TD vows to pay half Dáil wages towards Vat debt, but more useful way to serve people would be to resign

Mr Poor Me just got poorer.

Mick Wallace is to use half the money taxpayers give him so he can pay off a bit of the money he defrauded from taxpayers.

Thanks a lot Mick, we will be all square in 2056, but maybe a more useful way of paying your debt to society would have been to resign?

His near tear-stained 10-minute statement to the Dáil proved Wallace may be short of cash, but he’ll never run out of self-pity.

After a week insisting he had no intention of slipping a hand into his pocket to pay the state back, Wallace announced he was going to give-up half his salary in an “act of solidarity with the citizens” — not because he knowingly committed an illegal act by deliberately lying to the Revenue, resulting in the State being €2.1m down, then?

Wallace provided much emotion, but precious few answers. Are we really supposed to be grateful because he thinks he is paying the price: “for a mistake the company MJ Wallace made before I was elected”. Damn those faceless companies! Oh, but hang on, that company was just you and your son — and you personally, and knowingly, used your position in it to dodge taxes on a grand scale.

But then so much of what he said was self-serving, dressed-up as self-effacing.

“I want to apologise to the members of this Dáil for bringing any dishonour on a profession which hardly needed it.” Nice trick Mick, pretend to be contrite, but slip in the subliminal message “everyone in this profession is dodgy, why pick on me?”.

“Have I considered resigning and running in a by-election? Yes, I have. But I was never very good at quitting.” Maybe not, but you were bloody good at tax dodging, weren’t you Mick?

“I did go into politics with a desire to work for social justice.” Shame you weren’t so hot on criminal justice then.

“They say that those of us who speak out should be above reproach.” Actually, no they don’t Mick, but they do say that it is offensive for a law breaker to be a law maker.

“The manner in which the Vat was dealt with was, in hindsight, an error of judgment.” It was a bit more than that pal — it was illegal.

“There was never an intention that the money that was owed would not be paid to Revenue.” Erm, you made it crystal clear last week you had no intention of paying it back yourself, remember?

“The motive behind the underpayment was to delay payment in order to trade out of difficulty.” Oh right, so that’s why you doubled the salary you paid yourself and your son to €290,000 was it?

“In view of the fact that I now work for the people, and am paid by the people, I feel obliged to look beyond the bounds of company law.”

Well, you never let a little thing like the law hold you back in the past, did you Mick?

“I am answerable to the people of Wexford who elected me . . . it is their seat not mine.” It was their money you defrauded from Revenue too.

“I understand that many people suffering under vicious austerity were upset by my statement last week that M&J Wallace Ltd would not be able to repay the tax debt – this was not a cavalier comment but rather an honest statement of fact.” Well, honesty is the best policy Mick — unless it’s a tax policy of course.

“I have worked with the people of Wexford . . . on many issues such as cuts to Special Needs Assistants.” You’re good with numbers Mick, how many SNA’s would the state get for €2.1m?

Wallace looked genuinely upset, hands shaking, voice breaking, and no doubt some people will have sympathy for him because Wallace said sorry — but that still leaves him as a sorry TD. He broke the law. He should resign.

Wallace finished up saying he now plans to serve the people of Ireland — well, at least that will make a change from defrauding us.

Poor Mick.