Laois/Offaly: Ray Fitzpatrick

In mid-January, over seven million people in the United States contacted members of the Congress to show their opposition to the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA). Both pieces of legislation proposed to give sweeping powers to the Courts to force Internet Service Providers (ISPs) to immediately block access to particular websites at the behest of big business.  But as a result of the mass opposition shown to SOPA and PIPA, both laws have been temporarily defeated and put on hold.

Alarmist media headlines over the past week give the impression that €2,500 could easily be deducted from the wages and welfare payments of householders boycotting the registration and payment of the new household tax. In fact such legislation does not even exist at this time. Nor does any legislation allow for the tax itself to be deducted.

What a rancid state and political establishment. Even the whitewash of a report by  devout Catholic, Martin McAleese illustrates intimate state involvement of various hues in the Magdalene Laundries. Yet, the mealy-mouthed immediate response from the government constituted a blatant shirking of responsibility, and a refusal to apologise, or even clearly admit wrongdoing on behalf of the state.