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

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)

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

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

NBRU prepares for Strike at Bus Éireann

Ireland's National Bus and Rail Union (NRBU) is expected to serve a strike notice on Bus Éireann over the state company's € 30 million cost cutting plan.

This follows Bus Éireann's announcement that it intends - despite opposition from its own staff and trade unions - to implement the plan which includes cuts in services as well as redundancies, from Monday, June 29th.

The company says that its passenger numbers are "well down by 10%" and that it is now "losing more than € 500,000 a week". Thus it must address its financial situation "urgently".

Maybe it is because we live on an island, or perhaps it is just the ignorance of the management of
Bus Éireann and its parent company CIÉ - as well as their political master - that makes them so short-sighted and pigheaded. There is - to my knowledge - no public transport system in Europe that is not subsidised by the government of its country. This is seen as quite normal, a price well worth paying to provide proper public transport to all of a nation's people.

Even in Britain, where most of the public transport system was privatised under the last Tory government, subsidies are paid. (The only difference there is that the subsidy money from the taxpayers' contributions is now paid to private companies running a confusing system of many different 'franchises', while in the good old days the money went to a state-owned company.)

Only in Ireland politicians are daft enough to demand that state-owned public transport services have to make a profit, or at least not produce a deficit. They show again and again that they are completely out of touch with the rest of the nation, and have absolutely no idea of public service and public transport.
And - this has to be said - Bus Éireann's management is too spineless and self-serving to stand up to the politicians and make them aware of the realities on the ground.

Bus Éireann employs currently 2700 people, of whom around two thirds are bus drivers. It proposes to make 320 staff redundant, of which 220 are drivers.
And from July 5th it will "phase in" reductions or cuts in some services for which they say the demand is low.

Talks over the matter between Bus Éireann management and representatives of the NBRU and SIPTU (Ireland's largest trade union) were supposed to have concluded last Friday. However, on Wednesday the SIPTU delegates refused to attend, and thus the talks were cancelled.

SIPTU leaders accused Bus Éireann of failing to give details of voluntary redundancy terms, and to make permanent around fifty probationary drivers.

The NBRU will decide today what form of industrial action they intend to take, while SIPTU's position is not yet known. What is certain, however, is that we will see another summer with an industrial dispute in the nation's public transport sector.
Apart from the inconvenience this causes to all travellers, it will have a detrimental effect on the attempts to stabilise our dwindeling tourist numbers. Some years ago, when another strike by employees of the Irish railways lasted for most of the summer, it dealt a severe blow to tourism, which needed more than two years to recover from it.

It is bad enough that we are in a deep recession, made worse by the international financial crisis. But we Irish need to make things a lot more chaotic by creating industrial unrest on top of that. I think it was Jonathan Swift who said that if there is one Irishman roasted on a spit, it will surely be another Irishman turning the handle...
Seems that not much has changed since the days of the witty Dean and great satirical writer who gave us Gullivers Travels and the yahoos.

The Emerald Islander

UPDATE

As expected, representatives of the NBRU have this afternoon served a strike notice on Bus Éireann. SIPTU, which also represents bus drivers at the company, has warned management that it will ballot for industrial action as well if the proposed changes are implemented next week.

Dublin Bus Drivers return to Work

Drivers at Dublin Bus who have been on unofficial strike since Sunday have decided to return to work.

Eugene McDonagh, a member of the National Bus & Rail Union, told the media that a reduced service would operate for the remainder of the day, and a full schedule will operate again from tomorrow.

Earlier today Dublin Bus rejected a settlement proposal from drivers engaged in the unofficial strike at its Harristown depot (photo).

The dispute began on Sunday after a driver from the Harristown bus depot was suspended when he refused to work a new schedule. (see my entry of yesterday)
It is understood that the company has now lifted the suspension of this driver.

Dublin Bus declared that yesterday's strike action disrupted the movement of up to 150,000 passengers.

Bus Drivers to go on Strike over Job Cuts

Shop stewards from SIPTU, Ireland's largest trade union, decided that there will be an all-out strike at Dublin Bus from March 1st unless the company's management stops their proposed cost-cutting measures, which include job losses.
This could mean that there will be no buses at all in the capital for quite some time. The union made the decision yesterday, after receiving a clear mandate from its members.

In a statement Dublin Bus said it has "not yet received official notification of any industrial action by the drivers' unions".
It called the action "regrettable" but said it was "open to discussions" to try to resolve the matter before the end of the month.

Also yesterday drivers with Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus said they would mount a one-day strike on Saturday, February 28th in protest against 600 planned redundancies at the two state-owned bus companies.

A further two-day strike is planned for March 9th & 10th.

So if you are a user of public transport in Ireland, be prepared to go nowhere for quite some time.

Public Transport in Ireland deteriorates further as Bus Éireann implements Dempsey's Job Cuts

Bus Éireann, the national bus company and backbone of public transport in Ireland, is to cut 320 jobs, and its bus fleet will be reduced by 150 vehicles.
This decision of the company's management was conveyed to its 2700 employees earlier today.

Bus Éireann also outlined a 'cost effectiveness plan' with measures it says are "necessary to ensure its success in a very challenging economic environment".
In addition to the job cuts and reduction in its fleet, the plan also includes a pay freeze up to the end of 2009 as well as the deferring of payment of the terms of the Towards 2016 agreement.

In 2007 Bus Éireann made a profit of € 7 million, but last year it had losses of € 9 million, and that figure was projected to reach € 30 million in 2009.
The company says that "the unprecedented economic downturn" led to a 4% decrease in Bus Éireann customer numbers in 2008. It estimates that there will be a further 5% to 6% fall in passenger numbers in 2009.

Bus Éireann says it hopes that savings from the plan "will restore the company to a strong financial position" by the end of 2010.
This is, however, at best very optimistic and more likely completely unrealistic. How can one expect a consolidation of one's business with increased passenger numbers and solid profit when the number and quality of services is reduced, while the fares are rising at the same time? One really wonders on what planet the managers of Bus Éireann and its parent company CIÉ live...

Last week, Dublin Bus announced 290 job losses as part of a series of cost-cutting measures, which include also withdrawing 120 city buses, which is 10% of its fleet.
It said no routes will be removed, but some services would be "amalgamated" and that the frequency of buses would be "adjusted" in some areas.
Well, this is the same concept as in Bus Éireann, the idea that one can earn more money by offering less service for more money.

There is no vision of the future, no inspiration and no sense for reality in CIÉ, the state-owned transport company that acts as umbrella for Iarnród Éireann (Irish Railways), Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus. And since the company is directly controlled - and systematically wrecked - by the Department of Transport, there is not much leeway for new ideas, even if they had them.

Noel Dempsey (right), currently the Minister for Transport, has so far left every department he ran in a complete mess, and he will make no exception with Transport.
The job cuts and reductions of transport services and vehicles is his idea (see my entry of December 17th, 2008) and he does not care the slightest what this disastrous mismanagement does to the country and to the many users of public transport. Dempsey moves around the country in a chauffeur-driven huge Mercedes and lives like a king. He has no idea what it means to travel on an over-crowed bus that runs 30-40 minutes behind schedule...

I wonder if the employees of Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus will have the guts to fight the announced job cuts, or if they let them just happen while more than 10% of their colleagues are shoved off onto the dole.
Now is the time to stand up and be counted. If you don't, you will be counted out and gone for good...

The Emerald Islander

Dempsey does more Damage to CIÉ

Is there anyone in our incompetent government who understands at least the basic rules of Economics, and how markets and societies work? Obviously not.

The latest example of a goat made gardener is Noel Dempsey (right), a pigheaded Fianna Fáil apparatchik from Co. Meath and the Cabinet's bouncer, who has been in charge of too many government departments to keep track of them all.
However, people working in those departments do remember him well, as he left each of them in a real mess when he was moved on to run down and wreck the next one. (They loathe him especially in Education, and among the civil servants in the Customs House - home of the Dept. of the Environment - he has a status only one step removed from the Anti-Christ...)

Currently Dempsey is in charge of Transport, since Martin Cullen (left), our very own little clown from Waterford city who had it before him, did not manage to destroy the public transport system quickly enough.
Not for want of trying, mind you, but Martin is just not very effective, regardless what he does.
Dempsey will do better, and today he moved another step closer to dismantle the already poor structure of public transport in Ireland.

He told the Dáil that Coras Iompair Éireann (CIÉ) - the state-owned holding company that controls Iarnród Éireann (the Irish railways), Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus - "will make a deficit of € 39 million this year", compared with a deficit of just under € 1.5 million in 2007.

Anyone who knows CIÉ with its arrogant and self-serving attitudes, sluggish and inefficient management, under-qualified but over-paid staff and total lack of regard for its passengers will not be surprised. Only those who have no other choice ever travel with the three CIÉ companies.

To give you an example: Both Iarnród Éireann and Bus Éireann provide regular services from Waterford to Dublin (and back, if you are lucky). So anyone here who has business in Dublin can get there by either train or bus. The problem is that there are only a few services per day, and none at all in the evening or through the night.
If I want to use a train, I can leave Waterford at about 7.30 a.m. and will be in Dublin by 10 a.m., unless there is "a problem on the line", which happens rather often. By bus it will take me three hours, but the costs are almost the same.
I have to be very quick in Dublin, as the last bus back to Waterford leaves the capital at 6 p.m. and the last train only a few minutes later. This means that anything that extends beyond 5 p.m. cannot be done in Dublin when using CIÉ services. Not even to mention the idea of going to a concert or seeing a play in a Dublin theatre. Impossible for an Irish provincial person depending on public transport.

So if one has a longer day in Dublin, a car is the only way to get there - and back - in a reasonable way. However, there is - at least from Waterford (and several other towns along the route) - an alternative to the CIÉ services. A private bus company runs a regular service to Dublin (city and airport) seven days a week. And guess what? Their fare is half of what CIÉ charges, and they go a lot more often, including at night. It is no surprise that their buses are usually well filled, while CIÉ services drive around the country with their buses often more than half empty.

Irish People are not stupid. But unfortunately our current government (a coalition of Fianna Fáil and the Green Party) is, and the management of CIÉ follows the government closely.

CIÉ's mismanagement has now run up an amazing deficit of over € 39 million. This is a lot for you and me, but only a small sum for a government these days.
Especially one that has just declared it will hand over € 10 billion to save our failing (privately owned) banks.
In many other EU countries public transport operations like CIÉ receive hundreds of millions of state subsidies every year, in order to provide a proper, functional and affordable system of public transport. And there people use their trains, buses and trams all the time, in large numbers and quite happily.

But what is Ireland doing? Our idiot of a Transport Minister has nothing better to offer than an increase of (the already way too expensive) fares by a further 10%, a reduction of the frequency of services, and a withdrawl of some routes altogether.

Is there a doctor in Leinster House? (There are actually a few...)
Because someone qualified needs to certify Noel Dempsey as insane and remove him from his job to a lunatic asylum, where he belongs!

What Noel Dempsey proposed today will make CIÉ even less attractive for potential passengers, and thus create an increase in losses, and nothing else.
But then again, who knows, perhaps this is exactly his intention and brief. If FF's chief wrecker makes CIÉ even more uncompetitive as it is already, the government could justify to break it up and privatise its pieces. I am sure some greedy financial vultures with deep pockets and friendly relations to Fianna Fáil are already waiting in the wings.

In order to flourish - or at least function properly - CIÉ needs to lower its fares (in some cases significantly), increase its frequency of services, improve the technical quality and comfort of its rolling stock, get rid of its incompetent management and its arrogant attitude, and then - under new leaders - train and motivate its staff for the 21st century. It is not difficult to do that, as long as there is a will and competent people. All over Europe it works very well.

Only here in Ireland the government is incapable of creating and maintaining a decent public transport system, available to the majority of the people and affordable for all. Besides Health, Education and the financial sector, public transport and infrastructure is the most seriously underfunded part of our nation and one of the worst managed as well. But it is a vital factor for the economy, and essential in the attempt to get out of recession.
Without proper transport systems, neither goods and materials will flow, nor will people have enough regular mobility.

This is not rocket science. Everyone with common sense and at least some understanding of the economy will grasp this nettle quite easily.
However, when it comes to brains, new ideas, imagination and the ability to solve problems, our current government is an infertile wasteland. And among the intellectually challenged in Leinster House Noel Dempsey is one of the most serious cases. If he ever had a brain, it must have gone AWOL at some stage without anyone noticing.

The sooner he is removed from his current position, the better for CIÉ and public transport in Ireland. In fact, the sooner the whole government goes, the better for everyone and everything on this island.

The Emerald Islander

Alleged Sexual Assault on Waterford Bus

Two investigations - one by Gardaí and the other by Bus Éireann - are under way in Waterford into an alleged sexual assault on a 15-year-old schoolgirl on a bus. The incident is reported to have happened at the end of a scheduled Bus Éireann service.

A Bus Éireann driver from Waterford with strong interests in Football and younger women has been questioned about the incident.

In the evening of Friday, December 5th, a 15-year-old girl who lives in Co. Waterford, reported to Gardaí through her parents that she had consensual sex with a bus driver earlier that day.

The incident is alleged to have happened when everyone else had left the bus at the end of a scheduled route in Co. Waterford.
The girl was returning from school, but Bus Éireann says it was "not a school run" and "not a school bus". Which leaves only the regular line services the state-owned company runs from the city centre to various parts of the surrounding county, in particular to Tramore and Dungarvan.

After Gardaí were informed, they arrested and questioned the married man from Waterford.

They also carried out a forensic examination of the bus the following day and searched the driver's locker. But they would not confirm if they found a mobile phone belonging to the man and which is now forming part of their investigations.

Gardaí have confirmed that a file is being prepared for the DPP, but so far no one has been charged.

Bus Éireann says that the man "is not driving at present", and an internal investigation is under way.

Gormley wants more Public Transport

John Gormley (right), leader of Ireland's Green Party and Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, says that he will be "pressing for some road projects to be given a lower priority in the National Development Plan (NDP)".

Speaking as his party met on the second day of their pre-Dáil session in Tralee, Co. Kerry, he stated that "public transport remains the priority for Green ministers".

He conceded that contracts had been signed for some major motorways, but there were other roads planned that should be looked at again as they were of lower priority compared with public transport.

Waste water treatment and environmental protection remained also a key priority for the Greens in government, he added.

He warned that "tough budgetary decisions" lay ahead and that his party was still in discussions with Finance Minister Brian Lenihan (FF).

Regarding the 'Shell to Sea' campaign, Gormley said the departure of the pipe-laying vessel Solitaire made it "an opportune time" for his colleague Eamon Ryan (left), Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, to talk to the local community in Mayo.

This is some good news at last from the government, and the first time for months that one has heard a minister being not completely hostile towards the beleaguered residents of northern Co. Mayo. Perhaps the ten-day hunger strike of veteran campaigner Maura Harrington, which ended this afternoon, has achieved more than the withdrawal of the Solitaire from Irish waters.

The Emerald Islander