Great image on the front of the Examiner. Life is tough. There is hope.
Shayna
130 million yoyos? I thought there was a privacy “thing” to winning The Lotto. The sharks will be circling, look what happened to Dolores McNamara following her 114 million win – her family sectioned her and sought power of attorney over her finances. Good luck to the Armagh winner – it could be you!
dav
might be different T&C with the euromillions.
Shayna
It was Euromillions with Dolores McNamara – same as now. Perhaps I’m a cynic – but I really wouldn’t reveal something like this, trust no-one, especially with vast sums of money. Live a life alone in wealth, or share in poverty – perhaps a little over-stated? (For what it’s worth – I’m into the poverty thing.)
Dave
I googled Dolores McNamara sectioned and yours is the only thing I can find mentioning it. Can you show me proof or are you talking complete bull?
Giggidygoo
I read it as they decided to go public themselves. I think they get a top up if they do.
pedeyw
With the Irish Lotto you get an extra 10% for going public, I think.
Col
That’s a myth.
gerry
They have decided to go public which is a strange thing to want to do. I suspect they’ll have blown it in 5-10 years.
edalicious
I thought you can opt to stay anonymous and take a reduced payout but after having a quick goog there, can’t see any mentioned of a reduced payout online.
Milk teeth
Apparently they advise you to go public because the press will find out anyway and be a lot more intrusive doing so
Lilly
Nonsense. Just get your solicitor to collect it on your behalf. You would be mad to go public.
SOQ
Tis now the 4th January and we should all be in guilt driven repentance mode because apparently, on average, we gained half a stone over Christmas. So, the answer is to consume more. Adverts everywhere. More exercise equipment, more sports gear, more miracle diet plans, more bloody shopping.
My resolution is to do more of what I love doing. I expect I will keep this resolution. Fill the bin bags for the charity shops and de-clutter. That is as ‘healthy’ as it gets and doesn’t require buying more ‘stuff’ you don’t even want let alone need.
Shayna
Very noble SOQ. I imagine lots of people buy into the post holidays indulgences, joining a gym, making promises – I think it’s still called a new year’s resolution? Instead of giving up – I’ve started smoking again, at least, I know I can follow through. (Sorry, SOQ – I didn’t mean to sound like a bitch, I just like to keep promises I can keep.)
SOQ
Yeah fair enough about the indulgences Shayna but what I object to is this relentless hard sell of ‘stuff’. It doesn’t make you happy, just poorer and besides, if suffering in a smelly gym is going to make you miserable, is it really any healthier?
Post Christmas marketing exploits the disconnect between mental and physical health is all I am saying. Medical conditions aside, if you gained a stone over Christmas then you have issues to address which are not going to be resolved by buying dumb bells from Lidl.
KRS One
Bit mean…. perfectly natural reaction to work on ones self after a period of enjoyment.
Maybe you have issues posting such sneering comments
SOQ
Not at all, I am very far from perfect, completely defective in some areas. All I am highlighting is that consuming more is part of the same pattern and in some cases, the same problem.
Comfort eating is a term I hear a lot in Ulster(9) these days. You plan to move more then do something you enjoy. I personally plan to have more sex, especially with a red head from Cavan. Maybe only in time, who knows.
Eoin
How long before the “senior” “male” “Garda” that was suspended yesterday is identified. The suspension follows the GSOC decision to investigate an allegation of corruption made by a junior Garda in December 2018? The senior Garda is innocent until proven guilty but presumably the allegations are sufficiently strong to warrant a suspension.
“Senior” would probably be the first two ranks though.
I know who I have my money on!
Eoin
1,000 extra police officers for Northern Ireland in the event of civil disorder with Brexit. PSNI has 7,000 officers. It sometimes gets 500 extra from England to deal with disorder resulting from (predominantly) unionist marches on public roads. 1,000 additional officers is a lot.
I hope the 1,000 new officers are getting a shedload of danger money.
The Brits are passing a new law in January to allow for special stop and searches at Newry train station and on roads within a few miles of the border.
Call me nostalgic, but I do recall the grafitti slogan, “Brits Out!” – now, despite The Good Friday Agreement and because of Brexit – The Brits (potentially) will be back. One step forward, two steps back. Welcome to ’90s Ireland, I mean ’19’s Ireland.
SOQ
This was flagged up a couple of months ago Shayna. Is it just one step away from the British Army returning to Ireland or a media spin on the upskilling of an English police in order to deal with the post Brexit civil disturbances at home?
The Irish kicking off again is the last thing they want because it would start where it ended last time around, meaning where it had most impact.
Shayna
Not just English, but also Scottish police – dress them up in blue, instead of khakis, call them police, instead of army – they’re still a British force. Stop and search around Newry/South Armagh/Tyrone/Monaghan – there seems to be a bit of a shying away from mention of a border.
Perhaps, it would be useful if local government could allocate funding for a local police – oh, Stormont, 2 and a half years without? One would think that politicians in The North could care less about the constituents who voted for them.
I think it may have been you, SOQ who may have mentioned the traditional/partisan voting in The North. Vote for what? The status quo in The North is currently controlled by London. The voting is of similar disorder in The Free State – I’m reminded of a Mark Twain quote, “Politicians are like diapers, they should be changed regularly, both for the same reason.”
SOQ
There is no leaders in the north, not since the GFA, just a bunch of tribal clowns propping each other up.They would win the Olympics at poking each other’s eyes out.
Although being handcuffed late at night by a fit young fella on a Irish border road does have its attractions.
Eoin
Why is the State having to pay €15m compensation for the cervical check scandal (where unwarranted errors at US laboratories caused Irish women to be incorrectly given the all-clear and thus not able to fight cancer in the early stages and often until it was too late).
Cian
The answer is in the article. Literally on the front page.
Eoin
So the cunning plan by the HSE to stop anti-abortion campaigners from targetting the 165 doctors providing abortion services hasn’t worked. I’m shocked.
The MyOptions.ie website deliberately didn’t list the doctors for fear of intimidation. You had to ring the phone number to get a doctor’s name. I can just imagine a Ronan Mullen-type character ringing the line at 9.01am on New Years Day putting on his best Sister Stan voice pretending to have a crisis pregnancy so he could get the list of doctors.
Yesterday, there was a protest outside a doctor’s premises in Galway city.
The government failed to co-introduce measures to stop such protests despite the Opposition being adamant such measures would be needed.
Eoin
The Times Ireland today notices the stunt pulled by Leo yesterday
“Taoiseach steals thunder to rain on poor Paschal…That [exchequer surplus in 2018] is very good news indeed. But the trouble was, it was the finance minister’s good news. Mr Donohoe was due to unveil the glad tidings at a press conference on his own turf a couple of hours later, when publishing the exchequer returns for 2018.”
The Times doesn’t mention that this is part of a pattern on Leo’s part. Leo has blabbed about data contained in CSO publications which are strictly timed for publication eg about record numbers in employment contained in the Labour Force Survey.
The spin-obsessed goal hanger, who spent 126 times his predecessor on self promotion in 2018, just can’t help himself.
In addition to stray sentences “The other parties had already given statements long before this. long given statements by then.” you have dates mixed up “On January 3, 2018, Member A was served with Regulation 24 disciplinary papers….Thirteen days later, he was told he was being suspended. This was more than a month after the incident [in December 2016!]…One possibility is that new evidence had come to light in the days before January 16, 2017, that further implicated him.” eejity grammar “there were conflicting accounts as to whom was the aggressor.”
Mick obviously has a sound source close to this matter, which is linked to the suspension yesterday of a senior male Garda. Pity he made such a horse’s timsy-pushkin of writing it.
Lush
The sub-editor should get some flack too.
Eoin
Assistant Garda Commissioner suspended from duty!
It’s GUBU without the “G”, the identity of the senior Garda who was suspended last week has been made public after he went to the High Court to have the suspension lifted. It’s Assistant Commissioner Fintan Fanning who often goes by the name John Fintan Fanning. He was in court today to overturn the suspension, saying it was “unprecedented”, “bizarre” and “unlawful”
Fintan is an early riser by all accounts. The Indo reports “In a sworn statement, Mr Fanning said he was shocked on reading a news report on the Irish Times website at 4am on January 3 which said a senior Garda officer was under investigation over alleged serious misconduct. He was concerned a suspension was imminent and was informed shortly after 9.30am he had been suspended from duty.”
It seems the media knew about the suspension by Commissioner Drew Harris before the Garda concerned. If true, that old sleazy Garda-media loop is still alive and kicking in 2019!
Of course Fintan is innocent until found otherwise, but GSOC is investigating a claim of corruption and the claim is apparently sufficiently grounded to justify the suspension, though it’s the suspension that Fintan is now challenging. The matter comes back before the High Court next Tuesday, when you can expect sparks to fly because Drew Harris will have to put up or shut up.
-more insider deals for John and Mary from NAMA,this is banana republic stuff,NAMA a state agency selling sites and doing JV’s with a start up founded by its x most senior RE people.
John Mulcahy
-Previously, he was a member of the Board (from 2012 to 2014), and Head of Asset Management (from 2011 to 2014) at National Asset Management Agency (NAMA)-
Mary Birmingham
-Mary has previously held senior positions at Irish Life Investment Managers and NAMA. –
‘More broadly, the acquisition delivers on a key group IPO objective to deliver residential housing on Nama-secured lands in a partnership structure,” he said.‘
Banana republic? Not at all Johnny. Highest standards of transparency, though the Housing Minister somehow failed to mention the new appointment to the board of An Bord Pleanala is the head of planning at ……… Glenveagh!
“He is currently employed as Head of Planning in a private sector firm ” Yeah, right, a “private sector firm”
Hi Eoin,the only building experience the founder,Mulcahy (x Nama) has is at the annual Courtown Sandcastle contest.One the most “prized/valuable” assets the state has is developable land today,read to go.The agency tasked with maximizing the value of these state assets,keeps selecting a start up with no track record,no building experience,staffed by its x employees to “buy” these highly sought prized assets-why ?
But the real bannana republic part is that NAMA on behalf of you guys is no longer requesting cash at closing,it’s financing the inexperienced Mulchacys quixotic and ill advised fantasy to be a “player”.
Even Trumps gang thieves haven’t resorted to getting the seller (state) to hold paper or finance the “buying”,that’s real chutzpah,what happens if the market turns or this bunch amateurs can’t deliver ?
NAMA (you) guys get clean up the mess from this start up-yet never got cash at closing !
Johnny
Oh look it a pattern of behavior,of all the gin joints tying buy sites / deals from NAMA,they keep selecting the new start up founded by its x senior people-they should be buying lottery tickets,but who needs them when you have the inside track…..
‘Dillon Eustace advised a NAMA receiver on the sale of over 270 acres of mixed zoned development land at Tyrrelstown, County Dublin for a price in excess of €65m.’
The site has been acquired by Glenveagh Properties plc‘
‘Nama is poised to enter a joint venture agreement to develop the lucrative Players Square site in Dublin city centre, with quoted builder Glenveagh Properties favoured to clinch the deal.‘
And you wonder why you’ve no housing with this type carry on….
Cian
“[NAMA] said it has provided funding for 9,700 residential units since 2014, with an additional 3,000 under construction or having been approved. Nama said planning permission has also been granted for another 6,400 units on sites that it manages.”
Lost me Cian-what your point ?
How many are you now falsely claiming they have built-how many are completed…
How’s Glenveagh doing since it’s IPO-what’s the market sentiment or forward looking view on its prospects.
The question is / was why does NAMA keep selecting /picking a start up who’s share price is in free fall and can’t / won’t pay cadh ?
Try stay on point Cian and you will be red carded for any your usual ad homenien guff:)
Does your complete and total lack of any experience in this area ever cause you to pause-gosh maybe you’d actually learn something if you engaged or asked a decent question…
Cian
My post was specifically in response to your “And you wonder why you’ve no housing with this type carry on….”
This and your frequent outbursts that NAMA haven’t built any homes.
johnny
You link Cian so its fair assume you have read it and understand it-otherwise you’d look foolish, inept and a total tooty pooty pumpkin pie, who links things they don’t understand like-duh !
So Cian can you please expand a little on YOUR quote from YOUR link….
When you say ‘funding’ what do you mean, they gave a mortgage and secured these funds against the land or a construction loan in first-what type of ‘funding’ and on what terms,where does this funding rank in the capital stack.
Did they rewrite the original loan terms and engage in debt forgiveness,they are not allowed have LTV’s about 85% or are they, if the new ‘funding’ and the old loan exceed market value how do they get around this ?
Are the developers solvent and liquid, are they getting personal guarantees or engaging in non recourse funding,is it a mezz debt?
Is the funding on market terms or are they artificially interfering again with the market ?
Which clients did they select and how,on what basis is this ‘funding’ awarded ?
As you appear to be some sort ‘expert’ on NAMA looking forward your response-oh Google won’t help much as you’d actually need,a bit knowledge and experience to answer these, but carry on…
Looking forward engaging…….
Cian
I can’t answer any of these questions. All i know is from the media. They are lending money to developers to build houses.
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK… Below is a good analysis of why he will be remembered as the most inept, incompetent and hated Taoiseach of our time.
“It never gives me pleasure to write hurtful things about anyone. However today, I make an exception in the case of Leo Varadkar.
Most people will have their own reasons as to why Mr Varadkar is in way above his head as a political leader, but here are a few of my own opinions as to why Leo Varadkar now needs to resign his position for being the most inept and incompetent Taoiseach in the history of the state.
It’s time to call a spade a spade!
1. As Minister of Health, Leo Varadkar has failed to oversee to cervical cancer screening debacle, on the basis of costs and a restrictive budgets that have tied the hands of the HSE. Women have died because of Varadkar’s failure to ensure that the cost to women’s lives mattered more than the cost of the tests. History will remember brave women such as Emma Mhic Mhathúna. History will also remember Varadkar’s inactions for many years to come, where women’s lives are concerned.
Trolleys full of very ill people, an underfunded and understaffed health services that you promised to fix is still, well…Unfixed! Giving billions of our money to the banks and bondholders is not going to put more beds in wards or employ more frontline staff.
2. Unwittingly or not, Varadkar has jeopardised the Good Friday agreement and the peace and security of the nation due to indirect endorsement of violent evictions. Apologising on behalf of the Irish people to the Northern Ireland eviction thugs as used in Roscommon has shown that he does not have the interests of the nation at heart. In essence Varadkar has potentially opened up the Republic to retaliatory actions on innocent citizens, by criminal and terrorist elements from the north of the country.
3. Varadkar’s personal propaganda unit which has cost us two million Euro so far, is responsible for much of the anti-eviction rhetoric that we have seen taking over the headlines in almost every news outlet in the last week. Taxpayers own money is being used to sponsor a campaign of disinformation that is willingly put out state sponsored propaganda as real news, run by vested interests, all of who have a strong dependency on government support to stop them going under.
Varadkar’s propaganda machine is dangerous to the point that he believes everything he reads and hears from “advisors”.We don’t need or want a narcissist for Taoiseach, so he needs to go…
4. Using the Gardai as proxy bank debt enforcers is not going to end well not just for their independence and reputation, but is also guaranteed to alienate future public support for them going forward. It is worth considering that individual Gardai [with a conscience] might just not support the such tasks that are thrust upon them by Garda management in the future.
5. Varadkar has consistently prioritised banking and corporate interests over and above the welfare of the people of this country and has dismally failed to serve the people as he is constitutionally obliged to do once again. Recently giving IBRC subordinated bondholders over €270 million as reward for gambling is unacceptable, especially when we are desperate to house thousands of our own citizens or increase the health service budget to improve services. This is unacceptable no matter how Varadkar spins it.
6. Varadkar has clearly put EU interests over the interests of our nearest neighbour in their Brexit talks. Leo Varadkar has potentially jeopardised future trade with the UK and set both countries on a path that will ultimately not be good for Ireland. Leo Varadkar’s bowing and scraping to the EU is a sign that this country is being sold as a going concern without any thought of our future relationship with the UK. Varadkar’s international diplomatic inexperience will have serious consequences not just for us but also for the British people and our joint economies.
7. Varadkar has essentially bounced Ireland into a European army and has ignored the fact that we are a neutral country, that is clearly embedded under our constitution. This cannot bode well for the country or its army as has it the potential to see Irish Citizens fighting in wars as far away as Ukraine on behalf of the EU. Where was the referendum on changing the constitution from neutral peacekeepers to warmongers?
8. Ultimately the housing crisis failure falls directly on Leo Varadkar’s head, and in fact has become far worse on his watch. Varadkar’s refusal to find equitable solutions for all parties in the mortgage crisis or to allow legislation by the other parties to help in the crisis that is building under his nose is completely unacceptable.
Varadkar’s failure to address the well-known concerns in dealing with the mortgage arrears crisis will cause more Roscommon like evictions to take place. Bankers profits cannot come at the cost of ordinary Irish citizens who have already paid a huge price in terms of suicides, homelessness and abject poverty in many cases.
9. Dealing with the mortgage arrears and repossession crisis is beyond his level of empathy and that is unacceptable for the leader of a country that is constitutionally obliged to care for every one of its citizens. Blocking legislation brought forward by decent politicians in order to help Irish citizens [who for the most part would not be in the bind that they are in except for failed government policies] and then saying that paying billions to bondholders is constitutional is a complete insult to the intelligence of every Irish man, woman and child who are paying the gambling debts of the wealthy and elite.
Varadkar was never elected by the people of Dublin 15 to protect banking interests over the interests of Irish people.
10. Leo Varadkar’s links to KBC Bank and his obvious support for the bank during the Roscommon eviction should sound warning bells in the ears of the Irish people. Varadkar has clearly been compromised in his role as Taoiseach given his links to John C. Malone who is a non-executive director of KBC bank who was appointed to prominent position on a government committee by Leo Varadkar.
This explains his failure to publicly criticise KBC’s approach to dealing with their so called “problem debt”.
11. Varadkar’s failure to competently deal with the housing crisis by outsourcing the state’s responsibility to private developers has left many people without a roof over their heads and a place to call home. Failure to reign in the rental crisis by outsourcing the responsibility to private landlords is doomed to failure. The neo-liberal policies held by Varadkar and the government will come back to haunt the ordinary people of this country. No one will be immune in its return!
12. People are having to resort to food-banks more than ever and that is borne out by the massive increase and obvious increase of people queuing for food packages in the various charitable centres dotted around the county. Families are queuing up nightly outside the old Central Bank Plaza to be fed by volunteers who are using their own hard-earned cash as well as fundraised money and food to try help people who are in a desperate situation.
13. Varadkar’s failure to reign in the Central Bank with their pro-Europe and pro-banking policies leaves us in no doubt as to where the allegiances of this government and their partners lie. It is the ordinary people of this country that are paying the price of a gambler’s debt.
14. Varadkar’s failure to hold the banks to account instead of given them billions of Euro in tax breaks and a free ride with taxpayers money, ensures that everyone continues to share the burden of debt that was thrust upon us by the three main culprits, being successive Government(s), the Banks and the high fliers who walked free from their debts to the people.
A good enough reason for Varadkar’s and this government’s resignation in its own right…
15. Leo Varadkar must resign because of his utter failure to deal with the homeless crisis that has gripped this country in recent years. Billions of Euro of taxpayer’s money is being used to pay down a debt that never belonged to the Irish people in the first place. Varadkar must take the blame and fall on his sword for his failure to take responsibility for the thousands of families who cannot see any further than a few hours ahead or are not guaranteed a warm bed at any time.
Allowing vulture funds and their so called “debt servicing agencies” to flourish should not be a proud moment for the leader or government of this country.
16. Varadkar and this government need to take Michael Martin (and any of the Fianna Fail backbenchers who agreed with him) and who have supported Varadkar for another two years of unmerciful onslaught on the ordinary people really should stop using Brexit as an excuse for staying in this so-called government partnership.
Michael Martin needs to man-up and step aside as well!
17. Putting a knife to the neck of a country that we depend on for so many things is going to backfire badly on us, but you can be assured that neither Leo Varadkar nor anyone else sitting at the front of the class is going to suffer one little bit. The damage is already done but we will be the ones to suffer as always!
Finally… Unfortunately there will be no walk of shame or penalties for you and any of the others who have brought this country to its knees – Just big pensions and payoffs!”
Andrew
Where did you copy and paste that from Ron? You seem to indicate that it is copied from elsewhere at the beginning of your comment.
Ron
It was on Facebook Andrew.
ReproBertie
“Putting a knife to the neck of a country that we depend on for so many things is going to backfire badly on us”
Working to defend Ireland’s economic, agricultural, commercial and industrial interests, as well as the all island economy, is putting a knife to Britain’s neck? You would rather we surrender our own interests as subservient to the needs of the British government? How’s the soup?
Ron
not my fault you add 2+2 and get 5.. wow
ReproBertie
So explain it. How is defending Ireland’s interests, which is the main role of any Irish government, something we should hold Leo & Co in contempt for?
Ron
I hold Leo in contempt for being an incompetent inept clown who has zero experience of the importance of diplomacy. Your simply not smart enough to understand it. Is it any wonder we are in this mess when silly boo boo pants like yourself have a vote.
ReproBertie
So, as expected, you can’t explain it.
millie st murderlark
*You’re.
That’s been annoying me for a bit. Pedantry always has the last laugh.
Ron
yea whatever floats your boat
Cian
#7 is rubbish. Neutrality isn’t enshrined in our constitution.
Ron
problem solved so Cian.
scottser
Wow, Steve o from jackass’s dad is abu hamza.
Dub Spot
INM Indo – more Sodden (Una) Foden Fodder… perhaps money would be better spent on a Family Law SC than a PR agent, love.
Otis Blue
Ron, I’m not sure that claims that the health system is underfunded stack up. Whatever the ills of the health system – and there are many – we certainly throw enough money at it. It seems that each year we have another supplementary budget for the health system. In 2019, it will account for about 22% of the entire tax take. A high amount by international standards but one that appears to deliver relatively poor value for money.
Ron
Massive German data leak of politicians and journalists. Wait until it happens in Ireland and they get a taste of their own medicine. Tick tock tick tock
Johnny
The names Whelan,James Whelan.
‘A spokesman for Ireland’s department of foreign affairs and trade provided little detail on its effort but said the Irish embassy in Moscow “has requested consular access to an Irish citizen currently detained in Russia after receiving a request for assistance‘
Great image on the front of the Examiner. Life is tough. There is hope.
130 million yoyos? I thought there was a privacy “thing” to winning The Lotto. The sharks will be circling, look what happened to Dolores McNamara following her 114 million win – her family sectioned her and sought power of attorney over her finances. Good luck to the Armagh winner – it could be you!
might be different T&C with the euromillions.
It was Euromillions with Dolores McNamara – same as now. Perhaps I’m a cynic – but I really wouldn’t reveal something like this, trust no-one, especially with vast sums of money. Live a life alone in wealth, or share in poverty – perhaps a little over-stated? (For what it’s worth – I’m into the poverty thing.)
I googled Dolores McNamara sectioned and yours is the only thing I can find mentioning it. Can you show me proof or are you talking complete bull?
I read it as they decided to go public themselves. I think they get a top up if they do.
With the Irish Lotto you get an extra 10% for going public, I think.
That’s a myth.
They have decided to go public which is a strange thing to want to do. I suspect they’ll have blown it in 5-10 years.
I thought you can opt to stay anonymous and take a reduced payout but after having a quick goog there, can’t see any mentioned of a reduced payout online.
Apparently they advise you to go public because the press will find out anyway and be a lot more intrusive doing so
Nonsense. Just get your solicitor to collect it on your behalf. You would be mad to go public.
Tis now the 4th January and we should all be in guilt driven repentance mode because apparently, on average, we gained half a stone over Christmas. So, the answer is to consume more. Adverts everywhere. More exercise equipment, more sports gear, more miracle diet plans, more bloody shopping.
My resolution is to do more of what I love doing. I expect I will keep this resolution. Fill the bin bags for the charity shops and de-clutter. That is as ‘healthy’ as it gets and doesn’t require buying more ‘stuff’ you don’t even want let alone need.
Very noble SOQ. I imagine lots of people buy into the post holidays indulgences, joining a gym, making promises – I think it’s still called a new year’s resolution? Instead of giving up – I’ve started smoking again, at least, I know I can follow through. (Sorry, SOQ – I didn’t mean to sound like a bitch, I just like to keep promises I can keep.)
Yeah fair enough about the indulgences Shayna but what I object to is this relentless hard sell of ‘stuff’. It doesn’t make you happy, just poorer and besides, if suffering in a smelly gym is going to make you miserable, is it really any healthier?
Post Christmas marketing exploits the disconnect between mental and physical health is all I am saying. Medical conditions aside, if you gained a stone over Christmas then you have issues to address which are not going to be resolved by buying dumb bells from Lidl.
Bit mean…. perfectly natural reaction to work on ones self after a period of enjoyment.
Maybe you have issues posting such sneering comments
Not at all, I am very far from perfect, completely defective in some areas. All I am highlighting is that consuming more is part of the same pattern and in some cases, the same problem.
Comfort eating is a term I hear a lot in Ulster(9) these days. You plan to move more then do something you enjoy. I personally plan to have more sex, especially with a red head from Cavan. Maybe only in time, who knows.
How long before the “senior” “male” “Garda” that was suspended yesterday is identified. The suspension follows the GSOC decision to investigate an allegation of corruption made by a junior Garda in December 2018? The senior Garda is innocent until proven guilty but presumably the allegations are sufficiently strong to warrant a suspension.
5 Assistant Commissioners
27 Chief Superintendents
105 Superintendents
196 Inspectors
1473 Sergeants
“Senior” would probably be the first two ranks though.
I know who I have my money on!
1,000 extra police officers for Northern Ireland in the event of civil disorder with Brexit. PSNI has 7,000 officers. It sometimes gets 500 extra from England to deal with disorder resulting from (predominantly) unionist marches on public roads. 1,000 additional officers is a lot.
I hope the 1,000 new officers are getting a shedload of danger money.
The Brits are passing a new law in January to allow for special stop and searches at Newry train station and on roads within a few miles of the border.
https://services.parliament.uk/bills/2017-19/counterterrorismandbordersecurity.html
Call me nostalgic, but I do recall the grafitti slogan, “Brits Out!” – now, despite The Good Friday Agreement and because of Brexit – The Brits (potentially) will be back. One step forward, two steps back. Welcome to ’90s Ireland, I mean ’19’s Ireland.
This was flagged up a couple of months ago Shayna. Is it just one step away from the British Army returning to Ireland or a media spin on the upskilling of an English police in order to deal with the post Brexit civil disturbances at home?
The Irish kicking off again is the last thing they want because it would start where it ended last time around, meaning where it had most impact.
Not just English, but also Scottish police – dress them up in blue, instead of khakis, call them police, instead of army – they’re still a British force. Stop and search around Newry/South Armagh/Tyrone/Monaghan – there seems to be a bit of a shying away from mention of a border.
Perhaps, it would be useful if local government could allocate funding for a local police – oh, Stormont, 2 and a half years without? One would think that politicians in The North could care less about the constituents who voted for them.
I think it may have been you, SOQ who may have mentioned the traditional/partisan voting in The North. Vote for what? The status quo in The North is currently controlled by London. The voting is of similar disorder in The Free State – I’m reminded of a Mark Twain quote, “Politicians are like diapers, they should be changed regularly, both for the same reason.”
There is no leaders in the north, not since the GFA, just a bunch of tribal clowns propping each other up.They would win the Olympics at poking each other’s eyes out.
Although being handcuffed late at night by a fit young fella on a Irish border road does have its attractions.
Why is the State having to pay €15m compensation for the cervical check scandal (where unwarranted errors at US laboratories caused Irish women to be incorrectly given the all-clear and thus not able to fight cancer in the early stages and often until it was too late).
The answer is in the article. Literally on the front page.
So the cunning plan by the HSE to stop anti-abortion campaigners from targetting the 165 doctors providing abortion services hasn’t worked. I’m shocked.
The MyOptions.ie website deliberately didn’t list the doctors for fear of intimidation. You had to ring the phone number to get a doctor’s name. I can just imagine a Ronan Mullen-type character ringing the line at 9.01am on New Years Day putting on his best Sister Stan voice pretending to have a crisis pregnancy so he could get the list of doctors.
Yesterday, there was a protest outside a doctor’s premises in Galway city.
The government failed to co-introduce measures to stop such protests despite the Opposition being adamant such measures would be needed.
The Times Ireland today notices the stunt pulled by Leo yesterday
“Taoiseach steals thunder to rain on poor Paschal…That [exchequer surplus in 2018] is very good news indeed. But the trouble was, it was the finance minister’s good news. Mr Donohoe was due to unveil the glad tidings at a press conference on his own turf a couple of hours later, when publishing the exchequer returns for 2018.”
The Times doesn’t mention that this is part of a pattern on Leo’s part. Leo has blabbed about data contained in CSO publications which are strictly timed for publication eg about record numbers in employment contained in the Labour Force Survey.
The spin-obsessed goal hanger, who spent 126 times his predecessor on self promotion in 2018, just can’t help himself.
The independent have a story of galway anti abortion protesters intimidating patients from a GP, they must hate to flu jab now as well..
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/health/antiabortion-activists-begin-picket-outside-gps-surgery-37679955.html
It’s interfering with God’s plan to give you the flu.
Are they targeting that GP because he/she wasn’t at mass recently?
Please say it’s Tuam. Please say it’s Tuam!!!!
Every virus is sacred.
It’s 4 January 2019 and already we have a contender for the worst written article of 2019.
Mick Clifford ladies and gentlemen!
https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/possibility-of-dismissal-left-hanging-over-garda-895510.html
In addition to stray sentences “The other parties had already given statements long before this. long given statements by then.” you have dates mixed up “On January 3, 2018, Member A was served with Regulation 24 disciplinary papers….Thirteen days later, he was told he was being suspended. This was more than a month after the incident [in December 2016!]…One possibility is that new evidence had come to light in the days before January 16, 2017, that further implicated him.” eejity grammar “there were conflicting accounts as to whom was the aggressor.”
Mick obviously has a sound source close to this matter, which is linked to the suspension yesterday of a senior male Garda. Pity he made such a horse’s timsy-pushkin of writing it.
The sub-editor should get some flack too.
Assistant Garda Commissioner suspended from duty!
It’s GUBU without the “G”, the identity of the senior Garda who was suspended last week has been made public after he went to the High Court to have the suspension lifted. It’s Assistant Commissioner Fintan Fanning who often goes by the name John Fintan Fanning. He was in court today to overturn the suspension, saying it was “unprecedented”, “bizarre” and “unlawful”
Fintan is an early riser by all accounts. The Indo reports “In a sworn statement, Mr Fanning said he was shocked on reading a news report on the Irish Times website at 4am on January 3 which said a senior Garda officer was under investigation over alleged serious misconduct. He was concerned a suspension was imminent and was informed shortly after 9.30am he had been suspended from duty.”
It seems the media knew about the suspension by Commissioner Drew Harris before the Garda concerned. If true, that old sleazy Garda-media loop is still alive and kicking in 2019!
Of course Fintan is innocent until found otherwise, but GSOC is investigating a claim of corruption and the claim is apparently sufficiently grounded to justify the suspension, though it’s the suspension that Fintan is now challenging. The matter comes back before the High Court next Tuesday, when you can expect sparks to fly because Drew Harris will have to put up or shut up.
https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/courts/bizarre-unlawful-unfair-assistant-garda-commissioner-blasts-suspension-37703045.html
-more insider deals for John and Mary from NAMA,this is banana republic stuff,NAMA a state agency selling sites and doing JV’s with a start up founded by its x most senior RE people.
John Mulcahy
-Previously, he was a member of the Board (from 2012 to 2014), and Head of Asset Management (from 2011 to 2014) at National Asset Management Agency (NAMA)-
Mary Birmingham
-Mary has previously held senior positions at Irish Life Investment Managers and NAMA. –
https://glenveagh.ie/about-us/
Oh….today’s IT !
‘More broadly, the acquisition delivers on a key group IPO objective to deliver residential housing on Nama-secured lands in a partnership structure,” he said.‘
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/construction/glenveagh-buys-25m-site-for-500-homes-in-cork-1.3747614
Banana republic? Not at all Johnny. Highest standards of transparency, though the Housing Minister somehow failed to mention the new appointment to the board of An Bord Pleanala is the head of planning at ……… Glenveagh!
“He is currently employed as Head of Planning in a private sector firm ” Yeah, right, a “private sector firm”
https://merrionstreet.ie/en/News-Room/Releases/Minister_Murphy_announces_an_appointment_to_the_Board_of_An_Bord_Pleanala.html
Hi Eoin,the only building experience the founder,Mulcahy (x Nama) has is at the annual Courtown Sandcastle contest.One the most “prized/valuable” assets the state has is developable land today,read to go.The agency tasked with maximizing the value of these state assets,keeps selecting a start up with no track record,no building experience,staffed by its x employees to “buy” these highly sought prized assets-why ?
But the real bannana republic part is that NAMA on behalf of you guys is no longer requesting cash at closing,it’s financing the inexperienced Mulchacys quixotic and ill advised fantasy to be a “player”.
Even Trumps gang thieves haven’t resorted to getting the seller (state) to hold paper or finance the “buying”,that’s real chutzpah,what happens if the market turns or this bunch amateurs can’t deliver ?
NAMA (you) guys get clean up the mess from this start up-yet never got cash at closing !
Oh look it a pattern of behavior,of all the gin joints tying buy sites / deals from NAMA,they keep selecting the new start up founded by its x senior people-they should be buying lottery tickets,but who needs them when you have the inside track…..
‘Dillon Eustace advised a NAMA receiver on the sale of over 270 acres of mixed zoned development land at Tyrrelstown, County Dublin for a price in excess of €65m.’
The site has been acquired by Glenveagh Properties plc‘
https://www.dilloneustace.com/news/nama-turns-to-dillon-eustace-for-65m-sale-of-prime-tyrrelstown-site
‘Nama is poised to enter a joint venture agreement to develop the lucrative Players Square site in Dublin city centre, with quoted builder Glenveagh Properties favoured to clinch the deal.‘
https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/glenveagh-to-pitch-hard-for-players-site-m53x8km5t
And you wonder why you’ve no housing with this type carry on….
“[NAMA] said it has provided funding for 9,700 residential units since 2014, with an additional 3,000 under construction or having been approved. Nama said planning permission has also been granted for another 6,400 units on sites that it manages.”
https://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/nama-on-target-to-return-3-5bn-surplus-by-time-it-winds-down-1.3746748?mode=amp
Lost me Cian-what your point ?
How many are you now falsely claiming they have built-how many are completed…
How’s Glenveagh doing since it’s IPO-what’s the market sentiment or forward looking view on its prospects.
The question is / was why does NAMA keep selecting /picking a start up who’s share price is in free fall and can’t / won’t pay cadh ?
Try stay on point Cian and you will be red carded for any your usual ad homenien guff:)
Does your complete and total lack of any experience in this area ever cause you to pause-gosh maybe you’d actually learn something if you engaged or asked a decent question…
My post was specifically in response to your “And you wonder why you’ve no housing with this type carry on….”
This and your frequent outbursts that NAMA haven’t built any homes.
You link Cian so its fair assume you have read it and understand it-otherwise you’d look foolish, inept and a total tooty pooty pumpkin pie, who links things they don’t understand like-duh !
So Cian can you please expand a little on YOUR quote from YOUR link….
When you say ‘funding’ what do you mean, they gave a mortgage and secured these funds against the land or a construction loan in first-what type of ‘funding’ and on what terms,where does this funding rank in the capital stack.
Did they rewrite the original loan terms and engage in debt forgiveness,they are not allowed have LTV’s about 85% or are they, if the new ‘funding’ and the old loan exceed market value how do they get around this ?
Are the developers solvent and liquid, are they getting personal guarantees or engaging in non recourse funding,is it a mezz debt?
Is the funding on market terms or are they artificially interfering again with the market ?
Which clients did they select and how,on what basis is this ‘funding’ awarded ?
As you appear to be some sort ‘expert’ on NAMA looking forward your response-oh Google won’t help much as you’d actually need,a bit knowledge and experience to answer these, but carry on…
Looking forward engaging…….
I can’t answer any of these questions. All i know is from the media. They are lending money to developers to build houses.
Aaaanndddd today’s Varadkar front page story tells us that we won’t go hungry. Oh lordy lordy. Thank you HRH Vacron. Lordy lordy
https://www.independent.ie/business/brexit/nobody-will-go-hungry-varadkars-warning-on-food-supply-37679721.html
TICK TOCK TICK TOCK… Below is a good analysis of why he will be remembered as the most inept, incompetent and hated Taoiseach of our time.
“It never gives me pleasure to write hurtful things about anyone. However today, I make an exception in the case of Leo Varadkar.
Most people will have their own reasons as to why Mr Varadkar is in way above his head as a political leader, but here are a few of my own opinions as to why Leo Varadkar now needs to resign his position for being the most inept and incompetent Taoiseach in the history of the state.
It’s time to call a spade a spade!
1. As Minister of Health, Leo Varadkar has failed to oversee to cervical cancer screening debacle, on the basis of costs and a restrictive budgets that have tied the hands of the HSE. Women have died because of Varadkar’s failure to ensure that the cost to women’s lives mattered more than the cost of the tests. History will remember brave women such as Emma Mhic Mhathúna. History will also remember Varadkar’s inactions for many years to come, where women’s lives are concerned.
Trolleys full of very ill people, an underfunded and understaffed health services that you promised to fix is still, well…Unfixed! Giving billions of our money to the banks and bondholders is not going to put more beds in wards or employ more frontline staff.
2. Unwittingly or not, Varadkar has jeopardised the Good Friday agreement and the peace and security of the nation due to indirect endorsement of violent evictions. Apologising on behalf of the Irish people to the Northern Ireland eviction thugs as used in Roscommon has shown that he does not have the interests of the nation at heart. In essence Varadkar has potentially opened up the Republic to retaliatory actions on innocent citizens, by criminal and terrorist elements from the north of the country.
3. Varadkar’s personal propaganda unit which has cost us two million Euro so far, is responsible for much of the anti-eviction rhetoric that we have seen taking over the headlines in almost every news outlet in the last week. Taxpayers own money is being used to sponsor a campaign of disinformation that is willingly put out state sponsored propaganda as real news, run by vested interests, all of who have a strong dependency on government support to stop them going under.
Varadkar’s propaganda machine is dangerous to the point that he believes everything he reads and hears from “advisors”.We don’t need or want a narcissist for Taoiseach, so he needs to go…
4. Using the Gardai as proxy bank debt enforcers is not going to end well not just for their independence and reputation, but is also guaranteed to alienate future public support for them going forward. It is worth considering that individual Gardai [with a conscience] might just not support the such tasks that are thrust upon them by Garda management in the future.
5. Varadkar has consistently prioritised banking and corporate interests over and above the welfare of the people of this country and has dismally failed to serve the people as he is constitutionally obliged to do once again. Recently giving IBRC subordinated bondholders over €270 million as reward for gambling is unacceptable, especially when we are desperate to house thousands of our own citizens or increase the health service budget to improve services. This is unacceptable no matter how Varadkar spins it.
6. Varadkar has clearly put EU interests over the interests of our nearest neighbour in their Brexit talks. Leo Varadkar has potentially jeopardised future trade with the UK and set both countries on a path that will ultimately not be good for Ireland. Leo Varadkar’s bowing and scraping to the EU is a sign that this country is being sold as a going concern without any thought of our future relationship with the UK. Varadkar’s international diplomatic inexperience will have serious consequences not just for us but also for the British people and our joint economies.
7. Varadkar has essentially bounced Ireland into a European army and has ignored the fact that we are a neutral country, that is clearly embedded under our constitution. This cannot bode well for the country or its army as has it the potential to see Irish Citizens fighting in wars as far away as Ukraine on behalf of the EU. Where was the referendum on changing the constitution from neutral peacekeepers to warmongers?
8. Ultimately the housing crisis failure falls directly on Leo Varadkar’s head, and in fact has become far worse on his watch. Varadkar’s refusal to find equitable solutions for all parties in the mortgage crisis or to allow legislation by the other parties to help in the crisis that is building under his nose is completely unacceptable.
Varadkar’s failure to address the well-known concerns in dealing with the mortgage arrears crisis will cause more Roscommon like evictions to take place. Bankers profits cannot come at the cost of ordinary Irish citizens who have already paid a huge price in terms of suicides, homelessness and abject poverty in many cases.
9. Dealing with the mortgage arrears and repossession crisis is beyond his level of empathy and that is unacceptable for the leader of a country that is constitutionally obliged to care for every one of its citizens. Blocking legislation brought forward by decent politicians in order to help Irish citizens [who for the most part would not be in the bind that they are in except for failed government policies] and then saying that paying billions to bondholders is constitutional is a complete insult to the intelligence of every Irish man, woman and child who are paying the gambling debts of the wealthy and elite.
Varadkar was never elected by the people of Dublin 15 to protect banking interests over the interests of Irish people.
10. Leo Varadkar’s links to KBC Bank and his obvious support for the bank during the Roscommon eviction should sound warning bells in the ears of the Irish people. Varadkar has clearly been compromised in his role as Taoiseach given his links to John C. Malone who is a non-executive director of KBC bank who was appointed to prominent position on a government committee by Leo Varadkar.
This explains his failure to publicly criticise KBC’s approach to dealing with their so called “problem debt”.
11. Varadkar’s failure to competently deal with the housing crisis by outsourcing the state’s responsibility to private developers has left many people without a roof over their heads and a place to call home. Failure to reign in the rental crisis by outsourcing the responsibility to private landlords is doomed to failure. The neo-liberal policies held by Varadkar and the government will come back to haunt the ordinary people of this country. No one will be immune in its return!
12. People are having to resort to food-banks more than ever and that is borne out by the massive increase and obvious increase of people queuing for food packages in the various charitable centres dotted around the county. Families are queuing up nightly outside the old Central Bank Plaza to be fed by volunteers who are using their own hard-earned cash as well as fundraised money and food to try help people who are in a desperate situation.
13. Varadkar’s failure to reign in the Central Bank with their pro-Europe and pro-banking policies leaves us in no doubt as to where the allegiances of this government and their partners lie. It is the ordinary people of this country that are paying the price of a gambler’s debt.
14. Varadkar’s failure to hold the banks to account instead of given them billions of Euro in tax breaks and a free ride with taxpayers money, ensures that everyone continues to share the burden of debt that was thrust upon us by the three main culprits, being successive Government(s), the Banks and the high fliers who walked free from their debts to the people.
A good enough reason for Varadkar’s and this government’s resignation in its own right…
15. Leo Varadkar must resign because of his utter failure to deal with the homeless crisis that has gripped this country in recent years. Billions of Euro of taxpayer’s money is being used to pay down a debt that never belonged to the Irish people in the first place. Varadkar must take the blame and fall on his sword for his failure to take responsibility for the thousands of families who cannot see any further than a few hours ahead or are not guaranteed a warm bed at any time.
Allowing vulture funds and their so called “debt servicing agencies” to flourish should not be a proud moment for the leader or government of this country.
16. Varadkar and this government need to take Michael Martin (and any of the Fianna Fail backbenchers who agreed with him) and who have supported Varadkar for another two years of unmerciful onslaught on the ordinary people really should stop using Brexit as an excuse for staying in this so-called government partnership.
Michael Martin needs to man-up and step aside as well!
17. Putting a knife to the neck of a country that we depend on for so many things is going to backfire badly on us, but you can be assured that neither Leo Varadkar nor anyone else sitting at the front of the class is going to suffer one little bit. The damage is already done but we will be the ones to suffer as always!
Finally… Unfortunately there will be no walk of shame or penalties for you and any of the others who have brought this country to its knees – Just big pensions and payoffs!”
Where did you copy and paste that from Ron? You seem to indicate that it is copied from elsewhere at the beginning of your comment.
It was on Facebook Andrew.
“Putting a knife to the neck of a country that we depend on for so many things is going to backfire badly on us”
Working to defend Ireland’s economic, agricultural, commercial and industrial interests, as well as the all island economy, is putting a knife to Britain’s neck? You would rather we surrender our own interests as subservient to the needs of the British government? How’s the soup?
not my fault you add 2+2 and get 5.. wow
So explain it. How is defending Ireland’s interests, which is the main role of any Irish government, something we should hold Leo & Co in contempt for?
I hold Leo in contempt for being an incompetent inept clown who has zero experience of the importance of diplomacy. Your simply not smart enough to understand it. Is it any wonder we are in this mess when silly boo boo pants like yourself have a vote.
So, as expected, you can’t explain it.
*You’re.
That’s been annoying me for a bit. Pedantry always has the last laugh.
yea whatever floats your boat
#7 is rubbish. Neutrality isn’t enshrined in our constitution.
problem solved so Cian.
Wow, Steve o from jackass’s dad is abu hamza.
INM Indo – more Sodden (Una) Foden Fodder… perhaps money would be better spent on a Family Law SC than a PR agent, love.
Ron, I’m not sure that claims that the health system is underfunded stack up. Whatever the ills of the health system – and there are many – we certainly throw enough money at it. It seems that each year we have another supplementary budget for the health system. In 2019, it will account for about 22% of the entire tax take. A high amount by international standards but one that appears to deliver relatively poor value for money.
Massive German data leak of politicians and journalists. Wait until it happens in Ireland and they get a taste of their own medicine. Tick tock tick tock
The names Whelan,James Whelan.
‘A spokesman for Ireland’s department of foreign affairs and trade provided little detail on its effort but said the Irish embassy in Moscow “has requested consular access to an Irish citizen currently detained in Russia after receiving a request for assistance‘
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/04/us/politics/paul-whelan-spy-citizenship.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
Shinnerbots ruin everything
They are cancer