Serious questions must be answered about the Government’s decision to exclude the FalconEye enhanced-vision system from Ireland’s new €53 million Dassault Falcon 6X.
Delivered shortly before Christmas 2025, the aircraft replaced the increasingly unreliable Learjet. It is not merely a ministerial transport. The State acquired it as a multi-purpose Strategic Reach Aircraft capable of undertaking long-distance medical evacuations, repatriating Irish citizens and Defence Forces personnel, and supporting operations in hostile or hazardous locations.
Ireland’s new €53 million Dassault Falcon 6X.
While I haven’t been on board myself; inside the cabin fit-out is understood to show cream coloured executive-style seating, polished wood panelling, cabin tables, and sofa-style seating.
Multiple sources have now reported, that the FalconEye Enhanced-Vision System has been omitted because its acquisition would have required the Irish State to enter into an agreement with its Israeli manufacturer, Elbit Systems.
FalconEye uses cameras, infrared sensors and synthetic imagery to give pilots substantially greater situational awareness in darkness, fog and other low-visibility conditions. Dassault says the system can reveal runways, lighting, airport structures and potential obstacles during final approach. An Air Corps pilot has explained that its practical advantage is enabling landings in weather conditions in which aircraft without it may have to divert.
This does not mean the Falcon 6X is unsafe or incapable of operating in poor weather. The Department of Defence insists that there are “no current limits on the operational capability of the aircraft.” Nevertheless, aviation sources say the omission reduces the options available to pilots in difficult conditions. That distinction demands examination, not evasive wording.
Political and ethical procurement policies are legitimate matters for government. But where a decision may affect the capability of an aircraft used for medical evacuation, emergency transport and the rescue of citizens, operational requirements and expert safety advice must be transparent and demonstrably paramount.
The Government should now disclose who authorised the omission, what operational and safety assessments were obtained, what alternatives were considered, and whether the consequences for emergency missions were fully evaluated. It should also explain the apparent inconsistency whereby other recently acquired Air Corps aircraft reportedly contain Israeli-manufactured technology considered integral to their operation.
Claims that this decision breaches EU procurement law should now be examined independently. Any decision regarding the aircraft’s procurement specification, including the reported request to exclude FalconEye, would have arisen within the Department of Defence procurement process during Mr Micheál Martin’s tenure. (Contract dated December 18th 2024). However, we are unable to establish which individual minister or government official personally authorised that particular exclusion.
This is not principally an argument about Israel. It is about responsible procurement, public safety and democratic accountability. On those matters, the Government owes the public clear answers not carefully constructed silence.
McDonald’s Restaurants of Ireland Ltd. has submitted a new planning application for a prominent illuminated sign at its drive-thru development currently under construction in Thurles.
Planning application reference 2660699 seeks permission for a 6.5-metre-high totem sign on the western side of the site at Slievenamon Road and the Thurles Relief Road. The proposed structure would feature the familiar yellow acrylic, internally illuminated McDonald’s “Golden Arches”, together with all associated works required for its installation.
The drive-thru restaurant itself was previously permitted under Tipperary County Council planning reference 2460829, subsequently considered under An Coimisiún Pleanála reference 322465-25. The planning authority granted permission in April 2025, subject to conditions, and the development is now under construction. An Coimisiún Pleanála’s inspector examined issues including traffic, lighting, visual amenity, nearby homes and the site’s relationship with the town centre before recommending approval.
However, one wonders why the applicants now require a separate application for a 6.5-metre Golden Arches totem, perhaps the signage details simply got lost somewhere between ordering the fries and securing permission for the drive-thru.
No doubt residents overlooking the site will be absolutely thrilled to discover that this substantial, internally illuminated Golden Arches sign, has arrived through a fresh planning application; after permission for the restaurant itself had already been secured and construction had begun. How extremely thoughtful of McDonald’s Restaurants of Ireland Ltd to deal with such a visually prominent feature separately.
Local Retailers Note: There could be a major run, in the near future, on Blackout Roller Blinds and Sleep Masks sought by the families overlooking this restaurant site; so stock up.
Whatever one’s view of the restaurant, signage of this height and brightness deserves proper scrutiny, particularly regarding its visibility from nearby homes, its effect on residential amenity and its overall impact on the surrounding streetscape after dark.
International pop star Boy George, whose paternal family has strong connections with Thurles, Co. Tipperary has released a new song titled “We Will Dance Again”.
The Culture Club frontman; born George Alan O’Dowd in England, has spoken warmly about his Irish background. In a 2013 Hot Press interview, he said his father’s relatives were from Thurles, adding that his family visited Ireland regularly during his childhood.
George Alan O’Dowd – Boy George.
His new pop-reggae song was posted to X and Instagram under both its English title and the Hebrew title עוד נרקוד (Od Nirkod). Its central message supports Israel and Jewish communities following the Hamas-led attack of October 7th 2023.
The song refers particularly to the attack on the Nova music festival, where 344 civilians and 34 members of the security services were killed and 44 people were taken hostage. Its title adopts a phrase that became an expression of hope and resilience among Israelis following the massacre.
In the song, Boy George rejects allegations of genocide against Israel, characterises its military campaign as a response to the Hamas attack and declares: “I stand with the Jews.” He also criticises musicians and activists whom he believes have condemned Israel without adequately acknowledging the events of October 7th.
The release has generated sharply divided reactions. Supporters have praised Boy George for confronting antisemitism and remembering the Nova victims, while critics say the song disregards the enormous Palestinian death toll and the findings of UN inquiries concerning Israel’s conduct in Gaza. Israel rejects allegations that it has committed genocide.
Boy George is not Jewish but has frequently spoken about his affinity with Jewish people and his determination to support Jewish friends and communities. He has also said that this support does not mean he lacks compassion for Palestinians or agrees with everything happening in Israel.
For Thurles readers, the release carries an additional local point of interest; one of Britain’s most distinctive pop performers has openly identified the town as part of his extended O’Dowd family story.
More than 600 patients were being treated without a regular hospital bed today Tuesday, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, as the union warned of a “summer trolley crisis”.
The INMO recorded 617 admitted patients on trolleys, chairs or in other inappropriate bed spaces across the country. As usual University Hospital Limerick (UHL) serving North Tipperary, has the highest total, at 130.
This national figure was 189 higher than the 428 patients recorded by the union on August 5th last year 2025; an increase of approximately 44%. INMO general secretary, Ms Phil Ní Sheaghdha, described this situation as “outrageous”, saying patients and staff were bearing the consequences of an avoidable crisis, during one of the hottest summers on record.
At UHL, INMO assistant director Ms Mary Fogarty described the persistent overcrowding as “like Groundhog Day”. She said the hospital’s recently added 96-bed unit had not produced a meaningful improvement and called for an independent examination of unusually high attendances and admission decisions. HSE Mid West has rejected the suggestion that operational performance was the principal problem. It said analysis by HIQA and the ESRI had identified a long-standing mismatch between demand and acute-bed capacity in the region. RTÉ’s report carries the statements from both sides.
Why the HSE recorded only 408 patients The HSE’s official 8:00am report recorded 408 patients on trolleys: 272 in emergency departments and 136 on wards. It separately reported 551 surge-capacity beds in use at 2:00pm. These figures are confirmed in the HSE’s daily urgent and emergency-care report.
The 209-patient difference between the INMO and HSE trolley totals is mainly a question of classification and collection, not evidence that one side made a simple arithmetic error.
Explanation: ► The INMO count is compiled from reports by nurses in participating hospitals. It covers admitted patients who have no ordinary inpatient bed and are being treated on trolleys, chairs, extra beds or in other spaces the union considers inappropriate.
The HSE uses hospitals’ administrative reporting under defined TrolleyGAR categories. It now includes qualifying patients in both emergency departments and wards.
Crucially, the HSE excludes patients placed in designated surge-capacity beds from its headline trolley total and reports that capacity separately. An official parliamentary answer describing the methodology explicitly states that designated surge beds are not included in TrolleyGAR.
The two systems can also classify particular spaces differently. A temporary bed in a day ward or assessment unit may be treated as operational surge capacity by the HSE, but still regarded by the INMO as an inappropriate or inadequately staffed bed setting.
Differences in reporting processes, participating locations and validation can create further hospital-level discrepancies.
The HSE’s 551 surge figure should not simply be added to its trolley total or subtracted from the INMO figure. It was recorded at a different time, covers all occupied surge beds and is a separate measure of temporary capacity rather than a reconciliation table.
The safest presentation is therefore: the INMO counted 617 admitted patients without a regular bed, while the HSE classified 408 as trolley patients and separately reported 551 surge beds in use.
Both datasets indicate severe pressure, but they measure that pressure using different boundaries.
The Irish Government reportedly spent €4.1 million in less than one year on security at a modular housing development for Ukrainian families in Clonmel, County Tipperary.
The figure relates to the development on Heywood Road, Clonmel, where 82 modular homes were constructed under the State’s Rapid Build Housing Programme. Designed for four residents per unit, the complex can accommodate approximately 328 people who fled the war in Ukraine.
€4.1 million security bill to protect 82 Tipperary homes.
At first glance, a €4.1 million security bill for 82 homes is extraordinary. However, it is important to understand why extensive security was introduced. In May 2024, while the site was being developed, security workers were assaulted and several vehicles were set on fire. One worker required hospital treatment. Gardaí launched an investigation and appealed for witnesses and video footage.
The security concerns did not disappear when construction finished. After Ukrainian families began moving into the homes in July 2025, residents reported broken windows and fences, stones being thrown, bicycles and scooters being stolen, and children being threatened or deliberately provoked.
Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan subsequently said he feared some of the violence was being orchestrated for broader political purposes. Residents told journalists that they simply wanted to feel safe.
Nevertheless, the scale of the expenditure demands a detailed explanation. Spread over 11 months, €4.1 million would equal approximately €373,000 per month, €12,250 per day or €50,000 for each modular home. These are illustrative calculations because the exact payment period has not yet been publicly confirmed.
Several important questions therefore remain unanswered. How many guards were employed? Was security provided around the clock? Which company received the contract? Was it awarded through a competitive tender? Did the €4.1 million cover only security personnel, or did it also include fencing, CCTV, lighting, vehicles, VAT and other protective measures? It should also be made clear that the money was not paid to the Ukrainian residents. It was Government expenditure on protecting a State-supported construction project, its workers and the families eventually accommodated there.
The attacks provide a genuine explanation for enhanced security, but they do not remove the requirement for financial accountability. The Government should now publish the full contract, the dates covered, the procurement process and an itemised breakdown of the €4.1 million.
Protecting vulnerable families is necessary. Explaining how €4.1 million of public money was spent is equally necessary.
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