Higgins: Queen 'should pay bed and board'

Lord Derpington

BreakingNews.ie wrote:

The Queen should be asked to pay for “bed and breakfast” to cushion the cost of her State visit on hard-pressed Irish taxpayers, it has been claimed.

With the Dublin and London governments finalising details of next month’s historic trip, Taoiseach Enda Kenny was urged to ask the Royal Family to foot some of the bill.

Mr Kenny said the full cost of the visit was not yet known.

In the Dáil today, Socialist TD Joe Higgins suggested to Mr Kenny that the Queen pay for food and board given the state of Ireland’s finances.

“In view of the fact that the Royal Family of Britain is one of the wealthiest families in the world and this country is almost sleeping rough, so to speak, figuratively, would you ask the Queen if she might make a contribution towards her own bed and breakfast costs to assist the unfortunate taxpayers, and go easier on them,” Mr Higgins said, sparking laughter from some deputies.

Ireland is also due to welcome US President Barack Obama to Ireland next month leading to another massive operation by the state’s security forces.

Mr Higgins told the Dáil it had been speculated the President was visiting Ireland to win support from Irish Americans when he goes for re-election next year.

“Isn’t it a bit rich really that the Irish taxpayer, as well as bailing out European speculators, must now make a contribution to the re-election campaign of the United States’ President?” Mr Higgins said.

Source

I cant believe that Joe Higgins is really suggesting that the country is so far broke, that we need to ask the Leader of a neighboring country to pay to for their own "bed and breakfast".


Apart from anything else im sure it would work out a lot more expensive in the long run if whenever an Irish representative left the country they had to pay for their own board.
I cant imagine any other country in the world having someone in parliament even considering suggesting this.

What a clown..

brummytom

Nonsense. The Queen was invited to Ireland.

Would you invite someone to stay at your house, and then charge them for the privilege?

Motley Crue

I think Higgins is a joke. I don't agree with the Queen paying a state visit to Ireland, full stop, but she's coming and that's that - and since I wouldn't expect the Russian, US or Chinese Ambassadors to pay B&B I see no reason why we should charge the Queen.

Does Higgins expect that Irish Representatives do the same when they visit England?

Higgins, go back to your job and stop making nonsensical statements like this

Yakult

Don't invite people if you cant afford to accommodate them.. I know we are in the gutters but that is taking the mickey.

Dionysus

greenfly wrote: »

Source

I cant believe that Joe Higgins is really suggesting that the country is so far broke, that we need to ask the Leader of a neighboring country to pay to for there own "bed and breakfast".


Apart from anything else im sure it would work out a lot more expensive in the long run if whenever an Irish representative left the country they had to pay for there own board.
I cant imagine any other country in the world having someone in parliament even considering suggesting this.

What a clown..

"Clown"? :rolleyes: Just heard it. Good man, Joe. Still a voice in the wilderness just as you were when lambasting Ahern in 2007 and people were telling you not to rock the boat then either.

Pauleta

More populist crap from that loon Higgins.

WE INVITED HER! :rolleyes:

KeithAFC

She was invited wasn't she? What nonsense is this? She will not pay for her breakfast or tea. She is the Queen of England.

And please, none of the occupied 6 counties crap.

prinz

Joe Higgins. Comedian General. The guys a witty chap all the same. I think it's safe to assume he's taking the mick and very cleverly putting himself at the centre of attention, by spouting nonsense that is a tabloid editor's dream.

Oranage2

I do wonder how some politicians get elected -

reprazant

Dionysus wrote: »

"Clown"? :rolleyes: Just heard it. Good man, Joe. Still a voice in the wilderness just as you were when lambasting Ahern in 2007 and people were telling you not to rock the boat then either.

If he is not a clown, why did he not come out with this when the Dalai Lama or Prince Albert of Monaco were here?

Or is it just because she is the Queen that should be made pay?

jester77

Already softening us up for the next budget when they will probably introduce the Queen tax :rolleyes:

KeithAFC

This guy is beyond offensive with these comments. A lot of people in the republic and people from Northern Ireland will be going down to hopefully see the Queen. It is offensive to say the Queen should pay for her breakfast and tea. She should not have to pay for anything.

Pauleta

Oranage2 wrote: »

I do wonder how some politicians get elected -

By coming out with populist BS and appealing to the uneducated.

smokedeels

stuff the queen

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vWnCV91abkM

Idiot. Why is he getting paid to embarrass the state..

Dionysus

reprazant wrote: »

If he is not a clown, why did he not come out with this when the Dalai Lama or Prince Albert of Monaco were here?

Or is it just because she is the Queen that should be made pay?

Are you trying to compare the security costs for either of those two with the security costs for her? There will be no comparison in the cost by the time Dublin's streets are finished with it à la February 2006.

This is going to end in tears, particularly if the current Fine Gael government behaves in the same shameful way John Bruton did when her son visited Dublin in 1995. The media is going to have a field day hyping it up and then covering the reaction to their hype.

Tonyandthewhale

KeithAFC wrote: »

And please, none of the occupied 6 counties crap.

No one's mentioned the 6 counties except you.

Dionysus

Deleted User wrote: »

Idiot. Why is he getting paid to embarrass the state..

Is it even possible?

prinz

Dionysus wrote: »

Are you trying to compare the security costs for either of those two with the security costs for her? There will be no comparison in the cost by the time Dublin's streets are finished with it à la February 2006..

Eh... 1995?

MagicMarker

How much are swans these days anyway?

Dionysus

prinz wrote: »

Eh... 1995?

Oops. Try this one for Dublin's finest in action in February 2006:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=unYlBWWZtDA

They won't be far away whenever it is she comes to the same city.

prinz

Dionysus wrote: »

They won't be far away whenever it is she comes to the same city.

Halfwit thieving looting opportunist little scrotes rarely are whenever there's a bandwagon event on. I'd take the Queen anyday over that shower of inbred runts.

cuculainn

I'm pretty sure the Brittish government gave us 9 billion a few months back....The least we might do is put her up for a few nights.

dvpower

Dionysus wrote: »

Are you trying to compare the security costs for either of those two with the security costs for her? There will be no comparison in the cost by the time Dublin's streets are finished with it à la February 2006.

The benefits in terms of increased tourism, goodwill etc of the royal visit will far exceed any costs. If we didn't want to pick up the tab for the visit, we shouldn't have invited her. Higgins is daft in the extreme to even be raising this an an issue.

Also I predict that there will be little or no trouble, because anyone engaging in any violence will be lifted off the streets in double quick time.

ejmaztec

KeithAFC wrote: »

This guy is beyond offensive with these comments. A lot of people in the republic and people from Northern Ireland will be going down to hopefully see the Queen. It is offensive to say the Queen should pay for her breakfast and tea. She should not have to pay for anything.

No need for her to break the habit of a lifetime.

KeithAFC

Well she did get gods blessing when she was given the crown....

Max Power1

jester77 wrote: »

Already softening us up for the next budget when they will probably introduce the Queen tax :rolleyes:

Not if Norris is president by then

Gummy Panda

KeithAFC wrote: »

Well she did get gods blessing when she was given the crown....

Did he come down from heaven on put it on her head?

DrumSteve

KeithAFC wrote: »

Well she did get gods blessing when she was given the crown....

I don't remember Fowler saying anything about it at the time...

walshb

Forget paying for board, why doesn't she just claim rent relief for a day or two, like the countless thousands from all over the globe. She is a foreigner after all, there shouldn't be a problem getting it.

Higgins is a tit.

Gummy Panda

walshb wrote: »

Forget paying for board, why doesn't she just claim rent relief for a day or two, like the countless thousands from all over the globe. She is a foreigner after all, there shouldn't be a problem getting it.

Higgins is a tit.

This is a new and exciting post from you

Wolfe Tone

In fairness he said the same about Obama and his main point was that it was retarded to invite these people when we have no cash.


Can you think of nothing better that the money could be spent on?

KeithAFC

Gummy Panda wrote: »

Did he come down from heaven on put it on her head?

Yep.

UglyBolloxFace

KeithAFC wrote: »

Well she did get gods blessing when she was given the crown....

Your monarch's a cúnt.

There, I said it.

dvpower

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

Can you think of nothing better that the money could be spent on?

Tourism promotion?

UglyBolloxFace

dvpower wrote: »

Tourism promotion?

How? I am sick of people saying that and not backing it up in any way.

So, again, how will the visit of the British Head of State help Irish tourism?

Killer Pigeon

That crowd of parrots (a reference to the wide non-uniformity of their collective attire) perched together in the corner of the Dáil (the likes of Boyd-Barrett, "Ming" Flanagan, Mick Wallace & Higgins, etc..) who refuse to wear stately attire, come out with the most blatant obscurities and reject to conform with Dáil procedure, need not be listened as their ideas are so far from reality that they would be rejected on the grounds of implausibility in the wildest dimensions of fantasy.

GerM

A chunk of those that elected Higgins will fully agree with him. He's playing up to his voters.

He's also thick as sh*t.

ejmaztec

dvpower wrote: »

Tourism promotion?

Potential tourists will say "If Ireland's good enough for that old bat, it's good enough for us".

The only difference will be that they'll get robbed blind when they arrive, and she won't, her being a bit of a free-loader.

Orando Broom

Joe Higgins is a pantomime fückwit.

dvpower

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

How? I am sick of people saying that and not backing it up in any way.

So, again, how will the visit of the British Head of State help Irish tourism?

I thought it was self evident, but...

The visit will be covered by the British media. It will show some of Ireland's tourist attractions to large numbers of Britons. Goodwill will be generated by images of the Queen being warmly welcomed by Irish leaders and individuals. Britons will be more inclined to come and visit.

I hope this clarifies matters.

UglyBolloxFace

dvpower wrote: »

I thought it was self evident, but...

The visit will be covered by the British media. It will show some of Ireland's tourist attractions to large numbers of Britons. Goodwill will be generated by images of the Queen being warmly welcomed by Irish leaders and individuals. Britons will be more inclined to come and visit.

I hope this clarifies matters.

Dear Mr. Power,

Thank you for the clarification.

Kind regards
UglyBolloxface
:pac:

Yeah I see what you mean, and that is your opinion, but in mine that wouldn't incline Britons towards visiting any further than an episode of Harry Enfield and Chums prancing around Dublin City Centre would!

dvpower

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

Yeah I see what you mean, and that is your opinion, but in mine that wouldn't incline Britons towards visiting any further than an episode of Harry Enfield and Chums prancing around Dublin City Centre would!

Don't take my word for it. The people tasked with promoting tourism here are very positive about the visit.

Tourism Ireland CEO Niall Gibbons said the visit presented a very welcome opportunity to showcase Ireland's positives.

"Many people will see are all the positive images about Ireland - our people, our culture, our scenery…It will showcase Ireland in a very positive way to the world," he said.

Edit: He's much more explicit about the benefits in this quote

Niall Gibbons wrote:

“A state visit by Queen Elizabeth II will be a wonderful opportunity to showcase the island of Ireland to a huge audience of potential holidaymakers across Britain and has the potential to deliver a major boost to Irish tourism in 2011 and beyond.

“We expect a large media contingent will travel to Ireland to cover the visit, bringing the story to millions of people in Britain and elsewhere around the world and providing a truly unique opportunity to highlight the island of Ireland as a wonderful holiday destination.”

RichieC

Fk off, Joe.

orourkeda

Oranage2 wrote: »

I do wonder how some politicians get elected -

Dont be surprised. This is the nation that has elected Jackie Healy Rae, Bertie Ahern, Beverly Cooper Flynn, Jim McDaid, Charles Haughey, Michael Lowry, Willie O'Dea..........

My name is URL

dvpower wrote: »

I thought it was self evident, but...

The visit will be covered by the British media. It will show some of Ireland's tourist attractions to large numbers of Britons. Goodwill will be generated by images of the Queen being warmly welcomed by Irish leaders and individuals. Britons will be more inclined to come and visit.

I hope this clarifies matters.

Can you honestly say that you'd be more inclined to visit the UK just because our own head of state was there on a visit? I doubt the veracity of the claims being made about increased levels of tourism. Maybe around the time of the visit there will be a small increase but overall I don't think it will make a huge difference to the numbers. Only time will tell.

Either way though, it's ridiculous of Higgins to suggest that she pay for it herself.

Dj Stiggie

My name is URL wrote: »

Can you honestly say that you'd be more inclined to visit the UK just because our own head of state was there on a visit? I doubt the veracity of the claims being made about increased levels of tourism. Maybe around the time of the visit there will be a small increase but overall I don't think it will make a huge difference to the numbers. Only time will tell.

Either way though, it's ridiculous of Higgins to suggest that she pay for it herself.

I don't think the Queen's visit will generate as much tourism as people are claiming, and no I wouldn't go somewhere because McAleese or Kenny did.

But this is different. The UK is our biggest tourist market and tourists from there are declining. People in Britain think there is anti-British sentiment in Ireland (and there is a fair bit) so the Queen coming here, being welcomed and treated with respect will show British people that Ireland has matured, and is welcoming towards them.

Either way, I'm quite indifferent towards the whole thing. I'm not living there right now so it won't affect me. I just hope it passes off smoothly and that the scumbags are kept away.

Dionysus

dvpower wrote: »

The benefits in terms of increased tourism, goodwill etc of the royal visit will far exceed any costs.

Serious question: has anybody actually provided evidence to support this oft-mentioned claim?

YFlyer

MagicMarker wrote: »

How much are swans these days anyway?

Will she sell us some?

Dionysus

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

That crowd of parrots (a reference to the wide non-uniformity of their collective attire) perched together in the corner of the Dáil (the likes of Boyd-Barrett, "Ming" Flanagan, Mick Wallace & Higgins, etc..) who refuse to wear stately attire, come out with the most blatant obscurities and reject to conform with Dáil procedure

hehe. Very good. You are taking the piss, of course?


Yours,

Somebody who wouldn't be seen dead in a stuffy pointless tie. *shudder*