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 What is being described as a viable “Improvised Explosive Device,” or IED, has been made safe by our Defence Forces, operating in the early hours of this morning at Roscrea, Co Tipperary.
The alarm was first raised at around 11.30pm last night, when the device was spotted close to a vehicle at the Cois Carrig estate in the Grange area of Roscrea.
The Defence Forces deployed a team of explosive experts to Roscrea, arriving at 2.45am, following a request from Roscrea gardaí. The area was cordoned off and a number of residents living close to the positioning of the device were evacuated for a time, in the interests of their safety.
The device was made safe by means of a controlled explosion and the scene was declared safe at around 4.40am.
This is now the 70th time the ‘Bomb Squad,’ has been deployed this year and the 22nd time they have had to handle a viable IED device.
US President Barack Obama today called on the American Congress to pass the “Buffett Rule,” a principle that ensures that millionaires and billionaires do not pay less in taxes as a share of their income, than middle class families pay, as a matter of fairness.
At the Fine Gael Ard Fheis today, Irish Finance Minister Michael Noonan said “a country is not just an economy, it is about people.” He described the building blocks of the economy as “stability, confidence and fairness.” He said everything should be about “better.” The minister told delegates that the burden in relation to our economy will have to fall evenly on people, and those who are strongest will have to contribute most and those who are weakest will have to be protected.
Two Questions For Minister Michael Noonan
- Was the Household Charge, introduced by Minister Phil Hogan, based on income and ability to pay?
- Where were the building blocks of fairness, when a majority of law abiding Tipperary householders, today, were forced to break the law?
Do the right thing. In your own words “treat all of the children of the nation equally.” Cancel this ridiculous, unplanned and unfair attack on low income earners. Enda Kenny has previously twice made reference to publishing ‘Report Cards,‘ on the work of each of his Ministers and it must now be obvious to him that Phil Hogan does not have the basic ability to carry on the work, taxpayers require of his office.
We also don’t envy success here in Tipperary. We also aspire to it. But we also believe that anyone who does well for themselves should pay their fair share in return, so that more people are given the opportunity to get ahead, not just a few.
 The number of household’s categorised under the heading “At Risk of Poverty Rate,” rose to 15.8% in 2010, up on the 2009 figure of 14.1%. Latest published figures also show, in 2010, that another 6.2% were listed as “Consistent Poverty Rate,” again an increase of 0.7% on 2009.
Figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) reveal that the gap between rich and poor grew over 2009/10, while the average income of high earners was 5.5 times that of those in the lowest income group and 1.2 times higher than a year earlier.
A survey on income and living conditions in Ireland found that the threshold for identifying those at risk of poverty fell by more than 10 per cent – from €12,064 in 2009 to €10,831 in 2010.
The CSO said children remained the most exposed age group living consistent poverty, a rate of 8.1 per cent.
Meanwhile the Government has admitted, following a parliamentary question from former Labour TD Tommy Broughan, that Social Welfare applicants are waiting for up to 84 weeks to have appeals heard. The Department of Social Protection have confirmed that between 2009 and 2011, the number of social welfare appeals had increased dramatically from 15,000 a year to 32,000. The average summary appeal period rose from 18.2 weeks in 2009 to 25.1 weeks in 2011 and if an oral hearing is required, the average waiting time has risen from 34.8 weeks in 2009 to 52.5 weeks (Over a year) during the same period.
These statistics further highlight the unfairness of Minister Phil Hogan’s Household Charge, which in four days time will force people to break the law, because of their present financial standing.
Is This Government Forcing Law Abiding Citizens To Break The Law?
I am no lawyer, but surely, in jurisprudence, duress or coercion refers to a situation whereby a person performs an act as a result of threat or other pressure against the person. Call it a law protecting, those who are being coerced, because of their personal financial circumstances, to break the law, because they cannot afford to pay the Household Charge.
Black’s Law Dictionary (6th ed.) defines “Duress,” as any unlawful threat or coercion, used to induce another to act in a manner that otherwise they would not. Surely a person can raise an “Economic Duress defence,” when force or the law, compels him to enter into a contract which he cannot afford. Is the defendant therefore being forced to break the law by another party, in this case our government, which caused the financial distress and for which the defendant is being now asked/coerced into paying?
I repeat, I am not a qualified legal person, so is there any qualified legal opinion out there, willing to comment?
 Deputy M. Lowry Mr Michael Lowry, Independent TD for North Tipperary, has lost his High Court case in securing a summary ruling in his defamation case over comments made by journalist Mr Sam Smyth which, Mr Lowry claimed, wrongly meant he was a thief.
The President of the High Court, Mr Justice Nicholas Kearns today rejected Mr Lowry’s claim that he was entitled to a summary order under the new Defamation Act 2009, on grounds that Mr Smyth had no arguable defence to the alleged defamation. Justice Kearns stated “On the contrary, it seems clear the defendant (Journalist Mr Sam Smyth) has a good arguable case in respect of both publications.”
Justice Kearns also awarded costs against Mr Lowry in both the High Court and Circuit Courts.
Justice Kearns also stated that in relation to the alleged defamation on “The Vincent Browne Show,” he was satisfied Mr Smyth was entitled to argue the words “hand in till” may be taken as referring to tax fraud and bills inappropriately picked up for the benefit of Mr Lowry by business interests.
 In what is observed as a major u-turn this evening, Environment Minister, Mr Phil Hogan, speaking from Dundrum House Hotel in Co Tipperary, has announced a reduced inspection fee for rural septic tank inspection.
Mr Hogan said the anticipated fee for septic tank inspection, will now be reduced from €50 to just €5, for the first three months, while the charge is being introduced. He stated this lower rate was an incentive for septic tank owners to register early, with the deadline for registration being March of next year.
Mr Hogan said that full new guidelines, regarding septic tank standards, will be announced in the coming days. He also stated that this legislation will now ensure that if people’s septic tank systems are working properly, the impact of the new system will be minor.
Phil Hogan’s Presentation On Septic Tanks Clearly Bogus
According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, a farm sustaining 2,500 cows has the ability to produce the equivalent in waste matter as a city containing 400,000 residents. Animal feeding operations annually produce about 100 times more manure than the amount of human sewage sludge processed in US municipal waste-water plants.
Ireland’s rural human population is numbered at about 1.6 to 1.8 million and these human statistics surely are dwarfed by a rural population of necessary animals which can include Deer, Pigs, Sheep, Poultry and Cattle. Surely any seepage from malfunctioning domestic septic tanks is insignificant, particularly when compared to the amount of animal waste pumped directly onto land as slurry.
I won’t even enter into discussion on the use of pesticides, antibiotics and over use of nitrogen, the rules for which most EU Governments have failed to meet their obligations under existing law, in an effort to protect rural residents and communities.
Farmers in Tipperary and Offaly were allowed “as an exceptional measure,” to spread slurry until the end of October in 2011. This decision was gifted by Minister Hogan, who extending the deadline because “weather conditions were beyond farmers control and this extension will make life easier on farmers in Tipperary and Offaly.”
Perhaps elected representatives in opposition, might waken up and seek proper clarity on where all of this is headed.
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