Really Excellent Public Services in Ireland that aren't Shambolic

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

I'd rather have the world's most expensive hospital (disputed) instead of what for definite would be the world's most expensive hole in the ground.

You also need to provide a source for the "3+ billion" figure

'Disputed'

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_most_expensive_buildings

Can we all stop pretending that they're not pulling off the world's biggest scam under the pretense of a 'Children's Hospital'. Its pure propaganda.

Its this weird attitude of 'Everything the government tells me is true' but 'You need to give me a source for that disputed fact!' that shows everyone the propaganda machine is working.

You could've easily googled it yourself but instead you went to the offensive and tried to discredit me. The facts are there online. Google it.

I will say it again: Ireland, with a population of 5 million, and having one of the least Child Mortality/illness rates in the world, does NOT NEED the world's most expensive hospital in ANY class.

No amount of mental gymnastics will dispute this.

Damien360 wrote: »

It does need a new children’s hospital though. I have been in Crumlin children’s hospital with my daughter over a long bank holiday weekend. It’s long past it’s sell by date. The site is tiny. I visit Temple St hospital as part of my employment. It’s worse for space. Again long past it’s sell by date. Even after the new hospital is eventually open, there will still be a satellite unit for kids in Blanchardstown with all testing done in the new hospital. You couldn’t make that up. Why didn’t they build the new hospital behind that hospital on Abbotstown grounds which is state owned ? And don’t get me started with Tallaght and it’s kids facility which simply does not exist.

Because its a scam, friend. There is not one aspect of this project from the builders, the materiel, the planning and construction that doesnt scream backhanded deals.

This is the ultimate payday for a few people.

Kewreeuss wrote: »

So what do you suggest we do about the building site?
If you wouldn’t mind, answers please on another thread so we can stick to the original post on this one.

The majority of the money hasn't been given to BAM.
Now ask yourself: What can we do with several hundred square foot of lot in Dublin 8.

It's an obvious answer.

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

You just pulled the figure of 3 billion out of your arse.

How is stopping work and leaving us with the most expensive hole in the ground in the world going to benefit the taxpayer?

Money has not yet been given.

3+ billion is again, something you can easily google but instead you’ll go on the offensive to try and defend the government. Go on. Just google Children’s hospital costs to inflate +40% due to corona.

RulesOfNature wrote: »

Money has not yet been given.

3+ billion is again, something you can easily google but instead you’ll go on the offensive to try and defend the government. Go on. Just google Children’s hospital costs to inflate +40% due to corona.

It is indeed a disgraceful figure but in the context of what we've borrowed to fund our little lockdown, it's fairly meaningless.

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

They will be paid for the work done to date but that work will be abandoned delivering zero value to the taxpayer.

Really smart plan, that.



"Just google it" is the weakest possible response. You might tell us which of your google hits you found so convincing, and why, and what they're basing their figures on (or are they just pulling them out of their arse, too?)

Step 1. Dont build the world's most expensive hospital. Don't give BAM a single cent. A gaping hole in the ground is a better Return on Investment than a 3+ billion hospital. Because for 500 million or less the country could build something it REALLY needs.

Step 2. Stop obfuscating by doing this 'Uhhhh ACHTUALLY I DONT WANNA GOOGLE THE FACTS' trite argument. It's the weakest possible response. It's actually laughable how stupid of a response that is. Are you actually telling me you won't do summary research and thus won't believe the literal figure released. Its all out there. 2.4 billion or 3 billion it doesn't matter. It's a gigantic scam and no amount of mental gymnastics will ever justify it.

To anyone else reading: You can tell this man either works for BAM or really FELL HARD for the propaganda. He won't do a literal google search or look at wikipedia and then uses that as 'proof' that there is no proof. This is how they scam you. Its blatant and obvious.

EDIT: WOW Guess why Im not surprised that someone defending the Children's Hospital scam is named after (and probably works for) a real estate agency?

https://hotblackdesiato.co.uk/

It all keeps falling together.

That would be great!

archfi wrote: »

Passport Office online service.
Very efficient, application to receiving new passport (2018) was three days.
The computerised 'yes or no' to self taken photo is a godsend.

Revenue: email or in person - polite, super efficient, helpful

Also found the Passport Office very good too- online, posted and posted back out to me- no fuss and very quick.
While I mention post, another I suppose you could say Public Service in Ireland is our Postal Service An Post who I generally find to be very good and value wise not bad with their pre marked parcel service. They are generally very reliable (in my experience). They're profitable again too as a company which is good to see.

The hospital is not a scam but it’s a balls up from the get go.

Political bull and consultant pressure put its location where it’s going instead of greenfield site. The agreement was to build immediately because we as a country were talking about it for decades. This is where it went wrong. It’s like deciding to build a house with no plans for its size, layout or use. All that was changed on the fly. That’s where the extra cost is from. BAM don’t work for free. It’s right up there with the printer fiasco in government buildings but on a far larger scale. We are now in for such a large hit that it’s become too big to fail ! We can’t walk away from the site as it would cost just as much to either destroy it or repurpose it.

The scam as you call it can not be stuck to BAM but all the way back at the beginning that despite all the reports to say the site was unsuitable, a very vocal group of consultants made sure it was placed there based on co-location nonsense of paediatrics and adult services close by, despite each medical discipline being very different beasts and consultants don’t cross over each divide.

The political crap is all about the uproar by opposition and media that it was not built yet. So speed became the overarching need at no consideration of cost. A blank cheque book if you like. Everyone loves those until they realise who has to foot the bill, the taxpayers.

Hotblack Desiato wrote: »

The Children's Hospital is a 3 billion euro scam. Nobody who isn't delusional or working for a real estate agency will say otherwise.

Munurty wrote: »

I don't think everyone will agree but I think the RSA has made huge progress since in inception in 2006.

Road deaths have halved since 2006.
The NCT has taken hundreds of thousands of death traps off our roads.
The CVRT has made hauliers step up to much higher standards.

Haulers are now given risk rating scores based on their performance in road worthiness tests, site audits and roadside inspections. The worse their score the more they will be inspected.

From what I can see all of the above services are online and digitised also. From driving tests to NCT, CVRT tests and driving licenses.

I don't think it gets enough recognition.

I depends what you measure.

Yes, road deaths and injuries have decreased significantly. NCT, CVRT and penalty points system have undoubtedly played a bit role in this.

But measuring success based on deaths only misses a bit part of the problem. RSA has utterly failed to provide a safe environment for vulnerable road users, particularly cyclists and pedestrians. They have been scared off the road. They're not getting killed or injured because they're not walking or cycling. That is a failure, not a success.

There are more secondary school girls driving themselves to school than cycling to school. The last Census had an average of less than one girl per secondary school cycling to school. That's a huge deterioration from 20 years ago.

We're creating huge public health problems of obesity, cancer, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and more by scaring people off active travel into the SUV instead.

Look at the responses to the RSA post promoting the cycle bus for sports training - a great initiative indeed, but the RSA can't slap themselves on the back for requiring parents to become human shields in traffic. In other countries, like Japan and Netherlands, kids of 6 and upwards will routinely walk or cycle to school on their own.

That's the kind of thing the RSA needs to start measuring.
https://twitter.com/AnnaDrJox/status/1393318296947146756

Look at the responses to the RSA call for 'awareness' of illegal footpath parking. Awareness doesn't work - we need enforcement and a change of culture.

https://twitter.com/OConnorOisin/status/1393301089554944005

RulesOfNature wrote: »

When did I agree for corporations and wealthy elites to be taxed 0 while I get taxed nearly half of everything I make?

Revenue is there to tax the poor and middle class. It exists to keep you in your place.

How can anyone look at the low taxes paid by the wealthy in Ireland and still call the Revenue office progressive and effective? Its a sham.

RulesOfNature wrote: »

The point is, Revenue in Ireland is efficient at taxing the poor and the working man, but has so many loopholes available for the rich.

They are efficient at taxing YOU. They are not efficient at taxing corporations and wealthy elites.

Revenue don't set tax policy. Government sets tax policy.

salonfire wrote: »

Absolute nonsense, the service in private hospitals is excellent and provides excellent value for money. E.g not paying for porters and their numerous tea breaks. Vastly different to the shambles in public health

It's easy to give 'value for money' when you get to hand off the challenging, difficult cases to the public system safety net, like this;

crossman47 wrote: »

I'm afraid my experience was just as I stated. I developed a complication due an error by a private hospital and was immediately moved to a public hospital with the necessary speciality.

salonfire wrote: »

Just like the privatized service called upon to do driving tests due to the failure of the public driving testers to cope with the work load.

A private service that got through the backlog far faster than the public could dream of doing.

Amazing - adding some extra resources got through a backlog! Shocker.
Have you considered writing a paper for Project Management Journal on this amazing discovery?

RulesOfNature wrote: »

The Children’s Hospital should 100% stop. Its a monument to decadence and corruption being built while the entire country is struggling. Its a play by play repeat of the 1700s just before oligarchs were hanged.

RulesOfNature wrote: »

Because its a scam, friend. There is not one aspect of this project from the builders, the materiel, the planning and construction that doesnt scream backhanded deals.

This is the ultimate payday for a few people.

You have reported this corruption that you've discovered to the Gardai, right?

85603 wrote: »

Libraries are great ... for screaming kids and chattering oldies.

Awful if you want to actually read.

Shocking how the public get in the way of public services. Things would be so much tidier if the public didn't keep coming in.

Damien360 wrote: »

Political bull and consultant pressure put its location where it’s going instead of greenfield site. The agreement was to build immediately because we as a country were talking about it for decades. This is where it went wrong. It’s like deciding to build a house with no plans for its size, layout or use. All that was changed on the fly. That’s where the extra cost is from. BAM don’t work for free. It’s right up there with the printer fiasco in government buildings but on a far larger scale. We are now in for such a large hit that it’s become too big to fail ! We can’t walk away from the site as it would cost just as much to either destroy it or repurpose it.

The scam as you call it can not be stuck to BAM but all the way back at the beginning that despite all the reports to say the site was unsuitable, a very vocal group of consultants made sure it was placed there based on co-location nonsense of paediatrics and adult services close by, despite each medical discipline being very different beasts and consultants don’t cross over each divide.

This is untrue.

The Dolphin report, produced by an expert group of mostly international expert medics, planners and medical service leaders recommended the James site out of all the options available, once ABP blocked the Mater site.

marty whelan wrote: »

Stunned by the positive posts re Revenue. The answer to queries depends on who gives them. Frequently take 4 or 5 weeks to respond, and often they respond to a question that wasn't actually asked, usually with a c and p of something slightly related to what you actually asked.

Revenue aren't there to be your tax consultant. They're not there to give advice.

85603 wrote: »

No point in proffering a quiet place for study, which is subsequently never even remotely quiet.

Fair enough, but it depends on space available. In my local one in Dundrum, the study space is upstairs, and is segregated off from the rest of the library. I'm not sure every library has the luxury of space.

But they have to balance all users. Seeing kids having fun in a library is a great sign for the future usage of the library.

Have a word with the librarian if there are ongoing issues.