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The Minister for Justice, Mrs Helen McEntee, TD, has paid tribute to the teams working in Dublin Airport, who have supported more than 26,000 people arriving from Ukraine since the war with Russia began.
Marking the transfer of the operation of the ‘one-stop-shop’ reception facility from Dublin Airport to Citywest from Monday, May 23rd; Minister McEntee said staff across government working at the facility had responded with dedication, compassion, and care, for those fleeing the war in the Ukraine.
“When we lifted the visa restrictions for Ukrainian nationals on February 25th 2022, in response to the war, we had no idea how many people might seek safety and shelter in Ireland. Almost overnight, my Border Management Team in Dublin Airport became the State’s first responders to the hundreds of people arriving every day in the first humanitarian crisis on European soil since World War II.
The BMU staff responded with their characteristic humanity, compassion and ‘can do’ attitude, providing food, toiletries, clothing and other essential items to those arriving in the earliest days while the State rapidly readied our national response.
Just five days after the EU activated the Temporary Protection Directive for the first time in its history, on March 4th, the first temporary protection permission letters were issued by staff from my Department at the ‘one-stop-shop’ reception facility in Dublin Airport. Over 27,000 permissions have since been processed during the 75 days the facility was open.
The facility itself, kindly provided to us by the DAA, was prepared by staff from across the Immigration Service of my Department in a matter of days in a sensitive and thoughtful way, including a colourful playroom full of toys for the children, and quiet spaces for the adults weary after a long and traumatic journey.
Staff from across every area and every grade of my Department volunteered for shifts at the facility – open from 8:00 am till the arrival of the last flight in the early hours of the next morning. Everyone agrees that it has been a profoundly moving and humbling experience to be part of; a practical demonstration of solidarity in a small way with all that the Ukrainian people are suffering.”
The Department of Justice has been the lead agency in the one stop shop building, ably supported by colleagues from the Departments of Social Protection; Agriculture; and Children, and the HSE; Revenue Commissioners; voluntary ambulance services; the International Organisation for Migration; and volunteers from the Ukrainian community in Ireland.
The truly collaborative effort has showcased the best of our public services, our community and voluntary sector and the private sector who have donated thousands of toys, items of clothing, sim cards and phone credit, and other supplies.
Minister McEntee added: “While the ‘one-stop-shop’ facility has now moved its operations to the larger facility in Citywest, our support for people arriving from Ukraine remains. The BMU staff continue to welcome and immigrate new arrivals daily at Dublin Airport.
Other staff from my Department are already onsite in Citywest to ensure that people receive their temporary protection permissions as quickly as possible. This is in addition to staff already operating from Rosslare Europort on sailing days and at the Ukraine Support Centres in Cork Street in Dublin and in Limerick City.
Similar efforts are also underway at all other ports of entry to the State and I want to acknowledge the teams involved in ongoing humanitarian operations there, including the Garda National Immigration Bureau.”
The litter scattered about Liberty Square, in Thurles this evening is, to say the very least, nothing short of being despicable and execrable, all due solely to both the quality and quantity of the litter bins provided, not to mention poor administration.
Contrary to a statement made by Thurles Municipal District Councillors (TMDC) Mr Seamus Hanafin (Cathaoirleach) and Mr Jim Ryan; latter who last weekend falsely accused their electorate of littering Liberty Square in Thurles; this weekend this same area once again remains a litter disaster area, with no effort made to correct the issue, despite knowing 26,000 hurling fans would be visiting Semple Stadium.
Yes, we noted the extra solitary blue domestic litter bin chained to a parking sign. (Not sure who made this latter effort, but we suspect it wasn’t TMDC).
When, staff are out and about tomorrow with their €15 “Grip & Grab Litter Pickers”, maybe someone might bring a spanner in their arse pocket, to correct the direction of three parking signs in the square; all of which point in the wrong direction and two of which relate to now invisible disabled spaces, outside the Ursuline Primary school building.
Perhaps someone might also remind our district administrator that over this weekend two further street lights have begun burning day & night, courtesy of Airtricity. This brings the number of 24 hour burning street lights, in Thurles town centre, to 29 in total, with 25 of these burning for well over three months.
Once again, remind me, “Why are we paying Property Tax?
“Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven”. – Matthew Ch.5:V.16.
Airtricity visited Thurles yesterday; mounting the new Chinese granite walkways with their ‘Cherry Picker’ truck, to change the Liberty Square, streets lighting, just one year exactly to the date (17th May) on which they were first installed.
One had thought that their visit was to deal with the 25 street lights that, for months, remain currently burning, day and night, at the taxpayers expense.
It appears that their reason for visiting was to change the lighting heads on all the Liberty Square light standards. The reason for this extravagance we admit we are not sure, but hopefully it has something to do with reducing wastage.
The new heads of course are greyish white in colour, contrasting considerably with the dark support standards initially installed.
But one thing, we are sure; these installations of new light heads have now added two more street lights to the total number, (27 in all), now burning 24 hours each day, and again, as already stated, paid for at the overburdened taxpayers expense.
Forget elected councillors; one wonders if any of the few businesses now eking out a basic living on Liberty Square, actually have confidence in corresponding with their Municipal District Council Office administrator.
Again, remind me, “Why are we paying Property Tax?
Tánaiste & Minister McEntee Announce Amendments to Duty of Care legislation.
- Occupiers’ duty of care responsibilities must be balanced with personal responsibilities, including those of customers and members of the public.
- Reform proposed to include voluntary assumption of risk, and will deliver upon another key action in the Government’s Action Plan for Insurance Reform.
- Shared determination across Government to remove the impediment that high insurance costs have on our economy and communities.
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, T.D., has received Government approval to reform duty of care legislation, a key insurance reform measure.
The Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment Minister Leo Varadkar T.D, who chairs the Cabinet sub-committee on insurance reform, said it is an important part of the Government’s Action Plan on Insurance Reform. It will amend the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1995 in relation to the duty of care.
The specific proposals around duty of care follow recommendations from a review of current legislation in Ireland and other common law jurisdictions, as well as notable Irish case law, in relation to occupiers’ liability.
An Tánaiste Mr Leo Varadkar said: “This new law is an important part of what we are doing to make insurance more available and less expensive for customers, community groups, clubs and businesses and to give them more choice of insurers. I believe it strikes a new, fairer and more reasonable balance, between the steps an owner or operator of a premises must take to keep their customers and visitors safe, and what individuals themselves can be expected to take responsibility for when entering a business, club or community building for example.”
Announcing her plans for reform, Minister Mrs Helen McEntee said: “I am proposing to amend a number of sections of the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1995, in line with the Government policy objective of restricting the liability of occupiers.
There is a shared determination across Government to remove the impediment that high insurance costs have on our economy and communities – on our community groups, organisers of community events and small businesses.
I believe these proposals strike the right balance between ensuring that businesses, community groups and organisers of events fulfil their duty of care responsibilities, while also acknowledging the importance of personal responsibility on the part of customers and members of the public.
The proposed reform builds on a Review Paper published by my Department in February 2021. The amendments contain four key developments:-
- Inserting into primary law a number of recent court decisions which rebalance the duty of care owed by occupiers to visitors and recreational users.
- Changing the standard to clarify that when the occupier of a property has acted with reckless disregard for a visitor or customer, it is the standard of reckless disregard rather than reasonable grounds which should apply in relation to any consideration of liability.
- Limits to 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.
- Allowing for a broader range of scenarios where it can be shown that a visitor or customer has voluntarily assumed a risk resulting in harm.
The combined effect of these developments is intended to lead to further reductions in insurance premiums, building on the success of the personal injuries guidelines introduced last year. We will now proceed to draft the proposed legislation, which will be placed before the Oireachtas for enactment as part of the Courts and Civil Law (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2022.”
An outline Scheme of the Minister’s proposals for the amendment of the Occupiers’ Liability Act 1995 has been published on the Department’s website HERE.
Here in Co. Tipperary today, we remember two victims of the Dublin bombings; both murdered in the city, forty eight years ago this very day, 17th of May 1974.
In Dublin city three car bombs were detonated without warning, during rush hour.
The first victim, Miss Breda Turner, then aged just 21, was working in the Office of the Revenue Commissioners; the primary State Body responsible for the assessment and collection of taxes and other duties, here in the Republic of Ireland.
Originally from Thurles town in Co. Tipperary, she had moved to Dublin and was engaged to be married on the following Easter. Ms Turner sadly was murdered in the Parnell Street explosion. (See second picture above).
The second victim was Mrs Maureen Shields, aged 46, originally from the village of Hollyford, in Co. Tipperary. Mrs Shields had moved to Dublin, where she had also worked in the Civil Service, until her marriage to husband Leo in 1953. The couple had one son and two daughters.
Mrs Shields, sadly, was murdered in the Talbot Street explosion. (See first picture above).
While the Dublin bombings, in 1974, were the biggest mass murder in the history of the Irish State, no one person has ever been charged with these crimes.
Former Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman, Baroness Nuala O’Loan (Member of House of Lords of the United Kingdom), previously found that Special Branch officers gave the killers immunity and ensured that the murderers were never brought to justice.
It is at this time also that we remember Mr George Bradshaw, a Tipperary victim of the Dublin bombing of December 1st 1972.
Mr Bradshaw, aged just 30 years, was a bus conductor from Fethard, in Co. Tipperary; one of two male victims who died when a car bomb exploded at Sackville Place, Dublin, at approximately 8.15pm on that fateful day. Both victims were bus drivers with CIE and brutally murdered, having just left the nearby CIE Workers’ Club.
Mr Bradshaw had only moved to Dublin less than two years previously. He was married to loving wife Kathleen, a nurse from Belfast city; both were parents to two young children, Lynn and Rory.
This afternoon in a statement by Mrs Helen McEntee (Minister for Justice) she stated, “For the past two years, it was not possible to hold the remembrance ceremony in the way that we may have wished due to Covid restrictions and it will, I am sure, be a relief to many to be able to meet again in person, this year, to remember all those murdered and injured on this day in 1974.
The Government is fully committed to seeking out the truth behind those events and, hopefully, to secure some measure of comfort for the victims’ families and the survivors. The Good Friday Agreement recognised the need for a particular acknowledgement of the position of victims. The Irish Government will not forget our duty to victims and survivors.
Developing and establishing effective ways to address the legacy of the Troubles is a way to meet the legitimate needs and expectations of all those killed and injured in those dark days, including those victims of the Dublin and Monaghan bombings who are at the forefront of our minds today”.
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