Has John O' Donoghue resigned yet

Towger said:
What happened to your car, get rid of it?
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Come on people. Almost every business in the private sector uses taxis. As long as the system is not abused, there is no problem with it. Its a legitimate expense.
Lets not be childish about these things when the debate is about to move on to much bigger things.
 
Agreed.
 
Complainer said:
I don't have a car (though my wife does). I normally cycle to work. If I did have a car, I wouldn't get paid for parking at the airport, which makes it impractical to use my car for travel.
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How did we get from John O'Donoghue from Complainers car ownership details?
 
Bronte said:
And what is wrong with that? I do not believe the no civil servant uses a taxi ever, I'm sure there is a rule that creates a reason for exceptions? I wonder what the annual civil service bill is for taxis?
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Of course civil servants have to use taxis sometimes. For instance, if I travel to Brussels I often don't get back to Dublin until 10.30 or 11 at night and have to get way over to the other side of the city where I lilve. Are you suggesting a female on her own should be expected to get a bus or aircoach into o'connell street and then stand around there at that hour of the night waiting on her own for a bus?

Likewise if my flight to Brussels is at 6.30 and I get delayed leaving the office until, say, 5.00 then obviously I have to get a taxi.

If I'm going to a meeting in Dublin I'm expected to walk or get the bus unless it's miles away and not on a bus route in which case I can take a taxi.

Obviously there has to be a bit of flexibility and reason about this. Implying that civil servants having to take taxis now and again in the course of business is on a par with John O Donoghue's behaviour is ridiculous.
 

I had to travel up to Dublin from the country late on a Sunday night many times and I didn't have the money for a taxi so I got a bus from O' Connell street on my own late at night so I don't see the issue. Lots of male and females do this all the time. Is O' Connell street a no go area nowadays?

I wouldn't have a problem with civil servants getting a taxi late at night but with this exception and your other ones it's quite obvious civil servants use taxis all the time.
 
liaconn said:
Are you suggesting a female on her own should be expected to get a bus or aircoach into o'connell street and then stand around there at that hour of the night waiting on her own for a bus?
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That's sexist; women are far less likely to be attacked than men. The Equality Authority has found against employers who provide taxis for female members of staff but not male ones.
 
I had to laugh when I saw Sinn Fein calling for O'Dohoghue's head for abuse of expenses, given that they were claiming expenses for the House of Parliment in London. At least O'Donoghue turns up every day

Some of what he did was OTT(and very OTT). He could have got a taxi between the Heathrow airports for €15 for example, but some of it was legitmate. Reality is that if you travel on business, you will rack up expenses, problem to me is that his expenses were exhorbitant and the reason behind some of his travel was very questionable

I'd have to wonder what Enda Kenny's expenses were like when he was a minister
 

I don't think anyone is giving out about general travel expenses. I don't expect him to get the ferry. However you don't run up an expenses bill of close to €1 million euro over 5-7 years unless you are taking the absolute ****.
 
Mpsox said:
I'd have to wonder what Enda Kenny's expenses were like when he was a minister
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I dunno. Personally I wouldn't be too confident that he was that extravagant. He exudes caution and frugality to me.

All just hunch/opinion of course.
 
Sunny said:
I don't think anyone is giving out about general travel expenses. I don't expect him to get the ferry. However you don't run up an expenses bill of close to €1 million euro over 5-7 years unless you are taking the absolute ****.
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Absolutely agree, the guy went racing for Ireland when he was minister. And why did he take the wife everywhere?
 
Bronte said:
I wouldn't have a problem with civil servants getting a taxi late at night but with this exception and your other ones it's quite obvious civil servants use taxis all the time.
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There seems to a belief that civil servants may do what they like when it comes to travel. There are guidelines in place for the use of public transport which indicate the circumstances in which the use of taxies is permitted. Without going into the detail, it's generally confined to circumstances where no alternative bus or train service is available or where it would be more cost-effective to use a taxi (e.g. if rushing to catch a plane home where the alternative would be to incur the expense of another night's accommodation). All government departments are subject to audit by the Comptroller and Auditor General who is free to examine the extent to which the relevant guidelines have been adhered to.

And by the way, fffor those who may be operating under a misconception, foreign (and indeed any) travel on behalf of the state does not equate to having a good time. Typically, the destination is Brussels, not Copacabana Beach (or even Cheltenham). It's far from glamourous as anyone who regularly takes the evening flight from Brussels will attest to. Arriving home tired after midnight (without overtime or time in lieu, by the way) with the prospect of another early start the next day is not something most civil servants would actually choose to do. They'd far rather be at home in the company of their families. The notion that they're on some sort of gravy train is laughable.
 
Mpsox said:
Absolutely agree, the guy went racing for Ireland when he was minister. And why did he take the wife everywhere?
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I know. Most executives I know use business trips as an excuse to get away!!

The guy is a disgrace but the worst part is that I am sure they are worst examples out there.

The thing that really disgusts me is that when he was Minister Of Sport, he was spending thousands on hotel rooms and flights. He mightn't have thought of it as a lot of money but I bet one of our underfunded athletes would have been grateful for it. Martin Cullen is the same flying first class to the olympics. The priorities are just all wrong.

He has to go and the oppostion need to show what they are made of. Apologies and procedures to make sure it won't happen again won't do this time. It's a good test of the political system in this Country. The UK got rid of their Speaker (and numerous MP's). Now its time for us to do the same.
 
Caveat said:
I dunno. Personally I wouldn't be too confident that he was that extravagant. He exudes caution and frugality to me.
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You're right. He's extremely frugal with his own money and cautious in making sure he doesn't get stuck with the bill.
 
An employer has a legal duty to ensure a safe working for all employees. There is nothing unreasonable about an employer cover the cost of late night or early morning taxis in these circumstances.

I'll be getting a taxi to Hueston tomorrow morning at about 7.30 am. To get there by public transport in time for my train, I'd need to leave the house at about 6.30 am. On the return trip, I'll be on the Luas, followed by a lift from a family member. It is just common sense.
 
I hope John O'Donoghue is forced to pay back our money, with interest and penalties, and doesn't just get off with resigning.
 
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