Monthly Archives: June 2013

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(From left: Jan O’Sullivan, Phil Hogan and Eamon Gilmore)

Ossian Smyth writes:

Last year you asked why Phil Hogan used his powers to stop 5 separate planning inquiries.
Labour’s Jan O’Sullivan, his junior minister for planning came out to defend the decision at the time, citing “the very considerable cost of retaining consultants to conduct these inquiries required some further examination” and wanting “to ensure that the response to the complaints raised was proportionate.”
So what followed last year was an internal inquiry that found no evidence of corruption or wrongdoing and was broadly panned as a whitewash.
A High Court action resulted last week in the government paying out €25,000 compensation to a sacked planner who had been a whistleblower on corrupt practices in Donegal County Council.
Jan has changed her mind and decided to hold those planning inquiries after all.

Better late than never.

 

(Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)

9030462890304621903046249030462290304623Watch them in action here.

The G8 summit family photo at Lough Erne in Fermanagh, Northern Ireland, today

Top from left: German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Russian President Vladimir Putin, British Prime Minister David Cameron, US President Barrack Obama, French President Francois Hollande, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Italian Prime Minister Enrico Letta.

Meanwhile,

90304626Vlad is on steroids had the protein breakfast.

(Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland)

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Body & Soul Festival @ Ballinlough Castle, Co. Westmeath (Friday 21 – Sunday 23)

Nialler9 writes:

It’s easy to forget Body & Soul started as an area at Electric Picnic. It has expanded into its own niche Summer festival with a great atmosphere over the last four years taking place in the walled garden and woodland surroundings of Ballinlough Castle. This year’s lineup features bigger names than ever like Nick Cave, James Murphy, Solange Knowles and PiL amongst the soul, reggae and electronic acts like Charles Bradley, The Congos, Fuck Buttons, Nicolas Jaar, Kate Boy (my tip), Mmoths, Candice Gordon, Jon Hopkins, Pantha Du Prince and Michael Mayer.

 

Nialler9’s Gig Guide June 18-24 (Nialer9)

miss


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GpUWpcbewNQ

At the Miss USA pageant on Sunday night: Miss Utah, Marissa Powell flubs a response to a question about gender-based income inequality, inadvertently stealing the limelight from eventual winner Miss Connecticut, Erin Brady, though not quite eclipsing the reigning queen of flubs Miss Teen South Carolina.

Just adorable.

Then the poster girl of ‘Go Back To Sleep America’ Miss Alabama, Mary-Margaret McCord stepped up to address the NSA Prism surveillance programme.

Just terrifying.

dailywhat

 

 

Grand day to take off in Fimnegans in Dakkey and all that.

Meanwhile….

Anger over ‘vigil for life’ leaflets given to pupils in Dublin primary school (Patsy McGarry, Irish Times)

Previously: Mind The Step

imfAmazing.

Just a quarter.

 Completing its tenth review of Ireland’s bailout programme, which also saw it release the final €950m of its loans, the IMF said there needed to be resolution on the 25% of loans that are currently non-performing.

The IMF said it was vital that this was achieved before the country enters the European banking union, and ahead of European stress tests due to take place next year.

And good luck with that.

Bad loans at Irish banks hindering new lending – IMF (RTE)

IMF approves $1.27bn to Ireland (irish Times)