Stephen Donnelly apparently driving with no motor tax for 8 months now

buried

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120636703#Comment_120636703

Everybody is regressing to "vapid morons" because journalism has gone to the complete dogs? Don't think so.

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120634356#Comment_120634356

Nah its just paddy grinding his petty narcissistic hypocritical axe

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120636894#Comment_120636894

He's obsessed with his personal vendettas. Very sad really.

Hellrazer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120634858#Comment_120634858

He probably tried to tax it on the 31st September.

davetherave

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120636164#Comment_120636164

I'm reading the small print in the policy booklet from Liberty here Gerry, and doing a Control+F to find "Tax" only returns results about the cost and value of a new car replacement. There is a fairly comprehensive list of what they wont cover, the likes of Theft if the keys are left unattended in the ignition, damage due to wrong fuel, unaccompanied learner driver, no valid NCT but there's no mention of valid Motor Tax.

Having a look through Zurich and Axa booklets as well, neither of them explicitly state that you won't be covered if Motor Tax is not in place.

lizzyjane

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120635599#Comment_120635599

The story says he hasn't paid his road tax in the past 8 months not that he has forgot to put his new tax disc on the windscreen. But well done in trying to downplay it.

Overheal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120637650#Comment_120637650

A report which is entirely lacking in receipts for that claim, or explanation for that claim. But well done in trying to guzzle it like Koolaid (am I doing this right?)

Potential-Monke

Remember people, some of the biggest criminals got caught because of something minor... Yes, it's minor, but as a public representative earning north of €150k with expenses, who gets a TAA allowence of €25k a year, potentially failed to pay ~€113 to legally tax his vehicle (or his wifes, whatever). Shocking really. Just bangs of superiority to me. Someone in his position needs to be better. As they say, if he forgets to do something as simple as this, what else could be going on! If only I cared. They live in a different world to me.

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120637650#Comment_120637650

There is no public searchable database to see if someone has paid their car tax or not. The Gardai obviously can spot check cars via plate lookup and certain select industries may have access to one like insurance providers but I'd guess they have restrictions on who they can look up and for what reason, so either the ditch obtained this info in a very questionable way or they just looked at his disc. They have yet to provide specific details so we do not know which it was.

_Kaiser_

The comments in this thread are hilarious - not a big deal, Russian websites, nothing bigger to go after etc.. Deflect, deflect deflect! It's so bloody obvious and transparent every time a government minister is caught out (if indeed this story is true).

The point of course is that it is a legal requirement to have valid tax on a car and for that disc to be displayed. Plenty of posts on the Garda twitter account about cars being seized for no tax/NCT/insurance and rightfully so.

From one of the posts earlier, the amount owed annually on the car in question is a pittance so either this story isn't true, the disc is sitting in an envelope on his desk somewhere, or he didn't bother - and neither of the last 2 are an acceptable defence in law.

The same posters dismissing this as a non story are then asking why they don't go after his performance in Health. Hilarious contradiction. Again, assuming it's true, it shows an attitude of "who cares" and being above these trivialities - which in fact explains his performance in Health as well!

I've no interest in who's behind the site/report if it's accurate. We know we won't see something like this on the IT or Indo site (unless of course it blows up into a bigger story at which point they'll have no choice but to cover it).

The only ones needing to "try harder" here guys are the usual "nothing to see here" types who would be all over it if it was a minister in a party they don't like, or just an ordinary Joe who shows up on the aforementioned garda twitter (a lot of posts on those want to see cars crushed even!).

So, assuming the report is true, fair play to the Ditch for calling it out.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120637816#Comment_120637816

So several times you yourself questioned the veracity of the claims but are bemoaning the fact the IT or the Independent have not published the claims.

Personally I would prefer journalism to have corroboration based on fact and evidence.

Some lad on the internet claims to have saw something probably doesn't meet that threshold.

I'm not really aware of this blog TBH, it seems to be financed by that lad who threw his toys out of the pram because he didn't get what he wanted to hold his nerd festival in Dublin, would that be accurate?

Vindictiveness wouldn't really lend itself to impartial journalism either, IMHO.

BrianD3

Since the switch to email motortax notifications it is easy enough to forget to tax your car - still, it's up to Donnelly not to forget especially given his position as a legislator and senior member of the government. He needs to be squeaky clean when it comes to paying all his taxes. Also, I bet he doesn't forget to claim any allowances and expenses due to him. A lot of politicians seems to suffer from selective amnesia.

He needs to tax his car now and pay the arrears and NOT change the ownership to someone else and back again to wipe the arrears.

As for this continued deflection about "maybe the car is taxed but he forgot to put the disc n the windscreen", as I said already, any person who knows the reg of any car can check if it is taxed using the adverts.ie app or by paying ~35 euro to cartell/motorcheck/mywheels.

PS I worked in the public service for years and some colleagues who were claiming travel expenses for work related journeys would regularly forget to pay their motor tax. Some would blatantly use a 3 months on, 2 months off tactic . Others didn't have the correct (business use) insurance in place. Eventually there was a clampdown of sorts but only after staff had deprived the state of thousands in motor tax due to it while simultaneously claiming generous travel rates from the same state. Was it acceptable that that was allowed to happen?

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120637670#Comment_120637670

Remember people, some of the biggest criminals got caught because of something minor.

Steady on. You seem to suggesting he has committed more serious crime?

Do expand.

Cluedo Monopoly

I love how much the FFG fanboys hate the Ditch. It's absolutely fascinating to see how they react to threats against the establishment power swap.

This blaming the messenger mindset used to happen with the big newspapers too. If any of them criticised the FFG elites, the reporter who wrote the article would be chastised and damned.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120637902#Comment_120637902

Stephen Donnelly is an absolute fanny goat, who would barely be able for assistant manager in a less busy Supermacs.

Am I a FFG fanboy?

😕

 threats against the establishment power swap

Turkey Tinfoil.

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120637902#Comment_120637902

Im not a FG fanboy, I wont be voting for any of the larger parties come next election, I just despise the massive hypocrite and narcissist that is paddy cosgrave.

Cyrus

you would want some neck to be a cofounder of that 'news' outlet with this hanging over you to run a story about a 100 euro tax disc being out

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/journalist-ordered-to-vacate-home-over-nearly-50000-in-unpaid-rent/42296150.html

the ditch is only of value as an amusing sidebar to the paddy cosgrave show, i hope he continues to put a million a year into it until it runs out.

bluedex

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120637650#Comment_120637650

OMG.... really??? What's the world coming to!!!

I think I need to emigrate.

Weepsie

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120637902#Comment_120637902

Never ever voted for ffg, but paddy Cosgrave is a whiny self entitled little **** and that's enough to dislike he ditch

GreeBo

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120637670#Comment_120637670

Or, now bear with me here, he forgot?

pjordan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120637979#Comment_120637979

Shades of Citizen Kane: "You're right, I did lose a million dollars last year. I expect to lose a million dollars this year. I expect to lose a million dollars *next* year. You know, Mr. Thatcher, at the rate of a million dollars a year, I'll have to close this place in... sixty years."

Seth Brundle

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120637885#Comment_120637885

Is the car his or his wifes? I've no idea when my wife's motor tax is due or whether it is up to date but by your logic, I'd be responsible if she somehow let it lapse.

elperello

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120637932#Comment_120637932

Except not many Supermac ass. managers have a master's in public administration from here.

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harvard_Kennedy_School

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120638074#Comment_120638074

LOL its not even his own car and its actually registered to his wife? Jesus christ this is the same petty shenanigans as them going after leo's partner. Considering how much paddy likes to go on about his own families privacy he's some fvcking hypocrite when it comes to everyone else's family.

DownByTheGarden

He should turn hos wife in :)

Jesus I better check tht my wife has taxed her car.

Donnelly is s turd, but that doesnt make him responsible for his wifes car tax.

Hellrazer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120638139#Comment_120638139

Maybe not but as a public representative his taxes and those of his immediate family should be squeaky clean.

Its not about the 190 euros or whatever it is - its about transparency and having certain standards and those standards should apply to his immediate family as well.

For an ordinary person it doesnt matter one bit but when you are a senior government official everything should be above board.

BrianD3

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120638074#Comment_120638074

Regardless of who it is registered to, it is the driver's responsibility to check that a car is taxed before driving it on a public road. According to The Ditch

"Donnelly was seen driving the vehicle on a public road in Kilcoole, county Wicklow last Friday evening despite it not having motor tax for almost eight months"

If he drove his own untaxed car, he is in the wrong. If he drove his wife's untaxed car, he's still in the wrong.

Cyrus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120638062#Comment_120638062

i doubt Paddy has 60 years worth!

VinLieger

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120638334#Comment_120638334

We dont know how much filthy blood soaked qatari money hes been given to hold a web summit there

c.p.w.g.w

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120634705#Comment_120634705

But as a TD he should be held to a higher standard...it's the people who need their car for work who are the ones who might genuinely forget, but might still lose their car for a bit... depending on the guard you get