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On August 22nd, we quoted Barry Cowan, Fianna Fáil Public expenditure spokesperson stating the view “the potential Armageddon is too severe and it will be all-hands-on-deck, we must focus on those areas that are most vulnerable” the least of our worries would be pensions”

Bearing in mind that a weekly pension increase of 5euro equals 260euro per year for an individual pensioner and the incoming salary increase for TDs is 1,654euro per year each  ( no productivity agreement required), this being the equivalent of giving 6 or 7 pensioners a 5euro increase per each TD, exactly whose hands will be on deck?

Nice to see that Noel Rock (FG) and Séamus Healy (IND) state an intent to decline to accept the said salary increase. Food for thought for Barry Cowan and others?

Reading a report in the Irish Independent Monday, 26th August, by Farming Editor,  Margaret Donnelly, quoting comments in support of Irish Beef Farmers by the Head of SuperMac’s, CEO, Pat McDonagh Stating there far too few in charge of the beef sector, and promoting and calling for the farmers to act together and get more control of their industry and again today  Saturday, 31st August he is seen and heard on the news speaking in support of the Beef Farmers, stating that Beef Farmers are no better off with the price they receive for their product than they were 10 years ago, despite rising costs incurred by them in their industry.  Being a buyer of some 26,000 – 30,000 tons of Irish Meats, he is a person well placed and informed to pass comment on the just cause of Irish  Beef Farmers.

Now, streetdogs.blog the word on the street is given to wondering, will we sometime soon be seeing and hearing of moves by the Beef Farmers and a certain business person to open a joint enterprise rivalling the current Meat Processing plants and their controlling interests? Perhaps Bookmakers might like to start offering odds on this?

 

Apparently, according to Hugh O’Connell, Political Correspondent writing in the Irish Independent, there is a bit of a civil war taking place within the Fianna Fáil Party top dogs over the forthcoming Budget and the impact of Brexit on the Irish Economy. Hence we are told Social Protection spokesperson, Willie O’Dea states he would be “robustly” arguing for the same 5euro per week increase in welfare payments.

However, Barry Cowan Public expenditure spokesperson states “The least of our worries would be pensions” well of course if a person is a Senator. a TD, a Minister, a City Mayor, Local Councillor or Senior Civil Servant the least of your worries would indeed be your gold plated pension!! Hilariously in the same statement, our hero says that in “the potential for Armageddon is far too severe and it will be all hands on deck,  we must be focused on those areas  that are most vulnerable”

Exactly who does Barry Cowan think it is that are going to be the very first victims of the Armageddon, he envisions befalling the Irish economy and society, perhaps the Primates in Dublin Zoo?

 

You may have thought Frankenstein’s creature was something to laugh at but did you know, a Spanish Scientist, Professor Juan Carlos Izpisúa Belmonte, claims to have successfully created a Human/Monkey Chimeras Embryo, a Chimeras is a single organism that has cells from different diverse organisms. in this case a monkey and a human. The professor has previously unsuccessfully tried the same thing with a Human/Pig Chimeras Embryo. According to a report in the Spanish Newspaper, El País.

 

The Irish motorists favourite institution for griping about, the dreaded parking clampers.  Are to be the focus of a countrywide inspection of parking zones by consultants at a cost of 150,000euro, by order of the National Transport Authority (NTA). Source Motoring Correspondent, Brien Hutton, Irish Independent, Monday, July 15, 2019.

In a follow-up piece, on Ireland AM’s show on the subject and various aspects of the conduct of said Clampers, Alan Huges specifically stated that it was an unfair practice of  clampers when a person’s time had expired, and that person went in pursuit of a ticket meter to pay for a new ticket to place on the vehicle and extend their time at that parking space, they would find that the clampers had, in Alan Huges view, unfair;ly clamped their vehicle.

Now, it actually says on the parking meter, that the maximum period you may pay for and remain in the given parking space is 3 hours (with some exceptions), after which period it is the legal  requirement that the vehicle must be moved by the driver from the parking  space, this is, of course, to ensure that others have an opportunity to avail of the very limited parking spaces available on the public thoroughfare, but of course some people consider their needs more important than others.  Whatever the flaws in the parking regulations and their implementation and enforcement, they are an effort at some sort of fairness for each and every motorist.

Apparently,  Dublin City Council has launched a pilot program of cleaning weeds etc from the roadside kerbs and environs. A very worthwhile endeavour for multiple reasons with positive benefits to the local community and the wider City.                              Speaking to Dublin City Council about this pilot program, streetdogs the word on the street is given to understand that the response to this pilot program is being monitored before it is considered for further development in its scope.                                                      So folks if your area has benefited from this pilot program of tiding roadside kerbs and you like what you see happening outside your front door and wish for it to be happening on a continuous basis, then make your views know to Dublin City Council, by text, phone, email etc.

 

On Sunday,  June 30th, RTE’s Fair City episode included a scene, where an intending taxi passenger approaching the line of taxis was invited by the driver of the taxi at the back of the line of taxis to enter his taxi. whereupon as she, the intending passenger was accepting the invitation and was about to enter that taxi, she was ordered and directed by other taxi operatives to take the first taxi at the rank, an instruction she complied with!!

Now while there were other issues in this episode, such as an unlicensed Taxi Driver, the particular scene referred to,  contains and perpetuates a deeply cherished taxi drivers myth and false public perception, that an intending taxi passenger is obliged to take the first taxi at the front of a taxi rank, this is not the actual legal situation, rather it is the intending passengers lawful right to select any taxi plying for hire at a Taxi Rank (Stand) regardless of whether or not it’s the first, fifth or last one in the line of taxis at the rank. Further, it is an offence for such a taxi driver to refuse to accept the fare simply because of not being the first taxi at the rank, for which the said taxi driver could be subject to serious penalties!!  Now one thinks if Fair City’s scriptwriters are going to develop a storyline involving the legalities of taxi drivers and taxi/cab companies manner and ways of conducting themselves, perhaps a little research and actual public information on the subject might be a good idea!! It’s surprising the usually vocal Taxi Industry has not had something to say or is the meter ticking?