Latest news with #GavinPepper
Irish Times
31-07-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Gavin Pepper agrees to abide by certain orders but denies filming son of finance firm's boss
Dublin city councillor Gavin Pepper has told the High Court he is prepared to abide by orders prohibiting him from attending or filming outside the homes of staff of credit servicing and asset management firm Pepper Finance Corporation. Mr Pepper, an Independent who was elected in the Ballymun/Finglas area, and who has no connection with Pepper Finance, has denied he shot footage for social media outside Pepper managing director Ian Wigglesworth's west Dublin home or of the businessman's son, who has special needs. He told the court he and his partner have a child with special needs themselves and had every sympathy with someone in the same situation. He also said when he was outside the Wigglesworth home, he did not engage with Mr Wigglesworth's son and it was the child who approached him while he was talking on the phone to his partner. READ MORE On Tuesday, Mr Wigglesworth and Pepper were granted an interim injunction preventing the councillor from attending the Wigglesworth home or filming and watching him and his family or from publishing home addresses of Pepper employees. That application was made ex parte – meaning only the Wigglesworth/Pepper side was represented – and on Thursday Mr Pepper appeared himself saying he wished to be given time to get legal representation. Mr Pepper, who is also a taxi driver, of Plunkett Green, Finglas, Dublin, was also required to remove social media posts which contain footage of videoing which took place outside Mr Wigglesworth's home. Brian Conroy SC, for Mr Wigglesworth and Pepper Finance, said Mr Pepper has a well-established association with the far right and social media posts promoting far-right ideas. Mr Conroy said while Mr Pepper had since Tuesday agreed to some of the orders, he did not seem prepared to delete certain social media posts or not attend homes of other Pepper employees. [ Injunction granted restraining Gavin Pepper from filming home of Pepper Finance boss Opens in new window ] Mr Pepper told Mr Justice Brian Cregan he was prepared to comply with most of the orders made on Tuesday but he said a number of allegations had been made against him which were not true, including that he had recorded the Wigglesworth family. However, certain orders now sought in relation to deleting posts would interfere with his role as a democratically elected representative and his constitutional right to free speech. He needed time to get legal representation, he said. Mr Conroy said his side was particularly concerned in relation to certain posts already up in relation to Mr Wigglesworth and his family. These and other posts were clearly threatening and crossed the line in relation to freedom of expression, counsel said. His claims about Mr Wigglesworth's son 'rang hollow' when there was one video in which Mr Pepper is clearly outside the Wigglesworth home and there is clear identification of a minor who is a member of that family. Asked by the judge if he was prepared to abide by the order not to attend outside the homes of other Pepper employees, he said he was. Asked if he was prepared to take down four specific posts, Mr Pepper said he wanted time to challenge it 'because they are making out that I am a bad guy'. He did not believe 'anything I said was defamation'. The judge said he had an absolute right to express any 'understandable grievances about vulture funds' but Pepper was saying some of the posts clearly crossed the line. Pepper does not think it can be called a vulture fund, the court heard. Mr Pepper agreed to a suggestion by the judge that he would take down the posts until the case returns before the court in October when he will also have a chance to get a solicitor to argue his case in that respect. He also said he did not accept he was some sort of a bad person and he thought looking for extra orders in this way was unfair before he got representation. The judge said he would have the opportunity to address what he felt was tarnishing his name and an unfair portrayal of him so far when he swears an affidavit. The judge said he would make an order in relation to taking down four posts of June 12th, July 24th, 25th and 27th within seven days of making the order. He also made similar orders on Tuesday in relation to other Pepper employees. The orders must be complied with within seven days of them being formally made. He also gave both sides liberty to apply to the vacation courts should anything arise between now and October.
BreakingNews.ie
31-07-2025
- Politics
- BreakingNews.ie
Gavin Pepper agrees to abide by certain orders but denies filming finance firm boss's son
Dublin city councillor Gavin Pepper has told the High Court he is prepared to abide by orders prohibiting him from attending or filming outside the homes of staff of credit servicing and asset management firm Pepper Finance Corporation. Cllr Pepper, an independent who was elected in the Ballymun/Finglas area, has denied he shot footage for social media outside Pepper managing director Ian Wigglesworth's west Dublin home or of the businessman's son, who has special needs. Advertisement He told the court he and his partner have a child with special needs themselves and had every sympathy with someone in the same situation. He also said that when he was outside the Wigglesworth home, he did not engage with Mr Wigglesworth's son, and it was the child who approached him while he was talking on the phone to his partner. On Tuesday, Mr Wigglesworth and Pepper were granted an interim injunction preventing the councillor from attending the Wigglesworth home or filming and watching him and his family or from publishing home addresses of Pepper employees. That application was made ex parte - meaning only the Wigglesworth/Pepper side was represented - and on Thursday Mr Pepper appeared himself, saying he wished to be given time to get legal representation. Advertisement Cllr Pepper, who is also a taxi driver, of Plunkett Green, Finglas, Dublin, was also required to remove social media posts which contain footage of videoing which took place outside Mr Wigglesworth's home. Brian Conroy SC, for Mr Wigglesworth and Pepper Finance, said Cllr Pepper has a well-established association with the far right and social media posts promoting far-right ideas. Mr Conroy said that while Mr Pepper had since Tuesday agreed to some of the orders, he did not seem prepared to delete certain social media posts or not attend homes of other Pepper employees. Cllr Pepper told Mr Justice Brian Cregan he was prepared to comply with most of the orders made on Tuesday, but he said a number of allegations had been made against him which were not true, including that he had recorded the Wigglesworth family. Advertisement However, certain orders now sought in relation to deleting posts would interfere with his role as a democratically elected representative and his constitutional right to free speech. He needed time to get legal representation, he said. Mr Conroy said his side was particularly concerned in relation to certain posts already up in relation to Mr Wigglesworth and his family. These and other posts were clearly threatening and crossed the line in relation to freedom of expression, counsel said. His claims about Mr Wigglesworth's son "rang hollow" when there was one video in which Cllr Pepper is clearly outside the Wigglesworth home and there is clear identification of a minor who is a member of that family. Advertisement Asked by the judge if he was prepared to abide by the order not to attend outside the homes of other Pepper employees, he said he was. Asked if he was prepared to take down four specific posts, Cllr Pepper said he wanted time to challenge it "because they are making out that I am a bad guy". He did not believe "anything I said was defamation". The judge said he had an absolute right to express any 'understandable grievances about vulture funds", but the business was saying some of the posts clearly crossed the line. Pepper Finance Corporation do not think they can be called a vulture fund, the court heard. Cllr Pepper agreed to a suggestion by the judge that he would take down the posts until the case returns before the court in October, when he will also have a chance to get a solicitor to argue his case in that respect. Advertisement Business Couple allege Pepper Finance is pursuing them over... Read More He also said he did not accept that he was some sort of bad person, and he thought looking for extra orders in this way was unfair before he got representation. The judge said he would have the opportunity to address what he felt was tarnishing his name and an unfair portrayal of him so far when he swears an affidavit. The judge said he would make an order in relation to taking four posts of June 12, July 24, 25 and 27 within seven days of making the order. He also made similar orders on Tuesday in relation to other Pepper employees. The orders must be complied with within seven days of them being formally made. He also gave both sides liberty to apply to the vacation courts should anything arise between now and October.
BreakingNews.ie
11-06-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Row breaks out at protest over Government plans to buy CityWest Hotel
A row erupted between TD Paul Gogarty, two councillors and protesters demonstrating outside the Dáil over Government plans to buy Citywest Hotel. The State is to buy the Citywest Hotel to be used as part of the country's immigration system, according to the Business Post. Advertisement Around two dozen protesters gathered outside Leinster House on Wednesday holding signs that read 'Public consultation, not secret conversation' and 'Save Citywest Hotel from being purchased by our Government'. Locals who protested raised concerns about losing a significant amenity in the area. Dublin city councillors Malachy Steenson and Gavin Pepper, who do not represent the electoral area Citywest is located in, were also seen at the protest. As Independent TD for Dublin Mid-West Paul Gogarty addressed the crowd by megaphone, a row broke out between protesters, Mr Gogarty, Mr Steenson and Mr Pepper. Advertisement Independent TD for Dublin Mid-West Paul Gogarty (left) speaks to protesters with Dublin councillor Malachy Steenson (right) as people demonstrate outside Leinster House (Brian Lawless/PA) Asked whether there was some confusion over how his comments had been taken, Mr Gogarty said 'maybe one or two people jumped the gun there'. 'But I felt it was important to say what I stand for first of all, which is respect towards everyone whether or not they are economic migrants abusing the asylum system, genuine people fleeing persecution or IT professionals coming to this country.' Bernie Cronin, from Clondalkin, said 200 people attended a meeting two weeks ago where concerns were raised about the Government plans to buy Citywest Hotel. Mr Cronin, who is a former member of Fine Gael and a current member of Independent Ireland, said it has been the area's 'greatest amenity' for 40 years. Advertisement People demonstrating outside Leinster House in Dublin over Government plans to buy Citywest Hotel (Brian Lawless/PA) 'If the Government buys it, it will never come back to the people of Saggart and the surrounding districts as the superb and magnificent luxury hotel that it has been for 40 years,' he said. He said locals have 'no concern' about its current use as an IPAS centre for housing asylum seekers. Mr Cronin said there have been concerns by the group that others could 'hijack what we are trying to do'. Asked about 'outside elements' at the protest, Mr Cronin said: 'They don't help us. They don't help us and I know that's a concern.' Advertisement 'It's not a question about race, it's about space,' Saggart resident Susan Murphy said. 'We don't have the space, we have two shops, one chemist, one post office, no Garda station. We cannot accommodate groups and groups of people. 'If the Government buys Citywest Hotel, they have free rein to do whatever they want with all the land there, which isn't fair on the residents here. Another local, Karen Tracey, said the village was already 'overwhelmed' and it was difficult to get a GP appointment or school place. Advertisement 'Within a five-minute walk within the hotel, there's about 8,000 new homes, not all of them have been occupied just yet and when they are occupied you can imagine how overwhelmed we'll be without this.'
Irish Times
11-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Councillors Gavin Pepper and Malachy Steenson shout down TD during protest against Citywest Hotel sale
Paul Gogarty, Independent TD for Dublin Mid-West, faced angry criticism from two Dublin City councillors during a protest against the planned State purchase of Citywest Hotel in Dublin. The protest took place outside Leinster House on Wednesday. Mr Gogarty had been addressing a group of protesters objecting to the prospective purchase of the hotel, which is being used to accommodate people seeking international protection. Speaking after the exchanges, Mr Gogarty said he supported the protesters' right to seek greater consultation from the Government about the purchase. He outlined that he had opened his remarks with a 'preamble', saying that he did not condone any form of racism or abuse. 'I wasn't allowed to finish my preamble,' he said. READ MORE Mr Gogarty was challenged by at least one protester, as well as by Independent councillors Malachy Steenson and Gavin Pepper. Mr Pepper told Mr Gogarty that he was 'a disgrace'. Mr Steenson angrily challenged the former Green Party TD, asking him: 'Who are you calling far right?' Speaking afterwards, Mr Gogarty said that the protesters were entitled to object to the proposed Government plans to purchase the Citywest campus. 'There never is proper consultation with communities,' he said. 'It's always telling people after the event what's happened.' Mr Pepper told reporters Mr Gogarty was 'putting people down and trying to call them racist and far right, as always. They don't want to hear what the communities have to say.' 'I'm supporting the people that want their hotel back, that's what we're out to support,' Mr Pepper said when it was put to him that he was not a representative for the local area. He is a councillor for the Ballymun-Finglas area. 'I think it's unfair for me to be called far right and an agitator. Do you know what I think it is? It's classism and it punches down on people that want to speak out.' He accused Mr Gogarty of bringing up race in his comments on Wednesday morning. Protester Bernie Cronin, a former Fine Gael member who has joined Independent Ireland, said the protest arose out of a public meeting held in recent weeks at the Green Isle Hotel at Newlands Cross, Dublin. That meeting, attended by about 200 people, was held in reaction to Government plans to buy the Citywest Hotel. Mr Cronin said demonstrators were not objecting against the IPAS centre currently in operation in the hotel, but to the plans for the Government to purchase it, which he believed meant it would never be returned to its original use. He said he was not a resident of Saggart but lived in Clondalkin, adding that he and other residents had gathered 4,000 signatures from local people opposed to the purchase of the hotel by the State. He said the protesters were 'non-political' and he had spoken to Mr Gogarty beforehand to encourage him to address the group. He said that organisers of the protest had been concerned about 'outside parties that would hijack what we're trying to do'. '[Mr Gogarty] stood up and then he launched into [how] he would have no truck if any organisation was in any way anti-immigrants, anti-refugees, anti-Citywest.' He said that Mr Gogarty was challenged by one resident for these remarks. 'That then brought outside people, non-residents who then jumped in, and then we had mayhem.' 'We had no idea that he was going to come out with that,' he said, adding that he felt Mr Gogarty had made a mistake with his comments. Asked what he felt about so-called 'outside elements', Mr Cronin said: 'They don't help us.' He said Michael Collins, the Independent Ireland TD who had earlier addressed the protest, spoke without being interrupted. Susan Murphy, who identified herself as a resident of Saggart, said it was 'not a question about race'. 'It's about space,' she said, adding that amenties and facilities in the area were already stretched. 'If the Government buys Citywest Hotel, they have a free reign to do whatever they want with all the land there, which isn't fair on the residents here. Those other people did not speak for us,' she said.
