tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-43069909441815215662024-03-13T02:30:46.616+00:00OceanFrog's "True Green" BlogA blog by a true Irish Green, who is disgusted by the performance, ethics, and gombeenism of the Irish Green Party in GovernmentOceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.comBlogger191125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-3920590222763867792010-08-10T14:21:00.003+01:002010-08-10T14:27:33.550+01:003 Questions for Brian LenihanBrilliant article by <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/0810/1224276469748.html">Fintan O'Toole in todays Irish Times</a>. I strongly urge everyone to read the article in full.<br /><br />O'Toole puts three questions to Brian Lenihan;<br />1. Where, exactly (with page and paragraph references), does Honohan express support for a blanket guarantee for Anglo? <br />2. Where, exactly, do Merrill Lynch support such a guarantee? <br />3. And, back to the original question: how much money for Anglo is too much?<br /><br />I've heard both Eamon Ryan and John Gormley claim that both Holohan and Merrill Lynch supported the blanket bank guarantee which included Anglo. I now challenge Minister Ryan and Minister Gormley (or any other Green politician) to answer these three questions.<br /><br />I wont be holding my breath.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-12647917707133034252010-08-09T13:14:00.002+01:002010-08-09T14:39:48.729+01:00PovertyIt has now become a cliche to say we've blown the Celtic Tiger. One of those things that you hear a few times a day in general conversation and from the politicians on radio/tv. I've even heard particular Green/FF politicians say things like "ah, sure I was in a class size of 40 ... didn't do me any harm", or "I grew up poor ... made me the man I am today". Making a virtue of being poor back in the 60's/70's/80's is very much in vogue these days.<br /><br />The problem is that being poor is not all these politicians make it out to be. JK Rowling addressed the annual meeting of the Harvard Alumni Association in 2008, and spoke thus about poverty ...<br /><br />"<span style="font-style:italic;">Poverty entails fear, and stress, and sometimes depression; it means a thousand petty humiliations and hardships. Climbing out of poverty by your own efforts, that is indeed something on which to pride yourself, but poverty itself is romanticised only by fools</span>." <a href="http://harvardmagazine.com/commencement/the-fringe-benefits-failure-the-importance-imagination">Link</a>.<br /><br />Remember Rowling's words the next time you hear a politician romanticise poverty ... they will be the words of a fool.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-68060640481915084282010-08-09T12:53:00.004+01:002010-08-09T15:14:17.178+01:00Political Reform? What a sick joke ...I was chatting to a friend over the weekend. This person is a good friend, and mere differences of opinion over politics would never cause us to fall out. However, this weekend we came very close to doing exactly that.<br /><br />You see, my friend is still an active member of the Green Party. This alone would not cause any problems between us as we have great respect for each others opinions ... even though these days our opinions are literally poles apart on some things ... and we still share core beliefs on what is most important. Our difference of opinion came when discussing political reform. My friend claimed the Green Party had introduced many reforms to politics in Ireland since 2007, and said that overall politics was in a better state now because of the Green influence than it had ever been before.<br /><br />I disagreed, and mentioned the fact that Ivor seems to be getting away with expense abuse and nothing can be done about it, the lonnnnngggggg Dáil holidays still have many weeks to run, the refusal to hold the 3 by-elections, the fact that Brian Cowen is still the worlds 4th highest paid politician, and a few other ways in which Irish politics is still rotten to the core and rife with abuse and gombeenery. My friend had no answer, and I didn't push him for one. <br /><br />Perhaps he thinks I'm so anti-Green Party these days that I cant see his reality that the Greens are doing great work in the area of political reform. Or perhaps he is so brainwashed and has such a morbid fear of losing power that he is the one who cannot see reality. I hope he read todays <a href="http://www.independent.ie/opinion/editorial/time-to-clean-up-political-system-2289656.html">Irish Independent editorial</a> ... it might open his eyes as to what is the true reality of this.<br /><br />"<span style="font-style:italic;">Is Irish politics any better now than it was in the mid-1980s? It is undoubtedly worse. Throughout all the scandals, throughout the economic wreckage, the nod-and-wink culture has survived. Along with it has survived the practice of incomprehensible explanations and defences. No wonder public contempt and anger have swollen</span>."<br /><br />Or perhaps he could read <a href="http://www.independent.ie/opinion/analysis/code-of-silence-among-politicians-is-shameful-2288829.html">this opinion piece in yesterdays Sunday Independent</a> ... <br /><br />"<span style="font-style:italic;">But Callely knows that at the next election Fianna Fail will be turfed out, and he can retire on a nice pension. The reality is that the whole political culture knows it. This is a system, after all, that has done nothing to reform itself since the revelations first started about the ludicrous unvouched expenses system, the crazy mobile phone allowances, the mileage allowance, the overnight allowance, the pension double-ups, and all the other perks that make political life, and even the abuse, so bearable</span>."<br /><br />Will we stay friends? Of course! Will we have future differences of opinion? Of course. Will we look back on all of this is a few years time and see who held the opinion which was closest to reality? Definitely. And whoever was right, we'll still be able to have a pint and a laugh about it.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-59450040936136638492010-08-06T18:11:00.003+01:002010-08-06T18:43:37.337+01:00Thoughts turning to going back to school ...Well, its that time of year again. Summer hols are drawing to a close and thoughts are turning to going back to school/college. <br /><br />So what type of schools and colleges will we and our children be going back to? Unfortunately, the picture is not a good one. For a start we'll have 353 fewer Special Needs Assistants (SNA's), and 30 of our most disadvantaged schools will lose librarians. The recruitment embargo continues, and funding of the entire University sector is in crisis. It is a bleak scenario. The Universities are being asked to manage record numbers of students with greatly reduced resources. Dublin City University president Ferdinand von Prondzynski summed up what one might call an appalling vista for the sector by saying the Universities will “<span style="font-style:italic;">be under further pressure to add to the student numbers while losing yet more money and having fewer staff to teach them</span>".<br /><br />Education cuts in Budget 2010 meant that overall spending on education was reduced by €603 million in 2010 (<a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1209/breaking87.html">link</a>.). Unfortunately, the bulk of these cuts were focused on the poor, the disadvantaged, the disabled, and VTOS students going back to education. Even those wanting to study Clynical Psychology are being hit (see my previous blog post for details on this).<br /><br />Specific cuts to the budgets of educational bodies in 2010 are as follows;<br /> * National Council for Curriculum and Assessment reduced by €0.93m;<br /> * National Council for Special Education reduced by €2.3m;<br /> * Higher Education Authority reduced by €0.562m;<br /> * Dublin Dental Hospital reduced by €0.410m;<br /> * Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies reduced by €0.546m;<br /> * Royal Irish Academy of Music reduced by €0.303m;<br /> * National Qualifications Framework (NQAI, FETAC, HETAC) current allocation reduced by €2.1m;<br /><br />So we have a lot to be proud of in our Island of Saints and Scholars. Although I suppose we cant really claim to be "saints" anymore because the poorest and most disadvantaged in our society are being hit with the hardest cuts, whilst the highest paid civil servants have their incomes protected. And we cant really claim to be "scholars" anymore either as our education system is crumbling around our ears.<br /><br />Maybe we should adopt a new name ... something that more accurately reflects the reality of the way we are today. How about "the Island of inequalities and gombeens"? That seems to fit a little better. And we have the Green Party and Fianna Fail to thank for that.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-4279124590177802872010-08-06T18:03:00.002+01:002010-08-06T18:07:36.454+01:00Want to become a Clincial Psychologist? It's just got a lot harder ...Yet more stealth cuts to education and mental health as outlined by <a href="http://www.politics.ie/education-science/134241-green-party-oppose-education-cuts-budget-2011-oh-really-6.html#post2900234">this post</a> on Politics.ie.<br /><br />The full post is as follows ...<br /><br />"<span style="font-style:italic;">I am no authority on anything that has been posted in this thread so far. But I thought I would post this personal anecdote I have experienced in the last couple of days.<br /><br />Clincial psychologists are in desperate need in Ireland. Mental health services have been clearly identified as an area that needs drastic improvement in Ireland. Anyway, the training to become a clincial psychologist takes 3 years. It is extremely competitive to get onto a course. If 1000 people apply to an institution (UCD, Trinity, UL, UCG) 10 will get offered a place. The programme is basically 6 cycles of 6 weeks of classes and 4 months of work at the coalface working in hospitals and other institutions in Ireland. Those who apply are not "students" really. They will never be any younger than 25, will have a masters and will have a number of years experience working as an assistant psychologists, a psychology researchers etc. Most applicants apply a number of times before successful application. Many, of course never get onto a course. If you are successful the deal is this:<br /><br />You are paid about 35000 a year for the 3 years. A decent salary for sure. But considering the age and qualifications of candidates and the competitiveness for places it is not a massive amount of money (but a fair salary). The HSE pays for 60% of your university fees (which can be between 10-14,000 per year), you pay the rest from savings or your salary. In return for the HSE paying 60% of your salary, you commit to working with them for another 3 years after your training and it has to be in the very same health board (mid-west etc). This is a very similar to the system in the UK except they get paid a bit less, but have fees fully paid for and dont have the same restrictive work practices after training.<br /><br />This years intake will be starting in 3-5 weeks (depending on the university). The candidates have just been notified that they will have to pay full fees, upfront. So with 3 weeks notice they are being told that they dont have to pay 5000-6000 fees for the year ahead but 12-14000. They would earn 60% of this back pro rata as they work their 3 years with the healthboard after training.<br /><br />Considering many who apply for such a position have young families and would be coming back from working abroad to take these positions its a massive thing to be told 3 weeks before you start that you will be doing so with 42000 worth of depth hanging around your nexk for 3 years. With giving people just 3 weeks notice it seems a desperate and deceitful ploy by the HSE to save some money at the last minute or people are only realising on a week to week basis just how ********************ed some of our budgetary problems are.<br /><br />Technically it is not a cut. They will pay the money (just 4-6 years later). But the timing and method in which it has been done is very stealthy and a direct attempt to quickly save alot of money - there would potentially be 40-50 people starting at 4 Universities in Ireland in 3-5 weeks time. 50 times 60% of 14000 is over 400,000 euro.<br /><br />The timing rather than the nature of the new deal is the big issue here.</span>"OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-84162443714057437292010-08-04T13:42:00.005+01:002010-08-04T13:56:40.433+01:00Paul Gogarty lodges an official complaint with the gardai about Ivor CallelyThis is from a report in today's <a href="http://www.independent.ie/national-news/callely-reported-to-garda-over-expenses-2283776.html">Irish Independent</a>. This is also being discussed over on Politics.ie <a href="http://www.politics.ie/green-party/135013-police-complaint-follows-ivor-callelys-suspension-fianna-fail-after-story-expenses-20.html#post2894219">here</a>.<br /><br />___________________________________<br /><br /><span style="font-style:italic;">A Green Party TD today lodged an official complaint with the gardai about the expenses claims of controversial Senator Ivor Callely. Paul Gogarty, who has written to the Seanad complaining about the politician's alleged conduct, went to Dublin's Lucan Garda Station asking for an investigation to be carried out.<br /><br />The Dublin Mid-West TD said he made the move because of public anger. "In that context, I went to the garda station... requested an investigation formally, acknowledge that I have no role in influencing the investigation in any way, except to bring it to their attention, and gave my details," Mr Gogarty said.<br /><br />Mr Gogarty, who also handed in two copies of a Sunday newspaper report detailing the latest allegations, said a garda at Lucan told him an investigation would be carried out. </span><br /><br />___________________________________<br /><br />Let me remind readers that this is the same Paul Gogarty who voted confidence in Willy O'Dea, and found nothing wrong with the expenses of John O'Donoghue.<br /><br />So Paul, why report Ivor when you support Willy and John?OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-18777318920712202222010-07-30T12:55:00.001+01:002010-07-30T12:58:03.750+01:00Green Party support another cut to Education ... this time it's €2 billionFianna Fáil and the Greens have slashed school budgets by a massive €2 billion in the Capital Expenditure Programme announced this week and this will have a devastating effect on schools and children, according to Fine Gael Education Spokesman, Fergus O’Dowd TD <a href="http://www.fergusodowd.finegael.org/statements/">link</a>.<br /><br />O'Dowd said, <span style="font-style:italic;">"Once again, Fianna Fáil and the Greens are targeting the most vulnerable and it is children who will feel the pain of this massive cutback. The Revised Capital Expenditure Programme has actually slashed schools budgets by 40% when compared to the National Development Plan. To add insult to injury, the Government have attempted to hide this cut.<br /><br />The NDP provided for €5.1 billion in funding to the school building programme with €4.5 billion going to the Schools Infrastructure Sub-Programme, €318 million going on curriculum reform and professional development and €252 million being made available for ICT in schools. However, the Revised Capital Expenditure Programme merged these three spending areas into one budget as opposed to breaking them down into individual budgets as was done in the NDP. The Budget in the capital expenditure programme was €3.1 billion, a massive €2 billion write-down from what was pledged before.<br /><br />It is clear that Fianna Fáil and the Greens merged the spending areas into one budget in an attempt to hide the cuts but there is no way that schools across the country will ignore a 40% cut in promised funds</span>."OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-31039865122813749472010-07-22T16:29:00.002+01:002010-08-04T13:57:19.367+01:00Paul Gogarty?This <a href="http://citizensimon.blogspot.com/2009_12_01_archive.html">blog post</a> from Citizen Simon says it all really.<br /><br />Tut, tut Citizen Simon ... very naughty ...OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-24589123663342393302010-07-21T21:55:00.002+01:002010-07-21T21:58:37.008+01:00Competition Authority rejects Poolbeg complaintsThis from <a href="http://buckplanning.blogspot.com/">An Irish Town Planners Blog</a> ...<br /><br />The Competition Authority has rejected a number of complaints by the Irish Waste Management Authority (IWMA) about the planned incinerator at Poolbeg in Dublin.<br /><br />Dublin City Council said the Competition Authority had confirmed that 'there is no breach of Irish competition law' in relation to the Dublin Waste to Energy plant at Poolbeg. Four complaints made "have been rejected in their entirety by the Competition Authority,” the council said.<br /><br />The IWMA said that the authority had stated 'one complaint merited further investigation at this time, one complaint was a matter for the EU Commission to consider further, three complaints raised future anti-competitive threats', one complaint was upheld, two complaints required further information for the authority to proceed further and one complaint 'did not give rise to competition concerns'.<br /><br />The four main complaints rejected include -<br /><br />* that the council and Dublin Waste to Energy Ltd entered into arrangements that could amount to a concerted practice in breach of the Competition Act;<br />* that the two bodies could engage in abuse of a dominant position to engage in predatory pricing for waste treatment;<br />* that the public-private partnership amounted to a State aid in breach of European law - and<br />* that there was a price-fixing arrangement in breach of the Competition Act.<br /><br />The IWMA said that, with regard to some of the complaints, the Competition Authority “acknowledges that it does not have enough information to proceed further at this stage”.<br /><br />A spokesman for Minister for the Environment John Gormley said - “We weren’t a party to the complaints, so we haven’t received the response at this stage”.<br /><br />Dublin City Council assistant manager Séamus Lyons said - “We are delighted that the Competition Authority is the latest statutory agency to confirm that the Poolbeg Waste to Energy plant is fully within the law. It is also in line with best practice.”<br /><br />Mr Lyons said the IWMA did not object to the Poolbeg plant in the 10 years it was going through the statutory processes, “when they had plenty of opportunity to make their views known.<br /><br />"It is only since 2007 that the IWMA has sought, at every turn, to stop Dubliners from having the most innovative waste management system on a par with the best in Europe, with maximum recycling and minimum waste going to landfill.”<br /><br /><a href="http://buckplanning.blogspot.com/2010/07/authority-rejects-poolbeg-complaints.html">Link</a>OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-1828534020529994442010-07-21T21:11:00.006+01:002010-08-02T20:01:12.534+01:00The Green party will oppose education cuts in Budget 2011 ... oh really?I've started (what has turned out to be a very interesting) Politics.ie thread on this <a href="http://www.politics.ie/education-science/134241-green-party-oppose-education-cuts-budget-2011-oh-really.html">here</a>. This thread is definitely worth a read just to see the bare faced denial that there have been education cuts from Green Party members posting on the thread ... even in the face of irrefutable proof.<br /><br />Paul Gogarty has claimed the education cuts from Budget 2009 have been reversed. He also claimed that his support of these cuts made him "vomit continuously", And what of poor old Trevor Sargent? He says the education cuts "turns my stomach".<br /><br />According to todays <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0721/1224275145630.html">Irish Times</a> Green Party leader and Minister for the Environment John Gormley made clear his party would oppose education cuts. “<span style="font-style:italic;">You can look at the renewed programme for Government and you can see there that there are priorities that have been put in place, for example education spending is extremely important</span>,” he said.<br /><br />Well I have some news for Mr. Gogarty, Mr. Sargent, and Minister Gormley... The education cuts have not been reversed. In fact, there were education cuts in the December 2009 budget, and there continue to be education cuts in 2010.<br /><br /><br />"<a href="http://oceanfrogblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/funding-university-sector-in-ireland.html">Funding the University sector in Ireland</a>" - The extent of the financial and operational crisis facing the university sector has been outlined in a stark letter sent to the seven presidents by Higher Education Authority (HEA) chief executive Tom Boland. He tells the colleges to brace themselves for an unprecedented range of cuts over the next year as the Government seeks to achieve €3 billion in overall exchequer savings. Colleges are advised to take “whatever action is needed’’ in advance of reductions in core funding.<br /><br />Cutbacks in staff numbers and in the range of programmes on offer appear inevitable. The colleges have been told also they can expect no increase in student charges for the next academic year.<br /><br />It is a bleak scenario. The colleges are being asked to manage record numbers of students with greatly reduced resources. <br /><br /><br />"<a href="http://oceanfrogblog.blogspot.com/2010/06/30-disadvantaged-schools-to-lose.html">30 disadvantaged schools to lose librarians</a>" - It has been announced that up to 30 of the country's most disadvantaged schools are to lose librarian services that were granted in an attempt to boost literacy levels. Tánaiste and Minister for Education Mary Coughlan has confirmed that the contracts of many of the librarians working on the scheme will not be renewed over the summer. €9m has been invested to open the libraries.<br /><br /><br />"<a href="http://oceanfrogblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/ffgreen-party-announce-353-fewer-sna.html">FF/Green Party announce 353 fewer SNA posts</a>" - Minister for Education Mary Coughlan has told the Dáil that 353 fewer special needs assistants will be sanctioned following completion of a review of special education.<br /><br /><br />This document from UCD "<a href="http://www.ucd.ie/news/2010/120110_edu-policy.html">Education policy choices in an economic downturn</a>" outlines additional education cuts - “The economic turnaround has had immediate effects on education.” Professor Sheelagh Drudy says. “The December 2009 budget extended the cuts in education. The 2008 October budget set out a programme of cuts in services which included an increase in class sizes in primary and post-primary schools, and a consequent loss of teaching posts, cuts in the allocations to teacher professional development, cuts in higher education funding and cutbacks on a range of schemes designed to support disadvantaged and marginalised pupils.” Commenting on impact of the 2009 budget cuts, Drudy noted that, in addition to pay-cuts for teachers (along with all public servants), education cuts amounted to €134 million and included reduced funding for the Strategic Innovation Fund in education, further reductions in the allocations to higher education institutions, reductions in rates of student support grants and grants to Youthreach and VTOS, ‘rationalisation’ of teacher support services and ‘efficiencies’ in school transport.<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://navc.ie/main/">The National Association of VTOS Co-ordinators</a> - The loss of the maintenance grant for VTOS students doing PLC courses, uneven though it was, will make progression for our graduates more difficult<br /><br /><br />Further education cuts are outlined in the "<a href="http://www.budget.gov.ie/budgets/2010/Summary.aspx">Summary of Budget Measures 2010</a>".<br /><br /><br />I'm not sure what planet Gormley and Gogarty are currently resident on, but the Green Party claim that "education will be protected" and that the "education cuts have been reversed" are clearly nonsense.<br /><br />Keep on vomiting Paul.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-68176339865735152712010-07-21T12:42:00.003+01:002010-07-21T12:52:38.929+01:00Miclin answers my "10 questions for the Green Party"User "<a href="http://www.politics.ie/2858398-post78.html">miclin</a>" has answered my "<a href="http://oceanfrogblog.blogspot.com/2010/05/ten-questions-for-green-party.html">10 questions for the Green Party</a>" on <a href="http://www.politics.ie/2858398-post78.html">politics.ie</a>. I would like to take the opportunity to challenge some of miclin's answers, and I'll do this over the next few weeks when I have more time.<br /><br />My questions and miclins answers are as follows;<br /><br /><br />miclin - I'm going to quickly answer these questions from the above post. As I don't use this site and am v busy, if you have any follow-up questions, please send to miclinglas@gmail.com<br /><br />I'll post again at the end of December after the next budget to list the legislation we've pushed through at that point (presuming we're still in power!)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - Why are the Green Party denying the the peoples of Donegal, Waterford and Dublin South their right to a by-election? It has been many months since these people have been without their allowed level of representation ... why do the Green Party keep voting against holding these 3 by-elections?</span><br /><br />miclin - I'd imagine they vote against them because they expect that opposition parties will win all three seats, making the government more unstable and reducing the amount of legislation from the pfg that will pass before FG/Labour have their turn. A slimmer majority would hand power to the independents and rebel FF backbenchers. Basic legislation like the road safety act wouldn't pass in that event. There is no legal requirement to hold by-elections before the next GE. I have no ethical problem with say Waterford 4 seater being represented by 3 TDs. They had 2 FF TDs now they have 1, so what? <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - Why are the Green Party delaying on the referendum on children's rights? Why has John Gormley refused to meet Fregus Finlay to discuss the proposed referendum?</span><br /><br />miclin - JG spends half his time meeting deputations from various special interest groups. I have previously heard untrue claims from people such as the hunting lobby that he had refused to meet them. I would take what Fergus Finlay says with a pinch of salt given that he is or was a senior Labour party spin doctor. The childrens rights legislation is important to get right and not rush through. <br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - Where is the ban on corporate donations promised by John Gormley?</span><br /><br />miclin - The national convention in March mandated that this legislation be passed by Jan 2011. I can't see this happening. FF, FG and Labour all rely on corporate or union donations so why would they vote to cut off their blood supply? Government might fall on this issue. A FG/Lab govt wouldn't even consider banning corporate donations.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - Why have the Green Party appointed unqualified Green Party members to State jobs after promising that all such appointments would be openly advertised and transparent. Elizabeth Davidson was appointed to the board of IFCO (Irish Film Classification) ... was this position openly advertised, and is Elizabeth Davidson qualified for this job in any way? Elizabeth is just one example of this ... there are many others. How is this different to the gombeenism of FF on "Planet Bertie".</span><br /><br />miclin - Under the current system, there are over 6,000 political appointments from the judiciary to state boards. I take your point, but Green appointments have been only made to a handful of these positions. The renewed pfg contains a commitment to reform this system to become more transparent. I was impressed that JG's archrival's wife was appointed to chair the DDDA. In the case of IFCO, the requirement is for a jury member type person to classify films. Film classification is entirely subjective and reflects the opinions and biases of the censor. The greens hare happy to have someone who holds their liberal worldview rather than a conservative backwoodsman telling us what we can't watch. Davidson has a background in education and I'm sure is well capable of classifying a film as any normally intelligent person could do.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - Shannon - Has there been even ONE inspection of US military flights passing through Sahnnon? Who knows what is coming through Shannon?</span><br /><br />miclin - I doubt it. The deal on Shannon as I understand it is that no military flights would be allowed for non-UN mandated operations. As the current post invasion Iraq and Afghan operations have UN backing the issue does not arise. As regards CIA rendition flights, I don't know what progress has been made. There is a cabinet subcommittee supposed to decide on how to proceed. I'll ask them next time I see them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - Tara - The argument was made by John Gormley and co. that it would cost €200m to buy us out of the contract with Eurolink, and that if we spent that money, it would be €200m less for our public service? How come we can now hand over multiples in billions to zombie banks and its ok?</span><br /><br />miclin - The M3 was too late to stop. Not only was it contractually agreed to, it was under construction by the time the Greens entered government and had passed every legal hurdle. It was also a very popular project with the locals in Meath and had some safety benefits. On the plus side, the new windfall tax on rezoning combined with the new planning act will make it unattractive to overdevelop the junctions with unsustainable car dependent housing (the real reason for the project in the 1st place). Also there's still a chance that the UN will designate Tara a UNESCO heritage site, restricting any further development of the area.<br /><br />miclin - I don't follow your reasoning that because the bank recaps have cost billions that money no longer has any value and we should throw it around.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - Why have the Green Party supported the longest summer break for the Dáil since 2003 (12 weeks in total)? The longest summer break of any country in Europe, and most democracies in the rest of the world.</span><br /><br />miclin - In my opinion more legislative work is done when the dail is outside of session. What the opposition do during the recess I don't know.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - Secret Ministerial rotation deals - Why was a secret deal put in place to rotate Green Ministers after 2.5 years in Govt? Why was Eamon Ryan excluded from this secret deal, and why did he not know about the deal (he has claimed ignorance many times).</span><br /><br />miclin - 'Secret ministerial rotation deal' is merely a pejorative term for cabinet reshuffle. A proportion of govt business is necessarily done in private such as cabinet meetings. Cabinet appointments are always privately made and non-transparent. The taoiseach picks someone for god knows what reason. I'm not sure what you expected the greens to do differently - hold an open competition for cabinet posts?<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - If secret deals like the above exist, how can we be sure that other secret deals don't exist? Were secret deals done on Tara and Shannon? Why did Eamon Ryan not know about these secret deals between John Gormley and Bertie Ahern? What else don't we know? How can the Green Party still claim to be open and transparent whilst doing deals that GP members and GP Ministers don't even know about?</span><br /><br />miclin - Could well have been done, I don't know. Transparency isn't a binary attribute.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - Why has the Irish EPI index dropped 10 places since Minister Gormley has been in charge. We were 10 places higher when we had Dick Roche in Minister Gormley's seat!</span><br /><br />miclin - If you have some analytical skills and an interest in the Irish environment then why not find out for yourself? At first glance, I can see that there are more countries in the more recent EPI survey than in previous surveys, so the rankings will naturally be affected. Many environmental factors like biodiversity don't change dramatically from year to year, so I would start by examining which variables Ireland went down on in the most recent index to draw any conclusions. It is a fair question, though.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - Where are the Electoral, Tax and Dail reforms?</span><br />After the JO'D affair, the greens got agreement from FF for a reform of the expenses system that means you can view TDs expenses online, TDs have to sign in, vouched expenses. Corporate and income taxes have been kept low while consumption taxes have been maintained with a raft of new unpopular green polluter-pays taxes enacted or in pipeline. <br /><br />miclin - As regards electoral reform, the electoral commission findings are due in the next couple of months. I wouldn't hold out much hope for electoral reform by this or the next dail. There have been many electoral commissions and reports in the past.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - Where's the GMO Legislation?</span><br /><br />miclin - Just last week the EU has decided that member states will be allowed to decide to ban planting of GMO crops. I don't know if legislation is required for the agreement to make Ireland a gm-free zone. Contact Ciaran Cuffe's office if you want to find out further as they are the ministry dealing with this topic and I believe they are working on it now.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - Where is the ratification of Aahrus?</span><br /><br />miclin - We had hoped to have this done in the spring but further legislative and regulatory changes are still needed before ratification is possible. There is more time to do this now that various pieces of major legislation passed at the end of the last session and I know it is of particular interest to JG.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">OceanFrog (OF) - Where's the National Transport Strategy?</span><br />I don't think lack of strategy is the problem in transport. The most recent was 5 yrs ago: transport 21. Expect the new strategy to be an evolution of this with cycling and walking treated as valid transport methods. The strategy will be published for public consultation later this summer and finalised in the autumn. <br /><br />miclin - The National transport authority has been set up as a result of enabling legislation in the Dublin transport authority act 2008 and the public transport regulation act 2009. This replaces the DTO and allows for a link between urban planning and transport infrastructure planning. Also a new licensing regime for public transport services has been created to replace the decades old former legislation.<br /><br />miclin - Metro North will likely be approved by ABP in the next fortnight. I am hoping it will be contractually signed off before the end of the current dail when FG would cancel it. The interconnector railway order app has been submitted and will hopefully get through planning faster than Metro North. I doubt it will be signed off before the next govt. I have great hope for the reform of the Dublin Bus network as a result of the Deloitte report. The first set of reorganised bus routes is due in the next few weeks. RTPI is going live now and will complete by end of 2010/start 2011. Same timeframe for integrated ticketing.<br /><br />miclin - Dunboyne rail will open this year as will Luas cherrywood. Luas saggart opens early next year. I expect that the extension of rail to Navan will be signed off earlier than expected following delays in metro north and the interconnector. Also dempsey being from navan may help!OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-84523273844714948332010-07-21T01:58:00.004+01:002010-07-21T02:07:24.354+01:00Green Party member claims he knows about FG and FF corruption ... but does nothing about itExtraordinary stuff over on Politics.ie. Green Party member SPN has claimed "<span style="font-style:italic;">Around here, according to one FG Councillor, the rate was €10k per Councillor per rezoning</span>".<br /><br />The link to SPN's extraordinary statement is here ... http://www.politics.ie/2857749-post23.html<br /><br />This is a serious accusation of fraud, and I call on SPN to report this to An Garda Síochána immediately. <br /><br />SPN, I know you sometimes get @excited@ on P.ie. However, if this is just all talk in an attempt to pretend everyone is as corrupt as FF, you need to admit that now. You should not be making such unsubstantiated accusations like this. But I suppose that is the Green Party way these days... you have obviously learned a lot from Willy O'Dea ...OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-48041300988375659752010-07-21T01:22:00.009+01:002010-07-21T01:55:12.367+01:00Minister for Snow blamed by Oireachtas committeeThe official response to the devastating flooding late last year and January's crippling cold snap has been branded unacceptable by a critical new report. An Oireachtas committee found disruption during the weather crises could have been greatly reduced if the state had been better informed, more prepared and adequately resourced. The report said it was often unclear who was in charge in emergency situations and claimed serious communications lessons were needed for tackling any future emergencies.<br /><br />So who was in charge? None other than Minister for Snow John Gormley!<br /><br /><object width="240" height="85"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/6h9vGXtUvG8&hl=en_US&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/6h9vGXtUvG8&hl=en_US&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="410" height="235"></embed></object><br /><br />This is an interesting article from the Evening Herald of Jan 8th, 2010 http://www.herald.ie/national-news/city-news/dont-call-me-the-minister-for-snow-2005129.html... <br /><br />"<span style="font-style:italic;">"I'm not the boss," was the extraordinary admission by Minister John Gormley hours after he was put in charge of the freezing crisis.<br /><br />In a bizarre series of live TV interviews, he failed to reassure the public that the emergency was being handled effectively:<br /><br />The extremely defensive Minister stated:<br /><br />- He didn't know where Transport Minister Noel Dempsey is<br /><br />- Refused to call the army in to clear footpaths and secondary roads<br /><br />- Became irked at being labelled the 'Minister for Snow'<br /><br />- Claimed the local authorities were doing a good job clearing routes<br /><br />Mr Gormley's bizarre performance came as it also emerged that Transport Minister Noel Dempsey only went on holidays this Tuesday, as the crisis descended into chaos</span>."OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-91352700394748661732010-07-21T00:25:00.000+01:002010-07-21T00:26:09.999+01:00No National Biodiversity Action Plan???2010 was supposed to have been the year that the loss in biodiversity was halted. Alas this was not to be so EU leaders have decided to set a new deadline, this time 2020 (and who knows, perhaps in tens years time we might have another deadline of 2030). In Ireland we do not even have a national Biodiversity Action Plan - a key requirement under the Convention on Biological Diversity which was signed by our government way back in 1992 - since the first (and only) one expired in 2007. So do we have any confidence that 2020 will be any better then 2010 for our natural heritage? Hardly.<br /><br />Is this another sad indictment of our so-called 'Green' Environment Minister's lack of political will to tackle important environmental issues?<br /><br />Isn't it about time that the Irish Government committed itself to the implementation of Agenda 21 and the Aarhus Treaty? What a waste of the past 3 years.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-84859599627366746382010-07-20T17:20:00.002+01:002010-07-20T17:23:43.453+01:00Hit the poor hardest ...Great to see more "though decisions" are being made by Fianna Fáil and supported by the Green Party.<br /><br />Fianna Fáil and the Greens cut the pay of low paid public servants by 5%, cut child benefit by 10% and cut social welfare benefits paid to the unemployed, disabled, blind and sick. Cuts are ongoing to the poorest and most disadvantaged with more to come in December's budget. <br /><br />However, senior civil servants and senior executives in the public service and State agencies were given a reprieve. Now it seems that the semi-State bosses are getting the same special treatment. Last December, Brian Lenihan announced that he would bring proposals to Cabinet "<span style="font-style:italic;">at an early date</span>" to review the pay arrangements for the Chief Executives of semi-States. Eight months later, nothing has happened and the Department of Finance has confirmed that the issue has been put on the long finger.<br /><br />Well done Green Party ... more to be proud of.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.leovaradkar.ie/?p=1079">Link</a>.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-51369185499458473652010-07-20T16:56:00.005+01:002010-07-21T01:15:49.775+01:00Green Party gifts plum positions on state bodies to election losers<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://media.tribune.ie/site_media/photologue/photos/2010/Feb/06/cache/niall_o_brolchain028375_display.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 199px;" src="http://media.tribune.ie/site_media/photologue/photos/2010/Feb/06/cache/niall_o_brolchain028375_display.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />I just wanted to remind people again of way the Green party have embraced gombeenism. This is a follow on from my <a href="http://oceanfrogblog.blogspot.com/2010/03/green-gombeenism.html">Green Gombeenism</a> post of a few weeks back.<br /><br />The picture is of former Galway city mayor Niall O Brolcháin who was recently gifted a Seanad seat as he was the only government nominee for a vacancy on the agricultural panel. <br /><br />This is taken from an article by Shane Coleman and Conor McMorrow ... the <a href="http://www.tribune.ie/article/2010/feb/07/green-party-gifts-plum-positions-on-state-bodies-t/">full article is here</a> and is definitely worth reading.<br /><br />From the article ...<br /><br />"<span style="font-style:italic;">Over a third of the Green councillors who lost their seats in last year's local elections have been appointed to state bodies and other plum positions by the government in recent months, the Sunday Tribune has established. <br /><br />The party, which has long railed against the practice of appointing party hacks to state boards and even demanded that it be addressed in the programme for government, is now being accused of "sickening and appalling... cronyism" by the opposition</span>."<br /><br />I recommend you read the full article and my "Green Gombeenism" post. Sad for those of us who hoped Green politics would equal clean politics.<br /><br />Anyone remember John Gormleys "<a href="http://www.greenparty.ie/en/news/latest_news/address_by_john_gormley_to_the_national_convention">Planet Bertie</a>" speech? You can decide for yourself whether he was lying or simply too stupid to understand what he was saying. Either way it makes him look very, very bad now.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-4620736508029371732010-07-20T12:43:00.001+01:002010-07-20T12:45:46.683+01:00A new (and exciting) twist to our ‘Wonderland’?This post from Arthur Doohans blog ... <a href="http://doohan.org/blog/2010/07/15/nama-doa-say-ministers/">link</a><br /><br />"<span style="font-style:italic;">Minister Ryan and Minister Lenihan are announcing a program to ‘force’ the AIB & BoI to lend €12bln over the next 3 years. So before all of the loans are transferred to NAMA, they are admitting what the majority of independent observers said at the time would be the case; that NAMA would NOT regenerate lending in this economy.<br /><br />Further, this new program of lending has no incentive and no enforcement and no punitive measures attached, so that there is no way to make this lending happen. There is just a new ‘nodding dog’ of a quango to repackage the lies of Ministers. The pronunciations of the ‘Credit Review Office’, which is as underresourced as it possible for ‘one man and his dog’ to be, flies in the face of the quotidian experience of every accountant, credit officer and small business operator in the land.<br /><br />It’s not so bad to have a politician lie to us. We are well used to it, by now. But that they are setting up quangos using our taxes to pay civil servants to lie to us is a new twist to our ‘Wonderland’.<br /><br />Addendum – What has a new lending program, however fictitious, got to do with Minister Ryan’s portfolio of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources?</span>"<br /><br />Well said Arthur.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-36284830312972226472010-07-19T13:53:00.002+01:002010-07-19T13:55:24.801+01:00Green Party to take responsibility for cuts in Budget 2011Green Party chairman Senator Dan Boyle said his party’s contribution to budgetary preparations would not be confined to the Department of the Environment and the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources – the two portfolios held by Green Ministers. <br /><br />He was quoted as saying, “T<span style="font-style:italic;">hings we’d be most concerned about would be maintaining social welfare rates and education expenditure. Also on the capital side our priority would be infrastructure relating to public transport and water services</span>”.<br /><br />I'll be watching what the Green Party cut in Budget 2011 Senator Boyle, and I'll be the first one to call you on it.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2010/0719/1224275019838.html">Link</a>.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-25897545927104910562010-07-19T13:50:00.001+01:002010-07-19T13:52:29.781+01:00Next Cabinet meeting? That would be sometime in September ...Ministers will meet on Wednesday to begin discussions on how to deliver €3 billion in cuts in December’s budget. Wednesday’s meeting will be the second-last Cabinet meeting before September. The final meeting has been provisionally scheduled for Wednesday 28th.<br /><br />If this does not have you fuming, please see my post on Brian Cowen being the 4th highest paid politician in the world (below).OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-7274679675537356682010-07-19T13:39:00.006+01:002010-07-19T13:50:03.050+01:00Dan Boyle sends out wrong signalsMinisters will meet on Wednesday to begin discussions on how to deliver €3 billion in cuts in December’s budget.<br /><br />But it looks like cracks are already appearing in the coalition with Dan Boyle wondering aloud about the public appetite for another "difficult budget". This has led to a scathing attack on the Green Party Chairman in todays editorial in the Irish Independent. Read the full article <a href="http://www.independent.ie/opinion/editorial/boyle-sends-out-wrong-signals-2263987.html">here</a>.<br /><br />This is from the article ...<br /><br />"<span style="font-style:italic;">Not many of us take Senator Dan Boyle very seriously. Indeed, not many of us take his party, the Greens, seriously except on the numerous occasions when they contrive to annoy sensible people and make them regret that the party ever found a place of influence in the political system.<br /><br />But regrettably or otherwise, they do have a place in the system. They hold two seats in the Cabinet. The Government depends on them for its existence. And Mr Boyle is the party chairman and finance spokesman.<br /><br />So when he makes a pronouncement on an issue of the highest importance, people sit up and take notice -- at home and, more dangerously, abroad.<br /><br />Those of them who have heard of Mr Boyle as a person of consequence in Irish politics will have their doubts reinforced.<br /><br />But in one respect he is right. He is right to question whether "we" have the political will to stick the course. By "we" he presumably means the coalition, not the voters, who have no recourse but to throw it out of office at the earliest opportunity. In the meantime, it has a choice. It can give the people the leadership to help them through the hard times. Or it can continue to choose cowardice and incompetence on every issue from water charges to top officials' pensions.</span>"<br /><br /><br />Apparently Dan Boyle was unrepentant last night (<a href="http://www.independent.ie/national-news/boyle-wont-back-down-on-budget-warnings-2263965.html">link</a>) about his warning that Ireland might not be able to reduce its budget deficit within the next four years. He put himself at odds with government policy, which is to to bring down the deficit in line with EU rules by 2014.<br /><br />Mr Boyle had asked whether this was socially and politically possible. "Seeing that we have had three-and-a-half years of really difficult budgets, I do not see the public appetite continuing. It could be that we have neutral budgets for a period," he said.<br /><br />But the Green Party gave a rapid assurance that Mr Boyle was speaking on a personal basis -- and not for the party.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-23896187018152222482010-07-19T13:34:00.003+01:002010-07-19T13:39:36.525+01:00Brian Cowen is worlds 4th highest paid politician at $342,4001. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister, Singapore<br />Annual salary: $2.75 million<br /><br />2. Donald Tsang, Chief Executive, Hong Kong<br />Annual salary: $515,300<br /><br />3. Barack Obama, President, United States<br />Annual salary: $400,000<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">4. Brian Cowen, Taoiseach, Ireland<br />Annual salary: $342,400</span><br /><br />5. Nicolas Sarkozy, President, France<br />Annual salary: $319,800<br /><br />6. Kevin Rudd, Prime Minister, Australia<br />Annual salary: $315,800<br /><br />7. Stephen Harper, Prime Minister, Canada<br />Annual salary: $309,800<br /><br />8. Jacob Zuma, President, South Africa<br />Annual salary: $305,800<br /><br />9. Angela Merkel, Chancellor, Germany<br />Annual salary: $303,800<br /><br />10. Gordon Brown, Prime Minister, United Kingdom<br />Annual salary: $300,400<br /><br /><a href="http://www.transitioning.org/2010/05/03/worlds-highest-paid-politicians-msn-money/">Link</a>OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-52486986541158610592010-07-09T13:50:00.008+01:002010-07-09T14:09:42.038+01:0012 weeks off and no one is laughing except the politiciansToday is the first day of the 12 week break that our Fianna Fáil and the Green Party politicians have voted for themselves. The Greens have actively colluded in the long break, despite being vociferous objectors to such proposals in opposition.<br /><br />The longest summer break for the Dáil since 2003.<br /><br />The longest summer break of any country in Europe, and most democracies in the rest of the world.<br /><br />Todays <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2010/0709/1224274347949.html">Irish Times</a> notes that at a time when the Government is promoting an agenda of productivity and reform within the public service, its own working arrangements require serious attention. A three-day Dáil working week, for seven months of the year, does not represent good value for democracy.<br /><br />And this is especially true when we have a government refusing to hold three outstanding by-elections, a children's rights referendum being constantly postponed, and the Dublin Mayoral election now in doubt in 2010. <br /><br />FF/Green notions of democracy are a sick joke. The only problem is that I dont hear anyone laughing ... except the politicians in the Dáil yesterday who had good reason to laugh.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-14403827479913287712010-07-09T13:37:00.001+01:002010-07-09T13:39:24.832+01:00Dublin mayoral election "could be next year" according to Eamon RyanMore Green Party wobbles last night on one of its key pledges. Eamon Ryan has said the Dublin mayoral election "could be next year". This flies directly in the face of Green leader John Gormley's previous stance that the election would be held in 2010.<br /><br />The Greens had held up the Dublin mayoral election as one of their key policy aims and Mr Gormley's spokesman last night insisted that the "intention" was still to hold the election before the end of the year.<br /><br />Despite this however Mr Ryan said the Government was now adopting a "wait and see" approach.<br /><br />"It could be this year, it could be next year. There hasn't been a final call made on that," he told RTE.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.independent.ie/national-news/greens-wobble-on-key-pledge-as-mayoral-poll-stalls-2252149.html">Link</a>.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-19539772463975914522010-07-08T11:20:00.001+01:002010-07-08T11:22:40.132+01:00The Mind Boggles ...From <a href="http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2010/0708/1224274268318.html">Miriam Lord</a> in todays Irish Times.<br /><br />_______________________________________<br /><br />DÁIL SKETCH: FOR A man about to escape answering questions in the Dáil for the next three months, Brian Cowen was in foul humour.<br /><br />When he finally fled the chamber at lunchtime yesterday, the Taoiseach left safe in the knowledge that he doesn’t have to show his face again until September 29th.<br /><br />Twice a week he must account for himself on the floor of parliament. At the best of times it is a personal purgatory he undertakes with habitual bad grace. But even by the Taoiseach’s own dour standard, yesterday’s performance took the rancid biscuit. Bearing in mind the sensitivity of the issue under discussion during Leaders’ Questions, Cowen’s grouchy impression of a bear with a sore head jarred with the muted mood of all but a couple of his Ministers.<br /><br />“I rise today to speak for those who have no voice for themselves,” began the Fine Gael leader, on a day when nearly 2,000 people from around the country were forced to take to the streets to try and embarrass the Government into reversing cuts in basic services for people with disabilities.<br /><br />These are men and women who have more than enough on their plates without having to march because they have lost, or fear they will lose, their respite care.<br /><br />“It is fair to say that the people who are on the streets today felt that the days of having to protest, of having to walk on the streets in order to bring attention to the needs and difficulties they have in providing care for members of their family . . . were over,” said Eamon Gilmore.<br /><br />Cowen listened, head bowed, as an impassioned Enda Kenny contrasted the plight of disabled people hit by minor budgetary cuts with the large increase in the entertainment budget of Government departments.<br /><br />The Taoiseach’s microphone was off, but his tart assessment of the Fine Gael leader’s contribution was clearly heard in the press gallery.<br /><br />Without raising his eyes, Brian Cowen uttered just one word, voice dripping with contempt.<br /><br />“Fool.”<br /><br />Charming.<br /><br />Had the Taoiseach taken his opinion of Kenny’s contribution to the gates of Leinster House an hour later, he would have met a lot of people who would have told him, in no uncertain terms, that the Fine Gael leader was speaking sense.<br /><br />Perhaps the voiceless – “the people who look after adults with a mental age of three or four” as Enda Kenny called them – just slipped beneath his radar.<br /><br />As this Dáil session comes to a close, a lot of political brains are addled by talk of the banking and Nama billions.<br /><br />The Taoiseach appeared to be under the impression that no decisions have been made to close down some respite facilities. “It will not happen as far as I’m concerned,” he wheezed.<br /><br />Opposition deputies were outraged. (A few Government backbenchers looked very uncomfortable.) Examples were furnished from Dublin, Galway and Limerick by incandescent TDs.<br /><br />“The Taoiseach has said that no such decision has been made. If not, why are thousands of people marching to the House today? This is their cry for help. Who speaks for these people? The Taoiseach certainly doesn’t these days,” fumed Enda.<br /><br />To which the cankerous Cowen replied: “You don’t, anyway.” As the Opposition piled in with their examples of services under pressure, he countered by arguing “this is no time to scare people who are vulnerable”. They went apoplectic across the floor at that.<br /><br />The Fine Gael leader was clearly irritating his opposite number, who began muttering to himself before appealing to the Ceann Comhairle to make Kenny get to the point with a sarcastic “Question?” On the back foot on the respite services issue, the Taoiseach started attacking Fine Gael and Labour’s track record in providing disability services. The Rainbow Coalition left power in 1997.<br /><br />A depressing morning.<br /><br />Then, during the Order of Business, Cowen was bounced into revealing the length of the recess. Last week, despite Opposition requests, the Government insisted no date had been fixed. (They didn’t want a week of criticism building up over their three-month break from legislating and answering questions.) Ideally, the return of September 29th would have been announced today, with the Taoiseach already gone for the duration and the house about to rise.<br /><br />In defence yesterday, the Taoiseach declared “there will be a lot of work done by committees in July and September.” Whereupon those deputies left in the chamber burst out laughing.<br /><br />Stop press! Here’s that Dáil schedule for the foreseeable future that they don’t want you to see: Adjourn today until the third week in December, when the House will rise for the Christmas recess.<br /><br />In the immediate aftermath of the festive season and after the January sales, Leinster House will reopen to facilitate a mass clocking-in exercise by members of the Government, who will retrospectively regularise their attendance statistics for expenses purposes.<br /><br />By then, Creme Eggs will be in the Oireachtas shop, signalling the rapid approach of Easter 2011. Accordingly (and taking into account Valentines Day, St Patrick’s Day and Cheltenham), the House will go into recess on the first of February.<br /><br />It must be noted that the Green Party – while vehemently opposed in principle to ridiculously long parliamentary breaks – is in full agreement with its coalition partners on the issue of avoiding scrutiny in the Dáil.<br /><br />February, after all, is the start of the rhubarb-forcing season.<br /><br />There will be a long sitting in May to facilitate the annual golf outing, to postpone the byelections in the national interest and to prepare for the summer break.<br /><br />Three months away from parliament. Twelve weeks in hiding.<br /><br />The mind boggles.<br />_______________________________________OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4306990944181521566.post-67557197409954274562010-07-05T14:11:00.001+01:002010-07-05T14:13:33.981+01:00More cuts for those with intellectual disabilities<a href="http://www.rte.ie/news/2010/0705/health.html">RTE</a> are reporting that a Galway-based lobby group has said it will fight a further round of cutbacks being planned by the Health Service Executive in every possible way. Hope4Disability represents the families of children with intellectual disabilities. It said the threatened cutbacks have 'shocked and frightened' parents throughout the county.<br /><br />The HSE said it is facing severe financial pressures and 'efficiencies' have to be achieved across the entire range of services it provides. The Brothers of Charity, which provides respite care in Galway, said they have been told to reduce their budget again. The National Federation of Voluntary Bodies said the prospect of further cuts is devastating.OceanFroghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10336636303224981007noreply@blogger.com0