Political Expenses and Data Journalism
This is a presentation I gave in RTÉ late last year to the Hacks/Hackers group about building databases of political expenses and the challenges of trying to pu...
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How Irish politicians are able to claim up to €260 per day in unvouched tax-free expenses when abroad
FOUR politicians were able to claim at least €3,000 in tax-free unvouched expenses last year for overseas travel as part of their work at Leinster House. They w...
Why did Fine Gael government postpone decision on tax loophole used as vehicle for tax avoidance by wealthy individuals?
The Department of Finance decided last year they would not reform a rampantly abused exemption from inheritance tax despite knowing for close to a decade that i...
How politicians helped to block plans for all tax hearings to be held in public, despite advice from Revenue
Last year, it seemed as if one area of significant public interest – the hearing of tax appeals against the Revenue Commissioners – was about to bec...
Twenty years ago, family of foster home abuse victim told authorities no more children should be put at risk there
An edited version of this article originally appeared in the Sunday Times and Irish Mail on Sunday on February 14. If you want to see the background to it, here...
The €23,500 trip to Vietnam for five politicians
Late last year, I wrote about a trip for five politicians to Vietnam that included several business class flights and a stay at a five-star hotel. Altogether, i...
Why do more than 4,000 people a month walk out of A&E without ever being discharged?
MORE than 4,000 people a month are walking out of Irish hospital emergency departments, many of them frustrated at incredibly long waits for treatment or to get...
Keeping political expenses secret: what the government has to say
Subsequent to my last post about the controversial decision to keep secret the invoices and receipts submitted by TDs and Senators for repayment from the public...
New FOI Act added “significant protection” from scrutiny for expense claims by TDs and Senators
Over a year ago now, I submitted an FOI request to the Houses of the Oireachtas as part of a project I was working on in the RTÉ Investigations Unit called No E...
Is the “inheritance tax trap” a myth?
Taoiseach Enda Kenny has plans (according to a Sunday Independent report last week) to slash the inheritance tax bill for most families with a promise to raise ...
