Lauren I hope that your comments are not sincere. The suggestion that you get educated referred the education about the issues involved not an invitation to rattle off your academic record. It is sad that your solution to famine is to let a more Sudanese die. I assume you don’t have any qualifications in problem solving. you say if you were in their position you would rather an early death – and you know this how? clearly their lives are less precious than your own. you should be ashamed, not amused

*it

Quite agree George, the governments of African countries are quite happy for their people to starve while they buy top of the range weapons to fight one another. The West facilitate dependency of these countries by only letting shops stock Western goods instead of trying to encourage local goods in shops. Corruption needs to be sorted out we can’t keep on giving this situation has been going on for nearly 30 years and still nothing has changed. Questions need to be asked why?

Yes, because when a person is starving nothing fills a belly like some safe sex.

HEISENBERG

With all the billions bring thrown around in this country I think in the larger scheme of thing a measly three million to the poor souls in Somalia is the least we can do, when you see their problems our financial worries pale into insignificance! Have a feckin heart

What would you rather do with it Sinead, Pour it into the hole that is our public service? Maybe hire a couple more government Aids?

Providing its goin to the right people they could do more with that 3 million than we will with the 100 billion we’re firing down the swanny!!!

When there was a famine in Ireland the population declined. Why is it increasing here? While it may be harsh, I think many people need to die in Somalia before it can sort itself out.

Providing them with the basics for survival is only prolonging their miserable lives and facilitating more procreation.

@Lauren

Charles Trevelyan would be proud!

Are you sure the population of Somalia is increasing? If so, by how much did it increase in the past ten years?

In Ireland we take pity on those with negative equity. While being in negative equity might not be nice, at least you have a beautiful modern home, central heating, adequate food & water, broadband, a TV, education for the kids, etc.

The recipients of this €3m would probably be happy to change places with Ireland’s “poor” instead.

I doubt the population is increasing that much to be fair. And having people die to solve an issue is never goin to be a solution, Although not having people Born might well help them alot. You see on the telly the people in the refugee camps stuggling to feed their 6/10 children, it has to cross your mind if they had half that amount maybe it wouldn’t be so difficult to support them …

I thought Sinéad’s comment was bad but then I read Lauren’s. Do a bit of research into the IMF’s role in Somalia before you decide on its fate. Somalia, during the 80′s was a country that always was able to feed its people despite suffering from recurring droughts.

If Irish politicians had any courage they’d hand over all monies the Troika, IMF, add any other financial terrorists ad lib here would have us pay to failed banks and bondholders to Somalia.

Ye really need to take your heads out of the magazines/newspapers you read and educate yourself in world politics. Wear some nice perfume. It stinks like hell!

The lotto jackpot next week is more. Yes Ireland is broke, I am ‘broke’ too, I couldn’t go out last night because of it but I bet if someone shakes a bucket at me today I will still find a euro for it.

@Réada

Hear hear! We need to reflect on the structural issues that undergird and perpetuate poverty.

Something here for Sinead and Lauren to think about.

Oh Christ! Right on cue, it’s the ‘we should look after our own’ brigade. As thick as they are heartless.
The same people have probably never said a word about the ~€65 billion our governments have handed over to banksters, but relative pocket change given to famine victims really grinds their gears.

@Laurennhttp://www.victorianweb.org/previctorian/swift/modest.html

@Lauren. The population of Somalia is circa 10-11 million. It’s over 7.5 times the size of Ireland. 8 million people live in London. You should really educate yourself before making comments about letting people die off.

Lauren, you are a cold heartless person!

Laurence Mc Carthy…
My thoughts exactly but I would have worded it differently.
The bottom line is however undisputedly what you say.
Throwing money at starving nations is not a solution.
They merely survive another year and then it’s back to square one.
Consider the millions that band aid raised for Ethiopia in the mid 80′s.
Only a short time later their hunger situation was worsened.

You would think our own history of famine would make people more sympathetic towards our fellow human beings, but some rather shocking and callous disregard for human life showed in some of these comments. Thankfully extreme Darwinian views like Lauren’s are in the minority, but no less disgusting.

wow Lauren ..If there is an award for heartless comment of the week you have it won.

Try imagine if you were in their situation..

emmigration lauren. many irish people had this option the somalians do not.

I’m actually amused at some of the responses to my comment. Naieve do-gooders who think this 3 million is really going to make a difference to theae people. I can bet the same naieve people wouldn’t be giving up their time and money to help theae people out.

Of course I would not like to be in their position and should I ever be unlucky enough to be like these people then I would certainly chose death over a few bags of rice and a pat on the back from some do gooder.

Also for the people suggesting that I should educate myself, I happen to have two degrees, a masters and I am currently working on a doctorate. I have also travelled extensively and have first hand experience of the day to day lives of people similar to these mentioned here. My conclusuion is not derived simply from tabloid newspapers and magazines.

i have no problem with giving to charity once we can afford it, but we cant, I dont think that we should give money to a poor country whilst their are still so many Irish people homeless and many more struggling to feed themselves/keep a roof over their heads. I’m educated and dont base my opinions solely on what I read, I have a mind of my own to form an opinion and this is mine, say what you like but I stick by what I’ve said.

Lauren, if you were starving to death, I’m sure that you would turn down a bowl of rice.. because you know that by by sacrificing your life and decreasing the population you would be helping to solve the problem, I know you would because I can tell what a thoughtful and charitable person you really are. Really??? have you ever been hungry sweetheat? Just because you are educated doesn’t mean you are intelligent.

& Sinead, seeing as you started this thread, and being so quick to be the first of the oh so many begrudging look after our own first type, you don’t seem to realize that there is a foreign aid budget calculated into Irelands budget every year. So yes, we do have the money and it isn’t just sitting there doing nothing. It is being used to help people less fortunate then ourselves, even less fortunate then the most unfortunate people living in this country.
3 million quid is chump change when it comes to the national budget and I can assure you that giving it away will have no effect on the quality of life here.

Not out of thin air, it’s in the budget. Didn’t you notice?

At least you can afford to use the internet!

brilliant gearoid :D

Actually the aid budget was cut by €195 million in the two budgets in 2009.

2010/11 ? Ireland first sooner we realise that the better.

Petr knows it all. sitting by google are we??

@Alan

It was cut by €25 million in 2010 and €35 million in 2011.

@Ken

I surely don’t know it all, but if I see information presented that I suspect to be untrue I will – time permitting – look it up and if the person was indeed incorrect (or lying) I’ll post the correct info.

You can just as easily look for this information yourself ken. Being able to look for accurate information on the internet doesn’t make you a know it all.

What do you heal first? A scraped knee or a broken leg?

Actually Irish Aid’s budget is pretty meagre by international standards, although the amount raised in individual donations is substantial here. Irish people are generous – people like Ken, Tom, and Lauren are outliers.

The idea that our aid budget – or indeed our social welfare provisions – are ‘generous’, as we so often hear, is a myth.

I’m entitled to my opinion as much as you. Fact is Ireland is in the shit and families in Ireland could use the aid. Ah sure it’s great being known as generous then have nothing for our own!!

When was the last time a person died of starvation in Ireland? Poverty in Ireland means not being able to afford Sky. poverty in Somalia means not being able to eat for days and dying as a result.

Bit of perspective, hun.

Do you know how much we’ve poured into the banks to date? Even roughly? If so, do you get as annoyed about this? If you don’t you may wish to think about why that is…

I’m not even slightly annoyed!! The country did it to themselves. But wouldn’t it be better to keep the money in Ireland??

How is that nice warm house of yours Ken, and the internet service, running water, packaged food etc. We will never be poor enough to justify and end to overseas aid.

Tell ya what, continue sending money to foreign countries. Btw I worked extremely hard for what I have but I had to leave ireland to do it.

You don’t pay tax here – you don’t get a say in how that tax is spent.

Simples.

Ken Corcoran, your bitching about Ireland but yet you upped and left,

I lost my job in Ireland but you know what, I got another one and so did my wife so unlike you as the two of us pay tax we get to say how that tax is spent.

In this case we have it easy in comparison to actual poverty, we in Ireland don’t know what actual poverty is anymore and haven’t for some time so its only bloody right we help others who are in a far far worse situation.

I didn’t lose my job, I decided to move. And petr as much you know, I still do pay taxes in Ireland. So im quiet entitled to my opinion on this matter

That goes to you too Barry.

There are people in Ireland who would rather see their fellow country men on the street rather then help them, the penny for the ‘black babies’ is used to ease their consciences.

So Ken, what are you doing to help Irish families then? Since they are so much more important to you.

and they do such a good job at handling your tax anyway…

Get your facts straight and then people might take you seriously.

turn a blind eye

Coming from a Fianna Fáiler that is extremely rich.

What’s this, you’re saying that we’re pro-poverty? A bit strange given how much we increased social welfare payments by during the Celtic tiger. Of course we have to hang our heads in shame for the amount of egregious errors we made in managing the overall economy, but suggesting that we’re pro-poverty or pro-deprivation is ridiculous and absurd.

Incidentally, the very parties that lambasted us for cutting funding o CE schemes when in government are about to do the same thing now…

Baa

Yes Ireland likes to be the mother Theresa of the world was in Cork last year all the collection boxes rattled in my face made me sick.Africa has got to stand on it’s own 2 feet they are milking it.Why not all the rich Africans around the world especially in The USA help their fellow country men all we see is Europeans helping.I find Somalians arrogant and aggressive in my experience so maybe they should channel their energy in a more positive way by getting of their lazy arses and helping.

Stop talking such utter nonsense,
Your comment is equal to calling all Irish people IRA murders or something equally dumb, its incredible offensive to any Somalians,

did you get a choice on how much of your tax money was/is used to fund td expense accounts for places they don’t stay in, mobile phone bills, the new ipads they’re giving themselves?!

The overseas aid budget is less than half of one percent of GNP, therefore I think you’ll agree we actually are funding Ireland first!

Typo there…meant 3 million euros!

BAAAAAAA

Lauren perhaps you need to be visited by 3 ghosts …“I wish to be left alone,” said Scrooge. “Since you ask me what I wish, gentlemen, that is my answer. I don’t make merry myself at Christmas and I can’t afford to make idle people merry. I help to support the establishments I have mentioned: they cost enough: and those who are badly off must go there.”

“Many can’t go there; and many would rather die.”

“If they would rather die,” said Scrooge, “they had better do it, and decrease the surplus.