| A timeline of events leading to withdrawal of funding from Factotum. Factotum is the publisher of the Vacuum. Each item links to an original document, which can be read in full. |
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| 15/6/04 - Factotum publishes God and Satan issues of the Vacuum, they are released at the same time and distributed in the usual way to bars, cafes, libraries etc. |
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| 1/7/04 - Issue raised in Council by Councillors. There has been one official complaint to council. Council minutes. |
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| 2/7/04 - Front page of the Newsletter (Council in Satan Shock) and then other papers quoting councillors' opinions that The Vacuum is 'encouraging Devil worshipping' and is 'filth'. Richard West (The Vacuum), Councillor. Eoin O'Broin and Councillor Jim Rogers discuss the story on Talkback. Councillor Rogers says 'you'd have to be sick of mind to take the time to read' The Vacuum and that he has read it 'cover to cover'. |
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| 4/8/04 - Arts Sub committee debate. Members consider The Vacuum to be offensive but following legal advice recommend that Factotum receives the funding it has applied for and that they review the criteria for funding at a future meeting. Council minutes. |
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| 18/8/04 - Development committee debate. The Development committee discuss the recommendation of their Arts Sub-committee. Mr. J. Walsh, Principal Solicitor attends and recommends that 'any decision to withhold the remainder of the allocation could be considered as a contravention of Article 10 of the European Convention on Human Rights'. Accordingly an ammendment that no further funding be granted to Factotum is defeated. Council minutes. |
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| 1/9/04 - Debate in Full Council. An amendment to the conclusions of the Arts committee is passed ignoring the work of the previous committee discussions and the Principle Solicitor's advice. Factotum will not receive its grant until it: 'provides an apology for any offence which may have been caused to Members of the Council and the citizens of the City by previous publications and provides an assurance that future publications will meet such criteria as may be established by the Council.' The vote is passed 24 to 12. Almost none of the Councillors have looked at a copy of The Vacuum when they vote. |
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| 3/9/04 - Discussion of the story on the Today programme including Richard West and Councillor Eric Smyth. Councillor Smyth says the cover of the Satan issue is a photograph of 'Christ with another man lying on top of him, lying the opposite way'. |
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| 27/9/04 - Letter sent by Council culture and arts manager. It contains two demands, following the motion passed by the council: that Factotum apologises and that it agree to any future criteria that the Council may see fit to apply. |
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| 28/9/04 - Factotum asks for clarification of the letter. |
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| 17/11/04 - Second letter sent, by Council legal services. It contains a climb down by the Council on the demand Factotum sign up to any future criteria and a softening of the language so Factotum is now asked for 'some expression of regret'. |
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| 15/12/04 - Sorry Day. |
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