How the people of Dublin have reacted to government plans for the introduction of minimum pricing for alcohol:
Author: Conor Murphy
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Drug decriminalisation could see fall in overdose related deaths
The Minister in charge of the National Drugs Strategy, Aodhán Ó Riordáin TD, announced plans earlier this month which could see the possession of small amounts of drugs for personal use being decriminalised.
The Labour TD outlined a plan which will see the possession of small quantities of drugs like cannabis, heroin and cocaine being decriminalised in the near future.
This announcement was made during a speech to the London School of Economics, during which the TD also said he hoped that medically supervised injection centres will be introduced as early as next year for the country’s heroin users.
This paradigm shift will almost certainly reduce drug related crime in the country and should free up resources which will allow the Garda National Drugs Unit to pursue darker underworld elements, primarily those who currently import dangerous illegal drugs into Ireland.
Ireland, however, will not be the first country to decriminalise the use of some drugs for personal use. Portugal first decriminalised the possession of personal amounts of drugs in July 2001, while the Czech Republic had previously decriminalised the possession of quantities of drugs that were obviously for personal use in January 1999. A policy of non-enforcement has allowed effectively illegal cannabis “coffee shops” to flourish in the Netherlands, fueling their tourism trade.
Closer to home, just eight people were cited for misdemeanor drug possession in the United Kingdom in 2005. Conversely, 5,461 people found themselves in the same situation in Portugal in the same year.
This stark difference shows that, in the United Kingdom, people were obviously being convicted for the same offences that will be reclassified as misdemeanors in Ireland soon.
In 2009, speaking on Portugal’s new laws, Glenn Greenwald, of American libertarian think tank the Cato Institute, said, “Now instead of being put into prison, addicts are going to treatment centres and they’re learning how to control their drug usage or getting off drugs entirely.” A similar scenario is surely the envy of the countless Irish families who feel the pain which results from drug misuse.
A study by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction this year found that there are about 60 deaths caused by drug overdose per million people in Ireland per year. In Portugal and the Czech Republic, they found that there were no more than 5 deaths caused by drug overdoses per million people per year.
The difference in these figures is stark but, while they may paint a picture of a nation which is regressive where drug policy is concerned, the new direction which Minister Ó Riordáin is intent on taking the country in could see these eye-opening death numbers rapidly reduced.
PJ Stone, of the Garda Representatives Association, said of Minister Ó Riordáin’s plans, “I think that anything that can deal with the curse of drugs and some innovating thinking on this is to be welcomed.”
Many Irish people will be pleased at the thought of dangerous drug supplying gangs being taken out of business or, at the very least, having their business activities greatly restricted.
Minister Ó Riordáin said of the proposed new legislation, “This will be a wider discussion under the next government but once people get their head around the argument, about what decriminalisation actually means, that policy won’t be about the drug but about the individual.
“Then regardless of the drug, the individual needs an intervention and society will be saying, ‘the substance is illegal, but you are not a criminal for taking it’.”
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42,000 attend fifth installment of Web Summit at RDS
Despite some minor technical hitches, the Web Summit proved a success once again and saw 1,000 investors and over 2,000 startup companies taking part in the internationally acclaimed business and technology exhibition.
Paddy Cosgrave, the Web Summit’s founder, was criticised by some for describing a Government payment to the summit of €500,000 as “hush money”.
The Government, on the other hand, have been subject to widespread criticism for not doing enough to prevent the Summit from moving their operations to Lisbon next year.
Attendees were given the chance to see a host of speakers, many of whom are highly renowned in their respective fields, during the three day event.
American animation studio Pixar’s President, Ed Catmull, spoke to listeners about what made him tick and made him the success he is today, while multi-award winning Swedish DJ Steve Angello, formerly of electronic production trio Swedish House Mafia, spoke of the effects of online streaming on the music industry on the second day of the event.
Speakers on the Summit’s Sports Stage included former Manchester United players Edwin Van Der Sar and Louis Saha. Van Der Sar was speaking as the Chief Managing Officer of Dutch club AFC Ajax where he once played, while his former teammate Saha was representing his Axisstars sports management company.
Elsewhere, Sean Rad, a co-founder of the massively successful dating app Tinder, spoke to Steven Bertoni, a Senior Editor for Forbes magazine. Rad said of the app’s success, “We are connecting people and making the world a better place with more than 1.5 million dates per week and 30 million matches per day.”
The loss of wireless internet on the premises during the first day proved to be one of the greatest problems the Summit faced. However, this was soon resolved.
The Web Summit’s five year presence in Ireland, since it was founded, now comes to an end and next year’s Summit will take place at Lisbon’s MEO Arena.
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Recreational drug use in professional football continues
Following Hull City footballer Jake Livermore’s failing of a drug test earlier this year, the issue of recreational drug use in football has come under the microscope once again.
The one time England international tested positive for cocaine use after a random drug test which followed his side’s 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace in April.
Livermore, who was provisionally suspended by the Football Association and his club, had recently experienced the death of his newborn daughter and, on these grounds, his suspension was lifted by the FA in September.
Hull City manager, Steve Bruce, attributed Livermore’s use of the class A drug to the sadness the player felt after his daughter’s untimely passing.
Closer to home, there have been a number of instances whereby League of Ireland players have been cited by the Football Association of Ireland following positive drug tests.
Most recently, the Professional Footballers’ Association of Ireland (PFAI) announced on October 21st that a League of Ireland player had failed a drug test for a banned substance, which the Irish Independent said was ‘believed to be cocaine’.
The player, who remains unnamed, waived his right to have a B sample tested according to the PFAI who confirmed that ‘the drug in question was of a recreational nature’.
The PFAI’s statement noted that the player involved had a right to anonymity and, further, requested that those using social media and other outlets refrain from gossip or speculation until the matter had been resolved.
Positive drug tests have remained however, highly unusual in Irish soccer.
The last, and only, time that a League of Ireland player tested positive for cocaine was in 2003 when, then Shamrock Rovers goalkeeper, Barry Ryan, failed a random test and received a 15 month ban from the FAI. This ban was reduced to 9 months after an appeal and Ryan moved on to the now defunct club, Dublin City FC.
In 2012, Dundalk F.C. midfielder Shane Grimes, then of rivals Drogheda United, tested positive for the stimulant methylhexaneamine, otherwise known as MHA, and was subject to an 8 month playing ban.
Grimes’ situation was an interesting one as the panel judging the case acknowledged that the player most likely used the substance unknowingly – it is an ingredient in the widely used pre-workout supplement ‘JACK3D’ – although the player’s carelessness in this regard was also noted.
A statement by the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) a year before Grimes’ positive test was titled ‘Beware – Your Supplement Could Cause a Positive Test’. The statement warned athletes to exercise caution when using products like ‘JACK3D’ or other products that may have in fact been ‘designer steroids’.
For more stories from Conor Murphy, you can visit his Twitter at @conormurphylfc.
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Taoiseach announces 130 new jobs as software company increases investment in Ireland
The Taoiseach Enda Kenny has announced that the expansion of software company Pivotal’s operations in Ireland will create 130 new jobs and see €100 million invested in the economy.
Mr. Kenny, who was joined by Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, made the announcement at an event supported by IDA Ireland last week.
The jobs created will include roles in software development, technical support and general administrative positions. Mr. Kenny said that the announcement, “supports the reputation of Ireland as one of the world’s most important technology hubs”.
An IDA press release said that Pivotal are recognised as one of the “most influential and valuable brands in Silicon Valley”. The company specialises in the development of software which will be based on cloud computing technology.
Minister Bruton said of the announcement, “I am particularly pleased to see their geographical spread with their current expansion with jobs for Dublin and Cork. Ensuring all regions of the country benefit from jobs creation is what we are trying to do.”
Pivotal’s expansion will see a variety of opportunities arise for prospective job seekers and further highlight the skills base that is available to employers in this industry in Ireland.
Martin Shanahan, Chief Executive Officer of IDA Ireland, said, “Pivotal’s decision to establish a software innovation hub for startups and enterprise customers in Dublin is a strong endorsement of the city’s established reputation as a tech hub. Pivotal’s new operation in Dublin will provide roles for those with software development and technology backgrounds.”
Pivotal have a history of working with a number of international software giants that include BMW and Verizon. CEO of Pivotal, Rob Mee, will be speaking at the upcoming Web Summit, which will take place from November 3-5 at the RDS.
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€7.7 million boost for Dublin as two major conferences announced
Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Paschal Donohoe TD, has announced that two major international conferences will see approximately €8 million invested in the Irish economy.
Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Paschal Donohoe TD, via Flickr Speaking with Fáilte Ireland’s Dublin Convention Bureau, the Minister confirmed Dublin’s hosting of conferences held by the Cognitive Science Society in 2017, and also the Renaissance Society of America, which will be hosted at Dublin’s Convention Centre in 2021.
The Minister said, “The ability of Fáilte Ireland to compete and win international conferences such as these adds significantly to the number of tourists we welcome to Ireland and also the amount of tourism revenue generated.”
Minister Donohoe continued, “Business tourism is a very valuable part of our tourism product and the fact that those who come here on business very often extend their stay makes it an even more important sector.”
The Cognitive Science Society’s conference will see 1,500 of their delegates come to Ireland in 2017, an increase on the 1,300 who attended their last conference in Berlin in 2013.
Dublin beat off competition from Madrid to win the right to host the Renaissance Society of America’s conference in 2021, one which will bring 4,000 visitors to Ireland.
Speaking of Fáilte Ireland’s contribution to the economy in 2015, Minister Donohoe said, “Fáilte Ireland has secured and supported a total of 251 business tourism events for 2015 and beyond through their Meetings, Incentive and Corporate Event (MICE) supports programme.”
The Minister also expressed his delight at the €175 million injected into the Irish economy as a result of the aforementioned events.
Miriam Kennedy, Head of Business Tourism at Fáilte Ireland, spoke optimistically of Ireland’s hosting of the two conferences, saying, “Winning significant international conferences such as these are a true testament to the capability of Ireland as a conferencing destination. These additions to Dublin’s conference calendar are just two events our Business Tourism Unit have in the pipeline.”
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Lingo showcases the future of spoken word
Ireland’s first – and only – spoken word festival, Lingo, returned to Dublin for its second consecutive year last weekend.
The festival saw a number of notable performers exhibiting their skills at a variety of locations during the three day event.
Celebrated Los Angeles based performer Saul Williams was at the top of the bill with a show at the Button Factory on Sunday evening. Support on the night was provided by Dublin-based poet John Cummins, as well as UK-based teacher Mark Grist who caused a stir back in 2011 with a “Teacher vs Student” rap battle for the Don’t Flop battle collective.
Culture journalist for the Irish Independent, Clara Rose Thornton, who is also a spoken word artist, performed at The Meeting House at 11.30am on Saturday morning. Talking about the LINGO festival on Twitter, Ms. Thornton said: “Lingo celebrates us and an awakened ritual. Ancients of Africa and the Celtic nations are dancing in their graves.”
Festival goers also got the chance to see the legendary London band Tongue Fu provide improvised instrumentals for ten of Ireland’s top slam poets and spoken word artists. This opening event also saw last year’s Lingo poet laureate, the aforementioned John Cummins, pass the torch to his successor, John Moynes.
A number of interesting performances also took place at the Smock Alley Theatre over the course of the weekend, including a showcase of Ireland’s most talented up and coming spoken word artists on Saturday. The Theatre described the event as a glimpse at the future of spoken word.
With over fifty performers from a number of different countries set to take the stage in the city over the weekend, the second installment of the LINGO festival was most definitely an exciting one.
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Minister Alan Kelly wants 150 families in modular homes by Christmas
Minister Alan Kelly wants to see 350 families in modular homes next year under a fast track plan for modular homes.
A spokesperson for the Dublin Regional Homeless Executive told The City that Mr Kelly was so impressed with the modular homes being demonstrated in Dublin 3 that he wanted to see 150 families housed by Christmas, with a further 350 moving in next year.
Some 75 families a month are becoming homeless in Dublin every month. The latest stats show that there were 607 families in emergency accommodation in the city in the last week of August. There were 1,275 children in emergency accommodation at this time.
![Housing 1 ]](https://i0.wp.com/thecity.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/housing-1.png?resize=300%2C169&ssl=1)
The modular housing demonstration project was backed by the Director of the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, Cathal Morgan.
“We feel that modular housing is capable of responding to the housing needs of homeless households who are currently accommodated in commercial hotels throughout the Dublin region,” he said.
Mr Morgan added that by bringing the proposal into effect “the Dublin local authorities will engage with all relevant stakeholders and with Central Government to consider procurement and provision at a scale required to effectively address family homelessness in Dublin”.
The modular housing providers who are involved in the exhibition include Modular Homes Ireland, Portakabin and Roankabin, among others.
The project aims to showcase a number of different styles of modular homes from the aforementioned companies, giving local authorities a way to, perhaps, solve the escalating homeless crisis which sees families living in single rooms in hotels.
Conditions in temporary accommodation mean that families often cannot cook for themselves and they must often abide by curfews.
Ali Grehan, an architect working for Dublin City Council, noted that the long term plan was not for these homeless families to be permanently rehoused in these units. Ms Grehan has championed similar projects in other countries.
“There is a considerable track record across Europe and the States of system built housing delivering well designed homes affordably, quickly and suitable for different contexts,” she said.
Another architect who has spoken highly of the project is London based Tom Teatum who played a role in setting up the Demonstration Project in Dublin 3. Mr Teatum said that while similar efforts are being made to rehouse London’s homeless population, it appears to him that authorities in Dublin have gone ‘a step further’.
“This joined-up effort by local authorities to identify a housing solution that meets the needs of homeless families is the first I am aware of,” Mr. Teatum said of the initiative.
Teatum added that this is an innovative development.
”Dublin’s focus on modular housing designs that bring quality and reliability and that can be speedily developed shows great leadership in response to its homeless crisis. It is an example to be followed in London and elsewhere,” he said.
The Modular Homes Ireland house that was on show is available to the government at a cost of €85,000 per unit.
![Housing 1 ]](https://i0.wp.com/thecity.ie/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/housing-1.png?ssl=1)
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