Meanwhile, In The Dáil

at

 

Further to this…

Last May…

Kevin Doyle, in the Irish Independent, reported:

A high-flying businessman who chairs the board of the Mater Hospital hosted a secret fundraising supper for Leo Varadkar this week, the Irish Independent can reveal.

The frontrunner to be the next taoiseach has held a number of fundraising events in recent months, including one on Tuesday night at an exclusive private members’ club in Dublin city centre. The event was hosted by Thomas Lynch who is believed to have made a small fortune through his involvement in the pharma sector.

Mr Lynch is currently chairperson of the Dublin East Hospital Group whose remit includes St Vincent’s University Hospital and the National Maternity Hospital.

He is also chair of Icon plc, one of the world’s largest clinical research organisations and has a colourful CV including a period as chief financial officer at drugs firm Elan.

The Irish Independent understands the Belfast native invited a select group of business people to a ‘meet and greet’ with Mr Varadkar at the plush Stephen’s Green Hibernian Club.

Businessman hosts ‘secret supper’ fundraiser for Varadkar (Irish Independnent, May 2017)

Related: Minister allowed O’Brien to join US firm while running HSE (Irish Times)

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31 thoughts on “Meanwhile, In The Dáil

  1. Owen C

    “A high-flying businessman…

    “an exclusive private members’ club

    “…who is believed to have made a small fortune

    Its only when you re-read some of this stuff that you realise the Indo has so many tabloid journalists working for it

  2. Catherine costelloe

    The contract outsourced to the USA for cervical cancer was probably inside trading .

    1. Ron Dolan

      Not probably, quite likely.

      Its the done thing. No wonder Leo has been so kind to Tony ‘didn’t know what was going on as he was too busy adding up all his remuneration for his utterly sh*t tenure at the HSE”.

      The guy is, was and will always be, an insider with little talent outside of toeing the establishment line and forcing grieving families through court.

      AKA a pr1ck.

    2. realPolithicks

      I was thinking exactly the same thing Catherine, I’m guessing there’s a lot more to come out on this issue.

      1. b

        inside trading? explain?

        lots of people throwing around phrases like they know what they mean

        1. realPolithicks

          It’s not literal insider trading if thats what you mean, but it does look like a lad knew a lad who knew somebody who made a couple of suggestions about a fella who might be able to give him a digout.

          1. b

            hardly in the bounds of ‘probably’ or ‘quite likely’ . All that’s here is a connection to an unrelated contraceptive manufacturer and not a screening program provider from 10 years ago

            methinks you may need to re-tune your tinfoil hats – there’s plenty of scandal already out in the open and needing to be answered on this issue

            i’m not shocked that the head of the HSE and previous head of other big departments knows other people in the industry – that’s what happens in real life

          2. realPolithicks

            Either you’re very naive or you’re just trolling. There is a reason why all these “insiders” take care of each other in this manner, its about “access” to government ministers and government department heads along the lines of the phone call received by Minister Denis Naughton which was last weeks government scandal. The reverse of this is when government members and department heads take up lucrative “advisory” positions in private industry when they retire. Its not that complicated.

          3. b

            in your world, heads of huge public enterprises should work in a bubble and not fraternise with everyone else in the industry who are in the private sector.

            not naive, not a troll. just a realist who doesn’t see a conspiracy in everything.

          4. realPolithicks

            Apparently in “your world” you’re comfortable with former government ministers and senior government officials leaving their job today and taking jobs lobbying their former employer the next. There is a big difference between able to “fraternise with everyone else in the industry” and becoming a lobbyist. Tony O Brien is not being hired by this company because he is a fabulous CEO and did a wonderful job with the HSE which he clearly did not. He is being hired because he will have “access” to power, no other reason. No one has suggested that there is a conspiracy but there is a rotten system which serves to enrich these guys often to the detriment of ordinary people.

  3. Not On Your Nelly

    Gravy will keep flowing. Nothing will change. Same as it ever was. Dead women don’t vote.

      1. Not On Your Nelly

        People with “this problem” are in charge. And voted in by eejits. I didn’t vote for these people. Who did you vote for?

        1. CoderNerd

          Not those in government.
          Saying things will never change and shrugging your shoulders ensures they stay there.

          1. Not On Your Nelly

            And can you give some specifics? Bullet points, timelines, objectives?? Or does it just come down to positive comments online and a general sense of superiority?

          2. CoderNerd

            Engaging with politics and politicians.
            Following the workings of the Dail and committees to gain a better understanding of how government works.
            Reading news from as many different sources as possible.
            Lending support to, and attending protest movements.
            Trying to spread awareness.
            Remaining positive.

            “General sense of superiority”.
            Nice one.

  4. filly buster

    this would explain why Varadkar was making excuses for the cervical cancer scandal.

  5. GiggidyGoo

    Just happens to be Chairman of Evofem – where Tony O’Brien has joined.
    And East Hospital Group thrown into the mix. All we need now is some cannotbenamed to be thrown into the mix, for a full house.
    Conflicts of interest abound IMO

    1. Frilly Keane

      no better example of
      Jobs for the Boys

      and throw in a fundraiser
      for the bonus ball

  6. filly buster

    most current or potential TD’s would’ve resided over everything that happend just as the current TD’s did. So it’s funny to see them get on their high horses when scandals pop up, and start shaming and throwing fingers because they’re all as bad and inactive as each other. an absolute plop show is all the government is. In this instance people have died as a direct result of ineptitude and complacency. Yet nothing will come of it, probably another finger pointing no results tribunal. but it will go to show even more, how little empathy or compassion the people have, because they’ll vote them back in again. most popular party in the country at the moment.. and they go from scandal to scandal.. its an insanely frustrating country to belong to.

  7. GiggidyGoo

    ‘most popular party in the country’ As per polls. But to put those polls in context (1000 people polled) that’s the equivalent of taking the views of 16 people out of this https://goo.gl/images/BHtFbQ and applying it as indicative of the actual crowd. Or approx 6 people out of that crowd saying they support ‘x’.

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