Latest news with #PatrickHill
Irish Examiner
15-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Examiner
The landlord: 'I never signed up to be that f***ing b***ard'
In 2003, I was 37 and doing just fine. Jack's army was coming home we couldn't give the Eurovision away, the Chinese loved Riverdance, and everything Irish seem to be sprinkled with gold dust. My generation was raised by ambitious parents who had lived a hard life in the 1950s. They wanted their kids to have what they had not and were willing to sacrifice to put us in position to avail of the opportunities that hadn't existed in their time — universal second-level education and invigorated schools such as the North Mon, who did their bit in putting some intellectual balance back in the city. My brother and I both went to college and got our degrees. For us and for the country, the word was about that our time had arrived. Unfortunately, the country had no muscle memory when it came to boom and bust cycles. Risk was taking a dive off the high board in the Lee Baths — in relation to property it did not compute. My first foray into property was quite a swashbuckling affair. With a friend and a €7,000 credit union loan guaranteed by my mother, we brought a sliver of a pub wedged into the space where Patrick Hill joins McCurtain Street. That wasn't to be the last time I heard the word guarantee. Apparently, the pub had previously been the central hub for the Cork gay community and Na Piarsigh hurling club, a winning formula if ever there was one. Shortly after that, an opportunity arose to purchase four houses in rural North Cork. Ulster Bank was offering 105% five-year interest-only tracker mortgages. Our plan was simple. We would use the Germans' money to buy, hold for five years, and having had the benefits of an uplift, sell the properties, pay off the mortgages and retain the profit to be rolled over in the next adventure. The properties were purchased in 2003 and the plan was to sell in 2008 just before the interest-only tracker expired. One of the properties is about 40km from my home and difficult to get to. For the past 20 years, this has been the home to a family who professionally are my tenants, but who personally are my friends. The rent was set 20 years ago at €650 per month. We left it alone, and they left me alone. I did try to amend the rent before the last State intervention but it transpired that it, even though it was very isolated, it was within the Fermoy electoral area and therefore the rent could not be increased. The market rent is now approximately €2,000 per month. My tracker mortgage has had a good run of recent times, but this was not always the case and my subsidy of what is a State responsibility has cost me dearly. In the Government's private rental sector changes, the institutions will be sorted but it looks bad for me — cap of 2% rent and minimum of six years tenure. The accidental landlords will once again be cannon fodder for what the constitution describes as the exigencies of the common good. In truth, I can't see any combination of politicians left to their own devices squaring this circle. I do feel the idea of a property tsar with teeth and with follow-through is the way forward. My preference would be to look at it with clear eyes and appoint someone who is not a politician or a civil servant. but is politically astute, respected and who gets things done. I do fully appreciate mine is only one side of the story. On the other side, we have a family who are part of the community and who will find it next to impossible to locate alternative accommodation. I drove from Ballycotton to Cork last weekend and saw nothing but green fields. Land is not our problem. The larger builders insist if given the right conditions, personnel is not a problem, and the banks as an act of contrition should do as directed and fund viable projects if promoted by experienced operators and stick with them until completion, even if the going gets sticky. We live in a small country with an intelligent, young and charitable population. Fixing this should not be beyond us. Having got my wind back before tea, the 9pm news knocked me backwards and just left me uncertain and unsure. This time, my muscle memory did kick in and at 9.20pm, I drove into town, took myself to the RTB website, and prepared as best I could four notices to quit with supporting documents, including the statutory declaration which will confirm that it is my intention to sell the properties. I put my notices in the letterbox and called the tenants the next morning to let them have the bad news. To my horror, I discovered that one had just lost her husband and this will hit her terribly. I do fully appreciate mine is only one side of the story. On the other side, we have a family who are part of the community and who will find it next to impossible to locate alternative accommodation. Their plight is exponentially worse than mine. However, neither of us should be put in this position. The country needs accommodation, and we need a lot of it, but what we really need is certainty. Release those landlords currently trapped and start again with a modern, fair and permanent regime. Keep tinkering and they will sink us all. I never signed up to be that f***ing b***ard. Kevin O'Donoghue is a solicitor and founder of Read More Rental sector changes will encourage landlords to evict tenants, Focus Ireland warns
Daily Record
24-05-2025
- Daily Record
'I visited strip Jay Slater partied at before death - what I found disturbed me'
Patrick Hill previously spent a month in Tenerife last summer covering the 19-year-old's disappearance. Patrick Hill, a senior news reporter at our sister title the Mirror, recently returned to Tenerife following the adjourned inquest into the death of British teenager Jay Slater. The hearing revealed toxicology reports and testimony of how the 19-year-old was "off his head on drugs" just the night before his death in June 2024, and raised questions as to how he had obtained a lethal cocktail of Class A drugs in just a short period of time. After spending a month on the island investigating Jay's disappearance last year, Patrick went back this week to find out just how easy it was to get a hold of drugs. After stepping out of a taxi on Tenerife's infamous Veronicas strip just before 11pm on Thursday night, a day after the inquest, it took a street dealer less than TEN SECONDS to offer me drugs. The man, who was holding a rack of cheap sunglasses aimed at party-goers, wasted no time trying to sell me them and instead launched into the sales patter for his other less visible products. Standing close as the sound of chart-topping dance music filled the air, he offered me cocaine for €80 (£67) a gram, MDMA, known as ecstasy, for €60 (£50) and cannabis for the same price. Just seconds after I declined and walked about ten yards further along the strip, another man, with a southern English accent, also tried to sell me cocaine. And then, for the third time in little over a minute, I was offered the same drug yet again by another man, who was being employed to try and get revellers inside one of the bars. The unedifying scene all played out just a stone's throw from the strip's Papagayo nightclub, where Jay was seen partying bare-chested with a facial expression consistent with drug abuse before he plunged to his death in June last year. Sitting down on an outdoor table outside one bar, where eight bottles of Heineken were being sold for just €20 (£16.79) it was impossible to escape the pungent smell of cannabis intermittently in the air. Teenagers could also be seen inhaling balloons of nitrous oxide, a Class-C drug in the UK known as 'hippy crack', openly in the street, where empty canisters had been discarded. Over the course of the evening, it became clear that although uniformed police do patrol the area in vans, they are rarely seen on the strip itself and their efforts to fight criminality there, including drug dealing and prostitution, appear half-hearted at best. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. At one point, Mirror photographer Andy Commins and I watched a police officer walking a sniffer dog along the strip, but bizarrely it was on the opposite side of the street from where the bars and revellers were. A bar worker, who had previously tried to sell us drugs and showed us how he hides his products inside an old plastic vape, laughed as he watched on. He gloated: "They're not going to catch anyone walking the dog on that side of the street! ...It's all for show." Wednesday's inquest, which was also attended by Jay's dad Warren and Jay's brother Zac, heard how Jay, who had drank between 10 and 15 vodka shots, messaged pals boasting about having a Rolex watch that had just been stolen on the strip. A two-second video sent from his phone to friends showed him claiming: "Just took a 12k rolly of some c*** wi this Mali kid off to get 10quid for it now haha off my undies." A second Snapchat message, which was sent around the same time and thought to reference luxury watch brand Audemars Piguetoff, read: "Yes cuz ended up getting thrown out of there me with two maili kids just took an AP some c*** on way to sell it for 10 quid." After arriving at a holiday let some 22 miles away, rented by convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim and Steven Roccas, Jay also sent a picture of himself with two knives in his trousers. Speaking on the strip on Thursday night, a British tourist told me how the threat of crime remains almost 12 months on, as his friend had his phone stolen there the previous night. And a woman, who works on the strip, separately instructed us to watch our belongings, warning there are "lots of pickpockets in the area". Asked if the strip is dangerous, she said: "It can be. The police tend to watch from the end, so it's mostly OK, but theft is a big problem and people can be targeted while walking away from it." Echoing the begging tones of thousands of parents to their own teenage children, just like Jay, ahead of trips to Tenerife and other sunshine resorts this summer, she warned: "Be careful."
Daily Mirror
24-05-2025
- Daily Mirror
'I visited strip teen partied at before he died - what I found disturbed me'
The Mirror's Patrick Hill, who spent nearly a month in Tenerife investigating the teenager's disappearance last summer, this week returned to the island after an inquest found Jay had taken a cocktail of Class-A drugs before he died The adjourned inquest of British teenager Jay Slater has left his family, including his heartbroken mum Debbie, desperate for answers about his final hours in Tenerife. But the hearing, which revealed toxicology reports and testimony about how the 19-year-old was "off his head on drugs" the night before he died last June, has also raised questions for officials here on the holiday how did the apprentice bricklayer, who had travelled on holiday from his home in Oswaldtwistle, Lancashire, only days earlier, come to obtain such a deadly cocktail of mind-bending Class-A drugs, including cocaine, ecstasy and ketamine? Having spent just shy of a month reporting on the teenager's case on the island last year, I returned there this week and discovered that disturbingly, the answer is: Very easily. After stepping out of a taxi on Tenerife's infamous Veronicas strip just before 11pm on Thursday night, a day after the inquest, it took a street dealer less than TEN SECONDS to offer me drugs. The man, who was holding a rack of cheap sunglasses aimed at party-goers, wasted no time trying to sell me them and instead launched into the sales patter for his other less visible products. Standing close as the sound of chart-topping dance music filled the air, he offered me cocaine for €80 (£67) a gram, MDMA, known as ecstasy, for €60 (£50) and cannabis for the same price. Just seconds after I declined and walked about ten yards further along the strip, another man, with a southern English accent, also tried to sell me cocaine. And then, for the third time in little over a minute, I was offered the same drug yet again by another man, who was being employed to try and get revellers inside one of the bars. The unedifying scene all played out just a stone's throw from the strip's Papagayo nightclub, where Jay was seen partying bare-chested with a facial expression consistent with drug abuse before he plunged to his death in June last year. Sitting down on an outdoor table outside one bar, where eight bottles of Heineken were being sold for just €20 (£16.79) it was impossible to escape the pungent smell of cannabis intermittently in the air. Teenagers could also be seen inhaling balloons of nitrous oxide, a Class-C drug in the UK known as 'hippy crack', openly in the street, where empty canisters had been discarded. Over the course of the evening, it became clear that although uniformed police do patrol the area in vans, they are rarely seen on the strip itself and their efforts to fight criminality there, including drug dealing and prostitution, appear half-hearted at best. At one point, Mirror photographer Andy Commins and I watched a police officer walking a sniffer dog along the strip, but bizarrely it was on the opposite side of the street from where the bars and revellers were. A bar worker, who had previously tried to sell us drugs and showed us how he hides his products inside an old plastic vape, laughed as he watched on. He gloated: "They're not going to catch anyone walking the dog on that side of the street! ...It's all for show." Wednesday's inquest, which was also attended by Jay's dad Warren and Jay's brother Zac, heard how Jay, who had drank between 10 and 15 vodka shots, messaged pals boasting about having a Rolex watch that had just been stolen on the strip. A two-second video sent from his phone to friends showed him claiming: "Just took a 12k rolly of some c*** wi this Mali kid off to get 10quid for it now haha off my undies." A second Snapchat message, which was sent around the same time and thought to reference luxury watch brand Audemars Piguetoff, read: "Yes cuz ended up getting thrown out of there me with two maili kids just took an AP some c*** on way to sell it for 10 quid." After arriving at a holiday let some 22 miles away, rented by convicted drug dealer Ayub Qassim and Steven Roccas, Jay also sent a picture of himself with two knives in his trousers. Speaking on the strip on Thursday night, a British tourist told me how the threat of crime remains almost 12 months on, as his friend had his phone stolen there the previous night. And a woman, who works on the strip, separately instructed us to watch our belongings, warning there are "lots of pickpockets in the area". Asked if the strip is dangerous, she said: "It can be. The police tend to watch from the end, so it's mostly OK, but theft is a big problem and people can be targeted while walking away from it." Echoing the begging tones of thousands of parents to their own teenage children, just like Jay, ahead of trips to Tenerife and other sunshine resorts this summer, she warned: "Be careful."
Associated Press
14-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Jacobs Appointed Integrated Delivery Partner for Marinus Link
Interconnector project will accelerate Australia's renewable energy economy Supports reliable transmission of electricity and telecommunications between Tasmania and Victoria DALLAS, May 14, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Jacobs (NYSE: J) was selected as the Integrated Delivery Partner for Marinus Link, an approximately 214 mile (345-kilometer) undersea and underground high-voltage direct current (HVDC) electricity and data interconnector designed to bolster energy security, promote renewable energy investment and deliver tangible benefits to consumers in Tasmania, Victoria and the broader National Electricity Market. Marinus Link's 1500-megawatt capacity is equal to the power supply for 1.5 million Australian homes. As the Integrated Delivery Partner, Jacobs will oversee the establishment and ongoing delivery of the first 750-megawatt stage, managing technical engineering and construction packages while implementing governance structures necessary for the high-voltage direct current cable and supporting substation infrastructure. 'Nations worldwide need reliable, affordable and low emission energy solutions,' said Jacobs President of Global Operations Patrick Hill. 'Jacobs, together with Marinus Link, will deliver a step-change to the Australian east coast electricity grid – increasing access to low carbon energy sources in Tasmania to support the nation's decarbonization targets. This Integrated Delivery Partnership will allow Jacobs to mobilize global experience in capital project execution, utility infrastructure enhancement, and future energy demand planning to assure delivery for this critical asset.' 'Our collaboration with Jacobs is pivotal to the successful delivery of this critical national energy infrastructure,' said Marinus Link CEO Designate, Stephanie McGregor. 'Marinus Link is listed as a priority for decarbonization on the Australian Government's National Renewable Energy Priority List and is classified as urgent in the Australian Energy Market Operator's optimal plan for the national grid.' Marinus Link aims to strengthen energy security and affordability by delivering low-cost renewable power, expanding and strengthening transmission and fiber capacity, and driving investment in clean energy industries. It is expected to create 3,300 jobs and generate $3.9 billion in economic growth, supporting business and a resilient National Electricity Market. Around the globe, Jacobs is advancing global energy infrastructure, shaping resilient and secure systems to form the backbone of thriving communities and economies. Projects include Suedlink in Europe, one of the world's largest underground high voltage power cables; as program manager and owners engineer for Xcel Energy's multi-billion-dollar transmission and distribution reliability program in the U.S.; and MTerra Solar in the Philippines, poised to become one of the world's largest solar farms. At Jacobs, we're challenging today to reinvent tomorrow – delivering outcomes and solutions for the world's most complex challenges. With approximately $12 billion in annual revenue and a team of almost 45,000, we provide end-to-end services in advanced manufacturing, cities & places, energy, environmental, life sciences, transportation and water. From advisory and consulting, feasibility, planning, design, program and lifecycle management, we're creating a more connected and sustainable world. See how at and connect with us on LinkedIn, Instagram, X and Facebook. Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that do not directly relate to any historical or current fact. When used herein, words such as 'expects,' 'anticipates,' 'believes,' 'seeks,' 'estimates,' 'plans,' 'intends,' 'future,' 'will,' 'would,' 'could,' 'can,' 'may,' and similar words are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We base these forward-looking statements on management's current estimates and expectations, as well as currently available competitive, financial and economic data. Forward-looking statements, however, are inherently uncertain. There are a variety of factors that could cause business results to differ materially from our forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, uncertainties as to, the timing of the award of projects and funding and potential changes to the amounts provided for under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and other legislation and executive orders related to governmental spending, including any directive to federal agencies to reduce federal spending or the size of the federal workforce, and changes in U.S. or foreign tax laws, statutes, rules, regulations or ordinances, including the impact of, and changes to tariffs and retaliatory tariffs or trade policies, that may adversely impact our future financial positions or results of operations, as well as general economic conditions, including inflation and the actions taken by monetary authorities in response to inflation, changes in interest rates and foreign currency exchange rates, changes in capital markets, the possibility of a recession or economic downturn, and increased uncertainty and risks, including policy risks and potential civil unrest, relating to the outcome of elections across our key markets and elevated geopolitical tension and conflicts, among others. For a description of these and additional factors that may occur that could cause actual results to differ from our forward-looking statements, see our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. The company is not under any duty to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this press release to conform to actual results, except as required by applicable law. For press/media inquiries: [email protected] View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Jacobs
Associated Press
12-05-2025
- Business
- Associated Press
Disctopia Launches Creator-First Advertising Platform Powered by AdsWizz
Disctopia, the streaming platform dedicated to independent creators, has launched a powerful new advertising platform built in partnership with AdsWizz 'This is a major leap forward for independent creators. Ad monetization has been locked behind complex requirements or taken out of creators' hands for too long.'— Patrick Hill CHARLOTTE, NC, UNITED STATES, May 12, 2025 / / -- Disctopia, the streaming platform dedicated to empowering independent creators, has launched a powerful new advertising platform built in partnership with AdsWizz, the global leader in digital audio advertising technology. This first phase of the rollout enables podcast creators to monetize on their terms, directly within the Disctopia platform. With this new integration, creators have complete control: they can choose to enable or disable ads altogether, or apply ad placements to specific podcast episodes. Future updates will expand these capabilities to include music albums, audiobooks, and other audio content hosted on Disctopia. 'This is a major leap forward for independent creators,' said Patrick Hill, CEO of Disctopia. 'For too long, ad monetization has been locked behind complex requirements or taken out of creators' hands. With this launch, we're putting that power where it belongs—back with the creator.' Key Features of the New Advertising Platform: Total Control – Creators can turn ads on or off for any individual episode or series. Podcast-First Rollout – The feature launches with podcast monetization and will soon expand to music and audiobooks. Built-In Simplicity – No need for external tools or networks. Monetization is fully integrated into the Disctopia creator dashboard. Advanced Targeting with AdsWizz – Leveraging AdsWizz's dynamic ad insertion and marketplace, creators can monetize with high-quality, relevant brands. Industry-Leading Revenue Share – Disctopia pays creators 75% of ad revenue received after ad delivery and fees. For every $1 Disctopia receives, creators keep 75 cents — making it one of the most generous ad models in the industry. This ad system is ideal for creators who value flexibility, transparency, and choice. Whether monetizing a popular podcast or testing ads on just a few episodes, Disctopia's new ad tools are built to serve creators of all sizes. The platform's focus on creator empowerment aligns perfectly with AdsWizz's mission to bring innovation and opportunity to the global audio community. What's Next: All Disctopia podcast creators now have access to the ad feature within their dashboard. Tutorials, support docs, and a live training webinar are also being offered to help creators make the most of the new tools. To learn more or to join Disctopia as a creator, visit About Disctopia Disctopia is a Charlotte, NC-based podcast and streaming platform dedicated to empowering independent creators. Focused on ownership, monetization, and distribution, Disctopia offers unlimited hosting, a creator-first ad model, and seamless integrations for podcasting, music, video, and audiobooks. About AdsWizz AdsWizz is the leading global technology provider for digital audio advertising. Offering cutting-edge ad tech solutions for podcasters, publishers, and advertisers, AdsWizz powers dynamic ad insertion and scalable monetization across the world's most influential audio platforms. Hannah Alexandria Disctopia [email protected] Visit us on social media: LinkedIn Instagram Facebook YouTube TikTok X Legal Disclaimer: EIN Presswire provides this news content 'as is' without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
