67 thoughts on “De Friday Papers

    1. arthur_daly

      Busy day for them all
      Now broadband going to cost 6 billion
      Children hospital we swallowed it
      Now this and if you actually think giving away a 3 billion or is it 6 billion gift to a private company owned by Americans is a wise fiscal more cost effective remedy then all I can say is you are as thick as a plank

      Lets have a national Irish rip off day that we all put our wallets on the street so they can be pillaged

      This lot must go

  1. Walter Ego

    Martin : I’d axe 3 billion euro Broadband Contract.
    If there was only someway he could put a stop to the FG Government. Hmmmm?

        1. eoin

          What’s Michael Moriarty up to these days. Wouldn’t he be best placed to scrutinise another Fine Gael massive state contract with Denis O’Brien?

          So, I’ll put my fiver on Moriarty 2 (to distinguish it from the Moriarty 1 which concluded Denis O’Brien had conferred €1 million of cash and other benefits on the FG communications minister Michael Lowry at the time of FG awarding a mobile phone licence in May 1996).

          1. Cian

            Michael Moriarty is 72. I doubt if he would want to chair another tribunal that may take 13 years to reach a conclusion similar to the original Tribunal that found that Denis O’Brien had conferred €1 million of cash and other benefits on the FG communications minister Michael Lowry at the time of FG awarding a mobile phone licence in May 1996.

    1. eoin

      Martin “I would axe €3bn [€5bn+] broadband plan”

      Sadly the chief eunuch of the political eunuchs can’t do anything. He WOULD if he could. But he can’t.

      1. bisted

        …where did it all go wrong for the FFers…they started so well, forming the opposition while controlling policy in government…

  2. GiggidyGoo

    Micheal Coward Martin eh? Still trying it on with the Brexit excuse. The Grand Old Duke Of Cork.

  3. Birdie

    “Irish Times view on the latest Ipsos MRBI opinion poll: fair wind for Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil”. I really find that hard to believe. Obviously I’m not going to vote for either of those parties so is it my prejudice tempering the reality?

    I can only go on conversations that I have had with people (a mixture of voters of the above and not) and there is so much anger towards those parties. As mentioned before, I just can’t believe those are the predicted results. It’s very depressing if it comes through.

    1. Janet, I ate my avatar

      as asked in The Rocky road to Dublin,
      what do you do with your revolution once you’ve got it ?
      make sure it’s leaders and their dream of an equal Ireland are turning in their graves

    2. eoin

      I also find those results questionable, but then you consider how most voters are getting their information. Has anyone see the execrable debates on the #vinb show with two of the highest paid presenters from Denis O’Brien’s loss-making radio business?

      “In Dublin, Fine Gael’s Frances Fitzgerald is on course to top the poll at 22 per cent, followed by Fianna Fáil’s Barry Andrews on 18 per cent. Four candidates are likely to fight it out for the last two seats – Sinn Féin MEP Lynn Boylan (13 per cent), Independents 4 Change TD Clare Daly (10 per cent), Ciarán Cuffe of the Green Party (9 per cent) and Labour’s Alex White, who is on 8 per cent.”

      1. GiggidyGoo

        The election of course will give the real poll. Publishing rubbish like these newspaper ‘Party’ polls is the usual ploy.

      2. Cú Chulainn

        Mark Durkan on 7%. These polls are not really to be relied on; except by the people who pay for them.

      3. rotide

        Are you really giving out about Bias while using phrases like ” Has anyone see the execrable debates on the #vinb show with two of the highest paid presenters from Denis O’Brien’s loss-making radio business?”

        You dont think you look like a giant hypocrite?

    3. Qwerty123

      @Birdie – there is literally no viable alternative sadly. I don’t think a bunch of independents can run a country given Lord Ross and Finians’ antics recently.

      Only viable possible option is SF, well looking at their track record in the North, I wont hold my breath.

  4. eoin

    There was an interesting review of rape trials in Northern Ireland, published yesterday.

    https://gillenreview.org/sites/gillenreview/files/media-files/Gillen%20Report%20-%20Executive%20Summary.pdf

    It recommends KEEPING the practice of naming the accused after they’ve been charged. That contrasts with the position here in the Republic where the accused is named only if convicted. I think the North’s reasoning for their position is sound and we should change the rules here.

    “Despite the severe consequences, both physical and mental, often suffered by
    accused persons (and their close family members) who have been acquitted
    of serious sexual offences, together with the public opprobrium often visited
    on them (and their families), I currently consider there are two key reasons for
    maintaining the status quo.

    88. First, a crucial advantage of the publication of the name of the accused post
    charge — and I emphasise post charge — is that there is clear evidence
    in Northern Ireland and elsewhere that it serves to bring forward other
    complainants — for example, in institutional abuse or serial offender cases.

    89. Such additional witnesses can be vital in a genre of crime where it is often a
    case of one person’s word against another with little further evidence, where
    currently approximately 83% of complainants are not reporting to the police
    and where acquittal rates are already very high.

    90. Secondly, it is extremely difficult to justify the identity of an accused being
    anonymised in serious sexual offences and not in other heinous offences such as
    murder, crimes of unspeakable cruelty to children and other offences of nonsexual extreme violence etc.”

    1. eoin

      Interesting also that the North thinks society’s perceptions on rape need to be challenged. Do we need public advertising here (similar to the sexual harassment ads which start today) on the following:

      These myths may include that:
      • rape only occurs between strangers;
      • victims provoke rape by the way they dress or act;
      • victims who drink alcohol or use drugs are asking to be raped;
      • rape is a crime of passion;
      • if complainants did not scream, fight or get injured, it was not rape;
      • you can tell if someone ‘really’ has been raped by the way they act;
      • victims cry rape when they regret having sex or want revenge;
      • only gay men get raped/only gay men rape men;
      • sex workers cannot be raped;
      • a woman cannot be raped by her husband/partner;
      • victims who have remained in an abusive relationship are responsible for any
      rape that follows;
      • victims will report immediately and give consistent accounts; and
      • false allegations are rife

    2. Bald Archie

      Whatever happened to the presumption of innocence and equality under the law?

      If you name the accused you should also name the alleged victim.

      ‘Member that rugby lad who got a public shaming but wasn’t convicted. Imagine that happening to you.

  5. eoin

    Remember last Friday when the corporate watchdog went to the High Court to force the FAI to hand over documents?

    Yesterday, the matter came before the High Court. The Times Ireland reports (v badly written report by the way Aodhan and Catherine Sanz)

    “In the High Court the FAI claimed privilege over Ms Walshe’s [solicitor working for FAI, became company secretary and is now CEO] legal advice in February last year on a strategy to meet a potential injunction by a third party, and over legal advice about a complaint regarding one of its member organisations in April 2018…Her advice on an internal investigation and certain disciplinary matters should also remain sealed, the FAI argued.”

    The Judge suggests the FAI protestations are “a red herring”

    The ODCE is to be shown the documents and the matter has been adjourned to next Tuesday. So, a partial success for the ODCE though they still mightn’t be allowed rely on those documents. Maybe, we’ll see next Tuesday.

  6. eoin

    The sleazy loop between the Gardai and media that was exposed at the Charleton Tribunal last year is on full display in the Sun today with a story from Craig Farrell (who he?) about Gardai stopping a car in Finglas in which a 14-year old boy had been abducted in the boot, the Sun has the pics (from the Gardai) of the boy emerging from the boot.

    When will Drew Harris prosecute members of An Garda Siochana over its leaking to journalists? Is he waiting for his corruption division to be established first?

    1. Ron

      Gardai are too busy out revenue collecting and harassing learner drivers on the road. Revenue is the focus.

  7. Ron

    The cost of the National Broadband Plan, including private investment, is now expected to exceed € 5 billion, it has emerged.

    And despite paying the bulk of the cost, €3 billion, the Government will not own the network once built. Typically in public-private partnerships, the asset reverts to the State after the contract expires.

    Well done Ireland. I mean what does this inept Government actually have to do in order for people to say enough is enough, they have crossed the line. Are you all going to wait until they start making inept and reckless decisions that cause citizens to actually die? Oh wait… they have already done that.

    1. deluded

      RTÉ radio had a segment yesterday comparing costs of implementation and percentage coverage in some European countries and a US state.
      They didn’t give meterage of cable each required or comparative cost per metre (local average industrial wage would buy how many metres, for instance, and how many kilometres did Sweden get for €6 billion?)
      Paying €3 billion for something we don’t even part-own sounds like an IMF move, to be honest.
      God knows what FF have promised them because most of our economy is foreign owned as it is, there’s bugger-all to trade now….

    2. SOQ

      If as it has been claimed that Eir have committed to within 3 years roll out high speed broad band to every town with over 1000 premises then surely this amounts to the state directly funding a competitor?

      Is there anyone out there who have knowledge of how EU funding regulations apply here?

      Also, it would be interesting to crunch the geo-directory numbers on this. What % of citizens live or work outside of towns over 1000 premises? I would think it is not that high.

      And, even inside those towns, there is no guarantee that a single home or business will even purchase the new service if they are happy with what Eir provides.

      Something just doesn’t add up here.

      1. Mickey Twopints

        Anecdotal information for you: I live about 1km from a rural town (pop. about 600) and in recent months eir have been flooding this area with FTTH. All the local roads are now adorned with fibre distribution boxes on poles – I don’t know how far down side boreens they are prepared to go but they’ve certainly reached all of the low-hanging fruit.

        We now have access to Gbit FTTH in an area where you’d struggle to get 2G not to mind 3 or 4G mobile service.

        1. SOQ

          So we potentially have a situation where two sets of fibre are being ran across the country but only one is paid for by the tax payer. And, as you say, the ‘low hanging fruit’- meaning the majority, is what is needed to balance the cost of the rest.

        2. GiggidyGoo

          I can concur with that. (We are probably in the same area). They aren’t too consistent on how far Down ‘L’ roads to go. By me they do cover one complete L road, yet only go 100yds down another with as many houses.
          Also I think they’re putting the distribution boxes only where people have active phone lines (not 100% sure). Friend of mine has no phone line and is told by Eir that broadband isn’t available in her area – but there are distribution boxes down the complete road and she’s actually only 30 meters from a pole with one of them on it.

        1. SOQ

          Geo-Directory records premises rather than population- it is a national geo-coded record collated by An Post and it is split into commercial and domestic so no confusion.

          It is effectively the go to data set for any sort of premise based spatial analysis these days and is what Eir would be using to plan their roll-out.

          1. Mickey Twopints

            I’d be surprised if you couldn’t get a fairly accurate picture by drilling down into the census data available over at CSO.ie

          2. SOQ

            CSO would be of use to check the demographics once the areas not to be covered by Eir have been identified.

            Younger people would be a much higher uptake than older for example but we already know that for quite a long time there has been an ongoing migration from rural to urban so- rural dwellers tend to be older?

          3. Otis Blue

            You can drill down to micro level for every location in the state here. Just use the layers as you need. It will give you all the demographic data collected in census 2016, population, age, commuting, number and types of properties. It’s a great resource as is the CSO stat bank.

            https://census.cso.ie/sapmap/

      2. Otis Blue

        The tax payer supported scheme cannot compete against private operators. It’s why when Eir cherrypicked some 300,000 homes back in 2017, it rendered the viability of the remainder of the NBP highly dubious.

        State support for Granahan McCourt to compete against Eir would comprise State Aid.

        The respective territories for each provider are colour-coded on the Dept website. However, I can’t see these territories as anything but fluid.

        1. SOQ

          Tnx. Surely they would be represented by polygons? But even that would be hard to do because of the way in which Eir has rolled it out so far.

          It’s like they have peppered it everywhere to prevent the land mass being carved up.

          And what does ‘compete’ mean anyways? Just because Eir has not rolled out to an area so far does not mean they do not plan to in which case, it will be direct competition.

        1. SOQ

          It is not but it will be funding the NBP- which will mean giving one private company an unfair advantage over another.

          Interesting that ESB are now being suggested as they are a state owned company but even then, unless they provide the actual connectivity service, which is unlikely, it will be tendered out and then- the same EU rules are broken.

          1. deluded

            Maybe data through the electrical system:
            https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broadband_over_power_lines
            It’s not great, low bandwidth and electrical systems are “noisy”.
            Or maybe they can sling the fibre cable along their system. (it’s light pulses through glass fibre so it’s immune to electromagnetic interference)
            Does anyone have the kilometres of fibre needed or projected connection numbers?
            There must be a hundred thousand boreens with a scatter of houses down them.

    1. Mickey Twopints

      I’m not seeing your point.

      This MOU is simply restating the present position, and the CTA agreements predate our membership of the EEC. I see nothing new here – what am I missing?

      1. Qwerty123

        Correct Mickey, you are missing nothing, but maybe noting Eoin is not very bright.

      2. GiggidyGoo

        We also have bilateral trade agreements with the UK which predate the EU. Are they still valid?

        1. SOQ

          No idea but one thing is absolutely for certain, any obstruction to the free movement on the now Ireland will be torn down with bare hands.

  8. Andrew

    What do you mean, ‘concerned about the legality’? You mean the legality under EU Law? I’d be more concerned if the EU try to challenge our ability to make agreements such as this, with our nearest neighbours. If other countries wish to do so, why would we, or the EU object? If the EU challenged this I’d be concerned about what real sovereignty we actually have.

  9. Johnny

    Dropping tonight on Showtime,can’t miss TV.
    ‘WU-TANG CLAN: OF MICS AND MEN, Season 1: Showtime Documentary Films dives deeper into the music documentary space with Wu-Tang Clan: Of Mics and Men, a four-part limited docuseries from filmmaker Sacha Jenkins (BURN MOTHERF*CKER, BURN!) that transcends the music documentary genre by creating a new lane that merges music, socio-cultural commentary and intimate family portrait. The four-part event examining the cultural history of hip-hop’s most influential group starts May 10 | Fridays 9pm only on SHOWTIME.‘
    https://www.sho.com/video/67202/wu-tang-clan-of-mics-and-men-official-trailer

  10. eoin

    The Times Ireland lead story is by Colette Sexton, until recently at the SBP, who’s been appointed “senior political correspondent” at the Times Ireland. Niamh Lyons is now the “political editor”.

    Ian Kehoe, Tom Lyons, Jack Horgan-Jones and now Colette Sexton. There’s been an exodus at the SBP since it was taken over less than a year ago. They still have a couple of decent journalists but the writing on the wall looks clear.

      1. eoin

        You mean the one who’s originally employed by Communicorp on Today FM? Has she ever criticised the Clintons?

        1. Johnny

          -she’s a lot better than the IT one,the RTÉ chap was last seen on a milk carton.
          -she’s funny,very professional, it’s not much of a ‘business’ these days,more like a vocation what’s she doing,I like her she’s a nice witty lady.

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