Upcoming Events

National | Miscellaneous

no events match your query!

Blog Feeds

Anti-Empire

Anti-Empire

offsite link North Korea Increases Aid to Russia, Mos... Tue Nov 19, 2024 12:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link Trump Assembles a War Cabinet Sat Nov 16, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link Slavgrinder Ramps Up Into Overdrive Tue Nov 12, 2024 10:29 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link ?Existential? Culling to Continue on Com... Mon Nov 11, 2024 10:28 | Marko Marjanovi?

offsite link US to Deploy Military Contractors to Ukr... Sun Nov 10, 2024 02:37 | Field Empty

Anti-Empire >>

Human Rights in Ireland
Promoting Human Rights in Ireland

Human Rights in Ireland >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link News Round-Up Sun Aug 10, 2025 00:01 | Will Jones
A summary of the most interesting stories in the past 24 hours that challenge the prevailing orthodoxy about the ?climate emergency?, public health ?crises? and the supposed moral defects of Western civilisation.
The post News Round-Up appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Starmer?s ?Deterrent? Fails as 400 Cross Channel in First Two Days of Migrant Returns Deal with Fran... Sat Aug 09, 2025 15:00 | Will Jones
More than 400 small boat migrants have arrived in the first two days of Labour's returns deal with France, making a mockery of claims it would be a "new deterrent".
The post Starmer’s “Deterrent” Fails as 400 Cross Channel in First Two Days of Migrant Returns Deal with France appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Reclaiming the Beauty of the Spheres Sat Aug 09, 2025 13:00 | Dr David Bell
AI is a distraction from what it means to be truly human, says Dr David Bell. We should aim for far greater things, find again the vastness of the jewelled sky and the light that only shines in another's eye.
The post Reclaiming the Beauty of the Spheres appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Three Top Hotels Yards From Bournemouth Beach Being Used as Migrant Accommodation Sparking Fury From... Sat Aug 09, 2025 11:00 | Will Jones
Three top hotels yards from one of Britain's favourite beaches are being used as accommodation for asylum seekers during the peak ?summer season, sparking fury from tourists and locals.
The post Three Top Hotels Yards From Bournemouth Beach Being Used as Migrant Accommodation Sparking Fury From Tourists and Locals appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Why Are the Irish Media Ignoring an Apparent Islamist Knife Attack? Sat Aug 09, 2025 09:00 | Andrew Devine
When a man in Dublin stabs a police officer while shouting "Allahu Akbar" you can be pretty sure it's not the work of an indigenous Irishman. So why are the media at pains to pretend it is, asks Andrew Devine.
The post Why Are the Irish Media Ignoring an Apparent Islamist Knife Attack? appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Will intergovernmental institutions withstand the end of the "American Empire"?,... Sat Apr 05, 2025 07:15 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?127 Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:38 | en

offsite link Disintegration of Western democracy begins in France Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:00 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?126 Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:39 | en

offsite link The International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism by Amichai Chikli and Na... Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:31 | en

Voltaire Network >>

‘The Great Gas Giveaway; How the Elites Have Gambled Our Health And Wealth’

category national | miscellaneous | press release author Thursday May 28, 2009 13:12author by Volunteer.... - Afri Report this post to the editors

Press Launch at Buswell’s Hotel, Friday May 29 11am.

Afri’s new report, ‘The Great Gas Giveaway; How The Elites Have Gambled Our Health And Wealth’ explains how the government has squandered existing resources and refused to reconsider the ownership and exploitation of the country’s natural resources, despite possessing all the necessary tools to do so.

Ireland has entered a period of economic crisis which has affected workers,
farmers, children and the elderly alike. This week prominent Harvard economist
Niall Ferguson (‘The Ascent of Money’) warned that Ireland was the global
‘prime candidate’ for outright bankruptcy. The government has cut health
services, slashed education spending and rolled back welfare provision, warning
all the time that this is merely the beginning of even harder times to come. If
that wasn’t enough Irish taxpayers are footing the lion’s share of the
Catholic Church’s child abuse bill, a scandalous waste of resources on behalf
of the country’s most privileged institution.

Yet there is one lucrative potential source of state revenue which has been
ignored by government and opposition alike, a source of finance which has
permitted other countries to boost social spending even in times of economic
downturn.

Reclaiming even a portion of the revenues that should rightfully be ours would
obviate the need for some of the cut-backs and would stimulate the economy,
relieve the impact of recession and boost employment prospects. For example,
the estimated cost of building the Metro North is €3.7 billion, a sum that
could comfortably be financed from the revenues accruing from the Corrib Gas
field and other sites, had they not been given away to private companies.

An investment of €1 billion, made possible by a mere 10 per cent stake in the
Corrib Gas field, would generate a revenue stream that would obviate the need
for such penny-pinching measures as the closure of three wards in Crumlin
Children’s Hospital due to a €9.6 million deficit.

The list of potential beneficiaries is long – the out-of-hours social service
helpline recommended in the recent Monageer report, and which the government
tells us we cannot afford, could easily be financed – costing only €15
million. The €156 million savings from scrapping the Christmas social welfare
bonus could readily be recouped by judicious investment of even a small
proportion of what the government’s stake should be in the country’s oil
and gas reserves.

It is still not too late for the government to renegotiate gas contracts and
retake control of the country’s sovereign natural resources. It is time for
the Government and the Irish Public to wake up to this reality.

Ends.

Afri: 01 882 7563/7581
email: afri@iol.ie
web: www.afri.ie
Related Link: http://www.afri.ie

Related Link: http://www.afri.ie
author by old codger - pensionerpublication date Thu May 28, 2009 14:38author address author phone Report this post to the editors

We will never get this country on a fair and prosperous course with the present set of political gangsters in power.
Unfortunately this is not the first swindle pepretrated on the Irish people. At one time we had the best fishing grounds in Europe and the most organic farming system, Raymond Crotty pointed this out to politicians and if these assets had been developed we could have multi billion euro industries today. Our politicians poohpood this idea it was much easier to join the EU and get handouts.
There is a great silence now on this issue, just as there is on the oil and gas giveaway, but they still ignore our vote on Lisbon and frighten the people into voting again for a yes vote which they will accept.
Unless the people smarten up they will continue to swindle this country. If Shell decides that our tax on the gas is too high what can we do about it? All the power is in their hands now.THANKS TO FIANNA FAIL AND THE GREENS.
A YES VOTE ON LISBON WILL SHOW THE PEOPLE OF EUROPE WHAT COWARDS WE ARE.

 
© 2001-2025 Independent Media Centre Ireland. Unless otherwise stated by the author, all content is free for non-commercial reuse, reprint, and rebroadcast, on the net and elsewhere. Opinions are those of the contributors and are not necessarily endorsed by Independent Media Centre Ireland. Disclaimer | Privacy