Author Archives: Bodger

This morning.

Via The Irish Examiner:

The Irish Examiner spoke to a number of women who say that unannounced visits to their homes while on lone-parent payments made them feel “worthless”.

They claim that while on the single parent payment, they were told that if they entered a relationship they would lose the payment, and inspectors would come to their homes unannounced, searching each room, sometimes opening wardrobes looking for men’s clothes and questioning them about cars parked outside.

….One major concern about such inspections is that the inspectors almost always attend houses on their own and the women they visit are often unaware of their rights and vulnerable due to lack of income and support. The inspector’s report of the visit and living situation is sent to a presiding officer who oversees approval.

Overreach of power: Intimidation and harassment in the social welfare system (Aoife Moore, Irish Examiner)

From 1pm.

The documentary drama Violet Gibson, the Irish Woman Who Shot Mussolini (2020) is showing.

Colin Murphy writes:

Violet Gibson was the Irish woman who shot Mussolini. Had he not moved his head at the last moment, ensuring the bullet merely pierced his nose, history could have been very different.

My film about Violet is showing this Sunday online From 1pm, via the Kerry International Film Festival: )

Gibson was born in Dalkey, daughter of the Lord Chancellor to Ireland, and grew up as part of the “high society” of the day. Rejecting that, she went to Italy in 1924 and hatched a plan to assassinate Mussolini.

She approached him at a rally, got right up to him, drew her gun and shot. After the attempt failed, she was set upon by the fascist mob, but was saved by police. The fascist authorities didn’t want the publicity of a public trial, so she was deported to England.

But neither the British authorities nor her own family wanted anything to do with her. She spent the rest of her life incarcerated in Northampton Mental Hospital in England, largely forgotten, dying in 1956.

As with many women perceived as difficult or dangerous, the response was to silence her. She was effectively written out of history. This is the first film about her. It stars Olwen Fouéré  as Violet.

Violet Gibson: The Irish Woman Who Shot Mussolini  (Kerry International Film Festival)

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This afternoon

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly (above centre) met with the Dublin Covid-19 homeless response team (comprising the HSE, Dublin Regional Homeless Executive and voluntary services) at a HSE-run ‘self-isolation facility’ for people who are homeless in Dublin city.

Minister Donnelly announced the provision of an ‘additional €5.1 million for homeless health supports’ across the country..

He said:

“People who are homeless are at higher risk of COVID-19 and are more likely to require emergency healthcare services during the winter. To support those who are homeless in Dublin, the government is providing an additional €2.4 million for health services as part of the HSE winter plan. A further €2.7 million will be provided in other regions.”

Minister for Health welcomes additional funding of €5.1 million in homeless supports (Gov.ie)

Earlier: We Knew This Day Would Come

Leon Farrell/Photocall Ireland

From top: Level 5 (arrowed); Dr Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Department of Health

This afternoon.

Level 4?

Level 4 is for wimps.

Via RTÉ:

The National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) has recommended that the entire country moves to Level 5 for a period of six weeks.

A number of Government sources have confirmed details of the recommendations to RTÉ News.

The advice, contained in a letter sent to Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly last night, is due to be discussed at a meeting between Government officials and Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan…

There are currently no plans for a Cabinet meeting today and the Taoiseach is not due back from an EU Council meeting until later today.

However, ministers expect the issue to be decided in the coming days in order to avoid a period of uncertainty.

NPHET recommends move to Level 5 for six weeks (RTÉ)

Earlier: 4 To The Floor

RollingNews

Update:

Hmm.