Bankers' bonuses making a comeback
The Government has officially approved plans to ease restrictions on pay and bonuses for staff at three banks bailed out by the Irish State.
Rules on bonuses of up to €20,000 and around other workers’ benefits at three banks – Bank of Ireland, AIB and Permanent TSB – are to be relaxed after ministers approved the measure brought to Cabinet by Paschal Donohoe.
Salary pay caps of €500,000 at Bank of Ireland are also to be removed based on the findings of a report into banking in Ireland.
This is one of the final measures to be brought by Mr Donohoe in his role as Minister for Finance, before a mid-December reshuffle.
Regency trial
Gerard Hutch’s defence team have told his Special Criminal Court murder trial that there is nothing in the Criminal Justice (Surveillance) Act 2009 to suggest it has scope beyond the borders of the State and that the Oireachtas would have legislated for this with "irresistible clearness" if this had been the case.
Senior counsel Brendan Grehan, for Gerard 'The Monk' Hutch, said on Tuesday that the State had "danced around" the jurisdiction issue concerning conversations between Regency Hotel murder accused Mr Hutch and former Sinn Féin councillor Jonathan Dowdall that were captured by a garda bugging device. Counsel said that the prosecution was asking the court to put "a strange" and "very wrong" interpretation on the Act.
The three-judge court will rule on Friday morning whether the contents of the recorded conversations are admissible in evidence having regard to the extraterritoriality issue.
Woman awarded €89k after sexual harassment case
A female technical instructor who was sexually harassed by a male colleague in the classroom has been awarded €89,584 compensation.
At the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC), adjudicator, John Harraghy has ordered technical training and workforce development firm, Socrates Workforce Solutions Ltd to pay Kathleen Ryan two years pay at €64,584 after finding that she had established a prima facia case of discrimination by way of harassment and sexual harassment based on the ground of gender.
Mr Harraghy also ordered the company to pay Ms Ryan an additional €25,000 after finding that she was penalised by the firm for making complaints.
World Cup pitch invader
The protester who ran on to the pitch during a World Cup match, carrying a rainbow flag and wearing a blue Superman T-shirt with messages in support of Ukraine and Iranian women, has been banned from attending any more matches during the football tournament in Qatar.
The World Cup organising committee said in a statement that “the individual involved was released shortly after being removed from the pitch” and that his embassy has been informed.
“As a consequence of his actions, and as is standard practice, his (entry permit) has been cancelled and he has been banned from attending future matches at this tournament,” the statement said.
