Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

Denis Landy (right) with Labour leader Eamon Gilmore (File photo) Denis Landy via Facebook

Senator claiming he was offered holiday to skip Seanad vote won't pursue matter

Denis Landy told the Sunday Independent he was offered a holiday in New York to coincide with Seanad votes on its abolition referendum but Labour says he is not pursuing the matter any further at this point.

A LABOUR SENATOR who has claimed he was offered a trip abroad to coincide with a vote on the referendum to abolish the Seanad will not be taking the matter further at this moment in time, the party has said.

Denis Landy told the Sunday Independent that he was offered a ‘plush foreign holiday’ to New York to coincide with a series of votes on the legislation to give effect to the Seanad abolition referendum.

He believed it to be an attempt to get him out of the country in order for the government’s proposal to be defeated. There has been significant opposition from politicians on all sides to the abolition of the upper house.

John Drennan wrote in yesterday’s paper that Landy refused to name the ‘political figure’ who made the offer but was clear that the offer was a serious one. Landy has not returned calls or texts from TheJournal.ie today.

A Labour spokesperson said that the senator did not tell the party about the matter before it appeared in the media yesterday but does not plan to pursue it further at this point.

“I understand that he was anxious to put it on the public record given that the abolition of the Seanad was being debated in the house last week,” the spokesperson said.

They added: “Senator Landy is not pursuing the matter any further at this point in time.”

Earlier, the Fine Gael chairman Charlie Flanagan said that the matter needed to be investigated by gardaí:

Column: Seanad abolition would widen the democratic deficit in Ireland and Europe

Read: “Personal animosity” shouldn’t be part of Seanad abolition debate – Howlin

Doherty: Norris comments gave Seanad abolition campaign a boost

Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone...
A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation.

Close
30 Comments
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Twitruser2022
    Favourite Twitruser2022
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 6:13 AM

    Typical HSE mis-management BS, can’t even process a small bonus efficiently, needs to have red tape wrapped around it.
    Would somebody ever do a cull of all the chaff that’s employed there, how many layers of management is actually needed? The real workers such as nurses and doctors and health care assistants and porters are constantly getting shafted by management.

    419
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Stephen Barry
    Favourite Stephen Barry
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 6:49 AM

    Not to mention the catering staff who have to work over 70 hours a week in wards and they’re the ones that didn’t get it, in one hospital!!

    192
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute C
    Favourite C
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 7:59 AM

    I bet you all the staff would prefer a well organised, well managed, zero religion health care system with just one administrative HQ, a unified IT system, one set of digital of patient records, one x-ray IT system, doctors with reasonable hours, closed consultancy positions, the return of the matron, a HR group that can fill a vacancy in quickly and fill better ways to fill vacancies than hiring locum doctors and firing them before they get permanent employee status and so on and so on over a €1,000 bonus. Depressing really.

    147
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Harris
    Favourite Dave Harris
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 8:44 AM

    @C: yes we would – except for the return of the matron which would be a backward step

    27
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute C
    Favourite C
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 4:13 PM

    @Dave Harris: I don’t agree. They were the ward managers and they were very good at managing the wards, nurses, even the doctors and they ensured everything was done properly, everything was clean etc. That management is missing.

    15
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Bertie
    Favourite Bertie
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 8:08 AM

    More like they are still trying to find ways to disqualify more people from getting it.

    119
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute GrumpyAulFella
    Favourite GrumpyAulFella
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 9:23 AM

    @Bertie: or every Tom, Dick and Henrietta are putting their hand up for it I should imagine. I’m sure the unions have their members backs.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute der Fussballmeister
    Favourite der Fussballmeister
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 7:54 AM

    The people in test and vaccine centres at all levels have earned it. Really appreciated their efforts.

    59
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Brendan Gordon
    Favourite Brendan Gordon
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 8:08 AM

    @der Fussballmeister: and yet we were the only people who were literally just doing our jobs, and knew exactly what we were getting into from the start. Don’t get me wrong, my greed is winning out and I’m taking the money, but I feel like I was well compensated for my work.
    The bonus payment does take a little sting out of the corrupt managerial bullshit I had to deal with though

    52
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Becca Laste
    Favourite Becca Laste
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 8:57 AM

    @der Fussballmeister: I worked as a swabber from November 2020 to last month and we haven’t recieved it.

    20
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Fiona Fitzgerald
    Favourite Fiona Fitzgerald
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 12:20 PM

    @Becca Laste: Thank you both, you all made a stressful time less hard.

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Epgenetics29 Declan Christy
    Favourite Epgenetics29 Declan Christy
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 7:52 AM

    Mater Private hospital made €220,000,000 from a Covid related government contract; staff dealt with Covid patients on wards.

    Staff got zero €. Consultants? Well that’s a another story. Disgraceful stuff, constantly changing management and using it as excuse among many others muted for not looking after a staff that to be honest isn’t many people who are full time. Moral is on the ground and the discourse is sullen to say the least.

    66
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute SkylineSi
    Favourite SkylineSi
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 11:42 AM

    @Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: any proof for that claim?

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Epgenetics29 Declan Christy
    Favourite Epgenetics29 Declan Christy
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 12:25 PM
    7
    See 1 more reply ▾
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Ciaran bolger
    Favourite Ciaran bolger
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 4:45 PM

    @Epgenetics29 Declan Christy: the article clearly states that the one group that was NOT paid were the consultants. Yet you single out consultants in your comments, why? Senior management that were paid not mentioned by you??

    4
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Robert Johnson Fagan
    Favourite Robert Johnson Fagan
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 7:50 AM

    1000 euro!! Wow!! Amazing!! I wished I risked my life working in the front line instead of working at home. The appreciation of this staff is so overwhelming

    49
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Pat Ryan
    Favourite Pat Ryan
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 10:16 AM

    @Robert Johnson Fagan: I bet you do! You could have worked as a swabber on your days off if you wanted it that much. Why didn’t you?

    6
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Daniel Andrews
    Favourite Daniel Andrews
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 4:41 PM

    @Pat Ryan: that went completely over your head Patsy

    8
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Mary Nugent
    Favourite Mary Nugent
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 8:18 AM

    If they were over payed it would have to be paid back pronto.

    38
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Harris
    Favourite Dave Harris
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 8:48 AM

    We were promised a payment for being stranded at work during the beast from the east snowstorm. It literally took 1 year for us to get it. Pay us the bonus, or don’t pay it- just stop all this faffing about

    31
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Will Roche
    Favourite Will Roche
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 9:35 AM

    Can we not get the head of the DAA to sort this out? He seems to be able to fast-track himself through security so fast tracking this would not be an issue for him.

    24
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Dave Barrett
    Favourite Dave Barrett
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 7:50 AM

    Disgraceful and disgusting behaviour.

    53
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute ChronicAnxiety
    Favourite ChronicAnxiety
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 9:04 AM

    A lot of Junior medical staff change hospitals every 6 months, some every 3months,- they will be moved to hospitals who will have already paid the bonus to their staff, and so will be excluded from the payment.

    17
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Murray Mitchell
    Favourite Murray Mitchell
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 11:13 AM

    Wonder when the government are going to acknowledge the contribution of the country’s truck & bus drivers who worked long hours at the height of the pandemic to ensure other essential workers got to work, and made sure the general population were able to buy food and fuel.

    12
    Install the app to use these features.
    Mute Epgenetics29 Declan Christy
    Favourite Epgenetics29 Declan Christy
    Report
    Jun 2nd 2022, 12:24 PM
    1
Submit a report
Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
Thank you for the feedback
Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.
JournalTv
News in 60 seconds