Ashtown, Dublin 15, this morning.
Thanks Michael John Lavin
Dawn over an unnamed location (top) and Grand Canal Dock (above), both Dublin within the last 20 minutes.
Thanks Matt and Niall O’Connor
Sandyford, Co Dublin on de road.
Thanks Gary Byrne
Seapoint, Co Dublin.
Thanks Graham Cashell
Rathmines, Dublin at 8am.
Thanks Dongle
Via Blathnaid Healy
Via Jesus Araujo
A 10 year old B-Boy in Namba, Osaka reminds us that he is young and supple and we are old and calcified.
Music “Take Me Home” by Decap.
Imgur user ChihiroSen and Redditor AtlaKorra‘s collections of Harry Potter book covers from around the world.
Oh.
Brian Conlon writes:
“…a tad chilly.”
(The proposed Poolbeg incinerator by Covanta)
Last month it emerged that Dublin City Council, which has paid more than €30 million to consultancy firm RPS for its services over the last ten years in relation to the proposed Poolbeg incinerator, was planning to terminate its contract with RPS.
It came after the intervention of the European Commission, which found that the contract did not conform with EU law, following complaints made to the EU by Sandymount residents Joe McCarthy and Valerie Jennings.
Dublin City Council’s contract with RPS was originally estimated at €8.3m but ended up costing around €30m.
The EU is still investigating the residents’ other complaints which are: The contract for the incinerator was awarded to a company which did not bid, and the contract for the incinerator was almost double the size advertised.
Last night [Monday], at the Dublin City Council meeting, Dublin City Manager Owen Keegan said the contract with RPS will be terminated by January 31.
He also said the Poolbeg incinerator may be scrapped, even if it emerges successfully from the rest of the EU investigation.
The State has spent up to €90million on the Poolbeg incinerator project to date, but there has been no construction on the site.
Meanwhile, in a topical twist…
RPS advised Dublin City Council on Poolbeg while head of Irish Water John Tierney was Dublin City Council manager and two former RPS executives are now employed by Irish Water.
They are Irish Water’s head of asset management Jerry Grant and Elizabeth Arnett, who is now head of communications and corporate services in Irish Water.
Last week Mr Tierney said the two former RPS executives were hired following an ‘open recruitment’ process.
Mr Tierney will go before the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Culture and the Gaeltacht today at 2.15pm, to answer questions about the €50million Irish Water has spent on consultants.
Poolbeg contract may be abandoned (RTÉ)
Previously: The Insiders
The Contract Did Not Confirm With EU Law
Covanta And Dublin City Council: What’s That Funny Smell?
No, Seriously, Why Did A New Jersey-Based Waste Company Employ Phil Hogan’s Golf Buddy?
More to follow
Covers to broadsheet@broadsheet.ie
Thanks Meliosa Fitzgibbon, Alan Caulfield, Mick Crowley, Enda Bolger, Enda Cunningham and Joe Donnelly.
Then Rena Donaghey took herself away.
Donegal County Council’s budget has been passed this evening after the deciding vote fell to martyr Mayor Ian McGarvey. Tied at 14/14, Councillor Rena Donaghey left the meeting without casting her vote leaving it to McGarvey to adopt the County Council’s budget.
Since she’s gone, they can do whatever they want.
Listen here
[Fianna Fail leader on Dublin City Council, Mary Fitzpatrick outside City Hall, Dame Street, Dublin this afternoon. Her party will vote against the City Manager’s proposed budget tomorrow]
Donal Moloney writes:
The budget proposed by Dublin’s City Council’s manager is set to cut €6,000,000 funding to homeless services. If you live in or around Dublin City then we need your help! It will only take two minutes of your time and it will make a massive difference. The council is set to vote on this tomorrow night. If you live in Dublin please email your local City Councillor and ask them to protect and not to cut funding to homeless services. You can find your local City Councillor’s email address here. Or alternatively email the heads of the political groups: Councillor Mary Fitzpatrick – mary.fitzpatrick@dublincity.ie (Fianna Fail) Councillor Mary O’Shea – mary.oshea@dublincity.ie (Fine Gael) Councillor Vincent Jackson – vincent.jackson@dublincity.ie (Independent) Councillor Dermot Lacey – dermot.lacey@labour.ie (Labour) Councillor Larry O’Toole – larry.otoole@dublincity.ie (Sinn Fein) To save you time we have a draft email below that you could copy and use:
Dear Councillor, I am writing to you to express my dismay at the proposal to cut funding to homeless services. At a time when the numbers of people having to sleep on the streets of Dublin is increasing it is incredible that the City Manager could propose any cut. As a Dublin City Councillor you play a vital role in helping to ensure the most vulnerable citizens are protected. I hope that you with your party or group will vote down any proposed cut by Dublin City Council to homeless services. Kind regards…
Thank you so much for your support. Every single email will have a big impact so please do share this with your friends and family.
Dublin homeless and disabled services to be hit by cut (Irish Times)
(Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)
