We all know about Man Hunt 2 being banned in Ireland but did you know:
Teens using M-rated games to vent anger
Commission urges Greece to lift its ban on gaming machines (or be fragged)
And finally - Frets on Fire - a Guitar Hero clone for the PC (Wikipedia entry is more informative - Frets on Fire)
Oh dear, some of the gadgets may have to go
unless we all start taking navy showers (video)
Global Warming, is it true, what happens if we do/don’t take action - a logical analysis (video)
A very interesting video on the economies of the world, poverty, health and the environment
Where have you flown to, and how long have you been in the air? - www.flightmemory.com
Another test of the Greens will be the increase in sitting days of the Dail promised (Via Irish Election)
more than double Dáil sitting time with sittings running 45 weeks per year Monday afternoons to Friday lunchtimes from 9.30am to 7pm
And there are more issues arising in the Dail - the Taoiseach skips Leaders Questions to go to the ICTU conference, and has begun to stop answering questions which his department is responsible for - the Attorney General’s office and the State Solicitor’s Office. It is part of a wider trend to deflect attention onto State Agencies and consultants and resist accountability.
Can you believe it, there are 450 state agencies/bodies according to the Ombudsman
Over the years there has been a hiving off of functions which were traditionally within the remit of Ministers and their Departments and the creation of new single-purpose agencies, for example, FÃS, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Health and Safety Authority. The practice of creating new agencies has accelerated in more recent times. There are now over 450 such bodies in existence, only a handful of which come within my remit as Ombudsman even though, paradoxically, many do come within the scope of freedom of information legislation.
(Irish Examiner) The Ombudsman - State agencies must be open to scrutiny
Effectively, the administration’s ingrained conservatism in the face of change has given rise to what can only be described as a blanket policy of concealment. This explains the aura of secrecy shrouding far-reaching decisions by faceless public servants in the corridors of power. It goes without saying the clouds of anonymity militate against the public interest especially as decisions can have such a devastating impact on people’s lives.
(RTE) Ombudsman criticises office’s limitations
It was Fine Gael, Labour and Democratic Left that brought in the Freedom of Information Act for those of ye that believe that they would act the same in office.
UPDATE: from RTE.ie
TDs have voted down an Opposition attempt to curtail the Dáil holidays, which begin this evening.
The House will now return on 26 September.
The Green Party, frequently the most vocal opponents of the long vacation, was silent on the issue this morning and Labour Party leader Pat Rabbitte pointedly reminded the party of their stance on the issue 12 months ago.
The UL ‘living bridge’ is taking shape on this page (videos too) - http://www.shannonimages.net/ulbridge.html
Via Adam Maguire - Anchor Rips Up Lead Story on Paris Hilton
Via Stewart Curry the 20 best “that guy from”s
Episode IV - A New Pope
I mentioned that the EU got a YouTube account (Eutube) - well this video is the most popular now but NOT safe for work!
Once upon a time, the Green Party were against Thornton Hall - from their Mental Health Policy
….We regard this Government’s plans to re-locate the Central Mental Hospital to a site alongside the planned Thornton Prison as being totally unacceptable. Such a move will accentuate the stigma and isolation/social exclusion of the mentally ill.
The justice policy which I cannot find on the new Green Party website but which is still in the Google cache says
The Green Party will….abolish plans to relocate Mountjoy to Thornton Hall and instead review options to refurbish and extend the present buildings
Fine Gael’s Leo Varadkar calls on Green Party to explain their U-turn on Thornton Hall - the response being “the previous crowd did it”
Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Deputy Brian Lenihan):As the Deputy is aware, a decision to replace prison facilities at Mountjoy was taken by the previous Government in November 2004. Since then some €29.9 million has been spent in the context of procuring land at Thornton Hall in Co. Dublin. In April 2007, a preferred bidder for the work involved in realising this project was selected and negotiations between this party and officials of my Department are at an advanced stage.
There is an urgent need to replace the facilities at Mountjoy. Conditions there have been severely criticised by the Council of Europe’s European Committee for the Prevention of Torture and Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment and the Inspector of Prisons. Its facilities are out-dated and incapable of meeting the challenges of administering a modern, progressive and safe prison system. This is particularly so in the context of the Government’s stated aim to make prisons drug free environments. Redeveloping the existing 20 acre site at Mountjoy is not viable from an operational or developmental perspective. The construction of the new facility on a green field site will address the problems associated with the Mountjoy site and will, in addition, offer significant improvements in the areas of work training, education, and medical services as well as providing single cell accommodation with in-cell sanitation.
The Programme for Government provides for investment in rehabilitation services, the development of individualised programmes for prisoners based on risk assessment and rehabilitation needs and incentives for prisoners to participate in such programmes. Fundamental to the achievement of this objective is an ability to categorise prisoners effectively. Thornton will provide the necessary facilities to achieve this. In the circumstances I do not see any purpose in reviewing the Government’s decision at this time.
Our new TD, Kierans asks about Shannon Airport and funding for the mid-west:
21. Deputy Kieran O’Donnell asked the Minister for Transport and the Marine when the Government funding will be put in place for the urgent implementation of the €53 million mid-west tourism and economic development plan (details supplied).
The response could be summed up as - “the plan will be finished shortly and there is another plan coming”:
Minister for Transport and the Marine (Deputy Noel Dempsey): Earlier this year the EU and the US reached agreement on a multilateral air transport agreement ‘Open Skies’ which envisages more liberalised air service arrangements on the transatlantic market. The agreement on Open Skies follows several years of negotiations at EU US level and marks an historic step in advancing the development of international regulation of aviation and is expected to yield significant economic benefits on both sides of the Atlantic.
As part of the transitional arrangements relating to Ireland, the ‘Shannon Stop’ requirement is being phased out and will end in April 2008. In the meantime air carriers are required to serve Dublin and Shannon on a 3:1 basis over the period October 2006 to March 2008. At the same time the restriction on the number of US cities that can be served by Irish carriers have been lifted. As a result, Aer Lingus will commence three new services from Dublin to the US from Autumn 2007 to San Francisco, Orlando and Washington.
With a view to assisting Shannon airport, and the wider region, to adapt to the new regime, my Department has drawn up an Economic and Tourism Development Plan for Shannon. This follows a commitment given by my predecessor Minister Cullen, which is now reflected in the new Programme for Government. I expect to be in a position to bring the Economic and Tourism Plan for Shannon to finalisation shortly.
In preparing the Plan, my Department has consulted with the Department of Arts, Sports and Tourism, the Department of Enterprise Trade and Employment, the Department of Communications & Natural Resources and the Department of Finance. A liaison group, established by the Mid West Regional Authority, has separately prepared a report on the future development of the Shannon region as an input to the Department’s Plan.
and one from Jimmy about the U-turn on landing Cork Airport with €100m of debt despite a commitment from Bertie Ahern
66. Deputy Jimmy Deenihan asked the Minister for Transport and Information Zoom the Marine the position in relation to the debt burden at Cork Airport; if he will personally intervene to resolve this issue. [18100/07]
The response - It won’t break them so they can feic off!
Minister for Transport and the Marine (Deputy Noel Dempsey): I understand that the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) has been advised by consultants on an appropriate financing proposal that would facilitate the statutory objective of the separation of Cork Airport from the DAA in a timely manner, consistent with the requirements of the State Airports Act 2004 and the Companies Acts. I am aware that the outcome of this analysis was that Cork Airport could sustain a certain level of debt while remaining a very viable enterprise. I understand that the board of the Cork Airport Authority also engaged consultants to examine further the issue of the Cork debt.
Clearly, the debt issue is crucial to the business planning process which will have to be addressed by the Cork airport board and the DAA, in the first instance, before any business plan is submitted to me and the Minister for Finance for our approval under the State Airports Act 2004. The Government position is that the funding of the new terminal and other works at Cork Airport will have to take account, not only of what is commercially and financially feasible for Cork Airport, but also what is commercially and financially feasible for Dublin Airport.
If the Cork Airport Authority is to achieve autonomy in the foreseeable future, it will have to accept responsibility for a reasonable portion of the outstanding debt, in return for the substantial assets to be transferred to it on separation. In deciding what level of debt is to be borne by Cork, it will have to be manifest to all concerned that it is a manageable debt burden that would not put at risk the airport’s commercial future. Responsibility for the production of the business plans rests with the authorities. My function, under the Act, is to consider the plans, in conjunction with the Minister for Finance, once they have been submitted.