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FINE GAEL TD John Perry has today responded to reports about his taking on his wife Marie as a parliamentary assistant, claiming he did so purely to “bridge the gap” until he had a replacement.
In a statement today, Perry said that after the ministerial reshuffle last year, his then parliamentary assistant of seven years left to “pursue a new career direction”.
Over the six month period to December last year, the position was filled by his wife Marie, on a “purely voluntary basis”, the TD said today.
There was no cost or charge to the State for the work she carried out during that period. Having been an integral part of my political career for the past 18 years, Maria was eminently qualified to fulfil the position of parliamentary assistant.
However the TD said he decided, in light of the growing work load in his office, to appoint Marie full time to the position in January this year “to bridge the gap” until his preferred candidate for the position became available.
The job she was given is on a salary scale of between €38,760 and €49,035 a year, with overtime payments of a further 20 per cent on top of this.
Thomas Walsh, who previously worked with Perry in his role as Minister for State, will take up the position in mid-April and has been working one day a week with him for the past month at the Deputy’s own expense.
Yesterday the Taoiseach said he did not think it was a “wise thing for politicians to appoint family members”.
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So he’s had been looking for a replacement for over a year? My hole
Way I see it he is attempting to bridge the gap on those dodgy loans he owes back to dankse bank. He should not be allowed scrounge the oireachtas just to pay back his unearned lavish lifestyle.
That’s exactly what he’s up to, using tax payers money funnelled through his wife to pay back his ill gotten loans. He is a confidence trickster leeching off the state, the real spongers and scroungers.
As Enda would say (seismic shift ).
Presumably he’s got evidence of his search for a replacement?
Were interviews held? CVs from prospective candidates? Advertisements of the vacant position?
So in the space of a few months we had Michelle mulheir fg td and her calls to Kenya. And now this and enda and co allow this. shows who are the real scroungers on the state.
Still cheaper than SF and aaa printing costs
Perry needs every bob he can keep in the family.
He is in a “mini bailout” at present, due to banking woes/debts incurred during the boom boom.
https://youtu.be/0KslbvkiQWw
Paul is that word meant to be spelt with an f in it?
Careful there Kevin. Using language like that, you could end up with that particular part of your body “filled” posting on this site. It’s crawling with people who protect others from doing exactly what I am warning you about. You understand what I am saying? If I mention names or parties my warning will be deleted.
It’s amazing how politicians think the public are thick, and can waffle on and that we’d buy what there sayin. This piece of crap tried to pull a stroke and get an extra 38 grand to pay back his loans, and now he’s shes only to bridge a gap, for a fu*ckin year! Give us a break you clown.
Yeah, the gap in the bank balance!
Sure he could have got 1000 people from jobbridge for that amount, his hole would have been well filled
These standards are lower than is desirable.
FG/LAB aren’t even trying to give plausible excuses anymore.. they’re laughing at us while giving us a very big two fingered salute.
There’s an old saying:- “When you are in a hole – stop digging!
This is the same parasite who said that he would restore cancer services to Sligo 100 days after election. Cancer services never resumed and perry never resigned. Next time you hear about mothers child benefit and single mothers being helped by the state and how they need to work think of this parasite! Those women contribute far more than this parasite to society! ”
Off with the leeches head”!
Just another liar
Wexford – I agree – Another FG/FF/Lab. Crony .
They go on and on – gangsterism – lies – perversion – cynicism – arrogance !
The whole nine yards – but it’s coming to an end .
Irelands Citizens have awoken and will not be fooled in the upcoming General Election .
Tomorrows Right2Water March , will prove again the way Ireland are awakening from being put down , by these Con Artists !
Why can’t you just tell the truth and regain some respect . instead of treating your supporters like fools . bridging a gap my A
What supporters?
Enda and co.
They *are* fools.
How is he going to fill the gap after the Geneal Election ????.
We’ll fill that gap for him
That sounds really gay, Stuart.
Nope, it’s still not right, no matter what way he sugar coats it.
Wait… what?
She worked “purely voluntary basis” for six months to “bridge the gap” between his then parliamentary assistant of seven years left to “pursue a new career direction” until he had a replacement but, after six months, he didn’t find a replacement and then hired his “purely voluntary basis” wife to the vacant position?
Well… that doesn’t make much sense at all now, does it?
He thinks we and the media are stupid enough to fall for such poor excuses. Disappointed at how the article doesn’t expose this more clearer but objective people do realise what waffle this is.
Because it’s a lie
At least he’s consistant, as a liar that is
This is the chap who claimed inflated mileage expenses from Dublin to Sligo – as if the latter was just outside Kiev….
If an internship is good enough for the unemployed why not offer his wife one .
Why didn’t he advertise the job when his assistant gave him notice. Why did he wait so long til now to hire his wife. I’ll tell you why. He thought that since there was no furore about his wife working for him that he got away with it. Alas he was caught. I thought that our lying ENDA said there would be no more of this carry on. Another nail in this government’s coffin I think
Bridge a gap, turn of phrase etc.
The wee sleveen head on him just puts the tin hat on it.
Well I think it is only fair to judge this man on his character and his past track record of fairness and honesty….I personally believe it is a Gravy train issue.
Paddy needs to know what’s going on, isn’t that right Enda?
Purely voluntary basis for less than a month and then on a Salary until he was called out on it
Can’t wait to not vote for these types.
Still, TD/Senator expenses are not checked or monitored – the claims are simply paid without any question or examination..
This does not happen in any other type of business – and should be put an end to, immediately.
Disgraceful that politicians can literally claim what they want – without scrutiny. It doesn’t happen anywhere else….
The PAC and the Auditor General tried to do something about political expenditure but, you gussed it, FG blocked the proposal. LA expenditure was also to be put under the Auditor’s remit but Hogan was quick to block that just as he blocked the investigation into LA planning. I wonder why?
Google: “Kenny and Durian almost come to blows” and you will get my drift.
Christy – nothing of any relevance comes up on my search, but I am interested.
At this stage Perry is running out of lies…
Please spare us the lies ,people have had it up to the back teeth with liar politicians from all the parties.
There needs to be an independent office who oversee the allowances and expenses plus millage claimed by all TD & Senators.
This can easily be done by checking the odometer reading on a weekly basis,Checking the actual reading against the mileage been claimed.
Mobile phone bills should be no more than €50 a month considering the all you can use offers from the phone companies.
This will never happen unfortunately as the higher grade civil service boys would not be having any of it.
Trackers are easy to fit into cars: some transport companies use them to keep track of drivers.
I wonder if ministers had to pay their own expenses would the allowances correlate with previous years claims.
Yep a lot of transport companies have their vehicles tracked,But if something like this was done for TD,s they would moan about their personal lives been under scrutiny.
Best way is to just keep an actual reading of the odometer,If people working in the private sector have to pay BIK for company cars.
And have to provide Revenue if asked about the miles covered in the cars, I don’t see why we cannot have something in place for or elected officials.
No wonder David is throwing a strop after FF dropped him for another lad,He thought that he was a foot in for expenses and mileage.
I expect at next election we will find his constituents elected him as TD to bridge the gap until they find a replacement
Remember a vote for Fine Gael is a vote for change! Enda lied.
Sadly this man is typical of the liars party. Our taxes are paying for these nepotists – disgusting people – every last lazy ar$ed one of them.
Switch every politicians salary onto the jobs bridge scheme for a year and watch these teacht dala scroungers disappear.
Cowboys, Ted, they’re a bunch of Cowboys. They’ll shaft you every time.
FF under Bertie/Brian etc jobs 4 d boys . FG under Enda we ll stamp it out
Fianna Fail = Fine Gael > renua
Labour = RIP
Where’s enda’s new era of politics. Where is the legislation automatically firing john Perry for appointing a family member to a well paid job?
Even the average People Before Profit / Sinn Fein TD takes home less than his wife
Kevin, shocking as it may seem, he didn’t break any rules so he can’t be fired. Appointing the missus or a fellow party member to jobs like this happens all the time , in all parties. Disgraceful but true. He’s not the only one at it.
That’s why I was asking where the legislation is, enda promised reform and not only didn’t deliver but in some aspects made things worse.
His relationship with the former garda commissioner for one.
Shatters blatant breaking of data protection act
Phil hogan eu jobs for the boys
Michael browne envelope Lowry
Noel Coonan voting on nothing then calling us irish ISIS
Trying to abolish the Seanad then not bothering to reform it.
Still one of the highest paid leaders in europe with 1 million a year worth of advisors and drivers
Irish water mess and no attempts to get a good deal on bank debt
The list continues but I’m tired of typing
Sorry Kevin I misread your original post
Enda doesn’t think it was a wise idea, and he’ll leave it at that.
Wasn’t he red in the face whilst in opposition deriding nepotism and cronyism?
What about Sean Conlon the FG td in Cavan/Monaghan who employes his girlfriend as his parliamentry secretary and he is also been taken to the EAT accused of bullying and unfair dismissal
Don’t mention Conlon’s ring, the diamond one that is. Kenny also kept stum about that little “oversight”.
I thought it was his GF’s ring that Kenny was interested in.
Ugh…got my letterbox filled with Conlons propaganda yesterday, that shiny paper that is hard to light fires or wipe your hole with.
but not to JobBridge a gap.
More from the make it up as you go party. Pants on fire Perry is just one of the parasites
There is such a scheme in the UK.
But here – no scrutiny, monitoring or examination of expenses.
Just claim what you think is right!
In fairness the UK expenses regime for politicians is no illustration of best practice. Moats, duck houses, Balls and wife Cooper claiming for the same allowances etc…
My O My. Where are all the FG apologists today? Not one out defending their fellow scam merchant. No, because they are hoping this sort of thing doesn’t go too far and they’ll all be exposed.
Does anyone believe for one minute that this is an isolated case ? Never; it’s the nature of the beast.
And we are to blame !!!!
how is giving someone a job a scam?
Piss off troll.
Enda needs to act on this. Sack him.
If enda were to follow the logic of sacking politicians who give “jobs for the boys” as they say then FG wouldn’t have enough TDs to keep their majority.
Yeh and her salary bridged the gap between what you were getting paid compared to your current salary! Do these people thing we are absolute morons?? Sick to death of these types of stories…
Is he the only FG TD with his spouse working for him?
Historically No. Currently who knows. More FOIs needed
Many other TDs have hired family members, usually one of two full-time positions for which they get State funding: parliamentary assistant and secretarial assistance.
Labour Minister of State Seán Sherlock employed his sister Úna Willis as a secretarial assistant based in East Cork. Ms Willis has worked with Mr Sherlock and their late father, Joe, who was a TD for Cork East until 2007.
His colleague Willie Penrose, representing Longford-Westmeath, has employed his brother Johnnie Penrose as his parliamentary assistant, taking him on in 2007.
Ceann Comhairle Sean Barrett has employed his daughter Jaci, as his parliamentary assistant in the last Dáil term and also in this Dáil. term.
The Fine Gael TD for Kerry South Brendan Griffin hired his wife Róisín as his secretarial assistant and his cousin Tommy as his parliamentary assistant. Mr Griffin decided in 2011 that he would accept only half his TDs salary.
His Fine Gael colleague Andrew Doyle (Wicklow) took on his sister Eithne who job-shared the parliamentary assistant role since summer 2007.
Bernard Durkan, also from Fine Gael, hired his son Tim as an assistant in his Dáil office.
Jack Wall, the Labour Party TD for Kildare South, hired his son Mark, who is also a county councillor, as his parliamentary secretary, a role he filled since 2006.
Kildare North Independent TD Catherine Murphy employed her daughter Yvonne on a temporary basis as a parliamentary assistant. When the TD was made the whip for the technical group, Yvonne worked in that office but members of the technical group made contributions to her salary.
Fianna Fáil TD Colm Keaveney, while still in the Labour Party, hired his wife Deirdre on a temporary basis.
At the time, he said at least 27 Oireachtas members had members of their family working for them.
Similarly, South Tipperary Independent TD Mattie McGrath employed his daughter Tríona in the parliamentary assistant role. His niece Kathy was employed as his secretarial assistant.
Kerry Labour Party TD Arthur Spring took on his brother Graham as his parliamentary secretary.
“It was nothing to do with following or not following recommendations. It was about getting the best person to do the job and I’d hire him 10 times over if I could,” he said.
Independent TD Joan Collins’s partner Dermot Connolly was one of two people job-sharing the parliamentary assistant’s role in her office. Mr Connolly is also very involved in Dublin South Central as a political organiser.
(Source: the Irish Times 20 March 2015)
Nepotism is just another form of corruption.
Thus statement is total rubbish.
I HIRED MY WIFE TO FILL A GAP!
Who can believe such a statement.
Was the job advertised!
I bet it was not!
………”to bridge a gap in my income”…………………
Perry was merry till his cosy deal was found out and nothing will be done anyways
The “It was only resting in my account” defence.
John Perry explains why he hired his wife
GREED
Mind the gap.
Obviously waiting for a suitably highly qualified person to become available to fill a very important role for this self important td who can only make headlines for all the wrong reasons:)
These guys either just don’t “get it” or they just don’t care…
Someone will be draughted off the dole on a Jobbridge scheme to work for him now for a pittance
This is what’s wrong with this county, she is getting paid more than a junior doctor! An absolute joke.
There has to be a price premium on surrendering all decency and principle.
John Perry’s wife should resign immediately !
So should Perry
Behind that snarl, I’m sure he’s a very trusting individual
Did not think it ‘wise’ eh Enda? Was this not, yet another, election promise?
I don’t think its wise to be playing so consistently into the hands of FF in the run up to an election. We need to be taking power back into our own hands and fast. The rights people fought and died for and being eroded on, what seems like, a daily basis.
John Perry tried to tender the job vacancy; instead he tendered his wife.
One wife; one job.
The sheer brass neck of this nonentity beggars belief. So much for Kenny’s promise to put an end to this. These over-stuffed leeches are never satisfied and want more.
I preferred him in The Mask:
http://static.cinemagia.ro/img/db/article/01/28/27/862005l.jpg?ts=1247169565
Fu##ing liar
What a handy facility to have !!! Being able to just employ a spouse/relative at the country’s expense and brazen it out until you you get found out !!!!
If only The Journal was around from 2004?
Dodge City might have gotten cleaned up earlier and that crippling financial meltdown of 2008 could have been averted!
He will try and keep her employed long enough so that she will get a golden handshake when she retires and maybe a pension
Mayo News Kenny and Durkin trade blows over planning application.
The story relates to Ends Kenny’s brother in law Tim Hastings, his brother Henry Kenny and ex FG Councillor Durkin.
A planning application was refused but was suddenly granted over the Xmas period which left the local councillors wondering why the County Manager granted Ends Kenny’s brother-in-law planning permission to build a business on a major road without any further discussion with the Local Councillors. Hogan and FG were aware of the rows that followed but the National Media kept stum for obvious reasons.
@Paul Fahey
http://www.mayonews.ie Kenny and Durkin trade blows over planning application
I googled the above and it came up. Good luck.
Don’t worry about it he won’t be voted in again
Terrible thing to do. I can say with complete confidence that no poster here on the Journal would ever do such a thing. Tongue firmly planted in cheek.
Don’t even have a wife let alone a TD position.
@Tom
Is that Patjoejoe’s rear cheek?
Patjoejoejoe just go away you moron!
Strange…John Perry seems to lack a FB account for some reason????
Another example of corruption within FG, disgusting, lying, deceitful bunch !
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