New county council building

chieftan65

Hi folks just a short rant over something that has just come to my attention. I had to visit the motor tax office last week, i wasn't aware it had changed to the new premises. I can only describe as sever shock what i felt when i saw the new building. We are living in a very very tough recession, we have been told to tighten our belts (again), we are up to our eyes in debt that our kids wont even be able to pay off and wexford county council have built and are operating this monster building??? The first thing came to my mind was hypocrites. The government is intoducing a household tax to fund local councils and our crowd have built this lavish luxury building. For anyone that hasn't seen it yet let me explain why I am so bitter about this. The lobby alone seems to be as big as 2 hurling pitches, the temp in the lobby is i would guess a balmy 30 degrees, their oil must be cheaper than ours. There are employees sitting at 7 or 8 desks scattered around this massive lobby, (none of them seemed too busy). I'm not sure but i think its a 3 or 4 storey building and i'd imagine well heated offices take up the floor space on the rest of the levels. Every council worker in wexford must have an office. How in the hell in these times when ordinary decent people have to decide between food and heat cause they cant afford both, can this grotesque waste of tax payers money be tolerated and how in the hell can they seriously expect us to pay another 100 euro to local government and see it being spent in this way????? the mind boggles

Judgement Day

This sort of waste is epidemic throughout the country. Sticking to County Wexford, here in Enniscorthy the Enniscorthy Town Council have offices in the Market Square (plans for an expensive new complex at the 1798 Centre) while Wexford County Council have plush District Offices out on the Old Dublin Road - probably unknown to most citizens of the town who have little reason to visit it. Last year the Town Council bought a small yard, adjoining the Old Dunnes Stores Car Park for a lot of money, and now its being used to dump spoil from work on Court Street. The Court House in Enniscorthy was recently renovated at a cost of €400,000+ and now stands empty. Duplication is the name of the game. Multiply this sort of waste countrywide and you can understand why the State is bankrupt.

Cantona's Collars

But wasn't it €46 million well spent:rolleyes: The pricy artwork alone not to mention the 40 odd grand spent on some furniture in ONE room reminds me of a certain shampoo ad - "it's cos we're worth it"

I feel proud driving past it and seeing the County Hospital next door having to go cap in hand to the public to try and raise funds for a new ward.

I'm sure you've detected an amount of sarcasm in this post.

It's like everything in this country from the health service to the banks. The frontline staff get shafted while those up the ladder get the cream.

allthedoyles

Last time I taxed the car and walked away with my number ticket in my hand - I walked the full length of the complex looking for a dustbin to dispose of it and there were none to be seen anywhere .

I had to ask the girl at reception to put it in the dustbin behind her desk .

It also struck me that none of the employees looked busy and they all just appeared to be chatting to each other .

Why they had to locate the most popular office ( motor tax office ) at the furthermost point is beyond me .

Ozzie

allthedoyles wrote: »

Why they had to locate the most popular office ( motor tax office ) at the furthermost point is beyond me .

To rub the little peoples' noses in it!:mad:

oldyouth

I'm sure that none of them up there have the remotest idea of how distasteful the whole thing is. In their own little bubble, they think they work as hard as the private sector and have a sense of entitlement to have such luxurious working conditions.

You're not going to win this one OP, but you're perfectly right in what you say

chieftan65

allthedoyles wrote: »

Last time I taxed the car and walked away with my number ticket in my hand - I walked the full length of the complex looking for a dustbin to dispose of it and there were none to be seen anywhere .

I had to ask the girl at reception to put it in the dustbin behind her desk .

It also struck me that none of the employees looked busy and they all just appeared to be chatting to each other .

Why they had to locate the most popular office ( motor tax office ) at the furthermost point is beyond me .

And with each step you took along that massive well heated hall i'm sure you were bursting with pride knowing the tax you had just paid was going towards something so worthy??

Corvo

** prepares matches and kerosene **

Chloroplast

Someone told me the staff aint happy there because they have nowhere to go for their lunch.

LMAO.

vicwatson

Chloroplast wrote: »

Someone told me the staff aint happy there because they have nowhere to go for their lunch.

LMAO.

:eek::eek:

Have they not got a subsidised canteen?:eek::eek:

Poor staff:rolleyes:

TheChevron

Chloroplast wrote: »

Someone told me the staff aint happy there because they have nowhere to go for their lunch.

LMAO.

They have a canteen. Not subsidised as far as I am aware.

vicwatson

TheChevron wrote: »

They have a canteen. Not subsidised as far as I am aware.

Aw poor staff, in this day and age and they don't have a subsidised canteen, it's just so terrible.

oldyouth

Chloroplast wrote: »

Someone told me the staff aint happy there because they have nowhere to go for their lunch.

LMAO.

Stable Diet have the contract for the canteen up there. You can be certain they're not paying the same prices as the restaurant on the Main St.

Corvo

oldyouth wrote: »

Stable Diet have the contract for the canteen up there. You can be certain they're not paying the same prices as the restaurant on the Main St.

Stable Diet? FFS...Still would be pretty pricey all the same. Eating well anyway aint they?

Chloroplast

I don't know about that Stable Diet stuff, its just wheat really aint it ? feed em a piece of cardboard and they wouldn't know the difference.

To elaborate more, it was said to me that they could just nip into a restaurant or deli for lunch when it was in town. now with the location and the distance from town, you can either bring a few sambos with you, or hit up the "extremely ridiculously overpriced" Boggans shop.

oldyouth

Chloroplast wrote: »

I don't know about that Stable Diet stuff, its just wheat really aint it ? feed em a piece of cardboard and they wouldn't know the difference.

To elaborate more, it was said to me that they could just nip into a restaurant or deli for lunch when it was in town. now with the location and the distance from town, you can either bring a few sambos with you, or hit up the "extremely ridiculously overpriced" Boggans shop.

Ah no, surely the country hasn't reached the stage where people have to eat their own sambos. I thought things were bad but never thought it would come to this

No doubt they all got compensation for the additional commute to work or days off in lieu. Jeez, I hate the civil service in this country.
(note; civil service, not nurses, firemen, gardai, etc)

chieftan65

They have to bring their own sandwiches to work??? christ what next?? wiping their own a***s??? sure they'll soon be down to the same standard as the rest of us knuckle draggers. Civil service needs a bloody reality check. dont hear too many of our local elected representatives saying much about this grotesque waste of our money. Where's the pink clad hairy one? I thought he was the peoples champion? never in history has so much been done by so many for so few... or words to that effect

allthedoyles

The pink-clad hairy one was on Oireachtas Report last night wearing a jumper that was inside-out .

Would'nt it be way better /healthier to eat in the canteen , rather than bring your own sambos.

Think about the scenic views from the roof-top terrace where the canteen is located , and the fresh air it brings .

The canteen was certainly not placed at that location with us tax-payers in mind .

chieftan65

allthedoyles wrote: »

The pink-clad hairy one was on Oireachtas Report last night wearing a jumper that was inside-out .

Would'nt it be way better /healthier to eat in the canteen , rather than bring your own sambos.

Think about the scenic views from the roof-top terrace where the canteen is located , and the fresh air it brings .

The canteen was certainly not placed at that location with us tax-payers in mind .

why would the tax payer be considered?? sure we only pay for these luxuries.. we dont exist in the civil service reality

oldyouth

chieftan65 wrote: »

. Where's the pink clad hairy one? I thought he was the peoples champion? never in history has so much been done by so many for so few... or words to that effect

In fairness now, the deal to build that yoke was signed off around 6 years ago. Nothing the hairy one could have done about it. Also, he was never a local councillor and never operated from there. I think you should acknowledge that.

chieftan65

oldyouth wrote: »

In fairness now, the deal to build that yoke was signed off around 6 years ago. Nothing the hairy one could have done about it. Also, he was never a local councillor and never operated from there. I think you should acknowledge that.

Yes I accept your point, but surely he is in a better position now to highlight this and ongoing waste of funds? I remember hearing him say that "politics was rotten to the core". it was and still is. Money is being wasted now just the same as it was before. This county hall is only one example, look at the money being paid on advisors still by the government who capped their pay. Brendan Howlin would be as well back teaching we might get some benefit out of him that way, cause he is not doing a great job of holding on to the purse strings and implementing caps on salary. Neither is the hairy one it has to be said, none of this is being highlighted by him, why? The last piece of publicity i read about him was how he has sex to unwind, well done mick, we all wanted to know that

oldyouth

Brendan Howlin is in Government, Mick is not. As far as I am aware,Mick is the best attendee in the Dail and a regular contributor to debateS. I'm sure it's not all about his sex life and some of it is comment on the abuse of funds in the State

Donelson

I see nothing wrong with the building. It's been designed and built to a high standard, it will be there for the next 30 years, if people where willing to take the long term view they would realise that we need more investments like this.

Judgement Day

Donelson wrote: »

I see nothing wrong with the building. It's been designed and built to a high standard, it will be there for the next 30 years, if people where willing to take the long term view they would realise that we need more investments like this.

You mean like Thornton Hall Prison or the virtually new Dun Ui Neill Barracks in Cavan which is to close, the Western Railway Corridor, or the Luas Green Line extension - yes the country badly needs lots more wasteful State expenditure. :rolleyes:

Donelson

Would they have been better if they had rented prefabs, investing in rail services of course that's a complete waste of money, what first world country ever invested in their rail service! You guys must be delighted at the state of the roads in wexford, there's been no money wasted on those in years!

oldyouth

Donelson wrote: »

I see nothing wrong with the building. It's been designed and built to a high standard, it will be there for the next 30 years, if people where willing to take the long term view they would realise that we need more investments like this.

Investments are expected to generate returns. That building is just a monument to the egos of public employees

chieftan65

oldyouth wrote: »

Investments are expected to generate returns. That building is just a monument to the egos of public employees[/QUOT

well said oldyouth. I cant see any return in investing in a building like this and the future cost of maintaining this lavish monument doesn't bear thinking about. These funds would be far better for wexford if they were invested in infrastructure.

One Flew Over

This wasted expenditure demonstrates how far removed the government is from the appauling situations in which people are now merely existing. I urge anyone who finds this spending justifiable to travel to Wexford General Hospital where conditions are only comparable to those in the "Third World".

Donelson

Wexford general hospital is a straw man in this discussion, every body knows that it is not lack of money that has our hospitals in the state they are, if you look at our expenditure you'll see we spend more as a percentage of gnp than most of out european neighbours despite a much younger demographic, I personal believe that what we have is the result of a very greedy medical profession and complicate management.

chieftan65

Donelson wrote: »

Wexford general hospital is a straw man in this discussion, every body knows that it is not lack of money that has our hospitals in the state they are, if you look at our expenditure you'll see we spend more as a percentage of gnp than most of out european neighbours despite a much younger demographic, I personal believe that what we have is the result of a very greedy medical profession and complicate management.

So your solution is to waste money building lavish office blocks for over paid inept public servants and pander to their gloated egos??? which department do you work in up there?? actually the work word may be pushing the boundries a bit

Donelson

No I'm not lucky enough to get a job up there, but I still don't think spending money on a quality building is a waste. bitterness and begrudge, does not a good discussion make.

oldyouth

Donelson wrote: »

No I'm not lucky enough to get a job up there, but I still don't think spending money on a quality building is a waste. bitterness and begrudge, does not a good discussion make.

Well good for you. If ever you are waiting for hours at A & E in Wexford General, you can nip out and admire where your taxes were spent just up the road

Niles

chieftan65 wrote: »

So your solution is to waste money building lavish office blocks for over paid inept public servants and pander to their gloated egos??? which department do you work in up there?? actually the work word may be pushing the boundries a bit

In fairness I don't think the majority of the people working in the building would be "overpaid" per se. I know people working for another County Council (not Wexford) and their take home pay wouldn't be that great. I can't imagine Wex Co.Co.'s staff are much better. Seems to be a stereotype associated with the public service.

oldyouth

Niles wrote: »

In fairness I don't think the majority of the people working in the building would be "overpaid" per se. I know people working for another County Council (not Wexford) and their take home pay wouldn't be that great. I can't imagine Wex Co.Co.'s staff are much better. Seems to be a stereotype associated with the public service.

I don't think people have a problem with the pay as such. It's the lack of efficiency & productivity for what they are paid is the issue.

mrmeindl

oldyouth wrote: »

I don't think people have a problem with the pay as such. It's the lack of efficiency & productivity for what they are paid is the issue.

Where do you expect the CoCo workers to work? Have you ever been to the old county hall? It was completely overcrowded and parking was impossible. Instead of the old county hall+various rented properties it has everything under one roof. County councils dont get new offices very frequently so quit whinging, they'll have the current county hall for at least 100 years.
Do you expect these "overpaid inefficient and unproductive" people to work in a tent?
As you clearly seem to think the badly paid and treated workers there must have caused the very recession we are in maybe you have never come across grossly inefficient overpaid and unproductive private sector workers? You're clearly taking the RTE distributed propaganda from the government that all public sector workers are evil and deserve to be demonized for heralding in the EU&IMF.
You must be living in some sort of Private sector utopia if you think it is the bastion of efficiency and intelligence.
Maybe you need a little reminding that the BANKS caused all of this and they are still getting pay rises and bonuses?

I hope you come across one of these mythical incompetent lazy over paid public sector workers in a hospital at some stage.

oldyouth

Firstly, I've reported that for personal abuse, but no matter.

I don't know if you are aware, but Boards does have a Ranting & Raving forum, so I would appreciate if you would vent your feelings there rather than at me. I'm open to discuss this thread at any time but I'm confused as to what you want to talk about. Is it the banks, hospitals, RTE, propaganda, the Government, the EU, the IMF, the quality of tents (or any camping equipment in general) as you have hit on them all there.

Tell me this though, do you like your new office?

St Senan

mrmeindl.

Read the rules don't attack the POSTER attack the post
I wont give you an Infraction this time. I will give you a chance to edit your post and remove your foul language.

chieftan65

Oh dear oldyouth seems like we've hit a nerve. I hope for your sake they dont find out who you are, you'll be left standing at the counter filling out forms for a week the next time you go tax your car.. ha ha

oldyouth

chieftan65 wrote: »

Oh dear oldyouth seems like we've hit a nerve. I hope for your sake they dont find out who you are, you'll be left standing at the counter filling out forms for a week the next time you go tax your car.. ha ha

In fairness the car tax people are fairly good. However, I lodged a particular request with Wex Co Co last August and got a reply at the end of December. Oh what I would have given for only a week to respond. No it wasn't planning or anything that involved a meeting of Councillors, just ordinary stuff.

mrmeindl

oldyouth wrote: »

I don't know if you are aware, but Boards does have a Ranting & Raving forum, so I would appreciate if you would vent your feelings there rather than at me.

So your ranting and raving about the "overpaid inefficient" county council workers is different?

oldyouth wrote: »

I'm open to discuss this thread at any time but I'm confused as to what you want to talk about. Is it the banks, hospitals, RTE, propaganda, the Government, the EU, the IMF, the quality of tents (or any camping equipment in general) as you have hit on them all there.

I really just wanted to abuse you a bit as your uninformed opinions about how much more efficient the anointed private sector is will clearly not be influenced by logic.

oldyouth wrote: »

Tell me this though, do you like your new office?

I dont like the greyness and lifelessness but other than that its a very nice building, but also over-designed, but its good that some money was spent on the County council after all the years in the hellhole that was the old county hall.


I don't work for any public organisation, never intend doing so because of they way public sector workers have been shafted over the years and blamed for the economic apocalypse because a scumbag politician helping out his banker buddies.

Random fact:"Carlow IT wexford campus" have occupied the former County hall and have wasted god knows how much money fitting fire doors and getting new office furniture just to do admin for 3rd rate university thanks to Padge Reck. This is the same building that didn't need fire doors when the CoCo was there. So there you have a real example of waste, but instead of whinging about that you decide the evil incompetent rich county council dosen't deserve new offices.

oldyouth

You keep quoting me as saying "overpaid inefficient" where is that coming from? Also you want to link this thread in to the state of the economy.

Good times or bad, that building cost more money than was necessary to accommodate workers whose paymasters do not generate income to pay for it

mrmeindl

oldyouth wrote: »

You keep quoting me as saying "overpaid
inefficient" where is that coming from? Also you want to link this thread in to the state of the economy.

Here;

oldyouth wrote: »

I don't think people have a problem with the pay as such. It's the lack of efficiency & productivity for what they are paid is the issue.

oldyouth wrote: »

Good times or bad, that building cost more money than was necessary to accommodate workers whose paymasters do not generate income to pay for it

Why should it generate an income? They provide services, not all of which are quantifiable and have potential to make a profit.
No money can be made from having unpolluted rivers or clean beaches nor from library fines.

chieftan65

mrmeindl wrote: »

Here;





Why should it generate an income? They provide services, not all of which are quantifiable and have potential to make a profit.
No money can be made from having unpolluted rivers or clean beaches nor from library fines.

So your quiet happy to pay increased rates and taxes and new household charges so the council can afford to pamper themselves with new state of the art offices while people lie on trollies in the corridors of the hospital across the road? others are faced with the weekly choice of paying the mortgage, buying food or heating their homes? but cant do all 3. But then thats real life in ireland today including wexford, a life it seems you and the pampered few in the council have no concept of.

oldyouth

Mrmeindl, I asked you to tell me where I said the staff were overpaid and inefficient and you quoted this post by me. I still stand by the inefficient part

oldyouth wrote: »

I don't think people have a problem with the pay as such. It's the lack of efficiency & productivity for what they are paid is the issue.

The last thing I'll respond to YOU on this topic is that you seem to want to link my opinions on the office for civil servants, with criticism of other public sector workers. I have nothing but admiration for doctors, nurses, firemen, gardai, ambulance drivers etc. I'd never liken them to the inefficient pen pushers in Wexford and all other Government offices

average_runner

This was actually paid for out of the boom money.:D

It also makes perfect sense to move the council out of their current building, it was in terrible location, poor parking, roads getting blocked and even the building itself was poor enough in parts. I worked in it for a summer over 15 years ago and was bad back then.

Funny story I have is when i open the door to take forms off people in a queue at 1.58 and i got given out for doing it in a major way has union rules state doors open at 2pm.

there was a massive queue so i thought i was doing the right thing.

TheChevron

average_runner wrote: »

This was actually paid for out of the boom money.:D

It also makes perfect sense to move the council out of their current building, it was in terrible location, poor parking, roads getting blocked and even the building itself was poor enough in parts. I worked in it for a summer over 15 years ago and was bad back then.

Funny story I have is when i open the door to take forms off people in a queue at 1.58 and i got given out for doing it in a major way has union rules state doors open at 2pm.

there was a massive queue so i thought i was doing the right thing.

I have to agree with you there. The building makes sense to anyone who had to visit the old Council building, for all the reasons listed above.

But don't let that stand in the way of a good oul whinge lads:D

Cantona's Collars

One gripe I have with the building itself is the waste of space inside,the atrium is massive.You could put 3 tennis courts in there.It seems they went from one extreme to another.Too cramped in the old building to what they have now,how much is the cost of heating the place?

Ian7

zerks wrote: »

One gripe I have with the building itself is the waste of space inside,the atrium is massive.You could put 3 tennis courts in there.

They must have over-estimated Wexford City's growth potential in the boom years. The owners probably dreamed of the atrium being thronged with tax payers, ice-cream sellers and street entertainment. Could have sworn I saw a tumble weed rolling out of the planning department corner the other day.

zerks wrote: »

how much is the cost of heating the place?

I'd love to know this too, I think it was designed as an energy efficient building but I wonder how energy efficient it actually is. We'll probably get the report in twenty years. :rolleyes: Can't wait.

Also, how come no one has posted here about the equally large building beside it? Where was that department located before Carricklawn?

yobr

oldyouth wrote: »

I'd never liken them to the inefficient pen pushers in Wexford and all other Government offices

Do you have any (non anecdotal) evidence of this inefficiency?

yobr

Ian7 wrote: »

Where was that department located before Carricklawn?

Custom House, Dublin.

Conas

Well I'll say this now, It's a disgrace that there was a new county council built, when the General Hospital is falling to the ground. I was inside the new county council building and it's a waste of space, and a waste of tax payers money, they could and should have stayed where they were, because there was nothing wrong with it, considering the botch jobs the county council do anyway the old building was just fine. Wexford General Hospital is inhuman, and the last time I was in it, I was shocked by the dirt of it, but that's a seperate issue. What I'm trying to say is, Wexford needed all that money pumped into the hospital, and not into a new county council building.