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RTÉ News
5 days ago
- General
- RTÉ News
Native American nations gift handwoven rug for 'kindness' during pandemic
Two Native American nations have gifted a handwoven rug to the people of Ireland to recognise the "kindness" shown to them during the Covid-19 pandemic. They presented Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy with the rug at Leinster House earlier "as a symbol of gratitude and friendship". In 2020, the death toll from the Covid-19 pandemic was particularly acute in the Navajo Nation and the Hopi Nation which include parts of Arizona, Utah and New Mexico. People living in Ireland donated at least $3 million to an online fundraiser launched by the nations. The relief fund was established at the height of the pandemic to help community members access food, PPE and safely shelter at home. It became one of the top GoFundMe fundraisers of 2020 and raised US$18m, with the list of donors dominated by Irish surnames. Many Irish people said they were donating in remembrance of Native American aid to Ireland during the Great Famine, where the Choctaw tribe raised $170 in famine relief for Ireland. The rug depicts the Kindred Spirits sculpture that was commissioned by Cork County Council to commemorate the Choctaw donation. Deputy Murphy said it was a "great honour to accept this wonderful piece of art on behalf of the Houses of the Oireachtas and the Irish people". "It's a tangible reminder that empathy with another's plight can cross a vast ocean and that even small acts of kindness can make a lasting impact," she said. A member of the Navajo Nation, Ethel Branch said: "The solidarity and compassion extended to the Navajo and Hopi nations, inspired by the historic gift of the Choctaw Nation to Ireland during the Great Famine, has left an indelible mark on our communities."
Irish Post
10-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Post
Statue of Daniel O'Connell will be unveiled to mark his 250th birthday
A STATUE of the Irish nationalist leader Daniel O'Connell will be unveiled in Dublin's Leinster House this year. The sculpture is being gifted by the Bank of Ireland to the Houses of the Oireachtas to mark 250 years since the birth of the Irish leader, who became known as 'the liberator'. Born near Cahersiveen in Co. Kerry on August 6, 1775, O'Connell went on to become one of the most important figures in Ireland's history, having led the movement for Catholic emancipation. His successful campaign brought about the Catholic Emancipation Act of 1829, which granted political and civil rights to Catholics in Ireland and in Britain. Daniel O'Connell (Pic: Wikimedia Commons) In 1841 O'Connell was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin, marking the first time a Catholic had held the position since 1688. The statue, which is currently located in Bank of Ireland's College Green branch, will be moved to the Leinster House building for unveiling later this year. The donation is among a programme of events which have been announced to mark 250 years since O'Connell's birth. Ireland's Minister for Culture, Communications and Sport, Patrick O'Donovan revealed the Government's Daniel O'Connell Commemorative Programme today. 'Daniel O'Connell was one of the most important figures in Irish political history, not just for what he achieved, but for how he achieved it,' he said. 'He believed in peaceful reform, in democracy, and in civil rights; ideas and concepts to which we should still aspire today.' He added: 'Through this Programme we hope to highlight and celebrate Daniel O'Connell - the man and his political achievements. 'We aim to remind us all of both his lasting legacy at home and his significant international impact as a champion for civil rights across the globe.' The programme covers four commemorative pillars - historical exploration, artistic and creative response, community-led commemoration and State Ceremonial, Minister O'Donovan's department confirmed today. A state-led commemorative event will take place at O'Connell's former home Derrynane House, which is now a listed property, on August 6, in line with his birthday. 'This will be a combination State-led and cultural commemorative event,' the department confirmed. 'The event which will have a strong community element will serve as a symbolic act of national remembrance,' they added. The event will be broadcast live on the RTÉ News Channel and will be made available worldwide for live and catchup, on the RTÉ Player. Later this month An Post will launch two Daniel O'Connell commemorative stamps. The stamps, by artist David Rooney will launch on Thursday, July 31. Events will also take place worldwide, marking O'Connell's impact across the globe, via the government's network of Irish Embassies. In London, Irish Ambassador to Britain Martin Fraser will host a celebration at the Reform Club, of which O'Connell was a former member. The event is due to take place in September. Further events will be scheduled at historic sites closely associated with O'Connell in the likes of Rome, Paris and the US, Minister O'Donovan confirmed today. See More: Birthday, Commemoration, Daniel O'Connell, Ireland, Irish
The Journal
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Dublin is getting another statue of Daniel O'Connell to mark the 250th anniversary of his birth
LEINSTER HOUSE IS to unveil a statue of Daniel O'Connell later this year as planning kicks off for commemorations for the 250th anniversary of the former Irish political leader's birth. The statue is to be donated by Bank of Ireland, which offered the statue to the Houses of the Oireachtas for public display in 2023, to mark the bank's 240th anniversary. The statue was transferred earlier this year. The statue was created by Andrew O'Connor. O'Connor was an American-born sculptor who was born in Massachusetts in 1874. He died in Dublin in 1941 at the age of 67 and is buried in Glasnevin cemetery. Advertisement Among other works, Andrew O'Connor is better known on this side of the Atlantic as the creator of the tripartite sculpture of Christ the King. The sculpture was hidden in Paris throughout WWII to avoid being melted down, and was transported to Dún Laoghaire in 1949. It has recently been restored and now stands on a promontory adjoining the dlr LexIcon library. O'Connor presented 26 of his later works to the Hugh Lane Gallery in Dublin. The statue of O'Connell, whose name now marks Dublin's main thoroughfare, was created by O'Connor in 1932. Daniel O'Connell, hailed in his time as 'The Liberator', was born in August 1775. The Kerry man was elected Lord Mayor of Dublin after securing the passage of the Catholic Emancipation Act in 1829. The Act meant that Irish Catholics could become members of parliament. Daniel O'Connell is buried in Glasnevin cemetery, where his sculptor later rested. The unveiling of the statue is one of many forms of commemoration planned to mark 250 years since the birth of O'Connell. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Independent
04-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Wicklow-Wexford chair of AI committee wants it to ‘lead public debate' on new tech
Chair of the new Oireachtas committee on artificial intelligence (AI), Deputy Malcolm Byrne, has said the committee aims to 'lead public debate' on the merits of the new technology and that it will explore the necessary 'guardrails' to ensure its safe use in the healthcare, education and energy sectors. Led by Wicklow-Wexford TD Malcolm Byrne, the AI committee – like other Oireachtas committees – will advise the Houses of the Oireachtas, receive submissions and presentations from members of the public, interest groups and government departments, while scrutinising government expenditure and debating proposed legislation. Encouraging individuals and interested organisations to submit views on issues they would like to see investigated, Deputy Byrne said the groundbreaking technology could make the delivery of public services more efficient, improve healthcare outcomes and 'speed up many of the mundane tasks in many jobs', but cautioned there will be challenges, and 'guardrails must be in place to ensure AI is designed and used safely'. 'The first public meeting of the committee took place last week, and the 14-member body will be examining issues in modular form from the autumn, looking at themes such as AI and healthcare, AI and education and AI and Energy,' the Fianna Fáil deputy said. 'I was honoured to be asked to Chair this Committee as how technology affects our lives really interests me, and I had been pushing to get such a committee established during the last Oireachtas 'There are a number of organisations and companies in Wicklow and Wexford already using AI in their processes, and it will soon be essential that everyone has some knowledge of this new tech.'
The Journal
15-05-2025
- Business
- The Journal
No value for money assessment conducted on bike shelter project, long-awaited audit finds
A LONG-AWAITED internal audit on the €336,000 Leinster House bike shed has found that no value for money assessment was ever conducted in advance of the works. The report, which has been published by the OPW this afternoon, found the costs of the OPW project had never been communicated to the Houses of the Oireachtas and that there was a lack of clear guidelines for oversight of projects worth less than €500,000. The report, which was carried out by Deloitte, made three high priority findings and said there was an 'absence of some fundamental good practices' for projects like the controversial bike shed. It said a value for money assessment should have been conducted as part of a 'robust options appraisal process.' The internal audit said this would have included looking more closely at 'lower cost alternatives' as well as the possibility of 'doing nothing.' It said: 'Approval to proceed with the project should only have been formalised when these evaluations were complete.' The audit also found there was no proper governance structure in place for projects that had a value of less than half a million Euro. 'The OPW cannot demonstrate how value for money was considered across all aspects of the decision to proceed with the delivery of the covered bike shelter project,' the report states. The report also found that management at Leinster House had not been given any information on how much the project would cost until it was completed. The audit went on to state that the June 2021 decision to proceed with the bike shed project was made without presentation or discussion of project costs. 'The HOC [Houses of the Oireachtas Commission] did not request cost information and the OPW did not present cost information,' it added. Advertisement The HOC is the governing body which oversees the delivery of services, with some members of the Oireachtas sitting on the commission. The auditors said when this happened there was a higher risk of poor value for money and 'an increased risk of mismatch in expectations on delivery versus cost of delivery.' The audit also found that while the Office of Public Works had a programme management plan in place, it was 'not necessarily easy to navigate' especially for smaller projects like the bicycle shelter. It said: 'Where there is a lack of oversight of projects there is a risk that these projects may not represent value for money or may not deliver to exact requirements in an efficient and effective manner.' There was a finding made as well that some of the paperwork for the project had not been signed or dated properly. In its findings, the internal auditors said there should be 'sample-based spot checks' made to ensure compliance. The report found more generally that the OPW's internal auditors were not always provided timely updates or information by colleagues. It said: 'Where the [head of internal audit] is not at an equivalent level to the senior management team, there is a risk of lack of engagement from management. '[There is also] a risk that the ARC [Audit and Risk Committee] is not receiving the appropriate assurance as to the effectiveness of the control environment within the OPW.' The report was released by the OPW following an appeal made under Freedom of Information laws. The OPW later published the report in full on its website. In a statement issued today, the OPW said it accepted the audit report's findings stating that the future focused recommendations made in the report around control measures will enhance capital expenditure practices across the OPW, with a specific focus on projects costing €500,000 or below. The OPW said the report will provide 'a focus for continuing to strengthen ways of working across the OPW' and it will 'provide a platform from which control improvements can be made for capital projects into the future'. With reporting by Christina Finn Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
