Message to government from elections

thejollyrodger

After the recent elections and the worst defeat for FF since the 1920's its clear that the voting public are most unhappy with the current lathergic lazy corrupt government.

There are reports upon reports waiting for ministers to make decisions but they have been incompentent to make any decisions and some fo the following issues needs addressed

2nd terminal at Dublin Airport,
decentralise jobs
Metro,
D interconnector
Motorways,
Health reforms,
Defence

The government should take out money IMMEDIATAELY in the form of a loan ( €5bn ) and build the Metro and D interconnector. It also needs to build the D interconnector to be build .. isnt it time for a new government

silverside

In fairness I don't think most people are aware of/too bothered about the defence of transport plans specifically. If anyone can sort out Transport it's Seamus Brennan. Michael Smith on the other hand looks likely to be reshuffled out of office. It's more a general dissatisfaction thing, and governments usually do badly in euro/local elections - look at england.

thejollyrodger

well maybe defence isnt always top of the discussion. but transport is a discrace !!!!!!

Were the 2nd richest country in Europe but have a crap airport and anyone that flys out of it knows that.. We have only 1 motorway to the border and the other 2 wont be finished tilll 2010. No subway/metro to the airport is an outcry.

Anyone watching the Euro 2004 football will see world class stadia built with world class motorways and rail connections. We have Nothing like that here.. obvisiously there is something wrong.

PHB

Were the 2nd richest country PER CAPITA
The key words there is PER Capita

The overall capital is much much less and the funding required for massive transport projects is not as readily availible as you might think

jd

Remember - there is a difference between wealth and income

pete

ahahha

http://www.rte.ie/news/2004/0615/election.html


FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT! FIGHT!

de5p0i1er

Why should we take out a loan to build up Dublin, I don't care if it's the capital the rest of the country gets nothing while Fat Head spends all the money on his home town, until FF start spending money on the west of the Shannon I don't want to here about taking out loans and getting this country into a bigger hole then it's already in. I'm sick of been treated like a second class citizen just because I'm not from Dublin, thats why me and alot of other people from this side of the country voted against them.

therecklessone

Originally posted by de5p0i1er
Why should we take out a loan to build up Dublin, I don't care if it's the capital the rest of the country gets nothing while Fat Head spends all the money on his home town, until FF start spending money on the west of the Shannon I don't want to here about taking out loans and getting this country into a bigger hole then it's already in. I'm sick of been treated like a second class citizen just because I'm not from Dublin, thats why me and alot of other people from this side of the country voted against them.

Do you want a touch of ketchup for the chip on your shoulder?

villain_97

The people finally told FF that they DO NOT 'embody the spirit of the nation' as they have so arrogantly claimed to do so.They also told the PDs that they have copped on that the PDs are not the great moral watch dog that they claim to be.The PDs are propping up an arrogant,un-caring and non principled shambles of a Government.People like to think that they get what they're voting for.They voted for PDs in 2002 to keep an eye on FF.They have become just as bad

DublinWriter

On balanced consideration, I'd say the message was:

"We hate and despise you, you corrupt bunch of f**K heads, and cannot wait to give you more of the same in 2007"

I don't think there's ever been a government more hated in this state since it's formation.

I was walking down Kildare St. one day last March and passed by Weaseál Martin talking to someone on the pavement outside the Mayor's Office, and so help me, I never had as strong a desire to just walk up to someone and punch them in the face as I had at that moment.

...and I'm a Buddhist!

villain_97

Fine Gael are certainly in buyent mood after the elcetion.A few friends of mine in Young Fine Gael are talking about the possibility of replacing FF as the largest party.more and more people are realising that kenny is a good political leader with strong values.Everyone he met during the campaign seemed impressed.next few years will be interesting.Will FF get a similar kicking in the General Election??I'd say they could loose upon 20 seats while PDs will be reduced to 4.I reckon Fine Gael and labour between them can gain 25+seats

star gazer

-Message to government from elections-
Shape up or you'll be shipped out.

health reform is needed, broken promises are not taken well by the electorate, listen or the electorate will have to shout louder at the next election and nobody likes paying extra taxes even stealth taxes.

Jivin Turkey

In all fairness, people are going to give out about government and use labels as "lazy" and "corrupt" no matter who is in office.

ZENER

I'd like to suggest you store away this angst for the elections for 2007 - remember a week is a long time in politics and when that date comes around the good old Irish voter will have sold their votes for the sake of a couple of extra baubles in their pay packet every week - just like last time !

Were the 2nd richest country in Europe but have a crap airport and anyone that flys out of it knows that..

Can you explain in what way we have a "crap airport" which one are you referring to? How is it crap ?

ZEN

Cork

Health needs to be tackled. Hanley needs to be fully implemented. The oppsition partys don't accept 100% of Hanley. But the government should implement it without delay.

The economy is doing well.

Infrastructure is being over hauled.

Taxes still need reduction.

DublinWriter

I didn't make the original comment re the airport, but I presume it's Dublin airport that you're talking about, and yes, I agree it's crap.

I've travelled all over the world and I've seen many (busy!) third world airports in Africa operate more efficiently at times of peek rush.

Typical of the laziness of Aer Rianta is there decision to put coin-slots on all the baggage trolleys so that they are saved the bother of collecting them. Most travellers into the country don't have a one-Euro piece to hand, and it's a wonderful welcome for them to Ireland.

Dublin airport on Monday morning from 6am to 10am resembles the black hole of Calcutta. Queues backing onto other queues, and then another gigatic queue trying to get through security.

I disagree about splitting Aer Rianta up into three entities because it really only makes the original problem three times as difficult to solve. Management of the airports should have been tendered out with companies like BAA bidding.

Dublin Aiport is a probably the best example of just how bad we are at the service industry in this country.

DublinWriter

Health needs to be tackled? Shure didn't Weaseal Martin stop everyone smokin' loike, boi? Shure aren't we all going to live forever now and we'll never need healthcare again?

As a health minister, Weaseal is a tundering disgrace. If I hear that crap about doubling the spend on health in the last few years I really will flip. Double of very little is still very little.

Personally I think Bertie will replace him and/or McCreepy with some younger, fresher talent. Cullen will be gone as well judging by the €55 million he flushed down the toilet on the e-voting fiasco.

What a country.

Cork

Health spending was increased from 3 billion to 11 billion.

Health will not be solved throwing money at it. We are spending enough money on health - it will be down to organisation.

Eletronic Voting will come. Waiting Saturday, Sunday and Monday for results was a disgrace.

No previous Irish government can match this governments record on the economy. But health needs to be focused in on & improved.

But Hanley needs full implementation. It should not be implemented in an a la carte type of way.


The Smoking ban was necessary. If it saves 1 - from cancer it will be worth it.

DublinWriter

Health spending was increased from 3billion to 11 billion?

Wow! The FF'ers must have got bored telling everyone they 'doubled' the health budget. Tripled? Nah..better make it a real whopper....quadrupled!!!

In the last five years the health budget has gone from 4.5 million to something like 9. Ask ol' Weaseal if you don't believe me.

FF completely ran away from amalgamating the regional health authorites into e body. We have a population the size of Birmingham, they have one NHS, we have 11 various state agencies that look after the health systems.

But hey, the healthcare budget was doubled. Wow! I bet that means that no one is waiting on trolleys for treatment anymore?

Look, I spend roughly double on groceries than I did 5 years ago, and about 3 times as much for petrol. Yet I'm still getting the same amount of groceries and petrol. See how dis ol' economy ting works yet?

Saying you 'doubled' the budget is meaningless in economic terms. It's an act of misdirection just like FF'ers constant mantra of being the party of low taxation.

As the average industrial wage brings you into the 42% band, I don't see how this makes FF the party of low taxation. Oh, and don't forget we have one of the highest rates of VAT in Europe, an unfair VRT tax, duties on wines and spirts that most of Europe don't have, a yearly €40 levy on Credit Cards so we can't 'Shop Around' between Credit Card companies, punative stamp duty on houses....

...I could go on.

AngelofFire

The people have spoken

We need cheaper housing

The prices of consumer items in this country are gone beyond a joke.

Our tax payers money is being wasted on pet projects like punchestown whereas people with special needs are being neglected.

I want to be able to go as far as i can in education as far as my abilities allow despite the fact that i am working class.

It shouldnt take me 1hour and 45 minutes to get into the city centre on a weekday morning.

We are sick of charges like the bin tax which only serves to line the pockets of the business people who financed FF election campaign.

We dont believe you when you pretend to care about our health by introducing a smoking ban,yet contrary to the promises you made to end waiting lists there are still 27000 people waiting.

We`re sick of your arrogance and the fact that you pretend you know whats good for us.

We`re tired of your subservience to corporate cowboys like michael o leary.

We dont like the fact that you allow the shannon to be used to help americas private war despite the fact that we a neutral country.

We would like the luas to be completed anytime before 2057 thank you.

ZENER

I didn't make the original comment re the airport, but I presume it's Dublin airport that you're talking about, and yes, I agree it's crap. I've travelled all over the world and I've seen many (busy!) third world airports in Africa operate more efficiently at times of peek rush.

No matter what I say here will be seen as an excuse but I'll try to explain without disagreeing with your points.

In essence I agree with you, Dublin Airport is not perfect, but it is a damn sight better than prior to the terminal extension. Currently airlines operating out of Dublin can depart at any times the please this leads to the congestion you speak of at certain times of the day. Most other International Airports use a time slot system to balance flight departure times evenly over the day. This, when introduced at Dublin, will make a difference and will reduce the congestion at the terminal.

Typical of the laziness of Aer Rianta is there decision to put coin-slots on all the baggage trolleys so that they are saved the bother of collecting them. Most travellers into the country don't have a one-Euro piece to hand, and it's a wonderful welcome for them to Ireland.

I agree. I think the coin slots were a poor idea. They were introduced to provide some organisation to the trolly situation which was getting out of control. At peak times prior to their introduction the trolly section were finding it near impossible to keep enough trollies available in the baggage hall for arriving passangers, the coin slots have helped here. It's not a lazyness thing as you suggest. Most of the passengers arriving at Dublin are from Europe and will have Euro currency which they can break up at the change machines provided. If you can suggest a better system taking what I've said into account then tell us.

Dublin airport on Monday morning from 6am to 10am resembles the black hole of Calcutta. Queues backing onto other queues, and then another gigatic queue trying to get through security.

Explained above. You can thank Al Queda (sp?)or George W. for the security situation and Airport Security for preventing that happening here.

I disagree about splitting Aer Rianta up into three entities because it really only makes the original problem three times as difficult to solve. Management of the airports should have been tendered out with companies like BAA bidding.

Isn't the BAA a British government run organisation.

Dublin Aiport is a probably the best example of just how bad we are at the service industry in this country.

A little strong in my opinion. There is more than just Aer Rianta involved at the airport, hundreds of large and small private companies provide you with most of the services you use there - are they part of your gripe?


ZEN

de5p0i1er

Originally posted by Cork
The Smoking ban was necessary. If it saves 1 - from cancer it will be worth it.

It's not worth it if you have to stand outside just so that a bunch of winers will vote FF. I'm a smoker and when I go out I have to stand outside just to have a cigarette just to keep a few moaners happy, I don't think thats fair. I hate ppl who get drunk and sit down beside you and don't shut up talking crap but we don't ban them from the work place, my standard of living has been lowered by this ban because of a choice I made (to smoke) that seems like discrimination to me. The government just want to make my life misrable so that they can distract ppl from the fact that there running the health service into the ground and treating the west like ****.

ZENER

You could also make another -perhaps better- choice . . quit ! As an ex-smoker I sympathise with you, I gave up the day the ban came into force and am now glad not to be part of the problem.

Look at it this way, if you think THEY want to ruin your life by preventing you from smoking then get your own back by:

1. Quitting the weed - now you can stay in the pub all night and their stoopid rule cant effect you.

2. By quitting you are denying them the tax and duty they take from your purchase.

3. Reduce the burden on the health service by becoming a non-smoker.

Slightly off topic here but a passanger I assisted in the airport last week stunk to high heaven of smoke - I'd never realised how disgusting it actually is. Do your self a favour - quit.

ZEN

therecklessone

Originally posted by de5p0i1er
I'm a smoker and when I go out I have to stand outside just to have a cigarette just to keep a few moaners happy, I don't think thats fair. I hate ppl who get drunk and sit down beside you and don't shut up talking crap

This one's been done to death, but here's a quick reminder...

YOU CAN'T DIE OF CANCER FROM SECOND HAND BEER FUMES!

Now move on...

DublinWriter

...but you can be kicked to death on the streets of Dublin by a lager lout.

Well, I think us smokers will have the last laugh (from beyond the grave probably) as the recent fall in pub sales contributed to Diago putting up the price of Guiness by 6c wholesale.

Also, every cig not smoked in a pub loses McCreepy 25c. That's 25c *per* cigarette folks, which by some quick back-of-cig packet maths I estimate will be a shortfall of shortfall of between €1.5bn and €2.5bn annually that will have to be made up from somewhere....i.e. the PAYE worker.

Oh, and don't give me that guff about savings to the heathcare system either. I heard a leading acuary on Radio 1 a few months ago saying that smokers actually cost less as we die younger and quicker. We all have to die sometime and of something. Non-smokers get cancer and heart disease too.

Silly, silly FF.

therecklessone

Originally posted by DublinWriter
...but you can be kicked to death on the streets of Dublin by a lager lout.

...who's probably a smoker...

Where are you getting the figure of 25c per cigarette in lost revenue for the government? How much is a pack of 20 these days? And are you telling me the tax take is €5 per packet?

DublinWriter

No, I'm not telling you tax on a packet of 20 is €5, silly me, I think it's exactly €5.12 now.

No probably about it, I am a smoker.

therecklessone

Originally posted by DublinWriter

No probably about it, I am a smoker.

And a lager lout?

How much for a pack of 20 these days?

DublinWriter

Around €6.30 here for most brands for 20.

DublinWriter

Originally posted by ZENER
No matter what I say here will be seen as an excuse but I'll try to explain without disagreeing with your points.

I agree. I think the coin slots were a poor idea. They were introduced to provide some organisation to the trolly situation which was getting out of control. At peak times prior to their introduction the trolly section were finding it near impossible to keep enough trollies available in the baggage hall for arriving passangers, the coin slots have helped here. It's not a lazyness thing as you suggest. Most of the passengers arriving at Dublin are from Europe and will have Euro currency which they can break up at the change machines provided. If you can suggest a better system taking what I've said into account then tell us.

Tell you what, next time you're in any terminal in Heathrow, take a seat for an hour in view of the checking-in areas and see how it's done properly.

Originally posted by ZENER

Explained above. You can thank Al Queda (sp?)or George W. for the security situation and Airport Security for preventing that happening here.

So people weren't being screened properly before? Tsk tsk!

No, I'll thank Aer Rianta for not pulling enough security staff on duty to handle the screening at peek times.

Yes I know it costs more money, but maybe they should have used some of the €6million they recently flushed down the toilet on consultants reports for the failed T2 propopsal at Dublin Airport?

Originally posted by ZENER

A little strong in my opinion. There is more than just Aer Rianta involved at the airport, hundreds of large and small private companies provide you with most of the services you use there - are they part of your gripe?

Nope - purely Aer Rianta. I'm trying to work with you here and find someone else to point the finger at, but no, purely Aer Rianta.

therecklessone

Dublin Writer,

I'm not seeking at absolve Aer Rianta of any blame for problems at Dublin Airport. I don't agree its as bad as people make out, but there are obvious concerns.

However, as an ex-Aer Rianta employee, and as somebody who still works in within the airport I can assure you there is more to it than meets the eye.

Who would you blame if your bags don't arrive until 2 hours after getting off the plane? Most people blame Aer Rianta (I know, I was on the receiving end for the entire summer of 1998), but I know it can often be the airline or handling agent thats at fault. Sunday mornings were notoriously abysmal, due to the airline's inability to get staff to work Saturday nights (leading into Sunday morning). Result? Two Aer Lingus crews unloading up to 10 holiday flights at a time, most of which were Boeing 737s (they took longer to unload, aircraft were not containerised).

Who would you blame for 400 people crowding around one baggage belt (Belt 1 at the time) while the other 4 were empty. Aer Rianta for assigning the flights to that belt? Or Ryanair for insisting that they do exactly that(and when we assigned the odd flight to the adjacent belt 2 the Ryanair loaders dumped the bags on belt 1 anyway, and left Aer Rianta staff to sort out the mess)

I once had Aer Lingus announce to a half-empty baggage reclaim that the delay in delivery of bags from a transatlantic flight was due to congestion in the baggage hall...this despite there not being a bag in sight when I went out to investigate and the flight not even being on stand yet! Of course, it suited the airline to blame Aer Rianta rather than address their own shortcomings.

Check the article posted in the commuting/transport by Victor which shows that many airlines are in breach of airport bye-laws which are intended to address check-in delays at the airport. It takes two to tango.