Author Archives: Bodger

This morning.

The Public Accounts Committee heard that there has been non-compliance of procurement contracts worth €5.4million at Tusla.

Sinn Féin TD David Cullinane asked for PAC to write back to Tusla and ask for a breakdown of the €5.4million.

He suggested PAC specifically ask how many contracts were involved, why they were non-compliant and he suggested PAC ask for a report on each incident.

He added:

“Just to make sure that they know that we’re watching this because there’s no point in us just noting it which we do meeting after meeting and the C&AG [Comptroller and Auditor General] notes it. There doesn’t seem to be, I’ve said this time and again, there doesn’t seem to be no real sanction other than they have to watch, that they have to abide by proper competition rules and so on.”

“In any event, non-compliance in its totality, year on year, is a huge amount of money – when you add in all the departments. So I’m recommending everyone on them when it comes up, we write back, we want a report – and broken down by how many contracts, because the €5.4million may be one contract in this case or it may be multiple contracts, multiple and the reason for each and every one as to why it was non-compliant.”

Earlier: How Much?

This morning.

It’s being reported in The Irish Times that the principal of Blackrock College Dublin Alan McGinty has written to the parents of school’s students, telling them that tomorrow’s school climate change strike is “a tad infuriating” .

He also urged parents to ensure their sons don’t take part in the event.

Further to this…

Geography lecturer at University of Limerick and Green Party local election candidate Breandán Anraoi MacGabhann tweetz:

If any Blackrock college parents still want to let their kids strike, here’s [above] a permission slip.

Dublin school warns pupils off ‘infuriating’ climate strikes (The Irish Times, Colin Gleeson)

Today’s meeting of the Public Accounts Committee can be watched in link above or here.

Previously: Fill Your Boots

Poster for Irish artist Shane Berkery’s solo exhibition ‘Figures’ in New York; from the exhibition

Today.

Irish artist Shane Berkery’s first solo exhibition ‘Figures’ opens in New York City.

It will open at Contra Galleries on 122 West 26th Street.

Shane, who was born in Tokyo, to an Irish dad and Japanese mum – and lived in the US and Japan until he was 14, when he moved to Ireland – famously created a nude diptych of himself and the then director of the National College of Art and Design (NCAD) Prof Declan McGonagle in 2015.

He said he painted it as a “light-hearted” protest against how the college was being run.

Shane, from Killiney, Co Dublin, ended up removing it from his end-of-year exhibition at the NCAD in June 2015.

A few months before he removed it, students occupied the board room and staff room at the NCAD on Thomas Street in Dublin because of concerns over the commercial direction of the college’s management.

Previously: Penis Is Mightier Than The Sword

What Shane Did Next

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris

The High Court has directed Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to disclose the names and addresses of gardaí against whom he believes there is evidence of involvement in a smear campaign against a former colleague.

Ex-garda Keith Blythe had brought legal proceedings seeking to find out the identities of former colleagues who allegedly defamed him in messages circulated via WhatsApp and Facebook [in September 2018].

…The judge directed that the information be provided to Mr Blythe’s legal team before 1pm today, so that defamatory proceedings may be issued against the proposed defendants prior to the Friday expiry of a time limit in which to launch defamation cases against them.

Harris ordered to disclose names he believes involved in smear campaign (RTE)

Rollingnews

Eau.

The photo (above) depicts [Canadian prime Minister] Trudeau at an “Arabian Nights”-themed gala event, clad in an elaborate turban and robe, his face, hands and neck covered in dark makeup – a breathtaking contradiction to the prime minister’s carefully cultivated image as a standard-bearer for Canadian diversity.

“It was a dumb thing to do,” he said during an emergency news conference on board the Liberal campaign plane before taking off for Winnipeg.

“I’m disappointed in myself, I’m pissed off at myself for having done it. I wish I hadn’t done it, but I did it, and I apologize for it.”

Asked whether it was the only instance of its kind, Trudeau admitted that during a high school talent show (top), he wore makeup while performing a version of Harry Belafonte’s “Banana Boat Song (Day-O),” although he didn’t explicitly say the makeup was dark.

Yearbook photos make international headlines (Toronto Sun)


Tuam, County Galway.

Al Jazeera reporter Laurence Lee talks to Tuam survivors and supporters who are threatening to take the government to court over its ongoing failure to exhume the bodies of hundreds of children – as many as 796 – five years after the existence of a burial pit under the former Mother and Baby home in the town was revealed.

Last week: Misleading Survivors And The Dáil

Thanks Kevin Higgins

This afternoon.

Ballintrane, Fenagh, County Carlow

Agricultural ‘reveller’s – including Rugby’s Paul O’Connell( above right), An Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs & Trade Simon Coveney TD (Pic 6) and Virgin Media sleb Karen Koster (pic 9) attend the second day of the National Ploughing Championships.

Leah Farrell/Rollingnews

Earlier: Plough It Into You