The company set up to deliver the project will be called National Broadband Ireland (NBI). It will have to meet financial obligations under the plan of €2.4 billion, over 25 years.

In a statement, the company confirmed it was to spend an initial €220 million, and would “use these funds to get the project up and running”.  The capital funding would go towards the design and build activities of the rural broadband network, and would be invested ahead of State subsidies coming on-stream, the company said.

McCourt consortium to invest initial €220m in broadband project (Irish Times)

Earlier: Broadband Plan Critics ‘Like Brexiteers’

This morning.

Burlington Hotel, Dublin

Dr Paul Redmond‘s pretty generalised presentation on the multi-generational workforce’ at  The Executive Institute‘s Summit 2019.

‘What motivates these cohorts‘?

Charming.

This morning.

National Stadium, Dublin.

Pugilists Michael Carruth (above left), Olympic gold medallist and Cystic Fibrosis Ireland ambassador and Kenneth Egan, Olympic silver medallist, launch Cystic Fibrosis Ireland’s “Help Us Fight CF” Challenge with a punch-up.

FIGHT!

Cystic Fibrosis Ireland

Leah Farrell/RollingNews

Richard Osman’s House Of Games contestant SocDem Dublin European Election candidate Gary Gannon’s bold posterage.

Figaro magnifico, in fairness.

FIGHT!/Scaramouche

Clare Daly TD

“It has been brought to my attention that some political opponents have been orchestrating a campaign in an attempt to portray me as anti-vaccine on the basis of Written Questions I’ve tabled to the Minister for Health.

For the record and for the avoidance of any doubt, my position on vaccination is as follows:

I have tabled approximately 4,500 quesions since this Dáil convened in 2016, and am one of the top questioners of Ministers in the Dáil on a whole range of topics.

For example, I’ve tabled over 40 questions on salmon aquaculture since 2016, 30 or more on seagulls, and 62 questions containing the word ‘prisons’ or ‘prisoners’ (and many more on prison issues in general).

In the last two and half months alone, I’ve asked at least 14 questions around foster care and residential services for young people.

I fully support vaccination as an important and hugely valuable public health initiative; myself and my family have received every vaccination going (including the HPV vaccination where applicable).

However I also believe that to ensure public confidence in such an important public health initiative that TDs should ensure that the Minister publicly address any concerns people might have in an effort to dispel them.

Shutting down debate unfortunately leads to a belief that something is being hidden.

In general, we need better public education with regard to medicine and science, and the best approach possible to public health communication.

There must also be a no-fault vaccine damage compensation scheme in place to deal with the tiny minority of persons who do experience side-effects or harms from vaccines (as happened in the Pandemrix case).

Such a scheme is in the current Programme for Government, and was recommended by the Oireachtas Health Committee in 2001.

The Vaccine Damage Steering Group re-iterated that recommendation in 2009. The Government has not, to date, acted on this policy, regrettably.”

Independents4Change Dublin European Election candidate Clare Daly TD

Vaccines and vaccinations – Statement (Claire Daly)

Pandemrix case?

Rollingnews

This morning.

Dublin city centre.

An ad calling for the boycott of the Israel-hosted Eurovision 2019 from Sadaka, –  the ‘Irish Palestine Alliance’.

Pic via Niam McKiernan

Meanwhile…

Meanwhile…

Yesterday: Shane Heneghan: No Song For Palestine

Behold: the colourful cloud complex of one of our nearest star forming regions.

And they call it a ‘dark nebula’. Honestly. To wit:

Rho Ophiuchi itself is a binary star system visible in the blue reflection nebula just to the left of the image center. The star system, located only 400 light years away, is distinguished by its multi-colored surroundings, which include a red emission nebula and numerous light and dark brown dust lanes. Near the lower left of the Rho Ophiuchi molecular cloud system is the yellow star Antares, while a distant but coincidently-superposed globular cluster of stars, M4, is visible just to the right of Antares. Near the image top lies IC 4592, the Blue Horsehead nebula. The blue glow that surrounds the Blue Horsehead’s eye — and other stars around the image — is a reflection nebula composed of fine dust. On the featured image right is a geometrically angled reflection nebula cataloged as Sharpless 1. Here, the bright star near the dust vortex creates the light of surrounding reflection nebula. Although most of these features are visible through a small telescope pointed toward the constellations of Ophiuchus, Scorpius, and Sagittarius, the only way to see the intricate details of the dust swirls, as featured above, is to use a long exposure camera.

(Image: Mario Cogo (Galax Lux))

apod

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