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JOBS MINISTER RICHARD Bruton was given an expensive watch from a Saudi Arabian minister on his trade mission to the country last year, but had to surrender it under ethics legislation.
Bruton was given the watch by a minister of the Saudi Arabian government on his controversial trade mission with Taoiseach Enda Kenny to the Gulf region last year.
It was surrendered in accordance with Section 15 of the Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 which states that gifts worth over IRL£500 or €700 are automatically property of the State and must be disposed of either by sale or gift.
At the time of publication we weren’t able to establish what sort of watch it was, although it’s likely to have been a nice one if it was worth over €700.
The gift is disclosed on the latest Register of Members’ Interests 2014 that has been published by the Houses of the Oireachtas today.
The list discloses all of the property, land, directorships and others interests of TDs. In most cases deputies disclose the land and property they own.
In some cases, such as Fine Gael TD and former minister Alan Shatter, it’s quite an extensive portfolio:
While Taoiseach Enda Kenny discloses membership of a number of prestigious golf clubs:
Elsewhere, former Labour minister Pat Rabbitte discloses his work as a columnist for the Sunday Business Post.
While independent TD Shane Ross declares the gift of a ticket to Wimbledon which he received from Henderson Global Investors, a London-based investment company.
Former tánaiste and foreign affairs minister Eamon Gilmore disclosed quite a bit of travel since he stepped down from cabinet last summer.
Ken Foxe / TwitterEamon Gilmore declared quite a bit of overseas travel after stepping down as Minister for Foreign Affairs pic.twitter.com/gm7Jr04qoL
— Ken Foxe (@kenfoxe) March 12, 2015
Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin discloses his other job as an author having published his second novel ‘Secrets of a Haunted Winter’ in December 2014.
While most members left sections that do not apply to them completely blank…
… others, such as Roscommon South-Leitrim TD Michael Fitzmaurce, filled in all sections.
He even gave some entertaining details.
The farmer-turned-TD notes that he has his own car for travel, the land he owns is not for development as it is “out the country”, and he’s also been cutting turf for Bord na Móna “for a good few years”:
Hat tip: @kenfoxe
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Awaiting Shinnerbot response…. something about re-unification etc.
You’d know all about autobot responses.
Bingo!
I’m not a Shinnerbot, whatever bottoms have to do with being a Shinner I don’t know, but I think on an island this small 1 railway company is ample. Also while you’re on the subject I’d love a United Ireland. So bingo to you Ciarán. ;)
Shinnerbot?
Aye whatever, but just to entertain you you here’s a map of the current rail network, as you can see the entire border region with the exception of louth is sans rail services, this is most likely a result of partition and lazy Irish government.
Cross border rail my eye.
http://www.myguideireland.com/images/stories/Ireland/train_routes.jpg
I’d say it’s Thomas the tank engine you’re looking for there Ciarán lol. One the subject of trains I’d love to see a service into West Cork.
Could this be an opportunity to re-open the Western Rail Corridor, from Cork to Derry? Lets hope so!
west on track has been pushing the sligo-galway-limerick re-opening for years and struggling to get help from the government. the track is already there and there is demand for a western rail corridor re-opening but so far only part of it is operational.
http://www.westontrack.com/
Definitely something needs to be done. When a ticket bought in Northern Ireland is about half the price for the same ticket bought in Dublin, there has to be something wrong with the way that the service is run
Was on the NIR website and there is no difference in ticket prices between Dublin and Belfast.
Im sure the CIE unions will have something to say about that! track usage training fees or efficiency increase compo or something of that ilk !
Is there not a train running from up north down into Ireland?
Shut up varadkar
As far as I’m concerned anything that integrates the ROI further into the 6 Co’s is a good thing regardless of financial or other considerations. Its only a small thing but it will make the inevitable reunification run all the smoother. The more of these initiatives that link us with the North the better. Inch by Inch we can convince the unionists that it makes more sense to be 1 united country as is only right & proper. The more we integrate with the 6 Co’s the harder it will make for the unionists to resist reunification. After all “Money talks & Bullshit walk”
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