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Updated 7.40pm
SINN FÉIN PRESIDENT Gerry Adams has said his party intends to ensure that the sale of alcohol in the Dáil Private Members’ Bar is subject to the same laws as other establishments in the country.
Adams was speaking in the wake of more controversy surrounding the bar following TheJournal.ie‘s story this morning in which a number of TDs admitted to having “one or two” or a “couple” of pints while the Dáil debated the abortion legislation this week.
The now infamous ‘lapgate’ incident involving Fine Gael TD Tom Barry and his colleague Aine Collins has also brought the spotlight on whether or not it is appropriate that TDs be allowed to drink alcohol while conducting Dáil business.
The Dáil bar remained open until 5am on Thursday morning as TDs debated the Protection of Life during Pregnancy Bill.
“It is the intention of Sinn Féin to ensure that the sale of alcohol in these establishments is subject to the same licensing laws as every other establishment,” Adams said.
“It is ridiculous that alcohol is available here, as it was during the debate on the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill, until five in the morning.”
The Louth TD has previously raised the issue of deputies being intoxicated in the chamber, telling this website earlier this year that at least two TDs within his earshot were drunk when the Dáil debated legislation to liquidate the former Anglo Irish Bank in February.
Several TDs told this website yesterday that they had drank alcohol on Wednesday night, but one insisted that there was no “obvious level of drunkenness” in the Dáil chamber as the abortion bill was discussed and voted on.
United Left TD Joan Collins said “one or two” deputies “were a bit wobbly” while her colleague in the Technical Group, Waterford TD John Halligan said that “a lot of TDs were drinking coffee and coke”.
Adams said that there was an onus on TDs and Senators to be “sober and correct” when debating and voting on legislation which effects every person in the country.
“This behaviour would not be acceptable in any other work place. This is a work place and it should not be acceptable here,” he added in a statement issued this afternoon.
First published 5.21pm
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The citizens who live in these towns should be deciding if they want direct provision centers in their area, not over paid politicians and councillors.
@Raven: do you get to decide who moves into your town
@Brian Mc Cabe: tullamore in two years time. Sit back and watch
@Raven:
“Administrators shouldn’t get to administer! It should be the citizens!”
@Fergus:
They’re not administrators if they don’t consult with the citizens that it effects directly, you’re thinking of a different word.
@Brian Mc Cabe:
Not I, we do. Our local ribbon cutters consult with us, the people in our area, on any major issues that will or could effect us, doesn’t yours?
@Raven: what (alt-rite, hence oxymoron) logic or law is that founded on birdie?
@Joe Davis: Have you looked at Tullamore now, 168 refugees might bring the tone of the place up lol
Could be used to house single people who are either in homeless hostels or small families that are in B&Bs etc, would give them a start to rebuild their lives,
@Paul O’Sullivan: plenty of ghost estates around the country which will remain unoccupied because “our own” refuse to move out of their own locality.
@Paul O’Sullivan: Does Tullamore have a big homelessness problem or a housing crisis?
People complaining that an existing building is being re purposed as a direct provision centre, yet if the council build a ‘purpose built’ centre ‘outside the town’ there’d be uproar about the money spent. All this is is NIMBYism.
@Paul: that’s not true, I’m talking about single men, in particular, who are left in homelessness for years, because they cant get a job because their homeless and they cant get a private rental because their homekess/ jobless etc
Men who end up isolating themselves with same and end up drinking or abusing drugs out of social exclusion.
And their are young women in this situation too.. in care for years such as foster families only at 18 years of age abandoned by the system…. into homeless hostels…
@Terrence Edwards: ah deres a bit of the ole racism in there too
@Graham Manning: shame on you, no one mentioned race, I’ve only posted facts.
@Paul O’Sullivan: did I direct that to you? Nope. And you trying to say that zero of the opposition to this fro anyone is in any way rooted in racism? Come on….
@Paul O’Sullivan: the on street homeless won’t move away from their dealers and begging spots. The hotel homeless wont move away from Krispy Kreme.
@Paul: no there aren’t
It shouldn’t be in centre of the town then on another note they can house asylum seekers but not their own homeless
Supply homes for IRISH homeless first. Any accommodation left over can go to others after consultation with local residents.
This is way out of hand, we can’t keep shoving people into the arse end of nowhere just to meet our international obligations.
The locals and the asylum seekers deserve better than this, we’re constantly told how well we’re doing but nothing seems to improve.
PTSD must be present amongst this group and it can be treated, care doesn’t stop at the door.
@Cormac Laffan:
You can bet there’s EU or NGO money involved in all of this.
@Cormac Laffan: In Germany they would be forced to work in industry starting in menial jobs to contribute to the economy. We’re the only country that allows freeloading.
@Cormac Laffan: Well put ..ignore the comments from the ones who accuse the locals of being ‘nimbys’ when they themselves and their own back yards are far away from it (that’s if they’re fortunate enough to have a back yard!)…
@Dnom: Not free-loaders. This is the first batch of low/no hours wokers on minimum wage who will gladly take jobs doing anything and thereby destroy the local labour market. Kids in Tullamore will have to go elsewhere for work while the new workers of Tullamore will never be able to earn enough to buy homes and the place will spiral into a ghetto.
Can they hurl???
@John Smith: On the train to Dublin from Carlow last year I listened to a guy sat behind me talking about hurling for his school team. I tried picturing the guy, sounded a lot like the lads I met in Athlone RTC who were mad into GAA. When we arrived in Hewston, I stood up to get off. He was a black lad, about 16-17.
@David Jordan:
I watched Paul McGrath on the tele one time talk about football and Guinness, what’s your point?
@David Jordan: *Houston
@Aido: Heuston even
When Brexit kicks in next jan, the dept of justice will be putting asylum seekers up in civil servants homes.
LOL
Post Berxit we are going to be inundated with asylum seekers being the handy go to English speaking country that provides free social welfare and housing. We are exploited in every way possible from big corporation tax avoidance, tax free landlords/vulture funds and welfare scamming.
They’ll take one look at Tullamore and get back on the bus, don’t worry.
Wow. They must run a competition for the most depressing looking buildings in Ireland.
May I ask the question -
“Is it not the case that an owner of a building proposing a change of use (from the original use that was granted for the build/ grant of planning permission) – that they must reapply through the normal planning application processes to the County Council. This would normally involve that a public notice would be posted/nailed to a prominent position at the exterior of the site facing onto the public road outlining the building’s new proposed purpose???
Have I missed something here…perhaps with a sneaked-in legislative change for so-called ‘emergency accommodation’
…er …how would one define an ‘emergency’ in terms of a timeframe?
– with the future occupants of direct provision centres usually languishing in this limbo for many years
– even decades!
Ahh well blame the yanks, Brits and Russians for their pathetic show of muscle for most of that.
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