Well done on another public interest story. However, the docility of the Irish people politically means that even if these figures were, say TEN times what they are - e.g. Michael Lowry raking in almost €3M - or let's say 100 times - and give him €30M - would it make any difference? Not on your nelly. You'd get a flood of calls to Liveline, but if you tried to organise say a march in protest over this, you'd get a few hundred - and probably only a handful if it coincided with Coronation Street on RTE, the X Factor or a Man Unoyhred or Liverpuwil game. The vast majority will vote for FF or FG, Labour and the Greens. So not a jot of difference these expenses will make to the political direction - or rather lack of it - in Ireland. A "No" vote on Lisbon was the chance to get rid of this shower. But the people knew better. The elite know they can get away with anything - and even if they lose their seats in a swap with others of the same ilk, there'll still be plenty of swill from the trough to go around in the shape of Senate seats, quango chairmanships, etc. The Irish people make the same political choices decade in decade out, and deserve what they get.

Fianna Fáil's Beverly Cooper-Flynn, who tried in vain to start a standing ovation following John O'Donoghue's resignation speech, has claimed €275,486 since 2005.

Ah Hopefully she'll be let go soon too.

Roger Rafferty is right. Look at the disgraceful raping of the taxpayer to pay off bankshareholders debts, called the totally un-necessary and treasonable Nama. Very few TD's or their immediate family members have not personally and significantly benefitted from this dramatic rip-off of the compliant Irish voters. Thats why they all voted for it.
This all goes to prove that there is actually no low to which our politicians will sink that could realistically change the voting patterns of the Irish sheep that vote for them time and time again.
No politician should be returned a second time to any post at local or nationallevel. Let the largess and corruption that typifies Irish politics be shared around.

This proves how the whole body politic is corrupted. How can Enda Kenny hold Fianna Fail to account when he is no better. Time for a completely new start, a new political movement is needed on the basis of serving the people, not themselves. Changing FF for FG is a waste of time. Time to wake up and take responsibility for our own future....

To Roger Rafferty, Daithi, anyone: I want to make a positive proposal. Remember the Iraqi reporter who threw the shoe at Bush? I want to suggest a campaign to have everyone in Ireland who is sick of our politicians behaviour to hang an old boot from their front door or window and put one in the back window of your old banger or hang it off the bike, to show them they are not welcome any more. The slogan of this people's campaign might be " No More, No way ! ".
This should be a campaign owned by everyone and it should last for the next ten years. No-one should vote for anyone to be re-elected to any political position. One time candidates only. New blood, less chance of corruption and more chance of honest dealings.
I have no interest in being elected. I am over 50, no work and am just another disgusted and tired and powerless nobody. But I want to push for action. I want to get angry in a way that will scare the hell out of our political caste. Please, please, lets do something together to change the world we live in. No re-election for anyone. No exceptions. No more NAMA, No more bleeding of the poor to feed the fat-cats. No More, No Way !
Please, everyone, no leaders needed, just solidarity. My own e-mail is , but I do not want to be a leader, just a nobody who had a good idea and started the ball rolling. This is everyone's idea and everyone can write to their local papers to push for everyone to put an old boot in the window and promise to never vote to re-elect anyone. New candidates every election.
Then we might see action on stuff like the following:
No more bleeding of the poor to pay for the rich like NAMA.
Halve the number of Dail seats.
Stop expense accounts to politicians. Salaries and petrol money only.
Reduce all political pensions and all public service pensions to a max of 50grand a year ( Yeah, its a lot, but you should see what they really are)
Bring back wealth taxes to fund basic services.
Bring back democracy and decency into public life.

I leave the ownership of this campaign to whoever can get the message out. Individuals should not be important. I am nobody, but the idea is a good one. Maybe every saturday night, all over the country, at exactly nine pm, people could appear at their window and shout out; " No More, No Way " ! ( I got that idea from the old film, "network", with Peter Finch, who suggested people go to the window and shout " I am madder than hell and I aint gonna take it any more".
That was fiction, but life can follow art, when we are desperate enough. Ifor one will do this every Saturday night for the next ten years. That is my personal promise and my boot is already in my window.
Jack Meskill

41M euros would be enough to fund a small company of about 60 well paid people for 5 years. It is a huge chunk of money and could have created opportunities for many companies in Ireland.