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EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine things you need to know as you start your day.
1. #GARDAÍ: Minister for Justice Alan Shatter has warned of further garda station closures due to budget constraints. Thirty-one stations have already been earmarked for closure this year.
2. #FEES: Third-level students are set to vote today on whether to abandon or maintain the Union of Students in Ireland’s position on opposing all forms of tuition fees and student contributions. The secret ballot is being taken at the USI’s national congress in Ballinasloe and the results are expected tomorrow.
3. #OAKLAND: Seven people have died and three others injured in shootings at a Christian university in Oakland, California yesterday. Police have arrested a former student and are holding him as their main suspect for the attacks. They said the man gave himself up at a local shopping centre.
4. #HEALTH: The HSE is continuing to investigate the deaths of six patients at a Donegal nursing home. The patients died over the past two weeks and the cause of their deaths is being investigated and HIQA officials are expected at the facility today.
5. #MORTGAGES: Karl Deeter of Irish Mortgage Brokers has said that people who are intentionally delaying their mortgage payments in the hope of getting a better deal from their lender are adding to the pressure on people who are genuinely struggling to make loan repayments. The Irish Times says Deeter claims that up to a quarter of people in mortgage arrears are ‘strategically’ withholding payment, though the Free Legal Advice Centre says it is impossible to gauge how many people fall into this category.
6. #RUSSIA: At least a dozen people have died after a fire engulfed a market warehouse in Moscow. The BBC reports that the property was being used to house market vendors and Russian authorities say the victims are migrant workers from former Soviet states.
7. #SEPARATED: A new service has been launched which aims to help children to spend time with separated parents from whom they live apart. The Child Contact Centre service is being provided by the charity Barnardos and the one-parent family support service One Family.
8. #COLOMBIA: FARC rebels have released at least ten police and military hostages who were held captive for the past decade. The men were flown from a designated meeting point in the jungle on a borrowed Brazilian helicopter and were reunited with their families before undergoing medical checks. Colombian leaders have called on FARC to release the hundreds of civilian hostages it continues to hold.
9. #WHAT NEXT?: An inventive Dutch company has developed a ‘flying car’ which they say has carried out several successful test flights, according to Euronews, and which can hit 185 kph on land or in the air. Check out the PAL-V gyrocopter in action:
(Video uploaded by TelegraphTV)
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I know it’s a bit off the point but labour trying to defend job bridge is farcical. It completely plays into the hands of unscrupulous employers who instead of creating real positions and paying a real wage totally take advantage of desperate people who really want to work.
3/5 finding full time work through it would seem to bely that notion. Not to say that there aren’t numerous cases where it has been abused. It’s also done good in many cases.
Ireland now have the shameful position of the 2nd highest level of low paid workers in the OECD thanks to this government.
Spin it what ever way you want but when a family cant earn enough to feed and clothe themselves its the FIS that they turn to.
The government are encouraging low pay to massage live reg figures to churn out crap like 3/5 in “jobs” when it should be looked at along side how many of these people now also have to claim Family Income Supplement and still be at the poverty line. Job bridge = slavebridge.
@David, which report or piece of research found that 3/5 participants end up in full-time paid employment having completed their Jobbridge internship?
David don’t get sucked in by the figures they are highly massaged.
A labour TD accusing someone of backtracking now that’s laughable labour are experts at it but thankfully not for much longer labour are finished.
It seems Labour TDs are the ones clutching at straws trying to save their political hides before the next General Election.
Hmm, people not trusting what Gerry Adams says…..
They don’t seem to trust Labour either, very surprising.
No real surprise. Sinn Fein flip flop on most things. Just 3 weeks ago Pearse Doherty stated in morning Ireland that the abolition of water charges was not a red line issue for them to go into government coalition. 3 weeks on in the run up to a by election, they want to abolish it. Whatever is popular is their policy…
The labour party what, they’d know all about “chopping and changing key policies.”
What? That’s not like Gerry to be speaking out of both sides of his mouth.
Expect loads of smears against SF following todays opinion poll. FFFG are getting desperate.
Labour are terrified, they are on the brink of extinction. 24% for Sinn Fein. Its not trinners for winners, its shinners for winners today.
Mary Lou can claim both of those fine accolades.
Labours desperation is palpable.
Labor = Lacky Dogs . (apologies to mongrels and bitches everywhere)
When I first heard about Jobsbridge I thought it was a good idea, however it is incredibly flawed, nearly every store in my town uses it for free workers, they are to work 39 hours for an extra 50€ a week, granted you work for your dole money also but that still puts it below the minimum wage, the Jobsbridge scheme should be paying €100-150 plus for 39 hours a week work, this is bordering slave labour, I don’t see how it’s fair to have people working for so little money especially when all the jobs that used to be paid well are now a Jobsbridge scheme.
a TD asking a question on behalf of a constituent how very dare he!
This is a nothing piece of inter cert standard reporting, are would be’ Indo’ reporters working for the journal? 300 words about nothing and yet clouded in inferences displaying an agenda more appropriate for O’Brien’s tabloid rag than the Journal.
Do you honestly think the Journal isn’t every bit as agenda-driven as O’ Brien’s?
They are both now as bad as each other, SF are effectively the new FF and like the others not to be trusted whatsoever.
Anyone criticizing Gerry is a troll and must be silenced.
Unleash the dogs!
Early shift at the spintank today I see.
John why as a FG supporter would you defend Adams?
The concept of Job bridge seemed to be fine , It seems that many employers abuse the system and have no intentions of ever offering anyone a job at the end of there term .
Good old Ireland
Yes but their leaders did say they would pay water tax despite the “party stance” suggesting it be scraped, if that’s not hypocrisy i don’t know what is!
Sweeping government generated statistics bely the reality of the situation David.
As someone who was offered a permanent position through jobbridge I can only say good things about the scheme. That said it is open to abuse by employers.
JobsBridge was and is a great idea. Its implementation and criteria were unfortunately put together by morons. They should roll it out with with more definition and an onus on employers. It should not be allowed to be abused by the likes of mushroom and potato growers as is the case today.
Honestly is a politician not allowed change his mind or admit when their wrong.
Well FG seem to be ok with changing their minds on water charges.
I am 30 years old, I worked for 7 almost 8 years when I finnished school had a good job worked my way up through a company went to college when the down turn hit and got my honours degree. It’s wasn’t easy. Paying bills, paying for a house like most people but I worked hard. I started a jobbridge as I couldn’t find anything else local and I have to say it’s a total let down. Was told on a Friday to start on the Monday but they had nothing set up for me when I got there. I got to spend 3 days looking at a computer that didn’t work, I was stuck in a corner of an office all day. I can’t help but think if I was getting a weekly wage and not on jobbridge I wouldn’t be left and forgotten. My skills, education, experience would be getting used… It’s a daily occurrence as well.
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