Yearly Archives: 2017

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The trial of Solidarity TD Paul Murphy and six other men continues in the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court today.

They deny falsely imprisoning Labour TD, and then Tánaiste, Joan Burton during a water charge protest in Jobstown, Tallaght, Dublin, in November 2014.

Earlier this week, a video clip was shown in the court of footage from the Garda helicopter on that day.

Yesterday, the Irish Examiner reported:

The trial was shown video footage from Garda Air Support at about 2.53pm that day during which a dispatcher could be heard saying the crowd was dispersing.

The dispatcher said they were making good progress and Ms Burton’s car should reach the Tallaght by-pass within 20-30 minutes. There’s no hassle really, said the dispatcher, adding that there had been a bit of pushing when the Garda Public Order Unit arrived.

The video footage, with a timestamp of 15.21, can be watched above.

Readers will note a Garda can be heard saying:

“It’s fairly dispersed. She’s making a good bit of progress. She’s only, only another 100 metres, not even 50 metres, from the Tallaght Bypass. There’s no pushing or shoving or anything. The Public Order Unit moved in there for a minute and there was a bit and they seem to have left them march ahead of their banner like.”

“The Jeep could have went backwards ages ago but [inaudible] did not want to do that. …There’s no hassle really.”

Later

“No, no, [she’s] still not out. Could be another 20 minutes or half an hour anyway.”

Meanwhile…

From this morning’s proceedings…

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Via Niamh McDonald

UPDATE:

Vivienne Traynor, of RTÉ, reported on the News At One:

Joan Burton’s being questioned again about an instruction given to her assistant Karen O’Connell while they were allegedly trapped in a Garda car at a water charges protest.

In an audio recording, Ms Burton can be heard telling her assistant she should go on social media and say it was shameful that children in the area were roaming free adn unsupervised.

Defence counsel Michael O’Higgins suggested it was a direction to an employee to use social media to smear the demonstrators, painting them as uncaring and it was a strategic move.

Ms Burton denied it was an instruction and said it was just conversation. She said her assistant was more familiar with social media than she was. She accepted that she was angry with the protesters but said she was not at her most thoughtful or strategic best.

It was put to her that all politicians knew the power of social media to get a story out. Ms Burton said she had reduced her use of it because of the vile comments directed towards female politicians in particular. She said her social media accounts now had to be read and cleaned by people before she reads them.

Listen back in full here

Burton questioned on Garda statement (Isabel Hayes, Irish Examiner)

Previously: Meanwhile, At The Jobstown Trial

Johnnylogan

Johnny Logan

On the The Late Late Show…

Gareth Naughton writes

The King of Eurovision Johnny Logan will reminisce about the contest that launched his career and he’ll be sharing the stories behind his triple victories with ‘What’s Another Year’, ‘Hold Me Now’ and Linda Martin’s ‘Why Me?’

He’ll also be telling viewers what it takes to win the contest these days and giving his take on Ireland’s Brendan Murray’s chances of victory in Kiev.

The show will also be celebrating the best of the Eurovision with EuroSingSong 2017. Can the face of Eurovision in Ireland Marty Whelan ‘Rise Like a Phoenix’?

Or will it be a ‘Fairytale’ evening for country star Cliona Hagan. Will Eurovision superfan Mairead Ronan be crying out for ‘A Little Peace’?

Or will Crystal Swing’s Derek Burke be meeting his ‘Waterloo’? Could Eurovision winner Paul Harrington have them ‘Running Scared’ or will Moone Boy’s Rónán Johnston be singing ‘Hallelujah’?

*smashes head through telly screen*

The Late Late Show, Friday, RTÉ One at 9.35pm.

Pic: Eurovision

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Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan before the justice committee in March

Today.

At 2.30pm.

Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan will appear before the Public Accounts Committee to discuss the recent audit of the Garda College in Templemore which showed serious financial irregularities. It examined financial transactions between 2009 and 2015.

Readers will recall how Ms O’Sullivan described the irregularities as “legacy issues” in an interview with Seán O’Rourke shortly after the story first broke in The Sunday Times.

Ahead of the meeting, the committee’s chairman Seán Fleming, of Fianna Fáil, said:

“The findings of an internal audit carried out by An Garda Síochána have highlighted serious issues in relation to financial controls and mismanagement of funds at the Garda College in Templemore.”

“The audit of the Garda College has raised a number of concerns in relation to compliance with standard accounting practice and corporate governance. It is important that an effective system of internal financial control is maintained and operated by An Garda Síochána in all areas of it operations.”

“[Today] we will meet with Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan to discuss the report in more detail as it relates to the appropriation accounts. The committee will be keen to ascertain how budgetary control is exercised within An Garda Síochána and what changes have been implemented to address the serious issues which have arisen in relation to the college.”

Members of the Public Accounts Committee are: Alan Farrell, FG; Alan Kelly, Labour; Bobby Aylward, FF; Catherine Connolly, Independent; Catherine Murphy, Social Democrats; David Cullinane, SF; Josepha Madigan, FG; Marc MacSharry, FF; Mary Lou McDonald, SF; Noel Rock, FG; Peter Burke, FG; Sean Fleming, FF; Shane Cassells, FF.

G’wan the Catherines.

Watch live from 2.30pm here

Previously: ‘I Knew Full Well It Hadn’t Been Discussed At PAC Because I’m A Member Of PAC’