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Updated at 13.56pm
VARIOUS STAKEHOLDERS INVOLVED in the planning of this month’s ill-fated Garth Brooks concerts are to be called in to answer questions from TDs — with the meeting expected to happen tomorrow at the earliest.
Separately, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has rejected calls from Fianna Fáil to bring in emergency legislation, allowing for an appeals procedure whereby Dublin City Council’s decision not to allow two of the five planned concerts to go ahead could be challenged.
The cancellation by Brooks yesterday of all five concerts affected some 400,000 ticket-holders — including some 70,000 fans who had been expected to travel from overseas.
Dublin City Manager Owen Keegan and representatives of the GAA and Aiken promotions are now being asked to attend a hearing with the Select Sub-Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport to discuss the fiasco.
The country star made the decision following Keegan’s decision last week to refuse permission for two of the gigs — on the basis that three concerts have already been held at the stadium this year.
‘A hot issue’
The decision to call the parties in to face questions was made at a meeting this morning.
Fine Gael’s John O’Mahony, who chairs the panel of TDs, said they had already heard back from the GAA, and that representatives of the association would be attending.
Speaking to TheJournal.ie, he said no time had been confirmed for the meeting as yet, but that they hoped to schedule it for as soon as possible, as it’s a “hot issue”.
“We need to find out the chain of events, to establish what happened — you had all this talk of five concerts, four concerts, then no concerts.
We need to find out exactly what the issues are.
O’Mahony said that all of the factors that led to the cancellation of the concerts would have to be looked at in order to learn from what happened and ensure such a situation doesn’t arise again.
Responding to the invitation, Aiken Promotions this afternoon released a one line statement saying they had received notice of the hearing and were awaiting confirmation of the date.
A spokesperson for Dublin City Council said Keegan was at a meeting all day, and was unlikely to have had time to read the invitation — but that the Council would respond to it later today.
[File photo: Oireachtas.ie]
The Fianna Fáil ‘Garth Brooks Bill’
Separately, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has told Fianna Fáil leader Micheál Martin the Government can’t intervene with emergency legislation.
Martin’s party last week published a Bill aimed at introducing an appeals mechanism to the concert planning process, which would allow decisions to be challenged on economic and tourism grounds.
Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, Martin told Kenny “it’s not beyond the houses of the Oireachtas to pass emergency legislation” and asked that the Government give time to the Fianna Fáil Bill.
And while Kenny said he was “as disappointed as anybody else in the country”, he stressed that “Dublin City Council made its decision based on the current regulation”.
“I will look at it, absolutely,” he said.
Let’s see if there’s something positive the government can do here so it doesn’t happen again.
But he warned:
If the Government decided to intervene with emergency legislation it would be criticised of overruling the rights of the residents – who have rights – and of overruling the decision of Dublin City Council.
He said that a process would be put in place to ensure such problems don’t arise again, and added that the debacle showed there was a “bitter economic lesson to be learned”.
It ain’t over til its over…
Fianna Fáil’s Timmy Dooley — the party’s tourism spokesman and a member of the transport and tourism sub committee — said he didn’t accept the Taoiseach’s assessment of the situation that “there will be no concerts now”.
Speaking to reporters on the Plinth at Leinster House, Dooley said that as it appeared Brooks’ concert equipment was currently still at sea, en route to Ireland “there’s still time to find a solution”.
And Fianna Fáil intends to press ahead with its mooted changes to the planning laws, he said — in spite of Enda Kenny’s indications that the Government is unwilling to intervene.
“He said he would read [the Bill] – but he has refused to allow Government time.
Tomorrow morning, we will move the bill in the House. We still believe there’s an opportunity to have these five concerts go ahead.
The controversy over the cancellation of the gigs has been covered by media outlets around the world — including US broadcasters CNN and Fox News.
Speaking earlier this morning, promoter Peter Aiken described the Council’s handling of the situation as a “joke” and said he was personally devastated by what had happened.
So far, there’s been no statements or comments from the Brooks camp. He’s expected to address the situation tomorrow in a press conference, which will be streamed on his website.
Additional reporting, Hugh O’Connell and Cliodhna Russell.
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Nothing will be done, to many names and people’s legacy’s to be protected in this country
@Nollaig Kelly: Not just the big names that are at fault (aswell as the church) but society as a whole back then knew what was going on and turned a blind eye or went along with it because they were either of the same opinions or too intimidated to question someone / anyone in a position of authority. The same attitude that still exists today. Thankfully not as wide spread but back then it was, how any father, mother, brother, sister stand by and let them do that to their blood is beyond me after all, as much of a cliché as it is you know what they say about good people doing nothing about it is what let’s evil exist and succeed. Not a hope I’d do that to my daughter, not in a million years, regardless of whether I was ‘shunned’ or not.
@Simon Carroll: I agree with everything you say and I’ll go further and say that there were people like you in that time who did what you are saying but there was a big big problem in rural Ireland, squinting windows and domineering church played off against one another in a rural society that was class ridden in a carry over from colonial days. A ‘Farmer’ with 30 acres that he probably inherited felt so superior to a Labourer that the farmers son would not acknowledge fatherhood of a Labouring mans daughters child and what’s more the Parish Priest wouldn’t expect him to.
Different world to the one we now live in.
There is no time limit on mass murder, countries still prosecute war crimes, don’t see any difference here, over 800 babies buried in a septic tank and that’s not a crime, what am I missing
@Nan: exactly, try those responsible for kidnapping, false imprisonment, torture, slavery, human trafficking, sexual abuse, actual bodily harm, murder… the lost goes on. I’m no legal expert but I’m pretty certain that there were laws against those crimes in Ireland when the crimes were being committed. Let’s make this right, what sort of nation do we want to be… Make it right and start anew – and the next step, asylum centres.
@Nan: 800 babies that are KNOWN of. Such was the Roman Catholic Church’s disregard for Human Life & Dignity, that I wouldn’t be suprised if others are yet to be realised. Their actions couldn’t be further from the values they have been shoving down the throats of their followership.
@Cardigan Backyardigan: also, the 9,000 in the report is only a total from a representative sample of 18 homes. How many Mother & Baby homes were there in Ireland? At an average of 500 deaths per home the actual number of babies could be significantly higher
@Nan:
Buried in a Septic Tank comnes form the playbook of Goebbels et al.
If you tell a lie – tell a big one.
Nothing of the sort was discovered.
I’m a Catholic.
I write this because I feel I have to write it before I continue.
I want justice for these women and children.
I want the Orders to hand over their records, one way or the other.
I want those accountable tried and jailed.
I want to see the survivors’ compensation by these orders, the state and the church.
And I want a separation of Church and State; Ireland and its people have many faiths and none. My friends and family come from different faiths or no faiths, and I still love them.
Sorry, getting emotional there.
I just want to see wrongs righted, justice done, and at least some form of tangible atonement.
@Amadán: what is jailing them going to do? In the name of jesus I rebuke your comment. The Lord is sovereign. The catholic church is satanic. Follow jesus not politics
@Daniel O’Byrne: troll
@Daniel O’Byrne: And Who is; ‘The Lord’, your talking about.
With the amount of time & money that is spent on tribunals that do nothing in the end, to say “it’s too difficult” is an abject lie. Saying that you could forgo the whole process & strip those religious institutions responsible of its assets here in Ireland & directly give it to those effected.
@Richard Cronin: but a tribunal is nothing more than a ‘for profit’ scheme that gives the illusion of something being done while lining the pockets of all those in on the scam… wait…we all know this, right! Right!? Ah lads:( DIRECT PROVISION IS EXACTLY THE SAME!!!!
‘Thats an incredible story, but hold on as we pause for the angelus’-loose quote based on RTE radio earlier.
@Paul Cunningham: if everyone complained daily about the Angelus being offensive to their sense of dignity – RTÉ would eventually pull it, just like when a mere 81 moaners found a Period Pad Advert offensive to their sense of dignity.
I have an alarm set for 5.59pm daily to remind me to email RTÉ to complain about the Angelus.
@Cardigan Backyardigan: i am told I am the life & soul of the party on occasion.
@Paul Cunningham: Pause for the News, Two Minuets after Six.
Catherine Connolly spoke truth about this report, check out her interview on the whole matter, the whole thing stinks of the state protecting itself to the best degree they can.
Why isn’t the church answerable to The Hague for crimes against humanity?
There are evil people still alive that are responsible for these atrocities. They must be sought out, and held accountable.
@SprintFitz: there are evil people in power still…not just church representatives but politicians. They’re puppets and pretenders…nwo is coming soon
@SprintFitz: The Organization they belonged to is still operational.
Where there’s a will there’s a way. There’s no will so there’s no way. Shameful. Remember this next election time because it’s the only thing that hurts them.
Bring in the CAB, they don’t f%ck around. The church made money from this and their investigation will expose any other involvements too, be it state or otherwise
@Anto H: cab can seize assets from the proceeds of crime. As stated in the article the profits the church/state made were not illegal – though they were morally void. The cab cant act on moral crimes, the rights and wrongs of that are for another day. Expel the Papal Nuncio from Ireland, and direct gardai to petition a judge to direct that church records be examined for evidence – to bring those responsible to justice.
A simple yes. End of story, these people need answers. A massive trial for the catholic church. It wasn’t only girls abused by those monsters. It seems to me, as a 38 year old, these monsters were the hierarchy and it was a privilege and an honour to be an altar boy. An alter boy to a lot of these paedophiles were a toy. Not men of god, paedophilia, torture and life long suffering is a common trait of the catholic church. Shame on them
Well why not?
@Mary N. Cooke: cause in the end people won’t get answers , anything credible but solicitors will again make money
@bmul: solicitors always make money, as for barristers #@$%
But hey just do it, even for a walk of ####
I cant put in the ‘s’ word
Ends in eeeee
Why are you even debating this question? Find these criminals (both people and organisations) and punish them. Hard.
The article says: “around 9,000 children died in 18 different homes,”
There’s 9,000 reason to do find these criminals!!!!
Not in this country.
If the State can give a pardon. Then they can prosecute.
The ‘State’ understands why their agents, direct and indirect, acted like they did and the ‘State’ wishes to move on without any further cost.
The ‘State’ has spread the blame among us all and the ‘State’ wishes that it be the end of the matter.
And it will be.
However the matter of the mass grave in Tuam must be resolved, it’s going on too long.
It’s a National disgrace of major proportions.
The key word here would be a “successful” prosecution.
Germany is still investigating war crimes – we need to get to the bottom of this, even if it takes a hundred years
Very incisive article on the subject, particularly on legal options and likely degree of difficulty under each in finding justice for the many unfortunate victims.
Doing what’s immediately legally possible is always a good start, to limit usual initial time wasting phaffing about when major State inquiries are being planned. Time is of the essence here for the State to take action, following release this week of that very disturbing Report. As a country, our reputation is at stake, and we need to show the world that whilst our establishment cowered to CC in the past, now as a modern society, this is no longer the case.
That first vital step…State needs to ramp up its Coroner manpower nationwide, particularly in the Counties containing mass graves at those former so called Care Homes.
Why limit legal action to the carers?
What about the clear complicity of persons in Govt Dep. Of Health and of Justice, or to those parents of children, who appear to have been indifferent if not complicit, in their children’s abuse?
Ignoring the principals, while persecuting their agents, is a gross cop-out.
Not now they can’t comment section should have been closed
Irish law pursues paedophiles and other abusers for crimes committed more than 30 years ago, why not this lot of perverted zealots as well?
Yes and they should start immediately before more of those responsible die.
It’s one of the few things about Israeli policy that I agree with. They pursue criminals who facilitated horror in the camps to their graves. The only way the State can demonstrate real action to do the right thing is to hold those involved accountable. Paddy isn’t great at accountability though.
@Úsáideoir O’Slatra: because Paddy largely lives in a post colonial state of mind, and if the English haven’t done it – we have nothing to copy and paste from so there is pandemonium.
About time there was a bit of innovation and entrepreneurship in terms of striking out and delivering accountability, anything less is no different to a banana republic
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