News

[Robert Bandanza]

THE AUTHORITIES have deported 156 foreign nationals to their countries of origin so far this year – almost as many as were expelled in the whole of 2008.

Figures compiled by the Department of Justice show that 602 deportation orders have been issued so far this year, with 156 people being flown to their country of origin by the Garda National Immigration Bureau. Most of the deportees were failed asylum applicants.

The figures suggest a significant increase on last year, when 776 deportation orders were signed and 162 were effected.

A further 145 foreigners have been transferred to other European states this year under the so-called Dublin II regulation, which states that asylum must be sought in the applicant’s first EU country of arrival.

Of those who have been deported this year, Nigerian nationals (99) account for a majority, followed by Georgians (10), South Africans and Chinese (eight each) and Brazilians (six).

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...252009272.html

http://hailireland.blogspot.com/2009...ed-so-far.html

[Robert Bandanza]

Monday July 06 2009

The Department of Foreign Affairs says it will be sending a postcard to every household in Ireland explaining the recent legal guarantees secured by the Government in relation to the Lisbon Treaties.

The guarantees clarify that the Lisbon Treaty will not affect Ireland's current policy on military neutrality, its prohibition on abortion and its right to decide its own taxation levels.

The EU has also decided that all member states should retain one representative on the European Commission.

The Irish Government says these were the main issues that caused voters to reject the Lisbon Treaty last year.

It now hopes to hold a second referendum on the treat in October.

Foreign Affairs Minister Micheal Martin says the postcard being sent to all homes in the country is part of the Government's effort to ensure the public is well-informed ahead of the vote.

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-n...s-1808016.html

[Robert Bandanza]

No taxpayers' bailout for the M3 toll company Eurolink

Host: TaraWatch - Save Tara from the M3 Motorway Campaign
Type: Causes - Rally
Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Time: 1:00am - 2:00pm
Location: The Competition Authority
Street: 14 Parnell Square
Phone: 0871323365
Email: [email protected]

Description

We need your support to help plan and execute a rally outside the
offices of the Competition Authority, at 1.00pm on Tuesday - at 14
Parnell Square, Dublin 1

TaraWatch will submit a complaint about the M3 tolling scheme, and the
tolling regime in Ireland in general.

The Competition Authority protects consumers against uncompetitive
practices, monopolies and price-fixing.

This will provide an outlet for the public to vent their anger over
the tolling issue, as well as the rape of Tara.


MORE INFO:

TaraWatch
http://www.tarawatch.org / [email protected]

The Competition Authority
http://www.tca.ie

RECENT MEDIA ARTICLES:

Taxpayer will have to foot bill for M3 toll shortfall
Irish Indpendent- Monday August 10 2009
http://www.independent.ie/national-n...l-1855553.html

Return trip from Kells to Dublin will cost €11.20
Irish Independent - Monday August 10 2009
http://www.independent.ie/national-n...0-1855555.html

Furure over motorway ‘tolls bailout’ for Eurolink
Meath Chronicle - 12 August 2009
http://www.meathchronicle.ie/news/na...for-eurolink-/

Taxpayer will foot bill if M3 toll profit falls short of target
Evening Herald - Monday August 10 2009
http://www.herald.ie/national-news/t...t-1855789.html

[Robert Bandanza]

ONE of the country's leading providers of asylum seeker and refugee accommodation more than doubled its operating profits to €1.5m last year.

Newly filed accounts for Bridgestock Ltd show the operating profit to June 2008 was more than double the €619,000 made the previous year.

Jointly operated by Seamus and Kathleen Gillen, the company operates eight accommodation centres across the country.

http://www.independent.ie/business/i...e-1861693.html

http://hailireland.blogspot.com/2009...-make-15m.html

[Robert Bandanza]

YouTube - Dublin Town Today

YouTube - Dublin Town Today

[Robert Bandanza]

YouTube - DUBLIN TOMORROW

YouTube - DUBLIN TOMORROW

[Robert Bandanza]

THE Garda Fraud Squad is examining Irish links to an alleged international bogus passport scam.

The suspected fraud involves passports and citizenship documents for countries such as Mexico and Brazil being offered in exchange for tens of thousands of euro, the Irish Independent has learned.

The focus of inquiries is a service advertised on an internet site called Gerald Associates, which styles itself as a legitimate consultancy for people seeking to change citizenship or avail of citizenship through investment programmes.

It also claims to be able to assist people in obtaining diplomatic passports.

It lists its offices at an address on Dublin's northside. However, the Irish Independent has learned it has no presence at the address, which is in fact occupied by an insurance brokerage that has no connection whatsoever to Gerald Associates. Staff there said they had never heard of the firm.

The phone number listed on the website turned out to be a British mobile phone number.

When contacted, the person answering the phone refused to identify themselves, say where they were located or answer questions about their services.

An email giving a further outline of the allegations made against Gerald Associates and seeking comment received no response.

Another number listed by the firm when it registered its website turned out to be that of a mail forwarding service a few doors down from the insurance brokers.

A spokesman for the mailing service said it had no connection with Gerald Associates but was aware that its number had been erroneously used by it.

Checks with the Companies Office also revealed there was no firm by the name of Gerald Associates registered in either Ireland or the UK.

The Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation was made aware of concerns about the services being offered earlier this month and some preliminary inquiries have been made.

Officers received a complaint that a Yemeni national living in the Netherlands was duped out of US$25,000 (€17,400) after attempting to gain citizenship in Mexico with the assistance of Gerald Associates.

It was claimed a passport, driving licence and naturalisation documents of dubious quality were issued to the woman after money was wired to a bank in St Vincent, an island in the Caribbean.

Because of the cross-border nature of the complaint, detectives have advised the woman to make contact with Interpol through the police in the Netherlands.

The Mexican Embassy in Dublin said it was aware of the complaint and that the passport issued was a fake. Consular head Pedro Cisneros said it was not possible to buy a Mexican passport and citizenship can only be acquired through naturalisation.

http://www.independent.ie/national-n...d-1870787.html

[Robert Bandanza]

Migrant workers who lose their job will be allowed to stay in the country longer to seek further employment, under new rules announced today.

Up until now migrant workers with work permits from outside the European Economic Area (EEA), which includes the EU, Norway, Iceland, Lichtenstein and Switzerland, who were made redundant had only three months to find alternative employment or leave the country.

However, under the changes announced today by Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern, migrant workers who have held an employment permit for less than five years will now be able to stay for up to six months after losing their jobs.

In addition, non-EEA migrant workers who have lived and worked in Ireland for five years under the work permit system will be granted a new permission to live and work without the need to apply for another work permit.

The easing of immigration rules comes after the Government was heavily criticised after introducing new legislation in June which meant that unemployed migrant workers could only apply for jobs which had been advertised by Fás for at least eight weeks.

Speaking this afternoon, the Minister for Justice said that there was a need to protect those who had lost their jobs.

“The Government is determined to do all in its power to tackle the rise in numbers of people finding themselves without work or with reduced working time as a result of the global recession," said Mr Ahern.

“Now that we are in more difficult economic times, we cannot simply discard law abiding migrant workers, who have been living and working legally in Ireland for several years, when they become redundant. They have made a contribution to Ireland’s economy and society and we need to give them some breathing space to get back to work,” he added.

The Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI) welcomed today's announcement saying that the Government "had done the right thing" in allowing unemployed workers more time to find jobs.

“These changes will make a significant difference in the lives of thousands of non-EEA migrant workers who have committed themselves to Ireland, but whose lives have been hanging in the balance. These changes give migrant workers greater equality and greater opportunity to support their families and to contribute to Irish society," said Bill Abom, deputy director of the MRCI.

However, Fine Gael was dismissive of the changes to the immigration rules.

The party's spokesman on Immigration and Integration, Denis Naughten said the easing of the rules was a case of "wallpapering over the massive cracks in a misguided policy approach."

“The Government’s announcement today is just another failure on the part of Fianna Fáil to implement a coherent immigration policy in what can only be described as a chaotic system," he said.

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/...breaking60.htm

[Robert Bandanza]

As the government prepares to invest €170m in the childcare system in the form of one year's universal free preschool, a Sunday Tribune analysis of inspection reports for the sector reveals concerns about the standard of education, nutrition and play facilities being provided in some establishments.

Children wandering aimlessly around, looking bored, or watching too much TV. Unsafe or unsuitable indoor and outdoor play areas, and poor staff-to-child ratios. Torn or tattered books, broken toys and menus which offer foods high in salt or fatty content.

These are just some examples of problems identified in almost 500 HSE preschool inspection reports covering the last six months of 2008.

Details of the reports are being published by the Sunday Tribune as the government prepares to invest some €170m in the preschool system, much of which is serviced by private 'for profit' providers.

To date, the government says some 4,000 pre-school services – or around 85% of the total – have applied to enter the scheme, a figure which it says is 50% more than the expected number.

Under the plans for the Early Childhood Care and Education Scheme, the government says providers must meet new requirements regarding staff qualifications. Crucially, they must also implement an appropriate programme of educational activities, if they wish to be eligible for participation in the new scheme when it commences next January.

But the reports suggest that much work needs to be done to improve overall standards in our preschools.

Time and again they note examples where preschools have failed to put in place a proper care programme or curriculum for the children in their care.

In total, the reports cover inspections in 17 counties, including Dublin, Louth, Meath, Wexford, Sligo, Clare, Limerick and Donegal.

The responses of owners and operators to the criticisms they contain vary.

In most cases, when contact was successfully made with them by the Sunday Tribune, respondents said they had addressed all of the issues identified by the inspectors.

For example, Edel McDonagh, manager of Little Stars day care in Waterford, which only opened last year, said "everything the HSE recommended was met and we went beyond them" since its inspection.

Sinead Walsh at Aladdins Corner day care in Dublin said it had altered its menu completely, and that part of the problems in relation to supervision of children was due to the absence of one member of staff as they accompanied the inspection team during their visit.

Fiona McKenna of Kidz Akademy in Dundalk said she was not happy with aspects of the
report for her establishment.

"They were even giving out about me using Knorr soup… Food is cooked fresh every day," she said. "Safety flooring has been put down outside at the drain."

Castleknock Montessori Academy in Dublin has since closed down due to problems with planning permission, but its owner Eileen Connolly said she had addressed all of the issues raised in its report.

Denise Connors, co owner of Newport Kids Club in Co Tipperary, said it had also addressed any issues identified, and is waiting for a further inspection to confirm this. She added her belief that some of the matters referred to in the report were due to the fact that a member of staff had been delayed.

The children's charity Barnardos has expressed concern at the findings of the reports, and has warned that poor-quality preschool could actually damage children in terms of their emotional and social development.

Its director of advocacy, Norah Gibbons, said the ongoing rollout of Síolta, the national framework for early childhood education, while a hugely positive move, needs to be continued to be supported.

"These reports suggest to me that what they are absolutely missing is interaction between staff and the children they are caring for. If adults are not noticing children wandering around aimlessly, for example, then something is not right," she told the Sunday Tribune. "The government's plans have to be tied in with the provision of good-quality childcare, over time, and anyone getting this money has to understand this."

What The Inspectors Saw

Aladdins Corner Full Day Care, Mountjoy Square, Dublin

"A baby was given a bottle and fed himself unsupervised in a cot in the sleep room...

"The shopping list for the crèche included processed corned beef, sausages, oxtail soup, burgers, chicken nuggets and fish fingers... fatty processed foods and foods with a high salt content should be omitted or used sparingly."

Little Stars Full Day Care, Tramore, Co Waterford

"The whole child perspective is not being met within the daily life of the service...

"The emergency exit doors were locked at the time of the inspection with no key close by."

Kidz Akademy, Dundalk, Co Louth

"Inadequate supply of toys and equipment affects the programme of care available to the children in your service.

"Children were playing with an uncovered drain in the outdoor play area.

"The slide in the outdoor play area was placed directly onto concrete.

"The written menu available to the parents is not followed. The menu stated all meals were freshly made, yet on the day of the inspection large amounts of processed food were in the kitchen for the children."

Castleknock Montessori Academy, Dublin

"An adequate amount of books, toys and play materials were not available for your service. Some books were tattered and torn.

"There was pizza, mince, fish fingers, waffles and chips in the freezer... Food and drink served to the children needs to be nutritious and well balanced. High-salt, fatty and processed foods must be omitted or used sparingly."

Newport Kids Club, Newport, Co Tipperary; Preschool room

"There was no evidence of a programme of care being implemented. There were eight preschool children being supervised by one adult.

"Children in the preschool room were not engaged in activity or play.One child was rocking a chair on its legs while another child was wandering around aimlessly.

"The television was turned on. The provider stated that the television was on as one staff member was late for work...

"There were no books available in the book stand. When asked why, the provider stated that the children chew and tear them.

"It is noted that you stated in your (response to a previous inspection) that 'in line with age groups in our care, equipment and activities to develop sensory skills and appreciation of nature will be introduced...'

"This is at variance with our observations... and is a cause of serious concern."

http://www.tribune.ie/news/home-news...of-the-damned/

[Robert Bandanza]

Senior gardaí have told the government to suspend the hiring of any new recruits to the force and increase the retirement age for existing gardaí.

Operational commanders have lobbied the government to curb recruitment, amid claims that the growing wage bill has created a drain on operational resources.

In a series of confidential briefings to the Minister for Justice, Dermot Ahern, and officials from the Department of Finance, the Association of Garda Superintendents (AGS) also said there was an urgent need to raise the retirement age of 60 years, amid concerns over an exodus at senior levels.

In a private meeting with Ahern, the AGS, which represents more than 180 operational commanders, insisted that there was an urgent need to increase the retirement age by three to four years to reduce predicted losses of experienced officers at inspector and superintendent ranks.

Of the force’s 181 superintendents, 101 have at least 30 years’ service, which makes them eligible to apply for retirement immediately.

The AGS has said that, as a result of a decision to extend the retirement age of the force three years ago from 57 to 60, there is now a major exodus of top commanders who had delayed retirement in 2006.

Any dramatic increase in retirements this year would also place a further burden on the Garda budget, which has earmarked €29.9 million for pensions and related costs for 2009.

The delegation told Ahern that the departure of experienced officers was exacerbated by the uncertainly over future plans to tax gratuities paid to retiring members.

The proposals are part of reforms sought by top officers amid increasing pressure on the force’s budget and on manpower in the top ranks.

They are part of a submission to Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan outlining the body’s proposals for future garda financing.

http://www.sbpost.ie/news/gardai-cal...ase-43906.html

[Robert Bandanza]

Tenner for the first person who guesses what ‘Carbon Wine’, ‘Brace In Now!’ and ‘Bare Cow Inn’ have in common. My travelling companions didn’t make the connection. One threatened to connect his fist with my gob if I didn’t shut up, though. On Tuesday we headed to Tullamore for a lads’ night out with a friend who has swapped the Liffey for Offaly (he’s a ‘Liffo’). I spent the journey shouting out stupid anagrams of people’s names to irritate the other passengers. I can be really, really, really annoying when I’m bored. Brian Cowen’s name is stuffed with good anagrams, like the ones above, but I discovered one that describes him perfectly. It’s ‘Baron Wince’. You know the way you wince at your bills these days? That’s down to Baron Wince – Ireland’s Lord of Pain. We headed to the Baron’s local, the Brewery Tap, because I wanted to ask him what he knows about bi-location – being in two places at once. Noel Dempsey got me wondering about this last week as he defended the latest news from Tara. The Baron wasn’t about, so my question had to wait. (We’ll return to it later.)

The news from Tara is that we will have to compensate the operators of the M3 if the number of cars using it falls below a target agreed by the state. So what’s that target? Don’t ask the National Roads Authority. It would only say last week that it was “competitive”. Don’t ask Dempsey either. Newstalk’s Eamon Keane asked him if the public will ever be told. Not if it’s commercially sensitive, he replied, adding “what we WILL know is if the target is NOT reached”. So there you have it. How many cars make the M3 viable? Answer: mind your own business. Even after all the crookedness Fianna Fáil has displayed towards Tara, this latest revelation stopped me in my tracks. What next? Are they planning to sell the rights to Tara’s name, like The Point did to 02? Will we see ‘Welcome to The Hill of Eurolink’ as we approach Tara? It wouldn’t surprise me.

The M3 scandal embodies all that is wrong with Irish politics: greed, wastefulness, ignorance and a total disregard for democracy. Nobody wanted it in Tara/Skryne bar Fianna Fáil, which was so eager to destroy the valley that it paid almost €69,000 an acre for it. So eager, that it bulldozed the national monument at Lismullen, sparking an expensive European Court case. If/when we lose, we could be ordered to do a new environmental impact study and go back to scratch on the site. Unesco may also order the road to be moved if it deems Tara a World Heritage Site. Environment minister John Gormley is afraid of this so he delayed presenting it for consideration. The obvious thing to do now is halt the M3 pending Unesco and the court’s decisions. ‘Green’ Gormley, however, is hell-bent on completing a motorway that is destroying a heritage site, may have to be moved and may not prove viable.

A shortfall is highly likely. Last April it was predicted that almost 23,000 vehicles would use the M3 daily when it opens next July. Those numbers need to be readjusted because of the recession. Last month, Meath experienced the largest increase in people signing on – an extra 17,000 people, or 4%. That means a lot of cars off the road until the gloom recedes. On top of that, the remaining workforce won’t want to pay €11.20-a-day in tolls when the rail service to Navan opens. Incidentally, neither Dempsey nor Gormley will have to pay the tolls – ministerial cars are exempt. The pair’s record with sums is appalling: last year Dempsey spent €70,000 on a new logo for Transport 21. The existing one had been developed in-house… for free. At around the same time, Gormley spent €15m on a climate change advertising campaign and only €5m on the Warmer Homes Scheme.

Two men, two things in common: the M3 and financial incompetence.

Remember I wanted to ask Brian Cowen about bi-location? The M3 bail-out has made it theoretically possible for me to be in two places at once – driving through Meath while at home in Dublin. Here’s my question: why should I pay a toll on a road I don’t want, will never use, in a county I don’t live in, to a foreign consortium – for the next 45 years? Fianna Fáil has secretly shackled us to a road that’s in the wrong place. It agreed to underwrite a bad development that was in trouble from the start. How many other similar deals has it done? After this, how can we trust its judgment on Nama? Last week, the Greens made noises about holding a convention on Nama. Under party rules, Gormley and Co can be ordered to vote it down, effectively ending the coalition. Here’s another question about location: where were the Greens’ grass roots when the rest of us were discussing Nama? Why have they suddenly discovered their voices when the Dáil is on holidays? Are they serious or just posing?

Considering the Greens’ hypocrisy to date, another two-word anagram comes to mind. It’s of ‘T-a-r-a’ and is normally preceded by “I smell…” It’s also always associated with sinking ships, Mr Gormley.

http://www.tarawatch.org/sunday-trib...f-incompetence

[Robert Bandanza]

Thursday September 03 2009

A Co. Tipperary cattle farmer has lost his High Court bid to prevent the Lisbon Treaty referendum from going ahead next month.

John Burke from Duncummin House, Emly was applying for leave to challenge the legality of the referendum.

His contention was that as the people had already voted in June 2008, the original "No" verdict should stand.

Lawyers for the State argued that the proposal to be put to the people on the 2nd of October is significantly different, and that it should be up to the people to decide upon.

Mr Justice Liam McKechnie agreed, and the case was dismissed.

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-n...e-1877805.html

[Robert Bandanza]

The SDLP Leader Mark Durkan has called on all parties to come together to discuss Irish unity.

This is something I understand the SDLP Leader has been thinking about for some time. Today’s call is the first serious attempt by any political party on this island to elevate the issue beyond partisan politics.

As UTV reports, the Foyle MP said talk around unity must move beyond occasional rhetoric with no real meaning.

“It is important to create a 21st century vision for integration that is not just about righting wrongs or addressing grievances, but about a sense of destiny and purpose.”

Over on O’Conall Street I have offered my own views on how the Forum might be constituted and what its work programme could look like.

http://sluggerotoole.com/index.php/w...nited-ireland/

[Robert Bandanza]

School fingerprints pupils to monitor absenteeism

STUDENTS were fingerprinted yesterday as a Limerick secondary school introduced its own database in a hi-tech bid to monitor absenteeism.

The principal of Salesian College at Copsewood, Pallaskenry, however, emphasised that the school did not have an absenteeism problem.

The college informed parents in a newsletter during the summer of the fingerprinting but the Data Protection Commission said each parent and student must give signed consent.

Meanwhile, students attending school yesterday had their fingerprints taken. The index finger and thumb of either hand were entered into a school data base, matched with names and individual identity numbers.

On arrival each morning and after lunch, students will place a finger on one of two scanners which will identify them and speedily mark them present.

Mr O’Neill said: “A lot of schools have a swipe card system”

Full article

http://www.wiseupjournal.com/?p=1110

[Robert Bandanza]

Never ceases to amaze me how so many supposedly cosmopolitan people in Ireland can be so parochial – and I’m looking at you, Mr. Cochrane. If it’s the loss of tax revenue due to taxes on the printing going to the British state, that might indeed be a – tiny – issue.

The idea that Irish people are only “really” Irish by virtue of inhabiting the 26 counties might come as something of a surprise to the many emmigrants among the diaspora in other countries. Or rather, actually it wouldn’t. Eaten bread is soon forgotten and all that.

It’s pretty perverse to consider that patriotism now consists of completely ignoring the deep historical, and cultural ties (not to mention political – even FG calls itself the “United Ireland Party”) across the traditional national territory. Someone is actually proud of being that senselessly parochial, of worshipping the limitations the state, as opposed to respecting the natural hinterlands of people? Greasy fingers in the till, indeed.

It’s like a bad Cork joke – real patriots don’t shop in Kerry. But people really take this seriously?

http://saoirsi.wordpress.com/2009/04...op-in-ireland/

[Robert Bandanza]

9,000 year old Neolithic fishing trap found in Hill of Tara landscape during excavations along path of M3 motorway

http://www.tarawatch.org/?p=1316

[Robert Bandanza]

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Millionaire businessman Declan Ganley, a leading force in Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty last year, has re-emerged as a public opponent of the EU charter three weeks before a second Irish referendum.

Ganley, who had said he would take a backseat in another No campaign after failing to win a seat to the European Parliament in June, gave an interview to the Wall Street Journal on Friday calling for Ireland to dismiss the treaty.

"The European Union right now is top-down ... And it literally conducts its business behind closed doors, and that has to stop and it has to stop now," Ganley was quoted as saying.

Speculation is now rife that Ganley will launch a fresh campaign against the treaty ahead of a plebiscite on Oct 2.

Ganley's brother, who helped him campaign for the European Parliament, declined to comment on the speculation when contacted by Reuters.

"We are in meetings at the moment. He will be able to speak to you on Monday," Sean Ganley said.

Ganley's possible re-entry into the Lisbon debate comes on the heels of an opinion poll showing falling support for the charter, threatening, yet again, EU ambitions for greater global influence and the stability of the Irish government.

Ganley's charismatic personality and ample financial resources made him a formidable force in the last campaign and proponents of the Lisbon treaty had breathed a sigh of relief when his attempts to win a seat to the European Parliament and create a pan-European political party fell flat.

His possible re-emergence is yet another challenge for a government battling its own deep unpopularity to get Lisbon passed.

"Mr Ganley is free to campaign. I have no information about his intentions, that's a matter for himself," Finance Minister Brian Lenihan said when asked at a Friday news conference about Ganley's plans.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...091101375.html

[Robert Bandanza]

Tomorrow’s Red C poll for the Sunday Business Post looks interesting. Although, how much so may depend on who you believe. On Lisbon II, IOL reports [PA report? - Ed] “23% say they will vote against the EU reform measures, while 15% are still undecided ahead of the ballot on October 2” - leaving 62% saying ‘Yes’. But RTÉ gives different figures

The results show support for Lisbon holding up, with 52% of adults saying they will vote for the Treaty, 25% saying they will vote against and 23% are undecided.

On party support only iol, and Irish Election, have the figures.

Business Post poll; FF 24 +3. FG 33 -1. Lab 19 +1. GP 5 +1. SF 8 -2. Ind 11 -2.

According to the RTÉ report - “Red C surveyed more than 1,000 voters around the country on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday for the poll.”

http://sluggerotoole.com/index.php/w...s-polls-polls/

[andy]

http://irelandforeurope.ie/

[Robert Bandanza]

Sunday September 13 2009

Declan Ganley said he decided to re-enter the debate on Lisbon because of the astonishing degree of misrepresentation from 'Yes' campaigners.

The Libertas founder revealed details of his new 'No' campaign in Dublin this afternoon, despite vowing to bow out of public life after he was defeated in the European elections in June.

Mr. Ganley claims he was persuaded to make a come-back,

"We have decided to enter the fray on the Lisbon re-debate for a number of reasons. One in particular because of the astonishing degree of misrepresentation that has being coming from the proponents of overturning the Irish people's decision on the Lisbon treaty that was made last year."

But the Taoiseach is rejecting Declan Ganley's claims that the 'Yes' camp has been lying to the public.

Brian Cowen insists that voters' concerns about tax autonomy and retaining an EU commissioner have been completely addressed.

Mr. Cowen says the Libertas Leaders' new campaign will not phase the Government.

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-n...n-1885495.html