Politics - Thurles Information

Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking Bill Passed.

The Criminal Law (Sexual Offences and Human Trafficking) Bill 2023 has passed through both Houses of the Oireachtas today.

The Bill is seen as a major legislative step forward in ensuring that the justice system protects and supports all victims of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

The Bill contains a number of important measures, including:

Ensuring anonymity for victims in all trials for sexual offences.
Extend the victim’s right to separate legal representation if they are being questioned about their previous sexual history.
Ensure character evidence at a sentencing hearing for a person convicted of a sexual offence must be made on under oath or by way of affidavit.
Ensure people subject to military law who commit specified sexual offences will be dealt with by An Garda Síochána and the civilian courts rather than by courts-martial.
Put the new National Referral Mechanism (NRM) for human trafficking victims on a statutory footing.
Clear the final obstacles to ratification of the Second Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child on the sale of children, child prostitution and child pornography.

The Bill, once enacted, will ensure anonymity for victims in all trials for sexual offences and will offer them greater protection, as they engage with the justice system, by enshrining their right to separate legal representation if there is an application to question them over their previous sexual experience.

The victim’s right to separate legal representation if there is an application to question them about their previous sexual experience will be extended to include trials for sexual assault, which had not previously been covered under the legislation. The barrister who is assigned to represent the victim at the application will be allowed to continue to represent the victim at the questioning, if the application is granted.

The Bill also provides for the ‘vouching‘ of character evidence in sexual offences cases. This will ensure that where a person has been convicted of a sexual offence, character references presented at sentencing will have to be made via oath or affidavit.

In addition, the new Bill also puts a revised National Referral Mechanism (NRM) in place for identification and support of victims of trafficking. This new approach will make it easier for victims of trafficking to come forward, be identified and access advice, accommodation and support.

Some victims of trafficking, because of interactions they may have had with law enforcement officials in other jurisdictions, have a perception that police cannot be trusted. This new approach acknowledges other state bodies, outside of An Garda Síochána, as well as Non-Governmental Organizations (NGOs), have a role in identifying victims of human trafficking and referring them to the National Referral Mechanism.

Ms Emily Logan Nominated As Police Ombudsman.

Ms Emily Logan (pictured here left), has been recommending for appointment as the new Police Ombudsman under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.

Ms Logan was nominated for the role following an open, competition undertaken by the Public Appointments Service. The Government approved the nomination last week and Ms Logan’s official appointment, by the President of Ireland, is expected to be confirmed, with effect from August 1st, 2024, when her current term of appointment ends.

Career to date:
Ms Logan was appointed to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission in February 2021 having served as Chief Commissioner of the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (2014 to 2019). Prior to this, she served as Ireland’s first Ombudsman for Children (2003 to 2014).

In addition to ten years of investigations as Ombudsman; in 2013 she conducted an inquiry under Section 42 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, into the taking into care of two children from two Roma families by An Garda Síochána.
Ms Logan has over twenty years management experience both in Ireland and in the UK, including Director of Nursing at Crumlin Children’s Hospital and Director of Nursing at Tallaght University Hospital.
She holds an LLM in Human Rights Law (Queens University Belfast), an MBA (University College Dublin) and an MSc in Psychology (City University London).
She is Adjunct Professor (Human Rights Practice) at the Irish Centre for Human Rights, NUIG, and Adjunct Professor at the School of Law in University College Cork.
Ms Logan also serves on the Board of the Independent Police Complaints Authorities Network (IPCAN).

It will be necessary to ensure that there is a seamless transition process between the provisions contained in the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024.

Preparations are at an advanced stage for the commencement of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, later this year. Further announcements regarding appointments to key roles are expected to be made in the coming weeks and months.

UHL Had Highest Number Of Patients Without A Bed During June 2024.

According to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), over 9,437 patients, including 70 children were admitted to our Irish hospitals, without a bed, during this past month (June 2024).

**Reception Area University Hospital Limerick**.
*Pic: G. Willoughby*

This figure represents a 14% increase when compared to June 2023.

The hospital with the highest number of patients was University Hospital Limerick, latter serving North Tipperary with 1666 patients without a bed, in June.

University Hospital Galway had 1051 patients on trolleys this month, with 824 patients in Cork University Hospital also without a bed during the same period.

The figures remain as clear evidence as if same was required, that our health service remains far too reliant on a hospital system that does not have the sufficient bed capacity for an ever increasing Irish population.

Would-Be MEP Patrick Murphy Breaches Election Poster Legislation In Thurles.

Once again, Thurles Municipal District Council Officials, we hope, have been issuing invoices to all politicians who have failed to remove their posters, within the required time period, following the local and European elections held on June 7th, last (2024).

Our eye in the sky has located yet another poster erected at the behest of Aontu’s Ballydehob, Co. Cork based Mr Patrick Murphy, who threatened to “Put Ireland first in Europe”.
However, it would appear that Mr Murphy wasn’t including Tipperary in his promotion of Ireland, deciding like most other losers, to litter our local countryside. This poster, displaying the image of Mr Murphy, can be located at the Turnpike, on the Two-Mile-Borris Road. Same should be removed by the Co. Council ASAP, as locals tell me the image is frightening young children in the area.

We already shamed Mr Murphy previously, (if that is possible); he having failed to remove at least 3 of his posters here in Thurles town; one on the Jimmy Doyle Road and the junction of the N62 (Templemore Road), and two posters on the Nenagh Road, opposite LIT Thurles.
We learn from the small print that same were sponsored by Mr Peadar Tóibín, a current reigning TD, whom readers will remember resigned from Sinn Féin on November 15th 2018; due to his anti-abortion views, after opposing the party whip on the Health (Regulation of Termination of Pregnancy) Act 2018. So possibly, best to send the invoice to him. From our recogoning Mr Murphy now owes Thurles Municipal District Council (Tipperary County Council) €600.00. (4 posters fines @ €150.00 per poster = €600.00)

Mr Murphy’s poster erector again broke several rules as this poster remains attached to a road sign and is below head height, not meeting the minimum height of 2.3 metres above a pedestrian way.

This now outstanding figure of €600.00 added to the €150.00 owed by Ms Kay Cahill Skehan and the breach of legislation governing election posters now also due by MEP Ms Kathleen Function of €150.00, plus a fine not exceeding €634.87, (for failing to have printed on the poster’s face, the name and address of the printer and that of the publisher), bringing the total due to the appropriate Council, the sum of possibly €1,534.87.

All posters were required be removed by Friday June 14th 2024 (by midnight).

RTÉ Broadcaster Tommie Gorman Dies Aged 68.

It was with shock and sadness that RTÉ viewers, here in Co. Tipperary, learned of the death of TV broadcaster Mr Tommie Gorman, who passed away peacefully yesterday, Tuesday, June 25th.

The Sligo native was born in 1956, and educated in Summerhill College, before attending at the College of Journalism, in Rathmines, Dublin. He spent three years working in the Ballina-based Western Journal, before joining RTÉ in 1980 as north-west news correspondent. He continued to work for RTÉ News for some 40 years in a variety of roles including Europe editor, before moving to Belfast, back in 2001, to become the station’s northern editor.

A journalist of outstanding integrity, trusted, and a deeply insightful public service broadcaster and commentator; Mr Gorman had battled a rare form of cancer, (neuroendocrine tumours), first identified by chance in January of 1994. He was aged just 37 at the time of his diagnosis and was working as RTÉ’s Brussels-based Europe correspondent.

Mr Gorman retired from RTÉ in April 2021 and was awarded the title of ‘European of the Year’ that same year for his work on both radio and television reports on EU institutions. The award was presented to him in Dublin by then President of Ireland Mrs Mary McAleese.
Earlier, in October 2009 he had been given an honorary master’s degree by NUI Galway.

Mr Gorman is survived by his wife Ceara (Roche) and their two children Moya and Joe.

Ní fheicfimid a leithéid arís. In ár gcroíthe go deo.