Marking Time

• Digital Rights Ireland: Three unproven accusations and you’re out - why the Eircom / IRMA deal is bad for internet users
  "the music industry is trying to foist the system onto ISPs while sidelining the Oireachtas and the democratic process."
  (tags: ireland Law culture Rights)

• cearta.ie - Irving at the Lit & Deb: A reply to Prof Schabas
  "if we allow the idea of legislating truth in the case of Iriving, if we accept that proof can be imposed simply on the basis of authority, then we can legislate truth and impose proof where-ever we like, simply because we are offended by an idea."
  (tags: Law)

We declare in the words of the Irish Republican Proclamation the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies to be indefeasible, and in the language of our first President. Pádraíg Mac Phiarais, we declare that the Nation’s sovereignty extends not only to all men and women of the Nation, but to all its material possessions, the Nation’s soil and all its resources, all the wealth and all the wealth-producing processes within the Nation, and with him we reaffirm that all right to private property must be subordinated to the public right and welfare.

We declare that we desire our country to be ruled in accordance with the principles of Liberty, Equality, and Justice for all, which alone can secure permanence of Government in the willing adhesion of the people.

Democratic Programme, 1st Dáil, January 21st, 1919

What I know, having been a sociologist for 20 or 30 years, is what it means for these little circles as they meet around town and play golf together. That is why we had these mummies sitting in a row at the meeting to which people came. The list of those present included the managing director of this, the director of that and the former chief executive officer. A succeeded B, D recommended C and that disgraced clique has not had one word of condemnation from IBEC. IBEC continually harasses teachers, gardaí and those on the frontline of public services. Every second day we get a lecture about the public service from IBEC. From IBEC, what do we get about these people? Total silence because they were the people lunching with them, drinking with them and talking to them. IBEC is silent.
…
The Minister is resisting amendments that would allow inspectors to find out what the basis of all of this was so that we might set up an entirely new system. At the same time, Mr. Hurley sits there waiting for the storm to die down so that we can go back to the way it was. No one in the country wants it to go back to the way it was. They want the full lot of sanctions to fall on all those who have damaged us and damaged the name of the country irreparably. They want them to be treated no differently from how the State has treated any other poor person involved in thievery. This is what would happen in a republic. Why should these people be immune from investigation, an inspector or anything else?

Michael D.Higgins, 30th Dáil, January 20th, 2009

• Turbulence Ahead: No Left Turn
  "The Irish Government is in the process of turning a crisis into a catastrophe via the nationalisation of Anglo Irish Bank."
  (tags: irish economics politics)

• ValueIreland.com - When the going gets tough, the junior ministers start walking
  "We’re starting to see the Irish political equivalent of rats fleeing from a sinking ship. "
  (tags: Irish Politics economics)

Outside of Colbert Train Station in Limerick half of the advertising hoardings are bare - the recession leaves them starved of clients. As you enter the station you are met with the following brightly lit gem:

One of the goals of encouraging foreign direct investment in Ireland was that it would stimulate indigenous industry. That hasn’t happened yet to any significant degree. Instead it seems that the foreign companies have had a negative effect on the development of indigenous industry as local companies could not compete with them in the labour market. Also, the success of the country in attracting foreign investment - at one time 25% of all FDI in Europe came to Ireland - masked the fact that growth in native industry was anemic, if it existed at all.

And painful though it is, we can to a certain degree accept the departure of Dell from Limerick. It is in the nature of the business and if anything they have probably left it too late to leave. They are chasing their competitors who have already gone through this process. The real pain is in the ripple effect when we see how large a dependency our native companies have on Dell and when we see how few alternatives we have when it comes to finding alternative employment for those unfortunate enough to get the short straw in the globalisation draw.