NOT all beards bring bad news. Normally the bushier the beard, the greater the threat of its bearer to the economy. So Siptu’s Jack O’Connor looks marginally more menacing to Ireland’s fragile finances than ICTU’s David Begg. The sight of a Jack O’C-type beard taking over at the Health quagmire sent those of us with …
Category Archive
for: ‘Social Partnership’
Beards Out, Bundestag In
Posted Mar 6 2011 by mod
in Economy, Europe, International Affairs, Social Partnership with 0 Comments
THE baton of power has passed. The changing of the guard has happened seamlessly. No, not from Brian Cowen to Enda Kenny, although there will be a theatrical show of democracy when Enda swaps seats in the Dail chamber on Wednesday. Real power has already passed from the beards to the Bundestag. Two events last …
Shall We Storm Liberty Hall?
DO you have the mobile phone numbers of cabinet members? You don’t? Funnily enough, nor do I. And me a senator, to boot! Last week, I did a spot check on a few members of the Oireachtas. I asked them if they had cabinet ministers’ mobile numbers. Funnily enough, the responses were overwhelmingly negative. It …
Partnership Beast Rages On
Posted Oct 10 2010 by admin
in Consumer Affairs, Corporate Ireland, Economy, Social Partnership with 0 Comments
The darker side of partnership is suddenly surfacing. Do not believe that partnership is dead. There is plenty of life left in the damaged doctrine. Two weeks ago, the appointments to the board of the Central Bank were announced. There was Mike Soden the banker, John Fitzgerald the economist, Max Regling the one-time director of …
CIE no-shows Should be Fired
Posted May 23 2010 by admin
in Consumer Affairs, Corporate Ireland, Economy, Social Partnership with 0 Comments
NOT a good week for the NEDs. The NEDs ? Yes, the NEDs. First, the Bank of Ireland hid its NEDs from its shareholders. Then CIE hid its NEDs from the public. NEDS are the best buried bodies in Ireland.
We’re Not On Obama’s Radar
Posted Nov 10 2008 by admin
in Corporate Ireland, Economy, International Affairs, Other Issues, Social Partnership with 0 Comments
Monday My last day of a week in Boston. I switch on CNN to hear Barack Obama fingering Ireland as one of the countries to which the USA exports labour. He specifically brackets us with India and the old Eastern block. Ominously, he is answering a question about where he will raise money to fund …
My Broadband Bill
Posted Oct 20 2008 by admin
in Broadband, Corporate Ireland, Regulating Auctioneers, Social Partnership with 0 Comments
On October 22nd I will be bringing forward my Broadband Bill during Private Members Time in the Seanad. I published my bill a year ago and still the Government has failed to provide universal, high-speed broadband to every household and business in Ireland. I am committed to pushing my bill through the Houses and I …
Aer Lingus Reaches For A Star
Posted Aug 5 2008 by admin
in Aer Lingus and Aviation, Corporate Ireland, Economy, Social Partnership, Transport with 1 Comment
HAS the board of Aer Lingus gone walkabout? The wobbly old airline, just out of the warm womb of public ownership, carrying baggage galore, has betrayed its semi-state ancestors. Burdened by a bombed-out share price, struggling with soaring fuel costs and rooted in a crumbling island economy, Aer Lingus faces a grim future. Worst of …
Governments Complacency on Broadband Fails Economy
Posted Feb 22 2008 by admin
in Broadband, Corporate Ireland, Economy, Social Partnership with 0 Comments
The Governments economic policies are smug and very aspirational. An extraordinary complacency has sunk into the body politic, those running the economy, the Department of Finance and others. They feel that somehow, because we were successful when times were good, our economic success will extend for another five or ten years. I do not feel …
Hurray! The Government Is Going To Have Another Outlet For Party Political Patronage!
Posted Oct 4 2007 by mod
in Other Issues, Party Political Patronage, Social Partnership with 0 Comments
The Copyright Bill was debated in the Seanad on Wednesday. An uncontentious Bill, its purpose is to regularise the position as regards the lending of copyright works through the public library system, and to remunerate authors for the lending of their works. Minister Michael Ahern spoke for the government on the Bill. He told the …