Irish Plogging Divas tweetz:
Dún Laoghaire Harbour. Dontcha love Maths students as tourist guides?
MORE to follow.
Top: Micheál Martin and Barry Cowen at Leinster House in 2016; The Taoiseach announces Mr Cowen’s removal this evening
Tonight.
Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen tweeted the following, after it emerged that his party leader Taoiseach Micheál Martin had sacked him from his role as the Minister for Agriculture:
“The Taoiseach informed me this evening by phone that he was removing me from office as Minister for Agriculture. I am both surprised and disappointed with this decision.
“Previously I furnished the Taoiseach with all the facts about my drink driving conviction and the story that the Sunday Times proposed to publish about my alleged evasion of a Garda check point. In doing so I provided him with confidential details about my interaction with An Garda Siochana.
“I have made my position on these matters known publicly and I have acknowledged my wrong doing for something that occurred 4 years ago.
“I have sought an explanation – not as a government minister but as a citizen – as to how details relating to the incident were leaked to the media. The authorities have agreed to investigate the matter.
“One point warrants emphasis: at no time did I attempt to evade the Gardaí. Had I done so, the charges brought against me would, quite correctly, have been of a different tenor to those with which I was charged.
“I am responsible for the offence with which I was convicted 4 years ago not for an inaccurate Garda entry on Pulse about that event. Ten days ago and this afternoon the Taoiseach believed my failure of 2016 didn’t warrant my removal from office but he now appears to have changed his mind based on a Pulse report I gave him this morning.
“It is important to re-emphasise that report was leaked in contravention of the protections that I and every other citizen is entitled to expect in respect of their interaction with the Gardaí.
“Unfortunately the decision of the Taoiseach to remove me from office, when he supported me this afternoon in the Dail, has undermined and potentially prejudiced my entitlement to fair process.”
Meanwhile…
I am told by a source in Merrion Street (but now at home) that Anne Rabbitte TD is expected to take on the role of government chief whip and that Dara Calleary TD will be asked to serve as Minister for Agriculture and the Marine.#rtept #BarryCowen
— Hugo (@AodhBC) July 14, 2020
Meanwhile…
Leo varadkar & eamon Ryan clearly happened #BarryCowen https://t.co/p88M5eLPAm
— Ken Mc Fadden (@unspeakable28) July 14, 2020
Earlier:
Barry Cowen has been sacked as Agriculture Minister. Statement due in a few minutes @rtenews
— Mícheál Lehane (@MichealLehane) July 14, 2020
Tonight.
Taoiseach and Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin told the Dáil that Agriculture Minister and Fianna Fáil TD Barry Cowen has been sacked.
Mr Martin told the Dáil:
“This is a very sad day for Barry, for his family and for me. He has been a very committed representative, very diligent and very dedicated. Over the course of the last 10 days he’s been the subject of very significant criticism and condemnation for a road traffic offence that took place in 2016. He has been completely clear and unambiguous regarding his drink-driving offence. He gave a personal statement to this House on July 7 in which he talked about the stupidity of his actions. He accepted what he did was absolutely wrong and he apologised to all members.”
Meanwhile…
Barry Cowen’s sacking is extraordinary given Micheál Martin knew about the alleged attempt to evade the Garda check point last week – and knew Cowen had not addressed the issue in his apology to the Dail.
Martin defended Cowen in the Dail earlier today. What changed?
— Colette Browne (@colettebrowne) July 14, 2020
Earlier: ‘I’ve Seen The [Arrest Record]…It’s Not Quite As Portrayed’
Previously: Who Spilled? [Updated]
From left: Tánaiste, Leo Varadkar; Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Minister for Climate Action, Communication Networks and Transport, Eamon Ryan
Micheál Martin tells the Dáil that the newly-augmented ‘office of the Tánaiste’ will equip Leo Varadkar with “five or six” special advisors, and the office of Leader of the Green Party will have “four or five” special advisors
— Gavan Reilly (@gavreilly) July 14, 2020
Some racket, in fairness.
Spotted in Aldi.
Scoob writes:
British, Irish,
NewYork, Union flag? So confused.
How to solve the Luke Kelly defacing thing pic.twitter.com/xr9AGqTO9j
— Annie West (@anniewestdotcom) July 14, 2020
In fairness.
Meanwhile…
You joke, but you know they’re actually considering exactly this? pic.twitter.com/WwMnBOIsMR
— Darragh Mc Donagh (@darraghmcdonagh) July 14, 2020
Meanwhile…
— Emmet ᚛ᚓᚋᚋᚓᚉ᚜ (@DaDearga) July 14, 2020
Zardoz speaks to YOU.
A cell in the women’s section of Mountjoy Prison
Chilean woman Estefany Carolina Alquinta Gonzalez (33),
who had been kept in solitary confinement for more than a week in the female section of Mountjoy Prison after immigration officials refused to allow her into the country, has been released.— Courts News Ireland (@courtsnewsIRL) July 14, 2020
This afternoon.
Via RTÉ
…The State did not contest an inquiry into the legality of the detention of Estefany Carolina Alquinta Gonzalez, who came to Ireland earlier this month to start a six month course with a Dublin-based language school to study English.
However, when she arrived at Dublin Airport on 2 July she was detained by immigration officials and was denied entry on the grounds that she represented a real and immediate threat to the fundamental policy interests of the State….which she denied…
Meanwhile…
…Before arriving in Ireland Ms Gonzalez said an official in that department said she would be allowed enter Ireland in order to complete her course, even though her courses were to be delivered online, as long as her travel documents were in order.
…She claimed that she was informed that she could not enter as a tourist as she wanted to come into Ireland as a student…immigration officials denied her permission to enter the state, arrested and detained her….
Anyone?
Justice Minister to review Chilean student’s solitary confinement (RTÉ)
A glimpse at how ‘Pulp Fiction’ might have been, had it included a cat for Jules and Vincent to take care of, from YouTube feline cinéaste, OwlKitty.