Irish data regulator fines Facebook owner €265m
The State's data privacy regulator has imposed a €265 million fine on social media giant Facebook, bringing the total it has fined parent group Meta to almost €1 billion.
The penalty resulted from an investigation, started in April 2021, related to the discovery of a collated dataset of Facebook personal data that had been made available online. Facebook was also ordered to make a range of corrective measures.
Monday's fine is the fourth the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) has levied against one of Meta's companies. It is Meta's lead privacy regulator within the European Union, and has 13 more inquiries into the social media group outstanding.
In September the watchdog hit its Instagram subsidiary with a record fine of €405 million, which Meta plans to appeal.
The DPC regulates Apple, Google, Tiktok and other technology giants due to the location of their EU headquarters in Ireland. It currently has 40 inquiries open into such firms, including the 13 involving Meta.
Number of young children attending GPs and hospitals on the rise
The number of young children attending GPs and hospitals across Ireland continues to rise.
Last week saw the highest cases of Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) the country has ever recorded.
Newborn and small babies are most affected by RSV.
The HSE is advising the public to protect themselves and others from respiratory viruses this winter.
Parents of children aged 2 to 17 are also encouraged to get the free nasal spray flu vaccine for their children, from their local GP or pharmacy.
Ex-badminton champion who paid mothers for access to children jailed for sexual abuse offences
Paedophile badminton champion Timmy Duggan was jailed for seven years today for a string of sexual offences against women including paid mothers to access their kids for his own “deplorable” sexual gratification.
Timmy Duggan, (35), of Mountain Lodge, Annagh, Tralee, Co Kerry, originally from Moyvane, also tried to directly solicit sex acts from young children by offering them lollipops and cash.
Duggan’s own barrister, Mark Nicholas, described his actions as “absolutely despicable”.
One mother, who admired selling naked photos of her children to Duggan, was also jailed for three years with the final 18 months suspended.
She and Duggan have both been added to the sex offenders register indefinitely.
Duggan was previously returned for trial on 47 sexual offences against children, however the State accepted a plea to 22 offences ranging from child sexual assault, child sexual exploitation, inciting children to engage in a sexual act, possessing naked images of children and encouraging others, including the victim’s mothers, to produce “child pornography”.
Paddy Cosgrave being sued by businessman Robert Quirke over tweet
Web summit co-founder Paddy Cosgrave is being sued for defamation by businessman Robert Quirke over a tweet posted on Mr Cosgrave's Twitter account in 2021.
Mr Quirke who is the CEO of Roqu Group, which has diverse interests in areas including media management and the organisation of festivals, claims that he was identified in a tweet by Mr Cosgrave on March 20th, 2021, that he claims was clearly calculated to damage the plaintiff's reputation.
Mr Cosgrave denies the claims and in his defence claims that his statement was the truth.
It is alleged that tweet referred to a multi-million euro deal involving Mr Quirke and Roqu and the HSE for the provision of ventilators from China. In his action Mr Quirke, with an address Tigne Point, Sliema, in Malta, claims that he and his businesses were defamed and damaged the tweet, and seeks damages from Mr Cosgrave.
Teenager stabbed seven times outside Leaving Cert party, court hears
A teenager attacked outside a Leaving Cert party in Dublin was stabbed seven times and suffered a collapsed lung, a court has heard.
The incident happened as more than 150 young people attended an exam results celebration at Vela nightclub, at Liffey Valley, west Dublin, at about 12.30am on September 3rd.
Emergency services were called, and a youth in his late teens was rushed by ambulance to James Connolly Memorial Hospital in critical condition.
In September, a 16-year-old boy, whose identity cannot be reported because he is a minor, appeared at the Dublin Children's Court.
He is accused of assault causing harm to a male, at the Vela nightclub car park, on September 3rd. There was no application for bail, and he was held in custody.
The case resumed on Monday for a preliminary hearing to confirm the teen's trial venue. The DPP recommended it be dealt with at the Circuit Court level, which has broader sentencing powers.
Man said he was providing for his family when he stole €185,000 in social welfare payments
A man told the Probation Service that he was providing for his family when he stole €185,000 in social welfare payments and that it was a victimless crime, a court has heard.
Christy Keogh (70) pleaded guilty at Dublin Circuit Criminal to multiple charges of social welfare fraud which were representative counts of offending that spanned two decades.
Keogh, of Greenfort Crescent, Clondalkin, Dublin 22, pleaded guilty to 23 charges of stealing a total of €185,622.48 by stealing both jobseeker’s allowance and disability allowance on dates between December 1996 and July 2018. He has no previous convictions.
Judge Elma Sheahan noted from a report from the Probation Service that Keogh did not regard his offending behaviour as having any victims. While he acknowledged that he had broken the law he believed that he had provided for his family without causing harms to others.
US burger chain Wendy's set to open in Ireland
Famous American burger chain Wendy's has said it is "actively seeking" franchise candidates as it plans to open in Ireland.
Irish franchise candidates must have "strong operations experience, local development expertise, ambition to grow quickly and a proven track record of growing brands in Ireland to help Wendy’s reach its full potential".
With more than 7,000 restaurants worldwide, Wendy’s is looking to expand using its franchise model, following recent success in the UK.
