The press release today issued by Fine Gael Minister for Justice Mrs Helen McEntee: it’s all just about future voter optics. Would this €10 million not have been better spent invested in health issues like Limerick University Hospital, which has been historically under funded by successive Fianna Fáil & Fianna Gael led governments? Why didn’t Minister for Justice Mrs Helen McEntee just give €1 million to those who are walking the streets of Dublin, currently causing a state of disorder, due to the total absence of authority and parental control? Same funding could have been granted on condition that these rude, crude, uneducated, and uncivilized, barbarous persons stay off the streets of Dublin!
Increased deployment of public order unit and other specialist units in Dublin City Centre.
Overtime will provide up to 48,500 extra Garda hours per month across all Dublin Garda Divisions
Days of Action to be held across Dublin, by Gardaí.
The Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee TD, has welcomed details announced by Ms Angela Willis, Assistant Garda Commissioner for the Dublin Metropolitan Region, of how the additional €10 million allocation to An Garda Síochána will be used to bolster high visibility policing in Dublin city.
Minister McEntee last month announced the additional funding for Garda overtime, to increase high visibility policing in the Dublin Metropolitan Region.
The Minister is committed to ensuring Dubliners working and living in our capital, and those who visit the city, are safe and feel safe. An enhanced visible policing presence is central to achieving this objective and Minister McEntee is in regular contact with An Garda Síochána in this regard.
She welcomed the detail provided today by Assistant Commissioner Willis on how the additional €10 million is being spent, and will be spent, to provide consistent high visibility policing in the capital.
This includes:
Increased deployment of the Garda National Public Order Unit in the city centre, with €2m of the €10million dedicated to increased public order capacity An enhanced visible Garda presence at strategic locations in Dublin city centre Uniformed Gardaí supported in the city centre by the Garda Air Support Unit, the Garda Mounted Unit, the Garda Dog Unit, Regional Armed Response Units, and Road Policing Units to enhance visibility in the city centre Planned days of high impact operations in the city centre and across all DMR divisions High visibility patrols on the transport network and near transport services An enhanced Operation Citizen, including a focus on tackling street level drug dealing, anti-social behaviour and the seizure of alcohol in the city centre
Minister McEntee said: “As Minister for Justice I am committed to ensuring that Gardaí have the resources they need to build stronger, safer communities. This additional funding will help with the Garda commitment to continue to protect Dublin communities and ensure that the city is a safe place for all to live, work and visit.I am pleased that the plans now in place by the Garda Commissioner, Assistant Commissioner Willis and Garda management will deliver high visibility policing in the capital to support safety in Dublin. While policing alone cannot solve many of the factors which contribute to criminality or people feeling unsafe, high visibility policing is crucial to providing reassurance for all who live in, work in or visit our capital city. I also look forward in the coming weeks to launching the Community Safety Plan for Dublin’s north inner city. This plan, drawn up by the Community Safety Partnership which I established, recognises that increasing safety is not just the responsibility of An Garda Síochána alone. It also requires significant input from the local community and other State services, such as local authorities, health, education and others. But nobody knows better than local communities how to increase safety in their areas – and that is why the community is centrally involved in drawing up these plans.”
The North Inner City Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs) is one of three pilots established by Minister McEntee, ahead of the rollout of the partnerships locally next year. The Dublin LCSP is due to publish its Community Safety Plan in the coming weeks.
Minister McEntee added: “In the coming weeks, I will also announce the latest round of funding grants under the Community Safety Innovation fund, which I established to reinvest the ill-gotten proceeds of crime as seized by the Criminal Assets Bureau into local projects to improve community safety.”
Budget 2023 also reflects the commitment of Government to ensuring that our communities are safe and that An Garda Síochána has the resources required to operate effectively. The budget provided by Government to the Garda Commissioner continues to increase to unprecedented levels, with an allocation of more than €2 billion for 2023.
Minister McEntee said that Garda recruitment is now accelerating after a Covid enforced pause, with new classes both entering and graduating from the Garda College in Templemore every three months.
The Minister said: “We are seeing numbers consistently increase in Templemore. 135 trainees entered the training college in February and another 154 in May. Another class of 174, the largest class since Covid, entered the college at the end of July, continuing the building momentum in recruitment. 100 new Gardaí have attested so far this year; another 470 will be in active training – and two more classes are due into Templemore in October and December. And I also look forward to attending the graduation of the next class in October, as well as working with colleagues in Government to ensure this strong pipeline of recruits is maintained. Along with Minister of State James Browne (Fianna Fáil), I am also committed to further expanding the number of Youth Diversion Programmes, which do hugely valuable work, across the country.”
Through the Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 the Department of Justice is broadening and deepening the services provided by the network of Youth Diversion Projects across the State.
This puts a focus on Early Intervention and Family Support programmes for children at risk, as well as access to appropriate Education, Training and Youth Services.
The Department of Justice is currently funding eight Youth Diversion Projects covering the Dublin City Centre area (specifically Dublin 1, 7 and 8) and is committed to expanding the number of YDPs across the country.
Funding for Youth Diversion Projects is provided by the Department of Justice and co-financed by the European Social Fund’s ESF+ Programme.
In a book published by Merrion Press; authored by award winning journalist Ms Jennifer O’Leary, the Tipperary priest reveals how his tip-off to the IRA led to the mistaken identity and murder of a senior Brussels bank official.
Tipperary-born priest Fr. Patrick Ryan now aged in his nineties, has admitted his link to the murder of the then 47 year old banker Mr Michael André Michaux. Mr Michaux latter a senior official at the Central Bank in Brussels, lived in the same street as the targeted diplomat, named as Mr Paul Holmer, the deputy British Ambassador to NATO.
Fr. Ryan has confirmed that the real IRA target, back in March 1979, was Mr Paul Holmer latter a Brussels-based senior British diplomat at NATO. In early 1979 senior British officials in Brussels were put on high alert following a warning that the IRA were plotting to kill a senior UK representative in the city. Among those warned was former British Home Secretary Mr Roy Jenkins, who was then President of the European Commission.
Ms O’Leary first spoke to Fr. Ryan in 2019 for the landmark BBC NI series ‘Spotlight’ on the ‘Troubles — A Secret History’ in which he admitted securing explosives for the IRA from Libya and confessed to his role in the Hyde Park and Brighton bombings.
In her book Ms O’Leary delves into more detail with Fr. Ryan regarding his activities and his role in assisting an IRA unit in Europe.
On March 22nd, 1979, Sir Richard Sykes, aged 58, the British Ambassador to Holland, and married father of 3, was shot dead by the IRA. Sir Richard was seated in his Rolls Royce outside his residence in the Hague. His 19-year-old footman, Mr Karel Straub, was also murdered in the attack. Just hours later two IRA gunmen ambushed Brussels banker Mr Michaux in his car, mistaking him for the NATO diplomat Holmer.
At this time Fr. Ryan often stayed at the home of well-connected art historian Ms Lucie Ninane in Brussels and was there on the day of Sir Richard Sykes assassination. Fr. Ryan met regularly at the Ninane residence with a companion named Maurice, who passed on information to the IRA, and here Fr. Ryan also obtained information from the art historian’s well-placed associates.
Fr. Ryan heard of Mr Michaux’s true identity the following day while listening to a radio news report and fearing his own arrest, he fled Brussels in the back of an ambulance, before taking refuge at a monastery. The monks were expecting him, however he never disclosed the business he was involved in or why he required somewhere to hold-up.
During a lunch hosted by a friend of Lucie Ninane at her home in a wealthy suburb, Fr. Ryan’s host mentioned that a British diplomat lived nearby at the end of the cul-de-sac.
Fr. Ryan claims he made sketches of the area noting car registrations coming and going from different houses, before passing same to his intermediary Maurice, who in turn passed this information to the IRA so that the hit team on the continent got the details.
At 6.15pm on March 22nd, 1979 two IRA gunmen approached a car close to Mr Holmer’s residence and fired eight bullets in three bursts from just a few yards. The sole occupant was hit in the head and arms and later died in hospital.
Major confusion over progress on Thurles Inner Relief Road, following a press release by Fianna Fail TD Jackie Cahill yesterday.
The confusion arises over whether we believe Tipperary TD Mr Cahill; Tipperary Co. Council; Local Fianna Fáil Councillor Mr Seamus Hanafin or Local Independent Councillor Mr Michéal Lowry.
According to Cllr. Mr Hanafin and Cllr. Mr Lowry, in a report on TipperaryLive, Cllr. Hanafin requested “an update on land acquisition, saying it was a vital piece of infrastructure for Thurles”, while Cllr Lowry said “People want clarity, and the council should be able to make a plan. An inner relief road will be a very important piece of the jigsaw for relieving some of the traffic issues in the town”. Meanwhile, on radio, Cllr. Hanafin has confirmed that €75,000 had been allocated for the Thurles Inner Relief Road, under the Regional and Local Roads Programme which will allow the design phase to progress. Same announcement had been made by Minister Eamon Ryan(Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport) earlier on Tuesday March 28th, 2023. Minister for Transport, Mr Eamon Ryan also announced in the previous month (February 2023), details of a €626 million investment programme for 2023, for regional and local roads, with Co. Tipperary to receive €33.5M for 2023; none of which was allocated for a Thurles Inner Relief Road.
Thurles Inner Relief Road – the project denied by deceitful elected representatives and officials.
Meanwhile, the Tipperary County Councils Management Report To Council – Dated just 6 weeks ago – June 2023 states on page 12. [Readers may view PDF at bottom of page by clickingHERE ]
Project: Inner Relief Road Thurles. Inner Relief Road is a proposed local link between the N62 and the Mill Road. Progress to date: The proposed scheme comprises approximately 1.1km of new road with: a signalised junction on the Slievenamon Road at the Clongour Road junction; a new priority junction with Mill Road and, 5 no. intermediate priority junctions to provide access; a 50-metre span tied bowstring arch crossing the River Suir; public lighting; and flood alleviation works along the River Suir. This scheme is on the NDP and DoT approval will be required to allow it to go to detailed design. Lidl has completed construction of a section of the road for access to new store.
Next Stage: Secure funding to deliver the Inner Relief Road project and finalise land acquisition.
Then came the press release yesterday August 16th, from Mr Jackie Cahill.
His press release read as follows; same forwarded by Mr Cahill’s Parliamentary Assistant Mr Ryan O’Meara.
Headline: Thurles Inner Relief Road: “It’s time for TII to get out of the way and do their job” – Jackie Cahill TD.
Thurles TD Jackie Cahill has called on Transport Infrastructure Ireland to stop stalling on the Thurles Inner Relief Road and to allow it to proceed to construction. Deputy Cahill’s intervention comes following a serious accident in Thurles yesterday afternoon, where a pedestrian was seriously injured while crossing Liberty Square. Speaking on this today, the Fianna Fáil TD said: “Yesterday afternoon, a serious incident took place on Liberty Square in Thurles where a pedestrian crossing the Square was involved in an accident with a heavy goods vehicle. This is the third serious accident to take place on Liberty Square in a short period of time. “I secured the inclusion of the Thurles Inner Relief Road in the updated National Development Plan under this Government, with the assistance of Minister Michael McGrath. The money is there to construct this road and it is now well past time for TII to stop dragging their heels on this project. “TII do not see the Thurles Inner Relief Road as a priority. It is time for that utter nonsense and anti-road mentality to stop once and for all. The recent accidents in Liberty Square are proof that an Inner Relief Road in Thurles is now an absolute priority. We need a second river crossing in the town to take as much traffic, especially heavy vehicles, out of the town centre as possible. “The ongoing issues with the acquisition of land needs to be addressed immediately. Tipperary County Council cannot excuse this any longer and need to CPO the remaining land in question. “The Thurles Inner Relief Road is in the Capital Development Plan as a result of Minister Michael McGrath’s work on this project with me. The money is there. The need is blatantly there. It’s time for TII to get out of the way and do their job by moving it to design and development immediately.” ENDS.
Seven Questions now being asked today:
(1) Has the land required to build the “Thurles Inner Relief Road” been purchased from the person offering the property for sale, namely the vendor? Can Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), who are unable to resurface an existing road in Thurles, now construct a road on land which is not in public ownership? (2) Taxpayers would like to know what was the final purchase price of this property and on what date was the contract signed and by whom? (3) Where can be viewed the final design for this “Inner Relief Road” which has already brought about the total eradication of a possible tourist attraction, namely the historic Great Famine “Double Ditch”? (4) Who has won contracts for the 50-metre long traffic bearing, span tied, bowstring, arched bridge, the flood alleviation works, and the public lighting system? Will the lights be left burning for 24 hours each day, as is presently the case in Thurles? (5) We note from Mr Cahill’s press release that he is a “Thurles TD”, not as is usual a “Tipperary TD”. This being the case, based on his intimate knowledge of Thurles streets, explain how heavy goods vehicles entering Thurles from the Templemore town road, can be assisted by the building of an inner relief road on the other side of Thurles, designed to join the N62 with the Mill Road? How will an eighteen wheeler cab and trailer, travelling in any direction to service Thurles, especially those travelling from north of the county, be prevented from entering the town by the use of one minor inner relief road, joining the N62 with the Mill Road? (6) Why, under this Government, was the Thurles Ring Road; same, planned for over the past 25 years, not included in the National Development Plan? (7) How much taxpayers money has been alloted by Mr Michael McGrath, (Minister for Finance), for this “Inner Road” project?
As the political deception continues, perhaps some elected representative might like to communicate with us and attempt to answer the 7questions, above posed.
The Minister for State with responsibility for Law Reform and Youth Justice, Mr James Browne T.D., has today published the Department of Justice’s policy paper on Restorative Justice.
The Programme for Government Our Shared Future makes the commitment to “work with all criminal justice agencies to build capacity to deliver Restorative Justice, safely and effectively”. Publishing this policy paper, entitled Promoting and supporting the provision of Restorative Justice at all stages of the criminal justice system, works toward fulfilment of this pledge.
Publishing the paper, Minister Browne said; “This policy paper is a culmination of a body of work carried out by the Department since the 2020 Programme for Government was published. At the same time, it signposts the next steps for continuing to ensure the safe and effective delivery of Restorative Justice initiatives, and sets out a roadmap for present and future attainment of the highest standards in this area. In light of the clear and positive benefits of Restorative Justice to victims, offenders, and the State, and mindful of the opportunity to increase current levels of provision of Restorative Justice services, the path forward that this paper identifies – to strengthen existing capabilities within current structures – provides the best prospect to make the most significant impact with the greatest efficiency.”
Restorative Justice aims to enable all those affected by an offence to participate actively in repairing the harm done and to find a positive way forward. Restorative Justice is now legislated for, and widely used, in many countries throughout the world. In Europe, a recent legal framework supports making Restorative Justice available with all offences and at all stages of the criminal justice process.
Most recent figures for Ireland, prepared by Restorative Justice Strategies for Change (RJS4C: Ireland), estimated that the total number of Restorative Justice cases reported was 1,056 in 2020. While initial figures have been produced for 2022, they do not yet include youth cautions. After removing youth cautions from the relevant previous year figures, while they show a slight increase for 2022 (413) based on 2021 (395) and 2020 (340), they are significantly down on the 2019 figure of 721.
Minister Browne further stated: “It is reasonable to conclude that Ireland is yet to use Restorative Justice to its maximum potential, and that the use of this process would increase greatly if it is more widely available. To that end, the very title of this paper is indicative – Promoting and supporting the provision of Restorative Justice at all stages of the criminal justice system. And, at all stages, our unwavering commitment to continued improvement, toward achievement of this goal, will remain.”
Updated Duty of Care legislation will rebalance responsibility between businesses, community groups and organisers of events, and visitors, recreational users and trespassers.
Another key reform delivered as part of Government’s Insurance Reform Plan.
Important step in efforts to make insurance cheaper and more accessible.
Minister for Justice Mrs Helen McEntee has, today, commenced legislation which amends the Occupiers Liability Act, 1995.
These amendments update our duty of care legislation, striking the right balance between ensuring that businesses, community groups and organisers of events fulfil their duty of care responsibilities, while acknowledging the importance of personal responsibility of visitors, recreational users and trespassers.
These legislative updates contribute to the ongoing work on Insurance Reform, one of this Government’s key priorities.
The amendments, building on a Review Paper prepared by the Department of Justice in February 2021, contain four key developments:
They will reflect in primary legislation a number of recent court decisions which rebalance the duty of care owed by occupiers to visitors and recreational users;
They change the standard to clarify that when the occupier of a property has acted with reckless disregard for a recreational user or trespasser, the standard of reckless disregard rather than that of reasonable grounds should apply in relation to any consideration of liability;
They limit the circumstances in which a court can impose liability on the occupier of a premises where a person has entered onto premises for the purpose of committing an offence;
They allow for a broader circumstance where it can be shown that a visitor or recreational user has voluntarily assumed a risk.
On the commencement of the legislation, Minister McEntee said: “Insurance reform is very much a whole-of-Government effort and I’m pleased to progress these important changes as part of that programme of reform. Of the 66 actions contained in the ‘Action plan on Insurance Reform’ my Department has responsibility or part responsibility for 34 of these actions. One of these actions was to update our duty of care legislation. Commenced today, these changes strike the right balance between ensuring that businesses, community groups and organisers of events fulfil their duty of care responsibilities, while acknowledging the importance of personal responsibility of visitors, recreational users and trespassers. The commencement of this legislation marks an important step in our efforts to make insurance more available and cheaper.”
Other completed actions which the Department of Justice is responsible for include the introduction of Personal Injury Guidelines and increased coordination and cooperation between An Garda Síochána and the insurance industry.
A review of how the discount rate, used to determine the size of an award to compensate a person for damages, should be set has also been completed. Work is at an advanced stage to set the appropriate rate and Minister McEntee expects this to be in place later this year.
Minister McEntee added: “The introduction of the Personal Injuries Guidelines has led to lower payouts for minor injuries and will speed up and reduce the costs of insurance cases. The establishment of the Insurance Fraud Coordination Office, opened by An Garda Síochána last year, will play a key role in dealing with cases of insurance fraud. As a Government, we will continue to review developments in the insurance sector, monitor price developments and continue to engage with stakeholders to resolve issues in the market.”
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