A letter the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty sent to her constituents earlier this month

The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty recently wrote a letter to her constituents in which she stated:

“I ensured that tips in our hospitality sector are paid to employees and not withheld.”

However, last June…

The Irish Times reported:

A Bill to prevent employers deducting or withholding tips from employees has been passed by the Seanad despite Government opposition.

Senators voted by 25 to 14 on an amendment to the Sinn Féin National Minimum Wage (Protection of Employee Tips) Bill and then passed the Bill without a vote.

Sinn Féin Senator Paul Gavan, who introduced the legislation, rejected as “completely wrong” claims by Minister for Employment Affairs Regina Doherty that the legislation would result in tips being taxed under the PAYE system and would have knock-on negative effects on workers’ entitlements to social welfare supports.

…Independent Senator Michael McDowell sharply criticised Ms Doherty for putting a “money message” on the legislation, required for Bills that will have an impact on the exchequer.

He said it was an “absolutely threadbare and totally unacceptable suggestion” that it involves appropriating the public revenue.

Mr McDowell said that “in a society transforming itself to a cashless society it is wholly wrong that that entirely positive development is used as a licence to plunder workers’ pockets”.

There you go now.

Meanwhile…

Last Monday, before the election date was called, Ms Doherty was interviewed by Seán O’Rourke on RTÉ’s Today with Seán O’Rourke, during which she told Mr O’Rourke:

“Nobody ever reads manifestos during the election. Seán, you know that.”

Listen back to the interview in full here

Pic: One Galway

UPDATE:

“Enda Kenny?”

“Chris Adams?”

The identity of ‘Ireland’s greatest Irishman’ leaves the panel on US quiz show Jeopardy!  – including the game’s best-ever contestant – stumped.

‘Jeopardy!’ GOAT winner Ken Jennings is the ‘greatest of all time’ (New York Post)

This afternoon.

Sean McDermott Street, Dublin 1.

The formal launch of the Social Democrats #GE20 campaign outside the former Sean McDermott Street Magdalene Laundry were party leaders Catherine Murphy (above right) and Roisin Shortall (left) with Dublin Central General Election candidate, Dublin City Councillor Gary Gannon (top centre), whose campaign saved the site for ‘commemorative’ purposes .

Ms Murphy and Ms Shortall highlighted what they described as ‘four key achievable priorities’ which they intend to campaign on.

To wit:

1. Introduction of a ‘save as you pay’ front-loaded home insulation grant scheme

2. Introduce a right to flexible work – in order to give families more time to care for their children, older people, family members with disabilities and themselves.

3. Establish an Independent Anti-Corruption Agency

4. Deadlines not lip service on Slaintecare implementation; Delivery of social and affordable housing to buy and rent and increased provision of public transport and cycling provision

Social Democrats

Leah Farrel /RollingNews

The clanging chimes of doom?

Or reverberating bongs of freedom?

The hopes of diehard Brexiters to hear the chimes of Big Ben sound at the moment the UK leaves the EU appear to have finally been dashed by Downing Street, as it indicated this will not happen even if the public raises the £500,000 needed to pay for it.

According to Boris Johnson’s spokesman, Commons authorities – who warned on Tuesday of the high cost of completing the complex restoration of the clocktower – have said there could be difficulties in accepting public donations.

Big Ben unlikely to chime on Brexit day, No 10 indicates (The Guardian)

The Big Ben must bong for Brexit campaign (Gofundme)

Here’s How.

The current affairs podcast presented by William Campbell (right) on voting restrictions

William writes:

Will you vote? Will you be allowed? If you moved house since November 2018, you probably won’t be able to vote in a general election before 2025!

I challenge Fianna Fáil TD Seán Fleming (above left) about Ireland’s Jim Crow-level voting restrictions….

Click to listen here.

Here’s How

This lunchtime.

On Upper Merrion Street at the back of the Department of An Taoiseach.

Conor tweetz:

“Come into town for a meeting, they said. Be grand, they said…”

Meanwhile…

The tractors are reportedly setting off for Dublin Port before travelling to the M50 where they plan to hold a “slow protest”.

Earlier: I Love The Smell Of Slurry In The Morning

This afternoon.

Dublin City Councillor and CEO of Inner City Helping Homeless Anthony Flynn tweetz:

“Society is failing our elderly!!!!

This morning we have been called to a lady who slept in the rain last night. The lady was soaked to the bone, is in her late 60s, suffering with dementia. She has been transported to hospital.

Thanks to the gardai and ambulance services.”

Meanwhile…

Met Éireann have forecast that temperatures could drop to -4C tomorrow night and Saturday night.

Earlier: Sad Café

“The Woman’s Body Was Found In Her Room”

The death of a woman, in her late 20s, has occurred at Phoenix Lodge, also called Judge Darley’s, near the Museum Luas stop in Dublin

This afternoon.

Kitty Holland, in The Irish Times, reports:

A young homeless woman has died “tragically” in emergency accommodation in Dublin.

In a statement to The Irish Times a Garda spokesman said: “Gardaí were called to the scene of a sudden death of a female in her late 20s that occurred at approximately 5pm at Parkgate Street, Dublin 8 on Wednesday, January 15th.

“A file will be prepared for the Coroner’s Court”

It is understood the woman’s body was found in her room at the Phoenix Lodge hostel, also known as Judge Darley’s, where she had been placed by the Dublin Region Homeless Executive (DRHE).

Young homeless woman dies in Dublin hostel (Kitty Holland, The Irish Times)

Pics: Google Maps/Google Streetview

This morning.

Drogheda Garda Station.

Middle pic from left: Garda Inspector Aiden McCabe, Chief Supt Christy Mangan, and Supt Andrew Watters at a press briefing at which the human remains found in a sports bag in Coolock yesterday were identified as missing teenager 17-year-old Keane Mulready-Woods (top).

Meanwhile…

The images on social media purport to show human limbs in relation to the murder of the teenager.

A number of videos have also been circulated of threats being made by individuals known to gardaí and Keane, and one video purports to be footage of the child’s murder.

Gardaí say they have not seen that footage but are checking with Keane’s family following a claim this morning by a councillor in Co Louth that the video was sent to them.

Gardaí urge against sharing videos, images in teen’s murder case (RTE)

Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews

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