What customer?

I was at the Permanent TSB in Dundrum this morning, and the queue was long and slow. I miss the Business desk! But what really annoyed me is that they have a total of 3 desks - 2 for Permanent TSB customers and 1 dedicated to Irish Nationwide customers. Now, I wonder, has anybody done a count to assess what the split of actual branch customers is. In the time I was there, there were at least 10 Permanent TSB customers ahead of me, and only 1 Nationwide customer. Do the maths, as they say! Or maybe, I should switch my account to Nationwide!

Health Minister tackles backlogs

It's great to see our current government tackling all the difficult tasks - the Health department in particular. The new Health Minister is threatening hospitals with budget cuts if they don't look after patients who have been waiting over 12 months for treatment. Imagine that up to now, hospitals can let people wait 12, 18, 24 months and the hospital managers faced no consequences whatsoever.

I also heard on the radio this morning that the Health Minister is telling hospital managers and administrators that they should not have more of an A&E crisis in January than at any other time of the year. The story that there are more patients turning up at emergencies in January is a fallacy, apparently. What is really happening is that hospital staff is not available to the same levels after the Christmas holidays. My guess is that too many doctors and hospital managers are away on skiing holidays and nobody dares say boo to them ...

Glad to see that the new Health Minister Dr James Reilly is challenging the hospitals and the HSE. There is so much waste and inefficiencies in that area, and throwing money at it like Hearney did for years achieved nothing at all.

Thumbs up to Dr James Reilly!

FAS is dead

Long live SOLAS!
As if that's going to make any difference!
According to the article I've just read, SOLAS stands for "Seirbhísí Oideachais Leanunaigh Agus Scileann". Mmmm. How many civil servants did it take to come up with that!

Good for you, Enda

I've just read that Enda Kenny has strongly criticised the Vatican for its response to the Cloyne report into child abuse. Good for him. About time somebody stood up to the Church. We've had enough of the Catholic Church's culture of secrecy and of protecting itself at all cost, even when it endangers children in its care.

Joan Burton and welfare cheats

Good for you Joan Burton for going after welfare cheats!

Unpaid bills

Heard today that there is something like €77,000 in unpaid bills in the Dail bar and restaurant, by current and retired members. Apparently, politicians were given credit on food and drink there and no timeframe for repayment.

Imagine a canteen that gives free credit to the employees! It is said that the credit facility is there so they can pay for visitors or guests, but still, why can't they pay and then expense it (with receipts - don't get me started on unreceipted expenses!)?

OK, apparently, letters are being written to get the money back.But how much is it going to take to get that money repaid! How many stamps, envelopes, letterheaded paper, .....

People who have a chat car-to-car

The worst one was this evening. Two cars at the entrance to the estate, windows down, chatting, blocking access. I beeped once, they continued talking. I beeped a second time, one of them moved. The other insulted me before moving on. Nice people.

People who let out farts at the gym

There is nothing more annoying than people who fart at the gym. You're peacefully walking, running or cross-training, and an awful smell spreads out all around you. And you can't give out to anybody, as you're not sure who farted, and anyway, everybody has got their earphones in so they can't hear you anyway!

More Jackie Healy-Rae stories

Jackie Healy-Rae is in the news again, this time for his lack of attendance at a Dail committee on Social Welfare that he was supposed to be chairing. Apparently, he attended less than 50% of the meetings. I probably wouldn't care too much if he wasn't paid €20,000 a year on top of his Dail salary for chairing that committee. Who does he think he is?

Well, if you look at the photos on his website, he might think he is Jesus, walking on water! Maybe he is, for his consituents, for whom he's managed to get new roads built. But, given the location and the low density of population in his part of Kerry, there is nobody on those roads. Wouldn't you think that tax-payers' money would have been better spent on the road from Michelstown to Killarney, the main access to Kerry, a road that's still in bits. We're supposed to be working to attract tourists to this country. Yet, Killarney, one of the top tourist towns in the country, doesn't have a decent road that links it directly to Dublin. But of course, that's somebody else's consituency...

Cookery classes for civil servants

Another one of those stories that broke on the news yesterday, but then had vanished by this morning. If I was a conspiracy theorist, I would most certainly ask "What's going on?".

It's transpired that some parts of the civil service are still living on planet "Celtic Tiger" - it was found that staff in the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) have been enjoying cookery classes as part of their work outings (for team-building pursposes, no less). And check out the article for details of other spending on treasure hunts, opera, oil paintings and, wait for it, wooden yoyos! It makes my blood boil!

PS: I have it on good authority that it's not just the EPA that's spent money on cookery classes. Wouldn't it be interesting to do an audit of all quangos and civil service departments?

In my previous jobs, Christmas parties were cancelled as far back as 2005 in order to save money. But it is clear that the Irish civil service didn't get the memo. What will it take to change things?

The Black Economy - again

I talked about the black economy a few days back. And you know the strange thing? That report was on the radio news in the morning, and then, nothing, radio silence. It didn't even get a mention on the Six One News that evening. It's like the story was killed. I just can't believe it. Biggest Elephant in the Room. And finally, it gets a mention, and then, nothing. Why? I'd really love to know what happened there. Where are George Lee and Charlie Bird when you need them? And what about Shane Ross? He's gone very quiet lately.

Rabbit thrown in the Liffey

Weird story I heard on the radio this morning, about a man who jumped in the Liffey near O'Connell Bridge to rescue his pet rabbit. Apparently, some thug grabbed the rabbit from him (What was he doing with a rabbit on O'Connell Bridge? I know...) and threw the poor animal into the river. How cruel is that? What kind of a person does that? Crazy world we live in.
Anyways, all is well, the man managed to rescue his rabbit, gave him the kiss of life (so we were told on 2FM this morning) and saved his pet from death by drowning.
But really, what kind of thugs would get a kick out that?

Parking for civil servants

Apparently, over two million euro is spent by the State every year in car parking for civil servants in the city centre. How about they use public transport like the rest of us?

New Children Hospital

Apparently, it's been recommended by the committee who reviewed the plans that the new Children's Hospital be located at the Mater Hospital, in the city centre. I'm not sure of the ins and outs, and I can understand that a city-centre location poses its challenges, but there is a group opposing these plans. My question is: Would they be happier if it was located in Bray or Malahide? And would they be prepared to put up with the extra delay that this change of plan would cause?