I heard the same. Couldn’t believe he said that.

Incredible isn’t it?
And if wanted relieve on a mortgage of a fraction of that 75 million its morally irresponsible!
But to cut away stupid and absurd allowances isn’t worth it…

It only proves the disconnect and delusion within the political and public service sphere. People with disabilities had to camp outside the Dail to get a cut of a few million € reversed, which they made a song and dance about and now here’s Leo blabbering on about a “mere” €75 million when it involves the elite in the top ranks of the public service! And all at a time when the older school is now being paid more pro rata than the new entrants. This country is worse than outer Mongolia!

Yeah, the same Varadkar who’s allegedly from the ‘radical’, ‘liberal’, ‘PD’ wing of Fine Gael. He’s an effing disgrace. It’s amazing how quickly they go native, isn’t it?

I’m blue in the face from saying it but we’re living in a permanently looping episode of Yes, Minister.

Sorry, I missed one
People 0 Politicians 100

Les don’t hold your breath on that one.

resign? haha you must be joking.in irish politics you actually get rewarded for not doing your job properly.

I know Norman wishful thinking on my part.

You can vote FF back in, and ask for them to resign in 18 months to let FG back in and the circle of life continues…

Maybe now you need to show a little more respect for the serious way this Government is going about its business.

LOL!!!!

Respect for what Mick? Will Enda take away a gold star from Howlin seeing as he has failed in his brief. 18 months in power and a saving of something like 3.7 million out of 75 million farcical utterly farcical. Anyone else hear Richard Brutal trying to defend this and the lack of action on the Banks on Matt Cooper this evening. Minister of Enterprise I believe his title is more like the minister of waffle.

Dont feed the trills Kerry!

*trolls

Mick.how would deal with the issue of 1,000 allowances were you Minister?

In fairness Mick, im guessing you are being a bit on the side of sarcastic?
You’re right though – the government are just not being serious about the things they promised.
Arse
Holes

6 months despite the flexibilities and increased efficiencies the Croke Park Agreement has given us. I’m staggered!

@join either organisation and see if you can do better?!

Any of the staff I’ve spoken to in my local hospital laugh at the mention of allowances and, like me, nobody even seems to know anyone who gets paid an allowance.
Looking at this document some of the alowances seem to make some sense, it does appear reasonable to encourage and staff, like nurses, to study for advanced qualifications. If this is to be done it would only be reasonable that there be some reward for the time, money and effort. I know an OECD report a few years ago questioned why Ireland had so few advanced nurse practitioners.
I know nurses have to buy their own uniforms but I guess that’s not the case in every job. It would be interesting to see an explanation of some of these allowances; eating on site, dirty money??
Alberto I don’t doubt you, but if the cost of allowance within the HSE is €616m just who is getting this money and for what? I don’t object to staff earning it, by that I mean if a nurse, porter, cleaner or whatever works overtime they’re entitled to be paid the appropriate rate, not an extortionate rate but a normal overtime rate. I suspect the majority of this has being going to the management fat cats, but if an axe is going to fall it’ll be those very managers who make the decisions to direct the axe elsewhere. Towards the usual scapegoats, frontline staff.

One of the reasons nurse practitioners are not about is because of the backwards culture of treating nurses like little nun like creatures who are doing the job as a ‘vocation’ instead of the highly trained professionals we are. This means not enough resources are allowed to train the nurses, but mainly the attitude of management (this means you gov ministers and senior HSE staff) needs to change.
Just look to other countries like Australia and the UK (and many other countries) if you want to see how it can be done.
( I am a nurse by the way)

I agree Dave, a vocation is fine but I’ve never seen one pay a bill. These allowances rewarded those who went further in their education and achieved a higher qualification, by removing them the government have removed the financial incentive at the very time it meant so much more, given the current situation. What we’ll be left with is an apathetic, undereducated, underachieving but underpaid Public Sector capable of so much more. What a legacy.

(I’m not a nurse by the way)

@paddy i already am!!!!

The thing is, if nurse practitioners are encouraged, and primary care and home help are encouraged, it will save the health system a langer load of money. AND the patients will be happier and healthier.
This government ( and fine fail too to be fair) are far too short sighted. It’s there in front of their faces because many other countries have done the above to great benefit

Anyone remember the’tough’ decisions Gilmore was boasting they wouldn’t run from? BOTTLED IT!

They also as well as turning private against public seem to be setting up a two tier public sector to take attention off themselves again!!

All the existing members of the PS seem happy for future entrants pay and conditions to be slashed,great example of union solidaraty at work there.

Agree Norman , it’s makes nonsense of all arguments made by unions for the protection of pay and condition if they so willingly let new members take the entire pain to be endured. It’s in ten years time when the internal problems will start, there will be so many people doing the same job on totally different pay rates. That greedy cohort of middle age incumbents have the whole thing sewn up ,howlin will be rolling around in bed of public pension cash while working teacher will be on less than the pensions of their retired predecessors.so all of us clowns paying through the nose for child care will have of a lot of demotivated teachers to look forward too . Have to hand it to the labour/union party , they made proper mugs of us all

The two tier system already exists with pre 1995 civil servants paying just the pension levy while all others were already paying into their pension before being hit with the pension levy and paying a lower prsi contribution than post 1995 civil servants. This will be a third layer.

Most allowances could be done away with but how they could justify looking at abolishing shift premia amazes me as anyone has an expectation of payment for regular unsocial hours and weekends.

Could I respectfully point out, if respect is possible when people attack their fellow citizens for having a public service job, that currently serving members of the public service did not make the decision to cut allowances for new entrants: the government did that. Furthermore, no public servant looks at new entrants and wishes on them the financial hardship they will endure, for the entirety of their careers. And finally, can we have some clarity: you don’t want Croke Park because it means no wage cuts, yet when there are wage cuts you blame the people in Croke Park? Surely you all must see that wishing for a poorly paid public service might vent your spleen but longterm it only results in public service delivered on the cheap when it’s funding should rather be treated as a social imperative.

Yes.

He won’t get the sack. Don’t you get it – he’s done EXACTLY what he was put there by the PS Unions to do – block reform at every turn. Dressing it up as failure is just to appease the meedja and us suckers. Honestly, great stroke by Labour and the Unions – I don’t know how they manage to keep a straight face sometimes.

The statement of today Dave – ‘They are just so utterly crap at implementing reform’

Agree. Just get rid of Howlin and the rest of the overpaid baboons in Leinster house and croke park is solved. The only thing they run is themselves..

Thanks.
I worked here for twelve years now, my wife eleven, pay my taxes and have my kids thinking they’re not Irish the Dutch or French.
Fecking racist basterd!

You first peter, off you go.

Peter, you define exactly what is wrong with Ireland. Closed minded.