RTE LiveLine

Dublin Calling

His Lordship, coming from the long lineage of a good Rugby Family is trying his best to sound excited about a GAA match replay.

dvcireland

"…Dublin Born Man Buried in Co. Louth…"

Dublin Calling

Pirate Radio:

Ronan O’Rahilly, third from left, with former Caroline DJs Tony Blackburn, Tom Lodge, Johnnie Walker, Mike Ahern and Mark Sloane, on a visit to the Radio Caroline ship at Canary Wharf, London, in 1997.

McDermotX

'Johnnies'

Make sure you say you want the XXXL size

zell12

What is it about, a topic the researchers said they were not interested in?

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2554749771458917/posts/4230227073911170/

Dublin Calling

His Lordship,

Strange messages from strangers: Marcella and Daniel story.

Motorway Tolls: Postcode lottery. No toll on the M11, delights Sir Philip.

Dogs In a Bed: Fido in the bed with a surprising level of passion!

Dublin Calling

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123948087#Comment_123948087

Caller,

Dogs in bed is of greater National Interest than talking to the H Block Hunger Strike survivors.

z80CPU

no post yet. even after 2pm

Dublin Calling

Misery over, on to toll road price increases.

Dublin Calling

Lad annoyed temporary measures are permanent

Dublin Calling

Van Driver annoyed at the tolls for his 7.5 Ton Recovery Vehicle. A tax on Northsiders!

walshb

riveting stuff this

road_high

Boucher Hayes having an orgasm dreaming up more communist tax grabs- all these champagne sipping **** think the same

Dublin Calling

Philip doing best to control his outrage at the idea of tolls for his Land Rover on the M11.

Dublin Calling

Using the Port Tunnel in a car is the 2025 equivalent of a Celtic Tiger breakfast roll.

Dublin Calling

Holographic stickers for the entitled, sez Caller.

road_high

now wants to increase motor taxes

Dublin Calling

4 dogs in a bed and the little one said 'roll over, roll over'.

walshb

dogs sleeping in bed with ya!!! Scruffs!!

road_high

Jesus she would give you a headache

sligeach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123948927#Comment_123948927

Scruff, indeed.

pjordan

Interesting discussion re Dublin motorway tolls. I recall the argument made by the private company (IMPORTANT TO NOTE this point as the underlying basis for all this) operating the physical tolls on the Westlink toll back in the day, that the tolls themselves were not responsible for congestion and any move to barrier free tolling would not resolve the issue. Low and behold when they were eventually forced to bring in barrier free tolling quel surprise, it resolved the congestion on the Westlink literally overnight (admittedly it transferred it out along the entire M50 route).

The blunt reality is that this tolling is operated by a private (hugely profitable) company at the behest of and with the blessed patronage and impra mater of the Government as a long repaid for (and horrible long term value for money) procrastination of the state in paying for motorway infrastructure. It is a no-brainer that this grossly greedy private company will aim to gain the maximum revenue for the minimum investment and having a single barrier free tolling station at the M50 is far preferable in their account book to sub-dividing their revenue by collecting lesser revenues at more tolling points.

It should be also noted that the Government is still (to my knowledge) subsidising the M6 Ballinasloe Galway PPP motorway (and possibly some others as well) as the traffic volumes in the initial years after it's opening didn't live up to the projections made for it's use at the height of the Celtic tiger. Of course these volumes have probably risen again to such levels (and I imagine the motorway is long since paid for) but I expect the state are still paying the subsidy and the poor motorist gets screwed doubly with both their tolls and their other taxes, both swelling the private operators coffers.

Combine this with the real APR levels imposed on those unfortunate enough to fail to pay a toll at a barrier free toll as so eye watering high as to make the most ruthless dodgy moneylender envious (€3 penalty if the toll isn't paid by 8:00 PM the next day, escalating to an additional €41.50 after 14 days, and a further €103.50 after another 56 days, for a total of €148.) and you are looking at a virtual unregulated licence to print money by the PPP investors and toll operators.

So yeah, like so much else in Ireland, none of this is designed to benefit the user or the public interest, but rather to maximise the profits for the capitalists and the vested interests who no doubt have plenty of tentacles and grubby fingers within the seat of power.

sligeach

Anyone else wondering what nationality this kid was? It hasn't been mentioned, of course.

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123949016#Comment_123949016

absolutely thought the same- never heard the likes of this before

Brian Scan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123949016#Comment_123949016

Why would he mention the kid's nationality?

Would you expect him to say that he saw an Irish kid fall in the water and jumped in to save him?

sligeach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123949047#Comment_123949047

The kid never spoke throughout, even after being rescued. He just ran away. So I'm wondering was he Irish?

Brian Scan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123949060#Comment_123949060

But why is that relevant?

road_high

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123949096#Comment_123949096

because not all cultures are the same- of course it’s relevant

Brian Scan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123949205#Comment_123949205

You've convinced me.

sligeach

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/123949209#Comment_123949209

No mention either of meeting the kid after, or of the parents thanking him for saving their child's life. Maybe they did, but it doesn't sound like that happened.