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Ireland
- Dog control
The issue of better regulation for dangerous breeds of dogs is starting to get a bit serious right now in Ireland. This is one where the solution is simple, but might not be easy for governments and councils to see.
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Many people cannot control their dogs. But those people still bring their dogs to public places. They don't understand that this is a problem.
They don't have the discipline to train their dogs. Or they don't have the time or interest. And nobody is forcing them to do so.
People propose many solutions, like banning certain dangerous breeds, enforcing muzzling, licensing, etc. These solutions are familiar, but wrong. They punish educated dogs and savage ones alike.
Being a good dog or a bad dog does not depend on breed. It is true that some breeds are harder to train, and some breeds are more dangerous when untrained. But any dog of any breed can be raised to be good or bad, safe or dangerous.
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Dogs must be banned from all public spaces, unless muzzled and leashed, or unless they have passed a test. They get a collar of a specific colour and design when they pass.
There could be various levels of exam. The dogs which pass higher levels are allowed more freedoms.
For example:
- Does not react aggressively to children
- Does not react aggressively to other dogs
- Can be pet by strangers
- Obeys instructions to return to owner, when off lead
- Can resist eating food left out, when directed to
- Can resist chasing a small animal like a cat or pigeon, when directed to
No dog is required to do any test, but tests are required to go certain places or do certain things. For example level 5 might be required to enter a picnic area. You could imagine pubs and shops allowing dogs which have level 3. Level 2 might be required to be allowed off the lead in a park. Level 1 to go outside without a muzzle.
Because the collars are visible, the rules are enforceable.
There are a few things that need to be decided. Whether puppies should have collars with adjustable size. Whether the collar should be non-removable by the owner. Whether the collar should be generic, or have identification on it, like owner's name or microchip ID number.
- The government incentive to leave homes empty
I only heard about this because I know someone who is thinking of availing of it.
Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant
This could be a big part of the reason for the housing shortage, because so many homes are being left empty in order to avail of this grant.
- The right way to fund the RTE
The RTE needs money from the public each year to run. But
- Direct funding by the government gives the government too much influence over content.
- Funding from the licence fee is not secure because many people don't want to pay, since they discovered all the money-laundering and theft going on in RTE.
- Advertising does not make the RTE enough money.
The funding model should also give the RTE an incentive to behave better in the future. It must be a source that can shrink in proportion to RTE's continuing misbehaviour.
The best way is to add a an extra charge to everyone's annual income tax bill. It could be 50€ per taxpayer, to replace the existing 160€ per household. People who don't pay tax don't pay the charge. So this is more progressive than the TV licence fee was.
On the tax declaration form, there is a multiple choice. The taxpayer can choose whether his fee should go to the RTE or somewhere else more deserving. If he ticks several boxes, the fee will be split between several beneficiaries. The choices could be, for example
- RTE
- Medicins sans frontieres
- Vincent de Paul
- A subsidy for theatre companies
- Funding for artists and musicians
- A fund for free open-source software developers
For the last two, figuring out a way to fairly distribute the money could be tricky, but still worthwhile.
There will also be an option to increase the payment to the chosen cause, to 100€ or 200€.
- What happened to the major snow warning?
Weren’t we supposed to get like 5cm of snow a week or two back? I remember reading that it’d be like the beast from the east a few years back
- GAA on TV over the weekend: Munster and Ulster football finals free on telly tomorrow (Sunday 10th)
TG4 13:30, GAA Beo – Dingle v Castlehaven in the Munster Football Final.
TG4 15:45, GAA Beo – Scotstown v Glen in the Ulster Football Final.
- Forcing the government to take action
It looks like the current government will not take action on the urgent issues of our time. The most urgent is climate change but it's not the only one.
Any maybe no future government take action either. It's the nature of our political system that governments ignore long-term problems.
There is only one way to force the issue.
We must find a single issue with overwhelmingly popular support. Then we organise a national strike over it.
It must be a specific actionable realistic issue. For example
- A fair sales tax on all products which produce carbon dioxide or methane, in proportion to their global warming effect per kilo. This would include concrete, beef, fertilizer, fossil fuels, steel. The money shall be used to fund a cut in the general VAT rate. So these products rise in price and everything else, every less polluting product, drops in price.
- A boycott on Israel until it grants non-Jews in territories it controls equal civil rights.
- A ban on vulture funds owning housing.
First we need a public figure, or anyone influential or persuasive, to spearhead this action.
Who can do it?
- Did anyone move here from Reddit?
cross-posted from: https://lemdro.id/post/3907217 >How many people here actually moved over to Lemmy because of the Reddit drama? I remember seeing a post on r/ireland where someone created a community here but it doesn't seem to have gained much traction of people moving over. > > I found a couple communities for Ireland here but they all seem to be posts linking to newspaper articles (it doesn't give me the same feeling as r/ireland). > > > Ireland Communities on Lemmy: > - !ireland@lemmy.world (mostly newspaper articles with little to no user engagement) > - !ireland@lemmy.ml (all the posts are links to newspaper articles) > - !casual_ireland@lemmy.world (got an error trying to access this one) > - !ireland_on_lemmy@lemmy.ml (mainly newspaper articles but there was some other activity a little while back) > - !casualireland@lemmy.world (only two posts from months ago) > - !ireland@lemmygrad.ml (similar to others, mostly newspaper articles being linked as posts with little to no activity) > - !ireland@zerobytes.monster (this is just a bot posting from various sources) >
- Analysis: Suspicions grow that government schemes are pumping up new build house prices
Are the ministers completely ignorant of economics, or are they running a racket to transfer money from people to developers?
- Worker shortages
Why can't employers find enough people to do the work of society? There aren't enough people available to work as teachers, vets, bus drivers, etc. All these common, essential jobs are going unfilled in large numbers, leading to problems in the functioning of society as a whole.
And this despite rising poverty levels forcing ever more women into the workforce, and high immigration rates increasing the relative number of people of working age.
So what are the adults of Ireland all doing, that they're not available to do these jobs?
https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/ep/p-lfs/labourforcesurveyquarter22021/employment/
Well for a start, 15% are working in "motor vehicles". This sounds too high. I'm sure this industry does not need so many people. It's the same number as work in "human health".
How can this number be reduced, to allow more people to work in more valuable jobs?
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Extra tax on high earning jobs like "motor vehicle" tradesmen? This could be used to fund higher salaries for jobs like driving buses. If the market is thus manipulated so essential jobs pay better, people will switch jobs and the problem is solved.
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Promote cars which are more durable and require less frequent maintenance. Punish the sale of new cars and especially cars which cannot easily be maintained by the owner, or whose parts cannot easily and cheaply be acquired by normal people.
Encouraging electric bikes and electric cars will not help. I mean it won't help in general, but it especially won't help with this problem. Electric bikes and electric cars require more frequent maintenance and replacement than conventional cars. It is possible to design electric vehicles which are far more durable that petrol ones, because of technology advantages. But that will not happen until it is promoted through taxation, as above.
- The need for vehicles in general is proportional to how badly towns are planned. Housing, jobs, and amenities and leisure need to be placed near each other. The placement should be enforced by planning law. This reduces commuting distances and increases usage of "mobilités douces".
So only #3 is the real solution. Through a happy coincidence, this is also the solution to most of society's other problems, like the housing crisis, drug use and bad behaviour and petty crime, global warming, etc.
Although #3 is simple and obvious, it requires critical thinking which the current government is not capable of. So it is worth remembering for after the next election.
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- 10 solutions to the housing crisis
Someone asked me what the government should be doing differently about the housing crisis. I ended up with this list. So it's not exhaustive.
I think all of these are necessary to have a functioning housing market which (1) allows people to live in peace (2) builders to work productively to produce useful housing (3) stop investors gouging people (4) allows people to easily move house when they need to (5) allows people to choose to rent or house as suits their needs without huge costs.
But if any one of these is enacted it will tangible improve many people's lives. Some of these I have already written about before in more depth. Others I will write about soon. I understand that most readers won't see the value of these without a lot more explanation.
- zoning offices vs housing in areas which lack them
- incentivise appts w amenities instead of big houses (planning law depends on local need for cheap housing)
- big tax per land area (or per house) & big UBI/subsidy for each resident/person
- big vacancy tax, using the register of people's addresses instead of self-certification. owners unwilling to pay must forfeit the property to the state.
- remove costs of moving (stamp duty, seller does survey, govt does conveyancing)
- price control (like capital gains tax / rental windfall tax)
- tenants rights (ban on no fault evictions, sell the house with the tenants, tenants first right to buy, inspections, whistleblowing hotline, etc)
- ban businesses owning housing (exemptions for universities etc who can get licences)
- Ban on anyone owning >2 houses
- open land register - know about vacancy rates and amenities/jobs/houses ratio
- Carrigan's Pub est 1837pixelfed.social rainercade shared a post
Carrigan's Pub. Walking through Dublin this morning, so many old and derelict buildings around the new hospital. The roof has collapsed on this one and it dates back to 1837. ... wonder what it's future is? #derelictdublin
Posted this on Pixelfed, shame to see old buildings fall apart like this. Leads me to wonder who gains from all the derelict buildings close to the new hospital? I'd imagine their value has significantly increased!
- Hit and runs and dashcams
Hit and runs have been in the news a lot lately. More people need dashcams. But most people have no urgent need to buy one, and they are hassle to install.
This is an easy one for the government to fix. Decree that every garage must offer to do dashcam installation during routine services. Optionally, decree that they must do it for no extra charge.
When a good portion of people take up this option, there will be a critical mass of carmeras on the roads. Hit and runs will become very risky. When people know there is a chance the accident has been recorded, they will not run.
Uniquely, this solution does not enable ubiquitous surveillance by the state, because dashcams are not internet-connected.
It will also be useful that other types of accidents and events will be recorded. People will hesitate before doing anything violent or illegal in the street, when footage can be easily sent to the gardaí or the media. This includes dangerous not-illegal driving, searching for missing people etc.
This is simple, free, and necessary. It must be done now.
- Neutrality is at stakesocialistvoice.ie Neutrality is at stake
The threat to completely abandon what remains of Irish neutrality is a continuing and increasing one. The recent intervention of President Higgins may have slowed down Micheál Martin’s march to NAT…
- Three people injured after car hits outdoor seating area in Donegalwww.irishexaminer.com Three people injured after car hits outdoor seating area in Donegal
News from the Irish Examiner's team of reporters
- Fentanyl drug could cause 'significant rise' in overdose deathswww.irishexaminer.com Arrival of killer fentanyl drug could cause 'significant rise' in overdose deaths
Groups on frontline say country needs to prepare
- Corporation tax receipts down by €1bn in Augustm.independent.ie Corporation tax receipts down by €1bn in August
Corporation tax receipts were down €1bn in August, compared to last year, a higher-than-expected dip of 36pc that has contributed to a slight budget deficit.
I guess only the rich will be getting a tax cut in the next budget.
- Increasing number of penalty points awarded based on number of offences 'logical'www.irishexaminer.com Increasing number of penalty points awarded based on number of offences 'logical'
Speaking in Cavan on Monday, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris said the recent string of accidents had brought 'tragedy and pain to so many communities'
- Cork City Council preparing business case for Docklands workswww.irishexaminer.com Cork City Council preparing business case for Docklands works
Road upgrades, flood defences, new parks and quaysides amongst developments planned
- Gardaí appeal for help in locating missing Dublin teenagewww.irishexaminer.com Gardaí appeal for help in locating missing Dublin teenager
Lennox Dunne, 15, was last seen in Ballymun, Dublin 11 on Wednesday
- Grade inflation, how to obviate it
We have this problem, especially since the Covid educational chaos, that examiners are under pressure to inflate grades. This is understandable and happening for good reasons.
It predictably creates the problem that there are too many people scoring 100% on tests. With many people on identical marks, universities cannot select the students with the best aptitudes.
They are starting to do lotteries. This is unfair. It means that the whole leaving cert has failed to do its job of testing students for eligibility for university. It is not properly filtering students into courses by aptitude. If universities are going to do lotteries to select students, we don't need a leaving cert at all.
The solution is old and well known. the exams are written using whatever scoring system is deems appropriate for that subject. It does not need to be out of 100. Then the results are converted into percentiles, using the bell curve. This means that the best 1% of students get a mark of 100, the worst 1% get 1, and the median/average students get 50. All the other marks follow the same pattern.
(To be kind, it might be decided to give all the worst 10% of students a mark of 10. There might be gaps where for example a mark of 71 does not exist, only 70 and 72, but that is easily dealt with by the simple algorithm.)
There will be no grade inflation. The whole annual stress and debate becomes obsolete and we can focus on the many real issues and problems with the leaving cert.
Percentiles and statistics (L-estimators in this case) are very common in the adult world. L-estimators are fundamental to medicine, engineering, science, etc. It is good that students and teachers become familiar with them. This method is not complex or weird or confusing. If students get used to it, it will help them understand the world better and perform in their careers.
- Green light for Cork city centre's largest residential planwww.echolive.ie Green light for Cork city centre's largest residential plan
Leeside Quays Limited, a subsidiary of O’Callaghan Properties (OCP), in June lodged the application with Cork City Council seeking 10-year planning ...
I think this is great news and I hope the work begins soon. Obviously public infrastructure will need to be improved accordingly but overall, positive steps!
- Homelessness record broken again as 12,847 in emergency accommodationwww.irishexaminer.com Homelessness record broken again as 12,847 in emergency accommodation
News from the Irish Examiner's team of reporters
- Housing minister signals increase to rental tax credit in Budgetwww.breakingnews.ie Darragh O'Brien signals increase to rental tax credit in Budget | BreakingNews.ie
Darragh O’Brien also said the Government is projecting that more than 30,000 new homes will be built this year.
- Almost 2,000 pubs closed since 2005, alarming report findswww.irishexaminer.com Almost 2,000 pubs closed since 2005, 'alarming' report finds
The analysis by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland has prompted calls to reduce the “extremely high” alcohol excise tax
- 2,000 Ukrainians could be without accommodation in coming weekswww.irishexaminer.com 2,000 Ukrainians could be without accommodation in coming weeks
Senior sources say the number of Ukrainians arriving over the summer months was higher than anticipated, putting a strain on accommodation
- Sunday Morning
Anyone up to anything today? How has the weekend gone so far for everyone?
I took about a week off work and I’m back tomorrow. I’m not dreading it but still… Might do some shopping later before going back to the grind. Must do up my CV as well as I’m looking to change jobs in the near future.
- Construction & Demolition | Environmental Protection Agencywww.epa.ie Construction & Demolition
The construction and demolition sector in Ireland generated an estimated 8.2 million tonnes of waste in 2020.
Most C&D waste was backfilled (85%), with only 8% and 7% was recycled and sent for disposal
fuck it into a big hole, it'll be grand
- ‘Celestial fireworks display’: Good viewing conditions forecast for Perseid Meteor Shower
Hopefully we get some decent weather for it 🤞
- Rise in population, breeding territories of corncrakewww.rte.ie Rise in population, breeding territories of corncrake
A survey by the NPWS has found a 35% increase in the population of critically endangered corncrake birds in Ireland over the past five years, although the overall numbers remain very small.
Heres some positivity! Great to see this happening. Never heard the bird but sounds like its quite the singer
- Inflation rate increases in Julywww.rte.ie Annual rate of inflation falls slightly in July - CSO
The annual rate of inflation stood at 5.8% in July, down from 6.1% in the 12 months to the end of June, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show.
Promise I’ll stop posting so much doom and gloom!
- Owners of vacant properties in Clare 'coming out of the woodwork' due to council actionwww.irishexaminer.com Clare: Owners of vacant properties 'coming out of the woodwork' due to council action
Since the Irish Examiner's analysis of dereliction in the county, Kilrush has seen a spate of vacant or derelict buildings being bought, while Lisdoonvarna has benefited from the government’s Town and Village Renewal Scheme to combat the issue, writes Neil Michael
- Government announces €10m funding to increase visibility of gardaí on streets of Dublinwww.irishexaminer.com Government announces €10m funding to increase visibility of gardaí on streets of Dublin
Justice minister says funding package will allow for 240,000 extra Garda hours in Dublin Metropolitan Region by end of year
Justice minister says funding package will allow for 240,000 extra Garda hours in Dublin Metropolitan Region by end of year
- Singer Sinéad O'Connor dies aged 56www.rte.ie Singer Sinéad O'Connor dies aged 56
Singer Sinéad O'Connor, best known for her hit single Nothing Compares 2 U, has died aged 56.
- €117k car for former daa CEO is 'unacceptable'www.rte.ie €117k car for former daa CEO is 'unacceptable' - FG TD
A €117,000 car bought by airports operator daa in 2019 for its CEO is "unacceptable in every respect", Fine Gael TD Fergus O'Dowd has said.
- Left-Leaning Online Local News Source for Cork
I'm shortly going to be migrating to Cork. I'd be grateful if someone could point me in the direction of some 'left' or 'centre-left' online news sources for Cork. Preferably with RSS feeds.
- Cork-Palestinian solidarity campaign hears calls for a stronger stance by the Irish Governmentwww.corkbeo.ie Cork-Palestinian campaign calls for a stronger stance by the Irish Government
The recent event in Cork heard from Comedian Tadgh Hickey along with Sinn Fein Councillors