Sinn Fein? They have gone away, you know.

[Rossfan]

. I should of ignored you .

Lynchboy - that's a mortaler altogether 

[Maguire01]

I hadn't realised you were so sensitive. Or that it was so ignorant or bad mannered to debate a point.

Dont think I could ever be accused of sensitivity.
nope - bad manners to try to tell people what they mean or what they can or cannot write.
dont try and kid yourself you were indulging in debate. I should of ignored you rather than tried to take time and explain.
Others would have told you to f off.

You just have been.

[lawnseed]

" Figures released today by the Standards Commission show political parties disclosed donations worth just €33,606 for 2012.

Donations disclosed by the Socialist Party amounted to €24,600; Sinn Féin disclosed €6,000 and Comhar Chríostaí - The Christian Solidarity Party disclosed €3,006.

No other party disclosed any donations in 2012".

Does this mean that none of the SF TDs donate any of their Salaries to the Party ( other than the €6k - from Aengus I believe)?
Or else the Party made a false return? I would estimate that if they were keeping to their oft stated practice of donating anything above the average industrial wage to the party each TD would be donating about €20k per annum.

Nally/Lawnseed please clarify 

i'm not too well up in the donations dept (but i'd be willing to get any spare money) its hardly likely given the present shortage of spare cash that any party would get many donations

[lawnseed]

do you know that over 12000 people were employed in hydro powered mills on the bann river alone. that energy is still flowing except now we ignore it. infact given the higher rainfall.. well you don't need me to spell it out. to

Way ahead of you guys in the advanced South.  We have harnessed the power of the biggest river in the island and it is driving a massive 85MW turbine!

It's great carbon neutral energy at that massive level.  (Compared to paltry 915MW that Moneypoint produces down river). Now some critics point out that it dries up the fishing in around Limerick but sur' their loss is someone elses gain.  There's also a bit of flooding up river but again that most them backward crowd in Connaught...not a bit of harm to them.

So yes, if put a few hundred hydro stations on Ulsters rivers you will get thousands of Megawatts.  Note though it will have a massive impact on the fishing and tourism in the likes of Fermanagh.  (Then again Fermanagh consists of lakes and Protestants so Shinners may not be too bothered).  Also be prepared for the flooding upstream from the needed dams.  (Again maybe it could be arranged to divert to Protestant areas).....

They do you a disservice on this site, your hydro-electric scheme could be the blow for Irish freedom that 30 years of war never achieved.

Tiocfaidh ár thuile!

/Jim.

just a wee update on the hydro story. i'm told that a private company intends to reinstate the hydro scheme that used to drive the linen mill in gilford. there is almost a mile of mile-race to be re-excavated and decent sized water turbine to be fitted inside the beautiful existing mill building. what a great place for jim to move his 300 workers- into that building where the energy is cheap, theres ample free parking, good motorway/airport access and bringing vitality back to gilford. 

[Maguire01]

" Figures released today by the Standards Commission show political parties disclosed donations worth just €33,606 for 2012.

Donations disclosed by the Socialist Party amounted to €24,600; Sinn Féin disclosed €6,000 and Comhar Chríostaí - The Christian Solidarity Party disclosed €3,006.

No other party disclosed any donations in 2012".

Does this mean that none of the SF TDs donate any of their Salaries to the Party ( other than the €6k - from Aengus I believe)?
Or else the Party made a false return? I would estimate that if they were keeping to their oft stated practice of donating anything above the average industrial wage to the party each TD would be donating about €20k per annum.

Nally/Lawnseed please clarify 

i'm not too well up in the donations dept (but i'd be willing to get any spare money) its hardly likely given the present shortage of spare cash that any party would get many donations

Yes, but the question was in relation of the wages of the elected reps that are supposedly donated back to the party.

[lawnseed]

" Figures released today by the Standards Commission show political parties disclosed donations worth just €33,606 for 2012.

Donations disclosed by the Socialist Party amounted to €24,600; Sinn Féin disclosed €6,000 and Comhar Chríostaí - The Christian Solidarity Party disclosed €3,006.

No other party disclosed any donations in 2012".

Does this mean that none of the SF TDs donate any of their Salaries to the Party ( other than the €6k - from Aengus I believe)?
Or else the Party made a false return? I would estimate that if they were keeping to their oft stated practice of donating anything above the average industrial wage to the party each TD would be donating about €20k per annum.

Nally/Lawnseed please clarify 

i'm not too well up in the donations dept (but i'd be willing to get any spare money) its hardly likely given the present shortage of spare cash that any party would get many donations

Yes, but the question was in relation of the wages of the elected reps that are supposedly donated back to the party.

your aware that the wages are paid to sinn fein the party and the reps get their wages from sinn fein. so donations from reps are not necessary. personally  i've never been able to get a sinn fein rep to accept a donation

[Maguire01]

" Figures released today by the Standards Commission show political parties disclosed donations worth just €33,606 for 2012.

Donations disclosed by the Socialist Party amounted to €24,600; Sinn Féin disclosed €6,000 and Comhar Chríostaí - The Christian Solidarity Party disclosed €3,006.

No other party disclosed any donations in 2012".

Does this mean that none of the SF TDs donate any of their Salaries to the Party ( other than the €6k - from Aengus I believe)?
Or else the Party made a false return? I would estimate that if they were keeping to their oft stated practice of donating anything above the average industrial wage to the party each TD would be donating about €20k per annum.

Nally/Lawnseed please clarify 

i'm not too well up in the donations dept (but i'd be willing to get any spare money) its hardly likely given the present shortage of spare cash that any party would get many donations

Yes, but the question was in relation of the wages of the elected reps that are supposedly donated back to the party.

your aware that the wages are paid to sinn fein the party and the reps get their wages from sinn fein. so donations from reps are not necessary. personally  i've never been able to get a sinn fein rep to accept a donation

I think you'll find that the wages are not paid directly to the party.

[Rossfan]

I would expect that like every other Employer the Exchequer on behalf of the Govt pays salaries directly to the employees (the TDs) as obliged under Law.
What's the average per TD €96k.
Even if they have €46k in deductions that leaves 60k nett. Average Industrial wage( i.e production worker in private industry??) say 35k gross.
So does each of SF's TDs give €25k each to the Party?
Why aren't those declared?

[Ulick]

I would expect that like every other Employer the Exchequer on behalf of the Govt pays salaries directly to the employees (the TDs) as obliged under Law.
What's the average per TD €96k.
Even if they have €46k in deductions that leaves 60k nett. Average Industrial wage( i.e production worker in private industry??) say 35k gross.
So does each of SF's TDs give €25k each to the Party?
Why aren't those declared?

In the south the TDs pay salaries and expenses other Party activists, so avoiding the limit on political donations. In the north paid reps hand whole salary over to Party and take AIW in return.

[lawnseed]

I would expect that like every other Employer the Exchequer on behalf of the Govt pays salaries directly to the employees (the TDs) as obliged under Law.
What's the average per TD €96k.
Even if they have €46k in deductions that leaves 60k nett. Average Industrial wage( i.e production worker in private industry??) say 35k gross.
So does each of SF's TDs give €25k each to the Party?
Why aren't those declared?

In the south the TDs pay salaries and expenses other Party activists, so avoiding the limit on political donations. In the north paid reps hand whole salary over to Party and take AIW in return.

no no your wrong... maguire knows 'all' about sinn fein ...

[Maguire01]

I would expect that like every other Employer the Exchequer on behalf of the Govt pays salaries directly to the employees (the TDs) as obliged under Law.
What's the average per TD €96k.
Even if they have €46k in deductions that leaves 60k nett. Average Industrial wage( i.e production worker in private industry??) say 35k gross.
So does each of SF's TDs give €25k each to the Party?
Why aren't those declared?

In the south the TDs pay salaries and expenses other Party activists, so avoiding the limit on political donations. In the north paid reps hand whole salary over to Party and take AIW in return.

no no your wrong... maguire knows 'all' about sinn fein ...

Nothing Ulick said contradicts what I said. Do keep up.

[Maguire01]

Was listening to Nolan this morning - a few disgruntled SF supporters over the whole gay marriage debate, some even considering a vote for the DUP (although you might well take that with a pinch of salt). It does make you wonder couple of things:

1 - How many SF supporters agree with party policy on issues other than a united Ireland - there's definitely a bloc of Catholic SF voters there who would be very conservative and opposed to the party position on social issues.
2 - Whether SF's stance on this, the Marie Stopes vote, or X legislation will have any impact come election time.
3 - Whether all SF elected reps genuinely support such motions, or whether they're just following the party line/whip (comparison to SDLP here who don't seem to have a consistent party position on this - yaes, naes and abstentions).
4 - Why SF voters take a moral objection on these issues, yet seem to be otherwise comfortable supporting a party with such links to violence in the recent past.
5 - Whether there's a support base there for a right-wing/conservative non-unionist party in the north.

For what it's worth, i'd be fairly closely aligned with SF in terms of these social issues. It just does throw up some interesting questions.

[orangeman]

Ironic or what ?


SINN Fein leader Gerry Adams last night repeatedly denied any knowledge about a string of murders thought to have been committed by the Provisional IRA.



It came as Mr Adams attempted to clarify an apology that he made in the Dail in January this year to the families of victims of republican violence.

At the time he apologised to the families of Garda Jerry McCabe, Garda Ben O'Sullivan and the families of other members of state forces killed in the conflict.

"I'm very sorry for the pain and loss inflicted upon those families," he said.

However, when asked to clarify the apology in an interview with Miriam O'Callaghan on RTE's 'Prime Time' last night, Mr Adams issued a string of denials.

He denied being the final "court of appeal" in the suspected IRA murder of innocent farmer Tom Oliver in 1991. "Of course I deny it," he said.

Ms O'Callaghan put it to the Sinn Fein leader that it was widely believed that this was the case. Mr Adams then demanded to know the journalist's sources. He admitted that the killing was not justified.

Asked about the murder of the chief prison officer in Portlaoise, Brian Stack in 1983, Mr Adams said: "I don't know who killed him".

Asked about the murder of Garda Samuel Donegan, who died in a bomb blast after straying just over the border in 1972, he said: "I don't know who killed Garda Donegan".

He also accused those who said that he had ordered the killing of innocent Jean McConville in 1972 of "telling lies" and wanting him dead. "They thought I'd sold out," he said.

Mr Adams said he believed that any killing of a human by another human was "murder" and that the killing of agents of the state was wrong.

But he said that violence and killing was part of war. "I don't distance myself from the IRA. Until the day I die I will never distance myself from the IRA," he said.[/u]

[Nally Stand]

One thing I find ironic is that Miriam planted herself firmly in the "moving on" camp when 'her majesty' came to visit. Like most in the Dublin media, her willingness to "move on" is highly dependent on who she is talking to/about.

[Nally Stand]

Miriam's introduction to the show last night:

"The bloodshed is largely a thing of the past. However for those who were victims of that violence and their families, the pain and loss never goes away, and many are still seeking answers. No one has a monopoly on loss or grief in this bloody conflict. All sides suffered. Tonight though on Primetime, we are focusing on the actions of Republicans".

There's a shock  I think what she meant to say was "No one has a monopoly on loss or grief in this bloody conflict. All sides suffered - however only some of the victims matter here at RTÉ. So tonight on Primetime, we are, as always, focusing on the actions of Republicans".