An interesting suggestion from German educational design studio Kurzgesagt. To wit:
Getting rare materials from the ground into your phone is ugly. The mining industry is responsible for air and water pollution and the destruction of entire landscapes. But what if we could replace the mining industry on Earth with a clean process that can’t harm anyone?
Previously: Is There Anybody Out There?
Lee Point student accommodation on South Main Street Brewery Quarter in Cork city
This afternoon.
Eoin English, of The Irish Examiner, reports:
“Residents of Cork’s newest private student accommodation will pay rents of around €1,000 a month.
“Strong interest has been reported in the 420-bed Lee Point complex, which has been developed on the former Beamish and Crawford brewery site on South Main Street, and which opens for viewings this weekend.”
Hardly a revelation but Holy Mother of Eyewatering Overcharging …
€ 63 for six small drinks and six small popcorns at @MoviesDundrum
(Said thanks, but no thanks)— Philip Boucher-Hayes (@boucherhayes) January 26, 2020
Gulp.
Proposed National Children’s Hospital
No, seriously.
RTÉ reports:
The head of the board responsible for the new national children’s hospital says it cannot be certain of the final price of the project.
The project has been highly controversial, this week the Labour party claimed the project would now exceed €2bn.
A letter from David Gunning, the chief officer of the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board, read out at the Public Accounts Committee today said: “There have been a number of exceptions that have been outside the approved budget for which there cannot be price certainty at this point or for the duration of the project.”
Concern grows over final costs for new children’s hospital (RTÉ)
Previously: How Much?
Delicious.
Spochadóir tweetz:
Lads I bought a fu**in jambon and a cup of coffee this morning at a filling station in Longford and it cost €5.40.
Now, I’m no fu**in’ economist but I’m a great man for a filling station breakfast and lemme tell ya fu**in something, the arse is about to fall out of the economy….
No need for the language but anyone?
Pic: Our Best Bites
Charmingly deadpan Brazilian pianist Lord Vinheteiro plays a series of increasingly expensive joannas, inviting you – the listener – to judge whether you can tell the difference in sound quality.
Previously: Fairly Tinkled
Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon; Labour TD Alan Kelly
This morning.
The Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon is fielding many questions about the Public Services Card at a meeting of the Public Accounts Committee.
But separate to the Public Services Card, and in response to a question from Labour TD Alan Kelly, Ms Dixon told the committee that, in terms of the supervision and enforcement of data protection law, Irish taxpayers will incur costs for having multi-nationals headquartered in Ireland.
Ms Dixon said:
“Once the Irish DPC [Data Protection Commissioner] starts administering fines and sanctions on companies, there has been a debate about whether all of that goes to the Irish Exchequer and whether that isn’t shared across the EU member states.
“At the moment, it’s our understanding that it goes to the Irish Exchequer.
“So, already, there’s an opposite debate to the question you’re opening up which is that: well is that fair? If Ireland supervises most of these big tech companies and there are infringements and fines, does Ireland get to keep the fines? So that’s an open question that’s ben raised a number of times.
“In relation to the costs, I think it’s well possible that the Irish taxpayer will end up, by virtue of these companies being headquartered here, incurring costs.
“The Irish taxpayer has incurred costs already in relation to the case that you referenced that’s before the Court of Justice at the European Union on transfers of data because it arose from a complaint by Max Schrems against Facebook Ireland.
“Facebook Ireland being located here means that we are responsible.
“However, under this Co-operation and Consistency Mechanism that operates around the one-stop shop in the EU now, if there’s a dispute in relation to the findings that I make – so I’ve to circulate a draft decision in relation to any of these cases that concern multi-nationals to my fellow EU Data Protection authorities.
“And if ultimately they have a different view, that I can’t reconcile into my findings, I institute a dispute resolution mechanism before the European Data Protection Board and it may take over the decision making. And if a company affected by that decision disagrees with it, it takes an annulment action to the Court of Justice of the European Union.
“So, there will be a certain number of cases that may end up being taken out of Ireland’s hands because of disagreement between data protection authorities and the European Data Protection Board will then have to bear the cost for defending those cases before the CJU.
“But, undoubtedly, the effect of having the multi-nationals headquartered in Ireland is going to give rise to costs for Ireland in terms of the supervision and enforcement of data protection law.”
Watch the proceedings live here
96fm Opinion Line tweetz:
Mary was charged €10.50 for a single glass of prosecco in a Kinsale pub at the weekend… fair price or too expensive?
