Yearly Archives: 2014

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Wat Rong Khun – the ‘White Temple’ in Chiang Rai Province, Thailand.

Designed by architect Chalermchai Kositpipat in 1997, the incredibly ornate structure is currently in the process of being rebuilt after it was almost destroyed by an earthquake in May of this year.

MORE: Thailand’s White Temple Looks Like It Came Down From Heaven (Bored Panda)

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The 5.2m Super Falcon Mk II from Deepflight Submarines – a UK company led by marine engineer Graham Hawkes, who built and piloted the Mantis submarine used in For Your Eyes Only (1981).

Barrel roll with dolphins, invert cruise with whales, dive to 122m (400ft) [not 11,000m as previously stated, which would be completely mad] – all for a trifling €1,300,000.

MORE: Former Bond Villain Builds Personal Submarines For International Billionaires Like Richard Branson (BetaBeat)

designboom/theverge

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Children’s Ombudsman Emily Logan at the launch of her final annual report in Dublin this morning

Outgoing Children’s Ombudsman Emily Logan has published her final annual report this morning, which shows there was an 16% increase in complaints in 2013, compared to 2012.

From her report:

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In relation to one particular complaint, Ms Logan’s report explains how the State could not find a school to take one child – who was a separated child seeking asylum and aged 13 at the time – for two years.

[Office of the Children’s Ombudsman] received a complaint from a Guardian ad Litem (GAL) regarding education provision for a separated child seeking asylum. The child who was then aged 13, had been permanently excluded from school. Despite applications to almost 30 schools in a wide catchment area by the National Education and Welfare Board (NEWB) and the child’s social worker as well as one unsuccessful Section 29 appeal, a school place could not be secured.

The Department sanctioned nine hours per week Home Tuition (according to the DES Circular M29/95 the minimum number of instruction hours per week in post-primary school is 28) for the child throughout this period. The GAL contended that the Department failed in its responsibility to provide a school place for the child and that this involuntary exclusion from school had an adverse impact on their social and academic development.

…

The child was given a school place after two years outside the system and is reported to be progressing well after a difficult start.

In relation to asylum seekers in general, Ms Logan states:

I would like to use this opportunity to once again raise an ongoing issue of concern for me regarding the exclusion to my investigatory remit in the area of asylum and immigration. The Department of Justice and Equality and my Office do not have a shared understanding of the scope of this exclusion, particularly as it relates to children in direct provision.

I have raised this with the Oireachtas on numerous occasions dating back to my first annual report. In March 2012, my Office submitted a detailed report on the operation of the Ombudsman for Children Act 2002 to the Oireachtas and to the Minister for Children
and Youth Affairs. This report contained a detailed recommendation for amending the 2002 Act to clarify the role of the OCO in relation to complaints relating to asylum and immigration matters.

Notwithstanding the lack of clarity regarding its jurisdiction, the OCO has dealt with complaints brought to its attention concerning children living in direct provision. The OCO has sought and obtained a resolution to complaints brought to the Office in the interests of the children in question, though the Department of Justice and Equality has not accepted that the OCO can address these as cases within the statutory complaints-handling framework of the Ombudsman for Children Act.

Meanwhile, from the launch…

Read the report in full here

Previously: Why All The Secrecy?

Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland

jerseys

You might recall yesterday’s competition with Life Style Sports to win Connacht, Leinster and Munster jerseys.

You entered in your dozens from all corners of the country (except Ulster).

But there could only be three winners.

Munster winner
“I would love to get my hands on the Munster away jersey [top left] not only because I support them but also for what appears to be its practical road safety applications when I go running. I need people to see me coming, from the overhead passing space station!” (Optimus Grime)

Connacht Winner
“I would like to get my hands on a Connacht jersey [top right], particularly this season because cheering for Connacht in a rugby match is akin to cheering for the bad guys in a movie” (Panty Christ)

Leinster Winner
“I would love to get my hands on a Leinster jersey [top centre] particularly this season because firstly, lifelong Leisnster supporter and will be going to both the HCup [Heineken Cup] games over here in London this season, but also because I once saw Jerry Flannery get off at my local tube station (Clapham North) and look all confused, like he’d hopped off at the wrong stop. I was talking to a friend and saw him and became myself all confused and in that moment of confusion for both of us we looked at each other and shared a confusingly weird moment. Long and the short, if I was wearing an Irish jersey maybe Fla may have recognised me as someone  trustworthy, and have asked me for help, we could have struck up a bit of merry ol banter, popped into the local for a pint, became bosom buddies, and maybe I could have got free tickets to a few Arsenel matches, but as it is all I got to do was send him a tweet (which he did respond to in fairness).” (Munkfisht)

Thanks all

Previously: Would You Like A New Rugby Jersey?

Life Style Sports

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W7dlHpRyMaU

Phillip McMahon writes:

Emmet Kirwan, writer of Sarah & Steve and star of the Just Sayin’ video has written a new play called Dublin Oldschool. It’s a razor sharp roller coaster ride through the Dublin underground. It premieres at Tiger Dublin Fringe next week, playing at Bewley’s Cafe Theatre.Would love if you could share it.

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Members of youth groups from across Ireland outside Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin in October 2013

In April 2009, the State contained 1.423 million people aged between 15 and 35. In April 2014, there were 1.206 million in the same age group. That’s a reduction from one generation of more than the entire population of Limerick city and county. This is the age group of rebellion, of adventure, of trying it out and trying it on. It’s the generation that annoys its elders and outrages convention and challenges accepted wisdom. It is demography’s answer to the stultification of groupthink. It is not always right but without its capacity to drive everyone else up the wall, smugness settles over everything like a fine grey dust.

Look anywhere in Ireland that is not a specific redoubt of youth culture, and the place is heavy with middle-age. From the civil service to the media, from politics to the arts establishment, you find demographic landscapes that have been largely frozen for the last six years. The thinning ranks of the young have been unable to mount any sustained challenge to the self-serving orthodoxies of their elders. Which would be fine if the place they leave could afford the consequent culture of stasis and complacency

Fintan O’Toole in today’s Irish Times.

Gulp.

*Grabs placard*

Quickly but quietly, Ireland is disappearing its young people (Fintan O’Toole, Irish Times)

Previously: Correlation Does Not Imply Causation

Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland