Tag Archives: Leinster House


Last night.

Merrion Street, Dublin 2.

An unnamed pizza delivery man brings pies, garlic bread and, possibly, chicken wings to Government Buildings as a special emergency cabinet meeting took place inside over Brexit as the UK and EU ‘agreed’ a package on the backstop.

Rollingnews

Meanwhile…

Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar (above) and Minister for Foreign Affairs and Tanaiste Simon Coveney (top) leaving Government Buildings following the special Brexit meeting/Midnight feast.

Brexit: Taoiseach responds to EU-UK backstop measures (RTÉ)

Eamonn Farrell/RollingNews

Update:

This will never end.

Update:

See?

Gulp.

This morning.

Leinster House, Kildare Street, Dublin 2

Fur farm-hating grim reapers greet returning TDs afte the Dáil Summer recess.

Rollingnews

Meanwhile…

Social Democrats TD Róisín Shortall and the party’s political director Anne Marie McNally on the plinth at Leinster House

This morning.

Outside Leinster House.

Social Democrats TD Roisin Shortall has called for an immediate rent freeze nationwide.

In a statement, Ms Shortall said:

“One of the worst effects of the housing crisis is that more and more people are relying on private rental accommodation. Rents are at record levels. According to DAFT, rents nationwide have risen by 75% since 2011 and are now 27% higher than their 2008 peak.”

The party’s political director Anne Marie McNally said:

“The Government needs to intervene now to stop rents sky-rocketing any further. We have to end this exploitation of renters and those priced out of the housing market. That objective should start with an inescapable nationwide rent freeze now.”

FIGHT!

Meanwhile…

The Dáil resumes this afternoon, following the summer recess, with Leaders’ Questions starting at 2pm.

Proceedings can be watched live here.

Pic: Social Democrats




Kildare Street, Dublin 2

Images outside and inside Leinster House as refurbishment continues on the Georgian listed building estimated to cost up to €8 million expected to take a further six months to complete.

Nice fixer upper, in fairness.

FIGHT!

Conservation and Reservation at Leinsteir House (Oireachtas.ie)

Previously: Restoring the Unrestorable

Pics via Oireacthas.ie

Top two pics: Aaron

This afternoon.

Outside Leinster House.

Supporters of Independent Senator Frances Black’s Occupied Territories Bill 2018 – which is due to be voted on in the Seanad at 2.45pm today – gather.

The proposed legislation would prohibit trade with settlements in occupied territories.

The Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 does not mention Israel and the Palestinian territories but will make it an offence “for a person to import or attempt to import settlement goods”.

The 10-page bill can be read here

Related: Bill banning Israeli settlement goods to be opposed by Government (Pat Leahy, The Irish Times)

Previously: Why A Trade Ban Is Necessary

Pics: Aaron McAllorum, Catherine Murphy and Social Democrats

This afternoon.

Outside Leinster House.

A coalition of environmental NGOs and supporters from BirdWatch Ireland, the Irish Wildlife Trust, An Taisce, the Federation of Irish Beekeepers’ Associations and the Hedgelaying Association of Ireland gather to protest against proposed changes to the Heritage Bill.

They also gave Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Josepha Madigan a petition signed by over 31,000 people who reject the proposed changes.

Lake County Beekeepers writes:

The proposed provisions (changes) in The Heritage Bill rolls back 20 years of legislative protection for wildlife by extending the window for agricultural burning and hedge cutting. There is no doubt that this will have a huge negative impact on all wildlife and especially our bees. August hedgerow cutting would reduce the number of blossoms, from which honeybees develop their winter fat bodies.. It would also reduce the number of berries which birds and mammals depend on throughout the winter months.

Anyone?

Protest To Protect Our Hedgegrows (Facebook)

Sasko Lazarov/Rollingnews

UPDATE:

FIGHT!

Thanks Rob Gale

Tomorrow evening.

At 5.30pm.

Outside Leinster House.

A vigil and demonstration to call for more Government action and measures to be employed to help prevent cyclist deaths.

Dublin Cycling Campaign writes:

“In the past week two more people lost their lives while cycling on Irish roads, bringing the total number of cyclists killed in 2017 to 14. That is four more than were killed in all of 2016, and it makes 2017 the deadliest year for cyclists in over a decade.

“We are sick and tired of the inaction by government, both local and national, when it comes to cyclists’ safety. We have been calling for increased funding and resources for cycling, but those calls have fallen on deaf ears, and cyclists continue to be killed as a result.

“[Tomorrow], we are joining forces with our colleagues from I BIKE Dublin, Stayin’ Alive at 1.5, Cyclist.ie – The Irish Cycling Advocacy Network to let the Government know that the issue of cyclists’ safety can no longer be ignored.

“Join us from 5.30pm as we hold a vigil and demonstration in memory of the people killed while cycling on Irish roads.”

Stop Killing Cyclists – Vigil & Demonstration (Facebook)

Sort of.

This morning.

Arriving at Leinster House.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (top two pics), Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan, Minister of State for Higher Education Mary Mitchell O’Connor and Minister for Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht Heather Humphreys ahead of a Cabinet meeting.

It’s been reported that the Cabinet were to discuss the process of recruiting a new Garda Commissioner and the housing crisis this morning.

The Dáil resumes next week.

Cabinet to discuss garda commissioner recruitment (RTE)

Previously: Meet The New Acting Commissioner

Rollingnews