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What should politicians/policy makers do to fix the country?

  • 04-07-2013 4:01pm
    #1
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,564 ✭✭✭✭steddyeddy


    So when it comes time for them to canvas at your door in in your area exactly what issues will you raise with them? The issues I will raise are as below and In my view are standing in the way of the county's recovery.
    • The party whip system (as used here) is undemocratic to say the least
    • Politician's expenses
    • Gangsters like you Lowry still being part of Fine Gael
    • We need a system of education like Finland's and to ensure standardised testing we need to malke all schools private schools, get rid of private schools or bring all schools up to the same level.
    • I don't like the ad hominem attacks Enda makes every time he is asked a stragtforward question!

    I also think we should be very wary of student politics but that's another story.


Comments

  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,094 ✭✭✭wretcheddomain


    I'd bring up the long-term unemployed who abuse the welfare system inside out as a lifestyle choice and instruct said politicians to impose harsher penalties and stricter protocols to ensure it can't be a lifestyle choice any more.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,828 ✭✭✭stimpson


    Resign.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,464 ✭✭✭Celly Smunt


    Maybe promote training and education for the unemployed rather than cut the likes of BTEA every year,and maybe stop increasing the bloody student contribution for 3rd level fees.Theres no point having a free education system you have to pay for,bring in a loan system open to everybody or have it free for all.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,564 ✭✭✭✭steddyeddy


    Maybe promote training and education for the unemployed rather than cut the likes of BTEA every year,and maybe stop increasing the bloody student contribution for 3rd level fees.Theres no point having a free education system you have to pay for,bring in a loan system open to everybody or have it free for all.

    This! Education should be promoted bigtime in this country. More educated people would attract more industry in conjunction with our low corporate tax rates.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,110 ✭✭✭xpletiv


    The current generation, as in the 18-30 bracket, are amongst the best educated and intelligent people on the planet. We have been lucky to have an excellent education through primary, secondary, and college levels of schooling, much, much more than the generation before us, and probably better than the generation to follow due to our cuts and debts. So as radical as it seems, I believe that all politicians over the age of 40, with no third level education, be immediately terminated from the government. This is because they have little or no clue about what the country needs. We can see this through the cuts towards education and yet investment in multinational corporation.

    Indiginous companies need to be generated. Start giving much, much better tax breaks to irish companies than to the MNCs. Otherwise, continue to see our best and brightest emigrate to other countries that give better offers. This generation is well educated and international; when we see some opportunity internationally, we are more likely to go for it due to the poor chances here.

    Expenses - cut them all. We, as the working people of Ireland, should not be paying these people for cushy lives, which they have. There is no excuse and I believe that the Irish people (yes, you me and all) are as much to blame for letting it get to this stage. Cap at 100k and no other expenses. Nothing. Everything comes out their own pocket; see smaller B&Bs and cheaper hotels suddenly start to get more business due to politicians have to spend their own money. Got to open a school in Galway Enda? Get a bus or drive yourself; no helicopter or private driver. These people are just people; they should not have been allowed to get on this pedistal, especially seen as how poor a job has been done in the last few years.

    Dole - Cut off after 6 months if no work is found for 1 month. Saves a bundle and will get people back working. Be more forceful; dont reduce the amount, because thats at its tether already, but reduce the amount of time in a row that people can claim it. People are lazy; get a job in Tesco or a bar or something for wages. Staying on the dole for 2 and 3 years+ is inexcusable.

    Party Whip system - agree with above. Abolish, makes a mockery of democracy.

    Keep drink cheap, dont increase smokes any more. These are tough ones for people to deal with; we need something in these troubled times. There are particular other substances that could be legalised to generate money as well and I think Ireland is ready for this. We are an intelligent population; we can make our own decisions.

    Diplomacy - Stop being so darn cowardly. Play more hardball with Europe.

    Banks - No more bank bailouts. Bring those responsible to trial. No more cowardice.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,797 ✭✭✭✭hatrickpatrick


    I'll get attacked for this but I'mma say it anyway: The economic and financial system needs to be completely burned to the ground from top to bottom and redesigned. I don't just mean reformed, I mean fundamentally redesigned. The concept of debt = money creation and fractional reserve banking repeatedly get us into these ridiculous artificially imposed messes - there's no physical scarcity nor shortage of labour, the only issue is an artificial concept which doesn't work. That's bonkers. It needs to go.

    Those with the power to create currency should not also have a vested interest in making money from it. Banking should be a public service and not a for profit enterprise, until this happens we will continue to have an unfair society and we will continue to have repeated economic crashes. What do you think causes the boom and bust cycle exactly?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,002 ✭✭✭Seedy Arling


    steddyeddy wrote: »
    So when it comes time for them to canvas at your door in in your area exactly what issues will you raise with them? The issues I will raise are as below and In my view are standing in the way of the county's recovery.
    • The party whip system (as used here) is undemocratic to say the least
    • Politician's expenses
    • Gangsters like you Lowry still being part of Fine Gael
    • We need a system of education like Finland's and to ensure standardised testing we need to malke all schools private schools, get rid of private schools or bring all schools up to the same level.
    • I don't like the ad hominem attacks Enda makes every time he is asked a stragtforward question!
    I also think we should be very wary of student politics but that's another story.
    Harakiri.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 9,464 ✭✭✭Celly Smunt


    xpletiv wrote: »

    Dole - Cut off after 6 months if no work is found for 1 month. Saves a bundle and will get people back working. Be more forceful; dont reduce the amount, because thats at its tether already, but reduce the amount of time in a row that people can claim it. People are lazy; get a job in Tesco or a bar or something for wages. Staying on the dole for 2 and 3 years+ is inexcusable.

    .

    430000 odd thousand jobs aren't going to magically appear from cutting people off the dole,Cutting people won't work

    People seem to think that dole money magically disappears off the face of the earth once its in the hands of a recipient.It doesn't,its circulated back into the economy and gives spending power to a quarter of irelands population,take that away and you've just excluded billions which could've been circulated.Leave the dole,but promote progressive alternatives such as education and PROPER internship placements.


    P.S at least 23% of all dole money is put back into revenue.


  • Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 5,671 ✭✭✭BraziliaNZ


    Ultra Socialism and a focus on inner peace instead of materialism being the objective of life


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 27,564 ✭✭✭✭steddyeddy


    Harakiri.

    I take it you refer to the ritual suicide? Care to elaborate?


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 28,789 ✭✭✭✭ScumLord


    We need a complete overhaul of absolutely everything. Our government, our law system and our education system are from a different era and unsuitable for the modern world.

    I'd start with the education system, I don't think we've produced people that can deal with the problem, we need a new breed of people coming out of our schools that can do the job.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 724 ✭✭✭Park Royal


    Perhaps part of the fixing would be an amnesty to all politicians who admit to

    their taking of back handers....a national reconciliation by crooked politicians

    who declare who gave them the back handers under what circumstances and

    who refund such monies to the state......with a commitment to stand

    witness against the persons involved in criminal cases the DPP may take.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 112 ✭✭V4Voluntary


    The establishment parties can't do anything because their very survival depends on keeping the present system intact.

    Jaysus I thought public opinion was a bit further along than this...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,339 ✭✭✭Artful_Badger


    Whatever David Norris wants before he burns the whole place to the ground



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,229 ✭✭✭LeinsterDub


    More free cheese


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,076 ✭✭✭✭bnt


    stimpson wrote: »
    Resign.
    Harakiri.
    To be replaced with ... what?

    Like the UK, Ireland has an unelected Civil Service which actually runs the country, while interchangeable politicians strut and fret their hour upon the stage. A change in the politicians would not change how the country is run: that would require changes to the law, which is a bit more complicated.

    Really fundamental changes would require changes to the Constitution. For Ireland to become a Communist State, for example, you'd have to repeal Articles 40-44. Good luck with that. :rolleyes:

    You are the type of what the age is searching for, and what it is afraid it has found. I am so glad that you have never done anything, never carved a statue, or painted a picture, or produced anything outside of yourself! Life has been your art. You have set yourself to music. Your days are your sonnets.

    ―Oscar Wilde predicting Social Media, in The Picture of Dorian Gray



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 23,246 ✭✭✭✭Dyr


    I'd bring up the long-term unemployed who abuse the welfare system inside out as a lifestyle choice and instruct said politicians to impose harsher penalties and stricter protocols to ensure it can't be a lifestyle choice any more.

    this is why you'll never see change in Ireland. Curtain twitchers who don't care about being robbed of billions so long as that layabout bollix in number 24 isn't getting one over them.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 5,876 ✭✭✭The J Stands for Jay


    xpletiv wrote: »
    I believe that all politicians over the age of 40, with no third level education, be immediately terminated from the government. This is because they have little or no clue about what the country needs.

    This is a great idea. So many of these TDs are idiots ans proud of it.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 666 ✭✭✭A0


    Should better control immigration
    Should be more pragmatic
    Should know how to manage budgets
    Should be less compliant with social welfare policies
    Should be able to organise a system and set rules
    Abide by the laws and encourage the population to do so (in other words, less corruption)


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,023 ✭✭✭Dostoevsky


    A guy named Tom Darcy on RTÉ News Now just said that, and I do quote, "97 years ago Constantin Markievicz gave up his life in the park over there" (pointing to Stephen's Green)

    Yes, his life. I was sure Constance Markievicz, who was a woman, was not killed in the Easter Rising but instead died at home peacefully in 1927 at the age of 59.

    Moral of the story: politicians/policy makers need to invest much more money in education, especially historical education.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,760 ✭✭✭✭Princess Consuela Bananahammock


    xpletiv wrote: »
    The current generation, as in the 18-30 bracket, are amongst the best educated and intelligent people on the planet. We have been lucky to have an excellent education through primary, secondary, and college levels of schooling, much, much more than the generation before us, and probably better than the generation to follow due to our cuts and debts. So as radical as it seems, I believe that all politicians over the age of 40, with no third level education, be immediately terminated from the government. This is because they have little or no clue about what the country needs. We can see this through the cuts towards education and yet investment in multinational corporation.

    Sorry, but no. The irish education system does not make you intellligent. Far from it - it just makes you good at passing exams. The ecuation system needs a massive overhaul to get rid of compulsory subjects and end this ****e of spending massive amoutns of time learning **** you'll never need and have ni interest int.
    Indiginous companies need to be generated. Start giving much, much better tax breaks to irish companies than to the MNCs. Otherwise, continue to see our best and brightest emigrate to other countries that give better offers. This generation is well educated and international; when we see some opportunity internationally, we are more likely to go for it due to the poor chances here.

    This is a good idea, but you need to also fix the problem that a lot of people leave Ireland for other reasons than economic.
    Expenses - cut them all. We, as the working people of Ireland, should not be paying these people for cushy lives, which they have. There is no excuse and I believe that the Irish people (yes, you me and all) are as much to blame for letting it get to this stage. Cap at 100k and no other expenses. Nothing. Everything comes out their own pocket; see smaller B&Bs and cheaper hotels suddenly start to get more business due to politicians have to spend their own money. Got to open a school in Galway Enda? Get a bus or drive yourself; no helicopter or private driver. These people are just people; they should not have been allowed to get on this pedistal, especially seen as how poor a job has been done in the last few years.

    Agree mostly, but no caps. No expense limits. You pay for something? You submit a receipt and get it reimbursed. Same as all businesses. If it's deemed frivilous, reject the receipt.
    Dole - Cut off after 6 months if no work is found for 1 month. Saves a bundle and will get people back working. Be more forceful; dont reduce the amount, because thats at its tether already, but reduce the amount of time in a row that people can claim it. People are lazy; get a job in Tesco or a bar or something for wages. Staying on the dole for 2 and 3 years+ is inexcusable.

    Not thought through: this will only work if we have 100% (or close to it) employment. The idea that peiple who arent working are "lazy" is self-serving bull****. Plenty of people - especially those in their 40s and 50s - actively want to work but can't get jobs.
    Party Whip system - agree with above. Abolish, makes a mockery of democracy.

    Plus one.
    Keep drink cheap, dont increase smokes any more. These are tough ones for people to deal with; we need something in these troubled times. There are particular other substances that could be legalised to generate money as well and I think Ireland is ready for this. We are an intelligent population; we can make our own decisions.

    Seriously? You just said **** people on the dole for a month! How about we tripel the tax on cigs and put it into back to work schemes?
    Diplomacy - Stop being so darn cowardly. Play more hardball with Europe.

    Banks - No more bank bailouts. Bring those responsible to trial. No more cowardice.

    Not really in our hands.

    Everything I don't like is either woke or fascist - possibly both - pick one.



  • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


    Scrap transition year.
    Irish compulsory to Junior Cert only. 14 years of compulsory Irish has not created a nation of Irish speakers.
    Introduce a proper IT program at second level. An ECDL or equivalent completed at Junior Cert level would be far more useful than an A in religion.
    2 years mandatory national service for children who drop out of school at 16.
    Introduce college fees with 50% discounts for students who obtain 2.1s and no fee for students who obtain a 1.1.

    Stop grants for things like shop signs in Irish where you go into said shop and not one employee can speak Irish.
    Scrap child benefit. Introduce generous tax credits for working families with children 12 and under.
    Cut the dole for those who have been on it longer than 2 years consecutively.

    Limit the number of terms a TD can serve.
    Benchmark TD's wages against their previous employment.
    Get rid of Ministers for State. We don’t need a Minister of Sport whose credentials for the job appears to be attending a marathon of funerals.
    All expenses incurred by TD's should be processed through a central payment system. An easy system to set up.
    Allow emigrants a postal vote in the first general election after they have left.

    Join the Commonwealth. I know the historical argument against this but it will give us a biennial opportunity to develop relations with Canada, Australia and New Zealand. We are closer to Sydney than Stockholm.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 430 ✭✭MOC88


    QUALITY MANAGEMENT, is it delivering required services in an efficient manner? Yes - then no problem, if it isn't make it efficient...


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 1,424 ✭✭✭garhjw


    Put the trade unions in their place. They played a massive part in the downfall of this country along with politicians and "bankers". F*cking socialists..... It doesnt work


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,793 ✭✭✭Red Kev


    steddyeddy wrote: »
    So when it comes time for them to canvas at your door in in your area exactly what issues will you raise with them? The issues I will raise are as below and In my view are standing in the way of the county's recovery.
    • The party whip system (as used here) is undemocratic to say the least
    • Politician's expenses
    • Gangsters like you Lowry still being part of Fine Gael

      He isn't a member of FG
    • We need a system of education like Finland's and to ensure standardised testing we need to malke all schools private schools, get rid of private schools or bring all schools up to the same level.
    • I don't like the ad hominem attacks Enda makes every time he is asked a stragtforward question!

    I also think we should be very wary of student politics but that's another story.
    xpletiv wrote: »
    The current generation, as in the 18-30 bracket, are amongst the best educated and intelligent people on the planet. We have been lucky to have an excellent education through primary, secondary, and college levels of schooling, much, much more than the generation before us, and probably better than the generation to follow due to our cuts and debts. So as radical as it seems, I believe that all politicians over the age of 40, with no third level education, be immediately terminated from the government. This is because they have little or no clue about what the country needs. We can see this through the cuts towards education and yet investment in multinational corporation.

    The current generation, as generations before them have learnt everything by rote andd have little capability at independent thought. We have been educated to throw as much stuff out in 2.5 hours of exams, be it Leaving Cert or 3rd level and have most of that forgotten within 60 days of doing those exams. The whole education system needs to change.

    3rd level is also no guarantee of being anyways properly educated, you are essentially saying that no person who failed to do 3rd level has a right to run for election? hardly very democratic is it.



    Dole - Cut off after 6 months if no work is found for 1 month. Saves a bundle and will get people back working. Be more forceful; dont reduce the amount, because thats at its tether already, but reduce the amount of time in a row that people can claim it. People are lazy; get a job in Tesco or a bar or something for wages. Staying on the dole for 2 and 3 years+ is inexcusable.

    Care to explain that when work was there a few years ago we had essentially full employment, we were also the most productive people in Europe and we worked the longest hours. Hardly lazy is it?
    Party Whip system - agree with above. Abolish, makes a mockery of democracy.

    Party whip system is there for a reason. Parties fund their candidates, candidates vote along their lines. if they didn't then every hard decision would be voted down as every TD would oppose it to ensure their best chance of getting in the next time, the government would get nowhere.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 552 ✭✭✭sparksfly


    I will start with 3 of hundreds of things politicians/policy makers could do to fix the country if they were competent-

    Look to Holland to see how an efficient agricultural industry is organized compared to our pathetic effort.
    The total value of Dutch agricultural exports was 75.4 billion euros in 2012, ours was approx 9 billion. They are 3 times smaller with 16 million people.

    Clean up the filth that's in and around our canals, rivers and lakes, and go after a decent share of angling / water based tourism. Our dole merchants surely could give some of their time.
    All you need to do is have a look at lakes such as Lough Ennel and compare it to similar lakes in UK, totally disgraceful.

    Get in a decent amount of foreign students that go abroad to learn English, example- Vietnam sends approx 40,000 students abroad annually to learn English. They choose Ireland, England, US, Australia & New Zealand.
    We can accommodate 400. We are not even thinking about other markets like China, South Korea, Japan etc.
    We would rather see our new teachers go abroad to find work.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 11,751 ✭✭✭✭For Forks Sake


    steddyeddy wrote: »
    [*]Gangsters like you Lowry still being part of Fine Gael

    Huh?

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Lowry
    He resigned his ministry in some controversy, and Fine Gael barred him from standing again. Thereafter, he ran as an independent candidate and has maintained his seat in the Dáil ever since.


  • Posts: 3,505 ✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    Get rid of child benefit.

    Get rid of job bridge (good in theory but I've only heard of it working in practice a handful of times).

    Get rid of all out-of-hours expenses for politicians and require that any expenses claimed are deemed reasonable. Putting on a nice show for guests doesn't count as reasonable.

    Spend a little to make a little - put in better means tests for all forms of social welfare payments, not only to cut payments for people abusing the system, but also to increase people who are seriously struggling. In addition, make the security measures easier for people to navigate and understand in order to reduce human error in the system (the new I.D. PPSN cards are a good first step).

    Improve public awareness of issues like sustainability and waste. E.g. most people I know only have a green/brown bin because it saves them money, leading to a large proportion of misuse of such services (which costs both parties money) and a failure to fully make use of the services (again, costing both the recycling companies and the public money).

    Anyone with less than 20 hours a week of commitments (this could include anything from work to education to volunteering to caring, even to hobbies), should be given some form of task (community services) which involves interaction with people and physical movement. This wouldn't be strict due to the difficult/costly nature of implementing it, but rather, people would randomly be picked like jury duty.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 2,192 ✭✭✭pharmaton


    I don't believe the Irish are capable of self government, I don't believe that if the system was wiped clean it would be possible to produce individuals with the capacity to not ride the country sideways at some point along the way, the Irish mentality seems to be a confliction between greed and corruption and self flagellation, it's like expecting the ferengi to be honest and fair, an impossible task.


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 871 ✭✭✭gerTheGreat


    A couple of thoughts come to mind:

    1. We are still seeing a 6-month budget deficit of over €6.5 billion. This needs to be drastically reduced. Nation debt should be renegotiated to longer term, lower interest rate loans.

    2. The reversal of college fees. They defeat the purpose of building a knowledge based economy by excluding potential students from poorer backgrounds. The higher the number of people attending college, the greater the output of high-skilled employees. This in-turn attracts greater foreign direct investment, which creates jobs, and tax, not to mention the trickle-down effect.

    3. It's absolutely paramount to maintain our corporate tax rate as is. Again because of FDI.

    4. Better regulation of banking and financial industry. Ensure that the banks are run properly so that we never have to bail them out again.

    5. The agriculture industry has been hampered by the CAP, by artificially maintaining output at lower levels than possible. Now that this is ending, investment to help increase the output and efficiency of farms to make them not only self sufficient but to drive food exports.

    6. The reduction of VAT by a couple of % would help increase general spending. It may even drag people across the board from the north. I think that Regan's administration came up with the Laffer Curve, but it holds true - the higher the tax rate, the greater the avoidance.

    7. Look at the black market and see what can be brought back into the scope of taxation. Consider legalising cannabis, prostitution and other lesser vices. Tax them at rates similar to alcohol, petrol or tobacco. Regulate their quality and potency to reduce the long term effects.

    8. Make Irish data protection laws the 21st century equivalent of Swiss banking laws. Ireland is prime data centre country due to low costs of air cooling and solid power grid. Ensuring data privacy would drive up demand for space in Irish data centres and ultimately lead to the expansion of existing centres and new builds. That would create a lot of jobs (Construction initially, then IT & engineering)

    9. Invest in off-shore wind farms. Wind farms 10 - 20 miles off the West coast would be invisible to the naked eye and improve our power output.


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,547 ✭✭✭Foxhound38


    xpletiv wrote: »
    The current generation, as in the 18-30 bracket, are amongst the best educated and intelligent people on the planet. We have been lucky to have an excellent education through primary, secondary, and college levels of schooling, much, much more than the generation before us, and probably better than the generation to follow due to our cuts and debts. So as radical as it seems, I believe that all politicians over the age of 40, with no third level education, be immediately terminated from the government. This is because they have little or no clue about what the country needs. We can see this through the cuts towards education and yet investment in multinational corporation.

    What member of the government doesn't have a third level education? Also, isn't 40 (or age limits of the sort you are suggesting in general) a tad arbitary? Why not 39, or 41?
    xpletiv wrote: »
    Indiginous companies need to be generated. Start giving much, much better tax breaks to irish companies than to the MNCs. Otherwise, continue to see our best and brightest emigrate to other countries that give better offers. This generation is well educated and international; when we see some opportunity internationally, we are more likely to go for it due to the poor chances here.

    If we abandon the free trade model in favour of the sort of protectionism you talk about, we would be stoking other countries to tarrif our exports. Double edged sword.
    xpletiv wrote: »
    Expenses - cut them all. We, as the working people of Ireland, should not be paying these people for cushy lives, which they have. There is no excuse and I believe that the Irish people (yes, you me and all) are as much to blame for letting it get to this stage. Cap at 100k and no other expenses. Nothing. Everything comes out their own pocket; see smaller B&Bs and cheaper hotels suddenly start to get more business due to politicians have to spend their own money. Got to open a school in Galway Enda? Get a bus or drive yourself; no helicopter or private driver. These people are just people; they should not have been allowed to get on this pedistal, especially seen as how poor a job has been done in the last few years.

    Hate to burst your bubble, but the only politicians with drivers etc are the President, the Taoiseach, the Tainiste and the Minister for Justice. The reason it was put in place was because the drivers would be part of their Garda close protection team. This was due to the threat of terrorism - twould be quite the coup for a dissident republican group or a loyalist thug band to get their hands on the Minister for Justice, wouldn't you think? All other politicians including other cabinet ministers make their own arrangements.

    I'd be of the opinion that they should be harder to get, and all without fail vouched. Dublin deputies don't need them. Kildare/Wicklow deputies might be subsidized the price of their bus/DART ticket unless they have a damn good reason for needing to subsidize the car, and an independent body verifies it. Everyone else, some arrangement (again independently verified) depending on their situation and distance.

    I don't particularly feel anyone should have to pay out of their own pocket just to do their job - that goes for whatever the job. That's why I'm not quite as hardline on this as you.
    xpletiv wrote: »
    Dole - Cut off after 6 months if no work is found for 1 month. Saves a bundle and will get people back working. Be more forceful; dont reduce the amount, because thats at its tether already, but reduce the amount of time in a row that people can claim it. People are lazy; get a job in Tesco or a bar or something for wages. Staying on the dole for 2 and 3 years+ is inexcusable.

    Because cutting people off to starve won't create a social explosion that would make the London Riots look like a tea party at all, would it?

    Idiotic, right-wing crankologist suggestion. I agree that the system we have isn't fit for purpose - starving people who can't find work in 6 months isn't a solution. There are less jobs than there are people here - that includes "jobs in Tesco or a bar or something for wages".

    Crack down on people working while claiming the dole would be one viable solution. Automatic enrolement in a jobsbridge scheme or the like after 6 months claiming jobseekers would be another. Starving people - not so much...
    xpletiv wrote: »
    Party Whip system - agree with above. Abolish, makes a mockery of democracy.

    The whip system is there to ensure that politicians can't fall prey to becomming lobby fodder for special interests. What you get in its absence is auction politics - look at the special (generally moneyed) interest pandering that goes on in the US Senate and House if you want to see that in action.

    Loosen the whip considerably? Yes.
    Get rid of it altogether? No - it would basically destroy democracy and replace it with legalized bribary.
    xpletiv wrote: »
    Keep drink cheap, dont increase smokes any more. These are tough ones for people to deal with; we need something in these troubled times. There are particular other substances that could be legalised to generate money as well and I think Ireland is ready for this. We are an intelligent population; we can make our own decisions.

    This should be our national priority right now is it? Are you under 17 by any chance?
    xpletiv wrote: »
    Diplomacy - Stop being so darn cowardly. Play more hardball with Europe.

    I can see how that conversation would go...

    Kenny: "My people have told me to stop being so cowardly and to start playing hardball with you, so that's what I'm going to do!"

    Merkill: "Hmm... OK, do you have any bargining power to speak of? Natural resources to trade? Are you of any major foreign policy importance, like Israel is?"

    Kenny: "Eh... no on all fronts"

    Merkill: "I see... and I notice you rather stupidly socialized all your enormous private banking debts a few years ago - can you afford to keep your State running without cash injections from us. You know - hospitals, police, schools, etc?"

    Kenny: "That would be a no too..."

    Merkill: "I see, well fcuk off then!"
    xpletiv wrote: »
    Banks - No more bank bailouts. Bring those responsible to trial. No more cowardice.

    And if the banking system collapses, what do we do then? What do you reckon would be the result of such a move a week, a month, a year after we let our banking system completely collapse?

    I want to see those responsible brought to trial more than anything else in the world - every cell in my body wants it. But it's a job for the Gardai and the Courts - the politicians can't put anyone in jail, and it's probably a good thing too.

    No more cowardice in terms of what precisely?


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 5,219 ✭✭✭woodoo


    Make changes to welfare to make working more attractive (for when jobs do come back). Stop importing new people into the country to do jobs that unemployed people already here could do.

    Employment is the solution to our problems. Nothing else will fix this country.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 4,969 ✭✭✭my my my


    go **** themselves


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,952 ✭✭✭Lando Griffin


    I think they should cut taxes, raise welfare and subsisdise people in negative equity like a write down say 15% off their mortgages.
    We should aim to hold the world cup in 17 years time and start building the infrastructure to make sure it happens.
    We should burn the bond holders and amalgate all the state owned and partly owned banks into one big super bank.
    Take back the oil and gas reserves off the coast.
    Build a large casino city that would attract millions from around the world .
    Legalise the weed and making love for money.
    Have a siesta in summer time so we can be more European.


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 430 ✭✭MOC88


    Seeing some good ideas that are all common sense here... and none of it will be implemented.

    The argument that eliminating the party whip system would encourage auction politics is a fallacy, what we have now is auction politics just with much fewer targets for the lobbyists. Lobbyists in this country are paid massive wages and have massive influence and anyone with any input in to legislation is communicating with them regularly. In fact many politicians int his country use lobbyists to inform them of the issue. The Irish banking federation has a particularly strong one... if you read on the end of this article you can quickly ascertain their aims http://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/latest-news/banks-slash-interest-rates-for-savers-by-40pc-29267381.html (edit - that was done by a quick google search- there seems no problem in anyone's head that private interest groups pay and give someone money to influence a politicians decisions - are the elected representatives meant to research and make their own decisions not to represent a party line influenced by lobbyists)


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,930 ✭✭✭Jimoslimos


    steddyeddy wrote: »
    So when it comes time for them to canvas at your door in in your area exactly what issues will you raise with them? The issues I will raise are as below and In my view are standing in the way of the county's recovery.
      [*]The party whip system (as used here) is undemocratic to say the least
      [*]Politician's expenses
      [*]Gangsters like you Lowry still being part of Fine Gael
      [*]We need a system of education like Finland's and to ensure standardised testing we need to malke all schools private schools, get rid of private schools or bring all schools up to the same level.
      [*]I don't like the ad hominem attacks Enda makes every time he is asked a stragtforward question!


      I also think we should be very wary of student politics but that's another story.
      The problem with abolishing the party whip system is that politicians can simply pander to their local electorate instead of acting in the national interest (yet still piggyback on the popularity of the major parties). What is the point in voting for someone with a party manifesto if they turn around and act in self-interest? The system isn't perfect (none are) but it does provide some checks to that sort of behaviour. I would however like to see TDs having a free vote on more issues.

      I think students being involved in and passionate about politics is very important. I kind of expect them to rage against the system, protest against all their perceived inequalities and mellow out as they mature. Alas students are more likely to join the youth movements of FF and FG. The cynic in me sees these people as having no interest in politics rather a calculated career move.


    • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 25 My_Sharona


      Foxhound38 wrote: »
      I can see how that conversation would go...

      Kenny: "My people have told me to stop being so cowardly and to start playing hardball with you, so that's what I'm going to do!"

      Merkill: "Hmm... OK, do you have any bargining power to speak of? Natural resources to trade? Are you of any major foreign policy importance, like Israel is?"

      Kenny: "Eh... no on all fronts"

      Merkill: "I see... and I notice you rather stupidly socialized all your enormous private banking debts a few years ago - can you afford to keep your State running without cash injections from us. You know - hospitals, police, schools, etc?"

      Kenny: "That would be a no too..."

      Merkill: "I see, well fcuk off then!"

      The Germans are the core creditor state at the heart of the Euro. They would have to sit up and take notice if peripheral states decided to stop subsidising foolish decisions made by their banks to lend money to Anglo etc.

      The basic problem with the Euro is that money was loaned across national borders without restriction therefore it became profitable for German banks to borrow cheaply domestically and lend to the periphery such as Ireland. Now that these loans have gone bad the Germans use their political power to force the periphery to socialise bad debts and enhance recovery for their banks.

      Take a look at who was lending to Treasury:

      "Hypothekenbank Frankfurt now plans to appoint David Hughes and Luke Charleton of Ernst & Young as joint receivers to finalise the sale of the properties."

      http://www.independent.ie/business/commercial-property/kennedy-wilson-set-to-win-battle-over-306m-property-portfolio-29394140.html

      A good start would be to end the bank guarantee and exit the Euro. A re-entry could be negotiated if the Euro became a proper currency union at some stage in the future.

      Foxhound38 wrote: »
      And if the banking system collapses, what do we do then? What do you reckon would be the result of such a move a week, a month, a year after we let our banking system completely collapse?

      The banking system has already collapsed in case you hadn't noticed. Better to do something drastic now to promote recovery rather than wait around 5 years to make the same decision.


    • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,302 ✭✭✭Garzard


      For me there's hundreds of ideas. I'll therefore l just list a few of some.

      1: Our Education System

      I'd probably start by fixing our education system. I think introducing an IT Program at secondary school is a brilliant idea since that's what most Irish jobs in the future will be centred around. Plus, they should scrap Irish and Religion out of the system completely - let people spend their own time and money learning Irish outside of school. Both subjects are outdated and a waste of tax payer's money. Make the system similar to Finland's.

      I think the whole process of entry into third-level should be changed too. Instead of it being all about a points race and huge competition that leaves countless students each August devastated, (including myself) entry into a course should depend on interviews or entrance exams. Those who get the highest results will be accepted.

      2: Our Welfare System

      I agree with many that our social welfare system rewards people for being lazy. I remember listening to the Adrian Kennedy Phoneshow a while back discussing this and one fella rang in and claimed that he's been on the dole since the mid-60's! IMO those who are long term unemployed, let's give it 2.5 years should gradually be penalised with welfare cuts which I think would greatly discourage laziness.

      Although I'm not sure how this would be properly implemented, I've always thought making people work for their dole is a great idea as well. Imagine having 400000+ people doing community service or cleaning our streets etc.

      3: Abortion Laws

      I know the abortion discussion has been done to death. While this probably wouldn't improve the country per se, I think abortion in Ireland should be legalised on demand. It's the only way to end the debate and we might as well since thousands women travel abroad to have terminations anyway. While it would be hugely controversial at first, I think even the extreme pro-lifers would in time get used to it if the government refused to budge on a decision like this.

      4: Our Natural Resources and Renewable Energy Potential

      I was annoyed to see people protesting over the planned Corrib pipeline. (Are they ongoing?) There may be billions worth of profitable oil and gas off our West coast. The government should ignore these protests and extract the oil /gas that we have. It's not doing any good just sitting there, plus it'll provide local unemployed people with hundreds of jobs. There should also be more investment to look for more fossil fuels.

      As well as making Ireland cleaner and setting an example for other countries, many thousands of jobs could also be created if the government decided to invest in more renewable energy projects as well, mainly in hydroelectricity and wind power. Install a more significant number of charging stations too, and it may encourage more people to purchase electric cars.

      5: The Defence Forces

      While most people will probably argue that the DF are already a huge waste of money as it is, I think the government should enlarge them, especially with regards to the NS and Air Corps. If the many ways of saving money in this country were brought about, a bigger DF could certainly be afforded. We're a developed country, we should be able to defend our own airspace and coastline. This is proof that we are not serious about our neutrality. I like Switzerland's system - they have conscription as well as professional military training for all, and those who finish their service can take home their weapons and use them in the event of an invasion. Switzerland is serious about it's neutrality.


    • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,193 ✭✭✭Wompa1


      Educating everybody and aiming towards making people skilled in IT is short sighted. Ireland already has a very high rate of education as a result of millions upon millions being spent on grants, investment into Universities, lecturers etc. Currently the colleges seem to be churning out graduates who leave the country and ply their trade elsewhere. So, what is the Return on Investment?

      Ireland needs to invest in entrepreneurs and seek out the most talented individuals and backing them. We should get away from providing "highly skilled and educated" people to work in multi-nationals that setup in the country and focus on setting up our own multi-nationals that generate Billions a year.

      Privatize some of the colleges, look at cutting grants for degrees in areas which are of little or no benefit to the long term planning for the country. Only hire lecturers with decent Industry experience in their field and a proven expertise, ensure they contribute to their area of work in a meaningful way during their tenure, if they do not, let them go and they hurt more than they help.

      Introduce greater transparency in policy making in the country, make application processes for planning approval, off-licences, lotto license etc. more transparent.

      Cut the dole slightly and cut income tax.

      Improve the hospitals and roads outside of Dublin.

      Invest in mental health care and research ways to reduce the number of those with substance abuse problems. Also invest in Tourism, making tours of all our attractions among the best in the world and complete the coastal road.


    • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,829 ✭✭✭Gloomtastic!


      I like these threads, always full of interesting and workable ideas......

      Corporation tax. Reduce to zero % for all companies employing 500 people and over.

      Tax trade union membership as a benefit in kind. Make trade unions collect their own subscriptions as opposed to deducting them from pay.


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    • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,760 ✭✭✭✭Princess Consuela Bananahammock


      Garzard wrote: »
      For me there's hundreds of ideas. I'll therefore l just list a few of some.

      1: Our Education System

      I'd probably start by fixing our education system. I think introducing an IT Program at secondary school is a brilliant idea since that's what most Irish jobs in the future will be centred around. Plus, they should scrap Irish and Religion out of the system completely - let people spend their own time and money learning Irish outside of school. Both subjects are outdated and a waste of tax payer's money. Make the system similar to Finland's.

      I think the whole process of entry into third-level should be changed too. Instead of it being all about a points race and huge competition that leaves countless students each August devastated, (including myself) entry into a course should depend on interviews or entrance exams. Those who get the highest results will be accepted.

      2: Our Welfare System

      I agree with many that our social welfare system rewards people for being lazy. I remember listening to the Adrian Kennedy Phoneshow a while back discussing this and one fella rang in and claimed that he's been on the dole since the mid-60's! IMO those who are long term unemployed, let's give it 2.5 years should gradually be penalised with welfare cuts which I think would greatly discourage laziness.

      Although I'm not sure how this would be properly implemented, I've always thought making people work for their dole is a great idea as well. Imagine having 400000+ people doing community service or cleaning our streets etc.

      3: Abortion Laws

      I know the abortion discussion has been done to death. While this probably wouldn't improve the country per se, I think abortion in Ireland should be legalised on demand. It's the only way to end the debate and we might as well since thousands women travel abroad to have terminations anyway. While it would be hugely controversial at first, I think even the extreme pro-lifers would in time get used to it if the government refused to budge on a decision like this.

      4: Our Natural Resources and Renewable Energy Potential

      I was annoyed to see people protesting over the planned Corrib pipeline. (Are they ongoing?) There may be billions worth of profitable oil and gas off our West coast. The government should ignore these protests and extract the oil /gas that we have. It's not doing any good just sitting there, plus it'll provide local unemployed people with hundreds of jobs. There should also be more investment to look for more fossil fuels.

      As well as making Ireland cleaner and setting an example for other countries, many thousands of jobs could also be created if the government decided to invest in more renewable energy projects as well, mainly in hydroelectricity and wind power. Install a more significant number of charging stations too, and it may encourage more people to purchase electric cars.

      5: The Defence Forces

      While most people will probably argue that the DF are already a huge waste of money as it is, I think the government should enlarge them, especially with regards to the NS and Air Corps. If the many ways of saving money in this country were brought about, a bigger DF could certainly be afforded. We're a developed country, we should be able to defend our own airspace and coastline. This is proof that we are not serious about our neutrality. I like Switzerland's system - they have conscription as well as professional military training for all, and those who finish their service can take home their weapons and use them in the event of an invasion. Switzerland is serious about it's neutrality.

      1 - I agree with you, except the points about scrapping Irish and Religion. An eduication should not be just about getting into a university, ergho everything surpluss is useless. Leave it as optional, if a student wishes to study them, they sdhould be there. We`re supposed to be providing and education, not a training course.

      2 - The Adrican Kennedy guy was, like a lot callers, a paid actor paid to troll you. Don´t be so niave :D - the system is fine as it is, it`s just not implemented. If someone is on the dole for two or three years, but can prove he`s been activelz jobseeking, he should have be allowed to sign on more than a guy who`s been there for three months and hasn´t lifted a finger.

      3 - Not really relevant, as you pointed out, but fair enough.

      4 - Bit of a NIMBY argument - you can´t just steamroll over peoples´ lives and ban protests and expect them to be greatful because you´re bringing resources to someone else.

      5 - Bit of a pipedream really - I mean, if someone`s invading us, we`re going to be invaded, like it or not. We´re an isalnd with a small scattered population.

      Everything I don't like is either woke or fascist - possibly both - pick one.



    • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 33,760 ✭✭✭✭Princess Consuela Bananahammock


      Okay, mine (seeing as I´ve replied to a few)

      Education
      Bring in a philosophy course. From first class. If we´re going to be giving kids information, we might as well teach them how to think, how to debate, how to argue and how to solve problems using lateral as well as logical methods, so that said information actually has a prupose other than passing an exam.

      Soc Welfare
      As I said before, there`s not much wrong, jsut implement what´s there. make sure that those on welfare ARE fulfilling the requirements, i.e. looking for jobs.

      Politics
      Scrap expense limits. Just provide receipts and get them reimbursed, same as everywhere else. Remove diplomatic immunity and have more accountability. Also scrap corporate donations to political parties and limit the amount they can spend in the two months before an election

      Energy
      More natural resources. Wind farms and solar (and before some idiot points out the weather here, solar requires sunlight, not sunshine; and yes, it can be stored and used at night).

      Finances
      Taxation - raise income tax, but drop VAT - gives people more of control over how much tax they are paying. I know there´s a tricky bit here in making sure that companies don´t slyly put up the prices by the same amout as VAT drops, see point below

      Govt/Corporation
      There has to be more of a break bewteen governemnt and corporations. Easier said than done, I know, but who are we electing? TDs or CEOs? Corporations don´t provide jobs as much as we like to think they do, consumers provide jobs by consuming. Hence the VAT drop idea. This will make us less dependent on foreign business.

      Everything I don't like is either woke or fascist - possibly both - pick one.



    • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 4,930 ✭✭✭Jimoslimos


      Join the Commonwealth. I know the historical argument against this but it will give us a biennial opportunity to develop relations with Canada, Australia and New Zealand. We are closer to Sydney than Stockholm.
      Really quite pointless. We already have an established relationship with the UK. There is not much further scope for increased trade with the rest of the Commonwealth given that we operate within the EU trading bloc.

      Unless you propose leaving the EU in order to forge closer links with those international heavyweights, Vanuatu, St. Kitts & Nevis and Nauru. Cutting off our noses to spite ourselves. However I suppose it would give our poor overworked politicians further reason for foreign travel.


    • Posts: 13,688 ✭✭✭✭ Everly Plain Giraffe


      I've never been able to wrap my head around this whole party whip thing, it's absolutely contemptible in a democratic society.


    • Posts: 0 [Deleted User]


      Jimoslimos wrote: »
      Really quite pointless. We already have an established relationship with the UK. There is not much further scope for increased trade with the rest of the Commonwealth given that we operate within the EU trading bloc.

      Unless you propose leaving the EU in order to forge closer links with those international heavyweights, Vanuatu, St. Kitts & Nevis and Nauru. Cutting off our noses to spite ourselves. However I suppose it would give our poor overworked politicians further reason for foreign travel.

      I didn't propose leaving the EU. If being a member of the EU trading bloc is a barrier to trade with other countries then that is cutting off our nose to spite ourselves.
      Although the Commonwealth does not have a common market, research by the Royal Commonwealth Society has shown that trade with another Commonwealth member is up to 50% more than with a non-member on average. There is a significant movement in the United Kingdom to increase trade in the Commonwealth, with some suggesting a Commonwealth Union as an alternative to its membership in the European Union.


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