From top: Siteserv now Actavo offices in west Dublin; Denis O’Brien

In 2015, a Commission of Investigation into debt write-offs by IBRC, formerly Anglo Irish Bank, was set up.

It was tasked with examining 38 transactions which cost the State €10million or more each – or a total debt write-down of €1.88 billion.

This morning, Tom McEnaney, of Times Ireland, reports that the commission is still only examining just one of these transactions – the 2012 sale of Siteserv to a company controlled by Denis O’Brien, Millington.

The commission wants an extension to complete its investigation on the Siteserv deal by June 2020.

It was originally meant to report by the end of 2015, this was extended until April 2016, then until the end of 2017, and then until the end of 2018.

Mr McEnaney also reported that it’s his understanding that the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar intends on consulting opposition parties on the future of the entire commission.

Asked about the significance of this intention, Mr McEnaney told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland this morning:

“I think it holds in question the future of a commission that doesn’t seem to be working the way we all expected it to be working into allegations where there’s been never any prima facie case established.

“So, I think, obviously he [Varadkar] hasn’t automatically granted yet another extension and so it must put into question whether the commission will continue to operate, or at least continue to operate in the way it has been thus far.”

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Ay oh whey oh.

I’ve studied things Egyptic
Those writings weird and cryptic
Upon the tombs that dot Sahara’s sands
I’ve solved each strange inscription
Left by each wise Egyptian
And hold the mystic secret in my hands
The Irish were Egyptians long ago
Just read between the lines and you will know

It must have been the Irish who built the Pyramids
For no one else could carry up the bricks
It must have been a Doyle who dug the river Nile
For no one but an Irishman would fight a crocodile

I think these Micks were Turks Mohammedans and Ghurks
They speak of “Irish Turkey” till today
Cleopatra was a colleen who came from Connemara
She lost her nationality while roaming in Sahara

The Irish Were Egyptians Long Ago, (1940)

Pharaoh nuff.

Via Baylor University

Thanks Historical Dub

From top: This morning’s Irish Daily Mail; Irish Times

Further to the shooting incident involving a Garda detective in Longford on Monday evening…

Michael Doyle, in The Irish Sun, reports:

“During the incident, what appeared to be a warning shot was fired and Blondie [Christopher ‘Blondie’ Stokes] was hit by a bullet in the foot from a Garda-issue Sig Sauer handgun.

Sources said an Alsatian dog attacked the cop and had to be shot in self-defence…“

However…

The injured man’s uncle Ned ‘Sonny’ Stokes, who arrived on the scene minutes later, said no pooch was killed.

He told the Irish Sun: “When I got there, I met the garda and asked him what happened.

“I went over and I saw Chris after being hit in the leg.

“They have two dogs and I could see them tied up at the back, not a bother on them.”

Anyone?

TWO SIDES OF THE TAIL: Family of man wounded by armed garda in Longford say no dog was shot in incident while gardai say mutt was killed in self-defence (Michael Doyle, The Irish Sun)

Yesterday: Meanwhile in Longford



From top; David McCourt and Denis Naughten; tweet from Government official Fergal Mulligan responding to a Sunday Business Post article on the National Broadband Plan bidding process;

The Dáil heard statements last night on Peter Smyth’s report into the National Broadband Plan procurement process.

Several TDs raised tweets posted by a Fergal Mulligan in response to an article in the Sunday Business Post.

Mr Mulligan called the story “a lot of theoretical nonsense” and that “we” had “dropped 20 million getting the right advice” on what was the “only game in town”.

Yesterday, The Times Ireland edition reported that Mr Mulligan is a senior government official and programme director for the National Broadband Plan.

Fianna Fáil TD Timmy Dooley was the first yesterday to raise the matter:

Timmy Dooley: “The account in question has, I understand, tweeted around five times since it was created. The communications protocol I outlined earlier states that, as a general matter, members of the NBP team shall not discuss or communicate in any way matters relating to the procurement outside of the NBP team.

…It goes on to state that where communications with a third party takes place, whether oral or written, involving a member of the NBP team, the NBP team member will state that they cannot discuss any matters relating to the procurement process. Can the Minister confirm that this person is in fact who he says he is on Twitter?

“Has he carried out any investigation to establish that? Does he believe it is appropriate for the programme director to engage in this kind of communication at this stage of the process? Why did the programme director take it upon himself to make these unsolicited comments?”

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‘sup?

Susan writes:

I don’t normally do this but a good friend lost her wallet (above) containing Tax Saver, Leap and Dublin Bikes card yesterday evening somewhere between Grand Canal Dock and Connolly Station [Dublin] at 6-615pm.

She is hoping it was seen/picked up and might find its way back to her..

Anyone?

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