Election 2011 - General

[mypost]

The business I get on with is barely done and it should not take so long to do what I have to do everyday. I am sure you can peruse the rest of the public sector and see the same thing. My point is that I want the whole thing torn down and started again. My job could be easily subsumed into a more efficient organisation.

It takes so long because of your system. When someone makes a claim, you expect to bring in a P45, but is there a real need for birth certs, bank statements and parents notes, before a claim is processed? That's the crap that holds things up, the constant demand for more and more documentation to state the obvious.

Again stop mentioning tax in relation to JA and JB

No. I also call it a 'fine' as that's what it is. Those on the full rate of JA and JB are fined 8 Euro compared to the same week last year.

JA however is a different story. JA at the full rate is 196.00 and is not dependent on your stamps but is means tested. Though in practice it is virtually always paid at the full rate. Different rates exist for different age groups and this was introduced as part of the last budget. The full rate for someone 18-21 yoa claiming JA is 100.00 pw. For those 22-25 yoa it is 150.00. These rates only applied to NEW applicants from January 2010 so it's not as far reaching as you like to make out.

That's what I meant.

The reduction to 196.00 was a correction. The reduction of the U25 rates was also a timely measure to fit in with the new reality of the Exchequer.

You call it a 'correction', I have other names for it, some of which I've already stated. They're the more polite ones.

The fact that FÁS courses are oversubscibed is saying to me that they need more money.

Fas don't need more money, they need to create more places. But doing their courses are more or less pointless if there is no job at the end of it, and the training effectively down the drain, by the time a job eventually does become available.

So you still telling me there's no work out there? My brother with possibly the worst CV I've ever seen managed to get work. There is work out there for anyone who wants it but you have to go look for it. Tough I know with those 40 hour dole weeks that some people have to do it's tough finding time to job search.

That view is outrageous, and shows how little people in work are aware of the general situation. It also goes back to my first post, where I said if you have a job, you can adjust your situation.

When you get JB you are informed for how long you will get it for. It's usually around the 11 month mark. Nearing the end of your claim and presuming you haven't gone back to work in the mean time you should go to your SWLO well in time and make your claim for JA. This of course takes longer as it is means tested. If you decide at the last minute to go and sort your claim then why should you get up in arms about it taking so long and you having no money. You are informed of EVERYTHING you should be prepared. It can take 3-5 months in extreme cases and I actually know of one incident where this happened but that was as a result of SW banging their head of the wall repeatedly asking for documentation. It doesn't take 3-5 months for the craic.

Answer handled by PM.

Those I can't abide are those who contribute nothing to this country. Despite what you may like to think they are out there in their droves.

They're not, end of story.

[culloty82]

RedC Donegal poll out today, looks like Doherty will walk it:

Doherty (Sinn Féin) 40%
O'Domhnaill (Fianna Fáil) 19%
O'Neill (Fine Gael) 15%
McBrearty (Labour) 14%

A combination of the Adams factor and the IMF?

[Mr A]

Very much doubt Adams has anything to do with it.. Doherty just has the momentum and many people will want to keep FF out.

[BonnieShels]

But just under a fifth still want them in? Wtf?
Just had the pleasure of Peter Power lying solidly for an hour on Vincent Browne. I'm apoplectic.

[mypost]

RedC Donegal poll out today, looks like Doherty will walk it:

Doherty (Sinn Féin) 40%
O'Domhnaill (Fianna Fáil) 19%
O'Neill (Fine Gael) 15%
McBrearty (Labour) 14%

No surprise as he forced the bye-election to be called. Might be a short term seat though.

[bennocelt]

But just under a fifth still want them in? Wtf?
Just had the pleasure of Peter Power lying solidly for an hour on Vincent Browne. I'm apoplectic.

Just after watching that on the web - amazing, jesus FF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[BonnieShels]

How is it possible and then we had Tony Killeen still talking balls on the Last Word along with everything else that the 2 Brian's were spouting today.

As regards the SW debate that raged there a few days ago I haven't responded as I have had no computer (Android allowed me to post however ). It wasn't a case of me ignoring it. Mypost, I will respond to your PM in due course.
Dahamsta, I'm wondering is it possible for this poll to be re run now to see exactly what people think now since the time you opened this thread?

SW DEBATE

I think in essence the sentiments that I showed are fairly general sentiments and not across the board. I did fail to accurately clear up something though.
It's regarding my jobs statements.
I wasn't intending to say that there are lots of jobs out there for all people. It was more a statement against those who feel that the dole is a lifestyle a la people like my brother.
I apologise if I was inferring that graduates such as those on here who were offended, should take menial employment etc., I wasn't. It was more of a dig at those that live off the state a la the anecdotal guy (who exists) who's been on the dole since 1986.
I didn't cop at all why I was receiving such flak.

Lim til I die, I think both of us were caught up in the heat of this inference. Apologies.

Another thing I have to say though is that the recognition of attendance in college should count as "stamps". That a person completing a Dip/Cert/degree should be considered in the system as the same as a person who has never done anything is wrong.

Mypost, re your issues with submitting documentation. This is the bane of my everyday life in work. As part of my job I have access to SW systems and I can take the information that I need from it rather than sending people away to get letters etc from SW. We are discouraged from using it as "if they want it sorted they should get off their @rses and get it themselves".
Also another incident for ye to show what we have to work with:
A guy came into me one day wondering why his application for housing had been returned to him. I checked it out and could see nothing wrong with it so I went and asked the relevant staff member. Apparently he hadn't given in his birth cert. He had given a copy of his passport as requested also. He hadn't got a copy of his birth cert available as he was English and said it would take too long to get an original and thought that he could supply it at a later date. I agreed and then went back to the staff member and I was told that his application NEEDS a birth cert and wouldn't be processed without it. I complained that as he had supplied his passport surely that could tide over the application as it should be sufficient proof that a. he was born b. that he's a British citizen. Apparently not as policy is that he NEEDS to supply the birth cert. It was urgent for him for a reason that I can't go into so I thought that we could be "lenient" in this regard. Obviously not. I lost it.

[Dodge]

For those who haven't seen it

[BonnieShels]

Just saw it a second ago on the book of face. FFS.
How do you get skin that thick?

[Billsthoughts]

Saw the Pat Rabbitte thing last nite. Seemed he was fairly genuine in his anger.

[Mr A]

I think he articulated what most people felt. I thought there was a real chance he would punch him, and while it wouldn't have been right, I wouldn't have blamed him.

Then again, why the hell was Pat Carey on there? Where were the senior ministers?

[dahamsta]

It's Dick Roche that incenses me. I can't stand the sight of him. Has he ever told a truth?

[BonnieShels]

Pat Carey was on because Peter Power did vb on Wednesday. There seems to be a rota.
Senior ministers font do this stuff when the **** hits the fan because they make the decisions. Pat Carey. was only recently made a member of cabinet. though he would gave been present as chief whip, and therefore he can't really be blamed for the decisions.

[dahamsta]

He was a member of the parliamentary party, wasn't he? He voted alongside the government, didn't he?

That's why ANY member of FF or the Greens, or their representatives, will be told to get off my property if they call to my door in the leadup to the election. Even if they voted against the government at some point, their membership of those parties will result in nul poin on my ballot card.

[Dodge]

He was a member of the parliamentary party, wasn't he? He voted alongside the government, didn't he?

It was his job to enforce that before Curran took the role

[BonnieShels]

What I was saying was that the reason he is the one doing the rounds is because publicly he wouldn't be connected to the decisions and FF assume he wouldnt be harangued as much.

Liveline was left on after the news at one and my god FF supporters around the country are coming on and saying how could you vote FG. What difference would it make.
I'm twitching.

[Mr A]

To my mind, anyone who tells you 'they're all the same' is a closet FF person trying to justify themselves. There have been massive differences between the parties all through this crisis and to say they're the same is just lazy.

Remarkably, FF try to pull off the trick of saying FG and LAB would have done the same while at the same time claiming they'd be a bad government as they're too different to each other.

[Macy]

Has he ever told a truth?

"I'm glad you asked me that..." As bad as it is to see him on Irish TV, it's total humiliation seeing him make a tit of us on serious news programmes such as Newsnight and Channel 4 news. What little credibility we had left has gone since I would imagine.

To my mind, anyone who tells you 'they're all the same' is a closet FF person trying to justify themselves. There have been massive differences between the parties all through this crisis and to say they're the same is just lazy.

Remarkably, FF try to pull off the trick of saying FG and LAB would have done the same while at the same time claiming they'd be a bad government as they're too different to each other.

No doubt about it, heard the start of Joe DuFFy and knew the direction it was heading. Even if you believe that, then there are always options to vote for anyway - if you think FG and Labour are as bad as FF, then vote SF, Socialist or some other smaller party. There's enough options without your default option of FF because your granddad was on Dev's side in the civil feckin war.

[dahamsta]

Jesus, I've said it in the past, you can probably find me saying it here if you search, but that doesn't mean voting for the ones that are actually driving this country into the dirt is the answer. Voting for an idiot because another idiot might be as bad is just plain thick risk policy.

[Dodge]

Liveline was left on after the news at one and my god FF supporters around the country are coming on and saying how could you vote FG. What difference would it make.
I'm twitching.

I personally believe that, fiscally, there isn't much between them. I definitely could never vote FG, but then I could never vote FF either