Sir, – As it stands, Mr Wallace can just put on a fresh pink shirt and go on a holiday to Poland to see the European championships. Can people not see the moral hazard here? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I would be committing an offence if I falsified my tax return. But then I can’t hide behind company accounts. I also don’t have the advantage of being a member of Dáil Éireann. Silly me. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Just a thought. If the Dáil Technical Group was thinking of a catchier, cooler rebranding of its collective image, what about Omertà? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Mick Wallace TD owes €19 million in unpaid loans to ACC Bank, and over €2 million to the Revenue Commissioners in unpaid tax. He has admitted that he will never be in a position to afford to pay these amounts back.
If this is the case, could Mr Wallace please explain how he funded a widespread poster campaign across Dublin (and presumably elsewhere) advocating a No campaign in the recent referendum campaign? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – As far as I can make out, all of the companies owned by Mick Wallace operated as Irish companies.
He didn’t have offshore companies, unlike so many of his peers in the construction industry.
When Charlie Flanagan of Fine Gael says “it raises serious questions about Deputy Wallace’s suitability to serve as an Oireachtas member”, he might reflect on the fact that Mick Wallace has also done tremendous work in relation to Wexford Youths FC, including investing €6 million in a training facility for them.
If you were running a company back in 2008 during the financial crisis, you were faced with the reality that overnight all of the banks changed the manner in which they operated and created enormous liquidity problems for firms all over the country. It put a lot of people in a place they never thought they would be.
Mick Wallace is not the worst, just human. Go easy on the crucifixion. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Question: What’s the difference between Mick Wallace and Michael Lowry? Answer: 775 first preferences. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – While away in Poland supporting Ireland, Mick Wallace has the opportunity to show some true patriotism. He should substitute his trademark pink shirt for a green jersey and formally declare he’s hanging up his Dáil boots. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I heard Mick Wallace claim on the radio that when he knowingly incorrectly declared the amount of tax liability of his company to the Revenue Commissioners, he acted “in good faith” (bona fides).
In order to have acted “in good faith”, he needed to have believed at the time that he was declaring the correct amount of tax liability of his company and discovered subsequently to have made a mistake.
Since he knew at the time he was not declaring the correct amount, as he has admitted publicly, he was acting in bad faith (mala fides). To declare something to be true knowing it is untrue is acting in bad faith. To declare something is true and believing it to be true when making the declaration is acting in good faith. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – I presume that all those calling for Mick Wallace to resign have paid their household charge? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Perhaps Mick Wallace should invoke the spirit of Wisconsin and resign his Dáil seat so that a “recall” election can be held. Then at least we’ll get a snapshot of current thinking in Ireland.
If, as I suspect, Mick Wallace is re-elected, we’ll know that the mood in Ireland for radical change is skin-deep. We’ll gather that the Irish public are only after the heads of a few establishment scapegoats, while being more tolerant of populist TDs who throw a few “radical chic” shapes. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – One of Mick Wallace’s excuses put forward for his slovenly mode of dress in the Dáil was that it constituted a departure from the suit-wearing crowd who made a mess of this country through greed, cronyism and double-dealing.
Given what has emerged about his own shady practices, he appears to show little sign of embarrassment. I suppose red doesn’t match well with pink. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – It should be noted that Mick Wallace has not attempted to conceal his dishonesty. In that, he is unlike other elected representatives, past and present, who continue to deny any wrongdoing, despite the findings of the tribunals. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – Presumably all those TDs who advocated non-payment of the household charge will also support Mick Wallace TD’s actions as a company director in non-payment of VAT. Or is this different? – Yours, etc,
Sir, – After all the hullabaloo about groupthink in RTÉ, it now appears that it is manifesting itself in the Oireachtas in relation to Mick Wallace, with no TD prepared to call a spade a spade and call for his immediate resignation. – Yours, etc,
Sir, – This affair is a clear vindication of the decision of the Irish people to reject the referendum on inquiries by the Oireachtas last year. Its passage could have led to the interrogation of any citizen by Oireachtas members, such as Mr Wallace and others, who seem to hold scant public respect for the law. – Yours, etc,