Two snips in the wrong places

IT was easy to tell the Bord Snip Nua report wasn’t written by politicians because it was clear, direct and easy to read despite its size.

The only proposal that might be a step too far is to close rural garda stations and small rural schools. If schools are closed, where are these children going to move to? The nearest larger school? In which case where are their classes going to be held? In yet more rat-infested prefabs?

Or will proper additional accommodation be built and where will the money come for that?

Wouldn’t that just wipe out all the “savings” made.

Similarly, for rural garda stations. The primary role of the Government is to protect its citizens and it’s all very well if you live in Dublin 4, with an embarrassment of garda stations to call, but it’s not on to ask remote communities to accept cutbacks that put their lives at risk if they were ever to need the immediate assistance of the gardaí. The savings made by these proposed costs can be found elsewhere. How about the Government changing whatever laws needs to be changed so that no one employed in the public sector can earn more than €150,000 per annum and that no one in the public sector is paid “bonuses” for anything. Working for the good of their country should be reward enough.

Also never mind “curtailing” Oireachtas allowances – just end them immediately. There is no justification whatsoever for a TD or senator to be claiming travel or overnight allowances.

Let’s hope the Commission on Taxation has the guts to produce such a professional report as those who compiled the Bord Snip report.

More importantly, let’s see if the gombeens we elected to Dáil Éireann can rise to the challenge to just do it.

Desmond FitzGerald

Canary Wharf

London