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Said and done

Quality people and idiots: The week in quotes

“Everybody knows Santa sees all – even Dáil debates.”
7.00pm, 1 Dec 2013
13.0k
8

IT WAS A week when the Central Remedial Clinic admitted to using funds collected by a registered charity to pay top-up allowances to senior staff.

A helicopter crashed into a pub in Glasgow, and the Irish government confirmed the existence of Santa Claus.

All that and more, it’s the week in quotes:

The week in quotes
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  • The week in quotes

    “We have to get the quality people." - Minister Brendan Howlin defended the government breaching pay-caps for government advisers.Source: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

  • The week in quotes

    "Funds from Friends and Supporters have also been used to pay any additional salary amounts over the Department of Health’s consolidated pay scales" - The Central Remedial Clinic admitteed that funds collected by a registered charity were used to pay top-up allowances to senior staff.Source: Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

  • The week in quotes

    "We cannot go back to the politics of the past. No going back to Boom and Bert." - Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore has delivered his party leader’s address at the Labour national conference in Killarney.Source: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

  • The week in quotes

    “As soon as I came running around and saw where they were searching I thought that’s exactly where he sits — he’s dead.” - John McGarrigle feared for his father's life after it was discovered that he was in the Glasgow pub struck by a police helicopter.Source: Andrew Milligan/PA Wire/Press Association Images

  • The week in quotes

    "The question of wether (sic) or not to give anonymity to criminals in cases like this will go on forever. However these women and Watkins will be getting three meals a day, a double bed, cable TV etc – all funded by the tax payer alongside not being named apparently. It makes me sad." - Peaches Geldof apologised for tweeting the names of the mothers involved in the recent, high-profile paedophilia case which led to the conviction of Lostprophets singer Ian Watkins.Source: Ian West/PA Wire/Press Association Images

  • The week in quotes

    "The sign is back up, and it’s nice and shiny now." - A Knobs and Knockers staff member puts Ireland's fears to bed over a possible name change at the store after the iconic signage was taken down.Source: Google Maps Street View via Screengrab

  • The week in quotes

    "The Government supports Deputy Daly’s position on the Private Members’ Motion but hopes he won’t end up on the naughty list for his other remarks. Everybody knows Santa sees all – even Dáil debates." - The government confirms the existence of Santa following contradictory remarks by TD Jim Daly.Source: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

  • The week in quotes

    "I'm going to stop that there because the idiots behind you are a bit of a distraction" - RTÉ anchor Bryan Dobson came under fire for his reaction to protesters disturbing a live interview.Source: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

  • The week in quotes

    “You can see the little children when it starts to rain, you can see the fear in their eyes, that what they thought was the end of the world but managed to survive is coming back for them.” - James Kelly of GOAL described the situation in the Philippines.Source: Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland

  • The week in quotes

    "How are you this good in training, h-how are this good at playing soccer?" - Domhnall was shocked to meet his hero Robbie Keane on Friday's Late Late Toy Show.Source: RTÉ via Sceengrab

Read previous weeks in quotes >

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    Eddie O'Neill
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    Mar 25th 2021, 4:20 PM

    Disgraceful, can they do anything right?

    164
    Dixieblue
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    Mar 25th 2021, 4:54 PM

    @Eddie O’Neill: No.. they absolutely can NOT do ANYTHING right.

    110
    Peter Cavey
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    Mar 25th 2021, 5:47 PM

    @Eddie O’Neill: and it seems it was the rookiest of rooky mistakes too. An average 12 year old knows how to hide email addresses.

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    Maurice O Neill
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    Mar 25th 2021, 4:24 PM

    Waiting for the (Learn Lessons) excuse now to come next. Unbelievable but not shocked by this

    108
    Sean Reddin
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    Mar 25th 2021, 4:21 PM

    Innocent women and children reall don’t stand a chance in the country!

    120
    Brian McDonnell
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    Mar 25th 2021, 5:11 PM

    If they sat down and planned it they really couldn’t mess up this entire mother and baby homes issue any more than they actually have,

    83
    Michael Byrne
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    Mar 25th 2021, 5:22 PM

    And of course it’s a system’s error. So no one held accountable yet again. I would love to know who has the final say in outsourcing these contracts.

    61
    Jane Waters
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    Mar 25th 2021, 5:08 PM

    Do we not have enough people working in these Departments eg Health, Children etc to handle things in-house? Why do we ALWAYS have to out-source everything? Is it so that no individual can be held to account for these cock ups? This Govt has to be the most inept ever.

    90
    Lar Lewis
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    Mar 25th 2021, 5:42 PM

    @Jane Waters: yes John. It’s so they can land the blame on the external party. Highly frustrating!

    42
    Mark O'Riordan
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    Mar 25th 2021, 5:17 PM

    I assume they Cc’d instead of Bcc’d in the email invite.

    20
    Bleurgh
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    Mar 25th 2021, 7:23 PM

    Another article a few days ago people were complaining that the departments subject access request SARS looking for ID of those requesting information was to intrusive and cumbersome for those applying who will be elderly, and now there are complaints that there was a data breach email addresses were seen at an invitation to a meeting that members of the public could attend?
    Complaints it’s too strict and then not strict enough?

    1
    Neil McDonald
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    Mar 25th 2021, 4:46 PM

    Ffs. Are we really surprised by the incompetence

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