Commission On Standards In Public Office Report For 2002

by Joe Mac Tue Jun 24, 2003 10:28

Because of the legislation passed last year the maximum a party can accept in one year from any single donor is €6,000.

Previously the sole SF TD took the industrial wage from his salary and the rest went directly to the party which was then divided up between the party and the local organisation. In the current circumstances SF TDs now have to register as employers and hire local constituency PAs who work on their behalf. The money therefore is not a donation to the party but is a wage paid from employer to employee. They still only take the average industrial wage from the salary of €70,000.

Each party also receives funding from the state depending on their percentage take of the vote at the most recent general election. Party leaders also receive whats called a leaders allowance which I'm sure of the detail.

by Hebe Mon Jun 23, 2003 12:14

But if s/he was working for the party as distinct from acting as an assistant to the TD would there be a problem?

by Justin Moran - Sinn Féin Mon Jun 23, 2003 12:08 maigh_nuad at yahoo dot com

So it is illegal for a TD to employ an assistant? I look forward to the law on this being highlighted.

by Hebe Sun Jun 22, 2003 16:49

I suspect that what Janus is suggesting might be in breach of the regulations, employing a party worker would be classed as a donation to SF.

Some malicious person might report this to the commission. Can this be clarified?

by Janus Sun Jun 22, 2003 16:27

I saw that as well and I asked a comrade in Sinn Fein about how they can claim they take the average industrial when they only give 6,000 to the party. He told me that the party TDs get an annual take home pay of 26,000, though they are also entitled to claim the expenses every TD is entitled to in regard to travel and so forth.

They give six grand to the party, the rest is used to employ a full-time party activist in the constituency, benefitting the TD and the party and what's left over (Very little actually when taxes are taken into account) is used for general expenses keeping the constituency machines ticking over and for donations to other republican organisations such as prisoner groups etc.

I have no idea what the sceal is with Joe but I reckon it's probably something similar.

by Cheka Sun Jun 22, 2003 16:23

But Joe still wont buy his round.

by Tom Luby Sun Jun 22, 2003 16:16

There are plenty of other good causes that Joe Higgins could have given thousands to and still have retained a workers wage. The fact that he hasnt done this is yet another example of the SPs progression down the slope of Reformism.

That was one of the telling points in the hisory of thw WP, when the TDs stopped donating their salaries to the party. MacGiolla said he eventually stopped doing so because he was the only one still drawing a workers wage.

by Dorothy Gale Sun Jun 22, 2003 16:01

Merely a quest for truth. Why is Joe Higgins no longer on a workers wage?

by for info Sat Jun 21, 2003 03:30

I thinkyou will find that 6,000 euro is the maximum that any individual can donate to a political party.

Obviously the above comments are another attempt at sh*t stirring. Why do you bother making comments like these? What purpose do they serve?