Barry "The Spin" Kenny on Mooney Live

foggy_lad

He has been talking up an airport dart link from just north of Clongriffin and refuses to say how many of the cheap €10 each way fares arte available online.

crushproof

"Eh...eh...eh" attempting to justify the cost of food and drinks on board.

jpfahy

He doesn't work for Irish Rail, he's contracted to do their spoofing

LXFlyer

To be fair what transport company does ever divulge how many seats are sold at what price, be they bus, rail, sea or air operators?

That is commercially sensitive information.

foggy_lad

And the train from Connolly to Donobate only takes 20 minutes lol

dowlingm

lxflyer wrote: »

To be fair what transport company does ever divulge how many seats are sold at what price, be they bus, rail, sea or air operators?

That is commercially sensitive information.

It is to a point but since there is no direct competition on the railway and they receive massive state subvention they should have to open their kimonos a bit more than they do.

At the same time, IE isn't giving away cheap seats for fun. They're giving away seats that would otherwise be empty (having filled much of the others with people on passes :rolleyes: ) There is not and should not be an obligation to sell below cost fares on full trains for some kind of parity of esteem reasons.

shamwari

foggy_lad wrote: »

And the train from Connolly to Donobate only takes 20 minutes lol

Some do.

bk

I wonder if a Freedom of Information request would get the percentage of €10 seats sold on intercity?

I've always assumed that the percentage of cheap seats sold is incredibly low, that it is in fact nothing but a marketing ploy to get people to think Rail is cheap, while the majority in fact pay the full price.

Losty Dublin

bk wrote: »

I wonder if a Freedom of Information request would get the percentage of €10 seats sold on intercity?

I've always assumed that the percentage of cheap seats sold is incredibly low, that it is in fact nothing but a marketing ploy to get people to think Rail is cheap, while the majority in fact pay the full price.

Companies are not covered by Freedom of Information.

Judgement Day

I try not to listen to the Mooney Show as a rule but today caught most of the Barry Kenny piece - it really put the regular Newstalk "Hook & Kenny Love-in" to shame. They were all out - the Wan from Donegal talking out of her bottom about railways to Donegal, the idiot complaining about peak hour trains being standing room only, and Kenny crapping on about the cost of new carriages (and Mooney too ill informed to mention the prematurely withdrawn MkIIIs). No mention, of course, of the design flaws with the 22000s (lack of SDO etc.), lack of bike/parcel space, increased uselessness of IE to the great majority of passengers and business......One of these days I'll get in a studio with BK and I promise I'll demolish him.

dowlingm

Irish Rail is not "yet" covered by FOIA 1997.
http://www.irishrail.ie/about_us/code_of_ethics.asp

DWCommuter

Judgement Day wrote: »

One of these days I'll get in a studio with BK and I promise I'll demolish him.

You won't because a presenter will not let you. In media circles, the "respect" is afforded to BK over any mere mortal that is rolled out to try and challenge him. Personally I've been lucky enough to have had a few decent goes at BK over the years, but in general, you are treated as a nark with an agenda, while BK is the messiah that "actually works for the railway". The Irish Media are still very slow (or afraid) to really disconnect themselves from the supposed "professionalism" of the Semi States.

markpb

Losty Dublin wrote: »

Companies are not covered by Freedom of Information.

I suspect that if the DoT requested the information on foot of a PQ, the information would then be available under FoI.

Losty Dublin

markpb wrote: »

I suspect that if the DoT requested the information on foot of a PQ, the information would then be available under FoI.

It still wouldn't as Irish Rail is a private company, even if it is owned by the State. Almost all PQ's related to semi state companies are answered with the words "It is a matter for...." included in them; in other words you don't get an answer.

schemingbohemia

Losty Dublin wrote: »

It still wouldn't as Irish Rail is a private company, even if it is owned by the State. Almost all PQ's related to semi state companies are answered with the words "It is a matter for...." included in them; in other words you don't get an answer.

Not true, if the Department has the information it must release it. All depends on how the query is put but shouldn't be a problem getting it.

n97 mini

Speaking of Barry Kenny, I heard a few years ago that he used to live in Maynooth, but got fed up of the shítty train service and went an bought a house in D4 or somewhere along the DART.

Any truth to this?

markpb

n97 mini wrote: »

Speaking of Barry Kenny, I heard a few years ago that he used to live in Maynooth, but got fed up of the shítty train service and went an bought a house in D4 or somewhere along the DART. Any truth to this?

I doubt that a senior Irish Rail manager responsible for PR would be stupid enough to say that to anyone. It stinks of bar talk to me.

Is it possible he got a payrise and decided he wanted a house in a nicer part of town? He wouldn't be the first.

Losty Dublin

schemingbohemia wrote: »

Not true, if the Department has the information it must release it. All depends on how the query is put but shouldn't be a problem getting it.

It just isn't as simple or as encompassing as that when it comes to FOI, SB. FOI isn't the free for all that people reckon it is when it comes to accessing State Papers. Not everything can be released, not everything will be released and crucially to some departments not everything is even there to be released. A department can only release what it has and knows and even then it needs to be relevant to a request, regardless of why or who is requesting it. I worked in a records management unit for a while and while I'm well out of the loop as to the in's and outs of it all, way more papers and files in departments are covered under secrecy acts than what FOI can release to you.

schemingbohemia

Losty Dublin wrote: »

It just isn't as simple or as encompassing as that when it comes to FOI, SB. FOI isn't the free for all that people reckon it is when it comes to accessing State Papers. Not everything can be released, not everything will be released and crucially to some departments not everything is even there to be released. A department can only release what it has and knows and even then it needs to be relevant to a request, regardless of why or who is requesting it. I worked in a records management unit for a while and while I'm well out of the loop as to the in's and outs of it all, way more papers and files in departments are covered under secrecy acts than what FOI can release to you.

What I've bolded in your quote actually agrees with what I've stated!
you have to ask the right question, they have to have the document, they have to consult IE but crucially unless there is commercially sensitive information contained therein it has to be released.

n97 mini

markpb wrote: »

I doubt that a senior Irish Rail manager responsible for PR would be stupid enough to say that to anyone. It stinks of bar talk to me.

Who knows, but if he did move from Maynooth to D4 back when Maynooth was served by the Calcutta Express, it makes for a good story.

Ah the days of getting into and out of the guards van, from the ditch... and that was at Castleknock "Station", half a shipping container with a window cut in it.

Judgement Day

markpb wrote: »

I doubt that a senior Irish Rail manager responsible for PR would be stupid enough to say that to anyone. It stinks of bar talk to me.

Is it possible he got a payrise and decided he wanted a house in a nicer part of town? He wouldn't be the first.

And worth every penny of it, defending the indefensible.

Losty Dublin

schemingbohemia wrote: »

What I've bolded in your quote actually agrees with what I've stated!
you have to ask the right question, they have to have the document, they have to consult IE but crucially unless there is commercially sensitive information contained therein it has to be released.

I wasn't disagreeing with you in it; I was pointing out that it's not a simple matter of slapping in a request and 30 days later you have a file on your desk. Plus, the chances are that the guys in Kildare Street won't have the answers to such a question in any case or if they do, it may not be covered if it's "commercially sensitive".

Either way, there is only one way to find out for sure

schemingbohemia

The important thing to remember with FOI is that you're not looking for an answer to a question - you're looking for a document that has the answer within it! Two very different things.

It's definitely not simple, but with forethought and keeping in mind what I've stated the answers can be got.

Losty Dublin

schemingbohemia wrote: »

The important thing to remember with FOI is that you're not looking for an answer to a question - you're looking for a document that has the answer within it! Two very different things.

It's definitely not simple, but with forethought and keeping in mind what I've stated the answers can be got.

Correct.... Provided they have it on file

Victor

n97 mini wrote: »

Speaking of Barry Kenny, I heard a few years ago that he used to live in Maynooth, but got fed up of the shítty train service and went an bought a house in D4 or somewhere along the DART.

Any truth to this?

Such speculation is wholly inappropriate.

schemingbohemia

It's in the legislation - if you want it changed contact your TD. By the way alleging corruption in the way you have is bang out of order.

shamwari

n97 mini wrote: »

Speaking of Barry Kenny, I heard a few years ago that he used to live in Maynooth, but got fed up of the shítty train service and went an bought a house in D4 or somewhere along the DART.

Any truth to this?

Victor wrote: »

Such speculation is wholly inappropriate.

Agree entirely Victor. I would be the first to disagree with Mr Kenny about how the railways are run in this country.

However what he chooses to do outside of work and in his personal capacity - including where he chooses to live - is nobody elses business but his. We have no right to question where he lives in the same way he has no right to question where I or anyone else chooses to live.

Again, some people just might have an obscession with playing the man instead of the ball. :rolleyes:

n97 mini

Victor wrote: »

Such speculation is wholly inappropriate.

Speculation that someone moved house because they were unhappy with public transport is wholly inappropriate. Mmmkay.

dowlingm

Losty Dublin wrote: »

It still wouldn't as Irish Rail is a private company, even if it is owned by the State. Almost all PQ's related to semi state companies are answered with the words "It is a matter for...." included in them; in other words you don't get an answer.

NI Transport Ministers seem to answer PQs in a very detailed fashion - is Translink much different from CIE in corporate terms?

Hungerford

dowlingm wrote: »

NI Transport Ministers seem to answer PQs in a very detailed fashion - is Translink much different from CIE in corporate terms?

They come under the UK Freedom of Information Act. See http://www.translink.co.uk/Corporate/Freedom-of-Information/

I presume they give all that information to the Ministers because they know the MLAs can easily get the information through the FOI.

Victor

n97 mini wrote: »

Speculation that someone moved house because they were unhappy with public transport is wholly inappropriate. Mmmkay.

Speculating as to where someone lives (and implicitly inviting further speculation) is inappropriate.

dowlingm

Makes one wonder how CIE can plead to be excluded from FOIA when Translink isn't... is there that much difference in the competitive landscape?

(Although... I'm not sure competition between internecine bus and rail cut-each-other's-throat subsidiaries is as acute in Translink as between CIE's "sister companies")

schemingbohemia

dowlingm wrote: »

Makes one wonder how CIE can plead to be excluded from FOIA when Translink isn't... is there that much difference in the competitive landscape?

(Although... I'm not sure competition between internecine bus and rail cut-each-other's-throat subsidiaries is as acute in Translink as between CIE's "sister companies")

Different jurisdictions, different laws, you could just as easily ask why Amtrak aren't subject to FOI (no idea if they are or not). Not sure that CIE plead to be free of FOI, it wasn't considered for them or ESB/Bord Gais either.

tricky D

I could, but won't, tell you exactly where he lived a couple of years ago and quite possibly still lives, and it's a long long way from Maynooth. So no truth there.

LXFlyer

dowlingm wrote: »

Makes one wonder how CIE can plead to be excluded from FOIA when Translink isn't... is there that much difference in the competitive landscape?

(Although... I'm not sure competition between internecine bus and rail cut-each-other's-throat subsidiaries is as acute in Translink as between CIE's "sister companies")

Yes there is actually.

In NI there are virtually no private coach operators (for whatever reason) operating public transport - virtually all public transport is in the hands of Translink.

In Ireland there are numerous existing/potential private bus operators and they would be seen as competition with Irish Rail as well as the two bus companies. The statutory set up of the three CIE group companies is as commercial semi-state enterprises. Therefore I would view the idea that they be outside the FOI as correct.

DWCommuter

tricky D wrote: »

I could, but won't, tell you exactly where he lived a couple of years ago and quite possibly still lives, and it's a long long way from Maynooth. So no truth there.

It used to be along the Maynooth line but not anymore. And if this is deemed inappropriate speculation, then it contradicts the fact that at the time, BK openly stated in the media that he used the Maynooth line to travel to and from work and was aware of the problems/issues blah blah blah.

n97 mini

DWCommuter wrote: »

It used to be along the Maynooth line

Where was it?

DWCommuter

n97 mini wrote: »

Where was it?

Maynooth.:D