Thursday 8 October 2015

Government sell Aer Lingus stake to fund energy infrastructure not needed


Irish Government in giant waste of taxpayer's money shocker 

I have a total irreverence for anything connected with society except that which makes the roads safer, the beer stronger, the food cheaper and the old men and old women warmer in the winter and happier in the summer - Brendan Behan, Irish writer

In the Government's recent Capital Investment Plan 2016 - 2021, it is stated that the funding for energy infrastructure such as the North South Interconnector will come from the sale of the State's share in airliner, Aer Lingus :

In May of this year, Government decided to accept the offer for its remaining shareholding of AerLingus. Dáil Éireann approved the sale in July and proceeds from the sale are being used toestablish a new ‘Connectivity Fund’. The Fund is being established as a sub-portfolio of the IrelandStrategic Investment Fund (see above), and it will operate on a commercial basis, providingsupport for commercial investment projects with a connectivity theme, such as the developmentof ports and airports. It will also be open to providing support for projects that involve a widerdefinition of connectivity, including, for example, data connectivity (broadband, fibre optic cables,interconnectors, etc.) and energy connectivity(energy inter-connectors and other energy relatedprojects). These wider connectivity requirements are becoming increasingly important elements ofour core infrastructure. 
They correctly state that we have sufficient generation capacity but due to the Green cancer now widespread in Europe, we need to build more :

 Whilst overall generation capacity is sufficient for the economy into the medium term,the requirement to meet targets in the renewable energy area is driving demand for additional renewable energy capacity, especially wind, tomeet our 40 percent renewable electricity target.

Nearly six billion euros will be ringfenced to fund this infrastructure that is superfluous to Ireland's requirements. This could pay for Irish Water till 2021, with a couple of billion euros to spare to rehouse every single Irish disabled person who lives in run down accommodation seven times (HSE seeks €250m funding for disability homes).  But the Green Cancer Blob must be fed at all costs, even if that means giving up the State's longheld share in Aer Lingus. 

 There will be around €5¾ billion investedduring the course of the Capital Plan in energytransmission and distribution networks, renewable and conventional power generation, and smartmetering by ESB, Ervia (formerly Bord GáisÉireann), Bord na Móna, and EirGrid. The keyprojects to be delivered between now and 2021include: • North-South Transmission Line – to add asecond electricity interconnector betweenIreland and Northern Ireland • Smart Metering – to upgrade energy metersto allow consumers to monitor their energyuse • Grid Link and Grid West – to increase thegrid capacity and secure electricity supply tothe south and east of Ireland and the west ofIreland, respectively. 
 


Smart Meters will change consumer's habits with the end game being to eradicate daily peak electricity demand between 5pm and 8pm. Ireland inequality ? - you ain't seen anything yet. It will be so expensive to use electricity during these times that the poor will simple stop using it.  Instead, they will increasingly turn to take-aways to feed their families, increasing Ireland's already high levels of obesity.   Or, they will simply do without, increasing Ireland's child poverty rankings. It won't be the first nor indeed the last time that kids will be abused by the Irish State.

There have been plenty of protests against the set up of Irish Water but hardly any protest against this far more costly and needless plan. Unfortunately, socialists such as Clare Daly and Ruth Coppinger (who normally rail against inequality) seem to be in support of the Green Cancer , leaving very little political opposition to this.

 

3 comments:

  1. Sean O’Dubhlaoigh9 October 2015 at 10:12

    What a clown Kenny is. Just when it has been discovered that these large multi megawatt wind turbines with greater than a 101 meters hub diameters have serious design problems. That the separation distance be 3 to 10 times greater, to operate at the manufacturers output curve, than the "Irish Standard 500 meters". Kenny sells Aer Lingus to invest in a dud technology. The design problems are so significant that some manufacturers are about to reduce their cut out speed by 25%.
    Which of course means that all Eirgrids dodgy calculations as to how much more megawatts are required to meet " the legally binding target" look even more dodgier. Kenny sells a profitable asset to invest in a failed technology. Sometimes one would wish that John Duffy had a vacancy for a clown.

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  2. There was a time when the Irish Semi State Forestry Company Coilte existed to grow trees, now it is moving to electricity production.

    There was a time when the Irish Semi State Company “Bord Na Mona” existed to harvest peat (turf) now it is moving into electricity production.

    The Irish Government ordered the Irish Sugar Company be shut down and when they did so, they admitted to miscalculating the viability study and that it could have remained open as a viable concern.

    There was a time when a candidate for a career in the public service required a degree in the discipline he/she aspired to. Now the Irish Department of Energy employed staff to make decisions in electricity generation and distribution who are not qualified in electrical engineering at all.

    There was a time when NASA existed for space exploration, now it relies on Russia to send US astronauts into space ,while its own roll is to promote climate change and good relations with Muslim nations.

    There was a time when an Irish Farmer could sell his meat to Russia, now the EU prevents from doing so due to trade sanctions. Yet it buys Russia's fossil fuel.

    There was a time when Volkswagen stood for high quality cars, now they fit a device to give a better emissions reading when someone is not sitting in the car, than when they are sitting in it.

    There was a time when the job of the police was to investigate crime, now many UK forces admit they cannot investigate burglaries, while Sue Mountstevens, Police and Crime commissioner for Avon and Somerset Police says she is planning to build a 145 foot wind turbine at its Portishead Headquarters.

    Now the Irish government is to sell its national airline company to build wind turbines to compete with Coilte and Bord Na Mona,

    So what can we expect next? Let me guess? they will fit a sail to the US Aircraft carried Saratoga and the British Aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal and send them into battle against climate deniers.

    They may probably re-name Bord Na Mona to Bord No Mona

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  3. Probably the Govt will sell off Irish Water to pay for more windmills and interconnectors in a few years time

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