Noel Dempsey, My Nemesis

26-10-2007


Oh it has been a while since I had something to rant and rave about on the site, but lo and behold if I haven't got something now. For those of you not from Ireland or those who live in Ireland but don't ever turn on the news or read a newspaper, Noel Dempsey is a member of the so-called Government that runs the country. He also happens to be (unknown to himself) by Nemesis.
It all began back when I was in college. Not long ago, Irish Colleges catered only to those that could afford to go and if you couldn't, well there was work on the building sites for you. Then the Government said "Hey, aside from a small registration fee, we will let everyone go to college on our Euro!" and so they did. It was a grand old time. For once colleges were packed with those eager to learn. By the time I shipped off to college this no-fees thing had been in full swing for many years. It was great, considering the cost of the course I went to was something in the region of 20,000 a year. Not the sort of cash you can have lying around doing nothing, more-so if you happen to actually stay for all four years of the course. That's the sort of maths I could do without.

During this wonderful time Dickhead Dempsey was appointed to the position of Minister for Education. When I was on summer break from college, between the years of second and third, Dempsey had a great idea. The idea was to bring back fees, bring them back because he said so, not because the country had been hit by some massive cash flow problem (we were in the middle of the Celtic Tiger) but because he felt it was a good way to generate revenue.

This was the day he came onto the jester radar as a target of frustration.

My summer job paid well enough to get me through the college year without too much financial reliance on the parental units, but if fees were brought back I would have to either drop out or take out some hefty loans to stick with the education. After all, two years of my life had already been dedicated to the course (which was not the best course in the world, but it was something I wouldn't mind finishing) so dropping out would have been a waste.

As luck would have it, I was able to complete the course without the reintroduction of fees. This was due in part to a reshuffle of positions in the government. Dempsey was replaced by somebody who saw the no-fees thing as a benefit to the country and so it remained. Dempsey was moved into the Transport Ministers position and since it did not effect an area in my life I was happy to let him sail off into the sunset.

But Dempsey is a stupid bastard, he seems to relish in the idea of being a total knob-jockey. Recently he has been involved in an airport issue where he did not inform people of a route being dropped between the far reaches of the country and London. But today he has gone one step further.

As I mentioned in a post previously, my driving test was coming up. Sadly things did not go my way (well they did, but I still failed because the tester reckons I went through a red light but the scenario she described is very dubious and a lot of neutral people have all agreed that she stretched things a little too far to fail me. But since it is her word against mine I can't argue the case and have to sit the test again) so I am still a learner driver. I'm not too bad, I'm not too good. I'm an average driver. I don't crash, I don't speed and I indicated in plenty of time, which are three things a lot of the full drivers out on the roads just don't do. But what does the fact that I am still a learner have to do with Dempsey now being my nemesis, it has this to do with it!

With only three days notice the laws of the lands are about to be changed. Suddenly learner drivers can no longer driver unaccompanined at all (you use to be able to if you had a second provisional license) and to do so will result in an on the spot fine of 1000 euro. If you drive without the L-Plates up in your car (to try and not get caught driving illegally) you will face an even bigger fine and possibly jail time. If your license expires before you sit the test you will be given a learners permit, to just make sure you know you haven't got a license. But the worst of it all, I rely on my car to get to work in the mornings! As does a grand total of 120,000 second provisional license holders in the country. Add to that the total of L-plate drivers full stop (something in the region of 427,000) and you have a large section of the work force unable to get to work anymore because they are not able to drive. Now I wouldn't mind this all that much because the waiting for the tests is being reduced to ten weeks, nice and short. Except that isn't happening until Feb some time, so why in Zombie Jesus Christ's name have they enforced this heavy restriction on us if they do not plan on giving us a fair shot at getting out of the problem early. What's worse, unless you hold a learners permit for a minimum of six months you can't sit the test but if you hold a provisional license at present you won't get a learners permit until it expires. Meaning that I won't get my learners permit until November of 2008 and then have to wait until May before I can sit the test. THE TEST THAT I SHOULD HAVE PASSED ALREADY!

But it gets better. I still have to pay full insurance costs and road tax costs. So just to make sure that my ass feels fully abused I have basically had my car taken away from me (unless my Dad decides to sit in the passenger seat eight hours a day while I work) AND I get to pay for the privilege. If I ever see that cock sucker out on the streets I am going to kick eight shades of shit out of his mother fucking ass, then drive over him in my uninsured, not taxed, unlicensed car!

I wonder if I could bring a case against the Transport Department for lose of earnings, considering I can't get to work now? Something to look into I think.

Dempsey you two bit mother fucking donkey fucker, your days are numbered!

Blue_jester