The Race for the ARAS.....

[Applesisapples]

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.

The average wage is about 30K Euro so your maths is a bit out. SF are not the only party to have their MLA's/TD's make a donation to party funds others do like wise but not perhaps as much. you also fail to take into account office costs, staff and expenses. One thing is sure I can't believe SF would be so stupid as to have donations greater than that allowed by law. I also understand that some community activists and workers who aren't elected also get paid, quite easy for a TD to do so directly.

I am aware what the average industrial wage is.

The mantra here has been that 'SF give their salary to the party and only draw the average industrial wage'. That is illegal in the South. If a TD earns €93,000 (according to the Pension Shock programme) and can only donate a maximum of €6,348.69 to the party, how do they square this particular circle?

Saying they spend it on constituency workers makes them the same as other the TDs who spend some of their money on constituency expenses. Saying they give it to party members in the 6 counties who then give it to the party is much the same, but with added farce. Either way it deviates from the mantra.

I'll repeat the mantra again seeing as it sterilizes SF from people with impure thoughts about money: 'SF give their salary to the party and only draw the average industrial wage'.

Normally a few of the guys here are on the ball with responses that sound quite official, but so far only Straw Men on this issue.

Not being a Shinner I don't know the truth of it, but neither do you so I am speculating based on what I have been led to believe.

[Nally Stand]

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.

The average wage is about 30K Euro so your maths is a bit out. SF are not the only party to have their MLA's/TD's make a donation to party funds others do like wise but not perhaps as much. you also fail to take into account office costs, staff and expenses. One thing is sure I can't believe SF would be so stupid as to have donations greater than that allowed by law. I also understand that some community activists and workers who aren't elected also get paid, quite easy for a TD to do so directly.

I am aware what the average industrial wage is.

The mantra here has been that 'SF give their salary to the party and only draw the average industrial wage'. That is illegal in the South. If a TD earns €93,000 (according to the Pension Shock programme) and can only donate a maximum of €6,348.69 to the party, how do they square this particular circle?

Saying they spend it on constituency workers makes them the same as other the TDs who spend some of their money on constituency expenses. Saying they give it to party members in the 6 counties who then give it to the party is much the same, but with added farce. Either way it deviates from the mantra.

I'll repeat the mantra again seeing as it sterilizes SF from people with impure thoughts about money: 'SF give their salary to the party and only draw the average industrial wage'.

Normally a few of the guys here are on the ball with responses that sound quite official, but so far only Straw Men on this issue.

Jaysus Muppet do you honestly think you have uncovered a scandal that even the Indo didn't know about?! Do you think if there was ANYTHING illegal about the mechanisms of it, that there wouldn't have been a more than willing media to cover it long, long ago?

SF reps and staff only get an average industrial wage. The rest goes to the party. Plain and simple. I would have thought that any method of ensuring a party only attracts people into politics who are not motivated by money, would be a good thing? Especially against the backdrop of certain politicans' records in the south over recent decades?

Yes yes, play the man.

Playing the man?!! What did I say that could possibly be construed as playing the man?!

As for Ulick's answer.... I'm fairly sure that's basically the same method I suggested it was organised last night (i.e. through the party/party individual in the north where donations need not be declared). You didn't reply then though so maybe you didn't see it.

[Tubberman]

It's hilarious watching the SFers here trying to justify the blatant abuse of the partition (that they don't recognise) by SF TDs to evade the laws in the Republic.

[muppet]

Better than Nally's answer........but are you serious? Is that the official line?

I am suddenly an All-Ireland tax payer and I will cherry pick which laws I want to apply to me. This could be fun.

Eh, what's tax got to do with it? They pay tax on their full salary, donate the rest and receive and allowance in return. How do you figure working that to your advantage?

I found it: http://www.sipo.gov.ie/en/Guidelines/Donations/December2006-GuidelinesforPoliticalPartiesondonationsandprohibiteddonations/Name,6229,en.htm

A. Donations made to political parties in Northern Ireland or to entities of political parties in the US or elsewhere, which are given and applied for the purpose of funding the party's political/electoral activities outside this State, are not donations for the purposes of the Act. Such donations are not required to be disclosed and are not subject to the prohibitions attaching to certain types of donations under the Act (see part 5 of these guidelines).

The key words are 'outside this State'.

I can see why SF are a little coy about revealing how they are squaring the circle.

[Farrandeelin]

It's hilarious watching the SFers here trying to justify the blatant abuse of the partition (that they don't recognise) by SF TDs to evade the laws in the Republic.

Partition should not have been foisted on the people in the first place.

[lynchbhoy]

Was the death eg of Billy Wright a "tragedy"? And if so, does it rank exactly the same as the deaths of those poor terrified victims whom he murdered, for no other reason than that they were Catholics?"[/i]

Considering MMcG's association with at least some of the perpetrators of these vile acts, and your unequivocal support for him, I should be interested in hearing more...

would you consider people to think like that of you just because you consorted with loyalist/unionist killers as members of the northern Ireland soccer fans club etc

"would you consider people to think like that of you just because you consorted with loyalist/unionist killers predatory paedophile Priests as members of the northern Ireland soccer fans club etc Roman Catholic Church etc"

* - Ffs! He couldn't even use his new-found position to prevent his own brother from being extradited out of the jurisdiction to face a British Court! 

what a load of tripe!
you are the one who used the 'guilty because of association' crap - I was highlighting how ludicrous your 'smear' was  -now your second crazed effort proves how stupid your first and original example actually was ! zero marks out of ten for you there !

grizzly cannot abuse his position to do anything whether in the northern assembly previously or now as a TD. Dont think he even tried as he knows that. Also think he has distanced him self from the brother (tactical probably).

the garbage you come out with in the middle of your post though- surely even you cant believe such stupidity !

[Applesisapples]

It's hilarious watching the SFers here trying to justify the blatant abuse of the partition (that they don't recognise) by SF TDs to evade the laws in the Republic.

I can't see where anyone has proven that they are abusing partition in this regard. If they are then it's poor form. I would suspect that money's accounted for within the state in other ways, the Shinners are not usually prone to leaving themselves open to accusations of this nature. A bit like the FG fund raisers lets see the proof.

[Applesisapples]

Was the death eg of Billy Wright a "tragedy"? And if so, does it rank exactly the same as the deaths of those poor terrified victims whom he murdered, for no other reason than that they were Catholics?"[/i]

Considering MMcG's association with at least some of the perpetrators of these vile acts, and your unequivocal support for him, I should be interested in hearing more...

would you consider people to think like that of you just because you consorted with loyalist/unionist killers as members of the northern Ireland soccer fans club etc

"would you consider people to think like that of you just because you consorted with loyalist/unionist killers predatory paedophile Priests as members of the northern Ireland soccer fans club etc Roman Catholic Church etc"

 
* - Ffs! He couldn't even use his new-found position to prevent his own brother from being extradited out of the jurisdiction to face a British Court! 

what a load of tripe!
you are the one who used the 'guilty because of association' crap - I was highlighting i- now your second crazed effort proves how stupid your first and original example was ! zer marks out of ten for you there !

grizzly cannot abuse his position to do anything whether in the northern assembly previously or now as a TD. Dont think he even tried as he knows that. Also think he has distanced him self from the brother (tactical probably).

the garbage you come out with in the middle of your post though- surely even you cant believe such stupidity !

I promised myself ages ago that I wouldn't allow EG to get a rise out of me, but sometimes like that last whiskey (or whisky in EG's world) you know you shouldn't but you just can't resist!!

[muppet]

It's hilarious watching the SFers here trying to justify the blatant abuse of the partition (that they don't recognise) by SF TDs to evade the laws in the Republic.

I can't see where anyone has proven that they are abusing partition in this regard. If they are then it's poor form. I would suspect that money's accounted for within the state in other ways, the Shinners are not usually prone to leaving themselves open to accusations of this nature. A bit like the FG fund raisers lets see the proof.

I have posted the relevant legislation that appears to match the explanation given by a couple of posters here. That doesn't constitute proof of anything. There may easily be another explanation. But it certainly looks odd.

[tommysmith]

I see the nordies couldnt help themselves again on the poll here 

[AQMP]

It's hilarious watching the SFers here trying to justify the blatant abuse of the partition (that they don't recognise) by SF TDs to evade the laws in the Republic.

Oh really?

[Nally Stand]

It's hilarious watching the SFers here trying to justify the blatant abuse of the partition (that they don't recognise) by SF TDs to evade the laws in the Republic.

What's even more hilarious is the anti-SF lads struggling valiantly but vainly, in trying to work out how they can criticise SF over this subject. It is simply a way for the party to ensure it's reps are not money motivated careerists. Maybe if certain other parties had ways to ensure they weren't attracting money seekers and careerists, there would have been fewer Bertie Aherns or Michael Lowrys floating about.

[TacadoirArdMhacha]

I see McGuinness and his inroads in his campaign being a big play to kick start that process in the south ! you know it too !!

Aye right, just like Grisly's election as TD* for Louth.

* - Ffs! He couldn't even use his new-found position to prevent his own brother from being extradited out of the jurisdiction to face a British Court! 

What a truly pathetic statement.

[Nally Stand]

I have posted the relevant legislation that appears to match the explanation given by a couple of posters here. That doesn't constitute proof of anything. There may easily be another explanation. But it certainly looks odd.

[muppet]

I have posted the relevant legislation that appears to match the explanation given by a couple of posters here. That doesn't constitute proof of anything. There may easily be another explanation. But it certainly looks odd.

Not quite, the word I would use rhymes with conspiracy though.