# TONERGATE : Aengus O'Snodaigh owes Dail €3,700 for printer cartridges since 2009.



## TarfHead (28 Feb 2012)

I read that he has confirmed that he owes €3700 and will pay up when he gets around to it. That's a significant amount of money for someone who draws just the average industrial wage.

Maybe the operators of the green bin collection system in Dublin South Central (aka Terenue ) might make a contribution ? He seems to have being generating a lot of business for them since 2007 .


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## micmclo (28 Feb 2012)

> Acknowledging that he owes the House a sum of €3,700 for charges associated with his use of printer cartridges since 2009, Mr Ó Snodaigh said Oireachtas officials had contacted him in the past to remind him of his debt but that he had not got around to paying it. “It’s due, it will be paid,” he added.



Just wasn't clear to me what the money was for so I went searching


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## Marion (28 Feb 2012)

Isn't this totally outrageous?

An amount is due since 2009 - 3 years ago - and he has not got around to paying it? 

He should be charged interest on the amount owed at a punitive rate  - 100% of the amount owed for each of the years.

It is disgraceful behaviour by a public representative.

Has he resigned yet?

Marion


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## Time (28 Feb 2012)

Resign? You must be joking.


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## Marion (28 Feb 2012)

Why would I joke?

We can set standards that we expect of our public representatives - remember we are paying their salaries - or we can go along with what we were used to doing with regard to their behaviour. Nothing!

Personally, I would like to see resignations/PRESSURE TO RESIGN for all behaviour not fitting of a public representative - paid by the taxpayer - as a matter of duty.

This would apply to those public representatives - AKA - TDs (AND SENATORS) - advocating non-compliance with tax issues  as they currently stand (including the Household Charge).


Marion


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## Oscaresque (28 Feb 2012)

Apparently he does a lot of leaflet drops in his constituency. Two a week on average. I live in his constituency and have no memory of seeing any coming through the letter box.


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## Marion (28 Feb 2012)

€50,000 bill for photocopying - The cost of dropping leaflets??

Why does he feel the need to drop 2 leaflets a week? Completely puzzled - no icon to reflect this.

Marion


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## Conan (28 Feb 2012)

TONERGATE

Getting the taxpayer to pay for virtually one toner cartridge per working day is unbelievable. What was he printing - banknotes - now that his party have given up bank heists. Is his failure to pay the outstanding bill another part of the SF campaign against Household Charges etc. 
And them he attempts to blame the Local Authority and Government. SF's brass-neck  has no limits. 
And now as expected they will oppose the Fiscal Compact Referendum. Perhaps if they adopted some fiscal constraint in spending taxpayers money they might do the State some service.


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## Marion (28 Feb 2012)

Tonergate

Brilliant!

He needs to go/resign!

Marion


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## ajapale (28 Feb 2012)

Conan said:


> TONERGATE




Ive edited the title to include the word.


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## Marion (28 Feb 2012)

> What was he printing - banknotes




Nah! SF have other ways and means.

Marion


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## Black Sheep (28 Feb 2012)

Just think of the amount of waste paper!!!!!!. Must be mounds of the stuff in the recycle centres in that constituency. Was he printing phone books


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## Marion (28 Feb 2012)

Was this paper included in the €50,000? 

If not what is the true cost? But, really what does it matter. The amount is huge regardless.

Why do we - the much pressed-upon taxpayer - tolerate this type of behaviour?


He should be compelled by public opinion to resign!

We are treated as fools otherwise.


Marion


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## ninsaga (28 Feb 2012)

Its irresponsible behaviour - he should pay back plain and simple. The other problem is that I've no doubt that there is just as much waste elsewhere in what they are spending. 

If he was self employed - would he spend that much? Prob not - if he did he'd be out of business. Have these blokes any cop on at all?


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## Sue Ellen (28 Feb 2012)

Black Sheep said:


> Just think of the amount of waste paper!!!!!!. Must be mounds of the stuff in the recycle centres in that constituency. Was he printing phone books



Would be interesting to know if he recycled the toner units?  

Surely disposing of that number of units on a regular basis would have attracted attention, and, if he didn't recycle them then he needs to be asked why not?


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## Sunny (29 Feb 2012)

The whole episode is ridiculous. How can politicians spend so much on bloody toner. Surely if you are planning a leaflet drop of thousands of leaflets, you would get them printed by a professional printing shop where it will be a lot cheaper than using your home or office printer.


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## Slash (29 Feb 2012)

I live in his constituency and have only ever received a leaflet at election time. Am I being discriminated against ?

Lots of mentions in the papers of Sinn Fein and "cartridges", "The Cartridge family", etc.

Even Mary Lou said the amount seemed excessive.


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## Firefly (29 Feb 2012)

Could these toners be used industrially to produce something like, I dunno, a certain newspaper?


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## Latrade (29 Feb 2012)

Intersting. I don't think any of the constituants he has dropped half a forsest of leaflets into would be allowed to go 3 years not paying their TV licence.


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## Pique318 (29 Feb 2012)

Latrade said:


> Intersting. I don't think any of the constituants he has dropped half a forsest of leaflets into would be allowed to go 3 years not paying their TV licence.


They wouldn't have time to watch the TV with all the leaflets to read.


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## Black Sheep (29 Feb 2012)

At least I now know which printer to buy next time. 

What a great piece of free advertising for Dell. It can print 3.4 million copies.

That should keep me, my children and grandchildren going for the rest of our  lives.


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## Leo (29 Feb 2012)

Was he buying them from Just Catridges?


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## Delboy (29 Feb 2012)

I live in his constituency also (albeit the far end of it from where he is based) and have never received anything from him.

A stationery shop owner on the radio yesterday said the amount of paper used would fill a 40ft truck (with the paper delivered on pallets in the normal manner)

There is no way he printed that much. What were these cartridges really being used/stored for??? Pat Kenny is the only media I've heard so far that has thrown this question out there and straight away Pierce Doherty went on the defensive saying 'thats a very serious accusation'...but it's what most people are thinking or saying amongst themselves


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## Firefly (29 Feb 2012)

Posters for the NO campaigns?


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## Delboy (29 Feb 2012)

you might'nt be far wrong with that! Hoarding ink for the general election campaigns is what came into my mind

it was estimated on the radio earlier that the amount of paper involved would have costed 21k.

I've also heard Senan Moloney say he asked for info from earlier years on this subject, but the Dail have'nt been able to provide it


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## june (29 Feb 2012)

Is there a corresponding amount of paper used over the same time frame? It strikes me that you cant have one without the other. Paper never refuses ink!


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## RMCF (1 Mar 2012)

I love this quote:

Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald conceded that the ink bill was  "excessive", *but said her party colleague had not broken any rules and  said the system was at fault*.

But if it was another party you can bet your life SF would be shouting from the rooftops about corrupt politicians exploiting the system at the taxpayers expense.


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## Purple (1 Mar 2012)

How much ink would you need to print "Void" on £26 million in small denomination notes?


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## Latrade (1 Mar 2012)

RMCF said:


> I love this quote:
> 
> Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald conceded that the ink bill was "excessive", *but said her party colleague had not broken any rules and said the system was at fault*.
> 
> But if it was another party you can bet your life SF would be shouting from the rooftops about corrupt politicians exploiting the system at the taxpayers expense.


 
Probably futile to point out to her he has broken rules hence being given a fine that three years later he still hasn't paid.


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## cork (1 Mar 2012)

RMCF said:


> I love this quote:
> 
> Sinn Fein's Mary Lou McDonald conceded that the ink bill was  "excessive", *but said her party colleague had not broken any rules and  said the system was at fault*.
> 
> But if it was another party you can bet your life SF would be shouting from the rooftops about corrupt politicians exploiting the system at the taxpayers expense.



SF should be made pay back the taxpayer.

Just as Healy Rae did for the phone calls.

How much paper was O snodaigh using?

Yet they believe that no rules were broken. It is the taxpayer that will have to pay for this guys over use of ink.

What was he printing?


Making a hard copy of the internet?


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## Vanilla (1 Mar 2012)

cork said:


> Making a hard copy of the internet?


 
Yes, especially to keep remarks like yours in their little black book...oh wait, no, that's just me.


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## Bill Struth (2 Mar 2012)

cork said:


> Making a hard copy of the internet?


  Ha ha!


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## Purple (2 Mar 2012)

cork said:


> Making a hard copy of the internet?


Yea, that's a good one alright


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## Firefly (2 Mar 2012)

Purple said:


> Yea, that's a good one alright


 
This onetime....I got a phonecall from a user asking if I could upgrade the internet...I just replied..."uuuu....that could be tricky!


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## Bronte (2 Mar 2012)

In relation to this a few questions, sorry if they've already been answered.  To use a cartridge in a 24 hour period, one has to have an 'industrial' printer.  Do these printers take the normal cartridges that the Dail supplied.  Would this printer cost a lot, who pays for that?  Who pays for the paper, how much paper would it require a day, does Mr. O' Snodaigh have an invoice for a) the paper b) renting the industrial printer c) purchase of said printer d) payment of people to handle print outs that are being printed e) payments to people to distribute the printouts


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## Firefly (2 Mar 2012)

What is it about SF and cartridges?


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## mf1 (2 Mar 2012)

Firefly said:


> What is it about SF and cartridges?



Cheap shot..................

mf


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## callybags (2 Mar 2012)

They have him over a barrel.

A report should be prepared.

He should be fired, or bite the bullet and resign.

We need a better calibre of TD.


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## johnd (2 Mar 2012)

callybags said:


> they have him over a barrel.
> 
> A report should be prepared.
> 
> ...


 
:d 1+


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## NOAH (3 Mar 2012)

well it just goes to show he was living up  to the name SIIN FEIN = for ourselves,  ah but he is a TD and is doing just like all the others taking the p....

and he gets in next time no problem


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## Binomial (3 Mar 2012)

Maybe because  *"sinn fein murder ink".*


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