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Update at 9.45pm
OPPOSITION PARTIES HAVE criticised An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and asked him to clarify remark he made when he said that he intervened on behalf of US President Donald Trump in order to stop a wind farm being built near Trump’s Doonbeg golf course in Clare.
One opposition politician has described it as ‘extraordinary’ that Varadkar would have made political representations to a county council on behalf of a businessman when he was a Minister.
The leaders of Sinn Féin and Fianna Fáil have both sought clarification over exactly what Varadkar was referring to when he said he had intervened.
Varadkar spoke about what happened at a special luncheon at Capitol Hill in Washington DC today, following a meeting in the White House with Trump.
Addressing the crowd, which included the US president, House Speaker Paul Ryan and Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald, Varadkar said Trump had reminded him today that their paths had crossed before.
The Taoiseach said that ‘three or four years ago’, when he was Transport and Sports Minister, he received a call from Trump.
“My assistant said ‘there is call from Donald Trump – he wants to speak to you’. I thought this can’t be the case, this must be a piss-take by one of my staff members,” Varadkar said.
Varadkar said he assumed it was a joke as he thought a businessman like Donald Trump – who was not president at the time – would write a letter first to arrange a meeting.
“But of course Donald Trump doesn’t work like that, he is a very direct man. He likes to get things done.”
Doonbeg golf resort
Recalling what happened, the Taoiseach said he spoke to Trump over the phone about his Doonbeg golf resort.
“At the other end of the phone was Donald Trump saying to me he had bought this resort in Ireland in County Clare, this beautiful golf resort in Doonbeg, and there was problem as someone was trying to build a wind farm and that of course, it could have a real impact on tourism and the beauty of the landscape.
“So I endeavoured to do what I could do about it. I rang [Clare] County Council and inquired about the planning permission and subsequently, the planning permission was declined, and the wind farm was never built, thus the landscape being preserved,” said Varadkar, with the room erupting in laughter.
He said the president “has kindly given me credit for that, although I think it would probably have been refused anyway”.
Varadkar had recounted the story in an interview with Time Magazine previously, but certain aspects of it were omitted.
Much of the opposition did not see the funny side to the Taoiseach’s story.
“It seems extraordinary, particularly when the Taoiseach was so involved in giving his opinion on not wanting to invite President Trump to Ireland this time last year when Enda Kenny was Taoiseach,” said Fianna Fáil housing spokesperson Barry Cowen in a statement.
Fianna Fáil leader Micaheál Martin called on Varadkar to be “more transparent in relation to his intervention with Clare County Council on behalf of President Trump”.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said she was “taken aback and concerned” by the revelation and also asked for more clarity.
Labour leader Brendan Howlin also expressed concern that the Taoiseach made political representations to Clare County Council on behalf of Trump’s private business interests.
He said:
The reports from Washington today that Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has made political representations essentially on behalf of the business interests of President Trump are extraordinary.The Taoiseach needs to make clear immediately the nature of these representations and if President Trump or a member of his family asked the Taoiseach to make them on his behalf.
Howlin said there are particular “sensitivities” around politicians making representations to planning authorities and for good reason, he added.
“For the Taoiseach to be seen to meddle and intervene on planning processes at Doonbeg is entirely inappropriate.”
Clarifying the Taoiseach’s comments, a spokesperson said:
“As Minister for Tourism, Leo Varadkar received a call from Donald Trump regarding a wind farm proposal near Doonbeg, which is a significant tourism asses on the west coast.
“It’s normal for ministers to seek information on planning applications when issues are raised by citizens, businesses or investors.
This matter has been mentioned publicly on very many occasions by the Taoiseach. I was not a court case of a judicial matter.
Green Party Leader Eamon Ryan was also critical of the Taoiseach. He said:
“This is a shocking admission from the Taoiseach, and it harks back to the very dark days in the Irish planning system, where political interference ensured that the rich and powerful got what they wanted. The fact that the Taoiseach so flippantly admitted his intervention today only makes matters worse.”
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RTE investigates RTE. What a challenge!
@Anne O’Hara: a I’d pay good money to hear jow Duffy justify the TV licence fee on lave-line
A lot of the major RTE over-paid have set themselves up as self-employed and setup so called agencies where they are the sole employee – all just to further skirt around tax paying levels. This is a well known trick by an elite. Its been going on for a long time.
…Not that RTE or the usual political parties are willing to do anything about it!
@Unitedpeople: not too sure what way RTE structure their contracts but certainly some of their ‘stars’ are supplying their services under company names such as ‘First Name Surname Media Services’ and so on. Presumably they invoice RTE for the work and then draw down a salary from their company. Will be interesting to see what comes of this.
@Sean @114: If they do this – they pay full PAYE, PRSI and USC on their salary. The saving primarily goes to RTE who don’t have to pay the Employer PRSI.
All salaries are subject to tax and social insurance regardless of whether you’re a proprietary director or not.
@Brinster: As they are a registered business as such, they gain extra tax refundable or deductible benefits, as technically they are creating employment – for themselves.
Not only do the chat shows not have to look beyond the staff canteen for subject matter, now current affairs can too! Seriously, RTE. We know you’re strapped for cash but how much would a Go Pro camera and a day ticket for Dublin Bus set you back?
*cough* Joe Duffy *cough*
About damn time. RTE ‘stars’ have been paying corporation tax on inflated salaries for years. You would think that they were already earning enough. Great if you are on big bucks not so good if you are a temporary employee.
Good scam while it lasted. Which I hope it doesn’t.
@Deano Cracow: I’m not sure corporation tax has much to do with things. You do no any salary drawn down is subject to the same income taxes we all pay right?
@Reg: If you’re self employed, you don’t get a salary.
@Father Hody Commody: you still paye paye on income
@ginger tomatoes i9: and usc, but slightly lower rate prsi, but get ni prsi entitlements. Employees lose out in this scenario, unless on higher contract rates ? Which suspect is the case, but even then no paid holidays, bank holidays or any benefits
@Reg: Reg. I generally agree with your comments but there is an old saying – ” The only place there isn’t a FIDDLE is in a Brass Band”.
So now our licence fee is used to pay RTE staff to investigate other RTE staff.
@Father Hody Commody: You don’t get to spend the company’s money unless you draw in down in the form of a salary.
If you use the money to pay for personal stuff (car, rent etc) then it is considered BIK and subject to full income tax, USC and PRSI. I
You clearly have no idea how this works.
So you don’t take a big salary RTE pays into the “company you take a modest salary for PAYE reckoning and laugh all the way to the bank with the rest
@marg fitzgerald: But how do you access the rest Marg? Dividends would be subject to more tax. That’s the point. The major beneficiaries of this are RTE – not the contractor.
@Brinster:
If that car is electric there is no charge from 2018…no 20% annual BIK charge, that is.
Very good news for Tesla and other El car manufacturers.
@Rory J Leonard: Yep – that’s true – introduced by the budget this year.
will probably benefit others over Tesla though. Tesla’s 2 current cars – Model T and Model S – both cost over €100k. So very expensive to buy/lease by the company to give to the employee.
Have to wait for a RHD version of the Model 3, priced at roughly €30k, that’s due early 2019.
@Brinster. You’re spot on – the real saving is to RTE on long term employee benefits and also – in these and recent times to avoid the cap on public service recruitment.
@Father Hody Commody: you do if you earn enough to pay yourself a salary
They have to applauded for this programme. You can be sure no-one working for REDACTED would get away with being critical of their company.
Not everyone in RTE is a big name star earning obscene salaries. Many are ordinary workers trying to earn a living yer RTE insists that in order to have work they must agree to sign theit rights and protections away.
In this neoliberal economy, not society, there are more attacks on ordinary workers and their rights sine the times of Jim Larkin. Zero hour contracts, minimum wage contracts, and no union recognition.
Look at the latest public transport debacle. Workers without any wage increase for 10 years are being vilified all over the media. The increases in the cost of living in those 10 years ignored. The fact that the CEO earns more than Leo and him and his staff have seen salary and bonusourt increases in those 10 years. Theit salaries are lumped in with the wages of ordinary workers to give a spin that workers are well paid and don’t deserve any increase, they’re only ordinary workers after all. To drive the publics ire against them the spin put about is disruption. We had the same with both Luas and DB workers.
Yet we see bankers getting clean away with wholesale theft of ordinary people’s money. Driving many into poverty, bad health and suicide. Even today we see yet another banker walk away from court, the case against him collapses. We know about others who got rich on the back of corrupt political practice, and are deemed untouchable, despite the evidence against them.
Ordinary people are considered to be no more than sheep to be hearded and driven for fleecing at the whim of their masters.
Enough is enough, the lessons of history have to be applied and soon.
@Dave Doyle: Very true that the reason this mechanism is prevalent is to enrich RTE through avoiding Employer PRSI, rather than enriching the employee.
For someone on €50k per year, there is usually about a 2% difference in take home, comparing Employee with Prop Director.
There’s a certain state body I applied for a job in last year that operates similarly, only offering self employed contracts. The state is setting an awful example.
If the ‘self employed’ workers are solely working for RTE then Revenue would class that as insurable employment. I would think that as a few years ago I was personally going to go self employed, coming off unemployment and my business plan was to work on a retainer for a number of businesses. I was told outright that this would be considered insurable employment and my business plan was rejected.
@Father Hody Commody: Self employment depends on much more than just whether you engage with one entity. Depends on whether you provide own tools/equipment, can choose own hours, can send a substitute and much more. The DSP has a 3 page questionnaire you submit for their review to decide whether employer/ employee or contractor relationship exists.
Not for a moment saying this wasn’t abused, but need more than just to have more than one engagement.
A house divided on itself cannot stand…..As the BBC would say…..
Was bosco self employed I wonder.
There is an old saying – ” The only place there isn’t a FIDDLE is in a Brass Band”.
So now our licence fee is used to pay High paid RTE staff to investigate other High paid RTE staff.
Bogus “self employment” is a prevalent practice, not justvwith RTÉ.
Most supposedly self employed contractors are employees in substance, if not in form.
The Revenue Commissionrrd have a very helpful policy guideline on this area.
@Fiona deFreyne: Was happening in commercial radio stations I worked in 20 years ago. Minimum wage, and file your own returns, no sick pay, no overtime and at that point I was working on one of the biggest radio shows in the country.
@Niall Sullivan: The minimum didn’t come in til the year 2000. Why was your wage 20 years ago in punts per hour and how many hours did you get?
You can add Ryanair to that list.
** Grabs popcorn **
How would the rest of the media stand up to scrutiny of their employment practices
@Mick Foley: not well at all. But they’re not getting public money so can do as they wish (almost) Ten years working 0 hours and freelance contracts was a slog and half for me. The practices in the private sector are now replicated in RTÉ. It’s a cruel game, especially for regular staff – sound engineers, broadcast assistants, researchers etc. Well done to Drivetime for looking at this. I did find it strange listening to their piece last week on same while the person doing sound was likely on 0hours. Be interesting to watch how they address this issue in the midst of upcoming voluntary redundancies etc. RTÉ is a good place and hopefully seizes the opportunities to change that are on media landscape. Again fair play to PBH and DT. Important to do this.
Huge savings in employer PRSI that doesn’t have to be paid on ‘self employed contractors’. Good to see RTE thinking about how they spend taxpayer funds … by avoiding paying those taxes.
Nooooooooooooooook
This is no different than what every major IT company in this country does. A majority of large tech companies here in Ireland, the largest ones, do this every day and have done this for years. Only a small percentage of people there are actual employees, the rest are all ‘self employed contractors’ even though they show up and do the same job. Some of the ‘self-employed’ employees have been in these positions for over ten years.
This is occuring in other areas ,not just RTE.
@Thomas McMillan: That’s what the catholics say when you give them hassle for covering up paedophilia too. Doesn’t work for that or this.
A load of shite
Same thing happened to me in Athlone
Shit , don’t dig to deep lads!
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