Category Archives: News

news as it is happening-ish

THE GOVERNMENT is set to tackle illegal downloading of music and films in January by plugging a gap in the Republic’s laws that allows internet users access to sites that “pirate” this material.

Minister of State for Enterprise Seán Sherlock is to publish an order early in the new year that is expected to allow music publishers, film producers and other parties to go to court to prevent internet service providers from allowing their customers access to pirate websites.

The Department of Enterprise, Innovation and Jobs has written to music publisher EMI Ireland confirming the order will be published and incorporated into existing legislation in January. Mr Sherlock also said in a written answer to a parliamentary question that the order, or statutory instrument, would be published next month.

Illegal downloading to be curbed by Government order (Irish Times)

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Businessman Declan Ganley has begun legal proceedings against RTE’s Prime Time programme.

The action by the high-profile entrepreneur and political activist comes only weeks after Fr Kevin Reynolds was awarded €1m in damages for being defamed by the programme — while, in a separate case, businessman Sean Gallagher has made serious allegations against RTE News and Current Affairs in relation to what he claims was an “ambush” of him on The Frontline presidential election TV debate.

The plenary summons, which was served last Friday evening, comes three years after the programme — which Mr Ganley believes contained “extremely serious, defamatory allegations” against him — was aired.

Mr Ganley alleges that the Prime Time team attempted to discredit him both personally and professionally and undermined his opposition to the Lisbon Treaty.

Ganley takes legal action over RTE’s Prime Time report (Independent)

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Or up to €2500 for non payment?

It’s OK, a tenner will buy you an extra six months to mull it over.

 Environment Minister Phil Hogan began the passage of the legislation last night.The charge must either be paid in full by the end of next March or the homeowner must have made arrangements to pay it in four instalments of €25.Mr Hogan said there would be penalties for non-payment.A late payment fee of €10 will apply if it is paid within six months of the due date; €20 if between six and 12 months and €30 if the payment is 12 months late.Mr Hogan said that after two years of failing to pay, the liability would rise to €280 when the charges, late-payment fees and late-payment interest were all taken into account.Mr Hogan said: “I want the message to go out clearly to those who are liable to pay this necessary household charge on time, rather than incurring late-payment fees and penalties. “Local authorities will also have power to take prosecutions against owners who fail to discharge their liability to pay. “Prosecution will be by way of summary proceedings and a court may impose a class C fine under the Fines Act 2010,which ranges from €1,000 to €2,500.”

€2,500 fine for failure to pay new household charge (Independent)

Higgins Wants Govt To Back Boycott campaign (RTE News)

Previously: The Irish Poll Tax: This Means War

(Pix: Independent/RTE)

 

THE CENTRAL Bank has emerged as the most likely purchaser of the concrete shell of Anglo Irish Bank’s unfinished headquarters on North Wall Quay in Dublin, The Irish Times has learned.

Negotiations between the Central Bank and Nama, which wants to dispose of the site as part of its resolution of the debts of Liam Carroll’s Zoe Developments group, are at an advanced stage and a decision is imminent.

One well-placed source said the North Wall Quay site is the only one in Dublin with sufficient office space to accommodate all of the Central Bank’s staff, currently based in three main locations in or near the city centre: “We’re on the point of deciding to buy the Anglo site. It’s exactly the right size and fits our staff numbers well. It’s also the cheapest option available. Just because it was being built for Anglo doesn’t mean it should be jinxed.”

Central Bank likely purchaser of Anglo HQ shell on quays (Irish Times)

(Photocall Ireland)
Indian burial platform pic

BRITAIN’S DECISION to veto a new EU treaty has created “two Europes” and marks a major step towards integration within a smaller bloc, French president Nicolas Sarkozy has said.

Outlining what France sees as the far-reaching implications of the “fiscal compact” agreed in Brussels, Mr Sarkozy hailed “the birth of a different Europe” that would converge without the British.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has invited the leaders of the Opposition parties into Government Buildings at 8am today to brief them on the outcome of the European summit.

Sarkozy hails birth of smaller European bloc without UK (Irish Times)

Kenny: No referendum decision before March (RTE News)

(Pic: RTE)

Tracker mortgages have become “golden handcuffs” for 400,000 householders who cannot trade up or down without sacrificing the blue-chip loans that automatically benefit from European Central Bank (ECB) interest rate cuts.

Banks and building societies are refusing to transfer tracker mortgages if the customer wants to move house — even if the new property costs the same or less than the original home on which the tracker mortgage was approved.

Instead they must pay off the tracker and go on to a new variable-rate mortgage.

Homeowners Are Trapped By Their Tracker Mortgages (Independent)

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No. Not ‘brave’. What’s the word?

Brendan Howlin at yesterday evening’s press conference after presenting the Comprehensive Expenditure Report 2012 – 2014 and cuts of €1.4 billion across a range of State services to the Dail.

The gurnathon continues at 3.45.

Health, social welfare and education face bulk of cuts (Irish Times)

Budget 2012: No hiding place as Howlin reveals €1.4bn cuts (Independent)

(Photocall Ireland)

You heard Enda: now hear Micheál, Gerry and Thomas.

A ten minute slot split three ways between FF, The Technical Group and Sinn Féin after the 9pm RTE News tonight.

Less than 24 hours after Taoiseach Enda Kenny spoke to the nation, three mini “state of the nation” addresses by Opposition leaders will be broadcast this evening. The glut of television statements came about because the Government declined to describe the current economic crisis as a “major emergency”

As leader of the largest Opposition party, with 19 TDs, Fianna Fáil’s Micheál Martin is allowed four minutes and was given the slot just after the 9pm news on RTÉ One. The speaker from the 16-member technical group was “picked out of a hat” after seven of the group expressed an interest in taking part. Thomas Pringle, the Independent Donegal TD, was the name pulled out and he will speak for the group for three minutes before the 6pm news. Independent TD Mick Wallace had been keen, as had People Before Profit’s Richard Boyd-Barrett and Socialist deputy Clare Daly, along with Independents Shane Ross, Stephen Donnelly and Maureen O’Sullivan.

TD pulled from hat to address nation (Irish Times)

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MEMBERS OF the European Parliament budgetary control committee have been invited to submit “additional questions” to Kevin Cardiff, the Government’s nominee as Irish member of the European Court of Auditors.

An email, which has been seen by The Irish Times, was sent to leading members of the committee yesterday morning, asking them “to submit the list of additional questions that you intend to make to Mr Cardiff, candidate nominated by the Irish authorities, by next Friday”, December 2nd.

1. What, you again?

2. What’s with the weird grin there, Poindexter?

3. Did we not tell you to piss off last week?

And so forth…

MEPs invited to put more queries to Cardiff (Irish Times)

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuuDnqSPnhA

Yes, it’s Jeremy Clarkson expressing his solidarity with British strikers on “The One Show” this week.

At times like this, no-one puts it better than Stewart Lee.

Jeremy Clarkson’s anti-strike rant on The One Show prompts on-air apology