Category Archives: News

news as it is happening-ish


Above: Alan Mahon, Assistant Principal, Budget and Economic Division, Department of Finance and Michael McGrath, Assitant Secretary, Budget and Economic Division, Department of Finance.

 

As the great British economist John Maynard Keynes once said: ‘If you owe your bank a hundred pounds, you have a problem. But if you owe a million, it has.’

How true. Ha ha.

Seriously, we’re boned.

THE UNIVERSAL social charge and the pension levy boosted the State’s tax take by €2.3 billion to €34 billion in 2011, but the Department of Finance conceded yesterday that revenues fell slightly short of their target.

The State ended the year almost €25 billion in the red, compared with €18.7 billion last year. The figure included a €9.5 billion bill for recapitalising the banks.

The final tax take of almost €34.3 billion was €873 million short of the €34.9 billion target set in Budget 2011, according to the December exchequer returns, which the Department of Finance published yesterday. Michael McGrath, assistant secretary at the department, said the additional €2.3 billion raised during the year included revenue from two extra taxes.

Final tax take sees State end year €25bn in red (Irish Times)

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A Swedish woman has discovered her wedding ring on a carrot growing in her garden, 16 years after she lost it, says a newspaper.

Lena Paahlsson had long ago lost hope of finding the ring, which she designed herself, reports Dagens Nyheter.
The white-gold band, set with seven small diamonds, went missing in her kitchen in 1995, she told the paper.

She took the ring off to do some Christmas baking with her daughters, but it disappeared from the work surface where it had been left, she explained to Dagens Nyheter.

The family searched everywhere and years later took up the tiling on the floor during renovations, in the hope of finding the ring.

It was not until 16 years later when Mrs Paahlsson was pulling up carrots in her garden that she noticed one with the gold band fastened tightly around it.

Sweden: Wedding Ring ‘found On Carrot’ After 16 years (BBC News Europe)

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The strongest gust of 168km/h was recorded at Malin Head, Co Donegal, early yesterday morning while wind speeds of more than 100km/h were recorded at Belmullet, Co Mayo, and Dublin airport, Met Éireann said.

Forecaster Siobhán Ryan said the “hurricane force” wind speed recorded at Malin Head was “exceptional” and ranked among the highest winds in Ireland that she could remember.

Ms Ryan said the gusts may have been caused by a “sting jet” – a rarely occurring surge of high-momentum, high-energy air which appears like a curling scorpion’s tail on weather maps.

The strong winds were expected to ease last night with the depression which brought them moving on towards Scotland and Scandinavia.

However, Ms Ryan said wind speeds were expected to pick up again this afternoon – but not to the same extent as yesterday – for about 18 hours and could reach speeds of 90-120km/h in some areas.

She said the east coast and Dublin were likely to “bear the brunt” of the west and northwest winds today. These would be sustained but would not be as strong as those experienced yesterday.

East coast could be hit by worst of gales today (Irish Times)

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MOVES TO reform and modernise the Dáil are on the agenda for Ceann Comhairle Seán Barrett in the new year, including a parliamentary television channel by the end of the year, procedural changes, a new dress code and the banning of four-letter words.

“We have live coverage to approximately 25 per cent of the population through UPC, the cable system. What we’re able to do is relay what you see and hear in Leinster House, live, and we’re now working towards trying to have Sky take it on board,” he added.

It is hoped the national broadcaster will also get involved.

Barrett wants TDs to smarten up and stop swearing for TV (Irish Times)

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SUGGESTIONS ARE to be drawn up early next year for the disposal of the 7,000 unused electronic voting machines that have so far cost taxpayers €54.7 million.

Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan has asked the taskforce, which was set up to supervise the winding down of the project, to outline proposals soon for their disposal.

The machines have long been the source of controversy and ridicule among politicians and the public because of the project’s failure and the escalating cost involved.

Strongly defending their introduction, the then taoiseach Bertie Ahern told the Dáil in 2007 that by not adopting the new technology “this country will move into the 21st century being a laughing stock with our stupid aul pencils”.

1) Melt ’em
2) Sculpt ’em into the shape of Bertie Ahern’s nose
3) Stick it on the Hill of Tara so we NEVER FORGET.

Disposal plan sought for e-voting machines (Irish Times)

MINISTERS WILL be held to account at the end of March for their success or failure in implementing the commitments made in the programme for government, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has revealed.

Mr Kenny said yesterday that he will meet Ministers individually in January to itemise their responsibilities in terms of “actionable points” in the programme, and will be demanding a progress report from each of them at the end of the Government’s first year in office.

In an interview with political correspondents, the Taoiseach said that he had established an office in his own department to translate the programme into “actionable points” so that the performance of Ministers can be assessed.

Call 1800-MEH.

Taoiseach to assess Ministers on individual performance (Irish Times)

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Facebook has agreed to reduce the amount of time it retains information deleted by the user, such as tags and friend requests.

It will have to get more consent for the use of facial recognition and there will now be more transparency and control over how personal information is used for advertising on the site.

In a statement this afternoon, Facebook said the audit “highlighted several opportunities to strengthen our existing practices”.

It said it was committed to either implement, or to consider, other improvements recommended by the Commissioner.
Facebook has agreed to make these changes between now and July of next year.

Irish audit prompts Facebook privacy changes (RTE News)

 

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THE €100 a year household charge is likely to be replaced in a little more than a year by a comprehensive property tax.

The property tax will be on a graduated scale based on the size or value of a house and the details are due to be worked out over the next few months.

The Cabinet agreed to proceed to a quick decision on the basis of the report from the expert group with a view to having a comprehensive property tax system in place by 2013.

Whatever system is agreed by the Government, most householders will have to pay considerably more than the €100 flat charge for 2012 which is due to be paid by the end of next March.

Oh.

Ministers decide to bring forward property tax (Irish Times)

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A MALAYSIAN student who reportedly had a civil partnership with an Irishman has been caught up in a political storm of controversy in his home country.
Ariff Alfian Rosli (28) has been resident in Ireland since moving here eight years ago to study medicine at a university in Dublin.
After an apparent disagreement with his son in 2009, Mr Rosli’s father reported him missing to Malaysian authorities.
In recent days, pictures emerged on the internet which appeared to be of Mr Rosli in traditional Malaysian dress with his civil partner in Ireland at an event at Dublin City Hall.
The pictures were published on the front pages of some local newspapers and have been the source of criticism from numerous political groups in Malaysia, where same-sex sexual relationships are illegal and punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Malaysian Muslims seek action over man ‘missing’ in Ireland (Irish Times)