Sinn Féin took a drubbing in the European and Local elections at the weekend but the news isn’t all bad. Here is Eileen Paisley wife of loyalist Dup firebrand Ian Paisley now thinks that the Partition of Ireland was a “wrong division” and she would accept a United Ireland if there was freedom of religion . We should surely manage that ! Maybe a referendum on a United Ireland might go our way in the next five or ten years.
Was watching RTE (this crowd owe me millions in unpaid damages) news at six o’ clock this evening and saw a piece about Nama repaying the “state” some €2 billions euros this year and possibly another €2 billion next year before its wound up likely next year also.
This was reported as positive news, while any repayment of funds is welcome the RTE news reporter didn’t give a overview of how much has been gotten back by Nama. Nama took over € 74 billion in defunct loans from the five major banks, its borrowed money which was kept off the books and it is all owed by the taxpayer it is private debt made public.
One has doubts whether it will stop there either as the national debt or state debt stands at over €211 billion that’s €45,000 for every man, woman and child in the “state”. This debt was recklessly brought on by a Fianna Fail government who despite the “boom” left the country in a far worse state than they got it in 1997. We owe a lot more- €40 billion in late 90’s to over €211 billion in 2019 and haven’t got that much to show for it.
Don’t think Nama is on the books either here. The running of Nama doesn’t inspire confidence as they sold their northern loan book for €1.5 billions when it was worth over € 5 billion. Someone made a “killing” there, i’m sure that’s not the end of it either.
So any one out there know what the “sums” are on Nama ??
Big loss, break even or a gain ?
Now for the news reporting, the journalist who was reporting the item on Nama presented it as “good news” without the overview. He presented it “1984” style as in the film “1984” the chocolate ration is cut from 30grams to 25 grams but they report it as “chocolate ration up to 25 grams” hurray ! The journalist’s report was very similar to “1984” newspeak. That’s my observation anyway.
In light of the European and Local Council elections to be held on Friday 24th May, here something that was to be put to a referendum a few years ago and that is a vote for our emigrants. Ireland (republic) is out of step with our European neighbours in not allowing our emigrants the vote whilst they are away. The English for example allow their citizens/subjects to be absent for up to 15 years whilst still having the vote in United Kingdom elections.
Ireland eschews any form of giving representation to emigrants, Governments in the Republic are know to fear a emigrant vote would lead to their dismissal and alternative governments being formed. Indeed successive Irish governments have encouraged Irish people to leave and seek a livelihood elsewhere in Europe or perhaps the World. (Successive Irish governments have practically shoved Irish people “out the door” by establishing employment offices abroad and encouraging people to leave like ~RTE’s “Better off abroad” , “Making it down under” and so on.)
This is all to cheat people out of a days wages and to ensure that establishment parties are not held to account for the way they run the country. The Landlords of old never had it as good , but we are stuck with the “political landlords of Fianna fail and Fine Gael” for the present anyway. Perhaps the culture of Tweeddledee and Tweedledum represented by Fianna fail and Fine Gael might be coming to an end but I have my doubts.
The health sector has not been quiet over the last few weeks, with nurses striking for more pay and better conditions and the news that the new National Children’s Hospital is way over budget. The meaning of “way over budget” is an understatement with the report that the builder alone has tacked on over €391 million in extra payments. These charges have been described as “cost overruns” (that’s newspeak for money disappearing through the floorboards or back-handers or whatever you want to call it .. like corruption or stealing money from taxpayers) by the Government and their media lackeys. My background is in farming but I would know a little bit about getting things done on a budget.
Seemingly those in government know nothing about money management or know very little yet have been given the country to run. Those who ask for money for well-intentioned projects are always told there is no money there for them. There would want to be some explanation for these “cost over-runs !!!!!!!” as the price of building materials hasn’t gone up significantly neither has the wages of the builders so why are these enormous charges been added on ? Some explanation is required here.
No one seems to be taking responsibility here. You would not be allowed to have these “cost over-runs” in the private sector so why are so many of these capital projects costing 3/4 times the price of work elsewhere. It seems that taxpayer’s money is meant to disappear somehow. Corrupt practises abound.
Take the case of the “National Maternity Hospital” the government was going to gift over €300 million in a new hospital to the nuns till people kicked up about it. Wisely so. My view is that the new Children’s Hospital should be put out to tender again as a way of controlling “cost overruns“.
As “over-runs” such as this are grounds for dismissal in any case (the builder in this case or the project management ). Maybe our health minster Simon Harris would stick to journalism. We need better politics and better people in politics perhaps someone who has experience in running a business. What’s running the show at the moment will not do.
British Prime minster Theresa May is making news with her deal she struck with the EU being voted down by MP’s in Westminster parliament. She (Theresa May) faced a revolt by members of her own conservative party who felt the Brexit “deal” didn’t give the Brits enough and believe that more can be got.
What has it got to do with us you say ?A lot considering the amount of trade between the two countries (Ireland/England) is of a two way nature . Many Business’s fear a “No deal” will increase costs, red tape and lead to containers having to be checked before entering Britain. Irish Agriculture may find increased competition from low cost countries like Brazil and Argentina as Britain may make trade deals with someone like the Mercosur bloc and others. So it effects us.
Britain never really in favour of the EU , finally voted themselves out 52-48 % in 2016 with immigration being the issue that won it for the Leave side. If Britain keeps to the March 29th deadline they are now likely to crash out of the EU, which is not really in anyone interests. The Brits have really rocked the boat this time but they are big enough to weather the storm. But likely to take some losses in the process. Whatever arrangements the Brits finally agree to or not agree to will effect their economy to some degree.
Another side effect of Brexit is the possibly the re-introduction of some border checks up in the North of Ireland. At present the border is non existent, it is a open drive all the way up. Nationalist parties and border communities have campaigned hard for no border checks to reintroduced and seemingly have got Dublin and the European commission to listen which makes a change for once. However Unionists in particular the DUP have kicked up a fuss wanting the exact same arrangements as Britain. Worse May’s government relies on the DUP for votes in Parliament and is likely to support Unionist’s/DUP ignorance of historical and geographic location. So they may(!) be trouble down the line.
Personally I have a lot of issues with the EU especially their conduct in the Lisbon treaty campaign/ Colm and Jim Jim Dj’s broadcasts but still believe that pulling out of the EU altogether is a mistake. The world is getting smaller and places like Europe face increased competition from China, India, Brazil etc… That doesn’t forgive the EU for being a boss’s club or the “race to the bottom” on workers rights, conditions and pay. Maybe one day we will change the EU to becoming more a people centered organisation. That’s a Maybe, a big one. A after thought is that on my journey through life, I saw a notice in a factory telling Workers that it takes seven times the effort to get a new customer than to keep a old customer. So that is something the English might take note of.
I got to spend my time on Christmas eve waiting in A&E in the Regional hospital Limerick, the person I was waiting with had a swollen leg which they found very sore. I took over from my sister at about 6.30 pm and proceeded to wait till 1.15 am Christmas day. The A&E dept. was fairly full on arrival but managed to get through the double doors to relieve my sister. I thought the maximum wait times was three hours but on arrival was told I could possibly have to wait 7 .5 to 8 hours to be seen.
The staff looked like they were busy but they didn’t seem to merit any prizes for efficiency either. It was along wait and the vending machines didn’t work either. Surely they could cut down the waiting times some what, I believe they were down to three hours years before and patients should be seen in a 3 hour time span, waiting up to 8 hours it is too long.
They should hire more doctors or nurses to alleviate the workload or send non urgent cases to an out of hours gp service. Also more wards should be opened up to stop patients ending up on trolleys for the night. There is a lot of mismanagement in hospitals and the public service seems to be very badly run. One wonders how all the money is spent and if it is spent wisely which I very much doubt. Time for improvements here.
One of the latest pronouncements of our Foreign Minster is that a United Ireland is “off the table” as concerns Brexit (UK leaving the EU). Simon Coveney or his party is not know for a nationalist stance on the North, indeed consigning the matter to “Foreign affairs” like if any part of Ireland is foreign, ok maybe Cork that a jest there.
I wouldn’t be too perplexed about “Brexit” being the reason for a referendum but the time is coming for one to be held in the next ten years at least. The issue needs to be addressed and it is in Ireland (32 counties) interest to be a united country as it would be a much stronger country than a divided one.
In saying that you would be better knocking your head off a wall than getting that through to Fianna fail and fine gael. They seem oblivious to Ireland’s long term interests and only act in support of a small section of the community… their own voters basically. That’s a topic for another day but it must be said that Ireland needs better politics than we got at the moment. To sum it up my judgement on Simon Coveney is that he is on the wrong side of history and maybe he should join the right side for the big win.
Monday 10th December was the anniversary of the UN Declaration of Human Rights which was declared in December 1948. They are good principles to live by but its a shame that nearly all governments just pay lip service to them. Don’t think the world as such has progressed a lot since 1948. Here’s two short videos to explain them to you. See whether you believe your country measures up.
