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Why is there no official residence of the Taoiseach

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    #32
    osarusan
    Registered Users Posts: 16,642 ✭✭✭✭osarusan


    It was Guinness. I should know. I was there, gazing in admiration.


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    #33
    road_high
    Registered Users Posts: 19,417 ✭✭✭✭road_high


    Muahahaha wrote: »
    Well Farmleigh House is an official residence but he just chooses not to live there until now. Its fully set up for a Taoiseach to live there and handle foreign guests.

    Bertie Ahern paid IR£23m for Farmleigh back in 1999. Him and Fianna Fail basically used it for after hours piss ups when they got kicked out of the Dail bar at closing time. You'd have a fleet of ministers cars driving up to Farmleigh in the Phoenix Park in the wee hours so the drinking could continue. And no Fianna Fail piss up was complete until you had Brian Cowen slobbering Guinness all over his white shirt while giving a rendition of the Offaly Rover along with Mary Coughlan gazing on in admiration. Good times.

    Poor aul Brian Cowen. Bertie really did land him with the ****e.
    Think he’s recovering after his illness. Wonder how he’d have handled this crisis? Very differently to Varadkar I’d think


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    #34
    fly_agaric
    Registered Users Posts: 4,935 ✭✭✭fly_agaric


    Muahahaha wrote: »
    Well Farmleigh House is an official residence but he just chooses not to live there until now. Its fully set up for a Taoiseach to live there and handle foreign guests.

    Could he just decide to live in there full time...? :confused:
    Always thought expenditure on it was sold to us as being specifically for hosting foreign guests + their entourages.


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    #35
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    fly_agaric wrote: »
    Could he just decide to live in there full time...? :confused:.

    Theres a daily charge for him to use it, going by reports yesterday


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    #36
    Topgear on Dave
    Registered Users Posts: 4,548 ✭✭✭Topgear on Dave


    Is there two houses?

    Wiki tells me there Farmleigh house (official state guest house) itself and the Stewards lodge for the taoiseach on the grounds.


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    #37
    Guy:Incognito
    Registered Users Posts: 38,247 ✭✭✭✭Guy:Incognito


    Topgear on Dave wrote: »
    Is there two houses?

    Wiki tells me there Farmleigh house (official state guest house) itself and the Stewards lodge for the taoiseach on the grounds.

    It's a stately home. These places dont just have "a" house. Your home only having one building is for peasants. :D


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    #38
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,663 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    fly_agaric wrote: »
    Could he just decide to live in there full time...? :confused:
    Always thought expenditure on it was sold to us as being specifically for hosting foreign guests + their entourages.

    He could yeah but I think its about optics, no politician wants to get that lord of the manor tag from the media that Haughey had with his pile in Abbeyville. Also Leo already has has a penthouse apartment just 2 kilometres away from Farmleigh next to Coolmine train station. Bertie never lived there either, again optics as he had a house in Drumcondra.. Enda could have legitimately lived there being from Mayo but the optics of that when he was implementing austerity would have had him hounded by the media.

    Leo has just moved in there for the video conferencing but he has used it for piss ups in the past, the Fine Gael cabinet held their Christmas party up in Farmleigh, iirc the bill came to 4,500 for a 3 course dinner and wine, nice.

    Otherwise it is used for foreign dignitaries who are visiting Michael D, its just the media dont report on minor stuff like the president of Malta flying in for a visit but it goes on all the time- just look at his diary and theres a fair few minor dignitaries passing through there.


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    #39
    StackSteevens
    Closed Accounts Posts: 873 ✭✭✭StackSteevens


    biko wrote: »
    Give him a flat in Finglas and a leap card.
    Once politicians lives like the rest of us they will make decisions for the rest of us.

    Are you claiming that "the rest of us" all live in Finglas?

    If so, may I gently suggest that you visit your GP and tell him/her that you urgently need help.


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    #40
    StackSteevens
    Closed Accounts Posts: 873 ✭✭✭StackSteevens


    road_high wrote: »

    Poor aul Brian Cowen. Bertie really did land him with the ****e.


    Cowen was foolish enough to take the poisoned chalice, even though he knew - or should have known, if he's half as intelligent as was claimed at the time - that the sh1t was heading straight for the fan.


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    #41
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,663 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    JohnnyFlash wrote: »
    It was Heineken. Not Guinness.

    He was usually on the Guinness in Doheny and Nesbitts anyway. He loved the stuff so much he couldnt even wait for a pint to settle properly, he was straight in there like a savage.

    article-1313358-0B40413E000005DC-988_468x347.jpg

    A true pintman has patience to admire his pint while its settling. Not with Cowan, get the fcuk in there in case they close the bar was his kind of style.


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    #42
    StackSteevens
    Closed Accounts Posts: 873 ✭✭✭StackSteevens


    road_high wrote: »
    Perhaps but none of the great “change” mongers are queuing up for the job.
    That’s the problem with SF, great at elections and saying what should happen. Nowhere to be seen once the real work beckons

    They're getting great, uncritical coverage in the media at the moment as they have been given the role of official opposition spokespersons so are being contacted for a quote about everything under the sun!

    Meanwhile, the hapless Alan Kelly and the fence squatting Soc Dems are trying their very best to try to seem relevant over all the SF grandstanding!


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    #43
    Yurt2
    Registered Users Posts: 9,381 ✭✭✭Yurt2


    I'd have no objection to Farmleigh being used as the Taoiseach's residence full time. Better it be used as a home for the most important executive office in the land than a venue for pissups.


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    #44
    Amirani
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,524 Mod ✭✭✭✭Amirani


    biko wrote: »
    Give him a flat in Finglas and a leap card.
    Once politicians lives like the rest of us they will make decisions for the rest of us.

    He does live like us, he lives in an apartment in Castleknock.

    Are you saying Finglas is somehow more representative of Irish society or are you just having the usual dig at those of us from Finglas?


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    #45
    fly_agaric
    Registered Users Posts: 4,935 ✭✭✭fly_agaric


    Muahahaha wrote: »
    He could yeah but I think its about optics, no politician wants to get that lord of the manor tag from the media that Haughey had with his pile in Abbeyville. Also Leo already has has a penthouse apartment just 2 kilometres away from Farmleigh next to Coolmine train station. Bertie never lived there either, again optics as he had a house in Drumcondra.. Enda could have legitimately lived there being from Mayo but the optics of that when he was implementing austerity would have had him hounded by the media.

    That's interesting. Not sure if would be a very good idea even if there's a smaller property that the Taoiseach actually would be living in. How much use might they end up making of the staff there, the generous facilities available at the main residence etc. if living there full time as a matter of course?
    Could quickly become defacto "An Taoiseach's Mansion"/Big House. As per my other post IMO we have 1 politician provided with a big fancy house to live in by the state and that is enough. Optics can be important. We are not US/UK/France etc.
    Muahahaha wrote: »
    Otherwise it is used for foreign dignitaries who are visiting Michael D, its just the media dont report on minor stuff like the president of Malta flying in for a visit but it goes on all the time- just look at his diary and theres a fair few minor dignitaries passing through there.

    That's what I thought it was supposed to be for alright.


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    #46
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,663 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    fly_agaric wrote: »
    That's interesting. Not sure if would be a good idea even if there's a smaller property that the Taoiseach actually would be living in. How much use might they end up making of the staff there, the generous facilities available at the main residence etc. if living there full time as a matter of course?
    Could quickly become defacto "An Taoiseach's Mansion"/Big House. As per my other post IMO we have 1 politician provided with a big fancy house to live in by the state and that is enough. Optics can be important. We are not US/UK/France etc.
    .

    Theres the Stewards lodge on the grounds which is a lot smaller than the main house itself and thats where Leo is staying at the moment.

    Id have no problems with him or any Taoiseach living there permanently while in office. The house has to be constantly maintained and cleaned anyway by the Office of Public Works while it is mainly lying empty so those costs are incurred regardless. Once they paid benefit in kind tax for living there like the rest of us would have to then I dont see the issue really.

    Though I suspect it could be a headwreck for a Taoiseach to be living there next to the main house. After a hard days work the last thing you'd want is some minor Dutch royal who is 8th in line to the crown knocking your window wanting to shoot the breeze. Let Michael D deal with that sh1t.


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    #47
    Beechwoodspark
    Registered Users Posts: 15,682 ✭✭✭✭Beechwoodspark


    Just on enda Kenny as far as I know he has a centrally located apartment within walking distance of Leinster house. (I know the exact location but don’t want to put it on this)


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    #48
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,663 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    Beechwoodspark wrote: »
    Just on enda Kenny as far as I know he has a centrally located apartment within walking distance of Leinster house. (I know the exact location but don’t want to put it on this)

    Its on Fenian St and has been widely reported in the media and by himself to the register of members interests. The nearby Gingerman pub was his local in the evenings where Enda would have the laugh with students from Trinity. It might have even been the location where he met the man with two pints in his hand.


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    #49
    jippo nolan
    Registered Users Posts: 2,409 ✭✭✭jippo nolan


    Muahahaha wrote: »
    Its on Fenian St and has been widely reported in the media and by himself to the register of members interests. The nearby Gingerman pub was his local in the evenings where Enda would have the laugh with students from Trinity. It might have even been the location where he met the man with two pints in his hand.

    I thought yer man had 2 pints in each hand!


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    #50
    Heart Break Kid
    Registered Users Posts: 834 ✭✭✭Heart Break Kid


    PsychoPete wrote: »
    No , they should all have to live like the rest of us

    Off you go to and kick the old man in Phoenix park out.


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    #51
    StackSteevens
    Closed Accounts Posts: 873 ✭✭✭StackSteevens


    PsychoPete wrote: »
    No , they should all have to live like the rest of us

    Have you ever seen Mary Lou's mansion on the Navan Road? It's no wonder that Sinn Fein are so keen to abolish the Residential Property Tax!


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    #52
    newuser99999
    Registered Users Posts: 378 ✭✭newuser99999


    StackSteevens wrote: »
    Have you ever seen Mary Lou's mansion on the Navan Road? It's no wonder that Sinn Fein are so keen to abolish the Residential Property Tax!

    Gerry Adams doesn’t even know how many houses he has lol


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    #53
    flazio
    Registered Users Posts: 13,169 ✭✭✭✭flazio


    Not taking any political sides here, but home is where we all (used to) switch off from our jobs. Yes Boris lives in 10 Downing Street, but he's still the Prime Minister while he's in there.
    Having your work space away from home (when possible) is a good idea.


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    #54
    Muahahaha
    Registered Users Posts: 19,663 ✭✭✭✭Muahahaha


    flazio wrote: »
    Not taking any political sides here, but home is where we all (used to) switch off from our jobs. Yes Boris lives in 10 Downing Street, but he's still the Prime Minister while he's in there.
    Having your work space away from home (when possible) is a good idea.

    I think the set up at no.10 is that the PM has an apartment on the top floor of the building separate to the working part of the building.

    Interestingly there was a case here a few years back in one of the government departments where the OPW discovered an apartment on the top floor of the building that they knew nothing about, despite it being under their portfolio. Story was the entire top floor of the building wasnt lying empty and unknown to the OPW some Minister had ordered that an apartment be built, decorated and then he used it as his own bolthole while in Dublin.


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