Citizen Journalism Ireland: Published articles on different topics 2009 year. Revised 2020. 10 headings words Tranche (C)

Posted on June 8, 2020 by michelleclarke2015

No. 1

20th September 2009

Awareness, influence from the street up to ensure the
survival of the Island of Ireland and the Rule of Law

Ireland is rapidly being consumed by a recession the majority of our people have no idea about the hardships that come with Recession/Depression. It has been thrust upon them, all within the space of a year, and now unprepared they find themselves with qualifications and no jobs to match.

A greedy bunch of developers funded by greedy bankers have fuelled this recession to a pinnacle that a compliant greedy Government stands alone, afraid, overpaid, making decisions that do not necessarily relate to the ordinary man, woman or child, who are there on the street. Has anyone noticed the increased number of people begging on our streets? Has anybody noticed the shopping centre off Dawson Street already stripped of a number of their exclusive shops? Has anybody noticed that the franchised coffee shops are already feeling the pinch? Then has anybody noticed the number of taxis queued up in all the main streets off the main streets in Dublin City centre? Try talking to a taxi driver who will tell you they have earned only euros 15 for several hours work.

The people press and social networking has a most important role to play. They can contribute to Government in a subtle but effective way. Ordinary people with ordinary observations can make the difference. They live, walk, see, hear and engage in the reality our Politicians have lost through the ‘heady days of the Celtic Tiger’.

Back to this site. View the derelict buildings. Ask what do these derelict buildings do for valuations of properties in their locality? They further cause a reduction in value. What can be done with these buildings? I would suggest if you take an example of Dublin 4 and look to those Georgian squares and streets and all the to let signs and all the quite evidently vacant floors that an inward drive of people indicates that driven urbanisation could be most cost effective. These houses stand resplendid for their period in time and their architecture. We failed in the 1960’s and lost many to slums and then dereliction. Now – are we planning to do the same? We ought to be saying to NAMA / NTMA listen to us also…..we have something to say. We have a way of working out a value per square meter that properties are worth…..we can promote space utilisation by policy decisions….we can suggest appropriate taxes. Just include us and keep us informed.

I would suggest that a form of rates ought to be re-introduced (not a 200 euro tax on mobile homes, and second homes irrespective of income). There is a new Green rule that anyone selling a property or letting out a property must have a BER certificate. This is fine but it will lead to more houses for dereliction. Surely, there is a better way to promote space utilisation. We hear nobody discussing how to make our Georgian Houses properties compliant with the environment and self sufficient. One example is a mirror on the roof space. People out there must have more suggestions. We have had the slums….we should say via green initiatives, that we will not be returning to the slums. Look at Elgin Road. Half the houses cost millions and half are what I would call semi occupied slums that are funded by rent allowance. Is this what humanity is about?

Next time you are on the bus, take a look out for patterns in housing. Look at the houses in Leeson Street that still house many tenants and are in poor upkeep. Then look out for those houses that our probably stuck in limbo due to inheritance conflicts. Look at the beautiful squares say Fitzwilliam, Merrion and think of Mr. O’Gara who caught the locals out and bought the ground rent of the square. He along with others have opened up this park to use of all people……this is positive. This is reviving the history of Rathmines, Donnybrook, Baggot Street, Fitzwilliam Square.

Let us be diligent. Let nobody reduce an area to desolation because buildings are allowed become derelict. Moyross is the obvious answer. Let us take example from the people in Ballymun who revived their community with spirit.

Realistically, we face the proposition that the International Monetary Fund may have to intervene in the running of our Irish Financial affairs. We have one saving grace that may prevent us becoming totally isolated and that is our alignment with the EU. It was this alignment to the EU and euro currency that attracted a lot of US companies to Ireland during the Celtic Tiger. Let us not lose site of this.

It is time to reform and promote community. People need to look out for each other and to support their local shops, their elderly, their young people. In London in the 1950’s and 1960’s, areas around Shepherd’s Bush once homes of the rich famous fell into the hands of people like Rachman … gangsters that were cruel landlords. We don’t want this to happen again and we have power as people to divert this. You see we have a political culture in Ireland, we can sell our history through tourism…….we have Peace on the Island of Ireland and it is our duty to promote it.  @

Michelle Clarke

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No. 2

19th September 2020

To the Open Economic Forum at Farmleigh
Ideation yes but worth looking at the photos of dereliction

 

The Diasporo are to be tapped for ideas.

It was former President Mary Robinson who first highlighted this group of people and a light was left shining at the Aras as a sign to welcome them.

An Taoiseach Mr. Cowen has taken up the mantle and this time there is an Open Forum at Farmleigh, the Phoenix Park, to welcome our Diaspora of importance and influence to help rescue the Island of Ireland from financial ‘ruin’.

As a believer in the power of people and their individuality, I would like to see this particular citizen journalism site highlighted to the Conference Group in Farmleigh to whet their appetites and enthusiasm.

The photos are about the reality that existed during the Celtic Tiger, it represents those properties that still ‘were not attractive enough to encourage investment’ and the investors who upheld the ‘wait and watch’ theory.

NAMA is about discounting properties (no longer in existence) that cost too much, that are partially completed, that need never be completed, that need to be knocked, that need waiver. It is estimated that it will take a decade for prices to return to Celtic Tiger heights but remember this is part of the Casino Economics and it is really all about the best guess.

The Island of Ireland needs to re-market itself, economically, socially and politically. It is about embracing cultures and people power.

Quotation
Fidel Castro (born 1926) – the Cuban Revolutionary. (We certainly could apply the Cuban medical system to our faltering Irish health system).

‘I began the Revolution with 82 men. If I had to do it again, I’d do it with 10 or 15 and absolute Faith.

To those attending the conference and who chose to become tax exiles from Ireland, a thought perhaps from Martin Luther (1483-1546) German Rebel Theologian, opposed to the corruption and abusive power of the Catholic Church

‘God grants wealth to those coarse asses to whom He gives nothing else’

 

Michelle Clarke
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No. 3

20th September, 2009

NAMA and the big Gamble

Nama is a casino gamble. The Question the Irish people have to ask themselves is:

Do you trust this Government, after the chaos with the Bankers and Developers and of course, the members of the legal profession who made millions, who are now those who need to be ‘bailed out’?

It is that simple a question.

I note that certain members of the legal profession are forming a group. Insurance premiums are most costly now thanks to the misappropriation of funds, and breach of trust by certain members of the Profession. What is the story re. Michael Lynn? Where is the Money? Banks in haven locations are now poised to be more open about their ‘hidden sources’ of money. This is the product of the Global impetus of Government heads, the G20, the World Bank, IMF etc to move away from the de-regulation positions that earmarked the past two decades, back to a more regulated ‘mindset’.

Who knows NAMA may be a beneficiary to this change in policy over the next Decade – investments are about assets, commodities, cash, derivatives – yes speculation and people willing to take risks.

Michelle Clarke

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No.4

20th September 2009

Fred. Yes, where are all these people?  Those who we can now call the self nominated ‘Entitled Classes’. Those who gained a little power and abused the ethics, trust and credibility of the people in the Island of Ireland.

Talking about Islands Fred, are you a man from the coast of Galway? I live in Dublin so I too have access to the sea.

A taxi driver (an interesting grassroots conversation on the day of two marches) gave me a paper, mentioned in earlier posting. What an interesting piece of journalism and well worth reading if you have an interest in Ireland as it stands now, on the eve of yet another Referendum!

Title of article reads ‘Irish Resources robbed from the people of Ireland’. The temptation is immediately to think of Shell and Corrib but this article goes far deeper and covers the loss to the Island of Ireland of our fishing waters which it sums up as ‘A Continental Coup’.

Michael O’Driscoll quite rightly asks people to take account of what we the Irish people gave to the EU when we are bleeting about what we received from the EU in the form of structural funds. He goes on to say that we gave up our entire fishing waters, as a price for entry to the EU. So we had to pay a “Fine Price” to enter the EU?

The seas that surround Ireland and Britain are among the world’s richest fishing waters. I must admit to being ignorant about this but now I am going to look into this further. Apparently there were four applicant countries in the 1970’s (Britain, Ireland, Denmark and Norway). The point of major significance is that these four countries amount to 90% of EU fisheries. The legal profession were called upon to find some loophole in the Treaty of Rome so that a deal could be made (what has changed, just look to NAMA). Article 38 1 was the only article that mentioned ‘fish’. They were looking for words that would say “equal access” principle, which was made a condition for EU membership….’right up to the beaches’.

O’Driscoll further comments on the irony that during the same period of time, the United Nations conference had extended the national control of fisheries to 200 miles which meant Britain and Ireland controlled 86% of European Fishery waters.

So we the Irish are far from cap in hand to Europe, I would think.

Then we have the Corrib and Shell to consider. Our Sell out to Corporates for our resources from the sea, oil, gas and who knows what else. The Sea to the Island of Ireland is like the innovative mind of the human being!!

The sea is our history, our emigration, our aquaculture, our fishing, our starvation due to ignorance of the food of sea. We may have costed it too low in the 1970’s as we did not understand its true value to our country and as it transpired to the whole of Europe…The question here is whether article 38 1 is a legally binding?

They say scenery cannot make up for hardship , ‘but Ballyvaughan and its surroundings are rich in scenery. The limestone hills are themselves impressive in their grandeur, there is a wonderful expanse of water in Galway Bay, which must be one of the largest, loveliest and alas least used bays in the world and in the distance across the bay lies Connemara, with its expressively named mountains, the Twelve Pins, ranging across the horizon’ by a man who believed in the wealth of Ireland and the potential.

 

Michelle Clarke

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No.5

26th September 2009

Greens have steadfastly abandoned their Green identity
since their allegiance with FF:  No to Lisbon Vote

 

Can anybody out there qualify why the Tanaiste did not seek the advice of the Attorney General regarding the resignation of Roddy Molloy from his position in FAS.

The Lehman collapse is one year a way now, so surely the Senior Fraud Office and the Department of Justice and Equality have had adequate time to sift out ‘The Good from the Bad’ and put in place laws that would criminalise fraudulent activities. Where is the whisteblowing charter? Are people too afraid to abide by it. Bribery and Corruption is unacceptable now and we must act in a positive way. We need an outcome urgently to the Mahon Tribunal.

When will pay heed to the model of Federal Law in the US? If you interfere in anti-trust or engage in insider trading or trading practices that can result in company bankruptcy, the Federal detectives are active and due process applies with haste. People get serious time prison for bribery and corruption in the US.

Bruce Arnold, a seassoned ‘Chestnut’ has an interesting article in the Indo. today:

he says
‘If we reject the Lisbon Treaty we reject the European Union’ or do we!
‘Many wise and powerful leaders in Europe, including the prime minister of Sweden, who is currently EU president, as well as a former President of France, have dismissed this idea as rubbish, which undoubtedly it is. The two are in fact quite separate. If we pass the referendum it will change the EU it quite radical if not revolutionary ways.

If we do not pass it, we will go on as before. Going on as before is an Irish occupation’

There is dire global economic failure and yet we are holding a second referendum within 14 months in the hope that the people of Ireland will change their vote to Yes to appease our European partners. Meantime, we take a step down the ladder, losing a commissioner, and gaining a lower proportion of votes while other countries with larger populations enter the arena and basically Ireland’s experience because of low demographics, merits what is basically pure demotion.

We need to review the plus side of Ireland. We have achieved a resolution to the Troubles in the North – surely the experience of this counts for something.

We have immigration problems in Ireland but we do not have the same problems as the French or Italians. They call the immigration encapments, the Jungle. Only now do we see examples of these ‘jungles’ on the TV as the French Police raid the sites and demolish the houses. We know that this is done in Harare, in Zimbabwe, and we all shout out again Mugabe but why is it acceptable in Europe. This is the nasty side of demographics for the European Elite.

Ireland is a knowledge economy because it always was. Our origins are monastic settlements where people travelled to Europe to teach. In the last few centuries, priests, nuns and lay persons have continued with this mission to places in Africa, South America, and of course Asia. We have established links with the Japanese, the Chinese, the Koreans, and these are part of the world economic markets of today. We in Ireland via our universities and colleges are teachers of the English language to many peoples from different continents.

Where do the Greens stand viz a viz Tara. It is a polyglot of roads with no appreciation of what could be a world heritage site. What about these Stealth taxes on people who have invested in property, some using investment in property as a source of pension? Now they are left with BER tax, property tax probably no tenants etc. What about all the buildings being held for investments but with no occupation just vacancy in the hope of an investment return e.g. Mountjoy Square – who is going to make these Green. The greens ought to be thinking on their feet regarding property in Ireland. The bulbs they suggest fail to carry a warning list and if you get a chance to see the warning list you will find comments like if you break it ‘don’t touch, don’t use the vacuum cleaner, it contains mercury a dangerour substance.

Does anyone know what happened about the Chromium situation in Cork? This is a really serious crisis yet it is swept under the carpet. Where is the EU in relation to this.

The US have been prompt with a man from Ireland who ‘mis managed waste’ he is to be extradicted.

October 2nd looms. Globalisation was about de-regulation but remember Sterling currency still exists, the Euro exists, the US$ exists, the Yen. They all are about money but money is about commodities and factor of production so Ireland given the North South Stg. Euro connection needs to think a little more laterally.

Reply:

To be Roasted Chestnut

We Irish Just Love Horses.

 by PeteSat Sep 26, 2009 17:13

“Ireland is a knowledge economy because it always was. Our origins are monastic settlements where people travelled to Europe to teach.”

Caligula was not the only person with a carnal interest in horses.

Giraldus Cambrensis informed us that Irish Kings had to copulate with horses in order to be regarded as “proper” Kings.

If you don’t believe me read this:

http://books.google.ie/books?id=XSnDAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA54&lp…false

================

 

No 6

26th September, 2009.

Greens have steadfastly abandoned their Green identity since
their allegiance with FF

by Chestnut – No Vote to Lisbon

Can anybody out there qualify why the Tanaiste did not seek the advice of the Attorney General regarding the resignation of Roddy Molloy from his position in FAS?

The Lehman collapse is one year ago now, so surely the Senior Fraud Office and the Department of Justice and Equality have had adequate time to sift out ‘The Good from the Bad’ and put in place laws that would criminalise fraudulent activities. Where is the whisteblowing Charter? Are people too afraid to abide by it?  Bribery and Corruption is unacceptable now and we must act in a positive way. We need an outcome urgently to the Mahon Tribunal.

When will pay heed to the model of Federal Law in the US? If you interfere in anti-trust or engage in insider trading or trading practices that can result in company bankruptcy, the Federal detectives are active and due process applies with haste. People get serious time prison for bribery and corruption in the US.

Bruce Arnold, a seassoned ‘Chestnut’ has an interesting article in the Independent. today:

he says:

‘If we reject the Lisbon Treaty we reject the European Union’ or do we!

‘Many wise and powerful leaders in Europe, including the prime minister of Sweden, who is currently EU president, as well as a former President of France, have dismissed this idea as rubbish, which undoubtedly it is. The two are in fact quite separate. If we pass the referendum it will change the EU it quite radical if not revolutionary ways.

If we do not pass it, we will go on as before. Going on as before is an Irish occupation’

There is dire global economic failure and yet we are holding a second referendum within 14 months in the hope that the people of Ireland will change their vote to Yes to appease our European partners. Meantime, we take a step down the ladder, losing a commissioner, and gaining a lower proportion of votes while other countries with larger populations enter the arena and basically Ireland’s experience because of low demographics, merits what is basically pure demotion.

We need to review the plus side of Ireland. We have achieved a resolution to the Troubles in the North – surely the experience of this counts for something.

We have immigration problems in Ireland but we do not have the same problems as the French or Italians. They call the immigration encapments, the Jungle. Only now do we see examples of these ‘jungles’ on the TV as the French Police raid the sites and demolish the houses. We know that this is done in Harare, in Zimbabwe, and we all shout out again Mugabe but why is it acceptable in Europe? This is the nasty side of demographics for the European Elite.

Ireland is a knowledge economy because it always was. Our origins are monastic settlements where people travelled to Europe to teach. In the last few centuries, priests, nuns and lay persons have continued with this mission to places in Africa, South America, and of course Asia. We have established links with the Japanese, the Chinese, the Koreans, and these are part of the world economic markets of today. We in Ireland via our universities and colleges are teachers of the English language to many peoples from different continents.

Where do the Greens stand regarding Tara Hill. It is a polyglot of roads with no appreciation of what could be a world heritage site. What about these Stealth taxes on people who have invested in property, some using investment in property as a source of pension? Now they are left with BER tax, property tax probably no tenants etc. What about all the buildings being held for investments but with no occupation just vacancy in the hope of an investment return e.g. Mountjoy Square – who is going to make these Green? The greens ought to be thinking on their feet regarding property in Ireland. The bulbs they suggest fail to carry a warning list and if you get a chance to see the warning list you will find comments like if you break it ‘don’t touch, don’t use the vacuum cleaner, it contains mercury a dangerous substance”.

Does anyone know what happened about the Chromium situation in Cork? This is a really serious crisis yet it is swept under the carpet. Where is the EU in relation to this?

The US have been prompt with a man from Ireland who ‘mis managed waste’ he is to be extradited.

To conclude: October 2nd looms. Globalisation was about de-regulation but remember Sterling currency still exists, the Euro exists, the US$ exists, the Yen. They all are about money but money is about commodities and factors of production so Ireland given the North South Sterling. Euro connection needs to think a little more laterally.

~~~~~~~~

To be Roasted Chestnut

We Irish Just Love Horses.

by PeteSat Sep 26, 2009 17:13

 

“Ireland is a knowledge economy because it always was. Our origins are monastic settlements where people travelled to Europe to teach.”

Caligula was not the only person with a carnal interest in horses.

Giraldus Cambrensis informed us that Irish Kings had to copulate with horses in order to be regarded as “proper” Kings.

If you don’t believe me read this:

http://books.google.ie/books?id=XSnDAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA54&lp…false

===============

No. 7
15th October, 2009
Criminal Assets Bureau. Use the Model when creating NAMA data

26th September headling caught my attention. The title ‘CAB nets Euros 6 million in war on gangster dole defraud.

Tom Brady, Security Editor reported that the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) has ‘deprived gangsters of more that Euros 6 million in social welfare payments since it began targeting them’. Well done.

Apparently a number of social welfare inspectors have been re-assigned to the CAB. This is the news we don’t hear about! These men are actively working to identify and target funds accumulated by criminals.

Now the word criminal is unclear in this article. Does this mean a person who has a criminal record only can be targetted?

If so, what about the alleged Euros 80 million and solicitor Michael Lynn? It is disconcerting to hear people informing the Joe Duffy show that they encountered Michael Lynn on their recent holidays and that they felt quite certain, it was him. Now that the pressure has been placed on TAX HAVENS like Switzerland, Bermuda, the Cayman Islands, Lichtenstein etc, surely we can locate this solicitor and if not arrest him, we need to source where he has invested his funds. There is one thing we must know and that is if he has ‘spent’ the money, there will be a record and if not we can presume it is buried away in some Swiss Bank account. His ‘crimes’ which can only be called alleged in his absence and those crimes of many other financiers give rise to one impact ’cause and effect’. What Lynn and his sterotypes failed to provide for is the collapse of Lehman Brothers and the impact that was a globalised financial crisis and the remedies required to contain it.

If the CAB nets 6 million euros from its war on gangster dole fraud (well done to Mary Hanafin), can we please have more officers appointed to the Criminal Assets Bureau to target the funds of those who in time will be found guilty of fraudulent transactions (as has happened in the case of Madoff – the pyramid man, who will spend the rest of his life in US prison)? If people embezzle funds, the funds must be transferred somewhere via bank account. The CAB was set up in 1996 and has worked ardently and successfully over the years.

If this model works, then adding additional officers makes sense and allocating a task e.g. find tax haven accounts with a focus on the Countries like Switzerland that the US have put pressure on to release details on US tax exiles.

=====================

No. 8

6th October 2009

Challenges to inadequate social policies

Protection of vulnerable sectors in the Community

In the past, I have written about a treasure trove of information much under utilised for parents, for individuals, for children, for the elderly concerned about the future, and for students. It is the EU office in Dawson Street. This is adjacent to the Royal Irish Academy, and St. Anne’s Church which are also a haven for people with time on their hands and a curious mind. They have a coffee centre and for over 50’s they assist people in learning how to use the computer.

The Lisbon Treaty Re-Run has proved one point and that is the splintered groups of socialism that were unable to form the phlanx of NO. We need to ask ourselves now, as a Nation that has said yes to the Treaty, what do we expect from the Government?

At the moment in Ireland domestically, we have serious problems. We have the abuse of taxpayers money by who? Let’s go: FAS, TD’s expenses, Ministers expenses, county councillor expenses, and now as the whole country knows we have John O’Donoghue, Ceann Comhairle of the Oireachtas (above politics) but as Eamonn Gilmore placed a No Confidence Vote in the Dail today for the resignation or dismissal of Mr. O’Donoghue, it raises serious questions.

Doom and gloom abounds for 1 year now. The collapse started with one of the biggest banks in the US – Lehman Brothers and since then economics worldwide are in free flow.

Ireland is in particular disgrace. Led from the front by politicians, bankers and professionals, Ireland is awash with people who have lived lavishly off others and now, without shame, we the ordinary people ask will they be held accountable?

The people have expressed an opinion. The re-run of the Lisbon II Treaty indicated a change in consensus about Europe and support for Lisbon Treaty. This time, we were not influenced by the No campaigners, there was a change of perspective, a change of view, and the fact that the European Central Bank has intervened to support us, all these factors contributed to the Irish people saying Yes to Europe.

Diversity in the Media

A study on Media and Diversity in EU Member States and 3 EEA countries. The manuscript was completed in March 2009.

Immediately, I thought of the Irish citizen journalists. Blogs are popular but citizen journalism sites is more about people press; it is more about the diversity part of the ‘unity’ and an exchange of views. This can be witnessed by using the search topic and say typing in a key word e.g. Peace, Corruption, and the citizen journalism site will take you back a number of years and you will witness for yourselves about a different kind of interaction. Articles written about Tara, and writers like Chris Murray, Sean Crudden introduced us to a broad range of subject including prisons, mental health, suicide, the Peace Process, the Gardai, Child Sexual Abuse, housing, public private partnerships and O’Devaney Gardens.

The ENFO office in Suffolk Street has been closed – an immediate response to An Bord Snip snipes. Let’s now starting looking to the libraries, to Indymedia, to the EU offices, to form that Knowledge platform that the Europeans expect Ireland to have arrived at.

Ireland stands challenged now but where is the Shame? Where is the public Outrage? Do we really want to have a two tier society, the really rich and very poor ‘underclass’. The indicators exist but alas the facts stand that people are already suffering. There are more young people begging on the streets. There are small businesses humbled for small loans to the banks that have been bailed out by NAMA. Old people are worrying what lies ahead of them, will they be able to live on social security, middle aged people are wondering how long will they have to continue to work beyond retirement age and what jobs will they be expected to do? What about third level education? Will people with disabilities, or from poorer backgrounds be able to access third level education? Will young people be able to take responsibility and work and study to pay for education? Do we expect too much of them? What about our prison system? What about life long learning? Why do so many young people quit school before leaving certificate? What about Suicide? I have heard that 5 taxi drivers have committed suicide in the last number of weeks? Who cares about these people?

Regrouping is needed and citizen journalism sites have a broad spectrum coverage but biases hinder the diversity.

For people who are serious about going forward, I would suggest a visit to the EU office and I would highly recommend the book (free of charge) on Media4Diversity – Taking the Pulse of Diversity in the Media to form an underbelly of how to extract from ‘the fatted’ calf of the Celtic Tiger and help us move forward into that Knowledge Economy of the Celtic Tiger.

A positive for us to take account of is: There is now a Whistleblower Charter. People will be free to make revelations and not be penalised by their employers.

Quotation Choice:-

Shell on Trial by Ken Saro Wiwa (1941-95) Nigerian Writer and Activist: Leader of the Ogoni people who were protesting against Shell’s exploration on their land, environmental destruction and human rights abuses. Saro Wiwa was executed with eight others by the Nigerian Government

‘I and my colleagues here are not the only ones on trial. Shell is here on trial…the company has indeed ducked this particular trial, but its day will surely come’.

The power of print and people

Michelle Clarke

===================

No. 9

3rd November, 2009

 

For the attention of Dr Crown, Oncologist.
I greatly admire your outstanding input to the concept of Universal Health and we need direction in the form of vocation, genius and ability.
The Brain Research Trust – The Institute of Neurology (IoN)
Please consider this and I will send you a copy of earlier letter for your convenience.
A reminder from Michelle
I wrote a letter and I referred you to a hospital in the US pledged to Psychiatric Health for over 100 years
I wrote an outline about what I would like to see happen to that ‘Fallen Angel’…. the Royal City of Dublin Hospital – Baggot Street Hospital, Dublin 4, a hospital with a most incredible history, no doubt, and the potential lost through ignorance.
I have TBI and cognitive impairments, chronic fatigue (diagnosed by Physician), bipolar, anxiety, medicated etc. etc.  Today, complications from Lithium poisoning sent me for yet another blood test to check up on organ functions.  I want you to understand that for me being sick equates to an almost full time ‘job’ and that equates to me being valued as a worthless drone on society with potential for underclass categorization.
I went to Vincents.  I was number 59.  We all sat like stool pigeons and all I can say is that almost 2.5 hrs later I had my blood taken.  I noticed on the wall some clever piece of marketing directed at the service user.  The point was that in year 2008 the cost of people not turning up to appointments cost the hospital over euros 3.9 million euros.  Incongruence for No 59 and wasted time for all the remainder in the queue.  I was public, add in the bus trips (pass means no charge) but time wise possibly one hour and exhaustion to follow.  Is there a go slow given the strike that is due on the 6th November 2009?  This is one of the many questions that flips through my head.  With TBI – I have no comparison because that is what groundhog day is.  Then I look at those with carers, and think double time wasted.  Then I look at the wall and I see a note about swine flu but sight is poor and really I can intellectually grasp its content. 
Then I think – what a big hospital.  If the old public health existed like in the days of my father, a 1950’s  public health doctor, then space, location would be utilised to its maximum effect.  Vincents a.m. should allocate a space to a number of GP’s or nurses and all people should gravitate towards the largesse of the hospital for vaccination i.e. if we have enough of a supply!   Supply and demand determines but do we have intellect to make the system work?  I would have thought that the vulnerable waiting for bloods would have been the ideal target group for a medical hospital to target, with immediate affect.  But then the ‘public’ don’t count. 
If I was private, I would attend my ‘clinic’ in the precincts of Vincents no doubt, and I would be neatly packaged, pay my fee, claim it back, and get into my parked car in the car park!!  Time, no doubt if I worked it would be company time and hence have a value!!!  Then I wonder about the notice and appointments.  Nearly 4 million euros lost.  Does this mean private or public?  Or Both?  or private alone!  What about our universal system of health and equality?
I am not bitter.  I just want to ask people to think laterally.  To look to a form of centrism and to consider the potential of Baggot Street Hospital.
People run Marathons in Ireland, in New York.  They raise funds for charities – so many charities but same need questioning also and about expenses and egotism.  Some illnesses are more fashionable than others!  Some hospitals like the Mater have more cudos – their consultants are privileged and have trained for periods of time in the US….top hospitals of course.  That is the snobbery that is destroying the Ireland that evolved from 1916.
Psychiatry, Addiction, Psychology, Neuroscience, …… drug addictions, alcohol addictions….. yes, the neurological calamities ….  Read the American Scientists magazines, there is huge potential in this group of people that may not generate income from production. 
I would ask you to look to the potential of Baggot Street and the resource that can be tapped yes I mean the people.

http://www.brt.org.uk/the-institute-of-neurology-ion

 

 

Irony:  2017 a regular BreastCheck at Merrion Road, Dublin 4, found breast cancer.  Thankfully my mother had VHI cover for me so it was private medicine which provided my treatment.  It was Professor Crown who was my Oncologist.  I wrote book during the period of treatment which he describes as “A sledgehammer to catch a fly” and June 2020 and I am still here so I am a cancer survivor and have proved very resilient during the dark and strange times of COVID-19.

Book title:  Fortune Favours the Brave by Michelle Marcella Clarke, Foreward by Professor John Crown https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1912639610/

 

=============================

No. 10

5th November 2009

Strikes and Unions. How learned are we about our rights and change?

 

Before we strike, let us use the media and look to our near neighbour and the Royal Mail strikes. Times are different, another era was the time of Scargill and the coal miners strikes.

A sound bit of advice is to not get involved in something unless you know what will emerge as the outcome! Last week, there was two day strike at the Royal Mail. The impact is that the ordinary punter became the victim e.g. the person whose medical report got lost in the system and whose disability benefit is cut off for weeks as a result and a whole myriad of other outcomes. Times are different now, Markets are different also. What is the impact of the Royal Mail strike now? Well, now there are rivals and marketeers out there looking for opportunities and like vultures and prey, they are circling. Take an example – and look at online marketing and shopping and the delivery market. This could be a serious chunk of loss for the Royal Mail. I understand that Amazon availed of this opprortunity to market themselves to their clients!!! This is business and opportunity for others.

Unions. We in Ireland are aware of Unions. They paved their way with nationalism from the heady days after World War I. In Britain of the 1970’s, the proportion of British employees in unions was 44.8% but by 2003 this had fallen to 20.3% (refer 2006 study by US bureau of labor statistics). The US, in the same time period saw a fall from 23.5% to 12.4% and France the fall was from 21.7 to 8.3%. Germany, Japan and New Zealand resulted in far greater falls.

Trade Unions indicate a free society in that tyrannical regimes would not tolerate them. Worker representation is vital but this doesn’t mean that equity applies. There is a new paradigm – there is the management groupings and they are represented through the system of bureaucracy and this is what we ought to be aware of. It is this group who have seen their wages rise exponentially over the last few decades to the heady heights of certain trade union officials earning over 100,000 euros, perks, pensions, cars, entertainment allowances etc. This executive class have received wage level rises far in excess of their competence factor. This is evidenced by the CRASH landing we have had.

Union membership has fallen in other countries. We in Ireland need to consider this before the strike campaigns already diarised. We need to consider who joins unions. We need to think about graduates and their penchant for being unionised and does this reflect on the membership. We need consider the impact of the web and work structures (refer: European Trade Union Institute). The reflection is that unions need to engage in adjustments. Did you know that a union in Microsoft opened up via the net to members – it guides IT staff online on job security and healthcare. We could learn from this.

We need to think of who are unions are made up of in Ireland. A large proportion is made up from civil service, healthcare, education bureaucratic and often rigid type bureaucratic structures. Thinking before marching is essential.

How would Jim Larkin mobilise forces now is a question we ought to consider?

Michelle Clarke

2017 a regular BreastCheck at Merrion Road, Dublin 4, found breast cancer.  Thankfully my mother had VHI cover for me so it was private medicine which provided my treatment.  It was Professor Crown who was my Oncologist.  I wrote book during the period of treatment which he describes as “A sledgehammer to catch a fly” and June 2020 and I am still here so I am a cancer survivor and have proved very resilient during the dark and strange times of COVID-19.

Book title:  Fortune Favours the Brave by Michelle Marcella Clarke, Foreward by Professor John Crown https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1912639610/

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Citizen Journalism Ireland: Published articles on different topics 2009 year. Revised 2020. 10 headings 6,600 words Tranche (B)

Posted on June 7, 2020 by michelleclarke2015

via Citizen Journalism Ireland: Published articles on different topics 2009 year. Revised 2020. 10 headings 6,600 words Tranche (B)

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Citizen Journalism Ireland: Published articles on different topics 2009 year. Revised 2020. 10 headings 6,600 words Tranche (B)

Posted on June 7, 2020 by michelleclarke2015

No. 1

24th August 2009

Economic and Social history origins
and NAMA https://www.nama.ie/about-us

 

Yes, there is recession, even depression, but at grass roots level and by forming communities we can halt the decay that is already so visible.

I was talking to someone who had been over around the Meath Street, Francis Street, Thomas Street, Dublin City area a.m. and all they could say, was that an area which has a rich (even if impoverished history) is visibly showing the signs of the recession. Shops are closing, money is scarce and this makes it a hunting ground for petty thieves, burglaries etc. This does not have to be the outcome. We have learnt too much from previous times in our City of Dublin.

Libraries and bookshops are great havens to look up and study the history of our country and our people. Most libraries provide computers at no charge and if the librarian is keen, well they will show you how to link up.

A random choice of book in a Dublin bookshop gave me great insight to a part of our history that has been wiped away. The book was written by Mary Daly on the population decline and an Independent Ireland 1920-1973. Previously in another book shop I had heard a man explain about the Congested Districts Board http://goldenlangan.com/congesteddistricts.html and how so many Irish people who worked towards the creation of the new independent Ireland had their works submerged by the new elites, which in 1920 of course, was Cumann Na Gaedheal, De Valera’s party only gained power in 1932.

What I find fascinating about history is the formation of patterns and more so the patterns that tend to repeat themselves, mainly because of the impact of economics and financial markets, the commodities market, even the price of gold or oil.

We are all alert to NAMA (and the NTMA https://www.ntma.ie/about-the-ntma) that is in the process of being established. The offices have been chosen at Treasury Holdings near the old Bolands Mills site. The website is worth a look because it shows the structure of what NAMA/NTMA will be and how it will best implement buying back toxic debts from the many developers standing shame faced at present. They are not alone because the banks play a very strategic role in lending funds way above the asset values of the securities.

Back to history. I found out this interesting bit of history in the book mentioned above. It was about the Irish Land Commission https://www.historyireland.com/volume-22/records-irish-land-commission/. There was a problem at the time of the formation of the State (not like now) with serious depopulation of our rural areas. The decline in population forced the Government to intervene. However, what we fail to recognise is that there was a body at work known as the Congested District Board whose function was to transfer land from the “Landlord class” to the occupying tenants. The British established the Congested Districts Board in 1903 whose function was to purchase large tracts of land in the western counties. The concept is not too far removed from that initiated by Bacon and associates and proposed establishment of NAMA. The problem that the Congested District Board encountered was that the quantity of land was always insufficient. At the onset of the 1st World War, the British ended the function of the Congested District Board.

Ireland, paved a path towards independence with the view of a group of nationalists that England’s misfortune, is Ireland’s opportunity….There was the Rising by a relatively small group of men and execution of the 1916 Leaders…..At the time of the 1st Dail in 1919 there was an urgent need to curb social unrest and land hunger was top priority. Land Courts were devised to determine priorities for land re-distribution and similar I suppose to NAMA; a Land National Bank financed the creation of 35 co-ops i.e. Land Societies (this did not in fact work out with a fall-out within a few years).

When the Government of the Free State came to power in 1923 it completely abolished the Congested District’s board and by consequence a lot of work done by others appointed since 1903. The aim was to reform the Land Commission. The need was to access land by small payments so that it could be re-distributed to the declining population in our rural locations. Farms were divided and sub-divided. By 1934, the government was again under pressure and had to give a further undertaking to create as many as 4,000 holdings. Again, the Land Commission was unable to meet this target.

Between 1931 and 1949 (Ireland had opted for Neutral position WW2), the number of agriculture holdings had fallen by 17,000 while the Land Commission had taken over 2,700 farms and subdivided them into as many as 12,000 holdings at avg 21 acres per holding.

This forms the foundation of our State and Independence. It concerned the movement of capital assets i.e. land from one minority group of people to a majority. It is a similar approach to that taken by President Mugabe in Zimbabwe. We witness the discontent that exists in that country. It is true to say that we in Ireland had a more favourable transition i.e. until now.

I suppose what I am trying to say is that we moved from individuals in one minority moving to the Irish Sweepstakes, Celtic Tiger, minority in less than 100 years. What have we learnt and how can we survive without embracing social unrest.

NAMA/NTMA are faced with a challenge. The banks have built up a stock of toxic assets that are supposed backed by adequate securities by the developers who took out the loans in the first instance. Meantime, there has been a world financial crisis and the ripples have spread risk far and wide.  What we don’t know is will this turbulence cease soon or will we face a decade or more of depression? What we can do is remain alert to world market movements and Hope.  Meantime, it is up to us to become more forcused on anti-corruption, fraud, and seeking out those who have blatantly abused the power of trust over people and send them to prison.

Look to Exxon in the US.  Corruption is a most serious crime against the State. The time for change is upon us. UBS Switzerland in a landmark decision in the UK  and they have to reveal the details of as many as 5,000 account holders who are deemed to be evading tax.

Dale Carnegie ‘Look to the day For yesterday is but a dream and tomorrow is only a vision. Today well lived is a dream of happiness.

Michelle Clarke

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No. 2

1st September 2009

Politics.
Will the Lisbon Treaty foresake
our cultural standing in the Community?

 

‘Divorce in Ireland and a keen solicitor will advise you about the second bite of the cherry? Well what is the position of Irish citizens to the Lisbon Treaty, yes a replay of the referendum held last year when the vote of the Irish people was No.

I note with interest a letter written to Geraldine Kennedy, Irish Times, written by Anthony Couglan, Senior Lecturer Emeritus in Social Policy, TCD, who is also President of the Foundation for EU Democracy, Brussels and a director of the National Platform EU Research and Information Centre.

The word that catches my attention most is ‘Social Policy’.

If the Ireland of today was to be compared to the Rome of Nero’s era, it would be summed up as ‘Fiddlers! (Nero), while Dublin and its environs burns’. Too much corruption, I would suggest and a lack of sanctions by Tribunals, too fat from fees.

Mr. Coughlan, has given considerable time to the Lisbon Treaty and the forthcoming referendum. He refers to the Crotty case in 1987 on the Single European Act … from which the current referendum Act is derived.

Question to Editor, Irish Times from Mr. Coughlan

Last October, ‘on exactly the same Treaty as is being presented to them again in the 2nd October re-run’ – is there a scent of discrimination to No side advocates and media coverage?

If so, is this democratic?

Also:- What is the real truth about the Treaty and is Ireland the only representative to be voting on such an important Treaty and it what it entails. The question is: Is this a proposal to make 500 million Europeans into ‘real citizens of the legally new Federal-type European Union which the “Lisbon Constitution” would establish.

Mr. Coughlan raises 5 more points.

Question 1

‘Are people happy to be made real rather than symbolic citizens of a post-Lisbon Federal European Europe which for the first time would be constitutionally separate from and superior to its Member States, with a new EU Constitution, with the new EU’s Constitution having primacy over the Irish Constitution’

Personally, I would find this difficult to accept. The Peace Process 1998, the Unity of Ireland and the dream, the place of Ireland as a “Peacemaker” in the world, stand economically challenged. The experience of the Peace Process must have a worth versus the demograpic option assuaged by the Lisbon Treaty.

I agree with Mr. Coughlan. A citizen is a member of a State and in our case in Ireland, we are citizens of Ireland. Post Lisbon could change this.

Question 2

Could it possibly be in Ireland’s best interest that post Lisbon Union that European law-making ought to be based on population size? Do we realise that Germany’s vote would increase to 17%. Let us recall the significance of the decision of the Irish people in 1973 to join the EEC, France, Germany, Britain and Italy had 10 votes each and Ireland had 10 votes. The ratio was 3:1 Today the Big States have 29 votes each and Ireland has 7 – a ratio of 4:1

I ask why would we want to dilute our powers? Does life experience not count for something? We have become a training ground for many europeans who have come to Ireland to work, study and learn English since 1973. Surely this counts?

Question 3

Can it be in Ireland’s best interest to lose the right as to who would represent us in Europe?  More importantly the right to make that decision. We would lose out on an option to propose laws.

Question 4

‘Lisbon would abolish the national veto which we have at present in 30 policy areas by handing over to the EU the power to make laws binding on us with regard to public services, policing, crime, justice, the harmonisation of legal procedures, immigration, transport, tourism, sport, culture, public health?

This really is pertinent. What areas would we be left with so that our own policy machine, our system of the Rule of Law, the Separation of Powers would have precedent. We need to review our history from Independence to date and feel confident that an abrogation of such power is fully acceptable to the people of Ireland and this means the Island of Ireland.

Question 5

This raises a most interesting view. It say’s – it will not be the end of the world if Lisbon is not voted in. If we vote No – interestingly it stands that the Czechs and the Polish will not ratify the Treaty.

This again is interesting. Is it not so that Ireland has been a second home to both the Czech and Polish citizens during the period of the Celtic Tiger. I must add this was greatly assisted by Ryanair and the initiative of Mr. Michael O’Leary for a no frills service to European destinations. It also could be the case that Germany may not have ratified the Treaty before the Irish vote.

Have you further views on this NO position. This is about the real nucleus of what we the Irish (members since 1973 albeit not the most populated country)?

Simplistically, imagine you are a board member of a large public company, and a merger or take-over is decided upon. Let us assume you are a director and your place is secured in the take over as director. What then if you were to be demoted to say management level with no real input. What if you had dedicated years of work, experience, capital etc. to the company taken over……..! (Imagine Ryanair) and Mr. O’Leary’s entrepreneurial abilities!

Michelle Clarke

======================

Liveline, RTE

No. 3

3rd September 2009

Today September 2nd 2009, at approximately 2.15 p.m. RTE  Liveline, Damian O’Reilly, the presenter, could hardly contain his emotion, one could feel his voice trembling.

Across the Island of Ireland, young couples phoned in, viz a viz nannies, and mums, suffering from conditions such as alzheimers.  As one woman put it, ‘I stay in bed awake into the early hours wondering about my mum – is she okay in the bedroom next door – I don’t have any help from a nurse or a health board.  My children suffer the pain of watching their nanny stand before us with her pants down and excrement on her hands’.  This is the hidden reality of modern Ireland today and Sinn Fein are not in tune with the ordinary people on the ground.

Other stories covered the costs between euros 4,000 approx. per month to maintain loved ones in a nursing home and shortly with the cut backs the relief fund will no longer exist.  One woman in tears, on today’s Radio, said, in her own words, ‘I stood crying over my mother’s grave, her name was Catherine, I am glad she has died because now I will try and pay back the debt I am in, the funds paid being nursing home fees.  People say that a Nation is judged on how they treat their vulnerable and elderly, well Shame on Ireland, Shame on our Government, Shame on the Opposition, and above all Shame on the Medical Profession and others in the HSE who try to hide the growing numbers of people left to such horrid predicaments.

John O’Donoghue, FF, Leader of the House, now a disgraced TD, in anyone’s moral opinion could spend euros 562,000 on expenses for the last two years, on private jets, chauffeurs, limousines and top hotels.  It has now in the last 24 hours emerged that he went to a conference on poverty and his hotel costs per night was euros 1,100.  But tonight, I am putting the question to Sinn Fein who seem to be stuck in a quandary of no direction and above all no leadership and I am going to now outline why:-

A friend of mine phoned your office today.  He tried to highlight what was spoken about on RTE 1 and the pain of the people phoning in.  The reply he received from the secretary/assistant was cold, calculated and completely indifferent.  ‘I will pass on the message, Goodbye’.

Sinn Fein held a conference in Navan, Co. Meath, last month.  The Dogs in the Street know that there are problems – there is no interaction, there is no feedback and it took Martin Ferris’s daughter to scream ‘Stop – where are we going as a party?’.   Adams may know Northern politics but let us get real here.  There is a major difference between that and Southern life.  Tonight I ask the question – Why the Indifference?  I am a member of a group of people – 365,000 majority in Dublin (Disabilities).  If Mary Lou had got one tenth of their vote, she would be an MEP now but as always Sinn Fein don’t respond to letters or emails.  So Good Luck to you. 

Keep on going the way you are going Caoimhin and I predict if there was to be an election in the morning, your seats in Dail Eireann would be halved sadly.

Now all I ask is – Stop the Greed.  Stop Money, Money, Money.  People have asked me in cafes and hotels – anytime I try to access Sinn Fein, I need to sign up and in certain cases pay a fee.  Get back to the grassroots among the people and get a prescription of honest Common Sense.

Regards

Michelle Clarke

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3rd September 2009

No. 4
Imagine The Mayor of London Boris Johnson is meeting
Charlie McCreevey
Europe’s Single Market https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Single_Market

Well, it is the truth. Yes, there will be an exchange. Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, is campaigning against tighter financial regulations on hedge funds and private equity funds by the EU and certain directives. This will make for an interesting exchange. My hope is that those in NAMA, the Department of Finance here in Ireland, the Yes Votes, the No votes, will take time to listen to their exchange.

The world is about Finance and financial markets need to be monitored, sometimes cushioned, sometimes they need more regulation and in cases like over the last number of years, the pattern was governed by Globalisation and for this free flow of funds, the fact is de-regulation had to be engaged in.

What is important for the Irish people to realise is that ‘we don’t want to throw out the baby with the bath water’. We need to listen, to hear, and even piggy back on the experience of others.

Boris Johnson was the Daily Telegraph’s correspondent in Brussels from 1989 – 1994 and he was colourful in his reporting. Do you recall the headline ‘Threat to British pink sausages’. He kept the headlines going making people aware that the EU could become a massive super-state capable of smoothering Britain with copious directives of no relevance.

Remember the Institutions of the EU were also subject to fraud, nepotism and mismanagement. In fact, the Commission had to resign in 1999.

In Ireland, we like to blame and criticise but sometimes we need to accept that others know a little more than us and are ultimately acting in the best interests of the overall purpose.

We await the news from the meeting with Mr. McCreevy… Again….Lisbon II, will remove Ireland as an EC Commissioner in the top tier. Is this equitable based on the argument of demographics as distinct from our vast experience?

Michelle Clarke
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No 5
3rd September 2009
Curb the Bureacracy is the first priority
before taking a 2nd vote on Lisbon

No to Lisbon


NO Again

The sentiment is high at present in Ireland. FF ratings are lower than ever and people are beginning to think, for the first time in a long time, about our country and where we stand in relation to the EU and the world in general.

They have told us that we are moving forward towards a ‘Knowledge Economy’ so let us embrace the notion and set up the necessary “think tanks” to secure our basic needs. We need to look to Broadband first, we need to look to the speed of broadband and the coverage we were promised and which now is an “if” and a “maybe”. Broadband is part of Ireland’s ‘Finery’ of the present, it is the marketing of our Knowledge economy, with a worldwide audience to be tapped into. It is the language of our young people but more importantly of our life-long learners. This is where we have arrived at in Ireland. We have moved to the new brigade of life-long learners and the time has come to promote it. We also need to take account of the input of people with disabilities to our Society. No longer can we stereotype people, we just have to listen to programmes on RTE like “Outside the Box” or “Mind Matters” to see how we have penetrated new sources of ideas and direction.

There is another group of people we need to note. If you read the EU literature you will find the group called the”Intergenerational” people. Yes, people are living longer, people are having children later in life but demographics have identified a problem of a sandwich group of people caught in the middle of both minding parents and minding children. Gerontology studies are now being carried out in the leading Universities worldwide and even here in Ireland (between Trinity College and St. James’s Hospital. All of this leads to a generative group of people staving off old age and promotion of greater activity between generations.

No Again…..We must look to the advantages also of EU membership and a lot of work has been done for socially excluded groups of people as above. However, this does not take away from ‘the gravy train mentality’ and the burdensome ineffective and wasteful bureaucracy that has built up at the EC over the last 40 years.

EU as with other bodies are highly focused on the word standardisation. Perhaps now, more than ever, after the hectic Celtic Tiger, we need to become more aware of those who wish to impose ‘standards’. We have a banking crisis but we also must acknowledge that inspite of deregulation we in Southern Ireland have benefited for nearly two decades from the incentivised banking that was part of the Tax break system. Ok I agree, that the problem is that rather than lessen the social divide, we may have deepened it but then the answer to this will only come from future research.

What we have is NOW and what we need to do is to embrace the knowledge economy and read books recently recommended by say Vincent Browne and others (e.g. The Spirit Level, or Putnam Bowling Alone). There are answers.

Michelle Clarke
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No 6

6th September, 2009

The Greens…Mary Harney PD…
Synergy and Connectivity and the proposed YES vote for the Lisbon Treaty

 

There is no harm in taking a quick skip and jump through this site before you finally decide to vote on the Lisbon Treaty. Yes, the Treaty, we the citizens of the State of Ireland, have already democratically voted No to.

Last year, bear in mind the crisis that we are in throes of now, was just about to happen. Now individually, we are feeling the outcome, as jobs are lost, developers are in the commercial courts, banks are on the brink of nationalisation with the life buoy named NAMA as a safety net for both the Government and the Developers and of course the people of Ireland i.e. their best interests view.

The Greens have had their way with the light bulbs – the old version are on their way out and are being replaced by a poorer quality supposedly cheaper i.e. 5 euro approximately with a most definitely insufficient illumination by contrast to what people expect from their ‘lights’. Rumour has it that the Germans may reconsider the issue of bulbs….I wonder why? I would suggest it is to do with efficiency and effectiveness. Surely it is bad for ones eyes to work in poor light conditions.

The No vote. Has any noticed Iceland these days? It was one of the first countries to seriously hit the wall when the financial crisis started in the last 12 months. Icelandic investors had invested heavily in the British retail outlet market and they suffered. Their currency is not Euro as we all know so this left them even more exposed. Now, the EU have another country in sight for inclusion. It is a country that has maritime advantages with the potential of oil and ultimately aquaculture. It would be a good idea for those on the “No” side to the Lisbon Treaty to examine the Iceland approach to joining Europe and the why not aspect in particular. They are reviewing the offer to join the Euro……

Does anyone remember the Ansbacher accounts? This is about the investigative powers of the Revenue and the collection of hidden resources by individuals in Ireland in offshore accounts? We still await the decision of the Mahon Tribunal and if the truth pertains, further arrests for corrupt practices, can be expected. Large tranches of money have been paid back to the revenue, the details of which are there for all to see on the www.revenue.ie site. It is worth viewing.

I note there is an Amnesty concession now in the UK. We in Ireland have already gained handsomely in the 1990’s and in this decade from ‘Amnesties’.  In the UK the ‘net’ is closing in on wealthy investors who have not paid tax on their assets abroad (these could be in Ireland also). The financial advisers stress the effect this will have on countries that provide havens for such investors. In the UK, the New Disclosure Opportunity started on Tuesday 1st September so HM Revenue and Customs is on the prowl and offering the enticement of reduced penalties (something similar to what we did in the past but which we ought to take account when assessing the Lisbon vote).

Many havens exist for the wealthy e.g. Liechtenstein, Jersey, Guernsey, Switzerland, the Cayman Islands, Barbados. It is said that the UK legislation will put pressure on these tax havens as people in the UK with overseas accounts will feel pressurised to declare the funds via the Amnesty concessions.

Here is an opportunity for the Irish. Maybe we can put pressure on some of our “Tax choice exiles” to invest in their home country rather than fund money with low income in return in havens that really in no way benefit Ireland.

I would go so far as to say that the Amnesties proposed in the UK are also being pushed into play by the Germans, the French, the Italians and many other countries at present. If this is so then the balance sheets of countries may change in a most significant way and to the benefit of the EU. I ask does Ireland want to be in democratic deficit when this happens. I say no. Why? Because in the 1990’s we were ahead of the posse with amnesties and tribunals. If we proceed to conclude the Mahon Tribunal with haste, we too will alter our standing and will clearly be able to apply Transparency, Ethics, Accountability as the new Credo going forward in Europe. The Island of Ireland is interesting when you think two of the major currencies exist within its realms. The EU euro and the UK stg. The significance of this is simply trade. If I receive my pension from the UK and it is transferred to my Irish account, the transactions moves through Citibank so between charges, currency rates, I receive less than I would have last year…..by quite a considerable percentage!!!

No vote…this is worth considering.

Michelle Clarke

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No 7

 

7th September 2009
Pete: Ask the Farmers!!! Ask the Germans!!!

Green Culture…..Europe is enveloping the Green Culture but Ireland???

The Village magazine September 2009 raises an issue that I believe needs considerably more attention.

Eco tourism is what Ireland ought to be looking towards. Yet if you look around our Capital City, you will witness Georgian Mansion after Georgian Mansion with ‘To Let’ signs up outside the main hall doors. Those hall doors that are to be found on postcards and holiday brochures. If there was a utility tax and it could be proved who actually owns the properties and the wealth factor, then we could have quite a viable bit of construction work for employees in Ireland. These Georgian Squares are neglected and why? Who owns these houses? We must at all times remind ourselves that Dublin was the second city of the British Colonial Empire, and these buildings are the remnants and most importantly our pivotal to our tourist industry.

Lisbon II. The Treaty. How many people will come out and vote. I believe the average in Europe is circa 58%, yes a declining number of people voting each time. This Treaty holds all kinds of questions that need to be answered.

The media bite in the Village is titled DECadence. It suggests that one imagine the frugal man and ‘unstoppable recycler, composter, and light-extinguisher’. This man reads George Monbiot. In the meantime, we note that our own ENFO Library and source of all environmental information has been first on the Government hit list to be closed down – to which I can only as where are the Green’s in respect of such a dramatic cut back.

Ireland apparently has carbon emissions that stand at 16.7 tonnes per person per year while the EU average is 11 and Sweden’s are down at 7.4. Apparently, according to Friends of the Earth, Dublin is showing that we are way behind the EU legislation passed in 2002. This states that every building over 1,000 square meters has to display an energy performance certificate – yes, the Display Energy Certififcate or DEC. This Directive was to be put into effect by January 2009. Where are we? We are talking about the Lisbon Treaty and yet the enforcement of a directive such a this seems so far down the priority list. I am wondering has An Bord Snip reviewed it but then maybe NAMA will be more creative in its thinking. NAMA has become the marketer of toxic debts but we all must coax them to promote where possible making what is toxic non toxic and saleable and in this comply with the EU directives.  It is suggested that there are over 5,000 buildings and the savings projected amount to some Euros80 m. The Friends of the Earth have gone further in that they suggest that many of our public buildings show very poor energy ratings.

There appears to be a bureaucratic nightmare in property. We see lots for sale, to rent, left vacant, under utilised but do we ever ask the question how effective the system is.  Go to the estate agents, their web screens, their integration of advertising, yet houses are not being let out. Then we have the added charges like 200 euro tax landlords, the supply demand equilibrium theory swayed in favour of the tenant and now the landlord has to improve the standard of the property and the costs, okay the interest rates are low but then what about the negative equity. If your house is vacant for several months (as most are), you have to pay high fees for reconnection of ESB, then add the EU BER directive and all other costs.

I reckon if the Govt keep adding taxes to the property owners, we will find ourselves in cash flow problems and in turn will lead to massive underutilisation of property space and in turn dereliction. There is an excellent site with photos on a Citizen Journalism site – the focus is mainly derelict properties, the product of earlier recessions. We need to learn from experience. It may be a good idea for the Irish people to ‘twin’ themselves with say ‘Sweden’ as we share a Viking history and other factors. Sweden, as far as I am aware did not joint the Eurozone so has a tailored membership of the EU.

Michelle Clarke

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No. 8

10th September, 2009

The Greens and Banking Culture

 

Green Culture is in the news again today. The Greens have made a statement that impacts on NAMA. The decision is to remove directors with settlement packages (no doubt) from the Boards of certain banks. They purport that the banking culture has changed. Tomorrow’s news will reveal the fine details of this ‘management culture’ exercise.

The Hiring and Firing game perhaps should have taken place earlier on but it didn’t and one ought to ask the question is it such a wise decision now? This Green culture sponsored ultimatum is likely to result in the departure of 10 Bank of Ireland directors and 8 from Allied Irish Bank, as well as personnel from other institutions. There is a motive for the Greens. Dramatic change will enhance their position and will assist their members in making the decision to vote in favour of NAMA legislation. The meeting is on Saturday. This could be referred to as short-terminism and perhaps even rash.

I wonder where the Green banking culture stands in relation anti-corruption. Have the Greens got a view on the Mahon Tribunal and the lack of definite time span that has allowed it to just flow with no decision in the year 2009, almost 10 years since inception?

Surely, we need the review and we need to weed out any corrupt influences therein. We also need to stop the large payments to the legal profession for services rendered on time allocation and exceptionally high rate. After all, the state has asked landlords to reduce rents via people who receive rent allowance.

Meanwhile, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy is taking a strong look at corrupt practices via his anti-fraud team. It was announced today Gardai are preparing to interview a list of key figures in Anglo Irish bank loans and deposits scandal. There is an established Fraud Bureau with assigned detectives as well as investigators from the ODCE (Director for Corporate Enforcement). There are 20 officers employed at the Garda Fraud Bureau to speed up the process. How wise?

We need to take account of the Green Banking Culture but we also need to alert ourselves to the speedy deliverance of evidence of fraud and corruption. Enforcement as happened through the auspices of the CAB is the order of the Day surely. I would like a Green to speak out on this.

Michelle Clarke

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No. 9

September 11th, 2009

 

Greens Symbiosis and the need to look to the NO to Lisbon side too

 

Some further pointers for people considering the No vote to Lisbon Treaty. This is extracted from correspondence from Mr. Anthony Coughlan, Senior Lecturer Emeritus in Social Policy, Trinity College, Dublin and President, Foundation for EU Democracy, Brussels, and Director, the National Platform EU Research and Information Centre, Dublin.

Mr. Couglan approaches the Lisbon II Treaty in a more separtist way. He clearly feels that the Treaty would transfer more competences to the post-Lisbon EU. He further holds that these competences that are being transferred are more than ever before as in the case of the 1986 Single European Act, the 1992 Maastricht Treaty, the 1998 Amsterdam Treaty or the 2001 Nice Treaty.

Mr. Coughlan is of the view that the Lisbon II Treaty would transfer power to Brussels and that Ireland would no longer be able to use their national veto, this power to veto would in fact be abolished. This would in effect mean that in excess of 30 areas of new superanational law-making (including important areas such as Crime, Justice and Policing, would become the responsibility of ‘Brussels’. Other areas would likewise be covered by ‘Brussels’. How will this apply to say the Island of Ireland given that the UK opted to remain out of the Euro, as did certain other European countries.

Mr. Coughlan also asks why is the Lisbon II Treaty not referred to as a Constitution? Another valid point worth considering is that National Parliaments are given no new ‘power’ of any kind under Lisbon. They would in fact lose their present powers to legislate in as many as 30 different areas, and this would transfer to the people who would elect them, who would also lose their right to decide in those specific areas also.

Another point to be considered by the Greens is the comments made in the Irish Times by the Swedish Minister Fredrik Reinfeldt, the current holder of the EU presidency (article 5th September). Mr. Reinfeldt, stated that “If it is a No, then we keep on with the Nice Treaty”. He further elaborated by saying

“There is a deep respect for the political processes and democracies. We have had ‘NO’ referendums in other countries as well. It is important to see very time that the EU has a openness to listen. This will not affect the possibility of Ireland to have influence”

Wise words, I would think and words worth consideration before the vote to Lisbon Treaty on October 2nd 2009.

Sweden has encountered a similar economic crisis to the one we are facing at the moment. NAMA is about to be created as an entity. The decision of the High Court has been passed in relation to Developer Mr. Carroll. We can learn from Sweden surely.

Michelle Clarke
=====================
No. 10
18th September, 2009
Lisbon Vote NO.

The Power of Peace


Did anyone hear Mr. Coughlan, from Trinity College Dublin, on the radio the other morning and his learned argument for the NO Vote to Lisbon.

Swift, I read your posting and was interested in your comments so I now have access to Mr. Coughlan’s emails on why Ireland ought to Vote NO to Lisbon, and in particular when we voted NO last year. Yes, the EC President from Sweden makes an interesting point about the Nice Treaty.

Ireland has a unique experience which manifests itself in its formation as the Island of Ireland, post Peace Process (Good Friday Agreement 1998). We must not forget the significance of the Belfast Agreement, the forging ahead by members of States who collectively wanted to bring about Peace in the Island of Ireland. We can all surely recall the significance of the meeting of ‘Two Giants’, the Reverend Ian Paisley, on one side, and our own Taoiseach, Mr. Bertie Ahern, and the significant exchange of token gifts. The Revd. Ian Paisley gave a ‘Musket’ and now therein lies a mystery.

Mr. Coughlan’s email is of interest today so I will pass on some relevant points:-

Mr. Coughlan suggests that there is a ‘Power-Grab’ by the Big States, for control of the EU. Just imagine, the EU would halve the voting rights of Ireland from 2% to 0.9% while Germany would have a vote of 16%. Meantime, the voting rights of France, Britain and Italy would increase from 8% to 12%. Is this acceptable to citizens of Ireland who joined the EEC as far back as 1973.

Presently, “double majority” is the system in operation. This is a simple majority of the 27 EU States (14 or more), as long as between them, there is a weighted majority of 255 out of the total 345 votes, this is the outcome.

Why Change?

It is worth reviewing why the Big States have 4 times the voting WEIGHT of Ireland. Then ask the question about the Big Four EU States having half the voting power on the EU Council of Ministers under the POST-LISBON voting rules, ‘as compared with one third of the weighted votes they have at present.

This is worth noting…given the NAMA revelations of just yesterday.

The new Lisbon based voting system: This would make it much easier for Germany, France and Brussels Commission to impose sanctions on Ireland, ‘up to and including limitless fines, under the rules of the Eurozone if we fail to get our 12% of GDP budget deficit down to the 3% target level for Eurozone, according to whatever time-limit they should decide’.

I would suggest this is of priority concern presently in the face of our financial and economic crisis presently. This is a real abrogation of Power that could equate to times of yore when Ireland’s economic dependence rested on Britain and tarriffs applied as a penalty factor during WWII.

The difference is that our Central Banks powers will be further curbed and we must remember that agreeing to opt for the EURO in the 1990’s meant a forfeiture of control by Central Bank Ireland to ECB.

We need to realise also that Sterling remains in existence and Sterling applies to the North of Ireland where the Euro applies to the South. Regulation and de-regulation and globalisation need further explanation in the media market place than presently available.

Do we really want to lose the right to decide who will be Ireland’s Commissioner? Ireland has a unique status in the world. We have the US connection but we also have connections with the African continents, with South America, the Asian continents through our Catholic Church and missionaries. We also speak the English language and this surely is an advantage that makes us competitive as distinct from a focus on demographics yes ‘headcounts’. We are supposedly moving upwards to an Knowledge Economy status.

Where are the 12 Musketeers…..to make the Island of Ireland stand tall amidst the Big 4?

Finally. Do we really want to give the EU the Constitutional form of STATE?
Do we really want to be regionalised? Is it part of the Irish psyche yet!!

Michelle Clarke

Writing has proved very important.  2017 BreastCheck screening found a lump.  While going through treatment “Sledgehammer to catch the fly” as Professor Crown sums it up, I wrote my book  Fortune Favours the Brave.  https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1912639610/

 

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Citizen Journalism Ireland: Published articles on different topics 2009 year. Revised 2020. 10 headings 5300 words

Posted on June 6, 2020 by michelleclarke2015
5th June 2009

Watched the programme on John Carthy, https://www.irishtimes.com/news/remembering-john-carthy-with-hope-1.355975 “murdered” at Abbeylara.  The Barr Tribunal http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/PR07000911and I ask the question “Have we seriously advanced our knowledge about neuro-psychiatry?

Mental illness is very real to our society.  Asylums, the word dates back a century or more and this we share as a common history with our European neighbours.  There was Bedlam, in London, where people paid to look at the insane and that is 19th / 20th century.  The Horizon Europe – the next research and innovation framework Horizon Europe – the next research and innovation framework ..  one of the three pillars has provided funds for research at our universities to do with mental illness. I was a research participant to the Trinity Horizon programme (I stand in debt to this research).  Tomorrow, is the big question.  Who do you think you will vote for?  I will vote for the person I think will be making provisions for people with mental health problems, and I hope that they will align Ireland to practices in Europe and America, who are leaps and bounds ahead of Ireland. 

I believe that we have categorised illnesses far too precisely.  The scope should be broad and include Neurology, Psychiatry, Addictions, OCD’s with a form of ‘Dr. Patch Adams approach’ using an undertilised hospital.  I have in mind that beautiful building of history, that is much neglected in Baggot Street, that stands resplendid.  It could be run similar to the Charlemont Clinic (now demolished) but with a shared rehabilitative programme for people who have to recover………we need a multi-disciplinary public system, along the lines of the Priory in England…….the hospital could be under the auspices of the Joint Trinity and UCD initiative to be funded by philantrophy for INNOVATION.  Lifelong illness is costly to the State…….there are many people bipolar who are in professions (in fact my grandfather’s nephew rose to the High Court in England) but circumstances and money allow them the opportunity to control their illnesses or addictions within boundaries and support groups.

In the US – Detroit…….they have started a programme called Fresh Start.  They targeted women prostitutes in a Sting operation, arrested them, processed them, put them before a Judge who gave them an option of prison or a two year programme dealing with group therapy and anger/rage management as a key component.  Ireland needs to drop the stigma, the judgment, the stitch and bitch attitude……We need a more integrated shared knowledge approach.  Who, of the representatives tomorrow will provide for this much under-invested in group of our population.  We need a diversity….I think if you ask the people who know in academia, say Trinity, they will say that provision for people with disabilities has been of benefit overall.

One more point, the well known lecturer in Oxford University, spoke words of wisdom, that even today would be benefit in the maze of bureaucracy we must deal with – a hostile bureaucracy, if like me with ABI, Anxiety, Bipolar involving intellectual deficits that hamper me.  A consultant from the Central Mental hospital said that many people who leave are processed through the legal system again and again so often for minor crimes for example petty theft, then they fall into homelessness due to deficits…They are not properly acknowledged by mental health representatives in ireland.  I say what a waste.

We urgently to need to align our thinking and action and take account of Restorative Justice.
Michelle Clarke
Quotation C.S. Lewis, written 1940’s
‘I live in a managerial age, in the world of administration. 
The greatest evil is now done in those sordid ‘dens of crime’ that Dickens loved to paint…
…it is conceived and ordered…in clean carpeted, warmed and well lighted offices, by quiet men with white collars and cut finger nails and smooth shaven
cheeks, who do not raise their voice. 
 Hence naturally enough, my symbol for Hell is something like bureaucracy of a Police State or the offices of a thoroughly nasty business concern’
==========

No. 2

August 2009

World War II comment re the phosphate mines in Co. Clare

History ought to tell us that we must pay heed to our ‘wealth’ and that is the wealth contained in our land and seas.

This is about the ‘dream’ that same dream that swept the Irish people in the 1980’s to hunt for Gold and Oil on our shores.

Atlantic resources was in the news back then, in fact people who scarely knew anything about dealing on the Stock Exchange bought into the dream and bought shares.

Tony O’Reilly, as he was known then, was the driver of market forces. The outcome for Atlantic was: …. well we are still waiting!

Did we learn anything? Well, we have learnt that in Norway the Government secured a deal with the oil companies that would reflect fair payment for the people of Norway as a priority.

This is not the case in Ireland. We need to review the oil related deal made in the days of Ray Burke. The law evolves and often retreats. Try looking at Comyn v. the AG 1950 (Sean McBride lead counsel assisted by Brendan East) in the hope of a fairer package especially with the latest find by a company from the UK.  We are talking about the Corrib Shell

Lisbon. We need not hang our heads too low. Ireland did foresake her ‘seas’ to the beaches’ for entry to the EU in 1973.

Michelle Clarke

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No 3
14th July 2009

4th August 08, an article by Steven Carroll in the Irish Times, caught my attention, suffice to retain it.  I found it today and I am wondering is the ‘Legal Museum plan for Kilmainhan Courthouse waived’?  I have heard nothing further on it.  I googled it in and found this Irish Architect, buildings etc site. http://irish-architecture.com/buildings_ireland/dublin/kilmainham/courthouse.html

The Big R* is here but also never more is the time more viable than to revive the concept of community involvement and where better than in areas like Dublin 4.  I was in the D4 hotel, formerly Juries yesterday and I must commend Sean Dunne and others for their attempt to meet consumer demands rather than buckle under the planning board decisions.  People are there to play chess, to drink, to dance, for competitions and you can even hire our a cinema for as many as 18 guests and in comfort.  Also on Burlington Road, Bernard McNamara’s building has gone from start to near finish in a really short space of time.  Again fair dues.  A company in liquidation not only is about casualties, the workers, the debtors….It is all about trying to stand TALL when things are bad in the Economy.  Then we can make it through with some hope.

If Kilmainham can plan for a Legal Museum Courthouse: this would have a huge contribution to legal history especially since the founding of the State – The Republic.

Well, I suggest Baggot Street ought to focus on a Centre for Holistic Psychological, Neurological, Addiction, primary care location, state of the arc health care facility funded by phliantropists with acknowledgement to the medical people who once made this hospital stand proud.  Now, it is like a ‘fallen being’ with no esteem or glory.    This would be part of the Baggot Street Revival……This hospital must have its 1916 history too.  Then there was Parsons bookshop.

J’espere….yes I hope…..

Michelle Clarke

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No 4
7th July 2009

I am delighted with the funding for Moyross in Limerick, from the philantropist Ireland Funds……the website is most informative.

I notice the high level of dereliction which is soul destroying for people living in the environs.

Our Cities ought to learn …… or else we will return to the Dublin of the 1980’s, with abandoned properties, vacant businesses, shopping centres with more than 50% properties with To Let signs.  Also, we know what ‘Rent Allowance’ the State will pay for private sector to pay social housing.  Let us make sure that estate agents link sufficiently to ensure BER certificates are granted and houses, flats, accommodation is maintained at a standard.  Estate agents reaped massive benefits here during the good times.  Now, it is time for them to earn their commission and management fees.

NAMA AND NTMA is where the Government has chosen to ‘lay it’s hat’.  If this is so, we need to fast start impacting on supply and demand and coming up with values per square metre, to buy, to let, to sell or else, we will be like advertisements tell us what happened to the elderly in Florida, with properties at 50% discount.

There is an interesting citizen journalism site where keen photographers have consciousentiously sought out the urban dereliction and other people have written in scripts. 

Perhaps, the Moyross people could operate a similar photography project.  It is time to speak to the people, who are likely to act as Mentors and inspire the locals to show, how not to let NAMA/NTMA proceed.

Seek out ‘Urban Dereliction’  – Dublin is under the regional column, and category is Irish Social Forum.

Today, I visited the shopping centre in Rathmines.  The warning signs are there.  There are either cheap items sold as motivators to get people to buy their products….the anchor store is Dunnes Stores, and there are at least 7 properties to be let……This is not good in an area that is highly populated.  We need to lower the rents, I would think!  It is better to have premises operating than lying vacant.  It is bad for morale too.

I decided to take the taxi home as I live local.  The taxi driver re-confirmed what I thought.  Business is very bad and has been for nearly 2 years.  I said about the number of premises to let in the Rathmines Shopping centre and he suggested I look to the incentivised Business Parks (Enterprise Ireland and IDA), and in particular down at the East Wall.  He said computer related industries were closing by the day.

Like a train out of control…..we the people of Ireland must put on the brakes….so let’s start making things integrate and work.

NAMA/NTMA  I enclose this quote.  We need to hold to the forefront of our minds that these Vehicles are not to become Gravy Trains for the legal professions, as has happened in the case of the Tribunals.

Michelle Clarke

==============

No. 5

19th July 2009

Urban dereliction: Excellent combination of photos

(Photos no longer available)

To the people who produced the photos for this citizen journalism site – have you noticed the decline in our urban space? The ‘For Sale’ signs, the ‘To let’, the shopping centres like Rathmines with many vacant shops. It will only get worse. It will be like England in the early 90’s with vacant premises dotted all over the place and then a myriad of charity shops will opt to take the locations, at no doubt reduced rents, if any.

What can we do? We know the potential, we have seen it in Ireland. Ireland, the new State, post the 1916 Revolution saw many of its mansions, tower houses, castles, burned to the ground and if not, become un-inhabited. For those who remained in the houses, often they lived spartan lives, occupying only the room space necessary.

This we need to avoid. We the people can intervene, we can volunteer information, views, and experience. An Bord Snip has made its recommendations and we the people have a right to agree or disagree. The internet is here. We can use it. In fact, we can make our statement that the proposed cut to Broadband funds put forward by the report, be discarded and promote high speed broadband throughout ireland. This allows our aspiration of moving forward as the Knowledge Economy.

NAMA/NTMA, I believe have taken space in the Treasury Holdings building in Dublin 2. Let us ask NAMA/NTMA to be participative in the sustainable development and refurbishment of property in the Dublin 4, Dublin 6, areas. We have ribbon development throughout Ireland and we should note the cost of same is highly expensive. Urban living, well promoted provides the cheaper altnerative. The time is now ideal with the necessity of the BER certification to upgrade our stock of houses to maximum standards in line with a ‘Greener’ environment.

Most people of a certain age group will be aware of the Gallagher family and their involvement in housing and development. I worked for Seamus Gallagher, son of Mr. James Gallagher, in the 1980’s – yes at a time of great unemployment, companies going into liquidation, yes it was the beginning of times getting tough. Governments changed. Landbanks that ought to have received planning permissions were left in futility. Mr. James, as he was known to staff, was a TD. In fact, he had established BASTA locks in Tubercurry, Co. Sligo. This was another time but fear not developers then, as now, were involved in Politics. The name that will remain on the lips through the decades is former Taoiseach, Mr. Charles J. Haughey.

I note, that Abbey, one of the publicly quoted companies associated with the Gallaghers, has been forced to write down the value of its land bank by Euros 58 m. Abbey is in fact the largest housebuilder on the Irish Stock Exchange. This is where experience may count. Ahead of NAMA/NTMA, Abbey have taken account of the market forces that have forced them to reduce house values by 50% in some areas, and they have moved ahead to value the land at the appropriate discount value. This leaves them free to engage in a root and branch exercise of their current workload and to look to the future. Being a publicly quoted company, it means they have also engaged in an upfront way with their shareholders. We must always remember that in public companies, the shareholders can play an important part in the ethos of the company. They speak now of corporate, ethical and social responsibility and of course a form of corporate governance attaches to this. Vision is so important especially in this time of severe Recession. (The IFSC was born out of the 1980’s recession).

Mr. Soden, speaking about NAMA some time ago stressed the importance at arriving at a value per square meter of property per each city. It looks as if Abbey have paved the way and it is worth noting that they have a broad spectrum over time, here in Ireland and in England, to build up a plan of action for recessionary periods.

Again I return to our Georgian Squares. I note an article by Ray Managh in the Irish Independent. It is about an artist who is in a battle about a ‘Georgian’ 4th floor over basement home in Middle Abbey Street. It has a Georgian doorway and albeit not as ornate as those found in Fitzwillian Square, Merrion Square, Henrietta Street, it is rather splendid. The premises has become an artists studio. A man has lived in the house for 20 years and is in battle with Dublin City Council regarding the ownership of the building. Dublin City Council claim to be the owners. Whoever owns it, it is representative of the unacceptable degree of dereliction so many of these houses are permitted to descend to. We need to stop this carnage. To have dereliction scattered throughout our urban spaces only gives false history. (I refer to the Germans while travelling along the Quays of the Liffey in the 1970’s who said they had not realised that Dublin was so badly bombed during the 2nd World War.

No matter what corruption has occurred, there was also Vision. Let us not lose sight of far we have come. Let us take care of our people and let us be inclusive. Regarding the house in Middle Abbey Street – July 23rd is the date of the Court hearing. Dublin City Council will seek a court injunction restraining the named person from trespassing in the building where, he is supposed to have tenancy in the basement. Watch and Wait. Ireland has the potential to witness many evicitions or ejectments. We have access to knowledge, we must use it wisely.

Michelle

Quotation randomly chosen from The Little Book of Rebels

Heroism
Spike Milligan (born 1918) British humourist, animal rights activist’
‘I am a hero with coward’s legs’

==========

No. 6

22nd July 2009

Rocky, the handsome sniffer dog with the Beret:  Where are you?

Ronan and all contributors to citizen journalism site.

Rocky came to mind as I read through the American Scientist magazine.

The title ‘Cloned dogs sniff our contraband in South Korea’ http://www.nbcnews.com/id/24296334/ns/world_news-asia_pacific/t/south-korea-use-cloned-sniffer-dogs/#.XtvgL-fTWUk immediately caught my attention and Rocky and the Beret posting from Ronan back in 2007 could be found through the search button.

I wonder how is Rocky these days.?Does he visit the prison to sniff out illegal substances or perhaps he is still in hiding trying to avoid a ‘hit’?

The Big Recession preaches doom these days but let us bear in mind we earn a considerable sum for exporting trained canines to sniff out contraband (even music discs…tobacco…drugs) in countries like Hong Kong, China and possibly South Korea. If this is so, cloning would destroy our market of expertise in training dogs.

Excerpt:
‘There are six cloned Labrador retrievers now using their olfactory prowess to help officials find drugs and explosives at airports, and harbours across South Korea’.

Highly original the 6 dogs share the same name: Toppy which combines “tomorrow and puppy” – these are the world’s first cloned puppy dogs.

The parent dog for drug-detection as a specialty came from Canada and had been trained for 16 months.

As few as 10% of dogs born have this potential.

Also Germany have been involved in cloning a 5 German Shepherds from Trakr (the 9/11 hero).  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2009/jun/18/trakr-dog-september-11-clone

Dogs ought to be held in more esteem in our society. They can be healers, guides, protectors of the vulnerable, snoopers, sniffers, friends, and have a long history.

Quotation
Jean-Paul Sartre (1905-80) French Writer and Philosopher
War
‘When the rich wage war, it’s the poor who die’

This is profound if one listens to media about the swine flu……who suffers most?

============

No. 7

5th August 2009

For the attention of Shane Phelan (Independent newspaper)

Excellent article about Elderly patients abused in nursing homes scandal……never more do we need to be vigilant to how a country treats its vulnerable people, and at a time of such ‘financial’ despair!

I try to live a life with TBI and associated multimorbidities in an independent living choice situation but am lucky to have a partner who watches out for me.  He has established the social relations in Dublin 4, who are aware of the cues, I fail to take up on.

I am concerned about a man, aged 30, who left a CARE HOME FOR PEOPLE WITH ABI, in Bantry….I have no time….but it is recent enough.  I heard nothing to say he was found.  He left the home in Bantry, without funds….and as far as I know, it was reported for a few days but then……Do you know?  There are many vulnerable young people too.

Are you aware that the Cheshire Home in Dublin 4 near Mount Street is deemed inadequate (safety requirements) and the people, many in wheelchairs have to find new accommodation?  I just spoke to a woman, who has enough problems, other than to face looking for accommodation to suit her needs, in line with an acquired neurological condition.

Regards
Michelle Clarke

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No. 8

11th August 2009

Eviction, Ejectments, Negative Equity……what can we the people do?

 

It is August 2009…since the last posting in 2008, so many crises have challenged the people in Ireland. The assaults are relentless but at least we are not like Taiwan and swamped by the effect of climate change…..we can do so little for those poor people in Taiwan today and their unwarranted personal hardships.

In Ireland, we face crises but are there solutions? If so what are they? Can we have a more positive approach in media coverage? We can try.

A good writer, presenter and experienced lawyer, is Vincent Browne. April 5th 2009, Vincent Browne wrote an interesting article in the Sunday Business post. No doubt, this can be accessed but there are a few points that bear relevance to the previous postings on this site.

Quite rightly, the title highlighted that the ‘Budget will not address fundamental inequalities’. We must at all times of crises exercise common sense and we can all now via the media make our contributions and suggestions.

He states that Ireland still remains a rich country that has had a contraction in the economy of 12% between this year and last year. He goes on to say that if the euros38,000 comes back to euros32,000 by next year, we will still be richer than Australia, Japan, France, Spain, Holland, Belgium, Denmark and very much richer than Cyprus and other countries.

The problem with Ireland rests with the inequality in the distribution of income. He goes on to say that 6% of our population receives 28% of all income i.e. according to the Revenue Commissioners and 50% of the population only receives 17%.

What does this say? What can we do to make changes to the attitudes of people so that we can alter the unfair taxation system i.e. unfair to the majority of people and in particularly those who are vulnerable.

What about motivation? How do we generate money in the Island of Ireland to create the balance sheet that is most equitable? We need those who have the special gift of being Wealth Creators because without them our people would stagnate. We only need to look to human psychology to work this out. Equally, we can look to psychology to see how we can make those wealth creators more giving. The capacity to give exists otherwise we would not have philantropists like Chuck Feeney, Rockefeller, Warren Buffett, Bill Gates etc…….notice the absence of women!

Some say that ‘Inequality is essential’ for a ‘successful’ economy. There must be some truth in this because all one has to do is look to say Marks and Spencer marketing in the last number of months to see ‘the lateral creative thought function in full swing. M and S as a brand is celebrating its 150th anniversary and I heard on the tannoy that there is an exhibition being held in England to outline their history. They have moved towards social and ethical responsibility just note their in-store advertising of cotton tops from Fairtrade; their food labelled ‘healthy’; and so on.

We can all contribute to making our economy improve and that includes those wealth creators who have funds overseas. Let them invest in our country and as NAMA reduces the prices of the toxic property they have on their books, let these people imbibe some nationalistic vervour and re-invest and re-invigorate the Celtic Nightmare…….It was done before, We had the Congested District Boards in the 1880’s; these became the Land Commission after independence and we re-distributed the land. It is said on wikipedia that some sterling pounds 5,000,000 was given by the English govt at that time. Now we all have access to our history…….

Michelle Clarke

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No. 9

21st  August 2009

 

Rule of Law….Magna Carta;


Niall Harnett is released from prison. While looking up the postings on Citizen Journalism Ireland site I found this most interesting and informative site www.barefootword.net/trialbyjury.html

The plain people of Ireland would be strongly advised to consult these 4 pages about the Restoration of Constitutional Common Law Trial by Jury as a means of settling all causes, civil, criminal and Fiscal.

The paper was written by K. d’Oudney 2008 but the message is beyond time…

Excerpt:

‘Restoration of Trial by Jury is of fundamental importance because Trial by Jury remains the sole (peaceful) means of citizens upholding for themselves, their rights, justice, liberty and ownership of property, in the face of threats from any quarter to those definitive civilised norms.

Hence Thomas Jefferson’s “Anchor”

‘I consider Trial by Jury as the only anchor yet imagined by man, by which a government can be held to the principles of the Constitution” US Government – Declaration of Independence’

Clear, Visionary, resounding words, I believe.

Another resounding statement reads as follows: ‘Enforcement of Injustice by Government personnel is an illegal punishable Act (cf The Nuremberg Precedent)’.

The people of Ireland need to engage with their Interpretation of the Rule of Law, gain an understanding of Magna Carta, the foundation of the constitutional approach to democracy and most importantly question the Separation of Powers and ensure that people feel confident that a proper Separation of Powers exists between the Presidential role, the Executive Role, the Judicial role. My understanding is that there ought to be no vested interests or biases to attain the best outcome. I would question politicians in prominent positions married to members of the juduciary (acting).

Another point strongly put forward is apt to the Irish people presently: ‘The execution of an injustice is a criminal offence’. Individually, as people of Ireland we need to examine this thoroughly. They attribute it to a ‘Crime against Humanity’.

The last point, I will cite and leave it to others to give their views is under the heading Trial by Jury is inimitable.

‘Citizen-Juries educated and instructed to judge on the justice of the law and its enforcement, can be relied upon to protect people from the State, when the state breaches correct behaviour in attempting to enforce injustices. It is for this reason that those who stand to gain money and/or power from tyranny by the imposition of unjust ‘laws’, regard the genuine Trial by Jury as an obstacle to be undermined and destroyed’

NAMA/NTMA is our very real crisis in Ireland. We need to be alert to our rights as citizens.

Banana Republic is being bandied about in the media but it is interesting to read the US news with no less than Warren Buffett warning the US people to engage with Economic crisis that exists there to avoid falling into that category of ‘Banana Republic’.”

Again…the web address is  www.barefootword.net/trialbyjury.html

==========

No. 10

22nd August 2009

 

Draft Mental Capacity Bill / Personal Guardian Bill: 

Some serious thought is required before enactment

Interest link: The Magna Carta to Democracy today and the trial by Jury

There is a contract known as a Swiss Cheese contract. Simply it means like Swiss Cheese, little holes, or silences connote safer contracts. There is more room for discussion and evolution. Something similar to a Bill of Rights with less rather than too much written detail.

There is a significant law on the brink of being passed and again this relates closely to the human rights of an invididual. This time, the Bill is intended to create a role of ‘Personal Guardian’. The Court will act on behalf of the ‘Mentally Impaired’ and appoint ‘Court Appointees’. The intention and expression is without fault but the realities for individual human beings so categorised, is a completely different matter. It means that someone has to be an adequately experienced, educated, aware, and also a visionary to act on behalf of the vulnerable person.

A “personal Guardian” could be appointed by the High Court to make decisions concerning the person or the property affairs of a person deemed to lack the necessary mental capacity to make certain decisions, in their way of negotiating their life. The Bill states that a new Body will be established known as the office of the Public Guardian.

Now lets have a think about the Ireland of today. The inadequate health services, the treatment of the elderly, the bullying culture, the predators in search of vulnerable prey, the infallible family members who feel they are entitled to make the decision about a member of their family say with TBI.

We are talking about fraught situations and room for much misadventure. We need only look to our history to know the vulnerable are so often taken advantage of. The Ryan Commission speaks volumes and as for the final decision of the Mahon Tribunal, well where and when do the Scales of Justice stand accountable.

Personally, I would like to draw attention to the medical profession. Medicine is governed in this country by self regulation. What chance does this give the vulnerable person with say ABI, Downs Syndrome, lack of mental capacity or straight forward mentally ill. The law is improving but still the powers that be can have a person’s rights usurped. We need to review this carefully before the legislation is enacted.

The legislation is aimed at protecting people (protection connotes all kinds of meanings) who suffer from impaired decision making capacity due to illness, dementia or an acquired brain injury.

The important part of this legislation is the enforcement of the following words ‘Capacity will be understood in terms of a person’s ability to make a specific decision at a specific time, AND WILL ALLOW FOR THE POSSIBILITY that the loss of capacity may be temporary or permanent……..How can we uphold the human rights of the person with ABI who may develop abilities in a certain field of creativity as a direct consequence of the ABI…like a person with Aspergers – they may as a consequence of ABI have a loss of reaction to the normal cues people pick up on. They may become Bipolar as a result of the head injury. There maybe an impact of extreme anxiety and frustration and the outcomes of this.

We must realise that people with ABI may be alive now because of the advance of neurological medicine and per consequence may be able to negotiate their lives on the basis of their pre-accident memory but with the assistance of a carer and be entitled to live independently in the community.

This requires a Fiduciary component, yes the word relates to Trust – of which little exists for vulnerable people today. There is a loss in Morality, Transparency and Ethics that could in fact make people so defined by the above Legislation more vulnerable as Tug of Wars take place between families and partnerships they may form post ABI.

How do we protect the person’s rights? If the person has had an accident and a large amount of money is awarded by the courts, how can we ensure that the human being part of the person is not stressed to such a degree by the antics of family, friends, Guardians etc, so as to further destroy the mental capacity?

Patricia Rickard Clarke at the Law Reform Commission, is involved in the recent published report including a report draft on Mental Capacity has said it is important to look to the human rights law in the Bill…..This is vital before the legislation becomes law, I would suggest.

Deirdre Carroll of Inclusion Ireland also welcomes the Bill but expressed a concern about the implicit PATERNALISM. Rightly so, she emphasises that everything should be done to establish the NEED for assisted decision making and COMMUNICATING a decision.

She also drew reference to the advanced work in the field of Cognitive work in Canada but said that the input of family and other social supports must be taken into account….

We hear daily of head injuries sustained, knife attacks, RTA’s, kicks to the head in alcohol brawls but we never hear of these people negotiate their lives once Medicine has stepped in give them life…..medicine’s role stops there……the battle goes fwd for the person.

A young man with ABI went missing from a care home in Bantry – no money. It was on the news but nobody ever came back to say he was found….Does any know or care?

Comyn wants to add one more point. Wards of Court is what exists in law now. Surely, it is time for media to review just how successful an instrument it has been and what lessons can be learnt before the enactment of Personal Guardian and Mental Capacity Bill.

Fortunam Tabulam Audaces
Fortune favours the Brave

Ironically I have signed off with what is the title of the book I wrote.  2017 BreastCheck screening showed up breast cancer.  I wrote the book and title is Fortune Favours the Brave by Michelle Marcella Clarke https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/1912639610/

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Artificial Kidneys Are a Step Closer With This New Tech

Posted on June 4, 2020 by michelleclarke2015

Kidneys are incredibly hard to synthetically recreate; each kidney contains around one million intricately-structured nephrons.

Source: Artificial Kidneys Are a Step Closer With This New Tech

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Suicide: History written over a decade ago: “Deaths of Despair” …

Posted on May 20, 2020 by michelleclarke2015

via Suicide: History written over a decade ago: “Deaths of Despair” …

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After The Plague – OpEd

Posted on April 20, 2020 by michelleclarke2015

The post-capitalist world that may await us, should we delay resurrection of our ordinarily functioning society, may not at all be to our liking. We are in the process of ruining ourselves for a ge…

Source: After The Plague – OpEd

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Homelessness: Contrasting Japan and the US

Posted on March 23, 2020 by michelleclarke2015

via Homelessness: Contrasting Japan and the US

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Cuban Drug Could Save Thousands of Lives in Coronavirus Pandemic

Posted on March 19, 2020 by michelleclarke2015

via Cuban Drug Could Save Thousands of Lives in Coronavirus Pandemic

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