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Fine Gael's former Minister Lucinda Creighton close to establishing new Irish political party

 

Former Fine Gael Minister Lucinda Creighton (above left & right pic) Stephen Donnelly Ind. TD.

Reform Alliance registers intent with state commission

Fine Gael rebels are close to establishing a new political party led by former Minister Lucinda Creighton and Stephen Donnelly.

Recent reports say that the proposed Reform Alliance party has registered with Ireland’s Standards in Public Office Commission.

The party is to be headed by Creighton and independent deputy Stephen Donnelly according to the report.

The paper believes the Reform Alliance will be launched in September after local and European elections.

The report says that Creighton and Donnelly have held talks on the formation of the new party in recent weeks.

The Reform Alliance has registered as a ‘third party’ with SIPO to allow it to raise funds for political research and policy development.

The steering group reportedly includes Creighton; her husband, Senator Paul Bradford, deputies Billy Timmins, Denis Naughten, Terence Flanagan and Peter Mathews and Senator Fidelma Healy Eames.

Creighton told the paper: “It is early days but it is about being fully compliant with the rules should we fundraise in order to carry out political research and develop new policy. We want to be a vehicle for new thinking in parliament.”

The report says the former Fine Gael Minister also refused to rule out the possibility of ultimately establishing a fully fledged party. She added: “I can’t say what the future holds.

“You have freedom in what you can say as an independent, but there is also strength in numbers. I am a great believer in party politics.”

After falling out with Fine Gael on the abortion issue, Creighton says she shares common ground with economics expert Donnelly.

She said: “In terms of what he wants to achieve, there is a lot of common ground. On reform, I share a lot of Stephen’s views, there is a lot of shared ground.

“In the coming months, I am happy to co-operate with him and definitely there is an opportunity for us to work together.”

Donnelly has welcomed the progress made by the Reform Alliance in the bid to establish a new political party.

He said: “I would entertain a discussion. I am not sitting here waiting, but I’ll listen.

“There is most undoubtedly a need for a new party, the current system is so old, stale and so badly in need of reform.

“There is a political cartel in Ireland and having a new party to challenge the cartel is a good idea.

“The establishment protects itself very well in Ireland, it’s a very closed system in terms of elites, it would be healthy for democracy if a new party challenged our vested interests.

“This cartel had created the scenario where “huge swathes of the public sector and the political system are stuck in a 1970s style time-warp.”

But Donnelly did warn that Fine Gael rebels need to move away from the abortion issue.

He stated; “They are going to have to work hard to get away from the pro-life single issue, but they have some seriously smart people.

Smart cameras now planned to catch Ireland's speeding cars automatically

 

New ANPR camera system planned to trap speeding motorists on Irish roads.

The Minister for Transport Leo Varadkar is examining legislation for number plate recognition cameras and average speed detection systems.

The ANPR system is already widely used in the UK and can also be used to track down cars without tax and insurance.

The Sunday Times reports that drivers on motorways in particular will be targeted by the new system, with cameras placed above tollbooths and on overhead gantries.

The technology calculates the time it takes to travel between two cameras which take time stamped images and if it’s too fast, the driver faces speeding penalties.

75% of Ireland’s pharmacies hit by crime

 

Irish Pharmacists call for more visible Garda presence on our streets and tougher sentences

Pharmacists have said that three out of four community pharmacies have been hit by crime in the last year and have called for increased Garda presence and tougher sentences.

The organisation representing community pharmacists, theIrish Pharmacy Union (IPU), said that shoplifting robbery accounted for most crimes at pharmacies.

It said that a nationwide survey of pharmacies had found that 84% had experienced more than one incident of crime.

The IPU said it was concerned that there had been a significant increase in crimes involving the use of a weapon.

The IPU maintained that almost one in every two crimes were perpetrated by criminals brandishing a weapon.

The IPU said that unless there was increased Garda visibility and tougher sentences to deter crime against pharmacies, “the level of crime will continue to increase with serious ramifications for employers, staff and local communities”.

It said that a survey of around 200 pharmacies nationwide conducted earlier this month on the crime issue found:

1. 37 per cent of pharmacists who decided not to report a crime did so because they felt the perpetrator would not be charged.
2. Cosmetics and perfumes were the most likely items to be stolen from pharmacies, with cash taken from one in six premises.
3. 92 per cent of pharmacists had invested in CCTV to protect their staff and businesses.
4. Three-quarters of pharmacists had used a Garda crime prevention officer.
5. 93 per cent reported that more visible policing would be effective in reducing crimes, with 85 per cent identifying tougher sentencing.

The vice president of the IPU’s community pharmacy committee Daragh Connolly said: “The appalling level of crime experienced by pharmacies should send out a strong message to the authorities that unless immediate action is taken, criminals will continue to see retail businesses, including pharmacies, as an easy target.

The belief that criminals will not be charged and the revolving door scenario in our courts is giving the impression to thieves that their criminal activities will go unpunished. It is imperative that a strong message goes out that criminals will be apprehended and dealt with appropriately by the authorities, including tough mandatory sentencing.”

Mr Connolly maintained that crimes against pharmacies and other businesses should never be seen as so-called “petty” crimes or as victimless crimes.

“There is a perception that crimes against business are ‘victimless’ crimes and consequently are not treated as seriously as they should be. The safety of pharmacists, staff and customers is being put at risk by criminals and this cannot be tolerated. Crime also damages businesses, threatens jobs and negatively impacts on staff morale. These hidden costs can have a far bigger impact on the pharmacy business than the direct costs of damage and loss.”

Man arrested after 4X4 van rams into pub and dole office in Buncrana

     

A 4 x 4 Van ended up crashing through the recently built labour exchange offices in Buncrana after a high speed chase by Garda.

Gardai have arrested a man after a 4X4 rammed into a pub and a dole office in Co Donegal on Friday evening.

Nobody was hurt during either incident but considerable damage was caused.

The first incident happened at 10.30pm at Ture, Muff, when a 4X4 struck a pub. It is believed gardai became aware of the incident and pursued the white 03 vehicle towards Buncrana.

The 4X4 eventually mounted steps and crashed into the front of the Department of Social Protection offices in Buncrana at about 11pm.

A large amount of structural damage was caused to the offices. The building is next door to Buncrana garda station. A 40-year-old man was initially arrested for road traffic offences and released but then rearrested under the Criminal Justice Act. He is currently being questioned at Buncrana garda station.

A spokesman confirmed that nobody was hurt during the bizarre series of events.

The area is still sealed off and the 4X4 remains at the scene and is being forensically examined by gardai.

Local Buncrana town councillor Ciaran McLaughlin said people in the town were shocked.

“Like most other people in Buncrana, I’m shocked at the incidents. Nobody really knows what happened, we are all just relieved that nobody has been hurt,” he said.

Condoms are too large for Indian Men

  

Condoms made to international sizes are too big for Indian men survey finds.

Condoms made to international standard sizes are too large for many Indian men, a survey has found.

A two-year study by the Indian Council of Medical Research found that more than half of the Indian men measured had penises shorter than international standards for condoms.

It has led to a call for condoms of mixed sizes to be made more widely available in India, where over 2 million people are estimated to live with HIV.

Over 1,200 volunteers across the country had their penises measured precisely, down to the last millimetre, according to a BBC report.

“It’s not size, it’s what you do with it that matters”

The scientists concluded that about 60% of Indian men have penises 3-5cm shorter than international standards used in condom manufacture.

Doctor Chander Puri, a specialist in reproductive health at the Indian Council of Medical Research, told the BBC there was an obvious need in India for custom-made condoms, as most of those currently on sale are too large.

Currently around one in every five times a condom is used in India it either falls off or tears, an extremely high failure rate.

Puri said that since Indians would be embarrassed about going to a chemist to ask for smaller condoms there should be vending machines dispensing different sizes all around the country.

He said: “Smaller condoms are on sale in India. But there is a lack of awareness that different sizes are available. There is anxiety talking about the issue. And normally one feels shy to go to a chemist’s shop and ask for a smaller size condom.”

But Sunil Mehra, former editor of the Indian version of Maxim magazine, retorted: “It’s not size, it’s what you do with it that matters.

“From our population, the evidence is Indians are doing pretty well.

Blinding meteor light caught on CCTV shooting across night sky

 

A flaming meteor hurtling over Earth was spotted by hundreds of residents on Boxing Day as it lit up the dark December sky.

On CCTV footage, the fireball was caught in all its glory as it blazed over shocked onlookers in a short burst into the atmosphere.

The fireball was reported to the American Meteor Society by more than 700 people.

Witnesses from Iowa and Minnesota said they saw the meteor that was ‘as bright as the sun’ cross the state border.

The bright was captured on security footage in the city of North Liberty, northwest of Iowa City.

The tape shows the line of the meteor as it streaked across the sky at around 5.30pm local time.

Many also took to Twitter to show their best view of the blinding light.

The American Meteor Society – a non-organisation which collects information for meteor sightings – wrote on its website: “Witnessed (sic) described a fireball as bright as the Sun that fragmented into many parts.

“Several witnesses reported sonic effects associated with the meteors including at least three reports of delayed booms.

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Mortgage approvals rise by 23% in Ireland for April 2013

       

Latest figures from Irish Bankers’ Federation indicate renewed activity in mortgage market

New mortgage approvals rose by nearly 23 per cent in April compared with the previous month, according to the last figures from the Irish Bankers’ Federation (IBF).

A total of 1,433 mortgage with a combined value of €240 million were approved by lenders during the month.

The IBF’s mortgage approvals report indicated the vast majority (91 per cent) of approvals were for house purchase.

This segment of the market grew by 23 per cent in April on the previous month, and by 11.8 per cent on an annual basis.

With the total value of mortgage approvals for house purchases standing at €226 million in April, the average mortgage approval value for the purposes of house purchase was €167,418 – up 2.2 per cent on the same period last year.

The IBF’s director of public affairs, Felix O’Regan, said: “The increase in the number of new mortgage approvals recorded in April is welcome evidence of renewed activity in the mortgage market, a pattern which first emerged during the latter part of last year.”

“Following a more recent slowdown in activity in the first quarter of this year – due to seasonal factors and the expiration of mortgage interest relief – the latest approvals figures provide a firm indication of underlying growth in the market.”

Piba, the umbrella group which represents financial brokers, however, said the figures were “no cause for celebration”.

“Firstly it’s worth remembering that mortgage lending has dropped 95 per cent from peak. Secondly the figures are for approvals and the suspicion is that there may be quite a gap between approvals and drawdown,” Piba’s Rachel Doyle said.

“There is huge unmet need with the biggest impediment being a lack of lending. It is our experience that there has been a slight easing in the system of late and the April figure is likely to represent a further small improvement. However, it is not going even close to meeting current demand,” she said.

She said demand is being driven primarily by people believing that property prices are close to the bottom of the market (61 per cent) and the fact that it is as cheap to buy as rent (20 per cent).

“However, the biggest impediment to these people is the unnecessarily stringent conditions being imposed by lenders on people who do have the capacity to repay loans.”

Data collection for the IBF Mortgage Approvals Report began in August 2012 covering the period from January 2011.

Irish Men the biggest culprits for speeding on our roads

   

Half of all Irish drivers admit to breaking the speed limit – and men are the worst offenders, a new survey shows.

Research published today found 64pc of men admitted to speeding compared to 49pc of women.

Our top three bad habits are driving too fast, forgetting to dim lights when meeting on-coming cars and driving too close to the car in front.

Alarmingly, 10pc of drivers admitted to driving without a seatbelt in the past year, according to the survey carried for Liberty Insurance’s Safe Driver Campaign.

Both sexes are guilty of taking their eye off the road with almost one in five admitting to eating, shaving, applying makeup or brushing their hair while driving.

Almost half of Irish drivers have also experienced another driver forcing them to pull in to allow an overtake manoeuvre while only 4pc admitted to doing this.

Two-thirds of drivers have experienced another driver not using their indicator while overtaking but only 15pc admitted to this.

Most worryingly, only 1pc admitted to driving without a seatbelt while children were in the car while almost two in five drivers have said they observed this in the past year.

The research, conducted by Millward Brown, also saw men admit to suffering more from frustration on the road.

A total of 24pc of men admitted to unnecessarily beeping the horn compared to 16pc of women.

And a quarter of women admit to having taken more than three turns when trying to park compared to 17pc of men.

The campaign is aimed at encouraging motorists to think more about driver safety by examining their driver behaviour and that of others.

The top three bad habits that Irish drivers have admitted to are driving over the speed limit (56pc ), forgetting to dim lights when meeting on-coming cars (31pc ) and driving too close to the car in front (22pc).

Liberty Insurance head of marketing Annette Ni Dhathlaoi said: “ Many Irish drivers are guilty of bad habits such as tailgating, driving over the speed limit or taking our eye off the road which can lead to road accidents.”

Ireland will deploy ministers to counter ‘tax haven’ claims made in the USA

 

Dublin will mount a diplomatic offensive to dispute claims made by a US Senate committee that it is a tax haven amid concern that last week’s congressional hearings with Apple executives have tarnished Ireland’s reputation.

Richard Bruton, the Irish business minister, said on Monday the government planned to write to the US Senate’s permanent subcommittee on investigations to counter claims it is a tax haven or had agreed a special deal with Apple enabling the company to avoid paying taxes.

“The government is absolutely clear: talk of Ireland being a tax haven is wrong,” he told reporters. “There are no special deals in Ireland.”

The Irish government plans to send senior ministers abroad to explain its tax strategy to officials and in media interviews in an attempt to repair some of the damage caused by the committee hearings. Eamon Gilmore, deputy prime minister, will begin the charm offensive this week when he meets officials at the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development in Paris. Lucinda Creighton, Europe minister, will also meet US officials in Washington.

Ireland is recovering from a deep financial crisis and is hugely reliant on foreign investment with 150,000 people in the country employed by multinationals. Dublin is alarmed that the attention given to claims made by Carl Levin, chairman of the Senate committee, could prompt international bodies such as the OECD and EU to force it unilaterally to change its tax code.

Last week the investigations committee accused Dublin of being at the centre of a complex tax avoidance strategy devised by Apple that enabled the company to save US tax on $44bn in “otherwise taxable offshore income”. The report also claimed Apple reached a special deal with Ireland to apply a tax rate of less than 2 per cent on any profits that are taxable in the country – well below the 12.5 per cent Irish corporate tax rate.

Also this month, a UK parliamentary committee focused attention on Ireland’s tax code when it highlighted how Google managed to reduce its tax bill using the so-called “Double Irish” tax avoidance strategy.

This mechanism relies on two Irish incorporated companies. The first is tax resident in Ireland and pays royalties to use intellectual property, which generates expenses that reduce the amount of tax it pays in Ireland. The other company, typically incorporated in Ireland but not tax resident in the country, collects the royalties in a tax haven such as Bermuda or the Caymans, thereby avoiding Irish taxes.

Mr Bruton said there were opportunities for aggressive tax planning for companies that sought to arbitrage through the tax codes of different countries and Dublin would support global efforts to stop this.

“Ireland supports initiatives to deal with such aggressive tax planning but they will be done through international forums such as the OECD,” he said.

Mr Bruton said other countries had special deals with companies and suggested moving unilaterally could hurt Ireland’s competitiveness.

“When I go into the boardrooms competing for mobile investment, I know there are companies coming in behind me from Switzerland or other countries with alternative offers who are going to be offering special deals. We don’t do that,” he said.

Property tax database will help flush out 32,000 rogue Irish landlords

  

The property tax database is going to be used to chase down almost 32,000 rogue landlords who have previously escaped detection.

Their identities are being revealed due to the fact that their tenants are contacting the Revenue to tell them that they are not the owners of the house. Under the law, all landlords are required to have registered with the Private Residential Tenancies Board.

The Government is now going to change the law so that the Revenue can pass on the names and addresses of landlords identified by tenants to the Private Residential Tenancies Board (PRTB).

They are now facing the prospect of fines of up to €4,000 or six months in jail if they are found not to have fulfilled their obligation to register.

And they also face the prospect of a Revenue tax audit to discover if they have been avoiding paying tax on their rental income. Junior Minister for Housing Jan O’Sullivansaid she would be bringing through legislation to allow the PRTB to get information from the Revenue’s property tax database.

“The vast majority of landlords are compliant but the small ‘rogue’ element need to wake up to the fact that non-compliance won’t be tolerated and they will face the music,” she said.

According to the PRTB, there were 308,750 households living in private rental accommodation in the 2011 Census. But it currently has 277,000 tenancies registered – meaning that there are up to 31,750 landlords who have not signed up.

Science-funding agencies to forge a deal to allow US researchers to study in Ireland

  

The head of the science-funding agency Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) Prof Mark Ferguson today signed an agreement with Dr Cora Marrett from the US National Science Foundation (NSF) to pave the way for US researchers to do a stint in Ireland at one of SFI’s research centres.

Ferguson was in Berlin, Germany, today for a meeting of the Global Research Council where he forged the new partnership with Marrett, who is the acting director of the NSF.

Under the agreement, selected researchers from the NSF’s Graduate Research Fellowship programme will be able to carry out research at one of SFI’s research centres for between three and 12 months.

Ferguson said the partnership will create new opportunities for young, talented researchers while also strengthening the academic ties between Ireland and the US.

Areas the US researchers will be involved in while they study in Ireland will include nanotechnology, big data, marine energy and medical technologies.

Marrett said graduate students being trained as scientists and engineers in the US will increasingly collaborate and compete with their peers from around the globe throughout their careers.

She said the Graduate Research Fellowship programme would prepare the NSF’s graduate research fellows to engage in the global research space by connecting them to scientists and research infrastructure in Ireland and around the world.

Besides Ireland, other countries that take part in this alliance with the NSF include Switzerland, Chile, Norway, South Korea, Denmark, Singapore, Finland, Japan, France and Sweden.