With the passing of legendary bassist Robbie Shakespeare this week, the theme for our voucher-less music knockabout has to be: What’s your favourite reggae song?
Last week, I asked you for your favourite song about or mentioning mothers. Jasper won my esteem with this entry:
“My personal opinion is that it is rare for a cover artist to eclipse the originator. It might, on the face of it, sound a better rendition. But the song belongs to the penmanship of those that came before.
“Rarer still, is a song that is completely owned by the cover artist. I believe this is one. Apologies to Mr Morrissey, he shall not read this, but facts are facts.”
Nick says: Thanks Jasper and to everyone who entered.
Westport, county Mayo Fine Gael TD Michael Ring made his contribution to Wednesday’s debate on the Planning and Development (Amendment) (Large-scale Residential Development) Bill 2021 felt.
Deputy Ring said:
“What we have done in this country is not the Minister’s fault. I blame fellas like Deputy Boyd Barrett and the Green Party, who come down to Mayo, Cork and Kerry wanting to build a holiday home but the minute they build it they do not want anyone beside them and they object.
We had objections fromDún Laoghaire, Wicklow and Germany to local people building homes.
“This week, this State is 100 years old. It is 100 years since we signed the Treaty. The Minister must do something with local authorities and planners. There are inconsistencies with planners because some of them have been trained in Belfast and some in Dublin. There is no consistency.
“We have a dictatorship in this country. It is not a political dictatorship but a public service dictatorship and it has got to such a stage now that they think they are more powerful than the Minister. The local authorities do not care about the Minister anymore. They are out of hand.
“When I was part of the previous Government I preached at every Cabinet meeting that these people were gone out of hand. The Dublin 4 media, RTÉ and all these media people criticise the likes of Deputies Durkan and Kehoe for making representations for the people who elect us. They want it left to An Taisce. They are the ones deciding on planning in this country now.
“I am going to start a campaign in the new year. I have the fight back in me again and I am ready for a fight. If the Minister, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste and Government do not kick on the public service I do not know where this country is going to be. It is time a small bit of power came back to the elected representatives.”
Deputy Mary Butler:
“Hear, hear.”
Deputy Ring:
“I have been in this House nearly 26 years. I have a question for the Ceann Comhairle and the Minister. Have they ever seen a public servant sacked or disciplined? Do they know what is done with them? They are rewarded and given a bigger office just to get rid of them if they are causing trouble. There has to be accountability. If these people were working for the private sector they would be accountable.
“There is no accountability in the public service. There are fellas here who will lick the county managers and there are fellas here that rub them. It is time that power was brought back to the elected representatives in this country. The Minister is an elected representative and he might think this is a joke but if we do not bring power back to the people then the people will take the power from the politicians. There was talk about the Ard Comhairle or Sinn Féin, bringing people to public meetings.”
Deputy Paul Kehoe:
“The Army Council.”
Deputy Ring:
“When the Army Council is on one corner and the public servants are in the other corner then it is going to be hard luck for this country so it is.”
Five media organisations, including RTÉ, had challenged the judge’s decision that the man’s name or occupation were not to be published https://t.co/lfFkv94fGT
A judge has refused to lift an order she imposed preventing the media from identifying a public servant charged with falsely imprisoning and sexually assaulting a woman at his workplace last year.
Via RTE News:
The Director of Public Prosecutions agreed that there was no legal basis for the imposition of reporting restrictions.
The judge Treasa Kelly, however, said this afternoon that she “had some bit of a look” at the case and the legislation during lunchtime, but said she was “not satisfied it is quite as straightforward“.
Judge Kelly said defence solicitor Martin Moran had asked for time to “give him a chance to put in submissions on behalf of his client” and she said she was going to give him time.
However, the book of evidence was also served on the accused, so the case has now been sent forward to the higher Dublin Circuit Criminal Court for trial.
Judge Kelly said that this meant that she will no longer have any involvement in the case and the “obvious thing” is that “the circuit court deal with it“.
She said she had a look at the matter “over lunch“ but she had not given it “a huge look” and “haven’t resolved the issue in my head“.
Judge Kelly also said she was “not in a position to make a decision” on the reporting restrictions she had imposed and it was up to the media “to take the matter elsewhere“.
The case has now been sent forward to the Dublin Circuit Criminal Court.
Independent Sharon Keogan addressed Minister for Health Stephen Donnely on the extension of covid powers under the Health and Criminal Justice (Covid-19) (Amendment) (No. 2) Bill 2021.
Senator Keogan said:
“You would have to laugh, if it were not so serious, at the phrase “extraordinary time-limited measures” contained in this Bill’s explanatory memorandum. As each Bill was passed, that “time-limited nature” was stressed so heavily and yet each sunset clause extension was used in its entirety – every single one, for the full amount.
“When we were debating those, the Minister, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, stressed that this was the end of it, and once those dates came and went, new legislation would have to be drawn up. New legislation being drawn up would give the Houses a chance to go through the detail of each Bill and afford the Bills the scrutiny that they are supposed to receive in these Houses.
“Of course, that would be inconvenient to the Government so someone came up with this new brainwave. To be honest, I was shocked that this was allowed after all the posturing on how extraordinary these measures are, and as for the time limits, you can literally scribble out the end dates and pencil in any other date you want.
“It displays the most cynical and underhanded attitude towards this House that I have ever seen in my time here. It undermines the integrity of the law, of the processes and operation of the Oireachtas, and betrays what little of the public trust that is left.
Let us be honest here. We are not voting for the continuation of emergency powers until the end of March. We are extending them until the end of June. That means that, at the drop of a hat, when someone in Timbuktu discovers the Sigma variant, NPHET and the Cabinet can, if they feel like it, introduce a full level 5 lockdown without consulting anyone in the Dáil or Seanad…”
Senator Jerry Buttimer rising, interjected:
“Does the Senator really believe that? Incredible.”
“Of course, once July arrives the legislation will lapse and we will be free from restrictions – wink wink, nudge nudge. I hope the Minister realises there is no coming back from this. After this, no one will take a sunset clause seriously again; no one in this room or outside it.
Once you throw this integral element of legislation under the bus, there is no pulling it back. Future Dáileanna and Seanaid and future generations, when presented with time-sensitive legislation by the government of their day, will be able to point to the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, and the Cabinet of Micheál Martin and say that sunset clauses are not worth the paper they are written on.”
Former Broncos wide receiver Demaryius Thomas died Thursday at his Roswell, Ga., home. He was 33.
Roswell police said Thursday night that Thomas was found dead in his home. The police added that preliminary reports indicated Thomas’ death might have resulted from a medical issue, according to ESPN.
“Preliminary information is that his death stems from a medical issue, and our investigators currently have no reason to believe otherwise,” public information officer Tim Lupo said in a statement early Friday
To celebrate our 10 year anniversary of Jam Art Factory, we’ve a new collection of limited edition A2 giclée prints by 8 of our Irish based artists all based around the theme of Nostalgia on JamArtPrints.com. The A2 prints are limited to only 10. The A3 and A4 are unlimited digital prints.
We’d like to give away one of these prints in A3 size to the person who tells us their favourite childhood Christmas memory. Best answer wins!
Members of the Travelling community gathered outside Leinster House to mark International Human Rights Day, and to hand in a petition to Taoiseach Micheál Martin to take ‘immediate action to address the mental health crisis being experienced by the Traveller community and the denial of Human rights and Institutionalised racism’.
From top: Jimmy Keenan, who lost his wife Bridget to cancer in 2019 and his son Jim at the age of 23 in 2020 to suicide; National Traveller Mental Health Network chairperson Geraldine McDonnell (left) and Acting Chair Maggie McDonagh; Paddy James Collins from Finglas in his own hand-crafted wagon; Members of the travelling community, including singer David Keenan from Ennis and speaker Thomas McCann from the Traveller Counselling Service; A crucifix and momento of Jimmy’s wife and son; Paddy James outside Leinster House.
Now is your chance as tonight the acclaimed folk trio from the West of Ireland play a live streamed concert in the Town Hall Theatre, Galway, at 8pm. See here for details.
The band – Ruth Dillon, Yvonne Tiernan and Juliana Erkkonen – have a new single out that is perfect for the season that’s in it.
Nick says: Onto every life a little Raines must fall.
