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Tallaght Earthquake — 19 Comments

  1. The government’s primary aim at the moment is to make sure that the Luas stays on track.

  2. Popyeye – Good God!! It’s happening all over the place. A terrorist plot or a Skobie culling policy?

  3. A nice piece of indigenisation of a British story!

    Can you still buy packets of ten?

    On a serious note, social welfare recipents often have more disposable income than many working people. When RTE ran ‘Searching for the Pope’s Children’ last autumn, the strongest reaction was against the woman whose rent was paid and who said she only had €400 per week in benefits. A working man would have to have to earn over €40,000 a year to have €400 cash after he has paid his rent.

    When the economic downturn comes there are some nasty resentments that could manifest themselves.

  4. Ian,

    It always seems to be the lower to middle income earner who carries the brunt. At the bottom end of the scale, there are allowances and benefits, medical cards and the like. At the top end, they can afford tax avoidance schemes. It’s always the family in the middle that gets hit.

    Speaking for myself, I am on a pension style salary that is way below the average income. I don’t have a medical card. I am not entitled to any Social Welfare benefits. The only benefit I have is that I don’t pay tax simply because I’m below the threshold.

  5. Popeyemoon,

    This has been around for a few years now, in various forms. The one I posted was rehashed by someone at the BBC (I think) after the pathetic earthquake that ‘hit’ SE England a couple of weeks back. I just added some pictures of the ‘devastation’. Yeah, it’s a cheap jab at chavs, but who cares? No-one wears Burberry and expects to pass unnoticed.

    I posted it because a couple of days earlier I’d written a short piece about a real earthquake in Alaska in 1964. Check it out.

    It’s a coincidence this came out the day after my post, right? I’ve not heard of any ‘quake in Tallaght. If it’s not a coincidence, perhaps a link would be in order.

  6. Snobbery, nay, I applaud your efforts, Grandad.

    Socialism belongs in the 20th century if you don’t mind.

  7. @KuiperCliff – You will not believe this, but it is pure coincidence! A case of great minds thinking alike? I had it sitting in reserve for the last week or so, and posted it today, as I was running an experiment in WordPress.

    I remember that Alaskan earthquake. It made headlines around the world. And I agree about the English one – a few chimney stacks? They haven’t a clue!

    @Caro – Yes. I should have revised that figure!

    @Dario – I knew that would appeal to you.

  8. Grandad,

    I believe you! Great minds thinking alike? I dunno – fools seldom differ, perhaps?

    I’m an Englishman living in Egypt, but Slainte! to you.

  9. It’s hardly socialism to point out how easy it is to dump on Ireland’s poor.

    I wouldn’t pay too much attention to anecdotal evidence because for every story you hear of someone making a lot of money on the dole there are 10 more about OAPs freezing on paltry pensions, families who can’t afford childcare and single mothers who will lose their medical cards if they take on a menial labour job. It’s a complex thing so I don’t go in for anecdotes too much.

    And the earthquake ‘joke’ has been around for years, that’s why I groaned when I saw it.

  10. PP,

    The only evidence I have is from people I try to help, including a Traveller family whom I know well.

    The welfare system has trapped people in poverty. It will always be at a low level, otherwise why would people work? Yet it penalises people who try to lift themselves out of it by immediately taking away all their entitlements when they get a job instead of having a tapered system. I know a couple trying to pay their mortgage and all their bills and bring up their son on a wage of €25,000 p.a.

    There needs to be some joined up thinking in Government.

  11. I take your point Ian. The ‘penalties’ you talk about are what I’m going on about re:medical cards.

    And yours Grandad.

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