Higgins: Queen 'should pay bed and board'

Gunsfortoys · 20-04-2011 07:36PM

She should pay 8 euro to see the cliffs of moher just like everyone else!

Dionysus · 20-04-2011 07:37PM

Dave! wrote: »

given that the Queen is going to be visiting a bunch of famous tourist sites (Trinity, Garden of Remembrance, Rock of Cashel, Croke Park, Dublin Castle, Guinness, etc.), and it's going to be broadcast around the world due to its historical significance, it will be a good opportunity to show off the various sites, and it will represent the Irish people in general in a good light.

Enormously overrated - ridiculously so. There is a huge amount of ráiméis here about the supposed economic benefits of this visit. Adding worldwide coverage to it is just baseless, delusional and wishful thinking of the bandwagon variety from Celtic Tiger years.

Would Irish people stop the herd mentality and look at things rationally. Do any of you visit a place because the President visited it? Indeed, how much coverage does one of her visits get in Ireland?

Helix · 20-04-2011 07:40PM

Motley Crue wrote: »

Does Higgins expect that Irish Representatives do the same when they visit England?

more importantly, does higgins refuse his expenses on the basis that its costing the tax payer money? or does he pay for his overnights out of his own pocket?

CiaranC · 20-04-2011 07:43PM

Helix wrote: »

more importantly, does higgins refuse his expenses on the basis that its costing the tax payer money? or does he pay for his overnights out of his own pocket?

He takes home the average industrial wage and gives the rest to his party. Actually.

dan719 · 20-04-2011 07:45PM

UglyBolloxFace wrote: »

Your monarch's a cúnt.

There, I said it.

Do you know her personally?

Good to see the usual suspects thanked your posts. All two of them. Obviously your retarded view is representative of the nation. :rolleyes:

Helix · 20-04-2011 08:00PM

CiaranC wrote: »

He takes home the average industrial wage and gives the rest to his party. Actually.

in giving it to his party its still costing the tax payer the same amount

CiaranC · 20-04-2011 08:02PM

Helix wrote: »

in giving it to his party its still costing the tax payer the same amount

His expenses were the lowest in the Dail last term he served.

You inferred that he was profiting personally like that fat ugly old parasite HRH the Queen of Engerland.

Eat your words. EAT THEM

OPENROAD · 20-04-2011 08:36PM

Another thread :eek::eek:

We really should have a sub section in AH devoted to this :eek::p

ShooterSF · 20-04-2011 08:51PM

If we invited her we pay as much as it sickens me to see someone with so much money getting a free. But...

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

That crowd of parrots (a reference to the wide non-uniformity of their collective attire) perched together in the corner of the Dáil (the likes of Boyd-Barrett, "Ming" Flanagan, Mick Wallace & Higgins, etc..) who refuse to wear stately attire, come out with the most blatant obscurities and reject to conform with Dáil procedure, need not be listened as their ideas are so far from reality that they would be rejected on the grounds of implausibility in the wildest dimensions of fantasy.

Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Hilarious. My evening monocle fell out and nearly knocked over my sherry glass.

Fulton Crown · 20-04-2011 08:55PM

Higgins is a complete Clown.....a smart assed bogger.......who would be better tending to serious business of representing his electorate that making asinine comments about HRH.

A freekin complete clown ...elected by the west dublin welfare spongers.

Get a life you gimp.....

nyarlothothep · 20-04-2011 08:57PM

Dionysus wrote: »

Enormously overrated - ridiculously so. There is a huge amount of ráiméis here about the supposed economic benefits of this visit. Adding worldwide coverage to it is just baseless, delusional and wishful thinking of the bandwagon variety from Celtic Tiger years.

Would Irish people stop the herd mentality and look at things rationally. Do any of you visit a place because the President visited it? Indeed, how much coverage does one of her visits get in Ireland?

Damn right, there is so much consensus (group think) in this thread it is genuinely saddening.

dvpower · 20-04-2011 09:51PM

Dionysus wrote: »

Serious question: has anybody actually provided evidence to support this oft-mentioned claim?

What evidence would you expect? A time traveller to return back from next year with some survey results?

I've provided a quote from the head of Tourism Ireland who thinks the visit "has the potential to deliver a major boost to Irish tourism in 2011 and beyond"

UglyBolloxFace · 20-04-2011 09:58PM

dan719 wrote: »

Do you know her personally?

Good to see the usual suspects thanked your posts. All two of them. Obviously your retarded view is representative of the nation. :rolleyes:

That 'retarded view' is my opinion (and my opinion only), and is still my opinion regardless of whether you agree with it or not.

Yes, my choice of word is slightly offensive, but not as offensive as all the wrongs that woman represents.

UglyBolloxFace · 20-04-2011 10:04PM

CiaranC wrote: »

He takes home the average industrial wage and gives the rest to his party. Actually.

Interesting, fair play to him if true.

Do you have any links to this? (Internet search isn't returning anything of use) I'd like to read more about it.

dvpower · 20-04-2011 10:07PM

My name is URL wrote: »

Can you honestly say that you'd be more inclined to visit the UK just because our own head of state was there on a visit? I doubt the veracity of the claims being made about increased levels of tourism. Maybe around the time of the visit there will be a small increase but overall I don't think it will make a huge difference to the numbers. Only time will tell.

No, I wouldn't visit the UK just because our own head of state went there on a visit.

This is an historically important vist, and as such there will be piles of UK journalists covering it and producing nice colour pieces about the trip and the places she goes. These positive images will be played on British media during the visit. All the tourist sites she visits will get a good airing. That's what will encourage more visitors; it's basicaly a heap of free advertising.

On top of that, because this visit is being billed as a bridge building excercise; another step along the road to normalising relations, those few Britons who would have had a residual anxiety about visiting will likely feel more confident in making a trip.

I can't put a figure on how much it is worth to us, but the people in charge of attracting tourism here think that its quite a big deal.

Fluorescence · 20-04-2011 10:13PM

We did invite her, we can hardly expect her to foot the bill. I would wonder why we invited her though, when we've no spare change for a slice of toast and today's Daily Mail.

Killer Pigeon · 21-04-2011 12:47AM

Dionysus wrote: »

hehe. Very good. You are taking the piss, of course?

Yours,

Somebody who wouldn't be seen dead in a stuffy pointless tie. *shudder*

ShooterSF wrote: »

Ah ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. Hilarious. My evening monocle fell out and nearly knocked over my sherry glass.

Seriously though, they're representing the country and their constituents; some TDs should have a little bit more respect for their position. The only reason that crowd don't like to wear formal clothing is because they're trying to act like socialist paupers when in fact they're earning enough money to buy a new suit for every day of the year - it's all part of their ridiculous non-conformist anti-progressive mindset.

@Dionysis; I don't know what planet you're living on but it actually feels good to wear a suit.

Dionysus · 21-04-2011 01:33AM

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

Seriously though, they're representing the country and their constituents; some TDs should have a little bit more respect for their position.

And since when did wearing clothes other than a tie and suit represent "disrespect"? Please provide evidence in fact rather than in your personal prejudices for the connection. Here are some of the great public representatives who clearly respected their position because they wore suits and ties: Bertie Ahern, Liam Lawlor, Michael Lowry, Raphael Burke.

I don't want sheep who conform in Dáil Éireann or worry about what people would say if their don't wear the "proper" :rolleyes: clothes. There are far too many of them. They offer society very little other than cannonfodder for the next boom.

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

The only reason that crowd don't like to wear formal clothing is because they're trying to act like socialist paupers when in fact they're earning enough money to buy a new suit for every day of the year - it's all part of their ridiculous non-conformist anti-progressive mindset.

This is a ridiculously bad judge of character. Did it ever, ever occur to you that they just don't want to dress up like you? That they have their own minds, their own preferences and have a right to dress as they see fit? Why the prudish intolerance? Why this desire to force people to dress your way?

As for people who don't wear suits being "anti-progressive", you are aware that your supposedly progressive modern lounge suits are an invention of the Victorian period? Note: it's now the 21st century.

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

@Dionysis; I don't know what planet you're living on but it actually feels good to wear a suit.

Less of the fashion fascism, please: it evidently feels good for you to wear a suit. Expecting the rest of us to conform to your individual preferences is a thought process from Victorian England. I feel much more comfortable in a jacket and smart casual clothes. I resent this mentality which contends that if I wear one set of clothes I'm "respectable" but another I'm not. That sort of shallow, irrational thinking belongs to some deeply insecure woman in D4, who almost certainly has personally achieved very little hence the emphasis on superficial things like insisting upon conservative clothing. Saying that TDs must wear a tie because that's what you want them to wear is, among other things, deeply intolerant. It really is that simple.

Owwmykneecap · 21-04-2011 02:16AM

It's a quip pointing out the realities of Ireland, we're ****ed, queen's visit or no, but the visit is a MASSIVE distraction.

He's not laying out a ****ing policy you context lacking loons.

chalkitdown · 21-04-2011 02:30AM

fluorescence wrote: »

We did invite her, we can hardly expect her to foot the bill. I would wonder why we invited her though, when we've no spare change for a slice of toast and today's Daily Mail.

How in the name of Jehova can you read the Daily Mail and have an independent opinion?

Guy:Incognito · 21-04-2011 02:34AM

jester77 wrote: »

Already softening us up for the next budget when they will probably introduce the Queen tax :rolleyes:

I hear Brian May has already been on kicking up a fuss at the thought.

Guy:Incognito · 21-04-2011 02:43AM

CiaranC wrote: »

He takes home the average industrial wage and gives the rest to his party. Actually.

So he takes the whole lot is what you mean?

Does it matter to public finances whether he only takes €100 or burns the full wage? It's still gone. Theres not some great public service beign done by givign a big chunk of his wages to the party.

Owwmykneecap · 21-04-2011 02:59AM

It's symbolic. it shows a TD does not need to earn the money they do. That they should be tied to the average industrial wage.

What do you want him to do? Set all TDs wages?. Hint: he can't. but those who can, won't.

Dangerous Man · 21-04-2011 03:36AM

People like Higgins have a near-pathological inability to discern reality from ideology. I do think we need a certain amount of radicalism in the Dail as without it we're doomed to the boredom / sluggishness of centrist politics - but people like Higgins are just downright blinkered to reality. Outbursts such as this are frankly embarrassing.

Rubik. · 21-04-2011 04:10AM

cuculainn wrote: »

I'm pretty sure the Brittish government gave us 9 billion a few months back....The least we might do is put her up for a few nights.

It's a loan which will be paid back with interest.

Joe wasn't literally asking her to pay for her beard and board, he was asking for a contribution towards the cost of her visit. The cost of security alone for The Queen and Obama is going to around 25 million - he has a point.

Doc · 21-04-2011 04:59AM

prinz wrote: »

Halfwit thieving looting opportunist little scrotes rarely are whenever there's a bandwagon event on. I'd take the Queen anyday over that shower of inbred runts.

It think youll find the queen of England to be a lot more inbred then any of them.

Nodin · 21-04-2011 07:41AM

Killer Pigeon wrote: »

.................anti-progressive mindset.

...................

So wearing an unofficial uniform and helping to associate ostentatious clothing with notions of worth and 'respectability' is progressive?

Handsome Bob · 21-04-2011 07:43AM

Joe, of course, was being 100% serious. As he always is.

flash1080 · 21-04-2011 07:48AM

Wolfe Tone wrote: »

In fairness he said the same about Obama and his main point was that it was retarded to invite these people when we have no cash.

Can you think of nothing better that the money could be spent on?

People want to twist his words to suit their own agendas, ignoring what he was actually saying, why else would there be 6 pages on this already?

dvpower · 21-04-2011 10:38AM

Owwmykneecap wrote: »

It's symbolic. it shows a TD does not need to earn the money they do. That they should be tied to the average industrial wage.

What do you want him to do? Set all TDs wages?. Hint: he can't. but those who can, won't.

He could just refuse to take the salary and let it revert to the state. But he doesn't - he puts it to use to support his political agenda.

Higgins: Queen 'should pay bed and board'

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