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Wednesday, March 31, 2010
Why Suspected Serial Killer Will Roam Free
Why Suspected Serial Killer will be Able to Roam Free!
By theirishobserver.blogspot.com
There has been much speculation in sections of the Irish media recently that suggests that when suspected serial killer Larry Murphy is released from jail (in a few weeks time) having served 15 years for the rape and attempted murder of a young women he will be obliged to tell the Gardai (Irish Police) where he is living at all times. There is also speculation that the nation's women need not be concerned about Murphy's release as he will be under constant Garda supervision and surveillance.
However, Larry Murphy will not be required to give his details to Gardai and he most certainly won’t be under 24/7 surveillance by a team of up to 12 detectives, as suggested by some ill-informed sources.
Background: Larry Murphy is a carpenter by trade and by all accounts very good at his trade even while in prison where he under took further courses and classes in carpentry. Before being caught trying to suffocate a young woman with a plastic bag in the Wicklow Mountains in 2000 Larry Murphy appeared to all who knew him as a happily married man with a young family. However, Larry Murphy's double life was exposed in 2000 when he was witnessed by two huntsmen in the Wicklow Mountains as he tried to suffocate a young business woman from Carlow whom he had just kidnapped and repeatedly raped.
Murphy was duly arrested by Gardai and remanded to Cloverhill Prison to await his trial. While in Cloverhill Remand Prison in Clondalkin in Dublin Larry Murphy quickly made friends in the prisons E-Wing which is a protection wing for those people who do not wish to be in the general prison population due to concerns for their own safety, although Murphy would just as easily fitted in with the general population as so many of them view the rape of women as a normal part of their criminal and drug infested culture. As Larry Murphy walked around the small yard of Cloverhill's E-Wing with fellow sex offenders he had few words, although when pushed he would say that his only regret was that he had been caught. He was able to swap stories with Noel Cawley who had been charged with the unlawful imprisonment and rape of a young woman (Noel Cawley is now serving a sentence for the manslaughter of an old age pensioner in Westmeath last year) and so on.
Eventually Larry Murphy was sentenced to 15 years for the kidnap, repeated rape and attempted murder of the young business woman he had taken into the Wicklow Mountains. People who knew Larry Murphy including a close friend who was at that time a serving prison officer were shocked and stunned by the details of Larry Murphy's double life. Murphy had fooled many and had it not been for the two huntsmen on the night of his capture, Larry Murphy's reign would have continued. Since Larry Murphy was convicted in 2000 he has been questioned on a number of occasions about the disappearance of a number of young women in the Leinster area on various dates in the 1993 to 1998 periods. It is said that Larry Murphy has refused to co-operate with Gardai in relation to their investigations into the disappearance of these women.
This writer has no idea whether Larry Murphy did or did not have anything to do with these disappearances of young women, yet this writer does know that when Larry Murphy is released he will be able to roam free without legal obligation.
Why Larry Murphy will be able to roam free?
In 2001, the Sex Offenders Act was introduced; this Act had been in the pipe line for a number of years as Ireland tried to deal with the ever evolving extent of sexual crime in Ireland. As we now know this Act was delayed and then diminished in order to facilitate those within the Catholic Church who had raped children. It is clear now from both the Ryan and Murphy Reports that there was serious collusion at the highest levels in Ireland to protect religious child rapists. Indeed following the revelations about Father Brendan Smyth in the early 1990s the Government of the day moved quickly to reduce the sentence for sexual assault from 10 years to 5 years, this sentence was increased in the Sex Offenders Act 2001, after many ‘religious’ rapists had been given what appeared to be soft/token sentences.
When the 2001 Act was introduced by the then Minister for Justice, John O Donoghue TD, it was heralded by many ill-informed groups and individuals as a major step forward in the fight against sexual crime, in fact following the introduction of the 2001 Act sexual crime has continued to increase in every facet of its existence. While John O Donoghue had been warned by the Attorney Generals office not to introduce the 2001 Act in its form at that time, O Donoghue dancing to the tune of his cheer leaders (lurid tabloids) introduced the Sex Offenders Act 2001. Under the terms of the 2001 Act a person in jail at the time of its enactment or later convicted would be under an obligation to notify the Gardai within seven days of their release from prison the address at which they intend to live.
However, the Act also makes it legal to tell the Gardai that you live at NO FIXED ABODE, many sex offenders released since 2001 have used this loophole and some like Patrick (Paddy) O Driscol was able to roam freely among the people of Cork until he eventually struck again and smashed a young woman's head in with a brick before raping her for over an hour. On the night in question Paddy O Driscol was in the company of another convicted rapist (who had no part in this latest rape) Patrick Moorehouse (O Driscol and Moorehouse had meet while serving sentences for rape in Wheatfield Prison). Paddy O Driscol is now serving 18 years for his latest rape. This ‘no fixed abode’ clause runs contrary to international standards of good practice when managing high risk offenders. In Northern Ireland for example, such offenders must take up a place in a half way house upon their release from prison if they have no permanent address of their own.
Upon Release Larry Murphy will be able to tell Gardai that he has no fixed abode and he will be able to roam the country as he feels fit. The Gardai have neither the man power nor the financial resource to follow Larry Murphy indefinitely, however, it is the introduction of an ill-considered 2001 Sex Offenders Act that will let Larry Murphy of the leash.
Notes of Importance: There are presently 1,100 persons on the sex offenders register in Ireland including both men and women, up to 15% of these persons have given no fixed abode as their address, others have left the country (Patrick Barr, Patrick O Riordan), it is further clear from the Ryan and Murphy reports and the recent scandal surrounding the family of Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams that there are many thousands of sex offenders in Ireland who have never and will probably never see the inside of a court house. The reasons why so many known and confirmed sex offenders are not prosecuted are complex, however, the lack of political will and the introduction of ill-considered legislation are two of the main contributory factors in this regard.
Many Government Ministers spend much of their time trying to please the lurid tabloids, a tabloid industry that makes its bread and butter from exploiting men, women and children through their advertised perverted sex chat lines and sexual imagery. These same tabloids help normalise and facilitate sexual deviance and this is why they are the biggest selling media in the sex offender’s wings of Ireland’s Prisons. The reality is of course that the vast majority of people who read the tabloids don’t even vote, yet due to the contrived ‘moral panics’ created by the lurid tabloids weak Government Minister’s feel the need to go on bended knee to their banner headlines. We then have the perverse situation where the lurid tabloids are in effect dictating social policy, while the voting public are left to pick up the pieces.
In 2005, the Editor, Ger Colleran, of The Irish Star (tabloid) paid 400 Euro to a sex offender who had just been released from prison. The released sex offender had asked a friend to take some pictures of him as he walked in O Connell Street, the released sex offender then sold his own pictures to the Star for 400 Euro, and the following day the Star published the pictures stating that their photographer had taken the pics. What Colleran did not know was that when the Star was handing over the money for the pics, the released sex offender had someone taking pics of the transaction. Yet Colleran and other similar hypocrites are given regular platforms on RTE and other media as a man set upon high moral ground.
MISSING WOMEN
"Missing Person Annie McCarrick
Annie McCarrick, an American national has been missing from her home at
Sandymount in Dublin since Friday 26th March 1993. On that day she left her
house to go walking in Enniskerry.
There were sightings of a woman answering Annie's description on the No.44
bus which goes to Enniskerry at about 3.30 p.m. on that afternoon and later on
that evening a sighting at Johnny Foxes Pub in Glencullen.
Annie is described as 5'8" in height, 10 stone, long brown hair. She speaks with
a soft Irish-American accent.
MISSING PERSON - CIARA BREEN
Ciara Breen has been missing from her home of Batchelors Walk, Dundalk since the
early hours of Thursday 13 February, 1997.
Ciara is described as 5'5" in height, long dark brown hair, blue eyes. She was aged
18 years when she went missing.
MISSING PERSON - DEIRDRE JACOB
Gardai at Newbridge are seeking assistance in tracing the whereabouts of Deirdre Jacob,
18 years of Roseberry, Newbridge, Co. Kildare. Deirdre was last seen at 3.30pm on
Tuesday 28th July 1998 walking towards her home.
She is described as being 5’2" in height, slim build, black/brown hair (short style),
grey/green eyes and when last seen she was wearing a navy NIKE jumper with white collar,
blue jeans and blue NIKE runners.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Gardai at Newbridge, telephone
number 045-431212 or the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1-800-666111.
MISSING PERSON - FIONA PENDER
Fiona has been missing from her home at Church Street, Tullamore, Co. Offaly since Friday 23rd August, 1996. At that time she was 7 months pregnant and had spent the previous day, Sunday, shopping for baby clothes with her mother in Tullamore. She was in good form and was looking forward to the birth of her baby.
Fiona is described as 5'5" in height, long blond hair.
MISSING PERSON - Fiona Sinnott
Fiona Sinnott has been missing from her home in Bridgetown, Co. Wexford since Monday 9th February, 1998.
Fiona is described as being 20 years, 5'2" in height, 7 stone, shoulder length auburn hair and brown eyes.
MISSING PERSON - JO JO DULLARD
Josephine Dullard has been missing since 11.30 p.m. on Thursday, 9th November, 1995. At that time Jo Jo phoned her friend from a phone box in Moone, Co. Kildare. She told her friend that she was hitching a lift from Moone to her home in Callan, Co. Kilkenny.
A short time later a woman answering Jo Jo's description was seen leaning in the back door of a dark coloured Toyota Carina type car. There were further sightings of a woman similar to Jo Jo in Castledermot, Co. Kildare which is 5 miles from Moone at around midnight on the same evening - Thursday 9th November, 1995.
The driver or occupants of this Toyota Carina type car have never been traced.
Jo Jo is described as 5'4" in height, medium build, dark shoulder length hair. She was 21 years when she went missing."
(WWW.garda.ie)
---------------------------------------------
Following the dissapearence of Deirdre Jacob in
1998 the Gardaí set up a cold case squad named
Operation Trace to look into these and possible
connected crimes. These were cases of three women whose bodies were found in the mountains in the past 23 years. Phyllis Murphy, 23, was found raped, strangled and partially hidden in bushes in the Wicklow Mountains in 1980 (this crime was solved in 1999 and a man named John Creerar was convicted). Eight years later, the decomposed body of Antoinette Smith, 27, was found in a boggy, shallow grave in the Dublin Mountains. She is thought to have been raped and strangled. Two miles away, in 1992, police uncovered the body of Patricia Doherty, 30, a mother of two, who vanished after going Christmas shopping. They also looked into the murder of Raoinaid Murray, 17, who was stabbed to death in Dublin as well as the murders o Maire Kilmartin and Imelda Keenan.
Using the OVID computer system the Gardaí established that commonality could be established in only the cases of:
Annie McCarrick, Jo Jo Dullard, and Deirdre Jacob.
With help from the FBI a profile was built up saying the killer was white, married, mid to late thirties. People convicted of violent sex crimes often involving murder were looked at but no evidence against them was found. Some of the Gardaí suspect double rapist Larry Murphy as he matches the description of a man seen with Annie McCarrick, and was in the area when Deirdre Jacob dissapeared and kidnapped one of his rape victims bringing her to two isolated locations.
By theirishobserver.blogspot.com
There has been much speculation in sections of the Irish media recently that suggests that when suspected serial killer Larry Murphy is released from jail (in a few weeks time) having served 15 years for the rape and attempted murder of a young women he will be obliged to tell the Gardai (Irish Police) where he is living at all times. There is also speculation that the nation's women need not be concerned about Murphy's release as he will be under constant Garda supervision and surveillance.
However, Larry Murphy will not be required to give his details to Gardai and he most certainly won’t be under 24/7 surveillance by a team of up to 12 detectives, as suggested by some ill-informed sources.
Background: Larry Murphy is a carpenter by trade and by all accounts very good at his trade even while in prison where he under took further courses and classes in carpentry. Before being caught trying to suffocate a young woman with a plastic bag in the Wicklow Mountains in 2000 Larry Murphy appeared to all who knew him as a happily married man with a young family. However, Larry Murphy's double life was exposed in 2000 when he was witnessed by two huntsmen in the Wicklow Mountains as he tried to suffocate a young business woman from Carlow whom he had just kidnapped and repeatedly raped.
Murphy was duly arrested by Gardai and remanded to Cloverhill Prison to await his trial. While in Cloverhill Remand Prison in Clondalkin in Dublin Larry Murphy quickly made friends in the prisons E-Wing which is a protection wing for those people who do not wish to be in the general prison population due to concerns for their own safety, although Murphy would just as easily fitted in with the general population as so many of them view the rape of women as a normal part of their criminal and drug infested culture. As Larry Murphy walked around the small yard of Cloverhill's E-Wing with fellow sex offenders he had few words, although when pushed he would say that his only regret was that he had been caught. He was able to swap stories with Noel Cawley who had been charged with the unlawful imprisonment and rape of a young woman (Noel Cawley is now serving a sentence for the manslaughter of an old age pensioner in Westmeath last year) and so on.
Eventually Larry Murphy was sentenced to 15 years for the kidnap, repeated rape and attempted murder of the young business woman he had taken into the Wicklow Mountains. People who knew Larry Murphy including a close friend who was at that time a serving prison officer were shocked and stunned by the details of Larry Murphy's double life. Murphy had fooled many and had it not been for the two huntsmen on the night of his capture, Larry Murphy's reign would have continued. Since Larry Murphy was convicted in 2000 he has been questioned on a number of occasions about the disappearance of a number of young women in the Leinster area on various dates in the 1993 to 1998 periods. It is said that Larry Murphy has refused to co-operate with Gardai in relation to their investigations into the disappearance of these women.
This writer has no idea whether Larry Murphy did or did not have anything to do with these disappearances of young women, yet this writer does know that when Larry Murphy is released he will be able to roam free without legal obligation.
Why Larry Murphy will be able to roam free?
In 2001, the Sex Offenders Act was introduced; this Act had been in the pipe line for a number of years as Ireland tried to deal with the ever evolving extent of sexual crime in Ireland. As we now know this Act was delayed and then diminished in order to facilitate those within the Catholic Church who had raped children. It is clear now from both the Ryan and Murphy Reports that there was serious collusion at the highest levels in Ireland to protect religious child rapists. Indeed following the revelations about Father Brendan Smyth in the early 1990s the Government of the day moved quickly to reduce the sentence for sexual assault from 10 years to 5 years, this sentence was increased in the Sex Offenders Act 2001, after many ‘religious’ rapists had been given what appeared to be soft/token sentences.
When the 2001 Act was introduced by the then Minister for Justice, John O Donoghue TD, it was heralded by many ill-informed groups and individuals as a major step forward in the fight against sexual crime, in fact following the introduction of the 2001 Act sexual crime has continued to increase in every facet of its existence. While John O Donoghue had been warned by the Attorney Generals office not to introduce the 2001 Act in its form at that time, O Donoghue dancing to the tune of his cheer leaders (lurid tabloids) introduced the Sex Offenders Act 2001. Under the terms of the 2001 Act a person in jail at the time of its enactment or later convicted would be under an obligation to notify the Gardai within seven days of their release from prison the address at which they intend to live.
However, the Act also makes it legal to tell the Gardai that you live at NO FIXED ABODE, many sex offenders released since 2001 have used this loophole and some like Patrick (Paddy) O Driscol was able to roam freely among the people of Cork until he eventually struck again and smashed a young woman's head in with a brick before raping her for over an hour. On the night in question Paddy O Driscol was in the company of another convicted rapist (who had no part in this latest rape) Patrick Moorehouse (O Driscol and Moorehouse had meet while serving sentences for rape in Wheatfield Prison). Paddy O Driscol is now serving 18 years for his latest rape. This ‘no fixed abode’ clause runs contrary to international standards of good practice when managing high risk offenders. In Northern Ireland for example, such offenders must take up a place in a half way house upon their release from prison if they have no permanent address of their own.
Upon Release Larry Murphy will be able to tell Gardai that he has no fixed abode and he will be able to roam the country as he feels fit. The Gardai have neither the man power nor the financial resource to follow Larry Murphy indefinitely, however, it is the introduction of an ill-considered 2001 Sex Offenders Act that will let Larry Murphy of the leash.
Notes of Importance: There are presently 1,100 persons on the sex offenders register in Ireland including both men and women, up to 15% of these persons have given no fixed abode as their address, others have left the country (Patrick Barr, Patrick O Riordan), it is further clear from the Ryan and Murphy reports and the recent scandal surrounding the family of Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams that there are many thousands of sex offenders in Ireland who have never and will probably never see the inside of a court house. The reasons why so many known and confirmed sex offenders are not prosecuted are complex, however, the lack of political will and the introduction of ill-considered legislation are two of the main contributory factors in this regard.
Many Government Ministers spend much of their time trying to please the lurid tabloids, a tabloid industry that makes its bread and butter from exploiting men, women and children through their advertised perverted sex chat lines and sexual imagery. These same tabloids help normalise and facilitate sexual deviance and this is why they are the biggest selling media in the sex offender’s wings of Ireland’s Prisons. The reality is of course that the vast majority of people who read the tabloids don’t even vote, yet due to the contrived ‘moral panics’ created by the lurid tabloids weak Government Minister’s feel the need to go on bended knee to their banner headlines. We then have the perverse situation where the lurid tabloids are in effect dictating social policy, while the voting public are left to pick up the pieces.
In 2005, the Editor, Ger Colleran, of The Irish Star (tabloid) paid 400 Euro to a sex offender who had just been released from prison. The released sex offender had asked a friend to take some pictures of him as he walked in O Connell Street, the released sex offender then sold his own pictures to the Star for 400 Euro, and the following day the Star published the pictures stating that their photographer had taken the pics. What Colleran did not know was that when the Star was handing over the money for the pics, the released sex offender had someone taking pics of the transaction. Yet Colleran and other similar hypocrites are given regular platforms on RTE and other media as a man set upon high moral ground.
MISSING WOMEN
"Missing Person Annie McCarrick
Annie McCarrick, an American national has been missing from her home at
Sandymount in Dublin since Friday 26th March 1993. On that day she left her
house to go walking in Enniskerry.
There were sightings of a woman answering Annie's description on the No.44
bus which goes to Enniskerry at about 3.30 p.m. on that afternoon and later on
that evening a sighting at Johnny Foxes Pub in Glencullen.
Annie is described as 5'8" in height, 10 stone, long brown hair. She speaks with
a soft Irish-American accent.
MISSING PERSON - CIARA BREEN
Ciara Breen has been missing from her home of Batchelors Walk, Dundalk since the
early hours of Thursday 13 February, 1997.
Ciara is described as 5'5" in height, long dark brown hair, blue eyes. She was aged
18 years when she went missing.
MISSING PERSON - DEIRDRE JACOB
Gardai at Newbridge are seeking assistance in tracing the whereabouts of Deirdre Jacob,
18 years of Roseberry, Newbridge, Co. Kildare. Deirdre was last seen at 3.30pm on
Tuesday 28th July 1998 walking towards her home.
She is described as being 5’2" in height, slim build, black/brown hair (short style),
grey/green eyes and when last seen she was wearing a navy NIKE jumper with white collar,
blue jeans and blue NIKE runners.
Anyone with information is asked to contact the Gardai at Newbridge, telephone
number 045-431212 or the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1-800-666111.
MISSING PERSON - FIONA PENDER
Fiona has been missing from her home at Church Street, Tullamore, Co. Offaly since Friday 23rd August, 1996. At that time she was 7 months pregnant and had spent the previous day, Sunday, shopping for baby clothes with her mother in Tullamore. She was in good form and was looking forward to the birth of her baby.
Fiona is described as 5'5" in height, long blond hair.
MISSING PERSON - Fiona Sinnott
Fiona Sinnott has been missing from her home in Bridgetown, Co. Wexford since Monday 9th February, 1998.
Fiona is described as being 20 years, 5'2" in height, 7 stone, shoulder length auburn hair and brown eyes.
MISSING PERSON - JO JO DULLARD
Josephine Dullard has been missing since 11.30 p.m. on Thursday, 9th November, 1995. At that time Jo Jo phoned her friend from a phone box in Moone, Co. Kildare. She told her friend that she was hitching a lift from Moone to her home in Callan, Co. Kilkenny.
A short time later a woman answering Jo Jo's description was seen leaning in the back door of a dark coloured Toyota Carina type car. There were further sightings of a woman similar to Jo Jo in Castledermot, Co. Kildare which is 5 miles from Moone at around midnight on the same evening - Thursday 9th November, 1995.
The driver or occupants of this Toyota Carina type car have never been traced.
Jo Jo is described as 5'4" in height, medium build, dark shoulder length hair. She was 21 years when she went missing."
(WWW.garda.ie)
---------------------------------------------
Following the dissapearence of Deirdre Jacob in
1998 the Gardaí set up a cold case squad named
Operation Trace to look into these and possible
connected crimes. These were cases of three women whose bodies were found in the mountains in the past 23 years. Phyllis Murphy, 23, was found raped, strangled and partially hidden in bushes in the Wicklow Mountains in 1980 (this crime was solved in 1999 and a man named John Creerar was convicted). Eight years later, the decomposed body of Antoinette Smith, 27, was found in a boggy, shallow grave in the Dublin Mountains. She is thought to have been raped and strangled. Two miles away, in 1992, police uncovered the body of Patricia Doherty, 30, a mother of two, who vanished after going Christmas shopping. They also looked into the murder of Raoinaid Murray, 17, who was stabbed to death in Dublin as well as the murders o Maire Kilmartin and Imelda Keenan.
Using the OVID computer system the Gardaí established that commonality could be established in only the cases of:
Annie McCarrick, Jo Jo Dullard, and Deirdre Jacob.
With help from the FBI a profile was built up saying the killer was white, married, mid to late thirties. People convicted of violent sex crimes often involving murder were looked at but no evidence against them was found. Some of the Gardaí suspect double rapist Larry Murphy as he matches the description of a man seen with Annie McCarrick, and was in the area when Deirdre Jacob dissapeared and kidnapped one of his rape victims bringing her to two isolated locations.
Should Anglo be saved by the Tax Payer
No, Liar Liar, Lenny said it would cost as much to close Anglo as to keep it going - Liar liar - the vast majority of Toxic Loans and their attached worthless assets taken on by NAMA yesterday and in the coming days are the debts of 10 Individuals - if Anglo had been closed we would have absolutely No obligation in relation to these debts - this is one full year of all Tax dollars collected in this State from PAYE workers - Liar Liar - if this Government had the bottle each and every one of these gentlemen would have been pursued to the end of the earth for their debt - instead - the wife keeps her fur coat and Liam keeps his personal fortune of 269 Million as declared in the High Court - Feak Off - the beggars here and here abouts who have an ill-informed opinion - I said before and I say again - 100 Billion at least will be the final NAMA bail out for banks and speculators - a 50% reduction on a loan attached to a piece of land worth nothing is 50% of nothing - Gab sh.... - Anglo should have been closed - the corrupt pursued including those who fell asleep at the wheel while all this corruption was on going - 18 months ago - Anglo using smoke and mirrors showed end of year accounts with 500 million dancing between the black and the red - the reality was tens of billions in the red - yet some of the people who were involved in that process remain on the Board of Anglo.....yesterday I spent my day in Meath, today Louth trying to keep businesses a live...cash flow the central problem....yet this Government has nothing to offered decent ahrd working people.
Why Suspected Serial Killer Will Roam Free
Why Suspected Serial Killer will be Able to Roam Free!
By theirishobserver.blogspot.com
There has been much speculation in sections of the Irish media recently that suggests that when suspected serial killer Larry Murphy is released from jail (in a few weeks time) having served 15 years for the rape and attempted murder of a young women he will be obliged to tell the Gardai (Irish Police) where he is living at all times. There is also speculation that the nation's women need not be concerned about Murphy's release as he will be under constant Garda supervision and surveillance.
However, Larry Murphy will not be required to give his details to Gardai and he most certainly won’t be under 24/7 surveillance by a team of up to 12 detectives, as suggested by some ill-informed sources.
Background: Larry Murphy is a carpenter by trade and by all accounts very good at his trade even while in prison where he under took further courses and classes in carpentry. Before being caught trying to suffocate a young woman with a plastic bag in the Wicklow Mountains in 2000 Larry Murphy appeared to all who knew him as a happily married man with a young family. However, Larry Murphy's double life was exposed in 2000 when he was witnessed by two huntsmen in the Wicklow Mountains as he tried to suffocate a young business woman from Carlow whom he had just kidnapped and repeatedly raped.
Murphy was duly arrested by Gardai and remanded to Cloverhill Prison to await his trial. While in Cloverhill Remand Prison in Clondalkin in Dublin Larry Murphy quickly made friends in the prisons E-Wing which is a protection wing for those people who do not wish to be in the general prison population due to concerns for their own safety, although Murphy would just as easily fitted in with the general population as so many of them view the rape of women as a normal part of their criminal and drug infested culture. As Larry Murphy walked around the small yard of Cloverhill's E-Wing with fellow sex offenders he had few words, although when pushed he would say that his only regret was that he had been caught. He was able to swap stories with Noel Cawley who had been charged with the unlawful imprisonment and rape of a young woman (Noel Cawley is now serving a sentence for the manslaughter of an old age pensioner in Westmeath last year) and so on.
Eventually Larry Murphy was sentenced to 15 years for the kidnap, repeated rape and attempted murder of the young business woman he had taken into the Wicklow Mountains. People who knew Larry Murphy including a close friend who was at that time a serving prison officer were shocked and stunned by the details of Larry Murphy's double life. Murphy had fooled many and had it not been for the two huntsmen on the night of his capture, Larry Murphy's reign would have continued. Since Larry Murphy was convicted in 2000 he has been questioned on a number of occasions about the disappearance of a number of young women in the Leinster area on various dates in the 1993 to 1998 periods. It is said that Larry Murphy has refused to co-operate with Gardai in relation to their investigations into the disappearance of these women.
This writer has no idea whether Larry Murphy did or did not have anything to do with these disappearances of young women, yet this writer does know that when Larry Murphy is released he will be able to roam free without legal obligation.
Why Larry Murphy will be able to roam free?
In 2001, the Sex Offenders Act was introduced; this Act had been in the pipe line for a number of years as Ireland tried to deal with the ever evolving extent of sexual crime in Ireland. As we now know this Act was delayed and then diminished in order to facilitate those within the Catholic Church who had raped children. It is clear now from both the Ryan and Murphy Reports that there was serious collusion at the highest levels in Ireland to protect religious child rapists. Indeed following the revelations about Father Brendan Smyth in the early 1990s the Government of the day moved quickly to reduce the sentence for sexual assault from 10 years to 5 years, this sentence was increased in the Sex Offenders Act 2001, after many ‘religious’ rapists had been given what appeared to be soft/token sentences.
When the 2001 Act was introduced by the then Minister for Justice, John O Donoghue TD, it was heralded by many ill-informed groups and individuals as a major step forward in the fight against sexual crime, in fact following the introduction of the 2001 Act sexual crime has continued to increase in every facet of its existence. While John O Donoghue had been warned by the Attorney Generals office not to introduce the 2001 Act in its form at that time, O Donoghue dancing to the tune of his cheer leaders (lurid tabloids) introduced the Sex Offenders Act 2001. Under the terms of the 2001 Act a person in jail at the time of its enactment or later convicted would be under an obligation to notify the Gardai within seven days of their release from prison the address at which they intend to live.
However, the Act also makes it legal to tell the Gardai that you live at NO FIXED ABODE, many sex offenders released since 2001 have used this loophole and some like Patrick (Paddy) O Driscol was able to roam freely among the people of Cork until he eventually struck again and smashed a young woman's head in with a brick before raping her for over an hour. On the night in question Paddy O Driscol was in the company of another convicted rapist (who had no part in this latest rape) Patrick Moorehouse (O Driscol and Moorehouse had meet while serving sentences for rape in Wheatfield Prison). Paddy O Driscol is now serving 18 years for his latest rape. This ‘no fixed abode’ clause runs contrary to international standards of good practice when managing high risk offenders. In Northern Ireland for example, such offenders must take up a place in a half way house upon their release from prison if they have no permanent address of their own.
Upon Release Larry Murphy will be able to tell Gardai that he has no fixed abode and he will be able to roam the country as he feels fit. The Gardai have neither the man power nor the financial resource to follow Larry Murphy indefinitely, however, it is the introduction of an ill-considered 2001 Sex Offenders Act that will let Larry Murphy of the leash.
Notes of Importance: There are presently 1,100 persons on the sex offenders register in Ireland including both men and women, up to 15% of these persons have given no fixed abode as their address, others have left the country (Patrick Barr, Patrick O Riordan), it is further clear from the Ryan and Murphy reports and the recent scandal surrounding the family of Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams that there are many thousands of sex offenders in Ireland who have never and will probably never see the inside of a court house. The reasons why so many known and confirmed sex offenders are not prosecuted are complex, however, the lack of political will and the introduction of ill-considered legislation are two of the main contributory factors in this regard.
Many Government Ministers spend much of their time trying to please the lurid tabloids, a tabloid industry that makes its bread and butter from exploiting men, women and children through their advertised perverted sex chat lines and sexual imagery. These same tabloids help normalise and facilitate sexual deviance and this is why they are the biggest selling media in the sex offender’s wings of Ireland’s Prisons. The reality is of course that the vast majority of people who read the tabloids don’t even vote, yet due to the contrived ‘moral panics’ created by the lurid tabloids weak Government Minister’s feel the need to go on bended knee to their banner headlines. We then have the perverse situation where the lurid tabloids are in effect dictating social policy, while the voting public are left to pick up the pieces.
In 2005, the Editor, Ger Colleran, of The Irish Star (tabloid) paid 400 Euro to a sex offender who had just been released from prison. The released sex offender had asked a friend to take some pictures of him as he walked in O Connell Street, the released sex offender then sold his own pictures to the Star for 400 Euro, and the following day the Star published the pictures stating that their photographer had taken the pics. What Colleran did not know was that when the Star was handing over the money for the pics, the released sex offender had someone taking pics of the transaction. Yet Colleran and other similar hypocrites are given regular platforms on RTE and other media as a man set upon high moral ground.
By theirishobserver.blogspot.com
There has been much speculation in sections of the Irish media recently that suggests that when suspected serial killer Larry Murphy is released from jail (in a few weeks time) having served 15 years for the rape and attempted murder of a young women he will be obliged to tell the Gardai (Irish Police) where he is living at all times. There is also speculation that the nation's women need not be concerned about Murphy's release as he will be under constant Garda supervision and surveillance.
However, Larry Murphy will not be required to give his details to Gardai and he most certainly won’t be under 24/7 surveillance by a team of up to 12 detectives, as suggested by some ill-informed sources.
Background: Larry Murphy is a carpenter by trade and by all accounts very good at his trade even while in prison where he under took further courses and classes in carpentry. Before being caught trying to suffocate a young woman with a plastic bag in the Wicklow Mountains in 2000 Larry Murphy appeared to all who knew him as a happily married man with a young family. However, Larry Murphy's double life was exposed in 2000 when he was witnessed by two huntsmen in the Wicklow Mountains as he tried to suffocate a young business woman from Carlow whom he had just kidnapped and repeatedly raped.
Murphy was duly arrested by Gardai and remanded to Cloverhill Prison to await his trial. While in Cloverhill Remand Prison in Clondalkin in Dublin Larry Murphy quickly made friends in the prisons E-Wing which is a protection wing for those people who do not wish to be in the general prison population due to concerns for their own safety, although Murphy would just as easily fitted in with the general population as so many of them view the rape of women as a normal part of their criminal and drug infested culture. As Larry Murphy walked around the small yard of Cloverhill's E-Wing with fellow sex offenders he had few words, although when pushed he would say that his only regret was that he had been caught. He was able to swap stories with Noel Cawley who had been charged with the unlawful imprisonment and rape of a young woman (Noel Cawley is now serving a sentence for the manslaughter of an old age pensioner in Westmeath last year) and so on.
Eventually Larry Murphy was sentenced to 15 years for the kidnap, repeated rape and attempted murder of the young business woman he had taken into the Wicklow Mountains. People who knew Larry Murphy including a close friend who was at that time a serving prison officer were shocked and stunned by the details of Larry Murphy's double life. Murphy had fooled many and had it not been for the two huntsmen on the night of his capture, Larry Murphy's reign would have continued. Since Larry Murphy was convicted in 2000 he has been questioned on a number of occasions about the disappearance of a number of young women in the Leinster area on various dates in the 1993 to 1998 periods. It is said that Larry Murphy has refused to co-operate with Gardai in relation to their investigations into the disappearance of these women.
This writer has no idea whether Larry Murphy did or did not have anything to do with these disappearances of young women, yet this writer does know that when Larry Murphy is released he will be able to roam free without legal obligation.
Why Larry Murphy will be able to roam free?
In 2001, the Sex Offenders Act was introduced; this Act had been in the pipe line for a number of years as Ireland tried to deal with the ever evolving extent of sexual crime in Ireland. As we now know this Act was delayed and then diminished in order to facilitate those within the Catholic Church who had raped children. It is clear now from both the Ryan and Murphy Reports that there was serious collusion at the highest levels in Ireland to protect religious child rapists. Indeed following the revelations about Father Brendan Smyth in the early 1990s the Government of the day moved quickly to reduce the sentence for sexual assault from 10 years to 5 years, this sentence was increased in the Sex Offenders Act 2001, after many ‘religious’ rapists had been given what appeared to be soft/token sentences.
When the 2001 Act was introduced by the then Minister for Justice, John O Donoghue TD, it was heralded by many ill-informed groups and individuals as a major step forward in the fight against sexual crime, in fact following the introduction of the 2001 Act sexual crime has continued to increase in every facet of its existence. While John O Donoghue had been warned by the Attorney Generals office not to introduce the 2001 Act in its form at that time, O Donoghue dancing to the tune of his cheer leaders (lurid tabloids) introduced the Sex Offenders Act 2001. Under the terms of the 2001 Act a person in jail at the time of its enactment or later convicted would be under an obligation to notify the Gardai within seven days of their release from prison the address at which they intend to live.
However, the Act also makes it legal to tell the Gardai that you live at NO FIXED ABODE, many sex offenders released since 2001 have used this loophole and some like Patrick (Paddy) O Driscol was able to roam freely among the people of Cork until he eventually struck again and smashed a young woman's head in with a brick before raping her for over an hour. On the night in question Paddy O Driscol was in the company of another convicted rapist (who had no part in this latest rape) Patrick Moorehouse (O Driscol and Moorehouse had meet while serving sentences for rape in Wheatfield Prison). Paddy O Driscol is now serving 18 years for his latest rape. This ‘no fixed abode’ clause runs contrary to international standards of good practice when managing high risk offenders. In Northern Ireland for example, such offenders must take up a place in a half way house upon their release from prison if they have no permanent address of their own.
Upon Release Larry Murphy will be able to tell Gardai that he has no fixed abode and he will be able to roam the country as he feels fit. The Gardai have neither the man power nor the financial resource to follow Larry Murphy indefinitely, however, it is the introduction of an ill-considered 2001 Sex Offenders Act that will let Larry Murphy of the leash.
Notes of Importance: There are presently 1,100 persons on the sex offenders register in Ireland including both men and women, up to 15% of these persons have given no fixed abode as their address, others have left the country (Patrick Barr, Patrick O Riordan), it is further clear from the Ryan and Murphy reports and the recent scandal surrounding the family of Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams that there are many thousands of sex offenders in Ireland who have never and will probably never see the inside of a court house. The reasons why so many known and confirmed sex offenders are not prosecuted are complex, however, the lack of political will and the introduction of ill-considered legislation are two of the main contributory factors in this regard.
Many Government Ministers spend much of their time trying to please the lurid tabloids, a tabloid industry that makes its bread and butter from exploiting men, women and children through their advertised perverted sex chat lines and sexual imagery. These same tabloids help normalise and facilitate sexual deviance and this is why they are the biggest selling media in the sex offender’s wings of Ireland’s Prisons. The reality is of course that the vast majority of people who read the tabloids don’t even vote, yet due to the contrived ‘moral panics’ created by the lurid tabloids weak Government Minister’s feel the need to go on bended knee to their banner headlines. We then have the perverse situation where the lurid tabloids are in effect dictating social policy, while the voting public are left to pick up the pieces.
In 2005, the Editor, Ger Colleran, of The Irish Star (tabloid) paid 400 Euro to a sex offender who had just been released from prison. The released sex offender had asked a friend to take some pictures of him as he walked in O Connell Street, the released sex offender then sold his own pictures to the Star for 400 Euro, and the following day the Star published the pictures stating that their photographer had taken the pics. What Colleran did not know was that when the Star was handing over the money for the pics, the released sex offender had someone taking pics of the transaction. Yet Colleran and other similar hypocrites are given regular platforms on RTE and other media as a man set upon high moral ground.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Levy on Independent Broad Casting
Head of Broadcasting Authority to Update Oireachtas Committee Re Levy on Independent Media Sector
30th Mar 2010
The latest developments concerning the budget of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) and the proposed increase in the levy to be paid by independent media outlets will be on the agenda at tomorrow’s (31st) meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
The meeting will take place at 9:45 am in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House.
The Committee met earlier this month with the Chief Executive of the BAI, Michael O’Keeffe and passed a motion seeking the suspension of the increase to allow for the proper examination of the accounts of the BAI in to establish on what basis this increase is being sought and if it is necessary.
Committee Chairman, MJ Nolan TD said;
“The Committee was extremely concerned by the damaging impact a higher payment could have on the independent media sector, particularly local radio stations.
Many local radio stations are already struggling to survive and are operating on a knife edge owing to significant downturns in their advertising revenue. In many cases local stations have lost up to 35% in advertising income and have already had to make people redundant.
Therefore, we called for the annulment of the Statutory Instrument which would introduce the levy and asked that time be given to scrutinise the measure to review its cost effectiveness The meeting tomorrow will give us the up-to-date picture on the latest developments regarding this situation.”
30th Mar 2010
The latest developments concerning the budget of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) and the proposed increase in the levy to be paid by independent media outlets will be on the agenda at tomorrow’s (31st) meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
The meeting will take place at 9:45 am in Committee Room 3 of Leinster House.
The Committee met earlier this month with the Chief Executive of the BAI, Michael O’Keeffe and passed a motion seeking the suspension of the increase to allow for the proper examination of the accounts of the BAI in to establish on what basis this increase is being sought and if it is necessary.
Committee Chairman, MJ Nolan TD said;
“The Committee was extremely concerned by the damaging impact a higher payment could have on the independent media sector, particularly local radio stations.
Many local radio stations are already struggling to survive and are operating on a knife edge owing to significant downturns in their advertising revenue. In many cases local stations have lost up to 35% in advertising income and have already had to make people redundant.
Therefore, we called for the annulment of the Statutory Instrument which would introduce the levy and asked that time be given to scrutinise the measure to review its cost effectiveness The meeting tomorrow will give us the up-to-date picture on the latest developments regarding this situation.”
Foreign Affairs - Meeting Postponed
The meeting of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Foreign Affairs, scheduled for tomorrow, Wednesday 31st of March has been postponed.
Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Daniel English
Oireachtas Communications Unit
01 618 4484
087 6949926
daniel.english@oireachtas.ie
Apologies for any inconvenience caused.
Daniel English
Oireachtas Communications Unit
01 618 4484
087 6949926
daniel.english@oireachtas.ie
Gerry Adams - Accused of Murder
One of Jean McConville's 10 children is take legal action against Gerry Adams over her mother's disappearance and death. One of Jean McConville's 10 children is take legal action against Gerry Adams over her mother's disappearance and death.
A new book contains claims from a now deceased IRA commander that the Sinn Féin president was involved in her death.
Mr Adams has denied the allegations contained in 'Voices From The Grave' and has accused its author Ed Moloney of bias.
A new book contains claims from a now deceased IRA commander that the Sinn Féin president was involved in her death.
Mr Adams has denied the allegations contained in 'Voices From The Grave' and has accused its author Ed Moloney of bias.
Monday, March 29, 2010
Canine Breeders
Canine Breeders of Ireland to Voice Concerns on New Dog Breeding Bill at Oireachtas Committee Meeting
29 March 2010
The possible consequences on the dog breeding industry of the new Dog Breeding Establishment Bill 2009 will be outlined by the Canine Breeders of Ireland at tomorrow’s (30th) meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
The meeting will take place 1pm in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House.
The Bill aims to provide safeguards for dogs in breeding establishments and give assurances to customers that pups and their mothers are well treated in these facilities. Under the Bill, each local authority will be required to have a register of dog breeding facilities and will require operators to register and pay an annual fee.
There had been some concerns that Ireland had become the “puppy farm capital of Europe” due to lack of regulation.
Canine Breeders of Ireland have over six hundred members, made up of mainly commercial dog breeding establishments. While the Canine Breeders accept the need for good practice in this area the organisation has expressed strong reservations regarding some aspects of the new bill.
Committee Chairman, Se n Fleming TD said;
This bill has been introduced to ensure that adequate legislation exists in the area of breeding and puppy farms. However, some groups including the Canine Breeders of Ireland have claimed that bill will burden them with additional costs and will cause welfare problems for some dogs.
Tomorrow’s meeting will give an open forum to those who represent many dog breeders to articulate their problems with the bill and how they feel it needs to be altered.”
29 March 2010
The possible consequences on the dog breeding industry of the new Dog Breeding Establishment Bill 2009 will be outlined by the Canine Breeders of Ireland at tomorrow’s (30th) meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Environment, Heritage and Local Government.
The meeting will take place 1pm in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House.
The Bill aims to provide safeguards for dogs in breeding establishments and give assurances to customers that pups and their mothers are well treated in these facilities. Under the Bill, each local authority will be required to have a register of dog breeding facilities and will require operators to register and pay an annual fee.
There had been some concerns that Ireland had become the “puppy farm capital of Europe” due to lack of regulation.
Canine Breeders of Ireland have over six hundred members, made up of mainly commercial dog breeding establishments. While the Canine Breeders accept the need for good practice in this area the organisation has expressed strong reservations regarding some aspects of the new bill.
Committee Chairman, Se n Fleming TD said;
This bill has been introduced to ensure that adequate legislation exists in the area of breeding and puppy farms. However, some groups including the Canine Breeders of Ireland have claimed that bill will burden them with additional costs and will cause welfare problems for some dogs.
Tomorrow’s meeting will give an open forum to those who represent many dog breeders to articulate their problems with the bill and how they feel it needs to be altered.”
Why Suspected Serial Killer Will Roam Free
Why Suspected Serial Killer will be Able to Roam Free!
By theirishobserver.blogspot.com
There has been much speculation in sections of the Irish media recently that suggests that when suspected serial killer Larry Murphy is released from jail (in a few weeks time) having served 15 years for the rape and attempted murder of a young women he will be obliged to tell the Gardai (Irish Police) where he is living at all times. There is also speculation that the nation's women need not be concerned about Murphy's release as he will be under constant Garda supervision and surveillance.
However, Larry Murphy will not be required to give his details to Gardai and he most certainly won’t be under 24/7 surveillance by a team of up to 12 detectives, as suggested by some ill-informed sources.
Background: Larry Murphy is a carpenter by trade and by all accounts very good at his trade even while in prison where he under took further courses and classes in carpentry. Before being caught trying to suffocate a young woman with a plastic bag in the Wicklow Mountains in 2000 Larry Murphy appeared to all who knew him as a happily married man with a young family. However, Larry Murphy's double life was exposed in 2000 when he was witnessed by two huntsmen in the Wicklow Mountains as he tried to suffocate a young business woman from Carlow whom he had just kidnapped and repeatedly raped.
Murphy was duly arrested by Gardai and remanded to Cloverhill Prison to await his trial. While in Cloverhill Remand Prison in Clondalkin in Dublin Larry Murphy quickly made friends in the prisons E-Wing which is a protection wing for those people who do not wish to be in the general prison population due to concerns for their own safety, although Murphy would just as easily fitted in with the general population as so many of them view the rape of women as a normal part of their criminal and drug infested culture. As Larry Murphy walked around the small yard of Cloverhill's E-Wing with fellow sex offenders he had few words, although when pushed he would say that his only regret was that he had been caught. He was able to swap stories with Noel Cawley who had been charged with the unlawful imprisonment and rape of a young woman (Noel Cawley is now serving a sentence for the manslaughter of an old age pensioner in Westmeath last year) and so on.
Eventually Larry Murphy was sentenced to 15 years for the kidnap, repeated rape and attempted murder of the young business woman he had taken into the Wicklow Mountains. People who knew Larry Murphy including a close friend who was at that time a serving prison officer were shocked and stunned by the details of Larry Murphy's double life. Murphy had fooled many and had it not been for the two huntsmen on the night of his capture, Larry Murphy's reign would have continued. Since Larry Murphy was convicted in 2000 he has been questioned on a number of occasions about the disappearance of a number of young women in the Leinster area on various dates in the 1993 to 1998 periods. It is said that Larry Murphy has refused to co-operate with Gardai in relation to their investigations into the disappearance of these women.
This writer has no idea whether Larry Murphy did or did not have anything to do with these disappearances of young women, yet this writer does know that when Larry Murphy is released he will be able to roam free without legal obligation.
Why Larry Murphy will be able to roam free?
In 2001, the Sex Offenders Act was introduced; this Act had been in the pipe line for a number of years as Ireland tried to deal with the ever evolving extent of sexual crime in Ireland. As we now know this Act was delayed and then diminished in order to facilitate those within the Catholic Church who had raped children. It is clear now from both the Ryan and Murphy Reports that there was serious collusion at the highest levels in Ireland to protect religious child rapists. Indeed following the revelations about Father Brendan Smyth in the early 1990s the Government of the day moved quickly to reduce the sentence for sexual assault from 10 years to 5 years, this sentence was increased in the Sex Offenders Act 2001, after many ‘religious’ rapists had been given what appeared to be soft/token sentences.
When the 2001 Act was introduced by the then Minister for Justice, John O Donoghue TD, it was heralded by many ill-informed groups and individuals as a major step forward in the fight against sexual crime, in fact following the introduction of the 2001 Act sexual crime has continued to increase in every facet of its existence. While John O Donoghue had been warned by the Attorney Generals office not to introduce the 2001 Act in its form at that time, O Donoghue dancing to the tune of his cheer leaders (lurid tabloids) introduced the Sex Offenders Act 2001. Under the terms of the 2001 Act a person in jail at the time of its enactment or later convicted would be under an obligation to notify the Gardai within seven days of their release from prison the address at which they intend to live.
However, the Act also makes it legal to tell the Gardai that you live at NO FIXED ABODE, many sex offenders released since 2001 have used this loophole and some like Patrick (Paddy) O Driscol was able to roam freely among the people of Cork until he eventually struck again and smashed a young woman's head in with a brick before raping her for over an hour. On the night in question Paddy O Driscol was in the company of another convicted rapist (who had no part in this latest rape) Patrick Moorehouse (O Driscol and Moorehouse had meet while serving sentences for rape in Wheatfield Prison). Paddy O Driscol is now serving 18 years for his latest rape. This ‘no fixed abode’ clause runs contrary to international standards of good practice when managing high risk offenders. In Northern Ireland for example, such offenders must take up a place in a half way house upon their release from prison if they have no permanent address of their own.
Upon Release Larry Murphy will be able to tell Gardai that he has no fixed abode and he will be able to roam the country as he feels fit. The Gardai have neither the man power nor the financial resource to follow Larry Murphy indefinitely, however, it is the introduction of an ill-considered 2001 Sex Offenders Act that will let Larry Murphy of the leash.
Notes of Importance: There are presently 1,100 persons on the sex offenders register in Ireland including both men and women, up to 15% of these persons have given no fixed abode as their address, others have left the country (Patrick Barr, Patrick O Riordan), it is further clear from the Ryan and Murphy reports and the recent scandal surrounding the family of Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams that there are many thousands of sex offenders in Ireland who have never and will probably never see the inside of a court house. The reasons why so many known and confirmed sex offenders are not prosecuted are complex, however, the lack of political will and the introduction of ill-considered legislation are two of the main contributory factors in this regard.
Many Government Ministers spend much of their time trying to please the lurid tabloids, a tabloid industry that makes its bread and butter from exploiting men, women and children through their advertised perverted sex chat lines and sexual imagery. These same tabloids help normalise and facilitate sexual deviance and this is why they are the biggest selling media in the sex offender’s wings of Ireland’s Prisons. The reality is of course that the vast majority of people who read the tabloids don’t even vote, yet due to the contrived ‘moral panics’ created by the lurid tabloids weak Government Minister’s feel the need to go on bended knee to their banner headlines. We then have the perverse situation where the lurid tabloids are in effect dictating social policy, while the voting public are left to pick up the pieces.
In 2005, the Editor, Ger Colleran, of The Irish Star (tabloid) paid 400 Euro to a sex offender who had just been released from prison. The released sex offender had asked a friend to take some pictures of him as he walked in O Connell Street, the released sex offender then sold his own pictures to the Star for 400 Euro, and the following day the Star published the pictures stating that their photographer had taken the pics. What Colleran did not know was that when the Star was handing over the money for the pics, the released sex offender had someone taking pics of the transaction. Yet Colleran and other similar hypocrites are given regular platforms on RTE and other media as a man set upon high moral ground.
By theirishobserver.blogspot.com
There has been much speculation in sections of the Irish media recently that suggests that when suspected serial killer Larry Murphy is released from jail (in a few weeks time) having served 15 years for the rape and attempted murder of a young women he will be obliged to tell the Gardai (Irish Police) where he is living at all times. There is also speculation that the nation's women need not be concerned about Murphy's release as he will be under constant Garda supervision and surveillance.
However, Larry Murphy will not be required to give his details to Gardai and he most certainly won’t be under 24/7 surveillance by a team of up to 12 detectives, as suggested by some ill-informed sources.
Background: Larry Murphy is a carpenter by trade and by all accounts very good at his trade even while in prison where he under took further courses and classes in carpentry. Before being caught trying to suffocate a young woman with a plastic bag in the Wicklow Mountains in 2000 Larry Murphy appeared to all who knew him as a happily married man with a young family. However, Larry Murphy's double life was exposed in 2000 when he was witnessed by two huntsmen in the Wicklow Mountains as he tried to suffocate a young business woman from Carlow whom he had just kidnapped and repeatedly raped.
Murphy was duly arrested by Gardai and remanded to Cloverhill Prison to await his trial. While in Cloverhill Remand Prison in Clondalkin in Dublin Larry Murphy quickly made friends in the prisons E-Wing which is a protection wing for those people who do not wish to be in the general prison population due to concerns for their own safety, although Murphy would just as easily fitted in with the general population as so many of them view the rape of women as a normal part of their criminal and drug infested culture. As Larry Murphy walked around the small yard of Cloverhill's E-Wing with fellow sex offenders he had few words, although when pushed he would say that his only regret was that he had been caught. He was able to swap stories with Noel Cawley who had been charged with the unlawful imprisonment and rape of a young woman (Noel Cawley is now serving a sentence for the manslaughter of an old age pensioner in Westmeath last year) and so on.
Eventually Larry Murphy was sentenced to 15 years for the kidnap, repeated rape and attempted murder of the young business woman he had taken into the Wicklow Mountains. People who knew Larry Murphy including a close friend who was at that time a serving prison officer were shocked and stunned by the details of Larry Murphy's double life. Murphy had fooled many and had it not been for the two huntsmen on the night of his capture, Larry Murphy's reign would have continued. Since Larry Murphy was convicted in 2000 he has been questioned on a number of occasions about the disappearance of a number of young women in the Leinster area on various dates in the 1993 to 1998 periods. It is said that Larry Murphy has refused to co-operate with Gardai in relation to their investigations into the disappearance of these women.
This writer has no idea whether Larry Murphy did or did not have anything to do with these disappearances of young women, yet this writer does know that when Larry Murphy is released he will be able to roam free without legal obligation.
Why Larry Murphy will be able to roam free?
In 2001, the Sex Offenders Act was introduced; this Act had been in the pipe line for a number of years as Ireland tried to deal with the ever evolving extent of sexual crime in Ireland. As we now know this Act was delayed and then diminished in order to facilitate those within the Catholic Church who had raped children. It is clear now from both the Ryan and Murphy Reports that there was serious collusion at the highest levels in Ireland to protect religious child rapists. Indeed following the revelations about Father Brendan Smyth in the early 1990s the Government of the day moved quickly to reduce the sentence for sexual assault from 10 years to 5 years, this sentence was increased in the Sex Offenders Act 2001, after many ‘religious’ rapists had been given what appeared to be soft/token sentences.
When the 2001 Act was introduced by the then Minister for Justice, John O Donoghue TD, it was heralded by many ill-informed groups and individuals as a major step forward in the fight against sexual crime, in fact following the introduction of the 2001 Act sexual crime has continued to increase in every facet of its existence. While John O Donoghue had been warned by the Attorney Generals office not to introduce the 2001 Act in its form at that time, O Donoghue dancing to the tune of his cheer leaders (lurid tabloids) introduced the Sex Offenders Act 2001. Under the terms of the 2001 Act a person in jail at the time of its enactment or later convicted would be under an obligation to notify the Gardai within seven days of their release from prison the address at which they intend to live.
However, the Act also makes it legal to tell the Gardai that you live at NO FIXED ABODE, many sex offenders released since 2001 have used this loophole and some like Patrick (Paddy) O Driscol was able to roam freely among the people of Cork until he eventually struck again and smashed a young woman's head in with a brick before raping her for over an hour. On the night in question Paddy O Driscol was in the company of another convicted rapist (who had no part in this latest rape) Patrick Moorehouse (O Driscol and Moorehouse had meet while serving sentences for rape in Wheatfield Prison). Paddy O Driscol is now serving 18 years for his latest rape. This ‘no fixed abode’ clause runs contrary to international standards of good practice when managing high risk offenders. In Northern Ireland for example, such offenders must take up a place in a half way house upon their release from prison if they have no permanent address of their own.
Upon Release Larry Murphy will be able to tell Gardai that he has no fixed abode and he will be able to roam the country as he feels fit. The Gardai have neither the man power nor the financial resource to follow Larry Murphy indefinitely, however, it is the introduction of an ill-considered 2001 Sex Offenders Act that will let Larry Murphy of the leash.
Notes of Importance: There are presently 1,100 persons on the sex offenders register in Ireland including both men and women, up to 15% of these persons have given no fixed abode as their address, others have left the country (Patrick Barr, Patrick O Riordan), it is further clear from the Ryan and Murphy reports and the recent scandal surrounding the family of Sinn Fein President, Gerry Adams that there are many thousands of sex offenders in Ireland who have never and will probably never see the inside of a court house. The reasons why so many known and confirmed sex offenders are not prosecuted are complex, however, the lack of political will and the introduction of ill-considered legislation are two of the main contributory factors in this regard.
Many Government Ministers spend much of their time trying to please the lurid tabloids, a tabloid industry that makes its bread and butter from exploiting men, women and children through their advertised perverted sex chat lines and sexual imagery. These same tabloids help normalise and facilitate sexual deviance and this is why they are the biggest selling media in the sex offender’s wings of Ireland’s Prisons. The reality is of course that the vast majority of people who read the tabloids don’t even vote, yet due to the contrived ‘moral panics’ created by the lurid tabloids weak Government Minister’s feel the need to go on bended knee to their banner headlines. We then have the perverse situation where the lurid tabloids are in effect dictating social policy, while the voting public are left to pick up the pieces.
In 2005, the Editor, Ger Colleran, of The Irish Star (tabloid) paid 400 Euro to a sex offender who had just been released from prison. The released sex offender had asked a friend to take some pictures of him as he walked in O Connell Street, the released sex offender then sold his own pictures to the Star for 400 Euro, and the following day the Star published the pictures stating that their photographer had taken the pics. What Colleran did not know was that when the Star was handing over the money for the pics, the released sex offender had someone taking pics of the transaction. Yet Colleran and other similar hypocrites are given regular platforms on RTE and other media as a man set upon high moral ground.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Passports
Foreign Affairs Committee to Call in Union as Department Accuses CPSU of Blocking Recruitment and Stopping Overtime
24 March 2010
The Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee is to seek a meeting with the Civil and Public Services Union (CPSU) in an attempt to find a resolution to the current passport impasse.
The Committee met today with the Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs, David Cooney, and with the Head of the Passport Office, Joe Nugent.
Mr Cooney told Committee members that the CPSU had blocked the recruitment of fifty temporary workers who were due to be assigned to the Passport Office to deal with the annual high season demand for passports and had also instructed their members not to do overtime, as is the norm at this time of year.
He also informed the Committee that the current industrial action had led to a build up of almost 50,000 applications in the system and that the demands for passports this year is up 11%.
In order to try and accommodate those waiting in line outside the passport office, the Committee learnt that Department of Foreign Affairs is in the process of trying to source suitable alternative public office space where people could wait in more comfort and be assisted more effiently.
Committee Chairman, Dr Michael Woods TD said;
“The Department officials expressed their frustration at the actions of the CPSU Union in particular, as they are currently banning their members from doing overtime. They are also blocking the recruitment of additional staff which is both denying work to people currently unemployed and worsening the situation at the Passport Office.
The Department of Foreign Affairs have made it clear that it is only through additional staff and overtime that the current backlog in passport applications can be cleared. The Union have made their point. They have shown the important work which their members do on a daily basis and the huge disruption to public services which the withdrawal of their cooperation can cause. There is nothing to be gained from continuing to disrupt the passport service. The constitutional right of all citizens to travel must be respected.
The Committee want to hear the Union’s perspective at first hand and we are requesting that they attend a Committee meeting as soon as possible. The longer this dispute continues, the more people will suffer. I would urge ICTU to support the suspension of industrial action at the Passport Office while talks are progressing.”
24 March 2010
The Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee is to seek a meeting with the Civil and Public Services Union (CPSU) in an attempt to find a resolution to the current passport impasse.
The Committee met today with the Secretary General of the Department of Foreign Affairs, David Cooney, and with the Head of the Passport Office, Joe Nugent.
Mr Cooney told Committee members that the CPSU had blocked the recruitment of fifty temporary workers who were due to be assigned to the Passport Office to deal with the annual high season demand for passports and had also instructed their members not to do overtime, as is the norm at this time of year.
He also informed the Committee that the current industrial action had led to a build up of almost 50,000 applications in the system and that the demands for passports this year is up 11%.
In order to try and accommodate those waiting in line outside the passport office, the Committee learnt that Department of Foreign Affairs is in the process of trying to source suitable alternative public office space where people could wait in more comfort and be assisted more effiently.
Committee Chairman, Dr Michael Woods TD said;
“The Department officials expressed their frustration at the actions of the CPSU Union in particular, as they are currently banning their members from doing overtime. They are also blocking the recruitment of additional staff which is both denying work to people currently unemployed and worsening the situation at the Passport Office.
The Department of Foreign Affairs have made it clear that it is only through additional staff and overtime that the current backlog in passport applications can be cleared. The Union have made their point. They have shown the important work which their members do on a daily basis and the huge disruption to public services which the withdrawal of their cooperation can cause. There is nothing to be gained from continuing to disrupt the passport service. The constitutional right of all citizens to travel must be respected.
The Committee want to hear the Union’s perspective at first hand and we are requesting that they attend a Committee meeting as soon as possible. The longer this dispute continues, the more people will suffer. I would urge ICTU to support the suspension of industrial action at the Passport Office while talks are progressing.”
Lucinda Creighton TD
Lucinda Creighton TD Elected Chair of New Sub Committee to Examine Changed Role of Oireachtas Post Lisbon Treaty
24 March 2010
A new Oireachtas sub-Committee which will consider how the Houses of the Oireachtas can best use the new powers and entitlements granted under the Lisbon Treaty has today elected Lucinda Creighton TD as its chairperson.
The Committee will seek views from the political parties as well as MEPs on how the House of the Oireachtas should benefit from the new rights it has acquired since the passing of the Lisbon Treaty.
It will review the interim arrangements agreed by the D il and Seanad last December for the implementation of the relevant Lisbon Treaty provisions. As part of its work, the Committee also intends to look at what can be learnt from approaches taken by other parliaments post Lisbon.
Committee Chairperson, Lucinda Creighton TD said;
“The Lisbon Treaty has significantly changed national parliaments’ relationship with the EU. Parliaments have been given a range of new powers and entitlements which enable them to contribute actively to the good functioning of the Union.
It is vitally important that these new rights are effectively implemented by the Oireachtas and by each national parliament in the EU if the Union is to become more transparent, accountable and ultimately democratic.
In order for the Oireachtas to achieve this, the way we deal with EU matters needs to be critically examined and significantly revised in light of the Lisbon Treaty. The work of this Committee will help to realise this objective.”
The Committee is a sub-Committee of the Oireachtas European Affairs Committee and the Oireachtas Committee on European Scrutiny. Its full title is Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Review of the Role of the Oireachtas in European Affairs. It has been asked to report by 27 May 2010.
The Committee will also review the recommendations made by Sub Committee on Ireland’s Future in the European Union which reported in November 2008.
24 March 2010
A new Oireachtas sub-Committee which will consider how the Houses of the Oireachtas can best use the new powers and entitlements granted under the Lisbon Treaty has today elected Lucinda Creighton TD as its chairperson.
The Committee will seek views from the political parties as well as MEPs on how the House of the Oireachtas should benefit from the new rights it has acquired since the passing of the Lisbon Treaty.
It will review the interim arrangements agreed by the D il and Seanad last December for the implementation of the relevant Lisbon Treaty provisions. As part of its work, the Committee also intends to look at what can be learnt from approaches taken by other parliaments post Lisbon.
Committee Chairperson, Lucinda Creighton TD said;
“The Lisbon Treaty has significantly changed national parliaments’ relationship with the EU. Parliaments have been given a range of new powers and entitlements which enable them to contribute actively to the good functioning of the Union.
It is vitally important that these new rights are effectively implemented by the Oireachtas and by each national parliament in the EU if the Union is to become more transparent, accountable and ultimately democratic.
In order for the Oireachtas to achieve this, the way we deal with EU matters needs to be critically examined and significantly revised in light of the Lisbon Treaty. The work of this Committee will help to realise this objective.”
The Committee is a sub-Committee of the Oireachtas European Affairs Committee and the Oireachtas Committee on European Scrutiny. Its full title is Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Review of the Role of the Oireachtas in European Affairs. It has been asked to report by 27 May 2010.
The Committee will also review the recommendations made by Sub Committee on Ireland’s Future in the European Union which reported in November 2008.
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Banks Like Baying Dogs Still At Heel to Developers
Yesterday I was talking with a Letting Agent, small business in a regional town. She told me that business was difficult not only because of the economic downturn, but the combination of landlords maintaining high rents and the reduction in rent allowance to those on social welfare.
She explained that she had approached one of the main banks in this regional town who had recently taken possession of dozens of new (empty) apartments in the said town. The developer had went bankrupt and the apartments had never been sold. She said that she had approached the bank and offered to manage the apartments at a reduced rate in order to get them on the rental market.
The Bank Manager explained to her that they could not allow the empty apartments to be rented out as the local Big 6 landlords had warned the bank that if they did let the apartments onto the rental market they would all be forced to declare bankruptcy.
The same Big 6 developers/landlords continue to dominate the rental/property market in the said town, rents remain high and people are being forced out due to redundancy and the reduction in rent allowance to those who have lost their jobs.
Unless the Banks start to show some back bone the property market will not recover for many years. The market needs competition, not monopoly. Where is the competition authority in these matters, where is the Governemnt in any of its guises in these matters.
The property market must be allowed free and open competition so that it can stabilise, those in the banks who are allowing themselves to be at heel to the developers are strangling the property markets chances of recovery. If developers and landlords go to the wall so be it. Eventually and more quickly the market with find an equilibrium, it will not recover by using the tools of false economy and inflated pricing in a deflated market.
She explained that she had approached one of the main banks in this regional town who had recently taken possession of dozens of new (empty) apartments in the said town. The developer had went bankrupt and the apartments had never been sold. She said that she had approached the bank and offered to manage the apartments at a reduced rate in order to get them on the rental market.
The Bank Manager explained to her that they could not allow the empty apartments to be rented out as the local Big 6 landlords had warned the bank that if they did let the apartments onto the rental market they would all be forced to declare bankruptcy.
The same Big 6 developers/landlords continue to dominate the rental/property market in the said town, rents remain high and people are being forced out due to redundancy and the reduction in rent allowance to those who have lost their jobs.
Unless the Banks start to show some back bone the property market will not recover for many years. The market needs competition, not monopoly. Where is the competition authority in these matters, where is the Governemnt in any of its guises in these matters.
The property market must be allowed free and open competition so that it can stabilise, those in the banks who are allowing themselves to be at heel to the developers are strangling the property markets chances of recovery. If developers and landlords go to the wall so be it. Eventually and more quickly the market with find an equilibrium, it will not recover by using the tools of false economy and inflated pricing in a deflated market.
Monday, March 22, 2010
Medical Cards
The reported delays, inefficiency and dysfunctional nature of the new centralised system for processing medical cards for the over 70s will be placed under the spotlight at tomorrow’s meeting (23rd) of the Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children. The meeting will take place in Committee Room 2 at 3pm.
The meeting was specifically called by the Committee owing to concerns expressed by members about delays experienced by their constituents since the service was centralised to Finglas, Dublin. The Committee is anxious that these problems are ironed out in advance of the planned centralisation in April of medical card applications for all groups.
Representatives from the HSE, Age Action Ireland and the Irish Medical Organisation will address the meeting.
Committee Chairman, Sean O’Fearghail TD said;
“There has been widespread dissatisfaction among Committee members regarding the centralisation of medical cards for over 70s. There have been cases of people in severe need facing long delays to get their cards, documentation getting lost and there have been constant difficulties in contacting the office.
This is not acceptable and these problems need to be sorted before the centralisation of applications for all groups can even be contemplated. We will be seeking assurances from the HSE at tomorrow’s meeting about what they have done to resolve this situation and what guarantees they can provide that similar incidents won’t occur when all services are centralised.”
The meeting was specifically called by the Committee owing to concerns expressed by members about delays experienced by their constituents since the service was centralised to Finglas, Dublin. The Committee is anxious that these problems are ironed out in advance of the planned centralisation in April of medical card applications for all groups.
Representatives from the HSE, Age Action Ireland and the Irish Medical Organisation will address the meeting.
Committee Chairman, Sean O’Fearghail TD said;
“There has been widespread dissatisfaction among Committee members regarding the centralisation of medical cards for over 70s. There have been cases of people in severe need facing long delays to get their cards, documentation getting lost and there have been constant difficulties in contacting the office.
This is not acceptable and these problems need to be sorted before the centralisation of applications for all groups can even be contemplated. We will be seeking assurances from the HSE at tomorrow’s meeting about what they have done to resolve this situation and what guarantees they can provide that similar incidents won’t occur when all services are centralised.”
Public Accounts Committee
The findings of a key report published today (22nd), by the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG) into the measures taken by the Financial Regulator as the financial crisis unfolded will be scrutinised by the D il Public Accounts Committee in the coming weeks.
The report evaluates how some of the significant decisions such as the supervision of financial institutions covered by the guarantee scheme and the transfer of loans by a director of one financial institute were handled. The report also contains a series of recommendations aimed at tightening up regulation.
In the coming weeks, the Public Accounts Committee will hold public meetings with the new Head of Financial Regulation at the Central Bank, Matthew Elderfield, the Head of the National Treasury Management Agency and with officials from the Department of Finance.
Committee Chairman, Bernard Allen TD said;
“The Committee broadly welcomes the publication of this report. There has been an acknowledgment that financial regulation failed dismally in its duty to monitor the sector and that major changes will be required to avoid the reoccurrence of such failings.
Up to the end of November last year, the State had directly spent a total of €11 billion on stabilising Irish banks. The principle remit of our Committee is to safeguard public funds and ensure that the taxpayer gets value for the money spent on its behalf. Therefore, the Committee intends to conduct a series of meetings with the main players in financial regulation and with those charged with monitoring how this huge sum is managed.
If there is to be proper accountability regarding how this massive amount of our money is spent, and transparency regarding any future outlay by the State into Irish banks, we need to have an opportunity to properly question those in charge of this process.
We will also want to question them on some of the recommendations contained in today’s report and how they will be addressed. It is clear that there cannot just be a continuation of the way things were done in the past and we are anxious to learn what changes are planned."
The Committee has scheduled a meeting with the head of the NTMA, John Corrigan on 22nd April, with officials from the Department of Finance on the 6th May and with the Central Bank’s Head of Financial Regulation, Matthew Elderfield on 13th May.
The report evaluates how some of the significant decisions such as the supervision of financial institutions covered by the guarantee scheme and the transfer of loans by a director of one financial institute were handled. The report also contains a series of recommendations aimed at tightening up regulation.
In the coming weeks, the Public Accounts Committee will hold public meetings with the new Head of Financial Regulation at the Central Bank, Matthew Elderfield, the Head of the National Treasury Management Agency and with officials from the Department of Finance.
Committee Chairman, Bernard Allen TD said;
“The Committee broadly welcomes the publication of this report. There has been an acknowledgment that financial regulation failed dismally in its duty to monitor the sector and that major changes will be required to avoid the reoccurrence of such failings.
Up to the end of November last year, the State had directly spent a total of €11 billion on stabilising Irish banks. The principle remit of our Committee is to safeguard public funds and ensure that the taxpayer gets value for the money spent on its behalf. Therefore, the Committee intends to conduct a series of meetings with the main players in financial regulation and with those charged with monitoring how this huge sum is managed.
If there is to be proper accountability regarding how this massive amount of our money is spent, and transparency regarding any future outlay by the State into Irish banks, we need to have an opportunity to properly question those in charge of this process.
We will also want to question them on some of the recommendations contained in today’s report and how they will be addressed. It is clear that there cannot just be a continuation of the way things were done in the past and we are anxious to learn what changes are planned."
The Committee has scheduled a meeting with the head of the NTMA, John Corrigan on 22nd April, with officials from the Department of Finance on the 6th May and with the Central Bank’s Head of Financial Regulation, Matthew Elderfield on 13th May.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Northern Ireland Assembly
ASSEMBLY COMMITTEE SAYS DON’T JUST WATCH, PLAY IT Members of the Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for Culture, Arts and Leisure heard evidence today from the GAA, Ulster Rugby and the IFA on the Committee’s inquiry into sport and physical activity in Northern Ireland. Three local sports personalities attended the meeting to encourage their supporters not only to watch them play but to play the sport themselves. Chair of the Committee, Barry McElduff, MLA said: “The Committee is concerned about the decline in adult participation in sport and physical activity and has recently begun an inquiry into the issue. Today we have been listening to our local sports personalities to get their views on what can and should be done to get more people active. “There is a link between performance and participation – there is no doubt that having sporting role models who excel on a world stage is a greater motivator to the rest of us to get fitâ€. Colin Coates of the NI football team, Bryn Cunningham from the Ulster Rugby team and Ryan Mellon from the GAA all put their views to the Committee on how best to motivate people in Northern Ireland to participate in sport and physical activity on a regular basis. Barry McElduff continued: “Research here has shown that 31,000 people attend match fixtures each week. We would like to see all those fans not just watching but doing – and getting at least 30 minutes exercise a day five times a week. “I and a number of Committee colleagues are getting fit for the Sports Relief Challenge on 21 March 2010. It’s not always easy to find the time to exercise but it’s an essential part of a healthy lifestyle.†The Committee launched the inquiry because it is concerned at the low levels of participation in sport and physical activity among the adult population. The inquiry will produce a report identifying the barriers which prevent more people from getting involved in physical activity and consider solutions to those issues. You can follow the Committee Members’ progress to get fit for Sports Relief and view their fitness programmes, interviews, photographs and videos at http://www.niassembly.gov.uk/culture/2007mandate/sport.htm ENDS Notes for Editors Under the Programme for Government 2008-2011, the Department of Culture, Arts and Leisure has a target for halting the decline in adult participation in sport and physical recreation by securing 53% participation. The Committee is concerned that all steps are taken as necessary to meet that target. Within that framework the Committee will specifically: Identify the main groups within the adult population which have lower levels of participation than the average rate for adults; Identify and analyse the issues particular to each of these main groups which act as a barrier to participation; Consider solutions particular to each of these main groups which could lead to higher levels of participation, including considering examples of best practice from other countries and regions; Report to the Assembly making recommendations to the Department and/or others. Committee Membership: The Chairperson of the Committee is Mr Barry McElduff MLA. The Deputy Chairperson is Mr David McNarry MLA The Committee has a further nine members: Mr Dominic Bradley MLA Mr PJ Bradley MLA The Lord Browne MLA Mr Trevor Clarke MLA Mr Billy Leonard MLA Mr Kieran McCarthy MLA Ms Michelle McIlveen MLA Mr Raymond McCartney MLA Mr Ken Robinson MLA The Clerk to the Committee is Kathryn Bell Committee Office Northern Ireland Assembly Room 424 Parliament Buildings Stormont Estate, Ballymiscaw Belfast BT4 3XX Telephone: 028 90 521841 Fax: 028 90 521355 E Mail: committee.cal@niassembly.gov.uk Communications Office contact: Caroline Moore Deputy Communications Officer Northern Ireland Assembly Phone: 02890 521806 Mobile : 07900053926 Email: caroline.moore@niassembly.gov.uk
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Health Care
"There but for the grace of God go any one of us"
Good afternoon,
If you’re an American under the age of 65, there's roughly a 50/50 chance that you will find yourself without coverage at some point in the next decade.1
Simply put, losing insurance can happen to anyone.
At yesterday's health reform event, President Obama told the story of Natoma, a self-employed woman in Ohio who found herself in the position of losing her health insurance after yet another rate hike from her insurance company:
"She realized that if she paid those health insurance premiums that had been jacked up by 40 percent … she couldn't make ends meet. So January was her last month of being insured. Like so many responsible Americans -- folks who work hard every day, who try to do the right thing -- she was forced to hang her fortunes on chance... And on Saturday, Natoma was diagnosed with leukemia…
"Part of what makes this issue difficult is most of us do have health insurance, we still do.... But what we have to understand is that what's happened to Natoma, there but for the grace of God go any one of us."
For Natoma and the millions of other Americans forced to face the burden of medical bills they can't pay while at their most vulnerable -- the time is now for health insurance reform. Watch the video of Natoma's story and learn what more you can do to help spread the word about the need for reform.
50/50 is the latest number in 'Health Reform by the Numbers,' our online campaign to raise awareness about why we just can't wait any longer for health insurance reform. Help spread the word by sharing this message with your family, friends and online networks.
Let's get it done.
Nancy-Ann DeParle
Director, White House Office of Health Reform
Good afternoon,
If you’re an American under the age of 65, there's roughly a 50/50 chance that you will find yourself without coverage at some point in the next decade.1
Simply put, losing insurance can happen to anyone.
At yesterday's health reform event, President Obama told the story of Natoma, a self-employed woman in Ohio who found herself in the position of losing her health insurance after yet another rate hike from her insurance company:
"She realized that if she paid those health insurance premiums that had been jacked up by 40 percent … she couldn't make ends meet. So January was her last month of being insured. Like so many responsible Americans -- folks who work hard every day, who try to do the right thing -- she was forced to hang her fortunes on chance... And on Saturday, Natoma was diagnosed with leukemia…
"Part of what makes this issue difficult is most of us do have health insurance, we still do.... But what we have to understand is that what's happened to Natoma, there but for the grace of God go any one of us."
For Natoma and the millions of other Americans forced to face the burden of medical bills they can't pay while at their most vulnerable -- the time is now for health insurance reform. Watch the video of Natoma's story and learn what more you can do to help spread the word about the need for reform.
50/50 is the latest number in 'Health Reform by the Numbers,' our online campaign to raise awareness about why we just can't wait any longer for health insurance reform. Help spread the word by sharing this message with your family, friends and online networks.
Let's get it done.
Nancy-Ann DeParle
Director, White House Office of Health Reform
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Northern Ireland Assembly
Environment Committee welcomes Road Safety Strategy consultation The Northern Ireland Assembly Committee for the Environment today welcomed the Environment Minister’s Road Safety Strategy consultation and looks forward to playing a full and constructive role in ensuring this strategy delivers significant reductions in fatalities and casualties on our roads. Recognising the importance of the issue and in response to the increase in the number of road deaths last year, the Committee agreed to gather as much information as it could from a range of stakeholders so that it would be in an informed position to provide constructive feedback during the Consultation period. It is clear from statistics and from the information provided by stakeholders that one of the key areas of concern is the number and seriousness of roads accidents in our rural areas. Chairperson of the Committee, Mrs Dolores Kelly MLA, said today: “Many of the most horrific incidents occur on our country roads and the Committee is pleased to note that the Minister has recognised the importance of addressing road safety in rural areas by including a number of measures aimed at improving this situation. “ Over the last few months the Environment Committee has sought feedback from the PSNI and key rural stakeholders including the Ulster Farmers’ Union and the Rural Community Network on how to improve road safety in rural areas. We have also commissioned research into enforcing speed limits on rural roads throughout Europe; mechanisms for identifying drug driving; the links between age and road deaths; and technologies for preventing the use of mobile phones while driving. The Committee will also be hosting an event on rural road safety in conjunction with PSNI, at Balmoral Show in May. “We will feed back on our findings to the Minister to maximise the impact and benefit of his strategy in reducing road deaths and casualties on our rural roads.†Ends Committee Membership: Ms. Dolores Kelly (Chairperson) Mr. Cathal Boylan (Deputy Chairperson) Mr. Roy Beggs Mr. John Dallat Mr. David Ford Mr. Danny Kinahan Mr. Ian McCrea Mr. Daithi McKay Mr. Adrian McQuillan Mr. Alastair Ross Mr. Peter Weir Media enquiries to: Jennifer Pleavin Communications Officer Northern Ireland Assembly Phone: 028 9052 1606 Mobile : 07502 379339 Email: jennifer.pleavin@niassembly.gov.uk Sinead Murphy Deputy Communications Officer Northern Ireland Assembly Phone: 028 9052 5938 Mobile : 07899 864368 Email: sinead.murphy@niassembly.gov.uk
Northern Ireland Assembly
PLAN FOR ST. PATRICK’S DAY The Assembly Employment and Learning Committee has backed an action plan designed to avoid the scenes of appalling behaviour witnessed in the Holyland area of Belfast on St Patrick’s Day last year. Members of the Committee have been involved in preparing the plan over a number of months to ensure that the St Patrick’s Day celebrations pass off peacefully this year. Chairperson of the Committee, Sue Ramsey MLA said: “We are tremendously supportive of the work that has been done by the two universities, the Employment Minister, residents’ groups, the PSNI and a number of other stakeholders to ensure that this year’s St. Patrick’s Day celebration is remembered for all the right reasons. “An unprecedented level of effort and co-operation has been put into operation by all those concerned. Anyone who has been in the area will have seen banners urging good behaviour, and leaflets have been delivered to houses in the area highlighting the need for responsible behaviour on St Patrick’s Day.†Anna Lo , Committee member and MLA for the area commented: “I have been very close to the situation on the ground in the Holyland area. I know how the residents dread a repeat of last year’s outrageous behaviour, so we must make sure that the plans that have been put in place are followed. There is no place for drunken chaos this year.†ENDS Notes to Editor: The Committee Chairperson is Ms. Sue Ramsey MLA Committee members: Mr Jonathan Bell MLA Mr. Paul Butler MLA Mr Trevor Clarke MLA Rev. Dr. Robert Coulter MLA Mr. David Hilditch MLA Mr. William Irwin MLA Ms. Anna Lo MLA Mr. David McClarty MLA Mrs. Claire McGill MLA Mr Pat Ramsey MLA Media enquiries should be addressed to: Ms Debra Savage, Communications Officer Northern Ireland Assembly Telephone – 028 90 521405/521137 Mobile: 07920 864221 Email – info.office@niassembly.gov.uk
ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEE
Monday, March 15, 2010
Call for O Donogue To Resign
National Union Of Bloggers –
Calls for Bully O’ Donoghue To Resign
The National Union of Bloggers has called for Fianna Fail TD, John O Donoghue to resign after O Donoghue used Dail facilities to threaten a citizen who simply stated the truth. While the citizen in question is well able to stand up to O Donoghue’s Bully Boy tactics, such an attack on a more vulnerable person could have had devastating effects. We are now calling on O Donoghue to resign and we are also writing to Mr Brian Cowen to establish if O Donoghue has repaid any of the tax payer’s money that he used to treat his wife to fancy hotel accommodation and days at the races.
Below is the communications so far – latest first:
(Response to O Donohue’s threat)
Dear Mr O Donoghue
I did not suggest that you conspired anything in relation to the appointment of Emily O Reilly, the fact was simply stated that you were part of the Government that appointed her. Secondly, I have in my possession documentation that was legally obtained under the FOI Act that shows clearly that while you were Minister for Justice your secretary drafted a letter for the DPP in relation to a criminal case with which you are familiar; I believe that the accused person brought criminal proceedings against you in the District Court. You were represented in those proceedings by George Birmingham et al.
Please go ahead with your libel, I think you will find you have much more to lose than I. Do you really think I would send you something that I can’t stand over?
Best Regards
(O Donoghue’s threat from - john.odonoghue@Oireachtas.ie)
Dear Sir,
I refer to your e-mail received in my Office at 09.19 on the 10th day of March, 2010 whilst I was in Dublin and which was circulated to at least one member of the Oireachtas and possibly others.
The clear implication of your e-mail is that I made improper approaches to the Director of Public Prosecutions and tried to pervert the course of justice. Further, you allege that I conspired to appoint Emily O'Reilly as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner. I wish to state to you unequivocally that neither of these statements are true. Your grave allegations of corruption impugn my personal, professional and political reputation. In short it amounts to a gross libel.
I am giving you this opportunity to withdraw this lible before 5.00 p.m on next Monday, the 15th day of March, 2010. The withdrawn of the libel will not prejudice any subsequent action for damages which I reserve the right to institute against you.
I await hearing from you with an immediate reply.
Yours sincerely,
_____________________
John O'Donoghue, T.D.
(Original email from citizen)
When I read over the many decisions made by Emily O Reilly in her role as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner - I must ask if there where times when she walked in the sand and left only one set of foot prints as she was carried along by the god of political expediency - why for example did Emily O Reilly refuse to release a letter written by a senior Government Minister to the DPP (attempt to pervert the course of justice) - when that letter would surely have seen that Minister expedited from Office long before he was forced to resign as Dail Chair - surely Emily O Reilly is someone who learned long ago not to bite the hand that feeds her - surely the same Minister had helped Emily into her post as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner....great country........still, they who use the biggest words while addressing the dry as dust Institute of Public Administration and Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting - will always win the day.....wont they?
This email has been supplied by the National Union of Bloggers and its content may be used as Editors feel appropriate. It is an outrage that O Donoghue or any other elected representative would use tax payer’s money to try and bully a citizen into silence for simply telling the truth.
Calls for Bully O’ Donoghue To Resign
The National Union of Bloggers has called for Fianna Fail TD, John O Donoghue to resign after O Donoghue used Dail facilities to threaten a citizen who simply stated the truth. While the citizen in question is well able to stand up to O Donoghue’s Bully Boy tactics, such an attack on a more vulnerable person could have had devastating effects. We are now calling on O Donoghue to resign and we are also writing to Mr Brian Cowen to establish if O Donoghue has repaid any of the tax payer’s money that he used to treat his wife to fancy hotel accommodation and days at the races.
Below is the communications so far – latest first:
(Response to O Donohue’s threat)
Dear Mr O Donoghue
I did not suggest that you conspired anything in relation to the appointment of Emily O Reilly, the fact was simply stated that you were part of the Government that appointed her. Secondly, I have in my possession documentation that was legally obtained under the FOI Act that shows clearly that while you were Minister for Justice your secretary drafted a letter for the DPP in relation to a criminal case with which you are familiar; I believe that the accused person brought criminal proceedings against you in the District Court. You were represented in those proceedings by George Birmingham et al.
Please go ahead with your libel, I think you will find you have much more to lose than I. Do you really think I would send you something that I can’t stand over?
Best Regards
(O Donoghue’s threat from - john.odonoghue@Oireachtas.ie)
Dear Sir,
I refer to your e-mail received in my Office at 09.19 on the 10th day of March, 2010 whilst I was in Dublin and which was circulated to at least one member of the Oireachtas and possibly others.
The clear implication of your e-mail is that I made improper approaches to the Director of Public Prosecutions and tried to pervert the course of justice. Further, you allege that I conspired to appoint Emily O'Reilly as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner. I wish to state to you unequivocally that neither of these statements are true. Your grave allegations of corruption impugn my personal, professional and political reputation. In short it amounts to a gross libel.
I am giving you this opportunity to withdraw this lible before 5.00 p.m on next Monday, the 15th day of March, 2010. The withdrawn of the libel will not prejudice any subsequent action for damages which I reserve the right to institute against you.
I await hearing from you with an immediate reply.
Yours sincerely,
_____________________
John O'Donoghue, T.D.
(Original email from citizen)
When I read over the many decisions made by Emily O Reilly in her role as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner - I must ask if there where times when she walked in the sand and left only one set of foot prints as she was carried along by the god of political expediency - why for example did Emily O Reilly refuse to release a letter written by a senior Government Minister to the DPP (attempt to pervert the course of justice) - when that letter would surely have seen that Minister expedited from Office long before he was forced to resign as Dail Chair - surely Emily O Reilly is someone who learned long ago not to bite the hand that feeds her - surely the same Minister had helped Emily into her post as Ombudsman and Information Commissioner....great country........still, they who use the biggest words while addressing the dry as dust Institute of Public Administration and Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accounting - will always win the day.....wont they?
This email has been supplied by the National Union of Bloggers and its content may be used as Editors feel appropriate. It is an outrage that O Donoghue or any other elected representative would use tax payer’s money to try and bully a citizen into silence for simply telling the truth.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Turkish Foreign Minister to Answer Questions
Turkish Foreign Minister to Answer Questions at Oireachtas European Affairs Committee
10 March 2010
Leading Turkish Government Minister, Mr Ahmet Davuto lu will attend a meeting of the Oireachtas European Affairs Committee, tomorrow, (11th) at 3 pm in Committee Room 2.
Mr Davuto lu is the Turkish Foreign Minister and has been central to the Turkish government’s role in attempting to broker peace in the Middle East. He was a particularly significant player on behalf of the Turkish government during the diplomatic effort for the settlement of 2008 Israel–Gaza conflict.
Mr Davuto lu has also played a central role in promoting stability in the Western Balkans. Turkey is key partner together with the EU in assisting this region as it moves towards greater European integration.
The Foreign Minister is a strong advocate of Turkish membership of the European Union. He will brief the Committee on the current state of negotiations with the EU and the reform process underway in Turkey as it aligns itself with EU norms.
Committee Chairman, Bernard Durkan TD said;
“The Committee is looking forward to a robust exchange of views with Mr Davuto lu. He is seen as the driving force behind Turkish foreign policy and has become a central figure in Middle East peace initiative.
Significantly, Turkey, due to its strategic location has become a significant player in both the Middle East and Balkan politics. The purpose of tomorrow’s meeting is to get an up to date picture on the latest developments in these often troubled regions.
The Committee is also keen to discuss the current state of affairs in relation to Turkey’s application for EU membership and to hear how Turkey plans to address some of the impediments that currently exist in the ongoing negotiations.”
The Committee can be viewed on line at: http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/Web-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=o
10 March 2010
Leading Turkish Government Minister, Mr Ahmet Davuto lu will attend a meeting of the Oireachtas European Affairs Committee, tomorrow, (11th) at 3 pm in Committee Room 2.
Mr Davuto lu is the Turkish Foreign Minister and has been central to the Turkish government’s role in attempting to broker peace in the Middle East. He was a particularly significant player on behalf of the Turkish government during the diplomatic effort for the settlement of 2008 Israel–Gaza conflict.
Mr Davuto lu has also played a central role in promoting stability in the Western Balkans. Turkey is key partner together with the EU in assisting this region as it moves towards greater European integration.
The Foreign Minister is a strong advocate of Turkish membership of the European Union. He will brief the Committee on the current state of negotiations with the EU and the reform process underway in Turkey as it aligns itself with EU norms.
Committee Chairman, Bernard Durkan TD said;
“The Committee is looking forward to a robust exchange of views with Mr Davuto lu. He is seen as the driving force behind Turkish foreign policy and has become a central figure in Middle East peace initiative.
Significantly, Turkey, due to its strategic location has become a significant player in both the Middle East and Balkan politics. The purpose of tomorrow’s meeting is to get an up to date picture on the latest developments in these often troubled regions.
The Committee is also keen to discuss the current state of affairs in relation to Turkey’s application for EU membership and to hear how Turkey plans to address some of the impediments that currently exist in the ongoing negotiations.”
The Committee can be viewed on line at: http://www.oireachtas.ie/ViewDoc.asp?fn=/documents/livewebcast/Web-Live.htm&CatID=83&m=o
Israeli Ambassador
Decision by Israeli Ambassador to Turn Down Invite to Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee Disappointing
10 March 2010
The Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee has today expressed its regret that Israel’s Ambassador to Ireland, Dr Zion Evrony has declined a request to attend a meeting of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Committee had asked Dr Evrony to the Committee in order to discuss the use of forged Irish passports in connection with the assassination of a senior Hamas official in Dubai. It is widely believed that the killing was carried out by Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
Committee Chairman, Dr Michael Woods TD said;
“The Committee is most disappointed by Dr Evrony’s response. This Committee is very concerned by the fraudulent use of Irish passports in any circumstances. However, the fact that false Irish passports were used by persons believed to have committed the murder in Dubai makes it all the more disturbing and sinister.
We were keen to ask Dr Evrony about this alleged involvement of Israeli secret services in the killing. In his reply, Dr Evrony stated that “as I cannot shed any light on the issue in question, I regret that I will not be able to participate in the meeting.”
We had hoped that the Ambassador would be in a position to try to establish some of the facts regarding the issue considering he is the permanent representative of the Israeli government in Ireland. However, unfortunately this does not seem to have been the case.
Urgent answers are needed to establish who was behind the use of the fake Irish passports and the Committee will be contacting the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin to see if he has been any more successful in garnering information.”
Also, at its meeting today, the Committee assented to a request made by the Israeli Ambassador to meet with Dr Alan Dershowitz from Harvard Law School. The Israeli embassy suggested Dr Dershowitz as an appropriate witness to give the Israeli perspective regarding the military campaign in Gaza and the subsequent Goldstone Report. The Committee was happy to agree to this and it is keen to give all sides of the conflict on opportunity to offer their viewpoints.
10 March 2010
The Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee has today expressed its regret that Israel’s Ambassador to Ireland, Dr Zion Evrony has declined a request to attend a meeting of the Oireachtas Foreign Affairs Committee.
The Committee had asked Dr Evrony to the Committee in order to discuss the use of forged Irish passports in connection with the assassination of a senior Hamas official in Dubai. It is widely believed that the killing was carried out by Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency.
Committee Chairman, Dr Michael Woods TD said;
“The Committee is most disappointed by Dr Evrony’s response. This Committee is very concerned by the fraudulent use of Irish passports in any circumstances. However, the fact that false Irish passports were used by persons believed to have committed the murder in Dubai makes it all the more disturbing and sinister.
We were keen to ask Dr Evrony about this alleged involvement of Israeli secret services in the killing. In his reply, Dr Evrony stated that “as I cannot shed any light on the issue in question, I regret that I will not be able to participate in the meeting.”
We had hoped that the Ambassador would be in a position to try to establish some of the facts regarding the issue considering he is the permanent representative of the Israeli government in Ireland. However, unfortunately this does not seem to have been the case.
Urgent answers are needed to establish who was behind the use of the fake Irish passports and the Committee will be contacting the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Micheal Martin to see if he has been any more successful in garnering information.”
Also, at its meeting today, the Committee assented to a request made by the Israeli Ambassador to meet with Dr Alan Dershowitz from Harvard Law School. The Israeli embassy suggested Dr Dershowitz as an appropriate witness to give the Israeli perspective regarding the military campaign in Gaza and the subsequent Goldstone Report. The Committee was happy to agree to this and it is keen to give all sides of the conflict on opportunity to offer their viewpoints.
Tuesday, March 9, 2010
Flooding In Shannon
Flooding of Shannon Region to be Scrutinised at Oireachtas Environment Committee
8th March 2010
The unprecedented levels of flooding which hit the Shannon region late last year will be investigated with all the relevant agencies at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, tomorrow (9th) at 2pm in Committee Room 2 of Leinster House.
Representatives from the Office of Public Works, Waterways Ireland, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Central (Shannon Regional) Fisheries Board, ESB, Bord Na Mona, IFA and the Heritage Council will appear before the Committee.
The County Managers of Galway, Limerick, Longford, Roscommon and Westmeath County Councils will also attend the meeting.
Tomorrow’s meeting will contribute to a report the Committee is compiling which will address how best to manage the scale of flooding in the future and consider what preventative measures could be implemented to restrict the damage caused by adverse weather.
Committee Chairman, Se n Fleming TD said;
“Many people in the Shannon and Midlands region suffered utter devastation following the flooding of late last year. There was huge damage caused to homes, land, livelihoods and tourism. Many people are still struggling to get over it.
Questions still remain regarding the response to the flooding and there are still matters which need to be addressed concerning some of the contributory factors. The Committee is anxious to hear from all the groups who represent those impacted by the floods and who had a role in responding.
The meeting tomorrow will give the Committee an opportunity to sit down with all these organisations to discuss these serious issues and try to establish some facts.”
8th March 2010
The unprecedented levels of flooding which hit the Shannon region late last year will be investigated with all the relevant agencies at a meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, tomorrow (9th) at 2pm in Committee Room 2 of Leinster House.
Representatives from the Office of Public Works, Waterways Ireland, National Parks and Wildlife Service, Central (Shannon Regional) Fisheries Board, ESB, Bord Na Mona, IFA and the Heritage Council will appear before the Committee.
The County Managers of Galway, Limerick, Longford, Roscommon and Westmeath County Councils will also attend the meeting.
Tomorrow’s meeting will contribute to a report the Committee is compiling which will address how best to manage the scale of flooding in the future and consider what preventative measures could be implemented to restrict the damage caused by adverse weather.
Committee Chairman, Se n Fleming TD said;
“Many people in the Shannon and Midlands region suffered utter devastation following the flooding of late last year. There was huge damage caused to homes, land, livelihoods and tourism. Many people are still struggling to get over it.
Questions still remain regarding the response to the flooding and there are still matters which need to be addressed concerning some of the contributory factors. The Committee is anxious to hear from all the groups who represent those impacted by the floods and who had a role in responding.
The meeting tomorrow will give the Committee an opportunity to sit down with all these organisations to discuss these serious issues and try to establish some facts.”
Friday, March 5, 2010
Congratulations to TDs and Senators
Oireachtas Slims Down as TDs and Senators Loose a Total of 26st 11lbs as Part of Operation Transformation!
5th March 2010
All that exercise, discipline and healthy eating has really paid off for the fifteen Oireachtas members who participated in RTE’s Operation Transformation.
Over the last eight weeks, the eight TDs and seven Senators have changed their dietary habits and conducted a strict exercise regime in a bid to shed weight, get fit and follow a healthier lifestyle.
Their endeavours have been hugely successful. At the start of the process our fifteen volunteers weighed in at a combined total of 3,468lbs/247st 10lbs. However, last week at the end of the eight weeks, they had trimmed down to 3,093lbs/220st 13lbs. This represents a total weight loss of 26st 11bs, with anart average weight loss of 25lbs.
Speaking as leader of the participants, Senator David Norris said;
“We are all thrilled by the results we have achieved over the last eights weeks. Our hard work, determination and no little restraint has really paid off!
The nature of our work often means that we didn't get the kind of exercise we should and our dietary habits were also a bit of a shambles. In the past, we had gotten into the habit of eating when we could as opposed to when we should.
However, it just goes to show that if you put your mind to it and stick to a strict regime you really can transform the way you look and feel in a relatively short space of time. I know we are all proud of what we have achieved and we are determined to kick on from here.
There was also great co-operation between all of us throughout and any political differences were put firmly to one side. Indeed we have decided to stay together as an all party group to promote health and better lifestyle issues.
I would encourage anyone who feels they could do with losing a few pounds just to get out and try it. If we can do it anyone can!”
Operation Transformation is a 360-degree project encompassing The Web, Radio & TV. The Gerry Ryan Radio Show carried out a nationwide search to find individuals and groups of people who have very genuine reasons why they need Operation Transformation to help them lose weight and get fit. A team of experts developed an eight-week programme for participants. Each day of the eight weeks is mapped out for each individual in terms of a detailed diet and exercise routine on the web.
The successful slimmers are:
Senator Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)
Aengus Snodaigh T.D. (Sinn F in)
Se n Barrett T.D. (Fine Gael)
Eamon Scanlon T.D. (Fianna F il)
Tom Sheahan T.D. (Fine Gael)
Senator Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
Paul Gogarty T.D. (Green Party)
Senator Phil Prendergast (Labour)
Senator Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
Senator Denis O'Donovan (Fianna F il)
Se n Connick T.D. (Fianna F il)
Dr. Jimmy Devins T.D. (Fianna F il)
Fergus O'Dowd T.D. (Fine Gael)
Senator David Norris (Independent)
John O Mahony T.D. (Fine Gael)
5th March 2010
All that exercise, discipline and healthy eating has really paid off for the fifteen Oireachtas members who participated in RTE’s Operation Transformation.
Over the last eight weeks, the eight TDs and seven Senators have changed their dietary habits and conducted a strict exercise regime in a bid to shed weight, get fit and follow a healthier lifestyle.
Their endeavours have been hugely successful. At the start of the process our fifteen volunteers weighed in at a combined total of 3,468lbs/247st 10lbs. However, last week at the end of the eight weeks, they had trimmed down to 3,093lbs/220st 13lbs. This represents a total weight loss of 26st 11bs, with anart average weight loss of 25lbs.
Speaking as leader of the participants, Senator David Norris said;
“We are all thrilled by the results we have achieved over the last eights weeks. Our hard work, determination and no little restraint has really paid off!
The nature of our work often means that we didn't get the kind of exercise we should and our dietary habits were also a bit of a shambles. In the past, we had gotten into the habit of eating when we could as opposed to when we should.
However, it just goes to show that if you put your mind to it and stick to a strict regime you really can transform the way you look and feel in a relatively short space of time. I know we are all proud of what we have achieved and we are determined to kick on from here.
There was also great co-operation between all of us throughout and any political differences were put firmly to one side. Indeed we have decided to stay together as an all party group to promote health and better lifestyle issues.
I would encourage anyone who feels they could do with losing a few pounds just to get out and try it. If we can do it anyone can!”
Operation Transformation is a 360-degree project encompassing The Web, Radio & TV. The Gerry Ryan Radio Show carried out a nationwide search to find individuals and groups of people who have very genuine reasons why they need Operation Transformation to help them lose weight and get fit. A team of experts developed an eight-week programme for participants. Each day of the eight weeks is mapped out for each individual in terms of a detailed diet and exercise routine on the web.
The successful slimmers are:
Senator Nicky McFadden (Fine Gael)
Aengus Snodaigh T.D. (Sinn F in)
Se n Barrett T.D. (Fine Gael)
Eamon Scanlon T.D. (Fianna F il)
Tom Sheahan T.D. (Fine Gael)
Senator Joe O'Reilly (Fine Gael)
Paul Gogarty T.D. (Green Party)
Senator Phil Prendergast (Labour)
Senator Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)
Senator Denis O'Donovan (Fianna F il)
Se n Connick T.D. (Fianna F il)
Dr. Jimmy Devins T.D. (Fianna F il)
Fergus O'Dowd T.D. (Fine Gael)
Senator David Norris (Independent)
John O Mahony T.D. (Fine Gael)
HSE
HSE must ensure the 226 Hospital Consultants in Breach of Contract are Monitored-Public Accounts Committee
The Health Service Executive must ensure that those hospital consultants who are not adhering to the stipulated public/private mix of the consultants’ contract are not allowed to continue with this practice, the D il Public Accounts Committee has insisted today.
HSE executives told the Public Accounts Committee that they had written to 226 hospital consultants to inform them that there were in breach of the public/private patient mix requirement. Under the terms of the contract accepted by 86% of hospital consultants they must carry out 80% public and 20% private work.
The Committee was told that a provision exists in the contract which allows a period of time for those consultants who have not achieved the 80:20 ratio to change their work practices accordingly. The HSE said that by May this year they hope these consultants will be in line with their contract stipulation.
Committee Chairman, Bernard Allen TD said;
“The new hospital consultants’ contract is clear regarding the limited level of private work most consultants are permitted to carry out. The fact that over two hundred of them have still not reached this requirement is unsatisfactory.
The HSE has contacted the relevant individuals to remind them of their responsibility, and this Committee intends to monitor their response. We cannot tolerate a situation where highly paid individuals are failing to perform their contractual duties to provide health services to the public.
Under their contract any revenue generated from additional private work must be returned to their hospital and we urge the HSE not to hesitate to do this in cases where blatant violations have occurred."
The Health Service Executive must ensure that those hospital consultants who are not adhering to the stipulated public/private mix of the consultants’ contract are not allowed to continue with this practice, the D il Public Accounts Committee has insisted today.
HSE executives told the Public Accounts Committee that they had written to 226 hospital consultants to inform them that there were in breach of the public/private patient mix requirement. Under the terms of the contract accepted by 86% of hospital consultants they must carry out 80% public and 20% private work.
The Committee was told that a provision exists in the contract which allows a period of time for those consultants who have not achieved the 80:20 ratio to change their work practices accordingly. The HSE said that by May this year they hope these consultants will be in line with their contract stipulation.
Committee Chairman, Bernard Allen TD said;
“The new hospital consultants’ contract is clear regarding the limited level of private work most consultants are permitted to carry out. The fact that over two hundred of them have still not reached this requirement is unsatisfactory.
The HSE has contacted the relevant individuals to remind them of their responsibility, and this Committee intends to monitor their response. We cannot tolerate a situation where highly paid individuals are failing to perform their contractual duties to provide health services to the public.
Under their contract any revenue generated from additional private work must be returned to their hospital and we urge the HSE not to hesitate to do this in cases where blatant violations have occurred."
Thursday, March 4, 2010
HSE
HSE Chief Brendan Drumm to be Questioned at Public Accounts Committee
The progress made by the Health Service Executive in monitoring performance information such as average waiting times for surgery, number of hospital bed days lost and number of procedures carried out will be on the agenda at todays (4th) meeting of the Dail Public Accounts Committee.
CEO of the HSE, Professor Brendan Drumm will attend the Committee, which starts at 10 am Committee Room 1 of Leinster House.
The purpose of the meeting is to assess the HSE’s progress in its key task of instituting a performance management and information system. This undertaking is central feature of HSE policy as it allows for the first time, comparison between different hospitals in areas like waiting times, hospital throughput and use of resources.
Committee Chairman, Bernard Allen TD said;
“Having reliable, quantifiable information on areas like waiting times for surgery, number of bed days lost and levels of activity in each hospital is a vital component in reforming our health service and ensuring value for money.
We will be keen to find out how the HSE is advancing on the project and to be given an up-to-date picture on where we stand with regard to issues such waiting times for surgery and day care.”
The progress made by the Health Service Executive in monitoring performance information such as average waiting times for surgery, number of hospital bed days lost and number of procedures carried out will be on the agenda at todays (4th) meeting of the Dail Public Accounts Committee.
CEO of the HSE, Professor Brendan Drumm will attend the Committee, which starts at 10 am Committee Room 1 of Leinster House.
The purpose of the meeting is to assess the HSE’s progress in its key task of instituting a performance management and information system. This undertaking is central feature of HSE policy as it allows for the first time, comparison between different hospitals in areas like waiting times, hospital throughput and use of resources.
Committee Chairman, Bernard Allen TD said;
“Having reliable, quantifiable information on areas like waiting times for surgery, number of bed days lost and levels of activity in each hospital is a vital component in reforming our health service and ensuring value for money.
We will be keen to find out how the HSE is advancing on the project and to be given an up-to-date picture on where we stand with regard to issues such waiting times for surgery and day care.”
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Levy on Broadcasting
Oireachtas Communications Committee Calls for Levy on Independent Radio Stations to be Cancelled Pending Proper Consideration
3 March 2010
The payment of the proposed levy by independent TV and radio stations to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) must be postponed so a proper review of the issue can take place, the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has insisted today.
Committee members expressed their outright opposition to the levy on the independent TV and radio sector as it is currently envisaged and passed a unanimous motion calling for the annulment of the Statutory Instrument which would give effect to the levy.
The Committee is seeking this suspension so it can properly examine the accounts of the BAI in order to establish on what basis this increase is being sought and if it is necessary.
The BAI is seeking an increase in its annual budget to €7.6 million which represents a 27% increase. This measure is to be funded by an increased payment by independent media outlets.
Committee Chairman, MJ Nolan TD said
“The Committee is extremely concerned by the damaging impact this higher payment could have on the independent media sector, particularly local radio stations. Many local radio stations are already struggling to survive and are operating on a knife edge owing to significant downturns in their advertising revenue. In many cases local stations have lost up to 35% in advertising income and have already had to make people redundant.
We have heard reports that some stations have had to drop their wages in order to continue to exist, so any further increase in their costs could have serious implications and would likely result in more job losses.
Local radio stations provide an invaluable service for communities all over Ireland and we feel their continued existence is vital. For this reason, we feel that the rise in the levy is neither practical nor fair given the current economic realities.
Therefore, our motion has called for the annulment of the Statutory Instrument which would introduce the levy and calls for this Committee to be given time to scrutinise the measure to reviewing its cost effectiveness.”
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) was established on October 1st 2009, as an independent regulator for radio and television broadcasters in Ireland.
3 March 2010
The payment of the proposed levy by independent TV and radio stations to the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) must be postponed so a proper review of the issue can take place, the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources has insisted today.
Committee members expressed their outright opposition to the levy on the independent TV and radio sector as it is currently envisaged and passed a unanimous motion calling for the annulment of the Statutory Instrument which would give effect to the levy.
The Committee is seeking this suspension so it can properly examine the accounts of the BAI in order to establish on what basis this increase is being sought and if it is necessary.
The BAI is seeking an increase in its annual budget to €7.6 million which represents a 27% increase. This measure is to be funded by an increased payment by independent media outlets.
Committee Chairman, MJ Nolan TD said
“The Committee is extremely concerned by the damaging impact this higher payment could have on the independent media sector, particularly local radio stations. Many local radio stations are already struggling to survive and are operating on a knife edge owing to significant downturns in their advertising revenue. In many cases local stations have lost up to 35% in advertising income and have already had to make people redundant.
We have heard reports that some stations have had to drop their wages in order to continue to exist, so any further increase in their costs could have serious implications and would likely result in more job losses.
Local radio stations provide an invaluable service for communities all over Ireland and we feel their continued existence is vital. For this reason, we feel that the rise in the levy is neither practical nor fair given the current economic realities.
Therefore, our motion has called for the annulment of the Statutory Instrument which would introduce the levy and calls for this Committee to be given time to scrutinise the measure to reviewing its cost effectiveness.”
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) was established on October 1st 2009, as an independent regulator for radio and television broadcasters in Ireland.
Broadcasting Levy
Head of Broadcasting Authority to Face Oireachtas Committee to Discuss Increase in Levy for Independent TV & Radio Stations
2nd March 2010
The proposal to increase the levy paid by independent TV and radio stations to fund the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) will be debated with the BAI’s Chief Executive, Michael O’Keeffe, at tomorrow’s (3rd March) meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
The meeting will take place at 9:45 am in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House.
According to the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI), who represent 34 local and national radio stations, the BAI is seeking an increase in its anual budget from €5.2 million to €7.6 million . The IBI have claimed that this increase will cost jobs and is unsustainable, as the minimum levy bill will now be in the region of €90,000.
Committee Chairman, MJ Nolan TD said;
“Unfortunately, no sector, including the media, has been spared the effects of the current economic situation with many stations reporting significant falls in their adverting revenue.
As a result, there have already been jobs lost in the media and some operators have had to close. Therefore, claims that this new levy will cost more jobs in the sector must be taken seriously.
For this reason, the Committee is keen to speak to the head of the BAI to try to understand why this increase is being proposed. We want to establish why he believes there is a need for such an increase in the BAI budget, what this extra revenue will be used for and if he feels that jobs will be lost as a result. We will also be asking what savings the BAI itself can make to its operating costs.”
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) was established on October 1st 2009, as an independent regulator for radio and television broadcasters in Ireland.
2nd March 2010
The proposal to increase the levy paid by independent TV and radio stations to fund the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) will be debated with the BAI’s Chief Executive, Michael O’Keeffe, at tomorrow’s (3rd March) meeting of the Oireachtas Committee on Communications, Energy and Natural Resources.
The meeting will take place at 9:45 am in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House.
According to the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI), who represent 34 local and national radio stations, the BAI is seeking an increase in its anual budget from €5.2 million to €7.6 million . The IBI have claimed that this increase will cost jobs and is unsustainable, as the minimum levy bill will now be in the region of €90,000.
Committee Chairman, MJ Nolan TD said;
“Unfortunately, no sector, including the media, has been spared the effects of the current economic situation with many stations reporting significant falls in their adverting revenue.
As a result, there have already been jobs lost in the media and some operators have had to close. Therefore, claims that this new levy will cost more jobs in the sector must be taken seriously.
For this reason, the Committee is keen to speak to the head of the BAI to try to understand why this increase is being proposed. We want to establish why he believes there is a need for such an increase in the BAI budget, what this extra revenue will be used for and if he feels that jobs will be lost as a result. We will also be asking what savings the BAI itself can make to its operating costs.”
The Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) was established on October 1st 2009, as an independent regulator for radio and television broadcasters in Ireland.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Social Exclusion
Officials from the Office for Social Inclusion will attend the meeting and detail how the State will implement the goals of this EU initiative.
The European Union is one of the richest areas in the world, but still 17% of EU Citizens have such limited resources that they cannot afford the basics.
Committee Chairman, Bernard Durkan TD said;
“The current (2006) rate of consistent poverty in Ireland is 6.5%, having reduced from 8.2% in 2003. Regrettably, the current economic downturn is likely to increase the risk of people falling into poverty.
This European Union sponsored drive could provide impetus to tackling the levels of poverty and social exclusion in Ireland and across the European Union. The purpose of the meeting tomorrow is to learn from those with direct responsibility for implementing the programme in Ireland, what they propose to do and what impact it is likely to have.”
Some of the stated aims of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion are: giving voice to the concerns and needs of people experiencing poverty, promoting a society that sustains quality of life, engaging with civil society organisations that fight poverty and social exclusion.
The Office for Social Inclusion is part of the Department of Social and Family Affairs and has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the government’s social inclusion policy which includes the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016.
The European Union is one of the richest areas in the world, but still 17% of EU Citizens have such limited resources that they cannot afford the basics.
Committee Chairman, Bernard Durkan TD said;
“The current (2006) rate of consistent poverty in Ireland is 6.5%, having reduced from 8.2% in 2003. Regrettably, the current economic downturn is likely to increase the risk of people falling into poverty.
This European Union sponsored drive could provide impetus to tackling the levels of poverty and social exclusion in Ireland and across the European Union. The purpose of the meeting tomorrow is to learn from those with direct responsibility for implementing the programme in Ireland, what they propose to do and what impact it is likely to have.”
Some of the stated aims of the European Year for Combating Poverty and Social Exclusion are: giving voice to the concerns and needs of people experiencing poverty, promoting a society that sustains quality of life, engaging with civil society organisations that fight poverty and social exclusion.
The Office for Social Inclusion is part of the Department of Social and Family Affairs and has overall responsibility for co-ordinating the government’s social inclusion policy which includes the National Action Plan for Social Inclusion 2007-2016.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Youth and Politics
The Northern Ireland Assembly has received over 250 self-nominations from young people across Northern Ireland who want to play a part in setting up a Youth Assembly. Thirty young people, chosen from the nominees, will help develop the look, feel and purpose of a Northern Ireland Youth Assembly which will be launched in late 2011. Speaking at the end of the nomination process the Speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly, William Hay, MLA said: We are delighted at the level of interest shown in this Youth Assembly and with the high number of nominations we have received. Nominations have come from young people throughout Northern Ireland and I am particularly pleased that a large proportion of the nominees live in rural locations. It demonstrates the enthusiasm of young people to engage in the democratic process and to help shape the future of Northern Ireland politics. The Panel of 30 young people will work with us over the next 12 months to ensure the Youth Assembly gives young people a strong voice on issues that concern them. The Youth Panel will be made up of 30 young people and will meet regularly around Northern Ireland over the course of a year. They will work with the Northern Ireland Assembly Commission to develop plans for a youth assembly. It is an opportunity for young people to make a real difference and secure a stronger voice in issues that concern them, as well as gain experience and develop skills for the future.
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