The Race for the ARAS.....

[Maguire01]

Another matter that smells strange is the one of SF TDs only getting the minimum wage and giving the rest to SF

One of the things that struck me about this, and Joe Higgins and RBB do it as well I think, is that these salaries are paid out of the public purse so is there a case for saying if they want to take the average ind wage then the rest should be given back to the exchequer and not to their parties

Yes. People seem to fall for this sleight of hand very easily. "I only take the average industrial wage" is never qualified with "the rest of it goes to the Sinn Fein machine". I can't see the electorate being that impressed if they fully understood that the fund that holds the proceeds of the party's very effective fundraising activities down the years is the beneficiary of this self denial and not the taxpayer. I hadn't thought of the maximum contribution legislation before either. How do they get around that?

I thought it was obvious that a Sinn Fein td's salary goes to the party and they get paid out from that. That's common knowledge, in the public domain, no secret.

As far as McGuinness' hypothetical presidential salary, he has claimed he would put the surplus aside into a separate social fund.

Main Street, the maximum a party may accept from a single donor is €6,348.69. Anything over that must be declared and goes to the State. TDs earn close to €100,000. Deduct the maximum they can give to SF and that leaves well over €90,000.

Those limits aren't in place in the north, nor are donations published (although this is currently under review)... so effectively, partition allows the party to accept donations in the north that it wouldn't otherwise be able to.

I'm assuming that's how they get around that, although as the donations aren't published, I can't be sure - maybe someone else can shed more light.

[muppet]

Another matter that smells strange is the one of SF TDs only getting the minimum wage and giving the rest to SF

One of the things that struck me about this, and Joe Higgins and RBB do it as well I think, is that these salaries are paid out of the public purse so is there a case for saying if they want to take the average ind wage then the rest should be given back to the exchequer and not to their parties

Yes. People seem to fall for this sleight of hand very easily. "I only take the average industrial wage" is never qualified with "the rest of it goes to the Sinn Fein machine". I can't see the electorate being that impressed if they fully understood that the fund that holds the proceeds of the party's very effective fundraising activities down the years is the beneficiary of this self denial and not the taxpayer. I hadn't thought of the maximum contribution legislation before either. How do they get around that?

I thought it was obvious that a Sinn Fein td's salary goes to the party and they get paid out from that. That's common knowledge, in the public domain, no secret.

As far as McGuinness' hypothetical presidential salary, he has claimed he would put the surplus aside into a separate social fund.

Main Street, the maximum a party may accept from a single donor is €6,348.69. Anything over that must be declared and goes to the State. TDs earn close to €100,000. Deduct the maximum they can give to SF and that leaves well over €90,000.

Those limits aren't in place in the north, nor are donations published (although this is currently under review)... so effectively, partition allows the party to accept donations in the north that it wouldn't otherwise be able to.

I'm assuming that's how they get around that, although as the donations aren't published, I can't be sure - maybe someone else can shed more light.

That doesn't explain how those SF TDs in the Dáil 'donate' more than €6,348.69 to SF, if indeed they actually do.

[Maguire01]

Another matter that smells strange is the one of SF TDs only getting the minimum wage and giving the rest to SF

One of the things that struck me about this, and Joe Higgins and RBB do it as well I think, is that these salaries are paid out of the public purse so is there a case for saying if they want to take the average ind wage then the rest should be given back to the exchequer and not to their parties

Yes. People seem to fall for this sleight of hand very easily. "I only take the average industrial wage" is never qualified with "the rest of it goes to the Sinn Fein machine". I can't see the electorate being that impressed if they fully understood that the fund that holds the proceeds of the party's very effective fundraising activities down the years is the beneficiary of this self denial and not the taxpayer. I hadn't thought of the maximum contribution legislation before either. How do they get around that?

I thought it was obvious that a Sinn Fein td's salary goes to the party and they get paid out from that. That's common knowledge, in the public domain, no secret.

As far as McGuinness' hypothetical presidential salary, he has claimed he would put the surplus aside into a separate social fund.

Main Street, the maximum a party may accept from a single donor is €6,348.69. Anything over that must be declared and goes to the State. TDs earn close to €100,000. Deduct the maximum they can give to SF and that leaves well over €90,000.

Those limits aren't in place in the north, nor are donations published (although this is currently under review)... so effectively, partition allows the party to accept donations in the north that it wouldn't otherwise be able to.

I'm assuming that's how they get around that, although as the donations aren't published, I can't be sure - maybe someone else can shed more light.

That doesn't explain how those SF TDs in the Dáil 'donate' more than €6,348.69 to SF, if indeed they actually do.

They donate it to SF in the north? The party publishes separate financial accounts for the north and the south. Partitionists! 

[muppet]

They donate it to SF in the north? The party publishes separate financial accounts for the north and the south. Partitionists! 

That would be hysterical.

[Maguire01]

They donate it to SF in the north? The party publishes separate financial accounts for the north and the south. Partitionists! 

That would be hysterical.

Well they do publish separate financial accounts - they're on their site (although not up to date).

[Maguire01]

Debate about to start on TG4.

[Nally Stand]

Another matter that smells strange is the one of SF TDs only getting the minimum wage and giving the rest to SF

One of the things that struck me about this, and Joe Higgins and RBB do it as well I think, is that these salaries are paid out of the public purse so is there a case for saying if they want to take the average ind wage then the rest should be given back to the exchequer and not to their parties

Yes. People seem to fall for this sleight of hand very easily. "I only take the average industrial wage" is never qualified with "the rest of it goes to the Sinn Fein machine". I can't see the electorate being that impressed if they fully understood that the fund that holds the proceeds of the party's very effective fundraising activities down the years is the beneficiary of this self denial and not the taxpayer. I hadn't thought of the maximum contribution legislation before either. How do they get around that?

I thought it was obvious that a Sinn Fein td's salary goes to the party and they get paid out from that. That's common knowledge, in the public domain, no secret.

As far as McGuinness' hypothetical presidential salary, he has claimed he would put the surplus aside into a separate social fund.

Main Street, the maximum a party may accept from a single donor is €6,348.69. Anything over that must be declared and goes to the State. TDs earn close to €100,000. Deduct the maximum they can give to SF and that leaves well over €90,000.

Those limits aren't in place in the north, nor are donations published (although this is currently under review)... so effectively, partition allows the party to accept donations in the north that it wouldn't otherwise be able to.

I'm assuming that's how they get around that, although as the donations aren't published, I can't be sure - maybe someone else can shed more light.

That doesn't explain how those SF TDs in the Dáil 'donate' more than €6,348.69 to SF, if indeed they actually do.

They each donate €6,000 at a time. That much info is available through google. I assume the rest goes to some other party individual in the north who donates it to the party. Either way muppet, I'm fairly sure you're not the only one who has tried to trip them up on this. If there was anything irregular, the Sunday Indo would doubtless have it covered by now in it's own inimitable way.

And I wouldn't call it partitionist, I'd call a party not standing in 32 counties partitionist.

[muppet]

They each donate €6,000 at a time. That much info is available through google. I assume the rest goes to some other party individual in the north who donates it to the party. Either way muppet, I'm fairly sure you're not the only one who has tried to trip them up on this. If there was anything irregular, the Sunday Indo would doubtless have it covered by now in it's own inimitable way.

And I wouldn't call it partitionist, I'd call a party not standing in 32 counties partitionist.

So they don't 'give it all to the party and then they just get paid the average industrial wage from that' as has been spouted here time and again?

[thebigfella]

They each donate €6,000 at a time. That much info is available through google. I assume the rest goes to some other party individual in the north who donates it to the party. Either way muppet, I'm fairly sure you're not the only one who has tried to trip them up on this. If there was anything irregular, the Sunday Indo would doubtless have it covered by now in it's own inimitable way.

And I wouldn't call it partitionist, I'd call a party not standing in 32 counties partitionist.

So they don't give it all to the party and then they just get paid the average industrial wage from that as has been spouted here time and again?

Sounds all a bit dodgy to me.

[muppet]

Their Irish was worse than any 'Tá an athas orm...' I've ever heard.

Except Michael D. and Norris. Higgins looked like he had just got to the last question on 'Who want to be a millionaire' and saw Cad is ainm duit?

[muppet]

Dana's greatest desire is to speak Irish, but she hasn't had the chance to do it yet.

[Nally Stand]

They each donate €6,000 at a time. That much info is available through google. I assume the rest goes to some other party individual in the north who donates it to the party. Either way muppet, I'm fairly sure you're not the only one who has tried to trip them up on this. If there was anything irregular, the Sunday Indo would doubtless have it covered by now in it's own inimitable way.

And I wouldn't call it partitionist, I'd call a party not standing in 32 counties partitionist.

So they don't give it all to the party and then they just get paid the average industrial wage from that as has been spouted here time and again?

Jaysus the tizzy people get into over this in trying to attack SF. Whatever the mechanisms of how it is done, SF reps and staff only get an average industrial wage and the rest belongs to the party. This is nothing more than an attempt to ensure the party does not attract people who are solely motivated by money and career. No Sinn Féin reps ever claim that they give the rest of their wages back to the public purse rather than to the party. It's almost funny how people opposed to SF continue to struggle to find a foothold on this topic from which they can find any sort of sensible, rational or consistent line of criticism.

[muppet]

Isn't it great that they are all learning Irish? They be shite students though.

[bcarrier]

well managed debate.

[muppet]

well managed debate.

To be fair it has been well managed without patronizing the guests.