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THERE WILL BE no changes to the operation of the two Dáil bars the Oireachtas Joint sub-Committee on Administration has confirmed.
In a letter to Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams TD who had written to the committee questioning its operation, the committee said that they had agreed that “the status quo should remain in respect of the Dáil bar”.
The committee also responded to queries from Adams about the bar’s licence by saying that that the bar is in fact exempt from holding one:
In relation to the bar licence issue the sub-Committee was informed that the Oireachtas is exempt from the requirement to hold a bar licence and is operated on the basis of parliamentary privilege.
Can’t see the letter clearly? Click here
The existence of the Dáil bar has been subject to particular scrutiny following a number of late night sittings when the bars remained open, such as the night of the abortion debate last July and the night the former Anglo Irish Bank was liquidated as part of the promissory note deal last February.
TheJournal.ie revealed that on the day and night the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill was debated, €7,000 was spent in the two bars located in Leinster House.
The infamous ‘lapgate’ incident involving Fine Gael TD Tom Barry and party colleague Áine Collins also occurred that night, with Barry admitting that he had drank “a couple of pints” before it happened.
The letter to Adams also stated that although the late night sittings can be “difficult” for bar staff, it is not more difficult for them than other Dáil staff.
‘Cosy insider political culture’ — Adams
Adams said this evening that he has raised issues about the operation of the bar with the Ceann Comhairle and with a number of Leinster House Committees and that this response “does not deal with the issue”.
“Most people would find it odd that a bar can serve alcohol until all hours in a place of work. For this to the case in the Dáil ,where important legislation affecting the lives of citizens is being debated, is unacceptable,” he said.
It is a further example of the cosy, insider political culture that has existed in this state for many decades one where politics is all about special privileges, cronyism and where standards observed by average citizens don’t apply. It’s time this culture was rooted out.
“The Dáil Bar should be regulated the same way as any other bar and I intend to continue to pursue this issue,” he added.
Additional reporting by Hugh O’Connell
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And that sums up the contempt OUR elected representatives have for citizens.
And add to that they can have a few and drive home.
All animals are equal but some animals are more equal than others..
Do they have a tv licence
Niallers, its so true. Its amazing that so many dont realize the extent of this.
The Dail bar is Ireland’s answer to Orwell.
2 legs good… 4 legs behehehetter!!
“all animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others”. Think George Orwell sums it up perfectly!
It’s the pigs ……. Said George
Just one more kick in the teeth from the “pigs at the trough”.
Not that I am in any way surprised at anything these career wasters get up to.
That’s why everything is done arse ways spend to much time there.
I suppose adams and the rest of the shinners are saying decades of the rosary while all the other tds are having a scoop in the bar
Niallers, you should have called yourself “Orwell”, that being said we should all be made read Animal Farm before wee go to vote.
Not at all just trying to legislate & not seeing breaks in proceedings as some sort of excuse to socialise as appose to work.
Read 1984……..we are living his nightmare now
I just cannot wait for the Local Elections and European Elections !
What a brainless load of twits that
FG / Lab are – Why are they so trying to outdo their predecessors FF / Grs with their new records for stupidity ?
The Citizens of Ireland are so looking foreword to sharpening their pencils to vote them out !
Eddie thinks SF will be in power after the next election!! Hahaha bless your cotton socks Eddie!
Yep !! Vote FG they said, a fairer Ireland they said…..
They say a lot of things.. Don’t make it true though
I hope Adams is not supplying the vodka to the bar.
Well Ian you can see the s——-s are out in strength today 204 so far it’s the only way to find out pass a comment about them.
I’m a hairdresser. I can’t drink at work as it would affect my ability to do my job. I suppose running the country is a lot less complicated than cutting hair?
What else comes under ‘parliamentary privilege?’
The fact that they can label anything a parliamentary privilege maybe?!
Gotta love ireland and her just-is system
Lets assume a TD was to drink a few pints a work, then drive home locked and knock down someone? Would he be in the clear by saying it was a “parliamentary privilege”. total horse shite!
If you or I was to drink at work, we would be fired on the spot. would also be hard to get any payment from social welfare, if they knew you got fired for drinking. you wouldn’t be entitled to anything.
Haircuts would have been essential 6 years ago Melissa, but not now…
Luckily the Dáil Éireann crowd are only running the wee Irish Free State state. The rest of Ireland is run from Belfast, where such drunken carry-on would never be tolerated. I’m guessing that’s where GA is coming from. Perhaps if the whole country was run from Belfast we’d have a higher quality of governance (discuss.)
One rule for them, another for the rest of us.
The word that sticks out for me is “privilege” apparently being allowed to drink at your place of work is a privilege for those who inhabit Leinster house.
Absolute disgrace that the “leaders” of our country are allowed drink at their place of work and continue to make decisions that affect us all.
For once you’d have to agree with Gerry Adams on something.
If you listen to Gerry on a long time basic you will find out that he is the only one telling the truth
Admit it adams has the guts to fly In the face of consensus drinking we the plebs can go and feck off. No other jobs allows drinking on job
dunno about that . beer and wine tasters must have a fair share on the job :-)
Controversial guy, but he is absolutely correct on this issue.
Stop talking shit jack !!!
How much will a pint of Irish Water cost in the dail bar cost?
Shocking should be no bar at all close it how can you focus and vote while drinking. Only in Ireland
The tile should also include “government exempt from drinking at work, while making big decisions.”
Probably free …. But 10 euros every else…….. Can I please become “privileged”
Carlsberg don’t do canteens, but if they did….
Was a funny line when mike said it……… Pathetic now
I can find no mention of a ‘Micheal’ saying that, or anyone else for that matter. Can we expect an apology? Somehow I think that unlikely from the likes of you
Saying?????……. What is your question
You refered to another user as pathetic, based on your incorrect statement that someone else had already made the joke. My question is, will you apologise?
So it’s a shebeen.
Of course not,they were probably half cut waiting on their next bottle of moet while sending the letter.Time to dust off the guillotine I think.
I know a guy with an Axe, and he always keeps it in good working order.
I wonder how many of them conduct dail business and vote on legislation while under the influence. I’d also bet good money that there’s a couple of alcoholics sitting in our parliament.
@ Ginger,I would not vote for them,a waste ot good drinking time,Hic!
Breath test before voting …… Results posted on all media
was told by the Priest who was to marry us that if I took a drink before arriving at the church I could then claim at a later date that I was under the influence and my marriage was invalid both legally and to the church. Maybe we could get the unpleasant laws overturned on the grounds that the TDs were under the influence
Are you still married?………..watch dem priests they told me stuff that was ney tru
Yes pat, and I didn’t have a drink that morning. Should I have taken a drink that morning is another question
TD’s expenses cover Dáil bar spending.
In effect, free drinks.
Carlsberg don’t do rag weeks…..
Lol
And then some get upset with the drinking stereotypes associated with the irish.
Another absolute joke.
I don’t care if it has a licence or not. Why is there a bar at a place of work??? The bar should not be there!!! The presents of a bar tells me that the Leaders of Ireland are making very important decisions that impact the people of Ireland and they are making decisions under the influence of alcohol.
Is this some kind of a sick joke??
On a building site we must have a hard hat,visibility vest, safety harness and site safety cert ……. If they ever find you to have any alcohol on board you will be black listed , fired and no hope of further employment
But the big men who who make the rules are drunk when doing so
I don’t vote for you Gerry but name the drunkards that make my life decisions and I will reconsider my vote…. You are starting to make me feel Gerry that there is a regular worker in the house of decisions
I’d love publicans to not renew their licences and argue this in the courts
Nothing surprises me anymore with our government, only in Ireland would you see it!
who or how does it come under privelege???…..can cannibis be smoked under privelage in the same bar???
Well once it’s legal an argument is there for a Dail coffeeshop based on the bar been there.
so please tell me what changes enda an eamon promised b4 the elections have they made??? real change.
Changed how much tax we pay…… Only the regulars tho
I think the status quo will end at the next election.
I’d like to think so, but expect anything from an electorate which voted to retain the deadbeat Seanad!
How come we end up with their hangover?
Turkey’s and Christmas come to mind.
Surprise, surprise. What does Health and Safety say about drinking at work/in the workplace. AAGH I’m such a moron those regulations only apply where/when people are working.
The dail bar was created so that the public would not see the antics of our elected officials …….. Didn’t Michael Collins use the ” army” to hide his antics on the second floor of a Dublin hotel
If you doubt this …… Read history of “the great man”
Vote them out of the bar, simple.
Why are we not surprised?
There should be NO bar simple as,if there is a late night sitting order in pizzas and soft drinks but not on their bloody expenses it should come directly from their pockets ie their disgusting salaries,anyway how many late night sittings is there every year I’d say less then half a dozen,get ur mobiles out and give dominos a buzz they are open for deliveries till 4am,only in ireland
The late night sit in annoys the shyte out of me. If it’s that important leave it until tomorrow, nobody is fresh enough to make important decisions eg bank guarantee at 3am.
In no other place of work would the consumption of alcohol be allowed. It really is the biggest example of how the political class feel themselves to be separate from the rest of the population. One set of rules for them, another for the ordinary person.
Its an insult to any pretence of democracy that we might have in this country to have a bar open anywhere in Leinster House. Those TDs/Senators who use it or defend it show open contempt for democracy and every constituent who elected them to their position.
It is pitiful that this discussion even needs to be had. It should be common sense that a clear head is needed to carry out the business of running the country. Obviously common sense is lacking.
Burn the bondholders hiccup ..lol
After six years of austerity our taoiseach is still one of the highest paid as are the other politicians and civil servants in europe,drinking at 4am while debating the issue of abortion or any other issue is just not on,NO FU#KING BAR IN DAIL EIREANN SIMPLE pack of animals,enda Kenny should have sacked tom Barry but no
In the world, highest paid in the world, not just highest paid in Europe.
This typifies what is wrong with this government. Totally out of touch. This will cost FG a lot of votes and could so easily be fixed. They haven’t a clue.
Anne, they understand fully. What you need to understand though is that they dont give a **** about you or me. Remember that the next time a politician comes to your door looking for a vote.
I do not understand why the Dail staff can drink alcohol in work!!! What sort of privilege is that?
Does anyone reading this can actually drink in work? I certainly can’t.
Gerry Adams said the dail bar should be regulated no Gerry it should be abolished
It’s happy hour again for these drunkards ..lol.. Sleepy & Dopey aka Enny Kenny & Heymon Givmore lol
LOL
God forbid that the Dail Bar should ever be ‘shaken down’ for protection money.
Do they sell banana liqueur , to go with the banana parliament, of a Banana Republic?
Bejaysus ha? We’ve our private bar and there isn’t a damn thing ye can do about it. Name politicians that have been caught drunk driving. There’s quite a few and probably a lot more who’ve wangled their way out of it. If only this country was run by decent honest upstanding people.
Cant believe im agreeing with Gerry Adams
One rule for them and a different one for us .
The drunken gombeen Irish,only enhancing their stereotypical view around the world,have a drink paddy
And they have the brass neck to inform s there is a drinking culture that needs to be stamped out in society and below cost selling of booze to be stamped out and all the while they get to drink at work in a bar without a licence.try opening up a bar tommorrow without a licence..do as i say not as i do and whats the bet they claim the money spent in the bar on expenses
The parlimentary priviledge act is from 1770 .
Yes , the continued British , sorry Irish parliament
What workplace in Ireland has an on site bar that workers drink in and then make decisions that affect the whole country ?! The place should closed down.
So these all night sittings they hit the boozer ?! Aren’t they usually the countries most important issues that are debated late into the night and these clowns get pissed up ? If I drank during work hours I would be sacked and find it hard to get a Job again ! It’s f**kin laughable what goes on in there and I’ve worked in Leinster house , dept of finance and gov buildings as a contractor the stuff we got paid to do would make ya laugh !
I work as a celvil servant and if I was drinking while working one of these boys in the Dail would sign off in sacking me,so why are we allowing these people who run the country, drink while they are on duty.
Because the Whip system makes their sobriety (or lack thereof) irrelevant. The debates are just going through the motions, because the Constitution says they have to happen.
Only 13k a month, you’d get more on the dole.
Why is there a dail bar?
Cue Sinn Feins next election promise!
So it’s okay to have people “disappeared” but it’s not okay for TDs to have a couple of pints.
Keith Barry makes people disappear , too ,,lol
Gerry the Man …lol Cometh the happy hour , Cometh the Adams ..lol ..Get out , in his best Irish accent ,get out ..lol
For anyone who is interested in knowing who the sub-committee members are should look here
http://www.oireachtas.ie/parliament/media/sub-Cttee-on-Admin-Picture.pdf
It was them who believe the status quo should remain so if anyone has a problem with the status quo you know who to contact directly.
Wouldn’t that mean that a TD would have to be pulling the pint so?
Let’s hope the bar remains as is. Adams should spend his time contemplating the bodies he is responsible for. I’m of out for a pint.
Ahhh John, you must be new to Topic Deflection. Must try harder kid.
Why ?.
Drink in the house of commons. Only in Ireland
Unbelievable I object
No issue with the dail bar myself. The US Congress used to drink add socialize across the aisle regularly and come to sensible compromises often. Now been seen with a member of the opposition is seen as betrayal.
They tend to pass a budget once every few years nowadays. Politicians knowing one and another personally is a good thing. A little bit of respect goes a long way
You don’t miss it till its gone.
Yeah because the US isn’t a corrupt clusterf*ck. That’s exactly what we need – some good old social cronyism.
Well the US misses a bit of pork-barrel spending and political wheeling and dealing nowadays.
They are now scrupulously clean in congress but can’t pass a bill to save their lives. They have nearly defaulted numerous times instead of funding the spending they have already approved. They can’t pass a budget so they just continue with the budget from years ago on repeat. Or they shut down the government which costs even more and leads to waste and deaths.
Don’t complain when our politicians can’t anything done in the future. We managed to take a hatchet to government spending.
They are referring to the wrong exemption. It is a special artists exemption called the pissss take artists exemption. In fairness, these idiots are so cretinous that loading themselves with alcohol makes very little difference. Gravy train fanatics.
Outrageous I tell ya! Only a matter of time before outrage turns to rebellion when this pub with no licence and no closing time reveals the subsidised price of a pint for it’s elite clientèle. Not a country in the world that doesn’t have this arrangement for it’s politicos. I wonder when the trough guzzlers up in Stormont will tell us the price of a pint and a 3 course meal in their wee canteen! They don’t say that it only takes 6 months for newly elected members put on the “Stormont Stone” for nothing! Don’t get me started about the European Parliament!!!!!
Im making over $13k a month working part time. I kept hearing other people tell me how much money they can make online so I decided to look into it. Well, it was all true and has totally changed my life.last month her pay check was $12712 just working on the laptop for a few hours. This is what I do,,,,,,,,,,,, http://ddp.net/hmm
PISS OFF
13k you say???
ban this b*itch ,plse.
At least SF aren’t blowing up bars so I suppose we should be happy
“Why is there a Dail bar?”
Because the things they do there you can’t do if you’re sober.
my neighbor’s mom makes $69 every hour on the internet . She has been fired for 7 months but last month her payment was $13875 just working on the internet for a few hours. more tips here,,,,,,, http://ddp.net/hmm
So let me try and understand this, I go to a pub have 3 pints and lets say a whiskey. Get in my car stopped by Gard, following results of test considered (correctly so in all likelihood) as unfit to drive.
But as a TD I can drink umpteen pints with a whiskey to accompany each one and am still considered fit enough to vote on matters crucial to the country.
Have I understood correctly?
Like to hear answers from a few TDs
Completely out of touch with the real world. Our families and communities deserve better, this crowd only serves themselves.
Seriously nice pints tho
have your say