Man Who Led Walking Protest Has His Dole Cut

K-9 · 06-04-2012 11:52am

conorhal wrote: »

In answer to your question, if it was my job, yes I would, backed up by the Guards of course as that would be a necessary precaution.

What I'd refuse to do is dock this man's dole payment for having the temerity to peacefully protest against the state.
The example I cited should tell you all you need to know about the attitude of the state to it’s citizens, which is pretty much ‘fvck the little guy, he’ll take it’, and because he will, we won’t have to make the hard choices to tackle the golden circles, be the political, criminal or professional. They won’t dock bankers bonuses, they wont ask where travelers on the dole get a hundred grand to spend on a wedding ir why some consultants earn half a million quid, but if the masses who’s pockets they are picking to keep their gravy train on the rails get uppity, they come down on a ton of bricks deploying tactics that a Chinese autocrat or Russian premier would be proud of.
This government REALLY don’t want the ‘little guy’ getting any ideas above his station about his betters.

Could be somebody reported this guy, wouldn't surprise me. If they did, they have to follow it up.

conorhal · 06-04-2012 12:14pm

K-9 wrote: »

Could be somebody reported this guy, wouldn't surprise me. If they did, they have to follow it up.

I wouldn't be surprised, the biggest problem that any social or revolutionary movement in this country has tended to face has always been quesling informers.

Biggins · 06-04-2012 12:17pm

conorhal wrote: »

I wouldn't be surprised, the biggest problem that any social or revolutionary movement in this country has tended to face has always been quesling informers.

Any country and any time.
Even Yahweh had his Judas for gold apparently if you believe the stories.

conorhal · 06-04-2012 12:36pm

Biggins wrote: »

Any country and any time.
Even Yahweh had his Judas for gold apparently if you believe the stories.

Didn't he end up swinging from a tree?

K-9 · 06-04-2012 12:44pm

conorhal wrote: »

I wouldn't be surprised, the biggest problem that any social or revolutionary movement in this country has tended to face has always been quesling informers.

Yep, also moaners and whingers.

Some of the people moaning and whinging about this would also be moaning and whinging about the public service if they didn't act on a report.

Biggins · 06-04-2012 1:04pm

K-9 wrote: »

...Some of the people moaning and whinging about this would also be moaning and whinging about the public service if they didn't act on a report.

...As is their right under what we are, still a relatively free society.

However if those rights are pressurised into compliance and cohered silence with a state and its possible intimidatory people - and they are seen to get away with it - the future does not bode well for anyone else that wishes to speak out, stand up and do similar.

K-9 · 06-04-2012 1:21pm

Biggins wrote: »

...As is their right under what we are, still a relatively free society.

However if those rights are pressurised into compliance and cohered silence with a state and its possible intimidatory people - and they are seen to get away with it - the future does not bode well for anyone else that wishes to speak out, stand up and do similar.

Everybody has the right to be a grumpy old man (even if 20), people get bored of it after a while though!

We don't know what happened. Going on what I've read on here about the Occupy groups etc. etc., I wouldn't be surprised if somebody did report him and they have to act, otherwise you'd get the whinging about the useless public service etc. that you see so often on here.

xsiborg · 06-04-2012 4:00pm

Biggins wrote: »

Getting slightly back on track of my original post, I find it concerning that out of all the 20+ (maybe a lot more involved giving additional support) people walking on the mans protest march, only he was reportedly penalised for his involvement/action.

If we are to trust media reports, he was joined by others that was unemployed also - were they punished?
So far, there has been no word to say they have.
Who was punished? Just the organiser!

They all set out from one particular area.
I'm assuming (again, could be wrong) that at least the majority of those that joined him on this march, were from the same area and as such would be signing at the same area dole offices?
Why was he singled out then for punishment - maybe besides he being an organiser?

This is a worrying aspect for me.

Again, he did NOT do himself any favours if he didn't clear his days off previously - but if all of those on the march who didn't do similar, yet they were let off unpunished - his received punishment handed down by the state, smacks of clear victimisation against one person where all should (if equally guilty) be treated in the same respect.

biggins i've always had the utmost respect for you as a poster and your opinions give the impression that you are a broad minded and very level headed individual.

on this occasion however im given to believe that your post smacks a bit of conspiracy theorism and im wondering is there an ulterior motive to you trying to somehow lay the blame for this incident at the hands of the state, to generate interest in your own newly discovered political affiliations?

"if we are to trust media reports"? honestly now biggins, you know better than to trust anything reported by the media and you know well that they will put their own spin and clever editing on anything they report.

this is not a case of "big brother is watching you" as the first i heard about this apparent "media success" was your OP, and what has happened in this thread is that more people are angry about the revelation that you can get "holiday pay" on social welfare, than those posters that care that this guy never informed his social welfare office that he would not be available for work.

this is simply as another poster suggested a case of some ass-hat in the local social welfare office applying the letter of the law. i dont think it troubled the government now a whole lot.

what would you like to see happen? a statement from the minister to state that he had nothing to do with it? not going to happen.

what IS more likely to happen though is that now this guy is known to the public, no company will hire him as they dont need the publicity posse camped outside their premises. and since it has been brought to the attention of the ministers press office, he will no doubt make a statement later that he will oversee a full review of the social welfare system and now make new cuts where necessary.

well done!

laoch na mona · 06-04-2012 4:02pm

so much for the right to protest

xsiborg · 06-04-2012 4:11pm

laoch na mona wrote: »

so much for the right to protest

you have every right to protest, but if you want to keep your social welfare benefits while doing so, you must inform your social welfare office of your intention to take some holidays to go protest about the fact you have it so hard.

what's so hard to understand about that?

K-9 · 06-04-2012 5:08pm

conorhal wrote: »

I wouldn't be surprised, the biggest problem that any social or revolutionary movement in this country has tended to face has always been quesling informers.

LOL, what an ignorant statement to sound big.

One of the biggest problems in this country has been the failure to rat, church, Gardai, politicians, you name it.

KetchupKid · 06-04-2012 5:16pm

xsiborg wrote: »

you have every right to protest, but if you want to keep your social welfare benefits while doing so, you must inform your social welfare office of your intention to take some holidays to go protest about the fact you have it so hard.

I’m confused. If Joe had his mobile with him during the walk and was willing to take phone calls and go on an interview if requested during the walk, then as long as his protest walk kept him in the country – as far as I know Donegal to Dublin is still in the country, then during the walk he would technically be considered ready and able to work, as long as he timed it that he was back home when he had to sign-on, he should be grand. Although depending upon his route if he crossed the border it might be a grey area, but I’d assume since he’d have coverage during a possible small time over the border, he would still be available to work. The only problem is if he got a phone call during the walk and he either didn’t call back or refused an interview I’d understand them turning off his Dole, but there’s little chance of that with the few jobs going.

As far as people on the Dole getting holidays, I don’t have a problem with that, they only get 2 weeks and they have to apply for it in advance. What about foreign nationals who have worked hard here for years and contributed before becoming unemployed and are still looking for work, but want to go home to see family or even Irish people who wants to visit relatives outside Ireland, once you leave the country you are considered "unavailable" for work, but as long as you are still "here", answer or respond to calls and "sign-on", you are still technically available for work.

I have a friend who was on the Dole and he wanted to take a 2 week IT course in the UK which he was fully paying for himself to expand his skill set, so he booked his 2 week holidays for the course, the only problem is he told Social Welfare he was doing a course and they said since he would be on a course he was unavailable for work and turned off his payments for the 2 weeks. So he not only paid for the course himself, used up his holidays for the year and to boot didn’t get paid the Dole for the 2 weeks while he was on the course. Fortunately the course was the extra piece he needed on the CV and a few weeks later he landed a job. Meanwhile the wasters who don’t take the initiative to increase their skill set continue to receive the dole.

Biggins · 06-04-2012 5:37pm

xsiborg wrote: »

you have every right to protest, but if you want to keep your social welfare benefits while doing so, you must inform your social welfare office of your intention to take some holidays to go protest about the fact you have it so hard.

Like it or not, those are the rules indeed.

sligoface · 06-04-2012 7:04pm

there just isn't even jobs to apply for in many areas. that is why he is protesting, he doesn't want to be on benefits, he wants a job. its a total gestapo-like move by the dept of social protection.

i am actively seeking work, have been on the dole since the summer when i graduated college. i check the jobs ads in the local paper and the fas website every day. when you exclude the unpaid internships, part-time/temporary jobs and jobs that i am unqualified for, there's usually maybe 1-2 left. making up a cover letter and tailoring my cv for those 1-2 jobs and sending it in doesn't take much time. gone are the days when you could walk through town and see help wanted in the windows of shops, in fact, most of the units are empty. that is why we need to protest, the country is in an awful state.

if everyone was in jobs, there wouldn't be protests like these. if the unemployed cannot protest peacefully about their situation, who is going to protest for them?

if the guy was willing to walk for four days just to get his voice heard, i'm sure he would have made an effort to get to work if it was offered.

xsiborg · 06-04-2012 8:11pm

sligoface wrote: »

there just isn't even jobs to apply for in many areas. that is why he is protesting, he doesn't want to be on benefits, he wants a job. its a total gestapo-like move by the dept of social protection.

seriously? i don't know how you relate the gestapo to the department of social protection? the two are nothing alike so that's just crazy hyperbole you have going on there, but it makes for a nice soundbite.

sligoface wrote: »

i am actively seeking work, have been on the dole since the summer when i graduated college. i check the jobs ads in the local paper and the fas website every day. when you exclude the unpaid internships, part-time/temporary jobs and jobs that i am unqualified for, there's usually maybe 1-2 left. making up a cover letter and tailoring my cv for those 1-2 jobs and sending it in doesn't take much time. gone are the days when you could walk through town and see help wanted in the windows of shops, in fact, most of the units are empty. that is why we need to protest, the country is in an awful state..

given that you are unemployed, you really aren't in a position to exclude anything, nor should you. and the days when you could walk through town and see "help wanted" are not gone either!

why only half an hour ago when i was dropping my wife off at the train station here in limerick, i passed by the FAS office, plenty of jobs and courses available in the window, then i passed by a sky shop that had a "staff wanted" sign in it's window, and in i went to supermacs for a snack box meal, where guess what? that's right, they had a staff wanted sign in the window.

i guess as you're only qualifying from college now, you aren't old enough to remember the recession of the 80's, mass emigration to look for work, and many irish were illlegal immigrants to countries like the US, where they had the choice to stay there once they got there, or else go home and see their families and never be allowed back into the country again!

sligoface wrote: »

if everyone was in jobs, there wouldn't be protests like these. if the unemployed cannot protest peacefully about their situation, who is going to protest for them?

if the guy was willing to walk for four days just to get his voice heard, i'm sure he would have made an effort to get to work if it was offered.

the only reason there ARE protests like these nowadays and everyone screams "we must protest!", is because it catches a few minutes of the media's attention. how much do you hear about occupy dame street now? and what did that achieve? correct- nothing!

nobody is going to "offer" anybody work, no matter how much they protest about how they want to work. there is plenty of work out there, just that people think they're too good for it! as you said- it doesnt take you long to tailor your CV and send it off, then what are you doing for the rest of the week?

you've already shown that you have the intelligence and you have the brains, i urge you not to let them go to waste and go down to your social welfare office and talk to them, they are not the devil incarnate and any time i've ever dealt with them they have always been more than helpful, despite while i'd be talking to them we'd both overhear the guy in the next cubicle shouting "i'll burn your fúckin house down if you dont give me my money!".

Wurly · 06-04-2012 8:16pm

I am genuinely shocked and saddened by some of the responses on this thread.

This man, in order to create awareness of the 'Say No To The Household Charge' protest, got off his arse and walked a massive distance across the country! So successful was this campaign that he earned a spot on the Late Late show and the march attracted over 10.000 people. This was a fight against yet another austerity measure by the government and him, like thousands of others have had enough.

This to me doesn't exactly scream that he's a lazy waster on the dole. He is yet another victim of the recession. If he is willing to walk that distance, then i'm sure this man would be willing to take a job! If he got a call for a job while he was on a walk, do you honestly think he'd turn it down? Should he inform the social welfare when he goes to the jacks as well? He's unable to work when he's having a sh!te as well, isn't he?

Yes there are scroungers but there are over 400,000 people unemployed in this country. The MAJORITY of which WANT to work and NEED to work.

The government have done a great job - turning us against each other. All the while, criminals like Bertie Ahern continue to earn millions and walk away from their crimes scot free. We - on the other hand are being threatened with the notion of huge fines and prison sentences if we don't pay this household charge. With this going on, our government are approving huge bonuses to bank execs and themselves. Is this fair? Should we not be protesting about this? Should we just continue to be good little lemmings and take it up the hole once more?

I am sick to death of working people turning against people who are on the dole. But yet it's absolutely no problem whatsoever that we are paying billions to unsecured bondholders and we are the only country in europe doing this. The fact is - there are feck all jobs out there. For most, this is NOT a lifestyle choice!!! Why are we turning on each other?? Can we not get over ourselves and finally take a stand against the disgusting treatment we are receiving at the hands of our government? This man took a stand and he is being ridiculed by some. Sickening.

If you look at our history, we spent many years fighting for independence. Where has that gone? You may say that people on the dole are lazy. I'll tell you where the real laziness is... It lies with people who allow their pockets to be continuously fleeced by our government, all the while mocking people who are willing to take a stand against this outrage. Sitting in armchairs, scoffing at people who are demanding that their country is run with a bit of respect and fairness for it's people. This man protested for himself, for his family and for YOU!

If you think that this man deserved his dole to be cut simply because he was fighting for his country to be a fairer place for us all, then you deserve all the austerity you can handle.

xsiborg · 06-04-2012 8:32pm

fighting for his country? the guy took a walk for christ sake!

and how many more reasons am i going to hear why he took a walk?

first it was that he was protesting at austerity measures,

then he was protesting because there were no jobs, and he couldn't get a job, and he was sick of the state of the country,

now it's the bloody water charges!

something tells me there were a few occupy protesters amongst his "supporters", falling over themselves to get their own little say in for the media!

Wurly · 06-04-2012 8:35pm

xsiborg wrote: »

fighting for his country? the guy took a walk for christ sake!

and how many more reasons am i going to hear why he took a walk?

first it was that he was protesting at austerity measures,

then he was protesting because there were no jobs, and he couldn't get a job, and he was sick of the state of the country,

now it's the bloody water charges!

something tells me there were a few occupy protesters amongst his "supporters", falling over themselves to get their own little say in for the media!

Words fail me. So ill just do this instead.....:pac: Enjoy the austerity train and make sure now to keep your trap shut, no matter how bad things get. That's a good man/woman!

dj jarvis · 06-04-2012 8:41pm

toexpress wrote: »

Did I make a personal attack on you? Was the name calling really required? Are you not capable of making a point without it?

no, you made a ill informed assumption about the people who either by choice or misfortune ended up on the dole,

i have been reading your posts and TBH your post paint a picture of a bitter , sad wannabe elitist , yes you are entitled to your opinion , but in the real world most educated , epithetic people would just shudder at reading your tripe.

Never forget , all of us are ONE misfortune from disaster

take away the approximate 100,00 no hopers from your calculations, and you have successfully plunged 350,000 people AND family's into poverty as prescribed by the EU and OECD

well done you

xsiborg · 06-04-2012 9:12pm

Wurly wrote: »

Words fail me. So ill just do this instead.....:pac: Enjoy the austerity train and make sure now to keep your trap shut, no matter how bad things get. That's a good man/woman!

no i completely get where you're coming from Wurly, it's just that in my opinion, the current government (and it has to be said, previous governments aswel!), dont, and never did give a fiddlers what the irish public thought, they were so keen to lick the árse of brussels and play the thick paddy for the american government while they feathered their own nests and gave us "the celtic tiger years" when nobody complained and everybody who had lived through the 80's could see that the economy was unsustainable and unstable as fúck, yet decided to as you say keep their trap shut.

we're not even ON the austerity train any more, we're being dragged along behind it, and all the current government is doing is throwing rubber bricks under the wheels in some vain sort of attempt to slow it down before the german and french governments chew us up and spit out the bones of whats left. even last week alone enda kenny is now proclaiming the chinese our new saviours!

MY point is, that we have yet to learn to stand on our own two feet and stop running to foreign nations every time somebody hits us in the playground. we have to work within the system we are given and as individuals make the best of ourselves within that system. it's all well and good to bítch and moan and say "we had it all, where did it all go?", the problem was we never had it all, we just borrowed from what we thought was a bottomless money pit, until time came that we had to pay it back, and now we cant, and we never will, we'll just continue to barely be able to service the interest on the debt and there is nothing and no amount of protesting that will change that.

in short what we need to realise is that "the boom years" are gone, you didnt hear much from the builder in the OP when he was making wads of money during the celtic tiger years, but now he's struggling he wants us all to join hands and march with him in protest?

i dont think so! i got it hard enough to struggle through every day working and trying to provide for my family when this guy was dining on steak dinners and having the life of reilly in the boom times, where were all MY supporters? off on one of their four holidays a year i suppose, even though they were mortgaged beyond their means and paying for everything on credit card.

im still by no means living the life of luxury myself, but at least im not running to the papers about it and crowing to anyone i think will be bothered listening. hell i even went along to an occupy meeting here in limerick and tbh between the lot of them they wouldn't organise a píss-up in a brewery, but every time i tried to make a suggestion, i got some awkward shaky hand signals, and i just thought to myself on leaving the tent- "and these people think anyone is going to take them seriously?". same thing with any kind of "protest"- nobody is going to take you seriously, because you have no power, and that "strength in numbers" is just a worn out old cliché, one weather dependent protest march does not a revolution make, and you're better off to do the best you can as an individual, for your own sake.

Wurly · 06-04-2012 9:29pm

xsiborg wrote: »

no i completely get where you're coming from Wurly, it's just that in my opinion, the current government (and it has to be said, previous governments aswel!), dont, and never did give a fiddlers what the irish public thought, they were so keen to lick the árse of brussels and play the thick paddy for the american government while they feathered their own nests and gave us "the celtic tiger years" when nobody complained and everybody who had lived through the 80's could see that the economy was unsustainable and unstable as fúck, yet decided to as you say keep their trap shut.

we're not even ON the austerity train any more, we're being dragged along behind it, and all the current government is doing is throwing rubber bricks under the wheels in some vain sort of attempt to slow it down before the german and french governments chew us up and spit out the bones of whats left. even last week alone enda kenny is now proclaiming the chinese our new saviours!

MY point is, that we have yet to learn to stand on our own two feet and stop running to foreign nations every time somebody hits us in the playground. we have to work within the system we are given and as individuals make the best of ourselves within that system. it's all well and good to bítch and moan and say "we had it all, where did it all go?", the problem was we never had it all, we just borrowed from what we thought was a bottomless money pit, until time came that we had to pay it back, and now we cant, and we never will, we'll just continue to barely be able to service the interest on the debt and there is nothing and no amount of protesting that will change that.

in short what we need to realise is that "the boom years" are gone, you didnt hear much from the builder in the OP when he was making wads of money during the celtic tiger years, but now he's struggling he wants us all to join hands and march with him in protest?

i dont think so! i got it hard enough to struggle through every day working and trying to provide for my family when this guy was dining on steak dinners and having the life of reilly in the boom times, where were all MY supporters? off on one of their four holidays a year i suppose, even though they were mortgaged beyond their means and paying for everything on credit card.

im still by no means living the life of luxury myself, but at least im not running to the papers about it and crowing to anyone i think will be bothered listening. hell i even went along to an occupy meeting here in limerick and tbh between the lot of them they wouldn't organise a píss-up in a brewery, but every time i tried to make a suggestion, i got some awkward shaky hand signals, and i just thought to myself on leaving the tent- "and these people think anyone is going to take them seriously?". same thing with any kind of "protest"- nobody is going to take you seriously, because you have no power, and that "strength in numbers" is just a worn out old cliché, one weather dependent protest march does not a revolution make, and you're better off to do the best you can as an individual, for your own sake.

You don't know anything about this individuals life though. So you cant say he was dining on steak dinners etc.

The fact is we have no hope if we don't fight. I agree with a lot of what you said. But everybody knows there were a lot of idiots in the celtic tiger. The biggest idiots though - the fat cats- are STILL living it up at our expense and expect us to pay for it.

Many revolutions have overturned decisions made by governments. A revolution gathers weight by protest after protest which is what I want to see happen. I agreed with the Occupy movement but I share your view that it was badly organised. But please don't tarnish every single protest with the same brush.

This kind of 'keep your head down' rhetoric is simply allowing this crap to continue.

This man protested on roads built by his father and his father before him. It is his democratic right to protest if he so wishes. The government want us to believe that we have no power and it's sad that you believe it. We have 5 or so million in this country. If we were to stand united and say f*ck this - then what can they do? Jail us all? I mean - come on. There ARE strength in numbers. I urge you to consider this. Lets all stop turning on one another and sherking the blame to our neighbours re the celtic tiger. The country was allowed to go down the ****s. But its 'what now'?? We must focus on NOW. Now - we are getting the knickers ripped from our asses and the common opinion seems to be 'say nothing'. People have defeated power before. We can do it again. Our fellow citizens are not the enemy. Our current power is and we must say enough is enough.

We are not a broke country. We can still afford to pay politicians, bankers and advisors millions. Not to mention the bondholders. But yet - its you and me that must suck it up? Personally, I cant and wont stand for this.

Remember - it's protest and people power that created this country in the first place. It may well be that a lack of people power is destroying this country. So - which side are you on?

Dubit10 · 06-04-2012 9:37pm

Wurly wrote: »

I am genuinely shocked and saddened by some of the responses on this thread.

This man, in order to create awareness of the 'Say No To The Household Charge' protest, got off his arse and walked a massive distance across the country! So successful was this campaign that he earned a spot on the Late Late show and the march attracted over 10.000 people. This was a fight against yet another austerity measure by the government and him, like thousands of others have had enough.

This to me doesn't exactly scream that he's a lazy waster on the dole. He is yet another victim of the recession. If he is willing to walk that distance, then i'm sure this man would be willing to take a job! If he got a call for a job while he was on a walk, do you honestly think he'd turn it down? Should he inform the social welfare when he goes to the jacks as well? He's unable to work when he's having a sh!te as well, isn't he?

Yes there are scroungers but there are over 400,000 people unemployed in this country. The MAJORITY of which WANT to work and NEED to work.

The government have done a great job - turning us against each other. All the while, criminals like Bertie Ahern continue to earn millions and walk away from their crimes scot free. We - on the other hand are being threatened with the notion of huge fines and prison sentences if we don't pay this household charge. With this going on, our government are approving huge bonuses to bank execs and themselves. Is this fair? Should we not be protesting about this? Should we just continue to be good little lemmings and take it up the hole once more?

I am sick to death of working people turning against people who are on the dole. But yet it's absolutely no problem whatsoever that we are paying billions to unsecured bondholders and we are the only country in europe doing this. The fact is - there are feck all jobs out there. For most, this is NOT a lifestyle choice!!! Why are we turning on each other?? Can we not get over ourselves and finally take a stand against the disgusting treatment we are receiving at the hands of our government? This man took a stand and he is being ridiculed by some. Sickening.

If you look at our history, we spent many years fighting for independence. Where has that gone? You may say that people on the dole are lazy. I'll tell you where the real laziness is... It lies with people who allow their pockets to be continuously fleeced by our government, all the while mocking people who are willing to take a stand against this outrage. Sitting in armchairs, scoffing at people who are demanding that their country is run with a bit of respect and fairness for it's people. This man protested for himself, for his family and for YOU!

If you think that this man deserved his dole to be cut simply because he was fighting for his country to be a fairer place for us all, then you deserve all the austerity you can handle.

I have to say sadly i'm not shocked at all, boards seems to attract a high percentage of elitist scum for some reason. The man is doing what others don't have the courage to do and for that he should be applauded. If this country had more of his ilk we would'nt be in such a bad spot.

MajorMax · 06-04-2012 10:49pm

mikemac1 wrote: »

Ouch, mess with the State and they'll mess with you :eek:

Must have come from very high up, maybe Minister Noonan

But then this is the same government that handled the blood transfusion crises and called a lady a lier until she died

Actually, no it's not. But you should never let a thing like facts, get in the way of an anonymous internet post.

If you are not available for work, for whatever reason, you are not entitled to receive state benefits. I don't make the rules, but the rules apply to everyone.

K-9 · 07-04-2012 12:28am

Wurly wrote: »

Lets all stop turning on one another and sherking the blame to our neighbours re the celtic tiger. The country was allowed to go down the ****s.

People have no problem blaming our EU neighbours and partners though!

There's a happy medium between yes, it was largely the bankers and politicians fault, they gave far too much populist, crowd pleasing nonsense throughout many Western democracies.

The other side is not swallowing their PR nonsense again, delivering lower taxes again and again and again, not paying 350/400k for an average 4 bed semi, stuff like that, taking some responsibility and learning never to do it again.

Wurly · 07-04-2012 12:53am

K-9 wrote: »

People have no problem blaming our EU neighbours and partners though!

There's a happy medium between yes, it was largely the bankers and politicians fault, they gave far too much populist, crowd pleasing nonsense throughout many Western democracies.

The other side is not swallowing their PR nonsense again, delivering lower taxes again and again and again, not paying 350/400k for an average 4 bed semi, stuff like that, taking some responsibility and learning never to do it again.

Oh I totally agree. My point is that we're being taxed to the limit while these f*cks in the government are throwing money around the place to people who are already loaded. And the cronies that raped this country get off scott free. Then what happens to a man affected by unemployment thanks to the recession when he protests? His dole is cut. But yet these bank executives are being paid millions! It just beggars belief.

steddyeddy · 07-04-2012 1:17am

xsiborg wrote: »

fighting for his country? the guy took a walk for christ sake!

and how many more reasons am i going to hear why he took a walk?

first it was that he was protesting at austerity measures,

then he was protesting because there were no jobs, and he couldn't get a job, and he was sick of the state of the country,

now it's the bloody water charges!

something tells me there were a few occupy protesters amongst his "supporters", falling over themselves to get their own little say in for the media!

People are in dire straits all over the country. St vincent de paul are helping record numbers of people to feed themselves and the government is placing further stress on those already at breaking point because of a debt that many dont think is fair. All of this goes on yet the Irish people seem to have a problem with people who actually try and protest this current state of affairs? I dont understand the attitude at all. It seems to be an irish trait to take whatever cuts or bs from their government no matter how unfair and then criticise the people who are speaking up against it!

Gb8 · 07-04-2012 1:23am

Take them to the supreme court ?
Free Legal aid i presume
Cost ??

100.000 minimum : more fat legal eagles

Conditions for receiving jobseekers are quite clear

Fit and avaialble and actively seeking employment

CASE STATED
HE IS LUCKY THEY GAVE HIM A CHQ
IN RUSSIA HE WOULD BE SENT OUT EAST FOR A FEW WEEKS

mickydoomsux · 07-04-2012 1:37am

steddyeddy wrote: »

People are in dire straits all over the country. St vincent de paul are helping record numbers of people to feed themselves and the government is placing further stress on those already at breaking point because of a debt that many dont think is fair. All of this goes on yet the Irish people seem to have a problem with people who actually try and protest this current state of affairs? I dont understand the attitude at all. It seems to be an irish trait to take whatever cuts or bs from their government no matter how unfair and then criticise the people who are speaking up against it!

Bull****. Things aren't that bad at all. The media has hyped the sackcloth and ashes angle up to the hilt at this stage.

An absolutely tiny minority of people are genuinely struggling. Most people are doing pretty much the same as the ever were and some folks are even doing better than they did during the boom.

This fella who's protesting should try putting as much effort into getting a job as he has into his little idiotic populist protest. He's not looking for work, he's looking for someone to hand him a job.

K-9 · 07-04-2012 1:42am

Wurly wrote: »

Oh I totally agree. My point is that we're being taxed to the limit while these f*cks in the government are throwing money around the place to people who are already loaded. And the cronies that raped this country get off scott free. Then what happens to a man affected by unemployment thanks to the recession when he protests? His dole is cut. But yet these bank executives are being paid millions! It just beggars belief.

I agree as well and there is no party there that will stand up for any of those things. The PD's transformed this country in the mids 80's but ironically became a victim of their own success! I doubt O'Malley ever envisaged them being so successful to such an extent they became redundant as everybody else stole their policies, and probably went way further than he envisaged!

There was a problem that far too many people paid little or no PAYE/PRSI in this country and that has been addressed. The problem is we are fixing that in a recession, it should never have got that far. There is a point that increasing taxes becomes self defeating in a recession, and I suspect we are close to it.

So that leaves Welfare and PS pay as the next hits. Health and education can't take much more.

steddyeddy wrote: »

People are in dire straits all over the country. St vincent de paul are helping record numbers of people to feed themselves and the government is placing further stress on those already at breaking point because of a debt that many dont think is fair. All of this goes on yet the Irish people seem to have a problem with people who actually try and protest this current state of affairs? I dont understand the attitude at all. It seems to be an irish trait to take whatever cuts or bs from their government no matter how unfair and then criticise the people who are speaking up against it!

Seems to be a recent thing. I remember plenty of protests in the 80's, farmers, PAYE workers etc. Pensioners is the only one that worked recently.

Was watching a programme on TG4 this morning about Des Gerathy, head of SIPTU for a long time and a big proponent of social partnership. Noble an idea as it was, Unions became part of the establishment.

Wompa1 · 07-04-2012 1:43am

Peetrik wrote: »

Well I'm quite sure none of our politicians who are being paid out of the public pocket would ever dream of doing a few rounds of golf or taking a few hours for personal use when they are on the clock.

Jaysus. What is it with people on Boards! People that are pro legalizing cannabis use the argument that alcohol is more dangerous and is legal and now you are saying ya but the politicians get public money and mess around.

So be angry about both...don't give this guy the a pass because somebody somewhere else is doing something worse. No wonder that country is f**ked

Man Who Led Walking Protest Has His Dole Cut

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