A compilation of fridge POV scenes from various movies by Roman Holiday.
T ánaiste and Labour leader Joan Burton in the Dáil this lunchtime
“The Order of Business shall be as follows. Number 33: Environment Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2014 report and final stages resumed… It’s proposed, notwithstanding anything in Standing Orders that 1) the Dáil shall sit later than 5.30pm tonight and shall adjourn on the conclusion of Topical Issues which will take place not later than 9pm tonight. 2) The sitting shall be suspended on 2.30pm today for 30 minutes. 3) The proceedings on the resumed report and final stages of number 33 shall, if not previously concluded, be brought to a conclusion at 9pm tonight by one question which will be put from the chair and which shall be in relation to amendments include only those set down or accepted by the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government.”
T ánaiste and Labour leader Joan Burton imposing a guillotine on the Environment Miscellaneous Provisions Bill 2014 Dáil this afternoon.
This effectively means Ms Burton has imposed a vote at 9pm – on the bill – thus ending further debate on the bill.
In response, Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald said:
“This Environmental Miscellaneous Provisions Bill originally, in its original incarnation was to deal with such matters as dog breeding, dog licences and Killarney National Park. Now, I think you’re going to have to have a fairly flexible interpretation of the law to explain how a piece of legislation like that is used as a vehicle to do things like: force landlords to tell Irish Water who’s renting a property; make it compulsory the charges be paid before a sale of a house, include in all tenancy agreements obligation to pay the Irish Water tax and to ensure that local authorities will be enforcers of this tax. That’s a bit of a stretch, I think, by any standard.”
“And this is just the latest episode in which you demonstrate, not alone contempt for the Dáil. We could probably stomach that but utter contempt for the citizens outside this Dáil and the citizens that we serve. Utter contempt. We have raised with you, and I raised with you, Tánaiste, many, many months ago and asked you to show your hand in terms of the penalties that you were cooking up for people who weren’t in a position, or who just would not pay your unfair water charges. You avoided that issue like the plague and then you store it up until now and you put some of it in with legislation dealing with dog breeding, dog licences and Killarney National Park and all in an effort to ramroad, ramrod this legislation through just before the summer in the vain hope that you’ll get away with it, that people will be distracted, that they’ll go off on their holliers and forget all about it. I think you’re very wrong if that is your assessment.”
“Finally, Ceann Comhairle, on a matter of good parliamentary practice, even if we were to accept that this dog breeding, dog licence, Killarney legislation was the appropriate mechanism, you’re deliberately, you deliberately, you’re not even affording the basic right of scrutiny of the amendments, you’re guillotining the bill and you’re doing it in a cynical fashion.”
Previously: ‘We Don’t Know What We’re Supposed To Be Amending’
‘That’s A Matter For The Landlord’
Thanks Anne-Marie McNally
Hitchhiker
at
A sequence of images captured last year at Kitsap, Washington by photographer Phoo Chan. Sez he:
Crows are known for aggressively harassing other raptors that are much bigger in size when spotted in their territories and usually these ‘intruders’ simply retreat without much fuss. However, in this frame the crow did not seem to harass the bald eagle at such close proximity and neither did the bald eagle seem to mind the crow’s presence invading its personal space. What made it even more bizarre was that the crow even made a brief stop on the back of the eagle as if it was taking a free scenic ride and the eagle simply obliged.
Philip Nolan tweetz:
“Not quite as good as Lino Richie, but not bad!”
She’s no Bonnie Tiler either.
Thanks Turgidson
Sweet Dreams
at
Banjo Guy Ollie covers the Eurythmics’ 1983 hit on 5 string tenor banjo and mandolin with bodhran for kick snare and Karen Weekes on vocal.
Former Catholic Archbishop Richard Burke outside the Four Courts in Dublin
“Paul O’Higgins SC, for RTÉ, read a statement on behalf of the broadcaster which said RTÉ had said that in the programme it alleged Richard Burke had sexual relations with a girl, Dolores Atwood, who was under-age. RTÉ accepted it had incorrectly stated in the programme that Mr Burke had declined to be interviewed for the programme and for that it apologises, the statement said.”
“It said RTÉ acknowledged Mr Burke has “consistently and vehemently” denied the allegations and has done so throughout his evidence at the hearing. The statement said Dolores Atwood stands over her allegations and RTÉ considers her a sincere and honourable person. RTÉ and Mr burke agreed the matter is now closed.”
Ex-archbishop settles case against RTÉ over Mission to Prey (Irish Times)
Related: ‘Priest assaulted me when I was 13’ (Irish Examiner)
Sick Inside
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Love Is…
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How times have changNOMNOMNOMN
Thanks Alan O’Regan
Ailbhe Smyth, top, and Dr Peadar O’Grady, from Doctors for Choice, this morning
This morning.
Buswells Hotel, Dublin
Ailbhe Smyth and Dr Peadar O’Grady, and other members of a coalition of organisations and groups campaigning for a repeal of the eighth amendment, are holding a press conference this morning.
It follows calls by the UN recommending Ireland hold a referendum on abortion.
Ms Smyth said:
“It is beyond dispute that Ireland’s constitutional restriction on abortion puts the lives and health of women at risk. The Eighth Amendment imposes limits the options of doctors charged with women’s care. It creates a needlessly cruel verification process for those few women entitled under our laws to terminations. It leaves the vast majority of women in crisis pregnancies to fend for themselves by making the journey to England. These deficiencies have been identified time and time again, at home and at the UN. There is a range of opinion on what change should come, but we know that a majority of Irish people want to see change.”
“The message to our legislators could not be clearer. The time has come to act. We must begin the process towards putting repeal of the Eighth Amendment before the Irish people. We must begin the challenging conversation in parliament, in the Health Committee, and in policymaking as to what legal regime might come into effect in the event of repeal. A regime that places women, and their right to health and bodily integrity, at its centre. This process will be a political challenge. But it no longer a challenge our legislators can ignore. Addressing the question of the Eighth Amendment is their moral and political duty. The Coalition to Repeal the Eighth Amendment will be an active part of this conversation in the weeks and months to come.”
A petition urging repeal of the eight amendment can be signed here
Previously: ‘We’re In Favour Of Debate Once It’s Honest And Open’