Yearly Archives: 2019

Meanwhile, in 1919…

The House of Lords has been told that before the government introduced an Irish housing bill, it should first have brought forward a bill dealing specifically with Dublin, as its slums were ‘a disgrace to the United Kingdom’.

Supporting the bill, Lord Mayo agreed with the Lord Chancellor’s comments on the Dublin situation, adding:

‘The working classes and the poor in that town live in the most wretched way. They live in houses which were built for gentlefolk in the eighteenth century. They are totally unsuitable, and the sanitary arrangements are practically nil.’

‘It is a town which is a disgrace, and if the government do not see that it is properly dealt with will be a very serious matter. The people there live in a filthy state, and people who are badly housed are the prey of every sort of agitator, and of every kind of wickedness you can imagine connected with agitation.’

But we were happy.

Dublin slums a disgrace to UK, House of Lords is told (Century Ireland)

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris

Drew Harris was being driven back to Garda Headquarters at around 5.30pm when he saw a car being driven in an erratic manner in Blanchardstown.

The Commissioner contacted the Roads Policing Unit and the woman was stopped.

She was subsequently arrested and tested for alcohol and is expected to be prosecuted.

Nobody likes a whistleblower snitch.

Woman arrested after Garda Commissioner intervenes in road incident (RTÉ)

Rollingnews

Leo Varadkar and Maria Bailey in 2016

This afternoon.

Via Taoiseach Leo Varadkar:

“Deputy Bailey was injured following a fall from a swing in a hotel in 2015. She sustained painful injuries and incurred significant medical bills as a result.

“The accident happened and the injuries were real and were confirmed by medical reports. The inquiry states that it was not a fraudulent claim.

“Minister Madigan (then a backbench TD) gave initial legal advice, guidance and assisted Deputy Bailey with her Personal Injuries Assessment Board (PIAB) application.

This was a preliminary step which often results in amicable resolution but the hotel did not engage with the PIAB. Minister Madigan did not deal with the subsequent legal proceedings.

These were dealt with by another solicitor in the firm who acted on Deputy Bailey’s instructions.

“She was advised that she had a ‘statable’ case. However, there were concerns that a finding of contributory negligence against her was likely and this was communicated to her on several occasions.

“Deputy Bailey signed an affidavit (linked to a personal injuries summons) that over-stated the impact of her injuries on her running.

The inquiry concludes that it is unlikely that a court would conclude that she deliberately sought to mislead as other legal documents talk about her running being restricted rather than not being able to run at all.

“There have been inconsistencies in Deputy Bailey’s account of events to me and the media that I cannot reconcile.

“It is clear to me, that Deputy Bailey made numerous errors of judgement in her handling of this matter from the outset, during and even after she’d withdrawn the case.

And her approach jars with that of a Government taking action to reduce personal injury payments, claims and insurance costs to people and businesses.

“For these reasons, I am demoting her and removing her as Chairperson of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Housing.

“I hope this will send a clear message to other public representatives about taking such cases in future.”

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar this afternoon

Meanwhile…

Via Maria Bailey TD:

The Taoiseach has removed me as Chair of the Oireachtas Committee on Housing, Planning and Local Government and I accept this decision.

“I initiated legal proceedings following an incident in 2015 in which I suffered painful injuries. I acted on legal advice throughout the process, but ultimately decided to withdraw the proceedings in an attempt to end the extraordinary media and political pressure that arose from the publication of some details of the case.

I began the process leading to the taking of this case before I was a TD, in relation to an incident that took place over four years ago. I regret very much that I took the case.

“I note that the report by David Kennedy SC has found that this was not a fraudulent claim, and that it would be unlikely that a court would conclude that there was any attempt to mislead on my part. I made no attempt to mislead.

“I recognise and regret the difficulties this issue caused for the Taoiseach and my colleagues during the recent elections. I want to express sincere thanks to members of my family, friends and colleagues who have been personally supportive of me during this recent period.”

Maria Bailey this evening.

Previously: ‘I Found Myself On The Floor’