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Today Show with Sarah McInerney

[Deleted User]

Séan O’Rourke has left the desk for good, and Sarah McInerney has stepped into his seat. We wish her well.

The usual rules of decency apply, carry on.

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[Deleted User]

Klonker wrote: »

Marc MacSherry on saying a lot in the public sector are not working at all and getting full pay and are basically taking the p1ss. I actually can't believe a politician is being so straight shooting and not backing down from his comments but I agree 100%, we need a few more politicians like him

Mack the Knife, the Sequel. It wasn't off the stones he licked it.

Klonker

dulpit wrote: »

How many days have the Dáil sat since election? How many committees are up and running? How many days off will they be getting for the summer break now? What a load of rubbish from Marc MacSharry...

I think to claim the government are not busy or working hard at the moment is not true, considering all the effects that every department is facing due to the coronavirus. I don't agree with the 6 week break but a TD is a strange job and this won't be a 6 week break for them, they all still have jobs to do and people to represent.

Fann Linn wrote: »

Or, when your party in govt is falling around like a drunken sailor, stir up the auld public/private debate to deflect.

I agree the government so far has been a mess and FF in particular are to blame for that. I'm not sure Marc's comments are a welcome distraction, more so it'll be more criticism for FF but I agree with him and I'm glad he's not apologising and standing his ground.

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Mack the Knife, the Sequel. It wasn't off the stones he licked it.

Cheers, I didn't realise he was part of a dynasty! Was doing a bit of googleing there. I think it's great to see politicians not afraid to put forward their views and opinions.

NickNickleby

Klonker wrote: »

...

I agree the government so far has been a mess and FF in particular are to blame for that. I'm not sure Marc's comments are a welcome distraction, more so it'll be more criticism for FF but I agree with him and I'm glad he's not apologising and standing his ground.

.

Other than gossip, or a quote from a publicity seeking (insert epithet of choice), what evidence do you provide to back up this horrendous slur . I have family members who are Civil Servants, and they work hard for their sh!t wages (average 31k) GROSS , doing unpaid extra hours, even NOW, during the lockdown. Bad enough, but then have this sh!t thrown at them as well. If I seem somewhat outraged, I'm actually being far more polite than I feel.

imme

NickNickleby wrote: »

Other than gossip, or a quote from a publicity seeking (insert epithet of choice), what evidence do you provide to back up this horrendous slur . I have family members who are Civil Servants, and they work hard for their sh!t wages (average 31k) GROSS , doing unpaid extra hours, even NOW, during the lockdown. Bad enough, but then have this sh!t thrown at them as well. If I seem somewhat outraged, I'm actually being far more polite than I feel.

That doesn't sound very fair, have they tried to do anything about it.

Are the unpaid extra hours worked for free seriously?

NickNickleby

imme wrote: »

That doesn't sound very fair, have they tried to do anything about it.

Are the unpaid extra hours worked for free seriously?

Absolutely, given a task to complete, with no discussion as to how to do x hours worth of work in the time available - therefore, they will work late either at home or in the office (both scenarios apply). In fairness, its not every day, but its regular enough to notice, but not regular enough to get antsy about it. Basically, they just get on with it. In further fairness, it mainly only happens to two of the three of them, but they're all equally committed to doing a good job. Which is why I get angry when I read some things that are said. I'm not going to speculate as to how widespread laziness could be - its the human condition, so slackers won't be confined to the CS. But reading M Mc S and his admirers' comments would suggest it is.

In the interests of full and honest disclosure, I've worked in the CS/PS and private sector. I've met dossers in all three, but wouldn't characterise any one sector as standing out from the others in any respect. In my experience.

Honest people who want to work and do a good job, will do it regardless of where they work. And vice-versa.

[Deleted User]

Klonker wrote: »

Cheers, I didn't realise he was part of a dynasty! Was doing a bit of googleing there. I think it's great to see politicians not afraid to put forward their views and opinions.

Just listened back now.

Very impressive. He's absolutely correct. There are Government agencies and offices that won't open when even the pubs are open. I too have encountered one public body where nobody seems to be working from home. I wonder if it is the same one he refers to.

If they can't work from home like the rest of us, then don't claim a full salary for 4 months and counting.

Infoanon

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Just listened back now.

Very impressive. He's absolutely correct. There are Government agencies and offices that won't open when even the pubs are open. I too have encountered one public body where nobody seems to be working from home. I wonder if it is the same one he refers to.
.

The working from home is a bit of a red herring - there are fundamental issues with the public sector and while there are some excellent staff I to often have had experiences which if they occurred in the private sector would result in doors been shown.
Friends who work in the public sector have long complained about the inefficient work practises.
Marc McSharry had a point but there are too many voters at play to upset the apple cart.

Sir Guy who smiles

Klonker wrote: »

Marc MacSherry on saying a lot in the public sector are not working at all and getting full pay and are basically taking the p1ss. I actually can't believe a politician is being so straight shooting and not backing down from his comments but I agree 100%, we need a few more politicians like him

So what public sector office(s) was doing nothing during the lockdown?

Sir Guy who smiles

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Just listened back now.

Very impressive. He's absolutely correct. There are Government agencies and offices that won't open when even the pubs are open. I too have encountered one public body where nobody seems to be working from home. I wonder if it is the same one he refers to.

If they can't work from home like the rest of us, then don't claim a full salary for 4 months and counting.

Care to give specifics? There's no need to be so vague

Beechwoodspark

As someone with vulnerable family I was dragged kicking and screaming back to my job driving as a sales rep in mid May.

I didn’t want to, i resisted it as much as I could. but i was borderline forced to with implicit threats.

It’s a bit rich that some civil servants won’t even be returning to work when the pubs are back open.

Infoanon

Beechwoodspark wrote: »

As someone with vulnerable family I was dragged kicking and screaming back to my job driving as a sales rep in mid May.

I didn’t want to, i resisted it as much as I could. but i was borderline forced to with implicit threats.

It’s a bit rich that some civil servants won’t even be returning to work when the pubs are back open.

Marc let himself get side tracked with civil servants working from home which I don't believe was the main thrust of his argument.

Regarding your own situation this is unfortunate, there is advice to employers and as one solicitor put it to me any employer who does not take heed is rather foolish. Alas there are foolish employers out there.

As an aside it's government advice AND medium term government strategy for people that can work from home to work from home.

NickNickleby

I haven't read the whole thread, so I'm unfamiliar with the scenario whereby there are more than 2 options: go to the office, or work from home. In the case of the family members, they are working from home(their own homes) and two of them have been asked to attend in the office on specific days for tasks that can't be handled remotely, with proper precautions in place. In one office, staff are being redeployed because of reduced workload. I don't know how 'voluntary' this is, but its not really defensible to refuse if you've little to do - so people have gone.

So the stay at home and do nothing option seems very strange.

I'm talking about the new generation of Civil Servants, people who have years of private sector experience and min degree level qualifications. Maybe there are dinosaurs, but I was 60(a dinosaur? :pac:) when I was working as a TCO, and I worked my socks off. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

[Deleted User]

Sir Guy who smiles wrote: »

Care to give specifics? There's no need to be so vague

Well there's a limit of how much anyone is going to write here about their personal affairs. But I rang a public body about a fairly urgent matter. If involved a deadline and I needed a document. Farm related. No joy in the phone. I emailed and emailed and, got a reply two weeks later, now days after the deadline, to say "sorry, the office is currently not operating as normal".

This was only a few weeks ago, after the lockdown.

As things like this keep happening. I can see how people might get frustrated.

Infoanon

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

As things like this keep happening. I can see how people might get frustrated.

This is not a new phenomenon - things like what you have described have been going on for decades.

There is a new breed now in some departments and it is making a difference however I have numerous experiences from pre covid lockdown this year that show old habits die hard.

[Deleted User]

Infoanon wrote: »

This is not a new phenomenon - things like what you have described have been going on for decades.

There is a new breed now in some departments and it is making a difference however I have numerous experiences from pre covid lockdown this year that show old habits die hard.

It's a mixed bag. You have great people in any workplace and you have slackers, that's not a public sector thing. As Sarah McInerney pointed out today, thousands of public workers have done an heroic job in the past few months. We owe them gratitude and better working conditions.

But there does seem to be another side to the public service that has taken its foot off the pedal and is slow.to reapply it.

Sir Guy who smiles

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Well there's a limit of how much anyone is going to write here about their personal affairs. But I rang a public body about a fairly urgent matter. If involved a deadline and I needed a document. Farm related. No joy in the phone. I emailed and emailed and, got a reply two weeks later, now days after the deadline, to say "sorry, the office is currently not operating as normal".

This was only a few weeks ago, after the lockdown.

As things like this keep happening. I can see how people might get frustrated.

You could have just named the body, noone would have known anything about your personal affairs.

There's no excuse for the lack of email service, but I wonder if reports about phones not being answered are deluxe to the adoption of VOIP systems. They don't seem to ever produce engaged tones or disconnected tones; when our phones are out people ringing them just get a ringing tone. With VOIP phones being diverted to mobiles at people working away from the office people might be getting ringing tones when the person they are diverted to is on the phone.

This doesn't just happen in the public service; when I ring my vet you get a constant ringing tone and no engaged tone, but when you get through they tell you someone was on the phone.

Infoanon

Sir Guy who smiles wrote: »

You could have just named the body, noone would have known anything about your personal affairs.

There's no excuse for the lack of email service, but I wonder if reports about phones not being answered .

Phones in certain departments are allowed ring out.

Certain departments within the department won't answer there phones to each other.

imme

Collette Brown was funny having a Mary Lou moment with her mans-splanning jibe.

Will she reinvent herself as SF's legal counsel.

Far stranger things have happened.

Is there any value to having columnists on the show.

el_gaucho

imme wrote: »

Collette Brown was funny having a Mary Lou moment with her mans-splanning jibe.

Will she reinvent herself as SF's legal counsel.

Far stranger things have happened.

Is there any value to having columnists on the show.

It’s a pity he didn’t challenge her on that. She would be the first to complain about any sexist comment if it was aimed at her.

Brendan Bendar

el_gaucho wrote: »

It’s a pity he didn’t challenge her on that. She would be the first to complain about any sexist comment if it was aimed at her.

Didn’t hear it all, it seemed like a re run of a Vincent Browne prog.

That is, stacked deck + the presenter against one Govt. rep who handled things quite didn’t lie down and take the shït coming from Collette Browne and others including McInerney.

Govt need to get well informed pipe swingers to get in amongst these media dogs and take them on at their own game.

They also need not to put out anything that is not absolutely watertight and cut the supply line to these folk.

And that’s the minimum they should do...... they have six weeks to straighten out otherwise a further dose of this stuff will sink them.

Six weeks......

Sir Guy who smiles

Infoanon wrote: »

Phones in certain departments are allowed ring out.

Certain departments within the department won't answer there phones to each other.

Maybe, that doesn't mean the VOIP problem doesn't exist.

You also have the phenomenon of people ringing lines that are not there to give a 9 to 5 phone presence. I know a department
official who was on the floor of the establishment he supervised from 7 until 10, then back in the office he got an earful on the phone from the then minister for agriculture, let's call him Livan Lates, because he wasn't sitting by the phone instead of actually doing his job.

[Deleted User]

imme wrote: »

Is there any value to having columnists on the show.

Yes. To articulate an opinion and hopefully engage the listeners. Why else would she be there, with respect? What purpose would you prefer her to fulfil?

I sometimes think people believe all journalists are supposed to be impartial. They are not. Brown is not a news journalist, she is employed to ventilate a particular outlook on Irish social and political life.

Brendan Bendar

A Tyrant Named Miltiades! wrote: »

Yes. To articulate an opinion and hopefully engage the listeners. Why else would she be there, with respect? What purpose would you prefer her to fulfil?

I sometimes think people believe all journalists are supposed to be impartial. They are not. Brown is not a news journalist, she is employed to ventilate a particular outlook on Irish social and political life.

I wouldn’t amongst ‘those people’ Ty.

However, and I say this whilst admitting I didn’t fully listen to the show today, given that most discerning folk know the ‘form’ of journalists and which ‘side‘ they are batting from, one would expect the panel to be more balanced.

I mean constructing a panel of journalists like say, Vincent Browne, Gene Kerrigan’ Collette Browne and say Oliver Callan, I think even the most biased observer wouldn’t call that balanced.

Acute observers know well what would be expected from them, I would suspect.

Infoanon

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

Didn’t hear it all, it seemed like a re run of a Vincent Browne prog.

That is, stacked deck + the presenter against one Govt. rep who handled things quite didn’t lie down and take the shït coming from Collette Browne and others including McInerney.

Govt need to get well informed pipe swingers to get in amongst these media dogs and take them on at their own game.

I thought Alan Farrell came across as obnoxious and condescending and if the other contributers listened there where falsehoods that he could easily have been picked up on.Personally I thought he was the wrong person to have on on if you have a government trying to prove that they are not disconnected.
Flippant comments such as no one is interested in Coveneys car and 'not a pay rise ' increased payments to super juniors do not play well with audiences.

Brendan Bendar

Infoanon wrote: »

I thought Alan Farrell came across as obnoxious and condescending and if the other contributers listened there where falsehoods that he could easily have been picked up on.Personally I thought he was the wrong person to have on on if you have a government trying to prove that they are not disconnected.
Flippant comments such as no one is interested in Coveneys car and 'not a pay rise ' increased payments to super juniors do not play well with audiences.

I would have to disagree there, and what I heard played quite well with me.

At last a lad prepared to take on these people and stand up for the govt against what I saw as a stacked deck.

The people who it might have “not played well with” to paraphrase you, are those who whatever the govt does doesn’t ‘play well‘ with.

The kind of people who it doesn’t “play well with” probably are the people who criticize the Gardai for inspecting pubs who try to game the health regulation and put our population in danger.

The ‘Aaaaaah shure’ brigade who think regulations only apply to the ‘other people’ and are nowhere to be found when a surge in infection is traced to their premises.

They then expect the taxpayer and compliant folk to sort the mess out.

Sorry dude, those days are beginning to fade out.

Time to take responsibility, my friend, take the risk, pay the price.

M’kay

Infoanon

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

I would have to disagree there, and what I heard played quite well with me.

At last a lad prepared to take on these people and stand up for the govt against what I saw as a stacked deck.

The people who it might have “not played well with” to paraphrase you, are those who whatever the govt does doesn’t ‘play well‘ with.

The kind of people who it doesn’t “play well with” probably are the people who criticize the Gardai for inspecting pubs who try to game the health regulation and put our population in danger.

The ‘Aaaaaah shure’ brigade who think regulations only apply to the ‘other people’ and are nowhere to be found when a surge in infection is traced to their premises.

They then expect the taxpayer and compliant folk to sort the mess out.

Sorry dude, those days are beginning to fade out.

Time to take responsibility, my friend, take the risk, pay the price.

M’kay

You are making a lot of assumptions in your reply.

I don't agree with your notion of a 'stacked deck' and as for 'a lad willing to take on these people' it was all bluster.Trump like politics will not work in this country.

The problem with bluster and falsehoods is that eventually you get caught out and endanger alienating your vote.

It's those potential FG voters whose today's bluster will not play well with.

Brendan Bendar

Infoanon wrote: »

You are making a lot of assumptions in your reply.

I don't agree with your notion of a 'stacked deck' and as for 'a lad willing to take on these people' it was all bluster.Trump like politics will not work in this country.

The problem with bluster and falsehoods is that eventually you get caught out and endanger alienating your vote.

It's those potential FG voters whose today's bluster will not play well with.

Those “Potential FG voters” know the difference between the truth and bluster.

Infoanon

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

Those “Potential FG voters” know the difference between the truth and bluster.

So everything that Alan Farrell said today was true ?
(He of expenses claims fame)

The PUP / Holidays has been an utter mess this week created by the Government - completely avoidable yet 'this lad' tried to defend it.
The pay increases for the super juniors was another mess self inflicted yet 'this lad' defended it with his 'mantra' that it was not an increase and kept interrupting other contributers.

If you think that bluster appeals to mainstream voters you are very much mistaking.

Brendan Bendar

Infoanon wrote: »

So everything that Alan Farrell said today was true ?

Was it.... tell us all and enlighten us on this.

Infoanon

Brendan Bendar wrote: »

Was it.... tell us all and enlighten us on this.

You are the one hailing your 'lad' - simple question was everything your 'lad' said today true ?