Tag Archives: Nepotism

Green Party’s Steven Matthews and Erika Doyle, Steven’s wife and his General Election 2020 campaign manager

This morning.

As records released by the Oireachtas show that around one in seven TDs has hired family members…

…via Independent.ie:

A new Green Party TD, whose wife has replaced him as a [€17,000 a year] county councillor, has hired her as a [€24,000 -€47,000] secretarial assistant.

[A former Bray Town Councillor, elected to Wicklow County Council in 2014 before his election as Wicklow TD this year] Steven Matthews insisted that his wife, Councillor Erika Doyle, is “more than qualified” and the “best person for the job”.

….Mr Matthews said she received other job offers in the political arena “and I’m delighted she chose to accept mine”.

One in seven TDs has hired member of their family to work for them (Independent.ie)

Previously: Take My Wife

Yeah, That”s My Brother

Pic via Wicklow People

Good times.

Earlier: Changeable Climate

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Kate O’Connell (right) and her sister and parliamentary assistant Teresa Newman

Or any other member of your family.

Harrumph.

Political expenses sleuth Ken Foxe writes:

Every TD is entitled to make a number of appointments immediately after their election. Under current arrangements, they can hire a secretarial assistant and also a parliamentary assistant.

There is also an option open to them to hire their parliamentary assistant temporarily instead, although very few choose this.

Not for the first time (nor presumably the last), the list of appointments includes no shortage of examples of family members getting the jobs.

The Sunday Times has done a good job already of teasing out many of these connections

At link below is an up to date spreadsheet of all the appointments made since the general election. If you happen to spot any other ones that merit further scrutiny, feel free to email me at ken.foxe@gmail.com.

So who did your local TD hire in the wake of the general election? (Ken Foxe)

Those relative appointments in full

Peter Fitzpatrick, (daughter Grace), Bernard Durkan (son Tim), Kate O’Connell (sister Theresa Newman), Maria Bailey (father John), Sean Barrett (daughter Jaci), Catherine Byrne (daughter Clare), and Ciaran Cannon (wife Niamh Lawless).

Brendan Griffin (wife Róisín and his cousin Tommy); John McGuinness (son Andrew); Michael McGrath (brother Seamus); Seán Fleming (wife Mary); and Timmy Dooley (wife Emer).

Seán Sherlock ( sister Úna Willis), Willie Penrose  (brother, Johnnie), Michael Healy-Rae, (son Jackie Jr), Mattie McGrath (daughter, Tríona). Joan Collins, 9her husband Dermot Connolly job-shares a role as parliamentary assistant in her office.

FIGHT!

Rollingnews

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:

90320592

mail2(Labour’s Alex White, top and yesterday’s Irish Mail on Sunday)

To give your family a little help.

And what sort of thanks do you get?

In a statement, he said that he had sent an email from his Oireachtas account on behalf of his daughter, seeking to have her student medical placement switched from Letterkenny to Sligo “for family reasons”.

“I should have taken greater care to ensure it was sent from a personal email account,” he said. Mr White said that he had not referred to himself in the email as a junior minister and instead signed it in the names of himself and his wife.

White admits email over daughter’s work placement ‘a mistake’ (Independent.ie)

(Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)