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Updated 5.50pm
THE DÁIL WILL this week have a chance to vote for a new wide-ranging anti-corruption agency which the Social Democrats claim could stop the sort of wrongdoing uncovered by RTÉ Investigates last night.
The SocDems have a private members’ motion before the Dáil tonight and tomorrow which calls on the government to implement its plan for a new Independent Anti-Corruption Agency.
However the plan, which has the support of Sinn Féin, is likely to be opposed by the government when a vote is called tomorrow night.
SocDem TD Catherine Murphy raised her party’s proposals at Leaders’ Questions saying the lack of consequences for politicians who commit wrongdoing “absolutely drives people nuts”. She said of last night’s revelations:
It sickened me but I can’t honestly say I am hugely surprised.
In response Taoiseach Enda Kenny listed off several pieces of legislation the government has passed in office that deal with improving standards in public office.
He also said that legislation to establish a new Public Sector Standards Commissioner will be considered by cabinet next week. However, a government spokesperson later admitted that it would be “ambitious” to expect the new law to be enacted in the lifetime of this government.
Responding to last night’s RTÉ programme, Kenny said:
It is utterly unacceptable for any public official to use their position for personal or financial gain.
Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams called on the government to implement his party’s Planning and Development Bill, which would establish an independent planning regulator as envisaged by the Mahon Report.
But Kenny said that the government’s Planning Reform and Regulator Bill would “ensure proper independent oversight over systems and procedures” of planning authorities.
Earlier, SocDem TD Róisín Shortall said the motion tonight is “particularly timely” given the RTÉ programme, which showed the failure of some politicians to declare interests and some councillors soliciting payment in exchange for support for a wind energy project.
“In Ireland we have no effective means of preventing, investigating or prosecuting corruption in Irish society,” Shortall told reporters at Leinster House today.
She said the motion tonight was giving TDs an opportunity to vote for an agency that would end the sort of behaviours uncovered by RTÉ.
“There is no effective means of tackling the kind of stuff we saw in that programme last night and dealing with it. Responsibility is spread over various different agencies, it’s far too convoluted,” Shortall said.
The law is spread across numerous pieces of legislation and that’s why we’re saying a single agency, with full powers and strong legislative basis, is the only solution to tackling this problem.
The agency would subsume the functions of the Standards in Public Office Commission, the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement, the Registrar of Lobbyists and the Competition Authority.
It would have wide-ranging powers including to power to initiate investigations into alleged wrongdoing in office, the power of compellability, court-authorised search and seizure, access to bank records, the power to arrest and the power to prosecute at District and Circuit court levels.
Shortall said it would be a dedicated agency that would have “a lot of business expertise” and would be a standing commission of investigation so that we would “move away from this ad-hoc approach to dealing with issues”.
The agency would also act in an advisory role to bodies such as the Garda Ombudsman, the Comptroller and Auditor General, and the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation.
SocDem TD Catherine Murphy said the establishment of such an agency would “have to be a bottom line for us” in any coalition negotiations after the next election.
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Ámhrán an bhFiann was sung by the men and women who fought in the GPO in 1916. It paints a great picture of what it was like there. No better anthem.
@Pat Kelly: Exactly
@Pat Kelly: if it was in English more may sing along
@bmul: english is a foreign language. The language of the men that starved your great great grandparents
@dublincomments: also the language it was originally written and sang in , the language the majority speak and understand . Just go to the scotland rugby match more no the words to flower if Scotland .
@bmul: does it matter what language it’s sang in?
@bmul: what is your point
@Dave Thomas: more would learn the words sing there national anthem .
@bmul: You would want to brush up on you’re own English if you want to sing it in English.
@Leadóg: auto correct is a b1tch
@bmul: our language was bet raped and murdered out of us. Are you out of your mind. god save the queen more to you I think
@bmul: there are English words available, I was at the world cup in USA 94 for one match and the American beside me started singing in English when I and the other Irish supporters were singing in Irish. I had to ask what he was singing as I wasn’t aware of an English version.
@Pat Kelly: we have one anthem, nine of this shoulder to shoulder crap.
@dublincomments: the same language you typed your comment in….just saying
It’s not broke, Don’t fix it!
La Marseilles is a martial air, I can’t see the French changing it. The Star Spangled Banner is a song about a siege, likewise the Americans are quite happy with it.
Nothing wrong with having a rousing National Anthem.
Leave it alone,if it offends you then feel free to take pride in some other country’s history.
Leave our anthem alone
All I know is ‘Irelands call’ is the greatest load of rubbish.
@Todd: it’s a disgrace if you ask me.
@Todd: agree ☘
@Brian Conway: who asked you
If we ever get to see a United Ireland then we will need to have a new anthem for our new shared country. Along with a new government, justice system, police force, army, educational system.
Ah I can only imagine what would be chosen as the national anthem today if they had their way…
@Ross O’Callaghan: who is this mysterious “they” you speak of?
@Ross O’Callaghan: I imagine Linda Martin, Louis Walsh and the late late show would be involved
@Ed: I would pay to see that, well not really, would just be an elaborate ploy to abduct them all! Would anyone come rescue them I wonder! Could I get some sort of medal for that?
Yeah,when they are at it they might as well change the name of the country as well sure.
@@mdmak33: are the fools that are not happy with our anthem and would prefer we name our country United Kingdom. I wonder if someone in Russia said they didn’t like the anthem what would happen.
Aon Focal Eile by Richie Kavanagh always spoke to my patriotic soul and invoked a great sense of irishness within me. And how beautiful it would be to hear a packed Lansdowne or Croker roar it at the top of their voices as they took to their feet and faced the flag. Not a dry eye would be left in the house I wager.
Letters from whom and whose agenda do they serve.not that of the Irish Republic I think which brave men and women over centuries have given there lives for.
(PC west Brit brigade ?)no thank you.
@oisin ryan: What will you be willing to give for a United Ireland? if a large part of a United Ireland don’t want it or the flag then maybe in the grander scheme of things its not that bad.
If anyone isn’t happy with our national anthem or are offended by our hard fought independence might I suggest they F”ck off to some pox ridden country where they can make changes. Tossers
@In my opinion: strange to have an anthem that hardly anyone Can sing. It’s like Christmas carols, most people only know the first lines. And dammit, I’d love to sing it’s lyrics and join in in it’s heart stirring message. But I don’t understand it really… may as well be Belgien.
@James Kearney: even though I can’t sing the anthem but when I’m somewhere and it’s played and everyone stands I feel an enormous sense of pride and well up that is the true sign of an anthem. Ireland’s call to me is something that’s recited by rugby enthusiasts as an alternative anthem.
@James Kearney: Then go and learn the lyrics.If you don’t understand Irish the English version is there to help you.
Only a matter of time before we all put out hand on our hearts and sing a European anthem. Nation states are obsolete
@Toby Fish: “nation states are obsolete” he says at a time when the number of nation states is at its highest in history, and still increasing.
@Toby Fish: stuff n nonsense
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: I should have clarified I meant within the EU not globally. There is no real point in nation states. Perhaps federal states under the oversee of Brussels would be better. Our government is useless anyway. I’d happily allow Brussels more control for the betterment of all of Europe. It’s just common sense
Why not have a referendum we have one for everything else
Leave it alone ,it’s part of our history, it’s not something you change
Probably wont go down well here but I dont really like our national anthem, Not because of the lyrics. Most people in Ireland don’t even understand the lyrics. It just sounds awful. It sounds like one of those 1950s show band songs. Nothing really special about it at all.
@Grey Beard: maybe you might like the British or German anthems if your quick the door won’t hit you in the arse on the way out.
https://youtu.be/k8DMJ3SGlzk
Let’s all stand for our national anthem.
Sinne laochra fáil
I don’t like it. It doesn’t reflect our nation or peace and I don’t like the flag either.
It doesn’t mean I’m unpatriotic. I just would rather support Hibernia in blue and yellow than the tricolour (designer by a French guy) and abused by sectarianism.
I like Ireland’s call. It’s about support. It’s about inclusion.
Hate away haters. Die mad about it.
@Abbie Cranky: well leave then. This Eire. Our history is our history. Our flag is our flag. The state of you and other west brits is sickening. Memorials to murdering invading soldiers is pathetic
Not many Irish know the words of their anthem so it should be in English language
@Michael Maher: It is in both
No complaints about the sentiment in the lyrics. A lot of national anthems are about expelling foreign foes, like Le Marseillaise.
Main complaint is about the tune itself. It doesn’t really rouse the crowd to sing it as it’s very slow and turgid. The Flower of Scotland ,even though its slow, sounds better because every knows the words. Every Welsh person doesn’t know “The Land of my Fathers” but it still sounds better than what we have because it builds up to a big crescendo.
Hopefully, once we gain re-unification we can come up with a tune that does justice to our musical heritage.
How about” aon focal eile”richie Kavanagh
Ireland’s call has become the de facto anthem for any of our sports which have a governing body for the entire island, it’s only at the Olympics/paralympics that Northern Ireland athletes representing Ireland have to accept the official Irish anthem instead.
BTW if you want to see Ireland’s call sung in full at a sports fixture go to one of the Irish women’s rugby international games. They sing every verse whereas the men use a shorter version.
In reality we only sing the chorus of our national anthem. There are at least six verses.
@Micheal S. O’ Ceilleachair: Technically, the national anthem is the chorus of Amhrán na bhFiann. The full song isn’t actually the anthem. I remember at the 1996 Olympics the confusion when they played the full version during a medal ceremony :)
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