It would appear that former primary school principal Jim Daly TD is clearly still in ‘hall monitor’ mode, only this time he’s trying to give parents’ detention.
Mr. Daly, who is chairman of the Oireachtas Committee on Children and Youth Affairs, last week displayed his caring nature –demonstrating to us bould, neglectful parents, and how when it comes to our kids, he’s more doting, more nurturing and more responsible than any run-o-the-mill Irish mammy and daddy!
You see, Supernanny Daly, under his proposed Internet Access for Minors Bill 2017, could actually slap a fine on those parents who allow children under 14 to own devices with unrestricted internet access! Now, while I’ve made my feelings crystal clear regarding those individuals who place their kids at serious risk by letting them sit totally unsupervised on the internet, leaving them exposed to ‘sextortion,’ intimidation, harm, bullying, blackmail and grooming, etc., it’s just my opinion and not, I stress, any of my business whatsoever how people choose to raise their kids.
Personally I feel Mr. Daly has recklessly breached the rules of parental engagement on this one. I mean c’mon, the Government policing parents…the audacity of it! Oh wait, maybe the TD was just giving the Do-Nothing-Dáil a pre-summer break laugh, leading me to ask what delightful little jibe do you have in store for us this week Jim?
Look, parents, not the Government, have a right to make decisions for their children. Parents should not be forced by law to blindly follow know-it-all Government officials when it comes to raising their families; to do so simply undermines their ability to provide their children with the quality and type of life they desire for them. Besides wouldn’t it be better for Mr. Daly to enforce a law that ensures the children and youth who come under his remit have a safe roof over their heads and food in their bellies, instead of persecuting their parents?
Look, anyone with half a techie brain cell in their heads doesn’t need Jim Daly’s interference when it comes to providing boundaries around their kids’ technology use; they can simply install a block/limit on their mobile phones, alternatively they can buy them one that only allows calls and text messages!
While I’m on the subject of politicians enforcing legislation, our Communications Minister Denis Naughten informs us that new laws will be imposed by a Digital Safety Commissioner which will also encourage international tech firms to sift out anonymous individuals who spread hate online; imposing ‘financial penalties’ on companies who don’t comply with requests to remove offensive content. Bravo Denis, perhaps you could use your remit as Communications Minister to, er, communicate the cultural practices regarding proposing and implementing realistic and common sense restrictions to your colleague, Mr. Daly.
You see, Minister Naughten’s legislation will be useful because someone needs to tackle the scourge of nasty trolls who inflict psychological abuse into their every online interaction and those organisations who make money from their social network sites have a moral obligation to their users to remove hateful, obscene comments/images/videos.
You see some cowardly keyboard warriors tend to think just because they’re using the internet to post faceless abuse that their behaviour is acceptable – it’s not! I’m glad Minister Naughten has decided to mark out boundaries regarding what’s tolerable in the virtual world, a domain where these online obsessive whackjobs gain oxygen. I believe that social media sites who provide a live streaming service, etc., should not need to be forced to increase their protocols and vetting procedures, they should already have sufficient established strategies in place, but it’s clear that’s what is required given the recent broadcasting of two utterly horrific murders on certain sites.
I believe Minister Naughten’s proposal will not, as some have declared, curb free speech, rather it will curb harassment, defamation, abuse and those sicko sadists who take pleasure in spreading their vitriolic rantings and hatred online.
And we all lived snoozily ever after
I don’t want to know how the Late Late Show is going to end. I just need to know when it’s going to end. I mean, RTÉ’s flagship offering with guests who’re about as exciting as a traffic cone just gets worse with each passing week.
And, God help me, with lack of funds forcing me to sit in and watch the box last weekend, myself and a bottle of Malbec tuned in to witness what our national broadcaster believes passes for ‘entertainment’, i.e. the Late Late Show’s ‘Karaoke Special’ featuring ‘singers’ who didn’t just hit the snooze-ometre, they broke the bloody thing!
Poor hubby snored so loudly he rattled the windows, bless his noisy nasal tissues.
Seriously folks, I’m sick of RTÉ’s carousel of Z list guests and in-house plugs for other wishy-washy TV shows. Thank heavens for Sky +!
Life is like a box of chocolates… just ask Dr Kevin Kelleher!
It appears there are a number of reasons for the lack of uptake of the flu vaccine by healthcare professionals in Ireland, the chief one being that tried and tested carrot dangling piece of yummy, scrummy, gooey, delicious chocolate.
Yes folks, according to Assistant National Director for Health Protection, Dr. Kevin Kelleher, providing the disobedient, noncompliant little nursies with a kickback –sorry an incentive of a bar of choccie wockie would encourage them to get the flu vaccination. Oh grow up Dr. Kelleher!
I’m sure you’re a very lovely gentlemen but you’re riding on the bus to hell following that gargantuan insulting gaffe! And I don’t care if you’ve been gallantly defended by HSE Director General Tony O’Brien, who claims your foot-in-mouth operation was simply ‘relating examples of initiatives that have worked in reality.’
Here’s a thought – why doesn’t Dr. Kelleher shrug off his silly ‘life is like a box of chocolates’ Forrest Gump perspective, and instead wear his professional hat, which is to ensure ‘the public are protected from infectious diseases and from harm as a result of environmental hazards,’ and seek out a more meaningful solution to his flu jab dilemma.
Oh I don’t know, I’m not a clever recipient of the University of Limerick’s President’s Medal like the esteemed Doc, but my modest opinion would be to put the Dairy Milk away and set up open and honest discussions with our country’s nurses.
