bloggarriv

An Bord Snip Nua has delivered its report and it was published today by the government. Here is a brief outline of the proposed cuts that they recommended:

Social and Family Affairs

• Cuts to all social welfare payments by 5% – €850m
• Reduction and changes to child benefit – €513m
• An end to receiving two welfare payments – €100m
• An end to payments for Community Employment Schemes for those already on benefit – €100m
• Cutting benefits for dental, optical and hearing services – €92m
• Grading of jobseekers allowance by age – €70m
• Cutting the Family Support Agency – €30m
• Changing eligibility for Family Income Supplement – €20m
• Taxing household benefits package – €11.6m

Staff cuts – None
Total cut €1.8bn

continue reading…

In an article in the Irish Times, dismissed Minister of State John McGuinness has detailed the circumstances under which he claims to have told Tánaiste Mary Coughlan that he had no confidence in her as Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment.

I told Mary Coughlan after a meeting in the department which began at 8pm on March 11th, 2009, that I had ‘no confidence in her ability’. I used those words, spoke them clearly and remember them well because I was determined at that time to lay my cards on the table

A spokesperson for the Tánaiste issued the following statement:

While it is regrettable, the Tánaiste feels obliged to clarify the record and confirm that her colleague Deputy McGuinness did not convey the comment made on last night’s Late Late Show, or any similar comment, to her in person at any stage. The Tánaiste understands the upset that the deputy may be feeling, having lost his position, and that certain things can be said in the heat of the moment.

Now it would appear to me that one of these politicians is lying, and I would tend to believe the one who has nothing left to lose. It seems also that the top brass are going to support the Tánaiste and there are a number of backbench TD’s that have expressed support for Deputy McGuinness. Deputy McGuinness also added that

It is possible that the Minister may not have heard me, given that she has heard nothing, and acted on nothing, that business leaders in this country have been telling her, since her appointment

via IrishTimes.com

Time to go Minister! Any 16 year old kid doing Economics for the leaving will be able to tell you about basic suply and demand. Price goes up, demand will fall. So our guy ups VAT at the same time as the UK reduce VAT. Its a no brainer. If I lived near the border I know where I would do my shopping. Is it any wonder there were streams of cars heading North before Christmas. Its not in the news as much anymore but there must still be a huge flow northwards. Is this the reason for Superquinn in Dundalk to close, and how many other shops/business have closed becasuse of this blunder. This guy is the Minister for Finance and he has admitted that his mistake has cost the country €700million. What an idiot!!

Time to go Minister, can we get someone in who knows how to do the job?

In my job, if I cost the company even a miniscule fraction of the €700million Lenihan cost us I would be out on my ear.

I dont see what all the fuss about the so-called “Golden Circle” is. Why does it take the High Court for their names to be published. Anglo is owned by the state, so we are all shareholders. Surely us shareholders have a right to know who these people are, and also why “we” are not pursuing them for the €30million that the owe “us”. How many cervical cancer vaccinations would thirty million buy.

Its time the government grew a pair and started sorting out this mess. Every day there seems to be a new chapter added to the Anglo-gate saga. Its not good enough that the bosses resign and head-off into the sunset with their golden handshakes. If they did something wrong (why else would they resign) then they should face the consequences!

Update: I was reading on politics.ie that this 00million figure has now risen to €451million. Every single day there is something else comming out about the goings-on in Anglo-gate.

Fianna Fail have dropped to an historic low in polls, only a measly 22%. Labour are the big winners and are now the second party at 24% behind Fine Gael at 32% in the lead. I would imagine the problem for most previous FF voters would be who else can they vote for. I mean Enda Kenny, come on. Probably explains Eamon Gilmore’s surge in the polls. Below is an extract from today’s Times:

Today’s Irish Times /TNS mrbi poll reveals a staggering 10-point gain for Labour, elevating the party to 24 per cent support, two points ahead of Fianna Fáil. Never at any stage since the Irish Times/TNS mrbi series of polls began in 1982 have Labour outpolled Fianna Fáil.

Never has support for Fianna Fáil been so low, having fallen five points to 22 per cent since our November 2008 poll. Incredibly, the Fianna Fáil vote has almost halved since the 2007 general election.

Never has Fine Gael enjoyed such a lead in the polls. With 32 per cent support down two points, Fine Gael are a clear eight points ahead of Labour and 10 points ahead of Fianna Fáil.

Less dramatic are the results for the Green Party unchanged on 4 per cent and Sinn Féin up one point to 9 per cent.

via Voters desert FF in droves to connect with Labour leader – The Irish Times – Fri, Feb 13, 2009.

The whole Fásgate controversy continues to rumble on. Despite Brian Cowen giving Rody Molloy (the Director General of FÁS) his support earlier in the week, Mr. Molloy submitted his resignation last night to the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Mary Coughlan, after eight years in the top spot at FÁS. The board of FÁS said it accepted Mr Molloy’s resignation with regret.

Senator Shane Ross said on RTÉ television last night that the board of Fás should also resign. He said “If the board knew about this they should resign, if they didnt know about it they should resign”. Are we to expect a mas resignation from the board of Fás? FÁS spending has been the subject of political criticism for some months, but the final straw was revelations by Senator Shane Ross about expenses for senior executives, including €643,000 on transatlantic travel over just four years. Also Mr. Molloy stated that he was entitled to travel First Class, but downgraded to Business Class when his wife was traveling with him.

This morning Fine Gael TD Bernard Allen, who chairs the Public Accounts Committee, said Mr Molloy’s resignation had become inevitable. He told RTÉ Morning Ireland he had hoped to have Mr Molloy before the committee tomorrow to ask him to explain the €5.7m expenditure for 2007.