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POLITICIANS ARE TO be banned from making phone calls in the Dáil chamber – but will still be allowed to send text messages and use social media, under proposed new rules.
The Dáil’s committee on procedures, which makes decisions on the rules of the Dáil, has agreed to amend the Standing Orders of the House to prevent TDs from taking or making calls while in the chamber (though it might surprise some this hasn’t always been the case).
It is understood that a number of complaints were made to the Ceann Comhairle Sean Ó’Fhearghaíl’s office by members of the public – with some making representations that politicians were not being attentive enough during some debates because they were using their mobile phones.
One TD told TheJournal.ie that there are a few politicians that take calls while in the Dáil, with some being “very loud” as they make their way out of the chamber while having a “full-blown conversation for all to hear”.
The same TD highlighted that there is an increase in the number of first-time TDs in the Dáil since the last election, who might need reminding about decorum in the chamber.
Blocking the phone signal
Legal advice about blocking the mobile phone signal in the chamber was also provided to the committee, but it has been deemed unworkable as it would impact areas outside the Dáil chamber, with a possibility that it would also affect the broadcasting equipment.
This is not the first time politicians using their phones in the Dáil has been highlighted.
In 2013, the Ceann Comhairle at the time, Seán Barrett, instructed members of the Oireachtas to turn off their phones or put them in flight mode when entering the House.
This warning was given due to mobile signals interfering with live feeds from the Oireachtas, with such interference rendering the recordings useless for radio and television broadcasts.
The proposed new rules will permit TDs to make and take calls in the lobby areas when votes are being taken.
There is to be no ban on sending text messages or using social media in the Dáil, though members of the media are still not permitted to use their phone in any capacity in the chamber.
Members also agreed to amend Standing Orders to prevent TDs from wearing clothing with slogans, campaigning messages, or images of any kind on garments.
It’s understood that some members of the public complained about the wearing of Repeal the Eighth Amendment jumpers in the Dáil – “but not as many as would have been expected”, said one TD.
Other complaints about the dress code included the wearing of a football jersey in the chamber by one TD.
The rule changes are to be voted on by the Dáil when it returns in September.
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Any ransomware I’ve ever seen if it corrupts your files they are gone for good pay or not
It doesn’t corrupt files. It encrypts them. There have been cases where people/companies do pay the ransom and do get their files unencrypted. However it’s a big risk as there is no guarantee and it just encourages these people to keep doing what they are doing
Yes, but easily defeated by taking regular backups. You may loose some data but the majority will be safe and it’s something people should be doing anyway.
Yep that is the best defense.
Backups are only useful if they are made to something that is NOT connected at the time of encryption … otherwise your backup gets encrypted too! :(
Back up your most important data externally.
It is the safest way and the least troublesome way.
Stick with using a good cloud service which gives centralised file distrbution as well as backup.
Dropbox for example will not synchronise with an encrypted file due to lack of rights.
Also, all files can be returned to a previous version if the worst were to happen.
That’s not true David. Once your local hard drive is encrypted, which includes your dropbox files, they wull be uploaded to dropbox.
You will then need to download them all from dropbox or any file sync service from a backup.
Reuben, Try it. Encrypt a file inside a DB folder and watch the process be refused access. It is a constant problem for me when users place encrypted files they have received from external sources into server based DB folders. The DB process will not upload them because of no rights. We then can never get the status ‘Up to Date’.
Poor Mac users – first they’re douchebags, and now this!?
No harm to you Alex, but I hope you update your anti-virus software more often that your insults. Douchebag is so last year.
However, if you are still in your pre-pubescent years and spend your days watching iCarly, then all is forgiven.
Forgot to mention, sent from my iPhone, so I guess I’m a douchebag, which is sooooo Rad!
Bit sad seeing grown adults doing the “My gang is better than your gang” stance over a computer.
VHS will beat Betamax!!
Wtf is iCarly
An iPhone is not a Mac, John. You’re confused.
FRB, no fooling you, eh? I thought the hatred was for anything Apple, not just Macs….only Windows-based stuff is “proper” computery kit.
Way to spot a joke, guys.
I wonder if you can restore your computer to an earlier time or if you’re prevented from doing that as well. I doubt you’d be able to do it the regular way, but booting from a recovery disk you might be able to. I better start backing up my files more often either way
Create a single backup and then do incremental backups when you make changes that you want to keep (or schedule em)
Google Apple Machine – it’s on every Mac for a good few years now. If your disc dies or gets encrypted by malware, you can restore everything.
Which operating system are you looking to recover…??
@Fake Avast: Time Machine works locally, to a USB disc on your LAN, or connected directly to your Mac, so no internet need for daily backups. Restoring the whole system involves downloading the system again from Apple, so you would need good internet for a few hours – if the worst happened, you could bring your Mac and backup disc to a mate’s house to reload…
As long as you’re regularly running time machine backups, then if the worst happens you can boot and restore from a time machine backup. By default though this shouldn’t affect many Mac users as the “security & privacy” settings in “system preferences” are set to allow only apps from the “Mac AppStore” and not “anywhere”. So unless you’ve changed this setting you should be ok. If you have, then ebb on the side of caution and common sense when being prompted to download software from an untrustworthy source.
So in short as long as I don’t install pirate software on my MAC I’m still OK!
I think it’s all starting to go pear shaped for Apple. A brutal start to the new year.
Yes Eugene, one of the most profitable companies in the world is going to go pear shaped because of what exactly? I don’t think so.
have your say