Ireland: Hypocrisy from € 41,000 State Pensioner Ivan Yates

In today's Irish Examiner ex TD Ivan Yates launches a slashing attack on teachers. This onslaught is launched in the context of the dire economic conditions prevailing in the country at present. The diatribe contains some interesting suggestions (albeit nothing original) and asks some of the hard questions. It is laced with bile, venom and half truths.

He makes some valid points:

School buildings are the least availed of state assets. The taxpayer is being ripped off by exorbitant rent costs on prefabs. Commercial centralised renegotiation of lease/purchase terms is imperative.

Unfortunately for Yates all this has been in the public domain of late. Sadly there is no original thinking here. Just information sourced from various media organs in recent weeks. A good copy and paste exercise.

He displays his total ignorance with the following:

The number of practical subjects, foreign languages and arts options may need to be rationalised. Will this shatter the lives of these pupils? Surely, lifelong learning allows the option to widen your skills in later years. We need to establish clear priorities of essential subjects.

It was the FOLLOWING COMMENT which took my fancy:

Favourable pension terms lie at the end of the rainbow of these permanent posts.

Ivan Yates has been known from time to time to put his foot in his mouth. Here he scores an own goal. He represented the Wexford constituency from 1981-2002. This is a total of just 21 years. For this he receives a pension of €41,000 from the overburdened taxpayer. Most public servants would work 40 years to secure their pension entitlements. Now it is also important to remember that Yates is on a state pension since 2002 at the young age of 43 years whilst most public servants would secure their pension at the ripe old age of 58.
The man's hypocrisy is breathtaking. Will Ivan Yates now give up his pension? Dont hold your breath.

Ireland-The Government has the responsibility to rule-not the opposition

The FF/Green/PD government with the support of 4 Independents can muster 89 votes in the Dail to the opposition's 76. The Ceann Comhairle will give his casting vote in favour of the government in the event of a tie. In essence the government has a majority of 13 seats. Interestingly in recent weeks a new current of opinion -set in motion by some journalists- is beginning to flow.
Shane Coleman has floated the idea in the Sunday Tribune that there should be all party agreement on health reforms. Essentially the opposition should get the government which has a 13 seat majority off the hook because it lacks the resolve to carry through its policies on health. Shane must be joking.

Today's Irish Examiner editorial floats the idea of a new Tallaght Strategy. It states "After all, we cannot keep going the way we are". The editorial writer essentially argues that FG should bail out a government with a 13 seat majority . This argument is nonsensical. If the government cannot take the hard decisions it should resign. Government ministers have the merks and the perks. Surely they can absorb the pain fortified, by the huge pay rise granted recently.

Thankfully there is a strong opposition. Ireland requires a vigilant opposition and not a one party state . It is the duty of the opposition to oppose in a constructive manner and to keep the government on its toes. The health of our democracy requires as much.