We are in a national crisis, where is our government?

Funsies

gritting is a ****ign waste of money, let them fill the potholes properly instead rather than spending money on grit that won't even last a day.

why should the government have to go out of their way and throw money at making sure boring people can continue their boring office commuting life uninterrupted? a few days of ice won't do any harm, just drive a bit slow you will get there eventually

spadder

Gormless is radio 1 now, telling us it's all under control.

OldJay

Funsies wrote: »

why should the government have to go out of their way and throw money at making sure boring people can continue their boring office commuting life uninterrupted?

Issues? lol

Byron85

spadder wrote: »

Gormless is radio 1 now, telling us it's all under control.

A direct quote from Gormley just seconds ago regarding "No Show" Dempsey:

"I don't know where he is. I spoke to him on Monday, before he left." :rolleyes:

FlutterinBantam

Ok!! here's what happened.

For the whole month of December all the head honchos in the local authorities were worried about was how long they would get off for Xmas and the number of parties they could attend, all at zero expense to themselves.

At breaking up day they all fcuked off to their respective homes and left the boat on auto tiller, no contingency plans, no bugger all, just 'don't ring me' handle it yourself.

Like every public service institution in the country, the local govt. arm shut down for two weeks, like, nothing ever happens in that period and 'aren't we entitled to out holidays'.

Nobody left in charge, nobody responsible for forward planning, nobody responsible for 'ringing the bell' if a situation occurs, no structure seemingly in place to address events which might crop up in the Xmas period.

"Ah shure it'll be all right, max a day or two,shure nobody's working at that time anyway, and RTE are on automatic pilot!, We'll take a chance"


Then the shít hits the fan, but note no fcuking reaction until at least Jan04 and then everybody running around like a headless chicken trying to deflect the flack.

Memo to Govt.Xmas 2010

Put a plan in place
Put someone in charge
Sack the fcuker if a debacle like this happens again.


I reckon that should sort it.

ninty9er

bmaxi wrote: »

If Dempsey is responsible for Transport, who is his second in command? If you know, then I wish you would pass the info to your friends in Cabinet, because they don't seem to.

Dempsey is responsible for transport policy, the NRA is responsible for transport inplementation, some of the functions of the NRA have been delegated to local authorities in order that the NRA doesn't need to hire thousands of staff on nice salaries for the eventuality of 3 weeks solid work every 40 years.

lostexpectation

name the person who's supposed to dempsey job when he isn''t around

ninty9er

lostexpectation wrote: »

name the person who's supposed to dempsey job when he isn''t around

Noel Ahern

Edit: Actually, due to cutbacks, the Dept of Transport hasn't had a Minister of State since April, so it falls to the various state agencies to act.

lostexpectation

so no one person...! ie no one.

bmaxi

ninty9er wrote: »

Dempsey is responsible for transport policy, the NRA is responsible for transport inplementation, some of the functions of the NRA have been delegated to local authorities in order that the NRA doesn't need to hire thousands of staff on nice salaries for the eventuality of 3 weeks solid work every 40 years.

Typical Fianna Fáil spin, of the sort that the indoctrinated Gormley trotted out last week.
When things are good Dempsey's the main man but when things are bad he's not responsible.

spadder

for our saviour returns:

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/transport-minister-arrives-back-from-sun-holiday-441358.html

Rebelheart

spadder wrote: »

for our saviour returns:

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/transport-minister-arrives-back-from-sun-holiday-441358.html

hehe "the bronze one"

Sand

Dempsey is responsible for transport policy, the NRA is responsible for transport inplementation, some of the functions of the NRA have been delegated to local authorities in order that the NRA doesn't need to hire thousands of staff on nice salaries for the eventuality of 3 weeks solid work every 40 years.

Maybe the quangos need to be rolled back up under departmental authority so responsibility cant be ducked quite so easily. Mind you that wouldnt be the Fianna Fail way.

Het-Field

Sand wrote: »

Maybe the quangos need to be rolled back up under departmental authority so responsibility cant be ducked quite so easily. Mind you that wouldnt be the Fianna Fail way.

Oh it would ! Only the new central authority would maintain ALL the staff of the former QUANGOs, and not streamline/downsize in the name of efficiency

jmayo

ninty9er wrote: »

... Pointless thread really.

No, pointless like your beloved party and it's governments. :mad:

ninty9er wrote: »

Dempsey is responsible for transport policy, the NRA is responsible for transport inplementation, some of the functions of the NRA have been delegated to local authorities in order that the NRA doesn't need to hire thousands of staff on nice salaries for the eventuality of 3 weeks solid work every 40 years.

Ahh the good ould quango.
The health minister has the HSE and the transport minister has the NRA.
Where would we, sorry where would ff be without them :rolleyes:

As other posters have mentioned, a government minister, indeed clowen himself before the farmers showed him the respect he deserves, turn up for every new road opening.
Wasn't it down to the NRA or to the local authority, so what the f*** were they doing there ?
But once the sh** hits the fan, it has nothing to do with them.
How convenient.

Well we can all see the governments mindset, wait long enough and things will thaw out and get better.

Remind anyone of banking guarantee, NAMA, etc ?

lostexpectation

hope you get paid for this 99

lostexpectation

duno if you already discussed this, but i heard the chariman of the national council association on the radio, not sure its his job, but im not sure people are aware of what 'national' coordination of councils theres is, apart from the NRA, dublin traffic, and council to council coordination.

so where or who does the national coorindation of councils?

gombeenland

I dont know if you have seen this - footage from the emergency committee meetings - much as you would expect really

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cVJilZmfNOQ

Biggins

Sad to say but this whole mess the country is in, is a complete example of how incompetent our government is at ruinning things now.
Whats even sadder is that there is still fools out there that will re-elect these idiots again to power.

Anyone notice how FF TDs are keeping a very low profile in the last few months?
Thats is when they bother to come home from their sunny holidays in Malta like our minister of transport!
God forbid a national crises might disturb them!

This government now can't run a piss up in a brewery - why? Because even they have no water to make the beer!

THE LIST OF SOME OF THEIR INCOMPETENCE

TV3 right now is showing a one hour special to the current state and crises of the country and NOT ONE government representative would come on air to explain what the hell is going on.

They ALL REFUSED to do so and this was stated on air by the presenter and also that they tried very hard to get someone from our state to come on.
They REFUSED!
His words "You (the public) can draw your own conclusions from that!"

This government - Fianna Fail - are a fcuking disgrace!

AlekSmart

Dempsey is responsible for transport policy, the NRA is responsible for transport inplementation, some of the functions of the NRA have been delegated to local authorities in order that the NRA doesn't need to hire thousands of staff on nice salaries for the eventuality of 3 weeks solid work every 40 years.

Ninety9er is to be commended for managing to detail so much of the Important stuff which those with direct responsibility for have managed to keep shrouded in secrecy.

I have no real problem with Ninty9er doing this or even acting as a cheerleader for the suggestion that we actually DO have a functional National Administration currently at work.

However,I sense that Ninty9er misses the point here.

The current National Administrative vacuum is not about Political allegience,rather it is about the concept of "Leadership" itself.

There is a point at which the shaky ediface commonly referred to as "Democracy" becomes perilously balanced and can be toppled by the slightest occurrence.

For me,that moment came VERY close to our Ship of State last week,specifically with the two media appearances of John Gormley and Willie O Dea.

Of the pair,Willie O Dea`s Radio interview had the most potential to topple the entire thing.

He came so so close to actually laughing at what,for many,still is a despersate state of affairs,with no running water or seweage facilities and a marked lack of any co-ordinated response from ANY State Agency.

His dismissive "Nobody asked for their help" response when questioned about the Army`s role was symptomatic of the attitude which saw Mr & Nrs Ceaucescu relieved of their duties so forcibly not all that long ago in what is now a co-member of the EU.

I feel what Ninty9er has thus far failed to comprehend is the now widespread public belief that ALL of our Politicans are in some form or other corrupt and most definitely lacking in any form of empathy for the situation in which their electorate now find themselves.

There is little doubt in my mind,but that Noel Dempsey is a singularly good representation of what may well turn out to be the last of his Political Type...always ready with the quick riposte,the shrug of the shoulders or the side-pass of responsibility.....He is merely the latest Government Minister to come out fighting and attempt to lay-off the blame on a suitably chastened Public Servant of lower grade.

The words "Sorry,we got it badly wrong" would have to be dragged out of these types by torture before.

bmaxi

Biggins wrote: »

TV3 right now is showing a one hour special to the current state and crises of the country and NOT ONE government representative would come on air to explain what the hell is going on.

They ALL REFUSED to do so and this was stated on air by the presenter and also that they tried very hard to get someone from our state to come on.
They REFUSED!
His words "You (the public) can draw your own conclusions from that!"

This government - Fianna Fail - are a fcuking disgrace!

You seem to think this is a new departure, haven't you ever heard of Press Officers? What Minister worth his salt would lower himself to such an extent as to be interviewed by a mere reporter.
I remember about a year ago, Orla Barry (then with Newstalk) spending a week trying to interview Seán Haughey, more or less camping out at venues he was to attend and being on the receiving end of verbal and physical abuse from his handlers.
It was like trying to get close to a Mafia figure (careful bmaxi, a freudian slip) and this was a Junior Minister for Mickey Mouse affairs. What chance have we got of any of these people ever giving a frank interview?
The fact is, most of the Cabinet have f*ck all to say that's worth hearing.

Biggins

bmaxi wrote: »

You seem to think this is a new departure, haven't you ever heard of Press Officers? What Minister worth his salt would lower himself to such an extent as to be interviewed by a mere reporter.

It was the main presenter they also refused to speak to - besides the staff of TV3.

bmaxi wrote: »

The fact is, most of the Cabinet have f*ck all to say that's worth hearing.

Sadly true, and when they do, it's PR washed/spun regurgitated crap.

OldJay

ninty9er wrote: »

Dempsey is responsible for transport policy

Why did he, someone who wasn't even here during the recent weather conditions, warn people about domestic water usage?

jmayo

Biggins wrote: »

Sad to say but this whole mess the country is in, is a complete example of how incompetent our government is at ruinning things now.
Whats even sadder is that there is still fools out there that will re-elect these idiots again to power.

Anyone notice how FF TDs are keeping a very low profile in the last few months?
Thats is when they bother to come home from their sunny holidays in Malta like our minister of transport!
God forbid a national crises might disturb them!

This government now can't run a piss up in a brewery - why? Because even they have no water to make the beer!

THE LIST OF SOME OF THEIR INCOMPETENCE

TV3 right now is showing a one hour special to the current state and crises of the country and NOT ONE government representative would come on air to explain what the hell is going on.

They ALL REFUSED to do so and this was stated on air by the presenter and also that they tried very hard to get someone from our state to come on.
They REFUSED!
His words "You (the public) can draw your own conclusions from that!"

This government - Fianna Fail - are a fcuking disgrace!

Look most of them have only as appeared on the soft soap interviews, you know Marian Finucane or Ryan tubhead.
They won't touch Eamon Keane or the likes of Matt Cooper, George Hook unless they are desperate.
Also noticable how mirriam was much more direct with gormless than when interviewing any of her brothers party's ministers :rolleyes:

The weather debacles only illustrate the ff government method of dealing with issues: wait, hope it gets better, keep stum and off the airwaves.
Then eventually when the sh** is really affecting the people and the media are whopping up a frenzy will they come out of hiding and do something.
Even then when they do act it is too late and is reactionary.

Biggins

Justind wrote: »

Why did he, someone who wasn't even here during the recent weather conditions, warn people about domestic water usage?

Because Gormley (who was actually in the country!) was too busy doing Noel Dempseys job in the first place?