Author Archives: Simon McGarr
Letter to the Irish Medicines Board seeking MHRA report on PIP Breast Implant contents
The following is a letter sent today from our office to the Irish Medicines Board today seeking a copy of a report drafted by Covance Laboratories of Harrogate, North Yorkshire analysing the composition of faulty PIP breast implants. This link leads to the Daily Star article referred to in this letter. ******* Our Ref: EMcG Your Ref; 21st May 2012 The Chief Executive Irish Medicines Board Kevin O’Malley House, Earlsfort Centre, Earlsfort Terrace, Dublin 2, Ireland. Fax: 676 […]
Newspaper Licensing Ireland Ltd asks Women’s Aid for money to link to newspaper websites
The following letter was sent on behalf of Women’s Aid to Newspaper Licensing Ireland Limited today. Our office is grateful to Fergal Crehan BL for his pro bono assistance in drafting counsel’s opinion. Women’s Aid have agreed to allow us to publish their response in the hope that it may prove helpful to other non-profit bodies who may receive similar requests. We have not charged any fee but if you feel like it, you can donate to Woman’s Aid to […]
Open letter to Dr. Tony Holohan, the Chief Medical Officer re PIP Breast Implants
Letter to Dr. Tony Holohan, the Chief Medical Officer Our Ref: EMcG Your Ref; 8th May 2012 Dr. Tony Holohan Chief Medical Officer Department of Health Hawkins St. Dublin 2 Fax: Re: PIP Breast Implants Dear Dr. Holohan, We write this as an open letter to you and will put it on our website. 1. Representation We are instructed by a number of women that have been fitted with defective breast implants manufactured by Poly Implant Prothèses […]
PIP Action Group Information Day Presentation
PIP Action Group Information Day slides We will be attending at the PIP Action Group Information Day on Saturday the 5th May in the Red Cow Hotel, at the organisers’ invitation. Attendance is free, but subject to application for an e-ticket from the organisers’ website. We’ll be wearing name badges, so please do make yourselves known to any of us if you’re attending also and would like to discuss any matter arising from the above presentation or if you […]
Text of Minister Sean Sherlock’s email sent this week to some opponents of SOPAireland
Re: Enactment of the European Union (Copyright and Related Rights) Regulations 2012 A Chara, I would like to update you regarding the enactment of the European Union (Copyright and Related Rights) Regulations 2012. I fully acknowledge the concerns that have been expressed by you regarding the introduction of the European Union (Copyright and Related Rights) Regulations 2012 which were signed into law on 29th February, 2012. I wish to re-emphasise that it has been necessary to introduce this legislative measure […]
SOPA Ireland Duck Hunt: Killing Canards
Canard: An unfounded or false, deliberately misleading story; a duck. “I will introduce this imminently, by the end of January.” -Sean Sherlock, Sunday Business Post, 23rd January 2012 First, I’d to clarify that Minister of State, Sean Sherlock TD, has emphasised that he has not put forward any proposals to enact a “Stop Online Piracy” type Law. – He intends to bring in a vaugely worded law permitting copyright holders to seek injunctions without any explicit safeguards for fundamental rights, […]
SOPAIreland Alternative Ministerial Order: Jam Today as well as Jam Tomorrow
Minister for State Sean Sherlock is in an unenviable position. On the 10th of Jan 2012 his government was sued by EMI Ireland for their claimed losses arising from his alleged failure to provide for injunctive relief. On the 17th January the Chief State Solicitor entered an appearance to that claim. That means the State then had 21 days to put in a defence. By my, admittedly shaky calculations, this means the State has until the 5th February to enter […]
Making the SOPA Sausages
Bismark reputedly said that nobody should get too close to the making of laws or sausages. On Thursday, on behalf of the StopSOPAIreland.com campaign, I took a trip to Leinster House, to catch a glimpse of the sausage machine at work. Together with Ian Bergin, who runs the Facebook campaign, and TJ McIntyre of DRI, I met with Catherine Murphy TD to discuss her scheduled exchange of questions with Minister Sherlock. We experienced the minute-by-minute changes of timetables and proposals […]
Message from Minister Sean Sherlock to All TDs and Senators
Sent this evening. Legitimate Copyright Protection in Ireland: not SOPA – Sherlock We all subscribe to the freedoms, the opportunities and the access to information that the Internet provides us with. Ireland is home to some of the world’s most innovative internet companies and we are determined to grow our reputation as a location where smart people and these smart companies can continue to innovate in this fast moving arena. The last thing innovators need is a culture where the […]
Stop SOPA Ireland: We must have Openness, not murky backroom deals
You will have noticed the black banner across the top of our site this week. You may also have noticed the sudden flurry of media appearances and debates on radio around the issue of Minister of State Sean Sherlock’s plan to introduce a law to allow the music labels (and other copyright holders) to seek injunctions forcing Irish ISPs to block access to sites they don’t like. “I will introduce this imminently, by the end of January.”– Minister Sherlock, Sunday […]