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FINE GAEL TD Joe McHugh will call for closer co-operation between the UK and Ireland when he addresses the Conservative Party conference in Manchester today.
Donegal deputy McHugh said public services in Border counties should be pooled between the two governments, adding that this would help to cut costs as both countries struggle to implement austerity measures.
He said many services were unnecessarily duplicated and it “makes sense” for Northern Ireland and the Republic to “share services”. McHugh, who is co-chairman of the British-Irish Parliamentary Assembly, will urge Conservative politicians to examine the issue this morning.
The British Government and the Stormont Executive should also work with the Irish Government to cut out the waste and duplication at a North-South level on this island. There is a huge amount of unnecessary duplication on this island. At a time of financial crisis it makes sense for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland to pool resources and to share services.
He added “major health and road projects” in the Border area are already being jointly funded by the two governments.
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The gov should decrease vat on elec and gas so that they don’t get more tax when the price goes up. For the less well off, Reducing vat on gas is more important than decreasing it on restaurants.
Wow, just wow. The Irish consumer is facing increased mortgage interest, additional taxes and levies for services, increased insurance prices and now this with the ESB to follow. Anyone who believes (as in the government) that citizens can bear this and further austerity is deluded. Something has got t give!
These companies are profit making enterprises they will charge what they can get away with. Look in how many different ways have we to be beaten over the head with increased taxes,reduced services and increased prices before we see how unimportant we as citizens and it is only vested interested groups which get the politicians ear. Smoke and mirrors folk. Think for your self and your community and not for the vested interested
Eh rising Gas prices internationally?
Dont we get it from our own sources in the Atlantic?
Its a bloody joke, we have a huge supply of gas in the corrib and we are selling it to shell and then buying it back from shell at a higher price, Ireland is truly an insane asylum.
That truly is ridiculous. @Robert – do you know of a website/link where I could find out more about this? I found this: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/29/shell-ireland-corrib-gas-project (nice to see local people protesting, but how much of the wider public are aware of this, as you say, insanity??
) but not much else. The fact that we are selling and buying back our own gas reserves does seem to epitomize the senselessness of much of this country’s troubles (or rather the origin of those troubles).
God forbid the government would consider putting money into using the wind and water resources we have plenty of to secure a bright and warm future!!!
Hmmm..they are all on the profit boat and it is us, the minions that float them
in a small country like Ireland, a 120 million profit for any company during a recession is something they should be grateful for but they want more. They know they have the Irish people trapped. We only have a choice of 3 providers and they all increase their prices whenever one of them increases it. There is no competition. Does any of these companies realize how small Ireland is?
We still have at least 4 more austerity budgets to go through. Rip off ireland is dead, it’s bend over and take it Ireland that is alive and well.
we the irish are to quite.if this happend in france or greese we would shut the country down for 48hours.its time we stood up instead of talking bout it.
My only issues with the Greek and French is that as much as they like a protest they also like a riot. If you riot then that moves the focus of attention away from what is important and in the end gets you nowhere. I’m also not sure what use a peaceful protest is in a country like Ireland. On top of that who the heck organises a protest? Unions? Local politians? The only true protests are from grassroots campaigns but most of these are for very local issues like shell to sea or roscommon hospital. How do you have a nationwide grassroots protest without the riot and/or any other dilutant or hidden agenda. I’m thinking Libertas and Lisbon treaty here.
rip off ireland is alive and well.when are people going to stand up and say enough is enough.we cant give what we havent got.from new taxes to higher esb bills.where does it stop…..
Absolute scumbags. Didn’t Lucy ‘dont speak with ur mouth full’ Kennedy advertise for them? Anything involving that ‘woman’ is beneath contempt.
John, She played a part in an ad… She’s not on the feckin’ board!!
John, She (Lucy Kennedy) played a part in an advert… She’s not on the board and is DEFINITELY not involved in Bórd Gáis’ price structures…. I think you’re giving her a little too much credit there!!
Paul – I never said she was on the board !!!! However she is a force for evil and I’m sure most who saw her advertising them stayed away. I hope they did anyway.
“A force for evil” – Ha ha!! Brilliant!!
Paul she should live with u seeing that ur a dedicated member of her fanclub. Hahahahaha !!!!!!
Whatever the rights & wrongs of the issue to blame the person used in the ad campaign is not going to solve anything. She was advertising a choice for people to switch. They were then free to exercise their free will and choose what to do. If they feel conned then take it up with the service provider. Anyone who switched because Lucy Kennedy said it was a good idea probably needs to start thinking for themselves.
Absolute scum of the earth! The rich get richer and the poor get poorer.
No wonder Ireland will remain noncompetitive whilst energy companies increase prices both on the consumer & business.
YET, the present administration, IBEC et al, all harp on about the need for pay-cuts to the ordinary hard pressed people out there.
As long as these shenanigans continue, by taking more and more money out of the local economy, we will continue to ‘flat-line’ on economic growth.
The Government should deny these price increases, as the public were promised that competition would reduce costs and benefit the consumer.
Must we backtrack on everything?? Abolish the Energy Regulator now and let proper competition take place and as with any industry, the strong and innovative will survive…
rather than complaining, I’ve just switched to Airtricity from Bord Gais this morning.
The Big Switch works both ways!
As Lucy suggests, it’s very easy
time for the big switch part 2
#maketheswitchback
the cost of living continues to sky rocket though fg would like to continue to slash our income
The Government can fix gas and electricity costs during these hard times !
This announcement – along with the €120 MILLION PROFIT mentioned – makes me sick to the pit of my stomach.
I recall their ads boasting ’200,000 people have made the big switch’. Well, we need to all switch away again – I will be – then they will have NO customers to charge.. Let’s face it, they don’t deserve any. It won’t be about cost-saving – but registering our disgust…
.
How about it folks? It’s called people power – pun intended.
#maketheswitchback
Having seen similar happen in the UK years ago im not suprised at this increase. Yes Gina everyone should switch away and while they are at it move money from these bailed out banks that give huge bonuses out to their fat cat bosses People power is the only way.
Just ridiculous the scandalous way we as a country are being fecked left right and centre. The government have yet to hold anybody to account for the banking crisis. The energy regulator is about as good as the banking regulator all talk and no balls they just roll over and let the corporations feck us all. Just when you think things can’t get much worse our government are still going to the EU and going to get our interest rate on the bailout cut when????? Not a hope in hell. Electricity gas I think it’s time to stop the country I want to get off it. It’s time for a reassessment take back the resources the previous administration sold for penny’s when it was worth so much more. A real investment in wind/wave energy and solar instead of these small amounts of tax cuts and levies a large amount should be set aside immediately in order for a country to continue stop increasing interest/electricity/gas for another 2 to 3 years until economic certainty has been achieved.
@Gareth. Please could you re-post your comment in English/French/ Greek/Latin/Spanish or any known language, then I would be aware of what you actually wanted to post!
what i ment was we as a nation are all talk and no action.its time we stood up for our selfs once and for all.
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