Latest news with #Travelling
Irish Times
25-04-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Revolut eyes slice of the Irish mortgage market
Did you ever consider using an app on your phone to apply for a mortgage? Well, it may not be exactly that simple but Revolut's pending arrival in the Irish home loan business does look like injecting some of the company's flair for simplicity. App-applications, if you will, are to be supported by staff but Joe Heneghan, chief executive of Revolut Europe, tells Joe Brennan the process can certainly 'be made a lot slicker'. Airbnb has taken some flak here and abroad over its supposed impact on the availability of longer term rentals. Interestingly, a report from the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) tempers these ideas, claiming it – and let's not forget other actors in the short term lettings business – is not responsible for Ireland's ongoing rental crisis. Eoin Burke-Kennedy looks at what is, according to the report, which does not entirely absolve Airbnb of responsibility. Retail and hospitality is not the first corner of life one thinks of when considering defamation claims. But it is a problem . According to the Irish Small and Medium Enterprise Association (Isme), vexatious defamation claims against staff members – for example in alleging false shoplifting accusations – can cost up to €50 million a year. It has asked Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan for certain provisions in a forthcoming reform of the law. In the latest housing report, new home completions have been shown to have risen marginally in the first quarter of this year. However, Government housing targets still look like being missed . Eoin Burke-Kennedy looks at the latest Central Statistics Office (CSO) data which shows 5,938 new dwelling were finished in January, February, and March, a rise of 2 per cent on the same period last year. READ MORE Could you imagine Ireland becoming the 'Saudi Arabia of wind power'? It doesn't seem that likely , according to Kevin O'Sullivan whose Agenda piece looks at not one, but two separate reports that seem to blow more cold than hot on any such notion. What does it all mean for our net zero ambitions? What is the cost of Irish reunification? In his column, John FitzGerald looks at various studies examining the economy north and south. Given the unlikelihood of continued UK financial support in the aftermath of a reunified island, what would this new state of affairs mean in economic terms? The Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) has reported a significant rise in the number of discrimination cases taken against businesses on the grounds of race, membership of the Traveller community or sexual orientation. Emmet Malone reports on the details which found cases involving members of the Travelling community alone shot up 86 per cent last year. Irish Marks & Spencer stores were affected by a 'cyber incident' disabling contactless payments, which is ongoing , the store confirmed. Conor Pope explains how the incident had appeared close to resolution, only to get worse. Remember those pandemic lockdowns? O'Donoghue's, Dublin's storied pub on Merrion Row certainly does – it lost serious money in 2021 and 2022 but now, its customers will be glad to hear, it has sprung back into healthy profitability . Hugh Dooley reports on the accounts. Ardagh Group's 76 per cent-owned Ardagh Metal Packaging (AMP) unit reported an 11 per cent growth in revenues in the first quarter to $1.27 billion (€1.12 billion), driven by a 6 per cent increase in sales volumes. The subsidiary's sales and earnings guidance have been upgraded for the year. Joe Brennan looks at the numbers . The Irish arm of pharma firm, Takeda last year took a profit hit after mothballing fresh manufacturing capacity at its Grange Castle site in Dublin. Gordon Deegan looks at new accounts that show a €37.2 million impairment charge on its tangible assets. Stay up to date with all our business news: sign up to our Business Today daily email news digest. If you'd like to read more about the issues that affect your finances try signing up to On the Money , the weekly newsletter from our personal finance team, which will be issued every Friday to Irish Times subscribers.
Yahoo
10-02-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
GMP accused of 'fuelling harmful racist stereotypes' as new details emerge of decision to turn Traveller kids away from Christmas markets
Greater Manchester Police have been accused of 'fuelling harmful racist stereotypes' as new details of the controversial decision to turn Traveller children away from the Christmas markets have emerged. In disturbing scenes, dozens of young people from Traveller communities up and down the country - many of them children - were prevented from entering the markets and herded onto trains by police at Victoria railway station on Saturday, November 23. After footage of the incidents was shared online GMP were accused of 'heavy-handed and discriminatory action'. Now documents released by GMP following a Freedom of Information request have revealed the force authorised two 48-hour dispersal orders amid concerns about 'multiple groups of Traveller youths... committing anti-social behaviour' on trains heading towards the city centre. The orders say police 'typically' see a 'significant number' of Traveller youths 'involved in anti-social behaviour and crime' while visiting the markets. READ MORE: 'We pawned our engagement ring so we didn't have to go home' READ MORE: 'Was he scared? I don't know because I wasn't there': Albie's mum speaks for the first time And they also make reference to 'grabbing', a so-called courtship ritual which campaigners say is a 'racist misconception'. Following the release, leading figures in the Travelling community have accused GMP of racism, stereotyping and discrimination. Yvonne MacNamara, CEO of the Traveller Movement, said: "These documents reveal that the appalling treatment of Romani Gypsies and Irish Traveller children in this incident was preplanned and fuelled by harmful racist stereotypes. We will be raising this with the GMP, the Independent Office for Police Conduct and the mayor's office as a matter of urgency." The two dispersal orders were authorised at 12.13pm on November 23. One covered the city centre and another, almost identically worded order, covered the whole of Greater Manchester. It was likely the largest dispersal order GMP has issued and gave police the power to remove anyone considered to be causing anti-social behaviour from the entire county. The orders refer to 'a large group of youths/young adults from the Traveller community' attending the markets for a 'social gathering'. It then lists some of the incidents police say they have dealt with in previous years, including 'grabbing', disrupting roads and tram tracks, hate crime, 'swarming' police officers and intimidation of market staff and members of the public. On the morning of November 23 the orders say police received reports of 'multiple groups' of 50-70 Traveller youths coming to Manchester on trains from Doncaster, York and Darlington. British Transport Police described the groups as drinking and being involved in anti-social behaviour. With the city centre already busy due to the markets and with football matches taking place at Rochdale, Bolton and Manchester City, police said 'additional dynamics and risks' would be created by 'having a large group of Traveller youths causing issues in the city centre'. The order adds: "I have briefed... that dispersal powers should not be used indiscriminately against Traveller youths in general, as they have a right to come to Manchester as other youths do from different communities. Dispersal should only be focused on those committing or we suspect will commit ASB that justifies excluding them from either the city centre, or Greater Manchester. "Where groups are identified at railway stations and subject to dispersal powers, [the operational commander] is empowered... to consider option to direct to leave on rail network." Head Gypsy Billy Welch, who had more than 20 young relatives including two young grandchildren caught up in the trouble, said the wording of the orders 'exposes GMP's intolerance'. He added: "This is a confession that they were targeting Gypsies and Travellers, and not just in the city centre but across the whole of Greater Manchester." Ruth Ehrlich, from civil rights organisation Liberty, said: "It is completely wrong for Greater Manchester Police to have issued such broad and excessive bans against one particular community based on stereotyping and discrimination. "The police should be meaningfully engaging with and talking to all communities, not continuing to discriminate against Romani Gypsies and Irish Travellers." Other documents released by GMP as part of the FOI request reveal that 32 people, of which 25 were under the age of 21, were 'affected' by the orders. And as of December 2, the force had received 57 complaints, mainly about the treatment of people in train stations. But, the GMP response notes, 42 of those complaints were made by people who weren't present and are 'therefore ineligible'. The incident prompted Travellers to march through Manchester city centre in protest, led by Big Fat Gypsy Weddings and Celebrity Big Brother star Paddy Doherty and Tommy Joyce, a well-known face among Greater Manchester's Traveller communities. GMP later apologised for any 'distress and humiliation caused'. In December a mayoral review found there were 'lessons to be learned' in the force's handling of the incident. Responding to to the latest criticism, Assistant Chief Constable Rick Jackson said: "Any use of police powers is not taken lightly and they are used with a great deal of consideration. Our ultimate aim is always to prevent crime and protect the public. "While it is always difficult to know the full extent to which our decisions prevent crime and disruption, we understand that parts of the Roma Gypsy and Irish Traveller community felt distress, concern and humiliation as a result of our actions that day. This is deeply regrettable. "Since the events of November, we have made positive strides to engage with the community and to avoid anything like this happening again. I look forward to meeting representatives again in Manchester later this month. "We are already planning for how we police the Christmas markets later this year where we can ensure all who plan to come to Manchester safely can do so, especially families and young people. We also continue to reflect on how we police similar situations like this in future and are working with all relevant partners to ensure we are providing the best possible service to all those who live, work and visit our city." Deputy Mayor Kate Gree, whose 'safer and stronger communities' remit involve supporting victims of crime, said: "Since this understandably distressing incident we have been taking part in proactive engagement with the communities affected. I am continuing to meet these communities and it is an absolute priority for us and GMP to make sure nothing like this happens again in the future."
