Latest news with #JamesConnollyCommemoration
Irish Examiner
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
O'Gorman: Government 'kicking the down the road' with Occupied Territories Bill
The Government is using claims of legal issues with banning services from illegal Israeli settlements to delay the passing of the Occupied Territories Bill, Roderic O'Gorman has said. The Green Party leader said the distinction which is being raised by the Government between products and services is a new issue that "has been brought in subsequent to the general election". The attempt to create a distinction between goods and services is concerning, Mr O'Gorman said. The Government are seeking to kick the can down the road after having made extensive promises about passing the bill during the election campaign, he said. "The Attorney General provided, last July, a very detailed assessment of Senator Frances Black's bill, raised some issues — some legitimate issues that can be addressed by amendments — there was no reference to an issue around services in his very detailed legal advice," Mr O'Gorman told RTÉ One's The Week in Politics. There is no disagreement that amendments need to be made to the bill, he said, but there is no reason why the bill cannot be passed ahead of the Dáil summer recess "if there was the will". At a time when the world has been put on notice that Israel intends to ethnically cleanse Gaza, Ireland has the opportunity to act, Mr O'Gorman said but instead the Government has only said it would publish a draft of the bill before the summer break, not pass it. The passing of the bill would reverberate internationally, the Dublin TD said, and it would mark a significant change in approach. Speaking on the same programme, Sinn Féin TD John Brady called on the Government to publish the Attorney General's advice to allow people to see for themselves whether or not there was a legal issue raised in terms of banning services from the occupied territories. Speaking at the annual James Connolly Commemoration at Arbour Hill on Sunday, Labour leader Ivana Bacik said there is going to be a concerted attempt across the opposition parties to push the Government "even harder" to pass it as soon as possible. Ms Bacik said she would like to see the bill passed before the autumn saying "we have waited long enough". "The outgoing Government last year and indeed, Simon Harris, seemed to commit himself to passage of the bill so we will be pressing to have some further progress before the summer," she said.
Irish Examiner
11-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Further delays and 'drastic cost overruns' to Dublin Metrolink not acceptable, says Bacik
Suggestions of "drastic cost overruns and further delays" to Dublin's Metrolink are unacceptable, Ivana Bacik has said. The Labour leader said her party is committed to the rollout of the project as a vitally important piece of public infrastructure for the city, but said it is conscious of the costs and delays to date. Ms Bacik said she will be seeking more clarity and information from the Government regarding suggestions made by Sean Sweeney, who is leading the project, that the metro could go up to 40% over budget and miss the current 2025 deadline. Mr Sweeney made the comments in an interview with the Business Post which Ms Bacik said left her very concerned. "We have seen enormous cost overruns and delays, we are all very conscious of that and on other big public infrastructure projects," she said, citing the Children's Hospital as a prominent example. "But, for Labour, we also do defend where we have seen public infrastructure built on time and within budget." Speaking at the annual James Connolly Commemoration at Arbour Hill in Dublin, Labour TD Marie Sherlock said there needs to be concrete assurances that the property owners protection scheme is extended to those impacted by the project. I am thinking of all those homeowners who do not have foundations under their houses, whose houses were built in the 1800s and saying 'are we going to have a home at the end of this?' That is going to be critical now in terms of providing those assurances to homeowners," said Ms Sherlock. The Metrolink has led to some criticism of the planning process, but Ms Sherlock said care must be taken not to lay the blame entirely at the feet of those who put forward objections. "We were at the oral hearing last year, Transport Infrastructure Ireland themselves did not get their plans fully right and have had to extend the planning system," she said, saying that those putting forward the proposal must also ensure that they are adequately prepared. Dublin Fingal East TD Duncan Smith said that he is deeply frustrated and angered by the years of delays calling for the project to be given "a proper impetus" adding that if "that means another look at the planning system" he would be in favour of that.
