Author Archives: Bodger

This afternoon.

The Nitelink is back!

Dublin City Councillor, Cllr Colm O’Rourke, who has been campaigning for the service to return, said:

“The return of the Nitelink is great news. In December of last year, when it was announced that the service would be curtailed, in line with restrictions to close hospitality at 8pm, I was disappointed as the Nitelink isn’t just for clubbers. It is an important service to workers and anyone looking for a low-cost option to get home safe. The confirmation from Dublin Bus today is a big relief to many people.

‘”Well done to Dublin Bus for all the fantastic services that they provide. Their staff have been fantastic during the pandemic as someone myself who doesn’t drive – they have been a great help to me getting me around. Fair play Dublin Bus.”

In fairness.

Hic.

Fight!

This afternoon.

Actavo HQ, Westland House, New Nangor Road, Dublin

Campaigners are staging protests at four Actavo (formerly Siteserv) sites across Ireland, England and Scotland to demand the Denis O’Brien-owned company pay scaffolders the ‘rate for the job’.

The scaffolders, employed by Actavo at British Steel in Scunthorpe, England say they are being paid up to 15 per cent below the agreed rate under the UK’s National Agreement for the Engineering Construction Industry (NAECI) and will begin continuous strike action this Wednesday. The workers. Unite is calling on both British Steel and Actavo to enter into tripartite negotiations with Unite.

Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

The government must introduce legislation that gives workers a legal right to work remotely – not merely the right to request flexible working arrangements, according to the Social democrats

This afternoon.

The government has said it will this week publish legislation that gives people a statutory right to ‘request working from home’.

Social Democrats Enterprise Spokesperson Catherine Murphy said:

“This does not go far enough. The default position should be that flexible working is permissible. It should not be at the whim of employers to accept it or reject it.

“A change like this could be truly transformative, particularly for women, disabled people and carers – many of whom have been forced to give up work, or locked out of the jobs market, because of the absence of a statutory right to work remotely…

“…The right to remote working is also of crucial importance to ease housing pressure in urban areas and to facilitate rural regeneration.”

FIGHT!

Alamy

This afternoon.

St. Finian’s Crescent, Lucan, Co Dublin

Fianna Fáil Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage, Darragh O’Brien, announced a number of ‘significant improvements’ to the ‘Mortgage to Rent’ (MTR) scheme.

The scheme allows a social landlord to buy your home allowing you to stay as a tenant and complete mortgage payments to the council or housing association.

Key changes comprise:

An increase to the positive equity limit, which is being adjusted by region to align it with the range of house prices and market conditions across the regions

Purchase price thresholds updated to take account of current market conditions

Additional flexibility in the number of allowable bedrooms in a dwelling – this will apply for borrowers aged 65 and above, and borrowers who have a disability, or where a dependant has a disability

Minister O’Brien was joined at the announcement by Dean Kehoe, a beneficiary of the scheme through iCare Housing, one of the non-profit Approved Housing Bodies (AHBs) who participate in the MTR scheme.

Minister O’Brien Announces Significant Improvements to ‘Mortgage to Rent’ Scheme (Gov.ie)

Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews

Yesterday.

Eamonn Farrell writes:

Members of the Kilcullen Canoeing Club, celebrated the lifting of Covid restrictions from 6am yesterday, by taking to the waters and the wild today, to make the trip on the River Liffey, from their clubhouse in Kilcullen, County Kildare to the Millers Weir Bridge in the hamlet of Blackrath and Athgarvan, a journey of over 5km, due to the winding nature of the river. The photos shows members waiting their turn to come ashore after arriving at the bridge in Blackrath and Athgarvan.

Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews

Celtic pagan goddess Brigit (left) and St Brigid, patroness saint of Ireland

Um.

This afternoon.

Free February 1.

Via Dublin City Council:

The Lord Mayor of Dublin Alison Gilliland is inviting everyone to join in celebrating the contributions and achievements of women past and present on February 1st for Brigit 2022: Dublin City Celebrating Women.

Drawing inspiration from the Celtic goddess Brigit, associated with creativity and wisdom, and the traditional Gaelic festival of Imbolc, this exciting new programme of events is a city-wide opportunity to acknowledge the contributions of Irish women through the ages, highlight their stories, promote their immense contribution to our society and welcome the beginning of Spring!

Brigit 2022

Julie H writes:

February 1 is St Brigid’s Day. Why is Dublin City Council celebrating a pagan goddess on the same day?

Anyone?

Pics: Wikipedia/Etsy

This morning/afternoon.

Anyone?

 

Minister for Education Norma Foley

This morning.

Via RTÉ News:

The Minister for Education has lost a Supreme Court appeal against findings that two home-schooled students were unfairly excluded from the Leaving Certificate calculated grades process in 2020.

Minister for Education Norma Foley had appealed against the Court of Appeal decisions in two cases.

Today the Supreme Court ruled that the refusal to exclude two home-schooled students from the calculated grades system was an impermissible interference with the constitutional freedom of the family to provide education in the home.

So there.

Minister loses appeal over calculated grades for home-schooled students (RTE)

RollingNews