# Shane Ross, nepotism and double jobbing



## Complainer (31 May 2011)

Bronte said:


> So you don't think he has done the public a service via his books and his writings in the Sindo?


In some cases, yes - but does he really need to be paid twice (once by the Sindo, and once by the State) to do this?


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## Staples (9 Jun 2011)

Anyone who relies on anything they read in the Sindo for financial (or any) advice almost deserves to be duped.

I remember Ross on the Late Late a couple of years ago whern the issue of scrapping the Seanad first arose. He was on something of a wave at the time with the release of his book. When asked in passing whether he believed the Seand should be scrapped he smirked smugly and said it had allowed him carry out his work (i.e. reporting on the bank's expolits). Tubridy (being Tubridy) didn't press him on why it was the Seanad (rather than the Sindo) that gave him the means through which to comment on the banks but it confirmed for me that, ultimately, he was just a self-serving spoofer. 

His award-winning "exclusive" on FAS was the result of an FOI request he made to them.  FAS gave him the information to print.  There was no Woodward and Bernstein style investigation as he might have you believe. 

Now he's being touted for Chairman of the Public Accounts Committee. God help us.


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## Complainer (9 Jun 2011)

Staples said:


> I remember Ross on the Late Late a couple of years ago whern the issue of scrapping the Seanad first arose. He was on something of a wave at the time with the release of his book.


Was this his anti-cronyism and corruption book that he co-wrote with his son-in-law and Sunday Indo sidekick Nick Webb?


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## Complainer (12 Jun 2011)

I see Shane is railing against nepotism on the BOI board in  where he complains about all the family connections in the BOI family. Spot on, Shane. I'm just a bit surprised that he didn't share the writing of the article with his son-in-law Nick Webb who works for him at the SIndo.


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## Brendan Burgess (12 Jun 2011)

Hi Complainer

I don't think that this is comparable, to be fair. 

The Sindo is tough and would not take on a journalist because he was another journalist's son in law? 

By the way, are you sure that this is what they did? Did he become a son-in-law after getting the job. I don't know.


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## Complainer (12 Jun 2011)

Brendan Burgess said:


> Hi Complainer
> 
> I don't think that this is comparable, to be fair.
> 
> The Sindo is tough and would not take on a journalist because he was another journalist's son in law?


You're probably right. And I'm sure Gavin O'Reilly's appointment as CEO of Independent Newspapers had nothing to do with his father's effective ownership of the titles at that time.


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## Brendan Burgess (12 Jun 2011)

Hi Complainer 

I don't see much wrong with the owner of a business appointinig his son to run the company. It's quite common. Given that it was a plc, there might be some issues with this. But what percentage of Independent plc did he own at the time?


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## Complainer (12 Jun 2011)

He joined the company in 1993. If I recall correctly, he had worked at one of his father's mining companies before that. He was appointed as COO in 2003 and replaced his father as CEO in 2009. I can't find details of his father's % of ownership - it is not detailed in the annual reports as far as I can see. Again, if my memory serves me correctly, his father had a controlling interest right up the point where Denis O'Brien started sniffing around in 2009. 

But the issue isn't really about Gavin - the issue is that what happens at Independent Newspapers is remarkably similar to what happens at BOI in terms of golden circles and crony capitalism. But once again, Shane Ross's criticisms are remarkably blinkered and one-sided.


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## Bronte (15 Jun 2011)

Complainer said:


> In some cases, yes - but does he really need to be paid twice (once by the Sindo, and once by the State) to do this?


 
Do you have a problem with someone having two jobs?  Both of which he seems to work at really diligently and based on newspaper and book sales competently.


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## Complainer (15 Jun 2011)

Bronte said:


> Do you have a problem with someone having two jobs?


I have a problem with someone getting paid twice for doing the same job.



Bronte said:


> Both of which he seems to work at really diligently and based on newspaper and book sales competently.


Based on his past habits of getting people to ring him at his Oireachtas office on matters relating to his SIndo job, I'm not so sure that he has been so diligent at his Oireachtas job.


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## Staples (15 Jun 2011)

Complainer said:


> Based on his past habits of getting people to ring him at his Oireachtas office on matters relating to his SIndo job, I'm not so sure that he has been so diligent at his Oireachtas job.


 
Which rises what is perhaps the more pertinent issue of what Seanad members are _required_ to do and how it could be established, either way, if they're productively engaged.


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## T McGibney (15 Jun 2011)

Complainer said:


> Based on his past habits of getting people to ring him at his Oireachtas office on matters relating to his SIndo job, I'm not so sure that he has been so diligent at his Oireachtas job.



How on earth is this relevant to anything? The Dail and Seanad sit at all hours of day and night. Leinster House is hardly the typical 9-to-5 workplace.


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## Bronte (16 Jun 2011)

Complainer said:


> I have a problem with someone getting paid twice for doing the same job.
> 
> 
> Based on his past habits of getting people to ring him at his Oireachtas office on matters relating to his SIndo job, I'm not so sure that he has been so diligent at his Oireachtas job.


 

But you don't actually need to be diligent at the Oireachtas job and you'd surely agree on that scale he'd be off the scale with work. It's really a non job, not his fault, but it's basically a pointless job in the Seanad and other than some like him who actually put in the hours and report back we wouldn't know that. 

Can you clarify how he is being paid twice to do the same job.


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## Complainer (17 Jun 2011)

Bronte said:


> But you don't actually need to be diligent at the Oireachtas job


I disagree. If you're not being diligent, then don't take the salary.



Bronte said:


> you'd surely agree on that scale he'd be off the scale with work


No, I wouldn't agree. 


Bronte said:


> It's really a non job, not his fault, but it's basically a pointless job in the Seanad


He's not a Senator, he's a TD now. If it's a non-job, why did he run and why does he take a substantial salary?


Bronte said:


> other than some like him who actually put in the hours and report back we wouldn't know that.


I don't get what you're saying here. Would you like to expand?


Bronte said:


> Can you clarify how he is being paid twice to do the same job.


 Because he's being paid by both the SIndo and the State to write and moan about public service 'waste'. What specifically has he achieved in his first 100 days as a TD (other than taking a nice holiday in the week that the banking report was presented to the Dail, despite the fact thtat the Dail was closing for Easter in the following week).


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## Purple (17 Jun 2011)

Ceist Beag said:


> It's a shame this thread can't be left to the facts as outlined by Brendan, and hopefully some day a response from Shane Ross. All other posts to me are distractions from the points raised in the open letter.


I agree. Brendan posted specific questions and issues but now we get posts like this;


Complainer said:


> Because he's being paid by both the SIndo and the State to write and moan about public service 'waste'.


 which is just a moan about the issues Ross raises.


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## tvman (20 Jun 2011)

Nepotism is hardly new in the Sindo:

Aengus Fanning (Editor)  is the partner of Anne Harris (Deputy Editor)

Anne Harris (Deputy Editor) is the former wife of Eoin Harrris (Columnist)

Dion Fanning (Sports Writer) is the son of Aengus Fanning (Editor)

Evan Fanning (Sports writer)  is the son of Aengus Fanning (Editor)

Constance Harris (Fashion Columnist) is the daughter of Anne Harris (Deputy Editor)

Gwendoline Halley (Former Journalist) is the wife of Eoin Harrris (Columnist)


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## shammy feen (20 Jun 2011)

A lot of Newspapers are like that...

The Irish Examiner in Cork is the same...its full of Dinans, Goods and Crosbys.

Its a family affair.

Its just the natural human condition to sort out your family with jobs.


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## Purple (21 Jun 2011)

It’s also common for children to follow their parents into a career. Nepotism; if it’s a PLC then it should be open to scrutiny by shareholders, if it’s publically funded it is totally unacceptable but if it’s a private business then it’s nobody’s business but the owners.


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## rustbucket (29 Jun 2011)

Does Shane Ross have an unfair advantage at getting his point of view across given he works for the Sindo? 

Personally I think if you are a TD you should not hold another office/job. Surely your entire focus should be spent on what you were elected to do.


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## Purple (29 Jun 2011)

rustbucket said:


> Does Shane Ross have an unfair advantage at getting his point of view across given he works for the Sindo?
> 
> Personally I think if you are a TD you should not hold another office/job. Surely your entire focus should be spent on what you were elected to do.



What about politicians who are active within charities?


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## Brendan Burgess (29 Jun 2011)

rustbucket said:


> Does Shane Ross have an unfair advantage at getting his point of view across given he works for the Sindo?
> 
> .



Don't all journalists have this advantage?


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## rustbucket (29 Jun 2011)

Purple said:


> What about politicians who are active within charities?



Ideally that would be fine as long as they are not getting any form of payment for it I guess.


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