The unions were happy to agree on reforms as part of the last round of talks with the government. A real opportunity for reform. But the govt decided to go for short-term quick financial gain instead.
There’s so much more wrong with the public sector than the unions. We don’t spend near enough money for one. But that’s not a popular thing to say in this economy, despite the overwhelming statistical benchmark evidence to the contrary.
its my turn
no its not GoGo
Dan Dan tell him its my turn
Ah’ G’wan Cuffie give him a go
Ladies First Senator!
Buzz Off and join the queue
I’m telling
Telling who
Trevor
whoooohhh I shaking
Gis a go now or I’m going to make ye eat my nettle and bird seed stew at the next conference
A pack of hounds wouldn’t ate that shite
Lets all think about this, but not you Dan, your only Seanad
(exit scene and waft of BO)
So what’dy think about an admendment to Hunting Bill to include feed sourced form Deputy Mary Grays stew
All in favour just wave
Ok Mary gig is yours
ah Jesus Mary, you don’t wear a cycle helmet in the back seat of a merc
Take her back to Carla
Its the job of unions to get the best possible deal for their workers. Can never figure out why so many blame them for every problem in the country when they are just doing their job. Public sector needs reform but must say I am strongly against the league table education system for example being pushed by the media. Using quantitative performance measures across all public services is a recipe for disaster imo.
If the govt wanted a quick financial gain they should have sold VHI. Ireland only has 4 million people, it shouldnt take too much to have a better public sector. But all this public sector bashing that the Irish media is so engaged cant cloud the billions of taxpayers money that has been ploughed into saving private enterprises.
Nobody is denying the fact that it is disgraceful that billions had to be pumped in to save the banks.
That does not mask the fact that there are glaring misuse of resources in the public sector. True, it may be underfunded but the primary aim must be to reform the structures in it so that any additional funding it put to the best possible use.
First of all I would split the public sector between the essential services, doctors, nurses, teachers, guards etc and the administrative staff.
The adminsitrative staff should be fired if they underperform - simple as that. It is not possible to do that at the moment because the unions have blocked any attempt at a meaningful performance management system and people cannot seem to be fired unbelievably.
I heard of a case of a person who worked in a public sector body for years and then the body got relocated to another town. He refused to move. So he goes into work every day where he has gone for years despite the fact that nothing actually goes on in there anymore. He can’t be let go.
That is scandalous that such a practise is allowed to happen. Yes the banks were bailed out as well but that is another issue and doesn’t take away from the scandalous nature of some of the goings on in the public sector.
Same as the room in An Post where people who have no longer have a function within the organisation go and read the paper for the day.
Or the fact people are still getting over €200 a month onto there wages as compensation for a chagne in the grading system which happened years ago.
Or the half days shopping for Christmas
Or the extended lunch break on Fridays to cash their cheques. Despite the fact none of them get paid with cheques.
Question.
There are still employees in the Department of Health. What do they actually do seeing that there is the HSE?
I’ve brought that up here before Farmer. That’s the type of essential reform that is simple, straightforward and obvious.
Contrary to popular belief we don’t have a bloated public service, but we do have people working in the wrong areas. The people in the Dept of Social Welfare who used to investigate welfare fraud have been taken off that role and told to do other admin work instead becuase the Dept is overrun and can’t cope. Meanwhile there’s spare bodies in the Dept of Health - an awful lot of them.
That’s not the fault of the unions or anyone else. The people who pulled out of work reform talks the last time were FF. They flew a kite to test public reaction to the financial part of the deal (the reduced hours for reduced salaries) and didn’t like the reaction so pulled the plug on everything. That’s not the fault of the workers or the unions, that’s the fault of the government.
Ministers fight for budget allowances for their departments and care little about the overall picture. It’s not unions who are arguing these cases, it’s cabinet ministers who want to protect their portion of the budget.
It’s hard to comment on your case about the individual still going to his old job without knowing the background but there are labour agreements in place in this country and if the government don’t negotiate alternatives well that’s what they’re stuck with as a result. The bigger waste may have been the decision to move in the first place if it wasn’t needed. Again more ministerial decisions to protect constituencies but taken with no strategic view in place.
You forgot the privilage days at Easter.
And the Compensatory leave.
And the Incremental Credit.
The younger, newer joiners to Civil service are on poor enough wages, it’s the auld bags there since the formation of the state that are cleaning up (relative to their jobs).
if the unions say reform is needed, as they very clearly did last year, then surely commonsense must prevail here for the good of the country.
its close to treason for these fuckers to think they can hold the country to ransom for no good reason other than they were made look like the one trick pony fools they are by the worst taoiseach we’ve ever had.
The government has to stand or fall by one decision - the decision to rescue Anglo Irish Bank
It dwarves everything else and is probably the most significant decision taken by an Irish government for several generations. Additionally, the govermnent’s asertion of the 'systemic’importance of these institutions surely has massive implications for the level of control the government should exert over their activities. If this has been recognised by the cabinet, why are we still waiting for initiatives which will address the situation? Why did the government have to be dragged kicking and screaming towards the announcement of an bank inquiry? The government really have to be pressed on these issues before we know if it was just bad judgement (incompetence in other words) or borderline criminality that landed us in this situation.
I agree with that to the extent that almost 18 months following the arse falling out of the banks, there does not appear to be any repercussions for the guilty parties. Nothing has changed. I get the impression that the priority is trying to repair the damage first before dealing with what caused it - a bit like a referee allowing an injured player treatment before sending the agressor off.
But dealing with what caused it has to be done sooner than later.
I think our hands were tied with the bail out of Anglo. Look across the EU, how many banks actually fell? The Brits bailed out RBS, the Germans Hypo - there was a decision obviously taken at EU level to prop up the banks using State aid. The baning industry is truly global so the globe must act in unision.
McWilliams says Anglo-Irish Bank is this government’s “Stalingad” today:
Did McWilliams not advocate the guarantee in the first place?
:blink:
Martin Cullen has stepped down as a minister and a TD. This puts even more pressure on the current Government numbers wise in terms of voting in the Dail.
Does that not mean that by-elections will have to be called soon? Isn’t there a few seats vacant now? George Lee’s seat and Cullen now?
There are three vacant seats, as Pat the Cope Gallagher vacated his seat when he was elected to the European Parliament.
FF will now have 74 seats. That includes McDaid and the two lads from Sligo, but not Joe Behan. I’m not sure how Behan is voting these days, but as far as I know he’s not a guaranteed vote for the Government. The Greens have 6 and the two former PDs bring them up to 82. This is now officially a Government that is being kept in power by Jackie Healy Rae and Michael Lowry. Make what you will of that.
As a matter of interest, do you not recognise the First Dáil Croppy Boy? Most people would consider the Dáil sitting at the moment to be the 30th Dáil.
[quote=“braz83, post: 446136”]As a matter of interest, do you not recognise the First Dáil Croppy Boy? Most people would consider the Dáil sitting at the moment to be the 30th Dáil.
[/quote]
I was actually researching a little on this link so make of it what you will.
That’s the results of the 2002 election, which was the election to the 29th Dáil.
Fair enough didn’t spot that, don’t think I can change the title of the thread can I?