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Public Inquiry
Interested in maladministration. Estd. 2005

offsite link RTEs Sarah McInerney ? Fianna Fail?supporter? Anthony

offsite link Joe Duffy is dishonest and untrustworthy Anthony

offsite link Robert Watt complaint: Time for decision by SIPO Anthony

offsite link RTE in breach of its own editorial principles Anthony

offsite link Waiting for SIPO Anthony

Public Inquiry >>

Lockdown Skeptics

The Daily Sceptic

offsite link We Shouldn?t Welcome Right-Wing Cancel Culture Thu Sep 18, 2025 19:00 | Noah Carl
The Right has spent much of the last decade railing against cancel culture, and was arguably winning the debate. It would be a mistake to abandon that position now.
The post We Shouldn?t Welcome Right-Wing Cancel Culture appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Trump Tells Starmer: Use Military to Stop Small Boats, Drill in the North Sea and Uphold Free Speech Thu Sep 18, 2025 17:00 | Will Jones
Donald Trump?urged?Keir Starmer?to deploy the military to stop the Channel small boats crisis that is "destroying" the country, drill in the North Sea and uphold free speech at a tense joint press conference today.
The post Trump Tells Starmer: Use Military to Stop Small Boats, Drill in the North Sea and Uphold Free Speech appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Egyptian Illegal Migrant Who Raped Woman While Living in Hilton Hotel is a Convicted Islamic Terrori... Thu Sep 18, 2025 15:00 | Will Jones
An Egyptian asylum seeker who was jailed for raping a woman in?London's?Hyde Park while living in the Hilton hotel at taxpayers' expense?has been revealed to be a convicted Islamic terrorist.
The post Egyptian Illegal Migrant Who Raped Woman While Living in Hilton Hotel is a Convicted Islamic Terrorist appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link British Police Order Trump-Supporting Pensioner to Apologise for ?Upsetting? Facebook Post or Face I... Thu Sep 18, 2025 13:51 | Will Jones
British police have been accused of a "dystopian" attack on free speech after an American woman was threatened with investigation over a Facebook post and ordered to "apologise".
The post British Police Order Trump-Supporting Pensioner to Apologise for “Upsetting” Facebook Post or Face Investigation appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

offsite link Jimmy Kimmel?s Show Pulled Off Air After Claiming Charlie Kirk?s Killer is From ?Maga Gang? Thu Sep 18, 2025 11:29 | Will Jones
Jimmy Kimmel's?late-night US show has been pulled after 22 years following "offensive" comments about Charlie Kirk?s death where the host repeated the falsehood that the suspected killer is from the "Maga gang".
The post Jimmy Kimmel’s Show Pulled Off Air After Claiming Charlie Kirk’s Killer is From “Maga Gang” appeared first on The Daily Sceptic.

Lockdown Skeptics >>

Voltaire Network
Voltaire, international edition

offsite link Will intergovernmental institutions withstand the end of the "American Empire"?,... Sat Apr 05, 2025 07:15 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?127 Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:38 | en

offsite link Disintegration of Western democracy begins in France Sat Apr 05, 2025 06:00 | en

offsite link Voltaire, International Newsletter N?126 Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:39 | en

offsite link The International Conference on Combating Anti-Semitism by Amichai Chikli and Na... Fri Mar 28, 2025 11:31 | en

Voltaire Network >>

A tale of two layers

category national | health / disability issues | other press author Monday September 02, 2013 06:29author by oldhackauthor email newsmediaman at nokiamail dot com Report this post to the editors

I have spent over 30 years working in journalism as a chief reporter and as news editor.

In May 2012 I suffered permanent damage to my eyesight following an assault. One year later, in May 2013, the Department of Social Protection awarded me a disability allowance on the basis of the hospital surgeon's medical report regarding my condition, backdated to the date of my injury in 2012.

16 months later and I am still waiting to receive any of the awarded disability allowance payments.

Some weeks ago I was sent a letter by the Disability allowance section requesting that I provide bank statements, which I duly did. As one of the statements I submitted was a printed on-line bank account statement, it was rejected by the allowance section as inadequate and I received a further demand to provide full bank statements. I obtained full bank statements and sent them off.

As one of the statements showed a number of small UK bank cheque deposits - none over €50, I received another letter telling me, not asking, that I was in receipt of a UK Dept. of Works pension and would I confirm such.

This is not the case and I had to again write to inform the Disability Allowance section that no, I did not have a pension, was in fact not entitled to one as I was no longer resident in the UK and was due a small private pension on turning 65, which would amount to less than €25 weekly. This information was fully provided when I applied for the allowance.

The cheque payments were from private individuals who had received IT and PC assistance from me. The total payments amounted to much, much less than the allowed earnings ceiling.

I am 63 years old and live alone in a small privately rented townhouse in Limerick City. When the rent and other utility bills have been paid, it is a losing struggle to manage on weekly food never mind other basic essentials. I am completely unable to afford any heating and bleakly look forward to the return of winter.

My local unemployment office informs me that my disability allowance has been 'cleared' but appears to be 'held up' due to the personal cheque payments into my bank. I have still not received any payments and must attend my doctor's surgery every week for a medical certificate - something I have now had to do since May 2012.

This is the Department of Social Protection ? ? ?
Whose ?

author by fredpublication date Mon Sep 02, 2013 11:47author address author phone Report this post to the editors

It's Orwellian language.

You're assumed to be guilty until proven innocent. The idea is to prevent as many people as possible from availing of their rights to social payments so the money can be better spent on things like TD salaries, german bankers gambling debts, policing the stealing of our gas by shell, etc etc. . What happens to people after they are refused benefits is of no concern. Presumably they are all solar powered and waterproof!

Like capitalism in general, the current system punishes honest people and rewards sociopaths and liars who have no consience about lying and falsifying documentation etc.

I presume you have already been through the indignity of begging from your community welfare officer?

That's probably your only option while awaiting judgement, but it's not pleasant.

 
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