Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
IT’S AN OLDIE but a goodie – the old chestnut ice-breaker broken out in conversations since time immemorial.
“If you won, what would you spend the money on?”
Well, we’re not asking you that question today.
Instead, we’re putting a bit of a new twist on an old classic – we want to get you daydreaming about what you’d share with your family and friends (or even society at large) if you came into a big windfall.
First off, to give you some inspiration, we put our heads together and came up with a wishlist. The first of which is this very Cliff Richard Summer Holiday idea:
Buy a row of terraced houses and knock them all together for my extended family to live in. Maybe even do it somewhere like Lahinch or Bundoran and use it as a holiday home. Why the hell not?
Why the hell not is right. We’re assuming it’d be something like the Waltons rather than something like The Simpsons.
Or for sports fans:
I’d rent the Aviva for my five-a-side team to play in this Saturday.
Just as long as you’re in goals, mate. Music-lovers might prefer something like this:
Put on a private mini-festival in my back garden. Imagine Thom Yorke asking where to use the loo.
We’re imagining it alright. Although we’re more thinking Beyoncé asking how to switch on the kettle for her tea break before Jay-Z takes the stage.
If you’re into travel, this might float your boat:
Hire a private jet and fly all my girls out for a party on an island. Richard Branson style. That guy knows how to live.
Good idea. Save us a window seat.
The Euromillions offers you bigger jackpots more often - and more millionaires than ever before. Tonight’s jackpot is an estimated €140m. But what could you even do with that much money? You’d have to #ShareTheDream and do something really out there, right? If you’re that kind of a dreamer, you might also be interested in checking out our all new Good News section on TheJournal.ie. Only the best and happiest news of the day. Now that’s worth daydreaming about…
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
I agree with Ivana! Everyone should have the same flexible work conditions as T.D.’s, especially during those long, lazy summer days until September and a bit of a break at Christmas and Easter as well…
@William Tallon: if everyone works from home you can bet taxes will increase as companies will shut offices and that means local councils loose out on rates, cafe and restaurant will struggle with the lack of footfall and your job will go to India, it has to be balanced
@Garreth mc mahon: Outsourcing the Dáil to India could have certain advantages though…
@Garreth mc mahon: I’d argue there’s more opportunity in renovating those buildings into flats and creating lovely well serviced neighbourhoods.
@Garreth mc mahon: Why would the job go to India? People keep saying this.. You do realize India has offices also, so why have the jobs not already gone to India??
@Garreth mc mahon: If cost was the only deciding factor, most jobs would move to India anyway but remote working arrangements have zero bearing on whether a job relocates to India or not. I’m not sure where this myth started but it’s being repeated relentlessly and it’s a total red herring. For example, I work for a large MNC. We moved much of our support and services out to India about 15 years ago. We brought most of it back because our customers want to speak to native English speakers and sometimes in their own local language. Many of us were already working from home previous to covid but now we all are. I’ve no doubt the company plans to reduce it’s office space here which reduces cost and makes us more competitive while we still have a space we can go and meet in from time to time. What’s not to like ? And that’s before we consider the benefits to the environment, traffic, quality of life Etc.
Cafes and restaurants are another red herring as those jobs and businesses will just move out to new hubs, smaller towns and other decentralised locations. Big office space in cities will be the ultimate loser but worst case scenario, buildings can be repurposed to provide badly needed housing and make cities more liveable again.
This is an amazing once in a generation opportunity for us to redefine how we work and live our lives but it’ll be completely squandered by this government because they don’t have the vision or the ability to try anything new.
@Garreth mc mahon: if they wanted my job in india it would be in india, fact is local communities will have all those services in local hubs around our towns and cities, lots of office space in dublin can be converted to apartments until a balance is struck
@Declan Doherty: Just to clarify, when you say ‘us’ redefining ‘how we work and live our lives’ are you referring only to that section of the population who like yourself can viably work from home? That’s how it appears to me. Large sections of the population will never be able to do so given the nature of their work but I take it you believe they should also matter in any redefinition of work and how we live our lives?
@William Tallon: any jobs that can be done that easily are being done in India – it’s not that simple.
@William Tallon: if those who can work from home do then it’s also a win for those who can’t. Less traffic on the roads – cutting their travel time to work. Less people on public transport making it a more comfortable journey by that means. People working in local towns get a boost to their businesses. Perhaps generation of new opportunities for people in rural towns.
@William Tallon: Remote working doesn’t suit every job or every employee and in many cases it’s just not possible. Clearly people in these roles will benefit less from new working arrangements which is unfortunate but it shouldn’t deter anyone from looking for increased flexibility and a better work life balance where possible.
@dottiemac: I’m somewhat confused by your reply I have to admit. I’m at a loss to understand how construction work or transport services in Ireland for example can easily be done from India? They can’t be done from home in Ireland much less from India as they’re ‘hands-on’ occupations. Those who work in these sectors are some of the people I was referring to. Many other occupations can’t be outsourced or done from home. I think maybe you’ve missed my point.
@dottiemac: Would that not also mean fewer people required to work on public transport, fewer buses and trains that require cleaning and maintenance leading to inevitable job losses? Or businesses in towns and cities dependent on the trade of certain workers losing revenue and having to close with jobs once again inevitably being lost? There will be winners and losers as there always are with change. Businesses in cities will lose and there are no guarantees that this trade will be replicated in rural locations. Only time will tell of course. I have nothing against anyone working from home, by the way, I just find the rosy picture you’ve painted to be somewhat fanciful.
@Declan Doherty: That’s clarified it for me. When you said ‘us’ and ‘we’ you were referring only to the interests of that group of which you’re part who can viably work from home rather than all workers. Now I understand where you’re coming from.
@William Tallon: There will never be a situation that suits all… One thing is for sure however, people who have the option to work form home and are doing so will benefit from it.. I know you did not mention this, however it is not these peoples responsibility how businesses are run if footfall is low… But that business goes elsewhere, supermarkets and cafes for example close to peoples houses… If businesses have not prepared for this then thats on them..
@William Tallon: I’m a maintenance electrician in the food industry. Can you tell me your ideas to schedule breakdowns etc so me being part of everyone can have flexible working conditions?
Probably something to do with the vested interest the many TD’s (landlords) have in insanely high rents in Dublin.
@The CFC Standard: That or the lack of decent national public transport and the profit to be had by increasing car sales?
Decentralisation! Makes sense to have ‘remote working hubs’ in Athlone, Cavan, Kilkenny, Wexford, etc. Rents are cheaper, lower cost of living, less travel and less issues with air pollution. But that’s too simple!
5% increase in traffic in the last month, if it keeps going we’ll be back at peak traffic by May.
Agreed, it was a welcome decrease and certainly road accidents are going up as well.
Tax, and deductions .
Eg., would you have the right to claim deductions for the cost of travel from your two places of work?
Nice big tax take for the government with all the cars stuck in traffic jams burning insanely expensive fuel.
@Ciaran Maher: do you think it costs more in monetary or carbon terms to heat and supply electricity to a house for 9 hours or pay for fuel for a car for an hour?
Should get the Healy Rae brothers to remote work instead of driving separately in their big diesel cars to Dublin from Kilgarvan every Dail day, would save tens of tonnes of carbon per annum.
Sounds great but every time you ring any utility , health body or county council the excuse you get for inaction or failure to deal with issues or complaints is that staff are working from home. Recently this aired again on a Joe Duffy Liveline programme highlighting Eir complaints ‘Staff working from home cosequent to company lack of contact with customer queries/ complaints.
have your say