Over Half Of TDs Found

To Be Lying, Conniving,
Cheating, Bullshitting
Bastards
October 21, 2019 Ringo Breaking 0

Over half of government TDs have been found to be lying, conniving, cheating,
bullshitting bastards. The latest revelations involve TDs casting votes for other TDs who
aren’t even present in the Dáil chamber at the time.

Fianna Fáil’s Niall Collins voted six times on behalf of his party colleague Timmy Dooley
last week even though he wasn’t there.

Lisa Chambers pressed the voting button of fellow Fianna Fáil member Dara Calleary
and then her own button during another ballot last week. Ms Chambers said she knows
she should have told the Ceann Comhairle straight away but instead decided not to
bother her arse.

“When I realised my error I moved to my own seat and voted again. Yes I should have
told the Ceann Comhairle immediately but I did tell him yesterday as soon as I realised
that what I did was about to go public.”

Fianna Fáil Leader Micheál Martin hilariously accepted Ms Chambers’ explanation.

Offaly TD Barney Fitzmaurice told us “Yes it’s true, most of us are lying, conniving,
cheating, bullshitting bastards. I wouldn’t trust me as far as I could throw me but that’s
Irish politics lads. Now if you’ll excuse me I have to go and cast my vote in a ballot to give
TDs another pay rise. From a beach in southern Spain. Lol.”

http://irelandoncraic.com/lyingbastards/?fbclid=IwAR0OdmauVEr7wsxCwbD22IoKgRAyIr
RxxeFtmpDEcJ9C2K3LaA7DmNdDMws

Vote cast for Fianna Fáil leader Micheál

Martin when he was not in the Dáil chamber
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Mr Martin both
admit to casting Dáil votes for colleagues

1
Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin (Brian Lawless/PA)

Cormac McQuinn and Philip Ryan

October 22 2019
A vote was cast for Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin when he was not in the
Dáil chamber, it has emerged.

Both Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Mr Martin leader have now also admitted to
casting Dáil votes for colleagues, but both insisted their colleagues were in the
chamber at the time.

The instance where a vote was cast for Mr Martin in his absence happened
during a Dáil debate on reducing the number of seats in the EU Parliament in
February. Mr Martin is recorded as not being present for two of the three
votes on the legislation. However, for the last and final vote the Fianna Fail
leader’s vote is recorded as being present.
During the debate, Fianna Fáil housing spokesman Darragh O’Brien is sitting
in Mr Martin seat as he is taking the legislation for the party.

For the first two votes, Mr O’Brien is recorded as voting in his own seat -
despite sitting in the party leader’s seat.

However, for the third and final vote, Mr O’Brien is not recorded as voting in
his own seat. Mr O’Brien last night admitted he may have incorrectly pressed
Mr Martin’s voting button during at the end of the debate.

The Fingal TD said he was leading the debate from Mr Martin’s seat and
mistakenly pressed the button.

“The debate went on for more than an hour and for the final vote I may have
incorrectly pressed the button on the seat I was sitting in,” he said.

The vote on European Parliament Election Amendment Bill (2019) was taken
on February 28.

Mr Martin - whose party has been thrown into chaos by the ‘phantom votes’
controversy - said the practice of TDs pressing the voting buttons of other
deputies “should come to an end”.

Speaking for Mr Varadkar, a spokesman said: “The Taoiseach has never asked
anyone to vote on his behalf and has never voted on behalf of someone who
was not in the chamber.

“On a small number of occasions he has cast a vote for a colleague but only
ever if they were present in the chamber, as in ‘present and voting’ as the
Constitution requires.”

The spokesman also pointed to remarks made by Mr Varadkar in the Dáil

today.

Under Irish Constitution Law Article 15 this is Illegal

IF YOU, as a citizen are found guilty of Electoral fraud you can go
to prison for up to 2 years, and/or be fined up £2,500.
Double standards #FG #FF, SF and Ind Alliance
One law for the parasites in government and another one for the electorate
here are s bloody joke, time people stood up , why are they taking this crap.

If they cheat so blatantly with Dail

voting, imagine what goes on with
their expenses, brown envelopes
and favours for pals
The Taoiseach told the Dáil: “There is a world of difference between someone
being present in the Chamber, although not in one's seat, and not being
present in the Chamber or the building at all.
“To allay any future concerns or confusion, all Members should be in their
seats for all votes from now on.”

The ‘votegate’ storm erupted after it was revealed that Fianna Fáil TD Timmy
Dooley’s vote was recorded on six occasions during a Dáil session despite his
absence from the chamber.

The revelations have also exposed an apparently common practice of TDs

pressing other Dáil members’ voting buttons when they are elsewhere in the
chamber.

The main party leaders have all said this practice should end. Sinn Féin’s
Mary Lou McDonald, Labour leader Brendan Howlin, Eamon Ryan of the
Green Party and Social Democrats co-leaders Catherine Murphy and Róisín
Shortall said they have never pressed another TDs voting button and never
asked another TD to vote on their behalf
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/vote-cast-for-fianna-fil-leader-michel-martin-when-he-was-not-in-the-
dil-chamber-
38622293.html?fbclid=IwAR0kzRwLS_FE5BO0INOJRjaD0QGSTetIRr0NBe6QfFmN_9OBgVXbY55W8uA

Did alarm bells ring?' - Niall Collins can't

recall who phoned him before he stopped
voting for Timmy Dooley

1
Deputies Niall Collins and Timmy Dooley.
Hugh O'Connell
October 24 2019
FIANNA Fáil TD Niall Collins told the Dáil vote-gate inquiry he could not recall who phoned him as
he was voting for Timmy Dooley last Thursday - or explain why he stopped voting for his colleague
after doing so six times.

Mr Collins' account of the controversial events in the Dáil chamber last

Thursday is contained in the report of Dáil clerk Peter Finnegan. The Irish
Independent revealed last weekend that Mr Collins voted six times on behalf
of Mr Dooley - who was absent from the Dáil chamber - triggering a major
political controversy.

Mr Collins told the Dáil clerk repeatedly in his interview that

he believed Mr Dooley was in the Dáil chamber - but not in his
assigned seat for voting - when a block of votes took place last
Thursday. Mr Collins voted for Mr Dooley six times - but then
didn't vote on his colleague's behalf for the final two votes of
the day.

The Limerick TD told Mr Finnegan that even after voting three

times for Mr Dooley - on the mistaken belief he was in the
chamber - he "didn't realise he [Dooley] was gone

When Mr Finnegan said this was 18-20 minutes and asked "did
alarm bells ring?", Mr Collins responded: "No and it should
have."

Mr Finnegan pointed out to Mr Collins that at one stage he was

seen taking a "quick 10 second phone call in the chamber".
Video evidence shows that this call took place between the
third and fourth votes. Asked if he could recall who it was that
phoned him, Mr Collins said: "No."

Mr Collins voted for Mr Dooley on three further occasions after

the call - but he did not register a vote on Mr Dooley's behalf
for the final two of the eight votes in total which took place
that day. Asked why this was, he told Mr Finnegan: "I don't
know, I can't explain that."

Mr Finnegan put to Mr Collins that there had been nearly an

hour of voting with Mr Dooley's seat empty, and asked the TD if
he thought he should have gone to the whips.

Mr Collins said: "I didn't. I was under the mistaken belief that
he [Mr Dooley] was in the chamber. I didn't look around to
check."

Mr Collins said Mr Dooley did not ask him to vote on his behalf.
He said he became aware that he had double-

voted when he was contacted by a journalist (from the Irish

Independent) on Friday.

He said that he spoke to Mr Dooley who told him he would

contact the Ceann Comhairle. Mr Collins told Mr Finnegan: "I
wouldn't cast a vote knowing or believing someone to be
outside the chamber. This reflects on me badly."

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/did-alarm-bells-ring-niall-collins-cant-recall-who-phoned-him-before-he-
stopped-voting-for-timmy-dooley-38627688.html
Adams 'inadvertently'
voted on abortion
legislation in seat of ex-
SF colleague Tóibín
Hugh O'Connell
October 23 2019

1
Former Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams. Photo: PA

Sinn Féin's former leader Gerry Adams mistakenly voted in the seat of former
party colleague Peadar Tóibín on legislation to hold an abortion referendum
in March 2018.

It means that Mr Tóibín, who quit the party over his opposition to abortion, is
listed on the Dáil record as having voted in favour of a referendum to
liberalise the abortion laws. Last night, Mr Tóibín said: "I was not in Leinster
House on the day. I in no way asked for Gerry Adams or anyone else to vote on
my behalf. Obviously I completely disagreed with this policy at the time and I
would not have voted with Sinn Féin had I been there.

"I understand that record of the vote was not corrected and it remains on the
Oireachtas website to this day. I was disappointed and annoyed with the error.
However, Gerry apologised to me afterwards."

A Sinn Féin spokesperson said: "Gerry Adams had been allocated a new seat
several weeks earlier after standing down as party leader and inadvertently
voted in Peadar's seat, not his own. We alerted the Dáil officials that day to the
error and Gerry apologised to Peadar."

The Dáil debate record notes Mr Adams "inadvertently voted" in Mr Tóibín's

seat but the official Oireachtas record shows no correction.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/adams-inadvertently-voted-on-abortion-legislation-in-seat-of-exsf-
colleague-tibn-38623122.html

Varadkar admits he has voted for

colleagues who were in chamber
Cormac McQuinn

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is the main obstacle to Brexit. Picture: Collins

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has confirmed he has
cast Dáil votes for colleagues - but insisted
they were present in the chamber at the time.
A spokesman for Mr Varadkar said: "The
Taoiseach has never asked anyone to vote on
his behalf and has never voted on behalf of
someone who was not in the chamber.
"On a small number of occasions he has cast
a vote for a colleague but only ever if they
were present in the chamber, as in 'present
and voting' as the constitution requires."
The spokesman also pointed to remarks made
by Mr Varadkar in the Dáil today.
The Taoiseach told the Dáil: "There is a world
of difference between someone being present
in the chamber, although not in one's seat, and
not being present in the chamber or the
building at all.
"To allay any future concerns or confusion, all
members should be in their seats for all votes
from now on."

Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin, meanwhile,

admitted he had cast Dáil votes on behalf of
other TDs, but also insisted they were in the
chamber at the time. It also emerged his vote
was recorded while he was apparently not in
the chamber.
During a Dáil debate on reducing the number
of seats in the EU Parliament in February, Mr
Martin is recorded as not being present for two
of the three votes on the legislation. However,
for the final vote the Fianna Fáil leader's vote
is recorded as being present. During the
debate, Fianna Fáil housing spokesperson
Darragh O'Brien was sitting in Mr Martin seat
as he was taking the legislation for the party.
For the first two votes, Mr O'Brien is recorded
as voting in his own seat despite sitting in the
party leader's seat.
However, for the third and final vote, Mr
O'Brien is not recorded as voting in his own
seat. Mr O'Brien last night admitted he may
have incorrectly pressed Mr Martin's voting
button at the end of the debate.
Mr Martin, whose party has been thrown into
chaos by the 'phantom votes' controversy, said
the practice of TDs pressing the voting buttons
of their colleagues "should come to an end".
The 'Votegate' storm erupted after it was
revealed that Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley's
vote was recorded on six occasions during a
Dáil session despite his absence from the
chamber.
The revelations have also exposed an
apparently common practice of TDs pressing
other Dáil members' voting buttons when they
are elsewhere in the chamber.
The main party leaders have all said this
practice should end. Sinn Féin's Mary Lou
McDonald, Labour leader Brendan Howlin,
Eamon Ryan of the Green Party, and Social
Democrats co-leaders Catherine Murphy and
Róisín Shortall said they have never pressed
another TD's voting button and never asked
another TD to vote on their behalf.
https://www.msn.com/en-ie/news/newsireland/varadkar-admits-he-has-voted-for-colleagues-who-
were-in-chamber/ar-AAJcci6?ocid=ob-fb-enie-
60&fbclid=IwAR1f15Q1ly9KnGRhwKqhTZjyxQoK80FHXnXy9SiO37RnE_VnXP5xKRzPkFw

Votegate': Shane Ross to

face no action over vote
'mistake'

1
Transport Minister Shane Ross. Photo: Kyran O’Brien.

Kevin Doyle
October 24 2019

Transport Minister Shane Ross has escaped sanction for using the children
minister's voting pad during a debate on drink-driving legislation last year.

Mr Ross, below, pressed Katherine Zappone's button during a division on the

Road Traffic Amendment Bill 2017 which he had championed.
The Bill brought in tough new laws that result in automatic disqualification
for all drivers caught over the limit.

In a bizarre sequence of events, Mr Ross managed to cast his own vote against
the legislation.

But he also used the machine assigned to Ms Zappone to vote in favour.

Independent TD Danny Healy-Rae later complained to the Ceann Comhairle.

The Kerry TD, who vehemently opposed the legislation, demanded that Mr
Ross's error be "dealt with".

"This is totally unfair. Would he please come in here and explain what he was
at? He reached across and pressed Minister Zappone's button?" he said in
January 2018.

Sources say a subsequent probe established the minister sat in Ms Zappone's

seat by mistake but notified Oireachtas officials of his error. As a result they
were in a position to amend the record and it was decided there was no reason
to issue any sanction.

Fianna Fáil's Lisa Chambers is under investigation for a similar mistake - but
she did not alert tellers to the fact she "inadvertently" cast a vote for an absent
colleague.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/votegate-shane-ross-to-face-no-action-over-vote-
mistake-38626644.html
Varadkar, Martin
confirm casting votes
for colleagues in Dáil
Wednesday, 23 Oct 2019

Leo Varadkar confirmed reports he voted for colleagues who were

in the Dáil chamber but not in their seats

By Paul Cunningham
Political Correspondent

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar and Fianna Fáil leader

Micheál Martin have both confirmed that they have
voted for colleagues who were in the Dáil chamber
but not in their seats.
A spokesman for the Taoiseach confirmed a report in
the Irish Independent, saying: "On a small number of
occasions he has cast a vote for a colleague, but only
ever if they were present in the chamber - as in
'present and voting' as the Constitution requires".
The spokesman drew a clear line between casting a
vote for a colleague who was standing elsewhere in
the Dáil chamber, as opposed to what happened last
Thursday when Fianna Fáil' Niall Collins voted for
Timmy Dooley, who had left the chamber.
Mr Varadkar's spokesman added: "The Taoiseach
has never asked anyone to vote on his behalf, and
has never voted on behalf of someone who was not
in the chamber."
The Taoiseach has told the Dáil there was a "world of
a difference" between being present in the Dáil, but
not in your seat, and not being present in the Dáil
chamber at all.

The Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has also said

that on "rare occasions" he has voted for a colleague
in the Dáil.
In a statement, he said: "I have voted on rare
occasions for a colleague who would be standing
next to me.
"I have never asked anyone to vote for me while not
in the chamber and have never been asked to do this
for anyone else."
Mr Martin added: "Over the course of 17 years a
colleague may have pushed a vote button for me
while I was in conversation with others, but such
occasions would be rare."
The Fianna Fáil leader also said he believed the Dáil
voting procedure needed to be reformed.

"I do believe that the practice of TDs pressing the

voting buttons of colleagues within the Dáil should
come to an end," he said.
Party frontbench spokesman Darragh O'Brien
confirmed that he made "a genuine mistake" last
February and voted while sitting in Mr Martin's chair
in the Dáil.
The party's housing spokesman told RTÉ it occurred
during a debate on the European Parliament bill,
when he "took the lead" on behalf of Fianna Fáil.
https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2019/1023/1085079-dail-
votes/?fbclid=IwAR0x3Plv3u6ojjm0O7ooR9TT0g6EooWyMXjhkFlvv7gnJbXl8FwMJWiR1Ok
have people seen
this going around on
fb no haven't seen it
and you know what
that's negativity let's
not go down that
route.were all here
for the long haul and
won't stop till
something changes
Probably someone
related to Leo,
Fianna Fáil's Dooley
was absent from Dáil
when his votes
recorded
Saturday, 19 Oct 2019
Timmy Dooley was recorded voting six times while he was not in
the chamber

By Mícheál Lehane
Political Correspondent

The Ceann Comhairle has said that he is seeking a

report for his "urgent attention" on the conduct of Dáil
votes.
It comes after Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley admitted
he was absent from the Dáil chamber when his vote
was recorded six times last Thursday.
The Clare deputy said he went into the Dáil when the
voting bell sounded but he then left to take a phone
call.
"I understand from Niall Collins, that under the
mistaken belief that I was at the back of the chamber
on the phone, he pressed my voting button. I have
spoken to the Ceann Comhairle today, to explain
what happened and apologise for the
misunderstanding," Mr Dooley said this afternoon.
Niall Collins confirmed this afternoon that what
Timmy Dooley said in his statement was correct.
In a statement, Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl
said that the integrity of the voting system in the Dáil
is of the "utmost importance".
He said: "Further to media reports on votes in the
Dáil last Thursday 17 October 2019, I have asked the
Clerk of the Dáil to prepare a report on the conduct of
the votes for my urgent attention."
Earlier, Fine Gael TD Noel Rock described as "very
worrying" the notion that any TD could be recorded
as voting while absent from the chamber.
He said one of the most important jobs a TD has is to
vote on legislation in the Dáil.

Meanwhile, Sinn Féin TD Maurice Quinlivan called

for the Oireachtas Committee on Procedure and
Privileges to investigate the incident.
He also called for last Thursday's Dáil votes to be re-
taken, due to what he described as the "disgraceful
behaviour of Fianna Fáil TDs who brought the
integrity of the votes and that of the Dáil into
disrepute".
https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/20
19/1019/1084430-dooley-dail-
votes/

I say #BIOMETRIC (Facial

Recognition) would
SOLVE the #Votegate FIASCO
#FF #FG #PSC
On the 15th of December 2010 the traitors in the royal oireachtas in leinster
house voted by 6 votes to sacrifice the Irish people to bail out the banks.
How can any legislation passed in leinster house now be accepted as
legitimate due to the voting fraud that has been exposed over the past few
days. This also brings into question the jurisdiction awarded to the circuit
courts under the 2013 eviction bill.
The freestate system is rotten to its british
core. 
Liam Mellows stated that the freestate was nothing but a buffer
between capitalism and the Republic, how right he was.
Just a reminder. The electorate rejected FG in the last election. There was a very clear
message of discontent with them after Kenny.

Perhaps our TDs need to be reminded that the constitution requires their presences in
the chamber when casting their vote, they cannot delegate that function to any other
member, to quote the constitution article 15 paragraph 11 ""11 1° All questions in each
House shall, save as
otherwise provided by this Constitution, be
determined by a majority of the votes of the
members present and voting other than the
Chairman or presiding member." This specifically demands their presense in the chamber

NO ERROR OCCURRED WHILE PROCESSING THIS REQUEST NO VOTE FG FF LP GP

LIARS TRAITORS TO THE PEOPLE OF IRELAND
No it would not we pay these arse holes to seat in a seat in the dail. And run our country. How in fucks
name can they vote on something if there not there OR are there chatting at the back of the dail. One
major thing stands out from this they are not doing there jobs and worth the major sallaries they pay
themselfs. Time for a debate on sallaries . Time for a look at how these people spend there days and
what there really doing. Those who were not there and they should be there when votes are been taken .
If not why not . I don't turn into wirk I loose a days pay . These lads are off wandering and nobody
noticed or cares . A few years ago they put foward productive linked pay for civil service workers .it's
time to cut there pay and stop been folish with our money ..
load of greedy pigs ,they don't give a fuck bout anyone

have people seen this going around on fb

no haven't seen it and you know what that's negativity let's not go down that route.were all
here for the long haul and won't stop till something changes
Probably someone related to Leo, or his friends..
It was Leo

18 October 2019
This is something I didn’t want to do but have to ...
As your all aware our dad passed away recently and as if things weren’t bad
enough the council weren’t long about trying to get us out of our home after
spending all of our lives here. I’m 100% not moving out of my home and I’m
making that clear. We need all the help we can get at the moment and we
need to make this public as something needs to be put in place for these
types of situations. We know there are other families in worse situations and
we sympathize with them but we have to look after our own in this situation.
The council have offered absolutely nothing to us and the main reason on
that is down to ************ in the clonmel council. Not one bit of respect has
been shown towards our family and getting letters in the door giving us a
GOOD WILL GESTURE of 2 weeks to vacate the premises. How you can
sleep at night doing that to families makes me sick. My dad tried to put my
name on the tenancy for the house a few weeks before he passed away and
they sent back a letter saying all I needed was my payslip and it was sorted
basically. Unfortunately my dad didn’t come home after that and nothing was
done . A few weeks later our cousin passed away and literally the day after
they called to our home saying when can we get up and out . And this was
after I stood at the door and told them we had another loss in our family but
no they wouldn’t leave the door. We’re after suffering enough as a family and
if we lose our home it will absolutely destroy us and personally I can only
think about my dad when I’m home it’s easier for me and I can’t let them take
my memories away from me . As your aware there’s petitions going around
kilsheelan so if you can throw your name down it would be greatly
appreciated. Please feel free to share this as it needs as much publicity as it
can because something needs to be done . Not only for our family but for
others in the same situation.

The Irish Sun has revealed that Ireland’s Minister for Children was once a student of
witchcraft and this has been praised by other occult practitioners.
Dr Zappone wrote the book “The Hope for Wholeness: A Spirituality for Feminists” in
1991 and speaks at length about how a new pagan approach to spirituality must be
adopted by women to achieve equality and that the Christian archetype of God the Father
has to be dismantled if “women are to discover social
freedom”.

There have already been a number of calls for the Minister for Children to resign as a result of the
revelations.
It is unknown if the Children’s Minister is still a practising witch but the spiritual beliefs that were
developed by the Washington State born 64-year-old have clearly informed her politics.
I know a bit about being homeless in this country. I had been homeless from the age of
17 (1987) until I got my first place here in Cavan in 2013. I now rent a beautiful apartment
with a lakeside view. My rent is 75euro a week (minus HAP)If I had stayed in Dublin I
have no doubt I would still be on the streets today.
I have not forgotten nor ever could, the "years" I spent not knowing each day if I would
get a bed in a hostel or a sleeping bag.
Everyone seems to blame it on the migrants coming here for the homeless "crisis", but I was
homeless back when this was not an issue and even though there were fewer people homeless than
now, the services were mostly small charities.
Then these charities started being funded and they were opening hostels, drop-in centres, drug
reach centres etc. But there weren't enough homeless people to fill these new services being
provided! So what do you do? You "create" a homeless crisis by throwing people from the homes
they are entitled to live in and then top it all off by bringing in migrants and "Housing them"! Now
we can blame it on "them" and forget who is really to blame, our Government!
People need to wake up! This "crisis" we have is all part of the agenda. How many of you know
how much is being spent keeping these people homeless? Ask yourselves, Who profits from this?
I always say "follow the money"! If there was no money to be made by the homeless then we
would have no homeless! Simple as that!
Sorry, this is so long but I am passionate about this subject and honestly could sit here all day and
never run out of things to say on it. So if you have read this far I thank you, if it has made you stop
and think, then this has been all worth it. love and peace
AG V OBrien 1965, Walsh J. in Supreme Court
𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧...

𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐈𝐌𝐏𝐎𝐑𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓

Please share these images with everyone you know that may have been EVICTED unlawfully or is
facing eviction....

The cases can be looked up.... This deception must stop.

It seems to be very clear that unless an order to use FORCE to remove you from your DWELLING has been
issued
(Which cannot as it would be against Art:40.5 )
Every eviction from a Dwelling therefore must be UNCONSTITUTIONAL... If this assertion is incorrect please
provide evidence of same that can withstand scrutiny by providing legitimate evidence to the same degree that has
been provided here.
Are you in court about your mortgage ? READ THIS NOW..."High Court
confirms that EU law provides important defenses for people at risk of losing
their homes, The ALPP will help people understand and enforce their rights
using EU Law by updating its Guide to EU Law and template pleadings
available at www.abusivelending.org. It will also be initiating a new round of
information sessions throughout Ireland. For more information contact: Edel
Hackett, Tel: 087-2935207For release: April 9th, 2019. High Court confirms
that EU law provides important defenses for people at risk of losing their
homes 
Milestone decision, published today, determines that courts are
required to assess mortgage contracts for unfair terms and determine if it is
proportional to enter a possession order in each case.
In a milestone
decision, published today, the Irish High Court has confirmed that EU Law
protects people at risk of losing their home in Ireland. From today, it is clear
that Circuit Court Registrars, along with judges, are obliged to assess
mortgage documents for unfair mortgage terms on their own initiative,
without being asked to do so by the borrowers.
They will then have to delete any terms they find unfair before entering a
possession order,
in accordance with the EU Unfair Terms Contract Directive (UTCD).
In
addition, when asked to do so by borrowers,
Irish courts must consider the impact of the loss of the family home under
Article 7 of the EU Charter for Fundamental Rights (Respect for private and
family life).
According to legal and advocacy experts, working together as the Abusive
Lending Practices Project (ALPP), this is the first time an Irish court has
acknowledged that borrowers have these Charter rights in possession cases.
Up to now, ALPP said, state supports and institutions have largely dismissed
the role of EU law in possession cases.
The decision on the requirement for
own motion assessments was handed down on March 7th in Grant v County
Laois Registrar by Mr. Justice McDermott on March 7th.
Significantly, the
High Court decision means that State supports like the Abhaile Scheme, duty
solicitors and others advising people in mortgage distress should be
providing information and instruction on how EU laws can be used in
possession cases.
According to solicitor Julie Sadlier, who has worked with families at risk of
losing their homes for over 10 years, this has immediate implications for
current practice and training for the Abhaile panel of duty solicitors and legal
aid lawyers.
“This important decision illustrates that there are defenses under
EU law in mortgage arrears cases,” said Julie Sadlier, who also works as part
of ALPP . “This has huge implications for the protection of thousands of
people in danger of losing their homes whose mortgages contain unfair
contract terms.”
“Indeed, the tracker scandal involving almost 40,000
mortgages might have been avoided if mortgages had been checked for
compliance with the EU unfair contract terms law,” she continued.

Overruling the protectionist exclusionary rule- DPP v JC Irish rule, originally

set out in the 1965 case of People (AG) v O’Brien3 * Senior Lecturer, Socio-
Legal Research Centre, School of Law and Government, Dublin City
University, Ireland
http://doras.dcu.ie/20947/1/JC_for_Doras.pdf

High Court in The Attorney General v. Dublin United Tramways2 that the relationship of
master and servant existed between the People of Ireland and a policeman; and
the Supreme Court had held in Minister for Finance v. O'Brien8 and in The Attorney
General v. Córas Iompair Éireann4 that the relationship

http://www.supremecourt.ie/supremecourt/sclibrary3.nsf/(WebFiles)/0DB47E
C4C44056A28025765C00597BDD/$FILE/Byrne%20v%20Ireland.pdf

Ireland-marry Comparing Constitutional Adjudication A Summer School on

Comparative Interpretation of European Constitutional Jurisprudence 1st
Edition - 2006 The Right to Marry and to Found a Family
McGee v Attorney General [1974] IR 284, referred to above - acceptance of family planning
(within marriage) as a constitutionally protected interest implies the converse recognition of a
constitutionally protected freedom to have children (see, e.g. the judgment of Walsh J. in
McGee).

http://www.jus.unitn.it/cocoa/papers/PAPERS%201ST%20PDF/Right%20to%
20marry/Ireland-marry.pdf

TD's continue to fight Shannon LNG
October 23rd 19
Eamon Ryan fighting the good fight in the Dáil against @FineGael consistent backing
of #ShannonLNG. @LeoVaradkar very smug here. He couldn’t care less.
Is he actually living on this planet?
https://www.facebook.com/foeireland/videos/2430373640538715/

Electric car drivers face new charges

The ESB is to introduce pricing for its public electric vehicle charging network for the first
time next month. There has been a 55% increase in the number of electric vehicles on
Irish roads in the last ten and a half months

https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/568775987209306/?epa=SEARCH_BOX

Bodies found in container in Essex: The Taoiseach says there are some reports the truck may
have passed through Ireland at some point, boiled water notice decontaminated
In Rome, water flows 24/7 365 from almost 3000 fountains. They don't nearly get as
much rain as us. Riddle me this
Michelle Corry · 2:14 But nobody in Ireland wants to pay water charges in order to
have good processing and infrastructure. You reap what you sow
Gerry McShane · 2:37 Your in the wrong seat
Mark Ennis · 4:00 Irish water is a excuse for more taxes that's all
Jason Byrne · 4:47 I think we established we pay & have been paying 3 times over
for years
Laura Bernadette Murray · 7:43 We are surrounded by water but we can't drink the
bloody stuff
Michelle Corry · 8:52 But you were against water charges Mary Lou

Rick Peace · 3:58 Maybe investigate the tragedy of more than 39 irish born babies
being slaughtered in this country. (Secondary to your great referendum)
RTÉ News · 4:57 Bodies found in container in Essex: The Taoiseach says there are
some reports the truck may have passed through Ireland at some point
Laura Bernadette Murray · 5:01 Not good enough leo

https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/1383488868481889/?epa=SEARCH_BOX
Ires Reit founding chief
makes €4m profit on sale of
shares in company
Nearly 12 million shares sold to property trust’s biggest
investor, Canada’s Capreit
Tue, May 15, 2018, 19:29
Barry O'Halloran

David Ehrlich, founding chief executive of the Republic’s biggest landlord, Ires
Reit, earned a €4 million profit on the sale of 11.8 million shares in the
company. He stood down as chief executive last October.
David Ehrlich, the founding chief executive of the
Republic’s biggest landlord, has earned a €4 million profit
on the sale of 11.8 million shares in the company to its
main investor.
Mr Ehrlich stood down in October as chief executive of
Irish Residential Properties Real Estate Investment Trust
(Ires Reit), which owns 2,450 apartments in Dublin.

What is no one talking about the Canadian investment company Capreit ( Ireis being Irish
subsidiary) being the biggest private landlord in the country?
With almost 3000 rental properties ( mostly in Dublin area
Further adding to the extortionate rent costs in Dublin.
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/ires-reit-founding-chief-makes-4m-profit-on-sale-of-
shares-in-company-1.3496561?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-
origin=https%3A%2F%2Fptop.only.wip.la%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fcommercial-property%2Fires-reit-founding-chief-
makes-4m-profit-on-sale-of-shares-in-company-1.3496561
In case anyone missed it this am.. Minister Regina O'Doherty is
sticking to her guns as it were over the use of the PSC. No
Enforcement order has been issued yet.
A PSC is NOT needed for school transport appeals. AND
according to her EVERY line Minister is responsible for how they
deliver their services.. which begs the question why did Paschal
Donoghue Dept INSIST that the national childcare scheme which
is administered by Minister Zappone can ONLY be accessed
online via MyGov.ie, one cannot access the payments UNLESS
one has a psc. hmmmm...

Minister Regina O'Doherty is sticking to her guns as it were over the use of the PSC. No
Enforcement order has been issued yet.
A PSC is NOT needed for school transport appeals

https://www.facebook.com/eileen.prenderville.5/videos/10157493272735851
/
Dáil voting controversy
Fianna Fáil's Brexit spokesperson, Lisa Chambers, will not face any sanction from her
party after she voted twice on the same motion during a Dáil session last week |
https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/1167758056751701/

TD’s in the Dial illegal Voting fraud controversy on absent Questions in the Dáil | Latest
politics headlines October 21st 2019

This is a very serious situation which requires urgent action’ - Ceann Comhairle begins with a
statement on the voting controversy
Vote Gate is subject to complaint under Ethics in Public Office Act, says Ceann Comhaire. He
adds that TDs must be seated to vote from now on. Procedures Committee will meet on
Thursday and consider report on controversy.

https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/425425154827247/?epa=SEARCH
_BOX
State apology for CervicalCheck failures October 21 2019
st

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has apologised to the women and their loved ones who suffered
from what he said were 'a litany of failures' in how cervical screening in our country operated
over many years

https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/488830681973858/?epa=SEARCH
_BOX
More than 1,000 women and families have been affected by the
CervicalCheck crisis. The failures first came to light in April last
year, with the settlement in the Vicky Phelan High Court case.
RTE.IE

State to apologise for CervicalCheck failures

The State is expected offer a formal apology today for failures in
the CervicalCheck service to women and families affected.

No deal it is then. And if the Irish provide a extension to block Brexit by remain design. Then will
trigger a UK citizens boycott of states interfering with no merit in the UK to support remain. Facebook
censored Facebook censored : 1:Remain Paraliment blocks votes on the new deal,

2: remain paraliment blocks general election to get rid of remain MPs in parliment,

3:Remains paraliment blocks Brexit,

4: Remain parliment blocks the peoples democracy to hold the UK paraliment accountable by remain
and EU support extension design to reverse BRexit.

5:BOYCOTT EU EMPIRE COUNTRIES THAT PROVIDE A REMAIN DEMOCRACY

BLOCKING EXTENSION.

6:The remain Pinochet parliament MPs tricksters don't want to vote on the deal twice, while at the
same hypocrisy remain paraliment wants the public to have a second referendum having ignored the
result of the first.
7: Corbyn insults Poland.
If it walks like a Fianna Gael sheep, talks like a Fianna Gael sheep and goes ba ba ba
when Leo or Meehawl press a wrong button it's definitely a Fianna Gael sheep

Voting controversy,
Flanagan writes to Ceann
Comhairle over ‘illegality’
Minister says ‘I believe we are really striking at the heart of
our democratic system here’
October 21, 19
Brian Hutton

Minister of Justice Charlie Flanagan said what had happened was very
serious. Photograph: PA

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has written to the

Ceann Comhairle over what he has described as the
“illegal act” of a Fianna Fáil frontbencher voting for a
colleague absent from the Dáil.
His letter came after revelations that Fianna Fáil TD
Niall Collins voted six times for party colleague Timmy
Dooley while he was absent from the chamber during the
weekly bloc voting session on Thursday.
The two senior TDs stood down from the party’s
frontbench at the request of Fianna Fáil leader Micheál
Martin, pending the outcome of an investigation into
alleged voting irregularities by Ceann Comhairle Sean O
Fearghaíl.
The controversy over the absent votes means any law
passed on the basis of a “fraudulent vote” will now be
subject to challenge, the Minister of Justice said.
Mr Flanagan described what had happened as a really,
really serious misdemeanour in our parliamentary
system where it is alleged that somebody arranged a vote
inside in the chamber and had absented themselves from
the chamber when the doors are firmly locked,” he said.
“That to me is prima facie very suspect behaviour and
totally unacceptable.”
Mr Flanagan said he wrote to the Ceann Comhairle Seán
Ó Fearghaíl about the issue over the weekend and is
expecting him to publish a report at the earliest possible
opportunity.
“It is important that we have an independent assessment
of the auspices of the Ceann Comhairle. He is the
protector of members’ interests and standing orders.”
Mr Flanagan on Monday declined to apologise for having
voted for other colleagues himself while in the chamber.
Fianna Fáil’s Lisa Chambers voted for Dara Calleary after
sitting ‘in wrong seat’
All you need to know about Dáil electronic voting
Varadkar ‘not aware’ of any Government TDs voting for
each other in Dáil

Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley who has stepped down from the party’s
frontbench. James Forde/The Irish Times
“There may have been times when people are passing
through trying to get to their seated position. In such a
situation a button may well be pressed in anticipation of
that person taking their seat. That has happened on
occasion

Mr Flanagan said there was a difference between voting

for a colleague who was present in the chamber and
those who were not present.
He said after the division bell, the doors are sealed after
eight minutes and anybody inside is invited to vote.
“Anybody outside the chamber has no entitlement to
vote,” he said. “That’s the issue here. A proxy vote is
strictly prohibited under the standing orders of the Dáil
and the Constitution. This is far from over. It is very
serious,” he warned.
He said what Mr Collins and Mr Dooley were being
investigated for “a completely different issue, because it
seems that one of them had deliberately, with intent,
absented themselves from votes, and that’s where the
illegality is.”

Fianna Fáil TD Lisa Chambers. File photograph: Dara Mac Donaill

Also on Monday Fianna Fáil’s Lisa Chambers said she
mistakenly sat in her colleague and party deputy leader
Dara Calleary’s seat last Thursday for one vote and
moved to her own seat for the same vote as soon as she
realised.
The party’s Brexit spokeswoman said she denied over
the weekend ever having voted for anyone else, or asking
anyone to vote for her, because she took that to mean
that she “intentionally, knowingly, purposely” done so.
Ms Chambers said on Monday Fianna Fáil leader
Micheál Martin accepted her explanation of how she
voted for a party colleague in the Dáil.
Ms Chambers said she does not expect to be suspended
from her front bench role - like party colleagues Mr
Dooley and Mr Collins - because “what happened to me
is very different.”.
“What happened with me was an honest genuine
mistake,” she told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
“I honest to God believed I was in my seat, and I was
pressing my voting button,” she said.
Minister for Communications, Climate and Environment
Richard Bruton said TDs casting ballots for each other
was “common practice”.
While saying a fellow TD has never voted for him when
he wasn’t in the chamber, the Minister said: “If I was
sitting in someone else’s chair ... and someone was
sitting ... you know, I’d just say press my button, I’m
here. That has become common practice. But what has
gone wrong here is that people not in the chamber at all
voted.”
Charlie McConalogue, Donegal North East TD and
Fianna Fáil spokesman on agriculture, food and the
marine told Highland Radio: “Under no circumstances
should anyone be voting for someone who is not in the
chamber."
Catherine Murphy, Social Democrats co-leader and
Kildare North TD, said voting for absent TDs is “a breach
of the Constitution” because it states elected
representatives “have to be present and voting”.
“Leinster House makes its own rules, but it makes them
in line with the Constitution and the Constitution is very
clear: Article 15 says all questions in each house (of the
Oireachtas) shall be determined by a majority of votes by
members present and voting.”
The controversy over the absent votes means any law passed on the basis of a
“fraudulent vote” will now be subject to challenge, the Minister of Justice said.
“This is a really, really serious issue in our parliamentary process,” he said.
Mr Flanagan said he wrote to the Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl about the issue
over the weekend “because I believe we are really striking at the heart of our democratic
system here.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/voting-controversy-flanagan-
writes-to-ceann-comhairle-over-illegality-
1.4057669?fbclid=IwAR08mTC6ZmhSnTcDPBQajsisZP1lRHpXFdurL1jhE-
crRK8OxZLW76HIROU#.Xa22XBNjy9M.facebook

Michael and Danny Healy

Rae miss 80pc of vote
sessions in the Dáil

1
Food for thought: Danny and Michael Healy-Rae have a very poor
attendance rate for Thursday votes. Photo: Sally MacMonagle
Hugh O'Connell
October 26 2019
Independent TDs Michael and Danny Healy-Rae have missed more than eight
out of every 10 Dáil voting sessions held in the last two years.

Figures compiled by the Irish Independent show that in the last two years the
Kerry-based brothers have an exceptionally poor attendance rate for the
weekly voting block that takes place every Thursday when the Dáil is in
session.

The Thursday voting block - where multiple votes on legislation and motions
that have been debated in the Dáil that week are held in one go - has been a
source of controversy in the wake of the Votegate controversy where it was
revealed that Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins cast six votes for his absent
colleague Timmy Dooley just over a week ago.

The newly compiled figures show that Danny Healy-Rae has missed more
than 85pc of voting blocks on a Thursday in the past two years, showing up for
just 11 of the 71 Dáil sessions held on a Thursday since September 2017.

His brother Michael Healy-Rae has an even worse attendance rate, missing
nine out of 10 Thursday voting sessions in the same period. He has been
present for just seven of the 71 Thursday voting sessions in the same period.

This year alone Danny Healy-Rae has attended only two voting sessions on a
Thursday, while Michael Healy-Rae has attended only three.

The poor attendance of the Healy-Rae brothers, who are famed for their
devotion to constituency work in Kerry, has been noted by many in Leinster
House over recent years.

Their absence on Thursdays, including for last week's voting block - the first
since the Votegate debacle - was raised again by TDs privately this week.
"They pretty much never vote on a Thursday," one deputy said.

Michael Healy-Rae admitted his record "would not be good" but argued that
he has been paired with Fine Gael TDs on the last two Thursdays there have
been votes in the Dáil.

"My attendance would not be good on a Thursday," he said. "The best way I
could answer it is I'm not idle if I am not there voting on a Thursday. Nobody
will accuse me ever of abdicating on my political responsibilities.

"I take them very seriously and everybody in Co Kerry and around the country
knows that I take politics very seriously. Whether it's matters of local or
national importance when I am needed by people, whether in Donegal or
Kerry, I am there for them.

"I was on the phone to someone in Limerick, which is not even my

constituency, dealing with a problem earlier. Tell me of other politicians doing
that. I am doing my job in the best way I can and nobody could accuse me of
abdicating or being negligent."

Contacted separately, Danny Healy-Rae said he could not account for where
he was on all of the days. "I am doing the best for the people I am representing
and I can't be two places at any one time or maybe three places or four places.
I am trying to maximise myself and do my best for the people I represent," he
said.
"I am not complaining but other fellas live nearer [to the Dáil] and I don't
begrudge that. I have to decide and prioritise where I will be more effective
and where I will be most needed or what's more important to the people that
vote for me."

Both brothers pointed out that votes on a Thursday in the current Dáil have
not been close and are often passed or defeated by large margins.

In my father's [Jackie Healy-Rae] time it was one or two votes to decide on

whether legislation would go through. That is not the case now with new
politics as we'll call it," Michael Healy-Rae said.

Danny Healy-Rae added: "Most of the votes that go through there, they are
won by a margin of 70 or 80 and voting for something like that my vote isn't
going to make a difference."

Fianna Fáil’s Lisa Chambers

voted for Dara Calleary after
sitting ‘in wrong seat’
Frontbencher says she has since reported voting for
deputy leader to Ceann Comhairle
about 18 hours ago
Fiach Kelly
Fianna Fáil Brexit spokesperson Lisa Chambers TD said she sat in the wrong
seat in the Dáil. File photograph: Fran Veale/The Irish Times
A Fianna Fáil frontbencher has said she mistakenly
voted for her deputy leader in the Dáil last week.
Lisa Chambers, the Fianna Fáil spokeswoman on Brexit,
told The Irish Times she sat in the seat normally
occupied by Dara Calleary, who was absent at the time.
It was during the same block of votes which saw Niall
Collins vote for Timmy Dooley, who was not in the
chamber at the time, six times.
Mr Calleary’s vote was only recorded on one occasion he
was not in the chamber, and the Mayo TD was on radio
at that time.
All you need to know about Dáil electronic voting
Varadkar ‘not aware’ of any Government TDs voting for
each other in Dáil
Fianna Fáil TD says colleague voted for him while he was
not in Dáil
Ms Chambers, also a Mayo TD, and Mr Calleary sit on
the same row in the Dáil chamber.
Fianna Fáil deputy leader Dara Calleary was not in the Dáil at the time of the
vote. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
In a statement, Ms Chambers said she voted in Mr
Calleary’s slot by mistake before then moving to vote in
her own position during a vote on an amendment on a
forestry motion.
Earlier on Sunday, Ms Chambers told RTÉ she had never
voted for a colleague nor had a colleague vote for her.
She told The Irish Times: “On Thursday last I
inadvertently sat in the wrong seat in the Dáil during
voting time. I sat in Dara Calleary’s seat, which is beside
my seat. I pressed the button once in error on the first
vote, no one asked me to do this and when I realised, I
immediately moved to my own seat. The vote was lost by
a large number so I did not inform the Teller. It was a
genuine mistake and not intended. I have informed the
Ceann Comhairle this evening of my error.
“I genuinely believed that this error was insignificant
and when asked on RTÉ today had I ever voted for
anyone else I answered no, as was never asked to vote
for anyone else. For this I apologise.”
Mr Calleary said: “After participating in a live Radio Interview I returned
to Dáil chamber at about 2.10pm on Thursday and voted in the remaining
votes.
“I understand that Deputy Chambers inadvertently voted in my seat for the
first of those votes but not for any of the remaining ones for which I was
absent. She mistakenly did not correct the record on the day hence my
name is registered. She has contacted the Ceann Comhairle this evening to
advise him of this.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/fianna-fáil-s-lisa-chambers-voted-
for-dara-calleary-after-sitting-in-wrong-seat-1.4057228

Voting controversy,
Flanagan writes to Ceann
Comhairle over ‘illegality’
Minister says ‘I believe we are really striking at the heart of
our democratic system here’
Mon, Oct 21, 2019,
Brian Hutton

Minister of Justice Charlie Flanagan said what had happened was very
serious. Photograph: PA
Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has written to the
Ceann Comhairle over what he has described as the
“illegal act” of a Fianna Fáil frontbencher voting for a
colleague absent from the Dáil.
His letter came after revelations that Fianna Fáil TD
Niall Collins voted six times for party colleague Timmy
Dooley while he was absent from the chamber during the
weekly bloc voting session on Thursday.
The two senior TDs stood down from the party’s
frontbench at the request of Fianna Fáil leader Micheál
Martin, pending the outcome of an investigation into
alleged voting irregularities by Ceann Comhairle Sean O
Fearghaíl.
The controversy over the absent votes means any law
passed on the basis of a “fraudulent vote” will now be
subject to challenge, the Minister of Justice said.
Mr Flanagan described what had happened as a really,
really serious misdemeanour in our parliamentary
system where it is alleged that somebody arranged a vote
inside in the chamber and had absented themselves from
the chamber when the doors are firmly locked,” he said.
“That to me is prima facie very suspect behaviour and
totally unacceptable.”
Mr Flanagan said he wrote to the Ceann Comhairle Seán
Ó Fearghaíl about the issue over the weekend and is
expecting him to publish a report at the earliest possible
opportunity.
“It is important that we have an independent assessment
of the auspices of the Ceann Comhairle. He is the
protector of members’ interests and standing orders.”
Mr Flanagan on Monday declined to apologise for having
voted for other colleagues himself while in the chamber.
TDs have long had concerns over electronic voting in the
Dáil
Dáil voting rules to be tightened as ‘votegate’ controversy
deepens
Shane Ross mistakenly voted for absent colleague but
corrected record
Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley who has stepped down from the party’s
frontbench. James Forde/The Irish Times
“There may have been times when people are passing
through trying to get to their seated position. In such a
situation a button may well be pressed in anticipation of
that person taking their seat. That has happened on
occasion.”
Mr Flanagan said there was a difference between voting
for a colleague who was present in the chamber and
those who were not present.
He said after the division bell, the doors are sealed after
eight minutes and anybody inside is invited to vote.
“Anybody outside the chamber has no entitlement to
vote,” he said. “That’s the issue here. A proxy vote is
strictly prohibited under the standing orders of the Dáil
and the Constitution. This is far from over. It is very
serious,” he warned.
He said what Mr Collins and Mr Dooley were being
investigated for “a completely different issue, because it
seems that one of them had deliberately, with intent,
absented themselves from votes, and that’s where the
illegality is.”
Fianna Fáil TD Lisa Chambers. File photograph: Dara Mac Donaill
Also on Monday Fianna Fáil’s Lisa Chambers said she
mistakenly sat in her colleague and party deputy leader
Dara Calleary’s seat last Thursday for one vote and
moved to her own seat for the same vote as soon as she
realised.
The party’s Brexit spokeswoman said she denied over
the weekend ever having voted for anyone else, or asking
anyone to vote for her, because she took that to mean
that she “intentionally, knowingly, purposely” done so.
Ms Chambers said on Monday Fianna Fáil leader
Micheál Martin accepted her explanation of how she
voted for a party colleague in the Dáil.
Ms Chambers said she does not expect to be suspended
from her front bench role - like party colleagues Mr
Dooley and Mr Collins - because “what happened to me
is very different.”.
“What happened with me was an honest genuine
mistake,” she told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
“I honest to God believed I was in my seat, and I was
pressing my voting button,” she said.
Minister for Communications, Climate and Environment
Richard Bruton said TDs casting ballots for each other
was “common practice”.
While saying a fellow TD has never voted for him when
he wasn’t in the chamber, the Minister said: “If I was
sitting in someone else’s chair ... and someone was
sitting ... you know, I’d just say press my button, I’m
here. That has become common practice. But what has
gone wrong here is that people not in the chamber at all
voted.”
Charlie McConalogue, Donegal North East TD and
Fianna Fáil spokesman on agriculture, food and the
marine told Highland Radio: “Under no circumstances
should anyone be voting for someone who is not in the
chamber."
Catherine Murphy, Social Democrats co-leader and
Kildare North TD, said voting for absent TDs is “a breach
of the Constitution” because it states elected
representatives “have to be present and voting”.
“Leinster House makes its own rules, but it makes them
in line with the Constitution and the Constitution is very
clear: Article 15 says all questions in each house (of the
Oireachtas) shall be determined by a majority of votes by
members present and voting.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/voting-controversy-flanagan-
writes-to-ceann-comhairle-over-illegality-
1.4057669?fbclid=IwAR0m0JF9EzBF9bdiSFyLRo950JU_KkMjjZrKZzZl
0GfPICRAoGGUzxurAB0#.Xa22XBNjy9M.facebook
Regina Doherty not in her seat on May 8th 2019 but still manage to get
someone to vote for her Oct 21st 2019, I Call This Treason crime, Why
are the Garda not investigating this
Catherine Murphy, Social Democrats co-leader and
Kildare North TD, said voting for absent TDs is “a breach
of the Constitution” because it states elected
representatives “have to be present and voting”.
“Leinster House makes its own rules, but it makes them
in line with the Constitution and the Constitution is very
clear: Article 15 says all questions in each house (of the
Oireachtas) shall be determined by a majority of votes by
members present and voting.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNVtlpy5GWY
The controversy over the absent votes means any law passed on the basis of a
“fraudulent vote” will now be subject to challenge, the Minister of Justice said.
“This is a really, really serious issue in our parliamentary process,” he said.
Mr Flanagan said he wrote to the Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl about the issue
over the weekend “because I believe we are really striking at the heart of our democratic
system here.”
Dáil voting row sparks
uptick in FF-FG tensions
Sharp political exchanges on controversy seen as prelude
to general election campaign
October 22, 19
Harry McGee Political Correspondent

By Tuesday afternoon, Fianna Fáil noted ‘clear instances’ where Ministers

were absent from their seats over the past 12 months. File photograph: The
Irish Times
Tensions between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have
escalated significantly because of the Dáil voting
controversy, leading to tit-for-tat charges that are seen as
the prelude to a general election campaign.
Fine Gael accused Fianna Fáil of trying to muddy the
waters by highlighting video footage where Fine Gael
Ministers were not in their seats for Dáil votes. In
response, Fianna Fáil accused Fine Gael of arrogance.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/dáil-voting-row-sparks-uptick-in-ff-fg-tensions-
1.4059633?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-
origin=https%3A%2F%2Fptop.only.wip.la%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fd%25C3%25A1il-voting-row-sparks-uptick-
in-ff-fg-tensions-1.4059633

EU for the Art 50 extension, arguing MPs have given their consent for
a deal. European Union (Withdrawal) Act (Section 13) shows that the
Agreement can only be ratified if parliament has approved and passed
Act.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/16/data.pdf
European Parliament to give its content was the passage of the European Union
(Withdrawal Agreement) Bill (WAB) to Royal Assent.

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2019-2020/0007/20007.pdf

Leo Varadkar’s big decision

will the Taoiseach call a
November election?
Brexit deal and date of Irish general election are linked
Thu, Oct 17, 2019,
Harry McGee Political Correspondent
Follow

It’s the biggest decision yet for Leo Varadkar’s term in office. File photograph:
Two questions have dominated conversations in the
corridors of Leinster House this week. The first: Is there
going to be a Brexit deal? The second: Are we going to
have an early election?
Both questions are related, with the second dependent
on the first. In a no-deal scenario, or in an extension
situation where the outcome of Brexit negotiations is not
assured, the prospects of an election are low. It is only if
a Brexit deal is a certainty that thoughts can turn to an
election.
That will depend on more than a positive outcome from
Brussels this week and in London at the weekend.
Moreover, at this moment in time, the backing of the
DUP, or for that matter, the special Westminster sitting
on Saturday is not assured.
If there is a deal, the domestic repercussions will revolve
around the second question, about holding an
election. “It’s the biggest decision Leo Varadkar will
make in his time as Taoiseach,” a senior Minister told
me over the weekend. That Minister was of the view that
is would be the optimum time for Fine Gael to go. “He
would be getting the accolades from Brexit. We could say
Leo delivered on Brexit phase one, now put him back to
steer us through phase two.”
There are very few TDs of any party who believe the
election will take place in May 2020, notwithstanding
the Taoiseach’s existence. “He’s saying May 2020 but he
has to say that,” said a Fine Gael backbencher. “If he
were to say he’s thinking of an election before anything
came out of Brussels, that would cause uncertainty and
he’d be accused of making hay out of it. He can’t say
anything like that until it’s settled.”
If an election were called, the minimum period for a
campaign is 18 days excluding Sundays and public
holidays. So if an election was called on November 1st it
could take place anytime after Wednesday, November
22nd. However, any extension, even a week, could push
the election back into December. It would be a difficult
decision for a Government to hold an election with only
15 shopping days to Christmas.
Avoiding bear traps
That said, there are obvious bear traps the Government
could avoid if it goes early. Four by-elections are due to
take place at the end of November, and Fine Gael is
unlikely to win any. Fianna Fáil could win three of them
- Wexford; Cork North Central; and Dublin Fingal -
which would give Gael’s largest rival huge impetus.
The problem is that the by-elections must be held by the
New Year. This stems from legislation that was
introduced after the then Fianna Fáil government
walked itself into a debacle of its own making in late
2009. It delayed holding the byelection in Donegal South
West. Pearse Doherty, then a Senator, took a High Court
case and won. In the subsequent byelection he won by a
landslide, giving a massive fillip to his own party and a
premonition of Fianna Fáil’s soon-to-be demise. The
legislation provided for by-elections to take place within
six months of the seat being vacated. The four MEPs
technically vacated their seats in July allowing a window
until January.
If there were an extensions and the Government decided
for an election early in the New Year, you could have the
potential farce of four by-elections being held, followed
quickly by a general election.
The New Year isn’t exactly a fruitful period either when
you are nearing the end of your term. Trolleys and
homelessness are big issues in deepest winter. In
addition, the ‘feel good’ afterglow from Brexit will have
worn off by then.
The arguments for a November election seem compelling
but there is a counter-intuitive view, mostly put forward
by Fianna Fáil (they would, wouldn’t they?) and a few of
the more wizened Fine Gael politicians. For them, calling
an early election can be a perilous risk. The rationale for
calling it is often not the rationale of voters on polling
day. And that’s a negative.
They point to the fact Leo Varadkar has never gone
through an intense national election campaign as leader
before. He could be champion but he could also belly
flop. Theresa May’s experience provides a salutary
lesson. But there are precedents too in Irish electoral
history. Charlie Haughey twice called snap general
elections, in 1981 and in 1989 (when polls suggested he
could win a majority). On both occasions it backfired -
partly because voters did not buy the line an election was
necessary.
Varadkar will need to be mindful of that. He will need to
be conscious also that in key constituencies, Fine Gael
has yet to sort out its best candidates in half a dozen
places after a mixed local election. Even with a Brexit lift
seat gains are not guaranteed. It is strong in Dublin but
that won’t translate into a seats bonanza.
Elsewhere, the gains will be in ones and two rather than
in droves. And that’s with a gale win at this back.
Technically, too, the extension of the confidence-and-
supply agreement with Fianna Fáil is not formally
concluded until the Finance Bill and Social Welfare Bill
have completed their passage through the Oireachtas.
Fine Gael was here before when then taoiseach Enda
Kenny was wracked with indecision over going early in
November 2015. He decided against and went the
following summer when Fine Gael had a relatively
indifferent election. Some of his colleagues and
commentators argued the delay cost Fine Gael as many
as 10 seats. In reality, there is no evidence to support the
theory Fine Gael would have done better.
It is true that parties in government get into a bubble
mentality towards the end of term where they believe
something magical will crop up to reverse their flagging
fortunes. It does not happen. It just follows the theory
that once you begin to seep support it’s really hard to
regain it.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/leo-varadkar-s-big-decision-will-
the-taoiseach-call-a-november-election-1.4053753
Youse just really don’t give a
f***’, TD tells Government
in Dáil
Joan Collins later withdraws remark made during ongoing
debate on Budget 2020
Wed, Oct 9, 2019, 15:37 Updated: Wed, Oct 9, 2019, 18:56
Marie O'Halloran
Independent TD Joan Collins acknowledged she should not have sworn
during the ongoing Dáil debate on the Budget after she told the Government
side “youse just really don’t give a f***”. Video: Oireachtas
Independent TD Joan Collins acknowledged she should
not have sworn during the ongoing Dáil debate on the
Budget after she told the Government and Fianna Fáil
“youse just really don’t give a f***”.
Leas Cheann Comhairle Pat ’The Cope’ Gallagher told
the Dublin South-Central TD that it was “not customary”
to use a “four letter word”.
He also said you’re above that”, as he called on her to
withdraw her remarks on Wednesday afternoon.
“You’re well able to make your case without using
unparliamentary language,” he said.
Ms Collins replied saying “I accept that” and said she
withdrew the remark but added she was very angry
because she had people coming into her constituency
office who were on their knees and needed support and
assistance.
She said there is a poverty crisis in the country along
with the crisis in health, housing and homelessness but
the Budget “says loudly, ‘Crisis, what crisis?’”.
Ms Collins was addressing a virtually empty Dáil
chamber during the ongoing debate on the Budget.
Minister of State Ciarán Cannon was the sole
Government representative in the chamber and Ms
Collins noted there were very few Fianna Fáil TDs
present.
She criticised Fianna Fáil public expenditure and reform
spokesman Barry Cowen for his Budget speech on
Tuesday when he made a “litany of silly jokes” about the
left-wing parties.
Ms Collins said the Fianna Fáil party was “easily
amused”.
But she said of the two largest parties in the Dáil: “You’re
not here, you’re not listening, you don’t care and to put it
bluntly for the amount of phone calls I’ve got from
constituents in the last 24 hours “youse just really don’t
give a f***”.
She added that “it’s absolutely outrageous that this is
actually happening and people are being subjected to
this Budget”.
‘Unfathomable’
Earlier, speaking during the debate Taoiseach Leo
Varadkar said the Budget was about shielding citizens
“as best we can” from the worst of a no deal Brexit.

The would be funding of over €1 billion to prepare for no

deal, he said.
He took potshots at the Opposition and said the Green
party made only one mention of Brexit in its recent
Budget submission and said that the party’s attention to
the climate crisis is “admirable but ignoring the one that
might happen in three weeks is simply unfathomable”.
And hitting out at Sinn Féin he said their budget
submission “resembles an ostrich - only the body is
visible because the head is buried beneath the sand”.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said Brexit
represented a threat to hard-won economic, social,
political and cultural progress.
They could not carry on with politics as usual and
needed to be “focused on meeting the most urgent
challenges”, on speaking with a clear voice, and helping
businesses and communities.
He too took potshots at political opponents, criticising
the Taoiseach who wants to be able to claim he “got
Ireland through Brexit. This ignores the reality that
Ireland will be nowhere near through Brexit anytime
soon.”
Mr Martin also said the Government had “sheer neck” in
“solemnly announcing to the nations of the world that
Ireland will stop drilling for oil without mentioning that
we’ve failed to find any after nearly fifty years of trying”.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said there was a
lack of vision, ambition and belief in the Budget.
She said Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe “has
used Brexit as an excuse to deliver more of the same.
“The Minister says it is a budget for stability as Brexit
looms, but the truth is that this is a budget that protects
banks, insurance companies and landlords.”
And it “puts workers and families on the front line to
take the heavy blows should a crash Brexit transpire.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/youse-just-really-don-t-give-a-f-td-
tells-government-in-dáil-1.4045235

Regina Doherty latest to be
connected to Dáil voting
controversy
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty is the latest minister to be subject to
scrutiny about voting in the Dáil.
Video footage from a debate on the Residential Tenancies Bill 2018
Order for Report on 8 May 2019, shows the minister not in her seat
when the formal vote was called, but her vote button was pressed and
her vote was recorded.

The footage shows that Ministers Michael Creed, Michael Ring, Simon
Harris and junior Defence Minister Paul Kehoe were the only ones
present in the front row but in total five votes were cast on amendment
13 to the bill proposed by Labour's Jan O'Sullivan.

In response to queries from the Irish Examiner, Ms Doherty's

spokesman has said she was in the chamber on the evening in
question.

She was talking to Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and was at the
back of the chamber during a previous amendment to the bill.
"She has never and never would ask anyone to vote for her when she
was not in the chamber and would not condone such behaviour," her
spokesman said.

At a meeting of Fine Gael ministers, it was proposed that they would

request statements to be made by Fianna Fáil TDs Lisa Chambers, Niall
Collins and Timmy Dooley.

Both Labour and Sinn Féin have called on TDs Timmy Dooley and Niall
Collins to make statements today on their roles in the Dáil voting
controversy.

Labour leader Brendan Howlin and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou
McDonald both said the two TDs must outline all the facts around the
scandal in the Dáil.

Ms McDonald went further and also called for some sort of sanctions
for any TDs who had voted for others who may have been outside the
chamber.

Mr Howlin said: "Votes recorded in the Dáil must be of members

present and voting. And it is a fraud, quite frankly, for people to be
outside of the chamber and having their vote recorded, that done is not
the spirit of the standing order.

That is not the way any parliament can function. And that certainly has to have
consequences for people who do that.
Mr Howlin said he had never voted on another deputy's behalf while
they were outside the chamber or asked someone to do so for him.

Ms McDonald said the same. The Sinn Féin leader added: "Inside the
chamber there has been a practice of people moving chairs are hitting
buttons for each other. And I think that should stop.

I mean, to be frank, I think people should just sit in their own chair and try and
hit the right button.
"It's really not good enough, that people who are who are not inside
the chamber would have votes cast on their behalf.

"I don't know if there's a sanction for it. But I know this, it is a very
serious situation.

"Bunreacht na hÉireann goes to some lengths to describe the members

must be present and voting are standing orders echo that.

"And yes, we have, we have found one situation where multiple votes
were cast on behalf of a deputy who was not present, and that raises
the obvious question.

"Was this a one off? Is this a pattern of behavior? And then that raises
questions around the results of votes."

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl will convene a meeting of the

business committee at lunchtime today to update it of his investigation
before making a short statement to the Dáil before the start of Leaders'
Questions. It is understood Mr Ó Fearghaíl's investigation has
concentrated solely on events of last Thursday but will be expanded if
deemed required.

It is believed the suspension of electronic voting is one of the options

to be considered.

Sources have said that part of the investigation is to focus on why the
vote tellers - during last Thursday's eight votes – did not properly tally
the votes with the numbers of persons present in the chamber

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/regina-doherty-latest-
to-be-named-in-dail-voting-controversy-
958893.html?fbclid=IwAR3u1JZS5yZfun7b1u7xMfzhSTuNBG6Gv_5As2Lr6ZgKLz
1lcZuxqleoa2E#.Xa7is3FKtw0.facebook

Scandal over Dáil voting deepens as more

TDs become embroiled in controversy
Tuesday, October 22, 2019 -
Minister of state Damien English and Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen are the
latest politicians to be dragged into the ‘phantom voting’ controversy.

Both have insisted they never asked anyone to vote for them when not
present in the Dáil after video footage from recent weeks showed both
absent on occasions when their vote button was pressed.

Their comments come after several ministers were among a host of

politicians who admitted yesterday to pressing buttons on behalf of
others or asking others to vote for them when in the chamber.

Other deputies have also said they may have pressed a colleague’s
voting button but only when they were actually in the chamber.

Ceann comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl will convene a meeting of the

business committee today to update it of his investigation before
making a short statement to the Dáil before the start of Leaders’
Questions.

Electronic voting looks set to be suspended in the Dáil after

widespread abuse of voting procedures in the chamber until a formal
investigation is concluded.

It is understood that Mr Ó Fearghaíl’s investigation has concentrated

solely on events of last Thursday but will be expanded if deemed
required. Sources have said that part of the investigation is to focus on
why the vote tellers during last Thursday’s eight votes did not tally the
votes with the numbers of persons in the chamber.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr English confirmed that he was at the

back of the chamber on Wednesday, May 15, when his button was
pressed in seat C-03 in the Dáil chamber during a vote on the
Greyhound Bill, but he was not in his seat.
Damien English

The junior housing minister said he was at the back of the

chamber and, as has often been the case, he “asked down
for my button to be pressed”.
“My diary has me voting in the Dáil, so that means I was in
the Dáil. I have never asked anyone to vote for me when I
was not present,” he told this newspaper.
In a statement, Mr Cowen said similar for September 26,
when two votes were cast in his assigned seat, A-15, but he
was not sitting in that seat but was still in the chamber.
He told the Irish Examiner: “I have never asked a colleague
to vote for me when I was not in the chamber.

As has been confirmed in the last few days, there is a known

practice of members who are in the House asking
colleagues to press the voting button if they are away from
their seats in other parts of the chamber. There are at least
four entrances to the chamber that are used frequently by
all members of the house.
Barry Cowen
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has demanded a full investigation
into TDs “illegally” voting for colleagues while they are physically
outside the Dáil claiming some votes could be cast while politicians are
out on “a skite”.

Mr Flanagan revealed that he wrote to the ceann comhairle over the

weekend seeking the investigation as he suggested a wider review of
all TDs and not just those caught up in the current furore is needed.

“I’m very concerned about voting patterns which were revealed at the
weekend, in reference to voting patterns of last week,” said Mr
Flanagan, who also admitted that a wider review of all TDs may open a
“can of worms” for his own party as much as Fianna Fáil.

However, he added: “That’s a matter for themselves [his party

colleagues]. I think the issue is the illegal nature and the unlawful act
of proxy voting which is a really serious misdemeanour in our
parliamentary system.”

Fianna Fáil’s Brexit spokeswoman, Lisa Chambers, escaped sanction

after her party leader, Micheál Martin, accepted her explanation that
she made an honest mistake. A party spokesman said that Mr Martin
was not going to remove her from the front bench as he did with
Timmy Dooley and Niall Collins, the first TDs to be caught up in the
scandal.

Ms Chambers said she did not inform the tellers after she mistakenly
voted in her colleague Dara Calleary’s seat and denied ever doing that
in a radio interview on Sunday.

As it was put to me yesterday - the Maria Bailey fiasco was such a Fine
Gael type of scandal, while the 'Vote-gate' row is a classic Fianna Fáil
one.

For decades, Fine Gaelers were always seen as the class prefects, the
best turned out and representatives of the elite in legal, business and
government circles

Fianna Fáil, on the other hand, was the party of the bold boys, the men
who used to stand at the back of mass smoking, the cute hoors who
played fast and loose when it came to rules and obligations.

That is why, the video footage of Fianna Fáil TDs Timmy Dooley and
Niall Collins discussing the vote in the Dail last Thursday was so typical
of Fianna Fáil of old. Collins voted six times for Dooley while he was
absent from the chamber during the weekly divisions.

The quick request of Dooley as he exited the chamber, met by the casual half
nod to the affirmative from Collins, encapsulated how too easy it was.
The reports have opened up a hornets' nest of how votes in the Dáil are carried
out. The day began with Fianna Fail's Brexit spokeswoman, Lisa Chambers,
having to explain why she voted incorrectly in her constituency colleague Dara
Calleary's seat but didn't tell anyone about it, and incorrectly stated she had
never done anything like that on national radio.
Then we have had a plethora of admissions from ministers
and TDs alike that they too have pressed the vote button for
other people from time to time. Communications Minister
Richard Bruton said TDs casting ballots for each other was
“common practice”.
While saying a fellow TD has never voted for him when he
wasn’t in the chamber, the Minister said:
If I was sitting in someone else’s chair ... and someone was
sitting ... you know, I’d just say press my button, I’m here.
That has become common practice. But what has gone
wrong here is that people not in the chamber at all voted.

His colleague, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan made a

similar admission but said he had written to Ceann
Comhairle Sean O Fearghail over what he has described as
the “illegal act” of one Fianna Fáil frontbencher voting for a
colleague absent from the Dáil.
The controversy over the absent votes means any law
passed on the basis of a “fraudulent vote” will now be
subject to challenge, the Minister of Justice said.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan

While the two TDs have been temporarily stood down from
the party’s frontbench at the behest of their leader Micheál
Martin, all eyes now turn to the outcome of the
investigation into alleged voting irregularities by the Ceann
Comhairle.
While Martin has shown considerable bravery by insisting
the two men step down, he had little option. He also must
be pulling his hair out.
At a time when his party was gaining momentum and
looking ahead with some anticipation to the by-elections in
November and/or the General Election, this episode has
killed such progress.
Fine Gael has sought to make hay and its strategy is clear –
attack Fianna Fáil's competence on all fronts in a bid to
shore up its own position. When Fianna Fáil is gifting Fine
Gael such easy wins, that job becomes all the easier.


https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/scandal-over-dail-
voting-deepens-as-more-tds-become-embroiled-in-controversy-958824.html

Monday, October 21, 2019

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has insisted a full investigation into

the "illegal act" of TDs voting for colleagues while they are physically
absent is needed - claiming some votes could be cast while TDs are out
on "a skite".

Mr Flanagan confirmed he wrote to Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl

over the weekend seeking the investigation as he suggested a wider
review of all TDs - and not just those caught up in the current furore -
is needed.

On Saturday, it emerged Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins voted six times for
party colleague Timmy Dooley while Mr Dooley was absent from the
chamber during weekly votes on Thursday.

Both Mr Collins and Mr Dooley have since been suspended from the
party frontbench by Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin, pending an
investigation by Mr Ó Fearghaíl into what happened.

This morning, it emerged that Fianna Fáil TD Lisa Chambers had also
voted on behalf of colleague Dara Calleary while Mr Calleary was in the
chamber.

Mr Flanagan confirmed he has voted on behalf of some colleagues in

this second circumstance as well, but said this is allowed for under Dáil
rules if someone is physically in the chamber when it is locked for
votes.

This means the issue affecting Ms Chambers and Mr Flanagan is

different to that facing Mr Collins and Mr Dooley.

At a Halloween fireworks safety event in Dublin, Mr Flanagan said in

light of the weekend revelations he has written to Mr Ó Fearghaíl
seeking a full investigation into what happened.

"I would [like to see a tightening of Dáil regulations]," he said. "I'm very
concerned about voting patterns which were revealed at the weekend, in
particular reference to voting patterns of last week.
I believe it's important therefore that there be an independent
assessment under the auspices of the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil.

"He's the protector of members interests, the guardian of the rules and
standing orders, and I believe it's important that investigation can get
underway and that report be published at the earliest opportunity.

"I was in touch with the Ceann Comhairle at the weekend, he indicated
to me in writing that he is having an investigation and that he will be
prepared to publish that report at an early date."

Asked if an investigation into all TDs should take place, Mr Flanagan

said "Well I haven't seen the terms of reference of the Ceann
Comhairle's review, but he indicated to me he is going to conduct an
investigation, I would be very happy to talk to him about that.

"As a former chief whip myself I believe it's important the practice and
procedure of the house in terms of voting that only those votes are
counted. That goes to the essence of the constitutional requirement of
Dáil Éireann."

Asked if all TDs should clarify if they ever voted for a colleague, and
what the circumstances of the situation involved, Mr Flanagan said:
"that would take its course in the context of the Ceann Comhairle's
examination".

Pushed on the issue, he said: "I'm sure they will do in due course having
regard for the seriousness of the situation."

Mr Flanagan said there is no reason for him to apologise for voting for
another TD who was physically in the Dáil chamber at the time, saying:
"No, it's not a question of jumping around seats, there are occasions
when people are sitting in the Taoiseach's seat.

"If it takes a moment or two to get across to their own seat, in

circumstances like that the issue is ensuring that when the vote is
called and taking place that everybody who is entitled to vote are
sitting firmly in their own seats and not anywhere else."

Mr Flanagan said when asked if a wider review of all TDs may open a
can of worms for his own party as much as Fianna Fáil that "that's a
matter for themselves [his party colleagues]… I think the issue is the
illegal nature and the unlawful act of proxy voting which is a really
serious misdemeanour in our parliamentary system".

He added when asked if a number of laws may be affected: "Well we're

in a minority government situation, we've had some tight votes, I've
had a number of tight votes myself in the justice department, where an
amendment may be carried by one vote or by the casting vote of a
Ceann Comhairle.

"And it's absolutely essential therefore that there be an examination of

voting practices to ensure any votes are done so by those in the
chamber and not by anybody who may be off on a skite."

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/jus
tice-minister-calls-for-full-investigation-into-illegal-act-
of-tds-voting-for-absent-colleagues-958704.htmlspaper
Archive

Dáil voting controversy
Fianna Fáil's Brexit spokesperson, Lisa Chambers, will not face any sanction from her
party after she voted twice on the same motion during a Dáil session last week |
https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/1167758056751701/

TD’s in the Dial illegal Voting fraud controversy on absent Questions in the Dáil | Latest
politics headlines October 21st 2019

This is a very serious situation which requires urgent action’ - Ceann Comhairle begins with a
statement on the voting controversy
Vote Gate is subject to complaint under Ethics in Public Office Act, says Ceann Comhaire. He
adds that TDs must be seated to vote from now on. Procedures Committee will meet on
Thursday and consider report on controversy.

https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/425425154827247/?epa=SEARCH
_BOX

TDs must be in designated

seats for Dáil votes to take
place for time being, Ceann
Comhairle says
Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl addressed the Dáil on the matter
before Leaders’ Questions today.
October 23, 19

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Image: Leah Farrell via RollingNews.ie
THE CEANN COMHAIRLE has said that for the time being
Dáil votes will only be taken when all members are seated in
their designated seats.
It emerged over the weekend that Niall Collins voted for
fellow Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley six times in one
session while Dooley was outside the chamber on a phone
call.
It wasn’t the only incident to emerge in recent days – a
number of TDs have come forward in the last two days to
say that another TD voted for them while they were in the
chamber. Fianna Fáil’s Brexit spokesperson Lisa Chambers
yesterday admitted she mistakenly voted for deputy leader
Dara Calleary last week.
Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl ordered a report into the
Dooley and Collins incident on Saturday. Fianna Fáil
leader Micheál Martin has asked the Dooley and Collins to
temporarily step down from their positions on the party’s
frontbench after the incident was reported.
It is understood the party leader has today also spoken to
Chambers and has accepted her explanation of events. She
will not face any sanction.
When contacted by TheJournal.ie, Dooley said he was not
going to make any comment on the issue until the Ceann
Comhairle finishes his report. Calls to Niall Collins to
request comment on the events were not returned.

Addressing the chamber before Leaders’ Questions in the

Dáil today, Ó Fearghaíl said he is “absolutely committed to
establishing the facts and making any changes to the
electronic voting system that are deemed necessary
following the review”.
“Any recommendations to changes to the system that
emerge from the review will be given immediate attention,”
Ó Fearghaíl said.
In the meantime, any votes this week shall only be taken
when all members are seated in their designated seats.
A Committee on Procedure meeting will be convened on
Thursday morning to consider the completed report, he
noted.
Ó Fearghaíl added that provision will be made, if necessary,
on Thursday for a debate on the matter.
‘That would be a crime’
If an ordinary citizen voted twice, for example, and voted for somebody else as well as
themselves, that would be a crime.

To vote for somebody else, that’s impersonation, or to vote twice that is a crime. It certainly
would be no defence to say that it didn’t matter because the person who won won by a big
margin anyway.
Jesus wept they ALREADY HAVE designated seats. Otherwise how could you know you
were sitting in someone else's seat as has been claimed. They really do believe we are
fucking stupid

The issue was also raised during Leaders’ Questions today

when Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald asked Taoiseach
Leo Varadkar.
McDonald said the behaviour of Fianna Fáil TDs has
“discredited” the Dáil, adding that last week’s incident
demonstrates an “absolute disrespect for those who elected
you and those you represent”.

RELATED READS
21.10.19
Martin accepts Chambers' explanation of voting for TD
who was outside Dáil chamber
19.10.19
Ceann Comhairle orders 'urgent' probe after FF TD's Dáil
votes recorded despite him being absent
“Beyond the investigation being taken up ably by
the Ceann Comhairle, how are we to establish whether or
not this practice is, and has been, in fact, widespread and
how will we deal with the consequences of that?” McDonald
asked Varadkar.
In response, Varadkar said “the integrity of the voting
process is integral to our democracy”.
He continued:
If an ordinary citizen voted twice, for example, and voted for
somebody else as well as themselves, that would be a crime.
To vote for somebody else, that’s impersonation, or to vote
twice that is a crime. It certainly would be no defence to say
that it didn’t matter because the person who won won by a
big margin anyway.
Varadkar said “we must apply to people in this House the
same standards as we would apply to ordinary citizens going
out to vote on voting day, on election day or on referendum
day”.
The Taoiseach went on to say he believes there is “a world of
a difference” between being in the chamber but not being in
your seat and not being in the chamber at all.
“In order to allay any concerns or confusion, I think we
should all now be in our seats for all votes from now on.”
Varadkar said “we must apply to people in this House the same standards as we
would apply to ordinary citizens going out to vote on voting day, on election day
or on referendum day”.

The Taoiseach went on to say he believes there is “a world of a difference”

between being in the chamber but not being in your seat and not being in the
chamber at all.

“In order to allay any concerns or confusion, I think we should all now be in our
seats for all votes from now on.”
Pardon my ignorance here but I don’t get this ‘world of difference between
being in the chamber and not in your seat, and not being in the chamber at
all’. Either you pushed your button and voted yourself or somebody else
pushed your button and you did not vote yourself.
Now we know why Bertie’s voting machines were ditched. TD’s believed that
the general population would behave as they do. You really couldn’t make
this up.
Is it not the Ceann Comhairle’s job to make sure the Members stick to the
Rules? Did he turn a blind eye, or is he asleep at the wheel too
Did Mary Lou have anything to say about her own crowd pressing the button
when not in their seat.

Nothing will happen, 1,000 Euro fine and banned from the chamber, then you
might get their attention, however nothing will happen as usual

https://www.thejournal.ie/ceann-comhairle-votegate-tds-4862382-
Oct2019/?fbclid=IwAR0zdcUppDgUBVC19u5RlLbWxympuLwDtJDBWyLFe32bu
5v-HpY1ZOdaiUc
Imagine how many times this legislation was abused...
I very much doubt Shane Ross is the first or the last...
They didn’t go to all the trouble of writing, debating and passing this legislation just for
Shane bloody Ross to hide his activities that the public are entitled to know behind this
legislation as “private papers”.
I hope you can appreciate and understand just how damaging to an open and transparent
democracy this development represents..



State apology for CervicalCheck failures October 21 2019
st

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has apologised to the women and their loved ones who suffered
from what he said were 'a litany of failures' in how cervical screening in our country operated
over many years

https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/488830681973858/?epa=SEARCH
_BOX

Ryan Tubridy says Toy Show should remind people

'how fortunate they are to have a roof over their
heads'
Elitist scumbag
Should be a complete rehash of the show to show solidarity with the
current crisis, no adults, all children in the audience and taking part,
and a cross section from all parts of the country, different nationalities
etc, its a toy show so we don't need the awful staged singing and
dancing, and instead of people wasting money knitting stupid jumpers
for him, make donations instead
3
Hide or report this
Like
 · 28m · Edited

IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO RYAN TELL PEOPLE HOW LUCKY
THEY ARE WITH ALL THE POWER YOU HAVE WITH THE LATE LATE
SHOW YOU COULD REALLY CHANGE THINGS ,IF YOU HAVE THE
WILL

HE MAKES MILLIONS HE CAN HELP

All children on this show should be from the homeless community!

https://extra.ie/…/irish-news/ryan-tubridy-conscious-homele…

EXTRA.IE

Renters, mortgage holders, asylum seekers stuck in direct provision, hidden homeless,
students, Travellers in overcrowded halting sites, people on the social housing list,
people who've refused homeless services, people who are waiting for affordable housing,
single people, single parent families....
Our housing and accommodation needs cannot be ignored if we present them united.
The FG-FF government rub their hands in glee when they see honest and motivating
groups like this containing people who attempt to deflect the anger away from the government
and onto minorities.
Other people suffering are not the problem. The problem is Airbnb and other short term tenancy
arrangements , a reliance on the private rental market, evictions, the failure to build public housing
and the vast amount of houses lying empty across the state that take ages to turn around because
local authorities keep outsourcing the retrofit work to private contractors.
Stick to a message of unity of demands and those who are inadvertently doing the government's
work for them by being discriminatory will fall away.
Back in those times ash we went home to a warm bed and ours didnt have that worrie its disgraceful
everybody deserves a home and when your actully putting yourself out there and there laughing at you
does have ye fuming they would happily make you cry quicker then letting you down gently and i just
think now as it stands its just not acceptable our kids are goimg grow up in to this mess and where will
there mental health be when there older who will be left with the guilt and the blaim us when the
system is failing us and its resulting on them its not fair i dont want my kids growing up and
remebering back to a time we wore × homeless × its sicking thanks ash well all do this togather please
god cause ill die trying

My poem Called
I’m Homeless all Alone
By Rita Cahill
Oct 2019
its about the Homeless i hope you all like it
We Walk The streets with our Head's Bowed Down
we are The Homeless with no where to Go. And life gets us down,
We Try to get by Day to Day
but the light in our eyes is fading away.
We were once young and so full of Life.
And the only thing we wanted was to have a Good life
But our Dreams have turned upside Down
where once we had Sunshine
But now only rain
.As we lie on the streets and Feel so Alone and in pain .
We pray in Silence that This feeling will Go Away.
So we get up in the morning and try to make it through the Day
But that fear of loneliness will not go away..
we sit in silence and watch people pass By
A Silent tear will fall from my eye,
We try to think of the Good times instead of the Bad,
we hope to god one Day the pain and loneliness will Go away
My Hopes and Dreams just Scathered around,
Wondering around for hours in the town,
The Happy Ending to get that home we never had,
I Walk for hours and bleed my feet, every Day

No disciplinary action recommended over Dáil voting

October 24th 2019
Ceann Comhairle's inquiry into irregular voting in the Dáil, the controversy isn't over yet,
RTÉ Political Correspondent Mícheál Lehane reports

https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/2752206144836326/?__tn__=%2CdkC-
R&eid=ARCS_zurB6pzEjQdCxnZT75TBCaplVIajHzeb8WaiuOhfKRlRvdSvbtUgm0udq4jIAq0ESq0
BIslc-eE&hc_ref=ARQcxblbysC-
uOo0TH1HlU6ZfL1SGEbWksPSNqYJL77xi_6s9f4q3S068v8O2cJzY9E

Ceann Comhairle's inquiry into irregular voting in the Dáil, the controversy isn't over yet,
October 24th 2019
RTÉ Political Correspondent Mícheál Lehane reports.
A white wash, we are worth more than this, as is our vote, absolute
gangsters.


They will be held to account @ election time.

https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/2398089306904958/


Doherty urged to explain

spending on 'facial
matching software'

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy called for clarity.

Thursday, October 24, 2019
clarity.
Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty has been urged to explain
why money is being spent on public service card "facial matching
software" despite repeated assurances the Government has no plans to
use the tool.

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy called for the clarity after
the first figures in two years for the system found the cost of the
project to date has now hit €67.8m.

In a letter to the Dáil's public accounts committee, the Department of

Social Protection's secretary-general John McKeon said the State has to
date spent €67.8m on the SAFE identity authentication and public
service card plans.

The letter confirmed the public service card price tag has increased by
€8m since early 2017, with the total cost including €294,000 on "facial
matching software and maintenance" among other matters.

Raising the issue - and the ongoing row between the Government and
the Data Protection Commisioner over the cards - Social Democrats co-
leader Catherine Murphy said the costs raise further questions.

Noting the money involved, she said the Department and Minister
Doherty must now give the full price tag of the "lifespan" of the project,
and that clarity is now needed on the money spent on "facial matching"
software.

"Can you ask them about the lifespan of the card and what the
potential cost is?" Ms Murphy asked PAC chair and Fianna Fáil TD Sean
Fleming.

We don't have biometrics according to the department, but we have

facial matching software and biometrics costs," she said, adding the
€294,000 cost should be clarified.
The issue was raised during a PAC meeting which also heard calls for
the chief officer of public procurement, Paul Quinn, to launch a
widescale review of all Government departments and groups amid a
series of tender rule breaches concerns.

Highlighting a letter from child protection agency, Tusla, which noted a

number of tender rules issues affecting the organisation, Mr Fleming
said he wants any potential wider problems to be identified.

"It is time for the office of public procurement to do it because if

they're only in the business of sending out circulars then it's time for
them to step up to the mark," Mr Fleming said.

At a later stage of the meeting, Fianna Fáil TD Marc Mac Sharry asked
for Mr Quinn - who the Irish Examiner revealed this week has stepped
down from a key children's hospital board - to personally appear,
saying: "I think he can certainly add ... value."

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty has been urged to explain why money is being
spent on public service card "facial matching software" despite repeated assurances the
Government has no plans to use the tool.
Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy called for the clarity after the first figures in
two years for the system found the cost of the project to date has now hit €67.8m.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/doherty-urged-to-explain-spending-
on-facial-matching-software-
959525.html?fbclid=IwAR34dAnCF1ZCUa0u7eadwY4VdAIcK5RMfNmx4bseP0uws3oyh
MgN1GN96aU#.XbKuZ9DoOcg.facebook
Gardaí using PSC for vetting
forms despite law
Friday, October 25, 2019
An Garda Síochána has been including the public services card (PSC) as
an identification option on Garda vetting forms used by businesses
across the country, in apparent violation of social welfare law.

As part of the vetting process, mandated by legislation enacted

between 2012 and 2016, gardaí register affected organisations as
requiring successful vetting for staff before they can commence
employment.

Vetting is required for any employees who may be working with either
children or vulnerable adults.

On foot of this, the relevant organisation requires applicants to fill out

vetting forms. But before that can happen the prospective employee is
expected to verify their identity to the satisfaction of the gardaí.

This is carried out via a points system, with 100 points required to
reach the relevant threshold, which in practice requires a form of
identification and an acceptable verification of address. The PSC
represents the joint most valuable form of identification per the live
vetting forms, at 80 points, along with a driving licence.

However, the list of specified bodies under legislation which can

request a PSC in exchange for a service is restricted to State and quasi-
State institutions. Childcare or youth coaching organisations, two of the
largest cohorts for which Garda vetting is required, are not present on
the list.

Under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, any enterprise

seeking to request the card as a form of identification which is not on a
list of specified bodies is committing an offence, with a penalty upon
indictment of €13,000 or three years in prison, or both.

Both An Garda Síochána and the Department of Social Protection were

contacted by the Irish Examiner to ask if they were aware of the
apparent legislative breach, and whether or not Garda vetting forms
would be altered. No response had been received from either party at
the time of publication.

“The reassurances given by Government that the uses of the card can
be effectively curtailed are hard to give credence to when it’s blatantly
being used as an ID and the gardaí are not supposed to be able to ask
for it,” said Antoin Ó Lachtnain, director with Digital Rights Ireland.

Last week, mobile phone carrier GoMo pulled the PSC as an

identification option on its website after concerns were raised with the
Department of Social Protection.

Mr Ó Lachtnain said he considers the issue of Garda vetting “more

egregious” than that of GoMo as “this is the Garda”.

“GoMo have the excuse of simply not knowing any better, but you
would expect An Garda Síochána to know what the rules are,” he said.
“There has to be a strategy for this kind of thing, with a carefully
considered solution, and the PSC is not that solution.”
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/gardai-using-psc-for-vetting-forms-
despite-law-959754.html

With Fianna Fail in disarray over VoteGate, the Blueshirts and

Varadkar can win the upcoming General Election - if enough of
you keyboard warriors just keep moaning and don't bother voting.
Fine Gael's own loyal support base of around 25% can get them
back into power. All they need is a low turnout on voting day and
Varadkar will be Taoiseach until 2025. Just think of the damage
they can inflict on the people of this country in 5 years, the billions
more that they will waste, the tens of thousands who won't be
housed, the unfortunate sick people who will die because of
Simon Harris. Water charges of course will be introduced straight
away, pensions will be cut and workers will be crucified with huge
Carbon Tax deductions from wages. Our young people will be
sent to fight endless wars on behalf of the EU's PESCO army -
and many will come home in body bags. But some people will be
very happy - Denis O'Brien will get plenty of juicy state contracts,
the Vulture Funds and the bankers will rake in billions and pay
little or no tax. That's Fine Gael's way you see. They are a party of
the rich, for the rich.
So don't vote, stay at home on election day and keep these elite
gangsters happy and wealthy.
The issue is we've no credible alternative to ff/fg. I want to vote , I go to the polling station hoping to
vote but when I get there no ones name on the ballot paper is worth voting for, they won't bring enough
changes . Also I live in the consituency Dun Laoghaire Rathdown. 4 of our 7 TDs are Fine Gael , one is
independant , he's our current minister for transport Shane Ross, one green party and one solidarity
pepole before profit. A wise person once said if voting changes anythjng they would make it illegal

Fucking joke getting houses in Citywest ,

homes should be for the Irish , well deserving me arse
our own are dying on the streets
We will be like the UK in a few years. If we as a people don’t stop this madness. These people will be
a drain on the welfare system. While native Irish die in the streets. It is a shame on us letting theses
parasites in the Dail destroy our beautiful country let’s put the Irish poor and homeless first. Is there
anybody out there to organize a protest march against this because the Irish did not vote for this
migration madness.

Rights group plans Ireland’s first ‘mass action’ legal
campaign over Public Services Card
Published 26 September 2019

A civil liberties group has announced plans to submit a legal complaint over the
Public Services Card (PSC) on behalf of more than 1,000 people.

Digital Rights Ireland (DRI) said its new #no2psc campaign, launched yesterday,
represented the first “mass action” legal campaign in Ireland.

Dr TJ McIntyre, a law professor and chair of Digital Rights Ireland,

said: “Ireland does not have the ‘class action’ lawsuits made famous by American
movies. But under GDPR, we now have the power to file a legal complaint on behalf
of multiple complainants.

“With #no2psc, we’re hoping to gather more than 1,000 Public Service Card users to
force an end to the government’s mass abuse of personal data.”

He added: “The Public Services Card has become a stealth national ID card. More and
more public bodies are demanding service users present a PSC.

“Using the PSC as a national ID card with no underpinning legislation or safeguards

for members of the public is simply illegal.”

Dr McIntyre said submitting a complaint under the GDPR would give the Data
Protection Commissioner, whose ruling on the PSC under separate data protection
legislation is now the subject of litigation, “additional powers to require the
government to comply, including fines of up to one million euro”.

https://www.irishlegal.com/article/rights-group-plans-ireland-s-first-mass-action-legal-campaign-over-public-
services-card?fbclid=IwAR2ZSt4clmFwy8w0z6TVJ7NUmnWTQ0JRUqb9UcDNENtAqxfMhEo9CAN-GxU

Data protection watchdog to bring enforcement proceedings

over Public Services Card scheme
Published 18 September 2019

The Data Protection Commission is planning to launch enforcement proceedings

against the Department of Social Protection in relation to the Public Services
Card (PSC) scheme, according to reports.

The watchdog’s report on the scheme, which found that its expansion had no legal
basis, was published by the department last night.
FINAL INVESTIGATION REPORT An investigation by the Data Protection
Commission in respect of the processing of personal data by the Department
of Employment Affairs and Social Protection in relation to THE PUBLIC
SERVICES CARD (“PSC”)
http://www.welfare.ie/en/pdf/pr170919.pdf

However, Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty has disagreed with its
findings and has no plan to revise the scheme.

Ms Doherty said her department has “strong legal advice that the existing social
welfare legislation provides a robust legal basis for my department to issue PSCs for
use by a number of bodies across the public sector”.

The Government says it believes that it would be inappropriate, and potentially

unlawful, to withdraw or modify the use of the PSC or the data processes that
underpin it as has been requested by the DPC.

Graham Doyle, head of communications at Data Protection

Commission, told The Irish Times: “We welcome the publication of the report. As
previously stated, the process of preparation of the enforcement notice is now under
way.”

The Government Knows It's Illegal.

The government has badgered and cajoled millions of people into signing up for the card
and database without legal basis. The PSC has unlawfully spread across departments,
functionally turning the PSC into a National ID Card without legislation or debate.
If You've Ever Had a PSC, Your Rights Were Breached.
The Data Protection Commissioner has found that your privacy rights were violated by the
PSC including unlawful sharing of your data. It's ordered the destruction of 3.2 million PSC
records. The Government is refusing to comply.
STOP Illegal Expansion
Vital services have been illegally withheld from citizens without PSCs across
multiple departments.
STOP Illegal Sharing
PSC data is still illegally being shared with other departments by the
Department of Social Protection.
STOP Data Warehousing
The Government is still holding personal PSC data 'indefinitely' which is
illegal under GDPR.
PSC Does NOT Save Taxpayer Money
The PSC costs 3,647% more than it saves. According to the Department of Employment
Affairs and Social Protection's own published statistics given to the DPC, the PSC project
has cost tens of millions of euros and recovered, at best, just 1.7million in fraud.
A PSC is NOT Mandatory.

The independent supervisory authority charged with protecting your privacy

is the Data Protection Commission (the DPC). The DPC has made the legal
position crystal clear in their recent report to the Government: the current
PSC project is illegal.
Despite this, multiple public bodies have illegally refused
services to citizens without a PSC:
1. Passport applications denied by the Passport Office
2. Driving License Renewals refused by the NDLS
3. Parents refused a school bus appeal by the Department of Education
and Skills
4. Pensions cut off by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social
Protection

Taking those services away from you to force you to get a card is and
always has been illegal.
We Need Your Help to Make It STOP
If you have ever had a PSC -- even voluntarily -- you can join our mass action complaint and
help us make the government face the DPC's full powers under GDPR. Those new powers
include million euro fines, a ban on data processing and the forced erasure of data.
https://no2psc.digitalrights.ie/?fbclid=IwAR1plVpUPP3xf-YVoU6cdqKf0_wgvz2GNMjOuc-KQxfvDx3HJI2-
iMH0YBE
Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals
Joint Submission from Digital Rights Ireland and Castlebridge Associates
Submission prepared by Daragh O Brien, TJ McIntyre, and Dr Katherine O’Keefe on
behalf of
Castlebridge Associates and Digital Rights Ireland
www.castlebridge.ie | www.digitalrights.ie
Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • • •
About Castlebridge Associates 4
About Castlebridge Associates
Castlebridge Associates (http://castlebridge.ie) is a leading training and consulting firm
specializing in Data Governance, Data Protection, Information Quality management, and
Information Strategy
Castlebridge Associates has provided Data Governance and Data Protection training and
consulting services to public sector organisations including the Revenue Commissioners,
the CDETB, and SUSI. We have also advised on Data Governance strategy for a
leading, high profile, EU institution, as well as for a range of private sector organisations
in a number of industry sectors.
In addition to our training and consulting work we organize specialist conferences on
Information Quality, Data Governance, and Data Protection under the “Information
Governance and Quality Ireland” brand. See www.igq.ie for details of our latest upcoming
event.
About Daragh O Brien
Daragh O Brien, is an internationally regarded expert on Data Governance, Information
Quality, and Data Protection practice. He is a Fellow of the Irish Computer Society, a
member of the International Association of Privacy Professionals, a former Director of the
International Association for Information and Data Quality (IAIDQ), and is currently Global
Privacy Advisor to the Data Management Association (DAMA).
Daragh holds a degree in Business and Legal Studies from UCD, and is a Certified
Information Quality Practitioner, Six Sigma Green Belt, and Certified Data Protection
Professional. He lectures on Data Governance and Data Protection practice on the Law
Society of Ireland’s Professional Certificate in Data Protection Practice.
About Dr. Katherine O’Keefe
Dr. Katherine O’Keefe is an Analyst Consultant with Castlebridge Associates,
specializing in Data Governance and Data Protection implementation and training.
Katherine has worked on Data Governance programme design for a leading telecoms
company and has worked with a number of clients on Data Protection compliance
reviews and gap remediation. Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals
•••
About Digital Rights Ireland 5
About Digital Rights Ireland
Digital Rights Ireland is dedicated to defending Civil, Human and Legal rights in a digital
age. We are a small, focused organization. We are a member of European Digital Rights
(EDRI) and also work with other civil rights groups such as the Irish Council for Civil
Liberties and international colleagues in groups such as Privacy International.
Our volunteers work in three key areas:
Working with Government and Legislators
We work to help legislators to understand the issues involved in online rights. For
example, we recently appeared before an Oireachtas committee in relation to the issue of
cyber-bullying.
Legal Challenges
We are bringing a constitutional challenge against the Irish government in relation to their
policy of retaining internet and telephone records on the entire population. This case has
a major European dimension and we have already achieved a landmark victory before
the European Court of Justice. The Irish Human Rights Commission appears as an
amicus.
Digital Rights Ireland itself sought leave to intervene as an amicus in relation to attempts
by international record labels to block IP addresses of certain file sharing websites.
Public Activism
We explain these issues in public and help assemble public campaigns in relation to
them. We regularly contribute to radio programs and print and online publications in
relation to these topics. In 2012 we helped organise the Stop SOPA Ireland campaign
and achieved international publicity and condemnation of government proposals for
internet blocking. Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • • •
Executive Summary 6
Executive Summary
We welcome the opportunity to comment at this early stage on the proposal for a Data
Sharing and Governance Bill.
We are broadly welcoming of the initiative to improve Data Governance and Sharing in
the Public Sector. This represents a key opportunity for meaningful change in the Public
and Civil services that has potential to improve customer interactions, drive expenditure
reductions, and improve efficiency. These are laudable objectives that have the potential
to build on isolated case study examples of good practice cited in the Proposal
document, such as the sharing of data between Revenue Commissioners and SUSI to
streamline the payments process for student grant assessments.
However, such a vision can only be achieved with a strong and consistent emphasis on
Data Governance to avoid repeating the failures of other public service data integration
and data sharing initiatives. This Data Governance focus must also address currently
identified weaknesses in Data Protection compliance capability across the public sector,
which will only be compounded should widespread data sharing become the norm.
In that context we are of the view that:
1. The proposal needs to address the causes of previous failures of public sector
initiatives otherwise there will be further failures. These failures were not because of
technical or legislative failures but because strong and coherent data governance was
missing (For example, see Comptroller and Auditor General Special Report into
eGovernment and REACH). This is in line with wider industry research that identifies
absence of data governance as a root cause of data integration project failure rates.
2. Data Sharing already takes place between Public Sector bodies and between Public
Sector and Private Sector bodies with clear legislative bases. It is unclear what additional
sharing capability would be provided by an umbrella legislation, other than the promotion
of reuse, which in turn requires effective Data Governance for standards, formats, and
usage of data.
3. Data sharing is no panacea. It brings problems of its own in terms of data quality and
effectiveness. Data that is fit for one purpose may not be fit for another, and the public
service may find itself sinking under a deluge of data it does not understand. There is a
far greater possibility of an unthinkable data protection breach.
4. We propose an alternative definition of “Data Sharing”. This definition better reflects
the reality that different levels of sharing that are required in different circumstances and
takes into account the different purposes for which sharing might occur.
5. Data Governance is not defined at all in their proposal. Many of the issues with data
sharing in the public sector have their heart in failures of Data Governance and a failure
to apply customer-centric and data-driven thinking in the right governance framework,
which necessitates a clear vision of what Governance is. We have defined it. We believe
the bill should focus on formalising and providing a mandate for transparent and effective
Data Governance across the public sector, which will enable safer sharing and support
reform.
Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • • •
Executive Summary 7
6. The proposals go beyond the scope of what is required for compliance with the EU
Reuse of Public Sector Information Directive. Other aspects, such as the limitation on
data sharing to public sector bodies within the State, do not meet the requirements of the
Directive.
7. The definition of Data Sharing contained in the proposal document is insufficient and
we provide an alternative definition.
8. The role of the Data Protection Commissioner as an independent arbiter must be
maintained. It is not appropriate that they have direct input into Data Governance in the
Public Sector as this goes against the necessary segregation of Duties. A Data
Governance Office for the Public Service could provide the appropriate “honest broker”
for common principles, standardised practices, and common governance across the
Public Sector, with particular reference to improving standards in Data Protection
practices and the development of a common “Business Data Glossary”. This mirrors the
practices in large private sector organisations when dealing with the Data Protection
Commissioner. As an entity that is independent of Government under EU Treaty
provisions, it is essential the engagement of the State with the DPC be on the same
terms as other large Data Controllers and Data Processors in the Private Sector.
We are of the opinion that, should our concerns and suggestions be taken on board in
the drafting of this legislation, there is a significant opportunity for Ireland to establish a
“best of breed” model for effective and balanced sharing of public sector data, while at
the same time driving efficiencies and economies in the sector through improved Data
Governance; clarity of roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities; improved potential for
reuse of data; standardization of common work practices, procedures, and training for
Data Protection; and collaborative resolution of information quality errors and prevention
of ‘scrap and rework’.
The sharing of public sector data will always raise issues of trust, transparency, quality,
and compliance. Recent high profile cases such as the disclosure of GRO data of living
individuals via an Ancestry research website, unauthorized access to personal data held
by Government departments such as the Department of Social Protection, and concerns
raised in the media about the Data Protection compliance of data handling by Irish Water,
all serve to undermine that trust in how State bodies handle personal data.
With the former Data Protection Commissioner openly decrying the failure of Public
Sector leadership to engage appropriately with their obligations under Data Protection
law, and warning of the need for “continued vigilance about the encroachment of the
State into the private lives of individuals” (Hawkes) it is essential that any reform of Data
Governance and sharing addresses these concerns in a forthright and transparent
manner.
This Bill provides a unique opportunity to establish a data sharing framework that is
underpinned by transparent Data Governance principles that will be deserving of and
supporting of public trust. In this way, an appropriately structured Bill, which focuses on
the obligations of Governance rather than the minutiae of execution, can provide a stable
foundation on which to build a reformed culture and practice of trusted, trustworthy, safe,
and compliant Data Sharing in the Public Sector. Consultation on Data Sharing &
Governance Bill Proposals • • •
Introduction 8
Introduction
Effective sharing of information between organisations has the potential to streamline the
delivery of public services. However, experience in both the public and private sectors
has shown that increased access to and sharing of information does not always translate
into an increase in efficiency and effectiveness. Furthermore, industry research has
shown consistently that data integration and sharing initiatives that do not address data
governance have a significant risk of failure. This has been borne out by C&AG reviews
of data sharing and data integration initiatives over recent years in the Irish Public
Service.
The very clear and trenchant comments of the former Data Protection Commissioner
about the culture of Data Protection compliance in the Public Service, is symptomatic of
systemic failures in Data Governance in the Public Service and the absence under
current legislation and structures of clear decision rights, responsibilities, and
accountability for data processing activities, especially in the context of Data Protection.
We must also acknowledge the creation and use of legislative basis for data sharing in a
number of high profile government initiatives such as the establishment of Irish Water.
Based on the experience of Castlebridge Associates advising on Data Governance and
Data Protection aspects a number of Public Sector initiatives we must also recognize the
often low levels of maturity of understanding Data Governance principles and specifics of
Data Protection law and practice.
On that basis it is clear that the emphasis within any Data Governance and Sharing Bill
should be placed not on the legislative basis for sharing of data, but rather on
implementing clear and standardized structures to ensure the effective and efficient
governance of data, which will in turn provide a foundation for trusted and transparent
sharing of data to support efficiency and transformation in the public service.
In this document we have set out a series of detailed responses to the questions posed
in the consultation process. In preparing our responses we note that the questions in the
consultation document were not numbered sequentially, with question numbers being
repeated in the document. This may pose difficulties in comparing responses between
submissions, hence we have not relied on the number of the questions but have used
section headings containing the text of each individual question.
We have also included a detailed analysis of the definitions of Data Sharing contained in
the document and put forward what we believe is a more detailed and descriptive
definition that reflects the different categories of sharing that might arise in practice. We
have also provided a working definition of Data Governance, which we note was not
actually defined in the consultation document. We have also outlined a possible
framework for a Data Governance Office for the public sector, to support the
development and definition of common standards, business data glossary, independent
oversight of Data Sharing arrangements, and standardization of training and work
practices for Data Protection Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals •
••
Introduction 9
Officers across the public sector. This DGO function would support a segregation of
duties between the execution of public sector data sharing and the Data Protection
Commissioner, further ensuring independence of the Office of the Data Protection
Commissioner as required under EU law.
We also request clarification on the degree of overlap between the requirements of the
Reuse of Public Service Information Directive and the requirements of Open Data in
government and the implicit vision of granular data sharing between public sector bodies
for operational purposes. We submit that these are two distinct purposes and should not
be conflated for the purposes of sharing data. Provision of aggregated and statistical data
for PSI and Open Data purposes requires a different level of and approach to Data
Governance and Sharing then the sharing of data for transactional purposes.
It is clear that data is and will be shared between public sector bodies and between
public sector entities and private sector firms. This sharing can be addressed on a case-
by-case basis with specific legislation. In our submission we point out that it may not be
possible for a “one-size-fits-all” over-arching Data Sharing provision given the
requirements under EU law for processing to be proportionate. We set out potential
solutions to this, but highlight the essential emphasis on effective governance of data to
promote reuse of standardized data sharing services for common purposes.
As sharing occurs, and will continue, we are of the opinion that any new legislative
provisions should focus on ensuring a strong foundation is established for a robust Data
Governance capability within the Public Sector. It is this capability, combined with a
coherent strategy for data sharing, which will support efficiency and effectiveness in the
Public Sector as well as providing a comprehensive platform for Public Sector reform
through data.
Absent a focus on developing a consistent and appropriate data governance framework
within this Bill it is inevitable that increased sharing of data will lead to increased
likelihood of costly project failures due to data governance and data quality issues, as
well as placing the personal and sensitive personal data of citizens at increased risk of
unauthorized processing, theft, or misuse. While no system of governance will ever be
perfect, any form of statutory-based Data Governance with a sufficiently clear mandate
and authority will clarify roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities for data in the Public
Sector.
Important lessons to be learned here.
Officers across the public sector. This DGO function would support a segregation of
duties between the execution of public sector data sharing and the Data Protection
Commissioner, further ensuring independence of the Office of the Data Protection
Commissioner as required under EU law.
We also request clarification on the degree of overlap between the requirements of the
Reuse of Public Service Information Directive and the requirements of Open Data in
government and the implicit vision of granular data sharing between public sector bodies
for operational purposes. We submit that these are two distinct purposes and should not
be conflated for the purposes of sharing data. Provision of aggregated and statistical data
for PSI and Open Data purposes requires a different level of and approach to Data
Governance and Sharing then the sharing of data for transactional purposes.
It is clear that data is and will be shared between public sector bodies and between
public sector entities and private sector firms. This sharing can be addressed on a case-
by-case basis with specific legislation. In our submission we point out that it may not be
possible for a “one-size-fits-all” over-arching Data Sharing provision given the
requirements under EU law for processing to be proportionate. We set out potential
solutions to this, but highlight the essential emphasis on effective governance of data to
promote reuse of standardized data sharing services for common purposes.
As sharing occurs, and will continue, we are of the opinion that any new legislative
provisions should focus on ensuring a strong foundation is established for a robust Data
Governance capability within the Public Sector. It is this capability, combined with a
coherent strategy for data sharing, which will support efficiency and effectiveness in the
Public Sector as well as providing a comprehensive platform for Public Sector reform
through data.
Absent a focus on developing a consistent and appropriate data governance framework
within this Bill it is inevitable that increased sharing of data will lead to increased
likelihood of costly project failures due to data governance and data quality issues, as
well as placing the personal and sensitive personal data of citizens at increased risk of
unauthorized processing, theft, or misuse. While no system of governance will ever be
perfect, any form of statutory-based Data Governance with a sufficiently clear mandate
and authority will clarify roles, responsibilities, and accountabilities for data in the Public
Sector.
Important lessons about the importance of effective Data Governance as part of Privacy
by Design can be learned from the implementation of Data Sharing in Irish Water, which
has significant legislative basis for data sharing provided for in the Water Services Act
2013. Due to a failure to engage clearly and transparently with Data Governance and
Data Protection issues, concerns about the Data Protection compliance of Irish Water’s
processing, and significant confusion as to their entitlement to request PPS Numbers and
the purposes for which those details would be used, resulting in extensive (and
avoidable) media comment and scrutiny from the Data Protection Commissioner’s Office.
Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • • •
Introduction 10
This Bill represents a singular opportunity to define a statutory framework for common
Data Governance standards to underpin improved Data Protection compliance in the
Public Service, implement appropriate data sharing based on agreed principles, drive
reform of Public Services through a focus on data, and demonstrate transparency and
trustworthiness of public service data processing to the relevant data subjects – the
citizens.
We would hope the Minister considers our comments and submissions and seizes the
opportunity to drive a radical data driven reform of the Public Service through improved
Data Governance to support trusted and trustworthy sharing of data. Consultation on
Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • • •
Data Sharing and Open Data: A disconnect in the proposals? 11
Data Sharing and Open Data: A disconnect in the proposals?
As part of our review of these Policy Proposals, we have sought to validate the stated
rationale and reason for the Data Sharing framework and associated legislation against
the specific policy proposals contained in the document. This analysis has informed
some of the rationale behind our responses to the formal questions raised in the
consultation document.
The scope of the directive and proposed legislation
We are concerned that the scope of the proposed legislation goes beyond the scope of
the EU directive it proposes to address and beyond both its stated objectives and legal
justification.
Query: Does the proposed policy go beyond the requirement of the PSI Directive?
Page 17 of the Data-Sharing and Governance Policy Proposal positions the suggested
bill as "containing the necessary provisions required to transpose the Public Service
Information Directive ( DIRECTIVE 2013/37/EU OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT
AND OF THE COUNCIL of 26 June 2013 amending Directive 2003/98/EC on the re-use
of public sector information) into Irish Law. However, Directive 2013/37/EU addresses
"Documents produced by public sector bodies of the Member States" which "constitute a
vast, diverse and valuable pool of resources that can benefit the knowledge economy"
and encourages open data policies to establish "a minimum set of rules governing the re-
use and the practical means of facilitating re-use of existing documents held by public
sector bodies of the Member States." (Article 1 ) These objectives are addressed in
actions 21-25 of the eGovernment strategy "Supporting Public Service Reform 2012-
2015" (April, 2012 http://per.gov.ie/wp-cont…/uploads/eGovernment-2012-2015.pdf ).
Query: Is what is proposed under this Policy proposal a framework for data integration as
opposed to Open Data?
PER's paper proposing a data sharing and governance initiative across public bodies
defines the subject of the proposed bill as ". . . data-sharing consists of two public service
bodies sharing structured data about an entity (such as a person, business, property or
event)", suggesting that "the implementation of an “ask-once, use many” vision will help
to significantly reduce the administrative burden on citizens and businesses,. . ." (Data
Sharing and Governance Bill Policy Proposals, 2).
The proposal is not an open data initiative that addresses the directive in scope or
content. Rather, the "ask-once, use many vision" and the "overall database of identity
information" (12) for the purpose of: "a) the matching of identity data provided by multiple
public bodies so as to provide the public service with a system-wide view of identity data
and b) to provide a general identity verification service" (11) suggest a large scale data
pooling project which is appears far beyond the scope of legislation required by
2013/37/EU.
Given the well publicised issues of inappropriate access and unauthorised disclosure of
personal data in a number of Public Sector organisations, and the very explicit criticism
by the Data Protection Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • • •
Data Sharing and Open Data: A disconnect in the proposals? 12
Commissioner of the Data Protection culture within the Public Service, the creation of a
larger, more integrated, data repository of citizen data gives pause for concern.
Notwithstanding our concerns that the proposed registration goes beyond the
requirements of the Directive, any legislation that enables greater access to a richer data
set describing identifiable must balance the risk to privacy with clear and decisive
sanctions for misuse or abuse of this data, and robust controls to build-in risk mitigation
and require Privacy by Design/Privacy by Default principles to be respected at a senior
level across the Public Service and Government.
Conflict with Proportionality Principles and the Objectives of the Directive
Paragraph 25 of Directive 2013/37/EU states: "In accordance with the principle of
proportionality, as set out in that Article, this Directive does not go beyond what is
necessary in order to achieve those objectives. This Directive should achieve minimum
harmonisation, thereby avoiding further disparities between the Member States in dealing
with the re-use of public sector documents".
We would query how the proposal fits with this emphasis on proportionality and avoiding
further disparities. It would seem, rather, that in going far beyond the scope of the EU
directive, PER's proposal may in fact violate the purposes of the Directive. It is also to be
noted that 2013/37/EU specifically identifies "to facilitate the creation of Community-wide
information products and services based on public sector documents, to enhance an
effective cross-border use of public sector documents by private companies for added-
value information products" as objectives of the directive (paragraph 25). As such is the
case, both the specific exclusion of "sharing of data with a public body in another EU
member state" in the proposal's definition of data sharing and the focus of the proposal
on large-scale aggregation and matching of personal data are incompatible with the
European directive.
We would also query the compatibility of the proposal with the fundamental human right
of data privacy as recognized in the EU Charter of Human Rights, the Data Protection
Directive (Directive 95/46/EC), and in the Irish Data Protection Acts of 1988 and 2003.
Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • • •
Data Sharing and Open Data: A disconnect in the proposals? 13
Query: Is there a ‘disconnect’ between the stated policy objectives and the proposed
policy framework to be transposed into legislation?
We are concerned by an apparent disconnect between the stated purpose of the
proposed Data Sharing and Governance bill, and the actuality set forth in the proposal.
The stated purpose of the proposed bill as set forward has been expressed thus by
Minister Brendan Howlin:
The purpose of the proposed Bill is:
1. To improve the experience of citizens accessing services by requiring public bodies to
use data that is already available electronically in the public service when delivering
services by removing the option of relying on certain paper documents to verify provided
information, but instead requiring that it look up the data or seek it from the relevant
public body. Removal of the option to request a particular paper document by a particular
public body will only take place where the purpose(s) for which the document was being
requested can be met by other channels, and where there will no adverse effect on the
efficiency or control measures of the particular public body.
2. To provide a legal framework to support access to data held by other public bodies. It
is expected that when the new Data Protection Regulation comes into force that all data-
sharing and linking in the public service will require an explicit legal basis, and a legal
framework usable by smaller public bodies will be required to facilitate the establishment
of such a legal basis in a reasonable timeframe.
3. Set down data-sharing and data-linking principles for all public bodies, including
requirements around structure, project governance and security. These would provide a
statutory basis for best practice, building on existing DPC guidelines and PER Circular
17/2012, and including a requirement to conduct a Privacy Impact Assessment prior to
undertaking any new data-sharing projects.
(http://www.per.gov.ie/government-agrees-measures-to-improv…/)
The proposal goes beyond these stated objectives in a number of ways. We believe that
our recommendation to place a focus on establishing a clear Data Governance
framework and oversight entity will better meet the stated policy objectives than the focus
on sharing of data that appears to be the current focus of the proposed Bill.
Query: Where in the proposal is there a clear statement of Information Processing
Principles
We note a distinct absence of clear data-sharing and data linking principles in the
proposal, particularly in the case of structure and project governance. Although the
proposal starts with a suggested definition for "data sharing", the resulting proposed
definition refers back to the term it purports to define. A definition of "Governance" is not
attempted. Thus, neither "data sharing" nor "governance" are clearly defined, with a
resulting lack of clarity in the proposal. Without clarity in understanding the Consultation
on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • • •
Data Sharing and Open Data: A disconnect in the proposals? 14
Governance structures, rights, and accountabilities to be set in place, it is difficult to
gauge how this proposed bill will set in place frameworks that bypass the existing legal
protections without contravening the fundamental human rights that the current legal
framework is designed to protect. In the case of data sharing between public bodies
without the consent of the data subject a specific legal basis is required. Currently,
primary legislation sets forth the specific need for an explicit legal basis to share or re-
use data for a purpose not specified on collection. This provides the legal framework that
protects the data subject's fundamental right to privacy that Minister Howlin notes when
he states: "in Ireland we benefit from strong constitutional protections relating to
individual privacy, which are reinforced in terms of data sharing by the extensive
safeguards embodied in EU data protection law." (http://www.per.gov.ie/creating-
confidence-in-data-sharing/ ).
While the "Data-Sharing and Governance" bill proposal states that the proposed
framework for data sharing will remain subject to the requirements of Data Protection law,
it is unclear how the proposed bill would accommodate the fundamental need for the
legal specifications of a particular data sharing requirement without the primary
legislation under which successful examples of data sharing provided in support of the
bill were successfully engineered.
We would query the specifics as to what in the proposed bill will ensure data sharing is
conducted in compliance with fundamental human rights.
The Interoperability Objective
At the heart of any discussion of data sharing is the question of interoperability. How this
question is framed depends in many respects on what is understood by the term “data
sharing” and how this aligns with the requirements of the interoperability framework that
is developed within any Data Governance structure or legislative oversight.
It is particularly important that the definition of what constitutes “data sharing” and “Data
Governance” under the scope of the proposed legislation is sufficiently clearly
constructed so as to be unambiguous. It is the experience of Castlebridge Associates
that among the key causes for failures in Data Governance initiatives is a failure to
properly define what is meant by Data Governance, to clearly articulate a Vision for Data
Governance, and to define unambiguously fundamental core principles that should under
pin the processing of data of any kind, in particular personal data.
The policy proposal, as it stands, fails in our view to clearly articulate:
1. What data sharing is, and equally what it is not. This creates a potentially significant
risk of ‘scope creep’ or ‘function creep’ in the operation of Public Services.
2. What Data Governance is understood to mean in the Public Service, and what the
format and structure of that Governance would be.
Given the very public and trenchant criticisms by the Data Protection Commissioner of
the general attitudes and approaches to Data Protection within the Public Sector in recent
months (but going back many years) and the apparent difficulties faced by Public Service
management in preventing, detecting, and taking action on foot of breaches of
information security and Data Protection, it is our strong opinion any “interoperability
framework” for data sharing must be built on very clear Fundamental Information
Processing Principles, with a very clear common definition, vision, and application of
Data Governance.
In addition, we would be concerned that the policy proposal as currently framed conflates
Data Sharing and Data Governance. This, in effect, conflates the action of doing data
sharing and data processing with the establishment of appropriate Governance
structures to oversee that sharing and processing. This failure to draw a distinction
between the two issues has its root in the definitions which underpin this proposal and
results in a failure to clearly delineate an appropriate segregation of duties and
responsibilities within the policy framework.
We strongly believe that, in the absence of a clear differentiation between the function of
sharing and processing data and the function of implementing and operating effective
oversight and controls, there is a strong risk that the current deficiencies and
weaknesses in control of, oversight of, and protection of data (whether sensitive,
personal, financial, or operational) within the Public Sector will persist. Consultation on
Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • • •
The Interoperability Objective 16
We would recommend that a clear distinction be drawn in proposals between Data
Governance and Data Processing, including Data Sharing. This is in line with established
best practice for Data Governance initiatives.
Defining Data Sharing
As highlighted elsewhere in this submission, we disagree with the definition of Data
Sharing that has been put forward in the current draft legislative proposal.
The definition currently put forward does not actually define data sharing. It describes
certain specific actions and actors which may be in scope within a process for sharing of
data. It presumes that there is a common understanding of data sharing as a discipline
and practice.
We are concerned that this lack of definitive definition would give rise to unanticipated
and undesirable scope creep or function creep in data processing and data sharing on
one hand, and avoidable confusion and objections to valid and legitimate initiatives on
the other. Indeed, from our review of the current Policy Proposal it is unclear at times
whether the ‘sharing’ being proposed is a case by case exchange of data for specific
operational purposes (e.g. the exchange of data between SUSI and the Revenue
Commissioners pursuant to the Student Finance Act 2011) or the creation of a ‘Single
View of [Entity]’ shared data repository.
Furthermore, the definition as set out in the current proposal does not adequately
distinguish between the act of data sharing and the act of and practice of governing the
sharing of that data. These are two distinct concepts and should be defined and
addressed separately (we define Data Governance below).
We believe that it is fundamentally important that the definition of data sharing be clear,
non-recursive, and unambiguous so as to ensure that all current and potential future
purposes and mechanisms for sharing of data are addressed appropriately. We also
submit that a failure to distinguish between the act of sharing data and the operation of
governance over that sharing would allow the current climate wherein effective
governance of data is often placed second to the execution of a data related process to
persist, representing a significantly wasted opportunity for reform in the Public Sector.
An Alternative Definition of “Data Sharing”
We would propose the following definition:
Data Sharing is the execution and operation of defined processes for the exchange of
information between one or more entities for the purpose of supporting the delivery of
statutory public sector services, or the execution of obligations under EU law.
Data sharing processes may operate on
a) a case by case basis for the validation and verification of data;
Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • • •
The Interoperability Objective 17
b) on a defined batch processing basis for the validation, verification, and updating of
specific populations of data;
c) or as once-off consolidation and integration of disparate data sets to form a new,
shared, master data repository. This may also be called Data Pooling or Data
Consolidation.
Defining Data Governance
Data Governance is defined by the Data Governance Institute as:
“A system of decision rights and accountabilities for information-related processes,
executed according to agreed-upon models which describe who can take what actions
with what information, and when, under what circumstances, using what methods” (The
Data Governance Institute)1
1 Other definitions can be found in Data Governance: How to Design, Deploy, and
Sustain an Effective Data Governance Program by John Ladley, Morgan Kaufmann,
2012
Data Governance is not defined as a concept in the Data Governance and Sharing Bill
proposal. Given that some Public Service organisations, including regulatory
organisations, have defined their own definitions of Data Governance and Information
Governance, for example HIQA’s Guidance on Information Governance (Health
Information & Quality Authority), there is a distinct risk of cross Departmental variances in
definition of and application of Data Governance principles and practices absent a clear
centralized standard definition of the term. This objective may be served through an
appropriate legislative intervention, coupled with a clear framework for ensuring the
definition and its associated principles are consistently and effectively communicated and
applied throughout the Public Service.
With regard to whether Data Governance issues are a question of implementation, we
refer you back to our core working definition of Data Governance from the Data
Governance Institute. Data Governance Definition Element Comment
A System of Decision Rights…
The establishment of a system of decision rights for the processing of data is an
organizational and cultural issue. While a legislative basis for the system may provide a
common framework, it will fall to organization leadership from the top down to drive the
cultural change necessary to execute effective Data Governance.
The current Data Protection Acts provide an example of an existing system for a
framework of decision rights, but we have still seen an apparently systemic inability on
the part of the Public Sector to translate this into practical management.
right rules need to be followed in the right way, acting on the right data, for the right
reasons, at the right time.
In Figure 2 below we illustrate the various layers of segregation of duties that should exist
in the context of Data Protection compliance, however in the context of Master Data
Management and establishing any form of Service Oriented Architecture for data services
across a large organization, there are a number of additional governance factors that will
need to be considered. For the purposes of the illustration we have not shown the Private
Sector segregation of duties as a ‘V’ but the best practice is that a segregation of duties
exists there too.
Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • • •
Detailed Responses to Specific Questions Raised in Consultation 38
• If verification is required of a person’s registered marital status, fact of birth registration,
fact of death, or other data point, this is a case-by-case validation check that does not
require detailed data transfer
• If additional data is required to update data about that person (e.g. to update a date of
birth registration, date of marriage, or date of death) that is a category of data sharing
defined in our definition
• If GRO data to be consolidated with a new master data register that is a third category
of data sharing a defined in our alternative definition and would require more scrutiny and
different governance.
We would also point out the potential for errors or for unauthorized disclosure of sensitive
personal data in instances where the name that a person uses in day to day life does not
match their registered birth name, such as in the case of a transsexual individual or a
child of a divorced or bereaved couple who has taken the surname of a step-parent.
Removing the human interface from scenarios such as this could result in certain
segments of the population encountering additional issues engaging with State services.
"Some jurisdictions are examining the concept of an “honest broker” or “trusted third
party” – this would have the power to accept any data and process it on behalf of public
bodies, while preventing the public body from accessing the raw data. Is this a concept
that could usefully be included in the Bill?
The only example of a public sector entity for data sharing on the basis described in the
question is the Honest Broker Service established in the Department of Health, Social
Services, and Public Safety in the Northern Ireland Executive. There are examples of this
form of intermediary entity existing in academic and commercial clinical research
however, and it does provide a buffer between requesting entities and the original source
systems of record which can help minimize data exposed or shared.
We note that, in almost all examples we looked at as part of framing our response to this
question, that the data being discussed was anonymized, pseudonymised, or aggregated
data. Specifically, the website of the DHSSPS HSC Honest Broker Service (HSC HBS)
states that:
“The HBS will enable the provision of anonymised, aggregated and in some cases
pseudonymised health and social care data to the DHSSPS, HSC organisations and for
anonymised data for ethically approved health and social care related research”
This sharing of anonymized and aggregated data is conducted by the HSC HBS under
the oversight of an Information Governance Board that is responsible for ensuring good
governance of data and ensuring that data is provided in compliance with Data Protection
regulations and standards.
Whether an “honest broker” could be usefully introduced under this Bill depends on the
definition of "honest broker" in the context of Data Sharing and Data Governance. If the
definition is a structure similar to the HSC HBS – an entity that aggregates data and
provides aggregated/anonymized data sets Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance
Bill Proposals • • •
Detailed Responses to Specific Questions Raised in Consultation 39
to requesting bodies, then we would respond yes, and we would welcome the
introduction of a ‘one stop shop’ for aggregated data as it would reduce the need for
multiple points of data sharing for similar purposes. We would also submit that this
honest broker function would necessitate the establishment of the Data Governance
Office that we have referenced in response to earlier questions to:
1. Ensure common business glossary across potential data sources such that the correct
data was combined in the correct manner in aggregated data.
2. Ensure that anonymization/pseudonomyisation practices and protocols were
appropriate and complied with
3. Ensure that appropriate controls and protocols are in place to prevent unauthorized
access across multiple systems in a way that would breach Data Protection principles
4. Process requests for new forms or formats of aggregated data and ensure they are
subject to appropriate privacy impact assessment and other controls.
Subject to appropriate controls it may also be the case that an ‘Honest Broker’ model
could be used to facilitate specific reusable data sharing components, along the lines of a
Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) approach. Specific commonly occurring purposes
for sharing of data could be defined and a standardized interface implemented and
provided by the Honest Broker, subject to appropriate Data Governance and related
controls.
The Data Governance function would ideally perform an “honest broker” function in
respect of data definitions, standards, and disputes re: interoperability between source
data repositories. This is in line with the general role of Data Governance organisations in
a variety of private and public sector organisations such as Walgreens in the US or the
International Finance Corporation in the World Bank and which Castlebridge Associates
has recommended in a leading EU institution.
We note that the United Kingdom’s Government Digital Service division has developed a
strong capability in developing data access and data sharing services across the UK
Government sector and has produced a significant amount of data about the cost
inherent in and cost reductions possible in Government services in the UK. They are a
centralized solution design organization operating across multiple UK Government
departments to deliver standardized data access mechanisms.
Tellingly however, their strategic plan for 2014 to 2015 stresses the importance of having
the “necessary governance in place” to enable them to deliver hoped for benefits from
digital services investment in the UK public sector (Government Digital Service).
Figure 5 A potential Honest Broker Governance model
A key root cause for the failure of data sharing and data integration projects of this kind is
a failure to address Data Governance, Data Quality, and 'human factors' elements.
Examples of such failures in the public sector would include PPARS, REACH, and the
apparently on-going data quality challenges faced by PeoplePoint.
The creation of any large "single source" repository of data could raise questions of
proportionality of processing and data minimization under Directive 95/46/EC and Article
8 of the Charter of Fundamental Rights, as well as creating increased risks of loss or
damage arising from information security breaches. It is imperative therefore that the
benefit case for sharing in this way be clearly defined and articulated and appropriate
governance put in place prior to the development of new capabilities. Key lessons can be
learned from the failure of care.data in the UK and the negative publicity associated with
it.
In many circumstances compartmentalization of data, with 'sharing through validation'
checking serves a valuable function, allowing processes to be automated with minimal
sharing of data and Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • • •
Detailed Responses to Specific Questions Raised in Consultation 41
minimized risk of data breach. This de minimis approach could be applied to the
development of standard validation purpose protocols which could be reused on approval
by a central Data Governance function.
"Should specific provisions relating to the sharing of “anonymised” data be included?
Sharing of anonymised data reduces risk of breaches of data privacy rights. However,
anonymisation is neither absolute nor a panacea, particularly in this age of “Big Data”.
To quote from a recent Castlebridge Associates Whitepaper (O Brien):
“Recent research has highlighted the risks to personal privacy arising from the ability to
analyse large volumes of even anonymized data. For example:
• 80% of Netflix users can be re-identified from an anonymous data set based solely on
when and how they rated movies they had rented (Narayan and Shmatikov)
• Researchers analysing anonymous Facebook “Likes” (Kosinskia, Stillwell and Graepel)
were able to:
o Identify sexual orientation in men with a .88 probability
o Distinguish between African Americans and Caucasian Americans with 0.95 probability
o Distinguish between Republican voters and Democrat voters with a 0.85 probability”
These weaknesses with anonymized data are not new. The Castlebridge Associates
whitepaper continues:
“As far back as 1990, researchers demonstrated how it was possible to re-identify 87% of
the US population based only on the five digit Zip code, gender, and date of birth
(Sweeney). In that context legislative restrictions or mandates to anonymize data are
toothless where organisations lack controls to prevent re-identification of that data. Those
controls constitute a definable set of decision rights, responsibilities, and accountabilities
which must be defined in organisations to ensure that the wrong things are not done with
the right data.”
In that context it would be appropriate for the Bill to provide a firm legislative basis for
Data Governance controls preventing the re-identification of anonymised data sets and
requiring data sharing arrangements to ensure that appropriate controls and governance
is in place with all parties to a data sharing arrangement to mitigate the risk of re-
identification.
In order to support the accountability requirement of Data Governance, the Bill should
include clear and robust penalties for unauthorized re-identification of anonymised data
by, for example, combining multiple anonymised data sets to create an identifiable entity.
Furthermore, operational governance of data sharing should require that any key data
capable of re-identifying data (e.g. look up tables for pseudonymised data, encryption
keys for anonymized data, or similar) should be kept separate from Consultation on Data
Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • • •
Detailed Responses to Specific Questions Raised in Consultation 42
the actual data itself. This is a basic organizational and technological step that can be
taken to protect data.
In this context it is worth bearing in mind the Article 29 Working Group Opinion on the
definition of Personal Data and the definition of Personal data in the draft General Data
Protection Regulation as “personal data” is no longer simply names and addresses but
spans a range of data that would enable an individual to be singled out.
Do you agree that “The problem [of data governance] is therefore primarily one of better
implementation, rather than an absence of legislation.”?
No. Data Governance is a cultural and procedural issue that may be defined as, "A
system of decision rights and accountabilities for information-related processes, executed
according to agreed-upon models which describe who can take what actions with what
information, and when, under what circumstances, using what methods". Neither this
question nor the overall proposal address Data Governance as defined here in a
meaningful way.
In particular we would question the ultimate value of a ‘point solution’ for data governance
in this Bill focused simply on data sharing. Case by case data governance requirements
are already dealt with within existing legislation and the implementation of data sharing
agreements. The sharing of data between SUSI and Revenue is a key example, with very
specific terms introduced in data processor agreements on the SUSI side regarding the
scope and nature of the processing3.
3 Castlebridge Associates provides Data Protection and Data Governance advisory
services to both the CDETB and SUSI and was directly involved in the Data Protection
aspects of SUSI from very early. We directly negotiated and defined the Data
Governance framework between SUSI and Revenue.
We believe that, to be effective and to support effective reform of the Public Service, this
Bill must introduce a general framework for Data Governance that supports
standardization of methods and procedures, develops a lingua franca for the meaning
and purpose of common data elements in the Public Service, and ensures that there is a
robust framework of decision rights and responsibilities supported by actionable
accountability.
Regarding the provisions that are considered likely for inclusion in the Bill: Provision
Comment
Transparency The publishing of data sharing arrangements and informing individuals of
the legal basis for the processing of their data is to be welcomed, indeed it is a
requirement under the “Fair Obtaining/Fair Processing” obligations under Directive
95/46/EC
In formulating our response to this question we conducted research on the operation of
the New Zealand Approved Information Sharing Arrangements model, as set out in Part
9A of the New Zealand Privacy Act, as amended by the Privacy Amendment Act 2013
(New Zealand Parliament). This legislation bears a striking similarity to the Data Sharing
provisions currently under review.
We note that the New Zealand legislation requires the publication of a central register of
Data Sharing arrangements under Schedule 2A of the Acts. This schedule is under the
oversight of the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner. An analogous schedule of uses of
data exists under Section 262 of the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005 where all
users of PPS Numbers must be listed under Schedule 5 of that legislation. The
Department of Social Protection’s Client Identity Service has published a register of users
for the PPS number. However, in the absence of a formal statutory basis, this register is
incomplete and out of date. Given that this is the public source of information about who
is entitled to use PPS Numbers, and indeed the only source of information other than
trawling through legislation, we would submit that the management and maintenance of
this Register is a critical piece of effective Data Governance for public sector data which
is effectively ignored in practice.
The New Zealand legislation requires that any party processing shared data provide prior
notice of adverse action. This echoes the provision in the proposed Bill. We note that the
New Zealand legislation allows for a 10 working day window for an individual to dispute
the correctness of personal information used to make a decision. This aligns with the
rights of the individual under Section 6A of the Irish Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003.
The New Zealand model does not codify the allocation of responsibility or accountability
in the event of a breach of a data sharing agreement. A breach is viewed as being legally
equivalent to a breach Data Protection principles in the Privacy Act and is dealt with
accordingly. Given the former Data Protection Commissioner’s parting comments on Irish
public sector attitudes to and enforcement of Data Protection internally, this does not
instill confidence that a Lead agency model as operated in New Zealand would work in
the Irish Public Service.
It is interesting to note that the New Zealand model distinguishes between Information
Sharing and Information Matching (http://www.privacy.org.nz/…/information-matching-
reports-a…/) This is in line with our concerns regarding the current definition of data
sharing in the proposed Bill which conflate a number of different types of information
exchange under a single “data sharing” heading.. A separate register is kept of data
matching that is taking place and under what legislative provisions. We believe this would
be a worthwhile addition to the overall governance of and transparency of existing data
interchange in the Irish Public Service, as currently there is no readily accessible central
register of any information interchange and its statutory basis in the Irish Public Sector.
The New Zealand model in this instance goes beyond simply listing the legislative section
and processes that apply the information, but includes a large amount of business and
technical metadata detailing the purpose for the matching process, the data used, and
operational statistics.
We also note that the New Zealand model currently has only two Approved Information
Sharing arrangements in place, with only one of them having had any reporting obligation
in the most recent financial year. There has been insufficient volume of Information
Sharing arrangements and Consultation on Data Sharing & Governance Bill Proposals • •
•
Detailed Responses to Specific Questions Raised in Consultation 46
insufficient duration of operation for the full range of potential issues with this approach to
have emerged. It must therefore be concluded that there is therefore insufficient evidence
available at this time to confirm the effectiveness or otherwise of the New Zealand model
for information sharing in the Public Sector.
We would expect the specifics of implementation of the New Zealand model to evolve as
the number of and complexity of information sharing arrangements increases and
specific challenges arise to the effectiveness of the lead agency model. We suggest that,
rather than copying verbatim the New Zealand model, the Data Governance and Sharing
Bill incorporate proven Data Governance practices from other private and Public Sector
organisations as well as taking relevant inspiration from the New Zealand model.
We also note that the oversight of Information Sharing in New Zealand rests with the
Privacy Commissioner. While we recognize this may be appropriate in the New Zealand
context, we would be of the view that this would be inappropriate in an Irish context for a
number of reasons including:
1. Requirement to maintain effective segregation of duties
2. Narrow focus on just Data Privacy issues rather than wider issues of data
interoperability, standards etc.
We address this aspect in more detail in our response to the next question.
Legislation vs Implementation
As to the question of legislation vs. implementation, this is potentially a false dichotomy.
Legislation already exists, however culture, values, and clearly defined and applied
decision rights and accountabilities to drive application of and adherence to legislation
are absent. Addressing that will result in better implementation.
We will further expand upon the definition and function of data governance in the
“Defining Data Governance” section of this document.
"Should the Data Protection Commissioner have a role in monitoring and reporting on
compliance with these governance provisions?
The Data Protection Acts 1988 and 2003 already give the Data Protection Commissioner
a role in the monitoring of compliance with the requirements of Data Protection
legislation
Information matching reports and reviews
https://www.privacy.org.nz/…/information-matching-reports-
Reddit AMA on the Public Services
Card
23 SEP 2019 DRI DATA PRO TECTIO N, PUBLIC SERVICES CARD

We’re delighted that DRI’s Antoin O Lachtnain will be hosting an AMA

(Ask Me Anything) on Reddit’s r/Ireland today from 12pm – 3pm to
answer questions about the Public Services Card, why we oppose it,
and our new #no2psc campaign officially launching later today.
The PSC programme holds unique, sensitive data about card holders
and requires a biometric facial scan. It was first introduced in 2011 and
given to people receiving social welfare payments. It is now being rolled
out as the preferred proof of identity for other public services,
functionally turning it into a stealth National ID Card without legislation
or debate.
We’re deeply opposed to the Personal Services Card and as part of the
#no2psc campaign, we’re inviting as many PSC cardholders as possible
to join our mass action legal complaint against the government with the
Data Protection Commissioner. Under GDPR, the DPC now has the
power to levy multi-million dollar fines, ban the government from
processing biometric and personal data in the PSC database, and force
the erasure of PSC data. The more people who join our complaint, the
more hard hitting it will be.
It’s important to know that no matter what you’ve been told by what
public body, you are 100% NOT required to get a PSC. Despite this,
we’ve seen students refused grants by SUSI, pensioners cut off from
their pensions by the DSP, and drivers refused driving license renewals
by the NDLS because they refused to provide a Personal Services
Card.
So, join the AMA with Antoin about the PSC — he’ll be there from
12 noon until 3 pm to answer your questions!

https://www.digitalrights
.ie/reddit-ama-psc/
WOW
TDs' wages jump to over €96,000 after pay
hike - here's what the political parties have
said about it so far
TDs have received a 1.75 per cent pay increase Stock picture

Anne-Marie Walsh
September 1 2019
TDs' wages have jumped to over €96,000 a year following
a pay rise over the weekend.
They will receive a 1.75 per cent pay increase that boosts
their wages by over €1,600 a year in their next pay check.
And their salaries are set to rise even closer to
the €100,000 mark next year.
Another increase that is also due under the Public Service
Stability Agreement will bring their €96, 89 wages up to
€98,113 on October 1 2020.
A senator's salary rose to €68,111 due to the 1.75pc pay rise
that took effect today for all public servants under the
Public Service Stability Agreement.
TDs' pay rises under this wage deal because it is pegged at
the same level as principal officers in the civil service.
Their pay is now close to where it stood on the brink of the
economic crash in 2008 when it was €100,191, although
the Taoiseach's was far higher at €285,583.
The Taoiseach and ministers have voluntarily given up the
pay rises to the state - although their pensions will still be
based on their salaries with the increases.
Leo Varadkar's pay is €185,350 a year due to the decision
to waive the increases, but with the increases his gross
salary stands at €207,590 and is set to rise to €211,742
next year.
Most of the political parties said it was up to individual
members to decide whether to accept the pay rises.
However, People before Profit TDs will not personally
accept the increases, according to a party spokesperson.
"In line with our longstanding policy and pre-election
commitments none or our TDs will personally benefit
from this pay award but will continue to receive the
average industrial wage," he said.
He said the party would not return the money "to a Fine
Gael government" but will use it to support campaigning
activities and causes that "put people and planet before
profit".
A Sinn Féin spokesperson said it is a matter for individual
TDs and senators to decide whether to accept the pay
rises.
But he said they "are already well paid and we don't
believe this increase is justified".
"Those struggling on low pay in the public and private
sectors, need to be the priority when it comes to pay
restoration and pay increases", he said.
A Green Party spokesperson said its TDs will accept the
increase and Fianna Fáil said it does not have a party
policy on the issue so it is a matter for each individual to
decide.
A Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
spokesperson said it is a matter for individual TDs and
Senators as to whether or not to waive the increases.
She confirmed that waiving the increases has no impact on
the calculation of retirement benefits. "They are based on
the full salary rate in the normal way," she said.
"A government decision was made in 2016 that, on the
basis of personal waivers, members of the government and
minister of state would not benefit from the restoration of
benefits of the FEMPI Act 2015," she said.
"The Taoiseach, ministers and ministers of state will not
benefit from increases under the terms of the PSSA."
Although he is not accepting the pay rises, Tanaiste Simon
Coveney's gross pay is now €191,403 with yesterday's pay
rise and will increase to €195,231 next year.
Likewise, a minister's pay rose to €175,699 yesterday and
will hit €179,213 next year, while a minister of state's gross
pay will rise from €134,976 to €137,676 next year.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/tds-wages-jump-to-over-
96000-after-pay-hike-heres-what-the-political-parties-have-said-about-it-so-far-
38456577.html?fbclid=IwAR1B-
yP4iQxRpX_ptIOZeXicU3KCNdjvHDKaqHr8iPSIj49PNSWOaKGWzb8




Votegate TDs now face

pressure to hand over
phone records
FG says statements made by FF TDs
‘don’t stack up’

1
Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl. Photo: Tom Burke

Cormac McQuinn and Hugh O'Connell
October 25 2019

Votegate TDs Timmy Dooley and Niall Collins are coming under pressure to
provide phone records to a Dáil probe into the matter.
Fine Gael last night claimed the records should be examined as part of an
ethics investigation that is to start next week.

A Dáil committee is being convened during the Halloween break to examine

complaints against Mr Dooley, Mr Collins and other Fianna Fáil TDs caught
up in the scandal.

The two TDs along with Lisa Chambers and Barry Cowen have apologised for
their involvement in last week's bizarre Dáil session that sparked the
'phantom voting' saga.

They now face an agonising wait to learn if they will be punished for their
actions including possible suspension.

The Committee on Members Interests will meet next Wednesday to consider

separate ethics complaints - one by a member of the public and one by Fine
Gael TD Noel Rock. Legal advice is to be sought by the committee as it decides
how to proceed.

A probe carried out by the clerk of the Dáil, Peter Finnegan, makes no findings
against any of the TDs and does not recommend any sanctions.

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl told the Dáil that "due process" must be
followed and the committee must do its work first. Mr Ó Fearghaíl said that
after this, "if there are to be sanctions, it's for this House and this House alone
to decide".

The Votegate storm began after the Irish Independent revealed that Mr
Dooley's vote was recorded six times last week despite his absence. Mr Collins
later admitted he had pressed Mr Dooley's voting button in the mistaken
belief Mr Dooley was present at the back of the chamber.

Video footage shows the pair having a brief conversation before Mr Dooley
points to his seat and leaves the Dáil chamber. Mr Dooley told the Dáil clerk's
investigation he was telling Mr Collins: "I'll see you at the vote but I have to
make a call."

Mr Collins, meanwhile, is seen in the footage taking a quick phone call while
he was in the chamber voting for Mr Dooley. The Limerick TD told the Dáil
inquiry he couldn't recall who phoned him.

Mr Collins also said he couldn't explain why he stopped voting for Mr Dooley
in the series of eight votes, having pressed his colleague's voting button in the
first six.

Last night Fine Gael heaped pressure on both men saying their phone records
should be provided to the ethics inquiry.

"If the deputies involved want to prove their case it's an obvious way to do it,"
said party chairman Martin Heydon.

He claimed their statements "don't stack up".

Mr Collins and Mr Dooley did not respond to queries about whether they
would be willing to provide such records. Both TDs told the Dáil they would
co-operate with the committee examining the ethics complaints as they
apologised for what happened last week.

Ms Chambers apologised for recording Dara Calleary's vote while he was

absent and she "inadvertently" took his seat, casting her own vote as well, and
not correcting the record.

Mr Cowen apologised for "carelessness" in sitting in the wrong seat for last
week's voting session.

Party leader Micheál Martin said Mr Dooley and Mr Collins remain suspended
from the Fianna Fáil front bench. He said what happened was "wrong" but hit
out at Fine Gael and others for what he argued were partisan attacks on
Fianna Fáil.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/votegate-tds-now-face-
pressure-to-hand-over-phone-records-38629524.html
Votegate': Howlin recalls
how Dick Spring came
into Dáil on a stretcher to
vote

1
Labour leader Brendan Howlin. Photo: Frank McGrath
Kevin Doyle
October 24 2019

I remember Dick Spring being carried in on a stretcher to vote. In tight votes,

he was required to be present and physically brought into the chamber
because at the time he wasn’t allowed a pair," Mr Howlin said.

"I remember myself coming out of the chamber one evening and meeting
Martin Cullen who suffered terribly with his back.

"He was ashen with agony and I said to him ‘for God’s sake, you’re not
physically fit to be here’. But the Whips said he had to be there to vote.

"Up to this Dáil, votes were deadly serious matters and people took them
deadly seriously."
Mr Howlin blames confidence and supply for the current ‘Votegate’
controversy, saying the Government now regularly loses votes and nobody
pays attention.

He wants a system similar to the European Parliament introduced, whereby

TDs would be required to insert a card into the Dáil voting machine in order
to activate it.

"I remember the debate when electronic voting was being brought in.
Originally what I understood was going to happen was that we would all have
our own identity cards," Mr Howlin said.

"Originally the idea was that you would slot the card, as they do in the
European Parliament, into the voting machine and that would activate the
voting machine.

"The Whips got worried that TDs would turn up without their card and that
they would lose close votes. They were afraid that some TDs would simply not
be able to vote."

He said the machines are already equipped for login cards.

Also the ‘Floating Voter’, he discusses the latest developments on Brexit and
suggests the Labour Party will enter a coalition after the next election if they
have the numbers

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/the-floating-voter-
on-votegate-howlin-recalls-how-dick-spring-came-into-dil-on-a-
stretcher-to-vote-38628533.html

Votegate': Howlin recalls

how Dick Spring came
into Dáil on a stretcher to
vote
1
Labour leader Brendan Howlin. Photo: Frank McGrath

Kevin Doyle
October 24 2019

FORMER Tánaiste Dick Spring had to be brought into the Dáil on a stretcher
to vote after a serious road accident, Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin has
recalled.

The Wexford TD said up until the current Dáil, voting was seen as being of
"monumental importance" but it has now been "cheapened".

Speaking on Independent.ie’s ‘Floating Voter’ podcast, he referred to one

incident in the early 1980s when his predecessor as Labour Party leader
wasn’t allowed to miss a vote despite being seriously injured.

Mr Spring, a junior minister at the time, was a passenger in a garda-driven

car, which was involved in a fatal accident in Tipperary in December 1981.
"I remember Dick Spring being carried in on a stretcher to vote. In tight votes,
he was required to be present and physically brought into the chamber
because at the time he wasn’t allowed a pair," Mr Howlin said.

"I remember myself coming out of the chamber one evening and meeting
Martin Cullen who suffered terribly with his back.

"He was ashen with agony and I said to him ‘for God’s sake, you’re not
physically fit to be here’. But the Whips said he had to be there to vote.

"Up to this Dáil, votes were deadly serious matters and people took them
deadly seriously."
Mr Howlin blames confidence and supply for the current ‘Votegate’
controversy, saying the Government now regularly loses votes and nobody
pays attention.

He wants a system similar to the European Parliament introduced, whereby

TDs would be required to insert a card into the Dáil voting machine in order
to activate it.

"I remember the debate when electronic voting was being brought in.
Originally what I understood was going to happen was that we would all have
our own identity cards," Mr Howlin said.

"Originally the idea was that you would slot the card, as they do in the
European Parliament, into the voting machine and that would activate the
voting machine.

"The Whips got worried that TDs would turn up without their card and that
they would lose close votes. They were afraid that some TDs would simply not
be able to vote."

He said the machines are already equipped for login cards.

Also the ‘Floating Voter’, he discusses the latest developments on Brexit and
suggests the Labour Party will enter a coalition after the next election if they
have the numbers
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/the-floating-voter-on-votegate-howlin-recalls-how-dick-spring-
came-into-dil-on-a-stretcher-to-vote-38628533.html

Howlin recalls former

Tánaiste Spring going to
Dáil on stretcher to
ensure his vote counted
1
Car accident: Dick Spring had to be present in the Dáil when there
was a tight vote

Former Tánaiste Dick Spring had to be brought into the Dáil on a stretcher to
vote after a serious road accident, Brendan Howlin has recalled.

The Wexford TD said up until the current Dáil, voting was seen as being of
"monumentally importance" but it has now been "cheapened".

Speaking on Independent.ie's 'Floating Voter' podcast, he refers to one

incident in the early 1980s when his predecessor as Labour Party leader
wasn't allowed to miss a vote despite being seriously injured.

Mr Spring, a junior minister at the time, was a passenger in a garda-driven car

which was involved in a fatal accident in Tipperary in December 1981.

"I remember Dick Spring being carried in on a stretcher to vote. In tight votes,
he was required to be present and physically brought into the chamber
because at the time he wasn't allowed a pair," Mr Howlin says.

"I remember myself coming out of the chamber one evening and meeting
Martin Cullen who suffered terribly with his back.

"He was ashen with agony and I said to him, 'for God's sake, you're not
physically fit to be here'. But the whips said he had to be there to vote.
"Up to this Dáil, votes were deadly serious matters and people took them
deadly seriously."

Mr Howlin blames confidence and supply arrangement for the current

Votegate controversy, saying the Government now regularly loses votes and
nobody pays attention.

He wants a system similar to the European Parliament introduced, whereby

TDs would be required to insert a card into the Dáil voting machine in order
to activate it.

He said the machines are already equipped for log-in cards but parties
previously argued against them.

Also on the 'Floating Voter', he discusses the latest developments on Brexit

and suggests the Labour Party will enter a coalition after the next election if
they have the numbers.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/howlin-recalls-former-tnaiste-spring-going-to-dil-on-stretcher-to-
ensure-his-vote-counted-38629497.html
I had to catch a flight' -
FF's Billy Kelleher
defends missing migrant
search-and-rescue vote

2
Billy Kelleher. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins
Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher has said he would have
backed a proposal for the EU to step up search-and-rescue
operations for refugees in the Mediterranean - but he had
to catch a flight home.
The resolution was defeated by just two votes in the
European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday with all
four of Fine Gael’s MEPs voting it down. The party has
defended its decision claiming the resolution as worded
would have endangered more lives.
Mr Kelleher was not present and nor was another Irish
MEP, the independent Clare Daly. She was spotted
walking into Leinster House in Dublin on Thursday
evening.
Mr Kelleher, who was elected to the European Parliament
in May, said on Twitter that he "100% would have voted in
favour of this resolution".
However, he said that the voting block had been slow to
get underway and he had to leave at 12.45pm in order to
get a bus to Frankfurt in Germany where he then flew to
Dublin before travelling home to Cork.
Mr Kelleher wrote: "Yesterday, I voted on over 140
amendments and resolutions. Included in these were votes
in favour of many GUE/NGL amendments supporting
their position on refugees and migrants.
"However, voting was slow to start and as such I had to
leave at 12:45 in order to compete my 2.5 hour bus journey
to Frankfurt in order (sic) catch my flight back to Dublin
and then onto Cork."
Ms Daly did not respond to an immediate request for
comment on Friday.
Clare Daly speaking to the media (Niall Carson/PA)
Other Irish MEPs, including Green MEPs Ciarán Cuffe and Grace O'Sullivan,
Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy, and Independents Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Mick
Wallace backed the resolution. Sinn Féin heavily criticised Fine Gael's
opposition to it.

The resolution called for EU member states to "enhance proactive search and
rescue operations by providing sufficient vessels and equipment specifically
dedicated to search and rescue operations and personnel, along the routes
where they can make an effective contribution to the preservation of lives" in
the Mediterranean.
The vote was held just a day after 39 Chinese nationals were found dead in a
lorry in Essex. It is believed they were smuggled into the UK.

Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh defended her decision and that of her colleagues
Mairead McGuinness, Frances Fitzgerald and Sean Kelly to vote it down.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland she claimed an amendment to the

resolution would have seen emergency information shared to all vessels in the
Mediterranean. She warned this was dangerous as it would potentially tip off
human traffickers operating in the area.

"What we see in Essex is that we have an incredibly serious issue with human
trafficking that we need to solve but sharing information on the most
vulnerable is not the way to do it," she said.

"We need to get back to the drawing board and fast. This report was loose in
language. It was putting NGOs at risk."

Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness was one of those who voted
against

Fine Gael MEPs have been criticised after they voted

against a resolution to step up search and rescue for
refugees in the Mediterranean.
The European Parliament rejected the vote asking
member states to step up efforts to save asylum seekers
making the perilous crossing on Thursday.
All of Fine Gael’s MEPs – Mairead McGuinness, Maria
Walsh, Frances Fitzgerald and Sean Kelly – voted against
the resolution, which lost by two.
Fellow Irish MEPs – Green Party members Ciaran Cuffe
and Grace O Sullivan, Sinn Fein’s Martina Anderson and
Matt Carthy, and Independents Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and
Mick Wallace – all voted for the resolution.
No votes were recorded for Independent Clare Daly, DUP
MEP Dianne Dodds, the Alliance Party’s Naomi Long or
Fianna Fail’s Billy Kelleher.
The resolution calls on the “EU Member States to enhance
proactive search and rescue operations by providing
sufficient vessels and equipment specifically dedicated to
search and rescue operations and personnel, along the
routes where they can make an effective contribution to
the preservation of lives”, and “to step up their efforts in
support of search and rescue operations in the
Mediterranean”.
Ms Anderson told the PA news agency that the European
Parliament failed to commit to protecting human life in
the Mediterranean.
“The motion fell by two votes, further adding to a damning
record of the EU on the deepening humanitarian crisis,”
she said
“It is a matter of deep shame that four Fine Gael MEPs
actively voted to maintain a ‘fortress Europe’ status quo
that has seen thousands of men, women and children
drown simply for seeking sanctuary.
“While Fine Gael wax lyrical about the ‘four freedoms’ of
the EU, including the freedom of movement, they are
ready to side with their right-wing EU colleagues to ensure
these values don’t extend to those fleeing destitution, war
and persecution.”
Ms O’Sullivan added: “The result of today’s vote is deeply
saddening to me.
“I don’t understand how MEPs could vote against an
amendment that was ultimately humanitarian in its intent
– supporting the rescue of drowning migrants in the
Mediterranean.
“It’s soul-destroying to me and I am gutted.
“This was a vote that was swayed by the far right, who
worked hard to kill the amendment and (unbelievably)
cheered when it was defeated.
“Unfortunately this vote also has likely implications for
those conducting rescue operations, which makes it
doubly sad.”

Grace O'Sullivan MEP

✔
@GraceOSllvn

Sad, sad day for me. An MEP vote around supporting the
rescue of drowning migrants in the Mediterranean has
been defeated.

How did the Irish MEPs vote?

Myself + Ciarán Cuffe voted for the motion...along

Anderson, Carthy, Flanagan and Wallace.

All 4 FINE GAEL voted AGAINST

2,420
3:40 PM - Oct 24, 2019
Twitter Ads info and privacy

940 people are talking about this

When challenged on her vote by one-time Green Party

European candidate Saoirse McHugh on Twitter, Maria
Walsh replied: “I am the first to shout the loudest for the
protection of our citizens, but this report wasn’t good
enough.
“It was a short-term bandaid, and I believe would have
cost lives.”
Speaking to PA, Ms Walsh said: “We need a coherent,
comprehensive and long-term EU response to Search and
Rescue in the Mediterranean.
“The resolution does the opposite by calling for Frontex,
the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, to share
intelligence about its operational activities with every boat
in the Mediterranean.
“That would endanger more lives by facilitating, instead of
dismantling, the business models of smugglers and human
traffickers. We could not support that,” Ms Walsh said,
acknowledging she was speaking on behalf of her fellow
Fine Gael MEPs.
“We can do so much better than the text which was voted
down by the Parliament, which plays into hands of people
smugglers and lacks workable solutions.”
There have been 1,078 recorded drownings in the
Mediterranean in 2019, according to the Missing Migrants
Project, which tracks the deaths of migrants, including
refugees and asylum seekers, who have gone missing along
mixed migration routes worldwide.
The vote was held just one day after 39 Chinese nationals
were found dead in a lorry in Essex, believed to have been
smuggled into the UK.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/i-had-to-catch-a-flight-ffs-
billy-kelleher-defends-missing-migrant-searchandrescue-vote-38630353.html














Fine Gael MEPs defend
voting against plan for
EU to step up search-and-
rescue for refugees in
Mediterranean

5
Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness was one of those who voted
against (Niall Carson/PA)

FINE Gael MEPs have defended voting against a proposal

for the European Union to step up search-and-rescue
operations for refugees in the Mediterranean.
All four of Fine Gael’s MEPs - Mairead McGuinness, Maria
Walsh, Frances Fitzgerald, and Sean Kelly - voted against
the motion, which was defeated by just two votes in the
European Parliament on Thursday afternoon.
Maria Walsh (Fine Gael)
The resolution called for EU member states to “enhance
proactive search and rescue operations by providing
sufficient vessels and equipment specifically dedicated to
search and rescue operations and personnel, along the
routes where they can make an effective contribution to
the preservation of lives” in the Mediterranean.
The vote was held just a day after 39 Chinese nationals
were found dead in a lorry in Essex. It is believed they
were smuggled into the UK. There have been 1,078
recorded drownings in the Mediterranean in 2019,
according to the Missing Migrants Project.
Other Irish MEPs, including Green MEPs Ciarán Cuffe and
Grace O'Sullivan, Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy, and
Independents Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Mick Wallace
backed the resolution, while Fianna Fáil’s Billy Kelleher
and independent Clare Daly did not record votes.

Migrants and refugees in a rubber dinghy arrive on a Greek beach

(Jonathan Brady/PA)
Mr Carthy said afterwards there were “serious questions”
for Fine Gael after they failed to back the motion.
His party colleague, Northern Ireland MP Martina
Anderson, said: "It is a matter of deep shame that four
Fine Gael MEPs actively voted to maintain a ‘fortress
Europe’ status quo that has seen thousands of men,
women and children drown simply for seeking sanctuary."
READ MORE: Germany calls for 'coalition of the willing'
in EU to take in migrants
But responding to the criticism in a statement on
Thursday, Ms Walsh defended the move on behalf of
herself and her three Fine Gael colleagues in the
Parliament.

Frances Fitzgerald (Niall Carson/PA)

“We want to save lives and fight human traffickers and to
do that, we need a coherent, comprehensive and long-term
EU response to Search and Rescue in the Mediterranean,”
she said.
“In the short-term, the EU and Member States must
allocate more resources to Search and Rescue and increase
missions to save more lives.
"We also need to urgently step up the fight against the
organised criminals and human traffickers who profit on
the vulnerable.
5
Fine Gael MEP Sean Kelly (Julien Behal/PA)
“The Resolution rejected by the European Parliament
today does the opposite by calling for Frontex, the
European Border and Coast Guard Agency, to share
intelligence about its operational activities with every boat
in the Mediterranean.
"That would endanger more lives by facilitating, instead of
dismantling, the business models of smugglers and human
traffickers. We could not support that,” she added.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/fine-gael-meps-defend-voting-
against-plan-for-eu-to-step-up-searchandrescue-for-refugees-in-mediterranean-
38628696.html
Irish concerns can't be
dismissed - migration is
not just responding to
crises,' insists Taoiseach

1
Recognition: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar presents Lt Catherine Smyth
with her International Peacekeeping Medal for her work in Mali
during his visit to the African country

Laura Larkin
January 12 2019

The concerns of Irish people about migration cannot be dismissed, but Ireland has
proved more welcoming than other parts of Europe, the Taoiseach has insisted.

Leo Varadkar was speaking in crowded UNHCR refugee camp Mai-Aini in northern
people from Eritrea, a country under a
Ethiopia. Here, thousands of
totalitarian dictatorship, have fled in search of a better life.
Many believe that life lies in Europe and hope to travel there.
Others are keen to find a home in the so-called 'second
country' of Ethiopia.

The border between the two nations has only recently been
reopened, leading to a flood of people across it, thanks to an
open door policy on refugees despite the complex challenges it
faces domestically.

Many of the men are avoiding compulsory and indefinite

military conscription, there are also thousands of women and
children following in the footsteps of their husbands and
fathers, who crossed the border at a time when it was much
more dangerous to do so.

It was Mr Varadkar's first visit to a refugee camp and it gave

him a "new perspective" on what needs to be done.

Asked by the Irish Independent whether he was disappointed at

the attitude of some Irish people to our own intake of
refugees, he said Ireland had offered a warmer welcome than
most.

"Generally speaking, Irish people have been quite welcoming of

refugees, particularly those who are fleeing from a
humanitarian crisis and fleeing from a war zone," he said.
"They have been much more welcoming than people in other
parts of Europe and that has been borne by our own
experience of migration."

But he said people's concerns must not be dismissed.

"It's important that we do not be dismissive about concerns on

migration," he said, noting this was a "political mistake" made
by some in Europe.

"Migration is a good thing. Ireland has benefited enormously

from migration. Migrants help to run our public service system,
make our economy stronger," he said.

"But it does need to be managed. We need to manage it right

and see the picture as a whole, not just about responding to
refugee crisis or humanitarian crisis, but the best in
international development, peace, security. Those are the
policies that work in the long term."

The visit marked the final day of the Taoiseach's week-long trip
to Africa, during which he visited Mali and Ethiopia. In addition
to meeting the new, young and progressive prime minister of
the country, Abiy Ahmed, the Taoiseach also visited a number
of projects supported by Irish aid.

Ethiopia has been Ireland's key recipient of Irish aid and there
has been a diplomatic presence there for 25 years.
But the challenges facing the country are myriad, including
climate change, internal displacement due to conflict,
poverty, economic disadvantage and severe gender inequality.

This enormous challenge was among the reasons cited by the

Fine Gael leader for the need for continued Irish investment in
development aid and economic investment.

But it was also the most effective way to address the migrant
crisis. Europe cannot afford to take a 30pc chunk of Africa's
population, he warned.

"The best thing we can do is bring our experience in the

European Union to Africa. Africa is an enormous continent and
potentially wealthy. If we can get Africa right, we won't need
to see millions of people leaving their homes and trying to
cross the Mediterranean," he said.

There are also other issues at play; with, in his own words,
power moving east and south there was a need to ensure
Europe retains a foothold in Africa.

During his brief stop in Mali to visit Irish peacekeepers who are
helping train Malian forces, the Taoiseach's delegation
travelled on a Chinese-built motorway.

During their two-hour meeting, the Ethiopian prime minister

also spoke about the level of intervention by China there too;
building roads, investing in the economy and also educating
people in its university.
This is a "geopolitical" risk for Europe which must step up its
education links with Africa, the Taoiseach said.

With that among other issues in mind Ireland's investment in

Africa and its military deployment to peacekeeping missions
looks only set to increase.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/irish-concerns-cant-be-dismissed-
migration-is-not-just-responding-to-crises-insists-taoiseach-37704053.html



"I would say that they are all at it,"
I would say that they are all at it," Ivan Yates weighs in on #VoteGate. Oct 2019

https://www.facebook.com/newstalkfm/videos/527289111423585/
Another Woman FAILED by Cervical Check & Our Government!!! A 41 year old woman
who chooses to remain anonymous is terminally ill with Cervical Cancer & she is being
dragged through the court process in order to get what’s rightfully hers. Leo Varadkar
your Apology this week is nothing more than spin & an attempt to hoodwink us all. ALL
talk & no action!!!!! This woman’s Smear test was read incorrectly due to Negligence
under your watch. When are the people of this country going to Scream NO MORE
Kenny missed 96% of votes since stepping downSince
stepping down as taoiseach, Enda Kenny has failed to participate
in 96% of all Dáil votes that took place between June 2017 and
July 2019, RTÉ Investigates can reveal.
Traitor to the people of Ireland. Hero to the EU narcissists.
Death threat to TD who
hit out at ‘far-right
ideology’

Martin Kenny: Local councillors ‘whipping up hysteria’.

Friday, October 25, 2019

A Sinn Féin TD has received a death threat after speaking out against a
“far-right ideology that is being peddled in this country” around asylum
seekers.

It came as Tánaiste Simon Coveney has now warned all public

representatives that they have an obligation to speak out against
“hysterical language” being used to describe people seeking asylum in
Ireland.

Shipping containers and lorries were described as the “coffin ships of

the 21st century” in the Dáil yesterday, following the tragic death of 39
Chinese people in Essex.
“Unfortunately, some people in this country peddle far-right ideology
and may be happy that 39 fewer immigrants will be coming to Ireland,”
Martin Kenny told the Dáil.

Today, shipping containers and lorries are the coffin ships of the 21st century. It
highlights the human tragedy of displacement and conflict. These coffin
containers are what many people fleeing persecution and war have to resort to
in order to get to safety.
The Sligo-Leitrim TD made an official complaint to the gardaí after
receiving a text message which dubbed him a “traitor” and threatened
that he should be “executed”.

Mr Kenny said: “I have been texted and I have been getting emails and
some of them are very nasty.”

He said he had spoken to others working in NGOs with asylum seekers

who have also received threats.

Mr Kenny first spoke up after locals in Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, this

week mounted protests outside an apartment complex earmarked to
accommodate 130 asylum seekers.

He said he had “personal experience” of local elected representatives

“whipping up hysteria, demonising people and standing as a bulwark
against reason and civil discourse in favour of domination and
superiority”.

Mr Coveney appealed to all TDs to “make sure that when we contribute

to those discussions and debates, we do so in a way that recognises the
obligations we have as a country and try to calm what is sometimes
hysterical language in a way that is reassuring”.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament yesterday rejected a resolution

that would have required member states to keep their ports open to
NGO ships rescuing migrants in the Mediterranean Sea.
The resolution was defeated by two votes, with Fine Gael’s four MEPs
all voting against it.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/death-threat-to-
td-who-hit-out-at-far-right-ideology-959634.html

Just the day after 39 refugees were found suffocated to death in the back of a lorry in
Essex, England, a motion put forward in the European Parliament proposing that their
agencies make more of an effort to save the lives of refugees lost in the Mediterranean
was voted down, and incredulously, to loud cheers there from the worst of Europe's
unconscionable right wing and fascist alike.
Involved in that shameful and brutal dismissal of the sanctity of human life were four Fine
Gael MP's, who voted against, one Fianna Fail MP, and one Independent who chose not
to vote. It was lost by only two votes.
Its almost incomprehensible, and indeed unforgivable, that citizens from a country that
had in the so recent past, lost hundred's of thousands of fleeing refugees to the sea,
would even for a moment contemplate such a horrendous and wholly unchristian act.
Fine Gael's links to, and alliances to, some of the most distasteful right wing parties in
Europe have long caused some consternation, and even at their own grass-roots level.
Particularly so, their links to the hard right wing party of Victor Orban, of Hungary.
Now that support for the extreme right is almost reaching levels similar to that of 1930's
Europe, as politicians and media individuals alike who oppose their Machiavellian views
are threatened with violence, even death, are Fine Gael politicians, who describes
themselves as Christian Democrats, about to become little more than another such party
for the vacuous and ignorant Neanderthals who follow and revere the proponents of
racism and religious bigotry.
It beggars belief, that even as we move close to the universal annual celebrating of a
child born to dark skinned refugees from a foreign land, that anyone pertaining to even a
modicum of Christian values would vote to deny the most humanitarian and
compassionate of that child's teachings.
That those who voted to deny this human mercy while using the argument that it was too
advantageous to the smugglers, or that it will be revisited soon, are deceitful in the
extreme to apply a logic that on close inspection is bereft of any evidence or merit. What
is certain, is that thousands will die before it is visited again, over a thousand known
deaths this year alone. The images of hundreds of bodies, young and old, floating on the
sea bed are both heartbreaking and harrowing beyond belief.
This was a vote desired by the most extreme of right wing European leaders, especially
those who don't want any refugees, whether living or dead, appearing on their shores.
Ironically, those individuals who out of pity will take to the sea to rescue the drowning,
may themselves be identified as criminals, and refused refuge as a result of a gross
injustice that is condoned and supported by the Irish government.
It's been a shameful week for Irish politics, and politicians. That is if you could ever
shame some Irish politician. Those who took part in this brutal betrayal of fellow human
beings are worth shaming, the four who voted, and the two who turned their back and
allowed the result to carry.
It would be only right as well to name those who had the decency to stand up to the most
callous and brutal in Europe.
Matt Carthy. Sinn Fein, Ciarán Cuffe and Grace O'Sullivan, The Green Party, and
Independent's, Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Mick Wallace, all voted in an effort to continue
saving lives. Fianna Fáil’s Billy Kelleher, and independent Clare Daly's votes weren't
recorded. Whatever reason they had for that, I hope it was a good one.
The other's, above, you probably know well. Have a good look, they may come to your
door one day with their fake smiles and asking for your vote. There is no good reason to
either return their smiles, or give them your vote.

"When good people in any country cease their vigilance and struggle, then evil men
prevail.”

Fitzgeralds a fuckin boot who oonly cares about herself i cant believe she gets voted in by a
working class area
As for kelly an out and out scumbucket
If the western world stops bombing their country to claim the oil and gold.
THEN THERE WOULD BE NO REFUGEES.

Taoiseach made an apology to all those affected by the Cervical Check

Scandal. Another Woman ROBBED of her life at the hands of our
Government, Cervical Check, & the HSE. Another Man left without his wife &
four children left motherless.
This is the fella being used as poster boy for the new law hate speech he thinks he is a
great ambassador for Ireland this is what you call racist and he wants our freedom of
speech taking from us time for the Irish to stand up and be counted or there be no more
Ireland or Irish he wants to take that away from us and he is still proud of his African
flag while he wants to diminished ours

Fine Gael's Justice Minister, Charlie Flanagan, tweeted that it was a "real
pleasure" to meet athlete Brandon Arrey during his hate speech consultation,
and said he was "Delighted to wish him all the very best personally & for
Ireland." Below are some of the tweets from this legislation's posterboy. This
is the man lecturing you on "hate speech". This person wants to legally ban
you from being able to say certain things because they might be too hateful
and offensive. Just let that sink in.
#DefendOurSpeech
Dear God(of whatever kind, few of which seem to say let drowning people die), if you
exist and there's a heaven and a hell, here's a quick list for you from Ireland's MEP's of
where they're going! They all voted no not to save any refugees

McVerry: Government’s
homeless plan not
working
Tuesday, October 22, 2019

The Government must concede that its strategy to reduce
homelessness is not working, according to leading campaigner Fr Peter
McVerry. He said society should be outraged at the image which
emerged last week of a homeless five-year-old eating his dinner off
cardboard on a street in Dublin.

“We should be absolutely outraged at that,” he said. “But that’s

yesterday’s news. And we’ve forgotten about it already. We move on.
Things become normalised. What really annoys me is that the
Government keeps saying that its policy is working, and that we have to
give them more time.

“It is more than three years since they introduced Rebuilding Ireland —
their strategy to reduce homelessness — and virtually every single
month for the last three years the number of homeless people has gone
up. At what point do you say our strategy is not working? We have got
to revisit it. The emperor has no clothes. The emperor won’t
acknowledge that they have no clothes.

We’ve got to revisit Rebuilding Ireland — it’s clearly not working.

If you were running a business losing money and you were asked to come up
with a strategy to reduce those losses, if after three years the company was not
just losing money, but losing more money every month, somebody would say
that strategy isn’t working. I think we have to apply that to the Government’s
strategy on homelessness.
Fr McVerry was speaking during a visit to the Cork Penny Dinners soup
kitchen yesterday for the launch of its first supported housing project.
The charity has bought and renovated a city centre apartment which
will provide a home with a range of wraparound supports to six people
from next month.

“This is what local authorities should be doing,” said Mr McVerry. “They

should be looking and funding opportunities like this,.
“Everybody is entitled to have a home. It’s a basic human right. We are
denying that right to tens of thousands of people and there doesn’t
seem to be any sense of urgency at trying to ensure that that right is
provided to people.”

However, Fr McVerry said the homeless crisis can be solved if the

Government ramps up construction of local authority housing by the
thousands, in the long term.

• Fr McVerry also said the

Government should be open to
short-term radical solutions,
including:
• Compulsorily purchasing vacant buildings where their owners can not or
will not bring them back into use;
• The outlawing, for three years, of evictions from the private rented sector
into homelessness until the State gets to grips with the problem.
• https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/mcverry-
governments-homeless-plan-not-working-958827.html?fbclid=IwAR0u-
T5H4NhVB4kzl_MwlgiZjcqhU1JFYO-z7a0MR_i0NyndpdDnMX_LyhI

The image of a child eating his food off a piece of cardboard on the
streets of the capital should outrage society, leading campaigner for
the homeless, Fr Peter McVerry believes.

But when something like homelessness exists for months, it becomes

the norm and we are no longer shocked, he said.

Fr McVerry was speaking during a visit to Cork Penny Dinners after a

week in which the photograph of five-year-old Sam emerged, and
during which two homeless people died on the streets, one in violent
circumstances.


But the Jesuit, who has been fighting homelessness for over 40 years,
said what really annoys him is Government appeals for more time amid
claims their policies are working.

“If you were running a business losing money and you were asked to
come up with a strategy to reduce those losses, if after three years the
company was not just losing money, but losing more money every
month, somebody would say that strategy isn’t working," he said.

“I think we have to apply that to the government’s strategy on

homelessness.”

Fr McVerry recalled the efforts made to prevent the number of

registered homeless passing the 10,000 mark, and the outcry when it
did.

“I remember when the number of homeless children first passed 1,000,

it was on the front page of every newspaper, it was on every radio and
television news programme," he said.

It created a huge stir and government ministers were on the media affirming
we’ve got to do better than this.
Then the number of homeless children passed 2,000, then it passed
3,000. Soon it’s going to pass 4,000.

“Once something exists for a period of months it becomes the norm.

And we are no longer shocked.”

But he said the homeless crisis can be solved if the government ramps
up construction of local authority housing - by the thousands - and is
open in the short-term to radical solutions, such as the CPO-ing of
vacant buildings where their owners can’t or won’t bring them back
into use, and the outlawing for three years of private sector evictions
into homelessness until the state gets to grips with the problem.

“There are radical solutions, but we have a conservative government

who don’t like radical solutions. They are on the side of the banks, the
side of the landlords, the side of the big international investment
funds," he said.

They are not on the side of tenants who are struggling to pay the rent or people
who are struggling to pay a mortgage.
He also criticised former Lord Mayor of Cork, Cllr Des Cahill, for
suggesting homeless people shouldn’t be given tents.

Fr McVerry said: “What does he expect? You wouldn’t have to hand out
tents if the council did its job and provided accommodation for
homeless people. It’s much better to have a tent to sleep in than to
sleep in the rain.”

At a UCC graduation ceremony later, Fr McVerry encouraged graduates

to use the skills they have acquired for the benefit of society and not to
see it as simply a path to a good career and a good salary.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/fr-peter-mcverry-soon-
the-number-of-homeless-children-is-going-to-pass-4000-we-are-no-longer-
shocked-958686.html




No checks on TDs who
'fob in' for up to €34,000
in expenses claims

1
Inquiry call: Paul Murphy of the RISE political grouping says there
are not sufficient safeguards to prevent abuse of the ‘fobbing in’
system.

Hugh O'Connell
October 26 2019

TDs can claim up to €34,000 in expenses, but there is no way of
independently checking whether they themselves are "clocking in" in order to
qualify for the money.

The Ceann Comhairle has been urged to investigate the "fobbing-in" system
on foot of the Votegate controversy, amid concerns it could be open to abuse.

In order to qualify for expenses to cover their travel and accommodation

costs, TDs have to electronically "clock in" using a fob on machines around the
Leinster House complex.

However, the Houses of the Oireachtas confirmed that it does not

independently verify that the TDs themselves are "fobbing in".

Deputies must have a minimum of 120 days' attendance built up over the year
in order to qualify for the travel and accommodation allowance (TAA), which
is calculated based on how far a TD lives from Leinster House.

Dublin TDs typically qualify for an allowance of €9,000 a year, while TDs
living more than 360km from the Oireachtas in places like Kerry and west
Cork can qualify for just over €34,000 a year.

Deputies must self-certify their expenses at the end of the year and correct any
discrepancies, including expenses claimed where they have not met the 120-
day minimum attendance rate.

However, RISE socialist TD Paul Murphy has said in the wake of the Votegate
controversy - which exposed the practice of TDs voting for colleagues who
were elsewhere in the chamber or, in one instance, not in the Dáil at all - the
"fobbing in" system needs to be investigated by Oireachtas authorities.

The Dublin South-West deputy raised the issue during the Dáil debate on
Votegate on Thursday.

"We all know that there is a system of 'fobbing in', in order to receive the full
allowance that is not subject to any camera check and is even more open to
abuse than the voting system," Mr Murphy said.

"Is it the case that deputies are getting others to 'fob in' for them to get up to
the figure of 120 days? Because if they are willing or able to get others to vote
for them when they are not in the chamber, why on earth would they not get
somebody to fob in for them in order that they can clock in to receive their
expenses?"
In a letter to Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl yesterday, Mr Murphy called
for the system to be investigated to establish if there is any wrongdoing
occurring.

"No proof is required that the person fobbing is a TD, and some of these
machines are located in areas not being observed by any Oireachtas staff," he
wrote.

"Unfortunately, if as appears to be the case, some TDs were willing to have

other TDs vote for them in the Dáil, it begs the question as to whether there
are TDs who have other people fob in for them to increase their recorded
attendance.

"It certainly seems clear to me that there are not sufficient safeguards
currently in place to prevent that from taking place.

"As you know, if someone in a regular workplace got someone else to fob in for
them, they would very likely be fired.

"A review could ascertain whether it is possible to establish whether the fob-in
system has been abused in the past, and what measures could be taken to
prevent any future abuse."

In response to queries about whether there is an independent audit or

verification of the system, an Oireachtas spokeswoman directed the Irish
Independent to information abut the TAA system on its website.

The spokeswoman added: "All clocks/terminals are in public areas and the fob
used by members is distinct from that used by staff, so it would be fairly
obvious if a staff member was using a member's fob."

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/no-checks-on-tds-who-fob-in-
for-up-to-34000-in-expenses-claims-38632365.html

Michael and Danny Healy

Rae miss 80pc of vote
sessions in the Dáil
Food for thought: Danny and Michael Healy-Rae have a very poor
attendance rate for Thursday votes. Photo: Sally MacMonagle

Hugh O'Connell
October 26 2019


Independent TDs Michael and Danny Healy-Rae have missed more than eight
out of every 10 Dáil voting sessions held in the last two years.

Figures compiled by the Irish Independent show that in the last two years the
Kerry-based brothers have an exceptionally poor attendance rate for the
weekly voting block that takes place every Thursday when the Dáil is in
session.

The Thursday voting block - where multiple votes on legislation and motions
that have been debated in the Dáil that week are held in one go - has been a
source of controversy in the wake of the Votegate controversy where it was
revealed that Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins cast six votes for his absent
colleague Timmy Dooley just over a week ago.

The newly compiled figures show that Danny Healy-Rae has missed more
than 85pc of voting blocks on a Thursday in the past two years, showing up for
just 11 of the 71 Dáil sessions held on a Thursday since September 2017.

His brother Michael Healy-Rae has an even worse attendance rate, missing
nine out of 10 Thursday voting sessions in the same period. He has been
present for just seven of the 71 Thursday voting sessions in the same period.
This year alone Danny Healy-Rae has attended only two voting sessions on a
Thursday, while Michael Healy-Rae has attended only three.

The poor attendance of the Healy-Rae brothers, who are famed for their
devotion to constituency work in Kerry, has been noted by many in Leinster
House over recent years.

Their absence on Thursdays, including for last week's voting block - the first
since the Votegate debacle - was raised again by TDs privately this week.
"They pretty much never vote on a Thursday," one deputy said.

Michael Healy-Rae admitted his record "would not be good" but argued that
he has been paired with Fine Gael TDs on the last two Thursdays there have
been votes in the Dáil.

"My attendance would not be good on a Thursday," he said. "The best way I
could answer it is I'm not idle if I am not there voting on a Thursday. Nobody
will accuse me ever of abdicating on my political responsibilities.

"I take them very seriously and everybody in Co Kerry and around the country
knows that I take politics very seriously. Whether it's matters of local or
national importance when I am needed by people, whether in Donegal or
Kerry, I am there for them.

"I was on the phone to someone in Limerick, which is not even my

constituency, dealing with a problem earlier. Tell me of other politicians doing
that. I am doing my job in the best way I can and nobody could accuse me of
abdicating or being negligent."

Contacted separately, Danny Healy-Rae said he could not account for where
he was on all of the days. "I am doing the best for the people I am representing
and I can't be two places at any one time or maybe three places or four places.
I am trying to maximise myself and do my best for the people I represent," he
said.

"I am not complaining but other fellas live nearer [to the Dáil] and I don't
begrudge that. I have to decide and prioritise where I will be more effective
and where I will be most needed or what's more important to the people that
vote for me."

Both brothers pointed out that votes on a Thursday in the current Dáil have
not been close and are often passed or defeated by large margins.

"In my father's [Jackie Healy-Rae] time it was one or two votes to decide on
whether legislation would go through. That is not the case now with new
politics as we'll call it," Michael Healy-Rae said.

Danny Healy-Rae added: "Most of the votes that go through there, they are
won by a margin of 70 or 80 and voting for something like that my vote isn't
going to make a difference.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/michael-and-danny-healy-rae-
miss-80pc-of-vote-sessions-in-the-dil-38632362.html

This is Fiona Prendergast. She died from Cervical Cancer in 2015. She was
35yrs old & a mother of four. This week her husband Gary received
confirmation that her death could have been prevented & was caused by
negligence on behalf of Cervical Check. Its important to note that Fiona
herself felt she had all the Symptoms of the late Jade Goody’s cancer but
both her Smears with Cervical Check in 2009 & 2012 came back clear. She
was diagnosed in 2014!! The RCOG review into her case concluded that her
2009 smear showed High Grade changes to the cells in her Cervix & it was
mis-diagnosed due to Negligence. It also concluded if she had been referred
for Colposcopy at this time her Cancer diagnosis would have been
prevented. Its Ironic how her husband Gary received this news the day our

The children of the 25%. They are guaranteed a life of luxury in politics - like their GOD
Enda Kenny who has lived off us taxpayers for 40 years and has never really did an
honest day's work .
And all because too many of the ordinary people of Ireland won't bother voting.

My blood boils, but the worst thing is working class people vote for them.
The people who make the decisions don't care what way you vote, and this is the same of all
departments. Your elected ministers are the public face of the office they attend.
As the Fennelly report suggests the cabinet has very little influence on policies made by the
state.

Broken service' slammed

as homeless man found
dead in the city centre
The man was found unresponsive in Foster Place

20 OCT 2019

Foster Place, Dublin, where the man was found

A homeless charity boss has criticised the 'broken'
homeless service after a rough sleeper was found dead in
the city centre last night.
It is understood that the man was noticed by people
passing by, who then alerted gardai.
He was rushed to St James's Hospital, but was later
pronounced dead

Anthony Flynn, CEO of Inner City Helping Homeless, has
confirmed that the man was homeless, and called for more
to be done to ensure the safety of the most vulnerable as
the winter months come in.
He said: "My thoughts are with the man’s family at this
tragic time. This is yet another unacceptable loss of like
within a broken service. The system that is homelessness
is continuing to fail out most vulnerable in society.
"Enough is not being done to implement enough safe and
secure accommodation for those who require it. We have
a homelessness epidemic with on average 160 people
sleeping rough every night, resulting in deaths in our
streets.

CEO of Inner City Helping Homeless Anthony Flynn

https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/broken-service-slammed-
homeless-man-
17116779?fbclid=IwAR0IMEc2LbCuD73HphmpfplDoRCD7ETNrOVzI46K6Udcc2
x-XsSao7QXXkc


Feed Our Homeless
A man is lucky to be alive after being found unconscious on a busy city centre
by members of the Feed Our Homeless team.

The stricken individual was found on Henry Street in the early hours of
Monday morning in an unresponsive state.

The man, believed to be homeless, was quickly seen to by members who

swiftly provided first aid.

A spokesperson for FOH said: "Last night while FOH outreach team were
carrying out there usual nightly route in the city centre. Our team came across
a homeless guy lying on the ground unconscious on Henry Street.

"Due to the quick thinking and training from our volunteers they certainly did
save this young man's life.

Training our volunteers within FOH certainly does make a difference as our
volunteers are prepared to deal with any situation that may occur whilst
carrying out FOH front line service calmly and processionally.

"Well done to the FOH volunteers late night. Amazing team work. The
management here at FOH would also like to thank the ambulance crew who
arrived very quick to the scene to help the young homeless man recover.

Amazing people doing amazing things on the streets of Dublin."

The majority of homes for rent are too expensive for people who rely on State
housing benefits, a new study revealed yesterday.

Simon Community research has discovered that just 3.7% of available

properties are within rent supplement or Housing Assistance Payment limits
over four categories.

And the snapshot survey by the charity found just 55 out of the 1,491
properties in 16 areas were affordable for those receiving standard HAP.

During the study, which was carried out from July 30 to August 2, a further
469 (31.5%) were found to be within Housing Assistance Payment discretion
limits. Simon Community spokesman Wayne Stanley said: “We are now at a
point where it is becoming startlingly obvious the Government’s Rebuilding
Ireland Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness is not driving the level of
change in our housing system that is required.

“The structural foundation of housing provision in Ireland is not fit for purpose.”
HAP is a type of rental benefit payment to provide assistance to lower-income
people and
families.

Under the scheme, a tenant’s primary rent is paid directly to a landlord, while
the person renting pays a different rent to their local council. The average cost
of renting in Dublin was €1,713 a month between April and June this year – a
€114 increase compared with the same quarterly period last year.

However, the city council’s limit for standard HAP in the capital is €1,300 for a
family four – with the local authority having a 20% discretion to go higher than
that.

The report also reveals single people and couples were worst affected by
availability, with just four properties nationwide available to rent in those
categories.

Mr Stanley added: “Every day the Simon Communities in Ireland and others,
are ending homelessness for individuals and families.

“However, the shortage of housing is driving more people into homelessness.

We believe that a well-functioning, Government-led cost rental system is a key
requirement in solving the housing crisis in Ireland.

“In the interim, low income families and individuals must be given the chance
to find a home. In Budget 2020, we are calling for an increase in Rent
Supplement and Housing Assistance Payment rates to ensure they are kept in
line with market rents.”
Meanwhile, the report found no properties were available to rent within
standard or discretionary HAP limits across eight study areas for a single
person or couple.

These areas were Limerick city centre, Limerick city suburbs, Waterford city
centre, Portlaoise, Sligo town, Galway city centre, Cork city suburbs and
Athlone.

The study was extended to five new areas for the first time – Dublin city north,
Dublin city south, Limerick city suburbs, Galway city suburbs and Cork city
suburbs.

https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/heroic-members-feed-homeless-
team-17085300


I'm in Belfast at the moment for my birthday was going for pizza last night two young
homeless young people 1 man 1 woman looked no more than 25 yrs old. Myself and my
partner was on the way in to get a take away pizza. I felt such a pain in my gut to see
them sitting on the concrete. They didn't ask for anything from anyone. They were
chatting away to eat other having a few laughs. I was in ordering my pizza when I thought
about how could I eat it knowing these two people might be hungry. I can't judge them
and say they became homeless because of drink or drugs but if I did give them money
and if they did buy drugs I'd feel guilty. I decided to go out and ask them would they like a
pizza. I approached them and kneeled down and asked them would they like a pizza.
The young man replied are you serious I said yes his whole face lit up. He tapped the girl
and said we are getting a pizza they discussed what they would have on the pizza. A few
mins later I brought the pizza out to them. Just as I did a lady arrived with a warm coat
and blankets to them. They were so grateful to see the look on their faces was better to
me than all the cool stuff il be doing all weekend. I'm not posting this for attention or for
anyone to say I'm great. But for a few reasons.. We all make mistakes but we should
never judge others. Show compassion to others and open your eyes to people less
fortunate. The gift of giving gives you much more joy than the gift of receiving. Also what
can we do more as individuals or groups to help the homeless because there has to be
something. Pray for all less fortunate than us.











Michael Ring furious
over secrecy on
plans for asylum
seekers
Stephen O’Brien, Political Editor
October 27 2019
The Sunday Times
Global politics
Law
Politics
UK politics

Michael Ring expressed his anger that news was ‘all over the internet'
before he had any information
MAXWELL PHOTOGRAPHY

Rural affairs minister Michael Ring has rebuked his

Fine Gael colleagues Charlie Flanagan and David
Stanton for failing to tell other ministers when
asylum-seeker accommodation is being planned for
their constituencies.
Ring contacted Flanagan, the justice minister, and
Stanton, the junior minister for equality, immigration
and integration, on Wednesday after discovering on
social media that their department was planning to
lease rooms in Achill Head hotel to provide
emergency accommodation for people awaiting
places in a direct provision centre elsewhere.
Fine Gael sources said the Mayo TD had planned
to raise the matter at a parliamentary party meeting
last week, but it started early and had finished by
the time he arrived. Ring later sought out the two
ministers and expressed his anger that the…

Lorry driver charged with 39 counts of manslaughter

over migrant deaths

god knows what region if rhe world, he's a smart boy, but... He wasn't that smart, something went
badly wrong on that shift, I read all he's been charged with, I'm actually shocked... another man from
NI has also been arrested, it's shocking, god love them families involved, I don't think they were they
meant to die, weather they where trying to get shifted on the QT I genuinely don't think they where
meant to have been killed, and money laundering, you can't hide all that stuff he had and not be able to
explain what n where it came from, its scary, and his wife? Did she know about tbis, id be having a
fit, no money in this world would rule me, or keep me quiet of any wrong involvement my hubby
would be doing, if it involved smuggling humans I'm sorry but he'd be arrested, I'm no angel, but I'd
never let my man smuggle humans and be in that situation, I don't know what to make of the whole
thing,
Assets recovery will take the shirt of his back, the whole lot is gone, set for live then you get
greedy, someone will. Fill his cowboy boots
I'm glad he was cot them people are ruthless they don't care about no one only them selves
greedy bastard's
What are your thoughts on the homeless crisis?

vey from Depaul and tell us what you think

Dear God(of whatever kind, few of which seem to say let

drowning people die), if you exist and there's a heaven and a hell,
here's a quick list for you from Ireland's MEP's of where they're
going!
Recently there has been a spike in racist and anti-immigrant sentiment in Ireland. The current housing
crisis and other factors have given rise to a misguided perception that those not born in Ireland are
taking up homes and jobs that would otherwise be available to people born in Ireland. These ideas have
been promoted and taken up by the racism/fascism-for-dummies groups like the National Party and
Yellow Vest Ireland.

Here is a fact to begin with. Even if everyone not born in Ireland was to leave the country tomorrow, there would
still be homelessness. This is not because there wouldn’t, or couldn’t, be enough houses, it is because the housing
market is dominated by private ownership, in which individuals and corporations profit from the sale of homes. If
everyone was given a home, these individuals and corporations could not make a profit. The state in Ireland will
never undermine the people of money, the wealthy elites, who really run this country, by undermining their abiltiy
to make their profit. The same issue exists, and is increasingly coming to exist, in healthcare, education,
infrastructure, etc. The state has more than enough at its disposal to house everyone, to feed everyone, to take care
of everyone and to educate everyone, and could easily cater for everyone in Ireland and a great deal more. But if
they provide all of that free, or at least affordably, their chums with the big money would be out of pocket- so it
will not happen. This is capitalism. So rather than pick on a vulnerable family which has had to go through the
untold horror of leaving their home place, their loved ones, and everything they know, why not lay the blame at
the feet of those responsible-the state and the wealthy elites-and challenge them?

Next: many of you are only alive to write scathing posts about immigrants because your ancestors were kept alive
by foreign aid in times of crisis, most notably during the Great Hunger. That foreign aid was provided by countries
which had their own poor, starving and homeless people to deal with. Indeed during discussions in the US senate
regarding the sending of aid to Ireland, Senator John Niles of Connecticuit opposed such aid on the basis that:
“charity begins at home... why do we send money to assist foreign peoples, when some of our own citizens could
use it”. Had those who supported your predecessors taken the same attitude as you and John Niles, many of you
wouldn’t even be here to promote misguided propaganda against defenseless immigrants and refugees. Indeed it
was ‘foreigners’ who cared for us when the Irish people were dying as our ‘fellow’ wealthy Irish, complicit with
the English occupiers, profited from crop sales and land and property ownership.

So if you wish to ‘take care of’ those born in Ireland first, it would only be fair that you should allow for other
countries to do the same and let the Irish in every nation to which they have flocked, be returned, or left
unemployed or without a home because these other nations ‘take care of their own first’. We would be no better
off. In fact our rural communities would be decimated. If other countries applied this to even their second
generation Irish the whole country would be levelled. People wouldn’t have room to give out about all the
‘foreigners’ in the dole ques, on the housing lists, in the A & E rooms, or classrooms: but they would be worse off
again but with Micheáls, Seamuses, Saoirses and Aoifes. The people of the US, Australia, Canada, England and so
forth would no longer have to worry about Irish immigrants taking up their jobs and houses. Your English
counterparts who recently abused a teacher from Ireland living in England telling him they “couldn’t wait for
Boris and Brexit Party to make Brexit happen and send [him] and [his] lot back to f***ing Ireland,” would be
greatly pleased.

There are also those who are not ‘misguided’. Rather they are determined to exploit the housing crisis and other
issues to further their racist and fascist ideas. They should be given no quarter. Our proud tradition is one of
exporting our best to defeat the ideas of fascism and hate in other quarters of the world. We can never allow for it
to grow at home. Those promoting these ideas- the National Party and Yellow Vests Ireland among others are
sniping vermin who want to harangue and encourage further misery to be heaped on some of the weakest in our
society. For people so filled with concern for any foreign presence in Ireland, they have been remarkably silent on
the presence of foreign interference in the six counties. Of course that would involve actually challenging people
who might fight back, and not helpless families in dire straits. It would also mean upsetting their right-wing allies
in Britain, who offer active support to the British army which murdered civilians throughout this country. Compare
these gutter snipe halfwits with the heroes who died fighting the very ideas which they stand for: Dinny Coady of
Dublin, James Stranney of Belfast- two Labourers, working people among many others, who gave their lives
fighting Franco’s fascism which the aforementioned dirt want to promote here in Ireland. Fascists have only ever
set fine example when being hoisted by their feet by Partisans: their ideas will not take root here.

Look around the world today at the progressive movements who are tackling poverty and deprivation at its root: in
Ecuador, in Venezuela, in Cuba, in Chile, in Mexico and throughout the world. These are not fascist movements.
They are struggling to build societies reflective of the Republic envisaged by James Connolly (a Scottish
immigrant), a Republic which in his words “...should be of such a character that the mere mention of its name
would at all times serve as a beacon-light to the oppressed of every land, at all times holding forth promise of
freedom and plenteousness as the reward of their efforts on its behalf”.

There are many people who are genuinely, yet inexcusably, misguided in their belief that ‘foreigners’ are taking up
resources, you would do well to become conscious of your resenment and direct it accordingly at the source of the
problem. Directing anger over the current problems we face at immigrants simply allows the real culprits to go
unchallenged. This is a class issue: there is one class of oppressors which owns and controls our wealth, resources,
politics and laws: the capitalists, and there is the class of the oppressed, those who must work for them and/or live
in poverty and deprivation. The more we, the oppressed, divide ourselves based on religion, race, ethnicity,
nationality, sexual orientation and so forth, the less chance we have of challenging those who keep us in chains.

Saoradh’s position is clear: we stand for the Socialist Republic envisaged by Connolly, on the side of the
oppressed, and we stand firmly against the fascism and racism which would foster division amongst us.

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/ireland/michael-ring-furious-over-
secrecy-on-plans-for-asylum-seekers-
s6wj6vqrg?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=paid_social&utm_campaign=IR
E_-_October_FY20&utm_content=IRE_October_FY20_-
_Asylum_seeker_Rins&fbclid=IwAR31hAssKQezrPo2RfGpRUtSBkU7n_CmLsAqzR
o2jDMbAKSr-DkjPWL4184
Backlash against
Varadkar over heating
remark

Fiachra Ó Cionnaith, Daniel McConnell, Noel Baker,

and Niall Murray
Wednesday, February 28, 2018
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar is facing an angry public backlash after saying
he will not write a “blank cheque” or “pick up the bill” for elderly
people who keep their heating on constantly during the sub-zero ‘Beast
From The East’ storm.

Mr Varadkar was criticised by opposition parties and elderly groups after flatly
rejecting Minister for Older People Jim Daly’s earlier plan for pensioners to keep
their heating on 24/7 over the coming days.

Speaking as the National Emergency Co-ordination Group (NECG) urged the public
to take all precautions as Ireland becomes blanketed in the worst snowfall in four
decades, Mr Varadkar said extra elderly funds are available.
However, despite Met Éireann predicting sub-zero temperatures, “significant” snow
fall, 110km winds ,and thunderstorms, he said a “blank cheque” will not be written
for the elderly.

“If we tell people that they can put on the heating 24/7 and
the Government or somebody else will pick up the bill,
regardless of what it is, we will send out the wrong message
to them,” Mr Varadkar told the Dáil.
His comments came after Mr Daly told pensioners to keep
the heat on constantly during the cold snap, saying there
was no point putting money before health.
However, Mr Daly last night backtracked on RTÉ’s Six One
News after Mr Varadkar said the view “is not the advice of
Government”.
Mr Varadkar and NECG chair Sean Hogan yesterday said the
€22.50c weekly fuel allowance helps 338,000 households
and two extra supports — an exceptional needs payment
and urgent needs payment — are also available.
Met Éireann
✔
@MetEireann

Latest webcam from our Roche's Point weather station

132
11:23 PM - Feb 27, 2018
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However, when asked, NECG member and Department of
Social Protection official Helen Faughnan did not say this
will cover all bills, instead saying claims will be dealt with
“in a sensitive manner”.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin yesterday said Mr Daly’s
initial suggestion is “pragmatic advice”, while his party’s
spokesperson for older people, Mary Butler, attacked Mr
Varadkar for spending €5m on “spin” instead of an €8.5m
extra week’s fuel allowance.
Labour leader Brendan Howlin said the Government is
failing to give “absolute clarity” on its own advice, while
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald added bluntly: “Elderly
people in very cold weather don’t need a pep talk,
Taoiseach, they need action.”
Contacted by the Irish Examiner last night, Age Action
Ireland spokesman Justin Moran said Mr Varadkar is wrong
to say elderly people are looking for “a blank cheque”.

Dublin Fire Brigade

@DubFireBrigade

Be prepared if the electricty goes #BeastFromTheEast

Torches (Spare Batteries)

Candles (LED if possible)

 Bottled Water

Working Smoke Alarm

Charged mobile phone(s)

Alternative methods of heat

Blankets

ESB: 1850 372 999

MPRN &
http://
powercheck.ie
262
10:01 AM - Feb 27, 2018
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We are asking for a once-off double fuel allowance payment this
week,” he said. “The Taoiseach’s was the wrong message, it was that
this Government isn’t interested in ensuring older people are warm and
safe.”

The comments came as a separate snow row descended last night after
record figures showed more than 9,000 people — including 3,267
children — are now without homes.

The NECG is expected to announce today a nationwide red weather

warning for Thursday evening, with schools expected to close, the Dáil
likely to shut, and hospital services disrupted.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/backlash-against-varadkar-over-heating-remark-

467751.html?fbclid=IwAR105kKx6qjcMCYUsYDARO401ta2Ex-E8St67ouCcliLKl9R5A8lRcpe2OQ
LANDLORDS TO GET
MORE MONEY THAN
LOCAL AUTHORITIES
FOR SOCIAL HOUSING IN
2020”
By
Padraig Conlon
-
25/10/2019

Sinn Féin Housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin

TD has blasted the governments planned
spending on social housing next year.
The Dublin Mid West TD was commenting on figures
received in response to parliamentary questions which
revealed over €800m is set to be spent on rental
subsidies with only €789m given to councils in 2020.

Between the various schemes including Rent

Supplement, Housing Assistance Payment (HAP), the
Rental Accommodation Scheme (RAS) and long-term
leases via the Social Housing Current Expenditure
Programme (SHCEP) the government is set to spend
€806.3m, compared to the €789m allocated to Local
Authorities for the build and acquisition of new social
homes.

“The figures I received in response to parliamentary

questions confirm that the government will spend more
on social housing rental subsidy schemes next year
than it will give directly to Local Authorities to build and
buy real social houses,” Deputy O Broin said.

“The State will spend €133m on RAS, €502.7m on

HAP, €94.6m on rent supplement and approximately
40% of funding allocated to SCHEP will be spent on
long term leasing private sector leases totalling €76m.

“Taken together the government has

allocated €806.3m of taxpayers money subsiding
social housing tenants in the private rented sector.

“In contrast, Government is only giving Local

Authorities €789m to build and buy homes for social
housing. The State is giving more money to private
landlords than to Local Authorities

”The Government has its priorities all wrong.

“Local Authorities should be the primary driver of social
housing delivery. Unfortunately Fine Gael continue to
over rely on the private sector to meet social housing
need.

“This is the fourth year of Rebuilding Ireland and this

government is still not building enough homes
required, while putting increased pressure on the
private rental market which is already over inflated.

“We need to see the inverse happen. The government

must prioritise investment in real social and affordable
homes, not in subsidies for private landlords.”

https://dublingazette.com/news/housing-spending-
32622/?fbclid=IwAR1b6IurMOg_CEW3bi9GRLuOmG4szQS0p9urpExLwJ
hLIqhC-_kuL6LViug

DUP leader Arlene Foster has said relationships between her

party and the Irish Government are not very good at the moment
and some recent comments have been detrimental to unionist-
Fine Gael relationships.
RTE.IE

Relationship between DUP, Govt not very good -

FosterDUP leader Arlene Foster has said relationships between
her party and the Irish Government are not very good at the
moment and some recent comments have been detrimental to
unionist-Fine Gael relationships.
They dont seem to be too good with the UK government either, or any EU government, or
even the US government, outside of Sri Lanka is there any government the Dishonest
Unionist Party is on good terms with?
She knows that's Boris's deal is the first step to a United Ireland and the loss of overall power
for the Unionist party and would give equality to all the peopl
Enter the post 45 history revisionist camp.lead by a franco-German bundnis of changing history.the
laters Stance of engaging in an apologetic non confronting happy Europe all pulling on the same rope
all roads leading to Brussels all finance routes heading towards Frankfurt or Berlin.Not sure about
reflective history.modern Spain is still a post Franco open sore.spanish civil war and Barcelona's
Basque tradition plus it's socialist Stance both then and now means it is all too easily forgotten by the
denial brigade in Brussels.The Basque region has the right to govern itself if so determined.quite like
the Scots,Northern Irish the South Tirolers, Walloons or Flem's.
Non EU muslims stealing Our irish parks for Homes to be built on for these Scum
Lowlifes of Muslims

A new application to build in our park has been submitted. This time it's for 9 storey
blocks!
A fresh application has been lodged for over 650 apartments on lands
adjacent to St Anne’s Park by Crekav Trading, whilst their last
application remains in dispute in the High Court.

It states that the developers are looking to build nine blocks, ranging in height
from five to nine storeys, with 657 apartments set to be constructed across the
65,125sq m site at St Paul’s College.

The application, which was made directly to An Bord Pleanala (ABP) under
the strategic housing development plan, details that there will be 224 one-
bedroom apartments, 378 two-bed apartments and 55 three-bedroom units.
Permission is also being sought for 499 car parking spaces and 1646 bicycle
parking spaces.

The ‘I Love St Anne’s’ group posted about the new application on Facebook to
advise locals of the latest development in the saga, with nearby residents
voicing their frustration that the developers continue to push for the playing
pitches at St Paul’s College to be developed.

Commenting on the post about the new application, Gerry Maher said: “Crazy.
They just don’t give up. And it’s even higher than last proposal? How is that in
keeping with the area?” to which Melissa O’Callaghan replied, saying that
“every application comes back more ridiculous. It’s like they are arrogantly
punishing the objectors.”

On Wednesday, the I Love St Anne’s group said that they plan to launch a fund
raising campaign in the coming days, which they say will be to help the group
and local residents ‘access the very best experts who can challenge the current
planning application for St. Paul’s’.

Update for all supporters of the I Love St. Anne’s campaign

We will be launching a fund raising campaign in the next few
days. The purpose of this fund raising is to make sure we can
access the very best experts who can challenge the current
planning application for St. Paul’s. Anyone who has had a chance
to review the plans will know that the developer has produced an
extensive application with hundreds of pages of technical
documents, prepared by some of the best and, no doubt, most
expensive planning consultants and lawyers in the country. They
have had the benefit of tripartite pre-application meetings with An
Bord Pleanála and the planning department at Dublin City
Council, so we must assume that they have all their ducks/geese
in a row.
It is yet another aspect of the undemocratic nature of SHD
legislation that members of the public must fund raise to
challenge a plan for the destruction of habitats and community
use lands, which the Government should be proactively
protecting.
We will also be launching a petition which we will submit to An
Bord Pleanála as part of the planning process.
Please be ready to share these posts.
Some more of Peter Mirolo’s magical photos, to remind us why
we continue to fight.
We have so much waste land that it is a sin to go after St. Anne's. This is all about greed and
charging high prices because of the beautiful location. Hopefully it can be stopped. Where's
the Green Party now? Though they would be out in force to defend such a green space.
Were there deeds to the section of the park that was sold? Was it the vincentians land to sell?
he Land was NEVER theirs in the first place they were allowed to use it for the school purpose ONLY
the land was given to the public on the grounds that it NEVER BE SOLD OR ANY BUILDINGS
ON IT How they can allow this to happen is a disgrace ruining one of the most beautiful places to
go to in Dublin with lots of history about it nice scenery & if your lucky some very nice wildlife to see,
if they are allowed to build on it that will be the end of the beautiful St Anne’s Park because they
will take it bit by bit because the GREED TO MAKE EVEN MORE MONEY WON’T GIVE UP
TILL THE HOLE PARK IS GONE
Any historical documents in the registry of deeds about the use of the lands?
 Agree with Brian Cotter, has the legality of the sale been established as the land was gifted to
the people of Dublin. Thanks for all you are doing on this, will there be a Go fund me page?
Also do you have details on how we put in our objections.
St Anne’s Park Raheny, land was gifted to the people of Dublin by Arthur Edward Guinness, 1st
Baron Ardilaun, 2nd Baronet (1 November 1840 – 20 January 1915), known as Sir Arthur
Guinness, Bt, between 1868 and 1880, was an Irish businessman, politician, and
philanthropist, best known for giving St Stephen's Green back to the people of Dublin
NOTIFICATION TO ATTEND MONTHLY MEETING OF THE NORTH CENTRAL
AREA COMMITTEE TO BE HELD IN THE NORTHSIDE CIVIC CENTRE, BUNRATTY
ROAD COOLOCK, DUBLIN 17 ON MONDAY 21st JULY 2014
http://www.seankenny.ie/news/docs/northcentralareacommittee1407.pdf

Judicial review to be
sought into decision to
grant permission for over
500 homes on lands beside
St Anne's Park in Raheny
BY
Laura LyneReporter
• 17:43, 11 APR 2018
The original application received over 1,000 objections before it was
refused
A judicial review into the decision to build a housing development on lands beside St
Anne's Park is to be sought by locals in Raheny.
And An Bord Pleanala has been warned that many playing pitches across the country
are now in danger folllowing the granting of planning permission for over 500 homes
at St Paul's College.

The claims were made by Labour Senator Aodhán Ó Ríordáin who said the decision
to give permission for the development was "deeply disturbing and heartbreaking".

Senator Ó Ríordáin said: "The decision of An Bord Pleanála on April 3rd, to grant
permission to the construction of 536 units in St Paul's College at St Anne's Park is
deeply disturbing and heartbreaking to the thousands of residents who had objected to
the plan.
“An Bord Pleanála have rejected completely the views of all local Councillors, the
Chief Executive of Dublin City Council, Owen Keegan, local residents groups and
sports club in order to rule entirely in favour of the developer.
“The decision has thrown the zoning objectives of the City Development Plan into
question as every piece of land and playing field in Dublin protected by a Z15 zoning
is now open to substantial residential development.

“What is particularly distressing is the amount of appropriately zoned land that is

being left unused that would solve the housing crisis ten times over, rather than
building on local sports pitches and adversely impacting on the premier green lung of
the Northside."

Before and After. A packed Great Hall at Clontarf Castle tonight. We called this meeting
wondering if there was an appetite for a fight. Turns out there is. We were overwhelmed
with the response, thank you to everyone who turned up and everyone who donated or
made a pledge to donate to the campaign fund and thank you to those who have come
forward to offer their professional services to the campaign. Don't forget, if you missed
this meeting there will be another one in Raheny GAA tomorrow, Wednesday 11th at
8.00pm hosted by Cllr. Ciaran O'Moore. If you would like a copy of the slides presented
at this meeting, send us an email [email protected] and we will forward to you.
We will post a review of the meeting on the page tomorrow.

The planning body has granted permission for more than 400 apartments and 100
houses on lands at St Paul's College through their fast-track Strategic Housing
Development system.

Crekav Trading proposed the development of 104 houses and 432 apartments on land
which had previously been used as playing pitches.

Having met with the Clontarf Residents Association and the "I Love St Anne's"
campaign, we are pursuing the only legal avenue open to us, which is to seek a
judicial review of the decision in the courts.

“The time frame is short and the financial implications are potentially large, so
continuing support from the community at this stage will be crucial. It is important
that every community in Dublin gets involved in this conversation.

"This is one of the first controverisal decisions made following the movement of
planning applications for so called strategic developments of 100 or more housing
units to An Bord Pleanala. This effectively bypasses local government and removed a
core function from local authorites."

https://www.dublinlive.ie/news/dublin-news/st-annes-park-raheny-14519781





Imperialism alive and kicking still, now the EU and the Irish are at it
because it was, is and always will be so successful until at some point
we stop playing their game.
Hide or report this
Chrissy Ni Dubhlaoich Everyone has a right to a home regardless of where they
are from. Refugees and immigrants are not to blame for the housing crisis, we are all
in the same boat. The blame lies solely with the government, this one and previous
ones. Lay blame where it belongs.
There are loads of empty flats in Central Dublin. Get the luas to the domnick stop. Get off it
and look across 122 bus nearby. boarded up. York Road Dun Laoghaire 2 empty houses,
large empty house near the medical centre that's near park point shopping centre. Some of
these are long therm empty houses 10 years plus.

Kevin Noel O Mahony Dirty scumbag, this is what the government wish to
replace us with! Over my dead body. A scumbag is a scumbag regardless of skin
colour.




Not bad for a failed business woman from Finglas in Dublin. With this much money swirling
around in her bank account she may even decide to pay the Revenue the few bob, not to mention
the people she left high and dry after her business went belly-up. Regina wants to be Taoiseach
too - if she can get Leo over to the EU to join BiG Phil Hogan in the EU millionaires club. So
don't disappoint the lady - DON'T vote in the General Election .. stay at home ... or de-register ...
or spoil your vote. That way Fine Gael and Regina can get another five years on the gravy train.
And "get yiz yer yiz psc ID card" (as Regina used to say before she moved to Meath East)
Enda D. Reynolds have they not changed their AGAIN to people before a name
change....or slitherdarity....or SOME other fucking thing??

Left wing is BOLLOCKS, The 'laber' party are 'Left Wing', as is their 'left wing'
president who has signed everything the little fucker has been presented with, most
alarmingly, the Water Bill, moved by alan pig snout Kelly and which turned EVERY
PERSON IN THE State INTO A customer of IRISH WATER BY
STATUTE....Meanwhile, the 'Laber party insist on joining hands and singing 'We'll
keep the Red Flag Flying'???

THE REAL RESON THIS BILL WILL NEVER BE PASSED IS THAT 100 OF
THE CURRENT TD's IN THE Doyle ARE landlords....

if Ur choice is Left or Right.......most will select RIGHT

Peter Mc Ardle PBP if you want our national flag removed from public buildings
in case it might offend migrants, F ---K You, we are Irish, if the invaders dont like our
flag, then go back to the hell hole that spawned them
Fine Gael are using parliamentary trickery to block 55 bills including the Solidarity People Before Profit
anti eviction bill.

This is an affront to basic democracy, to block bills passed by a Dail majority.

Fine Gael spoke about new politics before the last election but gave us nothing but the same old contempt for
democracy.

We need a real left alternative to the landlord parties.



Indian Dick head Not Elected by irish people Get This message
you fucking faggot prick
ireland is NOT for sale.. it was given away years ago,to Multi
Nationals for nothing... all that remains is for the TD vultures to
screw as much as they can from expenses.....led by our Prime
Minister Tonto, the bundle of sticks, who tried unsuccessfully 3
years ago to STEAL €2,000 from his expenses....
Despite a media blackout on the 'story' , it was the Mail on
Sunday and the Sunday Times who revealted the pillow biters
attempted theft....forcing it to return the stolen money
So while people, mainly single parents, are jailed for non payment
of the €160 tv license, Tonto, the HIGHEST PAID PRIME
MINISTER IN THE ENTIRE EU, is allowed free.
Filth.....here it is with what it found in it's back stop - no doubt
claimed on expenses .
given his appalling ignorance of almost EVERYTHING,I wonder is he thinking 'is THIS
Gonorrhea or Chlamdia green?
25 October 2019
I decided to share the story I heard from my mother of Halloween
celebrations in 1940’s South Kildare. Her recollections were not of buying
fancy dress costumes and fireworks, but a simpler more creative time when
Ireland was in the grip of rationing, and children looked forward to a night of
fun, pranks, frightening the adults, general mischief and revelry.
The preparations by the local children began some weeks in advance, with
collecting and carefully storing hazelnuts gathered from the hedgerows,
selecting choice turnips from surrounding fields, and receiving gifts of apples
from the convent orchard, smuggled out to the children by a friendly nun.
Precious cardboard, paints, paper and cloth accessories were hoarded to be
used in mask making.
By the time Halloween arrived, turnips aplenty had been carved, candles lit
and some placed in windows, while others were strategically placed at
known scary haunted spots along the road. The children dressed in old
clothes, donned their home made masks, tied white shirts to sticks, and hid
in doorways and the greenery of the roadside hedges. From where they
would jump out with howls and shouts, waving the white shirts, to frighten
passers-by.
The adults too played their part, along with feigned fright (sometimes real)
sweets and treats were purchased and laid out for party cuisine, coins and
rings were hidden and baked in sweet currant cakes, and an occasional hard
pea or rag were also wrapped in grease-proof paper and added to the mix.
White enamel basins and tin baths were filled with water, apples and nuts
added, along with pennies, thrupenny bits, shillings and sixpence coins. A
line was attached from wall to wall in the kitchen, and apples were tied to it.
Children were blindfolded and encouraged to bite the apples, the odd bar of
soap was tied to the line too, for merriment value.
These Halloween games are similar to my own memories from the 1970’s,
and akin to tales from other parts of the country too. Before the shops
started selling the throwaway plastic Halloween tat, so popular nowadays.
Saucers were laid out on the table, and one was filled with water, one with
clay, others had a ring, a thimble and rosary beads placed on them. Children
were blindfolded and spun around, before being directed towards the
saucers, if they chose the water they would travel abroad, the ring meant
they would be married, the beads predicted a life in a religious order, the clay
foretold early death, and the thimble represented either their future as a
singleton or great skill as a dressmaker.
Cousins and neighbouring children along the road would visit each others
houses and delights and games galore were laid out in every home. Cakes,
toffees, Peggy's legs and gobstoppers were eaten, and an atmosphere of fun
and laughter accompanied ducking for apples, nuts and coins, trying to bite
apples on the line, and sometimes getting the soap instead. An evening of
childhood happiness, and a lot of cleaning up, and drying of floors for the
parents afterwards.
She recalls one night at a party in her grandparents, some men arriving later
on, and warning that the Púca (Pooka) was out in the fields. His timely
appearance was perhaps a convenient way of calling a halt to the children’s
wanderings.
Turnips carved by me will be displayed on Halloween, where visiting small
people will be rewarded with coins, nuts and apples, keeping some of the old
traditions alive in South Kildare. Wherever you are in the world, I wish you a
not too scary night, and Happy Halloween, to one and all.

his Is Our Ireland Island We should drugadict alvo ect we are the Ones that Stayed here I
love my country but a working man can't live here shame shameshame
The idea that refugees or asylum seekers are being housed before Irish people is a rotten, racist lie.
Minorities in Ireland are disproportionately affected by homelessness so in fact they are more likely to be
stuck on local authority housing waiting lists, a lot longer than Irish people.

Any attempt to pit housing and accommodation needs against each other is as good as dragging an Irish family out
of their home and making them homeless yourself. The government relishes the divide and conquer tactics as it
takes the blame off them and they can continue to drag their feet for years to come.

When you hear that statement "foreigners are housed before the Irish", bear in mind that "the Irish" here refers to
white people, as that's the only possible visible marker that could be identified as distinguishing someone from
being Irish as opposed to being a refugee. So Irish people of colour who are on a housing list and are ahead of a
white Irish person on a housing list are legitimate targets of hate and envy from those who push this racist
message.

Any legitimate anger you may feel about homelessness is automatically converted into government support the
minute you punch down instead of punching up.

Unless the housing movements can evict the racists they'll always be the lackeys of the private sector and the
government.

Some one should pass this on to the gimp Bimbo in the lap dog FF party who not only can't
remember her seat no. But also seems to have no idea of the law she reputedly has a
"degree" in. Wonder who she's related to.
Gardaí using PSC for vetting forms despite law
Friday, October 25, 2019
An Garda Síochána has been including the public services card (PSC) as an
identification option on Garda vetting forms used by businesses across the country, in
apparent violation of social welfare law.
As part of the vetting process, mandated by legislation enacted between 2012 and
2016, gardaí register affected organisations as requiring successful vetting for staff
before they can commence employment.
Vetting is required for any employees who may be working with either children or
vulnerable adults.
On foot of this, the relevant organisation requires applicants to fill out vetting forms.
But before that can happen the prospective employee is expected to verify their
identity to the satisfaction of the gardaí.
This is carried out via a points system, with 100 points required to reach the relevant
threshold, which in practice requires a form of identification and an acceptable
verification of address. The PSC represents the joint most valuable form of
identification per the live vetting forms, at 80 points, along with a driving licence.
However, the list of specified bodies under legislation which can request a PSC in
exchange for a service is restricted to State and quasi-State institutions. Childcare or
youth coaching organisations, two of the largest cohorts for which Garda vetting is
required, are not present on the list.
Under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, any enterprise seeking to request
the card as a form of identification which is not on a list of specified bodies is
committing an offence, with a penalty upon indictment of €13,000 or three years in
prison, or both.
Both An Garda Síochána and the Department of Social Protection were contacted by
the Irish Examiner to ask if they were aware of the apparent legislative breach, and
whether or not Garda vetting forms would be altered. No response had been received
from either party at the time of publication.
“The reassurances given by Government that the uses of the card can be effectively
curtailed are hard to give credence to when it’s blatantly being used as an ID and the
gardaí are not supposed to be able to ask for it,” said Antoin Ó Lachtnain, director
with Digital Rights Ireland.
Last week, mobile phone carrier GoMo pulled the PSC as an identification option on
its website after concerns were raised with the Department of Social Protection.
Mr Ó Lachtnain said he considers the issue of Garda vetting “more egregious” than
that of GoMo as “this is the Garda”.
“GoMo have the excuse of simply not knowing any better, but you would expect An
Garda Síochána to know what the rules are,” he said. “There has to be a strategy for
this kind of thing, with a carefully considered solution, and the PSC is not that
solution.”
https://www.irishexaminer.com/.../gardai-using-psc-for...
With Fianna Fail in disarray over VoteGate, the Blueshirts and
Varadkar can win the upcoming General Election - if enough of
you keyboard warriors just keep moaning and don't bother voting.
Fine Gael's own loyal support base of around 25% can get them
back into power. All they need is a low turnout on voting day and
Varadkar will be Taoiseach until 2025. Just think of the damage
they can inflict on the people of this country in 5 years, the billions
more that they will waste, the tens of thousands who won't be
housed, the unfortunate sick people who will die because of
Simon Harris. Water charges of course will be introduced straight
away, pensions will be cut and workers will be crucified with huge
Carbon Tax deductions from wages. Our young people will be
sent to fight endless wars on behalf of the EU's PESCO army -
and many will come home in body bags. But some people will be
very happy - Denis O'Brien will get plenty of juicy state contracts,
the Vulture Funds and the bankers will rake in billions and pay
little or no tax. That's Fine Gael's way you see. They are a party of
the rich, for the rich.
So don't vote, stay at home on election day and keep these elite
gangsters happy and wealthy.
The human face of the housing and homelessness
crisis
A homeless person murdered on the streets of Cork, another homeless person dies in Dublin, children
are eating their dinner on pieces of cardboard outside the GPO and kids in their school uniforms queing
up for food with their parents. This is the shocking and human face of the housing and homelessness
crisis, today I called out the government on the fact that they seem to think that this is business as
usual.
https://www.facebook.com/RuthCoppingerTD/videos/719558968508078/Uzp
fSTEwMDAwNTQ3MjYwNDQ4NzpWSzoyNDY3NjA5OTk2NjQ5NTc4/

Mortgage Fraud in Ireland by Government FG, FF, LB and Bankers and District
Attorney and judges Stealing Irish Homes that are paid three times over

https://www.facebook.com/ben.gilroy.96/videos/10217757929972281/UzpfS
TEwMDAwNTI3MTE4ODM0NzpWSzoyNDY3MjU0MDE2Njg1MTc2/




Vote controversy, report recommends no

sanctions against TDs
Investigation into voting row finds committee on procedures needs more powers

The Dáil voting system needs to be reviewed, according to a report into the recent controversy involving Fianna
Fáil TDs Timmy Dooley and Niall Collins, but no sanctions or disciplinary action were recommended.
Jennifer Bray
Updated: Thu, Oct 24, 2019, 12:45

An investigation in the Dáil voting controversy has found it is not “legally

appropriate” to recommend sanctions against a number of Fianna Fáil TDs
because another inquiry into the issue is ongoing.

A report which examined the events of last week, when Fianna Fáil TD Niall
Collins voted six times for party colleague Timmy Dooley while he was absent
from the chamber, was published today.

Addressing the Dáil after the report’s publication, Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó
Fearghail said the controversy over voting has “further eroded confidence in
how our national parliament conducts its business”.

The report by Dáil clerk Peter Finnegan has not recommended sanctions
because the committee does not want to prejudice the work of another
committee which is also investigating the matter.

Mr Dooley has denied asking Mr Collins to vote for him when he was absent
from the Dáil chamber saying: “No, I am clear on that fact.”

Mr Dooley told the investigation that he left the Dáil complex instead of
returning to vote in last Thursday’s voting bloc.

What happened
Detailing what happened on the day, the report says: “Deputy Dooley
approached Mr Collins, who was speaking with another colleague at the time.

“He is shown to have a brief conversation with Deputy Collins, which included
Deputy Dooley pointing towards the front row of the seats. Deputy Collins
nods at Deputy Dooley... [who] exits the chamber...

Related
“When asked about the nature of the conversation with Deputy Collins,
Deputy Dooley said that he told Deputy Collins that he needed to speak with
him.”

The report says Mr Dooley told Mr Collins: “I’ll see you at the vote but I have
to make a call.”

“When asked what he meant by pointing at the seats, Deputy Dooley was
indicating to Deputy Collins that he would see him when they were voting.”

Mr Dooley told the investigation that Mr Collins had

assumed he was in the chamber and that is why he voted
for him. Mr Dooley confirmed he had not taken any steps
to correct the record.
Returned to his office
Mr Dooley confirmed to the inquiry that that he did not
vote in any of the eight scheduled votes.
“He indicated he had returned to his office to make a call.
He stated that he should have gone back but that he left
the complex. He could not say how long the call lasted, nor
could he say at what time he left the complex.”
..it says a lot about Irish politics that the ex-Fine Gael leader can
just “leave” office and then spend the next two years claiming
salary and expenses while not - apparently - doing a hell of a lot
for the people of Mayo. Or anywhere else.

Of course, with just three votes in 2019, you would wonder why
he couldn’t have found somebody to push the button for him.
But let’s not be mad at Enda. He’s just another time-server, a lifer,
a bed-blocker in a system where getting a cosy berth in the Dail is
the object of the game and once you are there, you keep the head
down, vote like you’re told and keep claiming the expenses. #FG

He left to manage big hedge funds which is a conflict of interest now you know why all these
vulture funds/capitalist got away and are still getting away with paying f all taxes. Under his
watch they were given the red carpet to buy up thousands and thousands of homes for
pittance and now theres no as they say no homes for the homeless. And why oh why does he
still have a VOTE and a fn WAGE

The report recommends that the Dáil has more powers to sanction TDs who
vote for absent colleagues. It also says voting should not start until all
members are in their seats. Photograph: Gareth Chaney/Collins
Mr Collins told the investigation he was not asked to vote
for Mr Dooley.
“When asked what he believed Deputy Dooley meant by
pointing, he said that he had no idea, that he was looking
at Deputy Dooley’s face and not his hands. He further
states that he did not see Deputy Dooley leave the
chamber.”
Mr Collins said there was “no particular reason” why he
then sat in the wrong seat. He said he “assumed” Mr
Dooley was in the chamber.
Sanctions
The report found the Dáil committee on procedures and
privileges (CPP) needs more powers to sanction politicians
who vote for absent colleagues or colleagues who are away
from their designated seat and should have a role in
considering irregularities during votes.
The report also recommends that voting should not start
until all members are in their seats. If an error comes to
light it must be notified to the Ceann Comhairle.
Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghail told the Dáil that the
report was “factual and evidence-based,” and though it
didn’t make findings, the facts were “stark and
unpalatable”.
He said there would be statements on the issue in the Dáil
later and said it was his “sincere wish that members read
the report before they express their views”.
A separate complaint about the issue has been made to the
Dáil’s internal ethics committee by Fine Gael TD Noel
Rock about Mr Dooley, Mr Collins, Fianna Fáil TD Lisa
Chambers and Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen.
This committee is scheduled to meet later today and has
the power to recommend a motion to the Dáil on the
matter. This could result in a potential expulsion of up to
30 days if the TDs are found to have breached ethics laws.
This is the root cause of the housing crisis political corruption
USE THE BALLOT BOX WHEN THE TIME COMES.
apart from FF FG LABOUR and the a certain element of the independens can't be thrusted
Sinn Fein won't have enough to form a government what other party is there to run the
country the way the people want it run.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/vote-controversy-report-
recommends-no-sanctions-against-tds-
1.4061341?mode=amp&fbclid=IwAR07Ym05_IthGUprbZRZ_IMkr2tEAWIMa-
exbNt1eCy-SOrpWgnqyBRsimI
Vote Gate scandal has eroded
public confidence in politics, says
Ceann Comhairle
Thursday, October 24, 2019

The speaker of the Dáil, Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl said the
voting scandal of a week ago was a “political failure,” which eroded
public confidence in politics.

Speaking in the Dáil today, Mr Ó Fearghaíl was commenting after a

report into the incident involving two Fianna Fáil TDs Timmy Dooley
and Niall Collins and confirmed neither will be subject to sanction.

Let me say, the problems of last Thursday were not of a technical

nature. The failure was political, and – as politicians and
parliamentarians – there is an onus on us to deliver the solutions
which are now required,” he said.

“The controversy that has ensued following the voting one week ago
has further eroded public confidence in how our National Parliament
conducts its business.

"Like many Members I have received emails, phone calls and

correspondence from the public, which has been highly critical of our
voting practices,” he told the chamber.
He said TDs have a fundamental duty to behave in a manner that
supports and reflects this and should endeavour to avoid comment or
action that undermines the institution of parliament or how it is
perceived.

The Ceann Comhairle said it is a matter of deep personal and

professional regret to me that this did not happen last week.

“Over the coming hours I hope Members of this House will take the opportunity
to read this report. It is factual and evidence-based.
It makes no findings against any individual, but the facts as laid out in
the report are stark and unpalatable.

"It is sobering to reflect on the voting irregularities that occurred last

week and under no circumstances can they be allowed to happen
again,” he added.

The Constitution requires Members of this House to be present in the

Dáil Chamber when voting. There can be no deviation from this
fundamental requirement, he said.

“On a personal level, I have always believed that when errors are made
in life they should be admitted and learned from, and I would apply this
maxim to what transpired last week.

"As Ceann Comhairle I have endeavoured to be open and accountable

about these events.

As a parliamentary institution we can take some solace from having established

the facts expeditiously.
"I also very much appreciate the co-operation that every Member gave
in the course of this process,” he added.

As stated in the report there are now a number of complaints which

have been made pursuant to the Ethics in Public Office Acts, the Dáil
heard.
Of necessity and based on legal advice, these complaints must be
allowed to take their course in accordance with the processes laid
down under statute, he said.

It is now for the Committee on Members’ Interests to examine the

matter and to recommend any appropriate sanction.

“Any recommendation from that Committee will be made to this House

and it will be this House – not any one committee - which will decide
the imposition of sanctions if appropriate,” he added.

What Confidence never had any in the liars and theives

Really.......you can't erode what's not there in the first place
I think it was well eroded before that!

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/vote-gate-
scandal-has-eroded-public-confidence-in-politics-says-ceann-
comhairle-
959462.html?fbclid=IwAR0rRSaKB1U8eflek1m_vIXcz5HVvdtw9b
Y1QiomQXH8YgoGNMncj8RTCb4

The Taoiseach will not answer Sinn Féin Finance Spokesperson

Pearse Doherty whether he is one of 13 Ministers availing of a
Dual Abode Allowance or laundry allowance ranging from €3,000 -
€6,500

Taoiseach won't answer whether he is
one of 13 Ministers availing of second
home tax break
Nov 28, 2012
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B2ZmyqMs9dQ&fbclid=IwAR0av8SuKKRw
Wr6BuTkB2W6ftuAouXgeUgfXZo4AJxfYWWu83Bt8k5JTE6E&app=desktop

Emma Kennedy questions Irish Water's handling of

the Leixlip treatment plant failings
Emma Kennedy on why Irish Water should not be allowed to operate without oversight because we see
the results in the boil water notice for 600,000 this week alone out of a water treatment plant that had a €30
million upgrade...

"A lot of questions for Irish Water including why Dublin still gets 99% of its water from rivers, with inherent risks
of giardia, cryptosporidium and THMs? Only 1% is from (safer) wells.

But the key question is: why is this organisation not being better scrutinised?"

We need not only accountability but we need Irish Water abolished

https://www.facebook.com/RevolutionIreland/videos/410187166542232/Uzp
fSTExNjExMDE3MTc3NDY1NDoyNzQ4ODM4MzY4NTAxODA4/









Gardaí using PSC for vetting forms despite law
Gardaí using PSC for vetting forms despite law
An Garda Síochána has been including the public services card (PSC) as an identification
option on Garda vetting forms used by businesses across the country, in apparent
violation of social welfare law.
As part of the vetting process, mandated by legislation enacted between 2012 and 2016,
gardaí register affected organisations as requiring successful vetting for staff before they
can commence employment.

Vetting is required for any employees who may be working with either children or
vulnerable adults.
On foot of this, the relevant organisation requires applicants to fill out vetting forms. But
before that can happen the prospective employee is expected to verify their identity to the
satisfaction of the gardaí.
This is carried out via a points system, with 100 points required to reach the relevant
threshold, which in practice requires a form of identification and an acceptable
verification of address. The PSC represents the joint most valuable form of identification
per the live vetting forms, at 80 points, along with a driving licence.
However, the list of specified bodies under legislation which can request a PSC in
exchange for a service is restricted to State and quasi-State institutions. Childcare or
youth coaching organisations, two of the largest cohorts for which Garda vetting is
required, are not present on the list.
Under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, any enterprise seeking to request the
card as a form of identification which is not on a list of specified bodies is committing an
offence, with a penalty upon indictment of €13,000 or three years in prison, or both.
Both An Garda Síochána and the Department of Social Protection were contacted by the
Irish Examiner to ask if they were aware of the apparent legislative breach, and whether
or not Garda vetting forms would be altered. No response had been received from either
party at the time of publication.
“The reassurances given by Government that the uses of the card can be effectively
curtailed are hard to give credence to when it’s blatantly being used as an ID and the
gardaí are not supposed to be able to ask for it,” said Antoin Ó Lachtnain, director with
Digital Rights Ireland.
Last week, mobile phone carrier GoMo pulled the PSC as an identification option on its
website after concerns were raised with the Department of Social Protection.
Mr Ó Lachtnain said he considers the issue of Garda vetting “more egregious” than that
of GoMo as “this is the Garda”.
“GoMo have the excuse of simply not knowing any better, but you would expect An
Garda Síochána to know what the rules are,” he said. “There has to be a strategy for this
kind of thing, with a carefully considered solution, and the PSC is not that solution.”

Under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, any enterprise seeking to request the
card as a form of identification which is not on a list of specified bodies is committing an
offence, with a penalty upon indictment of €13,000 or three years in prison, or both.
Both An Garda Síochána and the Department of Social Protection were contacted by the
Irish Examiner to ask if they were aware of the apparent legislative breach, and whether
or not Garda vetting forms would be altered. No response had been received from either
party at the time of publication.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/gardai-using-psc-for-vetting-forms-
despite-law-
959754.html?fbclid=IwAR0dGp2MZe67ICha8A8eR5JSDEugR4uNreDYC6hsDlAS
1_T2xaLHq3vJEsw

There's talk of an early
election but nothing really
ever changes in Irish
politics
"Essentially it’ll just be musical chairs with one of the usual
suspects in the big seat when the jig stops"
BY
Joe O'SheaEditor, Cork Beo
28 OCT 2019
Enda Kenny leaving Government buildings

Enda Kenny seems like a nice chap and you’d like to

wish him well in his retirement - if he wasn’t actually
retired and was still being paid big bucks to be a full-time
TD.
But our former leader - one of four TDs representing
130,000 people of Mayo - missed 96% of Dail votes
between 2017-2019 while claiming €47k in expenses.

And doesn’t it say a lot about Irish politics that the ex-Fine
Gael leader can just “leave” office and then spend the next
two years claiming salary and expenses while not -
apparently - doing a hell of a lot for the people of Mayo. Or
anywhere else.
Of course, with just three votes in 2019, you would wonder
why he couldn’t have found somebody to push the button
for him.
But let’s not be mad at Enda. He’s just another time-
server, a lifer, a bed-blocker in a system where getting a
cosy berth in the Dail is the object of the game and once
you are there, you keep the head down, vote like you’re
told and keep claiming the expenses.
Former Taoiseach Enda Kenny
There’s talk of an early election - but will it change anything? Will it feck.

We’ll have a few weeks of Leo and Martin throwing shapes, the Greens will
probably pick up some seats and a couple of new independents will show up.
But essentially it’ll just be musical chairs with one of the usual suspects in the
big seat when the jig stops.
Nothing really changes in Irish politics. Seats are handed down in the family,
the same old faces with the same non-ideas hang around for years. Systemic
problems last for decades. We surely can’t call it a housing or health “crisis” if
it’s been like that forever.

When hard-working people are being denied decent housing for 15 years or
more - when we waste decades and billions failing to sort a half-decent health
system - that’s not a “crisis” - that’s just how it’s supposed to work.

There are very few ideas and even less people capable of coming up with
them. The best of our young people are either too busy scrambling to pay the
bills or building businesses and careers despite rather than because of
anything the Government does for them.

If you are a brilliant twenty or thirty-something with amazing ideas - you’re

aiming for Dublin’s Silicon Docks - not Dáil Éireann.

In my hometown of Cork - a lot of people reckon there are decisions being

taken in Brussels, Washington and Silicon Valley that are far more important
for us than anything they come up with in distant Dublin. Let ‘em off, they’re
no use to us.

A friend remarked to me how young Enda Kenny looks at 68 years of age and
good luck to him. But you might look that fresh-faced as well if you had a
working week like Enda’s.

No, it won’t change, Unless voters start demanding different.

Here’s a weird one. They’re having a record-breaking flu season in Australia.

Which means we're going to have a terrible one here.

Yes, in an interconnected world, when Australia sneezes, we all get the flu. In
2017, when a new strain hit Australia hard, it was one of the worst years on
record for Europe and the US.

So brace yourselves. And the even worse news is that new strains that start
off in Australia have proved to be vaccine resistant.

If you are ever wonder where the mutant virus that will make all those zombie
movies and TV shows a reality will come from - it’ll be some feckin’ koala bear
up a tree in Tumbarumba.

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/news-opinion/joe-oshea-theres-talk-early-
20735874?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebar&fbclid=IwAR0BtEgzAPgYfD0l
05s1z0YTgMkL55J4o6QozMZ0-2JexywlZm_pG2osI0Y
National Childcare Scheme wasn't set up to provide childcare subsidies. It was set up
because the largest demographic need access to such a scheme and therefore would
add significantly to the MyGovID scam.

That's because the Permanent Unaccountable Unelected Civil Service run the country.
The politicians are just the front face that changes...
The National Childcare Scheme wasn't set up to provide childcare subsidies. It was set
up because the largest demographic need access to such a scheme and therefore would
add significantly to the MyGovID scam...
Look between the lines folks... They already have all the people on welfare signed up.
Now it's the parents of children..
Who will be next? Local Property Tax payers? Income Tax filing? They intend on getting
everyone at some stage...
The Public Services Card is only the token key. The MyGovID is the REAL threat...
They were told they cannot use the PSC for anything other than welfare but no such limitation was
put on MyGovID...
Sure look what experience would Murphy or Harris have even in life . They are so young but they do
think they know it all . At least Leo is a medical Dr . So he has some life experiences . Suppose we
could go on about a lot more of out TDs Councilors , Senitors , ,MEP s. The don't like to listen to
people who may have experience in say for example caring or working Heath Services, Bullying is
another . They never wanted to listen to that wonderful mam Mr MC Cabe.
carefully rewritten 1937 constitution facilitates all the unaccountability. Change that or live with
deja Vu for another 100 years.

This is the first picture of an Irish haulage boss and his

wife who have been arrested on suspicion of
manslaughter over the deaths of 39 migrants found dead
in a lorry in Essex.
Joanna Maher, 38, and her husband Thomas, also 38,
who live in Warrington in the UK, were arrested today as
part of the wide-ranging investigation into the deaths.

They are being held on suspicion of 39 counts of

manslaughter and people trafficking on Friday.
A Cheshire Police patrol car arrived at the Irish couple's
four-bedroom Cheshire house at 7am before up to a
dozen police officers went inside at around midday.
An Essex Police spokesman said: "We have carried out
warrants in Cheshire as part of the investigation into 39
bodies being discovered in a lorry trailer in Grays.
As a result, a 38-year-old man and a 38-year-old woman
from Warrington have been arrested on suspicion of
conspiracy to traffic people and on suspicion of 39 counts
of manslaughter.
"A 25-year-old man, the driver of the lorry, remains in
custody on suspicion of murder."
Locals said Mr Maher is the owner of a haulage firm and
his wife works as a hairdresser.
They said they have three teenage children, two boys
aged 18 and 11 and a 15-year-old girl, and enjoy
numerous foreign holidays, including trips to Mexico and
long cruises.
Essex Police are leading one of the biggest murder
investigations in UK history after the discovery of the
bodies of 39 migrants in a lorry on an industrial estate in
Grays, Essex on Wednesday morning.

(Image: Peter Powell)

(Image: PA)

The driver of the Scania lorry, Mo Robinson, 25, has been

in custody for mass murder since the bodies were found.
Police have not confirmed whether the driver raised the
alarm after finding the bodies, while his supporters have
set up petitions online calling for his release.
People living close to Purfleet said illegal migrants were a
familiar sight.
"It's a magnet for illegals," said Janet Lilley, 61. "People
would come strolling out of the docks, get in the vans and
that's it, they drive off."
Lee Tubby, 45, who lives opposite the port, said he has
seen people "climbing out the top and out the back" of
lorries and cutting the plastic roof covering to climb
through.
"We've had people just come out of the port knocking on
the door asking for shoes, asking for water," he said.
(Image: PA)
It is not yet known when the victims entered the sealed
refrigerated trailer, where temperatures can be as low as -
25C, or the exact route it travelled.
Mike Gradwell, a former Lancashire Police detective
superintendent who worked on the probe into the
Morecambe Bay cockling tragedy in which 23 Chinese
illegal immigrants drowned, told BBC Breakfast that those
inside could have been trafficked by a Snakehead gang.
"These are criminal travel agents really - you go to a
Snakehead to say you want to be trafficked to an
economic opportunity and usually you'll borrow quite a
significant amount of money," he said.
Belgian officials said the trailer arrived at Zeebrugge at
2.49pm on Tuesday and left the port the same day en
route to Purfleet.
(Image: PA)
Joachim Coens, chief executive of Zeebrugge port, said it
was unlikely people were loaded into the container at the
Belgian site, while mayor Dirk De Fauw, who is also the
chairman of the port, said it was "virtually impossible" the
victims went into the trailer at the Belgian border.
The trailer arrived at Purfleet at around 12.30am on
Wednesday, and the front section to which it was
attached, known as the tractor, came from Northern
Ireland via Holyhead in north Wales on Sunday.
Irish company Global Trailer Rentals Ltd (GTR) confirmed
it owned the refrigerated part of the lorry and a spokesman
said the company was "shellshocked" and "gutted" by the
news.
(Image: PA)

(Image: Skty News)

READ MORE
Essex lorry victims' horror journey at hands of deadly
Chinese Snakehead gang

The firm said the trailer had been leased on October 15

from its rentals yard in Co Monaghan, in the Republic of
Ireland, at a rate of 275 euro (£237) a week.

It said it provided police with information about the person and company that
leased the trailer, as well as offering to make tracking data available.

Three addresses have been searched in Northern Ireland as part of the

probe, while warrants were also carried out in Cheshire.

China has called for joint efforts to counter human smuggling, while vigils
have been held in London and Belfast to pay tribute to the victims.

https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/first-picture-irish-couple-arrested-
20725007
They the media are all saying he's Irish! when in fact he's British!!!
Just to destroy British propaganda with one picture. This is loyalist scumbag
Maurice Mo Robinson, who was the willing driver murdering the people he
was highly paid for to smuggle into Britain. Robinson is a well-known loyalist
with dealing towards the DUP/UDA. Yet, the British media with its usual
racism towards Ireland claim he's Irish! On his Facebook, Mo proudly tells his
'followers' he is proud to be British! Don't allow the British media to get away
with their usual bullshit propaganda. Shamefully, the pro-Unionist Free state
media have gone along with their British masters.

NUJ 'deeply disturbed' by

cameraman's treatment at meeting
on asylum seekers

Cllr Paul McNamara

26/10/2019

The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) has described the treatment of a TG4
cameraman at a public meeting on Achill island earlier this week as “deeply disturbing”.
Cameraman Fergus Sweeney was asked to leave the public meeting held on Wednesday
night to discuss proposed emergency accommodation for asylum seekers at a hotel on the
island, and was subjected to jeers and taunts of “out, out, out”.
Mr Sweeney, who had been assigned to cover the meeting for Nuacht TG4, was asked to
leave by Fianna Fáil councillor Paul McNamara, who was chairing it, and was then
escorted out by Mr McNamara.
Mr Sweeney said he felt “uncomfortable and threatened” and that members of the public
“continued to shout, heckle and clap” as he left.
Cllr McNamara did not respond to requests for comment. An estimated 200 people
attended the gathering in Cashel to discuss reports that the Achill Head Hotel at Pollagh
near Keel was to be used for direct provision.
However, the Department of Justice has said there is no long term contract in place for a
direct provision centre in Achill.
It said it was “offered” and “booked” available beds in the Achill Head Hotel during the
current low season as emergency accommodation for those seeking international
protection and said it is a short term measure.
NUJ Irish secretary Séamus Dooley said that Cllr McNamara, as a public representative,
"had no right to challenge Mr Sweeney’s right to attend a meeting which was of
enormous public interest”.
Mr McNamara’s actions are deeply disturbing. No public representative should seek to
limit media access to a public meeting in this fashion,” Mr Dooley said.
The issue of accommodating asylum seekers is “of national importance and we cannot
tolerate a situation whereby local public representatives decide what journalists are
allowed or not allowed to cover meetings of this type”, Mr Dooley said.
There can be circumstances where individual speakers may wish not to speak in front of a
camera or not wish to be identified, for legitimate interests
“Journalists are well used to dealing with sensitive situations. There does not seem to
have been any reason why Mr Sweeney was excluded, other than a desire to manage the
nature of media coverage,” Mr Dooley said.
“The presence of print and broadcast journalists at similar public meetings elsewhere has
been extremely useful in helping to understand the context of local opinion and in at least
one case, highlighted attempts from external forces to influence local opinion.”
Green Party European election candidate Saoirse McHugh has established a “welcome
group” for asylum seekers if they are sent to Achill, while a former manager of Achill
Tourism, Mr Seán Molloy, has called for compassion in the debate.
In a post on his Facebook page, Mr Molloy said that “for more than 150 years, Achill
people have had to emigrate to find a better life for themselves and their immediate
families.
While the experience may be pleasant and beneficial for most in recent years, there was a
time when Irish/Achill people were treated with contempt, indignity and suspicion.
“There are not many families from these parts who didn’t rely on the money that was sent
back to Achill - myself included.
“Direct provision is a seriously flawed system but until something better is put in place
this is the best available option for people fleeing war and death,” Mr Molloy said, adding
that the root of the problem regarding services is due to depopulation and “a small
number of refugees coming to Achill will not overwhelm the services that we have”.
The Department of Justice stressed the plans for Achill relates to a current shortage of
accommodation in existing direct provision centres for asylum seekers, and hotels and
guesthouses are being used as a temporary measure.
“The department is very conscious of community concerns about the possible impact of
these centres on local services,”it said.
“It is important to say that supports for asylum seekers is not limited to accommodation -
it refers to a suite of State services offered to applicants for international protection.”
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/nuj-deeply-disturbed-by-cameramans-
treatment-at-meeting-on-asylum-seekers-959936.html

Congratulatory message on success of PSC at national

awards met with scepticism from officials

22/10/2019
A decision to post a congratulatory message regarding the success of the Public Services
Card’s online form at a national awards ceremony was met with some scepticism from
officials inside the Department of Social Protection.
The PSC’s online variant, MyGovID, was recently one of two winners among Social
Protection projects at the Irish eGovernment Awards presented by Social Protection
Minister Regina Doherty.
On foot of that result, secretary general for Social Protection John McKeon requested that
attention be drawn to the achievement on both his Department’s website and that of
MyWelfare.ie, the website dedicated to accessing welfare services using MyGovID
I’m not sure how this could be put on MyWelfare or the relevance there,” one official
commented on the request, in messages seen by the Irish Examiner.
"Folks, did anyone know these awards were even on this week?” asked another.
"This looks OK imo (in my opinion), but as to relevance, I can’t see how it fits,” said a
third.
“Publish today unpublish tomorrow?” he added.
“Don’t disagree but we will need to get something up if SG requested,” said the second.
Both notices are still live on their respective websites.
The eGovernment awards were held just under a month after the Data Protection
Commissioner had delivered a report to Social Protection ruling that the PSC is illegal
when used for services other than welfare. It said the Department must delete 3.2 million
historical records it maintains on cardholders.
The report into the PSC was eventually published six days after the awards had taken
place. Ms Doherty has vowed to challenge the DPC’s rulings in the courts.
The eGovernment awards are a privately-sponsored event, self-described as “Ireland’s
most sought-after accolade in eGovernment”. A ticket to the event in September cost
€262 per person.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/congratulatory-message-on-success-of-
psc-at-national-awards-met-with-scepticism-from-officials-959007.html

Doherty urged to explain spending on

'facial matching software'

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy called for clarity.

24/10/2019
Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty has been urged to explain why money is being
spent on public service card "facial matching software" despite repeated assurances the
Government has no plans to use the tool.
Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy called for the clarity after the first figures
in two years for the system found the cost of the project to date has now hit €67.8m.

In a letter to the Dáil's public accounts committee, the Department of Social Protection's
secretary-general John McKeon said the State has to date spent €67.8m on the SAFE
identity authentication and public service card plans.
The letter confirmed the public service card price tag has increased by €8m since early
2017, with the total cost including €294,000 on "facial matching software and
maintenance" among other matters.
Raising the issue - and the ongoing row between the Government and the Data Protection
Commisioner over the cards - Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy said the
costs raise further questions.
Noting the money involved, she said the Department and Minister Doherty must now
give the full price tag of the "lifespan" of the project, and that clarity is now needed on
the money spent on "facial matching" software.
"Can you ask them about the lifespan of the card and what the potential cost is?" Ms
Murphy asked PAC chair and Fianna Fáil TD Sean Fleming.

"We don't have biometrics according to the department, but we have facial matching
software and biometrics costs," she said, adding the €294,000 cost should be clarified.
The issue was raised during a PAC meeting which also heard calls for the chief officer of
public procurement, Paul Quinn, to launch a widescale review of all Government
departments and groups amid a series of tender rule breaches concerns.
Highlighting a letter from child protection agency, Tusla, which noted a number of tender
rules issues affecting the organisation, Mr Fleming said he wants any potential wider
problems to be identified.
"It is time for the office of public procurement to do it because if they're only in the
business of sending out circulars then it's time for them to step up to the mark," Mr
Fleming said.
At a later stage of the meeting, Fianna Fáil TD Marc Mac Sharry asked for Mr Quinn -
who the Irish Examiner revealed this week has stepped down from a key children's
hospital board - to personally appear, saying: "I think he can certainly add ... value."


Ireland’s newest mobile phone network has removed the controversial Public Services
Card as a requested form of identification after concerns were raised with the Department
of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
GoMo, a division of the Eir telecommunications group, launched on October 15 to a deal
of fanfare, with prices totalling half of the nearest cheapest competitor in the Irish mobile
market for the first 100,000 customers.
The sim-only, online-only carrier runs on Eir’s national mobile network. However it
exists as a competitor to the company’s own Eir Mobile brand.
He added that the fact the card was one of multiple forms of viable identification in use
by GoMo is irrelevant.
“It doesn’t matter that it’s optional, the assurance we got is that the card wouldn’t be used
like this, in this kind of context,” he told the Irish Examiner.
“It’s supposed to be used for public services. The dangerous road that we’re on is that it
will become a de facto State identity card, and it’s difficult to stop that from happening if
large businesses like Eir just presume that they can use it in this way,” Mr O Lachtnain
said.
It has been speculated that the web form may have been input from an international
template, with the assumption erroneously made that the PSC equates to the national
identity card seen in many European countries.
The chairman of the Public Accounts Committee has criticised one of the country’s most
senior civil servants for making “zero effort to answer the questions” posed by the
committee regarding the Public Services Card.
Robert Watt, secretary general of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform,
recently wrote to the PAC to defend the “value” of the PSC, which he said is frequently
“misunderstood”.
That letter was written in response to a request from the committee for details of all the
public sector bodies currently using the PSC who may be impacted by the highly
adversarial report of the Data Protection Commissioner into the card, published last
month.
That information was not forthcoming from Public Expenditure, a fact described as “just
not acceptable” by Social Democrats co-leader, Catherine Murphy, at committee.
“His letter came back and made no reference whatever to the letter he wrote, and just
explained how wonderful the PSC is,” Sean Fleming, the chair of the committee, said.
“He made zero effort to answer the questions regarding the PSC,” Mr Fleming said.
“We’ve asked a simple question, how many organisations are using (the PSC), and we
haven’t gotten an answer,” Mr Fleming said.
He said the committee will write to Mr Watt once more asking for the specific details it
had sought and ask that he “consult with whoever is appropriate to get that information”.
The PAC was in session to hear from representatives of the National Transport Authority,
another body which has become embroiled in the controversy surrounding the PSC after a
complaint was made to the Commissioner asserting that Social Protection is engaged in
mass surveillance via the information it receives from the authority concerning the usage
of free travel pass variant of the PSC, of which there are roughly 1.2 million in issuance.
Tim Gaston, the NTA’s director of public transport services, told the committee that “the
only information we receive (from Social Protection) is an electronically read card
number” which individually identifies each card. However the free travel PSC is
anonymised on the NTA’s side, Mr Gaston said.
He said that Social Protection informs the NTA once every week of free travel PSCs
which are no longer valid, in order to prevent fraudulent travel.
Mr Gaston said that the information the NTA sends to Social Protection is limited to the
hidden card number, the transport operator, the time, and the date of journey. However,
this differs slightly to the list provided to the person complaining to the Data Protection
Commissioner previously by the NTA, which told him it also provides the route number
and the fare to the Department.
On Wednesday, the NTA told the complainant, Dubliner Martin McDonagh, that he must
ask Social Protection why it requires such information, as “they are the organisers of the
free travel scheme”.
Previously, privacy solicitor Simon McGarr told the Irish Examiner that the transfer of
such information between bodies is in breach of the EU’s General Data Protection
Regulation, as it is neither necessary nor proportionate since the free travel scheme was
previously run adequately without the need for such data transfers.
Anne Graham, chief executive of the NTA, meanwhile told the hearing that the authority
had not sought specific legal advice with regard to either its leap card or the free travel
PSC, but had sought “general” advice ahead of the introduction of GDPR in May 2018.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/doherty-urged-to-explain-spending-on-
facial-matching-software-959525.html

TDs and senators refund almost €10k in expenses
following audit

10/10/2019
TDs and senators had to refund almost €10,000 in expenses this year after an audit found
they could not provide supporting evidence to justify claiming such allowances.
Two Fine Gael TDs – Alan Farrell and Maria Bailey – and Fine Gael senator, Michelle
Mulherin accounted for the bulk of the ineligible claims.
The annual audit of the Public Representation Allowance paid to members of the Houses
of the Oireachtas in 2017 found almost a quarter of those selected for scrutiny were not
able to validate the total amount of expenses they had claimed.
The independent audit by consultants, Mazars, found six out of 22 TDs and senators had
made ineligible claims worth €9,650 out of a total of €71,622 paid out to them under the
PRA.
All six politicians subsequently reimbursed the amount of ineligible expenses to the
Oireachtas.
The politicians and amount of invalid expenses were TDs Alan Farrell (FG) - €4,214.79;
Maria Bailey (FG) - €1,977.11 and senators Michelle Mulherin (FG) - €2,006.73; Lynn
Ruane (Ind) - €978.81; Colette Kelleher (Ind) - €245.85 and Jerry Buttimer (FG) -
€227.16.
The findings were disputed by both Ms Mulherin and Mr Buttimer who both claimed the
issue arose over advertisements which contained information on their clinics.
Ms Mulherin said she believed the auditors had “erred in law” by relying on PRA
guidelines rather than actual regulations which established the legal basis for the
allowance and she had received the opinion of senior counsel that supported her position.
The former TD said she had made a formal complaint to the Ceann Comhairle about the
need to correct the guidelines.
Mr Buttimer said his issue related to vouched advertisements that were deemed to be
partly inadmissible as they included his clinic times.
Ms Kelleher acknowledged she had made two small errors in filing her expenses claim.
The audit observed that the ineligible expenses claimed represented 2.6% of the total
value of the PRA paid out to the 22 audited politicians during 2017 – a figure worth just
over €372,000.
It showed €3,754 was disallowed because the expenses
claimed did not relate to the relevant period, while almost
€3,680 was disallowed due to a lack of supporting
documentation.
Another €2,217 was deemed ineligible because the related
claims did not fall within an allowable expense category.
The audit said the other 16 members were able to show
receipts and supporting documentation to validate amounts
paid to them during the period under audit.

They were TDs: Finian McGrath (Ind), Clare Daly (I4C), Noel
Rock (FG), Niall Collins (FF), Kate O’Collins (FG), Danny
Healy-Rae (Ind), Seán Fleming (FF), Simon Coveney (FG),
Martin Ferris (SF), Martin Kenny (SF), Michael Moynihan (FF),
Michael Lowry (Ind), Tom Neville (FG) and Michael Collins
(Ind) as well as senators Rónan Mullen (Ind) and Catherine
Ardagh (FF).
At least 10% of members of the Houses of the Oireachtas,
which consist of 158 TDs and 60 senators, are chosen on a
random basis each year for audit.
It examines payments of the PRA for specified office and
communications expenses including rent, stationery, cleaning
and IT costs.
All parliamentarians who receive vouched amounts are
required to hold their own receipts and supporting documents
for inspection for a period of five years.
TDs are entitled to a vouched maximum allowance of €20,350 per annum, while the PRA
for ministers or ministers of states is €16,000 and €12,225 for senators.
Politicians who spend less than the allowance must return any unspent monies.
A total of 47 members repaid €156,531 voluntarily last year, while 11 opted to waive
some or all of their allowance.
The Houses of the Oireachtas said it would apply administrative amendments to the audit
process recommended by Mazars “as soon as possible.”
For example, they noted that several politicians were claiming for stamps and envelopes
even though they are provided for free by the Oireachtas.
The three Fine Gael members with the highest level of ineligible expenses claims have all
been involved in other political controversies in recent years.
Ms Bailey, a TD for Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown was removed as chair of the Oireachtas
Committee on Housing in July as a result of her controversial personal injuries claim after
falling from a swing in a Dublin hotel.
Mr Farrell, a Dublin Fingal TD, was criticised for making a €15,000 claim for whiplash
for neck and shoulder pains he claimed he suffered for up to 18 months following what a
judge said were “minor injuries” sustained in a collision with a van.
During court proceedings last year in which he was awarded €2,500 in damages, the court
was shown photos of Mr Farrell at the top of a ladder with an election poster four months
after the accident.
Ms Mulherin, a former TD for Mayo, paid €3,295 to the Oireachtas in 2015 after it
emerged she had made a large number of calls to Kenya from her Dáil office.
https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/tds-and-senators-refund-almost-10k-in-
expenses-following-audit-956330.html
Justice Minister admits voting for colleague in Dáil;
Chambers apologises for 'genuine error'
21/10/2019
The Justice Minister has admitted that he has voted for a colleague in the Dáil chamber
on a couple of occasions.
Charlie Flanagan says that members sometimes vote for a deputy who is in the chamber
but not yet in their seat with moments to go before a vote closes.
Minister Charlie Flanagan says there are circumstances where colleagues vote for one
another but that this is different to the Timmy Dooley controversy.
"Somebody might be racing down the stairs with three seconds to go and they might say
'press my button, here I am' or whatever and I may have done it from time to time," said
Minister Flanagan.
Two separate investigations are underway after it emerged Fianna Fáil's Niall Collins
voted six times for his party colleague Timmy Dooley when he was not in the chamber.
The party's Brexit spokesperson Lisa Chambers has also admitted voting "in error" on
behalf of the deputy leader Dara Calleary last week.
Speaking to RTÉ Radio One, Ms Chambers added: “When I voted in the very first vote, I
honest to God believed I was in my seat and pressing my voting button.
“When I looked up at the main screen, where you can see the seats highlighted for voting,
I realised my seat wasn’t highlighted and that’s when I realised I was in the wrong seat
and probably less than 10 seconds later I hopped in to my own seat.
“It’s my mistake and I hold my hands up to it, I should have told the teller there was an
error recorded in the seat beside me, I didn’t do that.
“Dara missed a few votes, I only voted in the very first one and then I went back to my
seat. There are absolutely no benefits or no good reason why I would have voted for
anybody else, it didn’t make any difference to the vote.
“I still should have corrected the error.
“I hope people will take it as a genuine, honest mistake. Others have done the same, my
mistake was not telling the teller and correcting the record.
“It didn’t make a difference to the vote.
Ms Chambers also apologised after telling RTÉ's This Week
programme that she had never voted for a colleague saying
that she had understood the question to mean had she
intentionally voted for someone else.
Responding to the revelation by Ms Chambers, Deputy
Calleary said: "I did not, and would not, ask any other deputy
to vote for me in the Dáil."
In a statement yesterday, Mr Calleary added that Ms
Chambers had not corrected the record on the day of the vote
and said that Ms Chambers had "contacted the Ceann
Comhairle this evening to advise him of this".
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Calleary said that the
integrity of the voting system in the Oireachtas and the Dáil is
"hugely important".
He stated that he will support whatever decision the Ceann
Comhairle chooses to take after a report is completed and an
investigation by the Dáil Committee on Procedure and
Privileges has been completed.

Mary Lou McDonald

✔
@MaryLouMcDonald

Voting twice - for an absent colleague and for yourself - is

not something that 'happens all the time'. Having a
colleague vote for you in your absence doesn't 'happen all
the time' - unless @fiannafailparty know something the
rest of us don't #VoteGate

546
7:37 AM - Oct 21, 2019 · Louth, Ireland
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165 people are talking about this

Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald says it is very worrying

that a series of votes could be cast for a Dáil deputy who was
not actually in the Chamber.
Ms McDonald says we need more answers as to why Mr
Dooley left the Dáil.
"I think we need an explanation for it. The Dáil chamber isn't a
boy's club, the Dáil chamber is a place in which we make
change and amend legislation," said Ms McDonald.
"So we need an explanation as to how it was that six votes
could be cast for Deputy Dooley when he was absent from the
chamber."

Both Niall Collins and Timmy Dooley have been asked by

party leader Micheál Martin to stand down from the frontbench
pending an investigation

https://www.breakingnews.ie/ireland/justice-minister-admits-voting-for-
colleague-in-dail-chambers-apologises-for-genuine-error-958603.html


They the media are all saying he's Irish! when in fact he's British!!!
Just to destroy British propaganda with one picture. This is loyalist scumbag Maurice Mo
Robinson, who was the willing driver murdering the people he was highly paid for to
smuggle into Britain. Robinson is a well-known loyalist with dealing towards the
DUP/UDA. Yet, the British media with its usual racism towards Ireland claim he's Irish!
On his Facebook, Mo proudly tells his 'followers' he is proud to be British! Don't allow the
British media to get away with their usual bullshit propaganda. Shamefully, the pro-
Unionist Free state media have gone along with their British masters.
Think he's upset about the 39 innocent deaths or the fact his racist bigoted friends have been
found out

Woman (67) jailed for 16

months for falsely claiming
€150,000 in social welfare
payments
She falsely claimed the carer’s allowance and then falsely claimed job
seeker’s allowance.
October 28, 19

A WOMAN WHO falsely claimed €150,000 in social welfare

payments has been jailed for 16 months.
Susan Foley (67) of St Ronan’s Drive, Ronanstown,
Clondalkin, Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal
Court to dishonestly by deception inducing the payment
of €75,695.90 of carer’s allowance at Permanent TSB,
Ballyfermot, on dates between 21 January, 2004 and 15
September, 2010.
Foley also pleaded guilty to dishonestly by deception
inducing the payment of €75,185.90 job seekers allowance
at Clondalkin post office, on dates between 16 September,
2010 and 28 November, 2017. Foley has no previous
convictions.
Passing sentence today, Judge Martin Nolan noted in
mitigation that Foley had made full admissions, co-operated
with the investigation and entered into an arrangement to
repay the money.
He acknowledged Foley had a hard life with many burdens
but said the fraud had been long in nature and that Foley
had aggravated the situation by repeating the deception in
2010.
Judge Nolan imposed a 16 month sentence.

Garda Anne Masterson told Garrett McCormack BL,

prosecuting, a higher executive officer (HEO) in the
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
noticed that the photographs linked to two different social
welfare claims were of the same woman.
Masterson said she retrieved all documents relating to both
cases and obtained a warrant for the accused’s address.
During the search, Foley made certain admissions to gardaí.
Foley began claiming an invalidity pension in the 1990s due
to her suffering from epilepsy. In 2004 she applied for
carer’s allowance as her mother was in ill health, but did not
disclose that she was already receiving payments for the
invalidity pension under her married name Susan Cleary.
She ceased claiming for carer’s allowance in 2010 following
her mother moving into a nursing home. She then began to
claim job seeker’s allowance and did not discontinue her
invalidity pension until 2017.
Foley has been subject to a mandatory 15% deduction from
her weekly social welfare payments since the offending came
to light. She also paid back a lump sum of €30,000 which
she received following the sale of her deceased sister’s
house. She has no previous convictions.
Masterson agreed with Anne-Marie Lawlor SC, defending,
that her client did not use the money for “drink and drugs
and fast cars”. She agreed that Foley displayed no trappings
of wealth and was unlikely to come to garda attention again.
Lawlor said her client used the money to pay for “bus fares,
food, light, heat, day-to-day living”. She said Foley was a
woman of advanced years who had spent her entire life
caring for others.
She said her client had a further lump sum of €25,000
available to repay the debt, which represented the
remainder of her inheritance from the sale of her sister’s
house. She said that would mean Foley was unable to pay for
her deceased son’s headstone.

A WOMAN WHO falsely claimed €150,000 in social welfare

payments has been jailed for 16 months.
Susan Foley (67) of St Ronan’s Drive, Ronanstown, Clondalkin,
Dublin pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to
dishonestly by deception inducing the payment of €75,695.90 of
carer’s allowance at Permanent TSB, Ballyfermot, on dates
between 21 January, 2004 and 15 September, 2010.

https://www.thejournal.ie/woman-claims-e150000-in-social-
welfare-payments-4866488-
Oct2019/?utm_source=twitter_short&fbclid=IwAR131PBWilf45X5
C4VQ7CYA4sTHykzH9L8GqJDlj3arbjYR59MvlUczxWSk
I was born and raised in Ireland, (Dublin mainly) all over in the care system..
I left at 16 and had to fend for myself since.
My trouble started when my I ran from an abusive relationship with my children and I
moved out into a property that the banks were looking to take back... these landlords will
take money up until the last second if they can and I needed a place to go with the kids,
so I took it. £500 a month into his hand on the side... I couldn’t even claim from the
address..
I had all kinds of court officials come to the house and I was literally up at night with worry
so a friend asked if I would be interested in renting a house and I jumped at the chance, I
was there a month and they asked for it back and gave me a week... so I had to move
into a friends house with 4 kids. Again I was homeless... all my belongings left here there
and everywhere.. my friends were good but with a family of their own and me with my
kids it was a disaster and they asked us to leave... I went to the council begging for help
and I was told they would help me but I would need to get someone to take the kids as
they had no services available to the children... I couldn’t believe it so I went to the
papers and they did a story but said I wasn’t homeless as I had a mattress on a friends
floor.. and said they never denied me help.. but they did!! I went into the social welfare
offices and begged them to help and the woman said have u no family, I said no not here
but I have brothers who moved to England... and she told me to take my kids and get the
boat to England cause nobody would help me in Ireland that the place has gone to shit...
a woman in the social welfare said that to my face!! So that night I packed my kids and a
suitcase up and I got the boat...
here we are all these years later and myself and my children have a wonderful home and
they are happily settled grounded children thank god. I miss home so much, I miss
everyone, I miss everything I know but I wouldn’t ever go back home, I can’t, since I’ve
left things have became just appalling, the homeless situation isn’t just a situation
anymore it’s a major crisis OUR COUNTRY IS IN CRISIS and god knows if I was able to
be there I’d march those streets with you all.
For those who bring all the foreigners into it, I’m a foreigner in England, but they have
helped me and my children more than my own government... should I leave here and go
home to sleep on the streets with my kids?? Should I give up my home and hand it to an
English family who were born and raised here? Are their children more entitled to a warm
home? A roof over their heads? Hot food in their belly? Just because they are English?
Be careful about what you say because their are irish In many different countries who are
being helped because their own government would see them die on the streets before
helping them up...
everyone needs to stop bickering among themselves and get angry at the people who
are to blame...
The government!
March March March, stand up, stand together and fight for our country back!! Fight for
the Irish who can’t come home!! Fight so that our children may go home one day!! FIGHT
for IRELAND
It is a discraseful thing that you were told to leave your home country because our government
wouldn't help with the basic need of a person. Shelter.. Bless those in England that helped you. But it
not home... What is wrong with our country is greed. Those going into office only go in because of the
money... Let them live and walk in the shoes of those people. Mother's and fathers and others for 1
month. Try and get help live the life of our homeless people ... They won't.. Money means more to
them . I am ashamed of our government...






Fine Gael a second thought to know that their actions will lead to thousands of tragic
deaths. Really disgusting. This post shows the hollow callous nature of these right wing
politicians. They have no empathy for people suffering.

But even reading his assertion that the difference in bus journeys is due to the bus driver
is stupid. It wouldn’t occur to this half wit that time of day or day of the week might have
more to do with it. Again just like Fine Gael climate policy the blame must be with the
individual and not the chaotic system causing traffic congestion or climate change.
Blame the workers for the conditions, blame the homeless for not having houses, blame the
sick for taking up hospital beds. It's the Fine Gael way.
Blue shirt pricks

Hang on a second..."their actions will lead to thousands of deaths"

So are the blueshirts paying the services of unscrupulous human traffickers to illegally cross the
borders of another jurisdiction?
That is the prime cause of the migrant deaths in the Mediterranean.

Ministers accused of hypocrisy for

using carbon-heavy private jets
Monday, October 28, 2019

The Government has been accused of double standards in tackling
climate change after clocking up 150 hours on private jets during 37
flights so far this year.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar’s flights on the Learjet alone produced over six
times more carbon than a person’s average yearly emissions from
travel, food production, home heating, electricity use, and other
activities.

The Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and ministers used the Learjet and Casa 37
times up to the end of September, clocking up more than 150 hours on
the private jets. This does not include any commercial flights taken by
the Government, including their annual tour across the world for St
Patrick’s day.

Nor does it include the flights of the Taoiseach, Tánaiste, and five other
ministers, along with their teams, who all travelled to the UN in New
York last month as the Government jet cannot do transatlantic
distances.
The two government jets produced 284.25 tonnes of carbon flying
ministers to destinations including Brussels, Madrid, Paris, Helsinki, and
Zurich.

To put this in context each Irish person generates an average of 13.3

tonnes of carbon each year; this includes the amount of energy burned
in heating their home, driving to work, and taking foreign holidays.

This is significantly more than countries like Sweden which emits 5.5
tonnes per capita.

Ireland exceeded its annual greenhouse gas emissions allocation by

more than 5m tonnes last year.

Andrew Murphy, the aviation manager with Brussels-based organisation

Transport and Environment, said: “On one of those trips to Brussels, on
a Learjet 45, our calculations show it would produce around six tonnes
of CO2.

“For example on one of those flights there are six people, that’s one
tonne per person return. If they were to fly an Aer Lingus flight you are
looking at 180kg per person so it’s five times more carbon intensive to
use Learjet than it is to fly commercial.”

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said many private jet trips could be
avoided with a proper conference call system to allow ministers and
senior civil servants speak with their counterparts.

“The flight to Brussels is often full of civil servants. Do we have to send

civil servants every time?” he said.

“We really should be pushing for state-of-the-art video conferencing

system in Government Buildings,” said Mr Ryan.

While the Taoiseach and Tánaiste are the most regular users of the
Government jet, ministers including Paschal Donohoe and Simon Harris,
as well as junior ministers Helen McEntee and Paul Kehoe, have also
flown on it this year with anything between two and seven others on
board.

Mr Murphy said the Government’s general approach to aviation policy

and climate has been “really disappointing”.

Ireland is now one of only four countries who completely exempts aviation from
taxation and that’s due to a decision that the Taoiseach made when he was
transport minister.
Mr Murphy called on the Government to follow other countries in
addressing the environmental impact of aviation.

“What other European governments are doing is they are moving ahead
with their own policies to address aviation emissions. Some European
governments are introducing ticket taxes — the Dutch, the Swedish, the
Norwegian.

“At the same time other governments are looking at taxing kerosene.

“When you fill up your car with petrol, on average across Europe you
pay 50c per litre [in tax]; when Ryanair fills up its Boeing aircraft at
Dublin Airport it pays zero kerosene tax, which is a big fossil-fuel
subsidy which drives emissions growth,” said Mr Murphy.

Responding to a parliamentary question on the aviation tax exemption,

Mr Donohoe said the area comes under European law set out in the
Energy Tax Directive.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/ministers-accused-of-
hypocrisy-for-using-carbon-heavy-private-jets-
960186.html?fbclid=IwAR00IRrxskwx68StWKV7u3hZrbu-toImoOQvC-
4UAxxriu3Sr4g9WzpVJy4#.Xba1F1rob-Q.facebook




THESUN.IE

Husband's agony as Cervical Check letter reveals

mum could have been savedTHE devastated husband of a
woman who died from cervical cancer has told of his shock at
being told by health bosses his wife’s life could have been saved.
The Expert Panel Review of CervicalCheck

THE devastated husband of a woman who died from cervical
cancer has told of his shock at being told by health bosses his
wife’s life could have been saved.
The Expert Panel Review of CervicalCheck Screening wrote to
Gary Murray to say an opportunity to stop his wife Fiona’s cancer
“was probably missed”.
On May 1, 2015, Gary married the love of his life, Fiona
Prendergast, in front of their four children, while she was dying
from cancer in a hospice.
Seventeen days later, Fiona was dead. She was just 35 years old.
The young mum had been diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2014
despite having a smear test in 2009 and 2012, because she
believed she had “all the Jade Goody” symptoms.
However, both smear results provided by the CervicalCheck
Screening programme, said “no abnormality detected at this
time”.
On Tuesday, just hours before Taoiseach Leo Varadkar gave a
state apology to the women who were misdiagnosed, Gary was
sitting at his kitchen table in Finglas, west Dublin, in shock, as he
read a letter confirming what his wife had already known.
The expert group found a smear test Fiona had in 2009, which
was reported as negative at the time, in fact contained “high
grade abnormal cells”.
How do I go back in time and tell my wife she was right?
The letter concluded: “Had a referral been made to Colposcopy
for treatment of pre-cancerous cells in 2009 it is likely the cancer
which was diagnosed in 2014 would have been prevented.”
Speaking exclusively to the Irish Sun last night, Gary said Fiona
always believed her results were wrong.
He said: “I’m in total shock since I got the letter. I just broke
down, there has been a lot of tears since Tuesday. It has brought
everything back to me.
“Fiona was right all along — she always said she didn’t feel right
and nobody would listen to her.
“How do I go back in time and tell my wife she was right? She
said it over and over again, she knew no one was listening to her
and fobbing her off.
“The rejection, the dismissal, the gut feeling knowing you are right
and no one listening to her, but she knew. Fiona didn’t want to
die, she didn’t want to leave her children. Our youngest child was
only eight years’ old when she died.
“She told me she wanted to see our children grow up and she
was terrified of dying. Fiona said, ‘What if there is nothing up there
— what if you switch off and there is nothing there?’
“She went through absolute hell and pain and she never asked for
anything, she was the bravest woman I know. There will never be
another woman like her, she was so patient and could sort
anything out.
“I now feel a whole new range of emotions, I’m walking around in
circles, I did 10,000 steps in one day and I haven’t even left the
house.”
Although her test showed no abnormalities, she was diagnosed
with cervical cancer in 2014.
A review of her tests found the original result was incorrect.
Speaking in the Dail, the Taoiseach apologised “for the
humiliation, the disrespect and deceit” shown to the women and
families affected by the controversy.
He said there were a “litany of failures” in how cervical screening
in Ireland operated over many years. It’s understood up to 1,000
women and families have been affected by the crisis.
Since the scandal emerged, a number of women have died
including high profile campaigner, Emma Mhic Mhathúna.
In his Dail speech, Mr Varadkar said: “Today we say sorry to those
whose lives were shattered, those whose lives were destroyed
and those whose lives could have been different. What happened
to so many women and families should not have happened.
“While every case was not negligence, every case was a lost
opportunity for an earlier diagnosis and treatment.”
Reacting to the Taoiseach’s statement Gary said: “I’m glad he
apologised, but it is after opening a whole new area for me and
my children. How many others have received letters like this?
“Are letters like mine still arriving at doors, even on the day of a
state apology?”
'ROBBED OF HER LIFE'
Gary described how his wife had struggled in the run-up to being
diagnosed with cervical cancer — which ultimately “robbed her of
her life”.
He said: “I was with her for 18 years, if she didn’t feel right she
would go to the hospital, she was very health conscious.
“She wasn’t feeling well in 2012, that is when she started getting
blood clots, very bad cramps and had very bad headaches and
back pain. She kept saying she didn’t feel right. What are you
meant to say to something like that?”
When Fiona was first admitted to hospital she was told she had
stage two cancer, however, the cancer spread into her lymph
nodes and eventually to all of her organs. Gary added: “We really
thought she was going to be OK. Fiona was determined to get
better. But within eight months she passed away.”
Gary proposed on St Valentine’s Day 2015 and the couple
married on May 1.
Their wedding day was organised at St Francis Hospice in
Blanchardstown, 17 days before she died.
He recalled: “When she came out in a wheelchair in her wedding
dress and she got up and walked towards me and I started crying.
She was smiling from ear to ear, she was so happy.
“It was a lovely day. We got away for one night to Bray because
she was so sick and she was so ill that night we had to go back to
the hospice. I didn’t want to believe she was going to die.
“Hours before she passed away she wrapped herself around me
and she put her cold hands on my neck and said she loved me.
She then lay down and went into a sleep and never woke up
again.”
Gary and Fiona’s friend Rachel had written to the Government
departments in the wake of the Cervical Cancer controversy to
highlight Fiona’s death and to request answers.
'MY MAM WAS RIGHT WHEN SHE WAS ALIVE'
Rachel said: “Fiona asked me to make sure my kids and her kids
get the HPV vaccine. I don’t know who to trust now. That poor girl
suffered so badly and she knew something wasn’t right.”
In the wake of their pleas, a review was carried out on Fiona’s
results. Since her death, all of Fiona and Gary’s children have
been in counselling.
Speaking to the Irish Sun, Fiona’s eldest daughter Chynna, 18,
said: “I can’t say I was shocked, I knew my mam was right when
she was alive.
“She kept saying her smear tests were wrong.
“I was only 15 when my mam died, my world fell apart . . . why,
why, why my mam? She was a great mam, she never harmed
anyone, she was always kind. She did everything for my brothers
and sisters — she loved us. I’ve been in counselling for three
years.
“I want to find mam and talk to her and tell her she was right all
along but I can’t because she’s in heaven. I need my mam right
now.”
An Independent Clinical Expert Panel Review is now being carried
out by the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.
The HSE has said it cannot comment on individual cases.
However, they said in relation to the RCOG process generally —
to which the HSE is providing logistical support — they wrote to
over 1,000 women, or their next of kin, who consented to take
part in the process on September 9 last.
These letters informed women — or their next of kin — that the
RCOG is nearing the completion of their reports, and they
provided information on how they can receive their reports.

THEY DID WRONG...AGENTS COVERED UP FOR THEM....

THEY'VE BEEN GIVEN ENOUGH TIME TO COME FORWARD...
DEADLINE FOR AGENTS WHO COVER BACKSIDES FOR TRASH LIKE HER IN IRISH
HOSPITALS WERE given 90 DAYS...THAT IS THREE MONTHS...
THEY'VE SPENT ENOUGH TIME MAKING FALSE PROMISES AND COVERING
BACKSIDES...
SO WE CLASSIFY THEM AS FIRST DEGREE BASTARDS AND CULPRITS WHO ARE
COVERING THE BACKSIDES OF UGLY PIGS LIKE THE REPORTED DOG FACED ONE
WORKING IN AN IRISH HOSPITAL...
WE;VE BEEN KIND FOR HOW LONG NOW?
https://www.thesun.ie/news/4702404/cervical-check-letter-gary-murray-wife-
death/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=sharebarwe
b
Congratulations to John Wilson Damian O'Neill and Thomas Murphy the court case that
the guards brought against them on behalf of Irish Water was dismissed by the judge
yesterday, the judge declared that four and a half years was too long to wait for a trial.
Mine will be 5 years but I will refuse to have it dismissed I want to show the lies the
sergeant now an inspector told against an old innocent man, just to get a conviction.
My man lied before in a very serious trial but that will now come up and bite him and his lying
colleagues in the arse. If I was guilty of stealing a sweet I would put my hands up and plead
guilty, so I will fight these lying bastards all the way I will name and shame them and I will make
sure that their children know the type of evil bastards their parents are.
I will make certain the whole country know that certain guards are the worst criminals in Ireland,
for these guards in Waterford to put an elderly couple through a continuous nightmare for 5 years
is unforgivable, actually, one of them is in Bray now watch out for your new inspector, in your
quite Wicklow division. He is an evil bastard and should not be a guard at all, but his day of
national shame is on its way
You must have had the same experiences as I have had with the bastards, once they do
wrong on some poor innocent devil they get promoted, Good decent honest to God guards
are always left behind
The Terrible Truth About Ireland 2040
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QHipiPDG3ek&feature=share&fbclid=IwA
R0128bjYMRW3Tg0MXgt-IlmWspGGsTUimjVRgTCEnMEAp8s3WAHjR2TO6c

YOUTUBE.COM

Caught On Tape: Irish Bankers Laugh About Never

Repaying Bailout
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n779nDdvaJs&feature=youtu.
be

This seems to be what our country has come to. It's a level of
homelessness that I never thought we would see here. It's a type
of displacement that I associated years ago after the war in
Kosovo, and in so many other places far away from Ireland in
which shocking violence took place.
This is also a form of abuse and violence, here in Ireland; a form
of domestic displacement that we were told would be eradicated
here in Ireland years ago. Instead it gets worse and worse, and
more inhumanely horrible to watch, and even more so to
experience personally.
Children who are eating food off a piece of takeaway cardboard
that protects the fast food from the filthy pavements of our
streets; young children no older than babies who are in grave
danger for every reason you can imagine.
Yes of course, there are those homeless persons who can't settle
into sheltered accomodation. I know that. Mental health and
substance abuse is a huge issue for many homeless individuals.
But it's tiring to hear so many elected representatives latch onto
the old clichés of how addiction and mental issues make
homeless people remain in the abyss of their own ill-doing, but
that suits many of the better-heeled politicians who aren't that
really interested. Their excuses and lack of action is disgusting.
You've lost touch with the grass roots, and that's where these
photos here take each of us to.
It's mostly left to independent councillors and the handful of
elected members - but most of all those amazing relentless
unnamed volunteers - to try to figure out how to do the work that
the government can't be bothered doing; such as reaching out to
Sam, who is only 5, and offering him a better, safer life and future;
and to the family in this other photo here.
I believe both of these Dublin-based photos are genuine. I wish
they were scams. I wish they were false. But sadly they are not.
These are real people, suffering in a way that many people will
condemn, but only a tiny percentage of those who condemn
actually care enough to do anything about.
The recession is long past. (Like tropical seasonal hurricanes,
there will be another recession due at some point in the not-too-
distant future. Economists reckon they have a ten-year turnabout.
If that's the case, then we can expect the next one in seven years,
give or take a couple.)
But for these individuals, in these photos here, whether or not
they live in temporary hotel/hostel accomodation, their inhumane
recession never ends. It usually results in some form of personal
tragedy eventually that we rarely hear about.
And if that is what many of our politicians are happy to ignore
while still making empty promises year after year to eradicate
homelessness and this type of third world injustice "for good",
then there are no words.
And meanwhile the priceless value of the precious life of a small
irreplaceable child will always be as cheap as a politician's
promise
he biggest scandal is that there are hundreds of boarded up homes all over Dublin. If
someone could organise to have them all opened up and occupied even illegally all on the
same day at the same time could you imagine how difficult it would be for the authorities to
deal with it. There is such a thing as squatters rights.
non Irish the Irish also doing it getting council house and they have residence elsewhere.
Corruprion at council level is as bad as elsewhere.
Everyone should be on the streets of Dublin shouting for the government to step down if they
can't look after the people of Ireland. We are forgetting about the kids and our own people
who deserve to be in a home not sitting on the streets eating one hot meal a day. If this was
any other country the people would stand up and fight for the rights of the people.
We're gonna be the first African family to win the show!"
Meet The Mandiangus from Tallaght in Dublin!
#IrelandsFittestFamily returns Sunday 6.30pm
poster boy for the new law hate speech he thinks he is a great ambassador for
Ireland this is what you call racist and he wants our freedom of speech taking from
us time for the Irish to stand up and be counted or there be no more Ireland or Irish
he wants to take that away from us and he is still proud of his African flag while he wants
to diminished ours
it’s getting worst it’s forgeiners that are lying in Henry st at night homeless if they have no
were to live they should be sent home same with the soup tables nothing but forgeiners at
them
https://www.facebook.com/RTEOne/videos/2435856966649156/
Sick to the back teeth of these extreme right wing bigot's.
Solidarity to Martin Kenny and his family.

Sinn Féin Leader Mary Lou McDonald TD has condemned an apparent arson attack at
the home of the party’s Justice Spokesperson and Sligo/Leitrim TD Martin Kenny.

Deputy Kenny’s car was burned out at his home in Aughavas, near Ballinamore in Co.
Leitrim in the early hours of the morning.

Mary Lou McDonald said:

“Martin Kenny TD’s car was set alight and burned at his home in Aughavas at
approximately 2.30am this morning in what appears to have been a very deliberate and
targeted attack.

“I want to extend my solidarity and that of Sinn Féin to Martin Kenny and his family after
what was a very frightening experience. Thankfully no member of the Kenny family was
injured but it could easily have been different.

“An attack on the home or property of an elected public representative is a deeply serious
and sinister development. It represents an attack on the democratic system itself.

“This despicable act is a reflection on nobody but the criminal thugs who perpetrated it
and I know it will be rightly condemned by the people of Aughavas, Ballinamore and Co.
Leitrim.

“An Garda Síochána are investigating this very serious incident and I know that they will
do all in their power to bring those responsible to justice.”

ENDS

https://www.sinnfein.ie/contents/55241?fbclid=IwAR1Otq2D45d5orx7KyQ7uU08QXbb12
QhLVBYC1Ly6Ma5iGFXGHtKKRnF2Nw
From Brexit to
Irish
reunification?

French President Emmanuel Macron and Taoiseach Leo Varadkar

have both noted that the Good Friday Agreement contemplates
Irish reunification following referendums in both jurisdictions
(Photo: EUobserver)

By MARTINA ANDERSON MEP, PROFESSOR COLIN
HARVEY AND MARK BASSETT
BRUSSELS, 10. OCT, 09:21
Offering an agreed and democratic path back to the EU,
Brexit puts the reunification of Ireland centre stage.
There is a need for careful planning and preparation from
the Irish and British governments and there is nothing to
prevent such work commencing.
In our view, however, this must also include the EU, and
its potential role has so far been neglected; a gap that is
addressed by our report The EU and Irish Unity: Planning
and Preparing for Constitutional Change in Ireland,
launched this week at the European Parliament.
French President Emmanuel Macron and Taoiseach Leo
Varadkar have recently noted what has been apparent for
more than 20 years: the Good Friday Agreement
contemplates Irish reunification following referendums in
both jurisdictions on the island.
The fundamental significance of this right to self-
determination - overwhelmingly endorsed by the people of
Ireland on 22 May 1998 - is widely acknowledged.
In a valuable contribution in April 2017, the 27 EU leaders
stated that: "… the Good Friday Agreement expressly
provides for an agreed mechanism whereby a united
Ireland may be brought about through peaceful and
democratic means; and in this regard, the European
Council acknowledges that, in accordance with
international law, the entire territory of such a united
Ireland would thus be part of the EU."
The EU views the reunification of Ireland as a reshaping of
the borders of the state and it is likely to follow the
German reunification precedent of 1990, subject to some
qualifications.
German unification 'model'
Critically, however, neither treaty amendment nor
the accession of a new reunited Ireland will be
necessary. What emerges may well involve new
constitutional arrangements but it will not be a
"new state".
Europe's response will also be guided by its commitment to democracy, human
rights, international law and solidarity among member states.

The choice to effect unity or continue partition is one for the people of the island
of Ireland alone.

Should Brexit occur, there will exist a body of EU citizens outside the territory of
the Member States who will have been removed from the EU despite their
expressed wish to remain, deprived of many of the tangible benefits of
membership. In our view, the recognition of their right to re-join the Union,
through Irish reunification, should be at the forefront of the EU's approach.

This would be consistent with international law and with the EU's own
comparative experience and practice.

Vital preparatory work is required and the EU should make a start in expectation
of unity referendums.

The practical consequences will depend on the precise nature of the future
relationship with the UK, but there are matters that can be anticipated and must
be dealt with in advance.

These issues include the confirmation by all EU institutions of the approach

adopted by the European Council in April 2017 and the consideration of
representation for the north of Ireland in the European parliament.

The impact on Ireland of the current economic and monetary union rules in the
event of reunification and what derogations or transitional measures would be
necessary should also be on the agenda alongside what amendments to EU and
Irish law are required to safeguard, for example, the position of British citizens
resident on the island of Ireland.

Following Brexit the EU and UK will negotiate the future relationship.

The right to self-determination, as provided for in the agreement, must feature
prominently in these discussions. Recall again, the north of Ireland has, as a
matter of right, a possible way back to the EU.

Such an approach is consistent with the EU's commitment to democracy, human

rights and the rule of law in its external trading relations, as well as its
endorsement of the Agreement in all its parts, and with the UK's obligations in
international law.

Clauses relating to human rights are, for example, also present in the EU's recent
free trade and accession agreements.

In our view, reassurance will be essential as Ireland moves towards a collective

decision on new constitutional arrangements.

EU assistance

As indicated, the EU must, for example, consider the implications of the equality
of citizenship and parity of esteem provisions of the agreement and, along with
the Irish government, determine what further guarantees should be provided.

The north of Ireland has a way to return to the EU that is central to the
constitutional compromise at the heart of the Good Friday Agreement.

The EU must now play its part in providing clarity and certainty to the people of
Ireland as they face into referendums that will determine their constitutional
future.

https://euobserver.com/o
pinion/146197
Anderson to launch Irish
unity report in Brussels
9 October, 2019 - by Martina Anderson MEP

Sinn Féin MEP Martina Anderson will launch an independent legal report on Irish
reunification in the European Parliament in Brussels this evening.

Speaking ahead of the launch of ‘The EU and Irish Unity: Planning and Preparing for
Constitutional Change in Ireland,’ Martina Anderson said:

“This report, commissioned by GUE/NGL and authored by human rights law professor
Colin Harvey and barrister Marc Bassett, sets out the pathway to Irish unity contained in
the Good Friday Agreement and what the EU can do to support and secure it.

“I will be joined in Brussels for the launch by Sinn Féin Leas Uachtarán Michelle O’Neill
and the Sinn Féin MP team, as well as representatives of sectors who will be impacted
by the disastrous Tory Brexit.

“The debate on Irish unity has already begun across Ireland and this report is a timely
and informative contribution to that debate, examining all aspects of Irish unity and the
role of the EU.

“In their report, human rights professor Colin Harvey and barrister Marc Bassett clearly
state there is no legal or constitutional barrier to the EU actively promoting Irish unity.

“It also sets out five steps the EU and Irish government can take to advance the debate
on unity and, ultimately, creating a new Ireland within the EU.”

https://www.sinnfein.ie/ga/contents/55106
 Review of banks’ role in crisis
The Corrupt Government And
bankers role in the Irish Bailout
crisis have never been honest
With the Irish People of Ireland
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Brian Hayes , October 24) has morphed into an apologist for the banks
and bankers. He paints a picture of them as benign bystanders in the
chaos following the financial crash of 2008.

Mr Hayes’s statement that “banks made huge mistakes” is untrue. He

should know that banks and bankers orchestrated a system of cynical
corporate governance, driven by untrammelled greed, a bonus culture,
and hubris.

As a result, Ireland was long known as the ‘wild west’ of the financial
world and that reputational damage continues to this day.

The sad outcome was an unprecedented loss of national sovereignty, in

2010, requiring a bailout by the ECB and the IMF to the tune of €64bn,
ultimately to be paid for by the taxpayer.
What followed should never be forgotten by Mr Hayes and his banker
friends. 350,000 jobs were lost, thousands of companies went bankrupt,
and 300,000 people were forced to emigrate, many never to return.
State assets were flogged-off at knock-down prices to foreign hedge
and vulture funds.

Families were devastated. Borrowers couldn’t repay their mortgages.

Evictions became a nasty feature in Irish society, driven by bankers
scampering to recover assets.

Remarkably, Mr Hayes complains that the Irish mortgage market has

“one of Europe’s longest timelines for repossessions” and compares
unfavourably with the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the
Netherlands, Austria and Germany, none of which were faced with the
same level of austerity and financial ruin perpetrated by the Irish banks
on Irish society.

If Mr Hayes cares to check the records, he will find that prior to the
crash, mortgage-holders had largely an unblemished record in meeting
commitments.

Mr Hayes wonders about the lack of new entrants to the market. He

then provides the answer, by stating that lenders here are required to
work through a range of legislative provisions and Central Bank codes
of conduct, considered by “informed observers” to be very extensive by
international standards.

Mr Hayes knows the regulatory regime has been forced on the banks
(regrettably, after the event) because of their negligence, dishonesty,
and abuse of customers.

Mr Hayes correctly calls for a balanced debate. Perhaps a little honesty

sh President Mario Draghi’s final meeting as head of the ECB last week
saw the Governing Council keep policy unchanged.

These had included a cut of 10 basis points to the deposit rate, from
minus-0.4% to minus-0.5% and indications it would restart its
quantitative easing (QE) asset purchase programme next month at a
relatively modest pace of €20bn per month. It also announced more
favourable terms for its latest liquidity programme.

However, the minutes from the September meeting showed that the
council was divided over the easing package, with a few making it clear
they believed the policy loosening went too far, especially in relation to
restarting QE.

ould be a priority in that debate.

Nonetheless, last week’s meeting showed that the ECB retains a bias to
ease policy further if required.

It said that official rates will remain at their present or lower levels
until inflation “robustly” converges with its 2% target. The ECB also
continued to emphasise that its QE purchases would run for as long as
necessary and only end shortly before it starts to raise rates.

Recent data on the eurozone economy have been quite weak and
inflation continues to fall, with the annual harmonised inflation rate
dropping to 0.8% in September, well below the ECB’s 2% target.

Interestingly though, despite continuing weak data, the market has

become less bullish on the extent of further monetary easing by the
ECB. Indeed, futures contracts suggest that the market is now expecting
a further 10 basis point cut, at most, in interest rates. Previously, the
expectation had been for at least 20 bais points of additional easing.

This is in line with the trend in other markets, such as the UK and US,
which have also seen some rowing back on rate cut bets. This may
reflect some abatement of risks to growth as a result of the progress
made in US-China trade talks and on Brexit.

Meanwhile, the market does not see ECB rates starting to rise until
mid-2022 and then only very slowly. Futures contracts show three-
month money market rates remaining negative until 2025.
This will be one of Mr Draghi’s main legacies as head of the ECB: A
prolonged period of negative interest rates and extensive QE.

There is no doubt he is held in high esteem as a central banker. Mr

Draghi is viewed as the saviour of the euro, having pursued non-
standard policy measures earlier in the decade to help end the turmoil
in European financial markets and ease the pressures on weaker
eurozone member states.

On the other hand, Mr Draghi overestimated the ECB’s ability to boost

inflation in a global environment of downward pressure on prices.
Monetary policy was kept too loose in the pursuit of this goal. The
result of persistently negative rates and QE is that excess liquidity has
wound up boosting asset prices in financial markets, rather than
general inflation.

Thus, risks to financial stability have increased, with credit looking

mispriced in many markets and valuations at stretched levels as a
result of over-inflated asset prices.

This is a global phenomenon but no central bank has done more than
the ECB in terms of keeping monetary conditions extremely loose.

Let’s hope, for the sake of Mr Draghi’s reputation, that it does not all
end in tears.

Up to 10,000 social welfare payments are among the transactions that

have not appeared in the accounts of Ulster Bank customers today.

The Department of Social Protection said the bank is working to

resolve the issue so payments can be made by close of business today.

A technical glitch at the bank means means cash has not been credited
to some customer accounts.

The bank said it is working to fix the problem and asks people to get in
contact if they have trouble accessing their funds.
Ulster Bank has said it is having problems processing payments for
some customers.

In a series of tweets, the bank said there are delays applying credits to
some accounts.

Ulster Bank has not confirmed the extent of the problem or when it
might be fixed.

It said: "We're experiencing delays applying credits to some customers'

accounts, which we’re working to fix urgently.

"Sorry if this is causing you problems. We'll post an update once we

have more information. If you need help send us a private message or
message us securely in our app."

In a statement, the bank says no customer will be left out of pocket and
emergency cash is available.

Darragh Cassidy from Bonkers.ie has some advice for customers who
are affected by the issue.

Mr Cassidy said: "The only thing that you can do if you are looking for
funds is to go into the branch and ask if they would be able to give you
some cash.

"They should, by looking at the system, know whether or not a payment is due to
come in and they should know by your transaction history whether today was
the day that a social welfare payment or a wage credit is due to come through."

Barclays has posted higher profits in the third quarter despite taking a
£1.4 billion hit for payment protection insurance (PPI) claims.

The bank increased adjusted pre-tax profit by 16% to £1.8 billion for
the thre However, once litigation and conduct costs are also included in
the figure, the pre-tax profit for the period is £246 million, down from
£1.46 billion in the same period last year.
Nonetheless, Barclays performed ahead of analysts’ forecasts despite
being dented by the provision for mis-selling PPI on loans and credit
cards.

The bank had previously announced that it expected to be hit by

between £1.2 billion and £1.6 billion in costs related to PPI.

It also hailed a stronger-than-expected performance by its under-

pressure investing banking arm.

months to September.

In recent months, Barclays has faced pressure from activist investor

Edward Bramson to scale back its investment banking operations amid
testing trading conditions.

Pre-tax profit from the investment arm jumped by 67% to £886 million
for the period, as income in the division also rose by 17% to £2.6
billion.

Group income for the quarter increased by 8% year on year to £5.5

billion as it was buoyed by the investment division.

Meanwhile, Barclays’ UK business reported a 7% slump in pre-tax profit

to £1.9 billion for the quarter.

Despite beating expectations, the company warned that “the outlook

for next year is unquestionably more challenging now than it appeared
a year ago” due to uncertainty in the economy.

Group chief executive Jes Staley said: “These represent another set of
consistent and resilient results, and they show the benefits of our
diversified model – one which allows us to weather today’s macro
headwinds, and grow our businesses and profitability over time.

“As we continue to invest in our digital capabilities across the bank,

management’s focus on cost control remains a priority.
“These results show we remain on track to achieve our target of a
group r We need to stop buying these rags, vote with our pockets,
If some person is writing shit like this, stop buying the paper. The bosses will soon get the
message,
eturn of greater than 9% for 2019.”

The Fascist government system is performing at optimum level. Their plans are working
perfectly!
Sitting in cafe Nero on Grafton St and a big Garda van pulls in and makes a huge scene of 2 homeless
guys asleep, The male Garda was very aggressive pulling at 1 of them to wake him up.. The Irish
Guards are an absolute joke !! This country needs to make big changes ...
https://www.facebook.com/megan.gormally.39/videos/93775364
3275777/UzpfSTEwMDAwOTA0OTI1NzA4MDoyMzIyNTg3NTYxM
zg2MTk2/
It wouldn't be homeless you no if the council stop evicting people just because they can't
keep up there rent payment and it's onley because the government can't help them out
with supplementary payment just to get them back on track with their rents payment sad.
BUT when the banks got in trouble with there payment the government was able to give
them all the money they needed to be able to pay of all there debts and had no problem
in saying that it's the right thing to dou because it was all there money that they had
infested that went messing and the land Lord's now get more money form the hap sceam
then what it whoud cost for the government to help the suffering people who had to leave
there home's because they weren't in the banking besiness i whoud like to no who are
the land Lord's that are getting all the hap money really are whoudent it be that mabey
some of them could be politions or council members or not just a tough. Wonder if the
Irish people will ever no just haft to wate and see.
People always say to us all as soup runs , omg your amazing !
Your so good for what you do ! And we always say no we are not ,
we are just concerned citizens , and we love our city and country,
we just could not cope with how it was starting to crumble before
our eyes . We had to make a stand and that is what we all need to
do as Humans!! Citizens who just want a better Ireland for all !
We as Citizens played our part , we bailed out the banks , went
broke !! And crawled our way back to the be the 5th economically
rich country in europe !!! And How were we repayed ??
Cuts everywhere! Rent hikes no one can keep up with !! A halt on
public or social homes being built !! A homeless Crisis that will go
down as one of the worst in History ! Public land being sold to
private developers!! Evictions are rife !! Have we gone back in
time!!! A generation of hidden homeless (I myself am 1 ) students
using soup runs because their rents are so high , kids and families
queuing for food on the side of the street !! Landlords ripping
everyone off !! We are socially so poor!!
A cervical check scandel that have killed our women and still no
one is held accountable !! Our grandparents, children , family and
friends lying on trolleys for days !!!
An education system where kids with learning difficulties cannot
access a right to education !!!
Our country is going backwards for its Citizens and forward for
the elite !! If we don't rise up and fight back , I'm genuinely so
scared for all of our futures !!
Because that's all it takes , a few concerned citizens to change
things , we deserve it !! We have suffered for long enough !!
Stand up and let's all fight back for a better Ireland for everyone
We need this for all of us

Real pictures!! Real people!! Dublin, October, 2019 !!!

What can we say from 7.30 till now we did not lift our heads of the table, we just served food , bowl after
bowl ,Plate after plate!!!
It's was a never ending sea of hungry and freezing cold faces!! How on earth does any one survive In that cold ??

Most of us run from the car to house, imagine having no where to run from the cold , imagine all you have is a
sleeping bags if your one if the lucky ones !! When did we become so ok with 200 people sleeping in doorways
right across this city !!

Please think of our humans with no homes this winter, we need all the socks , gloves , underwear, hats, scarfs, and
warm clothes and footwear, if you can help please get in touch
Thanks to everyone who helps us help others on a weekly basis
Glenda and Padraig and marks and Spencer for the fab cakes and fruit
@Difontaines on parliament street for the amazing pizza, Julie has supported us from day one , you can buy a slice
of Pizza in this fine establishment and payit forward so we receive amazing wagon wheel pizzas
Jackie and her hubby Peter and all their friends and family in ballybough

Ashley , Ciaran , Sharon and orla for the fab food , drinks , toiletries,.and supplies

Sally for all the meats spuds and veg. Sinead for the bread, food and clothes. School kids in ballyroan for
Halloween cakes
Agnus for her famous Sheppards pie
Me Da for his stew
Rachel and Graham the pasta and curry
Ruth and delphine for driving up from rosscommon with an array of fab holloween cakes and pasta and loads of
treat bags
Gillian for her trays and trays of sandwitches and treats for the kids
Clare and Sophia for the fab cakes and hot Sunday dinners
Vinny and his wife for the amazing chicken curry they dropped up from the country
The couple who dropped in the individual chicken curries
Marjorie and her hubby for the socks and help in hanging them out
Josephine for dropping In loads
Niamh and her sister for the amazing Mexican 3 milk cake
Carmel for your help and donations
Jenny for her van load of clothes
Cora for the fab food
Mary for your donations
The girls Glenda, Michelle all the way from Longford with loads of socks and Tara for coming in and being a
great help
Jordon for all your help
Nora and Sean for all your brought in
My amazing team, no matter the weather we are out there doing the job our leaders should be providing !! Thank
you all for always being there and being the kind , caring individuals you are
Ashley, Nora , Sean , John, Lawrence, David, Carolyn , Clare, Sophia , Brian , Agnus, Noleen, Noel ,

We need better services and supports!! We need more homes built !! We need people off OUR STREETS ! it's
2019 !!! We need your feet on Your streets December 5th to march for the homeless and demand more houses be
built!!

We all deserve a home , if it's social housing , actual affordable housing we can all afford !! Or just rents being
reduced so we can afford them !! Please come out and support us and the homeless humans of Ireland!!

In this world if you can be anything

Just be kind
What are we as Humans if we can't even manage that
#feetonthestreet #5th #letsmakeirelandbetter
We have reached 50,000 members in just 10 days.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you. Homelessness is
a national crisis affecting all walks of life. It's time to make those that we elected into
power accountable for this scandalous crisis. We need everybody to stand together on
the 5th December and let our voices be heard. Homelessness doesn't just affect the
homeless it effects mental health, the health services, the emergency services, the
education system it continues across the board and seeps into every aspect of society seen and
unseen.
Ireland stand together on the 5th December 2019 and if you cant make it to dublin organise at a
local level and protest with at your local county council offices or wherever possible.
Harness the power of social media and connect together on the 5th going live from your feeds.
It's time to stand together and fight for our and our CHILDREN'S fundamental human rights.
Ireland and we have to end it for these misfortuneate people who find themselves in that
nightmare situation. The government will do fuck all, most 0f them are landlords and bond
holders and are looking after their own self interests. Rotten corruption from banks,
politicians, church, government, and state bodies.

Taoiseach rules out pre-Christmas general election
This greedy parasite is pissing on democracy so that he can get wealthy off our hard
earned taxes. Remember that Varadkar is a Taoiseach without any mandate from the
Irish people - he got the job through spin, lies and deception. The other greedy parasite
who is keeping him in office of course is Micheál Martin of Fine Gael's sister party Fianna
Fáil. Isn't it sad that we have to live in a dictatorship. Is this what they fought and died for
in 1916 and the War of Independence? For our country to be ROBBED and misruled by
two GOMBEEN MEN like Varadkar and Martin

https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/2722601691104352/

The Government has approved salary top-ups for politicians

totalling around €2.2m over a full five-year Dáil term.
The sum includes more than €1m for the chairpersons of
Oireachtas committees and €543,000 for TDs who serve as party
whips or assistant whips.
Two Government members who attend Cabinet - Disabilities
Minister Finian McGrath and Defence Minister Paul Kehoe - are
entitled to €15,829 per year each. That's in addition to their junior
minister-level salaries of €121,639. A payment of €15,829 is also
available to Government chief whip Regina Doherty. Some
changes to the system of payments reflect the different make-up
of the Dáil after last year's election.
The allowances are on top of a TD's basic salary of €87,258. That
salary is set to increase by €2,700 this year, amid wider pay rises
in the public sector.
Time this country stood up to what's going on with this government. Robbing the country and
homeless a big issue. Wake up ireland

Review of banks’ role in crisis

The Corrupt Government And
bankers role in the Irish Bailout
crisis have never been honest
With the Irish People of Ireland
Tuesday, October 29, 2019
Brian Hayes , October 24) has morphed into an apologist for the banks
and bankers. He paints a picture of them as benign bystanders in the
chaos following the financial crash of 2008.

Mr Hayes’s statement that “banks made huge mistakes” is untrue. He

should know that banks and bankers orchestrated a system of cynical
corporate governance, driven by untrammelled greed, a bonus culture,
and hubris.

As a result, Ireland was long known as the ‘wild west’ of the financial
world and that reputational damage continues to this day.

The sad outcome was an unprecedented loss of national sovereignty, in

2010, requiring a bailout by the ECB and the IMF to the tune of €64bn,
ultimately to be paid for by the taxpayer.

What followed should never be forgotten by Mr Hayes and his banker

friends. 350,000 jobs were lost, thousands of companies went bankrupt,
and 300,000 people were forced to emigrate, many never to return.
State assets were flogged-off at knock-down prices to foreign hedge
and vulture funds.

Families were devastated. Borrowers couldn’t repay their mortgages.

Evictions became a nasty feature in Irish society, driven by bankers
scampering to recover assets.

Remarkably, Mr Hayes complains that the Irish mortgage market has

“one of Europe’s longest timelines for repossessions” and compares
unfavourably with the UK, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, the
Netherlands, Austria and Germany, none of which were faced with the
same level of austerity and financial ruin perpetrated by the Irish banks
on Irish society.

If Mr Hayes cares to check the records, he will find that prior to the
crash, mortgage-holders had largely an unblemished record in meeting
commitments.

Mr Hayes wonders about the lack of new entrants to the market. He

then provides the answer, by stating that lenders here are required to
work through a range of legislative provisions and Central Bank codes
of conduct, considered by “informed observers” to be very extensive by
international standards.

Mr Hayes knows the regulatory regime has been forced on the banks
(regrettably, after the event) because of their negligence, dishonesty,
and abuse of customers.

Mr Hayes correctly calls for a balanced debate. Perhaps a little honesty

sh President Mario Draghi’s final meeting as head of the ECB last week
saw the Governing Council keep policy unchanged.

These had included a cut of 10 basis points to the deposit rate, from
minus-0.4% to minus-0.5% and indications it would restart its
quantitative easing (QE) asset purchase programme next month at a
relatively modest pace of €20bn per month. It also announced more
favourable terms for its latest liquidity programme.

However, the minutes from the September meeting showed that the
council was divided over the easing package, with a few making it clear
they believed the policy loosening went too far, especially in relation to
restarting QE.

ould be a priority in that debate.

Nonetheless, last week’s meeting showed that the ECB retains a bias to
ease policy further if required.
It said that official rates will remain at their present or lower levels
until inflation “robustly” converges with its 2% target. The ECB also
continued to emphasise that its QE purchases would run for as long as
necessary and only end shortly before it starts to raise rates.

Recent data on the eurozone economy have been quite weak and
inflation continues to fall, with the annual harmonised inflation rate
dropping to 0.8% in September, well below the ECB’s 2% target.

Interestingly though, despite continuing weak data, the market has

become less bullish on the extent of further monetary easing by the
ECB. Indeed, futures contracts suggest that the market is now expecting
a further 10 basis point cut, at most, in interest rates. Previously, the
expectation had been for at least 20 bais points of additional easing.

This is in line with the trend in other markets, such as the UK and US,
which have also seen some rowing back on rate cut bets. This may
reflect some abatement of risks to growth as a result of the progress
made in US-China trade talks and on Brexit.

Meanwhile, the market does not see ECB rates starting to rise until
mid-2022 and then only very slowly. Futures contracts show three-
month money market rates remaining negative until 2025.

This will be one of Mr Draghi’s main legacies as head of the ECB: A

prolonged period of negative interest rates and extensive QE.

There is no doubt he is held in high esteem as a central banker. Mr

Draghi is viewed as the saviour of the euro, having pursued non-
standard policy measures earlier in the decade to help end the turmoil
in European financial markets and ease the pressures on weaker
eurozone member states.

On the other hand, Mr Draghi overestimated the ECB’s ability to boost

inflation in a global environment of downward pressure on prices.
Monetary policy was kept too loose in the pursuit of this goal. The
result of persistently negative rates and QE is that excess liquidity has
wound up boosting asset prices in financial markets, rather than
general inflation.

Thus, risks to financial stability have increased, with credit looking

mispriced in many markets and valuations at stretched levels as a
result of over-inflated asset prices.

This is a global phenomenon but no central bank has done more than
the ECB in terms of keeping monetary conditions extremely loose.

Let’s hope, for the sake of Mr Draghi’s reputation, that it does not all
end in tears.

Up to 10,000 social welfare payments are among the transactions that

have not appeared in the accounts of Ulster Bank customers today.

The Department of Social Protection said the bank is working to

resolve the issue so payments can be made by close of business today.

A technical glitch at the bank means means cash has not been credited
to some customer accounts.

The bank said it is working to fix the problem and asks people to get in
contact if they have trouble accessing their funds.

Ulster Bank has said it is having problems processing payments for

some customers.

In a series of tweets, the bank said there are delays applying credits to
some accounts.

Ulster Bank has not confirmed the extent of the problem or when it
might be fixed.

It said: "We're experiencing delays applying credits to some customers'

accounts, which we’re working to fix urgently.
"Sorry if this is causing you problems. We'll post an update once we
have more information. If you need help send us a private message or
message us securely in our app."

In a statement, the bank says no customer will be left out of pocket and
emergency cash is available.

Darragh Cassidy from Bonkers.ie has some advice for customers who
are affected by the issue.

Mr Cassidy said: "The only thing that you can do if you are looking for
funds is to go into the branch and ask if they would be able to give you
some cash.

"They should, by looking at the system, know whether or not a payment is due to
come in and they should know by your transaction history whether today was
the day that a social welfare payment or a wage credit is due to come through."

Barclays has posted higher profits in the third quarter despite taking a
£1.4 billion hit for payment protection insurance (PPI) claims.

The bank increased adjusted pre-tax profit by 16% to £1.8 billion for
the thre However, once litigation and conduct costs are also included in
the figure, the pre-tax profit for the period is £246 million, down from
£1.46 billion in the same period last year.

Nonetheless, Barclays performed ahead of analysts’ forecasts despite

being dented by the provision for mis-selling PPI on loans and credit
cards.

The bank had previously announced that it expected to be hit by

between £1.2 billion and £1.6 billion in costs related to PPI.

It also hailed a stronger-than-expected performance by its under-

pressure investing banking arm.

months to September.
In recent months, Barclays has faced pressure from activist investor
Edward Bramson to scale back its investment banking operations amid
testing trading conditions.

Pre-tax profit from the investment arm jumped by 67% to £886 million
for the period, as income in the division also rose by 17% to £2.6
billion.

Group income for the quarter increased by 8% year on year to £5.5

billion as it was buoyed by the investment division.

Meanwhile, Barclays’ UK business reported a 7% slump in pre-tax profit

to £1.9 billion for the quarter.

Despite beating expectations, the company warned that “the outlook

for next year is unquestionably more challenging now than it appeared
a year ago” due to uncertainty in the economy.

Group chief executive Jes Staley said: “These represent another set of
consistent and resilient results, and they show the benefits of our
diversified model – one which allows us to weather today’s macro
headwinds, and grow our businesses and profitability over time.

“As we continue to invest in our digital capabilities across the bank,

management’s focus on cost control remains a priority.

“These results show we remain on track to achieve our target of a

group r We need to stop buying these rags, vote with our pockets,
If some person is writing shit like this, stop buying the paper. The bosses will soon get the
message,
eturn of greater than 9% for 2019.”

The Fascist government system is performing at optimum level. Their plans are working
perfectly!
Sitting in cafe Nero on Grafton St and a big Garda van pulls in and makes a huge scene of 2 homeless
guys asleep, The male Garda was very aggressive pulling at 1 of them to wake him up.. The Irish
Guards are an absolute joke !! This country needs to make big changes ...
https://www.facebook.com/megan.gormally.39/videos/93775364
3275777/UzpfSTEwMDAwOTA0OTI1NzA4MDoyMzIyNTg3NTYxM
zg2MTk2/
It wouldn't be homeless you no if the council stop evicting people just because they can't
keep up there rent payment and it's onley because the government can't help them out
with supplementary payment just to get them back on track with their rents payment sad.
BUT when the banks got in trouble with there payment the government was able to give
them all the money they needed to be able to pay of all there debts and had no problem
in saying that it's the right thing to dou because it was all there money that they had
infested that went messing and the land Lord's now get more money form the hap sceam
then what it whoud cost for the government to help the suffering people who had to leave
there home's because they weren't in the banking besiness i whoud like to no who are
the land Lord's that are getting all the hap money really are whoudent it be that mabey
some of them could be politions or council members or not just a tough. Wonder if the
Irish people will ever no just haft to wate and see.
People always say to us all as soup runs , omg your amazing !
Your so good for what you do ! And we always say no we are not ,
we are just concerned citizens , and we love our city and country,
we just could not cope with how it was starting to crumble before
our eyes . We had to make a stand and that is what we all need to
do as Humans!! Citizens who just want a better Ireland for all !
We as Citizens played our part , we bailed out the banks , went
broke !! And crawled our way back to the be the 5th economically
rich country in europe !!! And How were we repayed ??
Cuts everywhere! Rent hikes no one can keep up with !! A halt on
public or social homes being built !! A homeless Crisis that will go
down as one of the worst in History ! Public land being sold to
private developers!! Evictions are rife !! Have we gone back in
time!!! A generation of hidden homeless (I myself am 1 ) students
using soup runs because their rents are so high , kids and families
queuing for food on the side of the street !! Landlords ripping
everyone off !! We are socially so poor!!
A cervical check scandel that have killed our women and still no
one is held accountable !! Our grandparents, children , family and
friends lying on trolleys for days !!!
An education system where kids with learning difficulties cannot
access a right to education !!!
Our country is going backwards for its Citizens and forward for
the elite !! If we don't rise up and fight back , I'm genuinely so
scared for all of our futures !!
Because that's all it takes , a few concerned citizens to change
things , we deserve it !! We have suffered for long enough !!
Stand up and let's all fight back for a better Ireland for everyone
We need this for all of us

Real pictures!! Real people!! Dublin, October, 2019 !!!

What can we say from 7.30 till now we did not lift our heads of the table, we just served food , bowl after
bowl ,Plate after plate!!!
It's was a never ending sea of hungry and freezing cold faces!! How on earth does any one survive In that cold ??

Most of us run from the car to house, imagine having no where to run from the cold , imagine all you have is a
sleeping bags if your one if the lucky ones !! When did we become so ok with 200 people sleeping in doorways
right across this city !!

Please think of our humans with no homes this winter, we need all the socks , gloves , underwear, hats, scarfs, and
warm clothes and footwear, if you can help please get in touch
Thanks to everyone who helps us help others on a weekly basis
Glenda and Padraig and marks and Spencer for the fab cakes and fruit
@Difontaines on parliament street for the amazing pizza, Julie has supported us from day one , you can buy a slice
of Pizza in this fine establishment and payit forward so we receive amazing wagon wheel pizzas
Jackie and her hubby Peter and all their friends and family in ballybough

Ashley , Ciaran , Sharon and orla for the fab food , drinks , toiletries,.and supplies

Sally for all the meats spuds and veg. Sinead for the bread, food and clothes. School kids in ballyroan for
Halloween cakes
Agnus for her famous Sheppards pie
Me Da for his stew
Rachel and Graham the pasta and curry
Ruth and delphine for driving up from rosscommon with an array of fab holloween cakes and pasta and loads of
treat bags
Gillian for her trays and trays of sandwitches and treats for the kids
Clare and Sophia for the fab cakes and hot Sunday dinners
Vinny and his wife for the amazing chicken curry they dropped up from the country
The couple who dropped in the individual chicken curries
Marjorie and her hubby for the socks and help in hanging them out
Josephine for dropping In loads
Niamh and her sister for the amazing Mexican 3 milk cake
Carmel for your help and donations
Jenny for her van load of clothes
Cora for the fab food
Mary for your donations
The girls Glenda, Michelle all the way from Longford with loads of socks and Tara for coming in and being a
great help
Jordon for all your help
Nora and Sean for all your brought in
My amazing team, no matter the weather we are out there doing the job our leaders should be providing !! Thank
you all for always being there and being the kind , caring individuals you are
Ashley, Nora , Sean , John, Lawrence, David, Carolyn , Clare, Sophia , Brian , Agnus, Noleen, Noel ,

We need better services and supports!! We need more homes built !! We need people off OUR STREETS ! it's
2019 !!! We need your feet on Your streets December 5th to march for the homeless and demand more houses be
built!!

We all deserve a home , if it's social housing , actual affordable housing we can all afford !! Or just rents being
reduced so we can afford them !! Please come out and support us and the homeless humans of Ireland!!

In this world if you can be anything

Just be kind
What are we as Humans if we can't even manage that
#feetonthestreet #5th #letsmakeirelandbetter
We have reached 50,000 members in just 10 days.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank each and everyone of you. Homelessness is
a national crisis affecting all walks of life. It's time to make those that we elected into
power accountable for this scandalous crisis. We need everybody to stand together on
the 5th December and let our voices be heard. Homelessness doesn't just affect the
homeless it effects mental health, the health services, the emergency services, the
education system it continues across the board and seeps into every aspect of society seen and
unseen.
Ireland stand together on the 5th December 2019 and if you cant make it to dublin organise at a
local level and protest with at your local county council offices or wherever possible.
Harness the power of social media and connect together on the 5th going live from your feeds.
It's time to stand together and fight for our and our CHILDREN'S fundamental human rights.
Ireland and we have to end it for these misfortuneate people who find themselves in that
nightmare situation. The government will do fuck all, most 0f them are landlords and bond
holders and are looking after their own self interests. Rotten corruption from banks,
politicians, church, government, and state bodies.

Taoiseach rules out pre-Christmas general election
This greedy parasite is pissing on democracy so that he can get wealthy off our hard
earned taxes. Remember that Varadkar is a Taoiseach without any mandate from the
Irish people - he got the job through spin, lies and deception. The other greedy parasite
who is keeping him in office of course is Micheál Martin of Fine Gael's sister party Fianna
Fáil. Isn't it sad that we have to live in a dictatorship. Is this what they fought and died for
in 1916 and the War of Independence? For our country to be ROBBED and misruled by
two GOMBEEN MEN like Varadkar and Martin

https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/2722601691104352/

The Government has approved salary top-ups for politicians

totalling around €2.2m over a full five-year Dáil term.
The sum includes more than €1m for the chairpersons of
Oireachtas committees and €543,000 for TDs who serve as party
whips or assistant whips.
Two Government members who attend Cabinet - Disabilities
Minister Finian McGrath and Defence Minister Paul Kehoe - are
entitled to €15,829 per year each. That's in addition to their junior
minister-level salaries of €121,639. A payment of €15,829 is also
available to Government chief whip Regina Doherty. Some
changes to the system of payments reflect the different make-up
of the Dáil after last year's election.
The allowances are on top of a TD's basic salary of €87,258. That
salary is set to increase by €2,700 this year, amid wider pay rises
in the public sector.
Time this country stood up to what's going on with this government. Robbing the country and
homeless a big issue. Wake up ireland









Voting controversy,
Flanagan writes to Ceann
Comhairle over ‘illegality’
Minister says ‘I believe we are really striking at the heart of
our democratic system here’
October 21, 19
Brian Hutton

Minister of Justice Charlie Flanagan said what had happened was very
serious. Photograph: PA

Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has written to the

Ceann Comhairle over what he has described as the
“illegal act” of a Fianna Fáil frontbencher voting for a
colleague absent from the Dáil.
His letter came after revelations that Fianna Fáil TD
Niall Collins voted six times for party colleague Timmy
Dooley while he was absent from the chamber during the
weekly bloc voting session on Thursday.
The two senior TDs stood down from the party’s
frontbench at the request of Fianna Fáil leader Micheál
Martin, pending the outcome of an investigation into
alleged voting irregularities by Ceann Comhairle Sean O
Fearghaíl.
The controversy over the absent votes means any law
passed on the basis of a “fraudulent vote” will now be
subject to challenge, the Minister of Justice said.
Mr Flanagan described what had happened as a really,
really serious misdemeanour in our parliamentary
system where it is alleged that somebody arranged a vote
inside in the chamber and had absented themselves from
the chamber when the doors are firmly locked,” he said.
“That to me is prima facie very suspect behaviour and
totally unacceptable.”
Mr Flanagan said he wrote to the Ceann Comhairle Seán
Ó Fearghaíl about the issue over the weekend and is
expecting him to publish a report at the earliest possible
opportunity.
“It is important that we have an independent assessment
of the auspices of the Ceann Comhairle. He is the
protector of members’ interests and standing orders.”
Mr Flanagan on Monday declined to apologise for having
voted for other colleagues himself while in the chamber.
Fianna Fáil’s Lisa Chambers voted for Dara Calleary after
sitting ‘in wrong seat’
All you need to know about Dáil electronic voting
Varadkar ‘not aware’ of any Government TDs voting for
each other in Dáil
Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley who has stepped down from the party’s
frontbench. James Forde/The Irish Times
“There may have been times when people are passing
through trying to get to their seated position. In such a
situation a button may well be pressed in anticipation of
that person taking their seat. That has happened on
occasion

Mr Flanagan said there was a difference between voting

for a colleague who was present in the chamber and
those who were not present.
He said after the division bell, the doors are sealed after
eight minutes and anybody inside is invited to vote.
“Anybody outside the chamber has no entitlement to
vote,” he said. “That’s the issue here. A proxy vote is
strictly prohibited under the standing orders of the Dáil
and the Constitution. This is far from over. It is very
serious,” he warned.
He said what Mr Collins and Mr Dooley were being
investigated for “a completely different issue, because it
seems that one of them had deliberately, with intent,
absented themselves from votes, and that’s where the
illegality is.”
Fianna Fáil TD Lisa Chambers. File photograph: Dara Mac Donaill
Also on Monday Fianna Fáil’s Lisa Chambers said she
mistakenly sat in her colleague and party deputy leader
Dara Calleary’s seat last Thursday for one vote and
moved to her own seat for the same vote as soon as she
realised.
The party’s Brexit spokeswoman said she denied over
the weekend ever having voted for anyone else, or asking
anyone to vote for her, because she took that to mean
that she “intentionally, knowingly, purposely” done so.
Ms Chambers said on Monday Fianna Fáil leader
Micheál Martin accepted her explanation of how she
voted for a party colleague in the Dáil.
Ms Chambers said she does not expect to be suspended
from her front bench role - like party colleagues Mr
Dooley and Mr Collins - because “what happened to me
is very different.”.
“What happened with me was an honest genuine
mistake,” she told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
“I honest to God believed I was in my seat, and I was
pressing my voting button,” she said.
Minister for Communications, Climate and Environment
Richard Bruton said TDs casting ballots for each other
was “common practice”.
While saying a fellow TD has never voted for him when
he wasn’t in the chamber, the Minister said: “If I was
sitting in someone else’s chair ... and someone was
sitting ... you know, I’d just say press my button, I’m
here. That has become common practice. But what has
gone wrong here is that people not in the chamber at all
voted.”
Charlie McConalogue, Donegal North East TD and
Fianna Fáil spokesman on agriculture, food and the
marine told Highland Radio: “Under no circumstances
should anyone be voting for someone who is not in the
chamber."
Catherine Murphy, Social Democrats co-leader and
Kildare North TD, said voting for absent TDs is “a breach
of the Constitution” because it states elected
representatives “have to be present and voting”.
“Leinster House makes its own rules, but it makes them
in line with the Constitution and the Constitution is very
clear: Article 15 says all questions in each house (of the
Oireachtas) shall be determined by a majority of votes by
members present and voting.”
The controversy over the absent votes means any law passed on the basis of a
“fraudulent vote” will now be subject to challenge, the Minister of Justice said.
“This is a really, really serious issue in our parliamentary process,” he said.
Mr Flanagan said he wrote to the Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl about the issue
over the weekend “because I believe we are really striking at the heart of our democratic
system here.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/voting-controversy-flanagan-
writes-to-ceann-comhairle-over-illegality-
1.4057669?fbclid=IwAR08mTC6ZmhSnTcDPBQajsisZP1lRHpXFdurL1jhE-
crRK8OxZLW76HIROU#.Xa22XBNjy9M.facebook
Fianna Fáil’s Lisa Chambers
voted for Dara Calleary after
sitting ‘in wrong seat’
Frontbencher says she has since reported voting for
deputy leader to Ceann Comhairle
about 18 hours ago
Fiach Kelly

Fianna Fáil Brexit spokesperson Lisa Chambers TD said she sat in the wrong
seat in the Dáil. File photograph: Fran Veale/The Irish Times
A Fianna Fáil frontbencher has said she mistakenly
voted for her deputy leader in the Dáil last week.
Lisa Chambers, the Fianna Fáil spokeswoman on Brexit,
told The Irish Times she sat in the seat normally
occupied by Dara Calleary, who was absent at the time.
It was during the same block of votes which saw Niall
Collins vote for Timmy Dooley, who was not in the
chamber at the time, six times.
Mr Calleary’s vote was only recorded on one occasion he
was not in the chamber, and the Mayo TD was on radio
at that time.
All you need to know about Dáil electronic voting
 Varadkar ‘not aware’ of any Government TDs voting for
each other in Dáil
Fianna Fáil TD says colleague voted for him while he was
not in Dáil
Ms Chambers, also a Mayo TD, and Mr Calleary sit on
the same row in the Dáil chamber.

Fianna Fáil deputy leader Dara Calleary was not in the Dáil at the time of the
vote. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
In a statement, Ms Chambers said she voted in Mr
Calleary’s slot by mistake before then moving to vote in
her own position during a vote on an amendment on a
forestry motion.
Earlier on Sunday, Ms Chambers told RTÉ she had never
voted for a colleague nor had a colleague vote for her.
She told The Irish Times: “On Thursday last I
inadvertently sat in the wrong seat in the Dáil during
voting time. I sat in Dara Calleary’s seat, which is beside
my seat. I pressed the button once in error on the first
vote, no one asked me to do this and when I realised, I
immediately moved to my own seat. The vote was lost by
a large number so I did not inform the Teller. It was a
genuine mistake and not intended. I have informed the
Ceann Comhairle this evening of my error.
“I genuinely believed that this error was insignificant
and when asked on RTÉ today had I ever voted for
anyone else I answered no, as was never asked to vote
for anyone else. For this I apologise.”
Mr Calleary said: “After participating in a live Radio Interview I returned
to Dáil chamber at about 2.10pm on Thursday and voted in the remaining
votes.
“I understand that Deputy Chambers inadvertently voted in my seat for the
first of those votes but not for any of the remaining ones for which I was
absent. She mistakenly did not correct the record on the day hence my
name is registered. She has contacted the Ceann Comhairle this evening to
advise him of this.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/fianna-fáil-s-lisa-chambers-voted-
for-dara-calleary-after-sitting-in-wrong-seat-1.4057228

Voting controversy,
Flanagan writes to Ceann
Comhairle over ‘illegality’
Minister says ‘I believe we are really striking at the heart of
our democratic system here’
Mon, Oct 21, 2019,
Brian Hutton
Minister of Justice Charlie Flanagan said what had happened was very
serious. Photograph: PA
Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan has written to the
Ceann Comhairle over what he has described as the
“illegal act” of a Fianna Fáil frontbencher voting for a
colleague absent from the Dáil.
His letter came after revelations that Fianna Fáil TD
Niall Collins voted six times for party colleague Timmy
Dooley while he was absent from the chamber during the
weekly bloc voting session on Thursday.
The two senior TDs stood down from the party’s
frontbench at the request of Fianna Fáil leader Micheál
Martin, pending the outcome of an investigation into
alleged voting irregularities by Ceann Comhairle Sean O
Fearghaíl.
The controversy over the absent votes means any law
passed on the basis of a “fraudulent vote” will now be
subject to challenge, the Minister of Justice said.
Mr Flanagan described what had happened as a really,
really serious misdemeanour in our parliamentary
system where it is alleged that somebody arranged a vote
inside in the chamber and had absented themselves from
the chamber when the doors are firmly locked,” he said.
“That to me is prima facie very suspect behaviour and
totally unacceptable.”
Mr Flanagan said he wrote to the Ceann Comhairle Seán
Ó Fearghaíl about the issue over the weekend and is
expecting him to publish a report at the earliest possible
opportunity.
“It is important that we have an independent assessment
of the auspices of the Ceann Comhairle. He is the
protector of members’ interests and standing orders.”
Mr Flanagan on Monday declined to apologise for having
voted for other colleagues himself while in the chamber.
TDs have long had concerns over electronic voting in the
Dáil
Dáil voting rules to be tightened as ‘votegate’ controversy
deepens
Shane Ross mistakenly voted for absent colleague but
corrected record

Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley who has stepped down from the party’s
frontbench. James Forde/The Irish Times
“There may have been times when people are passing
through trying to get to their seated position. In such a
situation a button may well be pressed in anticipation of
that person taking their seat. That has happened on
occasion.”
Mr Flanagan said there was a difference between voting
for a colleague who was present in the chamber and
those who were not present.
He said after the division bell, the doors are sealed after
eight minutes and anybody inside is invited to vote.
“Anybody outside the chamber has no entitlement to
vote,” he said. “That’s the issue here. A proxy vote is
strictly prohibited under the standing orders of the Dáil
and the Constitution. This is far from over. It is very
serious,” he warned.
He said what Mr Collins and Mr Dooley were being
investigated for “a completely different issue, because it
seems that one of them had deliberately, with intent,
absented themselves from votes, and that’s where the
illegality is.”

Fianna Fáil TD Lisa Chambers. File photograph: Dara Mac Donaill

Also on Monday Fianna Fáil’s Lisa Chambers said she
mistakenly sat in her colleague and party deputy leader
Dara Calleary’s seat last Thursday for one vote and
moved to her own seat for the same vote as soon as she
realised.
The party’s Brexit spokeswoman said she denied over
the weekend ever having voted for anyone else, or asking
anyone to vote for her, because she took that to mean
that she “intentionally, knowingly, purposely” done so.
Ms Chambers said on Monday Fianna Fáil leader
Micheál Martin accepted her explanation of how she
voted for a party colleague in the Dáil.
Ms Chambers said she does not expect to be suspended
from her front bench role - like party colleagues Mr
Dooley and Mr Collins - because “what happened to me
is very different.”.
“What happened with me was an honest genuine
mistake,” she told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland.
“I honest to God believed I was in my seat, and I was
pressing my voting button,” she said.
Minister for Communications, Climate and Environment
Richard Bruton said TDs casting ballots for each other
was “common practice”.
While saying a fellow TD has never voted for him when
he wasn’t in the chamber, the Minister said: “If I was
sitting in someone else’s chair ... and someone was
sitting ... you know, I’d just say press my button, I’m
here. That has become common practice. But what has
gone wrong here is that people not in the chamber at all
voted.”
Charlie McConalogue, Donegal North East TD and
Fianna Fáil spokesman on agriculture, food and the
marine told Highland Radio: “Under no circumstances
should anyone be voting for someone who is not in the
chamber."
Catherine Murphy, Social Democrats co-leader and
Kildare North TD, said voting for absent TDs is “a breach
of the Constitution” because it states elected
representatives “have to be present and voting”.
“Leinster House makes its own rules, but it makes them
in line with the Constitution and the Constitution is very
clear: Article 15 says all questions in each house (of the
Oireachtas) shall be determined by a majority of votes by
members present and voting.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/voting-controversy-flanagan-
writes-to-ceann-comhairle-over-illegality-
1.4057669?fbclid=IwAR0m0JF9EzBF9bdiSFyLRo950JU_KkMjjZrKZzZl
0GfPICRAoGGUzxurAB0#.Xa22XBNjy9M.facebook
Regina Doherty not in her seat on May 8th 2019 but still manage to get
someone to vote for her Oct 21st 2019, I Call This Treason crime, Why
are the Garda not investigating this
Catherine Murphy, Social Democrats co-leader and
Kildare North TD, said voting for absent TDs is “a breach
of the Constitution” because it states elected
representatives “have to be present and voting”.
“Leinster House makes its own rules, but it makes them
in line with the Constitution and the Constitution is very
clear: Article 15 says all questions in each house (of the
Oireachtas) shall be determined by a majority of votes by
members present and voting.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZNVtlpy5GWY

The controversy over the absent votes means any law passed on the basis of a
“fraudulent vote” will now be subject to challenge, the Minister of Justice said.
“This is a really, really serious issue in our parliamentary process,” he said.
Mr Flanagan said he wrote to the Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl about the issue
over the weekend “because I believe we are really striking at the heart of our democratic
system here.”
Dáil voting row sparks
uptick in FF-FG tensions
Sharp political exchanges on controversy seen as prelude
to general election campaign
October 22, 19
Harry McGee Political Correspondent

By Tuesday afternoon, Fianna Fáil noted ‘clear instances’ where Ministers

were absent from their seats over the past 12 months. File photograph: The
Irish Times
Tensions between Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil have
escalated significantly because of the Dáil voting
controversy, leading to tit-for-tat charges that are seen as
the prelude to a general election campaign.
Fine Gael accused Fianna Fáil of trying to muddy the
waters by highlighting video footage where Fine Gael
Ministers were not in their seats for Dáil votes. In
response, Fianna Fáil accused Fine Gael of arrogance.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/dáil-voting-row-sparks-uptick-in-ff-fg-tensions-
1.4059633?mode=sample&auth-failed=1&pw-
origin=https%3A%2F%2Fptop.only.wip.la%3A443%2Fhttps%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fd%25C3%25A1il-voting-row-sparks-uptick-
in-ff-fg-tensions-1.4059633

EU for the Art 50 extension, arguing MPs have given their consent for
a deal. European Union (Withdrawal) Act (Section 13) shows that the
Agreement can only be ratified if parliament has approved and passed
Act.
http://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2018/16/data.pdf
European Parliament to give its content was the passage of the European Union
(Withdrawal Agreement) Bill (WAB) to Royal Assent.

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/bills/cbill/2019-2020/0007/20007.pdf

Leo Varadkar’s big decision

will the Taoiseach call a
November election?
Brexit deal and date of Irish general election are linked
Thu, Oct 17, 2019,

Harry McGee Political Correspondent

Follow
It’s the biggest decision yet for Leo Varadkar’s term in office. File photograph:
Two questions have dominated conversations in the
corridors of Leinster House this week. The first: Is there
going to be a Brexit deal? The second: Are we going to
have an early election?
Both questions are related, with the second dependent
on the first. In a no-deal scenario, or in an extension
situation where the outcome of Brexit negotiations is not
assured, the prospects of an election are low. It is only if
a Brexit deal is a certainty that thoughts can turn to an
election.
That will depend on more than a positive outcome from
Brussels this week and in London at the weekend.
Moreover, at this moment in time, the backing of the
DUP, or for that matter, the special Westminster sitting
on Saturday is not assured.
If there is a deal, the domestic repercussions will revolve
around the second question, about holding an
election. “It’s the biggest decision Leo Varadkar will
make in his time as Taoiseach,” a senior Minister told
me over the weekend. That Minister was of the view that
is would be the optimum time for Fine Gael to go. “He
would be getting the accolades from Brexit. We could say
Leo delivered on Brexit phase one, now put him back to
steer us through phase two.”
There are very few TDs of any party who believe the
election will take place in May 2020, notwithstanding
the Taoiseach’s existence. “He’s saying May 2020 but he
has to say that,” said a Fine Gael backbencher. “If he
were to say he’s thinking of an election before anything
came out of Brussels, that would cause uncertainty and
he’d be accused of making hay out of it. He can’t say
anything like that until it’s settled.”
If an election were called, the minimum period for a
campaign is 18 days excluding Sundays and public
holidays. So if an election was called on November 1st it
could take place anytime after Wednesday, November
22nd. However, any extension, even a week, could push
the election back into December. It would be a difficult
decision for a Government to hold an election with only
15 shopping days to Christmas.
Avoiding bear traps
That said, there are obvious bear traps the Government
could avoid if it goes early. Four by-elections are due to
take place at the end of November, and Fine Gael is
unlikely to win any. Fianna Fáil could win three of them
- Wexford; Cork North Central; and Dublin Fingal -
which would give Gael’s largest rival huge impetus.
The problem is that the by-elections must be held by the
New Year. This stems from legislation that was
introduced after the then Fianna Fáil government
walked itself into a debacle of its own making in late
2009. It delayed holding the byelection in Donegal South
West. Pearse Doherty, then a Senator, took a High Court
case and won. In the subsequent byelection he won by a
landslide, giving a massive fillip to his own party and a
premonition of Fianna Fáil’s soon-to-be demise. The
legislation provided for by-elections to take place within
six months of the seat being vacated. The four MEPs
technically vacated their seats in July allowing a window
until January.
If there were an extensions and the Government decided
for an election early in the New Year, you could have the
potential farce of four by-elections being held, followed
quickly by a general election.
The New Year isn’t exactly a fruitful period either when
you are nearing the end of your term. Trolleys and
homelessness are big issues in deepest winter. In
addition, the ‘feel good’ afterglow from Brexit will have
worn off by then.
The arguments for a November election seem compelling
but there is a counter-intuitive view, mostly put forward
by Fianna Fáil (they would, wouldn’t they?) and a few of
the more wizened Fine Gael politicians. For them, calling
an early election can be a perilous risk. The rationale for
calling it is often not the rationale of voters on polling
day. And that’s a negative.
They point to the fact Leo Varadkar has never gone
through an intense national election campaign as leader
before. He could be champion but he could also belly
flop. Theresa May’s experience provides a salutary
lesson. But there are precedents too in Irish electoral
history. Charlie Haughey twice called snap general
elections, in 1981 and in 1989 (when polls suggested he
could win a majority). On both occasions it backfired -
partly because voters did not buy the line an election was
necessary.
Varadkar will need to be mindful of that. He will need to
be conscious also that in key constituencies, Fine Gael
has yet to sort out its best candidates in half a dozen
places after a mixed local election. Even with a Brexit lift
seat gains are not guaranteed. It is strong in Dublin but
that won’t translate into a seats bonanza.
Elsewhere, the gains will be in ones and two rather than
in droves. And that’s with a gale win at this back.
Technically, too, the extension of the confidence-and-
supply agreement with Fianna Fáil is not formally
concluded until the Finance Bill and Social Welfare Bill
have completed their passage through the Oireachtas.
Fine Gael was here before when then taoiseach Enda
Kenny was wracked with indecision over going early in
November 2015. He decided against and went the
following summer when Fine Gael had a relatively
indifferent election. Some of his colleagues and
commentators argued the delay cost Fine Gael as many
as 10 seats. In reality, there is no evidence to support the
theory Fine Gael would have done better.
It is true that parties in government get into a bubble
mentality towards the end of term where they believe
something magical will crop up to reverse their flagging
fortunes. It does not happen. It just follows the theory
that once you begin to seep support it’s really hard to
regain it.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/leo-varadkar-s-big-decision-will-
the-taoiseach-call-a-november-election-1.4053753
Youse just really don’t give a
f***’, TD tells Government
in Dáil
Joan Collins later withdraws remark made during ongoing
debate on Budget 2020
Wed, Oct 9, 2019, 15:37 Updated: Wed, Oct 9, 2019, 18:56
Marie O'Halloran
Independent TD Joan Collins acknowledged she should not have sworn
during the ongoing Dáil debate on the Budget after she told the Government
side “youse just really don’t give a f***”. Video: Oireachtas
Independent TD Joan Collins acknowledged she should
not have sworn during the ongoing Dáil debate on the
Budget after she told the Government and Fianna Fáil
“youse just really don’t give a f***”.
Leas Cheann Comhairle Pat ’The Cope’ Gallagher told
the Dublin South-Central TD that it was “not customary”
to use a “four letter word”.
He also said you’re above that”, as he called on her to
withdraw her remarks on Wednesday afternoon.
“You’re well able to make your case without using
unparliamentary language,” he said.
Ms Collins replied saying “I accept that” and said she
withdrew the remark but added she was very angry
because she had people coming into her constituency
office who were on their knees and needed support and
assistance.
She said there is a poverty crisis in the country along
with the crisis in health, housing and homelessness but
the Budget “says loudly, ‘Crisis, what crisis?’”.
Ms Collins was addressing a virtually empty Dáil
chamber during the ongoing debate on the Budget.
Minister of State Ciarán Cannon was the sole
Government representative in the chamber and Ms
Collins noted there were very few Fianna Fáil TDs
present.
She criticised Fianna Fáil public expenditure and reform
spokesman Barry Cowen for his Budget speech on
Tuesday when he made a “litany of silly jokes” about the
left-wing parties.
Ms Collins said the Fianna Fáil party was “easily
amused”.
But she said of the two largest parties in the Dáil: “You’re
not here, you’re not listening, you don’t care and to put it
bluntly for the amount of phone calls I’ve got from
constituents in the last 24 hours “youse just really don’t
give a f***”.
She added that “it’s absolutely outrageous that this is
actually happening and people are being subjected to
this Budget”.
‘Unfathomable’
Earlier, speaking during the debate Taoiseach Leo
Varadkar said the Budget was about shielding citizens
“as best we can” from the worst of a no deal Brexit.

The would be funding of over €1 billion to prepare for no

deal, he said.
He took potshots at the Opposition and said the Green
party made only one mention of Brexit in its recent
Budget submission and said that the party’s attention to
the climate crisis is “admirable but ignoring the one that
might happen in three weeks is simply unfathomable”.
And hitting out at Sinn Féin he said their budget
submission “resembles an ostrich - only the body is
visible because the head is buried beneath the sand”.
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin said Brexit
represented a threat to hard-won economic, social,
political and cultural progress.
They could not carry on with politics as usual and
needed to be “focused on meeting the most urgent
challenges”, on speaking with a clear voice, and helping
businesses and communities.
He too took potshots at political opponents, criticising
the Taoiseach who wants to be able to claim he “got
Ireland through Brexit. This ignores the reality that
Ireland will be nowhere near through Brexit anytime
soon.”
Mr Martin also said the Government had “sheer neck” in
“solemnly announcing to the nations of the world that
Ireland will stop drilling for oil without mentioning that
we’ve failed to find any after nearly fifty years of trying”.
Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald said there was a
lack of vision, ambition and belief in the Budget.
She said Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe “has
used Brexit as an excuse to deliver more of the same.
“The Minister says it is a budget for stability as Brexit
looms, but the truth is that this is a budget that protects
banks, insurance companies and landlords.”
And it “puts workers and families on the front line to
take the heavy blows should a crash Brexit transpire.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/youse-just-really-don-t-give-a-f-td-
tells-government-in-dáil-1.4045235

Regina Doherty latest to be
connected to Dáil voting
controversy
Tuesday, October 22, 2019
Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty is the latest minister to be subject to
scrutiny about voting in the Dáil.
Video footage from a debate on the Residential Tenancies Bill 2018
Order for Report on 8 May 2019, shows the minister not in her seat
when the formal vote was called, but her vote button was pressed and
her vote was recorded.

The footage shows that Ministers Michael Creed, Michael Ring, Simon
Harris and junior Defence Minister Paul Kehoe were the only ones
present in the front row but in total five votes were cast on amendment
13 to the bill proposed by Labour's Jan O'Sullivan.

In response to queries from the Irish Examiner, Ms Doherty's

spokesman has said she was in the chamber on the evening in
question.

She was talking to Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe and was at the
back of the chamber during a previous amendment to the bill.
"She has never and never would ask anyone to vote for her when she
was not in the chamber and would not condone such behaviour," her
spokesman said.

At a meeting of Fine Gael ministers, it was proposed that they would

request statements to be made by Fianna Fáil TDs Lisa Chambers, Niall
Collins and Timmy Dooley.

Both Labour and Sinn Féin have called on TDs Timmy Dooley and Niall
Collins to make statements today on their roles in the Dáil voting
controversy.

Labour leader Brendan Howlin and Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou
McDonald both said the two TDs must outline all the facts around the
scandal in the Dáil.

Ms McDonald went further and also called for some sort of sanctions
for any TDs who had voted for others who may have been outside the
chamber.

Mr Howlin said: "Votes recorded in the Dáil must be of members

present and voting. And it is a fraud, quite frankly, for people to be
outside of the chamber and having their vote recorded, that done is not
the spirit of the standing order.

That is not the way any parliament can function. And that certainly has to have
consequences for people who do that.
Mr Howlin said he had never voted on another deputy's behalf while
they were outside the chamber or asked someone to do so for him.

Ms McDonald said the same. The Sinn Féin leader added: "Inside the
chamber there has been a practice of people moving chairs are hitting
buttons for each other. And I think that should stop.

I mean, to be frank, I think people should just sit in their own chair and try and
hit the right button.
"It's really not good enough, that people who are who are not inside
the chamber would have votes cast on their behalf.

"I don't know if there's a sanction for it. But I know this, it is a very
serious situation.

"Bunreacht na hÉireann goes to some lengths to describe the members

must be present and voting are standing orders echo that.

"And yes, we have, we have found one situation where multiple votes
were cast on behalf of a deputy who was not present, and that raises
the obvious question.

"Was this a one off? Is this a pattern of behavior? And then that raises
questions around the results of votes."

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl will convene a meeting of the

business committee at lunchtime today to update it of his investigation
before making a short statement to the Dáil before the start of Leaders'
Questions. It is understood Mr Ó Fearghaíl's investigation has
concentrated solely on events of last Thursday but will be expanded if
deemed required.

It is believed the suspension of electronic voting is one of the options

to be considered.

Sources have said that part of the investigation is to focus on why the
vote tellers - during last Thursday's eight votes – did not properly tally
the votes with the numbers of persons present in the chamber

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/regina-doherty-latest-
to-be-named-in-dail-voting-controversy-
958893.html?fbclid=IwAR3u1JZS5yZfun7b1u7xMfzhSTuNBG6Gv_5As2Lr6ZgKLz
1lcZuxqleoa2E#.Xa7is3FKtw0.facebook

Scandal over Dáil voting deepens as more

TDs become embroiled in controversy
Tuesday, October 22, 2019 -
Minister of state Damien English and Fianna Fáil’s Barry Cowen are the
latest politicians to be dragged into the ‘phantom voting’ controversy.

Both have insisted they never asked anyone to vote for them when not
present in the Dáil after video footage from recent weeks showed both
absent on occasions when their vote button was pressed.

Their comments come after several ministers were among a host of

politicians who admitted yesterday to pressing buttons on behalf of
others or asking others to vote for them when in the chamber.

Other deputies have also said they may have pressed a colleague’s
voting button but only when they were actually in the chamber.

Ceann comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl will convene a meeting of the

business committee today to update it of his investigation before
making a short statement to the Dáil before the start of Leaders’
Questions.

Electronic voting looks set to be suspended in the Dáil after

widespread abuse of voting procedures in the chamber until a formal
investigation is concluded.

It is understood that Mr Ó Fearghaíl’s investigation has concentrated

solely on events of last Thursday but will be expanded if deemed
required. Sources have said that part of the investigation is to focus on
why the vote tellers during last Thursday’s eight votes did not tally the
votes with the numbers of persons in the chamber.

Speaking to the Irish Examiner, Mr English confirmed that he was at the

back of the chamber on Wednesday, May 15, when his button was
pressed in seat C-03 in the Dáil chamber during a vote on the
Greyhound Bill, but he was not in his seat.
Damien English

The junior housing minister said he was at the back of the

chamber and, as has often been the case, he “asked down
for my button to be pressed”.
“My diary has me voting in the Dáil, so that means I was in
the Dáil. I have never asked anyone to vote for me when I
was not present,” he told this newspaper.
In a statement, Mr Cowen said similar for September 26,
when two votes were cast in his assigned seat, A-15, but he
was not sitting in that seat but was still in the chamber.
He told the Irish Examiner: “I have never asked a colleague
to vote for me when I was not in the chamber.

As has been confirmed in the last few days, there is a known

practice of members who are in the House asking
colleagues to press the voting button if they are away from
their seats in other parts of the chamber. There are at least
four entrances to the chamber that are used frequently by
all members of the house.
Barry Cowen
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has demanded a full investigation
into TDs “illegally” voting for colleagues while they are physically
outside the Dáil claiming some votes could be cast while politicians are
out on “a skite”.

Mr Flanagan revealed that he wrote to the ceann comhairle over the

weekend seeking the investigation as he suggested a wider review of
all TDs and not just those caught up in the current furore is needed.

“I’m very concerned about voting patterns which were revealed at the
weekend, in reference to voting patterns of last week,” said Mr
Flanagan, who also admitted that a wider review of all TDs may open a
“can of worms” for his own party as much as Fianna Fáil.

However, he added: “That’s a matter for themselves [his party

colleagues]. I think the issue is the illegal nature and the unlawful act
of proxy voting which is a really serious misdemeanour in our
parliamentary system.”

Fianna Fáil’s Brexit spokeswoman, Lisa Chambers, escaped sanction

after her party leader, Micheál Martin, accepted her explanation that
she made an honest mistake. A party spokesman said that Mr Martin
was not going to remove her from the front bench as he did with
Timmy Dooley and Niall Collins, the first TDs to be caught up in the
scandal.

Ms Chambers said she did not inform the tellers after she mistakenly
voted in her colleague Dara Calleary’s seat and denied ever doing that
in a radio interview on Sunday.

As it was put to me yesterday - the Maria Bailey fiasco was such a Fine
Gael type of scandal, while the 'Vote-gate' row is a classic Fianna Fáil
one.

For decades, Fine Gaelers were always seen as the class prefects, the
best turned out and representatives of the elite in legal, business and
government circles

Fianna Fáil, on the other hand, was the party of the bold boys, the men
who used to stand at the back of mass smoking, the cute hoors who
played fast and loose when it came to rules and obligations.

That is why, the video footage of Fianna Fáil TDs Timmy Dooley and
Niall Collins discussing the vote in the Dail last Thursday was so typical
of Fianna Fáil of old. Collins voted six times for Dooley while he was
absent from the chamber during the weekly divisions.

The quick request of Dooley as he exited the chamber, met by the casual half
nod to the affirmative from Collins, encapsulated how too easy it was.
The reports have opened up a hornets' nest of how votes in the Dáil are carried
out. The day began with Fianna Fail's Brexit spokeswoman, Lisa Chambers,
having to explain why she voted incorrectly in her constituency colleague Dara
Calleary's seat but didn't tell anyone about it, and incorrectly stated she had
never done anything like that on national radio.
Then we have had a plethora of admissions from ministers
and TDs alike that they too have pressed the vote button for
other people from time to time. Communications Minister
Richard Bruton said TDs casting ballots for each other was
“common practice”.
While saying a fellow TD has never voted for him when he
wasn’t in the chamber, the Minister said:
If I was sitting in someone else’s chair ... and someone was
sitting ... you know, I’d just say press my button, I’m here.
That has become common practice. But what has gone
wrong here is that people not in the chamber at all voted.

His colleague, Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan made a

similar admission but said he had written to Ceann
Comhairle Sean O Fearghail over what he has described as
the “illegal act” of one Fianna Fáil frontbencher voting for a
colleague absent from the Dáil.
The controversy over the absent votes means any law
passed on the basis of a “fraudulent vote” will now be
subject to challenge, the Minister of Justice said.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan

While the two TDs have been temporarily stood down from
the party’s frontbench at the behest of their leader Micheál
Martin, all eyes now turn to the outcome of the
investigation into alleged voting irregularities by the Ceann
Comhairle.
While Martin has shown considerable bravery by insisting
the two men step down, he had little option. He also must
be pulling his hair out.
At a time when his party was gaining momentum and
looking ahead with some anticipation to the by-elections in
November and/or the General Election, this episode has
killed such progress.
Fine Gael has sought to make hay and its strategy is clear –
attack Fianna Fáil's competence on all fronts in a bid to
shore up its own position. When Fianna Fáil is gifting Fine
Gael such easy wins, that job becomes all the easier.


https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/scandal-over-dail-
voting-deepens-as-more-tds-become-embroiled-in-controversy-958824.html

Monday, October 21, 2019

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan has insisted a full investigation into

the "illegal act" of TDs voting for colleagues while they are physically
absent is needed - claiming some votes could be cast while TDs are out
on "a skite".

Mr Flanagan confirmed he wrote to Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl

over the weekend seeking the investigation as he suggested a wider
review of all TDs - and not just those caught up in the current furore -
is needed.

On Saturday, it emerged Fianna Fáil TD Niall Collins voted six times for
party colleague Timmy Dooley while Mr Dooley was absent from the
chamber during weekly votes on Thursday.

Both Mr Collins and Mr Dooley have since been suspended from the
party frontbench by Fianna Fáil leader Micheal Martin, pending an
investigation by Mr Ó Fearghaíl into what happened.

This morning, it emerged that Fianna Fáil TD Lisa Chambers had also
voted on behalf of colleague Dara Calleary while Mr Calleary was in the
chamber.

Mr Flanagan confirmed he has voted on behalf of some colleagues in

this second circumstance as well, but said this is allowed for under Dáil
rules if someone is physically in the chamber when it is locked for
votes.

This means the issue affecting Ms Chambers and Mr Flanagan is

different to that facing Mr Collins and Mr Dooley.

At a Halloween fireworks safety event in Dublin, Mr Flanagan said in

light of the weekend revelations he has written to Mr Ó Fearghaíl
seeking a full investigation into what happened.

"I would [like to see a tightening of Dáil regulations]," he said. "I'm very
concerned about voting patterns which were revealed at the weekend, in
particular reference to voting patterns of last week.
I believe it's important therefore that there be an independent
assessment under the auspices of the Ceann Comhairle of the Dáil.

"He's the protector of members interests, the guardian of the rules and
standing orders, and I believe it's important that investigation can get
underway and that report be published at the earliest opportunity.

"I was in touch with the Ceann Comhairle at the weekend, he indicated
to me in writing that he is having an investigation and that he will be
prepared to publish that report at an early date."

Asked if an investigation into all TDs should take place, Mr Flanagan

said "Well I haven't seen the terms of reference of the Ceann
Comhairle's review, but he indicated to me he is going to conduct an
investigation, I would be very happy to talk to him about that.

"As a former chief whip myself I believe it's important the practice and
procedure of the house in terms of voting that only those votes are
counted. That goes to the essence of the constitutional requirement of
Dáil Éireann."

Asked if all TDs should clarify if they ever voted for a colleague, and
what the circumstances of the situation involved, Mr Flanagan said:
"that would take its course in the context of the Ceann Comhairle's
examination".

Pushed on the issue, he said: "I'm sure they will do in due course having
regard for the seriousness of the situation."

Mr Flanagan said there is no reason for him to apologise for voting for
another TD who was physically in the Dáil chamber at the time, saying:
"No, it's not a question of jumping around seats, there are occasions
when people are sitting in the Taoiseach's seat.

"If it takes a moment or two to get across to their own seat, in

circumstances like that the issue is ensuring that when the vote is
called and taking place that everybody who is entitled to vote are
sitting firmly in their own seats and not anywhere else."

Mr Flanagan said when asked if a wider review of all TDs may open a
can of worms for his own party as much as Fianna Fáil that "that's a
matter for themselves [his party colleagues]… I think the issue is the
illegal nature and the unlawful act of proxy voting which is a really
serious misdemeanour in our parliamentary system".

He added when asked if a number of laws may be affected: "Well we're

in a minority government situation, we've had some tight votes, I've
had a number of tight votes myself in the justice department, where an
amendment may be carried by one vote or by the casting vote of a
Ceann Comhairle.

"And it's absolutely essential therefore that there be an examination of

voting practices to ensure any votes are done so by those in the
chamber and not by anybody who may be off on a skite."

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/jus
tice-minister-calls-for-full-investigation-into-illegal-act-
of-tds-voting-for-absent-colleagues-958704.htmlspaper
Archive

Dáil voting controversy
Fianna Fáil's Brexit spokesperson, Lisa Chambers, will not face any sanction from her
party after she voted twice on the same motion during a Dáil session last week |
https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/1167758056751701/

TD’s in the Dial illegal Voting fraud controversy on absent Questions in the Dáil | Latest
politics headlines October 21st 2019

This is a very serious situation which requires urgent action’ - Ceann Comhairle begins with a
statement on the voting controversy
Vote Gate is subject to complaint under Ethics in Public Office Act, says Ceann Comhaire. He
adds that TDs must be seated to vote from now on. Procedures Committee will meet on
Thursday and consider report on controversy.

https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/425425154827247/?epa=SEARCH
_BOX

TDs must be in designated

seats for Dáil votes to take
place for time being, Ceann
Comhairle says
Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl addressed the Dáil on the matter
before Leaders’ Questions today.
October 23, 19

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl

Image: Leah Farrell via RollingNews.ie
THE CEANN COMHAIRLE has said that for the time being
Dáil votes will only be taken when all members are seated in
their designated seats.
It emerged over the weekend that Niall Collins voted for
fellow Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley six times in one
session while Dooley was outside the chamber on a phone
call.
It wasn’t the only incident to emerge in recent days – a
number of TDs have come forward in the last two days to
say that another TD voted for them while they were in the
chamber. Fianna Fáil’s Brexit spokesperson Lisa Chambers
yesterday admitted she mistakenly voted for deputy leader
Dara Calleary last week.
Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl ordered a report into the
Dooley and Collins incident on Saturday. Fianna Fáil
leader Micheál Martin has asked the Dooley and Collins to
temporarily step down from their positions on the party’s
frontbench after the incident was reported.
It is understood the party leader has today also spoken to
Chambers and has accepted her explanation of events. She
will not face any sanction.
When contacted by TheJournal.ie, Dooley said he was not
going to make any comment on the issue until the Ceann
Comhairle finishes his report. Calls to Niall Collins to
request comment on the events were not returned.

Addressing the chamber before Leaders’ Questions in the

Dáil today, Ó Fearghaíl said he is “absolutely committed to
establishing the facts and making any changes to the
electronic voting system that are deemed necessary
following the review”.
“Any recommendations to changes to the system that
emerge from the review will be given immediate attention,”
Ó Fearghaíl said.
In the meantime, any votes this week shall only be taken
when all members are seated in their designated seats.
A Committee on Procedure meeting will be convened on
Thursday morning to consider the completed report, he
noted.
Ó Fearghaíl added that provision will be made, if necessary,
on Thursday for a debate on the matter.
‘That would be a crime’
If an ordinary citizen voted twice, for example, and voted for somebody else as well as
themselves, that would be a crime.

To vote for somebody else, that’s impersonation, or to vote twice that is a crime. It certainly
would be no defence to say that it didn’t matter because the person who won won by a big
margin anyway.
Jesus wept they ALREADY HAVE designated seats. Otherwise how could you know you
were sitting in someone else's seat as has been claimed. They really do believe we are
fucking stupid

The issue was also raised during Leaders’ Questions today

when Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald asked Taoiseach
Leo Varadkar.
McDonald said the behaviour of Fianna Fáil TDs has
“discredited” the Dáil, adding that last week’s incident
demonstrates an “absolute disrespect for those who elected
you and those you represent”.

RELATED READS
21.10.19
Martin accepts Chambers' explanation of voting for TD
who was outside Dáil chamber
19.10.19
Ceann Comhairle orders 'urgent' probe after FF TD's Dáil
votes recorded despite him being absent
“Beyond the investigation being taken up ably by
the Ceann Comhairle, how are we to establish whether or
not this practice is, and has been, in fact, widespread and
how will we deal with the consequences of that?” McDonald
asked Varadkar.
In response, Varadkar said “the integrity of the voting
process is integral to our democracy”.
He continued:
If an ordinary citizen voted twice, for example, and voted for
somebody else as well as themselves, that would be a crime.
To vote for somebody else, that’s impersonation, or to vote
twice that is a crime. It certainly would be no defence to say
that it didn’t matter because the person who won won by a
big margin anyway.
Varadkar said “we must apply to people in this House the
same standards as we would apply to ordinary citizens going
out to vote on voting day, on election day or on referendum
day”.
The Taoiseach went on to say he believes there is “a world of
a difference” between being in the chamber but not being in
your seat and not being in the chamber at all.
“In order to allay any concerns or confusion, I think we
should all now be in our seats for all votes from now on.”
Varadkar said “we must apply to people in this House the same standards as we
would apply to ordinary citizens going out to vote on voting day, on election day
or on referendum day”.

The Taoiseach went on to say he believes there is “a world of a difference”

between being in the chamber but not being in your seat and not being in the
chamber at all.

“In order to allay any concerns or confusion, I think we should all now be in our
seats for all votes from now on.”
Pardon my ignorance here but I don’t get this ‘world of difference between
being in the chamber and not in your seat, and not being in the chamber at
all’. Either you pushed your button and voted yourself or somebody else
pushed your button and you did not vote yourself.
Now we know why Bertie’s voting machines were ditched. TD’s believed that
the general population would behave as they do. You really couldn’t make
this up.
Is it not the Ceann Comhairle’s job to make sure the Members stick to the
Rules? Did he turn a blind eye, or is he asleep at the wheel too
Did Mary Lou have anything to say about her own crowd pressing the button
when not in their seat.

Nothing will happen, 1,000 Euro fine and banned from the chamber, then you
might get their attention, however nothing will happen as usual

https://www.thejournal.ie/ceann-comhairle-votegate-tds-4862382-
Oct2019/?fbclid=IwAR0zdcUppDgUBVC19u5RlLbWxympuLwDtJDBWyLFe32bu
5v-HpY1ZOdaiUc
Imagine how many times this legislation was abused...
I very much doubt Shane Ross is the first or the last...
They didn’t go to all the trouble of writing, debating and passing this legislation just for
Shane bloody Ross to hide his activities that the public are entitled to know behind this
legislation as “private papers”.
I hope you can appreciate and understand just how damaging to an open and transparent
democracy this development represents..



State apology for CervicalCheck failures October 21 2019
st

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has apologised to the women and their loved ones who suffered
from what he said were 'a litany of failures' in how cervical screening in our country operated
over many years

https://www.facebook.com/rtenews/videos/488830681973858/?epa=SEARCH
_BOX

Ryan Tubridy says Toy Show should remind people

'how fortunate they are to have a roof over their
heads'
Elitist scumbag
Should be a complete rehash of the show to show solidarity with the
current crisis, no adults, all children in the audience and taking part,
and a cross section from all parts of the country, different nationalities
etc, its a toy show so we don't need the awful staged singing and
dancing, and instead of people wasting money knitting stupid jumpers
for him, make donations instead
3
Hide or report this
Like
 · 28m · Edited

IS THAT THE BEST YOU CAN DO RYAN TELL PEOPLE HOW LUCKY
THEY ARE WITH ALL THE POWER YOU HAVE WITH THE LATE LATE
SHOW YOU COULD REALLY CHANGE THINGS ,IF YOU HAVE THE
WILL

HE MAKES MILLIONS HE CAN HELP

All children on this show should be from the homeless community!

https://extra.ie/…/irish-news/ryan-tubridy-conscious-homele…

EXTRA.IE

Renters, mortgage holders, asylum seekers stuck in direct provision, hidden homeless,
students, Travellers in overcrowded halting sites, people on the social housing list,
people who've refused homeless services, people who are waiting for affordable housing,
single people, single parent families....
Our housing and accommodation needs cannot be ignored if we present them united.
The FG-FF government rub their hands in glee when they see honest and motivating
groups like this containing people who attempt to deflect the anger away from the government
and onto minorities.
Other people suffering are not the problem. The problem is Airbnb and other short term tenancy
arrangements , a reliance on the private rental market, evictions, the failure to build public housing
and the vast amount of houses lying empty across the state that take ages to turn around because
local authorities keep outsourcing the retrofit work to private contractors.
Stick to a message of unity of demands and those who are inadvertently doing the government's
work for them by being discriminatory will fall away.
Back in those times ash we went home to a warm bed and ours didnt have that worrie its disgraceful
everybody deserves a home and when your actully putting yourself out there and there laughing at you
does have ye fuming they would happily make you cry quicker then letting you down gently and i just
think now as it stands its just not acceptable our kids are goimg grow up in to this mess and where will
there mental health be when there older who will be left with the guilt and the blaim us when the
system is failing us and its resulting on them its not fair i dont want my kids growing up and
remebering back to a time we wore × homeless × its sicking thanks ash well all do this togather please
god cause ill die trying

My poem Called
I’m Homeless all Alone
By Rita Cahill
Oct 2019
its about the Homeless i hope you all like it
We Walk The streets with our Head's Bowed Down
we are The Homeless with no where to Go. And life gets us down,
We Try to get by Day to Day
but the light in our eyes is fading away.
We were once young and so full of Life.
And the only thing we wanted was to have a Good life
But our Dreams have turned upside Down
where once we had Sunshine
But now only rain
.As we lie on the streets and Feel so Alone and in pain .
We pray in Silence that This feeling will Go Away.
So we get up in the morning and try to make it through the Day
But that fear of loneliness will not go away..
we sit in silence and watch people pass By
A Silent tear will fall from my eye,
We try to think of the Good times instead of the Bad,
we hope to god one Day the pain and loneliness will Go away
My Hopes and Dreams just Scathered around,
Wondering around for hours in the town,
The Happy Ending to get that home we never had,
I Walk for hours and bleed my feet, every Day

Oil and gas firms assured

they can keep on drilling
1
Minister Seán Canney said a secure gas supply is a priority.
Picture: Maxwells

October 30th 19
A senior official has assured fossil fuel industry bosses they can keep exploring
for gas, telling them Ireland is "under-explored" and needs "several more
Corribs to be discovered".

The assurances were given at a conference hosted by the oil and gas industry
with the backing of the Department of Communications, Climate Action and
the Environment.

Minister for Natural Resources Seán Canney told the 300 delegates a secure
gas supply was "a priority" for the department.

He referenced the announcement by Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the United

Nations last month that Ireland was going to phase out oil and gas exploration
and said he would produce policy principles within days to clarify what that
meant for both the holders of existing oil and gas exploration licences and
future applicants.

But he said he recognised the important investments the industry had made in
Ireland, and he stressed: "Clearly gas remains an important transition fuel.

"There remains an imperative for secure supply of natural gas to the State to
support our industries, to heat our homes and to support our way of life," he
said.

He was followed by the head of the technical team in the Department's

Petroleum Affairs Division (PAD), Clare Morgan, who evaluates licence
applications, and who said Ireland was "falling short in terms of drilling"
compared to our European neighbours.

"It's a bit of a sad picture in terms of the density of well drilling in recent
years," she said. "We need several more Corribs to be discovered."

Ms Morgan said the PAD had put a lot of emphasis over the last year in
promoting its work at national events, including the Young Scientists
competition and in universities.

"We're targeting a younger generation. We're trying to inform them about the
benefits of exploration," she said.

She referred to the Taoiseach's remarks to the UN as the "elephant in the

room" before adding: "There is still an appetite for exploration.

"I hope you have abundant gas deposits out there," she told the delegates.

Under the Government's Climate Action Plan, Ireland is meant to be carbon

neutral by 2050 which will require the phase-out of fossil fuels but the Climate
Action Advisory Council has said gas could be used as a transition fuel.

It said, however, that gas use should be accompanied by carbon capture

technologies and kept under review.

Asked afterwards how the speeches were compatible with the aims of carbon
neutrality, Climate Action Minister Richard Bruton referred to the advisory
council's backing of continued gas use.

Minister Canney said the policy principles to be produced shortly would

address the question of how long the transition period would be.

I hope you have abundant gas deposits out there"...

"You" being the corporations who privatise Irish natural resources, not "You", the Irish
people.

This, from the technical head of the Irish Petroleum Affairs Division - a government departmental
body. Just in case you were wondering whom the Irish government serves.

https://www.independent.ie/news/environment/oil-and-gas-firms-assured-
they-can-keep-on-drilling-38644526.html?fbclid=IwAR1M2L508qveXwXrN-
U9CINgtwc5YR_gqSixpdXsDQXzi7o8SsS3y7qQvL8

Doherty urged to explain

spending on 'facial
matching software'

Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy called for clarity.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

clarity.
Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty has been urged to explain
why money is being spent on public service card "facial matching
software" despite repeated assurances the Government has no plans to
use the tool.
Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy called for the clarity after
the first figures in two years for the system found the cost of the
project to date has now hit €67.8m.

In a letter to the Dáil's public accounts committee, the Department of

Social Protection's secretary-general John McKeon said the State has to
date spent €67.8m on the SAFE identity authentication and public
service card plans.

The letter confirmed the public service card price tag has increased by
€8m since early 2017, with the total cost including €294,000 on "facial
matching software and maintenance" among other matters.

Raising the issue - and the ongoing row between the Government and
the Data Protection Commisioner over the cards - Social Democrats co-
leader Catherine Murphy said the costs raise further questions.

Noting the money involved, she said the Department and Minister
Doherty must now give the full price tag of the "lifespan" of the project,
and that clarity is now needed on the money spent on "facial matching"
software.

"Can you ask them about the lifespan of the card and what the
potential cost is?" Ms Murphy asked PAC chair and Fianna Fáil TD Sean
Fleming.

We don't have biometrics according to the department, but we have

facial matching software and biometrics costs," she said, adding the
€294,000 cost should be clarified.

The issue was raised during a PAC meeting which also heard calls for
the chief officer of public procurement, Paul Quinn, to launch a
widescale review of all Government departments and groups amid a
series of tender rule breaches concerns.
Highlighting a letter from child protection agency, Tusla, which noted a
number of tender rules issues affecting the organisation, Mr Fleming
said he wants any potential wider problems to be identified.

"It is time for the office of public procurement to do it because if

they're only in the business of sending out circulars then it's time for
them to step up to the mark," Mr Fleming said.

At a later stage of the meeting, Fianna Fáil TD Marc Mac Sharry asked
for Mr Quinn - who the Irish Examiner revealed this week has stepped
down from a key children's hospital board - to personally appear,
saying: "I think he can certainly add ... value."

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty has been urged to explain why money is being
spent on public service card "facial matching software" despite repeated assurances the
Government has no plans to use the tool.
Social Democrats co-leader Catherine Murphy called for the clarity after the first figures in
two years for the system found the cost of the project to date has now hit €67.8m.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/doherty-urged-to-explain-spending-
on-facial-matching-software-
959525.html?fbclid=IwAR34dAnCF1ZCUa0u7eadwY4VdAIcK5RMfNmx4bseP0uws3oyh
MgN1GN96aU#.XbKuZ9DoOcg.facebook

Gardaí using PSC for vetting

forms despite law
Friday, October 25, 2019
An Garda Síochána has been including the public services card (PSC) as
an identification option on Garda vetting forms used by businesses
across the country, in apparent violation of social welfare law.

As part of the vetting process, mandated by legislation enacted

between 2012 and 2016, gardaí register affected organisations as
requiring successful vetting for staff before they can commence
employment.

Vetting is required for any employees who may be working with either
children or vulnerable adults.

On foot of this, the relevant organisation requires applicants to fill out

vetting forms. But before that can happen the prospective employee is
expected to verify their identity to the satisfaction of the gardaí.

This is carried out via a points system, with 100 points required to
reach the relevant threshold, which in practice requires a form of
identification and an acceptable verification of address. The PSC
represents the joint most valuable form of identification per the live
vetting forms, at 80 points, along with a driving licence.

However, the list of specified bodies under legislation which can

request a PSC in exchange for a service is restricted to State and quasi-
State institutions. Childcare or youth coaching organisations, two of the
largest cohorts for which Garda vetting is required, are not present on
the list.

Under the Social Welfare Consolidation Act 2005, any enterprise

seeking to request the card as a form of identification which is not on a
list of specified bodies is committing an offence, with a penalty upon
indictment of €13,000 or three years in prison, or both.

Both An Garda Síochána and the Department of Social Protection were

contacted by the Irish Examiner to ask if they were aware of the
apparent legislative breach, and whether or not Garda vetting forms
would be altered. No response had been received from either party at
the time of publication.

“The reassurances given by Government that the uses of the card can
be effectively curtailed are hard to give credence to when it’s blatantly
being used as an ID and the gardaí are not supposed to be able to ask
for it,” said Antoin Ó Lachtnain, director with Digital Rights Ireland.

Last week, mobile phone carrier GoMo pulled the PSC as an

identification option on its website after concerns were raised with the
Department of Social Protection.

Mr Ó Lachtnain said he considers the issue of Garda vetting “more

egregious” than that of GoMo as “this is the Garda”.

“GoMo have the excuse of simply not knowing any better, but you
would expect An Garda Síochána to know what the rules are,” he said.
“There has to be a strategy for this kind of thing, with a carefully
considered solution, and the PSC is not that solution.”

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/gardai-using-psc-for-vetting-forms-
despite-law-959754.html
With Fianna Fail in disarray over VoteGate, the Blueshirts and
Varadkar can win the upcoming General Election - if enough of
you keyboard warriors just keep moaning and don't bother voting.
Fine Gael's own loyal support base of around 25% can get them
back into power. All they need is a low turnout on voting day and
Varadkar will be Taoiseach until 2025. Just think of the damage
they can inflict on the people of this country in 5 years, the billions
more that they will waste, the tens of thousands who won't be
housed, the unfortunate sick people who will die because of
Simon Harris. Water charges of course will be introduced straight
away, pensions will be cut and workers will be crucified with huge
Carbon Tax deductions from wages. Our young people will be
sent to fight endless wars on behalf of the EU's PESCO army -
and many will come home in body bags. But some people will be
very happy - Denis O'Brien will get plenty of juicy state contracts,
the Vulture Funds and the bankers will rake in billions and pay
little or no tax. That's Fine Gael's way you see. They are a party of
the rich, for the rich.
So don't vote, stay at home on election day and keep these elite
gangsters happy and wealthy.
The issue is we've no credible alternative to ff/fg. I want to vote , I go to the polling station hoping to
vote but when I get there no ones name on the ballot paper is worth voting for, they won't bring enough
changes . Also I live in the consituency Dun Laoghaire Rathdown. 4 of our 7 TDs are Fine Gael , one is
independant , he's our current minister for transport Shane Ross, one green party and one solidarity
pepole before profit. A wise person once said if voting changes anythjng they would make it illegal
Fucking joke getting houses in Citywest ,
homes should be for the Irish , well deserving me arse
our own are dying on the streets
We will be like the UK in a few years. If we as a people don’t stop this madness. These people will be
a drain on the welfare system. While native Irish die in the streets. It is a shame on us letting theses
parasites in the Dail destroy our beautiful country let’s put the Irish poor and homeless first. Is there
anybody out there to organize a protest march against this because the Irish did not vote for this
migration madness.

TDs' wages jump to over
€96,000 after pay hike -
here's what the political
parties have said about it
so far
TDs have received a 1.75 per cent pay increase Stock picture

Anne-Marie Walsh
September 1 2019
TDs' wages have jumped to over €96,000 a year following
a pay rise over the weekend.
They will receive a 1.75 per cent pay increase that boosts
their wages by over €1,600 a year in their next pay check.
And their salaries are set to rise even closer to
the €100,000 mark next year.
Another increase that is also due under the Public Service
Stability Agreement will bring their €96, 89 wages up to
€98,113 on October 1 2020.

ARCHIVE VIDEO: 'I'm not delighted about it' -

We asked Irish people what they think of TDs
pay restoration

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A senator's salary rose to €68,111 due to the 1.75pc pay rise

that took effect today for all public servants under the
Public Service Stability Agreement.
TDs' pay rises under this wage deal because it is pegged at
the same level as principal officers in the civil service.
Their pay is now close to where it stood on the brink of the
economic crash in 2008 when it was €100,191, although
the Taoiseach's was far higher at €285,583.
The Taoiseach and ministers have voluntarily given up the
pay rises to the state - although their pensions will still be
based on their salaries with the increases.
Leo Varadkar's pay is €185,350 a year due to the decision
to waive the increases, but with the increases his gross
salary stands at €207,590 and is set to rise to €211,742
next year.
Most of the political parties said it was up to individual
members to decide whether to accept the pay rises.
However, People before Profit TDs will not personally
accept the increases, according to a party spokesperson.
"In line with our longstanding policy and pre-election
commitments none or our TDs will personally benefit
from this pay award but will continue to receive the
average industrial wage," he said.
He said the party would not return the money "to a Fine
Gael government" but will use it to support campaigning
activities and causes that "put people and planet before
profit".
A Sinn Féin spokesperson said it is a matter for individual
TDs and senators to decide whether to accept the pay
rises.
But he said they "are already well paid and we don't
believe this increase is justified".
"Those struggling on low pay in the public and private
sectors, need to be the priority when it comes to pay
restoration and pay increases", he said.
A Green Party spokesperson said its TDs will accept the
increase and Fianna Fáil said it does not have a party
policy on the issue so it is a matter for each individual to
decide.
A Department of Public Expenditure and Reform
spokesperson said it is a matter for individual TDs and
Senators as to whether or not to waive the increases.
She confirmed that waiving the increases has no impact on
the calculation of retirement benefits. "They are based on
the full salary rate in the normal way," she said.
"A government decision was made in 2016 that, on the
basis of personal waivers, members of the government and
minister of state would not benefit from the restoration of
benefits of the FEMPI Act 2015," she said.
"The Taoiseach, ministers and ministers of state will not
benefit from increases under the terms of the PSSA."
Although he is not accepting the pay rises, Tanaiste Simon
Coveney's gross pay is now €191,403 with yesterday's pay
rise and will increase to €195,231 next year.
Likewise, a minister's pay rose to €175,699 yesterday and
will hit €179,213 next year, while a minister of state's gross
pay will rise from €134,976 to €137,676 next year.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/tds-wages-jump-to-over-
96000-after-pay-hike-heres-what-the-political-parties-have-said-about-it-so-far-
38456577.html?fbclid=IwAR1B-
yP4iQxRpX_ptIOZeXicU3KCNdjvHDKaqHr8iPSIj49PNSWOaKGWzb8

Votegate TDs now face

pressure to hand over
phone records
FG says statements made by FF TDs
‘don’t stack up’
1
Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl. Photo: Tom Burke

Cormac McQuinn and Hugh O'Connell
October 25 2019

Votegate TDs Timmy Dooley and Niall Collins are coming under pressure to
provide phone records to a Dáil probe into the matter.

Fine Gael last night claimed the records should be examined as part of an
ethics investigation that is to start next week.

A Dáil committee is being convened during the Halloween break to examine

complaints against Mr Dooley, Mr Collins and other Fianna Fáil TDs caught
up in the scandal.

The two TDs along with Lisa Chambers and Barry Cowen have apologised for
their involvement in last week's bizarre Dáil session that sparked the
'phantom voting' saga.

They now face an agonising wait to learn if they will be punished for their
actions including possible suspension.

The Committee on Members Interests will meet next Wednesday to consider

separate ethics complaints - one by a member of the public and one by Fine
Gael TD Noel Rock. Legal advice is to be sought by the committee as it decides
how to proceed.

A probe carried out by the clerk of the Dáil, Peter Finnegan, makes no findings
against any of the TDs and does not recommend any sanctions.

Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó Fearghaíl told the Dáil that "due process" must be
followed and the committee must do its work first. Mr Ó Fearghaíl said that
after this, "if there are to be sanctions, it's for this House and this House alone
to decide".

The Votegate storm began after the Irish Independent revealed that Mr
Dooley's vote was recorded six times last week despite his absence. Mr Collins
later admitted he had pressed Mr Dooley's voting button in the mistaken
belief Mr Dooley was present at the back of the chamber.

Video footage shows the pair having a brief conversation before Mr Dooley
points to his seat and leaves the Dáil chamber. Mr Dooley told the Dáil clerk's
investigation he was telling Mr Collins: "I'll see you at the vote but I have to
make a call."

Mr Collins, meanwhile, is seen in the footage taking a quick phone call while
he was in the chamber voting for Mr Dooley. The Limerick TD told the Dáil
inquiry he couldn't recall who phoned him.
Mr Collins also said he couldn't explain why he stopped voting for Mr Dooley
in the series of eight votes, having pressed his colleague's voting button in the
first six.

Last night Fine Gael heaped pressure on both men saying their phone records
should be provided to the ethics inquiry.

"If the deputies involved want to prove their case it's an obvious way to do it,"
said party chairman Martin Heydon.

He claimed their statements "don't stack up".

Mr Collins and Mr Dooley did not respond to queries about whether they
would be willing to provide such records. Both TDs told the Dáil they would
co-operate with the committee examining the ethics complaints as they
apologised for what happened last week.

Ms Chambers apologised for recording Dara Calleary's vote while he was

absent and she "inadvertently" took his seat, casting her own vote as well, and
not correcting the record.

Mr Cowen apologised for "carelessness" in sitting in the wrong seat for last
week's voting session.

Party leader Micheál Martin said Mr Dooley and Mr Collins remain suspended
from the Fianna Fáil front bench. He said what happened was "wrong" but hit
out at Fine Gael and others for what he argued were partisan attacks on
Fianna Fáil.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/votegate-tds-now-face-
pressure-to-hand-over-phone-records-38629524.html

Votegate': Howlin recalls

how Dick Spring came
into Dáil on a stretcher to
vote
1
Labour leader Brendan Howlin. Photo: Frank McGrath
Kevin Doyle
October 24 2019

I remember Dick Spring being carried in on a stretcher to vote. In tight votes,

he was required to be present and physically brought into the chamber
because at the time he wasn’t allowed a pair," Mr Howlin said.

"I remember myself coming out of the chamber one evening and meeting
Martin Cullen who suffered terribly with his back.

"He was ashen with agony and I said to him ‘for God’s sake, you’re not
physically fit to be here’. But the Whips said he had to be there to vote.

"Up to this Dáil, votes were deadly serious matters and people took them
deadly seriously."

Mr Howlin blames confidence and supply for the current ‘Votegate’

controversy, saying the Government now regularly loses votes and nobody
pays attention.

He wants a system similar to the European Parliament introduced, whereby

TDs would be required to insert a card into the Dáil voting machine in order
to activate it.

"I remember the debate when electronic voting was being brought in.
Originally what I understood was going to happen was that we would all have
our own identity cards," Mr Howlin said.
"Originally the idea was that you would slot the card, as they do in the
European Parliament, into the voting machine and that would activate the
voting machine.

"The Whips got worried that TDs would turn up without their card and that
they would lose close votes. They were afraid that some TDs would simply not
be able to vote."

He said the machines are already equipped for login cards.

Also the ‘Floating Voter’, he discusses the latest developments on Brexit and
suggests the Labour Party will enter a coalition after the next election if they
have the numbers

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/the-floating-voter-
on-votegate-howlin-recalls-how-dick-spring-came-into-dil-on-a-
stretcher-to-vote-38628533.html

Votegate': Howlin recalls

how Dick Spring came
into Dáil on a stretcher to
vote
1
Labour leader Brendan Howlin. Photo: Frank McGrath

Kevin Doyle
October 24 2019

FORMER Tánaiste Dick Spring had to be brought into the Dáil on a stretcher
to vote after a serious road accident, Labour Party leader Brendan Howlin has
recalled.

The Wexford TD said up until the current Dáil, voting was seen as being of
"monumental importance" but it has now been "cheapened".

Speaking on Independent.ie’s ‘Floating Voter’ podcast, he referred to one

incident in the early 1980s when his predecessor as Labour Party leader
wasn’t allowed to miss a vote despite being seriously injured.

Mr Spring, a junior minister at the time, was a passenger in a garda-driven

car, which was involved in a fatal accident in Tipperary in December 1981.
"I remember Dick Spring being carried in on a stretcher to vote. In tight votes,
he was required to be present and physically brought into the chamber
because at the time he wasn’t allowed a pair," Mr Howlin said.

"I remember myself coming out of the chamber one evening and meeting
Martin Cullen who suffered terribly with his back.

"He was ashen with agony and I said to him ‘for God’s sake, you’re not
physically fit to be here’. But the Whips said he had to be there to vote.

"Up to this Dáil, votes were deadly serious matters and people took them
deadly seriously."
Mr Howlin blames confidence and supply for the current ‘Votegate’
controversy, saying the Government now regularly loses votes and nobody
pays attention.

He wants a system similar to the European Parliament introduced, whereby

TDs would be required to insert a card into the Dáil voting machine in order
to activate it.

"I remember the debate when electronic voting was being brought in.
Originally what I understood was going to happen was that we would all have
our own identity cards," Mr Howlin said.

"Originally the idea was that you would slot the card, as they do in the
European Parliament, into the voting machine and that would activate the
voting machine.

"The Whips got worried that TDs would turn up without their card and that
they would lose close votes. They were afraid that some TDs would simply not
be able to vote."

He said the machines are already equipped for login cards.

Also the ‘Floating Voter’, he discusses the latest developments on Brexit and
suggests the Labour Party will enter a coalition after the next election if they
have the numbers
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/the-floating-voter-on-votegate-howlin-recalls-how-dick-spring-
came-into-dil-on-a-stretcher-to-vote-38628533.html

Howlin recalls former

Tánaiste Spring going to
Dáil on stretcher to
ensure his vote counted
1
Car accident: Dick Spring had to be present in the Dáil when there
was a tight vote

Former Tánaiste Dick Spring had to be brought into the Dáil on a stretcher to
vote after a serious road accident, Brendan Howlin has recalled.

The Wexford TD said up until the current Dáil, voting was seen as being of
"monumentally importance" but it has now been "cheapened".

Speaking on Independent.ie's 'Floating Voter' podcast, he refers to one

incident in the early 1980s when his predecessor as Labour Party leader
wasn't allowed to miss a vote despite being seriously injured.

Mr Spring, a junior minister at the time, was a passenger in a garda-driven car

which was involved in a fatal accident in Tipperary in December 1981.

"I remember Dick Spring being carried in on a stretcher to vote. In tight votes,
he was required to be present and physically brought into the chamber
because at the time he wasn't allowed a pair," Mr Howlin says.

"I remember myself coming out of the chamber one evening and meeting
Martin Cullen who suffered terribly with his back.

"He was ashen with agony and I said to him, 'for God's sake, you're not
physically fit to be here'. But the whips said he had to be there to vote.
"Up to this Dáil, votes were deadly serious matters and people took them
deadly seriously."

Mr Howlin blames confidence and supply arrangement for the current

Votegate controversy, saying the Government now regularly loses votes and
nobody pays attention.

He wants a system similar to the European Parliament introduced, whereby

TDs would be required to insert a card into the Dáil voting machine in order
to activate it.

He said the machines are already equipped for log-in cards but parties
previously argued against them.

Also on the 'Floating Voter', he discusses the latest developments on Brexit

and suggests the Labour Party will enter a coalition after the next election if
they have the numbers.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/howlin-recalls-former-tnaiste-spring-going-to-dil-on-stretcher-to-
ensure-his-vote-counted-38629497.html

I had to catch a flight' -

FF's Billy Kelleher
defends missing migrant
search-and-rescue vote

2
Billy Kelleher. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins
Fianna Fáil MEP Billy Kelleher has said he would have
backed a proposal for the EU to step up search-and-rescue
operations for refugees in the Mediterranean - but he had
to catch a flight home.
The resolution was defeated by just two votes in the
European Parliament in Strasbourg on Thursday with all
four of Fine Gael’s MEPs voting it down. The party has
defended its decision claiming the resolution as worded
would have endangered more lives.
Mr Kelleher was not present and nor was another Irish
MEP, the independent Clare Daly. She was spotted
walking into Leinster House in Dublin on Thursday
evening.
Mr Kelleher, who was elected to the European Parliament
in May, said on Twitter that he "100% would have voted in
favour of this resolution".
However, he said that the voting block had been slow to
get underway and he had to leave at 12.45pm in order to
get a bus to Frankfurt in Germany where he then flew to
Dublin before travelling home to Cork.
Mr Kelleher wrote: "Yesterday, I voted on over 140
amendments and resolutions. Included in these were votes
in favour of many GUE/NGL amendments supporting
their position on refugees and migrants.
"However, voting was slow to start and as such I had to
leave at 12:45 in order to compete my 2.5 hour bus journey
to Frankfurt in order (sic) catch my flight back to Dublin
and then onto Cork."
Ms Daly did not respond to an immediate request for
comment on Friday.
Clare Daly speaking to the media (Niall Carson/PA)
Other Irish MEPs, including Green MEPs Ciarán Cuffe and Grace O'Sullivan,
Sinn Féin’s Matt Carthy, and Independents Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Mick
Wallace backed the resolution. Sinn Féin heavily criticised Fine Gael's
opposition to it.

The resolution called for EU member states to "enhance proactive search and
rescue operations by providing sufficient vessels and equipment specifically
dedicated to search and rescue operations and personnel, along the routes
where they can make an effective contribution to the preservation of lives" in
the Mediterranean.
The vote was held just a day after 39 Chinese nationals were found dead in a
lorry in Essex. It is believed they were smuggled into the UK.

Fine Gael MEP Maria Walsh defended her decision and that of her colleagues
Mairead McGuinness, Frances Fitzgerald and Sean Kelly to vote it down.

Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland she claimed an amendment to the

resolution would have seen emergency information shared to all vessels in the
Mediterranean. She warned this was dangerous as it would potentially tip off
human traffickers operating in the area.

"What we see in Essex is that we have an incredibly serious issue with human
trafficking that we need to solve but sharing information on the most
vulnerable is not the way to do it," she said.

"We need to get back to the drawing board and fast. This report was loose in
language. It was putting NGOs at risk."

Fine Gael MEP Mairead McGuinness was one of those who voted
against

Fine Gael MEPs have been criticised after they voted

against a resolution to step up search and rescue for
refugees in the Mediterranean.
The European Parliament rejected the vote asking
member states to step up efforts to save asylum seekers
making the perilous crossing on Thursday.
All of Fine Gael’s MEPs – Mairead McGuinness, Maria
Walsh, Frances Fitzgerald and Sean Kelly – voted against
the resolution, which lost by two.
Fellow Irish MEPs – Green Party members Ciaran Cuffe
and Grace O Sullivan, Sinn Fein’s Martina Anderson and
Matt Carthy, and Independents Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and
Mick Wallace – all voted for the resolution.
No votes were recorded for Independent Clare Daly, DUP
MEP Dianne Dodds, the Alliance Party’s Naomi Long or
Fianna Fail’s Billy Kelleher.
The resolution calls on the “EU Member States to enhance
proactive search and rescue operations by providing
sufficient vessels and equipment specifically dedicated to
search and rescue operations and personnel, along the
routes where they can make an effective contribution to
the preservation of lives”, and “to step up their efforts in
support of search and rescue operations in the
Mediterranean”.
Ms Anderson told the PA news agency that the European
Parliament failed to commit to protecting human life in
the Mediterranean.
“The motion fell by two votes, further adding to a damning
record of the EU on the deepening humanitarian crisis,”
she said
“It is a matter of deep shame that four Fine Gael MEPs
actively voted to maintain a ‘fortress Europe’ status quo
that has seen thousands of men, women and children
drown simply for seeking sanctuary.
“While Fine Gael wax lyrical about the ‘four freedoms’ of
the EU, including the freedom of movement, they are
ready to side with their right-wing EU colleagues to ensure
these values don’t extend to those fleeing destitution, war
and persecution.”
Ms O’Sullivan added: “The result of today’s vote is deeply
saddening to me.
“I don’t understand how MEPs could vote against an
amendment that was ultimately humanitarian in its intent
– supporting the rescue of drowning migrants in the
Mediterranean.
“It’s soul-destroying to me and I am gutted.
“This was a vote that was swayed by the far right, who
worked hard to kill the amendment and (unbelievably)
cheered when it was defeated.
“Unfortunately this vote also has likely implications for
those conducting rescue operations, which makes it
doubly sad.”

Grace O'Sullivan MEP

✔
@GraceOSllvn

Sad, sad day for me. An MEP vote around supporting the
rescue of drowning migrants in the Mediterranean has
been defeated.

How did the Irish MEPs vote?

Myself + Ciarán Cuffe voted for the motion...along

Anderson, Carthy, Flanagan and Wallace.

All 4 FINE GAEL voted AGAINST

2,420
3:40 PM - Oct 24, 2019
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940 people are talking about this

When challenged on her vote by one-time Green Party

European candidate Saoirse McHugh on Twitter, Maria
Walsh replied: “I am the first to shout the loudest for the
protection of our citizens, but this report wasn’t good
enough.
“It was a short-term bandaid, and I believe would have
cost lives.”
Speaking to PA, Ms Walsh said: “We need a coherent,
comprehensive and long-term EU response to Search and
Rescue in the Mediterranean.
“The resolution does the opposite by calling for Frontex,
the European Border and Coast Guard Agency, to share
intelligence about its operational activities with every boat
in the Mediterranean.
“That would endanger more lives by facilitating, instead of
dismantling, the business models of smugglers and human
traffickers. We could not support that,” Ms Walsh said,
acknowledging she was speaking on behalf of her fellow
Fine Gael MEPs.
“We can do so much better than the text which was voted
down by the Parliament, which plays into hands of people
smugglers and lacks workable solutions.”
There have been 1,078 recorded drownings in the
Mediterranean in 2019, according to the Missing Migrants
Project, which tracks the deaths of migrants, including
refugees and asylum seekers, who have gone missing along
mixed migration routes worldwide.
The vote was held just one day after 39 Chinese nationals
were found dead in a lorry in Essex, believed to have been
smuggled into the UK.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/i-had-to-catch-a-flight-ffs-
billy-kelleher-defends-missing-migrant-searchandrescue-vote-38630353.html














Private company paid €1.6
million in 4 months to find
emergency accommodation for
Illegal non EU asylum seekers
195 people are currently living in hotels and B&Bs in the Cavan-
Monaghan area.
Feb 13th 2019

Mosney Direct Provision Centre, Co Meath

Source: Asylum Archive
THE GOVERNMENT HAS paid over €1.6 million to a
private contractor to source emergency accommodation for
asylum seekers since September 2018.
Trenthall Ltd is contracted by the Department of Justice to
find accommodation in the Cavan-Monaghan area following
increased pressure on its Reception and Integration Agency
(RIA).
Separate to the 6,162 people living in Direct Provision
centres around Ireland, there are currently 195 people living
in hotels and B&Bs in the Cavan-Monaghan area, according
to RIA.
Since early January, a further 134 people have sought
international protection in Ireland and are now living in
emergency accommodation in Dublin, Louth and Waterford
following a tendering process for further emergency
accommodation by the department.
Due to the rise in the number of applicants for international
protection, “severe pressure” is being placed on RIA,
according to a department spokesperson.
To comply with the EU Reception Conditions directive, use
of emergency accommodation has been necessary for the
past number of months, they said.
Since September, Trenthall Ltd has sourced emergency
accommodation as part of its contract. The company has
also sourced accommodation for RIA in Dundalk since late
December and in Waterford since early January. The
company, in turn, pays hotels and B&Bs for providing food
and rooms.

‘Adequate provision’
Although the department has said that emergency
accommodation for asylum seekers is a temporary measure,
concerns have been raised about the length of time people
are spending in hotels and B&Bs and the level of service
provision.
Jennifer deWan of Nasc, the Migrant and Refugee Rights
Centre says that her organisation has raised the issue of “an
over-reliance on private contracts” to provide
accommodation for asylum seekers.
“It has become clear so far from how the emergency
accommodation is working that people who are being sent to
these emergency sites are not necessarily being supported
adequately,” deWan has said.
If RIA needs to use emergency accommodation then she
says it must “ensure that those going into that form of
accommodation are supported as much as possible” and that
they “aren’t left in an ‘emergency’ situation for long periods
of time”.
“We all know that the development of the direct provision
system was initially described as an ‘emergency’ or ‘interim’
measure in relation to high numbers of asylum seekers who
were experiencing homelessness in the late 1990s,” deWan
says. “We cannot let this happen again in the provision of
emergency accommodation.”
The 38 Direct Provision centres around Ireland
are currently at capacity. Although the department
continues to tender for more permanent centres, its tender
last month for additional emergency accommodation was
issued as a result of a fire at a hotel in Moville, Co Donegal
and a fire at the Shannon Key West Hotel in Roosky, Co
Leitrim. On Monday evening, a second fire broke out at the
Shannon Key West.
Both hotels were due to accommodate asylum seekers
arriving in Ireland.
A spokesperson for the department says that “it’s important
to note that the hotels in which these emergency beds are
provided are functioning businesses offering services to the
general public and are not RIA accommodation centre[s]“.
RIA has said that staff members are in “close and ongoing
contact” with service providers about service provision and
operational issues in emergency accommodation centres.
https://www.thejournal.ie/private-company-paid-e1-6-million-since-
september-to-source-emergency-accommodation-for-asylum-seekers-4481336-
Feb2019/?utm_source=story
Asylum seekers waiting for a decision on their application must be
provided with certain necessities that guarantee them an adequate
standard of living.
What is the Reception Conditions Directive?
The Reception Conditions Directive aims at ensuring better as well
as more harmonized standards of reception conditions throughout
the Union. It ensures that applicants have access to housing, food,
clothing, health care, education for minors and access to
employment under certain conditions.
The current Reception Conditions Directive was adopted in 2013.
It replaced Council Directive 2003/9/CE on minimum standards for
the reception of asylum seekers. The deadline for Member States
to transpose the Directive into national law was 20 July 2015.
In addition to the above mentioned provisions, the Directive also
provides particular attention to vulnerable persons, especially
unaccompanied minors and victims of torture. Member States
must, inter alia, conduct an individual assessment in order to
identify the special reception needs of vulnerable persons and to
ensure that vulnerable asylum seekers can access medical and
psychological support.
It also includes rules regarding detention of asylum seekers,
ensuring that their fundamental rights are fully respected.
Finally, access to employment for an asylum seeker must now be
granted within a maximum period of 9 months.
Towards a reform of the CEAS: the Asylum
Procedures Regulation proposal
The current Reception Conditions Directive still leaves a
considerable degree of discretion to define what constitutes an
adequate standard of living and how it should be achieved. Thus,
reception conditions continue to vary considerably between
Member States both in terms of how the reception system is
organized and in terms of the standard provided to asylum
seekers.
More recently, the European Agenda on Migration has further
underlined the importance of a clear system for the reception of
asylum seekers as part of a strong common European asylum
policy, while the migratory crisis has exposed the need to ensure
greater consistency in reception conditions across the EU and the
need to be better prepared to deal with large migration influxes.
In July 2016, the Commission presented a proposal
https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/what-we-
do/policies/european-agenda-migration/proposal-implementation-
package/docs/20160713/proposal_on_standards_for_the_receptio
n_of_applicants_for_international_protection_en.pdf

to revise the Reception Conditions Directive in order to further

harmonised reception conditions throughout the Union and to
reduce the incentives for secondary movement. The proposal also
aim at increasing applicants' self-reliance and possible integration
prospects by reducing the time-limit for access to the labour
market.
EASO guidance on reception conditions:
operational standards and indicators
In September 2016, the European Asylum Support Office (EASO)
released the EASO guidance on reception conditions: operational
standards and indicators.
https://www.easo.europa.eu/sites/default/files/EASO%20Guidance
%20on%20reception%20conditions%20-
%20operational%20standards%20and%20indicators%5B3%5D.pd
f

The guidance describes specific common standards which are

applicable to national reception systems across all EU Member
States and the indicators with which such standards should be
measured against. The standards included in the document reflect
already existing practice in EU Member States.
The guidance was drafted by EASO together with a working group
composed of EU Member States’ experts, as well as
representatives of other relevant stakeholders in the field of
reception and fundamental rights, including the European
Commission, the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
(FRA) and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR), while civil society's organizations were consulted prior
to the adoption by the Management Board.
The overall objective of the guidance is to support Member States
in the implementation of key provisions of the Reception
Conditions Directive while ensuring an adequate standard of living
for all applicants for international protection, including those with
special reception needs.
The document has been designed to serve multiple purposes:
at policy level, it serves as a tool to support reform or development
and serve as a framework for setting/further development of
reception standards;
at operational level, it can be used by reception
authorities/operators to support the planning/running of
reception facilities or to support staff training.
In addition, the guidance could serve as a basis for the
development of monitoring frameworks to assess the quality of
national reception systems.
Finally, it should be noted that the European Commission’s
proposal for a recast of the Reception Conditions Directive of 13
July 2016 specifically refers to these operational standards and
indicators.
https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/what-we-do/policies/asylum/reception-
conditions_en

Europe for Citizens is the EU’s programme for funding projects 2019

https://eacea.ec.europa.eu/sites/eacea-site/files/priorities_2019-2020_en_0.pdf

European Agenda on Migration system for the reception of asylum seekers in
European asylum policy,
https://ec.europa.eu/home-affairs/sites/homeaffairs/files/what-we-
do/policies/european-agenda-migration/proposal-implementation-
package/docs/20160713/proposal_on_standards_for_the_reception_of_applicant
s_for_international_protection_en.pdf




laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers

https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:32003L0009&from=EN


Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European
Parliament - Towards a common asylum procedure and a uniform status, valid
throughout the Union, for persons granted asylum 2000
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52000DC0755&from=EN


European Parliament on the application of Directive 2003/9/EC of 27 January
2003 laying down minimum standards for the reception of asylum seekers
https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-
content/EN/TXT/PDF/?uri=CELEX:52007DC0745&from=EN
A Lightning Rod': Anti-
immigrant rhetoric, Ireland's
Direct Provision system and
Carrickmacross
The Co Monaghan town was the first to accommodate asylum seekers
in emergency accommodation last year.
October 30, 19

LAST YEAR, BUSINESSES in Carrickmacross were the first

in Ireland contracted to provide emergency accommodation
for asylum seekers as Direct Provision centres across the
country remained at or over capacity.
The Co Monaghan town’s courthouse was the location for a
small rally, earlier this month, where tricolour flags were
raised by those present. The demonstration – attended by
known anti-immigration activists and endorsed by Irish
Freedom Party leaders – took place less than two weeks
after a tender for a Direct Provision centre in Oughterard,
Co Galway was withdrawn following a local opposition
campaign.
Separately, and throughout the summer, there had been
local commentary and disquiet about groups of men and
women – mostly non-Irish, EU citizens in their 20s and 30s
– gathering on Carrickmacross’s Main Street.
After a woman was allegedly sexually assaulted by an EU
foreign national in the town in mid-September, there was a
proliferation of online activity referencing immigration and
a perceived increase in crime.
The alleged assault, as one local representative told
TheJournal.ie, ultimately became a “lightning rod” for
misinformation, anti-immigration activity and the
conflation of the two issues at work in Carrickmacross.
‘Main Street’
Carrickmacross lies near the border with Northern Ireland,
11 kilometres from Iniskeen, birthplace of poet Patrick
Kavanagh.
Its population in 2016 was just over 5,000. According
to data provided by the Central Statistics Office, that can be
broken down to show there are at least 3,500 people of Irish
nationality and 1,000 people from the rest of the EU.
Half of the town’s population are employed with over 500
residents above retirement age, according to the last census.
Its main street – dotted with cafés, four pubs, a Lithuanian
supermarket and a solicitor’s office – stretches from Saint
Finbarr’s Church to the Courthouse.
Separate to the 6,000 people living in Ireland’s 38 Direct
Provision centres, there are now nearly 1,500 people –
including 250 children – living in 34 hotels and B&Bs, a
policy first implemented by the Justice Department in
September 2018.
There are three main reasons for this, it says: an increase in
international protection applicants arriving in Ireland;
people unable to leave Direct Provision once granted leave-
to-remain due to the housing crisis; and pressure on its
“accommodation portfolio” after recent arson attacks at
hotels in Moville, Co Donegal and Rooskey, Co Roscommon
put paid to plans to open further Direct Provision centres.
It’s estimated there are now 150 to 200 asylum seekers
accommodated near Carrickmacross in hotels and B&Bs.
Several Syrian refugees also live in the town centre.
TheJournal.ie recently reported that providing emergency
accommodation for asylum seekers in Ireland costs nearly
three times more than Direct Provision centres.
Treacy’s Hotel – located 5 kilometres outside of the town on
the Kingscourt Road – was the first business outside of
Direct Provision centres contracted to provide bed and
board to asylum seekers.
The premises was sourced by Trenthall Ltd, a company run
by Seamus ‘Banty’ McEnaney which has sought out hotels
and B&Bs in the Cavan-Monaghan region for the
Department of Justice since September 2018.
Within four months, Trenthall Ltd had been paid over €1.5
million by the Government.
Asylum seekers accommodated at Treacy’s were moved
suddenly on several occasions this year; twice to
accommodate weddings at the hotel, once due to
maintenance works.
Almost 100 asylum seekers were relocated to Co Meath in
March after the hotel ended its contract with Trenthall Ltd.
Asylum seekers are still being placed in Treacy’s, where it is
understood 20 rooms are in use. People are also housed at
another B&B a short distance from Carrickmacross.
In March, the Department described the pressure it is under
to accommodate international protection applicants in
Ireland as “severe”. By September, a spokesperson for the
Department told TheJournal.ie it had become “immense”.
‘Oughterard’
Following last month’s protests in Oughterard, Co Galway, a
tender for a permanent Direct Provision centre – due to
accommodate 200 asylum seekers – was withdrawn.
Locals – who orchestrated a campaign against the centre’s
opening – consistently voiced concern over a lack of
consultation by the Department of Justice.
Sean Lyons, whose company Fazyard Ltd. runs Clondalkin
Towers Direct Provision centre in Dublin,
eventually withdrew the tender for a new centre in the
interest of the safety of all stakeholders, he said on 1
October, forcing the Justice Department to contract
additional hotels and B&Bs as a result.
Fears over small-town infrastructure and a lack of services
raised by Oughterard locals are echoed by people living in
Carrickmacross – and now Ballinamore, Co Leitrim, and
Borrisokane, Co Tipperary where Direct Provision centres
were set to open.
Oughterard, though, also became a litmus test for Irish far-
right infiltration, as the Irish Times reported in late
September.
Known anti-immigration activists travelled to Oughterard –
which has a population of 1,300 people – and attempted to
steer local debate around the proposed Direct Provision
centre.
A contentious meeting on 11 September was filmed by
Gearóid Murphy, whose YouTube channel features videos
entitled ‘Becoming a Minority in Ireland – Fact or Fiction?’
and ‘The Frightening Growth of Vile Anti-Irish Racism’. The
meeting was addressed by Gerry Kinneavy, an organiser for
the National Party led by Justin Barrett, who has made a
number of false claims about Ireland’s immigration figures
in the past.
Rowan Croft, a self-styled ‘citizen journalist’ and ex-British
soldier known as Grand Torino who recently gifted his
rosary beads to Italian far-right leader Matteo Salvini,
posted online saying the tender withdrawal was “a victory
for Ireland”.
‘An Assault’
On 3 October, two days after the tender withdrawal in
Oughterard, an online petition appeared. It asked: ‘Do You
Feel Intimidated When Walking Around Carrickmacross?’
A local woman in Carrickmacross was allegedly sexually
assaulted in mid-September.
An EU citizen in his 30s was arrested and appeared before
Monaghan District Court in September, gardaí sources
confirmed.

Claims that incidents of criminality increased after the

assault continued to circulate despite local representatives
attempting to address growing unrest.
“We’ve been trying to address what are the genuine concerns
of people,” local MEP Matt Carthy
told TheJournal.ie, adding that others have been “trying to
make an issue much bigger than it is”.
Carthy’s brother Colm, a local councillor, said that despite
efforts by his office, misinformation spread quickly.
On 5 October, Gript.ie – a website which says it is
“challenging the consensus, facilitating debate and
delivering news and analysis without the liberal filter” -
reported that a “row” had broken out in Carrickmacross
between locals and Seamus ‘Banty’ McEnaney – who runs
Trenthall Ltd – and the Department of Justice.
The article connected the provision of emergency
accommodation for international protection applicants and
a petition which people had signed “saying that they no
longer feel safe walking through their own town because of
large groups of migrants congregating in the centre of the
town, and an allegation of sexual assault against a local
woman”.
The authors, although noting there was no confirmed
information about the alleged perpetrator’s nationality or
identity, added that “tensions in Carrickmacross appear to
have escalated in recent days after a young woman alleged
that she was sexually assaulted… by a migrant housed
locally”.
Another article appeared on thetricolour.com on the same
day and also linked a supposed “migrant gang” problem in
Carrickmacross with the provision of emergency
accommodation to asylum seekers, claiming that “many
women have been taking to social media to express their fear
and experiences of life in the town”.

Another petition was launched on 13 October.

“Should the Direct Provision Centre in the Oasis-Treacy’s
Hotel be stopped?” it asked.
The petition claims that Treacy’s “is now to become a Direct
Provision Centre”.
“Are the people in the surrounding areas happy with this
development?” it asked, before stating it was set up due to
the response from the first petition.
The petition didn’t give a reason why a Direct Provision
centre in Carrickmacross should be stopped, only implying
that it should.
As of 20 October, over 200 people had signed it.
A closed Facebook page titled, ’LAWLESS: Do You Feel
Intimidated When Walking Around Carrickmacross?’, at one
point had over 1,300 members.
According to local sources, the page became a target for
anti-immigrants posts before it was deleted.
On 4 October, Rowan Croft travelled to Carrickmacross.
Croft, a supporter of Gemma O’Doherty, actively campaigns
against immigration on YouTube, live-streaming videos
from Irish towns in which he promotes far-right theories
and highlights crimes committed by non-Irish.
In a video filmed in Carrickmacross, Croft claimed that
Ireland’s “open doors” migration policy has led to “some of
the most heinous crimes” being committed against women
on a daily basis in Ireland.
‘Lightning Rod’
For several months, Carrickmacross witnessed groups of
non-Irish people congregating on Main Street, leading to
online and offline commentary about their presence.
Sources, however, have cast doubt over claims that there
was an increase in criminality in the area during that time,
telling TheJournal.ie that the purported ‘migrant gang’
problem did not exist.
The use of the Main Street as a meeting point ended by mid-
September. It is understood that families were using public
space to gather over the summer months.
Yet September’s alleged assault, as one local representative
put it, then became a “lightning rod” for misinformation,
anti-immigration activity and the conflation of two separate
issues.
The alleged assault is not connected with anyone other than
one EU citizen – despite attempts to link it with asylum
seekers living in Carrickmacross.
After a “social media storm”, the Northern Standard
reported on 10 October that Carrickmacross businessman
Sean Jones – who rents apartments on Main Street – wished
to clarify matters.
Jones said that he rents rooms to “a small percentage” of the
town’s foreign community.
“We house all European citizens. They are extremely happy
with their accommodation and they are all working
families,” Jones said in a statement, before adding that “we
have no business with the government and Direct
Provision”.
If outside actors gained ground in Oughterard after being
initially endorsed by local campaigners, attempts to steer
the debate and gain traction in Carrickmacross after the
assault have been met locally with a mixture of concern and
outright rejection.
As one local woman put it, the town has had “no issues” with
asylum seekers placed in emergency accommodation. The
‘Lawless’ Facebook page, she said, quickly became filled
“with rubbish” from “people who had absolutely nothing to
do with Carrickmacross”.
However, many locals do have questions around the
numbers of people arriving in the town given that much of
the accommodation is already crowded. Money paid to
private contractors, hotels and B&Bs has become a
contentious topic in Carrickmacross.
“An awful lot of people are angry,” one local on O’Neill
Street in Carrickmacross recently told TheJournal.ie, on
condition of anonymity.
Meanwhile, John Treacy – Director of Timber Toes Ltd
which owns three hotels in the Treacy Group – told The
Northern Standard newspaper on 10 October: “We’re
definitely not going Direct Provision. There is no signed
legal document,” he said.
It is, however, being used for emergency accommodation.
Treacy said that “twenty-odd rooms” are in use for
emergency accommodation for asylum seekers in
Carrickmacross, with two to three people in each room.
He added that potential customers will be made aware that
Treacy’s provides emergency accommodation to asylum
seekers, that the hotel’s bar is reserved for paying customers
only and that there will be a separate area for asylum
seekers.
‘A Perfect Storm’
If events in Moville, Rooskey and Oughterard further
exacerbated accommodation pressure on the Department of
Justice and its Reception & Integration Agency (RIA), its
recourse to emergency accommodation since September
2018 remains wholly inadequate.
State paying hotels and guesthouses €462,000 per week
to accommodate asylum seekers
'Difficulty accessing services': Complaints from asylum
seekers living in hotels raised with Ombudsman

Emergency accommodation for asylum seekers is not a

Direct Provision centre. NGOs, volunteers, grassroots
groups and asylum seekers have found conditions far worse
due to a lack of services normally available in Direct
Provision centres.
In March, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) warned the
Department it was facing “a perfect storm” due to new
international protection applicants, difficulties adding
accommodation and people living in Direct Provision
leaving centres due to the housing and rental crisis.
“JRS Ireland would be wary of a failure to learn lessons of
the homeless sector whereby short-term emergency
responses have become long-term fixes,” it told the
Department.
“This is undoubtedly a significant risk with respect to RIA’s
recourse to Emergency Accommodation,” a JRS report
submitted to RIA states.
Documents released under FOI also show that JRS reported
a number of emergency accommodation cases to the
Department from around the country, including instances of
overcrowding, remote locations, unsuitable food, hotels and
B&Bs unable to provide information regarding health
services and difficulties accessing education.
‘No excuses’
Remote – and at times strict – accommodation setups have
been highlighted to RIA consistently by the Movement of
Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI).
In March, it was reported that there was often no
information for asylum seekers to attain medical cards, no
information on how to access GP services, difficulty
accessing a Community Welfare Officer for an exceptional
needs payment as well as no information on how to apply for
PPS numbers in order to collect their €38.80 weekly
payment.
In August, asylum seekers living in a Dublin hotel were told
not to bring food to their rooms “under any circumstance”.
That same week, the owner of the Central Hotel in Miltown
Malbay, Co Clare issued a notice to people telling residents
“you must be in your room by 10pm. No excuses!”

For years, inspections of permanent Direct Provision centres

– conducted by the Department at pre-arranged times –
have been criticised for a lack of transparency. Private and
hotels and B&Bs are not subject to these same rules.
Emails released under FOI show that in May, the
Department of Social Welfare and Protection (DEASP)
alerted the Justice Department to a visit paid by staff to the
Dunkerrin Arms in Co Offaly.
The hotel was contracted by RIA to provide accommodation
to asylum seekers but when DEASP staff arrived they
deemed the hotel closed.
“When they arrived… it was boarded up with no staff
present,” an email sent to RIA states.
Hotel staff eventually arrived and opened the hotel. The
DEASP reported it had “serious concerns” about the
premises but after improvements RIA took the decision to
not move asylum seekers living there.
Despite the EU Reception Conditions directive stating the
Minister for Justice may provide emergency
accommodation, it must be for “as short a time as possible”.
‘Oxygen Online’
Bulelani Mfaco – an asylum seeker and MASI activist – said
that his organisation has witnessed communities in Ireland
react both positively and negatively to asylum seekers.
Direct Provision fundamentally “imposes” restrictions on
both asylum seekers and smaller Irish towns struggling for
resources, he said.
“A long-term alternative to Direct Provision is needed –
urgently – because conditions are deteriorating in
[emergency accommodation],” said Mfaco.
“The ‘othering’ process begins when an asylum seeker is
warehoused in a Direct Provision centre,” Mfaco
told TheJournal.ie.
If local people and asylum seekers don’t know each other,
far-right myths “thrive”, Mfaco said, because information
only comes from one source – anti-immigration activists.
“Stranger danger quickly takes hold,” he added.
Ireland’s far-right did not gain a foothold in Carrickmacross,
Co Monaghan, despite growing online activity and a recent
anti-immigration rally.
Local sources confirmed that the 12 October rally outside
Carrickmacross Courthouse was attended by just 20
demonstrators – 17 of whom were from outside
Carrickmacross and do not live in the town.
The alleged assault, recent online activity and petitions
raised concerns locally, Cllr Colm Carthy said, and gave rise
to “natural questions” local communities have.
“It needs to be clarified that people in Carrickmacross are in
no way racist,” he said. “They’ve concerns like every area.”
Secrecy surrounding Ireland’s asylum system combined with
a lack of communication from the Justice Department
created its own “perfect storm” in Oughterard; a vacuum
quickly filled by far-right online content aimed at stoking
local tensions.
Yet attempts to exploit similar concerns at a local level in
Carrickmacross dissipated after October’s rally.
Shane O’Curry of ENAR Ireland (European Network Against
Racism), who visited Carrickmacross given the rise in anti-
immigration activity, told TheJournal.ie that formal and
informal networks in Co Monaghan helped mitigate against
far-right progression.
“I was not surprised to find the far-right did not replicate
Oughterard,” he said, in part due to a local volunteer
network has operated quietly in Co Monaghan since
September 2018.
Last year, one volunteer told TheJournal.ie, a mother and
daughter walked five kilometres on foot along Kingscourt
Road from Treacy’s Hotel into Carrickmacross Village to buy
sanitary products.
Locals offered help, he said.
Assistance given by people in Co Monaghan is essential. So
far, it has included driving asylum seekers to appointments,
ensuring children are given support, liaising with new
families moving in.
“People try to make themselves available to help,” he said.
“Everybody has lives, everybody’s busy, nobody’s on a
crusade.
“There are people arriving into the country who are put into
a very uncomfortable, practically hostile, situation with no
resources, no supports, and in the case of the people out in
Treacy’s Hotel, they didn’t have access to the town, there
was no transport,” he said.
That changed. People locally said ‘This is wrong’.
It is, he said, up to Carrickmacross people to “react
appropriately and honestly” to anti-immigrant rhetoric in
future.

If you divide a pie between more people, each person receives a smaller piece.

https://www.thejournal.ie/carrickmacross-direct-provision-
4854854-Oct2019/?fbclid=IwAR2KpKaaJmaEFG0-ECH-
YZkANcWtNGfSxyzi4AedyZqNtNP50d2VFKmjUdw

Emergency accommodation:
Over 500 asylum seekers now
living in hotels and B and Bs
across Ireland
“The current reliance on private contractors is clearly not working,”
migrant rights centre Nasc has said.
Mar 31st 2019,

Hatch Hall in Dublin

THERE ARE OVER 500 asylum seekers living in emergency
accommodation across Ireland, newly released figures from
the Department of Justice & Equality show.
With Ireland’s 39 direct provision centres at capacity, the
Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) has accommodated
people in hotels and B&Bs in Cavan and Monaghan since
September.
The department tendered for more hotels and B&Bs in
Dublin, Meath, Louth and Waterford in January.
Until more permanent centres are opened, emergency beds
in commercial premises will be sourced, a department
spokesperson has said.
“Demand for accommodation places remains strong,” they
added.
The recent figure follows reports that the official number of
homeless people in Ireland living in emergency
accommodation has surpassed 10,000 for the first time.
Campaigners and NGOs have criticised the instability of
locating asylum seekers in hotels and B&Bs in remote areas
and have raised concerns about the increase of people living
in emergency setups.
In late November, there were 196 asylum seekers living in
emergency accommodation. By early February, this figure
had risen to 329.
There are currently 517 people awaiting relocation to more
permanent direct provision centres, according to the
department.
Jennifer deWan of migrant rights centre Nasc has said that
hotels and B&Bs “should only be being used in absolutely
emergency situations”.
“This has now been going on for months, so obviously
something must be done to source more appropriate
accommodation for people.”
Nick Henderson of the Irish Refugee Council has said his
organisation is “deeply concerned” at the increase of people
living in emergency accommodation.

“Around 8% of all people living in direct provision are now

in such accommodation,” Henderson has said. “In our
experience of helping people in this situation, they are
encountering difficulties in accessing basic services that they
need access to and are entitled to by law.
Issues identified by the refugee council through drop-in
centres include people having no access to a medical card
and no information on how to access GP services, no access
or difficulty in accessing a Community Welfare Officer for an
exceptional needs payment as well as no information on how
to apply for PPS numbers in order to collect the weekly
payment.
Issues have also been raised by people living in emergency
accommodation about food provided.
“People are also at a particularly vulnerable stage having
recently arrived in Ireland,” Henderson has said. “We have
raised our concerns and given suggestions to the
Department of Justice and will continue to do so.”
A department spokesperson has said that “there are some
instances where services are stretched and it is not always
possible to[...]provide everything immediately.”
“However, RIA, working with the HSE, the Department of
Employment Affairs and Social Protection and the
Department of Education and Skills, do everything possible
to provide comprehensive services.”
To comply with the EU Reception Conditions Directive, use
of emergency accommodation has been necessary since
September, the department has said.
“It is not possible to predict how many people may arrive in
any given year seeking international protection.”
‘Alternative solutions’
Since September, the cost to the state of providing
emergency accommodation has totalled €4.15 million.
The department has said that it is currently evaluating
proposals made by private contractors to provide more
emergency accommodation.
DeWan of Nasc has said the department needs “to be
looking to alternative solutions to source accommodation
that is suited to the needs of people in the protection process
and compliant with their statutory obligations under the
[EU Directive].
“The current reliance on private contractors is clearly not
working and not providing the flexibility the government
needs.”
Henderson of the refugee council has said greater attention
and resources should also be given to reducing the
processing times for asylum seekers in Ireland.

RELATED READS
17.03.19
Having to cross the border or stay overnight: Concerns
raised about location of rural Direct Provision centres
12.03.19
Direct Provision: Nearly 100 people relocated from
Monaghan hotel

RIA planned to accommodate people in more permanent

direct provision centres but it has not been possible
following recent fires at hotels in Moville, Co Donegal
and Rooskey on the Roscommon-Leitrim border.
It was announced last week that the department
had cancelled plans to open the Shannon Key West Hotel
in Rooskey as a direct provision centre. At the time, the
Department of Justice said the decision was due to a leasing
issue and not related to suspected arson attacks at the
former hotel.
‘Radical re-think’
Earlier this month, the department announced that
Clondalkin Towers direct provision centre, due to close in
June, will remain open until at least 2021.
Three other centres are due to open in line with the
‘Independent Living’ model recommended by 2015′s
McMahon report, which made 173 recommendations for
Ireland’s asylum system.
The department aims to open more centres in line with this
model throughout 2019 and 2020, according to a
spokesperson.
The Irish Times reported this week, however, that Hatch
Hall direct provision centre in Dublin -which currently
accommodates over 200 people – is set to be redeveloped
into a five-star hotel.
Green Party justice spokesperson Councillor Roderic
O’Gorman has said that the possible closure of Hatch Hall
demonstrates the need “for a radical re-think on how we
treat asylum applicants as they wait for a determination of
their cases here in Ireland”.
“If Hatch Hall closes, it will leave only one direct provision
centre – the Clondalkin Towers Hotel – open in Dublin…
Soon, all persons who are in direct provision in Dublin may
be forced out of the city.”
A spokesperson for Red Carnation has said that “at present
the company is not in a position to provide comment.”
A spokesperson for the department has said that the
contract for Hatch Hall is in place until January 2020 and
that the department has “not been formally notified of any
intention by the contractor to terminate the contract earlier
than this date”.
“In the event that an attempt is made to terminate the
contract before its expiry date, the Department will take all
appropriate steps including seeking to re-accommodate
those still in the protection process within RIA’s
accommodation portfolio and by providing residents with
status or permission to remain with assistance to move on
from accommodation.”
https://www.thejournal.ie/direct-provision-over-500-international-protection-
applicants-living-in-emergency-accommodation-2-4569530-Mar2019/
Independent Living’model recommended by 2015′s McMahon report, which
made 173 recommendations for Ireland’s asylum system. Report to Irish
Government on Improvements to the Protection Process, including Direct
Provision and Supports to Asylum Seekers 2015
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Report%20to%20Government%20on%20Impr
ovements%20to%20the%20Protection%20Process,%20including%20Direct%2
0Provision%20and%20Supports%20to%20Asylum%20Seekers.pdf/Files/Repo
rt%20to%20Government%20on%20Improvements%20to%20the%20Protectio
n%20Process,%20including%20Direct%20Provision%20and%20Supports%20t
o%20Asylum%20Seekers.pdf

FactCheck: National Party

leader Justin Barrett's claims
about immigration
The National Party leader made a series of claims about immigration on
the Last Word this week. We checked them out.
Nov 19th 2016,
THIS WEEK HAS seen the launch of a new political party
and the re-emergence of a controversial activist and former
election candidate, after several years out of public life.
Justin Barrett, leader of the National Party, conducted his
first interview in years on Thursday, when he was invited on
to Today FM’s the Last Word.
The interview was unusually full of factual claims, so we
decided to do a bit of an overview, especially after readers
got in touch with us on Twitter about it.
We’ve chosen the four most substantive and concrete claims
made by Barrett during the interview, and will present a
tally of verdicts at the end, as we have done previously.
FactCheck asked Justin Barrett for evidence in support of
his claims, but he did not respond.
You can download a spreadsheet with all the relevant data,
below.
(Send your FactCheck requests
to [email protected], tweet @TJ_FactCheck, or
send us a DM).
Claim 1: Since EU expansion in 2004, there was
immigration of 837,000 from Eastern European
countries.
…You asked me for a figure of how many people I believed
might come from Eastern Europe, prior to the accession
countries.
And I said – given the numbers of people that are available
to come – we could be talking about half a million to a
million…We got 837,000. 837,000, by CSO figures.
The Facts
Before May 2004, the EU had 15 member states. After 2004,
the following countries became EU member states, bringing
the total to 28.
It is these 13 countries that Barrett is referring to.
1 May 2004: Czech Republic, Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia,
Lithuania, Hungary, Malta, Poland, Slovenia, Slovakia
1 January 2007: Bulgaria, Romania
1 July 2013: Croatia
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has tracked immigration
from these 13 countries, as a group, since 2005, under the
label “EU15 to EU28 states”. We’ll be referring to them as
“EU 15-28 countries”.
As of April 2016, there are now 238,700 citizens of these
member states resident in Ireland.
Since 2005, there has been total immigration into Ireland of
292,100 by citizens of these EU 15-28 countries.
This means, even on a literal interpretation, Justin Barrett’s
claim “We got 837,000″ is almost three times larger
than the reality.
But this doesn’t take into account emigration from Ireland
by citizens of these countries, which totals 121,100 since
2005.
This means net inward migration from (roughly
speaking) Eastern and Central Europe, has been 171,000 –
almost five times less than Barrett’s figure of
837,000.
The claim is FALSE by a very wide margin.
Claim 2: The same number of immigrants arrived
from Eastern Europe into the UK as arrived into
Ireland, since 2004
The same number of immigrants arrived from Eastern
Europe into the entire UK, with a population of 50 million.
About 800,000.
The Facts

For the sake of robust comparison, let’s compare the figures

for Ireland and the UK between 2005 and 2015.
(The CSO doesn’t give figures for EU 15-28 countries before
2005, and the UK Office of National Statistics does not give
comparable figures for 2016 so far).
Between 2005 and 2015:
Ireland saw immigration of 281,400 by citizens of EU 15-
28 countries
The UK saw immigration of 1,023,000 by citizens of EU
15-28 countries

On a literal interpretation, (“the same number arrived“), the

total arrivals into the UK were 3.6 times greater
than into Ireland.
Ireland saw emigration of 110,400 by citizens of EU 15-28
countries, yielding net inward migration of 171,000.
The UK saw emigration of 393,000 by citizens of EU 15-28
countries, yielding net inward migration of 630,000.
This means net inward migration into the UK has
been 3.8 times higher than into Ireland.
So whether the claim is evaluated based only on arrivals, or
taking into account departures, it is FALSE by a very wide
margin.
Claim 3: If, as a share of overall population, the
same proportion of EU 15-28 immigrants had
arrived in the UK as arrived in Ireland, the UK
would have seen immigration of 6.5 million from
those countries.
…If they [the UK] had taken, proportionately, the same
number [of Eastern European, post-2004 immigrants] as
us, they’d have taken 6.5 million.
The Facts

This is a slightly awkward one to calculate, as Barrett’s claim

involves counting migration as a proportion of population.
But migration is a measure of change in population, so this
is not a calculation you would normally make.
Nonetheless, we calculated total immigration and net
immigration into Ireland by EU 15-28 citizens each year
between 2005 and 2015.
We then took those figures as a percentage of the overall
population each year.
Finally, we applied those percentages to the UK population
each year between 2005 and 2015, and found:

If total immigration by EU 15-28 citizens, as a share of

total population, had been the same in the UK from 2005-
2015, as it was in Ireland, the UK would have seen
immigration from those countries of 3,909,245
If net immigration had been the same in the UK as it was
in Ireland, the UK would have seen net immigration of
2,397,137
Both these figures are clearly vastly smaller than the 6.5
million put forward by Justin Barrett. So his claim is
FALSE by a wide margin.
However, it is worth noting that these figures are 3.8 times
higher than the immigration and net immigration into the
UK that actually took place, from these countries.
Which indicates that, in reference to overall population,
Ireland did see significantly higher immigration from these
countries than the UK did, from 2005-2015.
Claim 4: There is no proper vetting of refugees
entering Ireland, including those coming from
Syria
…There’s no proper vetting process for the entry of refugees
from Syria, for example.
The Facts
In response to a query from FactCheck, the Department of
Justice provided the vetting procedures for refugees
entering Ireland from various countries, including Syria.
The Irish Refugee Protection Programme has two parts:
The Irish UNHCR Refugee Resettlement Programme,
which has been operating since 2000 and relocated
1,500 people from 27 countries, including Iraq and
Syria
The EU Relocation Programme, whereby we have
committed to taking in 4,000 would-be asylum-
seekers, most currently located in Italy and Greece, and
some in Lebanon.
Under both strands of our refugee policy, the following
vetting and monitoring procedures are in place: Before
departure -
1 The department’s Office for the Promotion of Migrant
Integration (OPMI) sends a “selection mission” to
where the refugees and asylum-seekers are located
2 The OPMI staff interview “cases” (individuals or families)
3 In the case of the UN programme, the refugees must have
already registered with the UNHCR (UN High
Commission for Refugees)
4 A team from An Garda Síochána conducts similar
 interviews
5 Fingerprints are taken and checked against national and
international databases
6 Those selected for relocation to Ireland must first undergo
security clearance
7 Those selected for relocation must then undergo health
screening
After arrival, before entering the community
1 A “resettlement team” from OPMI meets the refugees at
the airport/port
2 The team escorts the refugees to a Resettlement Reception
3 Centre, where they stay for 8-10 weeks
4 Among other provisions (education, language courses, and
so on), the refugees are taken to register with the Irish
Naturalisation and Immigration Service (an agency of the
department), where they are issued a Registration
Certificate
5 The refugees are then taken to “receiving communities”
6 (towns and cities across Ireland)
After entering the community
OPMI staff personally escort refugees to their first meetings
with various public service providers (the Department of
Social Protection, and so on).
Justin Barrett’s claim is FALSE.
Of the four claims:
All four are FALSE
Three are FALSE by a significant margin
https://www.thejournal.ie/national-party-justin-barrett-immigration-facts-
3087878-Nov2016/
Carrickmacross Women fearful of
Migrant Gangs
By CharlieOct 5, 2019

Women in the town of Carrickmacross County

Monaghan say they now feel unsafe and afraid walking
the streets of Carrickmacross due to large gangs of
migrant men congregating around the town .

Last Year , the Department of Justice paid Trenthall Ltd

934k euro to find accommodation for asylum seekers in
the Monaghan and Cavan area .

Trenthall which is run by former Monaghan County

manager Seamus 'Banty' McEnaney began renting Hotel
rooms at Treacys Hotel Carrickmacross where up to 124
asylum seekers are currently residing .

Women in the town say the situation is now unbearable

and an online petition for action has gathered almost
1500 signatures in the past 3 days .

Many women have been taking to social media to

express their fear and experiences of life in the town .

One woman Nichola Mc Crudden wrote about how she

was sexually and physically abused : "I moved to
Carrick to build a life for myself. I had taken up a
permenant job in a local primary school.I had settled well
into Carrick, got myself involved in local inititives, etc.
Life was good.Little did I know I would go on a night out
with friends in my local town to get physically attacked
and sexually abused. I have no problem sharing my
story so to make a difference. Why should innocent
people suffer in silence and feel un safe in
Carrickmacross. Our town is not safe no more. I walk up
and down the street to go to work everyday and should i
really have to cross the road to avoid all sorts.I am not
from Carrick originally but I do have memories of visiting
this town. It used to be a lovely place to visit. Today it is
a different town altogether.Please everybody put the
awareness out there.Thank you Nichola."

Another lady Emma Gollogly wrote "I work late many

evenings , walking up to move my car even at 7pm from
the car park to in front of the office is often scary lately .
Last week one evening I finished at 10:40pm and my car
was right outside my door , yet with the gangs sitting on
steps next door I did not feel safe . I am also concerned
that a young lady was attacked in recent weeks and yet
it seems hush hush"

Another lady Maria Murnaghan wrote : "I feel very

unsafe even driving up the town the way they all look at
you as if we did something wrong . I never go to the
bank of Ireland as I feel so intimidated and unsafe with
the large groups of them everywhere , especially
accross the rd . a young woman was badly attacked on
the street , the woman's name does not need to be said
but that attack was disgusting, what about my daughters
, your children , as a parent it is our job to keep them
safe but when you dont feel safe yourself what effect is it
having on them , they need to get out of our town ,
sitting on windowsills , spitting on the ground in front of
me , no wonder I cross the street and drive almost
everywhere , county councillors stand up and take notice
of what we're saying and do something about it"

Another lady Grainne Morgan wrote : "Nothing to do with

racism . I moved to carrickmacross almost 10 years ago
and loved the town up until recently . Now I wont even
go up the town and certainly wont take my kids up the
town with the group of males (dont want to say
immigrants or refugees as I'll be branded racist) hanging
around in gangs . Its very intimidating . I dont feel safe in
Carrickmacross anymore . Sad day when you dont feel
safe in your own town"

A local man Philip Keegan wrote about the begging in

the town: "I’m very concerned with the way our town has
changed in such a short space of time . You only have to
look outside the courthouse on a Wednesday morning to
see that the change is not for the better. The begging on
the street is ridiculous also . It’s time to draw a line in the
sand before it gets worse"

Figures from the department of Justice show that at the

end of June , there were 7,018 asylum seekers being
accommodated around Ireland - 6,082 asylum seekers
in 39 permanent centres and 936 in emergency
accommodation (B&Bs and rented housing) , the figure
is forecast to increase to approximately 7,700 people by
the end of the year with the total spending on Direct
Provision expected to exceed 120 million .

Figures from the International Protection Office show

that the top 5 Countries of Origin for Asylum Seekers
entering Ireland to the end of June were : 1) Albania 2)
Georgia 3) Zimbabwe 4) South Africa 5) Nigeria .
Direct Provision: Nearly 100
people relocated from
Monaghan hotel
There are concerns about the level of service provision for those living
in RIA-sourced emergency accommodation.
Mar 12th 2019
NEARLY ONE HUNDRED asylum seekers have been
relocated from a hotel in Co Monaghan to make rooms
available ahead of Ireland’s tourist season.
As pressure on the asylum system continues, the use of
emergency accommodation has been necessary since last
year, the Department of Justice and Equality has said.
Campaigners, however, have criticised the instability of
locating people in hotels and B&Bs in remote areas.
A contract issued by the department last September to
Treacy’s Hotel in Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan to provide
beds on an emergency basis ends later this month. Residents
have now been moved to Co Meath to another emergency
set-up as a result.
People living in the hotel started leaving their rooms last
Thursday. The majority have now been relocated to a hotel
in Co Meath. Others have been dispersed to B&Bs in Co
Monaghan, the contracts for which end later this month.
It is understood that several people have also been relocated
to a hotel in Co Louth which has recently started
accommodating asylum seekers.
With Ireland’s 38 Direct Provision centres currently at
capacity, the department’s Reception and Integration
Agency (RIA) will continue to source these emergency beds
in commercial businesses around Ireland until more
permanent centres are opened.

Direct Provision centres are generally re-purposed or

purpose-built facilities to accommodate asylum seekers in
Ireland. Some centres are state-run but most are tendered
out to various private contractors.
Despite saying in early January that asylum seekers are
placed in emergency accommodation “for a short period
before they are moved into the mainstream accommodation
system”, a number of people have been residing in Cavan-
Monaghan emergency accommodation for six
months, TheJournal.ie has learned.
As of late December, six hotels and B&Bs were contracted to
the Department to provide emergency accommodation to
asylum seekers. These contracts end in late March.
In January, a further three hotels in Co Dublin were
contracted to provide emergency beds as well as one hotel in
Co Louth and a hotel in Co Waterford.
‘Severe pressure’
Lucky Khambule of the Movement of Asylum Seekers in
Ireland (MASI) has said that his organisation “is concerned
and opposed to people’s lives being made unstable by
moving them around for the convenience of the hotel’s
needs.”
“To us it shows that our people do not matter at all as long
as those tasked to protect them actually put them in risk by
moving them around”.
Due to the rise in the number of applicants for international
protection in Ireland, however, “severe pressure” is being
placed on RIA, according to a spokesperson.
To comply with the EU Reception Conditions directive, use
of emergency accommodation has been necessary since
September, they said.
“It is not possible to predict how many people may arrive in
any given year seeking international protection,” a
department spokesperson has said.

RELATED READ
13.02.19
Private company paid €1.6 million in 4 months to find
emergency accommodation for asylum seekers

In late January, the department tendered for more

emergency accommodation to provide beds and food for
those seeking international protection in Ireland.
The call-out notice for the contract states that RIA is “not
seeking exclusive use of any premises” and that any rooms
not being used in the hotel or guesthouse by the agency can
continue to be made commercially available.
‘A stable home’
Concerns have been raised about the level of service
provision for those living in RIA-sourced emergency
accommodation, however.
Immigrant support centre Nasc has called on RIA to ensure
adequate service provision for residents following a number
of reports in recent months.
A department spokesperson has said that, although RIA
aims to place people in Direct Provision centres, it has not
been possible to do so following two recent fires at hotels in
Moville, Co Donegal and Roosky on the Roscommon-
Leitrim border.
The department has confirmed that it still aims to open both
hotels as Direct Provision centres.
It is unclear for how long exactly those who have been
relocated from Carrickmacross to emergency
accommodation in Co Meath will be there for.
Khambule of MASI has said that “everyone needs a stable
home and to live freely wherever they are. That is no
different for a person living in Direct Provision”.
https://www.thejournal.ie/direct-provision-over-100-people-to-be-relocated-
to-hotel-in-co-meath-from-monaghan-hotel-4534766-Mar2019/

State paying hotels and

guesthouses €462,000 per
week to accommodate asylum
seekers
€18 million was spent on emergency accommodation for asylum
seekers in the first nine months of 2019.
Oct 16th 2019

THE STATE HAS paid hotels and guesthouses an average of

over €460,000 per week to the end of September this year
to house the soaring numbers of asylum seekers in
emergency accommodation.
According to new figures provided by Minister for Justice
Charlie Flanagan, the spend on emergency accommodation
from January to the end of September totals €18 million –
or an average of €462,046 per week.
Underlining the increasing use of emergency
accommodation by the International Protection
Accommodation Services (IPAS), just €945,370 was spent in
the final quarter of last year.
In a written Dáil reply to Fianna Fáil’s Justice spokesperson
Jim O’Callaghan, Flanagan stated that there are currently
1,453 applicants residing in 35 emergency accommodation
locations around the country.
Flanagan said his department does not disclose the specific
location of emergency accommodation centres in order to
protect the identity of international protection applicants.

Flanagan told O’Callaghan: “Due to an unexpected rise in

applications – up 53% in the first nine months of this year –
the 38 existing accommodation centres, which offer
accommodation, food, utilities and a suite of State services,
have reached capacity.”
Currently, there are 6,094 people residing in 38 Direct
Provision centres located across 18 counties, along with the
further 1,453 applicants residing in emergency
accommodation.
TheJournal.ie previously reported that providing emergency
accommodation for asylum seekers costs nearly three times
more than Direct Provision centres.
‘Inappropriate and wasteful’
Speaking today, O’Callaghan said asylum seekers “should
not be exposed to long-term stays in emergency
accommodation”.
“As well as being inappropriate, it is also a very wasteful use
of limited State resources. The State should identify any
State property that can be used for the purpose of providing
accommodation for asylum seekers.”
At a Budget 2020 briefing last week, Minister of State for
Equality, Immigration and Integration David Stanton said
the cost of accommodating asylum seekers could be €60
million over-budget this year.

Upgrade works due to be completed at Direct Provision

centre in July still haven't started
25.09.19
Ombudsman criticises use of hotels as emergency
accommodation for asylum seekers
Emergency accommodation for asylum seekers costs
three times more than Direct Provision centres
Stanton said the extra demand placed on the asylum system
this year meant the State “could be looking at an extra €60
million, €50 to 60 million” depending on the rest of the
year.
He said this money was on top of the €70 million allocated
in Budget 2019 for this area.
In his written reply to O’Callaghan, Flanagan added that his
department is “actively working on securing additional
capacity, both in existing centres and through the sourcing
of new centres”.
“Every effort is being made to re-accommodate applicants
residing in emergency locations to a dedicated
accommodation centre as quickly as possible,” he said.
https://www.thejournal.ie/asylum-seekers-emergency-accommodation-
4854718-Oct2019/?utm_source=story

Emergency accommodation for

asylum seekers costs three
times more than Direct
Provision centres
Over 1,000 asylum seekers are now living in hotels and B&Bs around
Ireland.
Aug 26th 2019,

PROVIDING EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION for asylum

seekers in Ireland costs nearly three times more than Direct
Provision centres.
Since September 2018, people seeking international
protection in Ireland have been placed in hotels and B&Bs
due to pressures on Ireland’s Direct Provision system.
The average daily rate across Direct Provision centres is €35,
according to the Department of Justice & Equality. The
average cost for emergency accommodation is €100 per
person per night.
So far, the Department has spent over €12 million on
emergency accommodation. Until new Direct Provision
centres come on-stream, the Department’s Reception &
Integration Agency (RIA) will continue to contract hotels
and B&Bs, it has said.
There are currently over 1,000 international protection
applicants living in emergency accommodation with 30
hotels and B&Bs in 12 counties contracted by RIA to provide
bed and board.
Various groups – including MASI, Irish Refugee Council and
migrant rights centre Nasc – have continually hit out at the
use of hotels and B&Bs.
‘Unsustainable’
Fiona Finn, CEO of Nasc, told TheJournal.ie that at “a cost
of €500,000 per week, the current use of emergency
accommodation is unsustainable and is failing to serve
either the State or asylum seekers.
“It is deeply worrying to Nasc that funds for asylum seekers
are going into the hands of profit-making firms and
individuals,” she said.
A spokesperson for MASI, meanwhile, said that “living in
such overcrowded rooms…is incredibly dehumanising as it
strips a person of their fundamental human right to
privacy.”
A number of issues for people living in emergency
accommodation highlighted by TheJournal.ie include
difficulties accessing GP services, delays in PPS numbers
being allocated in order to receive weekly payment, lack of
educational access for children and unsuitable
accommodation.
Criticism has been levelled at a lack of vulnerability
assessments for people entering the country before being
moved directly to emergency accommodation. These
assessments aim to identify specific reception needs for
people.

Most recently, TheJournal.ie reported ongoing

difficulties for people living at The Clayton Hotel in Dublin.
‘Rising Costs’
The government plans to end its use of emergency
accommodation by late 2019 as it seeks to open new Direct
Provision centres.
However, public procurement difficulties experienced by
RIA alongside issues for Direct Provision residents finding
suitable accommodation in the rental sector once granted
leave-to-remain, has forced RIA to contract hotels and
B&Bs.
RIA planned to accommodate people in more permanent
Direct Provision centres yet this was not possible following
arson attacks at hotels in Moville, Co Donegal
and Rooskey on the Roscommon-Leitrim border.
A spokesperson for RIA has said “during the past twelve
months, there has been a rise in the number of applications
and this, combined with well-documented difficulties
experienced by the RIA in opening new [Direct Provision]
centres, has stretched the system to its full capacity.”
“New Direct Provision Centres are expected to come on
stream shortly,” they said.
In July, Hatch Hall Direct Provision centre in Dublin closed
ahead of its redevelopment into a five-star hotel.
The cost of Direct Provision is expected to top €120 million
this year compared with €78 million in 2018.
Around one third of people living in Direct Provision access
an ‘Independent Living Model’ which costs the Department
€44.15 per day, compared with €35 for remaining Direct
Provision centres.
MASI has recently highlighted differences in service
provision for those living in Direct Provision centres against
people living in emergency accommodation, despite hotel
and B&B owners being paid more by RIA per night.
A recent Direct Provision spending review noted that the
total cost of emergency accommodation is expected to reach
€20 million this year.
Contracting hotels and B&Bs is “significantly more
expensive than RIA accommodation centre costs,” the
review notes. “Costs have further increased due to higher
season pricing for the summer period.”
The review recommends that a procurement process be
developed, one that is “responsive to demand…and
implemented to minimise use of emergency
accommodation.”

Nasc’s Finn has said RIA should have foreseen these current
capacity issues.
“The increase in numbers seeking asylum in Ireland was
clearly predicted by the McMahon Report and, in fact, we
had slighter fewer asylum seekers in 2018 than predicted by
the report,” Finn told TheJournal.ie.
“Additional infrastructure should have been put in place
from 2015 onwards however there was a failure to plan for
additional numbers.”
In June, retired High Court Judge Dr Bryan McMahon, who
chaired 2015’s working group report into the Direct
Provision system, said he was “totally against” the use of
emergency accommodation for asylum seekers and called on
RIA to expand its stock by building on State-owned sites.
Deputy Secretary General Oonagh Buckley of the Justice
Department told an Oireachtas Committee in June that the
same standard of services in Direct Provision centres could
not be provided in emergency set-ups.
‘Short-term basis’
Since hotels and B&Bs first came into use, only 285 people
have been re-accommodated to Direct Provision centres.
The EU Reception Conditions directive, which Ireland
signed up to last year, states that the Minister for Justice
may provide emergency accommodation. But it must be for
“as short a time as possible”.
Ireland is also legally required to conduct vulnerability
assessments, which aim to identify special reception needs
for asylum seekers and refugees.
Hotels and B&Bs will be in use on a short-term basis, the
department has maintained, despite a number of applicants
living in emergency accommodation since last November.
The Department confirmed to TheJournal.ie that it also has
no role in carrying out inspections of emergency
accommodation set-ups nor can it permit visits but said that
RIA staff hold clinics where they meet with residents in
emergency accommodation to address concerns.
“The Department does not control access to private
premises and for that reason, we are not in a position to
allow a visit in the same way that is possible at RIA [Direct
Provision] centres,” the spokesperson said.
“RIA typically contracts a defined number of rooms within
existing commercial hotels and guest houses and therefore
does not have exclusive use of the premises,” they added.
https://www.thejournal.ie/direct-provision-costs-emergency-accommodation-
4782558-Aug2019/?utm_source=story

Deeply concerned': Calls for

vulnerability assessments for
asylum seekers
These assessments are legally required.
May 26th 2019, 3:01 PM 14,118 Views 27 Comments
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Lissywollen Direct Provision centre, Co Westmeath

Image: Asylum Archive
MIGRANT RIGHTS GROUPS have expressed concern at a
lack of vulnerability assessments available to people seeking
asylum in Ireland.
Ireland is legally required to conduct these assessments,
which aim to identify special reception needs for asylum
seekers and refugees, since signing up to the EU Reception
Conditions directive last year.
Around 1,700 people have claimed asylum in Ireland since
July 2018, Nick Henderson of the Irish Refugee Council has
said, “many of whom have been in very difficult conditions
in emergency centres,” he added.
Since September, the Reception & Integration Agency has
accommodated international asylum applicants in
emergency set-ups, gradually moving some to more
permanent Direct Provision centres.
The Department of Justice & Equality has paid nearly €7
million to private contractors and businesses since
September for the use of these premises and for providing
on-site services.

Campaigners and NGOs have, however, criticised the

instability of locating asylum seekers in hotels and B&Bs in
remote areas, raising concerns about the increase of people
living in emergency accommodation and the level of service
provision.
In addition to a lack of vulnerability assessments available,
specific concerns have been raised about the remote
locations of hotels and B&Bs, a lack of educational access for
children and facilities available to people.
“Each person, under law, should have had this
[vulnerability] assessment within 30 days of making their
asylum application, to identify if they are vulnerable and
what additional supports they need,” Henderson has said.
“This has not happened.”
‘Clearly in need’
Increased pressure on RIA – which is responsible for
overseeing the Department of Justice & Equality’s
accommodation portfolio and providing initial services for
asylum seekers and refugees entering Ireland – has meant
sourcing emergency set-ups, according to a department
spokesperson.
With Ireland’s Direct Provision centres mostly at capacity,
there are currently over 500 people living in 19 hotels and
B&Bs in eight counties – including 88 children.

RELATED READ

12.03.19
Direct Provision: Nearly 100 people relocated from
Monaghan hotel

The eight organisations – including MASI and Spirasi –

calling for vulnerability assessments to be implemented
have said that LGBTQI+ people as well as victims of torture
and trafficking are at risk without these assessments.
“Some of the international protection applicants we come
across are clearly in need of such and we fear the longer it
takes to assess their needs might lead to a deterioration of
their physical & mental health,” Reuben Hambakachere of
migrant rights group Cultúr has said.
“An early vulnerability assessment will identify the
appropriate supports and reduce the sufferings of many who
arrive at our shores in need of all the support they could
get”.
The group Spirasi, which works victims of torture, has said
that people are often not identified until they’re months or
years into the process of seeking protection in Ireland while
Nasc, the Migrant and Refugee Rights Centre, has said it’s
“deeply concerned” at the continued lack of vulnerability
assessments.
NASC CEO Fiona Finn said “this assessment is a legal
obligation not an optional extra
https://www.thejournal.ie/deeply-concerned-call-for-state-to-implement-
vulnerability-assessments-for-asylum-seekers-4653830-May2019/

He has no one to talk to':

Concerns raised around
potential lack of schooling for
86 children of asylum seekers
There are currently over 500 people asylum seekers living in
emergency accommodation.
May 5th 2019, 12:06 AM 17,913 Views 14 Comments
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Travel Lodge, Swords, one of a number of emergency accommodation

centres
Source: GoogleMaps
MIGRANT RIGHTS GROUPS have raised concerns about a
lack of educational access for children of asylum seekers
currently living in hotels and B&Bs around Ireland.
Nick Henderson of the Irish Refugee Council has said his
organisation is “deeply concerned” at the increase of people
living in these emergency accommodation set-ups.
“Around 8% of all people living in direct provision are now
in such accommodation,” Henderson has said. “In our
experience of helping people in this situation, they are
encountering difficulties in accessing basic services that they
need access to and are entitled to by law.”
Issues identified by the Council through outreach and
people attending its drop-in centres – which it has written to
the Department of Justice & Equality about – include
children having no access to education.
As of 15 April, there were 86 children of asylum seekers
living in hotels and B&Bs around Ireland.
A spokesperson for the Justice department
told TheJournal.ie that while “every effort” is made to
accommodate children in school “a pragmatic approach is
taken where it is considered likely that the family may be
moved to the longer term accommodation centre at short
notice”.
According to Reuben Hambakachere of Cultúr Migrants
Centre in Meath, “Most of the temporary accommodation
units for asylum seekers are in very remote areas where the
children cannot access schools.”
Issues encountered by those living in emergency
accommodation include the remote location of hotels and
B&Bs, transport links to access weekly payment of €38.80 at
a post office, as well as readily available service information.
“I met a family in Carrickmacross who had lived in the
country for more than four months and their child was stuck
in a hotel room, while other kids their age were in
school,” Hambakachere told TheJournal.ie.
“A lot of the people I met require urgent medical attention
and they do not know where to go. I believe the situation can
be managed better and people are treated with the dignity
they deserve.”
Children living in more permanent Direct Provision centres
generally have access to local schools. However, since
September, pressure has grown on the department’s
Reception & Integration Agency (RIA) meaning families
have been placed in hotels and B&Bs.
Lovely, who lives with her 17-year-old son Best in a B&B in
Co Cavan, arrived in Ireland in early February following
political unrest and violence in Zimbabwe.
She first stayed at Treacy’s Hotel in Carrickmacross, Co
Monaghan but was moved to a Co Monaghan B&B in March
when the contract for this accommodation ended.
Her son, she says, has yet to attend a local school, due in
part to the remoteness of her accommodation, located in a
rural area roughly 20 kilometres from Carrickmacross and
one hour from Dundalk. Lovely is hoping to enrol Best in a
school in the coming weeks, however, she says.
“Each and every day he’s looking for a place to go out and
play football,” says Lovely, whose son Best has not attended
school since January due to upheaval in Zimbabwe.
Our situation is going from bad to worse. He’s not talking to
other people, he’s only talking to his Mum.

“He’s always indoors, he has no one to talk to. He’s always

indoors and doesn’t have anything to do.”

Treacy's Hotel, Carrickmacross, Co Monaghan

Source: GoogleMaps
‘He’s never tired’
Under the EU Directive Ireland signed up to last year,
“access to the education system shall not be postponed for
more than three months from the date on which the
application for international protection is lodged”.
Under the government’s Statutory Instrument, “A recipient
[applicant for international protection] who is a minor shall
have access to primary and post-primary education in the
like manner, and to the like extent, in all respects of a minor
who is an Irish citizen.”
A spokesperson for the Department of Justice & Equality
told TheJournal.ie recently that the Reception & Integration
makes “every effort” to accommodate children in school as
soon as possible.
“Where it is considered likely that the family may be in
short-term accommodation for a brief period before being
relocated to longer-term accommodation centre, children
may not always enrol in the local school but support is
provided to parents who wish to enrol their children
in school for the duration of their stay
in emergency accommodation.”
Lovely, who says she hopes to be moved to a more
permanent Direct Provision centre in the coming weeks,
hopes to enrol her son, Best, in a local school as soon as
possible. “It’s the most important [thing] for us.”
She says that a lack of socialisation and routine for Best had
resulted in erratic sleeping patterns.
He can’t sleep at night. He sleeps at day not night because he
has nothing to do. He says he’s never tired.
Hambakachere of Cultúr has said that his organisation is
“really concerned” about the continued use of emergency
set-ups which, he says, is leaving families “for three months
or more with little or no access to mainstream services such
as proper health care, social welfare services and education
for their children”.
Setbacks
Pressure has grown on RIA since September. As a result, the
department started contracting hotels and B&Bs to
accommodate asylum seekers entering Ireland.
RIA planned to accommodate people in more permanent
Direct Provision centres but it has not been possible
following recent fires at hotels in Moville, Co Donegal
and Rooskey on the Roscommon-Leitrim border.
It was announced last month that the department
had cancelled plans to open the Shannon Key West Hotel
in Rooskey as a direct provision centre. At the time, the
Department of Justice said the decision was due to a leasing
issue and not related to suspected arson attacks at the
former hotel.
According to the justice department, there is “significant
turnover within the population
using emergency accommodation centres as new applicants
are entering the system and others are exiting the system”.
“Some of those who use
the emergency accommodation service do so for less than 24
hours while others are transferred
to RIA accommodation centres as soon as
suitable accommodation becomes available.”
There were 517 people living in emergency set-ups as of 15
April.
Last month, it was reported that Hatch Hall direct provision
centre in Dublin -which currently accommodates over 200
people – is set to be redeveloped into a five-star hotel.

RELATED READ

31.03.19
Emergency accommodation: Over 500 asylum seekers
now living in hotels and B and Bs across Ireland

Last week, residents at Mosney Direct Provision centre

protested at the treatment by staff and management of a
fellow-resident who attempted to take her own life after
being transferred to a B&B in Co Cavan.
‘Some progress’
In February, the Ombudsman for Children expressed
concern about the quality of educational provision for
children living in Emergency Reception and Orientation
Centres (EROCs) established under the Refugee Protection
Programme.
These centres are separate to the 517 people currently living
in hotels and B&Bs and to Direct Provision centres.
At EROCs there are educational facilities attached.
A report from the Department of Education, however, found
that because these EROC schools are not recognised by the
Department of Education, children cannot access special
needs assistance and other supports.
It also found that no centre had been able “to systematically
integrate its pupils into the nearest mainstream primary
schools” meaning children were left in these EROC schools
for months at a time.
Department inspectors – who visited EROCs in Waterford,
Roscommon and Kildare – recommended that attendance
for children, especially post-primary children, at
the EROC schools should be limited to three months before
being placed in local mainstream schools.
“Children should not be adversely affected due to the lack of
recognition of these education centres as schools and a
commitment was made that children will have equal access
to all necessary supports, including access to National
Council for Special Education Supports and NEPS,” the
Ombudsman for Children, Dr Niall Muldoon,
told TheJournal.ie.
“It is important that these commitments are followed
through on,” he said. “In particular the Department of
Education and Skills should build on their plan to enable
and encourage local schools to enrol these children and
ensure additional resources are provided so that school
communities and leaders can meet their needs.”
“Some progress has been made in addressing the issue but I
will continue to seek updates from the relevant agencies to
ensure equity in educational outcomes for the children
affected.”
Dr Muldoon confirmed that his office has not visited
children and families living in hotels and B&Bs, however.
Hatch Hall Direct Provision Centre, Dublin
Source: GoogleMaps
‘Pragmatic approach’
A spokesperson for the Department of Education told
TheJournal.ie that its Inspectorate “inspects recognised
schools and centres for education, not accommodation
facilities”.
In the case of international protection applicants outside the
Irish Refugee Protection Programme, it is the remit of the
justice department and RIA to arrange for enrollment in
local schools.
“The Department of Justice and Equality has indicated that
emergency beds have been used in recent months due to
factors outside its control, and the Operations Unit in RIA is
transferring families to accommodation centres within the
portfolio of RIA accommodation when suitable vacancies
arise.”
Hambakachere has called on RIA to “quickly address” issues
for asylum seekers currently being accommodated in hotels
and B&Bs around Ireland and that “information about
where to access services should be made available before
[people] are placed in emergency accommodation rather
than leaving new arrivals depending on other residents”.
https://www.thejournal.ie/emergency-accommodation-
direct-provision-education-2-4614264-May2019/

EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES (RECEPTION CONDITIONS)

REGULATIONS 2018

http://www.irishstatutebook.ie/eli/2018/si/230/made/en/pdf
This is why we have a homeless crisis not cause of refugees and
migrants cause of capitalism . Homelessness is a by product of
capitalism
Homelessness isn't a byproduct of capitalism, the correct cause of the ails of our society are quite the
opposite, if the proponents of democratic capitalism were honest from the beginning these things
wouldn't exist,
We as citizens are literally the owners and shareholders of our country, according to the proper honest
principles of capitalist theory the state is literally the company that all the land, seas and resources were
put into when they were taken from the monarchs who had stolen it from us by force and subjugated
our ancestors, we all have one non transferable share each in this company/country, and according to
how capitalism is supposed to work, every share is of equal value, every share has a vote in the election
of the governing body, every share is entitled to be considered for election onto the governing body,
and the important part is that every share is entitled to equal dividend,
This shit that we all think is capitalism just isn't,
Not a single successful company anywhere splits its governance into several opposing factions and
succeeds, if our government was honestly capitalist and operating according to the principles of honest
capitalism they'd charge rent for all the commercial use of all the land seas and natural resources within
its borders and pay it's shareholders dividend from the profits gained, this would likely result in higher
productivity from commercial land use, increasing GDP, plus shareholder dividend payments to every
citizen would stimulate a consumer economy creating work, plus feed and shelter us all. We are all
idiots arguing about left and right or socialism and capitalism when we should really grow up and cop
on. We all have a share in the most powerful company in the country, the Irish state, literally a share in
the company that dictates the rules under which all other companies must operate, and all we need do is
elect ourselves a functioning governing body that acts in our interests, and treats us as shareholders in
this company instead of a Labour force to be taxed and lied to.

Over €45k spent on four

star Manhattan hotel for
army of advisors during
Taoiseach's visit to New
York
Over €45k was spent on a 4 star hotel in Manhattan in which each
staff member stayed for three or more nights, at the cost of $499 a
night
BY
Ciara Phelan
31 OCT 2019

Twenty-four advisors and civil servants travelled with the

Taoiseach and seven ministers to New York last month –
all at the expense of the taxpayer.
More than €45,000 was spent on a four-star hotel in
midtown Manhattan in which each staff member stayed for
three or more nights, at the cost of $499 a night.
Figures obtained by the Irish Mirror under the Freedom of
Information have revealed the ministers travelled to New
York for the 74th United Nations General Assembly.
Three junior ministers flew out including Paul Kehoe from
Defence who brought six delegates with him.
Junior Minister for European Affairs Helen McEntee and
Junior Minister for Diaspora Ciaran Cannon both travelled
with one delegate each.
Health Minister Simon Harris, his colleague at the
department of Children and Youth Affairs Katherine
Zappone as well as Communications and Climate Action
Minister Richard Bruton joined Mr Varadkar and Tanaiste
Simon Coveney.

Twenty-four advisors and civil servants travelled with

the Taoiseach and seven ministers to New York last
month – all at the expense of the taxpayer.
Minister for Defence Paul Kehoe
An FOI officer for the Department of Foreign Affairs said
all ministers flew economy class except Minister Zappone
who travelled home in business class.
The use of the Delta Lounge in New York’s John F
Kennedy airport was included on her ticket but officials
have yet to receive an invoice.
The cost of flights for the Tanaiste’s three-day trip with
three of his staff members amounted to €4,665.55.
Records show a return flight to New York from Dublin
between September 20 to 28 cost on average €1,000.
Reacting to the money spent and the size of the
delegation, Sinn Fein’s TD David Cullinane accused the
Government of hypocrisy.
He said: “The news that the Government spent over
€30,000 on flights [an estimate based on the average cost
of flights] to the United Nations to hear Greta Thunberg
speak on the need to protect the
environment and for a just transition shows a complete
disregard for the subject at hand.
“Fine Gael’s cheap rhetoric and double standards towards
the environment should not come as a surprise to
anybody. Sinn Fein wants genuine climate investment and
action.”

Minister for Children & Youth Affairs Katherine Zappone

TD (Image: Gareth Chaney/Collins)

Minister for Health Simon Harris TD (Image: Gareth

Chaney/Collins)
READ MORE
Leo Varadkar calls emergency meeting with State
security bosses to discuss 'lawlessness' along border
All ministers and their delegations stayed at the Fitzpatrick
Grand Central Hotel, 14 except Mr Cannon and his
delegation who stayed at the Fitzpatrick Manhattan on
Lexington Avenue.
The Taoiseach and Mr Kehoe had six staff each
accompanying them which included advisors and flag
officers of the Naval Service.
A spokeswoman for Mr Kehoe said: “Given the high level
of interaction between the Department and the Defence
Forces, his attendance at the UNGA last month was an
opportunity to engage on a wide range of engagements.
“These included areas such as UN peacekeeping, the
security situation in Mali and the Sahel Region and the
role of women in leading political solutions to sustaining
peace.
“The minister also took part in other defence relevant
meetings including a Security Council
ministerial meeting and a bilateral engagement with his
counterpart from Fiji.
“These were in addition to engagements with the visiting
Naval Service vessel LE Samuel Beckett, engagement
with Ireland’s security council campaign and the
Government’s Global Ireland initiative, supporting the work
of the IDA and Enterprise Ireland and accompanying
President Higgins at engagements with the Irish diaspora.
“The delegation to the UNGA included: Minister Kehoe,
the Department of Defence secretary general; a principal
officer from the UN Policy Branch, the Minister’s policy
advisor and private secretary.
Minister for Communications, Climate Action and
Environment Richard Bruton TD (Image: Gareth Chaney/Collins)

08/10/2019 Minister for European Affairs Helen Mcentee

TD during Budget 2019 Press conference on Brexit in
the Govenrment Press Cenre, Dublin. Photo: Gareth
Chaney/Collins
“With regard to the ship’s programme in New York, the
Flag Officer Commanding of the Naval Service along with
another naval officer travelled to New York.”
Mr Coveney, Mr Harris and Mr Bruton travelled with three
delegates each. While Ms Zappone, Mrs McEntee and Mr
Cannon travelled with their private secretaries.
The figures also show the Taoiseach, the ministers and
delegates racked up a €2,081 bill on taxis and Ubers over
the course of their stay.
With regard to the ship’s programme in New York, the Flag Officer Commanding of
the Naval Service along with another naval officer travelled to New York.”

Mr Coveney, Mr Harris and Mr Bruton travelled with three delegates each. While Ms
Zappone, Mrs McEntee and Mr Cannon travelled with their private secretaries.

The figures also show the Taoiseach, the ministers and delegates racked up a €2,081
bill on taxis and Ubers over the course of their stay.

A dinner bill of €2,168 was invoiced for at the residence of

Ireland’s Ambassador to the UN.
A reception held on the Irish Naval Service vessel the LE
Samuel Beckett in New York on September 27 cost
€1,940.
The Department of Foreign Affairs, Ms Zappone and
Minister Harris’ departments were also contacted for
comment.
Ciaran Cannon TD. Photo: Gareth Chaney Collins
https://www.irishmirror.ie/news/irish-news/over-45k-spent-four-star-
20760183?fbclid=IwAR2aONmH9wkdnkyRYZa_x3lhjHpNk5_rl0yPjZBfFGj5Nmv
GPeySBmTBl_w







We deserve everything we get.. We are a nation of sheep.. How the fuck could we face
Pearse, Tone, Emmet, Sands or Connolly in heaven.. I'll be hiding behind the robes of jesus
begging for forgiveness

SHAME ON THEM ALL!

TDs must record their attendance in Leinster House to claim
expenses under the Travel and Accommodation Allowance
Scheme.
The scheme costs taxpayers almost three million euro per year.
Expenses are based on the distance a TD has to travel from their
residence to Leinster House.
The allowance is given to TDs on the basis that they attend
Leinster House on at least 120 days per year.
The TDs use an electronic fob system on just one occasion daily
to record their attendance
RTE Investigates looked at the total number of days between
March 2016 and July 2019 when TDs recorded their attendance
but did not attend any votes.
It also looked at the expenses they claimed between March 2016
and the end of 2018.
Among the TDs who signed in and missed votes on a HIGHER
than average number of days were Sligo/Leitrim TD March
MacSharry who claimed €86,672 and did not vote on 34 days.
Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue claimed €89,228 and did not
vote on 33 days.
Donegal Independent Deputy Thomas Pringle claimed €87,660
and missed votes on 26 days.
RTE also looked at the TDs who signed in and missed votes on a
SMALLER than average number of days.
These included Sligo/Leitrim TD Eamon Scanlon who claimed
€86,341 and missed votes on 21 days; Donegal Sinn Fein Pearse
Doherty, €90,493 and missed votes on 16 days; Sligo/Leitrim Sinn
Fein TD Martin Kenny who claimed €85,388 and missed votes on
15 days; and Sligo/Leitrim Fine Gael TD Tony McLoughlin who
claimed €87,294 and missed votes on five days.

SCARY STUFF.....
LEO VARADKAR IN BOTANIC GARDENS THIS MORNING FOR REVIEW OF CLIMATE ACTION
PLAN A FEW WEEKS AFTER FLYING HIMSELF, 7 MINISTERS INCLUDING ZAPPONE AND 24
STAFF TO NEW YORK FOR CLIMATE CONFERENCE THAT COST TAXPAYERS €100,000
APPROX.
Seven ministers and twenty four staff went to New York on a junket on your dime...










IRISH WATER IN VERY HOT WATER IN MOVILLE ... OUR VICTORY IN BRUSSELS
HAS THEM ASKING ABP IF THEY REQUIRE AN EIA FOR THEIR SUB THRESHOLD
DEVELOPMENT ... EUR. COMMISSION WILL SCRUTINISE THE OUTCOME
CAREFULLY ... IN THE MEANTIME HERE ARE A FEW OF THE HURDLES THEY
MUST JUMP...
This checklist is designed to help competent/consent authorities decide
whether EIA is required based on the characteristics of the likely
impacts of a project i.e. to decide whether the effects of a project are
likely to be significant.
Questions to be considered
1. Will there be a large change in environmental conditions?
2. Will new features be out-of-scale with the existing environment?
3. Will the effect be particularly complex?
4. Will the effect extend over a large area?
5. Will there be any potential for transfrontier impact?
6. Will many people be affected?
7. Will many receptors of other types (fauna and flora, businesses,
facilities) be affected?
8. Will valuable or scarce features or resources be affected?
9. Is there a risk that environmental standards will be breached?
10. Is there a risk that protected sites, areas, features will be affected?
11. Is there a high probability of the effect occurring?
12. Will the effect continue for a long time?
13. Will the effect be permanent rather than temporary?
14. Will the impact be continuous rather than intermittent?
15. If it is intermittent will it be frequent rather than rare?
16. Will the impact be irreversible?
17. Will it be difficult to avoid, or reduce or repair or compensate for
the effect?
Taoiseach says direct
provision 'better than
using tents'

1
‘Come forward’: Leo Varadkar called for information on attack on
TD’s car. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins
Kevin Doyle
October 31 2019

Direct provision centres are necessary if we want to avoid having asylum

seekers living in tents, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said.

While defending the use of provision centres, the Taoiseach admitted his
Government needs to work more closely with communities before housing
asylum seekers.
He met last night with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to discuss an arson
attack on a car at the home of a Sinn Féin TD earlier this week.

One line of investigation is that Sligo-Leitrim representative Martin Kenny

was targeted because he supported a proposal to accommodate 130 asylum
seekers in the town of Ballinamore, Co Leitrim.

The people of the town have been protesting against the proposed re-
settlement on the grounds it is disproportionate to the town's population and
infrastructure.

Mr Varadkar urged people "not to be afraid to come forward" with

information about the attack.

And he said many of the fears felt by communities selected for asylum seekers
are unfounded.

"I don't want to end up in a situation like they have in France or Italy or
Greece, where they are accommodating people in tents. I really want to avoid
that and that's why we need to explain to people better why direct provision is
the best solution for the moment," he said.

The Taoiseach said the Department of Justice is examining "all the time how
we can make improvements" to direct provision.

"We do need to examine how we consult with communities and I can

understand concerns that communities have.

"I'm a constituency TD, too. If somebody wants to build 50 apartments in my

constituency, the residents want to know what the building's going to look like
and who's going to be living there," Mr Varadkar said.

He said the same openness is needed in towns like Ballinamore where plans
for direct provision housing have been paused. But the Taoiseach said there
are 38 direct provision centres dotted around the country already.

Gina Ward Leo why dont you spend a month living in a direct
provision Centre and then we will speak to you and see what your
answer is then


Davie Lawless What a Fucking muppet


Pauline Ogorman Wht a sad bastard they were about to house 13

asylum seekers in achil today snd they had to cancel it... Wht about
housing our own u fucked up fucker

Patricia Weston House our own first


https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/taoiseach-says-direct-provision-
better-than-using-tents-
38647784.html?fbclid=IwAR1GypVZRmxgLaWzKRtoZbqUnFroM4LrdUxZY_IZJra
zdxDeh6NPXAU0ScA








A first class cunt ( excuse my French ) other words fail me ...,

Thursday, August 23, 2018

Banks are likely to be allowed to continue to pay zero tax on billion

euro profits following a Department of Finance review of exemptions
for lenders and other corporations.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe will present a review on corporation

tax to an Oireachtas committee next month. This will highlight the
continuation of the current bank levy as opposed to changes to the tax
exemption.

The bank levy yields €150m annually. However, Opposition TDs want
the tax exemption, which allows banks write off taxes against past
losses, scrapped. This is despite many banks having returned to huge
profit.
Last year, Bank of Ireland, AIB, and PTSB made combined profits of
€2.5bn. However, they paid no tax. In 2015, the Government changed
the rules allowing banks to defer taxes for up to 20 years.

An internal Department of Finance report for Mr Donohoe has looked at

the effect of limiting the provision of tax relief for losses carried
forward for the banks.

While the report was scheduled to be completed in June, the scope was
extended so officials could examine scrapping tax exemptions for all
corporate entities as well as the use of a sunset clause.

The Irish Examiner understands that Mr Donohoe is opposed to

overhauling the tax regime for banks or corporate entities. Similarly, a
cap on profits before taxes kick in is opposed.

A Department of Finance source said: “The bank levy is a more

appropriate method as opposed to messing with the tax system and
other corporate groups.”

The department is also conscious that any tax increases for State-
owned banks, particularly AIB, could affect their share prices.

“The taxpayer has a huge interest here already,” said the department
source.

Department tax strategy group papers for Budget 2019, released earlier
this month, show there is little appetite to scrap exemptions for the
banks.

One paper noted the bank levy yields €150m annually and was
introduced “in part to recognise the fact that many banks would not
pay” tax for many years.

The paper noted Mr Donohoe views the “bank levy as the appropriate
method of ensuring the banks contribute to the exchequer”.
The report on bank taxes is expected to say that the provision of relief
for such losses is a standard feature of Ireland’s tax code and that of all
other countries in the OECD. It will also examine how other
governments do or do not allow bank losses to be carried over.

The latest Revenue figures, for 2016, show that trading losses carried
forward in all sectors amounted to some €214bn. Over half of this was
in the financial and insurance sectors.

Oireachtas Finance Committee TDs and senators are expected to

receive the report on bank losses from the minister next month.

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty wants a 25% cap on the carrying forward of
losses and a 10-year limit to ensure banks pay a fair share.

The party maintains that the tax system should be built on fairness and
the exemptions for banks must end so that “hundreds of millions in tax
can be collected”.

But department sources say the minister won’t reinstate the tax for
banks.

A source added: “This report examines the pros and cons of the treatment of
[bank] losses. The chances are, he won’t make changes.”
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the budget will provide
further tax relief for middle-income earners but must ensure that the
public finances are ready for any “economic turmoil” in the years ahead.

He also confirmed that revenue-raising measures are being considered

to increase the €800m extra available next year to spend on services
and tax cuts.

His comments come as the Government prepares to begin negotiations

with Fianna Fáil for Budget 2019.

Speaking at the agriculture show in Virginia, Cavan, Mr Varadkar said

every demand could not be met and the first priority is to balance the
books and reduce debt: “If we are heading into any economic turmoil in
the years ahead because of Brexit or anything else, the best way to
prepare for that is to make sure that our public finances are in order.”

Last year, Bank of Ireland, AIB, and PTSB made combined profits of
€2.5bn. However, they paid no tax. In 2015, the Government changed
the rules allowing banks to defer taxes for up to 20 years.

An internal Department of Finance report for Mr Donohoe has looked at

the effect of limiting the provision of tax relief for losses carried
forward for the banks.

While the report was scheduled to be completed in June, the scope was
extended so officials could examine scrapping tax exemptions for all
corporate entities as well as the use of a sunset clause.

The Irish Examiner understands that Mr Donohoe is opposed to

overhauling the tax regime for banks or corporate entities. Similarly, a
cap on profits before taxes kick in is opposed.

A Department of Finance source said: “The bank levy is a more

appropriate method as opposed to messing with the tax system and
other corporate groups.”

The department is also conscious that any tax increases for State-
owned banks, particularly AIB, could affect their share prices.

“The taxpayer has a huge interest here already,” said the department
source.

Department tax strategy group papers for Budget 2019, released earlier
this month, show there is little appetite to scrap exemptions for the
banks.

One paper noted the bank levy yields €150m annually and was
introduced “in part to recognise the fact that many banks would not
pay” tax for many years.
The paper noted Mr Donohoe views the “bank levy as the appropriate
method of ensuring the banks contribute to the exchequer”.

The report on bank taxes is expected to say that the provision of relief
for such losses is a standard feature of Ireland’s tax code and that of all
other countries in the OECD. It will also examine how other
governments do or do not allow bank losses to be carried over.

The latest Revenue figures, for 2016, show that trading losses carried
forward in all sectors amounted to some €214bn. Over half of this was
in the financial and insurance sectors.

Oireachtas Finance Committee TDs and senators are expected to

receive the report on bank losses from the minister next month.

Sinn Féin’s Pearse Doherty wants a 25% cap on the carrying forward of
losses and a 10-year limit to ensure banks pay a fair share.

The party maintains that the tax system should be built on fairness and
the exemptions for banks must end so that “hundreds of millions in tax
can be collected”.

But department sources say the minister won’t reinstate the tax for
banks.

A source added: “This report examines the pros and cons of the treatment of
[bank] losses. The chances are, he won’t make changes.”
Meanwhile, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said the budget will provide
further tax relief for middle-income earners but must ensure that the
public finances are ready for any “economic turmoil” in the years ahead.

He also confirmed that revenue-raising measures are being considered

to increase the €800m extra available next year to spend on services
and tax cuts.

His comments come as the Government prepares to begin negotiations

with Fianna Fáil for Budget 2019.
Speaking at the agriculture show in Virginia, Cavan, Mr Varadkar said
every demand could not be met and the first priority is to balance the
books and reduce debt: “If we are heading into any economic turmoil in
the years ahead because of Brexit or anything else, the best way to
prepare for that is to make sure that our public finances are in order.”

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/banks-set-to-remain-
exempt-from-tax-
863951.html?fbclid=IwAR3FJNekWvy44LBQfcVutLyJF0TqWt8MM6pH1l75Vqip
aA4a7TOZ4iht3E0

There was uproar at a recent cabinet meeting when one or two ministers mentioned a pre-Christmas
General Election and they were rounded on by a furious majority who are determined to get their free
junket to the four corners of the globe on St Patrick's Day. The really juicy trips are to Brazil,
Argentina, Thailand and Japan and they will be drawing lots soon to see who gets the best free
holidays. The unlucky ones end up in cold Edinburgh where they get laughed at by some lucky
minister posting a photo on their WhatsApp group from Copacabana Beach. There is also great
competition among "advisers", wives, husbands, girlfriends and "partners" to get on board the Paddy's
gravy flight, not to mention the civil servants who are forced to "work" from abroad in places like
sunny South Africa. After seeing his revolting ministers threatening to go on strike unless they got their
all expenses paid trips Taoiseach Varadkar told them "Now that you've twisted my arm ha ha ha ...
we'll put the election off until May 2020, so we can all drown the shamrock in style ha ha ha ha"

Ministers decline to back

'swing-gate' TD Maria
Bailey ahead of secret
vote
1
Hopeful: Fine Gael TD Maria Bailey wants to contest the election.
Photo: Gerry Mooney
October 31 2019

The Taoiseach and four Fine Gael ministers have declined to
express support for ‘swing-gate’ TD Maria Bailey who is facing
possible deselection as a general election candidate this
evening.

Speaking to reporters at a Climate Action event, Leo Varadkar

said the issue was one for party members in Ms Bailey’s Dun
Laoghaire constituency to decide.

I have full confidence in any candidate who is selected and

ratified to run for our party but we are a democratic party and
it is the members in the constituencies who make that decision
and I don’t want to say anything more about it for that
reason,” he said.

Health Minister Simon Harris said grassroots members of Fine

Gael would not appreciate somebody interfering in a key
meeting due to take place in the constituency.

“I think it would be extraordinarily unhelpful and rude for

anybody not a member of that constituency to interfere in that
democratic process,” he said.

Culture Minister Josepha Madigan said it would be

inappropriate to get involved. Climate Action Minister Richard
Bruton and Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy also declined to
comment.

A motion is to be debated tonight at a meeting of the local

Fine Gael organisation seeking a review of the candidates
selected for the next general election, expected to be held in
the spring.
The political future of Ms Bailey will be decided by secret
ballot tonight.

In an unusual move, members of the party's Dún Laoghaire

branch will not have to openly declare their position on the
constituency's election ticket.

But sources told the Irish Independent they expect "sparks to

fly" when upwards of 100 people gather to discuss how best to
secure two seats at the next election.

They will vote on a motion calling on Fine Gael's hierarchy to

"urgently review" the ticket and "make any changes necessary
in order to improve our prospects in the forthcoming general
election".

While the motion makes no direct reference to Ms Bailey, it is

openly interpreted as "judgment day" for the embarrassment
that was inflicted on the party as a result of her compensation
claim for a fall from a swing.

Minister for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O'Connor and

Councillor Barry Ward have already been selected to represent
Fine Gael alongside Ms Bailey.

It's understood only 15 minutes has been set aside for members
to air their views - but the time is likely to be extended on the
demand of attendees.

Party members expect Ms Bailey and a number of her

supporters to defend her position. She has already expressed a
determination to contest the election.

Afterwards delegates, who must be members of the local

branch, will be given a piece of paper and asked to privately
cast their vote.
"Normally any votes would be taken by a show of hands so it's
extremely unusual to have a secret ballot," one source said.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar yesterday said he would review the

outcome of any local discussion.

A team headed up by Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe is in

charge of deciding the party's election strategy - but given the
sensitivity of this case Mr Varadkar will be closely consulted.

Speaking to Newstalk Breakfast, Mr Donohoe said: "We have to

listen to what members say, we’re a democratic organisation,
I’m conscious that the decision and discussion will be
happening tonight.

"If I look at all that Maria has gone through, it’s clear that
mistakes were made, that things could have been handled and
handled differently and better, I know the different concerns
this has raised with the public, I have to say alongside that, I
worked with Maria for many years now as a TD for Dun
Laoghaire, and she has been an exceptionally hard working and
professional TD as well.

“I think she is a candidate for Fine Gael and there will be a

discussion happening about this tonight, she’s been a deeply
conscientious TD, there have been difficult issues and difficult
problems for her and for us have been caused by what’s
happened over the last number of months and I know that this
is a catalyst for discussion which will be happening tonight.”

Newly elected councillor Jennifer Carroll MacNeill has been

tipped as a possible replacement if Ms Bailey is axed.

The party could also decide to simply drop the first-time TD

and adopt a two-candidate approach. "We're a party of
democracy. Members select our candidates.

"We have the power to add and subtract but generally it's
members who select the candidates," Mr Varadkar said.

"As the leader of a democratic party, we'll listen to what they

have to say."

Asked whether he would act on foot of tonight's meeting in Dún

Laoghaire, the Fine Gael leader replied: "Let's see what they
say first."

Party headquarters has commissioned private polling in the

constituency which suggests it will have a battle against a
resurgent Fianna Fáil.

A number of sources contacted by the Irish Independent

yesterday have expressed sympathy for Ms Bailey's
predicament.

However, others noted that her presence in a campaign "will

create a downer".

One member noted that the local constituency hasn't had a

proper chance to discuss the swing-gate controversy since the
story was broken by this newspaper last May.

Ms Bailey took a case against the Dean Hotel claiming it was

liable for a fall she suffered in July 2015.

Court papers cited a number of injuries and claimed she was

unable to run "at all" for three months after the incident.

However, it emerged she ran a 10km race within three weeks

of the fall.

An internal Fine Gael report into Ms Bailey's claim against the

hotel on Dublin's Harcourt Street found her affidavit
"overstated the impact of her injuries".

However, it emerged she ran a 10km race within three weeks

of the fall.

An internal Fine Gael report into Ms Bailey's claim against the

hotel on Dublin's Harcourt Street found her affidavit
"overstated the impact of her injuries".
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/ministers-decline-to-back-
swinggate-td-maria-bailey-ahead-of-secret-vote-38647770.html

Martin looks for general

election in weeks after
Easter
Exclusive: Varadkar’s preference is
next summer as he resists party
pressure for pre-Christmas poll

1
‘A lot of stick’: Micheál Martin has been criticised within Fianna
Fáil. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins

October 31 2019
Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin has said he wants a general election in the
weeks after Easter next year.

Mr Martin told the Irish Independent of his preferred time for the vote - after
April 12, 2020 - on the same day Taoiseach Leo Varadkar firmly ruled out
holding a snap pre-Christmas poll.

Mr Martin's comments signal for the first time he is now prepared to agree to
the Taoiseach's desire for an election next summer.

Mr Varadkar had in recent days come under extraordinary pressure from Fine
Gael ministers and TDs to hold an election next month in order to capitalise
on the pause in the Brexit process and the Votegate affair.

But he firmly ruled it out in a meeting with Fine Gael ministers yesterday
morning.

Mr Varadkar is understood to have left zero wiggle room for an election this
year with his comments to ministers. This was despite telling them in the pre-
Cabinet meeting that the vast majority of Fine Gael colleagues who had
contacted him in recent days favoured an election this side of Christmas.

Mr Varadkar later told a press conference: "I don't think it's the right thing for
the country, not with the ongoing uncertainty around Brexit."

The Taoiseach said it remained his preference to have an election in the

summer of 2020.

Speaking to this newspaper last night, Mr Martin said: "I think Easter always
figured in my head as being a benchmark for the Dáil and April 12 is a natural
break."

With Mr Varadkar favouring May 2020, the two leaders could now seek to
broker an agreed date for an election next year in the coming weeks.

"Now Brexit has gone back to January 31, the Dáil isn't back until January 16,
I don't think February is an option. In March you have St Patrick's Day, which
is important to the country," Mr Martin said.

"So Easter is on April 12. My view is the gap between the Taoiseach's preferred
date and my preferred date isn't as wide as they are trying to present. So you
are talking about weeks between the Taoiseach and myself in terms of timing."

Mr Martin said he had "plenty of opportunities" to pull down the Government

in recent years. "When Enda Kenny was in bother over the Maurice McCabe
affair and the Tusla file [in 2017] - that was the perfect opportunity to pull the
plug. I didn't and that's how Leo became Taoiseach.

"I committed to doing the reasonable thing. I don't believe in [having an

election] every two years. I just don't. There can be circumstances when it is
unavoidable but by and large we should strive to create meaningful periods of
government. In May, Fine Gael will have been in government for four years
and they haven't delivered. It is then time for people to judge."
Mr Martin said he had taken "a lot of stick" from his own party but said he
could not pull down the Government given the uncertainty over Brexit.

"It is just too dangerous. And I am very mindful it took 90 days to form a
government the last time and we are in a fragmented electoral and political
system in Ireland and will be after the next general election as well so it could
take equally as long a time to form a government after the next general
election."

Speaking last night, Mr Varadkar said it was not in the country's interests to
have an election while the UK is having its own - the outcome of which is far
from certain.

"I don't think the country needs a caretaker government during that period. It
needs this Government to stay in office and continue to do the work that we've
done to secure an orderly Brexit, prepare for no-deal if that were to occur, and
also ensure that Ireland's interests are defended."
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/martin-looks-for-general-
election-in-weeks-after-easter-38647765.html




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLiG8Krmc28

Government departments face

penalties if climate targets not met
– Minister
Thursday, October 31, 2019
Government departments that are not delivering on their climate
targets could face penalties, the Environment Minister has said.

It is expected Ireland will have to pay for not achieving emissions

targets for 2020, with the Comptroller and Auditor General’s own report
stating: “Indications based on trades between other member states
suggest that the shortfall could result in costs of the order of 110
million euro.”

On Thursday, Minister Richard Bruton said that departments that do not

adhere to the climate targets set for them could face punishment.

“We will be setting carbon budgets for the five-year periods 2021 to 25
and so on, in each of the three following five-year periods, they will be
nailed down, they will be set by Government, on recommendation from
myself and the climate advisory group will be key to that,” he said.

Leo Varadkar
✔
@LeoVaradkar

In the Botanic Gardens for the first update on our Climate

Action Plan. We must work together to achieve a greener,
more prosperous, more sustainable & safer future. We
know what needs to be done. With this Progress Report
we are making ourselves accountable to ensure it is done
That will set a framework for each Government department to manage
its sector to deliver within those budgets and in terms of estimates.
Failure to meet those targets will be reflected in penalties on the
estimates of individual departments.

“So, there will be a very high level of accountability built into the
Climate Act that we bring to the house and we hope to have the heads
of that bill to the committee before the end of the year.”

The Government’s 2020 budget also saw a controversial carbon tax

implemented – a 6 euro increase in the price of carbon – which the
Government says is the first step towards increasing the price of carbon
from 20 to 80 euro a tonne by 2030.

Mr Bruton defended the tax on Thursday, as the Government pivots

towards a “climate-first” agenda.

“Carbon pricing is effectively about asking people to pay for the

damage that carbon emissions is doing,” he added.

“So, carbon pricing in itself is a form of expecting individual sectors to recognise

the damage they do, and obviously if people are locked into high-carbon
infrastructure for a long period, they’re going to be locking into an ever-
increasing charge.”
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/government-
departments-face-penalties-if-climate-targets-not-met-minister-961057.html

Hands off our cash -

move to a cashless society
'would lead to
unacceptable fees'
1
Swipe to pay: Money laundering arguments to back up the move
have been dismissed

October 29 2019

Hands off our cash - move to a cashless society 'would lead to

unacceptable fees'

Moving to a cashless society will put consumers at a huge

disadvantage, it has been claimed.

It means they should continue to have access to cash to pay for

goods and services, a leading consumer group has advocated.

The move to a cashless society mainly benefits banks and card

issuers such as Visa and MasterCard, according to European
consumer organisation BEUC.
The consumer body disputes the claim the use of cash is an
instrument for tax evasion and money laundering, arguing that
the likes of the Panama Papers and the Danske Bank scandals
were facilitated by electronic transfers of money.

BEUC (Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs or

European Consumer Organisation) argues in a paper there is a
need to ensure consumers have a continued non-discriminatory
right to use cash.

The Consumers' Association of Ireland is a member of BEUC.

BEUC findings appear to conflict with Ireland's National

Payments Plan, which advocates a move to more electronic
payments.

It comes as Ulster Bank again left thousands of its customers

out of pocket at the weekend when electronic files failed to
transfer, meaning wages and social welfare payments were not
credited to people's accounts.

This happens on a regular basis with banks in this country in

the lead-up to bank holidays.

BEUC's 'Cash Versus Cashless' report found consumers across

the EU were finding it increasingly difficult to access their own
cash.

This was largely due to fewer ATM machines being in place,

and the introduction of charges for withdrawing cash from
ATMs.

And more businesses and public bodies are refusing to accept

cash, the report warns.

The consumer advocates argue against moves to remove cash

completely, pointing out that this will lead to financial and
social exclusion.

The report added that there is increased vulnerability of

payment systems to IT failures and cyber-attacks.

"Dominant card schemes like Visa and MasterCard, as well as

banks, are behind this push towards a cashless society," the
report states.
The move to a cashless society mainly benefits banks and card
issuers such as Visa and MasterCard, according to European
consumer organisation BEUC.

The consumer body disputes the claim the use of cash is an

instrument for tax evasion and money laundering, arguing that
the likes of the Panama Papers and the Danske Bank scandals
were facilitated by electronic transfers of money.

BEUC (Bureau Européen des Unions de Consommateurs or

European Consumer Organisation) argues in a paper there is a
need to ensure consumers have a continued non-discriminatory
right to use cash.

The Consumers' Association of Ireland is a member of BEUC.

BEUC findings appear to conflict with Ireland's National

Payments Plan, which advocates a move to more electronic
payments.

It comes as Ulster Bank again left thousands of its customers

out of pocket at the weekend when electronic files failed to
transfer, meaning wages and social welfare payments were not
credited to people's accounts.

This happens on a regular basis with banks in this country in

the lead-up to bank holidays.

BEUC's 'Cash Versus Cashless' report found consumers across

the EU were finding it increasingly difficult to access their own
cash.

This was largely due to fewer ATM machines being in place,

and the introduction of charges for withdrawing cash from
ATMs.

And more businesses and public bodies are refusing to accept

cash, the report warns.

The consumer advocates argue against moves to remove cash

completely, pointing out that this will lead to financial and
social exclusion.

The report added that there is increased vulnerability of

payment systems to IT failures and cyber-attacks.

"Dominant card schemes like Visa and MasterCard, as well as

banks, are behind this push towards a cashless society," the
report states.

https://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/hands-
o...AR3oRq2vFtQAN8cl2YBjzGh5HhP0BPVALzNLAZNk2YNWYOYEqaJQWewSi_s Page 2 of 5

Hands off our cash - move to a cashless society 'would lead to unacceptable fees' - Independent.ie
01/11/2019, 00(10

Ad

Card schemes are big beneficiaries of cashless transactions as

fees are paid to them and to the bank of the consumer.

BEUC said it was not acceptable to argue that cash is an

instrument for tax evasion, money laundering and the
financing of terrorism.

"This argument is not acceptable, these criminal activities, as

shown by recent inquiries such as Panama Papers and the
recent Danske Bank case, are possible due to the complexity of
the financial circuits.

"Money laundering is not necessarily based on cash." BEUC says

that even the European Central Bank agrees with this
argument.

One of its board members, Yves Mersch, said recently: "No

particular link can be established statistically between cash
and criminal activities. The focus must be on the fight against
crime. Cash must not be made the scapegoat."

The Panama Papers was the leak of 11 million documents

referring to offshore accounts. More than $1.2bn (€1.08bn) in
back-taxes and penalties was collected as a result of the
documents becoming public.

The Danske Bank money laundering scandal arose in 2017 when

€200bn of suspicious transactions from Estonia, Russia and
Latvia were paid into the Estonia-based bank branch of
Danske.
Consumers' Association of Ireland (CAI) policy adviser Dermott
Jewell said: "As members and contributors to BEUC policy
papers the CAI would be in agreement with the BEUC
conclusions and recommendations for the EU."
Mr Jewell said full-on moves to a cashless society will
negatively affect Irish consumers, denying them choice and a
promoting and maintaining an unacceptable regime of fees and
charges.

‘HANDS OFF OUR CASH ...’
Moving to a cashless society would mainly benefits banks and
card issuers such as Visa and MasterCard, according to European
consumer organisation BEUC.
The Consumers Association of Ireland have said that a cashless
society would negatively affect Irish consumers, denying them
choice and a promoting and maintaining an unacceptable regime
of fees and charges.

https://www.independent.ie/business/personal-finance/hands-off-
our-cash-move-to-a-cashless-society-would-lead-to-
unacceptable-fees-
38640395.html?fbclid=IwAR3oRq2vFtQAN8cl2YBjzGh5HhP0BPV
ALzNLAZNk2YNWYOYEqaJQWewSi_s

I am not promoting any particular political party and didn't intend on creating a left wing/right wing
debate, this is a bipartisan issue)

I was in emergency accomodation for some time with my family back in 2016, thankfully since then our own
situation has changed but both myself and my wife are very aware of the distress and dispair still out there and the
distant lack of meaningful action from the government.

But, there is one thing that has been really bugging me and it's people who complain about the system yet have
never bothered to vote.

The first fact is this, only 2/3 of the country regularly turn out to vote in Ireland and the second fact is that most of
those who don't vote are working class people like myself and also less likely to be right wing. That is a whole 1/3
of our country which are preventing meaningful change. The Irony of which is that those most affected by the
housing crisis are those who are more likely to not be registered to vote.

In essence, if we want real change in this country we must first mobilise at the voting booth because the
government wont make the changes required because they arn't afraid of those who don't vote.
Imagine the panic in FF/FG in this country if we had a 95% turnout. This is the only way we are going to have
change.

I urge everyone to register to vote and vow to get one other person in their life to register as we have an election
around the corner.

TDs from NW among

those not voting despite
clocking in

OCTOBER 31, 2019

TDs from the north west are among those who have recorded their attendances at
Leinster House for expense purposes but have not taken part in Dail votes.

That’s according to an investigation by RTE which found that some TDs failed to
take part in any votes on almost 50% of days when they recorded their attendance in
Leinster House.

TDs must record their attendance in Leinster House to claim expenses under the
Travel and Accommodation Allowance Scheme.
The scheme costs taxpayers almost three million euro per year.

Expenses are based on the distance a TD has to travel from their residence to Leinster
House.

The allowance is given to TDs on the basis that they attend Leinster House on at least
120 days per year.

The TDs use an electronic fob system on just one occasion daily to record their
attendance

RTE Investigates looked at the total number of days between March 2016 and July
2019 when TDs recorded their attendance but did not attend any votes.

It also looked at the expenses they claimed between March 2016 and the end of 2018.

Among the TDs who signed in and missed votes on a HIGHER than average number
of days were Sligo/Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry who claimed €86,672 and did not
vote on 34 days.

Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue claimed €89,228 and did not vote on 33 days.

Donegal Independent Deputy Thomas Pringle claimed €87,660 and missed votes on
26 days.

RTE also looked at the TDs who signed in and missed votes on a SMALLER than
average number of days.

These included Sligo/Leitrim TD Eamon Scanlon who claimed €86,341 and missed
votes on 21 days; Donegal Sinn Fein Pearse Doherty, €90,493 and missed votes on 16
days; Sligo/Leitrim Sinn Fein TD Martin Kenny who claimed €85,388 and missed
votes on 15 days; and Sligo/Leitrim Fine Gael TD Tony McLoughlin who claimed
€87,294 and missed votes on five days.

In response, TDs have said they may be at other meetings in Leinster House or may
have ‘pairing’ arrangements with Dail colleagues in relation to absences for voting.

https://www.oceanfm.ie/2019/10/31/tds-from-nw-among-those-
not-voting-despite-clocking-
in/?fbclid=IwAR3_lR1rZTDVyvJ_d6o_4Z5XWC5KVMhYW-
GjwQPz_sodSVV5wHOnS5l0H9U



High Court ruling

temporarily prevents Ben
Gilroy from arresting
Start Mortgages
employees
Thursday, October 31, 2019 -

Ben Gilroy.
Start Mortgages has secured a temporary High Court injunction
preventing anti-eviction activist Ben Gilroy from arresting any of its
employees or agents.

Start Mortgages DAC today secured orders preventing Mr Gilroy, who

contested this year's European Parliament Elections, from arresting,
restraining or assaulting any of Start's current or former officers,
agents, lawyers or employees.
Start also secured an order restraining the defendant from publishing
or posting online any information relating to the home addresses or
property of any of Start's current of former employees, officers, and
lawyers.

The injunctions apply to any other person who has knowledge of the
orders, as well as Mr Gilroy.

Start sought the injunctions against Mr Gilroy arising out of videos

posted on social media in recent days where he alleges that Start is
involved in a fraud, and calls for people acting for or working with the
fund to be arrested.

At the High Court today counsel for Start Garrett Flynn Bl said Start
rejects all the fraud allegations made against it by the defendant. He
said Mr Gilroy states in the video that he intends to "get a posse
together," and "start arresting these people in a systemic way," over the
coming weeks.

Counsel said his client was concerned as the names of current and
former employees of the company have been posted on social media.

Mr Gilroy, it is claimed, was allegedly inciting people to form a mob,

and perform citizens arrests of Start employees and legal
representatives. This, it is claimed, is an attempt by Mr Gilroy to
intimidate and harass Start's representatives.

The court heard that Mr Gilroy is contesting an application by Start for

repossession orders in respect of his family home.

Those proceedings relate to an alleged default on repayments on a

loan of €310,000, which Start claims it advanced to Mr Gilroy and his
wife in 2006. The proceedings stand adjourned before Trim Circuit
Court.

Start claims it is owed €512,000 by Mr Gilroy and his wife, and that the
last repayment made by them was in February 2011.
Start also claims that Mr Gilroy attended at its offices last May, and
seized the original mortgage and title documents it held on his home.

The taking of those documents resulted in Start bringing High Court

proceedings against Mr Gilroy seeking the return of the material.

Start also claims that Mr Gilroy is purporting to give legal advice on the
videos, which he is not entitled to do.

The injunction was granted on an ex-parte basis by Ms Justice Leonie

Reynolds. The case will come back before the court on Friday.

The Judge said she was satisfied to make the orders sought.

The Judge noted from documents put before the Court that Mr Gilroy
has acknowledged that the Director of Public Prosecutions has stated
that there is no case in fraud against Start in respect of the matters he
complains about.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/high-court-ruling-
temporarily-prevents-ben-gilroy-from-arresting-start-mortgages-employees-
960995.html
Fionnán Sheahan: 'Do-
nothing Dáil created vote
saga in a plague on all in
House'

3
Barry Cowen. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins
Fionnán Sheahan
October 22 2019

Micheál Martin will have no problem securing an overall

majority in the Dáil after the next general election.
It doesn't matter how many seats he wins, he can just get
his Niall and Lisa to push the buttons for enough TDs in
the Dáil.
Fianna Fáil's phantom votes was one of those touchstone
topics that got the nation talking yesterday.
Politicians behaving badly tends to have that effect.
However, it's no laughing matter. Voting by TDs is set out
in the Constitution.
Article 15.11.1 of Bunreacht na hÉireann specifies: "All
questions in each House shall, save as otherwise provided
by this Constitution, be determined by a majority of the
votes of the members present and voting other than the
Chairman or presiding member."

Billy Kelleher. Photo: Gareth Chaney, Collins

So it's not an option. TDs do have to be present in the Dáil.
Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan pointed out proxy
voting was "unlawful".
More pertinently, he said there have been tight votes in
the Dáil in the past, some won by just one vote adding:
"This is all now subject to challenge - that any law that was
passed on the basis of a fraudulent vote will be subject to
challenge."
And yet there is a view within Leinster House that this is
not an isolated incident.
Niall Collins. Photo: Tom Burke
"It's endemic with some TDs. They work it like a FÁS
course," a TD said last night.
The Oireachtas has been brought into disrepute and the
authorities, headed by the Ceann Comhairle Seán Ó
Fearghaíl, will have to clamp down on this activity.
The Constitution also allows the Dáil to set it own rules
and govern itself.
Ó Fearghaíl is well-regarded as fair-minded by many in
the House. He has already cleaned up a mess which TDs
made, and then ran away from, with his apology to former
Rehab chief executive Angela Kerins for the way she was
treated by the Public Accounts committee during an
appearance before it in 2014.
The phantom voting affair is a reflection of the attitudes of
the so-called 'do-nothing-Dáil' towards the operation of
the parliament.
New Politics
The New Politics era of Confidence and Supply means we
have a minority government propped up by the main
opposition parties.
Without the acquiescence of both big parties and the
Independents in the administration, legislation cannot be
passed.
The Government can be defeated on symbolic votes, which
have little impact. Many contentious issues are parked.
Publishing the Autumn Legislative Programme, the
Government said the Dáil has enacted 34 bills this year.
There are 32 bills on the priority list and 27 bills at various
stages.
Veteran TDs say this is the least productive Dáil they have
come across as ministers are simply avoiding legislation
that will be shot down on the Floor.
The abortion law is the most striking exception but that
had substantial support in both houses of the Oireachtas.
In Fianna Fáil, the situation engulfing the party's front
bench hasn't improved.
Taoiseach Leo Varadkar used his address to the Fine Gael
Presidential Dinner earlier this month to laud his
ministerial benches.
Pointing to the general election campaign, he emphasised
the importance of his "team".
"If we had a Fianna Fáil-led Government now and they
were involved in Brexit negotiations now who could they
send who could match Simon Coveney or Helen
McEntee?"
The answer to that question would be sending their
opposite numbers: Niall Collins, who has stood down from
the frontbench pending an investigation into his phantom
voting, and Lisa Chambers, who is explaining how she
mistakenly voted for a colleague.
It doesn't exude confidence.
The focus will remain firmly on the parties and
personalities in the run in to the general election.
The voting saga was spreading last night, and drawing in
Fine Gael.
A plague on everyone's houses.

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/fionnn-sheahan-donothing-dil-
created-vote-saga-in-a-plague-on-all-in-house-38618842.html




John Downing: 'Twenty
years of 'paper' plans
have seen so many
pensioners die in poverty
as they await reform
pledges'

1
New llan: Social Protection Minister, Regina Doherty.
John Downing
November 1 2019

The irony of it all - on so many levels - was not lost on the late, great Séamus Brennan. One of the
gentlemen of Irish politics was talking to this writer in that strange ministerial office on top of the one-
time controversial building called "Bus Áras".
The ministerial office has great views across the south side of the River Liffey,
deep into the Dublin mountains.

Mr Brennan gleefully recalled it was in this office that his old foe, Charlie
Haughey, had back in 1979 as health and welfare minister, plotted to become
Taoiseach by ousting Jack Lynch. The ministerial job had allowed Mr
Haughey to help so many Fianna Fáil backbench TDs with the political
constituency currency that was medical cards and welfare payments.

We still recall Charlie won the big prize and Séamie lost out,
being obliged to take a longer route in his considerable
political career. And back in October 2004, when this writer
met Mr Brennan atop Bus Áras, he was making the best of
being moved in a canny government reshuffle by then
Taoiseach Bertie Ahern, from the more prestigious Transport
Department to being suddenly minding "poor people" as the
Social Welfare minister.

The loveable Co Galway man would never tolerate such a

pejorative term as "poor people", even in casual conversation.
And, ever the smooth politician, he swiftly steered the
interview towards plans for a brave new world in Irish
pensions, casually melding in Fianna Fáil's traditional courting
of the "grey vote".

So, Séamus Brennan enthused about how Ireland would have a

very different pensions regime rather soon. Sixteen years later,
we are talking about a brave new pensions world which is likely
to happen sometime after 2022.

One wonders how many poor elderly people have died in

interim amid pledges of future change. If you were a 40-
something in 2004, you are very probably timed out of the
workplace by now - especially if you were engaged in heavy
physical labour.

The statistics speak for themselves and the relatively generous

old-age pension applied generally has covered a multitude of
pension sins in this country. Because, for all his sincerity and
commitment, Mr Brennan was still awash with plans, proposals
and reports.

We still await action. But yesterday, one of his successors, the

Social Protection Minister, Regina Doherty, unveiled a plan of
campaign which nailed certain options.

You can argue the details up hill and down dale, but it sounded
like decisions are being made here at long last. The scheme is
designed to help the two-thirds of private sector workers who
have no pension provision beyond the State's old-age pension.

The new scheme will apparently start in 2022 and apply to

workers aged between 23 and 60 who earn more than €20,000
per year. Way back when, Séamus Brennan used to talk about
"soft mandatory" pensions whereby, workers could opt out of
enrolling in a workplace pension scheme which would
eventually enhance the State pension payment. The principle
remains in the ensuing decades as we're now talking about
"auto- enrolment".

But it's much the same idea, addressing the problem of 20-
something people entering the workplace, assuming

immortality and requiring quiet direction towards a pension

scheme. We are talking about a third of the workforce,
amounting to some 600,000 people and their families.

The jury is out on how effective the plan might be. There is a
small minority of independent people who assess pension in
this world and who understand the arcane world of
superannuation. But we seriously depend on them to be fair
and honest.

Those who sell and trade pensions have a "mixed reputation,"

their dear colleagues in the financial services businesses often
note that they are the ones with the biggest cars in the parking
lot.

This writer is vastly nearer the pension deadline than he would

like. Like many contemporaries, he must find his own remedies
- or otherwise.

Away from arguments for compassion and charity there is a

more realpolitik dynamic. Two-thirds of pensioners do not have
a private pension and the number of pensioners will double in
a short few years. It is time to make more provision with a
secondary pension.
The money for that must come for workers, employers and the
government. It's common sense. But the worry is that again,
this is just more talk.
https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/john-downing-twenty-years-
of-paper-plans-have-seen-so-many-pensioners-die-in-poverty-as-they-await-
reform-pledges-38651006.html

Postponement of plans to
house 13 female asylum
seekers due to ongoing
protests 'extremely
concerning'
November 1 2019

2
The women were due to be accommodated in Achill House Hotel

A decision by the Department of Justice to postpone plans

to house 13 women in a hotel in Achill, Co Mayo due to
ongoing protests is "extremely concerning".
Fianna Fáil's justice spokesperson Jim O'Callaghan
accused a small cohort of "piggybacking on local concerns
in order to fuel a racist agenda".
His comments follow a statement by the Department of
Justice which said it has put off plans to house the women
in the Achill Head Hotel in Keel.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr O'Callaghan said:
"I'm extremely concerned about what's happened, not just
in Achill but in recent months in places as you mentioned
such as Oughterard, Rooskey and Moville.

Fianna Fáil justice spokesperson Jim O’Callaghan Picture: Tom

Burke
"I think we need to recognise as a country that if we're
going to be a wealthy country and if we're going to be a
strong economy, necessarily we are going to attract in
people who are seeking asylum or indeed people who want
to be economic migrants.
"The problem is the numbers have grown relatively
significantly but they are still quite small. Last year we had
something like 3,600 and at the end of September this
year we have something like 3,700. The housing crisis and
the failure of the government is contributing to this
problem and these people in Direct Provision aren't
moving as because they can't access accommodation in
ordinary society.
"The vast majority of people in Ireland want to welcome in
people. I have a concern that there were certain outside
forces trying to piggyback on local concerns in order to
fuel a racist agenda. There are campaigns on social media
will be aware of... people trying to stir the pot."
The women were due to be accommodated in Achill for a
maximum of three months.
"The department has regrettably decided that, at the
moment, to ask the women to move there would not be in
their best interests, as they may be vulnerable while
awaiting decisions on their protection applications," a
spokesperson for the Department of Justice said last night.
The department said it was disappointed at the continuing
protest, but would continue to engage with the
representatives in an effort to resolve the situation.
https://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/irish-news/postponement-of-
plans-to-house-13-female-asylum-seekers-due-to-ongoing-protests-
extremely-concerning-38651405.html

Housing Minister urged to quit as

homelessness total exceeds
10,000
Friday, November 01, 2019

The number of people in emergency accommodation increased again in
September, with almost 10,400 adults and children experiencing
homelessness.

Department of Housing figures released yesterday show 10,397 people,

including 6,524 adults and 3,873 children, accessed emergency
accommodation in September.
The homelessness total passed the 10,000 mark for the first time in
March this year.

Among adults, the biggest proportion of people accessing emergency

accommodation was those aged between 25 and 44.

Focus Ireland
@FocusIreland

The official figures from the Dept of Housing show 10,397

people homeless in September which is a record total.

Focus Ireland has warned of the human trauma caused by

homelessness as the total number of people homeless
has now been over 10,000 for the 8th consecutive month.
There were also almost 1,000 more men than women who were
homeless.

The figures show there were 1,756 families experiencing homelessness

last month.

Some 76% of people accessed emergency accommodation in

Dublin, followed by Cork, Galway, Limerick and Kildare.
Anthony Flynn, CEO of homelessness charity Inner City Helping
Homeless, called on Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy to consider his
position and step down in light of the figures.

“Further increases in the number of families, children and adults that

are now homeless in the State have made the Minister’s position
untenable. He needs to leave his post as the relentless persistence in
expecting the private markets to resolve the homeless crisis have
clearly failed,” he said.

ICHHDUBLIN
✔
@ICHHDUBLIN

Increase acrosss the board on the overdue homeless

figures for September as the number of homeless families,
adults and children have all increased.

The Minister has failed in his role and needs to go.

3,873 children facing Halloween and Xmas in emergency

accom is unacceptable
 Wayne Stanley, national spokesman for the homelessness charity
Simon Communities, said the figures do not capture the full extent of
homelessness in Ireland because rough sleepers, those in squats,
people in direct provision and women’s shelters are not included.

He said it is “crucial that we remind ourselves that this is not normal”.

Mr Stanley said: “Homelessness is not normal and as a society we long

ago set out that it should not be acceptable.”
He criticised the Government’s approach to solving the homelessness
crisis and said it is not working.

“The current programme cannot be allowed to drift on as if it was

succeeding,” he said.

“To move forward, the Government has to accept the failings of

Rebuilding Ireland to provide affordable and secure housing across the
country, particularly one and two-bed units, and act to improve levels
of availability of suitable and secure accommodation for those
currently experiencing homelessness.”

Focus Ireland director of advocacy Mike Allen said the figures show
that the problem “cannot be solved unless the Government moves to
stop families being evicted from their homes by landlords who wish to
sell up”.

FUCKING VULTURES STEALING IRISH PEOPLES HOMES FROM TAX

PAYERS FUNDING
Rerouting of profits from the domestic economy to international megabanks
vulture funds
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/housing-minister-
urged-to-quit-as-homelessness-total-exceeds-10000-
961123.html?fbclid=IwAR3NSKoV5lMOdWbZ3SI2kgYaCqHy6D65Fzj60nS9d
f7pwM9Kb-cudHuavjc

Joe McKeever is somebody who will benefit from a mobile data-sharing

initiative from An Post to keep Ireland's homeless connected.

Called The Shared Network it will be available to people who are

homeless or living in temporary emergency accommodation through
charities working in the area of homelessness.

Homes.less politics
Wanker

I am going to post this once a week. This is something we should not forget.
O’Devaney Lands Giveaway Scam – The Madness Continues……………..

A new proposal from Dublin City Council management to giveaway the O’Devaney lands
will be on the agenda of the council meeting on Monday (see photo below).

The Government and Dublin City Council officials are so determined for developers to
make vast profits off the public lands in O’Devaney Gardens that they are willing to buy
back a percentage of the houses at huge cost and allow an Approved Housing Body to
manage them as a cost rental scheme. As can be seen from the proposal council
management will ‘request’ the developer to sell an unknown percentage of the units to an
Approved Housing Body at full market value!!

Instead of building public housing on public lands the council already owns they will allow
a developer to maximise profits before buying back some houses with public money. It
will come as no surprise that Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Labour Party will support the
developers making huge profits from public lands but we should expect more from the
Social Democrats and the Greens given their opposition to the original giveaway.
Hopefully both will continue to oppose the giveaway.

The vote on Monday will show who supports the developers and wealthy investors and
who supports those in emergency homeless accommodation, those on the housing list,
people paying exorbitant rents and the local community hoping to be able to afford to live
in their own area.
If the Government pays top price to the developer for the houses the rents for the cost
rental will be out of reach for most people and the 20% affordable purchase continues to
be unaffordable for the majority of people. Ordinary people will be priced out of their own
areas and the gentrification of the area will continue.

Please email the councillors on “[email protected]” and demand they vote

NO on Monday.

Controversial legislation to seal

millions of abuse records for at
least 75 years has been sent back
to the Dáil
Friday, November 01, 2019

Controversial legislation to seal millions of abuse records for at least

75 years has been sent back to the Dáil education committee for
further scrutiny.

The Retention of Records Bill will see records from the Commission to
Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA), Residential Institutions Redress Board,
and Residential Institutions Redress Review Committee placed in the
National Archives and sealed for a minimum of 75 years.
The legislation had been due in Committee State in the coming weeks
but this has now been deferred to allow the Oireachtas education
committee to further scrutinise the legislation and seek the views of
survivors and campaigners. This will take place on November 14.

Sinn Féin education spokesperson Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

said major concerns had been expressed about the
legislation by survivors, archivists and historians and that
plans to seal records for 75 years were "way over the top".

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

“It is welcome that the Education committee will now take

more time to consider this Bill, but more crucially, to hear of
the concerns of survivors. The proposal on hand, to seal
records from the Ryan Commission, is disproportionate, and
is a very dangerous precedent," he said.
Mr Ó Laoighaire said survivors have expressed concern that
they are being denied their right to their own testimony.
"The National Archives act is being overridden, and I do not
believe that is right. The opportunity to hear the concerns of
survivors in Committee will be very valuable, and will allow
the committee to reflect, but also, I hope, the Department,"
he said.

Tom Cronin — a survivor of St Joseph’s industrial school in Cork and a

former board member of Caranua from which he resigned in 2018 over
its treatment of survivors — described the legislation as "undemocratic"
and sets a dangerous precedent.

The records of the survivors belong to them and the decision on what to do with
them should be theirs alone. In my opinion, they should be in the public arena in
places like schools and libraries with the consent of the survivors
"I believe the sentence: 'Locked up as children and now their story,
which must have been very hard for them to revisit, are being locked up
again' well it says it all," he said.

A recent study prepared for the Department of Education and Skills

based on consultations with more than 100 survivors of abuse in
residential institutions revealed that the majority of those interviewed
expressed concern about the plans to seal records.

Former head of special projects at the National Archives of Ireland

(NAI) Caitríona Crowe has said the Government’s decision to “override
the 1986 National Archives Act” in the Bill sets “a dangerous and
unnecessary precedent”.

In May, the Irish Examiner also revealed that the NAI advised the
Department of Education in April of last year that there was no need for
the legislation.

It said that records from the CICA are already covered by the National
Archives Act, and that the latter two bodies could be brought under its
remit by simply adding them to the schedule of the act. This would
mean the records would be open to inspection after 30 years, subject to
some exemptions.

Criminal legislation to protect the elite.

Goes to show still rife with pedos trying to cover it up
Attempts to seal the records for 75yrs look set to be defeated.. I hope they are. It's bad
enough the gov want to hide these reports and testimonies away for any length of time
give what happened is already mostly historical in nature. They should NOT BE SEALED
at all in my humble opinion. The population of this country should be able to read these
records if they choose. Locking people up on a whim or the say so of a priest, nun, garda
or judge.. was abhorrent (not strong enough a word)and the treatment then meted out
was nothing short of criminal. To lock these records away for any length of time now
would amount to the same thing. (records can be anonymised if necessary)
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/controversial-
legislation-to-seal-millions-of-abuse-records-for-at-least-75-years-has-been-
sent-back-to-the-dail-
961136.html?fbclid=IwAR0XDsnw9TzszVVRvskhS_k9yLZyDhfOlUO7r2fHE3mm
wRiv8gfodR0djhU

HSE withholds funds for abuse

survivor group
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Health Service Executive (HSE) is withholding funding from a Cork-
based group representing survivors of institutional abuse until it can
prove it can manage these monies appropriately.

Right of Place/Second Chance has been receiving funding from the HSE
and other organisations since 1999.

Last year it was allocated €337,500 by the HSE, while since 2002 it has
received more than €2.2m.

Members of the group raised concerns about how the funds were being
managed in August and in October the HSE sought information from
the group’s founder, Noel C Barry, as to the organisation’s structure and
governance arrangements

A new committee has been formed within the group which is trying to
take over from Mr Barry.

However, the founder has refused to accept this group and has
obtained a High Court injunction preventing them from entering the
Glanmire Road premises.
Responding to the allegations last night, Mr Barry said he was “utterly
and totally shocked by the allegations”.

“Every cent that came into this building was audited and it went to the
Comptroller and Auditor. The audits are here. My view is there is a
power struggle going on. I was due to stand down anyway. I told the
board that I wanted to stand down, that I had done 10 years,” he said.

Mr Barry said: “Another person wanted to take over here and I thought
this cannot happen it must be done democratically.

“I had planned calling an EGM next month so the survivors would name
the person to take over and that’s the way it should be done,” he
added.

Mr Barry said the day the survivors told him to go he would go — “it’s
as simple as that”.

A statement from the HSE read: “The HSE has a service agreement with
Right of Place/Second Chance for a number of years. Funding for this
service agreement is negotiated and allocated on a yearly basis. Prior
to proceeding with funding arrangements for 2010, the HSE has
requested details of the organisation’s structure and governance
arrangements as per the requirements of the service agreement. The
HSE is currently awaiting this information.”

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/hse-withholds-funds-
for-abuse-survivor-group-439288.html


This happened today (01/11) in the Luas at the red line (near to The Silver Penny Pub). This guy was
being racist and saying terrible things before I started recording, some things like "I'm going to break
your jaw" and some other things about slavery. The black guy was obviously unconfortable with the
situation, some other people were uncorfortable as well but they did nothing! We should help each
other, protect each other, but what I saw was a bunch of people that was scared of the bully or was
agreeing with his mean speech. There's no difference between white, black, yellow, we are all humans.
After I stopped recording the guy started asking if I was going to leave the train with him because he
was going to punch me/hit me, threatening me. I always had in mind that Europe was like heaven,
where people respect each other, where there's space for everyone, but what I saw today was
something completely different. Lets make this Dubliner Bully famous hoping that he realizes that what
he did or have been doing is wrong and shouldn't be accepted as normal. "Brave man"


https://www.facebook.com/enzo.souza.5/videos/pcb.3163404333735055/316
3393947069427/?type=3&theater
And just like clockwork the political classes come out and supported by the media to
apportion blame for the housing crisis on those with the least power to affect it...
Here's a quote from my own post yesterday describing this very phenomenon and why
the media/political classes keep pushing it...
"If it's homelessness then they single out immigrants and single mothers for shame and
blame the remaining of the homeless for either being alcoholics or drug users instead of
the reality that more and more homeless are in this situation because of rising rents and
privatisation policies that have destroyed social housing provision but they NEVER EVER EVER
focus on the real cause of homelessness... Fine Gael/Fianna Fail."
Fine Gael/Fianna Fail and their proxies in the media do this relentlessly to sow divisions so that
the people keep attacking each other instead of going after the people responsible...
They are encouraging the Middle Classes to side with the rich against the poor because they know
that if you fool the Middle Class into thinking they are not the next target of the wealth classes
then they can maintain power over everyone...

Michael Healy-Rae
logged into Dáil on day he
was in Kerry for a funeral
‘I can’t give any more’: Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae says
he “gives 150pc every day” to politics. Photo: Tom Burke
November 1 2019
Michael Healy-Rae logged into Dáil on day he was in Kerry for a
funeral

Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae missed keynote speeches to

the Dáil by EU leaders Jean-Claude

Juncker and Michel Barnier - but was "clocked in" as attending

on Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae missed keynote speeches
to the Dáil by EU leaders Jean-Claude Juncker and Michel
Barnier - but was "clocked in" as attending on both days.

While Mr Juncker was telling TDs "Ireland will come first" in the
Brexit negotiations, the Irish Independent understands Mr
Healy-Rae was a five-hour drive away in Co Kerry.

both days.
It's understood he attended a funeral in Sneem on the same
morning as the European Commission president

was in the Dáil.

However, attendance reports compiled by the Oireachtas for
June 21, 2018, show he still managed to clock in at Leinster
House.

Similarly, when Mr Barnier visited in May 2017 the deputy, who

is chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on EU Affairs, was
absent but marked present.

Some 140 out of 158 TDs were in the Dáil chamber to hear the
EU's chief Brexit negotiator's address at 11am on a Thursday.

At the time, Mr Healy-Rae claimed he did not attend because

he was not afforded either an opportunity to meet Mr Barnier
or contribute to the debate in the chamber.

Mr Barnier used the speech to promise he would work with TDs

to avoid a hard Border because "nothing should put peace at
risk".

Mr Healy-Rae declined to explain the exact circumstances that

led to him miss the speeches despite his key role on the EU
committee.

However, the TD defended his work on behalf of the people of

Kerry saying he gives "150pc every day to politics".

"I start out every day as early as I humanly can," he said.

"I can't be in two places at the same time. I try to cover Co

Kerry as good as I can. I cover the rest of the country in as
good a way as I can.

"I'm asked to go to things outside county and I represent people

in the best way I can.

"Whether that's inside in the Dáil, whether it's chairing

Oireachtas committees, whether it's attending briefings, I just
do my best."

To qualify for their travel expenses TDs must register their

presence in Leinster House on at least 120 days a year using an
electronic fob key.

However, there is no requirement on TDs to prove they

remained on the complex after checking in.

Based on the distance from his home in Kilgarvan to Dublin city

centre, Mr Healy-Rae qualifies for unvouched 'Travel and
Accommodation Allowance' of €34,065 annually.
The deputy is known to often hold constituency clinics in Kerry
on Thursday even though it is normally a sitting day for the
Dáil.

He has missed nine of 10 voting sessions in the past two years,

most of which took place on Thursdays.

In some cases, he would have been "paired" with Government

deputies, meaning he has agreed not to vote in order to
facilitate the absence of a minister.

Put to him that logic suggests he clocks in early on Thursday

mornings and departs for home, Mr Healy-Rae replied: "I can't
even comment on that because that wouldn't be fair to say.

"I can't give any more than I'm doing and that's it. That's the
only comment I'll give." He added that reporters "can go this
way and that way" looking to criticise him but "I do not spare
myself".

"I'll issue an open invitation because I've done it with reporters.

Come away with me, any one of ye, any day. I don't care if it is
Monday or Sunday, come away with me and see what it's like.

"They can see exactly what it's like. They can stick with me
and see for themselves.

"Maybe when they'd have one day put down with me, they
wouldn't be anxious to come the second day," Mr Healy-Rae
said.

Who else can be proven to have been "fobbed" in to the dail while actually being
somewhere else entirely!!
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/michael-healyrae-logged-into-
dil-on-day-he-was-in-kerry-for-a-funeral-
38650938.html?fbclid=IwAR0ocmMtF8dk3LW_u0sn6XMHGquV-
Yj0Ko1hLHH9hnBOHzYwvIYB8IU2-aw

Sympathy for 'Swing-gate'
TD but support is in short
supply'
Compensation claim saga

1
Jump to it: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the autumn display in the
Botanic Gardens, Dublin. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA




If it wasn't for 'Swing-gate', Maria Bailey would be the TD overseeing the
investigation into Votegate.

Her role as chairperson of the Dáil's Committee on Members Interests was

one of the many sacrifices she has had to make in the past five months.

The Dún Laoghaire TD has sought desperately to redeem herself in the eyes of
her colleagues and the public, but the night of July 10, 2015, continues to
haunt her.
The events of that evening in The Dean hotel have also plagued Fine Gael - but
it is now in a position to try to purge the problem.

There are few stories in recent political times that have resonated so heavily
with the public.

Last week, as Fianna Fáil was engulfed in scandal over TDs voting for absent
colleagues, their spokespeople repeatedly responded to Fine Gael lectures by
randomly shouting "Maria Bailey".

The plotline was simple: A politician goes on a night out to an upmarket hotel.
She falls off an ornamental swing and is hurt. The next day she requires
medical treatment but ultimately gets back on her feet.

For most people, it would amount to one of those funny 'remember the time'
stories you tell every time you meet up with the group of friends who
witnessed the silliness.

But Ms Bailey didn't dust herself down and laugh it off. She engaged the
services of Madigan solicitors, a firm where her political colleague and then
good friend Josepha Madigan worked.

'Going legal' kick-started a plot twist which neither women could ever have
predicted. Fast-forward four years to May 20 - four days before the local
elections - when the Irish Independent revealed details of the first-term TD's
compensation claim.

Over the course of a week, our investigation left her case looking very weak.

Nobody denies she was hurt. Medics at the private Beacon Hospital certified
that she suffered soft-tissue injuries, contusions and concussion. She went on
to receive dental treatment and required intense physiotherapy.

But it was the circumstances that turned Ms Bailey into an internet meme and
ultimately a household name.

The backbencher had a bottle of beer in one hand and was "reaching" for a
friend's bottle of wine when she toppled.

Despite her wounds, she managed to appear on television a few days later and
even went to the Longitude music festival. Within three weeks she was back
running a 10km race. According to herself the time of 53min 56sec was not
impressive - but back in the real world it was pretty good, especially given her
injuries.

The TD's packed schedule didn't sit comfortably with the claims made in court
papers, including that she couldn't run "at all" for three months after the fall.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's office was flooded with hundreds of emails from
angry punters, and ministers privately spoke of their horror at the
reputational damage the controversy did to the party.
But Mr Varadkar decided the public humiliation suffered by his TD was in
itself a punishment. Having hired a senior counsel to confirm Ms Bailey had
"overstated the impact of her injuries", the Taoiseach was one of the few
people to show her compassion.

"It is clear to me that Deputy Bailey made numerous errors of judgment in her
handling of this matter from the outset, during and even after she'd
withdrawn the case," he said.

Mr Varadkar demoted her as chairperson of the Oireachtas Housing

Committee, costing her a salary top-up of €9,500, but left her on the election
ticket.

As a result, Ms Bailey has bravely tried to go back to normal. She attends the
Dáil every week, eats in the Leinster House canteen and walks the corridors
with her head held high.

She hasn't publicly challenged those who have mocked her or held a grudge
against the colleagues who made little effort to protect her from the
onslaught.

But the insurance crisis hasn't abated. Companies are still going out of
business because they can't get cover, and court pay-outs for whiplash and
other injuries have not yet been reset to reasonable levels.

And until the Government manages to get on top of the problem, Maria Bailey
will be the poster girl for it.

With Fine Gael headquarters afraid to make the tough decision, members in
her Dún Laoghaire constituency have spent recent weeks trying to figure out a
way of freeing themselves from the debacle.

The motion at last night's meeting could be described as watery. It made no

direct reference to Ms Bailey but everybody knew an urgent review of the
election ticket was a polite way of throwing her under the metaphorical bus.

The Taoiseach and five ministers declined to expressly support Ms Bailey in

advance of the vote yesterday.

One of those was Culture Minister Ms Madigan, who said: "I don't think it's
appropriate for me to comment on Maria Bailey's suitability as a general
election candidate or otherwise."

On a personal level, many in Fine Gael have sympathy for Ms Bailey. But this
is politics and the pendulum doesn't always swing in both directions.

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/kevin-doyle-sympathy-for-
swinggate-td-but-support-is-in-short-supply-38650951.html


An Post launches mobile data
sharing initiative for the homeless
Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Joe McKeever is somebody who will benefit from a mobile data-sharing
initiative from An Post to keep Ireland's homeless connected.

Called The Shared Network it will be available to people who are

homeless or living in temporary emergency accommodation through
charities working in the area of homelessness.

An Post is donating an initial 18,000GB of data from its mobile network
across 2,000 SIM cards to Dublin Simon Community, Focus Ireland,
Peter McVerry Trust, St Vincent De Paul and Merchants Quay Ireland.

“I became homeless, mostly through drug addiction and misbehaving,”

said Joe, 20, from Bray, Co Wicklow.

“I have been homeless on and off since I was 15 years old. I was in care
but over the last two years, I have been sofa-surfing in between being
on the street and staying in hostels.

“I had not talked to my father for five years but I saw him last week and he
shook my hand and said he was sorry. I talk to my Ma. I talk to most of my
family. “

Joe has been helped by a key worker at Merchants Quay Ireland and is now working
towards being drug-free. “Addiction is a very bad road to be on and I would give
anything to get off it,” he said.

Joe has a mobile phone and he relies on it to help him find a hostel at night. “I would
be lost without my mobile phone; I would also be very lonely.”

Director of advocacy, communications and research at Focus Ireland, Mike Allen,

said the data would be mainly used by families they worked with to find a new home.
“Finding a home is very time consuming and all the available property is on the web,”
he said.

Earlier this year, An Post launched Address Point for people who are homeless or
living in temporary accommodation.

People registering for the service are given an address where the post office is located
but it does not state that it is a post office.

Mr Allen said Address Point had helped homeless people to apply for jobs and engage
in “officialdom”.

An Post is also donating every €19 booklet of 20 Christmas stamps sold to a special
fund that will be shared among the homeless charities.

Based on anticipated sales, An Post expects the donation to homeless

charities this year to be at least €150,000.

“I think they (An Post) are one of the leading organisations who are
trying to think through how the services they run can make a social
contribution,” said Mr Allen.

Managing director of retail at An Post, Debbie Byrne, said they wanted

to be a force for good, wherever possible.

"We have the expertise and the national reach to make a real
difference, she said.

An Post customers can also donate data to The Shared Network

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/an-post-launches-
mobile-data-sharing-initiative-for-the-homeless-960437.html





A woman who feeds more than 300 people a night at a Dublin city soup
kitchen says the current homelessness crisis feels like “social
cleansing”.

On a Monday night in later October at 7.30pm, as Keira Gill and her

team of volunteers are setting up their makeshift canteen outside the
Bank of Ireland building on College Green, a queue of around 50 people
is already beginning to form around the pop-up trestle table.

It is 8C, and the early visitors are mothers and their children.
Most are wearing their school uniform under zipped up and
tightly pulled winter coats. When the food is beginning to
be brought to the table from waiting nearby cars, some
pushing starts between small girls and boys, the youngest of
whom is around five.

People queue up for hot food at The Lending Hand soup kitchen
(Niall Carson/PA)

One mother gets involved, telling them to wait, to stop

playing with the pile of napkins, and nervously looks around
to see who is watching her chastise the children.
“They get ratty because they’re so hungry, they don’t want
to wait,” Keira says.
She started the “soup-run”, now known as A Lending Hand,
in 2013, after she was turned down for a mortgage.
I had worked and saved for so long, and when I was turned
down, I basically had a breakdown, after that I just felt there
has to be more to life than this, more to life than material
things, I wanted to help people.”
She started off with one friend and one flask of stew.
Nowadays she can feed up to 400 people a night, depending
on the weather.

Keira Gill speaks to homeless man Martin Joyce at A Lending Hand

(Niall Carson/PA)
“I know myself, when I’m hungry, I can’t concentrate – you
see kids having tantrums because they just want fed,” Keira
says, as she sets up a heated tray and lights the fuel dish
underneath.
“I would like to say ‘feed the kids first’, but you can’t do that
because everyone’s hungry.”
Later she tells me that the children at the front of the queue
being told off by their mother are a family of six who live in
homeless accommodation. They were previously living in a
car after their landlord increased their rent, and they could
not afford it.
Keira’s group linked the family with Inner City Helping
Homeless, a charity, who eventually found them emergency
accommodation.
The children, that would be a newer thing for most people.
Not to us - we've been dealing with more and more kids the
last three years.
There are around 14 volunteers per night, men and women.
One man, Alan from Ballymun, who is retired and in his late
fifties, has designated himself the bouncer. He collects hot
water from the Spar on Dame Street for tea and coffee,
collects the rubbish, and hangs around if any of the minor
rows or pushing get too animated.
The food is placed along the long table in a row, hot food
first; pasta bakes, stew, chicken curry, rice, potatoes,
meatballs and spaghetti, with Styrofoam bowls, plastic forks
and napkins also available.
Keira says: “We can’t count the people as there’s too many,
so we work out how many people we’ve fed by counting the
bowls we use. Most people have two bowls each.”
When I tell her I’m struck by the amount of families, she
sighs: “The children, that would be a newer thing for most
people. Not to us – we’ve been dealing with more and more
kids the last three years.
The kitchen feeds up to 300 people every Monday evening on
College Green in Dublin city centre (Niall Carson/PA)

“We help them with school stuff, books and uniforms, it’s
nice seeing them getting housed.
“People are really embarrassed, there’s a lot more pride than
acceptance.
“Nowadays, there are so many levels of homelessness. Years ago we would’ve
dealt with more rough sleepers – ‘down-and-outs’, my da would’ve called them.
Nowadays we feed people in their work gear.
People with jobs, hugging and kissing you because you gave them
lunch for the week.

“There’s no dignity queuing for food, but it shows the level of

deprivation if you’re forced to publicly wait for your dinner in the
street.”

While I’m there, there are many, mostly men, in work clothes, branded
polo shirts and reflective trousers, but there are women too, in clean
clothes and shoes, avoiding eye contact as they come and go quickly
into the night carrying steaming bowls in freezing air.
“We find a lot more men than women – men take their chances on the
street,” Keira adds.

“Women can’t as easily sleep in a doorway, but we’ve seen an increase

in a lot of women coming here for food, some of the girls that come to
us dress well, speak well, it’s their living circumstances that bring them
to us.

This young girl came with her baby, a tiny baby, and I just burst into tears.
“The hostels, they’re vile, they don’t offer what they’re supposed to
offer. If you have any kind of addiction problem and you’re put into an
emergency hostel – you’ll end up back on it.

“That’s why we have more men using our service, they’re just so beaten
down and fed up with a system that hasn’t worked for them.”

Further along the table, dotted with volunteers on one side,

there’s mini bottles of water and Capri-Suns, donated from a
corner shop along with boxes of mini muffins, and a tray of
apple crumble. A doughnut shop along Westmoreland Street
has also donated, so there is an array of different pastries on
offer, as well as tea and coffee from Alan at the end.
One woman who has been volunteering for more than a
year is handing out pasta. She tells me her cooker at home
broke that day.
“Don’t think there’s much life left in it, not the way we cook,
anyway,” she says.
When I ask about the emotional toll of volunteering, she
says: “It sounds strange but I see this like work, you don’t
even think about it after a while, but I did have a breakdown
about three weeks ago.
This is my new Friend Daniel. When I first stopped to speak with Daniel today in at
Dunnes Stores, Castlebar, I assumed he was homeless. I had my own perceived ideas of
the why he was on the streets begging. I asked Daniel first if I could get him a sandwich,
and could I ask him his story. That was the little I could do for him today. We chatted for a
while and Daniel bravely told me why he is begging, it's not because of drugs, it's not
because of drink, he simply has no job & no family support and can't afford the huge rent
his landlord is charging, he has been forced into this situation because of this. He has
applied for jobs and has his CV sent into many places,the chicken factory in ballyhaunis
amongst others, he is afraid to loose his address as then he will have even less chance
of employment. He is a lovely young man, polite, well spoken & articulate. He is one of
many more that will soon become part of an Ireland I don't want to see. But I stopped, I
saw & I Listened. I asked Daniel for permission to take his photo & share his story, so he
can help highlight this autricious situation, so he can bring about change. I told him he
was not the problem, and that he is brave, he had tears in his eyes on hearing those
words, I told him the system was at fault, and greed, no cap on rents, we are at the
mercy of the landlords, banks & our currently inept Government. If anyone can offer
Daniel a job or help please P.M. me, I told him I will check in with him each day there,
with a sandwich because that is all I can do for
now... #Strongertogether#Community #Hope

The project began in 2013 (Niall Carson/PA)

“This young girl came with her baby, a tiny baby, and I just
burst into tears.”
Next to the table at the far side are men in charge of giving
out clothes, gloves, socks, hats, blankets and rucksacks – all
donated from strangers who found Keira and her group on
Facebook.
A small girl, aged around seven, with dark circles under her eyes, pulls
on a pink woolly hat, and someone tells her she looks gorgeous.

The group are not a registered charity, so do not handle money, while
all the food is cooked from donations made to a butcher’s in Northside
Shopping Centre, near where Keira and most of the volunteers are
based in Coolock.

People find the group on Facebook and offer to cook or donate

ingredients. One a woman who works in a bakery in Navan appears
with a huge bag of artisan breads left over from that day.

Loaves are handed out when someone asks: “Do you have any butter
for the bread?” A volunteer replies: “I’m not a Mace!”

There’s laughter, and a lot of chat. Keira is pulled away several times to
speak to people who know her by name. Sometimes they’re in tears or
distress.

“To be honest, it feels like social cleansing,” Keira says after an

emotional conversation with a teenage girl, who has left state care
after turning 18 and has nowhere to go.

“When I went back to college, to Trinity, my dole was cut three or four
times.

“I genuinely felt it was personal because I was from a working class

area, and even when you’re trying to better yourself, they’re kicking you
down and you’ll give up.

“The kids are going backwards, they don’t have the skills they need for
life because they’re so secluded in a hotel room, socially they’re going
backwards. Imagine what the next generation is going to be like –
they’re messing up an entire generation because it’s easier than
building houses.”

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/dublin-city-soup-
kitchen-founder-says-homeless-crisis-like-social-cleansing-960393.html
midst the Hero whistleblower Maurice McCabe scandal.....

This happened!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.rte.ie/.../2018/1031/1007845-noirin-osullivan/
The Perpetrator herself lands a nice little cushty role over at the United
Nations,

How did this even happen?

Did you see the role she was given?

A farce.

Laughing in our faces.

Hide or report this

RTE.IE
Nóirín O'Sullivan appointed to UN role

Controversial legislation to seal

millions of abuse records for at
least 75 years has been sent back
to the Dáil
Friday, November 01, 2019
Controversial legislation to seal millions of abuse records for at least
75 years has been sent back to the Dáil education committee for
further scrutiny.

The Retention of Records Bill will see records from the Commission to
Inquire into Child Abuse (CICA), Residential Institutions Redress Board,
and Residential Institutions Redress Review Committee placed in the
National Archives and sealed for a minimum of 75 years.

The legislation had been due in Committee State in the coming weeks
but this has now been deferred to allow the Oireachtas education
committee to further scrutinise the legislation and seek the views of
survivors and campaigners. This will take place on November 14.

Sinn Féin education spokesperson Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

said major concerns had been expressed about the
legislation by survivors, archivists and historians and that
plans to seal records for 75 years were "way over the top".
Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire

“It is welcome that the Education committee will now take

more time to consider this Bill, but more crucially, to hear of
the concerns of survivors. The proposal on hand, to seal
records from the Ryan Commission, is disproportionate, and
is a very dangerous precedent," he said.
Mr Ó Laoighaire said survivors have expressed concern that
they are being denied their right to their own testimony.
"The National Archives act is being overridden, and I do not
believe that is right. The opportunity to hear the concerns of
survivors in Committee will be very valuable, and will allow
the committee to reflect, but also, I hope, the Department,"
he said.

Tom Cronin — a survivor of St Joseph’s industrial school in Cork and a

former board member of Caranua from which he resigned in 2018 over
its treatment of survivors — described the legislation as "undemocratic"
and sets a dangerous precedent.

The records of the survivors belong to them and the decision on what to do with
them should be theirs alone. In my opinion, they should be in the public arena in
places like schools and libraries with the consent of the survivors
"I believe the sentence: 'Locked up as children and now their story,
which must have been very hard for them to revisit, are being locked up
again' well it says it all," he said.

A recent study prepared for the Department of Education and Skills

based on consultations with more than 100 survivors of abuse in
residential institutions revealed that the majority of those interviewed
expressed concern about the plans to seal records.

Former head of special projects at the National Archives of Ireland

(NAI) Caitríona Crowe has said the Government’s decision to “override
the 1986 National Archives Act” in the Bill sets “a dangerous and
unnecessary precedent”.

In May, the Irish Examiner also revealed that the NAI advised the
Department of Education in April of last year that there was no need for
the legislation.

It said that records from the CICA are already covered by the National
Archives Act, and that the latter two bodies could be brought under its
remit by simply adding them to the schedule of the act. This would
mean the records would be open to inspection after 30 years, subject to
some exemptions.

Criminal legislation to protect the elite.

Goes to show still rife with pedos trying to cover it up
Attempts to seal the records for 75yrs look set to be defeated.. I hope they are. It's bad
enough the gov want to hide these reports and testimonies away for any length of time
give what happened is already mostly historical in nature. They should NOT BE SEALED
at all in my humble opinion. The population of this country should be able to read these
records if they choose. Locking people up on a whim or the say so of a priest, nun, garda
or judge.. was abhorrent (not strong enough a word)and the treatment then meted out
was nothing short of criminal. To lock these records away for any length of time now
would amount to the same thing. (records can be anonymised if necessary)
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/controversial-
legislation-to-seal-millions-of-abuse-records-for-at-least-75-years-has-been-
sent-back-to-the-dail-
961136.html?fbclid=IwAR0XDsnw9TzszVVRvskhS_k9yLZyDhfOlUO7r2fHE3mm
wRiv8gfodR0djhU

HSE withholds funds for abuse

survivor group
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
The Health Service Executive (HSE) is withholding funding from a Cork-
based group representing survivors of institutional abuse until it can
prove it can manage these monies appropriately.

Right of Place/Second Chance has been receiving funding from the HSE
and other organisations since 1999.

Last year it was allocated €337,500 by the HSE, while since 2002 it has
received more than €2.2m.

Members of the group raised concerns about how the funds were being
managed in August and in October the HSE sought information from
the group’s founder, Noel C Barry, as to the organisation’s structure and
governance arrangements

A new committee has been formed within the group which is trying to
take over from Mr Barry.

However, the founder has refused to accept this group and has
obtained a High Court injunction preventing them from entering the
Glanmire Road premises.

Responding to the allegations last night, Mr Barry said he was “utterly

and totally shocked by the allegations”.

“Every cent that came into this building was audited and it went to the
Comptroller and Auditor. The audits are here. My view is there is a
power struggle going on. I was due to stand down anyway. I told the
board that I wanted to stand down, that I had done 10 years,” he said.

Mr Barry said: “Another person wanted to take over here and I thought
this cannot happen it must be done democratically.

“I had planned calling an EGM next month so the survivors would name
the person to take over and that’s the way it should be done,” he
added.
Mr Barry said the day the survivors told him to go he would go — “it’s
as simple as that”.

A statement from the HSE read: “The HSE has a service agreement with
Right of Place/Second Chance for a number of years. Funding for this
service agreement is negotiated and allocated on a yearly basis. Prior
to proceeding with funding arrangements for 2010, the HSE has
requested details of the organisation’s structure and governance
arrangements as per the requirements of the service agreement. The
HSE is currently awaiting this information.”

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/hse-withholds-funds-
for-abuse-survivor-group-439288.html
LIKE I SAID BEFORE IF I DID THIS IN MY WORK PLACE I
WOULD HAVE BEEN SACKED IN THE SPOT!!!!
The whole lot of those are at it!!!! No wonder the country is in
ruins!!! SHAME ON THEM ALL!!!!

Anyone else feeling
"Fobbed off"
at being
FOBBED OFF? #FG #FF#LABOUR

LIKE I SAID BEFORE IF I DID THIS IN MY WORK PLACE I

WOULD HAVE BEEN SACKED IN THE SPOT!!!!
The whole lot of those are at it!!!! No wonder the country is in
ruins!!! SHAME ON THEM ALL!
Why are they being allowed to get away with this, when the person on the street is hounded if
they get a bit extra money apart from the dole it is unjust and not fair
THERE are no Tanks , sorry STROKES being pulled in Leinster house . There are only
ENTITLEMENTS and we take them every day because we are ENTITLED to them , This is
our right .
NO SURPISE..Wasnt he Caught at xmas one time..hed claimed expenses while at home with
his family?
There is NO Justice system in This
Country
Leo show some balls and resign
along with the so called minister
for the homeless The number of homeless people in the
State continues to increase as the latest official figures show 10,397 people
are currently living in emergency accommodation.
The figures show an increase of 59 people last month compared to
statistics from August, an average increase of around two people every day.
Some 3,873 children are now living without a home in Ireland, according
to the Department of Housing homeless statistics for September.
This is the highest ever number of children in emergency accommodation
to date and surpasses a previous peak of 3,867 children in July 2018.
The number of adults recorded as homeless also increased slightly up to
6,524 in September. There were 4,370 adults and 2,872 children homeless
in Dublin.
There are 148 people living in emergency accommodation who are 65 years
of age or older, the figures show.
Commenting on the figures Minister for Housing Eoghan Murphy said the
number of people living in emergency accommodation – such as hotel or
bed and breakfast rooms – “continues to be a huge problem.”
Mr Murphy said the issue would continue to worsen until housing supply
meets demand and “until that happens we will have a problem,” he told
RTÉ News at One.
The Government had introduced rental reforms and was increasing and
expanding wrap-around supports in homeless family hubs, he said. “Rents
are too high but we are increasing supports, which is showing results,” he
said.
Wayne Stanley, spokesman for homeless charity Simon Communities, said
the Government must address the lack of social and affordable housing as
the root of the problem.
The official monthly figures did not show the true extent of the homeless
crisis across the country, he said.
“They do not include rough sleepers and those in squats, people in direct
provision and women’s shelters, and the ‘hidden homeless’ who have no
home of their own,” Mr Stanley said.

The Government’s Rebuilding Ireland programme to tackle the housing

crisis “cannot be allowed to drift on as if it was succeeding,” he said.
Mike Allen, head of advocacy at Focus Ireland, said the growing
homelessness crisis was “causing so much terrible damage to many
individuals and families.”
The charity called for Mr Murphy to introduce tax incentives to make it
more attractive for landlords wishing to sell their property to do so with the
tenant remaining in place, to prevent families being evicted into
homelessness.
“There are now nearly 4,000 children forced to live out some of the most
vital development years of their young lives in emergency accommodation
such as family hubs, hotels rooms and other unsuitable facilities,” Mr Allen
said.
The crisis was also not contained to Dublin he said, with the latest figures
showing 462 families and over 1,000 children homeless outside of the
capital.
In February, the numbers living in emergency accommodation surpassed
10,000 for the first time, which homeless charities and campaigners
criticised as a watershed moment of the escalating housing crisis.
Suzanne Connolly, chief executive of Barnardos said “children across the
country are excitedly getting ready to celebrate Halloween with their
friends. But for 3,873 children living in emergency accommodation they
will have little opportunity to join in the fun.”
“These children will not be enjoying their mid-term break at home, but will
be passing the time in unsuitable accommodation. There will be no ‘trick or
treating’, no neighbours knocking at the door,” she said.
He wont resign neither will the sinister minister for housing or the little boy playing at health minister,
they refuse to admit we have a problem, mr pumpkin vraadkaar, happily jumping over pumpkins,
(ironically shaped like little tight arses). Its typical, ice they ignore it it will go away, sweep under
your10,000euro carpet in the dail bar, while you skull your numerous drinks, at our expense. Too many
big boys up there who will keep him and them in their little bubble of power, coz it is benefiting them
He said something within the last two weeks about not ready for an election and thinks maybe
may that's a good time for him
they are literally killing Irish people everyday and you all let him do it.
I want to talk to you all about general election. When the winter comes everyone is up in
arms, when spring and summer comes the awareness of homelessness and outrage dies
down significantly. We can't just care in the cold months and forget in the warm weather.
Do not vote the same parties in come may when short term memory loss seems to kick
In. When they campaign to your door tell them you want a right to housing enshrined in to
the constitution for every man woman and child who needs it or they're not getting your
vote. When fine Gael and Ff come to your door tell them you want them to step aside.
Use your vote do not waste it. People fought hard so you could have it don't disrespect
that. Speak up
If a landlord has a rental that he owns no mortgage then there is no incentive for him to take hap. If he
has a mortgage on the property he gets tax relief on the interest he pays on the loan, so it's a benefit to
him. If he's not got his tax affairs in order the revenue won't allow him to take hap.
If she refused hap but your in the house I don't think that's legal, it's an established tenancy and you
were paying your rent yourself.

Another tent burned in park in

athlone last night with person still
asleep inside, person is being
treated for burns in hospital
This is someone's home...
Europe's mistakes and its a joke
There and it's so honest and real,
I can relate too it so much me and my family
When you were nearly homeless we spent 8 solid months all day every day looking for
rented accommodation just too be told the sheer volume off people viewing each place is
300/400 people viewing the same property and then they'll more than likely go with the
working couple with no kids like the whole system is broken, the government and county
council forcing people too rent privately,, I only got lucky with this property because my old
management crowd never gave up on me,,, and my rent here is nearly on the two and a half
thousand a month mark we live on buttons but we're happy and have a roof over our heads......
Everyone who's able and healthy should march as our country is been held accountable for and
OMG,, Leo how he got in his position is beyond me
Could ye change the politician’s name’s to Greed
Protest against the government in Ireland.
Homelessness is only one of many fallouts,
But marches are not enough.
Marches should be held nation wide,
The Homeless Secret Count, the forgotten ones left behind to die,
It just breaks my heart’ that I want to cry,
The actions of the government over the last 2 decades,
Heartbreaking, to see, it just takes my breath away,
We have to hit the banks, Hard.
And Force Them to pay their taxes,
Including Apple and other foreign countries who don’t pay their way of taxes,
We are Asking the banks to remove cashless Banks’.
Or we will Stop paying bills. To the Banks and Boycott them completely,
We Will Cancel direct debits.
Stop paying loans.
If we all stop together.
Our so called government will crumble.
The banks rule this land.
Rise against the banks.
Then you have our revolution.
Power to the people.
So sick of this country. Got drowned to the bone today and I was so cold then I came home
had a bath and got in my pjs,something i so take for granted.imagine today except there is no
bath,there is no change of clothes.you bed down frozen to the bone and that's
it.heartbreaking

I’ll wear this flag as a proud Irish man but not the scum that’s
running this country for the people hew died and fought for Ireland
they starved for are rites, what has this country came to money
hungry fucks. We shall stand together as we have had enough.
Ireland stand together!!

This happened today (01/11) in the Luas at the red line (near to The Silver Penny Pub). This guy was
being racist and saying terrible things before I started recording, some things like "I'm going to break
your jaw" and some other things about slavery. The black guy was obviously unconfortable with the
situation, some other people were uncorfortable as well but they did nothing! We should help each
other, protect each other, but what I saw was a bunch of people that was scared of the bully or was
agreeing with his mean speech. There's no difference between white, black, yellow, we are all humans.
After I stopped recording the guy started asking if I was going to leave the train with him because he
was going to punch me/hit me, threatening me. I always had in mind that Europe was like heaven,
where people respect each other, where there's space for everyone, but what I saw today was
something completely different. Lets make this Dubliner Bully famous hoping that he realizes that what
he did or have been doing is wrong and shouldn't be accepted as normal. "Brave man"


https://www.facebook.com/enzo.souza.5/videos/pcb.3163404333735055/316
3393947069427/?type=3&theater
And just like clockwork the political classes come out and supported by the media to
apportion blame for the housing crisis on those with the least power to affect it...
Here's a quote from my own post yesterday describing this very phenomenon and why
the media/political classes keep pushing it...
"If it's homelessness then they single out immigrants and single mothers for shame and
blame the remaining of the homeless for either being alcoholics or drug users instead of
the reality that more and more homeless are in this situation because of rising rents and
privatisation policies that have destroyed social housing provision but they NEVER EVER EVER
focus on the real cause of homelessness... Fine Gael/Fianna Fail."
Fine Gael/Fianna Fail and their proxies in the media do this relentlessly to sow divisions so that
the people keep attacking each other instead of going after the people responsible...
They are encouraging the Middle Classes to side with the rich against the poor because they know
that if you fool the Middle Class into thinking they are not the next target of the wealth classes
then they can maintain power over everyone...


Michael Healy-Rae
logged into Dáil on day he
was in Kerry for a funeral

‘I can’t give any more’: Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae says

he “gives 150pc every day” to politics. Photo: Tom Burke
November 1 2019
Michael Healy-Rae logged into Dáil on day he was in Kerry for a
funeral

Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae missed keynote speeches to

the Dáil by EU leaders Jean-Claude
Juncker and Michel Barnier - but was "clocked in" as attending
on Independent TD Michael Healy-Rae missed keynote speeches
to the Dáil by EU leaders Jean-Claude Juncker and Michel
Barnier - but was "clocked in" as attending on both days.
While Mr Juncker was telling TDs "Ireland will come first" in the
Brexit negotiations, the Irish Independent understands Mr
Healy-Rae was a five-hour drive away in Co Kerry.

both days.
It's understood he attended a funeral in Sneem on the same
morning as the European Commission president

was in the Dáil.

However, attendance reports compiled by the Oireachtas for

June 21, 2018, show he still managed to clock in at Leinster
House.
Similarly, when Mr Barnier visited in May 2017 the deputy, who
is chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on EU Affairs, was
absent but marked present.

Some 140 out of 158 TDs were in the Dáil chamber to hear the
EU's chief Brexit negotiator's address at 11am on a Thursday.

At the time, Mr Healy-Rae claimed he did not attend because

he was not afforded either an opportunity to meet Mr Barnier
or contribute to the debate in the chamber.

Mr Barnier used the speech to promise he would work with TDs

to avoid a hard Border because "nothing should put peace at
risk".

Mr Healy-Rae declined to explain the exact circumstances that

led to him miss the speeches despite his key role on the EU
committee.

However, the TD defended his work on behalf of the people of

Kerry saying he gives "150pc every day to politics".

"I start out every day as early as I humanly can," he said.

"I can't be in two places at the same time. I try to cover Co

Kerry as good as I can. I cover the rest of the country in as
good a way as I can.

"I'm asked to go to things outside county and I represent people

in the best way I can.

"Whether that's inside in the Dáil, whether it's chairing

Oireachtas committees, whether it's attending briefings, I just
do my best."
To qualify for their travel expenses TDs must register their
presence in Leinster House on at least 120 days a year using an
electronic fob key.

However, there is no requirement on TDs to prove they

remained on the complex after checking in.

Based on the distance from his home in Kilgarvan to Dublin city

centre, Mr Healy-Rae qualifies for unvouched 'Travel and
Accommodation Allowance' of €34,065 annually.

The deputy is known to often hold constituency clinics in Kerry

on Thursday even though it is normally a sitting day for the
Dáil.

He has missed nine of 10 voting sessions in the past two years,

most of which took place on Thursdays.

In some cases, he would have been "paired" with Government

deputies, meaning he has agreed not to vote in order to
facilitate the absence of a minister.

Put to him that logic suggests he clocks in early on Thursday

mornings and departs for home, Mr Healy-Rae replied: "I can't
even comment on that because that wouldn't be fair to say.

"I can't give any more than I'm doing and that's it. That's the
only comment I'll give." He added that reporters "can go this
way and that way" looking to criticise him but "I do not spare
myself".

"I'll issue an open invitation because I've done it with reporters.

Come away with me, any one of ye, any day. I don't care if it is
Monday or Sunday, come away with me and see what it's like.

"They can see exactly what it's like. They can stick with me
and see for themselves.
"Maybe when they'd have one day put down with me, they
wouldn't be anxious to come the second day," Mr Healy-Rae
said.

Who else can be proven to have been "fobbed" in to the dail while actually being
somewhere else entirely!!
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/politics/michael-healyrae-logged-into-
dil-on-day-he-was-in-kerry-for-a-funeral-
38650938.html?fbclid=IwAR0ocmMtF8dk3LW_u0sn6XMHGquV-
Yj0Ko1hLHH9hnBOHzYwvIYB8IU2-aw

Judge warns Ben Gilroy over

alleged threats to arrest
Start Mortgages reps
Activist objected to removing videos posted online
claiming that amounted to a breach of his right to freedom
of speech
November 1, 19
Aodhan O'Faolain

Ben Gilroy complained his name had been “blackened in the media” because
the order required him not to assault anyone. File photograph: Dara Mac
Dónaill/ The Irish Times
A High Court judge has warned anti-eviction activist Ben
Gilroy he could find himself “behind bars” if he attempts
to arrest any employees or agents of Start Mortgages.
Ms Justice Leonie Reynolds told Mr Gilroy he could end
up being charged with assault and or false imprisonment
if he attempts to follow through with statements in
videos posted on social media about Start, its employees
and lawyers.
In the posts, Mr Gilroy claims Start is involved in a fraud
and he intends to arrest people working for or associated
with Start.
The judge has also referred the posts to the Law Society
of Ireland for investigation, saying she was doing so
because Mr Gilroy was purporting to give legal advice on
the video which he was not entitled to do and she was
concerned “naive” viewers could be misled.
Mr Gilroy denied giving legal advice.
Mr Gilroy is separately contesting an application by Start
for repossession orders in respect of his family home in
Co Meath.
Those proceedings, which relate to alleged default on
repayments on a loan for €310,000 which Start claims it
advanced to Mr Gilroy and his wife in 2006, stand
adjourned before Trim Circuit Court.
Start claims it is owed €512,000 by Mr Gilroy and his
wife and the last repayment made by them was in
February 2011.
At the High Court on Friday, Ms Justice Reynolds
continued injunctions obtained by Start which prevent
Mr Gilroy arresting, restraining or assaulting any of
Start’s current or former officers, agents, lawyers or
employees.
He is also restrained from posting online any
information relating to home addresses or property of
those persons.
‘Blackened’
Mr Gilroy was further restrained from giving any legal
advice and was directed to remove certain posts made by
him by 9pm on Friday.
Mr Gilroy, who represented himself, told the judge he
intended to appeal her ruling.

He said he has power to arrest people whom he believes have committed a

fraud, was not prepared to give an undertaking not to do so and had
offered to meet those he wants to arrest by appointment outside their local
garda stations.
Mr Gilroy complained his name had been “blackened in the media”
because the order required him not to assault anyone.
He previously worked as a store detective and had made hundreds of
arrests and never assaulted anyone.
He also objected to removing any of the videos posted, claiming that
amounted to a breach of his right to freedom of speech.
He was prepared to give certain undertakings, including not to get a
“posse” together to arrest people, attend at their homes, or assault anyone.
Ms Justice Reynolds said this was a “serious” situation and told Mr Gilroy
neither he nor “his posse” was to arrest anyone associated with Start.
If he believed a fraud had been committed, he should make a complaint to
the Garda, who could refer the matter to the DPP, she said.
She told Mr Gilroy he was “not the DPP” and had been “clearly warned”
about the consequences of any attempt to arrest anyone at Start.
Start, which rejects the fraud allegations made against it by Mr Gilroy, had
said Mr Gilroy states in the video he intends to “get a posse together” and
“start arresting these people in a systemic way”.
Represented by Garrett Flynn BL, Start claims this is an attempt by Mr
Gilroy to intimidate and harass its representatives.


https://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/high-court/judge-
warns-ben-gilroy-over-alleged-threats-to-arrest-start-mortgages-reps-
1.4069830


Refugee support groups
allege ‘racial undertones’ to
protests
Movement of Asylum Seekers says: ‘Of course we know
direct provision is inhumane’
November 1st 2019
Sorcha Pollak

Protesters have been urged to ‘stand down’ and help provide accommodation
for asylum seekers. Photograph: Conor McKeown
Recent protests calling for an end to the “inhumane”
direct provision system are tainted with “racial
undertones” and are actually about race and difference
“dressed up in human rights language”, refugee support
groups have said.
Speaking following the Department of Justice’s decision
to postpone sending 13 female asylum seekers to Achill
Island this week, Bulelani Mfaco of the Movement of
Asylum Seekers in Ireland (Masi) said protests had
contained “racial undertones”.
“Of course we know direct provision is inhumane,” said
Mr Mfaco. “The problem is we’ve never seen any of those
people protest it before. It’s only when a centre is going
to open in their backyard.”
While communities are justified in their concerns
around resources, protests are increasingly promoting
anti-immigrant messages “dressed up in human rights
language”, said Fiona Finn, head of the Migrant and
Refugee Rights Centre.
Infiltration by alt-right individuals have become
increasingly sophisticated over the past year while the
recent attack on Sinn Féin TD Martin Kenny’s car is yet
another indicator of how right-wing extremism has
taken hold in Ireland, she said. “We thought this was
happening elsewhere in Europe but it’s here in Ireland
now. These are highly organised individuals and they’re
hijacking this debate.”
The protests are having a huge effect on asylum seekers
who are left “traumatised and deeply disturbed”, added
Ms Finn.
Mr Mfaco said the women due to be housed in the Achill
Head Hotel contacted Masi after seeing news reports of
the protests. “The women are anxious now . . . It’s
frightening to be an asylum seeker and Ireland is a new
country for them. Then they read news headlines where
they’re called welfare scroungers.”
Edan McHugh, a member of the Achill Says Welcome
group, said the majority of people on Achill Island are
welcoming and believes had the Government
approached the community from the outset they would
not have experienced opposition.

Sympathy for 'Swing-gate'

TD but support is in short
supply'
Compensation claim saga
1
Jump to it: Taoiseach Leo Varadkar at the autumn display in the
Botanic Gardens, Dublin. Photo: Brian Lawless/PA




If it wasn't for 'Swing-gate', Maria Bailey would be the TD overseeing the
investigation into Votegate.

Her role as chairperson of the Dáil's Committee on Members Interests was

one of the many sacrifices she has had to make in the past five months.

The Dún Laoghaire TD has sought desperately to redeem herself in the eyes of
her colleagues and the public, but the night of July 10, 2015, continues to
haunt her.

The events of that evening in The Dean hotel have also plagued Fine Gael - but
it is now in a position to try to purge the problem.

There are few stories in recent political times that have resonated so heavily
with the public.

Last week, as Fianna Fáil was engulfed in scandal over TDs voting for absent
colleagues, their spokespeople repeatedly responded to Fine Gael lectures by
randomly shouting "Maria Bailey".
The plotline was simple: A politician goes on a night out to an upmarket hotel.
She falls off an ornamental swing and is hurt. The next day she requires
medical treatment but ultimately gets back on her feet.

For most people, it would amount to one of those funny 'remember the time'
stories you tell every time you meet up with the group of friends who
witnessed the silliness.

But Ms Bailey didn't dust herself down and laugh it off. She engaged the
services of Madigan solicitors, a firm where her political colleague and then
good friend Josepha Madigan worked.

'Going legal' kick-started a plot twist which neither women could ever have
predicted. Fast-forward four years to May 20 - four days before the local
elections - when the Irish Independent revealed details of the first-term TD's
compensation claim.

Over the course of a week, our investigation left her case looking very weak.

Nobody denies she was hurt. Medics at the private Beacon Hospital certified
that she suffered soft-tissue injuries, contusions and concussion. She went on
to receive dental treatment and required intense physiotherapy.

But it was the circumstances that turned Ms Bailey into an internet meme and
ultimately a household name.

The backbencher had a bottle of beer in one hand and was "reaching" for a
friend's bottle of wine when she toppled.

Despite her wounds, she managed to appear on television a few days later and
even went to the Longitude music festival. Within three weeks she was back
running a 10km race. According to herself the time of 53min 56sec was not
impressive - but back in the real world it was pretty good, especially given her
injuries.

The TD's packed schedule didn't sit comfortably with the claims made in court
papers, including that she couldn't run "at all" for three months after the fall.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar's office was flooded with hundreds of emails from
angry punters, and ministers privately spoke of their horror at the
reputational damage the controversy did to the party.

But Mr Varadkar decided the public humiliation suffered by his TD was in

itself a punishment. Having hired a senior counsel to confirm Ms Bailey had
"overstated the impact of her injuries", the Taoiseach was one of the few
people to show her compassion.

"It is clear to me that Deputy Bailey made numerous errors of judgment in her
handling of this matter from the outset, during and even after she'd
withdrawn the case," he said.
Mr Varadkar demoted her as chairperson of the Oireachtas Housing
Committee, costing her a salary top-up of €9,500, but left her on the election
ticket.

As a result, Ms Bailey has bravely tried to go back to normal. She attends the
Dáil every week, eats in the Leinster House canteen and walks the corridors
with her head held high.

She hasn't publicly challenged those who have mocked her or held a grudge
against the colleagues who made little effort to protect her from the
onslaught.

But the insurance crisis hasn't abated. Companies are still going out of
business because they can't get cover, and court pay-outs for whiplash and
other injuries have not yet been reset to reasonable levels.

And until the Government manages to get on top of the problem, Maria Bailey
will be the poster girl for it.

With Fine Gael headquarters afraid to make the tough decision, members in
her Dún Laoghaire constituency have spent recent weeks trying to figure out a
way of freeing themselves from the debacle.

The motion at last night's meeting could be described as watery. It made no

direct reference to Ms Bailey but everybody knew an urgent review of the
election ticket was a polite way of throwing her under the metaphorical bus.

The Taoiseach and five ministers declined to expressly support Ms Bailey in

advance of the vote yesterday.

One of those was Culture Minister Ms Madigan, who said: "I don't think it's
appropriate for me to comment on Maria Bailey's suitability as a general
election candidate or otherwise."

On a personal level, many in Fine Gael have sympathy for Ms Bailey. But this
is politics and the pendulum doesn't always swing in both directions.

https://www.independent.ie/opinion/comment/kevin-doyle-sympathy-for-
swinggate-td-but-support-is-in-short-supply-38650951.html

An Post launches mobile data

sharing initiative for the homeless
Tuesday, October 29, 2019

Joe McKeever is somebody who will benefit from a mobile data-sharing
initiative from An Post to keep Ireland's homeless connected.
Called The Shared Network it will be available to people who are
homeless or living in temporary emergency accommodation through
charities working in the area of homelessness.

An Post is donating an initial 18,000GB of data from its mobile network
across 2,000 SIM cards to Dublin Simon Community, Focus Ireland,
Peter McVerry Trust, St Vincent De Paul and Merchants Quay Ireland.

“I became homeless, mostly through drug addiction and misbehaving,”

said Joe, 20, from Bray, Co Wicklow.

“I have been homeless on and off since I was 15 years old. I was in care
but over the last two years, I have been sofa-surfing in between being
on the street and staying in hostels.

“I had not talked to my father for five years but I saw him last week and he
shook my hand and said he was sorry. I talk to my Ma. I talk to most of my
family. “

Joe has been helped by a key worker at Merchants Quay Ireland and is now working
towards being drug-free. “Addiction is a very bad road to be on and I would give
anything to get off it,” he said.

Joe has a mobile phone and he relies on it to help him find a hostel at night. “I would
be lost without my mobile phone; I would also be very lonely.”

Director of advocacy, communications and research at Focus Ireland, Mike Allen,

said the data would be mainly used by families they worked with to find a new home.

“Finding a home is very time consuming and all the available property is on the web,”
he said.

Earlier this year, An Post launched Address Point for people who are homeless or
living in temporary accommodation.

People registering for the service are given an address where the post office is located
but it does not state that it is a post office.
Mr Allen said Address Point had helped homeless people to apply for jobs and engage
in “officialdom”.

An Post is also donating every €19 booklet of 20 Christmas stamps sold to a special
fund that will be shared among the homeless charities.

Based on anticipated sales, An Post expects the donation to homeless

charities this year to be at least €150,000.

“I think they (An Post) are one of the leading organisations who are
trying to think through how the services they run can make a social
contribution,” said Mr Allen.

Managing director of retail at An Post, Debbie Byrne, said they wanted

to be a force for good, wherever possible.

"We have the expertise and the national reach to make a real
difference, she said.

An Post customers can also donate data to The Shared Network

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/an-post-launches-
mobile-data-sharing-initiative-for-the-homeless-960437.html

A woman who feeds more than 300 people a night at a Dublin city soup
kitchen says the current homelessness crisis feels like “social
cleansing”.

On a Monday night in later October at 7.30pm, as Keira Gill and her

team of volunteers are setting up their makeshift canteen outside the
Bank of Ireland building on College Green, a queue of around 50 people
is already beginning to form around the pop-up trestle table.

It is 8C, and the early visitors are mothers and their children.
Most are wearing their school uniform under zipped up and
tightly pulled winter coats. When the food is beginning to
be brought to the table from waiting nearby cars, some
pushing starts between small girls and boys, the youngest of
whom is around five.

People queue up for hot food at The Lending Hand soup kitchen
(Niall Carson/PA)

One mother gets involved, telling them to wait, to stop

playing with the pile of napkins, and nervously looks around
to see who is watching her chastise the children.
“They get ratty because they’re so hungry, they don’t want
to wait,” Keira says.
She started the “soup-run”, now known as A Lending Hand,
in 2013, after she was turned down for a mortgage.
I had worked and saved for so long, and when I was turned
down, I basically had a breakdown, after that I just felt there
has to be more to life than this, more to life than material
things, I wanted to help people.”
She started off with one friend and one flask of stew.
Nowadays she can feed up to 400 people a night, depending
on the weather.

Keira Gill speaks to homeless man Martin Joyce at A Lending Hand

(Niall Carson/PA)
“I know myself, when I’m hungry, I can’t concentrate – you
see kids having tantrums because they just want fed,” Keira
says, as she sets up a heated tray and lights the fuel dish
underneath.
“I would like to say ‘feed the kids first’, but you can’t do that
because everyone’s hungry.”
Later she tells me that the children at the front of the queue
being told off by their mother are a family of six who live in
homeless accommodation. They were previously living in a
car after their landlord increased their rent, and they could
not afford it.
Keira’s group linked the family with Inner City Helping
Homeless, a charity, who eventually found them emergency
accommodation.
The children, that would be a newer thing for most people.
Not to us - we've been dealing with more and more kids the
last three years.
There are around 14 volunteers per night, men and women.
One man, Alan from Ballymun, who is retired and in his late
fifties, has designated himself the bouncer. He collects hot
water from the Spar on Dame Street for tea and coffee,
collects the rubbish, and hangs around if any of the minor
rows or pushing get too animated.
The food is placed along the long table in a row, hot food
first; pasta bakes, stew, chicken curry, rice, potatoes,
meatballs and spaghetti, with Styrofoam bowls, plastic forks
and napkins also available.
Keira says: “We can’t count the people as there’s too many,
so we work out how many people we’ve fed by counting the
bowls we use. Most people have two bowls each.”
When I tell her I’m struck by the amount of families, she
sighs: “The children, that would be a newer thing for most
people. Not to us – we’ve been dealing with more and more
kids the last three years.
The kitchen feeds up to 300 people every Monday evening on
College Green in Dublin city centre (Niall Carson/PA)

“We help them with school stuff, books and uniforms, it’s
nice seeing them getting housed.
“People are really embarrassed, there’s a lot more pride than
acceptance.
“Nowadays, there are so many levels of homelessness. Years ago we would’ve
dealt with more rough sleepers – ‘down-and-outs’, my da would’ve called them.
Nowadays we feed people in their work gear.
People with jobs, hugging and kissing you because you gave them
lunch for the week.

“There’s no dignity queuing for food, but it shows the level of

deprivation if you’re forced to publicly wait for your dinner in the
street.”

While I’m there, there are many, mostly men, in work clothes, branded
polo shirts and reflective trousers, but there are women too, in clean
clothes and shoes, avoiding eye contact as they come and go quickly
into the night carrying steaming bowls in freezing air.
“We find a lot more men than women – men take their chances on the
street,” Keira adds.

“Women can’t as easily sleep in a doorway, but we’ve seen an increase

in a lot of women coming here for food, some of the girls that come to
us dress well, speak well, it’s their living circumstances that bring them
to us.

This young girl came with her baby, a tiny baby, and I just burst into tears.
“The hostels, they’re vile, they don’t offer what they’re supposed to
offer. If you have any kind of addiction problem and you’re put into an
emergency hostel – you’ll end up back on it.

“That’s why we have more men using our service, they’re just so beaten
down and fed up with a system that hasn’t worked for them.”

Further along the table, dotted with volunteers on one side,

there’s mini bottles of water and Capri-Suns, donated from a
corner shop along with boxes of mini muffins, and a tray of
apple crumble. A doughnut shop along Westmoreland Street
has also donated, so there is an array of different pastries on
offer, as well as tea and coffee from Alan at the end.
One woman who has been volunteering for more than a
year is handing out pasta. She tells me her cooker at home
broke that day.
“Don’t think there’s much life left in it, not the way we cook,
anyway,” she says.
When I ask about the emotional toll of volunteering, she
says: “It sounds strange but I see this like work, you don’t
even think about it after a while, but I did have a breakdown
about three weeks ago.
The project began in 2013 (Niall Carson/PA)

“This young girl came with her baby, a tiny baby, and I just
burst into tears.”
Next to the table at the far side are men in charge of giving
out clothes, gloves, socks, hats, blankets and rucksacks – all
donated from strangers who found Keira and her group on
Facebook.
A small girl, aged around seven, with dark circles under her eyes, pulls
on a pink woolly hat, and someone tells her she looks gorgeous.

The group are not a registered charity, so do not handle money, while
all the food is cooked from donations made to a butcher’s in Northside
Shopping Centre, near where Keira and most of the volunteers are
based in Coolock.

People find the group on Facebook and offer to cook or donate

ingredients. One a woman who works in a bakery in Navan appears
with a huge bag of artisan breads left over from that day.
Loaves are handed out when someone asks: “Do you have any butter
for the bread?” A volunteer replies: “I’m not a Mace!”

There’s laughter, and a lot of chat. Keira is pulled away several times to
speak to people who know her by name. Sometimes they’re in tears or
distress.

“To be honest, it feels like social cleansing,” Keira says after an

emotional conversation with a teenage girl, who has left state care
after turning 18 and has nowhere to go.

“When I went back to college, to Trinity, my dole was cut three or four
times.

“I genuinely felt it was personal because I was from a working class

area, and even when you’re trying to better yourself, they’re kicking you
down and you’ll give up.

“The kids are going backwards, they don’t have the skills they need for
life because they’re so secluded in a hotel room, socially they’re going
backwards. Imagine what the next generation is going to be like –
they’re messing up an entire generation because it’s easier than
building houses.”

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/dublin-city-soup-
kitchen-founder-says-homeless-crisis-like-social-cleansing-960393.html
midst the Hero whistleblower Maurice McCabe scandal.....

This happened!!!!!!!!!!

https://www.rte.ie/.../2018/1031/1007845-noirin-osullivan/

The Perpetrator herself lands a nice little cushty role over at the United
Nations,

How did this even happen?

Did you see the role she was given?

A farce.
Laughing in our faces.
Hide or report this

RTE.IE
Nóirín O'Sullivan appointed to UN role

TDs from NW among

those not voting despite
clocking in

OCTOBER 31, 2019

TDs from the north west are among those who have recorded their attendances at
Leinster House for expense purposes but have not taken part in Dail votes.
That’s according to an investigation by RTE which found that some TDs failed to
take part in any votes on almost 50% of days when they recorded their attendance in
Leinster House.

TDs must record their attendance in Leinster House to claim expenses under the
Travel and Accommodation Allowance Scheme.

The scheme costs taxpayers almost three million euro per year.

Expenses are based on the distance a TD has to travel from their residence to Leinster
House.

The allowance is given to TDs on the basis that they attend Leinster House on at least
120 days per year.

The TDs use an electronic fob system on just one occasion daily to record their
attendance

RTE Investigates looked at the total number of days between March 2016 and July
2019 when TDs recorded their attendance but did not attend any votes.

It also looked at the expenses they claimed between March 2016 and the end of 2018.

Among the TDs who signed in and missed votes on a HIGHER than average number
of days were Sligo/Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry who claimed €86,672 and did not
vote on 34 days.

Donegal TD Charlie McConalogue claimed €89,228 and did not vote on 33 days.

Donegal Independent Deputy Thomas Pringle claimed €87,660 and missed votes on
26 days.

RTE also looked at the TDs who signed in and missed votes on a SMALLER than
average number of days.

These included Sligo/Leitrim TD Eamon Scanlon who claimed €86,341 and missed
votes on 21 days; Donegal Sinn Fein Pearse Doherty, €90,493 and missed votes on 16
days; Sligo/Leitrim Sinn Fein TD Martin Kenny who claimed €85,388 and missed
votes on 15 days; and Sligo/Leitrim Fine Gael TD Tony McLoughlin who claimed
€87,294 and missed votes on five days.
In response, TDs have said they may be at other meetings in Leinster House or may
have ‘pairing’ arrangements with Dail colleagues in relation to absences for voting.

https://www.oceanfm.ie/2019/10/31/tds-from-nw-among-those-
not-voting-despite-clocking-
in/?fbclid=IwAR3_lR1rZTDVyvJ_d6o_4Z5XWC5KVMhYW-
GjwQPz_sodSVV5wHOnS5l0H9U

Number of homeless
children in State reaches
highest ever level
Two people a day became homeless last month on
average
Thu, Oct 31, 2019, 16:24
Jack Power, Vivienne Clarke

The official monthly figures do not include rough sleepers and do not show the
true extent of the homeless crisis, according to a spokesman for Simon
Communities. Photograph: Paulo Nunes dos Santos/New York Times
The number of homeless people in the State continues to
increase as the latest official figures show 10,397 people
are currently living in emergency accommodation.
The figures show an increase of 59 people last month
compared to statistics from August, an average increase
of around two people every day.
Some 3,873 children are now living without a home in
Ireland, according to the Department of Housing
homeless statistics for September.
This is the highest ever number of children in emergency
accommodation to date and surpasses a previous peak of
3,867 children in July 2018.
The number of adults recorded as homeless also
increased slightly up to 6,524 in September. There were
4,370 adults and 2,872 children homeless in Dublin.
There are 148 people living in emergency
accommodation who are 65 years of age or older, the
figures show.
Commenting on the figures Minister for Housing
Eoghan Murphy said the number of people living in
emergency accommodation – such as hotel or bed and
breakfast rooms – “continues to be a huge problem.”
Mr Murphy said the issue would continue to worsen
until housing supply meets demand and “until that
happens we will have a problem,” he told RTÉ News at
One.
The Government had introduced rental reforms and was
increasing and expanding wrap-around supports in
homeless family hubs, he said. “Rents are too high but
we are increasing supports, which is showing results,” he
said.
Wayne Stanley, spokesman for homeless charity Simon
Communities, said the Government must address the
lack of social and affordable housing as the root of the
problem.
The official monthly figures did not show the true extent
of the homeless crisis across the country, he said.
“They do not include rough sleepers and those in squats,
people in direct provision and women’s shelters, and the
‘hidden homeless’ who have no home of their own,” Mr
Stanley said.

Using clean electricity to address carbon emissions in heating

and transport
The Government’s Rebuilding Ireland programme to
tackle the housing crisis “cannot be allowed to drift on as
if it was succeeding,” he said.
Mike Allen, head of advocacy at Focus Ireland, said the
growing homelessness crisis was “causing so much
terrible damage to many individuals and families.”
The charity called for Mr Murphy to introduce tax
incentives to make it more attractive for landlords
wishing to sell their property to do so with the tenant
remaining in place, to prevent families being evicted into
homelessness.
“There are now nearly 4,000 children forced to live out
some of the most vital development years of their young
lives in emergency accommodation such as family hubs,
hotels rooms and other unsuitable facilities,” Mr Allen
said.
The crisis was also not contained to Dublin he said, with
the latest figures showing 462 families and over 1,000
children homeless outside of the capital.
In February, the numbers living in emergency
accommodation surpassed 10,000 for the first time,
which homeless charities and campaigners criticised as a
watershed moment of the escalating housing crisis.
Suzanne Connolly, chief executive of Barnardos said
“children across the country are excitedly getting ready
to celebrate Halloween with their friends. But for 3,873
children living in emergency accommodation they will
have little opportunity to join in the fun.”
“These children will not be enjoying their mid-term
break at home, but will be passing the time in unsuitable
accommodation. There will be no ‘trick or treating’, no
neighbours knocking at the door,” she said.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/number-of-homeless-
children-in-state-reaches-highest-ever-level-
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