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MARTIN MCGUINNESS has released bank statements from an account bearing his and his wife’s name at the Bank of Ireland branch on Strand Road, Derry which show that Sinn Féin paid £1,605 into the account in August and September.
A letter from the branch manager Sean Hegarty which accompanies the released statements says that “other than very occasional expense refunds, this appears to be the only funds received into this account on a regular basis”.
The statements date from 31 May 2011 to the end of September, and Sinn Féin’s payments range from £1,515 in April to £1,605 last month. The only expense payment listed is for £500 in May.
According to the statements, there were 24 debited transactions at Asda, three at Musgrave and two at Tesco. Other businesses listed in the debited transactions include Vero Moda, Next London, JJB Sports, Fosters Man and TK Maxx. The figures involved have been marked out of the documents.
McGuinness is the third presidential candidate to release information about his finances and had said he would release them to back up his claims that his political wage is paid to Sinn Féin, from whom he said he received a modest stipend. His salary as the Deputy First Minister of the Northern Ireland Assembly was around £112,000 a year.
On Monday, independent candidate Mary Davis released her P60 statements for the past three years as well as information on the payments she received from her directorship on state and corporate boards over the past ten years.
Those earnings through directors’ fees amounted to over €390,000 in that time, and came on top of her gross pay for her Special Olympics work.
Fellow independent Seán Gallagher followed suit and released information on his board payments yesterday which show he received over €41,000 over the past few years.
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I wonder who pays for his phone, and car, and light, and heat, and rent/mortgage, and everything else.
Its not the Irish Tax Payer, thats for sure ….. unlike all the other candidates … every one of them got money from the Irish Tax Payers. But i am sure we will have Fg/Labour supporters on here making all sorts of accusation in response to this, to deflect attention away from their own candidates :D Come on ye boys in blue ;)
Yea your right, it’s the northern taxpayers!! Same thing you fool.
Cal, why does anyone who has a problem with McGuinness have to be an FG/Labour, or even FF, supporter?
Martin Mc must have other accounts, as he made no ATM or cash withdrawals according to his bank statements. No petrol station withdrawals either, so his wifes car must run on fresh air!!! Seems very strange to me that Martin, nor his wife, carry any cash!!!
I see entries for cheques and credit cards. Also there are entries entitled ‘PASS’ and ‘LINK’. Don’t BoI have things called Pass Link machines i.e ATMs?
But in fairness, forget about his IRA past. It’s the shopping from ‘Musgraves’ that we should inquire into !!
Yeah, because how could any normal person live on 300-400 pounds per week …. Spoken like a true right wing, ivory tower, dont understand poorer people FG/Labour supporter
Seems like this raises more questions than it answers.
Anyone find it shady that there are only like 4 or 5 transactions a month!!!!
And aren’t Musgrave’s wholesalers?
SuperValu appears as that on the bill. I’ve never used a card in Centra, but would be surprised if it appeared under the name of their parent company.
On my own credit card statements SuperValu appears as Musgraves, and not as SuperValu.
What I think is really shady is the fact that SF emphasise that they only “draw the equivalent of the average industrial wage”…
The rest goes to SF…. so my tax euros that are supposed to pay our (too highly paid) TDs/Councillors etc are actually going to the coffers of the party……
Did anybody miss the fact that McGuinness also has a credit card which he pays off with the account listed on the statement? Might it not be that he paid for mysterious items such as petrol with a ‘credit card’ like many other people? Or does that not fit in with the conspiracy theory on here? Food for thought.
The credit card is paid by direct debit, yet there was no money taken in May, June or July, suggesting that it is not heavily used.
That’s not how it works I’m afraid. It doesn’t suggest anything – You are presuming that it was not heavily used. He may have paid off some CC instalments personally. The point remains – People are jumping to conclusions on here without knowing the facts.
If it’s paid by direct debit and there’s money owed, it will be taken, so either there were no transactions in May/June/July or an amount had been overpaid into the account meaning the account was in credit. However, there’s no evidence of that in his bank funds, so that only happened if:-
a) money was paid in from a different account
or
b) cash was paid into the account
To be honest, these are not exactly useful records – they show that one account gets a small amount in and a small amount out.
They don’t show how many accounts McGuinness has access to.
And it would be far more interesting to see the section 24(1A) donation statements for any member of Sinn Fein serving in the Dail or Seanad: http://faduda.ie/200-words/sipo-has-no-record
Look!
I can’t get this either!
So what if he shops in Asda or the corner shop down the road.
This whole thing about income started with the Indo and Mary Davis and her appointment onto public boards by Fianna Fail. The issue for me is not about earnings or who has what in the bank or where they buy their cornflakes. It is about sly appointment by the likes of Fianna Fail of their chums and accomplices onto public boards where they can earn large amounts for damn all.
I’m not sure what illusion people are under on here to think that McGuinness was a man living a lavish lifestyle. He still lives in Bogside in Derry for god’s sake. Hardly an area of prestige and wealth. The man lives in a working class housing estate, and has done so for his entire life. Unlike some politicians, he still lives in the community which he represents.
This is farcical. These calls for everyone to reveal their P60, bank accounts etc, is nothing but a distraction from lesser able candidates such as Mary Davis, who is desperate for us to forget that she is something of a “quango queen.”
What irritates me most is that it is swiftboating focus from the fact the McGuinness has promised to take hom 35K out of his salary if elected, and will use the rest to employ 6 people people currently on the dole. It must really rile the other candidates who must clearly but unsatisfied with something as low as the average industrial wage. “I’ll accept whatever the government decides” has been basically what Michael D., Mary D and Sean G have all said regarding it, which is wishy washy speak for “too feckin right I’ll take the full whack home!”
It’s a shame, because I find the idea of taking the wage of an ordinary person and using the rest to change the lives of 6 others, is quite a noble and worthy use for the money. I worry too many have lost sight of that.
Ironically it is Gay Mitchell who is the one driving this debate. He is the one candidate that will not explain or publish the breakdown of his expenses from Europe. Will he answer questions like how much he paid his wife from these expenses. He has the most to loose from this story gaining momentum and the light been shone on his expense account. I hope that he bucks his past trends and releases a breakdown of expenses. It is taxpayer money and while he may see it as his entitlement, it is proper that it is clearly shown how it is spent.
You’re right Tony, I overlooked good ol “I’m from the ‘Gay Byrne’ school of thinking” Gay. Mitchell is making an awful fool of himself, he wasn’t even a blip on anyones radar until he started what I like to call his parasite campaign- obsessively leeching off McGuinness so he can have his moment in the ill gotten limelight, which doesn’t, as it happens, do anything for him!
How he was able to hold his head up after admitting his expenses were just as much as his take home pay on Newstalk I just don’t know. ANyway, his actions speak louder than his monotone words.
How many pensions is Michael D Higgins, our Patriot currently in receipt of ??? A Professors state pension, A ministerial pension and is currently on a Senators wage …. He has promised not to take all these, if he is elected and reduce his salary down to 250k per year and then expenses …. Sign of a true intellectual patriot …
One thing is confusing me. Does the NI Assembly pay the MLA’s directly or indirectly through the parties?
According to the Nniassembly.gov.uk McGuinness received approx £75K in office cost allowances and support staff allowances in 2010-11. €75K seemed the upper end of claims.
According to the same website, McGuinness salary was £114K in 2009-2010. €132K at todays exchange rate.
What I can’t understand is why nobody has an issue with SF pocketing the difference between the actual salaries and this magical “industrial wage”. Surely this should be gifted back to State and the reduce the burden on the taxpayer?
Despite SF claim that they are not part of the “political establishment” they seem to be engrained into it and financially dependent on it.
The money is paid in to an SF account by Stormont and SF reps are paid from that. Why should he and they not be allowed to invest the money in to the party, local campaigns etc etc, it is putting your money where the mouth is, rather than becoming aloof fatcats like Mitchell and Ahern. Could you imagine the incredible party machine that FG or FF would have if they did likewise, they would have world class campaigns. FF certainly could have run a candidate and put an immense drive behind them, probably even saved their party but no, they join to benefit from the party, not the other war around.. You don’t join parties like them to live on average salaries. SF do this because it funds the party growth and it keeps the carpet baggers out, let FG have them now. It also means that highly motivated people are the only ones that advance.
Why should the money be gifted back to the state, why doesn’t Enda gift money back to the state. You are just knocking for the sake of knocking now.
Like you or me I can request my employer to pay my wages into whatever account i like. McG obviously requests it to be paid into SF account. It’s not that hard really.
I’m still put out by the Musgraves thing however, this could really effect his vote!
@Stephen, yeah, but but but but but ….what about, what about what about …. emmmm , emmm emmm ….
But how can any man live on 300-400 punds per week … it cant be done …. !!!!!!!!!
Brian,
I don’t think the references you make above indicate a connection by SF to the political establishment but certainly imply a dependence upon the coffers of the NI Assembly and why not.
Regards any of that money being ‘gifted’ back to the state, why should they – it’s a matter for the British taxpayer. No?
Haa haa …. I have to laugh at the Musgraves thing ….. Musgraves is open to everyone in the UK … its not a Cash and carry like it is in the south … People shop there, the same way we shop in Superquinns … but as usual, the consprisists from Fg/Labour are going to pretend that this sint so … or do you think that a couple of them might actually research their suggestions and apologize to the man……….. Nah, i dont think they will :D What a crowd of buffoons and facists they are
Martin McGuinness shops in TK Maxx. It’s a long way from Bertie’s â
Did it ever dawn on people that maybe they use their credit cards when buying petrol, food etc.. FFS Mitchell asked about SF’s payments to MMG. There you have they payments in black and white. Mitchell was barking or waffling up the wrong tree as usual, case closed.
McGuinness can always publish more if there are questions, simple as that. If McGuinness quit in the morning he could land a job in any fortune 500 company, or in the UN or similar body, he could easily charge 75k a speech, that work Ahern gets 40k a speech. He could gross a million a year handily enough. All the candidates in the race have homes that are in the 500-800k range, McGuinness still lives in the terrace hse he has always been in and it is valued at 80k. People in FG/FF just can’t get their head around a politician that does not stuff his account or live like a lord.
The question here is that he can clear up all queries, where as Gay Mitchell will continue to refuse to publish his expenses from the EU., refuse to say how much he paid his wife out of those expenses etc etc. Mitchell is the one candidate that has everything to loose by bringing up salary and expenses, why he did it is beyond political logic. If he has to publish his expenses his campaign will crash and his MEP seat will be at risk in 2014.
Well, if he’ll happily publish more if asked, can you ask for the publication of the section 24(1A) declarations by the SF TDs and Senators? After all, if he won the presidency, the salary can’t be paid into an SF account and his stipend extended from that, as it would be a breach of the laws regarding political donations (which is what we’re talking about here). Granted, McGuinness won’t have any 24(1A) declarations himself as yet as this would only apply to ROI SF representatives, but he’s looking to become the president and will have to make 24(1A) declarations if successful – and if he’s saying that SF’s accounts and procedures are all above-board, then there should be 24(1A) declarations on file with SIPO for far more than we’re seeing, surely?
There are two key points people are missing here:
1. Musgrave own SuperValu and Centra and some/all card transactions are done through the parent company. This is common practice for retailers with multiple retail brands so you can halt that conspiracy theory right there.
2. Martin McGuinness is a member of Sinn Fein, a socialist republican party. The important word there being socialist, therefore having the representatives wages run through the party coffers, then splitting it equally between the staff makes sense from ideologically perspective.
In truth, in the North a lot of the less well off shop in Musgarves, its not the same as Musgraves in the soth, where you have to be a retailer … But you will still see people spoof on about it, when in reality, the Musgraves items on his bank statements actually backs up te fact that Martin is living on the Industrial wage … Because no rich person in the North would be seen dead in it … Its the same as shopping in LIDL or ALDI here.
Do Sinn Fein accept McGuinness’ payment from Stormont on his behalf and then grant some of it back to him? Seems strange that it wouldn’t be vice versa.
Genuine question if anyone knows how this works?
That probably does make sense from a taxation point of view as otherwise, McGuinness would have to pay income tax on it before handing it to Sinn Fein.
Sure it makes sense. But hardly ethical for the people in charge of exchequer to work a system like this? If that were the case then an economy would be loosing out on income tax to the benefit of a political party.
I guess in their view it’s the British government who miss out on revenues so they don’t care.
Sinn Féin pays their political reps. The rest is invested into the party, constituency work, campaigns, etc. All politicians receive the average industrial wage. Sinn Féin doesn’t have the large corporate donors like Fine Gael has – Keep that in mind.
Sinn Féin never made that claim that the rest of the money was not invested into the party. They have always been very transparent about that. But it is a fact that their politicians are paid the average industrial wage.
sinn fein get paid the money then mc guinn gets a industrial wage its all accountable ppl can t get there heads around this because martin is not in this for the money . money is not his drive the welfare of the people of ireland is .
This is a party that has elected reps that were on hunger strike for 50 days, on death’s door, that saw friends starve themselves to death. Saw friends who were Cllr’s, not army, shot dead by British soldiers and loyalists. Shove your wages and expenses, you might dislike us, hate us even but the money is not what motivates me. This is way bigger than me or my bank account.
@Cal Are you for real???
If the average industrial wage is somewhere between â
I never believed McGuinness was leading a lavish lifestyle and I don’t think many others did. The point Mitchell was making (I believe – although I don’t speak for him) was based more around the question of where the money he DIDNT take went?
It went to Sinn Féin, and he has never stated otherwise.
See folks, not one deposit from any Northern Bank. Another conspiracy theory put sleeping with the fishes. Won’t be long Uncle Martin.
Actually John THIS particular issue started when McG said he’d only ever accepted the avg. ind. wage in office. Mitchell then insisted he prove it. To which McG replied with this half-arsed answer. Appointments is a different case altogether.
vote martin mcguinness no 1 nothing else
It looks like only SF comments are acceptable to some commentators. Of course you can live on the average industrial wage if everything else is provided, home, car, petrol, holiday home etc. Nice bit of pocket money. Can you only imagine if they got into power! Martin McGuinness for President or else!
Pat, you didnt apologize for the lies about the holiday home … Me thinks its usual FG/Labour spoof … throw a smokescreen, to try and distract the arguments away from everything your parties stand for …
Cal, my dear fellow. No apology necessary. The holiday home belongs to Gerry Adams who lives off the ‘average industrial wage’. Unlike you I am not a member of any political party, I am a citizen of the Republic of Ireland and I will defend the right of any citizen to question the suitability of Martin McGuinness to be President of our Republic.
Telling us that Gerry Adams and Martin McGuinness live their lives entirely on the average industrial wage is a fairy tale, I for one do not believe.
But Pat, really man, try and work out for yourself why you do not want to vote for Martin and why you hate him so. … Dont do it based on right-wing media, dont do it based on what FG/FF/RTE/Sunday Indo have told you … Use your own brain to work out why you have it in for Martin … and then check out on the internet if what you feel is your reason for disliking him is factual or not … and then, if you do find it to be a genuine reason for having contempt for the man , please, please please come back on here and tell us .. I can at least respect you for that …
But not because you heard another FG minister say that Martin has a holiday home … They are in overdrive mode at the moment to convince gullible dont knows at the moment …. and based on what you have just said, it sounds like they got another one…
No pat – You posted a blatant lie claiming that McGuinness had a holiday home in Donegal. You then didn’t have the dignity to admit that your claim was wrong. Shows your character really.
And if you believe that you will believe anything. Try getting a holiday home in Donegal on the average industrial wage!
Pat?? Are you another FG/Labour conformist, out spouting more innuendoes and lies … Martin McGuiness does not own a holiday home in Donegal … I think you will find that Gerry Adams does.
Martin McGuinness doesn’t have a holiday home in Donegal. Typical nonsense. He has one home, and it’s in Derry. The same working class house he has lived in all his life.
I vaguely remember a sinn fein TD saying full draw down of wages are taken but given to sinn fein, they then draw average industrial wage from sinn fein coffers and the remainder stays for party purposes. So, if that is true the tax payer won’t get a cheap deal if Martin is in the aras, instead sinn fein will get a fantastic bump of approx â
Ellen, McG has made a specific committment to employ 6 people currently on the dole with the remainder of the money.
What will they be employed to do?
The Presidential salary will not be going to SF, it will be returned to the state. It as he said would be like talking 6 people off the dole, it does not mean that McGuinness will employ them. Why not hire 6 people to work fulltime for St. Vinvcent de Paul or The Samaritans. Isn’t it better than giving the salary to a man like Mitchell who will pocket it all.
Mark, I agree with that question- why hasn’t it been asked? This is what I mean, everyone is preoccupied with “why do you have several transactions with musgraves on your bank statement, McGuinness!” instead what is relevant. Hopefully someone will think to ask that next time before launching into another “anyone but sinn fein tirade.” If they are being paid from his wages I imagine it would be related to Presidents admin though I’m not psychic.
@Tony So, he’s not going to hire anyone, the money will go back to the exchequer?
Isn’t that precisely what Norris said he wouldn’t do because if the money goes back to the exchequer, it goes straight into paying off Anglo’s debts instead of helping ordinary citizens?
And aren’t we now precisely where Norris said we’d wind up if we engaged in this bidding war for the presidency?
At last @Tony we can agree…”The Presidential salary will not be going to SF” ;-)
@Mark, wherever the money is going it will not end up going in to McGuinness pockets or in to a Sinn Féin account or benefit SF in anyway. I’ll quit SF if it does not do that and I have no doubt that many more of would as well.
I don’t think we are in a bidding war, in most countries there is a spirit of public service, there was here as well a very long time ago, up to the 50′s, elected Rep’s salaries were not that extravagant.
They are now, the real motivation of the attacks on McGuinness is that there are a lot of extremely overpaid poor performers in Leinster Hse, Irish banks, RTE etc etc.
You’re brushing right over the salient point w.r.t. the salary policy Tony, namely that it appears to violate the laws surrounding political donations in the ROI, and while that questionmark hangs over the policy, it’s a legitimate question to be asked of McGuinness as to what he intends to do with the presidential salary while not asking the other candidates (as they do not belong to parties which have the same policy w.r.t. representative salaries).
Our political donation laws are poor enough – circumventing the few we have isn’t something to encourage or condone in any way, no matter what the intent involved.
This is what seems to come out of all this: Sinn Fein, according to WikiLeaks, benefited electorally from a property bubble which its partners in the IRA helped to create and from which it gained financially, and will now take to the hustings in the Republic next spring on a platform of indignant, principled opposition to the spending cuts brought about by the very same bubble.
That will strike a great many people as a piece of breathtaking hypocrisy, but it’s unlikely the Provos will lose any sleep over it. There seems a very good chance that the number of Sinn Fein seats in the Dail will grow in the coming general election and there are even predictions that it will join Irish Labour to form the next coalition government.
That just leaves one loose thread. What has happened to the IRA’s investment portfolio? Who owns and controls it now, given the powers that be continually assure us the IRA has gone out of business?
Martin must be pretty bad with money then, seeing as he is shopping in ALDI, Musgraves etc …. or is this just more whatabotery and smoke screens …. Did you not hear the results of all the recent polls …. People are tired of FG/Labour using the IRA stick … they are not listening to this crap anymore …. They are more interested in what the financial terrorsists have been doing to this country for the last 10 years right up to the present day … How over 70 billion has been saddled on the poorest of this country, to bail out the richest , all the while our government ministers are screaming for us not to vote for McGuinness, they are lining their own pockets with our money …. Overpaid hypocrites … grrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Cal, that line of thought presupposes that everyone not inclined to vote McGuinness is FG or Labour.
The point I’m trying to make with the above post is, why invite in yet another party of financial terrorists? Surely you agree that any financial impropriety on the part of a candidate should be found out before Election Day? If there is noting there then he has nothing to fear.
The present day’s president’s family did not have a vote in the Republic of Ireland presidential election Maura an absolute disgrace that still pertains today and I wonder what those who proclaimed a 32 county republic at the General Post Office In Dublin whom the next president we elect will be commemorating the 100th anniversary of would have thought at least I can vote for someone who will campaign in all 32 county’s in this Election.
But Eamonn, the Republic of Ireland is NOT a 32 county republic.
Can some body inform me if M McGuinness has a vote in the Republic of Ireland presidential election. If he has how? To clear up all this money issue can he have his P60 or equivalent published.
No he doesn’t. He is a resident if NI and since this race is for the president of the ROI he and all people up north have no vote.
No it won’t. His ministerial salary will be listed. It is given to Sinn Féin, who subsequently pays McGuinness. But that won’t change any details on whatever P60 equivalent there is in the north, because it is technically paid to McGuinness first.
And no – Martin doesn’t have a vote, as he lives in Derry – and the Irish Government does not permit Irish citizens living in the north to vote on the Irish presidential election.
The present day’s president’s family did not have a vote in the Republic of Ireland presidential election Maura an absolute disgrace that still pertains today and I wonder what those who proclaimed a 32 county republic at the General Post Office In Dublin whom the next president we elect will be commemorating the 100th anniversary of would have thought at least I can vote for someone who will campaign in all 32 county’s in this Election.
As regards David Norris and Hepatitis c,I just read Ask A Doc/Disease Management,It states that hepatitis cannot be transmitted from contaminated water.It is transmitted from blood to blood.Perhaps someone else would like to check this out.If this true is David Norris is telling more "porkies"He is just not a credible candidate.It seems to be one lie after another at this stage,especially as regards to why he can’t release the other six letters.
Wonder what his excuse for claiming disability will be while working and getting a senator’s salary – probably more lies. Not presidential material at all.
Hear hear. If there are any improprieties, financial or otherwise, on the part of any of the candidates, its fair play to let the public know before Election Day.
So much fuss about nothing he should join D Unbelievables
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