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Replying To Viking66:  "https://www.irishtimes.com/health/2023/08/11/thousands-of-health-service-executive-administrators-to-take-industrial-action/

Unions aren't the problem. Waste and inefficient spending is. Frontline permanent staff get next to #### all, while huge amounts of money are being wasted on agency staff and external consultants."
Its not the frontline Unions I had in mind.
Bloated administration where there is no incentive to reform as that is the very part that needs reform first. There should not be the need for a private healthcare system enough money is already been spent on a public system but its run like the civil service. We the public who pay taxes own the public health care system but how much do we every see about how its run and that people are held accountable. Politicians rely on the civil service who rely on the chiefs in the HSE - seriously how will it ever change.

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1885 - 06/09/2024 18:05:31    2568758

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "I suppose it's up to the players to try to recapture the public interest. Some of the best sporting memories many of us would have is watching Ireland at Euros & World Cups. Seems like a lifetime ago since Japan and South Korea. Great times."
cannot beat Japan when it comes to these events - what a country

zinny (Wexford) - Posts: 1885 - 06/09/2024 18:08:03    2568759

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Replying To cavanman47:  "What pubs and restaurants are trying to pay below the minimum wage?

That's illegal.

There are legal minimum wage levels set out based on a person's age and if an employer is not adhering to these then they are breaking the law.

If this practice is happening and not being identified or addressed, then that isn't an issue of government policy. It's an issue of inadequate enforcement of the law. Are you aware of any such activity being reported to the authorities and subsequently ignored?



(I will add that temporary measures such as job bridge were exploited by many employers)"
There was a report published on it recently and a decent debate on newstalk between the head of the Irish hospitality association and a representative of mandate union (which is contrary to my point in fairness). From memory the figure quoted was 19% of employees in the sector being paid below minimum wage.

You can apply to the courts for an exemption if you can evidence your business is under threat. It's a loophole one can exploit.

In short, these employees are told "deal with it or your job is gone".

Regardless, minimum wage isn't even enough. Only one generation ago it was the norm for only one parent to work which provided a decent standard of living. We've very quickly reached a point where two decent salaries could still end up homeless.

Ironically the pensions issue will get worse. People are having fewer children because it's uneconomical to have a large family.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3071 - 06/09/2024 23:51:01    2568798

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Replying To zinny:  "Its not the frontline Unions I had in mind.
Bloated administration where there is no incentive to reform as that is the very part that needs reform first. There should not be the need for a private healthcare system enough money is already been spent on a public system but its run like the civil service. We the public who pay taxes own the public health care system but how much do we every see about how its run and that people are held accountable. Politicians rely on the civil service who rely on the chiefs in the HSE - seriously how will it ever change."
Is it actually any more efficient than it was in the pre HSE days? Would be interesting if anyone has a link to an audit or study on the subject?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13522 - 07/09/2024 06:31:46    2568805

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Replying To Viking66:  "Is it actually any more efficient than it was in the pre HSE days? Would be interesting if anyone has a link to an audit or study on the subject?"
I worked under both the old MidlandHealth Board, which became part of the HSE in 2005. I retired 12 years ago. Given a choice the old Health Board system was much better, and the management in Tullamore were readily available to local managers.
There was also an elected Board of 30 members, representing the elected members form the 4=local authorities, and members from the various professions employed in the service.

Today it is top heavy with managers, who have lovely titles, but what do they achieve I sometimes wonder. They are reverting to 6 regions from the current HSE unitary structure.

thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 1879 - 07/09/2024 15:43:32    2568838

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Replying To cavanman47:  "The timing of this international window is terrible and it's never been met with much enthusiasm.

I do think Ireland will do alright tomorrow. What alright looks like, I'm not sure. We're at a place where a 1 goal defeat would probably be met with mainly positivity. A draw is definitely a realistic possibility tho."
Thank goodness Maloney worked out the percentage of possession that England had in the first half and announced it with seeming incredulity more than once. Otherwise we'd have had no way of assessing the chasm in class between these squads!!

England have closed the net with their quality in recent times. If Rice and Grealish played in the 70's or even in Jack's era, Ireland would probably have secured their services. England should have capped the likes of Heighway, Lawrenson, Hughton, Townsend, Sheedy and a few more back the years, and if they had, Ireland's cupboard of international soccer memories would be even more bare.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3840 - 07/09/2024 18:28:48    2568850

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "Thank goodness Maloney worked out the percentage of possession that England had in the first half and announced it with seeming incredulity more than once. Otherwise we'd have had no way of assessing the chasm in class between these squads!!

England have closed the net with their quality in recent times. If Rice and Grealish played in the 70's or even in Jack's era, Ireland would probably have secured their services. England should have capped the likes of Heighway, Lawrenson, Hughton, Townsend, Sheedy and a few more back the years, and if they had, Ireland's cupboard of international soccer memories would be even more bare."
England have been and are still are the second-best team in Europe, - after today's performance
with a totally new management structure, some players giving their best and others giving the best they could along with Caoimhin Kelleher stopping another 2 or possibly 3 deffos saved our blushes.

The best we could have hoped to come away with ro day was a 0-0 draw and that was never going to happen.

supersub15 (Carlow) - Posts: 2996 - 08/09/2024 00:04:47    2568875

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Went to the soccer game for the first time in years…load of crap. Ireland fans now as bad as the English.
Booing anthems, singing pure crap. I won't be back. Give me a bad GAA game any day.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11378 - 08/09/2024 08:23:34    2568887

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After watching that soccer yesterday,I'm asking a question,seriously would any Irish player get on the English squad??the only one I'd say England wouldn't mind having would be Kelleher..this is taking into account a lot of the Irish players are signed to premier clubs..

CTGAA10 (Limerick) - Posts: 2341 - 08/09/2024 10:18:37    2568894

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Replying To yew_tree:  "Went to the soccer game for the first time in years…load of crap. Ireland fans now as bad as the English.
Booing anthems, singing pure crap. I won't be back. Give me a bad GAA game any day."
I was going to say that the atmosphere seemed dead, maybe it was different live but obviously not. Just that hideous brass band that follows everything English around the world making it sound more like Wembley than Dublin. But those Ole Ole chants from Ireland always make me cringe. Most fans at least add a chorus after but Ireland fans just keep roaring the same one word like it's still 1990.

SaffronDon (Antrim) - Posts: 2492 - 08/09/2024 10:26:09    2568896

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Replying To yew_tree:  "Went to the soccer game for the first time in years…load of crap. Ireland fans now as bad as the English.
Booing anthems, singing pure crap. I won't be back. Give me a bad GAA game any day."
The immature persistent booing of Rice and Grealish was embarrassing.
I was delighted they both scored.
How many of "the (self styled) greatest fans in the World" left at half time?

Seanfanbocht (Roscommon) - Posts: 1863 - 08/09/2024 10:43:08    2568899

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Replying To supersub15:  "England have been and are still are the second-best team in Europe, - after today's performance
with a totally new management structure, some players giving their best and others giving the best they could along with Caoimhin Kelleher stopping another 2 or possibly 3 deffos saved our blushes.

The best we could have hoped to come away with ro day was a 0-0 draw and that was never going to happen."
We are about at Finland's level , that's being realistic about it.They were beaten 3-0 by Greece so I reckon a draw against the Greeks will be a good result. Hopefully they will achieve that much but if they dont and they lose, the fall out will be entertaining! There is so much delusion within Irish football regarding what the senior international team is capable of achieving.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1949 - 08/09/2024 12:11:43    2568906

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Replying To thelongridge:  "I worked under both the old MidlandHealth Board, which became part of the HSE in 2005. I retired 12 years ago. Given a choice the old Health Board system was much better, and the management in Tullamore were readily available to local managers.
There was also an elected Board of 30 members, representing the elected members form the 4=local authorities, and members from the various professions employed in the service.

Today it is top heavy with managers, who have lovely titles, but what do they achieve I sometimes wonder. They are reverting to 6 regions from the current HSE unitary structure."
I think they are hamstrung that way as lads working there become due for promotions, and they have to 'create" higher level posts for them to fill. It's getting more and more top heavy by the year.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13522 - 08/09/2024 12:39:37    2568914

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Replying To yew_tree:  "Went to the soccer game for the first time in years…load of crap. Ireland fans now as bad as the English.
Booing anthems, singing pure crap. I won't be back. Give me a bad GAA game any day."
That's the vibe I get off it as well. Aside from the booing, I just find it a bit fake and manufactured, copying songs from the premiership etc.
It doesn't come across as a natural, passionate atmosphere.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2156 - 08/09/2024 13:31:11    2568919

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Replying To CTGAA10:  "After watching that soccer yesterday,I'm asking a question,seriously would any Irish player get on the English squad??the only one I'd say England wouldn't mind having would be Kelleher..this is taking into account a lot of the Irish players are signed to premier clubs.."
He wouldn't make the squad ahead of the 3 keepers there. They are all starting regularly for their clubs.

Ferguson, if he got a run of games and regains full fitness, might be good enough to make it. They're light on that kind of big target man after Kane.
Nathan Collins has the potential too, but if picking a 23 man england squad today, he wouldn't make it.

cavanman47 (Cavan) - Posts: 5129 - 08/09/2024 14:52:32    2568931

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Replying To WanPintWin:  "That's the vibe I get off it as well. Aside from the booing, I just find it a bit fake and manufactured, copying songs from the premiership etc.
It doesn't come across as a natural, passionate atmosphere."
Mightn't be too wise to draw any general vibe, from the 'vibe' that reeks off an Ireland England soccer game. Ireland fans don't typically boo the opposition national anthem in Dublin for a start, but when it's England, of course some of them will.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3840 - 08/09/2024 15:09:02    2568935

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "Mightn't be too wise to draw any general vibe, from the 'vibe' that reeks off an Ireland England soccer game. Ireland fans don't typically boo the opposition national anthem in Dublin for a start, but when it's England, of course some of them will."
I wasn't at the match yesterday, so my vibe is not drawn from that. I've been to a couple of matches in the past few years though. The types of songs and the atmosphere created reminded me very much of English league games.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2156 - 08/09/2024 16:40:06    2568941

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Replying To Viking66:  "I think they are hamstrung that way as lads working there become due for promotions, and they have to 'create" higher level posts for them to fill. It's getting more and more top heavy by the year."
That is correct Viking. I wonder how the proposed regional structures will work out.

thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 1879 - 08/09/2024 19:05:41    2568964

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Replying To PoolSturgeon:  "We are about at Finland's level , that's being realistic about it.They were beaten 3-0 by Greece so I reckon a draw against the Greeks will be a good result. Hopefully they will achieve that much but if they dont and they lose, the fall out will be entertaining! There is so much delusion within Irish football regarding what the senior international team is capable of achieving."
Finland beat Ireland twice in the opening days of Stephen Kenny's career. The result yesterday showed how much Ireland are behind the top international sides. A lot of our players are based at Championship/ lower ranked Premier league sides. The England side are playing with top ranked Premiership. That is the problem competing against top teams.
The booing of the English Anthem yesterday, is typical of soccer fans, just copying a section of the English followers.

thelongridge (Offaly) - Posts: 1879 - 08/09/2024 19:20:21    2568966

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Replying To thelongridge:  "Finland beat Ireland twice in the opening days of Stephen Kenny's career. The result yesterday showed how much Ireland are behind the top international sides. A lot of our players are based at Championship/ lower ranked Premier league sides. The England side are playing with top ranked Premiership. That is the problem competing against top teams.
The booing of the English Anthem yesterday, is typical of soccer fans, just copying a section of the English followers."
That carry on is pathetic, the same oafs will be will be roaring for man utd/Liverpool etc down the pub next weekend and referring to their favourite team as we and us. Haha

Bon (Kildare) - Posts: 2062 - 08/09/2024 20:16:37    2568977

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