The Healy-Raes embarrassing the country yet again

biko

I heard the interview on the radio. Rhododendron is almost impossible to handle for a small number of park keepers, hence the need to get many hands on at once - the army.

It seems to be a pretty serious issue. According to the article - In 2014, a couple in their 50s had to be rescued after they became trapped in a "treacherous" rhododendron forest.

jmayo

Red Kev wrote: »

Michael Healy Rae hasn't had a populist Kerry orientated rant for a couple of months now.

There's the possibility of an election this year, possibly even a snap election in June if there's a new FG leader. So the Healy Ray's have to get their names in the papers, not dealing with national issues, but with issues that interest their core vote.

Last year they asked over 200 questions regarding waiting times for procedures for his constituents. A waste of time as he already knew as the Minister can't divulge personal information like that in the Dail. But that wasn't the point. Point was that his voters reckon he's standing up for them and that translates into votes at the next election.

The two Healy Rae's got over €370,000 in wages and expenses last year. That's all they care about. They don't care about their voters or the country, just about keeping the gravy train running.

And this Rhododendron and Army statement is just another gallon or two of fuel for that train.

Actually can one of our Kerry posters tell us if the Danny Healy-Rae Plant Hire business have invested in any rhododendron clearing equipment ?

BTW cordless drills, knapsack sprayers, forestry spot guns, watering cans and machine mounted flails are some of the items that can be used in that.

milehip

InTheTrees wrote: »

The UK gov gives grants for their eradication:


46m pounds spent in Northern Ireland on their removal:

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-27946780

They probably didn't have to spent have that much planting them,
on a winner again a la the wood chip debaclae.

CB19Kevo

I don't agree with everything the healy rae's come out with,
But why should the army not be mobilized to protect our national parks,Rhododendron is a big threat and should be tackled as such.

Special Circumstances

The irony in starting a "those Healy Raes are awful clowns, aren't they, just listen to this...?" thread and it turns out they're not the clowns at all...

jonon9

Relax just get Rodger Cook from This old house to come in and marrk it.

seachto7

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

Do these lads not get tired of embarrassing the country?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39050369

Listened to debate, and don't see what is funny about it?

HeidiHeidi

jmayo wrote: »

Glenveagh National Park also have issues with the plant but their public local representatives couldn't give a feck it appears.

When I first went to Glenveagh about 15 years ago (or more) there was a major job being done on the rhodos - it didn't look far off the place having been napalmed! There were signs everywhere explaining what was happening and why, and reassuring that such drastic action WAS actually necessary or the place would be destroyed.

Now there's still plenty of rhodos around, so I'm not sure if they gave up the ghost (or more probably ran out of money during the recession) but hopefully they still have some sort of a handle on it.

I heard the Healy-Rae piece, and the Army suggestion was definitely tongue-in-cheek, designed to grab attention (and wasn't he successful!). But well done him for highlighting the issue before it's too late.

DEFTLEFTHAND

seachto7 wrote: »

Imagine Michael D Higgins and the Healy Raes in conversation.

Would be classic if Graham Norton had them on.

It would be funny if the big one punched Michael D in the face.

Butters1979

In fairness the plants are better trained, better equipped and more motivated for this fight.

Red Kev

We'll just have to ensure that none of the soldiers have hay fever or similar as we don't want to face a new "deafness" or "green fingers" claim in 20 years.

topper75

DEFTLEFTHAND wrote: »

It would be funny if the big one punched Michael D in the face.

I wouldn't advocate violence but Michael D Higgins does annoy me.

The Healy Raes have come out with some outlandish stuff right enough so I do understand some of the social media grumbling (I happen to back their efforts to highlight a neglected issue in this case).

However, an ivory tower academic champagne socialist pops off at taxpayer expense now and then to see ideological comrades in far- flung lands that Ireland hardly ever trades with. This is met with an earnest "isn't he great!" by the same commentators.

From this thread I can see a lot of public ignorance about invasive species. Maybe a few TV ads would be no harm to raise awareness. That Japanese knotweed is a curse too.

seachto7

The laughing city slickers don't have to worry about this...

topmanamillion

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

Do these lads not get tired of embarrassing the country?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39050369

Far from the most ridiculous thing they`ve ever said.
The rhododendron is an invasive species brought in originally as a flower in peoples gardens but has been wreaking havoc in our forests, blocking out light to plants on the forest floor, killing young trees and choking mature ones.
It is a legitimate issue.
The thought process was clearly there's an issue which requires a lot of man power - where is there a lot of man power? - the army.
Hardly a bizarre train of thought.

Of course their turn of phrase plus the BBC looking for a bit of clickbait has led it to be blown out of all proportion.

tayto lover

We need a root and branch examination of this problem Danny, me auld flower.

lazybones32

Yeah, it's laughable how Ireland's oldest native woodland is under serious threat from rhodo's (which can poison the soil to prevent other plants from germinating, thereby eliminating competition) and the Govt. don't seem to give a shiíte beyond half-a$$ed measures like throwing a few hundred grand at a problem that requires a far more serious approach.
I know an arborist who has a contract to clear a certain section of KNP and he reckons it isn't worth it. The effort required and the near-impossible-to-know-where-your -boundary-begins-and-ends nature of the work coupled with a few other factors doesn't pay off.
The Govt. scrapped the volunteer programme, whereby people would spend two weeks cutting rhodo during the day (and riding at night by all accounts) which was one of the cheapest and most effective solutions.
KNP would be a UNESCO site except the Govt. have never opened it up for inspection because they know the report would be damning against them for letting an area of such significance be totally devastated and infested by a weed and failing to address the problem for a few generations.
MHR is correct in saying that the Army should be brought in. It requires a concentrated effort by many people to rid an area to the degree that it can't easily colonise again. Hiring a few outfits to tackle a hectare here and there, once or twice a year is pi$$ing money away and the same area will need treatment in 5 years. But shur, what do the boggers know? 'Tis more important to not look silly in the eyes of the English, isn't it?
Nah, let's spend 1-2 billion on LUAS so Dubs can say they won't use it because of the scum that travel on it.

Stars and Stripes

Wait until one of them is elected to the European Parliament, God help us :rolleyes:

HeidiHeidi

Stars and Stripes wrote: »

Wait until one of them is elected to the European Parliament, God help us :rolleyes:

The simultaneous translators will have their work cut out

ScumLord

I only briefly saw the headline and thought a Rhododendron was a shape and wondered what could he have against a shape.

If they could find a way of making money off these plants the farmers would have the country stripped bare in a few weeks.

infogiver

ohnonotgmail wrote: »

Do these lads not get tired of embarrassing the country?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-39050369

Aren't you very precious

dilallio

If they could only spray the Rhododendrons with a magic spray that would make them deliciously irresistible to the wild deer population, and at the same time the magic spray would make the wild deer temporarily sterile.

SeaFields

dilallio wrote: »

If they could only spray the Rhododendrons with a magic spray that would make them deliciously irresistible to the wild deer population, and at the same time the magic spray would make the wild deer temporarily sterile.

In something that should possibly be reserved for the I bet you didn't know that thread, rhododendrons are poisonous to animals and the cure is coffee.

I can't remember how I actually know that tho...

maryishere

InTheTrees wrote: »

Rhododendrons are a scourge and they're killing off the local woodlands and animal habitats fast all over Ireland. The national park out west just happens to be a really bad example.

Why not use the army?

It would be demeaning to our army to use them for work like that. Besides, they would probably get stung by nettles and sue the state for stress.

Paddy Porter

What would happen if a soldier tripped and got injured on some of those wooden pathways ...could take the State for millins? And if one of them got bit by a bowler off the leash somewhere up the mountain ?

Surely it's the responsibility of Parks and Wildlife to ensure that no dogs are off the leash in the 70K acre park.?

Agin could cost millins.....??

maryishere

Paddy Porter wrote: »

What would happen if a soldier tripped and got injured on some of those wooden pathways ...

He could shout for help...oh wait, I forgot his comrades could probably not hear him or her.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Army_deafness_claims

Canis Lupus

jmayo wrote: »

Actually can one of our Kerry posters tell us if the Danny Healy-Rae Plant Hire business have invested in any rhododendron clearing equipment ?

BTW cordless drills, knapsack sprayers, forestry spot guns, watering cans and machine mounted flails are some of the items that can be used in that.

That's pretty much what I expected as well once I saw him bring it up. No doubt his company will shortly diversify into Rhododendron control and amazingly win the government contract to deal with the issue.

DEFTLEFTHAND

Butters1979 wrote: »

In fairness the plants are better trained, better equipped and more motivated for this fight.

That's a very catty remark Butters.

Please respect our men and women in uniform.

HeidiHeidi

Canis Lupus wrote: »

That's pretty much what I expected as well once I saw him bring it up. No doubt his company will shortly diversify into Rhododendron control and amazingly win the government contract to deal with the issue.

If they're up to the job and can eradicate the problem, then off with them as far as I'm concerned.

maudgonner

From BBC article:

In respect of the exploding deer, Mr Healy-Rae referred to a 2008 study which he said was the most up to date he could find.

Surely the army should be called in to deal with the exploding deer first? :eek:

MHR has a valid point though. I had one of the rangers down there show me the issue with the rhodos a few years ago. There's areas in the park where they are so out of control that it's completely impenetrable, just a tangled mess where even the sunlight can't get through. Not the kind of place where a bit of weedkiller will do the job, it needs a serious solution.

We've got a local forest near me that was replanted under the Millenium People's Forest scheme, and one aspect of that was eradicating the rhododendron. The difference is amazing, and it's giving a chance for young native trees to thrive.

everlast75

Special Circumstances wrote: »

The irony in starting a "those Healy Raes are awful clowns, aren't they, just listen to this...?" thread and it turns out they're not the clowns at all...

Even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while*



* and no - blind squirrels aren't another issue on their radar