Monthly Archives: May 2013

Noonan1You’ll recall Bank of Ireland and AIB’s debt writedown worth almost €140million for Independent News and Media, 30% of which is owned by Denis O’Brien.

And AIB’s apparent €10million writedown for Thomas Crosbie Holdings.

Namawinelake writes:

“In the Dáil this week, the Minister for Finance Michael Noonan was questioned about the writedowns. The response was curt – “due to data protection rules and customer confidentiality the banks are not in a position to discuss details of individual customer circumstances”

“Alas, data protection won’t save the humiliation of those named-and-shamed on the new personal insolvency register.

“The parliamentary questions and response are here:

“Deputy Pearse Doherty: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will confirm theamount of debt forgiveness that will be provided by Allied Irish Bank to Independent News and Media as part of the latter firm’s recently announced reorganisation plans.

“Deputy Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan: To ask the Minister for Finance if he will state, in both absolute and percentage terms, the amount of the debt being written down by wholly and partly State owned lending institutions for Thomas Crosbie Holdings Ltd. and Independent News and Media Ltd; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

“Deputy Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan: To ask the Minister for Finance the percentage stake the State will now hold through Allied Irish Banks and Bank of Ireland in Independent News and Media Ltd. as a result of the debt for equity swop to facilitate the write down of INM Ltd. debt; and if he will make a statement on the matter.”

“Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan: I propose to answer questions 132, 150 and 152 together.”

“I have been informed that due to data protection rules and customer confidentiality the banks are not in a position to discuss details of individual customer circumstances.”

.

Ah yeah.

Sure what else would he say.

Debt forgiveness by state-banks to billionaires and merchant princes is secret, says Minister Noonan (Namawinelake)

Previously: This Is How Rumours Start

A €140 Million Write-off From Bank Of Ireland And AIB

Photocall Ireland

90300352-1Sheena Wilkinson (right) with Sligo schoolgirl Katie Anderson, won the 23rd CBI (Childrens Books Ireland) Book of the Year Award today and is the second author ever to win both the Book of The Year Award and the Children’s Choice Award for her novel ‘Grounded’.

Grounded is the sequel to ‘Taking Flight‘, which won both the CBI Honour Award for Fiction and the Children’s Choice Award in 2011.

Swot.

Previously: Are You A Rubbish Aunt/Uncle?

Grounded Review (Inis magazine)

scarfMy boyfriend went to Goa and all I got was this brightly-patterned scarf and a lecture about mindfulness

But to Banbha McCann.

This is her world.

Banbha writes:

I realise you  don’t normally do this but but, this scarf was given to me by my boyfriend – he’s usually rubbish at remembering birthdays, anniversaries and the like but came through on this one. This was the first gift he gave me and now it’s gone! Lost somewhere on the canal between Baggot Street and Portobello [Dublin] on Monday evening.It has huge sentimental value as well as being nice to look at. Please help! Reward offered for safe return.

Screen Shot 2013-05-08 at 16.34.39morrisThe Lucan Gazette, out today.

Tommy Morris, loyal aide to Fine Gael TD Derek Keating, comprehensively gotcha’d removing copies of last week’s Lucan Gazette (carrying an unfavourable article about his colleague) from local newsagents.

Three thousand copies.

Tommy’s the Liddy of the operation.

Yesterday: Here’s Lucan At You Kid

GazetteGroup

Thanks Paul Hosford

FinglasFinglas Shopping Centre. Reserve of €1.5m to €2m.

KKMarket Cross Shopping Centre, Kilkenny. Reserve of €575,000 to €625,000.

CavanTwo apartment blocks on Farnham Road, Co. Cavan. 60 units in total. Reserve of €1,5m to €1.7m.

FlatTwo-bed apartment in Youghal, Co. Cork. Reserve of €25,000

Some of the properties that will go on sale at next Wednesday’s Allsop auction in The Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin.

Allsop catalogue, May 15, 2013

bike1bike2Shane writes:

I thought you might enjoy this. Every morning at the bike park at my local train station here in Japan, the police go around with bright yellow tags marking all the UNLOCKED bicycles.

On the back of the tags it explains to the owners that by not locking them, they make the bikes more vulnerable to theft. On the front it says ‘Crime Prevention • Let’s Lock Our Bikes!’.  An irony that can only exist in a country with no street crime.