€12,000 in travel expenses to go 12km? On your bike, @RBoydBarrett . I take none – https://t.co/jWan9JKkjD pic.twitter.com/Vfkpsxwr31
— Noel Rock (@NoelRock) February 20, 2016
A tweet by Fine Gael TD Noel Rock in February
Newly elected TD Fine Gael was a Dublin City Councillor prior to him winning his seat in the Dáil on February 26.
He won his Dublin City Council seat in June 2014.
During his campaign for his council seat, he made a ‘no expenses pledge‘, saying he wouldn’t taken any unvouched expenses as a councillor.
However, Mr Rock is now claiming all the unvouched expenses that he is entitled to as a TD.
Louisa McGrath, in the Dublin Inquirer, reports:
…Rock said by email that he is taking a different approach to expenses as a TD.
In theory, by not taking expenses as a councillor, Rock’s unclaimed money was going back into the council and therefore into the community.
But he says it was probably just being used to to pay the expenses of other councillors, and he was often approached by community groups asking if they could use some of this money.
So this time, he wrote, he is claiming all the unvouched expenses that he is entitled to as a TD and — along with the expenses claimed by Norma Sammon, his replacement on Dublin City Council — this money will go into a community fund for the north side of the city.
Which new Dublin TDs are taking travel expenses? (Dublin Inquirer)
Of course he is. Because he’s a through and through blueshirt FG youth lying parasite. He’s in now, the first FG TD returned in that constituency in 25 years, and it’s pay day now. Enjoy it while it lasts Noel cos if we go back to the polls in the coming months people will remember you rolling back on YOUR ONLY ELECTION PROMISE.
Read the article again Eoin. He made a promise and kept it. Now he is in a different job and has not made the same promise.
He seems to be above board with it and is acting no differently than all the so socialists who falsely claim they only take the average wage. At least he is being up front about it.
And re-read it again ALisonT. He’s donating what expenses he receives.
and probably claiming the tax relief!
What tax relief?
There should be no unvouched expenses.
He’s giving all the money to a community fund. This is worthy of anti FG clickbait at any opportunity why??
Because Broadsheet’s second favourite son didn’t get into the Seanad.
Speaking of which – did we escape Mercille this week?
We’re probably getting double LJG tomorrow and Frilly’s drivel on Friday to make up for it :(
‘i won’t take any expenses’ – the faux moralising of the rich élite who would prefer that only they alone would be rich enough to run in an election
No sorry but just no.
I’m far from moralising “elite” but any politician willing to forgo UNVOUCHED expenses will almost always get my vote.
It is not about blocking people who genuinely need expenses who can prove it, its about taking a value based decision that they as people do not need the money being offered.
Ultimately taking money you have not earned, expenses are to reimburse you you do not earn it as just showing up and doing nothing entitles you to expenses, is wrong and should only be a last resort
Gravy train down there in Kildare St.
The salaries should be graded too…..ie First time TD, second term etc up to a maximum!
So when the likes of SF do it it’s fine for BS but if someone from a party that Bodger doesn’t like, then it is news?
Also he’s giving it to a community fund, rather than to the Altar of St Gerry, as SF do.
If it’s leaving random clickbait links to stuff about parties you don’t like time then I’ll just leave this here:
http://sluggerotoole.com/2016/04/25/sinn-feins-supporters-differ-from-fianna-fails-in-that-they-are-much-less-happy-and-much-less-trusting/
a TD has to certify that the expenses s/he claims are for that purpose. Eg the travel and accommodation allowance is for that purpose. Rock may be in trouble by saying he will donate them to local clubs etc.
I was under the impression that it is like any other expenses whereby you pay it yourself, then show the receipts, then get the money back. What you do with that money is then entirely up to you.
‘unvouched’.
I know!
The ‘using the expenses to fund community groups’ (aka ‘re-election bribe money’) is an awful cop-out, but I guess no worse than Ming’s, SF’s, or other Broadsheet luvvies’ claims of doing similar.
Really? Cos giving it to community groups is the same as putting it into the pot for your own re-election to spend on posters and other wastes of paper?
Right so
Between a Rock and a hard place.
Didn’t take him long to get his head in the trough.
@topsy Did you read the article, or just the misleading title and intro? He’s not keeping the money for himself. If it was an SF TD doing this, they’d be lauded. There’s plenty to attach FG on, but this is just a bad attempt at a hatchet job.
Instead his party could have brought an end to unvouched expenses.
Michael – Don’t confuse me with the facts.
What a brave and principled stand, Mr Rock, who could fail to applaud you. I took great pleasure in NOT voting for you in my constituency, and see that I was entirely correct.
the real story here is his promise of ‘Quarterly self-publication of donors to my campaigns and remuneration received, and a break down of how this is spent’ which we’ve yet to see..
http://noelrock.ie/my-no-expenses-pledge/
He’s a relentless self publicist, has no substance whatsoever and is generally full of sh*t. BTW when he ran as a councillor, he made huge hay of ‘no expenses’ (just those two words) and only much later clarified to ‘no unvouched expenses’. Which is a pretty different thing, and still meant he got the taxpayer to pay for lots of his everyday costs.
Also he used free Seanad postage to send out his election literature in the local elections. And then claimed that they were a “donation”. “No expenses” but no problem helping himself to stuff to fund his campaign; https://www.broadsheet.ie/2014/05/21/pushing-the-envelope/