FACEBOOK looked for advice on how to deal with U.S. pages targeting Irish voters in the run-up to the repeal referendum only to find there was no “definitive answer” on what could be done.
Author: Ken Foxe
2 out of 5 state-funded childcare services fail to be compliant
MORE than two out of every five childcare services being funded by the state were found to be majorly non-compliant with requirements, a damning report has found.
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Luxury rugs, cars and a juicer rental: How the DFA spent taxpayer’s money in 2017
TWO rugs together costing over €6,200, a €5,000 contribution towards sculpting a bust of a former diplomat, renting a juicer for Prince Charles, and €32,500 for a luxury car were just some of the ways the Department of Foreign Affairs spent taxpayer’s money last year.
Continue reading “Luxury rugs, cars and a juicer rental: How the DFA spent taxpayer’s money in 2017”
FOI Decision: Disclosure of Dail Bar debtors denied
The Information Commissioner has denied an application to release information on the identities of former members of the Oireachtas who had Dáil bar/restaurant bills written off.
Continue reading “FOI Decision: Disclosure of Dail Bar debtors denied”
Politicians trip to Hong Kong and China cost €27,000
MORE than €27,000 was spent sending five politicians and three officials on a week-long trip to China and Hong Kong.
The entire delegation flew business class at a cost of at least €2,712 each and stayed in a string of five-star hotels, most of which were generously paid for by their Chinese hosts.
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Dublin City Council’s ‘Up the Dubs’ banner in breach of its own guidelines
A CONTROVERSIAL banner that adorned the Ha’penny Bridge has been put into permanent storage after Dublin City Council found it was in breach of its own planning guidelines. Continue reading “Dublin City Council’s ‘Up the Dubs’ banner in breach of its own guidelines”
Crackdown on unlicensed drivers will lead to driving test shortages
A CRACKDOWN on learner drivers could leave waiting times for driving tests of up to 68 weeks unless extra staff were hired, an internal briefing report warned the Department of Transport.
The Road Safety Authority (RSA) said plans to fine and jail motorists who give their vehicles to unaccompanied learner drivers might lead to 150,000 extra driving tests.
In a “surge planning” report, they said they anticipated a huge spike in applications that could last for between a year and eighteen months.
They also warned there could be an upsurge in failure rates with some drivers attempting their test after years without having taken lessons.
According to internal documents, there were just over 247,000 people holding provisional licences and already waiting times for a test were running at 20 to 26 weeks at some centres.
The RSA had predicted what the changes might mean given a low, medium, or high volume of new applications for a driving test.
In their “high” scenario, 118,947 people would come looking for a test while another 29,737 people would fail and need another test.
That would leave them needing 148,684 additional tests, which would lead to average waiting times of 68 weeks without any intervention.
Read the full Report below
Eoghan Murphy signed-off on full pension for ex-boss of Irish Water
THE government signed off on a €473,000 pension deal for the ex-boss of Irish Water only after consulting with the Attorney General.
Documents released under FOI have revealed how Irish Water also had to pay for external legal advice over arrangements for their former managing director to retire on full pension at age 57 and with a €100,000 severance payment.
Speaking notes prepared for Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy explained that the retirement deal could not be sanctioned without sign-off from him and two other ministers.
A list of “redline issues” was prepared for Mr Murphy included an explanation of how the retirement package meant an internal pension scheme had to be amended and a new severance gratuity scheme created.
Mr Murphy was told to prepare for opposition comment suggesting he would be asked about the “extraordinary high costs involved in the establishment of Irish Water”.
The speaking notes said that the department should also be prepared for questions on whether the state would be “vulnerable to any potential legal challenges”.
The Department of Housing and Department of Public Expenditure had on several occasions refused to release documents relating to Mr Tierney’s pension.
Read the documents below.
Irish Water refund fears cost the government €70 million
By Ken Foxe
THE government took a €70 million hit on water charges because they feared legal issues over trying to recoup the water conservation grant.
The €100 grant had been paid to householders on a universal basis and many who claimed it never actually paid any water charges.
A briefing note prepared for the Department of Housing shows how three options were given on how to refund households that had paid their water bills.
The document was only released after nearly year-long battle with the Department during which they repeatedly refused to make it public.
The then minister Simon Coveney was told the cheapest option would be to refund customers while taking account of payment of the €100 conservation grant.
That would have cost €100 million for the refunds and an estimated €9 to €11 million in administrative costs in sifting out who was owed what.
The document was only made public after almost a year of effort to have it released under either FOI or EU regulations covering access to information on the environment.
Its release had been the subject of a review by the Office of the Commissioner for Environmental Information since last November.
However, the Department decided they would release it without being forced to saying they “no longer [had] any reason to withhold the note”.
Read the document below.
Government warned Sugar Tax could hit low income families hardest, documents reveal
FINANCE minister Paschal Donohoe was warned that revenue from the introduction of a sugar tax would be unreliable and that the impact of its introduction would hit low income families hardest.
He was also told the tax could potentially be “subject to litigation” if it failed EU state aid rules and could cause administrative problems for Revenue in collecting it.
The new levy was subsequently approved by the EU Commission last month who said it did not involve state aid; it was then formally introduced on May 1.
Minister Donohoe was firmly behind plans for the tax, saying the only thing that stood in its way was if the same type of levy was not introduced in Britain and Northern Ireland.
In a note to civil servants, he said: “Yes we will do this … at a rate similar to the UK. Only thing that will stop this is it not happening in UK/NI. Please move ahead with it.”
His comments are contained in a ministerial submission on the sugar tax prepared ahead of Budget 2018. It has only been released now however following an FOI request.