Irish Echo May 2017

RORY WEDS

ROSE SEASON BLOOMS

PAGE 11

PAGE 15

McIlroy Ties The Knot At Lavish Mayo Castle Bash

Meet Sydney’s Hopefuls For Coveted Trip To Tralee

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AUST RALI A’ S I RI S H N E WS PA P E R May, 2017 | Volume 30 – Number 5

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Turnbull Bins 457 Many Skilled Irish Workers Dismayed

By Visa Changes SEE PAGE 3

TAOISEACH CAUTIOUS AFTER EU DECLARES NORTHERN IRELAND COULD REJOIN IF IRELAND UNITES

EU’s ‘united Ireland’ play AN EU declaration that Nor thern Ireland could resume EU membership in the event of a united Ireland is “hugely important” but it does not bring a border poll any closer, the Taoiseach has said.

Enda Kenny said the move dispelled any doubt and uncertainty that had been created as a result of the Brexit vote. However, he made clear he does not believe the conditions exist for calling a vote on unity.

Under the terms of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement, an incumbent Northern Ireland Secretary can call a border poll in the region if he or she believes there has been a significant shift in favour of unity.

Mr Kenny pressed for a statement

on the EU’s stance in the event of unification to be attached to the minutes of Saturday’s European Council summit. The request was accepted and the position will be formally adopted at the next council meeting in June. The statement is not par t of the EU Council’s agreed negotiating framework on Brexit. However, it is being interpreted as a major coup for the Irish government.

“Let me be clear, this is not about triggering any mechanism [for a vote],” Mr Kenny said after the summit. “I have been very consistent in my view that the conditions for a referendum do not currently exist. But acknowledging the principle of the potential within the Good Friday Agreement [for unification] is hugely important.”

The statement to the minutes confirms that Northern Ireland would automatically assume the EU membership already held by the Republic of Ireland in the event of unification, rather than having to reapply.

A precedent exists: East Germany became part of the EU after reunification with West Germany.

“The declaration about unity contained in the potential of the Good Friday Agreement is hugely important in order to dispel any doubt or uncertainty,” Mr Kenny said.

“The only new thing here is Brexit and it is important to provide reassurance that it does not undermine any provision of the Good Friday Agreement and that if the provision on unity by peaceful means and by consent, and democratic means is invoked

at some time in the future, EU membership is assured and it is now unanimously accepted by the European Council to endorse that legal base.”

Irish republicans claim Brexit has been a game-changer in respect of public opinion, and cite the recent Stormont Assembly election, in which unionists lost their majority for the first time, as evidence of the required shift in views. Unionists contest this assertion and insist that opposition to Brexit should not be interpreted as support for a united Ireland.

Mr Kenny was in Belgium as speculation about his political future continued at home. He addressed the issue only briefly when he spoke to the media after the summit.

“As for me, I’ll be talking to my party soon,” he said.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny in Brussels.

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A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

news WOULD-BE MIGRANTS WEIGH UP OPTIONS AS AUSTRALIA MAKES PATHWAY TO RESIDENCY MORE DIFFICULT

Skilled workers left in limbo as Turnbull abandons 457 scheme Aoife Grace Moore

MANY skilled young Irish workers in Australia have been plunged into a state of panic and confusion after Prime Minister Malcom Turnbull announced the temporary skilled work visa would be abolished.

There are about 95,000 457 visa holders in Australia, and thousands of Irish have entered the countr y as temporary skilled workers since 1996.

The announcement was made on Facebook Live, with Mr Turnbull saying: “Our reforms will have a simple focus: Australian jobs and Australian values.”

Irish people now on a 457 visa will have their visas “grandfathered”, meaning they will be able to stay under the old requirements.

The number of Irish people granted a 457 visa peaked at just more than 10,000 in 2013. This has since fallen, and a few more than 3,000 visas were granted last year, as the Irish economy climbs out of recession and the imperaitve for emigration lessens.

The Prime Minister said the visa change would attract better skilled workers and mean that Australian-born residents would be employed in preference to foreign workers brought in under the old 457 visa programme.

The new visa will be limited to a two-year period and a second four-year visa will require a higher standard of English competency. Meanwhile, 200 occupations have been removed from the required skills’ list for 457 visas.

“We are an immigration nation, but the fact remains – Australian workers must have priority for Australian jobs,” Mr Turnbull said.

The prime minister has been accused of bowing to polling pressures as the Liberal Party continues to lose voters to the right-wing One Nation party, led by Pauline Hanson.

The biggest industries to be affected by the changes are technology, higher education and the hospitality industry.

Critics have been quick to point out the flaws in Mr Turnbull’s plan.

“The 457 program has become fundamental for Australia’s economic needs and in acting as a feeder for permanent migration,” the Migration Council of Australia’s chief executive, Carla Wilshire, said: The Tourism and Transport Forum says that overseas skilled labour is “vital” to maintain the industry, and the Australian Mines and Metals Association says the 457 program “has worked as intended”.

Soon after the announcement, the Opposition and Labor Party leader, Bill Shor ten, tweeted: “The only job Malcolm Turnbull cares about saving is his own.”

Meanwhile, Australia’s ambassador to Ireland has been reassuring wouldbe skilled migrants that Irish people will continue to be welcome in Australia despite the 457 visa scheme being scrapped.

“We’re always going to welcome people with good skills in areas of our economy from time to time where we need those skills, and Irish people over the years have been excellent migrants to Australia and we would continue to expect them to be welcome,” the ambassador, Richard Andrews, said.

Irish immigration agent John McQuaid of Arrive Australia says his office has been inundated with calls and emails since the announcement.

He said it is “the biggest change to immigration policy in over 10 years”.

“This is a rebranding mechanism.

The 457 visa has been a political football for years,” Mr MacQuaid said.

“They’ve changed the name, and are basically saying there are no more 457s but employer sponsorship is going to continue. So for anyone who has an occupation on the required skills’ list, it’s probably business as usual and you still have the option for permanent residence. What will affect Irish people especially are the 200 occupations that only offer a two-year visa sponsorship, that is no longer a pathway to permanent residency.

“Some people will be able to stay through other means – if they meet an Australian partner for instance – but people are definitely going to have their plans changed.”

In reference to the mood in the Irish community in Australia, Mr McQuaid said the government’s lack of clarity has been an issue for those at a loose end.

“These are the biggest changes to a visa in almost 10 years.

“The prime minister did say that current 457 holders can still apply for permanent residency through grandfathering arrangements. What exactly they are, there’s no hard detail.

“The other big change is dropping the age from 50 to 45 to apply for permanent residency, there are certainly a number of Irish people that could be adversely affected by that.

“People here with their families, they are a smaller number but they will be affected when that change is implemented on July 1.

“Australia will definitely become less attractive to families planning to relocate here.”

“I think most of the main trades, technology, engineers, medical professionals and the like will be unaffected.

It’s the more managerial professional type occupations that will suffer.

“If you’re coming to Australia for a year or two, you should still come, but anything longer, you’ll need to reassess what you want to do long-term to avoid being disappointed.”

Kaitlynn Brady, 26, from Roscommon is one of those skilled workers left in limbo by the changes.

Ms Brady, an accountant working in Melbourne, was in the early stages of her 457 visa application when the Prime Minister’s announcement was made. Her employer had offered to sponsor her for two years: “I was in the process of getting my papers and declarations together when I heard the news. I spoke to my bosses, and they were as clueless as I was about the next steps. I didn’t even know if there was any point in continuing the application, and when I spoke to my immigration agent I couldn’t believe that the changes were due to be implemented the next day.

“I work hard, I pay tax, I’ve done my regional work and I have a successful firm that wants to sponsor me to be here, I think I should be given a fair go to stay in Australia and have the same opportunity others have been given.

The hardest part was the lack of notice.

Within a day the changes were made.

It’s scar y that the government can completely ruin people’s lives and futures within a day.

“I’m still unsure if I’ll be here long term, and no one seems to be able to tell me.”

Irish workers are perplexed by Australia’s new tough language about skilled migration. (Inset) Kaitlynn Brady from Roscommon is an accountant whose future has been thrown into doubt by immigration changes.

CITIZENSHIP CHANGES

NEW ZEALAND

Kiwis tighten Outrage over four-year wait for would-be citizens visa rules Rod McGuirk and staff reporters

AUSTRALIA plans to tighten its citizenship rules to require higher English language skills, longer residency and evidence of integration.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the new citizenship test would reflect “Australian values” instead of the present multiple-choice format.

“This will be good for the applicants, good for the nation, underlining our Australian values at the very heart of Australian citizenship,” he said.

“This is not about administration.

This is about allegiance and commitment to Australian values.”

Budding Australian citizens will have to be competent English language speakers and have been permanent residents for at least four years.

Would-be citizens expressed their dismay with the changes on the Irish Echo’s Facebook page. At present, permanent residents can apply for citizenship one year after being granted residency. They will now have to wait another three years to apply.

“Four years after you become resident is outrageous,” Kim Ní Chuilinn wrote: “Especially considering the time frames for waiting for visas like the spousal visa. Are they considering families at all with Australian and foreign partners?

“The language test – I understand it makes perfect sense but what about the cultural aspects of it how do you

prove that? Produce pictures of you with your Webber and a stubby?” she added.

“Four years after you become a resident is outrageous,” Fearghal O’Neill wrote.

Immigration minister Peter Dutton says there will be more police checks on citizenship applicants and that perpetrators of domestic violence should be disqualified.

Applicants would have to show the steps they had taken to integrate into and contribute to the Australian community.

Examples would include evidence of employment, membership of community organisations and school enrolment for all eligible children, a government statement said.

The public will be able to make submissions until June on how Australian values might be tested before the proposals are approved in parliament.

Activist group GetUp accused the conservative government of adopting the policies of One Nation through the new test.

“It accuses all immigrants of not adhering with some confected notion of Australian values,” GetUp’s Shen Narayanasamy said.

Australia has long had high rates of immigration, with one in four Australians either born overseas or with at least one parent born in another country.

Nick Perry

NEW Zealand is introducing tougher requirements for skilled overseas workers as it tries to control immigration numbers that have hit an all-time high.

New Zealand’s Immigration Minister, Michael Woodhouse, said the government was unapologetic that industries relying on overseas workers are finding it harder to recruit people from abroad.

“We are absolutely committed to the principle of Kiwis first,” he said, adding that it was entirely coincidental that New Zealand announced its tighter visa conditions in the same week as Australia canned the 457 visa scheme.

The changes include new income thresholds. To qualify as skilled, immigrants will need to get a job in which they earn at least the median income ($AU45,000). To qualify as highly skilled, they will need to earn at least 150 per cent of the median income. Another change is change is a three-year limit for those with lower skills. Mr Woodhouse said the changes would control the number and improve the quality of immigrants.It is the second time New Zealand has tightened its immigration rules in the past six months.

In the year ending in February, net immigration reached a record 71,300 people, equivalent to 1.5 per cent of New Zealand’s total population of 4.8 million people. Five years before, net immigration was negative as more people left the country than arrived.

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

news MUSICAL HEAVYWEIGHTS COMBINE FOR NEW IRISH-AUSTRALIAN PERFORMANCE

‘Gem of a show’ unites great talents Aoife Grace Moore

A NEW show celebrating Irish poetry and song unites two great performers, one Irish and one Australian.

Iconic Australian singer-songwriter Paul Kelly and Irish actress and singer Camille O’Sullivan are to pay tribute to the words of W.B. Yeats and other great Irish poets of the last centur y in Ancient Rain.

Ancient Rain will tour Australia from June and features original compositions by a number of musicians, shaped around the poetr y of Irish writing legends. The new musical theatre work pairs Paul Kelly’s lyrics with O’Sullivan’s vocals, and the pair are joined by O’Sullivan’s long-time collaborator, pianist Feargal Murray, with Chris Drummond directing.

Camille O’Sullivan, whose last show in Australia, Changeling, in 2015 featured interpretations of songs by Radiohead, Arcade Fire, Tom Waits and Nick Cave, has performed sold-out solo shows worldwide. She says she feels a real connection to Australian audiences. “[Australians] appreciate that people do come all that way to per form.

They’re very open-minded to all types of music and performances. Some of the shows you see at Adelaide Fringe, you’d never dream of seeing them in Ireland.”

Since then she has guest starred in the Olivier Award-winning La Clique, of which she was an original cast member in London’s West End, and appeared opposite Judi Dench in the Oscar-nominated Mrs Henderson.

A consummate performer, O’Sullivan still very much prefers writing music and singing to being on the stage, citing her early experiences of singing in the Church of Ireland as sparking her interest in music.

“I think I feel the most at ease as a singer. The person I feel most connected to is [singer] Nick Cave – the emotive spiritual quality of sad love songs and the cathartic feeling of loss; that yearning for something. That’s what I enjoy.

“I wouldn’t sing at a party, but I find great solace sharing those songs on

stage in quiet moments. I star ted learning songs in Church of Ireland and I felt very moved by experience of quietness and people singing together.

'Even if I’m acting in a song, you’re always tr ying to find a truth or an authenticity you connect to,” O’Sullivan said.

“Paul and I do a scene in Ancient Rain towards the end, and I can’t stop cr ying ever y time we perform. I’m truly moved by what we’re doing and what we’re singing.”

O’Sullivan says her love storytelling has led to this perfect partnership with Kelly, and the pair bonded over their love of some of poetry’s greats.

“Having been brought up in Ireland it’s very much part of our culture. We don’t think twice if someone recites a poem to us. The great lines, we all know them. We might not know the whole poem in great depth but it’s ingrained in us. When Ireland went through tough times, people turned to this poetry and it held up a mirror to what we were going through.

“It’s interesting that, to Irish people, poetry is salvation to the soul.”

The show is not exclusively for those with a penchant for the literary classics and O’Sullivan is quick to remind audiences that music is still very much at the heart of the show.

“Ancient Rain is a mixture of a music gig, a theatre show and storytelling in song. It’s probably a spitirual aspect, matters of heart and mind, conjuring up ghosts from the past, “If you’re a Paul Kelly fan this is a really exciting thing to see him in. We also have an amazing band performing folk and rock and classical.

“What fascinates me as an Irish person is we’ve had Aboriginal elders who said it related to their lives and their journey. It’s lovely to meet people who are very moved after the show and lets us know we’re doing the right thing. It’s a little gem of a show, I’m very proud of it.”

Ancient Rain will be performed in Hobart (June 9 and 10), Brisbane (June 13) and at the Adelaide Cabaret Festival (June 16).

Paul Kelly and Camille O’Sullican combine artistic forces in Ancient Rain, which tours from June.

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ROSE OF TRALEE

Four hopefuls seek to make trip from Adelaide to Tralee THE South Australian representative for this year’s Rose Of Tralee will be selected next week.

South Australia have narrowed the field down to four finalists from an original eight. They are: Aoife Wright, 22, holds a Bachelor of Architectural Studies and is studying for an interior architecture honours degree, specialising in early childhood educational facilities. Her mother is Donegal-born and her father’s great-grandparents are from Co Clare. Aoife is passionate about design and education and spends her free time drawing, painting and creating.

Ellie McPhee, 25, holds a double Degree in Law and Marketing and is studying for a Masters in Commerce Marketing. Ellie’s grandmother is from Co Meath. Ellie is passionate about history and acting and she has performed in many notable roles in SA theatre productions, her latest role requiring her to speak entirely in French.

Erin Strong, 27 is a swimming instructor and is studying for a Bachelor of Education/Health Sciences degree. Her grandparents are all from Co Fermanagh. Erin is passionate about knitting, sewing and all things craft. Erin competed at the Oceania World Cup in judo in 2010 and has also performed with the Australian Girls’ Choir.

Rachel Verma, 22 is studying for a Bachelor of Physiotherapy and is passionate about being a healthcare provider. Rachel’s mother was born and raised in Portlaoise, Co Laois. Rachel is involved with youth work, loves cooking and is learning Irish and Hindi to learn more about both sides of her cultural heritage.

See Page 15 to meet the Sydney Rose Of Tralee hopefuls.

A U ST R A LI A’ S I R I SH N E WSPA P E R

Telephone: +61 2 9555 9199 Facsimile: +61 2 9555 9186 Postal Address: PO Box 256, Balmain, NSW 2041, Australia E-mail (Admin): mail@irishecho.com.au E-mail (Editorial): editor@irishecho.com.au Web: www.irishecho.com.au The Irish Echo is a national publication published monthly by The Irish Exile P/L Printed by Spot Press Distributed by Network Distribution

The four entrants for this years’ South Australian Rose Of Tralee: (Clockwise from top left) Aoife Wright, 22, Ellie McPhee, 25, Rachel Verma, 22, and Erin Strong, 27.

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May, 2017 I www.irishecho.com.au

St Patrick’s Day to be a bank holiday

AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

‘GO ON BACK TO INDIA’: IRISH WOMAN’S RACIST ABUSE ON TRAIN CAPTURED ON VIDEO

ST Patrick’s Day will become a bank holiday in Britain if a Labour government is elected in June.

Labour government will seek to create four new UK-wide bank holidays on the patron saint’s day of each of the home nations, Jeremy Corbyn has announced.

The Labour leader said the move would bring together England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while giving workers a well-deserved break. Under the plan, it would mean there would be public holidays on St David’s Day (March 1), St Patrick’s Day (March 17), St George’s Day (April 23) and St Andrew’s Day (November 30).

“The four nations that make up our great country have rarely been more divided due to the damaging and divisive policies of this Conservative Government,” Mr Corbyn said.

5,000 homeless across Ireland MORE than 5,000 people were homeless across the country last month and more than 200 were found sleeping rough in Dublin.

Official figures from a headcount on April 4 found 138 people were forced to bed down on the streets of the capital, up a third on last year. Among rough sleepers, men outnumbered women by about four to one.

The monthly report on emergency accommodation also revealed that 3,299 adults and 2,134 children were homeless in March.

Face of Irish racism exposed Ed Carty and Alistair Reid

IRISH Rail chiefs called in Gardai after passengers were racially abused on a train.

The foul-mouthed incident was captured on video, which shows a middle-aged woman repeatedly attacking a group of people on the service from Limerick Colber t station to Limerick Junction on Easter Sunday.

From the footage, it appeared the woman had been angered after a bag was left on a seat.

One of the group can be heard addressing the fair-haired woman as an “old lady” before she launches a tirade of abuse.

“Sorry? What did you call me? Go away and f*** off back to India. F*** off,” she said. “Don’t give me your f****** guff you f****** cheeky prick.

“Well get your bag off the seat. You didn’t pay for four seats.”

An eyewitness who filmed the incident and tried to intervene posted it on Twitter and said the group appeared to be tourists.

“The lady came from behind me and told one of the people in the group [quite rudely] to move one of the shopping bags. It was removed at once and she sat down,” she said.

“The guy then said to her ‘you don’t have to say it like that you can just say please move your bag’. At this she began yelling. I felt bad for them. I spoke up and told her to stop being

rude, but she just yelled back at me about the bag on the seat.”

The witness said the incident lasted for 18 minutes and continued with fur ther insults as the passengers moved off the seats and further down the train.

Other passengers who tried to intervene were also abused.

The woman can be heard shouting: “D’you see you? You’re a disgrace, an absolute disgrace. Go on back to India you c***.

“Don’t f*** with me at all, none of ye. Look at the ugly head on the other fellow, that’s the only reason he’s backing you up, because you’re ugly.

“I’m telling ye, bring it on. Bring it on. I don’t give a f*** about any of ye.”

The witness added: “I recorded on and off for the duration as I didn’t want her or the man with her to see me. Two men tried to stop her, to no avail.”

A spokeswoman for Irish Rail said a customer alerted them to the incident using Twitter.

“It is a shocking and disgraceful incident. Any form of abuse of customers is intolerable, particularly discriminatory abuse,” the spokeswoman said.

Irish Rail said the footage was being sent to gardai and officers appealed for anyone with information to contact Henry Street Station in Limerick.

“The incident will have been deeply upsetting to those who were subject to abuse and those who witnessed it, and we are grateful to the customer who

A phone image of the woman who racially abused Indian rail passengers.

reported it to us and raised awareness of it,” the Irish Rail spokeswoman added.

“Along with Transport for Ireland and other public transport providers, we work with the Immigrant Council of Ireland to counteract racist abuse and encourage repor ting of any instances of abuse suffered by customers or employees.”

The chief executive of the Immigrant

Council of Ireland, Brian Killoran, remarked: “It is harrowing watching this footage of people being aggressively abused because of their ethnic identity.

“Evidence of this nature highlights the need for effective hate crime laws to more robustly tackle such unacceptable behaviour and work t owards eradicating it from our society,” Mr Killoran said.

IRELAND’S WORST MARITIME DISASTER CENTENARY

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SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE William Byrne, founder of the Friends of the Leinster society, at the anchor of the RMS Leinster in Dun Laoghaire, near Dublin. Picture: Neil O’Hagan/PA Wire

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Global search on for victim’s descendants

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“The story should not be omitted from history. It was for too long forgotten, perhaps for political reasons.”

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It went down near the Kish lighthouse after being targeted by the German submarine U-123. In turn, the U-boat sank several days later when it hit a mine in Scapa Flow off Scotland.

Possibly the most significant of those yet to be traced are the descendants of the ship’s captain William Birch, who had homes in both Drumcondra, Dublin and in Holyhead.

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Ed Carty A GLOBAL search is on to find descendants of the passengers and crew of Ireland’s worst maritime disaster in time for the centenary next year.

More than 500 people died when the RMS Leinster was torpedoed in the Irish Sea near Dublin Bay on October 10, 1918, a month and a day from the end of the First World War. There were about 700 people on board, including an unknown number of stowaways.

William Byrne, founder of the Friends of the Leinster group, said: “It’s Ireland’s greatest maritime tragedy. For a start, it’s the worst ever loss of life to occur in the Irish Sea.

“As far as we are aware he was lost at sea and his body was never recovered. We are not certain. But we would like to make contact with his family,” Mr Byrne said.

The commemorative society has also been in contact with German embassy officials in a bid to invite relatives of the naval servicemen on the U-boat.

On board were passengers from Dun Laoghaire and Holyhead, some clergy including one nun who died and Allied troops from the US and Canada as well as Australia and New Zealand.

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A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

news NUNS URGED BY MINISTER TO AGREE DEALS ALLOWING LAWFUL ABORTION AT NEW HOSPITAL

Furore erupts over possible church role in new maternity hospital Ed Carty THE Health Minister, Simon Harris, has called on an order of nuns to agree contracts allowing lawful abortion or contraceptive treatment in the new National Maternity Hospital.

The minister issued the demand to the Sisters of Charity, which owns the land in south Dublin where the new €300 million facility is planned next to St Vincent’s Hospital.

Amid furore over nuns potentially determining clinical care at the hospital and concerns being raised by a respected consultant obstetrician, it is one of three criteria the minister has asked health chiefs to get formal assurances on.

Questions over whether the Sisters of Charity would have ultimate ownership of the public hospital and could profit from it also provoked anger as the congregation has yet to pay €3 million euro in compensation to victims of institutional child abuse.

“I have heard people say that nuns will be running the hospital. Not true,” Mr Harris said. “I have heard that nuns have been gifted the hospital. Not

true. I have heard people talk about nuns and redress. Redress is extremely important and I have previously said that the religious orders must step up to the mark and pay what is long overdue. However, I think it is wrong to conflate redress with the decision to build the desperately needed new maternity hospital.”

The Master of the National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street and a central figure in negotiations with the nuns on securing the St Vincent’s site, Dr Rhona Mahony, gave assurances that medical care at the new hospital will be entirely independent.

The leading medic called for people to “get real” and said contraceptive treatment or abortions, when a woman’s life is at risk, will be carried out at the new hospital.

“At the moment in Holles Street we provide services to women. This includes contraception. We have about five terminations a year, otherwise women would die. This will continue in the new hospital,” Dr Mahony said.

The terms of the deal on the new National Maternity Hospital, which was brokered with the Sisters of Charity

HOSPITAL DEAL ‘A SCANDAL’

Row claims top obstetrician Ed Carty

LEADING obstetrician Peter Boylan has resigned over a controversial deal to give nuns ultimate ownership of the new National Maternity Hospital.

The respected medic (right), a former Master at Holles Street in Dublin, revealed his decision to stand down from the board of the National Mater nity Hospital amid a bitter dispute over the ownership and governance of the facility.

The order of nuns is due to be the ultimate owner of the fully State-funded facility under a complex arrangement between the National Mater nity Hospital and St Vincent’s Hospital Group (SVHG), Dr Boylan, who initially rejected calls to resign, told Pat Kenny on Newstalk that the deal was a scandal.

“I think it’s a scandal that in 2017 that the state is going to gift to a religious organisation a National Maternity Hospital, of all things,” he said. “I really do not think that’s acceptable.

“My view is shared by an enormous number of people in the country.”

last November, were supposed to be confidential. The nuns own the land that it is being built on and it is understood they were not asked to sell the site to the State. About 100,000 people have signed an online petition opposing any role or ownership for the nuns of the new facility.

The minister said the Sisters of Charity were giving very valuable land to the State at no cost.

“Let me be very clear: there will be no financial gain to any religious order from the development of this hospital.

Legal arrangements will be put in place which will 100 per cent protect the State’s investment and interest in the new hospital,” the minister said.

“We need to provide a new National Maternity Hospital. The current buildings are no longer fit for purpose.

“We need to ensure patients attending the National Maternity Hospital have immediate access to theatres, high dependency and intensive care provision in an acute adult hospital, if the need arises. That is what I intend to do, while absolutely protecting public health policy, taxpayers’ money and the State.”

ADMINISTRATORS CALL FOR CALM

Nuns ‘will control’ maternity hospital Ed Carty

Concerns about nuns’ involvement in the ownership of the state-of-the-art facility centre on whether their religious ethos will have any sway over clinical care and specifically if women will be able to have terminations if their life is at risk, IVF treatment, sterilisation or contraceptive care.

There will be nine people on the board of the new hospital: four nominated by SVHG, which is owned by the Sisters of Charity; four nominated by the present National Maternity Hospital, including the Master, and a chairman or chairwoman, who will be an international expert in obstetrics and gynaecology.

THE Catholic Church will not decide on the care of mothers and babies at the new National Maternity Hospital, it has been claimed.

The St Vincent’s Hospital Group (SVHG) said the new €300 million facility will carry out all medical procedures legally available in the Republic.

“Continuing to suggest that procedures currently undertaken at NMH will not be available in the new maternity hospital is entirely false and without foundation,” chairman James Menton said. “Any medical procedure which is in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Ireland will be carried out at the new hospital.”

The Sisters of Charity owns the valuable land at St Vincent’s in Dublin

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A protester vents her anger about the Irish government’s decision to give an order of nuns some control over a new maternity hospital in Dublin.

where the National Maternity Hospital is to be built and the order is the shareholder of the SVHG. Under a complex ar rangement revealed in recent weeks the nuns are due to own the new facility even though it is fully State funded. This sparked concerns over the role the nuns would play in the governance of the hospital and whether they would commit to allowing abortions, contraception or IVF treatment. Ambiguity deepened when Bishop Kevin Doran said that the Sisters would have to obey church law as owners, regardless of how the facility is funded, and that governance rests with the Pope.

The terms of the deal on the new National Maternity Hospital, which was brokered with the Sisters of Charity last November, were supposed

to be confidential. The SVHG chairman Mr Menton described some of the concerns raised as “continued misinformation and untruthful allegations”.

“The primary concern of the board of directors of SVHG and of the char tered tr ust of the National Maternity Hospital (NMH) is the delivery of a modern maternity and neonatal service that is women and infant-centred and which is safe and world-class,” he said.

“The National Maternity Hospital at Elm Park will deliver such a facility for the women of Ireland,” Mr Menton said. He insisted clinical independence will be enshrined in contracts.

It is understood the nuns were not asked to sell the site to the State.

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

ireland CRISIS LOOMING IN NURSING AND TEACHING AS WORKERS MORALE SLIPS

Nurses look abroad for work IRISH nurses and teachers are being lost to the profession through emigration and disaf fection over pay and conditions, new research shows.

Eight out of every 10 student nurses due to qualify this year are considering leaving Ireland to work overseas, a new survey shows.

The figures prove health chiefs are losing the battle to keep newly trained nurses in Irealnd despite promises to of fer all graduates a job, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) claims.

The poll also reveals that seven in every 10 final-year student nurses have already been approached by overseas recruitment agencies, five months before they graduate. Less than a third have been offered permanent or parttime positions in the Irish public health service by the same time.

Of those offered work in the health

service, mostly temporary, almost 60 per cent were still considering a move to the private sector.

The president of the INMO, Martina Harkin-Kelly, warned that the findings confirm a crisis in the recruitment and retention of nurses in Ireland.

“It is clear from this survey that the public health service has again lost, or is losing, the battle to recruit and retain new graduates to overseas employers and, to a lesser extent, the private sector in Ireland,” she said.

The INMO wants nursing students to be offered more incentives to join the public health service, alongside full-time and permanent posts being offered to interns much earlier in their fourth year.

The organisation polled 1,500 nursing and midwifery interns completing their 36-week placement. About 600 responded.

Nearly 80 per cent said they would consider staying in public health ser-

GOA MURDER

YOUNG AND ORANGE – YOUTH PARADE IN DOWN

Brian Hutton

vice “for at least a year” if offered guaranteed permanent contracts.

Pay rises, better working conditions and postgraduate training opportunities were the key factors that would encourage more nurses to take up a public job, the poll found.

Meanwhile, a teachers’ union has warned that a third of new entrants see no long-term future in the job.

The Teachers’ Union of Ireland (TUI), which represents more than 16,000 people in post-primary education, said a survey of recent graduates found 30 per cent believe it is unlikely or ver y unlikely they will be in the profession in 10 years.

Teaching unions are ratcheting up calls for the reintroduction of pay parity. People who qualified after 2011 are paid a lower rate.

The TUI said 81 per cent of teachers who answered their survey said that differentiated pay rates among staff have had a negative or very negative

effect on morale in schools. More than nine out of 10 said bureaucratic duties regularly deflect from their teaching and that their workload has increased significantly in recent years.

“These findings confirm that teachers have experienced a significant increase in workload in recent years,” TUI president Joanne Irwin said. “They also make clear the deeply negative effects that differentiated, discriminatory pay rates are having on morale.

“The scandal of pay inequality has had a deeply negative effect on the profession. At a time when schools are struggling to attract teachers for an increasing number of subjects due to more lucrative options in other employments, the process of pay equalisation requires urgent acceleration.”

The TUI called for the restoration of an allowance paid to teachers who have secured the Higher Diploma or Professional Masters of Education to teach.

Devastated family calls for justice David Young FAMILY and friends of a murdered Irish backpacker have issued an international appeal to help secure justice.

Co Donegal woman Danielle McLaughlin, 28, was raped and killed in Goa, India on March 13. One local man has been charged with her murder but others are suspected of involvement in the brutal killing.

Ms McLaughlin, who was from Buncrana but had lived in Liverpool before travelling overseas, had been celebrating Holi, a Hindu spring festival, in Palolem, a coastal village in Goa. She left the village late at night and her naked body was found in a nearby field the next day with injuries to her head and face.

A spokesman for the Truth for Danielle Campaign said: “We seek truth and justice.”

The campaign has assembled an international legal team, headed by Derry solicitor Des Doherty, to pursue the case.

They urged anyone with potential information to come forward.

“At this time we are especially interested in any mobile phone or cellular device footage that you may have, if you were present in Goa for the Holi Festival in the area of the Festival Valley at Palolem Beach and Collomb Bay on the 13th March 2017, and the days leading up to the 13th March 2017,” the spokesman said.

“We are seeking to identify all potential witnesses from the footage and photographs that so many people have already sent to us.

“If you feel that you can help at all please upload what images or footage you have with date, time and location, identifying any person that you can. Any assistance will be invaluable and much appreciated by Danielle’s family, friends and legal team.”

Anyone with information can email christytduffy@gmail.com

Bird flu ban lifted on free-range poultry HEALTH chiefs have lifted a bird flu

ban which took free-range chickens and eggs off dinner tables around the country.

The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine said it is no longer a legal requirement to confine poultry and other birds under the emergency measures against avian influenza. As a result of the ban, penguins, flamingos and ostriches at Dublin Zoo were temporarily removed from public view.

An indefinite curfew was imposed after a case of the H5N8 strain of bird flu was confirmed in a wigeon, or wild duck, found in Co Wexford late last year.

Cybersecurity firm to create 100 jobs A CYBERSECURITY company says

iot will create 100 jobs at its new headquarters in Dublin.

Tenable said the new roles at its Docklands offices will be filled over the coming two years.

Amit Yoran, chief executive, said the firm chose to locate in Dublin because of its global reputation as a technology hub.

“Tenable is a fast-paced, innovative security company, so it’s only natural we chose Dublin, a city known around the world for its tech talent, as the home of our first international headquarters,” he said.

The online security provider says it has offices in 20 countries and more than 21,000 customers worldwide, including top companies and the public sector.

Children’s hospital hit by delays IT will be another four-and-a-half years

before the new national children’s hospital opens, Health Minister Simon Harris has said.

Originally promised for late 2016 and then for early 2018, delays and dispute over the location at St James’s in Dublin’s south inner city have seen costs balloon by €200 million to €1 billion, reportedly the most expensive paediatric facility in the world.

Mr Harris blamed spiralling price construction costs, a longer than anticipated planning, procurement and approvals process, and the tenders coming in at a higher than forecast price.

Members of the Junior Orange Association of Ireland take part in its annual Easter Tuesday demonstration in Donaghadee, Co Down. Pictures: Niall Carson

Man changed over terrorism funding A WATERFORD resident has been

Irish gays marry later, research shows Ed Carty SAME-SEX couples leave marriage until later in life, research has revealed.

Data on couples in Ireland tying the knot shows the average age of gay men and women taking matrimonial vows is 40 and 41, compared with 35 and 33 for men and women in heterosexual relationships.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) revealed there were 1,056 same-sex marriages last year, the first full year there are figures for, and 606 of those involved men and 450 women.

Some 481 of them took place in Greater Dublin while in Roscommon there were only two.

There were 21,570 marriages of men and women last year, compared

with 22,025 for 2015. The CSO reported that July was the most popular month for heterosexual marriages, while gay couples preferred September.

Sunday is the least popular day for a wedding.

It was also noted that divorce is on the increase. Figures from 2015 showed 3,289 divorces were granted by the courts, up 660 on the number of officially recognised break-ups in the previous year.

Over the past 50 years, the average age of grooms initially fell, from 29 years in 1966 to a low of 26 years in 1977, before gradually increasing to a high of just over 35 and a half last year.

Similarly, the average age of a bride fell from 25 in 1966 to 24 in 1977 and then increased to 33.8 last year.

Religious ceremonies still play a major part in marriage in Ireland, with faith-based weddings accounting for almost two-thirds of all those that took place in 2016.

The CSO said there were 12,140 Catholic marriages; 1,038 ceremonies in the Spiritualist Union of Ireland; 372 in the Church of Ireland and 69 Presbyterian.

Some 1,534 couples had Humanist ceremonies, up almost 200 on the previous year, and civil ceremonies accounted with 6,438 of all marriages.

For same-sex couples, the Central Statistics Office said 80 per cent were civil ceremonies with another 97 performed by the Humanist Association of Ireland and 73 in the Spiritualist Union of Ireland.

charged in Ireland with funding terrorism.

Hasan Bal, 25, who is originally from the UK and had been living in Waterford city, was remanded in custody after a brief hearing at Waterford District Court.

He is charged with providing funds for a terrorist organisation on October 2, 2015 and attempting to provide funds on October 23, 2015.

The court was told Bal made no reply when both charges were put to him by detectives.

Judge Kevin Staunton was told there was no issue when he asked if there were any “language difficulties” with Bal. Bal did not speak and no application was made for bail.

Bal’s solicitor Pat Newell told the court that he was applying for legal aid and that he was reserving his position on a bail application until the case is back before the court.

A woman arrested in Waterford as part of the same investigation, was released without charge.

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A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

northern ireland NEW POWER-SHARING DEADLINE

June election adds delays for Stormont David Young

THE new deadline for forming a powersharing gover nment in Nor ther n Ireland is June 29.

Secretary of State James Brokenshire has introduced legislation at Westminster that will give Stormont’s rowing parties a three-week window to strike a deal after the general election.

The end of June date is now the four th deadline in the deadlocked process, with the previous three having fallen by the wayside becasue of a stalemate between local political leaders. An agreement between the two main par ties – Sinn Féin and the Democratic Unionists – continues to prove elusive.

“Since the Nor ther n Ir eland Assembly election on March 2 our focus has been on re-establishing inclusive, devolved government,” said Mr Brokenshire. “The forthcoming UK general election does not change that.

This Bill will therefore enable an Executive to be formed in the coming days should an agreement be reached.

“However, if an agreement is not possible before the general election, it is right that we provide flexibility for

an incoming government to act in the best interests of Northern Ireland and the space for the parties to conclude a deal.

“This Bill gives the parties the legal authority to convene the Assembly, appoint ministers and get on with the resumption of devolved government at any point up to 29 June. This is what the people of Northern Ireland voted for on March 2 and should remain the focus in the weeks ahead.”

The UK Government’s third deadline of early May was torpedoed by the calling of the snap general election, with all sides at Stormont admitting the chances of compromise were much reduced amid a campaign for votes.

Northern Ireland has been without a devolved government for more than seven weeks, with civil servants now in charge of public spending.

Another snap Assembly poll could still be an option, however, if the parties again fail to reach agreement before the June 29 deadline.

At that point the choice facing the Northern Ireland Secretar y, will be triggering another election or introducing direct rule from Westminster, unless he, or she, opts to set a fifth deadline for negotiations.

CARL FRAMPTON UNVEILS NEW BELFAST MURAL

Boxer Carl Frampton with the new Belfast mural on Hill Street.

Boxer reveals ‘tongue in cheek’ mural David Young STAR boxer Carl Frampton has unveiled a new street mural celebrating his exploits in the ring, and other famous Belfast people and places.

The “Jackal” features on the artwork on Hill Street in the city’s Cathedral Quarter along with a number of landmarks. Well-known UTV continuity

announcer Julian Simmons also makes an appearance, as do the Harland and Wolff shipbuilding cranes, the Albert clock and the Titanic Building.

Frampton, a former world champion in two weight divisions, said he was happy to unveil the mural.

“Everybody knows I love Belfast so to be involved with something that’s really positive in the heart of the town,

it was a no-brainer for me,” he said.

The mural, which was commissioned by drinks brand Harp, was created by artist Dean Kane.

“Belfast has been famous for murals for a long time,” he said.

“This one is a bit different because it’s very tongue in cheek. I hope it cheers people up when they’re dandering along Hill Street.”

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Legal issues stop screening of Loughlinisland film A CONTROVERSIAL documentar y about a mass shooting during the Troubles has been withdrawn from a film festival because of legal issues.

No Stone Unturned, by acclaimed American film-maker Alex Gibney, looks at the Loughlinisland massacre in 1994, when six men were shot and killed in a pub while watching the Republic of Ireland play a World Cup match in the United States.

The film looks at the aftermath of the killing and allegations of collusion between security forces and the loyalist gunmen who carried it out.

The film was due to screen at the prestigious Tribeca Film Festival in New York but had to be withdrawn.

“We are bitterly disappointed that as a result of ongoing legal issues relating to the subject matter of the film, No Stone Unturned is not yet ready to be screened at Tribeca 2017,” producer Trevor Birney of Fine Point Films said.

“No one will feel this disappointment more than the families at the centre of the film, whose quest for justice has been both inspiring and unstinting these last 23 years.

“It is our deepest hope that these sensitive issues can be resolved as soon as possible so that we can share this important film with the world.”

Festival of ficials also released a statement: “We were notified today from the producers of Alex Gibney’s No Stone Unturned that there are outstanding legal issues surrounding the film and they will need to withdraw the documentary from the Festival.

“We are very disappointed that audi-

A scene from Alex Gibney’s film, No Stone Unturned.

ences will not be able to see the film at Tribeca and we know Alex is equally disappointed that his film will not have its world premiere at the Festival.”

Gibney’s film was to have its world premiere at Tribeca on April 23.

The festival described the film thus: “In 1994, six men were gunned down and five wounded in a pub while watching a World Cup soccer match in Loughinisland, Northern Ireland. With a police investigation that was perfunctor y at best, the case remained unsolved. In this non-fiction murder myster y, Academy Award-winning documentarian Alex Gibney reopens the original case to investigate why no culprit was ever brought to justice.”

Gibney won the Documentar y Feature Oscar for his 2007 film Taxi to the Dark Side and was nominated for Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room two years earlier. He also directed Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief.

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

news :: brexit BREXIT HAS RETURNED IRISH UNITY TO POLITICAL AGENDA, SAYS MICHELLE O’NEILL

‘We are entering a defining period in political history’ David Young BREXIT has placed Irish unity back on the political agenda almost a century on from partition, Sinn Féin’s Michelle O’Neill has told her party’s Easter Rising commemoration.

Delivering the annual oration at Glasnevin cemetery in Dublin on the 101st anniversary of the rebellion, the republican party’s Stormont leader said Britain’s departure from the European Union despite a majority in Northern Ireland voting Remain had “changed everything”.

“The Brexit referendum result has swept away many of the previous political assumptions about the constitutional, political and economic status quo in Ireland,” she said.

“Ireland’s political landscape, North and South, will change dramatically and this poses a severe threat to the Good Friday Agreement and the political and economic future of the island.

“This has brought the issue of Irish reunification firmly back on to the political agenda. The people of the North clearly voted to see their future in the European Union in the referendum last

June. Those who voted remain came from all walks of life. They were nationalists, unionists and republicans.

“They did so not because the EU is such a great institution, but because it is in their best interests politically, socially and economically and because they did not want to see any strengthening of the border in Ireland.

“The British government’s reckless Brexit agenda offers nothing to the people of the North who are being dragged out against our will.

“The Brexit referendum was driven by the narrow, right-wing interests of the most hard-line elements of the British Tory party and the far right of Ukip.

These parties have never shown any regard for the North of Ireland or our people.

“Since the referendum, Theresa May and her government have done nothing to indicate this has changed. In fact, they have blatantly ignored the democratic will of the majority of the people of the north.”

“We are entering a defining period in Irish political history. The opportunities for real change are within our grasp,” Ms O’Neill added.

Sinn Féin’s Stormont leader Michelle O’Neill at Glasnevin Cemetery on Easter Sunday: Picture: Brian Lawless

FORMER TAOISEACH SOUNDS ALARM OVER BRITISH MOVE

NON-NATIONALS MAY HAVE TO LEAVE UK

workers may Bruton: Britain may European lose rights after Brexit yet reconsider Brexit David Hughes

Brian Hutton

FORMER Taoiseach and EU ambassador John Bruton has urged Ireland to “do everything we can” to make sure “there is no Brexit”.

Theresa May’s plan for leaving the EU would do incalculable damage to Ireland “politically, emotionally and economically”, the former Taoiseach (pictured) warned.

“We cannot simply wait for this to happen,” he said. “While seeking to mitigate the ef fects of Mrs May’s chosen hard Brexit, we must also do everything we can to ensure that, at the end of the day, there is no Brexit.”

Mr Br uton accused Foreign Secretar y Boris Johnson of having “criminally misled” the UK over the consequences of leaving the EU, before rowing back and tempering his remarks.

“Boris Johnson attempted to simplify the Brexit issue by saying we can have our cake and eat it,” he told a parliamentary committee in Dublin.

“It was a memorable phrase and it

was criminally wrong. It criminally misled – I shouldn’t say criminally, it is not criminally – but it ir responsibly misled the people of Britain.”

Mr Bruton told the special Brexit committee the UK might yet change its mind on leaving the EU, once it fully realises the alternative.

“While I believe it may seem impossibly optimistic today, I believe conditions can be envisaged in which, eventually, the UK voters might decide either not to leave the EU at all, or to decide, after it’s left, to rejoin,” he said.

Ireland should work “to keep that possibility alive”, he added.

He said Dublin should press the other 26 EU countries to put an offer on the table allowing the UK to remain within the bloc when exit negotiations formally conclude in two years. This

would be on the terms that existed in 2015, before the UK renegotiation and without any budgetary rebate.

By this stage, voters may come to realise that Brexit is a lot more unpalatable than they expected, he said.

Mr Bruton said EU leaders would be “reasonably” receptive to the option, despite misgivings over the number of concessions Britain has won from Brussels over the years.

“I want there to be the alternative available, of Britain changing its mind,” said the former EU ambassador to the US. “The UK should be allowed an option to change its mind.

“Just as politicians are allowed to change their mind if they make a mistake, I think the public should be allowed to changed its minds if it made a mistake.”

Mr Bruton said he could envisage the possibility of a second referendum.

“It may well be that the UK has to experience the reality of leaving the EU to realise that the EU isn’t such a bad thing after all to be in.”

‘CHALLENGES’ TO MOVING GOODS ACROSS BORDER

Envoy concedes trade will be difficult Brian Hutton

THERE are “specific challenges” in allowing goods to move freely across the Irish border after Brexit, the British Ambassador to Ireland said.

Robin Barnett suggested the current crossing between Northern Ireland and Ireland could only be maintained by a “bold and ambitious” free-trade deal between London and Brussels.

Before a parliamentary committee in Dublin, the senior diplomat also said arrangements for any border poll on

the reunification of the island are already provided for by the Good Friday Agreement.

“This is an international agreement to which we remain 100 per cent committed,” he said.

Mr Barnett told the European Union Affairs committee there are “specific challenges” to keeping the 310-mile Irish border as seamless and frictionless as possible.

“I think it is clear that the common travel area that pre-dates our membership of the EU and yours is the way

for ward in terms of ensuring free movement of people,” he told TDs and senators on the committee.

“In terms of free movement of goods and related issues, there are challenges. We firmly believe the basis for an effective way forward is a bold and ambitious free-trade agreement between the UK and the EU.” Mr Barnett said the UK wanted a free-trade agreement “greater in scope than anything before” as par t of a future deal on security and economic co-operation.

BREXIT-backing MPs and ministers have been condemned as “disgraceful” for refusing to guarantee the rights of EU citizens in the UK as it emerged almost 200 people working in Parliament face an uncertain future because of their nationality.

Liberal Democrat leader Tim Farron said the Government was happy for parliamentar y staf f to be used as “bargaining chips” in negotiations with Brussels.

Theresa May has said she wants the rights of EU citizens in the UK, and Britons on the continent, to be resolved early in the Brexit negotiations.

But the Prime Minister has resisted pressure to unilaterally offer guarantees to EU citizens, preferring to ensure reciprocal agreements are reached for the Britons living in other member states.

Figures obtained through Freedom of Information requests by Lib Dem London Assembly member Caroline Pidgeon revealed the numbers of parliamentary staff whose status could be affected by Brexit.

There are some 195 EU nationals working in the Commons and Lords, including 35 Irish citizens whose “special status” the Government has vowed to maintain. A further 16 hold EU/non-EU dual nationality status and could potentially be affected.

“MPs who voted for Brexit seem happy to have doors opened for them and be waited on in restaurants in the Palace of Westminster by EU staff, yet they are effectively saying to staff ‘you might have worked here all your adult life, but at any given moment we might send you packing if we are unable to use you as bargaining chips’. That is disgraceful,” Mr Farron said.

“The Government should guarantee the right to remain of all EU citizens and give the people a final say on the Brexit terms. You can’t have a hard Brexit and a fair deal for EU workers.”

Ireland’s ambassador to Britain, Daniel Mulhall.

Ms Pidgeon said it was “simply hypocritical for any MP to vote against EU citizens being guaranteed the right to remain in the UK, and then spend the rest of the evening in a Commons’ bar staffed by EU citizens”.

Meanwhile, Ireland’s ambassador to the UK, Daniel Mulhall, said he felt “sadness and regret” about Brexit, which marks a “new and uncertain chapter in Irish-UK relations”.

“I accept, of course, that a decision has been made by a referendum,” he wrote in a blog. “As an independent country, the UK is fully entitled to leave the EU. Ireland and our remaining EU partners must seek to make the best of this new situation, however regrettable it might seem to us.

“It is, in my view, unfortunate that the UK is set to unravel itself from more than 40 years of economic and political interaction with its fellow European nations, which has created such a positive legacy of peace and prosperity,” Mr Mulhall added.

“We hope that this will ultimately work out well for the UK and the EU, but there is no doubt that this will demand some skilled negotiating and a will to seek compromise solutions if we are to reconcile our respective sets of interests and aspirations.”

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A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

ireland New jobs boost for food, tech sectors SEVERAL hundred jobs are to be

created in expansions by a global software firm and a homegrown healthy option takeaway chain.

Citrix is taking on 150 staff at its Dublin office in East Point Business Park as it centralises sales activities to support the company’s transition to a cloud model. Most of the jobs will be in sales and technical support.

Meanwhile, the Chopped fast food chain is to create 320 jobs in Ireland.

It is also hoping to expand in the UK, with six stores due to open next year and more than 100 staff to be taken on. The business, which offers healthier takeaway meals including salads, wraps, sandwiches and soups, is to double the number of outlets it has in Ireland to 40.

Elderly shunning public transport JUST one in 10 older people rely on public transport to get around, research on Ireland’s ageing population has revealed.

The study found a third of free travel pass-holders in Greater Dublin use state-run bus and rail services while the figure falls to 10 per cent in other towns and cities and to as low as 3 per cent for people in more remote areas.

The Irish Longitudinal Study on Ageing (Tilda), based at Trinity College, warned of serious levels of dissatisfaction with public transport with more than half of the over-50s surveyed rating the options in their area as poor or very poor.

Their biggest complaints were about limited bus routes or threatened closure of existing routes, inconvenient schedules and low frequency of services.

Two charged over death of Irishman TWO men have been charged in

connection with the death of a 20-year-old man in Manchester.

Dylan Crawford, (pictured), was reportedly found unconscious in the city centre and was later taken to Manchester Royal Infirmary.

A post-mortem examination was inconclusive as inquiries continue to establish the cause of death of Mr Crawford, from Co Donegal.

On Saturday a spokeswoman for Greater Manchester Police said: “Two men have been charged in connection with the investigation into the death of Dylan Crawford.”

Ireland repays £358 million of UK loan THE UK has now been paid £358 million in interest by Ireland following a crisis loan it gave to the country in 2010.

A total of £3.2 billion was lent by the UK to the Republic as part of an international rescue package of the country’s collapsing economy.

The latest report from the Treasury says Ireland has now paid the UK £358 million in interest since 2011.

Since June 2014 the UK has received an interest payment of about £42 million every six months.

It will be March 2021 before the bilateral loan’s term is up. “The Government agreed to provide a bilateral loan to Ireland because it is in the UK’s national interest that Ireland has a successful economy and a stable banking system,” the report said.

PROPERTY PRICES JUMP BY ALMOST 20 PER CENT IN PARTS OF WESTERN IRELAND

Housing market boils again PROPERTY prices are rising fastest in the west of Ireland, official figures have revealed.

In the year to the end of February the market in Dublin was up just over 8 per cent but in parts of the west, which includes Galway, Roscommon and Mayo, the prices increased almost 20 per cent.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) said there is no data to fully explain the huge jump but a spokesman added that it could be partly explained by the region experiencing growing demand after lagging behind the recovery in the capital.

Overall the property market is about 30 per cent below where it was when the crash hit in 2007. And the Institute of Professional Auctioneers & Valuers said prices will continue to rise until supply starts to increase.

“There are only a few large operators

building residential in Dublin city,” IPAV chief executive Pat Davitt said.

“This lack of competition is fuelling price growth and also dictating a tendency to build in areas that can command higher prices.”

Mr Davitt said the big impediments to house building included a lack of knowledge in government of the true cost of construction, the inability of smaller builders and developers to access finance and at reasonable interest rates, a lack of competition in the lending market, mor tgage lending rules and a risk-averse attitude among lenders.

The housing market repor t was released amid concer ns that Department of Housing data on house completions is inaccurate.

It recorded that 14,932 homes were finished for the market last year but experts warned that might include homes that have been empty for two years and require a reconnection to the

EMISSIONS

GOLF STAR TIES THE KNOT AT ASHFORD CASTLE

Ed Carty

electricity network. Sinn Féin’s housing spokesman Eoin O Broin said the Gover nment’s numbers could be inflated by as much as 50 per cent.

“If the Minster for Housing [Simon Coveney] genuinely wants to reach his target of 25,000 new homes by 2021, he has a duty to publish the most accurate housing completion figures he can. The department must publish accurate quarterly completion figures in order to assess its true progress towards reaching this target,” he said.

The CSO report revealed 37,294 homes were bought in the 12 months to end of February.

A quarter of them were by first-time buyers and 23 per cent were by people or investors who will not be living in them. The data also showed that the average price paid for a home in Dublin in the year to February was €398,319 while the cheapest was Longford, with a median of €87,584.

Davy Stockbrokers said house price

inflation was on track for double digit growth this year.

“There is now little doubt that the loosening of the Central Bank mortgage lending rules and the Help-to-Buy scheme have added impetus to Irish house price inflation,” the repor t added.

Meanwhile, there were almost 250,000 homes lying empty on Census night last year.

Amid an unprecedented crisis in homelessness, the Central Statistics Office said it counted 183,312 vacant houses and apartments on April 24, 2016. It also recorded 62,148 holiday homes with no one living in them.

The CSO report also revealed the scale of issues in the rental market with the number of households paying at least €300 a week to private landlords shooting up by 166 per cent to 48,933.

The average weekly rent around census time was €199.92, up from €171.19 in 2011.

Ireland to fall short of 2020 green target Ed Carty IRELAND will miss its targets to slash greenhouse emissions by 2020 with the Government’s environmental and energy policies.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is forecasting that the Republic will only cut the release of harmful gases by between 4 per cent and 6 per cent of 2005 levels. The target is 20 per cent.

EPA director general Laura Burke said the forecasts are disappointing and Government policies to reduce emissions and meet compliance obligations are failing.

“In addition, Ireland has a national policy position that commits us to reducing our carbon emissions by at least 80 per cent compared to 1990 levels by 2050 across the electricity generation, built environment and transport sectors while achieving carbon neutrality in the agriculture and land use sectors,” she said.

The EPA said the majority of Ireland’s non-Emissions Trading Scheme gases in 2020 will be from agriculture at 45 per cent and transport at 29 per cent.

From 2015 to 2020, farming emissions are forecast to increase by up to 5 per cent while transport emissions are projected to show strong growth over the same period.

The EPA warned that new obligations for Ireland to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from 2021 to 2030 are expected to be agreed by the European Union next year. The further away Ireland is from the 20 per cent reduction target in 2020, the more difficult the compliance challenges in the following decade are likely to become, it said.

The Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten, said the report is a stark picture of the challenges facing Ireland.

“It is clear that there are no easy options to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions on the scale required in the coming decades. Though not unexpected, given the welcome return to economic growth in Ireland, it nevertheless serves to further reinforce the difficult decisions ahead of us.”

The sprawling estate at Ashford Castle in Co Mayo which played host to the wedding of golf star Rory McIlroy and his wife Erica Stoll last week.

Rory weds partner at star-studded bash Ed Carty SECURITY was tight and the rumour mill in full drive for the wedding of golf star Rory McIlroy and his sweetheart Erica Stoll in the west of Ireland.

As helicopters and blacked out cars and SUVs ferried guests to the 13th century Ashford Castle, a steady stream of locals and tourists traipsed up to the gates in forlorn hope of a sneak peek. Sadly the four-time major winner’s representatives insisted the celebrations were a private event and there would be no photos, at least not on the day.

Behind the four-metre walls a lavish ceremony was reputedly laid on, including a massive fireworks display, while a more down-to-earth touch came as a photo booth was brought into the historic venue for guests to create their own memento. And to avoid any unwanted intrusion past the gatekeepers, the organisers went as far as to bring in anti-drone experts and put security teams on boats on Lough Corrib.

Rumour abounded that soul legend Stevie Wonder, spotted in Galway city the day before, had been flown in to

provide the entertainment. Adding fuel to the fire was Thomas Ryan, a local butcher in nearby Cong, Co Mayo, who reportedly heard the star playing at the castle while he was out fishing.

The guest list was said to include the likes of Niall Horan of One Direction and recent US Masters winner Sergio Garcia, who made the trip along with Ryder Cup player Martin Kaymer and captain Paul McGinley. Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry were also reportedly part of the celebrations.

Racehorse owner JP McManus was on the list with his wife Noreen and there was much talk of a possible flying visit from Ed Sheeran, if he could get offstage in Manchester early enough.

McIlroy, from Holywood, Co Down, revealed in a recent interview that he was friends with 29-year-old New Yorker Ms Stoll before their romance blossomed.

The pair met while she worked for the US PGA and lived in Palm Beach, Florida.

The wedding venue, an exclusive 350-acre estate, is no stranger to stars from as far back as the 1950s when it was the setting for screen classic The

Quiet Man starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara.

The village of Cong thrives on its connections to the film and big names visiting Ashford like Ronald Reagan and Pierce Brosnan.

Two Belgian tourists, in Ireland to run the Connemara marathon and oblivious to the big event, turned into the gates of the estate hoping for a look at the castle, not the wedding. Marc Rassart and his wife Kristel Bloemers are not golf fans and were not even sure they would recognise McIlroy.

“We are not fans of golf but I am a fan of castles,” Mr Rassart said. “We stopped for a look at the castle and my wife wanted to take a photo, but no.”

Ashford Castle can be rented for about €100,000 a day at this time of year and it has been in lockdown for several days.

Local Judy Percy, originally from New Zealand but living in Tuam, who regularly walks her lively Weimaraner Oscar around the grounds was disappointed she couldn’t access the site.

“I came to walk my dog and couldn’t.

Not today unfortunately, I picked the wrong day,” she said.

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

MICHAELA MCAREAVEY’S WIDOWER OFFERS REWARD TO HELP CATCH KILLER

Family offers €50k reward to help find Michaela’s killer David Young THE widower of murdered honey mooner Michaela McAreavey has offered a €50,000 reward for help catching his wife’s killer.

John McAreavey returned to Mauritius, where his new bride was strangled to make an emotional public appeal for help. He said he felt betrayed by the justice authorities on the holiday island, accusing them of inaction in the stalled investigation.

Mrs McAreavey, a 27-year-old teacher who was the only daughter of Tyrone Gaelic football manager Mickey Harte, was killed in her room in a luxury resort hotel in 2011. Two former hotel workers were acquitted of the crime after a high-profile trial in 2012.

Mr McAreavey, who has since remarried, said his quest for justice would not end until those responsible were brought to justice.

“Over the past six-and-a-half years our resolve to win justice for Michaela remains undiminished,” he said.

“We believe we have given the Mauritian authorities every chance to deliver on their very public promise that justice would be done.

“However, until this visit the reality falls far short of that and as the years have passed it appears that the unofficial policy has become one of ‘out of sight, out of mind.’

“But we have no intention of just slipping out of mind or sight. Michaela deserves justice and we intend to get it. We should not have needed to make this very painful return journey.

“Put quite bluntly, we have felt let down time and time again, and, indeed, feel betrayed by a process that has failed us and Michaela.”

The reward will be paid to anyone who provides information that leads to the successful prosecution of the killer or killers. Mr McAreavey was accompanied by his sister Claire and Mrs McAreavey’s brother Mark as he addressed the media in the Mauritian capital of Port Louis. He met police chiefs and Mauritian Prime Minister Pravind Jugnauth on the visit.

“Today we take some comfort from the assurances given by the Prime Minister that Michaela will get justice, but to achieve that we need the help of those who may know something, but have not yet come forward for whatever reason,” he said.

John McAreavey in Mauritius last month and (inset) on his wedding day with murdered wife Michaela in 2011.

CITIZENS ASSEMBLY STRONGLY BACKS ABORTION CHANGES

Abortion should be allowed, says forum Ed Carty

A SPECIAL committee set up to deliberate on Ireland’s abortion regime has made a landmark call for the procedure to be allowed without restriction.

The Citizens’ Assembly, a randomly selected group of 99 members of the public and chaired by Supreme Court Judge Mary Laffoy, voted in favour of terminations in cases of rape, foetal abnormalities including non-fatal conditions, a risk to the mother’s health and for socioeconomic reasons.

The committee also called for no distinction to be drawn between the woman’s health issue being physical or mental.

Judge Laffoy will include the results in a report being submitted to the Dáil in late June with an onus on politicians to introduce new laws.

“The recommendations you have made certainly have called for a change to the status quo,” she said.

Judge Laffoy offered a special note of thanks to women who came to the meetings to give personal evidence about how they were af fected by abortion laws. She also said her report would include “dissenting voices”.

At the hear t of the Citizens Assembly’s work was an examination of the eighth amendment to the Republic’s Constitution which gives equal right to life to the mother and to the unborn child. If politicians accept the recommendations a constitutional referendum will be needed to determine any reform.

The assembly members initially voted to replace or amend Ar ticle 40.3.3 of the Constitution and then called for it to be changed to a provision explicitly authorising the Dáil to address termination of pregnancy, any rights of the unborn and any rights of the pregnant woman.

In a series of subsequent ballots the assembly set out its support for funda-

Judge Mary Laffoy and Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin.

mental liberalisation of Ireland’s strict regime on abortion.

Some 78 per cent were in favour of allowing abortion if a woman’s health was at risk from the pregnancy, 89 per cent in cases of rape and fatal foetal abnormality, 80 per cent in cases of non-fatal foetal abnormality and 72 per cent in favour of allowing the procedure if a woman wishes to express socioeconomic reasons.

More than 3,400 women gave Irish addresses while attending abortion clinics in Britain in 2015.

“I will leave it for others to parse the immediate significance of these recommendations but it is important to acknowledge the work of the members since this process began,” Judge Laffoy said. “They have engaged with some of the most complex pieces of legislation, immersed themselves in medical and ethical discourse, and listened with respect to the voices and opinions of others.”

Since 2014, a pregnancy can be terminated under the Protection Of Life During Pregnancy Act if there is a risk to a woman’s life, including from suicide. The procedure can involve a medical or surgical termination or an

early deliver y by induction or Caesarean section to deliver the baby.

But there are growing campaigns for women to be allowed access to abortion if their unborn child is diagnosed with a fatal foetal abnormality or in cases of rape and incest.

Figures from the Health Ser vice Executive showed 26 terminations were carried out under the legislation in 2014 and the same number again in 2015. In both years, 14 arose from a risk to the life of the mother from physical illness, three in relation to suicide and nine following emergencies arising from physical illness.

As the results were announced, Ireland’s most senior Catholic cleric, Archbishop of Armagh Eamon Martin, gave a homily at Knock Shrine opposing any constitutional change.

“Demands to quash and abolish this amendment go against the good news that the life of every person is sacred and inviolable, irrespective of the stage or state of that life, from the first moment of conception until the moment of natural death,” he said.

“To deliberately and intentionally take the life of an innocent person ... is always gravely morally wrong.”

2016 CENSUS

Fewer foreigners as Census reveals changing Ireland Ed Carty

IRELAND is a country with older and less religious people and more divorcees, migrants and Travellers, initial results from Census 2016 show.

The population stood at 4,761,865 on April 24 last year with the average age increasing by more than a year to 37.4.

The survey of every home in the country also showed the number of women over 65 jumped significantly to 340,730 between 2011 and 2016, while there are now 296,837 men in the pension bracket.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) said there was a slight fall in the number of non-Irish people living in Ireland to 535,475, just over 11 per cent of the population. It is the first time this number has fallen since the question was first asked in 2002.

The report also revealed a surge in people seeking Irish passports with the number of people recorded as having dual nationality more than doubling in the five years to 2016, to 104,784.

Elsewhere, the average number of children in a family is unchanged at 1.38 and there are 218,817 single parent families, 86 per cent of which are headed by women.

Same-sex civil partnerships were counted for the first time last year and 4,226 people confirmed they had tied the knot. But in total there were 6,034 same sex couples, 6,884 men and 5,184 women. Also on the relationship front, the census recorded 103,895 divorcees in the country.

The data is the first release of information given by the people of Ireland on April 24 last year and another 13 reports based on what was in the forms are to be published this year.

CSO senior statistician Deirdre Cullen said there would be a focus on housing, the homeless, religion, disability and carers.

“This could not have been achieved without the civic-minded participation of the Irish public, and the commitment and dedication of all of the census staff, and I want to thank all concerned,” she said. “The results will provide us with

Key Points Eleven per cent of Irish residents were born overseas.

Ireland now has more than 100,000 divorcees.

Over 78 per cent of the population describe themselves as Catholic, down from 84 per cent five years ago.

a greater insight and understanding of Ireland today.”

One of the most dramatic changes over the five years from the last census is that 468,400 people now class themselves as having no religion.

In 2011 the number was 269,800, with the CSO stating that there has been a 73 per cent increase and now just short of 10 per cent of the population do not subscribe to any faith.

The number of Catholics fell to 3,729,100 and they make up 78 per cent of the population compared with 84 per cent five years earlier. There were 126,400 Church of Ireland subscribers, 63,400 Muslims, 62,200 Or thodox, 37,400 Christians, 24,200 Presbyterians and 14,300 Hindus.

In terms of ethnicity there was a slight fall in the number of people who identify as Black Irish or Black African to 57,850.

There are 30,987 Travellers living in Ireland, 5 per cent up on 2011, with Longford seeing a 41 per cent increase and Roscommon a 30 per cent rise.

There was a 9 per cent increase in the number of people identifying as ethnically Chinese to 19,447.

The CSO said the number of migrants rose by 43,636 to 810,406.

In the 12 months before census night 82,346 people moved to Ireland – 28,143 of whom were Irish citizens with the main countries of origin being the UK, Australia and the US. Of the non-Irish migrants most came from the UK, Brazil and Poland, the census reported.

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A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

news EX-JUSTICE MINISTER ALAN SHATTER ACCUSES ENDA KENNY OF CLINGING TO POWER

Kenny’s long goodbye draws ire David Young

FORMER justice minister Alan Shatter has criticised Taoiseach Enda Kenny, accusing him of losing his moral compass in a desire to cling to power.

In a scathing attack on his Fine Gael leader, Mr Shatter claimed Mr Kenny was placing self-preservation above the needs of the country.

“Enda Kenny has only one strategy – continuing political survival and to remain Taoiseach and in government for as long as possible. R “Retention of power is the only game in town,” said Mr Shatter. “Principle, values, fiscal and economic objectives, social priorities, concepts of public service and of the public good or the long-term political health of the Fine Gael party, have long ceased to be his primary focus.

Torso linked to murdered rapist

“For the Taoiseach, doing what is right for the country has come to mean doing what is required to politically survive and remain Taoiseach for as long as he can string it out.”

Mr Shatter resigned from Mr Kenny’s government in 2014 amid criticism of his handling of allegations made by Garda whistleblower Maurice McCabe. Last year he successfully challenged in the Court of Appeal how some adverse findings made against him in an official report by Sean Guerin SC were reached, but not before he lost his Dáil seat in the 2016 election.

He denied his opinion piece in the Sunday Independent was motivated by a “chip on the shoulder”.

In Februar y, the Taoiseach told members of Fine Gael he would address his future “effectively and conclusively” upon his return from his

annual St Patrick’s trip to the United States in March.

Mr Kenny, who has been Taoiseach since 2011, had been under pressure to set a timetable for his departure following a poor showing in last year’s election and subsequent criticism of his handling of a number of recent political controversies, including the McCabe affair.

He has yet to make a public statement on his plans, claiming in the US that his retirement would take a back seat until political instability in Northern Ireland was resolved and the European Union’s negotiating position on Brexit was established.

There is an expectation that he could set out a timetable when he addresses Fine Gael members after the next EU Council meeting at the end of the month.

Mr Kenny is now the longest serving Fine Gael taoiseach, eclipsing the record held by John A Costello.

Mr Shatter said the chain of events was “comical”, claiming that every time a potential departure date approached, something new was identified to prolong the Taoiseach’s tenure in office.

“There is no moral compass by which the actions or pronouncements of the Taoiseach are presently guided,” he added.

The one-time close colleague of Mr Kenny accused him of running Fine Gael like a “semi-secret society” and claimed there was “something rotten at the heart of the party”.

He said Fine Gael was facing the prospect of a return to the opposition benches after the next general election unless things changed. A spokesman for Mr Kenny declined to comment

HANGING IN: Taoiseach Enda Kenny has yet to reveal retirement plans.

CENTRAL BANK TAKES OVER WHAT WOULD HAVE BEEN ANGLO-IRISH HQ

DETECTIVES digging in a Dublin park for the remains of a convicted rapist who vanished over six years ago have found a human torso.

An excavation of a site in Tolka Valley Park in Finglas began at the start of April as part of an investigation into the death and disappearance of James Nolan.

An arm, forensically identified as that of Nolan, was discovered on Dublin’s Dollymount Beach in 2011.

Nolan, from Dublin, had previously served 14 years in jail for rape and false imprisonment.

Vandals throw paint at Rising monument A memorial listing the names of

those who died during the Easter Rising has been vandalised.

Paint was thrown at the Necrology Wall at Dublin’s Glasnevin Cemetery, which was unveiled as part of the 1916 centenary commemoration.

“This was an act of callous vandalism,” the Glasnevin Trust said.

The names of the 488 people, including rebels and civilians, alongside members of the British Army, Dublin Metropolitan Police and Royal Irish Constabulary, are engraved on the wall.

Gardaí secretly taped phone calls GARDAÍ are unlawfully in possession

of countless recordings of telephone calls spanning decades, some of which contain sensitive details of people’s private lives, a State inquiry has found.

The secret taping of nonemergency phone calls at 22 Garda stations country-wide violated the rights of citizens under the Constitution and the European Convention on Human Rights Act, it further concluded.

The Fennelly Commission, set up to investigate the phone recording scandal, claimed the system was operating without the knowledge of the force’s top brass.

The debacle stemmed back to a “crucial misunderstanding” of technical jargon by a Chief Superintendent in 1996, who unwittingly gave the go-ahead for non-999 calls to be recorded.

Labour leader Brendan Howlin said the operation of an “unsanctioned ... recording system” under the noses of Garda management was “bizarre”.

The new headquarters of the Central Bank have been officially opened in Dublin’s docklands.

The new premises at North Wall Quay will house the regulator following the relocation from Dame Street, which has been under way for the past number of months. The Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, attended the inauguration of the building along with Central Bank Governor Philip Lane (right). The docklands site house was once earmarked as a future premises of Anglo Irish Bank before the lender’s collapse in 2010.

PROPOSED DRINK-DRIVE BAN ‘WOULD NOT SAVE A SINGLE LIFE’

Minister proposes complete road ban for drink drivers Brian Hutton

A PROPOSED blanket ban for drinkdrivers would not save a single life on the roads, publicans have claimed.

Padraig Cribben, of the Vintners Federation of Ireland (VFI), has told a parliamentary committee a report on road deaths in recent years shows no evidence that alcohol was solely to blame. Referring to a study by the Road Safety Authority of drink-related accidents between 2008 and 2012, he said it states alcohol was a “contributory factor” in 38 per cent of road deaths.

But he said other factors included speed, drugs, dark clothing, dangerous behaviour, fatigue and distraction.

“What we have in this report ... is evidence of a presence of alcohol but no evidence that alcohol was the actual cause of the accident,” he told the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport, Tourism and Sport. “They are two very different things.”

At present, drivers caught with between 50mg and 80mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood will get three penalty points and a €200 fine for their first offence.

Transpor t Minister Shane Ross wants to see harsher punishment for these levels, including a mandatory driving ban. The measures would save 35 lives over five years, he has claimed.

But Mr Cribben insisted there is no

evidence to support the proposal. “We do not believe it would in actual fact contribute to saving one life,” he told TDs and senators.

The VFI chief blamed an increase in road deaths over recent years on more traffic on the roads along with a corresponding “significant reduction” in Garda checkpoints.

The current penalties for drinkdriving are appropriate and what is needed, rather than new legislation, is enforcement of the existing laws, he told the Oireachtas committee.

“I travel 25,000 to 30,000 miles a year.

I have done so probably for 40 years now, which is the guts of a million miles,” he said. “I can say I have never

been breathalysed.” Mr Cribben said the VFI is clearly on record as saying that the “full rigours of the law” should be brought to bear on drink driving offenders.

However, he added: “We need to try to take the emotion out of this discussion and look at it as objectively as possible on the basis of evidence available.”

Meanwhile, it has emerged that the Gardai’s new roadside drug testing kits may not work in cold weather.

The Medical Bureau of Road Safety confirmed the device is not guaranteed to work when below 5C. The machines are designed to detect illicit drugs such as cannabis, cocaine and heroin.

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

Changes to 457 sponsorships VISA-BILITY YOUR IMMIGRATION QUESTIONS ANSWERED...

Co Antrim native and registered migration agent John McQuaid provides a uniquely Irish perspective on current visa and migration issues.

Dear John,

DEAR GALE & BRIAN,

My partner and I are in Sydney on working holiday visas taht expire soon.

We have both been offered sponsorship by our employers. I am a hairdresser and Brian is an electrician. We read last week that the 457 visa system is changing. We are now very confused.

ON 19 April 2017, the government announced wide-ranging changes to employer sponsorship visas.

Essentially what is happening, is that the 457 visa will be replaced with a two tier sponsorship system.

Two new skilled occupation lists have been issued. Your options will depend on which list your occupation sits under.

The main hot list is the Medium – Long Term Strategic List (MLTSSL). This has about 200 occupations.

See www.border.gov.au/Trav/Work/ Work/Skills-assessment-and-assessingauthorities/skilled-occupations-lists/ mltssl If your occupation is on this list, you can still be sponsored for a four-year temporary visa and will have a pathway to a permanent visa.

The good news is that electricians are on this list, as are most of the main trades, medical, accounting teaching and many engineering occupations.

The second list is the Short Term Skilled Occupation List (STSOL). If your occupation is on this list, you can only get a two-year sponsored visa but will have an option to renew it for a further two years.

However, there will not be a pathway to permanent residence for these occupations.

Hairdresser is on this shortlist, so only a two-year visa is available now.

Can we go ahead with our sponsorships?

What are our options?

Thanks,

Send your immigration questions to John at

visability@irishecho.com.au

Gale and Brian

This Migration Column is intended to provide general information on migration issues and does not constitute legal or migration advice. While all care is taken, no responsibility is accepted by the Irish Echo or John McQuaid for the accuracy of material in the column.

People seeking advice on migration law should seek advice from a registered migration agent.

2003 1988

2018 30th

But, as a couple, only one of you needs to be sponsored, so going with the electrician option makes the best sense.

As part of all the changes the total number of eligible occupations have been reduced from about 600 to some 400 occupations.

However, the majority of removed occupations were very obscure and little used. Shoemaker and zookeeper are two examples.

“The total number of

eligible occupations has been reduced from about 600 to some 400 occupations.

”

There will inevitably be some people who will miss out on sponsorship if their occupations are no longer available.

Some of the common ones that were removed are sales representative, construction estimator and web developer.

From 1 July 2017, all 457-sponsored visa applicants will need to provide police checks as part of the application.

We can assume that this will be applied to any application in process as at 1 July, so best to plan ahead here.

From March 2018,a new requirement for a sponsored visa of a minimum work experience of two years will be introduced. This could cause problems for recent graduates.

And from March 2018 the transition pathway to a permanent visa will need three years on a sponsored visa instead of the current two years Although the new requirement of a minimum work experience of two years could cause problems for recent graduates, I hear that the education industry is making submissions to government for exemptions.

For anyone currently on a 457 visa, the Prime Minster announced there will be so-called “grandfathering arrangements” to allow current visa holders to apply for permanent residence through employer nomination.

The exact arrangements are yet to be announced and will be of great importance to anyone on a 457 visa in an occupation that is now on the STSOL or a removed occupation.

For anyone that has a 457 application lodged in a removed occupation, the Department of Immigration is saying their visa application will not be approved.

Anyne who is not entirely clear on their options should seek professional advice from an experienced registered migration agent before lodging or withdrawing a visa application.

Find an agent: mia.org.au

Be a part of the Irish Echo’s future.

ANNIVERSARY

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While the Irish Echo is predominantly

Irish Australia since 1988.

a media business, opportunities exist

In 2018, we will celebrate three decades

to expand into exciting sectors like:

of telling Irish Australian stories.

• Travel and hospitality

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Irish

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SYDNEY ROSE OF TRALEE ENTRANTS 2017

Aisling Walsh

Cailey McCarthy

Emily Gorry

Aisling, 27, is a registered nurse from Co Kerry. She has been living in Sydney for four years and hopes to become a permanent resident this year. She loves keeping fit and has a great love for Irish music.

Cailey, 19, is a university student who was born and raised in Australia. She lives on the Central Coast. Her grandparents are from Co Cork. Cailey is studying or a Bachelor of event management.

Emily, 23, grew up in Sydney’s western suburbs. Her grandfather lived in Co Westmeath before migrating to Sydney in 1953. Emily is in her final year of law school and volunteers at local legal centres.

Isabella Kearney-Nurse

Joanne Cunney

Laura McLarnon

Isabella, 25, is a singer-songwriter living in Sydney’s Inner West.

Isabella is professional musician and has recently performed in New York and Nashville. She advocates for refugees’ rights.

Joanne Cunney, 22, is a primary school teacher living in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. She was born in Sydney to Irish parents from West Cork and is a very passionate South Sydney Rabbitohs’ supporter.

Laura, 26, is an Irish and history teacher from Dingle, Co Kerry and has been living in Sydney for 3½ years. She is a special needs’ teacher in a school for autistic children in Randwick.

Leah Sheridan

Michelle Haughney

Miriam McMahon

Rachel Gallagher

Leah, 26, is a Galway woman living in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs. She has been living in Australia for more than four years but still calls Ireland home. She is an office manager for an organic skincare company. She enjoys running, fashion and spending time with friends and family.

Michelle, 27, is a secondary schoolteacher living in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. She came to Australia from Cork in 2013. Michelle prides herself on being a role model to her students.

She is happiest in the water and loves to swim in the ocean and paddle board on lakes.

Miriam is an Irish nurse and Gaelic football enthusiast living in Sydney. Born in Co Offaly, she came to Australia in 2016. Miriam is an experienced oncology nurse who is sponsored by a nursing agency in Sydney. She plays Gaelic football with the Cormac McAnallens club.

Rachel, 23, is a postgraduate education student from Sydney’s Northern Beaches whose ancestors hail from Co Clare. She is is a competitive Irish dancer, a member of the Irish fusion troupe Cross Rhythm Dance Company, and plays the bodhrán.

Sinéad Carroll

Sinéad McGee

Valerie Gould

Vanessa Lynch

Sinéad, 27, is a radiation oncology nurse from Cork, who moved to Sydney two years ago. She has a keen interest in sport, having played ladies football at county level, and is now involved with a local Sydney team. Sinéad has a soft spot for animals and advocates for animal shelters.

Sinéad was born and raised in Gaoth Dobhair, in the heart of the Donegal Gaeltacht. She works as an accountant in North Sydney and lives in Coogee. Sinéad has volunteered with The Kennedy School of Irish Dancing and the Sydney St Patricks Day Committee. She loves to run.

Valerie, 20, lives on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

She is a part-time singer-songwriter at the Australian Institute of Music, a part-time sales assistant and a part-time music teacher. She was born in Manly. Her mum is from Co Cork.

Valerie would like a career in music therapy.

Vanessa Lynch lives in Coogee and works in Bondi as a sales and marketing manager. She was brought up on a farm in Co Galway and has a huge love for animals, especially horses and dogs. She has competed in showjumping and eventing, and she also enjoys boxing.

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

Mal Rogers scans Ireland’s regional media for what’s making news in your county GALWAY

Beardless in Galway GARDAÍ have officially called for a change in the organisation’s rules to allow them to have beards.

Galway FM reports that delegates at the annual conference of the Garda Representative Association in Galway backed a motion to alter the regulations. All except one voted in favour.

Sligo-Leitrim delegate Jack Kelleher said it was a human right.

“Beards can reduce skin cancer and help reduce asthma and allergies.

They help you keep young looking.”

But Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan dismissed any prospect of a change in the short term, saying there were issues that were more important.

The association previously bristled over the issue in 2001 when Garda John Wilson, now retired, was confined to indoor duties because he grew a beard.

ARMAGH

You had one job …

RESIDENTS in a Co Armagh village suffered a brief identity crisis after a council blunder renamed their area.

BBC Radio Ulster reports that locals in Derrymacash, near Craigavon, were left bemused after a new sign from Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon council proclaimed the small village was now known as Aghagallon – which is nearly seven miles away.

One Facebook post read: “For anyone travelling to Aghagallon today, it has now moved to Derrymacash. Lovely new ABC Council signs put up today.”

The council quickly held up its hands.

“The external contractors employed to erect signage in rural areas are now removing the incorrect signage,” a council spokesperson said.

CORK

Man wielding golf club jailed for four months A BALLINCOLLIG man who was caught walking around the Co Cork town wielding a golf club in the middle of the day, after a feud in which his brother was attacked, has been jailed.

The Irish Examiner reports that Ryan Chivers pleaded guilty to producing the golf club as a weapon and was jailed for four months.

Judge Olann Kelleher agreed to backdate the sentence to March 8, the date Chivers was arrested.

The sentence also covered a shoplifting incident on November 8, 2016 when he stole a jumper and gloves from Penneys in Wilton and then returned to the shop an hour later wearing the jumper and carrying the gloves.

Garda Aidan Barry arrested Chivers at lunchtime on Tuesday, March 7, walking down the street

near a school in Ballincollig with a golf club. He said Chivers’ brother was the victim of an unprovoked and violent assault the previous day.

Frank Buttimer, solicitor, represented the accused on free legal aid.

He said Chivers now acknowledged that walking down the street with the golf club in those circumstances was not an intelligent move on his part.

SCOTLAND

‘I’m proud of my Provo girls’, says maker of €118 IRA dolls A MOTHER who has been lambasted for selling Irish republican dolls has said she is proud of them and will continue to make them.

The Sunday Post reports that Mariea Hughes, from Cumbernauld in Scotland, said she makes the dolls in honour of the Cumann na mBan, an Irish republican women’s growup lauded for its role in the 1916 Easter Rising.

The dolls in black coats and mini skirts are accessorised with sunglasses, a leather gun harness, plastic gun and beret topped with an Easter lily.

One photo of the dolls is captioned: “Three wee Provo girls ready to leave and head to their new homes.”

The Sunday Post reported how a child stumbled upon the dolls online when she was looking for a Barbie.

Her mother told the paper she felt the dolls were “tasteless”.

Posting online, Ms Hughes said the dolls were available for £100 (€118) each.

Just two weeks ago she wrote that she was making one for Joanna Byrne, a Sinn Féin member of Louth County Council.

Ms Hughes said that when asked by a journalist what she would say to those complaining about the dolls, she told them to “read a history book”.

KERRY

The force is strong with the Skelligs THE Kerryman report that Skellig Michael and Ceann Sibéal play a starring role in the first trailer for Star Wars: The Last Jedi which was unveiled at the end of April.

Skellig Michael dominates the trailer, providing the backdrop to the majority of the two-minute teaser that was released at the three-day Star Wars Celebration fan event in Florida.

Opening with shots of new franchise heroine ‘Rey’, played by Daisy Ridley, on Skellig Michael, the trailer then shows a breathtaking sweeping shot of the Skelligs at sunrise and another spectacular aerial shot of the island.

The trailer gives away little of the film’s plot but it does confirm the longstanding rumour that scenes shot on the Skelligs and in West Kerry will play a major part in the film.

Tourism Ireland chief executive

NO SMOKE WITHOUT FIRE: Firefighters had a tough job tackling a massive gorse fire in Gougane Barra valley, Co Cork, last weekend and burnt out a huge section of the scenic valley. Picture: Neil Lucey/PA Wire Niall Gibbons was very pleased with the trailer.

“We’re absolutely delighted that the Wild Atlantic Way features so heavily in the first peek of the next episode. Tourism Ireland will be taking every opportunity to capitalise on the huge publicity around the film, to whet peoples’ appetites to come and visit the Wild Atlantic Way and Ireland,” he said.

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is due to be released on December 15.

TYRONE

Knife-carrying pensioner claimed he was doing ‘God’s work’ by damning Catholics to hell PRE-SENTENCE reports have been ordered for a knife-carrying Dungannon pensioner who claimed he was doing God’s work by telling Catholics they were going to hell.

The Tyrone Times reports that Thomas Parr, 67, was warned by Judge Gerry Trainor at Dungannon Magistrate’s Court that his behaviour had been “very sinister and dangerous”.

The court heard how Parr was arrested at the Drop-Inn Ministries, Cookstown Road, Dungannon. Police found a small kitchen knife with a pointed blade hidden in his trouser waistband after they were alerted by staff. When quizzed about the weapon, Parr told police that he was doing God’s work and telling Catholics they were going to hell, and could see nothing wrong with his behaviour. He was subsequently charged with carrying a weapon with a blade in a public place. Defence Solicitor Jarlath Faloon told the court that Parr did not have a criminal record, and had been carrying.

Judge Trainor ordered presentence reports to be carried out on Parr, with an emphasis given to investigating his state of mind.

MEATH

Hollywood actor John Cusack’s link to Nobber revealed “FIRST Tom Cruise and now John Cusack – two Hollywood superstars whose Irish ancestry can be traced all the way to the north Meath village of Nobber,” proclaims the Meath Chronicle.

In 2013, Cruise visited Ireland promoting his movie Oblivion.

Genealogical research at the time revealed that he is a fifth-generation

descendant of a Cruise family from Cruisetown in Meath.

Now another Hollywood star, John Cusack, can trace his Irish roots all the way back to the nworth Meath village. His mother Nancy Carolan’s family was traced back to Nobber.

RTÉ researchers Denise Lavelle and Naoimh Reilly from Cork were so determined to get to meet their idol Cusack, who was attending the Belfast Film Festival at the weekend, that they commissioned a genealogy report in the hopes of winning him over.

The researchers were told that Cusack was not doing interviews but after telling the story of their journey which included problems with equipment, and having their car broken into while they waited for the equipment to be fixed, Lavelle and Reilly managed to bag an exclusive interview with Cusack the next day.

During the interview, they got to the topic of Cusack’s family history.

“He was told his whole life by his mother that her family was from Galway and his father’s family was from Meath. Our report showed it was the other way round”.

The report revealed that all 16 of his great great-grandparents were of Irish lineage. “You can’t get more Irish,” Lavelle told him.

News that the High Fidelity actor’s mother Nancy Carolan’s family came from Nobber may not come as a huge surprise, as the Carolan name is a very common one in the Nobber area. Indeed the famous blind harpist and composer Turlough O’Carolan was born in Nobber in 1670.

ANTRIM

Action needed over football ‘hooliganism’ BALLYMENA traders are to join forces with the police and Mid and East Antrim council to draw up plans to combat football hooliganism which is damaging town centre business on local derby match days.

The Ballymena Guardian reports that the issue was discussed at the monthly council meeting.

It led to Ulster Unionist councillor Stephen Nicholl calling some so-called supporters “hooligans.”

Councillor Nicholl said that such people were “not real football fans” and he hoped the PSNI would keep a closer eye on “hooligans who travel from Coleraine to Ballymena”.

While the majority of fans from both sides behaved impeccably, members were informed that over recent years isolated incidents of trouble had flared at the derby games.

The PSNI has indicated it is aware of the problem and will be deploying forces accordingly to stamp out anti-

social behaviour, a PSNI statement said.

MAYO

Blessing of roads ceremony PRIESTS in Co Mayo have blessed the county’s roads in a novel ceremony aimed at creating road safety awareness in a bid to reduce the number of road traffic accidents.

The Connaught Telegraph reports that the special blessing of the roads ceremony took place in many parishes at services throughout the county as religious leaders back the campaign to make the roads safer.

The ceremony was promoted by the road safety office of Mayo County Council and supported by the emergency services. Some priests performed the blessing from the roadside while others did from the altar.

Mayo road safety officer Noel Gibbons said the ceremonies have had a very enthusiastic response.

DONEGAL

Donegal teenager awarded €40,000 after being struck with bat A DONEGAL teenager who was struck in the face with a bat while being instructed how to play rounders at a GAA Cúl camp has been awarded €40,000 in damages.

The girl, who was 14 years old at the time, was struck in the face when a male employee of the camp hit her with a bat while she was being shown how to play rounders.

The award was made at Letterkenny Circuit Court.

The Donegal Democrat reports that the court heard the girl was standing behind the instructor when he swung the bat back and hit her in the face. She underwent extensive plastic surgery to her nose and face.

Counsel for the girl, Peter Nolan, said the child was not wearing a helmet when she was struck.

Mr Nolan said the result of the plastic surgery she underwent “was fantastic”. He said she was no longer suffering any physical problems as a result of the accident.

After viewing the injury and looking at photographs, Judge Terence O’Sullivan said the child had undergone “a spectacular recovery”.

“It’s an amazing job,” he said.

Approving the general damages offer of €40,000 he said she had been through “a hell of a lot”.

May, 2017 I www.irishecho.com.au

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we would end up saying they are a load of plastics Paddy’s who think they’re Irish. Whatever end of the stick it is we are always going to have a good owl moan.”

They said it...

“We’re gone.”

The last words of Irish Coast Guard Rescue 116 helicopter I, uttered by co-pilot, Captain Mark Duffy, just as R116 struck an island and crashed into the sea.

“Go raibh maith agat.”

Tattoo typo, Ed Sheeran.

Ed gets a grilling from tattooist ED SHEERAN has said he has been left with a misspelled tattoo saying “Galway grill”.

The singer-songwriter, 26, wanted to be inked with the name of his single Galway Girl but fell victim to a prankster, reportedly Oscarnominated Saoirse Ronan.

Sheeran and Ronan filmed a music video for the track together in Galway. He told fans at his show in Glasgow on Sunday: “When we were filming it, I meant to get a tattoo of her handwriting saying Galway Girl.

“It actually says Galway Grill. G-r-i-l-l.”

Sheeran said he was proud of the culprit and bragged it was the kind of antics he would get up to.

“Like, full on, she really took the piss out of me with this one,” he said. “I’m actually kind of proud of her. It’s the kind of thing that I would do.”

Aslan muso moves home for the craic FORMER Aslan bassist Tony McGuinness (pictured) has copped a caning on Facebook after suggesting that Aussies are “no craic” and “hide their heritage”.

McGuinness walked out on Aslan in 2008 to move to the Gold Coast, where he first worked as a courier but then got drawn back to music, performing in local bars.

But, according to the Irish Sun, last December, Tony decided that he had had enough.

“There were family reasons but very human ones as well,” he

BBC apology over Tommy Tiernan gag

explained. “The Australians just aren’t any craic. I met many of them on the Gold Coast who believed Ireland was part of Britain and were calling me a ‘pom’.

“You would have to explain to them that Ireland was a separate country from England with its own Irish language and culture. They didn’t know and, unlike Irish-Americans, Australians don’t embrace their heritage, they hide it.”

Irish Echo’s Facebook friends took issue with Tony’s assertions.

Angela Parsons wrote: “Maybe he should have tried living somewhere in Australia other than the Gold Coast.

Melbourne is the place to be! Plenty of Aussies and us Aussie-Irish in this city who are happy to value and share our heritage. Maybe he got called a pom because he whinged too much.”

Leanne Ward Power wasn’t so kind: “What an arrogant pig,” she wrote. “He played the Irish pubs around the Gold Coast on weekends full of tourists and Irish and English; he’d be lucky to have met an Aussie.”

Steven Ward added: “Sure jaysuss if they were like the Irish/Americans

Quiz

1. The Powell and Pressburger film of 1947 depicted a group of Irish and British nuns attempting to come to grips with their new home — a convent in the Himalayas. The film is called Black _________. Black what?

2. Newry man Willie Maley guided which British-based soccer team to 30 major trophies?

3. What appeared for the first time at the 1994 Eurovision Song Contest?

4. William Shields was a Dublin-born Oscarwinning actor, appearing in movies such as Bringing Up Baby (1938), How Green Was My Valley (1941), The Quiet Man (1952) and Going My Way (1944). What was his stage name?

5. The King of Leinster, Máel Mórda mac Murchada, led the forces on one side in a battle which took place on Good Friday; who led the forces on the other side?

6. What did Phytophthora infestans cause in Ireland?

7. The headquarters of which Irish institution is in Montrose House, Dublin?

8. What do James Larkin, North of Ireland athlete Mary Peters and John Lennon have in common?

9. Who lives at Aras Coeli?

10. Who lived at 7 Eccles Street, Dublin?

THE BBC has ludicrously apologised for the language used by Irish comedian Tommy Tiernan on a Derry radio station when he was joking about the DUP’s Arlene Foster.

Tiernan was appearing on The Mark Patterson Show on Radio Foyle before a series of gigs.

During the interview, Tiernan spoke about the DUP leader.

“If she wasn’t in politics I can see her working single-handedly on a tiny little farm in south Fermanagh driving cattle up some country lane,” Tiernan said. He then, attempted to imitate Foster: “Go on you pups, you fenian bastards, go up you fenian.”

“Friesian Arlene, they are called Friesian Arlene,” he added.

The joke and the association of Foster with the offensive term used for northern nationalists drew criticism from DUP MP Campbell among others.

Belfast newspaper The Newsletter reported that the BBC had since issued a statement of apology after the joke and removed the recording from its website.

“The language used by our guest was clearly inappropriate. We unreservedly apologise for its use and any offence caused. This section of the programme has been removed for our catch up services,” the statement says.

Tiernan, meanwhile, may have to send his own letter of thanks to the BBC for creating additional publicity for his tour.

DUP leader Arlene Foster on leaving Our Lady’s Grammar School in Newry. Former First Minister Foster is known for implacable loyalist views, so uttering words in Irish was a major step.

“The terms for Brexit set out by British Prime Minister will do incalculable damage to this island, politically, emotionally and economically … We cannot simply wait for this to happen. While seeking to mitigate the effects of Mrs May’s chosen hard Brexit, Ireland must do everything possible to ensure either that, at the end of the day, there is no Brexit.”

Former Taoiseach John Bruton expressing that the view that Brexit is not inevitable.

“Even though some people might have been impatient with me in terms of decisions I came to, I thought it was very important to maintain the institutions. But just as importantly to try to convince the British government and the unionists that they needed a sea change in their attitude…”

Sinn Féin President Gerry Adams “I would look to what happened with devolution in Wales in its first phase, where there was a corporate assembly without an executive, which functioned and functioned, I think, reasonably effectively.”

Former Ulster Unionist Party leader and former First Minister David Trimble saying that devolved government in Northern Ireland could function without an executive and should consider continuing as just an assembly.

“The board is deaf to concerns of the public it serves.”

Dr Peter Boylan resigning from the board of the National Maternity Hospital. Dr Boylan voiced his concerns late last week about controversial plans to build a new €300m maternity hospital, which would be built on land owned by the Sisters of Charity.

“Peter will not marry Paul in Northern Ireland.”

Former Health Minister Jim Wells has claimed he and other MLAs will split from the DUP if it agrees to Sinn Féin’s demand for gay marriage.

“Aspects of his life were the source of pain to others, for which Bishop Casey has apologised and expressed his deep regret, and he himself had the experience of pain visited on him in later life.”

President Higgins on the death of Bishop Eamonn Casey.

Crossword Clues across: 1. How attender with pint, originally Marquis of Waterford and friends, had a wild celebration (5,3,4,3) 8. French church service, we hear, doubles as Irish leader (6) 9. Irish play in a way is evil trash (3, 6) 10. A killer of a method of colouring, it’s said (6) 12. Lady from Aquitaine maybe a confused real one (7) 13. T he cornea gleefully spots raptor (5) 14 & 16: Pop star is adamant about being broken up (4,3) 19. I sland in Ardmanaghan Lough (3) 20. Happy, short woman? (4) 21. C heese registered in Ballybriennon (4) 23. A dd an electron to the middle of a measure of whiskey to experience an aisling (5) 25. B everage we hear precedes Spanish river in threesome (4) 29. Me car goes chaotically like an Irish elk (9) 30 & 31 across: Bushmills, for instance — drunkenly it be thy flask o’ woe (1,6,2,7)

Clues down: 1. Come down by river in the country (6) 2. Within material walls you’ll find this entrapped person (6) 3. Island that, as maniacs gather there, becomes hidden (8) 4. One LP hints at presence of sprite-like town it’s said (6) 5. Brown family that could have been a hit for Neil Sedaka, we hear (8) 6. You can go initially by Northern Ireland railways then reverse a commercial vehicle to reach this transcendent state (7) 7. No muesli scattered on this mixture of liquids (8) 9. Never drink until the sun is over the … (7) 11. Drink in Clonaleenaghan (3) 13. A poem metaphorically includes Irish hero (5) 15. Scottish city, home to Celtic football club (7) 17 & 28 down: My Theo emerges from Co. Down town (3,3) 18. Irish American boxer, British parliamentary representatives surrounded by confused short Edward and Irish you (7) 22. Juliet’s big love (5) 24. Stinks (5) 26. The anger we hear from an early Irish fort (4) 27. God of cooking? (3)

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8 9

10

9 11

12

13 14

15 19

27

22

28

17

18

20

21 25

16

23

24

26 29

30 31

LAST EDITION’S ANSWERS: Clues across: 1. River Slaney.

6. & 30 across: Act of Union. 8. Archbishops. 10. Sam. 11 & 23 across: Richard de Clare. 13. Ape. 15. Grand inquisitor.

17. Abseiled. 19. Gigs. 21. Event. 23. see 11 across 25 across, 20 down: Can-can. 28. Brazen. 30. see 6 across 31. Youghal.

Clues down: 1. Roaringwater Bay. 2. Vicar. 3. Smithfield. 4. Ash. 5. Yes. 7. Champion. 9. Pudding. 12. Ian. 14. Binge. 16. Aisle. 18. Dolan. 22. Tuath.

24. Rolfe. 26. Argon. 27. Finn. 29. Eel.

Answers: 1. Narcissus; 2. Glasgow Celtic; 3. Riverdance; 4. Barry Fitzgerald; 5. Brian Boru at Clontarf; 6. Potato blight, which caused the Great Famine; 7. RTÉ; 8. All born in Liverpool; 9. The Catholic Primate of All Ireland; 10. Molly and Leopold Bloom.

May, 2017 I www.irishecho.com.au

UPCOMING EVENTS JUNE 3 TO JULY 8 BRITISH LIONS TOUR OF NEW ZEALAND

OCTOBER 27 TO DECEMBER 2

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NOVEMBER 23 TO JANUARY 4

THE ASHES CRICKET

SEVEN GREAT BRISBANE VENUES RIVERSIDE QUEEN STREET MALL INDOOROOPILLY BRUNSWICK STREET

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Of priests and tycoons TOM Keneally was within a few weeks of ordination when he decided that the priesthood was not for him. So he may be as close as we can get to an expert on pressures faced by men who initially choose a celibate life, but wisely walk away from that commitment. There is little doubt that what we read here is close to the actuality of priestly choice and pastoral life. It is also a look at what it means to be a good priest and the way that episcopal authority controls the lives of these men.

There are two things that are useful to know before reading the book. The first is that it is not written in anger as many stories that deal with sexual abuse by clergy tend to be. The second is that it is set in 1996, at a time when public discussion about clerical sex abuse in this country and overseas was not as common or as aggressive as it is today.

The central character is Fr Frank Docherty, a member of a religious order of priests. He was banished from the Archdiocese of Sydney in the heady days of the early seventies for his advocacy of human rights and his opposition to apartheid and the Vietnam War. He was able to live with his order in Canada, where he continued to practise as a priest while pursuing studies which saw him take up professional work as a psychologist.

Now, a quarter of a century later, he is seeking a return of the faculties that would enable him to minister again in Sydney.

As he is preparing to give a paper at a conference on sex abuse, the church in Sydney is involved in a complicated legal case with a man who was abused by a priest when he was a child. He refuses to sign a confidentiality agreement and is now suing through the courts.

The monsignor who is leading the church defence is Leo Shannon who, unknown to those involved in the case, was himself an abuser.

The story moves backward and

forward in time; a feel for the topics it addresses is given by some chapter headings: “Docherty becomes a priest, 1960”, “The Case of Sarah Fagan, early 1970s”, “Maureen Breslin remembers Humanae Vitae, 1968”, “The Past Sins of Monsignor Shannon, early 1970s” and “Docherty gives his Lecture, July 1996”.

There is a great deal of background on Catholic custom and practice, while Keneally’s own experiences are found in asides like his description of prayer as “the shallow comfort of archaic forms and old pronouns” or his account of a good priest who “knew himself and his frailties, rare in a man who did not have a wife to subject him to self-education.”

All the action takes place in a three-week period in 1996, at a time when criminal charges for sex abuse were still rare and when legalism rather than compassion characterised the treatment of victims. An unusual feature of the story is that all the main characters are professional people – lawyers, teachers, psychologists, a physicist, a business tycoon – mostly of Irish Catholic background, with the Irish part often stressed.

Although longwinded in places, the story moves along smoothly to a conclusion that is satisfying, while avoiding the temptation to vengeance or bloodletting. At a time when the subject is often characterised by fury rather than logic, this is a book that puts a human face on a serious and painful problem.

FOR many people who lived in Ireland in the last 40 years or so, there may be confusion between Superquinn and Quinnsworth.

The first is the creation of Feargal Quinn, while the other chain was set up by Pat Quinn, no relation.

And if you wondered whether there is anything in a name, the earlier H Williams chain was established

BOOKS CRIMES OF THE FATHER

By Tom Kenneally Vintage Books 382 pp $32.99

CCCC QUINNTESSENTIAL FEARGAL A Memoir

By Feargal Quinn O’Brien Press 288 pp €24.99

CCCC Frank O’Shea

by John Quinn, also no relation.

For the record, Superquinn is now SuperValu, Quinnsworth is now Tesco, while H Williams collapsed in 1987.

If there is something called a grocer gene, it was in the Quinn family of Co Down. In fact, it was so prominent that sibling rivalries broke up the family, Feargal’s father being effectively cold-shouldered by his siblings for setting up his own shops, apparently in opposition to the family. As a consequence, among the first cousins that young Feargal did not get to know well when he was growing up was future Labour politician Ruairi Quinn and former boss of AIB Lochlainn Quinn.

Feargal was a hands-on boss of his stores, more likely to be found on the floor than in the office.

At one stage, he and journalist Veronica Guerin agreed to tag each other over a three-week period, with each to write a subsequent

opinion of the other. In her column she wrote, “It really did frustrate me that all Feargal’s work was done with a smile. During all the hours I spent with him, he never lost his cool.”

At the time, he was also an Independent member of the Seanad, representing the National University of Ireland, a position he held for 23 years. He tells how he tried to persuade his paymasters that he did not want any remuneration but they could not get their rules around that, so he told them to take off the tax and then he donated the remainder to charity.

After the country went broke in 2008, however, they found a way to agree to his request not to be paid.

He tells that story to contrast the slow, inflexible public service with the way that a private company needed to operate – fast decisions and a minimum of red tape. Superquinn were the first or almost the first to have own-brand products, to do their own baking and to sell their own store-made sausages; they were the first to introduce loyalty cards and bar coding and to provide self-scanning checkouts.

As well as his work in his stores, Quinn spent 10 years as unpaid chairman of An Post and had a later leadership role in setting up the Leaving Cert Applied courses.

He devotes chapters to each of those as well as to his role in the Seanad, particularly his leadership in persuading the Irish people in 2013 that the institution should not be abolished as suggested by the government of the day.

Sometimes a book surprises you. If it is an account of a life in business and in the public eye, you don’t expect much more than a bit of unsubtle self-promotion.

But this account of the public life of Feargal Quinn is a pleasant surprise.

For one thing, it is beautifully produced, a credit to the publisher (one imagines that with 288 pages, the multiple of 32 precluded an index). Inevitably, there are more sentences beginning with I than you would find in an inventory of Apple products and an abundance of wasn’t-I-clever-to-do-that stories.

But you forgive those for what is an almost childlike enthusiasm that makes you feel that underneath the success, this is a nice guy.

THE TOP 10 BOOK CHARTS FROM IRELAND BESTSELLERS 1

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10 The Missing Wife

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Joseph A. McCullough Maddie Ziegler Lily Singh

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Angels at My Fingertips

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10 A Pocket History of the 1916 Rising

Connor Franta Gill & Macmillan

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Generation Next: The Takeover

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Sapiens:A Brief History of Humankind

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Lee Child

7

East West Street: On the Origins of Genocide

When Breath Becomes Air

Paul Kalanithi

2

Perfect

Prisoners of Geography

Tim Marshall

3

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Double Down

Yuval Noah Harari

4

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Old School

Mary-Elaine Tyland/Paddy Armstrong

5

The Midnight Gang

David Walliams David Walliams

8

The Girl on the Train (Film Tie In)

Paula Hawkins

8

The Doctor’s Wife is Dead

9

Asking For It

Louise O’Neill

9

10 The Kept Woman

Karin Slaughter

Yuval Noah Harari

Oli White Cecelia Ahern Jeff Kinney Jeff Kinney

6

Grandpa’s Great Escape

Phillipe Sands

7

Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets

J.K. Rowling

Andrew Tierney

8

Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone

J.K. Rowling

Joys of Joy: Finding myself in an Irish Prison Garry Cunningham

9

Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

J.K. Rowling

10 We: A Manifesto for Women Jennifer Nadel/Gillian Anderson

10 Demon Dentist

David Walliams

time out

May, 2017 I www.irishecho.com.au

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Sydney St Patrick’s Day Presidents Update While for many St Patrick’s Day is a dim and distant memory, our Committee has continued to work. Because of the cancellation, we have had to prepare lots of paperwork for the insurance company and we are hopeful of a positive result. The cancellation has resulted in a lot of administrative work, and we have continued to attend meetings with authorities and prepare reports.

We have been inundated with support from individuals and groups and I would really like to thank everyone for their good wishes and understanding. We are also very grateful to those sponsors who have advised us they are happy for us to hold onto the funds for next year.

So where to from here? The Committee will be having a full debriefing session at the end of May, and we will look at the past year and make some recommendations for the future. Clearly the biggest issue for future planning is the uncertainty of the weather.

This current committee will prepare handover reports as well as look at future options.

I am hopeful that many of this marvellous team will return in 2018. We have the framework in place and I could not have asked for a better team to work with.

We had a very broad range of skills and we can only go forward from here.

One of our most positive achievements in 2017 was our engagement with the community.

Our social media followers increased and we could see that people were engaging with us and following us. I’d also like to acknowledge the Irish Echo for allowing us to communicate via this column.

We are intending to have our Annual General Meeting in July and details will be posted as soon as we have them.

We would really like to hear from you, the Irish Australian community on what your thoughts are regarding the future of Sydney St Patrick’s Day and how we should celebrate it. All suggestions are welcome. Please go to our website www.sydneystpatricksday.com.au/contact

Robert Kineavy

Email: RobertK@sydneystpatricksday.com.au

The Sydney Rose of Tralee and the Kerry Association present:

Sydney Rose Selection Night 2017

Saturday 27th May, 6:00pm - 1:00am Sofitel Sydney Wentworth, 61-101 Phillip St, Sydney Music by Bacon & Cabbage Tickets - $180 includes dinner, drinks and entertainment for further information or to book contact: Tom O’Keeffe 0411 695 248 or Carol Fahey 0401 086 108 Email: tom.okeeffe@bigpond.com

www.roseoftralee.ie

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May, 2017 I www.irishecho.com.au

AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

sports CHAMPIONS CUP :: SEMI-FINAL :: MUNSTER V SARACENS

Munster fairytale ends as Saracens advance Duncan Bech SARACENS stormed into the Champions Cup final after absorbing Munster’s first-half onslaught before powering to a 26-10 victory at the Aviva Stadium.

Munster’s unlikely dream of European glory, inspired by the loss of their coach Anthony Foley late last year, was systematically dismantled by the reigning Champions Cup holders.

Saracens will defend their crown in Edinburgh on May 13 against Clermont.

Munster dominated the first half yet trailed 6-3 at the interval and from the moment play resumed in Dublin they were squeezed out of contention, surely marvelling at their opponents’ ability to soak up endless pressure.

Mako Vunipola’s 54th-minute try was the pivotal act that put Saracens two scores ahead and from that moment it was a procession punctuated by the occasional feverish attack from the men in red.

Replacement wing Chris Wyles added a second try and through Owen Farrell kicking 16 points in an immaculate afternoon from the tee, they were able to equal Leinster’s unbeaten European record numbering 16 matches.

Munster 10 Saracens 26 It was an ugly spectacle scarred by endless kicking, the first half alone seeing boot put to ball on 48 occasions, and it was a theme that continued after the interval but this time Munster’s sights were off.

Missing their half-back general Conor Murray to a shoulder-related nerve injury, their challenge finally wilted against the ruthless Saracens.

Munster director of rugby Rassie Erasmus admitted the scoreline was a true reflection of Saracens’ superiority.

“We played against a team that were better than us. That’s a reality,” Erasmus said. “Even though there were stages that were closer and we had a few opportunities, I thought the scoreboard was a true reflection of the game “That’s the way Saracens play. Not just applying pressure but absorbing pressure and finishing you off in the last 15 or 20 minutes. I think the disappointment is more for the supporters but then we have to be realistic. This is the reality, we only got this far. We are 15 or 20 points behind Saracens.”

Munster’s Keith Earls fumbles a catch during the Champions Cup semi-final against Saracens in Dublin. Picture: Lorraine O’Sullivan.

LIONS TOUR TO NEW ZEALAND

Eleven Irish Lions selected for NZ tour Tom Allnutt

BRITISH and Irish Lions head coach Warren Gatland will have his players watching films and taking part in choir practice to prepare them culturally for this summer’s tour to New Zealand.

The 41-man Lions squad, which includes 11 Irish players, embark on a 10-match tour that includes a threematch series against the All Blacks.

Gatland, who was born in New Zealand and played for provincial side Waikato, says too many sides arrive under-prepared for the challenges posed off the field in his native country, as well as on it.

“A lot of teams arrive in New Zealand and, I saw this in 2011 [at the World Cup], they weren’t prepared for the stuf f of f the field. They weren’t prepared culturally,” Gatland said.

“That’s important. I’ve got to make sure we do that. I’d see that we teach them that when they speak, it is followed by song.

“I would like to think [tour manager] John Spencer will speak and follow it

by a song, a Welsh speaker, followed by song, someone speaking Irish, followed by song.

“So the first week together we’re going to be doing a bit of singing and a bit of choir practice to get that right.

“I said to the staff and I’ll say to the players to go and watch a couple of New Zealand films. Like ‘Hunt for the Wilderpeople’. Maybe ‘Whale Rider’.

‘Boy’. I’m not sure ‘Once Were Warriors’ sets the best example of New Zealand. It gives you an understanding of New Zealand, of the people, the humour, which is a bit different.”

The last time the Lions toured New Zealand, in 2005, they endured a 3-0 defeat but Gatland’s squad can take heart from recent successes against the world’s number one side.

England beat the All Blacks 38-21 at Twickenham in 2012 while Ireland pulled off a stunning 40-29 victor y against Steve Hansen’s men in Chicago last November.

“It’s an incredibly tough tour,” Gatlan said. “I heard the other day a Kiwi asked if they can win the series

3-0 and they said they didn’t want to win 3-0, they want to win 10-0.”

Of the Irish players selected, Jared Payne is probably the only major surprise. The Kiwi-born back has played a role in all of Ireland’s big victories over the past year, including the win over the All Blacks in Chicago.

Johnny Sexton and Conor Murray will be confident of nabbing the 9 and 10 shirts for the first test.

Others favoured for test spots include rampaging back rower CJ Stander and props Tadhg Furlong and Jack McGrath. Robbie Henshaw’s impressive season should deliver him the 13 jersey while Sean O’Brien and Peter O’Mahony may play a test role off the bench. The other Irish representatives are lock for ward Iain Henderson, and hooker Rory Best who won his squad spot ahead of Kiwi-born English skipper Dylan Hartley.

The tour begins with a clash against the New Zealand Provincial Barbarians on Saturday, June 3. The first test takes place at Eden Park in Auckland on Saturday, June 24.

IRISH PROP CALLS IT A DAY

Mike Ross set to retire at season’s end IRELAND international prop Mike Ross has announced he will retire from rugby at the end of this season.

The 37-year-old Leinster for ward won 61 caps, making his Test debut in 2009, and was part of two Six Nations title-winning squads.

Ross also represented his country at the 2011 and 2015 World Cups, and made his final international appearance against South Africa last summer.

He joined Leinster from Harlequins eight years ago, helping the Irish province win two European Cups, the

European Challenge Cup and two PRO12 titles.

“Rugby has been a huge part of my life, and I’ve been incredibly lucky to have been a part of some amazing teams,” Ross told Leinster’s website.

“In particular, I will never forget winning the European Cup in 2011 or the Six Nations Championship in 2014.

“I never dreamt, having had such a late start in the professional game, that I would go on to achieve such goals, or win 61 caps for Ireland. I am indebted to my team-mates and coaches, my

friends and family.” Paying tribute to Ross, Leinster head coach Leo Cullen added: “Mike has played such a major role in Leinster’s successes since he joined from Harlequins in 2009. He was at the very heart of Leinster’s famous comeback against Northampton in the 2011 European Cup Final with a brilliant second-half scr ummaging display.

“Mike has also been a great mentor to some of our younger props, always prepared to pass on his experience to help their continued development.”

CHAMPIONS CUP :: LEINSTER V CLERMONT

Careless Leinster left to rue missed opportunities

Clermont 27 Leinster 22

LEINSTER were left with many regrets after losing to Clermont Auvergne in the European Champions Cup semifinal at the Matmut Gerland Stadium.

The last-four clash saw Clermont dominate the first period and score tries from Peceli Yato and former England wing David Strettle.

But in the second, Leinster came roaring back and four penalties from Johnny Sexton put them in with a chance of victory. The game’s crucial moment came when a visiting try for Dan Leavy was ruled out and Clermont moved further clear.

Morgan Parra’s second penalty of the day and two sublime Camille Lopez drop-goals proved enough in the end, despite Garry Ringrose’s sensational late effort.

In front of a boisterous French crowd in Lyon, Clermont started like a train and were 15-0 up in as many minutes. Yato opened the scoring, the flanker racing on to the ball to cross in the right corner. The excellent Parra converted and added a penalty and with Leinster skipper Isa Nacewa yellow carded for tugging back Strettle as he chased a Scott Spedding kick, it was a nightmare start for the visitors.

With the man advantage, Parra’s flat pass then found Strettle who sped past Leinster flanker Leavy to add Clermont’s second tr y with Joey Carberry unable to stop him.

Leinster’s failure to do the basics was letting them down, their line-out was particularly poor and contributed to giving Clermont the field position from which Strettle went over. Leo Cullen’s men were in real trouble, but they did rally and after Parra put a penalty wide, Sexton finally got Leinster on the board with the last kick of the first half.

The second period started as the first ended with Sexton adding his second penalty and Leinster were now

Gary Ringrose of Leinster is tackled during the Champions Cup semifinal in France.

playing with much more aggression.

The visitors were transformed and with Clermont tiring in the French sun, Ringrose went close to a try following some sustained Irish possession.

There was no score, but two more kicks from Sexton meant there were now just three points between the teams. Leinster then thought they’d got their first tr y, Fergus McFadden leading a breakout from which Leavy made it to the line to dot down.

Nigel Owens sent the score upstairs, and it was ruled out by the TMO for Leavy holding back Aurelien Rougerie at a ruck in the run-up to the score.

Parra kicked the resulting penalty in what was a body blow to the away side and Lopez’s drop-goal added salt to Irish wounds.

Leinster now had to chase the game and Ringrose gave them a lifeline with a wonder try, stepping in midfield and making his way to the line from halfway. Sexton conver ted, but fellow number 10 Lopez had the last laugh with a 72nd-minute penalty and a second drop-goal as the Irishman’s fifth penalty of the day late on was rendered meaningless.

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May, 2017 I www.irishecho.com.au

A U S TRA L IA’S IRIS H N EWS PAPER

sports SEAMUS COLEMAN RELISHING CHALLENGE OF FIGHTING BACK TO FITNESS AT EVERTON

Irish skipper determined to get over injury Carl Markham

Seamus Coleman in action for Everton before his injury.

EVERTON defender Seamus Coleman is relishing the challenge of fighting his way back to fitness following the horrific double break of his leg.

The Republic of Ireland international was injured captaining his country in a World Cup qualifier against Wales in Dublin on March 25 and, having had an operation and some time off back in his homeland, he has returned to Merseyside this week to begin his rehabilitation in earnest.

“It’s great to be back, nice to see everyone again. It’s like my first day all over again,” the right-back told evertontv.

“Obviously, I’d rather be fit and well but I’ve had a good month at home in

Ireland to get my head around everything and now I’m ready to get back to work.

“I’ve had tough journeys before in the past. It hasn’t been a smooth journey to play for Everton and to captain my country.

“I’m a fighter and there’s a part of me that’s looking for ward to this challenge. It’s something to start all over again and fight for.”

Coleman was grateful for the hundreds of messages of support he has received from well-wishers, which also included a visit from manager Ronald Koeman and captain Phil Jagielka while he was recuperating in Ireland.

“Until something like this happens you don’t always realise how fortunate you are to play for this club, to play for

the national team and to have all that support behind me,” he added.

“The manager came over to see me with Jags and a couple of staf f members. [Republic manager] Martin O’Neill came over to see me as well, so the support has been brilliant.”

Meanwhile, Irish veteran John O’Shea may be facing his final four games as a Premiership player.

The 35-year-old’s Sunderland were relegated on Saturday after losing at home to Bournemouth. The Waterford native, who captains the Black Cats, said there were no excuses for the club.

“We gave ourselves too much to do this season.We are distraught. It’s not a nice feeling,” he said.

Elsewhere, West Brom midfielder James McClean has insisted he is not

anti-British. The Republic of Ireland winger has faced criticism in the past for refusing to wear a kit bearing a Remembrance poppy and for choosing to play for the Republic of Ireland rather than Northern Ireland.

“Back in Derry I was just being me.

Nobody cared,” he said. “All of a sudden things I say are in the papers. It’s in the papers that I’m pro-IRA and the way it goes, if you see something in the paper you believe it whether it’s true or not. I’ve had death threats and I’ve had a lot of people see me as anti-British.

“I want to go on record here and say I’ve never been anti-British. There’s certain things that I don’t agree with, my beliefs, but I take people at face value,” he added.

BOXING :: KATIE TAYLOR TAKES FIRST PRO TITLE

Katie has eye on world title KATIE Taylor made it five wins from five as a professional boxer as she proved too powerful for German opponent Nina Meinke at Wembley Stadium last weekend.

Fighting on the undercard of the Anthony Joshua heavyweight title clash with Wladimir Klitschko, Taylor dominated her opponent throughout and eventually stopped Meinke in the seventh round.

The constant bar rage of Taylor’s attack finally proved too much for Meinke and the referee stepped in to call off the contest, deeming the German unable to defend herself.

Five years on from her London 2012 gold medal, Taylor returned to the city where she was crowned Olympic champion to fight at Wembley Stadium as par t of the Sky Spor ts Box Office event, and the Bray native did not disappoint as she took control of the fight from the opening bell.

Taylor dominated the centre of the ring from the start of the scheduled ten rounder and was quick to land one of her trademark combinations with Meinke unable to respond with anything of note.

The German attempted to take the fight to Taylor in the second round with her potentially awkward southpaw stance, however, Taylor maintained great balance throughout the

lively two-minute round and finished with pace and strength to take the second round.

The short two-minute rounds were proving beneficial to the German as Taylor was unable to really pin down her opponent, but the German was visibly tiring by the end of the fourth round and an accidental clash of heads opening up a gash above Meinke’s left eye that needed attention at the break.

By this stage, Taylor was just going through her entire repertoire of shot selections as she worked the body, while also landing some impr essive uppercuts amidst the many and varied combinations.

Rounds five and six also went the way of the five-time amateur world champion and by the seventh round the referee had seen enough and was quick to step in to end the contest, with no real complaints from Meinke’s corner.

After the fight, Taylor said she was happy to be fighting at the heavier weight.

“This weight is perfect for me. I feel very strong and good at this weight.

“I think I’m ready right now to box for a world title, but we leave that to the likes of [promoter] Eddie [Hearn] and I’ll just keep focusing on my job. I didn’t per form to my best tonight but the most important thing is I won.”

Katie Taylor celebrates her latest victory at Wembley last weekend as she weighs up a tilt at a world title later in the year. Pic:PA

FAI avoids own goal, pens new deal with women’s team IRELAND’S professional women’s footballers have reached a deal with their bosses over demands for basic entitlements including tracksuits, gym membership and match success fees of less than €500.

In a landmark but confidential agreement, the Republic of Ireland players said all of the issues had been addressed.

More than a dozen players went public earlier in the week, angered at their treatment by the Football Association of Ireland (FAI), with their lawyer describing the women as being “dirt on the boot of the FAI” and “fifth-class citizens”.

They claimed they have been forced to change out of team tracksuits and official sports gear in airport toilets. Captain Emma Byrne, who had a glowing 17 year career at Arsenal Ladies including 11 league titles,

Galway hurlers crush Tipp in League decider TWO goals from Jason Flynn and another from Cathal Mannion were among the highlights as Galway turned on the style to crush Tipperary by 16 points in the Allianz HL Division 1 final at the Gaelic Grounds.

It was a hard-fought opening quarter, until Galway hit their stride and took a 0-11 to 0-5 lead into half-time, thanks to six points from Joe Canning. Flynn scored his and Galway’s first goal just one minute into the second-half and he added the second effort with 13 minutes remaining, before Mannion rammed home a third late on.

Tipperary were in search of their 20th league crown, and first title in nine years.

Kerry upset Dubs to take League crown

IRELAND WOMEN’S FOOTBALL TEAM STRIKES DEAL WITH FAI AFTER TREATMENT ROW

Ed Carty

GAELIC GAMES

10 FA Cups and the Uefa Women’s Cup, said it was humiliating.

The women were supported in their campaign by the Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland (PFAI) and trade union Siptu and asked for match fees of €300, a €150 win bonus and €75 for a draw, gym membership for the squad and team clothing.

The exact terms of the deal are to be kept secret but the players are back training.

“This landmark agreement was only possible due to the organisation, bravery and commitment of the national team players,” Siptu’s Ethel Buckley said.

“Their courageous action in publicly outlining their concerns provided their union representatives with a solid foundation from which to engage with the FAI and find a just resolution to this dispute.

“The events of the past two days’ amount to a short, sharp and successful campaign to advance the rights

of women in sport. They are also a reminder that in any area of modern Irish society women should never accept being treated as second-class citizens.”

“The members of the women’s national football team, who displayed such bravery in the stance they took this week, deserve the respect and praise of not only the current generation of women in Ireland, but of future ones as well,” Ms Buckley added.

“I have been honoured to be among their representatives.”

The deal was brokered hours after FAI chief executive John Delaney was elevated to the executive committee of one of football’s governing bodies, Uefa.

With his success comes substantial six-figure pay, alongside his reported €360,000 a year FAI salary.

Politicians had threatened to bring the dispute to the Irish parliament by asking Mr Delaney to attend for questioning at a special committee meeting.

DUBLIN’S four-year reign as Division 1 football champions and their 36-game unbeaten streak was ended in dramatic style by Kerry at Croke Park last month.

After a pulsating encounter was bossed by Kerry, Dublin could have forced extra-time at the death but Dean Rock’s 75th minute free from outside the 45-metre line struck the post as Kerry clinched their first league title since 2009.

A goal from Paul Mannion eight minutes from time saw Dublin finally click into gear after a poor second-half, but David Moran and Brian Sheehan points late on helped Kerry over the line.

Disappointed Dublin manager Jim Gavin accepted his side were second best in their Allianz Football League final defeat to Kerry.

“We’re very disappointed.

We didn’t perform well enough,” Gavin told RTÉ Sport. “But you have to give credit to Kerry. They looked very sharp, very hungry. One or two things went against us in the calls but that happens in a very dynamic game and we congratulate Kerry.”

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AUST R ALIA’S IR ISH NE WSPAP E R

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