Excerpts from the compellingly moresome online sketchbook of Simon Stalenhag: an often mundanely dystopic future world explored in beautifully rendered detail.
(H/T: Nick Moran)
Dyer Straits
at
Staying in tonight?
The Fear on RTÉ Two at 10.25pm.
Melanie O’Connor writes:
In episode four, Irinka is back with her talk show ‘Irinka On Every Corner’, Billy The Kid finds out about the birds and the bees, The Nun gets addicted to codeine and our very special guest Martin Maloney, from the Hardy Bucks, does his best Danny Dyer impression.
Hibernomics
at
Do you find Renua a bit left wing?
Fine Gael too bleeding heart?
Have we got the trickle down think tank for you.
Eamon Delaney, executive director of The Hibernia Forum, writes:
The Hibernia Forum [a new independent advocacy group dedicated to the principles of a free market, individual liberty and responsible and prudent Government] will make a statement on the forthcoming budget in the Georgian Suite of Buswell’s Hotel on Molesworth Street, Dublin on Tuesday at 11 am.
The submission will argue strongly that the Government’s proposals are not only excessive and spendthrift, but also that the whole manner and methodology of how our national budgets are assessed and presented is wrong and needs to be changed.
The Hibernia Forum calls for:
A rebalancing of tax and welfare over the next decade to significantly reduce middle class welfare (i.e. aim to eliminate the net benefit currently enjoyed by deciles 4-6) so that the burden borne by the top three deciles can be reduced.
The introduction of a Flat Tax to replace income tax, employees PRSI and USC. We will prepare and present a detailed report on this proposal in the future…..
FIGHT!
Gemma O’Doherty
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) is carrying out a criminal investigation, under Section 98 of the Garda Siochana Act, into complaints made by Gemma O’Doherty, arising from her work as a journalist.
Ms O’Doherty has alleged that she’s been subjected to a campaign of harassment, intimidation, surveillance and endangerment of her personal safety since January 2011.
Cases worked on include Fr Niall Molloy, Shane O’Farrell, Shane Tuohey, the wiping of former Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan‘s penalty points and summonses not being delivered to Fianna Fáil TD Robert Troy, Garda whistleblowers, Limerick’s disappeared, Jim Goonan, Mary Boyle and Traveller children’s names being placed on PULSE.
Ms O’Doherty alleges this campaign began when she first started to publish evidence in relation to the Fr Molloy murder investigation. She believes this Garda action against her is ongoing and that it is being conducted on a covert and unlawful basis.
Ms O’Doherty is alleging that her telephone and email account continue to be interfered with and intercepted unlawfully by members of An Garda Síochána.
(RollingNews.ie)
Taoiseach Enda Kenny at the ‘turning of the sod’ of a new biomass power station in Killala, Co. Mayo this morning
Fiach Kelly, in the Irish Times, reports:
“Taoiseach Enda Kenny has said his decision on when to call the general election will be “made in the best interests of the country” but declined to say when the contest will be held.”
“Mr Kenny was asked four times by RTÉ News this morning if he will call the election before Christmas and declined on each occasion to say whether it will take place this year or next.”
Kenny declines to say if election will be this year or next (Irish Times)
Alternatively…
Justine McCarthy, in yesterday’s Sunday Times, wrote:
“It doesn’t matter a damn to the majority of people in this country whether polling day is in November or February. Calendar watching is a banal distraction when the chill of déjà vu runs down your spine as you watch your country hurtle back down the road to perdition. Speculation about the election date is Paddy Power-style journalism.”
“On Tuesday of next week, this government will deliver the fifth and final budget of its team. It will be the surest test of Fine Gael’s and Labour’s commitment to fairness. The omens are not good.”
FIGHT!
This budget will show who the government really cares about (Sunday Times)
Pic: TCBB
Further to issues at the Longboat Quay complex in Dublin, where apartment owners may be forced to evacuate because the complex has failed to meet fire safety standards, a commenter asked:
“Could the directors of the development company (Gendsong Limited) not be guilty of fraud in respect of the construction and/or certification of Longboat Quay apartments, now exposed as being in breach of the Fire Safety Regulations?”
We asked Legal Coffee Drinker what’s it’s all about?
Too busy for a ‘chat’, LCD penned the following:
Under company law, a company is regarded as separate from its directors and shareholders. That means that, normally, its directors are not liable for wrongs committed by the company or its agents. The company itself can be sued, but if it’s broke, that means that it has no money to pay in compensation. The fact that Gendsong Limited is now in receivership makes it unlikely that it has substantial assets.
There are however exceptional cases in which a director can be held liable for the debts of a company, or sued for damages as a result of actions committed by it.
The first of these is under Section 610 of the Companies Act 2014 (previously contained in the Companies Act 1990). This provides that a receiver, or liquidator, or creditor, may bring proceedings in the High Court against a director or former director of a company which is in the course of being wound up, where it appears that that person was, while a director of the company, knowingly a party to the carrying on of any business of the company in a reckless manner, or with intent to defraud creditors, or for any fraudulent purpose. If they succeed, the director will be held personally liable for the debts of the company.
In addition, Section 818 of the Companies Act 2014 (also previously contained in the Companies Act 1990) provides that the Director of Corporate Enforcement, a liquidator or a receiver of an insolvent company may apply to the High Court to have its directors restricted from acting as company director unless the company in respect of which they are director has a substantial amount of financing. If granted, the restriction normally lasts for a period of 5 years.
Also, there is authority [Invertec Ltd v De Mol Holding BV and Another [2009] EWHC 2471 (Ch)] that a director may be held liable at common law for fraudulent misrepresentations made by them on behalf of the company. This is English authority but there appears no reason why it would not be followed in Ireland, although it applies in exceptional cases only.
Gendsong is now in receivership and it would be interesting to know whether or not the receiver, or the Director of Corporate Enforcement, have applied or are contemplating applying for a restriction order against its directors.
It would be also interesting to know whether there are any plans to put Gendsong into liquidation, so as to raise the possibility of an application for a restriction order. A resident, who has obtained a judgment against the company, would be deemed its creditor for the purposes of company law, and as such would be entitled both to have the company, if insolvent, liquidated and subsequently bring a claim to have the directors held personally liable for its debts in circumstances of reckless or fraudulent trading as defined above.
It’s possible that directors of Gendsong may seek to claim they relied on the architect who designed and certified the development. The question of course is whether it was reasonable for them to so rely or if they knew, or should have known, that the Fire Safety Certificate provided was wrong.
The residents may also have an action against the architect in negligence. Whether or not it is worth taking such a case depends on his assets and whether or not he is covered by insurance. Complaints may also be made to the professional bodies in the countries in which he carries on business, with a view to have him excluded from practice in those countries.
Earlier: Different Strokes Different Volks
Previously: How Many More Longboats
(RollingNews.ie)
“When you’re dealing with programmes in Irish and trying to attract people to TG4…. do you think they are being ‘tacky’ so as to entice people? – that’s what I think is happening.
You can write an article that can cause a lot of damage to people and shame people, or you can produce programmes that shame people …this programme shames that young girl.
It doesn’t matter what [people] think … she may be laughing about it but I was uncomfortable watching it. A lot of people felt very uncomfortable about this programme….Where is the humanity in these actions? There is none.
I’d like to hear from TG4 what were they thinking when they planned this, when they commissioned it”
Blathnaid Ni Chofaigh discussing Pioc Do Ride, TG4’s new dating show on her new radio show.
Reáchtáil!
Thanks Gerry Keely
Of this sequel to his First And Final Frames montage, editor Jacob T. Swinney sez:
Part II plays the opening and closing shots of 70 films side-by-side. Like the first video, some of the opening shots are strikingly similar to the final shots, while others are vastly different–both serving a purpose in communicating various themes. The side-by-side comparison can communicate an entire story, but also allows us to develop new theories about a given film. So once again, what can we learn from examining the first and final frames of a film?
Even if you suspect the answer to be ‘not much’, this is a a divertingly smooth five minute montage.
Last Saturday week.
Late breakfast a the White Moose Café at the Charleville Lodge Hotel, North Circular Road, Phibsborough, Dublin
Bonkers publicity-seeking hotel patron Paul Stenson (no stranger to sheet readers) takes it up a notch.
Before you leave a negative review of the food in our White Moose Café on Facebook, may I remind you that we have CCTV cameras in our café that both capture and record footage of people horsing food into them and clearing our plates clean.
If you are not happy with your food, tell us AT THE TIME and whatever you do, DON’T F****G EAT IT. We will happily give you another dish which may better suit your discerning palate.
Gulp.
Charleville Lodge Hotel (Facebook)
Previously: JeSuisCharleville
Journalist Evelyn O’Rourke spoke to a family of four who were made homeless after their landlord’s home was repossessed by a bank, for the Today With Seán O’Rourke show on RTÉ Radio One this morning.
The family is now living in a B&B in Dublin city centre which is housing 40 homeless families in total. The 40 families share one kitchen which has one cooker – four rings – and two microwaves. The families are provided with breakfast.
Sandra, who is pregnant, Brendan and their children, aged seven and three, live in one en suite bedroom in the B&B.
During the report Ms O’Rourke spoke to Sandra and Brendan’s seven-year-old daughter.
“I don’t like it here. I mean, I’m not looking forward to Christmas. I don’t know how Santa is going to get in. And I don’t know where we’re gonna go for Halloween. Maybe we could trick or treat around our nanny’s. I don’t know.
[In the morning] I am sad and worried and I feel, cause when you’re just going down for breakfast, you’re just sitting there, with your Da, eating your breakfast with no friends or anything.”
“No, I don’t tell them {schoolmates]. People just say to me, ‘what’s it like over in your new house? and all that stuff. They say that. I just keep saying ‘it’s ok’ and all.”
Listen back in full here
Pic: Focus Ireland