Urban and Rural Ireland - A tale of two Irelands.

[Baron von Biffo]

The campaign against rural areas continues as Bus Eireann cuts services to several towns.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/b...es-569648.html

Most of the towns hit by these cuts are in constituencies that don't have a minister.

[Ogiol]

Thats pushing it about 5 miles to far. Try not to lose the run of yourself cause its a decent thread.

[Baron von Biffo]

Thats pushing it about 5 miles to far. Try not to lose the run of yourself cause its a decent thread.

With banks, post offices and other services being closed in rural areas, public transport becomes more and more important so I think it's fair to comment on the cuts here.

[DCon]

Newstalk just interviewed Seamus Sheridan, Green Party agriculture spokesmen. He advised that Farmers have it good and they should keep the head down.

An IFA spokesman, ahead of the 10,000 farmer protest in Dublin today, dismissed Green Party comments.

[Slim Buddha]

Newstalk just interviewed Seamus Sheridan, Green Party agriculture spokesmen. He advised that Farmers have it good and they should keep the head down.

An IFA spokesman, ahead of the 10,000 farmer protest in Dublin today, dismissed Green Party comments.

Poor Sheridan. Telling home truths, especially about farmers, is political suicide in Ireland. I hope there is extensive coverage of this protest today. Record it. Memorise it and then see how many of these boyos pop up on the coverage of Cheltenham next March!

[DCon]

Are they really protesting against a fairer system?

It might blow people’s minds if they knew the IFA is protesting against something that would make a majority of farmers better off.

Farmers get an annual cheque in the post – the “single farm payment” (SFP) – which brings in about €1.2 billion a year. The European Commission is proposing some changes to the way this money is divvied up. The IFA’s day of action is primarily a protest against these proposals. Most non-farmers, if they pay any attention to the demo at all, will assume that what has the IFA up in arms is a cut to the €1.2 billion.

But that assumption would be entirely wrong.

First, there is likely to be only a very minor cut in Ireland’s overall receipts from the Cap: a loss of about 1.4 per cent which is, in the circumstances of an enlarged EU, a very good result. So the cheques will keep on coming. What’s at issue, though, is to whom they will be coming. The commission wants to change the basis on which entitlement to the subsidies is decided. The €1.2 billion cake will be sliced up somewhat differently; some farmers will gain and some will lose. But the ones who will lose happen to be the ones with the loudest voices in the IFA and the Department of Agriculture.

The basis on which the payment is allocated is completely bonkers. How much money a farmer receives is determined by how much stock he or she had between 1999 and 2001. This does two things: It locks in historic privilege – if you had a vast ranch in 2001, you’re still getting vast subsidies now; and it skews the entire system towards the best-off farmers – broadly, the more money you have, the more the EU will give you.

Who benefits from this system? The Department of Agriculture has always insisted on keeping the names private, but in 2008, the information commissioner forced the release of the names. At that time, 37 per cent of SFPs were going to the top 10 per cent of farmers. The two biggest earners were Larry Goodman’s Irish Agricultural Development, which received €508,390 in subsidies, and Kepak Farm, which received €346,118. The next eight biggest farm businesses each received subsidies of between €305,000 and €212,000.

The commission is proposing to change this crazy system to a much simpler, fairer and more transparent one. It wants to pay a flat rate for every hectare that’s being farmed. Large farmers will obviously still get more than small ones, but the basis for the subsidy will be the same for everyone. An absurd, opaque and unfair system will be replaced by one that’s much more transparent.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...325059375.html

[Baron von Biffo]

Are they really protesting against a fairer system?

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...325059375.html

The IFA traditionally represented the better off farmers so if the proposed changes would bite at that end of the market then naturally they'll protest.

Farmers with smaller holdings are more likely to be represented by the United Farmers Association. The UFA website isn't exactly the state of the art but they seem to support the principle of a per hectare payment.

[Baron von Biffo]

If media reports are accurate it looks like the government moves to slash PS allowances is targeting those that predominantly outside the capital.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...325147309.html

Gaeltacht and island allowance seem to feature on all the lists.

[Baron von Biffo]

We can't afford to have a night-time ambulance service for 80,000 rural people.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland...ks-210476.html

But we can afford to buy 80 new buses for Dublin Bus.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...t-3256798.html

[DCon]

After this government term, the best solution for anyone capable will be to work in Dublin and live in Kilkenny.

Between the Dublin Ministers grabbing everything and Hogan putting a PCC for every 15 residents in Kilkenny, it would be the best of both worlds

[PaddyJoe]

The campaign against rural areas continues as Bus Eireann cuts services to several towns.

http://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/b...es-569648.html

Most of the towns hit by these cuts are in constituencies that don't have a minister.

Meanwhile Dublin is getting 80 new wi-fi enabled buses.

Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar has unveiled the first of 80 new double decker buses, each of which will have free Wi-Fi.
The 80 buses will cost €26 million and will be funded by the National Transport Authority as replacement vehicles for Dublin Bus under its public service obligation contract.

The new buses will operate on routes 1, 4, 7, 29a, 33, 102, 104 and 151. No reason was given why these routes in particular were chosen.

http://www.digitaltimes.ie/business-...es-for-dublin/

[Slim Buddha]

Meanwhile Dublin is getting 80 new wi-fi enabled buses.



http://www.digitaltimes.ie/business-...es-for-dublin/

About time. Any improvement in public transport in Dublin is to be welcomed. As far as European capirtal cities go, Dublin has possibly the worst public transport network of any. 80 new buses is to be welcomed but it hardly puts a dent in the yawning gap in the quality of service available between it and, say, Brussels (just to take an average European capital)

[Baron von Biffo]

About time. Any improvement in public transport in Dublin is to be welcomed. As far as European capirtal cities go, Dublin has possibly the worst public transport network of any. 80 new buses is to be welcomed but it hardly puts a dent in the yawning gap in the quality of service available between it and, say, Brussels (just to take an average European capital)

If we were voting for your brave new government system today, Dubs would be calculating that if they said Yes those new buses would cost them €52 a head but if they voted No the culchies would be stung for the cost.

[Slim Buddha]

If we were voting for your brave new government system today, Dubs would be calculating that if they said Yes those new buses would cost them €52 a head but if they voted No the culchies would be stung for the cost.

You completely misunderstand my proposal but that was your agenda from the start,
By the way, Switzerland has one of the best, if not the best, public transport systems in Europe.

Failed state, eh, Biffo?

[Baron von Biffo]

You completely misunderstand my proposal but that was your agenda from the start,
By the way, Switzerland has one of the best, if not the best, public transport systems in Europe.

Failed state, eh, Biffo?

Any want of understanding on my part can't be my fault since you steadfastly refuse to answer inconvenient questions.