At last the Irish media is doing what it is meant to do and exposing the corruption and hypocrisy of the political class. Why has it taken so long for this to happen, maybe disgust at the behaviour of certain members of the "establishment" in the face the current economic crisis, I don't know but it is welcome all the same. Who can now doubt that this government’s days are numbered when even Saint Gormley has been caught with his nose in the trough. How sickening must it be for people who are losing their jobs and facing cutbacks to know how the likes of Mary Harney has been completely unrestrained on spending on herself. No wonder they were all defending O’Donoghue. People were right to think that they were almost all at it, and the ones who caused the most damage were at it the most. Time for this gravy train to stop and dump the losers on board. Of course this is the way with selfish people, take,take,take. People have been fooled the past by the PDs and rightwing ideologues like Tom Parlon, it is all take,take with this people. What Ireland needs now is givers not takers.

So Harney cannot afford the Cervical Cancer Vaccine at a cost of 9 million euro,that would have prevented the unnecessary deaths of hundreds of young women...but we can afford close to a million to jet this lazy wastrel and her husband??around in a Lear jet over a two year period???

The more I read of the utter sense of entitlement people like her have the angrier I am becoming,this is animal farm and the public have had more then enough of these greedy pigs with their snouts in the trough of public finances,the waste that has been going on is quite simply criminal!

In a democracy, a country gets the Government it deserves.

I'm repeatedly told how politically astute the electorate is...... sorry...... years of revering stroke politics has got us where we are.....
If only the electorate could appreciate the difference between cuteness and intelligence!

The PD 'watchdogs' were as bad as the FFers they were going to 'keep an eye on'. We've been robbed blind by these shameless gombeens. They gorged themselves on our tax cheques while blowing up a bubble for their mates and wrecking our economy and society. Harney's colleagues wouldn't let her run their little 3rd rate right wing lobby group of a political party, but she has the audacity to think she can run our health service? Just like Parlon, I bet she's thinking of a career in the private health industry when the voters get a chance to boot her out. Her massive taxpayer funded pensions won't be enough to maintain her in the style she feels entitled to now.

Mary Harney makes me puke. We can see now why the other TDs were reluctant to throw stones at John O'D- it was obvious that there was many others who raped the system to squander millions of tax payers cash on "Wish You Were Here" champagne extravaganzas..
I also wish Bertie would feck off and climb into a black hole the size of NAMA- that man has commenced a PR campaign to be elected President- but yeah the silly pixies will probably vote him in- nothing surprises me anymore...
As For Mary Harney- She should be made pay back the wasted Lear jet money- give it to the Health Service...or else...
I wonder what Michael Collins would think of the Dail today- I'm sure He would not be amused by the traitors who continue to disgrace the name of Ireland...

Now that Gordon Brown & other politician's of Britain's Parliament have to pay back expense's they've incurred...why shouldn't our gang of known crooks in the Dail not be made to do the same? It's time we the people demanded this of them...& not just vented our displeasure of same. After all, they're there on our trust...not there to spend the country's "Trust"!

Just to add to my comment above, both Labour & Tory Leader's have told their MP's this evening, that if they don't pay back their iffy expenses then they can get out of Parliament, if not voluntarily then they'll be expelled. But many back bench MP's are rebelling on all sides of the House and the only way I can end my comment is to say "Watch This Space".

PS. I want to thank the "Tribune" for their great work as regards our own government's "Spend, Spend, Spend, without a care TD's!

PPS. With sterling on nearly a par with the euro, why haven't the major store's here, aligned the prices we pay here. That's another "Crime of the Century" here to be investigated!

I completely agree with John (no 11) that spending such as on the govt jet has been known for years but no one bothered to look at the costs. Generally, I think that there is an unbelievable amount of hypocrisy and hysterical self-righteous whinging in this country about the boom & bust as a lot of people got caught up in the property bubble and contributed to it. The developers and banks did not put a gun to the head of people queuing up to buy property. Its embarrassing listening to some people as they just want to blame someone else all the time. Do they ever listen to themselves. It has been commented to me by a few foreigners here as I think that Irish people don't quite realise how much they moan. I am talking generally about the excessive venting on the radio etc. You would not want to be spending too much time listening to the radio or reading the papers in this country if you have any mental health issues as it would push you over the edge.

Look Mary(16) and John(11) are having a pop at the people moaning in respect of politicians here on this forum.

It's the moaners v the cute hoors- John assumes We were all on the gravy train when the old Tiger was boom boom boom.
Mary is concerned that we've got mental health issues- We may be pushing ourselves over the edge.
I'm wondering if these comments came from Mary H and John O'D themselves...

I'd say to Mary and John that amongst many of the common folk of Ireland- there is much anger over how these Politicians have raped the system with their huge expense accounts...

It's called corruption and the average TAX payer is not happy about it...

You maybe alright jack- You maybe a me feiner- maybe You simply don't know what all the fuss is about...

Re: Mary(16)
You are correct the government/bankers/developers did not put a gun to anybody's head and force them to enter the property market. I'm not saying that there was a monopoly or price fixing cartel but there seems to be ample evidence to suggest that all the above entities were involved in various schemes to facilitate the "fleecing" of home buyers. I believe the government had a responsibility to ensure this wouldn't happen - instead they did the opposite.

why would they step down when they are getting away with it. It is our own fault, we put them in and are doing nothing about it. In all fairness folks, what does the cat do when the milk is placed in front of him? Drink it of course and returns looking for more, so dont blame them. We need to look at ourselves and our own passive behaviour.