I have always liked David Norris as a person, but as a candidate there are questions that public officials need to answer - And watching the Prime Time interview, I was not happy with the way he deflected and avoided valid questions on correspondence to do with the letters written in support of Ezra Nawi, a former boyfriend of David Norris - and let us not forget this - convicted of statutory rape.
Deflection on the grounds of disclosure or a trial being held in camera are no excuse.
Names, dates and locations can be excised and redacted, but details and context are valid questions.
Its not the first time that he has tried to intervene in a similar case.
In 2008, Norris called for a documentary, Fairytale of Kathmandu, to be postponed. The film documented visits to Nepal by poet Cathal Ó Searcaigh, during which he is alleged to have had sex with young men - about 16 years of age.
It questioned whether he was sexually exploiting the boys.
I have always felt very uncomfortable about the case, its not really clear - but clearly a charity worker having sex with 16 year olds (regardless of gender) is failing in duty of care, and remember here in Ireland the legal definition of a child is someone under the age of 17 for the purpose of the sexual offences (juristiction) act 1996
The sexuality of a person does not matter, but abuse of a minor does.
As an atheist I have to say for all the senators protestations about strong christian values, he would do well to remember Matthew 18:6
But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea
Certain crimes should not and cannot be forgiven.
An adult who abuses a minor through violation of trust, position etc. is a criminal.
It is especially important to point out both cases involved poor, dependent persons of a foreign culture.
Various bleating by Norris about the pederasty in classical Greece with such echoes to a trial like this is both unwise, and I feel sinister.
We need more transparency in our body politic, not more cover-ups.
On that note from the Irish Independent on the 5th we learned that David Norris received a disability payment for 16 years while out of work as a Trinity College lecturer -- even though he was well enough to be a "full-time" senator for the entire period.
Mr Norris confirmed to the Irish Independent he received the payment, but could not specify exactly how much it was worth. He also initially refused to say what his disability was.
The payment began in 1994 and ended in 2010.
Over the period, while claiming disability he also received a senator's salary of about €61,073 and an annual leader's allowance -- the €23,383 Independent senators receive in unvouched expenses every year -- for his Seanad work.
However, he initially would not say what the disability was, and insisted it did not stand in his way of being president, insisting he is in "perfect health".
So at first, Senator Norris refused to comment on the disability payments - this is the clarification (?) recently released.
At his official campaign launch this morning, he has revealed the payment is currently around €2,500 a month. It is non- A, B or C Hepatitis, contracted from drinking water in Central Europe in 1994......left him so tired he was unable to do his job lecturing in Trinity
“I was medically advised it was not possible for me to undertake the stress of the very intensive lecturing and tutorial duties that I had,”
Mr Norris said it was the university authorities who decided to place him on permanent disability and replace him with another academic, giving him time to focus on the Seanad.
So well enough to lecture in the Senate, but not the School?
He did concede that if it were now he may think differently about taking the payment while having another job: He insisted his health would not be an issue for him to become President
Thats nice to know, so he can work then - even though it seems he may still receive disability payments!
“For three years I did not take any alcohol at all, which you’re advised, with the small exception every Sunday at St Patrick’s Cathedral.” What is it with religion again??
Further in that interview in relation to the abuse case Mr Norris again stressed he was acting on legal advice from Israeli and Irish lawyers .......which stops him disclosing controversial clemency letters he wrote for an ex-partner convicted of statutory rape.
“This case involved real people,” he said.
“It changed their lives and left deep scars.
Real people, real scars?? No Shit Sherlock!!!
Letters can always be released after censorship - and it seems all the correspondence related to gaining clemency for the abuser - so far as we can tell, not having seen the correspondence.
But, as with the disability payments - this was done on advice - as were the disability payments but when asked to comment initially he asked not to go into the disability payment, saying there "was a whole story about that".
Im sure there is!
For the second time in a Presidential campaign we see that this may involve (another) rapid verbal u-turning change of tune - perhaps after "mature recollection"
GUBU speak is alive and well in Joyces Dublin
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Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Privatising Ireland
Well, we know they want to privatize water, which is not a commodity but a human right.
But other state assets are being sold to create a short term solution to bail out banks - in an effort that will fail, that is, the bank bailout.
Already our natural resources have been sold, as with gas and oil resources - or with coillte, will be sold.
We as a country do not have the best track record with privatization. Our Eircom flotation was a failure, Sugar and Steel went to the wall. Sugar in particular was a very bad deal, very short sighted and caused real loss.
Aerlingus shares fell from over 2 euro to just over 60 cents. Aerlingus landing slots are worth more than flight revenue - this is a service, not a business.
Now the ESB- the very foundation of our socio-economic structure is now up for sale. The ESB is a strategic company. The plan is not to retain any of the ESB but flog it.
Control of the network grid is where the money is, and with our shabby history of regulation, better a public than private monopoly.
It is a bad time to sell, the buyers know we are in a bind, it's like going to the pawn shop instead of the antique stores.
Pat Rabbite talks about giving an assurance to the potential buyers that we could sell in the future. This neglects the point that this will hamstring future governments.
The ESB and rural electrification was the jewel in the crown of the early free state. We need to think in creative terms, as they did - ambition on behalf of the nation, rather than assisting the private debts of banks.
We need to look at visionary projects like Spirit of Ireland , keeping control of distribution, improving the grid and generating jobs and income - rather than that the current Government want to sell off an asset that has the real potential to really do something radical and creative and create work, improving the lives of the majority.
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But other state assets are being sold to create a short term solution to bail out banks - in an effort that will fail, that is, the bank bailout.
Already our natural resources have been sold, as with gas and oil resources - or with coillte, will be sold.
We as a country do not have the best track record with privatization. Our Eircom flotation was a failure, Sugar and Steel went to the wall. Sugar in particular was a very bad deal, very short sighted and caused real loss.
Aerlingus shares fell from over 2 euro to just over 60 cents. Aerlingus landing slots are worth more than flight revenue - this is a service, not a business.
Now the ESB- the very foundation of our socio-economic structure is now up for sale. The ESB is a strategic company. The plan is not to retain any of the ESB but flog it.
Control of the network grid is where the money is, and with our shabby history of regulation, better a public than private monopoly.
It is a bad time to sell, the buyers know we are in a bind, it's like going to the pawn shop instead of the antique stores.
Pat Rabbite talks about giving an assurance to the potential buyers that we could sell in the future. This neglects the point that this will hamstring future governments.
The ESB and rural electrification was the jewel in the crown of the early free state. We need to think in creative terms, as they did - ambition on behalf of the nation, rather than assisting the private debts of banks.
We need to look at visionary projects like Spirit of Ireland , keeping control of distribution, improving the grid and generating jobs and income - rather than that the current Government want to sell off an asset that has the real potential to really do something radical and creative and create work, improving the lives of the majority.
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Saturday, October 1, 2011
Icelandic Indications, Forestry and Fracking
Iceland is dealing with the financial crisis, and part of that is holding people responsible.
Of those responsible in Ireland, a small select group of bankers, politicians and senior civil servants, they are not being charged, they have been moved into NAMA.
People say that the establishment link between politicians and property developers is a conspiracy theory, but the connections are clearly there.
Bertie Ahearn has instead of facing an investigation about links with property developers and banks has become a paid advisor to Parker Green International, a multi-national property developer.
We will not benefit enough from natural resources like the Corrib gas field, but we are also in danger of losing other resources like our state forestry, Coilte, in a drive to privatize state assets to bail out the banks.
Now Bertie Ahearn is working for the International Forestry Fund, financed by Hevetica Wealth AG - their intention is to take over Coilte, and get an area twice the size of County Meath at a bargain price from the new coalition Government.
Neil Ginty has written at length about this issue. Its not just trees and land though, this is state owned property, minerals will lie under the earth, but we do not know what is there because the survey done is not subject to the freedom of information act.
"Pat Carey’s signing off of the Corrib gas line on Election Day marked what many considered one last act of treason in giving the go ahead for Shell to build infrastructure that will pump gas from the west coast to their interconnectors in Britain."
Bertie is being paid by a foreign company who want to purchase an area twice the size of County Meath!! Is it just me or is there something wrong about this?
The driving force behind the planned sale of state assets is Colm McCarthy.
His report wants to sell pretty much everything to the highest bidder.
As well as being a lecturer in UCD, Mr McCarthy also works with the ERSI and DKM Economic consultants.
Also on the board of DKM is Annette Hughes - a former BP employee. Ms Huges is an expert on energy, with particular focus on interactions with demographics and regional development - one sees what that means in Mayo.
She is also on the board of FÁS as well as being a Director of DKM.
This takes us back to the issue of resources, and the looming threat of fracking, a very destructive means of extracting minerals, and the ownership of vast tracts of land, that when privatized means we the people if we protest can be done for trespass.
We need to stop this happening. We need to hold those responsible for the financial crisis responsible, and certainly not put them into new positions of power to do further damage.
Of those responsible in Ireland, a small select group of bankers, politicians and senior civil servants, they are not being charged, they have been moved into NAMA.
People say that the establishment link between politicians and property developers is a conspiracy theory, but the connections are clearly there.
Bertie Ahearn has instead of facing an investigation about links with property developers and banks has become a paid advisor to Parker Green International, a multi-national property developer.
We will not benefit enough from natural resources like the Corrib gas field, but we are also in danger of losing other resources like our state forestry, Coilte, in a drive to privatize state assets to bail out the banks.
Now Bertie Ahearn is working for the International Forestry Fund, financed by Hevetica Wealth AG - their intention is to take over Coilte, and get an area twice the size of County Meath at a bargain price from the new coalition Government.
Neil Ginty has written at length about this issue. Its not just trees and land though, this is state owned property, minerals will lie under the earth, but we do not know what is there because the survey done is not subject to the freedom of information act.
"Pat Carey’s signing off of the Corrib gas line on Election Day marked what many considered one last act of treason in giving the go ahead for Shell to build infrastructure that will pump gas from the west coast to their interconnectors in Britain."
Bertie is being paid by a foreign company who want to purchase an area twice the size of County Meath!! Is it just me or is there something wrong about this?
The driving force behind the planned sale of state assets is Colm McCarthy.
His report wants to sell pretty much everything to the highest bidder.
As well as being a lecturer in UCD, Mr McCarthy also works with the ERSI and DKM Economic consultants.
Also on the board of DKM is Annette Hughes - a former BP employee. Ms Huges is an expert on energy, with particular focus on interactions with demographics and regional development - one sees what that means in Mayo.
She is also on the board of FÁS as well as being a Director of DKM.
This takes us back to the issue of resources, and the looming threat of fracking, a very destructive means of extracting minerals, and the ownership of vast tracts of land, that when privatized means we the people if we protest can be done for trespass.
We need to stop this happening. We need to hold those responsible for the financial crisis responsible, and certainly not put them into new positions of power to do further damage.
If default happens, so be it. If we need to revert to our own controllable currency so be it.
Iceland was warned that it would never borrow again if it failed to honour the debts of its financial sector.
But the country already seems to have been forgiven by the markets.
The Icelandic government issued $1bn in sovereign debt in June at an interest rate of around 6 per cent.
This was twice oversubscribed by investors. The contrast with Ireland, which assumed responsibility for all the liabilities of its bust banking sector, is stark.
Thanks to Dublin's blanket bailout, total government debt is now more than 100 per cent of GDP, four times pre-crisis levels.
And Ireland's reward from the markets has been a rise in the cost of insuring its sovereign bonds. Iceland's currency depreciation also looks good by international comparisons.
Latvia doggedly kept its peg with euro after the 2008 crash and has experienced a catastrophic 25 per cent decline in GDP and seen unemployment reach 22 per cent.
The economic policy orthodoxy through this crisis supported by McCarthy and others – sale of national assets and pushed by ratings agencies and European politicians alike – has demanded that the national governments honour the private debts of their banking sectors, protect their exchange rates, eschew capital movement restrictions, and impose massive austerity to earn back the confidence of bond markets.
Much of that wisdom was ignored by Reykjavik. And the early signs are that Iceland is doing quite well - it is a model that has been working, and it should be this model we adopt. Part of that is accountability, which again in Ireland is failing badly.
Also, our media is failing to address these issues. McCarthy is a commentator on RTE, but no-one elected him - why does an unelected person get to decide to sell of national assets?
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Wednesday, August 10, 2011
UK riots, Irish lessons
In the UK and in Ireland hope for many young people has been taken away, yet at the same time the materialist celebrity culture is fed to them 24 hours a day through advertising by any means necessary.
As Shaun Bailey, a conservative said, these kids, in the last 15 years, know all about their rights but do not realize their responsibilities.
He also said on newsnight in the UK that although some may feel genuine grievances, the majority feel a sense of entitlement, that they can take what they want - I put that attitude down to our crass celebrity culture.
We no longer judge by color of skin or content of character, we do so by consumerism– you are what you have. The mixed ethnic nature of the looting youth gangs is a pretty good demonstration of this.
With this comes a parallel society that has little hope. City centre youths have few opportunities economically, never own a house, have menial un-improving employment - if they are lucky.
But the one areas they can access money is via drugs and criminality.
This is a parallel economy, run by criminals who deal with competition in an increasingly violent way - as we see in Ireland.
The Netherlands has many of the same problems at the margins as the UK with some young males from ethnic or economically hopeless groups, in many cases less integrated, but their access to the drugs business has been reduced through decriminalization and control.
Many youths are drawn to gangs not by the need for protection but by the supposed glamour of a lifestyle that is celebrated in many areas of modern culture.
Recently the death of Amy Winehouse was given equal status and weight in the red top media as the Norwegian mass murder, and will continue to do so. Growing acceptance of this trivial culture has helped create these riots.
At the same time dispossession, hopelessness- you will never own a house, you will live as the state wishes - and shops crammed full of goods is brought together, who can be surprised that, with a little co-ordination via social networking sites, a peaceful demonstration in Tottenham should have turned into rioting and looting.
We see a reaction of a distant economic and political system as well as dumbed down celeb culture.
A system that stresses materialist wealth, which constantly exposes us to increasingly sophisticated and ubiquitous advertising, yet which oversees the breakdown of communities and the impoverishment of millions in order to increase the wealth of a minority.
We do not need to argue that these people are explicitly politicised, or fighting for some sort of social justice.
They attack shops and business outlets, not police stations or political structures - this is about greed and envy, not politics. The shops are specific, fashion outlets - the marks of modern culture.
Many of these people appear to have been acting selfishly, competitively, and without thought for the consequences of their actions.
But these reactions have been conditioned, when consumerism and celebrity are the primary driving forces for peer endorsement, then envy and hatred, resentment and a sense of entitlement are the instinctive reactions of a dumbed down and greedy bunch of thuggish opportunists who lash out at their own communities and areas.
But it is also apparent that there is a simmering rage, and a demand for attention expressed through mindless destruction aimed at what they have been told they need. Whatever ones perceived or real resentments and grievances are, turning on ones own communities and economy solves nothing.
A major issue I believe is the erosion of civil rights, abuse of stop and search laws written by Tony Blair to 'combat terrorism' in 2005 have been used many thousand times by the police, not to catch mindless murderers but target male youths from the poorer areas, particularly those from the Caribbean community - the humiliation, harassment and obvious misuse of these powers leads to resentment and anger.
As Shaun Bailey, a conservative said, these kids, in the last 15 years, know all about their rights but do not realize their responsibilities.
He also said on newsnight in the UK that although some may feel genuine grievances, the majority feel a sense of entitlement, that they can take what they want - I put that attitude down to our crass celebrity culture.
We no longer judge by color of skin or content of character, we do so by consumerism– you are what you have. The mixed ethnic nature of the looting youth gangs is a pretty good demonstration of this.
One can also understand the simmering anger, in actual fact a huge anger, but also a huge feeling of frustration - and it is justifiable. What is right and wrong! One law for the rich and one for everyone else.
No corrupt bankers or politicians have gone to jail, people who caused the cutbacks and who get away with it. No one seems accountable.
The hacking scandal in the UK has caused huge anger, the media behaving in such a callous manner.
The hacking scandal in the UK has caused huge anger, the media behaving in such a callous manner.
Celebs who openly use drugs are not hassled in the same way as kids on the street.
We see bankers bailed out, corrupt politicians and a compliant, saccharine media who concentrate on the unimportant and there is little we can do to change that.
In Ireland we see cuts to public health, policing, the things now required but reduced, and the very rich or influential, banks, clerics and politicos, being unrepentant and untouchable.
Senator Calley in Ireland for example shows no shame, former Green politicians show no regret for supporting FF, Labour now support FG. Bankers still lead lives of privilege, they own their houses.With this comes a parallel society that has little hope. City centre youths have few opportunities economically, never own a house, have menial un-improving employment - if they are lucky.
But the one areas they can access money is via drugs and criminality.
This is a parallel economy, run by criminals who deal with competition in an increasingly violent way - as we see in Ireland.
The Netherlands has many of the same problems at the margins as the UK with some young males from ethnic or economically hopeless groups, in many cases less integrated, but their access to the drugs business has been reduced through decriminalization and control.
Many youths are drawn to gangs not by the need for protection but by the supposed glamour of a lifestyle that is celebrated in many areas of modern culture.
Recently the death of Amy Winehouse was given equal status and weight in the red top media as the Norwegian mass murder, and will continue to do so. Growing acceptance of this trivial culture has helped create these riots.
At the same time dispossession, hopelessness- you will never own a house, you will live as the state wishes - and shops crammed full of goods is brought together, who can be surprised that, with a little co-ordination via social networking sites, a peaceful demonstration in Tottenham should have turned into rioting and looting.
We see a reaction of a distant economic and political system as well as dumbed down celeb culture.
A system that stresses materialist wealth, which constantly exposes us to increasingly sophisticated and ubiquitous advertising, yet which oversees the breakdown of communities and the impoverishment of millions in order to increase the wealth of a minority.
We do not need to argue that these people are explicitly politicised, or fighting for some sort of social justice.
They attack shops and business outlets, not police stations or political structures - this is about greed and envy, not politics. The shops are specific, fashion outlets - the marks of modern culture.
Many of these people appear to have been acting selfishly, competitively, and without thought for the consequences of their actions.
But these reactions have been conditioned, when consumerism and celebrity are the primary driving forces for peer endorsement, then envy and hatred, resentment and a sense of entitlement are the instinctive reactions of a dumbed down and greedy bunch of thuggish opportunists who lash out at their own communities and areas.
But it is also apparent that there is a simmering rage, and a demand for attention expressed through mindless destruction aimed at what they have been told they need. Whatever ones perceived or real resentments and grievances are, turning on ones own communities and economy solves nothing.
A major issue I believe is the erosion of civil rights, abuse of stop and search laws written by Tony Blair to 'combat terrorism' in 2005 have been used many thousand times by the police, not to catch mindless murderers but target male youths from the poorer areas, particularly those from the Caribbean community - the humiliation, harassment and obvious misuse of these powers leads to resentment and anger.
In Northern Ireland internment fueled the same emotions as did the army check points.
One thing of note was how often one heard that baton rounds and water cannon have never been used in 'mainland UK' because of their effectiveness, yet it seems using them with reckless abandon in Northern Ireland was OK.
I have written before about the importance of civil rights, and this is never more important than when including the dis-enfranchised into society, as with Dr King in the 60's in the US, or Vaclav Havel in Czechoslovakia, or John Hume in Northern Ireland, or the German Jews in the 30's, or the Palestinian people today.
For that reason I believe the embedded film is one of the most important made.
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Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Vatican Relations
Well, looks like finally an Irish Government has taken a realistic stand. As much as I dont agree with FG as a party, I need to say fair play to the Taoiseach.
I have not followed events closely in Ireland recently, but the withdrawl of the Papal Nuncio from Ireland seems to be a logical result to the revalations of past years.
In relation to the states relationship to the church, if there is one particular part of the civil service who are almost out of government control it is the DFA, their questionable indirect funding of the the Lisbon II yes vote being a good example.
The DFA has a tendency to do as it wants, rather than reflect the stance of the elected Government.
The last Taoiseach that reined them in properly was CJH in his dealing with Sean Donlon, in essence firing the fucker from his Washington post.
Mr.Donlon is now of course assisting John Bruton in saying in the eircom licence fiasco that he saw no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of Micahel Lowry; or indeed on the part of anyone else.
In a time of austerity measures and cutbacks, it is - in my opinion - time to close down the Irish Embassy to the Vatican, and move its functions 10 miles down the road to the Irish Embassy to Italy, if the Irish Embassy in Madrid can cover Morocco - then surely Rome can cover the city state.
However, will the DFA allow the loss of such a plum position for itself?
I am not one for jumping on the band wagon, in recent years it has become popular for some sections of the media to tirade against the church as a whole when there are a great many priests and nuns who have always done and continue to do great work.
My problem has always been, and remains with, the hierarchy and their role in covering up crimes- particularly what one could refer to as the Roman college group, those bishops who are very close to the power base in Rome.
This is best demonstrated in the distinct difference between the way Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has dealt with the situation in comparison with the high flying Roman gang.
In their response to the Taoiseachs criticism the Vatican has, among other things said the “main reason” for the recall was so the nuncio could “consult” with those people at the Vatican involved in preparation of the formal response to the Cloyne report, requested by the Government.
e.g. get the story straight.
Msgr Gianfranco Girotti, number two at the apostolic penitentiary, when he told Il Foglio newspaper the Holy See would never accept Irish legislation that might attempt to break the seal of confession. “Ireland can pass all the laws it likes but it should understand that the church will never accept the obligation on a confessor to report to civil authorities . . .”
The investigations to the best of my knowledge do not cover the confessional seal, they deal with the cover-ups by people like Cardinal Sean Brady.
Taking affidavits and then forcing people to sign an oath of secrecy is not part of the confessional sacrament, nor is it legally binding.
I feel is quite clear that in doing this to protect the institution of the church, he helped cover up a crime and pervert the course of justice.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/vatican-recalls-ambassador-after-irish-pms-attack-on-church-2325947.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/0726/1224301384626.html
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I have not followed events closely in Ireland recently, but the withdrawl of the Papal Nuncio from Ireland seems to be a logical result to the revalations of past years.
In relation to the states relationship to the church, if there is one particular part of the civil service who are almost out of government control it is the DFA, their questionable indirect funding of the the Lisbon II yes vote being a good example.
The DFA has a tendency to do as it wants, rather than reflect the stance of the elected Government.
The last Taoiseach that reined them in properly was CJH in his dealing with Sean Donlon, in essence firing the fucker from his Washington post.
Mr.Donlon is now of course assisting John Bruton in saying in the eircom licence fiasco that he saw no evidence of any wrongdoing on the part of Micahel Lowry; or indeed on the part of anyone else.
In a time of austerity measures and cutbacks, it is - in my opinion - time to close down the Irish Embassy to the Vatican, and move its functions 10 miles down the road to the Irish Embassy to Italy, if the Irish Embassy in Madrid can cover Morocco - then surely Rome can cover the city state.
However, will the DFA allow the loss of such a plum position for itself?
I am not one for jumping on the band wagon, in recent years it has become popular for some sections of the media to tirade against the church as a whole when there are a great many priests and nuns who have always done and continue to do great work.
My problem has always been, and remains with, the hierarchy and their role in covering up crimes- particularly what one could refer to as the Roman college group, those bishops who are very close to the power base in Rome.
This is best demonstrated in the distinct difference between the way Archbishop Diarmuid Martin has dealt with the situation in comparison with the high flying Roman gang.
In their response to the Taoiseachs criticism the Vatican has, among other things said the “main reason” for the recall was so the nuncio could “consult” with those people at the Vatican involved in preparation of the formal response to the Cloyne report, requested by the Government.
e.g. get the story straight.
Msgr Gianfranco Girotti, number two at the apostolic penitentiary, when he told Il Foglio newspaper the Holy See would never accept Irish legislation that might attempt to break the seal of confession. “Ireland can pass all the laws it likes but it should understand that the church will never accept the obligation on a confessor to report to civil authorities . . .”
The investigations to the best of my knowledge do not cover the confessional seal, they deal with the cover-ups by people like Cardinal Sean Brady.
Taking affidavits and then forcing people to sign an oath of secrecy is not part of the confessional sacrament, nor is it legally binding.
I feel is quite clear that in doing this to protect the institution of the church, he helped cover up a crime and pervert the course of justice.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/vatican-recalls-ambassador-after-irish-pms-attack-on-church-2325947.html
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/frontpage/2011/0726/1224301384626.html
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Thursday, June 16, 2011
Iceland and Ireland
One of, if not the best political blogs in Ireland - www.publicinquiry.eu/ recently posted on the Ireland vs Iceland situation.
A few months back, it was drummed into us by politicians that we did not want to be Iceland, that being Iceland was to be a financial leper.
Well, lets look at the results of people power in Iceland. We keep being told about being on the Bond markets - Iceland returned to international debt markets for the first time since its banking meltdown more than two years ago as investors offered to buy twice the amount the government offered in dollar-denominated bonds.
Iceland averted a sovereign default by refusing to let the Government bail out bondholders when its banks failed in October 2008.
Iceland will enjoy economic growth of 2.2 per cent this year and 2.9 per cent in 2012 as its budget deficit narrows to 1.4 per cent of GDP, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The island’s approach to resurrecting itself from financial ruin has won the praise of Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, who says Iceland is now better off than euro member Ireland.
On the other hand we elected FG and Labour who continue with failing FF policies, our services are being cut back, our hospitals sold, we are allowing development of frac drilling all at the behest of the EU/IMF.
At the end of May, the banks’ total borrowings from the Central Bank in Ireland and the ECB stood at €156 billion, down from €160 billion in April.
The gradual loss of deposits at the Irish banks over the past year has led to a surge in borrowing from the ECB which reached a peak last November, when banks here were in receipt of €136.4 billion in funding.
The dramatic rise in Irish financial institutions’ dependence on ECB funding, at a time when other countries were reducing their reliance, is believed to have been one of the key triggers behind the IMF-EU bailout.
What galls me most is yesterday, listening to Brendan Howlin, a Labour politician, talking about burden sharing in the country.
Lets get this straight - the vast majority of people in this country were not involved in the banking sector or property speculation - Why do we need to share the burden for the speculation of others? I have an overdraft, why dont the banks pay back some of that?
Instead, I am faced with stealth taxes like road tolls on top of road tax, and future additional costs with water metering and property tax on family homes.
Paycuts and levies are applied to the lower and middle ranks of the civil service, not those in senior positions on whose watch the crisis developed.
The citizen should come first, a wider range of the people, not just the bankers and speculators should be bailed out.
I do not understand why banks could not be re-capitalised from the bottom up - i.e. subject to criteria, that people could not have transferred a mortgague from private banks to the state, in essence becoming council houses. As an addition to the National Solidarity bond, they could be regarded as assets for the state. The banks would have got their money and family houses would have been secured.
The long running joke that tells us the only difference between Ireland and Iceland is one letter and six months is true, they are better off after 6 months, their economy is stronger and better than ours and they are not burdened with debts on the public purse for the private sector.
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A few months back, it was drummed into us by politicians that we did not want to be Iceland, that being Iceland was to be a financial leper.
Well, lets look at the results of people power in Iceland. We keep being told about being on the Bond markets - Iceland returned to international debt markets for the first time since its banking meltdown more than two years ago as investors offered to buy twice the amount the government offered in dollar-denominated bonds.
Iceland averted a sovereign default by refusing to let the Government bail out bondholders when its banks failed in October 2008.
Iceland will enjoy economic growth of 2.2 per cent this year and 2.9 per cent in 2012 as its budget deficit narrows to 1.4 per cent of GDP, according to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The island’s approach to resurrecting itself from financial ruin has won the praise of Nobel laureate Paul Krugman, who says Iceland is now better off than euro member Ireland.
On the other hand we elected FG and Labour who continue with failing FF policies, our services are being cut back, our hospitals sold, we are allowing development of frac drilling all at the behest of the EU/IMF.
At the end of May, the banks’ total borrowings from the Central Bank in Ireland and the ECB stood at €156 billion, down from €160 billion in April.
The gradual loss of deposits at the Irish banks over the past year has led to a surge in borrowing from the ECB which reached a peak last November, when banks here were in receipt of €136.4 billion in funding.
The dramatic rise in Irish financial institutions’ dependence on ECB funding, at a time when other countries were reducing their reliance, is believed to have been one of the key triggers behind the IMF-EU bailout.
What galls me most is yesterday, listening to Brendan Howlin, a Labour politician, talking about burden sharing in the country.
Lets get this straight - the vast majority of people in this country were not involved in the banking sector or property speculation - Why do we need to share the burden for the speculation of others? I have an overdraft, why dont the banks pay back some of that?
Instead, I am faced with stealth taxes like road tolls on top of road tax, and future additional costs with water metering and property tax on family homes.
Paycuts and levies are applied to the lower and middle ranks of the civil service, not those in senior positions on whose watch the crisis developed.
The citizen should come first, a wider range of the people, not just the bankers and speculators should be bailed out.
I do not understand why banks could not be re-capitalised from the bottom up - i.e. subject to criteria, that people could not have transferred a mortgague from private banks to the state, in essence becoming council houses. As an addition to the National Solidarity bond, they could be regarded as assets for the state. The banks would have got their money and family houses would have been secured.
The long running joke that tells us the only difference between Ireland and Iceland is one letter and six months is true, they are better off after 6 months, their economy is stronger and better than ours and they are not burdened with debts on the public purse for the private sector.
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Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Water, A Human Right or an IMF cash cow
Well, water metering and charges are coming - another soft stealth tax.
If Ireland is famous for anything other than bankruptcy, it's soft rain.
What I mean by a soft tax is that it is something that cannot be avoided. We need certain things to survive; they are basic, food, water and shelter. Those are the fundamentals of life, and are not easy to move or source elsewhere.
Air can be covered by a carbon tax, shelter can be covered by a property tax, and water can be covered by metering.
The main aim of metering is of course to raise cash and in my opinion to eventually privatize in order to raise money in the short term to bail out the banks, and to avoid long term issues like pensions and of course, taking responsibility for failings in the system.
In Ireland, the main thing it seems to me is the abrogation of responsibility, where failure can be covered up by bureaucracy and being as obtuse as possible, and it seems impossible to hold people to account for failure in public services and banking.
So, why charge for water - to get money that will be used to service IMF loans that were taken to bail out the banks. I doubt very much that any water charge, be it flat rate or metered, will be ring fenced for improved infrastructure or treatment.
Let’s briefly look at one part of Ireland first – Galway where €21.5 million has been available since 2002 for dealing with the cryptosporidium issue, yet there still are major problems with water supply in one of Ireland’s major residential areas and a premier tourist destination.
It’s now 2011 and still according to the Connacht Tribune there is still ‘Inadequate treatment’ of drinking water for 44,000 people.
Despite the €21m in 2002 and an additional €18.4 million this year from the EPA a total of 32 water sources in Galway are “at risk” of contamination – almost half of these having “inadequate treatment” for the cryptosporidium bug.
This leads to the situation where one part of the government (the EPA) using public funds to prosecute another government agency (Galway CoCo) whose legal fees and fines will be paid for from the public purse!!
With all that money provided, one would think that Galway CoCo would sort things out.
But because of the current situation one can only say the Council is ill equipped to run public water systems efficiently.
Typically for Ireland, no one in Galway CoCo has been held responsible, no questions have been asked, and the county manager with all the other people who should be looking after this are still in place.
With the IMF and World Bank if water services are sold off there is a precedent. It is not the first time that aid or assistance has been made conditional to the privatization - or rather the profitisation - of a substance as essential as water.
The Bolivian Government turned to the World Bank for help against an economic meltdown – much like us bailing out the banks. The World Bank declared it would not "renew" a $ 25 million to Bolivia unless it privatized its water services.
It seems the World Bank believed that "poor governments are often too plagued by local corruption and too ill equipped to run public water systems efficiently.[and that the use of private corporations] opens the door to needed investment and skilled management"
A 1999 Public Expenditure Review, the World Bank stated that “no subsidies should be given to ameliorate the increase in water tariffs” in Bolivia, i.e. no breaks for elderly or the poor.
Bolivia privatized its water services, giving control to a subsidiary of a multinational.
The multinational demanded, and won, a provision guaranteeing the company an average 16% annual return on its investment, leaving Bolivia's poor to bear all the financial risk – much like our public services are suffering cuts and a risk of privatisation to service the interest on the IMF/EU loans.
To ensure the legality of the privatization law 2029 was passed, which verified the contract and gave a virtual monopoly over ALL water resources.
This included water used for irrigation by peasant farmers, and community-based resources that had previously been independent of regulation and state run water supply.
The law was seen as the sale of water resources that had never really been a part of public service system in the first place, much like our community water systems.
This also included rainwater harvesting – but more about that later.
The corporation could not only install meters and begin charging at independently built communal water systems, but it could also charge residents for the installation of those meters.
This has - in an obtuse way - already happened in Ireland, our taxes are paying for the meter installation program – so a publicly funded metering system is already in place adding value to the product offered if, or rather when, the system is sold to investors.
Between January 1999 and April 2000 parts of Bolivia were placed under martial law following protests against public water systems being sold off to foreign investors and the sheer scale of cost increase.
This needs to be put into context. Bolivian families earning a wage of less than $100 per month were charged $20 for water - an increase at times of 300% - and threatened with having the water shut off.
When thousands tried to march in peaceful protest, then President Banzer - who ruled Bolivia as a dictator from 1971-78 - had police and army hammer protesters.
Those who opposed the water privatization scheme had their homes ransacked and some were flown off to a remote rainforest jail in an effort to silence them.
175 people were injured, two youths blinded and 17-year-old Victor Hugo Daza was shot thorough the face and killed: The ultimate penalty for challenging multinational corporate control of local water supplies
The company who had taken over the water system was a subsidiary of US based Bechtel. Bechtel is a global giant, posting more than $12.6 billion in revenue in 1998 - $2.4 billion on Latin American projects alone
Bechtel sought to pin the blame elsewhere released a statement claiming that "a number of other water, social and political issues are the root causes of this civil unrest."
Moving to shift the blame, a Bolivian government spokesman told reporters the "subversive" protest was "absolutely politically financed by narcotraffickers."
Such labeling is done much in the same way that Shell to Sea protestors in Ireland have been labeled as provo sympathizers by parts of the media.
The But the uprising had nothing to do with drugs: It was all about water, the coalition against the water charges was in fact led by a union representing minimum wage factory workers and including peasant farmers, environmentalists and youth.
The contract made with Bolivia's government was bad from the very beginning, a virtual guarantee that thousands of poor families would be hit with water rates they could not afford - as we are hit with cuts in Ireland.
Bechtel now complains bitterly about that contract, but the fact remains that they negotiated it, signed it and implemented it.
Bechtel now complains bitterly about that contract, but the fact remains that they negotiated it, signed it and implemented it.
Bechtel workers removed the water company computers and financial and personnel records. Bechtel administrators left behind emptied bank accounts and more than $150,000 in unpaid bills. On top of all this suffering and damage, Bechtel now has the audacity to demand a compensation payment of $12 million from Bolivia.
RAIN WATER TAX
You might think that a charge, tariff or license to collect rain water is nuts, but its not just in Bolivia that attempts have been made for a such a charge.
Elected public servants in the Washington State Legislature introduced a bill that will require an individual to obtain a permit to collect rainwater on their own property for their own use.
Her department told the Ghanaian government that it would get aid money only if it effectively privatizes the water supply, allowing British and other multinational corporations to make a killing.
Making a killing can be taken literally in Ghana, where more than half the people lack a regular, safe water supply and children die from water-borne diseases. Since a "private-public partnership" was announced, water bills for the poor have begun to rise sharply in order to make the water industry "competitive" so that it can be sold off. The Christian Council of Ghana says that "to privatize water is like handing down death sentences to the urban and rural poor in Ghana, because they cannot afford to pay".
Again in the US Colorado water law holds that every raindrop that falls on the state is already claimed by a water-rights holder.
It is claimed that capturing rainwater could hurt stream flows and thus is akin to stealing.
You see, once water collection and distribution is commercialized, it becomes the intellectual property of the water distributor.
Essentially, if the Politicians are pushed, whether you were to collect rainwater or not - you could end up paying companies with a profit motive for - rainfall !!!
In Ireland we have all the right elements, corrupt or inefficient public officials, inept public services, a financial crisis caused by an elite that is used as leverage to create monetary advantage for multinational corporations and a political/media caste who don’t give a damn.
Thursday, June 2, 2011
What went wrong, and what else - the bailout.
OK - we have been bamboozled by bullshit, that is the first point.
Using multi layer words that we are vague about is a means of control, ignorance leads to apathy.
Bondholders, bail outs, front loading etc. are all terms used to confuse and divert questions.
A bondholder is an individual or entity that is the bearer of a currently outstanding and active bond.
A bond is a type of debt capital instrument that is used to generate funds for the issuer.
Debt capital is the capital, usually money, raised through issuing bonds.
A debt instrument is any type of documented financial obligation (i.e. an IOU note) that describes a debt that is assumed by the issuer of the document (i.e the bank)
Our banks wanted money to loan out to speculators, so they issued bonds to raise money.
Other banks and investors saw the bonds on offer with their return rates and bought them as a way to make money in the long to medium term, so they gave our banks cash for IOU's and became bond holders.
Lets call this cash Block Ai
The Banks then took Block Ai and broke it up to give to individuals who speculated on returns - i.e. both parties gambled. Lets call this Block Aii
In Ireland, this was in reality a very small circle of people.
The banks also loaned money to people to buy the houses built by the speculators.
Lets call this Block Aiii
The banks gambled 3 times on Bloc A
- 1: that they would get it back and repay Block Ai
- 2: that the speculators who took Block Aii would pay them back to fund Block Ai and
- 3: that they would get a secondary return from same property through private mortgage debt, Block Aiii
When issuing block Aiii we have seen that quite often this was done in a very slipshod fashion with Government Ministers like Charlie McCreevey getting very large loans with little or no oversight.
To add to the risk factor loans were not really secure. When you borrow a large amount of money you generally are asked for collateral, something you own of value, as a guarantee against the loan in case things go wrong.
In the case of the speculators, they were allowed to use property they did not actually own outright as collateral. They were taking loans on the back of property that was already subject to repayment of another loan.
This is called leverage.
Then part of this precarious system, Block Aii, went pear shaped when repayments stopped and this had a domino effect on the unsecured leveraged loans.
The Government, or more correctly, Brian Lenehan and Brian Cowen, overnight took possetion of the banks IOU notes, this was the deposit garuantee - promising to provide money for loans they did not have.
To cover this potential cost they borrowed more money from the same investors who had supplied the initial speculative capital to the banks.
The investors could then deposit those IOU's in the guaranteed banks, and withdraw the money so the Government gave them back the 2nd loan, and still have to pay off the initial loan with interest.
The Green/FF government borrowed money to pay off a loan.
This was the bailout.
It is clear that when the bond holder loans money to the issuer (us, the tax payer represented by the Government) to cover the initial loan, it is to the benefit of the bond holder as they get a bigger return on the loan.
When they are loaning a secondary amount to get their initial capital and interest rate back, they increase their income by adding to the 2nd loan at higher rates.
In essence, they are loaning us our own money at interest.
Since 2008 there has been an international campaign to socialise debt, i.e. to cover the risks of speculators by penalising the general population.
In order to cover the banks exposure, the IMF and EU made us take out a further loan of €85 Billion.
Among the conditions attached to this are exploitation of national natural assets like minerals, resources and public services by the corporate sector.
We are told that if we do not accept these conditions and provisions the world will collapse around us.
The word default is being used as a scare tactic. Default does not mean we do not pay, it means a negotiated settlement to ride out this economic crisis, and repayments in a sustainable and equitable manner.
This is what the people of Iceland did.
But we the Irish, all 4 million of us, are faced with a per person debt burden that is off the radar, we are dragged by Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Labour, independents like Lowry and Healy Rae and the Greens into paying for a debt that is not, and never was, our responsibility.
It is an outrageous scam and an unjust act. On the 85Bn loan we each need to pay something like €44K through increased taxes and levies, loss of services and loss of proper revenue from resources - this without the consideration of interest.
In 2013 our annual repayments will be around 9Bn per year - we are per capita the most indebted nation in the EU, with a deficit of 32% i.e. we will need to borrow a further 2.88 Bn per year just to pay a debt caused by a small group of bankers - put into context, that's about twice the amount we spend on the defence forces annually.
If this state of affairs is allowed to persist, we and the next two generations have three choices.
1-Stay here impoverished subsisting on inadequete social welfare
2-If lucky enough to have a job, pay huge taxes for crap services or
3- Get the fuck out of dodge.
If you are reading this, my advice on savings and investments is to move them to an overseas bank, or use an independent bank like Triodos.
The IMF deal will be bad for Ireland, in the Asian economic crisis of the 90's those countries that bought into the IMF policies faced tremendous disruption, those that refused did quite well.
The IMF is a private venture company, supported by multi national corporations who covet resources and income, things like health insurance, oil and gas.
I am not saying that as a conspiracy nut, UNICEF calculates that over half a million children every year under the age of five die due to IMF policies.
As countries are diverting resources away from social provisions like health care and pensions to repay debt, those most affected are the poor, especially women, children and the elderly. UNICEF’s 2000 report says 30,000 children die each day due to poverty.This poverty is generally caused by corruption AND debt servicing at an unsustainable level.
What can we do - well - start here
http://enoughcampaign.org/
We need to say No to a conjob - We need to say enough is enough, we need to educate ourselves, empower ourselves and take back our country, our future and that of future generations.
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Using multi layer words that we are vague about is a means of control, ignorance leads to apathy.
Bondholders, bail outs, front loading etc. are all terms used to confuse and divert questions.
A bondholder is an individual or entity that is the bearer of a currently outstanding and active bond.
A bond is a type of debt capital instrument that is used to generate funds for the issuer.
Debt capital is the capital, usually money, raised through issuing bonds.
A debt instrument is any type of documented financial obligation (i.e. an IOU note) that describes a debt that is assumed by the issuer of the document (i.e the bank)
Our banks wanted money to loan out to speculators, so they issued bonds to raise money.
Other banks and investors saw the bonds on offer with their return rates and bought them as a way to make money in the long to medium term, so they gave our banks cash for IOU's and became bond holders.
Lets call this cash Block Ai
The Banks then took Block Ai and broke it up to give to individuals who speculated on returns - i.e. both parties gambled. Lets call this Block Aii
In Ireland, this was in reality a very small circle of people.
The banks also loaned money to people to buy the houses built by the speculators.
Lets call this Block Aiii
The banks gambled 3 times on Bloc A
- 1: that they would get it back and repay Block Ai
- 2: that the speculators who took Block Aii would pay them back to fund Block Ai and
- 3: that they would get a secondary return from same property through private mortgage debt, Block Aiii
When issuing block Aiii we have seen that quite often this was done in a very slipshod fashion with Government Ministers like Charlie McCreevey getting very large loans with little or no oversight.
To add to the risk factor loans were not really secure. When you borrow a large amount of money you generally are asked for collateral, something you own of value, as a guarantee against the loan in case things go wrong.
In the case of the speculators, they were allowed to use property they did not actually own outright as collateral. They were taking loans on the back of property that was already subject to repayment of another loan.
This is called leverage.
Then part of this precarious system, Block Aii, went pear shaped when repayments stopped and this had a domino effect on the unsecured leveraged loans.
The Government, or more correctly, Brian Lenehan and Brian Cowen, overnight took possetion of the banks IOU notes, this was the deposit garuantee - promising to provide money for loans they did not have.
To cover this potential cost they borrowed more money from the same investors who had supplied the initial speculative capital to the banks.
The investors could then deposit those IOU's in the guaranteed banks, and withdraw the money so the Government gave them back the 2nd loan, and still have to pay off the initial loan with interest.
The Green/FF government borrowed money to pay off a loan.
This was the bailout.
It is clear that when the bond holder loans money to the issuer (us, the tax payer represented by the Government) to cover the initial loan, it is to the benefit of the bond holder as they get a bigger return on the loan.
When they are loaning a secondary amount to get their initial capital and interest rate back, they increase their income by adding to the 2nd loan at higher rates.
In essence, they are loaning us our own money at interest.
Since 2008 there has been an international campaign to socialise debt, i.e. to cover the risks of speculators by penalising the general population.
In order to cover the banks exposure, the IMF and EU made us take out a further loan of €85 Billion.
Among the conditions attached to this are exploitation of national natural assets like minerals, resources and public services by the corporate sector.
We are told that if we do not accept these conditions and provisions the world will collapse around us.
The word default is being used as a scare tactic. Default does not mean we do not pay, it means a negotiated settlement to ride out this economic crisis, and repayments in a sustainable and equitable manner.
This is what the people of Iceland did.
But we the Irish, all 4 million of us, are faced with a per person debt burden that is off the radar, we are dragged by Fianna Fail, Fine Gael, Labour, independents like Lowry and Healy Rae and the Greens into paying for a debt that is not, and never was, our responsibility.
It is an outrageous scam and an unjust act. On the 85Bn loan we each need to pay something like €44K through increased taxes and levies, loss of services and loss of proper revenue from resources - this without the consideration of interest.
In 2013 our annual repayments will be around 9Bn per year - we are per capita the most indebted nation in the EU, with a deficit of 32% i.e. we will need to borrow a further 2.88 Bn per year just to pay a debt caused by a small group of bankers - put into context, that's about twice the amount we spend on the defence forces annually.
If this state of affairs is allowed to persist, we and the next two generations have three choices.
1-Stay here impoverished subsisting on inadequete social welfare
2-If lucky enough to have a job, pay huge taxes for crap services or
3- Get the fuck out of dodge.
If you are reading this, my advice on savings and investments is to move them to an overseas bank, or use an independent bank like Triodos.
The IMF deal will be bad for Ireland, in the Asian economic crisis of the 90's those countries that bought into the IMF policies faced tremendous disruption, those that refused did quite well.
The IMF is a private venture company, supported by multi national corporations who covet resources and income, things like health insurance, oil and gas.
I am not saying that as a conspiracy nut, UNICEF calculates that over half a million children every year under the age of five die due to IMF policies.
As countries are diverting resources away from social provisions like health care and pensions to repay debt, those most affected are the poor, especially women, children and the elderly. UNICEF’s 2000 report says 30,000 children die each day due to poverty.This poverty is generally caused by corruption AND debt servicing at an unsustainable level.
What can we do - well - start here
http://enoughcampaign.org/
We need to say No to a conjob - We need to say enough is enough, we need to educate ourselves, empower ourselves and take back our country, our future and that of future generations.
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Monday, March 7, 2011
A New wave of Nepotism
Keep an eye on your local councils. Lets see how many family members are appointed to council seats now vacated by elected TDs moving to the Dail.
In fairness it has been pointed out to me that Labour want to avoid this -
The Labour Party alledgedly are trying to stop nepotism in the party, but after the FG deal we will have to wait and see.
" LABOUR FAMILY dynasties are at risk following an edict from head office that relatives of TDs will not be considered for vacated local authority seats. "
Already the Michael Healy Rae seat on Kerry coco seems to be going to retired TD, and father, Jackie.
Some of these are double whammys, in that the newly elected TD's sometimes have two seats, one at county and one in town.
The other appointments now coming are the Taoseachs appointments to the Senate, a 60K per year job not including expenses.
It is astounding that the caretaker Taoiseach, a man who is no longer an elected official, has the gall let alone the right to appoint a failed Fianna Fáil election candidate - Darragh O Brien - to the Senate
They have no remorse.
The media are even worse -Terry Prone (Irish Examiner)
Toughest of all, of course, is the situation, today, of those who lost their seats, their livelihood, and in some cases, their self-respect. We have become so furious and cruel a society that the general reaction to their loss is “serves them right”.
It is deeply insulting to the millions of Irish people who are victims of our corrupt political system to witness self-righteous journalists like Prone accuse them of being cruel because they are furious and want justice.
his is especially the case when failed politicians get massive pay-outs having instigated policies that saddle the tax payer with massive debt.
And of course, the most sycophantic of the lot - RTE's Marian Finucane:
This must be a terrible personal tragedy for him (Brian Cowen’s fall). I mean to see the party he loves so much, to be at the head of Government of a party that you’re so proud of that brings in the IMF, I mean on a personal level that has to be very difficult.
Isn’t it amazing that a politician who has led a privileged life, who won a seat on the basis that daddy died and he got the by-election - who has never wanted for anything, who was among the best paid politicians in the world, who is retiring with a fortune at the expense of the people he betrayed can be described as a tragic figure?
It is for these reasons of corruption, of unwarranted influence, this unacceptable cost that I helped start Amhran Nua
LIST OF COUNCILLORS ELECTED TO DAIL EIREANN 2011
Ann Phelan (LAB) - Carlow/Kilkenny
Kilkenny County Council (Thomastown)
Pat Deering (FG) - Carlow/Kilkenny
Carlow County Council (Tullow)
Sean Conlan (FG) - Cavan/Monaghan
Ballybay Town Council, Co. Monaghan
Heather Humphreys (FG) - Cavan/Monaghan
Monaghan County Council (Clones)
Tom Barry (FG) - Cork East
Cork County Council (Mallow)
Sandra McLellan (SF) - Cork East
Cork County Council (Midleton) & Youghal Town Council, Co. Cork
Jonathan O’Brien (SF) - Cork North Central
Cork City Council (Cork North West)
Dara Murphy (FG) - Cork North Central
Cork City Council (Cork North East)
Jim Daly (FG) – Cork South West
Cork County Council (Skibbereen)
Noel Harrington (FG) – Cork South West
Cork County Council (Bantry)
Padraig MacLochlainn (SF) – Donegal North East
Donegal County Council (Inishowen) & Buncrana Town Council, Co. Donegal
Charlie McConalogue (FF) – Donegal North East
Donegal County Council (Inishowen)
Thomas Pringle (IND) – Donegal South West
Donegal County Council (Donegal)
Pringle replacement: 31 year old teacher John Campbell, Glenties, Deputy Pringle’s Director of Elections.
Robert Dowds (LAB) – Dublin Mid-West
South Dublin County Council (Clondalkin)
Derek Keating (FG) – Dublin Mid-West
South Dublin County Council (Lucan)
Clare Daly (SP) – Dublin North
Fingal County Council (Swords)
Alan Farrell (FG) – Dublin North
Fingal County Council (Howth/Malahide)
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (LAB) – Dublin North Central
Dublin City Council (Clontarf)
Sean Kenny (LAB) – Dublin North East
Dublin City Council (Donaghmede)
Dessie Ellis (SF) – Dublin North West
Dublin City Council (Ballymun/Finglas)
John Lyons (LAB) – Dublin North West
Dublin City Council (Ballymun/Finglas)
Michael Conaghan (LAB) – Dublin South Central
Dublin City Council (Ballyfermot/Drimnagh)
Eric Byrne (LAB) – Dublin South Central
Dublin City Council (Crumlin/Kimmage)
Joan Collins (PBP) – Dublin South Central
Dublin City Council (Crumlin/Kimmage)
Eoghan Murphy (FG) – Dublin South East
Dublin City Council (Pembroke/Rathmines)
Kevin Humphreys (LAB) – Dublin South East
Dublin City Council (South East Inner City)
Sean Crowe (SF) – Dublin South West
South Dublin County Council (Tallaght Central)
Eamonn Maloney (LAB) – Dublin South West
South Dublin County Council (Tallaght South)
Mary Mitchell O’Connor (FG) – Dun Laoghaire
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (Dun Laoghaire)
Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP) – Dun Laoghaire
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (Dun Laoghaire)
Paul Connaughton (FG) – Galway East
Galway County Council (Ballinasloe)
Colm Keaveney (LAB) – Galway East
Galway County Council (Tuam)
Derek Nolan (LAB) – Galway West
Galway City Council (Galway East)
Brian Walsh (FG) – Galway West
Galway City Council (Galway East)
Sean Kyne (FG) – Galway West
Galway County Council (Conamara)
Arthur Spring (LAB) – Kerry North/West Limerick
Kerry County Council (Tralee) & Tralee Town Council, Co. Kerry
Brendan Griffin (FG) – Kerry South
Kerry County Council (Dingle)
Tom Fleming (IND) – Kerry South
Kerry County Council (Killarney)
Michael Healy Rae (IND) – Kerry South
Kerry County Council (Killorglin)
Catherine Murphy (IND) – Kildare North
Kildare County Council (Celbridge)
Anthony Lawlor (FG) – Kildare North
Kildare County Council (Naas)
Martin Heydon (FG) – Kildare South
Kildare County Council (Athy)
Barry Cowen (FF) – Laois/Offaly
Offaly County Council (Tullamore)
Brian Stanley (SF) – Laois/Offaly
Laois County Council (Portlaoise)
&
Portlaoise Town Council, Co. Laois
Patrick O’Donovan (FG) – Limerick
Limerick County Council (Newcastle)
Robert Troy (FF) – Longford/Westmeath
Westmeath County Council (Mullingar West)
Gerald Nash (LAB) – Louth
Louth County Council (Drogheda East) & Drogheda Borough Council, Co. Louth
Michelle Mulherin (FG) – Mayo
Mayo County Council (Ballina) & Ballina Town Council, Co. Mayo
Regina Doherty (FG) – Meath East
Meath County Council (Dunshaughlin)
Peadar Tóibín (SF) – Meath West
Navan Town Council, Co. Meath
Ray Butler (FG) – Meath West
Meath County Council (Trim) & Trim Town Council, Co. Meath
Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan (IND) – Roscommon/South Leitrim
Roscommon County Council (Castlerea)
Tony McLoughlin (FG) – Sligo/North Leitrim
Sligo County Council (Sligo Strandhill) & Sligo Borough Council
Michael Colreavy (SF) – Sligo/North Leitrim
Leitrim County Council (Manorhamilton)
Seamus Healy (WUAG) – Tipperary South
Tipperary South Riding County Council (Clonmel) & Clonmel Borough Council
Ciara Conway (LAB) – Waterford
Dungarvan Town Council, Co. Waterford
John Halligan (IND) – Waterford
Waterford City Council (Waterford South)
Simon Harris (FG) – Wicklow
Wicklow County Council (Greystones) & Greystones Town Council, Co. Wicklow
There are also two MEP positions, Joe Higgins in Dublin and Alan Kelly from Tipperary.
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In fairness it has been pointed out to me that Labour want to avoid this -
The Labour Party alledgedly are trying to stop nepotism in the party, but after the FG deal we will have to wait and see.
" LABOUR FAMILY dynasties are at risk following an edict from head office that relatives of TDs will not be considered for vacated local authority seats. "
Already the Michael Healy Rae seat on Kerry coco seems to be going to retired TD, and father, Jackie.
Some of these are double whammys, in that the newly elected TD's sometimes have two seats, one at county and one in town.
The other appointments now coming are the Taoseachs appointments to the Senate, a 60K per year job not including expenses.
It is astounding that the caretaker Taoiseach, a man who is no longer an elected official, has the gall let alone the right to appoint a failed Fianna Fáil election candidate - Darragh O Brien - to the Senate
They have no remorse.
The media are even worse -Terry Prone (Irish Examiner)
Toughest of all, of course, is the situation, today, of those who lost their seats, their livelihood, and in some cases, their self-respect. We have become so furious and cruel a society that the general reaction to their loss is “serves them right”.
It is deeply insulting to the millions of Irish people who are victims of our corrupt political system to witness self-righteous journalists like Prone accuse them of being cruel because they are furious and want justice.
his is especially the case when failed politicians get massive pay-outs having instigated policies that saddle the tax payer with massive debt.
And of course, the most sycophantic of the lot - RTE's Marian Finucane:
This must be a terrible personal tragedy for him (Brian Cowen’s fall). I mean to see the party he loves so much, to be at the head of Government of a party that you’re so proud of that brings in the IMF, I mean on a personal level that has to be very difficult.
Isn’t it amazing that a politician who has led a privileged life, who won a seat on the basis that daddy died and he got the by-election - who has never wanted for anything, who was among the best paid politicians in the world, who is retiring with a fortune at the expense of the people he betrayed can be described as a tragic figure?
It is for these reasons of corruption, of unwarranted influence, this unacceptable cost that I helped start Amhran Nua
LIST OF COUNCILLORS ELECTED TO DAIL EIREANN 2011
Ann Phelan (LAB) - Carlow/Kilkenny
Kilkenny County Council (Thomastown)
Pat Deering (FG) - Carlow/Kilkenny
Carlow County Council (Tullow)
Sean Conlan (FG) - Cavan/Monaghan
Ballybay Town Council, Co. Monaghan
Heather Humphreys (FG) - Cavan/Monaghan
Monaghan County Council (Clones)
Tom Barry (FG) - Cork East
Cork County Council (Mallow)
Sandra McLellan (SF) - Cork East
Cork County Council (Midleton) & Youghal Town Council, Co. Cork
Jonathan O’Brien (SF) - Cork North Central
Cork City Council (Cork North West)
Dara Murphy (FG) - Cork North Central
Cork City Council (Cork North East)
Jim Daly (FG) – Cork South West
Cork County Council (Skibbereen)
Noel Harrington (FG) – Cork South West
Cork County Council (Bantry)
Padraig MacLochlainn (SF) – Donegal North East
Donegal County Council (Inishowen) & Buncrana Town Council, Co. Donegal
Charlie McConalogue (FF) – Donegal North East
Donegal County Council (Inishowen)
Thomas Pringle (IND) – Donegal South West
Donegal County Council (Donegal)
Pringle replacement: 31 year old teacher John Campbell, Glenties, Deputy Pringle’s Director of Elections.
Robert Dowds (LAB) – Dublin Mid-West
South Dublin County Council (Clondalkin)
Derek Keating (FG) – Dublin Mid-West
South Dublin County Council (Lucan)
Clare Daly (SP) – Dublin North
Fingal County Council (Swords)
Alan Farrell (FG) – Dublin North
Fingal County Council (Howth/Malahide)
Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (LAB) – Dublin North Central
Dublin City Council (Clontarf)
Sean Kenny (LAB) – Dublin North East
Dublin City Council (Donaghmede)
Dessie Ellis (SF) – Dublin North West
Dublin City Council (Ballymun/Finglas)
John Lyons (LAB) – Dublin North West
Dublin City Council (Ballymun/Finglas)
Michael Conaghan (LAB) – Dublin South Central
Dublin City Council (Ballyfermot/Drimnagh)
Eric Byrne (LAB) – Dublin South Central
Dublin City Council (Crumlin/Kimmage)
Joan Collins (PBP) – Dublin South Central
Dublin City Council (Crumlin/Kimmage)
Eoghan Murphy (FG) – Dublin South East
Dublin City Council (Pembroke/Rathmines)
Kevin Humphreys (LAB) – Dublin South East
Dublin City Council (South East Inner City)
Sean Crowe (SF) – Dublin South West
South Dublin County Council (Tallaght Central)
Eamonn Maloney (LAB) – Dublin South West
South Dublin County Council (Tallaght South)
Mary Mitchell O’Connor (FG) – Dun Laoghaire
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (Dun Laoghaire)
Richard Boyd Barrett (PBP) – Dun Laoghaire
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council (Dun Laoghaire)
Paul Connaughton (FG) – Galway East
Galway County Council (Ballinasloe)
Colm Keaveney (LAB) – Galway East
Galway County Council (Tuam)
Derek Nolan (LAB) – Galway West
Galway City Council (Galway East)
Brian Walsh (FG) – Galway West
Galway City Council (Galway East)
Sean Kyne (FG) – Galway West
Galway County Council (Conamara)
Arthur Spring (LAB) – Kerry North/West Limerick
Kerry County Council (Tralee) & Tralee Town Council, Co. Kerry
Brendan Griffin (FG) – Kerry South
Kerry County Council (Dingle)
Tom Fleming (IND) – Kerry South
Kerry County Council (Killarney)
Michael Healy Rae (IND) – Kerry South
Kerry County Council (Killorglin)
Catherine Murphy (IND) – Kildare North
Kildare County Council (Celbridge)
Anthony Lawlor (FG) – Kildare North
Kildare County Council (Naas)
Martin Heydon (FG) – Kildare South
Kildare County Council (Athy)
Barry Cowen (FF) – Laois/Offaly
Offaly County Council (Tullamore)
Brian Stanley (SF) – Laois/Offaly
Laois County Council (Portlaoise)
&
Portlaoise Town Council, Co. Laois
Patrick O’Donovan (FG) – Limerick
Limerick County Council (Newcastle)
Robert Troy (FF) – Longford/Westmeath
Westmeath County Council (Mullingar West)
Gerald Nash (LAB) – Louth
Louth County Council (Drogheda East) & Drogheda Borough Council, Co. Louth
Michelle Mulherin (FG) – Mayo
Mayo County Council (Ballina) & Ballina Town Council, Co. Mayo
Regina Doherty (FG) – Meath East
Meath County Council (Dunshaughlin)
Peadar Tóibín (SF) – Meath West
Navan Town Council, Co. Meath
Ray Butler (FG) – Meath West
Meath County Council (Trim) & Trim Town Council, Co. Meath
Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan (IND) – Roscommon/South Leitrim
Roscommon County Council (Castlerea)
Tony McLoughlin (FG) – Sligo/North Leitrim
Sligo County Council (Sligo Strandhill) & Sligo Borough Council
Michael Colreavy (SF) – Sligo/North Leitrim
Leitrim County Council (Manorhamilton)
Seamus Healy (WUAG) – Tipperary South
Tipperary South Riding County Council (Clonmel) & Clonmel Borough Council
Ciara Conway (LAB) – Waterford
Dungarvan Town Council, Co. Waterford
John Halligan (IND) – Waterford
Waterford City Council (Waterford South)
Simon Harris (FG) – Wicklow
Wicklow County Council (Greystones) & Greystones Town Council, Co. Wicklow
There are also two MEP positions, Joe Higgins in Dublin and Alan Kelly from Tipperary.
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Sunday, March 6, 2011
New Indie's and Labour - the coalition options
Looking at the independents elected in Ireland, they are now in a position to form a technical group.
As I said in a previous posting, I was delighted to see Luke Flannigan returned.
However, the group must be careful. To enter into any arrangement with a discredited politician like Michael Lowry, Tipp North, a dynastic spawn like Michael 'son of jackie' Healy Rae from Kerry or rats off a sinking ship like Mattie McGrath in Tipp South would be a major error.
These three are career political opportunist's.
As for FG and Labour, the Labour parlamentary party should listen carefully, very carefully, to their grass roots.
Yes, it is important to be in Government and affect positive change, but Labour should not help FG to sell off or privatise public services.
Ireland is not the UK, and as we saw with the Eircom debacle, privitisation in such a small country has a high rate of failure, and room for corruption.
It is quite possible to support legislation that is to the benefit of the country while in opposition, but retain the independence that the Greens and PDs lost as junior coalition partners.
But then again, the main leadership of the party is ex democratic left and workers party, having gone from perhaps 5 seats to taking over the labour party and now having 37 seats, the attraction of weilding power for people like Gilmore and Rabbite may be too much to resist.
As well as that it seems Labour are falling further into dynastic habits with Sean Sherlock and Arthur Spring being returned.
With 20 seats and little in the way of policy or moral difference, it could be quite possible for FG to do a deal with FF, a recipricol Tallaght accord if you will
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As I said in a previous posting, I was delighted to see Luke Flannigan returned.
However, the group must be careful. To enter into any arrangement with a discredited politician like Michael Lowry, Tipp North, a dynastic spawn like Michael 'son of jackie' Healy Rae from Kerry or rats off a sinking ship like Mattie McGrath in Tipp South would be a major error.
These three are career political opportunist's.
As for FG and Labour, the Labour parlamentary party should listen carefully, very carefully, to their grass roots.
Yes, it is important to be in Government and affect positive change, but Labour should not help FG to sell off or privatise public services.
Ireland is not the UK, and as we saw with the Eircom debacle, privitisation in such a small country has a high rate of failure, and room for corruption.
It is quite possible to support legislation that is to the benefit of the country while in opposition, but retain the independence that the Greens and PDs lost as junior coalition partners.
But then again, the main leadership of the party is ex democratic left and workers party, having gone from perhaps 5 seats to taking over the labour party and now having 37 seats, the attraction of weilding power for people like Gilmore and Rabbite may be too much to resist.
As well as that it seems Labour are falling further into dynastic habits with Sean Sherlock and Arthur Spring being returned.
With 20 seats and little in the way of policy or moral difference, it could be quite possible for FG to do a deal with FF, a recipricol Tallaght accord if you will
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Monday, February 28, 2011
Election
Well, FG had a huge win - we will see how they go and I wish them well.
I really do not see the difference between FF and FG, and I am worried about utilities like our ESB, funding of the health service and stagnation in politics, I do not think FG will deliver real political reform.
On other fronts there has been mixed news.
Shane Ross in Dublin, Luke Ming Flannigan and Thomas Pringle in Donegal South are great steps forward, independent, honest and forward thinking people may help to change our flawed system.
Personally, seeing Pringle and Flannigan elected is great, these two candidates were pointedly ignored by RTE.
But there have been dissappointments, people like Michael Healy Rae and the FF 'independent' Tom Flemming been returned in Kerry south is bad, dynastic and opportunistic politcos getting back in to milk the system.
Lowry being returned in North Tipp is also bad, the man is a prime example of pothole politics.
The Greens were wiped out, this may allow the grass roots of the party regain control and refocus their ethos in the right direction, rather than holding on to power for the sake of power itself.
Galway West returned Eamon O Cuiv, but got rid of Frank Fahy. FG's straetgy failed here as they were beaten by 'independent' Noel Grealish and a real socialist independent Catherine Connolly. Labour did well here with Mr Nolan, a replacement for the formidable Michael D Higgins - a man I hope will be our next President.
In Dublin Central, FF were wiped out - and Mary Lou McDonald got in despite the blegarding she faced from the press while an MEP
Although I dont like negative politics I was delighted to see Paul Gogarty lose in Dublin Mid West, his were the first election posters I saw, about 12 hours after the election was called, on the other hand it was a bit sad to see Trevor Sargent lose in North Dublin, a good public servant who, unlike FF deputies, did not need to beforced to resign on principle.
Dublin North Central saw the end, for now, of the Haughy/Lemass dynasty - although one has to say that Sean Haughy is a very decent man.
Chris Andrews from Dublin SE who failed in his brief and his first cousin Barry in Dunlaoire are more dynastic politicians gone as are Connor Lenihan in Dublin SW and Mary Hanafin also in Dunlaoire.
It was dissappointing to see Ivana Bacik lose out in Dunlaoire as she has been a great champion of womens rights.
Connors big brother Brian Lenihan survived the Dublin cull in Dublin West, the man who as minister for finance made decisions that led us to the brink of disaster, a precipice on which we still teeter, but another of the Lenihans - 'Aunty' - Mary O Rourke went to the wall in Longford/Westmeath - very badly with only 3046 first choices out of 57,525 valid votes.
In Galway East, Labour had a major victory with Colm Keaveney from my Alma Mater being returned to the Dail, although seeing adynastic FG candidate also elected is a bit hard.
More thoughts later
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I really do not see the difference between FF and FG, and I am worried about utilities like our ESB, funding of the health service and stagnation in politics, I do not think FG will deliver real political reform.
On other fronts there has been mixed news.
Shane Ross in Dublin, Luke Ming Flannigan and Thomas Pringle in Donegal South are great steps forward, independent, honest and forward thinking people may help to change our flawed system.
Personally, seeing Pringle and Flannigan elected is great, these two candidates were pointedly ignored by RTE.
But there have been dissappointments, people like Michael Healy Rae and the FF 'independent' Tom Flemming been returned in Kerry south is bad, dynastic and opportunistic politcos getting back in to milk the system.
Lowry being returned in North Tipp is also bad, the man is a prime example of pothole politics.
The Greens were wiped out, this may allow the grass roots of the party regain control and refocus their ethos in the right direction, rather than holding on to power for the sake of power itself.
Galway West returned Eamon O Cuiv, but got rid of Frank Fahy. FG's straetgy failed here as they were beaten by 'independent' Noel Grealish and a real socialist independent Catherine Connolly. Labour did well here with Mr Nolan, a replacement for the formidable Michael D Higgins - a man I hope will be our next President.
In Dublin Central, FF were wiped out - and Mary Lou McDonald got in despite the blegarding she faced from the press while an MEP
Although I dont like negative politics I was delighted to see Paul Gogarty lose in Dublin Mid West, his were the first election posters I saw, about 12 hours after the election was called, on the other hand it was a bit sad to see Trevor Sargent lose in North Dublin, a good public servant who, unlike FF deputies, did not need to beforced to resign on principle.
Dublin North Central saw the end, for now, of the Haughy/Lemass dynasty - although one has to say that Sean Haughy is a very decent man.
Chris Andrews from Dublin SE who failed in his brief and his first cousin Barry in Dunlaoire are more dynastic politicians gone as are Connor Lenihan in Dublin SW and Mary Hanafin also in Dunlaoire.
It was dissappointing to see Ivana Bacik lose out in Dunlaoire as she has been a great champion of womens rights.
Connors big brother Brian Lenihan survived the Dublin cull in Dublin West, the man who as minister for finance made decisions that led us to the brink of disaster, a precipice on which we still teeter, but another of the Lenihans - 'Aunty' - Mary O Rourke went to the wall in Longford/Westmeath - very badly with only 3046 first choices out of 57,525 valid votes.
In Galway East, Labour had a major victory with Colm Keaveney from my Alma Mater being returned to the Dail, although seeing adynastic FG candidate also elected is a bit hard.
More thoughts later
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Monday, February 21, 2011
Where Next??
Well, we have an election in a few days, and it looks like FG may even form a single party government.
FG, like FF, are a throwback to the foundation of the state, a party that came into existance as a result of a civil war almost a century ago.
Einstein I believe once said that lunacy could be defined as repeatingthe same action again and again and expect a different result.
FG and FF have dominated Irish politics since the foundation of the state, voting for either will make no difference, as I have said before our political system is outdated, dynastic and not fit for purpose.
Essentially FF and FG are two cheeks of the one arse, quite happy to give the illusion of choice to a disillusioned public.
What we need is real change, and FG, a party with internal rifts, will not achieve that.
Their proposals at political reform are window dressing, their leader is the son of a former politician as is the current Taoiseach.
I think the worst aspect of FG is that they wish to privitize state assets like the ESB in order to continue the bank bailout.
It is hard to get an actual accurate picture of how much it will cost, upwards of 40Bn Euro, and that is not our debt. The tax payer should not be expected to pay for the gambling debts of reckless bankers and speculators.
If there is to be real change, to break from the perpetuation of a two party system and all their vested interests, we need to go to a list system, reducing the amount of constituancy politicians and electing people for national office on a national basis, not select people by accident of address and their standing within a particular political party.
The only long term solution to our current problems is to adopt Amhran Nua policies on electoral reform.
In the short term, to deal with our incredible debt the next Government has to take immediate steps.
1 - Publically refuse to use the ECB/EU credit card facility of Nov 2010 on the grounds of it being self defeating.
2 - Take emergency steps to balance the budget, immediately: The government has spend 2-3 years looking at potential cuts so there should'nt be a mystery of where to find them. Lead from the top: bonfire of the quangos and luxuries. It wont save all the money but it will set the example.
3 - Resolve the banks immediately with a take it or leave it offer to creditors to take equity or nothing. Not as a bluff. As a reality. The only government interest should be maintenance of a payment system. Cite EU commitment to competitive markets free of state support.
4 - Reverse NAMA: Write off the "NAMA" bonds in exchange for giving the banks full ownership of the NAMA SPV in proportional ownership.
In refinancing the banks, a mechanism must be developed to re-finance from the bottom up - i.e. within certain perameters, the family home, the primary residence, must be secure - given that, mortgauges could be partially bought by the Government and the % of the residence would in essence become a council house.
5 - Having finished up with the bank crisis and removed the uncertainty over the states contingent liabilities, start concentrating on growing the economy by tackling the sheltered sectors and vested interests that act as a drag on real economic activity.
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FG, like FF, are a throwback to the foundation of the state, a party that came into existance as a result of a civil war almost a century ago.
Einstein I believe once said that lunacy could be defined as repeatingthe same action again and again and expect a different result.
FG and FF have dominated Irish politics since the foundation of the state, voting for either will make no difference, as I have said before our political system is outdated, dynastic and not fit for purpose.
Essentially FF and FG are two cheeks of the one arse, quite happy to give the illusion of choice to a disillusioned public.
What we need is real change, and FG, a party with internal rifts, will not achieve that.
Their proposals at political reform are window dressing, their leader is the son of a former politician as is the current Taoiseach.
I think the worst aspect of FG is that they wish to privitize state assets like the ESB in order to continue the bank bailout.
It is hard to get an actual accurate picture of how much it will cost, upwards of 40Bn Euro, and that is not our debt. The tax payer should not be expected to pay for the gambling debts of reckless bankers and speculators.
If there is to be real change, to break from the perpetuation of a two party system and all their vested interests, we need to go to a list system, reducing the amount of constituancy politicians and electing people for national office on a national basis, not select people by accident of address and their standing within a particular political party.
The only long term solution to our current problems is to adopt Amhran Nua policies on electoral reform.
In the short term, to deal with our incredible debt the next Government has to take immediate steps.
1 - Publically refuse to use the ECB/EU credit card facility of Nov 2010 on the grounds of it being self defeating.
2 - Take emergency steps to balance the budget, immediately: The government has spend 2-3 years looking at potential cuts so there should'nt be a mystery of where to find them. Lead from the top: bonfire of the quangos and luxuries. It wont save all the money but it will set the example.
3 - Resolve the banks immediately with a take it or leave it offer to creditors to take equity or nothing. Not as a bluff. As a reality. The only government interest should be maintenance of a payment system. Cite EU commitment to competitive markets free of state support.
4 - Reverse NAMA: Write off the "NAMA" bonds in exchange for giving the banks full ownership of the NAMA SPV in proportional ownership.
In refinancing the banks, a mechanism must be developed to re-finance from the bottom up - i.e. within certain perameters, the family home, the primary residence, must be secure - given that, mortgauges could be partially bought by the Government and the % of the residence would in essence become a council house.
5 - Having finished up with the bank crisis and removed the uncertainty over the states contingent liabilities, start concentrating on growing the economy by tackling the sheltered sectors and vested interests that act as a drag on real economic activity.
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Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Quangocracy Ireland
In 1961 Eisenhower in his farewell address warned against unwarranted influence, and we in Ireland should be warned by this due to our current situation, because forewarned is forearmed.
We the People failed in our democratic process to guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by a media, financial and political complex.
The potential for failure due to the rise of misplaced power exists, and as we have seen in Ireland, has had direct and dire effects, with 150% of our current tax collecting ability tied up in a dysfunctional banking system.
This danger as we have seen exists, and it persists, and has had a direct effect on our sovereignty with the IMF/ECB control of our financial independence.
We have had in Ireland, in the past ten years a confluence of these interests, bankers, developers, speculators, an utterly corrupt political establishment and an utterly incompetent, unaccountable civil service.
The situation is that while relatively few people really benefited from the boom - we had the biggest gap between the rich and middle classes after the USA - the ruthless greed of the few has caused the situation to become strange in that private debt has become a public burden.
Our schools, hospitals and people will suffer due to the greed of the few for decades.
As I have said before, a disproportionate amount of Irish politicians come from dynastic political families.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are really two cheeks of the one arse in that they go to the same schools and colleges, the same restaurants, the same social events, take the same vacations, own holiday homes in the same areas and as we saw recently belong to the same golf clubs.
Politicos rely on developers, business and bankers for political funding.
Politicos rely on control or collusion with the media for political support.
Nowhere is this more apparent than the influence of Tony O Reilly
As I have said before, You don't need a formal conspiracy when interests converge.
They don't need a meeting, they have like interests and know what is good for them and their ilk - and they are getting it.
We seem to have an unseen, unelected government on this Island - a Quango state.
Legislation is not determined by elected officials, it is now determined by private meetings, Quangos whose appointee's are not subject to approval by parliamentary oversight.
These quango decisions are made in private, in secret.
No official should be able to withhold from a free press and public the facts they have a right to know, as these decisions and facts affect peoples lives.
Fianna Fail, with their abuse of the Freedom of Information act, have stifled a great deal of information - in particular with unvouched expenses, undisclosed earnings and details of meetings that have been supressed.
The concept of secrecy should, as JFK said, be repugnant to a free and open society.
For a fuller disclosure on quangos I would advise you visit this excellent thread at politicalworld.org - but this is a list of the quangos you pay for, whose decisions form government policy, and many of whom you may never have heard of.
The other thing you will find is that a great many people have multiple appointments, due to nothing more than political affiliation, so this system of patronage ensures they have additional income for their loyalty.
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We the People failed in our democratic process to guard against the acquisition of unwarranted influence, whether sought or unsought, by a media, financial and political complex.
The potential for failure due to the rise of misplaced power exists, and as we have seen in Ireland, has had direct and dire effects, with 150% of our current tax collecting ability tied up in a dysfunctional banking system.
This danger as we have seen exists, and it persists, and has had a direct effect on our sovereignty with the IMF/ECB control of our financial independence.
We have had in Ireland, in the past ten years a confluence of these interests, bankers, developers, speculators, an utterly corrupt political establishment and an utterly incompetent, unaccountable civil service.
The situation is that while relatively few people really benefited from the boom - we had the biggest gap between the rich and middle classes after the USA - the ruthless greed of the few has caused the situation to become strange in that private debt has become a public burden.
Our schools, hospitals and people will suffer due to the greed of the few for decades.
As I have said before, a disproportionate amount of Irish politicians come from dynastic political families.
Fianna Fail and Fine Gael are really two cheeks of the one arse in that they go to the same schools and colleges, the same restaurants, the same social events, take the same vacations, own holiday homes in the same areas and as we saw recently belong to the same golf clubs.
Politicos rely on developers, business and bankers for political funding.
Politicos rely on control or collusion with the media for political support.
Nowhere is this more apparent than the influence of Tony O Reilly
As I have said before, You don't need a formal conspiracy when interests converge.
They don't need a meeting, they have like interests and know what is good for them and their ilk - and they are getting it.
We seem to have an unseen, unelected government on this Island - a Quango state.
Legislation is not determined by elected officials, it is now determined by private meetings, Quangos whose appointee's are not subject to approval by parliamentary oversight.
These quango decisions are made in private, in secret.
No official should be able to withhold from a free press and public the facts they have a right to know, as these decisions and facts affect peoples lives.
Fianna Fail, with their abuse of the Freedom of Information act, have stifled a great deal of information - in particular with unvouched expenses, undisclosed earnings and details of meetings that have been supressed.
The concept of secrecy should, as JFK said, be repugnant to a free and open society.
For a fuller disclosure on quangos I would advise you visit this excellent thread at politicalworld.org - but this is a list of the quangos you pay for, whose decisions form government policy, and many of whom you may never have heard of.
The other thing you will find is that a great many people have multiple appointments, due to nothing more than political affiliation, so this system of patronage ensures they have additional income for their loyalty.
Advisory Board for Irish Aid
Advisory Council for English Language Schools
Affordable Homes Partnership
Agriculture and Food
An Bord Bia
An Bord Pleanála:
Advisory Council for English Language Schools
Affordable Homes Partnership
Agriculture and Food
An Bord Bia
An Bord Pleanála:
An Chomhairle um Oideachas Gaeltachta & Gaelscolaíochta
An Daingean Education Support Centre
An Post (ta Total Mayhem)
Office of the Appeal Commissioners for the purposes of the Tax Acts
Aquacultural Licensing Appeals Board
Army Pensions Board
Arts Council, The
Athlone Education Support Centre
Athlone Institute of Technology (ta Total Mayhem)
Attorney General, Office of the
Beaumont Hospital Board (ta Total Mayhem)
Blackrock Education Support Centre
Board of Trinity College Bord Altranais
Bord Gais (ta Total Mayhem)
Bord Iascaigh Mhara
Bord na gCon
Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge
Bord na Mona (ta Total Mayhem)
BreastCheck The National Cancer Screening Service
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (ta Total Mayhem)
Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (ta Total Mayhem)
Building Regulations Advisory Board (ta Total Mayhem)
Carlow County Enterprise Board
Carlow Education Support Centre
Carrick-on-Shannon Education Support Centre
Cavan County Enterprise Board
Cavan Education Support Centre
Censorship of Publications Appeal Board
Censorship of Publications Board
Central Statistics Office
Chester Beatty Library
Chief Medical Officer of the Civil Service
Chief State Solicitor, Office of the
Children Acts Advisory Board
An Chomhairle Leabharlanna
Citizens Information Board
Civil Defence Board
Clare County Enterprise Board
Clare Education Support Centre
Classification of Films Appeal Board
Coimisiún Logainmneacha, An
Coiste an Asgard
Combat Poverty Agency
Comhairle na Nimheanna
Commission for Aviation Regulation
Commission for Communications Regulation
Commission for Energy Regulation
Commission for Public Service Appointments, Office of the
Commission for Taxi Regulation
Office of the Commissioner of Valuation and Boundary Survey of Ireland
Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests
Companies Registration Office
Company Law Review Group
Competition Authority
Comptroller and Auditor General, Office of
Connemara & Árann Education Support Centre
Córas Iompair Eireann (ta Total Mayhem)
Cork City Enterprise Board
Cork Education Support Centre
Cork North Enterprise Board
Courts Service
Crafts Council of Ireland
Dental Council
Dental Health Foundation
Digital Hub Development Agency
Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement
Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Donegal County Enterprise Board
Donegal Education Centre
Drug Treatment Centre Board
Drumcondra Education Centre
Dublin Airport Authority
Dublin City Enterprise Board
Dublin Docklands Development Authority
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
Dublin Port Authority
Dublin Transportation Office
Dublin West Education Support Centre
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Enterprise Board
Dundalk Education Support Centre
The Economic and Social Research Institute
Economic and Social Research Institute Committee on Top-Level Appointments in the Civil Commission on Public Service Appointments
Employment Appeals Authority
Enterprise Ireland
Environmental Protection Agency
Equality Authority
European Regional Development Fund
European Social Fund Financial Control Unit
Fáilte Ireland
Family Support Agency
FÁS
FÁS International Consulting Limited
Financial Regulator
Financial Services Ombudsman’s Bureau
Financial Services Authority of Ireland
Fingal County Enterprise Board
Fire Services Council
Food Safety Authority of Ireland
Foras na Gaeilge
Forfás
Further Education & Training Awards Council
Gaisce Gradam an Uachtarain
Galway City and County Enterprise Board
Galway Education Centre
Garda Siochana Complaints Board
Gort a Choirce Education Support Centre
Health and Safety Authority of Ireland
Health Information and Quality Authority
Health Insurance Authority
Health Research Board
Health Service Executive
Heritage Council, The
Higher Education Authority
Higher Education and Training Awards
Hepatitis C and HIV Compensation Tribunal
Horse Racing Ireland
Houses of the Oireachtas Commission
Housing Finance Agency
Industrial Development Agency
Information Commissioner, Office of the
Injuries Board
Inland Fisheries Board
Institute of Public Administration
Institute of Public Administration
Central Bank of Ireland
Integrate Ireland Language and Training Awards
International Education Board of Ireland
Ireland - US Commission for Educational Exchange, Fulbright Commission
Irish Auditing & Accountancy Supervisory Authority
Irish Aviation Authority
Irish Blood Transfusion Services Board, The
Irish Dental Health Authority
Irish Film Board
Irish Film Classification Office
Irish Financial Services Appeals Tribunal
Irish Human Rights Commission
Irish Manuscripts Commission
Irish Medicines Board
Irish Museum of Modern Art
Irish National Stud
Irish National Opera
Irish Prison Service
Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology
Irish Sports Council
Irish Water Safety Association
Kerry County Enterprise Board
Kildare County Enterprise Board
Kildare Education centre
Kilkenny County Enterprise Board
Kilkenny Education Support Centre
An Daingean Education Support Centre
An Post (ta Total Mayhem)
Office of the Appeal Commissioners for the purposes of the Tax Acts
Aquacultural Licensing Appeals Board
Army Pensions Board
Arts Council, The
Athlone Education Support Centre
Athlone Institute of Technology (ta Total Mayhem)
Attorney General, Office of the
Beaumont Hospital Board (ta Total Mayhem)
Blackrock Education Support Centre
Board of Trinity College Bord Altranais
Bord Gais (ta Total Mayhem)
Bord Iascaigh Mhara
Bord na gCon
Bord na Leabhar Gaeilge
Bord na Mona (ta Total Mayhem)
BreastCheck The National Cancer Screening Service
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (ta Total Mayhem)
Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (ta Total Mayhem)
Building Regulations Advisory Board (ta Total Mayhem)
Carlow County Enterprise Board
Carlow Education Support Centre
Carrick-on-Shannon Education Support Centre
Cavan County Enterprise Board
Cavan Education Support Centre
Censorship of Publications Appeal Board
Censorship of Publications Board
Central Statistics Office
Chester Beatty Library
Chief Medical Officer of the Civil Service
Chief State Solicitor, Office of the
Children Acts Advisory Board
An Chomhairle Leabharlanna
Citizens Information Board
Civil Defence Board
Clare County Enterprise Board
Clare Education Support Centre
Classification of Films Appeal Board
Coimisiún Logainmneacha, An
Coiste an Asgard
Combat Poverty Agency
Comhairle na Nimheanna
Commission for Aviation Regulation
Commission for Communications Regulation
Commission for Energy Regulation
Commission for Public Service Appointments, Office of the
Commission for Taxi Regulation
Office of the Commissioner of Valuation and Boundary Survey of Ireland
Commissioners of Charitable Donations and Bequests
Companies Registration Office
Company Law Review Group
Competition Authority
Comptroller and Auditor General, Office of
Connemara & Árann Education Support Centre
Córas Iompair Eireann (ta Total Mayhem)
Cork City Enterprise Board
Cork Education Support Centre
Cork North Enterprise Board
Courts Service
Crafts Council of Ireland
Dental Council
Dental Health Foundation
Digital Hub Development Agency
Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement
Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Donegal County Enterprise Board
Donegal Education Centre
Drug Treatment Centre Board
Drumcondra Education Centre
Dublin Airport Authority
Dublin City Enterprise Board
Dublin Docklands Development Authority
Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies
Dublin Port Authority
Dublin Transportation Office
Dublin West Education Support Centre
Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Enterprise Board
Dundalk Education Support Centre
The Economic and Social Research Institute
Economic and Social Research Institute Committee on Top-Level Appointments in the Civil Commission on Public Service Appointments
Employment Appeals Authority
Enterprise Ireland
Environmental Protection Agency
Equality Authority
European Regional Development Fund
European Social Fund Financial Control Unit
Fáilte Ireland
Family Support Agency
FÁS
FÁS International Consulting Limited
Financial Regulator
Financial Services Ombudsman’s Bureau
Financial Services Authority of Ireland
Fingal County Enterprise Board
Fire Services Council
Food Safety Authority of Ireland
Foras na Gaeilge
Forfás
Further Education & Training Awards Council
Gaisce Gradam an Uachtarain
Galway City and County Enterprise Board
Galway Education Centre
Garda Siochana Complaints Board
Gort a Choirce Education Support Centre
Health and Safety Authority of Ireland
Health Information and Quality Authority
Health Insurance Authority
Health Research Board
Health Service Executive
Heritage Council, The
Higher Education Authority
Higher Education and Training Awards
Hepatitis C and HIV Compensation Tribunal
Horse Racing Ireland
Houses of the Oireachtas Commission
Housing Finance Agency
Industrial Development Agency
Information Commissioner, Office of the
Injuries Board
Inland Fisheries Board
Institute of Public Administration
Institute of Public Administration
Central Bank of Ireland
Integrate Ireland Language and Training Awards
International Education Board of Ireland
Ireland - US Commission for Educational Exchange, Fulbright Commission
Irish Auditing & Accountancy Supervisory Authority
Irish Aviation Authority
Irish Blood Transfusion Services Board, The
Irish Dental Health Authority
Irish Film Board
Irish Film Classification Office
Irish Financial Services Appeals Tribunal
Irish Human Rights Commission
Irish Manuscripts Commission
Irish Medicines Board
Irish Museum of Modern Art
Irish National Stud
Irish National Opera
Irish Prison Service
Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology
Irish Sports Council
Irish Water Safety Association
Kerry County Enterprise Board
Kildare County Enterprise Board
Kildare Education centre
Kilkenny County Enterprise Board
Kilkenny Education Support Centre
Labour Court
Labour Relations Commission
Land Registry
Laois County Enterprise Board
Laois Education Centre
Law Reform Commission
Leargas The Exchange Bureau
Legal Aid Board
Leitrim Enterprise Board
Limerick City Enterprise Board
Limerick County Enterprise Board
Limerick Education Centre
Local Government Computer Services Board
Local Government Management Services Board
Longford Enterprise Board
Louth County Enterprise Board
Marine Institute
Mayo Education Centre
Mayo Enterprise Board
Meath Enterprise Board
Medical Bureau of Road Safety
Medical Council
Mental Health Commission
Mining Board
Monaghan Education Centre
Monaghan Enterprise Board
National Advisory Committee on Drugs
National Archives
National Building Agency
National Cancer Registry, Ireland
National Centre for Guidance in Education
National Centre for Partnership and Performance
National Centre for Technology in Education
National College of Ireland
National Concert Hall
National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism
National Consumer Agency
National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
National Council for Special Education
National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery
National Council on Ageing and Older People
National Development Plan Community Support Framework Evaluation Unit
National Development Plan Community Support Framework Information Office
National Development Plan Community Support Framework Information Technology Unit
National Disability Authority
National Drugs Strategy Team
National Economic and Social Council
National Economic and Social Forum
National Education Welfare Board
National Gallery of Ireland
National Library of Ireland
National Milk Agency
National Museum of Ireland
National Qualifications Authority of Ireland
National Rehabilitation Authority
National Treatment Purchase Fund
National Roads Authority
National Safety Council
National Social Work Qualifications Board
National Treasury Management Agency
National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission
National Development Finance Agency
National Social Work Qualifications Board
National Sports Campus Development Authority
National Standards Authority of Ireland
National Statistics Board
National Tourism Development Agency
National Treatment Purchase Fund
Navan Education Centre
Offaly County Enterprise Board
Office of the Revenue Commissioners
Office of the Ombudsman
Office of the Information Commissioner
Office of the Chief Medical Officer for the Civil Service
Office of the Appeal Commissioners
Office of Public Works
Ombudsman for Children, Office of the
Ombudsman, Office of the
Ombudsman for the Defence Forces
Opticians Board
Ordinance Survey Ireland
Patents Office
Pensions Board (?)
Pensions Ombudsman (?)
Performance Verification Group: Civil Service
Performance Verification Group: Education Sector
Performance Verification Group: Health Service
Performance Verification Group: Justice and Equality Sector
Performance Verification Group: Local Government
Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland
Pobal
Port of Cork (Authority?)
Port of Waterford Company
Postgraduate Medical and Dental Board
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council
Press Council of Ireland
Private Residential Tenancies Board
Probation Service
Property Registration Authority
Public Appointments Service
Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland
Railway Procurement Agency
Registrar of Friendly Societies, Office of the
Registration of Titles Rules Committee
Registry of Deeds
Rent Tribunal
Revenue Commissioners, Office of the
Roscommon County Enterprise Board
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Royal Irish Academy
Royal Irish Academy of Music
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital (Board?)
Safefood
Science Foundation Ireland
Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA)
Shannon Development
Skillnets.Ltd
Slig County Enterprise Board
Sligo Education Support Centre
Social Welfare Appeals Office
State Claims Agency
Social Welfare Tribunal
South Cork Enterprise Board
South Dublin Enterprise Board
St Luke's Hospital Board (Hmm)
Standards in Public Office Commission
State Laboratory
Sustainable Energy Ireland
Tarbert Edcuation Support Centre
Teaching Council, The
Teagasc
The Abbey Theatre
The Arts Council
The Building Regulations Advisory Body
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board
Thurles Education Support Centre
Tipperary North County Enterprise Board
Tipperary South County Enterprise Board
Tralee Education Support Centre
Tuam Education Support Centre
Údarás na Gaeltachta
University of Limerick
Valuation Office Ireland
Valuation Tribunal
Veterinary Council of Ireland
Western Development Commission
Labour Relations Commission
Land Registry
Laois County Enterprise Board
Laois Education Centre
Law Reform Commission
Leargas The Exchange Bureau
Legal Aid Board
Leitrim Enterprise Board
Limerick City Enterprise Board
Limerick County Enterprise Board
Limerick Education Centre
Local Government Computer Services Board
Local Government Management Services Board
Longford Enterprise Board
Louth County Enterprise Board
Marine Institute
Mayo Education Centre
Mayo Enterprise Board
Meath Enterprise Board
Medical Bureau of Road Safety
Medical Council
Mental Health Commission
Mining Board
Monaghan Education Centre
Monaghan Enterprise Board
National Advisory Committee on Drugs
National Archives
National Building Agency
National Cancer Registry, Ireland
National Centre for Guidance in Education
National Centre for Partnership and Performance
National Centre for Technology in Education
National College of Ireland
National Concert Hall
National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism
National Consumer Agency
National Council for Curriculum and Assessment
National Council for Special Education
National Council for the Professional Development of Nursing and Midwifery
National Council on Ageing and Older People
National Development Plan Community Support Framework Evaluation Unit
National Development Plan Community Support Framework Information Office
National Development Plan Community Support Framework Information Technology Unit
National Disability Authority
National Drugs Strategy Team
National Economic and Social Council
National Economic and Social Forum
National Education Welfare Board
National Gallery of Ireland
National Library of Ireland
National Milk Agency
National Museum of Ireland
National Qualifications Authority of Ireland
National Rehabilitation Authority
National Treatment Purchase Fund
National Roads Authority
National Safety Council
National Social Work Qualifications Board
National Treasury Management Agency
National Pensions Reserve Fund Commission
National Development Finance Agency
National Social Work Qualifications Board
National Sports Campus Development Authority
National Standards Authority of Ireland
National Statistics Board
National Tourism Development Agency
National Treatment Purchase Fund
Navan Education Centre
Offaly County Enterprise Board
Office of the Revenue Commissioners
Office of the Ombudsman
Office of the Information Commissioner
Office of the Chief Medical Officer for the Civil Service
Office of the Appeal Commissioners
Office of Public Works
Ombudsman for Children, Office of the
Ombudsman, Office of the
Ombudsman for the Defence Forces
Opticians Board
Ordinance Survey Ireland
Patents Office
Pensions Board (?)
Pensions Ombudsman (?)
Performance Verification Group: Civil Service
Performance Verification Group: Education Sector
Performance Verification Group: Health Service
Performance Verification Group: Justice and Equality Sector
Performance Verification Group: Local Government
Pharmaceutical Society of Ireland
Pobal
Port of Cork (Authority?)
Port of Waterford Company
Postgraduate Medical and Dental Board
Pre-Hospital Emergency Care Council
Press Council of Ireland
Private Residential Tenancies Board
Probation Service
Property Registration Authority
Public Appointments Service
Radiological Protection Institute of Ireland
Railway Procurement Agency
Registrar of Friendly Societies, Office of the
Registration of Titles Rules Committee
Registry of Deeds
Rent Tribunal
Revenue Commissioners, Office of the
Roscommon County Enterprise Board
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland
Royal Irish Academy
Royal Irish Academy of Music
Royal Victoria Eye and Ear Hospital (Board?)
Safefood
Science Foundation Ireland
Sea-Fisheries Protection Authority (SFPA)
Shannon Development
Skillnets.Ltd
Slig County Enterprise Board
Sligo Education Support Centre
Social Welfare Appeals Office
State Claims Agency
Social Welfare Tribunal
South Cork Enterprise Board
South Dublin Enterprise Board
St Luke's Hospital Board (Hmm)
Standards in Public Office Commission
State Laboratory
Sustainable Energy Ireland
Tarbert Edcuation Support Centre
Teaching Council, The
Teagasc
The Abbey Theatre
The Arts Council
The Building Regulations Advisory Body
The Marine Casualty Investigation Board
Thurles Education Support Centre
Tipperary North County Enterprise Board
Tipperary South County Enterprise Board
Tralee Education Support Centre
Tuam Education Support Centre
Údarás na Gaeltachta
University of Limerick
Valuation Office Ireland
Valuation Tribunal
Veterinary Council of Ireland
Western Development Commission
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