Following on from
this thread
Please remain civil or posting privileges will be removed
This looks suspiciously like a post equating politics with cheap point scoring. There's no real way to look good when a TD lands the leader in it. Hard to support the TD and say he's an idiot for saying it.
Surprised it took so long for a post like this to emerge. Two years with no opportunity to promote Ireland means we are going to double down. No government, even a non-FFG one, will forsake the chance to sell Ireland Inc at a time when the whole world imagines they are Irish. Is this outrage at the perceived waste of public money or just outrage at a government you dislike?
If only the govt took Fleming's advice about shopping around in relation to children's hospitals, national broadband plans and heads for Health department's.
It's outrage for the sake of it.
You are correct, the promotion of Ireland abroad is a key objective of every government.
Are you suggesting that the government didn't follow EU procurement laws in relation to major projects?
Are you going too? (Soz, couldn’t resist it 😇)
Specsavers thataway Blanch>>>
Talking about value for money here a la Sean Fleming.
You are missing the point. Shopping around is only possible within the confines of EU procurement law.
“Where are the rest of the figures? Homeless, Living in parents, family members etc.l
Adult children living with parents aren’t homeless. I lived with my parents until I got married, same goes for my siblings. Lived at home until able to afford homes. My children lived with me until they could afford a mortgage. They weren’t homeless. My friends children did the same. It’s common sense. Live within one’s means.
Grand. You believe so we got good value on the hospital and Robert Watts salary.
On Robert Watt's salary, I would prefer to see the Review Body on Higher Remuneration which addressed such issues in the 1990s and 2000s be reconvened to examine the appropriate levels of such salaries, and more importantly, the pension entitlements that attach to it, because the real cost in his case is the pension.
As for the hospital and other projects, we are hampered by EU red-tape and procurement laws from getting the best deal in all cases. An army of people are needed to deal with such tenders these days.
That is a pathetic attempt at defending sh!t.
It was directly answering a question. All I see is FG making up more perks for themselves to abuse their positions. FF following suit.
"Two years with no opportunity to promote Ireland means we are going to double down" - So it's safe to assume you didn't read the article.
Could you point to the outrage please? I think it's a pile of crap excuses wrapped up in colourful paper and a bow, but no outrage here. I have come to expect this sort of nonsene from all politicians.
Why does it have to be TD's that go away on these trips spreading the joyous words of Ireland around the world to the countries? Would there not be hundreds or even thousands of people better placed to go and promote certain sectors to individual countries?
To say we are so lucky to be able to waste this money do this while no other country in the world... blah blah.. Might have worked for the US, but for every other country? Come on. That is just more abuse of power giving themselves more perks on top of pay rises bullsh*t. If there was any outrage, it would be over the way it is presented and defended to the Irish people, not the expected crap actually happening. That's almost laughable.
Could you point to the outrage please? I think it's a pile of crap excuses wrapped up in colourful paper and a bow, but no outrage here. I have come to expect this sort of nonsense from all politicians.
When this is your default position your reaction is no surprise at all. It's not a perk, it's a Promote Ireland slightly junket-like trip but there is no better time to be doing that than Paddy's Day and it's even more important post-COVID. As I said I can confidently predict that a non-FFG government would do exactly the same and I'd still see the justification for it.
You ask why does it have to be TDs that go away on these trips spreading the joyous words of Ireland around the world?
Well, that is what democracy is for. We elect TDs to represent us. Don't like the people who head away - elect someone else.
As @is_that_so points out - a non-FFG government would do exactly the same - and in my opinion, this is only being raised as another thing to whinge and moan about.
I have been on Ministerial trips abroad. For the most part, they are not junkets, they are extremely busy and tiring hard work. While the public will only see the public events, there is a whole long list of private meetings as well. They are non-stop. The only trips that would tend to be like junkets would be Heads of State trips (in Ireland's case, the President) which usually have tourism and down-time built in.
Ask the IDA what they think of these "junkets". They are invaluable in attracting business to Ireland. Looking at the list of destinations, with the exception of Lebanon (which is probably a visit to our peacekeepers in the area), I can see a clear trade/investment element to each of the visits.
"Adult children living with parents aren’t homeless."
Who said they were? Just to point out a couple of other things they aren't.
You can keep painting it any colour you like. It's a perk. When do we get to see the benefits from these junkets? When do we get to see what they have actually achieved by going on them?
I am not interested in what a non FFG government would do. The fact is we don't yet know that as it has never happened. That aside, it is an FFG government and is exactly what most of us have come to expect from them. I haven't said that there is no justification for it, and as i mentioned, no outrage here. But it would be better served by people who are in a better position and more qualified. I also haven't seen any evidence of any justification for it yet.
We are already paying people to promote Ireland, and it's not any of those going.
Not only is there no better time to be doing it, but they wouldn't get in the door of some of these places were it not done at that time.
Very short, long-haul trips filled with meetings frankly sounds like a terrible "junket" to me. I'd rather just down drinks in the Dáil bar.
Are you suggesting they always act above board and by the numbers? We know these parties have a record of cronyism and sweet deals.
Eh, the greatest share of American FDI over the last 30 years wouldn't have been achieved without the St. Patrick's Day trips to the States. Personally, I am aware of education co-operation agreements that have directly come from Ministerial trips abroad.
Ministers and Prime Ministers get access that ordinary employees paid to promote Ireland just don't get. There is an incredible level of naivety and ignorance around what Ministers do.
We don't all live with rainbows over our fully paid off roof and a whistle as we pass by none of the issues effecting the Irish public. Is it Tír na nÓg you live or Fiddlers Green? :)
Eh, I had already stated that whilst it may be true for the US, I see no evidence of it being true for every other country. It's a bullsh*t perk. Call it what it is.
Around one third of the visits involve travel to the US.
Other destinations include the Trade Expo in Dubai (I take it that is no problem with you either), another third involve visits to our EU partners which is great opportunity to do business and lobby governments outside of the immediate pressure of EU meetings.
Here is the list, tell us which ones you don't like, and why.
Brophy, really? Two seats taken on the plane anyway. There's no excuse for looking like that and it's embarrassing for the country and those who have to meet him
Most of them on that list from Simon Coveney down.
More strumpet city.😀
It's not that I don't like them, they are bullsh*t trips made up for the TD's. The only one - the original one benfefits both. The Taoiseach gets to have some one on one time with the President of US, while the President gets to be seen by the Irish American voters welcoming him and celebrating St. Patricks day..
All the rest are nonsense.
Would you rather our ministers never meet with counterparts globally?
Read what I have said.
You, Blanch, Marko, etc. can blow smoke up whoever's asshole you want, try to convince the rest of us that they are beneficial for the country or whatever other nonsense makes you feel warm and cozy inside. They are nonsense trips. Pure and utter bullsh*t. Nothing more.
I have read it.
Do you think these trips are fundamentally pointless? Do you think ministerial trips are fundamentally not necessary?
These trips don't strike me as particularly enjoyable given they are short, involve a lot of travel and a lot of meetings. What exactly is it you think the ministers are getting out of it that is so personally enjoyable?
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://wf.vanillicon.com/v2/f054c80ff399c4eba8d719c617220a57.svg)
![Photo of [Deleted User]](https://wa.vanillicon.com/v2/a0aa2a861444ffb2f04cd77e7bcd86df.svg)
