Green TD Must Correct the Record of the Dáil After Defending FF’s Charity Status.
Speaking in the Dáil today, Aontú Leader & Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín has criticised Fianna Fáil for exploiting Charities legislation to raise funds for their party. Green Party TD Joe O’Brien gallantly jumped to his feet to defend the FF action but in doing misinformed the Dáil by saying that FF had not applied for their Draw licence under the guise of a Charity. .
An Teachta Tóibín: “Fianna Fáil received more than €3.4 million from the State in 2020. Now we find out that Fianna Fáil is a holding itself out as a charity and exploiting a legal loophole to run a €600,000 lottery and charge €50 a ticket as opposed to €10 a ticket. This was a legal exception created for charities to help people in genuine need or for the betterment of society. It was to help groups working with homeless people , people with Cancer and people with disabilities. It was to help people in real need. It was never intended for political parties. The Charities Regulator has stated that Political parties cannot be charities”.
“Now as reported in the Irish Independent, the Fianna Fáil Minister who brought the Charities legislation through the Dáil is now selling €50 tickets for FF under this same legislation. You could not make up. Today I asked the Táinaiste if he would answer this question directly. Is Fianna Fáil a charity? Are FF wrong to use Charity Legislation to raise funds for themselves? The Green Party TD Joe O’Brien jumped to his feet to take the question and stated incorrectly that FF were not using the legislation specifically for Charities. This is incorrect. And I believe that Joe O’Brien should now correct the record of the Dáil. FF have questions to answer. Where is the integrity of preceding with this Draw when its clearly applied for under false pretences”.
