Views from the Emerald Isle

O'Donoghue defends his Expenses as Minister

2009-09-14T12:52:00.012+01:00

John O'Donoghue (photo), the Ceann Comhairle (Speaker or Chairman of the Dáil, the lower House of Parliament) has made his first public comments on the expenses controversy surrounding his time as government minister.

O'Donoghue defends his record as the Minister for Arts, Sports & Tourism (in the cabinet of Taoiseach Bertie Ahern) and as Ceann Comhairle in a letter to all members of the Dáil, which was sent last Friday.

He says he had "stayed silent so far on the extensive media coverage of expenses" in order "to protect the impartiality" of his current position.
It would "not be proper" for him "to become involved in public debate" concerning his time spent as a minister, despite what he called "the natural desire to cross swords with critics" in his own defence.

This is a pretty lame excuse from a man who has wasted taxpayers' money on a grand scale, running up expenses of more than € 550,000 for a lavish lifestyle that was in no way justified by his position as one of the minor Irish cabinet ministers.

He acknowledged that some of the costs incurred "appeared high", and "sincerely regrets that they occurred".

But he pointed out that arrangements were made by civil servants, and as a minister he would not be informed of the details of such expenditure.

On the basis of this statement, one has to wonder who is actually in charge of our government departments. I am sure that any minister who would want to keep expenses low would easily be able to do so. And if a minister would ask his officials what things cost and how much is spent on his travels and engagements, no one would refuse to tell him.

But old-style Fianna Fáil spongers like John O'Donoghue would never care what Irish taxpayers have to pay for his grand ambitions and lavish lifestyle. As long as he has not to pay for it with his own money, only the best is good enough for him and other political parasites.

Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny said that O'Donoghue's response did not go far enough and that he needed to apologise to the people. Well, that would of course be better than his lame excuses. But what the Ceann Comhairle should really do is to pay back at least some of the money he squandered while living like a king.

Roisin Shortall, the spokesperson on Social & Family Affairs for the Labour Party, said the Ceann Comhairle's statement did not appear to appreciate the extent to which the public has been shocked by the level of expenses incurred.

And she is quite right. John O'Donoghue only appreciates a life in luxury, but not where the money for it comes from. If he had any decency left, he would resign - as Ceann Comhairle and as TD - and free the nation from his unpleasant presence in politics.
But this would be too much to expect from a man like O'Donoghue, whose greed and ignorance are only matched by his selfishness and arrogance.

The Emerald Islander

New communal Bicycle Scheme for Dublin

2009-09-13T21:32:00.006+01:00

A new communal Bicycle Scheme has been launched in Dublin today.
Its aim is to encourage more people - Dubliners as well as visitors - to cycle in Ireland's capital city instead of using their cars or public transport.

The initiative is organised by Dublin City Council in co-operation with a French advertising company which is funding the project in return for advertising space.
This copies similar schemes in Paris, Copenhagen and sixteen other cities. But it falls well short of long-established communal bicycle pools one can find in many Dutch cities.

In Dublin a total of 450 silver-coloured unisex bicycles - complete with a wire basket for small items in front of the handle bar - are now available for use by anyone.
They can be hired at 40 city locations, from the Mater Hospital in the North of the city to Grand Canal Street in the South.

A short journey of up to half an hour is free of charge, but for longer use of the bicycles there is a rental fee. The first six hours are covered by a flat fee of € 4.50, and after that € 2 are charged for every half hour.
The target audience for the scheme is therefore the short-distance or casual cyclist who might not have a bicycle but would like to use one now and then. The project could also be attractive for visitors who wish to discover the city on two wheels at an affordable price.

However, there is an obstacle in the system that might prevent quite a lot of people from using the new communal bicycles. To use one of the velocipedes one has to leave a € 150 deposit at the renting station, "in case the bike is not returned", as one of the organisers explains.

This is so typically Irish. We just don't trust anyone any more these days. It is the same attitude that makes us pay for every drink we order in a pub at the moment we receive it.
No one trusts anyone here these days, and - to be fair - there are indeed plenty of scoundrels in Ireland who like to take advantage of others. This begins with the government and ends among the lowest of lowlife in shabby pubs.

In contrast to Ireland, most countries in continental Europe have a culture of general trust and thus a lot less abuse. There drinks are marked on the beermat as long as one is in a tavern, and before one leaves, one pays for what one has consumed.
And in some continental countries, in particular in the Netherlands and parts of Belgium, free communal bicycle pools are a long-established service in many cities. Occasionally it does happen there too that a bicycle is not returned to the pool, but it is very rare. General honesty is much more common there than in Ireland, and as people enjoy the free service, they do not abuse it.

But in post-Tiger Ireland nothing happens without money. So anyone who wants to use one of the 450 new communal bicycles in Dublin has to make a € 150 deposit, either by credit card "or with a bank draft", as a city official suggests.
As credit cards are quite common these days, it should be easy to use them for this purpose. But what about those who do not have a 'flexible friend' made of plastic?
Most of Ireland's poor people, including many who live on social welfare, never had a credit card and would never get one from the banks. A lot of these people do not even have a bank account. So how could they avail of the new bicycle scheme?

No one seems to have thought that through. Without a credit card, people would need a € 150 bank draft! This is a large amount of money for poorer people (almost 75% of a weekly social welfare payment) and I cannot imagine that many would carry a bank draft over this amount around with them, just to be able to cycle around Dublin. It seems that once again a generally good idea is blighted right from the start by focusing too much on money and by not trusting the people.

As it is, the scheme is obviously aimed at environmentally conscious people from the middle classes, and it leaves those of lower social standing out in the cold.
There is also an unanswered question of data protection, since thousands of credit card details will be collected by a private advertising company. So even though I do have a credit card and care for the environment, I will not use the scheme as long as the deposit demand is in place. Too often we hear of data theft and large amounts of financial data that are abused for commercial purposes or simply go missing.
And there is no way that I will walk around with a € 150 bank draft in my pocket at all times...

The Emerald Islander

FÁS Board Members will resign

2009-09-13T14:16:00.010+01:00

The chairman of Ireland's national training and employment agency FÁS has said that all its board members will resign in the wake of a report which showed a massive waste of taxpayer money.

Speaking earlier today on the This Week programme on RTÉ Radio 1, Peter McLoone (left) - who is in his day job the Secretary General of IMPACT, Ireland's largest public service trade union - stated there was "no time frame" from either the Taoiseach or the Tánaiste for the appointment of a new board, but that this was something to be clarified early next week.

He emphasised that the present board was only appointed in 2006 and was therefore "not responsible for earlier follies and misbehaviour" inside the agency. However, the board would not stand in the way of change and co-operate completely with the transition.

McLoone defended the board's actions and said it had "dealt with any issues that came before us". He and the whole board would "take responsibility for anything that happened while we were in office".

The move follows strong criticism of wasteful expenditure, including massive overspending on promotion at the agency, specified in detail in a report by John Buckley, Ireland's Comptroller & Auditor General, who investigated FÁS for almost a year. (see my entry of September 10th)

The investigation was ordered last year by the Tánaiste Mary Coughlan (right), who is in her capacity as Ireland's Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment responsible for FÁS.

However, she only acted after the independent Senator Shane Ross (left) had - in a lengthy and painstaking investigation of his own - exposed massive irregularities and waste of taxpayers' money on a colossal scale inside the state agency.

Without courageous and independent people like Shane Ross the truth about FÁS might still be unknown to us and subject to the usual government cover-up and denial.

The Emerald Islander

Sharing a Bed is bad for your Health

2009-09-10T19:06:00.010+01:00

I have always known it, and said it to many people for decades: Sharing a bed is bad for your health.

Now, after all those years when people looked at me strangely, laughed at me or even thought I had problems with my sex life, renowned British scientists and medical experts have confirmed my long-held opinion in full.

Couples should consider sleeping apart for the good of their health and relationship, say the experts.

Somnologist (sleep specialist) Dr. Neil Stanley told the British Science Festival how sharing a bed can cause rows over snoring and duvet-hogging, and how it robs precious sleep.

One of several studies into sleep patterns found that - on average - couples suffered 50% more sleep disturbances if they shared a bed.

Dr. Stanley points out that we were never meant to share our beds, and that historically human beings hardly ever did it until very recent times.
The modern practice of the shared marital bed only began with the industrial revolution (in the late 18th and early 19th century), when many people were moved from the land to overcrowded towns and cities, where they found themselves short of living space.

Before the Victorian era it was not common for married couples to sleep together. And in ancient Rome, for example, the marital bed was a place for sexual congress only, but never for sleeping.

Dr. Stanley, who set up one of Britain's leading sleep laboratories at the University of Surrey, says the people of today should consider returning to the old tradition of sleeping separately.

"It's about what makes you happy. If you've been sleeping together and you both sleep perfectly well, then don't change," he explains. "But don't be afraid to do something different. We all know what it's like to have a cuddle and then say 'I'm going to sleep now' and go to the opposite side of the bed. So why not just toddle off down the landing?"

Poor sleep is linked to depression, heart disease, strokes, lung disorders, traffic and industrial accidents, and divorce as well. Yet sleep is largely ignored as an important aspect of health.

"People actually feel that they sleep better when they are with a partner," says Dr. Robert Meadows, a sociologist at the University of Surrey. "But the evidence suggests otherwise."

Dr. Meadows carried out a study to compare how well couples slept when they shared a bed, versus sleeping separately.
He found that when couples share a bed and one of them moves in his or her sleep, there is a 50% chance that their slumbering partner will be disturbed as a result.

Despite this, couples are reluctant to sleep apart, with only 8% of those in their 40s and 50s sleeping in separate rooms.

Dr. Stanley, who is happily married for nine years, sleeps separately from his wife, who is happy with the arrangement as well.

Having served in the Navy for a long time and thus spent many years at sea, I have slept alone for most of my life. And as I am not married, this continues now in my civilian life. Even at times when I was in a relationship with a woman, I tried to sleep alone as often as possible. And most of the nights I shared a bed I was indeed disturbed by one thing or another, woke up several times and did get a lot less rest than I would have normally.

As a result of many years at sea, I never sleep very long. Between three and four hours of sleep is all I need within 24 hours, which means that I have more time for other things than most people (who on average sleep about eight hours each night).
One of the habits I developed over the years is to read and write during the hours of darkness, when it is quiet, no one disturbs me and no telephone calls interrupt my train of thought. So I hardly ever go to bed before 3 a.m., and by 7 a.m. at the latest I am up again.

In contrast to myself, my most recent partner needed a lot of sleep. By 10 p.m. - a time I am getting ready to write another couple of thousand words - she was totally worn out and tired and had to go to bed. Had I joined her there at 3 a.m., I would most likely have woken her up during her deep sleep. So separate beds are not only more healthy for most people, in our case they also helped to give both of us the sleep we need and protect domestic peace.

In fact, my long-standing criticism of modern sleeping habits goes even further than sleep itself. I think that our whole attitude to life, including the way we design and organise our houses, is in need of a drastic reform. Everywhere in the western world houses are rated by their number of bedrooms. Even the concept of a 'bedroom' is quite wrong in my opinion.

Why do we have one of the main rooms in the house (and several when it is a family home) designated for nothing but sleeping during the night? Unless one is an extreme long-sleeper, this means that a large space in the house is not used for anything for two thirds of every day. This is not only strange, but - more important - a terrible waste of good domestic space.

In my opinion we should re-design our houses, and instead of 'bedrooms' that stand empty all day and are thus pretty useless except for spending the night, we should have personal rooms that include a bed. Couples should have their separate personal living spheres, where they can do what they like best, follow their hobbies and keep things they are particularly fond of. These rooms should include a bed for sleeping alone.
Whenever romantic feelings occur, the partners can be intimate in whatever form and room they want. This would be a lot more interesting than limiting all sexual encounters to the marital bed in one designated and shared 'bedroom'.

As the sleep experts from the University of Surrey have established beyond any doubt, partners sleep better alone and will have more physical and mental energy after a good night's rest.
This should lead rather to more intimacy and happiness than to less. Not even to mention the many couples where one of the partners snores. This can not only ruin the other partner's sleep each night, it can - and does - also lead to disliking the snorer, to estrangement and eventually split-up and divorce.

So, as I have been saying for most of my life, sleeping apart makes happier and healthier people, and more couples stay together for life when they sleep separately at night.

Don't be shy, stubborn or inflexible! Discuss it with your partner and try it out. If you miss each other terribly, then - by all means - go back to a shared bed. But if you feel better and stronger in the morning, and are happier and more relaxed, then it would be the best to return to the long-established sleeping habits of our distant ancestors from before the industrial revolution.

The Emerald Islander

P.S. - When you sleep separately, you also do something good for our ailing economy. Buying two beds instead of one can stimulate business, and when you are happier and more relaxed, you are also more likely to do other things as well that will stimulate the economy. The only people who might see a decline of business would be psychiatrists, psychologists, marriage guidance counsellors and divorce lawyers. And this would not be a bad development at all.

Massive Waste of Taxpayers' Money in FÁS

2009-09-10T14:58:00.004+01:00

Ireland's national training and employment agency FÁS (Foras Áiseanna Saothair) has wasted vast amounts of taxpayers' money and exceeded its budgets regularly.

A new report by Ireland's Comptroller & Auditor General John Buckley, which is the result of a nearly year-long investigation, highlights "a substantial and prolonged breakdown in budgetary control" at the state agency.

One of the agency's most significant follies is a case especially highlighted in the report: FÁS did spend more than € 600,000 on a television advertisement that was never broadcast.

Mr. Buckley also found that general spending in FÁS exceeded budgets by up to 66%.

Nearly a year ago, when the scandalous money-wasting of FÁS became public knowledge, he was given the task to investigate the agency. (see my entries of September 22nd & 23rd, 2008)

Between 2002 and 2008, FÁS spent over € 48 million alone on advertising and promotional activities. This is the largest advertising spend in the non-commercial state sector, and for most of the period audited Ireland had almost full employment. Which means the agency had hardly anything to do and only very few 'customers'.

The Comptroller & Auditor General also found that budgetary control in FÁS was "poor" and expenditure in this area exceeded budgets by 38%.

As well as the € 600,000 spent on the un-used television advertisement, the agency spent a further € 600,000 with no services at all delivered.

Criticising the wasteful expenditure of FÁS, John Buckley said that "public procurement requirements were not met".

Overall, the report finds that advertising and promotional activities lacked strategic direction and that much of the advertising was ineffective in increasing awareness of FÁS services.

On the basis of what is known by now, there are good reasons to abolish FÁS as an independent agency and to divide its obligations between two government departments: Education (for the training elements) and Enterprise, Trade & Employment (for the work-related and employment duties).

It would also be sensible to prosecute FÁS employees who were responsible for the enormous spending spree and the massive waste of taxpayers' money and try to re-coup as much of it as possible from guilty individuals.
But as things are in Ireland, this is rather unlikely. Those close to the government here get away with everything and are never punished. The ordinary Irish people are instead burdened with the costs of government follies and the many failures and mistakes of its countless agencies.
If one would not know better, one might think Ireland is still a feudal state in the Middle Ages.

The Emerald Islander

For further details about the scandals and wastefulness of FÁS see also my entries of November 22nd, 25th, 26th & 27th, 2008.

Ryanair increases Baggage Fees again

2009-09-10T10:55:00.002+01:00

The Irish 'low fares' airline Ryanair has announced a further increase in its fees for checked-in baggage from next month. According to the airline, it is "part of a change in company policy".

In order to keep people confused at all times, the amount of bags Ryanair passengers can check in will increase, but at a higher cost.

From October 1st passengers will be able to check in two bags, each with a separate 15 kg allowance. This a double the current Ryanair luggage allowance of 15 kg.

But the on-line fee for the first checked-in bag will rise from currently € 10 to € 15, while the fee for the second bag goes up from € 20 to € 35.

If the bags are checked in at the airport, the fee for the first bag climbs from € 20 to € 30, while the charge for the second bag goes up from € 20 to a staggering € 70!!!

The airline says that the higher charges will "recover" the cost of what has apparently been "a 20% fall in average fares" this year. And it adds that the increases are "aimed at encouraging passengers to travel with carry-on luggage only".

I am not so sure about this. To my knowledge, Ryanair fares have not fallen in recent times. In fact, with all the add-on charges for luggage, credit card use (which is obligatory for booking with Ryanair) and other so-called 'extras' that were free until recently and still are with many other airlines, travelling with Ryanair has in fact become ever more expensive.
Adding to this the fact that many Ryanair flights do not go to major European cities - despite the airline's claim that they do - but to obscure small airports* many miles away from these cities, the idea of 'cheap flights to the heart of Europe' becomes even less attractive.

Since Ryanair's boss Micheal O'Leary (right) never does anything without a reason - and without gaining a profit from it - I do wonder if the real reason for the sudden and steep increase in baggage charges might be that Mr. O'Leary is a strong supporter of the Lisbon Treaty. Has become a major donor to the YES campaign in the run-up to the second referendum on October 2nd, and I am sure he is keen to recover this money in some way.

Personally I do no longer fly at all (as regular readers of this weblog will know from previous entries) and I have never used Ryanair. But if I would still fly, Michael O'Leary's aggressive support of the YES campaign for the Lisbon Treaty would be a good reason never to use his airline again.
I hope that readers who still fly with commercial airlines will take notice of this and follow my line of thought.

The Emerald Islander

* Many Ryanair flights pretend to go to major cities, but their aeroplanes actually land on small airports nearby, or in some case quite a distance from the 'official' destination. Passengers are then transported to the actual destination by train or - more often - by bus. When Michael O'Leary developed the Ryanair network, he took advantage of the large number of small local and regional airports in Europe. Some of them had existed for a long time and serviced mainly small private aeroplanes and flying schools, without any airline ever going there. Others had been military airbases during the 40 years of the 'Cold War'. When, after 1990, the strength of NATO military power was reduced all over the European continent, a growing number of these airfields became available for civilian use. A typical example is the former US Airforce base at Hahn, in the German state of Rheinland-Pfalz (Rhineland-Palatinate), which was the home of American fighter bombers for decades. Now it is a civilian regional airport and serves - among others - Ryanair as one of their main destinations in Europe. But only Ryanair sells their flights to Hahn as flights to "Frankfurt-Hahn", even though no such place actually exists. Frankfurt, the metropolis of the neighbouring state of Hessen (Hesse) and the financial capital of Germany, is in fact more than 100 km away.

MONOPOLY Game goes global on-line

2009-09-09T21:13:00.000+01:00

A massive multi-player on-line version of the popular property board game MONOPOLY has been launched today.

Monopoly City Streets has been developed by Hasbro, the US toy and games manufacturer who produces the conventional board version of MONOPOLY (as well as other games) here in Waterford, Ireland's oldest city.

The free on-line game uses Google Maps or the open source Open Street Map as its playing board.

Hasbro says that it will be "the biggest game of Monopoly of all times" and will allow players to purchase "almost any street in the world".

The goal of the game, like in the conventional board version, is to earn money on property and become the richest person playing.

New players will receive three million Monopoly-Dollars when they start, and then they are free to build their virtual empire. In theory, every street in the world is available for purchase.

Once a player has taken control of a street, he is - like in the board game version - able to charge rent and build new virtual properties. Streets can also be sold or traded with other players.

In a change to the original board game, Hasbro has introduced new chance cards for the on-line version.
They will allow players to "sabotage" neighbouring rivals by building rubbish dumps, prisons or wind farms on their property, in order to reduce the rent value of their neighbours.
Players can only remove a hazard by bulldozing it off their property, again through the use of chance cards.

The on-line game, which was started today, will run for a little under five months and close on January 31st, 2010.

In case you are interested to become a player, I hope you have some patience.
As it could be expected, the first few hours after the launch have been frantic and - as also could be expected - the system's servers went down very soon, being overwhelmed by the interest of people from all around the world who want to sign up and play.

Most people who went to the official website of the game - www.monopolycitystreets.com - today received the following message:

We anticipated an opening rush when we launched the Monopoly City Streets online game, but the first few hours have surpassed even our greatest expectations.
The registration is slow due to the overwhelming response. Our servers are on fire! Thanks for everyone’s interest and patience - please keep trying.
We are in the process of increasing our firepower and expect to be running more smoothly within the next several hours.
Thanks for your patience as we work as fast as we can to resolve this and get everyone playing and trading on Monopoly City Streets.

Personally I would have neither the time for such a massive game, nor am I a particular fan of MONOPOLY. But if you are and want to join in, I wish you the best of luck!

The Emerald Islander

9-9-9 - And the World did not end...

2009-09-09T20:40:00.001+01:00

Today's date - the ninth day of the ninth month in the ninth year of the century - has inspired and frightened various people in equal measures.

In Chinese numerology the number 9 represents 'long life', so its triple appearance on the calendar has led a large amount of couples in China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao and Singapore to get married on this lucky day.

In Britain and the USA, where 999 is the emergency telephone number, there have also been many weddings - involving at least one partner who works for one of the emergency services - today. A particular increase in people who wanted to tie the knot for life has been reported from the Scottish border town of Gretna Green, where traditionally marriages can be conducted by a blacksmith.
Even though there are no longer special laws in Scotland that made Gretna Green the place where run-away couples would go to get married in the past, especially when the bride was too young to get married in England or when there was a feud between the lovers' families, the place still attracts many couples who wish to have their wedding in the old smithy.

On the other hand, many suspicious and pessimistic people were in fear of today, as for them 999 is "the number of the beast" and represents 'the devil' and the end of the world. Even in our modern times there are still millions of highly superstitious individuals on this planet, and certain religious groups and sects fuel such superstition further with their own scaremongering.

This brain-washing and incitement of fear is dangerous and destructive. It leads to depression, suicides and even to acts of crime and violence. But fortunately there have - so far - been no news reports of irrational mass-hysteria on this day from anywhere. And although the date is still 09-09-09 in much of the Western hemisphere of the globe, I do hope it will stay this way.

As the day draws to a close in my part of the planet, I am glad to say that we had a very nice and sunny day here today, with nothing special happening, despite the special date.
And - of course - the world did not end today either. This is only going to happen when our star - the Sun - will reach the end of its life in about four million years from now. Until then we should try to make the best of our lives, day by day, regardless of superstitions and numerology.

The Emerald Islander

Micheál Martin's Woolly Waffling

2009-09-09T13:57:00.010+01:00

Until this morning I thought that Micheál Martin (photo) is Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs.
But since his appearance on the Today programme with Pat Kenny on RTÉ Radio 1 earlier today, I have my doubts.

The 'performance' Martin gave this morning in relation to the Lisbon Treaty makes him more qualified as the Minister for Woolly Waffling, and that is exactly what he does now for quite some time. He tries to pull the wool over the eyes of the Irish people, while he waffles on about "being at the heart of Europe" and how important it is to please everyone else in the EU.

When he took his oath of office as a Minister, he swore to act at all times in the interest of Ireland and the Irish nation.
This he most certainly does not when he performs cheap advertisement stunts for the Lisbon Treaty.
Instead of doing his best to protect the nation in whose government and parliament he serves, Martin signs away ever more of our rights, ignores the democratic will of the Irish people - as expressed very clearly in last year's referendum - and turns himself and the Irish government into weak push-overs for unelected but ambitious EU bureaucrats.

This is more than disappointing. In fact, it comes dangerously close to treason.

And this is the man whom quite a lot of Irish people would still regard as a possible Taoiseach in waiting.
Well, if he does not change his tone and attitudes very soon and very drastically, I cannot see him progressing any further. He will most likely end up on the large dust heap of Irish history, together with the majority of arrogant, useless, clueless and incompetent Fianna Fáil politicians.

The Emerald Islander

Over 50% of On-Line Sellers break EU Laws

2009-09-09T09:25:00.006+01:00

More than 50% of websites selling electronic products across Europe are breaking EU consumer laws.
This is the finding of a recent investigation, co-ordinated by the European Commission.

A majority of websites selling mostly electronic products - such as digital cameras, mobile phones or MP-3 players - fail to comply with rules on explaining the price in clear terms, their company address and details regarding the right to return products.

Increasingly, consumers are turning to the internet to buy everyday electronic gadgets like phones, cameras, iPods or games consoles.
However, consumers have also become more disenchanted about the purchase of electronic equipment on-line, with one third of all customer complaints now relating to digital products.

A survey, conducted by enforcement agencies in 27 European countries, found that 55% of the tested websites show irregularities.
On most of these websites consumers were not informed about their right to return goods within seven days without giving a reason.
Consumers were also misled about whether they could receive cash rather than credit, or about their entitlement to have faulty products replaced.

On-line retail sales of digital goods only are currently worth nearly € 7 billion in Europe each year.

But on nearly half of the problem sites on-line retailers appeared to obscure address and contact details.

The investigation included 15 Irish websites selling electronic equipment. Among them, six "potential problem sites" have now been identified, although so far the National Consumers' Association has refused to name and shame offenders.

Less Ferry Traffic between Britain and Ireland, but more Irish People take the Boat to France

2009-09-09T08:40:00.011+01:00

Ferry traffic between Britain and Ireland has dropped, but more Irish people are now travelling by ferry to France.

The total number of passengers travelling by ferry from Ireland to Britain was down by 130,000 in the first half of this year, compared to last year.

"Subdued consumer demand" is the main reason given by the Irish Maritime Development Office (IMDO) in its half-yearly passenger traffic report

Dublin Port showed a growth of 14%, which is attributed to the moving of ferry traffic from Dun Laoghaire to Dublin.

However, overall the ferry business to Britain is down, and the Sterling-Euro exchange rate is another reason blamed in the IMDO report.

In contrast, ferry passenger traffic to France, where Irish people find a better Euro value than at home, is up by 4%. This increase is mostly due to the excellent service of Irish Ferries, the operator of the ferries to and from France.
Their main vessel at present is the Oscar Wilde (above), which sails from Rosslare, Co. Wexford to Cherbourg every second day, with the return journey the next day.

Adding an observation of my own to the IMDO report, there is also a growing number of people who are utterly fed-up with the ever increasing extra charges, invented by so-called 'low fares' airlines to boost their profits. This, combined with ever more hassle at airports, turns sensible people travelling to Europe away from airlines and makes them use the ferry service to France, which is very competitive now.

The Emerald Islander

Many Critical Reactions to the Commission on Taxation's Recommendations

2009-09-08T01:50:00.017+01:00

Irish opposition politicians have said they expect the government to use the report of the Commission on Taxation (see yesterday's entry below) "to tackle the shortfall in the public finances".

Fine Gael's deputy leader and Finance spokesman Richard Bruton (left) said that Fianna Fáil was "trying to tax its way back to recovery, and that no country has ever managed to do this".

"The last thing families and taxpayers need at this time of deepening economic crisis is dreaming up even more ways to tax them to pay for Ireland's unreformed, often dysfunctional and high-cost public service," Deputy Bruton said.
"No country has ever taxed its way back to recovery, but that is exactly what Fianna Fáil is trying to do."
"Ireland's tax system may need to be redesigned to support employment and investment, but the government's focus should not be on increasing overall tax levels," he added.

Fine Gael's newest TD (and former RTÉ economics editor) George Lee (right) stated that people would have to wait and see whether the report was a fair one. This would depend on what choices the government made from the menu provided by the commission, he said.

Joan Burton (left), deputy leader and spokesperson for Finance of the Labour Party, said she was "amazed that the commission has not tackled the issue of property based tax relief" and claimed that "the dominance of tax lobbyists in the commission's make up contributed to them side-lining this important issue".

Deputy Burton stated that the report would require "careful study" and called for it to be used "to address glaring anomalies in the tax system".
She added that despite the commission's description of the report as "revenue-neutral", it would be difficult not to see some of the new taxes being proposed being used to plug the gap in the public finances.

Sinn Féin's Finance spokesperson Arthur Morgan (right) said he expected the report to be used to increase taxation of ordinary people.
"This report unfairly targets households, as does the McCarthy Report, to pay for the government's mismanagement of the Irish economy," he said.
"It is not a restructuring of the tax system based on fairness - it is an attempt to squeeze even further ordinary people struggling to make ends meet."

Meanwhile the Irish Farmers' Association (IFA) criticised the report's proposals on carbon tax and changes to the capital allowance system.

IFA President Padraig Walshe (left) said he was "very concerned" that a carbon tax will add another cost to the productive, export-driven sectors of the economy and will also discriminate against farmers and rural dwellers who do not have the option of public transport.

He thinks the recommendation to change the capital allowance system will undermine any future investment in farm buildings in Ireland.

Con Lucey, the IFA Chief Economist, was a member of the Commission on Taxation.

Another farm group, the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA), which has demonstrated against low milk prices outside Government Buildings in Dublin only last Friday (see my entry of September 4th), said that the proposal for a new carbon tax would "fall disproportionately on the agri-food sector and considerably worsen Ireland's competitive position".

The Arts Council has said it will make a "strong case" to the government for the retention of the artists' tax exemption scheme.
Its President Pat Moylan said that if the exemption is abolished, Ireland could lose entirely a considerable number of artists, and that this would not be for the public good.
She added that a study had shown that the Exchequer would lose tax revenue if the exemption is scrapped.

The Emerald Islander

Commission on Taxation presents its Proposals

2009-09-07T20:47:00.005+01:00

Ireland's Commission on Taxation has proposed an annual tax on all residential property, water charges and the taxing of child benefit.

The report, which has been published in Dublin today, is part of the Irish government's strategy to shore-up the public finances, with the budget deficit likely to exceed € 20 billion this year.

With Ireland facing its worst financial crisis ever, the government is under huge pressure to restore the public finances.
Step one was the McCarthy Report, which recommended extensive spending cuts across the public sector, and step two is the list of recommendations from the Commission on Taxation.

The commission states that its priority is "to broaden the tax base, rather than merely increasing tax rates".

Commission chairman Frank Daly says the recommendations would "not damage economic growth". All recommendations were "designed to spread the burden of taxation more evenly and to give the government more certainty about its tax revenue".

The report urges the government to focus on raising revenue through property taxes, spending taxes and income taxes - in that order.
The commission also identified 245 tax relieving measures in the Irish tax system.

The main proposals are:

An annual property tax on all residential property, excluding social and local authority housing.
Child benefit should be a taxable income, with a tax credit to offset the increase in tax for low income earners.
A new three-rate income tax system should be introduced to replace the current high and low income tax rates.
The health levy should be abolished and integrated into the income tax system when fiscal conditions improve.
Rules on residency and tax exemption should be strengthened.
Stamp duty on ATM, credit and debit cards should be phased out in the interest of promoting a cash-free society.
Removal of tax relief for nursing home expenses once the 'Fair Deal' scheme ends.
The current 'Cinderella clause' needs to be supplemented with additional tests and criteria.
Additional capital gains tax should apply on windfall gains from property rezoning.
Domestic water charges should be phased in, with incentives to install meters and with a waiver for low income households.
Carbon tax based in tonnes of carbon should be introduced and collected at the earliest point of supply.
VRT should be replaced over ten years by a system based on car usage.
Tax relief for pension payments should be replaced with a scheme 'along the lines of the former SSIA scheme'.
The first € 200,000 of pension lump sums should be tax-free, with the remainder taxed at standard rate.
Ireland's low corporate tax rate should remain in place to support economic activity long term.
The artists' tax exemption should end.
Expenses of Oireachtas members should be treated in the same way as expenses paid to all other employees, with a limit placed on the dual abode allowance and an end to the flat rate of relief for accommodation.
End stock relief for farming business, but continue relief on farm land leasing.
Income tax relief for trade union subscriptions should be ended.

As these are so far only recommendations, it will be interesting to see which of the proposals the government will adopt, and in which way they will be implemented.

HSE is facing € 800 Million Budget Cuts

2009-09-06T14:04:00.004+01:00

Today the Chief Executive of the Health Service Executive (HSE) has confirmed that the Department of Health has instructed him "to draw up plans to cut next year's budget by at least an additional € 800 million".

Speaking on the Sunday programme This Week on RTÉ Radio 1, Prof. Brendan Drumm (photo) said the HSE would have "to cut at least 6000 jobs in the coming years if substantial savings could not be achieved".

Prof. Drumm also announced that he will not seek a renewal of his contract when his five-year term as head of the HSE comes to an end in 2010.
"Five years are a sensible period of time," he said, "but ten years in the same position might be too long for one man and lead to unexpected problems."

Urgent Review of Dublin 'Bus Gate' demanded

2009-09-06T10:52:00.003+01:00

Dublin city centre businesses have called for an urgent review of the car-free zone at College Green, claiming it has "caused a serious decline in trade".

A hastily arranged meeting of business people in the city heard that Thursday night trade in particular has been badly affected by the 'bus gate'. (Thursday is still the day when most Irish people receive their weekly wages, and various social welfare payments are made on Thursdays as well.)

The operator of the Brown Thomas car park said that "trade is down 75% in the evenings".

The Dublin 'bus gate' came into operation at the end of July, banning private cars from passing Trinity College during morning and evening rush hours.

Dublin City Council has promised a review of the situation next January.

However, Fine Gael Councillor Gerry Breen said that "many shop workers could be on the dole by then".

A spokesman for Dublin City Council declared it will "look at ways of encouraging shoppers who travel in cars into the city".
He said that it seemed the 'bus gate' had been "a success for bus passengers and pedestrians".

But, as in so many other Irish cities and towns, a reduction of traffic in city centres also means a reduction of business there.

The Emerald Islander

Outcome of second Lisbon Referendum is still open, while Millions are spent on the Campaign

2009-09-05T22:36:00.012+01:00

Ireland's Minister for Foreign Affairs Micheál Martin has acknowledged that there is still "a significant challenge for the YES side in the remaining weeks of the Lisbon Treaty referendum campaign".
He reacted to a new opinion poll that shows a drop in support for the treaty.

The TNS-MRBI poll, published in yesterday's edition of The Irish Times, lists the ratio of YES voters at 46% - an eight point fall since the last survey in May.

29% of those asked say that they will vote NO (up one point since May), and there is a big increase in the 'don't knows', whose number went up to 25%.

Micheál Martin (right) said that "a vigorous campaign is needed to get the YES message across".
He has also accused the NO campaign of "a basic mistrust of Europe based on conspiracy theories".

Well, this "vigorous campaign" is already in full flow, and one can expect that it will become even stronger, the closer we come to the referendum day, October 2nd.

On Thursday I was in Dublin, and what I saw there truly astonished me. There is not a single lamp post in the city that is not displaying a Lisbon Treaty campaign poster. More than 80% of them are pro-treaty, and the rest - mostly from the Catholic campaign group COIR - ask for a NO vote. It is an amazing sight to behold and I have never seen anything like it. Not in any Irish election campaign, and not in the run-up to a referendum either.

Among the pro-treaty posters those from the political parties - predominantly Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael - are outnumbered by large-size ads from two groups one has never heard of before. They were only formed very recently, and for the sole purpose of promoting the YES vote on October 2nd. Nobody seems to know who is really behind them and, even more important, where their money comes from.

The massive poster campaign in Dublin alone costs several millions of Euros (and since I have managed general election campaigns, I do know what posters cost). Who is paying for all these posters?

There is a deeply sinister element in the campaign that makes one quite uneasy. When Micheál Martin speaks of "a basic mistrust of Europe based on conspiracy theories" in the NO camp, he is not too far off the truth. Only that there is neither 'mistrust of Europe' nor pre-occupation with 'conspiracy theories'. But people with open eyes and a working brain do notice the very strange structure the YES campaign has developed.

Why is the government relying on non-descript groups of shady people to achieve a YES vote? Why is there hardly any government minister giving major speeches in favour of the treaty? And why is it that no one in Fianna Fáil or the Green Party is seeking an open exchange of arguments over the details of the treaty, as we had it last year in the National Forum on Europe (NFOE)?

Well, the NFOE, which was the best debating forum Ireland has ever seen, was abolished by the government, with the excuse of "cost-cutting during the recession". The real reason is that the NFOE was too fair and too sophisticated for a government of ignorant bullies. It produced deep, open and high-spirited discussions about the real matters, and as a result a majority of 53.4% of the Irish electorate rejected the Lisbon Treaty on June 12th, 2008.

Soon after Micheál Martin commissioned a 'research group' to find out the reasons for the rejection. I am sure that he was told what motivated the Irish people, but he did not publish it. Instead he came up with a smokescreen of lies and half-truths (see my entries of September 8th & November 17th, 2008) that deliberately omitted the main reasons for last year's NO vote: The unwillingness of the Irish people to become voiceless and powerless inside the EU Council, and the extreme unpopularity of the current government, which had not even bothered to read the treaty, but expected the nation to accept it nevertheless.

Now the YES campaign uses no longer political arguments, but relies mainly on scaremongering, baseless attacks on the NO campaign and an avalanche of posters and leaflets, the majority of which are apolitical, vague and entirely manipulative. Not even to mention that they are also conveying lies.
Instead of seasoned politicians, some businessmen, footballers, actors and so-called 'celebrities' are wheeled out to persuade the Irish nation that the Lisbon Treaty is a good thing. What do they know about it? Does anyone think that people like Michael O'Leary, Roy Keane or some shallow game-show hosts have actually read - and understood - the treaty, when neither the Taoiseach nor our EU Commissioner Charlie McCreevy could do it?

The YES campaign has obviously enormous amounts of money at their disposal, and they are using it. What they do not have are valid arguments and trustworthy people to put them forward.

Anyone who has voted NO last year should do so again, because - with one exception - nothing has changed since the last referendum.
This one exception is the retention of our EU Commissioner, which is a direct result of the fact that Ireland rejected the treaty. (Had we voted it through, we would have already lost our right to have a permanent EU Commissioner at all times.) It is rather strange that the government and others in the YES campaign use the retention of the EU Commissioner now as an argument to vote YES this time.

And anyone who voted YES last year should examine very carefully what has happened to Ireland since and how our government has squandered every bit of political and economic credit we had left.
The latest opinion poll, which shows the support for Fianna Fáil at 17% and that for Brian Cowen even lower - at 15% - should give you more than enough direction for October 2nd. Should the devious campaign of deception, which suggests that our EU membership is at risk if we vote NO again, succeed, everyone alive in Ireland today will live to regret it deeply. And our children and even grandchildren will hate us for it, while they still have to pay for the follies of our generation and our current government.

The so-called 'safe-guards' the government has apparently 'secured' in Brussels are worth nothing, not even the paper they are printed on. Not one of them is really relevant for Ireland, and not one of them has been added to the Lisbon Treaty. We were promised that they might become "part of the next EU treaty", perhaps the accession treaty for Croatia. If it were not so serious, one could mistake this for a joke.

It is not even certain yet that Croatia will be admitted into the EU, and no date for it has been set either. All Brian Cowen has 'achieved' in Brussels is a very vague promise of 'perhaps some jam in the future'. But there is no 'jam' today or tomorrow. If the Taoiseach had listened to the people and represented their democratic will strongly in the meetings of the EU Council, he could have achieved a lot more for Ireland and would deserve recognition and praise for it.

But neither he, nor Micheál Martin, have stood up for Ireland in Brussels. They weaselled and crawled in front of the other leaders, especially those from the large member states, and proved as spineless there as they are towards our banks here at home. They have shown more than enough incompetence in every possible way, together with a strong disregard for the people of Ireland and their political will, which was clearly expressed in last year's referendum (and even further in the recent elections of this summer).
Such behaviour can lead any person with common sense only to one decision: To vote NO on October 2nd and reject the Lisbon Treaty a second time - and for good.

Meanwhile Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (left), Sinn Féin's leader in the Dáil, responded to Micheál Martin's statement by saying that the government and others had "come back and tried to fool the Irish people that they have a new treaty or a better deal - but they have no such thing".
"We have an agreement which indicates that each of the EU member states will retain a commissioner, but the agreement does not in fact guarantee that the arrangement will continue into perpetuity," he added.
"It is very, very important that people get down to reading the fine print and understand exactly what is involved in the declarations, the protocol and the agreement in relation to the commissioner."

"Make no mistake about it, you have endeavoured to pull the wool over the people's eyes by pretending this is a new treaty, or a better treaty. But it is neither", he told the Minister for Foreign Affairs. "It is the same treaty, and on October the 2nd the Irish people should resolve to vote NO again."

In a separate statement, the Green Party's leader and Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government John Gormley (right) has acknowledged that "the Lisbon Referendum could be lost unless the YES side runs a positive and energetic campaign".

Gormley said that the Greens were "not in any way complacent", and he had always been of the view that the outcome would be "very close". The YES side had been "put on the back foot in the last campaign", answering the criticisms of the NO campaign. This time, he said, the YES side "must run a positive and energetic campaign". They would run a risk of losing the referendum if that is not done.

I wonder if John Gormley's statement is an ever so slightly camouflaged test balloon for a possible exit of the Green Party from the government coalition, should the treaty be rejected again.

In my opinion Brian Cowen could and would not survive a second defeat as Taoiseach. His own party would look for a new leader, and - with some luck - it might even trigger an early general election. Even though this has nothing to do with the substantial and good reasons to vote NO on October 2nd, it would be an added bonus. As I have stated here already several times, as long as the current government stays in office, there is absolutely no hope for Ireland to find a way out of the current crisis and recession.

The Emerald Islander

Irish Dairy Farmers staged a "Milking Protest" at Government Buildings in Dublin

2009-09-04T21:08:00.004+01:00

About 100 members of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association (ICMSA) have protested outside Government Buildings in Dublin this afternoon over the price they are being paid for their milk.

The dairy farmers used mobile equipment to milk five cows in front of the Taoiseach's office to highlight their difficulties.

ICMSA leader Jackie Cahill said "it is not possible to exaggerate the crisis in the Irish dairy industry" and that there seems to be "a denial of the facts at government level".

Brendan Smith, TD stated that he is "aware of the difficulties". And one would indeed hope so, as he is after all the current Minister for Agriculture.

He said that for many months he has been "demanding special measures at European level, including intervention storage and export refunds", and that he "will be seeking further help next week in Brussels".

But as nice as this might sound, it is just lip-service and no help for the Irish dairy farmers.

What the Irish farmers need is a fair price for their products. And this is not decided by EU officials in Brussels, but by the buyers of the supermarket chains in Ireland. They are the ones who have squeezed the farmers over years and pushed down the prices they pay them for milk At the same time there is no reduction of the prices that Irish consumers have to pay for milk in supermarkets and other shops. The difference is pocketed by the retailers, and if the farmers are seeking a solution for their problem, then they should address it to the right people.

The Emerald Islander

TEVA is cutting 315 jobs in Waterford

2009-09-04T20:32:00.002+01:00

Workers at one of the biggest pharmaceutical factories in Waterford have been told today that 315 of the currently 730 jobs at the plant will be cut within the next 12 months.

TEVA (photo), which is now owned by an Israeli financial consortium and was formally known under the name IVAX, is located at the IDA Industrial Estate on the outskirts of Waterford and manufactures inhalers and tablets.

In a surprise meeting, which had been announced only yesterday evening, the workers and their trade union representatives were informed this morning by the company's management that the tablet production at the factory will cease within 12 months. A part of the manufacturing process will be transferred from Waterford to a factory in Hungary, where wages are about a quarter of current Irish payment levels.

The announced redundancies will be a mixture of voluntary and compulsory, but details of packages have not yet been released.

More Jobs in Danger

Speaking about the job losses, Matt Moran of PharmaChemical Ireland, an umbrella body for the pharmaceutical industry in this country, stated that between 500 and 1000 similar jobs could be "vulnerable".

He said that the cost base for manufacturers in Ireland has risen, and that producing generic pharmaceuticals which are off patent is very susceptible to competitive pressure.

The manufacturing of generic pharmaceuticals represents between 5% and 10 % of the sector's production in Ireland.

Elsewhere, the multinational eye-care company Bausch & Lomb has announced that 500 jobs are to go at its facility in Livingston in Scotland, a move which may help safeguard the remaining 1100 Bausch & Lomb jobs in Waterford.

The company said that as part of a restructuring process, approximately 30 new positions will be created in Rochester in the USA during 2010, but there will be no employment increase in Waterford.

Ireland relies too much on foreign Companies

Once again, many Irish jobs that people might have considered as safe not so long ago are to be lost or potentially in danger. And once again they all are in foreign-owned companies.

Readers of this weblog will be well aware that I am no simple-minded nationalist who praises everything Irish and is suspicious of foreigners. In fact, I am quite an internationalist myself. But I am nevertheless of the opinion that we do have too many Irish jobs that depend on foreign money and investment.
For decades the IDA has always been looking for the big money from abroad, predominantly from the USA. Many US multi-national companies have come to Ireland and employed many Irish people. But a lot of them closed again and left Ireland after a few years, usually when their preferential tax regime ran out. Others have just disappeared without trace, and some others (like DELL in Limerick, and now TEVA in Waterford) are moving a large part of their production to low-wage countries.

Had the IDA spent the vast sums of money it threw - and still throws - at US and other foreign companies on the development of an indigenous Irish industry, we all would be a lot better off.
It is well-known that - especially during a recession - the vast majority of companies will rather cut their workforce abroad, while protecting jobs in their country of origin.

We need a new approach and a complete overhaul of the Irish economy, with much more industries owned and controlled by Irish businessmen and investors. Only then will we be able to create a new stability.
As things are at present in Ireland - and have been for many decades - our economy is neither developed nor independent. The large percentage of foreign-owned companies creates actually a situation of limited economic sovereignty, which has a direct negative influence also on our national (political) sovereignty.

And this time we cannot blame the Irish situation on foreign invaders like the Normans or the English. The mess we are in is of our own making, created over decades by a succession of Irish governments and state agencies like the IDA, who care more for foreign investments than for our own nation's status, competitiveness and stability.

Only a complete change of attitude, combined with serious investment of Irish money in Irish industries, can change our economy for the better.

The Emerald Islander

New Survey shows that Irish People have the third-lowest Confidence in the Economy

2009-09-02T17:49:00.005+01:00

A new survey has revealed that the Irish have the third-lowest confidence in the economy within the 27 member states of the European Union.

The latest Eurobarometer survey, which was published today, shows that just 6% of our people think the economic situation in Ireland is 'good'.

Only the Hungarians (at 5%) and the Latvians (with 2%) are more pessimistic than the Irish. The EU average is currently 20%.

The Irish's view of our domestic economy has declined by 83% since the Spring of 2007.

On a positive note, the survey also shows that 69% of Irish people think that membership of the EU has been good for us. This is the fourth-highest rate in the EU.

And despite growing rumbles over the Lisbon Treaty, 57% of the Irish people have still an overall positive image of the EU.

A Day of great historic Importance

2009-09-01T10:10:00.017+01:00

Of all days in the year, September 1st is one of the most significant, if not the most important in history.
I am of course referring to the outbreak of World War II, which happened on this day exactly 70 years ago.

It is amazing how fast time passes, and how much we know of events we have not even experienced ourselves. I am meanwhile over fifty, but I cannot remember even one year of my life when there were not new books about World War II published, and new films about it produced.
Many of them are quite informative, but there is also a lot of rubbish, especially the sick and brainless attempts to make the war look 'funny'. For some strange reason the British are most eager on that (e.g. Hallo, Hallo or Dad's Army), which seems to appeal especially to the lesser educated elements of their society (and even to some people here in Ireland).

The British were the cause for many laughs of a different kind on the battlefields, where their poorly trained soldiers and their inferior equipment were rarely a match for enemies, especially the Germans and Japanese. (Only when the British used ever more American equipment, their performance improved slightly.) But this was not only the case during World War II. In fact, there was in the last three centuries not one major war Britain fought or won on its own, and it always had the same problems: poorly trained soldiers, with bad weapons and equipment, and not enough of either.

On a day like this, one is likely to reflect: on history, the world and on oneself. Had I been born just one generation earlier, I would most likely have fought in World War II. My father, who was five weeks away from his 13th birthday when the war began, was drafted for military training at the age of 17 and served - as an 18-year-old - for the last year of the war with an anti-aircraft artillery regiment.

My paternal grandfather, who was born in 1889, had fought already in World War I as a cavalry officer, from the first to the last day, and ended that war as a Captain with the highest decoration for bravery and several other medals.
After 1918 he lived a quiet life as a civilian, running the family estate in Bohemia (which had been Austrian for centuries, but was by then part of the first Czechoslovak republic).
When Hitler annexed the Sudetenland in 1938, my grandfather and his family became over night German citizens. It was neither their choice, nor had anyone bothered asking them for their opinion. It just happened, and both Britain and France sanctioned it.
A few months later my grandfather - at the age of 49 - was "re-activated" for military service, because of his "excellent war record from 1914 to 1918".

70 years ago he was one of the oldest Majors - perhaps even the oldest - in the German Army and in charge of a light squadron of (still mounted) cavalry in East Prussia.

His regiment was among the first German troops ordered to cross the border and advance into Poland (photo above left), where they met - and defeated - a regiment of Polish cavalry. This was one of the last battles in history with mounted cavalry on both sides.*

Earlier that day - beginning at 4.45 am - the German Airforce had started bombing raids on Polish towns and military positions (photo right), and shortly after daybreak the old German pre-dreadnought battleship Schleswig-Holstein (photo below left), which had been launched in 1906 and was a veteran of World War I as well, fired the first shots of World War II at the Polish garrison on the Westerplatte, an area at the outskirts of Danzig (Gdansk), an old Hanseatic city on the Baltic Sea which had been German for centuries, but was then a 'free city' under the neutral administration of the League of Nations.

Hitler had only days before signed a secret pact with Stalin, which brought the two worst dictators of the 20th century into an unexpected alliance against Poland, on whose territory both Russia and Germany had historic demands.
Poland had earlier received diplomatic guarantees from both Britain and France, but neither country was in a position to give any real - and especially military - support in case of war. They knew that only too well, but Poland believed that it had allies.
In fact, it was an isolated country, surrounded by potential enemies. The Polish army was quite strong and highly motivated, but on the technical level of World War I and thus no match for the well-equipped modern forces Germany and the Soviet Union sent against it.

Knowing that Britain and France were in no position to assist Poland militarily, Hitler - well known to be a political gambler - took the risk and invaded Poland, against the advice of many of his political aides and senior generals. And being also a life-long Anglophile (a fact that is often ignored by historians and commentators), Hitler did not believe that Britain would declare war on Germany "over a small and unimportant Eastern province like Poland".

He was wrong, of course, as we now know. And hindsight is always easier than making decisions on the day and under pressure.

When the British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain (right), who had tried long and hard to come to terms with Hitler and accommodate his various demands (the return of the Rhineland and the Saar province to Germany and later the annexations of Austria and the Sudetenland), eventually declared war on the morning of September 3rd, he felt that he had no other choice left.
With hindsight, he was wrong as well. But this is of course only an academic point.

Neither the British Army, nor the Royal Air Force (RAF) were ready for a war. Their numbers were low, and most of their equipment was either old and obsolete, or of inferior quality when compared with the German forces. Only the Royal Navy was of a superior strength and able to go to war at a moment's notice. But even in Britain's 'senior service' there were shortfalls (in particular a lack of modern submarines) that became soon only too visible.

The French army was much stronger than the British, and better equipped. But France had the problem that its - mostly elderly - generals were still thinking in a 19th century way and their strategy was at best of World War I vintage.

None of the French strategists - with one single exception - could see the tank as a modern offensive weapon. They used it mostly as fire support for the infantry.
The one exception was a young and bright Colonel called Charles de Gaulle (left).
He had written a book about modern armoured warfare in the 1920s, but was widely ignored by his superiors. Ironically, this book was read by the German General Heinz Guderian (below right), who agreed with de Gaulle's ideas and made them the core of his own 'Blitzkrieg' (lightning warfare) strategy.

September 1st, 1939 was the first day this strategy was used for real (and not just for exercise), and it worked even better than all optimists in the German General Staff had expected.

By September 17th most of the Polish forces were beaten, destroyed or in retreat, and the Germans controlled much of Poland's territory. On that day, seeing that all went according to their secret plan, Stalin ordered his 'Red Army' to invade Poland from the East and to occupy the areas Hitler had conceded to him previously.

The rest, as the often used phrase tells us, is history. This weblog is not the place (and has not enough space) to list all events of the war, not even those of September 1939. And most of them are well-enough known anyway, perhaps with the exception that the war ended on this day as well, after exactly six years, with the official surrender of Japan on September 1st, 1945.

But I like to mention a number of other historic events that also took place on this day, making it even more significant than it would be if only World War II had begun on this date.

Way back in the year 69 (CE) Jerusalem was - after a long siege - finally captured and destroyed by Roman legions.
In 1482 a Tatar army from the Crimea captured and plundered Kiev.
On September 1st, 1661 the first recorded yacht race took place in English waters. The only two competitors were King Charles and his brother James.
Five years later, in 1666, the Great Fire of London began on this day in Pudding Lane. When then flames were put out eventually some days later, 80% of London was in ruins.
On September 1st, 1715 King Louis XIV of France died after a reign of 72 years - the longest time any European monarch was ever in power.
In 1752 the famous 'Liberty Bell' arrived in the city of Philadelphia.
In 1859 the first Pullman (railway) sleeping car was put into service.
In the USA a federal tax on tobacco was introduced for the first time on September 1st, 1862.
In 1870 - during the Franco-Prussian War - the famous Battle of Sedan took place. It ended with a spectacular defeat of the French main army, and Emperor Napoleon III was captured by Prussian troops. (From 1871 to 1918 the day was subsequently celebrated in Germany as 'Sedan Day', a public holiday in commemoration of the great victory. It is quite possible that Hitler was influenced by the 1870 victory at Sedan when he chose the day for the invasion of Poland in 1939.)
In 1918 US troops landed in the Russian city of Vladivostok, on the Pacific coast of Siberia. (They stayed there until 1920.)
The modern state of Lebanon was created by France on this day in 1920 as a mandate territory.
In 1923 a major earthquake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter Scale, devastated parts of Japan. In Tokyo and Yokohama alone 142,000 people were killed, and many more injured.
In 1961 the 'War of Independence' in Eritrea began on this day as well.
And in 1969 - 40 years ago - a bloodless coup d'etat, led by Colonel Muammar al-Gaddafi, overthrew and deposed the ageing King Idris of Libya. (The day is a national holiday in Libya ever since, and today a special celebration - including a major military parade - takes place in Tripoli to commemorate the revolution.)

This is only a selection, of course, and there are many more minor events that happened on this day. As they happen almost every day, all year round. But I think the information above will show you that September 1st is indeed special and perhaps the most significant single day in the modern calender of the Western world.

The Emerald Islander

* Later my grandfather was transferred to a regiment of mechanised cavalry, which was equipped with light tanks and armoured cars. With them he took part in the campaigns in France, North Africa (photo), Italy and eventually Russia.
He was wounded several times, but - amazingly - he survived and ended the war as a Colonel, commanding a regimental task force.
Neither he, nor anyone in our family, ever liked or supported Hitler, or joined his party. In fact, since 1942 my grandfather was part of the Anti-Nazi dissident group within the German officers' corps. Only the fact that he was in a frontline position in 1944 - when Hitler's assassination by staff officers failed - prevented him from being discovered and shot by the SS.

But my family has paid a heavy price for Hitler's ambitions and adventures. In 1946 we lost our estate in Bohemia (where the family had lived for 300 years) and everything in it, were expelled from there (then the second Czechoslovak republic) and became penniless refugees.
It was only shortly before I was born that the family had managed to gain a proper house and farm again. But the war with all its terror, and also the day when it began, are engraved forever in the memory of every family member.
And even though I am too young to have lived through World War II, it has shaped - in a distant and indirect way - my own life and will always be there in the background. Without it, I would perhaps not even exist in the way I do. And I would most certainly not live and work in Ireland.

Headaches

2009-08-31T23:37:00.003+01:00

Today has been a bad day for me, and I am amazed that I can write this at all. For most of the day I got hardly any work done, and days like this are very frustrating. Fortunately they are a rare occurrence in my life.

But they do happen. The main reason is an old injury I received a long time ago, when I was one of the survivors of a helicopter crash. Since not everyone on this unlucky chopper survived, I should be grateful, and in general I am. But sometimes I do wonder why I came out of it alive, while among those killed were two fathers of small children...

One of the injuries I had was a severe concussion, and ever since I have days ruled by massive headaches. Mostly they occur when the weather is bad, when there is a front of low pressure over Ireland. Then they appear without warning and can last for hours, in extreme cases even a whole day.

Over the years I tried various kinds of tablets and pain killers, but they are of very limited use and not able to eliminate those headaches completely.
So eventually I decided not to take anything any more, and just sit out the pain when it comes.

Last night I could barely sleep, and the headaches stayed with me all day, until late this evening. They disappeared only after darkness had fallen and the heavy rain, which was also with us all day yesterday, had stopped eventually.

I ate some fruit, made myself a pot of strong tea and smoked a pipe of Virginia tobacco. So now I am able again to sit at my desk and type words into the computer.

I don't want to bore you with my little problems, or with too many details. But I thought that I should mention my headaches at least once on this weblog, in case other people suffer from them as well. If you do, then you know now that you are not alone. It might help a little, and I know only too well how alone and isolated one can feel when it seems that someone is sticking needles into one's brain non-stop for hours.

So far I have not found any cure for it, and no real solution either. What does help me a little is resting on a sofa, in a room with reduced light (closed curtains), and listening to the radio. Complete silence makes the headaches worse, at least for me.

Well, I am glad that my tormentors have gone again once more, and I hope they will stay away for a good while. And when I reflect on today's news, I have the impression that I might not be the only one with serious headaches in Ireland.
The country is still in a deep crisis, the government is incapable of dealing with it, and we all have to pick up the bill for the politicians' follies. Plenty of reasons to have a headache any day...

The Emerald Islander

Key Age Group is undecided on Lisbon Treaty

2009-08-30T23:59:00.007+01:00

An opinion poll conducted for the new Pro-Lisbon Treaty campaign group 'We Belong' shows that a large percentage of Irish people under the age of 40 is still undecided on how to vote in the second referendum on the faulty treaty.

Over one third of those surveyed by the Behaviour & Attitudes company said that they were likely to vote Yes, while 23% of the people interviewed are likely to vote No.

The campaign group, which is specifically targeting voters between the ages of 24 and 40 in the weeks leading up to the referendum, says an analysis of the voting patterns that led to last year's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty shows that "the 1.18 million people in this age group will be the key to deciding the final result in the referendum on October 2nd".

Today's poll finds that 36% of them are likely to vote Yes, 23% will vote No, and 37% are still undecided.

The research also shows support for the treaty is holding up among those who voted in favour of the proposals in 2008, while 17% of those who voted against it have now changed their minds.

But since there is still more than a month to go until referendum day, much can happen and the outcome is far from certain.

Railway Safety Commission failed to do its Duty "because it could not employ enough Staff"

2009-08-30T14:21:00.017+01:00

Critical safety checks on Ireland's railway system have not been carried out for the past three years, because the official body charged with the inspections did not have enough staff.

According to a report in the Irish Independent newspaper, Iarnród Éireann (Ireland's state-owned railway company) "admitted that its inspection regime - covering more than 1200 bridges - would need to be reviewed after one of the busiest rail lines in the country collapsed into the sea last week". (see my entries of August 22nd, 23rd & 26th)

The Railway Safety Commission (RSC) has revealed that it was "too busy approving new rail projects to carry out planned safety checks on existing lines". It was not employing enough staff and apparently "only able to recruit the full complement of safety inspectors this year".

The RSC is charged with ensuring that Iarnród Éireann and other operators perform to the highest safety standards. But it has emerged that just half of the necessary staff were in place to cope with the huge workload of checking safety systems.

The Irish Independent also reports that:

The RSC has warned about a lack of inspectors since it began its operations in 2006.
It said this "lack of resources" prevented it from "devoting the time we would wish" to safety checks.
It had just four inspectors responsible for almost 2000 km of rail lines and hundreds of bridges until this year.
Only in 2009 could it recruit an additional three inspectors, bringing the total employed to seven.

As I have reported here earlier (see my entry of August 22nd), the Broadmeadow viaduct, which crosses open water in North-Dublin, collapsed into the sea despite being passed as "safe" following not one, but - as it has now emerged - two inspections by Iarnród Éireann engineers.

According to the Irish Independent, "the company stands by its inspection regime" and is "defending a decision to pass the structure as safe", despite having been told by members of the Malahide Sea Scouts (referred to originally by an Iarnród Éireann spokesman as "a member of the public") that one of the supporting piers was damaged.

The paper also reports that the collapsed pier that caused the viaduct to fall into the water will not be rebuilt. Instead, rail engineers are planning to "strengthen the line", whatever this means.

Serious questions have been raised over how a supposedly 'safe' bridge could suddenly fall into the sea after two inspections.
As additional details emerge about the incident and the more than lax inspection regime of RSC and Iarnród Éireann, it becomes clear that we are unveiling another major Irish scandal here.

There are further concerns about the general safety on Ireland's rail network, especially as the Railway Safety Programme was extended from five to seven years in an effort to reduce costs in last year's Budget.

Ensuring that bridges, viaducts, railway lines, level crossings and all other pieces of Ireland's rail infrastructure are safe is a key plank of the RSC's brief.
Last year, it also approved 57 infrastructure projects, ranging from construction of new bridges to the approval of new Luas (Dublin's city tram) extensions, which led to the postponement of vital inspections.

"The number of railway projects that required RSC approval meant that we were able to commit less time to performance auditing and monitoring than we would have wished," the inspection body warned in its 2008 report.
"A safety management system is only as effective as its implementation. Assessing the railway undertakings' safety case compliance is an essential part of the RSC's work, but lack of resources has, in the past, prevented us devoting the time we would wish to this task."

Fergus O'Dowd, TD (left), Transport spokesman for the main opposition party Fine Gael, said that the Railway Safety Programme had seen its funding cut, and that there is "a lack of accountability" in relation to the Broadmeadow inquiry.
"They're the regulator of the industry, and the guarantor of safety on the trains. I would be very concerned," he said.

Under the Railway Safety Act 2005, Iarnród Éireann is required to commission an independent audit of its safety management system every four years. The next audit is scheduled for 2010.
It will - among other issues - consider if inspections of the Broadmeadow viaduct were regular enough, and if an underwater survey of the pier should have been conducted.

Iarnród Éireann and the RSC are also expected to appear before the Dáil Transport Committee next month to answer questions about safety.

In my opinion a full and independent inquiry into the incident and into the general safety of the Irish railway network is urgently required. On its own Iarnród Éireann can no longer be trusted.

The Emerald Islander

Dublin Protests over Hospital Cutbacks

2009-08-29T22:59:00.007+01:00

Angry protests over health cutbacks have taken place outside two hospitals in Dublin today.

More than fifty people have demonstrated outside Our Lady's Children's Hospital in Crumlin this afternoon, while a separate protest took place at the Mater Misericordiae University Hospital (commonly better known as the 'Mater Hospital').

The protesters, most of them current and former patients of the hospital and their relatives, demanded the reopening of a closed operating theatre and a ward at Crumlin (right). They also called for the reversal of other cuts at Ireland's best-known children's hospital.

Meanwhile, the Labour Party said that 120 beds in the Mater Hospital are now occupied by patients whose treatment has ended.
During a party protest at the hospital, Dublin Labour TD Joe Costello said that "60 of those beds have been occupied for 100 days or more".

He explained that "a lack of step-down facilities means patients cannot be discharged" and that this is having "a knock-on effect on the hospital's Accident & Emergency department".

Deputy Costello said his information was based on an official reply to a parliamentary question he had asked recently.

Motorways by Name only

2009-08-29T12:05:00.005+01:00

Many countries in Europe, as well as on other continents, have an excellent system of roads. But Ireland does not. Many countries also have a network of motorways, and - again - Ireland is not among them. What we have on this island of ours is a patchwork of national, regional and local roads, interspersed with roadlets and paths that have not changed much over the past two or three centuries.

When most of Ireland's roads were designed and built, it was predominantly the (then British) military that was doing it, and for obvious reasons.
Thousands of years ago the ancient Egyptians, the Persians and other great empires had built roads to move their soldiers around faster, and the Romans became the true masters of strategic road building. Every major country in the world has learned from them and given attention to important roads.

However, Ireland is not a major country, and it was never touched by Roman civilisation.

This one can still notice here today. Most of our roads were built between the late 18th and early 20th century, and they were built for the usual traffic of the time: people on horseback, horse-drawn coaches and carriages, carts drawn by horses, oxen or donkeys, and people on foot.
And even though most of Irish roads are meanwhile covered with tarmac, they are still winded, quite narrow (especially when one compares them with roads in other countries) and often in need of maintenance we cannot afford.

Until about 30 years ago Ireland did not have any motorway at all. And it did not need one. Then some of the wider national roads around Dublin were designated as 'motorways', in order to give us a more modern look and impress a number of foreign visitors. We still had no real motorways, but pretence is a great thing for the Irish. And if one does it well here and pretends things long enough, people will actually believe that they exist. (Just think of leprechauns and the faireys...)

During the years of pretended economic boom, the period of the - once worshipped and now cursed - 'Celtic Tiger', a few new motorways have been constructed in Ireland. Most of them are in and around Dublin, and some of them were built with private money and are now operated as toll roads. They have the same traffic jams and congestions as all other roads, but their greedy operators charge motorists an arm and a leg for the privilege to crawl over their piece of tarmac instead of some other, a mile or two away.

But even with the new additions to the system, Ireland still has a very bad road network, and almost no motorways. If you want to see the real thing, you have to travel to Germany, where the motorway was invented in the 1930s. There most of them have six lanes as a rule, with some major sections being even wider and providing eight or even ten lanes.

What we have here in Ireland are mostly modernised national roads, in some sections widened to four lanes. But to make us look a little bigger and more important than we actually are, Noel Dempsey (right), currently Minister for Transport, has now "re-classified" 294.3 km of national roads as "motorways".

They are really motorways by name only, and nothing has changed on these roads, except that the speed limit has been increased from 100 km/h (the standard for national roads) to 120 km/h.
Under general traffic laws the new 'motorways' cannot be used by any learner-drivers, motorcycles and "certain types of agricultural vehicles".

One can understand the ban of agricultural vehicles. It makes sense and is the same in most other countries. As there are no 'learner-drivers' elsewhere - with exception of the UK - the question of them using motorways does not arise in other nations. But why ban motorcycles from our 'motorways'? Motorcyclists can use all roads in other countries, and there seem to be no problems with them, as long as they obey the rules of the road like everyone else.

This whole 're-classification' of roads is another example for the confusion and incomptence of our government in general, and for the specific incompetence of Noel Dempsey in particular. The man is useless and clueless, and has demonstrated this in several government departments he was in charge of. And Transport makes no difference to 'the bouncer' from Co. Meath.

The real joke - unfortunately not a good one - is the list of roads that are now 're-classified' as 'motorways'. If you expect a number of lengthy and well-developed sections of overland roads, you will be disappointed.

But then again, this is Ireland, so what can you really expect?

To begin with, of the 294.3 km of national roads that Noel Dempsey has pompously "re-classified as motorways" yesterday, less than half actually exist at present!
Only 42.6% (125.5 km) exist and are 'open for traffic', while 47.9% (140.8 km) are still 'under construction' and 9.5% (the 28 km section of the N 18 from Oranmore to Gort in Co. Galway) is only 'in planning'.

The longest part of newly re-classified 'motorway' that is actually open for traffic is a 21 km section of the N 11 between Arklow in Co. Wicklow and Gorey in Co. Wexford.
The rest is nothing but a higgledy-piggledy patchwork of small to medium-sized pieces all over the country, with the shortest being a section of the N 3 (from Dublin to Cavan) between Littlepace and Loughsallagh, which is just 2.1 km long.

This means that motorists driving on Ireland's national roads in future will constantly have to watch if they are on a stretch of official 'motorway' with 120 km/h speed limit, or on a normal national road with only 100 km/h limit. It will lead to even more confusion than there is now, and most likely to more speeding tickets for drivers who think that they are still on a 'motorway', while they have in fact passed it already.

The whole thing is nothing but a farce, another sick joke from an utterly clueless minister in an incompetent government that is simply not capable of doing anything right.

The Emerald Islander

Building in Cork City collapsed

2009-08-28T11:52:00.006+01:00

While Ireland's government is crumbling at the edges and the coalition is close to collapse (see my entry of August 25th), the country itself is already collapsing and falling to pieces bit by bit.

No, I am not referring to the banks this time. They are holed below the waterline and sinking slowly, but steadily. And no adult alive today who has a working brain and seen and experienced the absolute crazy, irresponsible and ruthless attitude and behaviour of our banks will ever trust them again. (Any old box or mattress is a much better and safer place for your money than the ugly temples of silly greed and certain doom...)

But as I said, I am not writing about the banks today. When I say that the country is falling to pieces, I mean it literally.

The latest episode in this new series of contemporary Irish 'entertainment' did happen in Cork, Ireland's second-largest city, where a complete multi-story city building has suddenly and unexpectedly collapsed yesterday (photo left).

The incident happened in Castle Street, right in the city, and it is a miracle that no one was killed or seriously injured when the house collapsed into the street without warning.

The only 'casualty' was a small silver-coloured car that was parked right in front of the house, which collapsed on top of it and made it a complete insurance write-off. (see photo right)

The building, which was in a row of houses and connected to two other buildings to the left and right, was undergoing renovation for some time.

Buildings and offices on Castle Street have been evacuated and traffic diversions are in place in the area.

Gardaí in Cork are puzzled by the incident, and a full investigation is expected to take place.

This is the second time within one week that a substantial construction in Ireland has collapsed suddenly and without any apparent reason.
Last Friday evening a 20-metre-long section of the railway viaduct across the Broadmeadow estuary near Malahide station in the North of Dublin also collapsed without warning. (see my entries of August 22nd, 23rd & 26th)

In contrast to many other countries, Ireland does not have a national Department for Buildings and Construction. This leads to the ridiculous situation that there are hundreds of different rules and regulations for different kinds of buildings and structures, often very different from one local authority to the next.
At the same time Ireland's planning law and planning process is among the most complicated and bureaucratic in the world.

If we want to see some progress eventually, this has to stop. We have to streamline planning and building regulations on a national level, with the same rules applying equally to everyone. And when it comes to buildings and other structures, the element of safety and solidity has to come above all other concerns.

Even though I am not much involved with the construction industry or property business, I have seen over the years too many houses and other buildings that I - as a layman - would regard as unsafe or at least critical. They are still in place, and unchanged, and perhaps other collapse cases waiting to happen.

There is no inspection of buildings in Ireland, but such takes place in most continental countries, where buildings do not suddenly collapse. Where and when people take care, things work well, are functioning and satisfactory for all.
But in ridiculous banana republics like Ireland no one seems to care any more, especially not for the common good. Most people are just looking after 'No. 1' (themselves), and an incompetent government, hand-in-glove with a sluggish and self-absorbed bureaucracy, has no interest in the common good either. As long as our ministers, TDs and civil servants receive their exorbitant salaries, 'allowances' and - eventually - pensions, they don't care for anything else.

One of the recommendations of 'An Bord Snip (Nua)' is the complete abolition of the Department of the Gaeltacht, Rural & Community Affairs, whose few responsibilities could easily be taken over by other existing government departments.
This is one of the few recommendations of Colm McCarthy's four-men commission I applaude and fully agree with.
It also means that we could fill a soon empty space in the cabinet with something new and more useful than the Gaeltacht. Why not create a new Department of Construction and Housing and give it responsibility for every house, building and structure in the country?
Many other countries have such a department, and it is more than time for Ireland to follow suit, unless we want to hear of ever more collapsing buildings on a regular basis.

The Emerald Islander

Outlook for Aer Lingus is "highly uncertain" as the Company reports increasing Losses

2009-08-28T10:11:00.012+01:00

The management of Ireland's national 'flag carrier' Aer Lingus says that "the outlook for the airline is highly uncertain" in light of the latest financial results. Their losses have tripled to now € 93 million in the first half of this year.

After taxes the net loss in the first six months of 2009 more than tripled to now € 73.9 million (compared with a net loss of € 21.6 million for the same period of last year), while revenues were down over 12% on the back of lower passenger fares and cargo fees.

In a company statement Aer Lingus said that it is "not in a position to give guidance for the full year at this time".

The company also announced that it can no longer afford to pay what is described as 'legacy-style' rates to its staff.

Aer Lingus' Chief Financial Officer Sean Coyle stated that the company's board has "a tough job, but believes the airline can be made successful as an independent entity as it undertakes an exhaustive and wide-ranging examination of its operations and commercial focus".

This is nice boardroom lingo, the new language big companies and their representatives use these days to confuse the rest of us, the normal people who speak proper English.

But what does it actually mean?

"Clearly we can't sustain operating losses of these levels, we can't sustain the kind of cash burn we've had in the first half of the year, and we need to rebase our cost structure to live with the lower fares that our passengers are prepared to pay," Sean Coyle explained in a second attempt.

Well, this is a lot clearer, although I still wonder what it means "to rebase our cost structure"...

Perhaps it means just to spend less money, and maybe Aer Lingus should start doing that from the top down. Their directors are still overpaid, and even more so in light of the now revealed disastrous company results.

No bank is prepared to lend money to an airline that is burning about € 400 million of net cash in a 12-month period. Not even the Irish banks that brought us the 'credit crunch', recession and national finance crisis.

"We have to come up with a cost plan to stabilise our position. Nothing is ruled out at this time," Sean Coyle emphasised.

I wonder if he and his fellow directors have thought of reducing the number of their flights and aeroplanes, to match an obviously shrinking market. The idea that anyone can fly to anywhere for next to nothing and for no particular reason is ludicrous. It ruins the rest of the ozon layer that is left by now, and does further damage to our planet.

Education has to do its part to bring the message home, and governments - not only the Irish - have to play their part as well, first of all by imposing normal fuel taxation on aircraft fuel, which is still - and for no good reason - tax-free.

Too many people still fly to too many destinations, for no real reason. Holidays can be spent in one's own country as well as abroad, and if someone really feels the need to go to other countries, we still have very good and reliable ferry services.

The financial crisis of Aer Lingus is only the tip of the proverbial iceberg. It shows that airlines and air travel as most people know them are no longer viable and sustainable. I have seen this a long time ago and not used any airline or commercial flight for more than 20 years.
It is time now for everyone to wake up, see the light and accept reality.

If we allow ourselves - and the airlines - to stay in cloud-cuckoo-land, the crash that will happen in due course will be at least of the same dimension as the recent collapse of the banks.

Good Morning, Ireland! Good Morning, World!

The Emerald Islander

Eamon Gilmore calls again for the temporary Nationalisation of Ireland's major Banks

2009-08-27T19:52:00.011+01:00

Eamon Gilmore (photo), leader of Ireland's Labour Party, has again called for the temporary nationalisation of the country's main banks "as an alternative to the setting up of the government-proposed National Asset Management Agency (NAMA)".

Speaking on RTÉ News, Gilmore said that "a mechanism should be established to write down bad debts, before returning the banks to the market when they are restored to good order".

The Labour Party leader also emphasised that "it is a necessity to get the banks lending to businesses again".

His proposal was not without cost, Gilmore added, but he claimed it would mean a lot less risk for the taxpayer than the government's plan.

Under the government's proposed legislation, NAMA would be taking over € 90 billion worth of debt away from Irish banks, so that they can start lending again.

The amount NAMA would pay for the debt has yet to be decided. But in an article, published in yesterday's edition of The Irish Times, 46 economists warned that NAMA might pay too much and thus create an extra burden for Ireland's taxpayers. (see yesterday's entry below)

Fine Gael has already stated that it will oppose the government's NAMA plan when the Dáil debates the legislation next month. Since Sinn Féin, which demands a referendum on NAMA, is against it as well, this means that all opposition parties in parliament are united on the matter, even though they do not agree on the details of possible alternatives.

The Green Party, who is the junior partner in the government coalition, will hold a special conference to debate the plan. (see my entry of August 25th)
The outcome of this conference is far from certain, and neither is the continuous support of the Green Party for the current government.

As things stand at present, anything is possible. A temporary nationalisation of our major banks - as demanded today and previously by Eamon Gilmore and his party, as well as by Sinn Féin and the Socialist Party in separate statements - would in my opinion be the safest and least costly option.

We can expect that the government will not listen and stick to its original plan. So I suggest that now is a good time to contact your local TDs, especially those from Fianna Fáil, and tell them in no uncertain terms what you think of NAMA. It might also be helpful to mention that their own seat will be in serious danger if they ram through a legislation that no one in the country really wants, but for which everyone would have to pay severely over decades to come.

The Emerald Islander

Economists warn Ireland's Government of the "economic folly" to create NAMA as planned

2009-08-26T14:22:00.005+01:00

A group of senior economists has urged the Irish government to reconsider its approach to the planned National Asset Management Agency (NAMA), saying that "not to do so would be economic folly".

The 46 academics, including ten professors, have entered the debate on the future of Ireland's economy in general and NAMA in particular with an article that is published in today's edition of The Irish Times.

The group of economists argues in the article that "alternatives to NAMA are possible" and there are "a number of other ways to lay the ground for a healthy banking system".

The experts say that - in its current form - NAMA "commits the State to overpay for troubled bank assets". Instead only the current market value for assets (ca. € 30 billion) should be paid, and not 'optimistic' higher values envisaged under NAMA. This would leave the banks in need of more capital, and more of it should come from bondholders and shareholders of the banks.

The government's advisor Dr. Alan Ahearne has disputed a number of the group's claims and criticised its arguments. But when one has the choice between the arguments and 'expertise' of the current government, which created the crisis and has nothing to offer but incompetence on one side, and a group of 46 well-known, established and experienced economists on the other, I know whom I trust and listen to.

The Emerald Islander

"Cosmetic, rather than structural..." - indeed

2009-08-26T13:23:00.011+01:00

A spokesman for Iarnród Éireann (Ireland's state-owned railways) has declared that an underwater inspection of the railway viaduct that collapsed last Friday close to Malahide in Co. Dublin (see my entries of August 22nd & 23rd) was "carried out in line with regulations" three years ago.

Barry Kenny explained that underwater inspections on all rail bridges and related structures are carried out every six years, apparently in line with the recommendations of the Railway Safety Commission.

As reported, last Friday evening a 20-metre-long section of the rail viaduct across the Broadmeadow estuary (photo), north of Malahide station, collapsed into the water shortly after a passing train driver had noticed damage on the line.

Iarnród Éireann confirmed today that concern had been expressed by "a member of the public" on Monday, August 17th about "erosion on the viaduct".

In response an engineer (the one mentioned and referred to in my entry of August 23rd) carried out an inspection the following day - Tuesday, August 18th - on the basis of the reported concern.
"He found that the markings were cosmetic, rather than structural," says Barry Kenny.

He emphasises that "the individual who contacted the company referred to markings on the pier, but did not refer to a change in the water flow". (A report telling a different story has appeared in today's edition of The Irish Times.)

Once again Iarnród Éireann is trying to re-assure Ireland's rail passengers and the general population that there is no reason to be worried.
The company provides all sorts of detailed information, but does not answer the main questions that are on everyone's mind.

It is simply not believable that a solid concrete structure could be fine and in perfect order on a Tuesday, and then collapse on the following Friday, only three days later.

One has to ask oneself if one can in future believe anything that Iarnród Éireann is saying.

The state-owned, run-down and loss-making Irish railway company has long been neglected by successive Irish governments (of various party structure), while its employees enjoy their safe and cosy jobs and think that the railway is simply there to provide them with a good living.

Would anyone in Iarnród Éireann have a look at other countries, where railways are doing well and are run for the benefit of passengers instead of its staff, they could learn a thing or two and begin to operate a decent railway system in Ireland once again.

But as things are at present, Iarnród Éireann is a sad and typical example of the state Ireland, its economy and its political system are in.
The collapsed viaduct in Co. Dublin speaks for itself and is a monument for the company's total ignorance and failure.
And the weak attempts of explanation offered by Mr. Barry Kenny only add insult to injury. The people of Ireland might be in general a bit gullible, but most of them are not stupid.
And certainly not yours truly,

The Emerald Islander
(a regular user of Iarnród Éireann)

Ireland's Government is crumbling at the Edges

2009-08-25T08:56:00.013+01:00

Since both Houses of the Oireachtas (Ireland's parliament) are on their long summer holidays, August is usually a month with few political news and events. However, as we are in the deepest economic and political crisis since the foundation of the State, the political matters have not gone away this year as they normally do when Leinster House is empty for months.

There are too many dark clouds hanging over Ireland at present, and in particular over the current government, which is slowly but steadily crumbling at the edges of its coalition.

Only recently two Fianna Fáil backbench TDs resigned the 'party whip', which means that they are no longer members of FF's parliamentary party group. They did not (yet) go as far as their former colleague Joe Behan from Wicklow, who left Fianna Fáil for good last year and now sits as an independent TD. But they might well follow Behan if things are getting any worse.
And there are more Fianna Fáil backbenchers who feel increasingly isolated and uncomfortable in their party. It only needs a few more of them to have the courage and guts to leave, and the government will be without a majority.

And there is of course the always present 'Green factor'. Ever since the Green Party made its fatal decision to join Fianna Fáil in a government coalition two years ago, a significant minority of party members are very unhappy with their leadership.
Many have meanwhile left the Green Party altogether, while others - like Brendan McCann, who was the Green candidate in Waterford in several local and general elections - remain nominally party members, but have gone into political hibernation.

In the recent local government elections the Green Party was almost wiped out completely and lost most of their previously 18 local councillors, while one of their former councillors - Nessa Childers - was elected to the European Parliament for the Labour Party on the same day.

So it is no surprise that the mood in the Green Party is pretty foul at present, and even within their small parliamentary group (of six TDs and two unelected Senators) there is a constant rumbling and grumbling, combined with great uncertainty where to go from here and how to proceed.

The government's plan to establish a National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) is the most controversial subject at present, and Taoiseach Brian Cowen is facing renewed pressure from the Green Party over it.
To make things worse for the Fianna Fáil leader, Mattie McGrath, one of his backbenchers from Co. Tipperary, has expressed strong doubts about NAMA as well.

Senator Dan Boyle (left), the chairman of the Green Party, has again warned that his party's support for the NAMA legislation "cannot be taken for granted".
In an interview with RTÉ News, Senator Boyle said that the Greens had "an internal process to complete" and that their members would ultimately make the decision.

This is the grass roots democracy for which the Green Party has been rightly famous over the past 25 years. But much of its actual people power has evaporated since many key people who opposed the Green's participation in government have left the party. It will be interesting to see in which direction the remaining Green Party grass roots will turn when they vote on NAMA.

In recent days, both Taoiseach Brian Cowen and Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan have expressed strong confidence that the Greens will back their NAMA legislation, if not outright then perhaps with some amendments. But I would not put a bet on that, if I were a betting man.

Meanwhile another Fianna Fáil backbench TD came out of the proverbial woodwork and said he would "require many more assurances from the Minister for Finance" before he could vote in favour of the proposed NAMA legislation.

Mattie McGrath (right), Fianna Fáil TD for Tipperary-South, stated that he has received "a huge amount of calls from people worried about the NAMA legislation". Some of them, he said, were "demanding a referendum on the NAMA plan".

This would not be a bad idea, and if adopted by the government, a NAMA referendum could easily be held together with the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty on October 2nd.

"It appears that a few hundred bankers have brought the country to its knees, and that the tax payer will have to pick up the bill," Deputy McGrath said, demanding that "the minister [for Finance] must provide detailed assurances to TDs at the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting in Athlone next month".

Mattie McGrath, who was elected in 2007 for the first time and is therefore a 'new face' in the Dáil, added that he could "not trust the Department of Finance", given its record in dealing with the banking crisis to date.

Such clear and open words from a Fianna Fáil TD are rare, and very welcome. They show that not everyone in Fianna Fáil has lost the plot, and that there are still some government politicians with a portion of common sense left intact.

The question is how many of them are there, will their number be large enough to make a difference, and will they have the courage to stand firm, even if it could mean bringing down the government.
Should they do that, indeed, coming generations of Irish people will remember them fondly, and most of the Irish people alive would be most grateful.

Perhaps the Greens will beat the unhappy Fianna Fáil backbenchers to the post and pull the political emergency break. They will be punished by the voters for their support of Fianna Fáil anyway, if they stay in government or walk out. But if they could see their mistake of 2007 and have the guts to admit it, they might have a chance to survive as a party and - over some years - regroup and regrow again. (If they stick to Brian Cowen and Fianna Fáil until the bitter end, the Greens will most likely join the PDs as a sad footnote in political history.)

As much as the parliamentary holiday period is usually regarded as 'quiet', it is full of tensions and possibilities this year. Watch this space, and stay informed.
The Irish government is crumbling, and its days are numbered. I predict that it will not last until 2012, when the next regular general election is due to happen.

There are various elements that could end Brian Cowen's rule, from the Greens walking out to a backbench revolt in his own party.
And we should not forget the second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. If the people of Ireland have the courage to follow their hearts, minds and conviction and say 'No' to Lisbon for a second time (on October 2nd), the government could collapse like a house of cards.

This would be the best thing that could happen to Ireland, and the first real step on the way out of recession and crisis.

The Emerald Islander

Port Workers protest in Dublin Docks

2009-08-24T13:18:00.008+01:00

Today striking Dublin port workers have been holding protest marches in the docks area of the capital over job cuts, redundancy terms and planned changes to pay and conditions.

Marches organised by port and dock workers, their families and supporters have taken place on both sides of the East Link Bridge, proceeding to the Marine Terminals Company offices at the port.

The workers, who are members of SIPTU (Ireland's largest trade union), are striking to show their opposition to attempts to de-unionise the port company, and their dispute with the management is now in its eighth week.

Motorists had been warned to expect delays until this afternoon, but AA Roadwatch - the Automobile Association's monitoring service - says that traffic in Dublin is "moving well".

Joe Mooney, spokesman for the Dublin Port Workers Support Group, has called on the Dublin Port Company to intervene in the dispute and to come to a "satisfactory settlement" with the workers. But for the time being the strike continues.

Dublin Rail Line Collapse raises many Questions

2009-08-23T13:08:00.011+01:00

Iarnród Éireann, Ireland's state-owned national railway company, has announced that an official investigation into the collapse of a part of the main Dublin to Belfast railway line near Malahide in Co. Dublin (see yesterday's entry) is going to take place.

Well, this is the least one could and should expect after such a disastrous and embarrassing incident.
In fact, this investigation should not be held just by Iarnród Éireann's own staff, but augmented by Gardai and specialists from the Health & Safety Executive.
After all, lives could easily have been lost and much further damage could have been done had the collapsed segment of the viaduct across the Broadmeadow estuary not been spotted and reported by a train driver.
As operator of the line, Iarnród Éireann has a vested interest in the matter, as well as the full and sole responsibility for the maintenance of track, structures, engines and rolling stock.
So a public investigation, or one with participation of experts from outside the railway company, would make a big difference and could prevent an internal cover-up.

A spokesperson for Iarnród Éireann said that "the collapsed section of the railway bridge has undergone a structural examination" only a few days ago. This inspection was "carried out on the line by an engineer on Tuesday, and no issues were identified".

According to Iarnród Éireann all its railway lines are "inspected three times a week by a patrol man, and given a structural assessment by an engineer every two years".

These statements are not satisfactory at all and raise a number of further questions:

Was the inspecting engineer qualified for his job?
Did he do his job well? And if he did, why did the railway bridge collapse three days later?
Was it the regular two-year structural assessment?
Or was it a special inspection because a patrol man had noticed something unusual? If so, what was it?
Did Iarnród Éireann's management know that there was something wrong with this part of the line? Or that it was in a bad state of maintenance?
What exactly did the engineer find and report on Tuesday?
Did he spot a problem, but was overruled or ignored by his superiors in the company?

Concrete is a solid substance and does not crumble easily. There is, however, even for concrete an element of wear and tear (like for everything), and it can be particularly prone to deterioration or erosion when it is in close proximity to water. In the case of the collapsed segment of railway line this is certainly the case.
It is very hard to believe that the structure was in perfect order when inspected on Tuesday, and then collapsed completely on Friday, only three days later.

Iarnród Éireann states that it will take at least three months before the damage is repaired.

In the meantime trains will only operate between Drogheda and Skerries, and Iarnród Éireann has advised customers travelling between Dublin city and all stations north of Malahide to use Dublin Bus or Bus Éireann services.

Belfast Enterprise services will operate trains between Belfast and Drogheda, and organise bus transfers between Drogheda and Connolly station in Dublin.
But DART (Dublin area railway) services between Malahide and Howth Junction are operating normally.
Up to 10,000 passengers per day are facing disruption and inconvenience for at least three months. Commuters who normally use the Belfast to Dublin trains have been told to add around 30 minutes to their usual journey time.

The passengers' lobby organisation Rail Users Ireland has said it is "extremely concerned" following the collapse, which "raises serious questions of Irish Rail's maintenance and inspection regime".
It also called for cash refunds for all holders of weekly, monthly and annual tickets that are now unable to travel.

Although I am not a member of Rail Users Ireland, I wholeheartedly agree with their statement and demands. The overall state of Ireland's railway system is pretty bad for a long time. It is a run-down service, unloved by the government, which would like to privatise it, if it could find someone mad enough to buy it.

For a long time both the government and Iarnród Éireann completely overlook the great potential rail travel could have here, if it was done the right way. Not even to mention how much more we could do for the environment if major transports of large-size items and goods in bulk would be shifted from Ireland's narrow roads to the railways.

A hundred years ago Ireland had one of the most impressive and effective railway systems in Europe, and even fifty years ago there was still plenty of it around. But due to deliberate State vandalism and extreme ignorance during the 1950s and 1960s the once splendid network was savaged and ripped to pieces. What we are left with is a broken skeleton structure of what we had when railways were en vogue. But instead of improving the situation and making Ireland's railways fit for the 21st century, the people in charge close their eyes, don't want to know about the various problems inside the system, and some are even permanently asleep on the job.

To begin with, we need a Minister for Transport who likes and understands railways. As long as Noel Dempsey, the government's bouncer from Co. Meath, is in charge, things can - and will - only go from bad to worse.

The Emerald Islander

Main Dublin Railway Line collapsed

2009-08-22T09:46:00.004+01:00

We are in a very deep recession, financial crisis and governed by the most ludicrous bunch of incompetents that has ever been assembled in an Irish cabinet. They have no clue how to get us out of the mess they created, waste time with their senseless waffling and procrastination, and in the meantime dream up ever more and higher taxes and severe cuts to the social welfare and education budgets, thus making the poor pay for the mistakes of the rich.

And while the government fiddles, all around it Ireland crumbles and falls to pieces.

The latest example - and indeed a most visible and symbolic one - is the sudden collapse of a segment of rail track in the northern part of Dublin.

Yesterday evening, at around 6.20 pm, a 20-metre-long section of the main Dublin to Belfast railway line on the viaduct across the Broadmeadow estuary - between Malahide and Donabate, just north of Malahide station - has crumbled and collapsed into the water.

The damaged line was noticed by the driver of the 6.07 pm train travelling from Balbriggan to Pearse station. He drove his train to Malahide station and reported what he had seen. There were about 50 people on the train, but no one was injured.

After the driver's report all other trains were immediately stopped from using the line.

Iarnród Éireann (Ireland's state-owned national railway company) has said that the collapse had "the potential to be a serious tragedy" and that they will be investigating the incident fully.

According to Iarnród Éireann, "the railway lines are inspected regularly and viaducts have a maintenance regime". But, as with almost everything here in Ireland, things are often not done right, not often enough, and not thoroughly.

There will be shuttle bus services between Drogheda and Skerries for northern commuter services for the foreseeable time.

The Emerald Islander

Coloured Pencils for the Blind

2009-08-20T21:44:00.006+01:00

Today the people of Afghanistan were called to elect a new President. This is the second time such an election takes place under the general rules of a 'democratic' system.

The first time, in October 2004, the incumbent Hamid Karzai (photo below, inspecting a guard of honour in Kabul) was elected President. He is hopeful to be elected for a second term, but he is not popular with everyone.

Karzai is a Pashtun (or Pathan) and son of a wealthy and influential tribal leader from the south of the country. With close to 40% of the population the Pashtuns are the largest ethnic group in Afghanistan and have provided the ruling elite ever since the establishment of the first singular state called 'Afghanistan' in 1747. Their territories are predominantly in the south, and they also make up a significant minority in neighbouring Pakistan.

There are more than a dozen other distinctive nations and ethnic groups in Afghanistan, of which the Tajiks - with ca. 37% of the total population - are the largest (and the second-largest in the country). Their territories are all in the north, and over centuries there has been a balance of power between the southern Pashtuns and the northern Tajiks.
All other ethnic groups are much smaller and less well represented in the political structure and make-up of Afghanistan. The two most visible of these minorities are the Hazara and the Uzbeks, each with about 9% of the overall population.

Politics in Afghanistan is based on strict tribal loyalties and age-old alliances between leaders of various clans. Even though there have been political parties for some time, they too reflect only too clearly the tribal structure of the country. The idea of an 'Afghan nation' has not arrived yet in the high and rugged mountains that control the links between the North and South of Asia, as well as the links between the West (Iran) and the East (China) of the continent.

Since the overthrow of the monarchy in 1973, some Afghan politicians have tried to establish some form of nationalism, but it has never worked or lasted for long. All their efforts ended in even more tribal conflict, which is still the predominant situation in Afghanistan.

Only a complete fool like George W. Bush, with no idea of history and ethnic structures outside the USA, could ever even think of invading Afghanistan and hoping to control it. Many nations and military leaders have tried - and failed - in such enterprises before.
Even Alexander the Great, perhaps the best army commander of all times, failed in his effort to control the mountains of the area that is now Afghanistan. And he was wise enough to realise that and withdrew his forces gracefully, after having founded a city that bore his name.

During the 19th century Britain tried - and failed - twice to occupy and rule Afghanistan and took massive casualties in the process. One of their expeditions entered the country with 42,000 men, of which only one single officer - an army surgeon - returned alive to tell the tale of total defeat.
More recently the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan from the north - at Christmas 1979 - with more than 120,000 troops. After nine years of fierce and bloody guerrilla war that helped to bring the USSR to her knees and end her existence, the Russians withdrew again - with a very bloody nose and tails between their legs - in 1988.

It has always amazed me that no-one in the political and military leadership of the USA warned George W. Bush of the dangers any military action in and against Afghanistan would bring to the invading force. Especially since they should have known what was waiting for them, after they had supported massively - but in a covert operation - the Afghan Mujahiddin (freedom fighters) in their struggle against the Soviet occupation force.
Perhaps they did warn him, but Bush - in his usual combination of ignorance and self-importance - did not listen. He just made one of his arogant and bellicose statements and sent his troops into war against a people who have not been defeated by anyone in more than 3000 years.
Like a blinded bear he just walked into the unknown, into the largest bear trap on Earth.

This was in the Autumn of 2001, and ever since Afghanistan has been - once again - an occupied country. The difference is that the current occupiers - the USA, the UK, NATO and a mixed bag of smaller contingents from various countries - claim that they are there 'to establish Democracy' in Afghanistan.

For the people of Afghanistan that means nothing. They remember only too well that the USSR was there not so long ago in order 'to establish Socialism', another idea with no value or meaning for tradional Muslims who live on the technological level of the Middle Ages.

- more to follow -
(I have to get some sleep first, sorry)

My Limits of Charity

2009-08-19T19:39:00.006+01:00

People who know me will be aware of my involvement with Amnesty International, the ISPCA and various other charities.
And since I spent some time of my life in the so-called 'Third World', I am perhaps also more acutely aware of people in real need, and of the places where they live.

This has led me to organise - in my own small way - some direct help over the years, and I know that every Euro and cent I transfer reaches the people for whom my help is meant. There are no administrative costs, no overheads for staff, and certainly no cut-offs or kick-backs for corrupt local officials in the receiving countries.

So when it comes to charity and making donations, I think that my contributions are well above average for a man with a modest income. Nevertheless I still donate ever so often money to numerous Irish charities when their members and supporters approach me in the street and push a collection box or bucket - rattling with coins - into my face.

There is literally not one week - and perhaps not even a single day - without someone collecting money for some 'good cause'. Besides the major charities there are countless smaller organisations, and even local bands and sports clubs are meanwhile asking for donations in the streets. If one would give money to all of them every time they ask, there would be not much left for oneself.

So one has to be disciplined and say 'no' sometimes, even if one might feel awkward about it. But there is one kind of charities that will never get a single cent from me, and for good reasons.

I was reminded of this again today. While going about my business in the city, I was approached in three different locations, within a radius of not more than 500 metres, by three different men, asking me to buy a scratch card in support of their charity, whose name was not familiar to me.

When I asked the men what it was for, I was told that they did "rehabilitation programmes for alcoholics and drug addicts". As soon as I heard that, the proverbial shutters came down in front of me and my purse. And I told them so.

There is no way that I will ever donate any money for this cause. Some people might regard me as cruel, perhaps, or as cold-hearted. And they are entitled to their opinion. But those who know me would strongly object to such a view.

My refusal to finance rehab programmes for alcoholics and drug addicts is based on logic, on life experience and on common sense. I do not drink alcohol and have never taken any hallucinating drugs, legal or illegal. Not even when I was in places like Pakistan, Afghanistan or Nepal, where they are freely available in the markets like potatoes and cabbages here.
As I know that drugs do damage to a person and can lead to addiction and destruction of body and mind, there is no need for me to test them and their effects. And the same goes for alcohol, the most popular and most destructive drug sold and used in Ireland.

I know plenty of people who go to pubs two or three times a week and spend large amounts of money getting drunk. Alcohol is quite expensive in Ireland, but that seems not to deter the vast majority of our people. And I have heard many times of drug addicts who waste several hundred Euros a day 'to feed their habit'.

This is bad and sad enough, and I deplore it. But the fact remains that people who drink alcohol excessively, or take illegal drugs, spend freely and voluntarily huge amounts of money on their choice of self-destruction.
Some of them die young, others lead a miserable life - of their own making - for many years. And some see the light eventually and try to get out of their madness. This is to be welcomed, and I wish everyone who steps out of addiction and returns to the real world all the best.

However, I see no reason to pay for that. People who wasted plenty of money on the idiotic ways that lead to addiction can well be expected to spend some more to get out of the mess into which they have brought themselves. Why should a teetotaller finance the rehabilitation of an alcoholic who wasted his time and money on destructive and expensive drinks? And why should a person that never took drugs pay for the detoxification of idiots who do?

We all are the masters of our own destiny and responsible for what we do. There is no action in life without consequences, and we will reap in Autumn what we have sown in Spring. On this line of thought and philosophy I have built my own life, and I think I am entitled to apply it as well when I am asked for charitable donations.

Apart from that I find it rather strange that any charity that fights two addictions is using a third - gambling - to finance its operations.
Do people actually think before they make decisions? We would have a much better world if they did.

The Emerald Islander

New Anti-Lisbon Alliance formed

2009-08-18T22:39:00.005+01:00

An informal alliance of fifteen different groups have jointly launched their campaign for a 'No' vote in the up-coming second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty, which will take place on October 2nd.

Among others, the new alliance includes three well-established smaller political parties: Sinn Féin, the Socialist Party and the People before Profit Alliance.

At the official launch of their campaign (photo above), Socialist Party leader Joe Higgins, MEP (in the foreground, right) described the Lisbon Treaty as "profoundly undemocratic". He also rejected claims that the guarantees obtained by the Irish government would protect workers' rights.

More than 53% of the Irish electorate rejected the treaty in the first referendum last year, and many people feel very annoyed that the government is now forcing them to vote a second time on the same document, without any major changes made to it.

In fact, the only change is the retention of our Irish EU Commissioner, which was a key demand of the NO campaign last year. Because the treaty was rejected by the Irish, each member state - including Ireland - will now keep its EU Commissioner. (Had we votes 'yes', we would now no longer have a permanent Irish representative in the EU Commission.)

Apart from this one point, nothing has changed. The treaty put in front of us again on October 2nd is the very same we have rejected on June 12th, 2008.
And if the people of Ireland have any common sense left, they will reject if for a second time and send the government the message it deserves and needs to hear.

We all know only too well that the current Irish government is utterly incompetent. It is responsible for our economic decline, the financial crisis and the ever deeper recession.
And instead of coming up with initiatives to stimulate the Irish economy and support especially small businesses, who provide the majority of jobs in the country, all the government does now is talking, waiting for Godot and raising taxes ever further. Meanwhile billions of taxpayers' money are pumped into the sinking wrecks that are our banks, and if Cowen & Co. get away with their plans, many more billions of our money will be committed to NAMA.
This would mean that our children and even grandchildren would still have to pay off the debts that were created by banksters and useless politicians of our generation!

Do you really want to support this government and help it to cling to power at all costs (which we will have to pay)? Then you should vote 'yes' on October 2nd.

But if you want change for the better, want to see Ireland recover and gain strength again, and show the EU bureaucrats that we cannot be bullied into accepting nonsense, then you have to do what 53% of the Irish electorate did already last year: Vote NO and reject the Lisbon Treaty for good.

The Emerald Islander

No new Hospital for the Northeast by 2015

2009-08-18T21:19:00.003+01:00

Today the Health Service Executive (HSE) has confirmed that the planned new regional hospital for the Northeast of Ireland is "unlikely to be built for several years".

It had been expected that a new 750-bed hospital would be up and running in Navan, Co. Meath by 2015. But this target will now not be met.

When the HSE published a report in 2006 on the provision of hospital services for the Northeast of Ireland, one of its core recommendations was the construction of a new regional hospital, which the HSE had included in its National Development Plan for 2009 to 2013.

In the meantime, many services were to be moved from smaller hospitals to the larger medical institutions in the area.

However, "given the current economic climate", the HSE says now that it will "not go ahead during the lifetime of this plan", but is "likely to be included in the next plan after 2013".

A spokesperson for the HSE said its current focus is to advance the controversial plan to move all acute services into Cavan General Hospital and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda, Co. Louth. It has already moved services from Monaghan General Hospital to Cavan.

Does Ireland need an Army?

2009-08-18T17:51:00.017+01:00

Ever since Colm McCarthy's 'Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes' - commonly referred to as 'An Bord Snip (Nua)' - suggested to cut the Defence Budget by € 53 million and to reduce the strength of the Irish Defence Forces (IDF) by 520 (see my entry of July 16th), a debate about the structure and duties of our military is going on.

The Naval Service, which has a total strength of 1144 and currently operates eight corvettes of various sizes and ages, is getting a relatively easy time of it. Everyone realises that - as an island nation - we really need it. In fact, we could well do with some additional vessels, but during a recession this is obviously not going to happen.

In contrast, the Aer Corps, with 939 serving members the smallest part of the IDF, is getting a lot of flak. The main criticism is that there is no longer any airborne defence system in operation and the Aer Corps is now "reduced to be the air taxi service for the government".
There is little one can offer in argument against that. Indeed, the Irish Aer Corps has not a single fighter, fighter-bomber or bomber aircraft in service. There is a handful of helicopters, a couple of fixed-wing aircraft, and the two government jets (which are operated by military pilots).

One has indeed to ask if this organisation, which once operated a complete squadron of fighters, is still fit for purpose.
Perhaps not, and one should seriously contemplate a merger of Naval Service and Aer Corps into an efficient Coast Guard.

There is also a significant question mark hanging over the Army, with about 8,500 personnel the largest of the three IDF branches. People usually know that several units of the Irish Army are serving with UN peacekeeping forces in various parts of the world. They have been doing this since 1960, when a large Irish contingent (from the 32nd Battalion, commanded by Lt.Col. Murt Buckley) was sent to the newly established African state (and former Belgian colony) of Congo (Leopoldville)*.
Over the decades Irish troops, serving with the UN and wearing its blue helmets and berets, have become very popular and respected in the areas they policed. This goes especially for Cyprus and South Lebanon, where IDF contingents served under UN command for many years.

More recently Irish peacekeepers were sent to the newly independent East Timor (1999-2000) and to Liberia (2003-2006). In both deployments the Army Ranger Wing - Ireland's 50-strong special forces unit - played a significant role in operations.

And for the past two years up to 500 Irish soldiers - 17% of the entire army - have been the core unit of EUFOR Chad/CAR, the EU peacekeeping and peace-enforcing command based in Chad, which is controlled directly by the European Union and in support of multi-national humanitarian operations in both Chad and Darfur (a large province of Sudan). Until his recent retirement, Lt.Gen. Pat Nash (above) - formerly GOC of the 1 Southern Brigade in Cork - was the overall commander of this force.

But as much as Irish troops have established a good name for themselves and for Ireland in far-away places, one has to ask if the only duty of our Army is to provide soldiers for the UN? Or is there a further and deeper purpose for the Army, much closer to home?

Well, as far as the general public knows, the only visible duty our Army performs inside the country is armed escort for private money transports (aka 'cash in transit'). One can see the olive-green range-rovers packed with armed men in battledress almost everywhere in Ireland when a bank receives a delivery of money.
Apart from that the Army is pretty invisible and absent from most people's minds. Unless one lives in a garrison town and close to the barracks, one has hardly ever any contact with the military.

Like most countries without a national service, Ireland has a small professional defence force, entirely staffed by volunteers, for whom this is a job like any other. Well, perhaps not like any other, but the attitude here is that it is a job, and not a national duty.

The only people who know what is going on inside the IDF are those who belong to the service, plus their families and relatives, who usually get at least some idea. For the rest of the country, the vast majority of the Irish nation, the IDF, its structure, mission and duties are a complete enigma.

There are even people who wonder if Ireland needs an army at all. Well, the questions makes some sense, since we are an island nation with - at present - no hostile neighbours and no main threat against us from anywhere. We are simply much too nice a people to become targets for wars or invasions now.

This was of course not always so. During the 9th and 10th centuries the Vikings raided the island regularly, before deciding that it is actually a great place to settle. In the late 12th century the Normans invaded us and took over the country. Their control led to the rule of the English, and thus to 750 years of foreign occupation and oppression.

And it is only 40 years that 'the Troubles' in the North began, leading to massive deployments of British troops and to more than 3000 people killed on both sides of the conflict.

Nowadays we don't think of that much longer. Now we have the 'peace process' and a power-sharing administration in Belfast.
Well, I often wondered what a 'peace process' actually is, apart from a nice sounding word. It is a bit of a contradiction, because either there is peace, or not. In the latter case we are at war. But a 'peace process'? That's neither fish nor flesh, not here nor there, and as impossible as being 'a little bit pregnant'.

Personally I think and believe that there is little chance for a return of widespread violence to the Six Counties. The period of ceasefires and power-sharing has lasted too long now, and too many people from both communities are too much involved. They, and many more, would have to pay a price much too high to contemplate if they would return to civil war and street fighting.

So, what is the Army of the Republic for? We have no longer any enemies, and no-one is planning to invade us. Maybe the pacifists are right, and we could as well abolish our Army under these circumstances?

Well, if the current government and its advisors keep going along the road they have been travelling on for nearly two decades, the Irish Army will eventually disappear quietly.
20 years ago its strength was roundabout 16,500. Then a 'defence review' reduced it to first 14,000 and eventually 12,500.
Not long after that the then Minister for Defence Michael Smith (Fianna Fáil) had the idea of employing a company of civilian consultants to 're-structure and reform' the Army. The result was a White Paper which insulted every serving Irish soldier, and which cut the Army's strength even further, to 9,500 (and thus for the first time below the crucial 10,000-mark).

Meanwhile we stand at a grand total of 8,500. In practical terms this means that at any given time less than 5,000 soldiers would be available to defend the country or deal with a major emergency, if it occurred. (The rest of the Army is either serving abroad, in transit, in training for a foreign mission, on special courses, on holidays or on sick leave.)

If the government follows the recommendations of 'An Bord Snip (Nua)', then we will soon be below 8,000 active Army personnel, which means that just a little over 4,000 soldiers would be on stand-by in Ireland, in case they are needed. This is slightly more than one brigade. (The current Army structure has three brigades.)

Most people may think that this is still more than enough in a country with no threat or enemy, but in fact it is not. Armies have a peculiar structure, which means that their efficiency depends on a 'critical mass' of soldiers in a state of permanent readiness. The larger the overall force is, the easier this 'critical mass' can be achieved. But when the strength of an army falls below the 'natural defence level', which is a quarter of one percent of the population, it is very difficult and almost impossible to achieve efficient defence readiness.
With Ireland's population - not counting foreigners for this purpose - at about 4 million, the 'natural defence level' of our Army is 10,000. For more than a decade we are already 15% below this level, and now it is supposed to be cut even further.

Which means that the Irish Army is now only useful for UN operations abroad, for which the relevant units undergo a special training. But at home we have an Army only by name, but not a force that could act and react with efficiency and expectation of success.
For the past twenty years successive Fianna Fáil governments have reduced the Irish Army more and more, to the point that it is becoming useless. Perhaps not quite as useless as the government, but coming close.

Since our soldiers and officers are better paid than their comrades in many other countries, and our Chief of Staff gets more money than his counterpart in the UK, the Army would indeed be a great cost-cutting chance in a recession. If the government indeed does not want an army - and all the indications point in this direction - then it would be only fair to say so openly.

Costa Rica and Iceland, two other neutral countries with small populations, have not had an army for decades and are doing fine. They have not been attacked, invaded or drawn into a war.

We could save a large amount of money if we would abolish the Army - and the Department of Defence with it - and be as peaceful and neutral as we always pretend to be. Naval Service and Aer Corps could be amalgamated into a new and strengthened Coast Guard, which could also have some land-based units. It should be governed by a restored Dept. of the Marine, which should also get responsibility for Fishing and Natural Resources.

I bet a good sum of money that - if we would go ahead and abolished the Army - hardly anyone in Ireland would miss it. The places where it would be missed are the UN HQ in New York and the deserts and refugee camps of Chad and Sudan.

The Emerald Islander

* After being renamed Zaire (by President Mobuto) for some time, the country has changed its name again and is now known as the 'Democratic Republic of Congo' (DRC).
After nearly 50 years of nominal independence, it is still one of the most unstable and war-torn countries on Earth, and still has a large UN force stationed there. However, at present Ireland is not contributing to this force.

You don't get much Sleep at Sea

2009-07-17T07:55:00.021+01:00

Fatigue has become a major issue in the shipping industry, and it has been a contributory factor in too many maritime accidents. Some of them were very serious and have cost lives, or done major damage to the environment.

The European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA) reported that 754 vessels were involved in 670 accidents last year alone, and 82 seafarers lost their lives as a result.

There is almost no day in the year without some shipping accident somewhere on this planet. Fortunately the majority of them are minor incidents that never make the headlines. But those who do are usually shocking, and would often have been avoidable.

The European Commission has now launched a major research project to study the effects of fatigue on seafarers.

This research will take two-and-a-half years to complete and cost € 4 million, a rather small sum I would think, if one keeps in mind how large the costs of major shipping accidents are.
Scientists and maritime experts will now study in detail the work and rest patterns of deck officers, engineers and all other members of ships' crews, concentrating in particular on watch-keeping, which has become an increasing concern.

Having spent many years at sea myself, I know only too well that this is a very important and crucial element. Most naval vessels operate a two-watch system, which means that at any given time about half of the crew is on duty - running the ship and operating all its departments and elements - while the other half is off duty, with free time for rest and recreation.
Every four hours they change roles (with the exception of two 'dog watches' in the late afternoon and early evening, which last only two hours and have the purpose to prevent the same people from being on duty always at the same hours each day).

This means that the longest period of uninterrupted sleep any crew member in a naval vessel at sea can enjoy is about 3 1/2 hours. In comparison, most people on dry land have - and need - at least 8 hours.
So the matter of tiredness, often combined with lack of attention and concentration deficit, is a well-known problem at sea. And the longer a ship or vessel is away from a port, the more fatigue has been identified as a major safety issue.

Many civilian vessels and merchant ships do not (or no longer) operate two-watch systems with four-hour-long watches. They have adopted more sleep-friendly systems, such as watches of six or even eight hours duration, especially on very large vessels like the modern super tankers. This sounds almost like a working day on shore, except that being at sea is a lot more demanding than sitting in an office on dry land. (Being at sea - a constantly moving surface - demands an extra 2000 calories of energy in 24 hours from every person, regardless what kind of work is done.)

Seafaring has also other special elements not found in land-based jobs. Crews work and rest in the same space, which is usually quite small. And being at sea also limits the amount of possible activities a person can have. There is a considerable strain on every sailor's social life, which also has affects on people's mental and emotional conditions.

There are increasing demands from trade unions and safety organisations that the problems created by fatigue and long watch duties must be addressed.
The increasing concerns about safety have now brought ship owners, trade unions, marine insurance companies and safety organisations throughout Europe together into a joint venture operation. They all are supporting the 30-month-long EU research project, and one can only hope that the findings will lead to improvements and eventually enable modern seafarers to live a more 'normal' life than hundreds of generations of sailors before them.

I never slept more than 3 1/2 hours at one time when I was at sea (often even less) and rarely managed to have more than one spell of sleep within 24 hours (being first in charge of signals and later executive officer and captain). Somehow I was lucky that it did not affect me in a negative way. In fact, even now - many years after I retired from the Navy - I sleep not more than 3 or 4 hours each night. Over all the years at sea my biological clock got set to that, and my body is used to it. For me it is rather beneficial, giving me more time than most people have, time to do things like writing this weblog.

But I also know people, among them a good friend of many years, who found service at sea extremely difficult. They were often tired, fatigued and lacked concentration, and some of them even developed further illnesses due to lack of energy reserves.

71% of our planet is covered by oceans and seas, and shipping is still the most important kind of mass transport in the world. Until engineers develop a way to sail ships automatically, by remote control and without the need for a crew, there will always be seafarers.
Although their number is now much smaller than it was during earlier centuries, when we had huge fleets under sails, seafarers are still a large and important group of people. We depend on them and their ships for many of our daily supplies (which is even more important for an island nation like Ireland). So we should perhaps take a little more notice of the seafaring community, and I am glad that the EU is doing it with the research into fatigue at sea.

The Emerald Islander

1 Million People in Ireland may get 'Swine Flu'

2009-07-16T21:16:00.004+01:00

The Department of Health is warning that up to 1 million people in Ireland could become infected with influenza A (type H1N1) - popularly called 'swine flu' - over the autumn and winter of this year.

The department's Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Tony Holohan (left), has sent a letter to all GPs and other medical professionals, alerting them to the fact that up to 25% of the population could catch the virus.
This would put significant strain on Irish family doctors, hospitals and intensive care facilities.

The letter was co-signed by Dr. Patrick Doorley, the National Director of Population Health, who told a conference in Dublin today that the anti-viral medicine 'Tamiflu', which is used to treat 'swine flu' symptoms, will be available in pharmacies in Ireland from tomorrow.

So far 144 people in Ireland are known to have contracted 'swine flu', which began to spread in Mexico during April of this year. (for more information see my entry of May 3rd)

The World Health Organisation (WHO) is meanwhile warning that the flu virus is "unstoppable" and its Director General, Dr. Margaret Chan (right), indicated that the availability of a vaccine may be further away than had been anticipated.
Information from clinical trials is expected not to be available for another two or three months, and experts say that a new vaccine for the H1N1 influenza may not be ready until October.

Apart from Mexico, where the current epidemic started, the most affected countries so far are the USA and Britain.
I am no medical expert, but I wonder if the unhealthy living conditions and the very unhealthy lifestyle in the English-speaking countries might be contributing factors.

I am also trying not to make jokes in bad taste. But if Ireland would indeed see one in four of its residents being infected with 'swine flu' this year, the long-established nick name of our Minister for Health would become even more fitting than it is already.
Mary Harney (above) is for many years known as 'Miss Piggy'.

The Emerald Islander

'Bord Snip' - The List of Recommendations

2009-07-16T15:29:00.014+01:00

The 'Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes' has identified € 5.3 billion in potential public sector savings. The group's full report, which fills 80 pages - plus over 200 pages of appendices - has just been published. It recommends 17,300 job cuts in Ireland's public services, a 5% reduction of all social welfare payments and a lot more.

'An Bord Snip (Nua)', as the group of four experts is popularly called, was chaired by the economist Prof. Colm McCarthy (photo, with the report) of University College Dublin (UCD), who said today that the Irish government was currently borrowing € 400 million per week and having to pay a substantial rate of interest on those borrowings. This could not continue.

The complete report, with all details and appendices, can be seen on the official website of the Department of Finance (which has already crashed owing to massive interest in the matter) or accessed through the website of Ireland's national broadcaster RTÉ (www.rte.ie).

In order to keep things to a manageable size, I will list here only the main proposals of 'An Bord Snip (Nua)', grouped together under each government department. This will give you the bulk of the recommendations.

Dept. of Social & Family Affairs
* Cuts to all social welfare payments by 5% - Saving: € 850 million
* Reduction and changes to child benefit - Saving: € 513 million
* An end to receiving two welfare payments - Saving: € 100 million
* An end to payments for Community Employment Schemes for those already on benefits - Saving: € 100 million
* Cutting benefits for dental, optical and hearing services - Saving: € 92 million
* Grading of jobseekers allowance by age - Saving: € 70 million
* Cutting the Family Support Agency - Saving: € 30 million
* Changing eligibility for Family Income Supplement - Saving: € 20 million
* Taxing household benefits package - Saving: € 11.6 million

Staff cuts: none - Total savings: € 1.8 billion

Dept. of Health and Children
* Reduce the size of the Department by 10% per year over the next three years - Saving: € 11 million
* Reductions of HSE staff - Saving: € 391.3 million
* Revise the income guidelines for the Medical Card to the basic rate of social welfare, which is the jobseekers allowance - Saving: € 100 million
* Increase the threshold for the Drugs Payment Scheme from € 100 to € 125 a month - Saving: € 37 million
* Those previously receiving free prescriptions must now pay € 5 for each prescription - Saving: € 70 million
* Hold an open competition to provide services under the General Medical Services scheme - Saving: € 370 million
* Increase Hospital Charges - Saving: € 6 million
* Increase charges for private facilities in public hospitals by 20% - Saving: € 50 million
* Hospitals and clinicians must provide generic medicines, off-patent drugs and value-for-money treatments - Saving: € 30 million
* Changes to agencies and organisations in the disability and mental health area which receive State funding - Saving: € 50 million
* Changes to the Fair Deal scheme with the individual to contribute more to nursing home care from their own residence - Saving: € 50 million
* Means test for Homecare packages - Saving: € 24 million

Staff cuts: 540 - Total savings: € 1.2 billion

Dept. of Education & Science
* Staff and pay cuts in primary and post primary schools - Saving: € 150 million
* Staff cuts at third level - Saving: € 140 million
* Cuts to number of special needs assistants and English language support teachers - Saving: € 81 million
* Increased pupil teacher ratio at primary and post primary - Saving: € 80 million
* Change to student support grant - Saving: € 70 million
* Cuts to capitation grants for primary and post primary schools - Saving: € 25 million
* Cuts to research and development - Saving: € 27.5 million
* Cuts to grants for private schools - Saving: € 25 million
* Merging of smaller primary schools - Saving: € 25 million
* Cuts to school transport - Saving: € 25 million
* Integration of senior travelling training - Saving: € 25 million
* Cuts to third level structures - Saving: € 23.7 million

Staff cuts: 6,390 - Total savings: € 746 million

Dept. of Agriculture
* Reduce expenditure on the Disadvantaged Area Compensatory Allowance Scheme by 30% - Saving: € 66 million
* Terminate the Suckler Cow Scheme - Saving: € 44 million
* Close REPS 4 and no rollover from REPS 2 and 3 into REPS 4 - Saving: € 80 million
* Reduce Teagasc staff numbers, rationalise Teagasc and Dept. offices - Saving: € 37 million

Staff cuts: 1,140 - Total savings: € 305 million

Dept. of Enterprise, Trade & Employment
* Merge the regional offices and shared services of Enterprise Ireland, IDA and FÁS - Saving: € 87 million
* A single reduced funding stream for all science, technology & innovation activities across all departments - Saving: € 53 million
* Streamline all support of Irish enterprises and marketing functions in Enterprise Ireland - Saving: € 10 million
* Stop funding the FÁS Services to Business and Skillnets programmes - Saving: € 27 million
* Cuts to training allowances for the unemployed - Saving: € 24.5 million

Staff cuts: 594 - Total savings: € 237.7 million

Dept. of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs
* Cuts to Community Services Programmes - Saving: € 64 million
* Cuts to Gaeltacht Schemes - Saving: € 20.8 million
* Cuts to islands infrastructure - Saving: € 20 million

Staff cuts: 196 - Total savings: € 151 million

In a separate suggestion it is recommended to abolish this department and allocate its functions to other government departments.

Dept. of Environment, Heritage & Local Government
* Cuts to local government including an end to 12 county or town councils - Saving: € 100 million
* Further efficiencies - Saving: € 30 million

Staff cuts: 30 - Total savings: € 130 million

Dept. of Transport
* Efficiencies among CIE companies - Saving: € 55 million
* Cuts to road maintenance - Saving: € 20 million
* Cuts to regional air services - Saving: € 15 million
* Axing the Rural Transport Scheme - Saving: € 11 million
* Outsourcing of driver and vehicle testing - Saving: € 10 million
* Cuts to the Road Saferty Authority - Saving: € 4.2 million
* Merging the National Roads Authority and the Railway Procurement Agency - Saving: € 3 million
* Merging the National Vehicle and Driver File into the Road Safety Authority - Saving: € 2 million

Staff cuts: 80 - Total savings: € 127.1 million

Dept. of Arts, Sports & Tourism
* Cuts in allocation to tourism and marketing - Saving: € 27 million
* Cut in grant to Sports Council - Saving: € 17.7 million
* Cut allocation to Horse and Greyhound Fund - Saving: € 16.4 million

Staff cuts: 170 - Total savings: € 104.8 million

Dept. of Justice, Equality & Law Reform
* Cuts to pay and allowances for justice sector staff - including Gardai - Saving: € 65 million
* Cuts to the courts service - Saving: € 13.5 million
* Cuts in immigration staff - Saving: € 10 million
* Transfer disability functions of department to Department of Health - Saving: € 2.6 million
* Cuts to Youth Detention Centres - Saving: € 2.5 million

Staff cuts: 540 - Total savings: € 136.4 million

Dept. of Communications, Energy & Natural Resources
* Cuts to energy efficiency schemes run by Sustainable Energy Ireland - Saving: € 40 million
* Cuts to direct funding to TG4 - to be partially funded from licence fee - Saving: € 10 million

Staff cuts: 106 - Total savings: € 65.6 million

Dept. of Defence
* Measures including a reduction in Defence Forces personnel by more than 500

Staff cuts: 520 - Total savings: € 53 million

Dept. of Finance
* Cuts to the Office of Public Works - reducing spare capacity and rental costs - Saving: € 21 million

Staff cuts: 660 - Total savings: € 82.8 million

Dept. of Foreign Affairs
* Cuts to overseas missions - Saving: € 15 million
* Cuts to overseas aid - Saving: € 14.8 million
* Cuts to Support for Irish Emigrants - Saving: € 1 million

Staff cuts: 65 - Total savings: € 41.7 million

Houses of the Oireachtas Commission
* Changes to some operations - Saving: € 6 million
* Cuts to Oireachtas Allowances and Benefits - Saving: € 1.5 million

Staff cuts: 42 - Total savings: € 7.8 million

National Treasury Management Agency
* Reduce staff and other administrative costs - Saving: € 5.3 million
* Changes at the State Claims Agency, including payment schemes, legal fees and risk management services

Staff cuts: 40 - Total savings: € 5.3 million

Dept. of the Taoiseach
* An end to the National Economic & Social Development Organisation - except for the National Economic & Social Council - Saving: € 4 million
* Axing the Law Reform Commission - Saving: € 2.8 million
* Cuts to the cost of Census 2011 - Saving: € 2.2 million

Staff cuts: 77 - Total savings: € 17.5 million

Total staff cuts: 17,300 - Total savings: € 5.3 billion

These are the facts and figures, for everyone to see and to peruse. I am going to read the whole document now again, analyse the details, and will later provide you with my comments and suggestions.

The Emerald Islander

ESRI sees Scope for Public Sector Pay Cuts

2009-07-16T12:21:00.002+01:00

The Economic & Social Research Institute (ESRI) in Dublin has stated that there is "scope for further pay cuts in the public sector" in Ireland.

In its latest quarterly study, the ESRI forecasts that the Irish economy will contract by 9% this year, and by a further 2.3% in 2010.

The national rate of unemployment will average 12.5% this year and is expected to soar to over 16% next year.

Unemployment among foreign-national workers has also risen sizeably, particularly compared to Irish workers, but a substantial number are nevertheless choosing to remain in Ireland.

ESRI analysts Alan Barrett, Ide Kearney and Jean Goggin expect that while the economy "may stop contracting in mid-2010", a return to growth will be "anaemic".

However, the grim report is not as bad as earlier forecasts, due to an estimated 40,000 people emigrating and others withdrawing from the labour force, possibly into education.

On pay, the ESRI says there is "scope for further public sector pay cuts", which were preferable to cutting jobs or services. It concludes that the recession will last until the end of next year.

Public sector unions have rejected the findings of the ESRI report.

Jack O'Connor (right), the General President of Ireland's largest trade union SIPTU, said "the ESRI has become a mouthpiece for the policies of the establishment".

In a statement, he argued that "pay cuts will solve nothing". "They will actually exacerbate the downward trend by further reinforcing the deflationary spiral," he added.

'Bord Snip' Report to be published today

2009-07-16T08:29:00.008+01:00

The full report of the 'Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes', set up by the Irish government to identify possible savings in the public service, will be published at 2pm today.

The Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan (left), who commissioned the spending review, submitted its recommendations to the Cabinet yesterday (see yesterday's entry below) and the minsters had a brief discussion on details.
But there were no decisions on the implementations of the report made at yesterday's government meeting.

Lenihan, who is looking for savings of up to € 5 billion in next year's Budget to balance his books, is optimistic that the recommendations of 'An Bord Snip (Nua)' - as it is popularly called - will help him to reach this target.

He said yesterday that "the report will give an exact figure for the number of surplus staff in the public service", and that they "can be dealt with over time with minimal disruption".

There have already been plenty of leaks regarding the actual recommendations, and Ireland's three national daily newspapers have long articles on the matter.

One of the core points mentioned is the abolition of the Department for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, which would be a very reasonable step and long overdue. Ireland must be the only country in the world with the senseless luxury of having a full government department for an arcane and unpopular fringe language that is hardly ever used by anyone in daily life (despite the fact that every Irish child is forced to learn it in school for 12 years).

Other elements from the report mentioned in newspapers this morning are the suggestions to merge local government authorities, in particular the County Councils of counties Carlow and Kilkenny, and counties Sligo and Leitrim.

RTÉ Radio 1 will extend its 1pm news programme (normally 45 minutes long) today until 3pm, in order to cover the publication of the report and offer a first analysis and discussion of its many recommendations. (People who live abroad and are interested in listening to this programme are able to access it online, via the RTÉ website at www.rte.ie)

I will also write a further entry on this matter and offer my own analysis and comments as soon as all the facts and details are public knowledge. So you might want to come back this evening for more material on 'An Bord Snip (Nua)'.

The Emerald Islander

Family Tragedy on the West Cork Coast

2009-07-15T21:10:00.011+01:00

Divers from the Irish Naval Service, searching for a missing Polish man and his 13-year-old son off the coast of West Cork, have found and recovered a body near the Natural Arch, just south of Cod's Head.

The body has meanwhile been identified as that of the missing man, 40-year-old Piotr Latek. His son Matthias is still missing, and there is little hope to find him alive. The search for him has now been suspended for the night and will resume tomorrow morning.

Mr. Latek had been living in the area for about two years and was employed as a baker at the Breadcrumb Bakery in Kenmare, Co. Cork, while his wife and only son Matthias had remained in his native Poland.

A few days ago Matthias had arrived in Ireland to spend the summer holidays with his father. According to local sources, the two left Kenmare on Sunday morning in Mr. Latek's car to go on a fishing trip to the West Cork coast.

It is believed that they first did some fishing close to Kenmare, but then drove further down the coastal road towards Castletownbere and later to Allihies.

When local people noticed that they had not returned, an alarm was raised yesterday morning. Gardaí, the Coast Guard, lifeboats and local emergency services began a search of the area and soon found Mr. Latek's car, empty and parked at the entrance to a pathway, leading towards the dangerous rocks at Cod's Head, a very remote and exposed part of the rugged coastline.

Later some angling equipment - identified as belonging to Mr. Latek - was found on the rocks. But there was no sign of the missing father and son.

The search continued all day yesterday, but the Coast Guard became ever more doubtful that they would find the two missing Poles alive, two days after they had disappeared.

It is thought the father and son may have been swept from the rocks at Cod's Head in high winds and rough sea conditions.

John Falvey of the Coast Guard station on Valentia Island said that Gardaí and the emergency services were only alerted on Tuesday morning, and that on Sunday the conditions in the Cod's Head area were "windy, with strong gusts and high seas".

This morning a team of divers from the Naval Service joined the search and found the body of Mr. Latek in the water.
They will continue looking for 13-year-old Matthias Latek in the morning, but with almost no hope now to find him alive after four days.

The tragic death of Piotr Latek and presumed death of his young son has deeply shocked the local community in Kenmare and along the coast of West Cork. Accidents like this are quite rare, but they do occur from time to time, mostly when people unfamiliar with the terrain and the rough conditions on the rugged coastline are surprised by severe weather.

Meanwhile the dead man's father has arrived in Ireland, and his wife is expected tomorrow.

ECA accepts Pay Rise for Electricians

2009-07-15T20:53:00.001+01:00

The Irish Electrical Contractors' Association (ECA) has decided to accept the Labour Court's recommendation in the dispute between electricians and their employers.

The court recommended a 4.9% phased increase in pay, which would be phased in by means of a 2.5% increase in September, with the remaining 2.4% introduced on January 1st, 2010.

The Association of Electrical Contractors of Ireland (AECI), which represents around 200 smaller electrical contractors, is due to meet in Portlaoise, Co. Laois on Saturday to consider its response to the recommendation.

Around 10,000 electricians returned to work on Monday after a week-long nation-wide strike that disrupted work at hundreds of construction sites in Ireland. (see also my entries of July 6th & July 13th)

Cabinet is discussing 'Bord Snip' Report

2009-07-15T11:43:00.017+01:00

Today the Irish Cabinet is discussing the long awaited report from the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, which is looking for possible cuts in the public sector, in order to overcome the current financial crisis and state deficit.

The four-men-strong team - popularly called 'An Bord Snip (Nua)', is led by the well-known economist Colm McCarthy (left) of University College Dublin (UCD), who has headed a similar review group in the past (under the then Taoiseach Charles J. Haughey) and contributed greatly to the cost-cutting and streamlining measures made then.

Individual ministers have already an idea how the report, which was originally expected at the begin of the month, will affect their departments. But once the Cabinet has seen and discussed it, the likelihood is much greater that details from the report could be leaked to the media.

So a decision to publish the report in full within days seems to be a foregone conclusion, despite worries about the effect it might have on public opinion in general and on a special Green Party conference to be held this weekend in particular.

Possible recommendations by 'An Bord Snip (Nua)' could include the break-up of the long obsolete Department of Community, Rural & Gaeltacht Affairs - currently headed by Eamon Ó Cuív (right), the last member of the De Valera clan with Cabinet rank - and the redistribution of other ministerial responsibilities.

This would not only make sense, it would be - in my opinion - an already overdue step to reform the structure of our government. We also need a reform of the Civil Service and of the whole political and voting system.

Trying to solve the problems of the 21st century with the tools and methods of the 20th - and even 19th - century will not work and only lead to more problems and further decline. The current government is very unpopular, and for good reasons. But if it has the courage to tackle the problem of political and system reform head-on, it might gain new and strong support, some of it from perhaps unexpected quarters.

The Emerald Islander

Seanad passes Criminal Justice Bill

2009-07-15T08:20:00.012+01:00

Ireland's new Criminal Justice (Amendment) Bill, which has been criticised by various opposition politicians and members of the legal profession, has passed all stages in the Seanad last night.

The Bill, which - among other elements - introduces new forms of non-jury trials for members of organised crime gangs and excludes lawyers from certain procedures, was debated in the Upper House of the Oireachtas for eight hours yesterday and finally passed at 11.30pm.

Despite objections from Fine Gael at the handling of the Bill from the outset, they supported its passage in the end, while the Labour Party, Sinn Féin and some Independent Senators opposed it.

Of the 58 Senators (two seats are currently vacant) only 42 voted on the Bill, and the result was 37:5 in favour.

In an unexpected and rather surprising move, the two Green Party Senators Dan Boyle and Déirdre de Búrca - who are part of the government and were appointed to the Seanad by Bertie Ahern as part of the coalition agreement - abstained during the final vote.
Earlier, they also voted against a government motion to proceed with the report stage last night.

Dan Boyle (left), who is also party president of the Greens, had previously expressed reservations about the Bill, but he told the Seanad that he "reluctantly" supported it.
Nevertheless Boyle and his colleague decided at the last minute to abstain.

In a statement issued this morning, Eamon Ryan - Minister for Communication, Energy & Natural Resources - has supported the abstention of his two party colleagues, without going into further details on the matter.

I wonder if last night's decision by the Senators not to support the government of which they are part is the first public sign of the end of the coalition.
As the Bill was supported by Fine Gael, the government was not in danger to lose the vote. So the abstention of the two Green Senators made really no difference to the result and could be seen as a rather cheap option for them.
However, there has been serious Green rumbling, especially from Dan Boyle, in recent months and the condition of the government coalition is anything but sound or healthy.

Speaking after the Seanad vote, the Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern (right) said it was important that "the Bill the people support" was passed before both Houses of the Oireachtas go on holidays. He hopes the Bill will be signed into law "in the not too distant future".

If this is going to happen remains to be seen, as it has been suggested that President Mary McAleese might refer it to test its constitutionality.

There is also a strong possibility that a group of lawyers, who are unhappy with parts of the Bill, might challenge it in the Supreme Court on grounds of being unconstitutional.

While the people who suffer on a daily basis at the hands of organised crime gangs - especially in parts of Dublin and in Limerick - cannot wait to see the Bill becoming law, one should not ignore the concerns of legal experts and professionals, who have to deal with it in practice.
There is no doubt that we need to tackle the ever growing problem of organised crime in Ireland, but it has to be done properly, within the framework of the law and without turning to draconian and unconstitutional measures.

There has always been crime in Ireland, as everywhere else. And some of it has been organised in various ways.
But during the eleven years Bertie Ahern (left) was Taoiseach, the number of crime gangs in Ireland has risen massively and their activities have reached unseen and unacceptable dimensions.
Ahern's ignorance and his reluctance to even go near the problem is one of the reasons for the spreading and influence of organised crime in Ireland.
There are many people who regard Bertie Ahern as a crook and even a criminal, so one has to wonder if his own problems with legal matters of various kinds might have prevented him from being tough on organised crime...

I am not a lawyer, but fairly familiar with matters of the State. And I wonder why the already existing 'Offences against the State Act', which was introduced to face the threat from politically motivated terrorist groups, could not be extended and used against those who terrorise people and threaten the existence of the State through purely criminal acts, motivated by greed and selfishness.

The Emerald Islander

Green Party wobbles over third-level Fees

2009-07-13T23:41:00.004+01:00

Ireland's Green Party has denied that it has done a U-turn on the issue of third-level education fees.

The junior partner in the current government coalition responded to an accusation from the Labour Party's education spokesman (and former Minister for Finance) Ruairi Quinn (above left), following the comments the Minister for Communication, Energy & Natural Resources (and Green Party TD) Eamon Ryan (below right) made on the RTÉ programme 'The Week in Politics'.

After a day with various conflicting statements from the Green Party, an official spokesperson at their head office said tonight that they were "still opposed to the return of fees", but that they would "look at the Minister for Education's proposals as outlined in a document for the Cabinet".

In the RTÉ interview Eamon Ryan had indicated his support for the return of third-level fees that would involve a loan scheme for students.
Under this scheme, graduates would pay back a portion of their college fees once their income is above a set limit.

The Education Minister Batt O'Keeffe (left), a staunch and quite old-fashioned Fianna Fáil politician and uncritical supporter of Taoiseach Brian Cowen, is expected to outline several options for third-level education funding shortly.

But whatever he will propose, it means a big step backwards in the national education system.
And if the Green Party is really going to support the proposal, it also means another breach of their promises to the Irish voters.

It is a long time now that the Green Party was a sensible force for change and promoter of many worthwhile alternative policies. They have sold their soul, principles and beliefs for two seats in the cabinet and a junior minister's job, and in only two years they mutated from Fianna Fáil's harshest critics to Fianna Fáil's tame poodles. What a change... and so typically Irish!

A phrase by the great satirist, Dean Jonathan Swift, comes to mind: "Any Irishman will happily sell his mother for a shilling and throw his sister into the bargain for sixpence..."

The Emerald Islander

Irish School Bus Fees to rise by 79%!!!

2009-07-13T18:41:00.014+01:00

Bus Éireann, our inefficient and state-owned national bus company, has announced an increase of their school bus fares by a staggering 79% (!!!) from the start of the new school year. This is another outrage in a long list of scandals involving public transport in this country.

Until June the annual fee for secondary school pupils who use the official school bus service was € 168 a year, which is already more than enough, since the scheme is supported by the Department of Education. The new rate will now be € 300 (!!!) per school year, which is indeed and rise of 79% (!!!) in one step. And this comes during the worst recession the country has ever experienced in its 90-year history under various forms of self-rule (since 1919).

What might be the justification for such an enormous increase? There is none.

But the scandalous decision shows once more that the incompetent and overpaid management of Bus Éireann lives on an entirely different planet, a place I call 'Planet Greed'.
I think they need their mental capacity examined by a good psychiatrist!

And who made the decision? Surely the relevant ministers - Batt O'Keeffe (Education - left) and Noel Dempsey (Transport - below right) - must have been involved in a step of such magnitude.

Both ministers are not seen as competent and effective leaders of their departments, and this is only another example how the Irish state robs and rips-off its citizens in the most shameless and scandalous way wherever and whenever possible.

Parents affected by this official highway robbery should protest immediately and - if the rise is not cancelled - they should boycott the scheme and keep their children at home.

When one is faced with a completely incompetent but immensely greedy government that clings to power at all costs in times of severe economic depression and serious financial crisis, the only way to achieve some change is people power. If we don't use it, we will be robbed ever more, while the country as a whole goes to the dogs.

The Emerald Islander

Irish Electricians return to Work

2009-07-13T11:10:00.011+01:00

Thousands of Irish electricians have returned to their work this morning after the Labour Court recommended that they should receive a 4.9% pay rise.

The Technical, Engineering & Electrical Union (TEEU), which represents most of the electricians, suspended its week-long strike after holding an executive meeting at their head office in Dublin yesterday.

Last Monday morning at 5.30am the strike began with TEEU pickets (photo left) being placed at hundreds of construction sites all across the country. (see my entry of July 6th)
The industrial action, which was the first major strike in Ireland in years, disrupted the work on many buildings, including landmark projects such as Terminal 2 at Dublin Airport and the new national Football and Rugby stadium on Dublin's Lansdowne Road. And - to the delight of the local Shell to Sea protest group - there were TEEU pickets also at the controversial Shell gas refinery at Bellanaboy in northern Co. Mayo.

There was strong support for the strike from almost all Irish electricians, and also a predominantly positive reaction to it from the media and the general population. Only the leaders of employers' organisations, such as former PD party president and junior minister Tom Parlon (photo right), who became the Director General of the Construction Industry Federation (CIF) only weeks after he lost his seat in the Dáil (and with it his ministerial job) in the 2007 general election, were strongly opposed to the electricians' strike. Tom Parlon used the most offensive language of all the industry leaders, calling the TEEU "a bunch of lunatics" in an interview with Pat Kenny on RTÉ Radio 1.

Now that the Labour Court has spoken, the dispute should be settled. But the employers, whose attempt to con the electricians out of an agreed deal and impose a 10% pay cut on top of it, have not yet responded to the Labour Court recommendation. It will be their decision if normality is to return to the industry, or if there will be more industrial action.

The TEEU has warned that it will consider reintroducing the strike if employers do not accept the pay rise. And in my opinion they are quite right to keep this option open. We have seen what the likes of Tom Parlon have done to the country, and now they want to do even more damage by reducing workers' pay, while they themselves go home with large salaries each month. There is already a deep divide between rich and poor in Ireland, and if we let the employers make this rift even wider, all we will get in return is more unemployment and considerable social unrest.

The Emerald Islander