Tag Archives: Department of Community Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs

Ephemera 14: Ulster Canal: departmental bullshit

I have created a new page covering correspondence with the Department of Community Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs in January 2011. I have accordingly removed postings Ephemera 11 and Ephemera 13; the correspondence with the department is now on the new page.

I don’t know why the Irish government finds it so difficult to provide a straight answer to a straight question (well, actually, I can guess, but let’s be polite). But if funding were available, the government would be issuing press releases to beat the band, especially with an election coming up. So I deduce that there is no money, although I wouldn’t be at all surprised to find a press release or two making some vague announcement or lauding the start of some low-cost activity.

But I won’t believe in the restoration or rebuilding of the Ulster Canal until I see evidence that real money has been allocated to cover the cost.

 

Ephemera 12: WI staffing

The Sunday Tribune of 9 January 2011 reports that Waterways Ireland’s staff increased from 355 last year to 367 this year. It says that the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs (to which Waterways Ireland reports in the southern state), or rather its minister, was “among the worst offenders when it comes to increasing staff numbers in the agencies under his remit.”

 

The Ulster Canal and WI assets

I’ve received a partial response (described as a full release, but actually ignoring several of my questions) from Waterways Ireland to some questions about the Ulster Canal. You can read about it here; it includes interesting information about the current valuation of sites in Dublin that might have raised money for the construction of the canal to Clones.

I’m writing this in advance of the Irish budget, due on 7 December 2010; it will be interesting to see whether Ajai Chopra gives the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs enough capital to pay for the first year’s proposed work on the canal.