This morning.
Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy announced his resignation.
The party has just released the following press statement on behalf of Mr Murphy:
“Last night, on Tuesday the 3rd of December, I met with Acting Ceann Comhairle and gave him a letter informing him of my decision to resign my seat in Dáil Éireann.
“The contents of the letter are included below.
“I also met the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar last night and spoke to him about my decision. I will commence a new position in the European Commission today.
“I will of course co-operate with any relevant statutory procedure that may be initiated.
“In addition, I would like to acknowledge and give thanks for the support I have received from so many people: the Taoiseach and the Fine Gael party, at local and national level; my family; and most importantly I would like to thank the people of Cork North Central.”
Letter:
“Dear Acting Ceann Comhairle,
I would like to inform you that I am resigning my seat in Dáil Éireann with immediate effect. I would ask you to please inform the House at an appropriate time. I would also like you to please convey my gratitude and best wishes to all members and staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas.
It has been an honour to represent the people of Cork and work with so many fine people for the past nine years. I would also like to thank you for your professionalism and courtesy.
Dara Murphy”
Meanwhile…
Murphy handed over his resignation at 10:45pm, which is literally immediately after the walk-through vote on Eoghan Murphy finished last night
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) December 4, 2019
His resignation means SIPO or the Dáil ethics committee are now completely powerless to investigate any potential complaints against him, because he is no longer a public office holder
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) December 4, 2019
It also means, as I pointed out earlier, that if the Eoghan Murphy vote were to have taken place today instead, the Government would win by 55 votes to 54, and any of three independent TDs could collapse the government at a whim
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) December 4, 2019
Wrong Murphy but still.
Dara Murphy resigns as Fine Gael TD (RTÉ)
Yesterday: Cheating Us All
UPDATE:
As one follower points out: Maria Bailey suddenly has a lot of leverage within Fine Gael, as the Government collapses without her vote
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) December 4, 2019
Playing the system like a fiddle.
It seems impossible to fail any way but upwards in Irish politics
Political cheats cheat us all.
That is some quality politicking. My only gripe is that Gavin seems to infer that this is sneaky but it is in fact exactly as it was designed. Retired politicians (whether disgraced it not) earn their pensions yet are completely absolved of responsibility or accountability during their time in office. That is nothing new and the outcome of last night will not endear any pol or future candidate to change it.
Can a complaint be made to Gardai to open an investigation?
A Garda investigation into?
Defrauding the taxpayer? Or the State?
And will the Gardai give him an escort to the investigation, if he can’t get a taxi?
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/decision-at-3am-to-use-garda-escort-a-close-call-minister-31559624.html
Jaysus he really does have some neck
I had a friend who is a doctor. Based in Dublin, but he occasionally had to go to the other side of the country, Cork or maybe Limerick, often in the wee hours of the morning
He was stopped a few times by the Gardaí for speeding (I think he had a heavy foot at the best of times, certainly on an empty motorway in the middle of the night). When asked what the hurry was, he would tell them he was a doctor rushing to start a shift, and they would either let him go, or one time actually gave him an escort down the motorway with the sirens on, bombing along at 150km/h.
Now, while Murphy is an awful sleeveen, I can see why a couple of Gardaí with nothing to do on a graveyard shift might offer to give a Minister a lift – they would have a rare excuse to put the foot down and see what the Mondeo can really do.
It’s the acceptance of casual corruption such as this by people like you Rob that has the country in the sate its in.
There’s a bang of bullsh*t off Murphy’s acccount of what happened after his chauffer driven car broke down and
an even bigger bang of bullsh*t off Rob’s fairy tale,
from the Book of Neo Con Fairy Tales written by Perry Trone
Minsters are driven around on state business by Gardaí all the time; I don’t reall see how this is any different, other than the ad hoc nature of it
” Book of Neo Con Fairy Tales”
– I’m not really sure that you understand what the term ‘neo-conservative’ actually means…
Allegedly, taking money by deception…
I don’t understand why his conduct and behaviour whilst a sitting TD can’t still be investigated.
All investigations and audits involve past behaviour, actions and transactions anyway.
Like does the ODCE stop looking into Lesley Buckley’s carry on whilst Chair over in INM because he’s resigned from the Board
Same with John Delaney
I don’t see any reason for SIPO or PAC, or the Clerk of the Dáil, or Fine Gael for that matter shouldn’t drill down into this lad’s history.
Ah c’mon now the former head of the ODCE shredded documents in the biggest fraud case the state had ever seen (Anglo; for those reading that don’t know). You’re faith in our public servants to work for the benefit of public is…greater than mine.
I didn’t mention whether I trusted them or would have any credence in the investigations,
I’d like to know why a Politician is exempt / indemnified
This kinda goes back to what I said about Grealish
Why am I to be held to a higher standard of accountability, probity and ethical standard than a member of the Dáil
Or any other elected officer
The short of it (as I’ve written in a previous post here) is that this SIPO laws only apply to those currently in office. They are not retroactively applied and this is by design. The public don’t write the laws, but we have to obey them – so why doesn’t the govt, even when they’re caught breaking their own. Answer: the oversight quangos, such as the ODCE, the Data Protection commissioner and of course the Gardaí don’t enforce them. Supposedly independent bodies all, yet in reality they will all ask the govt first without doing anything. Why? becuase the govt determines their salaries. It’s like why HR can never be truly impartial in management Vs Worker disputes.
Best comment
How much was he being paid by the EU in addition to the 150k he was gouging out of our backsides?
And he will return in a few years onto the board of some financial outfit or other as a government lobbyist.
FG are shameless.
And the daw jawed Irish electorate continue to allow the political filth urinate on the political structures and processes of the state. we are weight we vote and the Irish people should hang their heads in shame for allowing it to happen
it’s like an episode from the twilight zone.
not me ron, i’ll be voting for you at the next election.
no-one’s gonna call me a daw-jaw ever again!
That’s the spirit!
Is there a case for bringing in a system where a politician loses their pension after 3 strikes?
A system rewarding greedy and self interested charlatans will always attract more of the same surely?
Would the three-strikes and you lose your pension apply to everyone?
No pensions for convicted criminals? Or anyone that got more that 9 penalty points? NO more children’s allowance if you miss more than 3 days school?
Yeah sounds great
Just think about the phrase “pensions for convicted criminals” for a while there Cian
‘Convicted criminals’ refers to someone who has been convicted of a crime; there are loads of convicted criminals who are receiving all sorts of pensions. I think you are thinking of ‘imprisoned’ people.
No, I’m thinking of a 3 strikes and you’re not going to receive a pension from the state coffers system for people convicted of crimes
While I think Cian is actually using this example to argue against stripping people of their pensions – why should habitual criminals get the same amount of money in old age as people who never committed a crime in their lives?
No, only to those who are governed by Sipo’s rules
our politicians are very well paid and most have a second income stream
let them pay for their own pensions like the rest of us
Does this mean yet another byelection? I’m lost.
No, they have I think 9 months, definitley at leas 6 to hold a byelection, we will likely have had a general election by then anyway.
FG have their rock solid 23% of voters who expect and back right-wing policies. The blood and vomit on the overflowing A&E floors, people dying on trolleys in hospital corridors, !0,000+ homeless including 4000 children, overcrowded and dilapidated prefab classrooms, demonising those on social welfare who need looking after either don’t seem to matter or seem entirely acceptable to the FG base as they keep electing these immoral, ignoble, venal, greedy, self-serving narcissists. Blame the voters not these mediocre, morally vacant, pathological politicians, they’re merely gaming the system we have allowed to come into being.