theirishtimes--2020-11-18--Séamus Woulfe likely to start on Supreme Court in early 2021

Séamus Woulfe looks set to begin work as a Supreme Court judge early next year after the Government said it would not initiate a process to remove him from office .
Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Tuesday said the Coalition would take no further steps against Mr Justice Woulfe , who has been at the centre of a controversy over his attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in August .
Mr Martin told the Dáil that the “ constitutional protection of the judiciary is best achieved in this particular case ” by such an approach .
The board of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s comments and it now appears there is no obstacle , barring possible action by Opposition parties , to the judge beginning work .
Sources believe , if he does so , that it will be from February in line with proposals set out under an informal resolution process initiated in October .
It is understood that several members of the board were relieved that the Government did not consider the matter met the threshold for the judge ’ s removal .
The Supreme Court is expected to meet in the coming days @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sources expressed strong scepticism about suggestions of Supreme Court judges resigning their positions or refusing to work with Mr Justice Woulfe .
“ The judges are adults and will behave like adults , ” one source said .
No statement was issued after the board meeting , which sources interpreted as indicating the council sees no role for itself in the Woulfe matter .
The controversy over Mr Justice Woulfe ’ s attendance at the dinner , along with some 80 other people during the pandemic , escalated after Chief Justice Frank Clarke @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
In it , the Chief Justice twice tells the judge he believes he should resign over his handling of matters since the publication on October 1st of a review of his attendance at the dinner .
The Taoiseach also rejected calls for Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to be called into the Dáil to make a statement and address questions on the process that led to Mr Justice Woulfe ’ s appointment to the Supreme Court .
It emerged last week that at least three judges had written to the Government seeking @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was not told of their applications before the former attorney general was selected in July .
In her first public comments on the matter , Ms McEntee told the Oireachtas justice committee that she had adhered to a “ very clear process ” before bringing Mr Justice Woulfe ’ s name to Cabinet .
Ms McEntee is understood to have expressed doubts about the matter being debated in the Dáil , notwithstanding the Ceann Comhairle saying such a debate could be permissible if it was confined to the process of the appointment .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ handbook states that Ms McEntee should have informed the Coalition party leaders , Minister for Finance and Attorney General of interest in the role from other parties .
Opposition TDs are likely to continue raising the issue in the Oireachtas , with sources indicating there will be another attempt to have a question-and-answer session on the matter in the Dáil .
Parties are also likely to use Private Members ’ time , oral questions and parliamentary questions to pursue the issue .
Meanwhile , a Council of Europe report has concluded that Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to fall short in terms of selecting the most qualified and suitable candidates .
It says that Ireland has failed to reform its system to a more transparent model where the most suitable candidates are selected without improper influence from government or parliament .
It finds fault , in particular , with the current system used by the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board where it submits the names of at least seven people whom it recommends for appointment .
The assessors were critical of this because the long list and lack of rankings gave @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appointments .

Séamus Woulfe: It appears there is no obstacle, barring possible action by Opposition parties, to the judge beginning work despite controversy. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw
Séamus Woulfe looks set to begin work as a Supreme Court judge early next year after the Government said it would not initiate a process to remove him from office.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Tuesday said the Coalition would take no further steps against Mr Justice Woulfe, who has been at the centre of a controversy over his attendance at the Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in August.
Mr Martin told the Dáil that the “constitutional protection of the judiciary is best achieved in this particular case” by such an approach.
The board of the Judicial Council met following the Taoiseach’s comments and it now appears there is no obstacle, barring possible action by Opposition parties, to the judge beginning work.
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Sources believe, if he does so, that it will be from February in line with proposals set out under an informal resolution process initiated in October. It is understood that several members of the board were relieved that the Government did not consider the matter met the threshold for the judge’s removal.
Resignation of judges
The Supreme Court is expected to meet in the coming days to discuss the latest developments. Informed sources expressed strong scepticism about suggestions of Supreme Court judges resigning their positions or refusing to work with Mr Justice Woulfe.
“The judges are adults and will behave like adults,” one source said. No statement was issued after the board meeting, which sources interpreted as indicating the council sees no role for itself in the Woulfe matter.
The controversy over Mr Justice Woulfe’s attendance at the dinner, along with some 80 other people during the pandemic, escalated after Chief Justice Frank Clarke last week published correspondence with the judge. In it, the Chief Justice twice tells the judge he believes he should resign over his handling of matters since the publication on October 1st of a review of his attendance at the dinner.
The Taoiseach also rejected calls for Minister for Justice Helen McEntee to be called into the Dáil to make a statement and address questions on the process that led to Mr Justice Woulfe’s appointment to the Supreme Court.
It emerged last week that at least three judges had written to the Government seeking to fill the role but the Cabinet was not told of their applications before the former attorney general was selected in July.
‘Clear process’
In her first public comments on the matter, Ms McEntee told the Oireachtas justice committee that she had adhered to a “very clear process” before bringing Mr Justice Woulfe’s name to Cabinet.
Ms McEntee is understood to have expressed doubts about the matter being debated in the Dáil, notwithstanding the Ceann Comhairle saying such a debate could be permissible if it was confined to the process of the appointment.
Some TDs have argued that the Cabinet handbook states that Ms McEntee should have informed the Coalition party leaders, Minister for Finance and Attorney General of interest in the role from other parties.
Opposition TDs are likely to continue raising the issue in the Oireachtas, with sources indicating there will be another attempt to have a question-and-answer session on the matter in the Dáil. Parties are also likely to use Private Members’ time, oral questions and parliamentary questions to pursue the issue.
Meanwhile, a Council of Europe report has concluded that Ireland’s system of appointing judges continues to fall short in terms of selecting the most qualified and suitable candidates.
It says that Ireland has failed to reform its system to a more transparent model where the most suitable candidates are selected without improper influence from government or parliament.
It finds fault, in particular, with the current system used by the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board where it submits the names of at least seven people whom it recommends for appointment. The assessors were critical of this because the long list and lack of rankings gave the government significant power in deciding on appointments.


theirishtimes--2020-11-18--Unpaid carers should receive ‘participation income’, NESC says

A “ participation income ” for voluntary or unpaid care work is among a series of measures being proposed in a new report on radically modernising the State ’ s social welfare system .
Other ideas put forward by the National Economic and Social Council ( NESC ) include the “ activation ” of adults dependent on welfare recipients and a new entitlement for working-parents of young children to part-time leave .
While the Covid-19 crisis has underlined the importance of a strong welfare system , over the longer term there is a need to modernise it in a number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , co-author of the report , The Future of the Irish Social Welfare System : Participation and Protection .
The three objectives of modernisation should be ensuring income adequacy , modernising family supports to reflect gender and care needs and supporting high participation in education and employment - while ensuring financial sustainability .
“ Such an income could take the shape of a person receiving an income for making a societal contribution , such as voluntary work , caring , or other work of societal value , ” it says .
“ The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently in the labour force but who could make a contribution to their local community or society.
” Amid ongoing discussion internationally about the concept of a universal basic income , a participation income would be similar in guaranteeing an income beyond basic social welfare rates , but could be presented as a remuneration for a contribution to society .
The report says there should be “ further individualisation of social welfare ” to greater reflect changing family forms and gender roles .
There should be a requirement that ‘ qualified adults ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ social welfare ) , who are on means-tested payments and whose children are older than seven , participate in education , training and job-seeking , says the report .
“ To better support balancing work and family commitments , consideration should be given to parents being entitled to take part-time leave when they have young children , and to flexible work patterns to support those looking after older people.
” Co-author Dr Anne-Marie McGauran said “ a stronger social insurance system , along with better recognition of atypical work , ” was now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ report argues for reconsideration of ‘ flexicurity ’ , which combines a high level of mobility between jobs with a comprehensive income safety net for the unemployed , plus strong supports for job search and retraining .
”

A ‘participation income’ for voluntary or unpaid care work is among measures proposed to radically modernise the social-welfare system in a report published on Wednesday. Image: iStock.
A “participation income” for voluntary or unpaid care work is among a series of measures being proposed in a new report on radically modernising the State’s social welfare system.
Other ideas put forward by the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) include the "activation" of adults dependent on welfare recipients and a new entitlement for working-parents of young children to part-time leave.
While the Covid-19 crisis has underlined the importance of a strong welfare system, over the longer term there is a need to modernise it in a number of areas, says Dr Helen Johnston, co-author of the report, The Future of the Irish Social Welfare System: Participation and Protection.
The three objectives of modernisation should be ensuring income adequacy, modernising family supports to reflect gender and care needs and supporting high participation in education and employment - while ensuring financial sustainability.
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A “novel idea” would be a pilot participation income scheme.
“Such an income could take the shape of a person receiving an income for making a societal contribution, such as voluntary work, caring, or other work of societal value,” it says.
“The pilot should be targeted at people not currently in the labour force but who could make a contribution to their local community or society.”
Universal basic income
Amid ongoing discussion internationally about the concept of a universal basic income, a participation income would be similar in guaranteeing an income beyond basic social welfare rates, but could be presented as a remuneration for a contribution to society.
The report says there should be “further individualisation of social welfare” to greater reflect changing family forms and gender roles. There should be a requirement that ‘qualified adults’ (partners of people in receipt of social welfare), who are on means-tested payments and whose children are older than seven, participate in education, training and job-seeking, says the report.
“To better support balancing work and family commitments, consideration should be given to parents being entitled to take part-time leave when they have young children, and to flexible work patterns to support those looking after older people.”
Co-author Dr Anne-Marie McGauran said “a stronger social insurance system, along with better recognition of atypical work,” was now needed.
“For example, the report argues for reconsideration of ‘flexicurity’, which combines a high level of mobility between jobs with a comprehensive income safety net for the unemployed, plus strong supports for job search and retraining.”


theirishtimes--2020-11-17--New asylum system will fail if backlog of applicants not cleared, Day warns

Plans to replace direct provision with a new system for asylum seekers will fail if the large backlog of people awaiting a decision on their claims is substantially reduced , the head of a Government expert group has warned .
Dr Catherine Day said she was “ absolutely convinced ” that a new asylum system would be unworkable if this issue was not addressed .
The former secretary general of the European Commission said the State must implement the group ’ s “ radical proposal ” that any person who has been waiting for a decision for more than two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be given leave to remain in Ireland for five years .
She was speaking during the first of four webinars hosted by UCD ’ s Sutherland School of Law examining the expert group ’ s recommendations on what should replace direct provision .
The report , published in October , calls for a new system to be fully implemented by mid-2023 and says its proposed model will cost €35.9 million less than what direct provision cost last year .
The findings will inform a Government white paper on ending direct provision , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Replacing direct provision should not be the responsibility of one department and “ high level oversight ” is needed to ensure the transparent introduction of a new system , Dr Day said .
The direct provision portfolio was recently transferred to the Department of Children , Equality and Integration , which has committed to ending the system , from the Department of Justice .
Dr Day expressed confidence that decisions on applications could be made within six months provided the International Protection Office ( IPO ) and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal ( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding for legal aid is also urgently needed , she added .
She said the group was conscious of the State ’ s housing crisis but that there should be a “ mandatory obligation on all local authorities to source ” own-door housing for asylum seekers .
In the shorter term , HIQA-led inspections of direct provision centres must begin on January 1st next , she added .
Fiona Finn , chief executive of Nasc , urged policy makers to follow the recommendations and not to repeat the “ missed opportunity ” of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to improve the system .
“ We can not give asylum seekers hope again and then cruelly snatch that away and say no transformative or radical changes are going to be made , ” said Ms Finn .
Among the changes proposed , Ms Finn highlighted the need for accreditation tests for interpreters working with asylum seekers and also called on the Government to pay particular attention to recommendations around supports for children .
The Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland ( MASI ) spokesman Bulelani Mfaco said supports must also be provided @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of accommodation under the new system .
At present , asylum seekers not living in direct provision do not receive weekly stipends .
Asylum seekers should also be entitled to work as soon as they submit their application for protection , said Mr Mfaco .
The Government announced last month that asylum seekers must now wait six months before applying to work , down from a nine-month wait introduced two years ago .
The Day report has recommend asylum seekers be allowed to work three months after making an application for protection .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ implement all the report ’ s recommendations , warning that “ if we start cherry picking we will be back here in five years time talking about direct provision in another working group ” .
Asked whether a more humane asylum system risked creating a pull factor for more asylum seekers to come to Ireland , Mr Mfaco said people fleeing their homes were “ not leafing through a brochure looking for the best welfare state in Europe ” and that there was “ no such thing as a pull-factor ” .

Dr Catherine Day headed up an expert group asked to examine options to replace the direct provision system. File photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times.
Plans to replace direct provision with a new system for asylum seekers will fail unless the large backlog of people awaiting a decision on their claims is substantially reduced, the head of a Government expert group has warned.
Dr Catherine Day said she was “absolutely convinced” that a new asylum system would be unworkable if this issue was not addressed.
The former secretary general of the European Commission said the State must implement the group's "radical proposal" that any person who has been waiting for a decision for more than two years by the end of this year be given leave to remain in Ireland for five years.
She was speaking during the first of four webinars hosted by UCD’s Sutherland School of Law examining the expert group’s recommendations on what should replace direct provision.
READ MORE
The report, published in October, calls for a new system to be fully implemented by mid-2023 and says its proposed model will cost €35.9 million less than what direct provision cost last year.
The findings will inform a Government white paper on ending direct provision, which is scheduled for publication in December.
Replacing direct provision should not be the responsibility of one department and “high level oversight” is needed to ensure the transparent introduction of a new system, Dr Day said. The direct provision portfolio was recently transferred to the Department of Children, Equality and Integration, which has committed to ending the system, from the Department of Justice.
Six months
Dr Day expressed confidence that decisions on applications could be made within six months provided the International Protection Office (IPO) and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) receive sufficient resources. Increased funding for legal aid is also urgently needed, she added.
She said the group was conscious of the State’s housing crisis but that there should be a “mandatory obligation on all local authorities to source” own-door housing for asylum seekers. In the shorter term, HIQA-led inspections of direct provision centres must begin on January 1st next, she added.
Fiona Finn, chief executive of Nasc, urged policy makers to follow the recommendations and not to repeat the “missed opportunity” of the 2015 McMahon report which examined how to improve the system.
“We cannot give asylum seekers hope again and then cruelly snatch that away and say no transformative or radical changes are going to be made,” said Ms Finn.
Among the changes proposed, Ms Finn highlighted the need for accreditation tests for interpreters working with asylum seekers and also called on the Government to pay particular attention to recommendations around supports for children.
Stipends
The Movement of Asylum Seekers in Ireland (MASI) spokesman Bulelani Mfaco said supports must also be provided to asylum seekers who do not avail of accommodation under the new system. At present, asylum seekers not living in direct provision do not receive weekly stipends.
Asylum seekers should also be entitled to work as soon as they submit their application for protection, said Mr Mfaco. The Government announced last month that asylum seekers must now wait six months before applying to work, down from a nine-month wait introduced two years ago.
The Day report has recommend asylum seekers be allowed to work three months after making an application for protection.
Mr Mfaco called on the State to implement all the report’s recommendations, warning that “if we start cherry picking we will be back here in five years time talking about direct provision in another working group”.
Asked whether a more humane asylum system risked creating a pull factor for more asylum seekers to come to Ireland, Mr Mfaco said people fleeing their homes were “not leafing through a brochure looking for the best welfare state in Europe” and that there was “no such thing as a pull-factor”.


theirishtimes--2020-11-17--HSE to reinstate leave for staff forced to take holidays to mind children during lockdown

The Government is to reinstate annual leave for healthcare staff who had to use their holidays to mind children when schools and crèches were closed earlier this year due to Covid-19 restrictions .
The HSE has in recent days issued a formal letter to senior hospital and health service managemnt on the arrangements following agreement with the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure .
The move had been expected following talks over recent months between health and public service management and trade unions .
The HSE in its letter , dated November 13th , said it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those who had no alternative but to take leave to care for children ” in specific circumstances between March 13th and May 26th of this year .
The HSE said that the Department of Public Expenditure had set out in guidance last April that employers should introduce working-from-home arrangements for staff experiencing childcare difficulties .
In its letter , the HSE said the criteria for the reinstatement of the leave included that it had been taken originally “ as a direct consequence of public health advice regarding the closure of schools , pre-schools @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It said that all alternative options other than taking leave had to have been explored , “ for example roster changes , working from home , or any other alternatives , and these were found to be unsuitable by the manager and /or the employee and as a consequence , leave was selected by the employee ” .
The HSE said that leave would “ not be reinstated where such options were not considered by the employee , and where it can be demonstrated that they willingly ” opted for annual or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ alternative options ” .
In September the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation ( INMO ) told its members that it had secured a “ win on childcare leave ” after a case had been brought to the Workplace Relations Commission “ over the Government ’ s failure to provide childcare for healthcare workers during the school/creche closure stage of the pandemic ” It said at the time that details on how the new arrangement would work in practice had to be finalised .

The Government is to reinstate annual leave for healthcare staff who had to use their holidays to mind children when schools and crèches were closed earlier this year due to Covid-19 restrictions. File photograph: Alan Betson/The Irish Times.
The Government is to reinstate annual leave for healthcare staff who had to use their holidays to mind children when schools and crèches were closed earlier this year due to Covid-19 restrictions.
The HSE has in recent days issued a formal letter to senior hospital and health service managemnt on the arrangements following agreement with the Department of Health and the Department of Public Expenditure.
The move had been expected following talks over recent months between health and public service management and trade unions.
The HSE in its letter, dated November 13th, said it was “ agreeable to reinstate annual leave for those who had no alternative but to take leave to care for children” in specific circumstances between March 13th and May 26th of this year.
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The HSE said that the Department of Public Expenditure had set out in guidance last April that employers should introduce working-from-home arrangements for staff experiencing childcare difficulties.
In its letter, the HSE said the criteria for the reinstatement of the leave included that it had been taken originally “as a direct consequence of public health advice regarding the closure of schools, pre-schools, crèches and other childcare facilities”.
Options explored
It said that all alternative options other than taking leave had to have been explored, “for example roster changes, working from home, or any other alternatives, and these were found to be unsuitable by the manager and /or the employee and as a consequence, leave was selected by the employee”.
The HSE said that leave would “not be reinstated where such options were not considered by the employee, and where it can be demonstrated that they willingly” opted for annual or parental leave “without proper consideration of alternative options”.
In September the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) told its members that it had secured a "win on childcare leave" after a case had been brought to the Workplace Relations Commission "over the Government's failure to provide childcare for healthcare workers during the school/creche closure stage of the pandemic"
It said at the time that details on how the new arrangement would work in practice had to be finalised.


theirishtimes--2020-11-17--Wasted food costing households as much as €700 a year

People ’ s inability to properly police what is in their fridge is costing households as much as €700 a year and contributing to the climate catastrophe , according to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA ) .
More than two thirds of Irish people say the main reason they throw out food is because it has past its use-by date , while only 10 per cent say they are any good at keeping on top of what they have in their fridge .
The agency has started a campaign which aims to encourage people to take @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before its use-by date in order to save money and reduce the impact food production processes and waste have on the environment .
It pointed to a survey , carried out on its behalf by Behaviour & Attitudes , which found that 68 per cent of people still say ‘ passing use-by dates ’ is the top reason they throw out food at home .
Freezing surplus food before it passes the use-by date can help both the environment and your budget , according to Mary Frances Rochford of the Office of Environmental @ @ @ @ @ @ @ everyone to support and share our Eat It or Freeze It campaign on social media , and take a simple action to stop food waste , ” she said .
“ Irish households produce over 250,000 tonnes of food waste per year , at a cost of €700 per household .
“ In addition , wasted food is a significant contributor to climate change - responsible for about 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions .
Cutting food waste reduces greenhouse gas emissions and provides real savings for householders.
” The EPA @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as many as half of the people polled did not realise they can “ freeze food right up to its use-by date .
It is a great way to make food last longer - it acts just like a pause button , allowing food to be eaten at another time.
” The EPA said many types of food can be frozen , “ whether it ’ s the extra loaf of bread you bought or the cooked pasta you want to use for lunch later in the week ” .
The survey showed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wasted foods in Ireland , and when it comes to freezing it is the most versatile – the whole loaf can be frozen when you buy it , or just the last few slices at the end of the bag .
Meanwhile one food that does not appear to be going to waste are eggs with a separate report from Bord Bia suggesting that the most humble of food has been growing in popularity in the time of Covid .
Over the course of the year egg consumption has climbed by 11 per @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in Ireland over the last year .
New research from Bord Bia shows that shoppers in Ireland consumed even more eggs during the first national lockdown .
The 12-week period from April to July saw a significant growth of more than 20 per cent in consumption as people turned to baking in a big way .

People's inability to properly police what is in their fridge is costing households as much as €700 a year and contributing to the climate catastrophe, according to a report from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
More than two thirds of Irish people say the main reason they throw out food is because it has past its use-by date, while only 10 per cent say they are any good at keeping on top of what they have in their fridge.
The agency has started a campaign which aims to encourage people to take the simple action of freezing surplus food before its use-by date in order to save money and reduce the impact food production processes and waste have on the environment.
It pointed to a survey, carried out on its behalf by Behaviour & Attitudes, which found that 68 per cent of people still say ‘passing use-by dates’ is the top reason they throw out food at home.
READ MORE
Freezing food
Freezing surplus food before it passes the use-by date can help both the environment and your budget, according to Mary Frances Rochford of the Office of Environmental Sustainability.
“We are calling on everyone to support and share our Eat It or Freeze It campaign on social media, and take a simple action to stop food waste,” she said.
“Irish households produce over 250,000 tonnes of food waste per year, at a cost of €700 per household.
“In addition, wasted food is a significant contributor to climate change - responsible for about 10 per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. Cutting food waste reduces greenhouse gas emissions and provides real savings for householders.”
The EPA's Odile Le Bolloch said that as many as half of the people polled did not realise they can "freeze food right up to its use-by date. It is a great way to make food last longer - it acts just like a pause button, allowing food to be eaten at another time."
The EPA said many types of food can be frozen, “whether it’s the extra loaf of bread you bought or the cooked pasta you want to use for lunch later in the week”.
The survey showed that bread is one of the most wasted foods in Ireland, and when it comes to freezing it is the most versatile – the whole loaf can be frozen when you buy it, or just the last few slices at the end of the bag.
Meanwhile one food that does not appear to be going to waste are eggs with a separate report from Bord Bia suggesting that the most humble of food has been growing in popularity in the time of Covid.
Over the course of the year egg consumption has climbed by 11 per cent with over 656 million eggs sold in Ireland over the last year.
New research from Bord Bia shows that shoppers in Ireland consumed even more eggs during the first national lockdown.
The 12-week period from April to July saw a significant growth of more than 20 per cent in consumption as people turned to baking in a big way.


theirishtimes--2020-11-17--Taoiseach urged to allow religious services under Covid rules

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has promised to consider reopening churches and other places of worship for regular services under Level 3 of Covid-19 restrictions , the Irish Church Together group has said .
Mr Martin held a meeting online on Tuesday evening with a number of religious and other faith groups about Mass and other services under the Government ’ s restrictions .
Speaking on behalf of Irish Church Together , which represents Catholic , Protestant , Pentecostal and new churches around the country , Paddy Monaghan said it called for regular services and Masses be allowed to resume if the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Under Level 3 of the Government ’ s Living with Covid-19 strategy , religious services remain online and places of worship are only allowed open for private prayer .
Weddings and funerals are allowed to take place with a maximum of 25 people .
“ We were all asking the Taoiseach almost the same thing : Agree to reopen the churches at Level 3 .
He has promised to consider that , ” Mr Monaghan told The Irish Times .
Mr Monaghan said the meeting was also attended by Church of Ireland @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Dublin Diarmuid Martin and representatives from the Methodist Church , the Presbyterian Church , the Islamic community , and the Humanist Association and others .
“ We all committed that social distancing , all the precautions that were there at Level 2 , would be followed .
I made the additional point that in our opinion it should be open for regular mass and services , not special events like Communions , Confirmation or Baptisms because unfortunately what has tended to happen then is there are private parties happening on the basis @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has said ‘ please don ’ t do it ’ , people go and do it.
” Under Level 2 restrictions , churches can open for religious services with protective measures in place for a maximum of 50 worshippers .
The Government ’ s guidance states : “ Where the premises allows for a capacity of greater than 50 this may be permitted in separated sub-groupings of no more than 50 , with additional protective measures as per guidelines.
” The isolation felt by Catholic priests from the shutdown has been highlighted by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Association of Catholic Priests ( ACP ) .
He said lots of priests “ are feeling very alone and isolated ” .
“ No matter what way you dress it up , especially a diocesan [ priest ] living in the country , you ’ re living on your own .
The summer wasn ’ t bad , we had good weather , we could go out but now you close then door at 5 o ’ clock , we ’ ve no meetings to attend.
” For a lot of priests @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the loneliness , ” he said .
Part of the ACP leadership team , he said that where many dioceses were concerned “ we receive contact if it ’ s to do with money or data protection , or something like that .
It ’ s up to ourselves to find the support that we need.
” It was “ much worse ” for retired priests or those out of ministry , he said .
With the first lockdown “ Masses stopped , churches closed , all that we were used to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He himself only began saying Mass online , eventually .
“ I don ’ t like going online .
The idea of even looking at a screen , I find find it totally unnatural , looking at a phone saying Mass.
” He had been “ meeting people all my life ” and so found online “ heartless .
I find it appalling .
I don ’ t like it.
” He did not go online “ at the beginning but now I ’ m doing it and part of it was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of priests , they ’ re nearly being forced into doing it .
A lot of it is to please people .
And I know people are happy that we ’ re doing it , the local man is saying the Mass and that ’ s what people like to see.
” Financially , priests were “ down 60 per cent ” but they “ still have to pay their insurance , their wages , upkeep , and that ’ s a huge strain.
” Then there was “ the phone call or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they want money for this , money for that and it ’ s not there.
” On top of which there was “ the collapse that ’ s happened.
” When the previous lockdown was lifted many people “ didn ’ t come back .
I met lots of people and they just said we got out of the habit , ” he said .
Fr Hazelwood was speaking at a recent online meeting of the ACP .

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has promised to consider reopening churches and other places of worship for regular services under Level 3 of Covid-19 restrictions, the Irish Church Together group has said.
Mr Martin held a meeting online on Tuesday evening with a number of religious and other faith groups about Mass and other services under the Government's restrictions.
Speaking on behalf of Irish Church Together, which represents Catholic, Protestant, Pentecostal and new churches around the country, Paddy Monaghan said it called for regular services and Masses be allowed to resume if the country moves to Level 3 next month.
Under Level 3 of the Government’s Living with Covid-19 strategy, religious services remain online and places of worship are only allowed open for private prayer. Weddings and funerals are allowed to take place with a maximum of 25 people.
READ MORE
“We were all asking the Taoiseach almost the same thing: Agree to reopen the churches at Level 3. He has promised to consider that,” Mr Monaghan told The Irish Times.
Mr Monaghan said the meeting was also attended by Church of Ireland Archbishop Dr Michael Jackson, Catholic Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin and representatives from the Methodist Church, the Presbyterian Church, the Islamic community, and the Humanist Association and others.
“We all committed that social distancing, all the precautions that were there at Level 2, would be followed. I made the additional point that in our opinion it should be open for regular mass and services, not special events like Communions, Confirmation or Baptisms because unfortunately what has tended to happen then is there are private parties happening on the basis of those even though the parish priest has said ‘please don’t do it’, people go and do it.”
Under Level 2 restrictions, churches can open for religious services with protective measures in place for a maximum of 50 worshippers.
The Government’s guidance states: “Where the premises allows for a capacity of greater than 50 this may be permitted in separated sub-groupings of no more than 50, with additional protective measures as per guidelines.”
‘Alone and isolated’
The isolation felt by Catholic priests from the shutdown has been highlighted by Fr Tim Hazelwood, a member of the Association of Catholic Priests (ACP).
He said lots of priests “are feeling very alone and isolated”.
“No matter what way you dress it up, especially a diocesan [priest] living in the country, you’re living on your own. The summer wasn’t bad, we had good weather, we could go out but now you close then door at 5 o’clock, we’ve no meetings to attend.”
For a lot of priests now, “the isolation is real, the loneliness,” he said.
Part of the ACP leadership team, he said that where many dioceses were concerned “we receive contact if it’s to do with money or data protection, or something like that. It’s up to ourselves to find the support that we need.”
It was “much worse” for retired priests or those out of ministry, he said.
With the first lockdown “Masses stopped, churches closed, all that we were used to doing sacramentally stopped,” he said. He himself only began saying Mass online, eventually.
“I don’t like going online. The idea of even looking at a screen, I find find it totally unnatural, looking at a phone saying Mass.” He had been “meeting people all my life” and so found online “heartless. I find it appalling. I don’t like it.”
He did not go online “at the beginning but now I’m doing it and part of it was, and I think for a lot of priests, they’re nearly being forced into doing it. A lot of it is to please people. And I know people are happy that we’re doing it, the local man is saying the Mass and that’s what people like to see.”
Financially, priests were “down 60 per cent” but they “still have to pay their insurance, their wages, upkeep, and that’s a huge strain.” Then there was “the phone call or the letter from the diocesan office, they want money for this, money for that and it’s not there.”
On top of which there was “the collapse that’s happened.” When the previous lockdown was lifted many people “didn’t come back. I met lots of people and they just said we got out of the habit,” he said.
Fr Hazelwood was speaking at a recent online meeting of the ACP.


theirishtimes--2020-11-17--Decision on vacant Dublin site sends strong message about housing policy

Dublin city councillors gave a strong mandate to council management on Monday night to drop plans for private sector development of public lands .
They voted by 48 to 14 against the €14 million sale of a site at Oscar Traynor Road in Santry , vacant for 40 years , to Glenveagh Homes to build 428 private , 253 social and 172 affordable purchase homes .
Fine Gael councillors , along with three Fianna Fáil and one Labour member voted in favour of the deal .
Back in January 2017 , the councillors gave an even stronger mandate to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 50 per cent private , 30 per cent social and 20 per cent affordable housing on the site .
At that time 53 of the 63 councillors voted in favour , including Sinn Féin , Fine Gael , Fianna Fáil , Labour and the Green Party , with People Before Profit and left Independents voting against .
While there has been a local election in the meantime , it is still quite a volte face for the majority of councillors and begs the question , what do councillors want for the site and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Alison Gilliland , chair of the council ’ s housing committee , on Monday proposed a motion for a new plan to be drafted for “ public housing ” on the site , and for an urgent meeting to be sought with the Minister for Housing to secure sanction and funding .
The motion referenced St Michael ’ s Estate in Inchicore where a pilot scheme of 70 per cent cost rental and 30 per cent social housing is being pursued , but Gilliland said this was not necessarily the form public housing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we have to consider the demographics in the area ” .
Gilliland voted in favour of the 50/30/20 model in 2017 but said circumstances have changed .
“ Affordability for renters has become a particular problem since then .
The State has to intervene and provide affordable rental solutions.
” The council ’ s head of housing Brendan Kenny on Monday night told councillors Glenveagh was willing to sell 50 per cent of the private housing to the council for affordable rental , but Gilliland said this wasn ’ t acceptable .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , this would have left the developer in the driving seat.
” Independent councillor Cieran Perry , one of the few councillors to vote against the deal in 2017 and this week , welcomed his colleagues ’ change of heart .
“ The very fact that we have such a monumental change in housing policy , that public housing is now seen as the way forward , was one of the best moments of my time on the council.
” Perry said he was “ under no illusions ” that the money would @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the council coffers , but pointed out that interest rates on borrowing were historically low , and the European Investment Bank was willing to lend .
He believed it would be viable for the site to stay within public ownership , with “ cross subsidisation ” of rent from those on higher incomes , to those on less .
“ I think there will be a huge demand this , and we will get the income mix needed , ” he said , adding that the Minister should be able to “ streamline @ @ @ @ @ @ @ shovel ready ” within two years .
Fine Gael councillor Naoise O Muirí , who voted for the council ’ s plan on both occasions , said he could not say if he would support the new public housing proposal , because he did not know what it was .
“ When I see a proposal on official city council paper I will evaluate it , but there is no proposal .
At the moment there is just a ‘ castles in the air ’ motion to meet the Minister .
With the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been breaking ground in 2021.
” Brendan Kenny , the council ’ s head of housing , said he was also unclear what the councillors were seeking in terms of public housing .
“ I don ’ t think it ’ s fully developed what they want .
If it ’ s the same model as St Michael ’ s , with 70 per cent cost rental and 30 per cent social , or something else .
What we had was a high quality scheme and I don ’ t think we will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ better value scheme.
” He said he would work with councillors to bring forward new plans for the site , but cautioned that borrowings from the Europe or the Housing Finance Agency still have to be paid back .
“ We would be totally reliant on sufficient rents , and on people paying their rents , something we don ’ t have a great track record on , ” he said .
There was too much emphasis , he said , on the local authority being the developer of housing .
“ People @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , they just want somewhere to live.
” A spokesman for Minister for Housing Darragh O ’ Brien said he noted the councillors ’ decision and would be seeking a report from council chief executive Owen Keegan .

Dublin city councillors gave a strong mandate to council management on Monday night to drop plans for private sector development of public lands. File image: iStock.
Dublin city councillors gave a strong mandate to council management on Monday night to drop plans for private sector development of public lands.
They voted by 48 to 14 against the €14 million sale of a site at Oscar Traynor Road in Santry, vacant for 40 years, to Glenveagh Homes to build 428 private, 253 social and 172 affordable purchase homes.
Fine Gael councillors, along with three Fianna Fáil and one Labour member voted in favour of the deal.
Back in January 2017, the councillors gave an even stronger mandate to the council to pursue the same deal for 50 per cent private, 30 per cent social and 20 per cent affordable housing on the site.
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At that time 53 of the 63 councillors voted in favour, including Sinn Féin, Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil, Labour and the Green Party, with People Before Profit and left Independents voting against.
While there has been a local election in the meantime, it is still quite a volte face for the majority of councillors and begs the question, what do councillors want for the site and what is achievable?
Labour's Alison Gilliland, chair of the council's housing committee, on Monday proposed a motion for a new plan to be drafted for "public housing" on the site, and for an urgent meeting to be sought with the Minister for Housing to secure sanction and funding.
The motion referenced St Michael's Estate in Inchicore where a pilot scheme of 70 per cent cost rental and 30 per cent social housing is being pursued, but Gilliland said this was not necessarily the form public housing will take on the site as "we have to consider the demographics in the area".
Changed circumstances
Gilliland voted in favour of the 50/30/20 model in 2017 but said circumstances have changed. “Affordability for renters has become a particular problem since then. The State has to intervene and provide affordable rental solutions.”
The council's head of housing Brendan Kenny on Monday night told councillors Glenveagh was willing to sell 50 per cent of the private housing to the council for affordable rental, but Gilliland said this wasn't acceptable.
“We want to make break with developers, this would have left the developer in the driving seat.”
Independent councillor Cieran Perry, one of the few councillors to vote against the deal in 2017 and this week, welcomed his colleagues’ change of heart.
“The very fact that we have such a monumental change in housing policy, that public housing is now seen as the way forward, was one of the best moments of my time on the council.”
Perry said he was "under no illusions" that the money would be found to develop the site in the council coffers, but pointed out that interest rates on borrowing were historically low, and the European Investment Bank was willing to lend.
He believed it would be viable for the site to stay within public ownership, with “cross subsidisation” of rent from those on higher incomes, to those on less.
“I think there will be a huge demand this, and we will get the income mix needed,” he said, adding that the Minister should be able to “streamline procurement” so the scheme was “shovel ready” within two years.
Fine Gael councillor Naoise O Muirí, who voted for the council’s plan on both occasions, said he could not say if he would support the new public housing proposal, because he did not know what it was.
“When I see a proposal on official city council paper I will evaluate it, but there is no proposal. At the moment there is just a ‘castles in the air’ motion to meet the Minister. With the scheme that was proposed we could have been breaking ground in 2021.”
Unclear
Brendan Kenny, the council’s head of housing, said he was also unclear what the councillors were seeking in terms of public housing.
“I don’t think it’s fully developed what they want. If it’s the same model as St Michael’s, with 70 per cent cost rental and 30 per cent social, or something else. What we had was a high quality scheme and I don’t think we will get a better scheme, or a better value scheme.”
He said he would work with councillors to bring forward new plans for the site, but cautioned that borrowings from the Europe or the Housing Finance Agency still have to be paid back.
“We would be totally reliant on sufficient rents, and on people paying their rents, something we don’t have a great track record on,” he said.
There was too much emphasis, he said, on the local authority being the developer of housing.
“People never ask us who built the house, they just want somewhere to live.”
A spokesman for Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien said he noted the councillors' decision and would be seeking a report from council chief executive Owen Keegan.


theirishtimes--2020-11-17--A third of Irish people will celebrate Christmas as normal, survey finds

A third of people will celebrate Christmas 2020 as normal no matter what restrictions are in place over the holiday period while more than half believe the festive season will not be as much fun as Christmases past , a new survey suggests .
According to the research from price comparison website bonkers , ie , over 40 per cent of people plan to spend less on presents this year because of the impact Covid-19 has had on their plans .
Meanwhile just over a third say the pandemic has had a moderate to severe impact on their personal finances @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had no impact at all .
The element of the research , carried out by Red C , which is likely set the alarm bells ringing most loudly for Nphet is the news that 33 per cent of people say they are planning to have the same Christmas they always have no matter what restrictions may be in place at the time .
The research , which surveyed a nationally representative sample of just over 1,000 adults found that 56 per cent of people believe Christmas this year will not be as enjoyable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 43 per cent they will be spending less on gifts this year as a direct result of the pandemic .
“ It ’ s clear that a big percentage of the population remains largely unimpacted financially by Covid , which is encouraging , although one would wonder if this can hold up the longer the pandemic goes on , ” said bonker.ie spokesman .
“ However there is a significant minority of people who are clearly struggling and the return to level 5 lockdown in mid-October is unlikely to have helped.£ He said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spend Christmas as normal this year , regardless of restrictions , will no doubt worry NPHET.
” Meanwhile a separate survey suggests that despite Covid-19 , more than 70 per cent of Irish people are still looking forward to Christmas .
The research from content marketing agency Zahra surveyed more than 4,800 people to assess Irish people ’ s sentiment towards the festive season .
While 85 per cent of people are concerned Christmas get-togethers will be limited most are still making plans spend Christmas at home with their immediate family although @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they know what December ’ s restrictions entail .
Backing local is a key consideration for many Irish consumers with 64 per cent of Irish people saying they plan to support local businesses this Christmas while 53 per cent said they are willing to spend more on locally sourced , artisan products .
Despite the many unprecedented hurdles faced by people in Ireland in 2020 , the consensus is that the future is bright with 71 per cent saying they were looking forward to the months ahead .

A third of people will celebrate Christmas 2020 as normal no matter what restrictions are in place over the holiday period while more than half believe the festive season will not be as much fun as Christmases past, a new survey suggests.
According to the research from price comparison website bonkers,ie, over 40 per cent of people plan to spend less on presents this year because of the impact Covid-19 has had on their plans.
Meanwhile just over a third say the pandemic has had a moderate to severe impact on their personal finances with a similar number saying it has had no impact at all.
The element of the research, carried out by Red C, which is likely set the alarm bells ringing most loudly for Nphet is the news that 33 per cent of people say they are planning to have the same Christmas they always have no matter what restrictions may be in place at the time.
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The research, which surveyed a nationally representative sample of just over 1,000 adults found that 56 per cent of people believe Christmas this year will not be as enjoyable as it was in previous years while 43 per cent they will be spending less on gifts this year as a direct result of the pandemic.
“It’s clear that a big percentage of the population remains largely unimpacted financially by Covid, which is encouraging, although one would wonder if this can hold up the longer the pandemic goes on,” said bonker.ie spokesman. “However there is a significant minority of people who are clearly struggling and the return to level 5 lockdown in mid-October is unlikely to have helped.£
He said the number of people “who plan to spend Christmas as normal this year, regardless of restrictions, will no doubt worry NPHET.”
Meanwhile a separate survey suggests that despite Covid-19, more than 70 per cent of Irish people are still looking forward to Christmas.
The research from content marketing agency Zahra surveyed more than 4,800 people to assess Irish people’s sentiment towards the festive season.
While 85 per cent of people are concerned Christmas get-togethers will be limited most are still making plans spend Christmas at home with their immediate family although 20 per cent are holding off until they know what December’s restrictions entail.
Backing local is a key consideration for many Irish consumers with 64 per cent of Irish people saying they plan to support local businesses this Christmas while 53 per cent said they are willing to spend more on locally sourced, artisan products.
Despite the many unprecedented hurdles faced by people in Ireland in 2020, the consensus is that the future is bright with 71 per cent saying they were looking forward to the months ahead.


theirishtimes--2020-11-17--Residents fail in bid to appeal rejection of Cork to Ringaskiddy motorway case

Local residents who lost a legal challenge to An Bord Pleanála ’ s approval for a 14km long M28 motorway between Cork and Ringaskiddy have failed to get leave to appeal .
On Tuesday , the High Court ’ s Mr Justice Michael MacGrath refused the umbrella group representing local residents , the M28 Steering Group , leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal over his refusal of their challenge to the June 2018 planning approval .
The judge found the group had not met the criteria for an appeal as they had not raised points of law of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was in the public interest .
He was also not satisfied the court ought to refer suggested questions to Court of Justice of the EU ( CJEU ) for determination .
The suggested questions were based on the group ’ s continuing maintenance that the project under consideration is the road scheme and a disused quarry , the Raffeen quarry .
The court had found the project is the road scheme and acceding to the request for a reference would involve requesting the CJEU to consider an issue the High Court had concluded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the issues in the case .
Last December , the judge said he was not convinced by the group ’ s arguments that the motorway project was not properly assessed by the board before it made its decision .
The group had claimed the board ’ s decision was flawed on grounds including the application for permission to construct the road was premature , incomplete and did not meet the requirements of domestic and European law .
It also argued the board failed to consider the whole project or the cumulative effects of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be used as part of the construction of the new road was to be extracted from the Raffeen quarry , located along the route .
The group claimed the quarry is important ecologically and home to an array of protected flora and fauna but no proper assessment of the impact of the proposed roadworks on the quarry was carried out .
In opposing the action , the board said the project was properly assessed before planning permission was granted .
Cork County Council , a notice party , also argued an appropriate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had been carried out .

The judge found the group had not met the criteria for an appeal as they had not raised points of law of exceptional public importance or shown an appeal was in the public interest.
Local residents who lost a legal challenge to An Bord Pleanála’s approval for a 14km long M28 motorway between Cork and Ringaskiddy have failed to get leave to appeal.
On Tuesday, the High Court’s Mr Justice Michael MacGrath refused the umbrella group representing local residents, the M28 Steering Group, leave to appeal to the Court of Appeal over his refusal of their challenge to the June 2018 planning approval.
The judge found the group had not met the criteria for an appeal as they had not raised points of law of exceptional public importance or shown an appeal was in the public interest.
He was also not satisfied the court ought to refer suggested questions to Court of Justice of the EU (CJEU) for determination.
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The suggested questions were based on the group’s continuing maintenance that the project under consideration is the road scheme and a disused quarry, the Raffeen quarry.
The court had found the project is the road scheme and acceding to the request for a reference would involve requesting the CJEU to consider an issue the High Court had concluded is not necessary for the determination of the issues in the case.
Last December, the judge said he was not convinced by the group’s arguments that the motorway project was not properly assessed by the board before it made its decision.
The group had claimed the board’s decision was flawed on grounds including the application for permission to construct the road was premature, incomplete and did not meet the requirements of domestic and European law.
It also argued the board failed to consider the whole project or the cumulative effects of the proposed development.
They claimed material to be used as part of the construction of the new road was to be extracted from the Raffeen quarry, located along the route.
The group claimed the quarry is important ecologically and home to an array of protected flora and fauna but no proper assessment of the impact of the proposed roadworks on the quarry was carried out.
In opposing the action, the board said the project was properly assessed before planning permission was granted.
Cork County Council, a notice party, also argued an appropriate assessment in respect of the proposed project had been carried out.


theirishtimes--2020-11-17--Getaway driver in murder of Dublin man is jailed for six years

A getaway driver who used his own car to aid a gangland-style hit on a man with no involvement in crime has been jailed for six years at the Central Criminal Court .
Eric Shorthall , a 23-year-old father-of-one , of Muskerry Road , Ballyfermot , Dublin pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Warren Nolan , the man convicted of murdering Alan O ’ Neill .
Mr O ’ Neill was shot dead on May 27th , 2015 in the driveway of his home on Kiltalown Road in Tallaght .
The court heard that two gardaístopped Shorthall @ @ @ @ @ @ @ known as the Belfry in Tallaght because they thought he looked very young ; he was 18 at the time .
While Nolan was being questioned , an emergency call came in to say that an Almera was driving suspiciously in the area .
Shortly after that , another call was received saying that a man had been shot in nearby Kiltalown .
Detective Garda Conor Harrison was one of thegardaí speaking to Shorthall .
He testified at Shorthall ’ s sentence hearing on Monday that he then heard a car being driven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that a car was on fire .
Two men then ran towards the waiting officer .
One of them was Warren Nolan , who was arrested .
The other person escaped .
Nolan , of Rowlagh Park in Clondalkin was convicted in December 2018 of Mr O ’ Neill ’ s murder , and of burning out the car used in the shooting , in what was described as a ‘ slam dunk ’ case .
He recently lost an appeal against his conviction .
“ The Almera was the second getaway car @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the driver awaiting the two people in the hit car , ” said D Gda Harrison .
The witness said that gardaí compiled CCTV footage showing Shorthall ’ s car in convoy with Nolan ’ s “ hit car ” in the lead-up to the shooting and showing the drivers of the cars talking to one another .
The detective said that Shorthall has 61 previous convictions for public order , theft , road traffic and drugs offences .
While Shorthall and Nolan are the only people to have gone before the courts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ detective said the investigation is ongoing .
He described the deceased as a “ devoted family man ” .
He was a step-father to his partner Michelle Usher ’ s first two children and the couple also had a child together .
He said that neither the deceased nor any member of his family were known to gardaí .
Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted on Tuesday that Mr O ’ Neill ’ s family was terrorised and traumatised by his killing and that the awfulness of the events would stay with them .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ feature of Shorthall ’ s involvement that he had used his own car .
“ That ’ s perhaps why people get caught , ” he commented .
“ And he was stopped by the gardaí at a crucial time.
” He said that the fact that Shorthall was the getaway driver meant that he was an active and willing participant .
“ He maintains he knew only that someone would be harmed and not murdered , ” he said , noting that he had , however , taken responsibility for the offence @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people such as getaway drivers , who give the likes of Warren Nolan the confidence that they can carry out their crime without being caught .
He said that Shorthall ’ s crime was at the upper end of the scale of seriousness for an impeding offence , noting that impeding also covers people who get involved after the crime .
He noted that he had a bad disciplinary record in prison and was assessed as being at a high risk of reoffending .
He set a headline sentence of nine years , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine months after taking into consideration his early plea , his youth , and the fact that he had shown some remorse .
The judge also considered a letter from his mother .
He suspended the final nine months of the sentence for two years on condition that he attend regular appointments with the Probation Service , engage in substance abuse services , personal counselling and victim-focussed work .
A large number of the deceased ’ s family attended to see him sentenced .
Several members of Shorthall ’ s family also attended @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Shorthall spoke briefly to his supporters and legal team after the court rose , before he was led away by prison officers .

File image showing the scene of the shooting on the Kiltalown Road, Tallaght where Alan O’Neill was shot dead in 2015. Photograph: Collins
A getaway driver who used his own car to aid a gangland-style hit on a man with no involvement in crime has been jailed for six years at the Central Criminal Court.
Eric Shorthall, a 23-year-old father-of-one, of Muskerry Road, Ballyfermot, Dublin pleaded guilty to impeding the apprehension or prosecution of Warren Nolan, the man convicted of murdering Alan O’Neill. Mr O’Neill was shot dead on May 27th, 2015 in the driveway of his home on Kiltalown Road in Tallaght.
The court heard that two gardaístopped Shorthall driving a Nissan Almera at an area known as the Belfry in Tallaght because they thought he looked very young; he was 18 at the time.
While Nolan was being questioned, an emergency call came in to say that an Almera was driving suspiciously in the area. Shortly after that, another call was received saying that a man had been shot in nearby Kiltalown.
READ MORE
Detective Garda Conor Harrison was one of thegardaí speaking to Shorthall. He testified at Shorthall’s sentence hearing on Monday that he then heard a car being driven very hard towards them before becoming aware that a car was on fire.
Two men then ran towards the waiting officer. One of them was Warren Nolan, who was arrested. The other person escaped.
Nolan, of Rowlagh Park in Clondalkin was convicted in December 2018 of Mr O’Neill’s murder, and of burning out the car used in the shooting, in what was described as a ‘slam dunk’ case. He recently lost an appeal against his conviction.
“The Almera was the second getaway car, strategically placed with Mr Shorthall as the driver awaiting the two people in the hit car,” said D Gda Harrison.
The witness said that gardaí compiled CCTV footage showing Shorthall’s car in convoy with Nolan’s “hit car” in the lead-up to the shooting and showing the drivers of the cars talking to one another.
The detective said that Shorthall has 61 previous convictions for public order, theft, road traffic and drugs offences. While Shorthall and Nolan are the only people to have gone before the courts in relation to the murder, the detective said the investigation is ongoing.
He described the deceased as a “devoted family man”. He was a step-father to his partner Michelle Usher’s first two children and the couple also had a child together. He said that neither the deceased nor any member of his family were known to gardaí.
Mr Justice Paul McDermott noted on Tuesday that Mr O’Neill’s family was terrorised and traumatised by his killing and that the awfulness of the events would stay with them.
He said that it was a curious feature of Shorthall’s involvement that he had used his own car.
“That’s perhaps why people get caught,” he commented. “And he was stopped by the gardaí at a crucial time.”
He said that the fact that Shorthall was the getaway driver meant that he was an active and willing participant.
“He maintains he knew only that someone would be harmed and not murdered,” he said, noting that he had, however, taken responsibility for the offence.
The judge said that it was people such as getaway drivers, who give the likes of Warren Nolan the confidence that they can carry out their crime without being caught.
He said that Shorthall’s crime was at the upper end of the scale of seriousness for an impeding offence, noting that impeding also covers people who get involved after the crime.
He noted that he had a bad disciplinary record in prison and was assessed as being at a high risk of reoffending.
He set a headline sentence of nine years, but reduced it to six years and nine months after taking into consideration his early plea, his youth, and the fact that he had shown some remorse.
The judge also considered a letter from his mother.
He suspended the final nine months of the sentence for two years on condition that he attend regular appointments with the Probation Service, engage in substance abuse services, personal counselling and victim-focussed work.
A large number of the deceased’s family attended to see him sentenced. Several members of Shorthall’s family also attended. All remained silent throughout the proceedings.
Shorthall spoke briefly to his supporters and legal team after the court rose, before he was led away by prison officers.


theirishtimes--2020-11-17--Care worker jailed for stealing €23,000 from vulnerable residents in HSE facility

A care assistant who stole more than €23,000 from the accounts of vulnerable residents at a HSE facility in Co Meath was jailed for 12 months at Trim Circuit Court on Tuesday .
The defendant used the money to pay for his Sky and Netflix subscriptions and to buy clothes and shoes , the court heard .
Father of three Edwin Gall ( 51 ) , Grangerath , Drogheda , Co Louth , pleaded guilty to stealing a total of €23,144 from nine residents of Barden Lodge , Julianstown , Co Meath , on dates between March 2016 and February @ @ @ @ @ @ @ breach of trust , ” said Judge Martina Baxter The court heard the facility caters for up to 13 adult residents with intellectual disabilities .
All the residents have their own bank accounts which are managed by staff on their behalf with their ATM cards kept in a central safe , a garda told the court .
Purchases or cash withdrawals on behalf of the residents are made by staff members who are required to enter the amounts on separate expenses sheets for each resident .
Gall had been able to steal money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ withdrawals and entering a lesser amount on the expenses sheets .
In June 2016 a clinical nurse manager noticed that €500 had been withdrawn from the account of one resident .
After the size of the withdrawal was spoken about in the house a €500 lodgement was made to the account .
Gall later told the manager there had been a technical issue in the bank .
When a further discrepancy was noticed in the same account eight months later the manager noticed payments had also been made to Sky and Netflix .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ resident ’ s accounts was conducted Gall admitted to a manager that he had been taking money for about a year but said he did not know why .
A Garda investigation identified the amounts taken by cross-referencing the withdrawals on the accounts with CCTV from the ATMs .
The court heard the HSE had refunded the residents for their losses .
The defence barrister said Gall was now unemployed but had borrowed €23,000 in compensation which he was repaying .
Judge Baxter sentenced Gall to concurrent terms of four years with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nine charges .

The defendant used the money to pay for his Sky and Netflix subscriptions and to buy clothes and shoes, the court heard. Photograph: Jonathan Nackstrand/Getty Images
A care assistant who stole more than €23,000 from the accounts of vulnerable residents at a HSE facility in Co Meath was jailed for 12 months at Trim Circuit Court on Tuesday.
The defendant used the money to pay for his Sky and Netflix subscriptions and to buy clothes and shoes, the court heard.
Father of three Edwin Gall (51), Grangerath, Drogheda, Co Louth, pleaded guilty to stealing a total of €23,144 from nine residents of Barden Lodge, Julianstown, Co Meath, on dates between March 2016 and February 2017.
“It was an appalling breach of trust,” said Judge Martina Baxter
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The court heard the facility caters for up to 13 adult residents with intellectual disabilities .
All the residents have their own bank accounts which are managed by staff on their behalf with their ATM cards kept in a central safe, a garda told the court.
Purchases or cash withdrawals on behalf of the residents are made by staff members who are required to enter the amounts on separate expenses sheets for each resident.
Steal money
Gall had been able to steal money from the residents’ accounts by making withdrawals and entering a lesser amount on the expenses sheets.
In June 2016 a clinical nurse manager noticed that €500 had been withdrawn from the account of one resident. After the size of the withdrawal was spoken about in the house a €500 lodgement was made to the account.
Gall later told the manager there had been a technical issue in the bank.
When a further discrepancy was noticed in the same account eight months later the manager noticed payments had also been made to Sky and Netflix.
After a detailed audit of all the resident’s accounts was conducted Gall admitted to a manager that he had been taking money for about a year but said he did not know why.
A Garda investigation identified the amounts taken by cross-referencing the withdrawals on the accounts with CCTV from the ATMs . The court heard the HSE had refunded the residents for their losses.
The defence barrister said Gall was now unemployed but had borrowed €23,000 in compensation which he was repaying.
Judge Baxter sentenced Gall to concurrent terms of four years with the final three years suspended on each of nine charges.


theirishtimes--2020-11-17--Irish Times wins ‘best coverage of Covid-19’ at journalism awards

The Irish Times won six of the NewsBrands Journalism Awards 2020 announced last night , including for the best coverage of Covid-19 for a project documenting the lives of those who have died as a result of the disease .
The awards are being presented over two nights , with the Irish Times winning in half of the 12 categories announced during an online ceremony from the Guinness Storehouse .
Miriam Lord was named Political Journalist of the Year , Fintan O ’ Toole won Columnist ( Broadsheet ) of the Year for his pieces on Donald Trump and coronavirus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Broadsheet ) of the Year .
Inside Politics , presented by Hugh Linehan and produced by Declan Conlon , won Podcast of the Year for its work in the lead up to February ’ s general election .
Newspaper Magazine of the Year was awarded to The Irish Times Saturday Magazine , edited by Rachel Collins and Ciara Kenny .
The award-winning edition included an inside look at St Vincent ’ s Hospital during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in April .
The judges particularly commended the magazine ’ s design and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and wine columns .
The Irish Times Lives Lost series , which was edited by Ruadhán Mac Cormaic , won the Best Coverage of Covid-19 category .
In their citation , the judges said the initiative was “ a series of obituaries which were absolutely beautifully written ” .
“ This was an opportunity to read about and learn about the real people behind those figures .
It gave a richness to these people ; it made them real .
When you talk about journalism being one of the first drafts of history @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be captured .
A marvellous entry , ” the judges said .
The awards were open to any work published in print , online , mobile , video , audio or any other news delivery format from any NewsBrands Ireland member title .
The Irish Times had the highest number of entries on the shortlist , with 35 nominations .
The second half of the awards will be announced on Wednesday night in another online ceremony .
Other winners included Lorcan Allen of the Irish Farmers ’ Journal , who was named Business @ @ @ @ @ @ @ investigating Larry Goodman ’ s empire , while the Irish Independent political team won in the investigative journalism category .
Neil O ’ Riordan from the Irish Sun won the Sportswriter ( Popular ) of the Year award , while Fionnán Sheahan and Cormac McQuinn won scoop of the year for the Irish Independent for breaking the story on absentee voting in the Dáil .
Wayne O ’ Connor from the Sunday Independent was selected as the winner of News Reporter of the Year and The Irish Daily Star won Campaign of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said Covid-19 , from a reporting point of view , has been a real challenge but that newspapers had risen to the challenge .
“ I think the last six to nine months have positioned Irish newspapers very well .
People will appreciate that value into the future , ” he said .
Minister for Media Catherine Martin said the Covid-19 crisis has highlighted more than ever the importance of honest , trustworthy journalism .

Newspaper Magazine of the Year was awarded to The Irish Times Saturday Magazine.
The Irish Times won six of the NewsBrands Journalism Awards 2020 announced last night, including for the best coverage of Covid-19 for a project documenting the lives of those who have died as a result of the disease.
The awards are being presented over two nights, with the Irish Times winning in half of the 12 categories announced during an online ceremony from the Guinness Storehouse.
Miriam Lord was named Political Journalist of the Year, Fintan O'Toole won Columnist (Broadsheet) of the Year for his pieces on Donald Trump and coronavirus and Johnny Watterson was declared Sportswriter (Broadsheet) of the Year.
Inside Politics, presented by Hugh Linehan and produced by Declan Conlon, won Podcast of the Year for its work in the lead up to February's general election.
READ MORE
Newspaper Magazine of the Year was awarded to The Irish Times Saturday Magazine, edited by Rachel Collins and Ciara Kenny. The award-winning edition included an inside look at St Vincent's Hospital during the peak of the Covid-19 pandemic in April.
The judges particularly commended the magazine’s design and layout, as well as its cooking and wine columns.
The Irish Times Lives Lost series, which was edited by Ruadhán Mac Cormaic, won the Best Coverage of Covid-19 category.
In their citation, the judges said the initiative was “a series of obituaries which were absolutely beautifully written”.
“This was an opportunity to read about and learn about the real people behind those figures. It gave a richness to these people; it made them real. When you talk about journalism being one of the first drafts of history, marvellous social history is going to be captured. A marvellous entry,” the judges said.
Second ceremony
The awards were open to any work published in print, online, mobile, video, audio or any other news delivery format from any NewsBrands Ireland member title. The Irish Times had the highest number of entries on the shortlist, with 35 nominations. The second half of the awards will be announced on Wednesday night in another online ceremony.
Other winners included Lorcan Allen of the Irish Farmers' Journal, who was named Business Journalist of the Year for his work investigating Larry Goodman's empire, while the Irish Independent political team won in the investigative journalism category.
Neil O’Riordan from the Irish Sun won the Sportswriter (Popular) of the Year award, while Fionnán Sheahan and Cormac McQuinn won scoop of the year for the Irish Independent for breaking the story on absentee voting in the Dáil.
Wayne O’Connor from the Sunday Independent was selected as the winner of News Reporter of the Year and The Irish Daily Star won Campaign of the Year.
NewsBrands Ireland chairman Vincent Crowley said Covid-19, from a reporting point of view, has been a real challenge but that newspapers had risen to the challenge.
“I think the last six to nine months have positioned Irish newspapers very well. People will appreciate that value into the future,” he said.
Minister for Media Catherine Martin said the Covid-19 crisis has highlighted more than ever the importance of honest, trustworthy journalism.


theirishtimes--2020-11-17--Man who entered pub with decommissioned shotgun gets suspended sentence

A father of three who walked into his local pub while carrying a decommissioned pump action shotgun has been given a three and half year suspended sentence .
Mark Clarke ( 50 ) later told gardaí that he had no recollection of the evening because he had just drank a bottle of whiskey .
He had a small row with his wife and was disgruntled with his siblings over the fact that he felt he had been left as the sole carer for his elderly mother .
Detective Garda Eamonn McFadden told Fionnuala O ’ Sullivan BL , prosecuting , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ customers in Martin ’ s Bar in Rush , Co Dublin that evening , nobody felt threatened or imitated by Clarke but rather thought he was “ acting strangely ” , “ acting the hard man ” and “ didn ’ t seem right in the head ” .
Det Gda McFadden said that Clarke had a license for the gun up until 2010 .
When the license expired he handed it in and it was professionally decommissioned by removing the firing pin in it and rendering it incapable of being discharged .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the firearm , 13 shotgun cartridges and blank shotgun cartridges at his home and in Martin ’ s Bar on February 15th , 2019 .
He has a small number of convictions for minor offences including road traffic offences .
Judge Pauline Codd acknowledged that nobody was threatened that day and were instead “ uneasy rather than frightened and that unease was caused by the accused who was acting strangely ” .
She acknowledged that Clarke ’ s behaviour “ was out @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there were some family pressures , that are still ongoing , and he was finding this situation stressful .
Judge Codd said , however , this was “ an entirely inappropriate way to deal with this ” after noting that many people find themselves in similarly stressful situations .
The judge said a psychological report before the court concluded that Clarke expressed remorse and embarrassment and she accepted that he had “ generally lived a very pro-social life ” .
She sentenced him to three and half years in prison , which she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including that he engage with the Probation Service for 12 months to “ ensure there is no issue with alcohol ” .
Feargal Kavanagh SC , defending said his client was a father of three adult children and had worked as a bus driver for most of his life .
He had given up his job to care for his elderly mother but his carer ’ s allowance had been delayed and he was under financial pressure .
“ He was disgruntled with his siblings for not stepping up to the mark and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ within the family over this .
He also had a small row with his wife .
It all became too much for him and he downed the entire bottle of whiskey , ” Mr Kavanagh said .
Counsel asked the judge to accept that it was not the normal type of firearm case to come before the court adding that “ it was not pre-meditated and there was no criminal intent to rob or assault anyone ” .

A father of three who walked into his local pub while carrying a decommissioned pump action shotgun has been given a three and half year suspended sentence.
Mark Clarke (50) later told gardaí that he had no recollection of the evening because he had just drank a bottle of whiskey. He had a small row with his wife and was disgruntled with his siblings over the fact that he felt he had been left as the sole carer for his elderly mother.
Detective Garda Eamonn McFadden told Fionnuala O’Sullivan BL, prosecuting, that while there were a number of customers in Martin’s Bar in Rush, Co Dublin that evening, nobody felt threatened or imitated by Clarke but rather thought he was “acting strangely”, “acting the hard man” and “didn’t seem right in the head”.
Det Gda McFadden said that Clarke had a license for the gun up until 2010. When the license expired he handed it in and it was professionally decommissioned by removing the firing pin in it and rendering it incapable of being discharged.
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Clarke, of Kenure Park, Rush, pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal Court to possession of the firearm, 13 shotgun cartridges and blank shotgun cartridges at his home and in Martin’s Bar on February 15th, 2019. He has a small number of convictions for minor offences including road traffic offences.
Judge Pauline Codd acknowledged that nobody was threatened that day and were instead “uneasy rather than frightened and that unease was caused by the accused who was acting strangely”.
She acknowledged that Clarke’s behaviour “was out of character”. She noted that there were some family pressures, that are still ongoing, and he was finding this situation stressful.
Judge Codd said, however, this was “an entirely inappropriate way to deal with this” after noting that many people find themselves in similarly stressful situations.
The judge said a psychological report before the court concluded that Clarke expressed remorse and embarrassment and she accepted that he had “generally lived a very pro-social life”.
She sentenced him to three and half years in prison, which she suspended in full on strict conditions, including that he engage with the Probation Service for 12 months to “ensure there is no issue with alcohol”.
Feargal Kavanagh SC, defending said his client was a father of three adult children and had worked as a bus driver for most of his life. He had given up his job to care for his elderly mother but his carer’s allowance had been delayed and he was under financial pressure.
“He was disgruntled with his siblings for not stepping up to the mark and there was an extreme amount of distress within the family over this. He also had a small row with his wife. It all became too much for him and he downed the entire bottle of whiskey,” Mr Kavanagh said.
Counsel asked the judge to accept that it was not the normal type of firearm case to come before the court adding that “it was not pre-meditated and there was no criminal intent to rob or assault anyone”.


theirishtimes--2020-11-17--Woulfe on track to begin work as Supreme Court judge in February

The way may have been cleared for Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe to begin work as a Supreme Court judge after the Government said it would not initiate a process to remove the judge from office .
Following the Government decision on Tuesday , later discussed at a meeting of the board of the Judicial Council , it appears there is no obstacle , barring any possible action by Opposition parties , to the judge beginning work .
Sources believe , if he does so , that will be from February next in line with proposals under an informal resolution process @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is expected to meet in the coming days to discuss the latest developments .
Informed sources expressed strong scepticism about suggestions of Supreme Court judges resigning their positions or refusing to work with Mr Justice Woulfe .
“ The judges are adults and will behave like adults , ” one source said .
A former attorney general , Mr Justice Woulfe was appointed last July but has not sat on the Supreme Court bench due to the controversy surrounding his attendance at an Oireachtas golf society dinner on August 19th .
Attended by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the dinner was held the day after the government announced guidelines intended to reduce the numbers permitted at an indoor social event to six persons .
The controversy escalated after the Chief Justice last week published correspondence with Mr Justice Woulfe in which he twice told the judge he believed he should resign over his handling of matters since the publication on October 1st of a review of his attendance at the golf dinner .
The Chief justice said his view , and the unanimous view of all members of the Supreme @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , was the “ cumulative ” effect of Mr Justice Woulfe ’ s approach has caused “ very significant and irreparable damage ” to the court and the relationship within it “ essential to the proper functioning of a collegiate court ” .
The publication of the correspondence lead to the controversy passing into the political arena but , following discussions and advice from the Attorney General , Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dail on Tuesday the Government will not seek the judge ’ s removal .
The Woulfe situation , and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a meeting of the 11 member board of the Judicial Council later on Tuesday afternoon .
The council ’ s functions include promotion and maintenance of high standards of conduct among judges and public confidence in the judiciary .
However , due to delays in commencing the conduct provisions of the Judicial Council Act 2019 , it has no power to take enforcement action against a judge .
No statement was issued after the board meeting which sources interpreted as indicating the council sees no role for itself in the Woulfe matter .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Chief Justice Susan Denham to carry out a non-statutory review concerning the judge ’ s attendance at the golf dinner .
Ms Justice Denham stressed in her review she was not making findings of fact or of law .
She expressed the view Mr Justice Woulfe should not have gone to the dinner and failed to consider the propriety of a Supreme Court judge attending such an event in a public place in the middle of a pandemic .
However , she considered he had broken no law , had not knowingly breached @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be unjust and disproportionate and it was open to the Chief Justice to informally resolve the matter .
On October 2nd , the day after the review was published , three Supreme Court judges met with Mr Justice Woulfe who was “ shocked ” at the resolution proposed by them .
A planned meeting with the Chief Justice on October 5th to progress the resolution was deferred three times at Mr Justice Woulfe ’ s request for personal and medical reasons before being cancelled on October 13th on the basis of a “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the judge offered to donate a month ’ s salary to a charity nominated by the Chief Justice but objected to the basis of a proposed reprimand of him .
In his letter of November 5th to Mr Justice Woulfe , the Chief Justice said , were it not for the judge ’ s handling of events since publication of the Denham report , and the contents of a transcript of his interview with Ms Justice Denham , he would have proposed certain steps to resolve the matter .
Those were that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to February next , waive his salary for that time and accept a reprimand from the Chief Justice on the basis of the latter ’ s view he had failed to observe the principle judges should obey government guidelines , even where those are non-binding .
Mr Justice Woulfe indicated , in his reply of November 9th , he would be willing to accept a reprimand , not sit for three months and donate his salary to a charity nominated by the Chief Justice during that period .

The way may have been cleared for Mr Justice Séamus Woulfe to begin work as a Supreme Court judge after the Government said it would not initiate a process to remove the judge from office.
Following the Government decision on Tuesday, later discussed at a meeting of the board of the Judicial Council, it appears there is no obstacle, barring any possible action by Opposition parties, to the judge beginning work.
Sources believe, if he does so, that will be from February next in line with proposals under an informal resolution process initiated in October.
The Supreme Court is expected to meet in the coming days to discuss the latest developments.
READ MORE
Informed sources expressed strong scepticism about suggestions of Supreme Court judges resigning their positions or refusing to work with Mr Justice Woulfe . “The judges are adults and will behave like adults,” one source said.
A former attorney general, Mr Justice Woulfe was appointed last July but has not sat on the Supreme Court bench due to the controversy surrounding his attendance at an Oireachtas golf society dinner on August 19th.
Attended by 80 people at an hotel in Clifden, the dinner was held the day after the government announced guidelines intended to reduce the numbers permitted at an indoor social event to six persons.
The controversy escalated after the Chief Justice last week published correspondence with Mr Justice Woulfe in which he twice told the judge he believed he should resign over his handling of matters since the publication on October 1st of a review of his attendance at the golf dinner.
The Chief justice said his view, and the unanimous view of all members of the Supreme Court, including the ex officio members, was the “cumulative” effect of Mr Justice Woulfe’s approach has caused “very significant and irreparable damage” to the court and the relationship within it “essential to the proper functioning of a collegiate court”.
The publication of the correspondence lead to the controversy passing into the political arena but, following discussions and advice from the Attorney General, Taoiseach Micheál Martin told the Dail on Tuesday the Government will not seek the judge’s removal.
The Woulfe situation, and the government decision, was discussed generally at a meeting of the 11 member board of the Judicial Council later on Tuesday afternoon.
The council’s functions include promotion and maintenance of high standards of conduct among judges and public confidence in the judiciary. However, due to delays in commencing the conduct provisions of the Judicial Council Act 2019, it has no power to take enforcement action against a judge.
No statement was issued after the board meeting which sources interpreted as indicating the council sees no role for itself in the Woulfe matter.
Denham review
The Supreme Court last August asked former Chief Justice Susan Denham to carry out a non-statutory review concerning the judge’s attendance at the golf dinner.
Ms Justice Denham stressed in her review she was not making findings of fact or of law. She expressed the view Mr Justice Woulfe should not have gone to the dinner and failed to consider the propriety of a Supreme Court judge attending such an event in a public place in the middle of a pandemic. However, she considered he had broken no law, had not knowingly breached any guidelines, seeking his resignation would be unjust and disproportionate and it was open to the Chief Justice to informally resolve the matter.
On October 2nd, the day after the review was published, three Supreme Court judges met with Mr Justice Woulfe who was “shocked” at the resolution proposed by them. A planned meeting with the Chief Justice on October 5th to progress the resolution was deferred three times at Mr Justice Woulfe’s request for personal and medical reasons before being cancelled on October 13th on the basis of a “cogent” medical report.
In correspondence, the judge offered to donate a month’s salary to a charity nominated by the Chief Justice but objected to the basis of a proposed reprimand of him.
In his letter of November 5th to Mr Justice Woulfe, the Chief Justice said, were it not for the judge’s handling of events since publication of the Denham report, and the contents of a transcript of his interview with Ms Justice Denham, he would have proposed certain steps to resolve the matter.
Those were that the judge not sit for three months to February next, waive his salary for that time and accept a reprimand from the Chief Justice on the basis of the latter’s view he had failed to observe the principle judges should obey government guidelines, even where those are non-binding.
Mr Justice Woulfe indicated, in his reply of November 9th, he would be willing to accept a reprimand, not sit for three months and donate his salary to a charity nominated by the Chief Justice during that period.