Spotlight BBC1 now - Stormont MLAs rent scams

[Hereiam]

U talk about protecting public money. The small amount of money taken from here goes into fighting foreign wars. Its british money that is been wasted. Will the bbc air this over in england. Dam sure they wont.

[T Fearon]

To use Gerry Adams words loosely,none of those bastards will be broke

[Minder]

Police to investigate £700k getting paid to Sinn Fein MLAs for research from a company owned by the parties finance team

[LeoMc]

Police to investigate £700k getting paid to Sinn Fein MLAs for research from a company owned by the parties finance team

I missed the start of the show adn had thought they were talking about claims for Repetitive Strain Injury 

[Tony Baloney]

Merely supplementing the average industrial wage.

[LeoMc]

Merely supplementing the average industrial wage.

without even realising they were doing it!

[Minder]

What were they researching for that sort of dough, the cure for cancer ?

[LeoMc]

What were they researching for that sort of dough, the cure for cancer ?

They, like Arlene & Wee Ian, Robin Newton & David McIlveen were researching how far rules could be bent without breaking them. RSI & Willie Hayes Fuels appear to have found out that breaking point is somewhere around forging signatures.

[armaghniac]

In fairness to these folk on the Hill, they do ensure that their families are not unemployed.

[Tony Baloney]

In fairness to these folk on the Hill, they do ensure that their families are not unemployed.

Good point. Left-wing and right-wing side by side at the trough. Cosy.

[armaghniac]

In fairness to these folk on the Hill, they do ensure that their families are not unemployed.

Good point. Left-wing and right-wing side by side at the trough. Cosy.

Why not? The left wing believe in reducing unemployment and the right wing in grabbing dosh for yourself.

[orangeman]

Why are SF selling £10 tickets ?. Cash expenses for those on lower incomes ?. You'd wonder why they go to the bother when they're getting all this money plus all the $ in USA as well.

[Applesisapples]

Lets get a bit of perspective here, as with the last programme Spotlight has cobbled together a few bits and pieces to create a story. Relying on Davy Hyland who fell out with the Shinners after being stood down as an MLA is par for the course with this programme which uses dubious sources with their own private agendas to create stories. At least the Shinners were using the cash to the advantage of their constituents by providing additional workers, albeit to the electoral benefit of the party. There is no evidence of the UUP or the Stoops who were also paying money into party funds doing likewise. The bottom line is there are expenses due for mileage if an MLA chooses to take 50% and give 50% to the party that is his prerogative. The £700K claimed by the Shinners for research is a sensational number but to my knowledge it spanned several years. Again they are entitled to claim these expenses. The Debate though should be whether the expense paid which are in line with the Civil Service are too high. Undoubtedly yes. There needs to be a route and branch revision of wages and expenses to civil servants which are heading towards 30% higher than the average private sector wage. Meanwhile nurses who are paid a pittance compared with the work they have to do and who are put under severe pressure by a fat-cat management saving money by cutting frontline staff are insulted with 1% but only if they are at the top of their band. Now there is a story Spotlight should investigate.

[muppet]

Lets get a bit of perspective here, as with the last programme Spotlight has cobbled together a few bits and pieces to create a story. Relying on Davy Hyland who fell out with the Shinners after being stood down as an MLA is par for the course with this programme which uses dubious sources with their own private agendas to create stories. At least the Shinners were using the cash to the advantage of their constituents by providing additional workers, albeit to the electoral benefit of the party. There is no evidence of the UUP or the Stoops who were also paying money into party funds doing likewise. The bottom line is there are expenses due for mileage if an MLA chooses to take 50% and give 50% to the party that is his prerogative. The £700K claimed by the Shinners for research is a sensational number but to my knowledge it spanned several years. Again they are entitled to claim these expenses. The Debate though should be whether the expense paid which are in line with the Civil Service are too high. Undoubtedly yes. There needs to be a route and branch revision of wages and expenses to civil servants which are heading towards 30% higher than the average private sector wage. Meanwhile nurses who are paid a pittance compared with the work they have to do and who are put under severe pressure by a fat-cat management saving money by cutting frontline staff are insulted with 1% but only if they are at the top of their band. Now there is a story Spotlight should investigate.

Which brings us back to the MLAs again: http://www.csp.org.uk/news/2014/10/30/northern-ireland-nhs-pay-decision-comes-csp-criticism

[Minder]

Lets get a bit of perspective here, as with the last programme Spotlight has cobbled together a few bits and pieces to create a story. Relying on Davy Hyland who fell out with the Shinners after being stood down as an MLA is par for the course with this programme which uses dubious sources with their own private agendas to create stories. At least the Shinners were using the cash to the advantage of their constituents by providing additional workers, albeit to the electoral benefit of the party. There is no evidence of the UUP or the Stoops who were also paying money into party funds doing likewise. The bottom line is there are expenses due for mileage if an MLA chooses to take 50% and give 50% to the party that is his prerogative. The £700K claimed by the Shinners for research is a sensational number but to my knowledge it spanned several years. Again they are entitled to claim these expenses. The Debate though should be whether the expense paid which are in line with the Civil Service are too high. Undoubtedly yes. There needs to be a route and branch revision of wages and expenses to civil servants which are heading towards 30% higher than the average private sector wage. Meanwhile nurses who are paid a pittance compared with the work they have to do and who are put under severe pressure by a fat-cat management saving money by cutting frontline staff are insulted with 1% but only if they are at the top of their band. Now there is a story Spotlight should investigate.

Sensationalist ? It is what it is, £700k over 10 years for "research" to a company owned by SF

Do you not see anything wrong with that?

Conall McDevitt resigned for a lot less