Art, media, opinion and ideas
€2 million (Per An Smaoineamh Mór Chairman Dr. Laurence Crowley) minus €300,000 (gov money not paid) minus €150,000 (hard costs such as taxis and couriers) minus €200,000 (cash prize money already given out) ___________________________ €1,350,000 (Monies remaining) Like the Cotton Eye Joe sung of in days gone by, I keep asking myself “Where did it come from, where do it go?” ..
As your official Your Country, Your Call news source I feel it my duty to draw to your attention the latest twist in the tale, brought to us by the Irish Times. It involves the spouse of the President contacting the then serving Taoiseach about the payment of public money to a private firm.
On the 26th November in 2009, the Murphy report into the abuse of children by Catholic clergy was released. The country was convulsed and repulsed by the clear description of decades of cover-ups, lies, deceit, and misbehaviour by the Church.
To my surprise, I've found I have lots and lots to say about Children's Television, after my recent post on The Changes. So much so that I've set up a new place for all the links, essays, YouTubes and quotes on the subject. So, if you're interested, hurry on over to Nesbit's Children for more of that kind of thing.
The key document released to Rossa McMahon following his FOI appeal to the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Innovation was An Smaoineamh Mór's proposal document for the Your Country Your Call competition. It is valuable because it exposes more than just this particular set of proposals. It reveals the relationship between Fianna Fáil's public, elected, face and its much larger invisible manifestation.
Yesterday, Ciaran Lynch TD put down a follow-on Parliamentary question regarding the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Innovation's undertaking to pay public monies to An Smaoineamh Mor Ltd's competition and lobbying plan Your Country, Your Call.
The part of the tale of the Emperor’s New Clothes that is often forgotten is what happens after the little boy in the crowd shouts his heresy. You might think that his shout would break the spell, and the brute reality would dawn on all participants, the king suddenly grabbing a coat from a minion to preserve his modesty.
The Standards in Public Office Commission recently rejected an application by me, amongst others, for an investigation of the Your Country Your Call competition and lobbying effort. You can read their rejection, and my analysis of its shortcomings in Your Country Your Call: SIPO fail the test.
Re: Ongoing examination of An Smaoineamh Mór Ltd under the Electoral Acts Dear Sirs, I write further to our previous correspondence on the above topic. I note your confirmation that the Commissioners have had this issue brought to their attention.
"When I use a word,' Humpty Dumpty said in rather a scornful tone, 'it means just what I choose it to mean — neither more nor less. " "The question is," said Alice, "whether you can make words mean so many different things. " "The question is," said Humpty Dumpty, "which is to be master— that's all.
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