Very rural Ireland

sh1tstirrer

Jo King wrote: »

Soon the farmer will no longer live on his land but travel out from a nearby town.

This has to be the most nonsensical statement I have ever read anywhere :rolleyes:

Aard

Tipp Man wrote: »

Rates in most counties of this country are extorionate and that money stays directly with the council. When they charge high rates then they have to provide the service to match

True, rates are high. They're a bad way of collecting money though. The councils are very weak though still. Afaik, there's only a certain number of things that they can spend their money on. Several councils have several million in reserve that pretty much can't be spent. I hope more powers are devolved to councils in the future so that, like you say, they can provide better services than central government do.

Aard

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

This has to be the most nonsensical statement I have ever read anywhere :rolleyes:

They do that in France, aka the farmer of Europe.

thebman

Aard wrote: »

They do that in France, aka the farmer of Europe.

France isn't necessarily the best model for anybody to be following.

Have you seen their national debt? Or their reliance on Nuclear Power?

No wonder they don't want people living in the countryside.

Aard

thebman wrote: »

France isn't necessarily the best model for anybody to be following.

I ... never said that.


I was merely pointing out that the post wasn't the most nonsensical statement ever read anywhere.

Aard

Aard wrote: »

They do that in France, aka the farmer of Europe.

What type of farm?

sh1tstirrer

Aard wrote: »

I ... never said that.


I was merely pointing out that the post wasn't the most nonsensical statement ever read anywhere.

I ... never said that.


I was merely pointing out that the post was the most nonsensical statement I have read anywhere.

L1011

thebman wrote: »

Or their reliance on Nuclear Power?

You say this like its a bad thing.

Our reliance on gas turbines is far worse.

Tipp Man

People do realise that there is a major push on in France to get people BACK to the country as their rural towns are villages are dying due to volume of people moving to cities??

They want people back on the land not the other way around

Aidan1

Sorry Tipp Man, but since when did moving people 'back to the land' become the same thing as trying to encourage people back to rural villages?

Also, the French have been having that discussion with themselves for the last 150 years; the outcome never really changes, people still want to live close to or in cities.

dubhthach

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0628/education.html

Cannon insists school bus cuts will be made
Minister of State for Training and Skills Ciaran Cannon has insisted that proposed changes and cutbacks in the primary school transport system will be implemented from September.

The measures are aimed at saving €3.5bn per year, but they are being bitterly opposed in rural communities across the country.

Many primary school pupils who enjoyed a free bus service up to now will be charged a minimum of €50 from September. This rises to €110 per family each year.

It rises to a maximum of €650 when including sending children to secondary school.

In addition, the Department of Education is cutting around 150 routes where the number of pupils on that route who live more than 3km from the school is fewer than ten.

More than 300 angry parents and teachers from across Munster attacked the measures at a public meeting in Listowel last night.

But Minister Cannon held firm and insisted that the cutbacks will be implemented unless the money can be found elsewhere within his department.

Listening to this on radio there and they mentioned that actual cost to state was at least €1,000 per student. Of course the more interesting bit that is been missed is the cutting of 150 route

Sponge Bob

They are getting in there to cut them quick while the parents still have cars and before the census shows the birth rate is increasing even in rural reas.

Is it not 5km ( 3 MILES) that qualifies you for a bus...3km sound wrong.

Clareboy

I am sick and tired of listening to rural dwellers complaining about the lack of services in rural areas. The question that I would like to ask them is " What brought them out there in the first place? ". The Irish pattern of scattered rural housing and the unhealthy car bound lifestyle that goes with it is totally unsustainable and is no longer viable going forward into the future.

marathont

dubhthach wrote: »

http://www.rte.ie/news/2011/0628/education.html


Listening to this on radio there and they mentioned that actual cost to state was at least €1,000 per student. Of course the more interesting bit that is been missed is the cutting of 150 route

That must be a typo there, I think the savings will be 3.5 million not 3.5 billion.

bk

Personally I've never understood why kids living in rural areas get a bus to school for "free" (really paid by my taxes).

Living in a city, but going to a school outside walking distance, I always had to get a bus and pay for it. What makes kids in rural areas so special?

If there parents have decided to live in one off houses in the middle of nowhere for quality of life reasons, then surely they should pay the full costs for that?

dubhthach

marathont wrote: »

That must be a typo there, I think the savings will be 3.5 million not 3.5 billion.

It wouldn't surprise me if RTÉ got it wrong, I think Spongebob is probably right about it been 3miles (5km) instead of 3 km as well.

thebman

Seems like a sensible proposal especially when you look at the possible savings.

It is called car pooling... Parents in rural areas can setup a rotational system in which parents take turns to pick up kids in their area and bring them to school if they are available and the others fund the expense of running costs for the cars.

bk

bk wrote: »

Personally I've never understood why kids living in rural areas get a bus to school for "free" (really paid by my taxes).

Living in a city, but going to a school outside walking distance, I always had to get a bus and pay for it. What makes kids in rural areas so special?

If there parents have decided to live in one off houses in the middle of nowhere for quality of life reasons, then surely they should pay the full costs for that?

They're not "free", we pay €20 a week for our kids and the bus is full.

John_Rambo

Deleted User wrote: »

They're not "free", we pay €20 a week for our kids and the bus is full.

Is your bus route threatened? Surely it isn't if you are paying. Is that €20 per child?

John_Rambo

John_Rambo wrote: »

Is your bus route threatened? Surely it isn't if you are paying. Is that €20 per child?

No it's not and it's €20 for the two of them, the journey is about 3km, part of it along a main road.

John_Rambo

Deleted User wrote: »

No it's not and it's €20 for the two of them, the journey is about 3km, part of it along a main road.

That's a really good safe service.

Teddy455

Things i don't like about rural Ireland are:

The one off houses that are built that all look different and bear no resemblence.
Ireland should follow in countries like France where most of the houses look the same. same colour walls and roofs. These houses soon look old and will be left there destroying the beautiful countryside. The only way i think we could build rural houses is that they all look the same like all being covered by stone walls not like different colours of poco dots scattered across the countrysiede ruining the landscape. I think we should follow the housing styles like Britanny.

Councils should be more strict about giving planning to mcmansions and all different styles of housing and make a permanent style of housing in the countryside like other european countries such as France.

Edit: I think councils should be more strict on the building of giant houses for no particular reason as houses seem to be getting bigger these days and families getting smaller.

Another thing i don't like is all the ditches and trees in ditches (I think ditch is the right word to the hedge not refering to the drain next to it. is it?) that block the view of the countryside that are failed to be cut properly and grow as high as houses blocking the view off roads. I also think we should follow the way in Britanny(As it has a similar climate) with knocking ditches and puting up wires.

We need to tackle or dispered population by introducing laws like not being aloud to build one off houses if you dont have any reason or need to live in the countryside which are covering all the roads and blocking all the views and having huge gardens that are unused and would be better used for agricultural purposes. There would be larger farms increasing the production supporting the local economy.

I also don't like these people who demand all these services to be at there doorstep like free buses school buses and other amenities.

I also think unused rural roads should be destroyed and converted to farm land as they are no benefit to the local people and that rural roads that serve 3 or 4 houses should be unpaved and should just have gravel which the money used to pave them could be spended somewhere else to benefit the local area.

^ Are you from Brittanny?

The "free for all" style is what makes the Irish countryside unique. I believe that the current trend of rural house construction is coming to an end anyway, so strict laws imposed now will have a very limited affect. Few new houses are being built as it is and that evern fewer will be built in the near future.

Ditches!.... Do you propose installing land drains throught the whole countryside?

Rural roads that are lightly used are likely to deteriorate at their own accord as mantenance may well be reduced in the future to save money, look we've just lost the A&E service in Roscommon hospital, a country road is an easy saving.

As I've said before, most rural people have lower expectations wrt services, they are well aware that services can't be provided at the same levels as in the cities, the problem arises when city folk move out and expect the same levels as they are used to.

L1011

Deleted User wrote: »

As I've said before, most rural people have lower expectations wrt services, they are well aware that services can't be provided at the same levels as in the cities, the problem arises when city folk move out and expect the same levels as they are used to.

The other problem is that very little of the bungalow blight is rural people's doing... building on your parents land generally ensures that you're near other existing houses!

Clareboy

Deleted User wrote: »

^ Are you from Brittanny?

The "free for all" style is what makes the Irish countryside unique. I believe that the current trend of rural house construction is coming to an end anyway, so strict laws imposed now will have a very limited affect. Few new houses are being built as it is and that evern fewer will be built in the near future.

There is nothing ' unique ' about the Irish countryside - its just a lot of gaudy bungalows and mini mansions with vulgar displays of wealth on almost every hillside. It does not matter a damn now what planning laws are brought in - most of our traditional landscapes have been destroyed forever. As a nation, we should be ashamed of what we have done.

Clareboy

Clareboy wrote: »

There is nothing ' unique ' about the Irish countryside - its just a lot of gaudy bungalows and mini mansions with vulgar displays of wealth on almost every hillside.

It is unique as it has been done nowhere else!

Mal-Adjusted

Clareboy wrote: »

There is nothing ' unique ' about the Irish countryside - its just a lot of gaudy bungalows and mini mansions with vulgar displays of wealth on almost every hillside. It does not matter a damn now what planning laws are brought in - most of our traditional landscapes have been destroyed forever. As a nation, we should be ashamed of what we have done.

if you think that bungalows destroyed the Irish landscape, you need to get out more

L1011

Mal-Adjusted wrote: »

if you think that bungalows destroyed the Irish landscape, you need to get out more

And see more of the bloody things?

dowlingm

Getting rid of ditches has impacts on birds and other animals, and can impact soil erosion through wind and water. They can also provide some shelter to both animals and people in rough weather!

Lack of maintenance is not an excuse to simply say rip them out, it is to tell landowners to either maintain them properly or the Council will and send them a bill.

Tipp Man

dowlingm wrote: »

Getting rid of ditches has impacts on birds and other animals, and can impact soil erosion through wind and water. They can also provide some shelter to both animals and people in rough weather!

Lack of maintenance is not an excuse to simply say rip them out, it is to tell landowners to either maintain them properly or the Council will and send them a bill.

The responsibility for roadside ditches falls on the councils not on the landowners

busman

Tipp Man wrote: »

The responsibility for roadside ditches falls on the councils not on the landowners

Do you have a reference for this?
I also thought it was the landowners, just like keeping the hedges cut?

Wild Bill

You folk are all mad!

You want rural Ireland to look like rural France?

Go live there - and leave Ireland to us. We like it just the way it is. :cool:

murphaph

Wild Bill wrote: »

You folk are all mad!

You want rural Ireland to look like rural France?

Go live there - and leave Ireland to us. We like it just the way it is. :cool:

Is this supposed to be sarcastic Bill?

Amtmann

murphaph wrote: »

Is this supposed to be sarcastic Bill?

I'd ask the same question. Are you being sarcastic, or is this just provocative, border-line trolling? There's certainly a debate to be had here, and comments such as Bill's above are sub-par in terms of the standard of discussion achieved so far.

Wild Bill

I don't "troll", border-line or otherwise.

I was characterising, in summary, the arguments of so many here who keep comparing rural Ireland to imagined Arcadias abroad.

If they really feel so strongly positive about rural France, then I think it reasonable to suggest they go there rather than try to re-create it here?

Was I being sarcastic? Absolutely, yes. Some of the views expressed here fully merit sarcasm and I certainly don't share you enthusiasm for the quality of the debate achieved here so far.

Much of the criticism of Ireland is trendy, derivative, formulaic bollix. 'Scuse the language.

If you want certain opinions banned from this thread, just say so and I'll leave it to all the like-minded folk.

:mad:

Amtmann

Wild Bill wrote: »

If you want certain opinions banned from this thread....

:mad:

Not at all - just elaborated on a little more. Your comment caused confusion and was construed as possibly trolling, due in no small part to its brevity. I accept now that it was not an instance of trolling. Feel free to have your spake.