This afternoon.
Sasko writes:
The queue to get in the Court of Criminal Justice [Dublin]. A massive queue formed due to tight security on the day when Water Charge protesters [arrested during a protest in Coolock on November 5] are due for contempt hearings.
(Sasko Lazarov/Photocall ireland)
Update:
#IrishWater court update:
Two of the four have had their cases struck out!
— Cllr. John Lyons (@JohnLyons2014) November 24, 2014
Woodlawn estate, Coolock, Dublin this afternoon.
Joan Byrne tweetz:
Imagine Irish Water didn’t think they’d have much resistance in a middle class estate like Woodlawn…
Yesterday’s Irish Mail on Sunday and Michael McNicholas, CEO of Ervia, formerly known as Bord Gáis Éireann
The CEO of Irish Water’s parent company, Ervia, Michael McNicholas, spoke to Cathal Mac Coille on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland this morning.
His interview followed a story in yesterday’s Irish Mail on Sunday [not online] which detailed how Mr McNicholas, the former CEO of NTR, has shares worth €1million in NTR, which makes €2million a year from Irish Water contracts.
It reported how NTR owns 50% of Celtic Anglian Water Ltd (CAW) which has contracts with Irish Water for meter installation and waste water worth €4million a year.
Readers may wish to bear in mind that, on July 27, 2012 – almost a year before Mr McNicholas was appointed CEO of Bord Gáis, now Ervia – the Sunday Independent reported Mr McNicholas saying: “The metering of Irish water opens up opportunities for Celtic Anglian Water. Celtic Anglian is well-positioned to provide those services.”
This is a transcript of what Mr McNicholas had top say this morning.
Cathal Mac Coille: “You have a connection still with NTR? First of all, in terms of shares, could you just tell us what the position is?”
Michael McNicholas: “OK, Gavin, let me first say that I have been, I am fully compliant with all the requirements of the code of conduct of Ervia in that I registered with the company my interest, and I’ve declared that I have shares in NTR, that NTR have an interest in CAW which is an operating company that has contracts, formerly with local authorities, now with Irish Water. And I have excused myself from any commercial contractual dealings with anything to do with CAW in the company which is what is required under the code of conduct so everything I’ve done is above board.”
Mac Coille: “What is your shareholding in NTR?”
McNichols: “Having said that, if I could just finish Cathal, I’ll come back to that, having said that, I did come on this programme last week and I said that one of the key issues for us is that we have not gained the trust and confidence of the public with regard to Irish Water and that was one of our key responsibilities. I finished with two words, which was that we need to build trust. And as group chief executive of Ervia, if there is any perception, no matter, no matter how misguided it is, that there is any perception of wrongdoing and the article did insinuate wrongdoing on my part, then I need to deal with that. So, yesterday, I spoke with NTR and I said that I no longer can sit on their advisory committee, even though it’s to do with renewable energy and it has no conflict whatsoever with my role in Ervia. I feel that’s no longer appropriate for me to sit on that committee. I do hold shares in NTR and they are restricted but I am divesting of those shares as a restriction is lifted. I am looking to see if I can accelerate the lifting of those restrictions to divest myself of those shares and, just to finish, my final point, any proceeds that come from the sale of those shares, we are, myself and my wife, as we always have intended, are donating the proceeds of those to Focus Ireland which has always been our intention.”
Mac Coille: “What is the shareholding?”
McNicholas: “I think I have 4,000 and odd shares in NTR.”
Mac Coille: “4,000?”
McNicholas: “Sorry, 400,000. 400 and something thousand.”
Mac Coille: “And you’re doing what you’ve told us, as a result of the Mail on Sunday story.”
McNicholas: “Absolutely not.”
Mac Coille: “Well why didn’t you do it before?”
McNicholas: “Do what?”
Mac Coille: “Get rid of the shares, stop sitting on the advisory committee with NTR? I mean, sorry, I got the impression from what you were saying, just to be clear, that you’ve only taken those decisions in the last couple of days…”
McNicholas: “There’s only one decision I’ve taken yesterday and that is to remove myself from the investment advisory committee with NTR, even though there’s no conflict there. As chief executive of the company, it is incumbent on me to make sure that there is no perception of wrongdoing. The trust that we need to build with the public needs to be dealt with and, clearly, because of the article in the Mail on Sunday, there is an insinuation there that there may be wrongdoing and I need to..to be clear, the only issue, to be clear, is that I have made this decision on yesterday was to remove myself from involvement in the investment committee of NTR, where there is no conflict. All of the decisions in terms of the divestment of the shares, I have been doing anyway, will continue to do and it was always my intention to do that, and it was always my family’s intention that I would donate the proceeds of that sale to Focus Ireland.”
Mac Coille: “When will you start the process of divesting yourself of the shares?”
McNicholas: “I haven’t started because they’re restricted, I’ve sold some shares because they were out of restriction and these ones that were restricted, my wife and I always decided that the proceeds of that were going to Focus Ireland.”
Mac Coille: “So you’ve shares effectively in, or you have had shares since you took over from, as you said, you’ve done nothing wrong in terms of Ervia’s code of practice but you’ve had shares in a company which is, has applied for and got, or one of its subsidiary companies applied for and got metering contracts and you’re advising that company. Would it not have been better, to say the least, not to have such a role. You can see the questions of conflict of interest arising.”
McNicholas: “Of course I do but let me be very clear – any contracts at CAW for metering were given to them by local authorities for metering of domestic customers, even before I joined NTR. When I joined Ervia, the contracts that were with the local authorities transferred to Irish Water and no additional contracts or other contracts were given to them in that time. So they were historic contracts with local authorities before my involvement with NTR.”
Mac Coille: “You mean that no contracts were given after you took over?”
McNicholas: “Absolutely not, absolutely not. And if there were, or there were any commercial dealings, I would not have had any involvement with them because that is the requirement of the code of conduct of the company.”
Mac Coille: “There is another possibility or a perception of a conflict of interest and that’s again obvious. Whatever business was done since you took over in May of last year, as head of Ervia and therefore of Irish Water, that you were advising a company which had dealings with your company. Now, explain to me how that can make sense?”
McNicholas: “NTR is a shareholder in CAW. My involvement with the investment advisory committee is solely and exclusively to do with any investments in renewable energy – solely and exclusively renewable energy and I was very clear from the outset that was all I could do and would do, because anything else would be a conflict of interest and therefore I would not get involved in it.”
Mac Coille: “It would, would you accept, that it would have been better if you hadn’t had such a role, given the interlinking of the two companies, from, in terms of public confidence?”
McNicholas: “Well, if you look at it, I felt that if I did everything that was required by the code of conduct that it would be exactly what I should do to adhere fully to my responsibilities. But yes I’m here this morning answering questions with regard to my role.”
Mac Coille: “As a result of a story in a newspaper.”
McNicholas: “Well, as a result of a story in a newspaper which implies things which are not correct and therefore I have to deal with them.”
Seems legit.
Listen back in full here
Previously: Contains Impurities
Protestors including Paul Murphy TD (Above left) in Jobstown, Tallaght, Dublin on Saturday scene of ‘dramatic’ protests against Irish Water/Joan Burton a week earlier.
Damn Trots.
(Sam Boal/Photocall Ireland)
Sinéad O’Connor and Ryan Tubridy on the Late Late Show last night
Further to Sinéad O’Connor’s appearance on last night’s Late Late Show, in which she mentioned that she had been shown footage of a woman being thrown to the ground by a guard during an Irish Water protest, she writes on her website:
“The un-named RTE employee who showed me footage yesterday of male Gardai throwing a woman into a concrete bollard during a water charges protest, and did so in order to request I ‘get on board’ with the subject, has been on the phone to me this afternoon begging I remove from my blog, the mention of his having shown me the footage as he is terrified he will lose his job because having shown me the footage (which has been in full public circulation for two weeks anyway!) prompted me to discuss non-violent revolution and the creation of a Second Republic of Ireland.”
“Needless to point out the utter hypocrisy of this person asking me to voice what he hasn’t the courage to voice himself. I requested he remove his cock and balls from the mouth of the state and have the same courage as I, to stand by one’s convictions.The very idea someone could be terrified they might be fired for showing me the footage says an awful lot about RTE. And Ryan says its not State TV? To quote Geldof “That’s a load of bollox”.”
RTE employee terrified of losing job for showing me footage of water protests (Sinéad O’Connor)
Previously: Turning Tables
Taoiseach Enda Kenny was in a Regans Bar in Roscommon town last night, where he was met by protesters.
Taoiseach greeted by Roscommon anti-water protesters at a pub (RTÉ)
Previously: Meanwhile, In Cork
Last night.
Singer Sinéad O’Connor was on the Late Late Show last night and, during her appearance, she interviewed host Ryan Tubridy..
At one point she mentioned she saw a video of a woman being thrown on the streets by a guard, during an Irish Water protest.
Sinéad O’Connor: “How do you feel about the 1916 people being discredited lately by the State and do you think it’s because they don’t want us being inspired by 1916 to revolt?”
Ryan Tubridy: “Ok, well what I’d say to you is that I do have a role in this programme as what you’d call a moderator. So, in that sense, I have to kind of balance and even out debate. So, when I’m sitting where you’re sitting, I have to say, ‘OK what do you think? what do you think? what do you think’. Now if I was sat here, even in this interview that we’re doing, I didn’t know anything you were going to ask me, I didn’t know we were going to be talking about 1916 and water but here we are, and I don’t mind that by the way, that’s why we’re here, that’s what we’re doing, we’re just shooting the breeze. But, if I start getting into personal thoughts about these things, suddenly, I couldn’t moderate a debate anymore. So I’ve got to be, I’ve got to leave that stuff for the pub, Sinead..”
O’Connor: “Ok, so I’ve a minute left, the lady is saying to me in the earpiece…”
Tubridy: “…which I love going to and by the way I’ll have it out with you in the pub. I love the pub.”
O’Connor: “Ok, so one final question, I’ve only got a minute and, to me, this is my most important question…”
O’Connor: “…and I’m going to ask Ryan this but I’d really want the audience to think about, and the viewers, ok? It’s my belief that nothing born of the slightest violence can succeed spiritually and, consequently, it can’t succeed financially or any other way. It’s my belief that the first republic of Ireland failed because it was born of spiritual corruption and it’s remained corrupt. To what extent would you all, and would you, consider, supporting the idea of an absolutely non-violent revolution, in the form of peaceful, civil disobedience and the creation of a second republic of Ireland?”
Tubridy: “Oh, a brand new republic? Well, look, I think that the, it’s a conversation worth having.”
O’Connor: “I think, based on the fact that the cops are throwing women around the streets over the water charges? It’s time for a revolution, right?..”
Tubridy: “Well..”
O’Connor: “Non violent, civil disobedience…”
Tubridy: “I think the emphasis should be on non-violence, so you know…”
O’Connor: “Yeah, absolutely, so you can’t throw balloons, you can’t …”
Tubridy: “You can’t rock a car with a woman or man in it..”
O’Connor: “Absolutely not.”
Tubridy: “You can’t throw a woman onto the street. I would say, and I said this to somebody on the radio this week. Because somebody gave out to me for what I was saying. And I said, ‘look, the best people you can look to in the world, iconic people like John Hume and Martin Luther King..”
O’Connor: “Gandhi.”
Tubridy: “Gandhi, they were marked and defined by their dignity.”
O’Connor: “Yeah.”
Tubridy: “And I think that the water charges has been stripped down bait because…”
O’Connor: “Yes, but let’s not be afraid, Ryan, there has to be..”
Tubridy: “…because of the dignity of the people.”
O’Connor: “But we mustn’t be afraid of all the temptations not to revolt. There has to be absolutely non-violent, peaceful, civil disobedience. Non-violent means don’t throw the balloons, don’t throw anything at anyone. Sit down on the street and get shot if you have to get shot, silently sit there…”
Tubridy: “But non-violence is the key, yeah.”
O’Connor: “But we have to claim back our country. The spirit of 1916, they built a country out of rubble. We have more than they had at that time. And we don’t need to be violent or create rubble. But we need to get that spirit and resurrect it..”
Tubridy: “But didn’t they need violence to eh…”
O’Connor: “It’s deliberate that our state is trying to discredit the 1916 people.”
Cheers and applause from audience
Tubridy: “OK, but I’ll just say one thing..”
O’Connor: “One second, you can, the very fact is this discrediting of 1916 is being done on purpose so that we won’t revolt. We must understand we can revolt without violence. And study Gandhi. Everybody start watching Gandhi.”
PARKLIFE!
Watch back here in full
On the N7 “around Rathcoole” heading towards Newlands Cross
Stpehen Nutley asks:
“What’s the story with Irish Water using UK-registered vans?
Anyone?
Labour Senator John Whelan
Labour Senator John Whelan was a contributor on RTÉ’s Late Debate, presented by Cormac O’hEadhra, on November 5.
During the interview, there was this exchange:
John Whelan: “I believe the contract should have been awarded, the record will show, to Bord na Móna. I believe that Bord Gáis, and this is why the Government has gone in, Alan Kelly has gone in and stripped it back, the board has to be reconfigured, reconstituted and…interrupted.”
Cormac O’hEadhra: “Wait now, this is very serious John. What you’re saying this evening, surely, does that not render the validity of the Bill, the Act all null and void?”
Whelan: “No, what I’m saying is this. Bord Gáis through the process of New Era and the line minister at the time made a pitch to establish Irish Water and I believe they did so under false pretences and they haven’t delivered.”
On November 14, Anthony Sheridan, of the blog Public Inquiry, noted that Senator Whelan’s relevant remarks were removed from RTÉ’s radio playback service.
Yesterday, the Irish Times reported on RTÉ’s decision to remove the remarks, quoting an RTÉ spokeswoman saying: “The comment on The Late Debate was removed from playback following an internal editorial decision. This can happen on occasion with a live programme.”
It also reported Senator Whelan, a journalist, saying: “I said what I said in the knowledge of the full import of what I was saying and I did not need the privilege of the House to do so… There was no libel and no slander. It was fair comment on a matter in the public interest.”
However, this morning, Mr Sheridan writes:
“I see the Irish Times took up my story surrounding the dramatic revelation by Labour Senator John Wilson that Bord Gais had made their pitch to establish Irish Water under false pretences.”
“Bizarrely, however, the Irish Times took the same line as RTE and, effectively, censored the principal allegation made by Senator Whelan.”
“Here’s the exact charge made by the Senator against Bord Gáis:”
“No, what I’m saying is this. Bord Gáis through the process of New Era and the line minister at the time made a pitch to establish Irish Water and I believe they did so under false pretences and they haven’t delivered.”
“Here’s how the Irish Times reported his allegations:”
“No, what I’m saying is this: Bord Gáis through the process of New Era and the line minister at the time made a pitch to establish Irish Water . . . and they haven’t delivered.”
“Leaving out the words; ‘under false pretences’ strips the report of any relevance, it effectively kills the story.”
“So much for the ‘paper of record’.”
Hmmm.
Anyone?
Irish Times censors RTE censored programme (Anthony Sheridan, Public Inquiry)
He’s seen it all.
Niamh O’Brien, of Fís Nua, engages in gentle but firm constitutional banter with a measured Sergeant Joe Fallon of the Clare Garda Division “and a representative of Irish Water who chose not to identify himself”.
Old school.
Irish Water standoff in Scarriff (Mark Dunphy, Clare Herald)
Previously: Decent Garda Watch