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SINN FÉIN HAS defended itself after revelations that the party has received some $12 million in donations from the US over the last 20 years.
Celebrities like Martin Sheen and Anjelica Huston are among those who have been revealed as having contributed to the party’s US fundraising arm – Friends of Sinn Féin.
The Irish Times has a major report today on the party’s fundraising efforts in the United States over the last 20 years with philanthropist Chuck Feeney emerging as the party’s biggest donor, contributing some $780,000 down the years.
The paper also reports that among the 15,000 donations between 1995 and 2014 are some famous names, including Sheen ($1k), Huston ($500), Lord of the Rings star Viggo Mortensen ($1k), Dennis Hopper ($300), and Irish actor Fionnula Flanagan ($3,000).
The Irish Times / TwitterEXCLUSIVE: Sinn Féin's US millions http://t.co/Prp8VvDH5V pic.twitter.com/Y8dTU8K5Lz
— The Irish Times (@IrishTimes) March 5, 2015
The money, which is administered by FSOF chair James Cullen, does not make its way into the party’s accounts in the Republic due to strict rules around party funding in this State.
However some of the money is used to pay expenses for things like office costs, cars, computers in Northern Ireland where it is in government.
As you might expect, opposition parties are raising questions about this.
Anthony Lawlor / TwitterBuilders and Developers Funding Sinn Féin http://t.co/75ls6cYxxV pic.twitter.com/1aiALOZTUC
— Anthony Lawlor (@AnthonyLawlorFG) March 5, 2015
Labour TD Derek Nolan said the party hasn’t been clear enough on where its “fundraising war chest is being spent”.
“The party needs to give clear-cut assurances that their political and electoral activities in this jurisdiction are not being funded in any way by their accounts in the North – and by association, by US high-rollers.
“For example, can they guarantee us that their staff operation in the Republic – which is larger than any other party in Leinster House – is not being somehow funded by contributions from abroad?
For a party which purports to have the common touch, the Irish Times revelations have shone a light on how Sinn Fein is actually more comfortable rubbing shoulders with bankers, financial elites and developers at gold-plated fundraising events.
But speaking to Newstalk’s Lunchtime programme earlier, Sinn Féin’s finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty insisted “none of this is secret, hidden donations given to individuals”.
Everything that’s in the Irish Times, in terms of the people who have donated to Sinn Féin and the quantity of money they have donated to Friends of Sinn Féin over the last 20 years, is available through Google.
He insisted that “none of that money,under Irish law, can come to the 26 counties and none of it does” and said the party abides by “very stringent rules” laid down by the US Department of Justice.
Cork North-Central TD Jonathan O’Brien, who is also the party’s national treasurer, said that vast majority of the money actually stays in the US “to promote the peace process and the cause of Irish Unity”.
Sinn Féin / TwitterLooking forward to Irish Times coverage of funding of Fine Gael & Fianna Fáil, would no doubt prove less transparent, but far more revealing
— Sinn Féin (@sinnfeinireland) March 5, 2015
He also had this to say:
The story in the Irish Times details 20 years of fundraising. The very transparency of our fundraising has made evaluation easy. But I would ask why couldn’t the same level of scrutiny be brought to bear on 20 years of fundraising Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil?
“Let’s not forget those 192 individuals who owe the state 62 billion in banking debt. What portion of those individuals donated to Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil parties in the past two decades?
“I look forward to five pages of coverage in the Irish Times dedicated to the funding of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, which no doubt would prove less transparent, but far more revealing.”
It’s not just donations. Last year, we reported on the annual Friends of Sinn Féin dinner where attendees are expected to pay around €400 per plate in the hope of raising over €280,000.
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I spent about an hour with him once & I can assure you he is an absolute gent, it was after his illness & he asked me what did I think of the show without him fronting it, I was honest & said shi*e & he laughed for about two minutes & then said “we will leave it there so”
What a joke. RTE need to get rid of him from their current affairs section so just ask him if there is anything he’d like to do. Like most people Bill has a passing interest in sport so they give him that gig, 100 years later and he’s still doing a job he clearly was never qualified to get
And the a$shole of the day award goes to….. Paul, internet troll and all round little sh*t
Paul’s comment was made on November so I will have to remove his a$shole of the day award. Still a douche comment mind you.
Your a fukin knob!!!
If that was aimed at me I’m gonna have to pull the whole Your/You’re card
Great guy…European and World Cup nights just won’t be the same without him.
A wonderful sports presenter. Does the job of being “john everyman” superbly. All ou have to do is compare him to Linekar and Chiles to see what a gem we have.
In fairness to him at least he waited till he was in his 70′s to right about his life…. Not like the gombeens these days.Tho I have always had a quite neutral view on him as a presenter and of course don’t know him personally , I have zero interest in reading his book , especially now he has endorsed a fraudster and thief.
We’ll wrap it up there so
Okey doke!
A brilliant TV presenter with a lighthearted approach to the job, not many like him in RTE, I wish him well.
Why does he need a book?! His job was to talk about football…we hardly need a career summary!
Ah Jesus Creamy, give Billo a break. He’s an institution.
While I wouldn’t be interested myself in his book, I’m sure there are people who would be interested in his life/career. Good luck to him.
It’s a genuine question, I honestly don’t know who the hell would read this? Please someone explain why this would be worth reading?
In a way I agree with creamy, its hardly going to be a nail biter.
Pity to see him go but Darragh maloney will do a good job of filling his boots in my opinion, he’s likeable and let’s the lads have their rants.
I can’t wait to read Sean Quinn’s book when it comes out. I hope he is able to start on the first draft over the next few weeks. No doubt it will be a ‘best seller’
I’d read his book, he is a fantastic guy with a great attitude.
Okey dokey.
Creamy maybe you need to read the book so, since you think he is only a football presenter. Doubt I’d have any interest in a FG sycophant’s book but he is far more than a football presenter!
At least Billo’s written it at a fitting time in his life, unless other opportunistic gobdaws like Jordan or Joe Duffy.
That Gaybo is mad for money he will never retire I wonder has he still the motorbike U2 gave him for a present.
He is mad for money because he had it stolen on him and years later he lost more when property dropped. That bike was sold for charity years ago.
FG shill
RIP Bill. A legend.
Hugh, why was my comment removed??
Gaybo and Bill are exactly like the politicians with various income streams and addicted to money and power. Our kids are emigrating and these people keep on taking. The greed is incredible. Yet they claim to be such nice people. Give somebody else a chance lads and retire Please.
Haha you’re funny. .if you gunna talk like that. .talk about everyone
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