Latest news with #PeterFinnegan
Irish Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Times
How much do you need to be paid to oversee a crowd of needy TDs? €250,000, it turns out
A change is coming in Leinster House with applications this week closing for the position of clerk of Dáil Éireann , the most senior role in the Oireachtas. A successor to Peter Finnegan, who was formally appointed in early 2016 after acting as clerk for more than a year , is being sought. The clerk is the chief procedural adviser to the Ceann Comhairle, the Dáil's chairperson, and to other members of the House. For outsiders, it's a job that generally goes under the radar, other than when TDs and senators kick up about procedural matters or when the clerk is brought before a committee amid controversy such as over the purchase of an €850,000 printer that couldn't fit into the building. The Komori printer purchased for the Houses of the Oireachtas was too big for its designated room so remedial works had to take place. Photograph: RTÉ News. 'The Clerk has a number of statutory functions which recognise the impartial and non-political nature of their office, including functions under the Electoral Acts and the Ethics in Public Office Acts,' according to the job advert. READ MORE Finnegan was earlier this year drawn into the speaking rights dispute, which effectively centred on Government-supporting Independent TDs seeking to be treated as Opposition deputies. This delayed the business of the 34th Dáil for weeks and saw Ceann Comhairle Verona Murphy survive a confidence vote over her handling of the issue . The clerk of Dáil Éireann, Peter Finnegan, arriving at Leinster House. Photograph: Sam Boal/Collins The clerk published a report which concluded Murphy had complied with proper procedures when deeming the changes to the Dáil rules had been carried, without putting it to a vote. If overseeing a crowd of needy TDs doesn't sound like your idea of a plum job, there is at least the salary. The role comes with an attractive annual pay packet, set at secretary general level, of €247,985. Tourism bosses see upside of Norman invasion Plans to celebrate Ireland's Norman heritage as part of a 2027 Europe-wide initiative were met with some opposition on their announcement earlier this summer by Minister for Heritage James Browne . Sinn Féin TD Aengus Ó Snodaigh noted that 'only a short time has passed since Fine Gael tried to commemorate the Black and Tans , and now Fianna Fáil is trying to go further by dedicating an entire year in celebration of 1,000 years since the birth of William the Conqueror'. Sinn Féin spokesman on Gaeilge Aengus Ó Snodaigh was critical of Government plans to mark the 1,000th anniversary of the Normans. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien The Normans departed Normandy, France, and conquered England in 1066 before Strongbow and co landed at Bannow Bay in Co Wexford a century later to help Dermot McMurrough recover the kingdom of Leinster. Their arrival set in train 850 years of Irish oppression but left some marks in terms of architecture and even surnames – with Burkes, Joyces, Powers, Walshes and Lynchs having been fixtures here for so long that many assume they are native. The Marriage of Strongbow and Aoife, from 1854, by Daniel Maclise. Photograph: National Gallery of Ireland Minister for Tourism Peter Burke has told Wicklow-Wexford TD Malcolm Byrne that planning for 'The Year of the Normans' celebrations continues. He said Tourism Ireland recently met counterparts from Normandy and stands 'ready to play its part to maximise any opportunities that may arise to grow tourism from France'. Fáilte Ireland said it is working with Wexford County Council on the 'Wexfordia' project, which will see €10.76 million invested in three areas – a Norman Experience in New Ross, the refurbishment of the town's Dunbrody Famine Ship; and on 'compelling tourism experiences' at Hook Lighthouse and the Irish National Heritage Park. The Dunbrody Famine Ship in New Ross. Whatever about the tourism potential from an invasion of Norman ancestors, Ó Snodaigh is unimpressed at the optics. 'What will they think of next? A Festival of Cromwell? A Famine Queen Jubilee?' Co Kerry community gets to knows its onion (baskets) Cromwell and the Black and Tans do not feature on the programme for National Heritage Week, which kicks off this Saturday under the theme 'Exploring Our Foundations'. Organised by the Heritage Council , it invites members of the public 'to delve into the building blocks of our heritage; not just the structures, but the landscapes and cultural activities that have shaped us'. The Fingal Mummers at the launch of National Heritage Week, which takes place from August 16th to 24th. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw More than 2,000 events are due to take place across the State, with one taking place in Co Kerry on Monday catching the eye during a scan of the programme: the Maharees/Castlegregory Onion Basket Revival. These willow baskets, organisers say, were used in the harvesting of onions and potatoes but were lost over the decades during the shift from natural to man-made materials. The Maharees/Castlegregory Onion Basket Revival project sought to re-create a once integral part of community life in the area. Photograph: Heritage Week 'An archival photograph and descriptions from community elders formed the basis for a demonstration model,' according to the blurb. 'A two-day workshop followed in which basket maker Diane Southey imparted the onion-basket-making skills to a group of community members. 'The baskets and their stories have inspired much conversation and nostalgia about times past and we hope to continue this with a panel discussion on the history of the baskets and this basket project.' Other Heritage Week events include an 'Astrophotography with Your Smartphone' workshop in Connemara National Park, a 'Rewild Your Child' event in Monasterevin, and a 'Make Prehistoric Pottery' class in Castlebar. Flatley lets flute do the talking amid Áras speculation A symbolic baton was passed on Wexford town's quayside last Sunday. A wooden harp was presented to lord mayor of Belfast Tracy Kelly to mark the beginning of the city's stint as host of Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann 2026. Members of the O'Donoghue dance school from Ballycanew, Co Wexford entertaining the crowds in Wexford town centre during Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw The fleadh is said to have brought more than 1.4 million people to Wexford, and to have generated tens of millions for the economy, during its two-year southeast run. Had the visit of Ed Sheeran been less of a secret it could have brought in even more. The Wexford People estimated, perhaps conservatively, that 900,000 pints were sold during this year's event which, at a loose average of €7 each, would have generated some €6.3 million. Kelly, a DUP councillor, said Wexford would 'prove a very hard act to follow' but Belfast was 'delighted' to be selected by organising body Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann to take on hosting duties. 'Let the countdown begin,' she said. Lord mayor of Belfast Tracy Kelly (second right) was presented with a 'Fleadh harp' by mayor of Wexford Garry Laffan. Photograph: Belfast City Council A different countdown is on for others who visited Wexford and have intentions around the passing of a less symbolic baton – the keys to Arás an Uachtaráin . Michael D Higgins , whose 14 years as President are nearly up, opened the fleadh with a speech about the Irish language and culture, but he later told reporters he felt compelled to speak about the 'incredible destruction of an entire people' in Gaza . Seeking to succeed him is Catherine Connolly . Confirmed as a candidate for the race, she posted a photograph on X from outside the town's Premier chipper with a busking young banjo player. Independent TD and presidential candidate Catherine Connolly in Wexford during Fleadh Cheoil na hÉireann. Photograph: X 'I'm inspired by the creativity of our musicians, especially our young people, and delighted to see them carrying forward our proud musical traditions,' the Galway West TD said, sounding somewhat like Higgins already. Former Riverdance star Michael Flatley , who has told the High Court but few others of his intention to seek a nomination, was also in town. He stopped for photographs but had little to add when asked about his presidential ambitions. Flatley later put on a solo flute performance on a stage on Wexford's quay. Michael Flatley at Fleadh Cheoil na hEireann Wexford — Sean Dineen (@dineen20dineen)
RTÉ News
08-06-2025
- Politics
- RTÉ News
Lift trapped group assessing Leinster House accessibility
A group of people with disabilities who were invited to Leinster House to deliver training on accessibility ended up "trapped" and "embarrassed" after a lift broke down in the parliamentary complex. The organisation, which provides disability awareness training, said they were "astonished" at how inaccessible Leinster House was after their visit to Dublin last year. In an email, they described supposedly accessible toilets that were not large enough to cater for wheelchairs, buses being refused access to drop off people with mobility issues, and a broken-down lift that left five members "stranded". They told the head of the Oireachtas that members were stuck in a corridor and "very embarrassed" as able-bodied people had to "edge" their way past them on their way to offices or lunch. A message said: "From the moment of our arrival, we encountered barriers and exclusion." The visit was made by members of the HSE Gold Star Disability Awareness Training programme and volunteers from Tipperary last June on the invitation of an Oireachtas member. In the email, they said the room where they delivered their training session was inaccessible on "a number of disability access levels". Then, when members were trying to go downstairs to the restaurant, one lift broke down and another was discovered to be out of service. The email said: "The lift to offer access to the lower corridor en route to the restaurant broke down when we had five people safely down, leaving others stranded at the top. "Once these five people tried to continue to access the restaurant, they were met with a note on the second lift that said, 'temporarily out of order'." The email continued: "Every person there was tired, embarrassed, disappointed, hungry and let down once more in terms of their rights to universal access and the dignity of using a toilet privately." It said these were just some of the issues that needed to be addressed and asked for a meeting with Oireachtas management. 'Sincere apologies' In response, Clerk of the Dáil Peter Finnegan expressed his "sincere apologies" for how the visit had unfolded. "We fell well short of the standards that people are entitled to expect when they visit their National Parliament," he said. A representative of the group returned in July to give advice on how Leinster House could be made more accessible for people with disabilities. However, progress has been slow, in particular around the replacement and upgrading of lifts, work that has be carried out by the Office of Public Works (OPW). In September, the representative of the group wrote again to ask if there had been any update. The Oireachtas said a public procurement process for a new lift would start soon and that an additional accessible toilet would be provided. A message said some toilets that had previously been marked "accessible" were no longer signposted as such and that training for all staff was scheduled for this year. In December, the group responded saying members were "very patient" but were "anxious to know that they are not forgotten". By April, they said they were "quite anxious" to see if changes had taken place and whether a return visit was possible. In response, Mr Finnegan said the new accessible toilet project was complete and a job coach [and] disability liaison officer was to be appointed imminently. However, the lift problem was proving a bigger challenge. "The advice provided by the OPW is that the project to install a new platform lift for the Member's restaurant will be more complex than just simply replacing the existing lift," Mr Finnegan said in an email. "The overall solution for the area requires changes to access and egress and some internal changes to offices and security posts." He added that while progress had been made, they were not "as far advanced" as they hoped, especially on the provision of a new elevator.
Extra.ie
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Accessibility group left 'embarrassed' by the 'astonishing' lack of disabled access at Leinster House
A group of people with disabilities who were invited to Leinster House to give training on accessibility ended up 'trapped' and 'embarrassed' after a lift broke down in the building. The group, who provide disability awareness training, said they were 'astonished' at how inaccessible Leinster House turned out to be, following their disastrous visit to the capital last year. In an email, they described 'accessible' toilets that were not large enough to cater for wheelchairs; buses being refused access to drop off people with mobility issues; and a broken-down lift that left five members of the group 'stranded'. They told the head of the Oireachtas that members of the group had been stuck on a corridor and were left 'very embarrassed' when able-bodied people had to 'edge' their way past them on their way to offices or lunch. One message said: 'From the moment of our arrival, we encountered barriers and exclusion.' Pic: Clare O'Beara/Shutterstock The HSE Gold Star Disability Awareness Training programme and volunteers, from Tipperary, visited last June on the invitation of an Oireachtas member. In the email, they said the room where they delivered their training was inaccessible on 'a number of disability access levels'. Then, when members tried to go downstairs to the restaurant, one lift broke down and another was discovered to be out of service. The email said: 'The lift to offer access to the lower corridor, en route to the restaurant, broke down when we had five people safely down, leaving others stranded at the top. 'Once these five people tried to continue to access the restaurant, they were met with a note on the second lift that said, 'Temporarily Out of Order'.' The message added: 'Every person there was tired, embarrassed, disappointed, hungry and let down once more in terms of their rights to universal access and the dignity of using a toilet privately.' It said these were just some of the problems that needed to be addressed and asked for a meeting with Oireachtas management. In response, the Clerk of the Dáil, Peter Finnegan, expressed his 'sincere apologies' for how the visit had turned out. He said: 'We fell well short of the standards that people are entitled to expect when they visit their national parliament.' Pic: Damien Storan/Shutterstock A representative of the group returned in July to give advice on how Leinster House could be made more accessible for people with disabilities. However, progress has been slow, in particular with regard to the replacement and upgrading of lifts, work that has to be carried out by the OPW. In September, the representative of the group wrote again to ask if there had been any update. The Oireachtas said a public procurement process for a new lift would start soon and that an additional accessible toilet would be provided. A message said that some of the toilets that had previously been marked 'accessible' were no longer signposted as such and that training for all staff had been scheduled for this year. In December, the group responded saying members were 'very patient' but were 'anxious to know that they are not forgotten'. By April, they said they were 'quite anxious' to see if changes had taken place and whether a return visit was possible. In response, Peter Finnegan said the new accessible toilet project was complete and a job coach [and] disability liaison officer was to be appointed imminently. However, the lift problem was proving to be a bigger challenge. Mr Finnegan's email said: 'The advice provided by the OPW is that the project to install a new platform lift for the members' restaurant will be more complex than just simply replacing the existing lift. 'The overall solution for the area requires changes to access and egress and some internal changes to offices and security posts.' Mr Finnegan said that while progress had been made, the improvements were not 'as far advanced' as they hoped, especially on the provision of a new lift that is accessible to wheelchair users.
Irish Daily Mirror
08-06-2025
- Politics
- Irish Daily Mirror
Apology issued after group of disabled people 'trapped' in lift during Dail trip
A group of people with disabilities who were invited to Leinster House to deliver training on accessibility ended up 'trapped' and 'embarrassed' after a lift broke down in the parliamentary complex. The organisation, which provides disability awareness training, said they were 'astonished' at how inaccessible Leinster House was after their disastrous visit to Dublin last year. In an email, they described supposedly accessible toilets that weren't large enough to cater for wheelchairs, buses being refused access to drop off people with mobility issues, and a broken-down lift that left five members 'stranded'. They told the head of the Oireachtas that members were stuck on a corridor and 'very embarrassed' as able-bodied people had to 'edge' their way past them on their way to offices or lunch. A message said: 'From the moment of our arrival, we encountered barriers and exclusion.' The visit was made by members of the HSE Gold Star Disability Awareness Training programme and volunteers from Tipperary last June on the invitation of an Oireachtas member. In the email, they said the room where they delivered their training session was inaccessible on 'a number of disability access levels'. Then, when members were trying to go downstairs to the restaurant, one lift broke down and another was discovered to be out of service. The email said: 'The lift to offer access to the lower corridor en route to the restaurant broke down when we had five people safely down, leaving others stranded at the top. 'Once these five people tried to continue to access the restaurant, they were met with a note on the second lift that said, 'Temporarily Out of Order'.' The message continued: 'Every person there was tired, embarrassed, disappointed, hungry and let down once more in terms of their rights to universal access and the dignity of using a toilet privately.' It said these were just some of the issues that needed to be addressed and asked for a meeting with Oireachtas management. In response, the Clerk of the Dail Peter Finnegan expressed his 'sincere apologies' for how the visit had unfolded. He added: 'We fell well short of the standards that people are entitled to expect when they visit their National Parliament.' A representative of the group returned in July to give advice on how Leinster House could be made more accessible for people with disabilities. However, progress has been slow, in particular around the replacement and upgrading of lifts. In September, the representative of the group wrote again for an update. Mr Finnegan replied: 'The advice provided by the OPW is that the project to install a new platform lift for the Member's restaurant will be more complex than just simply replacing the existing lift.
