A&E cutbacks will endanger lives --Roscommon -- Portlaoise -- Mallow -- Mid Western ---- Loughlinstown

[concernedparent]

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...e-3058182.html

There's no disputing the betrayal of his constituents by Feighan but violence or the threat of violence is towards him is very wrong.

The justifiable anger of Roscommon people at his decision to put his party ahead of his constituents could be expressed by boycotting him in the original sense of that tactic.

Well I work with someone who hails from Roscommon.

And they have long memories in that part of the country.

I don't think its violence he will have to fear but the the immediacy of the next election.

I wouldn't be betting on a second term Frank.

[Baron von Biffo]

Well I work with someone who hails from Roscommon.

And they have long memories in that part of the country.

I don't think its violence he will have to fear but the the immediacy of the next election.

I wouldn't be betting on a second term Frank.

If he has the neck to run again there's an opportunity for local charities to make a few quid. They could run off "Feighan canvassers unwelcome here" signs and sell them for a couple of Euro in the constituency. Should generate a tidy sum.

Locals could also communicate their feelings to him by dropping his Litir um Thoghchán back in the post box marked 'Return to Sender'. With a brief explanation if necessary.

[Baron von Biffo]

A limited helicopter service is to be provided to compensate for hospital closures in the west.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...s-3043821.html

Well that's all right then.

And now the helicopter has crashed. Fortunately all on board survived.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/t...es-555914.html

[concernedparent]

It's ok. I have a scooter.

I will lend it to the HSE for the duration. For a fee of course.

[Baron von Biffo]

It's ok. I have a scooter.

I will lend it to the HSE for the duration. For a fee of course.

It wouldn't be entirely shocking if Reilly Joined PW and sent you a PM to take up that offer.

[Baron von Biffo]

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/a...th-559782.html

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...p-3173479.html

For our city based cabinet this is probably a price worth paying.

[Slim Buddha]

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/a...th-559782.html

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...p-3173479.html

For our city based cabinet this is probably a price worth paying.

I hardly think this comment is necessary, given that a girl has died, to pursue your urban v rural argument, which as time goes by, becomes increasingly irrelevant. I have always maintained that everybody affected by the policies, incompetence and cuts that this government imposes must unite against these policies, regardless of background, urban or rural.

It is NOT about urban v rural. It is about Us v Them!


Mind you Baron, this sort of thing does not help

"The direct journey from Creggs to Galway hospital takes one hour and 20 minutes.

However, initial problems began when a local at the scene of the crash gave the ambulance crew directions which led them down a bogland road.

And the ambulance then transported the young woman to Portiuncula, in Ballinasloe, before it was diverted to UCHG in Galway, adding an extra 30 minutes to the journey."

[Baron von Biffo]

I hardly think this comment is necessary, given that a girl has died, to pursue your urban v rural argument, which as time goes by, becomes increasingly irrelevant. I have always maintained that everybody affected by the policies, incompetence and cuts that this government imposes must unite against these policies, regardless of background, urban or rural.

It is NOT about urban v rural. It is about Us v Them!


Mind you Baron, this sort of thing does not help

"The direct journey from Creggs to Galway hospital takes one hour and 20 minutes.

However, initial problems began when a local at the scene of the crash gave the ambulance crew directions which led them down a bogland road.

And the ambulance then transported the young woman to Portiuncula, in Ballinasloe, before it was diverted to UCHG in Galway, adding an extra 30 minutes to the journey."

The issue here is to do with where the victim of the crash was injured and the fact that had it been in a ministers constituency she would at least have had a fair shot at surviving.

[Slim Buddha]

The issue here is to do with where the victim of the crash was injured and the fact that had it been in a ministers constituency she would at least have had a fair shot at surviving.

Therefore it is right to appoint Ministers strictly on geographical considerations only, regardless of how useless they may be????

Mary Coughlan, Martin Cullen, Dermot Ahern and Eamon O 'Cuiv (just off the top of my head) are all powerful arguments against this sort of "thinking".

[Baron von Biffo]

Therefore it is right to appoint Ministers strictly on geographical considerations only, regardless of how useless they may be????

That's not the argument I'm making at all.

Of the 10 hospitals targeted for closure, 8 are in constituencies with no full minister. I suggest that that goes beyond coincidence. If ministers are biasing policy to favour their own constituencies and there are no ministers representing rural constituencies then the particular needs of rural constituencies are ignored. And people die.

Mary Coughlan, Martin Cullen, Dermot Ahern and Eamon O 'Cuiv (just off the top of my head) are all powerful arguments against this sort of "thinking".

Ahern, Haughey, Harney, Burke...

Two can play that game.

[Slim Buddha]

But Baron, this sort of pork barrel nonsense has been going on for decades. The entire system of our political bodies needs drastic reform. If I was asked to design a system which delivered the worst possible results to voters, a system which was dysfunctional in every respect, I would recommend the Irish template.

You are noticing an urban-centric Cabinet in this government. Previous governments had rural-centric biases and the mindless pork barrel "thinking" had the likes of John O´Donohue claiming he "built" a swimming pool in Killarney, for example.

Swings and roundabouts.

[Baron von Biffo]

But Baron, this sort of pork barrel nonsense has been going on for decades. The entire system of our political bodies needs drastic reform. If I was asked to design a system which delivered the worst possible results to voters, a system which was dysfunctional in every respect, I would recommend the Irish template.

You are noticing an urban-centric Cabinet in this government. Previous governments had rural-centric biases and the mindless pork barrel "thinking" had the likes of John O´Donohue claiming he "built" a swimming pool in Killarney, for example.

Swings and roundabouts.

Your use of the Americanism 'pork barrel' to describe the phenomenon shows that it's not uniquely Irish.

With the best will in the world you'll get problems when there's near total exclusion of the representatives of one section of the country from the centre of power.

It will always be easier for a minister who lives a few minutes away from hospitals to be beguiled by economists and accountants arguments in favour of closing a hospital somewhere else. Being an hour or more from life saving facilities is not something that forms part of their experience.

Even if we were just comparing O'Donoghue's swimming pool with the one Gilmore has grabbed €3m for in his constituency, I think your swings and roundabouts case would be weak - two wrongs and all that. But when we're comparing a leisure facility in Killarney with people dying on the roads of Roscommon we must dismiss it out of hand.

[Slim Buddha]

Your use of the Americanism 'pork barrel' to describe the phenomenon shows that it's not uniquely Irish.

With the best will in the world you'll get problems when there's near total exclusion of the representatives of one section of the country from the centre of power.

It will always be easier for a minister who lives a few minutes away from hospitals to be beguiled by economists and accountants arguments in favour of closing a hospital somewhere else. Being an hour or more from life saving facilities is not something that forms part of their experience.

Even if we were just comparing O'Donoghue's swimming pool with the one Gilmore has grabbed €3m for in his constituency, I think your swings and roundabouts case would be weak - two wrongs and all that. But when we're comparing a leisure facility in Killarney with people dying on the roads of Roscommon we must dismiss it out of hand.

Not so easily dismissed. We are talking about the misappropriation of resources by mendacious and spineless politicians who divert public monies to pet schemes designed to get them re-elected. All politicians, urban and rural, from all political parties but with a serious emphasis on FFers, have been guilty of this.

ALL parties are guilty of retaining a disgraceful and disgusting Victorian "service" for psychiatric patients in Ireland, yet buffoons like O'Donohue and Gilmore parade their pork barrel "achievements" solely for re-election purposes. It is swings and roundabouts:urban-centric, rural-centric, FF-PD or FG-Lab, no matter what, the same sh1t goes on and on and on.

Maybe Pork Barrel is an Americanism but it perfectly describes a lot of the downright stupidity widespread in Irish politics .

[Baron von Biffo]

Not so easily dismissed. We are talking about the misappropriation of resources by mendacious and spineless politicians who divert public monies to pet schemes designed to get them re-elected. All politicians, urban and rural, from all political parties but with a serious emphasis on FFers, have been guilty of this.

ALL parties are guilty of retaining a disgraceful and disgusting Victorian "service" for psychiatric patients in Ireland, yet buffoons like O'Donohue and Gilmore parade their pork barrel "achievements" solely for re-election purposes. It is swings and roundabouts:urban-centric, rural-centric, FF-PD or FG-Lab, no matter what, the same sh1t goes on and on and on.

Maybe Pork Barrel is an Americanism but it perfectly describes a lot of the downright stupidity widespread in Irish politics .

The presence or absence of a hospital within a reasonable distance is a matter of life and death. It's in an entirely different league to a 'pet project' like a swimming pool.

[Slim Buddha]

The presence or absence of a hospital within a reasonable distance is a matter of life and death. It's in an entirely different league to a 'pet project' like a swimming pool.

Tell that to the wasters who divert money to pet projects that could better spent on hospitals.

I need no convincing but clearly our imbecile politicians do.