The LIE That is IRISH PUBLIC SERVICE

The most incorrect term for workers employed by the Irish state is that of “public servant”. The title suggests that they carry out their duties in their place of employment, be they gardai, nurses, teachers, county council employees, tax officials, or ( the old favourite) clerical workers, in a manner that serves the public in an efficient, fair and courteous manner. The title is an abomination of what it appears to portray, or what it should portray. Public servants are there to serve the public and are paid by them.

In thousands of little cameos ever day in this country there are examples of how the reverse is true.
From over zealous taxmen, to petty health officials and Gardai that thinks their uniform entitles to act like Hitler by dishing out punishment for the most diminutive misdemeanors whilst ignoring the real crime that would be too much of a problem to tackle, we are financing the most lazy and incompetent so called public service in the world. And that is before the breathtaking arrogance of some of these people and their representatives, the union leeches, are even taken into account.
Ireland has the highest amount of public servants per capita in all of the EU states and most likely, if it were checked, in the entire world. They make up 20% of the entire Irish workforce! An incredible statistic that when one ponders about it, is quite frightening.
Who are all these people? Where are they? What do they do?
One fifth of the working population is employed to service the beauracratic needs of the other four fifths, needs mostly created by that 20% in endless regulations and red tape scenarios that are a hopeless illustration of their worth to their employer, the Government, and most of all to their paymaster, poor Joe and Joan Soap, the taxpaying public of Ireland.
Ever since Charlie Mc Creevey lifted the ban on public service recruitment in the late nineties, the biggest employment growth sector in Ireland, even exceeding the construction industry, has been the Public Service. It is also now the highest paid mainstream employment sector, some 40% ahead of the average Irish industrial wage and way above the European average, of course.
This situation has managed to evolve largely because of the ludicrous Benchmarking Process when Bertie Ahern caved into the union demands some years ago in a withering surrender designed to keep him in power. If the Labour Party had been in power they could have not done such a good job.
The legacy is of course a completely bloated public sector pay bill that the economy was just about able to handle in the good times, but will in the future become the Great Nightmare now that reality is coming down the tracks with not even a light on it. And, of course, the last that will suffer are the incompetents that occupy the lofty perches of the public service.

Have you noticed the increasing public debate that is slowing becoming louder on the policy of the current Government (or is that lack of policy?) on the thorny issue of immigration. Irish Independent columnist, Kevin Myers, has sparked a bit of liberal uproar by suggesting that Ireland should enforce an immediate
ban on immigration within the thresholds of our legal commitments to the EU policy on the matter. The facts are that Ireland operates a wide open gate to nationalities of all shades and creeds to enter this country. They do not seem to have set any boundaries on the limits that should apply. Kevin Myers is right. This short-sightedness now is going to have massive implications for Irish society down the line in a decade or more.
We do not have any moral obligation to loosely open our borders to all and sundry just because when times were hard, we emigrated to other countries, such as America and the UK. We don’t owe Nigerians, for example, a living because our descendants worked in America or Australia or wherever. We owe them nothing and the pious attitude taken by Irish NGOs is naive to say the least.
Ireland is hard put to look after our own and, as stated above, will be even more so now that the economy has slowed down. To refuse entry to people with doubtful credentials is not racism. To consider our own needs first and foremost is not racism. We have an eminent bunch of do–gooders in this country that seem to think that if we are not absolutely open and inviting we deserve to be labeled with the ‘R’ word. These mouthpieces are generally well heeled, well educated, considered to be academic and totally removed from the harsh reality of modern Irish life. They sip wine and pontificate at art exhibitions and envelope openings about the enchanted overview we as a nation must have. Do not be specific, just generalize please. It makes it so much less painful.
Their attitude might become more specific when their little Johnny or Jane arrive home and announce that they are going to marry Raja, or Mutu, who are from just down the road (the Kandashar or Nairobi road, that is). Just watch them choke on their cheese and wine then!
At least Tourism Ireland might be happy. All these inter racial relationships will surely increase the numbers taking an Ireland vacation. Ireland Travel Information will have to set up new offices in the Congo and Brazil. The Four Seasons hotel in Ballasbridge will be inundated with enquiries for their ‘Pamper Packages” and Thornton’s Restaurant will be booked out for the year.

Happy Days !!