Latest news with #MichaelCollins
ABC News
16 hours ago
- Business
- ABC News
Feral deer plow through $100,000 worth of vegetables at Flowerdale farm
Feral deer have eaten their way through $100,000 worth of produce at a fledgling vegetable-growing business near Melbourne. Over just three nights, the deer ventured from public land onto a nearby farm at Flowerdale, stripping paddocks of valuable crops including cabbages and other vegetables. Michael Collins and Sam Shacklock run the bio-intensive market garden and lost at least 80 per cent of their winter crop to the deer. Mr Collins said it was a huge setback. "We're going to be chasing our tail for the next 12 months at least," he said. The young farmers had recently invested heavily in the crop. "Not only is there the fertiliser bill, the seedling bill, there's the labour to keep it weeded," Mr Collins said. "That section was coming into production in four weeks. "It was going to produce until mid-September, so that's a massive chunk of what we were planning to sell at farmers' markets. "It's only three nights that were unaccounted-for, and the damage [the deer] did in the cabbage was just enormous." According to Victorian government figures, there are more than 1 million feral deer across the state. The vegetable farm borders state government-managed parkland that Mr Collins said was infested with deer. "We are growing what is effectively sugar for deer." Mr Collins believed the government should do more to manage feral deer on public land. "It's just not managed. The deer population is through the roof, and it's not necessarily my responsibility to manage the deer population," he said. "The amount of regulation and permits you need to shoot deer, when it is a feral species, is atrocious. "I think there is a massive state government failing in this, and there is piss-all funding or support for it." The Victorian government has been contacted for comment. The farmers are now racing to build a tall exclusion fence to keep the deer out. They have raised funds and borrowed money to quickly build the fence before deer eat their remaining 1.6 hectares of produce. Mr Collins has spent more than $25,000 on fencing equipment. "I broke the bank on three-metre-high posts, but it may not be enough," he said. "I've been told if they're hungry enough, they [deer] will jump that. "There are orchards down the road that have deer fencing. The deer got in and stripped all the trees bare. "[Even] truffle farms are struggling with deer."
The Journal
27-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Bryan Dobson set to chair new State Commemorations Advisory Committee
FORMER RTÉ BROADCASTER Bryan Dobson is set to chair a new State Commemorations Advisory Committee. The committee has been established with the aim of supporting Government and key stakeholders in the planning and delivery of commemorative events. Its mandate will be to maintain 'an inclusive, respectful, and consensus-based approach to all commemorative matters', to offer independent, non-partisan advice to Government when requested and to ensure historical events are commemorated 'accurately' and grounded in primary source material. The committee will also provide guidance on 'sensitive or complex themes' associated with historical events. Dobson, who retired from RTÉ in May last year after 37 years at the broadcaster, will chair the committee, whose members will include former ministers Heather Humphreys and Éamon Ó Cuív. Professor Marie Coleman, a professor of 20th century Irish history at Queen's University Belfast, will also sit on the committee. Other members will include National Archives director Orlaith McBride, National Library Director Dr Audrey Whitty, and Professor Paul Rouse from University College Dublin's School of History. Advertisement Minister for Culture Patrick O'Donovan is expected to officially announce the formation of the committee tomorrow. He will say that the committee will ensure 'that the diverse experiences and perspectives that shape our national story continue to be honoured in a respectful and balanced way'. 'Ireland's story is rich, diverse and often challenging. With the thoughtful guidance of this new Committee, we will continue to honour that story not just as history, but as a shared inheritance that belongs to every citizen,' O'Donovan will say. The Minister will meet some of the committee members tomorrow, where they will view a new acquisition by the State. The typed document is a signed agreement between Éamon de Valera, Austin Stack, Arthur Griffith, and Michael Collins that aimed to address the immediate political crisis arising from the signing of the Anglo-Irish Treaty. The agreement was drafted and signed at the Ard Fheis of Sinn Féin, held on 21-22 February 1922 at the Mansion House in Dublin. Some 3,000 delegates from all over Ireland attended the Ard Fheis to interpret the constitution of Sinn Féin considering the Treaty and to decide the party's policy for the upcoming elections. The document will be added to the collection at the National Archives of Ireland and will be available on the National Archives website for researchers to access. A related item, Michael Collins's Memorial Card, will also be shown to the Minister and the committee. 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
The Journal
26-05-2025
- Business
- The Journal
Calls for reintroduction of 100% mortgages for first time buyers - but politicians urge caution
POLITICAL PARTY INDEPENDENT Ireland has called for banks to reintroduce 100% mortgages to the market to help renters and young people buy their first home. It comes as the product, synonymous with the Celtic Tiger era, has increased in popularity in the UK. In Ireland, however, 100% and 95% mortgages are not available under Central Bank lending rules that came into force in 2015. Last week, another lender in the UK introduced a 100% mortgage to the market. It is not available for new build properties and comes with an initial higher interest rate (5.99% compared to an average of about 4%). The Journal contacted housing experts and the housing spokespeople of all of Ireland's main political parties to get their views on whether products of this kind should be reintroduced in a bid to help first-time buyers. Independent Ireland was the only party to call for their reintroduction. Party leader and TD Michael Collins told The Journal : 'We are not advocating for a return to the reckless lending that preceded the financial crisis. However, it is equally irresponsible to ignore the reality that people are spending €2,000 or more each month in rent, yet cannot qualify for a mortgage that would cost them far less. 'There is a clear need for targeted, responsible mortgage products that reflect today's economic realities.' Cork South West TD Michael Collins Alamy Alamy He pointed to the rise in availability of the product in the UK and said that with appropriate affordability checks and regulatory safeguards, 100% mortgages can be a 'valuable tool in addressing the housing crisis'. His party colleague, Cork North Central TD Ken O'Flynn added: 'It defies logic that someone can be trusted to pay €2,500 to a landlord but not be considered eligible to repay €1,800 to a mortgage lender. 'A properly structured 100% mortgage could turn long-term renters into homeowners and provide dignity and stability to countless families.' 'Absolute disaster' Other politicians contacted by The Journal , however, urged caution. Advertisement Sinn Féin's housing spokesperson Eoin Ó Broin said there should be 'no return to the high-risk Celtic Tiger lending of the past'. He added that mortgages of this type would not help increase housing supply and would only add to house price inflation. Similarly, Social Democrats housing spokesperson Rory Hearne said 100% mortgages were an 'absolute disaster' during the Celtic Tiger in terms of contributing to house price inflation. 'We are absolutely in the same upward spiral as we were in the Celtic Tiger… and adding more credit into that in order to enable people to pay higher prices will, in the context of restricted supply, just add to higher house prices,' he said. Hearne said what first-time buyers really need is State-provided affordable housing to rent or buy, on a 'massive scale'. Rory Hearne, Social Democrats TD for Dublin North-West. Alamy Alamy This sentiment was shared by People Before Profit TD Paul Murphy, who warned against repeating 'the mistakes of the Celtic Tiger' and Labour's housing spokesperson TD Conor Sheehan, who said he was 'deeply uneasy' about the prospect of their return. 'With a 100% mortgage, the buyer does not have any equity in the property and if the housing market contracts, they could find themselves in negative equity…The higher interest rate offered by these loans will also make them more expensive over the longer term,' he said. Shane Cullen, head of mortgages at Ask Paul (Fairstone), also explained how limited a homeowner's options are if they avail of a 100% mortgage and house prices begin to fall. 'The main issue you have here is that the buyer is at 0% equity at the outset. Now while this is okay in a time where there's property price inflation, a dip in the market can have massive consequences for the buyer, throwing them into negative equity,' he said. 'They may want to sell due to personal or financial reasons and not be in a position to do so as they're in negative equity. House prices can take years to recover as we saw in 2008 and led to the Central Bank of Ireland measures being introduced to protect consumers and encourage more responsible lending.' What about a 95% mortgage for first-time buyers? 'Even at 95%, you're still leaving buyers extremely vulnerable to a dip in the market,' Cullen said. He argued that opening up the first-time buyer schemes to second-hand properties would be a more sensible approach, as consumers would be better protected from a crash. 'Returning to 95 or 100% mortgages will be great for increasing the lenders' bottom line, and while it looks as though they're doing it to help consumers, there is no consideration for the associated risks attached.' 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
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
New Tribute Portfolio Hotel to go up in 18th & Vine District at Negro Leagues Baseball Museum
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A new 132-key Tribute Portfolio Hotel will be going up in the heart of Kansas City's historic 18th & Vine District, Grayson Capital announced Friday. The new hotel will be adjacent to the iconic 30,000 square feet Negro Leagues Baseball Museum (NLBM), the real estate company said in a news release. Kansas City sets teen curfew in hopes to boost summer safety Grayson Capital said this project will be part of Tribute Portfolio Hotels, a global collection brand within Marriott Bonvoy comprised of independent boutique hotels. 'Our goal is to create more than a hotel—this is a cultural destination,' Michael Collins, CEO of Grayson Capital, said in the news release. 'We are building something that reflects the legacy of the Negro Leagues and the vibrancy of the 18th & Vine District.' 'This hotel project is a powerful extension of our mission to celebrate the history and heroes of the Negro Leagues,' Bob Kendrick, the President of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, added. 'It will offer our visitors a new and immersive way to experience the legacy of Black baseball and the broader cultural impact of the 18th & Vine District. We're thrilled to collaborate with Grayson Capital and Marriott International to bring this vision to life.' This development also marks a major milestone: the first majority Black-owned hotel in Kansas City since the legendary Street Hotel, which once stood at 18th & Paseo and served as a hub for Black travelers, performers and athletes. Grayson Capital said key features of the hotel will include: 'Reuben and Ella's', an upscale restaurant named in honor of Reuben and EllaStreet, the former proprietors of the Street Hotel—Kansas City's last majorityBlack-owned hotel. The restaurant will blend elevated Southern cuisine withinventive takes on classic ballpark favorites, paying tribute to the city's culinary andbaseball traditions. A rooftop bar designed in the spirit of Kansas City's most iconic cocktail venues,offering sweeping panoramic views of downtown Kansas City. It will serve as avibrant social destination for hotel guests, locals and visitors to the museumdistrict. A cultural partnership platform that will include local and national collaborationswith the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum, other area museums and professionalsports teams to offer 'stay-and-play' and curated tour packages. These packageswill allow guests to experience Kansas City's cultural legacy through museumaccess, sports events and behind-the-scenes storytelling. 'Kansas City is proud to see continued growth and private investment at 18th and Vine, which will now feature its first hotel property in generations,' Mayor Quinton Lucas said in the news release. 'I thank leaders at Grayson Capital, the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum and Marriott International for bringing investment and more visitors to see our history, explore our culture and build the future of Kansas City's Historic Jazz District.' Once the full design is complete, Grayson Capital said it will announce the construction start date. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Agriland
23-05-2025
- Business
- Agriland
Govt seeking ‘sufficient clarification' before final decision on Mercosur
The Tánaiste has confirmed that 'engagements' are continuing with the European Commission over the Mercosur trade deal and that the government will seek 'sufficient clarification' on priority areas before any final decision on the deal. Tánaiste Simon Harris has re-iterated again that the Irish government is opposed to the current Mercosur trade deal. 'Since the commission announced the conclusion of negotiations, officials from my department and other departments, including the Department of Enterprise, Tourism and Employment and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM), have been working together to carefully analyse the text of the additional legal instrument addressing sustainability commitments. ' Furthermore, I and my officials have engaged with the commission and with counterparts in other EU member states to interrogate the outcome of negotiations to assess if our concerns have been adequately addressed,' the Tánaiste told the Dáil this week. According to Simon Harris engagements with the commission are continuing because the government wants further clarification on key issues including 'climate, biodiversity, deforestation and the protection of farmer's incomes in advance of any final decision on the agreement'. Mercosur Separately the leader of Independent Ireland, Michael Collins, said a briefing held by the European Commission on the Mercosur trade deal in Leinster House had not allayed its concerns about the deal. Deputy Collins accused commission officials of 'trying to convince Irish lawmakers that this deal is somehow good for Ireland'. 'This is a deal that will damage Irish beef and poultry farmers. 'No matter how they spin it, the Irish farming sector has nothing to gain — and everything to lose,' he added. The party's agriculture spokesperson, Galway-Roscommon TD , Michael Fitzmaurice, also warned today (Friday, May 23) that the deal could 'flood the market with cheap, hormone-treated meat from Brazil'. The European Commission however maintains that the Mercosur agreement would create 'new opportunities' for Irish farmers because it will remove Mercosur tariffs of up to 55% on EU agri-food products. The commission has also underlined that the terms of the agreement will not provide duty-free access to Mercosur beef. But it will allow 99,000 tonnes of Mercosur beef to enter the EU market with a 7.5% duty – 55% of the quota will consist of fresh or chilled meat and 45% of lower-value frozen meat. According to Deputy Fitzmaurice this would be 'potentially devastating for Irish farming'. He added 'Irish farmers are being forced to meet the highest environmental standards, while this deal rewards production linked to mass deforestation in the Amazon. 'It's utterly hypocritical.'
