The Taoiseach: As for broadband, while I do not know who incorrectly informed Deputy Kenny, technology companies such as Google, Apple and Dell all continue to expand and invest—–
Deputy Enda Kenny: I will provide the Taoiseach with the figure. Ireland is placed 33rd of 35 countries.
The Taoiseach: —–and are moving to higher rate of advancement in Ireland with huge investment. Moreover, none is even thinking of pulling away from us because of broadband. They continue to develop their capacity within Ireland, of which we should be proud, as well as of our young qualified engineers who go through our excellent education system. In addition, they all use this country as their research and development base.
Deputy Seymour Crawford: Not in County Cavan.
The Taoiseach: I am talking about the Republic of Ireland.
Deputy James Bannon: It is patchy throughout Ireland.
Deputy Dermot Ahern: Fine Gael is patchy throughout Ireland
The Taoiseach: While the House can discuss County Cavan another day, I am discussing the Republic of Ireland and Members should keep to that.
A Member: County Cavan is not in the North.
The Taoiseach: These companies are increasing their investments and operate their European plants using the high quality people who work here. This is happening everywhere. Deputy Kenny may take a certain satisfaction from the international economic downturn.
Damien Mulley
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Classic stuff.
Well there you are. Didn’t I tell you this government thinks Dublin is Ireland?
But of course Cavan people cannot comment on this blog about this as they have no broadband. Unless they live in Dublin. And only in certain parts. Like in work.
I get so angry about this. It’s not just Cavan. It’s parts of Cork as well.
I get so angry about this. It’s not just Cavan. It’s parts of Cork as well.
How do you mean? Does Bertie not recognise parts of Cork as being in the Republic of Ireland too? 🙂
Nearly as good as GW!
Bertie really is on his own planet, isn’t he?
Pfft… plenty of Cork people don’t recognise it as being part of the Republic of Ireland. :p
Would you blame us with comments like the above from both Bertie and Dermot Ahern?
Broadband provision in Ireland is patchy (at best), poor value (at best) and comparatively backward even where we do have it.
Right now, there is nothing that either Ahern can say that actually contradicts that.
I really, really can’t believe that – I shouldn’t be one bit surprised but that takes the biscuit!
Well at least they’re earning their salaries keeping everyone entertained…
A basic understanding from a government of what counties make up the country they’re supposed to be governing might be slightly advantageous, mind you…
Only two places matter. Didn’t you know that? Dublin and Belfast.
We learned that when Aer Lingus pulled out of Shannon.
[…] politicians make it easy for us – Part 2 Posted on February 9, 2008 by Graham This one is even better than the last one. With thanks to Damien, witness the following excerpt from a Dáil […]
I’m sure I meant to say “attempting to govern” instead of “supposed to be governing” there… ho hum.
Other places matter outside Dublin and Belfast, by jove! Sure, the other Ahern, the windsurfing Foreign Affairs minister, cares about Dundalk too. … well… somebody has to.
Not to defend the bollox, but surely he was implying he was talking about it on a nationwide scale and not on a county by county basis?
Roosta: That’s exactly what he was doing, and in the process he was offering two fingers to the many areas in the country with no broadband.
[…] have been following with interest your speeches, which I have read and watched on Damien Mulley’s […]
Nah, I don’t think so, roosta – Why did he specifically “Republic of Ireland”? This, to me, implied that he knew of Cavan’s existence but thought it was outside the “Republic”, i.e.: in the north.
If he was specifying that he was talking about it, as you say, in a nationwide context then he should have clarified that when one deputy said “Cavan is not in the north” instead of leaving himself open to looking like a plank but what he did instead was reiterate that he was talking about the “Republic” of Ireland.
Some days I think that Bertie is a lot like George Bush. More often I think he’s a lot like Mayor Quimby.
I find it very hard to believe that any intelligent person would not know exactly what the Bert was saying.
He isn’t the clearest speaker at the best of times. But it’s quite apparent that when he said “I am talking about the Republic of Ireland”, he meant he was talking about Ireland in general.
The “Not in County Cavan” from Crawford, a Cavan-Monaghan TD, is exactly what is wrong with our national parliament – it’s members all too often want to get their mention of a local issue in so it’ll be covered by the local papers and radio stations.
IF broadband is still a problem at national level those opposing the Government should speak about it at such a level.
As for Dermot Ahern’s “Fine Gael is patchy throughout Ireland” comment. It’s common talk that is spoken in the Dail any day of the week by all sides of the house. Singling out Dermot Ahern for it is taking it out of such context, and thus wrong.
Cian: I’m guessing the broadband problem doesn’t affect you. Would I be right?
Cian, suggesting people who left comments here lack intelligence is quite ignorant and arrogant. Ironic too because trumpet sounds please, you completely missed the points they made. By about the width of a galaxy. Slow clap.
Damien, in that case sorry for my lack of clarity: I was actually suggesting that they are intelligence and that everybody knows exactly what he meant.
Bock the Robber: I think you missed my point, I think it’s a national issue.
No, Cian. I didn’t miss your point.
There’s no “IF” about it: broadband is a problem throughout the country, and the country isn’t just Dublin — a fact that seems to escape the attention of many. Bertie’s attempt to average out broadband performance over the whole country makes it a local issue by definition.
Then the opposition should have no problem talking about it on a national level. But that’s not what happened, a local TD hijacked the debate to get his two words in.
Instead of the problem being talked about the debate was sidetracked into nonsense about where Cavan is or isn’t. If you are talking to somebody like the Bert who can easily get side tracked on their own, you don’t give them an excuse.
Cian, because Bertie conflated the issue of national broadband access with corporate access for the likes of Google and Apple the issue of broadband in counties such as Cavan had to be brought in. Just because data centres in Dublin have adequate bandwidth does not mean national broadband access is anywhere near an acceptable level. Bertie seemed to be indicating that as long as Google and other MNCs were happy with what they had, everyone else should be happy too.
Your explanation on the exclusion of Cavan for the debate isn’t going to win anyone over as it’s simply not credible. Look at the language usage – it’s simply not consistent with the way Bertie refers to “national issues”.
“Just because data centres in Dublin have adequate bandwidth does not mean national broadband access is anywhere near an acceptable level.”
Yes, and the opposition should have said something along those lines, instead we got a TD sidetracking the debate.
“Your explanation on the exclusion of Cavan for the debate isn’t going to win anyone over as it’s simply not credible. Look at the language usage – it’s simply not consistent with the way Bertie refers to “national issuesâ€.”
Damien was correct, I was actually being ignorant and arrogant. I saw my way of viewing it as the only way of viewing it… I was wrong and I am sorry to everybody for that.
But I’m by no way the only one who thinks he meant he just wanted to talk on a national level. Have a look at all the comments above and on the post with the video.
The Bert is known for being non-consistent and sloppy with his use of English, so, for him to come out with the ‘Republic of Ireland’ instead of the ‘country in general’ is far more plausible them him not knowing where Cavan is located.
[…] Via: Mulley.net: Bertie Ahern doesn’t know where Cavan is. Seriously. A […]