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THE CONTROVERSY OVER a Fine Gael TD’s €2,000 worth of calls from Leinster House to Kenya has led to, er, calls for TDs and Senators to use free internet phone services such as Skype instead of phones paid for by the taxpayer.
Michelle Mulherin has since repaid the money for the international calls to Africa which she insists were not personal.
She told the Irish Independent today that she would love a system within the Dáil where “an alarm bell or system would notify people if there are high tariffs on particular calls”.
The Mayo deputy went onto tell the paper that “even a Skype facility within Leinster House” would be useful.
As you might expect, this drew some derision online today.
But it does beg the question as to whether TDs, Senators and anyone else working in Leinster House can actually use applications like Skype.
Authorities have confirmed that members and staff are restricted from installing software such as Skype on Oireachtas devices, including their computers, as they are not administrators.
This was confirmed by Fianna Fáil senator Thomas Byrne on Twitter today:
However, a spokesperson for the Houses of the Oireachtas said that Skype can be accessed on personal devices as long as they’re connected to certain WiFi networks operating in the complex.
Several different WiFi networks operate within Leinster House with different security protocols for each based on who is using them.
“Skype can be accessed if connected to the correct tier and users experiencing problems should contact the ICT Support Desk,” a spokesperson said.
Theoretically Skype can be used on non-Oireachtas laptops and mobile devices connected to the guest WiFi operating in Leinster House.
This network is used by media organisations including TheJournal.ie. So, this afternoon we successfully placed a Skype call back to our main HQ on this guest WiFi network.
The spokesperson added that another WiFi network allows access to Skype for “known mobile devices”.
As for other internet phone services such as Apple’s FaceTime, Byrne claimed on Twitter today that even that doesn’t work in Leinster House:
However, using the same Leinster House guest WiFi network we normally use TheJournal.ie was able to FaceTime with our former colleague and Today FM’s political correspondent Gavan Reilly in Leinster House this evening.
We had a right laugh together as you can see:
Unfortunately this particular network does not appear to be available to TDs or Senators.
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Awfully nice of them considering it was supposed to go back to free.
@Seth Cheffetz: Go back to free probably the wrong term “become” probably more correct. Very annoying it didn’t become free when it should have. The only reason to keep charging should be to make it widder
@Seth Cheffetz: But they haven’t actually reduced the price at all…… they just no longer can charge tax on it….. they’ll continue to receive the exact same amount…… but are trying to dress it up like they are giving something back
@Augustus hoop: If they can not charge tax on it then will all tolls drop in price?
@Augustus hoop: If they can no longet charge tax on it then are they reducing the cost of all tolls arounf the country.!
@Seth Cheffetz: I’d love it to be free but if it were free to use then the Eastlink would be overrun with traffic.
It’s hard enough to cross it at busy times as it doesn’t have the capacity to handle 21st century volumes.
there is a dire need for a second bridge beside it which I know is planned but when will it happen?
@Chris Mackey: you don’t pay VAT on the M50. It’s €2.10 if you use a tag and €3.10 if you don’t. The full amount of this goes to the operator. The only charge or VAT is on the monthly toll tag charge.
@Kal Ipers: totally agree. Remember walking across the bridge before it was opened. No insight for cyclists or increased traffic congestion.
That’s big of them. All the DCC counsellors had the chance to abolish the toll about 2 years ago & they voted not to. #screwthemotorist must be a mantra.
@Matt Donovan: what do people trained to give guidance on personal or psychological problems have to do with tolls ?
@Boganity: nit picking much are we? The journal doesn’t allow for edit autocorrect phukkups (see what I did there?)
Can people claim the paid VAT back…..
@Pauliebhoy: yes send me on your back details and I’ll do it for you
@Jamie: *bank
@Pauliebhoy: company cars already do.
@Jamie: *wank
@Pauliebhoy: it is relatively easy to give a refund to people with an electronic tag. It’s not possible to refund people who paid cash.
Hold on so Its not DCC at all it’s just the vat is being removed. Is there vat on the others? That bridge is well paid for. Toll is a scam just like the M50.
@Bilbo Baggins: governments are a scam
@Bilbo Baggins: If everyone simply stopped paying the M50 scam, that would be the end of it. Same with the tv license scam.
“Pleased to announce a drop in toll charges”
Realistically though they are now going to be charging the proper price after revenue told them they shouldn’t be charging vat……right ?
@Jason Ebbs: revenue told them they should be charging vat, the European court for them they shouldn’t.
@Mark Boyle: cheers
Absolute thieves in DCC the day they voted to retain the tolls after people believing the promise that it would be abolished after 25 years. It was not DCC’s to take – the users had paid for it already as agreed.
DCC should be “pleased to” admit it had nothing to do with them. Chancers.
Should be done away with altogether! The bridge has been paid for 50 times over now
“We are please to announced that ee’re so incompetent that we’ve been needlessly charging VAT for several years.”
The Toll Bridge is a direct tax on working commuters and small business toiling away every day.
I wonder which party is the majority of DCC?
When the East Link bridge was opened in 1984 we were promised it would be free after the cost of building and some profit was taken….It was never planned to still be a toll bridge 33 years later…..
Pretty sure that bridge was finally paid for in 2014 and in 2015 DCC gained control of it. Thus it is now nothing more than a double tax.
@Colm O’Sullivan: I’ve just remembered that Shane Ross had a lot to say on that. He wasn’t popular for it.
http://www.shaneross.ie/category/transport/the-m50-and-westlink-bridge/
@Fiona Fitzgerald: well he’s in power now and can do something about it or is he only able to complain when he’s on the outside looking in?
Wait for the price increase in about 2 or 3 months time
What was the criteria or classification for the East Link bridge for it to comply with Revenue’s VAT-free status? What about the M50 toll bridge? (Public versus private ownership perhaps?)… but just don’t start me off on the ridiculousness of that other rip-off subject!!
Given the priority DCC is giving to taking traffic that’s crossing the Liffey out of the most central artery between north and south (O’Connell Street-College Green-Nassau Street-Kildare Street), it would make more sense to encourage traffic that isn’t going for the city centre away from the next closest route (Samuel Beckett Bridge) if at all possible.
Getting rid of the toll on the East Link would be a massive help here.
It is adding to the traffic problems – totally in adequate bridge, three lanes merging to one – madness and then paying for the privilege.
Traffic is bad enough at peak times there with a toll, if you scraped it it would be chaotic – would agree with it free outside of peak times as it needlessly puts traffic on the Sam Beckett bridge
@John Fahey: That’s the whole point of something being free John, everybody’s able to use it then whether it’s busy or very busy
We paid for that bridge for the past 25 years -Goes to show DCC cannot be trusted
Wonder if it applies to e-tag users?
Am sure Mr Ross had a lot to do with this. ..? What a minister.
@John Scott: Would you ever read this before you talk nonsense?
http://www.shaneross.ie/category/transport/the-m50-and-westlink-bridge/
It’s actually a price increase if you take VAT off original charges. All prices should be cheaper.
Who do they think they are fooling? All motorists should drive to DCC and block the entrance to their own “free” car park.
Joy of the motorbike is no toll on east-link or m50 but shh don’t tell them
This needs to be barrier free now.
Can I get a VAT refund on all the VAT that I paid
Poor Thomas Clarke is turning in his grave. He dies for Ireland in 1916 and then gets his name associated with a Toll Bridge … which was supposed to return to the Irish people free if charge…
Did anyone if the Clarke family object to this insult to a 1916 martyr ?
This reduction in charges is not what you think.
The DCC aren’t doing you a favour.
This is a change for the run-in to introducing charges at every junction on the M50.
They may drop the charges again in a few months and likely intruduce the junction charges early next year.
Don’t be fooled, you have been warned.
Cos it’s not worth a b**** s ,Samuel Beckett is nearly as quick and is free !!!!
Great, so more vehicles on a bridge that should be twice, if not triple, the size!!!
When are they going to expand it???
Takes over an hour some days to get across it
Great, that just means way more cars on a bridge that should be twice if not triple the size!!!!
Takes an hour to get across it some days
When are the going to expand it????
Vats great
have your say