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The Journal
6 hours ago
- Business
- The Journal
Court upholds Spanish government's order to block nearly 66,000 Airbnb listings
A COURT IN Madrid has upheld a decision by the Spanish government to block almost 66,000 Airbnb rental listings that it said violated local rules. Airbnb had appealed the decision by the country's government, which is taking action against short-term rental companies amid a housing affordability crisis. Spain's consumer rights ministry had 'urged' the US company's Irish-based subsidiary to remove 65,935 adverts which it said breached the advertising rules for this type of tourist accommodation. The breaches included failing to list licence numbers, listing the wrong licence number or not specifying who the apartment's owner was. In a statement to The Journal , a spokesperson for Airbnb said the decision by a Superior Court of Madrid 'is a procedural ruling and not a decision on the merits' of the ministry's order, adding that it will take 'longer to decide'. 'Airbnb is confident that the Ministry of Consumer Affairs' actions go against Spanish applicable regulations,' the spokesperson said. They cited a Spanish Supreme Court decision in 2022, which found that the host of a property is responsible for listing information, not the company, and said they always inform hosts that they must comply with all regulations when listing on their platform. The spokesperson said Airbnb has advocated for an EU-wide approach to short-term rental regulations, which will help make rules more consistent across the bloc. They also said that Spain has nearly 4 million vacant homes that make up over 14% of the country's total housing stock, 'almost 30 times more than accommodations exclusively dedicated to tourism'. Advertisement 'The root cause of the affordable housing crisis in Spain is a lack of supply to meet demand. The solution is to build more homes – anything else is a distraction. Spain has seen several large protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people to demand more government action on housing. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Spain, the world's second most-visited country, hosted a record 94 million tourists in 2024, making the lucrative sector a driver of its buoyant economy. But a housing affordability problem in Spain that is particularly acute in cities such as Madrid and Barcelona has led to growing antagonism against short-term holiday rentals, of which Airbnb is perhaps the best-known and most visible actor. The Spanish government says the two are related: the rise of Airbnb and other short-term rental companies, and rising rents and housing costs. Regional governments in Spain are also tackling the issue. Last year, Barcelona announced a plan to close down all of the 10,000 apartments licensed in the city as short-term rentals by 2028 to safeguard the housing supply for full-time residents. According to the latest figures published by the National Statistics Institute, 368,295 properties were dedicated to tourist accommodation in November 2024. Spain has seen several large protests that have drawn tens of thousands of people to demand more government action on housing. It was one of a number of European countries that saw demonstrations calling for a curb on mass tourism last weekend. Thousands of demonstrators took to the streets in Spain, Italy and Portugal, with some carrying placards and others spraying tourists and hotels with water pistols. With reporting from Press Association 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
The Journal
10 hours ago
- The Journal
Nine staff members at Oberstown injured in third 'very serious' incident in ten days
NINE STAFF MEMBERS at Oberstown Children's Detention Campus were injured on Wednesday in an incident involving one detainee. Trade union Fórsa said four of the injured staff members required hospital treatment as a result of the incident. It comes after two teenagers who were accused of 'savagely' beating a 60-year-old man during a burglary while armed with a machine gun were released at the weekend due to lack of space at the detention campus. In February, The Journal reported that judges were unable to send a number of alleged child offenders to Oberstown because it is at full capacity. Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland this morning, Fórsa's media relations director Niall Shanahan said the latest incident is one of three 'very serious incidents' that have happened over a period of ten days. He said a member of staff was assaulted on 8 June. This staff member was also one of the nine staff injured on Wednesday. 'On 11 June, we had one very serious incident where a staff member had their face slashed. It's what's been described to me as a life changing injury.' According to Shanahan, staff at Oberstown have tried to raise 'mounting issues' in relation to staff assaults over the last number of years. Advertisement 'What we have is a situation that's becoming more and more critical, partly due to staff shortages. Staff have told me that it's quite frequently they don't have enough staff to cover the shift, so they are operating below capacity.' Staff retention is also an issue. Of the 10 new staff that Oberstown took in this year, only two of them are still working on the campus. Shanahan said the management group appear 'unwilling to engage with the reality as staff are experiencing it when when they're working their shifts'. 'Given the number of serious injuries that we've had over those three incidents over the last ten days, the staff members are themselves required to report these incidents to the Gardaí. Management don't report to the Gardaí that anything like this has taken place in the campus,' he continued. 'So it suggests an unwillingness, I think, to take responsibility to what's happening to the staff on the campus. But I think more crucially, what we have is an environment that's becoming more and more unsafe, both for residents and for staff.' Shanahan said he has been engaging with staff at Oberstown for the last 15 years, and this has become 'a feature of their working life'. Fórsa contacted the Oberstown management group 'as a matter or urgency', with a meeting expected to take place in the coming days. 'But at this particular point in time, I'm very mindful of the fact that we have, I think, four or five staff from Oberstown who are not going to be able to attend work for at least a month because of their injuries,' Shanahan said, adding that this 'further exacerbates' the staffing problem at the centre. 'The longer this goes on and it isn't addressed, the more unsafe everybody on the Oberstown campus is.' 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
The Journal
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- The Journal
Who is Zach Bryan, the country rocker set to play three nights in Phoenix Park?
ZACH BRYAN IS not necessarily a household name – but he's getting there. The musician released his first album in 2019, coming to global success in 2022, and already he's managed to snag three nights at the Phoenix Park – that's a combined 180,000 people (although at the time of writing, he has not managed to sell it out). Bryan has ascended to the spot of being the second-most listened to artist in Ireland, surpassed only by Taylor Swift. However, there seems to be a generational divide in the 29-year-old's reach in Ireland: half of The Journal 's newsroom had never heard of him. So, who is he? And why has he amassed such success in Ireland? Zachary Lane Bryan Bryan was born in 1996 in Japan and raised in Oologah, Oklahoma in the United States. In 2013, at the age of 17, he enlisted in the US Navy, becoming an Aviation Ordnanceman – described as 'enlisted sailors that serve as aircraft armament specialists charged with handling weapons'. In 2016, his mother passed away. The following year, in 2017, he began uploading self-produced music to YouTube, and in 2019, he released his first album, DeAnn, which was dedicated to his late mother. He had his first concert that October. In 2020, he released his second album, which was also self-produced. He married Rose Madden, who also served in the Navy, that same year. Eight years after joining the Navy, he signed a deal with Warner Records and subsequently was formally discharged to pursue his music career full-time in 2021. He also got divorced from Rose Madden. The song most people will be familiar with from Bryan is 'Something in the Orange'. This was released in 2022 and propelled him into the mainstream music scene. To this day, the song has over 1.25 billion streams on Spotify. If that's not ringing a bell, 'I Remember Everything' with Kacey Musgraves has over 1.1 billion streams on the same platform. Advertisement The latter song also took Bryan and his collaborator home a Grammy Award for Best Country Duo/Group performance in 2024. In the end of 2023, he was arrested for refusing to comply with a police officer after he and his security guard were pulled over for alleged speeding. Bryan gained more – negative – traction online with the end of his relationship with influencer Brianna LaPaglia (also known as Brianna Chickenfry) in late 2024. LaPaglia has millions of followers across a number of TikTok accounts and Instagram, and is the host of a popular podcast. The two parted ways on bad terms and LaPaglia later alleged emotional abuse had resulted in the end of the relationship. As of now, he has released five studio albums, and is embarking on his tour 'Quittin' Time'. His Spotify claims that this is 'his last tour ever', although no other formal announcement appears to have been made. Zach Bryan performs during the Quittin Time Tour at The Amerant Bank Arena on 22 July, 2024 in Sunrise, Florida. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Phoenix Park Peter Aiken of Aiken Promotions, which is tasked with promoting Byran's Irish shows, told reporters during a press conference on Tuesday that Bryan has 'come from nowhere'. 'His songs are about heartbreak and loss and all the things that people don't like talking about any more,' he said. 'Maybe [those] in Dublin aren't aware of him, but people outside Dublin are very well aware of him,' Aiken added, describing him as the 'real deal' and 'not country per se, but very Springsteen.' Bryan's last performance in Dublin was in 2023, when he played the comparatively humble Helix. 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
The Journal
20 hours ago
- Politics
- The Journal
Ten weeks to save Irish peacekeeping in Lebanon as US weighs up whether to end its support
IRISH AND FRENCH diplomats are working intensely to convince the United States not to end support for the UN's peacekeeping mission in Lebanon, which could spell the end of the international peace effort. US officials have arrived in Lebanon and Israel to assess whether their country should veto the renewal of the UNIFIL mission. Sources have told The Journal that a major and secret effort is under way to stop the US from pulling the plug on the south Lebanon operation. Inside Government departments and at Cabinet level, Irish officials are understood to be anxious to find a way to keep the mission going. Officials have been directed by Minister for Foreign Affairs and Defence Simon Harris to work with the French and others to push for a solution. The Times of Israel reported earlier this month that the US was deciding whether it would vote against the renewal of the UNIFIL peacekeeping mission. The deadline to save the mission is ten weeks from now, when the UN will vote on whether to renew the mandate for UNIFIL. The UNIFIL mission (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) began in 1978 to maintain peace and security on the border between Lebanon and Israel after a period of increased tension between the two countries. Irish troops are part of a massive international presence of 10,500 troops from 50 countries to monitor both sides of the border. A total of 48 Irish soldiers have been killed there on active service. Their deaths were caused in action, in accidents, and in kidnappings by Israeli forces, Hezbollah, AMAL, and local militias aligned to Israel or to Lebanese factions. The Journal has confirmed that US officials, led by envoy Tom Barrack, have been in Lebanon and Israel to assess the effectiveness or not of the UNIFIL mission. In a move that is consistent with previous missions by the US, Barrack has no background in diplomacy; he is a real estate investor. Sources have said there is extensive lobbying ongoing by Israel to have the United States, which is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, end its support for the mission. There are fears among diplomatic sources that the work of Barrack and his team is a fait accompli, and the decision has already essentially been made to pull the plug on US support for UNIFIL, given the support the Trump administration has for Israel. Behind the scenes, French diplomats are leading negotiations and Ireland is working with them. The withdrawal of US support would be a significant setback for UNIFIL. Advertisement Sources believe that the US turning its back on the mandate would mean a cut of around 25% of the budget for the mission, which would cause a major reduction in troop numbers. Tánaiste Simon Harris speaking to troops in Camp Shamrock in South Lebanon in March. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Worst case scenario The worst case scenario would be that the UNIFIL mission would end, which would necessitate a massive withdrawal of Irish troops from south Lebanon. Currently around 330 soldiers of the 126th Infantry Battalion are stationed at multiple locations in the south of the country, monitoring the uneasy truce along what is known as the Blue Line. This was established in the wake of the 2006 war following international agreement on the border designating where Israel had to withdraw beyond. If the mission was to end completely, the Irish would withdraw en masse from the area. This would involve the chartering of a ship as Ireland does not have naval capability to move the troops. Sources said the seaborne withdrawal of kit and equipment would likely either happen from Beirut or from Tyre. Troop-carrying aircraft would also have to be chartered or they would hitch a ride on a flight by a partner country. It is understood that no immediate plans are in place for this. The Defence Forces and the government are awaiting the outcome of the vote in August. The Irish Defence Forces logisticians have carried out this operation before in the 2000s when the Irish temporarily withdrew from Lebanon and they recently successfully moved massive amounts of equipment and vehicles home to Ireland from their Syria mission . Camp Shamrock where the Irish are based with troops from Ghana and Poland. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo Israeli strategic goal Sources said that the strategic goal for Israel is to make northern Israel free from the threat of rocket fire as well as other major cities inside the Jewish State. This is the justification for the previous invasions. The main body of Israeli troops have withdrawn back across the Blue Line but, within the Irish area of operations, south of the towns of Bint Jbeil and At Tiri, the IDF maintains one of a number of forward operating bases. Overflights by Israeli drones and aircraft are being monitored by a massive French radar station in the area with an Irish and LAF patrol fired upon recently by Israeli forces as well as a number of other incident. Hezbollah militants have also been seeking to intimidate UN troops. The powder keg atmosphere in the Levant will continue but sources said the Irish government remains hopeful that a compromise can be found to soothe the tensions in the UN assembly and for the mission to continue. 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
The Journal
a day ago
- Business
- The Journal
'Strange and slightly goofy': US tech firm books out seven pubs on Dublin's Dame Lane
A TECH COMPANY booked out seven pubs, and a barbershop on Dame Lane last night to entertain guests at an IT conference. All of the pubs were turned into open bars, with food going for free for those attending too. From around 6pm to 11pm, most of Dame Lane became a private, mini Temple Bar for employees and guests of Kaseya, a US-founded IT Solutions company (valued at $2bn), that was in town for its Dattacon Europe conference over in the Convention Centre. Today, publicans were tight-lipped on the obvious question that comes to mind: how much exactly would that set you back? The man pulling pints in the self-described 'family owned boozer' Dame Tavern professed that he knew nothing, though he claimed that extra was paid to bigger venues, and those that offered food (Dame Tavern offered a pizza menu in partnership with Pi Pizza). A regular at the bar told The Journal today that the conference goers were from 'all over Europe, the States, just a few Irish'. 'I came for my usual after work pint and couldn't get in, so I sussed it out,' he said. This reporter braved the sunshine to visit the pubs that took part including DisnDat, JT Pimms, the Stag's Head, The Voyager, 4 Dame Lane, and The Bankers Bar. Publicans were hesitant to estimate an overall cost for the shindig. Advertisement The collective word on the street, however, is that we're talking 'somewhere in the region of half a million euros, once you factor in what the bars were paid, the entertainment, and the security.' The venues were paid varying fees, and live entertainment was put on in all of them. At one stage, Irish dancers put on a show in the middle of the lane. In Sam's Barbers, the manager Mark tells The Journal that the whole thing was pretty tame. 'We were flat out from 2pm until 11pm at night. We must have done between 50 and 60 haircuts. They were a friendly bunch, and no one was in a bad way, actually,' he said. It's understood all this came about a few months ago when a man who worked for an events company popped into a few of the bars on the street to inquire about whether they'd be interested. A meeting of publicans was convened, and the terms and conditions were agreed. Two bars that weren't open when the man called around missed out, unfortunately. 'It's never happened before that someone has rented out the whole lane like that, and it's the kind of thing we need more of, it went really well,' Mark said. Another bar manager said the night was 'strange, and slightly goofy, but quite fun'. 'They were all IT types, so they didn't actually drink that much, like, imagine if a company from here put on seven open bars,' he said – which seems best not to imagine. 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
