School can't afford toilet paper

It's not just that the bubble has burst, or that many people are two paychecks from homelessness, but it's also that we do not have enough money to provide toilet paper for our schools. From the Irish Times:

It is a cost-cutting measure that could have come from the era of Frank McCourt's misery memoir of poverty and deprivation, Angela's Ashes. As the Irish government tries to plug the black hole in the country's public's finances, a school in Cork, which declares itself strapped for cash, has asked its pupils to bring in their own lavatory paper.
Parents with children at St John's Girls' national school, in Carrigaline, County Cork, received the request last week.

The school's principal, Catherine O'Neill, wrote: "Dear parent, from time to time we will request your daughter to bring in a toilet roll to her class teacher. These rolls will be specifically for your daughter's class and will be dispensed by the class teacher. We would also request that your daughter has tissues in her sack at all times."

But JOD gets to fly first class, go to racemeetings and fly from Dublin to Kerry. Rody Molloy gets his pension topped up, a free car and a million euro bonus. A little perspective please, government.

Old news is new news

While this is all very shocking in our current economic crisis, the people of Kerry South were well aware of "The Bull"'s antics with the garda driver and the flights.

It was whispered in the pubs of Killarney, Dingle and Kilgarven. I wanted to blog on it last March ago but there was no proof.

Kerry people knew but nobody said a word. I'd wager that Jackie Healy-Rae was well aware of his colleague's flights but he did not out O'Donoghue. Nothing goes on in Killorglin or Castlemaine that the community doesn't know about. It's probably the same with all the smaller towns in Ireland. I bet there is enough information out there to bring down a government.

We must blow the whistle and call time. Enough. No more cosy cartels, political parties or senior public servants. Cut off corruption at the top.

How about this: every TD gets a credit card for expenses and each charge is immediately posted up on the government websites. No more profits off miles and meals. No more disguising the trivialities under miscellaneous subheadings. TDs need to be accountable to their constituents.

Hell if the British Foreign Minister can fly Aer Lingus, and the Dutch Crown Prince and Princess ride bikes then why can't Irish Ministers fly steerage with the rest of us plebs?

*image from the Tribune

Considering positions

I love that "to consider hir positions" means "resign" again. It's really the 80s again.

Mr Cowen said there were no circumstances in which he would consider his position, regardless of the outcome of the elections.

Having taken some time to consider my position, I have decided that the time is right for me to step out of international competition

After the latest revelations, and the underhand and secretive way in which moves by the leadership were conducted, I will have to consider my position," he added.

I would prefer to consider my position in that respect before I decide when it should be published.

I will consider my position with regard to a motion under Standing Order 29.

The are quite a few others that really should consider their positions!