Martin Cullen and La Dolce Villa

mike65

Well for him *cough*

jhegarty

€120k a year to keep him 5000 miles away. Money well spent.

decies

Nice to see Martins health is on the mend.

washman3

Is this whats known as "wearing the Green jersey" :mad:

MitchKoobski

Daily Mail? Why bother.

dlofnep

Not that I agree with such a high pension, when the state is in ruins - but this is typical Daily Mail behaviour. Houses like that are a dime a dozen in Florida. I guess, he's entitled to live wherever he wants if he's retired. Would they have ran the article if he lived in some secluded 2 bedroom cottage in Roscommon on the same pension?

I'm not sure which annoys me more - politics, or the daily mail.

Smiley Burnett

Don't forget that he received a massive/record vote in Waterford in 2007 AFTER all the controversy surrounding him became PUBLIC knowledge.

Bit late to be grumbling now!!! Suck it up folks!!

Cabaal

Ah, good old Daily Mail sensationalism, houses like that in the likes of Florida are not all that uncommon,

Next the Irish Daily Mail will be saying that the Irish government should be rolling out a vaccine in Ireland and that its failing kids in Ireland because it didn't....and the English Daily Mail will say that that very same vaccine in the UK was dangerous and the government was endangering kids.

Oh wait...they already did that.
:rolleyes:

washman3

dlofnep wrote: »

Not that I agree with such a high pension, when the state is in ruins - but this is typical Daily Mail behaviour. Houses like that are a dime a dozen in Florida. I guess, he's entitled to live wherever he wants if he's retired. Would they have ran the article if he lived in some secluded 2 bedroom cottage in Roscommon on the same pension?

I'm not sure which annoys me more - politics, or the daily mail.

Maybe the Mail just highlights the fact that this charleten sat around a cabinet table for 14 yrs and made decisions that brought this country to its knees resulting in the arrival of the IMF here.
NO, he is not entitled to live where he wants if he's retired.
This guy and his ilk have serious questions to answer, and if the present or future governments ever sum up the courage to investigate them, maybe Mountjoy rather than Florida would be their new abode.
BYW a friend of mine lives in a 2 bedroom cottage in Roscommon.
His taxes help fund the oligarch lifestyle of the likes of this chancer.:mad:

dlofnep

washman3 wrote: »

Maybe the Mail just highlights the fact that this charleten sat around a cabinet table for 14 yrs and made decisions that brought this country to its knees resulting in the arrival of the IMF here.

No they didn't highlight that I'm afraid. This article is not about the political failings of him and Fianna Fáil as a whole (which there are many) - It's about sensationalism.

washman3 wrote: »

NO, he is not entitled to live where he wants if he's retired.

News to me.

washman3

dlofnep wrote: »

No they didn't highlight that I'm afraid. This article is not about the political failings of him and Fianna Fáil as a whole (which there are many) - It's about sensationalism.

Or is it about telling the truth...???
This guy played a major part in bankrupting this country, he has a case to answer. when he does this he is perfectly entitled to live wherever he wants.

Kristopherus

washman3 wrote: »

Or is it about telling the truth...???
This guy played a major part in bankrupting this country, he has a case to answer. when he does this he is perfectly entitled to live wherever he wants.

How do you know?

Silverado

Let's be realistic here. He is entitled to spend his retirement wherever he wants and because he has a bad back a warm climate is probably more therapeutic. So what if he bought a house cheaply in Florida, that is his choice and good luck to him. The Mail on Sunday must be seriously short of a decent front page story if all they can come up with is Cullen and the e voting (yawn) machines. It is quite pathetic and the editor should be reprimanded by his readers.

Now the bigger question is whether retired Government ministers should have a pension so large since we as a country are so broke is another matter. Cowan and Ahern both have pensions over €150,000 and they are the ones who really smashed our economy, not Cullen. Ahern in reality is lucky to be walking around a free man, not collecting a pension which could keep three or four Irish families. I think that it would give the Irish population great satisfaction to see them both on the dole.

The present government just won't bite the bullet on Dail pensions or salaries for that matter. They just seem to enter a bubble when they arrive in Dail Eireann and collect their pensions and salaries with glee while the Irish nation sinks around them.

FishBowel

Hope the roof blows off again.

Cabaal

washman3 wrote: »

Maybe the Mail just highlights the fact that this charleten sat around a cabinet table for 14 yrs and made decisions that brought this country to its knees resulting in the arrival of the IMF here.

errr...no it doesn't,

NO, he is not entitled to live where he wants if he's retired.

err, yes he is entitled to live where he wants
Unless there's some law that says otherwise, perhaps is this law made up in your head or something?

This guy and his ilk have serious questions to answer, and if the present or future governments ever sum up the courage to investigate them, maybe Mountjoy rather than Florida would be their new abode.

Maybe so, but he's innocent until proven guilty according to our legal system and unless you have a box of evidence you haven't given to anyone then your only assuming and speculating.

But luckily we don't have a system where you can just throw people in jail if you wanted without going to court etc,

You don't get to pick and choose how are laws are applied, we have a legal system and if you want to go after somebody then you use it.

Thankfully we have such restrictions, these don't restrictions of course don't exist in other country's which means governments can very easily jail opposition party members just because they say they have done something....no need for courts and all that silliness.

washman3

Silverado wrote: »

Let's be realistic here. He is entitled to spend his retirement wherever he wants and because he has a bad back a warm climate is probably more therapeutic. So what if he bought a house cheaply in Florida, that is his choice and good luck to him. The Mail on Sunday must be seriously short of a decent front page story if all they can come up with is Cullen and the e voting (yawn) machines. It is quite pathetic and the editor should be reprimanded by his readers.

Now the bigger question is whether retired Government ministers should have a pension so large since we as a country are so broke is another matter. Cowan and Ahern both have pensions over €150,000 and they are the ones who really smashed our economy, not Cullen. Ahern in reality is lucky to be walking around a free man, not collecting a pension which could keep three or four Irish families. I think that it would give the Irish population great satisfaction to see them both on the dole.

The present government just won't bite the bullet on Dail pensions or salaries for that matter. They just seem to enter a bubble when they arrive in Dail Eireann and collect their pensions and salaries with glee while the Irish nation sinks around them.

Cullen was a Fianna Fail TD when this country was destroyed by their policies, all of which he voted for.
The fact that he was a cabinet minister makes him even more responsible than the backbenchers as he was privy to all the important information and facts plus access to highly paid advisors.
Personally, i applaud the Mail on Sunday for this story. Long may they continue to expose these charletens and ram it down the throats of the clowns that voted for them.

wellboytoo

Begrudgery no other word for it.

Black Suir

jhegarty wrote: »

€120k a year to keep him 5000 miles away. Money well spent.

I never gave Martin a Number 1 or 2 vote, but where a person lives or does with his or her money is none of our business. The simple truth is that he was and is entitled to anything he got when he retired, and will for some time because no party in power will have the liathroidi to change the system. They will know that at the next election it is they that could be out on their ear and they will have what the likes of Martin Cullen has now. Until such time politions in the government partys stand up and make changes, things will remain the same. We get what we voted for, simple as.

Black Suir

Smiley Burnett wrote: »

Don't forget that he received a massive/record vote in Waterford in 2007 AFTER all the controversy surrounding him became PUBLIC knowledge.

Bit late to be grumbling now!!! Suck it up folks!!

What would that be. The only think i can think of is the story of the fellow that went on Liveline and said what he had wanted to. Was that story proved false and a number of people had to cough up for making a big thing out of nothing.

Black Suir

washman3 wrote: »

Or is it about telling the truth...???
This guy played a major part in bankrupting this country, he has a case to answer. when he does this he is perfectly entitled to live wherever he wants.

Can you prove this.

Black Suir

washman3 wrote: »

Cullen was a Fianna Fail TD when this country was destroyed by their policies, all of which he voted for.
The fact that he was a cabinet minister makes him even more responsible than the backbenchers as he was privy to all the important information and facts plus access to highly paid advisors.
Personally, i applaud the Mail on Sunday for this story. Long may they continue to expose these charletens and ram it down the throats of the clowns that voted for them.

Do you have the minutes of Cabinet meetings on your procession. If you have maybe you can show them up here. If you dont, how do you know that every FF, PD or Green TD that sat around a cabinet table all voted the same way in everything they did. I am sure that there was many split votes and in the end they did what the majoity of them voted for. Its what happen when you sit around a committee table. You might not agree with everything thats said or done, but you go along with it.

flynnlives

We are borrowing Billions, and yet Kenny & co are some of the best paid politicians in Europe, do you not see something wrong with people like Cullen, Ahern, Harney etc in receipt of huge pensions and salaries and we are told that they cant be touched.

Kenny earns more then Cameron AND Hollande yet there countries arent bankrupt!! its clear Ireland doesnt do reality!
Instead we do "do as i say, not as i do"

You can bet with access to the ESM they will still continue to borrow the Billions to fund their lifestyles and yet go after the very people who struggle day to day to pay.

So Yes instead of Voting YES we should as a nation have voted NO and forced the gombeens in power to actually wake up and take a cut that is equal to the people at the very bottom of society.

Its a fecking disgrace that the people who ruined and continue to ruin this country can live a lifestyle beyond most peoples dreams and we the people have to pay for it through Austerity measures.

abouttobebanned

He's come a long way since the chats I used to have with him in Bernie's video shop.

christmas2012

tax dodging should be criminalized..hes happy to profit in ireland and take money,but not happy to pay the taxes..the usual carry on from business class

dlofnep

christmas2012 wrote: »

tax dodging should be criminalized..hes happy to profit in ireland and take money,but not happy to pay the taxes..the usual carry on from business class

How is he dodging tax? Are you suggesting that anyone should be forced to live in Ireland? Christ, I hate Fianna Fáil as much as the next guy - but this is just absurd.

Black Suir

christmas2012 wrote: »

tax dodging should be criminalized..hes happy to profit in ireland and take money,but not happy to pay the taxes..the usual carry on from business class

How many U2 albums do you, your friends or those you know own. They are doing it with years, yet seen as some sort of gods, putting Ireland on the map etc.

gscully

I wondered how long it would take. Going off topic now, but get your facts straight. U2 are not dodging tax. They moved part of their business to Holland to avail of lower taxes. They still pay taxes in both Holland and Ireland. We didn't complain when the likes of Def Leppard moved here to avail of the low 'artist' tax. If there was a loophole we could exploit, we would do it. Don't hate the player, hate the game.

Cullen has every right to live in another country and invest his money as he likes. My only gripe is that he has a pension with such a high value when I've worked hard for the last fifteen years to see mine valued at around €10k per annum, or when the workers of Waterford Crystal got practically nothing. Cullen is a small part of a big dirty picture, but until things change, we just have to live with it. Sadly.

Tellox

Fair play to him, he's a gentleman, and did a lot of work for Waterford despite his Career being marred by false accusations over a number of years.

€120k/yr is a decent enough retirement package, which to be fair I think is quite low considering he had to deal with the bull**** and begrudging attitudes of the Waterford people as a whole for as long as he did. To be honest, in his position, I'd demand double before I'd even consider listening to the **** that some of you manage to come out with. Accusing him of tax dodging, stating he shouldn't be allowed to live in another country.. ****ing hell, I'm surprised you managed to turn on your PC and type that **** out.

Anyway, back to the point - fair play to him. I hope he enjoys himself over there.

Dan133269

Tellox wrote: »

Fair play to him, he's a gentleman, and did a lot of work for Waterford despite his Career being marred by false accusations over a number of years.

That's the biggest crock of shite I've read in a long time. The man is a disgrace, wasted 52 MILLION euro on electronic voting, then turned around and referred to it as "small change". Small change, which would have made a huge difference to those attending underfunded schools in his constituency and people travelling to Dublin for cancer treatment because there is no radiotherapy in the south east.

People were campaigning for a second bridge for a long time, it eventually came, built by public-private partnership and charging a toll allowing a private company to make a profit. People campaigned for a University? Did he deliver? He insulted everyone by telling people that the WIT was a University in all but name, and in his opinion it was just as good as a University. If so, why didn't he use his position to try and make it a University? He said these words at the same time Mary Hanafin said there was no plan to turn WIT into a University. So, not only did Martin Cullen not adhere to the principle of collective cabinet responsibility, he was prepared to patronise the people of Waterford by speaking to them out of one side of his mouth and speaking out of the other at the cabinet table.

What did he do for those who lost their pensions in Waterford crystal? Sweet fuck all.

He got money for the Viking Triangle, at a time when there was literally more money available for funding than at any time in the history of the State. That's the only good thing he did. He's a disgrace.

washman3

Tellox wrote: »

Fair play to him, he's a gentleman, and did a lot of work for Waterford despite his Career being marred by false accusations over a number of years.

€120k/yr is a decent enough retirement package, which to be fair I think is quite low considering he had to deal with the bull**** and begrudging attitudes of the Waterford people as a whole for as long as he did. To be honest, in his position, I'd demand double before I'd even consider listening to the **** that some of you manage to come out with. Accusing him of tax dodging, stating he shouldn't be allowed to live in another country.. ****ing hell, I'm surprised you managed to turn on your PC and type that **** out.

Anyway, back to the point - fair play to him. I hope he enjoys himself over there.

Is that you Monica?? thanks for the back-up....:D

Tellox

Dan133269 wrote: »

That's the biggest crock of shite I've read in a long time. The man is a disgrace, wasted 52 MILLION euro on electronic voting, then turned around and referred to it as "small change". Small change, which would have made a huge difference to those attending underfunded schools in his constituency and people travelling to Dublin for cancer treatment because there is no radiotherapy in the south east.

E-voting began development in Ireland in 2003, costing €51m over 6 years before it was scrapped, averaging at €8.5 million per year - or a total of 0.00402% of GDP. In other words, absolutely **** all.

People were campaigning for a second bridge for a long time, it eventually came, built by public-private partnership and charging a toll allowing a private company to make a profit. People campaigned for a University? Did he deliver? He insulted everyone by telling people that the WIT was a University in all but name, and in his opinion it was just as good as a University. If so, why didn't he use his position to try and make it a University? He said these words at the same time Mary Hanafin said there was no plan to turn WIT into a University. So, not only did Martin Cullen not adhere to the principle of collective cabinet responsibility, he was prepared to patronise the people of Waterford by speaking to them out of one side of his mouth and speaking out of the other at the cabinet table.

Yeah, I don't know if you realise this, but bridges and roads are actually pretty expensive to build, and aren't really decisions a minister can make by waking up one day and realising that driving to the IDA from Ardkeen is longer than driving through town, ergo, new road. It was amazing enough that the ring road was set up without any toll measures to begin with. The Bridge on the other hand cost an excessive amount to build, and considering the fact that there are other counties in Ireland (you know, the big ones, with jobs), it would have been extremely difficult to ensure it was fully government funded with no way to recoup those losses.

The WIT cannot become a university, because it is not at the standard of one. Too few PHD's, average facilities. Have a look at DCU/UCD/UCC. Those are Universities, and are in a class of their own compared to any IT in the Country.

What did he do for those who lost their pensions in Waterford crystal? Sweet fuck all.

The **** are you expecting him to do about it? He was a Minister, not your keeper. If a Company is shutting down shop, there's in reality, very very little that can be done about it.

He got money for the Viking Triangle, at a time when there was literally more money available for funding than at any time in the history of the State. That's the only good thing he did. He's a disgrace.

I would recommend then that you sign yourself to a political party, begin campaigning, get elected into a position of Ministerial Power, and try to turn the County around with whatever mystical money conjuring powers you believe would be bestowed upon you by the State. Keep in mind you have to keep doing this while idiots cry at you about how every little thing wrong in their lives is absolutely your fault.

I'm not a fan of politicians even in the most remote of senses, but whenever I listen to people crying about how their lives are miserable because of them, I suddenly find myself respecting them a lot more. Seriously, I wouldn't be a politician in this Country unless the wages were jacked up to at least double what they are now. At current rates, it's just not worth listening to this.