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INDEPENDENT TD MICHAEL Healy-Rae won a celebrity television competition after winning over 3,500 votes that were generated from an Oireachtas phone in 2007, it has emerged.
In an exclusive in today’s Irish Daily Mail, Senan Molony reports that the then Kerry county councillor won the ‘Celebrities Go Wild’ competition in October 2007 with a total of 3,636 calls coming from inside Leinster House, from the phone of an elected member.
The taxpayer ended up paying the €2,639 bill for the premium line calls to the number that was needed to vote specifically for Healy-Rae whose father Jackie Healy-Rae was a member of the Dáil at the time. Neither of the two Kerrymen are able to explain the calls, the paper reports.
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Shopped local. All local small businesses are happy to do a sale over the phone or on Facebook and I have collected it from the shop at the door. I want to see my village Main Street open again when this is over, not boarded up.
@2thFairy: So far, I have bought every Christmas present from an Irish retailer, but my god some Irish retailers really need to get their act together in terms of online service – I got something delivered from China quicker than from a shop 2kms from my house, I am still waiting for it!
@Lisa Saputo: hear ya
@Lisa Saputo: maybe it’s being made in China
No option for No, none of the above?!
@Marc: I don’t do the commercial side of Christmas/giving & receiving presents… but just getting together for the family dinner with a bit of chat and banter is by far the best part of the holiday for me
@Marc: Worse poll I’ve seen on the journal for options. There is no option I can click on to see results. No I have not done any Christmas shopping as every were is closed!
@IrishRedLFC: I donate the money to a homeless charity instead, much better use of the money normally wasted on items we don’t need in this unnecessary annual box ticking exercise of buying one for everyone in the audience ;)
@IrishRedLFC: it all adds up… 5K+ donated to date… ya must be flúicin loaded yerself if thats tight in your dept!
@Marc: A bit harsh the Journal deleted @IrishRedLFC just for calling someone a tight bas…. :|
@Marc: Christmas was always commercial…. sure wasn’t the babby jesus only just born when the three kings burst through the door..”look what I got ya” – Tommy Tiernan
@Brianán McBride: Just click the “Vote” button with nothing selected (as I only discovered myself today) and voila!
Have most of it done. All online. Mostly local too.
Where’s the “Not doing Christmas shopping” option?
Yes, all online this year, poor postman..
5hit! Is it Christmas eve already?
I have done loads of online shopping and a bit of click and collect also. Will leave some of it for December but I feel like shops will be emptied by the 2nd. We will have to wait and see!!
@Seeking Truth: yeah I think so too..there wont be a cracker in sight
Can someone please ask Tony if its ok to do Christmas shopping?
Did most of mine online.. thank you Amazon. PS5 will be a no show for xmas but hopefully in the new year. I tried to shop local but way too expensive
@Christina Colling: there’s more being released this week Christina
Why do people bother? Shop for what? It’s like any other week just get the usual! Why do people need to be excessive especially this year!? No need
@Jonnie Marre: yawn. Humans have feasted right through the ages, keeps us busy and staves off the dullness of everyday life. Buy yourself a bottle of something nice and get into it
Usually shop local and leave it to the last few days. Have found some great bargains to be had on the 24th.
The “Can’t afford it” option.
I work in retail that supplies all the major shops with electronics And it’s very very quiet at the moment…
The quiet before the storm maybe??
have your say