Healy Rae Phone Scandal

[Mr A]

Unbelievable stuff. So while daddy was a TD, and actively canvassing people to support his son in the vote related to Celebrities Go Wild (I don't even remember this show, sounds awful though), 3636 calls were made from Leinster House supporting Michael Healy Rae.

That cost over €2500.

Some quotes:


An Oireachtas spokesman confirmed that, in 2007, “a spike in calls to a 1513 number was brought to our attention by our telecoms service provider and as a result all calls to that number were subsequently blocked”.


Jackie Healy-Rae e-mailed every Senator and TD in the Oireachtas a few days before the final vote on the TV show, canvassing their support for his son. A few days later, he stepped up the campaign, this time targeting all Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael staff. "I am asking for your support for my son Michael Healy-Rae who is at present taking part in the 2007 RTÉ People in Need Telethon. This is the last night and Michael has gone through all the challenges so far, now the end is in sight. Michael is one of the three remaining contestants and he has a real chance to win this. I am asking each and everyone to vote for Michael today,” his e-mail read. "Please text 'Wild Michael' . . ."

Unfortunately no log is kept of what TDs avail of the free phone call service so it can't be pinned on anyone. The Healy Rae's deny having anything to do with it, but that seems a bit on the incredible side to me.

Maybe it a dastardly FG plot to discredit him that they're only springing now? :confused:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2011/0628/breaking30.html

[Eminence Grise]

You couldn't discredit that family - they haven't an ounce of shame between them. 600+ people work in the Oireachtas, so everybody had to vote six times for him...

It probably is a government leak to put pressure on MHR and the Citizens Information Board membership he's refusing to give up. Aye tell oo now, it wo-unt wurrek, beeecoz dee peeple uv Kiarry have shpoken... Should appoint the effer to referee ladies' GAA in Tyrone until he resigns.

[dahamsta]

I've always disliked Jackie Healy-Rae, he's the epitome of the Irish chancer and we're better off without him though. He was never scum though. Michael Healy-Rae is scum.

[Eminence Grise]

Scum always rises to the top, Adam. The Healy-Rae's could just as easily be the cream of the country - rich and thick... :D

[culloty82]

And he (alledgedly) does well on postal votes! Don't think there's any doubt they're both buffoons.

[Mr A]

The bit that really annoys me is this:


The Oireachtas wrote to Mr Healy-Rae’s father Jackie when the calls came to light in 2007 but took no action when he failed to reply.

What the hell? What were these people playing at?

It also really annoys me that Healy Rae junior dismisses this saying that "it's not like the money was stolen, it all went to charity". Given that this was taxpayers money being misappropriated in the most flagrant way, it does amount to stealing in my book.

Phil Hogan has it spot on:


Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan described it as “part of the political gamesmanship that Deputy Healy-Rae’s family have been involved in for a long period of time and which has now been exposed”.

Two Dail committees are to investigate: http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0629/1224299731231.html

[BonnieShels]

It's nice to see the Healy-Rae's finally crashing and burning... fingers crossed...

[Mr A]

Healy Rae Junior has committed to repaying the money.

[dahamsta]

Committed is a good word.

[Mr A]

Ned O Sullivan admits to making about a dozen of the calls. Weird. http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0629/healyraem.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Meanwhile the text of the letter to Jackie Healy Rae is here: http://www.politics.ie/forum/oireachtas/164102-oireachtas-letter-jackie-healy-rae-march-12th-2008-about-premium-calls.html

[Macy]

It probably is a government leak to put pressure on MHR and the Citizens Information Board membership he's refusing to give up.
They don't/ didn't have to - legislation just gone through that they could remove him anyway.

[Eminence Grise]

Not familiar with the fine detail of the legislation, but unless it applies in retrospect (and it's damnably hard to get legislation to work in anything other than future circumstances) the preferred option is to force him out voluntarily. Nobody wants a messy legal challenge that Healy Rae could actually win...

[bluemovie]

Ned O Sullivan admits to making about a dozen of the calls.

That just leaves 3624 calls still to account for.

I only vaguely remember him winning some TV show (thought it was called Celebrity Farm, obviously not). Perhaps as great an indictment of the country as swindling Oireachtas privileges to manipulate a charity competition in favour of a politician is the fact that a local councillor/son of a TD supposedly counts as a 'celebrity'. Who the f*** else was in the competition?

[Mr A]

Katy French, Daithí Ó Sé and Michelle de Bruin were all in it apparently.

A fine collection of worthwhile and likeable human beings, I'm so sorry I missed it.

[BonnieShels]

Never mind that the calls were made for a second.

The real tragedy is that these cretins are in a position to make the calls!!!

I visit their constituency quite a bit and the locals in the town I stay in love them. I don't bother getting into it with them. I can't comprehend the logic to be honest in voting for them. How people think cute-hoorism is a virtue I'll never understand.

[Kingdom]

Never mind that the calls were made for a second.

The real tragedy is that these cretins are in a position to make the calls!!!

I visit their constituency quite a bit and the locals in the town I stay in love them. I don't bother getting into it with them. I can't comprehend the logic to be honest in voting for them. How people think cute-hoorism is a virtue I'll never understand.

I can bear witness to that. They are loved. They especially seem to love the tractor and float trick around election time, as a sign of the down-to-earthness, conveniently forgetting the 5-series is carrying the float.

[Eminence Grise]

It's been an expensive week for Michael Premium Rate (to borrow from Miriam Lord, was it?). First having to repay all that money, and now he's been dumped off the Citizens Information Board. Bye-bye €6k pa...

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0703/healyraej.html

And to cap it all off (!) RTE use his daddy's initial in their url!!

[Macy]

Not familiar with the fine detail of the legislation, but unless it applies in retrospect (and it's damnably hard to get legislation to work in anything other than future circumstances) the preferred option is to force him out voluntarily. Nobody wants a messy legal challenge that Healy Rae could actually win...
Whether they want the battle or not, Bruton has followed through and removed him.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2011/0704/1224300033691.html

[Eminence Grise]

... as my post immediately above yours pointed out... I only wish he could have been sacked twice too!!:bomb::D

BTW, I thought the legislation referred to a new bill, not one already on the statute books. Mea culpa.

[Mr A]

The Healy-Rae's strike again: http://www.thejournal.ie/kerry-councillors-drink-driving-764005-Jan2013/

Bizarrely, these people can make it to social events so long as they can drink, but otherwise are forced to remain at home and look at the four walls.

[NeverFeltBetter]

That's been a common drum for the Healy-Rae family to bang. I vaguely recall a Matt Cooper interview with one of them, where "Ah sure, some people drive better when drunk" was trotted out as a legitimate argument over drunk-driving statistics.

[horton]

You deserve everything you get when you vote for nutters like them. Would it really be that hard for the publican(in this case him) to give his regulars a lift home if he's that desperate for custom? Although :


“The pub is invariably the only social outlet left in rural Ireland and they’re getting scarce now – just one or two in every village,” he said.
Surely villages don't have the population to justify anymore than one or two each anyway? Is it really still such a taboo to go to a pub and not drink alcohol? minerals usually have same mark up if not more so revenue wouldn't be much different.

[DannyInvincible]

No surprise that a number of the councillors who passed the council motion just so happened to be publicans...

Would some sort of shuttle bus service around these rural areas be a viable option? It would certainly be much safer, but may not be cost-effective. How will it be judged as to who constitutes an "isolated rural person" anyway?

[Charlie Darwin]

No surprise that a number of the councillors who passed the council motion just so happened to be publicans...

Would some sort of shuttle bus service around these rural areas be a viable option? It would certainly be much safer, but may not be cost-effective. How will it be judged as to who constitutes an "isolated rural person" anyway?
No, a shuttle bus service would be completely unworkable. There are only two options: drink driving or staring at the same four walls.

[BonnieShels]

Just read it on RTE. There are no words.

My ex-gf's sister lives in a place in Kerry called Kilquane (near Headford). And I remember one night I drove down to a barraduff for a pint. After I was finished I was leaving to walk home and one of the local lads offered me a lift. He was scuttered drunk and saw no problem in offering the lift. Needless to say I initially refused but like an idiot I eventually said go on and he got me back to the house.

I can't fathom how that guy was going down to essentially socialise with the barman couldn't sit there with a soft drink if he was driving. I can never fathom any justification for drink driving.

[gastric]

So do you get a permit to drink 7 or 20 pints? I agree with you Bonnie, there is no justification whatsoever for any degree of drink driving over the present legal limit. It is through such ideas that other nations laugh at us!

[NeverFeltBetter]

I missed it, but apparently Ray Darcy unloaded on Healy Rae this morning, then hung up on him. I really dislike Darcy as a DJ, but I might just have to look that up.

Also, I assume this is just a PR stunt for rural votes and everyone involved knows it wont happen.

[Spudulika]

Shared the news from Ireland, the only one worth discussing, at this morning's meeting. Now, take into account everyone around the table is Russian, and being Russian would have a pleasant eye on drinking to excess. Alcohol is open here, cheap and plentiful - if toxic. So I was expecting - Jayz, we'd love that here. Instead the people were shocked. They would expect a decision like this here, or in Backwardistan, but Ireland? One girl, who had booked a language school in Tralee for 2 weeks in the Summer, is seriously reconsidering the trip.

Just how dumb and insensitive are these people? (I'll leave that open)

[dahamsta]

We should really export everyone that voted for the Healy-Raes and Michael Lowry over the years. Who'd take 'em though?

[BonnieShels]

We should really export everyone that voted for the Healy-Raes and Michael Lowry over the years. Who'd take 'em though?

Was that not why we demarcated Kerry and split Tipperary in the first place? They keep finding a way out; the shower!

[strangeirish]

We should really export everyone that voted for the Healy-Raes and Michael Lowry over the years. Who'd take 'em though?Cork. Sure they'd have anyone down there...

[Charlie Darwin]

Shared the news from Ireland, the only one worth discussing, at this morning's meeting. Now, take into account everyone around the table is Russian, and being Russian would have a pleasant eye on drinking to excess. Alcohol is open here, cheap and plentiful - if toxic. So I was expecting - Jayz, we'd love that here. Instead the people were shocked. They would expect a decision like this here, or in Backwardistan, but Ireland? One girl, who had booked a language school in Tralee for 2 weeks in the Summer, is seriously reconsidering the trip.

Just how dumb and insensitive are these people? (I'll leave that open)
On the other hand, there are plenty of countries where drinking with a couple of pints on board is already legal. Ireland's drink-driving laws are among the strictest in the world (and rightly so). Your friend probably underestimates the level of revulsion felt by Irish people at the suggestion, and the fact that it will never, ever actually come into law.

[Eminence Grise]

Made Time magazine as well (rather appropriate: Time, gentlemen, please!) http://newsfeed.time.com/2013/01/23/irish-politician-moves-to-relax-drunk-driving-laws-for-rural-residents/

Danny Healy-Rae upgraded from backwoodsman to 'An Irish government official in County Kerry' no less. What jumps out at me from the story is this: 'With 12 councilors not present for the vote and another seven abstaining from taking part, the motion passed, five votes to three.' So 19 councilors were either absent or so chcknsht of offending some bunch of voters that they hadn't the courage of any conviction, except the conviction of holding onto their precious seat.

Have to appreciate the way the Americans refer to drunk driving - it sounds far more censorious than drink driving.

[BonnieShels]

Have to appreciate the way the Americans refer to drunk driving - it sounds far more censorious than drink driving.

That's a very good point.

There's a petition to the RSA in the making.

[samhaydenjr]

So, we don't like negative stereotypes, but now we have legalised drunken tractor-driving! Hey Britain, if we give you Kerry, can we have, say, Tyrone and Fermanagh? No? How about just Fermanagh? OK, can we just get Sky Sports free for a month? Look, just take them off our hands...please!

[DannyInvincible]

So, we don't like negative stereotypes, but now we have legalised drunken tractor-driving!

Nothing's been legalised just yet and I'd be very surprised if this was considered seriously at higher level.

[BonnieShels]

Danny I wouldn't even think about it anymore.

Do you remember the stink Daddy Healy-Rae kicked up about the smoking ban?

Cretins.

[BonnieShels]

Well... there ya go...



Shatter rejects drink driving proposal
TIM O'BRIEN and ANNE LUCEY

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter today rejected a call by Kerry County Council for permits to allow certain rural dwellers to drink and drive.
A motion tabled by Independent Councillor Danny Healy-Rae at Monday’s meeting of Kerry County Council called for special derogation from the alcohol limit for rural drivers, including those of small tractors.

The motion was passed by five votes to three. Seven councillors abstained and 12 were not present.
Speaking at a meeting of EU traffic police in Dublin Castle this morning, Mr Shatter said he did not believe any Government would ever accede to such a request.
Mr Shatter said those who were "privileged" to be involved in politics should be "relentlessly" supporting the road safety message.
While not referring to the council or any councillor by name, Mr Shatter was critical of what he described as self promotion by certain politicians.
"No one should be off message on this issue,” he said.
The motion called for legislation to be introduced which would allow rural gardaí to issue permits to allow rural dwellers drive from their local pub "after having two or three drinks on little used roads driving on very low speeds".

Mr Healy-Rae, a publican, was supported by a number of other publicans at the meeting. However, they insisted their support was not for “vested interests” but because of genuine concern about elderly rural dwellers and their experience of the changes which had overcome rural dwellers


http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2013/0124/breaking29.html

[Mr A]

He's at it again, the muppet: http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/healy-rae-debate-needed-on-gun-ownership-592540.html

"Kerry TD Michael Healy-Rae says a debate is needed on whether people should be allowed to buy guns to protect themselves."

And all too familiar tactic from our political class- spread fear and then attempt to capitalise by appearing to be on the side of the people you've scared.

[Charlie Darwin]

If his idea to let old people drive home drunk ever came into force the self-defence justification for gun ownership might actually make sense

[Eminence Grise]

Yup. Four months since the family had any decent national coverage. Tune in in August when the family start a campaign to allow county councils to swear in armed posses of deputies to round up undesirables. Like teetotalers. Fintan O'Toole. Corkmen. Anybody who doesn't own a tractor. Shirley Temple Bar. Seamus Darby. Victor Kiam (smooth-faced f***er). VATmen. The puca. The fir bolg. Anybody without a tweed cap. Dentists. Seamus Darby. (Worth getting twice!)

Michael has several legally held guns. Large bore, I imagine...

For our own sake, we could just buy one WMD and nuke the whole Healy-Rae clan and their voters to kingdom come.

[EAFC_rdfl]

or maybe even kingdom gone...!