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AGRICULTURE MINISTER SIMON Coveney will be attending the infamous and highly-secretive Bilderberg Group summit which gets under way tomorrow.
Coveney was invited a number of weeks ago, is attending in a “private capacity” and covering his own expenses, according to a spokesperson for the minister.
A total of around 140 participants, including political leaders and experts from industry, finance, academia and the media from 22 countries, have confirmed their attendance.
The summit taking place from tomorrow until Sunday in the Danish capital of Copenhagen. Meetings of the group have been held every almost every year since 1954.
The original summit, at the Hotel Bilderderberg in the Netherlands, was organised with the stated aim of fostering closer economic and political ties between the US and Europe.
Topics for discussion this year include whether the economic recovery is sustainable, whether privacy exists, China’s new political and economic outlook, the situation in Ukraine, ‘current events’, and ‘the future of democracy and the middle class trap’.
The secretive nature of the Bilderberg meetings – and the elite nature of the guest list – means they’ve long been the subject of criticism with accusations that the organisation is a mostly white, mostly male networking opportunity. Right-wing critics have accused it of attempting to promote a world government.
Another Irish citizen attending is former Attorney General Peter Sutherland, who is the chairman of Goldman Sachs.
Other notable attendees include UK chancellor George Osborne, former CIA chief David Petraeus, the European Commissioner for Justice Viviane Redding, and Nato Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen
Coveney’s attendance is the first by an Irish government since Michael Noonan, the Minister for Finance, attended the conference in 2012. He did not participate in last year’s event.
A press release announcing the 62nd meeting on the Bilderberg website states: “Thanks to the private nature of the conference, the participants are not bound by the conventions of their office or by pre-agreed positions. As such, they can take time to listen, reflect and gather insights.
“There is no desired outcome, no resolutions are proposed, no votes are taken, and no policy statements are issued.”
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Reopen the nick…dont tell shatter.
In fairness, Stepaside is under 3 miles from the nearest Garda station at present, there are people who live 30 miles from the nearest Garda station, re-open some of the rural ones first.
No ‘first’ about it when your safety and security is an issue, we’re all equals in that sense, reopen them all now and undo the the Zionist mad shatter’s damage to our societal infrastructure.
There are over 25,000 living in Stepaside area, rural Ireland doesn’t need stations any closer than 30km for 6 people
FG’s answer will be cardboard cutouts of Gardaí in the windows.
Like something from ‘Home Alone’
I spend a lot of time in Stepaside. I live in Duleek Co.Meath.
I can’t recall the last time I read a news article about recent crime in Stepaside. . . . Duleek however, well just google it.
Our station needs to be opened ASAP
I live just outside Stepaside. My house was broken into 2 weeks ago. Now you’ve read about one. Burglaries are out of control in Stepaside/Leopardstown over the last 18 months.
Sorry to hear that. But burglaries aren’t news worthy. They are constant in Duleek, but the crimes I’m referring to are viscous aggravated burglaries and serious arson attacks.
The centra directly across the road from closed Garda station was victim of an armed robbery last week.
If that’s Duleek you are referring to, yes it was, as was the bookies beside it, both with staff and customers inside.
Last year almost every business in our little village was hit, including one where an elderly couple were injured during a hostage situation.
He must be handsome to travel that far
That he is ; )
It is very important that pay scales are restored so that the National Police service can carry out their duties in a proper manner
Why? What significance has more pay on a person’s ability to do their job correctly? Surely the money would be better spent on more police and equipment. The AGSI and GRA keeping banging on about more resources needed etc but everyone can see through the smoke screen. It’s all about money. I’m not saying that there is anything wrong with that. Everyone should have a fair wage but let’s not pretend that their whinging is about anything other than more money.
And restore the AGSI members former pay rates.
How are they payed compared to Sargents & Inspectors in the PSNI? How do the pensions compare?
*paid
There are other communities with higher crime rates.
I lived up in Stepaside in the Belarmine estate for 6 years and it was brilliant when it first opened with great neighbours. Then came the influx of social into apartments and a designated building beside parkview- suddenly cars start to be broken into in car parks, bikes went missing, apartments got broke into. Gardai were been called out in the middle of the night to apartments to deal with anti social behaviour. I personally don’t think it’s any coincide. I sold last year and happily moved away after falling victim and would advise anybody not to buy up there.
The article doesn’t make reference to actual crime figures so is there supporting evidence of this claim that crime has risen in the area? Is this above and beyond what’s been seen in other areas of Dublin? What type of crime are you referring to? Is it something that would be prevented from re-opening the station?
I originally come from the area and still have family living there. I can say with certainty that crime is on the rise in the area. A large number of houses and shops have been robbed since the closing of the station. I would be very interested to see the actual stats though.
If Gardai were out and about more, having useless garda stations open would not matter. Anyhow gardai no longer live in areas where they work and have long since lost contact with the people.
Not in south county Dublin! Cutbacks are for the culchies
Does your community have 20k population? How short sighted can you be to not relise that this is a test case.get this through and you can open more garda station nationwide.the south county dublin means very little, mixed social population.
A whole 20k!! Wow lol. Yes my community has more than 20k and also had its police station shut down.
“However, we are calling on the public to support us as we strive for a better policing service for all citizens of this state.”
Good luck with that, considering how they have treated the general public when it comes to the implementation of water meter installations and anti austerity marches.
I wonder, can we put up barriers telling them where they can march and where they can`t, and can we have the batons this time?
Bulls**t. The guards have been exemplary in the face of a concerted effort to goad them into lashing out against “peaceful protest” tactics, which were anything but. They have my support.
exemplary? – Pull your head out of wherever you have been keeping it, have a look at the heavy handed approach, not to mention the amount of pictures of Gardaí with their batons drawn in the city center (around the Dáil on numerous occasions – last time I checked, it was still lawful to protest in this country, but you would never guess it. I know your twitter handle says you are a Well meaning eejit, but you`re still an eejit none the less.
It’s lawful to protest but if people are getting arrested and then being successfully sent forward for trial (by the courts and DPP, not the guards, by the way) it’s because they are legitimately suspected of doing something illegal. Get over it.
Ooh you know who I am, I’m so scared…….
Keep drinking the anti-cop koolaid, anonymous weirdo. Go look to Ferguson for actual wrong heavy handed cop tactics.
What do they need a Garda station for? It’s about visibility and being out and about.
They could have them work from home.
Doesn’t stop them giving speeding tickets in Stepaside on a summers day!!
have your say