Oct 27
From Marian Finucane on RTE Radio One last Saturday, Fergal Keane: Maybe referendums just aren’t that much fun.
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Oct 23
The family of the late Superintendent Bob Buchanan, acknowledges that the Tribunal of Inquiry, chaired by Judge Peter Smithwick in Dublin, is endeavouring to obtain the truth in relation to the events of 20th March 1989 and the possible collusion by members of An Garda Siochana and members of the Provisional Irish Republican Army. However, …
Oct 23
Last night, thejournal.ie won the Best Online Only Publication at the Irish Web Awards. Congratulations. The award led to some reaction online, with journalist Philip Nolan observing: “So, let me get this straight. Traditional media spends millions on journalism but if you aggregate that content, you get an #iwa award.” This in turn prompted debate …
Oct 19
The schedule at the Smithwick tribunal is predictable; two hours of evidence from 11am to 1pm, and two more from 2pm to 4pm. Today, the schedule was out of kilter. The morning witness finished early, so the tribunal broke for lunch at 12.30pm. That meant they were returned 30 minutes early at 1.30pm. The first …
Oct 18
While I wait for Sinn Féin TDs and senators to get back to me, and consider my response to SIPO’s recent communications, a little something to tide you over if you’ve been following the “average wage” saga. Here’s a Sinn Féin press release about MPs’ expenses: “Sinn Féin MPs, like all party members who are …
Oct 15
A chara, I am a freelance journalist, and recently I’ve been spending some time looking at the practice of Sinn Féin TDs and Senators where they “draw down” an average industrial wage, and the balance (less taxes) is spent on constituency services, which I understand to mean constituency office workers, based on my inquiries to …
Oct 14
During the lengthy wait between my first questions to Sinn Féin about the average wage and their reply, I wrote to SIPO. I asked the Standards Commission to look into inconsistencies between Sinn Féin statements and reporting requirements. “If a TD decides to spend part or all of his/her salary on the provision of constituency …
Oct 12
On 7 June 2011, the Smithwick tribunal outlined 214 witnesses they planned to call to give evidence: 107 serving and former gardaí, 42 serving and former RUC/PSNI officers, and 65 civilians. Meanwhile, an exchange of letters between tribunal chairman Peter Smithwick and justice minister Alan Shatter was published. In brief, Shatter wanted the tribunal to …
Oct 07
On Monday 18 September, I addressed some questions to Sinn Féin about their “average industrial wage” claims, and the amounts their TDs donated to their party. In the three weeks since then, I’ve posted several times on the issue, and Sinn Féin’s compliance with SIPO regulations. This evening, I received the reply below from the …
Oct 05
Martin McGuinness published bank statements today, showing he only takes £1605 from Sinn Féin each month. The accounts give some fascinating insights into his shopping behaviour. Who knew the deputy first minister was such a fan of Asda? And while his fondness for TK Maxx might be understandable, it’s difficult to picture him browsing through …
