'Tis a grand little country...for some!

DenMan

Beggers belief!

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/tds-unite-to-give-themselves-a-weeks-holiday-571779.html

5starpool

It's not like most of them actually attend Dail sessions anyhow.

CianRyan

They're entitled to their breaks, just like you are.
The only thing crazy is that someone would make a big deal over this.

SafeSurfer

At least they cant introduce any new taxes/charges during their week off.

davet82

fair play to them, its not like anybody is going to do anything about it but complain to nobody that matters, if i was them i'd vote in a pay rise too, fcuk it

awec

Are politicians not entitled to holidays too or what?

All those moaning on breakingnews, presumably none of them have taken any annual leave this year?

CardBordWindow

Similar has happened where I work. They didn't call it holidays though. It was called short-time!

jester77

It's a weeks less damage that can be inflicted

SafeSurfer

CianRyan wrote: »

They're entitled to their breaks, just like you are.
The only thing crazy is that someone would make a big deal over this.

Everybody is entitled to breaks from work. However the Dail only sat for 101 days in 2010. At a time when the majority of Irish people are struggling to make ends meet and 80,000 people are emigrating each year, a bit of leadership and hard work from among the highest paid public representatives in the world should not be too much to ask.

SafeSurfer

awec wrote: »

Are politicians not entitled to holidays too or what?

All those moaning on breakingnews, presumably none of them have taken any annual leave this year?

Annual leave? They have just come back from an 8 week summer holiday!

http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2012/0720/opinion/long-summer-break--imf-should-look-at-dail-201351.html

CianRyan

SafeSurfer wrote: »

Everybody is entitled to breaks from work. However the Dail only sat for 101 days in 2010. At a time when the majority of Irish people are struggling to make ends meet and 80,000 people are emigrating each year, a bit of leadership and hard work from among the highest paid public representatives in the world should not be too much to ask.

Great and it's now 2012 and they're taking a week off to spend time with their children while they're off school.
The bastards...

awec

SafeSurfer wrote: »

Annual leave? They have just come back from an 8 week summer holiday!

http://www.irishexaminer.com/archives/2012/0720/opinion/long-summer-break--imf-should-look-at-dail-201351.html

You think when politicians aren't sitting in the Dail that they're lying up in front of the TV?

IvySlayer

WTF is bitching and moaning going to do about it? Ring, e-mail, visit your TD if you have a problem.

juan.kerr

Ridiculous. No doubt this months expense claims won't be affected by the extra week off.

Immaculate Pasta

Malcolm Tucker - "People don't like their politicians to be comfortable. They don't like you having expenses, they don't like you being paid, they rather you lived in a fucking cave."

Grrr politicians...

juan.kerr

Don't think our politicians have to worry about caves given the allowances and expenses they are entitled to even after they are turfed out.

No wonder they haven't done anything about public sector allowances.

kuro2k

CianRyan wrote: »

They're entitled to their breaks, just like you are.
The only thing crazy is that someone would make a big deal over this.

The dail reopened after the summer break on September 18th FFS

Yes that 5 weeks ago!!

Valetta

Sounds good enough to me.

They do a thankless job as evidenced here regularly, work long hours and have work away while the Dail is not sitting.

It's not a weeks holidays.

Valetta

I also agree with the thread title.

I'm happy with my lot.

CianRyan

kuro2k wrote: »

The dail reopened after the summer break on September 18th FFS

Yes that 5 weeks ago!!

I still don't see why you should be angry about this.

Wetbench4

So lots of people here are ok with this.?? Christ i need to get myself and my family out this fcuked up country. There is nope for this place.

Red Pepper

CianRyan wrote: »

They're entitled to their breaks, just like you are.
The only thing crazy is that someone would make a big deal over this.

Typical Irish apologist. You must have an angle.

Red Pepper

Wetbench4 wrote: »

So lots of people here are ok with this.?? Christ i need to get myself and my family out this fcuked up country. There is nope for this place.

Agreed, nation of cowards.

Chuck Stone

That's one less week of dickheads making a balls of everything.

Every cloud and all that bollocks.

fishy fishy

why are ye surprised. Politicans are not for the good of this country, they for the good of themselves and themselves only.

isn't it lovely for them to decide to give themselves a little break - wish we could all do that.

great "labour" party we have.

Chucken

CianRyan wrote: »

I still don't see why you should be angry about this.

Are you serious??

I cant even begin to explain how wrong what they're doing is.

Valetta

Red Pepper wrote: »

Agreed, nation of cowards.

As opposed to a nation of whingers on the internet?

Get over yourself.

CianRyan

Red Pepper wrote: »

Typical Irish apologist. You must have an angle.

Typical Irish wingebag. You must have an angle.

Chucken wrote: »

Are you serious??

I cant even begin to explain how wrong what they're doing is.

No please do explain. I'd love to hear it.

Lenin Skynard

Valetta wrote: »

Sounds good enough to me.

They do a thankless job as evidenced here regularly, work long hours and have work away while the Dail is not sitting.

It's not a weeks holidays.

A six figure sum for a salary is thanks enough I reckon, if not a bit too much thanks. My local TD is a FG backbencher. She does nothing for the area and is very hard to get a hold of, I haven't seen her speak once in the Dail or any of the committees. She's not even there most of the time and she's not here "on the ground" in the community either.

tayto lover

Could the country be much worse off if they didn't come back at all?

sureitsgrand

Do people realise that actually sitting in the Dáil is only one aspect of the role of a TD. And in any case, the results of all votes (99%) are never in doubt due to the whip-system and vote-matching anyway.

Constituency work, advocacy, clinics with constituency members, departmental work have to be done as well.

I'm not being facetious (and am not a member of a party or even ideologically consistent with any of them) but do people not understand this? There are sooo many things to give out to politicians about - but this isn't one of them

If it was such a fn doss of a job there'd be far more people getting involved in it.

HeyThereDeliah

How many politicians work 9/5 ? They are having a week off but most of them will probably still be working.
I'm not feeling sorry for them btw but I don't think it's a big deal either.

Boombastic

IvySlayer wrote: »

WTF is bitching and moaning going to do about it? Ring, e-mail, visit your TD if you have a problem.

I tried but they are out of the Office for the week and I can't afford the trip to Barbados to visit them in Person:( I'll have to meet him at the airport upon his return

Pottler

I really care less how much time-off the windbags get per annum, the more they're off the less harm they do. What bugs me is when they're not off, they spend their time in the Dail having giggly, pally arguements about utter shyte - there's no real debate, the party whip system takes care of getting votes through, so the whole system is one big, dear, sham.

steddyeddy

awec wrote: »

Are politicians not entitled to holidays too or what?

All those moaning on breakingnews, presumably none of them have taken any annual leave this year?

Do they not get some of the summer off?

CianRyan

steddyeddy wrote: »

Do they not get some of the summer off?

Do you only take the summer off?

msg11

They should take a few more months off the shower of useless bastards.

MadsL

awec wrote: »

You think when politicians aren't sitting in the Dail that they're lying up in front of the TV?

Yep, usually to their constituents, or on TV.

Skinnykenyan

Not many of us get 5 weeks in a year off never mind for summer and while the ordinary joe soaps kids are on midterm they dont have the choice of taking the week off. The government is elected to serve us and our tax pays their wage so they should work the same hours and have the same holiday entitlements as us.. Ireland is gone to the dogs and that bogger enda and his cronies arent helping us out at all.. They just let us get merked by angie and her bitches in europe

Boombastic

When are their Christmas holidays starting?

user2011

wishes i could just vote for a week off :pac::rolleyes:

*waits for all the kite flying about the budget* and no minister around too be asked questions.

SafeSurfer

Boombastic wrote: »

When are their Christmas holidays starting?

Normally a month. Mid December to mid January.

For all the people defending the holidays taken by our TDs and saying that they are still working etc etc.

They signed up for this. Look at the selection process for candidates in any party and there are people tripping over themselves to get themselves on the ticket. In my opinion a very small number of these people seek election out of any sense of public duty or to make this country a better place. The majority are in it for their ego or for the oppourtunities it brings to their "real" job be it solicitor, publican, auctioneer etc etc.

There is no tradition of public service in this country just the usual bunch of whinge bags with over inflated egos who love to hear the sound of their own voice and be "in the know". You get these people everywhere from residents associations to sports clubs. Politics just offers them a larger arena to display their self importance.

And lots of people are working their boll*x off and not getting a massive salary and expenses for even travelling to work.

For example when Labour TD Willie Penrose resigned from cabinet he received a 30,000 euro severence package despite being in the position for eight months.

We are the real gobsh*tes though because we put up with this farce.

dark crystal

CianRyan wrote: »

Do you only take the summer off?

8 weeks summer holiday?? I wish!

steddyeddy

CianRyan wrote: »

Do you only take the summer off?

Im up at 7 am and back in at 10-11pm. All for a lot less pay than these. They certainly dont "need" a break. I expect a lot more from them in future.

Luca Brasi

SafeSurfer wrote: »

Everybody is entitled to breaks from work. However the Dail only sat for 101 days in 2010. At a time when the majority of Irish people are struggling to make ends meet and 80,000 people are emigrating each year, a bit of leadership and hard work from among the highest paid public representatives in the world should not be too much to ask.

The saddest thing is that there are many people who actually believe that the sitting Dail can achieve anything worthwhile.
When we let the firing squads loose on Kildare st we might get some action

KKkitty

Lenin Skynard wrote: »

A six figure sum for a salary is thanks enough I reckon, if not a bit too much thanks. My local TD is a FG backbencher. She does nothing for the area and is very hard to get a hold of, I haven't seen her speak once in the Dail or any of the committees. She's not even there most of the time and she's not here "on the ground" in the community either.

+1 2 of my local tds are the exact same. It's ridiculous them taking this time off. Once they get in the Dail to hell with those who voted to get them there in the first place. One former td from my local area was constantly on tv behind her party leader but was never there for her constituents. The same hag would go to the opening of an envelope if there was publicity in it for her.

dhmusic

i'll be ringing my local TD as soon as I find out who it is and asking them can i go into the dail and have a row with a few people for the week i'll even do it for half what they're paid. we could have a game of fruit bowling aswell.

Fishooks12

SafeSurfer wrote: »

Everybody is entitled to breaks from work. However the Dail only sat for 101 days in 2010. At a time when the majority of Irish people are struggling to make ends meet and 80,000 people are emigrating each year, a bit of leadership and hard work from among the highest paid public representatives in the world should not be too much to ask.

You'd swear td's sat on their arse watching telly all down when they're not in the Daíl.

There are plenty of good TD's around the country who are flat out working for their constituents when they're not sitting in the Daíl.

Plus this is a non story anyway. They have to pass a motion to take holidays every year.

SafeSurfer

Fishooks12 wrote: »

You'd swear td's sat on their arse watching telly all down when they're not in the Daíl.

There are plenty of good TD's around the country who are flat out working for their constituents when they're not sitting in the Daíl.

Plus this is a non story anyway. They have to pass a motion to take holidays every year.

We are in the midst of a national emergency. Even as an example to the people of the country and international observers there would be merit in our elected representatives passing a motion to forgo a mid term break in other to better deal with the crisis we are experiencing.

Do you think Michael Collins and the boys took a week off when trying to gain independence? No! Well neither should their heirs in their limp wristed attempts to regain Irish sovereignty.

If you look closely at the "work" TDs and ministers put in a lot of it is not for the good of the country but merely photo ops with their re election/poll ratings in mind.

Would you prefer if Enda Kenny climbed Croagh Patrick with Trapattoni or picked up the telephone to Angela Merkel?

TDs still attend the funeral of every Tom, Dick and Harry in their constituency because they might lose a couple of votes if they don't. You can call it work if you want but they are working on their own behalf, not ours.

Fishooks12

SafeSurfer wrote: »

We are in the midst of a national emergency. Even as an example to the people of the country and international observers there would be merit in our elected representatives passing a motion to forgo a mid term break in other to better deal with the crisis we are experiencing.

Do you think Michael Collins and the boys took a week off when trying to gain independence? No! Well neither should their heirs in their limp wristed attempts to regain Irish sovereignty.

If you look closely at the "work" TDs and ministers put in a lot of it is not for the good of the country but merely photo ops with their re election/poll ratings in mind.

Would you prefer if Enda Kenny climbed Croagh Patrick with Trapattoni or picked up the telephone to Angela Merkel?

TDs still attend the funeral of every Tom, Dick and Harry in their constituency because they might lose a couple of votes if they don't. You can call it work if you want but they are working on their own behalf, not ours.

Nothing but lazy generalisations and the usual moaner crap in that. Surprised you didn't mention the "gamblers", or use the word "fianna failure"

Maybe instead of moaning about it on an internet forum though you could actually get involved. Run for local office.

It always strikes me as amusing that most of the moaners in this country have no interest themselves of getting involved in the democratic process in Ireland.

There are plenty of bad tds in Leinster house. But there are plenty of very good tds doing very good work at local and national level, from every party.

And trying to offload the work done at home by the good tds as "attending a funeral or two" is a tired lazy cliche. You should educate yourself into the huge work done by some backbenchers across the political spectrum at a local level before coming out with that kind of crap

otto_26

CianRyan wrote: »

Great and it's now 2012 and they're taking a week off to spend time with their children while they're off school.
The bastards...

They have had enough time off to spend with their children.

But thanks for your insight... The next time I run out of annual leave I will just say to the boss I need the week off, my children are off School need to spend time with them!! :rolleyes: