Stop them.
Collywobble writes:
Halloween gets earlier and earlier every year. Trolley robbin’ tykes in Drogheda [Co Louth lunchtime today….
Benjamin B writes:
From today’s DoneDeal.ie Ingenious idea. Can’t believe no-one’s thought of this before now….
Daniel Barassi rescores the dancing sequence from Way Out West (1937) with Hairdresser On Fire by Morrissey.
The latest of many variations, all with their own merits, the best of which is the original.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eM-9MbJo5Cc
All this for a fiver.
Blogger/DJ Nialler9 writes:
This Friday evening, I am teaming up with Happenings to present the first in a series of three Friday afterwork gigs happening at the amphitheatre at the Civic Offices at Wood Quay (above).
Each Minimum Maximum gig is €5 on the gate and runs from 6:30pm to 9pm.
This week, we have 8-piece New Orleans-style band Stomptown Brass (who did this), Patrick O’Laoghaire’s moving piano songs as I Have A Tribe and new Dublin folk duo Saint Sister. Weather is looking good and dry too…
Arrr Here
at
Avast!
How does he smell?
Awful.
Etc.
Crescent Shopping Centre. Limerick this morning.
Thanks John Keane
From top: Peter Sutherland and Simon Coveney at the Bilderberg Conference 2014; Simon Coveney launching the government’s white paper on the defence forces this morning.
New weapons.
A ‘soft’ draft.
Are we going to war?
Siobhan H writes:
In May 2014, Nato-cheerleader Peter Sutherland took Simon Coveney, to the Bilderberg Conference. High on the agenda was, eh, Nato with the supreme allied commander Europe in attendance. What the purpose of having a minister for agriculture there didn’t make too much sense at the time….
Two months later, Simon was given the job as Minister for Defence and today launches a white paper on defence that seeks a huge increase in funding for new technology, weapons, and the introduction of JobBridge soldiers [a new employment support scheme aimed at people in the 18-24 age group]. The question is who is behind this and where are we heading?
PEACE! Anyone?
White Paper on Defence presents exciting new opportunities for the Curragh – Heydon (Fine Gael)
Ah here.
Brendan writer:
Another way to control us. Stick of rock from [wicklow Labour Party TD] Anne Ferris (from Bray). Warning E numbers may have adverse affects on children’s attention.
Update:
Anne Ferris (right) with unidentified supporter and the controversial confectionary outside Bray train station.
Thanks Fluffybiscuits
From top: The Moriarty Report Part 2, 2011; Anne-Marie McNally
When strong evidence of alleged corruption is presented and amassed at great cost and nothing happens perhaps the process itself is corrupt?
Anne Marie McNally writes:
We spend a lot of our time on this little island decrying the lack of hard-line action on white collar crime. We bandy the word corruption around quite a lot but how do we define corruption and are we really victims of it or just some bad nudge, nudge, wink, wink, behaviour?
Convictions for corruption are not unheard of but they are very few and far between.The most recent and possibly highest profile case was that of a former Fine Gael Councillor in Waterford who was found guilty of receiving €80,000 in payments from a property developer and sentenced to six years in prison with two suspended. Interestingly, the property developer who made the corrupt payments had no such inconvenience.
The Oxford English Dictionary defines corruption as ‘dishonest or fraudulent conduct by those in power, typically involving bribery’ – seems pretty self-explanatory and straightforward doesn’t it? In Ireland, The Prevention of Corruption Acts 1889-2010 define corruption as ‘any payment offered or received in order to influence a public official‘.
The various Acts do not require actual proof that the transaction ultimately secured a contract or a licence but rather just evidence that information pertaining to a State contract or licence was provided or that a public official was influenced in any way.
One of the 2011 findings of the Moriarty Tribunal was that Michael Lowry TD provided substantive information to Denis O’Brien which was “of significant value to him in securing the (2nd mobile phone) licence.”
With that in mind, carefully recall the definition above as laid out in the Prevention of Corruption Act 2010. So why has there been no legal action on foot of the Moriarty findings?
A little understood fact regarding the Moriarty tribunal is that the conclusions are merely opinions. Opinions, it must be stated, which are vehemently rejected by both Denis O’Brien and Michael Lowry.
However, for any further action to come from the findings of the tribunal the Gardaí would be required to uncover actual evidence through a new investigation because any evidence presented to a tribunal of Inquiry cannot be used to secure a criminal conviction against a witness from that Tribunal!
A lot of flak has been aimed at the DPP for its failure to act on Moriarty but in reality the DPP is not permitted to act on alleged offences and she would need to be presented with evidence from the Gardaí that actual wrong-doing has taken place in order to proceed with any actions.
So are the Gardaí currently working on presenting this evidence, if it exists? Well, in short, no. Yes they apparently carried out an initial investigation led by the Criminal Assets Bureau chief but at the moment the official line is that they are still waiting for guidance from the DPP as to whether or not to proceed with a full investigation.
But wait, what was that bit earlier about the office of the DPP needing the Gardaí to bring them evidence in order to proceed? I’m as confused as you are and as, it seems, are Government because it has rolled out the same PQ reply on numerous occasions which basically states that the Gardaí are awaiting direction from the DPP as to how to proceed.
Whoever is dropping the ball on this one may be unclear, but what is very clear is the original players in this sorry saga are getting on with their careers and business interests unperturbed by those pesky meddling kids on the tribunal benches.
Anne-Marie McNally is a Political and media strategist working with Catherine Murphy TD and The Social Democrats. Opinions expressed may not necessarily be shared by her employers. Follow her on Twitter: @amomcnally
Frank Gleeson (left) with Joan Burton
On Today with Sean O’Rourke on RTÉ Radio One this morning, Keelin Shanley discussed JobBridge with Frank Gleeson, chairman of Retail Ireland and Managing Director at Aramark Food Services, and Laura Duggan, from Work Must Pay.
Mr Gleeson quoted figures he said came from the Department of Social Protection. To wit:
“[We’ve had] 17,500 host organisations. We’ve had 55% of internships advertised have been filled – so that’s a huge success. And we’ve almost had 42,000 people, young jobseekers, actually commence JobBridge with 37,000 completing it. And if you look at the progression from that, almost after 5 months, I think something like 60 per cent of them have gone on to get full-time or employment generally.”
However
Laura Duggan, from Work Must Pay, responded:
“Well according to the National Youth Council of Ireland, only 27% of JobBridge, people who complete JobBridge, actually go on and complete full-time employment. The rest of them end up in temporary, part-time or seasonal work.”
We don’t see [JobBridge] as the root of all evil or anything, it’s just a symptom of much broader problems that are facing workers and unemployed people and young people in general.
But it’s a deeply, deeply flawed system when you’re talking about combating youth unemployment and when you’re talking about the likes of job replacement and job displacement.
JobBridge is being used by the likes of the HSE, all levels of Government and even the guards. People go in and do their nine-month internship with these companies, they’re not going to get work because there’s an employment embargo, it’s being used to fill, paper over cracks essentially by these groups.
We have companies, where we’ve protested, that have a track record of advertising for entry-level positions right up until the introduction of JobBridge in 2011. All these entry-level positions are no longer publicly advertised – you have to do your nine-month JobBridge before they’ll offer you it. You can’t go in to these companies any other way, you have to do your nine months of free labour.”
FIGHT!
Listen back here
Previously: You Pay Noodles
Bronzed, God bod-blessed Dub Vinny Gough
Drool YIKES!
A seven pack?
Maureen O’Connell of 98FM writes:
Did you know that the world’s fittest, most beautiful man, lives right here in Dublin? Officially.. Right. Here. In. Dublin.
Vinny Gough is the owner and head trainer at Changing Rooms Personal Training on Leeson Street [Dublin 2] and he was crowned World Fitness Model Champion at the Wbff (World Beauty and Fitness Fashion) World Championships in Las Vegas just over a week ago.
Vinny dragged his beautiful arse out of bed to come and have a chat with The Ray Foley Show. Listen here
What did she say?
*rubs belly*
Thanks Kevin Whitty