TD’s In the Dial are Two face, lying corrupt

TD’S and Ministers as you can read the

corruption here in Ireland at present
Taxpayers fork out
€19,000 for Taoiseach's
two days at Davos

1
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
Laura Larkin
March 30 2019

The Taoiseach's trip to this year's elite Davos forum in the Swiss Alps cost
taxpayers almost €19,000.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and six aides
attended the World Economic Forum for two days in January.

The event - which gathers millionaires and world leaders - drew ire from some
over its well-heeled attendees using private jets to converge on the town to
discuss climate change.

The Government used the Government jet at a cost of some €16,065 to bring
the Fine Gael leader, the minister and six others to and from Switzerland.
Mr Varadkar also availed of a €700-a-night hotel room to attend Davos.

Both he and his chief of staff had rooms in the four-star Sporthotel for two
nights, which cost a total of €2,455, with the Fine Gael leader's room costing
€320 more than his aide.

The latest travel records published by the Government show that the
delegation also paid €271 for a briefing room in the same hotel during the
January event.

A spokesman for the Taoiseach's department said costs were in line with last
year's event and said it is not possible to book rooms independently of the
forum.

"The price of these rooms was set by the provider and reflect demand for
accommodation in Davos during the World Economic Forum," he said.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/taxpayers-fork-out-19000-for-
taoiseachs-two-days-at-davos-
37965850.html?fbclid=IwAR1iG0RsU9MvT_EamaHwQKl6EnMbETMclPQmBFTu
T7kNDVuCKBcqO3LY-GM
Finian McGrath apologises 'unreservedly' for
controversial remarks on drink-driving
crackdown

1
Finian McGrath
Philip Ryan and Cormac McQuinn
April 1 2019

Cabinet minister Finian McGrath has apologised “unreservedly” to the

families of road accident victims and the gardaí in the wake of his
controversial remarks on the enforcement of the drink-driving crackdown.

A statement this evening came in the wake of calls for him to resign over the
comments where he claimed gardaí had become politicised.

Mr McGrath said: “I am aware that my comments regarding the gardaí and

drink driving have caused hurt to families and victims who continue to suffer
the consequences of drink driving.

“It was never my intention to cause pain and I wish to unreservedly apologise
to them and also to our gardaí.”

He added: “Families and victims suffering the aftermath of drink driving have
always been my priority.

“I voted for and fully support the legislation which automatically disqualifies
any motorist found to have consumed alcohol.”

He said he has also supported transport minster Shane Ross who brought in
the “vital legislation” in the face of criticism from some quarters.

Mr McGrath added: “I will continue to support all road safety initiatives and
measures.”

His comments come after road safety campaigner Aisling Reid of PARC road
safety group called on him to resign over his controversial remarks.

Ms Reid said: “It is disgraceful what he said. It was shocking. Withdrawing his
statement is not enough, he should resign."

She made the comments on RTÉ Radio's Seán O'Rourke Show.

The comments come after it was revealed that cabinet minister Finian
McGrath’s career is hanging in the balance after he sparked outrage over his
claim that gardaí had become politicised.

Senior Fine Gael ministers were furious with Mr McGrath’s accusation that
gardaí were carrying out unnecessary breathalyser check-points because they
opposed controversial new drink-driving laws.

Even after he retracted the remarks, made in an interview with the ‘Sunday
Independent’, Cabinet ministers were insisting the Independent Alliance
minister should not “expect everyone to forget” his comments.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney said he believes Mr McGrath's withdrawal of the

remarks brings an end to the matter.
Mr Coveney said: "I think they were remarks that probably shouldn't have
been made. Finian recognises that. He's withdrawn them. We have bigger
issues to move on with at this stage."

Earlier, Fianna Fáil's justice spokesman Jim O'Callaghan said Mr McGrath

would have had to consider his position if he had not withdrawn the
comments.

However, he said Mr McGrath still needs to apologise for the remarks.

It was put to Fine Gael minister Richard Bruton by Mr O'Rourke that the
remarks make Mr McGrath unfit to be in Cabinet.

Mr Bruton replied: "I don't agree.

"Finian is a very passionate person, committed to reform.

"He's done a huge amount of work for people with a disability.

"But like any of us he can make mistakes and he's been man enough to admit
that this was a mistake and withdraw it and express his confidence in the
Gardaí and say how he was wrong to have said this.

"I accept that fully from Finian."

Mr Bruton said he has full confidence in Mr McGrath and argued that the
statement he made withdrawing his comments amounted to an apology
because he said he was wrong and the Gardaí are doing a good job.

Meanwhile, one senior minister said the Disabilities Minister’s comments

“should not be tolerated” by the Government.

“You can’t hold such appalling and ridiculous and insulting views on Saturday
afternoon and then just change your mind on Sunday afternoon,” the minister
said.

Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) chief John Jacob said
the “disparaging” remarks had effectively placed gardaí enforcing the law in a
“no-win situation” that left them “damned if we do and damned if we don’t”.

An Garda Síochána refused to comment directly on Mr McGrath’s remarks but

insisted it was a “non-political organisation” whose function is to keep people
safe.

Mr McGrath was publicly reprimanded by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan,

who branded the comments “bizarre” and “dangerous”.

Transport Minister and fellow Independent Shane Ross was silent.

Mr McGrath was last night forced into an embarrassing climbdown after he

came under massive pressure from Fine Gael and his Independent Alliance
colleagues saying he was "wrong".
He had claimed in a 'Sunday Independent' interview that gardaí's
implementation of the drink-driving crackdown, introduced by his
Independent Alliance TD and Transport Minister Shane Ross, has been "over
the top".

Mr McGrath also called on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to "de-

politicise" the force.

He said gardaí should always be "non-political" but claimed they are now
blaming Mr Ross for new drink-driving laws when they are stopping motorists
at checkpoints.

"That is being said at checkpoints. That's not good enough. That would not be
tolerated in any other profession," he said.

It prompted Mr Flanagan to label his comments as "unwise, even dangerous".

Junior Fine Gael minister Patrick O'Donovan demanded that Mr McGrath

withdraw his comments.

Mr McGrath initially stood over the remarks but later did a massive U-turn, it
is understood after coming under pressure from the Independent Alliance.

He maintained: "Nobody is more supportive of the work An Garda Síochána

does - often in tough circumstances - than I am."

He said his comments were "prompted by concerns raised with me over the
past number of weeks".

But he acknowledged the concerns and that his claim of political policing in
the enforcement of drink-driving regulations was "wrong", saying: "I am
happy to withdraw my comments."

However, there is fury in Fine Gael over what one source branded "a
misguided attempt to gain a bit of publicity for himself that has backfired
spectacularly".

There has also been criticism from Fianna Fáil with justice spokesman Jim
O'Callaghan saying it was "extraordinary for a Government minister to state
that he believes gardaí are involved in a political campaign to damage certain
members of the Government".

He said it this was true it would constitute a "serious threat to our

democracy".

The AGSI's general secretary John Jacob said he was happy Mr McGrath had
withdrawn his "disparaging remarks" but said he couldn't understand how the
minister would ever consider gardaí to be politicised.

"We're tasked with enforcing the law impartially and we do that on a daily
basis... we're damned if we do and damned if we don't it appears.
"If we don't enforce the legislation and there's an accident we'll be asked why
we weren't more proactive," he said.

"When we are proactive we're told we're over-active. It's a no-win situation".

He said gardaí would be disappointed that a minister would make such

remarks.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/finian-mcgrath-apologises-
unreservedly-for-controversial-remarks-on-drinkdriving-crackdown-37969686.html

McGrath says he was

'wrong' to suggest Gardaí
have been 'politicised' in
wake of drink-driving
crackdown

Finian McGrath
Philip Ryan and Cormac McQuinn
March 31 2019
FINIAN McGrath has said he was "wrong" to suggest that Gardaí have become politicised in the wake
of the government's drink-driving crackdown.
It came after a slap-down from justice minister Charlie Flanagan, who labelled
Mr McGrath's remarks as "bizarre", "unwise" and "even dangerous".

Mr McGrath, an Independent Alliance junior minister released a statement

saying he is withdrawing his comments which he made in an interview with
the Sunday Independent.

He said: “Nobody is more supportive of the work An Garda Siochana does -

often in tough circumstances- than I am.

"My comments in this morning's Sunday Independent were prompted by

concerns raised with me over the past number of weeks.

"I acknowledge that these concerns were wrong and I am happy to withdraw
my comments.

"I am also happy to state that I have full confidence in An Garda Siochana and
that I was wrong to suggest there was any element of politicising within the
Force over the new drink driving regulations."

This comes after Mr McGrath made the astonishing claim that gardai are
carrying out unnecessary roadside breathalyser checks because they oppose
new road safety laws.

Mr McGrath said the implementation of controversial drink- driving laws by

gardai has been "really over the top" and suggested that this is part of an
"agenda" within the force to damage the Government.

The Minister of State for Disability Issues even called on Garda Commissioner
Drew Harris to intervene and "de-politicise" the country's police force as part
of his ongoing reforms of An Garda Siochana.

"A police force - like teachers, nurses - guards should always be non-political,"
Mr McGrath said.

"I would like Drew Harris now, as part of the reforms we have, to de-politicise
anything like that in a police force."

Mr McGrath claimed that he had received complaints about gardai

breathalysing parents picking up their children from school and on the way to
Mass on Sunday mornings.

"To me, the breathalysing time should be at pub closing time between 12
o'clock and 2am in the morning. That's where the focus should be, so I don't
know what agenda is going on there," he added.

The extraordinary comments follow ongoing tensions within the Government

over the enactment of strict new road safety laws introduced by Transport
Minister Shane Ross.

The road traffic legislation introduced an automatic three-month driving ban

for first-time offenders caught over the limit.
Before the law was enacted, motorists caught drink-driving were given three
penalty points but no ban for their first offence.

Road safety legislation banning unaccompanied learner drivers from driving

was also bitterly resisted by government and opposition TDs before it was
signed into law last year.

Mr McGrath claims gardai are now specifically blaming Mr Ross for the new
laws when they are stopping motorists at checkpoints.

"If you're a public servant, you're working and you're paid by the State and
you're paid by the taxpayer, you stay out of any subtle kind of thing whether it
is a garda checkpoint saying 'oh I blame that Shane Ross, that's his fault'," he
says.

"That is being said at checkpoints. That's not good enough. That would not be
tolerated in any other profession."

Asked if he believes gardai are doing this because they are unhappy with the
new laws, Mr McGrath says: "I think they are trying to make a point and they
are not happy about it [the laws].

"The law is there, implement the law, you're a civil servant, you're a public
servant, get on with it… some of them don't like the law, yes, I suspect that's
part of the angle and they are saying 'well blame the Government' and I don't
like that."

Mr McGrath says TDs from Fine Gael, Fianna Fail and Sinn Fein have told
him they have heard reports of gardai blaming Mr Ross and the Government
for roadside breathalyser tests.

Mr McGrath also took aim at Fine Gael ministers and TDs who he says are
using Mr Ross as a "fall guy" for concerns raised by people living in rural
Ireland.

"Government ministers and backbenchers should cop on to themselves," he

said.

"It's a collective group of Independents and Fine Gael in government and it's
not one person who's responsible for the problems in rural Ireland.

"I think that he's a very easy fall guy and I think that Shane is being used by
some of them as a battering ram and I don't like that.

"I think it's very unfair and it's been spun by some within our own
Government and also some of the opposition party, so I don't think it's fair
and we're doing our best for rural Ireland."

Mr McGrath says the Government had to "bite the bullet" and push through
Mr Ross's laws on drink-driving and unaccompanied learner drivers despite
the move meeting resistance in some parts of the country.
Speaking this morning, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said that Mr
McGrath's comments were "bewildering and bizarre".

"Allegations of 'political policing' are unwise, even dangerous," Mr Flanagan

added.

Fine Gael junior minister Patrick O'Donovan joined Mr Flanagan in branding

Mr McGrath's comments as "bizarre" and adding that he found them
"absolutely unbelievable".

It was Mr McGrath's Independent Alliance colleague, transport minister

Shane Ross, who championed tougher drink driving rules.

The Alliance this afternoon released a statement welcoming Mr McGrath's

climbdown on policing of road safety legislation by An Garda Siochana.

It said: "While every member of the Independent Alliance is entitled to voice

their views, it is only right that Minister McGrath withdrew those remarks.

"The Independent Alliance fully supports the implementation of new drink

driving legislation by An Garda Siochana and recognise the hard work of the
Force on a daily basis in Ireland."

Separately, Mr McGrath says there are not enough gardai on the streets in
Dublin and people in his constituency are being "tormented every night by
anti-social behaviour".

"They want to see a cop or two walking around the area and that is not
happening and we have more guards than we ever had before. That is the
issue.

"There has to be a radical restructuring and management of the garda has to

up its game as far as I am concerned," he says.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/mcgrath-says-he-was-wrong-to-suggest-
garda-have-been-politicised-in-wake-of-drinkdriving-crackdown-37968713.html
EU clock-change reforms
could pose 'challenges' to
Ireland, says Flanagan
Cormac McQuinn
March 30 2019
1
Charlie Flanagan: Warned of possible issues.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has used this weekend's clock change to
acknowledge EU proposals on daylight savings time could present
"challenges" to Ireland.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has used this weekend's clock change to
acknowledge EU proposals on daylight savings time could present
"challenges" to Ireland.

'Summer time' will commence at 1am tomorrow, when clocks should be put
forward one hour.

Mr Flanagan used his reminder of the change to provide an update on EU

plans to scrap daylight savings time, the twice-yearly time change.

There are fears that it could result in two time-zones on the island of Ireland if
the UK doesn't also adopt the proposals post-Brexit so that Northern Ireland
will be included.

The plan moved a step closer during the week after MEPs voted to back the
proposal.

The suggestion was first put forward in September 2018, however, a

compromise was agreed to see any implementation deferred until April 2021.

Mr Flanagan said that discussions between EU member states were still

ongoing.

He said Ireland was among a large number of countries that had argued that
more time was needed to consider the proposals in order to allow co-
ordination with neighbouring jurisdictions.

He said: "It is important to acknowledge that if the UK were to adopt a

different position, this would present particular challenges for the island of
Ireland.

"Any position adopted by Ireland will be informed by this important

consideration."

The Government is awaiting a report on public consultation carried out here

about the plan to get rid of daylight savings time.

Fine Gael MEP Deirdre Clune, who backs the idea, said benefits would include
improved outcomes for "road safety and economic benefits

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/eu-clockchange-reforms-
could-pose-challenges-to-ireland-says-flanagan-37965839.html
Grow up...' - Tanaiste hits
out at Mary Lou for
marching behind
'England get out of
Ireland' banner
Michelle Devane
March 17 2019

Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has been criticised after this
picture emerged Photo: Sinn Fein
The Sinn Fein leader has been condemned for marching behind an "offensive"
banner in New York's St Patrick's Day parade.

Mary Lou McDonald helped carry a sign which read "England Get Out of
Ireland", as she took part in the city's annual parade to mark the Irish national
day on Saturday.

Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney accused Ms McDonald of poor

leadership and of being an embarrassment over her actions.

He tweeted: "@MaryLouMcDonald this is NOT leadership - it's offensive,

divisive and an embarrassment - grow up, this is NOT #Ireland in 2019! we
are better than this!"
Mr Coveney made the remarks after Sinn Fein posted a photograph of their
party leader at the parade.

The tweet read: "No explanation needed. @MaryLouMcDonald #StPatrickDay

Parade #NYC."

Ms McDonald was in the United States to take part in the annual St Patrick's
festivities.

In an earlier post, the Tanaiste commended New Zealand prime minister

Jacinda Ardern in the wake of the mass shootings in Christchurch.

He wrote: "This is what Leadership looks like - @jacindaardern

#NewZealandTerrorAttack".

His tweet was accompanied by a video of Ms Ardern wearing a hijab as she

met the families of the victims of the mosque shootings.

Ulster Unionist Party leader Robin Swann also condemned Ms McDonald's

actions.

Mr Swann said: "Once again Mary Lou McDonald as president of Sinn Fein,
has shown them up for what they are really all about as she posed behind a
banner which was highly offensive and wrong on so many levels.

"It demonstrated that bigotry and hypocrisy were alive and well within their
version of republicanism.

"It is clear that when Sinn Fein talk about respect, honesty and integrity, that
they are as sincere as Gerry Adams using equality as a Trojan Horse to attack
unionists. Their words about rights are only a veneer to hide their true
intention."

He added: "It is sad that whilst others celebrate St Patrick in a respectful and
non-confrontational manner, Sinn Fein return to type."

Democratic Unionist Party's Gregory Campbell said Sinn Fein's caption on the
tweeted picture, which read "No explanation needed", summed up the party's
attitude to explanations, truth and respect.

"When slogans such as "Brits out" or "England out of Ireland" are used the
unionist community are well within their rights to see themselves as the
intended focus," Mr Campbell said.

"The 'British presence in Ireland' is the unionist population in Northern

Ireland.

"The Republican focus on "Brits" in the city of Londonderry saw thousands of

unionists move out en masse from the Cityside as the IRA began their 'war'.

"It's clear that republicans don't do explanations. Neither do they do

apologies. They've never explained let alone apologised for the terror their
armed wing conducted for so long."
In response to the criticism a Sinn Fein spokesman said: "The most divisive
and offensive act on this island for almost the last 100 years has been the
partition of Ireland.

"It should come as no surprise that Sinn Fein wants a new united Ireland
under the provisions of the Good Friday Agreement.

"The faux outrage of some of our political opponents owes more to the silly
season of a holiday weekend and petty political point scoring.

"However if Simon Coveney and the Government is serious about achieving a

new and agreed united Ireland then he should immediately convene an all-
Ireland forum on Irish unity."
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/grow-up-tanaiste-hits-out-at-mary-lou-for-
marching-behind-england-get-out-of-ireland-banner-37922502.html

Sinn Fein's support

plummets after 'England
get out of Ireland' banner
controversy

2
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald
Philip Ryan
March 30 2019

SINN Fein’s popularity has plummeted weeks after party

leader Mary Lou McDonald posed behind a controversial
banner reading “England get out of Ireland” at the St
Patrick’s Day parade in New York City.
Ms McDonald was roundly condemned by political leaders
after she was photographed behind the sectarian banner.
Tanaiste Simon Coveney said the banner was offensive,
divisive and an embarrassment” and called on Ms
McDonald to “grow up”.
Now, the latest public opinion poll shows Sinn Fein’s
support has nose dived five points with the party holding
13pc of the vote. In comparison, Fine Gael remains
unchanged at 31pc while Fianna Fail is up one point to
25pc.
In same opinion poll in February, Sinn Fein increased its
support by five points to 18pc but the party has failed to
hold on to any of those games in the wake of the St
Patrick’s Day parade controversy.

2
Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald has been criticised after this
picture emerged Photo: Sinn Fein
Despite on going Brexit concerns over the Irish border,
Sinn Fein has also failed to negotiate an agreement with
the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) which would see the
Northern Assembly restored.
Meanwhile, the Sunday Business Post/Red C opinion poll
shows small gains for the Independent Alliance 3pc (+1),
The Green Party 3pc (+1), the Social Democrats 3pc (+1)
and Solidarity-People Before Profit 2pc (+1). The Labour
Party remains unchanged at 5pc.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/sinn-feins-support-
plummets-after-england-get-out-of-ireland-banner-controversy-
37967034.html
SF's Mary Lou McDonald
apologises for posing with
'England get out of
Ireland' banner
Laura Larkin
April 1 2019

SINN Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has apologised for posing with a
banner which read ‘England get out of Ireland’.

At this year’s St Patrick’s Day parade in New York the Dublin Central TD
posed for a photograph with a banner emblazoned with the slogan in a move
that saw the Sinn Féin president draw staunch criticism from political leaders.

Tanáiste Simon Coveney said the banner was "offensive, divisive and an
embarrassment" and called on Ms McDonald to "grow up".

A public opinion poll published by the Sunday Business Post this past
weekend showed a drop of five points in support for the party to 13pc.

In February that poll showed the party at 18pc.

Speaking today, Ms McDonald said that the poll result shows the party has to
continue its work.

On the issue of the banner she moved to clarify the meaning behind it and
apologised to people who felt its message was directed at English people.

"In respect of St Patrick's Day I think it starts certainly a conversation around

that banner which has been up and down Fifth Avenue for a generation," she
said.

"It's a very direct political statement, it's an anti-partition statement.

"I know it was taken by some to be directed at English people. It certainly was
not and is not."

Pressed on the sensitivities of the current climate due to Brexit, Ms McDonald

described the slogan as a "fairly blunt statement at any time" and went on to
say:

"All of us have to be conscious of not just what we say and what is meant but
also what is heard and what is understood.
"For anybody who felt that it was directed at English people I just want to
reassure them that that's not the case. Indeed I have blood relatives myself
who are English and English people are very welcome in Ireland.

"Many of them live amongst us, they are our neighbours and our friends so
certainly I apologise to anybody who felt that the banner was intended in that
way and I'm happy to clarify that it's not. It certainly doesn't mean that."

However, she said she stands behind the anti-partition sentiment expressed
by the banner.

"But as to the political sentiment behind the banner in terms of ending

partition, now in particular as we face into the chaos of Brexit, decided upon
in London, in England by politicians and political forces there, I cannot
apologise for being a united Irelander and for wanting unity and democracy
for Ireland," she told RTÉ's Drivetime.

"In fact far from apologising for it I wear that political position as a badge of
honour."
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/sfs-mary-lou-mcdonald-apologises-for-
posing-with-england-get-out-of-ireland-banner-37972274.html
1
Mary Lou McDonald (Brian Lawless/PA)
Finian McGrath
apologises 'unreservedly'
for controversial remarks
on drink-driving
crackdown

1
Finian McGrath
Philip Ryan and Cormac McQuinn
April 1 2019
Cabinet minister Finian McGrath has apologised “unreservedly” to the
families of road accident victims and the gardaí in the wake of his
controversial remarks on the enforcement of the drink-driving crackdown.

A statement this evening came in the wake of calls for him to resign over the
comments where he claimed gardaí had become politicised.

Mr McGrath said: “I am aware that my comments regarding the gardaí and

drink driving have caused hurt to families and victims who continue to suffer
the consequences of drink driving.
“It was never my intention to cause pain and I wish to unreservedly apologise
to them and also to our gardaí.”

He added: “Families and victims suffering the aftermath of drink driving have
always been my priority.

“I voted for and fully support the legislation which automatically disqualifies
any motorist found to have consumed alcohol.”

He said he has also supported transport minster Shane Ross who brought in
the “vital legislation” in the face of criticism from some quarters.

Mr McGrath added: “I will continue to support all road safety initiatives and
measures.”

His comments come after road safety campaigner Aisling Reid of PARC road
safety group called on him to resign over his controversial remarks.

Ms Reid said: “It is disgraceful what he said. It was shocking. Withdrawing his
statement is not enough, he should resign."

She made the comments on RTÉ Radio's Seán O'Rourke Show.

The comments come after it was revealed that cabinet minister Finian
McGrath’s career is hanging in the balance after he sparked outrage over his
claim that gardaí had become politicised.

Senior Fine Gael ministers were furious with Mr McGrath’s accusation that
gardaí were carrying out unnecessary breathalyser check-points because they
opposed controversial new drink-driving laws.

Even after he retracted the remarks, made in an interview with the ‘Sunday
Independent’, Cabinet ministers were insisting the Independent Alliance
minister should not “expect everyone to forget” his comments.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney said he believes Mr McGrath's withdrawal of the

remarks brings an end to the matter.

Mr Coveney said: "I think they were remarks that probably shouldn't have
been made. Finian recognises that. He's withdrawn them. We have bigger
issues to move on with at this stage."

Earlier, Fianna Fáil's justice spokesman Jim O'Callaghan said Mr McGrath

would have had to consider his position if he had not withdrawn the
comments.

However, he said Mr McGrath still needs to apologise for the remarks.

It was put to Fine Gael minister Richard Bruton by Mr O'Rourke that the
remarks make Mr McGrath unfit to be in Cabinet.

Mr Bruton replied: "I don't agree.

"Finian is a very passionate person, committed to reform.

"He's done a huge amount of work for people with a disability.

"But like any of us he can make mistakes and he's been man enough to admit
that this was a mistake and withdraw it and express his confidence in the
Gardaí and say how he was wrong to have said this.

"I accept that fully from Finian."

Mr Bruton said he has full confidence in Mr McGrath and argued that the
statement he made withdrawing his comments amounted to an apology
because he said he was wrong and the Gardaí are doing a good job.

Meanwhile, one senior minister said the Disabilities Minister’s comments

“should not be tolerated” by the Government.

“You can’t hold such appalling and ridiculous and insulting views on Saturday
afternoon and then just change your mind on Sunday afternoon,” the minister
said.

Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) chief John Jacob said
the “disparaging” remarks had effectively placed gardaí enforcing the law in a
“no-win situation” that left them “damned if we do and damned if we don’t”.

An Garda Síochána refused to comment directly on Mr McGrath’s remarks but

insisted it was a “non-political organisation” whose function is to keep people
safe.

Mr McGrath was publicly reprimanded by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan,

who branded the comments “bizarre” and “dangerous”.

Transport Minister and fellow Independent Shane Ross was silent.

Mr McGrath was last night forced into an embarrassing climbdown after he

came under massive pressure from Fine Gael and his Independent Alliance
colleagues saying he was "wrong".

He had claimed in a 'Sunday Independent' interview that gardaí's

implementation of the drink-driving crackdown, introduced by his
Independent Alliance TD and Transport Minister Shane Ross, has been "over
the top".

Mr McGrath also called on Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to "de-

politicise" the force.

He said gardaí should always be "non-political" but claimed they are now
blaming Mr Ross for new drink-driving laws when they are stopping motorists
at checkpoints.

"That is being said at checkpoints. That's not good enough. That would not be
tolerated in any other profession," he said.

It prompted Mr Flanagan to label his comments as "unwise, even dangerous".

Junior Fine Gael minister Patrick O'Donovan demanded that Mr McGrath
withdraw his comments.

Mr McGrath initially stood over the remarks but later did a massive U-turn, it
is understood after coming under pressure from the Independent Alliance.

He maintained: "Nobody is more supportive of the work An Garda Síochána

does - often in tough circumstances - than I am."

He said his comments were "prompted by concerns raised with me over the
past number of weeks".

But he acknowledged the concerns and that his claim of political policing in
the enforcement of drink-driving regulations was "wrong", saying: "I am
happy to withdraw my comments."

However, there is fury in Fine Gael over what one source branded "a
misguided attempt to gain a bit of publicity for himself that has backfired
spectacularly".

There has also been criticism from Fianna Fáil with justice spokesman Jim
O'Callaghan saying it was "extraordinary for a Government minister to state
that he believes gardaí are involved in a political campaign to damage certain
members of the Government".

He said it this was true it would constitute a "serious threat to our

democracy".

The AGSI's general secretary John Jacob said he was happy Mr McGrath had
withdrawn his "disparaging remarks" but said he couldn't understand how the
minister would ever consider gardaí to be politicised.

"We're tasked with enforcing the law impartially and we do that on a daily
basis... we're damned if we do and damned if we don't it appears.

"If we don't enforce the legislation and there's an accident we'll be asked why
we weren't more proactive," he said.

"When we are proactive we're told we're over-active. It's a no-win situation".

He said gardaí would be disappointed that a minister would make

such remarks.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/finian-mcgrath-apologises-unreservedly-
for-controversial-remarks-on-drinkdriving-crackdown-37969686.html
I would do a deal with the
devil to be in the next
Government' - Finian
McGrath
The Disabilities Minister is ready to sign up
to another coalition and he's willing to do
business with any party, writes Philip Ryan

1
Finian McGrath: ‘I could retire, yeah. But I love the day job. I’d be
delighted to be here at 70’. Photo: Mark Condren
You generally hear Finian McGrath before you see him. His bellowing laugh
can be heard bouncing off the walls as he makes his way through Government
Buildings, exchanging greetings with everyone he meets. Before he entered his
ministerial office last Thursday afternoon, he laughed and told Junior
Minister Kevin 'Boxer' Moran to "stop plamasing" as he agreed to attend the
launch of a Government initiative.

He rummaged around in his briefcase before the interview began and

produced a list of projects and investments he secured during his three years
in office.

It included €11m for a new cystic fibrosis unit in Beaumont Hospital, €5.95m
for a new kidney unit, €167m for HSE disability services, €10m for extending
medical cards to 10,000 children and €10m for respite care. The list goes on.
The same one-page document was distributed to Independent Alliance
councillors who attended a dinner event the previous night in Leinster House.
There were 22 of them, believe it or not. McGrath said the group will field 30
candidates in the local elections.

"The message we're sending out is basically we're saying, listen, if we could get
four or five of you guys elected on top of us [in a general election], that would
be eight or nine and that would be a substantial block for the next
Government," he said.

He accepted the Independent vote had plummeted since the historic 2016
General Election, but added: "Sure, when you're in Government you always
c**k up at some time. That's reality."

However, he was not convinced the Dail will be stripped of Independent

voices when the country next votes. He said the Alliance showed they were
"radical but responsible" in entering Government with Fine Gael.

"We're saying to people on the doors, 'do you want an Independent who is
going to do a deal and serve in Government or do you want an Independent
who's going to whinge on the sidelines?'"

He said "deep down", Fianna Fail and Fine Gael know they will have to rely on
Independents to form the next Government. "And that, on the last week or
two of a campaign, could push us up another bit because you're relevant to the
debate," he added.

Would he have an ideological objection to doing business with either Sinn

Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald or Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin?

"No, I'd do a deal with the devil," he said, before breaking into laughter and
adding: "there's your headline".

"You see, historically, I'm the only Independent TD that's done a deal with
four different taoisigh - I did a deal with Bertie, I did a deal with Brian Cowen,
I served in Government with Enda Kenny and I served in Government with
Leo," he added.

He said the current Taoiseach knows his red lines - disability funding and
additional services at Beaumont Hospital - and he insisted that if he's
"doubled crossed" by Leo Varadkar, he will walk away without any discussion.

He would prefer if the general election was next year but believed it will
probably be this coming autumn.

"If there was momentum there, I could see Fianna Fail calling it in the autumn
but I do know from talking to Fianna Failers over the last few days, they're
also conscious of the fact that they don't want to be blamed for causing an
election."

He'd be happy to remain Disability Minister in the next Cabinet but was also
open to the Health and Social Protection portfolios.
On the housing crisis, he said builders have told him privately they were not
building domestic homes because there was more money to be made working
on state capital projects because they were "much easier, they're less hassle
and there's more profit".

At a Cabinet meeting last year, he accused Fine Gael ministers of "looking

down their noses" at social housing but, while refusing to comment on the
confidential discussion, he said the party's "mindset has changed over the last
year".

He insisted Fine Gael was not spinning homeless figures and there was a
"constant flow" of people coming into his constituency office looking for
housing.

McGrath said, "people are afraid to say it" but he insisted some people were
"gaming the system" by claiming homelessness to be bumped up the housing
list.

"I'm not saying it's a huge issue, but it's there as an issue and it's unfair to
those who are waiting around for five, six or seven years," he said.

McGrath said working couples are even asking him, should they go on the
social housing list because they can't find accommodation?

"I have working couples coming into my clinics and they're talking about
going on the social housing list - we have to accommodate them and let them
go for their house so it takes the pressure off the social housing list.

"They want to buy, they have a low salary, a combined salary of €60k let's say,
that's the situation, those people should be facilitated," he said.

The minister believed that there should be more "flexibility" around the
Central Bank mortgage rules to allow more first-time buyers to get on the
property ladder.

"Without going over the top, there will have to be some sort of flexibility to
give reliable people who have a job but mightn't be on a high income - but it's
a stable income... we need to give them a break."

McGrath was supportive of his Fine Gael Government colleagues - Housing

Minister Eoghan Murphy and Health Minister Simon Harris who, he said,
were doing "their best in a bad situation".

However, he was furious with Fine Gael ministers and TDs who were using
Transport Minister Shane Ross as a "fall guy" for concerns raised by people
living in rural Ireland.

"Government ministers and backbenchers should cop on to themselves. It's a

collective group of Independents and Fine Gael in Government and it's not
one person who's responsible for the problems in rural Ireland. I think that
he's a very easy fall guy and I think that Shane is being used by some of them
as a battering-ram and I don't like that.
"I think it's very unfair and it's been spun by some within our own
Government and also some of the Opposition party, so I don't think it's fair
and we're doing our best for rural Ireland," he added.

McGrath believed the Government had to "bite the bullet" and push through
Ross's laws on drink-driving and unaccompanied learner drivers despite
resistance in some parts of the country.

However, the minister also believed Garda enforcement of the new legislation
had been "really over the top" and made the extraordinary claim - in
comments he has since withdrawn - that there was a political agenda among
some members of the force who were unhappy with the road safety laws.

"I'm getting complaints around the country that they are breathalysing people
at 2pm in the day. To me, the breathalysing time should be at pub closing time
between 12 o'clock and 2 in the morning. That's where the focus should be so I
don't know what agenda is going on there," he said.

Does he think some gardai are opposed to the new laws?

"I think they have an issue and that I feel uncomfortable about. The law is
there to implement - you're a civil servant, you're a public servant, get on with
it. Some of them don't like the law, yes, I suspect that's part of the angle and
they are saying 'well, blame the Government' and I don't like that."

He claimed gardai are specifically telling motorists that Shane Ross was to
blame for roadside check points.

"I would like Drew Harris now, as part of the reforms we have, to de-politicise
anything like that in a police force. A police force - like teachers, nurses -
guards should always be non-political. That would not be tolerated in any
other profession," he said.

Mr McGrath has since said he was "wrong" to suggest that Gardaí have
become politicised in the wake of the government's drink-driving crackdown

He insisted progress was being made on a Programme for Government

commitment to recognise the state of Palestine despite international
resistance. "It should be going quicker and I think we will see movement in
the next couple of weeks," he said.

It came after a slap-down from justice minister Charlie Flanagan, who labelled
Mr McGrath's remarks as "bizarre", "unwise" and "even dangerous".

Mr McGrath, an Independent Alliance junior minister released a statement

saying he is withdrawing his comments which he made in an interview with
the Sunday Independent.

He said: “Nobody is more supportive of the work An Garda Siochana does -

often in tough circumstances- than I am.

"My comments in this morning's Sunday Independent were prompted by

concerns raised with me over the past number of weeks.
"I acknowledge that these concerns were wrong and I am happy to withdraw
my comments.

"I am also happy to state that I have full confidence in An Garda Siochana and
that I was wrong to suggest there was any element of politicising within the
Force over the new drink driving regulations."

The 65-year-old minister, who was just back from a State visit to Mexico and
Cuba, said he had no intention of quitting politics any time soon.

"I could retire, yeah. But I love the day job. I'd be delighted to be here at 70. I
love my day job, I love being a minister. I will stay in the job as long as I get
that buzz," he concluded.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/i-would-do-a-deal-with-the-
devil-to-be-in-the-next-government-finian-mcgrath-37967535.html
Homelessness figures
'going in wrong direction',
says Zappone

1
Children’s Minister Katherine Zappone. Photo: Gareth Chaney,
Collins
Fiona Dillon
March 30 2019
Children's Minister Katherine Zappone has said that the numbers in relation
to homelessness "are going in the wrong direction".

It emerged on Wednesday that the number of homeless people in Ireland had

broken the 10,000 mark for the first time, with nearly 4,000 children among
those living in emergency accommodation.

Ms Zappone was in Tallaght, south Dublin, yesterday to launch a new report,

called 'Many Hearts, No Homes, Voices from the Frontline of Homelessness',
which saw participants using photographs to describe their experiences.

Ms Zappone said "the numbers are going in the wrong direction, and I
acknowledge that".

She said that she would bring the new report by Dr Maria Quinlan and Patrick
Bolger, which contains short and longer-term recommendations, to the
Cabinet table next Tuesday, to put before colleagues.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/homelessness-figures-going-
in-wrong-direction-says-zappone-37965879.html

Opposition TDs demand

a 'Plan B' for broadband
amid fears cost could
reach €3bn

1
Communications Minister Richard Bruton.
Cormac McQuinn
April 1 2019

Opposition TDs have demanded that the Government outlines a 'Plan B' for
broadband amid concern that the project to roll out high-speed internet to
rural Ireland could cost up to €3bn.

The National Broadband Plan (NBP) has been beset with delays and
difficulties - including two bidders dropping out - and the Government is to
make a decision on the future of the plan imminently.

National Broadband Ireland, a consortium led by US businessman David

McCourt, is the only remaining bidder for the project that was originally
expected to cost €500m.

However, the Government now concedes that it will cost "multiples" of that.
Opposition politicians raised serious concern over a report at the weekend
that the contract is expected to be awarded to Mr McCourt's consortium as
part of the process being overseen by Communications Minister Richard
Bruton.

Fianna Fáil's Timmy Dooley accused the Government of a "blasé approach" to

a project that has "spiralled out of control in every respect, way past its
deadline and way over budget". He also raised concern about the ability of the
last remaining bidder - which he said was led by a private investment fund - to
deliver the project, questioning if it has the experience to do so.

Mr Dooley said there should be a Dáil debate before the contract is awarded
and the Government must put forward a "Plan B". He has previously
suggested that the ESB should take on the project.

Labour TD Seán Sherlock said TDs "need cold hard facts from the
Government on how they plan to proceed with this critical plan". He also
questioned the viability of the plan "if it's true that the cost has risen to €3bn".

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy said: "At issue here is not that
broadband shouldn't be provided. The issue is how it's to be provided, is there
a Plan B?"

She said she still had concerns that there was a "lack of competitive tension"
in a tender process with just one bidder remaining.

Ms Murphy said it was "absolutely" essential the issue is debated in the Dáil,
adding: "We have to have a full understanding of what this is going to cost and
what the safeguards are so that it doesn't cost multiples of the multiples of the
€500m".

A spokesperson for Mr McCourt declined to offer a response to questions

raised about the consortium's ability to deliver the project.

Members of the consortium have been involved in telecoms projects in Ireland

and internationally and Mr McCourt also has a background in the sector.

A Communications Department spokesperson said the NBP procurement

process is at the final stage and Mr Bruton will shortly bring a
recommendation to Government on the next steps.

They added that Mr Bruton indicated that there would be a period of time
between the formal appointment of a preferred bidder and the signing of
contracts. In the Dáil, Mr Bruton said that he intends, depending on what
decision is taken, to make "full and extensive information" available to TDs for
them to evaluate.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/opposition-tds-demand-a-
plan-b-for-broadband-amid-fears-cost-could-reach-3bn-37969786.html


McAleese: It's a chance to
reframe debate on Irish
unity

1
Warning: Mary McAleese said Brexit provides a ‘sobering’ lesson.
Laura Larkin
March 30 2019

Former President Mary McAleese has said Brexit has provided an unexpected
opportunity to reframe the debate on Irish unity.

In a wide-ranging contribution on Brexit and the political paralysis that has

taken hold in Westminster, Ms McAleese compared the current situation to a
type of political flesh-eating disease. But there is an opportunity for the unity
debate to move to a healthier place, according to the respected former
President.

She paid tribute to former Taoiseach Enda Kenny's securing of an agreement

among European leaders that dictates that post-Brexit, should partition end,
Northern Ireland will be able to be seamlessly re-enveloped into the EU.

"Now what you are offering people is not - as some people fear - absorption
into the Republic where people will be preening themselves because now past
injustices have been righted, but rather what you will be offering people is the
prospect of this wonderful new democracy within the EU, fresh and different
and reconciling of all identities, something really qualitatively different," she
said.

"It's what many of us have always wanted to construct but actually Brexit has
given us a tool that we never really expected to have - and we should use that
very wisely."

She also sounded a warning that people must learn from the "sobering" lesson
Brexit has taught about the need to prepare the ground for radical
Constitutional reform. In a pithy assessment of the current state of play, Ms
McAleese said the title of her keynote address to the DCU's Brexit Institute
was 'Haven't a clue'.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/mcaleese-its-a-chance-to-
reframe-debate-on-irish-unity-37965841.html

Facebook pledges to
clamp down on political
ads before elections
Facebook has pledged to clamp down on political advertising to
safeguard against interference ahead of May’s European Elections
Laura Larkin
March 30 2019

Facebook has pledged to clamp down on political advertising to safeguard
against interference ahead of May's European elections.

Political ads will be labelled as "paid for", offering information on who bought
it, for how much, and how many people have seen it - broken down by age,
location and gender.

Only advertisers located and authorised in a given country will be able to run
political ads or issue ads there, mirroring policies elsewhere where the tools
have been rolled out. The tech giant will block ads that fail to comply from
mid-April. Fact-checkers to combat disinformation and a cyber security team
working to foil fake accounts will also be rolled out.

Previously, the EU threatened tech companies with a legal clampdown if more

progress was not made on protecting elections.

Fianna Fáil TD James Lawless, who has drawn up legislation dealing with
transparency in political advertising, called on the Government to progress
the bill before the elections.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/facebook-pledges-to-clamp-
down-on-political-ads-before-elections-37965853.html





1,000 protest at post
office move

1
More than 1,000 people turned out yesterday for a rally to protest
against An Post’s decision to close the existing post office in
Liberty Square, Co Tipperary, and open a new branch at Thurles
Shopping Centre. Photo: Eamonn McGee

March 30 2019

Pressure is growing on Communications Minister Richard Bruton to intervene
in a stand-off between An Post and Thurles residents over a plan to re-locate
the local post office from the centre of town to a shopping centre.

More than 1,000 people turned out yesterday for a rally to protest against An
Post's decision to close the existing post office in Liberty Square, Co
Tipperary, and open a new branch at Thurles Shopping Centre.

"Thurles is fighting back," the protesters were told amid calls for local TDs to
meet with Mr Bruton as soon as possible.
Mr Bruton has previously said he will not intervene, while An Post said the
700 metre move to Thurles Shopping Centre will happen later this year.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/1000-protest-at-post-office-
move-37965870.html

Landmark climate action

report to be launched
after Carbon Tax
compromise

2
Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley. Photo: Tom Burke
A LANDMARK plan to tackle climate change will finally be
published after a cross-party group of politicians reached a
compromise on the highly contentious issue of Carbon
Tax.
A row between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil caused a last
minute speedbump to the completion of the long-awaited
report by the Oireachtas Climate Action Committee.
The dispute hinged on a recommendation in the draft
report that the finance minister introduce legislation this
year setting a trajectory to quadruple Carbon Tax to at
least €80-per-tonne by 2030.
Fianna Fáil rejected this arguing that there needed to be
clearer recommendations on how to alleviate fuel poverty
and mitigate the effects of an increased tax on households.

Martin Heydon TD Picture: Tom Burke

Cormac McQuinn
March 28 2019

Last night Fine Gael TD Martin Heydon accused the rival

party of seeking to “fudge” the committee’s findings while
his party insisted they also wanted measures to protect
households from the impact of carbon tax hikes.
Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley hit back saying he wouldn’t be
lectured by Fine Gael and attacked their record on
addressing climate change.
Overnight an amendment was agreed by Fine Gael, Fianna
Fáil, Labour and the Green Party to solve the impasse.
The new recommendation, voted through by the
committee this evening sees the pathway to raise the tax to
€80-per-tonne included in the report.
However, it says no moves to implement it should take
place until a plan is in place to increase supports for
households.
The new recommendation reads: “The minister for finance
should set out a carbon price trajectory that rises to €80-
per-tonne by 2030, and this should only be implemented
when an evidence-based plan is in place to increase
supports and incentives for climate action measures,
including the protection of those vulnerable to fuel
poverty.”
It calls for a review of impact of a carbon tax on people in
fuel poverty to be completed in the coming months.
It also calls for a public consultation on the best way to
allocate ring-fenced revenue from an increased carbon tax.
This consultation should cover the protection of people in
fuel poverty and specific a climate actions that could be
paid for with the revenue and/or a fee and dividend
approach, similar to the ‘carbon cheque’ for households
idea mooted by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar.
A policy paper resulting from the public consultation
would be submitted to the government.
The Climate Action Committee would then be given the
opportunity to develop a consensus position “on how to
allocate revenues to 2030 prior to Budget 2020”.
The cross-party amendment to the report was passed by
the committee this evening by 15 votes to five.
A bid by Sinn Féin to include a recommendation that there
be no carbon tax increases in the report was defeated by 15
votes to five.
Sinn Féin and People Before Profit members of the
committee are opposed to increases in Carbon Tax.
Climate Action minister Richard Bruton welcomed the
committee’s report and said he would consider its
recommendations as his department works on an “all of
government Climate Plan”.
He said: “Climate disruption can no longer be ignored, we
must respond.
“The Climate Plan will set out how this government
intends to take the lead and will set out a range of actions,
across all sectors - including buildings, heat, transport,
industry and agriculture to step up Ireland’s response to
climate change.”
He said he was glad to see a cross-party consensus on “a
number of difficult matters, including a price for carbon”,
commonly referred to as Carbon Tax.
He added: “Creating a price for carbon, the most prevalent
greenhouse gas, will mean that the cost of the damage will
be paid for, by the person who is polluting.”
Mr Bruton also noted that the committee has agreed with
the government’s 70pc renewable energy target by 2050.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/landmark-climate-action-
report-to-be-launched-after-carbon-tax-compromise-37961492.html
Absolute fudge' - Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil
clash in early start to Budget battle
Cormac McQuinn
March 27 2019

Fianna Fáil communications spokesman Timmy Dooley

FINE Gael and Fianna Fáil have clashed over Carbon Tax
in an early start to the annual Budget battle as a cross-
party group of politician’s seek to thrash out plan to tackle
climate change.
A draft report of the Climate Action Committee currently
includes a recommendation that the finance minister
introduce legislation this year setting a trajectory to
quadruple Carbon Tax to at least €80-per-tonne by 2030.
The introduction of Carbon Tax hikes is set to be a key
sticking point in this year's Budget negotiations between
the two parties amid the looming general election.
Fianna Fáil has sought to change the Climate Action
Committee recommendation on the pathway to increase
the tax ahead of the publication of its final report which is
due to take place tomorrow.

Paschal Donohoe discusses possible hike in carbon tax

They argued that there needs to be clearer
recommendations on how to alleviate fuel poverty and
mitigate the effects of an increased tax on households.
Fianna Fáil’s bid to change the report prompted Fine Gael
claims the party is seeking to “fudge” the committee’s
findings.
Timmy Dooley, Fianna Fáil’s climate action spokesman,
hit back arguing that Fine Gael could have raised carbon
tax over the last eight Budgets but failed to do so.
The row has played out this afternoon as the committee
attempts to finalise its report.
The government was criticised last year for not increasing
carbon tax – which currently stands at €20-per-tonne – in
Budget 2019.
Hiking the tax is among the measures experts deem
necessary to help Ireland meet its carbon emissions
reduction targets.
Fianna Fáil sought to change the climate action report
with an amendment saying that that the committee
“acknowledges” the advice of the Climate Change Advisory
Council and the ESRI in favour of increasing the carbon
tax to at least €80-per-tonne.
It also wants the impact on low-income families examined
before any increase in the tax and a provision that it
shouldn’t be seen as a solitary solution to cutting carbon
emissions.
Fine Gael tabled an amendment to the Fianna Fáil
proposal that would see the committee “accept” the expert
advice that the trajectory of the increases to at least €80-
per-tonne by 2030 should be set out in legislation this
year.
Both attempts to change the report failed to pass votes in
the committee this afternoon.
Earlier representatives of both parties hit out that the
other, in what’s likely to be a preview of wrangling ahead
of the last Budget to be negotiated under the extended
confidence and supply agreement between Fianna Fáil and
Fine Gael.
Mr Dooley said he wasn’t accepting the Fine Gael
amendment.
He said that while his party supports the carbon tax it was
was “not good enough” to talk about raising it in the report
and “not talk in any meaningful way on how to assist them
[householders] particularly those in fuel poverty.”
Fine Gael TD Martin Heydon said Fianna Fáil’s bid to
change the draft report is “really disappointing” and
accused the party of seeking to water down the report.
He argued that it would be an “absolute fudge” to remove
the wording on the trajectory of increases and accused
Fianna Fáil of not being “brave enough” to include the
measure.
He said it was a “massive retrograde step” for the work
that the committee has done since July.
Mr Dooley said he believes the wording Fianna Fáil was
suggesting is adequate and there is a need for “absolute
certainty for people impacted by the measure to increase
carbon tax”.
In reference to Mr Heydon’s remarks he added:
“Somebody talked about bravely… I’ll take no lecture from
anyone in Fine Gael about bravely on climate action”.
He claimed the government has done “nothing to address
climate change”.
He said it was the Fianna Fáil-Green Party coalition that
introduced carbon tax and Fine Gael could have raised it
in recent Budgets but “sadly failed to do so”.
Fine Gael TD Marcella Corcoran-Kennedy said she was
disappointed that Mr Dooley would “seek to be so political
about this”.
“He says he accepts a carbon tax but won’t put a price on
it”.
She said that Fine Gael are very concerned about people in
fuel poverty and are seeking to protect them as well. She
also mention the "fee and dividend" model of payments to
households - similar to carbon cheques mooted by
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar as a means of mitigating the
impact of the tax increase on families.
With Fianna Fáil’s bid to change the report’s
recommendation failing and as Fine Gael’s amendment to
the rival party’s amendment also failing to pass, the
committee’s draft finding that the trajectory of Carbon Tax
increases to at least €80-per-tonne stands for now.
The committee has agreed to returned to the contentious
issue tomorrow and spent much of the evening seeking
agreement on other measures in the report.
Sinn Féin and People Before Profit (PBP) committee
members are opposed to any increase in Carbon Tax.
Bríd Smith, a PBP TD, said what was happening at the
committee was an “absolute disgrace” and said nobody
should be fooled by what she claimed was Fine Gael and
Fianna Fáil “dancing on a pin”.
She claimed Carbon Tax increases would be imposed on
ordinary people without taking their circumstances into
account – whether they need to use a car to drive to work
or live in substandard accommodation.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/absolute-fudge-fine-gael-and-
fianna-fil-clash-in-early-start-to-budget-battle-37957681.html

Ross furious after vote

lost 'while TDs were at
match'

1
Transport Minister Shane Ross.
Philip Ryan
March 29 2019

Shane Ross was forced to seek Fianna Fáil's support on a vital Dáil vote, after
Fine Gael TDs left the chamber to attend the Ireland v Georgia football match.

The furious Transport Minister approached senior Fianna Fáil TDs and asked
them to vote down an Opposition amendment to the Aircraft Noise Bill on
Tuesday.

However, Fianna Fáil's Darragh O'Brien and Robert Troy said that their party
had decided to abstain from the vote and would not change their position.
"Ross said the Fine Gaelers have gone to Aviva for the match and he needed
Fianna Fáil's votes, but the Government was told earlier in the day that Fianna
Fáil would be abstaining," a source said. Only 29 Government-supporting TDs
were present for the vote, which was lost by 34 to 29 votes. There are 49 Fine
Gael TDs.

The Opposition amendment significantly reduces the permitted sound decibel

levels for aeroplanes landing at airports, and could potentially cause serious
problems at Dublin Airport.

It is understood the Government will seek to reverse the vote when the
legislation goes before the Seanad.

On Wednesday night at the Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting, Taoiseach

Leo Varadkar reprimanded his Fine Gael TDs for losing votes. The Taoiseach
warned that TDs should get ready to go to the country if they keep losing
votes.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/ross-furious-after-vote-lost-
while-tds-were-at-match-37962585.html

€300m loan scheme for

farmers and SMEs wasn't
originally designed for
crash-out scenario -
Creed
1
Agriculture Minister Michael Creed.
Claire Fox
March 28 2019

A Brexit loan scheme was never intended as a product for a crash-out Brexit
scenario, Agriculture Minister Michael Creed has acknowledged.

The €300m loan scheme for farmers and SMEs was first announced more
than 18 months ago but is only now coming into being.

Mr Creed told the Irish Independent that the loan scheme is intended to
support farmers into long- term investment and was never intended as a
hedge against a hard Brexit.

"In fairness, this was never envisaged as a product for a crash-out Brexit, it
was intended to support capital investment on farms.

"It took quite a long time because we had to co-ordinate with the European
Investment Bank and work with the pillar banks here and introduce primary
legislation that had to pass through both houses of the Oireachtas," he said.

Fianna Fáil spokesperson for agriculture Charlie McConalogue said that the
interest rates for the scheme of 4.5pc for loans under €250,000 and of 3.5pc
for loans over that is "substantial".

He claimed the minister has been "asleep at the wheel" in his urgency in
addressing Brexit and the beef crisis.
However, Mr Creed affirmed that the scheme does provide sufficient support
for farmers facing Brexit uncertainty.

SMEs can apply for the Brexit loan scheme from April 17. At least 40pc will be
available for the agri-food sector and loans of up to €3m will be accessible.
https://www.independent.ie/business/brexit/300m-loan-scheme-for-farmers-
and-smes-wasnt-originally-designed-for-crashout-scenario-creed-
37959232.html

Cairn Homes to sell

almost 300 apartments to
investment fund

1
Stock picture

Gavin McLoughlin
April 1 2019

Housebuilder Cairn Homes is looking to sell almost 300 apartments to an
investment fund.
Potential buyers are being told the apartments, which are still being built and
are located at Citywest just outside Dublin, have a guide price of around
€320,000 each.

Selling homes to big funds who then rent them out en masse has become
increasingly common here. Critics of the practice say it deprives aspiring
home-buyers of a chance to buy a home.

The UN has recently criticised the practice.

Its special rapporteur on the right to adequate housing Leilani Farha wrote to
the Government in Ireland and five other countries, accusing them of accused
them of facilitating the "financialisation of housing" in their own countries
through preferential tax laws and weak tenant protections among other
measures.

"Almost overnight multinational private equity and asset management firms

like Blackstone have become the biggest landlords in the world, purchasing
thousands and thousands of units in North America, Europe, Asia and Latin
America," the UN said.

"They have changed the global housing landscape. Pouring unprecedented

amounts of capital into housing, they have converted homes into financial
instruments and investments."

The UN said properties often deemed "undervalued" - which generally means

affordable to those living there - are being purchased en masse, renovated and
then offered at a higher rental rate, pricing tenants out of their own homes
and communities.

"Landlords have become faceless corporations wreaking havoc with tenants'

right to security and contributing to the global housing crisis," the UN said in
a statement.
https://www.independent.ie/business/irish/cairn-homes-to-sell-almost-300-
apartments-to-investment-fund-37972382.html

Building firm in planning

battle with Pat Kenny
offers to reduce scale of
development
2
Pat Kenny and his wife, Kathy Picture: Brian McEvoy

The building firm seeking to construct an apartment block

and house plan on lands adjacent to broadcaster Pat
Kenny’s home has offered to reduce the scale of the
development.
Last November, Dun Laoghaire Rathdown Council refused
planning permission to Bartra Capital Property for three
apartment blocks and seven houses on lands beside the
Kenny home in Dalkey.
The application consists of 19 apartments in three blocks
ranging up to four storeys along with five three bedroomed
homes and two semi-detached homes on the 1.4 acre site.
Bartra appealed the decision to An Bord Pleanála and in
its bid to secure the green light for the contentious plan is
proposing revised plans.
In the revised plans, Bartra is proposing the omission of
the one of the homes and the location of one of the
apartment blocks further away from one of the residential
properties on adjoining lands.
Bartra is also proposing the recessing of the upper floors
of one Block which is aimed at reducing the visual impact
of the development.

In a submission to the appeals board, the Council has

stated that the changes are significant, material and have
not been publicly advertised.
As a result, the Council stated that these proposed changes
should not be considered in the context of the appeal and
should instead be subject to a new planning application
and "a fresh assessment".
In a response submission, consultants for Bartra, McGill
Planning disagree that the changes require a fresh
planning application.
They state that the proposed changes "whilst providing
improvements in terms of residential amenity, are of
themselves, not physical changes that are ‘significant’ or
'material' within the context of the overall development
and not to the extent that additional public concern
arises".
McGill Planning state: "It’s important to emphasise that
the proposed changes seek to reduce the impact of the
development and accordingly improve local residential
amenities compared to the original design."
The consultants point out that "the suggested alterations
are of a type and extent that are regularly proposed by
applicants in response to a further information request
from the planning authority and which could not be
considered significant or material to require further public
advertisement in such cases".
McGill Planning add "we point out that given the positive
response of the planning authority to the proposed
changes that it is regrettable that a further information
request wasn’t sought in the first instance (by the
Council)".
The consultants state that the modest changes indicated to
the board "are of a type that could be imposed by a
planning authority or An Bord Pleanála as a condition of
part of grant of permission, again without the need to re-
advertise."
McGill Planning argue that the board has the requisite
powers and discretion to consider the proposed
amendments to the scheme.
The consultants state: "Given that the planning authority
is otherwise positively disposed towards the changes we
request that the board set side the original decision to
refuse and grant permission with appropriate conditions."
In response, the appeals board has written to the local
authority asking it, in the interests of natural justice, to
reply to the points raised by McGill Planning.
In lodging the appeal and proposed the revised plan,
Richard Barrett's Bartra is anxious to see a return on the
reported €3.1m his firm paid for the Maple Tree House
site adjacent to the Kenny home and also paid for an
additional 0.51 acre site.
However, Pat Kenny and his wife Cathy will take comfort
from the latest figures from An Bord Pleanála showing
that Mr Barrett has a uphill battle in order to have the city
council decision reversed.
According to the appeals board 2017 report, the number of
council decisions reversed on appeal to An Bord Pleanala
stood at 23.7pc - or a little less than one in four of the
1,427 decisions made.
The comprehensive Kenny objection lodged with the City
Council ran to 16 pages.
The objection stated that if permitted the development
"would detrimentally impact on The Anchorage" and other
residential properties in the area.
The objection added: "It would also set a precedent that
could ultimately seriously damage the character of the
area."
They stated that planning permission should be refused as
"this development is ill-thought and appears based on the
quest for density alone with scant other consideration".
The Kennys stated: "We have no desire to object to every
development proposal, but we seek only to have
appropriate development in terms of scale and function."
The Kennys stated that the development will result in
gross overlooking along with loss of light and loss of
privacy of The Anchorage.
The Kennys stated that the loss of light on their property
that would result from the proposal "would be disastrous".
A decision is due on the appeal next month.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/building-firm-in-planning-battle-with-
pat-kenny-offers-to-reduce-scale-of-development-37971641.html
Fine Gael will NEVER solve the housing/homelessness crisis.
EVER. The ONLY way to solve this UNPRECEDENTED NATIONAL
CRISIS is to kick the Blueshirts, with their warped ideology out of
office at the first available opportunity. The next - to - useless
Eoghan Murphy is only part of the problem - the whole problem is
the whole Fine Gael party and the solution is to vote them out

Have a lovely weekend, enjoy the sunshine, but be careful, don't get burned
WHEN......WHEN ...WHEN the FUCK will U realize....HAVING A MARCH ON A saturday IS A
waste of fucking time....

The TD's are safely 'at home' so they won't SEE it, or be BLOCKED INTO THE DOYLE , which
would DEFINITELY FOCUS THEIR MINDS ON THE ISSUE.....AND U can be sure our 'national
broadcaster' won't cover it either, so apart from those who attend , and people who read the ENGLISH
Sunday Newspapers like the Times and the Mail , it won't "exist" in the eyes and minds of 95% of the
population...

The UK sunday papers are the ONLY MEDIA WHO COVERED Tonto's attempted €2,000 expenses
THEFT, forcing the ba$tard to return the money.....and this is now our teeshock? Tonto The thief

Tonto the Buyndle of sticks has REFUSED TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE EXISTENCE of 3,800
HOMELESS IRISH CHILDREN, so from a government perspective THEY DO NOT EXIST...

He will however be his indian crawling sock fondler when it comes to taking in another 110 SYRIAN
REFUGEES....lots of brownie points from our EU masters for that...he'll probably get a pat on the arse
too
Tubbs
Objections lodged to GAA
over alleged 16 Derry
players on pitch during
Leitrim final Cheats In
Northern Ireland Leitrim
14 men and Derry 16 men
Losers UK
APRIL 1, 2019
It’s been claimed that Derry had 16 players on the Croke
Park pitch for part of Saturday’s National Football League
Division 4 League Final against Leitrim and that the issue
warrants investigation by the GAA. Leitrim native, John
Comiskey, who has looked back at TV footage of the
game, insists it’s clear this happened during a crucial
period of the game, which Leitrim lost by four points

https://www.oceanfm.ie/2019/04/01/objections-lodged-to-gaa-over-alleged-16-derry-players-on-pitch-
during-leitrim-
final/?fbclid=IwAR3CI2aozClpkcKRH6Ed0jbVH_Vp3HYW9zj3ZrrcdPBlMMN0yq6CE4xmjYg
Dirty Freestate Traitors
The 1916 Proclamation is read outside the GPO #rte1916 What an embarrassment looking at the
current party leaders in this video! I wonder what our true leaders/patriots would think if they
could only see what they fought and died for. All that was removed was the crown! The rich
get richer while they still let the working class suffer ... Shame on them to sit in on this
centenary

https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/1271699616192371/UzpfSTEwMDAwNTQ3MjYwNDQ4
NzoxMDMwNTU4OTIwNDY5ODUy/
Excellent reading of our proclaimation .its a pity the vip criminals sitting listening to it dont abide by it
.hypocrites every one of them.
The proclamation was a daring vision given to all children of Ireland! Its just a pity that those
in government dont hold true to one word they read! To honor the brave men and women of
1916 is one thing but for todays elected representatives to claim a link to those brave
volunteers and visionaries is enough to make you sick! Corporate Ireland has sold its soul
and have created a moral famine!
Sinn Féin will support anti-
fracking Bill – Kenny
21 October, 2016 - by Martin Kenny TD

Sinn Féin will be supporting the anti-fracking bill coming before the Dáil next week, according to
Martin Kenny TD for Sligo, Leitrim, West Cavan and South Donegal.

Deputy Kenny said:

“Sinn Féin will be supporting this bill to prohibit fracking in this state. In fact, my colleague Brian
Stanley TD and I introduced an amendment to the Petroleum and Other Minerals Development
Act 1960, to the same effect last June.

“In this constituency I am following in the pioneering footsteps of my predecessor, former TD

Michael Colreavy, who worked tirelessly during his term to research the devastating effects of
fracking and to bring forward legislation to ban the process North and South.

“Unfortunately, such pieces of legislation go through a lottery process to get onto the order paper
in the Dáil and ours has not yet come up. We will support this Bill however.

“I notice that Deputy McLoughlin is introducing his Bill during Private Members’ Time and that it
is not coming forward as government legislation. I hope that his party and their colleagues in
Fianna Fáil will support it and prevent this destructive form of exploration taking place.
“Sinn Féin will do all in its power to ban fracking on Irish soil, North and South, including
supporting this bill in the Dáil next week.”

https://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/42101?fbclid=IwAR0mqZwSu_35Rfwp3zAmj
Yc3_XZnUe0Y50vQoKgx7YIqP_6hYF2Xqq5g2ps
Fracking Impact reports
Members of The Broad Alliance of Concerned Communities Against Unconventional Gas respond to
the Scottish Government announcement on impact reports.
making sure the research carried out under the moratorium reaches to suit government's agenda to
frack!
http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/.../dail2016102700...
Broad Alliance Members Respond to Scottish Government annoucement on Fracking Impact reports
Climate Change, Denis Naughten, even held up Scotland as an example at the Dail debate on October
27 2016 to adopting a cautious approach to fracking, i.e
Fracking Impact reports
Members of The Broad Alliance of Concerned Communities Against Unconventional Gas respond to
the Scottish Government announcement on impact reports.
https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/debateRecord/dail/2016-10-
27/debate/mul@/main.pdf
Irish Farmers’ Association Submission to the Public Consultation on proposed
terms of reference for a Programme of Research on Environmental Impact of
Unconventional Gas Exploration and Extraction
https://www.ifa.ie/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/130308-IFA-Submission-on-
Fracking-4pp-
1.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2sflrCXvQ8GmTBd53WN2qbjr0v9N6hcqxsPuLV8EQe_DrMzZd
LmBAU-Ck
Sammy Wilson: A Dirty Fracker & GW Denier fantasizing in a
psychosexual manner in public about turning Ulster into an oilfield
while the poles melt, the coral reefs die and Paris floods. Leave it
in the ground. #stopthedrill
McMullan expresses concerns
over Carrickfergus drilling
plans
9 September, 2014 - by Oliver McMullan

Sinn Féin MLA Oliver McMullan has expressed concerns over plans to drill a petroleum
exploration well near Carrickfergus.

Speaking after meeting with protestors who object to the plans, the East Antrim MLA said:

"After meeting protesters concerned about the prospect of drilling in the Carrickfergus area, I
immediately contacted the company concerned, InfraStrata to seek a meeting.

"As a result, I will be meeting the chief executive of InfraStrata, Andrew Hindle, next week to
express my concerns.

"There is widespread concern in the local area about these plans for the Woodburn Forest site.

"This is a picturesque area close to reservoirs and we do not want to see anything that would
damage the local environment.

"The company has said their plans do not involve fracking but I want to talk to them about local
concerns about their plans for drilling.”

https://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/31411?fbclid=IwAR3K9KuDkk-
KsO9hEj_acDjnb3gotfH-MeI6kg4dNss6ctVHmoa5pXujLEc

Sumaya Mohammed speaks to TDs about climate change

Sumaya Mohammed, a 12-year-old student from Cork, was one of five students who had a hard-hitting
message for politicians in Leinster House today.

https://www.facebook.com/thejournal.ie/videos/2143256609067480/UzpfSTEwMDAwMDMxOTkwODU2
MzoyMjQyNjkzMjk5MDg0NjQ1/

'You know the root of the problem - greediness and money being allowed to rule.
Yet you continue to look at us and say to us that you are proud of us, yet the moment you walk out of
this room, the fact that you don’t do anything, makes us wonder, are you thinking of your image more
than you are thinking of us.'
The nation can hardly be ran on fresh air and a dream like. I'd love to know exactly what her teacher has
been filling her head with
https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/global-warming-apocalypses-
didnt-happen?fbclid=IwAR3nINglRWOugD74p3xR-
R8dE50zndkn1CxQuWZigSAVCcEr2Ab7aTYkaq8

We need an audit done on all of these Charities That are living the high life of the Backs of people
who are Truly Suffering from POVERTY. How many times have we heard that Tune before ''We
need a new plan" (They Should be straight up and just say we need more Funds)
So corrupt, no longer fit for purpose. They have become a feeding ground of the faithful,
government funded, of course.
The same Brain Walsh that voted for the Eviction Bill-bigoted self serving hypocrite, let his
constituents know, get spreading the truth for when he comes a knocking
This reporter/journalist obviously never saw the RTE programme a few years ago where
people openly admitted - boasted more like - that they asked for a minimum of €20,000 for
consideration of schemes to be approved officially.
We all waited for Garda enquiries to be made but nothing ever came of it.
No corruption in Ireland? Pull the other one!
FG government in coalition with FF responsible for this crisis


I notice there's a strong correlation between the same sorts of gimps on social media who
were calling the New Zealand attack a "false flag" and those questioning climate change and
this young woman's motives.
Can we get a child to have a speech on the homeless crisis and healthcare crisis?

Or is this stunt just for when Fine Gael and Fianna Fail are trying to push through another
tax?

Headbangers

Movement of people is another huge issue . The stupidity of the rish if they pay any new
taxes. The Frence coped it straight away hance weekends on the streets for the last 19
weeks. Tax to pay for the rotten EU and bank/ German loans. Wake up !

So now the govt is basing policy on the opinions of children !!! these kids are being used to
push an agenda But the governments only solution is to hit us with more taxes and hope it
disapears. How would a global problem be solved by taxing 3 million taxpayers on an island?

The worst it has ever been'
Dublin City Council to table
motion of no confidence in
Eoghan Murphy
Sunday, March 31, 2019
Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy
The Chair of Dublin City Council's Housing Committee is tomorrow
tabling an emergency motion of 'no confidence' in Minister Eoghan
Murphy.

With homeless figures in Ireland exceeding 10,000 for the first time,
Councillor Daithí Doolan says it's time for the Minister to go.

"We have over 10,000 people homeless in the State - that's the worst it
has ever been," he said.

"Many people are sleeping in hotels, B&Bs, sofas, floors - they are
homeless.

"Then you have the hidden homeless. Then you have the 30,000 people
in Dublin that who are on housing lists.

He added that many of those on the waiting lists are living in "poor
conditions".

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/the-worst-it-has-ever-
been--dublin-city-council-to-table-motion-of-no-confidence-in-eoghan-murphy-
914506.html



Cerberus to buy €1bn of
AIB's non-performing loans
Monday, April 01, 2019

AIB is to sell €1bn worth of non-performing loans to to Everyday
Finance, an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management.

Last year, the bank says the loan portfolio incurred a loss of €11m.

Cerberus will pay AIB €800m, which the bank says will be used for
"general corporate purposes".

The portfolio is made up of over 2,000 customer loans with the

majority being buy-to-let properties.

The sale excludes performing restructured customer loans.

The bank says it is contacting impacted borrowers to inform them that

their loans are being transferred

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/business/cerberus-to-buy-1bn-
of-aibs-non-performing-loans-914612.html

AIB’s €1bn sale raises call
for focus on landlord loans

leading mortgage debt advocate at the Free Legal Advice Centres, Flac,
has called for a new focus on the link between the housing crisis and
the sale of distressed landlord loans to vulture funds.

It comes as AIB announced its second sale in less than a year of non-
performing buy-to-let loans to vulture fund Cerberus, as the bank
complies with regulators’ demands for Irish and other euorozone banks
to cut the number of underwater loans on their books.

AIB followed up last May’s announcement with an almost identical sale

of non-performing loans, involving buy-to-let loans at a face value of
€1 billion involving 2,200 customers to the same equity fund.

A feature of the latest transaction is that a tenth of the customer loans

are tied to the family home because the investment property is secured
on the main home.

Cerberus last year also bought a significant amount of non-

performing loans from Ulster Bank.
Paul Joyce, senior policy adviser at Flac, said that the sale by
banks of landlord loans require as much scrutiny as the sale
of loans of family mortgage loans because tenants could be
caught in “the crossfires” between landlords and the new
owners of the loans.
AIB said the sale which includes an average balance of
€500,000 “excludes performing restructured customer
connections”.
However, “while not categorised as a principal dwelling
home (PDH) portfolio sale, for circa 10% of customer
connections, the PDH property has been included as it is
cross-secured to wider commercial connected debt,” the
lender said.

Following the sale, AIB will cut its exposure to non-

performing loans from €6.1bn, or 9.6% of all loans, at the
end of the year, to around €5bn, or 8%.
The sale is almost identical to last year’s transaction which
involved €1.1bn in loans for which AIB also received €800
million.
Goodbody said that “unsurprisingly” AIB said it was on its
way to reaching the year-end 5% target demanded by
regulators “which should pave the way for substantial
capital returns to shareholders” from its 2020 full-year.
The broker said AIB’s gain from the sale provided
reassurance about “the quality” of the rest of its non-
performing loans.

Last week, Bank of Ireland also announced a transaction of

distressed landlord mortgage loans but it opted to securitise
or refinance the loans rather than going for an outright sale.
Bank of Ireland’s transaction involves 790 landlords over
1,730 accounts, with a total face value of €375m and
remains the contact and servicer for customers.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/business/aibs-1bn-sale-raises-
call-for-focus-on-landlord-loans-914778.html














Changes to Property Tax
'deferred' for another year

1
Changes to Property Tax 'deferred' for another year
Changes to the Local Property Tax (LPT) that were due to be made this
November have been deferred until 2021.

Cormac McQuinn
April 2 2019

Property tax rates have remained the same since 2013.

In 2016, the government took a decision to keep them at their current level
until November 2019.

RTE News are reporting that any changes to this tax be deferred until 2021,
and said the issue will be discussed by the Cabinet today.

It's understood this suggestion is contained in a series of recommendations

from a Department of Finance review into the levy.

The reported decision comes several months after a number of Fine Gael TDs
in South Dublin raised concerns about any potential increases.

However, criticism of the move has been swift.

The prospect of changes to LPT bring delayed for another year is a case of
“kicking the can down the road”, Fianna Fáil has claimed.

There have been fears that the tax will increase significantly due to rising
house prices if the way LPT is calculated is not changed.

The Department of Finance conducted a review of the LPT and if the

recommendation to defer the changes is adopted, the LPT would not change
until 2021.

Fianna Fáil’s Michael McGrath referred to the report and said that if changes
are delayed it would be “a classic example for the government running scared”
and “kicking the can down the road”.

The government have promised to find a way to ensure most households don't
see a major increase to LPT

Last month Taoiseach moved to reassure people that there won't be large
hikes in the tax.

He said: "There are different mechanisms and different options that we can
use to make sure that the vast majority of people pay the same amount of
property tax."

Meanwhile, Independent.ie understands that one option in the LPT review

would see the tax increase for almost one in five people.

Increased liability would affect 18pc of people under that scenario, though it is
among a number of options set out in the report.

The Cabinet is set to consider the report when it meets again this evening.

Read more here:

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/changes-to-property-tax-
deferred-for-another-year-37975011.html
Property tax cuts to
benefit Dublin most
LPT reform being considered by
Government as price boom prompts fears
of steep rise this year

Culture Minister Josepha Madigan made proposals.

March 18 2019
Homeowners in Dublin are in line to see a greater cut to their property tax
rate compared with the rest of the country, under proposals being considered
by the Government.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has confirmed that as the Government looks to

prevent a massive hike in local property tax (LPT) bills later this year, one
option under consideration is ceding more power to local councillors to vary
the rates charged.

Already, councillors can vary the LPT rate up or down by 15pc but Mr
Varadkar said a controversial proposal tabled by Culture Minister Josepha
Madigan was now being considered that would allow councils to have even
more freedom to vary the rates.

Under the current regime, only the four Dublin councils - where prices are
highest - have voted to reduce the rate of property tax from the base rate.
Meanwhile, five other councils nationwide have used their power to increase
the rate in a bid to raise money for local services.

Handing more power to local councillors to set rates of property tax would be
seen as a boost for Fine Gael ahead of the Taoiseach's first electoral test since
becoming Fine Gael leader when the country votes in the local elections in
May.

Mr Varadkar acknowledged people in Dublin had benefited from a rate

reduction.

"You'll see for example in areas where properties are much more expensive,
like in Dublin, most if not all the local authorities have already varied the
property tax downwards," he said.

He cited Longford as one example of a council that increased it to bring in

more revenue to invest.

"So one thing we'll have to look at is whether we give local authorities more
power to vary the property rates," he said.

Fianna Fáil has feared a pre-local election LPT announcement by the

Government and has been demanding clarity over the review of property tax
for months.

Mr Varadkar said the review was done and the Government now had to
consider the options in a bid to avoid large increases for householders.

The LPT is assessed at 0.18pc of a property's market value and is designed to

fund local services.

The rates paid by households are based on valuations after the economic crash
but prices have risen considerably since then. People now fear they will face
dramatically increased bills in 2020. But Mr Varadkar has insisted the
Government will find a way to ensure the "vast majority" of people will pay the
same amount of tax.

"There are different mechanisms and different options we can use to make
sure that the vast majority of people pay the same amount of property tax.

"You can do that either by reducing the rates or widening the bands to reflect
the fact house prices have gone up," he said.

Mr Varadkar said councillors should be allowed to "make some of those hard

choices between how much money they want to spend in their local
authorities...and what they want the property tax to be".

https://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/property-
mortgages/property-tax-cuts-to-benefit-dublin-most-37924873.html




Varadkar says 'vast
majority' will enjoy
property tax freeze in
Fine Gael election ploy

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar. Photo: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Kevin Doyle
March 7 2019

The first shots of the local and European elections were

fired by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar in a Dublin hotel last
night.
His speech announcing former Tánaiste Frances
Fitzgerald and ex-SDLP leader Mark Durkan as candidates
was peppered with political swings.
But buried in the contribution was a promise that is likely
to be more significant than any of his attacks on Fianna
Fáil and Sinn Féin. It was a classic 'money in my pocket'
gambit that he hopes will win Fine Gael votes.
It's more than a year now since Finance Minister Paschal
Donohoe commissioned a review of the Local Property Tax
(LPT) with the stated aim of achieving "relative stability"
in the annual bills issued to 1.9 million householders.

ARCHIVE VIDEO - Donohoe: I knew what effect of tax

hike on farm land sales
That implied there would be some controlled increase on
the back of the surge in property values - but now Mr
Varadkar is promising the "vast majority of homeowners
won't see any increase at all".
The findings of that review were due to be published last
August. Then there was an expectation of some clarity on
Budget Day. Now we're being told it's nearly ready. A cynic
would suggest there are active efforts to have it completed
just in time for the local elections.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-
news/politics/varadkar-says-vast-majority-will-enjoy-
property-tax-freeze-in-fine-gael-election-ploy-
37887948.html
Spin: Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy tried to turn home loan
scheme into good news. Photo: Frank McGrath
As taxes go, the LPT is hugely successful. There was a
compliance rate of 97pc last year and preliminary figures
show it raised €482m for the Local Government Fund in
2018.
However, the current self-assessment regime is outdated.
Homeowners are expected to pay based on the market
value of their property in 2013. Since then, prices have
risen dramatically in most of the country, particularly the
capital.
Mr Varadkar said last night: "If we in Fine Gael have
anything to do with it, nobody will see dramatic increase
in their property tax."
The statement sits funny. Fine Gael have everything "to do
with it". As the main party in Government, it will be their
ministers who decide how to proceed.
But the Taoiseach was clearly issuing a wider rallying call
to his candidates. He was giving them a positive message
to spread on the doorsteps in the coming months.
The local elections are usually seen as a mid-term review
for the Government - but on this occasion they are far
more significant.
All parties are looking at them as a dress rehearsal for the
real contest which is increasingly likely to be later this year
- and housing is a difficult subject for Fine Gael.
Only yesterday, Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy was
struggling to turn a story about a home loan scheme that
proved more successful than anyone predicted into good
news.
The initial fund ran out and they didn't top it up before
Opposition TDs were able to regale the media with tales of
hapless househunters being abandoned by Government.
Naturally a freeze on property taxes will be popular but the
debate around it won't be straightforward.
Hard questions will have to be asked about the funding of
local government in the absence of deeper pockets.
And almost 12,000 people who bought homes in 2013 will
be kissing goodbye their exemption.
The election starts here.

Lost generation of young children in

homeless crisis

Challenged: Simon Coveney was urged to ‘fess up’ and say his
plans had failed. Photo: Brian Lougheed

Cormac McQuinn and John Downing

March 29 2019
A whole generation of children is suffering from shame and insecurity as a
result of homelessness as their number soars to nearly 4,000, a charity has
warned.

Barnardos has hit out at the "alarming" number of youngsters now in

homeless accommodation as figures yesterday revealed 3,784 youngsters, of
10,264 people in total, were in that position.

"No child should be forced to spend any time without a home and it is simply
not right that in our society thousands of children are spending months, even
years, without a home," said its CEO Suzanne Connolly yesterday.

She said boredom, insecurity and feelings of loss or shame were common in
children in homeless accommodation.

Tánaiste Simon Coveney was yesterday challenged to "fess up" and admit the
Rebuilding Ireland plan he launched as housing minister isn't working.

And minister Katherine Zappone came under fire as the figure for children in
emergency accommodation continues to rise.

Fianna Fáil deputy leader Dara Calleary told the Dáil there is "sadness and
anger" at the latest statistics.

The Government was also heavily criticised by Sinn Féin, and People Before
Profit TD, Richard Boyd Barrett, who said the Government should be
"ashamed of themselves".

Mr Coveney, hit back and arguing progress is being made and that it's
"important to deal with the facts as well as the emotion."

Mr Calleary told Mr Coveney that "despite the spin" the homeless numbers
have increased "under your watch".

In July 2016 - when Rebuilding Ireland was launched - there were 6,500
homeless but this was now above 10,000.

Mr Calleary said: "It was your plan, it is your Government's plan and, as with
everything your Government does, it was it was based and founded on spin
and no substance."

The Fianna Fáil Mayo TD asked Mr Coveney to "finally fess up" that the
Rebuilding Ireland plan is not working.

Mr Coveney said there are more family hubs being provided - though these
were a temporary solution and families needed home.
"We are trying to fix a fundamentally broken market that collapsed during a
property and banking crisis," the Tánaiste said.

He also insisted the number of people being taken out of homeless is "higher
than ever before".

The Government had given more power to the Residential Tenancies Board
and increased the number of "rent pressure zones", he said.

Earlier, Solidarity TD Mick Barry said the Government didn't deserve to be in

power due to the rise in child homelessness.

He put it to Children's Minister Ms Zappone that 18 month ago when there

were around 2,400 children in emergency accommodation

Ms Zappone said it "should be a wake-up call".

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/lost-generation-
of-young-children-in-homeless-crisis-37962619.html

Zuckerberg may appear

before Oireachtas to
answer detailed questions
about Facebook's effect
on society
Founder: Facebook’s Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg. Photo:
Reuters/Charles Platiau/File Photo
Adrian Weckler
April 2 2019

Mark Zuckerberg says he may appear before the Irish

Oireachtas in front of a cross-parliamentary committee to
answer detailed questions about fake news and the
Facebook’s effect on society.
The social media boss told TDs in a formal meeting today
that he is open to the engagement, scheduled for
November.
The Facebook chief executive also told TDs that his
company will not drop its appeal to the UK information
commissioner’s £500,000 (€584,000) fine over the
Cambridge Analytica data scandal, telling the politicians
that it wasn’t their fault.
And Mr Zuckerberg defended reclassifying 1.5bn Facebook
users as non-EU data subjects on the eve of the GDPR data
privacy law, saying that it was done for ‘practical’ reasons.
His remarks come after having an op-ed jointly published
in the Sunday Independent and Washington Post, setting
out ideas for how harmful content, political
misinformation and privacy might be dealt with.
In the piece, he said that Facebook may now have too
much power of online speech. He called on national
legislators and regulators to pass more specific laws on
what defines harmful content and illicit political content.
He also argued that apps should be required to transfer
data to rival apps by law.
Last week, Facebook announced that it would require a
new ‘paid for by’ sticker on ads placed on Facebook for the
upcoming European Parliamentary elections. The
company is introducing the transparency move having
repeatedly come under fire over disinformation that is
seeded on the platform.
In Dublin today, Mr Zuckerberg was meeting
parliamentary TDs Eamon Ryan, James Lawless and
Hildegarde Naughton in Dublin as part of an outreach
exercise with an international ‘Grand Committee’, made
up of politicians from the UK, Ireland, Canada, Australia
and Argentina.
The Facebook boss also toured the company’s facilities in
Dublin, which currently employs over 4,000 people and is
set to add another 1,000 this year.
Mr Zuckerberg also met with journalists but restricted his
answers to pre-prepared remarks.
However, he again warned about Apple’s “competing
vision” for the internet, making a thinly-veiled reference to
the iPhone company when referring to data “stored” in
countries like China.
“GDPR is as important for what it doesn't do, which is
require companies to localise data and store systems data
in a given country,” he said, referring to Apple’s
compromise with Chinese authorities, where it stores data
in servers located in that country. Facebook and Google
are not allowed to operate in China.
“We can take this for granted in a country like Ireland or
in the US where there's a strong rule of law and respect for
human rights. But in a lot of the places around the world,
those aren't a given. What we see is that there are some
competing visions for how the internet goes and what the
future of that will be. We see a lot of pressure in a number
of countries localising data in a way that that could put
people's data more accessible to governments and in
harm's way.
“So I think that it's almost inevitable at this point, that
every country is going to want some kind of
comprehensive privacy legislation. And having us, as
quickly as possible, move towards having as many
countries as possible adopt something like the GDPR
framework, as opposed to the alternative visions for the
internet, is going to be really important for securing the
data privacy future that we want and for people’s safety.”

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/zuckerberg-may-appear-before-oireachtas-to-
answer-detailed-questions-about-facebooks-effect-on-society-37977159.html
Government decides to
extend Rent Pressure
Zones until end of 2021

THIS FACE OF A FG LANDLORD TD HELPING HIMSELF BY PASSING LAWS AND ACTS

TO FEED HIS GREEDY CORRUPTION REGIME HE IS NOTHING BUT A LOW LIFE SCUM
April 2 2019

Tánaiste Simon Coveney. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins

THE government has decided to extend Rent Pressure Zones (RPZs) until the
end of 2021.

The zones in place in Dublin, Cork, Galway and towns like Naas and
Drogheda, were due to expire at the end of the year.

Under the rules, annual rent increases can't rise more than 4pc in RPZ areas.

The decision to extend the scheme was announced by Tánaiste Simon Coveney
in the Dáil today in response to a question from Green Party TD Catherine
Martin.

She said people were living with uncertainty given that the RPZs were due to
expire this year.

Mr Coveney said the government today decided to extend the scheme until the
end of 2021 and to change how the qualification criteria for how rent pressure
zones are calculated.
He said: "The qualification criteria of having to be above the national average
needs to change for outside of Dublin."

The changes came as Cabinet considered amendments to the Residential

Tenancies Bill.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy is to outline further changes that were

agreed in the coming days

. https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/government-decides-to-extend-rent-
pressure-zones-until-end-of-2021-37976203.html

Leo's letter to Kylie 'cringe-worthy' and

'demeaning of his office' - TD

Kylie Minogue: The Australian pop star got a letter from ‘huge fan
Leo V’

Ryan Nugent
April 2 2019

eo Varadkar, his partner Matt Barrett and pals met Kylie backstage at her gig at the
3Arena in Dublin last December
"Dear Kylie, just wanted to drop you a short note in advance of the concert in
Dublin," the letter read.

"I am really looking forward to it. Am a huge fan! I understand you are staying
in the Merrion Hotel which is just across the street from my office in
Government Buildings.

"If you like, I'd love to welcome you to Ireland personally," he added, signing
off the letter with "Leo V Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister)".

Fianna Fáil TD James Lawless said that while he could understand to an

extent Mr Varadkar reaching out to a well-known person visiting the country,
that there are better ways to go about it.
"I think its demeaning of the office sending a letter of that nature," Mr Lawless
said.

"I understand there's some discretion to reach out to sports stars or cultural
stars. It's a little bit cringe-worthy.

"What compounds it is the refusal. What has the Taoiseach got to hide?"

Mr Lawless said there was an appropriate way of doing things and that the
Taoiseach could have sent the letter to Kylie on his own paper without any
official Government stamp.

The details were provided to the 'Irish Mail on Sunday' after two initial
refusals.

Kylie's October gig was subsequently cancelled when the star came down with
a throat infection.

However, the Taoiseach did eventually meet the star backstage after he
attended her rescheduled gig in December last year.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/leos-letter-to-kylie-cringeworthy-and-
demeaning-of-his-office-td-37973936.html
We should be so lucky: The long history of
politicians cosying up to popstars
Leo's gushing letter to popstar Kylie Minogue has generated
much mirth. But there's a long history of politicians cosying
up to popstars, writes Ed Power

Leo Varadkar pictured with Kylie Minogue in Dublin last year

April 2 2019

Leo Varadkar must have been spinning around with anticipation after he was
granted a private audience with Kylie Minogue ahead of her Dublin concert
last year. Especially for Leo, the Australian pop star had agreed to a backstage
meet and greet - where he presumably put his hand on his heart and
proclaimed his ever-lasting fandom.

Had he paused for a moment to get Kylie out of his head, Leo might have
wondered about the wisdom of the photo-op. Details of their meeting were
widely circulated at the weekend, including the gushing letter he wrote
Minogue ahead of her visit to Dublin (she later called him personally to
explain that the concert was to be postponed after she became unwell). There
has been a great deal of eye-rolling and giggling as the story broke - not to
mention political criticism. Yet ought Leo truly be all that embarrassed?
His passion for music is well known. In 2017 Varadkar was photographed
backstage at Dublin's Olympia with New York band LCD Soundsystem. And
long before ascending to the highest office, Varadkar was a regular at concerts
- though anyone who saw him at Mumford and Sons's 2012 Phoenix Park
concert will have prayed his political acumen surpassed his taste in flat cap-
wearing folk-pop.

There is, it is true, a long and inglorious history of politicians cosying up to

pop stars in order to burnish their credentials with younger voters.

Generally all sides come out greatly diminished. That's so whether it is Bill
Clinton tooting saxophone on the American talk show circuit and later inviting
Fleetwood Mac to play at his inauguration (cementing their status as the last
word in self-obsessed Baby Boomer soft-rock). Or if it's Ronald Reagan and
Michael Jackson at the White House, regarding one other as if each has just
beamed down from an alien planet.

Most notorious of all, arguably, was the disturbing chumminess between Tony
Blair and Noel Gallagher in 1997. This yielded the instantly notorious photo of
their chinwag at 10 Downing Street - an image that has since come to be
regarded as Britpop's jump the shark nadir.

There have been surreal encounters too. In 2010 Theresa May was snapped
with '70s rocker Alice Cooper after bumping into him on BBC's The Andrew
Marr Show (insert your own joke about a bad influence on society…meeting
Alice Cooper). Barack Obama, for his part, hosted Beyonce at the White House
and name-checked Jay Z and Hozier as among his favourite artists (with
memories of Varadkar and Mumford and Sons still rattling around our brain
we have to ask, what is it about modern politicians and folksy musicians with
ridiculous hair?).

Kylie-gate - can we please, please call it this? - is different in so far as it seems

unlikely Varadkar was penning gushing fan letters in order to court favour
among the plain people of Ireland. Minogue is a pop star for the ages. Yet her
imprimatur is unlikely to sway voters in Kerry North or Longford-Westmeath
(tell us we're wrong, Longford-Westmeath).

In other words, if he sinned it was in exploiting the trappings of the office to

wheedle an audience with his favourite Antipodean chart deity. That's very
different from the traditional charge that politicians are using pop stars as a
conduit with which to ingratiate themselves with a segment of the electorate
typically beyond their reach.

The practice has been ongoing since the dawn of pop. To their chagrin, the
Beatles found themselves co-opted into Harold Wilson's 1964 British election
campaign - with the Prime Minister then claiming credit for helping secure
the Beatles their MBEs from the Queen in 1965.

"At the time, I was very proud," Ringo Starr would say later on. "It meant a lot
to me - not that it gave me anything, but it gave Harold Wilson the election."
Just as notorious was Tony Blair's bid to hitch his New Labour movement in
the UK to the Britpop scene of the early '90s. He and his team initially courted
Blur, inviting the group's frontman Damon Albarn to a meeting in 1995.

"Blair became the Labour leader roughly six weeks after the release of Blur's
album Parklife and the appearance of the debut single by Oasis," wrote John
Harris, former editor of Britpop flag-waver Select magazine and author of the
definitive Britpop biography, The Last Party. "Both heralded the decisive start
of the Britpop era, during which the Union Jack would be rehabilitated as a
pop-cultural totem, and chart-topping success would become the raison
d'être."

Yet Albarn did not receive quite the welcome he had expected. Blair cringingly
asked the singer about "the scene". The then Labour leader's press advisor and
attack dog Alastair Campbell next weighed in, wondering, "What if you
suddenly turn round and say, 'Tony's a w*nker'?"

Albarn insisted he would never do so but his ardour for British Labour waned
thereafter. Instead, it was Blur's Britpop rivals Oasis who fronted for Blair.

"There are seven people in this room who are giving hope to young people in
this country," Gallagher declared from the podium of the Brit Awards. He
proceeded to namecheck Oasis, their record label boss Alan McGee… and
Tony Blair.

"If you've got anything about you, you'll shake Tony Blair's hand, man. He's
the man! Power to the people!"

The love-in culminated in that notorious Downing Street photo-op, snapped

at a shindig thrown by Blair after he was elected Prime Minister as thank you
to all the creatives who had backed his campaign

The cringe factor was strong, though perhaps not quite at the same level as
Enda Kenny playing air guitar to Bruce Springsteen in Croke Park in 2016.

Worst of all, though, was the 1984 meeting between Michael Jackson and
Ronald Reagan, where the American President seemed keen to squeeze in as
many dad jokes as possible.

"Well, isn't this a thriller?" he began. "I hope you'll forgive me, but we have
quite a few young folks in the White House who all wanted me to give you the
same message. They said to tell Michael, 'Please give some TLC to the PYTs.'
Now I know that sounds a little 'off the wall', but you know what I mean."

Compared to that, we can probably all agree that the unfolding story of 'When
Kylie Met Leo' is a minor-wattage bru-ha-ha.

Varadkar, critics may argue, has better things to occupy himself with than
hanging out with pop stars.

But at least he picked a celebrity most of us will be vaguely positive towards.

Will this be the biggest fumble his government commits? We should be so
lucky.
https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/music/we-should-be-so-lucky-the-
long-history-of-politicians-cosying-up-to-popstars-37971161.html

1,000 women asked to re-

test by CervicalCheck

1
Around 1,000 women who sought cervical screening have been
recalled because their original test expired (stock photo)
Around 1,000 women who sought cervical screening have been recalled
because their original test expired.

April 2 2019
The women are participating in the national screening programme
CervicalCheck which currently has a backlog of over 70,000, leading to delays
of up to 33 weeks before they are returned.

The Dail was told today that this has led so far to around 1,000 tests having to
be re-taken by women.

Tanaiste Simon Coveney said :”The HSE has advised that they have sourced
additional capacity in a number of countries and are currently trying to
finalise arrangements so that this capacity can be incorporated into the
CervcialCheck programme.”

"This is a capacity issue. We can't develop increased capacity here in Ireland

in the short term," he said.
The issue was highlighted by Independent4Change TD Joan Collins and
Fianna Fáil TD Lisa Chambers.

Ms Chambers claimed the delays faced by women in rural areas are longer and
the wait can be eight months for the return of a test.

The HSE said it is working with labs to increase capacity.

A spokeswoman said :”We remain extremely concerned at the length of time

being taken for reporting of cervical smear tests, which regrettably are being
reported between 4 weeks and 33 weeks of the test being taken. However, it is
worth noting that over half of samples received by the labs are being
processed within 15 weeks. Turnaround times are reviewed and updated
weekly with each laboratory.

“We are actively trying to identify possible solutions that will help reduce the
waiting times which we know are causing a lot of anxiety for women. We are
absolutely focused on reducing waiting times for results as quickly as
possible.”

She added:”The natural history of cervical cancer would indicate that the
disease would normally develop over a period of 10 to 15 years. Due to this
very fact, it is important that any woman of screening age attends for cervical
screening each and every time she is invited to participate. In this context, a
period of up to 33 weeks for the return of cervical screening results, whilst
undesirable, poses a very low risk to women.”

Labour Party Health spokesperson, Alan Kelly TD, has said that it is not right
that women who are going through the CervicalCheck programme are having
their smear tests expire while those who can afford to pay for tests are getting
their tests analysed within three weeks.

He said : “It is not good enough that over 1,000 women have had their smear
test recalled because they were not analysed in time.

“What exists now in our health service is a fast track for those who can pay for
smear tests to be carried out, getting results within two to three weeks while
women who get their smears done through CervicalCheck are waiting up to 33
weeks.

“Questions need to be answered on these smear tests being recalled. Were any
of the tests that are now being recalled already repeat tests? Has the Minister
for Health or his officials contacted the labs to get an exact breakdown on if
there will be further recalling of smears as the waiting time continues to rise?
Are the labs continuing to not distinguish between women getting smear tests
regularly under medical advice and women who get routine smears every
three years?

“Between the news yesterday that the labs want to suspend the programme for
up to four months and now this, this is a critical juncture for CervicalCheck.

“Irish women who are waiting for smear results through CervicalCheck
especially those at-risk, need answers, sooner rather than later.”
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/1000-women-asked-to-retest-by-
cervicalcheck-37976137.html
All those years ago they knew there was a problem ,. Shameful to SF, FG, LB, FF, & Progresssive
Democrat mary Harney and Michael Mc Dowell and green Party all voted on this in 2007 to privatise
all Irish smear tests
15 May 2018
In 2007/8 Caoimhghín Ó'Caoláin issued incredibly prophetic warnings about smear tests. He speaks to
PJ now about the warnings that were shunned by government after government.
https://www.facebook.com/Corks96fm/videos/1938442932854616/UzpfSTE2Mzk3Mjk5MjY6MTAy
MTU5MTQ3ODc1NzYxMjY/

We are 'tremendously vulnerable' -

warn CervicalCheck victims

Vicky Phelan
Eilish O'Regan
April 2 2019
Victims of the CervicalCheck scandal have asked for a face-to-face meeting
with the judge overseeing their ex-gratia compensation scheme warning they
are feeling "tremendously vulnerable".

The letter has been sent to Judge Aindrias Ó Caoimh by campaigners Vicky
Phelan, Stephen Teap and Lorraine Walsh on behalf of the 221+ Patient
Support Group.

The judge has been appointed to chair an expert panel that will formulate the
ex-gratia scheme to compensate women who developed cervical cancer, and
families of the bereaved, for not telling them that audits were carried out
showing they received wrong test results.

In a strongly worded letter, seen by the Irish Independent, they said the
"failure to provide smear test audit results in a timely manner" and the "very
poor" implementation of the HSE's open disclosure process has, "for a lot of
our members, eroded trust in our consultants, our health system, and our
Government".

They stressed that "these are the very people we must continue to rely upon
for our medical care".

"In many cases we rely on them to support life-and-death decisions. This

concern for trust has left us feeling tremendously vulnerable.

"Unfortunately, the poor communication persists and notwithstanding the

public and political attention to our circumstances, the women and families
have often been the last to know about developments that directly affect them
during the past year."

They have asked to meet Judge Ó Caoimh to share the experiences of women
before the panel sets out the criteria to be assessed.

It is unclear what the level of compensation will be, although it has been
speculated it would amount to around €25,000 each. The ex-gratia scheme is
separate to a tribunal which is to be set up adjudicate on issues of alleged
negligence as an alternative to going to court.

Meanwhile, Health Minister Simon Harris has said the delay in the return of
cervical screening results, while undesirable, is not necessarily dangerous and
poses a very low risk to women. He was responding amid ongoing concern at
the delays of up to 33 weeks in returning test results to women who have
undergone screening with CervicalCheck.

He told Fianna Fáil TD Michael Moynihan "the natural history of cervical

cancer would indicate that the disease would normally develop over a period
of 10 to 15 years".
A HSE spokeswoman said there are no plans to temporarily halt cervical
screening to clear the backlog. The programme will continue as normal
inviting women for their scheduled screening tests.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/we-are-tremendously-vulnerable-warn-cervicalcheck-
victims-37973711.html

CervicalCheck panel
criticised by members over
its inaction
Patient representatives in Government review of cancer
screening call for action
Sat, Jul 7, 2018,
Simon Carswell Public Affairs Editor

Dr Gabriel Scally, who led the Government scoping inquiry into the
CervicalCheck scandal. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill
Two patient representatives on a Government panel in
charge of overseeing changes to screening in the wake of
the CervicalCheck scandal have denounced its lack of
progress in an emotional plea for action.
Lorraine Walsh, who lost her chance to have children
over a missed 2011 cancer warning, and father-of-two
Stephen Teap, whose wife Irene died of cancer last year
after two incorrect smear tests, have demanded new
processes to restore trust and confidence in the
CervicalCheck’s screening programme.
Irene Teap and Ms Walsh are two of the 221 women
who, on look-back audits after being diagnosed with
cancer, were found to have received incorrect smear
tests that could have resulted in different outcomes.
Scores of women received false test results but were only
told about them after Limerick women Vicky Phelan
settled a High Court action for €2.5 million in April over
a 2011 test that missed her cancer.
Frustrated by the slow progress and the absence of plans
to overhaul the screening, Mr Teap and Ms Walsh read a
joint statement to a meeting of the Department of
Health’s steering committee on Thursday, calling for
specific actions to be taken by set deadlines so the
programme can “go back to saving lives”.
Speaking publicly for the first time, the Galway woman
(40) said she decided to go public so she was “not just a
number” in the CervicalCheck saga.
She is now clear of cancer after being diagnosed in 2012 but the treatment
for her cancer robbed her of a chance of becoming pregnant.
‘Women affected’
“I wanted people to see that there are other women affected. We are not
just numbers; we are not just ‘limitations of the screening’, as we have been
told,” she told The Irish Times. “These are real lives and real people being
torn apart. Stephen longs for the partner that I still have and I long for the
boys that he has. That is the reality but it is very difficult.”

Ms Walsh and Mr Teap (from Cork) were appointed to the steering

committee set up by Minister for Health Simon Harris to co-ordinate
changes to issues identified in the wake of the controversy and to oversee
the implementation of recommendations made by the Government scoping
inquiry led by Dr Gabriel Scally.
The pair are pushing for the minutes of the steering committee meetings to
be published every week.
“I don’t want to hear excuses any more, so that’s why each time I am asking
for specifics, for project plans, for actions, for timelines, for who is
responsible and where we are in the process,” said Ms Walsh.
Government pledge
The call follows a weeks-long delay in the Health Service Executive’s
handover of searchable records to Dr Scally, CervicalCheck’s slow release
of medical records to the affected women, and the delay to the start of a
review of about 3,000 smear test slides, despite a Government pledge it
would be completed by the end of May.
The Department of Health said on Friday night that the committee, which
has met in each of the last three weeks, would provide regular updates to
Mr Harris, which he intends to publish along with “relevant meeting
documents”.
Mr Teap and Ms Walsh would ensure the patient’s voice is “at the centre of
the committee’s work”, the department said.
The committee was established to provide assurance on “the
implementation of key decisions taken by the Government in relation to
CervicalCheck” and to work to address “strategic long-term issues to
ensure a sustainable and effective cervical screening programme
in the interests of women’s health”.
As the committee’s work proceeds, the focus will be “on making timely and
clear progress on all aspects of the terms of reference”, the department
said.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/cervicalcheck-panel-criticised-by-
members-over-its-inaction-
1.3556865?fbclid=IwAR2HnsfZHJP1JR7r5BoR19AzFGAXZBb_zPzSrrcZg19lHEkZ
QUFvQYGTXdM

They Charge for EVERYTHING
So charge THEM

510 patients on trolleys in hospitals across the

country today
University Hospital Limerick
More than 500 patients were waiting on trolleys across the country earlier
today.

April 2 2019
A total of 510 admitted patients were waiting for hospital beds, according to
the INMO Trolley Watch figures issued earlier today.

Some 380 patients were recorded on trolleys in emergency departments,

while another 130 were on trolleys in wards elsewhere in the hospitals.

The three worst affected hospitals were University Hospital Limerick with 72
people waiting on trolleys, Cork University Hospital with 54 admitted patients
waiting for beds, and a total of 38 in University Hospital Galway.

While the figures are damning, they are down on last week's peak of 617
people waiting on trolleys.

Last week's gridlock came as the €30m funding for the winter initiative, to
prevent the trolley crisis from reaching new record levels over Christmas and
new year, had run out.

Hospitals now have to carry out more operations on waiting-list patients,

which means there are fewer beds available for people coming from
emergency departments.

Last week, a HSE spokeswoman said that while the winter initiatives were
coming to an end, acute hospitals were still seeing growth in attendances not
flu-related.
"Many of the patients presenting require longer periods of hospitalisation due
to underlying conditions and frailty.

"Therefore, hospitals are focusing on ensuring patient discharges are being

planned in advance, early access to diagnostics is available and that senior
clinical decision- makers are seeing patients as early as possible to enable
those who do not need to be admitted to leave the emergency department as
early as possible."

The spokeswoman confirmed the additional funding provided to support the

winter initiatives was now complete.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/510-patients-on-trolleys-in-hospitals-across-the-country-
today-37975106.html

European Border and Coast

Guard: Council confirms
agreement on stronger mandate
The EU is working to improve the protection of its external borders as part of
its comprehensive approach to migration. EU ambassadors today confirmed
on behalf of the Council the informal agreement reached between
representatives of the European Parliament and the Romanian Presidency of
the Council on a regulation on the European Border and Coast Guard. The
new rules now need to be formally adopted by the European Parliament and
the Council.

01/04/2019

Stronger external border protection is essential for a safer Schengen area and
a more efficient management of migration. The new rules will allow Frontex to
provide faster, more efficient support to member states on a number of tasks,
including border controls and returning those without a right to stay.
Carmen Daniela Dan, Romanian minister of internal affairs
The European Border and Coast Guard Agency (Frontex) is being
strengthened in terms of staff and technical equipment. It is also being given a
broader mandate to support member states' activities on border protection,
return and cooperation with third countries. The proposed new rules will
incorporate the European Border Surveillance System (EUROSUR) into the
Frontex framework, to improve its functioning.

Standing corps of border and coast guards

and return experts
To ensure coherent management of external borders and to be able to
respond to crisis situations, a standing corps will be set up, with up to 10 000
operational staff by 2027. This standing corps will include operational staff
members from Frontex, from the member states under long term
secondments or deployed for a short time, and a reserve for rapid reaction.

Deployments of the standing corps will take place as of 1 January 2021. To

be able to adapt to future situations and capabilities the European
Commission will, by 31 December 2023, present to the Council and the
European Parliament a review of the overall number and composition of the
standing corps. The Commission will then, where necessary, present
proposals by March 2024 to amend the number, composition and member
states' contributions to the corps.

Member states will retain primary responsibility for the management of their
borders, with Frontex and its staff providing technical and operational
assistance subject to the agreement of the member states concerned. Under
the proposed new rules, staff of the standing corps deployed to a member
state will be able to exercise executive powers to carry out border controls or
return tasks, always subject to the authorisation of the host member state,
including the use of force and weapons.

Returns
The proposed rules will allow Frontex to provide technical and operational
support to member states in return operations.

The agency will provide support at the request of the member state concerned
or on its own initiative and in agreement with the member state concerned.
This support will cover all areas of return, from preparatory activities to return,
post-return and post-arrival activities. It also includes assisted voluntary return
and assistance of member states in the identification of third country nationals
and the acquisition of travel documents.

Cooperation with third countries

The proposed rules will contribute to strengthening cooperation with third
countries, by giving the agency wider scope for action and not limiting its
possibilities for cooperation to neighbouring countries.

This includes the possibility of concluding status agreements between the EU

and third countries (limited to neighbouring countries under current rules),
which would allow for the deployment of border management teams from
Frontex and for operations in the territory of third countries.

The agency will also be able to deploy experts as liaison officers, who will
form part of the local or regional cooperation networks of immigration liaison
officers and security experts of the EU and the member states. Priority will be
given to the deployment of liaison officers in countries of origin and transit.

Background
On 12 September 2018, the Commission proposed an updated mandate for
the European Border and Coast Guard, with the aim of further improving the
control of the EU's external borders.

https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/what-we-do/policies/european-agenda-
migration/20171114_ebcg_en.pdf

Yet another EU military force.

Approval to dramatically strengthen the EU’s border force!
The European Border and Coast Guard was established in 2016 with 1,500 members. Original
proposals estimated that the force would increase to 10,000 by 2027. Now the EU Council has
approved the move and accelerated the timetable by seven years to 20
20.. You'll notice that Ireland did not express reservations.
The powers to be held by this proposed force are particularly notable. It will operate with executive
powers and its own equipment, deploying “wherever and whenever” along the EU’s external borders as
well as in non-EU countries. Its equipment is to include “vessels, planes and vehicles, available to be
deployed at all times and for all necessary operations.”
The EU claims this force will operate under the command of whichever member state it is located in.
Yet at the same time, it says that when the Union’s interests require it, the force can take emergency
intervention even without the approval of the state it is intervening in.
The proposal emphasises that such emergency measures should only happen in “a spirit of
cooperation,” but that does not change the fact that the EU wants its armed border force to amass a
considerable amount of power – and fire - power.
It can send in its soldiers, even if the country they’re going to does not want the deployment, while EU
member states are giving up the legal right to have a monopoly of force within their own borders. For
the first time, there will be a pan-European military force with the right to go anywhere it wants within
the Union.
It’s another ominous development in the accelerated militarisation of the EU – a development that has
not been debated here and in which we are fully involved. See the Commission statement below.

http://betterbrexit.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/Common-Market-2.0.pdf

A strengthened and fully equipped European Border and Coast Guard

https://ec.europa.eu/commission/sites/beta-political/files/soteu2018-factsheet-coast-guard_en.pdf
LEGAL Challenge is in! #Brexit #WeLeftTheEUonThe29032019 here's the court case, we left the EU on
the 29 03 2019 at 11pm and here are the reasons why.. Thank You Gina Miller
https://www.facebook.com/graham.moore.1023/videos/10158321172554691/
Convention for the Protection of Individuals with regard to Automatic Processing
of Personal Data
https://rm.coe.int/CoERMPublicCommonSearchServices/DisplayDCTMContent?documentId=090000
1680078b37
Convention for the Protection of Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms
Collection_Convention_1950_ENG
https://www.echr.coe.int/Documents/Collection_Convention_1950_ENG.pdf

SUPPORT STRIKING PARAMEDICS

"I'm scratching my head wondering why the Taoiseach is able to write to Kylie Minogue asking to meet
her but he's not able to write a letter to the HSE asking them to recognise a group of (paramedic)
workers in a union of 500 now at this point. Is it because the Minister for Health is being dictated to by a
larger union by any chance? Or is it a policy now of the government to only deal with unions who they
think will toe the party line?"
https://www.facebook.com/solidarityie/videos/419535705280004/UzpfSTI5MDQ3MzUxNzc2MTEzO
DoxMzcyMTI3MTMyOTI5MDk5/

Government deserves a hammering at the ballot box in

May!
April 19
Minister I want to put it to you that a government which allows 3784 children to be homeless and which
allows 10,000 people to be homeless does not deserve to remain in power. I want to put it to you that
the government parties and Fianna Fáil who prop them up, deserve to be hammered at the ballot box in
May for your failures on housing and homelessness."
https://www.facebook.com/solidarityie/videos/306769896662561/UzpfSTEwMDAwMDMxOTkwOD
U2MzoyMjQ4Mzg5MDAxODQ4NDA4/

Richard Bruton (FG) questioned why Sick Children are

denied Medication
Mar 11, 2017
Richard Bruton must be worried about his seat today he was out Canvassing in a working class estate
that he has never been in , in his entire political career. How do we know ? Well he was stupid enough
to knock on my door. When they realised it was me they made their excuses and left rather than hear
what i wanted to say. So i put down my paint brush and went for a walk with Old Richard and asked
him why he and his Government were denying Children the Drug Orkambi and Ava Barry Medicinal
Cannabis. The best Richard could manage was a Smirk. These people just don`t care about the
devastation they have brought on people`s lives. As long as they are ok. Remember this when it comes
top Vote. A vote for Fine Gael is a vote for Ethnic cleansing.

This is the minister for Communication,Climate and Enviroment which took over from the
corrupt boyo from Roscommon after he was caught wining and dining corperate
bodies.Look this man couldnt care less for Humanity .Look at his reaction is so
heartless.As he is the now minister for Communication we can see how he involved in
the pushing out of this Toxic 5G Wi FRY and the Tax payer still has no idea to whom the
consodium is ?Climate Change been helped along by him and office as our beautiful
trees the lungs of our nation been chopped down so he can help fry us and destroy our
ENVIROMENT .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzlaVGfvbdc&feature=share
Concerns Ballycotton water treatment
plant could damage local fishing
industry
Tuesday, April 02, 2019

Fears have been raised that wastewater treatment works planned for a
pier in East Cork could undermine the structure and cause untold
damage to the local fishing industry.

County councillors are to ask Irish Water officials to attend a meeting in

an effort to urge them not to locate the treatment plant under the pier
at Ballycotton because of concerns it may lead to subsidence.

Cllr Michael Hegarty said a sinkhole appeared at the pier 15 years ago
and led to major disruption.

"The location of the pumping station is underneath the toilet block and
they (Irish Water) will have to excavate 15 feet underneath it for the
treatment plant," Cllr Hegarty told a meeting of the East Cork Municipal
District Council.

He said he has questioned Irish Water officials over this.

Cllr Hegarty said he was told that while Irish Water has carried out a
marine survey in the immediate area their engineers haven't looked at
what was underneath the pier: "What if something happens when the
work is going on? This is a working pier. There are trucks taking fish off
it daily and oil tankers coming onto the pier to supply fuel to the boats."

Cllr Hegarty added that a nearby "brownfield site" has been identified
as a suitable location for the treatment plant by locals and this should
be used instead: "To me Irish Water aren't listening and are prepared to
drive on regardless. There is a solution to this if common sense would
prevail."

Cllr Hegarty got unanimous support from his colleagues to allow a

delegation representing Ballycotton Development Company and
Ballycotton Fishermen's Association to outline their concerns at next
month's municipal district council meeting.

Cllr Michael Hegarty said that everybody in Ballycotton welcomes that

at long last Irish Water is going to do something about raw sewage
draining into the harbour, but the genuine concerns have to be
addressed.

Cllr Hegarty said he was told that while Irish Water has carried out a marine survey in the
immediate area their engineers haven't looked at what was underneath the pier: "What if
something happens when the work is going on? This is a working pier. There are trucks
taking fish off it daily and oil tankers coming onto the pier to supply fuel to the boats."
Cllr Hegarty added that a nearby "brownfield site" has been identified as a suitable
location for the treatment plant by locals and this should be used instead: "To
me #IrishWater aren't listening and are prepared to drive on regardless. There is a
solution to this if common sense would prevail."
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/concerns-ballycotton-water-treatment-plant-
could-damage-local-fishing-industry-
914930.html?fbclid=IwAR3OnjBgqwYq0Wdbn6_t8N5PWY9hmDhsNvE7EMOUOTci2_uMFkWSAl
lCkLw#.XKNfZKpdOPw.facebook
Get out and vote ... FG/FF are happy you don't vote , why? because they don't have to
worry about you voting for people who want to bring about real and lasting change in this
country. Those who want to make sure that the enormous wealth in this country is shared
fairly and people get a wage they can live on, have a roof over their head, a health
service that is not based on your ability to pay, equality in education. Get registered vote
what we have in our communities and country is up to you !
Well done to Waterford News and Star for covering this... we’ll be protesting on the last
Saturday of every month at 1pm in John Roberts square, Waterford, in Dublin and in
other places across the country
Still we see ninety percent of the elected Councillors praising Council Staff for the explanation they
gave justifying the shortsighted tree felling in Dungarvan, these Councillors need to rethink who and
what they stand for. Hopefully the electorate will be more selective in the upcoming Local Elections
and deselect the idiots.
10,000 homeless and about 72,000 on the housing list and maybe more
Climate Action Let's tax the everyone except those who cause the
problem in the first place.
Bríd Smith TD
29 March 2019

All other measures suggested were given short shrift. What government parties argued, and not honestly, was the
defence of the corporations from #CarbonTax. Stick it to the ordinary people instead. This is a clip from my
objection to this – the slightly longer speech is here:
Leopatra-and buddies plan massive carbon taxes increases. .yet they continue grow the Pyramid
economy which sucks in more migrant workers for m/nationals records profits and leaves the Irish
environment @the abyess of destruction. .

https://www.facebook.com/BridSmithTD/videos/583244962193835/UzpfSTYzNTE2MTA1NjUwNDIwOF8xMD
AwMDI0MDEzMDY2ODk6MjI1ODIzMDQ0NDI2Njk3N18xMDAwMDAwMjkxODg5MjM6MjkyOTU1NDcx
MzcyMjEzOV82MzUxNjEwNTY1MDQyMDhfMF8w/
The scaremongering is in full force in the Committee right now...

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/oireachtas-tv/cr3-live/

The Department of Finance are painting a picture of Armageddon for the State's finances
if this billl passes...

Retention of Records Bill 2019

26 Feb 2019

Bill entitled an Act to provide for the retention of certain

records of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse, the
Residential Institutions Redress Board and the Residential
Institutions Redress Review Committee; for that purpose to
deem those records to be records of the Department of
Education and Skills and to transfer those records to the
National Archives; to amend the National Archives Act 1986,
the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse Act 2000 and the
Residential Institutions Redress Act 2002; and to provide for
related matters.

https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/b
ill/2019/16/eng/initiated/b1619d.pdf


MIGHT COME IN HANDY for Local Elections

New €350,000 HSE chief

pledges to make patients
his priority

1
New HSE chief Paul Reid. Picture: Tony Gavin
The new €350,000 head of the HSE has said his primary focus will be "the experiences of the patients"
and "all who engage with us."

Eilish O’Regan
April 2 2019

The appointment of Paul Reid, currently chief executive of Fingal County

Council, was given the go ahead by the Cabinet today.

He will take over as Director General of the troubled HSE for a five year term
in May. His current salary as Chief Executive of Fingal County Council is
€165,320.

He said: “There is no doubt this will be a huge challenge as we will have to

manage and strengthen the current service delivery mechanisms, whilst at the
same time leading the transformation to a new model of integrated care as set
out under Sláintecare.
“The primary focus throughout my term will be the experiences of the patients
and all who engage with us."

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar TD and Minister for Health Simon Harris said he was
was appointed following an open competition by the Public Appointment
Service.

He succeeds Tony O’ Brien, who stepped down last May after the
CervicalCheck controversy.

The Taoiseach said: “Paul Reid takes up this post at a critical time of change
and reform in our health services. For the first time in a long time, we have the
resources, we have the plan and we have the people to move forward.

“During his time at the helm in Fingal County Council and before that in
Eircom and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Paul
developed a strong reputation as a dynamic and ambitious leader, who was
always up for a challenge, drove restructuring, controlled costs, delivered
results and managed industrial relations well.

“The role of Director General of the HSE is an incredibly important one. Paul
will work with the newly appointed and empowered HSE board and with the
Executive Director of Sláintecare, Laura Magahy, as implementation of our 10
year plan to improve and reform the health service steps up a gear. I wish Paul
every success in his role and I look forward to working with him.”

Minister Harris said: "The appointment of Paul Reid comes at an exciting time
for the health service with a clear policy direction as outlined by Sláintecare,
record investment and a major capital programme.

"We now have the key building blocks for a health service that the public
deserve as he brings his extensive skillset to this role. He has proven himself
to be a leader in public service and has a track record of reform.

"I wish him all the best in the role. I also want to take this opportunity to
thank Ms Anne O'Connor for her exemplary leadership over recent months."

Mr Reid will serve a tenure of 5 years and is expected to begin his position on
May 14 next.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/new-350000-hse-chief-
pledges-to-make-patients-his-priority-
37975174.html?fbclid=IwAR0vQHARlFaJwCcbtCc0V99rS8OB--OLOcORd37Hb-
8g3nMToNKRLevywRw








Councillor subject of
SIPO findings after RTÉ
undercover programme
'in hospital with chest
pains'
April 2 2019

1
Cllr John O'Donnell. Photo: North West Newspix
A county councillor who was at the centre of an RTÉ undercover investigation
and had SIPO findings made against him says he's now in hospital having
treatment for "chest pains".

Donegal County Councillor John O'Donnell took to his facebook account

today, telling followers he was in Letterkenny General Hospital.
His Facebook post and picture - apparently taken from his bed - comes a week
after the Standards In Public Office issued a finding against him saying he
"conflated" his role as a councillor and businessman.

"Not where I wanted to end up 7 weeks out from an election but I guess there’s
only so much pressure any man can take ," Cllr O'Donnell wrote.

"Iv [sic] had severe pains in my chest and it started to work down my arm over
the past few days, so after a trip to now Doc yesterday Iv [sic] being [sic]
referred and admitted to Letterkenny General Hospital.

"Hopefully it’s nothing too serious and I’ll be back on the canvass trail again
next week," he said.

Last week, SIPO issued their findings on Cllr O'Donnell's involvement in the
RTÉ investigation.

The programme showed Cllr O'Donnell engaging with an undercover reporter

purporting to be Ms Carlsson from Vinst Opportunities. He had a telephone
call and meeting with the reporter in 2015, which were secretly recorded.

Mr O’Donnell also had engagements with the same reporter purporting to be

Ms Carlsson from Vinst Opportunities. He had a telephone call and a meeting
with the reporter in November 2015, both of which were secretly recorded.

“When asked by the undercover reporter whether he would be in a position to

assist with the planning process, Councillor O’Donnell stated that he was a
developer and business person himself and that, in contrast to many of his
colleagues on Donegal County Council, was supportive of appropriate
developments,” the Sipo report said.

“He indicated that, for such developments, having a local person such as
himself working with Donegal County Council on the pre-planning process
would be ‘massive advantage’.”

He told the reproter he would "lobby the other councillors to be more

supportive of wind farm development”.

Sipo also found Cllr O'Donnell said that there would be no cost “to the
investment company for his initial scoping work but that future work would
require something in return and this would be paid through his solicitor”.

Sipo found Cllr O'Donnell "conflated his role as councillor and businessman
and used his position as councillor to promote his private interests as a
businessman".

Sipo found Cllr O'Donnell had contravened the Local Government Act on
three occasions. They issued their findings last week.

A county councillor who was at the centre of an RTÉ undercover

investigation and had SIPO findings made against him says he's
now in hospital having treatment for "chest pains".
Donegal County Councillor John O'Donnell took to his facebook
account today, telling followers he was in Letterkenny General
Hospital.
His Facebook post and picture - apparently taken from his bed -
comes a week after the Standards In Public Office issued a
finding against him saying he "conflated" his role as a councillor
and businessman.
Hes lucky he has a fucking bed when we have pensioners on trolleys and children STILL WAITING
FOR SPINAL OPERATIONS. cant be his heary he hasnt got one.
Should be thrown outside on a trolley never mind a bed

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/councillor-subject-of-sipo-
findings-after-rt-undercover-programme-in-hospital-with-chest-pains-
37975786.html
Stray Shopping Carts EUROPE, A Guide to field Identification
https://ccdn371.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/montague.pdf

European Union product labelling rules so that it is accessible from one source but broken
up into a consistent and readable format.
http://www.enterprise-europe-
scotland.com/sct/assets/documents/uploaded/general/Product%20Labelling%
20Guide.pdf
Field Identification Guide - observatree.org.uk Observatree Field Identification
Guide for European mountain ash ringspot associated virus.
https://www.observatree.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/17_0049_One-
off-literature-Observatree-guide-EMARAV_wip06.pdf
European seabass Eigenmannia virescens glass knife fish ... IdentificationField Guide.
Australian Government Department of Agriculture ...
http://library.enaca.org/Health/FieldGuide/pdf/Common%20names.pdf
Weed Identification and Management Worksheet ... Practical Weed Control is a recently
translated Dutch field manual detailing the ... latest European and North ...
https://www.northeastipm.org/neipm/assets/File/NRCS-Resources/Weed-
Identification-and-Management-Worksheet-9-17-08.pdf
Aquatic Animal Diseases Significant to Australia- Identification Field Guide, 4Th
Edition, DAFF, Canberra.
http://www.agriculture.gov.au/SiteCollectionDocuments/animal-
plant/aquatic/field-guide/4th-edition/aquatic-disease-user-guide-edition-4.pdf










Here’s why 5G is NOT allowed in Israel where it
was developed
5G is Part of Sterlizing the Goyim — Not
Allowed in Israel
Public Intelligence Blog

Alert Reader writes in:

Smart meters and mandatory vaccinations/pesticides are the

“Final Solution” to the cattle goyim…especially the white anglo
saxon protestants! 1G, 2G, 3G and 4G use between 1 to 5
gigahertz frequency. 5G uses between 24 to 90 gigahertz
frequency. Within the RF Radiation portion of the
electromagnetic spectrum, the higher the frequency the more
dangerous it is to living organisms. 5G, developed in Israel, is
exported — it is FORBIDDEN in Israel.

The safety of 5G technology is finally being brought into serious

question
Genetic sequencing science breakthrough just proved that
measles “outbreaks” are caused by the measles vaccine
RELATED (Long Input from Alert Reader):
*The most referred to site for these studies is
https://www.emf-portal.org/en
Univ of Aachen. I corresponded with the
director of this site, asking how many of their current 27,000+
published NIR studies show harm? She said for an advocacy
rule of thumb
use 20,000. David Carpenter was copied in and also estimates
20,000.
Moskowitz doesn’t seem to object. As everyone knows who has
even a
little familiarity with the EMR field, Carpenter (SUNY Albany, co-
author
of /Bio-initiative Report/, a summary of several hundred of the
best of
these studies) and Moskowitz (U Cal Berkeley) are the most
influential
scientists in EMR in N. America.
*Carpenter’s site is the Bio-Initiative site, updated 2017:
**https://bioinitiative.org/*
*with Henry Lai’s Research Summaries:
https://bioinitiative.org/research-summaries/*
*Moskowitz’s site: *
https://www.saferemr.com<https://www.saferemr.com/>/*
*Here are links to many of those 20,000 or so studies*

EMR INSTITUTIONAL SITES

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lZCADqKW4twIb5MIqh
KFcO49KlPaER9zVpJiQ0hhsnQ/edit?usp=drive_web
EMR GENERAL SITES
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1rQMR5fywlXDdr-
UgpmBfmngVounsO5KQbxanBj4PXFs/edit?usp=drive_web>
*Obviously if there are about 20,000 published studies showing
harm from
EMR, there are going to be thousands of scientists who have
done those
studies who are aware of the acute dangers of childish,
impulsive,
obsessive, and superficial dive into cell phones, smart meters,
wifi,
and 5G (led by the US, and potentially prevented mainly by the
IAA).
Here is a list of most of the visible scientists who know how
dangerous
EMR can be, many of whom are warning about it (Maharishi
warned about
it, and said not to use cell phones, and told all the Rajas to tell
all
their Governors not to use cell phones):*

EMR SCIENTIFIC EXPERTS

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oR–
UQg9AUc0NKNwx4WMZAVQSekZtaHXTVDoFc8KyrA/edit?
usp=drive_web
*The reason for many studies showing no harm from cell
phones and other
EMR is: there are many poor studies, for two reasons: *

*1. Political and financial influence on the studies: Industry

funded
studies are of lower quality, seemingly designed to show no
harm (short
term, small sample, and incorrect EMR measuring)*

*2. Poor research method: two initial studies in 1976 showed

harm but
were poorly done (they got lucky) but many studies were done
after that
using that same poor research design and did not show harm
(due to poor
research methods). *

*Political and financial influence: The three primary documents

are:*

Hertsgaard and Dowie’s landmark expose in **/The Nation/

magazine:
https://www.thenation.com/article/how-big-wireless-made-us-
think-that-cell-phones-are-safe-a-special-investigation/*
revised and published in /The Guardian/:
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2018/jul/14/mobile-
phones-cancer-inconvenient-truths*
*2. Norm Alster’s landmark Harvard paper on FCC corruption:
https://ethics.harvard.edu/files/center-for-
ethics/files/capturedagency_alster.pdf*
*3. Henry Lai’s survey EMR research showing that 2/3 of the
research
funded by industry shows no harm, and 1/3 does not show
harm – and in
research /_not_/ funded by industry, 2/3 shows harm and 1/3
does not
show harm, showing the high influence of who funds the
research
(resulting in study designs of differing quality)*

https://www.seattlemag.com/article/uw-scientist-henry-lai-
makes-waves-cell-phone-industry*
*2. Initial poorly done studies: Dr. De Kun Li (MD, PhD, MPH,
Kaiser
Permanente) in the second of three 15 minutes presentations on
a webinar
about a year ago describes what happened, mentioning some
of his
research (strapping EMR measuring devices to the abdomens of
pregnant
women and finding 250-500% increase in still births, infant
ADHD, infant
obesity, and infant thyroid problems): *

https://www.healthandenvironment.org/webinars/96433**
*So stating that ‘all EMR is harmless because some of it is
good’ is
ridiculous, and solidly established and massively documented as
invalid.
I suggest not continuing to reduce your credibility ever lower in
the
community by continuing to use invalid arguments to oppose
Maharishi’s
knowledge (yes, he made it firmly part of his knowledge) and the
thousands of good scientists who see through what is going on.
*

*Made it firmly part of his knowledge? Yes, I spoke at length

with a
Governor from Europe who Maharishi had go through every
single room in
Vlodrop, including all private quarters, and regardless of any
opposition, *
*1. remove all wifi*
*2. replace all CFL bulbs*
*3. rewire all appliances to ground them all*

*Maharishi told him to meet with him every day until he was
done, and he
did, it took him a year. This was around 2006. *

*Saying that since light is beneficial, all EMR is beneficial or

harmless is like saying, since apples and hemlock are both plant
substances, and apples are good or OK to eat, so is hemlock.
And that
would be similar to what would happen if people take your
advice. *

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1oR--
UQg9AUc0NKNwx4WMZAVQSekZtaHXTVDoFc8KyrA/edit

Ex-WHO General Director Warns: "Wireless Technology

has Health Effects There is no Doubt "
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISsQSwiWI2E

*Although Alliant’s smart meter program is about 1% as

dangerous as it
is being portrayed by FF Safe Meters. Alliant’s SM program is
unique in
the country for only half a dz signals/day, that has been
confirmed by
Dave Stetzer, the most reputable electrical engineer in the world
opposing smart meters and dirty electricity. He told me he left
the Iowa
hearing because, “I’m not going to lie.” FF Safe Meters is vastly
exaggerating the health risk of Alliant’s program. Alliant
disclosed it
had “2-4 malfunctioning meters signaling 3,000-11,000
times/week,” and
FF Safe Meter broadcast they had gotten Alliant to admit they
had meters
signaling that amount but /_hid the fact it was only from 2-4
malfunctioning meters._/*

*Good to avoid both phase transition emotional extremes of

‘EMR is all
fine’ and ‘Alliant’s SMs are deadly.’ Both are quite invalid. It’s
good
to opt out, it is not good to be highly concerned about Alliant’s
smart
meter program for health reasons. It is good to be highly
concerned
about the health risk from 5G (and all its other problems). There
also
huge privacy and cyber security issues with smart meters and
5G, as well
as major local control and rights/freedom issues with both smart
meters
and 5G. *

___
https://phibetaiota.net/2019/03/koko-5g-is-part-of-sterlizing-the-
goyim-not-allowed-in-israel/#more-138964



http://themillenniumreport.com/2019/03/heres-why-5g-is-not-allowed-in-
israel-where-it-was-developed/?fbclid=IwAR33I9sLJ9UioNOpBT-
L2xZX3Fip_1CByzKVPGAd-DlH2F-GpUOVcpV_Wqc
IARC, an arm of the World Health Organization classifies cell phone radiation as a
possible carcinogen.

https://www.iarc.fr/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/pr208_E.pdf
EMFSN-brochure-2019-update-hi-res
http://emfsafetynetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/EMFSN-brochure-
2019-update-hi-res.pdf
Captured Agency- How the Federal Communications Commission Is Dominated
by the Industries It Presumably Regulates
http://ethics.harvard.edu/files/center-for-
ethics/files/capturedagency_alster.pdf
USA EPA letter to FCC
http://www.stopglobalwifi.org/documents/epa2.pdf
USA EPA internal RF safety limits memorandum
http://www.stopglobalwifi.org/documents/epa1.pdf
EMF Scientists Appeal to the United Nations
https://www.emfscientist.org/images/docs/EMF_Scientist_Press_Release_5-1-
2015.pdf
Cell phones are currently used by 95% of American adults. The U.S. Food and
Drug Administration (FDA) nominated radio frequency radiation (RFR) used by
cell phones for an NTP study because of widespread public use of cell phones
and limited knowledge about potential health effects from long-term exposure.

https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/chem_background/exsumpdf/wireless05
1999_508.pdf


NTP TECHNICAL REPORT ON THE TOXICOLOGY AND CARCINOGENESIS
STUDIES IN B6C3F1/N MICE EXPOSED TO WHOLE-BODY RADIO FREQUENCY
RADIATION AT A FREQUENCY (1,900 MHz) AND MODULATIONS (GSM AND
CDMA) USED BY CELL PHONES

https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/htdocs/lt_rpts/tr596_508.pdf
National Toxicology Program Peer Review of the Draft NTP Technical Reports on
Cell Phone Radiofrequency Radiation March 26–28, 2018 National Institute of
Environmental Health Sciences Research Triangle Park, NC Peer-Review Report
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/about_ntp/trpanel/2018/march/peerreview2018
0328_508.pdf
NTP's Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies- Experimental Design, Statistical
Analyses, and Hazard Determinations
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/about_ntp/trpanel/2018/march/presentations/0
9blystone_exp_design_508.pdf
Results of the NTP Studies of Cell Phone Radiofrequency Radiation in B6C3F1/N
Mice
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/about_ntp/trpanel/2018/march/presentations/1
9wyde_mice_results_508.pdf
NTP's Toxicology and Carcinogenesis Studies- Genetic Toxicology Testing
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/about_ntp/trpanel/2018/march/presentations/1
0witt_genetox_508.pdf
Nomination, NTP’s Considerations for Toxicological Evaluation of
Radiofrequency Radiation Exposure in Rodents, and Background on
Exposure
https://ntp.niehs.nih.gov/ntp/about_ntp/trpanel/2018/march/presentations/0
2wyde_nomination_508.pdf
the cell tower timeline, it is not just 5G that went bug free, insects and birds fled the national
park when 3G was switched on...except with 5G they have nowhere to go now!
Dear Irish Friends,
Please find enclosed my final version of the International 5G
Awareness Day Poster, which I ask you to share across the
Globe! As stated, come together with placards next weekend- on
the Isle of Wight we are doing this on Saturday 6th of April - take
a photo and post on Social Media on Sunday which is World
Health Day! Further to that, post the pictures to Local and
National Media, Politicians, Health Institutions, Phone Companies
and anyone else who needs to get the message. Please send
them to me as well and I will try to collate all the pictures.
Can't get a group together? Then take a picture of yourself with a
placard - or just a sheet of paper with a message! - and send
across the Globe! We can all do something, apathy is our real
enemy.....
Please help make this BIG and the next one - Wednesday 5th of
June which is World Environment Day - even BIGGER! Share-
Share-Share!
Many thanks from the 5G Rebel
5g roll out in Dingle? At least I think Dingle is one of the places earmarked as a trial like
waterford
MINISTER HARRIS PRESENTS EVIDENCE OF HPV VACCINE DAMAGE - YET CONTINUES
POLICY OF GASLIGHTING AFFECTED FAMILIES

The Irish Adverse Events reporting system is closed to public view. These latest adverse events
reporting statistics from the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) following
the #HPVvaccination – obtained via a parliamentary question – make for shocking reading.

How can the Minister for Health and his HSE continue to label our sick girls "unfounded rumours" in light
of these reports of serious injury?

This is the reality they are trying to hide from parents. Bear in mind that evidence shows that vaccine
adverse events are grossly under-reported at around 1% of total injuries (Harvard Pilgrim Study):

As of 31st December 2018, the HPRA had received 1,187 case reports of adverse reactions, whereby
60% were classified serious.

There were 5,616 system organ class reactions, which makes 4.7 symptoms reported per case (girl).
This means that the girls’ symptoms are presented and reported in clusters.

In 319 case reports the patient was described as not recovered and the outcome of a further 167 cases
outcome are recorded as unknown. This means that 486 cases are still left unresolved, but yet the HSE
insists that there are NO long term side effects (despite the manufacturer trials never testing for them)!

Minister Harris along with the HSE continuously push a message of total safety for the HPV vaccine,
dismissing families of healthy girls who became seriously ill after the vaccination in our calls for an
investigation – in a campaign of public derision. We trusted the authorities who told us it was a safe
vaccine, and they abandoned us when what happened to our children didn't fit their message.

How can Minister for Health Simon Harris continue to refuse an independent investigation of this large
group of unresolved cases, in light of these blatant warning signals, presented by the man himself, when
questioned in the Dail?

We demand that our legitimate concerns be taken seriously and that Minister Harris and the HSE stop
with their campaign of gaslighting and abusing families in need, and investigate our daughters’
symptoms NOW.

https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2019-03-26a.2012

https://healthit.ahrq.gov/…/electronic-support-public-healt…

From the time of first authorisation of Gardasil in 2006 and up to 31/12/2018,

the Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) had received 1,187
reports/cases of suspected adverse reactions and events associated with the use
of the HPV vaccines (Gardasil, Cervarix and a few reports for which the brand of
vaccine is not known). These reports include information on some 5,616
reactions, as many reports/cases contain information on more than one
reaction/event, so as you will note, the number of reactions exceeds the number
of reports/cases.

In accordance with EU and global reporting requirements, the words used to

describe suspected adverse reactions/events are coded by the HPRA to an
internationally agreed standard terminology (MedDRA), which is used to facilitate
exchange of information by organisations responsible for medicines
 monitoring. Within this terminology, reaction terms are grouped into System
Organ Classes’ (SOCs) by etiology (e.g. Infections and infestations),
manifestation site (e.g. Gastrointestinal disorders) or purpose (e.g. Surgical and
medical procedures). The 5,616 reactions referred to above occurred across a
broad range of SOCs, most frequently involving the general disorders and
administration site conditions, gastrointestinal disorders, nervous system
disorders, psychiatric disorders and skin/subcutaneous tissue disorders.

Of the 1,187 reports/cases of suspected adverse reactions and events associated

with the use of the HPV vaccines (Gardasil, Cervarix and a few reports for which
the brand of vaccine hasn’t been identified), 60% are classified as ‘serious’ as
per the regulatory definition of a ‘serious’ adverse reaction, which includes
circumstances where patients require intervention (e.g. review by their GP)
and/or treatment for their symptoms. From currently available information, in
319 reports/cases, the patients were described as ‘not recovered at time of
reporting’ and the outcome in a further 167 reports/cases was recorded as
‘unknown’. It is important to note that the HPRA receives reports/cases from a
variety of sources and at the time of submission and/or follow up, information on
the outcome of the effects experienced may not be available to reporters.

I am informed by the HPRA that it updates its website in relation to report/case

figures for HPV vaccine periodically, approximately bi-annually with the last
update covering the period to 31/12/18.

https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2019-03-
26a.2012&fbclid=IwAR30He1aGrU3AkPMmem-XpEcnNT-LQyHND58sjIvRn09-
0yiHejjSpoA2V8

Electronic Support for Public Health–Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System

(ESP:VAERS)

https://healthit.ahrq.gov/sites/default/files/docs/publication/r18hs017045-lazarus-
final-report-2011.pdf

Tina Fagan My daughter is certainly not a UNFOUNDED RUMOUR.
Perfectly healthy prior to her first injection with only one Hosp admission and that was from a
accident.
This is just some of her dates for Hosp admissions after Gardasil. Just to clarify this does not include
ALL admissions , and excludes admissions to temple street , Crumlin and st Vincent’s.
Our daughters need help and support as do their parents. This is just disgraceful behavior
from the HSE and Simon Harris. We were mislead by the HSE into vaccinating our daughters
when we weren’t given the full facts about possible adverse side effects. My daughter is
struggling every day now. She hasn’t been to school this year as she’s far to unwell.
I was home in Dublin for the weekend. It was disheartening to hear people’s thoughts on hpv vaccine
post the death of Laura Brennan (RIP ) and Simon Harris’s comments. Most of those I spoke to
(parents) are aware gardasil is damaging, despite the constant unbiased narrative from Harris, HSE and
msm reporting. But what is worrying is that even these smart parents are feeling more concerned now
than they were six months ago.
Fear sells .
Needless to say I gave out a couple of copies of hpvvaccineontrial. Parents need to be stronger than
ever against the push, and ditto their children in school.
Taxpayer's money on ads in national media promoting the product as 'safe and effective'. By
what measure? If adverse events reporting was even 10% of reactions - which is generous
given the known levels of underreporting - by what measure is 7120 serious cases of adverse
reactions safe? Out of 250,000 odd doses? That is a higher risk than the cancer we're told it
prevents.
If you go into EUDRA website , this is where the hpra report their list of reactions. I mailed the hpra
and they directed me to this database. However just looking at the numbers of adverse reactions over a
number of vaccine , for instance , per
Population Ireland only reports 10% of day what Italy would report per head of population . This is the
problem
With passive reporting systems. Also I wonder how many people know how to report and are doctors
wiling to report reactions that may implicate them in a legal case further down the line? Worth
searching the european database . Shocking figures. Also what they don’t give you is the baseline on
which the figures are based as the hpra does not capture the number of vaccines administered . This is
the HSE’s role apparently. http://www.adrreports.eu/en/index.html
NO LOCAL PLEDGES NOT TO ERECT
ELECTION POSTERS
By
Gary Ibbotson
28/03/2019

According to PosterFree.ie not one local electoral candidate in the Dublin

area has pledged to not erect posters during this year’s local elections.

The campaign has been a great success so far with 122 towns and 50
candidates nationwide agreeing to go poster-free.

According to the campaign, in the 2014 local elections, 611,000 posters were
erected with a combined cost of €3m.

The posters covered the equivalent area of 23 Croke Parks and 366 tonnes of
Co2 was produced.

After 30 days of canvassing, the majority of the posters were sent to landfill,
according to PosterFree.ie.

Although local candidates from many counties have agreed to go poster-free

this year, as of time of print, not one candidate in Dublin has joined the
movement.
Mary Hanafin, local councillor for the Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown area, told
Dublin Gazette: “I will of course honour the request of the towns and villages
who do not want posters but I will be erecting posters elsewhere.”

“I believe they add to the democratic process as they are a visible sign that an
election is taking place. I will make an effort to source posters which are not
plastic based but will withstand wind and rain. I will also be restricting the
numbers of posters I use.”

Fine Gael local councillor John Kennedy has voiced his concern about the
posters saying that many candidates find the arduous task of putting up and
taking down posters a turn off.

“In fact, this task may be putting people off running for election given the extra
campaign stress this task adds.”

“The fact is that where nearly every candidate is putting up posters there is no
real particular competitive advantage to having them, yet a disadvantage would
arise for any candidate deciding not to put them up,” he says.

Out of the 122 towns in the country that have pledged to not allow posters
being erected during election time, Blackrock, Dalkey, Monkstown and
Shankill are among those in the DLR area vowing to go poster-free.

https://dublingazette.com/uncategorized/local-election-
posters/?fbclid=IwAR2T3aBBt3EM0_TmbhkgQGOWkV0n3mRzhmiD54XFED8_yR2B-
jwmkSvz7w4
I've received a response from Iarnród Éireann:
Query
I live in Rathdrum and have seen a large galvanised mast go up near the railway station
here. I’ve seen the same type in several other places here along the rail line from
Rathnew to Avoca.
Can you please tell me what these are for? We’ve also noticed extensive tree felling in
the same areas - is this related to the masts?
Response
Iarnród Éireann is currently replacing the existing train radio communication system, which
provide safety critical communications between the train driver and the signalman who manages
and regulates train movements on the network. The existing analogue train radio system is
obsolete and life expired. As mandated for the application under the EU Railway Interoperability
Directives, Iarnród Éireann is implementing a GSM-R communications system. Due to the higher
operating frequency of GSM-R compared to the analogue system, additional radio transmitter sites
are required along the railway network to achieve 100% route coverage. The is the reason for the
telecommunications mast at Rathdrum and other sites along the network. The locations of the new
telecommunications mast are generally within Iarnród Éireann’s railway corridor and at locations
with existing vehicular access. Some individual tress may have been cut back or fully removed to
enable construction of specific telecommunications masts.
Iarnród Éireann also conduct period vegetation clearance along the railway network to ensure
vegetation growth does not encroach within the railway operating envelope. Vegetation
management and control is required to maintain a safe working corridor for trains and driver so
that that signals and other infrastructure does not become overgrown and/or obscured; and also to
ensure that vegetation falling on the track does not result in low rail adhesion that can impact train
breaking. Iarnród Éireann conducts vegetation clearance on the basis of risk assessment and in
accordance with legislation.
Iarnród Éireann is only responsible for vegetation management and control within the operational
railway corridor.
they started installing the new GSM-R radios into trains about a year ago.
Trees and bushes are also regularly cut back along the railway to reduce the chance of
anything falling on the track or overhead wires.
Corrupt Politicians hanging Around ta Dodgers Who like facebook, Google,
Apple, Starbucks and mc Donalds
A another scum bag that I robbing the Irish people
Two Arseholes
The brown envelope parties have been dipping their hands into the public purse since the
beginning of the state. What a joke a once Minister for Finance( Bertie Ahern ) for
example without a Bank account ? lol. As of the 1st of January TD,'S salary increase by
3,600 with a further increase of 1,800 in October.
issues in our country like what is being discussed in this group.
As we know being passive or too busy to know whats going on in our world is not the way
forward in this day and age!
Life is for living....not living to work and pay debts our whole lives. We all deserve the
very best. The system is a trap, don't get caught up in it!



Irish Boats Only Take 5% Of Fish From Irish Waters. We
Have Lost Control of Our Resources - Lee Walsh

Irish Boats Only Take 5% Of Fish From Irish Waters. We Have Lost Control of Our Resources - Lee
Walsh

With fishing in deep crisis, and Irish boats only getting 5% of the fish taken from our waters, Lee Walsh,
Independent Local Election Candidate for Waterford East, says Brexit is an opportunity to renegotiate the EU
Common Fisheries Policy and protect Irish fisheries. %0% of fish caught by irish fishermand comes from British
waters meaning after BRexit there will be a fishing crisis.
https://www.facebook.com/irishnewsnet/videos/453065528768369/UzpfSTU4NjI1M
zMzNToxMDE1NzI0MjUyODY3MzMzNg/
Wow steal from the few to feed the many! It’s so sad!
They SOLD behind your back to to golden circle what fucking mass and left us the crums on
table
Bunch of spanners
Give up access to the EU to catch a few fish
IRISH AS I AM, You are your own country, Not, Not Others that would Destroy you for Greed, And
Control , Be The Great country you are , Start doing for your citizens and your well being, Or be
Consume , As the rest of Europe, only truth, The Dangerous game they play is for Domination and
Destruction of all of the citizens, I have thought of their diversity? How can you have Diversity if you
destroy the cultures , people, Ways of the citizens in their own countries? This Lie Of Diversity is only
death to all citizens and countries, LOGIC TEL
Need to get out of the EU and have your navy patrol the areas much more closely.
He starts by stating that 50% of Irish fish comes from British waters and then continues to talk
about controlling Irish waters. Hilarious

Maybe the Irish fishing fleet shouldn’t have sold their quotas to foreign companies
LOUGH FOYLE WATERS RECLASSIFIED IN 1995 FROM
ESTURINE TO COASTAL AND NOT A WORD FROM ANYONE
.......
Items that frame our case that the designation of Lough Foyle as
Coastal Waters is unjustifiable and harmful to the biodiversity of
this outstanding asset are:
The designation was made for the purposes of The Urban Waste-
water Treatment Directive which came into force on 21st May
1991.
The identification of the outer limits of Estuaries in Ireland for the
UWWTD appeared in a report by the EPA (ROI) dated February
1995. This was done in collaboration with the UKDoE and
primarily under UK Regulations. The primary work was done by
the DoE with basically the rubber stamp of the EPA.
The UWWTD requires that Member States establish the outer
(seaward) limits of estuaries for the purposes of the directive.
Art.2 of the UWWTD directive defines 'estuary' as: the transitional
area at the mouth of a river between fresh water ans coastal
water.
The (present) line designating the outer limit of the estuary (near
the river mouth at Culmore) was determined from 'an assessment
of the available salinity data' primarily.
The Humber and Severn Estuaries were subjected to this process
and declared Coastal Waters. The two cities of Bristol and
Kingston upon Hull successfully brought a judicial review against
the UK DoE in January 1996. There must surely be a precedent in
this as the court dismissed the case on the grounds that the UK
proposals under the UK Regulations were not in the spirit of the
EC Directive. This renders the use of these regulations for the
Foyle classification as questionable at the very least.
The provisions of the UWWTD will be subsumed into the Water
Framework Directive in May of this year so a proper designation is
now urgently required to avoid this faulty classification becoming
becoming fully ratified.
Discharges into Coastal Waters have less stringent control than
into estuarine waters.
The following abstracts from a paper by M. Elliot and D.S.
McLusky entitled 'The Need for Definitions in Understanding
Estuaries' should help clarify. Please note that Professor Mike
Elliot of the Instsitute of Estuarine & Coastal Studies, University of
Hull, is the leading UK authority on this subject. I have the full
paper and if you would like to have it please let me know.
In regard to the UWWTD and definition of estuaries:
As with all such directives, the European States had
discretion in implementing the Directive and thus the
U.K. and others chose a further definition, that of the
presence or absence of High Natural Dispersing Areas
(i.e. the sea) which reflected the response to organic
inputs. As such, the (then) UK Department of the
Environment (DoE) redefined the Severn and
Humber estuaries as sea even though in the case of the
latter that ‘ sea ’ area stopped at the Humber Bridge
situated halfway along the estuary, and the Severn
stopped at the Severn Bridge, situated almost at the
top of the estuary (Dyer 1996)! Given the local
pressure to reduce sewage inputs, the two major cities
involved, Bristol and Kingston-upon-Hull, successfully
brought a judicial review against the UK DoE in
January 1996 (Pearce, 1996). In acting for the
municipal authorities, the Institute of Estuarine &
Coastal Studies at the University of Hull were asked to
clarify definitions of estuaries and thus considered
biological, chemical, physical and geographic factors.
The scientists and environmental law scholars tended
towards an ‘ expert-view ’ definition that ‘if it looks
like an estuary, smells like an estuary and behaves like
an estuary, then there is a good chance that it is an
estuary ’! In implementing the EU Directive, the U.K.
through its Urban Waste-water regulations 1994,
adopted two alternative definitions of estuaries: an
area receiving freshwater inputs where the waters on a
depth-averaged basis have a salinity of less than 95% of
the adjacent local offshore seawater for 95% of the time; or:
an inlet of the sea bounded by a line between such
topographical features as define the seaward boundary of
the estuary. The judicial review supported the first of
these definitions and took the view that above this
threshold it becomes the sea. However, this definition
was never tested rigorously as, in the final decision,
the court eventually dismissed the case on the grounds
that the proposals were not within the spirit of the
Directive.
Even within the UK Regulations it is difficult to see how Lough
Foyle was classified as Coastal Waters. It is perfectly clear that
the relevant topographical features in this case are between
Greencastle and Magilligan point constituting a relatively narrow
coastal break and a line between these points defines the
seaward boundary of the estuary. As the entire fresh water
production of the rivers Foyle, Roe, Faughan and their tributaries
have to exit to the sea across this line twice every day, it would be
astonishing if the given salinity limits would permit the estuary
side of this line to be declared sea. Nevertheless, the
Humber/Severn case dismissal at the judicial review is salutary
and seems to offer a legal precedent to instruct the relevant
departments to put this thing right. The only real surprise is that it
is taking such an effort to cause this to happen.
The technical staff in the DoE(NI) and EPA (ROI) who were dealing
with this matter are:
DoE(NI): Michael McAliskey
Marine Assessment and Licensing Team
Water Management Unit
Northern Ireland Environment Agency
17 Antrim Rd. Lisburn
BT28 3AL
Tel 02892623162
Mob 07881540041
EPA(ROI): Shane O'Boyle
Regional Inspectorate
McCumiskey House
Richview
Clonskeagh Rd.
Dublin 14
Tel 00353 1 268 0100

Enda Craig Spokesperson for Community for a Clean Estuary

Carnagarve,
Moville
Co Donegal
PH 00353749382990
Questions raised over contract for
housing scheme
Myles Buchanan
March 30 2019

The company awarded the tender to construct seven social housing units at
the site of the old FCA Hall at the Murrough have removed themselves from
the contract.

Cllr Shay Cullen raised the matter at Monday's monthly meeting of Wicklow
Municipal District, where he noted that a local company has now been left out
of pocket after being sub-contracted to carry out some work on the site.

'The contract for the FCA Hall site was awarded to Burns Construction of
Blanchardstown but they seem to have removed themselves form the contract.
The site has been cleared and a local company were subcontracted to carry out
some work on the basis that Wicklow County Council had entered into a
contract with Burns Construction and the local company were under the
impression that Burns would honour their contract with Wicklow County
Council. That hasn't happened and now the local company have been left with
a bill for €41,000.'

Cllr Cullen had a number of questions which he wanted answered.

'Can they just remove themselves form a contract? Are we entitled to get
funding back? I would have to question Wicklow County Council's
procurement process.

'You shouldn't be allowed to walk away and leave a sub-contractor out of

pocket. It is totally unacceptable.'

District Manager Brian Glesson said he would bring up the matter with
Director of Housing for Wicklow County Council responsible for awarding the
contract.

Wicklow People

The company awarded the tender to construct seven social

housing units at the site of the old FCA Hall at the Murrough have
removed themselves from the contract.
Cllr Shay Cullen raised the matter at Monday's monthly meeting
of Wicklow Municipal District, where he noted that a local
company has now been left out of pocket after being sub-
contracted to carry out some work on the site.
'The contract for the FCA Hall site was awarded to Burns
Construction of Blanchardstown but they seem to have removed
themselves form the contract. The site has been cleared and a
local company were subcontracted to carry out some work on the
basis that Wicklow County Council had entered into a contract
with Burns Construction and the local company were under the
impression that Burns would honour their contract with Wicklow
County Council. That hasn't happened and now the local
company have been left with a bill for €41,000.'
Cllr Cullen had a number of questions which he wanted answered.
'Can they just remove themselves form a contract? Are we
entitled to get funding back? I would have to question Wicklow
County Council's procurement process.
https://www.independent.ie/regionals/wicklowpeople/news/questions-raised-over-
contract-for-housing-scheme-
37953882.html?fbclid=IwAR2Afnxx8qq4MVW_M5jMD05jjNImzaEHvRtE8Z4oNGeBFHJ
V6oYavG_7zwE

Former government adviser to head

oil lobbyist

Mandy Johnston, Head of Communication at the Irish League of

Credit Unions.Picture by Shane O'Neill / Fennells.
Wednesday, April 03, 2019 -
Mandy Johnston, a former government press secretary and adviser to
the taoiseach, has been appointed chief executive of the representative
organisation for the Irish oil and gas exploration sector.

Ms Johnston, who advised Bertie Ahern when he was taoiseach, will

lead the Irish Offshore Operators’ Association (IOOA) at a time of both
unprecedented exploration interest in Irish waters, but also heightened
opposition to offshore drilling activity.

We will make a valuable contribution to the national dialogue and play

an important role in the development of the Irish offshore industry and
Ireland’s sustainable energy future,” said Ms Johnston.

The IOOA last week reiterated its dissatisfaction with an opposition

party bill — led by People Before Profit — targeting a ban on offshore
drilling in Irish waters which has progressed to committee stage in the
Oireachtas.

The organisation warned the proposed legislation could make Ireland’s

energy supply even more vulnerable, tie the country into a future of oil
and gas importation, and see the exchequer lose out on a significant
revenue stream.

It said the exploration sector has the potential to create 1,500 jobs per
annum and deliver up to €11bn to the exchequer from a single
commercial discovery.

People Before Profit’s Climate Emergency Bill will go before the select
committee on communications, climate action, and environment, where
it has significant TD support, on June 11.

Mandy Johnston, a former government press secretary and

adviser to the taoiseach, has been appointed chief executive of
the representative organisation for the Irish oil and gas exploration
sector.
Ms Johnston, who advised Bertie Ahern when he was taoiseach,
will lead the Irish Offshore Operators’ Association (IOOA) at a time
of both unprecedented exploration interest in Irish waters, but
also heightened opposition to offshore drilling activity.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/business/former-government-
adviser-to-head-oil-lobbyist-915036.html?fbclid=IwAR2hxK65-
5iEL4FE52KGXe_rPKux0iS7f7seEqrZi3Msm4fVj61ggFk8BfQ#.XKRoLMGJvgY.fac
ebook

Zuckerberg pledges to work

with governments to
regulate social media

Mark Zuckerberg leaving The Merrion Hotel in Dublin. Picture:


Tuesday, April 02, 2019

Update 7pm: Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has assured
senior politicians he will work with governments to establish new
policies in a bid to regulate social media.

The Facebook boss met with Hildegarde Naughton, James Lawless and
Eamon Ryan - three members of the International Grand Committee on
Disinformation and Fake News - at a hotel in Dublin to discuss plans on
how to regulate the internet.

The firm's founder and chief executive told the politicians that issues
around child protection and age verification are of "huge concern" to
him.

He also visited the technology giant's offices as part of his visit.

Facebook's European headquarters is in Dublin.

Mr Zuckerberg refused to answer questions from the media about

online child safety as he left the Merrion Hotel.

Ms Naughton described the meeting as "positive and

constructive".
"We went through a number of issues including child
protection and the need for a robust age verification
system," she said.
"He said it was an area of huge concern to him and that he
is looking forward to working with law enforcement
agencies and legislators in relation to that. We have to
balance the state of privacy of users as well as safety.
"He stated he had a lot more work to do.
"Our committee is working on a number of pieces of
legislation including an online safety commissioner as well
as looking at and protecting democracy.
I mentioned the importance around age verification because
you have right now paedophiles online lying about their age
and preying on young children and grooming them.
"This is something he acknowledged, he knew it was a
problem and he stated that he wanted to work with law
enforcement agencies and policy makers to make more
robust laws."
The International Grand Committee on Disinformation and
Fake News is made up of international parliamentarians and
investigates issues like data privacy, safety, security and
sharing.
The three TDs, who are also members of the Oireachtas
Committee on Communications, have been vocal in
demanding the regulation of social media platforms in
recent years.
Ireland's Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon has a
number of inquiries ongoing into Facebook and associated
organisations.
The TDs, who described Mr Zuckerberg as "quiet,
unassuming, pleasant and smart", held an hour-long
meeting with him days after he called for increased
government oversight of the internet in areas like harmful
content, election integrity, privacy and data portability.

View image on Twitter

Eamon Ryan
✔
@EamonRyan

We'd a constructive meeting with Mark Zuckerberg. I

made the case for independent regulation & the need for a
change in social media business models, so we can
support local content creators & give citizens real control
over their own personal data. #DigitalRights
@europeangreens

90
3:56 PM - Apr 2, 2019

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Mr Lawless said: "Our focus was also on electoral integrity
and what has been happening around the world on the rules
in managing election campaigns.
"He agreed legislation is needed, he is working on those
internationally to be able to see who is running campaigns,
who is paying for campaigns and who is being targeted.
"It shouldn't be about the private companies dictating what
goes online when it comes to democracy and child
protection and safety, we as legislators have responsibilities
to put in place rules that we think should be followed and
dictating to companies about how behaviours are conducted
online."
Mr Ryan said: "I pressed him about the article he wrote on
regulation and I made the point that it can't be self-
regulation it has to be European regulation and that has to
include funding journalism and having a courts procedure
rather than a self-appointed board to look at difficult
decisions." It benefits Facebook by providing the veneer of
accountability without any substance,” he said. “We are told the
private meeting today was to discuss fake news and online safety
but we obviously have no public oversight of that meeting. It’s not
clear to me why this meeting is being held privately when
members of the public have serious questions about Facebook
and Mr Zuckerberg has refused to attend committees to answer
questions in public.”
Mr Sherlock said yesterday’s “secret meeting will reinforce the
lack of openness and failure of Facebook to tackle the many
problems it faces”.
Thought they were talking about the Irish government when they said" veneer if accountability
without any substance"
He is a dangerous man, evil, or a Robot

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/zuckerberg-pledges-to-
work-with-governments-to-regulate-social-media-914950.html



Reports of eight ambulances left
waiting outside ED during Cork
hospital 'status black' warning
Tuesday, April 02, 2019
A 'black escalation level' had to be declared at Cork University Hospital
(CUH) as there was such a severe backlog of patients in the emergency
department.

A black escalation, according to HSE guidelines, means the emergency

department (ED) and other parts of the hospital are in a "critical
position and clinically unsafe”.

Because of the extreme congestion being experienced at the hospital

people were warned on Monday night that they would have to wait
over 12 hours for treatment.

There were 70 admitted patients waiting for beds at CUH yesterday

when management moved the status of its ED down to “high demand”.

Tanaiste Simon Coveney was quizzed by Opposition leaders and TDs in

the Dáil about the need to issue a status black escalation warning.

Sinn Féin president, Mary Lou McDonald said she understood a status
black escalation was declared on Monday night when the hospital was
at maximum capacity and when it was deemed unsafe to admit further
patients.

She said there were reports that during the status black
escalation up to eight ambulances were lined up outside
CUH's emergency department waiting to transfer patients.
“I am told that one of those ambulances was forced to wait
for more than four hours. That is the sort of situation that
puts patients and staff at serious risk and it is
unacceptable,” she said.
Mr Coveney said Ms McDonald was right that a serious
challenge had arisen in CUH and they were responding with
the seriousness that was needed.
“We need to and are putting the extra resources and the
priority systems in place to respond to that in accordance
with the needs of patients there,” Mr Coveney added.

Sinn Féin
✔
@sinnfeinireland

.@MaryLouMcDonald has called on the Govt to take

radical action on capacity crisis in our hospitals.
Last night in Cork, the patients attending the Emergency
Department faced extreme delays of up to twelve hours,
with services reaching breaking point.

42
4:36 PM - Apr 2, 2019

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Ms McDonald also pointed out there were more patients on

trolleys in University Hospital Limerick than in Dublin's nine
hospitals combined on Monday.
“I am sure the Tánaiste will agree this is shocking,” she said.
A spokesperson for CUH said its ED was experiencing severe
congestion over the last 24-48 hours due to "increased
patient attendances".
She said management were implementing additional
measures and patient safety was the "utmost priority".
- additional reporting by Evelyn Ring
Delays of up to 12 hours at Cork
hospital during 'status black'
warning
Update 3.55pm: Major crowding issues at Cork University
Hospital on Monday evening and Tuesday morning
dominated proceedings in the Dáil during Leaders'
Questions.
Tánaiste Simon Coveney was questioned by Opposition
leaders and TDs about the need to issue a 'Status Black'
escalation warning at the hospital, with patients attending
the emergency department facing extreme delays of up to
12 hours and with services reaching breaking point.
“A status black escalation is declared, I understand, when
the hospital is at maximum capacity and when it is deemed
unsafe to admit further patients,” Sinn Féin President Mary
Lou McDonald said.
“There were 70 patients on trolleys in Cork University
Hospital this morning, with 570 patients on trolleys across
the State. Yesterday, in Limerick there were more patients
on trolleys than in Dublin's nine hospitals combined,
according to the INMO. I am sure the Tánaiste will agree
that this is shocking,” she said.
There are also reports that during the status black
escalation up to eight ambulances were lined up outside the
accident and emergency at Cork University Hospital waiting
to hand over patients, she said.

I am told that one of those ambulances was forced to wait

for more than four hours. That is the sort of situation that
puts patient and staff at serious risk and it is unacceptable.
In response, Mr Coveney said the number of patients waiting
on trolleys in Cork University Hospital was 55 and on
Tuesday morning the Health Service Executive, HSE, trolley
system reported 431 patients waiting on trolleys nationally.
This is an increase on the same day last year when there
were 296 patients on trolleys, he said.
“The number of patients waiting on trolleys at Cork
University Hospital this morning is exceptionally high. The
HSE identified specific issues and challenges on the site,” he
said.
"The first was a significant capacity demand mismatch, with
high rates of attendance and admission and a low rate of
discharges."
The hospital remains in a full-capacity protocol, with the
highest trolley count this year on the site.
Key actions are now underway in Cork University Hospital to
improve the position for patients and these actions include
full mobilisation of all resources, escalation meetings with
both the group chief executive officer and chief compliance
officer and meetings scheduled with consultants, Mr
Coveney added.
“The Deputy is right that a serious challenge has arisen in
CUH as of last night and again today. We are responding
with the seriousness that is needed. We need to and are
putting the extra resources and the priority systems in place
to respond to that in accordance with the needs of patients
there,” Mr Coveney added.

Louise O’Reilly TD
@loreillysf
In response 2 @MaryLouMcDonald Tanaiste just
described the situation for staff in Cork University Hospital
last night as ‘difficult’ Am sure that staff working in the
intolerable unsafe conditions created by govt policy would
use a very different word @INMO_IRL @IMO_IRL
@SIPTU

47
2:30 PM - Apr 2, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy

22 people are talking about this

Ms McDonald responded by saying the status black

escalation, as the Tánaiste knows, is essentially a
declaration that a hospital is no longer safe.
“It was dangerous. I described the scenario for the Tánaiste,
with ambulances lined up outside the hospital and one that
I know of that waited for more than four hours to hand over
a patient.
"This is a very serious accident waiting to happen and it is
playing out on this Government's watch,” she said.
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/reports-of-eight-
ambulances-left-waiting-outside-ed-during-cork-hospital-status-black-warning-
914966.html

2,800 will be diagnosed with bowel
cancer this year
Tuesday, April 02, 2019
The number of people diagnosed with bowel cancer is set to double by
2045 leading to calls for people to be more aware of their bowel
health.

According to the Irish Cancer Society, it is estimated that 2,800 people

will be diagnosed with the disease this year and 1,000 people will die
from it.

However, with a growing, ageing population, the National Cancer

Registry projects the number of diagnoses to reach more than 5,700 by
2045.

The Irish Cancer Society urged people to check their bowel health on
its online checker.

“Bowel cancer most commonly occurs in people over 60 years of age

and is often diagnosed in the later stages. However, if bowel cancer is
caught early, it is extremely treatable,” said Joan Kelly, Cancer Support
Manager with the Irish Cancer Society.

“Recent figures showed us that 95% of people diagnosed at Stage 1

were alive five years later. That is good news but this is not the case for
people diagnosed with stage 3 and 4 bowel cancer. We need to work
towards increasing the number of people diagnosed in the early
stages.

To do this, the public need to be aware of the main signs and symptoms such as
changes in bowel motions, feeling bloated, pain or discomfort in your tummy, or
blood in stools.
We would encourage anyone who might be interested in checking their
bowel health to take our easy to do online Bowel Health Checker which
can be found at cancer.ie/bowelhealth. It’s a quick questionnaire and
includes a letter which can be brought to your GP.”

Ms Kelly said the second way to increase numbers diagnosed early is

for people to go for bowel screening when called.
”The majority of bowel cancer cases occur in men but only 37% of
eligible males have availed of the State’s free screening programme -
BowelScreen, compared to 46% of women,” she said. “It is vital that
people avail of this free, life-saving service that is offered to everyone
aged between 60 and 69. A healthy lifestyle and a diet, high in fibre
and wholegrains, can also help to reduce your risk of developing bowel
cancer.”

To speak to a cancer nurse on any aspect of bowel cancer contact the

Cancer Nurseline on Freephone 1800 200 700, email
cancernurseline@irishcancer.ie or drop into one of the 13 Daffodil
Centres in major hospitals nationwide.

For more information on BowelScreen call Freephone 1800 45 45 55

or bowelscreen.ie

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/2800-will-be-diagnosed-with-
bowel-cancer-this-year-914951.html




They haven't gone away you know...
Irish Water still plugging away out of sight and out of mind and brainwashing the public
into accepting the user pays principle and providing opportunities for private interests to
get involved...




Freedom of Information is dead in Ireland...
You are no longer entitled to know what your Government is up to unless they wish to tell
you...
Here is why this matters to you...
https://t.co/wdyC1gnyvw

It seems this slaughter of perfectly good trees is not confined to Ireland. Here it's

happening in Portugal...
In the times that run, in which more and more climate change is well patents in our lives the city hall of
barcelos decides to slaughtered more trees in our city. There are several studies that trees bring more
quality of life in cities and more and more cities are increasing their green spaces, but behold, in
barcelos is different, apparently there is no minimum respect for nature, nor for living beings They were
already here when our parents or grandparents were born, who protect us from the sun and the days of
heat, which serve as a house to several birds and other For each slaughtered tree they should be
planted 10. We do not know who the photo is but we thank you for sharing, which does not move
partisan political interrsses or for purposes, but interests for the protection of the environment, nature
and human and animal
In the times that run, in which more and more climate change is well patents in our lives the city hall of

barcelos decides to slaughtered more trees in our city. There are several studies that trees bring more
quality of life in cities and more and more cities are increasing their green spaces, but behold, in
barcelos is different, apparently there is no minimum respect for nature, nor for living beings They were
already here when our parents or grandparents were born, who protect us from the sun and the days of
heat, which serve as a house to several birds and other For each slaughtered tree they should be
planted 10. We do not know who the photo is but we thank you for sharing, which does not move
partisan political interrsses or for purposes, but interests for the protection of the environment, nature
and human and animal

REQUEST FOR LEGAL ADVICE
The full message-text of an email sent this morning (April 3rd
2019) to Mr Eoghan McKenna LLM, Managing Director of Belfast
based law firm "MSM Law", can be viewed in the sections below.
A slightly edited version of the full email can be viewed at:
http://www.humanrightsireland.com/MSM…/3April2019/Gmail.ht
ml
An unedited "Gmail PDF" copy has also been placed at:
http://www.humanrightsireland.com/MSM-
…/3April2019/Gmail.pdf
=== === ===
To: Mr Eoghan McKenna LLM (Managing Director)
MSM Law
Belfast City Centre Headquarters
MSM Chambers
9-15 Queen Street
Belfast
BT1 6EA.
Dear Mr McKenna,
RE: REQUEST FOR LEGAL ADVICE
On December 7th 2018 I received a "CC" copy of a letter dated
November 27th 2018 which was written by Consultant
Psychiatrist Dr Paul Bell to Dr David Cheyne, who is my GP.
A scanned copy of Dr Bell's November 27th 2018 letter has been
placed at the following www location:
http://www.humanrightsireland.com/…/27November20…/Letter.h
tm
As can be viewed via the www link immediately above Dr Bell has
diagnosed me as suffering from "Complex Post Traumatic Stress
Disorder", and, through Dr Cheney, has suggested that I "engage
with a voluntary sector counselling organisation" which, as I
understand it, was to be of Dr Cheney's choosing.
In so far as I am aware, Dr Cheyne does not seem to have chosen
any "voluntary counselling organisation" for me.
I have sent a number of emails to Dr Cheyne in connection with
the above matter, the most recent of which was sent directly to
his surgery on March 14th 2019. To date, I have not received any
reply from him, or from any of his support staff.
A copy of my March 14th 2019 email to Dr Cheyne, which I feel is
self-explanatory, can be viewed at:
http://www.humanrightsireland.com/DrDavidCheyne…/…/Gmail.p
df
The difficulty referred to above, which relates to "talking therapy"
type treatment for the Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
I'm suffering from, is the most recent of a long string of similar
difficulties I've experienced during the past several years.
Additional information on this aspect of my present set of
problems can be seen at the www location immediately below,
which relates to a "Letter Taken by Hand To an Appointment with
Consultant Clinical Psychologist Dr Elizabeth McMonagle on May
17th 2016":
http://www.humanrightsireland.com/DrElizabethM…/…/Letter.ht
m
In a letter dated to Dr Bell dated November 3rd 2018, I attempted
to provide him with an overall outline of the general (and growing)
set of medical, legal, and other closely related problems I have
been, and continue to be, "stuck" with for the past several years.
A scanned copy of the November 3rd 2018 letter to Dr Bell can be
viewed at:
http://www.humanrightsireland.com/…/3…/RegisteredLetter.html
The main reason I'm writing to you is because I included in my
November 3rd 2018 letter to Dr Bell the piece of text just below,
which I found on your MSM LAW Web Site; and, I did so in the
hope that Dr Bell might somehow be able to use it on my behalf in
a way which would help me.
"The Human Rights Act and the European Convention on Human
Rights, along with other instruments, can be utilised to offer
protection and facilitate enforcement of your rights. All public
bodies who carry out public functions such as the Police and
Hospitals must comply with the Human Rights Act."
The MSM LAW text just above appears in Section 6 of my above-
mentioned November 3rd 2018 letter to Dr Bell.
Also, in Section 6 of my November 3rd 2018 letter to Dr Bell, I
referred to ARTICLE 47 of the CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL
RIGHTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION. I did so because, correctly
or otherwise, I have long believed that it should be possible --
with the help of a professional lawyer who recognises and
supports (in practical ways) human rights law and constitutional
law -- to be provided with an "effective remedy" within a
reasonable period of time for the overall set of closely related
problems of mine set out in my November 3rd 2018 letter to Dr
Bell.
If I am in error regarding the "effective remedy" belief of mine
referred to in the paragraph immediately above, it would be much
appreciated if you could advise me accordingly please. If you
believe I am in error, a brief explanation as to why, would also be
greatly appreciated.
Regarding your fees, should you, or one of your MSM LAW
colleagues perhaps, decide to help me, I understand that the fact
I am receiving "Pension Credit" payments might help to make me
eligible for the granting "Legal aid", which is also very clearly
referred to in the text of Article 47 of CHARTER OF
FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF THE EUROPEAN UNION.
Finally, I feel I should also point out that for several years now I
have also been experiencing enormous difficulty with trying to find
professional legal representation of the kind which recognises and
supports (in practical ways) human rights law, and constitutional
law. Evidence of this can be seen in the "His efforts to secure
proper legal representation has been thwarted at every turn"
statement contained in the letter dated December 13th 2005
written by Senior Social Worker Gerard Madden to former
Northern Ireland Justice Minister David Hanson MP, a scanned
copy of which can be viewed at:
http://www.constitutionofireland.com/GerardMadde…/Letter.htm
Yours sincerely,
William Finnerty.
Web Site: http://www.humanrightsireland.com
FACEBOOK Timeline:
(Timeline address removed for technical reasons.)
ATTACHED:
(Image representing CHARTER OF FUNDAMENTAL RIGHTS OF
THE EUROPEAN UNION)
=== === === === === ===
END OF EMAIL TEXT
=== === === === === ===
European Parliament holds a plenary session on the UK withdrawal from the EU
No mistake just way overdue

https://www.facebook.com/RTnews/video
s/1178680608959198/




Barrels of fun - Mansion
House gets 3,000 more
free pints

Nial Ring: The Lord Mayor has upped numbers of visitors. Photo:
Steve Humphreys

Ryan Nugent
April 3 2019
The Mansion House will be getting almost 3,000 more free pints from Diageo
next year - on the back of Lord Mayor Nial Ring being granted an additional
95 kegs during his term.

The Irish Independent can reveal Mr Ring has received a further top-up of 20
kegs to add to the 75 extra that were detailed last month.

A long-standing relationship between the Mansion House and the Guinness

family sees 120 kegs allowed for a mayoral term - but Mr Ring has been
afforded 215 kegs so far, which is close to 20,000 pints.

The additional 20 kegs have been taken from the allocation not used by
previous Lord Mayor Mícheál Mac Donncha, the Mansion House has
confirmed.
In emails obtained through Freedom of Information, Diageo confirmed to the
Mansion House that 150 kegs will be provided between July 2019 and June
2020 - an increase of 30 kegs, which is roughly 2,700 pints.

Mr Ring described it as "great news".

It means that close to 20,000 pints will be served by the time Mr Ring moves
out of office at the end of June.

The Lord Mayor said that more than 25,000 people have now visited the
Mansion House since he took office in July 2018 and he expects this to
surpass the 30,000 mark soon.

He previously said he was delighted the kegs had run dry due to his efforts to
get big numbers into the Mansion House over the course of his 12 months at
the helm.

In an email to Liam Reid, Diageo's corporate relations director, Mr Ring

provided details of the number of functions he had been holding at the
Mansion House and said it was his policy to invite as many groups as possible.

Diageo said that it recommended no more than two drinks per person at the
events in order to promote responsible drinking.

When contacted on the increase to 150 kegs, a spokeswoman for Diageo said
that while it is increasing the allocation next year it plans to revert back to 120
after this.

The company said it remained open to increases in the free beer on a case-by-
case basis.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/barrels-of-fun-mansion-house-gets-3000-
more-free-pints-37978268.html?fbclid=IwAR3AlQrgtW3nRg_EnfleNib6i-
Wf3tynQ1CpIa7V_t8itU01wEgffdWwkTw

The return of 120 Irish

troops from Syria delayed
less than 24 hours before
they were due home
1
The return of 120 Irish troops from Syria delayed less than 24
hours before they were due home
Elaine Keogh
April 3 2019

Some 130 members of the Defence Forces are, for the second time in a year,
unable to return home from Syria to their families tomorrow.

The troops are part of the UNDOF mission in the Golan Heights and were
scheduled to fly out of Beirut and land in Dublin Airport at 11am Thursday
morning.

In the last hour it has emerged that they will not be home as scheduled.

There are 130 troops effected and the flight was due home at 9.40am.
They have finished a six month tour of duty and the soldiers to replace them
have already arrived.

One wife, who did not want her name used, said: “Myself and the children are
devastated, we have gone through a long arduous six months without him.

“The kids were so excited about seeing their Dad in the morning and having to
break the news to them was heartbreaking.”

“I know we are in a lucky enough position living [relatively] close to the

airport, but some families will have travelled from around the country today
to be in Dublin to collect their husbands/dads/sons in the morning.

“I’m also aware of a number of troops who have travel plans this weekend
with their families. This is just another example today of the appalling
treatment of our troops,” she added.

PDFORRA confirmed they have just been made aware of an issue.

Ger Guinan said: “We are absolutely gutted for their families and we are
deeply disappointed this has arisen especially as it occurred last October too.”

There was an issue last year with the delayed return, also from Syria, of
soldiers.

A spokesperson for the Department of Defence said, "The United Nations is

responsible for organising the rotation flights to transport the current UNDOF
contingent back to Ireland."

"We have been advised by the UN that the Lebanese Authorities have not yet
granted approval of the landing clearance in Beirut for the aircraft scheduled
to transport the 59th Infantry Group."

"Defence Forces personnel on the ground are liaising with the local United
Nations personnel, who are doing their utmost to resolve this situation."

"At the request of Minister Paul Kehoe, Ireland's Permanent Mission in New
York is engaging directly at the highest levels with the UN in New York, with a
view to resolving the situation as quickly as possible."

"Defence Forces personnel remain at their base at Camp Faoar in Syria

pending resolution of the situation."

"Families have been informed of this delay by designated Family Liaison

Officers, and further updates will continue to be provided as they become
available," the spokesperson added.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/news/the-return-of-120-irish-troops-
from-syria-delayed-less-than-24-hours-before-they-were-due-home-
37980609.html


EU could give money to
help Ireland on border
issue in No Deal Brexit -
EU Tax Commissioner
Moscovici

1
European Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs Pierre
Moscovici holds a news conference in Brussels, Belgium April 3,
2019.
Philip Blenkinsop
April 3 2019

Ireland could be given money and other assistance from the European Union to help meet the challenge
of carrying custom checks post a No Deal Brexit, the EU's Tax Commissioner has said.

Pierre Moscovici, the EU's Economic Affiars and Tax Commissioner, indicated
Ireland could receive financial assistance while warning the customs checks
would begin immediately post a No Deal Brexit.
Mr Moscovici repeated warnings that a No Deal scenario was becoming
increasingly likely.

On the sensitive issue of the Irish border, Moscovici carefully avoided giving
any clear answer.

Since Britain has told Brussels it wants to leave the EU's customs union as it
leaves the EU, the bloc says controls on animals and goods will need to take
place on the land border between the Republic of Ireland and Northern
Ireland.

But both London and the EU want to avoid deploying elaborate border
infrastructure on this island , fearing that it could become the target of
violence and undermine peace in the province, which saw three decades of
sectarian violence at the end of the last century.

"In a no-deal scenario, both the EU and the UK would face a challenge of
protecting their single markets ... They would need to carry out the necessary
checks," Moscovici said.

"We are working closely and intensively with Ireland to organise these checks
in the least disruptive way possible, and as much as possible away from the
border."

He added that the EU could give Ireland more money and other assistance to
meet the challenge. He stressed that the EU expected Britain to live up to its
obligations of guaranteeing an open Irish border under the Good Friday
Agreement peace deal.

Other than Ireland, border checks would need to be applied immediately after
post Brexit No Deal.

"The EU customs code would apply to all goods arriving from the UK," EU
Economic Affairs and Tax Commissioner Pierre Moscovici told a news
conference. "We have to ensure full application of the EU customs code as
soon as the UK leaves."

"If there is a no-deal scenario, new customs controls would have to be

introduced ... That does not mean we would systematically check every single
... lorry ... We would be controlling (checking) goods on the basis of risk
analysis."

He said EU companies trading with the UK had to be ready for additional

costs and bureaucracy related to an increase in customs checks, while
travellers and their luggage would also be subject to more checks than at
present.

Moscovici said some EU members estimated their import/export customs

formalities could grow by as much as half in the event of an abrupt no-deal
Brexit. He said "complex calculations" of VAT reimbursements were also to be
expected.
"This will have big impact on cash flow of businesses," he said. "Without an
exit agreement, the activity of thousands of European businesses and
travellers would be disturbed by reintroduction of customs checks."

Separately, British Prime Minister Theresa May has said she wants the UK to
be able to leave the EU with an exit deal on May 22.

May had agreed with EU leaders to delay Brexit until May 22 if her
Withdrawal Agreement with the bloc was approved by parliament by March
29 but MPs rejected her deal for a third time.

She is now seeking to thrash out a Brexit compromise with opposition Labour
leader Jeremy Corbyn.

"What I want to see now is us able to find a position where we can across this
House (of Commons) support the Withdrawal Agreement and a deal which
enables to leave on 22 May," she told parliament.

https://www.independent.ie/business/brexit/eu-could-give-money-to-help-ireland-on-
border-issue-in-no-deal-brexit-eu-tax-commissioner-moscovici-37979462.html
John Downing: 'From
Macron to Merkel - Leo's
uphill battle to win Brexit
delay'

French President Emmanuel Macron, right, shakes hands with

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar after a media conference at the Elysee
Palace. Macron urged Britain to propose an alternative plan in the
coming days if the country wants to avoid a no-deal Brexit

John Downing
April 3 2019

The Taoiseach may have been tempted to belt out a stave

of the 'Sean Bhean Bhocht', that 1798 rebellion anthem
anticipating the French soldiers landing and helping the
insurgent Irish rout the "auld enemy".
"Oh the French are on the sea, says the Sean Bhean
Bhocht...", it chimes in tones of hope surely to be followed
by disappointment. President Emmanuel Macron's public
message to the Taoiseach in Paris offered shades of all that
and more.
"Nous n'abandonnerons jamais l'Irlande et les Irlandais.
La solidarité est le sens même du projet Européen." It is
best translated as: "We will never abandon Ireland and the
Irish people. Solidarity is the very meaning of the
European project."

If only political life could be reduced to such warm-

hearted derring-do.
For Leo Varadkar, it is a case of yesterday President
Macron, and tomorrow Chancellor Angela Merkel. It will
be a huge uphill battle to get a long Brexit extension and
the space to stave off a calamitous no-deal outcome in
precisely nine days.
Such a hard Brexit will mean a hard Border in Ireland -
the only questions will be about how and where controls
will be imposed. Ireland's determination to avoid a visible
Border in Ireland remains strong - but in the Dáil
yesterday Tánaiste Simon Coveney raised the prospect of
another horror story.
This is the risk of Ireland being "dragged out of the EU
single market" in the UK's wake via product controls being
imposed on mainland Europe. It's serious stuff. Ireland's
best hope is a delay which might allow a change of political
weather in Britain.
But after President Macron's stirring Irish solidarity
message he repeated his broadside directed at London. If,
three years after the Brexit, they cannot agree what they
want, they will be deemed to have chosen a no-deal crash-
out by default. Any extension must have a convincing
message of moving towards an early resolution.
Mr Macron has been driving this impatient message for
weeks. Hours after his renewed warning there were signs
from London of some semblance of realism creeping in.
Theresa May announced she was seeking "a short
extension" and would work across all parties to seek an
"agreed approach". She signalled that she will accept a
unified approach by parliament, if such can be agreed. But
that common stance cannot be taken for granted given
ongoing divisions and time is beyond being short. EU
leaders meet next Wednesday and an extension - even to
May 22 - must get unanimous support and requires a
commitment to hold European Parliament elections,
which Mrs May does not want.
The Taoiseach will bank on the emollient skills of Ms
Merkel as she comes to Dublin tomorrow. Up to now, she
raised the strongest concerns about the single market
being undermined via the Irish Border. But she is also
"nice cop" to Macron's "nasty cop" when it comes to
offering Mrs May an extension.
https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/john-downing-from-macron-to-merkel-leos-
uphill-battle-to-win-brexit-delay-37978346.html
Mary Harney joins board of nursing home group Brindley
Former minister for health appointed following €10m investment by BGF
Mary Harney joins board of
nursing home group
Brindley
Former minister for health appointed following €10m
investment by BGF

Brindley Healthcare board member: former tánaiste and minister for health
Mary Harney. File photograph: Brian Lawless/PA

Laura Slattery
Mon, Jan 28, 2019, 02:15

Former tánaiste and minister for health Mary Harney has

joined the board of nursing home group Brindley
Healthcare.
Ms Harney was introduced to Brindley, one of the largest
privately-owned operators of nursing homes in the State,
by BGF, a growth capital investment company that
recently put €10 million into Brindley.
Ms Harney and Leo Casey, the head of BGF in Ireland,
have both been appointed as directors on the Brindley
board.
The former politician said she was delighted to be working
with Brindley and BGF on “very exciting and ambitious”
plans.
“As our population ages, the nursing home sector will
grow in importance in Ireland and I think there is a real
benefit to having professional, indigenous operators like
Brindley leading out the development of this sector,” Ms
Harney said.
Brindley was established by its chief executive Amanda
Torrens in 2000 with a 25-bed nursing home in Co
Donegal. Following a number of acquisitions and the
development of new facilities, it now consists of eight
nursing homes with a combined capacity of more than 400
beds in Donegal, Galway, Mayo, Kildare and Laois.
The BGF investment will be used to fund further
acquisitions and growth.
The Brindley board is chaired by Noel Daly, a former chief
executive of An Bord Altranais, the statutory regulator
now known as the Nursing and Midwifery Board of
Ireland.
Ms Harney was minister for health from 2004 to 2011,
while she also served as tánaiste from 1997 to 2006 and
minister for enterprise, trade and employment from 1997
to 2004.
Post-politics roles
The former leader of the now defunct Progressive
Democrats party has taken positions on a number of
boards in the healthcare sector since retiring from politics
in 2011. They include the boards of the Irish Hospice
Foundation, the Irish pharmaceutical group Pharmed and
Biocon, the publicly-quoted Indian biopharmaceutical
group.
Ms Harney was also appointed chancellor of the University of Limerick last
year.

BGF, a highly active UK venture capital firm, entered the Irish market in 2017
and has up to €250 million to invest in growing Irish SMEs.

It is backed by the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund and the three major
banks, AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank. The fund is targeting equity
investments of €1 million-€10 million, with further funding available in
subsequent rounds.

“When we partner with a company, we like to introduce people with valuable

skills and experiences to augment the board and we are delighted that Mary
Harney has agreed to join the board of Brindley,” Mr Casey said.

“Mary has a wealth of experience in the healthcare sector in Ireland and

internationally.”

Ms Torrens also welcomed Ms Harney to the board. “Her experience and

insight will play a key role in helping us to achieve our ambitions in the years
ahead.”

https://www.irishtimes.com/business/health-pharma/mary-harney-joins-board-of-
nursing-home-group-brindley-
1.3772339?mode=amp&fbclid=IwAR0juq90wZHMEViV4Jgk3fctvw_UQabQMZNVyLpcu4
rZfUBYNdBC7ZmLwnY
Review of local Property Tax Report March 2019
Review of Local Property Tax The report of the Interdepartmental ... March 2019 Prepared
by the Tax Division, ... of the 2015 Thornhill Review of the Local Property Tax.
https://static.rasset.ie/documents/news/2019/04/lpt-report.pdf
REVIEW OF THE LOCAL PROPERTY TAX (LPT) Don Thornhill July 2015
https://consultation.dublincity.ie/finance/lpt-ir-
2019/supporting_documents/03%20%20Thornhill%20Report.pdf
Local & European elections coming up give the parasites nothing
Money is all they want !
Haven't paid and I won't pay
Make them think their property tax is going up and then tell them it's staying the same.
That will make them feel relieved and more accepting to the existing tax that shouldn't
exist in the first place



Luke Ming Flanagan: If we are

heading for an EU army what
does that mean for Irish
neutrality?
As EU military and defence spending skyrockets, Ireland’s commitment
to defence co-operation compromises its neutrality, writes Luke Ming
Flanagan, MEP
Nov 12th 2018,

Luke Ming Flanagan

FOR YEARS NOW the question of what Irish neutrality
meant has hung over Ireland.
Academics and politicians alike have disagreed on its
legality and validity, as well as Irish alliances which impact
the concept of our neutrality.
There have been countless attempts to dissolve and amend it
throughout the years but the will of the people, who have
historically always been pro-neutrality, has managed to
outweigh the money-hungry politicians who bend to the will
of the European Union any chance they get.
Many people have questioned the Irish role in NATO’s
Partnership for Peace, the use of Shannon Airport by the
United States, the role Ireland played in World War II, our
membership of the European Union and what all of these
mean when it comes to the standard universal definition of
neutrality.
Although we may not fit into the same category as countries
like Switzerland when thinking about our position we must
view neutrality as a spectrum and not as ‘one size fits all’.
There are some major factors that prove the authenticity of
and Irish commitment to neutrality. As it stands, Ireland
must get Government approval, Dáil approval and UN
approval before the Defence Forces are deployed overseas.
There is also Article 29.9 of the Irish Constitution:
The State shall not adopt a decision taken by the European
Council to establish a common defence pursuant to Article
42 of the Treaty on European Union where that common
defence would include the State.
However it is now clear that both of these protections to our
neutrality are under threat.
After we signed up to Permanent Structured Cooperation
(PESCO) in December of last year, Fine Gael MEP Brian
Hayes called for the ‘redefinition of neutrality’, as well as
‘amending Ireland’s triple lock system’.
Although both Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil deny that PESCO
affects Irish neutrality, this is not the case. What is
happening is far more sinister – that is, the redefining of
what the European Union was set up to be.
Military Spending Skyrockets
The road from a ‘Peace Project’ to a ‘European Defence
Union’ has begun.

With programmes such as the European Defence Industrial

Development Programme (€500 million), Military Mobility
(€6.5 billion) the European Defence Fund (€13 billion) and
Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO) all coming into
existence in just the last year. Who knows what the next year
may hold?
The EU security and defence budget is set to increase 22-
fold in 2021 to €28 billion.
This is not including border control with a budget of €21
billion for an army of 10,000 border guards or the many
other billions interwoven into every aspect of the budget
that will aid in the development of the defence industry in
Europe.
This defence industry was already worth more than €97
billion in 2014, and employs over 500,000 people directly
and 1.2 million indirectly. It is an untapped goldmine in the
eyes of Commission President Jean Claude Juncker and
many other EU officials.
France and Germany have some of the biggest arms-making
companies in the world and the EU arms exports amount to
over 27% of the world’s total, just second after the United
States who export 34%.
When you question why they are militarising the European
Union you must understand that this it is not to protect or
defend you. It is about money and billions of it.
This was not the only lie they told when pitching PESCO and
this European Defence Union to the member states.
It was also sold as a cost-saving mechanism because
apparently this lack of cooperation costs the EU €25 billion
annually. However, it will cost smaller countries like Ireland
much more and as our Defence Forces continue to be
underpaid, underappreciated and ignored by Defence
Minister Leo Varadkar.
We will instead line the pockets of the European defence
industry and invest in equipment we are ordered to buy by
our European overlords instead of investing in our own
people.
A Real European Army
With all that has happened over the last number of years
with the militarisation of the European Union and the major
Irish political parties continuing to support the dissolution
of our neutrality, the question needs to be asked: ‘Are we
heading towards an EU army?’
Last week concerned political representatives, neutrality
activists and academics held a public meeting in Galway to
discuss what the future holds for Ireland in this era of
European militarisation.
That meeting examined a range of issues including how the
massive increases in military spending will affect spending
in other areas including agriculture.
It was timely too, as the French president Emmanuel
Macron used the armistice centenary commemorations to
call for the formation of a “real” European army.
Luke Ming Flanagan is MEP for Midlands-North West

https://www.thejournal.ie/readme/if-we-are-heading-for-an-eu-army-what-
does-that-mean-for-irish-neutrality-4331443-
Nov2018/?fbclid=IwAR35UN58NewJNm0c9OS6j754q1tlXcbO7DJhZuDoI8YmSS
eYOkAHYNox3Oc

Bill which aims to force banks

to ask for permission before
selling mortgages to vulture
funds passes in the Dáil
The Bill puts into law what already exists at the moment as a voluntary
Central Bank code
Jan 31st 2019,
THE DÁIL HAS voted in favour of Sinn Féin’s No Consent,
No Sale Bill which aims to give mortgage holders the power
to block the sale of their loans to vulture funds.
Pearse Doherty’s Central Bank (Transfer of Mortgages) Bill
puts into law what already exists at the moment as a
voluntary Central Bank code.
The Dáil voted by 80 votes to 45 to pass the Bill – the
government opposed the proposed legislation.
That voluntary code states that lenders looking to offload a
mortgage must get the borrower’s permission before selling
the loan onto a third party.
The deputy recently highlighted the code of practice with
Permanent TSB bankers when they appeared before an
Oireachtas Committee. He asked if PTSB would adhere to
the code in relation to the transfer of over 6,000 of its
customers’ mortgages to another financial entity.
The bank bosses told the committee that they would –
however they later rolled back on that response.
Yesterday, Permanent TSB confirmed to Sinn Féin Finance
spokesperson Pearse Doherty that the special purpose 'vehicle’
that more than 6,000 of its mortgages will be transferred on to, will
be exempt from tax.
Teachta Doherty also pressed PTSB on their failure to apply the
Central Bank's code of practice to these mortgage transfers.
Vulture lovers’

During the same debate, Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice told the Dáil that
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar are “vulture
lovers”, adding:
Let us be very clear: if a bank sells on a mortgage, a vulture will not offer the borrower a
split mortgage. That is the bottom line. Let no one cod themselves. They look for demand
of money. Yes, a borrower who has one house and who is willing to get the hell out of it
will probably get a write-down if the loan was bigger than the house is worth.
Mattie McGrath also hit out against the government and those in Fine Gael,
claiming “the very people the Minister was elected to protect, the families behind
these loans, do not feature in Fine Gael land”.

Referencing the PTSB mortgage sale mentioned earlier, he said the State bank
(PTSB is 75% owned by the State) sold over 6,000 family home loans to an
unknown entity.

“These were loans belonging to families that had been engaging with the bank,
some of whom had never missed an agreed payment but again, the government
did nothing. It sat there smugly and turned a blind eye. The government
continues to sit there while family home loans are being sold of to unaccountable
vulture funds, ignoring the suffering of families. Government members ought to
be ashamed of themselves. They are not ashamed, but they ought to be.”

Finance minister defends government position

In defending the government’s stance, the Finance Minister said many of

mortgage-holders impacted by this issue are in his own constituency.
However, he said mortgage arrears in Ireland have reduced, and also referenced
the government’s Abhaile scheme, which aims to help homeowners who find
themselves before the court. This week, a report found the scheme was not working as
it should.

Mentioning PTSB, he acknowledged that “more could and should have been done
for some but after years of effort to try to reduce that level of non-performing
loans that is where the bank stood – a multiple of the European average, way
ahead of where many other banks in Ireland have stood”.

It has been pointed out that a number of mortgages sold on by PTSB were not
‘non-performing’ yet still found themselves to be sold on with the loan book.

He added that the government’s view that the Bill would likely affect the financial
interests of the State, and stated a Money Message would be required – this
means that even if the Bill is passed by the majority in the Dáil it would effectively
be blocked by government.
Commenting after the government’s defeat today, Doherty said:
Given the amount of banks now seeking to offload their mortgages to vultures it is
imperative that this legislation now moves speedily through the remaining
legislative stages and I have asked the Finance Committee to facilitate and early
meeting to go through the legislative scrutiny.

Despite its opposition to my bill the government must listen to the will of the Dáil
and allow this legislation to progress as speedily as possible.

https://www.thejournal.ie/vulture-funds-no-consent-no-sale-bill-4466321-
Jan2019/
Aid and Advice for Borrowers in Home Mortgage Arrears Second Annual Report
https://www.mabs.ie/downloads/reports_submissions/Abhaile_Second_Annual
_Report.pdf
Pearse Doherty that the special purpose 'vehicle’ that more than 6,000 of its
mortgages will be transferred on to, will be exempt from tax.

Teachta Doherty also pressed PTSB on their failure to apply the Central
Bank's code
https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1124545744375853


An Irish politician wants
Facebook to ID people
before they can use it

A member of the Irish parliament has called for Irish people to need ID to create a
Facebook account. Hildegarde Naughton made the comments on RTÉ Radio
1 during an interview on 2 April. She was due to meet with the CEO of Facebook,
Mark Zuckerberg, in Dublin later that day.

Naughton is also a member of the International Grand Committee on

Disinformation and ‘Fake News’. The committee is made up of politicians from
nine countries concerned about “fake news”.

Protecting children

During the interview, Naughton said her meeting with Zuckerberg was “timely”.
This was because of his recent comments asking for governments to regulate
social media. She said she was particularly concerned about “child protection”
and “harmful content”. But she then pointed to Facebook’s “lack of age
verification”. This, she argued, is:

https://www.iccl.ie/news/a-dangerous-proposition-facebook-pps/
An Irish politician wants Facebook to ID people before they can use it

A dangerous proposition: ICCL on

Naughton suggestion that facebook
should require passport or PPS
numbers
Dublin, 2 April 2019
ICCL has serious concerns about Hildegarde Naughton’s comments on requiring private
social media companies like facebook to collect government issued identification
including our PPS numbers or passports. These corporate platforms are not
democratically elected governments – giving them government like functions in this
manner subverts the rule of law.

Chilling Implications for Privacy and Free Speech

Further, collecting government issued data in this way ignores the data minimisation
principle in the GDPR. It is absolutely not necessary and also has chilling implications
for privacy and freedom of expression.

Immediate Risk
This is a really dangerous proposition. If facebook were to collect the ID of all of its
participating members it would become the largest ID database on the planet.
Considering the ongoing breaches by malicious actors of facebook’s security systems,
this would put all users at immediate risk.

More regulation is not the solution

At the weekend, Mark Zuckerberg stated that facebook had too much power over online
freedom of speech. ICCL agrees that this is the case. However, we do not agree that
more regulation is necessarily the solution. Freedom of expression and our associated
rights apply equally whether we are online or off. Any restrictions on free speech or
privacy must only occur when they are necessary and proportionate.
https://www.iccl.ie/news/a-dangerous-proposition-facebook-pps/

There are intrinsic difficulties with regulating online free expression. Indeed, ICCL
has identified difficulties with proposed Irish legislation in this area, including overly
vague definitions of what is deemed ‘harmful’. We will continue to examine any
proposed legislation in this area.
https://www.iccl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2018/11/Digital-Safety-Commissioner-Bill-
2017-ICCL-CIVICUS-Submissions.pdf

DEPUTY HILDEGARDE NAUGHTON IN THE CHAIR. ... of the Defamation Act 2009,
witnesses are protected by absolute privilege in respect of their ... Bill as a modest but
COMMITTEE ON COMMUNICATIONS, CLIMATE ACTION AND ENVIRONMENT
https://data.oireachtas.ie/ie/oireachtas/debateRecord/joint_committee_on_communicati
ons_climate_action_and_environment/2018-06-27/debate/mul@/main.pdf
Hildegarde Naughton, TD

Galway West and South Mayo

Wednesday, 1st August 2018

Social Media Cannot Regulate Itself Any Longer – Naughton

Social Media cannot regulate itself any longer, Fine Gael TD, Hildegarde Naughton, has
said.
Deputy Naughton, who is Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications,
Climate Action and the Environment, was speaking following the appearance of
Facebook representatives before the committee after a recent Channel 4 Dispatches
expose.

“Today, my Committee had a worthwhile interaction with Facebook representatives, in

light of the recent Channel 4 “Dispatches” programme, where they again apologised for
their shortcomings. They also outlined a series of measures they are taking to ensure no
repeat of the objectionable/illegal/graphic online content that was clearly illustrated by
the programme.

“However, it is the view of the committee that the time for apologies and remedial action
is past. Social media platforms have shown themselves incapable of self-regulation. If
they won’t regulate themselves, we must do it for them,” she said.

“I therefore proposed, and the Committee agreed, to take the following action:

1. We are prioritising the scrutiny of Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire’s Private Member’s

Bill, the ‘Digital Safety Commissioner Bill 2017’. That will take place as soon as it can
be arranged when we return in September.

2. I am writing to the Taoiseach and Minister Naughten, on behalf of the Committee,

indicating the need, in principle, for such legislation, notwithstanding whatever changes
might be warranted after detailed scrutiny by the Committee.

3. I am writing, on behalf of the Committee, to the relevant Parliamentary Committees of

all other EU Member States asking them to consider this issue, both nationally and in
terms of the need for EU Regulation.

4. I am seeking a meeting with the European Commissioner for the Digital Economy and
Society, Mariya Ivanova Gabriel, to discuss the need for European Regulation in this
area.

5. I am writing to all Irish members of the European Parliament asking them to support
the efforts of the Committee in this area.

6. Finally, I am seeking a meeting with the President of the European Parliament, Antonio
Tajani, in order to progress this issue at a European level.
“While the involvement of the EU is vital to the long term success of appropriate
platform moderation, we must also act unilaterally. We cannot wait for others to act.

“As Facebook’s European Headquarters is based in Ireland, we must lead the way. The
press are regulated.

Television and radio is regulated. It is the view of the committee that the time for self-
regulation by social media platforms is over.

“The committee is conscious of the need to ensure continuing freedom of expression and
will act with all due caution. However, the committee is absolutely certain of the need to
ensure that images of child abuse and other such illegal/graphic activity can no longer be
shared on Facebook or other social media platforms.

“No organisation or platform should be above the law. No organisation or platform has
the right to decide how it will conduct itself, no matter the adverse consequences for its
users.

It is acknowledged that technology has utterly changed the communications landscape

throughout the world.

“The vast majority of that is positive. However, no one can say that the sharing of images
of a three year old child being severely beaten by an adult is something we should tolerate
in the name of progress

.
“We are not planning to turn back the clock or ban social media. What we are proposing
is to regulate to ensure that such platforms are safe places for its users,” Deputy Naughton
said.

ENDS

Monday, 4th March 2019

Press Statement by Hildegarde Naughton TD

Fine Gael, Galway West and South Mayo

The Government is set to introduce groundbreaking legislation to improve online safety

and protect children from harmful content on the internet, providing for the regulation of
social media for the first time.

A six-week public consultation process begins today, after which the new Online Safety
Bill will be brought forward in the Houses of the Oireachtas.

It follows work on the issue by the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, which is

chaired by Fine Gael TD for Galway West Hildegarde Naughton.
She said that current situation was “untenable”, by which online and social media
companies are not subject to any state oversight or regulation regarding content shared on
their platforms.

“The inviolable freedom of expression must not be compromised in any way by the new
legislation, but we do need to find a means of protecting children from harmful content
and keeping them safe online,” explained Deputy Naughton.

“It is envisaged, therefore, that service providers will be made responsible for ensuring
the safety of their users; and that an Online Safety Commissioner will oversee the new
system introduced by the legislation.”

Deputy Naughton, who was part of the International Grand Committee that met in
Westminster last year to discuss online safety, said that the definition of “harmful
content” would be a complex element of the new bill.

“We cannot and don’t wish to police content that we may find distasteful, but which is
not necessarily harmful. Any move to do so would be contrary to the Constitution and the
European Convention on Human Rights.

“A clear definition that avoids any unintentional restriction of freedom of expression may
include serious cyber bullying, threats, harassment, intimidation or humiliation, as well as
material that promotes suicide or self-harm,” she said.

The Fine Gael TD added that the Online Safety Bill would place requirements on
operators to maintain an Online Safety Code, which would be subject to approval by the
Online Safety Commissioner.

“Such a code would be expected to prohibit cyber bullying and provide a complaints
procedure through which people can request that material be taken down within a
specified timeframe,” she explained.

“The Online Safety Commissioner will also be conferred with significant powers to
ensure compliance with the new legislation and companies’ safety codes, including the
imposition of fines and to seek injunctions or prosecutions.”

In the course of her involvement in this issue, Deputy Naughton met with the EU
commissioner in December to discuss the prospect of legislating for the regulation of
social media at a pan-European level. Currently, Ireland is leading the way.

“I would urge all parents, students, teachers, industry representatives and other groups
who have views on these issues to engage with the six-week consultation process, so that
they can help shape this important step towards safeguarding children from harmful
online material,” concluded Deputy Naughton.

ENDS

http://www.hildegarde.ie/social-media-cannot-regulate-itself-any-longer-2/
Potential Interference in Elections
We were also interested to note Mr Zuckerberg’s concern for electoral processes. The
danger of potential interference by state, or indeed by private bodies like facebook, in
elections is a growing international problem. ICCL is committed to ensuring the integrity
and transparency of our electoral processes. We have previously called for legislation on
the issue of political advertising alongside reform of the Irish Electoral Act, to address
weaknesses in our current law.
ICCL has made a submission to the Department of Housing and Local Government’s
public consultation on the establishment of an Electoral Commission.
https://www.iccl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/190315-ICCL-Submission-DHPLG-
Consult-on-Electoral-Commision.pdf

Coalition for Civil

Society Freedom
statement on the
Electoral Act
We are a coalition of civil society organisations working to
influence public policy for the benefit of people living in Ireland.
We are demanding reform of the Electoral Act because it
threatens freedom of association in Ireland. The Electoral Act
prohibits any international funding for advocacy work, even
outside of election periods.

Here is our statement on the

need for reform of the Act.
Restrictions on civil society
Our coalition is deeply worried about provisions inserted in 2001
into section 22 of the Electoral Act 1997, as amended, which
appear to prohibit any person or organisation based in Ireland
from accepting sizeable or any international donations to
assist them in influencing public policy. In addition, we are
concerned by the impact of the onerous tracking and reporting
requirements that attach to small domestic donations.
According to the wording of Electoral Act, these donation
restrictions can apply to civil society advocacy work all of the
time, and not just when advocating an election or referendum
result.
Over 60 organisations have joined our campaign for reform of the
Electoral Act.

Democratic values
compromised
We believe that section 22 of the Electoral Act violates the Irish
Constitution, European law and international human rights law.
Our analysis of how the Electoral Act is currently out of step with
human rights standards and Ireland’s foreign policy is contained
here. We are gravely concerned that Ireland’s democratic values
are compromised by the current wording of the Electoral Act.

The Wheel is Ireland’s national association of community and

voluntary organisations, charities and social enterprises. Every
day, members of the Wheel are not only active in providing on-
the-ground services but are also busy advocating for better living
conditions and supports for the communities they represent. The
Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) exists to raise awareness in
public of human rights issues, while Amnesty International Ireland
researches and campaigns with the aim of preventing and ending
grave human rights abuses. Transparency International Ireland is
the Irish chapter of the worldwide movement against corruption.
Front Line Defenders is an international human rights organisation
based in Dublin, which works to advance the protection of human
rights defenders at risk in all regions of the world. Uplift is a
people- powered campaigning tool which allows members of the
public to join together online in order to create public pressure for
change in laws or policies that cause them concern.
Facebook’s operational model, its collection and use of personal and biometric data,
and its dominant market position present grave threats to the fundamental rights of
individuals, including privacy and freedom of expression. We will continue to review and
suggest revisions to any proposed legislation in this area to ensure it complies with
international human rights standards.

Sign up for updates on ICCL’s privacy rights work:

https://www.iccl.ie/coalition-csf-statement-electoral-act/

ICCL welcomes Finucane ruling,

calls for public inquiry
Dublin, 27 February 2019
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL) has
welcomed this morning’s UK Supreme Court
decision, which found that there has been no
effective investigation into the murder of Pat
Finucane. We join the Finucane family in calling for
a full and public inquiry, in order to vindicate their
rights to truth and justice.
ICCL director Liam Herrrick said:
“The collusion of state actors in the assassination of
a lawyer is a serious threat to justice and the entire
democratic system and remains so as long as a
proper investigation remains pending.
Pat Finucane’s family have the right to have a full
and detailed investigation into his murder, and to
know the extent of State collusion and what
individual security officers were involved in that
murder. In keeping with our long standing position,
we are calling on the British government to fulfill its
obligations to the family, and to the wider public,
through a full and public inquiry.”
An effective investigation is required by Article 2 of
the European Convention on Human Rights. The
Supreme Court today said that, thus far, this
requirement had not been met and that it would be
up to the British government to decide “what form of
investigation” is required into the assassination of
Mr. Finucane.
A previous inquiry found that “agents of the state
were involved in carrying out serious violation of
human rights up to and including murder”. The
Supreme Court said today that, because no
individual suspects have been identified or held
accountable, Article 2 requirements have not been
met.
The Court’s Declaration underlines the need for a
more comprehensive approach to transitional
justice issues in Northern Ireland. There are a
number of other cases in which the rights of victims
and their families to truth, justice, reparations and
guarantees of non-recurrence have not been met. A
rights-compliant approach to transitional justice in
Northern Ireland is long overdue and necessary.
Throughout the peace process ICCL and our
colleagues in Northern Ireland have consistently
argued that the vindication of human rights is an
essential foundation for peace on this island. We
continue to call for the full and equal respect of all
rights for everyone on the island of Ireland,
particularly in the context of the potential impact of
Brexit.

https://www.iccl.ie/news/iccl-calls-for-public-inquiry-pat-finucane/
No Public Consent; DENY Foreshore Lease on Galway Bay
Ministers Coveney, Kyne, H. Naughton, Humphreys, Breen,
Creed

Dear Minister / Deputy,

Re: 555 submissions regarding the Foreshore Lease
Application (No: FS006566) on Galway Bay, currently
under consideration by Fine Gael Minister
Coveney (available @ Department of Housing, Planning,
Community & Local Government (DHPCLG)’s website:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/planning/foreshore/applications
/marine‐institute‐spiddal )

I am writing to remind you that the public do not

consent to ‘selling’ OUR Galway Bay; a right afforded to
the public under the Foreshore Act 1933.

I do not consent to granting the 35 Year Foreshore Lease

Application to ‘Construct an Offshore Electricity
Generating Station’ on 37 Hectares (approx. 30 Croke
Parks) on the shores of Connemara; on the
 unique UNESCO Burren and Cliffs of Moher Global
Geopark, on The Wild Atlantic Way.

In essence the above Foreshore Lease application would

allow:

The following PERMANENT fixtures on Galway Bay:

• SeaStation Platform:‐12m x 12m–4
storeyshigh (approximatelythe size of the local TEXACO
Petrol Station) with a single white mast headlight;
• Four Cardinal Marks: 3m x 7m (2+ storeys) high, with
continuous white flashing lights;
• Gravity Base – 37.5m2of concrete frames on the sea
bed;
• Subsea Observatory – (already on the sea bed);
• A network of cables connecting instruments,
sensors & energy devices to shore;
Recurring Infrastructure:

• the testing of three DEVICES up to 35m ‐ 10

storeys high – above sea level. Each device may house
multiple Wind Turbine structures, (i.e. one device could
house 9 Turbines * three devices = 27 Turbines);
• the testing of a broad range of devices that have
‘yet to be invented’;
• the testing of turbines below water and on the sea
bed;
• the placing & testing of Aquaculture structures (Fish
Cages) below test‐devices;
• research intoa variety of disciplines,
including Aquaculture, Bio‐chemistry, Novel Marine
Technologies – e.g. anti‐fouling agents.

This above application is of concern to

voters; 555 submissions have been acknowledged by the
DHPCLG.
A summary of the issues of concern voiced by the nation
you represent is available at the following link:
 http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/foreshore‐app
lications/application‐document
/applicants_response_summary.web_.xlsx

Concerns expressed include:

1. The Environment at risk due to numerous apparent
serious breaches of various National and International
Environmental, Public Participation, Heritage, Biodiversity,
& Landscape Laws;
2. The accuracy, transparency, bias, & conflicts of
interests in the application;
3. The assessments, or lack of assessments in relation
to Pollution, & risks to the Health & Safety of the Public, &
of Wildlife, in particular protected Marine mammals, fish &
bird species; the public have called on the government to
evoke The Precautionary Principle in this case (
“preventive measures are to be taken when there are
reasonable grounds for concern that human activities may
bring about hazards to human health, harm living resources
and marine ecosystems, damage amenities or interfere with
other legitimate uses of the sea, even when there is no
conclusive evidence of a causal relationship. A lack of full
scientific evidence must not postpone action to protect the
marine environment. The principle anticipates that delaying
action would in the longer term prove more costly to
society and nature and would compromise the needs of
future generations.” (
http://www.ospar.org/about/principles/precautionary‐princi
ple );
4. Tourism: the lack of the legally required Landscape
and Visual Impact Assessments; why was Co. Clare – The
Burren, The Cliffs of Moher & The Aran Islands excluded;
5. Various infringements to The Galway County
Development Plan.
The only Environmental NGO listed by the DHPCLG as an
External Consultee in the process – BirdWatch Ireland‐
expressed serious concerns, echoing those expressed by
the public; please see:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/foreshore‐app
lications/application‐documents/2016.09.09_bird_watch_o
bservations.pdf ).

The public submissions (first of twelve batches) are

available at:
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/foreshore‐app
lications/application‐documents/batch_1_‐_submissions_1
_to_50.pdf

Minister Coveney’s department cannot to date find ANY of

the legally required Environmental Assessments
concerning
the original 10 Year Foreshore Lease, (2006 – 2016);
The public are still awaiting further response from Minister
Coveney regarding parliamentary questions asked in
relation to this question & to questions relating to who
exactly advises the Minister on this application. (Links at:
https://www.kildarestreet.com/wrans/?id=2016‐11‐08a.491
&s=foreshore+lease+2006+environmental+reports#g492.q

http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authori
ng/DebatesWebPack.nsf/takes/dail2016120100079#N15

What I am asking you, my representative to do?

* I am asking YOU to ensure this Foreshore Lease

application is denied, giving due consideration to Public
Consent and to compliance with our various National
& International legislative obligations;

* I am asking YOU to lobby your colleague FG Minister

Coveney, on behalf of your constituents, to refuse the
granting of this Foreshore Lease Application;
·* I am asking YOU to make a public statement
supporting your constituents on this application.

https://secure.avaaz.org/en/community_petitions/Ministers
_Coveney_Kyne_Hildegarde_Naughton_Pat_Breen_Heather
_Humphreys_Listen_to_the_public_deny_the_Foreshore_Le
ase_App/

·*I am asking you to respond to my communication.

http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/foreshore‐app
lications/application‐documents/2016.09.09_bird_watch_o
bservations.pdf

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION Freedom of Expression as a

Human Right, the law
http://www.law-democracy.org/live/wp-
content/uploads/2015/02/foe-briefingnotes-1.pdf

Or will ordinary citizens need to resort to EU Courts in

order to protect our environment, OUR GALWAY BAY
from our own FINE GAEL/FIANNA FAIL Government?
http://www.housing.gov.ie/sites/default/files/foreshore‐app
lications/application‐documents/batch_1_‐_submissions_1
_to_50.pdf
IRELAND is a Corrupt Country

https://www.scribd.com/document/338912109/IRELAN
D-is-a-Corrupt-Country