Comedian Oliver Callan and Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy

For decades, Dublin has been hailed as a low-rise capital that protects its historical skyline – until [Housing Minister Eoghan] Murphy said high-rise was needed to solve the housing shortage and would encourage more apartment developments.

So far, the only tower approved for planning under his new laws is Johnny Ronan’s 22-story office block and hotel.

It will be the tallest building in Ireland but won’t provide a single home for anyone.

…In 2017, over four million square feet of office space was built in the capital, enough for 25,000 extra workers.

But during the same ­period, just over 3,500 new housing units were built to house them. Basic math reveals the problem.

…Government policy on social housing is abysmal — last year in Dublin there were just 74 social housing units built, 69 of which were “modular” homes, basically prefabs. That leaves just five proper houses built in 12 months.

FIGHT!

Our housing crisis was created by design and the Government, led by disastrous Eoghan Murphy, is refusing to solve it (Oliver Callan, The Irish Sun)

Dublin Rental Investigator tweetz:

Do you want to sleep on a washing machine in a shed in Richards Garden? It’s yours for €700pm. I cannot find evidence of planning, the kitchen doesn’t meet Min Standards regs.

Cosy.

Meanwhile…

Thanks Anne Daly

This morning.

Minister for Hashtags Health Simon Harris is before the Oireachtas health committee.

It follows the publication of the PwC review of the National Children’s Hospital yesterday – which warns the total cost of the hospital could breach the current estimate of €1.7 billion.

It also follows Fianna Fáil leader Mícheál Martin yesterday asking Taoiseach Leo Varadkar to request that Mr Harris address the Dáil about the timeline of events which took place before he announced, via Twitter, free out-of-cycle smear tests for concerned women following the High Court case taken by Limerick’s Vicky Phelan.

Women are now waiting up to a record 33 weeks for results of the smear tests, while the backlog currently stands at just under 79,500.

Last week it emerged that the former clinical director of CervicalCheck Gráinne Flannelly had  written to the health committee – saying she advised against the State offering free repeat smear tests as she believed there were insufficient laboratory resources.

Ms Flannelly stepped down after the CervicalCheck scandal broke.

RTÉ News reports:

Mr [Stephen] Donnelly [Fianna Fáil TD] asked the minister to correct the Dáil record given the evidence the committee has received about the decision to offer the free retests.

Mr Harris accused Mr Donnelly of making “false political charges”.

He said: “I made the decision. I stand over the decision. I made the decision consistent with the advice of the chief medical officer and there has been no evidence produced to suggest that I didn’t.”

He cited a letter from the Department of Health to the Ceann Comhairle in response to comments made by Micheál Martin.

It said that the minister’s decision on 28 April 2018 was consistent with advice received from his officials.

Harris tells committee he stands over smear retest decision (RTE)

Children’s hospital to proceed despite ‘significant failings’ (The Irish Times)

UPDATE:

Last Friday.

The Irish Examiner (top) reported concerns raised by solicitor Cian O’Carroll – who represented Vicky Phelan and the late Emma Mhic Mhathúna (above).

Mr O’Carroll questioned if the halting of a smear test audit occurred in an attempt to “put a lid” on the number of women affected by the CervicalCheck scandal.

In respect of this story, Mr Harris told the committee this morning:

“One of Dr Scally’s key recommendations was that the audit should be paused. I think that was entirely appropriate. Audit is a good thing, a really good thing but this one was not executed in any way that was appropriate.

“So he did call for it to be paused. I did read in a newspaper, I think on the front page of a newspaper, I did read a medical negligence lawyer suggesting that the programme had been paused to stop future litigation, just to be clear: the audit has been paused for no reason other than to implement Dr Scally’s report and address the concerns…”

Watch live above.

A digital graduation short by Hungarian animator Anna Katalin Lovrity. To wit:

Somewhere, on an oceanic island, the forces of nature are still at work as in primeval times. A young, naive female tiger lives there in harmony with herself and nature. When her awakening femininity is noticed by an older male tiger, the young tigress is getting more and more scared by his heated approach.

shortoftheweek

A real-time analysis.

Ireland-born, Chicago-based medical doctor Joseph Sheehan conducts a ‘biopsy’ of a loan from Anglo Irish Bank taken out in 2006 and “still in existence”.

‘Mark Felt’ writes:

Interesting analysis of the Irish Banking crisis & powerful argument on the separation of loans from assets by the Central Bank. Will cause some chaos if correct! Comments?

Anyone?

Meanwhile…

The art of ‘book sculptor’ Emma Taylor, who tells new stories with old books rescued from charity and second hand shops.

Using only glue, scissors and the pages of the books she carves, Taylor also themes her sculptures in keeping with the subject matter of the books they’re made from, ie. a garden scene emerging from ‘An Introduction to Botany’ and Italian houses hewn from ‘The Story of Venice’.

colossal

Fine Gael TD Noel Rock (right) and friends before Ireland versus Austria football match at the Aviva, June 10, 2017

Upcoming blueshirt Noel Rock
has always been eager to knock
The old FAI
Then ask “Please could I
Have some tickets?” This comes as a shock

John Moynes

Pic: Twitter

Last night: Sweet FAI

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