John O'Donoghue -& his expenses

[mylestheslasher]

Overall Mr Dempsey has been responsible for costs of €38,000 during eight foreign trips since January last year.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/dempsey-splashed-out-836414000-on-limos-1923532.html

This will be the 1st of many of these reports. All these ministers are at the same hence the muffled response to the previous case. Many of the opposition were ministers once too and they are also afraid their skeletons will come out of the closet. Pathetic bunch of dicks.

[muppet]

The trouble with opposition is they are all as bad as FF . Since SF have never been in power down here they are about the only only with a clean bib when it come to this sort of thing anyway.

When we talk about ministers expences the only ones who were in a position to rack them up were FF, PD and GN. FG and Lab have been out of power for the entire boom. They are bound to have a clean sheet? Maybe the lure of a power and it's benefits are what is keeping them silent?

Not according to Newstalk and others. They where all at it they claim .

GaaBoard Breaking News:

The coalition has fallen.

GNevin has been spotted defending Fianna Fail without coalition partner Tankie. Rumours of Tankie being sighted on his way to the Park conflict with reports of him being on a Stagg in the Park.

[comethekingdom]

This is an absolute disgrace - these cnuts can more that afford to buy their own tickets to all these matches. Then, if they weren't given the tickets at the taxpayers expense they would probably never grace any of these events!



O'Donoghue given €498 rugby ticket

By Fiach Kelly and Edel Kennedy


Saturday October 31 2009

FORMER Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue was one of four people given free premium tickets to the rugby World Cup final at a cost of €1,700 to the taxpayer.

The cost was just for tickets to the match -- in which South Africa beat England in Paris -- and did not include flights and accommodation. The bill was footed by the Irish Sports Council, and Mr O'Donoghue was accompanied by council chairman Ossie Kilkenny and two others, whose identities have not been revealed.

The former Ceann Comhairle refused to return calls last night, while it was unclear if he was offered the tickets or asked for them. The latest revelation comes only weeks after the South Kerry TD resigned from his position as Ceann Comhairle amid uproar over the €550,000 in expenses racked up in his five years as Sports Minister and the €250,000 in his two years as Ceann Comhairle. His resignation came after details of years of lavish spending emerged.

At the time of the rugby final, which took place in October 2007, Mr O'Donoghue was Ceann Comhairle and had been moved from his previous position as Arts, Sports and Tourism Minister after the General Election that May.

The Sports Council could not explain why they paid for his tickets, given that he was no longer Sports Minister.

council chairman Ossie Kilkenny also refused to comment when contacted last night and refused to say who accompanied him and Mr O'Donoghue to the match.

Four tickets were bought for €1,678 -- two were in the most-expensive category for the game at €498, and another two were in the second-most-expensive one at €341.

Pool tickets for the match started at €10 and other tickets ranged in price from €100 upwards, according to the International Rugby Board.

Documents obtained by the Irish Independent under the Freedom of Information Act also show that the Arts, Sports and Tourism ministers since 2007 did not receive any free tickets. Details of expenses incurred by board members of the council show that former FAS chairman Peter McLoone -- as well as Maurice Ahern, brother of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern -- are among a number of board members who have been given free sports tickets in the last six years.

Mr McLoone, who is general secretary of the IMPACT trade union and is involved in negotiations on public-sector pay, and Mr Ahern availed of free tickets to sought-after events such as All-Ireland finals and Irish rugby internationals.

The tickets ranged in cost from basic stand prices to €300 packages. Mr McLoone went to see Ireland take on Argentina in the 2007 Rugby World Cup at a cost of €800.

Mr McLoone, who stepped down as a member of the Sports Council in September after a 10-year term, was given two free tickets -- and sometimes three and four -- to at least 25 sporting events since 2002.

Free

These included All-Ireland hurling and football finals, rugby internationals and soccer internationals. International rugby matches took up the vast majority of Mr McLoone's free-ticket allocations, and he attended almost every major home game over the last few years, including matches against England, South Africa, the All Blacks, France and other six nations teams.

Other allocations for matches do not say who they were given to but only say they were allocated to board members.

Mr Kilkenny, a well-known accountant, also received free tickets for a similar number of events, often for as many as four people, in his role as chairman.

Mr Ahern, who also recently stepped down after a 10-year term, attended less events than Mr McLoone but also took in rugby and soccer internationals as well as All-Ireland deciders. Mr Ahern said he was on five different committees for the council and the tickets were a small token for his efforts. He said board members forfeited their €7,000 allowance this year.

The spending details also show that board members were given Christmas gifts such as vouchers for top golf courses like Mount Juliet and Michelin-starred restaurants like Chapter One, as well as jewellery and gift vouchers. Others in receipt of expenses from the council include Kerry legend Mick O'Dwyer, who claimed thousands of euro of mileage, former Dublin midfielder Brian Mullins and head of the Special Olympics, Mary Davis.

The details also show that annual Christmas parties cost thousands of euro, including dinner at the Alexander Hotel in Dublin in 2007 for €2,949 and at the Conrad Hotel in 2006 for €6,176. Similar dinners at the Conrad in previous years also saw members who lived in the capital -- including Mr McLoone and Mr Mullins -- being put up in the hotel for the night.

- Fiach Kelly and Edel Kennedy

Irish Independent

[SLIGONIAN]

This is an absolute disgrace - these cnuts can more that afford to buy their own tickets to all these matches. Then, if they weren't given the tickets at the taxpayers expense they would probably never grace any of these events!



O'Donoghue given €498 rugby ticket

By Fiach Kelly and Edel Kennedy


Saturday October 31 2009

FORMER Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue was one of four people given free premium tickets to the rugby World Cup final at a cost of €1,700 to the taxpayer.

The cost was just for tickets to the match -- in which South Africa beat England in Paris -- and did not include flights and accommodation. The bill was footed by the Irish Sports Council, and Mr O'Donoghue was accompanied by council chairman Ossie Kilkenny and two others, whose identities have not been revealed.

The former Ceann Comhairle refused to return calls last night, while it was unclear if he was offered the tickets or asked for them. The latest revelation comes only weeks after the South Kerry TD resigned from his position as Ceann Comhairle amid uproar over the €550,000 in expenses racked up in his five years as Sports Minister and the €250,000 in his two years as Ceann Comhairle. His resignation came after details of years of lavish spending emerged.

At the time of the rugby final, which took place in October 2007, Mr O'Donoghue was Ceann Comhairle and had been moved from his previous position as Arts, Sports and Tourism Minister after the General Election that May.

The Sports Council could not explain why they paid for his tickets, given that he was no longer Sports Minister.

council chairman Ossie Kilkenny also refused to comment when contacted last night and refused to say who accompanied him and Mr O'Donoghue to the match.

Four tickets were bought for €1,678 -- two were in the most-expensive category for the game at €498, and another two were in the second-most-expensive one at €341.

Pool tickets for the match started at €10 and other tickets ranged in price from €100 upwards, according to the International Rugby Board.

Documents obtained by the Irish Independent under the Freedom of Information Act also show that the Arts, Sports and Tourism ministers since 2007 did not receive any free tickets. Details of expenses incurred by board members of the council show that former FAS chairman Peter McLoone -- as well as Maurice Ahern, brother of former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern -- are among a number of board members who have been given free sports tickets in the last six years.

Mr McLoone, who is general secretary of the IMPACT trade union and is involved in negotiations on public-sector pay, and Mr Ahern availed of free tickets to sought-after events such as All-Ireland finals and Irish rugby internationals.

The tickets ranged in cost from basic stand prices to €300 packages. Mr McLoone went to see Ireland take on Argentina in the 2007 Rugby World Cup at a cost of €800.

Mr McLoone, who stepped down as a member of the Sports Council in September after a 10-year term, was given two free tickets -- and sometimes three and four -- to at least 25 sporting events since 2002.

Free

These included All-Ireland hurling and football finals, rugby internationals and soccer internationals. International rugby matches took up the vast majority of Mr McLoone's free-ticket allocations, and he attended almost every major home game over the last few years, including matches against England, South Africa, the All Blacks, France and other six nations teams.

Other allocations for matches do not say who they were given to but only say they were allocated to board members.

Mr Kilkenny, a well-known accountant, also received free tickets for a similar number of events, often for as many as four people, in his role as chairman.

Mr Ahern, who also recently stepped down after a 10-year term, attended less events than Mr McLoone but also took in rugby and soccer internationals as well as All-Ireland deciders. Mr Ahern said he was on five different committees for the council and the tickets were a small token for his efforts. He said board members forfeited their €7,000 allowance this year.

The spending details also show that board members were given Christmas gifts such as vouchers for top golf courses like Mount Juliet and Michelin-starred restaurants like Chapter One, as well as jewellery and gift vouchers. Others in receipt of expenses from the council include Kerry legend Mick O'Dwyer, who claimed thousands of euro of mileage, former Dublin midfielder Brian Mullins and head of the Special Olympics, Mary Davis.

The details also show that annual Christmas parties cost thousands of euro, including dinner at the Alexander Hotel in Dublin in 2007 for €2,949 and at the Conrad Hotel in 2006 for €6,176. Similar dinners at the Conrad in previous years also saw members who lived in the capital -- including Mr McLoone and Mr Mullins -- being put up in the hotel for the night.

- Fiach Kelly and Edel Kennedy

Irish Independent

Wonder will use the excuse it was in the line of duty I had to go. But he cant use that excuse as he wasnt sports minister. The thing that pisses me off from his time of sports minister and all the sport events he went to, Id say he had a duty to be a feck all and just picked and chosed the ones that suited him. The Irish taxpayer gave him this ticket and with his wage its unreal cheek to accept it. Problem is we dont make the decision to give it to him. Our money is being spent without our consent.They have to change all the procedures of the expenses. Also the duties of these ministers and events there allowed should also be regulated. A total revamp and transparency. I want to see the new procedures...

[Zapatista]

This is an absolute disgrace - these cnuts can more that afford to buy their own tickets to all these matches. Then, if they weren't given the tickets at the taxpayers expense they would probably never grace any of these events!

We have been robbed.

Fair play ctk, is he in your constituency? The people of Kerry need to show their disgust at this more than anyone as he claims their support justifies his actions.

[comethekingdom]

Other end of the county I'm afraid Zap. I've never voted FF anyway - all a bundle of gangsters - the lot of them !!

[Zapatista]

He did nothing wrong. It would only be wrong if he were to do it after being caught.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/o-cuiv-defends-his-836420000--on-chauffeurs-in-two-years-1940264.html

Thursday November 12 2009

A GOVERNMENT minister spent €20,000 on chauffeur services while on foreign trips over the past two years.

Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs Minister Eamon O Cuiv racked up the bill during 12 of his 16 official trips abroad. The lavish spend on limousines, SUVs and other luxury chauffeur services included tips totalling €1,500 during three US visits.

Mr O Cuiv last night defended the amounts, but admitted some of the car hire was "very expensive" and that costs would have to be cut in future.

[Zapatista]

Senator Callely rejects Committee's findings

http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0715/callelyi.html

I wonder were he learnt these tricks?