I think this "Process" Stinks.

Fingal County Council,(FCC), in Fingal, North County Dublin (NCD) Ireland, was once called Fair Fingal, a Fellow even wrote a book of that name: but if you want to see how fair it is today and perhaps is destined to be - look at the Facebook Pages “Foul Fingal” and “Annsbrook Says No”.

Because it seems the Irish Department of the Environment and Fingal County Council want to put a Monster 43 acre Wastewater Treatment Plant for 700,000 People Equivalent Sewage Output in Fingal.

To make this viable FCC want to accept and pump into the area the “Flushings” and the “Showerings” and the “Washings” and the run off water from parts of four adjoining Councils. Mostly I would describe the incoming target area as East Leinster. .

Despite the fact that after “an exhaustive examination” of nine potential locations for the plant FCC have selected three “Preferred Sites” that are totally unsuitable for the plant.

One site is near to Dublin Airport and FCC intend to collect sewage into there and after “Primary Treatment” flush the tainted water out into Dublin Bay.

The next site is a protected area under a “Cultural and Heritage” labelling chosen and promoted by FCC in tourism literature. It can't be disturbed without incurring the wrath of Archaeological Societies and concerned Irish citizens and perhaps also The European Department of Culture and Heritage.

The third site has rivers in a protected habitat under the EU Habitat Directive and it also has a Henge similar to the one that was destroyed in Lismullen during construction of the M3 Motorway. How do we know this Henge exists and where is lies? Simple it was discovered and recorded by the National Museum during construction of the M1 Motorway.

So Fingal Council are persisting with their “Investigations” of what they have already discovered, documented and discussed in a similar “Community Vandalism Attack” when they examined Fingal for a site for The Largest Rubbish Dump in the World. That came to nothing. It left FCC with a bill of €34 Millions paid for land and since they borrowed the money they also have a bill for €2Million interest for the next 20 years: €74 Million of our contributions to their coffers.

I suppose further evaluation will continue and will be another waste of time and consultancy fees, €18 Million spent so far if what I was told is correct.

Because there is no way Ireland can allow Fingal County Council to commit to an unaffordable €2.6 Billion that is needed to bring this monster to fruition.

Is fruition a bad choice of word? Yes! To a smelly conclusion is probably more appropriate, because in success of failure, this process is going to stink!

Kenny wins Lotto Cash

I see some reports that County Mayo, the home of our Taoiseach just bagged the cash, in the great Lotto handout.

Bates Banagher! We all gamble to win millions: we fail. Kenny probably didn't buy a ticket and he scoops the jackpot.

What kind of a bewildered nation are the Irish:  where we allow politicians doll out cash to organisations, in their area, so that come voting time they will "win the watch" again and be returned to their cushy "nothing to do" job.

It defies logic. It does!

And I never mentioned Katie Taylor once, I will maintain the dignity that lady and her dad have shown, by not "Blowing the Whistle" on the nonsense they are enduring, in preparing to perhaps bring home AN OLYMPIC MEDAL for IRELAND.

That reminds me does anyone remember when Charlie Haughey won the Tour of France. He DID! I remember him on the podium beside whats his name, in the yellow jersey.

Bates Banagher! It Does!

Far too many County Councils in Ireland

In Ireland we have 32 Counties, but the 6 in the North have their own local government structure

For the remaining 26 counties we have 34 local government councils and 8 town councils.

What do they do? Well not much if you compare their functions now - with what they were responsible for managing.

Once there were Health Boards, managed by councils, now the HSE handle that. Once education was a responsibility: now the Department of Education have that role. Since 1990 the NRA look after our national road network, and councils are out-sourcing waste collection. Planning is local but an Bord Planeala adjudicate on all the top level developments. The EPA has the role of judging if planning and projects are environmentally friendly. The new Water Board will be responsible for water distribution and production.

The councils then will only be responsible for: local planning, public parks and car parks, libraries lurban sewage and local roads (Pothole Filling).

I think now is the time to ask : are all these councils and town councils value for money? The answer of course is no. Damn bad value in fact, we get no value for the bucks they cost, and miserable value for the bucks they squander in a variety of ways.

So my suggestion is we need 4 regional councils, Dublin, the rest of Leinster, Munster and Connaught/Ulster. That's it in a nutshell.

By the way the Greater Manchester Area has a population of 2.6 Million and the area is managed by 10 Metropolitan Boroughs.

Constitutional Referendum - slipped under the radar

Let your fingers do the talking.

How many times do you say “Google It” or just type random thoughts into the search box and be surprised at the results.

Like the fact that County Councils in Ireland have only been constitutionally correct since we voted to make them so on 11/6/1999. Before that it appears Councils were unconstitutional, well they must have been, other wise we would not have voted to insert article 28A into our constitution.

We did, did we? I don't remember ever doing that!

Well you did when you voted in the European Elections in 1999. The other yes/no was to insert into our constitution:-

• Insertion of new Article 28A:

1. The State recognises the role of local government in providing a forum for the democratic representation of local communities, in exercising and performing at local level powers and functions conferred by law and in promoting by its initiatives the interests of such communities.

2. There shall be such directly elected local authorities as may be determined by law and their powers and functions shall, subject to the provisions of this Constitution, be so determined and shall be exercised and performed in accordance with law.

Interesting to say the least. They, councillors, it seems work for us and are Constitutionally Bound to act on on our behalf.

So then when Communities are terrorised by Council Managers, who by the way are Public Servants appointed by the Government, when they gallop off and suggest placing a dump or sewage plant in our community, the first thing they ask us to do is engage with them in so called “Consultations” . But we should say go away and do the job the constitution says you should do that is, promoting by ... initiatives the interests of ... communities.

And when Councillors blame the County Manager for decisions we can say he/she is acting Ultra Vires and in an unconstitutional manner 'cause the powers is with you the elected representatives in providing a forum for the democratic representation of local communities, in exercising and performing at local level powers and functions conferred by law.

But Fingal Council it seems are selling communities, heritage, archaeology, beaches, livelihoods, tourism and health for a few pieces of silver by trying to facilitate other councils by building a massive sewage plant in the area.

My Week of wondering what it's all about?

Totally confused this week. Don't know if I'm on me ass or me head with all the if, buts and ands on The Stability Treaty to give it its real name.

Can't decide Yes or No and now today I find out that the Germans are having second thoughts as well.

Yer man with the Dutch name in France is dithering also, and Portugal or is it Spain are next for Merkels Hatchet.

And as for Greece. The powers that be in the Euro are singing “Shenanigans Ball” to them.

Total Liathróidi Suas as Bernard Bród taught me to say. He is getting the Coc end of the stick it seems also from is it the “Olympic Council of Ireland”?

If it was me and I got a “Fiddlers Invite” to carry the bloomin' torch I'd chuck in the river and make sure it went out. Dat ed learn dem it would.

Then the Irish Times Powers Short Story competition lads and lassies - started publishing a Blog of Long lists of so called stories that were entered in the competition, eventually producing a short list that wasn't a short list at all, just another interminable long list.

When I started to write I was given a few pointers the first of which was pick an apt Title for your piece and then try, in the start paragraph, to introduce A Hook to keep the reader interested in continuing down the page.

Well Holy Gad the long lists have pieces which are un-titled, not a sausage of a name, over the story only the writers name. So now we have the Irish Times Powers “No Name To The Story” story list.

A piece without a title is not a story it's a letter: like the one you wrote to Uncle Bob, who once upon a time, before the Op. was Auntie Roberta; a request for more funds. Probally saying you wanted to buy a good book of apt story titles; to give a message and engage the reader.

I can just see it in the paper. “Irish Times Powers Winner is The Story with no Name, by Eggs Muffin Benedict, from No Name City. It wins the €10,000 smackers. Don't Google it as you will never find it as it has not got a title.”

God Above; if you are listening and not out on a day-off skite, give us all sense, soon.