Irish media - The race to the bottom

Parouisa wrote:Hearing all these eulogies about the editor of the Sindo. Worst paper to ever hit the stands imo.

One of a few Kerrymen who I wish not to claim. Two more editing other low life newspapers.

POLISH waitress living here has sparked fury after she boasted about living the good life on Irish welfare benefits. 'Magda' (36), not her real name, described her life on the dole in Donegal as a 'Hawaiian massage'.

She revealed how she had packed in her job so she could spend her days walking along beaches with her partner.

He in turn bragged about the county's wonderful golf courses.

Magda claimed she earned €67 more a week on the dole than she did while working and that her welfare payments are €182 more every week than back in her native Poland.

The shocking boasts in a Polish newspaper have ignited another debate on welfare tourism, with one Labour senator last night offering to pay for her flight home.

The ex-waitress told the Polish newspaper 'Gazeta Wyborcza' that instead of working she takes advantage of free education courses and goes surfing.

"How do I live? Wonderfully. I get an allowance of €188 a week plus €59 for the flat. In the winter I get an extra €20 for fuel. It's €267 a week," she said.

Magda doesn't identify the town in Co Donegal where she lives but she does call it a "s***hole".

Asked to describe her lifestyle, she went on: "The day starts in the same way. I go to the beach to watch the sunrise. It energises me for the rest for the day.

"Sometimes I sleep till noon and the nearest beach is five minutes away.

"What's our house like? Well, you can hear the ocean from the windows," she added.

Her partner Robert also bragged about life on the dole in Ireland, saying: "I won't get out of bed for €8 an hour especially when I have the sound of the ocean, golf courses and beautiful scenery."

Welfare

The Polish newspaper article compares Madga's life on benefits with what she would earn working as a waitress in Poland, where the average weekly wage is just €85.

Dole payments in Poland are less than in Ireland, averaging just €36.50 a week.

There is no housing benefit and there are strict time limits on social welfare payments.

Welfare claimants can only claim for three months if they quit a job and six months if they are fired, said the report.

Instead of working Madga said she spent her time at a local surf school and learned how to do sign language at the local VEC college.

She also noted the 'generous' winter fuel payments of €20 a week which compared with no such payments in Poland, where temperatures yesterday dipped to -13C.

Last night a Labour senator based in Donegal said the claims were 'outrageous'.

Senator Jimmy Harte told the Irish Independent: "This woman is doing an enormous disservice to the Polish community in Co Donegal and to other hard-working non-nationals.

"She has clearly taken advantage of Irish hospitality. I would like to see her go back to Poland and if we can find out who she is, I'd gladly pay for her flight home."

He added: "Apart from her clear intent to take advantage of our social welfare system, to describe her home as a s***hole just adds insult to injury."

- Greg Harkin and Norma Costello


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Using Google Translates, Reddit contributor Tetch compares today’s Indo article on that Polish waitress with her original in Gazeta Wyborcza :

From the Irish Independent:

‘Magda’ (36), not her real name, described her life on the dole in Donegal as a ‘Hawaiian massage’.

From original Article (badly translated)

Magda is doing a basic massage, Hawaiian and hot stone, which she learned at the free course of office work: hot stones moves on the back, until they go down all the tension.

From Irish Independent:

Magda doesn’t identify the town in Co Donegal where she lives but she does call it a “s***hole”.

Original:

Donegal, a county on the northern tip of Ireland, but for some the most beautiful place in the world, for others – the biggest shithole. Wherever you look carefully, green hills and beaches to the horizon, like a postcard.

Irish Independent:

Sometimes I sleep till noon and the nearest beach is five minutes away

Original:

Day start is always the same: go to the beach to see the sunrise. It charges me for the rest of the day. Once, I slept until noon, now pity that life.

Irish Independent:

Apart from her clear intent to take advantage of our social welfare system, to describe her home as a s***hole just adds insult to injury

Original:

Do I have a problem with the fact that I am on benefit? Wonders. Yes. I do not want to live at the expense of the state, so I treat it as a support that will allow me to set up their own business. In the afternoon we go for coffee for 3 euros. The same can drink at home, but the point is – explains Magda – to support local businesses.

Irish Independent:

He in turn bragged about the county’s wonderful golf courses.

This last one confused me as I could not find any reference in the original article to the guy playing golf. Notice this though, it does not actually say he plays golf. Just that he is “bragging” about the golf courses. This is an interesting line as it creates a false illusion in your mind. He says in the original article that Donegal has nice scenery and good beaches and golf courses – is this ‘bragging’ or stating a fact?

My understanding is that the guy in the article is in Dublin and nothing to do with 'Magda' ... but don't let that get in the way of whipping up anti-Polish hysteria.

Parouisa wrote:My understanding is that the guy in the article is in Dublin and nothing to do with 'Magda' ... but don't let that get in the way of whipping up anti-Polish hysteria.

Yeah too right! Coming over here, taking our jobs!!!!

I live in England by the way and don't give a toss about foreigners coming over to work......before you say anything!!! Fair play to 'em!!!

Typical Indo. Unnamed source. I bet you this article was completely fabricated in Abbey Street.

The Puke wrote: POLISH waitress living here has sparked fury after she boasted about living the good life on Irish welfare benefits. 'Magda' (36), not her real name, described her life on the dole in Donegal as a 'Hawaiian massage'.

She revealed how she had packed in her job so she could spend her days walking along beaches with her partner.

He in turn bragged about the county's wonderful golf courses.

No word from OMAR today as yet....

Crane and junior Crane feeling the heat around Fenagh following this ..... Brigid's Cross sales at an all time low ...

Bought a copy of Irelands leading Sunday "broadsheet" this morning
Don't know way - somewhat of a case of the child and the hot radiotor.

About 50% of the main news section appears to be taken up with numerous articles on the same issue - ie FG association with a leading telecoms business man.

Now I agree that the links between business and politics and the Moriarity findings are a matter of public concern however the amount of coverage has nothing to do with public interest journalism and everything to do with a board room pi$$ng contest.

And on the other hand we then have radio stations who give nil coverage to the issue.

Shameful that public interest media can be so slanted to suit the agendas of the puppetmasters.

Backing the wrong horse springs to mind .....

Parouisa wrote:Backing the wrong horse springs to mind .....

Indeed

A number of them were expressing concern that there may editorial interference to push the agenda of the man at the helm.

Now thats irony

Terrible to see such a noble profession (as noble as the oldest!) suffer ......

Parouisa wrote:...such a noble profession (as noble as the oldest!).....

Hardly...

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I think the race to the bottom has finally reached its destination.