The John O'Donoghue files (Part 8 – New York)

The minister goes to the Big Apple with his wife, private secretary, the secretary general of the department, a Mrs Furlong and Paul O’Toole.

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Previously:
JOD Part 1 (India)
JOD Part 2 (Birmingham)
JOD Part 3 (Berlin)
JOD Part 4 (London)
JOD Part 5 (London)
JOD Part 6 (Venice)
JOD Part 7 (Manchester)


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7 responses to “The John O'Donoghue files (Part 8 – New York)”

  1. conandrumm avatar
    conandrumm

    Incredible work Gavin, and a public service.

    I imagine Mrs Furlong is the wife of the former Secy Genl of the Department.
    I would be interested to know the status of Ms O'Connor and how this works within the civil service. I presume she is a career public servant (sic) who held the postion as Private Secy (pro tem?) to then minister John O'Donghue. She now seems to act as a press contact for ministers Mansergh & Cullen.

    One can only presume that she has the Revenue's guidance on any expenses she was entitled to, whether receipted or not, when travelling as part of the minister's entourage.

    There is another issue. Minister O'Donoghue decentralised significant elements of his Department to Killarney. At what cost?

    And what costs, including additional expenses, are now incurred on an ongoing basis because the Department has been geographically fragmented?

  2. gavinsblog avatar
    gavinsblog

    The only work I am doing is scanning the FOIs Ken Foxe of the Tribune put the work into.. but I will have some of my own in the near future 😉

  3. conandrumm avatar
    conandrumm

    ps… re Venice trip [JOD Part 6 (Venice)] “Lunch for Irish delegation, Cipriani Hotel”

    The Cipriani is one of the most expensive places in the world to eat or stay. It is on one of the Venetian islands and is only accessible from Venice by water. There are far more reasonable places to eat in Venice.

    If the cost of the lunch is not on O'Donoghue's list then it may be under some other heading – Culture Ireland, Venice Biennale (I think DAST has appointed its own curator every two years), or the DFA (Rome Embassy).

  4. conandrumm avatar
    conandrumm

    pps (re NY02) presumably his three-hour lunch/meeting with Aer Lingus people was spent explaining why he flew Continental to the US for the trip.

  5. BockTheRobber avatar
    BockTheRobber

    Sunday 26th
    Go to Mass
    Visit theatre building
    Brunch at Waldorf
    Afternoon off
    Dinner at Waldorf
    Attend Christmas spectacular at Radio City

    Monday 27th
    Visit Irish arts centre.
    Meet Gabriel Byrne
    Have lunch.
    Announce exchange programme.
    Meet Irish media.
    Go to theatre.

    Tuesday 28th
    Breakfast with NBC executives.
    Lunch with Aer Lingus executives
    Attend 1-hour presentation
    Attend Book launch
    See Spamalot

    Wednesday 29th
    2 interviews
    Lunch with Ireland-US council
    Home

    __________

    Tough schedule

  6. wdf avatar
    wdf

    gavin

    would it be an idea to request as many people as possible to turn upat leinster house the week the dail returns with a packet of bisto for john, each with a label on it to jod td, ceann comhairle.

    just to emphasise the gravy train?

  7. wdf avatar
    wdf

    gavin – i've just re-read these documents. we have all been very unfair to JOD & Co. If you study the itinerary you will see that on 28th November he walked 2 blocks. Imagine!! What next – a claim for shoe leather?