Penalty points Alan Shatter and Mick Wallace


As far as I can see the low political standards are the common denominator here, one side is no better than the other.
 
What annoyed me last night was another Minister thinking this incident was trivial.
 
What’s really disturbing is that these stories are filling the news and the major issues that still face this country are not being addressed.
Mick Wallace is a disgrace and an embarrassment and it’s a shame on the country that he’s in the Dail. Alan Shatter is an arrogant man but a good minister. None of this is of any relevance to running the country and none of it addresses the intellectual void at the helm of the government that’s lead to a vacuum of leadership.
We have real issues to deal with and these aint them.
 
Purple said:
We have real issues to deal with and these aint them.
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Well said. The Sunday newspapers were full of these stories. I'm sure there are more relevant political issues to discuss than these.
 

A big +1 to all of that Purple.
 
Purple said:
Mick Wallace is a disgrace and an embarrassment and it’s a shame on the country that he’s in the Dail. Alan Shatter is an arrogant man but a good minister.
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Would it be different if it were Michael D or Mary McAleese and not Mick Wallace? Are you saying that because Wallace is a disgrace and Shatter a good minister that it's ok for Shatter to abuse his power?
 
Bronte said:
Would it be different if it were Michael D or Mary McAleese and not Mick Wallace? Are you saying that because Wallace is a disgrace and Shatter a good minister that it's ok for Shatter to abuse his power?
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I'm saying that this is a minor issue and there are far bigger issues facing the country. I'm saying that our media is doing the nation a disservice filling column inches and the airwaves with this side story.

The fact that it's a tax dodging builder from Wexford, who shows contempt for the people of Ireland every time he turns up in the Dail in the clothes he slept in, that's in the middle of this is galling as well.
 
The original points expose was less of a story. This is a story. It's in the airwaves because it is a story. There are numerous aspects to it. It questions the professionalism of the Gardai and makes people wonder if this a deliberate attempt to discredit political critics. It questions the judgement of Shatter that he felt it was right to go on Prime Time and disclose information like that considering he is Minister of Justice and a trained barrister.

He also has questions to answer on whether he did use his position to avoid a breathalyser test.

Reminds me of that story recently in the UK where the cabinet minister was forced out through police allegations that didn't stand up.

As for Wallace. He should keep his mouth shut and consider himself lucky not to be in jail.
 

Let's draw [broken link removed] and stick with suits.
 
Shatter apologised.

But has he now found a nonel way of escaping the breathalyser?

Can a politican simply apologise after using confidental garda information in the course of political debate?

This guy should have resigned about 13 days ago.

His continued defence by the polical leaders in this country shows a lack of political standards.

If this happened in the UK - He would have resigned long ago.

Now - how did a local garda report go missing?

GUBU ABU
 
Purple said:
The fact that it's a tax dodging builder from Wexford, who shows contempt for the people of Ireland every time he turns up in the Dail in the clothes he slept in, that's in the middle of this is galling as well.
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Whether he has had issues with his taxes and he doesn't wear a suit doesn't mean he should not be treated properly by the Gardai not reporting nonsense events to Commissioner level who then transfer it to the Minister for Justice who has now apologised for doing wrong. He abused his position. It's not important who or what Wallace is in this instance.

What is important is the position and non abuse of a ministeral office (unless in the national interest etc)

As for the bright pink shirts, is it better then when Kenny chats closely to immaculately turned out Lowry and O'Brien, or Haughey lectures us whilst being coutured in hand made Charvet shirts, or Brian Lenihan in his sombre lawyer suits does deals with the clever bankers in their suits from Savile Row.

I'll take the Wexford man with his mane of blond hair and pink shirts any day before those last men. And I'm grateful to him for us finding out what the gardai and people in Ministeral office are prepared to do.
 

I have to say that’s a very one-eyed view of things.
I agree that Mick Wallace should be treated properly by the Gardai, just as Clare Daily should. I also agree that the Minister for Justice should not be privy to gossip from the Garda Commissioner and should certainly not then repeat that gossip in public.
The fact that Mick Wallace has defrauded the people of Ireland of VAT receipts, left local suppliers short to the tune of over €2’000’000 and flaunted the law on a number of other occasions does not mean that he is not entitled to the same protections and due process as law abiding citizens. It does make his an opportunist hypocrite and, in my opinion, a reprehensible individual with no moral fibre.
I’m not one for formal attire in most circumstances but I do wear appropriate clothing in order to show respect to the people, event or location that I am at. For example I wouldn’t wear shorts and a pink shirt to a funeral or to a wedding (unless that was the theme of the day) and, if I was a TD, I wouldn’t show disrespect to the people of Ireland by turning up to the Dail looking dirty and unkempt.
 
Purple said:
I have to say that’s a very one-eyed view of things.

Mick Wallace has defrauded ...., a reprehensible individual with no moral fibre.
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Not sure what you mean by one eyed view Purple, but it seems you're broadly in agreement about this incident.

In relation to your views on Wallace, that is not what this thread is about. And it's a different debate.

Re the clothes, an anecdote. Mr.Bronte once went up to the credit union to get a small loan in raggedy jeans and a tshirt and was refused, so I got him to put on a suit and go up the next week and guess what, he got the loan. Clothes maketh the man. But sometimes it masks the man. And can create a false sense of authority/safeness/security. The biggest crooks in this small country wear suits.

The people of Wexford will have the time next election to judge Wallace and his pink shirts, for now who he is and what he is and what he wears if that is important can all be decided upon again then. And I like pink shirts on a man. Can live without the stubble though.
 

I've a pink shirt
 
We are going to have another enquiry into penalty points seeing as we haven't had enough investigations already. Why does Shatter feel the need for a new enquiry, is he not undermining those who did the previous ones, and if he is, shouldn't those that investigated and their processes and procedures be looked at as it would imply that they didn't work.

Here's an interesting take on it

http://www.irishexaminer.com/viewpo...es-noble-attempt-to-police-gardai-256419.html

and Gene Kerrigan

http://www.independent.ie/opinion/c...a-groupthink-the-force-has-form-29950955.html

I heard a snippet of Marian Finucane yesterday, the Gerald Kean bit, he was over the top in his defence of the gardai. Was it made clear that he is the son of a gardai and were any of the panel asked had they penalty points wiped themselves. Any AAMer have points wiped and how did you go about it, relation, contact etc?
 
Rather than have the PAC investigating Garda actions, would they not be better off investigating why we have to have 6 investigations into penalty points ( and the waste of money involved in such).
But the main reason I favour the Garda Ombudsman carrying out an full investigation is that it might put an end to Shane Ross' grandstanding. He must be the most self righteous, self opionated publicity chasing TD we have ever had the misfortune to elect. For someone so willing to be critical of everybody else, I never ever saw him critical of Michael Fingleton, despite Ross being willing to have a go at bankers big and small. It seems to me that he uses his position as a TD (and member of the PAC) to garner information for his stories in the Sindo. Such a hypocrite.
 
Shatter announced this latest enquiry at the last minute to stop the PAC from hearing the whistleblowers, slap down those in PAC who were getting too uppity (though this has back fired to a degree as 1 of the whistleblowers is still coming before the PAC tomorrow for a private hearing despite FG trying to vote it down...looks like Labour ignored Shatter's lead on this). It was also a sop to the Garda Commissioner who has behaved disgracefully on this subject...he certainly seems to feel he is unanswerable to anyone in this state.
This will drag on for months/years...the Garda will refuse to fully co-operate with the Ombudsman, they're be legal wrangling over it....and then it'll be the next Govt's/Commissioners problem in a few years time. An Irish solution to an Irish problem.

But I agree also with Conan re Shane Ross.
 
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