Getting the Priorities wrong

The Irish word Taoiseach means Chief or Leader. When Ireland gained independence, this word was bestowed on the Prime Minister of the country, and it is a lot more than just his job title. The linguistic connection with the ancient Celtic kings and chieftains who ruled the island for centuries before the arrival of the Normans bridges the historic gap, the time during which the Irish nation was in bondage, the land occupied and its people oppressed.

So when we call our Prime Minister Taoiseach, it includes a degree of general reverence that goes well beyond the individual and far above party-political considerations. In ancient times the chiefs were not only ruling by force and law, they were first and foremost leading the people by personal example.

Sadly, this is no longer the case, especially not with the current Taoiseach. For years he has been trying to lead us up the political garden path, and more recently we have also learned a lot more of his private shortfalls. I have written about this already extensively and there is no need to repeat myself. What I want to highlight in this entry is another point that shows a clear lack of personal leadership in Bertie Ahern.

For many years now the Taoiseach and most of his ministers are fleeing from the country on the one day when they all should be here. As good leaders they should be with and among the people on Ireland's national day, St. Patrick's Day. Sadly cabinet ministers prefer a quick promotional trip to foreign places to joyful celebration at home.

It has been argued that the visits are valuable to promote Irish industry, trade and tourism, but I am not so sure if it is worth the bother any more. We are meanwhile a wealthy and successful country, with more money than common sense, and we need hundreds of thousands of foreign workers to fill all the jobs on the island. The amount of foreign investment is still strong, and there is not a lot for any minister to improve on by visiting a foreign city on March 17th.

With regards to tourism those trips are even more futile.
As long as the US dollar stays weak, many Americans can simply no longer afford holidays in Ireland and will go to some cheaper country, if they go at all. And in order to attract more European tourists we need only to do two things: lower our ridiculously high prices and improve the standard of our services. No ministerial visit on our own National Day can achieve that.

What really annoys me most is that for many years now our Taoiseach seems to be obliged to go to Washington D.C. on St. Patrick's Day, in order to present the President of the USA with a bowl of Irish shamrock. This was not started by Bertie Ahern, so he is only following in the footsteps of his predecessors. But it is nevertheless wrong. And it reminds me strongly of the ancient times when the subordinate rulers of vassal states had to turn up once a year at the court of the king, in order to pay homage and present him with tribute and gifts.

A bowl of Irish shamrock might not have much financial value, but it still is a symbolic tribute of homage, given to the ruler of the country that now controls more or less the whole world, both in political and economical terms. Why is this happening? I always thought that we are a free and sovereign country - at least on paper - and have no need to pay homage to anyone. At least that is the task our ancestors fought and died for, achieving freedom for 26 of our 32 counties at last in 1922.

Neither Éamon de Valera nor John Costello traveled to Washington every year with a bowl of shamrock, and I do not think Seán Lemass, Jack Lynch or Liam Cosgrave did it either. (Since I spent most of the FitzGerald and Haughey era abroad, I am not sure about the way they behaved on St. Patrick's Day.)
I think that it is about time to end this senseless custom.

When I saw this morning a photo of the Taoiseach handing a bowl of shamrock to the war criminal and torturer George W. Bush, I almost choked. I'm not happy with Bertie Ahern, his policies, practices and personal attitude, and I never voted for him or his party.
But nevertheless he is An Taoiseach, the leader of the Irish nation, and as such he can demand my basic loyalty.

Sadly he is not a true leader and gets his priorities wrong. If he were a real leader, he would spend our National Day at home and hand out bunches of shamrock to ordinary people, to the old and sick, the poor and disabled, soldiers of our Defense Forces and those who give their time and personal commitment to Ireland and to the local community. They would be grateful, happy and proud to receive such a gift from the Taoiseach, and they would deserve it.

Instead our cabinet ministers are flown around the world - at taxpayers' expense - to attend a number of more or less tasteful celebrations, and our leader pays homage to a war criminal. No time and no reason to be proud to be Irish.

The Emerald Islander

Paddy's Day 2008 & a Word about Drums

Well, to begin at the beginning, as Dylan Thomas would have put it: Today was the first time in years that we had a dry, friendly and even sunny St. Patrick's Day here. To compensate for the unexpected sunshine - after weeks of much rain and severe storms - it was rather cold, despite the Sun smiling down on us. But that's no problem. A winter coat, scarf and hat take care of that.

I was happy for the hundreds of people who have worked for weeks to organise the parade, build the floats, make costumes and prepare the celebrations in other ways. Far too often I have seen groups in fancy dress soaking wet - but still marching on, as if it was to win a war - and brass bands wrapped up so tight in plastic raincoats that they could hardly play their instruments.

But fortunately that was not the case today. Buíochas le Dia! Someone must have said prayers and burned enough candles...

As there was no rain, damp or other climatic impediment, I expected the bands to march in good spirit today, blasting away the people's mental cobwebs with some good and cheerful tunes.
Sadly I have to report that this was not the case. Very rarely were we treated to a proper and melodious tune this afternoon, while most of the bands chose to march to long-winded, boring and - quite honestly - mind-numbing sequences of monotonous drumbeats. I have been to many parades in my lifetime, but never before were my ears so bored and annoyed by the sound the bands produced.

I felt a bit like certain members of the armed forces ten years ago: Had they issued us with some ear protection, I would have used it. But no such luck. There we stood, watching colourful groups and elaborate floats passing by in good cheer, and were treated to nothing more than the same old tamptera-tam-tam of the drums. I begin to wonder what might have happened to our bands and their once quite broad repertoire. Did someone brainwash them all? Did they suddenly and unexpectedly forget all their tunes? Did they loose their notes - all at the same time?
Or is the whole thing more sinister?

I have no idea, and wish I had. But it bothers me. We have the bands, they have no shortage of musicians, there are enough instruments, and still all they produce for ages on parade is a stupid tamptera-tam-tam, again and again. So what's the problem? Please, if someone knows, don't be shy and let me know!
And it's not just me. I was talking to some people who made the same observation and wondered in similar ways I do. Could it be - one of my neighbours suggested - that the young lads who are now in the bands just haven't got the skills any longer? Are they spending too much time in pubs and playing computer games these days? Or might it be a subtle creeping-in of the all-present and really quite offensive sounding drum beats one can hear in the modern "music" they call Techno?

The day passed without us finding an answer. Perhaps we never will. But it was very annoying, boring and took a lot of the joy away one has usually during a parade. And I know already that I won't be going next year - regardless of the weather - if it is all drumbeat and no tunes again.

In case we do have a domestic problem with skills and talents, such can easily be solved with more practice. And should this not bring us the desired results, it would be better to admit to be musically challenged and look for help from abroad. There are thousands of good brass bands in most foreign countries (like the one pictured here), and many of them would be delighted to come over for St. Patrick's Day and play in the parade. All it needs are some kind invitations, sent out as early as possible, as good bands have full diaries. For the foreign bands it would be a good experience - and fun - and we would once again hear some proper tunes. Because there is no other country I know of that would tolerate the monotonous tamptera-tam-tam we have encountered today.

Not even in the North they beat their lambeg drums alone. They play along with flutes and fifes, which sounds boring and monotonous enough. But not as bad as what we had to endure today, on the day that should inspire the whole nation to joy and celebration.

I suppose that it did not need all the drumming to bring the many thirsty people into the pubs in town after the parade. They would have gone anyway. But today even I felt close to being called to a bar, just somewhere to hide from the constant drum beats. But since I do not frequent the public houses, nor indulge in alcoholic drinks, I just went home, made myself a good pot of Earl Grey tea, and then put one of my CDs into the player. "Great European Marches" the sampler is called, and it gave me within minutes what I had missed for more than an hour during the parade: Good and uplifting tunes that make the heart beat faster, raise one's spirit and put a smile on every face within earshot. Well, I hope that the parade you went to see today gave you that without going home and playing a CD. Slan abhaile!

The Emerald Islander

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

To my friends - in Ireland and abroad - and to all Irish people and friends of the Emerald Isle everywhere: With best wishes from Ireland's oldest city
I hope you all have a

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

The Emerald Islander

Rescued Fishermen have died

It is with great sadness that I have to write this addenda to my entry from the 14th. The two fishermen whose boat went down off the coast of Inishowen in County Donegal on Friday have died in hospital yesterday. As I have not been well myself for the past two days, I only learned of this sad development today.

The two men were elderly - in their 60s and 70s - and went fishing on board of a small trawler, which failed to return to its harbour by lunchtime on Friday. They were reported missing at about 1 p.m.

RNLI and Coast Guard began a search of the area with three lifeboats and the Coast Guard helicopter from Sligo.

The first fisherman was discovered in the water by Friday afternoon and the second was found eventually in the evening after an extensive search. Both were alive and taken to Altnagelvin Hospital in Derry, to be treated for exhaustion and exposure. Unfortunately both men were so weakened that they died overnight.

Our deeply felt sympathy goes out to the families and friends of the two men.

The Emerald Islander

Two Fishermen rescued off Donegal

Two local fishermen have been rescued off the coast of Inishowen in north Donegal this evening. They were the crew of a small fishing trawler, which had been reported missing at 1 p.m. today.

The first man has been discovered drifting in the water this afternoon, and the second was rescued in the evening, following an extensive search. Three lifeboats were involved and the Coast Guard helicopter, based in Sligo, also took part.

As much as the loss of a boat is regrettable, the important thing is that the two men were found alive and rescued. Our thanks tonight go to the men of the RNLI and Coast Guard for their good and successful work, and our best wishes to the two fishermen.

The Emerald Islander

Amnesty links Ireland with US Rendition Case

Amnesty International says that the Republic of Ireland is "clearly contravening international law" by allowing its air space and territory to be used to facilitate the US practice of "extraordinary rendition". The group points out that the running of secret CIA prisons for terrorism suspects makes a mockery of international law.

In its latest report the Irish section of Amnesty states that Shannon Airport was used to refuel an aircraft that on the following day was allegedly used to move a man - named as Khaled al-Maqtari - from Iraq to Afghanistan.

The higly respected international human rights organisation says that the case of Khaled al-Maqtari sheds new light on the cruelty and illegality of the CIA programme of secret detentions and forced disappearances. He suffered multiple forms of torture and ill-treatment after his capture in Iraq in 2004. Via Baghdad's infamous Abu Ghraib prison, he was moved to secret US jails in Afghanistan and then to another unknown location, possibly in eastern Europe.

31-year-old Mr. al-Maqtari was eventually freed without charge from US custody in 2006 and returned to Yemen, where he was further detained until May 2007.

In response to the new Amnesty International report a spokesman for the Minister for Foreign Affairs Dermot Ahern said that the Irish government is "totally opposed to the practice of extraordinary rendition" and has reiterated its position on numerous occasions.
The government has apparently received some specific assurances from the US authorities, including George W. Bush and Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, that no prisoners have been transferred through Irish airports, nor would they be without the Irish government's permission.

However, US aeroplanes - both military and civilian (and including aircraft operated by the CIA) - have been landing and refueling at Shannon Airport for many years, without anyone really knowing who was on board. In the build-up to the US invasion of Iraq thousands of US troops were also ferried through Irish airspace and stopped over at Shannon. There have also been reports of small aircraft - known to belong to or operated by the CIA - landing there.

George W. Bush admitted for the first time in September 2006 that the USA are running secret jails for terrorism suspects, but the practice has gone on for much longer. And only a few days ago Bush vetoed a new US law passed by Congress that was to ban the CIA torture practice known as "waterboarding". (see my entry from March 8th) Thus Bush is personally responsible for the continuation of this cruel and inhumane practice and a promoter of secret CIA torture.

The Emerald Islander

Gold Price at all-time High as Dollar falls further

The price of gold reached an all-time record high, trading at $ 1000 per ounce for the first time.
This follows a constant rise of the gold price for months, pushed ever higher by a weak US Dollar and fears about the decline of the US economy.

Concerns about a possible US recession lead investors to buy up commodities such as gold as an alternative to company shares and the US Dollar itself. Since the beginning of the year the value of gold has increased by about 20%, after it rose 32% in 2007.

After reaching the $ 1000 mark, the gold price eventually settled for the day at $ 993.80, up $ 13.30 an ounce.

Gold is measured and sold in troy ounces. One troy ounce equals 31.1035 grams or 480 grains. One troy ounce is also equal to 1.09711 avoirdupois ounce - widely used to measure weights in the US and UK.

Analysts say that gold will stay high as long as dollar and growth fears remain.

Meanwhile the US Dollar fell further in value yesterday against key currencies, including the Euro and Japanese Yen. At one point, it was worth less than 100 Yen for the first time since 1995, while it reached new depths against the Euro at $ 1.5645.

Analysts are predicting that it could fall even further as more details emerge of the losses suffered by banks and hedge funds due to investments centred on the troubled US housing market. Already many companies have unveiled billions of dollars of losses which has caused credit markets to freeze and has created an environment where there is less money available for consumers and businesses to borrow.

At the same time, there are increasing signs that the USA is on the brink of recession, and some analyst believe that the United States are actually in recession already. Official data out on Wednesday showed disappointing retail sales in February. This has added to a recent drum beat of bad news, including a shrinking of the service sector in January and February, and unemployment rates at the highest level for five years.

Despite aggressive interest rate cuts and White House measures to stimulate consumer spending, it is expected that US interest rates - currently at 3% - will have to come down further.

Analysts say that this will weaken the dollar even further and accelerate inflation.

The oil price surged to a new high above $ 110 a barrel as well, while agricultural commodities, including cocoa and coffee, also rose further.

Inflation rises to 4.8%

The newest data released by the Central Statistics Office (CSO) in Dublin show that the annual rate of inflation in the Republic of Ireland has risen to 4.8% in February, from 4.3% the previous month. Consumer prices in February rose by 1.2% in the month, compared with a rise of 0.8% the same time last year. Inflation last stood at 4.8% in October of last year.

According to the CSO the rise is mainly a result of the continuing increases in food prices, which I already observed and wrote about two weeks ago. (see my entry "Irish Food Prices are rising too fast" of February 28th)
Prices for food are rising indeed, on average by 1.8%, with significantly higher prices seen in a wide range of products, including milk, butter, cheese, meat, bread and cereals.

Many of the most significant increases are only possible because many consumers with secure incomes seem to be willing to pay any price for food. Would they draw a line for certain items and shop around a bit, they would not only save a lot of money, but also force greedy grocers and supermarkets to re-adjust their prices to the true market value. Prices as they are charged here in Ireland would lead to riots in France and many other EU countries.

The ending of the January sales might also have had some influence on the rise of the inflation rate. The CSO says that the annual rate of inflation for services was 5.6% last month, while goods increased by 3.9% in the year.

The prices of clothing and footwear rose by 12.7%, due to a recovery in prices after the ending of the traditional January sales. Furnishings and household equipment prices also rose by 2.8% after the sales.

Last month also saw increases in average mortgage interest repayments and rents.

The Emerald Islander

Plato was right

Magnet Design & Copyright by Mayfield Communications

Dáil Éireann is skiving off - again

More and more people here in Ireland - myself included - are wondering what the Oireachtas (our parliament) is really doing all year long. Especially Dáil Éireann - the House of Deputies (above right) - has an appalling work record, sitting on average not more than twenty percent of a year's time. Nevertheless the TDs are not only paid full-time salaries, but in fact earn a lot more than most people in this country who work full-time, and often many hours more than our professional politicians.

To make the bad situation even worse, the Dáil finished its business earlier than usual this afternoon and then closed for an extra three-week holiday over St. Patrick's Day and Easter! This is beyond a bad joke, and a slap in the face of every working person in Ireland. The Dáil had only returned to work on January 30th, after an overly lengthy six-week winter break, and now our TDs are on holidays again until 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 2nd.

To no one's surprise the government, which instigated the extra break for the Dáil, has already been accused of laziness by closing parliament for St. Patrick's Day and Easter.
Opposition parties accepted the need for some ministers to attend events in foreign countries around St. Patrick's Day, as it has become tradition, but suggested some were taking advantage of the situation.

Fine Gael's Richard Bruton said the government had failed to produce new legislation, and was now "taking the first opportunity to skive off".

Eamon Gilmore (left), the leader of the Labour Party, accepted the importance of cabinet ministers attending St. Patrick's Day functions around the world, calling it "a valuable marketing opportunity". But he said that figures on the costs of such trips - revealed yesterday by RTÉ's "Morning Ireland" programme - suggested that some ministers "have been tearing the rear end out of it, and that needs to be looked at".
He added if the government was thinking of beginning the summer recess at the start of July and not returning until the end of September, his party "will make a hell of a fuss".

It might well be helping to promote Ireland abroad if some ministers show up in foreign capitals for St. Patrick's Day, but personally I cannot see the real benefit of it. After all, we do have our ambassadors in those countries, and they could do the same job, without incurring a huge bill for traveling and accommodation.

Apart from that, the promotional trips of certain cabinet ministers do not justify closing down the Dáil for weeks. The parliament is after all the nation's Legislature and should still be able to function when a significant number of the Executive is missing.

If anyone else would be that selfish and lazy, they would long be sacked from their jobs. But the ignorance and complacency of the Irish electorate has prevented that. Most members of the Dáil were re-elected in the general election last May, despite their unsatisfactory performance in previous years. So, I suppose now Ireland is just getting what it deserves.

As the famous Savoyard writer, diplomat and political philosopher Joseph-Marie Comte de Maistre (pictured right) put it so well already in the 18th century: “Every country has the government it deserves.”

Today's new example of extreme parliamentary inefficiency raises once more the question if Dáil Éireann is too large and if the TDs are paid too much for the little part-time work they do. (See also my entry from January 31st)
In my opinion a Dáil reform is overdue, especially since now about two thirds of all legislation comes from Europe and all the Dáil needs to do is to implement it into Irish domestic law.

There are currently 166 TDs and 60 Senators. This is a large number of professional politicians for a small country like Ireland. The USA, for example, with about 75 times the Irish population, has a mere 400 members in the House of Representatives and only 100 Senators. And New Zealand, a country with similar economic structure and the same population as Ireland, has no upper house at all and a total of currently 121 members of parliament. (A referendum to reduce the number of MPs to 99 was passed, but has not yet been implemented.)

I applaud Eamon Gilmore's statement and hope he will indeed make "a hell of a fuss" when it comes to the length of parliamentary summer holidays later this year. But his words would have even more weight if the Labour Party - perhaps in co-operation with other opposition parties - would come up with a feasible model for the long overdue Dáil reform.

The Emerald Islander

Lisbon Referendum will be held in June

Bertie Ahern has told the Dáil today that Ireland's Referendum on the Lisbon Treaty will be held in the second week of June.

He told Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny that the government had discussed the date at its meeting this morning and had "more or less signed off on the date", but the day of the week had not been finally settled.

The Taoiseach said he would consult with Deputy Kenny and Labour leader Eamon Gilmore about the day of the week, pointing out that the second referendum on the Nice Treaty was held on a Saturday, while the first took place on a Thursday.

Responding to concerns raised by Fine Gael's Alan Shatter about Leaving Certificate students who would be unable to concentrate on the referendum due to their examinations, Mr. Ahern pointed out that most of them were finished by June 12th.
This would suggest he might consider a vote on Friday, June 13th or Saturday, June 14th.

Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin asked the Taoiseach whether he would rule out a second vote if the people rejected the Lisbon Treaty, but Bertie Ahern - obviously embarrassed - did not respond.

It appears that the government, as well as the other partners in the YES camp (mainly Fine Gael, the Labour Party, the PDs and 2/3 of the Green Party), believe that they will have a plain sailing and the people will be "good citizens" and accept the treaty, as they are told to do by their leaders.
If this is a correct assessment remains to be seen, as more and more flaws in the Lisbon Treaty become known and an increasing number of citizens become more concerned.

The Emerald Islander

Threatening Letters sent to Harney and Martin

Threatening letters containing shotgun cartridges have been sent to two cabinet ministers and a number of fertility clinics around the country.

Mary Harney (left), Minister for Health and Children (who will be celebrating her 55th birthday tomorrow), and Micheál Martin (below right), the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, who was Harney's predecessor in charge of Health, received letters claiming to be from a previously unknown group, calling themselves the Irish Citizens Defence Force.

It emerged that a letter addressed to Harney was delivered to the minister's office at the Department of Health at Hawkins House in Dublin on February 29th.

Letters containing a live shotgun cartridge was also received by a number of fertility clinics, including the Clane Clinic in Kildare, on the same day. RTÉ News was told that it contained threats to staff and was "deeply upsetting". The SIMS Fertility Clinic in Dundrum reported that it also received a similar letter.

The Garda Commissioner appointed a detective inspector to examine the incidents.
.

Severe Weather to continue for two more Days

The severe weather, which is currently being experienced across Ireland and the British Isles, is set to continue.
So far southern and western England, southern Wales and Dorset have been worst hit by the storms. Flights and ferries have been cancelled, roads and rail lines blocked by fallen trees and rivers have flooded as gale-force winds of over 80 mph battered the islands.

The Meteorological Office has severe weather warnings in place for South West England, with predictions that England, Wales, central Scotland and Ireland will see a further swathe of gales on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Oil Price at record High while Dollar weakens

Today the price for crude oil has reached an all-time high for the fifth time in six trading sessions. In New York sweet crude added $ 1.85, to touch a record $ 107 per barrel, before falling back to trade at $ 106.6.

This artificially high oil price makes petrol and energy costs more expensive around the world and puts further financial pressure on businesses and household budgets.

Analysts believe that many traders are buying oil, priced in dollars, to protect the value of their money against the sliding currency.
The US Dollar has been ticking off new lows against the Euro and other key currencies since last summer, and was hit again last Friday by the US employment report showing the American labour market at its weakest in five years.

This has prompted traders to seek refuge in commodities, including oil and gold, which are more likely to sustain their value than the greenback. The oil price is also influenced by last week's decision by the producers' cartel OPEC not to raise supply, despite rising demand in China.

In Europe Brent crude gained 69 cents to trade at $ 103.07 a barrel, also a new record.

A barrel - the old-fashioned unit of measurement still used by the oil industry - is equal to 159 litres.

Foreign Accents and Irish Hyper-Xenophobia

I was listening to Pat Kenny again this morning, and one of the items on the programme today was the ongoing protest against the M 3 project, attempting to build a motorway through the Skryne Valley close to the ancient Hill of Tara, a protected site and for centuries the seat of the Ard Ri, the High King of Ireland.

Despite the fact that the site is indeed protected, on a United Nations list of endangered heritage sites and under a preservation order from the Minister of the Environment, road contractors working in the pay of the National Road Authority (NRA) did last Thursday move heavy machinery close to Rath Lugh, the ancient fort that protected Tara, and tried to begin work on the esker (a rounded high ridge made up of ancient river sediments - mainly sand, gravel and small rounded pebbles, though boulders and thin layers of silt also occur - dating back to the last ice age) underneath. Would they do that, the sand from the esker would run out and the whole esker - with the fort on top - would collapse.


So thankfully protesters who are camping close to the site were making noise and alerted Meath County Council as well as the media. And thanks to them the fort still stands as I write this.

But what annoyed me this morning was a significant amount of comments from people who phoned, texted and e-mailed Pat Kenny in the studio, complaining that one of the Tara protesters, named Ciaran, has an English accent. So? What does that have to do with the matter at hand?

Maybe he is English. So what? But with a name like Ciaran he is more likely from an Irish family living in England. But it does not really matter. As far as I am concerned, he could be from Kells or Kaliningrad, Tuam or Timbuktu. What does matter is that he stands up for our ancient heritage, which is under severe threat from the current government and its friends in the construction industry.

There were more comments on Pat's programme, suggesting even that Seamus Heaney, our greatest living poet and winner of the Nobel Prize for Literature, was apparently "not really Irish" (since he was born in the North). I could not believe my ears. Who are these little Irelanders? Are they 26-county-fetishists?
Their ridiculous racism and hyper-xenophobia does even exclude the population of the six counties, who are Irish by blood, heritage and by right. I would recommend that those who sent such silly comments read Bunreacht na hÉireann, the Constitution (of the 26-county Republic) of Ireland.

But I am not really sure if these comments were actually real, or just part of a subtle campaign against the Tara protest, orchestrated by some people who have a financial interest in building the motorway, no matter what the price for the nation and our heritage would be.

How come that some of our people have suddenly problems with a man with an English accent protesting against the M 3 motorway, when they are happy with English accents in all other areas of modern Ireland, from business and trade to music, art, film and sports. If you take out all players with an English accent, there will be no Irish Soccer team left.

I can understand that some, especially elderly people who might still remember the atrocities of the Black-and-Tans from own experience, might react a little allergic to English accents. But in general there is in my opinion no place for such petty-nationalistic hyper-xenophobia in Ireland.
Not seldom such expressions are completely misguided. Two of my neighbours have very heavy Cockney accents, and one could well think they were English. Nevertheless, they are as Irish as the shamrock. Both were born here, but had to emigrate as children with their parents to London. They spent most of their lives there, and of course picked up the Cockney accent. But as soon as the "Celtic Tiger" gave them a chance to come home, they did. So what would the 26-county-fetishists say to them and their accent?

It is also interesting that certain people's xenophobia seems to be limited to the British and - in some places - also the Germans. They seem to have no objections to Dutch and French, Italians and Spanish, nor any other nationality. No problems with hundreds of thousands of Poles and Russians, Ukrainians and people from the Baltic states who live and work here. And there seems not even to be any prejudice against the now vast number of Africans in Ireland, even though many of them can't speak English and have no links with nor understanding of our country and culture. The only reason they are here is our recently acquired wealth, from which they want a piece for themselves.

So why still this ridiculous xenophobia against people with British accents? Maybe some people need to re-read the history books and check out where many of our great national heroes were born. They will find that a large number of those we revere came from outside Ireland, but gave their lives willingly for our freedom and independence.

I was not born in Ireland myself, and two thirds of my life I spent abroad. But if anyone would question me or my credentials and loyalty, I would tell them that I am as Irish as St. Patrick, Countess Markiewicz and Eamon de Valera. If anyone has a problem with that, or with my accent (which is often thought to be Dutch, even though it isn't and really accumulates various accents I acquired during my lifetime), I would be happy to tell them a thing or two, and show them my very long family tree with Celtic pride.

The Emerald Islander

Button down the Hatches!

If you live in Ireland - especially in the South of the island - and have not yet heard of the severe weather warning (for details see my entry from yesterday) then you better hurry up and secure your house and anything else that needs attention.

Here in Waterford the rain has started about an hour ago, and the strong wind has arrived as well, blowing over my cottage with forceful gusts already. But it is supposed to get a lot worse during the night, and tomorrow all day.

So button down the hatches, make sure all your windows are tightly closed, and put some extra cover on the inside of your door, to keep the cold and storm at a minimum. Then check that your heating system is working (I just put two extra logs onto the fire), make yourself a good cup of tea and sit back. There is nothing more you can do.

The storm will pass, and hopefully without causing great damage. And while it rages, the best and most sensible thing you can do is to stay inside and be calm. Blessings on all of you around the country, and may the storm be your friend!

The Emerald Islander

Who is responsible for Ireland's Infrastructure?

A new statement on the delivery dates of Irish transport infrastructure indicates that several of the targets for 2008 will be missed. The information can be found in the Department of Transport's second annual progress report on the implementation of the government's multi-billion investment programme.

Eleven major projects have been identified as being "behind schedule", including the Portlaoise train depot, which was supposed to be completed in 2007, but will - hopefully - be finished this year. Construction of the Cork commuter rail service to Midleton will be completed in 2009 rather than 2008, and in Dublin three Luas projects will also be delayed.

Transport Minister Noel Dempsey (photo) said the dates had "always been indicative" and all but one of the plan's numerous projects would be completed within the designated timeframe of 2015. But the minister did not make an attempt to explain the fact that almost nothing is finished on time in Ireland, and never for the expected or estimated price.

What's the Problem?
Is it just simply massive incompetence, combined with laziness and a "don't care" attitude? Or is there a subtle system of contractors, sub-contractors and even further sub-sub-contractors in place that syphens off money and resources from every project they are involved with? Hard to say, and certainly worth some investigation. But like most members of the govenment, the Minister for Transport is not really bothered by those delays. As long as his own pay-check (of about € 20,000 a month) arrives on time, all is well.

Noel Dempsey pointed out that in 2007 there was 82% more money spent on public transport projects than the previous year. And "Transport 21", the government's well publicised strategy plan, "is delivering tangible benefits to commuters" he said, pointing out that hourly return services on the Cork - Dublin rail route were introduced, as well as new intercity rail cars on the Sligo line. Phase one of the Western Rail Corridor had started, new buses had been delivered in Dublin, and eleven national road projects had been completed while construction started on another ten.

Well, that's all very nice and good. But the questions not asked by journalists - and therefore not answered by ministers - are:

1. Do we get value for money?
2. Do we get good quality projects and products?
3. And if not, who is to blame?

We are told that so much more money is spent. Well, 82% is a large number. But how much is that in money? And 82% on top of how much?
Why are we always given percentages, but very rarely the proper sums? Is the money we - the taxpayers - invest via the government in all those projects spent well?

No one seems responsible
It is quite strange that literally everything is so much more expensive in Ireland - from simple daily food to huge infrastructure programmes. Roads, railways and other infrastructure projects are built all the time in every country, but most of them are managed very well and deliver high quality on time and on budget. Not so in Ireland. Why? And who is responsible?

Apparently no one, as the minister passes the buck to the various state agencies - like the now often mentioned National Road Authority (NRA) - who in turn pass it further down to the private contractors they use. At the end of the day the buck stops with some nameless Polish or Lithuanian construction worker who does neither speak English nor has any idea of the bigger picture. All he cares for is to earn more money than he would get in his own country, and send a good bit of it back home while living a Spartan life here. This is no way to run anything, not any project, and certainly not the country!

A good example how not to do it is the new Dublin Port Tunnel. It took longer than planned to build, and cost a lot more than projected. And now, that it is finished, it doesn't work properly. Serious problems with the tunnel's fans were revealed recently by the RTÉ Prime Time programme and Fine Gael's Fergus O'Dowd said that equipment failures in the tunnel were unacceptable and were damaging public confidence. Quite right!

In many other countries they have tunnels for decades, and even centuries. They all are safe and work perfectly. So why can't Ireland do it? And again - who is responsible?
Minister Dempsey agrees that the situation at the tunnel is "unacceptable", but is it his problem? Oh no! He says it is "a matter between the contractor and the NRA", which is "taking legal action to ensure the equipment is properly repaired".

This is beyond a bad joke! Is he the Minister for Transport or not? And what good does it do to the many drivers in Dublin, hampered by a faulty or even closed tunnel, when the NRA and some un-named contractor battle the matter out in the Courts? Legal cases usually takes ages, and the main beneficiaries are the lawyers who charge massive fees for their learned services.

Noel Dempsey is trying to calm the waves by saying that he is "confident the NRA is doing all in its power to resolve issues with equipment in the Dublin Port Tunnel". But what are the powers of the NRA? Do they really have enough authority, as their name would suggest? And - first of all - what about the minister's own authority? Why is he not using it to solve the problem quickly? What's the point of having a Minister for Transport if all his responsibilities are delegated away to unelected and unaccountable bodies and agencies?

If Mr. Dempsey, who has not exactly covered himself with glory in the departments he headed previously, wants to be taken for serious (and not for a spineless whimp), it is time for him to step up to the plate, take responsibility for the matters of his department and actually do the job he is very well paid for.

The Emerald Islander

A Year of tight Management

Bertie Ahern has told Dáil Éireann that 2008 will be "a year of tight management of the economy, particularly on expenditure".

In response to a question from Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny, the Taoiseach said that figures for the last quarter of 2007 show "a substantial reduction in capital gains tax" (in the region of 40%) and "a slowing in the construction sector". He said it showed that development deals had dropped dramatically.

But the economy was still "close to target" in areas like manufacturing and exports, and the financial sector was "weathering global fluctuation", Mr. Ahern declared. Insisting that the economic forecasts were "not all doom and gloom", he said it simply showed some difficulties for this year.

He also announced that unemployment would increase this year, mainly in the construction sector and related service areas. But the government would "do what it had to do" as the year progressed "to keep the country strong".

Well, these were interesting words. They show that the Taoiseach knows very well that the seven fat years are over and the "Celtic Tiger" is dead. But nevertheless he likes us not to worry about it, as he does not worry himself. Because as long as the majority of Irish people are kept in the perpetual ignorance that Fianna Fáil created as their political remedy for everything, we will think that "it'll be alright", while Bertie keeps getting away with the things he cannot remember.

For anyone with even a little bit of common sense it has been clear for quite some time that we will have to tighten our belt and live in future without the large EU handouts Irish governments have welcomed and got used to for more than 30 years. And that we will have to develop a new level of competitiveness, since our original attraction - plenty of young and educated people in a nice and cheap country - has disappeared. We are now a rich country with extremely high prices, high wages for the top earners and subsequently a high-society lifestyle in Dublin. For the bosses this is very attractive.

But down the country there are still many people who live in poverty. The infrastructure is in tatters, traffic is horrible and prices are almost as high as in Dublin. People like the Tanaiste and Minister for Finance Brian Cowen, who comes from a rural area in the Midlands, knows this a lot better than the Taoiseach.
Perhaps it is time now for him to take charge of the country and leave Bertie Ahern to sort out his memory losses and his private financial affairs. No matter what happens, Bertie will have no more problems. He is now the best-paid head of government in the world, and even in retirement he would be a very wealthy man.

The phrase "in the national interest" has been used quite often in contemporary Irish politics, by different politicians and parties. Perhaps it was even used too much. But this time I think it is appropriate to use it at least once more.
It would be in the national interest if Bertie Ahern would hand over the reigns of power rather sooner than later, especially as we expect a year of tight management.

Maybe FF could learn a lesson or two from the DUP up North. Their leading members sent a very frank letter to Ian Paisley some days ago, expressing their displeasure with his leadership style, the shenanigans of his son, Ian Jr. and the constant family favouritism. Less than 24 hours later Ian Paisley announced that he would resign as First Minister in May.

The Emerald Islander

Bush prevents Ban of "Waterboarding"

The White House has announced that George W. Bush will veto proposed legislation that would have banned American intelligence agents from using "waterboarding" and other controversial interrogation methods.

"Waterboarding" (pictured right) is a torture technique originally developed by the Spanish Inquisition during the Middle Ages and later used occasionally by some totalitarian regimes, mostly in South America.
Since George W. Bush started his "War on Terror" in 2001, the method has been adopted for interrogations of suspects by the CIA and other US intelligence agencies. Suspects are subjected to simulated drowning, which is widely criticised by many members of the US Congress.
Human rights organisations such as Amnesty International, the United Nations and most countries in the world regard "waterboarding" as nothing but an invented word that camouflages brutal torture.

Last month, the US Congress sent Bush a broad intelligence authorisation bill that contained new limits on the CIA's interrogation techniques.

But the Bush administration has countered that the CIA should not be held to the US military's interrogation standards. As excuse the White House says that their "intelligence agents are dealing with terrorists who are not lawful combatants operating under traditional battlefield tactics".

For all those who still had some doubts, it is now more than clear that George W. Bush sanctions and encourages the use of torture openly and with his usual arrogance.

Sadly the majority of Americans seems to be quite ignorant of their leaders' crimes, war crimes and major human rights' abuses. And since the presidents and prime ministers of other countries have no courage to stand up and criticise the USA openly, Bush gets away with torture in the face of the whole world.

The Emerald Islander

Severe Weather Warning for Ireland

The Meteorological Office has issued a severe weather warning for the whole of Ireland. Force 10 winds and high tides are forecast to bring one of the strongest storms of the winter over the next two days.

Wind gusts of up to 120 or 130 km/h are likely, with rainfall of about 20-30mm expected between Sunday night and Monday. Unusually high tides are also posing the risk of flooding in some areas. Met Éireann is also advising drivers to expect difficult conditions on roads around the country.

A band of exceptionally low pressure is expected to bring severe winds, particularly in the south of the country. Weather inland is expected to be stormy tomorrow night and on Monday afternoon, with flood alerts issued to coastal areas. Flood barriers have already been put in place, and sailors and fishermen have been warned about conditions on the Irish Sea.

Preparations in the Dublin area
Dublin City Council says there is a likelihood of flooding tomorrow night and early Monday afternoon because of high tides.
Sea defences have been erected at areas north and south of Dublin city, and dam bags have been placed on seafront areas in Sandymount (photo), Ringsend and Clontarf. Temporary road closures have also been announced.

The Liffey boardwalk and nine sections of road will be closed during the flood alert periods - from 11 p.m. on Sunday night to 2 a.m. on Monday and from 11.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. on Monday.

Ferry Services
All Irish Ferries Swift sailings on the Dublin to Holyhead route for today have been canceled. These cancellations followed warnings of gale force winds in all sea areas.
Passengers will be accommodated on the cruise ferry sailing at 8.55 p.m. tonight. All other Irish Ferries services and all Stena Line services are expected to sail as scheduled.

Even though the Sun is shining brightly here right now and we have a clear blue sky, the weather warning should be taken seriously. Anyone who needs not to go out during the time of the storm would be well advised to stay indoors.

The Emerald Islander