But really, we at Gombeen Nation were ahead of the posse on the subject of Ireland’s eventual economic collapse. OK, the blog has only being going since 2007 (and there were only a few patchy entries that year), but we anticipated the crash long before taking to the Blogosphere. In truth, anyone who wanted to see it, could.
Likewise now, with regard to education. Ireland, having long been a country of net emigration, became a country of net immigration during the boom years. You can see it clearly in areas such as Dublin 15 where there is a large migrant population, many of them naturalised Irish citizens.
But what has been done by our lazy, or negligent, authorities to embrace and help integrate these New Irish - some of whom do not have adequate English - in the field of education? Very little, it seems.
Out of a total of 31 countries studied in the International Migration Policy Index (part funded by the EU) 22 other states surveyed supported immigrant languages and 12 provided outreach to pupils' parents. (Irish Times, Ireland slow to integrate migrants into schools, 1st March).
Ireland, by contrast, has actually cut back on basic English language support in schools. And this in a primary school system of 476,000 children with 45,700 classified as “immigrant pupils”!
What the Irish elite/authorities are doing, in fact, is creating another underclass. They did it before with the country’s indigenous disadvantaged working class, mainly through poor educational policies, lack of opportunity, and ghettoisation. Now they want to repeat the same sorry feat with the New Irish.
Ireland has already dropped from 5th in 2000, to 17th place in 2009 (out of 39 countries)in current OECD/PISA literacy rankings. Yet the Department of Education is doing little to address the changing demographic of Ireland’s young school goers, with only 58 Educate Together primary schools nationwide, and little dedicated support in mainstream schools. At secondary level, there is not one Educate Together school, despite vigorous campaigning. Not one!
As demonstrated before, our powers-that-be are notoriously slow learners. But unless they become proactive on the issue of inclusive education, providing targeted English language support to those who need it - and a subsequently decent education - there are going to be big, big problems down the line.
But being wise in advance is not our authorities' strongest subject... they will probably have to learn the hard way. Again.
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8 comments:
GOMBEEN NATION; Ten steps Ahead!!
One of the reasons that I am attracted to Gombeen Nation is that you have been on the ball on several issues, several times ‘ before the event’. That is largely thank you to the wisdom and perspicacity of your contributors.
I have been searching through the back issues, and Gombeen Nation have got so much right to the point of being prophetic. Anyone who chooses to look back can see clearly that Gombeen Nation’s prognostications about Irish education were far seeing.
Life is a paradox, and Ireland is a plethora of paradoxes, only recently I saw a speech to Irish educationalists on YouTube by The Tanaiste and Minister of Education, Mary Coughlan. The content, syntax and diction in her mumbling speech was atrocious. I associate education with knowledge, meticulousness and rigour of which she had none.
GOMBEEN MATERIAL
Ref: GM "An excellent piece by Fintan O’Toole appeared in yesterday’s Irish Times, entitled “Rich elite due a dose of patriotic punishment”. O’Toole compiled some telling statistics (some from a Bank of Ireland Private Banking report of last year) on the prolificacy of the “boom” years, bought on cheap credit and property-based tax incentives for the rich.
1% of the population in Ireland had assets of EUR 100 billion in 2006".
Ref:GM "Gombeen Man is very definitely an internationalist. But while he cannot see the attraction of patriotism for the vast bulk of the populace, he can appreciate why the Irish “elite” might be well disposed towards it; and why Brian Lenihan might invoke it to appeal to the more stupid of the population at large. The top 1% owns 20% of the wealth, the top 2% owns 30%, and the top 5% owns 40% .
Ref:GM "There were 33,000 millionaires in Ireland in 2006. And most tellingly: During the “Celtic Tiger” years (1995-07) the personal wealth of the top 1% of the population grew by EUR 75 billion". The people laughed and drank on, without noticing the stink of “Tiger Shit” that was on their boots, and in their houses.
Billionaire scumbags like Bono being a self-indulgent, egomaniacal, tax-dodging, moralistic little shit... but I'm always amazed how the Irish public lap it up? If it was Britain, for instance, he'd be slaughtered by the media and the public! It seems that he owes the Irish Government (Irish People) Tens of millions of euros in unpaid taxes.
The Irish hated the British elite upper class system of the Royal Circle (some still do), but they replaced it as with something worse. The British Upper Classes have always known their place (their boundaries), but for the Irish scumbags there have been no boundaries , as shown above with 5% of the people owning everything.
A Dublin ‘wag’ said “ If I heard that there was going to be a British Invasion of Ireland tomorrow, I would be out giving them directions where to go and telling them who to shoot”.
Another bloke said “never mind Britain, if Botswana invaded Ireland, I would jump with joy”
DBMG
Completely agree. If we can see this then those that work in education (Government rather than teachers) must be able to see it too. This would indicate they are unwilling to address the issue. Which would indicate that they do not care.
Based on previous evidence this is depressingly familiar.
E
Ah yesss, alas it's the way here. The powers that be (PTB), I'm sure, had some grasp of consequences of their policies? It really was a continuation of the stupidity from the formation of the state onwards. Systems based on suppression and essentially no imagination. Unfortunately the present reality in the ROI is the same in many other countries, the rampant out of control capitalism over the last decade and half, used people (most notably cheap labour from Eastern Europe and beyond) like products. Not surprising there was never any move to address this fundamental issue over the last two years, from any of the PTB's, inside or out of the ROI. What's the consequences? Well fair and inclusive education is the last thing on the PTBs mind now. All they are interested in is containing the consequences and hence sustaining a certain level of education to feed the jobs market (in the future).
Though with the mess that was the education system since the formation of the state, then it doesn't bode well for those in the early stages of it now.
It's the same old story alright, Anon, Dakota.
Thing is... our rulers are storing up yet more social problems for the future through their neglect (deliberate or otherwise), with privileged interest groups within education (certain teaching and student interest groups) making the most noise on selfish, irrelevant issues, rather than the real, endemic problems within Irish education.
They are the problem.
One of the reasons that I am attracted to Gombeen Nation is that you have been on the ball on several issues, several times ‘ before the event’. That is largely thank you to the wisdom and perspicacity of your contributors.
I have been searching through the back issues, and Gombeen Nation have got so much right to the point of being prophetic. Anyone who chooses to look back can see clearly that Gombeen Nation’s prognostications about Irish education were far seeing.
Life is a paradox, and Ireland is a plethora of paradoxes, only recently I saw a speech to Irish educationalists on YouTube by The Tanaiste and Minister of Education, Mary Coughlan. The content, syntax and diction in her mumbling speech was atrocious.
It was not Mary’s fault, because she was promoted far beyond her capabilities, as stated in the “Peter Principle”: that a person will always reach the point of their own incompetence. I associate education with knowledge, meticulousness and rigour of which she had none.
Ref GM: An excellent piece by Fintan O’Toole appeared in yesterday’s Irish Times, entitled “Rich elite due a dose of patriotic punishment”. O’Toole compiled some telling statistics (some from a Bank of Ireland Private Banking report of last year) on the prolificacy of the “boom” years, bought on cheap credit and property-based tax incentives for the rich.
1% of the population in Ireland had assets of EUR 100 billion in 2006.
Ref:GM Gombeen Man is very definitely an internationalist. But while he cannot see the attraction of patriotism for the vast bulk of the populace, he can appreciate why the Irish “elite” might be well disposed towards it; and why Brian Lenihan might invoke it to appeal to the more stupid of the population at large. The top 1% owns 20% of the wealth, the top 2% owns 30%, and the top 5% owns 40% .
Ref: GM There were 33,000 millionaires in Ireland in 2006. And most tellingly: During the “Celtic Tiger” years (1995-07) the personal wealth of the top 1% of the population grew by EUR 75 billion. The people laughed and drank on, without noticing the stink of “Tiger Shit” that was on their boots, and in their houses.
Ref:GM. Billionaire scumbags like Bono being a self-indulgent, egomaniacal, tax-dodging, moralistic little shit... but I'm always amazed how the Irish public lap it up? If it was Britain, for instance, he'd be slaughtered by the media and the public! It seems that he owes the Irish Government (Irish People) Tens of millions of euros in unpaid taxes.
The Irish hated the British elite upper class system of the Royal Circle (some still do), but they replaced it as with something worse. The British Upper Classes have always known their place (their boundaries), but for the Irish scumbags there have been no boundaries , as shown above with 5% of the people owning everything.
A Dublin ‘wag’ said “ If I heard that there was going to be a British Invasion of Ireland tomorrow, I would be out giving them directions where to go and telling them who to shoot”. Another bloke said “never mind Britain, if Botswana invaded Ireland, I would jump with joy” Another bloke said “why not just sell the F/N place to Rupert Murdoch’s News Corporation, he could buy it with is loose change”?
Thank you very much for your kind comments regarding Gombeen Nation. I always find it encouraging to learn that people find it - a mere blog - to be of some value. It makes running it worthwhile. That, and annoying the people who don't like it, but feel compelled to read it, of course!
Just one thing. As Ireland is a very litigious place, I'll have to say that Bono's (and U2s) "tax dodges" have been perfectly legitimate, this being Ireland. They, like many of the super rich in Ireland, availed of tax shelters such as the Artists's Tax Exemption. That has since been capped of course, and U2 took part of their operation to the Netherlands. Again, perfectly legitimate.
There is a question, though. Do Bono and U2 owe the taxperson millions on moral grounds? I would say so, as Mr Vox never ceases to pontificate on how our tax money is spent, in saving the world and all that. If Bono and U2 had stood up against the Artists' Exemption as an immoral tax avoidance scheme for rich rock stars, they would have had some credit. But no, they actually spoke out in favour of it. That makes them hypocrites and moral imposters, in my book.
Hats off to Van Morrison though. I read somewhere that the Belfast bluesman never claimed on the scheme. If anyone has confirmation of this, I would be very grateful to hear it.
And does he posture about saving the world with our taxes? No.
A MORTAL SIN
I retired from my business in November 2006 and I used the AIB in Ireland, with which I was very pleased. One evening with some friends I was being mildly boastful about the Celtic Tiger and my return on my relatively meagre financial dealings. A person that I did not particularly like and had little regard for Irish people said sternly “get it out now”.
I reflected on what he meant and wondered if he was being spiteful and jealous of Irish good fortune. It occurred to me also that he was not amongst the top range of people in the know, so I guessed that his information was second hand. He could have said. “Is it wise to have your money in Ireland?, or “I’d keep an eye on it if I were you” No!, He gave me a stern warning.
I reflected on what he said and analysed his motivation for telling me, and then I realised it was to impress other important people within his hearing. Upon more reflection, it occurred that he would not have tried to impress others with wrong information, so he must know something. So, I acted forthwith and withdrew the lot. The bank manager in Ireland told me that I would regret withdrawing the money, because things were looking good.
Then I thought,(VERY IMPORTANT) if an arrogant, inconsequential ‘gook’ in Leeds can knew that Ireland is in trouble in November 2006, then significant people in Dublin and elsewhere in Ireland must also have known.
I passed my information on to my family and friends, but sadly they did not take any heed, and have lost a fortune, meaning, virtually, all the equity they had. This is Grand Larceny
There are probably thousands of “tired old men” who have worked in UK for over 40 years and earned a lot of money in anticipation of building a lovely new house in Ireland and enjoying a tranquil retirement, only to have the ‘rug pulled’ from under them, and they are back where they started in early sixties, but broke. If there is such a thing as mortal sin then, this situation is a MORTAL SIN.
I accept that Paul David Hewson a.k.a. Bono and his band adhered to the Irish Tax laws and did not do anything illegal.
Moving part of their multi-million euro song catalogue from Ireland to Amsterdam six months before Ireland ended a tax exemption on musicians' royalties was a sound business decision.
It is acceptable under Dutch tax law, bands are subject to low to non-existent tax rates. He is an astute businessman and he probably thought that his money is better in his possession than in the off-shore account of some wily politician
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