Polling stations ,the costs

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thedaras

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I know of someone who will work at a polling station.
She is a teacher and is off that day ,as the school has closed due to the Lisbon treaty vote.

She will recieve over 350 euro for the day.

She will also recieve a travel allowence.And other misc allowences.

She will also work on the count,another 350 euro.

She will/did get training pay.

And she has done it before so the cost to the taxpayer has doubled!

Oh and she will also get paid for her day off!!

Can anyone justify this amount of money,regardless of the profession of the person doing it?

Can anyone state how many people are employed to work at the polling stations throughout the country and then the count the next day.?

Then we can see the real cost to the taxpayer..

I hadnt made my mind up about which way to vote,and I dont believe in cutting my nose off to spite my face..BUT..Im very angry about this and feel like a NO vote is in order now,anything to bring this Government down.
Is this another expenses scandle waiting to happen??
 
Are you genuinely enraged by this, or just responding to something you heard on Liveline today :rolleyes: ?

And if you think the Lisbon Treaty is a proxy opinion poll for the Government, then you need to pay more attention.
 
TarfHead said:
Are you genuinely enraged by this, or just responding to something you heard on Liveline today :rolleyes: ?

And if you think the Lisbon Treaty is a proxy opinion poll for the Government, then you need to pay more attention.
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Both to be honest..
Id had known about this girl,but I honestly didnt believe her!! As I thought it just couldnt be true and she is prone to exageration.

However when I heard the Joe Duffy show today ,well it was confirmation of all the above, so yes I really am enraged about it.

You know how someone says that they get this or that amount and you think,yea yea,NO WAY..well thats how I was.

Re the Proxy opinion poll.I agree with you, I know its not the right thing to do..and I know I shouldnt do it,but Im just so fed up .It seems every other day some new stupid squandering of our money is being revealed.
And if I thought it would bring the government to an end,Id NEARLY do it!!
As the YELLOW party,opps green party are not doing much..
 
thedaras said:
I know of someone who will work at a polling station.
She is a teacher and is off that day ,as the school has closed due to the Lisbon treaty vote.

She will recieve over 350 euro for the day.

She will also recieve a travel allowence.And other misc allowences.

She will also work on the count,another 350 euro.

She will/did get training pay.

And she has done it before so the cost to the taxpayer has doubled!

Oh and she will also get paid for her day off!!

Can anyone justify this amount of money,regardless of the profession of the person doing it?

Can anyone state how many people are employed to work at the polling stations throughout the country and then the count the next day.?

Then we can see the real cost to the taxpayer..

I hadnt made my mind up about which way to vote,and I dont believe in cutting my nose off to spite my face..BUT..Im very angry about this and feel like a NO vote is in order now,anything to bring this Government down.
Is this another expenses scandle waiting to happen??
Click to expand...

Whats the relevance of her occupation?

The job is/was on offer and she got it so fair play to her. Did this govt bring about the paying of poll clarks?
Voting against the treaty simply to go against the govt is small minded.
 
MrMan said:
Whats the relevance of her occupation?

The job is/was on offer and she got it so fair play to her. Did this govt bring about the paying of poll clarks?
Voting against the treaty simply to go against the govt is small minded.[/quote

The FAS board also got/had a job,so would you be fair playing them??
Just because someone got a job ,makes it alright ??this is typical of the attitude that has this country the way it is.


I wrote " regardless of the profession of the person", though perhaps you missed that bit...

However ,the relevance of her profession is that

a) She is being paid for a day which she will not work..BY the taxpayers

b) She will be paid for that same day ,an ridculous amount of money (once again by the taxpayer )for a job that people on the live register could do .
And even if that wasnt possible surely that amount of money REGARDLESS OF THE PERSONS PROFESSION,is way too much??

Re the goverment bringing about paying of poll clerks;I dont know,do you?

What I do know is that they are in "charge" at the moment,and therfore responsible for the ship and all who sail in her.There have been many instances of expenses and overpaying been exposed lately, and this to my mind is another one of those.

I had already addressed the issue of voting in my post,but maybe you missed that bit...

.
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thedaras said:
MrMan said:
Whats the relevance of her occupation?

The job is/was on offer and she got it so fair play to her. Did this govt bring about the paying of poll clarks?
Voting against the treaty simply to go against the govt is small minded.[/quote

The FAS board also got/had a job,so would you be fair playing them??
Just because someone got a job ,makes it alright ??this is typical of the attitude that has this country the way it is.

Where is the connection here? The FAS board got top jobs that many would be delighted to receive, so ya fair play to them too.
How has this typical attitude got the country in any way? If anything an attitude of ' why are they getting so much' and lets moan about it is typical.



I wrote " regardless of the profession of the person", though perhaps you missed that bit...

No didn't miss it, just thought why mention it, if it had no bearing on your argument.

However ,the relevance of her profession is that

a) She is being paid for a day which she will not work..BY the taxpayers

If your job was closed for the day to accomodate an event that allowed the taxpayers to voice their opinion I'm sure you would be a bit miffed if told that you wouldn't be paid for it.
b) She will be paid for that same day ,an ridculous amount of money (once again by the taxpayer )for a job that people on the live register could do .

Somebody set the rate, maybe it was at a time when people didn't want to give up an entire day, or take on the reponsibility. As regards people on the live register, why should they take over these jobs simply because they are out of work?
And even if that wasnt possible surely that amount of money REGARDLESS OF THE PERSONS PROFESSION,is way too much??

Re the goverment bringing about paying of poll clerks;I dont know,do you?

I asked the question because I didn't have the answer.

What I do know is that they are in "charge" at the moment,and therfore responsible for the ship and all who sail in her.There have been many instances of expenses and overpaying been exposed lately, and this to my mind is another one of those.

I had already addressed the issue of voting in my post,but maybe you missed that bit...

Is that the bit about a no vote is in order now to bring down the govt, or I'd nearly do it, which hardly says that you wouldn't.

.
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MRman "Is that the bit about a no vote is in order now to bring down the govt, or I'd nearly do it, which hardly says that you wouldn't..


.
Im not prepared to reveal how I will vote...
 
I think we should bring in electronic voting machines. That will help cut costs.

Now where do we find such a thing.............
 
thedaras said:
I know of someone who will work at a polling station.
She is a teacher and is off that day ,as the school has closed due to the Lisbon treaty vote.

She will recieve over 350 euro for the day.

She will also recieve a travel allowence.And other misc allowences.

She will also work on the count,another 350 euro.

She will/did get training pay.

And she has done it before so the cost to the taxpayer has doubled!

Oh and she will also get paid for her day off!!

Can anyone justify this amount of money,regardless of the profession of the person doing it?

Can anyone state how many people are employed to work at the polling stations throughout the country and then the count the next day.?

Then we can see the real cost to the taxpayer..

I hadnt made my mind up about which way to vote,and I dont believe in cutting my nose off to spite my face..BUT..Im very angry about this and feel like a NO vote is in order now,anything to bring this Government down.
Is this another expenses scandle waiting to happen??
Click to expand...

Pollling booths are open from 7am to 10pm. €350 is hardly an exorbitant amount to pay. What are the miscellaneous expenses they receive?
 
One of the points raised about this on Liveline was that getting a 'poll clerk' position is a bit of a closed shop - based more on who you know. Someone on the show even made reference to someone claiming the role had been bequeathed to them in a will.

With so many people now out of work, should preference be given to those who are not already in paid employment for these duties ?

If the polls are open for 14 hours, then I guess they need 2 rosters of people. In my polling station there are, at least, 6 tables with 2 people on each. 24 people & €350 per day per polling station becomes a significant amount of money to spend on people who may already be paid for that day. And that's a top of the head calculation, before travel expenses and meal allowances are included.

And a similar amount the following day for those involved in the count.
 
Liaconn;
My understanding is that she will not in fact work for the 15 hours you mention,rather a shorter day,and its done in shifts. Dinner money would be one miscellaneous expense..

Wonder if those on the mimimum pay would think 350 Plus ,is exorbitant.
I think its way too much for sitting on you backside for a few hours,and ticking a box when someone approches you.The point is the live register is full of people who have no job and could do with the extra money.

The amount in my opinion is way too much,and when one adds up the cost of each person whom gets this amount ,its a lot of money that us taxpayers must pay.
There has to be a cheaper way of doing it.
 
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tarfhead said:
one of the points raised about this on liveline was that getting a 'poll clerk' position is a bit of a closed shop - based more on who you know. Someone on the show even made reference to someone claiming the role had been bequeathed to them in a will.

With so many people now out of work, should preference be given to those who are not already in paid employment for these duties ?

If the polls are open for 14 hours, then i guess they need 2 rosters of people. In my polling station there are, at least, 6 tables with 2 people on each. 24 people & €350 per day per polling station becomes a significant amount of money to spend on people who may already be paid for that day. And that's a top of the head calculation, before travel expenses and meal allowances are included.

exactly..very well put.
and a similar amount the following day for those involved in the count.
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Voting against the treaty simply to go against the govt is small minded.
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I voted No the last time. Why should I vote Yes this time? I did all the research.
Voting against the government is an added bonus.
 
The day is not done in shifts, i have worked as a presiding officer for the last few votes and it is a very long day. I am at my station at 6.30am and leave at 10pm. I cannot leave the building during the day and the the box is my responsibility for the entire time i have it. I must also collect the box the day before the election. There is no meal allowance, and the travel (if you bother to claim it, i dont) is not alot, people generally poll at stations near where they live so there would be very little travel involved.
 
Holtend82 said:
The day is not done in shifts, i have worked as a presiding officer for the last few votes and it is a very long day. I am at my station at 6.30am and leave at 10pm. I cannot leave the building during the day and the the box is my responsibility for the entire time i have it. I must also collect the box the day before the election. There is no meal allowance, and the travel (if you bother to claim it, i dont) is not alot, people generally poll at stations near where they live so there would be very little travel involved.
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Fair enough
These threads always benefit from facts, rather than throwaway assertions :p !

Still, if I were not currently in paid employment and saw my kids' teachers on duty at the local polling station on their paid day off, I would be furious.
 
I was listening to Joe Duffey the other day and found it very funny, these people that are giving out about the "closed shop" recuitment into working elections. How many people out there have applied and NOT gotten work with the election ? I applied a couple of years ago chancing my arm and got it. How many "unemployed" people have applied to work this vote ?
 
Holtend82 said:
I am at my station at 6.30am and leave at 10pm. I cannot leave the building during the day and the the box is my responsibility for the entire time i have it. I must also collect the box the day before the election.
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Do you keep the box with you at night?! :eek:
 
Holtend82 said:
How many people out there have applied and NOT gotten work with the election ?
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Who knows, but one issue seemed to be that people were unaware of such an opportunity. The method by which people are made aware of such opportunities could be amended to include, for example, notices in social welfare offices.

I believe I am relatively well-informed but was not aware of any national campaign to seek applications for such positions.
 
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