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EVERY WEEKDAY EVENING, TheJournal.ie brings you up to speed with the five things you should know as you head out the door.
1. #PUBLIC PAY: Members of the country’s largest trade union, SIPTU, have voted to approve the Haddington Road pay deal – ensuring that its provisions will now be adopted for all public servants. The deal was approved by 76 per cent of members – meaning the deal now enjoys a safe majority across the public sector.
2. #ABORTION: Health minister James Reilly has said he is not afraid to suspend any hospital’s powers to terminate a pregnancy, if the provisions of the proposed abortion law are being abused. Reilly was speaking as the Dáil began its debates on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, which will face its first votes next week.
3. #FIRE DEATHS: Wicklow County Council has pleaded guilty to three charges relating to the deaths of two firefighters in Bray six years ago. The council admitted it had failed to ensure the safety of its staff when Mark O’Shaughnessy, 26, and Brian Murray, 46, were fatally injured by a collapsing roof during a fire. The charges related to the equipment and safety training given to the two firemen.
4. #NO SHOW: The former chief executive of Anglo Irish Bank, Seán FitzPatrick, has declined an invitation to appear at the Dáil’s Public Accounts Committee – saying that while he would be “willing” to attend, it would not be advisable given the criminal charges outstanding against him. FitzPatrick had been invited to give evidence about the purchase of the former Irish Glass Bottle Company site in Ringsend for €431 million.
5. #BEACHED WHALE: The Defence Forces were called to help a whale which was beached in Co Meath this morning. The 2.5-tonne mammal took nearly two hours to return to the waters. Sadly, another whale discovered a few miles to the north, at Mornington, was discovered dead before it could be helped.
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Fair play to Glen and all involved. Lovely tradition for a great cause! Merry Christmas
@Brian Dunne:
Looks like great craic. Would love to get to it sometime. Especially when ya don’t know who’s gonna show.
Virtue signalling at its worst.
@Kevin Gorman: zzzzzzzzz
@Ebeneezer Goode: Oh dear. It’s Christmas. Be nice.
@Chin Feeyin: An important characteristic of virtue signalling is that there is no cost associated with the act; simple public vocalisation in support of a cause has no cost to the signaller. That’s all.
@Kevin Gorman: no cost? Yeah, I’m sure there’s no cost at all involved in this event. You’re leaving out that many people pay these acts to do this in other settings all year round. By not being paid there is a cost. Anybody doing their job for free is incurring a cost.
@Kevin Gorman: have a day off lad
@Kevin Gorman: Exactly what you are doing here. Numb nuts.
Virtue signalling.
@Kevin Gorman: Damned if they do, damned if they don’t.
@Ebeneezer Goode: more damned when they do
Nobody “deserves” a home, you “deserve” what you work hard for and earn.
@Sirius: Jesus and his parents didn’t deserve a home, so the Bethlehem Village Council quite rightly didn’t do anything to shelter them.
@Sirius: tell that to homeless children.. I’m Jewish but isn’t there something in the NT a bout no room at the Inn.. Correct me if I’m wrong!
@Sirius: tell that to all the kids that are homeless ya tit
@Sirius: As I already said and it’s been removed. You are a massive bell end. Everyone deserves a home/roof over their heads no matter how much money they have/ make. I hope to god you are never out on your arse at this time of year, God forgive you for such a nasty comment.
@olivia smith: yawn. Your a simpleton
@Victor Feldman: Now you go and ruin the whole rant. How unkind of you.
What’s with all these homeless charities having huge cash piles. If the homeless crisis was solved then all these charities would go out of biz. Wouldn’t want that now would they, so let’s hold of the spend and keep them mean.
@J: under this government the homeless crises went from 1,000 to 11,000 and you want to blame charities? If we had a good government who built houses then we wouldn’t need charities anyway, that should be all of our goals
@Kev: you’ve fudged your numbers a bit there but the idea is spot on
…Revelate. Nice one.
I can’t imagine a worse fate than being homeless at Christmas. Unless it’s being homeless at Christmas and having to listen to Glen Hansard and Imelda May. May God have mercy on every soul in attendance
Sounds terrible.. It not music..
Not as good without bono
@Eugene Kelly: Hansard such a pain even bono won’t go near him. Now THATS virtue signalling!
@Eugene Kelly: his so called philanthropy passing an old bucket around. The Irish rich just don’t do philanthropy except as a tax dodge.
Good initiative but only few people can access and for people a bit further down the street you cant hear a thing. So we left after 5 minutes. Maybe they should do something a bit more organised at some stage so people can enjoy this and give to the cause.
@Georges Dessaint: this sorr of thing is just window dressing for the u2 warbler.. Its his idea of being what he terms a philanthropist.. Its a cheap joke.
@Victor Feldman: pretty sure it’s Hansard’s baby
Would be nice to see happen D1 area sometime
@Mr Grumble: more cash to be made from the wealthy clase by picking the most overpriced street in Ireland
@Kev: agreed… but might attract well heeled to absorb wonderful culture and class mix.
I was surprised how many wouldnt donate to the cause yet were happy to watch a free gig . I witnessed 3 foreigners give out to the guy with the bucket shouting at him to get out of their way shouting in their own language. The guy handled it well. Thanks ladies for your spirit and donations great to see thank you. Shame on them
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