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InvestigatesThanks To YouThis is an extract from Uncovered, the newsletter of The Journal Investigates. Sign up here to receive our regular updates straight into your inbox.
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OUR INVESTIGATIVE UNIT is different. Not only is our team based outside Dublin, we have reporters in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
That means we can really focus on lifting the lid on how the whole of Ireland works, not just in the capital, but across the country.
This is evident since we launched The Journal Investigates in September.
The eight investigations we published so far all hit the airwaves – local and national. Our findings were raised by politicians. NGOs called for change.
Watch some of our highlights:
Investigations like this don’t happen without your support… Impactful investigative reporting is powered by people like you.
Our first investigation discovered numerous military health and safety issues in the months leading up to the Glen of Imaal explosion.
Reporter Cormac Fitzgerald also spoke to survivors of the 1979 Army range blast that killed three boys and injured 10 other children.
This was raised in the Dáil by Gino Kenny following publication. Survivor Ron O’Neill shared his story for the first time on radio and called for a State apology.
Just yesterday, we also reported that newly elected TDs have said they are willing to meet with survivors.
In October, Patricia Devlin revealed how foxes, rabbits, badgers and hares are being sold as live bait to illegal hunting networks.
The animals were being used to ‘blood’ vicious hunting dogs, whose owners engage in brutal acts of wildlife cruelty.
Following our work, a number of illegal hunting Facebook groups were closed down. Our findings were also investigated by animal rights NGOs.
The investigation was raised by politicians, including Jennifer Whitmore TD on RTÉ Drivetime.
We also received feedback from a number of contributors to The Journal readers’ fund including one who wrote:
Thank you for highlighting the lack of conviction rates for animal cruelty. I am appalled and have reached out to the Minister involved in the hope others will do the same and he will take notice.
In November, Conor O’Carroll uncovered that over 135,000 tonnes of CO2 was emitted from data centres across the country in the last five years from generators not on the electricity grid.
This amount of carbon dioxide is comparable to running roughly 33,750 cars for a year in terms of the climate pollution produced.
Published on the eve of the general election, our findings were spotlighted on social media by a number of politicians as well as environmental advocates and NGOs.
A number of our investigations were also republished by outlets in the United States and Europe.
This included a project examining Lough Hyne in Co Cork that took Olive Heffernan over a year. She revealed that the recent influx of thousands of Mauve stinger jellyfish into the protected area is just the latest of many threats facing this delicate ecosystem.
Our work found that pollution, fishing, poaching and heavy recreational use are ongoing and could be having detrimental impacts on the lough’s wildlife.
This was republished by the Pulitzer Center in the United States which supported the investigation.
A separate investigation into deaths in police custody, done in collaboration with Spanish outlet Civio was also republished – this time by the European Data Journalism Network.
As the year comes to a close, we want to say thank you to our contributors. We couldn’t have done this without your support as our investigative unit is funded by readers of The Journal.
We really want to continue delivering this type of impact in 2025… And you can help by becoming a monthly supporter of our work:
Hope you had a lovely break last week and Happy New Year!
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My first time getting it from tomorrow and I’m so thankful it’s available, the workplace were originally going to pay us only 50% of our contracted hours which was just not something some staff on 8 hour contracts could live on, especially when they work a lot more than 8 hours a week. Retail, even as management, is precarious!
@Whatever: I was on it from the middle of March last year until the end of December as my job is still closed but thankfully got a college placement co-op position for the next 8 months so I am off it now. Was very grateful to receive the PUP, glad it’s there for ye now being laid off again
@Whatever: As self employed I applied last year and was told NO. Now I eat beans, no heat, food or help. No one cares.
@Paul Somers: why was that? I know a few self employed people that got it. My brother and husband included
@Paul Somers: had you a tax return completed and paid for the previous financial year? If you completed a return in October/November 2019 for the 2018 tax year you should have got it. If you only started your business in 2019 you should qualify once you submitted a return for that year.
@Laura Clayton: I honestly don’t know, I pay tax and the vat. Got scared, and now sitting in the house with thermals and a wooly hat. I would love a cuppa
@Derdaly: yes I did
@Paul Somers: you should be entitled to it keep contacting your local social welfare office they will get it sorted for you. I was waiting 5 weeks for mine to come through but I got it eventually with persistence
@Brian Byrne: gave up but thank you
@Paul Somers: honestly don’t give up Paul keep at them daily until they sort it for you. I sent in the postal application and applied online through the social services portal. It was all sorted eventually.
@Paul Somers: That might be why you never got it. If you want it it’s there for you as long as you provide what’s required of you.
@Seán O’Loughlin: it’s embarrassing
@Paul Somers: You were told lies. I’m self employed and on the full PUP.
@Paul Somers: paul I’m self employed and I’m on it since March last year. I had to apply 3 times because it never went through online. The last time I posted it in and was eventually back dated to the 1st time I applied. You are 100% entitled to it. Hope thing get better for you soon.
Heard of some people being denied loans because they claimed pup. Thought it wasn’t meant to affect your credit rating?
@Brian Dunne: yeah that is true. Iv heard of people having their mortgage application rejected because one of the joint applicants were on PUP. Even with employer letters saying their job is secure and available for the person to return to. I don’t know if it effects your actual credit rating, but banks will not lend to people on social welfare and PUP is social welfare no matter what way you break it down. Its a joke
@Eoin Jackson: and before people start blasting the banks as the big bad wolves for that strategy, that is mandated by the CBI, which in other words, is basically mandated by the government.
@Eoin Jackson: yup – that was the case for me and my husband last April. We were both on Pup and both had letters confirming future employment and BoI pulled our approval. They’d issued it in February and we were sale agreed on a house and everything. That all fell through.
Ended up going to the credit union. Their deal isn’t great and you’ve to have a 30% down payment (Christ) but they signed off on it for us while both on Pup. In our own house now since November and I’m still on pup. Husband back at work but laid off on the wage subsidy scheme. We are well able to afford the mortgage repayments but there’s not a chance we could have afforded to rent a place
@Brian Dunne: it affects affordability not credit rating, so no surprises that people were refused a loan due to a lower income
Cash nixer bonanza
@MickN: Mor on. It’s keeping the wolf from the door for so many people.
@Seán Óg: Aye right…
@Mike: Dead on
Where do I sign up?
Went on the PUP in November because of redundancy.. started a new job today. Happy days!
Banks are very hard to deal with this lockdown. I tried to get a 2 month freeze on the mortgage as it’s going to be 2 months until I’m back up and running. Spent an hour filling in the online form. Looking now for last years earnings. Accountant letters etc. etc. What’s last years accounts got to do with being out of work this year due to a pandemic. I think the government should be doing more with the banks like last lockdown.
Serious question: Do people living in Northern Ireland, if working in the south, get paid PUP from the Irish Government?
@David Connell: only available to people with pps /prsi no. You have to supply details in order to qualify
And the reports of the country bouncing back later this year and the housing market being strong.
What a load of bs
@billy bound: I’m in construction and I’m up the walls. That includes every construction friend I know. Covid has made things busier not quieter.
If you get OAP and out of work you don’t qualify, even if you pay taxes
@Margaret Deacon: why should you get pup if you weren’t working in the first place.
When do they transfer to jobseekers (aka regular dole)?
And still you’ll get another tax demand at the end of this year like most people did in the last 2 weeks
when the chickens come home to roost this place will be worse than 2008.
If you are getting OAP but still working before Covid hit and were paid on PAYE basis, as far as I know, you are entitled to PUP. However if OAP and self employed and NOT on PAYE system, (just taxed at end of year when returns are made)then no PUP. Anyway this is what happened 2 of my friends who were in each situation as described
have your say