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EVERY DAY, TheJournal.ie brings you nine things you need to know with your morning cup of coffee.
1. #TRAGEDY: A 14-year-old boy has died after sustaining serious head injuries in a fall from a tractor yesterday evening. The incident occurred at Knocknacullata in Mallow, Co Cork.
2. #BID-RIGGING: Four construction companies are under investigation by the Competition Authority over allegations that they agreed among themselves who would offer the lowest bids on projects and took turns winning different tenders,the Irish Daily Mail reports.
3. #WEALTH: Minister Michael Noonan has given a strong indication that he will not be considering a wealth tax in the next budget. Noonan said that there is not currently enough information on how much people earn to make it possible to implement the tax.
4. #DISABILITY: Over 300 families of young people with intellectual disabilities have been told that they will not get a day service that meets their needs now that the children have finished school, The Irish Times reports. Cuts to funding this year mean there there is a mere €4 million available to provide services for school-leavers compared to some €10 million over recent years.
5. #ENVIRONMENT: Ireland’s courts are being lenient on those who breach environmental laws by illegally dumping or even polluting rivers, according to the Irish Examiner, with the average fine standing at just €10,000. This compares to fines reaching six figure sums in the UK.
6. #DRUGS: Consumers in Ireland are heading north for more than just their groceries as the Irish Independent revealed that they’re paying up to seven times more for some popular medicines here than in Northern Ireland.
7. #SYRIA: A top UN official is to visit Syria today for talks as demands grow for a probe into claims that the regime was responsible for a chemical attack that killed hundreds, AFP reports. US Defence Secretary Chuck Hagel has suggested that the Pentagon is moving forces into place ahead of possible military action.
8. #FIRE: A huge wildfire that raged unchecked near California’s famous Yosemite National Park yesterday has now reached the park, BBC reports. More than 2,000 firefighters have been battling the blaze but it is just 2 per cent contained.
9. #CHINA: Disgraced Chinese politician Bo Xilai, who has been charged with bribery and corruption, has described his own wife as “unstable” and “insane” after she gave evidence implicating him in corruption, BBC reports.
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I just don’t understand how the government can justify not providing service for 300 young people with disabilities! It’s completely unacceptable,what do they expect people to do? Not only will families have to give up working to look after them etc, it denies the young people the right to attend a service which supports their needs and helps them develop as adults…it’s madness!
# disability: good to see the government “protecting the vulnerable” in our society again !!!!…. while the finance minister doesn’t have “enough information” on what the rich earn….. that’s his bloody job to know and find out !!!! jaysus wept its no wonder Labour are less popular than cowens govt (their role in this govt was to STOP the excesses of the looney right in FG ) ….. if labour want to know what the future holds for them …. they should just go ask the greens !!!!
RIP to that young boy,condolences to his family,very sad.
Noonan can’t implement a wealth tax? Because he hasn’t the means to find out who earns crazy money!
He only needs to look to leinster house and the state owned businesses!
One rule for the rich,while the poor get screwed!
13 eggs doesn’t work.
Ah Conor, don’t be that guy.
Looks like a good ‘g’ to me though…
I tried it upside down.
It’s still 13 eggs.
Whats wrong with 13 eggs?
Very baker’s dozen-ish, I can only think of food now ….
#DRUGS ~ I highlighted a flaw in the medical card scheme and a loophole. About 2 years ago. It went to the relevant bodies, including Minister for Health’s department. Nothing was done about it.
The HSE obviously don’t care about wasting money in certain areas while cutting services from the vulnerable ie young adults with intellectual disabilities ~ http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/school-leavers-with-intellectual-disabilities-face-crisis-due-to-funding-cuts-1.1504125
I sincerely hope that all countries including our own take in as many refugees from Syria as possible before that strike which seems imminent at this stage!
Is there actually ppl who are saying that innocent ppl including women and children should be left in the middle of a war? I worry for humanity if that’s the attitude of ppl!
Do you seriously come back periodically to check how many thumbs you’re getting?
No flies on conor this morning
Any link for the bid rigging story?
Sorry Rory, it’s not online, only in the paper today.
Thanks for the reply Michelle
No 3. Can’t work back from tax? Oh silly me, that’s what tax avoidance is for!
:)
So Mr Noonan has difficulty taxing the wealthiest in the country but has no problem being part of a government which cuts funding to intellectually disabled children the minute they leave school.
Think our problems pale into significance when you see the heart breaking pictures coming in from Syria , hope the leader,s of the free world get their finger out and do something , the world was shocked at what hitler did and said it would never be allowed to happen again ..
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