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Taxpayer pays 42k Per Month for........

24

Comments

  • #32
    ChikiChiki
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭ChikiChiki


    Dravokivich wrote: »
    Why is this shocking?

    Because we are cash strapped. Do you not think 42,000 and 990,000 respectively in Japan and with the Israelis in Ballsbridge is a complete waste of taxpayer funds?


  • #33
    Arcade_Tryer
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,021 ✭✭✭Arcade_Tryer


    Corrupt country is corrupt.

    And I'm not talking about Japan.


  • #34
    Dravokivich
    Moderators, Category Moderators, Music Moderators, Politics Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 22,424 CMod ✭✭✭✭Dravokivich


    ChikiChiki wrote: »
    Because we are cash strapped. Do you not think 42,000 and 990,000 respectively in Japan and with the Israelis in Ballsbridge is a complete waste of taxpayer funds?

    We dont know what exactly is being paid for. Someone just looking for high level expenses without breaking down how it gets to it.


  • #35
    gctest50
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,534 ✭✭✭gctest50


    ChikiChiki wrote: »
    Because we are cash strapped. Do you not think 42,000 and 990,000 respectively in Japan and with the Israelis in Ballsbridge is a complete waste of taxpayer funds?


    For Japan it's about 25cent each

    for that we get

    goods exports of €2.1bn in 2012 and imports of €798m while services exports were at €2.7bn and imports of €0.9bn.


  • #36
    Conor Bourke
    Hosted Moderators Posts: 17,426 ✭✭✭✭Conor Bourke


    I'm more concerned with the link in the OP being The Liberal. Vile "publication". I refuse to click on the link and therefore justify their existence but they've been shown time and time again to have plagiarised articles, I wonder if this one is any different?


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  • #37
    Grayson
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 17,442 ✭✭✭✭Grayson


    BrokenArrows wrote: »
    He could stay in the 5* hyatt hotel in Tokyo for a month for 20k so im pretty sure they should be able to rent somewhere for less money.

    The thing is that an ambassadors residence isn't just an apartment. It's used for entertaining. It needs to have at the minimum a small function room that could be used for dinner parties etc. If you look on daft you'll see plenty of places that advertise themselves as potential ambassador residences. Not one would fall into a category that a person/normal family would rent.

    Maybe it could be cheaper but a hotel room wouldn't be suitable.


  • #38
    Hammer89
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,004 ✭✭✭Hammer89


    Deleted User wrote: »
    They should just buy a place in Tokyo, that'll be cheaper I'm sure.

    People just rent in Tokyo incase Godzilla destroys the city again, the prick.


  • #39
    [Deleted User]
    Posts: 18,046 ✭✭✭✭ [Deleted User]


    An awful lot of people think an ambassador's residence is just for living in.


    I'm constantly invited to the ambassador's residence where I live yet you'd all be happy to throw him or her in a studio. Some good that would do for Ireland's image.


  • #40
    newacc2015
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,375 ✭✭✭newacc2015


    I have a feeling no one in this thread has ever seen where all the embassies and residences in Dublin are for the foreign embassies. I'll give you a hint, it's not a half used industry estate in north county Dublin but the mouse expensive roads in Dublin eg Foxrock, Ailesbury Road, Shrewsbury Road. A majority of embassies in Dublin are on a handful of streets

    I imagine Japan like China is a culture of face. It would look bad to a someone from a culture of face to visit a small apartment in a lesser neighbour. The tax payer might not like it, but spending excessively on rent might be taking in tens of millions more in trade than if the residence was in a lesser neighbourhood


  • #41
    Annasopra
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 41,236 ✭✭✭✭Annasopra


    Subcomandante Marcos wrote: »
    You think that's bad?

    We're currently paying the rent for an entire block of offices (Carrisbrook House in Dublin 4) of which only a floor of which is in use, to house the Israeli Embassy.

    Have done for years. €990,000 per year (€82,500 per month!) in rents, which had cost €4,700,000 by 2013 so you're looking at €7,670,000 in the last 8 or so years.

    Why?

    Wouldnt Israel pay for that?

    It was so much easier to blame it on Them. It was bleakly depressing to think that They were Us. If it was Them, then nothing was anyone's fault. If it was us, what did that make Me? After all, I'm one of Us. I must be. I've certainly never thought of myself as one of Them. No one ever thinks of themselves as one of Them. We're always one of Us. It's Them that do the bad things.

    Terry Pratchet



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  • #42
    gramar
    Closed Accounts Posts: 12,045 ✭✭✭✭gramar


    Grayson wrote: »
    The thing is that an ambassadors residence isn't just an apartment. It's used for entertaining. It needs to have at the minimum a small function room that could be used for dinner parties etc.

    ..and somewhere to keep the supply of Ferrero Rocher.


  • #43
    Subcomandante Marcos
    Closed Accounts Posts: 7,682 ✭✭✭Subcomandante Marcos


    Joeytheparrot wrote: »
    Why?

    Wouldnt Israel pay for that?

    You'd think...


  • #44
    ohnonotgmail
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 41,365 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


    Joeytheparrot wrote: »
    Why?

    Wouldnt Israel pay for that?


    why? they rent out one floor. they pay rent for that one floor.


  • #45
    BrokenArrows
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,548 ✭✭✭BrokenArrows


    Grayson wrote: »
    The thing is that an ambassadors residence isn't just an apartment. It's used for entertaining. It needs to have at the minimum a small function room that could be used for dinner parties etc. If you look on daft you'll see plenty of places that advertise themselves as potential ambassador residences. Not one would fall into a category that a person/normal family would rent.

    Maybe it could be cheaper but a hotel room wouldn't be suitable.

    Hotels have function rooms which could be rented as required.


  • #46
    gctest50
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,534 ✭✭✭gctest50


    BrokenArrows wrote: »
    Hotels have function rooms which could be rented as required.

    It's 25cent each per year ( for the Japan one )


  • #47
    suicide_circus
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 19,801 ✭✭✭✭suicide_circus


    Deleted User wrote: »
    An awful lot of people think an ambassador's residence is just for living in.


    I'm constantly invited to the ambassador's residence where I live yet you'd all be happy to throw him or her in a studio. Some good that would do for Ireland's image.
    So our image will be of a nation who spends money we don't have on property we can't afford? Yeah, that works.


  • #48
    ...__...
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 507 ✭✭✭...__...


    So when you think of it if Israel didn't rent out that floor we would be more screwed.


  • #49
    vandriver
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,481 ✭✭✭vandriver


    suicide_circus wrote: »
    So our image will be of a nation who spends money we don't have on property we can't afford? Yeah, that works.
    The Irish State with an income of €50 billion a year and rising can't afford this?


  • #50
    BrokenArrows
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,548 ✭✭✭BrokenArrows


    gctest50 wrote: »
    It's 25cent each per year ( for the Japan one )

    Ah sure whats the harm then, might get my mates in the government to filter off 40k into my bank account, sure its only 25 cents each per year.

    Who cares if that 40k could pay for housing of 60 homeless people per month.


  • #51
    ChikiChiki
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,949 ✭✭✭ChikiChiki


    vandriver wrote: »
    The Irish State with an income of €50 billion a year and rising can't afford this?

    A high income country with a shockingly poor healthcare system.


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  • #52
    snotboogie
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,921 ✭✭✭snotboogie


    BrokenArrows wrote: »
    gctest50 wrote: »
    It's 25cent each per year ( for the Japan one )

    Ah sure whats the harm then, might get my mates in the government to filter off 40k into my bank account, sure its only 25 cents each per year.

    Who cares if that 40k could pay for housing of 60 homeless people per month.

    What will you do for 40k a month? This 40k keeps a residence for our ambassador and a function area for his events in the country with the third highest GDP in the world. Trade with Japan is a major surplus for us which helps thousands of Irish people. 40K is too high but we do need to spend significant money on residences for our ambassadors based in countries which are our major trading partners.


  • #53
    vandriver
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,481 ✭✭✭vandriver


    ChikiChiki wrote: »
    A high income country with a shockingly poor healthcare system.
    The State spends money on millions of different categories each year.


  • #54
    gctest50
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,534 ✭✭✭gctest50


    BrokenArrows wrote: »
    Ah sure whats the harm then, might get my mates in the government to filter off 40k into my bank account, sure its only 25 cents each per year.

    Who cares if that 40k could pay for housing of 60 homeless people per month.
    BrokenArrows wrote: »
    might get my mates in the government to filter off 40k into my bank account,

    How can you help bringing in the € 4.8 billion ?


    ( Ireland/Japan ) goods exports of €2.1bn in 2012 and imports of €798m while services exports were at €2.7bn and imports of €0.9bn.


  • #55
    BrokenArrows
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,548 ✭✭✭BrokenArrows


    snotboogie wrote: »
    What will you do for 40k a month? This 40k keeps a residence for our ambassador and a function area for his events in the country with the third highest GDP in the world. Trade with Japan is a major surplus for us which helps thousands of Irish people. 40K is too high but we do need to spend significant money on residences for our ambassadors based in countries which are our major trading partners.

    Im not denying that money needs to be spent. But it all needs to be kept accountable and justifiable. And i don't think 40k is justifiable.

    40k is just once instance. Consider how much overspending there is when you take into account every country in the world with has an irish ambassador.


  • #56
    gctest50
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,534 ✭✭✭gctest50


    ChikiChiki wrote: »
    A high income country with a shockingly poor healthcare system.


    Ireland's public spending on health in 2014 was almost 20% of government expenditure (capital + current) — the highest level in the European Union.


  • #57
    AGC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,648 ✭✭✭AGC


    BrokenArrows wrote: »
    Im not denying that money needs to be spent. But it all needs to be kept accountable and justifiable. And i don't think 40k is justifiable.

    40k is just once instance. Consider how much overspending there is when you take into account every country in the world with has an irish ambassador.

    I think everyone, including government and Foreign Affairs accepts that it is unacceptable and are seeking a better option.


  • #58
    ohnonotgmail
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 41,365 ✭✭✭✭ohnonotgmail


    BrokenArrows wrote: »
    Im not denying that money needs to be spent. But it all needs to be kept accountable and justifiable. And i don't think 40k is justifiable.

    40k is just once instance. Consider how much overspending there is when you take into account every country in the world with has an irish ambassador.

    we have 61 embassies around the world. The simple fact is that tokyo is a ridiculously expensive city. The real question is why we havent bought a property in tokyo. It's not like we will be cutting off diplomatic ties with them any time soon.


  • #59
    AGC
    Closed Accounts Posts: 2,648 ✭✭✭AGC


    ohnonotgmail wrote: »
    we have 61 embassies around the world. The simple fact is that tokyo is a ridiculously expensive city. The real question is why we havent bought a property in tokyo. It's not like we will be cutting off diplomatic ties with them any time soon.

    A bit like London and other cities....The Government can't or are just afraid to be seen making purchases like that.

    It is similar to a government jet, we have 1 not fit for purpose, there should be one purchased which can accommodate 30+ people and can be used for various reasons.


  • #60
    gctest50
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 9,534 ✭✭✭gctest50


    AGC wrote: »
    I think everyone, including government and Foreign Affairs accepts that it is unacceptable and are seeking a better option.

    It's fine for the moment, it works, and costs 25cents each per year


    This behemoth doesn't :

    about €7000 each per year
    The total HSE expenditure in 2015 was €13.895 billion for the delivery and contracting of health and personal social services.


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  • #61
    blackwhite
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2, Paid Member Posts: 9,991 ✭✭✭blackwhite


    Joeytheparrot wrote: »
    Why?

    Wouldnt Israel pay for that?
    Subcomandante Marcos wrote: »
    You'd think...

    Read the Examiner article that was linked.

    Forfas originally rented the entire building, and sublet it to a number of tenants, including Israel.
    Israel sublets one floor of the building from Forfas, and pays a rent (article doesn't disclose how much).

    Since 2008, all of the other tenants have moved out, meaning that Israel is the only tenant.

    The €990k per year appears to be the shortfall between what Forfas pays for the entire 8 floors, and what they receive for the single occupied floor.


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