Peadar Toibin TD Clinics
Ballivor (Mc Loughlins of Ballivor) Friday 1st July 2.30pm – 5pm
Navan (Sinn Fein Office, Flowerhill) Monday 4th July 9am – 1pm
For an appointment or more details call: 046-902 1345
Meath Tourism
Meath Tourism Historical Sites
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Peadar Toibin TD Clinics
Ballivor (Mc Loughlins of Ballivor) Friday 1st July 2.30pm – 5pm
Navan (Sinn Fein Office, Flowerhill) Monday 4th July 9am – 1pm
Slane Castle Whiskey, Meath Chronicle BUY YOURS
The Conyngham family has signed an exclusive distribution contract with wine and spirit specialists, Classic Drinks, to distribute Slane Castle Irish Whiskey throughout Ireland.
Classic Drinks is a wholly owned Irish company that imports and sells wines and spirits from around the world throughout the Irish Republic. The company employs 21 people, including a sales team of 10 people from its head office in Little Island, Cork City.
Alex Mount Charles said: "We are delighted to be working with the Classic Drinks team who are proactively pushing Slane Castle Irish Whiskey out into the Irish market. We can already see evidence of the brand increasing in popularity and going from strength to strength."
Hugh Murray, sales director of Classic Drinks, said that having such a large brand name as Slane Castle Irish Whiskey in its portfolio had helped sell the whiskey to both existing and new customers nationwide.
Slane Castle Irish Whiskey has been handcrafted and carefully selected by three generations of the Conyngham family.
Alex, The Earl of Mount Charles and Henry's son, has worked closely with master blender Noel Sweeney from Cooley Distillery to create a well-balanced blend of malt and grain Irish whiskey. This small batch whiskey is aged and matured for at least four years in first use American bourbon soaked oak barrels.
In the traditonal style, the malt whiskey is distilled in copper pot stills, with the column distilled grain whiskey using both malted barley and maize.
Meath Solicitors, O Reilly 046-9022 948
I was in real difficulty, I had to appear in Court and did not know what to do. I contacted Patrick O'Reilly and was immediately put at ease. I knew what I had to do and where I had to go. The matter was dealt with in a professional manner and the final out come was easier to deal with thanks to the help that I recieved from Mr O'Reilly. My advice to anyone in any difficulty or simply seeking legal advice, they should contact Pat at Tel: 046-9022948.
Wednesday, June 29, 2011
Leonard Watters charged with false sex claims Louis Walsh
A man (24) has been charged with falsely accusing music industry manager judge Louis Walsh of indecent assault at a Dublin nightclub.
Leonard Watters, who was granted bail on condition he does not contact Walsh or anyone from the Westlife band, is charged with making a false report to gardaí. He appeared at a brief sitting of the Dublin District Court just before 1pm.
Walsh has described the investigation over the last week as hugely distressing.
Mr Watters was charged under section 12 of the Criminal Law Act, and penalties for the offence range from a €500 fine to five years in prison.
The accused has told investigating officers he has no fixed abode, but the court heard he is from Navan, Co Meath.
Judge William Early granted bail on a total of three conditions. As well as avoiding contact with Walsh and Westlife, he must not interfere with any other potential witnesses and must provide an address within the next 24 hours.
The court was told Mr Watters, who was ordered to pay a €300 bond to secure his release on bail, is unemployed.
The accused made no reply when charged, arresting officer Det Insp Michael Cryan told the court.
There was no objection to bail from the State solicitor and the case was adjourned until September 7th at the District Court.
Music industry manager Walsh became a judge on The X Factor in 2004 and is the only remaining member of the original panel. He has managed a number of groups and performers, including boy bands Boyzone and Westlife.
Leonard Watters, who was granted bail on condition he does not contact Walsh or anyone from the Westlife band, is charged with making a false report to gardaí. He appeared at a brief sitting of the Dublin District Court just before 1pm.
Walsh has described the investigation over the last week as hugely distressing.
Mr Watters was charged under section 12 of the Criminal Law Act, and penalties for the offence range from a €500 fine to five years in prison.
The accused has told investigating officers he has no fixed abode, but the court heard he is from Navan, Co Meath.
Judge William Early granted bail on a total of three conditions. As well as avoiding contact with Walsh and Westlife, he must not interfere with any other potential witnesses and must provide an address within the next 24 hours.
The court was told Mr Watters, who was ordered to pay a €300 bond to secure his release on bail, is unemployed.
The accused made no reply when charged, arresting officer Det Insp Michael Cryan told the court.
There was no objection to bail from the State solicitor and the case was adjourned until September 7th at the District Court.
Music industry manager Walsh became a judge on The X Factor in 2004 and is the only remaining member of the original panel. He has managed a number of groups and performers, including boy bands Boyzone and Westlife.
Peadar Toibin
A Navan TD thinks that the county's lesser known megalithic tombs could be key attractions for tourists.
Sinn Féin's Peadar Tóibín is calling on the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Office of Public Works (OPW) to ensure that the Loughcrew and Sliabh na Cailliagh burial grounds outside Oldcastle are not only protected, but promoted.
"Loughcrew is a site of considerable historical importance in Ireland," said Deputy Tóibín. "Contained on the site are megalithic burial grounds dating back to approximately 3,500BC and 3,300BC. Some of the cairns are engineered in such a manner that the sun illuminates the passages during the equinox."
He believes there has been deliberate vandalism on the ancient stones. "These sites are major heritage value and have an international significance due to the large amount of megalithic art to be found on the site.
"They are, in fact, older than Newgrange. It has come to my attention that there has been damage caused to some parts of the site some unwittingly and some purposefully. Some stones have been moved and some have been removed altogether. Indeed, there has been graffiti sprayed on some of the stones. It is of the utmost importance that the OPW and the minister put in place a system of protection for the sites," he said.
He believes the area could be a prime draw but was being neglected. "It is also important that the sites are promoted and that their value is realised. Newgrange receives tens of thousands of visitors a year and yet we have a site of similar importance outside Oldcastle and little if anything is done to harness it as a commercial resource for the locality.
"The whole Boyne Valley and the Kells, Oldcastle area is being underutilised and it is beyond time that serious efforts were put in place to protect, package and market the area as a tourist destination," he added.
Sinn Féin's Peadar Tóibín is calling on the Minister for Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht and the Office of Public Works (OPW) to ensure that the Loughcrew and Sliabh na Cailliagh burial grounds outside Oldcastle are not only protected, but promoted.
"Loughcrew is a site of considerable historical importance in Ireland," said Deputy Tóibín. "Contained on the site are megalithic burial grounds dating back to approximately 3,500BC and 3,300BC. Some of the cairns are engineered in such a manner that the sun illuminates the passages during the equinox."
He believes there has been deliberate vandalism on the ancient stones. "These sites are major heritage value and have an international significance due to the large amount of megalithic art to be found on the site.
"They are, in fact, older than Newgrange. It has come to my attention that there has been damage caused to some parts of the site some unwittingly and some purposefully. Some stones have been moved and some have been removed altogether. Indeed, there has been graffiti sprayed on some of the stones. It is of the utmost importance that the OPW and the minister put in place a system of protection for the sites," he said.
He believes the area could be a prime draw but was being neglected. "It is also important that the sites are promoted and that their value is realised. Newgrange receives tens of thousands of visitors a year and yet we have a site of similar importance outside Oldcastle and little if anything is done to harness it as a commercial resource for the locality.
"The whole Boyne Valley and the Kells, Oldcastle area is being underutilised and it is beyond time that serious efforts were put in place to protect, package and market the area as a tourist destination," he added.
Tuesday, June 28, 2011
Leonard Watters Navan Meath, Louis Walsh sex claims
Leonard Watters, Navan, Meath.
X Factor judge Louis Walsh has welcomed the news that gardaí in Dublin have dropped an investigation into an accusation of an alleged indecent assault.
The music mogul was commenting as it emerged that a 24-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of knowingly making a false report to police.
The man was detained in Navan town and taken to Dublin for questioning, where he can be held for up to 24 hours.
The penalty for such an offence ranges from a €500 fine to five years in jail.
Walsh said it had been a "hugely distressing time" and he was now pursuing legal action over publication of the story.
He said: "I have been informed by An Garda Síochána that I am now no longer under investigation.
"I have robustly maintained from the outset that this alleged incident did not occur."
Walsh said he was "outraged" that the story was ever published and he had instructed his libel lawyer.
He added: "I have no intention of letting this matter rest until I have received total and absolute vindication.
"This has been a hugely distressing time for me, but I would like to thank all my friends and colleagues for their support and I am now just looking forward to getting back to work."
The Irish star became a household name in 2004 when he became a judge on The X Factor, and is the only remaining member of the original panel.
He has managed a number of groups and performers, including boy bands Boyzone and Westlife.
Louis Walsh sex claims False, Leonard Watters Scum Bag, Navan Meath
Leonard Watters a disgrace to Navan and County Meath.
X Factor judge Louis Walsh has welcomed the news that gardaí in Dublin have dropped an investigation into an accusation of an alleged indecent assault.
The music mogul was commenting as it emerged that a 24-year-old man had been arrested on suspicion of knowingly making a false report to police.
The man was detained in Navan town and taken to Dublin for questioning, where he can be held for up to 24 hours.
The penalty for such an offence ranges from a €500 fine to five years in jail.
Walsh said it had been a "hugely distressing time" and he was now pursuing legal action over publication of the story.
He said: "I have been informed by An Garda Síochána that I am now no longer under investigation.
"I have robustly maintained from the outset that this alleged incident did not occur."
Walsh said he was "outraged" that the story was ever published and he had instructed his libel lawyer.
He added: "I have no intention of letting this matter rest until I have received total and absolute vindication.
"This has been a hugely distressing time for me, but I would like to thank all my friends and colleagues for their support and I am now just looking forward to getting back to work."
The Irish star became a household name in 2004 when he became a judge on The X Factor, and is the only remaining member of the original panel.
He has managed a number of groups and performers, including boy bands Boyzone and Westlife.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Ashbourne Death, Traffic Accident
A woman in her 20s was killed in a crash near Ashbourne, Co Meath this morning.
Gardaí believe the single-vehicle crash on the N2, at Primatestown, 3km north of Ashbourne, happened early today.
The 22-year-old’s body was found at 10am.
The body has been taken to Navan General Hospital for a postmortem. The road is closed for a technical examination and diversions are in place.
Gardaí in Ashbourne have appealed for anyone with information to contact them at (01) 801 0600 (01) 801 0600.
Gardaí believe the single-vehicle crash on the N2, at Primatestown, 3km north of Ashbourne, happened early today.
The 22-year-old’s body was found at 10am.
The body has been taken to Navan General Hospital for a postmortem. The road is closed for a technical examination and diversions are in place.
Gardaí in Ashbourne have appealed for anyone with information to contact them at (01) 801 0600 (01) 801 0600.
Sean Gallagher presented by MeathVEC 30th June 2011
The labour market is changing all the time, we need to look at our current circumstances and skills and ask do they match the challenges of the modern (and changing) workplace. What do employers want, and what do we need to do to meet these wants? Do we have the skills to live out our work dream and, if not, how do we get them?
On 30th June at 7.00pm Sean Gallagher, Dragon, Speaker and Entrepreneur, will speak at “Smart Moves” a free Career Information and Recruitment Event organised by Co. Meath VEC in the Newgrange Hotel, Navan. In an increasingly competitive and rapidly changing labour market, upgrading your skills and qualifications has never been more important. Sean and a number of other special guests will talk about work motivation and the steps needed to succeed. If you are thinking about studying, changing your career, updating your CV or finding out what your welfare rights are, this event is for you. Bring along your CV and have it reviewed at our CV clinic.
Louis Walsh Sex Claims by Navan man
THIS is the ballroom dancer who stunned the showbiz world by claiming he was groped in a toilet by pop mogul Louis Walsh.
Leonard Watters, from Navan in Co Meath, made the shocking allegations after a night out in celebrity hangout Krystle nightclub.
The 24-year-old has told gardai he was the victim of a sexual assault - a claim rubbished by the X Factor judge.
Last night, Walsh insisted once again that he had "no case to answer" after coming home to Dublin to speak to gardai. He also thanked showbiz pals and the public for their messages of support.
Shopping in Meath has also learned that Westlife star Shane Filan, who was with Louis on the night, is expected to give a witness statement to cops.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Meath v louth result GAA breffni park
Royal thrashing for the little county as the final score reads:
Meath 5-8
Louth 2-8
Meath 5-8
Louth 2-8
Friday, June 24, 2011
Meath GAA, Meath v Louth 25/June/2011
Stephen Fitzpatrick, son of manager Peter Fitzpatrick, has been drafted into the Louth team for tomorrow's All-Ireland SFC qualifier against Meath at Kingspan Breffni Park (throw-in 7pm).
The Clan na Gael clubman will start at wing back with Liam Shevlin taking up the centre-back role, at the expense of Mick Fanning who had been carrying a calf injury.
Fanning and John O'Brien both recently returned from spells in Australia and America.
Fanning played in Louth's Leinster Championship defeat to Carlow, but O'Brien was ruled ineligible after being given a 48-week ban by the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committe for signing the wrong transfer form and playing a match in Boston earlier in the summer.
But consultation between the CCCC and the Central Hearings Committee resulted in the ban being quashed. O'Brien, who has been nursing a hamstring injury, is free to play - fitness permitting - in this repeat of last year's controversial Leinster final.
Andy McDonnell (dead leg) is a concern for the Louth management, but midfielder Paddy Keenan has shaken off a back complaint to lead the team once again and wing forward Derek Crilly is over his calf injury.
Playing down the relevance of the counties' most recent Championship meeting, which was decided by Joe Sheridan's headline-grabbing 'goal', Fitzpatrick said: "It is a game of football we want to win and it's a game of football we need to win - nothing else.
"We were very poor against Carlow. I know that and the lads know that, and it's about putting that performance right.
"To be fair to the lads, training has been good since then and I know if we play the way we are capable of playing it will take a very good team to beat us.
"I'm not saying we have a magic wand to fix what went wrong (against Carlow), but we'll pick the best team we possibly can and give it our all. I trust this team."
LOUTH (SFC v Meath): Sean Connor; Declan Byrne, Aaron Hoey, Dessie Finnegan; Ray Finnegan, Liam Shevlin, Stephen Fitzpatrick; Paddy Keenan (capt), Brian Donnelly; Derek Crilly, David Reid, Adrian Reid; Derek Maguire, Shane Lennon, JP Rooney.
The Clan na Gael clubman will start at wing back with Liam Shevlin taking up the centre-back role, at the expense of Mick Fanning who had been carrying a calf injury.
Fanning and John O'Brien both recently returned from spells in Australia and America.
Fanning played in Louth's Leinster Championship defeat to Carlow, but O'Brien was ruled ineligible after being given a 48-week ban by the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committe for signing the wrong transfer form and playing a match in Boston earlier in the summer.
But consultation between the CCCC and the Central Hearings Committee resulted in the ban being quashed. O'Brien, who has been nursing a hamstring injury, is free to play - fitness permitting - in this repeat of last year's controversial Leinster final.
Andy McDonnell (dead leg) is a concern for the Louth management, but midfielder Paddy Keenan has shaken off a back complaint to lead the team once again and wing forward Derek Crilly is over his calf injury.
Playing down the relevance of the counties' most recent Championship meeting, which was decided by Joe Sheridan's headline-grabbing 'goal', Fitzpatrick said: "It is a game of football we want to win and it's a game of football we need to win - nothing else.
"We were very poor against Carlow. I know that and the lads know that, and it's about putting that performance right.
"To be fair to the lads, training has been good since then and I know if we play the way we are capable of playing it will take a very good team to beat us.
"I'm not saying we have a magic wand to fix what went wrong (against Carlow), but we'll pick the best team we possibly can and give it our all. I trust this team."
LOUTH (SFC v Meath): Sean Connor; Declan Byrne, Aaron Hoey, Dessie Finnegan; Ray Finnegan, Liam Shevlin, Stephen Fitzpatrick; Paddy Keenan (capt), Brian Donnelly; Derek Crilly, David Reid, Adrian Reid; Derek Maguire, Shane Lennon, JP Rooney.
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
Meath Nursing Home
SEVEN RESIDENTS at a private nursing home in Co Meath were at risk of hypothermia and food in the facility was scarce when it was inspected by the Health Information and Quality Authority, a court heard yesterday.
Hiqa was at Drogheda District Court seeking an order to cancel the registration of Creevelea House Nursing Home in Laytown, which would effectively shut it down. The owners of the home are objecting to the application.
This is the fourth home which the watchdog has closed or tried to close since it began inspecting all public and private nursing homes in mid-2009. Nursing homes have been closed by it in Wicklow and Offaly and earlier this month the authority obtained an interim order at Dublin District Court effectively shutting down Rostrevor House Nursing Home in Rathgar.
The order was obtained without notice to its owners, after telling the court it had been informed of allegations that residents were beaten, kicked and abused in the home by a male care assistant since mid-2008. Rostrevor’s owners say the allegations are unfounded.
A Hiqa inspector told Drogheda District Court the Laytown home was not clean, there was no meat and the only fresh vegetables consisted of one bag of potatoes and a turnip when it was inspected last year.
The authority had concerns for a 93-year-old woman who might not have eaten for 24 hours. There was no nutritional plan for her and she had not been weighed, it said. A 66-year-old resident was not having his diabetes monitored properly and, although he had a history of falls, he was not adequately supervised, the court was told.
Nursing home inspector Nuala Rafferty said the first inspection took place in March last year after the niece of a resident got in touch because of concerns about his care.
When inspectors arrived they found “nobody running” the home and “nobody overseeing the management of residents”.
Peter Murphy, director of Creevelea House Ltd, lived in Limerick. Hiqa issued him with an emergency action plan but Ms Rafferty said he did not seem to be aware of the level of concerns they had. He felt that the inspectors were creating problems for him and he felt bullied.
In an inspection in November, seven residents had temperatures below 36 degrees and were “verging at risk of hypothermia”, the court heard. Inspectors told staff to give out warm drinks and extra blankets.
In March this year there was still a lack of clinical governance and a lack of adequate care and residents were at risk, she said. The HSE was contacted and it carried out an assessment of the residents and since then it has had staff in the home.
In April Mr Murphy undertook to meet commitments required by Hiqa but yesterday the authority said while there have been some improvements it believes there is a “serious risk” to the home’s nine residents.
The hearing before Judge Flann Brennan will continue in two weeks.
Hiqa was at Drogheda District Court seeking an order to cancel the registration of Creevelea House Nursing Home in Laytown, which would effectively shut it down. The owners of the home are objecting to the application.
This is the fourth home which the watchdog has closed or tried to close since it began inspecting all public and private nursing homes in mid-2009. Nursing homes have been closed by it in Wicklow and Offaly and earlier this month the authority obtained an interim order at Dublin District Court effectively shutting down Rostrevor House Nursing Home in Rathgar.
The order was obtained without notice to its owners, after telling the court it had been informed of allegations that residents were beaten, kicked and abused in the home by a male care assistant since mid-2008. Rostrevor’s owners say the allegations are unfounded.
A Hiqa inspector told Drogheda District Court the Laytown home was not clean, there was no meat and the only fresh vegetables consisted of one bag of potatoes and a turnip when it was inspected last year.
The authority had concerns for a 93-year-old woman who might not have eaten for 24 hours. There was no nutritional plan for her and she had not been weighed, it said. A 66-year-old resident was not having his diabetes monitored properly and, although he had a history of falls, he was not adequately supervised, the court was told.
Nursing home inspector Nuala Rafferty said the first inspection took place in March last year after the niece of a resident got in touch because of concerns about his care.
When inspectors arrived they found “nobody running” the home and “nobody overseeing the management of residents”.
Peter Murphy, director of Creevelea House Ltd, lived in Limerick. Hiqa issued him with an emergency action plan but Ms Rafferty said he did not seem to be aware of the level of concerns they had. He felt that the inspectors were creating problems for him and he felt bullied.
In an inspection in November, seven residents had temperatures below 36 degrees and were “verging at risk of hypothermia”, the court heard. Inspectors told staff to give out warm drinks and extra blankets.
In March this year there was still a lack of clinical governance and a lack of adequate care and residents were at risk, she said. The HSE was contacted and it carried out an assessment of the residents and since then it has had staff in the home.
In April Mr Murphy undertook to meet commitments required by Hiqa but yesterday the authority said while there have been some improvements it believes there is a “serious risk” to the home’s nine residents.
The hearing before Judge Flann Brennan will continue in two weeks.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Meath Sinn Fein, Peadar Toibin
Sinn Féin has a wide range of policies, not just relating to the conflict in Ireland but reflecting all Irish political, economic and social issues. Partition has caused political, social and economic devastation throughout this island. The separation of the two economies has contributed to the external dependency of both states, which has resulted in levels of industrial underdevelopment, unemployment, emigration and poverty in the 32 Counties. The creation of two states, both of which were dominated by the most conservative elements on this island also set back social progress for decades.
Sinn Féin’s objective is the achieving of national self-determination and the creation of a secular, socialist republic with a democratic island economy based on the principles of the Proclamation of 1916, the Democratic Programme of 1919 and the beliefs of Tone, Pearse and Connolly.
Sinn Féin has radical policies on national self-determination, neutrality, the European Union, employment, workers’ rights and unemployment, industrial relations, privatisation, emigration, agriculture, poverty, women, the environment, fisheries, culture, local government, health and social services, education, the Irish language and international issues.
Sinn Féin’s objective is the achieving of national self-determination and the creation of a secular, socialist republic with a democratic island economy based on the principles of the Proclamation of 1916, the Democratic Programme of 1919 and the beliefs of Tone, Pearse and Connolly.
Sinn Féin has radical policies on national self-determination, neutrality, the European Union, employment, workers’ rights and unemployment, industrial relations, privatisation, emigration, agriculture, poverty, women, the environment, fisheries, culture, local government, health and social services, education, the Irish language and international issues.
Navan, Meath
Navan Town Council and local residents are working hard together to ensure that Navan is a happier, brighter place for our summer visitors in 2011. This picture shows a traditional barrel flower arrangement and right is the newly positioned raised flowerbed that will burst with colour in the coming days.
Friday, June 17, 2011
Foreign nationals to swear Oath of Fidelity while Fianna Fail get away
While foreign nationals will have to swear an Oath of fidelity to Ireland, Fianna Fail and other home grown criminals will be able to continue with business as normal. It is not foreign nationals who bankrupted Ireland and prostituted her soul to the highest bidder, it was Fianna Fail traitors and their bagmen.
PEOPLE WHO are granted Irish citizenship will in the future attend formal citizenship ceremonies where they will have to swear an oath of fidelity to the nation.
However, the Government has decided not to introduce citizenship tests for foreign nationals applying to become citizens in the short term.
Minister for Justice Alan Shatter yesterday announced key changes to the citizenship application procedure, which he said would speed up the process and give proper recognition to the importance of becoming a citizen.
Mr Shatter said he had “substantial concerns” about the existing arrangements for becoming a citizen, whereby applicants take an oath before a District Court judge during court business and receive their certificate by post.
He said a pilot citizenship ceremony involving 75 people will take place in Dublin Castle on June 24th. Judge Bryan McMahon, a retired judge of the High Court, agreed to assume the role of presiding officer.
Future ceremonies will take place in Dublin and outside of Dublin, he said.
Many other states, including the US and Britain, hold citizenship ceremonies where people takes oaths of fidelity.
A recent report by the Immigrant Council of Ireland highlighted how many migrants said they were “deflated” by the existing procedure of swearing an oath in the District Court where there was no sense of ceremony, and often where the swearing-in occurred shortly after someone had been convicted of crimes.
Mr Shatter said there was no immediate plan to introduce citizenship tests, although he said this may be considered in the future.
The previous government had reviewed whether a test should take place for several years.
The Government said as part of the reforms, it is moving to cut a backlog of 22,000 citizenship applications awaiting decisions (17,000 of which were waiting for more than six months) when it came to power in March.
In the past 2½ months, the Department of Justice has dealt with 5,578 citizenship applications, which exceeds the full-year total of applications dealt with in 2010, it said.
Some 14,000 people are currently waiting more than six months to have their application for citizenship processed.
Mr Shatter said under the new system nobody would wait longer than six months to have their application processed except in exceptional circumstances.
“I was astonished to discover that approximately 55 per cent of all citizenship applications received by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service had to be returned to applicants due to their being incorrectly completed.”
He said further steps being taken to improve processing times include:
* streamlined procedures for certain categories of applicants such as spouses of Irish citizens and applicants recently granted long-term residency;
* plans to recruit interns under the Government’s new internship programme to help deal with applications.
PEOPLE WHO are granted Irish citizenship will in the future attend formal citizenship ceremonies where they will have to swear an oath of fidelity to the nation.
However, the Government has decided not to introduce citizenship tests for foreign nationals applying to become citizens in the short term.
Minister for Justice Alan Shatter yesterday announced key changes to the citizenship application procedure, which he said would speed up the process and give proper recognition to the importance of becoming a citizen.
Mr Shatter said he had “substantial concerns” about the existing arrangements for becoming a citizen, whereby applicants take an oath before a District Court judge during court business and receive their certificate by post.
He said a pilot citizenship ceremony involving 75 people will take place in Dublin Castle on June 24th. Judge Bryan McMahon, a retired judge of the High Court, agreed to assume the role of presiding officer.
Future ceremonies will take place in Dublin and outside of Dublin, he said.
Many other states, including the US and Britain, hold citizenship ceremonies where people takes oaths of fidelity.
A recent report by the Immigrant Council of Ireland highlighted how many migrants said they were “deflated” by the existing procedure of swearing an oath in the District Court where there was no sense of ceremony, and often where the swearing-in occurred shortly after someone had been convicted of crimes.
Mr Shatter said there was no immediate plan to introduce citizenship tests, although he said this may be considered in the future.
The previous government had reviewed whether a test should take place for several years.
The Government said as part of the reforms, it is moving to cut a backlog of 22,000 citizenship applications awaiting decisions (17,000 of which were waiting for more than six months) when it came to power in March.
In the past 2½ months, the Department of Justice has dealt with 5,578 citizenship applications, which exceeds the full-year total of applications dealt with in 2010, it said.
Some 14,000 people are currently waiting more than six months to have their application for citizenship processed.
Mr Shatter said under the new system nobody would wait longer than six months to have their application processed except in exceptional circumstances.
“I was astonished to discover that approximately 55 per cent of all citizenship applications received by the Immigration and Naturalisation Service had to be returned to applicants due to their being incorrectly completed.”
He said further steps being taken to improve processing times include:
* streamlined procedures for certain categories of applicants such as spouses of Irish citizens and applicants recently granted long-term residency;
* plans to recruit interns under the Government’s new internship programme to help deal with applications.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Meath Jobs Meath
A new jobs plan which is "strategic, focused and ready to implement", aimed at creating and protecting jobs in Meath, is to be unveiled by Meath County Council within weeks.
The plan, matched by a six-figure fund and containing a range of initiatives and reforms to stimulate and support economic activity in the county, was announced this week.
Further details will be revealed in July but Meath County Manager Tom Dowling said it aimed to have a "direct beneficial effect in the shortest timeframe".
He said that the development of a six-point jobs plan had been targeted by the council as a priority issue over recent months and that significant progress had been made, with an indicative date for publication next month.
The six key areas identified by the council are:
• small to medium term enterprises
• the retail sector
• tourism and agri-food
• foreign direct investment
• promoting Meath and working with others, and
• financial supports provided directly and supported by Meath County Council.
These key areas are those which the council believes offer the greatest potential for immediate job creation, allowing the council to utilise its resources to stimulate economic growth and enable it to provide supports and "a helping hand" to businesses which might be struggling, he said.
He said the council was confident its plan could complement and build upon the government's own recent Jobs Budget to create jobs on the ground in Meath.
"The council must take the lead role as the strategic authority within the county to drive Meath's economic growth," Mr Dowling said. He committed the council to implementing the plan's initiatives in as short a timeframe as possible to ensure that it would have a direct and immediate impact in the county.
He told councillors on Monday: "We are all aware rthat Ireland is experiencing one of the worst economic downturns in its history. Meath as a county, its people and its economic and social activity is suffering during this recession. Unemployment, business failures, emigration, financial debts and their knock-on social effects are impacting on the county."
He acknowledged that the government was attempting to tackle the economic downturn by taking measures to stimulate the life of the country and return Ireland to a position of economic growth and job creation and said there would be many national measures to stimulate the economy. However, Meath could not simply wait and hope that measures at national level would trickle down to the county and drive economic growth here, he said.
"Indeed, as the councillors in this chamber are aware, we have never waited and cannot wait. If the council were to adopt a waiting approach, we would be failing in our duty and responsibility to the people of Meath. I believe that responsibility, and indeed the challenge we face, is to maximise the benefit from the stimulus coming from government by bridging the gap between what happens at national level and how it translates at local level," the manager said.
The council would have to take the lead role in driving Meath's economic growth. "For example," said Mr Dowling, "while the recent reduction in the level of VAT on entertainment and social events from 13.5 per cent to nine per cent is very welcome, if people remain reluctant to spend monies on such activities within Meath, then the value of this reduction will be lost to the county."
He said the council must respond to this VAT reduction by putting in place measures at a local level which will encourage and facilitate people to socialise, eat out, attend sporting events and spend money within the county.
County council cathaoilreach, Cllr Ann Dillon Gallagher, said that while finances were more constrained than ever, it did not and should not mean that the council could not come forward with concrete proposals to drive economic activity in the county.
Director of services Kevin Stewart, in a presentation to councillors, said he was keen to get their input in advance of finalising the plan. He also outlined how the council was aiming to "galvanise and mobilise experts, young people and prominent Meath people" to be part of the six-point plan.
"People in the county need actions now, so we are aiming to get the balance right between short-term measures that can deliver quick results and more medium-term proposals are important for the future," he said.
The plan, matched by a six-figure fund and containing a range of initiatives and reforms to stimulate and support economic activity in the county, was announced this week.
Further details will be revealed in July but Meath County Manager Tom Dowling said it aimed to have a "direct beneficial effect in the shortest timeframe".
He said that the development of a six-point jobs plan had been targeted by the council as a priority issue over recent months and that significant progress had been made, with an indicative date for publication next month.
The six key areas identified by the council are:
• small to medium term enterprises
• the retail sector
• tourism and agri-food
• foreign direct investment
• promoting Meath and working with others, and
• financial supports provided directly and supported by Meath County Council.
These key areas are those which the council believes offer the greatest potential for immediate job creation, allowing the council to utilise its resources to stimulate economic growth and enable it to provide supports and "a helping hand" to businesses which might be struggling, he said.
He said the council was confident its plan could complement and build upon the government's own recent Jobs Budget to create jobs on the ground in Meath.
"The council must take the lead role as the strategic authority within the county to drive Meath's economic growth," Mr Dowling said. He committed the council to implementing the plan's initiatives in as short a timeframe as possible to ensure that it would have a direct and immediate impact in the county.
He told councillors on Monday: "We are all aware rthat Ireland is experiencing one of the worst economic downturns in its history. Meath as a county, its people and its economic and social activity is suffering during this recession. Unemployment, business failures, emigration, financial debts and their knock-on social effects are impacting on the county."
He acknowledged that the government was attempting to tackle the economic downturn by taking measures to stimulate the life of the country and return Ireland to a position of economic growth and job creation and said there would be many national measures to stimulate the economy. However, Meath could not simply wait and hope that measures at national level would trickle down to the county and drive economic growth here, he said.
"Indeed, as the councillors in this chamber are aware, we have never waited and cannot wait. If the council were to adopt a waiting approach, we would be failing in our duty and responsibility to the people of Meath. I believe that responsibility, and indeed the challenge we face, is to maximise the benefit from the stimulus coming from government by bridging the gap between what happens at national level and how it translates at local level," the manager said.
The council would have to take the lead role in driving Meath's economic growth. "For example," said Mr Dowling, "while the recent reduction in the level of VAT on entertainment and social events from 13.5 per cent to nine per cent is very welcome, if people remain reluctant to spend monies on such activities within Meath, then the value of this reduction will be lost to the county."
He said the council must respond to this VAT reduction by putting in place measures at a local level which will encourage and facilitate people to socialise, eat out, attend sporting events and spend money within the county.
County council cathaoilreach, Cllr Ann Dillon Gallagher, said that while finances were more constrained than ever, it did not and should not mean that the council could not come forward with concrete proposals to drive economic activity in the county.
Director of services Kevin Stewart, in a presentation to councillors, said he was keen to get their input in advance of finalising the plan. He also outlined how the council was aiming to "galvanise and mobilise experts, young people and prominent Meath people" to be part of the six-point plan.
"People in the county need actions now, so we are aiming to get the balance right between short-term measures that can deliver quick results and more medium-term proposals are important for the future," he said.
Sex Crime Journalism Ireland NUJ
As top journalists such as Tom Humphries (Irish Times) faces allegations of peadophile activity and Ian Bailey (The Star) faces allegations of murder, the Irish Observer investigates the negative/positive role of the Irish media in relation to criminality. We also ask why so called victims of crime allow themselves to be prostituted in the lurid tabloid press that facilitates the sexual exploitation of men, women and children.
John Muncie (2000) sets the media and public’s attitude to crime, into context, when he tells us that:
Any cursory glance at television programme listings, the contents of mass circulation newspapers or the shelves of fiction in book shops will confirm the extent to which an audience perceives crime not just as a social problem but as a major sourse of amusement and diversion, the way in which we enjoy violence, humiliation and hurt casts doubt on the universal applicability of harm as always connoting trouble, fear, loss and so on. For participants, too, the pleasure in creating harm, or doing wrong or breaking boundaries is also part of the equation and needs to be thought through (p.225).
Prof. Paul O’Mahony (1996) goes further in addressing the media and crime, when he says:
Sections of the media never tire of reflecting a fearful message of crime back to the public and amplifying it through selective reporting, sensational headlines and frequently inflammatory editorialising. For most part the media rhetoric of fear and moral panic is built on isolated cases taken out of the broader context of crime in Ireland. Traditional barriers of good taste and reticence have been broken down. As the parameters of the permissible have expended some sections of the media have developed a reprehensible, approach which is sensational and voyeuristic. Supposedly factual accounts and purportedly serious analyses and comment are often exaggerated, unsubstantiated by any reliable supporting evidence, and intended to provoke hysterical response (p.167).
This manufacturing of hysterical responses guillotines public and political debate and pushes certain weak politicians towards quick fix and usually harsh and ill-considered repressive and punitive legislation, the results of which are more damaging to society in the long term. Brenda O’ Brien says:
I have always said that the media have played a positive role in helping us to come to terms with child abuse, but there is a real danger that they will become intoxicated with their own power (Irish Times. 2002).
This positive/negative role played by the media in relation to child sexual abuse was picked up by Bishop Willie Walsh when he said:
Can I ask the media to be aware of the danger that it might use its power to occupy that oppressive and uncompassionate role which hopefully the Catholic Church has vacated or at least begun to vacate (Irish Times.2002).
Psychotherapist, Marie Keenan said of sex offenders, alleged or real, and the way the media treats them:
They were constructed as non-persons and icons of evil. Labels turn people into nouns and hence the paedophile is born (Irish Times.2002).
Marie Keenan was critical of the media’s role in this demonization and its indifference to families of offenders by the repetition of cases and repeated use of photographs of abusers. In the majority of child sexual abuse cases the victim/s are from the same family as the abuser and in high profile cases lurid reporting by what has become known as Journophiles [1] can have a devastating impact on innocent members of the extended family. However, we must also remember that many of these Journophiles have no interest in the victims in these cases and are simply reporting sensational headlines in order that they can sell the paper-back book they will publish from the transcripts of the trial.
Certain media reporting can also see grave injustice done to the victims alleged or actual in such cases. In 1994 the Court of Criminal Appeal quashed a conviction which had led to a fourteen year sentence, because newspaper articles and pictures that were published during the trial period, which named the Defendant, were likely to prejudice the jury against him. In 1994, Mr Justice Kelly find the Star £10,000 for publishing a report that did not reflect what had gone on in Court and was neither ‘fair or true’. This report led to the dismissal of the jury. In 2002 the reporting of a case appearing before Mr Justice, John Neilan at Mullingar District Court, relating to a charge of false imprisonment and sexual assault of a child, Mr Justice Neilan said of an interview with the alleged victim’s family on RTE:
It was outrageous and a nauseating matter (Irish Independent.2002).
In the case of Tim Allen a celebrity Chef and the first person to be ‘sentenced’ as a result of Operation Amethyst [2], the trial Judge said he had to take into account the substantial media coverage surrounding the case. The Tim Allen case caused ‘muted’ outcry as he was given 240 hours of community service and agreed to pay £40,000 to a children’s charity. Mr Allen had paid for and down loaded one thousand pictures of children from as young as five being raped (Irish Times. 2003). These acts of legal and moral courage by members of the judiciary to face down the bullying tactics of certain sections of the media and reactionary politicians are the exception rather than the rule.
What influence can be put upon a jury by even minimal pre-trial publicity is impossible to measure; however, we can be certain that many accused persons have been denied their Constitutional right to a fair trial due to accesses by certain sections of the media. This is particularly the case in provincial towns in the Irish Republic where serious crimes are tried before the Circuit Court. Crawford (1997) reminds us that:
An assertion of community at a local level can be beautifully conciliatory, socially nuanced and constructive but it can also be parochial, intolerant, oppressive and unjust (p.294).
Accesses by the media can impugn a convicted person’s ability to seek and receive rehabilitative care when entering the prison system and can destroy the reputation of an acquitted person. This commitment to a fair trial, as set out in the Irish Constitution, Bunreacht na hEireann, and International conventions, was confirmed by Mrs Justice Denham of the Supreme Court in 1993, when she stated:
Article 40.3 incorporated a right to fairness of procedures which incorporated the requirement of Trial by jury unprejudiced by pre-trial publicity…the right to a fair trial was a fundamental Constitutional right and was superior to the communities right to prosecute (O’Mahony.1996.p.11).
A small number of politicians have not been silent on the matter of accesses by the media, although such disquiet has not been followed through by legislation. The establishment of the Press Complaints Commission is a small step in the right direction, however, when a person’s freedom is at stake no stone must be left unturned in order to guarantee a fair trial to an accused person. On the 4th of May, 2001, Donnie Cassidy, the leader of the Senate at that time said:
The rights of citizens were being eroded by some sections of the media and the Oireachtas would have to be courageous in addressing this problem.
Mr Maurice Manning, the Fine Gael Leader of the Seanad responded to Mr Cassidy by saying:
I would like to draw attention to the fact that this very morning one criminal trial cannot go ahead because of the antics of some newspapers yesterday (Irish Times.2001).
In an article in The Irish Times (2003) Fintan O’Toole gave an excellent analysis of the negative role played by some media in the murder trial of Catherine Nevin. O’ Toole concludes this article by saying:
The media industry, which rightly demands that others account for their use of power, has a lot to account for (p.16).
The jury is not the only consideration where the accesses of the media are concerned. In 2001 a Circuit Court Judge, ordered the media from his Court as he sentenced a man found guilty of sexual offences. The judge stated that his reasons for ordering the media from his court was that, he felt the presence of the media would influence his sentencing of the accused man. While this decision by the Circuit Court judge was later over turned by the High Court, it opened up the somewhat muted debate about the effects of popular sentiment and legislative provision for harsher sentences on the actual practice of judicial discretion. However, the muted debate disappeared with the headlines. Even where a judge of the lower courts has banned the publishing of names of persons involved in sexual crime cases in the interest of the victim/s, the High Court has over turned such decisions (Irish Times.2002).
Yet there is a moral schizophrenia in sections of the media when it comes to sexual crime alleged or real. While one can read tabloid headlines such as ‘Sex Beast’ and ‘Sex Monster’ (Stanko.2000) the flick of the front page of the tabloid will bring the reader into a world of intimate, lurid and graphic descriptions of sexual crimes and fantasies. The material to be found on these voyeuristic journeys, is equal to the depths of depravity to be found on deviant sexual websites on the World Wide Web, sites developed and maintained for an ever more voyeuristic public, deviant sexual sub-cultures there in, and the young and the vulnerable. These lurid and voyeuristic accounts of criminals proceedings, sex orientated advertisements and perverted sex chat lines are a clear indication of the moral schizophrenia of those sections of the media, which are high on rhetoric but low on morality.
On a daily basis there are millions of examples of this moral schizophrenia in the media. Staying specifically with the area of child sexual abuse and exploitation, I have looked at the sex orientated adverts in the tabloid press. While the extent of this article is too confined to give the depth of analysis that I would like, I will however, set out some examples. In the Weekly Sport tabloid, sex orientated adverts run alongside distasteful lurid details of sex crimes before the courts, a sample of these sex orientated adverts is:
Young Girls Want to Talk to You 1-2-1
Bored Young Girls Waiting for You to Call
Lively Girls on Line Now
Young Girls Willing to Talk
Sex adverts and selective reporting of sexual crime in The Star (tabloid) follow a similar pattern. However, The Star goes further by using popular children’s movies to lure potential young customers to their sex adverts, Home Alone (a popular children’s movie) and versions thereof. The Joint National Readership Research group have reported that The Star has some 400,000 readers in Ireland each day, on any given day there are up wards of forty sex adverts in The Star, including titles such as:
Bi Girls
Sixth Former
Irish Girls
Hot and Horny
Chat with Girls at Home
Girls looking for Men
Girls at Home
This supply of lurid material that often runs alongside advertisements for children’s summer camps and other sporting activity of interest to children must surely be of concern to those in Irish society who genuinely want to see, sexual crime and the environment that facilitates and normalises it eliminated. It is interesting to note that these perverted sex adverts for sex chat lines are excluded from our advertising standards legislation. The proliferation of child owned mobile phones combined with this easy access to lurid material pose a real danger to community safety.
Who are these lurid advertisements directed towards? If not the weak minded, the vulnerable and the young. The word Girl in the Oxford English Dictionary means, ‘Female Child’. This discourse coupled with the use of child movies as an introduction to sex chat lines, can leave one with no other conclusion than that these sex orientated adverts are aimed at grooming children, those with a distorted sexual script and any one in the community who derives pleasure from the normalisation of sexual deviance, that these adverts portray. While much reporting of a lurid and voyeuristic nature is broadly confined to the tabloids and certain internet sites it is not exclusive to same. Some Broad sheets and visual media outlets have also taped into this marketable commodity especially at times of high profile cases.
Tom Inglis, in his book, Lessons in Irish Sexuality (1998), sets out the findings of his research when he examined the Sunday Independent, for two separate six month periods. The first six months in 1963 and the second in 1993, his analysis indicated that over the thirty-year period, the number of explicit articles and photographs increased from two to thirty-three; the number of indirect items about sex increased from one to forty-four; and the number of direct items increased from eleven to seventy-six. Roger Grafe (2000) found in his research that:
The broad sheets report about three times the actual proportion of violent crime and the tabloids about ten times. The picture of the world one gets from crime news is that it is a very violent place. Inflated perceptions of the level of violence create pressure for something to be done (p.31).
What is most significant about this increased supply of lurid and deviant material by sections of the media is that it has gone unchallenged by the Government and those NGOs, voluntary and community groups who allegedly have the interests of victims at heart. Indeed these very same organisations know well that they will themselves need banner headlines when they seek their next trench of funding from Government. The double standards of some politicians were highlighted with the resignation of Government Minister, Mr Bobby Molloy in 2002, after it was disclosed by the right Hon. Mr Justice O’Sullivan, that Mr Molloy, had phoned him in relation to the sentencing of a man convicted but not yet sentenced for raping his daughter. However, the web of intrigue did not stop there; Under a Freedom of Information request by RTE’s, Good Morning Ireland, the Department of Justice was forced to disclose that the then Minister for Justice, Mr John O’Donoghue, ‘Mr Zero Tolerance’, had exchanged fifteen letters with Mr Molloy about the man convicted of, but not yet sentenced for raping his daughter.
All of the communications focused on the possibility of getting temporary release or bail for the convicted person, an intervention that is both unlawful and un-constitutional. The same Minister for Justice was a regular contributor by way of articles and interviews with the same lurid tabloids. Indeed Mr O’Donoghue would see himself before the District Court when a convicted person sought summonses issued against Mr O’Donoghue in a private criminal prosecution, after it was disclosed under the FOI Act that Mr O’Donoghue had sent an unlawful communication to the DPP in relation to that convicted persons case (Irish Times.2002). And while Mr O’Donoghue was telling the people of Ireland that sexual crime against children would not be tolerated, he and others were signing off on a deal that would see Religious Child Rapists getting bailed out to the tune of hundreds of millions of Euro, at a time when the majority of the 5500 children in the ‘care’ of the State don’t have access to professional help. Mr O’Donoghue resigned from his position as Chair of the Dail in 2009 after it was disclosed that he had spent vast amounts of tax payer’s money on extravagances for himself and his wife, including Gondala rides in Venice, while staying in 900 Euro per night Hotel rooms.
Few politicians or groups are prepared to challenge accesses by the media. Voluntary, community, ‘victims’ groups and others in the ‘victims industry’ depend on media coverage to high light their profile, which in turn helps them to secure funding from Government each year. An unprecedented ‘bogus moral panic’ was created when a ‘victims’ group colluded with the tabloids to gain banner headlines. In 2003 a ‘victims’ group claimed that over the previous five years there had been a substantial increase in drug induced rape and sexual assault cases. In fact the Gardai and the Sexual Assault Unit at the Rotunda Hospital stated that not one single case of drug induced rape or sexual assault had ever been brought to their attention. Following comprehensive investigation by the Sexual Assault Units around the country, this investigation included toxicology reports on each victim, it was clearly established that the women making such allegations (if they ever did) had simply consumed so much alcohol that they could not remember what they had done the night before. Yet nobody seemed to bat an eye lid when this bogus moral panic was exposed in an RTE 1, Crime Line Report, 26th January, 2003.
The Irish Independent (2002) reported how a 17 year old French youth, claimed to have been driven by a cult horror movie ‘Scream’ to commit the gratuitous murder of a fifteen year old girl. French Justice Minister, Dominique Perben, commenting on the case said:
The Government must quickly come up with a way to avoid this repetition of scenes of violence at the disposition of adolescents. These violent scenes set in motion some particularly fragile adolescents who then play out misdemeanours or crimes.
Sex orientated sites on the internet are an extension of this tabloid supply of deviant material, to an ever more voyeuristic public and particularly those with a distorted sexual script there in. Millions of web pages now provide a wide range of sex orientated pornography and literature. The scales of provision go from curious voyeurism, to the most lurid taste, reaching into the dark recesses of unstable minds. In February, 2001, seven people were convicted in London for their part in the ‘Wonderland Club’ which was the world’s largest known child pornography web site. The ‘Wonderland Club’ internet data base held some 750,000 images, including the rape of babies as young as two months old (Irish Indpendent.2001). It is clear from the many cases coming before the courts in England and Ireland, that the higher socio-economic groupings are the main yet not exclusive users of this new technological deviance, this was clear from Operation Amethyst (Irish Times.2002) and was reinforced by experts in this field who were interviewed on an RTE, Prime Time programme on this subject on the 31st May 2010.
For generations Irish people were constrained by the condemnation of all, but normal marital sexual relations by the Catholic Church, however, following the Ferns, Murphy and Ryan reports into religious child rapists that constraint is laid bare, the constraints of moral and religious teaching for generations, has been sharply lifted by the expose of the Catholic Church and the voyeuristic and lurid material of a newly liberated technological era. One would be a fool to suggest that sexual deviance is not a marketable commodity, however, with that marketing must come responsibility. Tony O’Neil CEO of Palmstories.com one of the biggest providers of porn on the internet and mobile phones says of the industry:
As far as the web is concerned, pornography has always been at the cutting edge technology wise, the industry is worth billions of dollars generating more money than music or movies (Irish Times. 2001).
Emer O’ Kelly told us in the Sunday Independent, that she and other citizens are scourged by sexually explicit pornography, that is sent to them via the internet, into the privacy of their own homes, yet this is not illegal. Supply and demand for lurid and voyeuristic material and sexual stimuli for an ever-more voyeuristic public and deviant sub-cultures there in, are growing unhindered, and sections of the media have not been wanting in feeding that demand and exploiting the aquiesants of the Government and others who turn a blind eye to this moral quagmire. Prof. Paul O’ Mahony (1996) says:
Pornographic portrayals of the relations between men and women and adults and children permeate our society. Pornography inevitably plays an important role in forming sexual attitudes and quite possibly, in facilitating and promoting sexual crime (p.219).
ISPCC Chief Executive, Paul Gilligan, reacting to Operation Amethyst, supported this view expressed by O’ Mahony in that pornography can facilitate crime and can be an integral part of sexual criminality when he said:
There is clear evidence from other countries that those in possession of child pornography represent a real risk to children and that those who actively purchase such material represent a greater risk. Some of the biggest paedophile rings and the most compulsive paedophile offenders have been caught on the basis of storing this type of material (Irish Independent.2002).
That said of course, the many thousands of religious child rapists including Homophiles, Hetrophiles and Paedophiles who operated within the Catholic Church would not have had access to such pornographic material in the 1940s/50s/60s and so forth. The ever more voyeuristic public and particularly those with a distorted sexual script there in, as set out in this article, are vulnerable to the detrimental influences of deviant literature and photography and persons outside this profile, who lack countervailing influences, particularly the young, can be taken along on a tide of sexual deviant activity and criminality. The conviction in England in May 2010 of two ten year old boys for the attempted rape of an eight year old girl, begs the question, why are children engaging is such activity, they did not learn it from watching the Telly Tubbies or Bosco.
In a survey published in July, 2002, the National Centre for Technology in Education found that 73% of 8-10 year old children had internet access at home. In an RTE Prime Time investigation aired on the 31st of May 2010, it was shown that 99% of children now have access to the internet at home. The report in 2002 further stated that as many as 25% of children with internet access at home had encountered pornography on the internet. In the Prime Time programme in 2010 this number is much greater and the dangers posed by chat rooms and social networking sites are an ever increasing danger. This normalising of deviant activity by the pornographic web sites, other sections of the media and an acquiescent Government and others have lowered the barriers, and provided a constant stream of images and literature to create and feed unhealthy and grossly unrealistic fantasies. The great disappointment with the Prime Time programme was that it failed to address the role played by the tabloids and other media in normalising and facilitating sexual crime, and rather seemed to suggest that it is only those sites that exchange child pornography or have a cyber-contact element that pose the only threat to children, again enforcing the image of the paedophile, homophile or hetrophile as a man in the cyber bushes wearing a rain coat.
What is important to remember about deviance, says Young (1973) is that:
Deviant behaviour….is a meaningful attempt to solve the problems faced by a group or isolated individual – it is not a meaningless pathology (p.42).
Young’s proposition raises the question, Why does society prefer to decry rather than confront sexual deviance in an open and constructive forum? May explanations can be offered and some have been put forward in this paper, however, unlike ‘homosexuality’ other sexual sub-cultures particularly those relating to child sexual abuse, cannot be so easily set out-side the dominant sexual culture. It is perhaps this fear of examining too closely sexual crime and particularly sexual crime against children (Operation Amethyst, Ferns Report, Murphy Report, Ryan Report) that allows the hard line consensus to square their shoulders and shout ‘hang them’, however, as we have learned in Ireland, it is usually those who shout the loudest that do so to conceal their own crimes.
If the figures, relating to sexual crime in Ireland presented in this article in terms of Operation Amethyst and so forth are even close to the true extent of sexual crime, then one wonders in a population of less than four-million people, what family in the broadest sense is without its own difficulties. The recent revelations by Sinn Fein, President, Gerry Adams that he had known for decades that both his father and Brother Liam were child abusers, exposes the reality of how many dark secrets remain untold in Ireland. However, all is not lost as Brenda O’ Brien reminds us that:
An important Canadian study shows that untreated sex offenders have a 35% recidivism rate, while it is less than 10% for those who are un treated (Irish Times.2002).
When John O’Donoghue TD was Minister for Justice, dozens of convicted sex offenders applied to go on the sex offenders treatment programme at Arbour Hill Prison, the majority were told that there were no facilities to treat them due to lack of funding, this at a time when the Department of Justice spent vast fortunes on expensive trips abroad and squandered tens of millions of Euro on lavish expenses. Many within the hard-line consensus like British Home Secretary, Jack Straw (1997-2001) who introduced ill-considered and punitive measures against sexual deviance, found that he had to build the scaffold close to home when his brother was charged with sexual crimes against two young girls in 2000. In July 2001, the Taoiseach’s Office was quick to play down reports that it was the subject of a major investigation by the Director of Equality, into allegations of serious sexual harassment against a former female employee. While some Cabinet Ministers, had in the weeks prior to these allegations against the Taoiseach’s Office been able to illegally comment on certain cases of a sexual nature before the criminal courts, the Taoiseach’s Department had ‘No Comment’ in relation to its own dirty laundry that was being hung out in the public arena.
This hypocrisy is not exclusive to weak politicians, in 2005; The Editor of The Star paid a sex offender who had just been released from prison 400 Euro for photographs of the said sex offender. The said sex offender had asked a friend to take pictures of him as he walked in O’Connell Street on the day he was released from prison, the said sex offender then sold these photographs to The Star for 400 Euro, the following day The Editor of The Star published the photographs claiming that a Star photographer had ‘captured’ the pictures as he seen the said sex offender on O’ Connell Street. The Editor of The Star continues to be a paid guest on many Irish television programmes where he continues to lecture the Irish public on matters of morality and good citizenship.
The vitriol expounded by certain sections of the media for those accused of sexual crime, particularly against children, it is not a new phenomenon. In the not too distant past ‘homosexuals’ were the target of the editorial ‘moralists’. In the 1980s and 1990s Ireland’s sexual closet flung open with a vengeance and from this sexual expose, homosexuals were reluctantly ‘accepted’ into the status quo as an oppressed sexual minority, as opposed to a ‘sexually deviant sub-culture’. Such is the strength of the ‘homosexual’ lobby today in the UK and Ireland, that laws have been introduced to reflect a more liberal approach to the gay community. What ‘was’ seen as being seriously criminal by the Governments of the UK and Ireland a few short years ago is today not only ‘tolerated’ but is legislated for. Sexual activity with a child must remain criminal as no child can consent to such activity, however, child protection, community safety and crime prevention cannot be delegated to certain weak politicians and editorial ‘moralists’, whose only motivation respectively is self-preservation and gross commercialism.
Cross (1979) quotes Lord Summers, to sum up, attitudes to homosexuality before the prevailing liberalism:
Persons who commit the offences now under consideration seek the habitual gratification of particular perverted lust which not only takes them out of the class of ordinary men gone wrong, but stamps them with the hall-mark of specialised and extraordinary class as much as if they carried on their bodies some physical peculiarity (p.366).
In a more contemporary address of homosexuality, Monsignor, Andrew Baker of the Vatican’s Congregation of Bishops said:
Homosexuals may be more familiar with certain patterns and techniques of deception and repression…Nor can a homosexual be genuinely a sign of Christ’s spousal love for the Church…if the homosexual could be healed from such disorder, then he could be considered for admission to the seminary and possibly to Holy Orders, but not while being afflicted with the disorder (Irish Times.2002).
In deed these words may well have meant something if they were not being uttered by a representative of the Catholic Church, a Church that has concealed the rape of thousands of children across the world at the hands of Homophiles, Hetrophiles and Paedophiles within the Catholic Church. An interesting observation that I make in relation to the current trend by certain sections of the media to burn male sexual deviants, alleged or real, at the stake, while excusing their female counter parts as being mentally ill. Is the fact that a number of journalists who belonged to the once flogged sub-culture of ‘homosexuality’, set aside more than a fair share of column inches to condemn the deviance of recently emerging sexual sub-cultures. Perhaps these individuals unsure of their own membership of their particular group need to vilify others for some form of security and acceptance into an uncertain world. Why do these journalists create the illusion that all religious child rapists were paedophiles when in fact over 95% of them were Homophiles, this misinformation helps to create the illusion that certain sections of society do not rape children, when the evidence is very clearly to the contrary.
However, out of this vilification and recrimination needs to emerge rational and reasoned debate about how to develop best practice in child protection, crime prevention and community safety, how many lives could have been saved if the ‘Gay’ debate had not been left for so long in the hands of the ‘moral’ guardians in the media and politics. The difficulty with the supply of lurid and voyeuristic material in the media and especially that which feeds the habits of those with a distorted sexual script and facilitates sexual crime in general (O’ Mahony.1996), is that it normalises deviance in the minds of people already suffering from a variety of psychological, emotional, moral and social crisis. Many sex offenders come from non-nurturing back grounds; they can’t express their emotions or even ask the questions that could set them free from a life time of mental torture (Casey.1999). A Press Ombudsman is a good start to setting some standard in a run-away media, however, much more needs to be done if another generation are not to be morally bankrupted by those who help normalise and facilitate sexual crime in Ireland.
[1] Journophile is the term used to describe those persons who write or contribute to those media outlets that facilitate and normalise sexual deviance by way of their objectification of men, women and children through the advertising of perverted sex chat lines, pornographic imagery or lurid sexual literature.
[2] Operation Amethyst was an FBI led investigation that identified people all over the world who had accessed, paid for and down loaded child pornography from the internet. 100 people were identified in Ireland including a Circuit Court Judge who would later have the charges against him dropped as the search warrant used to seize his computer was some hours out of date. The Judge in question had been one of the founder members of the now defunct Progressive Democrats, the ‘anti-corruption’ party.
John Muncie (2000) sets the media and public’s attitude to crime, into context, when he tells us that:
Any cursory glance at television programme listings, the contents of mass circulation newspapers or the shelves of fiction in book shops will confirm the extent to which an audience perceives crime not just as a social problem but as a major sourse of amusement and diversion, the way in which we enjoy violence, humiliation and hurt casts doubt on the universal applicability of harm as always connoting trouble, fear, loss and so on. For participants, too, the pleasure in creating harm, or doing wrong or breaking boundaries is also part of the equation and needs to be thought through (p.225).
Prof. Paul O’Mahony (1996) goes further in addressing the media and crime, when he says:
Sections of the media never tire of reflecting a fearful message of crime back to the public and amplifying it through selective reporting, sensational headlines and frequently inflammatory editorialising. For most part the media rhetoric of fear and moral panic is built on isolated cases taken out of the broader context of crime in Ireland. Traditional barriers of good taste and reticence have been broken down. As the parameters of the permissible have expended some sections of the media have developed a reprehensible, approach which is sensational and voyeuristic. Supposedly factual accounts and purportedly serious analyses and comment are often exaggerated, unsubstantiated by any reliable supporting evidence, and intended to provoke hysterical response (p.167).
This manufacturing of hysterical responses guillotines public and political debate and pushes certain weak politicians towards quick fix and usually harsh and ill-considered repressive and punitive legislation, the results of which are more damaging to society in the long term. Brenda O’ Brien says:
I have always said that the media have played a positive role in helping us to come to terms with child abuse, but there is a real danger that they will become intoxicated with their own power (Irish Times. 2002).
This positive/negative role played by the media in relation to child sexual abuse was picked up by Bishop Willie Walsh when he said:
Can I ask the media to be aware of the danger that it might use its power to occupy that oppressive and uncompassionate role which hopefully the Catholic Church has vacated or at least begun to vacate (Irish Times.2002).
Psychotherapist, Marie Keenan said of sex offenders, alleged or real, and the way the media treats them:
They were constructed as non-persons and icons of evil. Labels turn people into nouns and hence the paedophile is born (Irish Times.2002).
Marie Keenan was critical of the media’s role in this demonization and its indifference to families of offenders by the repetition of cases and repeated use of photographs of abusers. In the majority of child sexual abuse cases the victim/s are from the same family as the abuser and in high profile cases lurid reporting by what has become known as Journophiles [1] can have a devastating impact on innocent members of the extended family. However, we must also remember that many of these Journophiles have no interest in the victims in these cases and are simply reporting sensational headlines in order that they can sell the paper-back book they will publish from the transcripts of the trial.
Certain media reporting can also see grave injustice done to the victims alleged or actual in such cases. In 1994 the Court of Criminal Appeal quashed a conviction which had led to a fourteen year sentence, because newspaper articles and pictures that were published during the trial period, which named the Defendant, were likely to prejudice the jury against him. In 1994, Mr Justice Kelly find the Star £10,000 for publishing a report that did not reflect what had gone on in Court and was neither ‘fair or true’. This report led to the dismissal of the jury. In 2002 the reporting of a case appearing before Mr Justice, John Neilan at Mullingar District Court, relating to a charge of false imprisonment and sexual assault of a child, Mr Justice Neilan said of an interview with the alleged victim’s family on RTE:
It was outrageous and a nauseating matter (Irish Independent.2002).
In the case of Tim Allen a celebrity Chef and the first person to be ‘sentenced’ as a result of Operation Amethyst [2], the trial Judge said he had to take into account the substantial media coverage surrounding the case. The Tim Allen case caused ‘muted’ outcry as he was given 240 hours of community service and agreed to pay £40,000 to a children’s charity. Mr Allen had paid for and down loaded one thousand pictures of children from as young as five being raped (Irish Times. 2003). These acts of legal and moral courage by members of the judiciary to face down the bullying tactics of certain sections of the media and reactionary politicians are the exception rather than the rule.
What influence can be put upon a jury by even minimal pre-trial publicity is impossible to measure; however, we can be certain that many accused persons have been denied their Constitutional right to a fair trial due to accesses by certain sections of the media. This is particularly the case in provincial towns in the Irish Republic where serious crimes are tried before the Circuit Court. Crawford (1997) reminds us that:
An assertion of community at a local level can be beautifully conciliatory, socially nuanced and constructive but it can also be parochial, intolerant, oppressive and unjust (p.294).
Accesses by the media can impugn a convicted person’s ability to seek and receive rehabilitative care when entering the prison system and can destroy the reputation of an acquitted person. This commitment to a fair trial, as set out in the Irish Constitution, Bunreacht na hEireann, and International conventions, was confirmed by Mrs Justice Denham of the Supreme Court in 1993, when she stated:
Article 40.3 incorporated a right to fairness of procedures which incorporated the requirement of Trial by jury unprejudiced by pre-trial publicity…the right to a fair trial was a fundamental Constitutional right and was superior to the communities right to prosecute (O’Mahony.1996.p.11).
A small number of politicians have not been silent on the matter of accesses by the media, although such disquiet has not been followed through by legislation. The establishment of the Press Complaints Commission is a small step in the right direction, however, when a person’s freedom is at stake no stone must be left unturned in order to guarantee a fair trial to an accused person. On the 4th of May, 2001, Donnie Cassidy, the leader of the Senate at that time said:
The rights of citizens were being eroded by some sections of the media and the Oireachtas would have to be courageous in addressing this problem.
Mr Maurice Manning, the Fine Gael Leader of the Seanad responded to Mr Cassidy by saying:
I would like to draw attention to the fact that this very morning one criminal trial cannot go ahead because of the antics of some newspapers yesterday (Irish Times.2001).
In an article in The Irish Times (2003) Fintan O’Toole gave an excellent analysis of the negative role played by some media in the murder trial of Catherine Nevin. O’ Toole concludes this article by saying:
The media industry, which rightly demands that others account for their use of power, has a lot to account for (p.16).
The jury is not the only consideration where the accesses of the media are concerned. In 2001 a Circuit Court Judge, ordered the media from his Court as he sentenced a man found guilty of sexual offences. The judge stated that his reasons for ordering the media from his court was that, he felt the presence of the media would influence his sentencing of the accused man. While this decision by the Circuit Court judge was later over turned by the High Court, it opened up the somewhat muted debate about the effects of popular sentiment and legislative provision for harsher sentences on the actual practice of judicial discretion. However, the muted debate disappeared with the headlines. Even where a judge of the lower courts has banned the publishing of names of persons involved in sexual crime cases in the interest of the victim/s, the High Court has over turned such decisions (Irish Times.2002).
Yet there is a moral schizophrenia in sections of the media when it comes to sexual crime alleged or real. While one can read tabloid headlines such as ‘Sex Beast’ and ‘Sex Monster’ (Stanko.2000) the flick of the front page of the tabloid will bring the reader into a world of intimate, lurid and graphic descriptions of sexual crimes and fantasies. The material to be found on these voyeuristic journeys, is equal to the depths of depravity to be found on deviant sexual websites on the World Wide Web, sites developed and maintained for an ever more voyeuristic public, deviant sexual sub-cultures there in, and the young and the vulnerable. These lurid and voyeuristic accounts of criminals proceedings, sex orientated advertisements and perverted sex chat lines are a clear indication of the moral schizophrenia of those sections of the media, which are high on rhetoric but low on morality.
On a daily basis there are millions of examples of this moral schizophrenia in the media. Staying specifically with the area of child sexual abuse and exploitation, I have looked at the sex orientated adverts in the tabloid press. While the extent of this article is too confined to give the depth of analysis that I would like, I will however, set out some examples. In the Weekly Sport tabloid, sex orientated adverts run alongside distasteful lurid details of sex crimes before the courts, a sample of these sex orientated adverts is:
Young Girls Want to Talk to You 1-2-1
Bored Young Girls Waiting for You to Call
Lively Girls on Line Now
Young Girls Willing to Talk
Sex adverts and selective reporting of sexual crime in The Star (tabloid) follow a similar pattern. However, The Star goes further by using popular children’s movies to lure potential young customers to their sex adverts, Home Alone (a popular children’s movie) and versions thereof. The Joint National Readership Research group have reported that The Star has some 400,000 readers in Ireland each day, on any given day there are up wards of forty sex adverts in The Star, including titles such as:
Bi Girls
Sixth Former
Irish Girls
Hot and Horny
Chat with Girls at Home
Girls looking for Men
Girls at Home
This supply of lurid material that often runs alongside advertisements for children’s summer camps and other sporting activity of interest to children must surely be of concern to those in Irish society who genuinely want to see, sexual crime and the environment that facilitates and normalises it eliminated. It is interesting to note that these perverted sex adverts for sex chat lines are excluded from our advertising standards legislation. The proliferation of child owned mobile phones combined with this easy access to lurid material pose a real danger to community safety.
Who are these lurid advertisements directed towards? If not the weak minded, the vulnerable and the young. The word Girl in the Oxford English Dictionary means, ‘Female Child’. This discourse coupled with the use of child movies as an introduction to sex chat lines, can leave one with no other conclusion than that these sex orientated adverts are aimed at grooming children, those with a distorted sexual script and any one in the community who derives pleasure from the normalisation of sexual deviance, that these adverts portray. While much reporting of a lurid and voyeuristic nature is broadly confined to the tabloids and certain internet sites it is not exclusive to same. Some Broad sheets and visual media outlets have also taped into this marketable commodity especially at times of high profile cases.
Tom Inglis, in his book, Lessons in Irish Sexuality (1998), sets out the findings of his research when he examined the Sunday Independent, for two separate six month periods. The first six months in 1963 and the second in 1993, his analysis indicated that over the thirty-year period, the number of explicit articles and photographs increased from two to thirty-three; the number of indirect items about sex increased from one to forty-four; and the number of direct items increased from eleven to seventy-six. Roger Grafe (2000) found in his research that:
The broad sheets report about three times the actual proportion of violent crime and the tabloids about ten times. The picture of the world one gets from crime news is that it is a very violent place. Inflated perceptions of the level of violence create pressure for something to be done (p.31).
What is most significant about this increased supply of lurid and deviant material by sections of the media is that it has gone unchallenged by the Government and those NGOs, voluntary and community groups who allegedly have the interests of victims at heart. Indeed these very same organisations know well that they will themselves need banner headlines when they seek their next trench of funding from Government. The double standards of some politicians were highlighted with the resignation of Government Minister, Mr Bobby Molloy in 2002, after it was disclosed by the right Hon. Mr Justice O’Sullivan, that Mr Molloy, had phoned him in relation to the sentencing of a man convicted but not yet sentenced for raping his daughter. However, the web of intrigue did not stop there; Under a Freedom of Information request by RTE’s, Good Morning Ireland, the Department of Justice was forced to disclose that the then Minister for Justice, Mr John O’Donoghue, ‘Mr Zero Tolerance’, had exchanged fifteen letters with Mr Molloy about the man convicted of, but not yet sentenced for raping his daughter.
All of the communications focused on the possibility of getting temporary release or bail for the convicted person, an intervention that is both unlawful and un-constitutional. The same Minister for Justice was a regular contributor by way of articles and interviews with the same lurid tabloids. Indeed Mr O’Donoghue would see himself before the District Court when a convicted person sought summonses issued against Mr O’Donoghue in a private criminal prosecution, after it was disclosed under the FOI Act that Mr O’Donoghue had sent an unlawful communication to the DPP in relation to that convicted persons case (Irish Times.2002). And while Mr O’Donoghue was telling the people of Ireland that sexual crime against children would not be tolerated, he and others were signing off on a deal that would see Religious Child Rapists getting bailed out to the tune of hundreds of millions of Euro, at a time when the majority of the 5500 children in the ‘care’ of the State don’t have access to professional help. Mr O’Donoghue resigned from his position as Chair of the Dail in 2009 after it was disclosed that he had spent vast amounts of tax payer’s money on extravagances for himself and his wife, including Gondala rides in Venice, while staying in 900 Euro per night Hotel rooms.
Few politicians or groups are prepared to challenge accesses by the media. Voluntary, community, ‘victims’ groups and others in the ‘victims industry’ depend on media coverage to high light their profile, which in turn helps them to secure funding from Government each year. An unprecedented ‘bogus moral panic’ was created when a ‘victims’ group colluded with the tabloids to gain banner headlines. In 2003 a ‘victims’ group claimed that over the previous five years there had been a substantial increase in drug induced rape and sexual assault cases. In fact the Gardai and the Sexual Assault Unit at the Rotunda Hospital stated that not one single case of drug induced rape or sexual assault had ever been brought to their attention. Following comprehensive investigation by the Sexual Assault Units around the country, this investigation included toxicology reports on each victim, it was clearly established that the women making such allegations (if they ever did) had simply consumed so much alcohol that they could not remember what they had done the night before. Yet nobody seemed to bat an eye lid when this bogus moral panic was exposed in an RTE 1, Crime Line Report, 26th January, 2003.
The Irish Independent (2002) reported how a 17 year old French youth, claimed to have been driven by a cult horror movie ‘Scream’ to commit the gratuitous murder of a fifteen year old girl. French Justice Minister, Dominique Perben, commenting on the case said:
The Government must quickly come up with a way to avoid this repetition of scenes of violence at the disposition of adolescents. These violent scenes set in motion some particularly fragile adolescents who then play out misdemeanours or crimes.
Sex orientated sites on the internet are an extension of this tabloid supply of deviant material, to an ever more voyeuristic public and particularly those with a distorted sexual script there in. Millions of web pages now provide a wide range of sex orientated pornography and literature. The scales of provision go from curious voyeurism, to the most lurid taste, reaching into the dark recesses of unstable minds. In February, 2001, seven people were convicted in London for their part in the ‘Wonderland Club’ which was the world’s largest known child pornography web site. The ‘Wonderland Club’ internet data base held some 750,000 images, including the rape of babies as young as two months old (Irish Indpendent.2001). It is clear from the many cases coming before the courts in England and Ireland, that the higher socio-economic groupings are the main yet not exclusive users of this new technological deviance, this was clear from Operation Amethyst (Irish Times.2002) and was reinforced by experts in this field who were interviewed on an RTE, Prime Time programme on this subject on the 31st May 2010.
For generations Irish people were constrained by the condemnation of all, but normal marital sexual relations by the Catholic Church, however, following the Ferns, Murphy and Ryan reports into religious child rapists that constraint is laid bare, the constraints of moral and religious teaching for generations, has been sharply lifted by the expose of the Catholic Church and the voyeuristic and lurid material of a newly liberated technological era. One would be a fool to suggest that sexual deviance is not a marketable commodity, however, with that marketing must come responsibility. Tony O’Neil CEO of Palmstories.com one of the biggest providers of porn on the internet and mobile phones says of the industry:
As far as the web is concerned, pornography has always been at the cutting edge technology wise, the industry is worth billions of dollars generating more money than music or movies (Irish Times. 2001).
Emer O’ Kelly told us in the Sunday Independent, that she and other citizens are scourged by sexually explicit pornography, that is sent to them via the internet, into the privacy of their own homes, yet this is not illegal. Supply and demand for lurid and voyeuristic material and sexual stimuli for an ever-more voyeuristic public and deviant sub-cultures there in, are growing unhindered, and sections of the media have not been wanting in feeding that demand and exploiting the aquiesants of the Government and others who turn a blind eye to this moral quagmire. Prof. Paul O’ Mahony (1996) says:
Pornographic portrayals of the relations between men and women and adults and children permeate our society. Pornography inevitably plays an important role in forming sexual attitudes and quite possibly, in facilitating and promoting sexual crime (p.219).
ISPCC Chief Executive, Paul Gilligan, reacting to Operation Amethyst, supported this view expressed by O’ Mahony in that pornography can facilitate crime and can be an integral part of sexual criminality when he said:
There is clear evidence from other countries that those in possession of child pornography represent a real risk to children and that those who actively purchase such material represent a greater risk. Some of the biggest paedophile rings and the most compulsive paedophile offenders have been caught on the basis of storing this type of material (Irish Independent.2002).
That said of course, the many thousands of religious child rapists including Homophiles, Hetrophiles and Paedophiles who operated within the Catholic Church would not have had access to such pornographic material in the 1940s/50s/60s and so forth. The ever more voyeuristic public and particularly those with a distorted sexual script there in, as set out in this article, are vulnerable to the detrimental influences of deviant literature and photography and persons outside this profile, who lack countervailing influences, particularly the young, can be taken along on a tide of sexual deviant activity and criminality. The conviction in England in May 2010 of two ten year old boys for the attempted rape of an eight year old girl, begs the question, why are children engaging is such activity, they did not learn it from watching the Telly Tubbies or Bosco.
In a survey published in July, 2002, the National Centre for Technology in Education found that 73% of 8-10 year old children had internet access at home. In an RTE Prime Time investigation aired on the 31st of May 2010, it was shown that 99% of children now have access to the internet at home. The report in 2002 further stated that as many as 25% of children with internet access at home had encountered pornography on the internet. In the Prime Time programme in 2010 this number is much greater and the dangers posed by chat rooms and social networking sites are an ever increasing danger. This normalising of deviant activity by the pornographic web sites, other sections of the media and an acquiescent Government and others have lowered the barriers, and provided a constant stream of images and literature to create and feed unhealthy and grossly unrealistic fantasies. The great disappointment with the Prime Time programme was that it failed to address the role played by the tabloids and other media in normalising and facilitating sexual crime, and rather seemed to suggest that it is only those sites that exchange child pornography or have a cyber-contact element that pose the only threat to children, again enforcing the image of the paedophile, homophile or hetrophile as a man in the cyber bushes wearing a rain coat.
What is important to remember about deviance, says Young (1973) is that:
Deviant behaviour….is a meaningful attempt to solve the problems faced by a group or isolated individual – it is not a meaningless pathology (p.42).
Young’s proposition raises the question, Why does society prefer to decry rather than confront sexual deviance in an open and constructive forum? May explanations can be offered and some have been put forward in this paper, however, unlike ‘homosexuality’ other sexual sub-cultures particularly those relating to child sexual abuse, cannot be so easily set out-side the dominant sexual culture. It is perhaps this fear of examining too closely sexual crime and particularly sexual crime against children (Operation Amethyst, Ferns Report, Murphy Report, Ryan Report) that allows the hard line consensus to square their shoulders and shout ‘hang them’, however, as we have learned in Ireland, it is usually those who shout the loudest that do so to conceal their own crimes.
If the figures, relating to sexual crime in Ireland presented in this article in terms of Operation Amethyst and so forth are even close to the true extent of sexual crime, then one wonders in a population of less than four-million people, what family in the broadest sense is without its own difficulties. The recent revelations by Sinn Fein, President, Gerry Adams that he had known for decades that both his father and Brother Liam were child abusers, exposes the reality of how many dark secrets remain untold in Ireland. However, all is not lost as Brenda O’ Brien reminds us that:
An important Canadian study shows that untreated sex offenders have a 35% recidivism rate, while it is less than 10% for those who are un treated (Irish Times.2002).
When John O’Donoghue TD was Minister for Justice, dozens of convicted sex offenders applied to go on the sex offenders treatment programme at Arbour Hill Prison, the majority were told that there were no facilities to treat them due to lack of funding, this at a time when the Department of Justice spent vast fortunes on expensive trips abroad and squandered tens of millions of Euro on lavish expenses. Many within the hard-line consensus like British Home Secretary, Jack Straw (1997-2001) who introduced ill-considered and punitive measures against sexual deviance, found that he had to build the scaffold close to home when his brother was charged with sexual crimes against two young girls in 2000. In July 2001, the Taoiseach’s Office was quick to play down reports that it was the subject of a major investigation by the Director of Equality, into allegations of serious sexual harassment against a former female employee. While some Cabinet Ministers, had in the weeks prior to these allegations against the Taoiseach’s Office been able to illegally comment on certain cases of a sexual nature before the criminal courts, the Taoiseach’s Department had ‘No Comment’ in relation to its own dirty laundry that was being hung out in the public arena.
This hypocrisy is not exclusive to weak politicians, in 2005; The Editor of The Star paid a sex offender who had just been released from prison 400 Euro for photographs of the said sex offender. The said sex offender had asked a friend to take pictures of him as he walked in O’Connell Street on the day he was released from prison, the said sex offender then sold these photographs to The Star for 400 Euro, the following day The Editor of The Star published the photographs claiming that a Star photographer had ‘captured’ the pictures as he seen the said sex offender on O’ Connell Street. The Editor of The Star continues to be a paid guest on many Irish television programmes where he continues to lecture the Irish public on matters of morality and good citizenship.
The vitriol expounded by certain sections of the media for those accused of sexual crime, particularly against children, it is not a new phenomenon. In the not too distant past ‘homosexuals’ were the target of the editorial ‘moralists’. In the 1980s and 1990s Ireland’s sexual closet flung open with a vengeance and from this sexual expose, homosexuals were reluctantly ‘accepted’ into the status quo as an oppressed sexual minority, as opposed to a ‘sexually deviant sub-culture’. Such is the strength of the ‘homosexual’ lobby today in the UK and Ireland, that laws have been introduced to reflect a more liberal approach to the gay community. What ‘was’ seen as being seriously criminal by the Governments of the UK and Ireland a few short years ago is today not only ‘tolerated’ but is legislated for. Sexual activity with a child must remain criminal as no child can consent to such activity, however, child protection, community safety and crime prevention cannot be delegated to certain weak politicians and editorial ‘moralists’, whose only motivation respectively is self-preservation and gross commercialism.
Cross (1979) quotes Lord Summers, to sum up, attitudes to homosexuality before the prevailing liberalism:
Persons who commit the offences now under consideration seek the habitual gratification of particular perverted lust which not only takes them out of the class of ordinary men gone wrong, but stamps them with the hall-mark of specialised and extraordinary class as much as if they carried on their bodies some physical peculiarity (p.366).
In a more contemporary address of homosexuality, Monsignor, Andrew Baker of the Vatican’s Congregation of Bishops said:
Homosexuals may be more familiar with certain patterns and techniques of deception and repression…Nor can a homosexual be genuinely a sign of Christ’s spousal love for the Church…if the homosexual could be healed from such disorder, then he could be considered for admission to the seminary and possibly to Holy Orders, but not while being afflicted with the disorder (Irish Times.2002).
In deed these words may well have meant something if they were not being uttered by a representative of the Catholic Church, a Church that has concealed the rape of thousands of children across the world at the hands of Homophiles, Hetrophiles and Paedophiles within the Catholic Church. An interesting observation that I make in relation to the current trend by certain sections of the media to burn male sexual deviants, alleged or real, at the stake, while excusing their female counter parts as being mentally ill. Is the fact that a number of journalists who belonged to the once flogged sub-culture of ‘homosexuality’, set aside more than a fair share of column inches to condemn the deviance of recently emerging sexual sub-cultures. Perhaps these individuals unsure of their own membership of their particular group need to vilify others for some form of security and acceptance into an uncertain world. Why do these journalists create the illusion that all religious child rapists were paedophiles when in fact over 95% of them were Homophiles, this misinformation helps to create the illusion that certain sections of society do not rape children, when the evidence is very clearly to the contrary.
However, out of this vilification and recrimination needs to emerge rational and reasoned debate about how to develop best practice in child protection, crime prevention and community safety, how many lives could have been saved if the ‘Gay’ debate had not been left for so long in the hands of the ‘moral’ guardians in the media and politics. The difficulty with the supply of lurid and voyeuristic material in the media and especially that which feeds the habits of those with a distorted sexual script and facilitates sexual crime in general (O’ Mahony.1996), is that it normalises deviance in the minds of people already suffering from a variety of psychological, emotional, moral and social crisis. Many sex offenders come from non-nurturing back grounds; they can’t express their emotions or even ask the questions that could set them free from a life time of mental torture (Casey.1999). A Press Ombudsman is a good start to setting some standard in a run-away media, however, much more needs to be done if another generation are not to be morally bankrupted by those who help normalise and facilitate sexual crime in Ireland.
[1] Journophile is the term used to describe those persons who write or contribute to those media outlets that facilitate and normalise sexual deviance by way of their objectification of men, women and children through the advertising of perverted sex chat lines, pornographic imagery or lurid sexual literature.
[2] Operation Amethyst was an FBI led investigation that identified people all over the world who had accessed, paid for and down loaded child pornography from the internet. 100 people were identified in Ireland including a Circuit Court Judge who would later have the charges against him dropped as the search warrant used to seize his computer was some hours out of date. The Judge in question had been one of the founder members of the now defunct Progressive Democrats, the ‘anti-corruption’ party.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Meath GAA Fixtures
GAA: The GAA today confirmed times and venues for the first round of SFC qualifiers with the eagerly-anticipated fixture between Louth and Meath to be played at Breffni Park.
All eight fixtures will be played on Saturday, June 25th with the repeat of last year’s Leinster final at Breffni Park having a 7pm throw-in and will be shown live on RTÉ 2.
Although Louth had home advantage after being drawn first in last night’s draw in Carrick-on-Shannon, the game will be played at the neutral Dublin venue because the Louth county ground, Drogheda, has a capacity of just 4,000.
Last year’s provincial final between the two sides ended in controversy when Meath won the game with a disputed late goal from Joe Sheridan.
The game will be preceded by the meeting of Cavan and Longford, which has a 5.00pm start at the same venue.
Elsewhere, last year’s beaten All-Ireland champions, Down, will travel to Cusack Park, Ennis to face Clare, with the game throwing in at 3.00pm.
The throw-in times for next weekend’s All-Ireland SHC Preliminary Round games were also been confirmed.
Cork travel to Portlaoise, where they will face Laois at 3pm, while the meeting of Antrim and Westmeath also has a 3pm throw-in at Casement Park.
All-Ireland SFC Round 1 Qualifiers
(Saturday, June 25th 2011)
Clare v Down, 3pm
Cusack Park, Ennis
Laois v Tipperary, 5pm/7pm*
Portlaoise
Antrim v Westmeath, 2pm
Casement Park
Louth v Meath, 7pm
Breffni Park
London v Fermanagh, 1.30pm
Ruislip
Cavan v Longford, 5pm
Breffni Park
Wicklow v Sligo, 5.00pm
Aughrim
Offaly v Monaghan, 7pm
Tullamore
(*If part of double-header with SHC Laois v Offaly, throw in will be at 5pm. Or as stand alone game throw-in will be at 7pm)
All eight fixtures will be played on Saturday, June 25th with the repeat of last year’s Leinster final at Breffni Park having a 7pm throw-in and will be shown live on RTÉ 2.
Although Louth had home advantage after being drawn first in last night’s draw in Carrick-on-Shannon, the game will be played at the neutral Dublin venue because the Louth county ground, Drogheda, has a capacity of just 4,000.
Last year’s provincial final between the two sides ended in controversy when Meath won the game with a disputed late goal from Joe Sheridan.
The game will be preceded by the meeting of Cavan and Longford, which has a 5.00pm start at the same venue.
Elsewhere, last year’s beaten All-Ireland champions, Down, will travel to Cusack Park, Ennis to face Clare, with the game throwing in at 3.00pm.
The throw-in times for next weekend’s All-Ireland SHC Preliminary Round games were also been confirmed.
Cork travel to Portlaoise, where they will face Laois at 3pm, while the meeting of Antrim and Westmeath also has a 3pm throw-in at Casement Park.
All-Ireland SFC Round 1 Qualifiers
(Saturday, June 25th 2011)
Clare v Down, 3pm
Cusack Park, Ennis
Laois v Tipperary, 5pm/7pm*
Portlaoise
Antrim v Westmeath, 2pm
Casement Park
Louth v Meath, 7pm
Breffni Park
London v Fermanagh, 1.30pm
Ruislip
Cavan v Longford, 5pm
Breffni Park
Wicklow v Sligo, 5.00pm
Aughrim
Offaly v Monaghan, 7pm
Tullamore
(*If part of double-header with SHC Laois v Offaly, throw in will be at 5pm. Or as stand alone game throw-in will be at 7pm)
Friday, June 10, 2011
Solheim Cup Meath Ireland 2011
Meath Golf: COUNTY MEATH, Ireland - After the enormous success of the 2006 Ryder Cup at the K Club, it's perhaps not surprising that the Solheim Cup is following in its big brother's spiked footprints and being held in Ireland.
And in selecting Killeen Castle, a comparatively new course just 35 minutes from the center of Dublin, the women would appear to be borrowing the successful formula that worked so well for the men five years ago.
Located near the picturesque village of Dunsany and overlooked by the ancient Hill of Tara, Killeen Castle dates back to the 12th century. It's enjoyed a rich history that in many ways reflects Ireland's fluctuating fortunes.
It fell into disrepair in the late 17th century and was not restored until around 1779.
In the 19th century, the ninth Earl of Fingal rebuilt it in the style of a small Windsor Castle and it was said to contain 365 windows. On May 16, 1981, the castle was destroyed in an arson attack and was abandoned for many years until the present developers began converting it into a luxury hotel and spa.
Although the hotel isn't finished, the golf course most definitely is and has been open since April 2009. A Jack Nicklaus signature course that measures 7,600 yards from the back tees, it was designed and constructed by the great man himself.
Set in natural woodlands and parklands of almost 350 acres, more than twice the average size of a championship course, water features prominently on nine of the 18 holes.
In keeping with the Nicklaus philosophy of working with the natural landscape rather than against it, the course features stunning stonework which was quarried from the site and hand-tooled by expert craftsmen.
Of his creation, Nicklaus said: "As the course designer, I am proud to be part of what is happening at Killeen Castle. It is phenomenal, what with the castle as a focal point. You have wonderful facilities to stage the Solheim Cup or the Ryder Cup in the future. It is a very strong course and will be nicely matured for 2011."
It has already witnessed competitive action at the highest level when the Ladies European Tour visited it last year to play the revived Irish Open.
The Europeans will have another chance to check out the course when the Irish Open returns to Killeen Castle at the beginning of August, just six weeks before the big clash, and when the teams will have been announced.
Enjoy Solheim Cup action and Dublin too
The bulk of the supporters of both Solheim Cup teams will be staying in hotels in nearby Dublin. There's an enormous choice that includes three-star hotels such as the Mont Clare and Harcourt, both of which are among Ireland's friendliest and offer well appointed rooms and a wealth of amenities.
The Burlington Hotel, one of Dublin's premier hotels, has no fewer than 500 bright, contemporary bedrooms. Right in the centre of the city there the five-star Shelbourne Hotel. A truly luxurious establishment, it overlooks St Stephen's Green, which claims to be Europe's grandest garden square.
The journey to Killeen Castle from Dublin will be very straightforward with a "Rail and Ride" service taking spectators there by train and then shuttle. Not far from the Pace interchange on the M3, Killeen Castle is also eminently reachable by car. If you're simply going to the Solheim Cup with no thoughts of exploring anywhere other than perhaps Dublin, there's really no need to hire a car as Dublin boasts first-class rail and bus services.
But the very best way to get about the city and soak up the atmosphere is to walk. O'Connell Street, the University or along the River Liffey, everywhere you stroll there's plenty to see. If you're not sure which way to turn, follow the brown "Historical Walking Tours" signs. And if you grow weary and thirsty, remember that in Ireland you're never very far from a bar!
Plan your Dublin-area golf rounds now
If you want to escape, there are numerous sandy beaches very close at hand and, of course, the city is surrounded by the most glorious green countryside. And it would be verging on criminal not to visit at least a couple of the fabulous golf courses that are liberally scattered around. You can book advanced tee times on Irish golf courses via GolfNow.com.
It doesn't matter which side of the city you are, you're never far from a top quality course. To the north there's The Island Golf Club. Although relatively unknown, it is truly spectacular. A rugged links, it hugs the estuary and winds its way through land strewn with towering dunes. Also to the north of Dublin is Portmarnoch Links. A genuine championship course on the water's edge, it was designed by Bernhard Langer and is truly outstanding with the last three magnificent holes creating a wonderful climax to the round.
Head west and you hit a great belt of world-class courses, all of which are within striking distance of the city. They include, CityWest, which was designed by European Ryder Cup hero Christy O'Connor Jr. and is bristling with bunkers and water hazards. Palmerstown House Golf Club has the feel of a beautiful country estate and is always presented in perfect condition. The K Club, with its fabulous stadium-style Palmer Course, hosted the Ryder Cup in 2006 and is a wonderful challenge. And two Ryder Cup heroes -- Colin Montgomery and Mark O'Meara -- each designed a lovely parkland course at the Carton House resort.
Meath Chronicle for all your news and views BUY your Copy
Ambulance cover is halved in Navan
by Paul Neilan
HSE move provokes criticism amid patient safety claims
Plans to reduce ambulance cover in Navan, which went ahead on Bank Holiday Monday, have been met by fierce criticism.
Just two weeks after a man died while an ambulance was being rushed to him from Navan, the HSE has moved one of its two ambulance units from the town's ambulance station. That unit will now be based across the north Leinster region.
There is now just a single ambulance operating at night from Navan, and the entire county must rely on only two ambulance crews - one in Navan and another in Dunshaughlin - operating the night shift of 7pm to 7am nightly.
On Thursday 26th May, 52-year-old Peter Sherlock died shortly after being brought to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, in a van. Following an emergency call, an ambulance had been dispatched from Navan, due to the in-service ambulances based at Drogheda already being in use. A motorist had to bring the man to hospital in the back of his van from the scene after waiting 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.
Long-time Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, campaigner and Navan councillor Joe Reilly said the move was unacceptable. "Recent incidents in the north-east should have informed the HSE that leaving Navan with one ambulance from 7am to 7pm is asking to repeat the disaster of a couple of weeks ago. It's not acceptable that this went ahead without consultation and, in my view, is not in the interests of patient safety," he said.
Navan Fianna Fail councillor Tommy Reilly termed the re-rostering as a "disgrace".
He said: "It's a total disgrace when you think of that poor man over in Drogheda five minutes from the hospital; eventually, he was put in the back of a van, which isn't even a Third World service.
"You wouldn't treat an animal like that and whatever nice name the HSE has put on this, re-rostering, people are suffering at their hands; but enough is enough, it's time to implement the policies that we heard before the election. I'm bitterly disappointed with this move," he said.
Last month it was revealed in this newspaper that plans were afoot to reduce ambulance cover in the region, a move that was slated by local politicians and doctors alike. Local representatives warned that if the move went ahead, one accident with two casualties would leave the county relying on assistance from other counties. As of Monday, that is now the case.
SIPTU's John McCarrick said: "We have to accept that the roster has changed but that the individuals involved are all retained in the area."
He went on: "But we did express our concern to management at the amount of time spent by crews away from base because now they have to go to Drogheda and they could be three hours away." He said the HSE said it would take full responsibility.
"Simply put, it was an interim measure and demand, as in the amount of calls, did not increase, which we all had to accept," said Mr McCarrick.
Dunboyne councillor Maria Murphy said she will be approaching Health Minister Dr James Reilly to reverse the decision. "Dr Reilly made commitments about Navan before the election to have no changes in service. Deputy Damien English was at that march as well and also made commitments. I am reiterating my disappointment on this matter because it is not good enough given the size of the county," she said.
The second ambulance based in Navan had been stationed there for a year - since April 2010 - as an "interim measure", according to the Health Service Executive (HSE). The National Ambulance Service is not a static service, it works on an area basis as opposed to a local basis," said a spokesperson for the HSE.
"At present, the National Ambulance Service is reviewing operational rosters to ensure that appropriate emergency ambulance cover is available throughout the north Leinster Area on a 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year basis. The service is striving to ensure that the patient is centre of focus.
"A review of activity and resources based at Navan Ambulance Station has shown that an additional ambulance resource placed there as an interim resource in 2010 during the restructuring of services could be put to more efficient and effective use in the region. The reorganisation of this resource will ensure service continuity on an area basis and there will be no negative impact on the delivery of patient care."
It added that "successful dialogue" had been entered into with all relevant parties, including staff and staff unions.
"The ambulance service is a dynamic service and responds to calls on a prioritised basis. This prioritisation of calls is achieved via the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System which is in operation in all National Ambulance Service Command and Control Centres. Ambulance Service resources are deployed on a clinical need basis to ensure that the appropriate patient gets the appropriate response. The closest appropriate resource is dispatched in the first instance and, if required, the service is then supported by resources from the surrounding ambulance stations, or the use of officer response and also resources from the other surrounding national ambulance service divisions when required. This cascade system ensures continuity of service and continuous patient care delivery," the spokesperson added.
Plans to reduce ambulance cover in Navan, which went ahead on Bank Holiday Monday, have been met by fierce criticism.
Just two weeks after a man died while an ambulance was being rushed to him from Navan, the HSE has moved one of its two ambulance units from the town's ambulance station. That unit will now be based across the north Leinster region.
There is now just a single ambulance operating at night from Navan, and the entire county must rely on only two ambulance crews - one in Navan and another in Dunshaughlin - operating the night shift of 7pm to 7am nightly.
On Thursday 26th May, 52-year-old Peter Sherlock died shortly after being brought to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, in a van. Following an emergency call, an ambulance had been dispatched from Navan, due to the in-service ambulances based at Drogheda already being in use. A motorist had to bring the man to hospital in the back of his van from the scene after waiting 20 minutes for an ambulance to arrive.
Long-time Our Lady's Hospital, Navan, campaigner and Navan councillor Joe Reilly said the move was unacceptable. "Recent incidents in the north-east should have informed the HSE that leaving Navan with one ambulance from 7am to 7pm is asking to repeat the disaster of a couple of weeks ago. It's not acceptable that this went ahead without consultation and, in my view, is not in the interests of patient safety," he said.
Navan Fianna Fail councillor Tommy Reilly termed the re-rostering as a "disgrace".
He said: "It's a total disgrace when you think of that poor man over in Drogheda five minutes from the hospital; eventually, he was put in the back of a van, which isn't even a Third World service.
"You wouldn't treat an animal like that and whatever nice name the HSE has put on this, re-rostering, people are suffering at their hands; but enough is enough, it's time to implement the policies that we heard before the election. I'm bitterly disappointed with this move," he said.
Last month it was revealed in this newspaper that plans were afoot to reduce ambulance cover in the region, a move that was slated by local politicians and doctors alike. Local representatives warned that if the move went ahead, one accident with two casualties would leave the county relying on assistance from other counties. As of Monday, that is now the case.
SIPTU's John McCarrick said: "We have to accept that the roster has changed but that the individuals involved are all retained in the area."
He went on: "But we did express our concern to management at the amount of time spent by crews away from base because now they have to go to Drogheda and they could be three hours away." He said the HSE said it would take full responsibility.
"Simply put, it was an interim measure and demand, as in the amount of calls, did not increase, which we all had to accept," said Mr McCarrick.
Dunboyne councillor Maria Murphy said she will be approaching Health Minister Dr James Reilly to reverse the decision. "Dr Reilly made commitments about Navan before the election to have no changes in service. Deputy Damien English was at that march as well and also made commitments. I am reiterating my disappointment on this matter because it is not good enough given the size of the county," she said.
The second ambulance based in Navan had been stationed there for a year - since April 2010 - as an "interim measure", according to the Health Service Executive (HSE). The National Ambulance Service is not a static service, it works on an area basis as opposed to a local basis," said a spokesperson for the HSE.
"At present, the National Ambulance Service is reviewing operational rosters to ensure that appropriate emergency ambulance cover is available throughout the north Leinster Area on a 24-hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year basis. The service is striving to ensure that the patient is centre of focus.
"A review of activity and resources based at Navan Ambulance Station has shown that an additional ambulance resource placed there as an interim resource in 2010 during the restructuring of services could be put to more efficient and effective use in the region. The reorganisation of this resource will ensure service continuity on an area basis and there will be no negative impact on the delivery of patient care."
It added that "successful dialogue" had been entered into with all relevant parties, including staff and staff unions.
"The ambulance service is a dynamic service and responds to calls on a prioritised basis. This prioritisation of calls is achieved via the Advanced Medical Priority Dispatch System which is in operation in all National Ambulance Service Command and Control Centres. Ambulance Service resources are deployed on a clinical need basis to ensure that the appropriate patient gets the appropriate response. The closest appropriate resource is dispatched in the first instance and, if required, the service is then supported by resources from the surrounding ambulance stations, or the use of officer response and also resources from the other surrounding national ambulance service divisions when required. This cascade system ensures continuity of service and continuous patient care delivery," the spokesperson added.
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Leaving Cert Junior Cert
More than 116,000 students will this morning begin the Leaving and Junior Cert exams.
Last night, Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn sent his best wishes to students, who, he said, were getting “the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills across a range of areas. This marks an important milestone in their lives”.
Exams in 90 subjects, including those at higher, ordinary and foundation levels, will take place in exam centres across the country. In addition, native speakers from other EU countries will sit examinations in their mother tongues at Leaving Certificate level in 15 non-curricular languages, such as Polish, Lithuanian and Romanian.
Mr Quinn expressed concern at the continuing decline in the number taking higher-level maths in the Leaving. A record low of only 10,435 candidates are registered to take the exam this year.
He hoped various Government initiatives would help to reverse the trend. These include the introduction of the Project Maths course, the planned bonus points for maths due next year and the Government’s national plan for literacy and numeracy.
This year, students in 24 schools will sit a new examination paper in the Junior Certificate in mathematics (Paper 2) for the first time, following the introduction of Project Maths in 2008.
In all, 14 Libyan students will sit the Leaving Cert in Ireland. They were due to take the exam at ISM International School in Tripoli – but cannot do so because of the security situation.
The school is still open, but Irish exam supervisors cannot travel there. An alternative provision to host the exams in Malta fell through because of visa problems.
Four candidates are taking the Leaving at the Institute of Education in Leeson Street, nine in Cork and one in Limerick.
One of the candidates, Joumana Ben Younes, arrived on Monday for the exam, having spent a month in Tunis awaiting her visa.
Her travails put the usual pre-exam stresses into perspective. “There has been a lot of fighting and shooting every night. It has been really difficult with the Gadafy military. We’re really scared of them. They are doing atrocities to the population.”
She is taking eight subjects (six higher and two lower), with a view to studying economics and politics abroad. “We just don’t have any international universities in Libya.”
Bozhidara Boyadzhieva, born in Libya of Bulgarian parents, managed to leave Libya before foreigners looking to escape overwhelmed the airport and seaports. She hopes to study international law in the Netherlands and is taking five higher-level and two ordinary-level subjects.
Moad Hesham Ben Zeghlam, a Libyan, is taking four higher and two ordinary-level exams.
Stefan Bozic, whose parents are Serbian, has also had visa problems. He had to spend two months in Slovenian capital Ljubljana awaiting a visa.
He is taking five higher and two ordinary-level subjects, and has applied to five universities to study civil engineering. “I’m predicting Bs,” he said.
Deirdre Walsh, the Institute of Education’s international officer, said the institute will try and help other Leaving Certificate students next year if the situation in Libya has not stabilised.
“They will have wasted their own second level if they can’t do their Leaving Certificate,” she said.
Last night, Minister for Education and Skills Ruairí Quinn sent his best wishes to students, who, he said, were getting “the opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding and skills across a range of areas. This marks an important milestone in their lives”.
Exams in 90 subjects, including those at higher, ordinary and foundation levels, will take place in exam centres across the country. In addition, native speakers from other EU countries will sit examinations in their mother tongues at Leaving Certificate level in 15 non-curricular languages, such as Polish, Lithuanian and Romanian.
Mr Quinn expressed concern at the continuing decline in the number taking higher-level maths in the Leaving. A record low of only 10,435 candidates are registered to take the exam this year.
He hoped various Government initiatives would help to reverse the trend. These include the introduction of the Project Maths course, the planned bonus points for maths due next year and the Government’s national plan for literacy and numeracy.
This year, students in 24 schools will sit a new examination paper in the Junior Certificate in mathematics (Paper 2) for the first time, following the introduction of Project Maths in 2008.
In all, 14 Libyan students will sit the Leaving Cert in Ireland. They were due to take the exam at ISM International School in Tripoli – but cannot do so because of the security situation.
The school is still open, but Irish exam supervisors cannot travel there. An alternative provision to host the exams in Malta fell through because of visa problems.
Four candidates are taking the Leaving at the Institute of Education in Leeson Street, nine in Cork and one in Limerick.
One of the candidates, Joumana Ben Younes, arrived on Monday for the exam, having spent a month in Tunis awaiting her visa.
Her travails put the usual pre-exam stresses into perspective. “There has been a lot of fighting and shooting every night. It has been really difficult with the Gadafy military. We’re really scared of them. They are doing atrocities to the population.”
She is taking eight subjects (six higher and two lower), with a view to studying economics and politics abroad. “We just don’t have any international universities in Libya.”
Bozhidara Boyadzhieva, born in Libya of Bulgarian parents, managed to leave Libya before foreigners looking to escape overwhelmed the airport and seaports. She hopes to study international law in the Netherlands and is taking five higher-level and two ordinary-level subjects.
Moad Hesham Ben Zeghlam, a Libyan, is taking four higher and two ordinary-level exams.
Stefan Bozic, whose parents are Serbian, has also had visa problems. He had to spend two months in Slovenian capital Ljubljana awaiting a visa.
He is taking five higher and two ordinary-level subjects, and has applied to five universities to study civil engineering. “I’m predicting Bs,” he said.
Deirdre Walsh, the Institute of Education’s international officer, said the institute will try and help other Leaving Certificate students next year if the situation in Libya has not stabilised.
“They will have wasted their own second level if they can’t do their Leaving Certificate,” she said.
Monday, June 6, 2011
Meath Holidays
Mary and Michael Lydon’s working farm in Meath combines the right amount of fun for kids with the right amount of comfort for grown-ups. No sleeping on extra-comfy clumps of heather here but rather in farm buildings nicely renovated as cosy accommodation.
The real appeal, however, is out in the yard where youngsters follow Mr Lydon like newly hatched chicks as he goes about his morning and evening chores, like milking cows by hand, feeding ducks and petting donkeys.
There are ponies to ride, a playground to enjoy and a trampoline to bounce on and, if mum and dad fancy heading off to see the cultural sights nearby, kids can stay and join in the summer camps the Lydons run for locals, with toys aplenty in the old cow barn playhouse.
Cost: three nights self-catering accommodation for four costs €360, including free passes to Rathbeggan Lakes, an outdoor fishing/play centre nearby.
The real appeal, however, is out in the yard where youngsters follow Mr Lydon like newly hatched chicks as he goes about his morning and evening chores, like milking cows by hand, feeding ducks and petting donkeys.
There are ponies to ride, a playground to enjoy and a trampoline to bounce on and, if mum and dad fancy heading off to see the cultural sights nearby, kids can stay and join in the summer camps the Lydons run for locals, with toys aplenty in the old cow barn playhouse.
Cost: three nights self-catering accommodation for four costs €360, including free passes to Rathbeggan Lakes, an outdoor fishing/play centre nearby.
Meath GAA Results Fixtures
Meath manager Seamus McEnaney refused to blame referee Syl Doyle after two controversial decisions cost the Royals dearly in the defeat to Kildare in the Leinster Football quarter-final at Croke Park on Sunday.
Doyle sent off Meath's Brian Farrell for hitting out at Emmet Bolton in the second half, despite Farrell appearing to make little contact with Bolton.
Then Graham Geraghty had a goal ruled out because of a square ball after a Joe Sheridan pass.
It was a marginal call and the Royals may have had reason to feel aggrieved.
They never really recovered from that blow and the Lilywhites pulled away to secure the win.
McEnaney said: 'The feeling is that the two decisions went wrongly against Meath on this occasion. But we're not in the business of crying about decisions. We need to get on with this and pick ourselves up for three weeks time and that is what we'll have to do.
'We intended on getting ready for a Leinster semi-final but unfortunately that is not the case. I have no doubt there is a great resolve in this group of lads, there is a great spirit in the dressing room and we'll work and drive it on from here on.'
Speaking further about the disallowed goal, the former Monaghan manager believes it was turning point in the match and felt his side could have gone on to win the game if it had been awarded.
'It was a crucial time in the game with 10 or 11 minutes to go. We would have brought the scoreline back to within a point and it would have put Meath on the front foot where it could have been a different result.
'But at the end of the day, Kildare with the extra man used the sweeper system and they punished us in the last 10 minutes.'
'We were well in control of the game at half-time but coughed up a couple of scores in the early stages of the second half that cost us dearly and maybe our work rate wasn't up to as much as we'd like.
'But we fired everything at it. We dropped to 14-men at a crucial part of the game. The goal disallowed was another crucial part.
'At the end of the day these decisions will go for you some days and go against you others. Unfortunately for us, they went against us today.'
McEnaney paid tribute to his players for their effort in the run-up to this game, believing they gave everything in the bid to defend their Leinster crown.
'I'm immensely proud of this group of lads. They have worked tremendously hard.
'They have worked the shirts off their backs for five nights a week for the last four or five months. I can't pay enough tribute to the lads.
'You can't ask for any more. We give it everything. We emptied the bench but unfortunately we didn't get the result we would have liked.'
Doyle sent off Meath's Brian Farrell for hitting out at Emmet Bolton in the second half, despite Farrell appearing to make little contact with Bolton.
Then Graham Geraghty had a goal ruled out because of a square ball after a Joe Sheridan pass.
It was a marginal call and the Royals may have had reason to feel aggrieved.
They never really recovered from that blow and the Lilywhites pulled away to secure the win.
McEnaney said: 'The feeling is that the two decisions went wrongly against Meath on this occasion. But we're not in the business of crying about decisions. We need to get on with this and pick ourselves up for three weeks time and that is what we'll have to do.
'We intended on getting ready for a Leinster semi-final but unfortunately that is not the case. I have no doubt there is a great resolve in this group of lads, there is a great spirit in the dressing room and we'll work and drive it on from here on.'
Speaking further about the disallowed goal, the former Monaghan manager believes it was turning point in the match and felt his side could have gone on to win the game if it had been awarded.
'It was a crucial time in the game with 10 or 11 minutes to go. We would have brought the scoreline back to within a point and it would have put Meath on the front foot where it could have been a different result.
'But at the end of the day, Kildare with the extra man used the sweeper system and they punished us in the last 10 minutes.'
'We were well in control of the game at half-time but coughed up a couple of scores in the early stages of the second half that cost us dearly and maybe our work rate wasn't up to as much as we'd like.
'But we fired everything at it. We dropped to 14-men at a crucial part of the game. The goal disallowed was another crucial part.
'At the end of the day these decisions will go for you some days and go against you others. Unfortunately for us, they went against us today.'
McEnaney paid tribute to his players for their effort in the run-up to this game, believing they gave everything in the bid to defend their Leinster crown.
'I'm immensely proud of this group of lads. They have worked tremendously hard.
'They have worked the shirts off their backs for five nights a week for the last four or five months. I can't pay enough tribute to the lads.
'You can't ask for any more. We give it everything. We emptied the bench but unfortunately we didn't get the result we would have liked.'
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Meath Child Protection
Structures for Safeguarding Children
The Diocese of Meath has over recent years worked very closely with the HSE in putting in place trained child protection representatives in all parishes. Progress reviews take place at regular intervals during the course of the year between Diocesan and HSE personnel.
The Diocese has shared and continues to share with the HSE all information in relation to concerns that arise in the area of child protection. The advice of the HSE is followed in setting up reporting procedures, for which the Diocesan Delegate and parish representatives have been trained by HSE personnel. If a complaint arises, the Diocese gives its full cooperation to the Gardaí.
If anyone has a child protection concern, disclosure or allegation, the Diocese asks you to come forward so that children can be safeguarded and healing can begin.
Contact details for the Diocesan Delegate and parish representatives are available in church porches.
see, Slane News
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