QUEEN VISIT, TAXPAYER MUGGED AGAIN

jakdelad

it has been mooted its going to cost taxpayers approx 30 million
to pay for de queens mini irish break


this is macaleese s doing
she had no business inviting anyone here with such a high cost to the state
so she can swan off after her term on a high note
the country cannot afford this
wheres the money going to come from???

later12

Nijmegen wrote: »

Ireland bailout: UK to lend £7bn

Oh come on now really that's a pretty pathetic rebuttal. I'm not a nationalist by any means, but 30 million euro is significant and is completely unrelated to a UK loan, itself wonderful and welcome. I am not convinced that Ireland is ready for the royal visit, or that the cost is even remotely good value, but I'm sure that Irish people supposedly 'confident' about their nationality will, in their understandable eagerness to disassociate themselves from extreme nationalists, bang on how it is all so worth it, regardless.

To put it in context, that money could have precisely doubled the Income tax relief for energy efficient measures in houses in budget 2011. Something which could have actually been, oh, I don't know, useful?

jakdelad

jakdelad wrote: »

it has been mooted its going to cost taxpayers approx 30 million
to pay for de queens mini irish break


this is macaleese s doing
she had no business inviting anyone here with such a high cost to the state
so she can swan off after her term on a high note
the country cannot afford this
wheres the money going to come from???

http://goireland.about.com/od/preparingyourtrip/qt/statistics.htm

Who Visits Ireland?
Tourism Statistics

Largest national groups are

Great Britain with nearly 1,600,000 visitors,
the USA with around 870,000 guests,
Germany providing nearly 300,000 tourist,
France accounting for a slightly lower number and
nearly 190,000 Italians.

Despite 30 years of bombings and shootings in the news with British soldiers going home in coffins or maimed and British cities regularly bombed the British are our no 1 tourists. We badly need this to go well as it will put many peoples minds to rest about whether Ireland is an ok place to visit or not.

Do not blame anyone but the nutjob dissidents for the expensive security costs. Its nobody elses fault but theirs that we have to spend so much to keep it safe. We can not afford this to end badly hence the huge effort.

1.6 million tourists dont have to spend much for us to make back our 8 million.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/eygbmhcwcwoj/

It has been reported that the security bill for Queen Elizabeth's visit to Ireland next year could cost the taxpayer more than €8m.

Its Obama & the Queens visit that adds up to 30 million due to the overlap and the way the Gardai are cancelling rest days and doing 12 hours shifts for the entire duration of BOTH visits.

http://www.independent.ie/national-news/security-operation-for-queen-and-obama-visits-to-cost-euro30m-2641132.html

THE cost of the massive security operation to protect Queen Elizabeth and President Barack Obama when they visit later this month is estimated to reach almost €30m

Nijmegen

Just a bit of tongue in cheek.

Okay, how about...

The UK is one of our largest trading partners, tourism sources and emergency jobs market. Anything that normalises and improves relations will strengthen ties and help to open the channels to increasing this business, to our benefit.

That's 80% of the point of most state visits, and 95-99% of the reasoning behind state visits by our president, which are almost always IDA/Enterprise Ireland gigs. And the host nations pay to put her up when she's there.

NinjaTruncs

Isn't the 30 Million for both the Queen and Obama.

meglome

jakdelad wrote: »

it has been mooted its going to cost taxpayers approx 30 million
to pay for de queens mini irish break


this is macaleese s doing
she had no business inviting anyone here with such a high cost to the state
so she can swan off after her term on a high note
the country cannot afford this
wheres the money going to come from???

I'd imagine it would cost an awful lot less if the usual suspects in this country weren't so happy to cause harm/riots. So perhaps you should point the finger at the people who are actually responsible for the high cost.

later12

meglome wrote: »

I'd imagine it would cost an awful lot less if the usual suspects in this country weren't so happy to cause harm/riots. So perhaps you should point the finger at the people who are actually responsible for the high cost.

That's a bit like FF blaming the banks. The question is why should we shoulder such the cost of others' stupidity?

In terms of magnitude there is no comparison, but at least in the case of the banks, there was some vague structural reasoning behind it. There is no logical basis for supporting the Queen's visit apart from potentially putting an old lady and crowds of spectators in harms way for nothing more than the satisfaction of our own petty, naval gazing, symbolism.

meglome

later10 wrote: »

That's a bit like FF blaming the banks. The question is why should we shoulder such the cost of others' stupidity?

I don't think it is. And in general we shouldn't pay for others stupidity. Heads of state visits are a specific and standard thing though. I assume then we shouldn't invite anyone here just because some idiots will cause trouble?

later10 wrote: »

In terms of magnitude there is no comparison, but at least in the case of the banks, there was some vague structural reasoning behind it. There is no logical basis for supporting the Queen's visit apart from potentially putting an old lady and crowds of spectators in harms way for nothing more than the satisfaction of our own petty, naval gazing, symbolism.

I'd hope her visit would be good for tourism and show that we're still open for business given the negative news stories about us worldwide. After all the recent international interest in the British monarchy it might well get some international coverage.

Personally I can find very little I like about her or her ilk but it's not about me it's about the country. And I hope the country does well out of it. Personally I don't care about the symbolism either.

later12

meglome wrote: »

I'd hope her visit would be good for tourism and show that we're still open for business

I sincerely hope so too, but it is quite the risk to take merely (in my opinion) to satisfy McAleese's ambition to play the hostess with the mostess, and which has blatently backfired into a possibly dangerous, and certainly expensive, meaningless farce.

Nobody seems to have costed in any negative repercussions to trouble in proclaiming this as a success at this stage.

meglome

later10 wrote: »

I sincerely hope so too, but it is quite the risk to take merely (in my opinion) to satisfy McAleese's ambition to play the hostess with the mostess, and which has blatently backfired into a possibly dangerous, and certainly expensive, meaningless farce.

Nobody seems to have costed in any negative repercussions to trouble in proclaiming this as a success at this stage.

I suppose it will all depend if it all goes off without a hitch. But it there are news stories around the world of riots it will have gone horribly wrong. Unfortunately I don't rule out either.

loremolis

HRH_The_Queen wrote: »

You're not a very good writer, are you ? Are you sure you pay taxes ? I'm told that I do

If you're going to pretend to be the Queen please do it properly

It's "One is told one does"

MagicSean

NinjaTruncs wrote: »

Isn't the 30 Million for both the Queen and Obama.

And Slane and Europa final and Northern Ireland game?

Wolfe Tone

If relations between the two states where perfectly normal there wouldn't be a need for these huge precautions to be taken.

The visit is a stupid idea with little or no benefit and there is a huge and very real prospect of the visit going wrong and damaging relations.

meglome

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

If relations between the two states where perfectly normal there wouldn't be a need for these huge precautions to be taken.

What's wrong with the relations?

later12

meglome wrote: »

What's wrong with the relations?

The British people have lost enough servicemen and police officers in the recent past to know that while our two states may, thankfully, have very normal and cordial relationships, this relationship is not shared among all of the people.

That is a pity, but it is a reality that must not be overlooked in seeking symbolic meetings and displays of normality where such symbolism and such displays are unnecessarily troubling, or indeed put human life in danger. The cost is significant too, but the immediate danger is primarily one of safety. Are you satisfied that this is safe?

GSF

later10 wrote: »

Are you satisfied that this is safe?

This is probably the safest week to ever be in Dublin as every criminal in the city is under observation from the cops.

later12

GSF wrote: »

This is probably the safest week to ever be in Dublin as every criminal in the city is under observation from the cops.

I'm going to guess that is an opinion rather than fact. The Gardai simply do not have the resources to police every criminal, manhole, wastebin and parked car in the city, despite their undeniably commendable efforts.

I would sincerely love to see the day, in the near future, when there can be an official British head of state visit to Ireland, whereby there is little or no security threat to the people.

As it stands, the security threat both to onlookers, and to this rather harmless old lady, cannot be denied and indeed is not being denied either. Unfortunately, as I said earlier, the troublemakers will likely be hard to identify, unlike as might have been the case in the early 1990s when our surveillance of these troublemakers was much more extensive. Now, however, many of them are new recruits with whom we are unfamiliar. That is going to be a problem.

If the troublemakers target anyone, in my opinion, they are likely to target the crowd. There is nothing to gain by attacking an 85 year old grandmother and her rather harmless yet vaguely senile husband. However targeting those who support the symbolism of the event is exactly the sort of twisted logic that these thugs will employ if they do cause trouble. I personally am unhappy that the state is willing to take this risk for the sake of fighting symbolism with symbolism. Have we not taken ourselves beyond this point yet?

The whole thing is a gross mistake that has backfired.

GSF

later10 wrote: »

I'm going to guess that is an opinion rather than fact. The Gardai simply do not have the resources to police every criminal, manhole, wastebin and parked car in the city, despite their undeniably commendable efforts.

I would sincerely love to see the day, in the near future, when there can be an official British head of state visit to Ireland, whereby there is little or no security threat to the people.

As it stands, the security threat both to onlookers, and to this rather harmless old lady, cannot be denied and indeed is not being denied either. Unfortunately, as I said earlier, the troublemakers will likely be hard to identify, unlike as might have been the case in the early 1990s when our surveillance of these troublemakers was much more extensive. Now, however, many of them are new recruits with whom we are unfamiliar. That is going to be a problem.

If the troublemakers target anyone, in my opinion, they are likely to target the crowd. There is nothing to gain by attacking an 85 year old grandmother and her rather harmless yet vaguely senile husband. However targeting those who support the symbolism of the event is exactly the sort of twisted logic that these thugs will employ if they do cause trouble. I personally am unhappy that the state is willing to take this risk for the sake of fighting symbolism with symbolism. Have we not taken ourselves beyond this point yet?

The whole thing is a gross mistake that has backfired.

Most of this fear and paranoia is being created by people on here and elsewhere saying "what if this happens" or "what if that happens". This is being stirred up by some people to try to make people nervous. As FDR say fear itself is a very powerful tool.

Every event from the World Cup to the Olympics to the Eurovision tonight would be cancelled if your advice was followed.

later12

GSF wrote: »

This is being stirred up by some people to try to make people nervous.

No. The fear exists because nobody wants to see well meaning old dears coming out to welcome another well meaning old dear be the victim of mindless, extreme, nationalism.

The threat from mindless extreme nationalism exists and is a very real one. If you want to deny it fine; hopefully nothing goes wrong. However if something does happen in the crowd and people get hurt, only then will questions be asked as to why this was allowed to go ahead.. And the answer to that, tragically, will be 'for symbolism'. Have we not had enough of symbolism in this country?

jakdelad

GSF wrote: »

This is probably the safest week to ever be in Dublin as every criminal in the city is under observation from the cops.

a friend of mine down from dublin last night
said the gards were going door to door asking people if they had any objections about queenies visit
whats the purpose of that??

later12

jakdelad wrote: »

a friend of mine down from dublin last night
said the gards were going door to door asking people if they had any objections about queenies visit
whats the purpose of that??

A bit like when you apply for a US visa and they ask whether or not you are a terrorist, and whether you have beef with the US President. Which of course all terrorists answer in the affirmative... naturally.

manic mailman

All i hope for is , as mentioned in other posts above, that we end up benefiting in the long term. Maybe Enda should cheekily ask for a donation? :P

RichardAnd

jakdelad wrote: »

a friend of mine down from dublin last night
said the gards were going door to door asking people if they had any objections about queenies visit
whats the purpose of that??

In the 80s, the cops called to peoples' homes asking if they'd stolen a rather famous missing horse. They didn't find him and I don't think this method of rooting out terrorists will work either.

I'm in Dublin and I've heard this and while I have no objections to the Queen's visit myself, the guards have no right to ask me that and would be promptly told to mind their own business.

jakdelad

RichardAnd wrote: »

In the 80s, the cops called to peoples' homes asking if they'd stolen a rather famous missing horse. They didn't find him and I don't think this method of rooting out terrorists will work either.

I'm in Dublin and I've heard this and while I have no objections to the Queen's visit myself, the guards have no right to ask me that and would be promptly told to mind their own business.

they should have had that question on the census
does one like royalty or does one not give a fuk

Black Swan

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