It was in the Independent yesterday that Bertie Ahern earns €100,000 per annum as a government salary plus €160,000 per year as a ministerial pension - why is he drawing a pension when he is not retired or of pensionable age??. And he also still has a driver, expenses, etc. Yes, the rot certainly does start from the top.
Protesting is easy, it's coming up with alternative policies that is the problem, and I mean alternative polices that will actually work, not the "why bail out the bankers" type rubbish that keeps getting trotted out without anyone thinking it through
Instead of protesting against withdrawal of special needs teachers, why not protest outside the INTO headquarters over the 31 days uncertifed sick leave a teacher can take in a year with no action taken against them.
Why not protest outside the INO headquarters about the 7 nurses I saw in Kilkenny hospital last weekend standing in a ward discussing their holidays for nearly an hour or the midwife which didn't know what was wrong with an epidural when all it had happened was it had run out or the medical staff who are too lazy to wash their hands and are spreading superbugs all over the place.
Why not protest outside IMPACT headquarters over the unvouched expenses policies in many public sector areas
Why not protest outside the car tax offices which close at lunchtime, the one time working members of the public might be able to go down there and avail of their "services"
I've no arguement that the politicians, bankers and property developers have a lot to answer for, that we could scrap the undemocratically elected Seanad tomorrow and no one would even notice and lots of other things. But there are a lot of other people who are responsible as well
Don't forget to note on your placard that the average sick leave taken is actually one day per year. You might be better off staging this protest at the Dept Education, given that they control teachers contracts, but whatever floats your boat.Instead of protesting against withdrawal of special needs teachers, why not protest outside the INTO headquarters over the 31 days uncertifed sick leave a teacher can take in a year with no action taken against them.
I'm not sure why you'd want to go with the INO with this. The more obvious answer would be to say something to the nurses themselves, or to a local duty manager. Why didn't you take some action at the time?Why not protest outside the INO headquarters about the 7 nurses I saw in Kilkenny hospital last weekend standing in a ward discussing their holidays for nearly an hour
I'm sorry to hear that you've fallen for Harney's spin that handwashing is the major cause of MRSA, when in fact, overcrowding of wards and outsourcing of cleaning services are the real issues.or the medical staff who are too lazy to wash their hands and are spreading superbugs all over the place.
Because you would be exposing your ignorance of how this works. Unvouched expense policies are a double-edged sword. Some trips I make a few quid, some trips I lose a few quid. There is no doubt that sign-off of expenses is far, far tighter in the public sector than I ever experienced in the private sector.Why not protest outside IMPACT headquarters over the unvouched expenses policies in many public sector areas
Which motor tax offices did you have in mind? The only one that I can find that still closes for lunch is in Donegal? Were you planning on heading up to Letterkenny for this protest?Why not protest outside the car tax offices which close at lunchtime, the one time working members of the public might be able to go down there and avail of their "services"
Very true, perhaps those that exaggerate and rant about non-existant problems might bear some responsibility?I've no arguement that the politicians, bankers and property developers have a lot to answer for, that we could scrap the undemocratically elected Seanad tomorrow and no one would even notice and lots of other things. But there are a lot of other people who are responsible as well
Excellent post. Your point about the nurses reminds me of the ones I often see chatting for ages while on duty, among themselves, about their holidays etc. Maybe some nurses do work hard, but the ones I know certainly do not, even though they are very well paid.
I think the private sector has had enough. It is our taxes that pay for the public service, the politicians etc. How about us all having a one day demonstration ?
Excellent post. Your point about the nurses reminds me of the ones I often see chatting for ages while on duty, among themselves, about their holidays etc. Maybe some nurses do work hard, but the ones I know certainly do not, even though they are very well paid.
I think the private sector has had enough. It is our taxes that pay for the public service, the politicians etc. How about us all having a one day demonstration ?
Don't forget to note on your placard that the average sick leave taken is actually one day per year. You might be better off staging this protest at the Dept Education, given that they control teachers contracts, but whatever floats your boat.
I'm not sure why you'd want to go with the INO with this. The more obvious answer would be to say something to the nurses themselves, or to a local duty manager. Why didn't you take some action at the time?
I'm sorry to hear that you've fallen for Harney's spin that handwashing is the major cause of MRSA, when in fact, overcrowding of wards and outsourcing of cleaning services are the real issues.
Because you would be exposing your ignorance of how this works. Unvouched expense policies are a double-edged sword. Some trips I make a few quid, some trips I lose a few quid. There is no doubt that sign-off of expenses is far, far tighter in the public sector than I ever experienced in the private sector.
Which motor tax offices did you have in mind? The only one that I can find that still closes for lunch is in Donegal? Were you planning on heading up to Letterkenny for this protest?
Very true, perhaps those that exaggerate and rant about non-existant problems might bear some responsibility?
I'm sure there a few teachers who abuse sick leave, just like there are few bank managers who abuse sick leave, and a few architects who abuse sick leave, and a few nurses who abuse sick leave. I haven't seen any evidence that abuse is a major problem, or that abuse is not managed. I reallt think this is much ado about nothing. There are lot bigger issues to be addressed.re teachers, 4022 had more then 5 days uncertified sick leave last year. The fact that teachers have an automatic entitlement to any uncertified sick leave is a disgrace, not to mention that it is up to 31 days.Bear in mind as well that teachers only work for 9 months of the year, if they actually worked the same number of days as workers elsewhere, the figures would be higher. What really disappoints me is the failure to sack teachers who have high levels of uncertified sickness.
Incidentally I see that teachers are balloting for strike action, I suppose there's no chance that they'll decide to do the decent thing and go on strike over half-term or the Easter holidays instead of causing major inconveniences to parents
Interesting to note that the media company behind that newspaper have been behind a campaign in those hospitals, so I'm not sure that they could be accepted as an unbiased source. Maybe Irish overcrowding is uniquely bad?re handwashing, see attached which might suggest otherwise. I'm not saying it is the sole reason why MRSA occurs and that other actions are not needed but a simple, cost effective process seems to work in other countries, is Irish MRSA unique????
[broken link removed]
None of the FAS issues had anything to do with the unvouched problem that you raised. You might want to stop moving the goalposts if you want to have a sensible discussion on this.re expenses, I'm glad that some areas have tight expense policies, but let's be honest, FAS??? Plenty examples where that is not the case
You're absolutely correct that FAS at nothing to do with unvouched expenses. That was just incredible arrogance from one area of the public sector. However, can you honestly justify an unvouched expense policy. I don't know anyone for example in the private sector who get's a lunch allowance if they are off site. Many private sector companies won't even allow lunch as a vouched expense on the grounds that you'd be eating your lunch if you were in the office anywayI'm sure there a few teachers who abuse sick leave, just like there are few bank managers who abuse sick leave, and a few architects who abuse sick leave, and a few nurses who abuse sick leave. I haven't seen any evidence that abuse is a major problem, or that abuse is not managed. I reallt think this is much ado about nothing. There are lot bigger issues to be addressed.
Only difference is that any company I've ever worked in, staff with that kind of sick rates would be sacked. When I see 4000+ employees with at least one uncertifed sick day every 8 weeks (allowing for the amount of holidays a teacher has), that to me is clear evidence that the problem is not being managed at all
Interesting to note that the media company behind that newspaper have been behind a campaign in those hospitals, so I'm not sure that they could be accepted as an unbiased source. Maybe Irish overcrowding is uniquely bad?
Below is a quote from the NHS website in the UK on MRSA prevention. You'll find similer advice from the CDC in the USA. I'm astonished that someone can think that washing your hands is "propaganda"
Staff, patients, relatives, and other visitors can help prevent spread of MRSA by thorough, regular hand washing with soap and water and by the use of the alcohol gel found on our hospital wards and on entrances to wards.
None of the FAS issues had anything to do with the unvouched problem that you raised. You might want to stop moving the goalposts if you want to have a sensible discussion on this.
Rabbit
The one day demonstration has been organised by Congress, it is not confined to the public service and is not simply about the levy.
It really annoys me too but you need to be clear as to where the blame lies. There is only a certain amount of money available to pay teachers. Knowing this the teachers unions have agitated for and received massive pay increases over the last few years. This means that the same money pays fewer teachers. So, massive pay increases for teachers in general over the last few years have now resulted in us running out of money for extra services such as special needs.The removal of special needs teachers really annoys me. Therefore if there was a march that is what i would be protesting about.
I do not have a problem with nurses, I do not follow them around and I have not been dumped by one, so no need to be personal. I was merely agreeing with the previous poster who wrote " about the 7 nurses (he) saw in Kilkenny hospital last weekend standing in a ward discussing their holidays for nearly an hour or the midwife which didn't know what was wrong with an epidural when all it had happened was it had run out or the medical staff who are too lazy to wash their hands and are spreading superbugs all over the place.". I unfortunately have spent far longer under the roof of a hospital than I would have liked to and I observed what was going on , on many many occassions. Yes, there are some great staff there, but there are many who are way overpaid for what they do, and many who do not work that hard at all.What exactly is your problem with nurses Rabbit? Have you been dumped by a nurse recently?
You must spend a lot of time in hospitals to follow nurses around all day checking to see if they are working hard enough.
In my opinion Nurses, A&E Doctors, Paramedics etc. don't get paid enough! I certainly wouldn't do their job and I doubt many others would!
I do not have a problem with nurses, I do not follow them around and I have not been dumped by one, so no need to be personal. I was merely agreeing with the previous poster who wrote " about the 7 nurses (he) saw in Kilkenny hospital last weekend standing in a ward discussing their holidays for nearly an hour or the midwife which didn't know what was wrong with an epidural when all it had happened was it had run out or the medical staff who are too lazy to wash their hands and are spreading superbugs all over the place.". I unfortunately have spent far longer under the roof of a hospital than I would have liked to and I observed what was going on , on many many occassions. Yes, there are some great staff there, but there are many who are way overpaid for what they do, and many who do not work that hard at all.
Sorry now but this attitude sends me into orbit (or else i have been on Mars too longA
In my opinion Nurses,Doctors and health care workers put up with a lot of grief/stress during their working day and I honestly believe each one of them are worth 100 bankers or property developers or stock market speculators.
Apologies, Rabbit, I certainly didn't intend to be personal
However, I am getting a bit peed off with the likes of nurses etc. being rubbished on here.
In my opinion Nurses,Doctors and health care workers put up with a lot of grief/stress during their working day and I honestly believe each one of them are worth 100 bankers or property developers or stock market speculators.
No problemApologies, Rabbit, I certainly didn't intend to be personal.
I ( or probably anyone else on this thread as far as I can see ) do not "rubbish" all nurses. However, Nurses,Doctors and health care workers are , as others have pointed out, well paid with job security and other perks. As someone else wrote "these professions are well paid on their own and by comparison with many countries - there are queues to get into them and people go abroad to train and return to work here".However, I am getting a bit peed off with the likes of nurses etc. being rubbished on here.
In my opinion Nurses,Doctors and health care workers put up with a lot of grief/stress during their working day and I honestly believe each one of them are worth 100 bankers or property developers or stock market speculators.
Don't you think that the doctors earning €1'000'000+ a year have done some share buying/ property specualation in their time?In my opinion Nurses,Doctors and health care workers put up with a lot of grief/stress during their working day and I honestly believe each one of them are worth 100 bankers or property developers or stock market speculators.
Congress? Which congress?
Do you mean the Catholic Congress of religious in Ireland?
In case you're serious, 'congress' is short for Irish Congress of Trade Unions.
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