No water – just the cost of (bon)fires
Slugger can’t handle much more water. So I will start what will be a series of blogs attempting to discover an absolute figure for public expenditure on 11th July bonfires.
First up is costs to the Fire Service.
Reports for the last five reporting years show callouts on the 11th night alone have consistently fallen across all areas.
However, the total number of calls to what the NIFRS classify as a ‘bonfire incident’ between May and July reached its highest level in 2009 (288).
The expenditure then was £894,076 and this represents a 32% increase in costs related to 11th bonfires for the Fire Service in 5 years.
Those years (2005 – 2009) saw total expenditure of £3,719,940 from this public body alone in dealing with incidents around 11th bonfires
Much more on this coming in future days/weeks.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bonfire
just a few examples.
its nothing to do with the Somme, the 1st of July Parades commerate the Somme.
Con, sure think of the money we would save if we stopped funding education altogether!
Some of the postings on here would suggest a lack of value for money. :0)
“burning timber is carbon neutral”
Uhmmm, I think you’re confusing wood grown as fuel from a sustainable source with burning sofas, household wood, pallets stolen from loading bays or Lavery’s back alley, the odd telegraph pole and coniferous trees swiped from little woods/reservoirs.
“It would be interesting to see how crucial parading and burning effigies, flags and rubbish is to Loyalist culture, were they actually forced to cough up some of the repair bill, security costs, medical costs, fire service call outs and lost revenues across Northern Ireland.” I think some/most of them do in that they also pay taxes. I in my post was not saying bonfire night is without fault ( there is still a pile off burnt bikes, car wheels and all sorts of child NOT friendly debris laying 20 yards from my back door) my point was that we the people pay for lots of things we dont get or dont agree with and bonfire night is one of those things for some people.
It is however true that the bonfires are organised by youngsters
No, it isn’t true, it’s completely fucking false. I have sat and watched (from a distance) the bonfires being constructed. They are adults and they are usually the same ones who do it every year.
Don’t try to cop out of this shit by pretending its all the work if innocent we’ans.
Also, much different from the 12th, it is a secular occurance with the focus on protestants making a decision to stay in Ireland. It is saying “Here I am, this is my home”.
I am all for people celebrating their culture/heritage/history. I would never try to stop anyone doing that. But most civilized cultures around the world have found a way of doing it that doesn’t involve burning rubbish, destroying people’s property, blocking public roads and usurping civil authority.
Please don’t try to pretend this is some kind of innocent harmless activity. It is wanton flouting of the authorities and it makes a mockery of the rule of law. It is anti-social behaviour being dressed up as heritage.
You may not appreciate them – i certainly don’t – but we have to put up with a lot of things in life and “They aren’t going away.”
I am realistic enough to know that bonfires are not going to be stopped overnight. But we need to start with the realization that crap like this is illegal and undermines the rule of law. It’s dangerous, dirty, harms people and costs a lot of money. It can’t be allowed to continue unchecked.
but remember it’s kids you are attacking.
This bollocks doesn’t even stand up to cursory scrutiny. Who is it who applies to the city council for the bonfire funds ? You reckon they just hand the money over to people who aren’t even legally responsible under the law ?
What societies ? Name any society in the West that tolerates this bullshit.
Those are examples with “citation needed” all over the place.
And having a campfire or other bonfire out in the woods far away from residences is not even remotely the same as the crap we put up with.
And there’s you risking life and limb as you tap away on your keyboard…
DR is this carbon neutral and sponsored by the government.
http://www.u.tv/News/Bonfire-burns-down-Newtownards-home/7db93044-8704-451c-919e-e3d59e6bc30e
I travel round all parts of Belfast with my work and I dont think I’ve ever seen a bonfire in any part that consists of just carbon neutral wood, just other peoples rubbish, tyres, anything that burns more or less.
Comrade, don’t agree with all you write here, the collection of july bonfires in ulster in the main are started by kids only then do adults step in to ensure safety, the funds you mention are handed over to adults yes but also this is done with the intention of good ie to manage said bonfire and prevent harm. Bonfires are held all over the world for different reasons organised properly they provide a good night for those you attend.
So you march on the 1st to commemmorate the Glorious Somme, the 12th to celebrate you know who and August to celebrate Derry winning the all Ireland.
The English find all this marching shit really hard to understand. They don’t march to celebrate Dunkirk, Waterloo, Agincourt, Stanfordbridge, Hastings or “two world wars and a world cup”. They don’t wear obsolete headgear and a Catholic looking sash. Why do you have to do it?
When Linfield win the League, do you march around until the season kicks off again? How about if Celtic get beaten? Is that another four times around the mulberry bush? I will stay with Our Lady, twenty Hail Marys, rosary beads and a refreshing drop of holy water. It is a lot saner.
“I will stay with Our Lady, twenty Hail Marys, rosary beads and a refreshing drop of holy water. It is a lot saner.” I like it alan, you were being sarcastic? weren’t you.
Those are interesting statistics Drumlin, but nothing to do with the subject at hand.
Well said Comrade.
“from a distance” – enough said.
Clearly you see violent language as a viable alternative to reasonable discussion – pathetic.
I’m sure there are places where the adults help kids build the bonfires, that’s neither here nor there. What you are not seeing ( “from a distance” ) is the months of collection, storage and protection of the wood that goes on.
It is done by kids – if you don’t understand that – then you don’t understand the phenomenon.
On the grants side, I’m sure it’s only adults who can apply.
Finally, if you agree that bonfires are not going away, and that your issue is safety and cleanliness, then surely you should be supporting that involvement by Councils ?
Reading this thread there is one thing becomes clear – there are major events in this divided society that are completely misunderstood by one side or the other.
What has 20 years of CRC funding been spent on ?
Lamhdearg and my other dear Protestant friends: Take the Catholic rite some of your acquaintances would find the most absurd/offensive/ridiculous/whatever. That rite is much more rational, modern and sensible than marching around mulberry bushes dressed up to look like one of the Pope’s skivvies.
Alan, you make a good point. Perhaps it is hands across the divide and they could get a good Catholic (not me) to say a dcardev of the Rosary in Irish by the bonfires as carbon neutral effigies of a certain German gentleman now residing in Rome burns.
kids only then do adults step in to ensure safety,
Yes, the adults step in to construct the actual bonfires, demolishing the small and unstable ones constructed by children in the months beforehand. As I’ve said, I have watched them doing it.
“from a distance” – enough said.
At a distance I can tell the difference between an adult and a child.
I’m sure there are places where the adults help kids build the bonfires, that’s neither here nor there.
Will you please stop repeating these lies. The bonfires are adult events organized by adults.
On the grants side, I’m sure it’s only adults who can apply..
Yes, because the bonfire events are organized and managed by adults. Not kids.
Finally, if you agree that bonfires are not going away, and that your issue is safety and cleanliness, then surely you should be supporting that involvement by Councils ?
I didn’t say I opposed the involvement by the councils, but it’s definitely not the case that the council involvement helps keep things clean and avoids damage to property.
[...] completely independently he has asked the exact same questions on costs to the Fire Service that I had answered back on 19th August.The Irish News, Belfast Telegraph and UTV all say;The figures were revealed by the Assembly after a [...]