Srebrenica genocide: Why Bosnia is still divided 30 years on
In today's episode of the Inside Politics Podcast, Irish Times Eastern Europe Correspondent Daniel McLaughlin joins Hugh to reflect on
his recent visit to eastern Bosnia
.
They discuss the enduring legacy of the atrocity, how the town is preparing to commemorate the 30th anniversary and the political deadlock that still grips the country.
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The Journal
3 hours ago
- The Journal
Michael O'Leary has written to the Irish Times for 'slagging off' his Metrolink opinions
RYANAIR BOSS AND billionaire Michael O'Leary has written to the Irish Times, criticising one of the newspaper's columnist, for 'slagging' him over his opinions on Dublin's Metrolink. O'Leary and fellow billionaire Dermot Desmond have said the cost of the multi-billion-euro transport project is unjustifiable . They have questioned its popularity and whether future advancements in other transport technology will make it obsolete. Irish Times columnist Justine McCarthy wrote last week that their comments 'show you can be rich and wrong', and claimed there was a 'tang of Marie Antoinette's 'let them eat cake'' about the tone of their remarks. In a response to the newspaper today, O'Leary made it clear that he did not appreciate the remarks. He repeatedly cited an inflated price tag of the Dublin transport project. Advertisement The airline owner questioned how Ireland could 'seriously consider wasting approximately €20 billion of taxpayer money'. A €23 billion price tag first-appeared in a ministerial briefing to Darragh O'Brien earlier this year, a figure that was a 'potential upper range' cost but was not the estimated cost. The Journal 's FactCheck has previously highlighted that the figure is a misleading claim. There is a 95% chance the figure will not go above €23 billion – but the more-likely price range is between €7.16 billion and €12.25 billion. Throughout his letter, he criticised the columnist and questioned what expertise she held in transport when compared to him and Desmond, who was previously involved in the 2006 redevelopment of London City Airport in the UK. He added: 'If the next time Ms McCarthy wants to offer an opinion on government transport projects, perhaps she could address the cost benefit of the project, rather than slagging off two successful – albeit opinionated – business people.' Referring to himself and Desmond, he added: 'But sadly we are both guilty of 'being rich', so therefore dismissed by The Irish Times 'experts', who know so much more about transport.' Related Reads As another Irish billionaire criticises Metrolink, this transport expert says it's 'the only show in town' Minister says Ryanair boss is a 'successful' man but he's wrong about MetroLink Metrolink gets €2 billion funding boost - but no one knows what the final cost will be yet He said the Metrolink was a 'white elephant' and claimed that there were 'far better uses of taxpayer funds'. He maintained his opinion that the cost of the Metrolink 'cannot be justified'. O'Leary also sought to dispel assertions by the columnist that he was opposed to the construction Dublin Airport's second runway, clarifying that he was only opposed to the location of the new tarmac. Last month, transport minister O'Brien noted that while the Ryanair boss is a 'successful' businessman, he believed O'Leary is wrong about the MetroLink. He claimed that the transport project would enable future economic development. Brian Caulfield, a professor in transportation at Trinity College Dublin, told The Journal last week that the passenger volume of trains, such as the Metrolink, can't be bested. He said the project was best-in-class, compared with any future transport developments . Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
RTÉ News
8 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Appeal lodged against sentences over Seán Rooney murder
Conor Gallagher, Irish Times Crime and Security Correspondent, discusses the decision by prosecutors in Lebanon to lodge an appeal against the sentences handed down following the murder of Irish peacekeeper Private Seán Rooney.
Irish Times
18 hours ago
- Irish Times
A letter from Michael O'Leary: ‘MetroLink is a mad, bad project'
Sir, – Unbelievable!! Only an Irish Times columnist (with no known experience in transport) could waste her half-page column, slagging off Dermot Desmond and myself for criticising the Dublin MetroLink, without once mentioning the projected cost of approximately €20 billion!! Being criticised by Irish Times columnists is always a great compliment. In what crazy country could we seriously consider wasting approximately €20 billion of taxpayer money on a railway line, serving a narrow strip of the north Dublin population from Swords to St Stephen's Green, all of whom are well served currently by bus connections? The cost/benefit of this insanity has never been published, because it cannot be justified. Dermot Desmond's transport view should carry significant weight, given his very successful rescue, redevelopment and sale of London City Airport for approximately $1 billion in 2006. My own, (less?) humble view is based on almost 40 years' experience of growing, what is now the world's largest passenger airline. READ MORE But sadly we are both guilty of 'being rich', so therefore dismissed by The Irish Times 'experts', who know so much more about transport. I wouldn't quibble with a MetroLink from Swords to St Stephen's Green if it was free, but there are far better uses of taxpayer funds, than this white elephant. Muddled thinking, free of any cost/benefit analysis, such as that displayed by Justine McCarthy, is how you deliver a children's hospital (which should have cost €200 million) at a final cost of €2.5 billion and rising. My criticism of the MetroLink is based on the fact, that very few passengers at Dublin Airport will ever use it. It takes passengers into St Stephen's Green, so some small minority of inbound visitors might use it, but the vast majority of Irish originating passengers, who need to get to Dublin Airport early in the morning, or are travelling to/from outside the D2 / D4 area, won't use it. Dublin Airport is just 9km from the centre of the city, and is well served by competitively priced bus connections, which takes passengers to the city centre, and to points all over Ireland at low fares. These passengers won't switch to a €20 billion metro. Your columnist claims that I 'opposed the second terminal at Dublin Airport in 2010. I didn't. Dublin needed a second terminal l and I offered to build it on the North Apron for just €200 million, as Ryanair had proposed. I simply pointed out that the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA), wasted €2 billion, building Terminal 2 in the wrong place (a cul-de-sac) and with no ability to future expand. Now that the second runway has opened on the north apron, the chronic congestion in the T2 cul-de-sac bedevils the T2 airlines on a daily basis. I note Ms McCarthy failed to offer her opinion on the Dublin Airport second runway (a project which I also supported), yet which the airlines and our passengers are prevented from using, by a 2007 (Road Traffic) Planning restriction. We elected a new government last November which promised to remove this cap 'as soon as possible', which would enable the airlines at Dublin to grow traffic, new routes, tourism and jobs. Sadly, eight months later the Government has failed to take any action to scrap this cap. More inexcusable delay and inaction from our political class. To summarise, both I and Dermot Desmond believe, wasting €20 billion on a Dublin Airport metro, is an unjustifiable waste of scarce taxpayer funds. I object because the majority of Dublin Airport passengers won't ever use this vastly overpriced service. Dermot correctly suggests that Al and electric road transport will solve the problem at a fraction of this €20 billion over the next decade. The fact that an unqualified Irish Times columnist considers that 'two rich men' are wrong, only renews my faith that this MetroLink is a mad, bad project. Add some more buses to service the citizens of Swords, Ballymun, Collins Avenue, and Glasnevin, and The Irish Times could save Irish taxpayers (me included!) about €19.9 billion rather than squandering these funds, as we have on the world's most expensive, and least efficient, Children's Hospital. If the next time Ms McCarthy wants to offer an opinion on government transport projects, perhaps she could address the cost benefit of the project, rather than slagging off two successful – albeit opinionated – business people. We won't always be right, but we will be right, far more often than the misguided, anti-business Irish Times 'chatterati'. – Yours, etc, MICHAEL O'LEARY. Chief Executive, Ryanair, Dublin.
