Is Martin Cullen being left completely off the hook after his recent behaviour?

A politician is meant to be a public servant after all; he or she is meant to have at least a modicum of the spirit of public service.

Cullen epitomises the opposite. Instead of possessing the spirit of public service, a notion of his own self-importance clearly governs his interpretation of the role he has been entrusted with. Instead of looking at how he can save money, he wastes money continually in an orgy of self-exaltation.

This would be bad during a boom but during a recession it is unforgivable. Since the recession he has

1) Called out two helicoptors at huge expense to the taxpayer.
2) Spent 5000 euros extra of taxpayers' money so that he could sit ahead and above "ordinary" citizens on an airplane.
3) Checked into a 5-star hotel, eschewing the various cheaper alternatives available.

This shows an absolute contempt for the public purse, money which after all which does not belong to him, money which is meant to be used economically.

Even on a human level, his behaviour is disgusting. What sort of person allows his personal assistant, the person he has closest dealings with, to travel separately in economy class just so he can maintain his own sense of privilege and superiority?

Of course, Cullen's profligacy is nothing new (He ran up a hotel bill of €33,000 in Beijing).

What's utterly incredible is that Cowen is tolerating total contempt for taxpayers' money during a recession.

Cullen himself should be culled as part of the Budget provisions tomorrow. Even on a P R level, he's a disaster for Fianna Fail.

Cullen should either be dismissed or be directed to pay the difference between what it cost for him to go premier class to the States and stay in a five-star hotel and economy class and three or four star accomodation.

If Cowen fails to do this, he has no moral authority to ask us "ordinary" citizens to take cuts or pay more tax.

Why should we underwrite ministerial excesses?

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"The perfect liberty they seek is the liberty of making slaves of other people." -- Abraham Lincoln


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arrogance personified,the people of waterford deserve a special levy all on their own.

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Fianna Fail,the party of mass immigration and making the ordinary irish worker poorer. Shame on them and their cronies.

Look when you have the likes of RTE and the irish independent being directed at the public on a daily basis, we have no chance but just to accept these gombeens.

George lee has now pointed this out. Fine geal with all their middle to upper class niceties about them have not the balls to face them down either.

Sure what about the golden circle, remember it. What about the 5 we dont know. Why was it not reported full circle on RTE that the other 5 named had all close connections to fianna fail. Some even former councilors and donators.

i saw for my own eyes the other day, an RTE headline naming ireland the most corrupt country in europe. It never turned up in the middle of the news though and when the headlines were read out again at the end, it had vanished. This is blatant censorship and it will go on and on.

Until we address the issue of the pro fianna fail media, we are all going to just have to pull out our hair whilst foaming at the mouth looking at the 35% of the populace voting the same people back in.

Anyone who voted Fianna Fail deserves a special levy. Would that it were possible.

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I have opinions of my own - strong opinions - but I don't always agree with them. - George Bush

But with Cullen it's so blatant, "No I'm not" going to travel economically: almost as if asking him to economise with money which doesn't belong to him in a time of recession is some sort of insult.

The man should not be allowed away with all this.

Cowen has no moral authority to increase taxes or make cuts tomorrow unless he turfs Cullen out or forces him to return the money he has wasted; and then reins in other lesser culprits, such as Mary Hanafin.

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"The perfect liberty they seek is the liberty of making slaves of other people." -- Abraham Lincoln


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Cullen is a disgrace and he must go. Time for Cowen to vote off the Governments weakest link. He epitomises all that is wrong in Irish politics. Greed, wastage, and incompetenence all rolled into one. Probably the most loathed person in the Dáil at this time i would hazard a guess and say.

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“As well might you leave the fairies to plough your land or the idle winds to sow it, as sit down and wait for freedom.” - Thomas Davis

Had to think about that one, tough competition with Harney and Biffo. I'd say he's third most loathed, BC wins it for me

The best of Irish Begrudgery on show here.

Eh, where's the begrudgery in suggesting it's wrong to waste money you have received from taxpayers during a recession?

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"The perfect liberty they seek is the liberty of making slaves of other people." -- Abraham Lincoln


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He's gone next reshuffle so it's irrelevant to him how he treats the public purse.