The Pat Kenny Show

brooke 2

foxtrot101 wrote: »

Well, thanks to that water charges movement I'm going to be paying a lot less in water charges over the next 4 years than I otherwise would have...so viva la revolution!

I heard the Paul Murphy interview last night. While I wouldn't necessarily agree him, I don't think he did that badly really. There was a fair few holes in Pat's arguments too. It's a pity Pat isn't so strident with the people who are actually in power, the ones who made such a pig's ear of setting up Irish Water.

Pat went apoplectic when Murphy mentioned Denis O'Brien! Such loyalty to one's
boss is touching!!

michael999999

brooke 2 wrote: »

Pat went apoplectic when Murphy mentioned Denis O'Brien! Such loyalty to one's
boss is touching!!

He who pays the piper calls the tune!

brooke 2

michael999999 wrote: »

He who pays the piper calls the tune!

Very obviously!

constitutionus

brooke 2 wrote: »

Pat went apoplectic when Murphy mentioned Denis O'Brien! Such loyalty to one's
boss is touching!!

"Whats Dennis O Brien got to do with water?" was the quote of the show for me !



lets see pat.

500 million contract to install the meters.

100 million wrote off for the company he bought that got that contract.

and a nice little earner in supplying protest barriers to the gov.

god, i cant think of a single thing that could benefit dennis from this whole affair !

Callan57

brooke 2 wrote: »

Pat went apoplectic when Murphy mentioned Denis O'Brien! Such loyalty to one's
boss is touching!!

Murphy definitely sounded desperate when he had to resort to bringing Denis O'B into the discussion - scraping the bottom of the barrel for yet another soundbite in place of an actual reasoned argument. Pat was absolutely right to call him on it.

serfboard

Callan57 wrote: »

Murphy definitely sounded desperate when he had to resort to bringing Denis O'B into the discussion

In fairness to Murphy he brings Denis O'Brien into his arguments frequently - and when you have the person who owns/controls the Irish Independent, Newstalk and Today FM also owning/controlling (one of) the companies that installs water meters, it's legitamate to bring him into the discussion, IMO.

Cui bono, as the Romans used to say.

BarryD

serfboard wrote: »

In fairness to Murphy he brings Denis O'Brien into his arguments frequently - and when you have the person who owns/controls the Irish Independent, Newstalk and Today FM also owning/controlling (one of) the companies that installs water meters, it's legitamate to bring him into the discussion, IMO.

Cui bono, as the Romans used to say.

Perhaps but it was interesting to hear Paul Murphy squirm when Pat pointedly asked him did he use the services of UPC for his internet and communications etc. Apparently he does and with the same GMC Sierra also apparently installing for UPC. Double standards exposed?

Callan57

serfboard wrote: »

In fairness to Murphy he brings Denis O'Brien into his arguments frequently - and when you have the person who owns/controls the Irish Independent, Newstalk and Today FM also owning/controlling (one of) the companies that installs water meters, it's legitamate to bring him into the discussion, IMO.

Cui bono, as the Romans used to say.

Perhaps - I was referring to the context of the discussion, to me it just sounded like Paul Murphy was desperately flaying around for anything to divert attention from the fact that he wasn't not making a great job of defending (or even explaining) his stance.

artful_codger

Name and shame the bad kids Santa. We need to know :mad:

serfboard

Callan57 wrote: »

Perhaps - I was referring to the context of the discussion, to me it just sounded like Paul Murphy was desperately flaying around for anything to divert attention from the fact that he wasn't not making a great job of defending (or even explaining) his stance.

I'm not disagreeing with you. From what people have said on here it sounds like he got rightly done by Pat. As someone else said, you can't imagine Joe Higgins being taken apart so easily.

serfboard

BarryD wrote: »

it was interesting to hear Paul Murphy squirm when Pat pointedly asked him did he use the services of UPC for his internet and communications etc. Apparently he does and with the same GMC Sierra also apparently installing for UPC. Double standards exposed?

Not really. If you are concerned about inequality and think that billionaires don't pay their fair share, you are not able, in this day and age, to eat/sleep on a bed/walk around with clothes on (and in time, drink a glass of water) without availing of the products or services provided by a company owned/controlled by some billionaire somewhere.

And that, I think, is actually these guys' point!

BarryD

serfboard wrote: »

Not really. If you are concerned about inequality and think that billionaires don't pay their fair share, you are not able, in this day and age, to eat/sleep on a bed/walk around with clothes on (and in time, drink a glass of water) without availing of the products or services provided by a company owned/controlled by some billionaire somewhere.

And that, I think, is actually these guys' point!

Well you'd surely have to admit that it is a bit of a double standard to happily use internet services probably installed by GMC Sierra whilst objecting to water meters being installed by the same company! We're not talking chalk and cheese - they're both utility services.

Doubtless though, Paul would defend the idea on the basis that you may as well use the tools of the oppressor against them in your battle and in furtherance of the revolution

An he may have a point.

BarryD

serfboard wrote: »

I'm not disagreeing with you. From what people have said on here it sounds like he got rightly done by Pat. As someone else said, you can't imagine Joe Higgins being taken apart so easily.

Yes, Joe is the old dog for the road. He's good at his job - he would just have side stepped the questions or ignored them. That's usually what happens with media interviews of seasoned politicians.

Varadkar is a bit different - you'd listen out for him as he seems at any rate to at least try and deal with questions openly. If he doesn't know the answer, he usually just says so. Time will tell though if this holds up.

serfboard

BarryD wrote: »

Well you'd surely have to admit that it is a bit of a double standard to happily use internet services probably installed by GMC Sierra whilst objecting to water meters being installed by the same company!

At a guess, I'd say Paul Murphy didn't know that. I didn't, and I'd consider myself fairly well informed.

I bet the first phone call he made after the interview was to cancel his UPC subscription ...

Callan57

serfboard wrote: »

Not really. If you are concerned about inequality and think that billionaires don't pay their fair share, you are not able, in this day and age, to eat/sleep on a bed/walk around with clothes on (and in time, drink a glass of water) without availing of the products or services provided by a company owned/controlled by some billionaire somewhere.

And that, I think, is actually these guys' point!

Then surely you'd want them to pay for the water they use to maintain their billionaire lifestyles????
This is the part of Paul Murphy's argument I am unable to reconcile & he was unable to expain to Pat during the discussion, in fact, he came across as not having thought it through logically at all.

mickydoomsux

I also find the demonization of Dennis O'Brian to be hilarious.

A successful businessman has numerous financial interests in numerous different industries? What kind of monster is he?

They should have gotten Paddy down the road who's a building contractor with 5 lads on the books to install 1million + water meters.

Calhoun

mickydoomsux wrote: »

I also find the demonization of Dennis O'Brian to be hilarious.

A successful businessman has numerous financial interests in numerous different industries? What kind of monster is he?

They should have gotten Paddy down the road who's a building contractor with 5 lads on the books to install 1million + water meters.

His questionable past with FG has put them into a spot of bother. He is a stick to continually beat them with because of the past.

Callan57

mickydoomsux wrote: »

I also find the demonization of Dennis O'Brian to be hilarious.

A successful businessman has numerous financial interests in numerous different industries? What kind of monster is he?

They should have gotten Paddy down the road who's a building contractor with 5 lads on the books to install 1million + water meters.

I'm no fan of DO'B but I presume if a company of his got the contract said company has a tax clearance cert & met the criteria for a public contract. Nothing I have heard or read suggest there is anything wrong with this company getting the contract - you have to assume it is nothing but the usual propensity we have to begrudgery.

Calhoun

Callan57 wrote: »

I'm no fan of DO'B but I presume if a company of his got the contract said company has a tax clearance cert & met the criteria for a public contract. Nothing I have heard or read suggest there is anything wrong with this company getting the contract - you have to assume it is nothing but the usual propensity we have to begrudgery.

I don't believe there was anything out of the ordinary his company did for this but as i said above its the past reputation of DOB and FG that is coming back to haunt them.

You see in the papers today they are thinking about a spring economic review thing because they are coming across as looking after the rich. This connection to DOB is one of the sticks the opposition is using to beat this home.

foxtrot101

mickydoomsux wrote: »

I also find the demonization of Dennis O'Brian to be hilarious.

The Moriarty tribunal findings weren't all that funny tbh.

michael999999

mickydoomsux wrote: »

I also find the demonization of Dennis O'Brian to be hilarious.

A successful businessman has numerous financial interests in numerous different industries? What kind of monster is he?

They should have gotten Paddy down the road who's a building contractor with 5 lads on the books to install 1million + water meters.

Read the Moriarty tribunal for Christmas sake!

Harry Angstrom

Callan57 wrote: »

I'm no fan of DO'B but I presume if a company of his got the contract said company has a tax clearance cert & met the criteria for a public contract. Nothing I have heard or read suggest there is anything wrong with this company getting the contract - you have to assume it is nothing but the usual propensity we have to begrudgery.

It wasn't that straightforward....

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/questions-raised-about-awarding-of-water-meter-contract-1.2033498

Callan57

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

It wasn't that straightforward....

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/oireachtas/questions-raised-about-awarding-of-water-meter-contract-1.2033498

"Questions raised" is hardly a conviction - why not await the answers but I guess that wouldn't suit the agenda :rolleyes:

Harry Angstrom

Callan57 wrote: »

"Questions raised" is hardly a conviction - why not await the answers but I guess that wouldn't suit the agenda :rolleyes:

The facts speak for themselves.

Callan57

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

The facts speak for themselves.

And the "facts" are ???????????????????

Radio Freak

Callan57 wrote: »

And the "facts" are ???????????????????

Stop giving out about DOB, I don't particularly like the guy but you must be from the opposition

Harry Angstrom

Callan57 wrote: »

And the "facts" are ???????????????????

Fact 1: Denis O'Brien's company, Millington, acquired Siteserv at a significantly reduced cost from IBRC which resulted in a loss to the State of around €100 million, despite there being higher bids.

Fact 2: GMC/Sierra, a subsidiary of Siteserv, had not come into existence until July 15th, 2013, two weeks after the closing date for water contract applications, but had been awarded a contract.


Them's the facts.

ThisRegard

Doesn't this lady have Joes phone number?

brooke 2

Callan57 wrote: »

Perhaps - I was referring to the context of the discussion, to me it just sounded like Paul Murphy was desperately flaying around for anything to divert attention from the fact that he wasn't not making a great job of defending (or even explaining) his stance.

What I heard was Pat Kenny hitting the roof when Paul Murphy mentioned
Denis O'Brien. He went ballistic!! Paul seemed to have been taken aback at
this robust reaction from Pat. It was hilarious, really.

two wheels good

Harry Angstrom wrote: »

Fact 1: Denis O'Brien's company, Millington, acquired Siteserv at a significantly reduced cost from IBRC which resulted in a loss to the State of around €100 million, despite there being higher bids.

Fact 2: GMC/Sierra, a subsidiary of Siteserv, had not come into existence until July 15th, 2013, two weeks after the closing date for water contract applications, but had been awarded a contract.

Them's the facts.

Has this topic finally made it onto the airwaves? And I missed it!
I'll have to find on "listen again"

(Please note the detail in bold above)

EDIT: To publicise the €300m hat-trick of deals

"The purchase of three major Irish businesses over the past two years by the billionaire businessman Denis O’Brien involved total bank write-offs of more than €300 million.

The deals saw the businessman invest €230 million to acquire the Siteserv Group, the Topaz Group and the Beacon Private Hospital.

The Siteserv deal saw the State-owned Irish Bank Resolution Corporation, which is now in liquidation, write off €110 million of the €150 million it was owed. Mr O’Brien’s move to become the major shareholder in the Topaz Group earlier this year involved the IBRC writing off slightly more than half of the €304 million it was owed."