Author Archives: Bodger

Padraig Cribben, Chief Executive Of Vintners’ Federation of Ireland; Claire Byrne

This morning

RTÉ Radio One Today with Claire Byrne.

Padraig Cribben, Chief Executive Of Vintners’ Federation of Ireland discussed the undrinkable unthinkable…

Claire Byrne: “If people, you say, some people are selling drink [in alleged “shebeens”], if there are house parties happening and we know that there are over 200 clusters as a result of gatherings, social gatherings in private houses, should we stop having, should drinks stop being sold altogether for a period of time?”

Cribben: “Well, I mean it’s like everything else, I think all of those things need to be considered but the real, the real issue here is people taking personal responsibility and the real issue is that pubs are a controlled environment and the one thing that pubs are used to, they’re used to regulation, they’re used to controlling, they’re used to controlling people, they’re used to implementing regulation that they might not be terribly happy with. I mean if you go back, if you go back to the smoking ban of whatever number of years ago, that has been implemented with a high level of success.”

Byrne: “Yeah, it’s slightly different though, controlling the spread of a pandemic.”

Cribben: “But I mean the point is give us the guidelines, put the sanctions in place, police the sanctions and the publicans of this country will respond accordingly.”

Byrne: “OK, but go back to the sale of drink from off-licences. Because you have said, haven’t you, that it should be paused, stopped for three weeks at least?”

Cribben: “No, what I have actually said is that if, if NPHET believes that that to be a source of the problem, they should consider it. I think that’s slightly different than saying that it should be done. They may decide that’s not an issue. It very well may not be the issue. But, you know, I think, certainly cheap alcohol in supermarkets is an issue we’ve been consistent in saying that, for the last decade. It’s not just now. And I do believe that that should be addressed and addressed now.”

Hic.

Rollingnews/RTÉ

Retired Chief Justice Susan Denham: Supreme Court Justice Séamus Woulfe

This morning.

Further to Golfgate.

Via historian Diarmuid Ferriter:

That a former Supreme Court judge, Susan Denham, is inquiring into a serving Supreme Court judge, Séamus Woulfe, in relation to his attendance at the Clifden event seems bizarre.

It is perhaps both an attempt to dilute politicisation of his grossly misjudged actions by preserving the independence of the court, and a substitute for the still-awaited judicial conduct committee…

…Ironically, as chief justice, Susan Denham made what was regarded as a pointed intervention in 2017 dwelling on the imperativeness of the separation of powers when welcoming the appointment of Woulfe as attorney general, maintaining he would be an important and impartial bridge between the judiciary and the legislature….

Diarmaid Ferriter: A former judge inquiring into a serving judge over Clifden event seems bizarre (Irish Times)

In 2017…

In her address welcoming Mr Woulfe, the Chief Justice said the separation of powers in the State meant each great organ of State had its own specific powers.

“It is a system of checks and balances, and inevitably the courts make decisions on the actions of other branches of government,” she said.

“Consequently, it is necessary that there be some distance between the branches.”

She said that, by nature of their position and function, “judges are not expected to engage in public controversy, as other groups may who freely express their views to members of the legislature and executive.”

Chief Justice highlights independence of Attorney General (Irish Times, June 21, 2017)

Previously: Woulfe Trapped

Rollingnews

Anyone?

Yesterday: Part Of The Uniform

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe

This morning.

Japan PM Shinzo Abe quits over health concerns (Japan Times)

Getty

Last night.

Stansted Airport, England.

Ryanair flight to Pisa, Italy.

Via MailOnline:

Holidaymakers were left gripping their seats in horror last night as hazmat-clad officials rushed onto a Ryanair plane as it say at London Stansted and removed a passenger after he received a text saying he had tested positive for coronavirus.

The passenger and his travel companion were taken off the plane minutes before it was due to take-off from London and moved to the airport’s isolation area, where they were met by health authorities.

Their seats and the overhead cabin bins were then disinfected before the plane was allowed to fly to Pisa in Italy one hour and 40 minutes behind schedule, according to Flight Radar.

Seems legit.

Hazmat officials board Ryanair flight at Stansted and drag off Covid-infected passenger (MailOnline)

Bedwetter?

How dare you.

*checks sheets*

 Minister of State for Land Use and Biodiversity Pippa Hackett is seeking views on the Draft Agriculture Appeals (Amendment) Bill 2020 which critics claim will leave the ability to appeal forestry decisions “compromised”

Like trees?

Read on.

BOC writes:

Consultations are currently open on a bill to change the appeals process for forestry licences.

The proposed changes seek to make it harder to appeal licence decisions for forestry projects (such as sitka spruce plantations) by introducing eligibility criteria for individuals of NGOs, as well as proposing the introduction of fees to file an appeal.

Consultation on changes (at links below) close this Friday. Please share. Thank you

Object to proposed changes to the Agriculture Bill 2020 limiting people’s ability to appeal (irish Wildlife Trust)

Please Respond To Consultations By Friday (Irish Wildlife Trust)

An Taisce

July 8

Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection’s guidance on its website for how to get the COVID-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment.

July 26

The Business Post reveals that Pandemic Unemployment Payments had been stopped following checks at airports by social welfare officers and gardai.

July 26; Lunchtime

Responding on RTÉ’s The Week in Politics Tánaiste Leo Varadkar said checks were being made because to receive the pandemic payment “you have to be genuinely seeking work“.

 

July 27: 7.15am

A Department official contacts a webmaster to include under the website’s PUP eligibility criteria: ‘You must be genuinely seeking work‘.

 

 8.29am

The webmaster replies.

Later

The page is updated

There you go now.

Via Ken Foxe

Right To Know