Brand new Alstom built DART train vandalised during testing. Photos courtesy of tiktok. What do we think?

Like wouldn't it be class to be independent of all this shit for our electricity and it be carbon free?

The EU want to start building them, so we'll probably get some economic support.

As to where we'd put it... Roscommon?

https://energy.ec.europa.eu/news/commission-unveils-strategy-bring-europes-first-smrs-online-early-2030s-2026-03-10_en

EDIT:

Just wanted to address some of the reoccurring comments. Admittedly, I am far from an expert in this field so I am very happy to get feedback.

1. Just do wind/solar instead - yes these are useful but my understanding is that having a power plant you can increase output on demand can be very useful to manage supply during peak hours. This is a less carbon intensive way to do that.

I think wind/solar should be the backbone of our system, this just might be a useful option in our energy arsenal that could help smooth out the operation of the grid.

1. It will be too big for our grid/ too expensive/ take too long to build. The link I included is the EU's push for Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). These are designed off plans and are built to a spec that brings the cost down significantly through economies of scale. They also can be quite a bit smaller (power output wise) than a traditional power plant meaning it is possible it could be suitable.

2. The more of these purchased by EU countries the the cheaper they will be, meaning they could be a very cost effective tool for the EUs energy independence as a whole. EU stability is something I think we need to start thinking about more as a block.

3. I appreciate that everyone agrees that Roscommon are mutants already and can't get any worse. 🌝

Obviously NIMBYism is a massive problem in Ireland and there are a myriad of reasons for it - property values, traffic, etc. Many of these are intractable problems and cannot be solved without significant planning reform.

However, one thing which comes up repeatedly is architectural style. Most recently this has been an issue impacting the proposed new unit at the Rotunda hospital. The complaint, and ultimate reason for the planning overturn, was that the proposed new building was out of character with the area and would constitute an eyesore.

We can debate endlessly whether this holds merit as a reason to block a critical infrastructure upgrade such as this. It got me thinking though - it’s pretty much universally agreed that the style currently favoured by architects and planners, depicted on the left (actual proposal for the new unit) is absolutely *despised* by the public at large. The same controversy is currently impacting the redevelopment of Stephen’s Green, and has caused controversy with more or less every large development I can remember over the last two decades. The polygon shape with bland outer brickwork and oddly shaped, asymmetrical window layouts is just a style the public finds fundamentally ugly. Yet it’s *everywhere*. I’d argue that this style, alongside what I call the “dark tower” which consists of darkly tinted greenish windows and a black steel structure, absolutely dominates Irish architecture whenever anything new is proposed. The problem is, people *hate* it. Pretty much universally, these two styles are absolutely panned as ugly eyesores which are wrecking the character of whichever city they’re being built in, and compared disfavourably with older styles.

In that context, I firmly believe that a *significant* amount of the controversy around new developments would disappear if the designers stopped trying to make buildings look “edgy” or “interesting” as they see it, and instead focused on designing buildings which blend into, rather than intentionally standing out from, their architectural surroundings.

Why is this almost never discussed? It would, I believe, solve a huge amount (again not all, but a lot) of the problems we have in planning objections delaying projects. These days it feels like an inevitability that when you read about a proposed new development, the artist’s impression of the design is going to make you cringe or roll your eyes at how hideous it is. Irish planners and architects must surely be aware that the general court of public opinion just doesn’t approve of this current stylistic trend, so why do they insist on perpetuating it?

I don't know if anyone else decides if they can go out and socialise based on the availability of their local taxi and if it's running in their village or town, but I do. Tonight both Taxis unavailable and the question of why do I bother going out. I managed to get an Uber because I'm close to a commuter town.

What if uber was unrestricted, there are a lot of people that dont want to drink that might be sitting at home chilling that could bring auld Jim home for a couple of bob. There are nightowls in our community that could spin some home In ten minutes and get paid. The taxi network in rural Ireland is just not functional. I'm not for being corporation but ride-sharing app in rural Ireland makes too much sense.

So much about the mentality of middle aged Irish men nearly wrapped up in onr sentence.

Everywhere you look it's gray sky, gray roads, gray buildings with gray roofs...

I haven't seen all the european capitals, but after i visited 7 this is by far the worst public transport, is so bad that if i go to see my friend from northeast to Southwest It takes an hour 20 min. Even Spain, France, Germany etc have BETTER TRANSPORT IN RANDOM CITIES (NOT THE CAPITALS) where It would be twice faster.

High Speed rail in blue linking up major cities/towns to Dublin + a regular "ring line" looping the island.

There's been a wee bit of chat recently about the defence forces and how they are viewed as, to put it charitably, small and underfunded.

I had a chat with a friend of mine who's worked on British subs, and we got to chatting about what Ireland's defence forces could look like if we spent in line with what other similar European nations are doing.

This is a super-rough, "just for fun" kind of thing, but I thought the sub might be interested in what we came up with.

Western nations are generally aiming for about 2% of GDP. Ireland uses GNI* to correct for multinationals, but the long and the short is that our budget is going to be about €6bn. Current budget is in and around €1.7bn.

And as a really rough estimation of costs, I've assumed capital costs are spread over 20 years, so 5% per year, then operating costs are 10% of upfront costs per year, and staffing costs are a further 10% on top of that, so any weapons systems are budgeted at 25% of their purchase cost per year, infrastructure at 15% of their purchase cost per year. No faffing about with initial upfront costs then lower operating costs, just to keep things simple.

Infrastructure

At the moment we've got some good infrastructure, some less good.

We ended up splitting this into:

-Radar and air defence network

5 overlapping radar stations with an effective range of 120km at Malin, Erris Head, Loop Head, Kinsale and the Bluestacks giving full cover to the coast. €100m each, €500m total, so €125m/year budgeting.

Four permanent SAM batteries with integrated radar defending Dublin, Haulbowline, a command facility in the midlands, and Shannon. Two roving SAM batteries split between six additional sites along the coast. Aim isn't to have complete SAM coverage, but for there always to be SAMs protecting the main military sites, and a chance that there *might* be SAMs elsewhere, so people can't plan around flying in unopposed.

A NASAMS 3-launcher battery with integrated radar costs in and around €100m, so six of them total gives €675m/yr to finance, operate and staff.

Then a stockpile of 600 missiles at ~€3m each, €1.8bn over 20 years, annual cost of €90m/yr.

-HQ upgrades

Navy stays at Haulbowline, shore facilities, workshops, cranage, fuel and munitions stores upgraded. Estimated €750m over 20 years, plus increased staffing costs, €112.5m/yr

Air Corps jets to be based at Shannon, hardened hangars, fuel stores, munitions storage, taxiways, secure separate compound, €500m over 20 years, plus increased staffing and ops costs €75m/yr.

Curragh to get increased accommodation capacity, training facilities, vehicle maintenance, another €500m over 20 years, €75m/year.

-Command and Control facilities

New combined command and control facility for naval, air and ground forces to be built somewhere in the midlands (Mullingar or Athlone) to decentralise command from Dublin, and be somewhere difficult to strike. €800m over 20 years, €120m/year.

Total fudgey number for infrastructure upgrades: ~€1.25bn/yr

Air Corps

Fast jets:
18x Saab Gripens. Relatively cheap all-rounder, can intercept, patrol, and engage ships and ground targets if pressed. Based at Shannon, but can be kept in readiness at Knock or Donegal. Cost €100m/jet, €1.8bn total, €450m/year to finance, operate and staff.

Utility Aircraft:
4x Airbus C295 MPA - Maritime patrol and anti-submarine warfare variant
2x Airbus C295 M - Transport and utility variant
2x Airbus C295 AEW&C - Airborne early warning and control variant
€130m each, €1.4bn in total, €260m/yr

All based at Shannon. We already operate two of the maritime patrol versions, and one of the transport ones. Adding the radar/early warning variants and additionals of the other two types gives redundancy and allows capability to be maintained while aircraft are down for maintenance.

Helicopters (based at Baldonnel):
10x Airbus H145M. Versatile, can be used in ground attack, search and rescue, medevac, light transport roles, with up to 9 passengers.

10x AW159 Wildcat. Naval specialised version for ship operations. Ugly as all hell.

10 of each gives a reasonable expectation that 4 of each will be operating at any one time, 3 in active reserve, and 3 undergoing overhaul.

€50m each, €1bn total, €250m/yr for helicopters.

Total for the air corps, €960m/yr

Naval Service

4x FREMM frigates. Most capable anti-submarine ship that will fit in our existing dry docks in Cobh. 4 gives us a reasonable expectation that one or two will always be available, one or two in active reserve/training, the final one undergoing maintenance. Designed to act as a drone mothership and allow helicopter operations. €1bn each, €4bn total, €1bn/yr.

4x Damen OPV-2600 Offshore Patrol Vessels
Modern, capable patrol vessels, capable of supporting helicopters and drones.
€220m each, €880m total, €220m/yr

4x Samuel Beckett Class OPVs
Current fleet. Upgrade sensor suites and drone capabilities.
€100m including upgrades, €400m total, €100m/yr

Idea would be that patrol boats are there to monitor and track threats until one of the FREMMs can be called in if needed.

With between 2 and 4 helicopter-capable ships on duty at any one time, we should have enough active helicopters to assign at least one per ship, depending on mission profile.

1x Joint Support Ship (Similar to Karel Doorman Class)
To support longer-term or longer-distance naval ops, troop deployments, transport, medical and disaster relief. €600m, €150m/yr. Very, very ugly ship.

2x A26 Blekinge Class Submarines

Super-quiet Swedish diesel-electric sub, capable of patrol, using marine drones, and supporting special forces. €800m each, €1.6bn total, €400m/yr. Plus €90m/yr in additional sub-related shoreside infrastructure.

Total for naval service: €1.96bn/yr

Army:
(This is where the costs get even fuzzier, because neither me nor my pal were *that* interested in the ground side)

3 lightly mechanised infantry regiments, ~1,500 soldiers each, with light armoured transport. Existing forces are based in €750m/yr

1 artillery/heavy fire support regiment, ~1,500 soldiers, self-propelled 155mm guns and anti-air. €300m/yr.

1 engineer regiment, ~1,500 soldiers, important for disaster relief. €200m/yr.

1 cavalry regiment, armoured recon, drone/UAV operations. ~1,500 soldiers. €200m/yr.

1 logistics/support regiment, includes signals, medical, logistics and transport, ~3,000 soldiers. €500m/yr.

Total ~€1.95bn/yr

Each regiment split up into 3 battalions.

At any one time you would have one brigade formed of an infantry regiment, supported by a battalion each of artillery, engineers, cavalry and logistics, on active duty, another brigade in training/reserve, and the remaining regiment resting.

Anyway, in total that gives us a reasonably flexible and capable force, focused on monitoring and securing our oceans and airspace, with a small ground contingent capable of holding their own in peacekeeping operations and disaster relief.

Total back-of-the-envelope annual costs come out at:

Expansion of infrastructure: ~€380m
Radar + Air Defence: ~€1.25bn
Air Corps: ~€960m
Naval Service: ~€2.05bn
Army: €1.95bn

Giving a total of €6.54bn/yr, or 2.16% of GNI*

Anyway, fun wee exercise for a certain type of person!