If Jackie Healy-Rae was running in Kildare (N or S) would you vote for him?

n97 mini

As per title. Assuming he was alive of course.

Explain why you would or wouldn't.

L1011

No, because I could see through the fake buffoon act (he was a skilled musician, middlingly successful businessman and knew exactly what he was doing to con votes out of people) and don't vote for crypto-FF politicians either.

john_johnerson

No. They are a good example of what is wrong with irish politics.

This election i will spend some time looking through the candidates and deciding who 'might' make a difference. I have no party allegiance and i regard the national greater good as more important than local promises.... a futile effort which really makes no difference but it makes me feel better.

Then what happens is a few thousand people in kerry vote in these morons. Similar situation with lowry in tipp. Now all of a sudden i have a few healy raes, a lowry, a wallace and a few more idiots and criminals representing me at a national level. Jokeshop.

We get the government we deserve they say. Now there is a phrase tha sticks in my craw.

VincePP

Anyone who says no doesn't know the healy raes.

Extremely hard working in every part of kerry. Yes, they like the "culchie" image they portray, but behind it is a very intelligent and astute family who work their butts off.

Its a dead cert that both will be elected, and if all politicians worked as hard and were as honest, its would be a great country.

Ps, i have a holiday home in kerry and have family there, so i see what they do for people 1st hand

L1011

Conniving things for your area with deals that screw the rest of the country might get you popular support but it's not something I'll vote for. Gregory was just as bad this side of the country

Stealthirl

No purely based on opinions regarding drink driving

galljga1

No.
I think they derive pleasure from being perceived as bumbling buffoons. Given their status, I would say they are anything but bumbling buffoons.
This middle of the day dinner eating plain people nonsense does not do it for me.
I find them embarrassing to be honest.

n97 mini

One constituency votes in the national interest, the other elects TDs on local issues. One constituency has no public swimming pool. The other has....

VincePP

Stealthirl wrote: »

No purely based on opinions regarding drink driving

But if you knew them you'd know that this was to garner publicity for issues of lonliness in very rural areas and was more to stop further closure of rural post offices than anything else (succeeded in that)

Always look beyond the soundbites of the Healy-Raes. Usually there's something of substance lurking there, but dressed up to get publicity.

Imagine if they just said that they didn't want more closures of rural post offices as it would mean less village chat - zero publicity. Dress it up and say that because of lonliness in rural areas peiple should have a special licence to drink a couple fo pints and drive home so that they can have some converstaion - and you get international headlines.

Yes, the jackeens think you are a buffoon, but the locals know exactly what its about. = Loads of votes and all politics is local.


If Healy-Raes were in Kildare, the M7 Upgrade would be finished by now.

Sam Kade

No, because he's dead.

Peppa Pig

VincePP wrote: »

and were as honest,

Honest - the guy who claimed €72 twice a week for train travel from Kerry to Dublin while having a free travel pass.
He scammed somewhere between 5 and 10 grand yearly, from the taxpayer, on this alone.

VincePP

Peppa Pig wrote: »

Honest - the guy who claimed €72 twice a week for train travel from Kerry to Dublin while having a free travel pass.
He scammed somewhere between 5 and 10 grand yearly, from the taxpayer, on this alone.

proof?

Free travel pass cannot be used at peak tmes and neither can it be used for travel to/from work. Using it for travel to work is against the terms and it can be consfiscated (and several have been confiscated for that reason)

In addition, it was confirmed that he did not have a pass, but sure people never want to know the truth when the soundbite is better.

L1011

VincePP wrote: »

proof?

Free travel pass cannot be used at peak tmes and neither can it be used for travel to/from work. Using it for travel to work is against the terms and it can be consfiscated (and several have been confiscated for that reason)

In addition, it was confirmed that he did not have a pass, but sure people never want to know the truth when the soundbite is better.

Peak time restrictions were removed by Seamus Brennan absolutely years ago. I'm pretty sure the other restriction doesn't exist either.

n97 mini

Peppa Pig wrote: »

Honest - the guy who claimed €72 twice a week for train travel from Kerry to Dublin while having a free travel pass.
He scammed somewhere between 5 and 10 grand yearly, from the taxpayer, on this alone.

This is fully of ironies. Instead of getting the state to pay for his train ticket, he got the state to pay for his train ticket. Presumably he produced the ticket as proof that he did actually buy it. In addition the state paid a state-owned company for the ticket.

Peppa Pig

n97 mini wrote: »

This is fully of ironies. Instead of getting the state to pay for his train ticket, he got the state to pay for his train ticket. Presumably he produced the ticket as proof that he did actually buy it. In addition the state paid a state-owned company for the ticket.

You are making the assumption that he bought a ticket, there is no proof for this, he did not have to produce any receipts.
He also was asked by the SIndo about travelling by car

Jackie Healy Rae has admitted that up until recently he has been driving to the Dail from his south Kerry constituency in the company of another Oireachtas member -- but he cannot say if they both claimed mileage expenses for their journey.

Sure he's as honest as the day is long.

Peppa Pig

VincePP wrote: »

proof?

Free travel pass cannot be used at peak tmes and neither can it be used for travel to/from work. Using it for travel to work is against the terms and it can be consfiscated (and several have been confiscated for that reason)

In addition, it was confirmed that he did not have a pass, but sure people never want to know the truth when the soundbite is better.

Ok, first of all a FTP is automatically issued, when you qualify for your pension. Back then it was the paper pass (with no photo as he was in Kerry), nowadays it is on the public services card.

There is also no restriction on travelling to work, tens (if not hundreds of) thousands of pensioners, disabled and carers use it for getting to and from work.

"but sure people never want to know the truth when the soundbite is better"

He also was part of the cronyism for his support for Bertie.
StateBoards

The Irish Independent has learned the six posts — worth tens of thousands of euro a year in payments and expenses — were a key part of the deals reached with Mr Lowry and Mr Healy-Rae to ensure their support for the Fianna Fail-Green Party coalition.

Certainly not illegal, but certainly not the way an honest politician is

n97 mini

Peppa Pig wrote: »

You are making the assumption that he bought a ticket, there is no proof for this, he did not have to produce any receipts.

I worked in the public sector for a number of years. When it came to travel if I wanted to claim for a train ticket I had to produce a train ticket, I couldn't just say that I travelled by train. Similarly if I booked a flight: no receipt, no payment. The only form of travel where you do not submit proof of the actual cost is private car, which is based on mileage.

If he claimed for train, he had to have a ticket to prove it, simples. Applies to all public servants, not just TDs.

If he wanted to milk it he could have just said he drove up and back in his own car. Back then that could have been worth €400 to €700 a pop, depending on what he claimed for (over nights etc). As he wouldn't have to prove it he still could have claimed this while getting the train.

L1011

TDs and senators had unvouched travel expenses in the past - that applied to tickets also. Gone now.

Mileage is meant to be checked against odometer to make sure it's genuine. Never seen it done though

Elemonator

I wish that Healy-Rae lot would **** off. They only care about Kerry and nowhere else. Imagine them running in Kildare?! They are just as incompetent as their quasi-FF forefathers. Doing the same thing again and again and expecting a different result is the definition of madness.

n97 mini

L1011 wrote: »

Mileage is meant to be checked against odometer to make sure it's genuine. Never seen it done though

Mine was never checked. And it didn't matter what I put on the claim form either -- if I drove from the Dublin to the Cork office, I was paid for 183 miles each way.

n97 mini

Elemonator wrote: »

They only care about Kerry and nowhere else. Imagine them running in Kildare?!

Imagine someone caring as much about Kildare! The DART would have been here years ago, and we'd have a swimming pool, a 24/7 garda station, a ring road, and probably a hospital in every town! Having all those things would be a living hell!

L1011

n97 mini wrote: »

Imagine someone caring as much about Kildare! The DART would have been here years ago, and we'd have a swimming pool, a 24/7 garda station, a ring road, and probably a hospital in every town! Having all those things would be a living hell!

With the council the way it is, we'd have all that - in Newbridge/Athy/Naas/everywhere except the four northern towns. Which actually have nearly all of that already.

One corrupt TD couldn't fix our clearly broken council

n97 mini

L1011 wrote: »

With the council the way it is, we'd have all that - in Newbridge/Athy/Naas/everywhere except the four northern towns. Which actually have nearly all of that already.

One corrupt TD couldn't fix our clearly broken council

True, all of it!

HonalD

L1011 wrote: »

With the council the way it is, we'd have all that - in Newbridge/Athy/Naas/everywhere except the four northern towns. Which actually have nearly all of that already.

One corrupt TD couldn't fix our clearly broken council

Interesting post - two things:

1. I challenge you to find something, apart from the swimming pool, that the northern part of the county wants that Athy has.

2. Who's the corrupt TD?

HonalD

Peppa Pig wrote: »

He also was part of the cronyism for his support for Bertie.
StateBoards
Certainly not illegal, but certainly not the way an honest politician is

I'd have to say that he has never been found to be anything less than honest. I don't agree with the "policies" he encouraged but unless I'm gravely mistaken he was never found to be dishonest. (You could argue he was nakedly honest.)

L1011

HonalD wrote: »

I'd have to say that he has never been found to be anything less than honest. I don't agree with the "policies" he encouraged but unless I'm gravely mistaken he was never found to be dishonest. (You could argue he was nakedly honest.)

Ahem, Dail phone to vote for his son on a premium rate line, denied it (but paid it back when caught rotten)

First thing off the top of my head.

Slimy, grabbing sleeveen; sons are the same. Due to his past allegiances and support for them in government you were basically voting FF but a million times worse.

HonalD

L1011 wrote: »

Ahem, Dail phone to vote for his son on a premium rate line, denied it (but paid it back when caught rotten)

First thing off the top of my head.

Slimy, grabbing sleeveen; sons are the same.

Correct me if I'm wrong but did anyone ever prove snr made the calls? I don't remember if they did.

As I did say, I'm not a fan but your quote above about them needs to be highlighted as it's embarrassing. If you don't like them fine, but name calling is disappointing.

L1011

HonalD wrote: »

Correct me if I'm wrong but did anyone ever prove snr made the calls? I don't remember if they did.

He paid them back. I think that's about enough proof we need.

HonalD wrote: »

As I did say, I'm not a fan but your quote above about them needs to be highlighted as it's embarrassing. If you don't like them fine, but name calling is disappointing.

I'm saying what nearly everyone outside of Kerry would agree with - no embarrassment there. They are a disgrace to politics and are likely to remain so - and that's saying something with the poor general standard of politicians here!

Peppa Pig

HonalD wrote: »

I'd have to say that he has never been found to be anything less than honest. I don't agree with the "policies" he encouraged but unless I'm gravely mistaken he was never found to be dishonest. (You could argue he was nakedly honest.)

What about the year he claimed for 190 trips from Kerry to the Dáil, yet the Dáil only sat for 75 days. His claim forms showed he had also claimed a longer trip than it actually was.
Or the time he admitted driving from Kerry with another member of the Oireachtas but refused to say if they both had claimed mileage.

The Healy-Rae clan guide to expenses

HonalD

L1011 wrote: »

He paid them back. I think that's about enough proof we need.



I'm saying what nearly everyone outside of Kerry would agree with - no embarrassment there. They are a disgrace to politics and are likely to remain so - and that's saying something with the poor general standard of politicians here!

Hold on, hold on. I hope I'm never in your court.

Just because he paid back the value of the phone calls doesn't = he did it. Your next sentence should be "I think that's about enough proof Ineed". It's not proof.

With regard to slander, politicans are democratically elected so just because you don't like them, doesn't mean they are open season. Whether we like it or not, we live in a democracy and whoever North Kildare elect will represent us. To then call them names is insulting to anyone who voted for them.

L1011

HonalD wrote: »

Hold on, hold on. I hope I'm never in your court.

Just because he paid back the value of the phone calls doesn't = he did it. Your next sentence should be "I think that's about enough proof Ineed". It's not proof.

It ceased the need to further investigate, which is a pity.

Would you pay back money you didn't owe?

Do you want to respond to the clearly dodgy travel expenses while still trying to claim honesty?

HonalD wrote: »

With regard to slander, politicans are democratically elected so just because you don't like them, doesn't mean they are open season. Whether we like it or not, we live in a democracy and whoever North Kildare elect will represent us. To then call them names is insulting to anyone who voted for them.

Politicians do not deserve deference solely by being elected. They can be a disgrace to politics despite being elected.