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Showing posts with the label RTE

Bertie Blames Banks For ALL Our Cash Woes...

FORMER Taoiseach Bertie Ahern has pointed the finger of blame firmly at the bankers for the country's economic problems in a new RTE series. The TD is interviewed alongside economic heavy hitters former UK chancellor Alistair Darling, Central Bank Governor Patrick Honohan and Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan in the new series Freefall. The programme investigates the banking system failures and the widespread collapse of the property bubble which fuelled the economic recession. Bubble Coinciding with the second anniversary of the controversial Government bank guarantee, the two-part documentary series tells the story of how a huge property bubble, fuelled by the lending practices of the banking system, brought the economy precariously close to the edge. Former Chancellor for the Exchequer in Britain Alistair Darling said Europe must learn from the mistakes and that every part of society should take a portion of the blame. "If we walk away from it, it will happen again and the

RTE Recession 'Aftershock'...

RTÉ is in Recession 'Aftershock'... A week long session of recession themed programmes will broadcast on RTÉ Television from May 9th – 14th on RTÉ. The series of programmes will examine Ireland’s recession – the effects it has had so far and what we can expect in the future. The programmes are tipped to reflect the after-effects of the boom and bust: from the reality of unemployment and life in so-called "ghost towns" to positive stories of businesses and families who are thriving in spite of the recession. Other programmes will look at the bigger picture, ask where to from here? and present challenging ideas as to how we as a nation can move on from the shock of economic collapse. Aftershock launches with ‘Ghost Land’ on Sunday, May 9th. Produced by RTÉ’s documentary unit ‘Ghost Land’ is an observational documentary that goes behind the figures to show the reality of life in the aftermath of our building boom, told mainly from the perspective of residents who have mo

We Always Get Things Wrong...

Why do we always get things wrong? I know, it's the Brits, the Brits, the Brits... As this State flounders towards collapse again, let's ask: why do we always get things wrong? Sure, I know three reliable answers: the Brits, the Brits and the Brits again. Indeed, entire university faculties are given over to discourses on Hibernian victimhood, with self-pity intellectualised through the impenetrable verbal mud of Foucault, Derrida and Fanon. This whingeing school of thought has an academic brand name, Field Day, and a caste of articulate laureates who specialise in the plaints of our woebegone Irish identity . Yet no one considers the possibility that there might be something genetically askew with too many Irish people for us to create an ordered, predictable society that does not fall apart every 15 years or so. So, has our still-small population been cursed with some genetic fault from our founding population which came from Spain 4,000 years ago? A baleful genetic legacy ne

Ireland's Muppet Show - Nob Nation & The Drink's Cabinet...

RTE's biting satire ruffles feathers of Cowen circle ...Supporters unhappy at Cabinet portrayal as boozing buffoons: RTE has become embroiled in a potential controversy, reminiscent of the infamous Scrap Saturday furore, following the broadcast last week of a series of biting satirical sketches which have already ruffled feathers in political circles. Nob Nation, a topical comedy series broadcast each day on the Gerry Ryan Show on 2FM, last week portrayed some members of the Cabinet, including Taoiseach Brian Cowen, as hard-drinking buffoons, and made several joking references to "The Drinks Cabinet" . A flood of complaints was subsequently fielded by the programme, primarily in relation to Nob Nation's portrayal of Mr Cowen, but also several other members of Cabinet, including the Finance Minister Brian Lenihan. Mr Cowen was on government business in Japan last week and, therefore, did not hear the series. But supporters in Co Offaly are understood to have been upset

It Never Rains But It Pours - Summer In Dublin Ireland...

Dubliners are bracing themselves for further flooding as heavy downpours are predicted in the coming days. The news comes as residents in many parts of the capital are today coming to terms with the damage wreaked by Saturday's intense rainfall. Met Eireann says heavy and thundery rain is likely in Leinster tonight, with flooding a real possibility in many areas. And the outlook for the coming days does not look much better, with heavy rain predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday. Meanwhile, a senior Dublin City Council official has admitted the capital's drainage system cannot cope with the "freak" rainfall which occurred over the weekend. Rainfall City engineer Tom Leahy said the system was designed to deal with normal or even heavy rainfall. "It cannot deal with these extreme events," Mr Leahy said today. A top climate expert warned that Dubliners will have to get used to the heavy rainfall and flash floods that hit the city on Saturday. Dr John Sweeney of NU

Life In Ireland...The Madness Continues

First it was the Leprechauns...now it's a Turkey... Yes Ireland's Eurovision Song 2008 will be sung by none other than Dustin the Turkey - (RTE's Eurosong Contest 2008 Winner!) "Irlande Douze Pointe" aka "Ireland Twelve Points". Watch the video: ...The Eurovision winner for sure!