Good article and I completely agree with you from the development point of view. I think the LGCSB has a lot to answer for as they were supposed to be the ground breakers from a development and systems production point of view. From experience, I have found that this is not the case. Dare I say that the crack team of developers that you suggest would have to be private sector orientated!!!

I have a small bit of an issue with the cloud computing scenario. The whole Microsoft Azure and such, sounds great and I have been to the demo’s, but when you get down to it, it’s a subscription service. These services, while they provide savage hardware capabilities may suffer for pure connections issues (back to the offices). I think that most of the money that you would save on local hardware and resources would be spent opening up the “Government Network” and subscriptions. Also I’m sure the offices would need some resources locally just to keep the other employees from going out on strike.

Everybody seems to suggest that the Government need to get their finger out. I actually think they have all the cards but they are playing them completely wrong. The department of finance’s arm on this (CMOD) has basically failed to make any sort of impact when you look a centralised provisioning of software and other agreements. As far as I can remember, we give a lot of these companies’ tax breaks. Surely some agreements in relation to hardware/software/communications could be put in place as part of these tax breaks.

As far as I am concerned IT is not top of a lot of government agenda’s. Most government departments and even county council’s are a complete law onto themselves. Therefore, IT will never become top priority keeping it well hidden as a cost centre. I am inclined to agree with Paul’s suggestion of consolidation. I not sure how it would work as one centre would never be enough. Maybe 5-6 centres strategically around these digital hubs would be a better solution. One thing I’m sure is that I’d need a calculator…. Even better would be a licence for excel 2010………

I’m a solicitor and confirm if you haven’t retained a lawyer yet that I’m prepared to act for you pro bono, or free of charge. What happened to you is simply not on.

You can find me at http://www.tjos.ie.

Terence O’Sullivan
Terence J O’Sullivan Solicitors

I was trying to check on the floods and came across your story. Appalling, and I must commend you on the organised way you went about dealing with a fine improperly imposed.

You may already have retained a solicitor but if not I’m prepared to act on your behalf pro bono, or free of charge. It’s just not acceptable!

Terence O’Sullivan
Terence J O’Sullivan Solicitors

http://webkit.o2online.ie/ideasroom/?p=1005

Thanks for the post, keep up the articles.

Elaine @ O2 IdeasRoom

I have complained to the Office of the Ombudsman today and await their response.

Thanks for your feedback.

Kind regards

Finbarr

I don’t believe that I am being callous at all, I do not know how to put this in simpler terms - the parking permit was displayed in a clear manner and any competent person could tell you as much (I can present the car for independent inspection if that helps you). Your comment that my “sticker was not displayed properly” is the height of ignorance and makes me think that you are either one of the people mentioned above or the anonymous “Warden 45″. You will note that I didn’t mention any names in my post, and I posted all the details here in a clear and transparent manner.

If Cork City Council or its employees want to brand my actions as callous while they remain hiding behind their bureaucratic curtain of anonymity that’s their choice. In any case, Cork City Council seem to have no regard for my privacy when they refer a bogus charge to a public court and I can have little sympathy for anyone in the council who is claiming the “Nuremberg defence” (see Fergus O’Rourke’s comment above).

The warden, and everyone in Cork City Council who put their name to this should be accountable for their actions, we are all human and mistakes happen - however the manner in which this whole incident has been dealt with all the way through the City Council begs me to ask the question in the title again! “Cork City Council - Corrupt, Discriminatory or Incompetent?” because if this was a simple mistake, there have been several opportunities to admit the mistake and take corrective action.

Kind regards

Finbarr

This post was mentioned on Digg by viv25: This is like an expert system….