John O'Donoghue and his travel spending spree

Liam Byrne

Here's something that I started wondering while watching Vincent Browne tonight.

1) How long has JO'D been elected ?
2) Including wages, expenses and pensions (current and assuming he lives to a relatively average ripe old age), how much will he have cost us in total ?

And that leads to question 3 :

3) Will he have been worth that ?

Yes, this equation could be levelled at many of the wasters in Dail Eireann, but considering that JO'D has taken it on himself to significantly add to the cost of "employing" him, it's relevant and worth working out a benchmark so that we can finally scuttle the fiction that ANY of these guys are worth ANYWHERE NEAR what [ they decide ] that we pay them.

turgon

Indeed. Presumably if he stays on as CC until the end, he wont have to contest his seat. But if a new CC is elected before the next election is called, he will. A true FF Man. Making off with the only lifeboat left in the Dail.

john-joe

Pride Fighter wrote: »

Open the champagne, he is gone.

hope you have similar taste to JOD :-)

Kristal all the way...........:p:p:p:p

only difference is only one pays the bill here.........:mad:

Trotter

turgon wrote: »

Indeed. Presumably if he stays on as CC until the end, he wont have to contest his seat. But if a new CC is elected before the next election is called, he will. A true FF Man. Making off with the only lifeboat left in the Dail.

Seriously though, does his resigning next week give a serious insight into the inner thoughts of Dáil Éireann and reveal that they expect a general election to be called over the next week? It would seem his self preserving actions are leaving that particular cat out of a greenish coloured bag.

av8rirl

jank wrote: »

Suppoesedly Gormley has met Cowen twice today to discuss the PFG. Those meetings musn't have gone well so there is a real possibilty that the government will fall this weekend. JOD probably knows this and is pulling one last cute 'hore stroke on us all.

FG should push for a motion tomorrow, make JOD call his bluff and see if FF vote for their man.

As the saying goes "We can do this the easy way or the hard way..."

Maybe its not a JOD cute hoor stroke at all... is it not more conceivable that its a Cowen and FF move to boost their numbers if it does come to a general election? If things went better for them in an election than the public mood predicts, the one definite seat might be a big deal?

Thread Hijack
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Regarding Enda Kenny's inability to put down the motion... who is really surprised?? He is an uninspiring, uncharismatic TD with no hard edge. FG needs a new leader... someone like Leo Varadkar who seems to be a decent speaker and not afraid to rock the boat!
_______________________________________
Thread Hijack Over!

Darragh29

Trotter wrote: »

Seriously though, does his resigning next week give a serious insight into the inner thoughts of Dáil Éireann and reveal that they expect a general election to be called over the next week? It would seem his self preserving actions are leaving that particular cat out of a greenish coloured bag.

I imagine Cowen and Fianna fail will hope that the departure of this ignornant oaf from office might act as a lightening rod of sorts for the immeasurable rage and fury out there now against the political class of Ireland at the moment.

Liam Byrne

Darragh29 wrote: »

I imagine Cowen and Fianna fail will hope that the departure of this ignornant oaf from office might act as a lightening rod of sorts for the immeasurable rage and fury out there now against the political class of Ireland at the moment.

I was looking for a boards tag to create a drop-down list, but all I could find was the bold tag......

But you could have a point; I mean, Bertie's still in office, isn't he ?

When will Irish people learn that these things have to be followed through, with the white-collar offenders fined, possibly jailed where appropriate, and banned from positions of any power whatsoever, before we even consider voting for the parties that shelter them, or claim that they're "honourable" and thank them for their [sic] "service" ?

aidan24326

It's certainly a bit odd that he announced he would resign next week. Why next week? What's wrong with now?

BTW, does this mean he's resigning as a TD or just resigning as Ceann Comhairle?

kerry4sam

aidan24326 wrote: »

... BTW, does this mean he's resigning as a TD or just resigning as Ceann Comhairle?

As far as I know at the moment John O Donoghue has only issued a 1-line statement to the media stating that he will resign next week (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1006/breaking67.htm). This leaves him with options until next Tuesday as to whether to just resign his seat as Ceann Comhairle and remain as a back-bench TD - I would imagine he won't be getting any top-portfolio any time soon :pac: or else to resign from both. If I were a serious betting woman I would say that he will remain on as a back-bench T.D. and serve out his tenure that the people of SouthKerry voted him in to serve at the last G.E. i.e. as a T.D. He probably won't mind not being in the spot-light for a while anyways I would say.

Darragh29

kerry4sam wrote: »

As far as I know at the moment John O Donoghue has only issued a 1-line statement to the media stating that he will resign next week (http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1006/breaking67.htm). This leaves him with options until next Tuesday as to whether to just resign his seat as Ceann Comhairle and remain as a back-bench TD - I would imagine he won't be getting any top-portfolio any time soon :pac: or else to resign from both. If I were a serious betting woman I would say that he will remain on as a back-bench T.D. and serve out his tenure that the people of SouthKerry voted him in to serve at the last G.E. i.e. as a T.D. He probably won't mind not being in the spot-light for a while anyways I would say.

With any luck at all, by Saturday evening him, along with the rest of the treble chinned parasites in Fianna Fail will get booted out onto Kildare Street on their fat arses. There is no way this man would have the honour to stand down as a TD, think of all the UNVOUCHED expenses he can still claim.

Liam Byrne

He shouldn't be ALLOWED have the "options"; he's milked it in two positions already!

Anything less than a 100% pack-your-bags resignation will be a two-fingers to the Irish people by JO'D and FF.

Ideally (and in any normal job or society) it'd be a firing to abuse an expenses system this much, not a FAS-style "resignation" or "step down".

Any if anything less is accepted by FG or Labour, then they, too, can say goodbye to my vote at the next election, because it will show that they have no interest in doing what's right.

Amhran Nua, you might have a vote from here yet!

Darragh29

Liam Byrne wrote: »

He shouldn't be ALLOWED have the "options"; he's milked it in two positions already!

Anything less than a 100% pack-your-bags resignation will be a two-fingers to the Irish people by JO'D and FF.

Ideally (and in any normal job or society) it'd be a firing to abuse an expenses system this much, not a FAS-style "resignation" or "step down".

Any if anything less is accepted by FG or Labour, then they, too, can say goodbye to my vote at the next election, because it will show that they have no interest in doing what's right.

Amhran Nua, you might have a vote from here yet!

+1, and Enda Kenny made look like an absolute poodle today, Gilmore stepped up to the mark and basically said, "you have to go or we're going to get rid of you"...

That's what we need a lot more of now, no more dithering and bullsh*tting about committees, commsssions, task forces, review groups or the likes, it's this simple, "you've f*cked up, now f*ck off"...

Darragh29

nesf

Trotter wrote: »

Seriously though, does his resigning next week give a serious insight into the inner thoughts of Dáil Éireann and reveal that they expect a general election to be called over the next week? It would seem his self preserving actions are leaving that particular cat out of a greenish coloured bag.

Yes and no. I think FF don't expect a full term at best so they are covering their bases and know that the rank and file don't want J O'D's expenses thrown back at their faces when they go looking to be reelected in what looks to be the most hostile electorate to FF since the party's foundation. Christ, I'd say many of the rank and file TDs would string up, tar and feather Bertie if given the chance right now.

Liam Byrne

nesf wrote: »

Christ, I'd say many of the rank and file TDs would string up, tar and feather Bertie if given the chance right now.

Holy ****! Some FF members want to do something that I want them to do, and would pay to see ???? That's a first !!!!!

deadhead13

When O'Donoghue leaves the office of Ceann Comhairle and returns to the backbenches he will be "compensated" and get a parachute payment. I don't know how much, but I'm sure it will pop up in the papers over the next few days. Our politicians really know how to look after themselves, don't they.

Biggins

aidan24326 wrote: »

It's certainly a bit odd that he announced he would resign next week. Why next week? What's wrong with now?

BTW, does this mean he's resigning as a TD or just resigning as Ceann Comhairle?

As has been stated a number of times already in this thread: Over the weekend, the Greens are taking a vote, basically to see if they will continue down the road with the present Fianna Fail shower. Now knowing that they might pull out of government along come JOD supposedly offering to resign his post NEXT WEEK!
Why next week? Because he knows that if he can hang on till then, he automatically gets re-elected as a TD as a perk for the present position he has in the Dail at the moment.
Clever eh?
The man is a pure evil genius!

When O'Donoghue leaves the office of Ceann Comhairle and returns to the backbenches he will be "compensated" and get a parachute payment. I don't know how much

€50,000 to "re-adjust"

ISOLATED Ceann Comhairle John O'Donoghue will resign next week after being forced out of office over revelations about his lavish expenses.

In a terse one-line statement, Mr O'Donoghue announced that he would resign his position next week when he will make a statement to the House.
His late-night announcement came after a day of high drama in the Dail which left him facing a vote of no-confidence.
Mr O'Donoghue told the Labour Party he was going to resign at 2.30pm next Tuesday.
Labour, which had slapped down the motion of no-confidence in the chair of the Dail, accepted the offer.

The choice of next week would allow Mr O'Donoghue to be returned automatically to the next Dail, should Green Party malcontents pull the plug on the Government at a special meeting on Saturday.

If the Greens opt to continue in coalition, it will be Mr O'Donoghue's replacement who will be returned automatically.
But he is still expected to enjoy a severance package of up to €90,000 over the next two years.
Last night there was no indication whether Mr O'Donoghue (53) intends to contest the next election, although he has shown no sign of resigning his Kerry South seat to force a by-election.
Labour leader Eamon Gilmore had substantially escalated the pressure by telling Mr O'Donoghue his position was no longer tenable and putting forward a motion of no-confidence.

Mr Gilmore stunned the chamber into silence by telling the Ceann Comhairle that he had to go. As Mr O'Donoghue sat motionless, the Labour leader said: "A Cheann Comhairle, I regret to say this, but I consider that your position is no longer tenable.
"I think you will either have to resign or be removed from office."
A chastened Ceann Comhairle could only manage: "Thank you, deputy Gilmore."
Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny later followed suit by calling on Mr O'Donoghue to resign. The Ceann Comhairle was understood to have then made arrangements for his departure, including informing his family of his decision.

Within Fianna Fail, there had been no appetite to rally around Mr O'Donoghue's cause. Likewise, the Green Party was in no mood to back the Ceann Comhairle.
Mr Cowen had asked the Green Party three times if they could support Mr O'Donoghue in a motion of no-confidence.
While Mr Gormley was not going after Mr O'Donoghue's head, he told Mr Cowen his party could not back the Ceann Comhairle.
Mr Cowen had three talks with Mr Gormley: once in the Green leader's office; once in the Taoiseach's office; and once on the phone from Mr Gormley's house.
"On each occasion John Gormley said they could not vote confidence in Mr O'Donoghue," a spokesman for the Green Party said.
Finance Minister Brian Lenihan earlier told the Fianna Fail parliamentary party that Mr O'Donoghue should be allowed natural justice.

Mr O'Donoghue is expected to receive a severance package of up to €90,000 over the next two years. It would compensate him for dropping from a salary of €225,000, as Ceann Comhairle, to €100,000, as a TD, although the Department of Finance could not provide a figure last night.

He will also be entitled to a ministerial pension while sitting on the government backbenches, although its value will be cut by 25pc due to changes introduced this year.
Mr Cowen noticeably failed to declare that he had confidence in Mr O'Donoghue when pressed on the issue in the Dail yesterday. He merely insisted that the most appropriate forum to deal with the issue was the Houses of the Oireachtas Commission.
Mr Gilmore's dramatic Dail move forced Mr Kenny to hastily rush out and also demand Mr O'Donoghue's resignation.
But he denied that he had lacked courage in failing to raise the issue in the Dail, saying he had made his position clear on Sunday night and that he believed in giving people time to have their say.
"I felt it fair that he should have the opportunity to go before the commission. Circumstances have changed since then," Mr Kenny said.

The Independent: http://www.independent.ie/national-news/odonoghue-to-quit-in-expenses-scandal-1905981.html

Sherifu

Good riddance, some reform of expenses next please.

maxwell smart

Someone else mentioned it in an earlier, but here is the link to the story about JOD reclaiming a £1 donation to UNICEF. What a slime ball!!

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/ceann-comhairle-reclaimed-pound1-donation-to-charity-1905969.html

bugler

Parasite.

Biggins

The even sadder part is that Labour have accepted his scheme about going next Tuesday!
Come on! Even those in Labour are not that stupid, not to be able to see what he is up to!

..and now that he is going (hopefully) - he don't have to re-pay ANYTHING but instead actually gets MORE cash!

LOL

Crafty or what!!!!

bSlick

I think Gilmore did the Irish public a great service yesterday. I hope that he can finish the job now and demand JoD leaves immediately as it is obvious to the dogs on the street what this scumbag is up to, trying to remain as CC in the event that the government falls at the weekend.

Spiritoftheseventies

was listening to a vox pop on Morning Ireland taken from JOD's local last night. One constituent says O'Donoghue lives a very modest life style. Don't know what kind of lifestyle Tahiti princes have been living since the peoples revolution of ...!!!

bSlick

bSlick wrote: »

I think Gilmore did the Irish public a great service yesterday.

The cynic in me says Gilmore was just first off the mark, the end was evident since the morning and he may have been afraid the Greens would steal the show in a few days. I think that is more likely than he had a compete change of heart from the views he expressed a few weeks back.

deadhead13

bayviewclose wrote: »

was listening to a vox pop on Morning Ireland taken from JOD's local last night. One constituent says O'Donoghue lives a very modest life style. Don't know what kind of lifestyle Tahiti princes have been living since the peoples revolution of ...!!!

A "Witchhunt" is how most of them described the events of the past couple of months. That and all the good things O'Donoghue has done for South Kerry. It is a nailed on certainty if he has to stand in the next election he will be re-elected. Until the electorate hold politicans accountable for their actions, by voting the likes of O'Donoghue out, nothing will change because there is no real incentive to change.

Biggins

Deleted User wrote: »

The cynic in me says Gilmore was just first off the mark, the end was evident since the morning and he may have been afraid the Greens would steal the show in a few days. I think that is more likely than he had a compete change of heart from the views he expressed a few weeks back.

Labour won some points in finally calling for him to go - then they shot themselves in the foot by accepting that he allow himself to go on Tuesday! BIG oops!

Spiritoftheseventies

deadhead13 wrote: »

A "Witchhunt" is how most of them described the events of the past couple of months. That and all the good things O'Donoghue has done for South Kerry. It is a nailed on certainty if he has to stand in the next election he will be re-elected. Until the electorate hold politicans accountable for their actions, by voting the likes of O'Donoghue out, nothing will change because there is no real incentive to change.

Yes Leaders questions should be very interesting this morning. Too bad we wont get to hear Caomhin's sermon from the pulpit!

ednwireland

just saw this in the indo, the guy really does take the biscuit
I know that it was probably automatically added and he probably didnt think but he did mark other parts as official.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/ceann-comhairle-reclaimed-pound1-donation-to-charity-1905969.html

"JOHN O'Donoghue personally reclaimed a stg£1 donation he made to Unicef during a visit to Scotland.

According to his released documentation on expenses, the donation was added -- with Mr O'Donoghue's consent -- to his bill for a stay at the Sheraton Grand Hotel and Spa in Edinburgh earlier this year."

bugler

bayviewclose wrote: »

was listening to a vox pop on Morning Ireland taken from JOD's local last night. One constituent says O'Donoghue lives a very modest life style. Don't know what kind of lifestyle Tahiti princes have been living since the peoples revolution of ...!!!

JOD lives modestly, and Bertie says he "still has no money". There must be a lot of change down the back of their couches. That or the money fights at the FF shindigs have really got out of hand.

Spiritoftheseventies

Biggins wrote: »

The even sadder part is that Labour have accepted his scheme about going next Tuesday!
Come on! Even those in Labour are not that stupid, not to be able to see what he is up to!

..and now that he is going (hopefully) - he don't have to re-pay ANYTHING but instead actually gets MORE cash!

LOL

Crafty or what!!!!

What i read from Political Corrs remarks on the radio was that FF would not agree with JOD going immediately which is why Labour had to settle for him going next Tuesday. Not entirely happy about JOD making statement to DAIL next week as he has had enough opportunity to do that at this stage.
Tribune had to fight tooth and nail for that information at the end of the day and I think they and not political leaders should be getting the credit.