Latest news with #GeorgeLawlor
Irish Independent
6 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Calls for media regulator to take a ‘hard line' with Facebook on bogus accounts – ‘They could destroy someone's reputation'
Labour TD George Lawlor is the latest in a whole host of public representatives or public figures to have been targeted with a fake 'cloned' account, bearing his name and photos. The fake account has not made a post publicly yet and, due to Deputy Lawlor making it clear via his own pages that the account was bogus, has only amassed a small number of 'friends' on Facebook. "While the account may not have posted publicly, I have no way of knowing what kind of private messages its sending to people purporting to be me,' the Wexford TD said. "It's just one example of this type of thing. I and several of my friends and colleagues have reported this fake account to Facebook and they refused to take action stating that it wasn't in breach of their standards. It's bizarre.' In a correspondence from the social media giant, Deputy Lawlor was told: 'We didn't remove the profile. To keep our review process as fair as possible, we use the same set of Community Standards to review all reports. "We've taken a look and found that the profile doesn't go against our Community Standards. We understand that this may be upsetting, so we recommend exploring the options available to control what you see.' The TD was then told he could request a review within 180 days if unhappy with the decision not to remove the page. "The notion that pages that are clearly fake are not being actioned by Facebook is indicative of the type of organisation that Facebook has become,' Deputy Lawlor blasted. "God knows what damage a page like this could do to someone's reputation if people were to assume it was the person in the profile picture. "It's high time that Coimisiún na Meán took a hard line on this. People's reputations can be irreparably tarnished as a result of fake profiles set up by people with nothing better to do.'
Irish Independent
22-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
New bill to end employers' ‘boycott' of pay deals tabled by Labour Party
The Labour Party said its new bill would strengthen Joint Labour Committees. These committees, which include employer and union representatives, set legally binding employment conditions and rates of pay for workers in different sectors including childcare, contract cleaning and security. Labour politicians said they wanted to address an 'ongoing employer boycott' in some industries. They claim this was leaving 'good employers' at a disadvantage and causing a 'race to the bottom'. The party said the bill provided a mechanism to get around an employer 'boycott' and would ensure fair wages were paid in sectors, including home care, retail and hospitality. TD George Lawlor, the party's enterprise, tourism and employment spokesperson, said the process for setting up a Joint Labour Committee required the co-operation of all parties, so the employer side could exercise a veto. He said the Labour bill aimed to clear this 'impasse'. It would allow the Labour Court to appoint members to a committee if any party refused to participate, and draw up proposals. Mr Lawlor said a collective bargaining approach was best. 'It is a much better process because you're not dealing with individual difficulties,' he said. 'It's much easier to be dealing with a union than individual 'asks' from various different people. 'If your staff are comfortable where they are, it stops them leaving. Staff retention is a big thing and cuts out the cost of training and recruitment. A lot of that is down to the fact that negotiations have taken place as opposed to people having ill will and gripes that flare up sporadically.' He said if employers could not afford higher pay, it was very much in their interest to attend talks and put their 'cards on the table'. Introducing the Industrial Relations (Boycott of Joint Labour Committees) bill yesterday, he said the Irish Hotels Federation had taken judicial review proceedings over moves to reconstitute a Joint Labour Committee. Mr Lawlor said the fact that there was non-co-operation by an employer representative body in the committee system meant the case was struck out, so there was essentially an employers' veto.
Irish Independent
12-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
Newly elected Wexford senator's vacant seat set to be filled with just one name in the running so far
A Fine Gael representative has confirmed that the deadline for internal nominations has been set for Thursday, May 15, just two weeks before the deciding date. However, according to Senator Byrne, only one nomination has been put forward so far, though he has not ruled out the possibility of more to come in the next week. Mr Byrne was elected to the Seanad in January 2025 and has since used his national position to raise the issues of the Flood Relief Scheme, earlier train times for working commuters, the housing crisis, and the development of an SETU campus in Wexford. However, the voters in his hometown who helped him top the poll in the June 2024 local elections with 2,275 first preference votes, surpassing the 1,608 quota on the first count, have been left in the cold when it comes to local affairs. The stark difference to the quick co-option of Labour Party TD George Lawlor and Sinn Féin Deputy Fionntain Ó Suilleabháin's seats, who sorted out their affairs promptly in December 2024, has not gone unnoticed. Fianna Fáil and Enniscorthy councillor Barbara-Anne Murphy has said that questions have arisen from the public over the delay in the selection. 'It has been frustrating to get work done as the council has not been at full capacity. People have asked why there have not been six of us,' she said. "I know that it takes a long time, but Wexford Council has been down one councillor and it is not just a local Enniscorthy level that has been affected. But hopefully we will have someone soon and they will be able to put their feet under the table and get going,' she added. Nonetheless, Senator Byrne has pinned the delay experienced locally on the great number of Fine Gael councillors who have been elected to a higher position. "A lot of councillors were elected from the Fine Gael party so the decision to have the convention date at the end of May was made at a national level and was not decided by the local parties. They have been working their way through what needs to be done. It needs to be done right,' he explained. ADVERTISEMENT He added that he does not consider his supporters as being unrepresented on a local level, given he has advocated for them and Wexford on a wider whole at a national level and still keeps his office open. "My office is still available for anyone to walk into who needs help on any issues they have. Councillor Pat Kehoe is also there and we will have someone at the end of the month that people can rely on.' "I am very much looking forward to working with the successful nominee to help the people of Enniscorthy,' he added.
Irish Independent
23-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Irish Independent
See pictures from Wexford's Ability's Got Talent show
And, after much deliberation from a judging panel featuring Deputy George Lawlor, boxer Dean Walsh, musician Andrew Berry, former FIFA referee Michelle O'Neill, and broadcaster Sharon Colgan, there was one unanimous winner. Karina Browne, who performed the Wexford anthem Dancing at the Crossroads, was honoured with the Ability's Got Talent trophy and a €250 cheque courtesy of Wexford Credit Union. 'She brought her entire personality to her performance, she's a huge fan of the Wexford hurling team and had practised the song so much.' said Caroline. 'She was one of those we would have picked out from the start. But there were a lot of contenders, it was a very close run thing. From the heats to the final we could see how much they'd grown, how far they'd come, I'm just so happy for them, to see how far they've come. 'We were all blown away by the night and by the performances, it met all our expectations and more. What we were all saying was that the room was so full of love and joy.' Initially organised to spread awareness of the AD-Caller campaign which seeks to support those with disabilities when calling local businesses, the contest 'took on a life of its own' and is now set to become an annual event. 'We're coming back in November for the second run, we couldn't but do it again. There's something special about it, it gives everyone such confidence,' said Caroline who wished to thank both the Wexford Arts Centre and White's Hotel for their generosity in providing their premises for the event. And she said Ability's Got Talent was characterised by its community involvement. 'This wasn't about me, this was about me calling on others to help. It was a community project, I really want to stress that, everyone came together to support us. All the performers really felt that support, some of them have told me they're already practising for November.'
The Independent
24-02-2025
- Business
- The Independent
New Look to close 26 stores as it enters liquidation
About 350 jobs are expected to go across 26 stores as the Irish branch of fashion retailer New Look enters liquidation. Impacted staff were notified after the High Court in Ireland approved the appointment of provisional liquidators last Thursday. New Look said further engagement is planned over the coming days. The retailer is seeking to wind down its Irish operations following several years of 'sustained losses and challenging market conditions'. New Look employs a total of 347 people across its network in the Republic of Ireland. The company, which entered the Irish market in 2003, said a 30-day staff consultation process will commence over the coming days. However, a collective redundancy process impacting all employees in the Republic of Ireland is envisaged. The Irish Labour Party said urgent action to protect the workers is required from the company. The party's enterprise spokesman George Lawlor said: 'New Look Retailers Ireland Ltd must recognise the human impact of this decision and immediately engage with workers in a meaningful and constructive manner. 'Workers must be given clarity on redundancy terms or redeployment options. They cannot be left in limbo.' The company said it was focused on supporting its employees through the process. It also said the appointment of liquidators was not taken lightly. The company said its Irish operation has struggled for some years, impacted by a range of factors including 'supply-chain and in-market costs, and squeezed consumer spending'. It added: 'New Look has undergone changes to adapt to this market – including marketing initiatives, store adaptations and price range trials – however, following a strategic review of the Irish business, New Look Group concluded it was no longer viable to continue trading in Ireland.' The group says it will refocus investment on its UK business and its digital offering. A New Look spokesperson said: 'Due to the increasingly volatile trading conditions we needed to expedite our existing plans, which included conducting a review of our operations in the Republic of Ireland. 'Following this review, the group regrettably concluded it was no longer viable to continue trading here, so it has made the difficult but necessary decision to enter liquidation in this market.' New Look stores were temporarily closed before reopening on Sunday for a clearance sale. New Look collections will continue to be available through online retailers Asos and Very.
