to think the Irish..

[GeruptaSingh]

...do not know a good thing when they are given one

Let them eat cheese: anger as Ireland plans handouts of cheddar to the poor

That is a headline from a newspaper

I wish someone would give me free cheese,I love the stuff

ungratefull buggers

Yes wukter, they interview people in their home, told one person I spoke to to sell some of their clothes, this person with a family had no tv, landline ph internet etc [ready to go mobile] and letters threatening to have their ESB cut off and they were refused, yet their elderly neighbour with a pension gets a food hamper and fuel every year.
TBH I will say it may depend on the person who conducts the interview

Barbie I think the OP started this in a haha light hearted way but some of us living in IRL changed the tone of the thread

I think each SVP group in each parish seems to be locally run with its own decision making process?

when i think of ireland i do miss father ted

Stleger that is properly right and I guess part of the problem tbh

Roll on December 9.
We'll probably be fighting on the streets for that cheese.

Thanks for the explanation of SVP.

It is hard to know what to do - if you don't support SVP, people who need help won't get it - if you support them you have to hopethey support people who need it. Our local Lions collect food at the supermarket to put in hampers - but I think SVP distribute it. I suspect the cheese announcement was some kind of 'Every department come up with a good news announcement' and it hasn't impressed us!

What ever happens we will not take to the streets we will be to busy trying to make the cents into euros to keep the wolves from the door
And to make matters worse even if they call an election next year there is no difference between the gov or the opposition and the same hard decisions will be made

No it hasn't stleger.

at least it wasn't announced on Budget Day.
'6 Billion gone - but free cheese for all! I recommend this Budget to the House'

I hope an election isn't called.
It doesn't matter who is in, Europe is pulling the strings here. I want the 2 Brians to be the ones who have to say the words.
There will be changes after the by-election in Donegal, the gap will be too wide. TBH if I was Kenny or Gilmore I'd prefer to be in Opposition for another year and then sweep in on a rising tide. But I can see SF stirring - they've nothing to lose anyway.

Every budget, every bit of income that goes - it would take a lot of kilos of cheese to make up the difference . The good thing about the election will be the chance to see a load of dreary faces heading off into the sunset. Unfortunately we'll get a new lot of dreary faces and the same mess to sort. I keep seeing people who are working hard, in innovative ways, public and private sectors, plus people who have needed healthcare and education for the past few years... I'm fed up being and .

stieger feel very similarly to you - am public sector, work my a**e off, have done everything that has been asked of me and an awful lot more, and I just feel that my sense of service is being stretched to the limit - which helps productivity how? I'm so tired of uncertainty, not being able to plan - well, you clearly know all this

I think st vincent de paul's effectivness varies greatly from parish to parish. Any charity is only as good as the people who are running it. I know in my own town it does really help families. I work in a primary school and the svp would come to us at xmas and ask very discreetly if we have noticed particular families who are in need. Also many of our staff have been able to buy clothes/toys for particular pupils and they've been guven through svp, as obviously we cant give things like this in school to a pupil. I feel bad if peoples experience of svp hasnt been positive but at the minute I dont think anyone should be put off giving to a local grassroots charity.

At least in Cork we have been diverted by Neil Pre- and his 'unease'! I have a dh who is public sector, I work in a very small retail business with less and less hours, ds is in 1st year in college, I have two more teenagers...what a mess to try and work through.

The whole thing is a nightmare, DH works for the public sector too.

I am tempted to send bits of cheese to everyone in lieu of payment. Specifically the motor tax people, ESB, TV licence and if they bring in a property tax, that too.

4plus,that sounds good - I haven't heard anything bad locally but have read elsewhere about people having requests for help turned down. Their representative was saying that electricity bills and food are the two main calls on their resources.

and now you have rain! according to my friends down there; Sunday's Well already flooded (we've strayed a bit from cheese, no?). Am in 3rd level - can't see how people are going to cope with the reg fee hikes at short notice (we probably should steer clear of the tuition fee debate...)

And now it is wet and windy!

Stleger I am in Cork as well, unfortunately I know the hostess on that flt she is still vv upset and feels so left down by the company.
DP and Dad are both public sector Dad id retiring next year other wise his lump sum will not be worth his years of service [40 yrs next may]

Was just watching the news there.
Watch out if you're in the PS - FG wants 30,000 PS workers gone by 2015.

Brian Cowen earns ?5k a week. That is not including all expenses, car, driver etc. He earns more than Barack Obama. And him and his cronies want to give us cheese. So we can look forward to cheese fucking sarnies for Christmas dinner.

And do you know the worst of it - they announced it with pride.

YABVU. and ignorant.

They, and their spouses, are so removed from everyday humble folk! Is the city flooding? We were round the Lough this morning and it was like a beautiful autumn day... Cabin crew must have a difficult job at times, I can't imagine what the correct way to handle a shock jock is in such a situation!

Ironic isn't it that the cheese is already paid for due to the farming policy. Same for the butter that they used to give out coming up to Christmas. There are some sacred cows in the Irish economy, one of which is the farming sector, maybe rightly as this sector accounts for a large portion of GNP.

The farming vote is more important to both Fine Gael and Fianna Fail than the scattered votes of the really poor who will be the recipients of the cheese, and also that particular segment of society is less likely to be dyed in the wool FF or FG voters either.

I don't expect FG to make a huge fuss about it -- they're traditionally the large farmer party and any questioning of the use of Irish products made in Irish dairy factories (and bought by the government) then handed out free isn't going to go down well. Don't hold your breath for FG to clamour for reform of subsidised agriculture.

I don't think it's such a bad idea nutritionally, and the free food items scheme has been in place since the late 80s. (As well as other schemes such as free turf for home heating for oaps) It keeps the wheels of some businesses rolling and is probably more cost effective than handing out cash that might or might not go towards heat or food. But from a PR standpoint it's probably going to become a metaphor that will dog FF. Which is a pity.

Math: 'a metaphor which will dog FF' Do you mean it's a pity because there is so much else to be angry about?

It's total sideshow politics, the same with the ministerial mercs and hungover Cowan. Everyone ranting but no one understanding the real issues or getting worked up about them.
I swear if they took Liveline off the air there'd be a revolution.