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LAST UPDATE | 11 Dec 2019
FINANCE MINISTER PASCHAL Donohoe has said he will work with the Houses of the Oireachtas to develop “another adequate way” in which the questions around the expenses of former Fine Gael TD Dara Murphy can be dealt with.
His comments come after TheJournal.ie revealed this morning that the Clerk of the Dáil cannot investigate Murphy’s expenses and Dáil attendance issues.
A spokesperson for the Houses of the Oireachtas said in a statement to TheJournal.ie:
“The Clerk of the Dáil has no jurisdiction in this matter. DPER [Department of Public Expenditure and Reform] make the regulations and we implement them.”
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said last week that the clerk could carry out an investigation.
The Taoiseach said questions have been raised about Murphy’s attendance and expenses, and must be answered.
Speaking to reporters today, Varadkar said: “I can’t prescribe which competent authority should [carry out the investigation], but I think there should be an investigation.”
He added that if this investigation found that Murphy broke the rules, he “absolutely” should return any money he should not have received. Health Minister Simon Harris previously said that the former TD should repay some of the expenses.
Murphy, formerly a Cork North Central TD, has faced criticism in recent weeks over reports around his attendance at Leinster House.
The former minister of State has been based in Brussels for the past two years where he has worked as full-time director of elections for the European People’s Party (EPP). Fine Gael is a member of the EPP, a political grouping in the European Union.
Varadkar said he “certainly could have” asked Murphy to resign from this role, but he chose not to do so.
Questions have been raised about Murphy working in Brussels while also being a sitting TD in the Dáil. Questions have also been raised about how Murphy has been in Leinster House on 24 sitting days out of 70 in the first nine months of 2019 and just 42 of the 104 sitting days during 2018.
“Those questions need to be answered. Dara Murphy has agreed to participate and cooperate with any investigation. I understand that he may not be able to have an investigation by the ethics committee, or by Sipo, as he’s now a former member of the Dáil, but it would be possible, for example, for the clerk with the Dáil to carry out an investigation. I think something like that will be appropriate,” the Taoiseach said last Thursday.
Since the issue has been highlighted, the Taoiseach has named a number of bodies he believes should be tasked with carrying out a review into Murphy, his attendance and expenses claimed.
However, each one put forward by Leo Varadkar has rejected that it has jurisdiction over the matter, and stated that it is not its remit to investigate.
Before floating the idea that the Dáil clerk should carry out a review, Varadkar also claimed last week that the Standards of Public Office (Sipo) could investigate the matter.
This was later shot down by Sipo.
Sipo confirmed to TheJournal.ie that as Murphy has ceased to be a TD they cannot investigate. The clarity by Sipo was welcomed by a spokesperson for the Taoiseach.
The Standards watchdog also noted that the Dáil’s Ethic Committee is also ruled out for the same reason.
One source said that if Sipo has said it cannot look into the matter, “then that’s it”, adding that there are no other options for the government.
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said today that a number of bodies have said it is not under their remit to carry out such an investigation.
“My understanding was this was a matter that could be dealt with by Sipo, but it has now become clear that they can only deal with office holders and Mr Murphy is no longer an office holder,” he said.
“So what I will have to consider and I know the Houses of the Oireachtas will have to consider, is there an alternative way in which this can be dealt with?
“I’ve become aware now of the view of the Clerk of the Dail in relation to his standing on the matter and we will have to find a way in which this can be dealt with.”
Fianna Fáil has formally requested the Oireachtas Committee on Member’s Interests to inquire into Murphy’s attendance record and whether he breached ethics legislation by claiming full allowances despite being largely absent from the Dáil.
The committee is due to meet on Thursday morning, where the matter will be discussed.
However, it has been reported that the committee can only conduct an investigation into Murphy’s attendance and expenses if he requests an inquiry be carried out himself.
While the Taoiseach has stated that Murphy is willing to fully comply with any inquiry, it is understood that no letter or correspondence from Murphy has been received to date requesting for such a review to take place.
It is believed legal advice may be sought by the committee as questions hang over its members as to whether they are also ruled out from investigating the matter due to Murphy stepping down as a TD last week.
Speaking to reporters, Fianna Fáil’s Stephen Donnelly said questions remain for the Taoiseach as to how Murphy was permitted to be absent from the Dáil for such a long period of time while also claiming a full salary as a TD.
He said questions about who will carry out the review into the matter will get “buried and hidden behind a radiator” by Fine Gael. However, Donnelly said the Taoiseach must answer those questions.
Additional reporting by Orla Dwyer.
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Context is everything. He didn’t use the word to describe someone; he was repeating what another person experienced.
Clickbait headline.
@Hugh: you clicked first tho …..
@Hugh: I think you need to learn how free to view news sites work
It’s an uncomfortable word to hear spoken with the hard-R but I think in the context of his speech accounting a victim’s abuse he was entirely correct to read it and make the listener uncomfortable.
@Rochelle: it’s a non-story
Pathetic tabloid click baiting. Journal turning into The Sun?
@In fairness now…: what other possible context did you expect him to use that word in? Non story all the same
Only black people can say that word then? What about when people outside of Cork say ‘lang*r”, do you know how that feels for us!..
@Lad: an African American called me n|gger once. I wasn’t brave enough to return the compliment
@Oracle Steve: I was once called it by a white Dublin teenager near Tallaght hospital. Not so much brave in that instance not to return the misappropriation. I’ll wait for the local TD – privileged Paul – to school him on the history of slavery from his d4 tower.
@Oracle Steve: Coming from an African American it would have been a positive reflection on you
@Lad: Sure, ’tis the same. Has the same meaning and all, haha. Dog-whistling racist clown.
@Brynþór Patrekursson: stop that. Telling the truth is wrong
@Lad: wow. Cork is now a race? I did not know that. Since when?
It’s a becoming a bit like the Jehovah scene in Life of Brian
https://youtu.be/Cnn2aGVcCEc
@Ger O’Reilly: Right…. who said that…. come on then…..the next person to ………
@Ger O’Reilly: you’re so right!!! Great clip!
It’s not a nice word to call someone but anyone who gets offended at someone just saying the word and not directing it at anyone is a first class moron. Is there not anything more important for people to be talking about in the Dail?
He hurts us more with his penal taxes he wants to impose on us
This race-baiting has got to stop, its getting way past a joke and has become annoying. I have never met one racist Irish person in my life, not a single one ever.
@Pat Coyne: You obviously have a very low bar for what you term racism. Racism is everywhere and rampant in Ireland.
@Paul Whitehead: what a blind eye I must have Paul. Working in the industry I work in, thousands of members of the public, hundreds of colleagues, over a 35 year period, “everywhere” and “rampant” is most certainly not the case. In fact Paul, I would argue quite the opposite, very much quite the opposite. I can only assume the circle you mix in is one I would quickly change.
@Pat Coyne: Where have you been hanging out?
@Pat Coyne: You haven’t read this thread obviously.
@Pat Coyne: Then you, sir, are a liar or a recluse.
@Pat Coyne:
Pat – your missing the point. The racists are the snowflakes and butterflies who talk it up and make an issue out of very little.
But they are not stupid. For various self-serving interests they want more immigrants who can be identified by colour. Polish are no good- they look the same as Irish.
With a good number of African and Asian you can set up a support group, get money and support yourself very nicely.
You come from a nice background Daddys in business – you want to displace Irish workers with biddable foreigners who work all hours. The fact that they spend little and send their savings home isn’t your problem.
There is a whole string of self-interested reasons for promoting immigration control as racist, which we now see with the DIrect Provision issue hitching on to it.
We have a 5th colum working within, call them out and see how they like it.
@Pat Coyne: really? Are you deaf and blind? racism exists in all levels of society in the majority of countries in the world.
Read any article about a dp centre opening in a town and you will find comments left right and centre usually along the lines of ” i’m not a racist but…….”
We’re even racist towards our own people, the level of anti Dublin hatred, dislike or whatever you want to call it is huge and vice versa.
Racism will always exist whether we like it or not.
Oh God save us from Ryan and his woke brethren !
@DMC: woke off
He quoted a piece that read n*****. How in the name of God was he supposd to address the issue without actually saying it? I mean for f f s /. To top it off he used the word in favour of anti racism.
Nothing to see here for Godssake
@colm mc sweeney: That makes no sense. Everyone would have known what word he meant if he just hinted at it. There was no advantage to him saying it.
FEAR is typically the primary reason that people don’t use the N word any more. It doesn’t seem to be out of respect or empathy towards a race of people.
It’s as if people of non-Irish descent feel that they don’t need to gain respect from their fellow citizens, that they are entitled to respect by default.
You were not wrong, grow a pair and stand up for yourself.
Because you are not standing up for yourself, I cannot fathom you being in government.
You are not a leader
His apology isn’t enough. He needs to volunteer to be a black families slave for twelve years.
Django Ryan
The greens, a special kind of cult.. creeps.
By the same token all radio stations that use rap songs that use the word should apologize and ban all such songs. First up radio 2.
G0bshite!
Genuine question. Why do black people use this word a lot.?
@Davy: Because they are black and can use it, but only among other black people. It is widely used in the USA and the series ‘Power’ used it about 50 times per episode.
@Davy: good question they use it all the time
@Davy: it’s a double standard, I don’t think anyone should say it.
@Tony Harris: Yes
@Paul Whitehead: So what youre saying is youre comfortable watching some tv show where the word is constantly used, but would be offended if someone you know repeated the word. Got it.
@Davy: Genuine answer: it’s why Irish people jokingly refer to ourselves as Paddies or Micks. Comprendre?
@Pauline Gallagher: I didn’t watch that series due to the language, can’t stand that word being used by anyone
@Niall Byrne: bull, I’ve never heard any of my family or friends use those terms to describe Irish people. They are offensive and derogatory and should not be used
@Niall Byrne: So it’s a joke..?
Part of me thinks that he used the word just so that he could apologize.
@Damon16: he shouldn’t apologise he used the word in a debate about racism…
I find it annoying that those who use it most seem to be the ones offended ….
I’d fell safer using the “n” word than calling an Irish woman pale or very white
The world is losing (has lost?) its collective mind!
He didn’t use the word, he quoted it. And all these outpourings of righteous indignation and sanctimony won’t do a thing to combat racism.
I don’t like black jellybabies… am I a racist
We watched the box series of The Wire in our politically-correct household and it took weeks for us to stop using ‘motherf—-er’ and the N word.
Perhaps there is no magic in any word, only in its usage and quoting some ignorant racist is not the same as using it as an insult.
As a child, the word Jesus had special power and could not be used without bowing the head. Now it is in common usage as an exclamation of surprise.
The context of this has to be taken into account.
Plonker! If that’s his political judgment God help Ireland if he gets his grubby hands on power!!
@Niall Sheridan: He already did and it didn’t work out so well.
Bye bye Eamonn
God anything can make them cry for god sake
it’s time to call stop on everything being seen as racial. The stupidity of making “Gone With The Wind
Racial is wrong. We cannot wipe out history as this teaches us what not to do today
Apology accepted from the Elected Member of OUR Dáil, Now move on.
@James Keogh: turn ablind eye when it suits your agenda . . . Seems to be the trend lately alright
@Nowa Huta: He was quoting from an article on the Irish Times, he unfortunately used letters to fill in where there were asterisk’s,
definitely a mistake and nothing else.
S***le, or to expand SIMPLE
I listened to him say it and thought “nope, he should not of said that”.
Ryan’s only mistake was his apology.
Aimin gets his nickers in a knot now and then
I know the answer. But I’ll ask it anyway,Can anybody please explain the problem with the word?
I knew there was a reason why Eamon hated coal so much.
Lost what respect I had for him for apologising for repeating the remark he was only using to emphasise the point. Too many apologies in politics not enough leadership
Keep back peddling so you can impose your tax regime in government.
He knows that he shouldn’t have ever said it yet he did .an on dail record. Time to get rid of the greens
Are judges allowed to say it? Solicitors, barristers, witnesses, etc?
Rex Kramer , danger seeker
I wonder how many of the people who object to Ryan quoting the word, are in fact non-white. It’s the worst kind of virtue signalling to be outraged at this. Let us fight the real enemy, racism. Eamon Ryan is not racist.
He will go down well with the CARETAKER ADMINISTRATION he is joining
Is there an official list of the banned words?
Obviously Jehovah is banned. Any others?
How about we all lay off Eamon Ryan and concentrate on the real issue …..why was anyone called the n word in the first place. People are using this as a stick to beat Eamon Ryan with and distracting from the issue of racism and racist attitudes in Ireland.
Ryan is an embarrassment to any political party.
He would be a great embarrassment in Government if he was a Minister
Eamon, Don’t fancy your chances with this 1… the mob want victims, especially from the merc and perk brigade
It was in his mind my parents taught all of us not to say that word .We would be in serious trouble with them .How the hell did he say it man no excuse . .
Wow. Just wow. That word actually meant royalty in some african tribes where most of the strong ‘slaves’ with royal blood were stolen from and was used by slave ‘owners’ to demean them. Black Americans reclaimed it and when most say it, it’s not derogatory. But none black peoples have no right to use the word in ANY context.
Those of you saying kids hear it all the time, it’s your job as parents to make sure they don’t listen to explicit lyrics and to teach them not to use it otherwise you’re obviously failing as a parent. This country uses load of curse word but do your kids go around calling everyone a c***?
Y’all need to stop being ignorant and actually take accountability for how you raise your kids and what you say ffs.
A slip of the tongue.
No harm intended.
I am aware of a teacher in England who,lost his job for using the “N” word.
He was teaching Spanish.
The Spanish for Black couloir is “N”
How crazy the world is…… but we still kill babies ….. we call murder…..abortion.
People don’t die anymore…. they “pass away”
Censorship is an attack on the right to freedom of speech. Ppl should never incite racism or hatred nor should they direct it at another member of society.
have your say