Author Archives: Admin

Benbulben, Co Sligo

Reading Roger Garland’s letter (September 27th) reminded me of an unpleasant incident about 20 years ago.

My wife and I were leading a group of young French walkers in the Sligo area. One day we climbed onto the rough grazing land of the Benbulben plateau, to be confronted by a foul-mouthed, angry farmer telling us in no uncertain terms to clear off.

The French visitors may or may not have visited Ireland again but this type of behaviour hardly encouraged them or their friends. Nor would they be encouraged to know that this could happen anywhere in Ireland, not just in this area.

That was the situation on access to the countryside then and it is the situation now. Nothing has changed.

In stark contrast to other European countries, landowners have absolute rights over their lands, no matter how unused, no matter how remote. With untold damage already caused to our tourism interests (among others) one would expect the State to do something other than sit on its hands. Some hope!

David Herman,
Benllech,
Wales.

FIGHT!

Access to Benbulben (Irish Times letters page)

Previously: Missing Sligo?

Pic: Active Me

Outside the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court this afternoon

RTE reports:

Charges have been formally dropped against the remaining Jobstown protesters, with the exception of one person who remains charged with criminal damage.

A number of people were due to go on trial this week but had been informed recently the Director of Public Prosecutions would not be going ahead with the prosecution.

At the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court this afternoon, lawyers for the DPP told the court they were entering a “nolle prosequi”, bringing an end to the prosecution against the remaining defendants.

One person remains charged with criminal damage and will appear in court in six weeks.

State withdraws prosecution of Jobstown defendants (RTE)

Leah Farrell/Rollingnews

A construction site in Dublin last month

Charlie Taylor, in The Irish Times, reports:

Housebuilding activity in Ireland is “substantially below” what official data suggests, according to a new report casting further doubt on the accuracy of Government figures.

Based on building energy ratings, the Goodbody BER housebuilding tracker shows 5,377 houses were completed in 2016. This compares to 14,932 completions indicated by official data, which derives from electricity connections.

Housebuilding rate is ‘well below official figure’ (Charlie Taylor, The Irish Times)

Previously: If You Want To Solve A Problem…

An impressive short by GOBELINS digital design school students Samuel Klughertz, Alix Arrault, Jules Rigolle and Martin Hurmane. To wit:

Makoto is doing his best to raise his 7 years old son Kazuki. Despite his best intentions, the violence that was once his life comes back to bite him, and he will have no choice but to face it, before the eyes of his son, who he always tried to protect.

shortoftheweek

Hmmm.

Meanwhile…

The Guardian reports:

Jordi Turull, the Catalan regional government spokesman, told reporters early on Monday morning that 90% of the 2.26 million Catalans who voted Sunday chose yes.

He said nearly 8% of voters rejected independence and the rest of the ballots were blank or void. He said 15,000 votes were still being counted. The region has 5.3 million registered voters.

Catalan referendum: preliminary results show 90% in favour of independence (The Guardian)

Earlier: I Am A Catalan

Meanwhile…

Um.

Social Protection Minister Regina Doherty and letters sent in relation to press queries about former Government chief whip Regina Doherty’s €16,000 super junior allowance

Yesterday.

In the Sunday Business Post.

Hugh O’Connell reported on the €16,000 allowance that the Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty was paid when she was government whip but subsequently told to pay back to the State.

She was paid it as she was one of the three so-called super junior ministers at Cabinet.

But, as readers will recall, legislation only allows for two politicians to receive the sum.

She told The Irish Times last Monday that she was told to pay it back following a report by the Attorney General.

Further to this…

Yesterday Mr O’Connell reported:

It was only confirmed last Monday that Doherty, who is now the Minister for Employment and Social Protection, would be repaying the allowance despite her department being informed this would need to happen at the end of July following a review by the Attorney General.

Documents obtained under Freedom of Information show that a letter from the Department of Public Expenditure (DPER) was issued to Regina Doherty’s new department on 26 July last asking officials to make arrangements for the money to be repaid.

…The documents reveal a number of journalists made inquiries to the Department of Public Expenditure’s press office about the allowances situation with officials seeking out Stephen Lynam, Minister for Public Expenditure Paschal Donohoe’s special adviser, for advice on how to proceed.

On August 14, Lynam told the DPER press office to “sit tight on this for now” after being alerted to a journalist’s inquiring if the AG’s review of salary arrangements had concluded and what the outcome was.

The following day, Lynam drafted a response to be issued to the journalist which said the AG’s report had been received, that it was being “considered” and that it would be “dealt with in due course”. Lynam said in the email: “If he [the journalist] comes back looking for anything else, you can say we are not going to comment further for now.”

Further to this…

An email sent to journalist Ken Fox on August 15

In respect of the SBP article, Ken Foxe has tweeted the email above from August 15, saying:

Been in journalism a long time but kind of staggered to have a government department bare face lie to you about Regina Doherty allowance.

Previously: Meanwhile In The Dáil

Ken Foxe

Letters via Hugh O’Connell