RTE: Off air but who cares?

January 27, 2012 in RTE by Anthony | No comments

There is a problem with the programme link facility on RTE Radio One but RTE staff do not seem too bothered about it.

I accessed in the usual way by clicking ‘Radio’ at the bottom of the page. This leads to a page featuring all RTE stations with a ‘find a programme’ feature that includes a helpful alphabetic code.

I clicked ‘M’ and gained access to a whole range of programmes beginning with the letter ‘M’ on the various stations including Marian Finucane, the website I was looking for.

At this point the system breaks down. When I click on Marian Finucane nothing happens.

I did discover a roundabout way to the Marian Finucane website by using the search engine but it’s awkward and, naively, thinking RTE might be interested in checking out the problem I rang the station.

I really should have known better because RTE is not good at this sort of thing and invariably I come away highly stressed from such experiences.

The first lady I spoke with (both of us navigated the website as we spoke) insisted that the only means of accessing a particular programme was by typing in the URL address.

When I asked why there was a programme link facility she passed me on to another lady.

The second lady, in addition to being uncooperative, was also angry at being interrupted completing what she described as ‘her brief’.

She too advised me to type in the URL for access to the Marian Finucane website slowly reading out the address as if she was addressing a child.

I insisted on focusing on the link problem and eventually she ‘discovered’ that by clicking on the word ‘genre’ left of the alphabetical code the Marian Finucane website became assessable.

She informed me that she wasn’t responsible for maintaining the RTE website and made it abundantly clear that the conversation was over, that she was getting back to her ‘brief’.

The programme link facility is still faulty so unless listeners are prepared to spend time playing around with it or run the gauntlet of impatient and angry RTE staff the facility is, as they say, off air.

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RTE

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Enda Kenny clarifies his comments

January 27, 2012 in Body Politic, Government, The State by Anthony | No comments

Just heard the following comments from Enda Kenny made in response to his earlier comments concerning what happened to our country.

What happened to our country was recklessness by banks, incompetence by government and the essence of greed where people borrowed away over and above for development schemes that became a disaster.

Our people have been the victims of this situation. We’re left with the circumstance of cleaning this up.

In fairness, it seems his earlier comments were misinterpreted.

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Enda Kenny: Two-faced and hypocritical

January 26, 2012 in Body Politic, Government, The State by Anthony | No comments

Here’s what Enda Kenny said to the Irish people last December.

Let me say this to you all: You are not responsible for the crisis.

Here’s what he said to the world today.

People went mad borrowing in a system that spawned greed, went out of control and led to the crash.

This two-faced, hypocritical attitude is the norm for Irish politicians especially when they’re trying to cover up their own guilt and responsibility.

So let me state very clearly who is responsible for the destruction of our country.

A corrupt political system that created a culture where politicians, bankers, developers, solicitors, estate agents and a whole raft of other ruthless and greedy individuals and organisations thrived in a completely lawless environment.

That culture of corruption and ruling elite lawlessness remains as strong and as untouchable today as it ever was.

The people of Ireland will continue to suffer from and be blamed for the catastrophic consequences of this rotten regime until such time as it is rooted out and destroyed.

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Enda Kenny

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Nation in desperate need of revolution

January 26, 2012 in Government, The State by Anthony | 1 comment

Letter in today’s Irish Examiner.

As I put pen to paper there is a sadness in our home, as my own son was forced to seek employment in what the Irish now call the New World (Australia), along with a group of other people.

No words can describe the grief of a parent’s loss. the handshake, the smile and that look as they walk away.

Some of them will not return. Although grief is upon me, I am angered, yes angered by the arrogance and corruption in government.

I refer to the statement by Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Eamon Gilmore that any referendum on the EU fiscal compact will be dismissed.

What a bunch of incompetent people, and once again, we are being forced to accept a load of scare-mongering that if we do not pay the un-guaranteed bond holders, mortgage and household charges will increase.

I refer to the Jan 21 letter of JF Murphy in your newspaper. He stated “Protest or resist”.

Let me go one step further and without fear of retribution, if ever a country needed revolution, it’s Ireland.

Let us stop kidding ourselves, waiting for the Messiah, he is not coming.

David Becan
Gahan
Fermoy
Co Cork

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Desertion from the Defence Forces – No big deal

January 26, 2012 in The State by Anthony | No comments

Journalist and broadcaster Tom McGurk, being the eejit he is, has objected to thousands of Irish soldiers receiving a pardon for deserting the Irish army to fight for the Allies during World War II.

The soldiers, according to McGurk, deserted the tricolour during a national emergency and, while the “shadow over these men” could now be lifted, it still should be recognised that they had done wrong and that the State needed to take action against their desertion at the time.

In fact, Irish military authorities have never taken desertion very seriously probably reasoning that if somebody was that intent on leaving it was better to leave them off.

During my time in the Naval Service desertions did occur from time to time but there was never any major effort to track down the runaways.

One particular character caused a bit of a sensation when he returned and gave himself up after twelve years.

While awaiting court martial he was put back on the pay roll (which included some back pay), issued with a complete new kit, availed of the usual bed and board and regaled us with stories of his time as a deserter while knocking back copious amounts of Guinness.

A couple of days before the court martial was due to convene he legged it again and hasn’t been seen since.

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Judging a crook by…

January 26, 2012 in Uncategorized by Anthony | 1 comment

Former court clerk, Dick Robinson, told the Irish Examiner the following story.

During lunchbreak he heard the judge say to the defending solicitor.

I’m watching your client there beside you and I must say that his demeanour suggests guilt to me.

Judge, the solicitor said; the man beside me is my apprentice, the defendant is at the back of the room.

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Callely arrested – Finally

January 25, 2012 in Fianna Fail, Seanad Eireann by Anthony | 2 comments

It was in August 2010 that former TD; Paul (Bozo) Gogarty went to his local Garda station and requested an investigation into Ivor Callely’s expenses claims.

Gogarty was responding to a media report that Callely had allegedly forged documents to claim expenses.

Now, a full 17 months after the initial complaint, the Gardai have finally got around to arresting him.

Here are some comments from Garda sources at the time.

Senior Gardai sources said officers would have to establish the basic facts of the case before deciding if there was any need to question him.

Garda sources said it could be a number of weeks before Mr. Callely was questioned about the mobile phone and car-kit invoices, if a criminal investigation were to proceed.

Gardai also searched Callely’s house and office. What were they expecting to find after 17 months – a confession?

Anyway, I’m sure only the most cynical of us would suggest that today, the day we paid out €1.25bn to Anglo Irish Bank bondholders, was a good day to arrest a former politician.

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Never mind the €1.25bn Anglo Irish payment; what about Fingleton’s watch?

January 25, 2012 in Banks & Finance by Anthony | 3 comments

The payment of €1.25bn to Anglo Irish Bank bondholders today is just the latest chapter in the ignominious collapse of our gloriously corrupt republic.

There will, no doubt, be a great deal of handwringing, breast-beating and whatever you’re having yourself before the day is out.

Personally, I’m going to mark the occasion by focusing on a much more important issue – Michael Fingleton’s watch.

Last September, dedicated sleuth and chairman of Anglo Irish Bank, Alan Dukes, dramatically declared to the world that he was on the verge of retrieving Fingleton’s watch for the greater good of the Irish taxpayer.

Watch this space…there will be one or two things coming out of that in the next couple of days.

Also hot on the trail of the dastardly Fingleton and his infamous watch was Duke’s deputy sheriff and chief executive of Anglo, Mike Aynsley.

We have not yet had a response to our request for the return of the watch said the intrepid detective but, in a stern warning to the wayward Fingleton, declared:

The bank won’t be infinitely patient.

Four months on and I’m still watching that (Dukes) space, still waiting for Aynsley’s patience to run out.

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Senator Turnhout: Already contaminated by our corrupt political system

January 24, 2012 in Body Politic, Government, Seanad Eireann, The State by Anthony | 1 comment

I came across the following definition of corruption on the web:

The impairment of integrity, virtue, or moral principle

I don’t believe there’s a corrupt bone in the body of newly appointed Senator Jillian Van Turnhout.

She does, however, work within the corrupt Irish political system and judging from a recent interview on Newstalk it seems that her allegiance is to the corrupt system and not to Ireland or its people.

Her misplaced allegiance is, I believe, based on ignorance rather than the more common motives of greed and abuse of political power.

The interview concerned the revelation that Independent senators are paid a Party Leader’s allowance of €23,000.

Here’s an edited version of Senator Turnhout’s interview where she attempts to justify this disgusting payment.

There’s never been any secret about this allowance.

Every TD and senator gets it.

Main parties get more than we do so I’m surprised that this has been singled out as an exception.

I agree with full accountability.

I’m only seven months in the job.

I’m put the vast amount of this money to one side and earmarked it for communications, developing a website and research so that I can be properly informed.

I have been given a secretarial assistant but this money will ensure that my policies are robust.

I’m very conscious that it’s public money and that I will have to account for it whether the rules are in place or not.

I now have to be an authority on many issues.

I do research but there are times when you need to pay money to get solid advice on legislation that you’re bringing forward.

I will, and have always intended, to put on public record where the money goes.

All politicians should account for all their expenses; there should be full accountability and transparency.

I’m happy to be transparent and accountable.

This is the only job I’m doing; the only income I’m taking and I will ensure it is used for the purpose for which it is intended.

I have no difficulty if the allowance is withdrawn once it’s withdrawn from all senators.

Let’s have openness and transparency.

Irish citizens have been listening to the same meaningless waffle from politicians for decades as the system became more and more unaccountable, more and more cynical, more and more corrupt.

They have witnessed the diseased political system destroy their country, destroy their lives, destroy the future hopes of their children.

It appears that Senator Turnhout has already become very comfortable within that corrupt political system as her response to angry listeners reveals.

I appreciate the public’s anger, it wasn’t such a long time ago that I was on the other side of the fence so I do understand and I do think those of us who are public representatives do need to up our game and be accountable for what we’re doing.

Clearly, Senator Turnhout sees herself as being on the other side of the fence that divides the (corrupt) political system from the mass of angry citizens.

Has she reflected, I wonder, on why the people are angry and the politicians are not, why the politicians are perfectly happy to pocket this disgusting payment which originated from a cynical political stroke designed to keep the scumbag Bertie Ahern and his cohorts in power?

I doubt if she has engaged in such reflections, perhaps it’s not too late for her to do so.

Here’s my take on how an uncontaminated, idealistic, newly appointed politician should have reacted on discovering this totally unjustified payment.

It has come to my notice that I, and all my fellow Independent senators, are entitled to a Party Leader’s allowance of €23,000 .

This payment is in addition to the already very generous allowances, expenses and resources available to all senators.

Let me state immediately and without equivocation that I will not be accepting this payment.

Furthermore, I have put on hold all my plans and intentions as a politician to focus solely on a campaign to have this totally unjustified payment withdrawn from all senators and TDs.

In good times the acceptance of this payment would be an immoral act.

In these catastrophic times, brought about by our corrupt political system, it is both immoral and an act of treason against the best interests of the Irish people

As a guide to my campaign I am adopting the definition of corruption as defined by Transparency International:

Corruption is the abuse of entrusted power for private gain.

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All Independent Senators in receipt of this payment as listed to me by the Department of Finance.

David Norris
Fergal Quinn
Ronan Mullen
John Crown
Sean Barrett
Martin McAleese
Fiach Mac Conghaill
Eamon Coghlan
Dr. Katherine Zappone
Mary Ann O Brien
Marie Louise O Donnell
Jillian Van Turnhout

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Get out!

January 20, 2012 in Government by Anthony | No comments

Brian Lenihan Snr. on emigration sometime in the dark 1980s.

The island isn’t big enough for everybody.

Michael Noonan on emigration in 2012.

There are always young people coming and going from Ireland…it’s a small island, other people want to get off the island.

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