As the dying embers of our Indian Summer slowly fade away over the horizon as our thoughts turn to the Leaves falling from the trees. I decided to take an afternoon stroll down by what I have always called the ‘Bog’ which then became ‘The Fen’ and now The Newpark Marsh Park! What’s next for the largest swamp in a European city. From some reason or other I love this time of the year. The Leaves are now changing to that wonderful golden and amber brown colour. And there is no place more beautiful during the ‘Autumn Leaf fall’ than the ‘Newpark BOG’
I always bring my small little pocket radio and man’s best friend, or when she is not around the Jack Russell, Spot. (That should get me a few brownie points and hopefully a few extra Pints at the weekend). My grandchildren are always telling me to bring just my mobile they bought me for Christmas last, and plug in the new headphones and hey presto listen to the radio. Yes, they are right, it is a fantastic little radio, until! the phone rings and no matter what you are listening to the radio goes off and the phone cuts in. As always, the Phone acting like a little spoilt brat that demands attention, and normally gets it, with people in your company just skipping out of the conversation to answer the brat in the pocket that will keep shouting me me me! Until you answer it. Well when I go for my stroll. I like to sit down and listen the radio while I remember my days of my youth on the bog with the lads. Like the day one of the lad’s new shoes became old soggy shoes and twenty-four hours later he was the first guy in Newpark to wear the ‘winkle pickers’ with the toes pointing up to the stars! I remember he reminded me of Sinbad the Sailor
Now this afternoon, Radio on, And the Kilkenny Observer and the Phone on silent my relaxation time was disrupted by a piece on the radio. The presenter informed the masses that by 2028 there will be more people over 65 years than people under age of 14 years. That is a serious issue when we consider the way our pensions are paid for. And the gap will continue to grow. However this is not really new Information. People have been banging on about this issue and our governments over the past decades have done nothing about it. We have to be honest here and stated the obvious. This will take a complete over haul across government funded pensions, and that includes TDs and Public service pensions. That is to thorny an issue for anyone who is in the job for a maximum of five years , which the last eighteen months is just playing to the public gallery as the look to get another five years, and on the cycle goes and the gap and funding for our State pension gets more dire every Governmental cycle .
Maybe it is time to take these issues out of the hands that those who make the decisions that benefit them ,long after they have left office. I suppose as I look at some of the birds that will be heading south soon would call it Feathering their own nest. Have an independent body that send the government not recommendations but the minimum acceptable pension that a senior should receive to have a comfortable retirement. It is worth noting that the state pension is €60 less than the government own poverty level. This would have a knock-on effect on the so-called auction politics as instead of trying to find ways to get votes with give a ways but find ways to cut the waste in our public service. We now see the issues in RTE. Imagine if all our government departments were forensically examined like RTE I am sure we would find similar waste. I believe all government but national and local need to be examined and cut the waste that in turn would give us all better quality of life and country. We want the Scandinavian way for Health and welfare. Unfortunately, that’s what we want however they have a higher tax rate than us and now we have an election on the horizon the powers that be will be looking at cutting taxes and trying to get more from less.
That bloody presenter ruined my relaxing afternoon down by the bog. The sun now was lower in the sky and I noticed that there is a bit of a cold nip in the air. Time to zip up the cardigan my other half picked up for €20 in town and it only cost me €50! I was never the best when it comes to the adding and subtracting. Now when it comes to the dividing up of money and other parts of our wonderful relationship everything is fifty / fifty. Yes, we both get a half of everything! however she always gets the bigger half. “Here Spot! Home Boy Home!
