Author Archives: Bodger

Parents are paying up to 8% more for childcare this year. Figures via the Department of Children and Youth Affairs. The most expensive is Dublin, the cheapest is Carlow.

Via Irish Examiner:

Data collected from 4,000 centres across the country show average full-time fees are now costing €184 per week.

Children’s Minister Dr Katherine Zappone says parents should check the figures being released today to inform themselves about what they can expect to pay for childcare in their area.

Her Department recorded the lowest full-time fees for children aged 2-3 in Co. Carlow at €148 per week, with the highest in Dun Laoghaire/Rathdown in Dublin at €251.

Here are the average weekly childcare costs for each county (Irish Examiner)

Pope Francis

The Vatican is refusing to co-operate with requests to provide witnesses and evidence about child abuse in the Roman Catholic Church to a British public inquiry, it emerged yesterday.

The independent inquiry into child sexual abuse was told that the Vatican considered the requests to be improper and claimed that its officials were protected by diplomatic immunity.

The response appears to be in stark contrast to Pope Francis’s declaration this year of an “all out battle” against child abuse, which he said was “utterly incompatible with [the church’s] moral authority and ethical credibility”

Vatican refuses requests for child abuse inquiry evidence (The Times)

Peter Fox writes:

Vatican refuses requests for child abuse inquiry evidence. Despite all the rhetoric the catholic church is changing, its action speak louder than words. It refused to release child abuse files to Irish, then Australian now UK inquiry.

Rollingnews

Dublin South West TD Paul Murphy

This afternoon.

Mícheál Lehane, of RTÉ, tweetz:

I understand that TD Paul Murphy and the Socialist Party have parted ways. More to follow.

Paul Murphy ‘leaves’ Socialist Party (RTÉ)

Rollingnews

Lucy Kennedy (above in driver’s seat) with  with Eddie Rocket’s diner staff, from left: Lesley Warren, Ruth Blaney and Michele Ferreira

This afternoon.

South Anne Street, Dublin 2.

Telly’s Lucy Kennedy joined the queue at Eddie Rocket’s diner today to enjoy a 30th Birthday Special meal at 1989 prices.  Hundreds of people gathered to enjoy a meal of Classic Burger, Classic Fries and a Soda-all for only €5.89.

In fairness.

Name that jammer, anyone?

Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Public Services Card; Heuston Station in Dublin

This afternoon.

During the Public Accounts Committee meeting, during which the Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon fielded questions about the controversial Public Services Card…

The committee’s chairman Fianna Fáil TD Seán Fleming spoke about the experience of one of his constituents with their PSC.

He said:

“As TDs, I’m sure we all run into different constituents with different problems but a particular person I met had the travel pass as part of their social welfare card, they could present it and go on Iarnród Éireann and present it as the case may be because they were a carer.

“But a point came when they were no longer a carer.

“But they kept using the card and they weren’t carers. They weren’t entitled to use the card, but the card was still working.

“So about four or five months later they got a bill from Iarnród Éireann for about €1,048 and it listed all the dates that they’d used the card since, in their opinion, they were no longer deemed to be a carer.

“So they used that information, Iarnród Éireann used the Public Services Card to collect the information in relation to the number of trips the person made on the train.

“And one day they arrived in Heuston Station and they couldn’t get through the gate because Iarnród Éireann had obviously been in touch with Social Protection.”

Comptroller and Auditor General Seamus McCarthy suggested Iarnród Éireann presumably sought reimbursement from the Department of Social Protection for the trips taken and were subsequently paid for some trips and not for others.

Mr McCarthy said:

“Social protection would have no way of knowing what journeys were being taken.”

Mr Fleming again suggested Iarnród Éireann sought and obtained information from the Department of Social Protection.

Ms Dixon responded:

“We’d be very interested in looking at that in the context of the findings we’re about to issue…We’d be very happy to receive details on that in the context of what we’re looking at.”

Mr Fleming added that he doesn’t believe the case he referred to was an isolated case.

Anyone?

Earlier: The Irish Taxpayer May Have To Pay ‘By Virtue Of These Companies Being Headquartered Here’

Meanwhile, At The Public Accounts Committee

Tommy Tiernan in Dark Lies The Island

On The Late Late Show.

Jennifer O’Brien writes:

Two powerhouses of Irish comedy, Pat Shortt and Tommy Tiernan, will chat to Ryan about joining forces for the gritty black comedy Dark Lies the Island…

Rising star of the airwaves and of screen, Doireann Garrihy will discuss the biggest year of her career to date

Former Irish football international Kevin Kilbane will be in studio to discuss among other things, feeling Irish whilst living in Britain in the Brexit era…

A special performance from Moya Brennan, along with the RTÉ Philharmonic Choir, ahead of receiving her Lifetime Achievement Award at the upcoming RTÉ Radio 1 Folk Awards.

There will also be a debut performance of the new single from Hudson Taylor.

The Late Late Show at 9.35pm on RTÉ One.

The container listed on Daft as a one-bedroom apartment

Wesley Ryan of Boskill, Caherconlish, failed to seek planning permission for the 40 foot by eight foot container which is located in the equestrian centre he owns with his mother.

…The property came to the attention of the council and the public when it was advertised to rent on property website Daft.ie for €125 per week.

Mr Ryan told the Limerick Leader that he originally planned to rent the container out for a month, but had decided to remove the advertisement due to what he describes as “cyberbullying”.

Limerick Council demands removal of shipping container ‘apartment’ that came to light in Daft ad (Limerick Leader)

Thanks Zachler

‘Sup?

Dublin Zoo has announced the birth of a male Rothschild giraffe calf.

They write:

Born in the early hours of Thursday, 12th September, the healthy giraffe calf stands at 1.8 meters tall and weighs an estimated 60kg. The newborn joins the rest of the giraffe herd at Dublin Zoo, along with its mother Casey and father Tafari, in the African Savanna.

Zoo Keeper at Dublin Zoo, Pamela O’Brien said: “We are very excited about the latest addition to the giraffe herd. Casey, his mother is doing an excellent job and is very attentive to her newborn. The calf is full of energy and very inquisitive!”

The Rothschild giraffe is one of the most threatened of the nine sub-species of giraffe. Rothschild male giraffes grow to six metres in height and can weigh over 2000kg. Fewer than 670 remain in the wild.

Dublin Zoo

Last night.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar posted on Instagram:

Live from New York! Had a very good meeting with NBC in NYC about production opportunities in Ireland. Also had the pleasure of meeting Jimmy Fallon, an absolute gentleman who’s very proud of his Irish heritage.

FIGHT!

Taoiseach’s LA visit to focus on TV, film industry investment (RTE)