Register of Members' Interests published

[toxic avenger]

• Taoiseach Brian Cowen declared himself a silent partner in the solicitors firm of O' Donovan and Cowen, William St, Tullamore, Co Offaly. He holds no shares, but owns a premises at Carr Mills, Leeds, in England, which is let out. He also owns apartments in Kilmainham and Mount Brown in Dublin.
• Junior Minister for Children Barry Andrews is getting some income from past legal cases, despite having retired from the Law Library in 2003.
• Labour spokesman on employment Willie Penrose revealed he is double-jobbing, and is continuing to be paid for work as a barrister.
• FG foreign affairs spokesman Billy Timmins is being paid a pension for his service as an officer in the Defence Forces.
• FG finance spokesman Richard Bruton took a hit during the year, with his register of interest showing shares in AIB, BoI, Anglo Irish and Irish Life & Permanent.
• Minister Mary Harney also lost out on her BoI and AIB shares. "Although value exceeded €13,000 when acquired, do not do so now", her register of interests declares.
• FG Cork South Central TD Deirdre Clune has shares in her family's Barry's Tea company.
• Tanaiste Mary Coughlan declared a gift of an ornamental boat from Abu Dhabi's foreign affairs minister. She donated it to the State.
• Green Party TD Ciaran Cuffe has invested in a "green effects" share fund.
• FF Galway West TD Frank Fahey has ownership or shareholdings in 18 properties in Ireland, Belgium, Portugal and the USA.
• FG Roscommon-South Leitrim TD Frank Feighan has 15 properties and shares in 20 companies.
• Defence Minister Willie O'Dea lists stakes in diamonds, mining and Persian gold.
• Former Ceann Comhairle Rory O'Hanlon listed a wide-ranging and diversified portfolio -- including property moves in China.
• FG's Alan Shatter has stakes in 14 properties in Ireland, Britain and Florida.

Bertie talks his way around the world - National News, Frontpage - Independent.ie

[constitutionus]

the frank fahy thing confuses me.

a cursory read of his interests from the link shows closer to 40 properties to his name. not 18.

indeed some of em a fairly vague saying "such and such a house" which could be block of apts or offices for all i know.

the same was said on pat kenny this moring too. why are they talking this down?

frank own the S/INDO offices ?

[toxic avenger]

Plus, more should be made of the deficiencies of the register itself, there are so many holes in it that worms will have no problem. The main hole being that there is no limit on what spouses can transfer between each other tax-free, and no compulsion to register interests held by said spouse. I believe this hole is known in the trade as a 'Fingleton'...

[lostexpectation]

Because share value can and does change on a rapid basis. Print one value and by the time you read it, it's different.

You can probably look up the present values on the Stock Exchange.

but it doesn't even say how many shares they have, although i know that goes up and down too, thanks the rest of ya im not stupid, but the could give an indication by shownig the low and high point of all their shares worth over the last year.

[sandar]

ah i know toxie.

i was just referencing that very show where pat called him a landlord. the gaff is empty and it sounds like agricultural land to me which is better giving a job than lying idle so i was just being mischeivios.

its undeniable though that a substantial number of TDs are up to their tits in property so i cant help looking a little askance at em when they go on about "tightening our belts" when theyve got all this extra rental money coming in ON TOP of their TDs wage and expenses.

your right about how vague this fecking thing is and it needs a complete overhaul to get a grip on whats actually going on. we dont have a right to know what a TDs spouse holds but we sure as feck are entitled to know if theres conflicts of interests there or if shares are being deliberatly being put in their names by TDs to cover their interests.

that can be simply and confidentially done by revenue. after all its hard to buy land and stocks left right and centre if youve no independant wage

of course this is dependant on TDs writing laws to this effect, and whats the odd on that ?

alot of the "nil" responese dont ring true to me either. i mean how funny is it a hell of alot of em DONT consider their TDs salary as an occupational wage and neglected to put it down ?

nil from jackie jhealy rae is very surpsiing

[Utopian Hermit Monk]

I am surprised at how few of them have substantial investments or property. I wonder how much of this is an exercise in 'smoke and daggers', since ownership of significant assets may have been transferred to other family members?

The funniest entry is definitely Willie 'Groucho' O'Dea. 'African diamonds' and 'Persian gold'!

[Gruffalo]

I understand we need to know what these people own but in reality this document is useless as very few people will go to the effort of looking it up. The right time for this document is election time. Time to point out that if someone has the time to manage 15 properties, then they are not focusing on the job they are supposed to be doing.

[odie1kanobe]

but it doesn't even say how many shares they have, although i know that up and done too, thanks the rest of ya im not stupid, but the could give an indication by shownig the low and high point of all their shares worth over the last year.

Based on what ?

Members will register their interests at different times of the year so someone declaring everything on 1st August 2008 with share prices based between 2007-1st Aug 2008 tell you what when the share is 10% of what it was then.

Or do you wish for a couple of Civil servant to just spend their time looking at share prices and putting them in.

[odie1kanobe]

I understand we need to know what these people own but in reality this document is useless as very few people will go to the effort of looking it up. The right time for this document is election time. Time to point out that if someone has the time to manage 15 properties, then they are not focusing on the job they are supposed to be doing.

Absolute crap as you employ agents to manage them.......trust me its pretty easily done and a phone call / email when something happens is all it takes.

[Gadfly]

"HAUGHEY, Seán (Dublin North-Central)
...Other Information Provided: (7) sold part of holding in June '08; (15) since disposed of in Oct '08; (16) & (17) since disposed of in July '08; (18) & (20) since disposed of in June '08; (19) since disposed of in February '08; (21) since disposed of in August '08; (22) disposed of in March '08; (23) disposed of in July '08; (24) & (25) disposed of in Jan '08; (26) & (27) disposed of in Feb '08; (28)-(30) disposed of in June '08; (31) disposed of in July '08."

Take another look at this entry. Clever boy has been selling off throughout the year. He might not have got out at the top, but at a glance, whoever bought any of these holdings got the short end of the deal.

Talent like this ... wasted on the back benches.

Any journo care to do an overview of when our public representatives started cashing in? Not so dumb as they are cabbage looking.