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MARY LOU MCDONALD has reiterated that she stands over naming former politicians in the Dáil chamber who were accused of having held offshore Ansbacher accounts to evade tax.
Those named have denied the allegations. McDonald said she accepts “people’s right to their good name”, but won’t be apologising as she has done nothing wrong.
Sinn Féin’s deaputy leader said: “I absolutely refute any suggestion that I abused Dáil privilege”, stating that she exercised it in a “very mindful, thoughtful and responsible way”.
She said the allegations raised were of “the most grave public concern” and called on Enda Kenny and the government to launch an investigation.
McDonald added that the dossier in question contained “very serious allegations that go to the core of good governance and good political practice” and “will not go away”.
The Committee on Procedures and Privileges (CPP) recently ruled that she abused her Dáil privilege by naming the individuals.
McDonald said she has “huge reservations and concerns about the entire procedure embarked upon by the CPP” and “will write to them again” to highlight this. She said she was “fully compliant with standing orders” and was “solely an exclusively driven by the public interest and the seriousness of the allegations made”.
Responding to reports that government chief whip Paul Kehoe is going to write to Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett recommending she be sanctioned, McDonald said: “There’s no merit, no reason for any motion of censure in respect of myself.”
McDonald also claimed that some “political insiders” have been unfairly critical of her:
A harsh commentary has been adopted by political insiders in respect to me and that contrasts quite dramatically with lack of commentary in respect of other public figures or political figures now or in the past – who, in the real world, people would have judged to have done real damage to people’s lives, to their livelihoods to their standard of living. I just want to make that point.
“I’m well able for the slings and arrows of politics,” she added.
Party leader Gerry Adams said Sinn Féin “stands shoulder to shoulder with Mary Lou”.
Distraction
McDonald suggested criticism of her may be a distractionary tactic.
Unsurprisingly, Jobs Minister Richard Bruton disagrees, describing it as “totally untrue”.
He told reporters this afternoon: “This matter has been investigated fully by the Revenue Commissioner, by the gardaí, by two tribunals, and by the ODCE [the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement]. What other investigations are necessary?”
I think you’d have to question what Mary Lou McDonald is looking for and what are her motives in not accepting such allegations have been fully investigated.
He said the Oireachtas committees involved will decide whether or not to proceed with censure of motion and he’s “not going to express a view at this point”.
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The whistle blower has stated that the issue of the ‘black briefcase’ had not been and never was properly investigated and he was curtailed in that line of investigation. If this is correct then everything that Bruton is pointing to are the usual whitewash from the elites.
Didn’t they try to tell us there was nothing behind the Garda whistleblowers as well.
Also the fact that her roots and early political allegiances are in FF she may know even more than she has already said
SF in power up the north were shown in a spotlight program to have false companies etc set up for siphoning off falsely claimed expenses from stormont (as were the DUP)
Their supporters line was it was Brit money, no mention of the fact it was money for the ordinary person up north or at least for their services.
They justify their behavior and are critical of everyone else. Classic two rules, one for you and one for me.
If you think SF aren’t a bunch of hypocrites you are deluded
spotlight do great work highlighting the shady underworld of SF/IRA, long may it continue
If it’s been fully investigated and everyone’s “clean” I would assume the findings in the investigation will be made public then, or if not and guilt was found hopefully some arrests.
ask harney how fully it was investigated, another non inquiry so all are innocent. pity they forgot to tell the investigator.. the usual huff and puff from career politicians surrounding a white wash, good on any member of the dail for airing the dirt let the offended get justice and explain the misunderstanding…….I would call the revenue out to deny or explain what the fuss is about
the non prosecution of the HSCB criminal tax evaders doesn’t bode well for this story either, even when they were caught red handed. open & shut case. How can not prosecuting ppl who defrauded the state on €3.6 billion of untaxed income not be in the public interest? i very much interested, as i’m sure all reasonably minded ppl are also… the golden circle doesn’t prosecute its own membership evidently..
Wtf there’s been NO investigation you thick try finding out some facts before posting .
That’s the “I want to speak to your manager” face.
Dáil Privilige should only apply to allegations directed at non-Sinn Féin members.
No Francis that’s the “I Cant wait to oust iPhone Joan face”
This Committee ruling is a disgraceful attack on the Peace Process.
Ff fg labour = establishment = corruption https://youtu.be/27UL3tZW1bk
Bobby you forgot to say “facist” “blueshirt” or “tan” have you been brought in by HQ for your media training at last!
Justin if you dont like it dont read it.I am not a member of any party i want change i am fed up of the crap in this country it has to stop.If you want to keep going down that road by all means do but i have enough. sf ind ddi the hub the ncm who ever they will get my vote.Ff fg labour sold us out and now is the time for change party loyalty is what ruined this country justin thats the problem.Justin its healthy for democracy to have protest if you didn’t you would get a dictatorship you should nt let words hurt your feelings! Hear watch this.Your backing this company thats going to fleece you and your family.Wake up
For justin ._.https://youtu.be/sexp9EslaAM
Irish Water will make you pay for rain water from your own roof.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FO_znyCZgoc&feature=youtu.be
Not a SF supported but it does make a nice change that there is someone in there with a backbone that stands up for themselves and doesn’t just keep the head down and do what they are told.
Like I said before, she can and could easily raise any point and stay within guidelines, but that wouldn’t have had the desired effect for SF.
She can “stand up” outside the Dáil & repeat her accusations.
These accusations being true (MLMcD would never pull stunts), she has nothing to fear.
“Not a SF supporter but…”
The immortal line that gets repeated on every SF-related article. Funny how the “not a SF supporter” commentators spend so much of their time defending the party.
Supposing she announces that you are a tax dodger Bill? She has no evidence (I’m sure) to support that assertion, and if you want to say the whistleblower made the accusation so that is enough, then I would ask why is an accusation (or several of them in fact) not enough when it comes to Gerry protecting child rapists, obstructing justice, not ordering murder and not being in the IRA?
Even though the guide lines are designed to protect corrupt.
SF don’t do apologies just ask the McConville family etc etc etc. Mary’s allegations were just purely a deflection tactic at the height of the sex abuse allegations against this particular strain of republicans. The problem for SF now is people can now see through their smoke screens .
The McConville family were, of course, apologised to. But, please, don’t let the facts get in the way of your SF bashing.
If it was a war, the killers should be tried for warcrimes. But don’t let sympathy get in the way of your irrationality.
Adams apologised, that makes it all ok apparently
WereJammin FG Fake identity Troll .
You FG guys are running so scared these times !
Eoghan O’Duffy and his Blueshirt Stormtroopers will never be dead !!!!!
Jammin =?more bull#hit and untruths from the SF troll !
that’s the real shinner troll “Were Jammin”. Lol, he/she is a parody of him/herself!
His name was Eoin , the blue shirts were only in existence for about 15 months he had a longer association with the green shirts
Good on you mary lou expose them for what they are rats._.
utterly disgraceful yet again from SF
What’s the fups going on?? Now the SF trolls are accusing other SF trolls of being FG trolls? My head’s spinning. Paranoia is out of control methinks
SF is in meltdown, the shinnerbots haven’t being told what to think so they are turning on themselves – hilarious. SF always good for laughing at anyways :D
Bobby ” I’m not a SF supporter” yes whatever. What an empty head!
SF and the other left wing loons are in a confused spin, since their policies started to be played out in Greece. We can all see what a disaster that is.
fg = scared of their own shadows and have to pick on everyone else like their “no you are” leader
pathetic!
So was the whistleblower a liar then. Is that what we are meant to believe. That’s there is nothing in this. Wasn’t it the same with the gardai whistleblowers. We know how that turned out. So whether you like Mary Lou or sf . at least she is highlighting something that should be highlighted. People talk about sf reflection then deflect themselves from the article itself. Irony of it.
Deflection
She can easily raise any point and stay within guidelines, but that wouldn’t have had the desired effect
I not talking about guidelines. I was talking about the actual allegations and the whistleblower. According to what Richard Briton has said . then he is saying the whistleblower is lying and and that there is nothing to see hear. So if there is nothing to see will we see the reports or will they be put away for 30 years.
Bruton.
Here ( autocorrect) .
Yeah I know you’re not talking about the guidelines (conveniently not)
But that is what this story is about
A guideline is a statement by which to determine a course of action. A guideline aims to streamline particular processes according to a set routine or sound practice. By definition, following a guideline is never mandatory. Guidelines are not binding and are not enforced.
Basically their just pissed because they can’t control what she’s saying.
Sorry . but the story is about it all. Mary Lou, guidelines, whistleblower, Richard bruton . if you want to ignore the full story ,( conveniently ) that’s up to you. But I am interested in all aspects of the story.
No it’s not, although you’d like to make it about that.
It’s about Mary Lou v the Dail, read the headline.
The Committee on Procedures and Privileges are there to make sure people don’t abuse the syatem, in this case they say she did.
Why can’t she do like others and do her business within the guidelines ?
Because her desire was to deflect away the negative spotlight that was on SF at the time, She could easily have raised this issue while staying within the guidelines
Tom I don’t know what your implying that I would like to make it about anything. Unlike you I read more than the headline and there is more above in the article about not only the guidelines, but the committee, what Mary Lou herself said and what Richard Bruton said. So I will make any comment I want about the above article and not just the headline. Some of us in this country would like the truth to come out in relation to this matter and care more about that than guidelines. But you seem transfixed on the guidelines and nothing else. So that’s up to you. But I would like to know if there’s more to the actual crux of what she said.
If she believes it to be true, why doesn’t she repeat it outside the dail ?
Because she done it to create a smoke screen.
I’m implying that you are using the same smoke screen tactic to move the focus away from her breach of Procedures and Privileges to allegations that she won’t make outside the chamber
we got smokescreens in the dail alright.. HSBC – no charges? bang to rights too…
Don’t be so naive littleone, there is no moral crusade being undertaken by Mary Lou here, it’s sh*t stirring and digging for dirt on opposition any time SF get an opportunity. Sure look at the presidential election, a character assassination through unsubstantiated accusations on a man heavily favoured to win the election, his vote collapsed and he lost, and is currently embroiled in a legal action suing RTE as a result, as the claims were never followed up or substantiated, but it was broadcast as though there was a shred of evidence at the time… They tickled the mood though, it was the most anti-FF election ever, so they accused him of being a FF bag man and claimed to have a witness and evidence – neither of which were ever produced or mentioned again when challenged on it.
Also, why are you mentioning Richard Bruton? He was not named by Mary Lou – in fact no government party member was – it was exclusively FF/PD politicians named and SF are claiming this dossier went through the hands of several ministers without anything being done about it, but it had actually been in several domains already, including the tribunals.
I also don’t know why the Journal don’t post the video of the exchange or publish the transcript, as it is merely reproducing publically available transcript from the Dail – not publishing libelous content and national print media have published the names in full that were mentioned.
But anyway, my main point is SF are VERY good at manipulating the fickle minds of the electorate and tapping into the mood. They throw out insinuations and/or open ended suggestions and allow the more cynical of us do the rest without actually saying it.
Much like their economic policy, it all sounds great and lets you fill in the dots, but in reality there is little to no substance to it at all.
Has anyone here actually asked “What was the investigation?”, “What was in the dossier?” Well, if you want to know, the dossier was reviewed by the Revenue Commissioners, the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement and the Moriarty and Mahon tribunals as well as the Director of Public Prosecutions. It has gone the length and breadth of the country and everyone from senior gardai, opposition politicians, high court judges have found that there is not evidence that would be sufficient to commence legal action against any of the people he accuses and the claims that there was a cover up also coincide with the investigation being halted by the civil service as it was then the subject of a tribunal and garda investigation, so would no longer be in the remit of the civil service…
But why let facts get in the way of a good ould “Dem politicians are all de same!”
So she disclosed the names of people suspected of wrong doing and now the knives are out for her and they want to impose sanctions on her. Irish politics makes me sick.
Poor Mary Lou :’( Butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth :(
if she is so confined of it she would say it in public. but alas mary lou is a typical SF coward. how could anyone vote for that cult
You hit a nerve there S.O. must be onto something.
Revenue will never publish the out come of the investigation because all those mentioned by Mary Lou would be shown to be guilty and let off with a slap on the hand.
Just to remind people that the committee who found that she breached Dail privilege is filled in proportion to Dail representation i.e. it enjoys the same large majority of government TDs as the chamber.
Oh, and Sean Barrett is the chair.
Exactly Comrade Jammin, the Committee would only be fair if it had a SF majority.
Just because you are paranoid does not mean they are not out to get you…she abused Dail privilege by namng people who were not present to defend themselves.
A committee of peers, unlike a kangaroo court for kids who were raped.
Jammin you (and everyone in SF)seem to have a real problem with any form of authority.
You were saying yesterday that people were free to do as they please (on thread about woman and glass door)
Mary lou seems to be of the same opinion, but it’s wrong.
The problem is with the committee you say, funny how when it comes to SF the problem is always someone else.
Nothing to do with her at all, she & SF are right, everyone else is wrong.
I think SF and their supporters have a definite persecution complex, that or hard necks
yet again SF give two fingers to democracy. how could anyone vote for them
Dodgy FG accounts out to get you today WJ. Never been so obvious for all to see.
I note and others will too that not one of them actually answer your point.
Typical Mary Lou.
Will never accept that she is wrong and SF are always right.
Happy to defend rapists murderers pedophiles and kangaroo courts because Comrade Gerry does.
Happy to slander people in the Dail and yet fails to do the same outside because she is so sure of her facts and knows that they will sue her ass.
More attempts by her to distract people.
Any chance of sanctioning the FF pocket stuffers who ran our country into the ground?
Any chance of NOT deflecting all criticism of Sinn Fein?
How far back would you go Al Ca, would you go back to when Mary Lou was a member of FF ?
Like I care about SF.
The only thing I see in that Dáil is every TD jumping up and about stuff that might take them off the gravy train.
Could ye please put up a nice picture of her. The one where she’s wearing sunglasses is a nice picture. Thanks :-)
She has no problem naming alleged tax dodgers but won’t name alleged republican child abusers and rapists. (Journal note the alleged before deciding on wether to delete) I love a politician who stands on the high moral ground.
Philip
If you add some lipstick, a bit of mascara and some rouge you may start to see a difference
Just heard her interviewed on today fm. Kept giving the same answer to every question, she’s gone down in my estimation… we don’t need politicians like this in Ireland. She’s lost my vote.
pure car crash interview :D
You can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.
And about 12 pints of Guinness …. But it’s still a pig
you would piss in your pants after 3 pints of Guinness.
Yes Gerry that’s right. Good lad
Just read about thirty FG Rightwing Trolls repeating their hateful almost racist, type remarks .
It’s quite amusing , but sad too , how these people live their miserable so sad lives.
Their only means of argument is attack like schoolyard Bullies. Together with their multiple fake trolling Twitter names.
The latest Were Jammin fake Troll one, is so pathetic in its childish content.
How these so miserable people are so much on the run now – that their pathetic way of life and putdowns have been found out, by the ordinary Citizens of Ireland .
@ ciarraioch Hi Eddie
Would she use her Dail Privilege in naming sex abusers in the I.R.A.?
now now she only has strong views on those who cover up abuse in the church…. it doesn’t apply to her own party somehow though… strange that?
Seriously Journal, how can you let the same twisted trolls regurgitate the same bile every day ??????
I’d love an answer..
It beefs out their comments section so they probably love it. The sad thing is that all the troll comments come one after another, yano, because they are all the same person backslapping themselves. It truly is sad.
She has been hiding for a while. It is easy to find a hiding place when you live in a luxurious11-room detached villa close to the Phoenix Park. It is also easy to run a 254s.q.m house when you take home the average industrial wage.
Mary Lou has a VILLA on the average industrial wage. WOW.
A stunning looking woman
Looks like a pitbull chewing a wasp.
You are looking through your squinted eyes,Johnny :) #funnyguyisjohnny
She’s a cunning stunt.
Why did they use a picture of Kathleen Turner?
another mockery of democracy brought to you from SF. how could any decent person even dream of voting for those thugs
unfortunately patjoe the hamfisted effort being made by the people in power are driving people in their direction.
they shall always remain an irrelevant immoral sideshow :)
A side show they ma be, however the government needs to be held to account. As someone who believes in water charges (modest, user pays, conservation, etc.) the whole IW thing is such a debacle.If they tried they couldn’t have made a bigger balls of it.
I find the whole thing a joke except it just isn’t funny.
Can we not have competent people running the country. Out of our population you’d think we could find a few honest, competent people to put in charge of running the country.
The government may have had quite a few successes, jobs etc that they deserve credit for but they’ve burned a lot of that credit with this whole IW fiasco
@Tom and Patjoe,
get a room you guys.
It’s great that people accused of tax fraud can just declare themselves innocent, and the media just takes their word for it.
even when they have been caught publicly, and bang to rights. not in the public interest to charge HSBC fraudsters, even on €3.6 billion?
Does mary Lou or any of SF/IRA have any respect for our democracy?
She’s a nasty piece of work. People are entitled to their good name? Well then why do you viciously try to destroy their good name in the one place where they cannot defend themselves. A pure bully.
Repeat your allegations outside the Dail or else shut your face.
Alan, for somebody who likes to remark on your good manners and how much class you have, you seem to be very quick to make derogatory comments about women.
And what part of my comment is offensive about/towards her as a woman? I refer to her as a nasty piece of work, as a bully and suggest that she repeats her allegations where they can be tested or else shut up.
None of those are things you say only about women.
Stop trying to be offended, and on someone else’s behalf too.
People are entitled to their good name? like jimmy savile you mean? yeah, sure, why not.
Mary-Lou was 100 per cent right- and it’s killing those that she named that they can do absolutely nothing to stop her-
Fair play mary lou exposing the filty corrupt right wing thieves that have robbed this country for decades ,
Expose them all i say
The elite establishment have &ucked this country over and over with out been accountable to the irish people
Fine gael fianna fail labour pds have destroyed ireland and the stupid sheep on here defend them
Fools
If this were anybody else she’d be demanding ‘justice’ ‘fairness’ ‘accountability’ ‘transparacy’ and a load of other buzzwords. One law for them and another for everyone else. God help the country if this shower of populist idiots ever get into power
if she had any morals she would resign immediately
If Enda had any shame he would have resigned when he first went to meet angela and came back with bruised knees and a brown tongue. But then nobody expected anything else from this coward.
Interesting that the shinners got very upset when dail privilege was used to criticise them. That wasn’t on at all, at all but I suppose that’s what happens when you have a monopoly on virtue.
This is a woman who sat in the dail and smirked as a debate went on about the child rape of Marie Cahill while Marie Cahill sat in the gallery watching. She’s not fit to be called a woman or a mother let alone a TD.
Whatever happened to marie cahill? Why isn’t enda still fawning over her did something happen?
Unlike Sinn Fein who laugh at victims of paedophilia while protecting the paedophile most decent minded people whatever their politics try and support the victim in their struggle for justice. If you have children I hope they never end up alone with one of these patriots.
there are whispers that FG & Lab have “distanced” themselves from Miss Cahill. She seems to have out lived her usefulness some might argue..
Well we all know Marie Cahill outgrew her usefulness to Sinn Fein supporters a long time ago. Around her 16th birthday. Imagine sitting in the audience at a Sinn Fein ard fheis? Now that would make my skin crawl.
Eh, once she was a poster girl for sinn fein but now she’s just the same as all those other doublespeak phonies?
Double standards,from kenny and Burton, as they sup cheek by jowl with two very unsavoury Carachters,both were members of the “workers party” whose Crimes knew no bounds. Pot/Kettle comes to mind.
Sorry I don’t understand what the “twist” is
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