Latest news with #MicheálCarrigy
Sunday World
5 days ago
- Sunday World
Female garda has lucky escape as man ‘pulls knife' on officers
The man, who is originally from Dublin, was later charged in connection to the incident and appeared at a special court sitting in Longford the following day. A female garda had a lucky escape when she was 'shouldered to the ground' and assaulted in a midlands village after a man officers had been searching for in connection to a criminal damage investigation 'pulled a knife' on gardaí. The man, who is in his mid 40s, had been wanted by detectives over damage that had been caused to a car in the Market Square area of Longford town last Friday (June 20). Those investigations had resulted in the speedy identification of the suspect. Garda stock image. News in 90 Seconds - June 28th When officers called to the property in Ballinalee the following day, a struggle broke out as gardaí attempted to execute the man's arrest. It was during those attempts that a female and well-respected garda was allegedly assaulted. 'He was later identified and on the Saturday they went to arrest him,' a source told the Irish Independent. 'He pulled a knife on the gardai (and) was arrested.' Sources have confirmed the well-regarded officer was shouldered, causing her to fall to the ground where she is believed to have also sustained one or possibly more kicks into the body. It's understood the knife involved was a 12 inch carving knife, which sources say was produced inside the property and not outside when the man was ultimately led away by arresting gardaí. "He produced the knife and closed the door on them (officers) who managed to then handcuff and arrest him. While the knife was produced, the man didn't attack the two officers with it.' The man, who is originally from Dublin, was later charged in connection to the incident and appeared at a special court sitting in Longford the following day. The Irish Independent understands the young officer did not sustain any serious injuries and has remained on active frontline duty since. He was subsequently refused bail and remanded in custody ahead of a further, scheduled court appearance on July 8. Details surrounding the incident comes amid a heightened and renewed spotlight on the dangers facing rank and file gardaí. Earlier this week, a garda suffered significant wounds to his fingers when he was stabbed in the hand after officers responded to a break-in at a pub in Blanchardstown on Wednesday evening. That incident, together with its Longford equivalent has led to calls for greater resources to be deployed in order to assist already over-stretched gardaí on a daily basis. "It's down to numbers and manpower, this is what it's about,' said Roscommon-Longford Garda Representative Association representative Keith Maher. 'There's not enough members and that's compromsing safety and you have to do the same amount (of work) with less people.' Longford-Westmeath Fine Gael TD Micheál Carrigy, meanwhile, described the latest episodes involving assaults on gardaí as 'totally unacceptable' and ones which required a strong hand from the judiciary. 'Gardaí do an excellent job and anything like this is totally unacceptable,' he said. "The strongest rigours of the law needs to be thrown at anyone in any attempts to assault gardaí carrying out their duty on behalf of citizens.'
RTÉ News
25-06-2025
- Business
- RTÉ News
Postmasters warn of closure of 40% of post offices without increased funding
Postmasters have warned that 40% of post offices could close unless Government funding for the network is increased. The Irish Postmasters Union (IPU) is calling for a 50% increase in state funding to €15 million per year over five years to secure the network. Currently, the network receives €10 million annually but the Irish Postmasters Union says this is not adequate. The IPU's general secretary Sandra Tormey told the Oireachtas Communications Committee that 108 postmasters are earning less than the minimum wage when costs are taken out. She said a poll of members revealed the scale of the problem. "If the Government funding stays the same at €10 million, 40% will have to close. We've had to absorb 30% minimum wage increases and 15% inflation. "We cannot increase our prices to make our businesses viable. We cannot avail of any supports that Government gives because we are deemed services and not retailers." She said that if funding was increased to €15 million, 70% of members could envisage a viable future. The Union says that this funding would help expand access to in-person public services and support identity verification and fraud prevention for departments and agencies. Fine Gael Micheál Carrigy said his family post office in Ballinalee in Co Longford would close if funding was not increased. "I would be one of the 40% who would go if funding wasn't in place, the ten million has worked. As a postmaster, we need that €15 million, not just me, but hundreds of other offices and communities across the country." An Post chief executive David McRedmond said the semi-state was the conduit between the IPU and the Government but he added that it supported the IPU getting an increase in funding. He pointed to a 32% decline in transactions since 2019.
Irish Independent
05-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
Carrigy says N4 upgrade must be delivered over the next decade as Longford's economic renaissance gathers pace
That's the view of Longford based Fine Gael TD Micheál Carrigy as hopes continue to grow surrounding the financial well-being of his native county. Those aspirations were given a sizable boost last week when secondary school meal provider Food Village announced the creation of 200 jobs with the opening of a state-of-the-art food service site at the town's Mastertech Business Park. That announcement followed hot on the heels of confirmation some two weeks earlier from IDA bosses over how it was closing in on plans to develop a purpose built factory aimed at enticing a large-scale multinational giant to the town. Details surrounding both those breakthroughs have, according to Mr Carrigy, underlined the importance of advancing one of the region's most critical infrastructural assets. 'It is a key piece of infrastructure for the economic development of our county into the future for the next generation, that we have that direct access to our capital city and airport and that we shorten journey times between the capital and Longford,' he told the Irish Independent. 'There is great people in Longford, it's a great county and we have a great town.' Hopes surrounding the carriageway's long-awaited upgrade were given a welcome tonic in February when a preferred route was selected following years of funding issues and long-standing delays. Mr Carrigy said it was imperative the long-awaited project was delivered over the next decade in order to foster and further strengthen the county's upward economic trajectory. 'We have brilliant business people here who have and are putting in long hours to build up their companies and contracts with other companies that are operating at the highest level,' he added. 'That's why other, larger multinationals have looked at other businesses we have here as we have a very good, skilled workforce and we want to make sure we have the necessary infrastructure in place to continue to attract investment into our county which makes it is so important the N4 project is delivered over the next 10 years.'
Extra.ie
03-06-2025
- Politics
- Extra.ie
‘Social media firms should face Oireachtas over spread of lies and fear' says TD
Social media companies should 'most definitely' be brought before the Oireachtas Media Committee to discuss how they deal with disinformation on foot of claims made online in the wake of the shooting in Carlow over the weekend, a TD has said. When the incident became public, some far-right actors pushed false information that the incident was carried out by a foreign national. Some social media users described the incident as a mass shooting with multiple victims wounded. However, the gardaí moved quickly to clarify that the shooter was Evan Fitzgerald, 22, of Portrushen, Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow, who was a white Irish male. The clarification of his ethnicity was made in a bid to stop disinformation from spreading about the identity of the shooter. Emergency services near the scene at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire Gardaí confirmed Fitzgerald was alone when he walked through the shopping centre and discharged the firearm into the air a number of times. Fitzgerald ultimately died from a self-inflicted gunshot. Some web users claimed Ireland may have a civil war 'very soon' on the foot of the incident, with others talking about a 'cover-up' of the incident. Other accounts suggested the shooter was 'not white' and 'probably' an illegal immigrant. None of these allegations was true. Micheál Carrigy, a Fine Gael TD who sits on the Oireachtas Media Committee, said: 'They [social media firms] should be quicker in taking down this information that's on the platforms. Other platforms are being used to spread disinformation and spread disquiet and untruths.' The deputy said this is 'something that can't be done through mainstream media because you have to publish what is correct', adding: 'Their platforms are being used to spread fear in communities and false information. Senator Micheál Carrigy. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos 'So they need to be quicker in taking down what has been identified as incorrect information and spreading hatred within communities.' He said he would 'most definitely' like to see companies such as X, Meta and TikTok back in front of an Oireachtas committee soon to discuss the matter. Mr Carrigy added: 'There's people out there using those platforms to promote their racist views. 'As I said, spreading something that's factually incorrect, I think they need to have stronger measures or stronger controls on where people are found to be using platforms or accounts [improperly]. They should be banned, or their accounts should be shut down and closed down and banned. They have to have stricter and tighter controls with regard to the accounts that are being hosted on their platforms.' No one was injured by the shots discharged on Sunday. However, one young girl suffered a 'minor leg injury' when she fell while running from the scene.. In a transparency report issued last year, social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, stated that it had suspended over four million accounts for a variety of breaches of its service and had removed more than ten million posts. However, since Elon Musk took over the platform, it has become much more robust in defending free speech rather than moderating its content.
Irish Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
RTÉ execs return for another grilling at the media committee barbecue – but where's the beef?
The members of the freshly formed Oireachtas media committee must have been exhausted after their speed-grilling of RTÉ's 'leadership team' during a frenetic Q & A session in the bowels of Leinster House. As for their barbecue meat of choice, the witnesses were only slightly seared compared to the long hours of intensive basting they endured from two separate committees two years ago at the glorious height of the Tubsgate and flip-flop fiasco hearings. New chairman, Labour's Alan Kelly, still sounds traumatised. He was on the Public Accounts Committee at the time. 'I lost days of my life in this room a couple of years ago,' he shuddered on Wednesday, before bravely wading back into the Montrose murk. 'I lost days of my life here.' READ MORE Two more survivors turned up for duty – former senators Malcolm Byrne (FF) and Micheál Carrigy (FG) are back on the media committee, but as TDs this time. The high attrition rate was not lost on one post-election deputy observing the line-up for RTÉ v Leinster House: the rematch. 'More RTÉ executives than politicians survived.' Committee meetings can very dull, under-attended affairs, particularly when the issue under scrutiny isn't headline-friendly. Members just nip in and ask their question for the TikTok before scuttling out. This one was very well attended, on all sides. 'There's enough people here to fill a hurling team, in fairness,' remarked Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow-Kilkenny Peter 'Chap' Cleere, telling the DG it was good to see such a fine turnout. 'So fair play for that.' The chair was pleased to note that all of the committee members were present for duty. In a commendable display of time and people management, Alan and his colleagues managed to get in three rounds of rapid-fire questions in a 2½-hour slot in Committee Room Three. This gave Senator Rónán Mullen a chance to get all his misgivings about the national broadcaster off his chest with persistent questioning about RTÉ 'groupthink' and the feeling many people have that the national broadcaster does not reflect the perspectives of 'a silenced significant minority in this country'. Some people believe there is 'a strong systemic bias in favour of so-called progressive points of view'. Whatever about audience research, do RTÉ ever do any 'staff research' to ascertain if 'too many people think the same way about certain things in your organisation'? Kevin Bakhurst was rather taken aback by this. 'I think that would be a little bit North Korean.' But that didn't stop Rónán, who came back later to suggest an 'audit' of staff to find out if there is 'an excessive' sameness of opinion. 'I'm not going to ask people in RTÉ what their religious or political views are,' replied the DG. 'I didn't mention religious,' shot back Rónán. Perish the thought. 'You could do an audit and you could do it confidentially.' The DG repeated that RTÉ is 'not a North Korean broadcaster'. Wouldn't that be brilliant, though. Professional journalists and management heads hauled into a Donnybrook star chamber so an expert in Dublin 4 wokery could hit them with Mattie McGrath's historic demand from 2023. He shouted it at deputy DG Adrian Lynch at the height of the flip-flop/Tubsgate interrogations. 'Who are ya lyal to?' 'Who am I lying to?' 'No. Who are ya lyal to. Lyal.' 'Oh, loyal. Loyal, loyal, loyal.' Indeed. Now Galwegian Rónán Mullen wants a Spanish Arch Inquisition. Who are those left-wingers in Montrose loyal to? [ RTÉ confirms €3.6m write down on partly abandoned IT project Opens in new window ] Meanwhile, supersleuth Kelly wanted to know if the organisation shared its statements with the Government's Department of Media before appearing. These statements had important detail on who knew what and when about the write-down of more than €3.5 million on an IT system which didn't come up to scratch. This embarrassing loss was politely referred to as 'the impairment' by the witnesses. After much muttering and stuttering all round, it seems that they did share statements. But the committee was told this is not uncommon. Anyway, Alan asked if anybody knew about this huge loss – way more than the Toy Show The Musical flop or a well-known presenter's emoluments set them back – 'when we were sitting here and talking about Ryan Tubridy'. Well, they were and they weren't. An unexpected bonus for the committee popped up last week when reports surfaced about newsroom ructions over a short promotional video currently being shot to showcase RTÉ's excellent newsgathering operation. 'I've never had so many phone calls about an issue, to be honest,' said the committee chairman. Most of them, one assumes, from those many staffers in the newsroom who are not apparently 'livid' over this promo, as their observant leadership team continues to insist. [ Dismay among RTÉ staffers as broadcaster hires actors to play journalists in 'make-believe' ad campaign Opens in new window ] Nothing to see here, stressed newsroom boss Deirdre McCarthy, deferring to the Marketing side for further explanation. Kevin Bakhurst is 'very irritated' by the ongoing coverage. Lookit. There were 'only two plants' brought in to take the bare look off the newsroom and he would expect 'our highly professional promotions team' to do a great job putting the promo together. He thinks it will cost less than €100,000. Those hacks in Montrose must be hallucinating when they talk of seeing way more than two plants in their run-down newsroom where normally ne'er a bit of greenery is to be seen. As for sending a crew to Brussels to film a segment with distinguished Europe reporter Tony Connelly, the two witnesses who might have been expected to say how many went couldn't remember off the top of their heads. A question from Chap Cleere on the hiring of 'diverse extras' for the advert got a fuzzy response. It's all a storm in a teacup, insist the Montrose leadership class. Coming in at under €100k is a good result, apparently. Imagine what the cost could have been if RTÉ didn't have a long-established Promotions Department, staffed by full-time producers and directors who are employed to create these high-profile adverts. Instead, said the DG and his deputy, the only outside cost incurred was for a camera crew as all their own people were otherwise engaged. But then, as the session progressed, things began to unravel a little under some gentle questioning from Senator Garret Ahearne and chairman Kelly. Hirings widened out to cameras, technicians and sound. People would like to see the organisation invest money 'in the creative sector outside RTÉ rather than bring all resources in-house', said Bakhurst. Was the production not run in-house? 'Well, the production team running it are in-house and standard practice would be to get expertise whether it be camera crews or sound people or whatever from outside ...' Clear as mud.
