Your Morning Headlines ‐ 14/11/2014
Good Morning. Here are your headlines at the start of the day.
1. Floods
Last night’s heavy rains resulted in many roods made impassable by rampant flooding as last night’s orange status has been lifted.
Dublin was hit hard particularly in the southside with roads such as Nutgrove Avenue and roads around Parnell Street completely closed off due to waterlogged conditions. Other counties such as Meath, Wexford, Louth and Kildare have been particularly hit.
The train network has been affected as well, with many on the Maynooth line and other Dart, Greystones and Commuter lines not being served.
Writer ‐ Leandro Pondoc
2. Policing Authority
It has been announced that Josephine Feehily, departing chair of the Revenue Commissioners has been appointed head of Irelands’ new policing authority.
Speaking yesterday, Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald said that Feehily will bring valued experience to the position.
Mark Kelly of ICCL has spoke out against the campaign saying that the appointment was completely different in that it was chosen purely by ministerial recommendation and that all jobs should be overseen by the Public Appointment Service.
Writer ‐ Adam Halpin
3. LRC Bus Talks
Talks about the proposed 10% privatization of Dublin Bus and Bus Eireann routes will take place at the Labour Relations Commission later today.
Transport Unions are heavily opposed to the privatization, due to fears of reductions in pay and conditions as well as redundancies with the National Bus and Rail Union describing the upcoming talks as its D Day.
If Government plans go ahead, we may see the privatization of 10% of bus routes.
Writer ‐ Adam Halpin
4. Animal Cruelty
A man has been sentenced to four months in prison and banned from keeping animals for two years after pleading guilty to multiple charges of animal abuse.
Wayne Cluskey of Meath had been charged on 16 counts of animal cruelty against multiple animals including dogs, ferrets and letting the carcass of a pony go unburied. He had been arrested on October 2013 on an operation led by the ISPCA, the Gardai and the Meath County Dog Warden.
The court heard the example of an emaciated bull terrier and her eleven pups found in a dirty shed without food or water. They were removed to the ISPCA’s Longford animal centre and has since recovered and been rehomed.
Writer ‐ Leandro Pondoc
5. G20
The summit of world leaders beginning in Australia this Saturday is set for a showdown between leaders from the West and Russian president Vladimir Putin following reports of Russian troops mobilizing into eastern Ukraine.
Accusations from Kiev are being hurled at Russia, saying that they have been supplying the separatists in eastern Ukraine with arms and soldiers to bolster the conflict. Russia has denied the allegations despite the increasing violence and unconfirmed reports of unmarked convoys moving into eastern Ukraine.
Though the G20 summit is nominally focused on boosting world growth and closing tax loopholes for multinationals, it is expected that security concerns will be the main focus with an agreed economic policy set and the climate change deal made by the US and China in the past week.
Writer ‐ Leandro Pondoc
