Comments on: PQs – Parliamentary Questions – One way of getting politicians to tell the truth http://www.mulley.net/2008/10/30/pqs-parliamentary-questions-one-way-of-getting-politicians-to-tell-the-truth/ Invisible people have invisible rights Tue, 31 Jan 2012 15:55:22 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: garydubh http://www.mulley.net/2008/10/30/pqs-parliamentary-questions-one-way-of-getting-politicians-to-tell-the-truth/comment-page-1/#comment-913249 garydubh Mon, 24 Nov 2008 20:00:06 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=5002#comment-913249 A no cost Geo Post Coding (PON Code) system has been operating in Ireland under test since June 16th last. It is also has been successfully tested on Garmin SatNavs. Pon Codes can be self determined here: http://www.irishpostcodes.ie A no cost Geo Post Coding (PON Code) system has been operating in Ireland under test since June 16th last. It is also has been successfully tested on Garmin SatNavs. Pon Codes can be self determined here: http://www.irishpostcodes.ie

]]> By: The cost of accountability | Semper Idem http://www.mulley.net/2008/10/30/pqs-parliamentary-questions-one-way-of-getting-politicians-to-tell-the-truth/comment-page-1/#comment-913097 The cost of accountability | Semper Idem Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:19:29 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=5002#comment-913097 [...] was recently pointed out by Damien Mulley they are “One way of getting politicians [sic] to tell t... And therefore, they aren’t exactly loved by government ministers, who would naturally enough [...] [...] was recently pointed out by Damien Mulley they are “One way of getting politicians [sic] to tell t… And therefore, they aren’t exactly loved by government ministers, who would naturally enough [...]

]]> By: barry http://www.mulley.net/2008/10/30/pqs-parliamentary-questions-one-way-of-getting-politicians-to-tell-the-truth/comment-page-1/#comment-912381 barry Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:13:31 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=5002#comment-912381 What about a PQ on this....-todays Irish Times... "EIRCOM NOW seems destined to change hands for the fifth time in the nine years since its flotation by the State. Literally billions of euro have been pocketed by a series of owners who loaded up the company with debt while investing the bare minimum in the network that forms the backbone of the Republic's telecommunications infrastructure. Its resulting debts of more than €4 billion mean that Eircom simply no longer has the financial wherewithal to raise the money needed to upgrade its ageing network. It is not a very satisfactory outcome for a State which has pinned a good portion of its hopes on the knowledge economy which takes high speed broadband and advanced telecommunications as a given." Is is any ownder we haven't got a decent infrastrucure What about a PQ on this….-todays Irish Times…

“EIRCOM NOW seems destined to change hands for the fifth time in the nine years since its flotation by the State. Literally billions of euro have been pocketed by a series of owners who loaded up the company with debt while investing the bare minimum in the network that forms the backbone of the Republic’s telecommunications infrastructure. Its resulting debts of more than €4 billion mean that Eircom simply no longer has the financial wherewithal to raise the money needed to upgrade its ageing network. It is not a very satisfactory outcome for a State which has pinned a good portion of its hopes on the knowledge economy which takes high speed broadband and advanced telecommunications as a given.”

Is is any ownder we haven’t got a decent infrastrucure

]]> By: Damien http://www.mulley.net/2008/10/30/pqs-parliamentary-questions-one-way-of-getting-politicians-to-tell-the-truth/comment-page-1/#comment-912370 Damien Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:24:57 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=5002#comment-912370 @Anton want me to make your coffee too? @Anton want me to make your coffee too?

]]> By: Colm http://www.mulley.net/2008/10/30/pqs-parliamentary-questions-one-way-of-getting-politicians-to-tell-the-truth/comment-page-1/#comment-912369 Colm Fri, 31 Oct 2008 12:17:13 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=5002#comment-912369 The lack of postcodes in Ireland is incredibly annoying when I'm home. It would make services so much more efficient in the long run. Potentially huge ROI though 15mil sounds on the steep side. The lack of postcodes in Ireland is incredibly annoying when I’m home. It would make services so much more efficient in the long run. Potentially huge ROI though 15mil sounds on the steep side.

]]> By: barry http://www.mulley.net/2008/10/30/pqs-parliamentary-questions-one-way-of-getting-politicians-to-tell-the-truth/comment-page-1/#comment-912365 barry Fri, 31 Oct 2008 10:47:30 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=5002#comment-912365 Apropos, is it just my link that is slow? It took me almost 2.5 mins on a 1Mb link to get the map, just from a click on it..... BB my arse Bye, Barry Apropos, is it just my link that is slow? It took me almost 2.5 mins on a 1Mb link to get the map, just from a click on it….. BB my arse

Bye, Barry

]]> By: Antoin O Lachtnain http://www.mulley.net/2008/10/30/pqs-parliamentary-questions-one-way-of-getting-politicians-to-tell-the-truth/comment-page-1/#comment-912357 Antoin O Lachtnain Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:20:07 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=5002#comment-912357 I know it is a hassle to link to anything on the oireachtas website, but it really does help when tracking down these things to have some identifying information for the PQ. I think it is also only fair to give the name of the TD who actually asked the PQ. In fairness, it is a bit of work to come up with decent PQ's. And it is important not to abuse the PQ process. (Some guy once asked how much every department had spent on attache cases in the last two years.) I know it is a hassle to link to anything on the oireachtas website, but it really does help when tracking down these things to have some identifying information for the PQ. I think it is also only fair to give the name of the TD who actually asked the PQ. In fairness, it is a bit of work to come up with decent PQ’s. And it is important not to abuse the PQ process. (Some guy once asked how much every department had spent on attache cases in the last two years.)

]]> By: Simon McGarr http://www.mulley.net/2008/10/30/pqs-parliamentary-questions-one-way-of-getting-politicians-to-tell-the-truth/comment-page-1/#comment-912356 Simon McGarr Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:14:00 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=5002#comment-912356 I once drafted a PQ. I hadn't done one before so I just tried to imagine how I'd get out of answering the question and then closed all the loopholes. My TD asked it, but told me afterwards it was the longest PQ he'd ever seen. I once drafted a PQ. I hadn’t done one before so I just tried to imagine how I’d get out of answering the question and then closed all the loopholes. My TD asked it, but told me afterwards it was the longest PQ he’d ever seen.

]]> By: Antoin O Lachtnain http://www.mulley.net/2008/10/30/pqs-parliamentary-questions-one-way-of-getting-politicians-to-tell-the-truth/comment-page-1/#comment-912355 Antoin O Lachtnain Fri, 31 Oct 2008 09:12:50 +0000 http://www.mulley.net/?p=5002#comment-912355 Well, on postcodes, I am pretty confident the group I work with can design a basic system can be designed for around EUR 150,000, which split the country down to ED level. Splitting counties down so there was a code for every street or road segment would cost maybe EUR 750,000 or 1,500,000 more. There is a further job to do if you want to allocate a code to every single house. This is something that certainly needs to be done at some stage, but it's not critical to do it right at the very beginning in order to enjoy the benefits of a postcode. There is more to be spent for a publicity campaign - ads, mailers, small administration centre, contact centre. A lot of the costs and requirements could be met by reallocating existing staff in the civil service, if the resources were made available. There is a cost for An Post too, but realistically, the cost is readily recoverable through efficiencies for them, providing the postcode maps directly onto our with their GeoDirectory system (which ours would). An Post desperately needs to find efficiencies, as mail volumes are in decline worldwide. So although the costs might come to a total of EUR 15m, that doesn't mean that that would be the initial cost, or that it would all be external expenditure for the government. Well, on postcodes, I am pretty confident the group I work with can design a basic system can be designed for around EUR 150,000, which split the country down to ED level. Splitting counties down so there was a code for every street or road segment would cost maybe EUR 750,000 or 1,500,000 more. There is a further job to do if you want to allocate a code to every single house. This is something that certainly needs to be done at some stage, but it’s not critical to do it right at the very beginning in order to enjoy the benefits of a postcode.

There is more to be spent for a publicity campaign – ads, mailers, small administration centre, contact centre. A lot of the costs and requirements could be met by reallocating existing staff in the civil service, if the resources were made available.

There is a cost for An Post too, but realistically, the cost is readily recoverable through efficiencies for them, providing the postcode maps directly onto our with their GeoDirectory system (which ours would). An Post desperately needs to find efficiencies, as mail volumes are in decline worldwide.

So although the costs might come to a total of EUR 15m, that doesn’t mean that that would be the initial cost, or that it would all be external expenditure for the government.

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