i fully agree with david stewarts comments fully.

n.i. politicians should look closer to home and see people under their own noses that really need help. there are still houses in n.i. without hot running water. there are houses with outside toilets, there are houses with people living in them that are near derilict and should be pulled down. there are still people sleeping in the streets of this great world class leading city. why? because our leaders have gotten the priority of human life all wrong.

look after the really needy first then squander the rest!

Posted by william greene | 28.08.09, 20:08 GMT

hi eamonn,

last year i PAID and went to alcatraz and enjoyed every minute of it. alcatraz is a massive money generating draw but lets see what the californians think when it is free of charge and the californian tax payer is footing the bill.

yes right, it would never happen.

double standards are the order of the day in N.I.

living in the real world!

Posted by eric dawes | 28.08.09, 18:33 GMT

eamonn obviously doesnt understand that the reason for the tall ships coming to belfast in the first place is to grow tourism, increase trade, show northern ireland as a stable peaceful place and an area of great oppertunity. in all languages of this small world, this spells money, profit, opportunity. call it what you will but the tall ships were brought here to create wealth for someone or other. i agree with mr stewart 100%. this substantial money could have been used better, elsewhere. lord knows the shankill, falls, crumlin and hundreds of other roads would benefit from this mass injection of weath.

its all about the cash!

Posted by nigel bell | 28.08.09, 13:20 GMT

Eamonn, perhaps the world recession has not touched sunny California but you can hopefully understand David's concern that taxpayer's money is being spent at such a time when unemployment and homelessness is increasing in Northern Ireland. After providing to the base needs of Belfast's residents, perhaps the Council could then meet their aspirational demands.
As to David's 'dubious and baseless guess' that a profit wasn't made, do you have evidence to the contrary? Have a look at the comments in related articles and you will find businessmen stating that the event did nothing beneficial for them. Economically the event mostly caused displacement from other events/attractions during a time when tourism on the island of Ireland is falling by over 10%.

Posted by Bemused | 28.08.09, 10:17 GMT