Ireland: Environment Minister Phil Hogan restricts political donations and seeks 30% women candidates in general elections

The Minister for Environment, Community and Local Government Phil Hogan TD has announced further electoral reforms as part of the most significant political reform package announced in decades. The decisions taken by Government will restrict corporate donations significantly and cut political party funding by half unless 30% of general election candidates are women.


Speaking following Cabinet approval on the Electoral (Amendment) (Political Funding) Bill 2011, Minister Hogan said; ‘In line with the Government’s commitment to significantly reform political funding in Ireland, this bill will implement commitments from the Programme for Government and recommendations made in the Moriarty Tribunal Report.


“Following 14 years of a complete absence of reform, this Government will implement a number of further initiatives, making this political reform package the most significant introduced in decades. The bill aims to increase transparency among all donations to ensure there is no question of unhealthy relationships. All political donations will now be done in an open and transparent manner.

“To increase the participation of women in politics, Parties will see their state funding halved if they do not meet the new requirements to have at least 30% women and 30% men candidates at the next Dáil general election. This will rise to 40% after seven years. This initiative is a groundbreaking political opportunity to incentivise a shift towards gender balance in Irish politics. Women make up 50% of our population and they are significantly underrepresented in our political institutions. This will have a positive impact on women’s participation in local elections also.”

The Bill will significantly reduce the maximum amount that can be accepted as a political donation. The thresholds for the declaration of donations are also being reduced. Among the measures being introduced are:

1.A reduction in the limits on political donations that may be accepted: from €6,348.69 to €2,500 by a political party and €2,539.48 to €1,000 by an individual

2.A reduction in the thresholds at which donations must be declared to SIPO from €5,078.95 to €1,500 by a political party; and from €634.87 to €600 for an individual

3.A ban on the acceptance of donations by political parties over €200 from all sources unless the body has been registered with the Standards in Public Office Commission.

4.A requirement that to qualify for full State funding under section 17 of the Electoral Act 1997 a qualifying political party will have to have at least 30% women candidates and at least 30% men candidates at the next general election. This will rise to 40% after seven years.

Other initiatives already announced as part of the Governments overall reform package, the most significant in decades are:

1.Changing the terms of reference of the Constituency Commission which will result in a reduction in the number of TDs

2.The reduction of the presidential election spending limit

3.The introduction of a six month time limit to hold bye-elections

4.The removal of the automatic entitlement of Ministerial cars and drivers

5.Cutting the pay of the Taoiseach, Ministers and Ministers of State

6.The removal of severance pay for Ministers

7.The Government will establish a Constitutional Convention to consider a comprehensive constitutional reform and will hold a referendum on the abolition of the Seanad.

Medjugorje Visionary Marija Pavlovic in Val di Sole in the the Alps-May 20, 2011

Apparition of the Virgin in Ossana in the midst of woods and fields near the Natural Park Adamello Brenta.

Irish Tourism-Trips to Ireland increase by 8.6% in Quarter 1 2011 according to CSO

In the first quarter of 2011, the total number of overseas trips to Ireland increased by 8.6% to 1,177,600, an overall increase of 92,800, compared to the same period twelve months earlier. Visitors from North America increased by 11.9% to 153,600 while trips from residents of Other Europe and Great Britain were up by 8.9% to 399,000 and 7.2% to 564,300 respectively. Trips by residents from Other Areas rose by 12.0%.
(Source:CSO)

Girl Scouts USA, Planned Parenthood and Abortion

Sydney and Tess Volanski are two amazing young girls who are standing up for the truth--even though it may be unpopular. These teen girls just launched the website Speak Now: Girl Scouts to document Girl Scouts USA's not-so-secret support of Planned Parenthood and abortion. Sydney and Tess were Girl Scouts for 8 years before they discovered this shocking information---but as soon as they did, they refused to continue to support the organization, left their troop, and are telling the nation the truth about Girl Scouts.(Source: Live Action)

Read more about Speak Now Girl Scouts here.

Iceland’s Grimsvotn volcano: Live Satellite Image

Click here to see live video of volcanic eruption as viewed from outer space

Iceland’s Grimsvotn Volcano

On May 21, 2011, Iceland’s Grimsvotn Volcano erupted, sending an ash plume 12 miles (20 kilometers) high and closing Keflavik Airport, Iceland’s largest. Ash fell on much of Iceland, with some areas pitch black at midday on the 22nd. This eruption is not expected to disrupt air travel as much as taht of Eyjafjallajokull in 2010 because the Grimsvotn ash particles are larger and settling out of the atmosphere more quickly.

This natural-color satellite image, acquired by the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aboard the Terra satellite, shows the towering ash plume at 1:00 p.m. local time. Beneath the ash plume, clouds cover much of the scene. Lingering snow is visible beneath the clouds to the northeast (upper left). Brown ash covers a portion of the Vatnajokull Glacier near the Atlantic coast (lower right).

Grimsvotn is Iceland’s most active volcano, but it hasn’t erupted so forcefully since 1902. The lava is basaltic, which typically erupts in non-explosive, Hawaiian-style eruptions. Grimsvotn is located beneath a glacier, however, and the interaction of melting ice with the lava can create an explosive eruption, at least in the initial stages.(NASA)
Image Credit: NASA, GSFC, MODIS Rapid Response Team

Fatima: The Sun Danced In The Sky Again-Friday May 13, 2011.

Fatima: The sun started to dance in the sky as if celebration of  Beatification of John Paul II.

A Portuguese friend went to Fatima for the great celebrations of May 13, the anniversary of the 1st appearance of Mary in 1917. But this year, Fatima also celebrated the Beatification of John Paul II. Giant screens were used to transmit the images of the Beatification, and 20,000 pilgrims were gathered close to the basilica. Our friend told us that at about 1:30PM, when the images of John Paul II appeared on the screens, a very broad luminous circle formed suddenly around the sun, it was like an arc in the sky which projected rays of all colors. The sun started to dance in the sky as if joining the celebration. The media of Portugal broadcasted this same information.


As we know, John Paul II was very linked to Fatima! Following the attempted assassination of May 13, 1981, he always attributed his protection to Our Lady of Fatima. “A hand shot, he said, a maternal hand guided the bullet's path”. Did the pope of Totus Tuus (totally yours Mary) want to give us a sign? Already, on October 13, 1917, at the time of 6th and last appearance of Mary in Fatima, 70,000 people saw the sun dance! Interesting, isn't?

(Source: Children of Medjugorje, May 2011 Newsletter ©

English Band Yes: Wonderous Stories (Original Sound)