Up to Date Data-In Ireland 30 years old is about right !

AlekSmart

Apologies if this is considered misplaced,but although specifically Public Transport related,it does very definitely also have an Economic slant.

Mods,feel free to relocate to C & T (I'm still banned there it seems )

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/free-travel-payment-based-on-1973-survey-committee-hears-1.1326052

Those involved in the day to day operations of Public Transport have,for some time,been aware that the numbers were just not adding-up.

We now,finally,appear to have an official figure for Free Travel Scheme beneficiaries...1.1 MILLION :eek:

This figure represents only those over 18 years old,which itself is a population of c.3 million.

The last total for the DSFA scheme budget was €74 Million,which is disbursed mainly to the CIE group (€61 Million) and the remainder to a widely based group of private operators.

However,what is more important is the reality that a Senior Civil Servant of the status of Ms NIamh O Donoghue feels confident in taking the stand and giving direct evidence that she was comfortable with the use of data from 1973 to operate from.

Even more bizzarre was Ms O Donoghue's testimony that both the level of benefits available and the total of persons availing of them could increase without any question of how it was being funded....

The benefits available for people on the free travel and the number of beneficiaries had increased at no cost, she said. CIÉ also believed they were being underpaid.

I had to blink when I read "AT NO COST" .....I'm assuming here that Ms O Donoghue,as a Senior Civil Servant,did indeed manage a respectable Leaving Certificate beforing embarking upon her chosen career ?

To stand in front of a Dáil Committee and give evidence of this nature takes a certain level of,either great inner knowledge,or total ignorance of how stuff works.

Before the media start leppin up and down about the OAP's and their entitlement to Free Travel,it's worth pointing out that Persons of Pensionable age represent less than 340,000 out of that 1.1 MILLION total.

So,a good starting point would be Ms O Donoghue writing a note-to-editors telling them to get real with their description of the Free Travel Scheme and it's operation.

Given that the actual Free Travel Document,once issued is in perpetuity,with no period of validity endorsed on it,it is entirely possible for a person today to produce a valid Free Pass issued in 1973 (and they do).

I'm hoping that yesterdays Dáil Committee proceedings were streamed directly to Madame (B)lagarde and any other forren types familiar with the principle of paying for stuff.

I wonder how long it will take to bury this little annoyance...?

Victor

Maybe, just maybe, I'm wrong, but wasn't 1973 a total of 40 years ago - or have I been over-estimating my age all these years?

carpejugulum

And that's just the number of people entitled to it.

Head The Wall

Is anyone really surprised that business is done this way in the PS? I'm not, seems like it's business as usual

Victor

Head The Wall wrote: »

Is anyone really surprised that business is done this way in the PS? I'm not, seems like it's business as usual

I would more blame politicians than the DSP or the transport operators.

Scortho

Hang on a second. So a person who becomes unemployed and then gets a job paying 50k a year can continue to use there free travel pass. Free travel should really only be for oaps and people with disabilities who are off limited means and at off peak times.

Victor

Scortho wrote: »

Hang on a second. So a person who becomes unemployed and then gets a job paying 50k a year can continue to use there free travel pass. Free travel should really only be for oaps and people with disabilities who are off limited means and at off peak times.

People receiving job seekers benefit / allowance don't get the Free Travel Pass.

It is primarily for people disabilities and pensioners.

Head The Wall

Really, please do explain. Do you think the minister micro manages that much?

Nobody with any business sense would be making decisions based on 40 year old data. It should be up to the people dealing with this to question why they are using 40 yera old data?

Victor

Head The Wall wrote: »

Really, please do explain. Do you think the minister micro manages that much?

All stage agencies are under the thumb and at the whim of the sitting minister.

CIÉ: Department of Social Protection, you're ripping us off here. Pay us more.
DSP: No, we can't afford it.
CIÉ: Department of Transport. The DSP are ripping us off here. They should pay us more.
DoT: Yeah, that sounds outrageous. DSP, pay them more.
DSP: No, we can't afford it.
Minister for Transport: Department of Social Protection. The DSP are ripping off CIÉ. They should pay us more.
Minister for Social Protection: No, we can't afford it. And look at all that money CIÉ get from the subvention. If you want, we could ask the Department of Finanace to increase our budget and reduce yours.
Minister for Transport: Reduce my budget?
Minister for Social Protection: Yes. You'll lose some power as well, of course.
Minister for Transport: Oh.
Minister for Transport: CIÉ, be quiet, look at all that money you get from the subvention.
CIÉ: OK

Head The Wall

So what you're saying and correct me if I am wrong is that no one along the way is allowed to make any decision regarding using 40 year old data. That order has to come directly from the minister, because nobody else would question whether using this data was a good idea.