Yearly Archives: 2017
This Just In
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A letter circulated to Ulster Bank staff this morning.
Thud.
Related: Up to 30 Ulster Bank branches in Republic under threat following review (March 7, Irish Times)
Thanks Peter
A fascinating time lapse video by wildlife filmmaker Francis Chee of cell division in a developing frog egg, as it splits from two cells into several million over the course of 33 hours. Chee sez:
… it was done with a custom designed microscope based on the “infinity optical design” It is not available by any manufacturer. I built it. I used LEDs and relevant optics to light the egg. They too were custom designed by me. The whole microscope sits on anti-vibration table. I have to say that it doesn’t matter too much what microscope people use to perform this. There are countless other variables involved in performing this tricky shot, such as for example: the ambient temperature during shooting; the time at which the eggs were collected; the handling skills of the operator; the type of water used; lenses; quality of camera etc etc.
‘sup?
Eileen Flaherty with from left: Lola Rusty and Copper.
More as we get it.
HSE general director Tony O’Brien before the PAC on February 2, 2016
This afternoon.
At 2.30pm.
Officials from the Health Service Executive, including HSE director general Tony O’Brien, will appear before the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) in Committee Room 3.
Ahead of this, one of the ‘Grace’ whistleblowers has written a lengthy piece in The Irish Examiner in which she highlights inconsistencies in public statements made by Mr O’Brien and the HSE about the ‘Grace’ case in relation to:
– The HSE’s three-year delay in seeking clearance from the gardai to publish the Conal Devine report and what prompted it to finally seek that clearance.
– Whether or not people who were involved in the Grace case are still working within the HSE.
– Procurement issues relating to the two reports, Conal Devine report and the Resilience Ireland report, commissioned into the foster home.
– Allegations of a cover-up.
Watch the proceedings from 2.30pm live here
Time for someone in the HSE to learn how to say ‘mea culpa’ (Irish Examiner)
Previously: Still In The System
Related: Member of HSE ‘Grace’ panel continues to work for public service (Paul Cullen, Irish Times)
UPDATE:
PAC mtg with HSE DG Tony O Brien re #Grace and alleged misinformation to committee delayed until 3.45. We’ll have an update shortly #iestaff
— Fiachra Ó Cionnaith (@Ocionnaith) March 23, 2017
UPDATE:
A letter sent by Mr O’Brien to chair of PAC, Fianna Fail TD Sean Fleming yesterday – correcting what he told PAC on February 2, 2016.
Meanwhile…
Blimey.
HSE chief Tony O’Brien last year (top) and today (above).
Breathtaking
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More than 14,500 people who were prosecuted for road traffic offences are to have their convictions quashed after gardaí admitted they made a mistake.
Assistant Commissioner in charge of policing has apologised to those who were wrongly convicted because they had either paid the fine or had not been issued with a fixed charge penalty notice.
Senior gardaí have also admitted that gardaí have been exaggerating the drink driving figures for five years up to 2016.
Almost one million cases have been identified where drink driving tests were not carried out even though they had been recorded as having been conducted.
Good times.
14,500 traffic convictions to be quashed over garda error (RTÉ)
Rollingnews
Quick Pic
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For all you hopeful picnickers out there #EP2017 is already SOLD OUT! @TodayFMNews pic.twitter.com/pJaJvttG79
— Juliette Gash (@JulietteGash) March 23, 2017
Oh.
Meanwhile…
Hmm.
It’s all gone a bit Pete Tong.
Via Juliette Gash
Says the ‘sheet’s resident music head Mike McGrath-Bryan:
So, the line-up is out. Sold-out before a single name was announced.
Commentary/conjecture in the ‘Sheet tomorrow. First impressions: a tad heavy on nostalgia, to say the least. Still, though: Run the Jewels, Young Fathers, Parquet Courts, Phantogram. Well-played.
Ignore Seatwave, etc., too. People will invariably look to offload tix in the run-up, get them that way and stop feeding the beast.
Ireland’s first quintuplets in 2013, from left: Rory, Amy, Conor, Cian and Dearbhail
On The Late Late Show…
Gareth Naughton writes:
As Mother’s Day approaches, Ireland’s only quintuplets – Amy, Cian, Conor, Dearbháil and Rory Cassidy – return to The Late Late Show 15 years after their first appearance alongside mum Veronica and dad Kevin.
Journalist Jon Ronson will discuss the ever growing problem of online shaming, as Twitter mobs gleefully descend on sometimes innocent and unwitting individuals with terrible personal consequences.
Comedian turned writer Julian Clary will join Ryan in studio to discuss his enduring and occasionally outrageous career as well as tying the knot at 57.
Chanelle McCoy is the newest businesswoman putting entrepreneurs to the test on Dragon’s Den… She’ll be joined on the couch by long term Dragon Gavin Duffy.
*attacks telly with kitchen knife*
The Late Late Show, Friday, RTÉ One at 9.35pm
Rollingnews
Here hair here.
Colin Brady, of Taller Stories, writes:
We’ve just released the trailer for our first feature-length documentary about the barber culture in Ireland. It’s called GRUAIG.
Over the past couple of years we’ve travelled around the country when we could and visited barbers in different places to get their stories. Enjoy!
The grounds of the former Bon Secours mother and baby home in Tuam, Co Galway; Galway West independent TD Catherine Connolly
You may recall how, during Leaders’ Questions on March 8, Independent TD Catherine Connolly, of Galway West, asked about a second interim report from the Commission into Mother and Baby Homes which was given to the Minister for Children Katherine Zappone last September.
This interim report was to identify any matters that the commission felt warranted further investigation as part of the commission’s work.
Ms Connolly asked Taoiseach Enda Kenny:
“I’m asking you now to confirm, why it hasn’t been published? Eight months later? What’s in it that’s so frightening? What’s in it that prevents it being published?”
Further to this…
Fiach Kelly, in The Irish Times, reports this morning that the indemnity agreement signed in 2002 between the then Minister for Education Michael Woods and 18 religious congregations – which served to cap the orders’ liability – may be extended to include children abused in mother and baby homes.
Just recently, the Comptroller and Auditor General found that, as of the end of 2015, the congregations had paid just 13% of the total compensation bill which, at that point, amounted to €1.5billion.
Mr Kelly writes:
The existing redress scheme for victims of residential child abuse could be reopened to cover those abused as children in mother and baby homes, an unpublished report to the Government has recommended.
The proposal is contained in the second interim report of the Commission of Investigation into Mother and Baby Homes, The Irish Times has learned. It has caused alarm in Government circles, due to the cost of the existing scheme.
It says the redress scheme established in 2002 could be used again to provide compensation for those who were abused as children in mother and baby homes.
…Ms Zappone has been repeatedly pressed in the Dáil for the reason for the delay in publishing the second interim report, which she received last autumn.
A briefing on it was given to Cabinet in the autumn, but a number of Ministers could not remember a redress scheme being discussed. Well-informed sources said the delay in its publication was due to the controversial nature of the proposed form of redress.
One source suggested that it may never be published if there had not been public outcry over the commission’s confirmation last month of the discovery of the remains of babies and infants at the site of a former mother and baby home in Tuam, Co Galway. However it is now expected to be published next week.
Government alarm at possible redress for mother and baby home victims (The Irish Times)
Previously: ‘What’s In It That’s So Frightening?’