Sinn Fein? They have gone away, you know.

[AustinPowers]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68282329

"Its unfair we have to provide a plan to raise 113m ourselves in order for the British to write off the 550m we owe."

What is her background in finance?

What are any of their backgrounds in what they do? They will pay a consultancy firm an absolute fortune using taxpayers money to tell them what to do.
This is the way.

Thats my point, she hasn't really got a clue what she's talking about, no wonder people have such distain for politics here.

Hardly surprising, she wasn't expecting to be in this role three weeks ago.

DUP threw the Shinners a curve ball on the Finance portfolio and it's well and good Michelle coming out and saying there'll be no water charges but there will need to be something.

The Domestic rates cap seems to be the most obvious thing to go and will impact the more affluent areas most as it's based on house valuations.

Not sure how much that'll generate though.

There is a cap on the valuations though, is there not? So a mega house does not necessarily pay much more than a nice one.

I find it strange  that rates  are based on house size.  A bungalow pays say , £1000 a year , and next door  a bigger house pays £2000. Why?

It's obviously about: you have  a bigger house , therefore you have  more money , so we want more of it.  A big or small house seemingly pays for  the same services , police, Street lights, bins , leisure services etc . A bigger house  has no real bearing on those

[trueblue1234]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68282329

"Its unfair we have to provide a plan to raise 113m ourselves in order for the British to write off the 550m we owe."

What is her background in finance?

What are any of their backgrounds in what they do? They will pay a consultancy firm an absolute fortune using taxpayers money to tell them what to do.
This is the way.

Thats my point, she hasn't really got a clue what she's talking about, no wonder people have such distain for politics here.

Hardly surprising, she wasn't expecting to be in this role three weeks ago.

DUP threw the Shinners a curve ball on the Finance portfolio and it's well and good Michelle coming out and saying there'll be no water charges but there will need to be something.

The Domestic rates cap seems to be the most obvious thing to go and will impact the more affluent areas most as it's based on house valuations.

Not sure how much that'll generate though.

There is a cap on the valuations though, is there not? So a mega house does not necessarily pay much more than a nice one.

I find it strange  that rates  are based on house size.  A bungalow pays say , £1000 a year , and next door  a bigger house pays £2000. Why?

It's obviously about: you have  a bigger house , therefore you have  more money , so we want more of it.  A big or small house seemingly pays for  the same services , police, Street lights, bins , leisure services etc . A bigger house  has no real bearing on those

A rudimentary type of means testing I'd imagine.

[LC]

Whether you like them or not the majority of high profile English politicians come from a career background in that if they were no longer an MP they could go back to their previous profession e.g. Kier Starmer comes from a legal background.

Struggling to think what a lot of our politicians plan B would be in the morning if the Stormount gravy train ground to a halt.  There are only so many community workers needed so after that God knows what they would do.

[imtommygunn]

Yeah I would say that is a fair enough point. There are some capable people in there but there are some people far from capable too.

[Applesisapples]

Rates are set by individual councils. But that is only part of your rates. bill. the other is made up of the regional rate which was frozen for a couple of years. The big issue with rates. is the 70% discount for industrial businesses and 100% for farms. This narrows the rates base meaning we all pay more. this is not the case across the water. The biggest issue with council rates is how they are spent and it is here that the problem arises. Any efficiencies driven by a prudent council CEO will undoubtedly result in an outcry from, we the public, council workers and others affected. by the change. Councillors will be lobbied by the people who vote for them and as a result are reluctant to rationalise and so the rates increase. The outcry lasts a month and then people move on.

That's it in a nutshell. Farmers and manufacturers are holy grails that they won't touch, and you can't cheer on the Unions and then not expect to have to pay for it later. Finding efficiency in how services are delivered is never in the equation, just spend spend spend. 

Food is dear enough without squeezing the farmers. The amount of money wasted on daft things in services is daft and leaves the actual important stuff like frontline healthcare staff and road maintenance underfunded. 

Squeezing the farmers? Every business should pay its dues, the cost of retail rates is the big additional cost to your food bill.

[Applesisapples]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-68282329

"Its unfair we have to provide a plan to raise 113m ourselves in order for the British to write off the 550m we owe."

What is her background in finance?

What are any of their backgrounds in what they do? They will pay a consultancy firm an absolute fortune using taxpayers money to tell them what to do.
This is the way.

Thats my point, she hasn't really got a clue what she's talking about, no wonder people have such distain for politics here.

She has a Phd so id say she's as smart as any of us.

[Applesisapples]

Is SF's policy on rates sustainable? I'd say probably  not. But  I'd also say they aren't alone. The big issue with politics on both sides of the border is accessibility to your voters. We are parochial which means politicians can't distance themselves from unpopular policies the way UK MP's can. That leads to the impasses we see in rationalisation in health and education. We have too many hospitals for the size of population, but what Newry or East Antrim MLA is going to vote to close or downgrade  Daisy  Hill or Causeway? It isn't sustainable. But neither is the rates burden on retail and professional services. That's  why town centres are dying. The Rates system need overhauled, health and education need rationalised but we the public will be up in arms if our local hospital dosen't  have the same services as the Royal.

[imtommygunn]

Has causeway not been "downgraded" a good bit? (Agree with your points mainly though)

Rates system needs overhauled big time. I think it's crippling businesses - small ones in particular. What's the choice here? Empty buildings and no rates or high rates? I think I hear ones saying it's between rates and VAT. (I would listen to a few of them but MIchael Deane does seem a bit full of it so not sure on his complaints...).

[Applesisapples]

Has causeway not been "downgraded" a good bit? (Agree with your points mainly though)

Rates system needs overhauled big time. I think it's crippling businesses - small ones in particular. What's the choice here? Empty buildings and no rates or high rates? I think I hear ones saying it's between rates and VAT. (I would listen to a few of them but MIchael Deane does seem a bit full of it so not sure on his complaints...).

Rates are greater than the rent on many premises, unsustainable. LL's pay 1/2 on vacant premises but if they become derelict then nothing, so you can see  the direction of  travel for the high street. Again the base needs widened so that every one is treated fairly.

[Tony Baloney]

Has causeway not been "downgraded" a good bit? (Agree with your points mainly though)

Rates system needs overhauled big time. I think it's crippling businesses - small ones in particular. What's the choice here? Empty buildings and no rates or high rates? I think I hear ones saying it's between rates and VAT. (I would listen to a few of them but MIchael Deane does seem a bit full of it so not sure on his complaints...).

The Trust takes the hit on downgrading of services within a hospital but they can obviously leave the blame (lack of resources) at the door of the politicians. Maternity got axed in Causeway recently I believe. There are far too many "bits" of hospitals around the place. We need fewer and better.

[Eire90]

some sinn fein councillers wont seek relection in donegal local   is that because they might be scared of a backlash against them.

[lurganblue]

Has causeway not been "downgraded" a good bit? (Agree with your points mainly though)

Rates system needs overhauled big time. I think it's crippling businesses - small ones in particular. What's the choice here? Empty buildings and no rates or high rates? I think I hear ones saying it's between rates and VAT. (I would listen to a few of them but MIchael Deane does seem a bit full of it so not sure on his complaints...).

The Trust takes the hit on downgrading of services within a hospital but they can obviously leave the blame (lack of resources) at the door of the politicians. Maternity got axed in Causeway recently I believe. There are far too many "bits" of hospitals around the place. We need fewer and better.

Have any of you been to Craigavon hospital recently? It is in a total mess. It is completely overran with people. Now I know there are major NHS problems contributing but to close more out lying facilities and funnel them to Craigavon sounds like a complete disaster. 

[imtommygunn]

If we were "optimal" how many hospitals would we have and where would they be? How many would there be in Belfast? Where would the southern trust hospitals be? You'd need one in Derry. Is four in Belfast too many? I assume so?

[Armagh18]

If we were "optimal" how many hospitals would we have and where would they be? How many would there be in Belfast? Where would the southern trust hospitals be? You'd need one in Derry. Is four in Belfast too many? I assume so?

Same with Daisy Hill. Can Craigavon take on all of Newry/South Down/South Armagh?

[trailer]

If we were "optimal" how many hospitals would we have and where would they be? How many would there be in Belfast? Where would the southern trust hospitals be? You'd need one in Derry. Is four in Belfast too many? I assume so?

Same with Daisy Hill. Can Craigavon take on all of Newry/South Down/South Armagh?

The idea would be hospitals focus on emergency and then elective care at specialist centres.
So my understanding is something like Ortho at Dundonald. Cardio at Enniskillen, Cancer Craigavon and so on.
For example - decisions on what and where hasn't been taken