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SINN FÉIN’S MARY Lou McDonald has said she stands over her decision to name six former politicians in the Oireachtas last year – in spite of a finding from a Dáil committee that she abused her parliamentary privilege.
The Committee on Procedures and Privileges (CPP) issued a formal ruling stating that the TD should not have named the politicians, who were alleged to have offshore Ansbacher bank accounts.
McDonald read the names into the Dáil record last December when raising allegations from a whistleblower in the Department of Jobs.
Two former Fianna Fáil ministers Máire Geoghegan-Quinn and Ray MacSharry, as well as ex-Progressive Democrat minister Desmond O’Malley, strenuously denied allegations that they ever had Ansbacher accounts.
All three complained to the CPP along with the Fianna Fáíl whip Seán Ó Fearghaíl who described McDonald’s remarks as a “gross misuse of Dáil privilege”.
In the ruling issued by the CPP, its chairman, Dáil Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett, said McDonald’s failure to withdraw the remarks following a previous ruling constituted an “abuse of privilege”.
However, in a statement today the Sinn Féín deputy leader said she had simply been exercising her constitutional right “to give voice to very serious allegations made in respect [of] off-shore accounts and political obstruction”.
“The source of these allegations is a briefing dossier prepared by authorised officers who are both reputable and credible,” McDonald said.
“I set out for the Committee on Procedure and Privileges in very clear terms my reasons for exercising my Dáil privilege which was in good faith and the public interest. However, I have received from them only dismissive responses.
She said she had exercised her parliamentary privilege “in good faith and in the matter of public interest”.
The CPP said last month that members had determined that McDonald’s remarks had been defamatory and had requested the TD make a statement in the Dáil withdrawing them.
The findings of the committee are likely to be read into the Dáil record when TDs come back from the Easter break next week.
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Bono loves Ireland’s tax regime so much he pays his own taxes in the Netherlands…
Would you not do the same? I would if I could.
Wrong. Paul Hewson pays tax here. A lot of it. Part of U2′s business pays tax abroad, just as the American corporations pay some of their tax here. Can people not see this???
If I did I would at least have the good grace not to go around Lecturing others on their moral obligations regarding taxes and donations.
are people really still this dumb? I’m no fan of most of U2′s music but it annoys me when people make things up simply to convey hatred for another person and to suit their argument to gain likes on Social Media. Bono, Larry, Adam and Edge all work for U2. There’s no disputing that. A small part of U2′s publishing company moved their tax affairs to the Netherlands. Thousands of Irish companies do similar things. Thousands!! That company (amongst others) pay a salary to Bono, Larry, Adam and Edge. As Bono is a resident of Ireland, he pays his income tax in ireland (as well as Capital gains tax, inheritance tax and whatever other taxes are out there). There’s nothing too complicated about that, but sure don’t let truth get in the way of a good populist piece of BS.
In relation to him talking about economics, charity etc….the thing about us as grown ups is that we can choose not to listen. The difference between someone like Bono, and a certain billionaire businessman with ties to a political party is that I believe that Bono actually cares about people. He may be a loudmouth and sometimes misguided but I believe his heart is in the right place. Im sure he gets asked to speak at hundreds of things. Not everyone wants to listen to him but he is high profile enough to actually make a difference and he’s using that profile. C’mon people, we’re old enough to not act like young kids. Our anger should be directed at the political parties who have actually destroyed sections of our society
The Netherlands tax system suits his needs better, they have a similar arrangements to us. You clearly don’t understand how tax systems work.
When did bono last lecture you on tax compliance? Does he call you directly about tax credits, or was it subliminal messages about water charges on a podcast you suddenly found on your phone?
The bottom line is he is a singer and a songwriter, not an accountant or elected official. He uses the fact that millions of people paid for what he had produced to highlight his own opinion on global poverty, which is often right and sometimes wrong. I completely disagree with the tax loopholes concerned, but he probably pays more tax on his drinks bill than most people in Ireland entitled him to that opinion.
Wesole unfortunately bonos disconnected from the reality of what multinationals do to the country’s that they land in. I dont think paying 2.25 percent tax sends out the right message. I can tell you I personally pay a much higher rate than that. The UK has seen a lot of action recently over the likes of Starbucks paying little or no tax on earnings. Cant you see the danger of letting multinationals dictate our tax codes.
Did, they employ snot 500,000 people in Ireland who pay PAYE, VAT etc, without the jobs the country would be even more f€&?ed. The 2.5% you talk of us based on global revenues. Any money made in Ireland is taxed at 12.5%. Why should we get tax on sales in other countries ?
So your argument is these employees pay all the tax & these multi nationals get the credit for it. These companies are parasites & the quicker we wise up to it the better.
Its not taxed at 12.5% that’s the issue. They write off all sorts of expenses and deductions to bring it down to 2.5% or less. Haven’t you seen all the publicity about it in the last couple of years?
Wesole, he is evading tax here but lecturing about our systems. He truly believes there is nothing wrong with this. What a pr*ck.
Sid, I have an the publicity is to do with tax on earnings, but these earnings are from activities outside the state. You need to look up the double irish tax system
Sid educate yourself and read this http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Double_Irish_arrangement
The journal loves Bono. What is the prosperity he is talking about because the last time I checked we were 150 billion in debt and 762 € euro p.a per taxpayer to service teh debt so I can only deduce he is referring to his own prosperity. You don’t get 100,00 people marking when times are “prosperous”.
Ok so if it’s not an issue why the publicity then. The eu and the states and the general public are on about it. Everyone except bono and you.
Avoiding. Not evading. Big difference.
Because they are jealous of the jobs and investment that we are attracting to the country. Would you like to see all the jobs leave the country?
The general public? Like yourself who has demonstrated how unqualified the general public are to make comments regarding corporate tax policies. People love a good band wagon.
Well I pay my taxes like 99% of people without any preferential treatment. Like the other gentleman said if this is such a brilliant idea why does it lead to multinationals telling us how to run our soverion affairs. But I ghess your ok with one rule for one set of people and another for another set of people. Is this bono by the way?
I pay my taxes, without FDI there would be 500,000 less people paying taxes?
Do you think that these people should be made unemployed? That’s the crux of the argument, without tax incentives the companies would not be here. So remove your chip and look at the bigger picture .
Companies such as oil major ExxonMobil, use the same Dutch schemes that enable Bono escape paying tax on about 95% of his income.
As has been reported, Bono knows that he inhabits the credibility gap between being an international rich man who lives in many places – but pays little in taxes while also being an anti-poverty campaigner.
…and behind those shades, it must hurt to have to defend massive tax avoidance by big western companies in response to a plea for fairness for Africa, from successful African businessmen.
Bono’s a pox.
ohhhh… your criticism is so edgy…..
Damian is wearing a hat. Like Mark Wahlberg in the move Shooter. Mark had his back to an explosion. Mark gets paid to do these things.
Damian took a picture of himself and has it up on the internet for all to see. He has his back to a stadium. Damien wants to benefit socially by this action.
David Webb doesn’t remember his real name… ;-)
Pass the Dutchie Sir Bono.
Yet again we get to hear the tax fugitive pompously gibbering from his perch.
Who cares what you think?
Away with you now to some 3rd world country a preach your cr@p there.
Bono is like anti globalisation protestors who wear NIKE clothing, use iPhones, drink Coca Cola etc…they are so full of shee ite their eyes are blinded to their hypocrisy.
How revolting. I really hate it when this man spills his pearls of wisdom for us. WHY does he know about economics beyond his own fat sweaty bank account and his Google shares?
Begrudging success?
completely begrudging. it’s a totally Irish thing. we have no right to be Irish and successful!
Actually Miguel Bono gets slated big time on the Independent (London) FB page where they report these comments and I doubt all of the commentators are begrudging Irish people.
Check out the article on Guardian.com about Bono speaking on this issue. About 800 comments and hardly any positive ones regarding Bono. The whole begrudging Irish thing is a myth. People in general have woken up to the fact that Bono is a charlatan and a hypocrite, and see him for the corporate lackey that he is.
Self serving egotist and tax dodger. Seems to have the press corp slavishly in his back pocket.
Not much of a fan of Bono or U2 but I much prefer his singing than his sanctimonious bull about what others should do.
The man lives in a different world. No doubt by the sound of it he’s availing of some creative tax arrangement. If our people in revenue are so brilliant why is the country swimming in debt and so meny on the live register. These multinationals abuse whatever country that can for their own gains at our expense. They need to pay their fair share of tax.
Because Revenue don’t run the country!
I think there’s quite a bit of tax already coming into the state coffers from those multinationals – paye/ prsi on the thousands they employ, plus the trickle down affect into the general economy.
IRL is swimming in debt due to Gov and Central Bank ineptitude during the years 2000 to 2007. And we’re all paying for chaos left behind after spectacular bubble burst of 2008, a situation set to continue for decades.
Meanwhile the electorate have little choice as whoever is in power has to tidy up the spectacular mess, if Ireland is to retain its credibility internationally.
There is no easy solution. Germany has its own problems. Don’t expect Angela or anyone else in EU to pull some rabbit out of a hat and make Ireland’s problems go away.
At least Government’s current fiscal plan, ahead of 2015 budget, straddles two to three years into post Gen Election term, which should ensure FG form the backbone of next coalition.
Stability is the name of the game for IRL and current coalition is doing its best in trying times. There is just no realistic and credible alternative out there now to what’s at the helm.
FF can gain by staying silent for 15 years after it’s early century handy work !
SF will have core support but insufficient to form a Gov. The independents can huff and puff all they like but will they get anywhere ?
Economic growth, stable Gov, and lower personal taxes will make IRL a better place by the end of this decade.
So fg are doing a great job? WTF they are following ff’s plan which is ripping the heart out of this country
Paul Hewson is a sanctimonious little man who has illusions of grandeur, and sees his world through his own rose tinted glasses. I avoid everything this man is connected to. He is a creep.
Self righteous p***k
Bono: Musician, humanitarian, philanthropist, Irish corporate tax defender, knob.
He is 100% right. All we had for centuries of unemployment was us, spuds and Gunness. Now we have real opportunities, and they want to take that away…NO WAY. OUR TAX OUR BUSINESS!
How is he right? Ireland is basically facilitating tax evasion on a colossal scale. The double Irish loophole enables mega coporations like Google to make billions in profits while paying negligble tax. Corporations should be made to pay their fair share in tax along with everyone else. Bono is just defending his corporate buddies in Apple.
I was listening to an economist that said that if Europe decide that Apple have to pay the full 12.5% to the exchequer it will also be retrospectively. So in essence we will receive the money that should of been paid to the state and it will set another precedent where we will have an influx of money from the other companies. We are talking billions, tens of billions of an influx.
Except, Pól, the repayment, if it happens, will go to the EU, not Ireland.
Well it would reduce our debt somewhat if as you say it goes to the Troika.
‘More hospitals and firemen’?! What a sh!t!
http://youtu.be/7Mh8T6MZQm8
For fu*k sake. Tell him to climb a tree and give him a butter knife to carve out another piece of shite music and stay up there with a vow of silence forever.
Moron is worse than listening to Enda.
Fish…….Barrel…..Shooting
I used to buy into the whole Bono humanitarian image. Then I really started to think about his tax affairs and those he supports. If Apple, Intel, Google, Paypal et al paid their true rate of taxes then we would not need local taxes such as property taxes and water taxes.
For all the people that disagree (and probably work in the multinational sector) workers in these sectors are basically paying for these companies to exist in Ireland. You pay so they don’t have to. We all pay extra tax so they don’t have to. We need to boycott their goods and services.
The Dutch Tax man had a laugh reading this. Is like the typical Dictator defending their country’s policies but with all their money in some bank abroad.
Let’s ask the question on everyone’s minds:
Will Bono be paying the water tax or use his Dutch tax arrangement to shirk his social responsibility towards his on people?
Btw Bono the hypocrite spent the past decade campaigning for water wells and a better standard of living for Africans. Yet he shirks most of his tax liabilities from Ireland to the Netherlands..and receives a hundred millions dollars off a firm that is being investigated for tax evasion by the EU and US.
International trade expert, international finance expert, and now an international taxation expert? Our education system has clearly gone downhill if an inter cert education from the 70s could bestow such expertise on students. Or perhaps he has little idea what he’s talking about, is too arrogant to accept that fact, loves the sound of his voice too much to accept that fact, and would probably be best sticking to what he does best (I hear he’s quite a talented cook, maybe stick to that).
The “small country” argument is such equine excrement.
Norway has a smaller population than Ireland but it’s the richest per capita because it nationalised it’s oil instead of giving away to corporations and then bribing other corporations to stay there with ultra-low taxes as we have.
If he can avoid the clutches of these greedy thieving ******** then fair play to him.
The band are great but I can’t stand the howlin hoor’s voice.
abono is the talking ebola.
He’s only paying paying 6% and also making 400million from facebook share sale excluding the music deals .. He’s actually robbing the irish people and residents of ireland by not paying his fair part? That would hep the deficit if he paid the same tax as the rest of us here ..a55hole and I’m glad I never liked his music
No fan of Paul Hewson but
“Our education system has clearly gone downhill if an inter cert education from the 70s could bestow such expertise on students.”
you are mixing up education with schooling Silent, the Inter Cert is a stamp of schooling. Education is a different thing altogether.
Bono is the winner of the worlds biggest poo, according to south park
I despise bono, but I agree with him on this. We would all avoid as much tax as possible if we had the means to do it. Ireland is a high tax low service delivery country and every cent you can save the better. A flat rate of 20% on income , abolish vrt and CGT , inheritance tax and the tv licence , set the corporation tax to 5% and abolish rates, become the EU’s best little tax haven and we’d all be better off with the floods of FDI pouring through the ports
Bono is part of the Elite. he has lunch with Obama in Dalkey and now he’s telling us like it is GFY self.
Wonder did he have his water meter installed in Dalkey or did they only manage to get to Clondalkin and Clare Hall
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