logo
Man charged in connection with damage to Taoiseach Micheal Martin's Cork office

Man charged in connection with damage to Taoiseach Micheal Martin's Cork office

A man in his 30s has appeared in court, charged in connection with an incident of criminal damage after Taoiseach Micheál Martin's office in Cork was vandalised.
Pictures shared online last Wednesday morning, June 18, showed 'Zionist pawn' written on the window of the Fianna Fáil leaders office, with red paint on the front of the building.
A pamphlet was also fixed to the door of the office, making allegations against the Taoiseach and the Irish Government in relation to the conflict in Gaza. Last Wednesday's attack is the most recent in a string on the office in recent weeks.
On Monday, Gardaí confirmed that as part of ongoing investigations into the criminal damage incident, a man in his 30s was arrested on Saturday, June 21.
He was detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984 at a Garda station in Cork, following an operation carried out by the Crime Special Unit, Cork City.
He has since been charged and was due to appear before Cork District Court on Monday, 23 June at 10:30am.
A Garda spokesperson said that investigations are continuing.

Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Taoiseach blasts 'excessive' new social media checks for student US visas
Taoiseach blasts 'excessive' new social media checks for student US visas

Irish Daily Mirror

time8 minutes ago

  • Irish Daily Mirror

Taoiseach blasts 'excessive' new social media checks for student US visas

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has slated 'excessive' new checks on social media accounts for students seeking to obtain United States visas. He argued that the US is already one of the 'more difficult countries' to access, and there has already been a decline in the number of young people applying and travelling on J1 visas. The US Embassy in Dublin confirmed on Monday that Irish students applying for certain US visas will be instructed to set their social media profiles to public as part of a new 'comprehensive and thorough' vetting process. Following a pause, it confirmed that it will resume taking applications for visas includes for J visas, used by people like students and teachers and F and M visas, both used by students travelling to the US to study. The new rules will require those applying for visas to set their social media accounts to public. A spokesman said: 'The US Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process. 'A US visa is a privilege, not a right. We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to US national security. 'Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications. 'To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to public.' The embassy stated that visa applicants will be required to list all social media usernames or handles of 'every platform they have used from the last five years' on their application forms. It also warned that 'omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas'. When asked about the US Embassy's announcement, the Taoiseach said that he did not 'approve of or agree with' the new measures. He said: 'I believe those measures by the United States are excessive. 'One of the great things in the modern world, has been the capacity for young people to travel and mobility is important. The US is probably one of the more difficult countries to to get into at times. 'So there is an issue around freedom of speech, but it's more the atmosphere that's created by these measures, the fear and the anxiety that young people will now experience travelling. My understanding is applications are down in terms of J1. We have witnessed a pause on the processing of J1.' The Taoiseach also said there has been a 'long-standing relationship' with America and its young people travelling around Ireland. He also stated that 'good intelligence' and 'good security' should be able to stymie any potential attackers. The US Embassy spokesman confirmed that its Dublin embassy will resume scheduling F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa applications soon. He added: 'Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. 'The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.'

‘I don't approve of them, I don't agree with them' – Taoiseach says new US J1 visa rules around social media ‘excessive'
‘I don't approve of them, I don't agree with them' – Taoiseach says new US J1 visa rules around social media ‘excessive'

Irish Independent

time20 minutes ago

  • Irish Independent

‘I don't approve of them, I don't agree with them' – Taoiseach says new US J1 visa rules around social media ‘excessive'

Mr Martin was speaking ahead of his attendance World Conference on Tobacco Control, when he said he did not approve of the new measures, which will see a requirement for all social media accounts used in the past five years to be public to be vetted by US authorities. The announcement was made by the US today and the changes are effective immediately. Students applying for J1 visas must provide all social media accounts they have used in the past five years and make them public so they can be 'thoroughly' vetted by US authorities. "I believe those measures by the United States are excessive. I don't approve of them. I don't agree with them," Mr martin said. While there was an issue in relation to freedom of speech, Mr Martin said it creates an atmosphere of fear and anxiety. The number of J1 applications are down this year, Mr Martin said. "There is an issue around freedom of speech, but it's more the atmosphere that's created by these measures, the fear and the anxiety that young people will now experience travelling," the Taoiseach said. Though Mr Martin said he understood the importance of security, he believed the newly announced measures went too far. Irish students will have to undergo 'comprehensive and thorough vetting' of their social media, the US Embassy has announced today. 'To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J non-immigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public'. 'Visa applicants are required to list all social media user names or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form. We need your consent to load this Social Media content. We use a number of different Social Media outlets to manage extra content that can set cookies on your device and collect data about your activity. 'Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas.' The changes also apply for other exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications. All applicants are asked to list all their social media profiles, and make their accounts publicly accessible. Failure to do so could lead to a visa being rejected. The embassy said it would use all available information in its visa screening to identify those who would be 'inadmissible' to the US, including those who posed a threat to national security. Every visa adjudication is a national security decision US embassy in Dublin In a statement on Monday, it said that a US visa was 'a privilege, not a right'. It said that it was protecting the US by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety, adding: 'Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J non-immigrant classifications. The US Embassy in Dublin will resume scheduling F, M, and J non-immigrant visa applications 'soon'. The embassy added: 'Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission.'

‘Could lead to denial' warning for 3 key Irish groups travelling to USA as new social media rule confirmed
‘Could lead to denial' warning for 3 key Irish groups travelling to USA as new social media rule confirmed

The Irish Sun

timean hour ago

  • The Irish Sun

‘Could lead to denial' warning for 3 key Irish groups travelling to USA as new social media rule confirmed

STUDENTS hoping to travel to the States this summer on a J1 visa will have their social media and online presence 'thoroughly vetted' under new changes announced by the American Embassy in Ireland. Thousands of Irish college students travel to the States every summer to work as part of the famous J1 visa programme. 3 Three key groups will be affected Credit: Getty 3 The Trump administration previously paused visa applications Credit: Alamy Earlier this year, President The U.S Embassy in Ireland issued a statement to announce that they will be restarting the student visa programme but with new social media checks. Anyone who wants to apply for an F, M or J student visa to go to the States will have to declare all their social media accounts and switch them to public mode. Social media pages will then be vetted by US officials. READ MORE IN TRAVEL The Embassy claims that the checks are to ensure people coming into the US 'do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests.' The statement said: 'The U.S. Department of State is committed to protecting our nation and our citizens by upholding the highest standards of national security and public safety through our visa process. "A U.S. visa is a privilege, not a right. "We use all available information in our visa screening and vetting to identify visa applicants who are inadmissible to the United States, including those who pose a threat to U.S. national security. MOST READ IN THE IRISH SUN "Under new guidance, we will conduct a comprehensive and thorough vetting, including online presence, of all student and exchange visitor applicants in the F, M, and J nonimmigrant classifications. "To facilitate this vetting, all applicants for F, M, and J nonimmigrant visas will be instructed to adjust the privacy settings on all of their social media profiles to 'public.' Inside Operation Midnight Hammer: How Trump carried out unprecedented Iran attack using decoys in 37-hour covert mission "Visa applicants are required to list all social media usernames or handles of every platform they have used from the last five years on the DS-160 visa application form. "Applicants certify that the information in their visa application is true and correct before they sign and submit. "Omitting social media information could lead to visa denial and ineligibility for future visas. "The U.S. Embassy in Dublin will resume scheduling F, M, and J nonimmigrant visa applications soon. "Applicants should check our visa scheduling service for appointment availability. "The link is "Every visa adjudication is a national security decision. VISA ELIGIBILITY "The United States must be vigilant during the visa issuance process to ensure that those applying for admission into the United States do not intend to harm Americans and our national interests, and that all applicants credibly establish their eligibility for the visa sought, including that they intend to engage in activities consistent with the terms for their admission." News website Politico recently reported on an internal cable sent to embassies about these social media searches. The cable instructs officials to search for any 'advocacy for, aid or support for foreign terrorists and other threats to US national security' and 'support for unlawful antiemetic harassment or violence.' And there is currently a ban on visas for people from 12 countries 3 Applicants will now have to disclose social media information Credit: Getty

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store