Tubsgate!

Tubsgate!

by | 2023/07/12 | Current Affairs, Politics

Tubsgate!

Ryan Tubridy received €345,000 in secret additional payments from RTÉ from 2017 up to 2023. The company was engaged in a massive cost-cutting program during that time and the station implemented a 15% salary reduction. RTÉ is being questioned by the Oireachtas Media Committee and the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee. According to RTÉ, Dee Forbes, the former director general of the company, is the only person who was aware of all the details relating to the additional payments to Tubridy. It is clear that she is a scapegoat and the government believes that this is an absurd explanation!

Here's a summary and a few thoughts about the controversy.

1. Lack of transparency and accountability. Dee Forbes, who has been suspended from her position as director general of RTÉ, was asked by the aforementioned government committees to attend the committee meetings. The Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, and the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee are asking Ryan Tubridy, his agent Noel Kelly, and Dee Forbes to appear before the committee, to tell their stories and answer questions. Dee Forbes says she is now sick because of this crisis! Tubridy and Kelly say they will answer questions soon, but we don't have more information as I write the column. In my opinion, this duty should be one of the conditions of employment for them, regardless of anything else. Shouldn't people in public offices or other positions of trust be held accountable? The government is able to subpoena people to come before the Oireachtas, but it is quite complicated to do that, especially in the case of Dee Forbes because she is ill and she is no longer working in RTÉ. In any case, the government is giving invitations to the people mentioned above, and if necessary they will be forced to attend meetings organized by the Oireachtas Public Accounts committee.
2. 'Slush Fund'. RTÉ Chief Financial Officer Richard Collins appeared before the Oireachtas and brought new things to light. RTÉ had a special bank account, from which they made the additional payments to Tubridy. This 'swap' account, which usually contained more than €1 million, was used to spend €275,000 on sporting events (travel, tickets and hotels) – Rugby World Cup, Champions League (ten year tickets ), IRFU matches and European soccer, included – stay tuned for flip flops! Collins said that the tax payers might be betrayed! RTÉ will undoubtedly have other questions to answer about this fund, especially as it was discovered very briefly that there are three accounts of this kind involved! Public Expenditure Minister Pascal Donohoe said the government will seek financial reports going back several years, to gain a deeper understanding of the controversy.
3. Agent. Noel Kelly is a very powerful man, agent not only for Tubridy, but for other big names too – including Dave Fanning, Kathryn Thomas, Matt Cooper and Ivan Yates. He is a middleman, who takes a 15% commission from his client's salary. Kelly will undoubtedly have many questions to answer. But don't forget one thing: even though Kelly is able to advise his clients, they are the ones in charge and they are the ones who give him instructions. In that way, Tubridy owns the documentation regarding the financial arrangements he was demanding. At first, Tubridy didn't accept that responsibility, but he promptly changed his tune after a while. In my opinion, RTÉ should negotiate salaries directly with their employees without any agent present.
4. Too much money. When too much money is involved, there are always problems, and greed corrupts. Therefore, there is a need for external supervision of companies and a power to punish companies that break the rules. In RTÉ's case, the gate is being closed after the horse has bolted.

Conclúid

We are only at the beginning of the investigation now, and we still have a lot to learn about what has been going on in RTÉ for several years. All the truth will come out, probably, and then the government will have to make a decision so that this does not happen again. I hope that an external oversight organization will be put in place with the necessary powers and will keep a close eye on the new RTÉ and any other organizations that use our taxes to operate.

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Cothrom na Féinne sa Bhunreacht?

Fairness in the Constitution?

by | 2023/07/05 | Politics, History

Cothrom na Féinne!

 

I was eating my lunch alone, upstairs in the furniture store 'Meubles' when I recognized my old friend Séimí in the buffet queue. I waved my hand at him to get his attention and he gave me a big smile before coming in my direction.

"Nice to meet you here, Michael!" said Séimí as he sat in front of me at the table. "I didn't know you liked the 'Meubles' restaurant, son!"

“I love the clam chowder here. But I was the one who was surprised, because I'm always here, and I've never seen you here before, Séimí!" I said.

"I'm late today, Michael, but I come here once or twice a week at noon and I'm gone within half an hour!"

"Call me from now on if you want my company, and I'll be happy to meet you at noon," I said matter-of-factly.

"Thank you, and if I'm not in a hurry I'll call you!" answered Séimí. "But what about the 'fairness' that was established in this country after the 'Easter Rising, 1916'? Do you have any opinion on it now, Michael?” As usual for my friend Séimí an Droichid, he tilted his head as he scrutinized me.

"Share your own views with me first, Séimí!" I said, "and then I will add them." I drank a cup of coffee, while I waited for what he would have to say.

“As you well know, I have a liberal attitude. Once, my views were not accepted and people labeled me a hippie. But now we have a liberal, progressive country, almost free from the yoke of the Church at last. When it was drawn up in 1934-1937, the constitution was strongly in line with the teachings of the Church, and particularly with the views of Father McQuaid (then president of Blackrock College, and later Archbishop and Primate of All Ireland) and the Jesuit Father Cahill. The three of them (deValera, McQuaid and Cathill) were conservative Catholics, who worked hand in hand to draft the constitution. It is not surprising then, that they intended to have a religious and conservative constitution. Unfortunately, it was also a discriminatory constitution because fairness was not given priority in the constitution. There have been 38 referendums on amendments to the constitution since 1937 and the constitution we have now is completely different and better than the first one. But we still have work to do!” Séimí finally stopped talking, and started eating his assorted salads.

"I agree with you, my friend," I said. "It is a great pity that deValera was not more objective about the constitution, but he was under pressure from all sides at the time. The Catholic Church was very powerful, as the majority of the population at the time were devout Catholics. Although there were not many Protestants in the south, there were many in the North, and deValera wanted to create a constitution that would be suitable for them as well. It was difficult for him to serve both sets of needs, however, and although he made peaceful gestures in the constitution for the Protestants, deValera was subject to the Catholic Church, and that is evident in the constitution he published in 1937."

"For the first time ever, we're not arguing with each other Michael!" said Séimí, laughing. “There are now major changes in the constitution regarding divorce, abortion and same-sex marriage that would have been unthinkable thirty years ago. But are we done yet?”

"Not really, as we said!" I said. "We have and will always have work to do. But although we still have a lot to do, the most important thing for us to do right now is to remove the reference to women being enslaved at home from the constitution. We will have a referendum on that later and I hope that amendment will be accepted!”

"Of course, Michael!" said Séimí. "Ireland is now a post-Catholic country, and it's time to put an end to the oppression and restrictions of the church."

“On that note, Séimí, let's end our sessions today! We don't always agree, but we agree on the most important things, in my opinion – things like equality in this great country.”

We walked out together, and I promised myself that I would be in touch with Séimí again before long.

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Daonáireamh 2022!

2022 Census!

by | 2023/06/14 | Current Affairs, National News, Politics

2022 Census!

The figures regarding the use of the language were recently published, based on the 2022 Census. There was a 2.55% drop in the number of people speaking the language every day outside the education system, from 73,803 in 2016 to 71,968 in 2022. There was a 2.18% drop in the number of people speaking the language every week, from 111,473 in 2016 to 109,099 in 2022. I see from the government only lip service instead of a comprehensive plan to achieve an increase as opposed to a decrease of Irish speakers. These statistics are eye-opening for us, without a doubt.

I have a few words!!

The number of people who speak Irish rose by 0.6% of the population from 39.8% (1,761,420) in 2016 to 40.4% (1,873,997) in 2022. But of those people, only 10% said that they speak Irish very well , and another third saying that they speak Irish well. The rest (55%) who speak Irish said they are not able to speak it well.

In the Gaeltacht?

The number of people in the Gaeltacht who speak Irish increased, from 63,664 in 2016 to 65,156 in 2022 (an increase of 2.3%). But the number of people in the Gaeltacht who speak Irish every day has decreased from 20,586 in 2016 to 20,261 in 2022 (a 1.6% drop).

Analysis

What is going on at all? On the one hand, things seem to be improving. But on the other hand, the figures say that things are getting worse. Which is correct?

In my opinion, one need not be right and the other wrong. Analysis is necessary to make sense of these figures.

I think that the number of people who speak Irish is increasing because the revival of the language is taking place in the country and people want to improve and practice their Irish if possible. But for the most part people cannot speak Irish in the normal activities of life, because there is not enough infrastructure operating in Irish available to them. And that is the basic reason that there is a decrease in the number of speakers of Irish. Therefore, it is clear that the government's policies regarding the Irish language are not working well, despite the will of the public. What a pity that is!

Recommendations

I was at a loss as to what to do, when I received a 'WhatsApp' message from my loyal friend, Micheál Ó Máirtín. It was a sound bite from the program 'An Saol Ó Deas', with Helen Ní Shé interviewing Irial Mac Murchú. Although the number of speakers of the Gaeltacht decreased overall, the number of speakers of increased in the County Kerry and County Waterford Gaeltachts. Irial is the CEO and director of the television production company, Nemoton, and has a particular insight into the issue of Irish spoken in Gaeltacht na n'Déise in Waterford. Here is a summary of a few points he was discussing. The Gaeltacht na n'Déise was almost on its deathbed in the seventies, said Irial, when a kind of revival came. According to Irial, the cornerstone of that revival was the San Nicolás secondary school. The school was established in the fifties and in the seventies the number of pupils grew significantly. A certain generation, even though they themselves were raised in English, decided to raise their children in Irish, and there was still enough Irish in the environment that it worked out well. After a while, the stain of poverty was no longer on the language, and gradually a new generation could be seen, including teachers, lawyers, nurses and the like, who were brought up with Irish. The support of the local organizations helped with these efforts and especially the Gaelic Athletic Association (GAA), because they made Irish classes available to people and did their business through Irish in the Gaeltacht. Therefore, the GAA fostered a natural environment for people to speak Irish. Gradually there was a comfortable environment for people to be able to do everything through Irish.

Conclusion

We do not need to rely on the government to revive our language. We can do it ourselves! We have already had great success with Irish primary schools, and now it is time for us to establish secondary schools wherever we can. Then, we have to put public pressure on the local bodies to encourage them to be able to use Irish as well as English. We will be able to recreate the success of the Gaeltacht na n'Déise in other places like that, by collaborating together!

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Tuairisc ó Mheiriceá – Teorainn Fiachais!

Report from America - Debt Ceiling!

by | 2023/05/31 | Current Affairs, International News, Politics, Opinion

Report from America - Debt Ceiling!

When the United States Congress put a policy in place regarding the national debt limit long ago, they never intended it to be used as a political bone of contention. But that is exactly what happened! And on account of that, there is great uncertainty about the economic situation in the United States and around the world.

The national debt

Every year, the United States government has to borrow to meet its commitments. There are three spending streams in the country's budget:

Compulsory spending: The government is obliged to pay for social security, health care and retirement pensions for people who are entitled to them by law, including people over 65 and military veterans. The government would have to change the laws to reduce this expenditure. These programs are very popular with the majority of the public, so it would be controversial and politically difficult to make such changes. Compulsory spending is the largest part (63%) of the national budget.

Discretionary spending: Each year, the government (the Appropriations Committee) has to review this spending and then approve it. Half of this spending goes to the American military, and the other half to various programs such as: homeland security, education, transportation, research, food safety, science and space programs, disaster relief, environmental protection, public housing, and enforcement of the federal law. Discretionary spending uses around 30% of the national budget.

Supplementary expenditure: This expenditure (7% of the budget) is used to pay interest on the national debt each year. In the year 2023, it will cost 460 billion dollars to service the debt.

Debt Ceiling

Like many countries, the United States has to borrow money, because the federal government spends more money than it receives. Unlike almost every other country, the government limits the amount of money they are allowed to borrow. Because the annual budget deficit is increasing almost every year, congress has to raise the ceiling frequently. You'd think the government wouldn't be able to spend more money (than the ceiling) in the next budget, and that would be that – wouldn't you? Unfortunately, it's not that easy.

A long time ago, the government had to approve the expenditure associated with each bill, one by one. Therefore, the debt limit was first established in 1917 and with a few changes in 1939, so that the limit applied to the budget as a whole. This was done to make the process simpler and that was all very well until 1995 when unintended consequences occurred that no one had thought of before. I will come back to that point but I have to explain one thing first. The debt limit applies to the past year and the money already spent! That is the fundamental mistake with that approach, because this system can be abused, with one party demanding certain changes to the budget in return for raising the ceiling. Without a new ceiling, the government would not be able to pay the interest on the national loan, and the country would be in default and in trouble.

Things were not like that until Republican Chairman Newt Gingrich started using the debt limit as a weapon in 1995. He said that a new ceiling would not be passed until President Clinton made certain changes in the budget. Although Gingrich eventually backed down, he had done the damage and established the precedent.

Flash forward to today, and you will see Gingrich's legacy clearly! Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy is using the debt limit as a bargaining chip to demand a major reduction in the new budget.

Russian Roulette!

The Republican Party is playing Russian Roulette, and that is a dangerous game. Without a new debt limit, a global financial crisis would be created. That is an unacceptable risk, without question. Therefore, it is high time for the United States congress to put in place a new strategy and a new system to balance the budget. Let's hope they do the right thing. Otherwise, that debt limit will cause us to lose sleep!

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Óráid Mitchell!

Mitchell's Speech!

by | 2023/05/03 | Current Affairs, International News, National News, Politics, History

Óráid Mitchelll!

More than 27 years ago, many people began to work hard together for a few years, day after day attempting to find a workable solution to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. It seemed like an impossible task, but they continued despite a long list of difficulties. Despite the different views of the participants in the talks, George Mitchell announced on Good Friday, 10 April 1998, that they had reached an agreement. Although it is not a perfect agreement, it is a practical agreement, which is still in place, which is still alive, and which is a world-class example of what you can do when you cooperate with your enemies to stop the violence between you.

Everyone who was involved in those talks took a chance, and some of them were undoubtedly badly affected for a long time. The Agreement was a very positive thing, concluding a bloody chapter in the history of the North. John Hume and David Trimble received a Nobel peace prize for their work later that year. Although George Mitchell was also nominated for a Nobel prize, he did not receive it. If I had to choose the most central person in the Northern peace process, I would choose George Mitchell. Without it, we would not have the Agreement and we are all greatly indebted to him. The Accord was a miracle.

Commemoration of the Agreement

It is also a miracle that former Senator Mitchell (who is 89) was able to attend the anniversary of the agreement which took place recently at Queen's University in Belfast. He was diagnosed with leukemia three years ago and this is his first major event since his diagnosis. It was a big anniversary, and other famous people attended it too, including: former American President Bill Clinton, former American Secretary of State, Hilary Rodham Clinton, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair and former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern. The President of the United States Joe Biden was also in the North for the anniversary, and he gave an inspiring speech there. Almost everyone mentioned above also gave a speech, but Mitchell's speech was my favorite.

Mitchell's speech

At the conference, recognition was given to the parties who showed courage in dealing with enemies. There was also indirect pressure on the DUP to return to Stormont and put Northern Ireland to work. Over the three days the themes were, 'Reflection, Renewal, Reimagining'. Mitchell kicked off the conference and with his rousing speech, and he set the tone for the rest of the commemoration.

"I say now, to the leaders of Northern Ireland now and in the future: There are many differences between you in your history and your politics. But there is also enough to bring you together, to continue what your predecessors started a quarter of a century ago!” said Mitchell.

He continued: “Resolving your differences in democratic and peaceful ways is not a sign of weakness. On the contrary, it is a sign that shows strength and wisdom. And it clearly reflects the will of the vast majority of the people of Northern Ireland."

Recalling the day the parties agreed to the measure, he said: “On that day history opened itself to hope. The people of Northern Ireland rejected political violence as the way to resolve their differences. It is clear that they do not want to return to violence. Not now. Not ever,” he insisted.

"There are those who are never willing to compromise. For them, making any compromise is a sign of weakness. But I tell you that a principled compromise is necessary in divided societies, and that it shows faith in democratic values. Like it or not, we're all in this together. It takes strength, courage and vision to face the truth of the future, rather than clinging to the myths of the past. From the start of the Troubles to 1998, over 3,500 people were killed and 50,000 injured in sectarian violence. In the 25 years since the agreement was reached there have been about 164 deaths related to security,” the Senator said before asking his audience to stand in silence to remember all the victims.

Conclusion

Senator Mitchell and the conference itself had a clear message that the Good Friday Agreement was a historic ceasefire, but it was also made clear how much work needed to be done politically to ensure that there is no return to the dark days. It will be more difficult now without George Mitchell!

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Tá mise sa bhaile

I'm home

by | 2023/04/26 | Current Affairs, International News, National News, Politics

Tá mise sa bhaile!

 

The story of the President of the United States, Joe Biden, is the story of thousands of Irish-Americans, and he articulated that story with passion and love for his motherland on his visit to Ireland. When Irish-Americans say they are Irish, we ignore them because it is clear to us that they are not Irish at all. They are not referring to the bare facts, as it is clear that the majority of them are not Irish according to those criteria. But they are referring to a primal instinct that they feel strongly due to the genetic and cultural connection they have with their motherland. Their true love for Ireland was passed down from generation to generation. They are always proud of their Irish heritage. Joe Biden is the epitome of an Irish-American, without question. He expressed his solidarity with the people of Ireland and proudly revealed the truth to the people of Ireland and the world for that matter. "Tá mé sa bhaile” (I'm home), he said, and no one had any doubts about his authenticity. There is no doubt that Joe Biden is the most Irish American President we have ever seen!

Biden as President

Biden has done a lot to make his democratic vision a reality, and in the process he has also done a lot to correct Trump's terrible mistakes. Biden is not America's most charismatic President, nor the best orator either. Presidents like Reagan and Obama were far more capable in those respective fields, for example. Biden is an ordinary person like us, struggling his way through life. He is an honest and enthusiastic politician, rare traits for politicians to have. But don't be fooled by his unhurried style, as he has achieved many great things. There is not space to discuss them all here, but I will mention a couple. In 2021, Biden signed a $1 trillion infrastructure bill to rebuild America's infrastructure – including roads, bridges and railroads. It is one of the biggest packages ever signed by a president and it was high time to invest like that in the country's infrastructure. Trump promised a bill like this hundreds of times, but all he was all mouth! Last year, Biden signed the Inflation Reduction Act. It will provide a total of $739 billion, about half for health care and the other half ($369 billion) for funding in renewable energy resources and to reduce pollution of all kinds. This is the most expensive climate law ever enacted in the history of the world! It was not easy for Biden to pass those acts, because there were dissenters even in his own party (especially Senator Joe Manchin in West Virginia). But it did the job, and that's the most important thing!

‘Till I stand in the middle of County Mayo!

Although I do not agree with all the views of the President, I mostly agree with his democratic vision which is in complete contrast to the refpublican vision - and it is an exaggeration to use the term vision in this case! In particular, I agree with the few acts I mentioned earlier. As with Biden, Mayo has a special place in my heart! I was born in Ballina, and my family is originally from Mayo going back hundreds of years. I have close relatives in Bangor-Erris on the Mulllet Peninsula in County Mayo, where my father is from. Edward Blewitt, Biden's great-great-great-grandfather, is a native of Ballina in County Mayo. Patrick Blewitt left Ballina to emigrate from Ireland in 1850 and went to Scranton, Pennsylvania, the same place where Biden was born 90 years later. Blewitt sold 27 thousand bricks to St Mary's Cathedral in 1827 and they were used to build the cathedral. Consequently, Blewitt was able to buy tickets for his family to be sent to America.

My parents were married in the same cathedral in 1955, and a few years later I was baptized there! When my parents were still alive, our whole family went on road trips to Ballina a few times, and we were able to see St. Muradech's Cathedral from our hotel. And recently, Biden was outside the same cathedral, giving a great speech. The strong ties between America and Ireland were very clear to me right there on a personal level.

Strange life, isn't it?

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