Comments on: Want to bypass our donations system? No problem

By: Proposals for funding reform – The Story

Proposals for funding reform – The Story — Wed, 05 May 2010 13:41:41 +0000

[...] Footnote II: Yes, I’ve become somewhat less radicalised. [...]

By: Contract Award for appointment to a panel for the provision of legal services to NAMA - Page 4 - Politics.ie

Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:02:36 +0000

[...] Lowry, Bertie Ahern, Roisin Shorthall, Enda Kenny, Dermot Ahern, Leo Varadkar and Mary Harney. Want to bypass our donations system? No problem – The Story __________________ July 2008, Willie McAteer, then executive director of Anglo Irish Bank: [...]

By: Mark Coughlan

Mark Coughlan — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:46:36 +0000

Neville,

I accept your points, and they’re well made…

I’d probably settle for a lower declaration limit of €10.01, with anonymous dons allowed below that level, all monies entered in a pol-don account and SIPO given full access to that account… but I argue for more because there’s always concessions made.

I wouldn’t say many donate more than €10 at a church gate anyway. If they did then they’re probably party hacks who could aonte in alternative ways…

Thanks for all the comments people.

By: Should Fianna Failers be publically insulted or shunned? - Page 13 - Politics.ie

Should Fianna Failers be publically insulted or shunned? - Page 13 - Politics.ie — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 15:17:32 +0000

[...] to be funneled into the system undeclared. I have written about how it can be done, here – Want to bypass our donations system? No problem – The Story __________________ Talk? Coughlanmp @ Gmail. com Read? http://www.irishelection.com http://www.thestory.ie [...]

By: Neville Bagnall

Neville Bagnall — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 16:42:18 +0000

The declaration system undoubtedly sucks, but as someone with experience at the coalface of political party fundraising, I’d be against eliminating anonymous donations and the minimum declaration limit entirely. The major effect would be to eliminate fundraisers like church gate collections. In my opinion that would be regressive as it increases our dependence on a limited pool of donors. At church gates we get donations from across the political spectrum. Also the donations are smaller – usually €1 or €2. The best defense against perceived or actual donor obligation is to have many small donors. Better to beef up the declaration requirements. Oblige all donations to be lodged into a donation account, no matter how small. Eliminate the nonsense of the electoral period for declarable expenditure. For fundraisers require a paper trail – invoiced expenses, number of volunteers involved, number of public in attendance. Those involved will have that information anyway and once declared abnormalities will be discernible.

By: rdlp715

rdlp715 — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:04:20 +0000

Whoa. Good work. McIntyre was right, we certainly do have (amongst) the smartest criminals in the world.