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Pádraig 'Pee' Flynn at the Fianna Fáil Árd-Fheis in 1989: Flynn has this afternoon resigned his membership of the party. Eamonn Farrell/Photocall Ireland

Flynn joins Ahern in quitting FF ahead of vote to expel him

The former minister and European Commissioner resigns his membership of Fianna Fáil, joining Bertie Ahern on the scrapheap.

FORMER EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER Padraig Flynn has formally resigned his membership of the Fianna Fáil party, four days ahead of a vote to expel him from its ranks.

The former commissioner and cabinet minister this afternoon formally wrote to the party headquarters resigning his membership of the party.

Flynn joins former taoiseach Bertie Ahern and councillor John Hannon in resigning his membership of the party today.

He had been a member of the party for at least 45 years, entering political life as a member of Mayo County Council in 1967. He became a TD a decade later, and rose to cabinet ranks in 1982 before later being appointed European Commissioner for social affairs in 1993.

Flynn, Ahern and Hannon had been among the party members implicated in the final report of the Mahon Tribunal, published last week, and a vote on expelling them from the party was due at a meeting of the National Executive this Friday.

The report had said Flynn accepted a donation of IR£50,000 from developer Tom Gilmartin, which the latter purportedly gave on the understanding that it was a donation to the Fianna Fáil party.

It added, however, that Flynn had kept the donation for himself, and allegedly use the funding to buy a farm in the name of his wife. Flynn rejects the finding, saying on Friday he had never sought or accepted a corrupt payment.

Expulsions

Friday’s meeting is still due to go ahead to discuss the expulsion of other members, and proposals to strip the Dublin Central constituency organisation of its assets and put them in the control of the party’s general secretary Sean Dorgan.

The other members up for expulsion are former TD and senator G V Wright, former senator Don Lydon and former councillor Finbarr Hanrahan.

TheJournal.ie understands that Wright has also indicated his intention to resign his party membership ahead of Friday’s meeting, which is widely expected to endorse the proposals from current leader Micheál Martin that the members be booted out of the party.

Last night Labour junior minister Joe Costello had added his voice to calls for Flynn to be stripped of his pension from the European Commission, following calls from his party colleague Nessa Childers MEP over the weekend.

This evening another junior minister, Fine Gael’s Brian Hayes, told this website he would also support the proposal to have the pensions stripped.

A constitutional amendment would be required in order to allow former members of the Oireachtas be stripped of their pensions, but provisions already exist at European level which can lead to former office holders losing their entitlements.

Read: Two down: Bertie Ahern officially resigns from Fianna Fáil

More: Pensions of corrupt politicians ‘could be cut off’ – junior minister

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62 Comments
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    Mute Mike O' Brien
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:07 PM

    He should resign his fucking citizenship of Ireland never mind his membership of FF.

    316
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    Mute Leslie Alan Rock
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:15 PM

    My thinking exactly Mike

    131
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    Mute Teddy O Shea
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:40 PM

    And his pension’s cancelled, every one of them should have their pensions cancelled

    169
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    Mute John Murphy
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:13 PM

    Plenty to take their place. The Fianna Fail sow is heavy in litter!

    68
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    Mute Roddie Cleere
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:21 PM

    should also be tried for treason

    78
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    Mute Leigh crossan
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:23 PM

    Well said,couldnt have put it any better myself

    35
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    Mute Stray Mutt
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    Mar 26th 2012, 8:18 PM

    Hear hear…
    But Flynn and Ahern will continue to live happily ever after… In Ireland.
    Remember what St. Patrick did with the snakes?
    Equal consequences should be applied to villains such as these.

    26
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    Mute Stray Mutt
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    Mar 26th 2012, 9:43 PM

    I cannott help but to observe that the journal is a vent, a pressure and frustration relief for a repressed nation.
    I commend the journal for making it possible to observe breaking news and to give the opportunity to readers to voice their oppinions in a candid approach.
    Keep it up.

    25
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    Mute John Murphy
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    Mar 26th 2012, 10:55 PM

    Good man Stray Mutt!
    I’m sure the staff at The Journal will be delighted by your observation. I am equally sure that the architects of our repression have their eagle eye upon our discourse and even more equally sure that their minions might be sticking their oar in here from time to time!

    12
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    Mute Dhakina's Sword
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    Mar 26th 2012, 11:30 PM

    @ Stray Mutt and John. It’s refreshing to see a fair analysis of the reasons why people comment here. The sycophants who label frustrated commenters as moaners, just because the majority of opinion goes against their opinions, really shows them up for what they are.

    7
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    Mute John Murphy
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    Mar 26th 2012, 11:54 PM

    I’m glad you brought that up Dhakina.
    Another old chestnut of theirs is to dismiss some opinion or other as a ‘conspiracy theory’. Truth is stranger than fiction and the more wilder accusations made against the likes of the catholic church or divers councillors and politicians have been found to be true even by the conservative standards applied by the investigative authorities and the politically appointed judiciary of this country.
    Yet another dismissive tactic I’v observed is to label some opinions as ‘populist nonsense’. That one is quite popular, particular when the opinion is critical our friends in the banks, fianna fail or the government. Even comments criticizing household and septic tank charges, or even the much maligned members of our state religion get dismissed as being directed towards the prevailing consensus for the purposes of, I suppose, self aggrandisement.

    7
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    Mute Dhakina's Sword
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    Mar 27th 2012, 12:59 AM

    @ John, I forgot to mention that your comment that the Fianna Fail sow is heavy with litter, is class and is going to keep me amused for the rest of the week, at least. Nice one!.

    7
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    Mute John
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    Mar 27th 2012, 5:57 AM

    Arrogant, self-serving, self-obsessed sleeven’s…now, what was I going to say about Pee Flynn!

    4
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    Mute Conor Oneill
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:17 PM

    Cab should take back the farm they bought with the bribe money

    159
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    Mute Teddy O Shea
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:46 PM

    It’s some going they can get away with this shite, backhanders and bribes and still keep their fat pensions, crooks.
    And if a person wanted to do a few hours work when their on the dole they’d get jail for it, Fucking joke of a government

    86
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    Mute Harvey Wallace
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:15 PM

    Another greedy traitor.

    136
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    Mute Bernadette Dunne
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:42 PM

    Traitors the lot of themn….what is the punishment for treason??

    76
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    Mute Gerard Murphy
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:04 PM

    Cake, let them eat cake.
    Or failing that, maybe the other Fianna fail gift – cheese.

    46
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    Mute Damien O'Shaughnessy
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:32 PM

    this guy gets 3 pensions amounting to €82k a year! he should be squeezed for everything he’s got

    98
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    Mute John Deane
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:34 PM

    I’d love to wipe that smirk from Flynn’s face.

    79
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    Mute Bernadette Dunne
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:47 PM

    @John Deane there is a long queue

    53
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    Mute Elizabeth Taaffe
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:51 PM

    Fianna Fail should refuse their resignations and expel them. Such cowards, jumping before they are pushed.

    79
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    Mute Thomas Cooke
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:04 PM

    Or ban them for life?

    23
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    Mute alan
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    Mar 26th 2012, 7:31 PM

    agrree entirely. they should not be allowed to determine the course of events at this stage. ff don’t appear to see why expulsion rather than resignation would be

    a. morally the right thing to do
    b. poltically/electorally the right thing to do

    still, what do we care. they’ve had it anyway

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    Mute Jonathan Biggins
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    Mar 27th 2012, 4:32 AM

    @Elizabeth

    Dead right. Just like the chicken shit outgoing ministers who resigned “for family reasons” in the last election.

    2
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    Mute Derek Rochford
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:36 PM

    This ‘man’ epitomises the ‘cute hoor’ syndrome that was rampant in Fianna Fáil for far too long!

    He is arrogent, pompous and now has been shown up as a man who is corrupt by the Mahon Tribunal!

    I hope that his EU Pension is taken from him and that he is made to pay back all the money he took from Tom Gilmartin with interest and that CAB also look into his affairs and then we will see the smug grin removed from his face!

    I trust that we will never see his likes again in Irish or European Politics and I hope he realizes that people like him is what gives Politics a bad name!

    79
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    Mute Brian
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:16 PM

    At least now he’ll have even more time on his hands to eat loads of lovely hang sangiches

    68
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    Mute Randy savage
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:18 PM

    He should be placed in a rocket with most of our politicians and fired into space!!

    63
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    Mute John Sheahan
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:03 PM

    Maybe we can slip james Cameron a fiver to bring them on his next expedition to the mariana trench. And leave them there.

    32
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    Mute Daisy Chainsaw
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:34 PM

    All these cowardly resignations save the FF comma tee shleeveens having to actually make a stand against people they probably admire for getting to hang on to all that lovely money. They’ll still get to give each other greasy, knowing handshakes at the next “fundraiser”.

    #KRONY2012 rattles on.

    61
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    Mute skeolawn
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    Mar 26th 2012, 8:08 PM

    #KRONY2012: love it!

    13
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    Mute Ru Ni Digs
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:49 PM

    Enda criticising Bertie after the Mahon Tribunal findings were made public,only then for him to be pictured with Denis O Brien in New York.Nothing will ever change in this banana republic of gombeens.

    53
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    Mute Stephen Mc Partlin
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:01 PM

    People, you should you tube the clip of him on the late late show that time. Well ,maybe not ! You’d want to put your hand through the screen to punch him. If ever there was an arrogant pox it’s this fella. Talking about his 3 houses and the daughter Beverly(another fraudster) . In another era these fuckers would be lined up and shot for treason. Think in England over the weekend an mp had to resign over something quite trivial compared to our lot . The Brits must be really having a sneer at us .. Terrible

    52
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    Mute Lisa Saputo
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:19 PM

    How is telling potential donors that they can get access to the prime minister for donations trivial? I understand your point but what’s going on in the UK is a big deal.

    17
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    Mute skeolawn
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    Mar 26th 2012, 8:09 PM

    He said “trivial compared to our lot”. I agree, our lot are far worse.

    16
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    Mute Fagan's
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    Mar 26th 2012, 10:07 PM

    Apart from pointing out that why would we give a toss about anyone having a sneer at us, not 12 yr old girls. The selling of access is not as serious as what went on here, but it it not far off it. The same dangerous potential is there.

    It is what Sean Gallagher a.k.a “bagman” was doing with the 5000 euro donations to meet King Cowen.

    Both of them are a disgrace as well.

    8
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    Mute Alan Bolger
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:39 PM

    The big question is whether there is enough political will out there to strip them of their pensions. Irish politicians are great at talking the talk. It’s getting dozy Kenny to do something swiftly is another problem.

    50
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    Mute Susie Chester
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    Mar 27th 2012, 2:13 AM

    Alan B
    Maybe if we tell him that there is a trip aboad in it for him , he might get crackin and work on those pensions ….Then again I never heard of a turkey voting for christmas !! The key word in your comment there is Pensions!

    2
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    Mute declan332
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:44 PM

    Sorry that they all resigned. Would have liked to see how the vote would have went at the Executive.
    It would have been a good day for politics if the party members had the nerve to boot them out.
    Then we could have seen if FF were worthy of being believed again.
    The Flynns & the Healy Raes sicken me. Gombeens. An embarrassment to the country.

    46
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    Mute Joe Butler
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    Mar 26th 2012, 5:38 PM

    a face only a mother could love and trust .get them all out and lets start a fresh. for Ireland and the people .

    46
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    Mute Bernadette Dunne
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:05 PM

    Aface a could love is right… smarmy thieving gits too many to name but I am certain every irish man and. Woman knows. At least one of these thieving politicians
    And. Just think of the very brave Collins Family from Limerick who have had to move abroad because of threats to their safety disgrace. ..Best wishes to them in their new life

    36
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    Mute howzat
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:00 PM

    I’ll only be happy when they are in jail with Anglo

    46
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    Mute Thomas Farrell
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    Mar 26th 2012, 9:42 PM

    How do you put a bank behind bars?

    4
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    Mute Alan Forbes
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:41 PM

    What a bunch of gangsters, sheen Flynn and his loathsome parasitic offspring Beverly! The real criminals here are the fucking gobshites who time after time voted in these crooks! They all have to take responsibility for what Flynn and the other fuckers got up to! Sooner Ireland’s bullshit parish politics is totally over hauled the better, and anyone who voted for that shower should have their voting rights withdrawn as they are obviously too thick to use it in a way that our country might benefit

    42
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    Mute Kevin McCarthy
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    Mar 26th 2012, 7:23 PM

    It’s amazing how the government can make up an unfair tax and make it legal. Then threaten us all. But when asked whether they can cut pensions of corrupt TDs that is impossible to do. That is another reason to boycott the Household tax. Double standards.

    38
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    Mute Frank Buffets
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    Mar 26th 2012, 7:22 PM

    If i swindled 50k from a company i would not be given the option to resign. The gardai would escort me from my office and i would face charges. Regards a pension or assistance, social welfare would not entertain me. What makes politicians so disconnected from us? Their lifestyle is corrupt in itself and if they want to seek extra income they are safe in the knowlegde that the only consequence is to resign from the party with the option of rejoining a year or two later.

    37
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    Mute Matt Donovan
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:47 PM

    This toad will turn up at some function at some point in the future no doubt. Just like Bev did. FF will have no choice but to expel him along with birthday. And let us not forget GV Wright, how many times over the drink drive limit was he when he went airborne into that poor woman at Notth strand??? These people have been untouchable for too long, the loss of power will hurt them but the loss of pensions would do more so. They need to be humbled & the people need to see them jailed before anything any politician says will be trusted. Otherwise it’s one law for them & another for the rest of us. Don’t pay your TV license? Jailed! Can’t pay your bills? Jailed! Owe the banks hundreds of millions? Found out to have been taking backhanders? Don’t worry about it! Sure the People will pay it for you.

    34
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    Mute jimbo
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:28 PM

    GOOD RIDDANCE

    Make him and bertie give a public apology

    24
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    Mute Roddie Cleere
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:39 PM

    u think they would ??

    5
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    Mute Séa Graham
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:44 PM

    refuse the shower of them and let it go to the vote. public humiliation at least would be of some satisfaction to the masses and probably the only justice the masses will get.

    21
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    Mute Leigh crossan
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    Mar 26th 2012, 6:22 PM

    2nd rat out of the nest!!!!!!

    21
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    Mute Séa Graham
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    Mar 26th 2012, 7:31 PM

    the referendum on the EU Fiscal Treaty could do with a vote on the fat cat pensions tagged on. Let the people have a damn say on this. Bertie and the rest of them would be begging for spare change by the end of the year

    20
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    Mute angryjoepublic
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    Mar 26th 2012, 8:06 PM

    tipping point?? hopefully.

    14
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    Mute Edel MacElroy Heatley
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    Mar 26th 2012, 8:02 PM

    Unmanly cowards both of them.

    14
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    Mute Peter Maxwell
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    Mar 26th 2012, 10:07 PM

    P. Flynn should now resign from his position in Europe. He cannot possibly consider himself an appropriate representative of the people of Ireland, not that he ever really was.

    13
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    Mute Mark Andrew Salmon
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    Mar 26th 2012, 10:59 PM

    This behaviour carried on from the 60′s up to the new millenia and like Bernie Maddox’s ponzi scheme it took a seismic shift in events to bring it out in the open. But it was nothing new, everyone knew or suspected but nothing was said, it was accepted. Why, because we voted for the guy who got us our planning permission or helped move us up in the housing list, he/she was a “hard worker”.

    None of us, including myself ever stopped to think, “is this good for the country?” We thought local and voted local, even at national elections. That was until the last election, now we are more suspicious and less forgiving of politicians. What is left to tackle is our feeling of helplessness, that there is nothing we can do about things, that all politicians are the same. Well maybe they are but are all candidates for election the same? Maybe not.

    If political corruption is not a criminal offence it should be made one and these and any others in political office who have committed similar crimes MUST stand trial and answer for their actions. Their assets must be seized by CAB. The message must be clear that politics is about public service not self service. If the Dáil want to even begin to restore public confidence then the following needs to be done without delay:

    1. All those named in the tribunal report to be investigated by the Gardaí immediately.

    2. Where there is the slightest evidence of a case to answer the file be forwarded to the DPP with the proviso that a case WILL be taken.

    3. All political party donations severely limited by law to a reasonable amount with the presumption that a breach of this amount will be regarded as prima faciae evidence of bribery.

    4. Any politician found guilty of corruption to forfeit ALL pension rights, past, present and future and automatically debarred from holding ANY public office for life.

    10
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    Mute Frank2521
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    Mar 26th 2012, 8:03 PM

    The current government with Labour being in power are as crooked as FF Oisin Quinn a Dublin City Councillor was recently found to have breached 4 codes of ethics by the Ethics committee on by lobbying his fellow councillors to decide in his favour for planning on one of his property development sites in Mount Street. He is just serving his apprenticeship in politics to qualify him to take over from uncle Raoire for the bigger return for his effort.
    We should at least investigate this before a tribunal is needed. The head of the Ethics committee needs to be brought to task and investigated as he saw little wrong with breaking the rules. Will Labour expel him? – never

    8
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    Mute Ed Appleby
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    Mar 26th 2012, 11:57 PM

    “Ethics” in Irish politics? Surely you have had too much wine Frank, to use the word ‘ethics’ in the same paragraph as Irish politics is almost akin to using the word ‘accountability’ when talking about Irish politicians, bankers, union officials and developers! Third world cesspits have more ‘ethics’ than your average gombeen Irish politician, they wouldn’t know what it meant!

    6
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    Mute Stephen Mc Partlin
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    Mar 26th 2012, 9:37 PM

    Lisa, I didn’t mean the issue itself in the Uk over the wkd. was trivial. I understand, it wasn’t at all. But what I meant was unlike us the UK powers that be come down hard on elected representatives who abuse their position .

    8
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    Mute HI SPRUIKER
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    Mar 27th 2012, 12:28 AM

    Its great that we now have a new government that has started jailing people.

    It’s just a pity that they are jailing the wrong people.

    More prison cells needed for Garlic and TV licence offender and ”lifers” that don’t pay the Household Charge
    ( the corrupt banker’s and politician’s gambling debt fund ) ?

    It feels like they have jailed us all,
    when they violate our privacy and
    take away our data protection rights
    so that they can administer this fraud.

    While they allow real criminals to walk free?

    Police State?

    All that’s missing is the electric fence around the perimeter.

    7
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    Mute Paddy Behan
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    Mar 27th 2012, 7:49 AM

    Utter disgraceful excuse for an Irishman.

    1
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    Mute Thomas Blake
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    Mar 27th 2012, 6:23 PM

    Flynn resigns from FF a few days before they had a chance to expell him. It makes you wonder why they didn’t expell him in 2003 when he had to do a deal with revenue over the £50,000 payment he received. It makes you wonder why he wasn’t expelled in 2000 when everyone knew he took the payment. Another fine mess by FF.

    1
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