Maman Poulet

Yesterdays Irish Mail on Sunday and today’s Irish Times report that former solicitor Michael Lynn was arrested earlier this month in Budapest. The Hungarian Police wanted to extradite him but couldn’t as there are (still) no criminal charges against him. The only charges outstanding in Ireland are contempt of court.  Lynn therefore had to be released by the police in Budapest.

The arrest in Hungary was on the impetus of the Hungarian authorities.  So what has Michael been up to in Hungary that has brought him to the attention of the police and why are they so anxious to get rid?  They investigated reports on fraud related issues before in early 2008.  Have there been further reports? (I’ve not read the Mail on Sunday so it could be outlined there but I know I have Lynn interested readers all over Europe who might wish to shed some light!)

I suppose we should also be asking the question about why the Irish Authorities 22 months on have not yet prepared charges against Mr. Lynn. (For all related posts – and there are many – on Michael you may care to wade through this).

PS. Michael I’m in Portugal next month if you fancy a chat? You might be spending more time there these days rather than Budapest?

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Did you know there was a tax amnesty last month? Country on it’s knees, social welfare being difficult to claim, cuts in public services, banks being bailed out… but if you owned land and had not paid stamp duty on it don’t worry – a deal was done and there’s been a unseemly rush to get it all sorted and landowners who ‘forgot’ to pay have been let off.

Simon Carswell reports today in the Irish Times about this ’stamp duty incentive scheme’ and the amounts collected by Revenue in the past month.

THE REVENUE Commissioners has collected an additional €7.5 million since the end of last month in stamp duty and interest for the late processing of transactions under a special penalty amnesty.

This brings the total collected by the Revenue to €37.5 million under its “stamp duty incentive scheme” to encourage solicitors to present old deeds for stamping before the introduction of electronic stamping later this year.

Solicitors who availed of the Revenue’s “incentive scheme” avoided penalties of up to 30 per cent of the duty payable.

The Revenue has collected €30.3 million in stamp duty and interest of €7.19 million under the amnesty for solicitors and clients.

Most of the instruments stamped late were deeds for property where, for example, the client may not initially have been able to afford the stamp duty.

Solicitors are normally charged a €25 penalty, interest and a surcharge penalty of up to 30 per cent of the stamp duty owing after 12 months if a deed is not stamped within 44 days of the transaction.

An accountancy source told me last month about Revenue offices staying open till midnight to allow solicitors to pay stamp duty on lands/properties purchased by their clients under a scheme – ok lets call it an amnesty and stop talking in Revenue speak. I’m not a tax accountant or in the property purchasing or legal business so bear with me and join in the comments to help me get around this gift to property developers/magnates.

Electronic conveyancing is coming in later this year – the Land and Conveyancing Bill 2006 having become an act. Things had to be gotten in order for this to happen – someone/everyone bar me knew there was a lot of land deals out there that had not had stamp duty paid on them.

Enter the Finance Act (No.2) 2008 – which brought in a 56 day waiver of penalties from date of enactment for all executed but unstamped documents provided the documents are presented for stamping along with the appropriate stamp duty and interest. So things were very busy in the Revenue Stamp Duty Section in the middle of February when the 56 days were almost up.

Still with me?? Good! I’m going to explain why you should be interested now!

Some of the land we are talking about here was purchased maybe 10 years ago – so how could the sale have been legally completed if the stamp duty had never been paid. We’re talking about a sizeable amount of money – which without an amnesty should have incurred penalties and interest. Also mortgages would have been arranged for many properties/developments and if there is one thing I’ve learnt from Michael Lynn it’s that solicitors have to give undertakings to banks about properties that the purchase is legal and complete.

So I’m wondering
a) How come the Revenue Commissioners allowed this to go on for so long – ie lands being purchased and no stamp duty being paid?
b) Can the Law Society explain how their members conducted sales of property which were not complete and how they could give undertakings to banks on the purchase of land where the stamp duty had not been paid?
c) Can the government explain why property developers and the rest get an amnesty on fines and interest on not paying their stamp duty aka obeying the law?

What else should I be wondering? I know people won’t be surprised that the builders have their paths eased to the taxman under this government – remember that on April 7th when we all being screwed again. The Government can go on about e-conveyancing and getting thing in order all they want – this smells of rotten pork barrel politics Irish style.

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In the midst of the country going belly up Michael Lynn must have been missing all the attention. €80 million going missing is only in the hapenny place in comparison to the €7bn bed and breakfast between Irish Life/Permanent and Anglo Irish Bank and Sean Fitzpatrick’s loans etc. Michael Lynn has given his first interview in hiding to the Irish Mail on Sunday.

I’ve yet to emerge from the hen house to get my personal copy of the interview but from the radio coverage so far this morning it all sounds so familiar! The banks knew what he was doing and lent him the money anyway seemingly!

No grannies lost their savings according to him – well we know thats a load of rubbish - there are loads of small investors who bought properties abroad from him who have lost out, several of whom have been in touch with me. Michael says that it’s all someone else’s problem.

Michael doesn’t think he will be going to jail or that he should.  And if he does go he’ll come back to do a few months porridge according to him. Is the deal already being done?

It seems he’s a bit homesick – ah bless…

In my knowledge of Michael’s back catalogue there is one number from his greatest hits which is so appropriate this morning and I’ll leave it for you to delight in. I may come back later following eggs benedict and a stroll in Dublin’s sunshine to comment more on the latest addition to the fable!

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You may remember that Pat Rabbitte and Dermot Ahern went head to head before Christmas on the cutting of the budget of the Equality Authority.

Last night Labour’s Spokesperson on Justice released a statement in reaction to the resignation of 5 members of the authority.

Today’s resignation of five more directors of the Equality Authority exposes the vindictive nature of the crippling cuts arbitrarily imposed by the Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern.

This is the same man who considers the proposal of Senator Dan Boyle to reduce the number of Junior Ministers to 17 as “facile” but who pretends that saving a lesser amount of money from the Equality Authority to be a “major saving”.

If Minister Dermot Ahern devoted more time to the Equality dimension of his brief, and less to representing the interests of the leader of the Real IRA Michael McKevitt, he would be more worthy of the office he holds. For a cabinet Minister to get involved in making representations for the leader of an organisation responsible for the worst atrocity in the 30-year conflict in Northern Ireland is not just bad judgement, but would inevitably lead to immediate resignation in any other European state.

Now that the Minister has achieved the objective of forcing the resignation of the CEO of the Equality Authority, he should at least restore the viability of the Authority, and then do the decent thing himself.

Meanwhile The Irish Times today reports that IBEC are to replace their nominees who resigned today. And the purpose of this is? Is this why there was no statement accompanying the resignations of Board members O’Flynn and McDonnell – be seen to do the right thing, hope it all blows over and come back again?

One thing is clear the Authority may collapse if the number of board members does not go back up to 12.

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…For Rick O’Shea.

I’m not sure why 2fm decided to mess with Rick’s show – I don’t think it was money but some managers ‘new idea’. I’ve been listening in the afternoons at work for a while now. Rick keeps me sane at work when I’m not out at meetings. I’m a talk radio junkie, news radio programmes being a huge part of my listening day – I gave up Newstalk and I spent a lot of the summer despising Katie Perry kissing girls and liking it due to Rick but thats a very minor point. Even news junkie bloggers need a break or two and a bit of a light relief. 

Many other bloggers can explain far more eloquently than I why the combination worked of

• agony uncle or at least director of the nations agony aunts and uncles texting in and sorting problems,
• asking the weirdest questions of his listeners by text,
• giving voice to the anonymous but heartfelt start of the impact of the recession by texts
• combined with interviews with all sorts of weird and wonderful people,
• live sessions, movie reviews,
• and the first person to play Michael Lynn (WORLD EXCLUSIVE !). (Sound files not working unfortunately).

And then there was headspace – Rick picked a song to chill to and I and many others chilled.

Since Rick has been gagged and now plays music from a playlist often one track after another without saying a word (Alexandra Burke far too many times in one week) with one minute entertainment news slots (pffft!) it is not my choice of listening. Given I’m off work on sick leave for far too long now I needed headspace and stuff more than ever.

If he had moved time slot there would not have been much of a whimper (well if he had moved to the mornings there would’ve been major parties!) But it’s the policy change and the lack of recognition by management of the fact that 2fm is not a pure music station during the day time and listeners don’t want mindless endless music.  RTE have loads of new fancy digital channels for that sort of stuff.

If you’re in agreement with me as well as joining the facebook group you might think about emailing complaints@rte.ie to let them know – it seems someone is taking notice.

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Photo owned by Môsieur J. (cc)

The blogging year that is (the rest of it was great too!)

252 posts this year which is my busiest blogging year yet since I began in 2005. I thought like loads of others I would post a few links to some highlights in a very rapid recap as it’s been a very long year and the last few days of reading back over the posts has been fun!

January brought Michael Lynn’s greatest hits.. and a bit of fun releasing different tracks and getting him some airtime on radio (Never thought I’d become an A&R woman!)

The search for Ireland’s Eurovision entry was my first foray into live blogging this year – McGarr and Golez trapped me into further ventures later in the year including Questions and Answers, the budget and US election coverage. I also joined lots of other Irish bloggers in surviving the Irish apprentice in 2008. There is huge potential in this for 2009.

March was the month of the blog awards and this lovely piece of glass!

April saw the publication of the Devine report into matters concerning Niall McElwee and who knew what and when. Dr. McElwee guest posted on the blog in response to the report, something which did not occur in the mainstream media. Dr. Francis Finnegan also came forward with her views in a guest post on the blog.

Eoghan Harris blamed bloggers on Bertie’s downfall.

Brian Cowen became Taoiseach in May and we got a new cabinet including the Minister in charge of equality who wasn’t very equal in his thoughts about the gays 15 years ago.

July saw the beginning of the end of properly funded independent equality and human rights infrastructures in Ireland and for the rest of year I’ve been keeping an eye on the twists and turns in budget cuts, resignations and political machinations.

The month of September exhausted me as a blogger and human being thanks to my curiosity about Sarah Palin’s ‘trip to Ireland‘ and a scoop about Irish Rail enforcing discrimination in terms of same sex couples and travel passes by means of crude notices to staff.

October continued with far too much US election coverage and not a lot of blogging just too much pointing out and electoral pop culture overdosing!

I met Commissioner McCreevy for lunch in Brussels in November and got a lot of briefing on things EU on a press/blogger trip to Brussels. I intend looking westwards a lot more during 2009 and sure won’t we have Lisbon II to keep us intrigued. (Scrapes bottom of barrel for an adjective there!).

Throughout 2008 I tried to chronicle the campaign (!) (and my commentary on it) for same sex partnership recognition I have a feeling I might be doing that in 2009, 2010…..

I’ve enjoyed meeting many new bloggers this year and getting to know others a whole lot better and I’ve been inspired by their energy and commitment, respect, support, sense of humour and friendliness. I’ve also met a few of my non blogging readers on my travels and been a bit embarrassed sometimes by their knowledge of the inner workings of my brain…:)

Happy New Year all!!

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by the press coverage of late about his indispostion to appear in court. (This is not to appear on any charge against himself you will remember, it’s to give evidence in proceedings between a former client, property developer Brian Cunningham, and building society, First Active. )

If he’s offended at the coverage given by Dearbhail McDonald and her colleagues in the mainstream media one can only imagine how he feels about Maman Poulet??!! Raymond Murphy (ah remember him!) told the court that his client Mr. Lynn has taken exception to it.

And you know spending ages talking about when his birthday actually is and whether he wanted to give evidence or not is only making him happier that someone is talking about him at all! The phrase ‘You Couldn’t Make it up’ rings so true about the case currently before Justice Clarke.

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Michael Lynn’s medical certificate was presented to the High Court today. It was indecipherable and in Portuguese.

That would explain how Maman Poulet heard that he was seen having lunch with his wife Brid in Portugal. (The video evidence was due to be given in Covent Garden in London.)

Mr Justice Clarke said he would review the matter overnight but added ‘that it appeared Mr Lynn may have given a false account of why he would not be able to give evidence.’

The Judge said that there is no reason to doubt Mr. Lynn’s lawyers. I beg to differ! But sure I’m only a humble blogger.

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Michael Lynn has the flu it seems – not sure if it is evidence flu – you know like blue flu.

However what caught my attention was Justice Frank Clarke’s request for a medical certificate. Would you trust any piece of paper put forward by a man who is missing suspected of having debts of €80m worth of fraudulent mortgages? Excuse me if that is too logical for you. After all if in the full of his health, he was supposed to be giving evidence by video link whilst ‘missing’, I’m sure that was something that stuck in the craw of many a former client.

Get well soon!

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Myself and over 80 others attended Saturday’s conference on Social Activism Online in Ireland. Hosted by the EU Commission Representation in Ireland staff, the conference was also organised by Cian O’Flaherty from Irishelection.com. It was well worth a Saturday! Some lovely photos from the day are available here courtesy of Red Mum.

It was a follow up to the Blogging the Election Conference in 2006 and a great follow up it was too. The standard of inputs was excellent. The attendance was very varied – it was great to see some people there from the widest reaches of social activism/blogging and none – those who understood that social activism did not solely mean party political or NGO campaigning and that blogging about business/disability/consumer issues etc. was social activism. There were the usual what’s wrong with Irish blogging (and a bit of what’s ok with it too and more of the latter is needed!) and the annual bloggers versus mainstream journalists barney failed to ignite more than a small fire despite Richard Delevan’s best efforts Following a conference on twitter whilst there was good fun and added to my enjoyment – there being no other active backchannel (that I knew of) we were all finding each other on the blue bird and following.

A mention must be made of Damian O’Broin’s excellent presentation on the A to Z of Online Ideas which you can see the slides from here. Such a simple idea for dispersing so much interesting material!

The main reason I was there was to hear Zack Exley speak – and he didn’t disappoint. He explored aspects of US politics at grassroots/netroot levels in the last 4-6 years with a fair bit of online activism thrown in and thoughts being poked at the audience to consider the transferability over this side of the pond. I think it’s safe to say that most people didn’t think they would be running out the door to find the Irish Barack Obama or Howard Dean to support and fund online. But there was a lot that those of food for thought in ideas around political and community organising.

Incidentally today Zack published an article on The Huffington Post about his recent visit to Ohio which he spoke about during his talk.

I believe that videos of the day will be online soon so those who missed it will be able to catch up.

News from the day – RTE are going to have some sort of new fangled gadget for playing their output and maybe a chance to embed stuff on other websites (I think!) But other bloggers are much better at explaining those things!

The conference was streamed live and I had a question sent in from someone watching who wanted to know where Michael Lynn was!

Many thanks to the EU Commission office for their hospitality and the programme and I’d love to see more of this happening with bloggers from other countries exchaning views on the ‘craft’ but also on the impact of blogs in the EU, it’s member states and institutions. There will probably be a lot of thought on things European in the next 12 months not only because of Lisbon but also due to the European Parliament elections. There is a bit of anticipation growing for blogging on those matters (yes some of us need our electoral fix to be maintained!)

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