Liberty Hall - Dublin

Surely there are a sufficient number of vacant and suitable office blocks / building in Dublin city, within a stones throw, that can accommodate the requirements of the current residents of Liberty Hall without the necessity of building something new.


An example being:

 

Irish Civil Service Office Furniture Auction

Almost new office furniture auction  - ex-Irish Civil Service.
Thousands of items - rarely used - as good as new.


Apply: Enda Kenny, FG-LAB & Associates
Date: Viewing from 1st March 2012
Location: Dublin and countrywide.
Catalogue: Available with PPS No. only [Foreign bidders welcome especially from China]
Reserve: (Lot)3 billion euro

Wheelbarrow Recliners!

A friend sent me this amazing photo. 
I can only think of all those years using the wheelbarrow for the wrong reasons!

How comfortable is that after a long days work on the roads or in the garden. How many of you thought of this - The Wheelbarrow Recliner

Ireland and (in) China

Enda Kenny (red tie) in appropriate attire for China.

Enda Kenny has, it has been revealed, negotiated in this past weekend a small space in China for the Irish population. With only 4.5 million (approx.) population and approx. 70,000 km squared Ireland will easily fit into China (and we won't be noticed in some corner). China's population of 1.4 billion (approx.) and an area of 9.6 million km squared (approx.) will cope with it's Western cousins without even knowing that we are there. 

We might even manage to sell this island to the Germans, to pay off the loans, and they can use it as a holiday and recreation destination. Really they can do as they wish with it.

Chinese language(s) classes are to be taken by all school going children in Ireland immediately in preparation for the big move in 2016. Adult classes will commence after the move.

Some graves of a select number (6) of Irish patriots will be exhumed and the remains will be brought with us to our new land. Years: 1014 to 1922 only.

Strict baggage restrictions will be in place for those on the move as Ryanair will be providing the air transport. The hold of each aircraft will be crammed with agricultural tools only. Those who wish to travel overland will get a six month head start.

All communications with the Western world will cease in the second quarter of 2015. Internet access and all telecommunications will be slowed and eventually halted except for those with a dial up connection. Mobile phone masts will be taken down and melted into useful agricultural tools.

More on this later........

All that remains to finalise the move is to choose a place where we, the Irish, can be accommodated in China

There will be more on this story later as of now negotiations are at a tender and early stage and really we are not supposed to know about it!

Irish Embassy and the Vatican

We can't afford one! Get over it.
There are probably a few other embassies that we can't afford either.

Irish-Vatican Embassy building in Rome.

With the huge disconnect that exists among Irish people and the Roman Catholic Church today, why do we need an embassy there (in Rome) anyway? 

[I could think of one reason which might be worthwhile - negotiate the return of funding which the Irish people have been giving to the Vatican for centuries!]

Broadband Ireland - SLOW, SLOWER and SLOWEST!

Who was the not so ‘smart’ genius who proposed the sale of one of Ireland’s most important infrastructural assets – broadband and internet system? Now that we are so in need of this infrastructure to push forward economic growth  and a smart economy- what are we left with – a third rate infrastructure which is incapable of providing us with a satisfactory service.

Figures and statistics show us that Ireland’s broadband speeds are wholly inadequate, and download speeds compared with our EU competitor countries have actually fallen sharply.

Towards the end of 2011 Ireland was 72nd in the world for upload speeds and 24th out of 27 in the EU. Ireland is 45th in the world for download speeds and 23rd out of the 27 in the EU.

The country is 34th in the world for broadband quality and 18 out of 25 in the EU, while the country is 52nd in the world for delivery on ‘promised’ speeds and 23rd out of the EU-27.

The fastest speeds in Ireland are in Dungarvan, County Waterford where the local cable ISP, Casey Cablevision, now deliver average speeds of 24.3Mbps,” Wallace said.

In second place nationally is Swords, Co. Dublin on 16.35Mbps and Athlone dropped to third on 14.58Mbps.

To add insult to injury across Ireland it is very noticeable that the East is doing far better for Download speeds that elsewhere. Just look at the table below and see where the likes of Tralee and Killarney are on the list.

Sources: siliconrepublic.com and netindex.com

Government of Ireland - Lead by Example!

How much money would be saved by cutting all allowances paid to politicians, at all levels, by 50%?

Politicians must lead by example and prove just how serious they are about cutting the deficit. 

Furthermore, those serving on State Bodies / State Boards should not be paid (other than legitimate, vouched expenses incurred) for the privilege of serving on these State Bodies / Boards.

The argument that you won't get quality people to serve on these State Bodies / Boards if they are not paid is rubbished by the facts and the evidence that for the past 15 years many of those who did serve on State Bodies / Boards did a lot to land us in the economic mire that we are in today. 

Derrytresk violence - GAA too lenient

The GAA has once again failed to convince me that they are serious about stemming violence on and off the pitch. The fine imposed on Derrytresk is too lenient, the Club should have been fined €1000 per player involved in the violent behaviour. Such a fine should also be imposed on the Dromid Club where any of its player were involved. Not only should the Derrytresk Club be banned from participating / representing its county / province for the next 5 years, it should have been thrown out of the competition this year.

It is high time the GAA got serious and make it known that such violent activities will be punished severely and immediately.

While I am on this subject, GAA referees are not being afforded the respect and dignity that their counterparts get on the rugby field. Should the GAA not awaken from its slumber, in these matters soon, it may well find that it may not have a decent referee panel (s) to choose from for the big occasions or any occasion.

Caherslee News

February 2012 Edition of Caherlee News in the local shops this weekend.
If you don't happen to get a copy, email: caherleenews@gmail.com and we'll send you a copy.
Your news always welcome - let us know.
Editor

Kerry - Dublin Irish Motorway Services - taking the p...!

Brendan Griffin TD Fine Gael Kerry South is right in his assertion and appeal to Minister Varadkar that the distance for p... (not pit) stops for motorists using the M7 is too great. Personally, I have identified a number of  safe off-road places along the M7 where, if I need to 'spend a penny', it will be safe to do so. However, for any of you females out there I'm afraid you will not be comfortable with these locations. It's just not good enough that services have not been provided on these roads in the 21st Century.

'The Stations of Roger Casement' - Exhibition

On Saturday next, 11th February, 2012, in Listowel at 8pm in St. John's Theatre,  the renowned and well published only Irish Courtartist Mike O'Donnell (Tralee) will exhibit his most recent work, a unique view of the final chapter in the life of Roger Casement in the form of 2 scrolls in pen and ink.
This will be the first public exhibition of this work. Later in the year these scrolls will be unveiled in Dublin and then in London at the request of eminent legal practicioners in Ireland and Britain.
Mr. Jimmy Deenihan TD and Minister will unveil the scrolls in Listowel on Saturday. The keynote speaker will be Dr. Colm O'Doherty.
see: www.courtsketcher.com

Tralee and GPCE

Nah previous post re. GPCE should have had a lead balloon rather than a hot air balloon sorry, about that but seriously the raising of the hopes of so many people and then disappearing so easily without any thought for the hopes of these people is not good enough. Someone needs to be held to account for this debacle or in the very least someone should be made to explain the current situation and where it is now. In the very least public representatives who helped to promoted the idea must come forward and explain their current position in this regard.

Septic Tank and Ireland

Why are so many people against this charge for regulating septic tanks in Ireland?
Is it that some of them already know that the tanks that they have are causing problems which they would prefer to ignore or is it that there may be some 'other' planning issue on their property which has not been notified to the appropriate authorities?

Irish Government not Serious about Fraud

When is the Irish Government going to become serious about taking on the fraudsters who blatantly abuse the system. This is especially the case with some people who abuse the Social Welfare system and drain the resources and in doing so deprive genuine people who deserve all and more of the help they are already receiving.

Either introduce a national ID card system or require that all people carry on their person their own Passport especially when engaging with State bodies.

The civil liberties crowd are scare mongering in this regard - but I submit that if you are law abiding and sincere and honest then you having absolutely nothing to fear.

Ireland is way behind in this matter as most other European countries already have a national ID system in place for many years.

Irish Government 'skimming' off Fuel Prices

In July 2008, as you may well remember, the price of a barrel of oil reached an unprecedented price (see table) and we were all shocked. Up to that time we had been paying at least 35c or even 40c less per litre at the pumps than we are today. When the crisis hit in July of 2008 the price at the pumps shot up over-night to c. 1.36 euro and that's 14c or 15c less per litre than you are paying now.
Today, with VAT, Excise Duty and the Carbon Tax (or GPT - Green Party Tax, as I like to call it!) for every 1.50 euro per litre the Irish Government is 'skimming-off' 1.00 euro. (c.66%)
Such a charge (tax) is been borne, I suggest, most unfairly by rural dwellers [42% of the population of this country, according to official OECD statistics] who have little or no choice of different transport modes other than to use a private motor vehicle.
Inevitably fewer and fewer people, especially in rural Ireland, will be in a position to afford their own private motoring and there is the spin-off effect of commodity price increases as transport cost soar.
Indeed we might be fortunate not to be living in other European countries as we are not the dearest - but that does not make it right - when so many of us depend solely on our own mode of transport for social and work purposes. Neither is it feasible for us to move to Venezuala where the price of fuel is c. 0.12 dollars per US gallon (!).
The price of fuel and the cost of road tax should be linked to the Horse Power of a particular vehicle. Delivery and other essential vehicles should be dealt with differently - i.e. a standard rate.
In many areas, the latest technology that is available is not being used effectively in this or other areas of government whether it be in taxation or indeed i the delivery of services.

IDA not in Business in Kerry

Recent figures show that IDA Ireland have not been doing the business in Co. Kerry. If fact IDA Ireland grants to Co. Kerry were the second lowest after Co. Laois. This is something which many of us have suspected for quite some time now. Are our public representatives fully aware of this situation and what if anything are they doing about it? Co. Kerry has been crying out for inward foreign investment for many years yet there has not been a willingness to address the issue.

While I'm on the theme of jobs and industry or rather lack of, has anyone heard anything about

in recent times. We were all suppose to get really excited about this project but alas this excitement has vanished just like all the banners and posters around the town which purported to laud it's imminent arrival, ..........but that was months maybe.......years ago!

There's probably less hot air in this balloon. But then again I remain to be convinced as I have not measured the air volume of the balloon yet.