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Ideas for savings in Ireland

  • 05-07-2011 10:30am
    #1
    Spacedog
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,775 ✭✭✭


    What can the government, business, groups or individuals do. to make Ireland a less poor miserable place?

    A friend of mine was telling me she cant afford school books for her kids next term and cant get in the book program because shes not on assistance.

    I also read this week than South Korea will not use a single school book by 2015 favouring digital books.

    My idea is to have teachers contribute to a open source style wiki-school book project that matches the standards of education for each year, then edit and remove errors found throughout the year using the wiki style editing.

    This would allow:
    -kids to print only the chapter they need (or use e-readers/netbooks), making their bags lighter,
    -give teachers non copyrighted quality material they can freely photocopy,
    -ease the costs on parents and schools.
    -make Ireland an example of the digital media innovator


    ____________________________________________

    I know it's AH, but if you dont like an idea, try to come up with another, better one rather than pissing over them with pessimistic comments why they wont work.


Comments

  • #2
    Orando Broom
    Registered Users Posts: 3,351 ✭✭✭Orando Broom


    I'd borrow the books now and beat the child until they'd learned the book cover to cover.

    No need for heavy bags during the winter. :)


  • #3
    orourkeda
    Closed Accounts Posts: 17,918 ✭✭✭✭orourkeda


    Spacedog wrote: »
    What can the government, business, groups or individuals do. to make Ireland a less poor miserable place?

    A friend of mine was telling me she cant afford school books for her kids next term and cant get in the book program because shes not on assistance.

    I also read this week than South Korea will not use a single school book by 2015 favouring digital books.

    My idea is to have teachers contribute to a open source style wiki-school book project that matches the standards of education for each year, then edit and remove errors found throughout the year using the wiki style editing.

    This would allow:
    -kids to print only the chapter they need (or use e-readers/netbooks), making their bags lighter,
    -give teachers non copyrighted quality material they can freely photocopy,
    -ease the costs on parents and schools.
    -make Ireland an example of the digital media innovator


    ____________________________________________

    I know it's AH, but if you dont like an idea, try to come up with another, better one rather than pissing over them with pessimistic comments why they wont work.

    Rooting out whingebags would be a start


  • #4
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    Why can't the school provide the books and have them for the following years as well until the curriculum is revised, then they get a new batch in.

    None of the school books I used were ever passed onto my brothers / sisters because of the poxy curriculum revisions...


  • #5
    El Siglo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,803 ✭✭✭El Siglo


    Get rid of the HSE and about a dozen other quangos, half of all TDs, half of all county councillors, abolish the Seanad, and sell off Aer Lingus. You'd save a lot of money very easily.


  • #6
    Sweatynutsack
    Closed Accounts Posts: 207 ✭✭Sweatynutsack


    Kids don't need an easier life
    Sure my father used to walk 20 miles to school in his bare feet :D


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  • #7
    El Guapo!
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 12,438 ✭✭✭✭El Guapo!


    No more apples in the vending machine please


  • #8
    Itsdacraic
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,361 ✭✭✭Itsdacraic


    Dravokivich wrote: »
    Why can't the school provide the books and have them for the following years as well until the curriculum is revised, then they get a new batch in.

    None of the school books I used were ever passed onto my brothers / sisters because of the poxy curriculum revisions...

    Cause the Government/Teachers are in cahoots with the publishers and now the majority of the work is done via workbooks so they can't be reused.


  • #9
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,360 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    Itsdacraic wrote: »
    Cause the Government/Teachers are in cahoots with the publishers and now the majority of the work is done via workbooks so they can't be reused.

    Kids don't use pencils anymore either? :eek:


  • #10
    Tehachapi
    Closed Accounts Posts: 273 ✭✭Tehachapi


    The public sector. Cut their €900/week average salaries and the multiple layers of middle management.


  • #11
    Gandalph
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,792 ✭✭✭Gandalph


    I know you said no pessimistic comments but we are suppose to be spending to get out of this recession


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  • #12
    careca11
    Closed Accounts Posts: 418 ✭✭careca11


    El Siglo wrote: »
    Get rid of the HSE and about a dozen other quangos, half of all TDs, half of all county councillors, abolish the Seanad, and sell off Aer Lingus. You'd save a lot of money very easily.

    add to that list
    Half the Budget for oversea's Aid.
    Tax all Artist's
    PS pay cuts (up to €50,000 exempt) , €50k--€75 15% cut . €76k --€100k 17% cut . €101k--€200k 20% cut over €200k 25% cut .
    ZERO EXPENSES , ZERO OVERTIME

    Cap Children's allowance to just 2 kids ...no payments for subsequent kids.
    Cut Social entitlements for those who have been on the dole for longer than 5 years (lazy bast'ards)
    any non-national that has not had a job since arriving here , should be sent home (NO EXCUSES)

    all of this will help......................then again , the gov don't have the balls to implement any of the above


  • #13
    flutterflye
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,538 ✭✭✭flutterflye


    Revamp the entire civil service into a more efficient and cost effective system.
    They have far too many people doing silly jobs, all in an old and nonsensical manner.
    It would probably cost a good bit initially, but would pay off in the long term.

    It is constantly brought up, but the government's wages and personal spending is completely ridiculous.
    How anyone in charge of a country that is in tatters can justify paying themselves so much is beyond me.


  • #14
    conorhal
    Registered Users Posts: 7,004 ✭✭✭conorhal


    We spend nearly 3bn on child benefit every year without quantifying how effectively it is spent.
    I would axe child benefit in the morning and instead directly provide two uniforms, all a childs school books and materials for the year, a healthy meal at lunchtime for every schoolchild and free school transport. In other words I'd make free primary and seconday education actually free.

    I reckon that you could also save a billion euro doing this, eliminate waste and ensure that deprived children were incentivised to attend school.


  • #15
    Mr. Denton
    Closed Accounts Posts: 867 ✭✭✭Mr. Denton


    Dean09 wrote: »
    No more apples in the vending machine please

    What's that you say, "More apples in the vending machine"?

    Don't worry. Ther'll be plenty more apples for you! Nobody will take away your precious apples.
    In fact you can even have a free apple now.


  • #16
    SEPT 23 1989
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 43,028 ✭✭✭✭SEPT 23 1989


    Kill the poor


  • #17
    Spunge
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,779 ✭✭✭Spunge


    Legalise murder and tax it, with the introduction of slaughter cafés


  • #18
    whydoibother?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 758 ✭✭✭whydoibother?


    ISME feel the black economy is costing us 5bn a year in taxes. Introduce some serious penalties for this as a deterrent. This doesn't even cost us anything to do, we just have to change laws until they're strict enough for people to be too scared to participate in the black economy.


  • #19
    Phill Ewinn
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,007 ✭✭✭Phill Ewinn


    SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »
    Kill the poor

    Eat the rich


  • #20
    sensibleken
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,650 ✭✭✭sensibleken


    I could stop wearing pants! you know...for the tourists


  • #21
    sensibleken
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,650 ✭✭✭sensibleken


    whydoibother? wrote: »
    ISME feel the black economy is costing us 5bn a year in taxes. Introduce some serious penalties for this as a deterrent. This doesn't even cost us anything to do, we just have to change laws until they're strict enough for people to be too scared to participate in the black economy.

    racist!


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  • #22
    corkonion
    Registered Users Posts: 526 ✭✭✭corkonion


    careca11 wrote: »
    add to that list
    Half the Budget for oversea's Aid.
    Tax all Artist's
    PS pay cuts (up to €50,000 exempt) , €50k--€75 15% cut . €76k --€100k 17% cut . €101k--€200k 20% cut over €200k 25% cut .
    ZERO EXPENSES , ZERO OVERTIME

    Cap Children's allowance to just 2 kids ...no payments for subsequent kids.
    Cut Social entitlements for those who have been on the dole for longer than 5 years (lazy bast'ards)
    any non-national that has not had a job since arriving here , should be sent home (NO EXCUSES)

    all of this will help......................then again , the gov don't have the balls to implement any of the above


    yep, the above would put this economy into the black instantly, but no government would ever have the bottle.


  • #23
    SEPT 23 1989
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 43,028 ✭✭✭✭SEPT 23 1989


    whydoibother? wrote: »
    ISME feel the black economy is costing us 5bn a year in taxes. Introduce some serious penalties for this as a deterrent. This doesn't even cost us anything to do, we just have to change laws until they're strict enough for people to be too scared to participate in the black economy.

    If a citizen is caught revelling in the black economy we could cut off their hands as a deterrent to other scamps thinking of doing the same


  • #24
    ger vallely
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 766 ✭✭✭ger vallely


    Laptopts for school has to happen.The weight of the bags alone shows that. Also families could save some cash if uncrested uniforms were allowed for the foreseeable. Tracksuit bottoms from my daughters' school-€45!!A plain chain store uniform should suffice these days. Also means test the child benefit. Totally unacceptable the Enda Kenny, Ian Dempsey and whoever receive the same per child as the average Joe.Large and small scale savings there..


  • #25
    sensibleken
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,650 ✭✭✭sensibleken


    We could do a tiger raid on the ECB


  • #26
    Dyr
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,246 ✭✭✭✭Dyr


    sensibleken wrote: »
    We could do a tiger raid on the ECB

    Give Sinn Fein the fund raising portfolio.


  • #27
    whydoibother?
    Closed Accounts Posts: 758 ✭✭✭whydoibother?


    SEPT 23 1989 wrote: »
    If a citizen is caught revelling in the black economy we could cut off their hands as a deterrent to other scamps thinking of doing the same

    Now we're getting places.


  • #28
    endabob1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 911 ✭✭✭endabob1


    conorhal wrote: »
    We spend nearly 3bn on child benefit every year without quantifying how effectively it is spent.
    I would axe child benefit in the morning and instead directly provide two uniforms, all a childs school books and materials for the year, a healthy meal at lunchtime for every schoolchild and free school transport. In other words I'd make free primary and seconday education actually free.

    I reckon that you could also save a billion euro doing this, eliminate waste and ensure that deprived children were incentivised to attend school.

    Easy Tiger, that sounds like an idea that might actually work, save money and improve peoples lives, have you no idea where you are :eek:


  • #29
    queenorganiser
    Closed Accounts Posts: 13 ✭queenorganiser


    laptops/netbooks/wiki style work will not work unless the state want to get sued for ergonomic injury's... I suffer from rsi from working with computers all my life and I have the proper set up for ergo...

    If a school is to forgo the route you propose, it would need to invest in the correct chairs (€800+,,, not the cheap argos ones as they don't help long term).. they would have to get monitor blocks, cabling, external keyboards, ergo mice to suit each individual's hand etc... screen glares etc...Custom adjustable desks.. would be a major pain in the ass.

    It is a great idea however but there is NO WAY that our stingy government would cough up for that...

    There is 1 school in Ireland doing it now.. the students have to buy the laptop in 1st year and use it then for the entire school term. This is in trial.. all of the above problems will arise from it and will either be scratched or they will have to cough up adn bring the entire school up to ergo standards.... I can't see this happening (school is Longwood Secondary School Co Meath)

    Actually, the gov might just ignore all the problems for 2 decades and let the next gov be sued.. .eitherway.. while a great idea.. won't work....

    I purchased my daughter's school books last week for sr infants and they cost me €30.. I found someone who would give me the readers, we rotate them within the neighbourhood... the school cut down on most workbooks so only had to buy 3 books and they used 1 from the last term... so they are trying in some schools...

    True it is harder when there are lots of kids per family... but if you complain enough to the school and the parents council, they do cut out a huge majority of workbooks.

    We also organised a school book exchange, whereby parents wanting books, all gave their list of what they wanted/had and other parents exchanged with them....


    Spacedog wrote: »
    What can the government, business, groups or individuals do. to make Ireland a less poor miserable place?

    A friend of mine was telling me she cant afford school books for her kids next term and cant get in the book program because shes not on assistance.

    I also read this week than South Korea will not use a single school book by 2015 favouring digital books.

    My idea is to have teachers contribute to a open source style wiki-school book project that matches the standards of education for each year, then edit and remove errors found throughout the year using the wiki style editing.

    This would allow:
    -kids to print only the chapter they need (or use e-readers/netbooks), making their bags lighter,
    -give teachers non copyrighted quality material they can freely photocopy,
    -ease the costs on parents and schools.
    -make Ireland an example of the digital media innovator


    ____________________________________________

    I know it's AH, but if you dont like an idea, try to come up with another, better one rather than pissing over them with pessimistic comments why they wont work.


  • #30
    Cathal O
    Registered Users Posts: 219 ✭✭Cathal O


    careca11 wrote: »

    Cap Children's allowance to just 2 kids ...no payments for subsequent kids.

    Is this a joke?


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  • #31
    squod
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8,704 ✭✭✭squod


    Here's an idea. Next time why not vote for someone who won't cost the state €200bn.
    THE Government will own more than 99% of Irish Life & Permanent Plc, the country’s third-biggest lender, after providing a €3.4 billion bailout.


    The lender has a market value of about €16.3m, from a peak of more than €6bn in February 2007.
    Read more: http://www.examiner.ie/ireland/irish-life-permanent-succumbs-to-state-control-159255.html#ixzz1RES2CVLf

    That's €3.4bn for a business worth €16.3m. Can't anyone use the fuhken noggin when voting in this country?


  • #32
    sensibleken
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,650 ✭✭✭sensibleken


    endabob1 wrote: »
    Easy Tiger, that sounds like an idea that might actually work, save money and improve peoples lives, have you no idea where you are :eek:

    I dont think it would save money at all. The added red tape of distributing uniforms books etc would cost way more than 'heres the money get it yourself' attitude.

    That said i still think its a better idea


  • #33
    latenia
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,997 ✭✭✭latenia


    Spacedog wrote: »

    I know it's AH, but if you dont like an idea, try to come up with another, better one rather than pissing over them with pessimistic comments why they wont work.

    Cost of a dropped schoolbook = €0
    Cost of a dropped e-reader = €150+


  • #34
    munchkin_utd
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,907 ✭✭✭munchkin_utd


    theres lots of stuff that could be done for free through politicans actually pushing legislation to help the people.

    stuff like
    - free gp for everyone including WORKING tax paying people who are paying for the medical system anyhow: currently people wait till they are properly crocked and then take up a much needed hospital bed rather than shell out the money to see their gp early. A single avoided hopital stay could save 10s of thousands of euro in critical care, so one less person in hospital = the cash for 100s of people's free gp care
    - noise pollution : no tolerance to feckers making life a misery for neighbours. fine them and send in the balif to take their plasma/ LED widescreen tellies if needs be,
    - noise pollution pt2 : beef up the planning standards so that buildings dont transmit noise as much
    - cüntish management companies on estates/ apartments: create a law to ban them and have it ran by an owners committee (I think this is on the way)
    - bad drivers : have the guards do more than simply check tax and insurance. come down like a ton of bricks with people who tailgate for instance.
    - Ban clamping
    - put manners on layabout scumbags by enforcing respect for the guards. In germany you get 1000s of euros of a fine for disrespect to the police so its something that works.
    - put manners on layabout scumbags by docking dole and other privilidges if they engage in antisocial behaviour (which they would term "entitlements")

    etc etc etc.
    Theres so much that could be done by a bit of creativity by politicans for free.
    Unfortunately they are too busy trying to get last minute passports or other crap for a few dozen constituents to be actively progressing the country.


  • #35
    sensibleken
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,650 ✭✭✭sensibleken


    munchkin_utd wrote: »

    - put manners on layabout scumbags by enforcing respect for the guards. In germany you get 1000s of euros of a fine for disrespect to the police so its something that works.

    How do you force respect for the gardai? I can see how it worked in germany, its not like they ever had any trouble with heavy handed authority figures


  • #36
    Adamisconfused
    Registered Users Posts: 268 ✭✭Adamisconfused


    Everyone in Ireland sets up a youtube account to which everyone else in the country shall be subscribed. With that many subscriptions, we'll be certain to be asked to be part of the youtube partner programme and rake in the earnings. After that, we think up ways to spend our new fortune.


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  • #37
    wild_cat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,291 ✭✭✭wild_cat


    squod wrote: »
    Can't anyone use the fuhken noggin when voting in this country?


    I was just about to say that Irish people deserve everything they get due to who they elect. So many people complain but yet vote for complete ****ehawks.


    I'd like to be able to say... **** you guys its your own fault but I still have to live here. I only voted for one person.


    Read the "on the street opinions" section in any Local Irish news paper and you'd actually be up for introducing a mandatory IQ test/any sign of a brain cell test before someone can cast a vote. But if we were... red tape would kill it, cronies would over higher for it etc


    I do agree with the cutting of child benefit after two kids though. People will have to learn that everything is scarce and just because you can doesn't mean you should.


  • #38
    Birroc
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,070 ✭✭✭Birroc


    Adamisconfused wrote: »
    Everyone in Ireland sets up a youtube account to which everyone else in the country shall be subscribed. With that many subscriptions, we'll be certain to be asked to be youtube partners and rake in the earnings. After that, we think up ways to spend our new fortune.

    And then can we all party again?


  • #39
    endabob1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 911 ✭✭✭endabob1


    sensibleken wrote: »
    I dont think it would save money at all. The added red tape of distributing uniforms books etc would cost way more than 'heres the money get it yourself' attitude.

    That said i still think its a better idea

    Admin is a potential issue, but how much is there currently associated with the current Children's Allowance?

    I think it's a great idea, only give the free stuff through state schools though. Private education is privately funded, all state education is 100% free.
    In many ways it's a simpler method of means testing it.


  • #40
    sensibleken
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,650 ✭✭✭sensibleken


    I know!

    We set up and Ireland account on facebook and get all of our friends to 'Like' it.

    alternatively we could all change our facebook statuses to say "Change your status to support Irelands economic recovery and transformation into a pluralist forward thinking society. repost if you agree and if you dont your probably a durty french bastard ye!"


  • #41
    wild_cat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,291 ✭✭✭wild_cat


    sensibleken wrote: »
    I know!

    We set up and Ireland account on facebook and get all of our friends to 'Like' it.

    alternatively we could all change our facebook statuses to say "Change your status to support Irelands economic recovery and transformation into a pluralist forward thinking society. repost if you agree and if you dont your probably a durty french bastard ye!"

    Maybe its time we got onto sending out some...

    Irish prince has money for you emails....


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  • #42
    COYW
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,930 ✭✭✭COYW


    conorhal wrote: »
    We spend nearly 3bn on child benefit every year without quantifying how effectively it is spent.
    I would axe child benefit in the morning and instead directly provide two uniforms, all a childs school books and materials for the year, a healthy meal at lunchtime for every schoolchild and free school transport. In other words I'd make free primary and seconday education actually free.

    I reckon that you could also save a billion euro doing this, eliminate waste and ensure that deprived children were incentivised to attend school.

    Yes but well thought out ideas that could actually work will lead to a shark dip in popularity ratings and the possibility of a party losing power.


  • #43
    sensibleken
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5,650 ✭✭✭sensibleken


    Maybe we should have a bit of old pray. Maybe god will help us and..........


  • #44
    wild_cat
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,291 ✭✭✭wild_cat


    COYW wrote: »
    Yes but well thought out ideas that could actually work will lead to a shark dip in popularity ratings and the possibility of a party losing power.

    Nail on the head.

    I come from a fierce left background but I'm starting to think that if they want to rule in favour of capitalism they have to start running the country like a very large business.


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