It’s not often the media are invited watch a party leader receive a corporate payment, but Ms Mary Harney was today pleased to have her picture taken when she received her pay-off from Paddy Power bookmakers.
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Ms Mary Harney collects her winnings from Paddy Power bookmakers on Baggot Street in Dublin. Photo: Kate Runde
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At the outset of the General Election campaign, the Progressive Democrats leader bet her party would return to the Dáil with eight seats after the people went to the polls. Today she collected - €20 at 12/1 - a tidy €260.
She said the performance of her party's workers allowed her to collect her winnings. "I should have put on more," Ms Harney quipped. She was then reminded that she did in fact put on more: €20 on her party returning to
government, this time at as part of an attractive 33/1 double.
When asked what she would do with the money, she said: "Give it to the PDs. I got the money off them in the first place." The Standards in Public Office Commission only deal with contributions in excess of €5,087.95, so presumably she won’t be declaring the money.
Ms Harney's attention was drawn to the 1/6 odds on her party forming a government with Fianna Fáil being displayed today at Paddy Power’s Baggot Street branch. "I won’t put money on that," she said. Was it a bad bet or were the odds bad value? She didn’t say.