Tag Archives: Irish Sun

Comedian Oliver Callan and Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy

For decades, Dublin has been hailed as a low-rise capital that protects its historical skyline – until [Housing Minister Eoghan] Murphy said high-rise was needed to solve the housing shortage and would encourage more apartment developments.

So far, the only tower approved for planning under his new laws is Johnny Ronan’s 22-story office block and hotel.

It will be the tallest building in Ireland but won’t provide a single home for anyone.

…In 2017, over four million square feet of office space was built in the capital, enough for 25,000 extra workers.

But during the same ­period, just over 3,500 new housing units were built to house them. Basic math reveals the problem.

…Government policy on social housing is abysmal — last year in Dublin there were just 74 social housing units built, 69 of which were “modular” homes, basically prefabs. That leaves just five proper houses built in 12 months.

FIGHT!

Our housing crisis was created by design and the Government, led by disastrous Eoghan Murphy, is refusing to solve it (Oliver Callan, The Irish Sun)

Cork Fianna Fáil TD Kevin O’Keeffe; ex-CEO of the FAI John Delaney

More balls?

The Irish Sun yesterday reported that former CEO of the FAI John Delaney secured two World Cup final tickets for Cork Fianna Fáil TD Kevin O’Keeffe – who is a member of the Oireachtas sporting committee – last summer.

The newspaper reported that Mr O’Keeffe paid €905 for the two passes.

Mr O’Keeffe told the newspaper he didn’t see a problem with sourcing the tickets via Mr Delaney and said:

“How (else) would I get a World Cup final ticket?”

This morning.

Joe Leogue, in The Irish Examiner, reported that he contacted Mr O’Keeffe last Thursday and asked him how he got the tickets for the final in Moscow and the TD said the FAI had no involvement in him sourcing the tickets.

Mr Leogue reports:

Mr O’Keeffe said there was a case of “wires crossed” and that his original reply intended to inform that the FAI did not have any involvement in his itinerary for the trip to Russia. This newspaper put it to Mr O’Keeffe that he had been asked if the FAI assisted him in any way, said no, and that his latest comments apparently contradict this.

Mr O’Keeffe said he never denied getting the tickets from the FAI, but that he had maintained that he was responsible for the financing and logistics of the trip. Last Thursday we also submitted a query in writing to the FAI Press Office.

Meanwhile…

This morning, The Irish Sun reports Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy, who is also a member of the Oireachtas sports committee, is calling for Mr O’Keeffe to step down from the committee, saying she believes there is now a “conflict of interest” facing Mr O’Keeffe.

The committee is scheduled to question Mr Delaney and other senior FAI members about the FAI’s governance on April 10.

But Fianna Fail TD Timmy Dooley has since told The Irish Examiner that Mr O’Keeffe is “not compromised”.

TD: Crossed wires to blame for FAI ticket denial (Joe Leogue, The Irish Examiner)

Fianna Fail TD Kevin O’Keeffe who is on Dail committee bought World Cup Final tickets through under-fire FAI chief John Delaney (Neil Cotter, Adam Higgins, The Irish Sun)

Under-fire John Delaney watches Ireland beat Georgia with partner Emma English as tennis ball-slinging football fans chant ‘f*** Delaney and the FAI’ (Michael Doyle and Adam Higgins, The Irish Sun)

UPDATE:

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This morning’s Irish Sun

On Friday, Gary Meneely reported in The Irish Sun that the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) is investigating allegations that a Munster-based garda sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl.

Mr Meneely reported that the garda, against whom the allegations have been made, “is based in a busy station and involved in some of Ireland’s most serious crime cases”.

Further to this, Mr Meneely reports today:

“…we [The Irish Sun] have learned the gardaí failed to contact the appropriate child protection agencies as rules of conduct dictate.

It is understood that concerns — that the young girl had been abused by a senior officer — were raised to gardaí around three years ago. But it was only when a separate complaint was made to the Garda Ombudsman that GSOC referred the concerns to the relevant children protection agencies.

“…Gardaí have acknowledged that on this occasion a referral to the HSE Children and Family services was not made. This was is in contravention of the responsibility for reporting in accordance with the Children First Guidance document — the national guidelines for the protection and welfare of children in Ireland.

The District Officer failed to retain in writing a record of the decision and the justification for not initially reporting the alleged child protection issues in compliance with the HQ directive.

Garda quizzed over sex attack on 11-year-old girl (The Irish Sun, December 9)

Gardai failed to report claims that a senior officer sexually assaulted an 11-year-old girl (The Irish Sun, December 11)