Author Archives: Admin

A Free Ibrahim Halwas rally last month at the Egypt embassy in ballsbridge, Dublin 4

“…It would be dishonest and dangerous to say the welcome his release provokes is equivocal. His association with the Muslim Brotherhood must colour it.

That organisation’s long-standing objectives are diametrically opposed to the tolerance and inclusivity this society expects and cherishes.

On his return, Mr Halawa should clarify his relationship with that organisation and hopefully that will allow him lead a full and happy life in Ireland. We should not be apologetic or in any way reticent about asking for that clarification.

Editorial, The Irish Examiner today


The Irish Examiner.

Tough on unproven crime.

Tough on the hypothetical cause of unproven crime.

Please clarify – Ibrahim Halawa acquitted (Irish Examiner)

Yesterday: Ibrahim’s Acquitted

This morning.

Screggan, Tullamore, County Offaly.

President Higgins (foreground) tells Sean O’Rourke of the prospect of another term.

Fight!

Update:

Story, Buds.

President Higgins and Sabina and a couple of Clydesdales.

Squee, in fairness.

Rollingnews

More recently Ryanair has been keen to soften its image – in 2013 O’Leary said he wanted to stop ‘unnecessarily pissing people off.’ The airline has massively improved its formerly clunky website, introduced numbered seating and even created a ‘Business Plus’ class of ticket, giving those travelling for work more flexibility and a shot at some decent legroom.

…The debacle will cost Ryanair a small fortune in compensation, as well as lost revenue as those travelling in the next six weeks decide to book with another airline. But the long-term cost could be to its reputation. We imagine passengers are less willing to forgive this kind of inconvenience than O’Leary’s usual PR-hungry antics.

Is Ryanair’s latest scandal a controversy too far? (Management Today)

List of cancelled Flights here

This comment from one pilot sums up what most were telling me.

“The issue is one of crewing, and crewing only. No company plans to implement a leave system that leaves them woefully undermanned during a peak period. Had Ryanair had enough pilots, this would not have been an issue. However, the lack of pilots has been laid bare for all to see.”

Another said: “Bizarrely, people that work here are laughing, because it’s finally all coming out.”

Does Ryanair have a pilot shortage? (BBC)

Earlier: A Limerick A day

Meanwhile…

Tom Moylan writes:

If you have been affected by the Ryanair cancellations and are flying within the EU, you have rights. Check them out at link below.

Air Passenger Rights (Europa.eu)

Splutter!

Aine Kerrigan writes:

Bridget & Eamon, our favourite, unhappily married ‘80s Irish couple, return to RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player tonight To add to the excitement, Bridget & Eamon Series 1 and 2 box sets will be available on RTÉ Player along with a hilarious collection of Bridget & Eamon extras and best bits including a never before seen Bridget & Eamon’s Guide to Relations (above)…

Bridget & Eamon on RTÉ2 at 9.30pm.

 

First Time Buyer writes;

We woke up to the news today that Dublin property prices are predicted to return to pre-crisis prices by February 2020 – a mere 2½ years away.

The caveat of course is that this prediction has been made by “experts” Savills, who its fair to say have a bit of a vested interest in the property game.

Nevertheless you have to ask yourself, how did a country with the worst housing-market crash in the world return to such a place.

Fine Gael wisely advised us ‘to make sure that we don’t repeat the mistakes of the past’ and promised to “prevent that boom and bust cycle that bedevilled us for so many years”.

They told us they were different from Fianna Fail and that “there will be no return to the past where tax incentives for developers drove supply.”

The problem though is that rather than give tax breaks to developers to BUILD, they gave tax breaks to investors to BUY; 7 Year capital gains tax exemptions, introducing tax-free REITs, encouraging the use of tax free SPVs, QIAIFS and ICAVs.

OK but all that was done to ‘kick start’ the property market and the government have learned their lesson, right?

Wrong.

Successful lobbying by interest groups such as the Residential Landlords’ Association created the myth that landlords were leaving the market due to the the ‘stringent costs’ of running a rental property. Landlords it seems, are also allergic to paying taxes.

The government, believing the hype, immediately increased tax relief on mortgage interest meaning landlords could now deduct 80 per cent of the interest paid on borrowings on a rental property up from 75 per cent previously, with “full interest deductibility” to be restored for landlords by 2021.

So what can we expect in Budget 2018?

The Department of Finance recently held a consultation on the “tax and fiscal treatment of landlords” and our new Minister for Housing, Planning and Local Government, Eoghan Murphy has publicly stated that he thinks we need to “look at new measures to support and/or encourage landlords”.

Lessons learned? I don’t think so.

Property prices on track to surpass Celtic Tiger highs by 2020 (Irish Times)

Rollingnews