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Dept. of Taoiseach spends €17m in 2011

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    #32
    Jesus Wept
    Registered Users Posts: 25,243 ✭✭✭✭Jesus Wept


    They could get some non branded bleach for starters. Clowns.


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    #33
    psychward
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,187 ✭✭✭psychward


    Andy Carroll wrote: »
    They could get some non branded bleach for starters. Clowns.


    Exactly my thoughts as soon as I saw the original opening post. Toilet Duck ? Wtf . Even I manage to have a spotless jacks with unbranded bleach. They have no problem sending ministerial mercs driven by Garda on all sorts of silly errands. Maybe they should put one to good use and send him over to Aldi or Lidl to pick up some bleach.


    BKtje wrote: »
    Whole load of nothing here really. Can't say i'd complain about a single item there.

    Read above and wake up. Unless you are one of those zombie hacks who doesn't care what the issue is so long as they can ridicule it.


    And as for spending almost 500 euro on white hand towels, I bet they probably steal enough towels from their free 5 star hotel junkets to cover the whole of the Oireachtas 10 times over.


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    #34
    Agent Smith
    Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 21,502 Mod ✭✭✭✭Agent Smith


    I fail to see a problem here. Good value for mOney, having had 3 state visits, and a presidential inageration.


    Also, have you seen the size of the department building? It isn't toilet duck just for Edna's toilet.


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    #35
    Agent Smith
    Moderators, Regional East Moderators Posts: 21,502 Mod ✭✭✭✭Agent Smith


    And yes, I am a tax payer!


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    #36
    psychward
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,187 ✭✭✭psychward


    Agent Smith wrote: »
    I fail to see a problem here. Good value for mOney, having had 3 state visits, and a presidential inageration.


    Also, have you seen the size of the department building? It isn't toilet duck just for Edna's toilet.

    It's unbelieveable how people like yourself will stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the need to choose cheaper alternatives. The same bunch of hypocrites simultaneously tell the unemployed to tighten their belts because of money shortages. Well Newsflash dude : There is a money shortage everywhere. Allowing toilet duck instead of aldi/lidl own brand bleach is part of the systemic problem. A system wide solution requires all the little things to save money to stop the rot and put a dampener on the arrogance of those who love to spend and throw away other people's money. I just can't believe the stubbornness and ignorance of some people against change for the better.


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    #37
    StupidLikeAFox
    Registered Users Posts: 7,699 ✭✭✭StupidLikeAFox


    Dotsey wrote: »
    The invoices paid by Mr Kenny’s department include one box of Ocean Toilet Duck (€36.91),]

    If we're going to argue over a €36.91 cost then I think your priorities are misplaced. A billion euro bondholder payment I can understand but lets face it, 36 quid on anything over the course of a year is hardly anything to be getting your knickers in a twist over.


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    #38
    psychward
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,187 ✭✭✭psychward


    ColHol wrote: »
    If we're going to argue over a €36.91 cost then I think your priorities are misplaced. A billion euro bondholder payment I can understand but lets face it, 36 quid on anything over the course of a year is hardly anything to be getting your knickers in a twist over.

    Another moronic post. All that is wrong should be fixed. You like the moron above you want to pick and choose. Trying to educate apologists for waste like yourself is like trying to teach children with ADHD how to behave. The kids who spend 36.91 on toilet duck instead of 10 Euro on Aldi/Lidl bleach care not for the cost of either those or of bank bail outs. The apologists for government waste like yourself and the previous poster are working in every government department and all across the bloated wasteful health service and bureaucracies ensuring each 36.91 is multiplied a million times over in waste from little things. However they do hypocritically then turn around and tell the unemployed that they won't miss 5 euro from their welfare presumably expecting them to use the own brand stuff even though at least the unemployed can walk away from their debts unlike the state.


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    #39
    southsiderosie
    Closed Accounts Posts: 6,565 ✭✭✭southsiderosie


    psychward wrote: »
    Read above and wake up. Unless you are one of those zombie hacks who doesn't care what the issue is so long as they can ridicule it.
    psychward wrote: »
    I just can't believe the stubbornness and ignorance of some people against change for the better.
    psychward wrote: »
    Another moronic post. All that is wrong should be fixed. You like the moron above you want to pick and choose. Trying to educate apologists for waste like yourself is like trying to teach children with ADHD how to behave.

    MOD NOTE:

    I don't care how angry you are with the current fiscal situation, this kind of abusive posting is unacceptable. Take a week off.


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    #40
    Lockstep
    Registered Users Posts: 9,029 ✭✭✭Lockstep


    SMASH THE UNIONS wrote: »

    FYP to reflect reality.

    I also take offense by your implication that my outrage is feigned.
    Anybody who isn't annoyed by this doesn't pay tax so is either
    (a) on the dole
    (b) living abroad
    (c) evading tax

    I work in a bar.
    But feel free to assume that everyone who disagrees with you isn't a tax payer.


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    #41
    FreudianSlippers
    Registered Users Posts: 20,397 ✭✭✭✭FreudianSlippers


    SMASH THE UNIONS wrote: »
    Lockstep wrote: »
    Office spends our money on frivolous stuff while austerity measures are being forced upon the rest of the country
    More at at 11.

    FYP to reflect reality.

    I also take offense by your implication that my outrage is feigned.
    Anybody who isn't annoyed by this doesn't pay tax so is either
    (a) on the dole
    (b) living abroad
    (c) evading tax
    I'm not on the dole or living abroad, so I must be "evading tax". Ridiculous and, frankly, potentially defamatory.


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    #42
    Pete_Cavan
    Registered Users Posts: 6,741 ✭✭✭Pete_Cavan


    psychward wrote: »
    It's unbelieveable how people like yourself will stubbornly refuse to acknowledge the need to choose cheaper alternatives. The same bunch of hypocrites simultaneously tell the unemployed to tighten their belts because of money shortages. Well Newsflash dude : There is a money shortage everywhere. Allowing toilet duck instead of aldi/lidl own brand bleach is part of the systemic problem. A system wide solution requires all the little things to save money to stop the rot and put a dampener on the arrogance of those who love to spend and throw away other people's money. I just can't believe the stubbornness and ignorance of some people against change for the better.
    The invoice says "one box of Ocean Toilet Duck (€36.91)". You cant buy boxes like that in supermerkets, they most likely bought it through their office stationary supplier, as would be standard practice in most offices. You can currently get 12 750ml bottles of Ocean Clean Toilet Duck for €38.72 buying it this way and get it delivered. Buying 12 individual bottles of Aldi/Lidl own brand bleach would work out more expensive.

    The level of over-reaction here is shocking.


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    #43
    MadsL
    Registered Users Posts: 20,299 ✭✭✭✭MadsL


    Pete_Cavan wrote: »
    The invoice says "one box of Ocean Toilet Duck (€36.91)". You cant buy boxes like that in supermerkets, they most likely bought it through their office stationary supplier, as would be standard practice in most offices. You can currently get 12 750ml bottles of Ocean Clean Toilet Duck for €38.72 buying it this way and get it delivered. Buying 12 individual bottles of Aldi/Lidl own brand bleach would work out more expensive.

    The level of over-reaction here is shocking.

    The same office supplier that probably gives discounts, rebates and special offers. Free 100 box of bog roll for buying Toilet Duck perhaps. However let the uninformed whine away.


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    #44
    creedp
    Registered Users Posts: 5,635 ✭✭✭creedp


    MadsL wrote: »
    The same office supplier that probably gives discounts, rebates and special offers. Free 100 box of bog roll for buying Toilet Duck perhaps. However let the uninformed whine away.


    Its also possible that the same company supplies all office supplies as part of a contract which has been tendered for. You don't normally get guys running out to Lidl to buy bogroll by the six pack in these kinds of organisations. Maybe they could use Tesco on-line though and save the bus fare?

    Its funny how some people are focusing on the €36 toilet duck while ignoring the fact that the great Bertie Ahern is still stitching the State for €160 each time he flies out of Dublin Airport. It appears he is entitled to use a VIP lounge which were originally set aside for visiting heads of state but which are now open to the monied class. In fairness, Bertie needs his comforts when heading off to Nigeria to charge €40k for an hours gobbledegook! Now there is something people should put in their pipe and smoke


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    #45
    Going Forward
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 8,224 ✭✭✭Going Forward


    Pete_Cavan wrote: »
    The invoice says "one box of Ocean Toilet Duck (€36.91)". You cant buy boxes like that in supermerkets, they most likely bought it through their office stationary supplier, as would be standard practice in most offices. You can currently get 12 750ml bottles of Ocean Clean Toilet Duck for €38.72 buying it this way and get it delivered. Buying 12 individual bottles of Aldi/Lidl own brand bleach would work out more expensive.

    The level of over-reaction here is shocking.

    12 bottles of own brand bleach from Aldi etc would be around a tenner.
    Thats around a quarter of the price.

    If they are intent on paying top dollar for brand name goods so be it.

    But cost cutting has to begin somewhere, and austerity has caused the general public to think twice before buying "brand names" over equivalent own brand products as seen by the rising market share of the German outlets.

    Austerity has obviously not yet hit those actually running the country.

    And are there not cleaning contractors engaged to do the cleaning anyway?


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    #46
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 1,427 ✭ [Deleted User]


    Things must be improving in this country if all people have to complain about is the goverment's spending on toilet bleach and bog roll.


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    #47
    Going Forward
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 8,224 ✭✭✭Going Forward


    Deleted User wrote: »
    Things must be improving in this country if all people have to complain about is the goverment's spending on toilet bleach and bog roll.

    It might do no harm at all if those in the ivory towers led by example.;)


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    #48
    dsmythy
    Registered Users Posts: 10,508 ✭✭✭✭dsmythy


    Going Forward wrote: »
    It might do no harm at all if those in the ivory towers led by example.;)

    They cut it by 13% from the previous year. Will probably be down again this year.


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    #49
    syklops
    Closed Accounts Posts: 18,966 ✭✭✭✭syklops


    Going Forward wrote: »
    12 bottles of own brand bleach from Aldi etc would be around a tenner.
    Thats around a quarter of the price.

    If they are intent on paying top dollar for brand name goods so be it.

    I cant believe im arguing about toilet cleaner but here goes.

    They will have ordered the cleaner through an office supplies company. The office supplies company likely dont stock aldi/lidl toilet cleaner.

    Its all very well saying they could have gone to lidl, but think about the practicality of it. By going through the supplier, its delivered in bulk, cutting down on delivery costs. Were they to make an exception, and buy the toilet cleaner in lidl, they would have to send someone down to lidl/aldi to get it, so the petrol would have to be expensed. Your also paying a civil servant to go to a shop. Time taken to go there, buy it and come back, i'd estimate an hour. So, 10 euros estimate for toilet cleaner, cost of paying a civil servant for an hour, 15 euros(rough guess), petrol(no idea fiver?), so going on my very rough figures, going to Lidl worked out at costing 30 euro.

    Seems like the toilet duck was a good deal.


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    #50
    Going Forward
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 8,224 ✭✭✭Going Forward


    syklops wrote: »
    I cant believe im arguing about toilet cleaner but here goes.

    They will have ordered the cleaner through an office supplies company. The office supplies company likely dont stock aldi/lidl toilet cleaner.

    Its all very well saying they could have gone to lidl, but think about the practicality of it. By going through the supplier, its delivered in bulk, cutting down on delivery costs. Were they to make an exception, and buy the toilet cleaner in lidl, they would have to send someone down to lidl/aldi to get it, so the petrol would have to be expensed. Your also paying a civil servant to go to a shop. Time taken to go there, buy it and come back, i'd estimate an hour. So, 10 euros estimate for toilet cleaner, cost of paying a civil servant for an hour, 15 euros(rough guess), petrol(no idea fiver?), so going on my very rough figures, going to Lidl worked out at costing 30 euro.

    Seems like the toilet duck was a good deal.

    I mentioned Aldi to give an idea of price disparity, but would they not have accounts with cash and carrys etc., where they could buy generic stuff even cheaper, delivery included.

    Its the picking of the branded luxury version over a much cheap one that I'm on about.

    Original vs generic really.

    It is mundane alright though!


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    #51
    Vizzy
    Registered Users Posts: 2,527 ✭✭✭Vizzy


    Going Forward wrote: »
    I mentioned Aldi to give an idea of price disparity, but would they not have accounts with cash and carrys etc., where they could buy generic stuff even cheaper, delivery included.

    Its the picking of the branded luxury version over a much cheap one that I'm on about.

    Original vs generic really.

    It is mundane alright though!

    The Dept( and other departments) probably has one supplier for the likes of office supplies,another for computer consumables,another for stationery.
    Each of these suppliers should have been(and probably are) selected after a tender process by the NPS.
    Each of these can offer economies of scale that no "cash and carry" type operation could offer.
    The upside to this arrangement is that savings will be made.
    Downside is that the local supplier(e.g. stationery shop,print shop etc) will be undercut.


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