Latest news with #MicheálCarrigy
Irish Independent
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Carrigy says N4 upgrade must be delivered over the next decade as Longford's economic renaissance gathers pace
That's the view of Longford based Fine Gael TD Micheál Carrigy as hopes continue to grow surrounding the financial well-being of his native county. Those aspirations were given a sizable boost last week when secondary school meal provider Food Village announced the creation of 200 jobs with the opening of a state-of-the-art food service site at the town's Mastertech Business Park. That announcement followed hot on the heels of confirmation some two weeks earlier from IDA bosses over how it was closing in on plans to develop a purpose built factory aimed at enticing a large-scale multinational giant to the town. Details surrounding both those breakthroughs have, according to Mr Carrigy, underlined the importance of advancing one of the region's most critical infrastructural assets. 'It is a key piece of infrastructure for the economic development of our county into the future for the next generation, that we have that direct access to our capital city and airport and that we shorten journey times between the capital and Longford,' he told the Irish Independent. 'There is great people in Longford, it's a great county and we have a great town.' Hopes surrounding the carriageway's long-awaited upgrade were given a welcome tonic in February when a preferred route was selected following years of funding issues and long-standing delays. Mr Carrigy said it was imperative the long-awaited project was delivered over the next decade in order to foster and further strengthen the county's upward economic trajectory. 'We have brilliant business people here who have and are putting in long hours to build up their companies and contracts with other companies that are operating at the highest level,' he added. 'That's why other, larger multinationals have looked at other businesses we have here as we have a very good, skilled workforce and we want to make sure we have the necessary infrastructure in place to continue to attract investment into our county which makes it is so important the N4 project is delivered over the next 10 years.'
Extra.ie
3 days ago
- Politics
- Extra.ie
‘Social media firms should face Oireachtas over spread of lies and fear' says TD
Social media companies should 'most definitely' be brought before the Oireachtas Media Committee to discuss how they deal with disinformation on foot of claims made online in the wake of the shooting in Carlow over the weekend, a TD has said. When the incident became public, some far-right actors pushed false information that the incident was carried out by a foreign national. Some social media users described the incident as a mass shooting with multiple victims wounded. However, the gardaí moved quickly to clarify that the shooter was Evan Fitzgerald, 22, of Portrushen, Kiltegan, Co. Wicklow, who was a white Irish male. The clarification of his ethnicity was made in a bid to stop disinformation from spreading about the identity of the shooter. Emergency services near the scene at Fairgreen Shopping Centre in Carlow. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire Gardaí confirmed Fitzgerald was alone when he walked through the shopping centre and discharged the firearm into the air a number of times. Fitzgerald ultimately died from a self-inflicted gunshot. Some web users claimed Ireland may have a civil war 'very soon' on the foot of the incident, with others talking about a 'cover-up' of the incident. Other accounts suggested the shooter was 'not white' and 'probably' an illegal immigrant. None of these allegations was true. Micheál Carrigy, a Fine Gael TD who sits on the Oireachtas Media Committee, said: 'They [social media firms] should be quicker in taking down this information that's on the platforms. Other platforms are being used to spread disinformation and spread disquiet and untruths.' The deputy said this is 'something that can't be done through mainstream media because you have to publish what is correct', adding: 'Their platforms are being used to spread fear in communities and false information. Senator Micheál Carrigy. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos 'So they need to be quicker in taking down what has been identified as incorrect information and spreading hatred within communities.' He said he would 'most definitely' like to see companies such as X, Meta and TikTok back in front of an Oireachtas committee soon to discuss the matter. Mr Carrigy added: 'There's people out there using those platforms to promote their racist views. 'As I said, spreading something that's factually incorrect, I think they need to have stronger measures or stronger controls on where people are found to be using platforms or accounts [improperly]. They should be banned, or their accounts should be shut down and closed down and banned. They have to have stricter and tighter controls with regard to the accounts that are being hosted on their platforms.' No one was injured by the shots discharged on Sunday. However, one young girl suffered a 'minor leg injury' when she fell while running from the scene.. In a transparency report issued last year, social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, stated that it had suspended over four million accounts for a variety of breaches of its service and had removed more than ten million posts. However, since Elon Musk took over the platform, it has become much more robust in defending free speech rather than moderating its content.
Irish Times
29-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
RTÉ execs return for another grilling at the media committee barbecue – but where's the beef?
The members of the freshly formed Oireachtas media committee must have been exhausted after their speed-grilling of RTÉ's 'leadership team' during a frenetic Q & A session in the bowels of Leinster House. As for their barbecue meat of choice, the witnesses were only slightly seared compared to the long hours of intensive basting they endured from two separate committees two years ago at the glorious height of the Tubsgate and flip-flop fiasco hearings. New chairman, Labour's Alan Kelly, still sounds traumatised. He was on the Public Accounts Committee at the time. 'I lost days of my life in this room a couple of years ago,' he shuddered on Wednesday, before bravely wading back into the Montrose murk. 'I lost days of my life here.' READ MORE Two more survivors turned up for duty – former senators Malcolm Byrne (FF) and Micheál Carrigy (FG) are back on the media committee, but as TDs this time. The high attrition rate was not lost on one post-election deputy observing the line-up for RTÉ v Leinster House: the rematch. 'More RTÉ executives than politicians survived.' Committee meetings can very dull, under-attended affairs, particularly when the issue under scrutiny isn't headline-friendly. Members just nip in and ask their question for the TikTok before scuttling out. This one was very well attended, on all sides. 'There's enough people here to fill a hurling team, in fairness,' remarked Fianna Fáil TD for Carlow-Kilkenny Peter 'Chap' Cleere, telling the DG it was good to see such a fine turnout. 'So fair play for that.' The chair was pleased to note that all of the committee members were present for duty. In a commendable display of time and people management, Alan and his colleagues managed to get in three rounds of rapid-fire questions in a 2½-hour slot in Committee Room Three. This gave Senator Rónán Mullen a chance to get all his misgivings about the national broadcaster off his chest with persistent questioning about RTÉ 'groupthink' and the feeling many people have that the national broadcaster does not reflect the perspectives of 'a silenced significant minority in this country'. Some people believe there is 'a strong systemic bias in favour of so-called progressive points of view'. Whatever about audience research, do RTÉ ever do any 'staff research' to ascertain if 'too many people think the same way about certain things in your organisation'? Kevin Bakhurst was rather taken aback by this. 'I think that would be a little bit North Korean.' But that didn't stop Rónán, who came back later to suggest an 'audit' of staff to find out if there is 'an excessive' sameness of opinion. 'I'm not going to ask people in RTÉ what their religious or political views are,' replied the DG. 'I didn't mention religious,' shot back Rónán. Perish the thought. 'You could do an audit and you could do it confidentially.' The DG repeated that RTÉ is 'not a North Korean broadcaster'. Wouldn't that be brilliant, though. Professional journalists and management heads hauled into a Donnybrook star chamber so an expert in Dublin 4 wokery could hit them with Mattie McGrath's historic demand from 2023. He shouted it at deputy DG Adrian Lynch at the height of the flip-flop/Tubsgate interrogations. 'Who are ya lyal to?' 'Who am I lying to?' 'No. Who are ya lyal to. Lyal.' 'Oh, loyal. Loyal, loyal, loyal.' Indeed. Now Galwegian Rónán Mullen wants a Spanish Arch Inquisition. Who are those left-wingers in Montrose loyal to? [ RTÉ confirms €3.6m write down on partly abandoned IT project Opens in new window ] Meanwhile, supersleuth Kelly wanted to know if the organisation shared its statements with the Government's Department of Media before appearing. These statements had important detail on who knew what and when about the write-down of more than €3.5 million on an IT system which didn't come up to scratch. This embarrassing loss was politely referred to as 'the impairment' by the witnesses. After much muttering and stuttering all round, it seems that they did share statements. But the committee was told this is not uncommon. Anyway, Alan asked if anybody knew about this huge loss – way more than the Toy Show The Musical flop or a well-known presenter's emoluments set them back – 'when we were sitting here and talking about Ryan Tubridy'. Well, they were and they weren't. An unexpected bonus for the committee popped up last week when reports surfaced about newsroom ructions over a short promotional video currently being shot to showcase RTÉ's excellent newsgathering operation. 'I've never had so many phone calls about an issue, to be honest,' said the committee chairman. Most of them, one assumes, from those many staffers in the newsroom who are not apparently 'livid' over this promo, as their observant leadership team continues to insist. [ Dismay among RTÉ staffers as broadcaster hires actors to play journalists in 'make-believe' ad campaign Opens in new window ] Nothing to see here, stressed newsroom boss Deirdre McCarthy, deferring to the Marketing side for further explanation. Kevin Bakhurst is 'very irritated' by the ongoing coverage. Lookit. There were 'only two plants' brought in to take the bare look off the newsroom and he would expect 'our highly professional promotions team' to do a great job putting the promo together. He thinks it will cost less than €100,000. Those hacks in Montrose must be hallucinating when they talk of seeing way more than two plants in their run-down newsroom where normally ne'er a bit of greenery is to be seen. As for sending a crew to Brussels to film a segment with distinguished Europe reporter Tony Connelly, the two witnesses who might have been expected to say how many went couldn't remember off the top of their heads. A question from Chap Cleere on the hiring of 'diverse extras' for the advert got a fuzzy response. It's all a storm in a teacup, insist the Montrose leadership class. Coming in at under €100k is a good result, apparently. Imagine what the cost could have been if RTÉ didn't have a long-established Promotions Department, staffed by full-time producers and directors who are employed to create these high-profile adverts. Instead, said the DG and his deputy, the only outside cost incurred was for a camera crew as all their own people were otherwise engaged. But then, as the session progressed, things began to unravel a little under some gentle questioning from Senator Garret Ahearne and chairman Kelly. Hirings widened out to cameras, technicians and sound. People would like to see the organisation invest money 'in the creative sector outside RTÉ rather than bring all resources in-house', said Bakhurst. Was the production not run in-house? 'Well, the production team running it are in-house and standard practice would be to get expertise whether it be camera crews or sound people or whatever from outside ...' Clear as mud.
Irish Independent
13-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
‘Leave politics at the door' – New Housing Oireachtas chair calls for cross party unity in tacking ‘biggest issue' facing the country
Today at 04:35 A government TD elected chairperson of an Oireactas committee tasked with leading the State's response to Ireland's ever growing housing crisis has said the time has come to 'leave politics at the door' in order to broker real and lasting change. Longford-Westmeath Fine Gael TD Micheál Carrigy issued the appeal as he addressed members of the Oireacthas Committee on Housing, Local Government and Heritage following his appointment by Tánaiste Simon Harris two weeks earlier. Mr Carrigy has already spoken of his own awareness over the challenges his new role will likely bring alongside a need to remove some of the barriers that have continued to hamstring the industry. And, in a broader plea to his fellow committee members, Mr Carrigy underlined comments made by Fianna Fáil TD Séamus McGrath over the need for a universal political approach going forwards. 'Working together, we will make changes,' he stressed. 'This is the biggest issue we have in our country at the minute. I agree with the comments of Deputy McGrath that we leave politics at the door and work together to tease out issues, hold accountable those who need to be held accountable, and try to make the changes that we need to improve housing output.' Those calls comes amid fresh forecasts that show Ireland will struggle to even deliver the same number of homes built last year. Commencement notices, a metric in many housing forecasts, are down 61pc in the first quarter of this year. Data from the Central Statistics Office shows 5,938 new homes were completed in the first three months of this year, a 2pc increase on the same period last year and a trajectory that is unlikely to see overall targets reached by December. Those challenges are ones which are mirrored by last month's new record high for homelessness figures. The latest Department of Housing figures showed there were 10,743 adults and 4,675 children in emergency accommodation, including 2,212 families. The overall number of people who are homeless is, however, thought to be much higher given that monthly figures do not include people sleeping on the streets, couch-surfing or those who access accommodation in domestic violence refuges or Direct Provision.
Irish Independent
24-04-2025
- Politics
- Irish Independent
The backbench Government TDs and Opposition deputies being assigned €10,000 Oireachtas jobs
Government TDs will chair a total of 15 committees, with the rest divided up between opposition parties. Fianna Fáil TD Erin McGreehan has been appointed the chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee for Further and Higher Education. Longford TD Micheál Carrigy will chair the Committee on Housing, while Dún Laoghaire TD Barry Ward will chair the Committee on EU affairs. The Social Democrats have also appointed their chairpersons, with Gary Gannon chairing the Committee on Drug Use and Pádraig Rice chairing the Committee on Health. Meanwhile, Tipperary TD Alan Kelly will chair the Media, Arts and Culture Committee, which was at the centre of scrutinising the RTÉ payments scandal. The rest of the committee chair roles are to be revealed in due course.
