You've become a philanthropic billionaire: how do you change Ireland for the better?

YFlyer · 05-08-2019 11:38PM

benjamin d wrote: »

As the title says, what changes could a billionaire realistically make to the country that would really make a huge difference?
Would you pay for the national broadband plan? Would you throw a wad of cash into a black hole like the children's hospital, a new motorway, metro north, DART underground?
Is there something we need that no government will pay for?
Maybe provide a new grant for renewable home energy projects? Set up a comprehensive set of bus routes?

Have 500 vedic pundits.

Your Face · 05-08-2019 11:41PM

I'd give money for animal shelters to expand their operations.

As for the people - let them eat cake.
I would buy a predetermined number of people one cake each.

05-08-2019 11:49PM

every major town would get a creche and after hours childcare centre/youthclub.

BuboBubo · 05-08-2019 11:54PM

I'd stick a giant retractable glass roof over the whole island and only open it at night to let in the rain.

Sure it's be a grand little country if there was a roof on it

the-island-man · 06-08-2019 12:05AM

High speed rail\Hyperloop between the main cities like others suggested or failing that I'd buy up the land along as much of the existing rail lines as possible to prevent Land Owners looking for their slice of the pie when it comes to upgrading the line (prioritising Galway to Dublin line because I live in Galway!).

Or build sizeable indoor arena's in all the regional cities. I could stand to be corrected but the only sizeable indoor arena's on the island are the 3 Arena and the Odyssey\SSE Arena. Seems illogical that in such a rainy country most funding seems to go to outdoor GAA stadiums.

Mad_maxx · 06-08-2019 12:22AM

I'd buy a solid gold House

Greentopia · 06-08-2019 12:43AM

Buy up as much land as I can get my hands on. In cities, towns and villages around the country divide some of the land up into thousands of Schrebergartens- allotments with little sheds and rules, so that everyone who wanted to have a little plot of land to grow some veg and chill out with their friends for a barbecue and a few beers could do so.
I'd lease them out for a nominal amount, same as in Germany.

I saw loads of them in little villages and towns there, especially in the former GDR and they look so nice with the little red huts.
Too many waiting for allotments here for years and not nearly enough being offered by councils.

The rest of the land where appropriate I'd plant broad leaf forests (Ireland still has too low a percentage of forested land), and I'd plough time and money into helping set up a lot more housing co-ops with the latest eco-technology for services on the rest of the land so people can have better access to affordable, sustainable housing.

I'd put a lot of money into animal welfare charities and rights organisations.

That should keep me going for a while.

Filmer Paradise · 06-08-2019 08:30AM

Reform the Legal Profession.

It would solve a lot of problems here.

kikilarue2 · 06-08-2019 08:32AM

Sharp MZ700 wrote: »

I'd set up an Immigration Office that works, holiday visa for 6 weeks or work visa for 3 months.
Break any condition or no work after 3 months, first plane back to wherever you came from.

This would make zero difference to most Irish people.

Mad_maxx · 06-08-2019 09:26AM

Filmer Paradise wrote: »

Reform the Legal Profession.

It would solve a lot of problems here.

Reform the medical profession while you are at it.

B.A._Baracus · 06-08-2019 09:33AM

Irishphotodesk wrote: »

Already have a plan for 100million euromillions win.... I estimate I would make 250k a month in interest, so over a period of time everyone I know would have their mortgage paid

Would it really be that much?
Genuinely asking. No clue when it comes to interest. Would it not be another thing of banks saying they give you a certain % but when it comes down to it here's 10 euro for your 100 million per year lol.

Fusitive · 06-08-2019 09:38AM

Irishphotodesk wrote: »

Already have a plan for 100million euromillions win.... I estimate I would make 250k a month in interest, so over a period of time everyone I know would have their mortgage paid .

If I'm upgraded to a billion.... I'm sure I could upscale to include random strangers, so essentially everyone in the country would benefit over time , without really putting a dent in my original capital....it might take a bit of time but within 20 years I should be in a position to help more people.

I would enjoy travelling the world with my family.

Good to hear but where will your interest come from if no one is paying loan interest on mortgages?

06-08-2019 09:40AM

I would build a whole new town like this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poundbury but with more cars and superb public transport links to Dublin. It would be a mix of social housing, affordable housing and private housing. It would have superb amenities and schools. It would be beautifully landscaped and have lots of green areas and parks and some sort of water-based amenities such as a river walk or a lake walk.

It would be interesting to see if it became some sort of nordic type paradise where all social groups mix or proof once and for all that culture is the main factor in thse things working.

06-08-2019 11:38AM

mariaalice wrote: »

I would build a whole new town like this https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poundbury but with more cars and superb public transport links to Dublin. It would be a mix of social housing, affordable housing and private housing. It would have superb amenities and schools. It would be beautifully landscaped and have lots of green areas and parks and some sort of water-based amenities such as a river walk or a lake walk.

It would be interesting to see if it became some sort of nordic type paradise where all social groups mix or proof once and for all that culture is the main factor in thse things working.

it wouldnt, unless you got to choose your social housing occupants very carefully

Princess Consuela Bananahammock · 06-08-2019 12:41PM

Same idea I suggested in the "you become a dictator of Ireland..." thread.

Also - please refer yourselves to the obvious flaws in most of your ideas that I posted in said thread.

Boom_Bap · 06-08-2019 12:52PM

I'd make sure that all shops start selling sweets by the quarter again.
Nothing like a quarter of fudge and a quarter of dolly mix.

InTheShadows · 06-08-2019 12:52PM

Id invest billions in transforming somewhere like Galway into a major city to take the pressure off Dublin.

I would make the building of social housing an absolute priority as it benefits both private and social tenants and the lack of same is a major reason why we have the ridiculous situation we do now.

Build a massive super port in Rosslare.

Build a small town somewhere and provide jobs and homes for families who need shelter from war torn region's. Only families to be housed, no single men and all must comply with our laws and sign a contract to state this or else be deported post haste back to war torn country.

Lobby the government to make PE and various sports compulsory for 2 hrs per day in all schools for kids between the ages of 8-18. Build PE into our leaving cert in some form with points rewarded for kids who are more active.

Invest billions into an all Dublin football team with state of the art facilities in preparation for the coming European super league and champions league.

Finally make the building of prisons a priority.

Ubbquittious · 06-08-2019 01:43PM

Rebuild the villages on abandoned islands and repopulate them, get some companies to move over to them.

Build a coal powerstation just south of the border with it's chimney in post brexit Norn Iron so the EU will leave us alone about the emissions

Ultimate Seduction · 06-08-2019 01:45PM

I'd leave Ireland with all my money.

Cee-Jay-Cee · 06-08-2019 02:38PM

TheValeyard wrote: »

Hyperloop rail network that connects, Dublin, Galway, Cork, Athlone.

Yeah because there is nothing north of Galway/Athlone....I'd pay for ignorant people like you to receive further education in geography.

06-08-2019 02:50PM

I live in a house estate, approx 300 houses. There's a similar estate elsewhere in the town. Both are stereotypical council estates and have more than their share of trouble. I'd offer to buy everyone's privately owned house, and all the council stock, and I'd let these estates become my pet project.

I'd put up gates on them, pay private security, hire gardeners, etc. and anyone so much as threatening to have a party that lasts after 11pm would have their bags packed for them and be fired out in rapid timing. The end result/intention being that the decent hard working families that have to put up with the useless scumbags would finally get a break and could relax.

I'd approach the govt. and offer an incentive scheme wherein I'd match any excess money paid towards policing in the following five years. So if they bought 20 Garda cars, I'd also buy 20 Garda cars. If they recruited 20 Gardai, I'd cover the cost of recruiting 20 more. I'd cover the 'running costs' of the cars i paid for, and wages for the Gardai hired, so the govt. wouldn't be able to complain after the fact either.

I'd also invest in proper Garda training and equipment to catch and prosecute scrambler bikes/quads. I'd spend a lot of money highlighting the shoddy punishments handed out by the courts and offer to build a new high-capacity prison.

Then I'd build a housing estate with about a dozen houses on a greenfield site near my town. I'd house all my decent friends in it, and myself. So all the people I know that work hard and struggle by, could sell their houses and move in to a nice, private, estate without any real worries. They'd still have to work and pay their way through their lives, but at least they'd be given a break that many don't seem to get.

Then I'd look at my negative balance bank account and wonder where all my money went. And I'd go to collect my dole.

crossmolinalad · 06-08-2019 02:54PM

Not
Moving out to somewhere nice big spacefull and warm

Reality King · 06-08-2019 02:57PM

Build halting sites and migrant centres in the affluent parts of Dublin. These areas are cultural wastelands and it breaks my heart.

harry Bailey esq · 06-08-2019 03:10PM

Indoor, 18 hole golf courses. All connected by yer man's monorail.

4068ac1elhodqr · 06-08-2019 03:16PM

The good news is that the average Joe/Jane will do more than the average current billionaire.
The average person gives around 2.23% of their lifetime earnings to charity or good causes.

36 of the 50 billionaires donate less than the average person (1.8% of their wealth).
This only increases upto 4.3% when ‘Giving Pledge’ billionaires are factored in.

Airyfairy12 · 06-08-2019 03:24PM

Id buy a load of unused houses and buildings, do them up really nice and give them to homeless people and families, id also build suitable and safe homeless shelters through out the country.
The rest id use to invest locally to help with employment.

Ri_Nollaig · 06-08-2019 04:12PM

Mad_maxx wrote: »

I'd buy a solid gold House

Don't forget the rocket car

mikemac2 · 06-08-2019 04:18PM

Greentopia wrote: »

The rest of the land where appropriate I'd plant broad leaf forests (Ireland still has too low a percentage of forested land),

This was my idea too

It will be there for generations. Well you need some legal eagles to ensure they are protected after you are gone

biko · 06-08-2019 04:22PM

I'd increase services in rural areas, particularly for old people that might not be able to move about or afford doing social things.

The Enbalmer · 07-08-2019 02:33PM

Tow cork and its Cha and Mya halfwit population out into the Atlantic and scuttle it.

You've become a philanthropic billionaire: how do you change Ireland for the better?

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