of these things when someone in the party wants to undermine someone a fellow member. He must be in the wrong camp. Is it part of the Fine Gael split over Enda Kenny and Simon Coveney? Oh yes, that’s right, Coveney is going to be the next leader of Fine Gael. That was decided outside the state by people who aren’t even Irish.

    But he’ll never make Taoiseach. Heh heh.

  3. Eoghany

    I agree that this looks dodgy, and probably is dodgy. But what if she is actually a good fit for the job? We all agree that people should not get the job, just because they are the spouse of a TD. But similarly, people should not be automatically excluded from the job, just because they are the spouse of a TD. If the person is qualified, and fit for the job, that’s all that matters. No matter who they’re married to.

    (Now, whether all our TDs actually need a PA in the first place, at our expense, is another matter).

    1. gallantman

      Or how about, people SHOULD be automatically excluded from the job, just because they are the spouse of a TD.

      1. Eoghany

        So, if they happen to be the best person for the job, don’t hire them? Hire second best because they’re not related?

        1. huppenstop

          Perhaps if there was a centralised and blind application process where all identifying information was removed from a person’s CV and where there was an attempt to have an objective evaluation of a person’s skills in order to ascertain who the best applicant was, then maybe. Using phrases like “best person for the job” when the person deciding is the sitting TD and one of the applicant’s is his wife is pretty meaningless, given the clear conflict of interest involved.

          1. Eoghany

            I totally agree with the concept, but it has it’s practical limitations. Like for example, there would be no name on the CV, because a surname like Perry would give it away…

    2. huppenstop

      I remember competitions run by Cadbury or Tayto when I was a kid where the T&Cs excluded the family (and in some cases the friends) of employees from entering, because it would be unseemly for a competition run for marketing purposes to be won by someone related to or closely associated with an employee. I don’t think it’s too much to ask that we apply a similar standard to administrative jobs in the Oireachtas.

      1. Hitler as a baby

        You’re all seem to be forgetting about the ‘Don’t Give A Flying F***’.attitude of our excuse for politicians.
        You’ll forget about this in two weeks, and they know it.

        It’s all about the money.
        The money, the money, the money…

    1. Atticus

      Yep. Nothing to worry about here. If there’s one thing the Irish electorate hate it’s nepotism.

  4. B Hewson

    In the UK (mainland) he would resign immediately… Sad to see the FF style hoorism alive and well

    1. martco

      agree but think you probably meant to say….

      “sad to see the FG style hoorism alive and well”

      …there

    2. Sinabhfuil

      That would be the UK (mainland) where they’re slowly investigating a rumoured child abuse ring probably involving MPs and possibly involving murder, and refusing to add another centre of known child abuse in the UK (offshore) to that investigation?

  5. Malta

    Is she the only spouse/family market currently employed as a parliamentary assistant in the Dail

  6. Dubloony

    For some TDs, being away from home all week is a strain on marriages. That’s one reason why having family work for you can be useful.
    Looks like they are in both deep finacial trouble and she could do with the job.

    As an aside, TDs have to declare assets but should it not also be a requirement to list liabilities? surely someone who is in deep red would be more open to being ….lobbied….if they have significant debts?

    1. ollie

      away from home all week? are you serious, most of them spend no more than a couple of days in work.

  7. Dash Rickwood

    Did he get a freakin’ space shuttle to work every day? €95k in 4 years is outrageous. He should be made pay at least half of it back the grubby little scheister.

  8. Truth in the News

    Perry’s spouse is listed as an employee under her maiden name, was this
    to conceal her true identity, did her duties on behalf of Deputy Perry take her
    into Leinster House, if so the upper elechions of FG had to be aware that
    John Perry was employing his wife, who was being paid out of State Funds.
    Next we come to the business operations that John Perry operated in
    Ballymote, a Supermarket and a Hotel and their history and the difficulties
    they got into and their affect on other parties, while at the same time John
    Perry has Ministerial Responsibilities for Small Business and Enterprise
    We more than explanations from Enda Kenny….its time Perry was booted
    out of the Fine Gael party, what actions do the rank and file FG members
    in the Sligo constituency intend to take, will he be selected to run again.

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