Author Archives: Bodger

 

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar

This morning.

Via Irish Times Letters:

As seen in the Monday edition of The Irish Times.

Page 1: Leo Varadkar pronounces his wise counsel on the purchase of the new National Maternity Hospital site.

Page 1: In the blurb for page 3, we see that Leo Varadkar urges the DUP to honour agreements.

Page 2: Views on travel abroad: “Varadkar says Government has decided to diverge from Holohan’s travel advice.”

Page 3: “Varadkar urges DUP to ‘honour its commitments’ on Irish language’’.

Page 4: Varadkar’s concerns and “intimations” over site for new National Maternity Hospital.

Page 4: “Pandemic must leave positive legacy, says Tánaiste.”

Page 4: Varadkar’s Ard Fheis speech: “Varadkar dances a leftward shimmy to pair Fine Gael’s old favourites.”

I did check out the Sport section for Mr Varadkar’s tips for the Southwell and Ballinrobe races but, sadly, nothing doing.

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan also get a fleeting mention in some of these articles.

But no mention at all of the leader of the Opposition, who happens to be the leader of what the polls consider to be the most popular party in the country – north and south.

How come?

Is mise,

Caomhin O Seanain

Anyone?/FIGHT!

Irish Times Letters

RollingNews

 

This afternoon.

The Joint Committee on Justice is meeting on the topic of ‘Civil Liberties during the Covid-19 Pandemic’ or lack thereof.

Participants include Professor Pete Lunn, Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI); and representatives from the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC); the Irish Council for Civil Liberties; the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI); and the Office of the Garda Commissioner.

Watch live here

F

Sir Jeffrey Donaldson in Dublin in 2013

“I will be speaking with the Prime Minister at the earliest opportunity to emphasise that it is not realistic to expect stability when every unionist representative in the devolved institutions opposes the Northern Ireland Protocol.

“The government and those who claim to be protectors of peace and stability, must step up and deal with the protocol in a manner which respects the constitutional and economic integrity of the United Kingdom.”

New DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson this afternoon.

Gulp.

Bring back Poots!

Jeffrey Donaldson declared new DUP leader (RTÉ)

RollingNews

Tanaiste Leo Varadkar arriving at Dublin Castle for a cabinet meeting this morning; Róisín Shortall on the plinth at Leinster House this afternoon

This afternoon.

Social Democrats co-leader Róisín Shortall has asked the Tánaiste Leo Varadkar to “immediately clarify remarks” he made in which he said he worked at the national maternity hospital and that “some people” were failing to acknowledge that Holles Street is a “Catholic-ethos hospital”.

Deputy Shorthall said:

“There is a very simple reason that people are not acknowledging this. Mr Varadkar is wrong. Holles Street was never a Catholic-run, or owned, hospital.

“The national maternity hospital in Holles Street was set up by Royal Charter in 1903. That Charter makes no reference to Catholic ethos. This is why services contrary to Catholic ethos – like sterilisation and IVF – are performed.

“Contrary to this, St Vincent’s is most definitely a Catholic-ethos hospital and declines to provide women a full range of medical services – like sterilisation or even contraception – for that reason.”

Earlier….

RollingNews

River Shannon at Athlone, county Westmeath

This morning/afternoon.

A Covid-19 outbreak in Athlone has been identified as “probably” the Delta variant, the Director of Public Health, HSE Midlands has said.

Via RTÉ:

Dr Una Fallon said it became apparent over the weekend that there was a cluster of cases associated with socialising by the River Shannon on Friday 11 June.

Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Dr Fallon said this was not necessarily unusual, but that public health experts had been investigating a travel related incident and were screening for the Delta variant.

As a result, some of the cases belonging to the 11 June gathering were sent for Delta screening as well.

Dr Fallon said there are 14 primary cases and that each of these cases has further links in the community – such as home and work places.

Seems plausible.

Athlone Covid cluster linked to socialising is ‘probably’ Delta variant (RTÉ)

Pic: Athlone.ie

Meanwhile…

Fight!

This morning.

Women’s Aid, the national domestic violence organisation, released its Annual Impact Report for 2020 detailing the 29,717 contacts made with Women’s Aid frontline services.

During these contacts, 24,893 disclosures of domestic abuse against women including coercive control were made. Support workers also heard 5,948 disclosures of abuse against children (30,841 disclosures in total).

Sarah Benson, CEO of Women’s Aid, says:

“These statistics are shocking. The 43% increase in the numbers of women reaching out to Women’s Aid for support during the most difficult of years, is staggering. However, these figures are only the tip of the iceberg of the numbers of people who are suffering at the hands of those closest to them and who need protection and support.

“One in four women in Ireland are targeted during their lifetime by current or former partners, a shocking one in five will have been abused by the time they are just 25 years old – many for the first time as teenagers in their earliest intimate relationships.”

A live webinar on the report  is currently taking place can be viewed here until 1pm.

Women’s Aid