Achill man strikes Dáil ... again

Achill man strikes DΡil ... again


Rowan Gallagher

AN ACHILL man has struck DΡil Eireann once again on the day of the the toughest budget in the history of the state.
Joe McNamara (41) who is originally from Achill, drove his cherry picker down Kildare St in Dublin early this morning (Tuesday) and hoisted his placard-covered crane up at least 50 feet over the Dail Eireann gates.
The crane he drove through the capital had slogans glued to its side that read “Winner - Dermot Ahern €310,000 payoff: 4 million pension - The losers: Minimum wage; the sick and elderly; the students; welfare.”
Garda vans parked each side of the cherry picker so the man couldn't escape the scene. Bystanders photographed gardaí ripping the slogans off the side of the cherry picker before the man could be arrested.
The control panel inside the cherry picker was sealed off and it took some time to get Mr McNamara to the ground so that DΡil proceeding could go ahead.
The Oireachtas has confirmed to The Mayo News that there will be no delay in the DΡil workings today.
Again, one of the slogans read ‘Anglo Toxic Bank’. Mr McNamara is reported to owe the Anglo Irish Bank almost €3.5 million.
The builder of Dún na Carraige, Blackrock, in Co Galway was arrested in September after he made International headlines by driving his truck with the slogans ‘Toxic Bank Anglo’ €1,000,000 on golf balls’ and ‘€500k for golf’ displayed on his truck, towards the gates of Leinster House in October of this year.
He then unfurled a banner at the bank of the truck with the words ‘The people have had enough. All politicians have been sacked with immediate effect. Power to the People’.
After being arrested for the original incident outside Leinster House he was remanded on bail to November 25 on condition he does not come to the unlawful attention of gardaí during that time.
The man has now been remanded in custody for breach of his bail conditions.