Broadsheet on the Telly returns tonight at 10pm streaming LIVE (above) and on our YouTube channel.

Join a panel of your peers plus some surprise guests as they wrap up the news of the week with care, attention and, if available, a small bow on top.

Matters under the panel’s watchful gaze will include The Eighth Amendment, Amnesty Ireland & George Soros, PESCO, Direct provision at Xmas and the Alabama senatorial election.

Some unseasonal language only to be expected.

Sorry.

Previously: Broadsheet on the Telly

City Hall

As a group of Dublin City Councillors, we are acutely aware of how the 8th amendment, and Ireland’s restrictive abortion legislation, has impacted on the lives of women across our city. Its presence in our constitution is a hangover from an era when Catholic moralism trumped women’s rights, health and autonomy time and time again. We are delighted to see that era finally coming to an end.

“We welcome the votes taken by the Oireachtas Committee on the 8th Amendment yesterday (Wednesday). In particular, it is a seminal moment that a Committee of the Irish Oireachtas has recommended that women in this country should have the right to choose abortion as they see fit, up until 12 weeks of pregnancy. This is a major step forward.

As a council, we voted some months ago to call on the Dáil to introduce a referendum for the repeal of the 8th amendment. We welcome the fact that that date has moved a step closer.

“We would also like to congratulate campaigners across the city that we represent, who have filled Dublin’s cities time and time and time again with colour, youth, vibrancy and anger, calling for and campaigning for abortion rights for the women of Ireland.

It is the women and men of Dublin whose hard work, for decades, made this happen.

Cllr. Tina MacVeigh (People Before Profit Alliance)
Cllr. Hazel de Nortúin (People Before Profit Alliance)
Cllr. Éilis Ryan (The Workers’ Party)
Cllr. Claire Byrne (Green Party)
Cllr. Michael O’Brien (Solidarity)
Cllr. John Lyons (People Before Profit Alliance)
Cllr. Mary Freehill (Labour Party)
Cllr. Jane Horgan-Jones (Labour Party)
Cllr. Mannix Flynn (Independent)
Cllr. Paul Hand (Independent)
Cllr. Sonya Stapleton (Independent)
Cllr. Patrick Costello (Green Party)
Cllr. Pat Dunne (Independents4Change)
Cllr. Cieran Perry (Independent)
Cllr. Gary Gannon (Social Democrats)
Cllr. Norma Sammon (Fine Gael)
Cllr. Dermot Lacey (Labour Party)
Cllr. Alison Gilliland (Labour Party)

FIGHT!

Yesterday: REPEALING

Rollingnews

Meanwhile…

On The Late Late Show…

Gareth Naughton writes:

Ed Sheeran’s Belfast born grandad was an ardent royalist and it would have been “cool” if he could have seen him pick up the MBE, the Perfect singer tells Ryan Tubridy on Friday’s Late Late Show.

Elsewhere, after more than a decade of trying Galway, hurling legend Joe Canning will talk about why this was Galway’s year after 29 long years waiting for Liam MacCarthy to come calling.

…Comedian Jason Byrne will tell the bizarre story of his vasectomy and its aftermath.

…Brendan Grace will bring Bottler, Dublin’s favourite schoolboy and incorrigible messer, to the screen to tickle funny bones.

*hides telly behind tree*

The Late Late Show on RTÉ One at 9.35pm

This afternoon.

O’Connell Street, Dublin 1

Stephen Hanlon writes:

The Ambassador finally got something new to replace the Bodies Exhibition. A exhibition 65 million years in the waiting I guess you could say!

Meanwhile…

Summer, 1979.

Addriaaaaaaaannn.

Would you like to ravish him under your tree?

Read on.

Lia writes:

There’s something special about Lindt chocolate. Whether it’s a moment of bliss after a long day at work, a treat after dinner or something special under the Christmas tree and this season the master chocolatiers have been hard at work creating a brand-new selection of sumptuous gifts.

As ever, Lindt continues to bring innovation to the market and this year see’s the launch of the Lindor Christmas Tree the adorable Lindt TEDDY and for the dark chocolate lovers, the Lindt Excellence Advent Calendar (all link below).

To celebrate this and the festive period generally, we have TWO Lint 1kg Santas to give away.

One for you and one for a Broadsheet commenter of your choice.

Just complete this sentence:

‘Just give me a 1kg Santa now and you can give the other one to________________because_________________’

Lines MUST close at 6.25pm MIDNIGHT

Lindt Ireland

The Salthill Hotel

Oisin writes:

My mother (a 77-year-old widow) has lost her late mother’s wedding ring – it is just a plain gold ring, I don’t have a photograph unfortunately.

She believes she may have lost it in the gym changing rooms of the Salthill Hotel [Salthill Promenade, Salthill, Galway] today sometime between 11 and 12 o’clock.

It has no real value but immense sentimental worth – it is the only thing she has of her late mother and she is utterly distraught to be parted from it.

We are offering a reward with no questions asked – if someone picked it up all we want is to get it back for her.

If you can help, please do.

Anyone?

UPDATE:ring found!

Wilbur Ross

“We like Ireland very much because, unlike the Club Med countries, it doesn’t need structural reform of the economy All it really needs is to get through the financial crisis that was caused when its banks went berserk. But Ireland’s fundamentals are still there…Ireland will once again become the Celtic Tiger.”

Financier Wilbur Ross in 2011 after taking a 35 per cent stake in Bank of Ireland.

Now US Commerce Secretary, Wilbur Ross with Simon Coveney in Washington DC last October

The accusation is quite simple. Ross, through his investment firm WL Ross & Co., took a near 35% stake in the Bank of Ireland in 2011, during the depths of the crisis. In 2012, he joined the company’s board of directors, but by 2014 he was selling his stake.

He made 500 million euros ($682 million), selling his shares at 26 to 33 euro cents a share over a few months. Ross stepped down from WL Ross & Co. – which is currently being sued by former employees for fee gouging – when he joined the Trump administration.

That would all be fine if it weren’t for the fact that it was later found that the Bank of Ireland was using deceptive accounting to make its balance sheet appear healthier than it was. Without that, Ross would not have been able to sell his shares at such a premium.

This alleged deception was discovered in 2015, shortly after Ross sold his stake, and of course the bank’s stock price suffered as a result. Ross, who as a board member, should have been familiar with the going-ons at the company, especially after doing due diligence and selling at the top.

And, if in the course of doing due diligence, he found out that there was something wrong with the bank’s accounting, he had a duty to report that to shareholders. If he didn’t, and he sold with that knowledge, as the report points out, that is a violation of insider trading laws.

European Parliament Report Accuses Wilbur Ross of Insider Trading (Mother Jones)

More incredibly embarrassing, possibly criminal, news about our Commerce Secretar (Business Insider)

Pics: Getty/Rollingnews

The Office never leaves him.

A re-do of last Sunday’s The Week In Politics on RTÉ 1 where – to the horror of all present, especially independent TD Mick Wallace – Fianna Fail’s Stephen Donnelly TD MBA, channeled the ghost of David Brent from BBC 1’s The Office.

You’re not looking at the whole pie, Jenny.

Thanks anon

The Echo Chamber podcast.

In the fourth part of a series on the homelessness crisis, Martin McMahon (top left) and Tony Groves (right) are joined by Mary McAuliffe (centre), assistant Professor/lecturer in Gender Studies at UCD, former president of the Women’s History Association of Ireland and a tireless feminist activist.

Martin writes:

We discuss the “inconvenient” voices of women and feminism; the issue of homelessness and “family hubs” via the prism of our history of warehousing our most vulnerable; the changing of Ireland from a Catholic Theocracy, to a Neoliberal Ideology, and why selling the old Magdalene Laundry on Sean McDermott Street to a hotel chain is a BIG mistake.

Plus, Mary hammers home the point that, throughout our History and up to today, we convict poor people of poverty.

Mary is a passionate and cogent voice for feminism and an advocate for changing and challenging patriarchal power structures. She is also a great follow on twitter.

The Echo Chamber

 

Trevor Gilligan – Christmas Kiss

Trevor is a Clondalkin-based, Fianna Fáil councillor on South Dublin County Council.

No wait, come back.

Trevor writes:

Writing a Christmas song is every songwriters dream. It’s not easy. ‘Christmas Kiss’ may not be up there with ‘Wham!’ or ‘Paul McCartney’, but for a first attempt, it ain’t bad and I’m proud of it. I suppose it’s my way of wishing my friends and family a Happy Christmas”.

Fight!

Trevor Gilligan

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