Concerned about #crref 2012.

I sent the text below to the Irish Times. If its published I will acknowledge it in this blog.

Nobody on the yes side (although nobody on the NO side either) has raised any concerns about the children locked up in st pats prison.

There are many good reasons IMHO for those children to be either released or moved to a safer facility.

The general concensus seems to be that these children are convicted of criminal offences and therefore somehow deserve what they get in prison.

There is no acknowledgement that many if not all of these children ended up in prison because the state failed them in the first place.

To my mind anybody that is concerned about the welfare of children in Ireland should be screaming from the rooftops for their release, and in the absence of them not taking a very rigid public stance on this issue, I have to contemplate why they would expect me to vote in agreement with them.

I am growing very suspicious of this complete concensus,and the way the yes side are demonising anybody who expresses doubt that a change in the constitution will fix what is wrong with the way official Ireland deals with children, makes me more suspicious by the day.

I want to vote YES but my conscience does not sit comfortably with a change in the law that may make things worse for children.

Regards
John Fitzpatrick

Questions for the YES side.

Why would we trust the state when the state has abysmally failed children in the past?


Why are children still locked up with their abusers in Saint pats prison.


Why has none of the adults (referred to in the recent report on Saint Pats,) been arrested, charged or sacked?


Why did they wait for months before they made the report on saint pats prison public.


Why are Irish children born to non irish parents being deported?


What safe guards and precautions will be put in place to insure that a married couple will not end up selling their children?


What criminal charges will brought against state employees and and state sub contractors for negligence or not doing their job properly when dealing with children and their parents?



From a fella called Eddie Walsh on the FG facebook page.

Vote yes !!!!!it was the state that fed children through the state courts to the concentration camps run by the church and paid for by the state..It was the state that removed children from their homes and families for absolutely no reason but to fill these concentration camps.It was the judges that signed the orders to lock up these innocent children in these hell holes.Look at the latest rulings by JUDGES on rapists and this Referendum is giving the state the absolute power to retrospectively remove children from their families and force an adoption

Nolan TD facebook page

Derek Nolan TD · 152 like this. 9 hours ago · My Response to Recent Facebook Posts I would like to respond to the inaccurate and unfair claims made about my attempt to help a constituent requiring treatment for pain. I first met with my constituent’s husband on Friday October 5th and agreed to do all that I could to help in the situation. I wholeheartedly understand that this is an extremely difficult situation for my constituent and her family. On Monday the 8th my staff and I made many enquiries to the relevant clinic and have been in ongoing contact with them in relation to this patients need. On the 9th, my constituent’s husband called my office and was given an update. On the 10th, a member of my staff again contacted the HSE via email and phone call. On the 11th, the HSE were again contacted and a member of my staff spoke with a staff member there and tried to get an earlier appointment for this constituent. On the same day, my constituent’s husband was contacted to update him on the conversations between the HSE and my staff. I fully refute that my office has not been trying to help and further the case of my constituent and that my office has not been in touch since with my constituent. It is simply untrue. I cannot disclose the full details of the case as it is personal and confidential and I must respect that. However, further to making enquiries with the HSE, I have been attempting to get statistics from the clinic about their out-patients numbers. This is with a view to raising this issue in the Dáil and getting the attention it deserves so that people do not have to suffer from pain while waiting between appointments. I informed my constituent’s husband of this. I called my constituent’s husband on Monday October 15th to discuss the matter further but there was no answer. The following Wednesday, following a phone call to my office, I contacted my constituents husband to discuss the matter. The first thing I said was that I was still trying to get progress on the issue and that I was raising the whole topic of delays with the pain clinic with the HSE. In fact, my office has been in contact with the CEO of Galway University Hospital in relation to the issue. During the phone call I did communicate my dissatisfaction with unfair and inaccurate comments left on Twitter, comments which implied that I was not doing anything to help. I found this very insulting to me, and to my staff, as we have been working very hard to try and secure an appointment for my constituent in the clinic. I have been a TD now for 19 months and have dealt with over 1,600 individual contacts from constituents. This is the first time that I have felt that my good name has been unfairly treated in this manner. I came to politics to help people and to represent the people of Galway West to the very best of my ability. I treat everyone who comes into my office with the utmost respect, but I expect the same in return. Finally, as I informed my constituent’s husband yesterday, I will keep working to get an appointment and am in constant contact with the HSE in relation to this issue. I hope that it can be resolved soon. 2Unlike · · Share You and 50 others like this. View all 24 comments Hugh Hamill Thanks for clearing up what actually happened Derek. It's very easy to get the virtual pitchforks and torches out on facebook and twitter these days, absent the full facts. Everyone should bear in mind that the girl who made the initial post is only 1...See More 9 hours ago · Like · 21 Anthony Muldoon Well said Hugh 8 hours ago · Like · 5 Jennifer Banks Derek I am the constituent in question and I would like to put my side: This was NEVER about me Steve went to your office in anger at the cuts at the hse which have resulted in this situation we waned you to let the people know what Dr Reilly and the hse were doing to us and thousands like me. 7 hours ago · Like · 8 Lisa Power Hugh it has nothing to do with the girl in question been 15 every one has a voice no matter what ok!! 7 hours ago via mobile · Like · 1 Josie O'Brien Good on you Jennifer,and a td is not a doctor,and i think its very unproffessionial of him to post on fb.... 7 hours ago · Like Jennifer Banks cond; Steve has been phoning your office daily as our situation at home deteriorated, he wanted to try and help as he was now helpless. To date our contact with your office has resulted in a suggestion we were trying to queue jump? other than your meet...See More 7 hours ago · Like · 7 Jennifer Banks @Hugh I had no idea what Keira was doing until I was alerted by a friend, I am very proud of her and she only restated the facts as we knew them if Derek Nolan is in contact with the HSE it would have been nice if he or a member of his staff told us? I began this with others to highlight the reality of life at the mercy of the health service. 7 hours ago · Like · 2 Hugh Hamill Jennifer, that was my point, that everyone should remember that she didn't have all the facts available to her when she made the post, which was not her fault. Anyway, good luck to you & your family, hopefully this will have a positive outcome in terms of highlighting the issues you face to a wider audience. 7 hours ago · Like Jennifer Banks Derek Steve has asked me to relay to you how hurt he is that you are accusing him of untruths he asked me to state that the only time he spoke with your office was when he 'phoned them' and other than the mention of queue jumping he was NEVER made awar...See More 6 hours ago · Like · 3 Josie O'Brien Jennifer i think you are a very strong Person and as his reputation he ruined it him self by posting on here,... 6 hours ago · Like Paula K O Brien It is a terrible truth that our health service is a shambles and that people like you suffer every day when it is your right to get help as and when you need it....its a basic human right. However, i do think that Derek Nolan is a person of integrity and would do all in his power to help his constituents...even if he is up against a brick wall at times. 6 hours ago via mobile · Like · 2 Laurence Darcy You allege you have done thinga to help Jennifer Banks and her suffering.. If you have. You have failed miserably. Jennifer is still suffering in chronic Pain. And taking Highly addictive drug. And her situation is getting worse. Time you stop talking and took some positive and affirmative action until this is solve. Sick of thoses that talk and do nothing. 5 hours ago · Like · 1 Keira Banks @Hugh i may only be 15 , but trust me i knew everything ! i knew every little thing that has gone on , as Jennifer is my mother and unfortunately i witness first hand her pain and i have for 12 years ! there is only so much one person can take from thi...See More 5 hours ago · Like · 16 Debbie Tilley Mr Nolan this is a family in dire need of help, you feel insulted? is this anything like being in constant pain for 12 years and feeling alone? Turning to you for help? get off Facebook and trying to justify yourself and make your actions count, that is why I assume you were elected. Facebook or twitter is not your platform, government and policies are 4 hours ago via mobile · Like · 2 Whitney Woodside This situation is too much for FB anyway. Should be dealt with professionally. 4 hours ago · Like · 1 Ciara Leena G People do realise that you didn't single-handedly crash the country and enforce health cuts, right? And that electing clientalistic politicians is more or less exactly what got us where we are? Also, exactly what did the other politicians from Galway do for this family, and why aren't they receiving equal levels of criticism? 4 hours ago via mobile · Like · 3 Michael O Connor I appreciate that Derek took time to establish the facts and we should always hear two sides of the story. What's not clear is the conflicting accounts. The daughter says no phone call for two weeks whereas Derek says regular calls and updates. Eith...See More 3 hours ago via mobile · Like · 1 Ger Kavanagh you must have very thin skin Mr Nolan it comes with the job like it or not and if you're not able for it stand down.I have had to put up with far worse in my workplace on a regular basis and if i complained about it first question I'd be asked is why did you join so,so Mr Nolan TD my advice is to do your job and dont expect pats on the back when doing it,it's your job and the Irish people are paying you well for it 2 hours ago via mobile · Like · 2 Martin Kingston I have never met Mr Nolan or am i a constituent of his, however, given what we read and hear, dealing with the HSE must be one of the great horrors of public life. I hope this woman is on adequate pain relief as soon as is possible but speaking as a former member of a local authority, dealing with government bodies, even as an elected public representative, can be utterly soul destroying. about an hour ago · Like Jennifer Banks I want this Nolan slapping to stop we raised this issue because of the cuts in the hse Derek Nolan spoke to steve once on the phone and NEVER relayed any of the work he has or has not doing on our behalf, his call was about my online comments and in th...See More about an hour ago · Like · 1 Georgina Russell Mr. Nolan, I do hope you have taken the actions that you have described in the above response, as it is your job to take action when asked by one of your constituents in dire need for help. However I think it much more likely that you are facing the ou...See More 53 minutes ago · Like · 3 John Fitzpatrick Derek I am very disappointed that you chose to comment in this issue in such a public manner. I would like to point out that as a very well paid public servant you should have a respect for citizens dignity. Your attempt to rebuff a young person for not accepting that you are doing enough to help her extremely ill mother is most condescending to say the least. It definitely lacks any humility on your behalf, and also smacks of a complete indifference to the plight of many people in Ireland that can not access the public health services. You constanly refer to your “constituent” as though you are trying to preserve your “constituents” identity, when in fact the dogs on the street know that you are referring to Jennifer Banks, so although you did not use her name it is quite clear who you are referring to. Jennifer Banks has been attempting to highlight the plight of MS sufferers for weeks now, and has resorted to all and any social media she can access, and has been on a number of broadcast media (local and National) in her quest. While I accept that you may have been trying to get some assistance for her, you, as a TD for the constituency, should, have been aware of her and others plight (both in the constituency you represent, and also the position nationally), that's your job. To know what is going wrong and to use your position as a TD get it fixed. You may have been better to contact Jennifer Banks directly and asked her to work with you to highlight her difficulties, which would of course hopefully help to resolve the matter for her and everyone else. You say that you are a TD for only 19 months which implies that you are still learning the job. When you asked for the job, you did not say that you would be on a learning curve, in fact you said the opposite, i.e. You said you would very definitely represent your constituency the way the people wanted you to represent them. You say you are doing your best, well it seems your best is not good enough. And for over one hundred thousand euro per year plus expenses I did not expect to get an apprentice, that would require a long learning time. Your mantra about you being busy looking after the economy has been challenged on many occasions, with response of “at what cost” the answer being, the lives, welfare, and suffering of people. While saving and rescuing the economy is an admirable aspiration, the cost of that success is being borne by the ordinary people of Ireland, and Roisin Shortalls resignation clearly acknowledges that. I suspect that when it eventually dawns on many TDs, just, how much the public are suffering, we will hear many apologies of I,m sorry, I didn,t know, just like Charlie Haughey did in the 80s. Well by then it will be too late for many ordinary citizens of Ireland, and their families will have to live with the knowledge that their country did not help their loved ones when they needed it most. Your response to Keira Banks has done nothing but reinforce peoples opinion that all them politicians are only in it for themselves, and, does nothing but disgrace the many many many heroic efforts of ordinary unpaid volunteers in the political arena, as well as belittle those that work tirelessly unpaid in the background to try to improve our country for the good of all. Keira Banks facebook comment has achieved almost ten thousand likes, and almost 500 comments. They are the kind of figures that only the best known celebrities, with thousands of friends achieve, and is equivalent in Irish social media terms to twenty minutes of prime time television. Again I am very disappointed in the way you have dealt with this issue, and I suggest that you immediately make the most wholesome apology to the entire Banks family for your actions, in as public a manner that you can think of. 48 minutes ago · Like Derek Sasha Mr. Nolan, this case is being watched from overseas. People like me are observing what happens when the representatives of people in pain make ineffectual gestures and think that's enough. Mr, Nolan, you are in a job where empty words hurt real people and only real results count. This is a big lesson to us in the US who are thinking about who to vote for in the next Presidential election, just as it is for people in your constituency who are thinking about whether you are able to support a just society in which people in need get treated with compassion and dignity. 17 minutes ago · Like

Match Tickets from 3.ie

This story goes as follows. I won two tickets to the Ireland vs Italy soccer match from three.ie. I got a tweet asking me to contact them by email. I sent them an email, they then asked for my name and address (as it appears on my official ID).


  Text from email as follows: 
Hi John, Yes, congratulations! We need your name as it appears on your ID to give to UEFA, can you provide this along with your address to have the tickets sent over before next week? Thanks, Patrick

 I sent them the details and they already had my home phone number and my mobile phone number, my twitter account name, and now my email address. I got a return email, saying that was fine and they would courier the tickets out to me on Monday 11th of June.

  Text from email as follows: Thanks John, we'll have those couriered out to you on Monday. Well done again!


My sons decided that they would send me over to Poznan for the game (as a present for fathers day). I insisted however that booking flights etc, would not be a good idea until I had the tickets in my hands. As it is only two physical paper tickets, I went to work on Monday, hoping they would be in my letterbox when I got home. They were not there. I assume it's just a minor glitch in the three.ie system. Went to work on Tuesday, again expecting the tickets to be in the letterbox when I get home, and also thinking that I should contact three.ie about it, (but then decide that I don't want to be wasting peoples time, so I wait), still thinking though that it is glitch in the system, and hoping it will work itself out without any hassle to anybody, (alls well that ends well), and all that. Wednesday arrives and I go to work this time determined to contact three.ie. I decide to wait until the afternoon lunch break is over. I then get a call to my mobile from three.ie, saying they have been trying to contact me since Monday. However neither my mobile phone, mu home phone, my email, or my twitter account has recorded any attempt by three.ie to contact me. The cynic in me now is thinking,what's really going on here? Anyway three.ie then reels me I have to be in my house to sign for the tickets from the courier. I tell them I can,t be there until later on as I am working. They say I can collect them myself from their head office. They say they will be left in the reception, and they close about 5.15pm, and so I agree to collect them from the reception, and off I go on my merry little way. A few minutes later I get another call from three.ie. they say they need my passport details to give to UEFA. I tell him my passport is. At home, and I,ll call and give the details when I get home. I leave things at that, and go off on my merry little way (don't forget I,m working through all of this stuff). I,m out working and phone is now on silent, and at 7.20pm (which is the first time I get to check my phone) shows I have a missed call and a text message. Pic below:


  Pic of The text message.


  IMHO the significant words in this text are "I,ll have to pass them on, I,m afraid"



 So at this point I decide my cynicism was justified and I decide to send an email to three.ie outlining my disappointment.
  The text is as follows: 


Hi Patrick I have to say I am very disappointed the way the issue of the tickets that I won has been handled. I was asked by you on Friday for my name address on id etc, and I gave it. Was assured the tickets would be couriered out on Monday. Only got your call today and rang you back as soon as I could park the car, (which was only a couple of minutes after your call). I arranged to collect them from your offices. You then said you needed passport details which I don't carry around with me, I told you I would send the details to you when I got home, where my passport is located. I was on a job driving people around for the next few hours and could not answer my phone and then I get this message telling me (I have until 6 oclock to get my passport details to you) or you will have to pass them on. I don,t think thats right. I won them fair and square, and thus they are my tickets. I complied with everything I was asked to do, and in my opinion they are my tickets (to do with them whatever I want). Anyway the fun has been taken off them, and I just want to register my great disappointment, with the way Three has handled this. Not ringing me until Wednesday was very bad form, (even if it was an oversight) for tickets for a match in Poznan 5 days later is a bit off the wall. 
 Regards.






The return email is as follows. 


HI John, Thanks for your mail. As I explained to you on the phone, I had been trying to get through to you since Monday. My main prerogative is to get rid of the tickets and at this time, I still have them. I did not know that UEFA would request your details and as soon as I did, I contacted you. I still have the tickets as I said so if you want to get your passport details through to me asap, they're yours. Best regards, 






My response is as follows: 
Patrick my details were emailed to you with my home number and my mobile number. I have no unanswered missed calls on my mobile and no private numbers are showing on my incoming call list on the home phone, and the only contact I had by phone with you (yesterday) had an almost immediate response from me, and my phone can show that. It took you five full days to contact me by mobile phone (which seems incredible) since you are acting on behalf of a mobile phone company. At that point I assumed the tickets were almost 100% in my hands, and then was mentally preparing to book flights, airport transfers,hotels etc, until, that is, I seen your text message (btw which I did not see until after 7pm as the phone was in my pocket). You text message very clearly stated that if you did not get my passport details by six oclock yesterday evening, you would "pass them on". There is no ambiguity in that statement, and clearly nobody would arrange flights etc, based on that statement. In any event, based on that statement, I told my son (who was bringing me over for the game as a fathers day present) not to make any arrangements to fly as the tickets were now gone. Luckily i had asked him not to book the flights until I had the tickets in my hand. Either way, as I have said, the novelty and goodwill has been lost on these tickets and its now far too late to book flights etc. As you say, "my main prerogative is to get rid of the tickets", can I point out again to you, they were won in a fair competition by me, and therefore (in my book) that makes them my tickets, which in turn, means you do not have the right to (as you say) get rid of them. I think you can take it that I personally will not be going to POZNAN see Ireland playing Italy in the 2012 Euro finals, (unless they both end up in the final). By all means you can feel free to "get rid of them", Under these circumstances I won,t be availing of them, and I will let THREE know of my disappointment. I don,t know if you work directly for THREE, but, I will take this up at a senior management level with THREE. With immense disappointment. 
 Regards John Fitzpatrick




 One particular thing I find absolutely irritating in this is that a company that sells mobile communications as its primary product, is somehow trying to blame the telecommunications systems for its own failures in communicating with me, despite the fact that it had 4 different communications systems available to it, (namely, land-line, mobile phone line, email address, and twitter account). Thats MADDENING TED.


 I am in two minds as to how I should deal with this now. Have I got a legal leg to stand on? If I have legal rights, what are they?

 Have I got a moral leg to stand on? I know this much, if I had won these tickets in a pub raffle I,d be up in arms over not getting them.

 Should I seek compensation of some kind? Should I seek a gesture from three.ie? Should I take it up with three.ie, or should I just leave it and ignore it?

 What do you think?

You will never beat the Irish

It strikes me that many people in the media do not understand the cultural significance of singing Y,I'll never beat de oirish.

The words seem to be what's causing most commentators to get confused. They seem to think the words refer to the result of the game, (and sometimes it does). But, on most occasions of soccer matches, we do not win very often, but we do draw, and thus we are not beaten, hence Y,ill never beat the oirish is a statement of fact on the occasion of a draw.

On the occasions when we are actually beaten, Y,I'll never beat the oirish culturally means that, ye can shuv the result, we don,t care about the match now, and the real competition is about to start. This competition however will have many many many more players than the eleven aside that are permitted on the soccer pitch. I an referring to the spectators game known as the singsong.

It is widely acknowledged by media commentators all over the world, that following a soccer match in which Ireland are one of the teams, you can count on the singsong after the game. And I never heard anyone ever say that the Irish singsong participants were ever beaten.

So hence the words,now, do act as a statement of fact, and it's true, they will never beat the oirish when it comes to the singsong, and culturally no matter how down we might be, we all know there is another metaphorical fight to be fought, and thus our call to metaphorical arms is on, thus we all participate in that particular battle.

We also will never show the world publicly how down we really feel, no matter what they throw at us, sure didn't we put on a brave happy smiley face on things for 800 years, while we fought the English, and they could never understand that particular trait. So fighting a few European countries on the soccer pitch is really a walk in the park, in that context.

So in reality the context of the Y,ill never beat the oirish, is what matters, and sometimes it is a statement of fact, that refers to the after match competition.

So all media commentators should get over their lack of understanding of the Irish Sports fans propensity for singing, You will never beat the Irish. And for the record when the game is on, it bugs the life out of the opposition and sometimes helps to unsettle the opposition. And even if we don,t win the game, we will definitely win the SINGSONG.

My opinion on Roy Keanes comments are that he was clearly aiming his comments at the players and the FAI, and as a proven professional soccer player, he is quite entitled to demand higher standards from other paid professionals. He has always put the supporters first, and I suspect he always will.

The promissory note

My reading of the deal on the promissory note is as follows.We will not pay the money over tomorrow 31st March 2012. We are postponing the payment until 2013 and the cost for that is 90 million euro. But we still have control over the money. We can,t spend it or anything like that, because in order to pay it, we were going to have to borrow it off (ECB, TRoika, IMF) don,t know who, but the fact is its not borrowed and its not paid over.So what no big deal you might say. On the up side of it though, as we have not actually paid it over, in theory we still have control over the decisions on how to use it.Then if things change for us (hopefully for the better) we may be in a different position when March 2013 comes around, and, so we may be able to renegotiate the payment again, and hopefully it will be better for us all in the long term.Thats my simple version of it, I,ve no secret information from any source. Its just my experience of juggling small businesses with cash-flow problems that lead me to believe that its the best deal available at this point in time.Have a nice day.

Real Irish unemployment rate

There is something wrong with the way the unemployment figures are being calculated. For instance Bertie Aherns biography (and almost all official figures) says he got the unemployment rate from 18.1 percent to less than 3.1 percent. It is widely reported the current rate of unemployment is at 14 percent. These statements bring up a number of issues for me.

The highest I remember unemployment to be was about 220 thousand people. If that is presented officially as 18 percent, then how can today's current figures of 450 thousand be presented as 14 percent.

The figures imply a huge increase in the population, but that figure would need to almost double the population to get 450 thousand people unemployed to represent 14 percent of the population.

We know the population did not double, and we also know there has been a huge number of people emigrating in the past few years, so somehow these figures do not add up.

There is something wrong.

I,m not debating the differences between long term unemployment, short term unemployment, people working short time, permanent part time workers etc etc, it's the actual factual percentage of unemployed people that I am interested in.

While I,m at it I may as well throw out another few issues that bugs me in relation to unemployment.

The CSO figures are calculated on a workforce of people aged between 15 years and 66 years. They do not distinguish between those that are actually still in school, or those that have taken early retirement (which in reality will never work again, and I,m not talking about civil or public servants that take the governments generous offer of an early pension and lump sum payments to retire, and who in reality will be brought back either as employees of quangos, or what is normal, that they are employed as self employed consultants).

I,m talking about people that have been laid off or made redundant and who in reality will never get jobs again, in any area of work. If those people are excluded from the workforce then the real unemployment rate will increase dramatically from the official 14 percent to more than thirty percent (using my anecdotal figures).

So there you go, explain that one.