Jim Cusack does it again

Sunday Independent journalist Jim Cusack has a consistent track record of writing highly dubious stories, based solely on anonymous Garda sources. In the June 19th edition of the newspaper, he makes a lame but insidious attempt to mitigate the behaviour of the Gardaí in Co Mayo who recorded themselves talking about raping women in their custody last March. He claims to have been shown new video footage, supposedly of the incident on March 31st, and this forms the basis of his article. Unfortunately for him, this footage, if it exists at all, is clearly not a recording of the incident in question.

Related Links: ‘Give me your name and address or I’ll rape you’: the reality of Corrib policing | Report on Dail protest against rape comments by gardai | Business as usual for Gardaí – trying to smear women in ‘rape tape’ controversy | NewsTalk 106 Transcript: Sunday Indo v. Indymedia.ie on Dublin Riots

The evidence Quinn failed to acknowledge
on the front page of report handed to him on 24 May 2011)

In letters to Joe Costello TD and Bethany Home Survivors Chairperson, Derek Leinster (attached), Ruairi Quinn TD, Minister for Education, turned down the survivors' request to have the Home included in the Schedule to the Residential Institutions Redress Scheme.

They met the Minister on 24 May last, accompanied by other survivors from the home, and by Niall Meehan from Griffith College Dublin. Inclusion is necessary in order for survivors to apply for compensation for the neglect they suffered in the home that the state was aware of but ignored.

Related Links:
Further Information (Indymedia):
New Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin speaks on Bethany Home Bethany Home Children’s Graves discovered Former residents call for memorial - Wednesday 26th May, 12 noon, at MOUNT JEROME Cemetery From Wicklow to Wakefield - a victim of Protestant prejudice and state neglect. Derek Leinster survived to become a trade union convener, a father and a grandfather
Quinn rejects Bethany survivors' redress call Death every 3 weeks at Bethany Home - research Bethany survivors demand redress inclusion
Further information (RTE):
Quinn rejects Bethany survivors' redress call | Death every 3 weeks at Bethany Home - research | Bethany survivors demand redress inclusion

It is quite unbelievable that the bona-fides of those involved, and the methodologies being utilized by the initiative to select a representative group of people for their 'citizen's assembly', have been subject to no public scrutiny whatsoever to date. This is especially so when you consider the fact that so much money is being poured into it.

Hugh Green, in a timely article which is excerpted below, subjects what he refers to as 'Weed the Citizens' to a searching critique. His piece, which looks coldly at the track record of some of the elite team behind the initiative, includes a translation of a report on recent events in Spain which feels (from an Irish standpoint) like a broadcast from an alternative universe. In that universe citizens organize themselves within structures created from the ground up and without help from billionaires and politically connected elite insiders.

The brief and extremely vague overview of the methodology used by 'We the Citizens' for selecting participants makes it apparent that those with the benefit of a good education and the attendant confidence to participate would be favoured by this approach. These are not the kinds of people most likely to be hit hard by the actions of the ECB/IMF financial dictatorship presently running the country.

Related Links
Real Democracy Now! Ireland (Facebook Page)
We the Citizens

Robin Hood Tax (Ireland)
has lift-off

The Robin Hood Tax will stage a global day of action on June 22nd. As a fledgling group, Robin Hood Tax (Ireland) will initiate an email campaign aimed at our TDs asking them to support a Robin Hood Tax in Ireland.

Related Links:
Robin Hood Tax (Global Site) | Robin Hood Tax (Ireland)

Robin Hood Tax (Ireland) needs helpers, supporters, researchers, volunteers, basically everything - GET INVOLVED

Facebook:
Robin Hood Tax: Facebook.com/robinhoodtax
Robin Hood Tax (Ireland): Facebook.com/robinhoodtaxireland

Twitter:
Robin Hood Tax: @robinhood
Robin Hood Tax (Ireland): @rht_ireland

Sunday June 19th will see Europe-wide protests against the forthcoming ratification of the Euro Pact. As part of this international mobilisation, Real Democracy Now! Ireland have organised demonstrations around the country. Simultaneous protests will take place at 4pm at the following locations:

• The Spire, O’Connell Street, Dublin
• O'Connell Street, Limerick
• Grand Parade, Cork
• Spanish Arch, Galway.

The Irish demonstrations are a response to a call from Spain’s Real Democracy Now! movement for a co-ordinated European response on the 19th June to the upcoming ratification of this Pact.

The event planners hope that by combining public protest and public assembly, everyone present at the events will have a chance to speak, express their grievances, and take collective decisions on further actions against the imposition of austerity across Europe.