This morning.
Heuston Station, Dublin.
Iarnród Éireann customers should expect ‘significant delays‘ in and out of Heuston station today following damage to the signalling system which took place overnight between Newbridge and Kildare when cabling was stolen.
Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, Regina Doherty, T.D. speaking at the budget 2020 Press Conference in Government Buildings; Department of Justice press conference this morning
This morning.
It was thought that when the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe delivered Budget 2020 yesterday, no increase in funding was announced for the Data Protection Commission – which may soon be facing the State in court.
In light of this, solicitor and data protection expert Simon McGarr tweeted this morning:
“Greyhound racing gets an increase on €16m funding. The entire 100+ staffed DPC office gets €15.2m, no increase.
“For some reason the Dept in charge of the Public Services Card project didn’t increase funding for the regulator, despite huge work increase post-GDPR.”
However…
Irish Independent journalist Hugh O’Connell, at a Department of Justice Budget 2020 press conference this morning, tweetz:
For those asking, the government’s funding for the Data Protection Commissioner’s office is up by €1.6m next year.
Total budget of €16.9m for 2020.
The Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon recently found there is no legal basis for the State demanding the use of the Public Services Card in order to access a range of public services beyond social welfare payments.
Ms Dixon ordered that Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty’s department stop issuing new PSCs, with immediate effect, to people seeking a service outside of her department.
She also ordered that the department delete the supporting documentation – such as utility bills, etc – that the department has retained on the 3.2million card holders.
Ms Doherty is categorical her department will not be complying with these orders and has said the State will challenge the findings of Ms Dixon – in court, if needs be.
This morning…
Cianan Brennan, in The Irish Examiner, reported:
“The Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection did not share the interim adversarial findings of the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) regarding the Public Services Card (PSC) with any affected bodies apart from the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.
This was despite being specifically asked and in a position to do so.”
Social Protection slow to share draft report on PSC (Cianan Brennan, The Irish Examiner)
Meanwhile…
The Irish Council for Civil Liberties has launched a petition calling for the card to be stopped and for data retained to be deleted.
The petition can be signed here
Related: Twitter and Facebook could be facing billions in fines after Ireland investigations (CNBC)
The Ireland-U.S. Council will present its Award for Outstanding Achievement in 2019 to Denis O’Brien, Chairman & Founder of Digicel to mark his distinguished and successful business career and to underline his notable and important achievements in building bonds between America and Ireland.
The Ireland-U.S. Council Award is also presented to celebrate his significant and generous philanthropy over many years to causes aimed at improving the lives of poor people and those less-fortunate especially in the fields of education and healthcare
Via Bank of Island
It’s been an eventful 3 months. I’ve met some damn fine people along the way. I hear a lot of negativity when we talk politics, but I’ve encountered nothing but #Respect. @alankellylabour has been an immense help & raised The Med Card issue as part of his statement on #Budget2020 pic.twitter.com/50YlxVZkdG
— John Wall (@walls2) October 8, 2019
From top: John Wall, Minister for Health Simon Harris; Labour TD Alan Kelly speaking in Dáil last night
Last night.
In the Dáil.
Labour TD Alan Kelly raised the case of John Wall – in light of claims that medical cards will be provided for people who are terminally ill.
He said:
“On the provision of medical cards for people who are terminally ill, I see that the Minister for Health, Deputy Harris, has announced that he is doing something about the matter.
He said he had asked the HSE to deal with it.
I want to make a commitment to Mr John Wall who has fought for this measure for the last year and to whom I spoke earlier today.
I have got to know him quite well and admire him.
He is a man with a terminal illness and wants to know where the measure is budgeted for. It is either budgeted for or it is not.
It cannot just be a case of asking the HSE and it coming back in a few weeks to state it can do it.
The provision of medical cards for terminally ill patients is either covered by a budget line or it is not.
If it is, where is it covered?
A 24-month profile is probably what is needed because we have to have some way of dealing with the matter.
I want to see where provision is made and want to see the details.
Until I see them, it does not exist and I want it to. I want the Minister to show it to me.
I will congratulate him on the specific item if he does, but I cannot see it. I want it to be proved that provision has been made.”
Yesterday: Extended
Previously: Result
Then Liberal Part MP Winston Churchill’s idea to promote ‘the temporary absence of the representation of Ulster’ in the event of Home Rule
Century Ireland writes:
Satirical magazine ‘Punch’ offers a tongue-in-cheek suggestion for how a border in Ireland might be created….
Churchill proposes partition of Ireland (Century Ireland)
Meanwhile...
Mick Fulcher writes:
Sweden is in the EU Norway isn’t.
And this is their idea of a ‘hard border’
Ever get the feeling you’re being lied to?
Anyone?
Ah here.
Saoirse Flynn tweetz:
Emailed a potential landlord about an apartment, and they come back to me saying if I’m a student they require 5 months rent in advance, the monthly rent is €1,050 by the way, what kind of elitist asks for €5,250 upfront off a STUDENT? Absolute disgrace.
Anyone?
Meanwhile…
There you go now.
From top: John Wall, Minister for Health Simon Harris; Tweet from Minister Harris this afternoon.
This afternoon.
Patient advocate John Wall writes;
No words to describe how grateful I am to Minister Simon Harris and his team. More detail to follow over next few months but Terminal Illness Card eligibility criterion WILL be extended. Special thanks to Alan Kelly [Labour TD] and Stephen Donnelly [Fianna Fail TD] also.Medicalcard – No Scandal!
In fairness.
Previously: Result
This morning.
Clonakilty, County Cork.
Alan Gardner (above) star of the Channel 4 programme, The Autistic Gardener (also at top with Adam Harris, CEO of autism charity AsIAM) is in Clonakilty to see Ireland’s first Autism Friendly town and share how autism has made him one of the world’s leading landscape designers “and how autistic people can focus on their strengths to find careers they enjoy”.
Autism Friendly Town (Clonakilty)
Leon Farrell/PhotocallIreland
Jaysus.
This afternoon.
Government Buildings, Dublin 2
Extinction Rebellion launches a ‘Budget for Climate Justice ‘ with activist Patrick O Connor (above centre) holding the ‘budget book’.
Drrrama.
Earlier: Pity The Fuel
Meanwhile…
Extinction Rebellion activists have glued themselves to one government department and to the underside of a lorry outside another on a second day of protests in central London.
Police have made more than 400 arrests, and those camped out in Westminster have been ordered to move on.
The [UK] prime minister has described the activists as “unco-operative crusties”.
Extinction Rebellion: Protesters glue themselves to government building (BBC)
This afternoon.
Government Buildings, Dublin 2
Minister for Finance Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe presents his Budget 2020documents before addressing the Dail..
In the event of No Deal, €650 million is to be made available to support the Agriculture, Enterprise and Tourism sectors and to assist the most affected citizens and regions.
Of this, €220 million will be deployed immediately in the event of a No Deal.
From this, €110 million for enterprises has been identified for the first wave of funding for targeted new interventions to help vulnerable but viable firms adjust to a No Deal Brexit….
More as we get it it.
Update:
€2.5bn will be allocated to the Housing Programme in 2020, according to Minister Donohoe. A further €20m will go to homeless services
Budget 2020: Minister announcing measures in Dáil (RTÉ)
Earlier: The New Green Hard Brexit Budget 2020
Meanwhile…
Anyone?
Via Political Irish
