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Dublin: 15 °C Sunday 19 May, 2013

The 9 at 9: Wednesday

Good morning! Here’s what you need to know this morning.

Image: Gavan Reilly/TheJournal.ie

EVERY MORNING, TheJournal.ie brings you the nine things you need to know as you begin your day.

1. #CRIME: Two young men have been arrested in Dublin by Gardaí investigating a 28-year-old’s death last week. The men, 18 and 20, have been arrested by officers investigating the death of Gerard Burnett, who was stabbed in a row outside his house in Mulhuddart.

2. #TROIKA: A draft report from the European Commission has reportedly called for a clampdown on the issuing of medical cards, and demanded immediate action which could see dole payments cut to the long-term unemployed. The report, which appears in many of today’s papers, is said to have been leaked to some TDs yesterday.

3. #DUNDALK: Gardaí in Dundalk are investigating in the circumstances surrounding the death of a woman in her 30s. The woman’s body was found in a house at Hoey’s Lane in the town at about 3am. The services of the State Pathologist have been requested.

4. #TARGET EXPRESS: Employees of Target Express, the haulage company which ceased trading on Monday, are continuing a sit-in at the company’s premises in Cork this morning. They say they will remain there until they are given ‘clarity’ about the company’s affairs. The Revenue Commissioners has continued to defend its actions, which company owner Seamus McBrien blames for forcing him out of business.

5. #HOTEL SALE: One of Dublin’s best-known hotels has been put up for sale – at a mere quarter of the price that was paid for it five years ago. The Burlington Hotel, bought by developer Bernard McNamara for €288 million, is up for sale for €75 million. Receivers were appointed to McNamara’s empire in 2010.

6. #ISAAC: New Orleans is bracing itself for the arrival of Hurricane Issac, exactly seven years to the day after the destruction of Hurricane Katrina. The city has closed its new floodgates in efforts to protect itself from high waters and 80mph winds.

7. #US 2012: Well, it’s official now. Mitt Romney is the Republican candidate for President of the United States, with a final total of 2,061 delegates – well clear of the 1,144 he needed to take on Barack Obama. Speaking to delegates, Romney’s wife Ann said: “No one will work harder. No one will care more. No one will move heaven and Earth like Mitt Romney to make this country a better place to live.”

8. #PADDY POWER: Paddy Power has announced financial results for the first half of the year – with profits up 21 per cent, to €68.7 million before tax. The bookie says rising profits are the result of a “normalisation” of sports results – and also says more than half of its sports gamblers now do business through their mobiles.

9. #FERTILITY: Scientists in Pittsburgh say they have been able to grow early-stage sperm cells using samples of human skin. The research suggests adult cells can be transformed into a more primitive state and then ‘grown’ into sperm – news which could give millions of sterile men the chance to father children.

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Comments (15 Comments)

  • Why don’t TROIKA magic up some jobs for us long term unemployed.

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    • would the long term unemployed take a job…if offered one?

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    • O’Briens pub are looking for a kitchen porter, Bruxelles are looking for barstaff, a shop on Grafton street, can’t rememember which one, sorry, are looking for staff. Captain America’s are looking for staff, I think. Not to mention what’s on jobs.ie. Why don’t you go and look for jobs yourself? If you’re long-term unemployed you must have the time to do it.

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  • remember pat rabbit on prime time shame on you to pat ceary for what they done to the county look at enda the man wants to go down in history as the man who got the IMF out of eire . he doesn’t care what he does to its people .

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  • The troika really make my blood boil, don’t try to force any more hardship on our most vulnerable. Come up with some viable solutions to our problems. There are no jobs here at the moment, people are really struggling, people are committing suicide. The solution is NOT to deprive them of the pittance provided by the state for them and their families to survive on or to deny them basic health care. What is happening to the world we live in?

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    • We are going to have to bring down this government and replace it with one that does the will of those that elect it. First order of business would be to stop all these massive pensions elected officials get. There’s a difference between rewarding service and taking the piss.

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    • You will probably be much healthier if you keep clear of doctors! Speaking from experience. As for people in emotional distress there are low cost counseling services out there or help lines like 1life. http://www.1life.ie/

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    • I take it by the number of dislikes to your post it’s to do with dole payments…? Judging from other posts on this site I take it you are all lucky enough to be working… Well good for you. But you all seem to like stereotyping all dole recipients as one. These are challenging times for everyone. You’d be better off directing your energies towards the clowns leading this country down the drain.

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    • But it says long-term unemployed not the people who recently became unemployed. There are jobs out there. If you stroll around Dublin city centre you’ll see signs in windows. I think it might be a good measure for people who are long term unemployed to consider finding work or upskilling through FAS or FETAC rather than stay wholly dependent on the state. It’s not easy to get a job, I agree. For every 50 CVs handed out out might get one callback but, there’s always been competition on the jobs front it’s just a bit tougher now.

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    • I am technically long term unemployed because I lost my job over a year ago, I’m not entitled to SW because my husband works. I have been looking for work ever since, have had countless interviews but only one job offer (which required me to come up with 700 euro to purchase products to sell). We do not have 700 euro lying around, we have 3 children, mortgage etc. Things aren’t as black and white as some people here seem to think. One of my last students before I lost my job was a 58 year old man, a plumber who lost his job and was sent to retrain in computer studies. He could barely read and unsurprisingly, didn’t pass the course. He told me that he had started working when he was 11 and had worked ever since. He was then forced to retrain or have his benefits cut. What a waste of state money and his time. His morale was so low by the time the course finished, I felt so sorry for him. How is it okay to treat people like this? The state were just looking for any excuse to stop paying him, who would employ a man nearing 60? Our citizens deserve better than this.

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  • Paddy power profit up and the troika want social welfare for the LONG term unemployed cut. Both stories seem related to me. Go to your nearest bookies between 9-5 and it’s not employed folk in there, it’s the LONG term unemployed. (not all but many)

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  • 7. #US 2012. Great..4 more wars !

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  • when are our political leaders going to grow some ball’s and stand up to this unelected bunch of bully boys? time to tell the troika ,merkal and the i.m.f to feck off, burn the bondholders, burn the german banks and go back to the punt.

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  • I think the Troika really have no appreciation of how citizens are struggling in a country going through a recession. If they are bailing us out, yes it does make sense for them to suggest to us that our government should reduce its spending, but to tell us to make changes to our welfare system DURING a recession is madness. The vast majority of the long term unemployed do not want to be there. Can the Troika not get into their heads that most people signing on the live register were most likely working all their adult lives up to the financial crash. I know we are regarded as a country with a generous welfare system, but this is more of a reflection on how we want to look after our citizens. Changing our welfare policies in good times makes more sense as people are less reliant on welfare payments. It surely makes no sense to make these changes now. The economy needs to pick up first before we go any further down the road the Troika want us to go down.

    Reply

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