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IT TURNS OUT Enda Kenny is not being lavished with expensive gifts as Taoiseach – he didn’t even get one during all of last year.
His department keeps a record of gifts given to the Taoiseach above the threshold of €650 – as set out in the Ethics legislation.
However, Kenny did not receive any gifts over the amount for the whole of 2014, according to a document released under a Freedom of Information request.
This may be karma from that time in 2013 when he met Mayor Bloomberg in New York and gave him a teapot.
Yes, a teapot from our Taoiseach. Aw, Enda.
He does have some expensive presents hanging around from previous years though…
In February 2013 he received an acrylic painting by Michael Flatley. It’s valued at around €5,000 after his first work of art was sold for €5,600 in 2011.
The Riverdance star applied paint on his feet and literally danced the paint onto the canvas called ‘An Ocras Mór’ (The Famine).
The wood on the frame comes from trees of Castlehyde, Flatley’s expansive Cork estate.
The King of Saudi Arabia gave Kenny a golden replica of the world’s tallest clock tower during his trade mission to the country in January 2013.
He also received a 14-inch crystal vase from the Kennedy family in June 2013 (worth €800).
When the Queen visited our shores during her state visit in 2011 she handed over a bottle of Mackinlay’s Rare Old Highland Malt Scotch Whisky worth €150.
A spokesperson told TheJournal.ie that gifts of such nature could be taken into the private collection of the Taoiseach but because of the importance of the Queen’s visit, the gift will remain in the State’s possession.
He can keep it if he so wishes but that wouldn’t happen in this case.
US president Barack Obama also came bearing gifts during his State visit in the same year.
Obama presented Kenny with a limited edition silkscreen print, entitled Marigold, by US artist Alex Katz valued at €1,500.
(Marigold, Alex Katz)
It can be seen in the corridor outside the Sycamore Room in Government Buildings.
While the Taoiseach may not have received many (any) expensive gifts last year – let’s not forget that he looked pretty chuffed when Bono presented him with a vinyl edition of the new U2 album last November.
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Anyone else notice an article “Enda Kenny wants to cut tax but says it’s not about buying an election” was taken off the main site of The Journal.
One of the most commented articles of the week.
Most comments were letting people know what they thought of Kenny with one or two YFG saying how great he is.Wonder could The Journal say why it was taken down??
Getting more like RTE by the day…….
Saw that horses for courses. Youre right.
The Journal.ie, Home of Astroturfing.
They must have got a call from their mate Leo Varadkar
It’s still on this one though so that’s something, and I would say this site is more accessable as it’s available on those “very expensive looking smart phones”
Enda no mates
Damned if you do, damned if you don’t! The lad would have been slaughtered if he gave an expensive gift “wasting tax payers money, while the country is in debt etc etc…..” would have been one of many such comments!
Kershie, are you really that naive? It’s like the clothes shop that increases prices before Christmas then garners our love and affection in the January sales with the “reduced” prices (or old stock they can’t sell). Hmm, OK so let’s add property tax, water charges etc etc and then we can cut PAYE tax and pretend people will have more money! Even though we still will have less than we started with. Que the sounds of laughter of Dr. Evil.
Enda is more of a giver. He gave a whole country to the EU and big business.
REALLY THE JOURNAL????? THIS IS JUST A BULL SH@T ARTICLE. THE MAN WHO IS SCREWING US OVER AND DO YOU THINK WE REALLY GIVE DAMN. THIS IS JUST ANOTHER FG PROPAGANDA ARTICLE
Stanley the article is still there.
Sorry Stanley read this wrong just ignore
He gets a massive salary off the taxpayer every year,I’m sure he just asks for a brown envelope with cash below 500 quid so he doesn’t have to declare
Libel, a little?
Every little helps
truthful more like !
I’d like to give Enda a present all wrapped up…..actually I want give him a box! On the ear!
I’d like to give him a present of a P45.
Thought Hugh was back from his holidays when I read the headline
Anyone who supports fg/labour have to be commended on their blindness and stupidity.
Or the need to seek professional mental health support
Thank you for commending me on my blindness, however I can’t honestly take credit since it’s a genetically inherited disorder.
Back stabbing is a genetically inherited disorder of fg too , rampent
30 pieces of silver for selling Ireland to DOB.
I would have thought an obscene wage and pension, that as well as still having a job (for now) would be enough of a gift for him.
shur nobody cares any more what enda says or does, we all had enough for the last 7 r 8 years, they just keep on taking and taking of the working man or woman, shur, even the views are down on the journal every time that endas face is shown
There is fear in them there eyes
The month of April will tell…
thats because no one likes him !
The Taoiseach is doing an excellent job leading the recovery. I for one wouldn’t begrudge him some nice gifts. #leader #inspiration
Are you for real???????????
Yep Stanley they are. Like something you would hear from north Korea idolising the great leader.
i think that ur a gobsh!t, this sneaky man enda, does not repersent me in any way, nor do i think that 70% of the irish people want him to repersent them either! now Pepper Brooks hiding behind a troll account and user name, its obivous that ur a FG supporter and are afraid and a coward and wont use ur real name!
Has Tag Bulll s….t.
Who is to say that many Ministers etc have many children…
我认为,政府此前一直是中国军队到处为他们在这个网站,医管局医管局。
Pepper…
Enda doesn’t need expensive gifts from his string pullers, all he needs is the occasional pat on the head and he will do whatever they went.
Regardless of what gifts were or weren’t received last year, in these austere times I hope the Taoiseach’s office is using the age old trick of re-gifting to save the taxpayers a few bob.
Mind you, I’m very surprised that Denis O’Brien didn’t give him I nice big gift!
Biffo was rewarded and in due course Inda will get his dues. Ireland a great little country to do corruption in.
#RodneyMomaghan that gift from D.O.B. Will kick in when Enda loses his seat at next election. Mind you he’s getting more like Putin every day so fingers crossed we actually have an election
@Mary, i thought i was the only who saw that in Enda hard ba@@ard,he will have to be stopped roll on GE.
Enda doesn’t deserve presents, he deserves to be sacked.
His not very highly rated is he .if this is all he got.
Beware of Greek’s bearing gifts eh Enda?
He should be shot with a ball of his own shit
Guess its about how much you say a gift is worth; they all get gifts on their junkets and they keep them too. In the old days gifts were handed over and displayed in the National Museum; not anymore, clearly.
Is the protocol not that all gifts given are the property of the state?
This man should be a leader we can look up to. A leader who sees Ireland as people not a business. As long as people like him legislate for people’s behaviour and attitudes we will have no hope of a place to live we can be proud of and take pride in. People keep their homes tidy but litter the streets because of an attitude Ireland belongs to him to clean up
Well done enda
https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=872625799454797
Gifts for the people
The ould joke was, what do you give a woman who has everything.
Answer is penicillin.
I wanted to send him a lump of coal at Christmas…
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