Comments on: Shane Ross unmasks the contributors to IBEC http://www.mulley.net/2006/08/20/shane-ross-unmasks-the-contributors-to-ibec/ Invisible people have invisible rights Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:55:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: Tipster http://www.mulley.net/2006/08/20/shane-ross-unmasks-the-contributors-to-ibec/comment-page-1/#comment-47334 Tipster Sun, 20 Aug 2006 19:48:20 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=1457#comment-47334 Two points. Something that occurred to me after my last comment on Damien's posting is that I wonder if Senator Ross will follow this with an investigation into how much the privately owned companies that receive IDA support (as in, taxpayer's money) pay into IBEC. The problems Ciaran names in his comment can and should be addressed independently of IBEC membership. I am no fan of IBEC, but if it is going to be hit, I think it should be hit with the correct arguments (which Ross does make a stab at) rather than a spurious one. Two points.

Something that occurred to me after my last comment on Damien’s posting is that I wonder if Senator Ross will follow this with an investigation into how much the privately owned companies that receive IDA support (as in, taxpayer’s money) pay into IBEC.

The problems Ciaran names in his comment can and should be addressed independently of IBEC membership. I am no fan of IBEC, but if it is going to be hit, I think it should be hit with the correct arguments (which Ross does make a stab at) rather than a spurious one.

]]> By: Ciaran Gorman http://www.mulley.net/2006/08/20/shane-ross-unmasks-the-contributors-to-ibec/comment-page-1/#comment-47270 Ciaran Gorman Sun, 20 Aug 2006 15:05:19 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=1457#comment-47270 Tipster; the likes of Bord Gais and An Post may not get taxpayers money directly, but their poor financial management (and wasteful overspending) has many 'indirect' negative effects for taxpayers: 1) it deprives us of the profit they should make (if they were anyway good, they'd be chipping in a €1bn a year to the exchequer), 2) it raises the cost of their services - if they were run more prudently prices could be lower (train fares, bus fares, airport landing costs etc.), 3) their cushy ways waste our top managerial talent and deprive the private sector of many great managers - look at what Eddie O'Conner is doing with Airtricity, he was wasted by comparision at Bord na Mona. In fairness the sums involved with IBEC (€90k or so) are small change for these bodies, but IHO it just highlights the vast number of inefficencies and the reckless lavish spending that is so endemic in our semi states. Its hard to know what the solution is - privatisation failed to completely change Eircom (still a rip off, failing to invest in its services and infastructure), but perhaps Eircom whould have been even worse (is that possible) if it stayed state owned. Massive competitive pressures, near bankruptcy and huge industry change seemed to have been the right cocktail for Aer Lingus. Tipster; the likes of Bord Gais and An Post may not get taxpayers money directly, but their poor financial management (and wasteful overspending) has many ‘indirect’ negative effects for taxpayers: 1) it deprives us of the profit they should make (if they were anyway good, they’d be chipping in a €1bn a year to the exchequer), 2) it raises the cost of their services – if they were run more prudently prices could be lower (train fares, bus fares, airport landing costs etc.), 3) their cushy ways waste our top managerial talent and deprive the private sector of many great managers – look at what Eddie O’Conner is doing with Airtricity, he was wasted by comparision at Bord na Mona.

In fairness the sums involved with IBEC (€90k or so) are small change for these bodies, but IHO it just highlights the vast number of inefficencies and the reckless lavish spending that is so endemic in our semi states. Its hard to know what the solution is – privatisation failed to completely change Eircom (still a rip off, failing to invest in its services and infastructure), but perhaps Eircom whould have been even worse (is that possible) if it stayed state owned. Massive competitive pressures, near bankruptcy and huge industry change seemed to have been the right cocktail for Aer Lingus.

]]> By: Tipster http://www.mulley.net/2006/08/20/shane-ross-unmasks-the-contributors-to-ibec/comment-page-1/#comment-47228 Tipster Sun, 20 Aug 2006 11:40:21 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=1457#comment-47228 Are you sure all of these companies get any tax funds? Are you sure all of these companies get any tax funds?

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