Tag Archives: Fine Gael

In his opening address to the ardfheis at the National Convention Centre, Mr Kenny also urged people who had not done so to register for the household charge by the deadline of midnight tomorrow night.

“I know that new taxes are never popular. The Household Charge is no exception. But it is needed to fund essential local services,” he said in his opening address to the Fine Gael ardfheis.

“To close the gap in our public finances, we must instead broaden the tax base to include a property based charge because this is less harmful than taxes on work and investment.”

Well, we’re certainly convinced.

Kenny Urges Referendum Yes Vote (Maire O’Halloran, Irish Times)

(Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland)

Minister OF State Lucinda Creighton has said the Government should avoid inviting businessman Denis O’Brien to another economic forum in Dublin due to the findings of the Moriarty tribunal.

…Ms Creighton was then asked whether it was at odds with the Government’s investment drive that the winner of the phone licence in the circumstances criticised by Moriarty was going around as one of Ireland’s chief promoters. “That’s a fair point,” she responded.

O’Brien Should Not Get Forum Invite, says Creighton (Irish Times)

However…

Irish recruiter Saongroup, which is majority owned by Denis O’Brien, is planning to invest €25 million and expand its presence in China to 130 cities by the end of 2013.

The investment was announced overnight at Saongroup’s Beijing office by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Richard Bruton during Enterprise Ireland’s trade mission to China, led by Taoiseach Enda Kenny.

 

O’Brien’s Saongroup Planning To Expand (Irish Times)

Fine Gael councillor Anne Devitt.

The Mahon Tribunal found an acceptance of a IR£20,000 payment from Rayband Ltd, by Cllr Devitt was “entirely inappropriate”.

From the Fingal Independent in 2009:

Why should people vote for you?

Cllr Devitt: “This is the question that people always ask on the doorstep. I think the experience I have is necessary to bring us out of this economic trouble.”

 

(Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland)


The committee, meeting in private, was discussing inviting the governor to attend but did not agree a date when that should happen.

Go on.

Fine Gael backbencher Peter Mathews then insisted Mr Honohan should be instructed to attend the committee by Friday week and proposed a motion stating that.

OK.

Colleagues told him this was against government wishes and if he voted for his own motion, he would lose the Fine Gael whip.

Yes, yes.

Mr Mathews then duly voted against, but party colleagues became concerned that not all Fine Gael members had turned up at the committee from a general parliamentary party meeting taking placed at the same time, and they then left the room to look for them.

And then what?

They then found themselves locked out of the committee room and opposition members seized the chance to force a vote on Mr Honohan attending, which they won 11 votes to nine.

Yes.

That’s completely hatstand.

Red faces For Govt Over Committee Vote Defeat (Irish Examiner)

“Newly-elected Fine Gael TD Michelle Mulherin (above) claimed the most out of all the Mayo TDs, even though she only took office in February 2011. She claimed a total of €46,133.39 last year. From March to November 2011, Ms Mulherin claimed over €1,000 per week, which equates to over €300 more than the average weekly industrial wage in expenses alone. The average weekly industrial wage stands at €693 per week, according to the Central Statistic Office.

Five Mayo TDs claimed €168k last year (Rowan Gallagher, Mayo News)

Previously: Fine Gael Through Thick And Thin