Should john o donoghue be fired ?

[Barry K O Bama]

The Ceann Ceoirle John O Donoghue wasted hundreds of thousands of Euro in grossly excessive spending during his time as a Government Minister. €900 per night for 5 star hotels - €120 to hire a hat. €5 K on limo hire for 1 trip - outrageous.
How can ordinary tax payers be expected to lower their living standards and pay extra taxes when this gurrier stays in office after this latest scandal.

I say make an example of the latest twisted Kerryman and fire him !

[blocker]

Met him once through a local councilor when we were canvassing for a sports grant and he was one of the most obnoxious pricks i ever met!

Got a grant though!

[Eoin]

What is it with Kerry and wanker politicians. He's an embarassment.

[jd26]

It's very hard to get rid of a ceann comhairle.

But yes, he should be fired as ceann comhairle and lose his seat.

The Revenue Commissioners should be investigating why some items that should never appear on an expenses claim were not declared as BIK instead of trying to put 40 Cork people out of work.

One rule for the Gods, another for the mortals.

[gen_a]

Yes and make the prick pay it back. Similar-ish story in yesterday's Irish Times:

"Abusing public privileges for private gain can carry a high price for politicians in Germany.

Seven years ago, two leading Green Party politicians resigned after it emerged they had bought private flights using air miles from official trips.

Even former Chancellor Schröder came under scrutiny from government auditors for bringing his wife Doris with him on a government jet.

The Schröders later received a bill for her seat, amounting to several thousand euro. After that, Doris flew on commercial airlines."

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/0727/1224251385366.html

[gen_a]

He is also reported to have spent €80 on tipping bag carriers (wallahs) in India. How many bags did he have? €80 would get you 100 wallahs and that's being bloody generous.

[o_2_b_a_rebel]

That fucker should be shot with a shovel and buried with a gun.

[never]

Yes,he shouls be fired and embarrassed out of office.Make an example of the prick

[babybliss]

The cunts should be forced to pay back any outrageous expenses like what has happened in the UK.

[KolaKubes]

His nephew is my housemate. Very nice lad.

[poulgorm]

He should be fired and forced to return the money to us. But he won't be. And the other politicians will not call for his head - they are all at it.

If this was the UK...the Telegraph would have some fun.

No, the rest of us...tighten your belts...

[Míshásta]

Yes,he shouls be fired and embarrassed out of office.Make an example of the prick


"embarrassed out of office"

You couldn't shame that so-and-so. The thick skin on his red neck is unembarrassable.

[quincytwo]

It's very hard to get rid of a ceann comhairle.

But yes, he should be fired as ceann comhairle and lose his seat.

The Revenue Commissioners should be investigating why some items that should never appear on an expenses claim were not declared as BIK instead of trying to put 40 Cork people out of work.

One rule for the Gods, another for the mortals.

I wonder if living it up on the ' wine and canape' circuit should also be a Benefit in Kind ?
There are politicians closer to home whose expenses might be looked at.
Lets start with the € 180,000 package for Lord mayor which is to be rotated between FG and Labour, shall we ?
How many workers made redundant to finance this ?

[jd26]

I wonder if living it up on the ' wine and canape' circuit should also be a Benefit in Kind ?
There are politicians closer to home whose expenses might be looked at.
Lets start with the € 180,000 package for Lord mayor which is to be rotated between FG and Labour, shall we ?
How many workers made redundant to finance this ?

I don't agree with the amount of money going to Cork's Lord Mayor; at minimum it should be capped at what the Lord Mayor of Dublin gets.

However, that payment is above board. Some of the things claimed by O'Donoghue definitely are liable for BIK. It's possible he declared them, although I'd think it unlikely. If there's evidence of tax evasion, he should be treated as a tax evader.

[quincytwo]

I don't agree with the amount of money going to Cork's Lord Mayor; at minimum it should be capped at what the Lord Mayor of Dublin gets.

However, that payment is above board. Some of the things claimed by O'Donoghue definitely are liable for BIK. It's possible he declared them, although I'd think it unlikely. If there's evidence of tax evasion, he should be treated as a tax evader.

Above board ? Not from where I stand. A group of public representatives who conspire to vote more money for themselves in a manner that is clearly not in the public interests is not ' above board'.
The various junkets agreed by Councillors is also ' above board' but equally not in the public interest.

[jd26]

Above board ? Not from where I stand. A group of public representatives who conspire to vote more money for themselves in a manner that is clearly not in the public interests is not ' above board'.
The various junkets agreed by Councillors is also ' above board' but equally not in the public interest.

It's above board in the sense that it is legal.

In the same way that there is a difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion.

It doesn't make it right, but the consequences are different.

Politicians who change the expenses system to benefit themselves should be voted out. Politicians who abuse the expenses system, whether by claiming expenses to which they weren't entitled or not paying BIK on their expenses when it is due should be prosecuted.

Incidentally, there's nothing wrong with foreign trips by councillors if they are examining how other cities have done things in an attempt to benefit Cork. The problem at the moment is that too many councillors are treating them as paid holidays. Councillors should be required to submit a business case, which details what they hope to learn, for the trip and produce a report at the end of it. Trying to reinvent best-practice in Cork is pointless and an unnecessary expense; there's nothing wrong with learning from other cities.

[quincytwo]

It's above board in the sense that it is legal.

In the same way that there is a difference between tax avoidance and tax evasion.

It doesn't make it right, but the consequences are different.

Politicians who change the expenses system to benefit themselves should be voted out. Politicians who abuse the expenses system, whether by claiming expenses to which they weren't entitled or not paying BIK on their expenses when it is due should be prosecuted.

Incidentally, there's nothing wrong with foreign trips by councillors if they are examining how other cities have done things in an attempt to benefit Cork. The problem at the moment is that too many councillors are treating them as paid holidays. Councillors should be required to submit a business case, which details what they hope to learn, for the trip and produce a report at the end of it. Trying to reinvent best-practice in Cork is pointless and an unnecessary expense; there's nothing wrong with learning from other cities.

Learning from other cities ?
What a joke !
I was looking at the cyle path on Skehard Road yesterday, very nice, pity about the poles in the middle of the cycle path - you could nt make it up.
Was also looking at all the traffic signs totally or partially obscured by overgrown vegetation. You dont need trips abroad to learn how to keep traffic signs clear of vegetation, to make sure the place isnt covered with illegal advertising signs.
As I sad before you are always one of the first up to defend politicians, there is always an excuse.
We are not even looking for best practice, just any kind of reasonable practice.
Its always pork belly politics in this country.

[jd26]

But that's why politicians should be taken abroad.

They should be taken on a trip to a Dutch or Danish city and shown what a cycle path should look like. Not only that it shouldn't have poles in it, but also that it shouldn't go up and down over driveways.

But that's the sort of thing I'm talking about. Rather than just getting a jolly overseas, they should go out with a specific plan of action - to investigate design and engineering standards for cycle lanes. Then they should be required to produce a report at the end of it, with a series of recommendations for what the city should be doing differently, with items prioritised depending on how much money is available etc.

Then we might get cycle lanes that amount to more than cyclists being told to ride on the footpath.

Foreign trips can be an important part of learning how the city should be run (although there's a lot they could learn just by going to Galway or Dublin...). They just need to be more focussed in how they are used.

[irishmonkey]

But that's why politicians should be taken abroad.

They should be taken on a trip to a Dutch or Danish city and shown what a cycle path should look like. Not only that it shouldn't have poles in it, but also that it shouldn't go up and down over driveways.

But that's the sort of thing I'm talking about. Rather than just getting a jolly overseas, they should go out with a specific plan of action - to investigate design and engineering standards for cycle lanes. Then they should be required to produce a report at the end of it, with a series of recommendations for what the city should be doing differently, with items prioritised depending on how much money is available etc.

Then we might get cycle lanes that amount to more than cyclists being told to ride on the footpath.

Foreign trips can be an important part of learning how the city should be run (although there's a lot they could learn just by going to Galway or Dublin...). They just need to be more focussed in how they are used.

are you shitting me. send them abroad for cycle lanes?
head down to the bike shop spend €200, give them that bike.
and sell there f***ing car.
they will learn.

[jd26]

are you shitting me. send them abroad for cycle lanes?
head down to the bike shop spend €200, give them that bike.
and sell there f***ing car.
they will learn.

Congratulations.

You've just spent more money than a return flight to Holland.

And probably produced a second-rate solution for good measure.

[bosco]

Jesus Christ, we're gone from a legitimate discussion of John O'Donoghue and his expenses, to the approximate price of bicycles and fares to the Netherlands.

Quincy you made a legit point somewhere back along the lines to prop up your stance against the greens, Dan Boyle in particular, and whatever other concerns you have with local politics in Cork. But for fucks sake, can you just confine your bile to one single thread and stop twisting everything into a diatribe about the cost of our current mayoral system in Cork. You're making shit of this forum, killing any interesting debate that may arise, and turning people off contributing.

[quincytwo]

Jesus Christ, we're gone from a legitimate discussion of John O'Donoghue and his expenses, to the approximate price of bicycles and fares to the Netherlands.

Quincy you made a legit point somewhere back along the lines to prop up your stance against the greens, Dan Boyle in particular, and whatever other concerns you have with local politics in Cork. But for fucks sake, can you just confine your bile to one single thread and stop twisting everything into a diatribe about the cost of our current mayoral system in Cork. You're making shit of this forum, killing any interesting debate that may arise, and turning people off contributing.

I take your point but since I have been posting here Jd and his bunch of friends have gone out of their way to sneer and mock every post/thread I make, so my point of view the best method of defence is to make it plain to this mob that there is a price to be paid.
The cost of out mayoral system best represents the abuse of taxpayers money by politicians and it is fair to contrast it with O Donoghues expenses.
My comments do not represent ' bile' but if you want to characterise it as such, you are entitled to.
I am one of the relatively few people who were trying to post on current affairs
What about you posting threadss on current affairs ?

[quincytwo]

But that's why politicians should be taken abroad.

They should be taken on a trip to a Dutch or Danish city and shown what a cycle path should look like. Not only that it shouldn't have poles in it, but also that it shouldn't go up and down over driveways.

But that's the sort of thing I'm talking about. Rather than just getting a jolly overseas, they should go out with a specific plan of action - to investigate design and engineering standards for cycle lanes. Then they should be required to produce a report at the end of it, with a series of recommendations for what the city should be doing differently, with items prioritised depending on how much money is available etc.

Then we might get cycle lanes that amount to more than cyclists being told to ride on the footpath.
Foreign trips can be an important part of learning how the city should be run (although there's a lot they could learn just by going to Galway or Dublin...). They just need to be more focussed in how they are used.

Councillors dont design anything, engineers do !
You dont need a foreign trip to see how facilities such as cyle lanes operate.
Get the engineers from one of these foreign cities to fax a set of guidelines for heavens sake. It is not rocket science.
If any one has to be sent, send the engineers, just one will do !
Use teleconferencing to talk to foreign experts.

[jd26]

Bosco,

I apologise for this, but I feel the need to respond.

quincy->Your latest charge seems to be that I'm attacking you, but any read of posts suggests it's the other way around. It's you who has been consistently making personal attacks, whether on me, other posters like o_2_b_a_rebel or public figures.

As for your idea that politicians shouldn't get involved in setting guidelines. Why don't we just scrap politicians altogether? Maybe the engineers would do a better job of running the country.

Except that we all know that isn't true, because communities need an input into their development and need to have someone who can represent their needs. And the people who do that need to be able to understand the issues that they're dealing with.

I have trouble understanding what kind of political system you recommend, but I'm pretty certain that removing the representatives of the people, chosen by the people would be counter-productive.

[bosco]

I do post occasionally on current affairs, but not as much of late. I take one look at the first page of threads, see the inevitable last post by your good self, and just couldn't be bothered.

I'm not a green sympathiser, or a party political activist in any sense, but I'd like to advocate reasonable and engaging discussion in this forum, and that's precisely what seems to be sorely lacking since you started flooding the place with tirades about the same handful of issues.

I think your behaviour comes across as facetious when you blame every conceivable problem troubling this country and its citizens on a specific party/politician (or more recently, a small pool of specific politicians). It seems you have some agenda or axe to grind with these individuals, and I'm sure others who read this forum would be interested to hear all about whatever past incident or perceived injustice has led you to take on such a persistent personal crusade.

If this is not the case, then I hope you can see where I (and other posters who have complained about your recent barrage of posts) am coming from. By all means, share with us your insight, discuss the scandals, and contribute meaningfully to this forum, but just don't kill the discussion by leading every thread off in a tangent.

To summarise: Current Affairs discussion should involve discussion of the topic at hand, and naturally includes proposing and debating the merits of alternative options to government and other involved parties, where applicable.
What doesn't help is crying foul on policies or decisions taken, placing the blame for undesirable outcomes at the door of specific individuals without foundation.

Fucks sake like, be positive, show some initiative, propose a better alternative for whatever you're complaining about. If the scope of the thread doesn't encompass your latest gripe, by all means start a new one.

[quincytwo]

Bosco,

I apologise for this, but I feel the need to respond.

quincy->Your latest charge seems to be that I'm attacking you, but any read of posts suggests it's the other way around. It's you who has been consistently making personal attacks, whether on me, other posters like o_2_b_a_rebel or public figures.

As for your idea that politicians shouldn't get involved in setting guidelines. Why don't we just scrap politicians altogether? Maybe the engineers would do a better job of running the country.

Except that we all know that isn't true, because communities need an input into their development and need to have someone who can represent their needs. And the people who do that need to be able to understand the issues that they're dealing with.

I have trouble understanding what kind of political system you recommend, but I'm pretty certain that removing the representatives of the people, chosen by the people would be counter-productive.

I can see why you apologise to Bosco. As you can see from one of bosco's quotes below and his comments about ' bile', bosco seems to be one of your buddies :
There's enough lame one-trick ponies on these forums. Instead of repeatedly attacking one man and his party (with selective statistics and misinformation I might add), why don't you steer the...
I have already posted previousily a list of the sneering comments and attacks made by you on myself - should I repeat it?
You posted the 'How long before Quincy.... thread did you not ? You and your mob friends found it very amusing !
I treat people as I find them, no more no less.

As for your idea that politicians shouldn't get involved in setting guidelines.
This is a false quotation, I never said this.
Consultations are entirely different from junkets. As I said it is not necessary for junkets to view such things as cycle lanes.
Indeed I would at least expect any modern politician to have some passing acquaintance with this type of facility without having to be taken abroad as a Councillor to see them. Even though I have done relatively little foreign travel, I have seen them abroad.
You laughed at my thread on Mcgrath and said it was 'unfair' but in reality this is representative of how politicians behave.
The reality is that County & City managers run our towns and counties and they do so because national politicians have legislated it.
reading through the minutes of the City Council is a dispriting experience.

[bosco]

I can see why you apologise to Bosco. As you can see from one of bosco's quotes below and his comments about ' bile', bosco seems to be one of your buddies :

There's enough lame one-trick ponies on these forums. Instead of repeatedly attacking one man and his party (with selective statistics and misinformation I might add), why don't you steer the...
I have already posted previousily a list of the sneering comments and attacks made by you on myself - should I repeat it?
You posted the 'How long before Quincy.... thread did you not ? You and your mob friends found it very amusing !
I treat people as I find them, no more no less.


I hadn't realised the extent of your paranoia or whatever kind of victim complex is manifesting itself in this way. Logic obviously won't work with you, let's hope the ignore button does the job. If reasonable people can resist the urge to rise to your bait and prolong these painful meandering threads, perhaps you'll get bored and find another venue for winding people up.

I hope jd and his "mob friends" can survive without a poor victim to gang up on!

Jesus like!

[Touchdown]

Yes of course he should be fired, If I was robbing my employer, I would be fired too.

Whats the f...ing difference here, he is robbing the people of Ireland...........hi s employers.

Whoever has the responsibility of acting as the human resources dept in the government, should also be fired for failure to carry out his/her duty.

its a smug set of vultures we refer to when we speak of our goverment

[POL]

The more I read about this fucking oaf! here are his expenses claims for india and the uk

http://www.gavinsblog.com/2009/08/19/the-john-odonoghue-files-part-2-birminghamlondon/

[Cliff Barnes]

Fired ?

He should be dragged through the courts by revenue etc.

Resign at least but wait this is Oireland.

[POL]

Fired ?

He should be dragged through the courts by revenue etc.

Resign at least but wait this is Oireland.

why should he resign? sure he was entitled to it!

[Jaco]

Fired ?

He should be dragged through the courts by revenue etc.

Resign at least but wait this is Oireland.

If ye really think he should be fired why dont ye do something about it, start a petition or something.

[POL]

If ye really think he should be fired why dont ye do something about it, start a petition or something.

This is Ireland! All we do is complain about it and do nothing! what a great country!

[Cliff Barnes]

If ye really think he should be fired why dont ye do something about it, start a petition or something.

Petitions ?

We have allready voted in these muppets how many times now ?

Political elite having a ball.

[Jaco]

Anyone who voted FF deserves the shite we are stuck in.
I voted greens for local reasons but the fuckers are not worth a shite.
Just as a matter of interest would anyone be interested in starting a petition against the fucker.

[POL]

Just as a matter of interest would anyone be interested in starting a petition against the fucker.Waste of time

[POL]

Former minister John O'Donoghue spent €472 on a limousine to take him from Terminal 3 in Heathrow airport to Terminal 1 – a journey which would have taken three minutes on the airport's free shuttle service.

A car-hire firm, which has been at the centre of controversy this week over its Fianna Fáil links, made the charge for 24 January 2006 after John and Kate-Ann O'Donoghue arrived back at London Heathrow from their now notorious trip to India.

http://www.tribune.ie/news/article/2...take-472-car-/

[POL]

Lee joins furore over O'Donoghue expenses

By Michael Brennan Political Correspondent


Friday August 28 2009

Fine Gael TD George Lee has waded into the controversy over Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue's spending on foreign travel.

He described the culture of ministerial expenses at the time when Mr O'Donoghue was Minister for Arts, Sports and Tourism as "outrageous".

"Particularly in the climate in which we're in, in which you're asking people to take all sorts of medicine, what we've seen and what we've read highlights there is a very significant issue with how expenses are incurred for ministerial activity," he said.

Mr Lee had earlier made his position clear when he responded to an email from a member of the politics.ie website, who referred to Mr O'Donoghue's travel expenses.

"I agree that these expenses are outrageous. I will be raising this issue with the Minister for Finance by way of parliamentary question," he replied.

Mr Lee told the Irish Independent that he was not referring to Mr O'Donoghue's expenses specifically, but to ministerial expenses generally.

"I just think that, in this day and age, it's time for us to tighten up and to be sure about what the rules are. I want to know whether there are reforms planned in the area," he said.

Mr Lee is the latest Fine Gael figure to comment publicly on the issue, after Fine Gael Senator Paschal Donohoe called for Mr O'Donoghue to resign for being a "waster" of taxpayers' money.

Fine Gael was previously silent on revelations of Mr O'Donoghue's €126,000 travel bill, in one two-year period during his time as Arts, Sports and Tourism Minister.

This included €1,400 a day spent on a chauffeur at the Cheltenham racing festival, in 2007.


Culture

Mr Lee said he was more interested in finding out if there had been a culture of over-spending by ministers during the reign of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern rather than pursuing an explanatory statement from Mr O'Donoghue.

"Was that reflective of the regime that was there? Were all ministers spending money like that?" he asked.

Mr O'Donoghue has repeatedly declined to comment on the revelations about his foreign travel spending as Arts, Sports and Tourism Minister -- a post which he held from 2002 to 2007.

Mr Lee's intervention comes after the Irish Independent revealed that Mr O'Donoghue had helped a publican to lobby against the lowering of the drink-driving limit by forwarding his letter to Transport Minister Noel Dempsey.

Mr O'Donoghue's supporters have repeatedly said he cannot comment on his expenses due to his "non-political" role as Ceann Comhairle. Mr O'Donoghue could not be contacted for comment yesterday.

- Michael Brennan Political Correspondent

[Cliff Barnes]

Some parts of Kerry have so many arts centres and leisure centres that the locals dont know what to do with them.

[corcadorca]

He is also reported to have spent €80 on tipping bag carriers (wallahs) in India. How many bags did he have? €80 would get you 100 wallahs and that's being bloody generous.

they were carring him, the ball bag

[POL]

What fucntion does he carry out when he jets in for a game or a race and goes home again in his jet straight after it