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Updated 19:35
A FIANNA FÁIL Senator has said he will not get into a taxi driven by someone who is not from Ireland.
Senator Paschal Mooney told the Seanad chamber this afternoon that “obvious non-national” drivers often don’t know “one end of the street from the other”. He said that he was not being racist but that he now chooses “local taxi drivers” instead because they are more likely to know their way around Dublin.
He later apologised and withdrew his remarks, saying that he had been misinterpreted.
One TD said Mooney’s comments were discriminatory and questioned how he can judge someone’s nationality through a car window.
The Senator had told the chamber that there was “stronger than anecdotal evidence that there are people driving taxis around this city who don’t know one end of the street from the other”.
I’ve been in taxis and I have to say, and I’m not in any way being discriminatory here, but it’s nearly always non-nationals. And it’s got to the point where, quite frankly, and I make no apologies for it, that I will now go to a local taxi driver in preference to somebody who’s a non-national- an obvious non-national, and that has nothing to do with the colour of their skin or anything of that nature.
The Senator had been speaking on the Taxi Regulation Bill which was being debated in the Seanad this afternoon. He also noted that drivers in cities such as London have to “jump through hoops” in order to get their licence and said standards are far higher than in Ireland.
Paschal Mooney was given permission to make a personal statement in the Seanad this evening and apologised for his earlier remarks.
He said that he acknowledged the contribution that people from other countries had made to Ireland and reiterated that his comments had not been racist. He told the chamber:
It’s come to my attention that remarks I made about non-nationals during my contribution on the Taxis Regulation Bill 2013 earlier today have been misinterpreted.
I wish to unreservedly withdraw the remarks and apologise for any offence caused. I fully acknowledge and respect the contribution of non-nationals to the life of Ireland, and I clearly stated at the time that my remarks should not have been interpreted as discriminatory to anyone.
Sinn Féin TD Dessie Ellis questioned exactly how Senator Mooney could tell the nationality of drivers. In a statement this afternoon, Ellis said:
There are people of many different nationalities and cultures working in Ireland in all different sectors. They are part of our communities and economies and Paschal Mooney would do well to remember that before he so callously judges them.
He said his discriminatory practice was not based on colour but I am intrigued as to how Senator Mooney has the ability to discern someone’s nationality through a car window. Regardless it is wrong to do this and wrong for a public representative to openly condone it.
The Integration Centre condemned the Senator’s comments. The organisation’s CEO, Killian Forde, said that what Mooney said was “the very definition of racism.”
Rhetoric such as that spoken by Senator Rooney today in a house of public representatives promotes negative attitudes towards the immigrant community.
Paschal Mooney has been a Senator for all but three years since 1987 and is currently Fianna Fáil’s spokesperson on Social Protection in the Seanad. He was a broadcaster on RTÉ for a number of years before he entered politics.
His comments come less than a week after a Fianna Fáil councillor was strongly criticised for saying Travellers should be segregated from society.
- Additional reporting by Paul Hyland
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My solder balls haven’t given me any issues so far, but if they do. . I shall bring them into the doctor for a gander.
Hilarious.
This issue is old, not new, why is the journal reporting this, the iPhone 6 and 6 plus released 2 years ago. The touch issue first came up not long after that. Hardware and software problems with all technology, not sure why the journal seems to overly report on issues with apple products.
The trick is not to be a sheep and use a product that doesnt have an apple logo.
Yes Gavin because non-Apple products never have problems? Unfortunately with the rapidity of modem product development and production cycles problems like this will arise from time to time no matter what the product or the supplier. As long as the manufacturer is reasonable and replaces the faulty product it isn’t a big deal.
Meh the trick is to buy electronics as cheaply as possible as it’s all made in sweatshops in China.
Or don’t have it in your back pocket.
my Sammy S5 has been in and out of pockets so many times without any problems…dont get an iphone..simple
@Gavin: Indeed
Solution: Buy a HTC.
Triied that. It broke in less than two months.
Broke,how? You buying the cheap models?
Hopefully Apple will go back to the glass and carbon fibre in the 5,5s been holding off upgrading as the six is no where near the same quality.
Carbon fibre?
Don’t touch one, with a bargepole.
stop or you will wake the isheep
My phone’s better than your phone.
Grow up.
But, my phone actually is better than your phone. Really.
Yep… I have been that Soldier… I’m just after getting my 4th iPhone 6+ over the last 10 weeks. The first one had this problem when within warranty and the 2 replacements developed the same problem (one within 3 weeks and one as soon as I turned the phone on). I was back and forth to Three with these replacements (turns out you don’t get new phones but refurbished ones).
Anyhow after 3 replacement phones and 8 weeks without a phone, I gave up on Three and went straight to Apple who have me a new phone (after a lot of back and forth).
Turns out this is an issue with the 6plus but not with 6S.
iPhones are useless. All upgraded models are just cosmetic now.
iPhones are not useless as my 6plus and iPhone 4 still work perfectly,And I have Andriod devices aswell.all depends on the users needs,and capabilities.
Ok Ken – But they are way over-hyped & over-priced.
The iShit strikes again.
Wouldn’t you be sickened after spending all that money
You’d be diseased
I have never had this issue with my iPhone 6plus(9.3.3)64gb wounded does it happen only on 16gb?
Have my 5s over 2 years ago & yes battery is poo in it but other then that I’m lucky it hasn’t given me any hassle apart from a weak wifi signal sometimes but few ppl have said it could be down to otterbox case but I kinda need to hold on to this for as long as I can so the case stays!
have your say