Government Wasters

little_miss_sun · 12-02-2009 1:38pm #1

Just picked up the Sunday Tribune yesterday to read it (didn't get around to read it on the weekend). Did anyone see that article about how much money was wasted by the government espeicially on the amount wasted by the minister Martin Cullen going to the Olympics! He flew first class while the rest went business class, what a joke! With wasters like that no wonder the country is where it is. The five links below have a different part of the story. Love to know what people think about this.

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news/article/2009/feb/08/wasters-taoiseachs-departments-650000-travel-bill/

http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/feb/08/wasters-olympics-trip-cost-67000/

http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/feb/08/wasters-union-boss-flies-to-rugby-world-cup/

http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/feb/08/wasters-30000-on-docklands-trip-to-boston/

http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/feb/08/wasters-builders-flown-to-las-vegas/

Darragh29 · 12-02-2009 1:43pm

Again it all goes back to the guy who spent 50 million (and rising every month with storage costs) on electronic voting machines that even Robert Mugabe didn't think were up to the job.

AlekSmart · 12-02-2009 1:51pm

If as many suggest we are only entering the deper parts of this depression then I am not so certain that at some stage the likes of Cullen,Lenihan,Harney,Dempsey et al may yet find themselves in very real real danger.

The realization that Fianna Fail as a party is still insisting upon preserving a certain value on development related "assets" when the most prudent approach would be to simply offload the lot immediately is beginning to sink in to the collective mind.

The real danger in Public Order terms will come when the State first defaults on its own Social Welfare payments and that cannot be far away now.

I wonder if the GulfstreamV can hold the entire Cabinet ?

Darragh29 · 12-02-2009 1:57pm

AlekSmart wrote: »

If as many suggest we are only entering the deper parts of this depression then I am not so certain that at some stage the likes of Cullen,Lenihan,Harney,Dempsey et al may yet find themselves in very real real danger.

The realization that Fianna Fail as a party is still insisting upon preserving a certain value on development related "assets" when the most prudent approach would be to simply offload the lot immediately is beginning to sink in to the collective mind.

The real danger in Public Order terms will come when the State first defaults on its own Social Welfare payments and that cannot be far away now.

I wonder if the GulfstreamV can hold the entire Cabinet ?

I was doing my family tree a few months ago and I discovered that my Great Grandfather lived at Marrowbone Lane in 1916, which is where some of the worst fighting took place during the 1916 rising. I wondered how it was like for him to live in those sort of revolunatory times and did he appreciate that he was really living history.

I'm only starting to realise now that I'm living in the same sort of times myself, it is only a matter of time before we default and the situation gets a lot lot worse...

Dannyboy83 · 12-02-2009 2:10pm

In my eyes, it doesn't classify waste, it classifys abuse.

Here we are, criticising Robert Mugabe - but our own leaders are doing EXACTLY the same thing.

Dannyboy83 · 12-02-2009 2:16pm

I was wondering if anyone has compiled a list of all the government abuses in 1 place.

All the various stories such as:
The 164,000 flight to texas
Taoiseach's department's €650,000 travel bill
The voting machines, police cars,
infrastructural overspends
payroll systems

etc.
etc.

Does anyone have a link?

grahamo · 12-02-2009 2:19pm

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone has compiled a list of all the government abuses in 1 place.

All the various stories such as:
The 164,000 flight to texas
Taoiseach's department's €650,000 travel bill
The voting machines, police cars,
infrastructural overspends
payroll systems

etc.
etc.

Does anyone have a link?

A website listing TD's abuses of power?
That would be a VERY VERY long read

Dannyboy83 · 12-02-2009 2:28pm

Well, if we could narrow it down to the last election and present day so......

JonathanAnon · 12-02-2009 2:36pm

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

I was wondering if anyone has compiled a list of all the government abuses in 1 place.

All the various stories such as:
The 164,000 flight to texas
Taoiseach's department's €650,000 travel bill
The voting machines, police cars,
infrastructural overspends
payroll systems

etc.
etc.

Does anyone have a link?

Are you gonna pay for the extra 160Gb drive to house this information.

Dannyboy83 · 12-02-2009 2:39pm

LOL:D

Seriously tho fellas, does anybody have such a list?

Any good resources where I could start on compiling one?

little_miss_sun · 12-02-2009 2:49pm

Just picked up the Sunday Tribune yesterday to read it (didn't get around to read it on the weekend). Did anyone see that article about how much money was wasted by the government espeicially on the amount wasted by the minister Martin Cullen going to the Olympics! He flew first class while the rest went business class, what a joke! With wasters like that no wonder the country is where it is. The five links below have a different part of the story. Love to know what people think about this.

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news...0-travel-bill/

http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/f...ip-cost-67000/

http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/f...gby-world-cup/

http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/f...rip-to-boston/

http://www.tribune.ie/article/2009/f...-to-las-vegas/

conlonbmw · 12-02-2009 2:53pm

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

In my eyes, it doesn't classify waste, it classifys abuse.

Here we are, criticising Robert Mugabe - but our own leaders are doing EXACTLY the same thing.

Is there any link to the owners of NTR or the Voting machine company and the Government.

ejmaztec · 12-02-2009 2:53pm

I agree, it would probably break the internet.

thebman · 12-02-2009 2:53pm

No doubt they are argue that it would look bad if Irish representatives stayed the night at the comfort inn or flew Ryanair and everyone will forget about it until next time a bloody again!

JonathanAnon · 12-02-2009 3:00pm

An Taoiseach Brian Cowen 2008– Fianna Fáil
An Tánaiste Mary Coughlan 2008– Fianna Fáil
Minister for Agriculture Brendan Smith 2008– Fianna Fáil
Minister for Arts Martin Cullen 2008– Fianna Fáil
Minister for Comms Eamon Ryan 2008– Green Party
Minister for Gaeltacht Éamon Ó Cuív 2008– Fianna Fáil
Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea 2008– Fianna Fáil
Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe 2008- Fianna Fáil
Minister for Enterprise Mary Coughlan 2008– Fianna Fáil
Minister for the Environ John Gormley 2008– Green Party
Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan 2008– Fianna Fáil
Minister for Foreign Micheál Martin 2008– Fianna Fáil
Minister for Health Mary Harney 2008– Independent
Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern 2008– Fianna Fáil
Minister for Family Mary Hanafin 2008– Fianna Fáil
Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey 2008– Fianna Fáil

Take your pick, Cullen would have to be my pick - he used up all his chances and should be out of the cabinet at this stage. Would say he will be blamed for Waterford Glass going and will lose his seat next time anyway. He really doesnt inspire confidence. Lenihan secondly, seems completely out of his depth. In third, Mary Coughlan doesnt inspire me. Not sure why Cowen made her Taoiseach.

I would have a lot of respect for Micheál Marting and Mary Harney, they have the balls to make tough unpopular decisions while not always being right. I would also have respect for Cowen and the Green Ministers who's hearts seem to be in the right place. And although much maligned, you cannot hide the fact that Willie is the highest vote getter in the country, and for that alone I think he deserves respect (and must be doing something right).

molloyjh · 12-02-2009 3:09pm

thebman wrote: »

No doubt they are argue that it would look bad if Irish representatives stayed the night at the comfort inn or flew Ryanair and everyone will forget about it until next time a bloody again!

Saw Mary Coughlan get off a Ryanair flight on Friday in London. We were surprised to see her, but really couldn't give a crap who she flew with. The problem is I'd say that you need to be pretty certain of getting there on time for Government business. This delay or cancelation crap wouldn't be good enough.

sceptre · 12-02-2009 4:22pm

Two very similar threads merged.

jmayo · 12-02-2009 4:26pm

molloyjh wrote: »

Saw Mary Coughlan get off a Ryanair flight on Friday in London. We were surprised to see her, but really couldn't give a crap who she flew with. The problem is I'd say that you need to be pretty certain of getting there on time for Government business. This delay or cancelation crap wouldn't be good enough.

I don't think it matters much if she is there or not, I don't think many would miss her intellectual contribution. Of course if they needed someone to keep the seat warm then that is another thing.
To OP's question somebody had a list of all the cockups and expenditure wastes a while back.
Not sure if on here or over on politics.ie but it was a long list asnd that was before Fás, Bejing Olympics, IFSRA, DDDA, Anglo (hasn't biffo renamed it Angola yet) and all the other dirty little secrets came to light.

So allocate another hour or so to reading it, if it has been updated and you find it.

mikemac · 12-02-2009 4:30pm

jmayo wrote: »

To OP's question somebody had a list of all the cockups and expenditure wastes a while back.
.

I've no idea has it been updated lately but there was plently of reading in it last time I checked:
www.soldiersofdestiny.org

jimmmy · 12-02-2009 4:35pm

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

In my eyes, it doesn't classify waste, it classifys abuse.

Here we are, criticising Robert Mugabe - but our own leaders are doing EXACTLY the same thing.

Do not be unfair to Mr. Mugabe. Our own leaders in this little country are so good at lining their own pockets with pay, pensions + perks I bet Mr. Mugabe has a picture of Mary McAleese up on his wall.

old boy · 12-02-2009 5:02pm

jimmmy wrote: »

Do not be unfair to Mr. Mugabe. Our own leaders in this little country are so good at lining their own pockets with pay, pensions + perks I bet Mr. Mugabe has a picture of Mary McAleese up on his wall.

any chance that he is an adviser to f.f., they seem to have the same ideas and outlook in life to the populance, (ie screw em, and n.b. dont roide em, rape em.)

Pub07 · 12-02-2009 6:38pm

Two more things for the list are the Bertie bowl, and the various tribunals that have produced next to zero criminal prosecutions.

Daithinski · 25-04-2009 10:49am

JonathanAnon wrote: »

And although much maligned, you cannot hide the fact that Willie is the highest vote getter in the country, and for that alone I think he deserves respect (and must be doing something right).

Eh, if he was doing something right, surely you would be able to pinpoint what it was?

I don't know how you think hes deserving of respect, for the lone fact of getting votes?

I wouldn't be that easily impressed.

He has a handy number, minister of defence. In Ireland.

If Carlsberg made ministries....

Government Wasters

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