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EVERY WEEK, TheJournal.ie offers a selection of statistics and numerical nuggets to help you digest the week that has just passed.
20: The number of years Bobby Kerr has been involved with coffee chain Insomnia. He announced this week he would be leaving the business to focus on other interests.
€5.5 million: The amount of money the Garda Band has cost the Irish taxpayer over the past three years.
449: The capacity in millilitres of a typical wine glass in England – compared to 66ml in 1700.
12: The number of weeks legal abortion should be allowed to take place up to, as recommended this week by the Oireachtas Committee on the Eighth Amendment.
2: The number of Dublin city councillors who voted against stripping Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi of the Freedom of the City this week.
10: Here are the top 10 trending searches in Ireland for all of 2017 – with Hurricane Ophelia coming out on top.
40%: The percentage decline in the number of this species of gull since the 1970s.
5%: The percentage that Ireland’s unemployment is expected to fall to in 2018, according to the ESRI.
843: The number of drink driving cases dealt with by the poor box in 2015, prompting concerns around how such cases are handled by the courts.
695: The number of people who died in 2015 as a result of overdoses, trauma or medical causes linked to drug use.
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How much have rte presenters cost us out our tv licence how much the bond holders cost us how much did rte concert orchestra cost us leave the garda band alone they do great work at a fraction of the cost of the real issues do
@Mark Dawson: Why do we need them, do they come out on special occassions and practice all year round? Why can’t they use local bands, to play at their parades and put the money into extra numbers on the beat?
@Mark Dawson: I still don’t quite get why they tell us how much this cost over 3 years?
Why not 1 or 15 or 7. Why 3 years??
@Philip King: cause they only have the data for 3 years. And it’s more sensational to give one big number than an annual one I imagine.
@Mark Dawson: how much does eamonn dumphy cost us?
@Stephen murphy: its a sort.of tradition thing like the army band or fire brigade band British army units all have own pipes and drums they represent thier own units or services in ceremonial duties and also in.pr excerises and parades personally I think they play an important part in the gardai then again im very regimental
@Michael Heery: exactly
@Mark Dawson: We are a tiny Country, one band can fit all and plenty of local bands who’d appreciate the funds.
@Stephen murphy: no a regimental band is exactly what it says on the tins theres pride theres in military cases battle honours theres professionalism beyond what a civi band could achieve but again im.regimental
I hear that they have a great fiddle(violin) section.
@Tedser: brilliant lol
The members of the Garda Band are all professional musicians who do a superb job and are worth all of the money spent on them, when compared to the millions of taxpayers money that has been wasted on Government Spin Doctors over the same time frame.
@John Wilson:
Yes this is all very true John, but should a police force be funding this after all policing is about policing not running a band, that money could be used in other vital areas with in the Garda force, I always assumed that all members of the Garda band were working Garda and the band was something they did along the lines of their regular policing duties as well, actually I think if the Garda want to have a band it should be second to their first priority which is policing and it should be mostly from their own time because of the pride they have in the Garda having a band and the pride they have in being part of that band.
@Casper: it’s called public relations. It’s well worth it. There are many international police forces with bands. And there are army bands too.
@D Writer:
If the Garda want to create better public relations the could have used that money by securing more Garda patrols with in communities that they serve, that’s their responsibility first and foremost, but thanks for your input.
How do they calculate the cost of the Garda band ? Salaries included ?
@Gearóid ÓCiaráin:
You get the cost of everything and you add it altogether and it will give you your total
@Gearóid ÓCiaráin: exactly what is the breakdown? If it’s salary only it’s around 47k per person based on 40 people. Transportation? Equipment?
How much are in the off shore bank accounts. Who managed this accounts. Where are the missing mobile phones ffs
Who feckin cares
Can anyone identify another police band anywhere in Britain or Ireland that uses full time musicians? Pipes? Any type?
have your say