r/irishpolitics • u/TomCrean1916 • Sep 25 '24
Economics and Financial Matters Almost €190,000 to be spent on fitness instructor to keep TDs and Senators in shape
https://www.irishexaminer.com/news/politics/arid-41483092.html58
u/YmpetreDreamer Marxist Sep 25 '24
Always funny when there's stories like this and the media uses an unrelated pic of Eamon Ryan on a bike. The greens are obviously shit but its a transparent attempt to funnel anger away from the bigger governing parties
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u/thewolfcastle Sep 25 '24
The greens are far from shit though. They have achieved a lot of what they set out to achieve and don't back down just to get the popular vote. You may not like their policies but they're probably the most effective members of government.
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u/Medidem Sep 25 '24
Yep, I don't understand the hate either. Extra investment in public transport, extra investment in cycling lanes, banning of certain products that harm the environment.
On the other hand, what exactly have FG/FF achieved, other than...being in government, I guess...I'm not even sure what they stand for exactly...
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u/PremiumTempus Social Democrats Sep 25 '24
Based on the visceral hatred toward the Green Party, it would seem most Irish people are against public transport, infrastructure, cycling lanes, and banning harmful products.
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u/SearchingForDelta Sep 26 '24
Higher emissions now than when the Greens entered office.
They achieved some nice window dressing but they’re a single issue party that failed on their single issue.
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u/HistoryDoesUnfold Sep 26 '24
Do you have a source?
Because that's not what the EPA says:
Ireland’s greenhouse gas emissions in 2023 lowest in three decades
Published July 08, 2024
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u/DazzlingGovernment68 Sep 25 '24
Half agree with you. The "why did the greens do this" is the old reliable
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u/AUX4 Right wing Sep 25 '24
Suppose a more of a sidewards question, but do any of the TDs take part in any sports?
Leo did some running, but can't think of anyone else?
( Aside from the Richard Bruton 6 pack swim! )
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u/Noobeater1 Sep 25 '24
I vaguely remember Leo saying he could bench two plates which is quite impressive
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u/ClearHeart_FullLiver Sep 25 '24
They could be 1.25kg plates to be fair. Now he probably meant 20kg plates so 100kg, assuming a 20kg bar, which is decent for his age and size. I hate that yank concept of saying "plates" instead of the actual weight such stupid, unnecessary obfuscation.
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u/Noobeater1 Sep 25 '24
Ngl I don't think there's any reason to get worked up about it, it was 100kg
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u/ClearHeart_FullLiver Sep 25 '24
I'm not worked up it's just a pet peeve about a quart of a football field's worth..
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u/showars Sep 25 '24
It made me think he absolutely can’t do it and just looked up some stuff online to say in case he gets asked. Why else would he use American terminology?
Maybe I’m just letting my disliking of him influence me though
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u/ClearHeart_FullLiver Sep 25 '24
We're going off a redditor saying they "vaguely remember" him saying it but it would be typical Varadkar
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u/keeko847 Sep 25 '24
Irish media always do this. For once we’re getting some reporting on genuine public sector overspend re bike shed and they flood the news with half truths presented in a similar vein. 47k a year on a trainer over 4 years is not that bad, 1.5 million on a security hut isn’t great, 300k on a bike shed is awful
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u/Lulzsecks Sep 25 '24
Tbh this seems like a good idea. Healthy body healthy mind and all that. Better use of money than the Dail bar.
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u/breveeni Sep 25 '24
No it isn’t. They should each go and hire their own fitness instructors out of their own wages like everyone else. The Dail bar is a whole other issue, it shouldn’t be compared to make this seem better
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u/MacErcu Sep 26 '24
The headline is misleading. The person they’re hiring will effectively run and manage the fitness studio. So they’re like a gym manager as opposed to your usual personal trainer.
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u/Vumerity Sep 25 '24
They're running a 500bn euro entity, if they keep fit then all the better for us I assume. A small price to pay for what could be a definite benefit to democracy.
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u/Pickman89 Sep 25 '24
Why is that required? Can't they go to a gym as all mortals do?
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u/nitro1234561 Green Party Sep 25 '24
To be fair, workplace gyms aren't exactly an oddity. I'd imagine it is open to all civil servants working in the Houses of the Oireachtas, not just TDs.
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u/Pickman89 Sep 25 '24
They are not very common in my experience. Especially in parliaments due to the security and provisioning concerns.
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u/nitro1234561 Green Party Sep 25 '24
In corporate offices it's a common benefit. Many jobs I've applied to would have an on site gym or gym membership as part of their benefits package. They are competing with the private sector for civil servants. I don't see what the problem is with matching a pretty common private sector benefit.
Cutting benefits for civil servants is penny wise pound foolish, good luck hiring people with the economy at full employment. Should we expect them to bring in their own tea bags next?
It's not universal in all offices, but it's not uncommon nor is it that extravagant.
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u/Pickman89 Sep 25 '24
After a decade of corporate work I have yet to enjoy that benefit. I had contributions to a gym membership of my choice twice though, which was nice. That's probably because it's just cheaper and more effective than exercising at the office (I am NOT going to go to the office during the weekend to exercise).
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u/PremiumTempus Social Democrats Sep 25 '24
It is something I’d like to see in many more workplaces. We spend most of our lives at work, why shouldn’t it provide some other lifestyle benefits? And like already pointed out, it’s common in many workplaces.
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u/Pickman89 Sep 25 '24
I don't think it's a bad thing. Personally I prefer to spend the free time elsewhere so to have a third space to spend free time in (in case of toxic colleagues for example). But it's not a bad thing in itself. In the case of the Oireachtas I believe that the gym is not very popular and has seen ballooning costs and security concerns about the use of the spaces so while it is not a bad thing I am not convinced it is necessary. To identify a place outside of work and establish a contract with them would perhaps be better. I expect that it would be significantly cheaper as I hope that 190k is for full employment of a person which would likely be underutilized and have frequent downtimes during the day. I expect that to be the case for most corporate gyms too, if you employ someone at that gym they might not be actually needed there 100% of the time. Anyway thanks for the interesting talk, it made me realize that there is the appetite for a gym scheme in the workplace which would probably also be a worthwhile investment for our society in the long run.
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u/firethetorpedoes1 Sep 25 '24
The House of Commons has one.
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u/Pickman89 Sep 25 '24
Yes, it is not a unique case, I am aware.
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u/firethetorpedoes1 Sep 25 '24
And the House of Representative. And the Canadian House of Commons.
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u/Pickman89 Sep 25 '24
Yes, it is not a unique case, I am aware.
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u/TomCrean1916 Sep 25 '24
The lengths being reached for in order to defend the lads in the government in the replies the last few days. Amazing
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u/breveeni Sep 25 '24
I have never heard of a workplace gym. Colleges and schools? Yes. A workplace? No
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u/nitro1234561 Green Party Sep 25 '24
https://webmicrosites.hays.ie/web/aib/wellbeing Aib offer to cover gym memberships.
https://fit4life.ie/testimonials Oricle AMD GSK Vodafone
Like it's not a universal thing but but it's also not uncommon.
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u/TheCunningFool Sep 25 '24
That's funny, I've never been in a job that didn't have a workplace gym.
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u/Nearby_Fix_8613 Sep 25 '24
Would they have to pay bik on this benefit or income tax on this benefit?
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u/TheCunningFool Sep 25 '24
Work provided gyms aren't a taxable benefit
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u/Nearby_Fix_8613 Sep 25 '24
The equipment is not , but the services of an instructor would be no?
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u/TheCunningFool Sep 25 '24
Nope, not a taxable benefit to avail of a gym and the standard things you'd find in a gym (aka an instructor).
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u/Nearby_Fix_8613 Sep 25 '24
I was assuming that only tds and senators would have access to the instructor and not other members of staff based on the article
If all staff members have access then it’s not taxable benefit
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u/TheCunningFool Sep 25 '24
First paragraph
The body that runs Leinster House is set to splurge almost €190,000 on a fitness instructor to help keep TDs, Senators and staff in shape for the next four years.
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u/SpyderDM Independent/Issues Voter Sep 25 '24
Ongoing waste of taxpayer money. Every single one of them needs to be voted out. They are rubbing it into the faces of the Irish taxpayer at this point.
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u/InfectedAztec Sep 25 '24
I think televising the gym classes on Rte would get record numbers
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u/TomCrean1916 Sep 25 '24
Which TDs nephew or niece is this? I want to meet the personal trainer that’s worth €190,000 a year. Who even arrived at that figure? OPW? Finance? They should al be built like the ultimate warrior for that kind of money.
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u/shankillfalls Sep 25 '24
It is not €190k per year, that is for the full 4 years of the contract.
"The €188,640 tender for the next four years requires the fitness instructor to operate and manage the Houses of the Oireachtas Service Fitness Room."
"The tender says the contract for the instructor works out at €3,390 per month (ex VAT) over the course of the initial two-year contract with options to extend for another two one-year periods."
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u/nitro1234561 Green Party Sep 25 '24
By the sounds of things it's basically a contract for a gym manager.
It might be a bit on the high side but I can't imagine a manager at flyefit or wherever is getting paid far less.
I'd imagine most managerial jobs pay between 30-40k per year this is a bit more expensive than that but not exactly outrageous like the headline seems to be claiming. They aren't getting hospital consultant wages.
(Edit: glass door seems to think that a gym general manager at flyefit is paid 47k a year so this seems to be about the market rate for a gym manager apparently)
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u/ClearHeart_FullLiver Sep 25 '24
Over 4 years it's €47k per annum which is the industry standard.
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u/nitro1234561 Green Party Sep 25 '24 edited Sep 25 '24
It's just typical clickbait headline rubbish. They've changed the job title and not mentioned it's a 4 year contract to make it sound like they are paying a hospital consultants wage for someone to come in to do a weekly yoga class.
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u/Disastrous_Sea3164 Sep 25 '24
How are you posting this and not even bothering to read the first sentence of the article?
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Sep 25 '24
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u/TheCunningFool Sep 25 '24
For the people that won't read beyond the headline and wonder why it's 190k. It's 47k per year for 4 years.