Showing posts with label Northern Ireland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Northern Ireland. Show all posts

Sunday, 20 February 2011

A National disTrust Conglomeration of Misfits - NdTNI

The National disTrust of Northern Ireland - NdTNI
A conglomeration of misfits some might say, but a conglomeration nonetheless of the most ordinary of concerned citizens, all of whom at one time or another have been caused suffering and misery by the actions of a totalitarian regime. The aggrieved tourists concerned at the increasingly excessive charges being levied upon access to the countryside, the aggrieved tourists being charged humungous prices for alleged slum dwelling vacations, the landowners being allegedly deprived of their lands, and their livelihoods, the entrepreneurs allegedly being trampled upon by an alleged out of control greed fuelled monstrous totalitarian regime.

Thanks to each and every one of the ever swelling conglomerate for their individual talents, their expertise, knowledge, time, their possessions, and all of those who have passed on numerous official documents, information, and suggestions, no matter how absurd some have been. Apart from the at times unexpected results, all contributions have been invaluable, even the temporary use of personal web domains, despite the confusion they've caused, the end result will no doubt be fruitful.

Finally for now the allegations of a culture of lies, secrecy, intimidation, threats, subversive interference, all to be examined, and the allegations of the use of alleged cohort Governmental departments and officials, a more than serious issue currently being addressed in the updated 'About the NdTNI'. Confusion is rumoured to be good for the soul.

In a democratic society, not that Northern Ireland has the most democratic of Governments, every individual citizen has the right to peaceful protest, every individual citizen has the right to question the Government, and every individual citizen has the right to freedom of speech and expression which are extremely important rights; in the United Kingdom we have the right to express ourselves without persecution from others.

Disclaimer: The National disTrust of Northern Ireland is not in anyway associated with any other organisation, charity, or Limited Company within the current secondary Universe, or with any other organisation, charity, or Limited Company possessing the remotest of similar secondary names, although Senior Management members of the non-existent National disTrust staff may at times claim to be in the employ of other non-related organisations of the planet Mars, all such claims should be regarded as mere fictional fairy stories from a twisted secondary warped speed mindset.

Membership of the National disTrust of Ballykaziyermaun and its alleged illegitimate offspring the alleged National disTrust of Northern Ireland is strictly restricted to official residents of the planet Ballykaziyermaun, and all illegal immigrants from the aforementioned planet Ballykaziyermaun now holidaying in an unspecified alien Spacecraft Park in Northern Ireland which in turn is allegedly awaiting official Northern Ireland Tourist Plank 4 Star Spacecraft Park Declassification.

Thursday, 10 February 2011

Can the National Trust be Trusted with our £9.25 Million?

NdTNI - National disTrust of National Trust Northern Ireland Policy
It's been allegedly said that in politics a noble lie is a myth or untruth, which is all very well for those people with no concept of what actually constitutes the truth, those same people who have long since lost the ability of distinguishing between the telling of the truth and the incessant telling of untruths. There are people so habitually accustomed to telling untruths, that to them a bare faced blatant lie is their unwavering version of the truth for consumption by the 'peasants' of Northern Ireland. Those same recession torpedoed 'peasants' whose money keeps the privileged untouchables in the ivory tower extravagant life style to which they have allegedly become much to accustomed.

Can the National Trust be Trusted with our £9.25 Million? The Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment (Northern Ireland), were asked over at whatdotheyknow.com if it could be established whether in light of news that the National Trust Northern Ireland is allegedly rumoured to be operating at a significant annual deficit in Northern Ireland, the current rumoured allegations of alleged rumours of alleged serious allegations involving the Northern Ireland National Trust including alleged rumours of alleged misrepresentation for financial gain, and rumours of an allegedly rumoured investigation, did DETI Minister Arlene Foster seek to have the current audited accounts of the Northern Ireland National Trust fully examined, and were adequate open and transparent procedures put in place to ensure the £9.25 million channelled towards the National Trust for the Giant’s Causeway project, is not used for any other purposes by the National Trust, other than that for which it was intended?

Following is the reply to the aforementioned Freedom of Information request as received from Tourism Policy Branch of the DETI, otherwise known as the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Investment: ' In terms of investment in the Giant’s Causeway Project, the Northern Ireland Tourist Board (NITB) as a funder for such a large scale strategic project must ensure that it is economically and financially viable offering good value for money. The implementation of the Gateway Process, perceived as best practice, will assist in terms of ascertaining the project’s viability and robustness. The Giant’s Causeway Visitor Experience (GCVE) to date has progressed successfully through stages 2 and 3 of the Gateway process. NITB views GCVE as an exemplar of good governance. NITB is committed to the successful completion of the project and are confident that the new facilities will enhance the visitor experience along Northern Ireland’s premier driving route, the Causeway Coastal Route (CCR). Gilbert Ash was successful in the public tender to carry out the main construction works and work onsite is progressing well. NITB is confident that the project is on schedule for completion in 2012.

Regular meetings take place with National Trust through an established project board and funders forum. NITB and National Trust are dedicated to the project and every effort is being made to ensure the successful completion of the new visitor facilities at the Giant’s Causeway.

By way of clarification I should point out that the £9.25m funding managed by NITB is made up of £3.125m Government financial assistance and £6.125m from the European Regional Development Fund under the European Sustainable Competitiveness Programme for Northern Ireland. The National Trust will provide £6.25m towards the project and the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded financial assistance of £3m.'


Any Spin Bowler would be proud of the amount of spin in the foregoing response from the DETI, but please do note the actual query; did DETI Minister Arlene Foster seek to have the current audited accounts of the Northern Ireland National Trust fully examined, and were adequate open and transparent procedures put in place to ensure the £9.25 million channelled towards the National Trust for the Giant’s Causeway project is not used for any other purposes by the National Trust, other than that for which it was intended, were not actually answered, so presumably the answer is a resounding - NO!

Monday, 24 January 2011

Can We Trust The National disTrust of Northern Ireland?

NdTNI - The National disTrust of Northern Ireland Tourism Plank
A previous Chairman of the National Trust apparently once said 'As one of the largest charities, independent of government we are dependent on the support of our 3.5 million members, our visitors, benefactors and our partners to help us find the huge resources necessary to protect and enhance this inheritance. If we fail future generations will not forgive us.
To make every pound count we try to manage our affairs efficiently as the best business so we have radically reformed the way we operate. And we must take decisions quickly, transparently and accountably to give people confidence in the way the charity is run and this is why we have introduced the most far-reaching governance reforms in the Trust’s history.'


A statement of considerable substance, one which takes time to fully digest, particularly so if you're a member, and/or customer, of the National disTrust of Northern Ireland.

Independent of Government! Why then has our dysfunctional Government found it necessary to hand over a reported £9.25 million of our money, and what foolproof safeguards, if any, are in place to ensure every penny of our money is used for the intended purpose - destroying the landscape of Northern Ireland for the allegedly rumoured sole purpose of cashing in on tourism?

Dependent on the support of members, and visitors - customers - to find huge resources! There is a need for the National disTrust to state how many members allegedly actually visit their properties in Northern Ireland, and from where those figures are allegedly summoned. When one realises the National disTrust receives for each visiting member - a 'subsidy' from the pot of the National Trust as a whole - one begins to wonder about what has allegedly been actually alleged, what has actually been witnessed.

Efficient management makes every £pound count! Some would argue otherwise, point towards alleged excessive extravagance, alleged sheer incompetence, alleged mismanagement to list but three allegedly much used phrases.

Quick decisions, transparency and accountably! Quite obviously a previous chairman who never suffered the misfortune of meeting local Senior Management. There are those members, customers who would make use of different words to describe their long drawn out ongoing experiences - and documentation to prove the truth of the lie.

Governance reforms for public confidence! Perhaps the aforementioned well meant speech from the previous Chairman was simply made too many years before the birth of the current National disTrust regime of Northern Ireland.

If we fail future generations will not forgive us! Quite correct, but neither is this generation likely to forgive this National disTrust regime of Northern Ireland.

Sunday, 23 January 2011

NdTNI - The National disTrust of Northern Ireland

NdTNI - The National disTrust of Northern Ireland Tourism Plank
Northern Ireland
is as some would claim, a divided Country within a divided Country – on the Island of Ireland. Northern Ireland as the name would suggest is situated in Northern Ireland. Whereas it is part of the Island of Ireland, it isn’t Irish, it's British, part of the United Kingdom of England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The others just happen to be located on another Island, slightly to the East of Ireland. Obviously it could have been worse, we could have been located even further West – America, not that we don’t have our fair share of Cowboys and Indians running amok throughout our fair land - or we could have been located even further North – Iceland, not that we don’t have our fair share of Iceland shops dotted around our towns and cities.

The people of Northern Ireland are British, or Irish – including the Cowboys and Indians – and those from other countries of course. The spoken language of Northern Ireland is English, because we’re British perhaps, although in Ireland, they also use the English language, because they’re Irish one might suppose – also in Northern Ireland the spoken language is Irish, if you’re Irish, not British, and then there is Ulster-Scots - an official language which isn’t – it’s a dialect you see, not a language at all, unless you live in Northern Ireland – it’s a Tribal thing you see, which brings us back to those Cowboys and Indians, many of whom reside in that Great Big House on the Hill.

And those folk on the hill, those allegedly rumoured to be our self serving political representatives, those alleged incompetents who have allegedly so maladministered the finances and functionality of our country - dare we trust them further, and if we cannot now even trust our own democratically elected government - who then can we trust - the National disTrust?