Latest news with #Gannon
The Journal
a day ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Minister criticised after recent deportation flight took off without human rights monitor on board
A GOVERNMENT CHARTER flight that flew to Nigeria earlier this month has been criticised after it emerged that no independent human rights observer was on board the flight. Social Democrats TD Gary Gannon accused the government of 'skipping independent scrutiny' in favour of 'theatre' by allowing the flight to make its journey without a monitor on board. These independent human rights observers were on board the government's two previous charter flights, which saw a combined 71 people deported to Georgia. This was followed by a special charter flight this month where some 35 people, including five children, were deported from Ireland to Nigeria. The flight was heavily criticised afterwards by a Dublin school and by a Clondalkin community group as each had members of their community on board. In response to a Parliamentary Question from Gannon about the makeup of the professional personnel involved in the flight, Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan disclosed that 'due to technical reasons outside the control' of the Department of Justice, the human rights observer was not able to accompany the flight to Lagos. O'Callaghan defended himself from criticism of the flights, telling Gannon that planning and consideration had been given to 'ensure the safety and wellbeing' of the people being removed from Ireland to Nigeria. Role of human rights observers The role of the independent human rights observer is to monitor the use of force and restraints for deportees on the flight. Such observers are currently not mandatory for charter deportation flights in Ireland. However, there are requirements to have such monitors so as to ensure fundamental rights are upheld during forced returns of people. These requirements feature in the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture (OPCAT) but Ireland remains the only EU member state yet to ratify the protocol , despite having signed it in 2007. It is included in the current Programme for Government . They had been present at Dublin Airport before the flight took off and later received a debrief from gardaí who were on board the plane, according to O'Callaghan. In addition to Garda personnel, the returnees on the flights were accompanied by a doctor and an advanced paramedic. The flights are carried out by the Garda National Immigration Bureau. Advertisement In his response to Gannon, seen by The Journal , O'Callaghan said the independent observer was briefed by gardaí afterwards. 'For the charter flight to Nigeria the observer was present in Dublin Airport to monitor the operation prior to departure of the charter flight on 4 June 2025 and meet with returnees including the families concerned,' O'Callaghan said. 'However, due to technical reasons outside the control of my Department, the observer was not able to accompany the flight to Lagos. The observer has been debriefed by a nominated Garda escort on the operation of the flight.' Gannon had asked about the number of professionals present on board, including medical staff, child protection professionals and psychological support personnel. The Dublin Central TD told The Journal that the minister needed to clarify whether he believes a human rights observer is 'essential' for the flights. If so, then O'Callaghan needed to outline 'why did he let the Nigeria flight go ahead' without an observer. He repeated a criticism of the minister's use of the flights as a form of PR and a submission to anti-migrant demonstrations seen over recent years. 'Having the Gardaí who carried out the deportation 'debrief' the observer afterwards isn't oversight, it's theatre,' Gannon said. 'This flight involved children. The State has a legal and moral duty to safeguard their rights at every stage, not just when it's convenient. Skipping independent scrutiny when children are being forcibly removed strips away any pretence of a rights-based approach. What we're seeing is a government more committed to appearing tough than doing things properly. Gannon added that the deportation flights will 'go down as a shameful episode' in the life of the current government. 'It may play well in certain corners of the political world, but anyone with a shred of decency can see how wrong this was,' Gannon claimed. The Fianna Fáil minister said he accepted that deportations were 'challenging' for the people involved. He added that they had received legal orders to leave the State and that the flights were required to ensuring that Ireland's immigration system is 'robust and rules based'. He noted that any person who has been ordered to leave the State is committing a criminal offence and 'can be arrested without warrant if they come into contact with An Garda Síochána'. The 2,113 deportation orders signed this year are nearing last year's total of 2,403 orders. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
USA Today
2 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
NFL announces date for preseason joint practice between Arizona Cardinals, Denver Broncos
AI-assisted summary The Arizona Cardinals and Denver Broncos will hold a joint practice on August 14th, prior to their preseason game on August 16th. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon believes the high altitude practice in Englewood will be beneficial training for his team. Gannon respects Broncos head coach Sean Payton and views the joint practice as a valuable opportunity to face different schemes and a playoff-caliber team. The Arizona Cardinals will hold a joint practice with the Denver Broncos leading up to their preseason game on the road against them. This was already known. The NFL announced the dates of the 24 joint practices that will be held around the league in the preseason. The Cardinals' practice with the Broncos will be August 14 leading up to their game on the 16th. Cardinals head coach Jonathan Gannon detailed some of the plans for that week. Sometimes teams will hold multiple joint practices. The Cardinals have done this, too. That will not be the case in Denver. "We're just going to have one big one," Gannon told reporters during the week of mandatory minicamp. "We're going to practice with Denver Thursday. We'll get there on Wednesday — practice on our own, practice Thursday versus Denver, Friday be on our own and then play them Saturday night." Because the Cardinals play the Broncos on a Saturday, they won't hold a full practice on Friday. That "on our own" will likely be just a walkthrough, as is commonplace the day before a game in the regular season. Gannon sees positives in the joint practice, which will technically be held in Englewood. "It's at altitude, the first thing, so that will be a good training exposure for our guys," he said. "Obviously, (Broncos head coach) Sean Payton is one of the best to do it. Their schemes are different than ours, all three phases. They've got really good players, a playoff team. It's going to be a good joint practice for us. I'm looking forward to it." Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe onSpotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
The Journal
3 days ago
- The Journal
North city parks becoming virtual no-go areas for council workers due to drug crime, TD says
THREE DUBLIN CITY parks are in danger of not being maintained as council workers say they are too dangerous to work in, a TD has claimed. Gary Gannon, the Social Democrats justice spokesman and a Dublin Central TD since 2020, has highlighted significant problems with violence and intimidation by young men engaged in the drugs trade in the north inner city. Speaking to The Journal , Gannon said that while extra gardaí have been deployed to the city centre successfully, he believes that there is a knock-on effect that local parks and communities in his area are under-policed. It was announced in March that a large number of gardaí, fresh from their training in Templemore, were being sent to Dublin to perform high-visibility patrols in the city. However Gannon says that a number of north city parks – Mountjoy Square, Diamond Park and Liberty Park – remain no-go areas for locals at certain times of day as a result of lack of policing. Anti-social behaviour in the three parks has been an issue for years, Gannon said, but the issue has been exacerbated in recent months. He said there are also problems with anti-social behaviour along the Grand Canal, running between North Wall and Croke Park. He said in those areas and in flat complexes around the area there is a significant problem with open drug dealing and drug-related intimidation. 'It doesn't seem to be policed,' Gannon said. 'There definitely has been an improvement in the commercial city centre. There's a lot more guards in there, but the displacement from other areas is being felt by communities in the north inner city. 'There is a lot of violence, open drug dealing that just seems to be tolerated, particularly in the park areas, and it's having a genuine impact,' he said. Gannon said that he and other local leaders have informed the gardaí and the Minister for Justice Jim O'Callaghan about the issue. 'We have a scenario now where council workers are telling us they won't go into the parks,' he said. Gannon said that he and other local people believe that there may be a policy by gardaí to contain the issues in local communities. Garda sources The Journal spoke to said that it is simply an issue with numbers of gardaí – and that there are simply not enough available to police the areas mentioned by the TD. Advertisement Social Democrat TD Gary Gannon. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Drug intimidation While there is still drug debt intimidation, Gannon said that it has evolved and that now people who are moving drugs around the city are not being paid by gangs but instead are being forced to do it to pay off money owed. He said there is also a significant problem of young men and boys on scooters and scramblers who are moving drugs around the city. 'It's definitely got worse, but it's also got a lot more insidious. 'The guards have done very, very significant work in terms of breaking up the idea of the gangs but that has led to them innovating and they're having kids operating as drug mules – they're having people in their debt operating as drug mules. 'The gangs are no longer shooting at each other, and the guards should be commended for that, but the product they were fighting over in the first place is still there. 'Now the sale of that product is being done by people who are in very, very vulnerable situations – they are being exploited and groomed,' he said. Gannon called on O'Callaghan to treat the issue 'as if it was something that was happening in his own constituency over in Dublin 4″. Mountjoy Square, Dublin. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Drive programme At a recent appearance before the Oireachtas justice committee Deputy Commissioner Shawna Coxon spoke about the measures gardaí are employing. 'We certainly have patrols all throughout the city from a family engagement standpoint, with respect to drug related intimidation. 'We know that many of these cases aren't reported, and I just want to signal that the Drive Program has just been released, where families have an opportunity that they can come to us if needs be, but oftentimes they're using other methods, and it's a great way for them to get help and support,' she said. The Drive Project (Drug Related Intimidation & Violence Engagement) is an interagency project to respond to the issue. The programme is funded by the Department of Health through its drug initiative and is designed to be a holistic response. O'Callaghan has, in the past, called for more gardaí in Dublin and also said that new technology is needed to better police the streets. He has also said there must be more robust work on knife crime. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Examiner
3 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Social Democrats ask EU anti-fraud watchdog to probe failure to inspect Shannon flights
The Social Democrats have called on the EU's anti-fraud watchdog to investigate the failure to inspect flights at Shannon Airport. In a letter to the European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF), Gary Gannon TD said Ireland's refusal to inspect private or military aircraft landing at Shannon may be "systematically undermining" EU customs and Vat obligations. The director general at OLAF was told the lack of inspection opens the door to potential abuse by private operators trying to avoid Vat by routing through Ireland. Mr Gannon wrote: This is not a theoretical concern. It may also have significant implications for the integrity of the EU Vat system and the fair functioning of the internal market. Senator Patricia Stephenson, who also wrote to OLAF, highlighted concerns that flights into Shannon may be "facilitating Israel's genocidal war in Gaza". "There is credible evidence that military contractors and private aircraft carrying dual-use goods — goods that can be used in weapons systems — are moving through Irish airspace and Irish territory en route to Israel," said Ms Stephenson. Both Ms Stephenson and Mr Gannon have also written to the Attorney General seeking legal clarity on the Government's positions for non-inspection of flights. Raising the matter in the Dáil, Mr Gannon said: "The moral failure speaks for itself, but we are potentially in breach of EU Vat enforcement rules, which raises serious questions." Taoiseach Micheál Martin said the Government fulfils its legal obligations when it comes to the inspection of flights. "In respect of aviation, there are international conventions that the Government and all governments have to adhere to regarding inspections or state flights, for example, as opposed to commercial flights. "The Government is adhering to and observing those obligations," said Mr Martin.
USA Today
12-06-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Arizona Cardinals wrap up minincamp, will return in July for training camp
Arizona Cardinals wrap up minincamp, will return in July for training camp Jonathan Gannon said that camp will start July 22, although that is probably the soft opening for rookies. The Arizona Cardinals have wrapped up their offseason program. They held their final practice of mandatory minicamp on Thursday. With that, they had two weeks of Phase 1 strength and conditioning work. After that, they had three weeks of Phase 2 conditioning and positional drills. The last three weeks have been Phase 3, which included 11-on-11 and 7-on-7, between two weeks of OTAs and one week of minicamp. All but the week of minicamp was voluntary. The Cardinals elected to go with only three weeks total of OTAs and minicamp and nine total practices instead of the allowed four weeks and 13. So what is next? The rookies will still be in the building for a little while. How long? "long as I need to," head coach Jonathan Gannon said on Thursday. After that, there is the summer break until training camp. Gannon said training camp would begin on July 22. That might not be the official start of camp, though. NFL teams are allowed to start came with veterans beginning 15 days before their preseason opener. As the Cardinals open the preseason on Aug. 9, their official report date will be July 25, with their first practice coming on July 26. Teams can, though, have rookies report for training up to 22 days before the preseason opener. So the July 22 date is likely when the coaches, rookie players, injured players and quarterbacks begin training without actual practices. So keep an eye out for the Cardinals' announcement about how to attend camp practices at State Farm Stadium. That news will come soon. Get more Cardinals and NFL coverage from Cards Wire's Jess Root and others by listening to the latest on the Rise Up, See Red podcast. Subscribe on Spotify, YouTube or Apple podcasts.
