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[] | 2016-08-26T20:50:14 | null | 2016-08-26T20:39:00 | Tax deal found to be illegal state aid but Apple’s tax bill to Ireland will be far less than originally suggested | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Feu-to-rule-against-ireland-in-apple-tax-case-1.2769865%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769864.1472244159!/image/image.jpg | en | null | EU to rule against Ireland in Apple tax case | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | The EU Commission is preparing to issue a final ruling that Ireland’s tax deal with Apple represented illegal state aid.
However sources believe the amount of tax Ireland will be asked to collect from the US giant will be much less than the billions of euro which had been originally suggested by some analysts.
Court challenge
The Government and Apple will immediately signal that they will challenge the ruling in the European courts, a process that could take some years. Sources say that government and the US company remain in “lock step” on the issue.
When the EU Commission issued its preliminary adverse finding in 2014, which was that it believed that the Irish government had given Apple illegal state aid, some estimates were that it would seek to oblige Ireland to collect as much as €18 billion to €19 billion in taxes dating backing to the 1990s.
Smaller sum
Sources now believe the likely outcome will involve a much smaller sum. While the precise terms of the EU Commission decision - and whether it will mention an actual figure - remain unclear, sources believe that the sum involved is likely to be in the hundreds of millions rather than the billions. One suggestion is that Ireland could be pressed to recoup somewhere between €500 million and €1 billion from Apple. However the final terms of the commission decision are not yet fully clear.
While this amount of money would not be significant for Apple, both it and the Irish government are believed certain to appeal any ruling. Both Apple and the Government have denied any wrongdoing.
Earlier this year the EU Competition Commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, told the Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, that the decision could come in September or October. Sources now believe it may emerge late next week or early the following week.
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White paper
The Apple case has become a highly controversial issue between the EU Commission and Washington. Earlier this week, the US Treasury published a White Paper arguing that the EU Commission was exceeding its powers in its tax investigations.
In what was seen as a clear reference to the Apple case, it also made a strong argument that the EU Commission should not seek to recoup back tax dating back years from the companies involved.
Apple is just one of a number of companies whose tax affairs the Commission is investigating, but it is by far the most high profile of the cases involved.
An adverse ruling is likely to heighten tensions between Brussels and Washington. The white paper suggested that the treasury was considering retaliatory measures, and also that the tax disputes could have a “chilling” impact on any trans-Atlantic investment.
The Irish government has repeatedly insisted that Apple did not get any “special” date, but the low level of tax paid by Apple of profits moved through Ireland - often 2 per cent or less - has proved highly controversial. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/eu-to-rule-against-ireland-in-apple-tax-case-1.2769865?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/6ec84c8f3d1ffe53b1bee1f99dc7b5323a3d4aefca37fe9c5064cefe6d59a6b9.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T12:49:06 | null | 2016-08-30T13:38:00 | Technology giant’s chief financial officer comments following EU tax ruling | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Ftechnology%2Fapple-insists-it-will-continue-to-invest-in-ireland-1.2773040.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773038.1472560697!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Apple insists it will continue to invest in Ireland | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Apple’s chief financial officer Luca Maestri said on Tuesday the iPhone maker’s investment plans in Ireland have not changed in the wake of the EU ruling that it must pay up to €13 billion in unpaid taxes to the Republic.
“We have an outstanding relationship over the years with the Irish Government and we are very committed to Ireland,” Mr Maestri said on a conference call with journalists. “We have recently made additional investments in the country and our plans to invest in Ireland have not changed.”
Apple, which set up a base in Ireland in 1980, said in November that it plans to add a further 1,000 jobs in its base in Cork by the middle of 2017, bringing its Irish workforce up to 6,000.
While accountancy firm Grant Thornton estimates that Apple faces an additional interest bill of €6 billion as Ireland is forced to recover back taxes from the company between 2003 and 2014, Mr Maestri said “we believe it is going to be a significantly lower number.”
Apple has come out fighting following the European Commission’s final decision, with chief executive Tim Cook posting an open letter, criticising the EU for “effectively proposing to replace Irish tax laws with a view of what the Commission thinks the law should be.”
The California-based group said it will be appealing the ruling with the Irish Government and that it is “confident” the order will be reversed in court.
“We’re trying to sound an alarm bell that what the Commission is doing has real consequences for property, for investment, for international trade,” Apple’s general counsel Bruce Sewell said on the conference call. The EU’s decision “casts a pall” over the ability of companies doing business in the bloc, throwing into questions the legitimacy of any deals they strike with member states.
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Mr Maestri said he believes that multinational companies will have concerns in future about making investments in Europe, based on the Commission’s ruling. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/apple-insists-it-will-continue-to-invest-in-ireland-1.2773040 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/e9a846635fbc01b482a751a60663e339f880e169e20fee4173e4e7245abcb544.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T16:48:31 | null | 2016-08-28T17:20:00 | Semi-State eyes potential in Limerick-based Electricity Exchange | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fenergy-and-resources%2Fbord-na-m%25C3%25B3na-takes-50-stake-in-smart-grid-technology-firm-1.2771112.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771110.1472401214!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Bord na Móna takes 50% stake in smart-grid technology firm | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Bord na Móna has acquired a 50 per cent stake in smart-grid technology firm Electricity Exchange for an undisclosed sum.
The start-up, co-founded by entrepreneurs Paddy Finn and Duncan O’Toole, operates a virtual 24-hour power station from its base in Castletroy in Limerick.
Their technology allows them to remotely control back-up generators and reduce power consumption in large industries at specific times of power shortages on the grid.
Bord na Móna believes the technology will allow for greater penetration of renewables.
Ireland’s power system faces a challenge in delivering on its 2020 renewable-energy target, which commits the State to sourcing 40 per cent of its energy needs from renewables.
Vigilant management
Bord na Móna said the variable nature of wind, from which the State derives most of its renewable electricity generation, requires vigilant power-system management in order to maintain security of electricity supply.
“Bord na Móna Powergen has a significant development pipeline of renewable projects and we see the Electricity Exchange technology as an enabler to allow greater renewable penetration on to the Irish Electricity grid,” Bord na Móna chief executive Mike Quinn said.
“The power system is evolving at a fast pace and Electricity Exchange has a track record of constant innovation which allows them to stay ahead of the curve.”
He said working together with Electricity Exchange would allow it to deliver exciting new services to the company’s combined customer bases and create new opportunities.
Dr Finn, a University of Limerick engineering graduate, said: “This investment comes at an exciting time for the company and we are looking forward to accelerating our growth, expanding into other markets, and delivering the technologies necessary to make Ireland a smart-grid exemplar in partnership with Bord na Móna”.
He was a recent regional winner of the best start-up business category in the Best Young Entrepreneur competition. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/energy-and-resources/bord-na-m%C3%B3na-takes-50-stake-in-smart-grid-technology-firm-1.2771112 | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/0fc2381ee91777880471e39ebb454d6849986602c976690022432c6d59d17963.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:47:27 | null | 2016-08-26T16:19:00 | Irish lessor provides AgustaWestland to not-for-profit Canadian group Ornge | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Ftransport-and-tourism%2Fwaypoint-leases-air-ambulance-to-ontario-emergency-medics-1.2769587.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769585.1472227477!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Waypoint leases air ambulance to Ontario emergency medics | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Irish helicopter financier Waypoint has leased a recently bought air ambulance to the emergency medical services in Ontario, Canada.
The Limerick- and US-based company confirmed that it bought an AgustaWestland 139 helicopter, configured for use by emergency medical services, and leased it to Ornge, which runs the service.
Ornge is a not-for-profit organisation that provides airborne emergency medical services and transport to Ontario. It has the largest fleet of air ambulances in the north American country and is responsible for an area the size of Spain, France and Holland combined.
Welcoming news of the deal, Waypoint chief executive, Ed Washecka said Ornge was an important customer.
“Expansion into the Canadian helicopter emergency medical services market further diversifies our customer base and expands our emergency medical services business, which has been a strategic focus since our inception in 2013,” he said. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/waypoint-leases-air-ambulance-to-ontario-emergency-medics-1.2769587 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/d71d0e428f90453dfaf8c2f5b83f528bfc48dc60a315cfd32d4ba76d72b94d5a.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:48:45 | null | 2016-08-29T17:09:00 | Dr Nina Byrnes to continue action against Pearl Health and director David Johnson | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fcommercial-property%2Fhigh-court-proceedings-against-businessman-derek-richardson-dropped-1.2772156.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772154.1472488825!/image/image.jpg | en | null | High Court proceedings against businessman Derek Richardson dropped | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | High Court proceedings brought by TV doctor Dr Nina Byrnes against businessman Derek Richardson over a medical surgery she has been operating at a South Dublin shopping centre have been resolved.
While Dr Byrnes, who has presented the TV shows Health of the Nation for RTÉ and Doctor in the House for TV3, has brought her action against Mr Richard to an end her claim against other parties arising out the dispute over the surgery remains in being.
The case commenced earlier this month when Dr Byrnes secured a temporary High Court injunction restoring her to possession of the GP surgery, trading under the name Generation Health on the first floor of Glenageary Shopping Centre, Glenageary Road Upper, Co Dublin.
Evicted
She claimed she was evicted from the surgery by the landlords and owners of the property from where she has operated the surgery since June of last year. Her proceedings were against Pearl Health Ltd, its director David Johnson of Killiney Hill Upper, Killiney, Co Dublin, and the alleged owner of the building, Mr Richardson, who is the owner of English Rugby team Wasps.
The matter returned before Mr Justice Tony O’Connor at the High Court on Monday. Following talks between lawyers the court heard Dr Byrnes’s entire proceedings against Mr Richardson could be struck out and the injunction against him could be discharged.
The businessman’s lawyers said the dispute was between Dr Byrnes and Pearl Health and not Mr Richardson. Mr Richardson had described the injunction against him as being “oppressive and vexatious”. The court also heard the injunction against Mr Johnson and Pearl Health and Dr Byrnes could be struck out on terms. However her claim against Pearl and Mr Johnson is to proceed.
Her barrister, Luan Ó Braonain SC, said it had been agreed that the parties would take steps to expedite the full hearing of the dispute before the High Court. No details of the terms or any arrangements agreed between the parties were given in open court. The injunction restrained the defendants from interfering with Dr Byrnes’s operation of the surgery and the employees working at the the medical practice.
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The defendants were also ordered to surrender vacant possession of the property to her and were prohibited from trespassing on the property. The injunction also restrained the defendants from accessing interfering or removing patients’ records held at the GP clinic.
Clinic
In a sworn statement Dr Byrnes said that in 2015 she established a new GP clinic at Glenageary Shopping Centre. She did so after Pearl Health Ltd said its plan was to bring together dentists, physiotherapists and other related professionals at the shopping centre to create a medical centre.
She said it was agreed she would lease the property and would have exclusive rights to provide GP services under the “Generation Health” brand. She claimed in recent months there were incidents that amounted to an unlawful interference with her business.
Legal correspondence between the parties followed. Dr Byrnes said she was informed her agreement with the defendants had been terminated.
When she arrived for work on Friday, August 12th last, there was an attempt to lock her out of the premises. She claimed the actions of the respondents will cause irreparable damage to her medical and business reputations, as well as her standing in the community. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/high-court-proceedings-against-businessman-derek-richardson-dropped-1.2772156 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/d0d0d08f16be0726ab8bea195c4be448dc76d5d4a94ee000fad9e810b18470fa.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:47:48 | null | 2016-08-26T15:34:00 | He will find it’s a competitive world out there | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fmedia-and-marketing%2Fif-inm-is-to-buy-growth-former-tesco-executive-pitt-needs-to-go-shopping-1.2769523.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769521.1472222053!/image/image.jpg | en | null | If INM is to buy growth, former Tesco executive Pitt needs to go shopping | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Independent News & Media (INM) has reported relatively strong half year results in a challenged industry. But it needs to find suitable digital acquisition targets and execute buyouts, fast, if investors are to stay interested in its story.
Its results for the six months to the end of June show cash balances of €62.4 million, up by a whopping 76 per cent since this time last year. Fully one-third of its market value is attributable to cash, and at the current rate of generation, this could top 50 per cent early next year unless it finds buyout deals.
Challenges
Given the current challenges facing the newspaper industry, to be frantically looking for ways to spend your cash to drive future revenues is, in relative terms, a bit of a first world problem. But it is a still problem.
Stock market investors don’t buy into media companies to get a one-third slice of its bank account. That’s a boring story. They want a growth story instead, and INM needs digital acquisitions to deliver it.
But if INM appears too desperate to dig out suitable acquisitions and deploy its cash, it may end up overpaying on its targets.
It is a delicate balancing act for Robert Pitt, INM’s chief executive who joined the group from Tesco. He indicated on Friday it has now widened its search for digital acquisition targets beyond the UK. In Ireland, it also wants to mop up smaller print assets.
Competition
Pitt also provided some colour on the type of digital businesses it wants to buy: “We are not looking for small start ups. We are not looking for turnarounds. We want to buy businesses that will have a positive impact on the bottom line as well as the top. They must be well defined [BUT NOT NICHE].”
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In other words, Pitt is targeting, in the UK and elsewhere, the same sort of value-accretive digital media businesses that every other traditional publisher with an eye on the future wants to buy. INM has competition for those assets.
The longer the group sits on its hands waiting for the right type of acquisition target at the right price to present itself, the less bang it will get for its buck as other media companies swarm the same pool, driving up prices. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/if-inm-is-to-buy-growth-former-tesco-executive-pitt-needs-to-go-shopping-1.2769523 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/1784cdcb1d996c97f5f2093347e3ba52ca89618b4266300d5ce902e0240d1393.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:02:11 | null | 2016-08-26T08:57:00 | Company’s chief executive raises doubts about London’s access to European market | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Ffinancial-services%2Fstock-exchange-group-bats-eyes-new-dublin-base-after-brexit-1.2769253.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769252.1472198227!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Stock exchange group Bats eyes new Dublin base after Brexit | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Europe’s biggest stock exchange Bats Europe could open a base outside London following Brexit, its head told Reuters, voicing doubts about whether the City of London would secure sufficient access to the European market. While no decision has been made, he has identified Dublin as an attractive location as its legal framework was similar to the UK.
Bats Europe accounts for about 24 percent of daily trading in European shares and a shift of UK operations of one of the financial sector’s biggest success stories would be a blow to London’s prestige as a global financial centre.
Barring a clear sign that Britain will get full access to the single European market, Bats will begin work on setting up a second base next year if Brexit is expected in 2019, Bats Europe chief executive Mark Hemsley said.
He said while no firm decision had been made on whether to relocate some operations to the European Union if Britain leaves the bloc, there was no real alternative as things stand.
“If I look at the current scenarios, the only one that does give certainty to your customers is to actually have an entity within an EU country,” Mr Hemsley told Reuters, citing Dublin in Ireland as a possible location.
“Until we see a path that tells us otherwise, that will be the most likely outcome at the moment.”
Britain voted to leave the European Union in a June referendum although the government has yet to trigger the official departure process, which is referred to as Brexit.
Uncertainty about what kind of trade deals Britain will be able to negotiate with Brussels is forcing many companies with pan-European businesses to come up with contingency plans.
The comments by Bats Europe’s chief executive are the latest sign firms are wary about waiting too long for fear of losing customers.
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Financial firms based in London use a so-called EU passport to offer services across the bloc from one base, but few expect to have continued full access to Europe’s single market after Brexit.
While Britain will negotiate new trade terms with the EU Hemsley said all the scenarios aired so far - being part of European Economic Area like Norway, bilateral deals like Switzerland and Canada, “equivalence regimes”, or relying on World Trade Organisation rules - were problematic.
British prime minister Theresa May has talked of a “bespoke” deal with Europe but so far there have been no details and much hinges on what terms EU member states will accept.
Bats Europe was created in 2011 when US Bats snapped up Chi-X Europe, then a four-year old trading platform that had became one of Europe’s biggest exchanges, eclipsing national exchanges that are centuries old in some cases.
Mr Hemsley said he was open-minded about which country Bats would chose but said Dubin was attractive.
“We are looking at the underlying legal framework of a country and Ireland is quite attractive because it’s the most similar to the UK structure,” Hemsley said.
“We look at local tax environments, labour laws, availability of personnel. We are open minded, but Dublin is attractive on a number of those levels.”
Consultants and lawyers have warned of a logjam as London-based banks and financial firms queue at the doors of regulators in other EU countries to obtain a financial services passport.
Bats only obtained its full passport as an exchange in 2013 from Britain’s Financial Conduct Authority and Hemsley said an awful lot of the documentation needed for a new passport was already at hand.
“Whilst there are going to be quite a lot of banks moving, when you come to moving exchanges, there are probably not going to be an awful lot of them,” Mr Hemsley said, adding that a second base in the EU would have “some regulatory and legal presence”.
“I still think London is going to be a substantial trading hub even if there is more fragmentation of trading across Europe because of Brexit,” Mr Hemsley said. “From a physical point of view we would still have substantial operations in London.”
- Reuters | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/financial-services/stock-exchange-group-bats-eyes-new-dublin-base-after-brexit-1.2769253 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/f676c1aa7190a1a0e1ac3b058e2e7df0ed7d48c852f9ea003c40824316697a31.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T06:51:44 | null | 2016-08-29T07:11:00 | ‘Never again will parents be burying their sons and daughters killed in the war’ | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fcolombia-ceasefire-in-place-after-farc-and-military-agree-deal-1.2771791%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771790.1472451571!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Colombia: ceasefire in place after Farc and military agree deal | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | A permanent ceasefire is taking effect in Colombia, in the latest step to bring an end to 52 years of bloody combat between the government and the country’s biggest rebel group.
The commander of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) announced on Sunday that his fighters would cease hostilities beginning at 12.01am on Monday. as a result of the peace deal reached by the two sides during the week.
Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos made a similar announcement on Friday, saying the military would halt attacks on the Farc beginning on Monday.
Farc leader Rodrigo Londono, also known as Timochenko, made his announcement in Havana, Cuba, where rebel and government negotiators talked for four years to reach the deal on ending one of the world’s longest-running conflicts.
“Never again will parents be burying their sons and daughters killed in the war,” he said. “All rivalries and grudges will remain in the past.”
Colombia is expected to hold a national referendum on October 2nd to give voters the chance to approve the accord, which would end political violence that has claimed more than 220,000 lives and driven more than five million people from their homes over five decades.
Polls say most Colombians loathe the rebel group but are likely to endorse the deal anyway.
Top Farc commanders are planning to gather one final time in mid-September to ratify the deal.
Under the 297-page accord, Farc guerrillas are supposed to turn over their weapons within six months after the deal is formally signed. In return, the Farc’s still unnamed future political movement will be given a minimum 10 congressional seats — five in the lower house, five in the senate — for two legislative periods.
In addition, 16 lower house seats will be created for grassroots activists in rural areas traditionally neglected by the state and in which existing political parties will be banned from running candidates.
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But critics of the peace process say that will further boost the rebels’ post-conflict political power.
After 2026, both arrangements would end and the former rebels would have to demonstrate their political strength at the ballot box.
Not all hostilities are ending under the deal with the Farc. The much-smaller National Liberation Army remains active in Colombia, although it is pursuing its own peace deal with the government.
PA | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/colombia-ceasefire-in-place-after-farc-and-military-agree-deal-1.2771791?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/66e41b303c5a22af60765389dcbff5e553a857bd83a153b6503c5b2b264426fb.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:52:36 | null | 2016-08-30T14:43:00 | Latest announcement deals another reputational blow to Japan’s sixth-largest automaker | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Fmotors%2Fmitsubishi-overstated-mileage-for-more-vehicle-models-1.2773090%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773089.1472566746!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Mitsubishi overstated mileage for more vehicle models | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Mitsubishi Motors said on Tuesday more of its vehicle models were involved in a mileage cheating scandal than initially stated, and that it would temporarily stop domestic sales of affected vehicles and compensate owners.
Earlier in the day, Japan’s transport ministry said its investigation had shown the automaker had overstated the fuel economy for eight vehicles including the RVR, Pajero and Outlander SUV models, in addition to four minivehicles initially confirmed in April.
The latest announcement deals another reputational blow to Japan’s sixth-largest automaker, which has been struggling to recover from the mileage scandal, which affected two minivehicle models produced for Nissan Motor Co Ltd.
The company’s market value has tumbled since the scandal broke, and the ordeal prompted the company to seek financial assistance from Nissan, which agreed to buy a controlling one-third stake for $2.2 billion.
Mitsubishi said it had submitted new mileage readings to the ministry earlier in the day, after the ministry’s probe had shown the fuel economy for some models was as much as 8.8 per cent lower than stated in marketing catalogues. “Both competition and compliance have tightened in the industry, but we had a lax approach to compliance and this was one of the factors which led to this issue,” Mitsubishi Motors President Masuko Osamu said at a briefing. “We need to change this.”
Mitsubishi said it would pay compensation of up to 100,000 yen ($977) each to roughly 76,000 owners in Japan. This would amount to an extraordinary loss of 7 billion yen, although the company said the amount would be covered in the expected extraordinary loss of 205 billion yen for this year.
The automaker expects to post a net loss of $1.4 billion this year as the scandal will likely push it into the red for the first time in eight years due to lost sales, compensation costs to customers and payments to Nissan, along with dealers and suppliers. An internal investigation by the automaker uncovered poor communication, slack governance and pressure on resource-starved engineers at the root of the automaker’s problems.
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Mitsubishi said it would comply with the ministry’s demand for the automaker to stop selling the eight affected models while it corrects marketing materials, a process the ministry expected would take a few weeks. Masuko said the latest issue would affect some overseas models and the company was considering possible compensation for affected owners, although vehicle numbers would be limited.
Mitsubishi has admitted to using unapproved methods to calculate mileage for 25 years, while it also used estimates, rather than data from actual tests, to calculate the fuel economy for its minivehicles.
Japan is Mitsubishi’s fifth-largest market, following markets including Asia ex-Japan, Europe and other regions. Its home country comprised roughly 10 per cent of its vehicle sales during 2015/16.
Reuters | http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/motors/mitsubishi-overstated-mileage-for-more-vehicle-models-1.2773090?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/ccb909bbf3d5b4ae1d4f0cb462bbb232faf1a8389655df3c79dd608fad0447b9.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:52:46 | null | 2016-08-31T05:20:52 | Company back in the black after full-year turnover rises by nearly 27% to €69m | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Ftransport-and-tourism%2Fryanair-cabin-staff-supplier-crewlink-returns-to-profit-1.2773332%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773330.1472575031!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Ryanair cabin staff supplier Crewlink returns to profit | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Crewlink Ireland, a company that provides cabin staff for Ryanair, returned to profit last year on the back of a sharp rise in turnover, recently-filed accounts show.
The firm, which says it has more than 5,000 crew members currently registered with the Irish airline, reported pre-tax profits of €64,159 in 2015 as against a €17,416 loss a year earlier.
Full-year turnover increased by nearly 27 per cent, from €55.1 million to €69.8 million. The company recorded an operating profit of €82,706 versus a €1,100 loss in the prior year.
Revenue attributed to geographic markets outside the Republic of Ireland amounted to just 1 per cent for the year, with the company reporting Irish-derived turnover of €69.3 million, up from €52.2 million in 2014. European revenues fell from €2.8 million to just €575,310.
Crewlink is based in the Southern Cross Business Park in Bray, Co Wicklow, and is owned by Frank Whelan and Judy Byrne by way of a company called Occam Management Ltd.
Recruitment days
The group, which holds regular recruitment days across Europe, offers six-week training courses that can cost up to €2,900 (excluding accommodation) with an option for costs to be deducted from employees’ salaries during the first year of employment.
During the year under review Crewlink had four administrative staff and an average of 3,107 staff under the category “other”. This marks an increase from 2,571 employees recorded a year earlier.
Employee-related costs totalled €67.5 million last year, up from €51.7 million in 2014. Wages and salaries totalled €58.2 million, and pension costs were €108,146. This compares with costs of €45.5 million and €83,706 respectively in the prior year.
Consolidated accounts for Occam Management for 2014 show a pre-tax profit of €493,122, up from €233,139 in 2013.
Although Crewlink describes itself as “the leading recruiter” for Ryanair, a second company, Dalmac, a company headquartered in Rush, Co Dublin, that is owned by Fingal Language Institute Ltd, refers to itself as “the official recruitment and training partner” for the airline.
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Fingal Language Institute, which is owned by Laura McCrudden and Ryan Moffat, had accumulated profits of €1.17 million in 2014. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/ryanair-cabin-staff-supplier-crewlink-returns-to-profit-1.2773332?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/55cecdd8a4f64180383031b4f87b66be6dcb0424d96d405d451350d697827039.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T06:50:21 | null | 2016-08-27T06:00:00 | ‘I’m choosing bits and bobs that will still be relevant when fads die down ’ | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Fpeople%2Fpieces-of-me-caroline-foran-interiors-entrepreneur-1.2767096%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2764648.1472054297!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Pieces of me: Caroline Foran, interiors entrepreneur | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Lifestyle journalist and interiors entrepreneur Caroline Foran runs GAFFInteriors.ie with fellow journalist Jo Linehan; it’s a dedicated interiors site and social platform for “people like us who want to create cool living spaces but who’ve more dash than cash”.
How would you describe your interiors style?
Where do you shop for bargain interiors finds?
I used to love French style and the shabby chic vibe, but now I feel allergic to fuss and gravitate towards the Scandinavian aesthetic: clean, simple but super-cosy. I’ve always been interested in interiors trends, the same way I’d be taken by fashion trends, but I’ve learned not to approach interiors in the same way you do your wardrobe, as something disposable. When I first moved into this home, my immediate reflex was to plunder Ikea , and buy every copper accessory going as it was the cool metal last year. However, I’ve since developed Ikea-itis and I’m already bored with copper, so I really try to step back from trendy buys, and make sure I’m choosing bits and bobs that will still be relevant when the fad inevitably dies down. I’m relatively young and my interiors style is still evolving but for now I’m a classic Pinterest kid.It’s always nice to find one-off pieces at markets and salvage yards, especially if it’s proper vintage, but I can’t speak highly enough of the high street: just look at what they’ve done for fashion in the past 20 years and they’re only really getting started with interiors. It’s so satisfying buying a €50 lamp from zarahome.com that looks like it’s straight out of Mad Men and Dunnes Stores Home has upped its game no end: I picked up a set of white marble Helen James table mats, which could pass for a punchy Harrods buy, on sale for €15. Made . com is another site I’m obsessed with, as they style everything so well; it gives lots of ideas of how a piece could work in your place, and it’s reasonably priced. Likewise, H&M Home is great for cheap cushion covers and knick knacks and ZinZan.ie, an Irish site, has durable Eames-inspired chairs and tables from €50.
For more permanent pieces, I keep an eye on the Meadows & Byrne sales announcements like a hawk. I’ve bought loads of key pieces here: a vintage-style leather couch, an armchair, the dining table, and I’ve managed to get every single one at a knock-down price. I love an opportunity to brag about how cheap they were; such an Irish thing. Lastly, CA Design in Dublin 6 isn’t technically cheap, but considering the superior quality of the furniture, it feels like you’re getting a bargain. I could go in there blindfold and pick out anything and be confident I’d love it when I got it home and opened it.
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Do you collect anything specific?
What would you save in a fire?
What designers do you admire? Anything by Georg
I’ve a bit of a penchant for scatter cushions as it’s the easiest way for me to indulge in trends, colours or patterns without it being too costly. I’d say I’ve well over 100, which I know is cracked but they add instant cosiness to a space and that’s always my top priority, given that I work from home and spend most of my time here. I also can’t get enough of good bedsheets and pick up linen from The White Company whenever my bank balance is flush. If I’d money to burn, I’d invest in bespoke bed sheets from Charlotte Thomas , with the highest thread count known to man and swathe myself in them. I’m convinced that the higher the thread count, the better I sleep.I should probably say that I’d rush to save my nana’s china: it was a wedding present of hers from 1939. But I’ve had two coffee tables custom made with gorgeous, buttery-looking reclaimed wood, through this really great seller on Etsy – Derelict Design is their name – that I’m sure one day will hold sentimental value for my own grandkids. I’d definitely be taking those with me and my vintage banker’s lamps; I love how the green glass shades add a sense of Film Noir to a desk or corner. I’ve also grown somewhat attached to my yucca plant, mostly because I haven’t yet killed it.
Jensen – that fluid yet robust Danish aesthetic really speaks to me and I admire how everything in the remit, be it a candle holder or a watch, is crafted in muted earthy pallets, as if there’s no need for bells and whistles when a piece is so well made. Charles Eames is another favourite. I came across his furniture in New York’s Museum of Modern Art years ago and became obsessed with every product and project he ever created, especially his graphic textiles and film work. I almost feel a bit cheated that versions of his furniture classics are all over the high street now, but on the flip side it’s great to see the democratisation of brilliant product design. | http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/pieces-of-me-caroline-foran-interiors-entrepreneur-1.2767096?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/dd0fd45768196239cc2693b0ad0f80ab4abb618e2aa0126388d5c509c7d24264.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:10:20 | null | 2016-08-26T13:00:00 | Has a Dublin neighbourhood eaten itself and is now entirely made of parody and artisan cheese? No, this little restaurant provides generosity and style in intriguing vegan meals | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Ffood-and-drink%2Frestaurant-reviews%2Fgoing-out-a-visit-to-a-vegan-butcher-yes-seriously-1.2768526%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2768524.1472144353!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Going out: A visit to a vegan butcher. Yes, seriously | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | It read like a joke on Twitter. Someone has opened a vegan butcher’s in Dublin 8. The neighbourhood has eaten itself and is now entirely made of parody and artisan cheese. But the Vegan Butcher is not a joke, it’s a small restaurant on Pleasants Street where I’m bringing three other meat eaters to try out what looks like an intriguing new idea.
Barto Sova came to live in Ireland from Poland 13 years ago. He was a long-time vegetarian and became a vegan three years ago. In 2013 he started running vegan pop-ups and a market stall. That evolved into a month-long pop up in Rathmines. Then last month he opened Sova Food Vegan Butcher in a former shop on Pleasants Street.
It’s a small room (with more tables upstairs), starkly decorated with white walls, distressed grey-washed panels and a painted floor. Tables are darkly varnished school desks and lightbulbs are oversized and filament-filled. It’s bring-your-own-bottle with no corkage if you’re eating the set menu.
I’ve brought my own cheese, or a box of it as a present for the friends. No eyebrows are raised or tantrums thrown. These are friendly vegans, even though the contraband is making its presence felt with a distinctly cheesy pong. It feels a bit like bringing a switched-off ghetto blaster into a silent monastery.
The menu at Vegan Butcher is meatier than a sausage makers’ convention. There’s a steak, a burger and schnitzels. But here’s the wheeze – and you’re going to either love or hate it – these are vegan versions of meat favourites, tribute acts who’ve stormed the main stage and will be your entertainment for the night.
In a good number of dishes this schtick works. There are “king skallops” made of juicy fried potato cakes topped with mushroom stalks that (and here you use a lot of imagination) might just look like small roe-less scallops.
Well, scallops it ain’t but it is a beautiful plate of food, sprinkled with marinated purple cauliflower and dotted with kelp caviar. Most importantly, it tastes of good vegetables, cooked from scratch without any attempt to fish up the flavour.
A melon and courgette (or zucchini as they’re called here) tartare is also a very photogenic plate of food. A tian of finely chopped watermelon and courgette tops some coconut polenta finished with a spooned swirl of avocado paste and a sticky vinegar blob. It is fine, but strangely dry given the watermelon element and needs more zing to bring it all together. I draw the short vegan straw with the seaweed chowder. It’s a language thing. Say chowder and I hear JFK and smell smoked haddock and thick spoon-sticking cream lodging in mussel shells and coating nubbly orange clams.
Here’s a bowl of watery soya cream with finely diced carrots, celery and still chewy potato. There’s a tiny frond of something that might be seaweed but otherwise it’s an insipid bowl of nothingness, a neither/nor kind of dish. Cornucopia’s broccoli and seaweed version would knock the socks off it.
I do better with my main course. It’s soya schnitzels – wedges of chewy soya meat substitute deep fried in good crispy batter. There’s a light green dill tartare that makes it work. The best thing on the plate is the mix of beautifully fried mushrooms and broad beans. Sadly a duchess potato has all the allure of expanding builder’s foam. A seitan (pronounced satan) steak is, typically, a spiced wheat, yeast and chickpea flour dumpling formed into steak patties and boiled in spiced stock. Despite that it’s not bad. It’s definitely not steak in taste or texture. But it’s an edible alternative.
A stack of potato pancakes with mushrooms and rocket needs salt (there’s none on the table) and a chia burger is a good, if sloppy take on a towering meat version of the same, with house-fermented cucumbers giving it a touch of class.
Desserts are of two halves. There’s a panna cotta which falls into the same category as the chowder. I’d rather they hadn’t gone to the trouble of pretending this is cooked cream and just served the fresh fruit that is stirred into it. The look of the half-eaten jar reminds one friend of an IVF story, and gives us a new unprintable name for this dessert.
A raspberry cheesecake tastes better when you chase the word “cheesecake” out of your synapses and taste it without any baggage. The male friend suggests it needs a new “romantic” name. Raspberry Rhapsody anyone? There’s an excellent €2 espresso to finish.
I like the generosity and style of the Vegan Butcher. It’s a promising start and with a €22.90 three-course menu an alluring invitation to leave your meat and cheese at the door and dip a toe in vegan waters.
We live in food-fluid times where anyone, even the red-in-tooth-and-claw steak lover, can be vegan for a night. And the Vegan Butcher is a good place to start.
SOVA FOOD VEGAN BUTCHER, 51 Pleasants St, Dublin 8; Tel: 085-7277509
Facilities: Basic but fine
Music: Playing mostly in the kitchen
Food provenance: None
Wheelchair access: Yes
Vegetarian options: Unlimited
THE VERDICT: An interesting new option for the open-minded diner | http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/restaurant-reviews/going-out-a-visit-to-a-vegan-butcher-yes-seriously-1.2768526?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/aa0c38b10763c0380d8e2d86072a0b8d93b2b7e1670fc3e545c1ac37621739b7.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:09:15 | null | 2016-08-26T11:38:00 | 3,000 new ‘border hunters’ employed to tighten control along existing fences | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Fhungary-plans-to-build-second-border-fence-to-stop-migrants-1.2769343%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769342.1472207826!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Hungary plans to build second border fence to stop migrants | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Hungary plans to build a second “more massive” fence on its southern border with Serbia that would enable it to keep out any major new wave of migrants, Hungarian prime minister Viktor Orban said on Friday.
Mr Orban, who earlier said migrants were “poison”, said on state radio that there may soon be a “greater need for security” and the fortified barrier would be able to stop “several hundreds of thousands of people” at the same time, if needed.
He did not say when construction could start but said “Technical planning is under way to erect a more massive defence system next to the existing line of defence which was built quickly.”
Mr Orban said the surge could take place if, for example, Turkey allows the millions of refugees living there to leave for western Europe.
“Then, if we can’t do it nicely, we have to hold them back by force,” Mr Orban said. “And we will do it, too.”
Hungary built fences protected with razor wire on its southern borders with Serbia and Croatia last year, when nearly 400,000 people passed through the country on their way west.
The fences have greatly slowed the flow of people entering Hungary, which is also beefing up its police force with 3,000 new “border hunters” to tighten control at the fences and introduced controversial legislation which allows officials to return migrants to Serbia if they are caught within 8km (five miles) of the border.
Hungary has denied repeated allegations that officers have used force to “escort” the migrants and refugees back to Serbia.
Mr Orban reiterated his call for the stronger protection of Europe’s external borders, saying joint efforts were needed to defend the borders between Serbia and Macedonia and Macedonia and Greece.
“Immigration and migrants damage Europe’s security, are a threat to people and bring terrorism upon us,” Mr Orban said, adding that this was caused by allowing the uncontrolled entry of large numbers of people “from areas where Europe and the Western world are seen as the enemy”.
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Mr Orban’s virulent anti-migrant stance also includes a government-sponsored referendum on October 2nd seeking political support for the rejection of any European Union plans to resettle migrants among its member countries.
Agencies | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/hungary-plans-to-build-second-border-fence-to-stop-migrants-1.2769343?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/1fab0e25c835bb653ab7f3f7888778b13d3e1f636c5fd26a1c35b4aedb3163cf.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T00:50:16 | null | 2016-08-27T01:30:00 | For a start, you’ll need a bottle of the Danish spirit akvavit, and a beer on the side | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Ffood-and-drink%2Fdrink%2Fjohn-wilson-how-to-drink-like-a-dane-1.2768485%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2768483.1472143028!/image/image.jpg | en | null | John Wilson: How to drink like a Dane | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Between Christmas and the New Year, my Danish mother-in-law invites us to a Danish lunch. This is not an Irish-style sandwiches and soup affair, nor is it some Noma-influenced series of sprays, foams, smoke, crumbs and pyrotechnics.
The Danish lunch is a precision event that slowly winds its way through a long afternoon. It begins with various flavours of herring, before moving on to other seafood, then to the meat course (liver pâté, duck, cold roast pork with crackling, and a host of accompaniments), finally finishing with cheese.
Rye bread is served with each course, as is beer, a lager or brown beer, and akvavit.
Akvavit is a festive spirit, drunk throughout the year at weddings, birthday parties, and other celebrations.
The Swedes drink it on midsummer’s eve, or with crayfish. They prefer fennel as a flavouring, the Norwegians caraway. The Norwegians also sometimes send their akvavit across the equator twice (like Madeira) to produce an oak-aged version.
However, caraway- flavoured Aalborg taffel akvavit is the Danish market leader, and is my favourite. Aalborg also produce Jubilaeums, aged in oak and flavoured with dill and coriander, created in 1946 to celebrate the centenary of the taffel akvavit, and other versions too.
In addition, the company releases a special edition bottle every Christmas, that is eagerly sought by collectors.
Akvavit should be served from the freezer in small schnaps glasses. It is the perfect accompaniment to herring, cutting through the oiliness with a spice-infused hit.
It is not easy to find Aalborg, or any other akvavit, in Ireland. Even the Danish Embassy failed to unearth a source. Redmonds of Ranelagh and the Celtic Whiskey Shop both have the Jubilaeums for around €50. Travel retail might be the best option.
There are a few suggestions online for cocktails made with akvavit. Treat these with the contempt they deserve.
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To enjoy your own Danish experience place your akvavit in the freezer. Put some good quality beer in the fridge. Buy a few jars of sild (herring) in Ikea; the dill one is my favourite, but all are acceptable. Mix some Atlantic prawns with a dill mayonnaise. Buy some firm, thinly-sliced rye bread.
With a glass of cool beer and some chilled akvavit, you are all set. You could serve some smooth liver pâté, with beetroot, hard-boiled eggs, and maybe some leftover roast pork.
Just make sure you have plenty of time and some good company. | http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/drink/john-wilson-how-to-drink-like-a-dane-1.2768485?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/66e77ce78fc55d83d095675176c218aa0b3df39acb5ea10083985a2f78f340c1.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T20:51:18 | null | 2016-08-27T19:51:00 | Hull City finally broken down after some heroic defending against Jose Mourinho’s side | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fsoccer%2Fenglish-soccer%2Fmarcus-rashford-s-last-gasp-goal-keeps-up-manchester-united-s-perfect-start-1.2770871%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2770867.1472323854!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Marcus Rashford’s last-gasp goal keeps up Manchester United’s perfect start | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Hull City 0 Manchester United 1
Marcus Rashford struck a stoppage-time winner to sink battling Hull as Manchester United maintained their 100 per cent start in the Premier League under Jose Mourinho.
The United teenager, a second-half replacement for Juan Mata, turned home Wayne Rooney’s slide-rule pass for the only goal of the game in the second minute of time added on to finally break Hull’s brave resistance and send the newly-promoted club to their first defeat of the season.
It was a tough pill to swallow for Hull, who would have deserved a point for their sheer endeavour had they managed to hold on, but United’s patience was finally rewarded and it is they who join Chelsea at the top of the table.
Such was Hull’s tenacity and discipline, especially on the edge of their penalty area, United found chances hard to come by in the first half.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic headed just over the crossbar from Anthony Martial’s cross in the 10th minute, while Hull passed with precision on the counter-attack, one of which ended with Marouane Fellaini being booked for his foul on Adama Diomande within striking distance.
Robert Snodgrass curled the resulting free-kick just wide and was then inches away from latching on to Andy Robertson’s superb cross at the back post.
United hogged possession and probed patiently, but were able to fashion very little with it. Mata’s 33rd-minute free-kick was easily gathered by Eldin Jakupovic and at the other end David de Gea was forced into a diving catch from Abel Hernandez’s header.
Rooney went close to breaking the deadlock for United in the 36th minute, but his shot was blocked by Hull skipper Curtis Davies close to the goal line.
United threatened again as half-time approached, but after he had guided Rooney’s through-ball away from Jakupovic at full stretch, Ibrahimovic’s audacious backheel found only the side-netting.
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Snodgrass, who collided with the post following his lunge to get on the end of Robertson’s cross and required treatment, was replaced by Shaun Maloney three minutes into the second half.
Hull found themselves increasingly pegged back after the break but retained their shape and their composure as United’s threat was snuffed out on the edge of the area.
Mourinho sent on Henrikh Mkhitaryan, yet to make his first start for United, for Martial on the hour mark, while Ibrahimovic’s frustration was evident after Mata nicked the ball off him on the edge of the box only to lose control.
United fans appealed for a penalty when Valencia’s cross hit David Meyler’s shoulder and Rooney pulled a low right-footed shot wide before Tom Huddlestone twice threatened in quick succession for Hull.
The midfielder’s first shot from outside the area was deflected wide off Eric Bailly and from the half-cleared corner which followed, he fired just off target.
Pogba curled a tame free-kick wide before Rashford forced a fine one-handed save from Jakupovic after jinking into the area and shooting low towards the bottom corner.
United were camped in Hull’s half as the game drew to a close and when the ball fell to Mkhitaryan inside the area Davies won a standing ovation from the home fans by hurling himself in front of the midfielder’s goalbound shot.
Ireland midfielder Meyler almost snatched it for Hull in the dying moments as he fired over, but United broke free down the other end and Rooney took the ball past Ahmed Elmohamady to the by-line and slipped an inch-perfect low cross into Rashford’s pass for the substitute to tap home the winner from two yards. | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/marcus-rashford-s-last-gasp-goal-keeps-up-manchester-united-s-perfect-start-1.2770871?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/f3fee63ff9047fbeccbc6f2070133cd348c8d16b54362ddf1c9f579c1de8880d.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T06:49:15 | null | 2016-08-30T00:01:00 | Research finds post-referendum uncertainty prompts many business to halt investment | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fmost-irish-firms-unprepared-for-brexit-survey-finds-1.2772047.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772031.1472481775!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Most Irish firms unprepared for Brexit, survey finds | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | The outcome of Britain’s referendum on EU membership caught most Irish businesses by surprise, according to a new survey.
InterTradeIreland’s latest business monitor indicates that 97 per cent of firms, and 92 per cent of export firms, had no plans to deal with Brexit and the ensuing volatility.
The post-referendum uncertainty is further reflected by the relatively high number of businesses, approximately one in five, now reporting plans to decrease investment.
InterTradeIreland’s survey also indicated more than a quarter of Irish businesses (27 per cent) are concerned about exchange rates, an increase of 14 per cent on the first quarter, with sterling 10 per cent down against the euro since the poll.
“It is evident in the responses to our latest business monitor that the outcome of the EU referendum has caught many businesses on the hop and introduced a large degree of uncertainty into the marketplace,” Aidan Gough, policy director at InterTradeIreland, said.
“Clearly businesses will need support to manage the ramifications of Brexit, particularly in the provision of timely and relevant information to assist them to adjust to any new trading relationships that emerge from Brexit negotiations.”
“In the short term, whilst companies will still trade under the same rules and regulations, we would encourage them to hedge any exposure their business may have to volatile movements in the sterling-euro exchange rate,” he said.
InterTradeIreland’s survey also picked up a variation between companies in the Republic and their Northern Ireland counterparts in terms of the perceived Brexit impact on cross-Border trade.
While almost three in five of businesses in the Republic (57 per cent) felt that cross-Border sales would decrease, only one in four Northern Irish firms felt they would be negatively impacted (25 per cent).
Variations
There were also variations across sectors. The hospitality industry is expecting a sharp decline in cross-Border sales with four out of five (84 per cent) companies expecting a downturn.
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In comparison, about half of those in the manufacturing (49 per cent), construction (52 per cent) and servicing sectors (52 per cent) foresee a sharp decline in their cross-Border business.
Of those questioned, retailers are the most positive, with 15 per cent anticipating an impact, which the survey suggests this may be due to exchange rate volatility.
“In terms of wider business performance, the picture remains generally positive. In quarter two, 93 per cent of businesses in Ireland report that they were stable or growing,” Mr Gough said.
“We may see uncertainty continuing in forthcoming quarters while companies adjust to the changing realities,” he added. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/most-irish-firms-unprepared-for-brexit-survey-finds-1.2772047 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/37edfb77bc552d08ea120acf804683e4b76682cb1049fea243d0c737632b5bd7.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:51:52 | null | 2016-08-29T16:55:00 | People with sex addiction are ‘absolutely miserable with it’, Dr John O’Connor says | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fsocial-affairs%2Fireland-facing-a-tsunami-of-sex-and-porn-addiction-1.2772142%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772141.1472486134!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Ireland facing a ‘tsunami’ of sex and porn addiction | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | A “tsunami” of sex and porn addiction is “coming our way” a leading addiction psychologist has warned.
Erica Ruigrok, clinical services manager at the Rutland Centre in Dublin, also said alcohol addiction remained the “biggest addiction issue”, with now 93 per cent of all women presenting at the Rutland doing so for alcoholism, compared with 74 per cent in 2006.
Alcohol is an issue in 84 per cent of all presentations, either on its own or exacerbating other addictions, such as drug, gambling or food.
Ms Ruigrok was speaking at the publication of headline findings from the centre’s Outcomes report, due at end of September.
The advance publication was to mark the start of “recovery month” running until the end of September.
She said while the attitude to women drinking had changed, their bodies had not.
“Women aren’t able to process alcohol in the same way men are... Women are experiencing more stress, with the demands that are on us. Women are working outside the home in a way they weren’t in the past, and trying to cope with a lot. Women may be using alcohol to unwind and de-stress... But using alcohol as the sole means of managing stress that can lead to problems,” Ms Ruigrok.
“One glass of wine a night could easily become two, and then half a bottle.
“Once you’re drinking half a bottle of wine a night you have a 13-fold likelihood of experiencing liver damage.”
Sex addiction was the main issue in six per cent of presentations – an issue that affected less than half a per cent of clients in 2009.
As with gambling addiction, the internet was providing a limitless outlet for sex addiction.
“It’s a game-changer.. With the internet you can find a sex partner within 15 minutes - as quickly as you can find a take-away,” Ms Ruigrok said.
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“We can expect to see an increase in sex addiction... In US they estimate two thirds of kids are looking at porn as they do their homework.... I’d say we have a tsunami coming our way in terms of sex addition.”
Sex addiction was not simply about a person having a lot of sex or partners, but about how their thinking about and having sex impacted on their functioning, self-care, relationships and mental well-being.
Describing it as one of “loneliest addictions”, Dr John O’Connor, medical director of the Rutland, said people were “absolutely miserable with it”.
“There is intense self loathing involved, huge shame... At its core you see disordered attachment, chasing an intimate connection.”
When treating addiction one of the first things he asked people was about their childhood.
“It’s all there,” he said. “If people have bad childhoods, they are in trouble...They may have experienced trauma, abandonment issues, lack of boundaries, narcissistic parenting...In addiction people are self medicating...They are using drink or sex or whatever it is to soothe and regulate emotions.”
Offaly footballer Niall McNamee spoke of his gambling addiction,of losing over €200,000 over the years, and of recovery at the Rutland Centre.
He said gambling addiction was “a complete epidemic coming down the road”.
“There’s so much of it going on,” he said. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/ireland-facing-a-tsunami-of-sex-and-porn-addiction-1.2772142?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/22ec4767d2d3dfdf60888c2f89108e00f5224881a33c7fde17a9df7d948709b3.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:50:27 | null | 2016-08-26T14:30:00 | The affordable accessories company moves into clothing for the first time - and nothing costs more than €70 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Ffashion%2Fportuguese-penneys-brings-cool-clothing-to-ireland-1.2768431%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2768422.1472140564!/image/image.jpg | en | null | ‘Portuguese Penneys’ brings cool clothing to Ireland | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | It was a trip to London in 1994 and a visit to Topshop that gave the Portuguese entrepreneur Manuela Medeiros the idea of setting up an accessories shop in her native Porto. Her first, in the Rua de Santa Catarina, the main shopping centre in the city, was an immediate success. Within five years Parfois had become as familiar a household name in Portugal as Penneys is in Ireland never mind its French name which means “sometimes”. Its mix of well designed affordable bags, glasses, scarves and other accessories, bought at the time from London, Paris and Italy, was a winning formula and Parfois soon started to spread globally beyond the confines of Portugal through international franchising operations.
Today with a design team of some 17 professionals based in Porto and another four in Barcelona, it sources mostly from China and India and boasts some 3,500 items per season with new items refreshing the shops every week. Nothing costs more than €70 – even cabin luggage – and most bags come with smaller versions attached. Key to its success is not just the up-to-the-minute design, but the stylish shop presentations with an upmarket look that belies the inexpensive prices.
There are 700 stores in 54 countries and Parfois is expanding its brief this season to include clothing for the first time. There are warm, streamlined jackets including parkas, long faux-fur stoles, textured shawls, leisurely tunics, pants and jumpsuits along with silver- and gold-plated costume jewellery. At a recent presentation in Porto, fashion sleuths will have detected the influence of Gucci on many items and the mix of streetwear with an haute couture edge was a nod to Vetements, the Paris collective wowing the fashion world. There were some terrific shoes such as the blue velvet ankle boots and suede sandals in offbeat colours.
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Colours for winter are greys, claret, blues and dark greens with metallic details sharpening the look. Bold chokers, ribbons, velvets and embroideries add rich embellishment, a key theme this season. These photos, by the Argentinian photographer Rodrigo Carmuega with Polish model Maria Loks, were taken in the famous 1970s Walden 7 apartment building in Barcelona, designed by the postmodern architect Ricardo Bofill, whose colours and lines partly inspired the new clothing line.
Parfois stores are in Mary Street, Blanchardstown and Pavilion Swords, Dublin Airport T1, Mahon Point, Cork and the Crescent in Limerick, or see parfois.com | http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/fashion/portuguese-penneys-brings-cool-clothing-to-ireland-1.2768431?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/1ea22fd59447cedca7a66034c4b2fb7c0796a7d0aa76a9d225dd63482acc1269.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:52:25 | null | 2016-08-30T01:00:00 | As he approaches his 15th All-Ireland hurling final, against Tipperary, the Kilkenny manager seems happy just to keep on keeping on | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fgaelic-games%2Fhurling%2Fintensity-and-composure-key-to-success-says-brian-cody-1.2772315%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772310.1472500329!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Intensity and composure key to success, says Brian Cody | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | “I don’t seem to be at a loose end,” says Brian Cody, philosophising on the days in the life of the Kilkenny hurling manager, now 18 years in and still not counting. “I don’t seem to be hanging around, ‘What will I do today?’ or whatever. I seem to have something to occupy myself most of the time.”
Sunday marks his 15th All-Ireland hurling final, having won 11 and lost three, and if his retirement last year from his other job as a school principal has somehow made the sense of anticipation more or less, then Cody certainly isn’t showing it.
“Obviously, around this time, what we’re involved with in the hurling, it takes up a certain level of time and that,” he says. “But it always was anyway. I always had July and August kind of free anyway, so that’s part and parcel of it and, you know, it hasn’t changed much.”
The now-perennial question of what keeps him going – or rather, coming back for more – is addressed with similar restraint: the more things change, the more Cody stays the same, and perhaps that’s the only reason he keeps on keeping on.
“Lookit, it’s not stressful,” he says. “People can say, ‘It’s easy to say that’. I don’t have to do this, like. This is not something that I have to do or stay doing; whatever it is, it’s my choice. If I choose to do something with my life that’s going to be a terrible sort of negative thing for me, or stressful thing for me, I wouldn’t be very clever, and I’m not that stupid.
“So I do it because I enjoy doing it and to be involved at this level at this part of the year coming up to the All-Ireland final, it’s a grand thing to be involved with. We’ll carry on and I’ll be involved in my club as well. It’s my sport and the sport I’m involved with, but I just carry on as normal.”
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Still, something about the way Cody reacted to their semi-final replay win over Waterford suggested he may well be enjoying the role now more than ever.
“The reason I was satisfied was because we had just won an epic battle and the prize was, I kept saying it the whole time, there was no trophy but a massive prize: we’re in the All-Ireland final. That’s satisfying,” he says. “We had to play really, really well to win that game because our opposition played really, really well. The feeling at the end then. at the final whistle, it’s one way or the other, and that night was satisfying.”
Old rivals, new challenge
Sunday presents a fresh challenge again, a meeting with old rivals Tipperary, under new manager Michael Ryan . Does he see it that way: a new Tipp team that, unlike in more recent years, will feel they now have what it takes to beat Kilkenny?
“I don’t know because they have been brilliant for a long number of years now,” he says. “Again, what do you see when you see Tipperary? You just see brilliant hurlers. There’s some different personnel in there than there had been for a few years. Some great players they had have gone as well, but the skill level is serious. They have everything that’s required in a team.
“Michael Ryan obviously brings his own stamp on a team. What is that? He knows, they know, we’re not privy to what goes on in there. How good are they? They’re excellent, I’d say.”
Ryan recently called Kilkenny the “masters of intensity” and Cody reacts with interest: define intensity, he asks, before the question is thrown right back at him.
“It’s like people speak about intensity as if it’s something negative about it,” he says. “It’s a hugely positive thing. It’s probably what allows you to express yourself as a hurler. In terms of intensity, all you expect is that everybody gives everything they have really. You give yourself to the team, essentially, is what you do. That’s the requirement, because it’s a team sport and the same holds true for all sport. If a player is going out just to play his own game and try and do things that’ll make him look good, that’s not going to get you anywhere. No real team player does that, so it’s a question of everybody contributing to the team, and you can contribute in different ways.
“Intensity is just trying to dominate your position. Then there’s parts of the game, for certain, where you’re under pressure and you’re hanging in there and you have to have those levels again that will allow you to hang in. What you do in those situations are crucially important, as well just to even survive there. It’s a combination of lots of things.”
None of which, Cody says, comes from anything said or done on the sideline: “Take the drawn game against Waterford. Nothing happened off the pitch to make that happen. Our players just showed that composure, that never-say-die spirit, that determination to keep going and to have – more than anything else, I think – the composure to create the opportunity to score the goal that was required. That looked very difficult to do, it was something that was done by the players. Trusting the players to do that is a great thing to be able to have.
“But it’s in the past, it’s done and dusted. Does it have any influence on what will happen the next day? Absolutely not. If you like, you can say it gives them greater drive. I don’t think it does, because the drive to win an All-Ireland final is there anyway.”
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The Brian Cody file: As Kilkenny manager
1999: All-Ireland finalists; Leinster champions
2000: All-Ireland champions; Leinster champions
2001: Leinster champions
2002: All-Ireland champions; NHL champions; Leinster champions
2003: All-Ireland champions; NHL Champions; Leinster champions
2004: All-Ireland finalists
2005: NHL champions; Leinster champions; Walsh Cup winners
2006: All-Ireland champions; NHL champions; Leinster champions; Walsh Cup winners
2007: All-Ireland champions; Leinster champions; Walsh Cup winners
2008: All-Ireland champions; Leinster champions
2009: All-Ireland champions, NHL champions; Leinster champions; Walsh Cup winners
2010: All-Ireland finalists; Leinster champions
2011: All-Ireland champions; Leinster Champions
2012: All-Ireland champions; NHL champions; Leinster finalists; Walsh Cup winners
2013: NHL champions
2014: All-Ireland champions; NHL champions; Leinster Champions Walsh Cup winners
2015: All-Ireland champions; Leinster champions
2016: Leinster Champions
Kilkenny successes under Cody: 11 All-Ireland Titles; 15 Leinster titles; 8 NHL titles | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/hurling/intensity-and-composure-key-to-success-says-brian-cody-1.2772315?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/dc8d25facb25098c90d41488de613d000c4372a64e16561626a820a23ae39b53.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T10:51:54 | null | 2016-08-29T08:47:00 | Suicide attacker targets soldiers preparing to travel to Saudi Arabia to fight Houthis | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fmiddle-east%2Fislamic-state-kills-45-pro-government-troops-in-yemen-1.2771810%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771809.1472464175!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Islamic State kills 45 pro-government troops in Yemen | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | At least 45 pro-government troops have been killed in a suicide car bombing claimed by the Islamic State group in the southern Yemen city of Aden, officials said.
The soldiers were preparing to travel to Saudi Arabia to fight Houthi rebels in Yemen’s north.
The men were at a staging area near two schools and a mosque where they were registering to join the expedition.
The Saudis hope to train up to 5,000 fighters and deploy them to the Saudi cities of Najran and Jizan, near the border, Yemeni security officials said.
More than 60 wounded were being taken to three area hospitals, they added.
Aid group Doctors Without Borders reported on social media that their hospital in Aden had received 45 dead, while the Yemeni officials earlier put the figure at 25 but said it was likely to rise.
The IS-run Aamaq news agency said the attack was carried out “by a fighter from the Islamic State who targeted a recruitment centre”.
Yemen is embroiled in a civil war pitting the internationally recognised government and a Saudi-led coalition against the Shiite Houthi rebels, who are allied with army units loyal to a former president. The fighting has allowed al-Qaeda and an Islamic State affiliate to expand their reach, particularly in the south.
The UN and rights groups estimate that at least 9,000 people have been killed since fighting escalated in March 2015 with the start of Saudi-led air strikes targeting the Houthis and their allies. Some three million people have been displaced inside the country, the Arab world’s poorest.
UN-mediated peace talks in Kuwait were suspended earlier this month with no signs of progress.
The Houthis and forces allied to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh seized Yemen’s capital, Sanaa, in September 2014, forcing the internationally recognised government to flee the country.
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The Saudi-led campaign against the Houthis has pushed them out of southern Yemen, but has failed to dislodge them from Sanaa and the rest of the north.
AP | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/middle-east/islamic-state-kills-45-pro-government-troops-in-yemen-1.2771810?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/8c58fd7b3caa144d9d39a15da6181443bffa52b004911d6be77e5e47699a9753.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T18:51:14 | null | 2016-08-28T18:32:00 | Forward grabs two goals to continue perfect start to season | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fsoccer%2Fenglish-soccer%2Fsterling-cashes-in-as-guardiola-s-city-reign-continues-on-front-foot-1.2771189%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771186.1472405527!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Sterling cashes in as Guardiola’s City reign continues on front foot | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Manchester City 3 West Ham 1
Perhaps the most daunting part for Manchester City’s rivals is that these are still the embryonic stages of Pep Guardiola’s reign, with the players slowly getting used to a new set of ideas, different tactics and a manager who gives the impression that he is only satisfied by the highest forms of excellence. Five games, five wins – Guardiola has had an immaculate start, and still there is the clear impression of a side that can get even better.
That must be a thrilling thought for their supporters when Leroy Sane, one of their expensive summer recruits, has not had the chance yet to demonstrate why Guardiola made him a priority signing. The same applies to Ilkay Gundogan, Guardiola’s first signing, and Claudio Bravo was also in the stands after his €20 million move from Barcelona. Guardiola’s decision not to start his new goalkeeper was a perplexing one – better here, you might imagine, than a debut in the Manchester derby – and threatened to backfire when Willy Caballero came for a cross in the 59th minute, flapped at thin air and Michail Antonio headed in the goal that changed the complexion of this match.
The game had been so one-sided until that point it came as a jolt to discover that City were threatening to waste all their previous good work. They had been exhilarating in the first half but Caballero’s mistake contributed to a nervous final 30 minutes, before Raheem Sterling soothed the crowd’s nerves with his second goal of the afternoon. Guardiola had got away with it to a certain extent – though it would be a brave man to take issue with the new manager’s choices when his team are winning as a matter of routine.
There was, however, one obvious downside for City in the form of Sergio Aguero’s elbow on Winston Reid during the second half and the threat of retrospective action from the Football Association meaning he will be banned from the game against Manchester United on September 10th, as well as Bournemouth’s visit to this stadium the following week and the EFL Cup tie against Swansea City. Aguero had not had one of his better games and perhaps there was an element of frustration in the incident that led to Reid being unable to continue.
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Otherwise, this was another day to supply hard evidence that Guardiola’s arrival has rejuvenated Sterling and that City’s other creative players are also relishing the change of manager. Kevin de Bruyne’s free-kick for Fernandinho’s goal was not the only time the Belgian demonstrated there might be no one better in the league when it comes to placing the ball exactly where he wants it. Nolito has slotted seamlessly into the left side of attack and David Silva, that gem of a player, is playing with such distinction his deterioration last season already feels like a distant memory.
For West Ham, still missing the injured Dimitri Payet, there were times, especially in the first half, when the match strayed dangerously close to becoming a full-on ordeal. Guardiola’s players did not just move the ball at uncommon speed, they chased down their opponents with an urgency that was not seen under Manuel Pellegrini. If the players lost possession they did everything to get it back as quickly as possible. It is the mentality that helped make Barcelona such a formidable team under Guardiola’s guidance and, if anything, it was a surprise their first-half superiority did not bring them even more goals.
A common theme throughout Guardiola’s managerial career is that he does not tolerate slow starts. His players are under instructions to pin back their opponents from the beginning and only seven minutes had elapsed by the time the opening goal came.
Silva was prominently involved, as is so often the case, moving across the centre of the pitch, from right to left, and sliding his pass behind the visiting defence for Nolito to reach the byline. Sterling was unmarked in the penalty area and turned the past beyond Adrian, West Ham’s goalkeeper, with a first-time finish.
After 18 minutes, the game had started to feel like a foregone conclusion. Fernandinho had headed in De Bruyne’s expertly taken free-kick and West Ham, with the 20-year-old Ashley Fletcher making his full debut, looked desperately inferior. Yet Antonio has now scored eight headers in the Premier League in the last year, more than any other player, and the latest one gave Slaven Bilic’s team new momentum.
City were aggrieved that the cross came in from Arthur Masuaku when, already booked, the player had caught John Stones’s knee with his studs in a first-half challenge that went unpunished. Ultimately, though, West Ham could not capitalise on that period when the home side suddenly looked a little unsure of themselves. Instead, Silva hit the post in the closing exchanges before playing in Sterling to go around Adrian and roll in a carefully placed shot from a difficult angle.
(Guardian service) | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/sterling-cashes-in-as-guardiola-s-city-reign-continues-on-front-foot-1.2771189?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/27288f933eb5b1eda6aee8fa81acf2a20a63f07885bc2e1633ff845851922e8f.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T18:51:48 | null | 2016-08-29T15:26:00 | Family named after the bodies of man, woman and their three sons found in a house | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fireland%2Firish-news%2Fschools-pay-tribute-to-cavan-family-who-died-in-suspected-murder-suicide-1.2772011%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772265.1472496523!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Schools pay tribute to Cavan family who died in suspected murder-suicide | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | The bodies of five members of the same family have been found at a house in Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan.
Gardaí said they were a man in his 40s, a woman in her 30s and their three sons, aged 13, 11 and 6.
Garda Assistant Commissioner John O’Driscoll spoke at a press conference at Ballyjamesduff Garda station in Co Cavan on Monday evening.
“We believe all the answers are within that house,” he said.
“The mostly likely scenario one person may have caused the death of the others. All circumstances will be explored but as it stands that is the position.”
The bodies were found at a house in Oakdene, Barconey on Monday morning.
Mr O’Driscoll said three of the bodies were found in bedrooms upstairs and two downstairs.
He said there was no evidence a gun was used.
“A number of objects that were found in the house will be subject to detailed examination but until that examination is complete we are not in a position to say the exact cause of death,” Mr O’Driscoll said.
Castlerahan National School, where the father was a teacher, issued a statement from principal Anne Foley on Monday evening.
The father has been named as Alan Hawe, his sons as Niall and Ryan, who were pupils in the school, and Liam (13) who was a past pupil. Their mother Clodagh Hawe worked as a teacher in a different school.
“They were wonderful children who will be greatly missed by all who knew them,” Ms Foley said.
“This is a terrible tragedy for the family, our school and our community. We are deeply saddened by this event. Our sympathy and our thoughts are with the extended family and friends.
“Alan was a valued member of our school staff and community.”
Ms Foley said psychologists from the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS) had visited the school, and were supporting and advising our teachers in their efforts to help the students in dealing with the tragic event.
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Oristown National School principal Ann O’Kelly Lynch said the school was “deeply saddened” to hear of the death of their colleague Clodagh Hawe.
“ This is a terrible tragedy for the families, schools and the communities involved,” she said.
“We are deeply saddened by this event. Our sympathies and thoughts are with Clodagh’s family and friends.
“Clodagh was a much loved and valued teacher in our school and will be greatly missed by all who knew her.”
She said the school had also brought in psychologists from the NEPS to provide support.
Gardaí said an investigation is ongoing but at this stage they are not looking for anyone else in relation to the deaths.
It is understood the bodies were found after a relative raised the alarm.
The area has been sealed off and the State Pathologist and the Garda Technical Bureau have been alerted.
According to local sources the family were seen in the community on Sunday “in high spirits”.
Locals also expressed shock and disbelief at the tragedy. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/schools-pay-tribute-to-cavan-family-who-died-in-suspected-murder-suicide-1.2772011?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/e679b7dc64c5964d925e8ddeccb3dbd49e2d0398cb048f7d97ebac78d364e428.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:41 | null | 2016-08-30T16:03:00 | Palace have also rejected a new £21 million bid from Tottenham for Wilfried Zaha | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fsoccer%2Fenglish-soccer%2Fcrystal-palace-sign-lo%25C3%25AFc-r%25C3%25A9my-on-loan-from-chelsea-1.2773208%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773207.1472569382!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Crystal Palace sign Loïc Rémy on loan from Chelsea | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Crystal Palace have announced the signing of the striker Loïc Rémy on a season-long loan from Chelsea and will reject Tottenham’s new £21m offer for Wilfried Zaha.
Palace confirmed the move for Rémy, who made just three Premier League starts for Chelsea last season, on Tuesday, with the club understood to be paying loan a fee of around £3m for the 29-year-old.
“This is a very good chance for me and a big opportunity. It was very important to know Alan Pardew as he is a very good manager and I am happy to be here,” said the France international.
Alan Pardew added: “Loïc has been a target of mine throughout this transfer window and I’m delighted the deal has been done. I brought him to Newcastle so I know what he is capable of and I am convinced he will be a quality addition to our squad as we evolve.
“Loïc has international and Champions League experience as well as being a Premier League title winner and is the latest example of the high calibre of players we have brought into the club during this transfer window.”
Rémy’s arrival means Palace have bolstered their squad further after the signings of Christian Benteke, Andros Townsend James Tomkins and Steve Mandanda.
They remain in the market for a central midfielder, with negotiations ongoing for Genoa’s Tomás Rincón. West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and West Ham have all been asked to be kept abreast over developments after the Italian club received an offer from Palace worth around £6.8m.
The south London club are understood to be in discussions with the 28-year-old’s representatives and consider him a potential replacement for the departed Mile Jedinak. Alan Pardew had hoped to secure James McCarthy from Everton, though the player is believed to be reluctant to move south.
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West Brom are likely to be very active in the market over the next 36 hours even in the wake of completing Nacer Chadli’s club record £13m signing from Tottenham Hotspur, with Tony Pulis still intent upon adding five new faces to his squad.
An enquiry was lodged with Palace on Monday night as to the potential availability of Connor Wickham, though Pardew would have to secure a replacement before any deal would be considered in this window. Jordon Mutch is interesting Derby County and could move to the iPro Stadium if Jeff Hendrick leaves the Championship club.
Meanwhile, Tottenham are also understood to have returned with a new bid worth an initial £21m for England international Zaha. Steve Parish, the Palace chariman, insisted last week that the 23-year-old is not for sale after rejecting an offer worth an initial £12m and it is expected they will resist any further attempts to lure him away from Selhurst Park.
(Guardian service) | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/crystal-palace-sign-lo%C3%AFc-r%C3%A9my-on-loan-from-chelsea-1.2773208?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/78e33c5867edd18c8fd37d33b1740167b89a393d06b36457ad6cbea1176effc0.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T04:50:23 | null | 2016-08-27T05:00:00 | A young girl plays a waiting game in August’s Hennessy New Irish Writing winning story | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fculture%2Fbooks%2Ffeatherweight-a-short-story-by-eileen-lynch-1.2769603%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769600.1472246162!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Featherweight: a short story by Eileen Lynch | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | The days were shortening.
August was wringing out the last heat of summer. The crows that had appeared in the spring were still living in the beech tree. Their hoarse calls scratched the air, and the tree’s leaves seethed with their traffic. Their shit splattered the concrete yard, leaving marks like lichen blooms. At dusk their bony toes hooked the tree into place.
Aoife sat in the kitchen looking out on the dark yard. She was weighed down with waiting, rooted within a puckering radius. Thoughts scrambled over one another fuelled by a simmering anger. She heard the TV being switched off in the front room. Moments later her mother walked in and began to wash her hands at the sink.
“I’m going to ask Mrs Ryan’s son to call over. If he can shoot pheasants he can shoot crows.”
She dried her hands and filled the kettle.
“At least you can eat pheasants.”
She leaned against the counter, lit a cigarette. “That tree should never have been planted so near the house.”
“Maybe the tree came first.”
Aoife loved the tree; the crows didn’t bother her.
Her mother’s gaze wandered on to the yard, found Aoife’s reflection, looked away again. They were awkward around one another now.
“Maybe it did. And some genius decided to build the house right beside it. The roots must be damaging the foundations. I might be better getting someone to cut it. Let those nuisances find somewhere else to make their racket.”
She was getting taller.
That was how the trouble had started. One night a sound had woken her. Before she opened her eyes she knew that her mother was in the bedroom. As quickly she realised her mistake. She had left her tennis clothes in the sports bag and forgotten to put them in the washing machine as soon as she got home. She saw her mother open up the bag and shake out the dress. The detergent-fresh smell as the neat fabric folds fanned out. Her mother stepped across and threw back the bedclothes.
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“Stand up.”
Aoife swung her feet on to the cold floorboards. Her mother held the dress against her. It hadn’t fitted her for months. Her mother took it away, along with the bag.
She had waited until the next day to check. The mobile phone he had given her was still where she had hidden it. It was a newer model than her own phone, and she was tempted to use it all the time. But her mother would ask questions or, what was worse, not ask questions, just act.
There was another reason. She noticed that he picked it up and scrolled through the call history when he thought she wasn’t looking. She was only to use it for calls and texts between them. She texted to say her mother had cancelled her tennis lessons and anything else that saw her out of the house on her own. She didn’t tell him about the dress. No need to let him know she’d been caught out. Let him think he might have been the one to slip up. Let him come up with a plan. He thought he had all the answers. It was hours before he texted her back.
Someone saw something. What did she say?
Nothing. Weird.
No contact for a while.
When will I see u?
Do nothing. Wait to hear from me.
Do nothing. Like she had a choice.
The house was shrinking.
Her mother didn’t offer to drive her into Limerick any more, and she knew better than to ask. A silent stalemate stuck like stubborn glue between them. From the office her mother phoned the house every couple of hours, never at the same time. She had stopped giving her money. Why would she need money, since she wasn’t allowed go anywhere? He wouldn’t risk calling out to the house. She knew that. She wasn’t stupid. She still had enough money for the bus into Limerick, but she would be seen at the bus stop on the main road, walking around the city. Word would get back to her mother; talk in the supermarket queue or at the hairdressers.
“I don’t know how they fill the days.”
“The holidays are too long for them, really, aren’t they?”
“I suppose she’ll be relieved to get back to the books come September.”
She followed summer on Instagram and Facebook. The invites to parties and barbecues had dried up. Her friends knew she was keeping something from them, and they resented her for it. But at least then they had wanted her to know what she was missing. Now they didn’t even bother to tell her what she had missed. New alliances had been formed in evenings saturated by long sunsets. There were faces and names she didn’t know. In-jokes she couldn’t decode. She was unfriended.
“What’s up?”
“Not much. You?”
“Same.”
Not same.
We know.
I know you do.
Months before, her mother drove her to a dentist’s appointment in the city. They were early and went window-shopping on William Street to kill the time. One movement out of thousands in the window’s reflection caught her eye. A man of his height and size, wearing a long grey coat just like his, passed behind them and turned at the next corner into Foxes Bow. If it had been him he would have stopped and waited for her to pass by. If it had been him he would have made some sign to her. She said nothing about it when they next met. Just in case it had been a test, to see what she would do, what she would accept from him. She left him early that day, pretended relatives were visiting and her mother wanted her home. He was angry. She knew it. He covered it up with a joke. He pretended that he couldn’t open the car door.
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“It’s a child lock”, he said, frowning in mock concentration. She leaned back and smiled at him without saying anything. Daring him to keep her there, daring him to risk that she had lied to him, daring him to get caught. At times like these she played with the idea of leaving something behind in the car, a little bracelet or an earring, something small that he wouldn’t see her drop down between the seats. Say afterwards that it had been an accident. See how he liked her test for him.
At the start of that school year his daughter had been moved into her class. Dropped from the honours stream. Not that she seemed to mind. A quiet girl who lived in oversized jumpers and bit her nails. It was easy to avoid her; she kept to the edges of groups and always had a note to excuse her from sports. Their desks were across from one another. Aoife noticed that she had fingers like her father’s – long and delicate. She looked at other men’s hands after that – when they passed change over a counter or harried animals along the narrow lanes. Most men had hands and fingers that were damaged in some way: chipped, scraped, swollen. He didn’t work with his hands; his fingers were fleshy and soft. Baby hands, baby fingers. She didn’t think she could say that to him without him taking offence. There were better ways to get a reaction. She liked to draw him towards anger and see him teeter on its edge. It was her only way of keeping a balance between them.
She was upstairs, trying not to check the mobile again, when she heard her mother on the telephone in the hall. Back to the original plan. The tree would not be cut down, not yet anyway.
“Carmel, I insist. Not unless he lets me pay him. And if this month doesn’t suit tell him to let me know and we’ll work something out.”
The sound of her mother walking into the kitchen was interrupted by the sound of a soft, dull bang. She heard her mother’s startled shout, then silence. She ran downstairs and found her mother standing by the patio door.
“It was trying to get in,” her mother said, pointing to the crow’s body on the other side of the glass, feathers still floating cartoon-like in the air.
She took Aoife’s hand and ran the flat palm over the surface of the glass.
“Can you feel it?”
“What?”
She let go of her hand, stepped back and switched on the patio light. She turned Aoife from her waist and pointed again at the glass.
“See there? A tiny crack.”
Aoife peered closer. She saw something she thought might be a loose thread from a spider’s web.
“You’d feel it from the other side of the glass. It would take a thin slice from your finger. When the weather turns, water will get into it and freeze and unfreeze. We’ll come down some winter morning and the whole sheet of glass will have cracked.”
“Will I clear it away?” Only when Aoife spoke did she realise that the tip of her finger was resting in the corner of her mouth, soothing a cut that had never come.
“Leave it to me. I’ll deal with it.”
And then there was a new way to measure out the deadweight of each hour. The crow’s body tick-tocked from side to side as it hung from a length of string tied to a low branch of the tree.
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“What’s the point?”
“It warns the others off.”
“Won’t it start to smell?”
“There’s not much meat on a crow.”
She slid the patio door back.
“Listen.”
“What? I don’t hear anything.”
“They’ve gone.”
It was true. They ate their meals while looking at the crow’s body swinging on its narrow arc. No living thing came near it.
Mrs Ryan’s son was off the hook. There was a new plan. The man who came to install the alarm ducked and weaved under the crow’s body as he worked. His fingers were short and stubby – ugly. He winked at Aoife when he thought her mother wasn’t looking.
“Cheer up. It might never happen,” he said.
Later she sat on the stairs and watched her mother set the alarm code.
“How does it work?”
“Let me get the hang of it myself first.”
“What if there’s a fire?”
“There won’t be a fire.”
She shielded the control panel with her body and moved her fingers quickly over the keypad.
“That’s it set. Front and back doors. We’ll see how that goes.”
The nights were lengthening.
The dark plumage of her thoughts ruffled, she put it to him as a choice she was allowing him to make. Come up with a way for them to meet or she would come up with her own plan. She would not sit waiting one night more. She’d let him away with too much. She sent the message and hid the phone away.
She lay on the bed and watched the tree’s branches cast whirligig shadows across the ceiling. Beyond the yard, along invisible tracks, were the scurrying movements of claws and bushy tails. Comings and goings along the warm earth that looped back on one another. Further away, yellow lights along the main road illuminated journeys that followed a different pattern. At night the traffic sounds drifted closer. The dark pools between each light were the head-nodding gaps between waking and sleeping. Two hours passed and she took out the phone again. A blue light flashed in its top corner.
The place I showed you the day of the funfair. Wait until dark. Bring the phone with you.
The beech tree had grown along with her. She pushed down on the branch nearest her to test its strength, then took a deep breath and climbed out on to it. She exhaled slowly as she moved closer to the tree’s trunk, where the branch was thickest. Towards the bottom her fingers brushed against the string. She pulled it towards her until the crow’s body brushed against her fingers. She left it resting on the branch, hidden by the leaves. A short jump to the ground.
There were no lights, but she knew the way. Across the fields, in a road that was little used this time of night, a car was waiting. Birds fell from the sky into the open arms of trees. In navy-blue fields small animals tucked themselves within hedgerow hems. The Shannon wound its way through the flat, open land, carrying away what came from inland. Miles away the woman at the late-night hatch of the petrol station dealt out a game of patience, taking payment and handing over change with barely an upwards look. Farther away still a security guard closed the door on his tiny hut and opened the bottle he planned to finish before his shift ended.
On the edge of all that stillness she was the only living thing rushing to meet the day.
Eileen Lynch has been shortlisted twice for the RTÉ Francis MacManus Short Story Competition, and her flash fiction has appeared in The Irish Times | http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/featherweight-a-short-story-by-eileen-lynch-1.2769603?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/20e4e905b307a5ee928eb464016024507f78578ff37b75786beac8606ff1fda5.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T00:50:17 | null | 2016-08-27T01:00:00 | Organisers said event would not take place due to ‘circumstances beyond our control’ | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fenvironment%2Fdalkey-lobster-festival-to-go-ahead-despite-cancellation-claims-1.2769877%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769876.1472254187!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Dalkey Lobster Festival to go ahead despite cancellation claims | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | The Dalkey Lobster Festival is expected to go ahead in the south Dublin seaside town this weekend, despite its cancellation by organisers on Thursday evening.
Following the cancellation, Fáilte Ireland said that it would not be releasing €5,000 in sponsorship that had been designated for the food and music festival.
A message posted on the festival’s website stated that the event “has been cancelled due to circumstances beyond our control. Apologies for the inconvenience caused”.
A further message on Facebook states: “We can assure you that nobody is more upset than the Lobster Fest Committee. We are absolutely devastated that we’ve had to take this course of action, please trust that we did everything in our power to avoid this outcome.”
The Facebook message goes on to explain that despite the committee having “worked tirelessly to make this event a success”, they had been advised that an “unexpected amount of liability lies with the committee for all events [during the festival] and not just those actually run by the committee”.
The message says that while the festival cannot proceed in its official capacity, the participating businesses were free to proceed with their own events, “accepting liability for their own plans”.
However, this message is not relayed on the festival website, which simply says that the event is cancelled.
Event organiser David Coulson, of The Tramyard restaurant, could not be contacted yesterday, but The Tramyard website says ticket refunds for the festival are available.
Dispute
However, local businessman Oliver McCabe, of Select Stores, said only the events run by The Tramyard were cancelled and the rest of the festival would go ahead.
“The paid ticketed events run at The Tramyard have been cancelled and the kids events at the church car park, also run by The Tramyard, those have been cancelled, but the events organised by the other businesses in the town will go ahead,” Mr McCabe said.
Restaurants in the town had had bookings cancelled following the announcement on the website, he said.
“There is no need for people to cancel bookings, the festival has kicked off and the other free events are going on as planned.”
A spokeswoman for Fáilte Ireland said it was contacted by the organisers on Friday morning to say the festival was cancelled.
She said none of the €5,000 in funding for the festival had been paid out and that it would not now be released.
A programme of events is available at dalkeylobsterfest.com. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/dalkey-lobster-festival-to-go-ahead-despite-cancellation-claims-1.2769877?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/3a5df5951717da5b70de46bd5319768d87e999979f9e8f21871716a33509058c.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T06:53:24 | null | 2016-08-31T06:00:00 | Residential and office building on Earlsfort Terrace could be converted to apartments | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fcommercial-property%2Fmixed-use-investment-in-top-dublin-2-location-for-2-75m-1.2772151%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773176.1472567908!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Mixed-use investment in top Dublin 2 location for €2.75m | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | QRE is guiding €2.75 million for a mixed-use investment with vacant possession in a top Dublin 2 location.
The residential and office building, which requires refurbishment and is being sold on the instructions of receiver Duff and Phelps, is located at 22-22A Earlsfort Terrace.
This “Belgravia-style” property is four-storey over basement, extends to 800sq m ( 8,611sq ft) and has period features and fireplaces throughout. It is set out as five large apartments (three three-beds and two one-beds) together with four high-quality office suites.
The location, at the junction of Earlsfort terrace and Adelaide Road, is one of the most sought-after commercial and residential locations in the city centre. Nearby landmarks include the National Concert Hall, Iveagh Gardens, St Stephen’s Green and Fitzwilliam Square.
Zoned Z8 under the Dublin City Development Plan 2011-2017, the agent suggests the building offers the purchaser an opportunity for full conversion to residential apartments (subject to the necessary planning permissions). | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/mixed-use-investment-in-top-dublin-2-location-for-2-75m-1.2772151?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/97954161b577c1700fff5850a4b3897ed2053f5aed4cf5c4cd3507f4a8b8cd51.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T06:50:27 | null | 2016-08-27T06:00:00 | There are teams of people dedicated to solving problems we didn’t know we had, and selling them to us on rainy Sundays | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Fhomes-and-property%2Finteriors%2Fhouse-rules-the-unnecessary-things-you-really-want-1.2768089%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2768083.1472125548!/image/image.jpg | en | null | House Rules: The unnecessary things you really want | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Rainy Sundays can expose you to a lot of advertisements, which can lead to a great deal of angst. The best ads create desire by making you feel you lack something essential. Practical, physical or emotional; the product or service then comes galloping in, as if on a white horse, to save the day.
But my sofa is nice and comfortable, and with the rain tipping at the windows, the blandishments of furniture shop DFS weren’t taking. Neither, from a contented weekend’s perspective, were fast loans at 1,243 per cent APR, or the wholesome (yet subtly racy) family cars such a loan might support.
Instead, as I clicked through the channels, I thought about what a life-changing device the remote control has been. It’s up there with the kettle and dimmer switches.
Life is full of inventions that we don’t need, in the existential sense of the word, that are nonetheless life changing.
In the presidential suite at the Castlemartyr Resort in Cork (castlemartyrresort.ie: it was for research purposes, I swear), I discovered a bedside button that opened the curtains, and the delights of knowing the weather before discarding the duvet.
Staying in bed, a weekend with a friend revealed the Kaydian TV bed (beds.ie) with a screen that pops up at the touch of another button; as well as the joys of recliner sofas. Then there’s underfloor heating in the bathroom, a single switch that can turn off all the lights in the house at once, smartphone systems to put the heating on while you’re out and about and Energlaze (energlaze.ie) glass that lets you keep your own lovely windowframes while adding insulation.
Getting into it, the list expands to fat-free Airfryers (harveynorman.ie) for almost healthy chips, the Chromecast (currys.ie) to stream to your TV, and that’s before getting into older “new” things such as SatNavs. It’s a comforting thought, on a rainy Sunday, that out there, there are teams of people dedicated to solving problems we didn’t know we had. “What’s the single thing you don’t have that could change your life?” I asked my friend. “A butler,” he replied. | http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/interiors/house-rules-the-unnecessary-things-you-really-want-1.2768089?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/0b4eac131e580163815a175a8e04095f2a82d4680156fd63b604a1b680ca78c7.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:08:27 | null | 2016-08-26T12:03:00 | Former Arsenal and France striker named as assistant with Red Devils | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fsoccer%2Finternational%2Fthierry-henry-to-give-roberto-martinez-a-hand-with-belgium-1.2769359%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769357.1472209424!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Thierry Henry to give Roberto Martinez a hand with Belgium | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Thierry Henry will be an assistant to new Belgium coach Roberto Martinez as they start their bid to qualify for the next World Cup finals in Russia.
The former France and Arsenal striker joins Martinez’s former Everton assistant Graeme Jones on the team’s coaching staff after the Spaniard replaced Marc Wilmots as manager of the Euro 2016 quarter-finalists.
“We are here to help really develop the talent we have. We need to support the players. Our contact time with players through the year is limited so we need to make a big impact,” Martinez told reporters on Friday as he announced his squad for his opening two matches.
They are a home friendly against Spain on Thursday and the opening World Cup qualifier in Cyprus on September 6th.
“Thierry brings something completely different,” Martinez added.
“He is someone who can develop our chances of winning something special. It was not difficult to persuade him to join this project. Belgium is a unique case and he was keen straight away to get on board.”
Belgium will again be without captain Vincent Kompany who is still injured after missing the European Championship. Steven Defour, Kevin Mirallas and Thorgan Hazard were all recalled. | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/thierry-henry-to-give-roberto-martinez-a-hand-with-belgium-1.2769359?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/c2929e669d6f1181b0d4956462fb6d62187b1a3573de620dcf7994a0f273a862.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T00:48:38 | null | 2016-08-29T01:00:00 | Opinion: US White Paper ratchets up pressure on EU over taxing multinationals | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fireland-risks-being-trampled-in-us-eu-corporate-tax-fight-1.2771081.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771079.1472400312!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Ireland risks being trampled in US/EU corporate tax fight | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | For the last three years, the international debate on tax policy was all about consensus. Led by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, countries across the globe agreed that aggressive tax planning by multinational corporations which pushed profits into low-tax countries – or indeed took profits outside the charge to tax altogether – was unacceptable.
Every developed nation sang from the same hymn sheet devising ways to step together to tighten up their tax rules. That was until last week, when the United States authorities clearly decided they had had enough of US interests being targeted by other countries.
For some time US officials have not been delighted with this European Union focus on tax and competition, leading to correspondence from US treasury chief Jacob Lew to European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker earlier this year expressing concern at the commission’s interventions into the activities of US companies.
The Apple case – relating to the tax arrangements between Ireland and the US giant – is currently the single biggest case of this type under investigation by the commission.
But the dispute has been ratcheted up several notches with the publication on August 24th of a US treasury White Paper. This formally states the US view of what the commission is doing in targeting the tax affairs of US multinationals using competition law rather than tax law.
Chilling effect
The position of the Americans is that the commission’s investigations into whether tax arrangements constituted state aid would result in the transfer of tax revenue from the US to Europe, an outcome they describe as “deeply troubling”. Persistent investigation of US companies in this manner would lead to a “chilling effect” on US-EU cross-border investment, the treasury warned. The criticisms do not end there.
The US claims which might be felt most keenly in commission circles is that the EU is not operating its own rules correctly. The US treasury considers that the commission has departed from its established case law and practice in recent state-aid decisions.
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Under the commission’s “new approach” all benefits granted to companies could be at risk of “state aid attack”, even if they were not selective. Where the commission seeks remedies for illegal state aid, those remedies should not be retrospective, the White Paper said.
For good measure the commission is accused of undermining the international consensus on how important tax rules should be applied, along with undermining the OECD initiative to achieve consensus approaches on the taxation of multinationals.
Robust defence
Brussels thus far has been robust in its defence of what it can and cannot do to enforce the state-aid rules. Competition commissioner Margrethe Vestager has strong support from the European Parliament. Back in January it voted in support of recovering any taxes illegally forgone by EU member states and the payment of any recovered taxes to the EU.
The parliament does not have authority to legislate on tax matters but nevertheless is bolstering the standing of the commissioner in pursuing tax issues using EU competition law. The commissioner herself has asserted to the US treasury that she acts to establish fair tax competition within the EU.
Fair tax competition within the EU is one thing, but this US statement has dragged the EU tax competition debate across the Atlantic. The US is also firmly setting out its stall by issuing a new legal model for the tax relationship between itself and countries.
A number of countries, including Ireland, the Netherlands, Norway and Luxembourg, are being invited to renegotiate their tax relationships with the US under the terms of this new model tax treaty. These treaties are outside and separate to any EU-wide treaty arrangements.
Brexit
There is also the question of competition post-Brexit. The UK might not have to trouble itself with concerns over EU competition law once it leaves the EU, and therefore could position itself as a haven safe from the “chilling” effects of EU intervention on foreign investments made into Europe from the US.
This would be to the cost of Ireland and other EU member states alike, and makes the need for Ireland to mount a robust appeal against any adverse EU ruling in the Apple case even more important.
Perhaps by coincidence, the Department of Finance launched a public consultation on a future Ireland/US tax treaty last week. Such a consultation is highly unusual. Tax treaty negotiations are usually conducted behind closed doors.
The new treaty when finalised will undoubtedly reflect US concerns over existing treaty abuses and high-profile corporate inversions, a practice whereby multinationals change their country of residence from the US to a lower tax jurisdiction to reduce their overall tax bills. It’s one thing though to renegotiate a tax treaty, but quite another to make it law. Washington gridlock has ensured that the US has not ratified any new tax treaties for almost a decade.
The African proverb has it that when elephants fight, the grass is the biggest loser. Because of the high level of US investment to this country Ireland, though a small player in economic and political terms, has a lot at stake in this transatlantic tax debate.
Nevertheless, recent events emphasise the primary concern of the US treasury to protect its tax base by pushing back directly against EU tax competition initiatives. Just as significantly it is pushing back indirectly against OECD initiatives to eliminate harmful cross-border tax competition by going it alone with its own style of tax treaty. Future Irish tax policy must reflect these developments – and react to them.
Brian Keegan is director of taxation at Chartered Accountants Ireland | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/ireland-risks-being-trampled-in-us-eu-corporate-tax-fight-1.2771081 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/74b844da0c92c94ff4d7dbd5c5c5d51e1e76f1b4c8c75350a54f591a0f1ec447.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:52:30 | null | 2016-08-31T05:05:00 | ‘How could such vast sums of money not be subject to tax somewhere in the world?’ | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fopinion-apple-s-irish-sweetheart-deal-unfair-to-taxpayers-1.2773459%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773454.1472582343!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Opinion: Apple’s Irish ‘sweetheart’ deal unfair to taxpayers | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | To use a football analogy, the European Commission went in studs up with its ruling yesterday on Apple’s tax affairs in Ireland.
The Government has been ordered to recoup up to €13 billion in unpaid taxes, plus interest, on the basis that Apple had been given selective treatment by Ireland through two tax rulings in 1991 and 2007.
This was a landmark decision by the commission, and the potential bill is a multiple of what had been expected by the Irish authorities and tax experts here.
According to the commission, the arrangement allowed Apple to avoid taxation on almost all profits generated by sales of its products in the EU single market, because Apple recorded the sales in Ireland rather than where the products were sold.
This was achieved by funnelling sales through a “so-called” head office in Ireland with “no employees, no premises and no real activities,” said commissioner Margrethe Vestager. Its activities consisted solely of occasional board meetings.
Head office profits
Only a fraction of the profits of Apple Sales International (an Irish-registered company) were allocated to its Irish branch and subject to tax here. The “remaining vast majority of profits were allocated to the ‘head office’, where they remained untaxed”, according to the commission.
In effect, this money was paid to Apple in the US to fund research and development.
In 2011, according to figures released at US Senate public hearings, Apple Sales International recorded profits of $22 billion (€16 billion). But under the terms of the tax ruling, only about €50 million were considered taxable in Ireland, leaving the balance of profits untaxed.
As a result, Apple Sales International paid less than €10 million of corporate tax in Ireland in 2011 – an effective rate of about 0.05 per cent on its overall annual profits.
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The Apple tax ruling The EC issued a ruling on August 30th in relation to the tax arrangements of Apple in Ireland, where it has its European HQ. The EC said Apple had been granted selective treatment by Ireland through two tax rulings in 1991 and 2007. The EC has ordered Ireland to recover up to €13 billion from the tech giant. Minister for Finance Michael Noonan indicated Ireland would appeal the decision "to defend the integrity of our tax system; to provide tax certainty to business; and to challenge the encroachment of EU state aid rules into the sovereign member state competence of taxation”. Q&A: Cliff Taylor answers the key questions I found this helpful Yes No
“In subsequent years, Apple Sales International’s recorded profits continued to increase but the profits considered taxable in Ireland under the terms of the tax ruling did not,” said Vestager. “Thus this effective tax rate decreased further to only 0.005 per cent in 2014.”
This, obviously, not the standard corporation tax rate of 12.5 per cent that has been in place in Ireland since January 1st, 2003.
This “artificial internal allocation of profits” was endorsed by the authorities here but had “no factual or economic justification” and amounted to State aid, the commission decided following a three-year investigation.
This tax ruling here was terminated when Apple Sales International and Apple Operations Europe (another Irish entity used by the maker of iPhones and iPads) changed their structures in 2015, which might help to explain that 49 per cent spike in our corporation tax receipts last year, to just under €6.9 billion.
Apple said it would appeal the ruling and that it was confident the decision would be overturned.
The Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, will seek approval at an emergency Cabinet meeting on Wednesday to appeal the decision to the European courts.
Public opinion
Ireland has two months and 10 days to bring an appeal. By all accounts, Noonan wants to press the button immediately rather than chance other Ministers having their heads turned by public opinion or sniping from the Opposition.
“I disagree profoundly with the commission’s decision,” Noonan said. “Our tax system is founded on the strict application of the law, as enacted by the Oireachtas, without exception.”
In other circumstances, the Government would grab with both hands the opportunity to collect €13 billion in back taxes.
But such is the importance of foreign direct investment to the Irish economy that it doesn’t want to scare off existing or potential investors at a time when our recovery is still delicately poised. And it doesn’t want to give oxygen to calls from other member states for a harmonisation of corporate tax rates.
Both the Revenue Commissioners and the IDA were quick to issue statements in support of the positions taken by Apple and the Government.
Apple and Ireland might well be proved right in their assertions that the tax paid by the tech giant complied with the relevant tax laws, both here and in its home country.
But that really just makes the law, whether in Ireland, the US or elsewhere, an ass. How could such vast sums of money not be subject to tax somewhere in the world?
At a press conference to explain the commission ruling, Vestager made a common-sense point about Apple arrangements.
“I would have the feeling, if my effective tax rate would be 0.05 per cent falling to 0.005 per cent, I would have felt that maybe I should have a second look at my tax bill,” she said to much sniggering among the press corps.
She’s got a point. By accident or design, this was a sweetheart deal for Apple, the like of which wasn’t available to Irish SMEs or ordinary taxpayers.
Whether or not the arrangement was legal, it wasn’t fair to other taxpayers, be they Irish or American.
Twitter: @CiaranHancock1 | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/opinion-apple-s-irish-sweetheart-deal-unfair-to-taxpayers-1.2773459?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/e68aa429f01a0f9ebdbda9a4c195c7faa5ca27a3d00bd65575e41ea00188c409.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T14:51:01 | null | 2016-08-28T13:51:00 | Infected include 36 foreign workers not known to have been in Zika-affected areas recently | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fasia-pacific%2Fzika-virus-singapore-confirms-41-locally-transmitted-cases-1.2770973%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2770971.1472388660!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Zika virus: Singapore confirms 41 locally-transmitted cases | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Singapore authorities have confirmed 41 cases of locally-transmitted Zika virus, which in Brazil has been linked to a rare birth defect, and said more cases were expected to be identified.
Those infected include 36 foreign construction workers employed at a site near Aljunied in the southeast of the island, the health ministry and the National Environment Agency (NEA) said in a joint statement on Sunday.
On Saturday, authorities had confirmed Singapore’s first case of a local transmission of the virus, to a 47-year-old Malaysian woman, also from the Aljunied area.
“MOH (the ministry of health) cannot rule out further community transmission in Singapore since some of those tested positive also live or work in other parts of Singapore,” the statement said. “We expect to identify more positive cases.”
Construction workers
The authorities said they have tested 124 people, primarily construction workers. Seventy-eight tested negative and five cases were pending. Thirty-four patients have fully recovered. It was not immediately clear where the foreign workers were from, but Singapore hosts a large contingent of workers from the Asian sub-continent.
“All the cases are residents or workers in the Aljunied Crescent/Sims Drive area. They are not known to have travelled to Zika-affected areas recently, and are thus likely to have been infected in Singapore. This confirms that local transmission of Zika virus infection has taken place,” the statement said.
Dozens of NEA staff cleaned drains and sprayed insecticide in the mainly residential area early on Sunday, and volunteers and contractors handed out leaflets and insect repellent. The NEA workers had accessed more than 1,800 premises of a total of 6,000 in the area to check for mosquito breeding.
Local residents welcomed the clean-up.
“I’m very scared of mosquitoes because they always seem to bite me, they never bite my husband,” Janice (31), who gave only her first name, told Reuters. “This concerns me because maybe in a couple of years I want to have another (child).”
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Zika was detected in Brazil last year and has since then spread across the Americas. The virus poses a risk to pregnant women because it can cause severe birth defects. It has been linked to more than 1,600 cases of microcephaly in Brazil.
The Singapore government said there were “ongoing local transmission” cases in Indonesia, Thailand and Vietnam. Other countries in the region to have detected the Zika virus since 2013 include Bangladesh, Cambodia, Laos, Malaysia, Maldives and the Philippines, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
Surveillance stepped up
Malaysia said on Sunday it stepped up surveillance at main transit points with Singapore.
Health director-general Noor Hisham Abdullah said leaflets on Zika prevention were being handed out and paramedics were at entry points to handle visitors with potential symptoms.
As of this month, Malaysia said it has screened more than 2 million visitors at air, sea and land entrances, and found no Zika infections.
In Thailand, where close to 100 cases of Zika have been recorded across 10 provinces this year, the Department of Disease Control (DDC) was screening all athletes returning from the Olympic Games in Brazil, but was not otherwise changing its prevention measures.
“Every country in this region has Zika transmission cases,” said Prasert Thongcharoen, an adviser to the DDC. “Thailand has, however, managed to contain the problem through early detection.”
Indonesian foreign ministry spokesman Armanatha Nasir said the country was “following developments”. Oskar Pribadi, a health ministry official, said there have been no recent Zika cases.
Vietnam has to date reported three cases of locally transmitted Zika infection.
The current strain of Zika that is sweeping through Latin America and the Caribbean originated in Asia, where people could have built up greater immunity.
US health officials have concluded that Zika infections in pregnant women can cause microcephaly, a birth defect marked by small head size that can lead to severe developmental problems.
The WHO has said there is strong scientific consensus that Zika can also cause Guillain-Barre, a rare neurological syndrome that causes temporary paralysis in adults.
Reuters | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/zika-virus-singapore-confirms-41-locally-transmitted-cases-1.2770973?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/1a7f3b193d2f9c39891efa56aec4c5ca039350e3c6e2d7fd94e27171248804f1.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:52:35 | null | 2016-08-30T14:24:00 | Teen banned from his home over domestic incident avoids centre because it is full | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fcrime-and-law%2Fcourts%2Fyouth-avoids-oberstown-detention-as-judge-told-no-beds-today-1.2773062%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773060.1472563440!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Youth avoids Oberstown detention as judge told ‘no beds today’ | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | A teenage boy who was banned from his home following a domestic incident avoided being sent to the Oberstown youth detention centre today because it was full.
The 48-bed Oberstown Children Detention Campus facility in Lusk in north Co Dublin is the State’s main detention facility for offenders aged under 17.
Youths had run amok at the centre on Monday night and extensive damage was caused when a rooftop blaze broke out.
The 16-year-old boy, who appeared in court today, is charged with criminal damage to a chair on August 25th at his north inner city Dublin home, where his mother also resides.
Strict conditions
On Friday he had been granted bail with strict conditions: he had to stay away from his mother’s address; reside in another part of Dublin with a grandparent, and obey a 9pm-9am curfew.
He faced objections to bail at his second hearing today.
Garda Peter Redmond told the Dublin Children’s Court that at 1am on Saturday the teenager was found at Mountjoy Square in Dublin “under the influence”.
At the time the teenager was in possession of a petrol can and a bike, but could not explain why he had the petrol can.
The boy told gardaí he was going to his grandmother’s home, but when that was checked the following day gardaí were told he did not arrive until early in the morning. He also broke the curfew over the next two days.
Difficult situation
Defence solicitor Colleen Gildernew told Judge Marie Keane there was a difficult family situation and the boy had come to court “with a bag packed” and was consenting to being held in custody.
Judge Keane indicated she would remand him in custody, but inquiries were made and she was told there were “no beds today” at the Oberstown detention centre.
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The teenager sat silently with his arms folded during the hearing. His mother was present but did not address the court.
Judge Keane released the boy on bail to appear again later this week.
Investigation under way
An investigation is being carried out at the detention facility following chaotic incidents on Monday night when one staff member was injured and fire broke out on a rooftop, which was badly damaged.
Eight of the detainees had managed to get onto the roof.
An eight-hour stoppage was held by staff on Monday protesting against working conditions at the campus, which expanded in recent years to accommodate older youths.
Further stoppages are expected in September. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/youth-avoids-oberstown-detention-as-judge-told-no-beds-today-1.2773062?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/44f474db98e5f9e056aa796ea461369ae9d925c8c09923491d1e075010c3b406.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T06:52:16 | null | 2016-08-30T06:20:00 | ‘There is nothing like shopping face to face, getting real customer satisfaction’ | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fpersonal-finance%2Fme-my-money-paddy-magee-renault-group-ireland-1.2770995%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2770993.1472483336!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Me & My Money: Paddy Magee, Renault Group Ireland | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Are you a saver or a spender?
I’m generally a day-to-day saver, though when it comes to gadgets, all sensible thoughts go out the window. Gadgets, I definitely tend to splurge on them.
Do you shop around for better value?
In every aspect of business life I would say yes. The three-quote rule was hammered into me at a very young age and has served me well through the years. In personal life, I do shop around a little, with the exception of Christmas shopping, which, despite my very best effort is always done on Christmas Eve.
What has been your most extravagant purchase ever and how much did it cost?
I wouldn’t be a frequent extravagant buyer by any stretch. I do, however, like to invest in family memories, as cheesy as that sounds. Every year I look forward to one “blow out” holiday with my daughter, Katy-May, and my wife, Clare. I also have an appreciation for a good watch, so I treated myself to a Breitling a few years ago. I’ll keep the price of that to myself, though.
What purchase have you made that you consider the best value for money?
Undoubtedly, I would say, my wife Clare’s engagement ring nine years ago.
What way do you prefer to shop – online or local?
Whilst I like to do price comparisons online before I buy, I still love the fun and excitement that comes with shopping locally. There is nothing like shopping face to face, getting real customer satisfaction, and most importantly personal great customer service.
Do you haggle over prices?
My background is in sales, so on big items I love to haggle. It’s always good to gauge reaction and see what new sales lines are out there. Sales psychology fascinates me, so I like to visit car dealerships from other brands and see what kind of sales pitches work for them.
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Has the recession changed your spending habits?
I think it changed spending habits for everyone. As a family, we cut down on big non-essential items and focused on quality holidays over quantity.
Do you invest in shares?
When I first started working in Renault many moons ago, there were two colleagues of mine always harping on about shares. I never really got into them. I did the usual like most Irish people and invested a little in Eircom and Vodafone shares. In the last couple of years I have (wisely) invested in shares within the Renault Group.
Cash or card?
On small items below €50 always cash, then everything else is the card.
What was the last thing you bought and was it good value for money?
The last thing I bought was a tent. My family and I absolutely love it. Camping is so much fun around Ireland, especially when the sun comes out.
Have you ever successfully saved up for a relatively big purchase?
Yes, thanks to my general save-not-spend habit I saved up for the family home. Saving up for a deposit on a house is such a satisfying achievement.
Have you ever lost money?
I never lost anything substantial, thankfully. My mother schooled me as a teenager playing cards at home, so that has and hopefully will continue to sort me in the future.
Are you a gambler and if so have you ever had a big win?
I wouldn’t be a regular gambler at all. I like the social aspect and the atmosphere that comes with big GAA events or Punchestown, etc, so I would flitter away a few euro to join in and have a bit of craic. No big wins or losses so far.
Is money important to you?
Security is important to me, so I guess money is important in that aspect. I’m very content with my life at the moment. Money definitely isn’t my day-to-day focus. Once my house is ticking over and my family are happy and healthy, I’m truly happy with my lot.
How much money do you have on you now?
€28.80. And a credit card, just in case. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/personal-finance/me-my-money-paddy-magee-renault-group-ireland-1.2770995?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/17c81dc05d27a0901fdbfbbc9da9a66804455900d5b8fb00fb78dd0dc8f7c072.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T06:50:15 | null | 2016-08-27T06:00:00 | As ever more varieties of food crop die out, seedsavers are stepping in to rescue endangered plants | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fenvironment%2Fseeds-of-change-1.2769911%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769897.1472246265!/image/image.jpg | en | null | SEEDS OF CHANGE | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Will Bonsall considers his Scatterseed Project to be the Noah’s Ark of edible plants. Through it the American has saved thousands of varieties of vegetable from possible extinction. “The first time I saw bean collections I thought it was like a jewellery store. They lit up, and I’ve been dazzled by diversity ever since.”
The ethnobiologist and nature writer Gary Nabhan says that “the diversity of our seed stocks is as endangered as a panda, a golden eagle or a polar bear right now. We have the largest seed shortage in history.”
Bonsall and Habhan both feature in Seed: The Untold Story, an American documentary shown at the Guth Gafa international documentary film festival in Kells, Co Meath, this month.
“All seed keepers are positive, because they see the renewal of life as their connection to the planet, but it’s a David and Goliath struggle of people’s resistance to hybrid-seed manufacturers,” says one of the film’s directors, Taggart Siegel, who was a guest at the festival.
In Seed: The Untold Story Matthew Dillon of the Organic Seed Alliance explains the history of seed production in the United States. “In the 1890s over a billion packets of seeds were distributed free to farmers, to feed the rising immigrant populations, but the American Seed Trade Association hired the very first lobbyist to stop this ‘federal giveaway’, as they called it. They saw seed as a commodity to be quantified, measured, bought, sold and traded on stock markets.” Dillon says that this was a significant point in the development of the hybrid-seed industry. Hybrid seeds are produced to give bigger and better yields in ideal conditions but are unsuitable for seedsaving, because they won’t reproduce identical seed for the next season. Once farmers were using hybrid seeds, they began to take for granted that they needed to buy seeds for each harvest rather than saving them from year to year.
More than 80 per cent of food-crop diversity has been lost in the past 100 years, as ever fewer varieties of seed have been used. But the past two or three decades an international movement against industrialised seed production has gathered momentum.
Environmentalists and activists such as the Indian scientist Vandana Shiva are promoting seedsaving around the world. Her organisation, Navdanya, has helped to conserve more than 3,000 rice varieties at 60 seed banks across India.
An American, Anita Hayes, first brought the importance of seedsaving to public attention in Ireland 25 years ago, when she and her husband, the musician Tommy Hayes, set up the Irish Seed Savers Association. The association, which is based in east Co Clare, has built up a collection of 800 heritage vegetable varieties, 48 types of grain, more than 50 kinds of potato and 140 types of apple.
Although it is funded by the Department of Agriculture, the association struggles to survive with a skeleton staff.
“I understand the need for hybrid seeds, because food is valued at such a low price and farmers’ margins are so tight that they can’t deal with loss of crops,” Jo Newton, the association’s seed-bank and garden manager, says. “But hybrid crops will perform only when you have good soil, good weather and fertiliser. Certain varieties of open-pollinated seeds” – which is to say seeds collected from plants themselves – “will thrive when conditions aren’t ideal. For example, all the hybrid leeks failed in Belgium during a very cold winter recently, but an open-pollinated variety survived.” Newton is excited about the association’s new seed network: up to 25 organic market gardeners now grow seeds as a crop for the organisation’s bank. Fresh open-pollinated seeds need to be dried and stored all the time, to replenish and replace ageing seed stocks.
“A lot of growers are hard pushed to make a living, so it’s been inspiring to see how they’ve taken to saving seeds. That’s quite a breakthrough for us, and it came about after a visit from Matthew Dillon,” she says.
The importance of seed banks is probably best represented by the Svalbard Global Seed Vault. This huge deep-freeze, in a remote Arctic archipelago, stores the world’s widest collection of crop varieties. Although the facility was built by the Norwegian government, the open-pollinated seeds that it stores stay in the ownership of whoever deposited them.
Hans Wieland of the Organic Centre in Rossinver, Co Leitrim, says that people in Ireland aren’t particularly interested in seedsaving. “We run a workshop on seedsaving every year, and it’s hard to fill it. But when you talk about empowering people, about taking food production into their own hands – if you don’t know how to save seeds, there’s a missing link.”
Every year when Wieland returns to his native Germany he buys varieties of tomato from a seed bank in Munich to grow in Ireland. The Organic Centre is also one of four locations taking part in a trial to breed a new blight-resistant potato. This will involve saving and replanting seeds from 12 varieties.
Madeline McKeever, the founder of Brown Envelope Seeds, near Skibbereen, in Co Cork, believes that awareness of seedsaving has grown as a reaction to industrial agriculture.
However, the Grow It Yourself (GIY) movement doesn’t really embrace it – although its founder, Michael Kelly is keen to emphasise his support for organisations such as Irish Seed Savers and Brown Envelope Seeds.
“I share the concerns about the takeover of our food by the biotech industry, and it’s hugely valuable to teach people the life cycle of plants, but the vast majority of amateur growers love the process of buying seed each year, and disease and pest problems have been bred out of F1 hybrids,” says Kelly.
It would be naive to think that everyone is going to start saving seeds, but perhaps we need to respect – and fund – seed banks to a greater extent.
As Will Bonsall says, “I may discover 10 years from now that a seed in my seed bank is in huge demand because it has in its genes some resistance to some disease which is only now evolving.” | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/seeds-of-change-1.2769911?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/a9f7f421c56f76d4c754bad6d0bf6a039c89abd59a639ea849f12ca4884649be.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:46 | null | 2016-08-30T16:33:00 | Italian coast guard conducted 40 separate missions in the Mediterranean on Monday | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Fsome-6-500-migrants-rescued-off-libya-coast-in-a-single-day-1.2773238%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773236.1472571182!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Some 6,500 migrants rescued off Libya coast in a single day | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Some 6,500 migrants were saved off the Libyan coast in 40 separate rescue missions on Monday, the Italian coast guard said on Twitter, in one of the largest operations in a single day so far this year.
The migrants were packed on board scores of boats, many of them flimsy rubber dinghies that become dangerously unstable in high seas. Most were believed to be African.
Data from the International Organisation for Migration released on Friday said about 105,000 migrants had reached Italy by boat so far in 2016, many of them setting sail from Libya.
An estimated 2,726 men, women and children have died over the same period trying to make the journey.
About 1,100 migrants were rescued from boats in the Strait of Sicily on Sunday as they tried to reach Europe, the coast guard said.
More were expected to set sail this week because of favourable weather conditions.
Migrant crisis
Italy has been on the frontline of Europe’s migrant crisis for three years, and more than 400,000 migrants have successfully made the voyage to Italy from North Africa since the beginning of 2014, fleeing violence and poverty.
Reuters | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/some-6-500-migrants-rescued-off-libya-coast-in-a-single-day-1.2773238?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/073b1c59c5866fdee6a402ede21a934aa40d96879f9a4376f26766b9dafce3f5.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T20:51:07 | null | 2016-08-28T20:06:00 | Tom Reynolds ran the equivalent of almost two marathons every day for 35 days | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fireland%2Firish-news%2Fultra-runner-completes-all-2-700-km-of-the-wild-atlantic-way-1.2771241%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771239.1472411161!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Ultra runner completes all 2,700 km of the Wild Atlantic Way | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | An ultra runner has become the first to complete the 2,700 kilometres of the Wild Atlantic Way on foot.
Tom Reynolds (46) took 35 days to run from the Peace Bridge in Derry which he left on July 22 and arrived on Friday evening in Kinsale, Co Cork.
He was accompanied on the first part of his journey by his running partner Lillian Deegan who picked up a few injuries in the early part of the race and is still completing the course. She was in Co Kerry on Sunday evening.
Mr Reynolds’ route took him through nine countries and was almost the equivalent of running a double marathon every day.
Both ultra runners are raising money for their chosen charities Pieta House and Billy’s World.
A garda escort heralded Reynolds’ arrival into Kinsale as far as the end point of the Post Office. He was accompanied by local runners, friends and crew.
Both participants have been the beneficiaries of great acts of kindness along the way, including offers of accommodation in guesthouses, hotels and family homes; refreshments; running equipment; physiotherapy and the company of other runners, walkers and cyclists for parts of the journey.
Originally from Co Leitrim but now living in Louth, Mr Reynolds had been athletic during secondary school but did not come back to athletics until a few years ago, in his early forties.
He is no stranger to daunting challenges having completed the legendary Marathon des Sable which is billed as ‘The Toughest Footrace on Earth’. He ran over 250km across the Sahara Desert in six days during 2015.
Both runners experienced discrepencies between the route programmed into their trackers and the actual Wild Atlantic Way route itself which is marked by road signs and almost 200 specific discovery points.
In order to keep the integrity of the challenge, both runners decided to reach every one of these discovery points (marked by metal structures) whether they were on the tracker or not.
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“I have to say that I was very impressed by the Wild Atlantic Way itself,” Mr Reynolds said on completion. “I saw some really beautiful parts of the country that I didn’t even know existed and I’m looking forward to returning to them when I don’t have to be on the road again running the next morning.”
The Facebook page for the runners remains live (https://www.facebook.com/wildatlanticroute/) as the second participant Deegan completes the challenge. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/ultra-runner-completes-all-2-700-km-of-the-wild-atlantic-way-1.2771241?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/2831bbdae0f87dfb3763412d3af7caae5d04d253f878db2f56d5e6aed15d32cb.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T10:49:06 | null | 2016-08-30T11:24:00 | Cliff Taylor unravels the complexities and consequences of the European Commission’s ruling | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fanalysis-ireland-now-caught-in-multinational-tax-row-1.2772940.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772950.1472553640!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Analysis: Ireland now caught in multinational tax row | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | The final details of the European Commission’s decision on Apple is full of complexity and obscure points of tax and competition law. But the essence of this is simple.
The European Commission is arguing that the profits which Apple earned outside the US between the years 2004 and 2014 should have been taxed in Ireland. The Revenue Commissions here had decided – on the basis, Ireland says, of international practice – that Apple should pay corporation tax in Ireland only relating to what it sold in the Irish market.
The difference between these two numbers is very large – some €13 billion on the European Commission estimates – and hence the demands from the commission that the Government collects this amount in tax.
The scale of the finding means that the whole issue of multinational tax will be front and centre again in international business debate, and this is bound to spark off serious tensions between the European Commission and the US, which will be furious at what has happened.
Ireland is caught right in the middle. It is a decision which will involve significant collateral damage for Ireland, which has always claimed to have a transparent and legally based tax system. The Revenue is merely meant to apply the rules in collecting tax here.
Rules
The European Commission has found that it offered Apple a “selective advantage” by the way it applied the rules to the US multinational – in other words it gave it too generous a deal, and one which was not on offer to other companies.
The Government and the Revenue strongly deny this and Ireland will take the fight to the European courts. However the scale and high profile of the judgement means Ireland – and the IDA – will have a fight on their hands.
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It remains to be seen if the European Commission now targets other Irish-based companies. And while the Irish tax system has changed in recent years, the decision will inevitably now create some uncertainty about the tax structure on offer to inward investors, even if the Government will loudly argue that this is not the case.
The amount of money involved will put the Government on the defensive, both at home and internationally. However the Government says it “profoundly” disagrees with the decision and a Cabinet meeting will be held on Wednesday at which Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan will seek approval to appeal the case to the European courts. Apple, now a party to the case after the decision has been reached, is also expected to appeal.
Apple established its European headquarters in Ireland in the early 1980s and for many years paid no tax on sales outside Ireland under the old export sales relief rule.
This was abolished on April 5thj, 1990, to be replaced by the 10 per cent corporation tax rate, since raised to 12.5 per cent. And so Apple entered into talks with the Revenue about how tax would be applied to its operations here, culminating in a so-called tax ruling, a non-binding letter given by the Revenue outlining the principles it would use to tax Apple here.
It is here that the dispute lies. The Government says Apple did not get a special deal. The commission disagrees and holds that the two tax rulings - one in 1991 and one in 2007 – represents illegal state aid from the country to the company. The demand that Ireland collect the tax involved follows as the legal remedy to recoup this “illegal” aid to Apple.
Case
Ireland’s case will be that it offered Apple no favourable deal and that the European Commission has taken an extraordinary use of state aid rules without any proper legal basis. The view in Dublin is that this is something of a power grab by the Commission, which has seen the OECD emerge as the main international body in the tax arena.
The Department of Finance also believes that the commission has moved away from taxing economic activity where the “ substance” of it takes place - as favoured by the OECD. It points out that much of the money moving through Apple’s Irish subsidiaries related to products such as the iPhone, on which key research and development work was undertaken in the US, and sales of which were greatest in big European markets. The commission was, Ireland will contend, operating on the basis that “if it is not taxed elsewhere, it should be taxed in Ireland.”
The commission’s ruling will now be for the European courts to decide, though Irish officials say it goes against established international tax practice.Ireland has also moved to change some of the tax structures in question.
Apple used the double Irish structure – with a company registered here but not tax resident in Ireland. In fact one of its key companies – as a US Senate hearing discovered – was not tax resident anywhere. A change in Irish tax rules means this loophole allowing the registering of a company here with no tax residency anywhere has been closed.
And the whole double Irish structure is being phased out by 2020. In hindsight it was the right move to make these changes in 2014, but it will not stop Ireland being the butt of huge international criticism.
Ireland’s case will be that it collected all the tax which Apple declared and was due here – and it was not its job to police its worldwide structures. The commission argues that the Irish Revenue authorities, influenced by jobs in Ireland, gave Apple a favourable deal.
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Law
A lot of this comes down to complex tax law on transfer pricing - the way big companies allocate costs between their subsidiaries, vital in the case of Apple where a huge intellectual property or IP charge was levied on sales across Europe, pulling money back into Irish registered subsidiaries.
Ireland will now be forced to raise a tax demand on Apple and the money will, as Father Ted put in, be “resting in our account” – or some kind of escrow half way house – as the case wends its way through the European courts. With Apple also certain to appeal, Irish officials say that “the idea that we could ever get our hands on this cash could be seen as fanciful.” This will not stop a huge political debate at home.
However such is the scale of the money involved that this is bound to have significant political implications internationally, too.
The US reaction will be furious – and retaliatory measures may be threatened – and Ireland’s competitors for foreign direct investment elsewhere in Europe will make hay.
This one will run and run. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/analysis-ireland-now-caught-in-multinational-tax-row-1.2772940 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/8a2663ed38c4839add85b3894e2475fd8b52ea5cf6293118c41163c4a4d6c172.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:47:51 | null | 2016-08-26T15:34:00 | Analysis: Independent News & Media chief will find it is a competitive world out there | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fmedia-and-marketing%2Fif-inm-is-to-buy-growth-former-tesco-executive-pitt-must-go-shopping-1.2769523.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769521.1472226842!/image/image.jpg | en | null | If INM is to buy growth, former Tesco executive Pitt must go shopping | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Independent News & Media (INM) has reported relatively strong half year results in a challenged industry. But it needs to find suitable digital acquisition targets and execute buyouts, fast, if investors are to stay interested in its story.
Its results for the six months to the end of June show cash balances of €62.4 million, up by a whopping 76 per cent since this time last year. Fully one-third of its market value is attributable to cash, and at the current rate of generation, this could top 50 per cent early next year unless it finds buyout deals.
Challenges
Given the challenges facing the newspaper industry, to be frantically looking for ways to spend your cash to drive future revenues is, in relative terms, a bit of a first world problem. But it is a still problem.
Stock market investors don’t buy into media companies to get a one-third slice of its bank account. That’s a boring story. They want a growth story instead, and INM needs digital acquisitions to deliver it.
But if INM appears too desperate to dig out suitable acquisitions and deploy its cash, it may end up overpaying on its targets.
It is a delicate balancing act for Robert Pitt, INM’s chief executive who joined the group from Tesco. He indicated on Friday it has now widened its search for digital acquisition targets beyond the UK. In Ireland, it also wants to mop up smaller print assets.
Competition
Pitt also provided some colour on the type of digital businesses it wants to buy: “We are not looking for small start ups. We are not looking for turnarounds. We want to buy businesses that will have a positive impact on the bottom line as well as the top. They must be well defined [but not niche].”
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In other words, Pitt is targeting, in the UK and elsewhere, the same sort of value-accretive digital media businesses that every other traditional publisher with an eye on the future wants to buy. INM has competition for those assets.
The longer the group sits on its hands waiting for the right type of acquisition target at the right price to present itself, the less bang it will get for its buck as other media companies swarm the same pool, driving up prices. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/if-inm-is-to-buy-growth-former-tesco-executive-pitt-must-go-shopping-1.2769523 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/d81d8c2ef24e1fa6af5c4e514f0aded6ffbba09e4266c29d12282d4a713a7c68.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:24 | null | 2016-08-30T15:59:00 | Wave of killings since election win alarms rights groups, while US expresses concern | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fasia-pacific%2Fdeath-toll-in-duterte-s-philippines-drug-war-hits-2-000-1.2773202%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773200.1472569149!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Death toll in Duterte’s Philippines drug war hits 2,000 | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | The number of drug-related killings in the Philippines since Rodrigo Duterte became president two months ago on a pledge to wipe out the illegal drug trade has reached about 2,000, according to data released today.
There has been popular support for his campaign, but the wave of killings unleashed since his election victory has alarmed rights groups and brought expressions of concern from the United States, a close ally of Manila.
As officials readied a publicity campaign to explain his fight against narcotics, the Philippine National Police said that close to 900 drug traffickers and users had been killed in police operations from July 1st to August 20th. That was an increase of 141 people over a week, on average 20 people a day.
Last week the police said 1,100 other drug-related killings that were not classified as police operations were also being investigated. No new number for that category was given today but, together with the new figure for police encounters, the total came to about 2,000.
‘Wipe out drugs’
Mr Duterte won the presidency of the Southeast Asian nation in a May election on a promise to wipe out drugs.
Two UN human rights experts recently urged the Philippines to stop extra-judicial killings, drawing a furious response from Mr Duterte, who threatened to pull his country out of the UN. His foreign minister later rowed back on the threat.
Mr Duterte’s communications secretary, Martin Andanar, said on Monday that a 30-second advertisement explaining the anti-drug campaign would be aired over the next week by commercial and public TV stations and in movie theatres.
“The government is not spending a single centavo on these ads and TV stations are carrying them for free,” Mr Andanar told reporters at an event in a Manila hotel.
He said his office would also publish a 40-page pamphlet to explain the rising body count. This would be issued on the president’s first trip abroad next week, first to Brunei and then to an East Asia summit in Laos.
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“Some people abroad have to understand why many people are getting killed in the anti-drug campaign. They must understand, this is a war and there are casualties,” Mr Andanar said.
“The pamphlet will inform and explain that the government was not killing people at random, that these killings are not extrajudicial in nature but as part of the anti-crime campaign. Some of those killed were police officers who are involved in criminal activities.”
Security concerns
The White House said on Monday that US president Barack Obama is expected to meet Mr Duterte in Laos on September 6th, and plans to touch on human rights as well as security concerns.
Mr Duterte’s crackdown on drugs and some strongly worded criticism he has made of the US present a dilemma for Washington, which has been seeking to forge unity among allies and partners in Asia in the face of an increasingly assertive China, especially in the strategic South China Sea.
There have been few signs in the Philippines itself of a backlash against the war on drugs.
However, today a newly formed group called the “Stop the Killings Network” announced a #Lightforlife campaign that would start with simultaneous candle-lighting events on Wednesday evening at six venues across Manila.
Reuters | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/death-toll-in-duterte-s-philippines-drug-war-hits-2-000-1.2773202?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/bc995ca982de44cbe620a79c3d731add07d1b649ac00602c7680232ef45d8b33.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T14:52:40 | null | 2016-08-30T14:42:00 | Administrators were killed for disobeying Kim Jong-Un, South Korean paper claims | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fasia-pacific%2Fnorth-korea-executes-two-officials-in-latest-purge-report-says-1.2773087%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773081.1472564523!/image/image.jpg | en | null | North Korea executes two officials in latest purge, report says | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | North Korea publicly executed two officials in early August for disobeying leader Kim Jong-Un, a South Korean newspaper reported on Tuesday, in what would be the latest in a series of high-level purges under the leader’s rule.
Kim took power in 2011 after the death of his father, Kim Jong-Il, and his consolidation of power has included purges and executions of top officials, South Korean officials have said.
Citing an unidentified source familiar with the North, the JoongAng Ilbo daily said former agriculture minister Hwang Min and Ri Yong Jin, a senior official at the education ministry, had been executed.
The report could not be independently verified, and South Korea’s unification ministry, which handles North Korea-related matters, did not have immediate comment.
Some previous media reports of executions and purges in the reclusive state later proved inaccurate.
Defection
The report of the executions comes after the South claimed North Korea’s deputy ambassador in London had defected and arrived in the South with his family, dealing an embarrassing blow to Kim’s regime.
North Korea rarely announces purges or executions, although state media confirmed the execution of Kim’s uncle and the man widely considered the second most powerful man in the country, Jang Song Thaek, in 2012, for factionalism and crimes damaging to the economy.
A former defence minister, Hyun Yong Chol, is also believed to have been executed last year for treason, according to the South’s spy agency.
The JoongAng Ilbo said the two men were executed by anti-aircraft gun at a military academy in Pyongyang.
Hwang was killed because his policy proposals were seen as a challenge to Kim Jong-Un, JoongAng Ilbo said.
Ri was caught nodding off during a meeting with Kim and was later investigated for corruption and showing disrespect to the leader, it added.
Reuters | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/asia-pacific/north-korea-executes-two-officials-in-latest-purge-report-says-1.2773087?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/166bd14b0d0fe33e5863bf118a820dd8af5fe6fcff71685a77fe09842f17a98b.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:52:14 | null | 2016-08-30T23:00:00 | Hull sign Ryan Mason for undisclosed club-record fee as Joe Hart joins Torino on loan | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fsoccer%2Fenglish-soccer%2Fcrystal-palace-sign-lo%25C3%25AFc-r%25C3%25A9my-on-loan-from-chelsea-1.2773446%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773444.1472580385!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Crystal Palace sign Loïc Rémy on loan from Chelsea | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Crystal Palace have announced the signing of the striker Loïc Rémy on a season-long loan from Chelsea and will reject Tottenham’s new £21 million (€24.6 million) offer for Wilfried Zaha.
Palace confirmed the move for Rémy, who made just three Premier League starts for Chelsea last season, on Tuesday, with the club understood to be paying loan a fee of about £3 million (€3.5 million) for the 29-year-old.
“This is a very good chance for me and a big opportunity. It was very important to know Alan Pardew as he is a very good manager and I am happy to be here,” said Rémy.
Alan Pardew added: “Loïc has been a target of mine throughout this transfer window and I’m delighted the deal has been done. I brought him to Newcastle so I know what he is capable of and I am convinced he will be a quality addition . . . ”
Rémy’s arrival means Palace have bolstered their squad further after the signings of Christian Benteke, Andros Townsend, James Tomkins and Steve Mandanda.
Discussions
They remain in the market for a central midfielder, with negotiations ongoing for Genoa’s Tomás Rincón. West Bromwich Albion, Sunderland and West Ham have all been asked to be kept abreast over developments after the Italian club received an offer from Palace worth about £6.8 million (€7.9 million).
The south London club are understood to be in discussions with the 28-year-old’s representatives and consider him a potential replacement for the departed Mile Jedinak. Pardew had hoped to secure James McCarthy from Everton, though the player is believed to be reluctant to move south.
Meanwhile, Tottenham are also understood to have returned with a new bid worth an initial £21 million for England international Zaha. Steve Parish, the Palace chairman, insisted last week that the 23-year-old is not for sale after rejecting an offer worth an initial £12 million (€14 million) and it is expected they will resist any further attempts to lure him away.
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Hull have completed the signing of Ryan Mason for a club-record fee. The sum they will pay Tottenham for the 25-year-old midfielder remains undisclosed, but Hull have confirmed it is a new record.
Mason will further strengthen their squad following the earlier signing of goalkeeper David Marshall from Cardiff, and becomes the latest to leave White Hart Lane for East Yorkshire, following Tom Huddlestone, Jake Livermore and Michael Dawson. He has signed a three-year contract after costing the club in excess of the £10 million (€11.7 million) paid to recruit Abel Hernandez in 2014.
Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart has joined Serie A side Torino on loan until the end of the season, the player’s agent confirmed on Tuesday.
Arsenal have announced the signing of forward Lucas Perez from Deportivo La Coruna. The 27-year-old appeared set for a move to Everton before Arsenal rekindled an interest to capture the Spaniard.
Jack Wilshere is set to leave the Emirates Stadium on a loan deal, though it is unclear where the midfielder may head.
Guardian Service | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/crystal-palace-sign-lo%C3%AFc-r%C3%A9my-on-loan-from-chelsea-1.2773446?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/0798e87e00bc8a408b0c9651a9c57df82627db15683a8b37e3184391d709464b.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T06:53:00 | null | 2016-08-31T07:21:00 | Earnings at ferry group rose 19.6 per cent, driven by car and freight volumes | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Ftransport-and-tourism%2Ficg-says-tourism-bookings-recover-after-brexit-wobble-1.2774073%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2774072.1472624509!/image/image.jpg | en | null | ICG says tourism bookings recover after Brexit wobble | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Irish Continental Group said the Brexit vote had a brief impact on tourism bookings, but they have since recovered, as the ferry operator reported a 19.6 per cent increase in earnings for the first half.
Earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation rose to €30.5 million from €25.5 million for the same period last year as car carried on its ships increased 5.5 per cent and roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) freight volumes gained 5.6 per cent.
Container volumes shipped during the period rose 7.4 per cent, it said.
“Tourism carryings over the key summer months were broadly in line with expectation though the continuing sterling weakness since the end of June has resulted in lower euro equivalent tourism yields,” John B McGuckian, ICG’s chairman said.
“The UK Referendum result has, to date, had very little impact on RoRo freight volumes which remain strong. Notwithstanding the impact of weaker sterling ICG is well placed to benefit from the underlying growth trends in both car and freight volume,” he said.
ICG will pay out 3.82 cent dividend for the first half, up 5 per cent on its last interim dividend.
Net debt at the group fell 57 per cent from the end of December to €18.9 million, it said. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/icg-says-tourism-bookings-recover-after-brexit-wobble-1.2774073?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/13974ea5142d7a54e7f3076f8d39a9a6a3c3640b63a4b42e257dc1c4cb16c3fa.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T02:50:23 | null | 2016-08-27T03:00:00 | After my TV interview with Dáithí Ó Sé the media manager tells me I’ve let him down. I tell him I feel the same way | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Fpeople%2Finside-the-rose-of-tralee-festival-the-sydney-rose-writes-1.2769478%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769475.1472246250!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Inside the Rose of Tralee festival: the Sydney rose writes | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Before I go on stage at the Rose of Tralee my big worry is dancing the samba. My opinions about women’s reproductive rights, and by extension about the eighth amendment to Ireland’s Constitution – are solid, formed when I was a teenager. But samba I started only six months ago.
As I walk out I imagine my white-girl hip-and-hand actions ricocheting around Twitter’s echo chamber of amateur comedians for a couple of hours before I fade into obscurity. Afterwards I come off stage sweating in my puffy rental dress, hoping I’ve kept my legs straight and my hips back. The hard part, I think to myself, is over.
I relax with my room-mate, the Mayo rose, who congratulates me on sneaking a cheeky Father Ted reference in on stage. I’m rubbing fake tan into her back when she lets out a shout. She tells me to check Twitter.
I was not supposed to be a rose. When I was crowned in Sydney my mother locked eyes with me and mouthed the words, “What the f***?” From the start she worried that I wouldn’t fit in, that I would be judged too harshly.
I have always been her rough-and-tumble Aussie daughter, running around barefoot with a swearing habit that would make a sailor blush. “Try not to be yourself too much,” she warns me kindly. But really it’s her fault I entered. She brought me up with too much confidence and grit to care what other people think, and taught me feminism at the table.
My grandmother cries and eventually books a ticket to come with me. This will probably be her last trip home, to a country she still gets homesick for despite being gone for 50 years. I don’t care what happens now, because I get to walk the streets of her city with her.
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Until I visited Dublin the place existed only in family tales of the old country. They had lived in inner-city tenements around the Five Lamps and the Liberties.
When my grandparents swapped their family and friends Dublin’s dance halls for the dusty sprawl of Sydney’s west they did it to give their children and grandchildren a better chance.
It paid off. In two short generations I become the first in my family to have a university degree. It’s not because I’m particularly smart or ambitious. I’m just the first generation of my family’s women to have a real choice about when to start a family.
When I got my first journalist’s job I cried. Immigrants’ kids live the dreams their parents were denied, and I often feel guilty about what my mother and grandmother could have done. But I pack up all the guilt and pride and family baggage in my Tralee suitcase and bring it to the festival with me.
The night before it starts I meet my grandmother’s siblings, the Buckleys, for the first time. They add to my collection of family history and sing all the Irish songs that used to embarrass me as a teenager. “We never thought we would have a rose,” my great uncle says.
I don’t want to let them down.
I arrive at the festival hotel and feel immediately intimidated. As a journalist I’ve knocked on the doors of illegal brothels, argued with politicians and visited the clubhouses of biker gangs. But these girls in funny hats and matching shoes send me back into high-school levels of insecurity. My two degrees mean squat.
Everyone looks untouchably ladylike. I bet myself that they’ve never had to wee in a bush, wear mismatched underwear or drink wine from the bottle. After we’ve finished eyeing each other off we sit down for some “housekeeping” rules. There is a social-media ban, we have to be up at 6am and if we smoke we must do so away from prying eyes.
The festival’s media representative warns us that journalists will ask about the festival being outdated and the lovely-girls competition. “There’s nothing wrong with being called lovely,” he jokes. I look at the ground. He tells us that the festival is apolitical and that despite an American election going on we should avoid questions on that subject. I catch some of the Americans and Canadians stiffen in their floral dresses, and I start to feel uneasy.
I have strong opinions about everything from the best flavour of Taytos to Indonesia’s international relations. I put a lot of them on my application form. I assure myself that feminism is as personal as it is political and accept the wine I’ve been given.
Most of our tour consists of smiling and waving at photo opportunities for sponsors. Everyone calls us girls. “Pretend you’re having fun!” say the photographers. I get to pat two horses in one day in Kildare. They try to get us excited for visiting an outlet mall by telling us: “You even have a couple of hours to shop, girls!” Most of us buy flat shoes and food.
A documentary crew interview us about what the other girls are like and how we feel about the competition. I think we disappoint them with our honest but boring answers.
I discover that you have to sing on the bus and that the American and Irish girls can all sing much better then I can. They make us sing Lean on Me. I mouth the words and try to get in the spirit. We hear the song The Rose of Tralee about twice a day, but I still never learn the second verse.
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We’re starting to bond. My room-mate and I speak almost entirely in Father Ted quotes now. The roses have all cottoned that the schedule requires us to to be ready 15-30 minutes before we actually have to be, and small acts of rebellion appear.
My friend sends a “Repeal the 8th” shirt to me at the hotel. I think about doing a Facebook post but lose my nerve and stick to the rules. It becomes my pyjamas for the week.
The chaperones wink when they tell us we’ll be meeting escorts soon, and the girls whoop and cheer. We all pretend we’ve never seen a man before.
On the bus to Ballybunion I learn about taxation and statehood from the Washington rose. We talk about reproductive rights and equal pay. She tells me about losing her mum, and I hope she wins.
A few of us are beginning to feel uncomfortable with the smiling-and-waving tour that seems like a great big Kate Middleton impersonation contest. I’m told my judging interviews will be first, and I’m excited to be asked how I feel about something.
The Irish girls are asked about abortion in group interviews, and between photo ops and sash adjustments we talk about what we think. Some talk about friends making the trip to Liverpool and the stress a late period brings about. Some worry it will be used as contraception. Others stress the church’s viewpoint. They’re friendly exchanges.
I meet Dáithí Ó Sé for a preliminary chat, and we talk about my women’s activism and experiences interviewing sex workers. I overhear an official say that I won’t get though because I’m “too racy”, and I laugh. I’ve been PG-rated all week compared to myself at home.
But it shakes me: my family have told all their friends to watch me on TV, and my family have come a long way if it’s only to see me fail. I start caring more.
On the Saturday night a documentary crew arrive, and we’re told that from 6.30am on the Sunday we won’t be allowed to leave our rooms. Our phones will be taken from us and we’ll be put into groups. They’ll then take us to rooms where we’ll be told, on camera, whether we have made it through to the live televised competition. We’re told to trust the team and that this is how TV works.
My bullshit detector goes off and I surmise that this is not a documentary but reality TV. One girl wonders if they’ll turn the cameras off if we cry. I tell her that’s not how TV works. I think about breaking the social-media ban but don’t.
The next day girls are given different coloured roses and asked by the organisers what they think it means – even though we don’t know and the producers do.
They lead us into a room and tell us to look at the camera, which is positioned right in my face. We’re told that if we look backwards we’ll have to start the tortuous process again.
I round on the documentary team and a festival co-ordinator and explain that set-up shots in documentary cross ethical boundaries. He assures me, again, that this is how TV works. I tell him that I work in the sector, and it doesn’t work like this. My voice reverts to the housing-estate accent that I get when I’m angry, and I worry about the 19-year-old girls in the room.
They ask us to sing Lean on Me, and the judge tearfully tells us we got through. I refuse to react for the camera. A lot of us turn away and do the same.
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Parents and roses are furious at this episode. The mood changes. We start rewearing clothes, don flat shoes and stop being on time. My room-mate doesn’t make it through, and I tell the chaperone we are not going to the scheduled Mass. We watch Father Ted in bed.
I’m angry when I take to the stage on Monday night. I’ve spent months defending the festival, convincing my boss, family and friends that this is an event that respects and celebrates women.
My interview on stage seems to last for hours, and my comments on my brothel investigations meet silence in the dome. When the women’s-rights question comes up I know I will mention the need for a referendum. For all the platitudes about respecting women I think it is time for the festival – and myself – to live up to what we’ve been saying about empowerment. It takes a couple of seconds of sweaty bravery, but I walk off stage proud of myself . Then I look at Twitter.
I don’t know why a girl in a ball gown and sash repeating the same thing that Ireland’s women’s-rights campaigners have been saying for decades has made such an impact. But the threats come quickly.
I tell my parents to stop wearing T-shirts with my face on them and to leave the banners at home. I try to call my grandmother to see if she’s mad at me, but she’s gone to bed. I don’t sleep that night.
On Tuesday roses hug me and say they admire my guts and stupidity. One holds my hand and tells me I won’t win now. In the lobby a little girl comes over for an autograph, but when her mother reads my sash she pulls her away.
I get pulled into a room with the media manager, who tells me I’ve “let him down”. I tell him I feel the same way about having been exposed to the TV crew. He listens to me respectfully and tells me he won’t gag me or punish me.
I’m surprised but grateful.
We clap and hug Maggie, the Chicago rose, when she wins. I get nervous about the midnight parade. I tell the other girls on the float to stand away, anticipating that something might be thrown at me. But I’m greeted by mothers wanting to get selfies with their daughters and a “Thank you Sydney rose” banner. I cry for the first time in years. Loudly and unattractively.
The festival, with its frustrations and boob tape, and family pride and female bonding, has come to an end. I stand by the festival, but I believe it’s time for it to change. If it doesn’t accept that women who enter will want to have political opinions then it risks being on the wrong side of history.
Almost all of the 64 women have come up and hugged me by 6am as we celebrate in a sticky-floored pub in Tralee. I have couches to crash on all over the world. Even the escorts and some officials quietly congratulate me. At the end of the day we were all here to do our mothers proud and to represent our counties and cities. Every one of us walks away with our head held high.
I still can’t quite believe the hospitality I was shown in my family’s homeland. It has made me prouder then ever to have dual heritage. But for now I want to go back to my island home, and back to the newsroom where no one gives a damn if I wear a sash or not. | http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/inside-the-rose-of-tralee-festival-the-sydney-rose-writes-1.2769478?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/21eb12bedade084367d27d1deb2efccf0a83306fc0f3a0afa6d94abe16014af6.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T22:50:17 | null | 2016-08-26T23:13:00 | Bryan Sheehan will wear number 18 as Brian Kelly starts in goal with Brendan Kelly 16 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fgaelic-games%2Fcolm-cooper-returns-as-kerry-name-their-xv-to-play-dublin-1.2769933%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769932.1472250037!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Colm Cooper returns as Kerry name their XV to play Dublin | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Kerry have welcomed Colm Cooper back to their starting fifteen for Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final against Dublin.
Cooper missed the quarter final after picking up an injury in the Munster final win over Tipperary - but he returns at centre forward to replace Darran O’Sullivan.
Meanwhile Brian Kelly remains in goal - his fourth consecutive Championship start. With last year’s All Star goalkeeper Brendan Kealy on the bench, alongside Bryan Sheehan - speculation was rife that the Kerry midfielder would line out between the sticks. He was a goalkeeper as a Kerry minor, but that scenario now look looks even more unlikely.
Michael Geaney and Johnny Buckley are both back on the bench. With Killian Young captaining the team from corner back.
Centre back Peter Crowley, Shane Enright and Michael Geaney are all one black card (or a double yellow card) away from missing a potential final.
KERRY: Brian Kelly, Shane Enright, Mark Griffin, Killian Young (Captain), Brian Ó Beaglaoich, Peter Crowley, Tadhg Morley, Kieran Donaghy, David Moran, Paul Murphy, Colm Cooper, Donnchadh Walsh, Stephen O’Brien, Paul Geaney, James O’Donoghue. | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/colm-cooper-returns-as-kerry-name-their-xv-to-play-dublin-1.2769933?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/88b88659f6750e09a00faad111573590751e0b75fb3f55d1f6d8bb25d38779ed.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T12:48:47 | null | 2016-08-29T12:17:00 | Bank of Ireland will give 3% cashback as mortgage competition heats up | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fpersonal-finance%2Fbank-to-pay-customers-15-000-to-take-out-500-000-loan-1.2771907.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771906.1472472440!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Bank to pay customers €15,000 to take out €500,000 loan | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Bank of Ireland is set to increase the amount it is refunding new mortgage customers, as competition in the mortgage market heats up.
The bank’s existing 2 per cent cashback on mortgages was due to expire at the end of September, but the bank has now replaced it with a new CashbackPlus offer. While the offer has now become even more attractive, rewarding home buyers with a 2 per cent cashback on their new mortgage at drawdown, along with an extra 1 per cent cashback five years later, customers must also have a current account with the bank to qualify.
The improved offer is available to current account customers of the bank who draw down a new first-time buyer, mover or switcher mortgage before March 31st, 2017.
If you don’t have a current account with the bank, or don’t want to switch to it, you can still get the existing 2 per cent cash-back offer. Investors, or those looking for equity release mortgages, will also be eligible for the 2 per cent cash-back offer.
The new 3 per cent offer means that someone drawing down a mortgage of €150,000 will get €3,000 straight into their account, plus an additional €1,500 after five years. If you’re buying a house on a mortgage of €500,000, you will get a cashback of €10,000 straight away, plus a further €5,000 back after five years.
BOI is not the only bank to offer a cashback on mortgages. Permanent TSB is offering its customers 2 per cent cashback until December 31st, while EBS also offers 2 per cent back.
Higher rates
While home buyers will welcome the latest offer from the bank, it’s worth noting that the bank’s variable mortgage rates are some of the highest on the market. Over the long-term, this can defray much of the benefit of the cashback offer. For example, the bank’s standard variable rate is 4.2 per cent compared with 3.5 per cent at AIB. However the bank’s fixed rates are more competitive, with a one-year fixed product offering a rate of 3.55 per cent on loan-to-value of more than 80 per cent.
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Moreover, it’s difficult to avoid charges on your current account with Bank of Ireland. Customers can avoid account transaction fees by keeping a minimum balance of € 3,000 in their current account, but they will still be liable to quarterly fees of €5. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/personal-finance/bank-to-pay-customers-15-000-to-take-out-500-000-loan-1.2771907 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/e26a396d05d89d916ce77a72d71e970525b0902e8138539fbc768e39b6d26dce.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:49:18 | null | 2016-08-31T05:40:00 | With 205 bedrooms, a Bank of Ireland and a Spar, these are no ordinary student digs | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fcommercial-property%2Fmontrose-student-residence-beside-ucd-on-sale-at-41-5m-1.2772162.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773185.1472568236!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Montrose Student Residence beside UCD on sale at €41.5m | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | The Montrose Student Residence located beside the UCD campus at Stillorgan Road, Dublin 4, is expected to be of interest primarily to international investors when it goes for sale from today at a guide price of over €41.5 million.
The first purpose-built student accommodation of its kind to come on the market in Dublin will show an income yield of around 5.4 per cent after standard acquisition costs, according to Fergus O’Farrell of selling agents Savills. The gross rent roll is forecasted to reach €2.91 million per annum.
The Montrose is based on the former three-star hotel of the same name which has been converted at a reported cost of €22.5 million by a Scottish company, Ziggurat Student Living. It bought the hotel at the depths of the property crash in 2012.
The redeveloped 1960s building now has 205 ensuite bedrooms over five floors, including a two-bedroom penthouse, which are almost fully booked for the upcoming academic year. The 777sq m (8,363sq ft) on the ground floor have been let as complementary neighbourhood services including a Bank of Ireland branch, a Spar convenience store and a thriving Insomnia cafe. The grounds include 52 surface car-parking spaces.
Savills is forecasting that the student accommodation will bring in rental income of around €2.69 million. What Ziggurat describes as “classic” bedrooms are to be let at €245 per week, superior bedrooms at €275 and twin bedrooms at €300. The commercial units will account for a further €220,000 per annum, bringing the overall rent roll to €2.91 million.
Active market
Fergus O’Farrell said he expected that a very active student accommodation market in Dublin would evolve to compete with other commercial investment asset classes across Ireland as more sales come to the market over the next year or two.
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Marcus Roberts, head of student investment at Savills, said the chronic undersupply of purpose-built student accommodation, together with strong rental growth prospects and the prime location of the Montrose scheme beside UCD made it a “very attractive investment”.
UCD is the largest university in Ireland, with a student population of over 32,000. Savills says there are currently 90,000 purpose-built student bedrooms in Dublin including university-owned units and privately built stock. There are a number of large-scale student blocks currently under construction in the city.
Ziggurat has also bought a number of sites in Dublin’s north city centre as part of a €400 million Irish expansion plan after completing the Montrose project. The company has already announced plans to build several of its own developments including a 380-bed facility in Dublin’s north inner city; a 420-bed centre adjacent to the DIT Grangegorman campus and a 200-bed facility on Cork’s Western Road near UCC. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/montrose-student-residence-beside-ucd-on-sale-at-41-5m-1.2772162 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/1621c5867e515492e092c04572049085a7fc0393409105e1c3d31cb8f8ee663d.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:52:12 | null | 2016-08-30T01:00:00 | Co Tipperary-based trainer calls a halt to his 20-year career with 11 Group One wins | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fracing%2Fdavid-wachman-to-wind-up-training-career-at-end-of-season-1.2772234%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772232.1472493025!/image/image.jpg | en | null | David Wachman to wind up training career at end of season | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Less than a year after Curvy provided David Wachman with an 11th Group One success in Woodbine’s EP Taylor Stakes, the Co Tipperary-based trainer has confirmed he will hand in his licence at the end of this season.
Apart from Curvy, Wachman enjoyed a vintage 2015 with Legatissimo’s Group One hat-trick, including a memorable success in the Newmarket 1,000 Guineas, being perhaps the highlight of the 45 year old’s career.
However, the man who began training over jumps before proceeding to the top of the flat game with a string of top-flight winners for the Coolmore syndicate which includes his father-in-law, John Magnier, has decided to call a halt to his 20 year career.
“While not taken easily the decision to retire will allow me to spend more time with my family as well as pursuing various other business interests,” he said in a statement.
Top-class horses
“The nature of training is such that you have plenty of ups and downs but I’ve been lucky enough to have many good days and train some top-class horses during that time.
“Also a big thank you also goes to each and every one of my staff members for their unwavering loyalty, dedication and commitment and I wish them all the very best for future,” he added.
Having saddled 32 winners in Ireland last year, 2016 has proven much less productive with Wachman saddling just four winners so far. His best tally was 40 in 2008.
Originally from Co Kildare, Wachman produced Group One winners in five different countries. They included Bushranger who landed both the Prix Morny and the Middle Park Stakes in 2008.
Another dual-Group One winner was the filly, Again, who landed the 2008 Moyglare at the Curragh before winning the following year’s Irish 1,000 Guineas.
Sudirman won the 2013 Phoenix Stakes.
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The 2013 32Red Sprint Cup hero Gordon Lord Byron could run in Saturday’s Group One Haydock feature for a fifth time in a row.
Tom Hogan’s stalwart is joined by another veteran, Sole Power, and Joe Murphy’s Only Mine as the potential Irish challenge on the six furlong highlight.
Runner up to Society Rock in 2012, Gordon Lord Byron became the first Irish-trained winner of the race in 41 years when successful under Johnny Murtagh the following year.
He was also runner up in 2014 to G Force but was unplaced a year ago to Twilight Son. | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/racing/david-wachman-to-wind-up-training-career-at-end-of-season-1.2772234?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/6de3dd875fd83635c38f17b05e1fa933318afc5537bf74d90fa9fc66d174af8c.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T06:52:03 | null | 2016-08-30T06:00:01 | An extract from 'Game of Throw-ins' by Ross O’Carroll-Kelly, published by Penguin Ireland on 1st September | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Fpeople%2Fross-o-carroll-kelly-and-just-like-that-i-m-suddenly-a-rugby-player-again-1.2771798%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2746602.1470411175!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Ross O'Carroll-Kelly: "And, just like that, I’m suddenly a rugby player again" | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | My first instinct whenever I leave my gaff is to turn left and drive up the Vico Road towards Dalkey. But this day, for whatever reason, I find myself turning right, which is Ballybrack direction – why, I don’t know? In fact, I can’t explain anything that happens in the next however many minutes. I don’t remember deciding to do what I’m about to do. It just sort of, like, happens, as if my actions are being controlled by someone else.
Fifteen minutes later, I’ve porked the cor on Churchview Road, staring through the railings at two sets of players walking off the field. There’s obviously just been a match. I recognize the blue, black and green of Seapoint. From the faces on the players, it’s pretty clear they lost.
I shake my head and I go, ‘What am I doing here? I can’t do this, Father Fehily. I know you always had unbelievable faith in me, but it’s a fact – the game has moved on. It’s a lot tougher than you possibly remember it in terms of, like, physicality?’
Oh, no.
I’ve suddenly opened the door and I’ve got out of the cor. Before I know what I’m doing, I’m walking across the cor pork towards the clubhouse.
Some dude, who I take to be the coach of the team, sees me walking towards him. He’s like, “Are you alroyt, moyte?” and I instantly pick up on the fact that he’s a Kiwi.
He’s, like, fat – I’m guessing mid-fifies.
“I want to play rugby,” I go. “I want to play rugby for The famous Point.”
He’s, “Unfortunateloy, we doyn’t have a soyniors toym thus year. We’ve got a thirds toym – the Thirstoy Thirds. They troyn on Froydoys – that’s uf enough of them shoy up.”
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I’m there, “I’m not talking about playing with a team of drinkers. I’m talking about playing for this team here.”
He sort of, like, laughs. He can’t actually help himself? He goes, “Yoy can’t just take up rugboy and exipict toy...”
“I’m not just taking it up. I’ve played the game.”
“Whin?” he goes and I notice him not-to-subtly check out my waist. “Whin did yoy ploy?”
“It was back in 1999.”
“The Ninetoys?” he goes. “Jees, Moyte, that was a long toym agoy.”
I’m there, “I know it was a long time ago.”
“What posution dud yoy ploy?”
“Number ten. I captained Castlerock College the year they won the Leinster Schools Senior Cup.”
At this stage, the Seapoint players are storting to walk past us into the dressing room. One or two of them are staring at me and it’s pretty obvious that my face is storting to look vaguely familiar to them.
“Who the fock is that?” one of them goes. “I thought Weight Watchers met here on Wednesdays!”
All the other players laugh.
The coach looks over his shoulder and goes, “Yeah, you’re very voycal for a toym that’s just lost at hoyme to Greystoynes by fortoy points.”
The dude remembers his manners and walks on.
I’m there, “You’re bottom of Division 2B.”
The coach is like “Soy?”
“So you need to do something. Otherwise, you’re going down. All I’m looking for is a chance to prove to myself how good I could have been.”
“Unfortunatloy, moyte, we doyn’t ictually noyd a number tin.”
“Who’s your ten?”
“Senan Torsney.”
“Never heard of him.”
“It was that goy who was just maathing off.”
“Right.”
“He just mussed aaht on the Leinster Acadamoy laahst year. He’s hoyping to make ut thus year. He’s only eightoyn. He was on the binch for Lansdaahn. Came to us because he noyds first team rugboy.”
“I’d still fancy my chances of dislodging him from his podium. That’s the kind of competitor you’re dealing with.”
He laughs. I can tell he likes me. “Oy think Senny’ll ploy for Oyerland one doy. You’re looking at another Sixton in the moyking.”
I’m there, “They used to say the same about me. Except I was another O’Gara in the making.”
I’m just about to walk away when he goes, “Oy doyn’t noyd a tin, but Oy noyd someone whoy can doy a job for moy in the front roy.”
I’m like, “The front row?”
He looks at my midriff again. I don’t know why he’s so obsessed with it. I would have said I was in pretty good shape.
“Our hookah,” he goes, “Robbie Rowell – he broyk his toy aaht there todoy.”
“He broke his what?”
“His toy. His bug toy. Oy noyd to foynd a repolycement.”
“And you think I’m it?”
“Oy’ve noy idea whither you’re ut. I’ve niver seen yoy ploy. Oy’m offering you a troy-aaht.”
“I don’t actually have my gear with me.”
“We’re troyning on Tuesday noyt. Eight o’clock. All Oy’m saying is Oy’ll toyk a look at yoy.”
“Fair enough.”
“What’s your noym, boy the woy?”
“It’s Ross. It’s Ross O’Carroll-Kelly.”
“Will, it’s noyce to moyt yoy, Russ Akerell-Killoy. I’m Byrom Jones, the hid coych. I’ll see yoy Tuesday noyt.”
And, just like that, I’m suddenly a rugby player again.
Extracted from 'Game of Throw-ins' by Ross O’Carroll-Kelly, published by Penguin Ireland on 1st September. Take your photo with the pack: you will find the scrum in bookshops, tweet your pic to @rossock using #prettiestpack or email prettiestpackinireland@gmail.com to be in with a chance to win a trip for two to Rome to see Ireland V Italy in the Six Nations | http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/ross-o-carroll-kelly-and-just-like-that-i-m-suddenly-a-rugby-player-again-1.2771798?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/529c698d7747de792429d8c3016c3e1565e615f199ea73491a9b4514fd29b1be.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T00:50:12 | null | 2016-08-27T01:10:00 | New leader Rodrigo Duterte has made good on his election campaign promises | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fopinion%2Fworld-view-philippines-president-s-war-on-drugs-unleashes-wave-of-killings-1.2769718%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769714.1472231899!/image/image.jpg | en | null | World View: Philippines president’s ‘war on drugs’ unleashes wave of killings | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Jaypee Bertes was bruised and battered, his arm broken. He had three bullets in him. He asked for a doctor. “He was leaning on the bars and had a hard time standing,” his widow Harra Kazuo told the senators of her husband and his father at the police station. “He had a difficult time speaking. That was the last time I saw them alive.”
Bertes, a small-time drug dealer, and his father are now just two of a grim statistic – two of the 1,916 who have died in the Philippines police’s “war on drugs”, unleashed barely eight weeks ago, as new hard man president Rodrigo Duterte had promised during his election campaign
“Shoot him and I’ll give you a medal,” Duterte had told police of dealing with the drug lords, suggesting the public get involved too. And they have taken his injunction to heart. Of the total dead, 756 were suspects killed by the unleashed police and 1,160 were killed “outside police operations”, many by vigilantes. How many were involved in drug pushing is unclear and there was undoubtedly some score settling by drug pushers too.
According to the government, faced by a barrage of international and domestic criticism, the new tough policy is paying dividends – 600,000 plus of the country 3.7 million users have reportedly surrendered themselves to the police to avoid arrest.
To little avail in Bertes’s case, as the seven-month-pregnant Kazuo this week told a committee of the senate to inquire into the killings.
Wearing large sunglasses and partly covering her face with a shawl to protect her identity, she claimed he had been preparing to surrender to the police because he was afraid he would be killed. The police had beaten and threatened to shoot him if he did not hand over his drugs, but he had nothing to give them. They strip-searched their two-year- old daughter looking for drugs.
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‘We can shoot you all’
When his father Renato Bertes arrived and demanded to see a warrant he was told simply by one officer “If you want, we can shoot you all here.” He too would die.
Duterte, a controversial former mayor and prosecutor who rose to power after a landslide election victory in May, brought his local police chief Ronald dela Rosa with him from Davao to Manila to head the national force.
In Davao, the Philippines’s second city, he had previously waged a similar “successful” campaign. Hundreds died.
“We are not butchers,” dela Rosa told the sceptical senators.
Duterte, a thin-skinned, Trump-like demagogue – though he hates the comparison and leans politically to the left – has lashed out at critics. In response to UN concerns Duterte threatened to pull the Philippines out of the international body.
He has threatened to shut down the legislature if it hinders his plans and possible martial law. He warned Supreme Court chief justice Maria Lourdes Sereno not to create “conflict” after she urged members of the judiciary linked by him to illegal drugs not to surrender without a warrant. Journalists have been told they are not protected from assassination
Bitter attack
And he has launched a bitter attack on former justice secretary, senator Leila de Lima, who instigated the senate hearings, accusing her while minister of having an affair with her driver/ bodyguard, who allegedly collected money from drug lords detained in Manila’s New Bilibid prison. She vigorously denies the charges.
And, apparently aping Turkey’s Recep Erdogan, Duterte has now turned his fire on public servants, promising in his “campaign against corruption” to fire every official appointed by a previous president.
Many weary Filipinos see in Duterte’s over-reach a replaying of their political system’s sorry history of autocratic and corrupt rulers.
“To Filipinos, it’s just politics as usual – the manipulations of a game of thrones, so to speak,” says author Miguel Syjuco. He writes of a “deeply entrenched culture of impunity”.
He recalls Ferdinand Marcos whose brutal and deeply corrupt legacy Duterte is seeking to revive with reburial of the dictator’s body with full honours . And former president Gloria Arroyo, who, despite facing charges of graft, has recently been named deputy speaker of congress, and former members of whose cabinet now comprise the majority of Duterte’s inner circle.
It is likely that only international pressure will stay his hand. But the EU, for example, which in 2014 granted the Philippines, alone among Asean member-states, tariff- free access, is not taking a view yet.
Franz Jessen, the head of the EU delegation, says: “Right now, we are looking at the developments. We are not making any conclusion about what would happen later on. We have to wait and see.”
Last year EU exports to the Philippines rose 18 per cent to €6.8 billion. | http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/world-view-philippines-president-s-war-on-drugs-unleashes-wave-of-killings-1.2769718?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/a7132bb6c765f98b7ef365208d8c79ca0a95941af9e3972f3bc590b77209982d.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T00:50:26 | null | 2016-08-27T01:02:00 | null | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fopinion%2Fletters%2Fstatistics-1.2769574%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/assets/images/favicons/irishtimes.png | en | null | Statistics | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | X
By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy | http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/statistics-1.2769574?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/b6c7d2e56ebffd852335a1828bd7c5c3620797fe2b84f2ffe7dda37279157c60.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T14:50:20 | null | 2016-08-27T14:13:00 | Ipswich striker was a part of Martin O’Neill’s Republic of Ireland squad at Euro 2016 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fsoccer%2Fenglish-soccer%2Fnewcastle-united-agree-fee-to-sign-irish-striker-daryl-murphy-1.2770780%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2770779.1472303586!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Newcastle United agree fee to sign Irish striker Daryl Murphy | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Newcastle and Ipswich have agreed a fee for the transfer of forward Daryl Murphy to the north-east club, it is understood.
The 33-year-old Republic of Ireland international has been with the Suffolk club on a permanent basis for three years following a move from Celtic.
Murphy, a former Sunderland player, has made four appearances for Ipswich this term but is yet to get on the scoresheet.
Newcastle boss Rafael Benitez wants Murphy to boost his attacking options with three forwards — Dwight Gayle, Emmanuel Riviere and Aleksandar Mitrovic — currently in his first-team squad.
United have had a mixed start to the season as they seek to bounce back to the Premier League at the first time of asking, following two defeats with two victories. | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/newcastle-united-agree-fee-to-sign-irish-striker-daryl-murphy-1.2770780?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/84cda6fe17693dd4d4ca1b2c584523bcc5e5a8e8c54da211e25157c6e8e4c3f0.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T10:53:20 | null | 2016-08-31T10:50:00 | Consumer prices rose 0.2 per cent in August, less than anticipated | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Feuro-area-inflation-fails-to-accelerate-in-wake-of-brexit-uncertainty-1.2774123%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2774122.1472637004!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Euro area inflation fails to accelerate in wake of Brexit uncertainty | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Euro area inflation failed to accelerate in August, adding to signs that the euro area’s economic outlook deteriorated ahead of a European Central Bank meeting next week.
Consumer prices rose 0.2 per cent in August from a year earlier, the European Union’s statistics office in Luxembourg said on Wednesday.
The medium estimate in a Bloomberg survey was for an increase of 0.3 per cent.Two months after the UK’s Brexit vote, the 19-state economy is beginning to show signs of faltering, suggesting that more stimulus may be warranted.
Business and consumer sentiment declined, and executives are warning that orders may suffer from political uncertainty.
The International Monetary Fund has already cut its forecast for euro-area growth next year, and the European Central Bank will release new projections after its meeting next week.
ECB president Mario Draghi “is failing to get inflation up to 2 per cent,” Michael Spies, a strategist at Citigroup in Frankfurt said in an interview on Bloomberg TV. “He thinks about what he still can do in terms of quantitative easing and I think that’s the way he’s going to operate - there will probably be more QE and longer QE.”
Policy makers have already deployed a raft of unconventional stimulus that includes large-scale asset purchases, negative interest rates and long-term loans that see banks getting paid for extending credit to companies and households. Still,
inflation remains far below the ECB’s goal of just under 2 per cent, a level it hasn’t reached since early 2013.The Frankfurt-based institution currently predicts price growth will accelerate to 1.6 per cent in 2018.Core inflation slowed to 0.8 per cent in August from 0.9 per cent a month earlier, Eurostat said.
German inflation unexpectedly decelerated to 0.3 per cent, while consumer prices extended their decline in Spain.Euro-area unemployment remained unchanged at 10.1 per cent, according to a separate release.
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The inflation report comes one day after a European Commission survey showed economic confidence declined across most countries and most sectors in a delayed reaction to Britain’s decision to leave the European Union. The data may reopen the debate about more stimulus at the ECB’s September 8th meeting, after the economy’s relative resilience over the summer months led economists including those at JPMorgan Chase and Danske to push back projections for further easing.
Bloomberg | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/euro-area-inflation-fails-to-accelerate-in-wake-of-brexit-uncertainty-1.2774123?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/57067b1acf0e0ea914da03395e27c376d94ea6709d19122705a589361a9ae1c9.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T08:52:09 | null | 2016-08-30T08:13:00 | Title defence begins with win over Jerzy Janowicz - and he celebrates with a song | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fother-sports%2Fus-open-novak-djokovic-advances-but-new-concerns-rise-over-fitness-1.2772853%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772852.1472541223!/image/image.jpg | en | null | US Open: Novak Djokovic advances but new concerns rise over fitness | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Novak Djokovic opened the defence of his US Open title with a 6-3 5-7 6-2 6-1 win over Poland’s Jerzy Janowicz on Monday, but the laboured performance gave rise to fresh concerns about the world number one’s fitness.
After a sizzling start to the season that brought grand slam wins No.11 and 12 at the Australian and French Opens, Djokovic’s form has plummeted, with a third-round loss to Sam Querrey at Wimbledon followed by a first-round exit at the Rio Olympics.
The Serb might have been in trouble on another day at Flushing Meadows but Janowicz, ranked 246 places below Djokovic, has advanced from the first round just once in four previous US Open visits and looked unlikely to do it again on Monday.
Djokovic, a US Open finalist five of the last six years, next faces Czech Jiri Vesely, a five-set winner over Indian qualifier Saketh Myneni.
Djokovic arrived in New York having been hampered by a left wrist injury and distracted by undisclosed “private matters” and on Monday trainers were called out early in the opening set to work on his right forearm.
Several times during the two hour, 37 minute match, Djokovic could be seen grimacing when hitting his powerful forehand, while his serve rarely looked threatening, stuck at around 100 mph.
“It was just prevention, it’s all good,” Djokovic told reporters. “Look, each day presents us some kind of challenges that we need to accept and overcome.
“After all I’ve been through in the last couple of weeks it’s pleasing to finish the match and win it.”
Up 3-2 in the opening set, Djokovic called for a medical time out during the changeover as Janowicz took a seat in the stands while the world number one had his forearm massaged.
When play resumed, Djokovic immediately broke the Pole and held serve on way to taking the first set.
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But in the second frame Djokovic’s discomfort became even more evident as he double faulted and then sent a wild forehand long as Janowicz broke to take control and level the match.
Normal service was resumed in the third and Djokovic moved in for the knockout punch, breaking Janowicz to open the fourth before wrapping up the match.
The year’s final grand slam got off to a glitzy Hollywood-style start, with a performance from Phil Collins to mark the arrival of the $150 million retractable roof at the stadium.
“It’s hard to put on show after Phil Collins,” said Djokovic, before breaking into one of Collins’ hits during his on court post-match interview. “The US Open is the most entertaining grand slam.
“It was wonderful to come back and play a night session that is undoubtedly the most special night session we have in our sport. | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/other-sports/us-open-novak-djokovic-advances-but-new-concerns-rise-over-fitness-1.2772853?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/0c37568f57305cd9498aa01216afab984cccaafa34613813e1643622fa7906b3.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T16:51:49 | null | 2016-08-29T17:23:00 | Washington expresses concern Turkish troops focusing on Kurds and not Isis | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fmiddle-east%2Fturkish-forces-push-deeper-into-syria-and-draw-us-criticism-1.2772171%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772169.1472487823!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Turkish forces push deeper into Syria and draw US criticism | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Turkish-backed forces pushed deeper into northern Syria on Monday and drew a rebuke from Nato ally the United States, which said it was concerned the battle for territory had shifted away from targeting Islamic State (Isis).
At the start of Turkey’s now almost week-long cross-border offensive, Turkish tanks, artillery and warplanes provided Syrian rebel allies the firepower to capture swiftly the Syrian frontier town of Jarablus from Isis militants.
Since then, Turkish forces have mainly pushed into areas controlled by forces aligned to the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition that encompasses the Kurdish YPG militia and which has been backed by Washington to fight the jihadists. A group monitoring the tangled, five-year-old conflict in Syria said 41 people were killed by Turkish air strikes as Turkish forces pushed south on Sunday. Turkey denied there were any civilian deaths, saying 25 Kurdish militants were killed.
‘Unacceptable’ action
“We want to make clear that we find these clashes – in areas where Isil [Isis] is not located – unacceptable and a source of deep concern,” said Brett McGurk, US special envoy for the fight against Isis.
“We call on all armed actors to stand down,” he wrote on his official Twitter account, citing a statement from the US department of defence.
Turkey, which is battling a Kurdish insurgency on its soil, has said its campaign has a dual goal of “cleansing” the region of Islamic State and stopping Kurdish forces filling the void and extending the area they control near Turkey’s border.
It has put Ankara at odds with Washington and adds to tensions when Turkey’s government is still reeling from last month’s failed coup, which it says Washington was too slow to condemn. US vice-president Joe Biden sought to patch up ties in a visit last week, just as Turkish forces entered Syria.
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In a news conference on Monday with a visiting European official, Turkish European affairs minister Omer Celik said: “No one has the right to tell us which terrorist organisation we can fight against.” He did not, however, mention the US comments.
On Monday, Turkish-backed forces advanced on Manbij, a city about 30km (20 miles) south of Turkey’s border captured this month by the SDF with US help. The thud of artillery was heard from the Turkish border town of Karkamis.
Kurdish militia
SDF-aligned militia said they were reinforcing Manbij but insisted none of the troops in the region or the extra fighters heading to the city were from the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia.
Turkey has said its warplanes and artillery have bombarded positions held by the Kurdish YPG militia in recent days. It accuses the YPG of seeking to take territory where there has not traditionally been a strong Kurdish ethnic contingent.
“The YPG is engaged in ethnic cleansing, they are placing who they want to in those places,” Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said in Ankara, demanding Kurdish forces withdraw east of the Euphrates river, a natural boundary with areas of eastern Syria under Kurdish control.
The YPG, a powerful Syrian Kurdish militia in the SDF that Washington sees as a reliable ally against jihadists in the Syrian conflict, have dismissed the Turkish allegation and say any of its forces west of the Euphrates have long since left.
“Turkey’s claims that it is fighting the YPG west of the Euphrates have no basis in truth and are merely flimsy pretexts to widen its occupation of Syrian land,” Redur Xelil, chief spokesman for the Syrian Kurdish YPG militia, told Reuters.
Pentagon spokesman Peter Cook said the US had demanded the YPG must cross back to the eastern side of the Euphrates but said Washington understood this had “largely occurred”.
Turkey has not spelled out if it plans to set up a “buffer zone” in the region where it is fighting in north Syria. The region lies between two Kurdish-controlled cantons – one east of the Euphrates and the other to the west near the Mediterranean.
Kurdish autonomy
But Ankara fears that, if Kurdish militia create an unbroken swathe of territory, it could embolden the Kurdish militant PKK group which has fought a three-decade-long insurgency on Turkish soil to demand autonomy in Turkey’s southeast.
On Monday, Turkey also launched air strikes on what it said were PKK targets in northern Iraq, a Kurdish-controlled region along another section of Turkey’s southern border and where the PKK has bases.
Turkish-backed forces say they seized a string of villages south of Syria’s Jarablus in a region controlled by groups aligned to the US- and Kurdish-backed SDF. They also say they have taken a few places to the west in Isis areas.
The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors Syria’s conflict, said Turkish-backed rebels had seized at least 21 villages to the south and west of Jarablus since August 25th.
Syria’s conflict began in 2011 as an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad. Since then it has drawn in regional states and world powers, with a proliferation of rival rebel groups, militias and jihadists adding to the complexity. – (Reuters) | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/middle-east/turkish-forces-push-deeper-into-syria-and-draw-us-criticism-1.2772171?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/c52274f93f8921244a6905a46e9e1fbb628a1e63bdc972989c5ac62ff83dd205.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T10:51:27 | null | 2016-08-29T11:18:00 | Retail sales down 0.5 per cent from June to July once motor sales are excluded | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fspike-in-car-purchases-leads-to-12-6-hike-in-consumer-spending-1.2771859%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771858.1472466288!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Spike in car purchases leads to 12.6% hike in consumer spending | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Retail sales rose 12.6 per cent in July compared to the previous month on the back of a huge jump in car sales, new figures show.
Sales were also up 6.3 per cent versus July 2015, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) data show.
However, once sales of motor cars are excluded, retail sales declined by 0.5 per cent from June to July and were up 2.7 per cent on an annual basis.
The figures show sales of vehicles rose 12.5 per cent last month, while furniture and lighting-related purchases increased 5.3 per cent. Sales of books, newspapers and stationary were up 2 per cent during July.
The biggest decline in retail sales occurred was in clothing, footwear and textiles, down 2.5 per cent.
The value of retail sales increased 4.5 per cent on a monthly basis and up 3.9 per cent versus July 2015. Once car sales are excluded, the value of sales dropped by 0.5 per cent on a monthly basis and was up 0.8 per cent versus the same month a year earlier. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/spike-in-car-purchases-leads-to-12-6-hike-in-consumer-spending-1.2771859?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/f0ed6865f7eb2ca79525ba86ea4f91ddc9254452fabe2aebc4089552be4a5d5a.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T08:52:54 | null | 2016-08-31T08:51:00 | Federal investigators seize vehicles including a Porsche, a Mercedes and three BMWs | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2F19-irish-travellers-charged-with-federal-racketeering-in-us-1.2774081%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2774080.1472629872!/image/image.jpg | en | null | 19 Irish Travellers charged with federal racketeering in US | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Nineteen Irish people have pleaded not guilty to federal racketeering charges in the US state of South Carolina, according to local press reports.
Federal magistrate judge Shiva Hodges released the 19 Irish Travellers – who are accused of being involved in a major financial fraud ring – on a $25,000 unsecured bond, The State reported.
The FBI investigation alleges the accused were involved in money laundering, illegal banking transactions, food stamp and medicaid fraud as well as other offences.
The judge spent 27 minutes reading a 17-page federal indictment made on August 16th, adding that the charges carry a maximum $250,000 fine and a 20-year prison sentence.
The report added that the group, who are from the Murphy Village area of Aiken County, were represented by some of South Carolina’s best known and expensive criminal defence lawyers.
The report also said federal authorities seized 25 mostly high-end vehicles from the Travellers in the Murphy Village area including a Porsche, a Mercedes, three BMWs and three Lexuses.
Murphy Village is home to one of the largest communities of Irish Travellers in the US – with about 1,400 members of the community living there.
Three more are also expected to be arraigned, and plead not guilty.
The report added that a small segment of the community have for years been the subject of police raids. “In 2002, for example, a state task force swept through Murphy Village and arrested 14 Irish Travellers on charges of food stamp fraud, tax evasion and contributing to the delinquency of a minor.” | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/19-irish-travellers-charged-with-federal-racketeering-in-us-1.2774081?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/5adeeca568b9545978c6cf8f9f5028361f28b26e24966d06d70659788051b0a0.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T10:50:24 | null | 2016-08-27T11:17:00 | Australia beaten by 20 points as New Zealand outhalf Beauden Barrett chips in with nine | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Frugby%2Finternational%2Fisrael-dagg-brace-ensures-all-blacks-retain-bledisloe-cup-1.2770744%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2770743.1472293035!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Israel Dagg brace ensures All Blacks retain Bledisloe Cup | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | New Zealand 29 Australia 9
Israel Dagg scored two tries as the All Blacks beat Australia 29-9 in their Rugby Championship clash on Saturday, which also ensured they retained the Bledisloe Cup for another year.
Beauden Barrett also showcased his growing stature as the starting outhalf with nine points from the boot and his all-round play drove his side around the field in a match that failed to reach the same heights as last week’s opener.
Wallabies outhalf Bernard Foley slotted two penalties, while debutant Reece Hodge landed a monster penalty in the first half for the visitors, who rarely threatened on attack and lost their sixth successive match.
The All Blacks have held the Bledisloe Cup, the symbol of trans-Tasman supremacy since 2003 and only had to draw in Wellington to ensure it stayed locked in New Zealand Rugby’s trophy cabinet for another season.
Steve Hansen’s side had hammered the Wallabies 42-8 last week in Sydney with a game of high pace and superb execution, and the Wallabies had promised they would perform better than they had at Sydney’s Olympic Stadium.
The only thing they did do better, however, was slow the pace of the All Blacks’ game with negative tactics, while they also antagonised the home team with several off-the-ball incidents.
The tactics worked to an extent, the All Blacks only led 15-9 at halftime courtesy of Dagg’s tries and a conversion and penalty to Barrett, while Foley and Hodge kicked penalties for the visitors.
The negative mindset, however, did result in main protagonist Adam Coleman yellow carded for a dangerous charge on All Blacks fullback Ben Smith late in the first half.
The All Blacks did not score again while Coleman was off the field as the Wallabies slowed the pace even further, with the game at times descending into squabbles.
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Julian Savea then gave his side some breathing space just after Coleman returned when Barrett’s blistering pace again exploited space in the Wallabies defence before Same Cane grabbed his side’s fourth try about 15 minutes later.
Both sides now have a week off in the Rugby Championship before the All Blacks face Argentina in Hamilton on September 10th, while the Wallabies play South Africa in Brisbane.
The final match of the Bledisloe Cup, which is now a dead rubber, is in Auckland on October 22nd. | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/rugby/international/israel-dagg-brace-ensures-all-blacks-retain-bledisloe-cup-1.2770744?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/e230c0182757f2dbdcf62eac15eaf356036d15585c0fe3bb0aad2c17436f858c.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T00:50:18 | null | 2016-08-27T01:00:00 | Sale of landmark building in Mayo contingent on resolving loan on surrounding lands | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fenvironment%2Fring-says-negotiations-on-westport-house-at-sensitive-stage-1.2769801%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769795.1472244008!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Ring says negotiations on Westport House at ‘sensitive stage’ | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Minister of State for Regional Economic Development Michael Ring has said negotiations on the future of Westport House in Mayo were still at a “very sensitive stage”.
Mr Ring, who was in Kerry yesterday to announce a capital investment in Killarney National Park, said he was “hopeful we can find a solution for Westport House in the very near future”.
The 18th-century mansion, which has been home to the Browne family and one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, is still on the market for €10 million.
It is understood several international and national hotel/leisure interests have expressed interest since it was put on the market earlier this year. However, a sale is contingent on resolution of an outstanding loan on the surrounding lands.
Some 380 acres of the estate were put up as security on a loan of €6.5 million taken out by Lord Altamont in 2006 as part of plans for further development.
Mr Ring, who is based in Westport, was instrumental in ensuring the loan was withdrawn from a portfolio sold by the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) to US investment company Cerberus last year.
Mayo County Council and Nama have been involved in protracted discussions, with a view to the local authority acquiring the loan as part of a deal that would ensure the house could be acquired by a “benevolent investor” and left open to the public.
Part of that jigsaw is understood to involve possible acquisition of some land for the local authority’s social housing building programme.
In Killarney yesterday, Mr Ring said he intended to “continue to invest in our national parks and nature reserves to ensure they remain a vital tourist resource”. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/ring-says-negotiations-on-westport-house-at-sensitive-stage-1.2769801?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/1338a7f8d41e34fb2e8997e1cb284600e64b999d32d04f691425b56142ee8302.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T16:52:50 | null | 2016-08-30T17:00:00 | INM to seek 14 layoffs in move to Press Association although staff fear double that | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fmedia-and-marketing%2Findependent-news-media-outsourcing-newspaper-layout-to-pa-1.2773277%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773342.1472575918!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Independent News & Media outsourcing newspaper layout to PA | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Independent News & Media (INM), publisher of titles such as the Irish Independent, is to outsource the layout and design of its newspapers to the international media group, the Press Association (PA), and is seeking 14 job losses.
INM said today it intends to “outsource the Dublin editorial production services to PA”, with INM later clarifying this means the non-writing production functions of the newspapers, such as page design and the placement of pictures.
Stephen Rae, editor-in-chief of INM, said that while production will be outsourced to PA, the process will continue to be “be managed by our editorial team at Talbot Street in Dublin”.
“We will continue to invest in good writing and content in our newspapers and online,” he said.
Robert Pitt, INM’s chief executive, said “businesses need to adapt and innovate to survive and working with PA will allow us to maximise synergies and efficiencies”.
INM previously decided to outsource its subediting – the correction of writing style – in 2007, leaving the writing of its articles by journalists as the only core editorial function that will remain in-house, once production is outsourced.
The group, the largest newspaper publisher in Ireland whose main shareholder is Denis O’Brien, has notified staff of its intention to seek redundancies.
The company says it is seeking 14 job losses, although rumours swirled among staff that the final number could be double that figure. The employees affected will not transfer to PA, it is understood. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/independent-news-media-outsourcing-newspaper-layout-to-pa-1.2773277?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/72d86afe2ad57354c46c3134bd22172d74aeccbe991f76c8e210e97a582cd1bb.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:50:03 | null | 2016-08-26T16:00:00 | How do you become a music manger? And do we have enough in the country to match the artistic pool of talent? The Off Topic podcast gets down to business | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fculture%2Fmusic%2Fis-the-irish-music-industry-suffering-from-a-lack-of-management-1.2769539%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769538.1472223103!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Is the Irish music industry suffering from a lack of management? | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | It’s tough for a musician in this small country of ours, and it seems to be getting tougher. Cursed with a large talent pool, but too few industry-savvy people to get it out there, Irish musicians face an uphill battle from the outset.
On this week’s Off Topic podcast, host Laurence Mackin rounded up some of the best and brightest in the industry to get a better idea of how the business side of Irish music works, and where it lags behind the bigger markets.
Faction Records boss Ken Allen is quick to put things in stark perspective. A 10-year veteran of the recorded side of music, he says that every year since he started, that side of music has contracted. Bands and artists only have to look across the water to Britain for the promise of opportunity, as the size of the music industry dwarfs anything on offer here. To put that in simple figures, a gold records in Ireland equates to 7,000 sales whereas in Britain it equates to 100,000. He started running a label but now also manages acts with James Vincent McMorrow, Pleasure Beach and Jape on his roster.
Dublin-based talent agent Eleanor McGuinness feels that she can flourish here despite the comparatively small scale of things. As she points out, the ultra-competitive “London machine” can be suffocating, with huge pressure on labels and management to unearth the hot new act.
Gone are the days of the A&R man stumbling across the new U2 at a random venue around town. As times have changed, so to have methods of tracking down and signing new talent. .“All the major labels have teams of people scouring the internet, trying to find new stuff that could potentially connect,” says Ken Allen.
This point was picked up on by music journalist Niall Byrne, who has seen artists getting label attention on the back of “two YouTube cover videos with a few hundred views”, musicians take note. McGuinness says that “some agencies actually employ scouts full-time. They go out to shows, see what a band is like, then report back because agents just don’t have the time to do it.”
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Keeping a positive attitude is vitally important for any aspiring musician hoping to make a living, but not having the support of a major label as musician Rhob Cunningham points out, “leaves you on the fringe, unless you are already a part of that structure”. Radio play can also prove elusive; with no label influence, getting tracks on to those all-important playlists is extremely difficult. | http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/is-the-irish-music-industry-suffering-from-a-lack-of-management-1.2769539?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/7279604125868883c022b10eb49dcf08862038b1f76baaf36d9c72b4718270cc.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T22:50:45 | null | 2016-08-27T23:26:00 | Republic of Ireland U21 international shows his pace at the Carlisle Grounds | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fsoccer%2Fnational-league%2Fdylan-connolly-double-earns-bray-a-point-against-derry-city-1.2770886%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2770881.1472336756!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Dylan Connolly double earns Bray a point against Derry City | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Bray Wanderers 2 Derry City 2
A brace of goals from Dylan Connolly deprived Derry City of regaining second place in the Premier Division table following a riveting clash at the Carlisle Grounds.
While Derry are now undefeated in seven league games, the result extends in-form Bray’s unbeaten run to nine.
In an open game from the off, Derry were first to threaten with Rory Patterson meeting Nathan Boyle’s cross to shoot straight at Peter Cherrie.
Bray responded with Mark Salmon heading into the grateful arms of Derry goalkeeper Ger Doherty as the visitors failed to deal with a Karl Moore corner.
The high tempo to the game was maintained as the frightening pace of Connolly put Bray in front on 17 minutes.
Jason Marks sent Connolly in behind Derry new signing Max Karner on the left and the winger sprinted clear to shoot past Doherty to the far corner of the net.
Connolly might have doubled that four minutes later.
A sublime cross from left back Kevin Lynch found Connolly at the far post. Taking the dropping ball first time, Connolly side footed his volley over the bar.
Derry hit back to level on 31 minutes.
Barry McNamee rolled a free kick to Aaron McEneff who thumped his shot off the bar. Patterson followed in to rifle the rebound to the net for his 11th league strike of the season.
Derry then took the lead 10 minutes into the second half. Ronan Curtis was tripped in the area by substitute Gareth McDonagh and McEneff sent Cherrie the wrong way from the resulting penalty.
But Connolly had the final say, equalising 20 minutes from time.
Bursting through on the left from Ger Pender’s hooked pass, the Republic of Ireland under-21 international fired to the net under Doherty.
BRAY WANDERERS: Cherrie; Harding (McDonagh, 39), Douglas, Kenna, Lynch; Sullivan; Marks (Noone, 63), Moore, Salmon, Connolly; Pender (Lyons, 84).
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DERRY CITY: G. Doherty; McDermott, Karner (B. Doherty, 48), Vemmelund, Jarvis; McEneff, McCormack; Boyle (Daniels, 77), McNamee, Curtis; Patterson.
Referee: Sean Grant (Wexford). | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/national-league/dylan-connolly-double-earns-bray-a-point-against-derry-city-1.2770886?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/35d43a09bef7b92b616e90c9ff497194b5baead6b52208b111b4b419dfe485c5.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:50:01 | null | 2016-08-26T16:30:00 | Generation Emigration reports from Sydney and Perth on their successes, struggles and the couples divided over whether to stay or return | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Fgeneration-emigration%2Faustralia-s-irish-on-jobs-swimming-pools-and-the-mammy-factor-1.2769485%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769484.1472219902!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Australia’s Irish on jobs, swimming pools and the ‘mammy factor’ | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Bright early-morning sunshine glints off the water at the poolside cafe next to Sydney’s Botanic Gardens as 30 or so members of the Irish Australian Chamber of Commerce gather at the harbourside venue for one of their sold-out business breakfasts.
That most of the smartly suited attendees, who are networking over flat whites and eggs Benedict, appear to be under 40 is remarkable for such a professional event. With lawyers, entrepreneurs, tech professionals and company directors among them, it would be difficult to find a stronger example of how successful some of Australia’s young Irish have become since moving over.
When recession gripped Ireland in 2008 Australia seemed to have it all, with its laid-back lifestyle, booming economy and well-paid jobs. Like those attending the breakfast, tradesmen, healthcare workers, backpackers and white-collar professionals arrived in their droves, whether to travel around or to take up jobs in the big cities and mines around Western Australia and Queensland.
Over the following six years more than 100,000 Irish people headed down under in search of a fresh start or adventure, and Australia fast became the most popular destination for Irish emigrants outside the UK.
In the past two years, however, the tide has taken a dramatic turn. The Australian economy has tightened, particularly in Western Australia. Back in Ireland unemployment has dropped (to 8.3 per cent in July, when the number at work surpassed two million for the first time since 2009). Returning to Ireland is becoming an increasingly attractive option for those Irish looking towards home.
Figures this week from the Central Statistics Office show how much things have changed, with just 6,200 people moving from Ireland to Australia in the 12 months to April this year. That’s just over a third of the total in 2012, when numbers peaked at 18,200. They also show a dramatic jump in those moving in the other direction – from Australia to Ireland – in the past year, from 2,900 to 5,500.
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Moving questions
The Irish Times is at the chamber’s event in Sydney to talk about the Generation Emigration project, but most of the questions that the breakfasters ask relate to moving home.
“What is the economy really like outside Dublin?” one asks.
“What are people saying about our chances of getting a mortgage if I return with my family?” wonders another.
The chamber’s president, Barry Corr, says that such chatter is increasingly common at Irish networking events. “Unfortunately, not all the people who came over did so by choice,” he says. “It was always going to be the case that when the Irish economy was strong enough to offer them the opportunity to go home again they probably would.”
The chamber’s membership swelled from less than 1,000 four years ago to 7,000 in 2016. But so many members are moving back to Ireland that it set up a Dublin branch this summer.
It works closely with the Irish recruitment agency CPL, which in April sent a delegation to Australia in a drive to bring Irish workers home, particularly those in engineering, law, project management, IT and financial services.
Although Ireland’s improving career prospects have certainly facilitated their return, Corr says that “the major family events are the biggest driver. Life events are more important than anything else: where they are getting married or having their first child, or the child going to school, or a death of a parent.”
His observations are supported by the findings of a recent Ipsos MRBI survey for The Irish Times, in which more than a third of emigrants who said they wanted to move home identified family as the trigger. Another 16 per cent identified homesickness as the main reason. Just one in five said that work or a job offer would be the main cause of their decision to return, while 12 per cent cited improvements in the economy.
The Irish surveyed in Australia and New Zealand were the most likely of Irish people abroad to say that they plan to be home within three years, at 30 per cent, compared with 19 per cent in the UK and just 2 per cent in the US.
“I think the main factors which will drive people my age home are having children, buying a house, getting married. I actually don’t think jobs are as important,” says Fiona Mayers, who has been in Perth with her partner since 2011.
Her experience is fairly typical of many of the young Irish we meet during our 10-day visit to Perth and Sydney. Having recently turned 30, the marketing manager from Clonakilty, Co Cork, along with the rest of her Irish circle of friends in Perth, is facing decisions about where to “settle down”.
Staying intentions
“None of us moved here originally with the intention of staying forever,” Mayers says. “I came out in 2011 not knowing what to expect, that maybe things would be better at home in a year or two and we’d move back. But you get the bug here, do well at work and earn good money, and think, Why not get residency and then citizenship, so you have that security?
“There is talk of going back home, but there is still a lack of trust there about how good the economy [in Ireland] actually is. My friends all have good jobs out here and are doing well. They are worried about having to go down a few rungs on the career ladder if they go back to Ireland, or that they might have to go to England instead, which is closer to home but still a new country.”
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She adds: “There is a lack of confidence that they will find a good job, especially outside Dublin.”
Many of Mayers’s Irish friends are happy to stay in Australia for now, but many more are homeward bound.
“We are at the airport every few weeks now waving people off,” she says. “Among my friends at the age we are, everyone is weighing up whether to commit to Australia, by buying a house or something, or go home. We are floating between the two, but time is ticking by.”
For now at least, Mayers and her partner, a restaurant supervisor, see their futures in Australia.
“We enjoy the lifestyle here too much to give it up. We will probably take the plunge and buy a house in the next few years. It might not be forever, but who knows. We are hoping some of our friends will do the same.”
At the Head Office hair salon in Bondi Junction in Sydney, where 10 out of the 11 employees are Irish, there is a lot of talk about leaving Australia among both the staff and their Irish customers.
Debbie Mullett from Dublin, who has been living in Australia almost six years, is fairly certain she will move home soon.
“I want to give Ireland another go, see if it works, and if it doesn’t I can come back,” the 30-year-old says. “A lot of my friends have babies, have bought houses, got married - will there be many people around to go out for a few drinks after work? I don’t know… If you could move your family here you would stay, because everything else is great.”
Her 25-year-old colleague Deirdre Ward is getting married at home in Ireland later this year. She says she “will see about staying in Australia after that”, though she is also concerned about how her social life will compare.
“I’d be going home to the country, from living in Bondi Junction with the city just there, to living in the bog with the green fields where you have to get transport everywhere. It would be a big change... It is a wee bit lonely here sometimes. It is so big. You know everybody at home, you grew up with everybody. I don’t know my next door neighbour here.”
Marion O’Hagan, who runs the Irish Australian Support and Resource Bureau in Melbourne, says that homesickness is the biggest factor motivating Irish people to move home.
Getting easier, not harder
“What actually sends them back is the fact that Ireland is improving,” she says. “They see the possibility now to go home and have a good life. But it is all connected with missing family.”
But family in Ireland is not a good enough reason for everyone to leave their Australian lives behind. Most, if not all, of the dozens of Irish people we meet in Sydney and Perth mention the Australian sunshine versus the dull, dreary Irish weather as a key deterrent to moving home.
The women of the “Irish Mums” playgroup in the Perth suburb of Padbury are divided between the few who are quite clearly homesick, and struggling with the distance from family support, and the majority who seem delighted with life in Western Australia.
“A lot of families that came out here because of the recession are still here and are never going to go back,” says Eimear Beattie, a teacher, originally from Co Tipperary, who has been living in Perth with her husband and now three children since 2011.
“I never thought I would bring up kids abroad,” she says, “or live anywhere else apart from Ireland for the rest of my life. But now I couldn’t imagine living anywhere else, because our lifestyle is so good and we have made great friends out here.
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“It would be very hard for us to go back now; we are so used to certain luxuries. Obviously you miss friends and family, but as time goes by it seems to be getting easier for us rather than harder,” Beattie says.
“The weather is fabulous all year round. My husband gets home at 4pm every day, and I’m home at 3.30. We have a pool and a five-bedroom house. We could never have that at home.”
The ‘mammy factor’
Beattie is behind the Irish Families in Perth Facebook page, which organises regular meet-up events and has an active online community of more than 12,000 members. So few people are as knowledgeable about trends among the Irish in Western Australia.
She says that the page has seen a lot of chat about moving back in the past 18 months, and she agrees that homesickness is the driving factor.
“When you emigrate you are not going to have the same support around you, and that can be a big shock to the system for some people,” she says. “They might have a great lifestyle, and be earning great money, but there is still a loneliness that gets them. I know so many people who are homesick and wanting to leave, struggling with the emotional distance.”
Five of Beattie’s friends in Perth have recently left for home. She says they came out with a five-year plan, and are going back to Ireland before their children start school. Some have made enough money to pay off debts, buy a house or afford for one parent to be able to stay at home with their kids when they move back.
“The ‘mammy factor’ is a big thing,” Beattie says. “Usually the woman with young kids is the one who wants to go home to be close to her mother. Sometimes couples have different views; one is homesick and the other loves it here. There have been separations because of that.
“The ones who have made the definite decision to give things a real go here are the ones who are getting on best; they are not constantly looking backwards. The others who ended up here accidentally or reluctantly, who never really wanted to be here, are the ones who are struggling.
“You wonder, if they do go back home, will they settle there either? You hear about that quite a lot, too, people returning to Ireland and then moving back here again because it hasn’t worked out. The cost of that is unbelievable. They call it the $20,000 holiday.”
Shedding jobs
The tightening economy, particularly in Western Australia, is also a major factor in the exodus of Irish. The price of iron ore has plummeted in the past two years, leading to a dramatic scaling down of production in the mining sector, where tens of thousands of Irish workers were employed during Australia’s boom.
Several multibillion-dollar oil and gas projects, such as Wheatstone and Gorgon, have moved out of construction phase, also shedding thousands of workers.
In January 2015 the Irish community in Western Australia was devastated when 4,000 workers were let go in a week. Beattie’s husband was one of them.
The high salaries once on offer, especially for workers willing to take fly-in-fly-out contracts – working for a few weeks on site, often thousands of kilometres from their homes in Perth – have reduced dramatically.
Brian Mooney, originally from Finglas in Dublin, runs Mooney’s Irish Sandwich bar in Perth. He estimates that the number of Irish working on construction sites in the city has dropped by up to 60 per cent in the past year.
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“The Irish buzz around Perth was definitely down after Christmas,” Mooney says, “and it has continued to drop. Some of the Irish bars around here don’t open some nights any more.”
Mooney has seen the Irish community change unrecognisably in Perth since 2000, when he arrived looking for a bit of adventure at the age of 33. A three-year stint as a camp manager in the mines gave him a taste for hospitality, which eventually led him, many jobs later, to open the cafe five years ago.
Irish construction workers were beginning to arrive in Perth in droves, he says, hungry for breakfast rolls before a long, hot day on site in the sun.
“When I opened my doors first, my customers were 99 per cent Irish,” Mooney says. “They wanted their Sunday World and their proper batch-loaf sandwiches, something to remind them of their mammies. They missed this stuff. I was making an absolute fortune.
“Lots of them left Ireland because they genuinely couldn’t get any work. One hundred came and 10,000 followed, but now it’s going the other way. The hardest-working ones are still here. They are settled, they are having babies, and saying to themselves, ‘Jaysus, we have it great here, why would we go home?’
“I think the ones who are here now will be here for good, but a lot of others moved on to Canada or America or the UK. They will follow the work wherever it is going.”
Canadian exodus
Ruairi Spillane, a Kerry man who runs Outpost Recruitment in Vancouver and the Irish community website Moving2Canada.com, says he has received many emails from tradesmen and construction professionals in Western Australia looking for information about jobs in Canada.
“Perth has been incredibly good to the Irish, and has paid a massive service to the Irish economy by absorbing thousands of Irish workers in the last few years,” he says. “A lot of them were leaving Ireland in negative equity, and going out to the mines and earning such good wages helped them get their life back on track.
“But with so many big projects winding up a lot of people have already left Western Australia. Among those who are still there, a lot of them are looking over their shoulders. Things are definitely slowing, and sponsorship of foreign workers, including the Irish, is more contentious when the economy is down and there are Australians out of work.”
Seeing an opportunity, Spillane flew to Perth earlier this year to host a seminar on moving to Canada, at the Irish Club in Subiaco. Forty Irish workers attended.
“I thought there would be a bit of hostility there,” he says, “that I was trying to lure Irish people away to Canada, but there is a consensus that people need a plan B. A lot of them are happy abroad and don’t want to go back to Ireland.
“Returning to Ireland might be financially crippling, relatively speaking, with the pay cut they will have to take. There’s the bonus of being closer to family, but if they are enjoying the lifestyle that living abroad brings, and want to stay away for a while, they don’t have a lot of options.”
Canada is not the only alternative destination. London was an obvious choice until the June Brexit vote reduced certainty about the prospect of getting a job there. With tax-free salaries and generous allowances, the Middle East is an attractive option for workers who want to maintain their high wages, but there are lifestyle sacrifices to make.
The economy in Canada is not booming at the moment, Spillane acknowledges, especially with the postponement of several major liquefied-natural-gas projects. Still, “it is an alternative for them to keep their eyes on”.
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Go east
Australia’s east coast tells a very different economic story from the west. The Sydney skyline is crammed with cranes, clear evidence that the construction boom continues in Australia’s top-performing province, New South Wales.
“All the couples are moving back to Ireland, but all the single lads are moving to Sydney or Melbourne,” says Ollie Gordon, who made the move himself from Perth to Sydney in April.
Gordon, a carpenter by trade, spent three years working fly-in-fly-out contracts in the mines in Karratha before realising that “there was more to life than money” and accepting an administration job with a Perth-based Irish construction company, West Force.
In July 2015 Gordon joined All Force Solutions, an Irish-owned recruitment company, and in April landed in Sydney to set up a new office there, targeting Irish workers moving to the east coast from Western Australia.
“We came over for a trial in February and saw how busy things were, and said we would give it a go,” he says. “We advertise a lot in Perth, on all the Irish sites. We want to work with people who are finished up in the mines or who don’t have ties in Perth and want to come to Sydney.”
Gordon’s room-mate, Billy Brosnan, an engineer and foreman from Co Kerry, has also recently moved from Perth to Sydney after eight years travelling and working in Western Australia, mostly fly-in-fly-out in the mines.
“When I started in the mines four years ago there were a lot of Irish guys arriving,” Brosnan says. “In the last year or so I didn’t see any new arrivals, really. There are a lot more opportunities at home now, so they don’t have to come out, and any of the ones who couldn’t find work are already gone.”
He still sees young people around Perth and Sydney who have obviously recently arrived, but he thinks they are there primarily to travel rather than to find work.
“I don’t think Australia is as popular. London is really booming, so if you’re leaving to work you’d go there, because it’s closer. A lot of lads I know have left Australia to work in London.
“Some of them have gone back with the missus,” he says, “because she wanted to have a baby near her family in Ireland, but they are working in England, going back and forth for the weekends. It is as good moneywise in London as it is here.”
Not so many of his friends are moving back to Ireland. “There seems to be work in Dublin, all right, but what about the rest of the country? I’m from Kerry, just outside Listowel. I doubt I’d have much of a chance finding a job around there.”
For now Brosnan is delighted with his new job in Sydney, working on a new tunnel project for another Irish manager.
Stuck in that rut
Although this week’s CSO figures show that returning to Ireland to live is desirable for thousands who made their way down under in the past decade, it is also clear that many are happy with their lives and are unlikely to be back, in the near future at least.
“Every so often you think, God, I’d love to move home,” says Brosnan. “Then you’re back for a few weeks and it’s raining, and all the lads are soaked every day coming home from work, and you think, Nah, I’m going back to Australia.
“I went back home a while ago and went down to the local with a few of my mates who I grew up with. The same guys were in exactly the same seats around the bar. ‘Hi lads, what’s going on?’ I said, and they were just like, ‘Nothing’.
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“I hadn’t seen them in five years, and that was all they had to say. It is easy to get stuck in that rut. That could have easily been us, still there.”
This series of articles is supported by the Global Irish Media Fund | http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/generation-emigration/australia-s-irish-on-jobs-swimming-pools-and-the-mammy-factor-1.2769485?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/67db2ae4125fa5045091dee51b99ba206321a5b0104465c4a9637353418e8b91.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:08:15 | null | 2016-08-26T12:26:00 | August 26th, 2016 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fopinion%2Fmartyn-turner-1.2769372%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769370.1472210724!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Martyn Turner | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | X
By using this website, you consent to our use of cookies. For more information on cookies see our Cookie Policy | http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/martyn-turner-1.2769372?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/c65f13db9eabfb0a5f09e88bbf5317a584afce6f312c710a4a86957eea4e85e3.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T10:51:03 | null | 2016-08-28T10:50:00 | David Tait and Leon Swanson were swapped in a government-run hospital in 1975 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fsecond-case-of-babies-switched-in-canadian-hospital-angers-community-1.2770922%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2770921.1472377822!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Second case of babies switched in Canadian hospital angers community | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | For the second time in less than a year, two men from the same remote Canadian community have discovered they were switched at birth, prompting outrage and new questions about substandard healthcare for Canada’s indigenous people.
David Tait and Leon Swanson were swapped in the government-run Norway House Hospital in 1975 in the western Canadian province of Manitoba, DNA testing confirmed.
“I want answers so bad,” Mr Tait said, choking back tears at a press conference in Winnipeg on Friday. He added that he felt “distraught, confused (and) angry.”
Mr Tait’s biological mother ended up raising Mr Swanson instead, and Mr Swanson’s birth mother raised Mr Tait, the Canadian Broadcasting Corp reported.
Norway House is made up of two northern Manitoba communities and has a population of about 5,000 predominantly indigenous Cree Nation people. It is accessible by airplane and a long indirect road linking it with Winnipeg, about 800km (500 miles)to the south.
In November, the Manitoba government said two other men who were close friends were also switched at birth in 1975, at the same Norway House Hospital. As they grew up, people noticed how they resembled each other’s family more than their own.
Eric Robinson, a former Manitoba cabinet minister who is helping the men in the latest case, said there were always suspicions in the community about their parentage. He suspects there are more undiscovered cases.
“The federal government owes these people,” he told reporters. “What happened to them is criminal.”
Canada’s health department operates the Norway House hospital.
Canadian health minister Jane Philpott said the second case “deeply troubled” her. She said the health department would hire an independent party to investigate hospital records and look into whether there are other such cases.
“Cases like this are an unfortunate reminder to Canadians of how urgent the need is to provide all Indigenous people with high-quality health care,”Ms Philpott said in a statement.
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Canada’s 1.4 million indigenous people often live in dire social and economic conditions with subpar health and education services.
Practices to ensure the identities of newborns have improved since the 1970s, and Norway House Hospital now fits infants with identification bands, the health department said in a statement. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/second-case-of-babies-switched-in-canadian-hospital-angers-community-1.2770922?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/4a81ca425d18d3bb9e5fc4f4343d07ed820f082383aab4159a150aad5a1637c7.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T06:49:21 | null | 2016-08-31T06:00:00 | Residential and office building on Earlsfort Terrace could be converted to apartments | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fcommercial-property%2Fmixed-use-investment-in-top-dublin-2-location-for-2-75m-1.2772151.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773176.1472567908!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Mixed-use investment in top Dublin 2 location for €2.75m | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | QRE is guiding €2.75 million for a mixed-use investment with vacant possession in a top Dublin 2 location.
The residential and office building, which requires refurbishment and is being sold on the instructions of receiver Duff and Phelps, is located at 22-22A Earlsfort Terrace.
This “Belgravia-style” property is four-storey over basement, extends to 800sq m ( 8,611sq ft) and has period features and fireplaces throughout. It is set out as five large apartments (three three-beds and two one-beds) together with four high-quality office suites.
The location, at the junction of Earlsfort terrace and Adelaide Road, is one of the most sought-after commercial and residential locations in the city centre. Nearby landmarks include the National Concert Hall, Iveagh Gardens, St Stephen’s Green and Fitzwilliam Square.
Zoned Z8 under the Dublin City Development Plan 2011-2017, the agent suggests the building offers the purchaser an opportunity for full conversion to residential apartments (subject to the necessary planning permissions). | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/mixed-use-investment-in-top-dublin-2-location-for-2-75m-1.2772151 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/b9e7fbd9aca17432d3b673c7db032a7d37d04d08e3e9fcabf235f1b3f8440e73.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T12:52:57 | null | 2016-08-31T12:06:00 | Inside Politics podcast: Fintan O’Toole, Harry McGee and James Lawless discuss the Apple tax issue | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fpolitics%2Fapple-tax-a-watershed-moment-for-ireland-1.2774223%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2774222.1472641422!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Apple tax: A watershed moment for Ireland? | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | As the dust settles on the EU’s historic tax decision, it is becoming clear that the issue poses a threat to our economic model and the stability of our current Government.
It is not just a thorny technical and political issue to be thrashed out, says Fintan O’ Toole - it is an important moment in modern Irish history, and an opportunity to be seized to change how we do things.
Podcast - Apple tax: A watershed moment for Ireland?
Political Correspondent Harry McGee says the Dáil should be recalled to debate the issue before Cabinet makes a decision on whether to appeal - but he does not think it is likely.
Defending any decision to appeal, Fianna Fáil TD James Lawless calls the ruling an “EU power grab” that must be resisted, especially now that the UK, traditionally our friend in such matters, has left the building.
Listen to Inside Politics on iTunes. You can also find our podcasts at www.irishtimes.com/podcasts. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/apple-tax-a-watershed-moment-for-ireland-1.2774223?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/a1c321b8e3517d81338e24bcbbd793d45b96f859103806b2222e84b275dfc2a0.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T18:50:45 | null | 2016-08-26T18:47:00 | Manchester United left-back reflects on his injury nightmare and life under Mourinho | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fsoccer%2Fenglish-soccer%2Fluke-shaw-the-pain-was-something-else-the-worst-you-could-ever-imagine-1.2769760%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769786.1472234264!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Luke Shaw: ‘The pain was something else. The worst you could ever imagine’ | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | It was the happiest Luke Shaw had ever been to take a whack from one of his team-mates. “A proper swipe, too,” Shaw remembers, reaching down to the part of his right leg where Ashley Young had connected in training. A bad one? “Not enough to knock me over, but you could hear the crack against the shin-pad. It was the first time anyone had really kicked me since I started training again and as soon as it happened, Youngy’s reaction was [hands up to his face]: ‘Ah, shit.’
“Nobody had wanted to be the one to do it. You could tell he felt really bad - ‘Shit, are you OK?’ - but he didn’t have to. He’d hit my leg and it was fine. ‘I’m good, I’m good.’ And I was. I was really good. It was fine, and I’d needed that kick.”
It is coming up to a year now since that moment - 7.59pm, 15th September 2015 - under the floodlights of the Philips Stadion, PSV Eindhoven versus Manchester United, when Shaw’s leg was shattered like a broken cricket stump.
Type the words “10 most horrific football injuries ever” into Google and you can find the video. It comes with an advisory you should be 18 or over and it certainly isn’t for the squeamish bearing in mind Shaw’s own recollections conclude with him sitting on the pitch “holding on to my thigh and looking down at the rest of my leg, and it was just kind of hanging there”.
In another era, an injury of that nature might have wrecked a footballer’s career and, for Shaw, it has certainly been a long slog to reach this point where he is back in United’s team, playing with distinction once again and possibly about to resume his England career. The man sitting here today, much like his club as a whole, seems happy for the first time in a long time. “It’s hard to describe how good it feels,” are his first words when the tape goes on.
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Yet there are glimpses of hurt, too. Shaw is speaking in-depth for the first time about the double break, his rehabilitation and how the past year has affected his life, and it quickly comes across that the suffering was mental as well as physical. It is only recently that he has stopped watching the various footage but, for a while, he often found himself looking back on what happened, trying to make sense of it.
“I partly blame myself,” he says. “I’d run into their penalty area and I should have shot with my right foot but I wanted to come inside. I wanted to be on my left foot. And then, obviously, the tackle. I don’t even want to think about the tackle, to be honest. At the time I thought: ‘Give him the benefit of the doubt, it wasn’t actually a bad tackle.’ But the more I’ve seen it since, the more I think: ‘You know, that was actually a really bad challenge.’”
The player in question is Hector Moreno and though Shaw has no appetite to pick a fight, his views have certainly hardened over time. “To be fair to him, he did come to say sorry. He came to the hospital and I saw him face to face in my room. I was quite sympathetic at the time - ‘Aah, look, you can come in, it’s fine’ - but at the end of the day it was me lying there with a broken leg, and I went through so many bad times since then I did start thinking about it some more.
It really annoys me they [Uefa] gave him man of the match. Some people were saying it was a good challenge, others were saying it was a bad challenge. For me, it’s a bad challenge.”
Briefly he did wonder if he would ever make it back. “I remember I said I didn’t know if I was going to play again. I didn’t properly think that, but it did go through my head a couple of times at the start,” Shaw says.
“Now, I don’t like looking at the video any more because I’ve probably watched it enough. But I can look at the pictures. Even now, I think: ‘Oh my God.’ I’ve shown a few of the lads. They don’t like them either and I can remember, on the night, Memphis [Depay] turning his head away because he didn’t want to look.
That night, lying in hospital, I swear to God the pain was something else. Oh God, the worst you could ever imagine.
“I was in shock, to be honest. The pain came later. I was just so upset because I knew I was going to be out for so long. You might have seen the picture where I had a tear coming down my face. They took me back to the dressing room and it was weird because at the start it didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would have. I remember getting my phone, texting my mum and tweeting everyone. It sounds mad, I know, but my leg was broken and I didn’t know what to do. I thought: ‘I’ve got to do something.’
“Then, that night, lying in hospital, I swear to God the pain was something else. Oh God, the worst you could ever imagine. My mum was next to me and I remember saying to her: ‘They have to do something because I actually can’t keep going with this amount of pain.’ They had to open up my leg to pull out all the clotted-up blood. They put me to sleep, but it didn’t stop the pain when I woke up again.”
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Shaw tries not to be bitter because it is not his nature. One day, he says, he wants to go back to St Anna Ziekenhuis hospital in Geldrop to see everyone who treated him. “I want to say thank you properly. I want to give them a present because, look, [holds up leg] it is so good now. They were the best people, everything they did for me and my family.”
He also still has the banner - “Get well soon, Luke Shaw” - that the PSV fans held up when the team played the return game at Old Trafford and it would be a full-time job to reply to the tens of thousands of people who wrote to him.
Ross Barkley, who broke his leg in three places at the age of 16, was one of the many people offering support and advice. “But I’ve had so many messages I can’t just pick out one or two people,” insists Shaw.
“There were so many people - fans, professionals, ex-players - getting in touch. I had a lot of time obviously to go through Twitter and it was really nice to get so much support. The first couple of weeks it was non-stop. But I also remember someone saying: ‘As long as you know that’s going to die down in a few weeks and, after that, it’s just going to be you, focusing on getting back.’ And that did happen, too.”
That long period of rehabilitation was a gruelling, difficult experience. “I’d heard other players talking about dark times when they were trying to get back from bad injuries. I didn’t think I would be like that but, yeah, there were parts when I was thinking: ‘I just don’t want to be here any more.’ I could hardly walk for six months, never mind play football. I was limping for so long. I was walking with crutches - as in, properly walking - after about the first month because I thought it was much better to put my body weight on and build up the strength. But people have said I was still limping even after I came off the crutches.
“I still get aches. I don’t go a day without feeling it. It’s 100 per cent better but it’s normal, apparently, to feel it after such a bad injury. In the first three or four weeks when I started training outside it felt good, but then all of a sudden it started aching. It didn’t hurt, but it was aching and aching and even before I went out I could feel it and I was thinking: ‘Fuck ? is it ever going to go away?’”
In total there were four operations, leaving two three-inch scars either side of his calf. Shaw had his crutches for six months and he also saw a psychologist to help make sure he was in the right frame of mind to play again. “Most of it was about how it affected me,” he says.
“But I don’t feel I have come back any different. It’s harder for my family really. My mum was really nervous anyway watching me play but it’s even worse for her now. Whenever I go into a tackle she grabs hold of whoever is next to her because she can barely watch. But I’m fine. I’ve had a couple of times when someone has come across to tackle me and for a split second I’ve thought ‘Whoa’, but in the last game it didn’t even cross my mind.”
Now, Shaw says, it is about making up for lost time, particularly as it still nags at him that he did not “show what I could properly do” in his first season after signing from Southampton two years ago.
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“I was only 18. I’d come in new and then all that stuff came out within pre-season,” he says, referring to Louis van Gaal’s public declaration that his new signing was not fit enough.
“It was my first couple of weeks and being so young it was difficult. I picked up an injury, I didn’t get a full pre-season, then I was out for four weeks.
“Loads of things. Maybe I took it a little bit easy over my time off after the World Cup. Maybe I didn’t think it was going to be as hard and as quick as it was. The stuff that happened, the injuries - it knocked my confidence a bit. Sometimes I didn’t feel right to play.”
That, however, feels like a long time ago now. Shaw has played in both of United’s wins so far under Jose Mourinho. A popular member of the dressing-room, he has quickly set about re-establishing himself as an attacking left-back of high ability and though he is not taking anything for granted, no one should be surprised if he is rewarded with a place in Sam Allardyce’s first England squad, named on Sunday. Even if not, a career of brilliant promise is back on track. “I’m loving it,” he says of living in Manchester.
“I live with my best friends from school, four of us. Some people might think we’re always partying but it isn’t a party house. These are my best friends - I’ve known one since we were eight - and they want the best out of me.”
They have their own chef - “it’s much better that way, much healthier as well” - and Shaw also has plans to do something that was impossible when he was operating on only one leg: take his driving test.
Mourinho, he says, has changed the entire atmosphere within the club and the admiration is mutual given this was the manager who tried, unsuccessfully, to gazump United’s initial £27m deal for Shaw and sign him for Chelsea instead. “We’ve had a little joke about it,” Shaw says. “He’s a cool manager. ‘Why didn’t you come?’ he wanted to know. I just felt I had more opportunity of first-team football here.
“But now I’m with him and I’m really happy he’s here. It hasn’t been the best few years but all of a sudden it feels really good, really positive. We feel we have that fear factor back where people are thinking this team is going to be hard to beat. I’m fit, I’m happy, I still feel I have a lot more to give. I just want to push on now.”
Guardian services | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/english-soccer/luke-shaw-the-pain-was-something-else-the-worst-you-could-ever-imagine-1.2769760?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/697ed8da7960b693be21d71436bf811b373c8e58e601253d6149c925990ce1f3.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T10:52:31 | null | 2016-08-30T10:40:00 | Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership negotiations ‘have failed’, Germany says | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Ffrance-joins-calls-to-halt-to-trade-talks-with-us-1.2772911%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772910.1472550036!/image/image.jpg | en | null | France joins calls to halt to trade talks with US | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Current transatlantic trade talks should be halted and a new set started, France’s trade minister said on Tuesday, adding his voice to some calls from Germany for an end to the negotiations.
Matthias Fekl said he would request a halt to negotiations with the United States over the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) on behalf of France at next month’s meeting of European Union trade ministers in Bratislava.
“There should be an absolute clear end so that we can restart them on good basis,” he said on RMC Radio, adding he would suggest that course to fellow ministers.
German economy minister Sigmar Gabriel said on Sunday that TTIP negotiations had effectively failed after Europe refused to accept some US demands.
Mr Gabriel is the chairman of Germany’s Social Democrats (SPD), who share power with Chancellor Angela Merkel’s conservatives. Many Social Democrats have serious reservations about TTIP but Dr Merkel backs the talks.
Her spokesman insisted on Monday that talks should continue, while Germany’s foreign minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier - also a member of the SPD - said on Tuesday that both sides were still far away from agreeing on standards and procedures.
Mr Fekl’s and Mr Gabriel’s highlighted discrepancies between the views in the EU’s two biggest economies and the official line from both the European Commission, the bloc’s executive, and the US Trade Representative Michael Froman.
Three years of talks have failed to resolve multiple differences, including over food and environmental safety, but the USTR’s spokesman told German magazine Der Spiegel the negotiations “are in fact making steady progress”.
The White House has said this week it aims to reach a deal by the end of the year. “It’s going to require the resolution of some pretty thorny negotiations, but the president and his team are committed to doing that,” White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters in Washington.
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The Commission also remains upbeat.
“Although trade talks take time, the ball is rolling right now and the Commission is making steady progress in the ongoing TTIP negotiations,” the executive’s spokesman, Margaritis Schinas, told a news conference in Brussels on Monday.
Supporters say the TTIP could deliver more than $100 billion worth of economic gains on both sides of the Atlantic, but critics say the pact would hand too much power to big multinationals at the expense of consumers and workers.
Paris threatened to stall further negotiations as long ago as April, but there are national elections due in both France and Germany in 2017, and before the summer, experts were saying that this year - ahead of the US presidential election - may be the best opportunity to strike a deal.
That prospect looks less likely now, and Britain’s June vote to leave the EU has further clouded the picture, even though the Commission has a mandate to finalise TTIP talks on behalf of all EU 28 members.
Reuters | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/france-joins-calls-to-halt-to-trade-talks-with-us-1.2772911?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/4bf277cc5a45df0c3db977ba9f4a0707de662b86d38ed9419012b032dd6dabe4.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T06:50:13 | null | 2016-08-27T06:00:00 | Number testing positive is more than tripple the number for 2014, and higher than 2013 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fcrime-and-law%2F17-defence-forces-personnel-failed-random-drug-test-in-2015-1.2769842%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769841.1472238620!/image/image.jpg | en | null | 17 Defence Forces personnel failed random drug test in 2015 | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | A record number of military personnel have failed drug tests carried out by the Defence Forces.
According to the Department of Defence, 17 members failed random drug tests in 2015 – more than triple the five members who failed in 2014. A total of 13 personnel failed drug tests in 2013 and 16 in 2012.
According to the department, the Defence Forces drug testing team last year carried out 13 drug testing operations and tested a total of 1,184 personnel. Of these tests, 98.56 per cent proved negative.
The Defence Forces is committed to testing 10 per cent of the force each year.
Of the 1,184 drug tests in 2915, 51 were made at Defence Forces HQ, 76 in the Naval Service and 230 in the Air Corps. The largest proportion of tests – 773 – were carried out in Army brigades.
The drug testing programme was introduced in 2003. Since then, 105 personnel have tested positive.
A spokesman for the Defence Forces representative organisation, the PDFORA, said yesterday: “We take the issue of drug taking seriously and recognise the need to have drug testing procedures in place.”
The spokesman wouldn’t be drawn on the increase in positive tests last year.
Three options
Those who test positive face three options: they can retire; be discharged or face withdrawal of a cadetship; or continue in service if they can make a case that taking the drug was inadvertent or the result of some circumstance, such as a spiked drink.
Those who test positive for a controlled drug, as specified in the Misuse of Drugs Act 1977, are subject to an administrative process, including the testing of a “B” sample if so requested by that individual.
In the past, some of those disciplined as a result of testing positive have challenged the decision through the courts. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/17-defence-forces-personnel-failed-random-drug-test-in-2015-1.2769842?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/07571f9489c5ef6c134d9ab5863b2857fbd89a8c43e2287fd1e0523ee237db3e.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T13:10:29 | null | 2016-08-26T12:47:00 | As minister he helped overcome British reluctance during Anglo Irish Agreement talks | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Fpeople%2Fpeter-barry-obituary-hard-headed-politician-turned-barry-s-tea-into-a-success-1.2769388%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769387.1472216320!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Peter Barry obituary: Hard-headed politician turned Barry’s Tea into a success | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Saturday mornings in the Cork city centre grocery store owned by former Fine Gael tánaiste and minister for foreign affairs, Peter Barry, who died on Friday at the age of 88, were always marked by ritual.
At weekends during the 1960s and ‘70s, the hard-headed politician would leave the corridors of power in Leinster House and revert to being one of Cork’s most successful businessmen.
Joining his master tea-taster in the rear of the busy shop in full view of the customers, they would noisily slurp a range of different teas and spit the dregs into a bucket.
This scene was an integral part of the business acumen of a somewhat reserved man who could be equally tough in politics or business. Resembling a vineyard owner tasting wines to be laid down for the future, Barry saw the publicity value of using the weekly spectacle to promote the tea business established in 1901 by his grandfather James J. Barry.
The shop on Princes Street has long since been replaced by a base on the Kinsale Road where the tasting ritual is now carried on by his son Tony, who had his father to guide him as chairman, and now runs the business. He has a 55 per cent stake in the family firm while five others each hold a 9 per cent share.
Merchant prince
The somewhat hackneyed label of “merchant prince” is now more than ever associated with the Barry family, largely because of the former government minister’s achievement in turning the business he inherited from his own father, Anthony (Tony) into a multi-million euro success story.
Barry’s Tea is a truly Irish brand that every emigrant wants their mother to put in the proverbial parcel from home.
Knowing that Ireland is a nation of tea drinkers, with one of highest per capita consumptions in the world, Barry pioneered the distribution and wholesaling of tea, first selling it to other shops in Cork, then expanding into the suburbs, and eventually putting it on supermarket shelves throughout the rest of the country.
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Keeping ahead of the opposition as its popularity grew, the group made a profit of €13.7 million in 2003. Employing over 70 people, the firm claims it now has around 40 per cent of the Irish tea market, putting the company’s turnover at more than €30 million a year.
However, as the company is controlled through several unlimited entities, it is not obliged to file financial information.
Despite his wealth, Barry was not given to flamboyance. Few people in Cork were aware, for instance, that he and his wife Margaret, who died in 2013, took rooms every year in a quiet hotel on the French riviera and brought the entire family there on holiday.
In 2007, their six children also realised €41 million between them from a distribution of assets, with each getting an equal nest egg of almost €7 million, following a reorganisation of the tea company.
The beneficiaries of the distribution were: Tony Barry, Deirdre Clune, Donagh, Conor , Peter jnr and their sister Fiona MacCarthy.
Cut his political teeth
Remarkably, Barry’s success as a businessman was more than matched by his achievements in a lifetime devoted to politics and the Fine Gael party. In the time-honoured tradition of family dynasties, he cut his political teeth on the doorsteps of Cork city, canvassing on the hustings, first in local elections and then in the hunt for a Dáil seat for his father, who was also a successful businessman.
In 1934, Anthony Barry was awarded the Empire Cup for tea blending, confirming his expertise in the trade.
With politics stamped on Barry’s DNA, it was only natural that he would follow his father into the council chamber at City Hall where he too was expected to wear the lord mayor’s gold chain which Anthony had worn and then follow him into Dáil Éireann.
Bringing his own children on the canvass, Barry duly won a council seat, became lord mayor of Cork and was then elected as a TD in the 1969 general election. His daughter, Deirdre Clune, also inherited the political gene, becoming the third generation to sit in the lord mayor’s chair and replacing him in Dáil Éireann when he retired from active politics.
Now an MEP, she famously told delegates at the 2014 selection convention : “I was born with a Fine Gael membership card in my hand and grew up in a house steeped in Fine Gael and its politics.”
When he was granted the Freedom of Cork in 2010, Barry was described as “unquestionably the best taoiseach this country nearly had”. Then aged 82, despite a handful of token objections, it was clear that respect for him crossed the political divide.
As lord mayor Dara Murphy put it: “In Peter Barry I believe we have a man that embodies all that is best about Cork people. We put great stock in Cork in family business. There probably is no family business that sums up Cork better than Barry’s Tea. We are very proud of that sense of tradition.”
Sense of tradition
Having been elected on the Fine Gael ticket as TD for the Cork city South East constituency in the1969 general election, he went on to hold his Dáil seat for 28 years. When Fine Gael regained power in the 1973 general election, he was appointed minister for transport and power by taoiseach Liam Cosgrave.
What seemed to be a somewhat easy looking job suddenly became a political hot potato when a global oil crisis blew up. Arab producers, seeking higher prices, simply imposed a blanket embargo on oil exports to Europe and the US. Without warning, Barry and Ireland were catapulted into the eye of the storm when tankers began moving crude oil from the Gulf terminal on Whiddy Island in Bantry Bay to oil-starved refineries on the continent. At a regular briefing of reporters at his home, the minister admitted he was powerless to stop the oil shipments.
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In 1976 he became minister for education and three years later was elected deputy leader of the party with Garret FitzGerald as Fine Gael leader. From 1981 to 1982, Barry served as minister for the environment and was then appointed by FitzGerald as minister for foreign affairs, a post he held for five years.
Any analysis of his strong handling of that vital role, must acknowledge the importance of his service to Ireland, North and South, in the course of extremely difficult negotiations which culminated in the Anglo-Irish Agreement of 1985.
Anglo-Irish Agreement
In a bizarre twist to the 1986 Northern by-elections, triggered when the 15 Unionist members of the Westminster parliament resigned in protest at the Anglo-Irish Agreement, Wesley Robert Williamson changed his name by deed poll to Peter Barry and stood in each of the four constituencies in order to guarantee a contest. Despite not campaigning, he won over 6,000 votes.
As well as being the first joint chairman of the Anglo-Irish Inter-Governmental Conference formed by the Irish and British governments, Barry was a key member of the FitzGerald team of negotiators and rightly shares in the legacy of the peace process which has transformed the political landscape of modern Ireland.
In 1987, he became tánaiste for a brief spell when the Labour Party withdrew from the coalition government led by Fine Gael in a row over budgetary proposals. When Fine Gael lost 19 seats in the ensuing general election, FitzGerald resigned as party leader, effectively clearing the way for a three-man race in which both Barry and John Bruton lost out to Alan Dukes.
A man who did not forget those who had helped him, he attended the funeral at Carrickmore, Co Tyrone of Mgr Denis Faul whose dying wish was that the IRA would reveal where the “disappeared” were buried so that their remains could be recovered. In the same year, he witnessed history being made when Britain conferred an honorary OBE on the veteran London Editor of the Irish Press, Aidan Hennigan, on “Irish soil”, namely the Irish Embassy in London.
Analysts are agreed that it was Peter Barry’s hard-headed leadership as minister for foreign affairs that ensured British reluctance was overcome during the Anglo Irish Agreement negotiations. Ultimately, in political terms, that accord will be his lasting achievement.
Predeceased by his wife, Margaret, he is survived by their children Tony, Deirdre, Donagh, Conor, Peter Jnr, and Fiona. | http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/peter-barry-obituary-hard-headed-politician-turned-barry-s-tea-into-a-success-1.2769388?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/385536ccd0257151030b3b0c58735864c9bde81a0490b62b3eeafa9fce02f1c9.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T00:51:33 | null | 2016-08-29T01:00:00 | Department of Education aims to have 400 non-denominational schools by 2030 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fenvironment%2Fgovernment-to-treble-the-rate-of-schools-divestment-1.2771231%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771229.1472409855!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Government to treble the rate of schools divestment | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | The Department of Education has set a target of trebling the rate of transfer of Catholic-run schools to non-denominational patrons amid criticism over the slow pace of divestment.
The pledge comes as non-religious patron Educate Together prepares to open nine new schools this week, four primary and five secondary.
The 2012 report of the Forum on Patronage and Pluralism identified an initial group of 28 areas deemed to have sufficient demand for greater choice of school patronage, and although Educate Together was chosen as the preferred operator of divested schools in 25 of these areas, it has only opened schools in eight of them.
“To still have 17 left of 25 four years later is an indication of the speed of progress. It’s going slower than we hoped but it is progressing,” Educate Together chief executive Paul Rowe told The Irish Times.
Alluding to the target of 400 non-denominational schools at all levels nationwide by 2030, a spokesman for the Department of Education said it was redoubling efforts to achieve this aim following a sluggish start.
More choice
“We are determined to provide more choice for parents. We are determined to make it easier for parents, in particular parents whose children are not Catholics, to enrol their children in multidenominational schools, where they wish to do so,” he said.
“That is a highly ambitious target, and represents more than a trebling of the current rate of transfer of Catholic schools to multidenominational patrons.
“Minister Bruton has articulated a strategy for how he plans to deliver on that, and he has a strong record of implementation.”
The department has said that 10 schools have changed patronage under the scheme so far, but observers have questioned the use of the term “divestment” in relation to some of these changeovers.
One swap
Only one operating school has directly swapped from religious patronage to having a multidenominational ethos, that being Newtownwhite Educate Together National School in Co Mayo , which was under Church of Ireland ownership until 2014.
Others have involved the handover of empty school buildings by Catholic dioceses, or the opening of temporary Educate Together facilities while properties are being renovated, as is the case with the Mayo County Council-owned Marsh House site in Castlebar.
The Catholic Church was due to hand over its Burren National School building outside the town to Educate Together last September, but the property was deemed unfit for purpose.
A subsequent application to convert the 16th-century Marsh House to an Educate Together school was appealed to An Bórd Pleanála.
One appellant, Independent councillor Frank Durcan, accused Educate Together of being an “elitist” organisation. Mr Rowe called his comments “inaccurate”.
“The comment that Educate Together is elitist is quite extraordinary given the fact that [it] is the only education provider in Ireland which is legally bound to offer schools which provide access to children irrespective of their cultural or religious backgrounds,” he said.
The latest round of divestments and new builds means there are now 81 primary and nine secondary schools run by Educate Together.
About 90 per cent of primary schools remain under the patronage of the Catholic Church. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/environment/government-to-treble-the-rate-of-schools-divestment-1.2771231?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/c16f70ee120de09619a965810bd5d59b33bdb021a0574d65ae31aa533435aabb.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T12:53:15 | null | 2016-08-31T11:50:00 | Judge says he has ‘reputation for being fair to both sides’ in first public comments since case | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fus%2Fstanford-judge-launches-campaign-to-fight-efforts-to-unseat-him-1.2774197%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2774195.1472640525!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Stanford judge launches campaign to fight efforts to unseat him | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | The judge in the Stanford sexual assault case has launched a campaign to fight the high-profile effort to unseat him, declaring that he has a “reputation for being fair to both sides” in his first public comments on the controversy.
Judge Aaron Persky, who received widespread backlash for his sentencing of former Stanford swimmer Brock Turner, is campaigning to stay in office and has launched the website RetainJudgePersky.com where he states that he is a strong advocate for “judicial independence”.
“I took an oath to uphold the Constitution, not to appease politicians or ideologues. When your own rights and property are at stake, you want the judge to make a fair and lawful decision, free from political influence,” he wrote on the site.
The northern California judge’s statements mark the first time he has directly addressed the well-funded initiative to recall him from office over his light sentencing of Turner, who was convicted of multiple felony counts of sexual assault. Mr Persky is also soliciting donations on the site.
Mr Persky sentenced the 20-year-old athlete to six months in county jail, which is lighter than the minimum of two years in state prison prescribed by law.
Turner was caught sexually assaulting an unconscious woman by a dumpster outside an on-campus fraternity party, but throughout the trial, he argued that the encounter was consensual.
Turner, who went to jail in June, is scheduled to be released on Friday after serving only half of his sentence. In California, inmates with good behavior are often released early.
The case made headlines across the globe after the victim released a powerful impact statementdetailing the trauma of the trial.
Michele Landis Dauber, a Stanford law professor and family friend of the victim, subsequently organised a formal initiative to remove Mr Persky from office, arguing that the Santa Clara County judge failed to treat assault as a serious crime.
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Prosecutors later removed Mr Perskyfrom a new sexual assault case, saying they lacked confidence in him. Last week, the judge took the unusual step of removing himself from all criminal cases and transferring to civil court, but Ms Dauber said the recall campaign would continue.
The judge’s opponents have argued that he has repeatedly been too lenient towards men convicted of sex crimes and violence against women including when he presided over a sexual assault case in civil court.
But Mr Persky’s supporters, including public defenders, former judges and law school professors, have argued that the recall is misguided and that judges should not be removed from office for a single decision. His defenders further fear that the push for harsher sentencing could lead to more severe punishments for low-income defendants and people of colour disproportionately caught up in the criminal justice system.
On Monday, lawmakers approved legislation inspired by the Turner trial that seeks to make prison a mandatory punishment in cases of sexual assault involving unconscious victims.
On his website, Mr Persky notes that he has served in public office for nearly 20 years, first as a criminal prosecutor.
‘Reputatoin for being fair to both sides’
“I prosecuted hate crimes and sexually violent predators,” he said. “As a judge, I have heard thousands of cases. I have a reputation for being fair to both sides.”
Mr Persky, who has served as a judge for the past 12 years, noted that he graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford and that he is married with two children.
The site also features links about judicial independence, including one letter from retired judges defending Mr Persky, which says judges may be recalled for illegal or unethical conduct, but that “the essence of judicial independence is that judges must be able to make decisions without fear of political repercussions”.
Ms Dauber said on Tuesday that Mr Persky’s pattern of unjust sentencingwarranted the recall.
“Judicial independence is really important … but in order to be exercised freely and appropriately, it has to be exercised without bias,” she said.
Mr Persky has raised $3,600 in contributions for his campaign, according to the Mercury News.
Ms Dauber said the recall campaign has raised more than $250,000 in pledged funds and cash.
The Guardian | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/stanford-judge-launches-campaign-to-fight-efforts-to-unseat-him-1.2774197?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/d816099c0a8f84bb97a35f67d240cd8f94f2fb3d7ff6a84b07117369a137e0b3.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T06:52:09 | null | 2016-08-30T05:55:00 | Modest increase will come as disappointment given expensive marketing campaign | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fretail-and-services%2Frevenue-from-lotto-s-online-channel-climbs-mere-4-1.2772274%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772272.1472501894!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Revenue from Lotto’s online channel climbs mere 4% | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Recent figures show revenue from the lotto’s new online channel grew by a modest 4 per cent last year.
Not particularly great when you consider sales in scratch cards, a relative dinosaur of the trade, rose by 4.5 per cent.
And not when the newly privatised franchise spent heavily on a marketing campaign, involving a sequence of expensive TV adverts featuring a guru high up in the Macgillycuddy’s Reeks comically failing to predict the next day’s lotto numbers.
The figures show the online channel only accounted for a meagre €23 million or 3.4 per cent of overall revenue, which is only marginally higher than before the channel was opened up as part of the privatisation process.
The franchise was sold in 2014 for €405 million to Premier Lotteries Ireland (PLI) principally on the untapped potential of online.
Under the old system, operated by An Post, online registration process was cumbersome and the operator was forbidden from marketing the online channel.
The Government did away with these restrictions in parallel with the privatisation process.
However, PLI’s Canada paymasters Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan won’t exactly be popping champagne corks on foot of these numbers.
PLI’s sister group, Camelot, which operates the lotto franchise in the United Kingdom, had a similar growth for online but their online offering accounts for nearly a fifth of overall revenue.
The operator will, of course, point to the growth in interactive players, which rose by 61 per cent to over 225,000 in 2015 but hoped for revenue windfall from online hasn’t materialised just yet.
Total Irish sales across all platforms last year was €670.4 million, representing a drop of 2.5 per cent on the €687.6 million in revenues throughout 2014.
This suggests the lottery is not benefitting from the pick-up in consumer spending and remains mired in recessionary metrics.
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Has the new minimum ticket price of €4, albeit for a two-line play, been a factor?
Either way, PLI will have to halt this spiral if it is to justify the €405 million shelled out for the licence. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/revenue-from-lotto-s-online-channel-climbs-mere-4-1.2772274?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/332005b6cb6a5b18c69e0a066a30303deca55856b91b733e99992295188f8a33.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T00:51:56 | null | 2016-08-29T01:00:00 | Trade unions will meet to determine common strategy in industrial dispute | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fireland%2Firish-news%2Fdublin-bus-unions-expected-to-serve-strike-notice-1.2771257%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771256.1472412002!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Dublin Bus unions expected to serve strike notice | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Trade unions representing staff at Dublin Bus are expected to serve notice for strike action at the company in the coming days, in the pursuit of pay increases of up to 31 per cent.
Unions at the State-owned bus company are to meet today in a bid to try to determine a common strategy.
However, it is expected that they will consider stoppages of 24- or 48-hour duration.
Any stoppages could affect the travel plans of about 334,000 passengers each day.
The unions will have to give Dublin Bus at least seven-days’ notice of planned strikes.
The move comes after staff at the company rejected a Labour Court recommendation of pay increases of 8.2 per cent over three years.
Unions at the company are seeking increases of about 15 per cent over three years, dating back to January this year, as well as a 6 per cent rise originally due in 2009, under the former Towards 2016 national agreement, which was never paid.
However, bus drivers represented by the National Bus and Rail Union are looking for pay parity with drivers on the Luas light rail system, which could involve increases of up to 31 per cent.
The unions involved in the talks on Monday include Siptu, the National Bus and Rail Union, the Transport Salaried Staffs’ Association, Unite and the TEEU.
Luas deal
Drivers operating the privately-run but State-funded Luas light rail system secured increases of about 18 per cent over four years in June, following a lengthy industrial dispute and several days of strike action.
Staff at Dublin Bus have argued that the Luas dispute revealed for the first time the pay gap that existed between them and workers in the privately-operated light rail system.
Dublin Bus employs about 3,200 workers in various grades across the company.
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Minister for Transport Shane Ross expressed his disappointment at the outcome of the union ballots against the Labour Court pay recommendation and urged unions and management “to re-engage as soon as possible with a view to an early settlement”. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/dublin-bus-unions-expected-to-serve-strike-notice-1.2771257?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/39f395728026bfcf0e928e32710436060ce22049c79de6abb54f6a19bb10b00c.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T04:50:37 | null | 2016-08-27T04:00:00 | A ‘Ballymaloe’ Yeats and a ‘Downton Abbey’-style Lavery are among the highlights | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Flife-and-style%2Fhomes-and-property%2Ffine-art-antiques%2Fsotheby-s-takes-irish-art-to-london-auction-1.2765936%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2765931.1472208601!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Sotheby’s takes Irish art to London auction | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | A Jack B Yeats painting that once hung at Ballymaloe House in Co Cork is among Irish paintings to be sold in London next month. The 1930 painting, called Water Lilies, will be offered at Sotheyby’s Irish Art sale – the annual auction in London devoted to Irish art – scheduled for September 13th at its New Bond Street saleroom.
A series of 250 paintings known as Water Lilies (Nymphéas, in French) by the Impressionist artist Claude Monet, made in his famous garden at Giverny south of Paris, is regarded as a highlight of 20th-century art.
However, water lilies also attracted the attention of Jack B Yeats and Lot 53 at Sotheby’s is an oil-on-canvas measuring 18 by 24 inches. It is estimated at £100,000-£150,000 (€116,000-€175,000) and will go on display in a Dublin preview of the auction at the Royal Hibernian Academy (RHA) gallery at 15 Ely Place, Dublin 2, for four days from Thursday, September 1st.
Sotheby’s says “a man and woman sit languidly in a small rowing boat as it drifts across the water, their hands draped over the side brushing the water lilies as they pass”.
Water Lilies was owned until 2005 by the Allen family, who run the Ballymaloe restaurant and cookery school in east Cork, and it used to hang in the “Yeats Room” at Ballymaloe House.
But, 11 years ago, the Allen family sold its collection of three Yeats paintings at de Veres auctioneers in Dublin where Water Lilies made €200,000.
The painting was bought by an unknown Irish private collector who has now decided to sell it.
Charlie Minter, the head of the Irish Art department at Sotheby’s in London, described it as “a wonderfully expressive and romantic Yeats”.
Minter, who will be in Dublin for the viewing this week, told The Irish Times that the reaction of clients to the relaunch of the Irish Art sale last year, after it was suspended during the recession, was “very encouraging” and “there is a strong sense buyers are keen to re-engage in the market”.
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He said: “London has always attracted a global pool of sellers and buyers, and right now it offers a very good opportunity for our US and European collectors given the favourable exchange rates, which in turn should see good results for sellers.”
Lot 17, a painting by Sir John Lavery titled Mary Borden and her family at Bisham Abbey, which Minter described as “a sumptuous Lavery interior . . . which features a rare self-portrait of the artist reflected in a grand mirror”.
Catalogue notes describe it as “arguably the most evocative of Lavery’s ‘portrait interiors’ representing writers”.
The painting, dated 1925, which shows the American-born novelist Mary Borden at her home in Buckinghamshire, is estimated at £150,000-£250,000.
The prices for some Irish artists took a hammering after the economic crash in 2008.
For example, Lot 43, Cubist Landscape with Red Pagoda and Bridge by Mary Swanzy, is now estimated at £60,000-£80,000, 10 years after it made €180,000 at Whyte’s in Dublin in 2006, a record price for the artist.
Among other highlights in the 70-lot sale: Lot 21 is a seascape titled Blue Sea and Red Rocks, Brittany, by Roderic O’Conor, estimated at £80,000- £120,000. It has been consigned from a private collection in Queensland, Australia, and it hasn’t been seen in public since it was exhibited in Sydney in the 1960s.
Lot 47, Mending Nets, Aran, by Gerard Dillon, is estimated at £100,000-£150,000, six years after it changed hands at Adam’s in Dublin for €80,000.
Lot 57, Prescriptions Accurately Prepared, by John Doherty, is estimated at £15,000-£20,000 and shows the wonderful shopfront of a Clonmel pharmacy, now sadly deteriorating, at a time when An Post is celebrating Irish shopfronts in a series of new stamps.
The sculpture lots include Lot 68 – a bronze titled Lazy Lady, estimated at £12,000- £18,000, by Rowan Gillespie, the Dublin sculptor whose piece When Hope and Reason Rhyme sold in last year’s salefor £161,000, more than five times the top estimate.
Three paintings recovered last year after being stolen from a house in Co Wicklow have been consigned by insurance company Chubb: Lot 44 – The Fern in the Area, by Jack B Yeats, is estimated at £20,000-£30,000; Lot 16, Landscape with Cottage by Paul Henry, is estimated at £20,000- £30,000; and Lot 9, Portrait de femme au chapeau, by Sir John Lavery, is estimated at £7,000-£10,000.
Viewing in Dublin from September 1st-4th at the Royal Hibernian Academy, 15 Ely Place, Dublin 2, and in London, from September 8th-12th | http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/fine-art-antiques/sotheby-s-takes-irish-art-to-london-auction-1.2765936?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/08d8e6ec231f93597ddabeacb4cdb3f322b5a3ff0ee99f12dcc5612cf54b3bd1.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T06:49:19 | null | 2016-08-31T06:40:00 | Three five-bedroom houses can be constructed on the 2.23-acre site in south Co Dublin | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fcommercial-property%2Fprime-infill-site-in-rathmichael-for-2m-1.2772182.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772180.1472488705!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Prime infill site in Rathmichael for €2m | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | An infill ready-to-go site for three high-end houses in upmarket Rathmichael in south Co Dublin is fresh to the market this week at €2.125 million through agent Knight Frank.
The 2.23-acre site is currently occupied by El Dorado, a large modern house extending to 241sq m (2,594sq ft). There is planning permission till August 2018 for the retention of El Dorado on 0.46 acres and the construction of three five-bedroom detached houses of 394sq m (4,241sq ft) on site areas ranging from 0.35 to 0.44 acres.
This site, zoned Objective A “to protect and/or improve residential amenity” under the Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Development Plan 2016-2022, has access to both Quarry and Ferndale roads.
These give easy access to the M50, N11, Shankill Dart and the Luas Green Line at Brides Glen in Cherrywood.
There should be keen competition for this site among developers given the scarcity of high-end housing on the market in south Dublin. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/prime-infill-site-in-rathmichael-for-2m-1.2772182 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/16013178a68f2ac77f67286f0f4e15b6cb0a88ba26046c911b1e4f9bfacc5283.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T04:51:57 | null | 2016-08-30T05:35:00 | Shopping centre’s owners, Hines, HSBC and Grosvenor, seeking to sell | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fcommercial-property%2Fliffey-valley-centre-attracts-canadian-and-german-funds-1.2772109%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772107.1472485032!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Liffey Valley centre attracts Canadian and German funds | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | The Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board, which was narrowly beaten in April in the race to buy the Blanchardstown Centre, is among parties circling the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in west Dublin, according to sources.
The centre, which was put up for sale in recent months with a €600 million price target, has also attracted Germany’s largest public pension fund, Bayerische Versorgungskammer (BVK) in Munich, the sources said.
The process is being kept tight, with four to five parties involved, with a view to selecting a preferred bidder for the property by the end of September and closing a deal as soon as possible thereafter.
A consortium led by Hines, a US-based international commercial property firm, and HSBC Alternative Investments hired real-estate investment bank Eastdil Secured in recent months to sell the shopping centre. The two firms had paid about €250 million in 2014 for a 73 per cent stake in the mall, with total floor area of 46,500sq m (500,000sq ft), buying out UK insurance giant Aviva.
No comment
A spokesman for the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board declined to comment, while representatives for BVK, Hines and HSBC didn’t respond to requests for comment.
The remaining 27 per cent stake in the centre is owned by the Grosvenor Group, the UK property group operated mainly on behalf of the new Duke of Westminster, Hugh Grosvenor (25), who is set to inherit his father’s £9 billion (€10.5 billion) estate following the latter’s death earlier this month.
Grosvenor Group, which has been involved the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre since it was developed and opened in 1998, also plans to exit its investment under the current process. Grosvenor’s core property portfolio comprised 300 acres of Mayfair and Belgravia in London.
While there has been speculation in property circles that Hines plans to remain a minority investor in the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre in order to retain its position as the property’s asset manager, sources said that the Houston, Texas-based firm plans to exit its investment. However, it remains open to being retained as asset manager, should the new owner require one, they said.
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Separately, BVK hired Hines earlier this year to identify and buy European retail property on its behalf.
Planning permission
Last week, South Dublin County Council planners granted planning permission for a 51,545sq m extension to the Liffey Valley centre, including a 2,500-seat Olympic-sized indoor ice arena, capable of hosting international skating, ice hockey matches and entertainment performances.
Investor interest in Irish retail centres has surged in recent times as consumer demand recovers following the economic crisis. German insurer Allianz and UK property group Hammerson paid €1.85 billion last year to acquire loans associated with the Dundrum Town Centre and 50 per cent stakes in the Ilac Centre in central Dublin and Pavilions Shopping Centre in Swords from the National Asset Management Agency.
Last month, Hammerson and Allianz secured underlying ownership of the Dundrum centre and a neighbouring six-acre site earmarked for mixed-use development under a consensual deal with Chartered Land, the Joe O’Reilly-controlled company that developed the asset. The deal also allowed Hammerson to take ownership of the Ilac and Pavilions stakes.
US investment group Blackstone closed a €950 million deal in June to acquire the Blanchardtown Centre from Green Property. The Canadian Pension Investment Board and Chartered Land, backed by financing from Morgan Stanley, had also been in the mix for the 20 year-old centre.
Data released by the Central Statistics Office on Monday show retail sales, excluding motor trades, increased by 2.7 per cent by volume in the year to July. The Central Bank sees personal consumer spending rising by 4.5 per cent this year, having returned to growth last year following the downturn. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/liffey-valley-centre-attracts-canadian-and-german-funds-1.2772109?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/ecf942f7f224531bb11739f1073efb145649ad7a4f3be34a6505dae4e175fd64.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T14:50:31 | null | 2016-08-26T13:57:00 | Job cuts will form part of the $1.4 billion of annual savings Anheuser-Busch is seeking | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fcompanies%2Fanheuser-busch-to-cut-5-500-jobs-after-sabmiller-takeover-1.2769447%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769446.1472220112!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Anheuser-Busch to cut 5,500 jobs after SABMiller takeover | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Anheuser-Busch expects to cut about 3 per cent of its enlarged workforce in the three years after its takeover of SABMiller as it seeks to maximise savings from the combination of the world’s largest brewers.
The reductions will be implemented gradually and in phases, the companies said in documents related to the acquisition published Friday.
About 5,500 positions are likely to be eliminated, according to a person with direct knowledge of the matter, who asked not to be identified because the information is private.
The job cuts will form part of the $1.4 billion of annual savings that Anheuser-Busch has said it’s seeking from the takeover, equivalent to almost a tenth of SABMiller’s $15 billion in annual revenue.
Brewers of mass-market beer are trying to cut production and distribution costs as they lose market share to smaller independent brands in Europe and North America.
SABMiller last year doubled its own savings target to $1.05 billion by 2020.
The level of savings that AB InBev is seeking from its combination with SABMiller is less than in some previous deals.
It achieved cost reductions representing about 16 per cent of sales when it bought both Anheuser-Busch Cos. in 2008 and Mexico’s Modelo in 2013.”
AB InBev is known for running their breweries very efficiently and their front-of-office very efficiently,” Javier Gonzalez Lastra, an analyst at Berenberg, said by phone.
“They will do the same as they did at Modelo, where they found that the job that was being done at AB InBev by two people was being done by four.”
AB InBev shares rose 0.6 per cent to 112.50 at 11:56 am in Brussels.
The world’s largest brewer said the estimate for job cuts doesn’t include areas such as sales, where it hasn’t made advanced plans for integration due to regulatory restrictions.
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The company said SABMiller’s head office will be integrated into its headquarters in Leuven, Belgium, and management office in New York.
– (Bloomberg) | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/companies/anheuser-busch-to-cut-5-500-jobs-after-sabmiller-takeover-1.2769447?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/23bad3f21ef07fce49e7e6816e76fde81db68f08b465e2158832f98321b79039.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:48:50 | null | 2016-08-30T01:00:00 | Focus on halting output in maturing oil fields leaves firms better placed for recovery | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fenergy-and-resources%2Fchina-s-oil-majors-scale-back-output-as-priorities-shift-1.2772239.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772235.1472493269!/image/image.jpg | en | null | China’s oil majors scale back output as priorities shift | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | A shift in Beijing’s priorities away from production targets has allowed Chinese oil companies to halt output in maturing oil fields, a previously politically unpalatable decision that leaves them better placed for an eventual recovery in oil prices.
International majors routinely scale back production from high-cost fields when oil prices fall, but in China, for decades, the government mandate has been to increase domestic supply and ensure energy security.
“In years past, they were under pressure to produce higher numbers every year, even if they were producing uneconomically. Now that pressure is gone,” said Laban Yu, head of Asian energy research with Jefferies.
In the past week both PetroChina and Sinopec reported declines in oil production for the first half of the year. Sinopec said domestic crude oil output fell 13 per cent versus a 3 per cent drop in its overseas operations, while PetroChina reported a 4 per cent decline in domestic production.
Both managed to turn a profit in the first half, though PetroChina just barely remained in the black, reporting a 98 per cent plunge in first-half net profit to Rmb531m ($79 million) while revenue fell 16 per cent to Rmb739bn. Sinopec, whose refining arm benefits more from low crude prices, said net profit declined 22 per cent to Rmb20 billion as revenues fell 37 per cent to Rmb880 billion.
In the first seven months of the year, Chinese crude oil output dropped 5 per cent compared with the same period of 2015, with production in July falling to levels last seen in late 2011.
– (Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2016) | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/energy-and-resources/china-s-oil-majors-scale-back-output-as-priorities-shift-1.2772239 | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/e00736b07ca762ce5ff735e93adc7e63a40c3f32910b96713d1c8cfd3230d2bf.json |
[] | 2016-08-26T16:47:59 | null | 2016-08-26T08:42:00 | Clubs in Europe question whether new owners have commitment needed to fight | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fmedia-and-marketing%2Fchina-s-2bn-football-buying-spree-has-fans-fearful-of-final-score-1.2769249.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769248.1472222705!/image/image.jpg | en | null | China’s $2bn football buying spree has fans fearful of final score | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | An obscure Chinese investor buys an unfashionable Premier League football club and promises to transform their prospects, making them big in China by signing leading Chinese players and sealing lucrative sponsorship deals thanks to his guanxi, or connections.
But the reign at Birmingham City FC of Carson Yeung, a former hair salon owner who became the first Chinese proprietor of an English top-flight team in 2009, ended in ignominy. The team was relegated to the second tier of English football, Yeung was jailed in Hong Kong for money laundering in 2014 and the club remains barely known in China.
The Chinese tycoons who have invested more than $2 billion in European football clubs since the start of last year – and the fans who support these teams – are hoping that this time is different.
Keen to fulfil President Xi Jinping’s ambition to turn China into a football powerhouse, and supported by ready financing for acquisitions of overseas assets, Chinese entrepreneurs have embarked on an unprecedented buying spree of foreign teams.
“[China is] the largest consumer market in the world and they are looking to leverage brands from Europe and bring home the associated expertise in running football clubs,” says Steve Horowitz, a partner at Inner Circle Sports, a US-based boutique advisory firm that has worked on a number of European football deals.
Investors
Chinese groups have invested in or acquired famous clubs including Italy’s AC Milan and Inter Milan and England’s Manchester City and Aston Villa, as well as a string of lesser teams across Europe. Many more clubs, including Liverpool and Hull City, are being eyed by Chinese investors.
Some of the buyers are politically well-connected, financially well-endowed groups such as Dalian Wanda, Fosun International and China Media Capital.
Others are little-known even in China, including Aston Villa’s new owner Tony Xia, who runs a loss-making producer of food additives, and Lai Guochuan, who acquired West Bromwich Albion this month for £150 million-£200 million and previously built a company he described as “the IBM of landscape gardening”.
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With the Premier League in England and other top leagues more competitive than ever, fans and football executives are questioning whether these newly arrived Chinese owners have the personal and financial commitment needed to fight for long-term success, or whether Mr Xi’s Chinese football dream will turn into a nightmare in Europe.
Investment bankers say there is a big difference between the “first division” acquirers such as Wanda and Fosun, which have deep pockets and a broader plan to develop their sports and media businesses, and the “second division” of investors, who offer fewer synergies and whose finances are hard to trace.
The top tier of Chinese investors see an opportunity to build integrated sports businesses that can sate the hunger for entertainment in the world’s second-biggest economy, in addition to satisfying the whims of Mr Xi.
Last year Wanda bought a 20 per cent stake in Spain’s Atlético Madrid for $52 million and acquired Swiss sports rights agency Infront Media, in addition to continuing investments in the film and theme park industries.
Broadcast rights
China Media Capital, which bought a 13 per cent stake for $400 million in the parent company of Manchester City last year after a visit to the club by Mr Xi himself, has also acquired the broadcast rights to the Chinese Super League and launched a film-making joint venture with Warner Brothers, on top of its other media businesses.
Everbright, which has approached Liverpool about a possible investment, previously acquired joint control of MP & Silva, another sports rights group.
But Alexander Jarvis, whose company Blackbridge has advised on several football deals involving Chinese investors, says that many smaller Chinese companies appear to be acting on impulse even though they “have no experience of football”.
“Some football types will sell their granny to do a deal,” he says. “So there’s a risk of the clubs and the Chinese investors getting duped.”
An adviser who worked on the sale of West Bromwich Albion says that roughly a dozen Chinese investors looked at the club but only four had the financial capability and a good rationale to proceed with the deal.
“It’s very difficult to assess the quality of potential buyers unless you have hands and feet on the ground in China,” he says.
Feng Tao, chief executive of Shankai, a Chinese sports marketing company, says that some entrepreneurs believe they can make quick profits by buying underperforming European clubs with a large fan base and turning them round, eventually capitalising on a higher valuation by injecting them into Chinese listed companies.
But the new Chinese owners of second-tier English clubs Aston Villa, Birmingham City and Wolverhampton Wanderers will not find it easy to secure promotion to the money-rich Premier League.
Managing expectations
Mr Jarvis says that these backers will need to invest significantly in players and coaches, while managing the expectations of the fans and trying to boost income and cover their financing costs. It is, he says, an exercise akin to “a monkey dancing on a razor blade”.
Keith Wyness, the recently installed chief executive of Aston Villa, admits that getting into the Premier League is “without doubt one of the hardest football challenges”.
He adds that Mr Xia “fully understands this” although the owner has been somewhat more quixotic in his public statements, telling the club website that “my long-term aim is to make Aston Villa the greatest club in the world”.
Like others representing the new wave of Chinese football tycoons, Mr Wyness argues that Aston Villa can use Mr Xia’s connections to gain access to the best emerging Chinese players and tap commercial opportunities in China, saying that “being on the inside gives us a big advantage”.
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But Mark Dreyer, an industry expert who runs a blog called China Sports Insider, says “the idea that clubs will be big in China just because they have a Chinese owner is nonsense”.
“Every club across the big leagues is trying to appeal to the Chinese audience through TV, social media and pre-season tours,” he says. “Some of these purchases are going to end in tears.”
– (Financial Times) | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/media-and-marketing/china-s-2bn-football-buying-spree-has-fans-fearful-of-final-score-1.2769249 | en | 2016-08-26T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/947e4073154fd5dc6ce4e6a4c54cd4b49792091407c65e2713355be283fea33e.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T12:52:06 | null | 2016-08-30T13:38:00 | Technology giant’s chief financial officer comments following EU tax ruling | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Ftechnology%2Fapple-insists-it-will-continue-to-invest-in-ireland-1.2773040%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773038.1472560697!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Apple insists it will continue to invest in Ireland | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Apple’s chief financial officer Luca Maestri said on Tuesday the iPhone maker’s investment plans in Ireland have not changed in the wake of the EU ruling that it must pay up to €13 billion in unpaid taxes to the Republic.
“We have an outstanding relationship over the years with the Irish Government and we are very committed to Ireland,” Mr Maestri said on a conference call with journalists. “We have recently made additional investments in the country and our plans to invest in Ireland have not changed.”
Apple, which set up a base in Ireland in 1980, said in November that it plans to add a further 1,000 jobs in its base in Cork by the middle of 2017, bringing its Irish workforce up to 6,000.
While accountancy firm Grant Thornton estimates that Apple faces an additional interest bill of €6 billion as Ireland is forced to recover back taxes from the company between 2003 and 2014, Mr Maestri said “we believe it is going to be a significantly lower number.”
Apple has come out fighting following the European Commission’s final decision, with chief executive Tim Cook posting an open letter, criticising the EU for “effectively proposing to replace Irish tax laws with a view of what the Commission thinks the law should be.”
The California-based group said it will be appealing the ruling with the Irish Government and that it is “confident” the order will be reversed in court.
“We’re trying to sound an alarm bell that what the Commission is doing has real consequences for property, for investment, for international trade,” Apple’s general counsel Bruce Sewell said on the conference call. The EU’s decision “casts a pall” over the ability of companies doing business in the bloc, throwing into questions the legitimacy of any deals they strike with member states.
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Mr Maestri said he believes that multinational companies will have concerns in future about making investments in Europe, based on the Commission’s ruling. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/technology/apple-insists-it-will-continue-to-invest-in-ireland-1.2773040?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/56cd5a55c7fff16a68a0b06f1500b249d36a9e8cf3d96c7553fe5a9a53e9370f.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:51:38 | null | 2016-08-29T14:29:00 | Thai food chain Camile Thai to take on 100 staff while Harvey Norman also recruiting | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fretail-and-services%2Fjobs-boost-as-more-than-350-new-roles-promised-for-ireland-1.2771977%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771976.1472480113!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Jobs boost as more than 350 new roles promised for Ireland | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | More than 350 jobs are to be created across Ireland with food chain Camile Thai and retailer Harvey Norman both announcing the opening of new branches.
The Brody Sweeney-owned Camile Thai is to create 100 new jobs before the end of the year as it opens three new branches, in Stillorgan and Artane in Dublin, and in Sligo town.
The chain has 10 branches in Dublin and it also operates in Limerick.
Separately, Harvey Norman is to create more than 50 jobs with the opening of a new store in Tallaght, bringing to 15, the number of stores the company has across Ireland.
The new store will boast almost 60,000sq ft of retail space, a 250-space carpark, 42 cycle-park stands and a cafe.
Recruitment for the new roles is to commence in the coming weeks, the retailer said. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/retail-and-services/jobs-boost-as-more-than-350-new-roles-promised-for-ireland-1.2771977?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/772ca742500aa5ff8b10fec43dbd01aaf15685ff1e4a4f6ab8a2e1474793a92e.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T14:48:48 | null | 2016-08-29T14:08:00 | ‘51st and Green’ lounge can seat 180 people and has a shower room | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Ftransport-and-tourism%2Froad-warrior-dublin-airport-adds-us-preclearance-lounge-1.2766673.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2766668.1472475995!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Road Warrior: Dublin Airport adds US preclearance lounge | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Premium passengers are going to enjoy using the United States preclearance facility at Dublin Airport knowing there is now a new lounge beyond. The 51st and Green Lounge has seating for 180 people, along with food and beverage options, a concierge service, free wifi, cable television, charging points and a shower room.
Located past gates 405-406, it serves passengers of the 138 outbound Atlantic flights a week. The lounge is free to access for business-class passengers of Aer Lingus, United, Delta and American. Walk-up passengers on the day can use the lounge for a fee of €39.
Following the collapse on July 15th of online travel agency Lowcostholidays, the Commission for Aviation Regulation(CAR) has received claims from more than 3,000 holidaymakers. It is the biggest agency collapse ever handled by CAR. The previous biggest was Budget Travel, in 2009, when just over 2,000 refunds were made. Customers have until September 19th to submit claims for refunds. Forms are available from the website aviationreg.ie. Accommodation-only bookings made through this website are not covered by the licence and bond issued by CAR. It is believed that a number of travel agents that sourced accommodation on the Lowcost sister site Lowcostbeds will have to refund their customers or pay again for accommodation. The CAR phone number is 01-8889000.
If “music hath charms to soothe a savage breast,” does that also apply to raging travellers? London City Airport has been experimenting with music playing in the security area. The airport is trying two playlists: ambient electronica and upbeat acoustic music. The tunes are selected by music consultancy C-Burn. So far, Ed Sheeran is proving a favourite with passengers. You can listen to the favourite tunes on Spotify, where LCY has a playlist.
The Global Business Travel Association predicts that world business travel will surpass $1.2 trillion in 2016. The annual Global Report & Forecast also expects travel to increase by 5.8 per cent and reach $1.6 trillion by 2020.
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jscales@irishtimes.com | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/transport-and-tourism/road-warrior-dublin-airport-adds-us-preclearance-lounge-1.2766673 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/110337becc0054fa9477a580ffd06c1951885762a1c1098387dc40a347c39c4a.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T22:52:17 | null | 2016-08-30T21:59:00 | Firm says it is experiencing unfair treatment after being told to pay €13bn to Government | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fus%2Fapple-complains-to-white-house-over-eu-tax-ruling-1.2773628%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773625.1472590784!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Apple complains to White House over EU tax ruling | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Apple has raised concerns with the White House about what it believes is unfair treatment by the EU Commission after Brussels directed the firm to pay €13 billion over “illegal” tax benefits granted by Ireland, the Obama administration has said.
US president Barack Obama’s spokesman Josh Earnest said Apple executives had contacted the administration about the commission’s order that the company pay the Irish Government €13 billion in back taxes.
“Obama administration officials, not surprisingly, have heard from officials at Apple who are concerned at the way they are being treated by foreign governments,” Mr Earnest said.
Concern
The White House expressed concern, too, about the ruling, saying that American taxpayers will ultimately foot the €13 billion tax bill.
Mr Earnest said “the crux” of the administration’s concerns was in the Californian company’s ability to deduct the EU taxes from its US tax bill, leading in effect to a transfer of revenue from US to the EU.
“That wouldn’t be fair to US taxpayers,” he said.
He declined to comment specifically on the ruling as the Government has signalled its intention to appeal, but said there were “important principles at stake” in the EU’s approach to these types of investigations.
“We are concerned about a unilateral approach in state-aid negotiations that threaten to undermine progress that we have made collaboratively with the Europeans to make the international taxation system fair,” he said.
The White House wanted the EU to work “collaboratively” with the US to ensure the tax system was fair to US taxpayers and firms, he said. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/apple-complains-to-white-house-over-eu-tax-ruling-1.2773628?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/e4d4ae820e8d1199703e8889978b1bd04539796707272195bb452492fd241a7e.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T20:51:47 | null | 2016-08-29T17:29:00 | Government to embark on aggressive campaign to rebut the commission’s findings | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Feu-to-find-apple-owes-ireland-billions-in-back-taxes-1.2772178%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772176.1472497567!/image/image.jpg | en | null | EU to find Apple owes Ireland billions in back taxes | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | The European Commission will in the morning find that Apple owes the Irish State “billions of euros” in back taxes when it rules that the technology giant’s tax arrangements in Ireland constituted a form of illegal state aid.
The ruling, to be announced in Brussels on Tuesday morning, will not stipulate a figure for the amount of tax owed, but will lay out a process and a formula by which the unpaid tax should be calculated.
It is expected that an indicative figure will be supplied by the commission later in the day. Sources who have been briefed on the matter say the amount of tax Apple will owe will be in the billions, rather than the hundreds of millions of euros that Dublin had hoped for.
However, the Government will appeal the commission’s finding, and says the money will not be available to spend, either now or in the future, Ministers have stressed. Depending on the terms of the decision, Apple may be required to pay the funds into an escrow account in the coming months.
Government Ministers will embark on an aggressive campaign to rebut the commission’s findings. “They are making up new rules for international tax,” said one Minister last night. “They are trying to make us tax Apple for stuff that doesn’t happen here. It’s nonsense.”
Strong defence
Apple is also certain to reject the finding and will launch a strong defence, while political sources said that they expect the US government to weigh in later in the week in support of Ireland and Apple.
The Apple tax ruling The European Commission is to issue a ruling in relation to the tax arrangements of Apple in Ireland, where the phone giant has its European HQ. It looks certain the EC will confirm a preliminary ruling that Ireland offers Apple illegal state aid in how it allows it to pay tax. It will then tell Ireland it must collect tax from Apple but Ireland is expected to appeal such a ruling fearing it will damage the drive to attract inward investment. Q&A: Cliff Taylor answers the key questions I found this helpful Yes No
However, the larger than expected size of the sum at stake will complicate the politics for the Irish Government, which is determined to avoid having to take the money.
While Fianna Fáil has supported the Government’s decision to appeal the decision, there was fierce criticism from other Opposition parties.
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“The Government is wrong to say they will appeal the decision no matter what,” said Pearse Doherty, Sinn Féin’s finance spokesman.
“They’ve been saying it’s a reputational issue. I think it’s more damaging to continue a fight that we will ultimately lose,” he said. The Government should accept the Apple money, he insisted.
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd-Barrett said it was “outrageous” that the Government had already spent hundreds of thousands of euros on legal fees fighting the case.
Legal fees
Mr Boyd-Barrett discovered through a parliamentary question that the Revenue Commissioners and the Department of Finance have already spent some €670,000 on legal fees fighting the case. The Government should accept the money as it would unpaid tax from any taxpayer, he said.
“This is money that could resolve our housing problems and the crisis in our hospitals,” he said.
However, the Government insists that even if the money if eventually paid to the Irish authorities, they will not be able to use it to finance current or capital spending. Instead, under EU rules the money must be used to pay down debt.
The contentious investigation has been under way now for more than two years. It concerns two tax rulings which the Revenue gave to Apple in 1991 and 2007. Last week the US Treasury accused the commission of acting beyond its powers in its investigations of the tax affairs of US multinationals and in particular objected to the idea of tax being collected retrospectively.
However, despite this the commission has pushed ahead with its final decision, which will be that Ireland offered illegal state aid to the US multinational.
Early estimates were that Apple could be asked to repay up to €19 billion in tax. While the final figure is expected to be substantially lower, sources say that there is no question but that it will be appealed by both sides.
The decision is expected to attract huge international attention. The Government is expected to immediately challenge the decision, saying that the reasoning used was unprecedented. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/eu-to-find-apple-owes-ireland-billions-in-back-taxes-1.2772178?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/5d065750110d5a85d6422e0eef19d685e38bae4ee34766aa185ff35599adf25f.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T08:51:25 | null | 2016-08-29T08:03:00 | Insurance group targets return to underwriting profit in fourth quarter | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Ffinancial-services%2Fdavy-hikes-insurer-fbd-s-2017-forecast-by-70-1.2771803%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771802.1472454221!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Davy hikes insurer FBD’s 2017 forecast by 70% | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Davy has hiked its pre-tax profit forecast for FBD by 70 per cent for next year as the insurer continues to turn around its business and raise coverage rates.
The move comes after Ireland’s only publicly-quoted insurer reported earlier this month that its first-half loss narrowed by 96 per cent to €3.65 million as it hiked premiums by an average 7 per cent and avoided having to set aside further reserves for claims from previous years.
The company, which aims to return to underwriting insurance at a profit by the end of this year, having been loss-making since 2014, may post a full-year pretax loss of €157,000 for 2016, according to Davy. FBD reported a €85 million last year.
Davy now sees FBD turning in a pre-tax profit of €16.1 million next year, up 70 per cent from its previous estimate, before earnings almost double the in 2018 to €30.6 million.
Motor claims have soared in recent years as more cars take to the roads in a recovering economy, court awards have been increasing, and insurers have been less able to rely on investment income to cushion the blow, as they grapple with record-low global bond yields.
The Government and various industry initiatives are currently underway to identify and tackle the cause of insurance claims and cost inflation.
FBD chief executive Fiona Muldoon has said that the Personal Injuries Assessment Board legislation needs to be strengthened in the first instance to give PIAB powers to compel co-operation from both sides of a claim “so that every settlement is not adversarial, with two sets of lawyers and two sets of experts”. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/financial-services/davy-hikes-insurer-fbd-s-2017-forecast-by-70-1.2771803?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/8cdc9dfaec5cc12c40dca2fa73951e0623cf470451030b685b516ed779fd7c07.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T04:49:32 | null | 2016-08-31T05:25:00 | Private ambulance operator service reports a €101,231 profit for year ending June 2015 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fhealth-pharma%2Fdavid-hall-owned-ambulance-service-lifeline-back-in-rude-health-1.2773441.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773439.1472579887!/image/image.jpg | en | null | David Hall-owned ambulance service Lifeline back in rude health | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Lifeline, the private ambulance operator service owned by businessman David Hall, reported a €101,231 profit for the 12 months ending June 2015. This compares to a €436,412 loss the previous year, newly-filed abridged accounts show.
The company, recently involved in a high-profile court action involving employees, had net assets of €106,794, as against just €5,563 a year earlier.
Turnover rose to €4.3 million as against €4.1 million the year before, having halved between 2008 and 2014.
Established by David Hall in 1998, Lifeline is the largest private ambulance operator in the State with a fleet of 49 vehicles. Based in Leixlip, Co Kildare, the company employs 66 people.
Mr Hall is also founder of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation (IMHO), which last year helped over 2,500 people to come to an arrangement with lenders over their debts.
HSE contract
Lifeline has a framework agreement with the Health Services Executive (HSE) through a service level contract for patient transport services. However, the company has previously taken legal proceedings against the HSE for alleged breaches of the agreement and Mr Hall told The Irish Times that additional proceedings were currently “on hold”.
Mr Hall said the return to profitability was partly due to better compliance with the Lifeline contract by the HSE.
“We won the tender to be the number-one provider nationally and that contract hasn’t been adhered too and, while it is not being fully complied with, there has been an improvement. If we don’t see further improvement though we will end up back in court,” he said.
“The need to injunct the HSE to comply with the contract is currently under review, as is seeking to recover monies not given under it, which were given to third parties.”
Mr Hall added that the turnaround was also due to him being back at the helm again. “I’m back running Lifeline again after being more focused on the mortgage stuff over the last couple of years, “ he said. “There has been a restructuring of the company and a better focus on how it is being run that has involved us looking at our cost base and so on.”
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Mr Hall and his wife Susan Wiseman Hall are listed as directors of Lifeline. Directors’ emoluments for the year ending June 2015 totalled €209,966, down from €217,817 a year earlier.
The accounts show Mr Hall previously provided a guarantee to the value of €377,000 for the company’s banking facilities.
Lifeline operates from a premises owned by Mr Hall, paying him rent in the year to the end of June 2015 of €116,379.
Future viability
The latest set of accounts said restrictive practices in the sector, the state of the economy and a decline in the number of people with private health cover were all concerns that threatened the viability of the company.
However, Mr Hall said that conditions generally had improved over the last year. “All health-related businesses were under pressure for a long time and I wasn’t around. I expect the 2016 accounts will post a higher profit than the 2015 ones. I’m back doing what I think I do well, which is running the business and we’ve acquired an additional 10 ambulances this calendar year and taken on 17 extra staff in the last number of months, so things are going the right way,” he said.
Two managers at Lifeline recently became the first employees in Ireland to win court protection under newly introduced whistleblower legislation.
The Circuit Court ruled late last month that Mick Dougan and Seán Clarke, who were made redundant after accusing Mr Hall of “serious wrongdoing” in a disclosure to the Revenue Commissioners, should continue to be paid until their unfair dismissal case is heard.
The men claimed in affidavits opened in court, that staff were paid mileage expenses in place of taxable pay and alleged they were subjected to bullying and harassment. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/health-pharma/david-hall-owned-ambulance-service-lifeline-back-in-rude-health-1.2773441 | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/fbe17ba1326aa33faf725350d697e67579def03a782b30ed4ff93529ab18c30d.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T06:53:07 | null | 2016-08-31T07:45:00 | Oil and gas exploration company hires Senergy Wells to manage 2017 Druid exploration | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fenergy-and-resources%2Fprovidence-sees-druid-exploration-well-cost-at-35m-1.2774075%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2774074.1472625911!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Providence sees Druid exploration well cost at $35m | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Providence Resources sees the cost of drilling an exploration well at its Druid field in the Atlantic Ocean will be 30 per cent lower than previously planned as it hired a company to manage the process next year.
The Tony O’Reilly Jnr-led oil and gas exploration company said it and its license partner for the Druid prospect have appointed Senergy Wells Ltd, a subsidiary of global engineering group Lloyds Register to provide well management services for the planned drilling programme in June 2017.
Providence has previously estimated the Druid field, some 220 kilometres off the west coast of Ireland, could ultimately deliver 3.9 billion barrels of oil, a multiple of the 311 million barrels of recoverable oil its Barryroe oil field south of Cork is estimated to hold.
The company now estimates that the cost of drilling the Druid exploration at about $35 million (€31.4 million), some 30 per cent lower than a previous estimate.
Drilling costs have slumped globally following a drop in oil price in recent years. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/energy-and-resources/providence-sees-druid-exploration-well-cost-at-35m-1.2774075?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/92191f18b085eb9f5e8c978f866171126ed6c9e9151f05e9e85b8058ff753f97.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T00:52:47 | null | 2016-08-31T01:00:00 | In disaster-struck town, a makeshift tent served as a church amid the shattered rubble | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Feurope%2Fitaly-quake-relatives-hold-mass-funeral-for-victims-in-amatrice-1.2773581%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773566.1472589722!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Italy quake: relatives hold mass funeral for victims in Amatrice | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | In some ways, the angry, grey sky was in perfect harmony with the sombre mood as the little northern Lazio town of Amatrice on Tuesday held a funeral service for 28 of the 292 victims of last Wednesday’s earthquake. Even as hundreds were gathering for the service, the first of the autumn downpours came, making an already difficult situation all the worse.
As in Saturday’s state funeral in Ascoli, this service began with arguably the most painful moment when the Bishop of Rieti, Domenico Pompilli, read out the names of those in the coffins lined up in front of him. As people recognised their loved one’s name, they sobbed, they nodded their heads and some even screamed their pain out loud. Sometimes, too, the same name came up four or five times in a row where a whole family had been wiped out.
“Earthquakes exist since the beginning of the Earth. Landscapes, mountains, fresh water, we owe them all to earthquakes. Even man would not exist without earthquakes. Yet, it is not the earthquakes which kill but rather the works of man . . . God cannot be used as a scapegoat for this,” said Bishop Pompilli.
Improvised chapel
The bishop was speaking from the altar of an improvised chapel, a huge open-sided tent with freshly spread gravel for a floor, right beside what was once the town’s orphanage. Relatives and friends of the dead sat around coffins, each absorbing their pain in their own way.
Some people sat quietly but others simply could not contain their distress. One couple sat silently on either side of a coffin topped with the photo of an elderly, white-haired lady. A huge wreath of flowers bore a simple message, “Mama, We Love You”.
Fittingly, behind the altar of this improvised chapel, you see three things. First, there are the glorious hills that make this area a summer holiday zone. Second, immediately behind the altar are the ruins of the Don Minozzi orphanage, now an ugly heap of cement, twisted steel and mortar, topped off with a collection of solar panels.
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The third thing you see is the statue to Our Lady of the Snows, a local Madonna who normally resides in Preta, yet another earthquake-struck village just down the road from Amatrice. This Madonna is now perched on a large pile of rubble, as a grim reminder of just why we are all here.
There is a crucifix hanging from the stanchion that held up the tented roof. In the far distance you can see the village clocktower, with the clock still stuck at 3.36, the time at which the earthquake struck last Wednesday morning.
There is a strong sense of community here. People fought to have this service held in their own town and not 60km away in the regional centre of Rieti. Police had wanted Rieti because of security considerations linked to the small size of Amatrice, the weather and the threat of aftershocks.
The chapel was so crowded that the VIPs, such as state president Sergio Mattarella and prime minister Matteo Renzi, could hardly make their way down the aisle. Around them, some people hold up white balloons, to recall the children who died in this tragedy. At the end of the ceremony, the balloons were released into the sky while the first two coffins to be carried out were the small white coffins of five-month-old Veralu Ianni and her three-year-old brother Ivan.
At the end of the ceremony, one man on crutches tells those around him how he had urged a neighbouring family to follow him in the chaotic minutes after the earthquake. His neighbours, however, chose another route, with all of them being killed as a building fell on them. The man says he cannot sleep, he keeps seeing his neighbours going down the wrong road. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/italy-quake-relatives-hold-mass-funeral-for-victims-in-amatrice-1.2773581?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/c777b7866478025917e5395b1bf64b7336164bac0b9e7df81a1f4aca345ca194.json |
[] | 2016-08-31T06:53:06 | null | 2016-08-31T05:50:00 | Property home to Cornucopia restaurant and Louis Copeland has rent roll of €100,000 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Fcommercial-property%2Fprime-wicklow-street-retail-investment-for-1-9m-1.2772175%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772173.1472488012!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Prime Wicklow Street retail investment for €1.9m | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Retail investments in Dublin city centre continue to attract the highest level of inquiries and the least number of sales because of the shortage of available properties.
For that reason alone Lisney is expecting exceptional interest in a prime investment at 19 Wicklow Street which goes on the market today to coincide with the opening of the new property season.
Chris Belton of Lisney is seeking offers of more than €1.9 million for the 1900s building occupied by Cornucopia and Louis Copeland which will show a net initial yield of 5.19 per cent.
Vegetarian restaurant Cornucopia has traded for the past 30 years out of the ground floor of number 19 and also number 20 which are interlinked at street and basement levels.
Number 19 has 68sq m (732sq ft) at street level and an overall floor area of 289 sq m (3,111sq ft) on five levels including basement. The restaurant is paying €80,000 for the ground, basement and an office on the second floor.
Louis Copeland has a separate access to the first floor and also rents part of the second and third floors, paying a total of €23,100. The overall rent roll of €103,100 is considered highly reversionary and with the two rent reviews due next February the expectation is that the the rental figure will move to at least €120,000/€130,000 per annum.
A short distance away, agents JLL are quoting a rent of €90,000 for a smaller ground floor and basement in number 33 Wicklow Street which does not have permission for food use. The leases in number 19 have a weighted average unexpired term of 10.15 years to run.
Cornucopia’s leasehold interest in number 20 is not affected by the sale nor is Louis Copeland’s additional lease of the adjoining building, number 18. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/commercial-property/prime-wicklow-street-retail-investment-for-1-9m-1.2772175?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-31T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/781073147b986d23410c750c32619ceb89e0801b47808322f0ec26f99e0c9d1c.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T20:51:42 | null | 2016-08-29T21:27:00 | A timeline of recent tragic cases in Ireland that involved murder-suicide | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fireland%2Firish-news%2Fmurder-suicide-now-a-regular-phenomenon-1.2772334%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772333.1472502455!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Murder-suicide now a ‘regular phenomenon’ | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Murder-suicide appears to have become a regular phenomenon of recent years, said Deputy State Pathologist Michael Curtis in 2013 when a study on dyadic deaths was published.
The study, carried out by Ciara Byrne, then a student of Forensic Analysis and Investigation at Sligo IT, found the majority of people who killed others before taking their own lives did not suffer from a previous psychiatric illness, and that neither drink nor drugs were major factors.
The study found there were 19 cases in the 12½ years to June 2013.
The following are some of the more recent cases in Ireland, all of which, it should be pointed out, are terribly tragic.
*In July, Marco Velocci (28) and his toddler son Alex died when the car Marco was driving was involved in a head-on collision with an articulated lorry on the main Limerick to Tipperary road. The young man had earlier had an altercation with his ex-partner Jodie Power, mother of Alex, after which Marco drove off with the young boy.
Gardaí believe the deaths occurred as the result of a murder-suicide.
The two deceased were buried together.
*In July last year, James Quigley (69), a company director from Co Louth, died after driving into oncoming traffic on a motorway near his home.
When the Garda went to the family home near Hackballscross, to break the grim news, they found the body of Marie Quigley (68).
The couple’s subsequent joint funeral heard that Mr Quigley had been a loving husband and father who had long battled with mental illness.
The Garda treated the deaths as murder suicide.
*In May 2015, two badly decomposed bodies were found at a farmhouse at Boolaglass, Askeaton, Co Limerick by men who broke into the house to steal scrap metal.
The dead were Thomas Ruttle (56), a Co Limerick beekeeper, and Julia Holmes (63), a woman born in Co Tyrone who was being pursued by the Police Service of Northern Ireland in connection with a theft allegation and who had once served time in the US for fraud.
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They had met on the internet and it was not believed Mr Ruttle knew of his partner’s criminal background.
An inquest found that they had deliberately exposed themselves to carbon monoxide poisoning using makeshift barbecues in an airtight bedroom.
*In December 2014, Michael Greaney (53), of Cobh, Co Cork, fatally stabbed his wife Valerie (49), and injured one of this two adult children, Michelle Greaney, before taking his own life.
Mr Greaney had a history of mental illness and at one stage he had been ordered to stay away from the family home.
However, a report a few months before the murder-suicide concluded that Mr Greaney was no longer a risk to his family and he was allowed to return.
*In September 2014, Paddy and Thomas O’Driscoll, nine-year-old twins from Deerpark, Charleville, Co Cork, were stabbed to death in their home by their older brother, Jonathan (21), whose body was subsequently found at the banks of the Awbeg River in nearby Buttevant.
The Garda treated the deaths as murder suicide. The boys’ mother, Helen O’Driscoll, later called on people suffering from depression to seek help.
*A report into the deaths of a family of four in Monageer, Co Wexford, in 2007 failed to find any single definite motive behind their deaths.The report found that a number of family, financial and personality-related factors contributed to the decision by Adrian (29) and Ciara Dunne (24) to end their lives and those of their children Leanne (5) and Shania (3). It is believed Mr Dunne killed the other members of his family, before killing himself. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/murder-suicide-now-a-regular-phenomenon-1.2772334?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/223f1dcd7948d2a46fc1face72e4383300d04ab17ce33a5dbaca28e85b640d4c.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T18:51:00 | null | 2016-08-28T19:02:00 | Former president wants Houses of Parliament to mark Irish politician’s legacies | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fireland%2Firish-news%2Fdaniel-o-connell-deserves-british-honour-mary-mcaleese-says-1.2771206%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771204.1472407323!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Daniel O’Connell deserves British honour, Mary McAleese says | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Former president Dr Mary McAleese has called for leading 19th-century Irish politician Daniel O’Connell to be honoured at the British Houses of Parliament for his role in campaigning for egalitarianism and religious tolerance.
Speaking at the Daniel O’Connell Summer School in Cahersiveen in Co Kerry, Dr McAleese said that O’Connell had left many legacies, including his involvement in the campaign for the abolition of slavery.
She said that, despite this, O’Connell, who served in the House of Commons from 1828 to 1841, has not been recognised with any monument or plaque in Westminster and that that is something which should be rectified.
“I think of the respect O’Connell ought to be held in by the Westminster Parliament because he introduced to an imperial colonial parliament, driven by elitism, the values of egalitarianism, the dignity of every human being, of democracy, at a time when these were only embryonic concepts.
“O’Connell was the Mandela of his day and I have to say it really bothers me today walking through Westminster to know that there is no picture, no monument, no statue, no bust of O’Connell.”
Political philosophy
Speaking in a question and answer session with Frank Lewis of Radio Kerry, Dr McAleese said that she found great guidance in O’Connell’s political philosophy while growing up in Northern Ireland during the 1970s, when sectarian conflict was rife,
She recalled her visit to O’Connell’s home at Derrynane with her husband Martin while on their honeymoon and how it was a sort of pilgrimage for them both.
Dr McAleese said: “When O’Connell died, you could say he had failed in terms of reconciling the violent and the constitutional traditions . . . but with the Hume-Adams initiative we get to see what a visionary ambition O’Connell had for us as a people.” | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/daniel-o-connell-deserves-british-honour-mary-mcaleese-says-1.2771206?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/b15278d72307930369807876e1965c7c108817cc1a17e2967b7ca449944be003.json |
[] | 2016-08-28T08:50:59 | null | 2016-08-28T08:47:00 | Presidential candidate proposes tracking system to ensure illegal immigrants are quickly removed | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fworld%2Fus%2Fdonald-trump-promises-crackdown-on-immigrants-who-overstay-visa-1.2770904%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2770903.1472370371!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Donald Trump promises crackdown on immigrants who overstay visa | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump offered fresh details of how he would tackle illegal immigration on Saturday, saying he would crack down on those who overstay their visas as he sought to quiet criticism from conservatives.
In a campaign speech in Des Moines, Iowa, Mr Trump said he would seek to institute a tracking system to ensure illegal immigrants who overstay their visas are quickly removed, and would propose an e-verify system to prevent the illegal community from gaining access to welfare and other benefits.
Speaking on the Iowa State Fairgrounds with hay bales stacked behind him, Mr Trump sought to clarify his views on how to overhaul the US immigration system after saying earlier in the week that he was softening on his plan to deport all 11 million illegal immigrants.
That stance drew fire from conservatives who wanted him to stand fast after he won the Republican presidential nomination in large part by a hardline stance that would include building a wall along the US border with Mexico.
“If we don’t enforce visa expiration dates, then we have an open border - it’s as simple as that,” he said.
In outlining his views, Mr Trump said addressing illegal immigration is important to helping Americans find jobs.
“Every time an African-American citizen, or any citizen, loses their job to an illegal immigrant, the rights of that American citizen have been violated,” he said. “Equal protection under the law must include the consistent application of our immigration laws.”
Mr Trump said his first priority upon taking office next January would be the immediate deportation of thousands of illegal immigrants who remain in the United States despite having committed crimes.
“These international gangs and cartels will be a thing of the past. Their reign of terror will be over. In this task, we will always err on the side of protecting the American people - we will use immigration law to prevent crimes, and will not wait until some innocent American has been harmed or killed before taking action,” he said.
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He did not explain how his plan would affect many of the illegal community who have been in the United States for decades and obeyed US laws.
African-American voters
During his speech, Mr Trump also cited the shooting death of a cousin of NBA star Dwyane Wade to urge African-American voters to rally behind him, calling it an example of violence that has to be addressed.
Mr Trump said the death in Chicago of Mr Wade’s cousin Nykea Aldridge (32), a mother of four, was an example of turmoil in US inner cities. Chicago mayor, Rahm Emanuel, a former chief of staff to Democratic president Barack Obama, has struggled in particular to contain violence in his city.
The incident permitted Mr Trump to bring up again his desire to be a “law and order” president and underscore his drive to appeal to African-American voters who traditionally vote Democratic and overwhelmingly support Democratic rival Hillary Clinton.
“It breaks all of our hearts to see it, it’s horrible,” Mr Trump said. “And it’s only getting worse. This shouldn’t happen in our country. This shouldn’t happen in America. We send our thoughts and our prayers to the family, and we also promise to fight for a much, much better tomorrow.”
Mr Trump raised the subject after sending out tweets earlier in the day that prompted charges of insensitivity to the death and accusations he sought to exploit it for political purposes.
The New York businessman was the headline speaker at “Joni Ernst’s Roast and Ride,” a charity event for military veterans run by US Senator Joni Ernst, a Republican.
Mr Ernst and most other speakers offered praise for Mr Trump, a rarity at a time when many Republican political leaders have distanced themselves from his candidacy due to his incendiary rhetoric. Mr Trump is running neck and neck with Ms Clinton in polls in the state with 72 days until the November 8th election.
Reuters | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/us/donald-trump-promises-crackdown-on-immigrants-who-overstay-visa-1.2770904?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-28T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/39074f5bbc2aa898abc397818871a4b4ffa08cf02b65e90e564c211d666301cf.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T12:48:51 | null | 2016-08-29T10:48:00 | ‘Help-to-Buy’ scheme will likely exclude returning emigrants who bought property abroad | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fwhat-we-know-about-the-new-first-time-buyers-package-1.2771852.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771851.1472468245!/image/image.jpg | en | null | What we know about the new first-time buyers package | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | First-time buyers are expected to get a filip this October, with plans afoot for a new incentive-type scheme which should help them get a first step on the property ladder.
The so-called “Help to Buy” scheme for first time-buyers (FTBs) will be outlined by Minister for Finance Michael Noonan on budget day, and should offer some form of monetary incentive for beleaguered homebuyers stymied by restrictive mortgage lending rules and exorbitant rents.
The Help to Buy initiative is part of the Government’s overall housing strategy, which aims to increase the number of homes built a year to 25,000 by 2021, as well as providing 47,000 social housing units in the same period.
Previous efforts to incentivise first-time buyers through Dirt-free savings have failed to take off, so will the Government strike the right note with its new plan?
All will be revealed when Budget 2017 is announced, but here are some preliminary pointers:
1) It will be revealed on budget day: Minister for Housing Simon Coveney has indicated that the new scheme will be revealed on budget day, October 11th, 2016.
2) It could be worth up to €10,000 a couple: In its manifesto, Fianna Fáil previously proposed a type of special saving incentive account (SSIA) scheme, which would see the Government give people €50 for every €200 they saved towards a mortgage deposit. The incentive would be capped at €5,000 for a single buyer and €10,000 for couples. However, while the Government’s scheme is thought to be of a similar order, it is understood to work around a tax rebate scheme. This means that rather than incentivise people to save for a deposit for a property, the Government will give you money back once you purchase, something akin to the home renovation incentive scheme, which gives you 13.5 per cent VAT refund on new kitchens/extensions etc. The new scheme could, however, be a combination of the two. The UK’s Help to Buy scheme, for example, gives those saving for a home a 25 per cent reward on savings of up to £3,000, so a maximum reward of £750. However, while the scheme was originally understood to be introduced to help those saving for a deposit, it now appears that the reward can only be used once the property is purchased.
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3) It will be backdated to July 19th. Announcing the scheme on July 19th, Mr Coveney said that any incentive will be backdated to this date, which should reassure FTBs who are hoping to buy before the budget. However, it is not yet clear what this date actually means – ie, does it apply to property buyers who go sale agreed after this date? Or does it apply to mortgage drawdowns? This could potentially exclude FTBs who bought a property in June, and drew it down in August.
4) The scheme may be limited to particular homes: Conal Mac Coille, economist with Davy Stockbrokers, notes that the scheme may be limited to homes under a certain value and/or new build properties only. Given that the scheme is to be introduced to “incentivise the construction of more starter homes”, the latter could make sense, while a cap on values is pretty much a certainty. As Mr Coveney said when launching his housing plan in July, “We’re not in the business of supporting the purchase of mansions.”
5) It could push up house prices: If, as is expected, the rebate is as much as €10,000 for a couple, when this is set against an average mortgage loan of €197,000 for the second quarter of this year the rebate “could push up house prices significantly”, Mr Mac Coille says. The aforementioned Help to Buy scheme in the UK, for example, is said to have added an average £8,250 to the cost of a home.
6) It’s for first-time buyers only: Under Revenue rules, a FTB is someone who has never – either jointly or individually – purchased or built their own house in Ireland or abroad; intends to live in the property; and won’t earn rent on the property apart from letting a room under the rent-a-room scheme. If the Government applies this understanding of a FTB to its new scheme, it means that if your partner previously purchased a property and you now hope to buy one together, you won’t be entitled to avail of the scheme. Moreover, if you’re a returning emigrant and previously purchased a property abroad, you won’t be considered as a FTB either.
7) It’s part of a review of mortgage-lending limits: The Department of Finance is working on the scheme in conjunction with the Central Bank, as part of its review of its mortgage lending limits. Whether or not this means changes to the mortgage lending review remains to be seen, however.
8) Mortgage insurance may be part of the scheme: In its housing plan “Rebuilding Ireland”, the Government noted that the goal of Help to Buy is to provide “affordable mortgage finance or mortgage insurance” for FTBs. Mortgage insurance is a way of allowing homeowners borrow more than the 80 per cent or so of purchase price allowed under the Central Bank’s new rules, as some of the mortgage risk is transferred from lenders to insurers. However last year a senior economist with the Central Bank expressed concern about the potential cost of mortgage insurance, warning that it could “act counter” to the regulator’s lending rules. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/what-we-know-about-the-new-first-time-buyers-package-1.2771852 | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/b4d411e9f0324b337fc6d096d2313e942a156edad6662b05839560b8127b2943.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T00:52:16 | null | 2016-08-30T01:42:00 | Try getting someone to do the work of a stay-at-home parent: massive responsibility no status, no pay and no time off | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fopinion%2Fdon-t-try-and-tell-me-stay-at-home-parents-are-only-worth-30-000-a-year-1.2772228%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772226.1472497696!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Don’t try and tell me stay-at-home parents are only worth €30,000 a year | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | In the film Cheaper by the Dozen an American football coach played by Steve Martin assures his wife that he will cope if she leaves home for two weeks to promote a book. How difficult can it be? After all, they have only 12 kids. Cue chaos and agencies hanging up when he needs to hire help – even after telling them he has “two kids. Plus 10.”
Well, that’s Hollywood. The fact is you would be hard pushed to replace a stay-at-home parent who minds two children. All parents are irreplaceable in the affection of their families, but I mean you would have trouble getting someone else to do the work even if you could pay. There is too much of it, it is too boring and it is rarely noticed by the people who benefit: your children and society.
So I was not shocked when a survey of 1,000 Irish people found that most undervalued the work done by stay-at-home parents like me.
Most thought ¤20,000-¤30,000 a year would cover it. Two seconds of math would show how deluded that is, but since it is useful work traditionally done by women of course it is undervalued.
Some people think of stay-at-home parents as parasites, not workers. I once heard a retro (female) journalist dismiss us as lazy lumps who expect to be kept in exchange for sexual favours. Ridiculous thought. Anyone who has a child knows that the words “parent” and “sexual favours” never belong together.
Self-interest
She is not alone. Economists, for example, whose dreary profession can put a monetary value on such mystical institutions as marriage, cannot cope with stay-at-home parents. Perhaps it is because we defy their theory that people always act in their economic self-interest.
They get their own back by excluding us from calculations of gross domestic product (the total value of goods produced and services provided in a country during one year) or gross national product (same plus net income from foreign investments). Fine, if that is the way they want it.
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But if a stay-at-home mum walks off the job without arranging cover she commits a crime. Whereas if all economists were to drift away from their desks none would be arrested. Their work is not that important.
No time off
That’s the combination that messes with people’s heads: stay-at-home parents have massive responsibility but no status, no pay and no time off.
No wonder the attempt to put a value on us defeats the capitalist mind.
So, time for that two seconds of maths I mentioned. The crucial fact is that stay-at-home parents are on duty 24/7. (If you think minding someone vulnerable who is asleep should not count, ring an agency and ask if they charge to mind an elderly person at night).
Assuming a minimum wage of €9.15 an hour, 24 hours a day, times 365 days a year, that comes to €80,154 for childcare. Knock off a bit for room and board. So €60,000 should cover it.
But it gets trickier because as their children grow, stay-at-home parents provide many services other than childcare, services you would normally pay for.
A taxi from my house to the nearest town costs €17. Most days I run a child in and out of the town at least once.
Laundry? My laundry basket currently holds 40 tops, 10 pairs of trousers and three hoodies waiting to be ironed – at the knockdown price of €1 each that’s €53 worth I’ll do for free.
I have heard a company now exists that will vacuum nits from a child’s hair for €100-plus. I once de-nitted two kids on Christmas Eve – try getting a company to do that at any price.
Then there are the super-parents like my friend who, when she was at home with her children, grew all the family’s fruit and veg, and raised chickens for poultry and eggs. Who would you get to do that? How much would you have to pay?
It is more difficult yet to put a price on the more nebulous contributions of stay-at-home parents. In the US many states and charities now run after-school programmes for teenagers because high-risk behaviour spikes between the time teens get off school and parents get home from work. Teenage girls who fall pregnant, for example, often do so during these hours.
Working spouses
We stay-at-home parents subsidise the work done by our working spouses. My husband works afternoons and evenings, plus has a long commute. If I was not around it would not be possible for him to combine that job with raising school-age children.
Sure, some couples manage. But all you need is a child who keeps coming down with colds and soon you are both out of sick leave and rowing about who can best afford to annoy the boss this time. If one parent stays at home the other’s productivity at work rises.
Of course the value of this subsidy is not acknowledged. But that’s okay. I know what I’m doing now is more useful than anything I ever did in return for a wage.
Just don’t tell me you’d do it for €20,000-€30,000. | http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/don-t-try-and-tell-me-stay-at-home-parents-are-only-worth-30-000-a-year-1.2772228?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/50f5f0ffcc548000817b55022c93a590f93d41c544da11e8fc6708f5158a419b.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T12:52:24 | null | 2016-08-30T13:04:00 | The €13bn figure means the political noise will be turned up to 11 | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Fsheer-size-of-apple-tax-bill-complicates-things-for-government-1.2773012%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773007.1472560653!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Sheer size of Apple tax bill complicates things for Government | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | The scale of the Apple tax bill has suddenly complicated the politics of the matter for the Government.
Even though there is no prospect of the Irish Government getting its hands on the money immediately – it will be placed into an escrow account pending the outcome of an appeals process likely to take years – the Government will certainly take a lot more flak for seeking to use all the legal and political tools at its disposal to avoid receiving the Apple windfall in the future.
Bombshell
“There would be no problem in appealing it if it was only a couple of hundred million euros,” one Minister said this morning. “But €13 billion? Jesus . . . .”
In recent days, Government sources suggested at first that the number was likely to be in the hundreds of millions; yesterday that estimate had risen into the billions. Today’s bombshell was a lot nearer to the “worst case” scenario for Apple, estimated by JP Morgan at €19 billion.
That’s worst case for Apple – but is this worst case for Ireland? Given its determination to avoid actually taking the money, it’s certainly a much bigger problem for the Government.
Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has already issued an extremely strongly worded statement rejecting the commission’s decision and outlining his intention to appeal it. A Cabinet meeting may be held as early as tomorrow to formally decide on an appeal.
Appeal
This assumes that the independent Ministers, including the Independent Alliance, are happy to proceed with the appeal. Minister for Finance Michael Noonan met the Alliance Ministers yesterday afternoon to brief them on the issue and outline his plans to appeal, but nobody was aware of the quantum at that stage. Noonan seemed to be indicating a few billion at that stage, according to sources briefed on the encounter. Not thirteen though.
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The Independent Alliance Ministers are meeting this afternoon again to consider the matter, it is understood. If they object to the Government’s appeal and prevent a unified Cabinet decision, then the coalition is probably over, though there is no indication from any of them at this stage that they are preparing to do that.
What is clear though is that they, like everyone else, realises how the context is changed by the vastness of the sum which Apple will now have to pay to Ireland.
The €13 billion figure will turn up the political noise several notches. Wait for Liveline, wait for the social media tsunami, wait for the infographics on what you could get for €13 billion. Wait for the opposition assault on the notion of a Government trying desperately to avoid the biggest windfall in the history of the state.
As well as presenting Ireland with a large cheque, the commission has also presented the Irish Government with a very tricky problem. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/sheer-size-of-apple-tax-bill-complicates-things-for-government-1.2773012?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/695ed983ef1f8b13a861928f84ac7e1c121e5aabde803b74e4b2671817723f4d.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T10:52:23 | null | 2016-08-30T11:18:00 | Latest monthly figures reflect revisions made in recent Quarterly National Household Survey | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fbusiness%2Feconomy%2Funemployment-remains-unchanged-at-8-3-1.2772932%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2772931.1472553219!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Unemployment remains unchanged at 8.3% | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Unemployment was unchanged at 8.3 per cent in August, according to the latest official figures.
The State’s headline rate of unemployment was recently revised up from 7.8 per cent to 8.3 per cent to take account of changes to the labour force.
Nonetheles, the August figures show the number of workers classified as unemployed fell by 1,700 to 181,600 on a monthly basis.
This equated to an annual decrease of 15,400 or 0.8 per cent.
The figures also showed that youth unemployment stood at 17.1 per cent. At the height of the financial crisis in 2012, the jobless rate among 15-24 year olds in the Republic reached 31.3 per cent.
A breakdown of the numbers shows the unemployment for men was 9.5 per cent in August, down from 10.6 per cent a year, while the jobless rate for women was 6.8 per cent, down from 7.4 per cent 12 months ago.
The seasonally adjusted number of males unemployed in August was 113,600, a decrease of 600 on the previous month.
The seasonally adjusted number of females unemployed was 68,000, a decrease of 1,100 when compared to July. | http://www.irishtimes.com/business/economy/unemployment-remains-unchanged-at-8-3-1.2772932?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/68a9d6d681d89756eb4e09945ba7fc59a83c3fef1e7e2db6309e5400e5c141d6.json |
[] | 2016-08-29T12:51:35 | null | 2016-08-29T13:00:00 | ‘We threw everything at it, and just came up a bit short again’ | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fsport%2Fgaelic-games%2Fgaelic-football%2F%25C3%25A9amonn-fitzmaurice-s-silence-speaks-louder-than-words-1.2771914%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2771912.1472470231!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Éamonn Fitzmaurice’s silence speaks louder than words | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Sometimes the silence can be like thunder. Nothing Éamonn Fitzmaurice could or maybe even should say was about to change the result, other than help us to decide whether this was a game Kerry lost or left behind or maybe even had lifted from them.
So Fitzmaurice started out by saying nothing – at least nothing specific about a couple of late calls which swung closing time in Dublin’s favour, including a near full frontal assault on Peter Crowley by Kevin McManamon, simply let go by referee David Gough.
“Look, I made a decision coming down the corridor, I’m going to bite my lip,” said the Kerry manager, in ways his silence speaking louder than any words. “If I say anything, that becomes our reaction, which isn’t the reaction. The reaction is Dublin are an outstanding team, and I don’t want to be looking at the paper tomorrow or Tuesday and see that Fitzmaurice said this about the ref, or whatever.”
Not even about that potentially match-altering decision, halfway through the five minutes of added time, when a free for Kerry might well have levelled it again, rather than set up Dublin’s confirmation score?
Confirmation score
“No look, I’ll leave it,” he said. “You saw it yourself. You can make up your own mind. I don’t want that to be the story.”
The story of the game doesn’t begin or end there, because Kerry had their chance to put Dublin out of sight – failing to build on a five-point lead at half-time, which given where they’d come from, appeared like a prime match-winning position.
“We threw everything at it, and just came up a bit short again,” said Fitzmaurice.
“I know Dublin won the second half alright, and we had them on the ropes at half -time, but like they’ve done so many times under Jim Gavin’s reign, they righted the ship again in the second half.
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“We won the throw-in, it looked to me like David [Moran] was fouled, didn’t get the free, and they went down and got a point straight away It kind of gave them a bit of life and belief straightaway and they kept going. But as I’ve said before you have to give them massive credit, because we had them on the ropes, and they really showed the stuff of champions in the second half.”
Kerry’s life and belief had come off two wonderfully opportune goals in the last five minutes of the first half, turning the strength of Dublin’s kick-outs into their weakness: “We’d rehearsed some of the kick-out scenarios alright,” said Fitzmaurice, “and they came off for us alright.”
Even amid Dublin’s second half onslaught, which Fitzmaurice “knew was coming”, there was no panic. In the end then was it a game Kerry left behind, or were some beaten by a better team?
“Hard to say. Maybe leaning more towards the second, to be honest. But look, we’ll have the winter long now for chewing over it.”
A winter of decisions, too? “Possibly, but today isn’t the time for that. There’ll be a lot of emotion after that effort, but I would encourage everyone to take stock. For me too that’s for another day. I was only hoping to win today, and be back here in three weeks.” | http://www.irishtimes.com/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/%C3%A9amonn-fitzmaurice-s-silence-speaks-louder-than-words-1.2771914?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-29T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/7fc554401414ca6105a93a5ca98da2211dda6a7e0fe3ce18165e4dad3d4f08de.json |
[] | 2016-08-30T20:52:21 | null | 2016-08-30T20:47:00 | Hearing into the death of Cara Rocks in 2013 is the North’s first-ever stillbirth inquest | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fcrime-and-law%2Fcourts%2Fcoroner-s-court%2Fstillbirth-was-the-result-of-a-catalogue-of-errors-court-hears-1.2773516%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2773514.1472586427!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Stillbirth was the result of a catalogue of errors, court hears | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | A catalogue of failures contributed to the stillbirth of a baby girl at a Northern Ireland hospital, a landmark inquest has heard.
The Northern Health and Social Care Trust also apologised for the death of baby Cara Rocks in June 2013, admitting a number of mistakes had been made in the case.
Barrister David Dunlop told Belfast Coroner’s Court: “It is likely if an elective or emergency c-section had taken place baby Cara would not have been stillborn.”
The hearing, which is listed for five days, is the first-ever stillbirth inquest in Northern Ireland and follows a Court of Appeal ruling in November 2013.
Coroner Joe McCrisken said the region was “leading the way” in the examination of stillbirth causes.
Cara Rocks died at the Causeway Hospital in Coleraine, Co Derry, on June 26th, 2013.
In a statement, a lawyer for the Northern Trust said it was “accepted” a number of errors had played a part in her death.
These included:
- Wrongly categorising Michelle Rocks, Cara’s mother, who had had a previous caesarean section, as “low-risk”;
- Inadequate levels of counselling from a senior medic on the mode of delivery;
- Administration of the hormone Propess to induce labour without the risks being discussed with Ms Rocks;
- Incorrect recording of baby Cara’s heart rate as suspicious, not pathological meaning critical, following induction, and
- Delays in the decision to proceed to an emergency c-section because of time spent trying to locate a foetal heart rate.
The Trust’s lawyer said: “The Trust wishes to express an apology to Mr and Ms Rocks for the unfortunate death of baby Cara.
“Obviously this is a tragedy for the family. It is not taken lightly and is recognised by all members of the Trust who were involved in this case.”
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In the witness box, Michelle Rocks (38), from Moneymore in Co Derry, broke down as details of the delivery were read out.
She recalled repeatedly requesting a planned c-section over fears of complications following bad experiences with her two sons.
She said: “Because I had an emergency section with Daniel and a normal birth with Tony which ended up in a vacuum delivery, I knew I couldn’t deliver.
“I had gone through both so I knew what was best for me.”
Ms Rocks described feeling “very upset” and said she was “in tears” when she was informed her request for an elective c-section would not be facilitated and that she was “capable” of delivering naturally.
She said: “I thought that they had the right to refuse me.
“I thought the decision was made and that’s that.”
Sent home
The court also heard how Ms Rocks was sent home after presenting at the Causeway Hospital at 38-weeks’ gestation with her baby in a transverse position.
She “begged” for a c-section but was turned down, it was claimed.
Following her daughter’s death, Ms Rocks said she was left feeling angry, anxious and distressed at the sight of other babies.
She also lost faith in the medical profession, the inquest heard.
“Our lives were turned upside down. I do not think that we will ever get over the loss,” said Ms Rocks.
“We were robbed of our daughter; our sons of their sister and parents of their granddaughter.
“We only wish that she had that chance to live.”
Among the medics to give evidence was a midwife of more than 20 years, Michaela Doherty, who had cared for Ms Rocks in the delivery suite.
She broke down in tears as she recalled the baby’s death and said despite difficulties in reading Cara’s heart rate she did not believe it was not there.
Later, she told the court she had been informed that baby Cara’s umbilical cord had been wrapped around her neck.
“I was told the chord was tightly round the neck three times,” said Ms Doherty.
“It was common knowledge.”
Opening the case, the coroner cautioned that the five-day hearing was not a trial.
Mr McCrisken said: “This is not a trial and no one is on trial.
“This is a fact-finding inquiry. I am not here to attribute any blame or responsibility.”
The case continues.
Press Association | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/coroner-s-court/stillbirth-was-the-result-of-a-catalogue-of-errors-court-hears-1.2773516?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-30T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/c69f93ee8023b4ca86c1cb87f871eec085333ad33a442d5fa2fc5946fb864ce4.json |
[] | 2016-08-27T00:50:43 | null | 2016-08-27T01:00:00 | Correspondence between the two appears to contradict claims made by OCI president | http%3A%2F%2Fwww.irishtimes.com%2Fnews%2Fireland%2Firish-news%2Fpat-hickey-and-thg-co-ordinated-response-to-ticket-row-emails-show-1.2769937%3FlocalLinksEnabled%3Dfalse.json | http://www.irishtimes.com/polopoly_fs/1.2769935.1472250414!/image/image.jpg | en | null | Pat Hickey and THG co-ordinated response to ticket row, emails show | null | null | www.irishtimes.com | Pat Hickey and British businessman Marcus Evans co-ordinated the responses of the two companies caught up in the Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) ticketing controversy, emails between the two men seen by The Irish Times indicate.
The emails appear to contradict the claim by Mr Hickey, who has temporarily stepped aside as OCI president, that the organisation no longer had any association with Mr Evans’s company THG.
The claim was made in an RTÉ interview given after THG’s Dublin finance director Kevin Mallon had been arrested in Rio.
The emails include one from Mr Evans where he apparently asks Mr Hickey for his views on a proposed response to the scandal from Irish ticket agent Pro10 Sports Management, even though Pro10 is not part of Mr Evan’s global sports hospitality group, THG.
Material seen by The Irish Times includes an email from Mr Evans to Mr Hickey dated August 10th in which the businessman included the “suggested response drafted by Pro 10 to ROCOG [Rio Olympics organising committee] – I am getting feedback from lawyers in UK/Ireland and Brazil but do you have any initial thoughts”.
A spokesman for THG said he had no comment to make on the new material and referred to earlier statements that THG was confident it would be shown in time that it had done nothing illegal. There was no response from Pro10.
OCI statement
Mr Hickey’s response to Mr Evans does not refer to the draft Pro10 letter but instead includes an early draft of an OCI statement released on August 11th. “Here is the statement that I spoke about and unless I hear back from you I will take it that [. . .] is happy with it also.”
On August 5th, Mr Mallon, an Irish executive with the THG group, was arrested in Rio as part of a police investigation into alleged ticket touting and was found to be in possession of 823 tickets that had been allocated to OCI.
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Mr Mallon, who remains in custody, has said he was merely acting as a “collection point” for customers of the OCI’s authorised ticket reselling agent, Pro10.
On August 8th, Mr Evans emailed Mr Hickey a revised version of what would become THG’s first statement about Mr Mallon’s arrest.
Mr Hickey replied: “We are happy with this revised statement. Do you need us to give you some names and email addresses of key Irish Media.”
Mr Evans replied: “No need Pat thx but we have these.”
OCI used THG as its ticket reselling agent for previous Olympics, but switched to Pro10 after the Brazilian authorities last year refused to grant THG a licence to act as a ticket agent for the Rio Games.
Pro10 is owned by three Irish businessmen.
Mr Hickey (71) was arrested by the Brazilian police on August 17th and he remains in jail in Rio, where he has not been charged.
His family yesterday issued a statement expressing strong concern about his welfare and how he is being treated by the criminal justice system in Brazil.
They called for the intervention of Government Ministers and are seeking a meeting with Taoiseach Enda Kenny.
Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said he would meet the family, but pointed out that his department cannot interfere in any way in the judicial processes in another country.
Gambling case
Meanwhile, two Irish Olympic boxers are facing disciplinary action by the International Olympic Committee for gambling during the Rio Games.
An OCI source confirmed last night that the boxers were reprimanded for a breach of the code of ethics by betting on Olympic sports during the Games. It is understood that the OCI will issue a statement today on the matter. | http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/pat-hickey-and-thg-co-ordinated-response-to-ticket-row-emails-show-1.2769937?localLinksEnabled=false | en | 2016-08-27T00:00:00 | www.irishtimes.com/aca3b490cf52d1f374999c13a4b9a6ce36128f9de23c9692b444c490b1a6fa4b.json |
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