Give me some hope

peasant

Is there any section of this state, any governing body, any governement department ...anything ....that doesn't stink to the heavens these days?

Anything that works as it should? Anywhere we're getting value for money?

Positive examples please ...I need some cheering up

Seth Brundle

Media & PR Spending?
It seems to be working as they are still there!

Other than that, I really can't think of anywhere !

Permabear

This post has been deleted.

peasant

peasant wrote: »

Is there any section of this state, any governing body, any governement department ...anything ....that doesn't stink to the heavens these days?

Anything that works as it should? Anywhere we're getting value for money?

Positive examples please ...I need some cheering up

the athlone to galway motorway seems to be on track.. drove by roadworks at the galway clinic earlier

Sand

Is there any section of this state, any governing body, any governement department ...anything ....that doesn't stink to the heavens these days?

Institutionally, Ireland is badly, badly broken. There are some bright sparks, clever and honest representitives here and there.

But our government, institutions and public servants are the product of the people who they sprang from.

I read an opinion piece about a month ago on the possibility of a "Second Republic", basically starting from scratch on Irelands institutions: basically the consitution, the electoral system, national and local government, the public sector, civic society and so on. Certainly seemed interesting - be one way to sweep the decks of the likes of the Seanad, Stroke Fahey, countless quangos, McDaids and DeValeras stifling social conservitism and so on.

But imagine a process to write a new, modern constitution for Ireland....youd have all the ****ing crazies ( currently urging a no Vote on Lisbon to try draw attention to their freak fringe cause, like militant neutrality or whatever...) trying to hijack it to insert their own freak fringe clauses on neutrality, abortion, newgrange, northern ireland, palestine and whatever the hell else. Itd be a ****ing disaster. And the checks on populism youd need to put in place to make democracy work in a place like Ireland...well, the country would need to be on its ****ing knees before people give up the opportunity to be represented by convicted thieves and embezzlers.

So we are kind of stuck with what we have. And voting out parties that screw up, rewarding good *national* politicians, and punishing unqualified village idiots whose only qualification is their work in the local bar or GAA club. Most TDs probably couldnt explain NAMA to you if you asked them to. And yet they will vote on it as our representitives. Thats the electorates fault, consistently trying to get one over on everyone else by voting for a self interested know nothing "independants", whilst hoping everyone else votes in national minded politicians to make up for it.

gotBass

motortax.ie works like a charm.

optocynic

gotBass wrote: »

motortax.ie works like a charm.

Yep... they can efficiently take our money!

Not so good with the spending of it though!

Amhran Nua

Sand wrote: »

And the checks on populism youd need to put in place to make democracy work in a place like Ireland...well, the country would need to be on its ****ing knees before people give up the opportunity to be represented by convicted thieves and embezzlers.

I think thats an unfair characterisation of the Irish people and indeed Ireland to be honest. The constitution as it stands barely scraped through the first time round, and that was in the heat of post civil war troubles. Ever since aforementioned civil war, there has been a great deal of inertia among the electorate stretching back over the last three generations since independence; as they say, people vote against someone rather than in favour of someone else, a phenomenon by no means unique to Ireland.

There are more bright, intelligent and capable men and women in Ireland per capita than in most other places, in my opinion, who are unfortunately led by entrenched concerns who have taken advantage of the weaknesses of the STV PR electoral system to dig themselves in at the parish pump. Take a look at the list of families in the Oireachtas on wikipedia and tell me I'm wrong. Younger people just didn't vote in an expression of disillusionment at the mindless gombeenism of the descendents of the civil war generation, and so in a vicious circle we find ourselves where we are today.

Not to worry though, some people are mobilising to reform the political system, so lead, follow, or get out of the way, any help would be appreciated of course. Its very easy to throw up the hands and cry all is lost, a harder option is to take a stand and try to fix it.

Dannyboy83

Revenue are good.

That is all.

Fat_Fingers

Dannyboy83 wrote: »

Revenue are good.

That is all.

I don't agree fully. They are good at chasing people with no political connections but not so good collecting tax from Bertie Ahern and his mistress.

optocynic

Fat_Fingers wrote: »

I don't agree fully. They are good at chasing people with no political connections but not so good collecting tax from Bertie Ahern and his mistress.

Oh... Zing!
Now that's the truth.

ghost_ie

TV licence section seems to be working ok. Also dog licencing section. I get reminders from them at the same time every year requesting money. I also get regular requests for cash from ESB

Fat_Fingers

once i called Consumers' Association of Ireland for information and they were very helpful and professional. So from my expirience they are very good.