Dundalk Chamber of Commerce goes up North for printing

[Alliance 109]

I'm in this sector myself and I can say that the printing industry in Ireland is dying a death for the last year due to the fact that out material costs are massive (all imported) and prices are being driven downwards. Companies are folding or contracting on huge levels. We lost out on the ballot papers which we printed for years to a UK company. I know others have lost out on things from political parties. It sticks in my throat to say it, but SF are the only political party I know getting their stuff printed locally. FF down this way have gone abroad. I don't know about the rest but i don't know any other printer in our area who is printing material for any political party.

I vomited when I heard Lenihan using the word "patriotic" and "unpatriotic" but then the guy has the gall to head to that very country for his printing when people down here are facing the dole queues. Lets not kid ourselves, could you imagine what would happen if it were found out that London sent any government printing to France or Germany??? Heads would be rolling. We seem to put up with stuff that other countries wouldn't. Our politicans have no feeling of responsibility to us, they don't really answer to us. They just have to worry about themselves and theirs.

Our prices are cut to bare minimium, we cover only wages and materials and are still being beaten on prices and loosing customers to companies outside the state. The government may have to tender EU wide but they can very easily create stipulations that make it impossible to do certain printing abroad. When I heard that all the Junior and Leaving Cert papers are printed abroad it made me sick.

This country is shambles.

[JCSkinner]

Are you talking about the civil servants or the Govt? Most powers of govt still reside with Westminister, Stormont has fewer powers than a German regional govt.

Given that it's a regional government running a region of Ireland, that sounds perfectly apt.
My point is simple.
The six counties are Irish counties. They are part of Ireland. Irish people live and work there. Irish people administer the place. It has Irish shops staffed (sometimes) with Irish people.
It is no more unpatriotic for an Irish person to shop in the North than it is for them to shop in Cork, Galway or Donegal.

[petervalhala]

I'd like to address this ongoing BS about shopping in the North being 'unpatriotic'.
We've heard that sort of BS from the gombeen kleptocrats of Fianna Fail, and I'd expect nothing less than partitionist language from the 'Republican' party.
But it is tremendously dismaying to see the same terminology used on this site by otherwise apparently intelligent people.
It is NOT unpatriotic to shop in the North of Ireland because it is the North of IRELAND.
It may be to the detriment of businesses and indeed entire towns, and even the exchequer of the Southern government.
But it is not unpatriotic. You're still shopping in Ireland.

It might be on the ISLAND of Ireland, but the money still goes to the UK government in terms of VAT and PAYE etc. Your money is lost to Irish retailers who employ people in the Republic of Ireland, and its their taxes that pay for the roads, hospitals, welfare etc down here.

If prices were the same North and South would you continue to shop up North?

Why not save the hassle of driving up north (not to mention the jobs of your fellow countrymen and women) by using the prices up north to negotiate a deal with southern retailers.

[myksav]

It might be on the ISLAND of Ireland, but the money still goes to the UK government in terms of VAT and PAYE etc. Your money is lost to Irish retailers who employ people in the Republic of Ireland, and its their taxes that pay for the roads, hospitals, welfare etc down here.

If prices were the same North and South would you continue to shop up North?

Why not save the hassle of driving up north (not to mention the jobs of your fellow countrymen and women) by using the prices up north to negotiate a deal with southern retailers.

People fear to haggle. They may be seen as "making a scene".

[marmurr1916]

People fear to haggle. They may be seen as "making a scene".

What would the neighbours think?

[myksav]

What would the neighbours think?

Heck, how should I know? I'm yankee-born, we'll b1tch about anything, no shame at all.

[Risteard]

Why not save the hassle of driving up north (not to mention the jobs of your fellow countrymen and women) by using the prices up north to negotiate a deal with southern retailers.

People in the Six Occupied Counties are your fellow countrymen and countrywomen too eejit.

[dresden8]

Why not save the hassle of driving up north (not to mention the jobs of your fellow countrymen and women) by using the prices up north to negotiate a deal with southern retailers.

I'd say it's gas being stuck behind you in a long queue in Dunnes when your groceries come to €220 and you call for the manager and try to negotiate with the cnut.

And then I bet you try to pay with a fncking cheque.

[bluefish]

The ques in Asda Eniskillen are a joke.