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IDA Ireland has enlisted the support of Bono, the U2 singer, and the artist Louis le Brocquy in a 4 million drive to market Ireland as a prime business location for US multinationals.

In language far removed from IDA Ireland’s typical investment parlance, the body said “le Brocquy aimed to make a recognisable image of Bono’s outward appearance while attempting to portray what he conceives to be the wavelengths of his inner dynamism”.

The text of the advert itself is in a similar mode, stating that the flexible attitude of the Irish pervades the ecosystem. “The Irish mind. An abundant supply of that rare commodity you’ll need to bring your business to peak performance,” it says.

“The Irish. Creative. Imaginative. And flexible. Agile minds with a unique capacity to initiate, and innovate, without being directed. Always thinking on their feet. Adapting and improving. Generating new knowledge and new ideas. Working together to find new ways of getting things done. Better and faster.”

This contrasts nicely with the children who have thrown their toys out of the pram:

All over the country last week, members of the public were receiving such messages as public servants ensured that their strict work-to-rule began to hit home. The dispute is marked by an obsessive adherence to rules and regulations about working conditions, most of which are normally observed in the breach. “The underlying objective is to create inconvenience for our employer,” said Tom Geraghty of the Pseu. Another union leader said: “Public servants don’t do goodwill any more”.

Below we sketch what is happening in each sector.

COUNTER AND PHONE SERVICES

This is where work-to-rule is having its greatest effect on the public. The militant Cpsu, representing clerical workers, is running the show here, along with the Pseu.

Last week in the Revenue Commissioners, public counters in large parts of the south east of the country were suddenly shut down for two-hour periods without notice. This created queues of up to 50 people in Wexford last week.

Rotated phone bans have also taken place in the Revenue Commissioners and in the Department of Agriculture, lasting a few hours at a time. Farmers enquiring or applying for grants are also being hit by phone bans or counter shutdowns.

Public offices close during lunch and on the dot of 5.30 with strict instructions not to do any overtime if requested. Email enquiries to public offices, which were replied to almost immediately, are now dealt with by post.

Forms handed in over the counter, but filled in incorrectly, have to be done again from scratch, considerably slowing the process. Also, there will be no quick replies to even the briefest of public enquiries, all of which are now dealt with by hard copy through the post.

“Many of the public have to be told the delays are down to industrial action,” one union leader said last week.

…

Civil servants have also refused to carry files from building to building unless they have been trained in manual handling as required by health and safety regulations.

tribune.ie

Read more:

Confused Irish where Enterprise Ireland were going to demystify Silicon Valley for the Irish entrepreneur

and Psychoanalyzing the Irish:

“This is one race of people for whom psychoanalysis is of no use whatsoever” (Sigmund Freud – about the Irish)

“In fact, I’ve often thought that the ability to tolerate seemingly conflicting ideas at the same time was a peculiarly Irish phenomenon”.