Healy Rae Phone Scandal

**Mr A** · 28/06/2011, 12:51 PM

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?

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...reaking30.html

**Eminence Grise** · 28/06/2011, 1:37 PM

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** · 28/06/2011, 3:40 PM

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** · 28/06/2011, 3:55 PM

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

**culloty82** · 29/06/2011, 7:13 AM

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

**Mr A** · 29/06/2011, 9:58 AM

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/...299731231.html

**BonnieShels** · 29/06/2011, 10:27 AM

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

**Mr A** · 29/06/2011, 12:24 PM

Healy Rae Junior has committed to repaying the money.

**dahamsta** · 29/06/2011, 1:15 PM

Committed is a good word.

**Mr A** · 29/06/2011, 5:51 PM

Ned O Sullivan admits to making about a dozen of the calls. Weird. http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0629/hea...medium=twitter

Meanwhile the text of the letter to Jackie Healy Rae is here: http://www.politics.ie/forum/oireach...ium-calls.html

**Macy** · 30/06/2011, 9:17 AM

Originally Posted by Eminence Grise

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** · 30/06/2011, 11:27 AM

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** · 30/06/2011, 4:26 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

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** · 30/06/2011, 4:40 PM

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** · 30/06/2011, 4:52 PM

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** · 30/06/2011, 6:59 PM

Originally Posted by 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.

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** · 03/07/2011, 4:43 PM

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** · 04/07/2011, 9:03 AM

Originally Posted by 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...

Whether they want the battle or not, Bruton has followed through and removed him.
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...300033691.html

**Eminence Grise** · 04/07/2011, 9:25 AM

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

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

**Mr A** · 21/01/2013, 10:15 PM

The Healy-Rae's strike again: http://www.thejournal.ie/kerry-counc...64005-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.