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TÁNAISTE MICHEÁL MARTIN has formally requested that the ‘money message’ be prepared so that the Occupied Territories Bill 2018 can be progressed.
Issuing a money message, in short, removes a block on the proposed legislation and will allow for the bill – which would ban trade between Ireland and entities based on land that has been illegally occupied - to progress through the Oireachtas.
It is unlikely that the law will be passed in the lifetime of this Government.
The Labour Party led calls last week from the opposition this week for TDs to meet during recess this week to vote on the Bill. A special sitting of the Dáil has not been arranged.
In recent days, however, Martin has met with independent Senator Frances Black – the politician who drafted the proposal.
The meeting came after coalition leaders received a legal review of the legislation by the Attorney General.
The Tánaiste, his officials and the Senator discussed what amendments to the bill may look like.
Government has been seriously considering enacting the bill in light of a recent International Court of Justice advisory opinion that stated the settlements in Palestine by Israel were illegal.
A money message is a memo that a Government issues on Private Members’ Bills – pieces of legislation proposed by the opposition – to approve any public spending or tax reform which may come as a result of the new law.
A previous minority Government refused to issue the memo on the Occupied Territories Bill and other pieces of legislation proposed by the opposition benches.
Opposition parties have long claimed that the Government’s decision not to issue a money message on the Bill, which in effect blocked the legislation from ever progressing, reflected the ruling parties’ disregard for the legislation.
Since meeting with Senator Black, Martin has directed his officials to issue the money message so that the bill can proceed to committee stage once it has passed the initial Dáil vote.
The money message will now be sent to the Department of Public Expenditure who will then prepare the relevant documentation for ministers.
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Fantastic. Looking forward to it. Weather is fresh and dry too which is perfectly normal for winter time.
@Marvin Dollery: Thank you for explaining that fresh and dry weather is normal for winter. If you hadn’t, how would we have known?
@Marvin Dollery: Tell me this Frank,what department do you work at in The Journal ?
@HisMastersAlibi: I think you meant to address that to Brenda. I wouldn’t work for such a lefty organisation.
@Marvin Dollery: For somebody who does not like this ‘lefty organisation” you certainly appear to spend your days visiting this site and giving it click after click after click.
You are a troll Marvin. Only a troll would behave as you do.
Do you have the back bone to admit to being a troll? I doubt you do. Your type are weak.
Go on Marvin, admit to it or are you too weak minded to do you? Do you lack the back bone little troll boy?
@Marvin Dollery: nah Frank,you are a plant,along with all the other names you comment under. It’s becoming clear you are part of the journal and its commitment in keeping a flow in the comments section for clicks. That’s what the journal needs as it sure is losing money. Ye should of sold it when ye had the opportunity. Who ever came up with this idea needs to be fired.
If you’re in Kerry, drive down to the Dark Sky Reserve in Ballinskelligs. It’s quite far out, but absolutely worth it on a clear night! I was incredibly impressed at how well my Pixel 8 Pro was able to capture the sky with the Astrophotography feature.
@Daniel Skelton: Anywhere from Caherdaniel to Waterville on a clear night is a pilots view of the universe. Absolutely astonishing!
Clouds are being bussed in from overseas right now…
What direction?
@Nick Bowie: Up, I think…
@Mike Finnegan: very good…
@Nick Bowie: “The Geminids will appear to originate from a point in the south east.” (quote from astronomy Ireland.)
(They’re named after the gemini constellation, from which they appear to originate.)
Will look up, but is the meteor shower going to be above or below the clouds? Existential question
Unfortunately it’s cloudy where I am. But a few years ago (2018? 19?) I counted 27 in about 20 minutes. It was fantastic. And bloody cold!
have your say