Frontline 22nd Feb

97i9y3941

skelliser wrote: »

That lecturer dude from UL was spot on, we need more people like him.

he sure was,doesnt the rest of europe have a leaving cert based on practical skills?..

mehmeh12

Vorsprung wrote: »

One girl from Smurfit said that 8 out of 14 of her recently graduated class had jobs, and many of them were working for free to get experience. No problem getting a job if you're willing to bite the bullet and sacrifice in the hope for a return at some stage in the future!

She mentioned that she was doing 'marketing' and 'working for free'. Sounds like Protea Direct caught another one :pac:

skelliser

Another thing, imo, I think tonights show finally showed up the leaving cert points system for the false economy it is. The whole grind school/get 600 points nonsense was expertly destroyed by the guy from UL. Learnt off essays and scripts factorys where students aim for courses where when they finish they expect to walk straight into high paying jobs.
All the while forgeting that its insight and motivation that breeds success and not ones ability to reem stuff off by heart.

97i9y3941

its a lottery system unfortunately,so i dont think they can really pick out whos the best for their chosen subject if they decided to go to college.

i remember this rubbish teachers used to tell aswell,if you dont do well in your leaving you woundnt get to college *little knowing that some practical courses/work experience would get you a place if you went back as mature student*

skelliser

You have to agree tho it has become a memory test in alot of respects, the grind schools imo make a mockery of the whole process. From what i gather in germany its compulsory for students to take a year working in social projects or a year in the army, this was done a couple of years back not sure anymore tho, its a good idea imo.

A more practical approach is needed. Its beyond me how basic software dev or even basic computer skills, at that, arent compulsory in secondary education. knowledge economy! lol!

Vorsprung

skelliser wrote: »

A more practical approach is needed. Its beyond me how basic software dev or even basic computer skills, at that, arent compulsory in secondary education. knowledge economy! lol!

For all of the FG/FF TDs talk about listening to the people - business has been talking about education reform for yonks. The Intel boss in Ireland reiterated it the other day, calling our education system "average".

Like many things in politics, it takes a tv/radio show to start things moving. Any chance there'll be any reform on the basis of this show I wonder?

97i9y3941

down to money guys,one thing often brought up is laptop for schools,but then who will look after them for little johnny or if some scumbag would punch a schoolkid in the head and run off with the lappy,we cant even get proper broadband!..

skelliser

It sounds populist, but a business zsar type group created from the likes of that UL dude, Bill Cullen types and that internet millionare dude wouldnt be a bad idea.

97i9y3941

skelliser wrote: »

It sounds populist, but a business zsar type group created from the likes of that UL dude, Bill Cullen types and that internet millionare dude wouldnt be a bad idea.

michael o leary gave a chance to create 500 jobs but unfortantly that was shot down...

Gekko

skelliser wrote: »

Another thing, imo, I think tonights show finally showed up the leaving cert points system for the false economy it is. The whole grind school/get 600 points nonsense was expertly destroyed by the guy from UL. Learnt off essays and scripts factorys where students aim for courses where when they finish they expect to walk straight into high paying jobs.
All the while forgeting that its insight and motivation that breeds success and not ones ability to reem stuff off by heart.

On a side note, if anyone saw Dispatches on Ch4 tonight, it was about the teaching of maths and made for interesting viewing.

It made the point that you have to engage kids with the subject at primary level and get out of the classroom and they'll enjoy it and find it easier to understand the subject.

The shocker was that many of the teachers couldn't pass exam they were supposed to be teaching for!! :eek:

Young people are being sold a pup by the Union-dominated education system. Maybe they should be out on the streets protesting about that.

JimmyO

I'm sure Bill Cullen would love to have graduates come worok for him for free so he can get make even more money off the back of them.

As said on P.ie "Someone should have pointed out to Bill that 434,000 new businesses are not going to be set up in the next few years"

On top of that, not everyone has entrepreneural skills. I know I don't. My brain doesn't work that way. Show me what to do and I apply myself to it and do it to the best of my ability.

baalthor

Fred83 wrote: »

michael o leary gave a chance to create 500 jobs but unfortantly that was shot down...

O'Leary didn't want to deal with the "corrupt" and "incompetent" DAA of which Mr Bill Cullen is a director ...

Cullen made his money (or losses) through Renault Ireland i.e. selling cars throughout the biggest consumer boom in history. Many of those who borrowed heavily taking out crazy mortgages also borrowed heavily to buy new cars so Bill also benefited from the Celtic bubble (OK he was flogging Renaults so we do have to credit his sales skills:D).

Once the bubble burst and people naturally stopped buying new cars Bill was on the radio every week demanding government help for his "industry". In an interview with Matt Cooper he even had the cheek to demand that the overseas aid budget be cut. What kind of person would demand that aid to poor people be cut so it can be given to car salesmen???

Bill was against the recent VRT cut for lower emission cars. Of course this made it easier for people to buy BMWs rather than underpowered Meganes so his upset is understandable.

And in his "Golden Apples" guru book, Bill stated that property was a great source of wealth and every business was ultimately a property company. He gave examples of how he had made lots of money in the property game and encouraged the reader to do likewise.

Bill was on the program for his "tell it like it is" loudmouth abilities rather then his dubious entreprenurial skills.

TonyD79

omahaid wrote: »

I have a friend with a masters who tells me she cant get a job and is actively looking. I asked her "Did you send your CV to McDonalds yet?", answer was "no".

I put it to her that she wasn't actively looking for a job in that case and she's not the only one like that.

Would MCDonalds give a job to some one with a Masters when they know too well that person will be off as soon as they get a job more inclined to their education status? What is she supposed to say in the interview?

Sure she should become a nun instead of spoonging of the state and looking for a job suited to the masters she paid for!!!

The people on the dole and earning a good living through cash in hand is the problem.

NickDrake

Exactly McDonalds and simialr places wont employ people with Masters.

I love all the people coming on here having a go at young people. they all seem to have a good job and plenty of money. I would love to see their opinions if they were in a dffierent situation.

Dempo1

TonyD79 wrote: »

Would MCDonalds give a job to some one with a Masters when they know too well that person will be off as soon as they get a job more inclined to their education status? What is she supposed to say in the interview?

Sure she should become a nun instead of spoonging of the state and looking for a job suited to the masters she paid for!!!

The people on the dole and earning a good living through cash in hand is the problem.

Both your assertions are incorrect. Firstly Mc Donald's, Supermacs or any such outlets will not hire Graduates partly for the reason stated ut mainly because they mainly hire students on a part time basis. Management careers are aimed at Graduates from the hospitality sector not those with masters.

The comments about people living the high life on the dole is extreme, sure there are a small element mainly young people who can happily survive on €196 per week but only if they are living in the comfort of their parent home. Thousands of middle aged couples, with children, mortgages and basic daily bills to pay would i am sure disagree. And the notions about rent allowance, child benefits and other benefits being the icing on the cake is complete BS. It is estimated that only 20% of those seeking additional benefits succeed or actually get additional benefits. It may be easy for those who have secure employment or perhaps little day to day responsibilities to Judge the tens of thousands of Irish Households who are certainly not sponging and genuinely struggling. Finally, whilst it may be an option for young graduates to emigrate, this sadly is not an option for couples with Children and mortgages to pay.

omahaid

TonyD79 wrote: »

Would MCDonalds give a job to some one with a Masters when they know too well that person will be off as soon as they get a job more inclined to their education status? What is she supposed to say in the interview?

Sure she should become a nun instead of spoonging of the state and looking for a job suited to the masters she paid for!!!

The people on the dole and earning a good living through cash in hand is the problem.

Tesco then?? I know Tesco hire people with masters as my missus worked there after college. If you're on the dole with a masters and not applying to tesco then you are not looking for work properly

BaZmO*

Godge wrote: »

It doesn't say much for that generation that they took out such huge mortgages without any consideration for how they would repay it.

I had many opportunities to re-mortgage and invest in property particularly about 6-7 years ago but I realised I wasn't getting in at the bottom so apart from my own house I don't have any property.

I was in my mid-thirties at the time and I had the sense and the foresight. Those who have bought since then were incredibly short-sighted.

I don’t really have much sympathy for people that bought an investment property to try and make a quick killing. But a lot of people were scared into buying homes for fear of never being able to afford to buy somewhere to live, myself included.
You could say that I could of rented, but Ireland is, and never has been set up for a person renting property on a long term basis like most European countries and America.

I was lucky (sensible enough) not to buy a two bedroom apartment in the ársehole of Roscommon though.

Vorsprung wrote: »

One girl from Smurfit said that 8 out of 14 of her recently graduated class had jobs, and many of them were working for free to get experience. No problem getting a job if you're willing to bite the bullet and sacrifice in the hope for a return at some stage in the future!

And any prospective employer will look more favorably on a person that was willing to actually work for nothing just to gain some experience, especially a young person with no commitments.

It’s like that story about the guy in London a few months back that was out of work. He made up a sandwich board saying “Out of Work – Willing to Work the First Month for Free” and walked around the main street wearing the sandwich board. He was only there a few hours and he was offered a job.

Fred83 wrote: »

…and yes there was alot of hippies and swots in the crowd,with the shame of been stuck on the dole with the underskilled workers,but the underskilled/disadvantage people will stay in the country because they have no choice,like one person emailed the show its fine to get up and leave if you do not have wife and kids and mortgage over your head.

I really don’t understand how a young graduate with no commitments can complain about having to emigrate a few years in search of work, and the oh-so precious “work experience” that everybody is in search of.
How is this any different from the gangs of graduates swanning around Australia and Thailand for a year or two for the last 10 years? Probably the fact that actually having to work is involved this time rather that getting the Western Union transfers from Mammy & Daddy.

Fred83 wrote: »

i dont think changeing gov will bring anything better,i think fg/labour would be clueless aswell in what to do,you can blame the gov for the f#ck up we are in but nobody forced you to take out a 30 year mortgage on a house

I agree about changing the government but I think it probably needs to be changed just for the sake of accountability.
I already addressed the point about a 30 year mortgage.

Gekko wrote: »

On a side note, if anyone saw Dispatches on Ch4 tonight, it was about the teaching of maths and made for interesting viewing.

It made the point that you have to engage kids with the subject at primary level and get out of the classroom and they'll enjoy it and find it easier to understand the subject.

It’s the same reason why kids leave school not knowing how to speak Irish fluently, despite having “studied” Irish for over 10 years.

JimmyO wrote: »

I'm sure Bill Cullen would love to have graduates come worok for him for free so he can get make even more money off the back of them.

As much as I don’t like the man or his “Penny Apples” philosophy on life, I don’t think he was suggesting that everybody should work for free. I think he was making the point that people need to get off their árses and do something about their situation.
In particular, people claiming that they can’t get any work experience. If you've no job, well then go and work in MacDonalds, it’ll be poxy work but at least you can tell your interviewer (for a more suitable job) that even though you’re hating the MacMinimum wage at least it’s keeping you busy until you get something else.



I think people need to realise that politicians are useless, every business person on the show last night as good as said so. And the two clowns that got their 90 secs were a total joke. But it’s people actually just accepting, for rightly or wrongly, the situation that’s in front of us that’s needed.

ToasterSparks

I couldn't resist checking Facebook to see if anyone had made any new groups based on last night's Frontline.

Much to my dismay there was no 'Lucinda Creighton has rocks for brain cells' group. However, if you want Bill Cullen to be the next Enterprise Minister.......

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?v=wall&gid=365235756176

I might go make that first group myself sometime. After seeing that she hadn't the intellect to rehearse a 90-second speech (which should have been a common-sense speech requiring no props), I'm worried about the alternative batch of idiots biting at the heels of the current government in an attempt to get into power. Out of the frying pan........

neilojeilo

Dempo1 wrote: »

Yes, that was a bizarre statement. Whilst its an honorable thing to go and work for free with some sense behind such a decision, namely experience, it certainly does not pay the Bills. I think if i had to pay the fees this school charges, i would be most aggrieved at having to work for free.

All,
Further to the comments on the board here, I was an audience member last night, and am currently a (self funded from savings) Smurfit School student- having returned from several years in Canada. Believe me, I am on the same planet as everyone else.
First, I agree with many on here that the 'revolutionary' section of the audience did little to bring the conversation forward in any meaningful way; and I feel those who carry these views were largely misrepresented by the few who spoke. Secondly, the two politicians who appeared gave little solace to a (perhaps rightly) hostile audience. However, as I expressed in the closing moments of the programme, the last thing this country needs is yet another hour of institution bashing. Clearly there is heated sentiment from all sectors of society, clearly the country has been on the wrong path for a number of years- and most importantly, it is clear that neither of the government spokespersons who commented last night have the answers.
I contend that those answers are among the people of this country, and are not the sole responsibility of the institutions therein. Pivotally, the conversation became distracted by those with their own agenda; and instead of creating a forum for the sharing of solutions, we again fell into the thrashings of the disaffected youth that tired rhetoric would have us labeled as.

The question I posed-and was unanswered- was framed in the context of those who do not want to continue to river of complaints (founded and all as they may be), rather how a platform can be established for the sharing of workable and substantive solutions. Which. all agree, this country desperately needs.

We have an opportunity to be the generation who stood, and collaborated, and rebuilt- rather than the ones who held out one hand with open palm; and the other with a pointed finger.
N

Hondo75

Will this be repeated? Missed it . How did Thomas Byrne come across?

sunshiniest

This is my first post on boards, but one thing struck me really strongly last night. There was a lot of giving out about the sense of entitlement which the young people looking for work apparently had. Many of them were graduates, many of them had worked for free to get experience the majority were actively looking for jobs. Ridiculing them because they displayed a sense of entitlement seems unfair.

If you do nothing in this country, don't work in school, don't work once you finish school and, if you're female, don't marry and have a few kids that you are unable to support, you are entitled to a certain standard of living and also entitled to complain about your situation all the time. Poverty trap, disadvantaged, marginalised, forgotten during the celtic tiger etc. etc. The same rules don't apply for everybody. (i.e. if you get sick, you go to the doctor, you pay 50 euro to the doctor and whatever extortionate price the pharmacy is charging for your prescription, others get it all free gratis - doesn't seem fair to me...)

If we are to eliminate the sense of entitlement that prevails in this country we have to eliminate it for everyone. A rule of you get nothing for nothing and apply it to everybody. At least the graduates wanted to contribute to Irish society (in ways other than increasing the population).
Somebody mentioned leaving cert biology last night and I'll recall something I learned in that subject. The graduates wish to have a symbiotic relationship with the country where both prosper as a result, there are many who would prefer to be parasites...

Let's eliminate entitlement - for those who benefit weekly and those who merely have a 'sense of it'.

Super Freak

Will this be repeated? Missed it . How did Thomas Byrne come across?

RTE Player
http://www.rte.ie/player/#v=1067125

smurgen

baalthor wrote: »

O'Leary didn't want to deal with the "corrupt" and "incompetent" DAA of which Mr Bill Cullen is a director ...

Cullen made his money (or losses) through Renault Ireland i.e. selling cars throughout the biggest consumer boom in history. Many of those who borrowed heavily taking out crazy mortgages also borrowed heavily to buy new cars so Bill also benefited from the Celtic bubble (OK he was flogging Renaults so we do have to credit his sales skills:D).

Once the bubble burst and people naturally stopped buying new cars Bill was on the radio every week demanding government help for his "industry". In an interview with Matt Cooper he even had the cheek to demand that the overseas aid budget be cut. What kind of person would demand that aid to poor people be cut so it can be given to car salesmen???

Bill was against the recent VRT cut for lower emission cars. Of course this made it easier for people to buy BMWs rather than underpowered Meganes so his upset is understandable.

And in his "Golden Apples" guru book, Bill stated that property was a great source of wealth and every business was ultimately a property company. He gave examples of how he had made lots of money in the property game and encouraged the reader to do likewise.

Bill was on the program for his "tell it like it is" loudmouth abilities rather then his dubious entreprenurial skills.

best post i've ever seen on boards!

i've a degree in finance and am studying a master in economics of business practice i UCC which is a course with a lot of focus on innovation and entrepreneurship. Our lecturer who is a self made millionaire and made his money a la Bill Cullen wheelin and dealin' called him an idiot today in class and made the point how he gave out about students feeling entitled to jobs while oblivious to the fact that he felt entitled to a bailout by the government!

Bill knows little or nothing about modern business and i bet if he was starting out he couldn't even get his foot in the door of any decent workplace!

Dempo1

neilojeilo wrote: »

All,
Further to the comments on the board here, I was an audience member last night, and am currently a (self funded from savings) Smurfit School student- having returned from several years in Canada. Believe me, I am on the same planet as everyone else.
First, I agree with many on here that the 'revolutionary' section of the audience did little to bring the conversation forward in any meaningful way; and I feel those who carry these views were largely misrepresented by the few who spoke. Secondly, the two politicians who appeared gave little solace to a (perhaps rightly) hostile audience. However, as I expressed in the closing moments of the programme, the last thing this country needs is yet another hour of institution bashing. Clearly there is heated sentiment from all sectors of society, clearly the country has been on the wrong path for a number of years- and most importantly, it is clear that neither of the government spokespersons who commented last night have the answers.
I contend that those answers are among the people of this country, and are not the sole responsibility of the institutions therein. Pivotally, the conversation became distracted by those with their own agenda; and instead of creating a forum for the sharing of solutions, we again fell into the thrashings of the disaffected youth that tired rhetoric would have us labeled as.

The question I posed-and was unanswered- was framed in the context of those who do not want to continue to river of complaints (founded and all as they may be), rather how a platform can be established for the sharing of workable and substantive solutions. Which. all agree, this country desperately needs.

We have an opportunity to be the generation who stood, and collaborated, and rebuilt- rather than the ones who held out one hand with open palm; and the other with a pointed finger.
N

Welcome to Boards.ie, firstly my apologies if i caused offense, i do respect your position and indeed your commitment to further education. I am sorry to say i missed the end of the show, to be honest it all became quite depressing not helped by the girl who choose to be smurfit schools representative as such and to be honest came across as dim in the extreme, Bill Cullen's antics only added to the nonsense and i agree the show did get distracted, particularly by the militant element in the Audience. All in all, the entire show was a damning indictment of where we are as a society and country with little if anything achieved from the show.

darkman2

Agree with Bill Cullen. What a bunch of sulking, spineless, gutless groups of young people in that audience. Acting like the country owes them a living. Im a young person and most actually don't think like the collection of communists on display on that program. Most are working hard both in the workplace and collage. Not sitting on their arse, doing nothing, and bitching and moaning from the sidelines on programs like that looking for symphathy and feeling sorry for themselves.

TonyD79

Regarding the Smurfit girl saying she did Marketing experience for free but isnt that the norm even before the downturn? Marketing and Journalism require in most cases unpaid work experience to get your foot in the door so to speak.

TonyD79

darkman2 wrote: »

Agree with Bill Cullen. What a bunch of sulking, spineless, gutless groups of young people in that audience. Acting like the country owes them a living. Im a young person and most actually don't think like the collection of communists on display on that program. Most are working hard both in the workplace and collage. Not sitting on their arse, doing nothing, and bitching and moaning from the sidelines on programs like that looking for symphathy and feeling sorry for themselves.

The country owes them a place where they CAN WORK for a living! You pay your taxes in the expection that the government will run a country where there are opportunites for all and that the social welfare payments are there for those unable to work through sickness etc.

Laois_Man

omahaid wrote: »

Its not for nothing, its for decent experience for their CV's to get a decent job. If you are serious about getting a good job then you shouldn't be afraid to work for it.

Well now that's awfully simplistic

I work in a high skilled job with two good degrees and 8 years' experience and I know if I was made redundant in the morning, I'd struggle to get a job big time. I tried out the job market in my area in January - just dipped my toe in the water and at the end of it, I felt extremely insecure financially. Firstly, there weren't a lot of jobs to apply to....secondly the one's that were there, my applications weren't being replied to, or were being rejected outright. We advertised 4 jobs in mid January and the flood of candidates that applied with enormously impressive CVs was huge. We found our 4 new employees, but all the others, hugely skilled, hugely experienced and huge numbers of them are left still out there.

The nonsense about why not emigrate like they did in the 80's....now is completely different than the 80's. In the 80's, there was no work here but there was loads in the US and the UK. Now, those places are struggling too.

All the emphasis seems to be on 21/22 year-old students. What about the rest of us who have more responsibility....a young family and a mortgage? Even some students have mortgages....mature students.

As for the guy who thinks Michael O'Leary was in any way genuine or sincere about creating 300 jobs at Dublin Airport, you're awfully naive IMO.

And I also think there's way too much credence giving by people on here to the utterances of Bill Cullen!

macgrub

I have been reading through all the replies on this thread since the show was aired on Monday last. (This is my first post, so yes, I am a newbie )
Was Bill hitting directly at the young people in general, or the young people who are recently college/masters/god knows what, graduates ?
When I left school after my leaving 10 years ago, like many lads, I didnt want to go to college, not for me. Also, my parents didnt have a whole lot, so I didn't want to be another burden while I got to do what "I wanted" for four years. I started an apprenticeship, earning 100pounds a week, with 60 of it going to my car. (Before I go on, I'm not looking for violins, I just telling my story ). When I got my trade, I went working for a well known muti-national in the Dublin region, and not to lie, was not doing too bad.
I travelled alot, but paid every cent for it myself. I bought a large tv, PS3, phones etc, but paid for it Myself. I chose not to get a mortgage 5 years ago, I was not tripping over myself to "own" a place.
However, like many, I lost my job lately, so Im looking at the moment for ANY work, anything really, but not having much luck as of late.
Here is the thing though. I remember, back 5/6 years ago, hearing college grads telling me times have changeD, and working 6 days a week is gone since the stone age . Working 10 hours a day was a thing of the past, and times are better. . So, on Monday night, hearing them moan about how life is not fair for them,how they got no breaks, PLEASE , STOP CRYING.
But since Monday, I feel that older generations are painting us all with the one brush. I know a wealth of young people who do not want anything for free. We are working since mid teens and our attitudes towards hard work has not changed now.
So, Was Bill hitting at the few whingers the other evening or are the young people all useless now ?

Code Red

smurgen wrote: »

Bill Cullen wheelin and dealin' called him an idiot today in class and made the point how he gave out about students feeling entitled to jobs while oblivious to the fact that he felt entitled to a bailout by the government!

!

I watched the show and found it quite entertaining if nothing else. Bill Cullen IS correct as regards young people getting off their arses, I know quite a few young people who would rather sit around all day playing xbox and spending there dole on nights out rather then go out and work, even part time.

What really pissed me off though was when he went on about how the government scrappage scheme had really boosted business, although he could just be saying that as I don't have a clue how car sales in Ireland are fairing out this year.

So on the one hand he is telling the audience not to expect the Government to help young people with jobs and careers etc but on the other he and his motor industry colleagues had been crying to the same Government to help them make money.

So from Bills point of view a young carpenter for example with no business experience is expected to get off his arse and sort himself out with a job or maybe start a business and at the same time 10,000 people experienced in their industry including people with the business acumen of Bill Cullen can't work out between themselves how to sell more cars :mad:

I can't believe no one pulled him up on this on the show.

This is not to say young people should not try and start their own business....what have they got to lose at this stage of the game.

Come to think of it the guy who does the online gaming business is probably responsible for a lot of the lazy young people out there today lol

sunshiniest

Code Red wrote: »

I watched the show and found it quite entertaining if nothing else. Bill Cullen IS correct as regards young people getting off their arses, I know quite a few young people who would rather sit around all day playing xbox and spending there dole on nights out rather then go out and work, even part time.

So on the one hand he is telling the audience not to expect the Government to help young people with jobs and careers etc but on the other he and his motor industry colleagues had been crying to the same Government to help them make money.


So from Bills point of view a young carpenter for example with no business experience is expected to get off his arse and sort himself out with a job or maybe start a business and at the same time 10,000 people experienced in their industry including people with the business acumen of Bill Cullen can't work out between themselves how to sell more cars :mad:

Well said Code Red;)

paddyismaddy

cullen is a tosser who loves the publicity

TonyD79

From Wikipedia

Bill Cullen is booked to be one of the first passengers to take a flight into space on Richard Bransons Virgin Galactic service at a cost of $200,000.

God help the other passengers. Imagine paying 200k to go into space and having that eejet sitting beside you!!!!

Trixielicious

paddyismaddy wrote: »

cullen is a tosser who loves the publicity

I used to work for Bill, he made me redundant last year. Now I was lucky enough to get a job after 3 months, I don't particularly like the job but it pays my bills (barely) and I'm just about on an even keel and I'm grateful to be working. I know how hard it is trying to find work but for him to say people should work for free in order to get experience is crap. People are entitled to jobs and I know from personal experience that even when a person is fully qualified with experience it doesn't guarantee you a job. To be honest if my bills were to magically disappear then I would have no problem working for free but me and everybody else in the country can't afford to do that, he's delusional. We all know there are people out there who are scrounging off the state and taxpayers and who won't work hooked up to a generator but that doesn't mean a millionaire wally like Bill can tar everybody with the same brush.

As somebody who knows Bill personally I can completely agree with the above comment from paddyismaddy. If Bill has an audience of more than 2 people the showman comes out. So what if he worked hard to get where he is, fair play to him, but those days are over, he may go in to work at 5 or 6 in the morning but now he wouldn't know hard work or hard workers if one came up and kicked him in the nads!!!! Bill would rather employ people who massage his ego than people who are grafters. I'm a grafter not a lick-ar*e and I worked longer hours than most of the people who worked in the same place as me and I was on less pay. I gave him and his company alot of blood, sweat and tears, literally, and none of it meant anything to him.

Last April him and Jackie sat on the Late Late show and refused to answer any questions about how many people they had made redundant. They said they don't use the chopper anymore because it's not fair on the people who don't have jobs, the real reason they don't use the chopper is because it's a money pit that needs loads of work done to it!!!

To add insult to injury to all of his ex-employees IFTA then go and give The Apprentice an award!!! How can that show deserve an award when Bill is making people redundant left right and centre and then taking on somebody on a €100k a year package just for the sake of parading himself and Jackie on tv??!!! The man has no shame!!!

Liveit

Liveit wrote: »

If I was in that audience unemployed, I would have asked Bill for a job! I would work for nothing if I was in their position. What have they got to lose by working for nothing if there are no other possibilities?

Work for nothing ? If folks start doing that largescale the country is f'd. Working for nothing is only good if it is charitable work, working for nothing for a chap like Bill ? F that.

Godge wrote: »

I had many opportunities to re-mortgage and invest in property particularly about 6-7 years ago but I realised I wasn't getting in at the bottom so apart from my own house I don't have any property.

Those who have bought since then were incredibly short-sighted.

Some of them also needed a home and didn't fancy paying looney rents.

There are loads and loads of Bill Cullens out there, folks who made looney money over the years. I'd like a reality TV show where Bill mentors an 18 year old average Joe Soap for the next 10 years and see how he gets on, I reckon that might quiten him.