Sign in. It’s quick, free and it’s up to you.
An account is an optional way to support the work we do. Find out more.
BILL GATES, THE founder of Microsoft and noted philanthropist, will be in Ireland tomorrow for meetings with the Taoiseach, Tánaiste and President.
Gates, who is the founder and former chief executive of Microsoft and one of the world’s richest people, will hold a breakfast meeting with Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore at the Department of Foreign Affairs at Iveagh House tomorrow morning.
It’s expected the pair will discuss development aid and the funding Ireland gives to developing countries which fell last year, due largely to controversy surrounding the misappropriation of aid given to Uganda and subsequent suspension of that aid money.
Gates is also lobbying to protect the amount of aid given to developing countries by the European Union. The amount of money given will form part of ongoing discussion’s on the EU’s seven year budget, the Multiannual Financial Framework.
Discussions on the budget are expected to dominate the six months of Ireland’s EU presidency with some countries pushing for aid to developing countries to be cut as part of an overall reduction in the EU budget.
Gates will also meet with the Taoiseach Enda Kenny briefly before he heads to Áras an Uachtaráin later in the morning for a meeting and photocall with President Michael D Higgins.
It is also understood that Gates will do an interview with RTÉ during his visit to Ireland while the Sunday Independent reported at the weekend that he will meet with U2 frontman Bono who he has a close relationship with.
Gates with French president Francois Hollande and Bono at the Elysee Palace in Pris last October. Pic: AP Photo/Christophe Ena
To embed this post, copy the code below on your site
Having a lay majority on a committee to appoint judges is just ridiculous. Would you have a randomly selected lay majority panel to appoint and interview a chief of medicine ?
As for the argument of judges been political can somebody point out where a judges political interest has swayed a case ?
This is a Shane Ross SF vanity project.
Well the present system is not working needs reform….Regularly on the Journal there are reports of cases where the judge gives a laughable sentence…Also there seems to be no consistency between judges in similiar cases….Also it is impossible to fire or even reprimand a Judge at present….
Its also a pointless bill as the committee can nominate a judge but the government can refuse the nomination and still appoint whoever they like.
To change this a referendum is needed.
Would be far better off putting in place minimum sentencing terms and making sure judges stick to them. Mandatory 15 year sentences for those with massive amounts if convictions would be a start.
This Judicial Appointments Commission Bill needs to be scrapped in its entirety. It’s fundamentally flawed from its conception, no amount of amendments will make it worthy.
Easily satisfied apparently!
If this dog’s dinner of a bill manages to ingest itself into the statute books this year, but then Fianna Fail replaces the current government after the general election, Fianna Fail must repeal Ross’ judicial appointments legislation.
That’s too nice a puppy to spoil with an article like this. Shame on your Journal
have your say