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GOOD MORNING ALL.
Here’s all the news that you need to know this morning.
1. Ukraine
Russia has formally complained to the United States over its military aid to Ukraine, warning of “unpredictable consequences” if shipments of advanced weaponry go forward.
In a diplomatic note, Moscow warned the United States and NATO against sending the “most sensitive” weapons for Kyiv to use in the conflict with Russia, saying such shipments were “adding fuel” to the situation and could come with “unpredictable consequences,” the Washington Post reported.
2. Ukraine troops’ specialist training
The UK’s special forces, the ‘SAS’, have trained local forces in Kyiv for the first time since the war with Russia began, the Times is reporting.
3. Interview
Nadia Melnychuk, a Ukrainian woman who escaped from Bucha, shares her experience of the war, arriving in Ireland, and the beauty of the town she had to leave behind.
We were close to nature. Every Sunday, for example, I used to go to the park. It was really famous and people from all the Kyiv regions might try to see this park in Bucha. And in summer, for example, I was a practising yoga teacher, I would hold some yoga classes in this park and I went jogging through the woods and fresh air. It was really cool to be there.
4. Coveney trip to Bucha
Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney also noted the beauty of Bucha during his visit there as part of his journey to the capital Kyiv, this week. He writes in the Irish Examiner today:
“The apartment buildings are tall, laid out in grids that allow for mature parks in the squares between them, filled with towering pines and children’s playgrounds. The standalone houses of Bucha had space for a smallholding and orchards.
“It was not hard to see why, in peacetime, this would be such an attractive place to raise a family, close to central Kyiv, but with space and the beauty of the countryside.”
This contrasted with the horrors that have been inflicted on the town. Coveney noted the amount of family cars grouped together at one part.
They had no armour but had tried to appeal to the humanity of the invading soldiers with Russian words like ‘children’, ‘civilian’ and ‘stop’ scrawled in red or white paint on the front and sides of their vehicles. It didn’t protect them.
5. Sligo vigils
Thousands of people have attended vigils across the island of Ireland in memory of two men killed in Sligo.
Aidan Moffitt, 42, and Michael Snee, 58, were found dead in their own homes in the town on the west coast earlier in the week.
6. Northern Ireland elections
How likely is Sinn Féin to win the most Stormont seats for the first time in Northern Ireland’s history, in the hugely important upcoming elections on 5 May.
7. Court appearance
A man aged in his 30s is due in court today over a shooting that took place in Clondalkin in Dublin that took place a week ago.
8. Twitter takeover
Twitter said that its board of directors has unanimously adopted a “poison pill” defence in response to Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s proposal to buy the company and take it private.
9. Irish Rail works
People planning to travel on Irish Rail this Easter Bank Holiday weekend are advised that revised timetables are in place on all routes, with bus transfers serving lines that have been closed. Essential track and overheard line renewal works are taking place between Grand Canal Dock and Greystones from today until Monday 18 April.
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Typo in the headline. Should read “Taxpayer has written off 2 billion of SME debt”
The SME’s moan a lot that they can’t get credit, but they don’t seem to be too good at paying back what they owe.
If I was a bank I wouldn’t lend to them either. Let them bootstrap themselves and generate their own cash or capital to fund their business if it makes any commercial sense.
You obviously have never been involved in a business or never will be.
Every economy lives or dies on SME’s.
We could survive without Multi-nationals, brutal as that would be.
An economy is completely gone if SME go.
You proposal above would make turn Ireland in to one of the poorest countries in the world in a decade. They do not even do that in Africa.
A lot of SME’s do not help themselves… No / poor grasp of financials, cash businesses not lodging full turnover to bank accounts, others blatantly admitting to tax evasion and so on. We need smarter business people in this country not have a go heros. All of the above comes from my sources in the industry… I have no reason not to disbelieve them.
Truth be told it isnt written off the taxpayers have paid for it.
On the paper today how much it cost the Irish taxpayer to write off mick wallace’s Aib debt. No mention on the journal yet. Even though every time he gives a speech from his moral high ground, the journal are quick to post it.
All they are doing is recognising bad debt as bad debt by converting provisions to write offs. The cost to the Bank (or taxpayer) was taken long ago.
This is normal business practice. That is was not normal prior is a testimony to the old fashioned ways our banks were run, to great cost..
Normally the State does not use tax payers money to directly fund private enterprise.
So no, Seanie, it is not normal business practice.
Business once again gets a bail out while the unfortunate house holder in difficulty gets stuffed by government and the banks……
Kerry
Let’s sign up to your highly intelligent brand of economics. Let’s insist that the Banks pay a dividend of circa three thousand Euro per household at the end of the year and tell them to just write it off their balance sheets.
I really look forward to your fascinating contributions.
They’re at least good for a guffaw…….no wonder you don’t use your real name!
So you disagree the SME’s are being treated differently to house holders Richard? I’d argue with you but seeing as your grasp of reality and what is happening to ordinary Irish citizens is so vague there is no point. By the way I don’t see any reference by me to economic policy in what I said above just a statement of fact. But hey Richard if your happy with peoples family life being destroyed by financial stress that’s fine your welcome to what ever floats your boat.
“Stephen Mason, Director of BOI’s mortgage arrears resolution strategy, admitted that the bank would veto any Personal Insolvency Practitioner suggestions of debt write-down”, but its ok for them to pay 1% of first time buyers stamp duty. There needs to be consistency across the banks when dealing with problem debt. Whats good for the goose is good for the gander or do you propose that we recognise some peoples debt as less valid than others? The dotted line was signed, why should business owners benefit where others do not?
Kerry
You can call Richard a few names too ;)
The other equally lovable Richie ( Boucher ) will only do write-off’s on unsecured debt , and not secured debt ( mortgage) unless the person is successful through Personal Insolvency ( which is highly unlikely since the bank has 65% veto power ) or bankruptcy !
AIB ,on the other hand ,have been writing off debt for home-owners and now SME’s !
Kerry remember that small business owners have families too and no dole should the business fail. They employ employees who are family members to someone’s family. I am a small business owner, very small and crippled with debt. That debt was perfectly manageable 5 or 6 years ago, when you had money to spend, but now I can see now way out, but all I can do is keep trying. Don’t assume every business has money -some like mine have none, and all my debt is (as a sole trader) personal
I’ve lots of sympathy for you and people in your position Ian all I was doing is pointing out the different standards….
Good old tax payer bailing everybody out….we should get a medal. Who is going to bail us out when we are bled dry bailing everybody else???
2 billion divided by 1,500 SME’s = 1.333million written off to each company….
Some SME’s they are….
More like their mates got the write down first
Normal person owes a couple of grand and they have the solicitors letters out..
Was going to post that myself. Bank managers friends etc will get there piece first, keep them in a life there accustomed to. But keep the little man down.
Why does it matter? Either way SME’s are getting debt reductions…
How much did the AIB shareholders lose because of greed and bad management?
have your say