Author Archives: Admin

Catholic Archbishop Braulio Rodriguez

“The majority of cases of domestic violence happen because the woman’s partner does not accept them, or rejects them for not accepting their demands…Or often the macho reaction comes about because she asked for a separation.”

Archbishop Braulio Rodriguez. Toledo, Spain

Liggy writes:

A Catholic Bishop has lectured women that they are to blame for the domestic violence they encounter because they are not being obedient enough to their husbands.

Laying to one side the natural predisposition to roll ones eyes like an out of control slot machine at the thought of a single man sworn to celibacy advising married women on how to conduct themselves….

You really have to laugh at this message which boils down to: Women, you have been doing marriage all wrong according to this unmarried man. You should understand that your disobedience in a marriage is giving your husband just cause to abuse you. So, you know, you should stop that right now.

Then the laughing stops…

The Bishop also does a huge disservice to men by effectively whitewashing them out of his statement. After all, there is no domestic violence committed against men if all men are being forced into doing the abuse by their willful and inconsiderate wives.

In the last European wide study conducted in 2014, 1 in 3 women reported experiencing physical or sexual abuse since the age of 15.

There is no corresponding study for males. It is unclear why this is. I sincerely hope it is not because the researchers prefer the narrative of women as victims and men as criminals.

However, there are reported domestic violence stats available for each country from 2015-2016 with the female to male ratio of victims:

England and Wales: 2 million (65% female / 35% male)

Ireland: 5988 (75% female / 25% male)

Northern Ireland: 30,000 (79% female / 21% male)

Scotland: 58,104 (81% female / 19% male)

The Irish stats are not bulletproof as the Gardai do not classify domestic violence as a crime type which is hardly helpful to policy makers trying to legislate for measures to combat it.

This writing of male victims out of the story of domestic violence is dangerous and ignorant. It means that there is no training for officers in how to deal with men who are attacked by their partners. It means there is no provision of shelter space for men who want to leave the place where they are in danger.

It means that helpline services like Amen are not funded from the public purse but have to rely on donations instead.

It means there is no provision of shelter space for men who want to leave the place where they are in danger. It means that helpline services like Amen are not funded from the public purse but have to rely on donations instead.

Pic: El Pais

TheRichList writes:

We have lost a set of keys between Rathmines and Rathgar with a Volvo key attached to it, same as in the photo (above) .If someone find them, could you please hand in to Rathmines Garda station?

There are another three keys attached to it and a swipe for a gate. Any help appreciated!

Anyone?

Any excuse

‘sup?

Angus Lavery writes:

A famous revolutionary of Irish descent and the artwork by an Irish artist that became one of the world’s great iconic images, all come together in a stamp which has just been issued by An Post.

Ernesto ‘Che’ Guevara, the quintessential left-wing revolutionary was killed in South America in 1967. An Post has chosen the 50th anniversary of his death to issue the stamp featuring the famous image of ‘Che’ by Dublin artist Jim Fitzpatrick.

The stamp (€1), designed by Red&Grey, is based on Jim Fitzpatrick’s artwork, which appears on t shirts, posters, badges and clothing worldwide and is now rated among the world’s top 10 most iconic images.

Finally, in fairness.

An Post

This afternoon.

Chartered Accountants House, Pearse Street, Dublin 2

Fianna Fail Spokesperson on Finance, Michael McGrath TD (right) and Spokesperson on Public Expenditure and Reform, Dara Calleary TD, as they published Fianna Fáil’s Budget 2018 priorities..

Mr McGrath  said that reducing the Universal Social Charge and raising the point at which people pay the higher income tax rate is costly.

Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson on public expenditure and reform, Dara Calleary, said the party favours rises in the State pension and payments to carers and those with disabilities.

McGrath says tax reductions in budget will be ‘modest’ (RTÉ)

RollingNews

Meanwhile…

Yesterday.

The Social Democrat’s launched their Alternative Budget 2018 Proposals in Dublin attended by the party’s co-leaders Roisin Shortall TD and Catherine Murphy TD, and party spokespersons.

Ms Murphy said:

“Our Budget proposals are fundamentally about fairness and long-term planning – spending wisely now in order to save later. If we don’t pull out all the stops to tackle the homelessness emergency, the house rental crisis, and the serious infrastructure shortcomings facing the country, we are just shoring up problems for the future.”

Soc Dem Alternative Budget 2018


Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews

Yesterday

Buswells Hotel, Dublin 2

Launching the Solidarity – People Before Profit Pre-Budget Submission were above from left: Brid Smith TD, Richard Boyd Barrett TD, Paul Murphy TD and Ruth Coppinger TD

Mr Murphy said:

“The housing and homelessness crisis epitomises the reality of crises in people’s lives that continue to worsen despite official statistical growth. That is because it is rooted in an extreme growth of inequality.

Gross profits for corporations have doubled from 2011 to 2015 from €75 billion to €150 billion. The wealth of the richest 300 people has also doubled from €50 billion in 2010 to over €100 billion now. The Solidarity – People Before Profit budget statement sets out how this inequality is a political choice and an alternative choice can be made.”

People Before Profit.Solidarity Pre Budget Statement


Sam Boal/RollingNews

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oZT75qhaRb8

Sons & Broken Noses

A modern western by Nigel O’Brien and Colin Feming.

Would you like to help finish it?

Colin writes:

Sons & Broken Noses  is a short contemporary Western and stars Jason Byrne and Eric Lalor, with veteran actor Frank O’Sullivan as the antagonist.

We have  an award winning script by Damien Aulsberry plus we’ve assembled a world standard crew and we think the promo (above) reflects this.

We need to spread the word far and wide to get as many backers as we can. It really will be a special little film but we need more reach.

Donate here

Sons & Broken Noses (Facebook)

Sons & Broken Noses (Indiegogo)

A warm embrace to, clockwise from top left: Johnny Keenan, Vanessa Foran, Stephen Garland, Neil Curran (with Bugaboo pram), Olga Cronin and ‘Preposterous‘, our panel on last night’s Broadsheet on the Telly.

The show can be viewed in its entirety above.

Stephen spoke about his 15 years living in Barcelona. He also gave an update on fund raising for stem cell research for his  PPMS.

Details on the ‘get that man a pint’ initiative mentioned by Stephen during the show can be reached here and  here.

Meanwhile, Olga brought another dispatch from the Disclosures Tribunal and father incredibly-soon-to-be Neil rejoiced in the delight of the Bugaboo. Pram hipster.

A little swearing.

Sorry.

Previously: Broadsheet on the Telly

Kitty Holland, of The Irish Times; Denis O’Brien, owner of Communicorp

Last night.

At the Gate Theatre, Dublin.

Further to Denis O’Brien-owned Communicorp – which includes Newstalk and Today FM – banning all Irish Times journalists from the group’s radio stations…

…Following the newspaper’s columnist Fintan O’Toole saying he would no longer go on Newstalk in the wake of George Hook’s comments about rape…

… Kitty Holland, who is the Social Affairs Correspondent at The Irish Times, “confronted” Mr O’Brien about the ban…

Fair play. In fairness.

Thanks Sandra

Mick Wallace

On Friday, September 29, 2017, tenants of Northbank apartments on Castleforbes Road, Dublin 1, received letters from their landlord, stating that they had sold their apartment to NAMA and that NAMA would be issuing a 12-month lease to them on their current terms.

Five days later, on Wednesday, October 4, Independents 4 Change TD Mick Wallace claims that the tenants learned from a newspaper report that the entire apartment had been put on the market by NAMA at a price of €33 million for 124 apartments.

Mr Wallace also claims that NAMA have confirmed that they purchased individual apartments within the block before putting it on the market, stating that:

“The recent purchases by NAMA were required to consolidate the entire block, hence increasing the value of the overall property in preparation for its sale as a single lot.”

Further to this…

Mr Wallace writes:

“This is a frightening development. We are in the middle of housing crisis, and NAMA are now buying apartments, in order to sell them on to vulture funds. NAMA have now become property speculators.

“It beggars belief that Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Labour, and now even Sinn Féin, believe that NAMA have the expertise to solve our housing crisis. NAMA are part of the problem, not part of the solution.”

“What makes it even worse is, tenants have informed me that within the apartment block, there a vacant units, some sitting idle for over three years.

“How can NAMA justify this when we are struggling with a housing crisis? These apartments, along with the rest in the block, will be no doubt purchased by a US vulture fund, and rented out for outrageous prices.

“Clearly, doing business with vulture funds, is more attractive to NAMA than helping to fix the housing crisis.”

“It is time for the Government to suspend the work of NAMA immediately, and start with this apartment block.

“The vacant apartments within the block could be given to the local authorities. If we keep selling apartments and houses in large blocks to vulture funds, we will continue to have a housing crisis for many years to come.”

Rollingnews