BANGKOK, THAILAND -- MAY 29: Myanmar (Burmese) pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi leaves the Suvarnabhumi International airport on her first international trip in 24 years outside Burma May 29, 2012 in Bangkok, Thailand. Aung San Suu Skyi arrived in Thailand to attend the World Economic Forum on East Asia. Previously she was either under house arrest or too fearful that she wouldn't be able to return if she left Myanmar. (Paula Bronstein/Getty Images)

Nobel Peace Prize winner and General Secretary of the National League for Democracy in Burma, Aung San Suu Kyi is set to visit Ireland this June to receive Amnesty’s Ambassador of Conscience Award.

The award will be presented to Ms Aung San Suu Kyi at a concert held in her name at the Electric Burma tribute concert in Dublin on Monday 18th June at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre, Grand Canal Dock, Dublin 2.

The line-up of artists who will perform at the Electric Burma tribute concert will be announced this Wednesday by Bill Shipsey, founder of Art for Amnesty – Amnesty International’s global artist engagement programme.

According to Amnesty International Ms Aung San Suu Kyi visit to Ireland will follow immediately after she receives the Nobel Peace Prize in Oslo. 

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ULSTER SAYS YES, SF SAYS NO: Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams pictured during a rally for a 'No' vote in Dublin on May 28th, 2012. Ireland goes to the polls on Thursday to vote on the European fiscal treaty referendum (PETER MUHLY/AFP/GettyImages)

With Ireland’s vote on the Stability Treaty now just days away, indications are that a Yes vote will be carried, though some campaigners have claimed that the momentum now lies with the No side.

According to socialist/left MEP Mr Paul Murphy: “A consistent trend of the shifting of support to the No side in the last two weeks is clear. Momentum is gathering against this Treaty, as the government’s scaremongering has worn increasingly thin.

Vote to send “a powerful message internationally about the kind of country Ireland is”

“The stage is set for a crucial last week of the campaign. Those who are currently undecided, together with the level of turnout … will determine the outcome.”

Mr Murphy said he would “be calling on people to not give the government another stick to beat them with. If this referendum is defeated, it will be a body blow to their austerity agenda and will be a very clear demand for a radical change of course.”

Taoiseach Enda Kenny appeared in a live, televised national address on Sunday night, urging voters to “send out a powerful message internationally about the kind of country Ireland is.”

In his short address, Mr Kenny said that a Yes vote would be the best way of ensuring that investment in jobs would continue and grow. He also claimed that a Yes vote would give Ireland guaranteed access to the funds of the European Stability Mechanism, should Ireland ever need another bailout, while it would also ensure that good housekeeping rules were put in place throughout Europe.

Paul Murphy MEP disputed those claims, however, referring to the speech as inaccurate and accusing the Taoiseach of lying to voters: “Enda Kenny’s speech … contained two glaring factual inaccuracies … The first is his statement that a Yes vote will give ‘guaranteed access’ to the European Stability Mechanism. This is either a conscious lie or indicates that the Taoiseach has not read the ESM Treaty.”

Mr Murphy said that “within the ESM, any country can veto another country’s access to the ESM bailout fund, whether they ratify this Austerity Treaty or not.” Referring to the purported second inaccuracy, Mr Murphy added: “the Taoiseach said that a Yes vote is ‘the best way of ensuring the strong flow of investment in jobs continues and grows’. In fact, investment has fallen by 23.4 billion euro since the start of the crisis. … People should reject the scaremongering and vote No to this Austerity Treaty,” he said. 

Television Coverage

One result of the treaty debate has been a sharp rise in popularity for Ireland’s left-wing republican party, Sinn Féin. An Irish Times/Ipsos MRBI poll, conducted last Wednesday, claims that the party’s approval rating has surged, surpassing junior coalition party Labour across the country. Labour and its leader, Eamonn Gilmore, lost ground among voters, while their partners in government, Fine Gael, maintained their position as the most popular party. Opposition party Fianna Fail also regained some of the ground lost in a disastrous election one year ago.

Sinn Féin have benefited greatly from a 1995 Irish Supreme Court ruling – the McKenna Judgement. Under this rule, the Irish government is not permitted to use taxpayer’s money to fund one side or the other in a referendum, while the state broadcaster, RTE, must allot all airtime on the subject equally to speakers from both sides. With Sinn Féin being the only major party campaigning for a No vote, the ruling has meant extensive coverage for the party on TV and radio in the run-up to the referendum. 

Sinn Féin has seen its popularity boosted extensively among poorer voters, especially in the 25-34 age group, and among male voters. 

However, several commentators on both sides of the border have questioned Sinn Féins track record on austerity. Fine Gael’s Director of Elections for the Stability Treaty Campaign, Minister Simon Coveney, said recently that Sinn Féin and Gerry Adams are misleading the public on both the economy and the Stability Treaty. 

“The policies being discussed at this weekend’s Sinn Féin Ard Fheis underline the fact that the Party are misleading the Irish people on the economy, just like they are misleading the public on the Stability Treaty. 
“In the North, Sinn Féin in Government is implementing severe cutbacks and supporting high property taxes, college fees and water charges. And yet here in the South, in opposition, they criticise everything without offering any real alternatives,” said Mr Coveney.

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Front Square of Trinity College, where the Dubline route will start. (PAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

A 4-million-euro tourism development for Dublin, called the Dubline, was announced this week by the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Mr Leo Varadkar.

The Dubline is a proposed heritage walking trail which will run across the city from East to West, along a route from College Green to Kilmainham. The project aims to grow tourism revenues, which are currently worth over 1.5 billion euro to Dublin, by creating an interactive, informative and dynamically branded walking route detailing the city’s rich cultural heritage.

Projects like this will give Dublin a competitive edge when it comes to attracting more overseas visitors to the city.

—Mr Leo Varadkar, Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport

According to a press release, state-of-the-art technology will be utilised to inform and inspire visitors to engage with Dublin’s heritage, while actors and storytellers from the attractions and sites along the Dubline route will animate the stories of Dublin -- in the old fashioned Dublin way.

Minister Varadkar explained the idea behind the Dubline: “The Dubline will tell the story of the city of Dublin, and will become a focal point for visitors. A walk from Trinity College to Kilmainham takes you through centuries of Irish history, including our Viking, medieval, Norman and Anglo-Irish pasts. This new initiative will combine the ancient era with modern technology to immerse tourists in Dublin’s history.”

Minister Varadkar also confirmed an investment of 3.5 million euro through Fáilte Ireland to implement the project (bringing overall investment to over 4 million euro), and said that he was also very pleased that Dublin City Council and the Office of Public Works (OPW) were on board. Minister Varadkar said: “Projects like this will give Dublin a competitive edge when it comes to attracting more overseas visitors to the city. This is not only good for tourism but also for businesses, retailers and jobs in the city.” 

Confirming Dublin City Council’s commitment to the project, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Mr Andrew Montague, said: “Dublin City Council is delighted to be involved in the development of the Dubline, a unique, branded cultural trail that will significantly enhance the visitor’s experience of Dublin, and provide us all with an opportunity to grow and develop tourism in our city.”

Fáilte Ireland CEO, Mr Shaun Quinn said: “We in Fáilte Ireland believe we can build on this remarkable potential to increase the quantity of visitors we welcome and to enhance the quality of their experience here.” He went on to say that a successful tourism destination needs to be able to tell its story, and to provide opportunities for visitors to engage with the narrative. “We believe that the Dubline will allow us to do just that, and will help us to raise our game in marketing Dublin as a world class destination,” Mr Quinn said.

• Delivery of a route orientation, way finding and discovery system, and development of themed walking trails based around the central line;
• Greatly improved access to the heritage of the area through innovative interpretation using online, mobile and traditional media;
• Implementation of public realm enhancements to improve the pedestrian environment;
• Further investment in visitor attractions and infrastructure, including development of a new visitor servicing hub, to build on recent investments in Meeting House Square, Dublinia and The Book of Kells exhibition;
• Promotion of the Dubline to both domestic and international visitors.

For further information on the Dubline project, log on to www.dubline.ie

However, only 3 per cent of Ballymun students progress to third level education, thus indicating the challenges for children born there, according to Eleanor McClorey of Young Ballymun, an area-based Prevention and Early Intervention strategy working to improve outcomes in education, health and mental health for all children, young people and families in the area.

“This figure shows the restrictions on a child’s educational potential if they are born in a disadvantaged community like Ballymun,” says John Lyons, Labour TD for Dublin North West.

In order to discuss the developments in this part of Dublin, the Oireachtas Committee invited representatives from both the Young Ballymun Project and the Early Learning Initiative at the National College of Ireland to its meeting last Wednesday.

According to Mr Lyons: “Attendance is the keystone of educational achievement. If this cycle is to be broken, the successes of early intervention programmes like Young Ballymun need to be reinforced at every stage of a child’s education, right up to third level.”

He applauded the efforts of all involved with Young Ballymun, saying: “Having grown up in Ballymun and subsequently taught in Ballymun schools, I have seen the changes taking place in education in the community and the potential this brings. These changes are evident in areas like literacy, numeracy and attendance.”

HOPE: In a file picture taken on November 25th, 2011, a woman walks past a wall covered in graffiti, which reads 'What This City Needs Is Hope' on a building in Dublin, Ireland. (PETER MUHLY/AFP/Getty Images)

With the Irish referendum to ratify the European Stability Treaty looming on May 31st, recent opinion polls suggest that up to one third of Irish voters are still undecided. The Irish Independent-Millward Brown Lansdowne poll found, however, that 37 per cent of voters currently intend to vote ‘Yes’, while 24 per cent intend to vote ‘No’. When statistically adjusted to include undecided voters, last Thursday’s poll suggests that a majority of 60 per cent of voters could vote ‘Yes’.

The governing coalition parties of Fine Gael and Labour are joined by major opposition party Fianna Fáil in calling for a Yes vote, while parties from across the left wing, including Sinn Féin, oppose the Stability Treaty.

Austerity policies are leading us back to a second bailout.

- Paul Murphy, MEP

Debate on the treaty in Ireland in recent weeks has centred on the key issue of whether Irish economic recovery is best served by the substantial cuts and restructuring a Yes vote would bring, or whether a No vote would lead to Ireland being ostracised within Europe. The Yes campaign is regularly accused of using scaremongering tactics to ensure a positive vote, while some commentators have said that the No campaign cannot guarantee what will happen if Ireland should reject the treaty.

Socialist Party MEP Mr Paul Murphy accused the Irish government of misleading voters: “The consistent use of this threat of losing access to a second ‘bailout’ by the ‘Yes’ side in this referendum has been a tacit admission that a second bailout will be needed. Most economists now agree that Ireland will need to access a second bailout. 

“It must be acknowledged that this represents a total failure of the approach that has been pursued so far. All of the hardship that has been imposed on people has been justified with the promise that a second bailout would be avoided. Now it is crystal clear – austerity has failed. It has destroyed the economy, with a return to recession in Ireland as a result.

“Although the government is lying when it says that Ireland could not access funding in the event of a No vote, we must be clear that a second bailout from any of the institutions – ESM, EFSF or IMF -- would not be pretty. Therefore, the challenge is to avoid a second bailout.

“Austerity policies are leading us back to a second bailout,” said Mr Murphy.

Dublin Labour MEP Emer Costello, however, has said that the Stability Treaty is a renewed commitment to best practices that Ireland adhered to in the nineties but lost sight of during the noughties -- the Celtic Tiger boom years.

According to Ms Costello, “’Balancing the books’ is not an end in itself but a means to an end … it is the basis for creating sustainable prosperity and for achieving a more equal society.” 

Ms Costello said that the Stability Treaty is not altogether different from EU treaties Irish voters, however reluctantly, have supported in the past. “What is new though is the stronger emphasis on the enforcement of all the rules through national laws,” she said. “In essence, the sound management of public finances would no longer be just a commitment under EU rules but a requirement under national laws. To safeguard the euro and to ensure that it works for all its members, we are all being asked to enforce the rules better. That is what the Stability Treaty is about, not ‘permanent austerity’.”

The Campaign Against Household & Water Taxes (CAHWT) national conference recently voted to make a call to its supporters for a ‘No’ vote in the Fiscal Treaty Referendum, and to call on all branches to campaign for this. 

According to a press release, the CAHWT conference overwhelmingly endorsed motions calling for their campaign to be very active against the Treaty, and to make an appeal to vote ‘No’ to households who defied the government deadline for non-registration of the home tax.

Campaign spokesperson Ruth Coppinger said: “The CAHWT is currently the most active grassroots campaign in the country, and also intends to get involved in the campaign with, hopefully, a decisive impact.”
With the treaty vote now just a week away, influential business leaders and farming groups have rowed in behind the government in urging voters to vote in the treaty’s favour.

At the recent British Irish Parliamentary assembly in Dublin, the heads of industrial manufacturer Glen Dimplex and pharmaceutical giant GlaxoSmithKline joined the chairman of food manufacturer Greencore in calling for a ‘Yes’ vote.

Fine Gael Director of Elections and Minister for Agriculture, Simon Coveney, recently welcomed the strong support from major farming organisations for a Yes vote on the Stability Treaty.

“Ireland is an export-driven country, and no one knows this better than farmers. A Yes vote will help send a major signal of reassurance to investors and growing markets,” he said.

An Irish Farmers’ Association (IFA) statement called for a Yes vote to secure access to markets, ensure exchange rate stability, ensure relatively low rates of interest, and to attract foreign direct investment to Ireland.

Walking canes await elderly shoppers at a specialist retail store catering to senior citizens, March 23, 2006 in Grossraeschen, Germany. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

The benefits of active ageing were highlighted on Wednesday in eight regions around the country, as Active Retirement Ireland held a day of celebrations for the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity Between Generations.

Designated by the European Commission, the European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity Between Generations is intended to raise awareness of the contribution that older people make to society. It seeks to encourage policymakers and relevant stakeholders at all levels to take action with the aim of creating better opportunities for active ageing and strengthening solidarity between generations.

With events taking place in Dublin, Westmeath, Limerick, Galway, Kerry, Waterford, Louth and Sligo, the importance of young and old helping each other in today’s society was highlighted. The day’s activities were supported by Active Retirement Ireland (ARI), the national representative body for 539 Active Retirement Associations throughout the country.

Commenting on the festivities, CEO of Active Retirement Ireland Ms Maureen Kavanagh said: “Our special day of celebrations highlights the significance of strengthening ties among people of all ages in society. The European Year for Active Ageing and Solidarity Between Generations is a fantastic initiative that Active Retirement Ireland fully supports.”

In the Irish economy, it’s important that everyone pulls together and combines their talents and skills to get the country back on its feet…

“With increasing uncertainty in the Irish economy, it’s important that everyone pulls together and combines their talents and skills to get the country back on its feet. Solidarity between generations is exactly what this is about, and our events today show what can be achieved when young and old come together.”

Among the highlights of the day were:

Dublin

The ballroom of the historic Wynn’s Hotel on Lower Abbey Street was the setting for a day of cultural events and activities. Chris Binchy, the Writer in Residence at Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, was on hand to launch a specially-published collection of short stories and poems, written by members of the Dun Laoghaire and Foxrock Active Retirement Associations.

Leading Irish writer John Connolly also gave a talk to those in attendance. The best-selling author of crime thriller novels shared some nuggets of wisdom to aspiring writers while regaling guests with stories from his illustrious career. The talk was followed by an open forum with a fun quiz. The day finished up with music and dancing in the ballroom.

Newly-elected President of Active Retirement Ireland, Mai Quaid, also spoke at the event, which was organised by the Eastern Region of ARI.

Westmeath

Members of the Active Retired community in the Midlands region were encouraged to get active at the Bloomfield House Hotel in Mullingar. The Go For Life PALs – Physical Activity Leaders – held a workshop with ARA members, helping them to get exercising for a healthy mind and body. In the spirit of solidarity between generations, pupils from St Cremin’s National School, Mullingar, and Wilson’s Hospital Secondary School, Multyfarnham, joined in the workout session.

Westmeath Sports Partnership also gave a demonstration in the increasingly popular game of Boccia, which sees players play a sitting-down version of bowling with leather balls, in a game particularly suitable for arthritis sufferers. The hotel ballroom was the venue for an exhibition of arts and crafts and a mini trade fair. Artist Mary Weir held a watercolour painting workshop, while the local ‘Three 9s’ emergency care ambulance service held CPR demonstrations and showed ARA members how to use a mini-defibrillator in case of emergency.

CEO of Active Retirement Ireland, Maureen Kavanagh, was the guest speaker at the event.

Limerick

The famous Thomond Park was the venue for a day of physical, cultural and social activities, organised by the Mid-Western region of ARI. Kicking off festivities was a children’s choir from nearby Our Lady Queen of Peace primary school in Limerick, while All-Ireland champion ballad singer Nora Butler complemented the entertainment.

Exhibits, arts and crafts were held throughout the day, while stalls highlighted alternative therapies such as aromatherapy, reflexology and Reiki. Special guest speakers included Deputy Mayor of Limerick Joe Leddin, Mayor of Clare Pat Hayes and Mayor of North Tipperary Michéal Lowry. Student Orla Bredin, of Colaiste Muire, Ennis, Co. Clare, also showcased her project on Active Ageing and making Ennis an age-friendly town.

Galway

Beginning at Seapoint in Salthill at lunchtime, active retirees walked the prom as part of a traditional charity activity and ‘kicked the wall’ for luck! They then headed for the Galway Bay Hotel for food and entertainment with intergenerational choir ‘Living Scenes’.

A dancer of an african dance group performs during a dress rehearsal on March 18, 2008. (TIMOTHY A. CLARY/AFP/Getty Images)

On May 16th, the Minister of State for Trade and Development, Mr Joe Costello TD, announced a nationwide programme of events to mark Africa Day 2012, which will be celebrated with a number of activities from May 20th to 27th.

Africa Day presents a great opportunity for communities to join with people from Africa to celebrate their cultures and traditions.

- Minister of State for Trade and Development, Mr Joe Costello TD

Africa Day is celebrated around the world every year on May 25th, which is the official day of the African Union. Its aim is to celebrate African diversity and success, and to highlight the cultural and economic potential of the continent.

Events will include conferences, film screenings, concerts, schools programmes and other outreach initiatives at various locations throughout Ireland. All events are being supported by Irish Aid, which is the government’s programme for overseas development, in partnership with City Councils and other organisations in each of the locations.

At the launch of Africa Day 2012, Minister Costello was joined by the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague; the Kenyan Ambassador to Ireland, Her Excellency Ms Catherine Muigai Mwangi; and Salome Mbugua, Director of AkiDwA, the African and migrant women’s network. 

Launching the programme, Minister Costello said: “Africa Day presents a great opportunity for communities to join with people from Africa to celebrate their cultures and traditions. Ireland has developed strong connections with Africa, not least those forged by missionaries and non-governmental organisations. More recently, we have seen an increase in trade and business links, while many African communities here are making an invaluable contribution to Irish society.”

Speaking at the launch, the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague, said: “Few events celebrate multicultural Ireland better than Africa Day. As the Lord Mayor, I am honoured to be involved, and I am looking forward to experiencing the wonderful sights and sounds of Africa at events during Africa week.” Mr Montague also commended Irish Aid for supporting the initiative, as well as the local authorities in Dublin, Cork, Limerick and Galway, which are hosting flagship family-day events.

Kenyan Ambassador, Her Excellency Ms Catherine Muigai Mwangi, also spoke at the launch. “On behalf of the African Embassies in Ireland, I am delighted to be at today’s launch for Africa Day 2012,” she said. “Outside of the African continent, Ireland is one of the countries that plays a leading role in marking Africa Day each year – it sets a best-practice example, in Europe and internationally, by organising a nationwide, week-long programme of events, which promote the involvement and contribution of the African Diaspora and encourage integration.”

Africa Day -- Dublin

The Africa Day Dublin Flagship Event takes place on Saturday May 26th and Sunday May 27th at George’s Dock on Custom House Quay, and will be launched by Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, Minister Costello, and the Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague. 

The African Bazaar will feature a vast selection of food, crafts, clothing and music from countries all over Africa.

There will be a range of workshops on trade and travel.

Children will be entertained at the Kids’ Zone, with activities including face-painting, art activities, storytelling sessions with traditional African fables, and the African board game, Oware.

Music highlights will include Congolese singer-songwriter Niwel Tsumbu; the raucous energy of The Amazing Few; smoky jazz and soul from Katie and the Carnival; bluegrass group, Gypsy Rebel Rabble; funk and soul from Fox.E and the Good Hands; up-and-coming Cavan-based act, The Radioactive Grandma, and much more.

Other events in Dublin over the course of the week will include a seminar in Trinity College on May 23rd, entitled: ‘Scaling Up Agriculture: Sharing challenges and experiences of modernising agriculture in Ireland and Africa’, and the Royal Irish Academy will host a series of talks under the theme ‘Environment, Society and Space’ on Thursday, May 24th.

Africa Day -- Cork

Events in Cork commence on Saturday, May 26th with a parade at 1.30 p.m. from Winthrop Street to Oliver Plunkett Street, and on into Bishop Lucey Park. A huge mix of African cultures will be highlighted throughout the day, with ethnic food, entertainment and workshops on offer.

Africa Day -- Galway

Galway city will celebrate Africa Day with an intercultural family evening of music, songs and cultural performances at the Commercial Boat Club in Woodquay. Refreshments and finger food from a variety of African countries will be available for tasting. The event will run from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, May 25th. The Galway African Film Festival takes place at the Nuns Island Arts Centre, from May 25th-27th, and the full programme of films can be found at www.galwayafricanfilmfestival.org

Africa Day -- Limerick

Further details on Africa Day events are available at www.africaday.ie

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Picture of an Irish female army officer wearing a shamrock in her cap as she marches in the St Patrick's Day festivities in Dublin, Ireland on March 17, 2012. (PETER MUHLY/AFP/Getty Images)

The Ombudsman for the Defence Forces, Ms Paulyn Marrinan Quinn S.C., published her office’s 6th annual report on Monday. In her speech at the launch ceremony, she lauded the positive engagement of the defence forces and their representative organisations with her office.

It is safe to conclude that the establishment of the Office of Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (ODF) has had a positive impact.

- Ms Paulyn Marrinan Quinn S.C.

“My Office’s achievements are their achievements, and I commend all of them for their constructive approach and openness to reform,” said Ms Marrinan Quinn.

Her overall assessment of the last year was a very positive one: “It is safe to conclude that the establishment of the Office of Ombudsman for the Defence Forces (ODF) has had a positive impact on administrative and human resource management practices within the Defence Forces,” she said. She also referred to a number of successes during the past year.

The positive impact can easily be measured by the stark increase of complaints that have been handled through the internal redress system of the Defence Forces in that period. Whereas in 2009 only 21 per cent of the complaints by members of the forces had been resolved internally, for 2011, that number had risen to 46 per cent.

“Such change could only happen through the positive engagement of the Chief of Staff, his senior command and staff, members of the Defence Forces, their representative associations; and successive ministers for defence,” she said.

The success of Ms Marrinan Quinn’s work is illustrated by the number and nature of the complaints dealt with by her office -- in 2011, they dealt with some 83 cases. The majority of complaints dealt with administration matters concerning the selection procedures for promotion within the military. Only four related to alleged inappropriate behaviour or bullying.

Some 36 per cent of cases handled by the ODF’s Office in its entire history concern matters of management and administration of promotion. Ms Marrinan Quinn stated: “I am very pleased that the issues that my Office has raised in relation to promotion procedures have been taken on board and the Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence and Chief of Staff confirmed that the new promotion procedures, which I hope will be more transparent and consistent, have been agreed and are in place.”

However, she also stressed that the impact of her Office also depends on the legal framework supporting it, which therefore should evolve to meet ever-changing demands and challenges.

“The legislation underpinning the operation of my Office has proved transformative in terms of providing a clear framework for civilian administrative oversight of the Defence Forces, and has set an internationally-recognised benchmark of best practice for the Office of Military Ombudsman. I advocate that the legislation should remain under review in order to ensure that it continues to be relevant and at the cutting edge.”

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The new bill seeks to protect construction subcontractors from exposure to non-payment after finishing their work. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

Mr Brian Hayes TD, Minister of State at the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, has passed a new Bill into the Dáil in order to protect small building subcontractors from exposure to non-payment. 

According to Mr Hayes, “The purpose of the Bill is to help address the issue of non-payment to construction sector contractors, subcontractors and subsubcontractors who have completed work on construction projects. It is essential that we reduce subcontractors exposure to non-payment and ensure these issues can be dealt with in a more timely manner.”

We want to protect small building sub contractors that have been denied payments from bigger companies.

– Brian Hayes TD

The “Construction Contracts Bill”, which as claimed by the minster “is a key issue for the government” aims at protecting small contractors in two ways:

First, the new Bill stipulates that construction contracts have to provide for interim payments for subcontractors. If the parties to the contract do not include such provisions the default arrangement set out in the legislation arrangement will apply. This way, small companies shall get a safeguard against having had all the work completed and facing non-payment.

Second, the law introduces a mechanism for swift conflict resolution in cases of payment disputes. Thereby subcontractors don’t have to face long and expensive litigation sparing the subcontactors resources.

To ensure a fuller protection of small companies and subcontractors, the bill covers private sector as well as public sector contracts.
The Bill was originally initiated by Senator Feargal Quinn in May 2010 as a Private Members Bill and passed Committee and remaining stages in the Seanad on March 8th, 2011.

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Falun Dafa practitioners exercise in London's Trafalgar Square on Sunday, May 13, 2012 for World Falun Dafa Day. (Stefan Byfield/The Epoch Times)

In London’s Trafalgar Square the Olympic countdown clock reads 75 days. Above it on the North Terrace a celebration of a different kind is taking place. Yellow-costumed and serene, Falun Dafa practitioners are meditating under skies that are finally blue, after months of rain.

This is World Falun Dafa Day, a celebration of the spiritual practice that was introduced to the Chinese public in 1992. It has since been taken up worldwide, with practitioners in an estimated 114 countries.

Ling Dee, secretary of the Falun Dafa Association UK, says that she benefited from the practice when she started in 1997. “My family in China practised it and found it was very effective for improving health so they asked me to try it,” she said. “I had some health problems like a stomach ulcer or some skin problems; they all went within three months. Also it changed me inside out, making me a happier person and changed my view of the world.”

Mrs Dee also said that the Chinese regime initially found Falun Dafa beneficial. “It’s just unfortunate that because of the growth of the practice in July 1999 they banned it and started persecuting it. However, no matter how brutal the persecution is, Falun Gong has never been stopped,” Mrs Dee said.

Since July 1999 the Chinese Communist regime has persecuted Falun Dafa, with more than 3,500 people having been tortured to death. But, said Mrs Dee, for this 20th anniversary of the practice, they would like “the world and more people to know how beautiful Falun Dafa is”.

Passer-by Carmen Todd saw the demonstration of the slow moving qigong exercises in Trafalgar Square and was motivated to sign a petition calling for an end to the persecution. She said she thinks it’s important for people to have freedom to do what they want. “The message—truthfulness, compassion, and tolerance—what harm can that do to anyone?” she said.

Artist Chelsea St Pierre was also in Trafalgar Square with her children. She saw the demonstration and likewise signed a petition. “We just thought that in London we get to do whatever we like,” she said.

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France's President Nicolas Sarkozy during a ceremony on April 16th, 2012 in Paris (Francois Mori/AFP/GettyImages)

With polls showing social democrat candidate Francois Hollande’s lead over conservative incumbent Nicolas Sarkozy narrowing to five percentage points ahead of Sunday’s second round of the French presidential election, many political analysts have claimed that Hollande’s lead remains unassailable. Having failed to trump his opponent in a marathon televised debate this week and with centrist and right-wing leaders in France deserting him, Sarkozy has pinned his hopes on closing Hollande’s lead and convincing voters to maintain France’s current course within Europe. Whichever candidate is elected to be the next President of France, however, their policies will play a crucial role in determining Ireland’s economic future in Europe.

Ireland could ride to salvation on the back of Hollande’s victory…

Hollande has built his election campaign on promises to renegotiate the fiscal compact to allow for the introduction of growth stimuli. This would include the use of so-called ‘European bonds’ to finance investments in education and renewable energy. The second thrust of his electoral pledge is to tax the rich at higher rates, and to levy a whopping 75 per cent tax on the super-rich. He also argues in favour of levying a tax on financial transactions. 

Referring to the fiscal compact, Mr Hollande said, “the treaty, as it is, will not be ratified.”
Sarkozy has claimed that such policies would spell disaster for the French economy, and has committed himself to modelling French fiscal policy on the German austerity drive of the last decade, which forged Germany’s current competitive position in Europe. His support for the fiscal compact would also remain unchanged.

While Hollande’s proposed policies seem to contradict those of Berlin, the European Central Bank and the IMF, the past week has seen Mario Draghi, president of the ECB, come out in support of a rebalancing of budgetary cuts and measures to stimulate demand – a ‘growth compact’. Italy’s Prime Minister, Mario Monti, also spoke out this week against the stimulus-free austerity policies of the compact, just weeks after approving them. Even German Chancellor Angela Merkel has softened her stance and has begun preparing for a France without her closest ally – even travelling to France for Sunday’s election. Hollande has suggested that, should he win the election, his first trip as President would be to Germany.

Merkel has repeatedly confirmed her support for Sarkozy, her ally in drawing up a Fiscal Compact that would cement Europe-wide policies of budgetary austerity. Merkel had refused to meet Hollande during his campaign, and their relationship would be unlikely to be as close as that of ‘Merkozy’. 

The View from Ireland

With Ireland’s economic position still precarious and the likelihood of Spain requiring a massive Ireland-style bailout in the near future increasing, difficulties in enforcing austerity measures have grown across Europe. The Dutch government fell last week after failing to reach agreement on the reduction of its fiscal deficit, while Conservatives in the UK received a drubbing in local elections as part of a backlash against the state of the UK economy.

Referring to Ireland’s vote on the Fiscal Treaty at the end of May, Independent TD for Dublin South Mr Shane Ross said: “If we’re voting on this treaty, we may be voting in a vacuum, because Mr Francois Hollande, who is going to be elected, I think, has said that he wants to renegotiate the fiscal treaty if he gets elected, and he wants to renegotiate it specifically to include proposals for growth.

“That will drive the other Europeans bonkers if he does it though, and I think it is welcome if he does it, because this is really part of the Irish agenda.” 

Mr Ross stated on his website that: “Ireland could ride to salvation on the back of Francois’s victory. If the socialist candidate wins and sticks to his promise to renegotiate, the treaty will be amended in Ireland’s interests.”

Though campaigning for a ‘Yes’ vote on the fiscal treaty, Tanaiste Eamonn Gilmore did not contradict Hollande’s policies in a statement released on May 2nd: “Fiscal and financial stability can only be achieved if we have economic growth and job creation. That applies at home, and it applies in Europe. It is already the policy of this Government that budget consolidation alone will not solve all our problems, and there is now a growing mood in Europe to press ahead with the growth agenda, which is firmly in line with Ireland’s position.”

“If you had a strong France pushing the agenda which says ‘Yes’ to the fiscal treaty, but it’s got to include growth, because growth is so important to Ireland, perhaps we could then live with the treaty,” said Mr Ross.

Raymond Coyle (L) the founder of Largo Foods with Mr Tayto (R) in Tayto Park in Meath (Gerald O'Connor/The Epoch Times)

Raymond Coyle is from a farming background. His family have been based around Ashbourne for hundreds of years. His great, great grandfather was a blacksmith here in 1798. 

Mr Coyle said, “Moving from farming to opening a factory was a big step for me but it happened because the price of potatoes absolutely collapsed. I lost a huge amount of money in the late 70s and early 80s and ended up owing the bank 1.3 million punts. 

“Eventually we raffled the farm in 1982. Essentially, the reason we did this was because necessity is the mother of all invention and we needed to do something. We sold 4,000 tickets at 300 pounds a ticket. No one had ever done that before.

“The idea came from delivering potatoes to Pettitt’s supermarket in Wexford. Having delivered potatoes there I was coming back and I stopped for tea in a pub on the fringes of Wexford town and I saw that this fella was raffling a 12 foot boat, and I thought if he can raffle a boat I will try a 365 acre farm because I had nothing to lose, it couldn’t get worse.”

The raffle was a huge success. It brought in four times the value of the farm and allowed Mr Coyle to pay off the banks. He even had enough left over to start a crisp factory.

Mr Coyle said, “We bought a very small line and the line was doing 20 kilos an hour. My ambition at the time was to get five per cent of the Irish crisp market on the Island in total and that’s what the capacity of the line was at the time. Tayto was the biggest by far at the time with over 80 per cent of the market share.

Because of the dominance of Tayto, really what I was doing was own label for Superquinn.”

Things were going well but producing own label crips was a very competitive business. Mr Coyle saw a more secure business in producing branded crisps.

He said, “If you have your own brand, something that the company owns, usually you get a better margin on it, but you have to support your brand with marketing. It’s a lot more secure existence to own a brand and develop a brand. It also leaves a better equity in your company if it owns brands.”

“We bought Perry first from the Capaldi family, then three or four years later we made this crinkly crisp and called it Hunky Dory. I developed that brand for 10 to 14 years. Pushing the Perry and Hunky Dory brands. Perry was more difficult, where as Hunky Dory had a point of difference because it was a crinkly cut crisp. We were gaining slowly but surely market share on that.”

In the year 2000 Largo foods wanted to buy the Tayto and King crisp brands from C&C but they couldn’t raise the money at the time. At the time C&C were having difficulty with it and were losing market share. Eventually in 2006 C&C sold the two brands as they thought they were not a core part of their business. Largo Foods won the competition to buy them.

Mr Coyle said, “By getting the Tayto and King brand it gave us a really large market share in the Irish market, more influence on it, more to do, and more to work with. It took two years to integrate both companies into Largo Foods and get the thing settled down. We have been paying down debt for the last few years but it has been very worthwhile from the company‚s point of view and for the employees and shareholders.”

In the last few years Largo Foods have grown their market share by nine points even though it is a very competitive market. To do this they have taken a few bold steps in the marketing field.

Three campaigns stand out the most for effectiveness and uniqueness. One campaign involved women playing rugby. The campaign was shot by one of the most renowned photographers in the US called Walter Iooss Jr. Mr Coyle explains, “We had several pictures of ladies playing sport and one was provocative. There was a very good looking lady showing a lot of cleavage and she was leaning down to take a scoring point. The tag line under it was ’Are you staring at my crisps’.”

The IRFU took offence because Hunky Dorys said they were sponsors of Irish Rugby. They were sponsors of a local team, but not the national team. The argument between the two sides generated a lot of free PR for Hunky Dorys and was eventually settled.

Other campaigns have included running Mr Tayto in the 2007 election. Again this caused a big stir in society with many people suggesting he would be a better candidate than many of the other candidates. The following year Mr Tayto put large full page adverts in the national press saying that he was looking for a wife and that he was tired of his bachelor life. He received over 174,000 love letters from the ladies of Ireland.
But according to Mr Coyle, the most rewarding campaign was when Mr Tayto launched his autobiography. Mr Coyle said, “The best one was the following year when Mr Tayto wrote his autobiography. No product of this type had ever done this before. It was 134 pages of pure Tayto advertising. It started off from when he was born, giving the full story line of where he went and what he did.” The book was one of the best sellers in the run up to Christmas.

The latest project for Mr Coyle has been to launch Tayto Park in Co Meath. The park cost 12 million euro to build and was opened in November 2010. Due to the lack of credit in the market Mr Coyle has sold a 40 per cent share in Largo foods to finance the project but the investment seems to be paying off with 340,000 guests visiting the park last year.

Mr Coyle said, “This year we believe we will have over a half million people in, we don’t know yet, but we believe there will be a half million. We expect we will have a peak employment of 185. 

“If we get the people attending, and if they enjoy their visit and they keep attending then we can build on this every year. We could perhaps build to a million people if we get the support of the local people and the County Council, which I think we will.“

“We have another restaurant called The Outback opening up which will relieve the queuing that there was in the main restaurant. More food, more activity, a little bit more retail and a lot more space.”

The International Monetary Fund (IMF) headquarters in Washington DC (Yuri Gripas/AFP/Getty Images)

Ireland’s membership of the EU was a factor in causing our current indebtedness, according to Reza Moghadam, Director of the International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) European Department.

That’s according to a survey result posted on the IMF website, which said that “a build-up of debt after joining the eurozone led three very different countries to the doors of the International Monetary Fund, as the global economic and European debt crises took their toll on the Greek, Irish, and Portuguese economies.”

According to the statement “the head of the IMF’s European Department and the mission chiefs responsible for Greece, Ireland, and Portugal gave a candid assessment of the varied challenges facing these countries and the paths they are pursuing toward recovery,” during the global lender’s Spring Meetings in Washington, DC. 

Mr Moghadam noted that all three countries have very different circumstances behind their current troubles, although there was a thread that linked them all -- “the welcome decline in interest rates that came with euro membership unfortunately also resulted in a rapid increase in indebtedness, and how competitiveness suffered,” stated the IMF release.

It is the IMF’s belief that, “In Ireland, private sector borrowing boomed, especially for real estate, leading to a banking crisis when the country’s housing bubble burst,” leading to “sharply rising public debt as a consequence of bailing out the banks.” 

The above issues, according to the IMF, shut countries such as Ireland out of financial markets and “stifled their economies.”

“The focus of our programmes has been to put in place the conditions for growth in the long run,” said Mr Moghadam.

The IMF also noted that they would “continue to work with these countries and adapt these programmes as circumstances evolve.”

It is about as likely that one will be brought to court as it is that one would win the lottery

Mr John Lyons of the CAHWT said that the onus would be on local authorities to prosecute households for non-payment. To do this, he said, each authority must create a database of names and addresses, before issuing a summons to each non-paying household. “The worst-case scenario is that, when it is proved to a district court judge that you are in fact the owner of the property, and are failing or refusing to pay, that judge could impose a fine of between 1,000 and 2,500 euro,” said Mr Lyons.

“Now with nearly one million people having decided not to register and not to pay, the very notion that 34 local authorities across the country could compile a database, and then summons almost a million people and take them through the legal system is, frankly, it’s not going to happen. The system would come to an absolute standstill, there’d be a logjam,” said Mr Lyons. 

“So while people are aware that there is that possibility that you could be one of the nearly one million home-owners who are taken to court, the fact that the fine has a 2,500 euro maximum value is a gamble worth taking in a lot of people’s eyes.”

This view was corroborated by Independent TD for Roscommon-South Leitrim, Mr Luke Flanagan, who said: “Given the massive number of people who have not paid, it is about as likely that one will be brought to court as it is that one would win the lottery. If someone is brought to court they will be supported by hundreds of thousands of people on the day.”

Mr Lyons said: “If we stand together and show our solidarity, our unity and our strength, we can say to the government, ‘Look, this is all about making the ordinary people pay for a financial crisis we had no hand or part in’. Frankly, people just don’t have the money to pay the household charge, and now they’re talking about a tax on water! I don’t think the politicians and the Troika that is standing behind them realise how hard people are having it these days.”

Turning off the taps

“They’re putting the fear of God into people with these stories,” said Mr Lyons.

“That the leader of this country would threaten to turn off what is a life-saving resource, water. It shows how low the political classes in this country will stoop to bully and threaten people into paying new taxes,” he said. 
Mr Flanagan confirmed the nature of these tactics, stating that any move to turn off the taps of non-paying customers would be “politically impossible”.

Mr Lyons also described as “frightening” government plans to create a new Irish water services company along the lines of Bord Gais (“An Bord Gush”, he called it), which could have far-reaching consequences into the future. 

With one body controlling water supply in Ireland, Mr Lyons said that “when you start to charge for a certain service, EU rules and regulations come into play, which means that the element of competition has to be facilitated. This is the first step toward the wholesale privatisation of water in this country.”

According to Dublin West TD Mr Joe Higgins, “once water is turned into just another commodity, then the service is ripe to be picked off by private, profit seeking, water companies. That is how the domestic refuse services came to be removed from the hands of the local authorities, leaving householders at the mercy of the privateers. Domestic water metering is simply a preparation for water going the same way.”

Mr Lyons said: “We have to scotch the notion straight away that we currently don’t pay for water. We actually do pay for water, through central taxation, both direct and indirect.

“We do have serious problems with the water infrastructure in this country, and if the government was serious about creating jobs and trying to stimulate the economy, they would look at the remedial work that needs to be carried out,” said Mr Lyons.

“In Dublin alone, we lose nearly half of the water each year through leaks in the pipes, with parts of the system dating back to the turn of the last century. There are so many plumbers who are unemployed at the moment, and you could have a massive public works scheme which would put many unemployed workers back to work,” he said.

According to Mr Flanagan, the scenes from the Labour Party Conference were a sign that “the more this government pushes the most vulnerable people into desperation, the more they will see this sort of reaction. It is inevitable.”

The fifth annual Dare to be drink aware awards concerned home drinking (Getty Images).

An online game show that looks at the effects of excess alcohol consumption on daily life and a short film documenting drink at a house party were amongst the entries singled out for the fifth annual Dare to be drink aware (DARE2BDRINKAWARE.ie) awards this month.

The film and multimedia competition organised by Drink aware Ireland (drinkaware.ie) for third level students is in its fifth year. This year’s competition explored the theme of ‘drinking in a home environment’. 

Special guests at the prize ceremony included Paddy Cosgrave, founder and organiser of the Dublin Web Summit, and David Graham, Sales Manager for YouTube in Ireland.

According to Fionnuala Sheehan, Chief Executive of drinkaware.ie, this year’s theme was chosen because, she believes, it “resonated with students”, and because it offered students plenty of scope to be “innovative and creative.” 

“We are used to seeing alcohol awareness campaigns that revolve around goings-on in pubs or nightclubs. But home drinking now constitutes more than 50 per cent of alcohol consumption in Ireland – up from 30 per cent a few years ago – so it’s important to address this phenomenon too,” said Ms Sheehan, who added that students who have limited financial resources tend to favour home drinking or a combination of drinking at home before going out. “They consider it cheaper to drink at home than to drink in a bar,” she said.

“There was a very high quality of entries received this year, and a wide variety of approaches were taken by those who were nominated for awards,” said Ms Sheehan. 

The ICCL was responding to the publication of the Report of the Working Group on the new Human Rights and Equality Commission.

The report echoes a number of recommendations made by the ICCL in its November 2011 submission to the Working Group. These include recommendations that the new body:

• Fully uphold the UN’s ‘Paris Principles’ on National Human Rights Institutions
• Report directly to the Oireachtas, as opposed to the Department of Justice, on which it relies for funding
• Preserve, not reduce, the existing functions of the Human Rights Commission and Equality Authority

The ICCL has also welcomed the report’s recommendations that commissioners, staff and management should be appointed through an open, transparent and merit-based process, and that funding should be ‘ring-fenced’ to ensure the new body can carry out its functions effectively. Other positive recommendations in the report include the proposal that there be a general duty on public bodies with regard to equality and human rights.

However, the report remains ambiguous on the precise legal functions of the new body’s equality arm, particularly with regard to Equal Status cases. The report states that the functions of the Equality Authority in relation to Equality Tribunal cases will continue under the new body, including once the Equality Tribunal is subsumed into the new Workplace Relations Commission (WRC). However, the report fails to acknowledge that this only applies to Employment Equality cases, and not to the Tribunal’s other function – complaints under the Equal Status Act. The ICCL trusts that this issue will be clarified swiftly.

According to ICCL Director Mr Mark Kelly:

Caroline Ryan of Ireland poses with her bronze medal after the women's points race at the 2012 Track Cycling World Championships in Melbourne, on April 5, 2012 (Getty Images)

Earlier this month, Garda Caroline Ryan made history when she won Ireland’s first ever Track Cycling World Championship medal (elite level) at Melbourne’s Hisense Arena. 

“I’m trying to get back into training now and trying to forget about it, put it in the back pocket for a while now,” said the 32-year-old former rower of her bronze medal performance in the women’s points race. 

Caroline previously rowed with the Garda Boat club and internationally with the Irish squad. She started with the Irish squad in 2005 when she broke onto the international rowing scene. 

Caroline tried out for the Beijing Olympics but it was not to be and at the end of 2008, during the off season, she was introduced to track cycling. “I was planning on going back and training for the squad again the next year, I was happy, I was progressing with the rowing and getting faster all the time. I wasn’t thinking of transferring to another sport at all.”

Cycling Ireland had a talent transfer programme called Route 2012, they were testing triathletes and rowers among other sports people. On the day of the testing when rowers were invited along, fortunately for Caroline, and Irish cycling, she managed to secure a spot because a fellow athlete was unable to attend due to illness, she told Caroline that she wouldn’t be attending and that she should go along in her place.

Caroline said that after the testing she thought that that would be the end of that and didn’t expect to hear anymore, however she was called back because the test went well.

After that Caroline was given a cycling specific training programme before a further test was performed. Caroline noted that after the cycling specific training there was a good improvement when she was retested. 

I took a career break last year from the Gardai and took the risk…

Caroline was soon on trips to locations such as the World Cycling Centre (WCC) in Aigle Switzerland on training camps. “It’s one of the best tracks in the world … it’s the first one you see and I fell in love with it [track cycling], I was hooked,” said Caroline as she explained how the transition from rower to world track cycling bronze medalist unfolded. 

As well as Caroline’s natural ability, the coaching staff helped her realise her true potential. 

“There was a really good group there and they just pushed us on,” explained Caroline praising the coaches Andy Sparks and Tommy Evans.

The talent transfer programme was looking for individual women pursuit cyclists, that was an event at the Beijing Olympics. However, six months after Caroline transferred across this event was withdrawn from the London Olympics. 

Fortunately for Caroline and the other athletes who were training for this discipline, they had been selected based on their potential for the individual pursuit so they now had the option to focus on the team pursuit.

Caroline Ryan of Ireland poses with her bronze medal after the women's points race at the 2012 Track Cycling World Championships in Melbourne, on April 5, 2012. (William West/AFP/Getty Images)

The cyclists stuck with the team pursuit and went to the world cup where they needed to secure enough points to qualify for the Olympics, however due to injury and other commitments there weren’t enough riders to make the team competitive internationally. “The team never had more than the bare minimum of the three riders, so you are in a weaker position then because if someone is injured you are in trouble.” 

Regardless of this limitation the team, according to Caroline, started to go well toward the end of last year, however misfortune put an end to this progress. “We were under pressure to qualify because we started out on the back foot and with a bit of back luck in Kazakhstan, where we got a false start and hence, no points of that world cup event, that left us in a position where we were not going to qualify.”

“The team finished up there … I decided to go on individually because I was going quite strong … I just went on myself, training and self-funded it, I took a career break last year from the Gardai and took the risk … a lot of people were asking questions at the time if it was the right thing to do, my parents and family thought I was mad, I thought so myself at some points because it was a huge risk financially but thank god it worked out,” said Caroline in a relieved tone.

Olympic Hopes 

The points race that Caroline got her bronze medal in at Melbourne was also pulled from the London games so now she needs to try and qualify in the road time trial event. Qualification for the road race finishes up at the end of May, which does not leave Caroline much time.

“It’s about getting the points before then, there are a couple of UCI time trials and road races that I have been invited to, one in Canada and one in Northern Ireland … that’s where I would be hoping to get the points,” said Caroline.

“The girl who was 4th behind me in Melbourne, she is the current world road champion … it’s crazy, it’s totally possible to get the points but it’s the time-frame that we have to do it in. It’s about hitting those key races with a performance like I had in the points race [in Melbourne]… it’s going to be really hard but I’m going to have a go,” said Caroline enthusiastically.

Advice for Young Irish Cyclists

Caroline advises those interested in getting involved in Track cycling to head down to the outdoor velodrome on Sundrive Road in Dublin where you can rent a bike and see if you like the sport. “At Sundrive Road, there is a guy there called Hugh Byrne, he’s brilliant and there is a really good group down there for people starting off … getting down to the track leagues and learning to race on the track, that’s the best way to start off,” advises Caroline.

For athletes in general, Caroline says that for those doing a lot of training they mustn’t forget about resting. “People tend to hit it really hard, it’s train, train, train, rest is so important … younger people forget about that, they train themselves into the ground. With us there is huge emphasis put on rest as well, we train hard but we also rest too.” 

Finance

With 56 States from Europe, Central Asia and North America, the OSCE is the world’s largest regional security organisation. It offers a forum for political negotiations and decision-making in the fields of early warning, conflict prevention, crisis management and post-conflict rehabilitation, and puts the political will of its participating States into practice through its network of field missions.

Corruption imposes costs on an economy -- costs which neither states nor citizens should have to pay…

The meeting had the theme of “Promoting Security and Stability through Good Governance”, and was visited by delegates from around the world. 

Mr Perry said that “Promoting good governance is amongst the most important OSCE commitments in the economic and environmental dimension. Good governance is a concept that impacts every aspect of work of a security organisation such as the OSCE. Moreover, it is a principle that should guide national and international policy making. Good governance centres around a belief that when government is more equitable, more transparent, and more accountable, the needs of our citizens are better cared for, our economies are more efficient, and ultimately our states more secure. I hope this is a view to which we can all subscribe.” 

Mr Perry made the link between good governance and socio-economic development. “It takes only a quick look at the ‘World Bank Doing Business report’ or the ‘Transparency International Corruption Perception Index’ to understand the importance of good governance and transparency. Both are central to developing stable and sustainable economies and both are key elements in the establishment of a friendly business environment,” he said. 

Indeed, Transparency International’s Corruption Perceptions Index for 2011 shows that Ireland’s ranking has fallen, and it now compares poorly to other northern European nations. The CPI 2011 ranks 183 countries by their perceived levels of public sector corruption. Ireland ranks 19 out of 183 countries with a score of 7.5 out of ten. Last year Ireland held 14th position with a score of 8. The scores range from 0 (highly corrupt) to 10 (very clean). The CPI measures perceptions of business people and experts of corruption in the public sector, including corruption involving public officials, civil servants or politicians.

“Poor governance has the potential to destabilise a state both economically and politically,” said Mr Perry. “First and foremost, a corrupt environment distorts competition. It also generates a mis-allocation of resources and leads to reduced levels of investment. Corruption imposes costs on an economy. These are costs which neither states nor citizens should have to pay. Nor indeed, in the current economic climate, can they afford to pay them. Where corruption becomes endemic, it erodes the legitimacy of the government and can become a destabilising force. 

This gig will reflect the global nature of Trócaire’s work. It will give people a chance to sample elements of different cultures, while enjoying top-class Irish acts…

TrócaireLive will take place at The Grand Social, 35 Lower Liffey Street, Dublin 1 on Saturday, April 28th (doors open at 7.30pm). The gig will showcase Irish and world music, and place a spotlight on Trócaire’s campaigning work.

Fred, The Hot Sprockets and Katie Kim will headline TrócaireLive and will be joined by the Dembe Troupe dancers from Uganda; Talking Drums, a Nigerian drumming duo; and Manila Rhythm, a Filipino acoustic band. Up-and-coming singer-songwriter, Daniel Scannell, will also perform; Groovement Soul will close the gig with a DJ set; and the event will be MC’d by Today FM’s Paul McLoone, himself a well-known musician and lead singer with The Undertones.

Announcing details of TrócaireLive on Tuesday, Joanne McGarry, Campaigns Officer with Trócaire, said: “Trócaire works in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East. This gig will reflect the global nature of our work. It will give people a chance to sample elements of different cultures, while enjoying top-class Irish acts. 
“The night will kick off with Nigerian folk drummers performing outside the venue. Inside, people can enjoy Middle Eastern food and soak up the atmosphere in the rooftop garden as they listen to the laidback surfer sounds of Daniel Scannell.

“Anyone who likes dancing will find it impossible to resist the mariachi-inspired music of Manila Rhythm and the awe-inspiring moves of the Dembe dance troupe. And, on top of all this, we’re offering the chance to see three of the most exciting contemporary acts on the Irish music scene: Fred, The Hot Sprockets and Katie Kim. This truly promises to be a gig with a difference.”

Childhood Memories of Trócaire

At today’s launch, some of the musicians who will perform at TrócaireLive shared their childhood memories of the charity. Trócaire is the Irish word for ‘mercy’.

Joseph O’Leary, lead singer with Fred, said: “Growing up, the Trócaire box always appeared in our house the first or second week of Lent and was usually full by Easter, sometimes topped up by our folks. However, one year, to break from formula, it was decided that my three siblings and I would all receive our own Trócaire box. All hell broke loose at the end of Lent that year, as some of us had nothing in our boxes and claimed to have been robbed! … Good, honest times.”

Hailing from Cork, Fred are one of Ireland’s best-loved bands and have just returned to the country after a Canadian tour, which included a number of performances at Canadian Music Week, one of the premier music conferences and festivals in North America. Fred have been together – in various line-ups – since 1999, and their reputation as a great live music act has increased on the back of constant touring and festivals, both at home and abroad. The band recently released their fourth studio album,Leaving My Empire, which has been hailed as their finest record to date.

The Hot Sprockets, meanwhile, are five friends who came together with a shared love of blues and rock’n’roll. They released their debut album, Honey Skippin, last year and, since then, their music has been used on everything from Bulmers’ ad campaigns to a BBC comedy and various RTÉ programmes. A phenomenal live band, the past two years have seen them play over 200 gigs, including support slots with The Zutons, The View, The Divine Comedy, Ida Maria, Peter Hook, Republic of Loose and BP Fallon.

Sharing his childhood memories of Trócaire today, Franky Kelly from The Hot Sprockets said: “When I was in primary school, I got the Trócaire box to bring home for Lent. I was only six or seven at the time and didn’t really know what the money I kept putting in the box was for. But when Lent was over and it was time to bring the money in, I got really upset – I thought it was mine to keep! Since then, I’ve fasted for Trócaire and raised money for them a few times.”

Further information about all of the acts performing at TrócaireLive is available at: www.trocaire.org/blogs/trocairelive-grand-social. Tickets for the gig cost 10 euro, and are available now from Entertainment.ie, and will also be available – on a ‘first come, first served’ basis – at the door on the night. 
Further information about Trócaire is available at: www.trocaire.org. 

Ireland needs more austerity according to the latest IFAC report.

A report from independent watchdog, the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC), has claimed that current government fiscal policy is working and that if anything, the Irish government may need to make further cuts to keep Ireland’s economic projections on track.

There is a strong argument for greater consolidation than currently envisaged by the Government…

According to the report, “the Council continues to believe on balance that there is a strong argument for greater consolidation than currently envisaged by the government. This assessment takes into account factors such as the deterioration in the growth outlook, some improvement in Ireland’s creditworthiness and a less ambitious budgetary target for 2012 than that underlying the Council’s October 2011 analysis.”

As such, the current report recognises that the pretexts on which the IFAC made their last calculations in late 2011 are no longer valid, and that government cuts, austerity measures and taxation increases outlined in the last budget may be inadequate in meeting Ireland’s planned fiscal targets for 2012 and beyond. This is due largely to deteriorating conditions in several global economies, and a resulting slowdown in the Irish economy’s return to growth.

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council was established in June 2011 as part of a wider agenda of reform of Ireland’s budgetary architecture. The role of the Council is to independently assess, and comment publicly on, whether the government is meeting its own stated targets and objectives, with a mandate to assess the appropriateness and soundness of the government’s macroeconomic forecasts, budgetary projections and fiscal stance.

The IFAC report says that: “The government’s plan to reduce the General Government deficit from approximately 10 per cent of GDP in 2011 on an underlying basis to 8.6 per cent of GDP in 2012 was based on a real growth rate of 1.3 per cent in 2012. However, some deterioration in growth prospects since the Budget announcement raises a question mark as to whether this deficit target can be attained with currently planned consolidation measures.

“As regards 2013-2015, the headline targets for the General Government deficit set out in Budget 2012 remain within the range of appropriate courses of action. Nevertheless, the Council continues to believe on balance that there is a strong argument for greater consolidation than currently envisaged by the government. This assessment takes into account factors such as the deterioration in the growth outlook, some improvement in Ireland’s creditworthiness and a less ambitious budgetary target for 2012 than that underlying the Council’s October 2011 analysis.”

The IFAC is chaired by Professor John McHale, National University of Ireland, Galway. The other members are Mr Sebastian Barnes, Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development; Professor Alan Barrett, Trinity College Dublin (on secondment from the Economic and Social Research Institute); Dr Donal Donovan, University of Limerick (formerly of the International Monetary Fund) and Dr Róisín O’Sullivan, Associate Professor, Smith College, Massachusetts. 

Before Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny's recent trip to China, Falun Gong practitioners held a rally outside government buildings where they asked him to demand an end to the persecution of Falun Gong when he met the leaders in China (Martin Murphy/The Epoch Times)

Ireland’s economic difficulties in recent years have forced our politicians to look beyond traditional partners when it comes to resolving our debt issues.

The sale of Ireland’s state assets may be on the table after Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny signed an agreement between Ireland’s National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) and CIC International, a subsidiary of China’s sovereign wealth fund, during a four day official visit to China.

According to a departmental press statement, leaders on both sides reviewed the progress in bilateral relations in various areas since the establishment of diplomatic relations in 1979.

“Ireland, with its strong record on human rights, must continue its pressure on China…”

- Edward McMillan-Scott, EU Vice-President for Democracy and Human Rights

The statement said that Ireland and China have agreed to maintain the “momentum of high-level exchanges and … co-operation at all levels between their governments, legislatures and political parties, with a view to enhancing mutual understanding and trust, and deepening political ties based on equality and mutual trust.

In words apparently relating to territorial issues such as Tibet and Taiwan, the statement said: “Ireland reiterates its firm and unwavering commitment to the one-China policy and its opposition to all comments and propositions aiming at undermining China’s territorial integrity.”

Mr Kenny was urged by many human rights groups prior to his trip to raise issues relating to human rights in China. On this issue, both Ireland and China said they reaffirmed their commitment to “respecting and safeguarding human rights. On the basis of equality and mutual respect, the two sides will conduct exchanges of expertise in governance and rule of law.”

Ireland also expressed its view in favour of “work towards lifting the EU arms embargo against China.”

Human Rights Issues

Amnesty International wrote to An Taoiseach, Enda Kenny and Tánaiste (Vice-Prime Minister), Eamon Gilmore on February 16th, urging them to deliver “a clear and forceful message on human rights in China” during their meetings with the probable future Chinese regime leader, Xi Jinping.

Amnesty subsequently sought a meeting with An Taoiseach before his impending trade visit to China, meeting with representatives of the Taoiseach’s office and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs on March 21st.

“Amnesty International has urged the Irish government to make human rights a central part of the discourse with the Chinese authorities,” said Colm O’Gorman, AI Ireland Executive Director.

“We recognise the need and opportunity for trade, but Ireland must not shy away from naming China’s human rights abuses at home and their human rights impact on the wider world when we are doing business with them.”

With respect to previous comments by the Taoiseach and Tánaiste that Ireland will pursue its human rights agenda with China via membership of the European Union, Mr O’Gorman said: “we encourage the Irish government to drive the EU towards a robust human rights strategy for China. We also urge them not to rely on the EU to lead the way; the Irish government should have its own, unambiguous human rights message for China.”

Mr O’Gorman also noted that this is particularly relevant at a time when Ireland is chair of the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and is seeking election to the United Nations Human Rights Council, and as Ireland prepares to take over the chair of the EU Presidency in 2013.

Woman signing a petition to call on Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Enda Kenny to urge China to end the persecution of Falun Gong (Martin Murphy/The Epoch Times)

The Epoch Times asked Edward McMillan-Scott, EU Vice-President for Democracy and Human Rights, what his views were on what Ireland could achieve in the field of Human Rights with China. Mr McMillan-Scott said: “Ireland has been a shining example of the positive impact a small country can have through maintaining a dedicated and consistent approach to human rights. 

“The country is a well known haven for human rights defenders, often also negotiating important UN resolutions to ensure their protection. It pays a great deal of attention to the smaller human rights projects and more difficult cases, often ignored by larger states.”

Continued on the next page: China’s Record

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]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/amnesty-human-rights-must-define-ireland-s-relationship-with-china-212558.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/europe-s-best-young-translators-feted-in-brussels-212001.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/europe-s-best-young-translators-feted-in-brussels-212001.html#comments Wed, 28 Mar 2012 14:42:39 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=212001

Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Multilingualism and Youth, rewarded Irish student Orla Patton with a trophy for winning the irish section of the European Commission’s annual young translators’ contest, Juvenes Translatores.(Karl Walter/Getty Images)

The 27 winners of the EU’s annual translation competition received awards this Wednesday in Brussels.

Twenty-seven youngsters -- one from every country of the European Union – were rewarded for producing the best translation in their country in the European Commission’s annual young translators’ contest, Juvenes Translatores.

Irish girl Orla Patton, a student at Mainistir Loreto Deilginis in Co Dublin, is the winner of the Irish section of the contest for her work -- translating a text from Irish into English.

Each winner received a trophy and certificate from Androulla Vassiliou, Commissioner for Education, Multilingualism and Youth. Afterwards, they met the Commission translators who drafted the original contest texts and marked the ensuing translations.

The competition was held in November 2011 and was open to 17-year-old school students, who represented both their school and country.

Participants had to select one of 23 texts (for each of the EU’s official languages) and translate it into another EU language of their choice. Although many chose English as a source language, the total number of language combinations used was 148 – the highest since the competition was launched in 2007.

Behind every great student, there is a great teacher…

The theme of this year’s texts was volunteering (to mark the European Year of Volunteering 2011). A number of the teenagers who participated in the contest in different countries were clearly inspired by this theme, with some going on afterwards to enrol as volunteers for the Red Cross and other NGOs.

However, the competition organisers were at pains to stress that behind every promising student there is a teacher. Success in the competition is not simply a matter of arranging the practical details, they said – the winners’ teachers had clearly also put in some hard yards, inspiring and nurturing such linguistic interest and flair.

Many of this year’s winners have a special fondness for languages. The winners from the Netherlands and Luxembourg grew up in bilingual families, and have added more at school. The Czech winner prefers reading books in their original language, and the UK winner’s passion is German, which she plans to go on to study.

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Juvenes Translatores aims to promote language learning in Europe and raise the profile of translation as a profession. The contest has gained in popularity each year, with entrant numbers last year the highest ever at over 3,000.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/europe-s-best-young-translators-feted-in-brussels-212001.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/irish-development-body-seeks-us-investors-for-new-irish-theme-park-208630.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/irish-development-body-seeks-us-investors-for-new-irish-theme-park-208630.html#comments Wed, 21 Mar 2012 16:22:52 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=208630

CHEERS! US President Barack Obama (R) toasts with Irish Prime Minister Enda Kenny during a reception in the East Room of the White House on March 20th, 2012 in Washington, D.C. (Mike Theiler-Pool/Getty Images)

Following a recent investment drive in the US centred around the recent St Patrick’s Day celebrations, Ireland’s Shannon Development has announced plans for a major visitor attraction on a 120 acre site next to the world-famous Bunratty Castle and Folk Park in County Clare in Ireland’s scenic west. Shannon Development is the economic development agency and tourism authority for the Shannon Region.

Commenting on the announcement, the Chief Executive of Shannon Development, Dr Vincent Cunnane, said: “Shannon Heritage, our tourism subsidiary company, owns and manages Bunratty Castle and Folk Park, which is already a major international visitor attraction. It attracts 400,000 visitors and contributes an estimate 20 million euro in spin-off revenue for the area annually. We want to see a new generation of project ideas which will continue to enhance Bunratty and the Shannon Region’s reputation as an international visitor destination. The Bunratty Landbank project forms part of our overall tourism product development strategy, which, amongst other projects, will this year see work start on a 5.7 million euro re-development of King John’s Castle in Limerick.”

The Bunratty Landbank initiative was launched in the US last week as part of an overall investment campaign for the Bunratty project and other tourism initiatives in the region. 

Plans afoot to make Shannon a ‘one-stop-shop’ for cultural tourists

Dr Cunnane was one of the leaders of the US investment and promotional initiative, which included a series of meetings and presentations with selected members of the Irish community in the US, many of whom Shannon Development has signed up to act as business ambassadors for Ireland and the Shannon Region. 

Highlighting the importance of the Bunratty Landbank project, Mr Flan Quilligan, Tourism Product Development Manager at Shannon Development, said:

“We believe that a significant opportunity exists at our Bunratty Landbank site to develop complementary and sustainable visitor facilities and attractions which are in keeping with the authenticity of the existing visitor attraction and surrounding area. The site is zoned for tourism development by Clare County Council and we look forward to receiving expressions of interest and a range of potential project ideas.”

Research carried out by Shannon Development has identified a number of possible suitable projects for the site, among them a diaspora visitor centre and genealogy centre, and a themed family adventure park.

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Research undertaken by Shannon Development has indicated that there may be an opportunity to develop a ‘one-stop-shop’ for visitors to learn as much as possible about Ireland’s history and culture in one location. It is estimated that the available market for cultural tourism in Ireland from the main source markets of Britain, the United States, France and Germany is vast and has excellent growth potential. Sample themes/interpretation spaces could include, ‘Ireland and the World’ or ‘A Timeline of Irish History’, while other possibilities include a diaspora centre, a genealogy centre & county hall of fame, a culture and activity orientation centre, as well as retail outlets, restaurants etc. Alternative proposals which could include variations to these preferred options may also be considered.

Interested parties can make a project submission regarding the Bunratty Landbank site as part of a two stage tendering process.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/irish-development-body-seeks-us-investors-for-new-irish-theme-park-208630.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/new-eu-legislation-to-ensure-crime-doesnt-pay-206104.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/new-eu-legislation-to-ensure-crime-doesnt-pay-206104.html#comments Thu, 15 Mar 2012 22:08:27 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=206104 According to United Nations estimates, the total amount of criminal profits worldwide in 2009 was approximately 1.6 trillion euro, or 3.6 per cent of global GDP in that year.

There are no general estimates of the size of criminal profits in the European Union, though some Member States do publish figures. In Italy, for instance, organised annual crime revenues were an estimated 150 billion euro in 2011. In 2006 in the United Kingdom, organised criminal revenue was estimated at £15 billion (18 billion euro).

The global drug trade alone generated 245 billion euro in 2005, according to the United Nations. Trafficking in human beings is globally worth 32 billion euro per year, while the global market in counterfeit goods was estimated at up to 190 billion euro annually by the OECD. 

The sums confiscated by Member States, however, are modest in comparison. For example, in the United Kingdom in 2006, a mere £125 million (149 million euro) was recovered by the State. More recently, in 2009, confiscated assets were valued at 185 million euro in France, 184 million euro in the United Kingdom, 50 million euro in the Netherlands, and 281 million euro in Germany.

According to the European Commission, this disparity between criminal wealth accumulated and assets seized exists because the existing EU legal framework has proven to be inadequate, unevenly implemented, and under-used. As shown in the implementation reports published by the Commission, the existing rules are applied differently and confiscation and asset-recovery activities are hindered as a result of substantial differences between Member States’ legislations.

Now the Commission is proposing a Directive that aims to set up a more comprehensive and coherent EU legal framework for the confiscation of profits and assets from serious and organised criminality. It will simplify existing rules and fill gaps which have benefitted criminals until now.

In a single case in Italy in 2010, authorities froze assets of uncertain origin worth up to 2 billion euro…

Criminal activities are often transnational and the assets of criminal groups are increasingly invested outside their country, according to a statement from the European Commission, with organised crime groups engaging in an increasingly wide range of profitable illegal activities, and reinvesting substantial profits in legal activities. 

The new rules would have a significant impact on criminal behaviour. They would oblige criminals to change their practices and make it more difficult for them to hide their assets. They include new measures to confiscate assets from criminals, as well as those assets transferred to third parties. They would also facilitate precautionary freezing of assets suspected of being illegally obtained, and force authorities to manage seized assets to ensure they do not lose economic value.

For example, the application of non-conviction based confiscation (freezing and confiscating assets irrespective of a prior conviction of the owner in a criminal court), even in limited cases, may have a substantial impact on organised crime. In Italy, the application of non-conviction based confiscation provisions to a dead suspect’s heirs allowed authorities, in 2010, to freeze, in a single case, assets estimated to be worth at least 700 million euro. In this case, a businessman suspected of being the “fiduciary person” of an important organised crime group died from unknown causes. He had been convicted of participation in a criminal organisation by a first instance criminal court, but an appeal was pending. The assets frozen included 136 apartments, 11 warehouses, 75 land estates, 8 shops, 2 villas, 51 garages, company shares and bank accounts, for a total value estimated between 700 million and 2 billion euro. In 2008, Italy had passed legislation which could prevent the heirs of a deceased defendant whose assets had been frozen from legally inheriting the assets and having them released. The businessman’s relatives were not able to explain the legal origin of all of the assets, nor the huge disproportion between their declared revenues and the frozen assets.
The provisions allowing third party confiscation, even in limited cases, will mitigate the effects of the increasingly widespread practice by suspects of transferring property to a knowing third party to avoid confiscation.

The use of precautionary freezing powers in urgent cases, prior to seeking a court order or pending its request, will prevent assets disappearing, and ensure that they remain available for confiscation.

The rules on effective execution of confiscation orders will prevent convicted persons, who were successful in hiding the proceeds of their crimes throughout the entire duration of criminal proceedings, from enjoying their ill-gotten wealth with impunity once they are released from prison.

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A typical example is operation “Shovel” (2010), conducted by the Spanish authorities in collaboration with the United Kingdom, Ireland and Belgium and with the assistance of Europol. The targeted criminal group, led by Irish and UK criminals, was involved in drug and weapons trafficking, money laundering, forgery of documents, and murders. Over 700 police officers were deployed in many Member States on the day of the operation. “Shovel” resulted in 38 arrests (24 in Spain including two lawyers who facilitated money laundering operations, 12 in the UK, 1 in Ireland and 1 in Bulgaria). 60 luxury properties in Costa del Sol, 25 luxury cars, and 180 bank accounts were also frozen.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/new-eu-legislation-to-ensure-crime-doesnt-pay-206104.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/second-greek-bailout-backed-by-euro-ministers-204266.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/second-greek-bailout-backed-by-euro-ministers-204266.html#comments Tue, 13 Mar 2012 15:43:21 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=204266

A new bailout program for greece has been agreed on. (Oli Scarff/Getty Images)

A second bailout for Greece has been aproved today by eurozone finance ministers.

The move comes after Greece managed to swap its private bond debt for longer maturity paper which included a writedown of less than 50 per cent, this has cut the Greek debt by more than 100 billion euro.

Now the focus has been moved to Spain, the next link in the eurozone to come under scrutiny. The Spanish government has been requested by the European Union to implement more stringent deficit targets.

Earlier this week International Monetary Fund (IMF) Managing Director Christine Lagarde stated: “I have consulted with the IMF’s Executive Board and on that basis, as discussed with the Greek government, I intend to recommend a 28 billion euro (approx US$36.7 billion) arrangement under the Fund’s Extended Fund Facility (EFF) to support Greece’s ambitious economic programme over the next four years.”

Ms Lagarde commented on the writedown when she said: “I welcome the cooperation of the private sector in participating in the debt exchange offer by the Greek authorities. This is an important step that will dramatically reduce Greece’s medium-term financing needs and contribute to debt sustainability.” 

In a statement today, European Commission Vice-President Olli Rehn said: “I am very satisfied by the large positive turnout of the voluntary debt exchange in Greece. This demonstrates the strong support for the agreements reached in February on a second programme for Greece.”

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On the 50 per cent hair cut included in the debt writedown, Mr Rehn said: “Indeed Greece’s international partners have made an unprecedented effort of solidarity to support Greece in its efforts to restore sustainability of its public finances, reform the economy and public administration, and thereby to return to growth and jobs.”

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/second-greek-bailout-backed-by-euro-ministers-204266.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/growing-up-in-ireland-shows-childrens-need-for-positive-relationships-202583.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/growing-up-in-ireland-shows-childrens-need-for-positive-relationships-202583.html#comments Fri, 09 Mar 2012 14:56:15 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=202583

Picture of a three-year-old boy attending a private nursery school January 28, 2005 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

DUBLIN: The Irish National Longitudinal Study of Children published a report on Thursday from the study on how families matter for children’s social and emotional well being. The report was launched by the Minister for Children and Youth Affairs, Ms Frances Fitzgerald, TD, at an event in Dublin Castle. While the findings suggest that from 15 to 20 per cent of Irish children have significant emotional or behavioural problems, these numbers are broadly in line with international figures, according to The Irish Times.

Economic disadvantage and parental conflict can be buffered by maintaining a positive parent/child relationship…

The study – How Families Matter for Social and Emotional Outcomes of 9-Year-Old Children - explores how children in Ireland are faring in their development. It examines the links between what goes on within the family, such as parenting, the quality of the parent-child relationship, parental depression and marital satisfaction, and children’s social and emotional development. The report also looks at the extent to which children’s outcomes differ according to family structure and social class background. 

The findings are based on data from the first round of interviews with 8,500 nine-year-old children, as well as interviews with their parents, teachers and principals. Interviewing took place from September 2007 to June 2008. 

Key findings include:

• The majority of nine-year-olds are developing well without any significant social, emotional or behavioural problems. Approximately 15 – 20 per cent of children were classified as showing significant levels of emotional or behavioural problems. 

• Girls were more likely than boys to have problems of an emotional nature (like feeling anxious or sad), while boys were more likely than girls to have problems of a behavioural nature (like fighting with others or being hyperactive). In general, boys display more difficulties overall. 

• The style of parenting adopted by parents and the quality of the parent-child relationship were associated with social and emotional outcomes. Children whose parents used an authoritarian parenting style (a high level of control combined with a low level of support for the child) had more difficulty, as did children whose parents were neglectful (a low level of control combined with a low level of support for the child). 

• Children who experienced high levels of conflict with their mothers and fathers displayed more social and emotional difficulties. 

• Mother/child closeness was important for girls’ social and emotional outcomes, but not for boys. Levels of closeness between children and their fathers did not predict social and emotional problems. 

• Parents’ psychological well being and the quality of the relationship between parents matters for children’s social and emotional development. Parent/child conflict was higher in situations where mothers and fathers had experienced depression, and where mothers and fathers were dissatisfied in their relationship with each other. 

• Mothers’ depression and marital satisfaction were associated with difficulties for children, but this was largely due to the knock-on effect on the mother/child relationship. Fathers’ depression and marital satisfaction were not directly related to children’s difficulties.

• Certain inherent characteristics of children make them more vulnerable than others to having poor social and emotional outcomes. Children who are highly emotional or react intensely when they get upset displayed more negative outcomes. Nine-year olds who have a chronic illness are more likely to have higher levels of social and emotional problems.

• Children in single-parent households and in more economically disadvantaged families displayed higher levels of social and emotional problems. However, the associations were small, once child characteristics and parenting were accounted for. Coming from a lower socio-economic background or single-parent family may increase a child’s risk for poorer social and emotional outcomes. However, processes within the family and child characteristics remained the most important predictors of children’s social and emotional outcomes.

Speaking at the launch, Ms Fitzgerald said: “The report confirms what we already know: the quality of family relationships and factors within the home impact hugely on children’s development. Good parenting is crucial for children’s outcomes, and that is why this government is committed to helping parents ensure their child gets the best start in life.”

The report author, Dr Elizabeth Nixon, who is a lecturer in Developmental Psychology at Dublin’s Trinity College, said: “Children display individual differences in their risk of experiencing social and emotional problems. Some of this risk may be due to the child’s nature, but what goes on within the family has a very important role to play. The quality of parent/child relationships and, in particular, children’s conflict with mothers and fathers, represents a significant risk for their psychological well being. Children can also be affected by other things that happen in the family, such as maternal depression, marital dissatisfaction, and economic disadvantage, but children can be buffered from the potentially negative influence of these factors if a positive parent/child relationship can be maintained.”

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Growing Up in Ireland is a government funded study following the progress of almost 20,000 children and their families—a child cohort of 8,500 children interviewed at nine years and thirteen years of age, and an infant cohort of 11,100 children participating at nine months and three years of age. The study is being conducted by a consortium of researchers led by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and Trinity College Dublin.

More information is available on the study’s website: www.growingup.ie

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/growing-up-in-ireland-shows-childrens-need-for-positive-relationships-202583.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/transparency-campaigners-welcome-whistleblower-legislation-201304.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/transparency-campaigners-welcome-whistleblower-legislation-201304.html#comments Thu, 08 Mar 2012 08:55:05 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=201304

Minister Howlin pictured at Transparency International Ireland, Speak Up Helpline launch in Dublin on June 24, May 2011 (Martin Murphy/The Epoch times)

Transparency International Ireland (TI Ireland) has welcomed the publication of proposals for new legislation to improve protection for whistleblowers in both the public and private sectors.

The Protected Disclosure in the Public Interest Bill was published last week by the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Mr Brendan Howlin, TD, who said the government had promised to “legislate to protect whistleblowers who speak out against wrongdoing or cover-ups” in either sector of the economy. 

The spectrum of wrongdoing covered by the legislation is to include, among others, criminal misconduct, corruption, breach of legal obligations, health and safety risks, environmental damage, and mismanagement of public services.

Mr Howlin said the Bill will provide, for the first time in Ireland, “a single overarching framework protecting whistleblowers in a uniform manner in all sectors of the economy.” This would be a huge advancement from the previous piecemeal approach, he said, which was fragmented and confusing. 

Mr John Devitt, Chief Executive of TI Ireland, welcomed the safeguards offered to employees disclosing information on misconduct to their employers, the authorities, TDs, or the press.

“This legislation could be as important as the original Freedom of Information Act in protecting the public interest,” said Mr Devitt. “There are some improvements to be made, but I think we’re on the right track.”

According to TI Ireland, the new legislation is influenced by existing whistleblower regulations in the UK and New Zealand, as well as international principles and research conducted by TI and other international organisations. 

However, Mr Eugene McErlean, former head of group-wide auditing at Allied Irish Banks, sounded a note of caution on the government proposals. 

Speaking on Morning Ireland on RTE Radio 1, Mr McErlean echoed Transparency International in their description of the legislation as a positive step in the right direction. However, he said the Bill should also be examined from a practical point of view. It is of critical importance, according to Mr McErlean, to guarantee anonymity to whistleblowers. He cited international research as proof that potential whistleblowers must have confidence that, should they report misdeeds, their identity will not be revealed. 

The assurance isn’t probably good enough to make the person feel confident that…their identity will be protected…

Mr McErlean became one of the best-known whistleblowers in Ireland following his objections to the manner in which the Financial Regulator had handled reports of overcharging at AIB, which amounted to tens of millions of euro. The ramifications of his whistleblowing activity, however, have dragged on for almost a decade.

“In this piece of legislation,” said Mr McErlean, “the assurance is somewhat limited. It just says that the person who it’s reported to has to ‘make their best endeavours’ to keep their identity confidential. And really, that assurance isn’t probably good enough to make the person feel confident that…their identity will be protected.”

Instead of focussing on anonymity, however, the Bill describes as its main objectives “ensuring the protection of workers against…reprisals…in the workplace” and safeguarding workers who have made a protected disclosure “from being subject to occupational detriment”, and also providing immunity against civil liability and criminal liability in certain cases. Mr McErlean said that, in his case, had he been able to remain anonymous, his position would have been made “enormously easier”.

“The key is the protection of the identity,” said Mr McErlean. “Certainly the bit on the protection against reprisals is quite good, but we would like to stop it before it gets to that stage and, if you don’t know who it is, then you can’t (carry) reprisals out against them. So the key is to encourage reporting, and if the person feels that their identity is going to be protected, they’ll be more confident about reporting, whereas if they feel there’s a question mark over their identity becoming known, they may think twice about doing it.”

Indeed, the legislation proposes that disclosure of information should occur in a “stepped” manner (which some commentators have taken to mean notifying employers first, then a regulator etc.). It is likely that this reporting protocol could further discourage whistleblowers from reporting. Mr McErlean also drew attention to the issue of the over-complication of the reporting procedure. He explained that the position of whistleblower is a “fairly stressful situation to be in”, and that every whistleblower needs clarity and assurance about what they are required to do. 

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Using the example of someone in a care home, he said: “We would all like to think that our parents or our grandparents are being looked after, and we would like (that) someone who thought they weren’t being looked after would report that, and that person should be encouraged and praised for doing something like that.”

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/transparency-campaigners-welcome-whistleblower-legislation-201304.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/ministers-to-capitalise-on-st-patricks-day-encourage-investment-201350.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/ministers-to-capitalise-on-st-patricks-day-encourage-investment-201350.html#comments Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:35:11 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=201350

St Patrick's Day Parade in Dublin, Ireland, on March 17, 2011. (PETER MUHLY/AFP/Getty Images)

The Government has announced that its message around the world for St Patrick’s Day will be: “Now is the time to invest in Ireland’s recovery.”

What other countries have a national day that is so widely known and celebrated across the entire globe?

Announcing this year’s programme, the Taoiseach said: “The Government will use the unique global opportunity of St Patrick’s Day to bring that message to all our key global markets and to Ireland’s many friends around the world.

The clear message from the Invest in Ireland event hosted by former President Bill Clinton in New York recently was that investors have faith in Ireland and in our capacity to bring about economic recovery. That message was echoed by the Chinese Vice-President, Xi Jinping, during his recent visit.”

In the report of the Second Global Irish Economic Forum held in Dublin Castle last October, St Patrick’s Day was identified as ‘a unique asset for Ireland’ that should be utilised fully as an opportunity to extract the maximum marketing effect for the country.

The Taoiseach will travel to Washington, DC as the guest of President Obama for the traditional St Patrick’s Day celebrations in the White House.

He will also attend the Speakers Lunch on Capitol Hill, hosted by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, John Boehner, as well as meeting Vice-President Biden and other US leaders.

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore, who will visit Canada, said: “St Patrick’s Day is a unique opportunity to promote Ireland abroad. Few, if any, other countries have a national day that is so widely known and celebrated across the entire globe. As a country we should maximise the value we get from such global attention and goodwill. Visits by Ministers to key countries around St Patrick’s Day increase the attention, publicity and promotion which Ireland gets.”

Other key points of the Taoiseach’s programme in the United States will be:

- Chicago, where he will meet Mayor Rahm Emmanuel and other political and business leaders, participate in the Chicago St Patrick’s Day Parade, and address the Irish Fellowship Club of Chicago St Patrick’s Day Dinner

- the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, home of the “Fighting Irish”, where he will address faculty and students. The University of Notre Dame will be taking part in a College American Football game against Navy at the Aviva Stadium on September 1st. Thousands of US fans will be travelling to Dublin for the occasion

- New York City, where he will meet business leaders on March 19th, which has been designated “Ireland Day” at the New York Stock Exchange

- a number of other events to promote trade, tourism and investment in Ireland.

Other key trading partners included in the ministerial programme of visits include China, Silicon Valley, Germany, Britain, France and Italy.

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The Taoiseach has asked Ministers to include as many business, trade, tourism and investment promotion opportunities as possible in their programmes. He has directed that travel and other costs be kept to the minimum necessary.

Ministers will travel to 15 of our key trading partners and undertake programmes in 7 locations in the US.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/ministers-to-capitalise-on-st-patricks-day-encourage-investment-201350.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/cork-student-starts-an-it-movement-that-goes-global-201329.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/cork-student-starts-an-it-movement-that-goes-global-201329.html#comments Wed, 07 Mar 2012 12:18:41 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=201329

James Whelton, at Dogpatch Labs Dublin (Martin Murphy/The Epoch Times)

DUBLIN: The Change Nation ‘Festival of Solutions’ is due to take place in Dublin this March, and the organisers promise attendees “a unique opportunity to discover 50 proven solutions from around the world that can change our nation, to meet the social innovators behind them, and to explore opportunities to get involved.”

In a statement, Taoiseach Enda Kenny has welcomed the Change Nation initiative. “Social innovation is especially valuable because it can create radical new alliances between communities, government and business to address fundamental social and economic challenges,” he said. 

One of the projects that will feature at the ‘Festival of Solutions’ is CoderDojo, a not-for-profit coding club for young computer enthusiasts that is the brainchild of 19-year-old Cork student, James Whelton. 

The Epoch Times spoke to James at Dogpatch labs in Dublin last month to find out where the idea came from.

James explained that CoderDojo is a network of free computer clubs for young people. The idea is that young people can come along to a club and develop web, iPhone or whatever type of apps they wish at sessions run on a regular basis. 

The idea initially came about when James was in his final year of secondary school in Cork in 2010, when he won an award for web design.

“The school called it out of the intercom like all proud schools do…so I had a couple of student come up to me saying “that’s cool, how do I make an iPhone app, or how is a website made?”, so I asked my school if we could get a computer room and host a computer club and see what happens.”

James said he didn’t think much would come of it: maybe a couple of his friends would turn up and they could re-enact The Breakfast Club. However, 40 students signed up, and for the rest of the year, twice a week, James taught the basics of HTML, CSS, some C programming, and JavaScript. “It got to the point where people from other schools were e-mailing me asking if they could come to my school after class.” 

The idea has taken all involved by surprise, with 11 Dojo’s now located around Ireland and more in New York, San Francisco, Boston and Berlin. “I was out on Arainn Mhor off Donegal last Friday opening one there,” said James. 

The project really came to life after James met up with Eoin Jennings who in turn introduced him to Bill Liao, an Australian entrepreneur and philanthropist, at the 4th Dublin Web Summit last March.

James said he and Bill spoke about the idea behind the club and the socioeconomic benefits it could have. 
Mr Liao told The Epoch Times that he got involved in the project because he and James could both see that a generation of kids were growing up to be users instead of creators.

“James is now focussing full time on the initiative, and he has the potential to become the next Jimmy Wales. CoderDojo is an Irish movement…that is returning a modern day type of enlightenment across the world,” explained Mr Liao.

We thought it was a cool title and we had a really good response when we first opened…

- James Whelton

James started developing websites from the age of 9. At that time there was nothing like CoderDojo for school children. There are also many technology vacancies in Ireland that remain unfilled, and James’ and Bill’s CoderDojo’s could certainly help to rectify this issue.

The two teamed up and decided to set up a computer club; they got a space in the National Software Centre in Cork, and came up with the name CoderDojo because a dojo in karate is a place of learning. “We thought it was a cool title and we had a really good response when we first opened,” said James.

“The really stunning thing to us was we hadn’t really advertised it, yet we had people travel from all across Ireland to it and shortly after we got requests from other parts of Ireland on how they could replicate the CoderDojo.”

“We have now created a system and infrastructure, a kind of framework and model, and we are going ahead and opening them up all around Ireland,” explained James.

The Coderdojo phenomenon is not just relevant to Ireland. James explained that after it was setup here, he started to get a lot of interest from other countries via twitter. “This morning on twitter I had people from Bangladesh contacting me who are interested. It is just an idea that a lot of people wished they had when they were younger…there are a lot of young developers doing their own thing and they are on twitter and they want something like this,” said James. 

“We are just going where the demand is, we have a lot of locations in the States and a lot of companies are being really passionate about it like twitter, Github, facebook and google, they are all fantastic guys. The guys here in Dogpatch labs, Polaris Venture Partners, they have been incredibly supportive, they brought me over to America before Christmas and I got to meet all these different companies…it was just a mind-blowing thing. So we are really poised now to go international with this. Pretty much become like the boy scouts of coding,” said James, positively boiling over with passion and excitement. 

The Young Coders

On whether the children’s interest in the project are parent or child-driven, James says that if a child is below the age of 13, then they try to get the parents to hang around while the project is running, mainly because the service is free and they don’t want parents to use it as a baby-sitting service!

“We get kids who really pester their parents to stick around for the two or three hours, it’s handy having them there too because they can help out, some help their children with the coding, but primarily it is driven by the children.”

It’s almost like a big think-tank…

James also believes that the social interaction for these children is very important. “When you see the children in this environment, they are bouncing ideas off each other, and they are then coming up with new solutions, it’s almost like a big think-tank … every single dojo there have been slight variants of things happening, people come up with new stuff and they define their own path, the social side is becoming quite important.

“With CoderDojo we are creating a greater social impact, it won’t be a profitable venture but it is a really worthwhile cause.”

On starting your own dojo, James explained that they have guidelines on how to do it on their website, and they actively encourage people to contact them (more details on www.coderdojo.com) so they can walk you through the process.

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The medium term plans for the project are to make sure there is a dojo in each county in Ireland (32 counties north and south) as well as getting set up in more states in the US and more cities in mainland Europe like Berlin, Paris, Warsaw, and London.

“We want to establish this really strong network of young developers, to have an absolutely stellar next generation of young developers and creators. At the moment the current generation are being brought up as consumers, not creators…we need people to be creating more content, so it’s about creating more creators than consumers.”

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/cork-student-starts-an-it-movement-that-goes-global-201329.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/health/hse-up-to-half-of-all-antibiotic-prescriptions-inappropriate-201290.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/health/hse-up-to-half-of-all-antibiotic-prescriptions-inappropriate-201290.html#comments Wed, 07 Mar 2012 09:36:01 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=201290 In light of the recent information campaign by the Health Service Executive highlighting the dangers and costs of inappropriate antibiotic use, The Epoch Times asked the HSE why the campaign has been targeted at patients, rather than doctors? If patients need prescriptions to get antibiotics, how can they be causing the problem? Are Irish GPs over-prescribing these drugs, and if so, why?

EPOCH TIMES: How prevalent is the use of antibiotics for illnesses that they are not necessarily designed to treat?

HSE: Numerous studies have shown that half of all antibiotic prescriptions may not be appropriate, e.g. incorrect choice of antibiotic, incorrect dose/duration, or prescription of an antibiotic for infections where they are likely to be ineffective.

EPOCH TIMES: How can patients be causing the problem if they need a prescription to get antibiotics?

HSE: Numerous studies have shown that there is a high level of misunderstanding about the role of antibiotics in treating common infections among patients and the general public. This, in turn, can lead to a demand for, or expectation of, an antibiotic prescription by people attending their GP. As a result, studies have shown that prescriber education alone (mainly GP) does not produce a sustained reduction in inappropriate antibiotic use: patient and public education is needed as well. Data from other countries show that for many conditions (particularly upper respiratory infections, or coughs & colds), antibiotics are prescribed when they are not needed in up to 50 per cent of patients. We know that public expectation and pressure can influence prescribing decisions, and that public education has been shown to be an essential component in reducing inappropriate antibiotic use. 

A Europe-wide survey, which included Ireland, showed that members of the public often mistakenly believe that antibiotics can hasten recovery from upper respiratory tract infections and prevent more serious illness. Such misconceptions were lower in countries that have succeeded in maintaining low levels of inappropriate antibiotic use. Surveys have shown that nearly half of the adults that go to their doctor expect an antibiotic once they get there. In the US, between a third and half of parents with children presenting with mild respiratory symptoms said that they expected an antibiotic for a cough or cold.

Belgium has run a successful public education campaign, starting in 2004, mainly targeting antibiotic use for respiratory tract infections during the winter months. The campaign utilises television, radio and print advertising, leaflets, posters and a dedicated website. Analysis of the campaign’s impact has shown that the television advertising component has the greatest impact, with 79 per cent of those who were aware of the campaign citing the television advertisements. The campaign was associated with a 36 per cent reduction in community antibiotic consumption, with an associated reduction in the level of resistance among strains of pneumococcus. The campaign delivered approximately 4 million euro savings in direct drug acquisition costs to the Belgian health system, compared to an annual campaign budget of 400,000 euro.

Public expectation and pressure can influence prescribing decisions…

In France, a national public education campaign was run for six months each year (autumn/winter) from 2002 to 2007. The key message of the campaign was that “antibiotics are not automatic”, and was delivered through a combination of humorous television and radio advertisements, print leaflets and press releases. Post-marketing surveillance demonstrated a significant improvement in public knowledge about antibiotic resistance and the importance of only using antibiotics when they are needed. The campaign resulted in a 23.4 per cent decrease in community antibiotic use (34 per cent for children under 15). During the same time period, there was a 29 per cent reduction in the level of penicillin resistance among strains of S. Pneumonia. The campaign had an annual budget of 4 million euro, but delivered a cost saving of 850 million euro to the French health system.

The current HSE information campaign theme is to stress that ‘Antibiotics are wasted on colds and flu,’ and includes an updated information leaflet for patients on antibiotics, a ‘no prescription for antibiotics’ prescription pad, a dedicated antibiotic section on the HSE website, and a radio ad.

EPOCH TIMES: Are GP’s over-prescribing or prescribing for incorrect use?

HSE: A major component of the joint Royal College of Physicians of Ireland (RCPI) and HSE healthcare-associated infection (HCAI) clinical care programme will be prevention of HCAI and antibiotic stewardship. The GP prescribing guidelines, which are evidence-based, have recently been updated and widely disseminated to a variety of primary care settings. Guidelines are important as they help standardise prescribing and ensure that each patient receives the correct drug as per the latest international evidence. In addition, they help GPs choose narrow-spectrum rather than broad-spectrum antibiotics, which may help prevent antibiotic resistance development. The RCPI clinical advisory group as part of its HCAI strategy is working with GPs and the HSE to develop surveillance in primary care to ensure that there is information on antibiotic resistance trends available to GPs for common infections, e.g. urinary tract infections.

EPOCH TIMES: What else is the HSE doing to raise awareness of the issue?

HSE: We are tackling antimicrobial resistance by reducing unnecessary antibiotic use. We do this by educating and changing the behaviour of prescribers and patients via antibiotic stewardship and public education. We also have systems in place to track emerging trends (i.e., surveillance such as EARS-net and antibiotic consumption surveillance). This ensures that we keep antibiotics for when we need them, reducing bacterial ability to develop resistance. It also means we can save money for both the health system and the patient. 

EPOCH TIMES: What savings, both financially and health-wise, can be made by the correct use of antibiotics?

HSE: Antibiotic use peaks every winter, during cold and flu season. That should make sense, but it doesn’t – colds and flu are caused by viruses, and are not killed by antibiotics. Using antibiotics for illnesses like these when they are not needed is a waste of money, drives antibiotic resistance, can have adverse effects on patients, and has a long term cost to our society and our future. Antibiotic resistance represents a global public health threat, and is associated with increased illness, death and financial cost related to infections. If left unchecked, rising antibiotic resistance threatens to undo many of the medical advances of the past 50 years.

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Antibiotic expenditure represents a significant cost to the Irish healthcare system, so reductions in antibiotic use when appropriate can save money. More importantly, correct use of antibiotics is important:

- to ensure our patients get the best care (i.e., that a patient that needs an antibiotic gets the correct one, and also that if somebody does not need an antibiotic, e.g. for a cold or flu, that they take rest, fluids and eat well, consider an over-the-counter remedy to help symptoms such as aches and pains, but don’t get an antibiotic for this indication)
- because taking an antibiotic when it is not needed runs the risk of side effects from the antibiotic
- because with increasing use of antibiotics, some bacteria which cause infection build up resistance, and as a result, antibiotics are less effective (known as ‘antibiotic resistance’).

EPOCH TIMES: Many thanks for the information.

HSE: Thank you

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/health/hse-up-to-half-of-all-antibiotic-prescriptions-inappropriate-201290.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/ireland-to-sign-covenant-on-economic-social-and-cultural-rights-201246.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/ireland-to-sign-covenant-on-economic-social-and-cultural-rights-201246.html#comments Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:51:15 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=201246

Tánaiste Eamon Gilmore announced this week to sign the Optional Protocol to the Unites Nations International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights. Here pictured at a speech at the UN General Assembly in New York, September 26, 2011. (EMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images))

The Tánaiste and Minister for Justice announced this week that Ireland will sign, subject to ratification, the Optional Protocol to the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights.

Amnesty International Ireland has welcomed the decision, and say it should strengthen protection for people living in Ireland.

According to the Human Rights Body, the treaty establishes a mechanism to allow people living in Ireland to raise matters directly with the United Nations, when they feel their rights with respect to housing, health or education have not been delivered. 

Colm O’Gorman, Executive Director of Amnesty International Ireland, said: “Ireland will be joining a number of European countries who have signed this treaty, and by doing so is showing real leadership on the international stage. We hope the Government will move ahead swiftly with ratifying the treaty.”

Mr O’Gorman added that these rights must also be protected in Ireland’s Constitution. He also noted that the treaty will become legally binding on Ireland, and the complaint mechanism to appeal to the United Nations will be set up only when it is ratified by Ireland.

According to Minister for Justice, Equality and Defence, Alan Shatter TD: “This Government is deeply committed to the protection and promotion of human rights, and our Programme for Government clearly states our goal of forging a new Ireland based on fairness and equality. To do this in the most meaningful and effective way, we are constantly reviewing and improving our human rights and equality infrastructure.”

The Government has, however, been criticised recently over their lack of dialogue on human rights issues during the recent visit to Ireland of the Chinese Vice-President, Xi Jinping.

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Labour Party MEP for Dublin, Mrs Emer Costello, called on all EU countries to “lead by example” and ratify all international human rights instruments which they have helped establish, including this Optional Protocol. 

“I would urge all other EU Governments that have not yet signed the Optional Protocol to follow Ireland’s lead and sign the Optional Protocol, and to proceed with their ratification procedures,” said Mrs Costello.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/ireland-to-sign-covenant-on-economic-social-and-cultural-rights-201246.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/european-leaders-sign-stability-treaty-199163.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/european-leaders-sign-stability-treaty-199163.html#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:14:49 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=199163

Ireland Prime Minister Enda Kenny signs the Treaty on Stability, Coordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union during the second of a two-day EU summit on March 2, 2012 at the EU headquarters in Brussels.(FRANCOIS LENOIR/AFP/Getty Images)

President of the European Commission, Mr José Manuel Barroso, congratulated European heads of state on Friday, including Taoiseach Enda Kenny, on signing the Treaty on Stability, Co-ordination and Governance in the Economic and Monetary Union. 

The treaty is far from a done deal, however, with each of the contracting Member States now required to ratify the Treaty in line with their constitutional requirements which, in the case of Ireland, will require a national referendum.

“The Treaty is an important part in our global strategy to restore stability in European public finances,” said Mr Barosso. “As we have said before, stability is a prerequisite of confidence, and confidence is indispensable to sustainable growth.

“In the eyes of the world, what is at stake is the very credibility of the euro area and of Europe as a whole: its ability to deliver sustainable fiscal consolidation, growth and employment. The signature of the Treaty, not only by euro area Member States, but by 25 out of the current 27 Member States is also a very relevant political statement on the euro as the currency of our Union,” he said.

European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso speaks during a press conference at the end of a two-day European Union summit on March 2, 2012 at the EU headquarters in Brussels. (GEORGES GOBET/AFP/Getty Images)

Mr Barosso said that the signing of the Treaty meant “that from monetary union we are now progressing towards a true economic union,” and underlined what he called “the irreversibility of the euro.”

Speaking in Brussels, Mr Kenny insisted that the referendum would be a completely separate issue from expected moves by the Irish government to renegotiate the terms of the bailout of the toxic Anglo Irish Bank. 

“These are entirely separate matters, in other words, the Irish people are not going to be bribed by anybody,” Mr Kenny said, according to The Irish Times. “That work is entirely separate from the treaty, and in due course the government will set out a process by which this will be set before the people.”

Mr Barosso said he was “convinced that the Member States and the EU institutions are now in a much better position to complement these indispensable efforts on fiscal responsibility with further reforms for competitiveness and increased solidarity.”

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The Irish referendum is expected to prove divisive, however, as signalled by the resignation on Thursday of the deputy leader of the opposition Fianna Fáil party, Mr Éamon Ó Cuív, over party support for the fiscal compact.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/european-leaders-sign-stability-treaty-199163.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/agriculture-innovation-driving-growth-for-irelands-food-industry-199153.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/agriculture-innovation-driving-growth-for-irelands-food-industry-199153.html#comments Fri, 02 Mar 2012 18:54:26 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=199153 DUBLIN -- The annual World Food Technology and Innovation Forum takes place in Dublin this week and promises to provide Irish companies with opportunities for the development in that sector.

Leaders in food research and development, food innovation and new product development will take part in the Enterprise Ireland (EI) sponsored forum that hopes to enable international food companies, research groups, food producers to “share information and debate the issues shaping the future of the global food industry,” said EI in a statement. 

a tremendous opportunity

“Ireland has hugely ambitious targets for Food Harvest 2020 as part of our national vision for the food industry, in which we want to generate 1 billion euro of new value added exports. These targets cannot be achieved without successfully turning our international strengths into new products for growing global markets,” said Mr Joe Healy, Enterprise Ireland Food Division Manager at the launch.

EI expects the dairy sector in Ireland to increase milk supply by 50 per cent before 2020, which they say represents “a tremendous opportunity”. 
For the past decade Ireland has been busy distancing the country from its agricultural past and reinventing ourselves as a high tech, financial centre. However, the re-invigoration of the agriculture sector based on higher food demands may aid Ireland’s quicker recovery.

According to EI, one of the most significant Irish industry-led research in the food sector is the partnership between four of Ireland’s leading dairy companies to research how the natural properties of milk can be extracted and used to deliver health benefits for consumers. “The Food for Health Ireland Technology Centre has received 20 million euro in funding from Enterprise Ireland since it was established in 2008,” said EI. 

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According to Joe Healy, ‘It is encouraging to see the progress already made by the dairy companies collaborating in this research centre. By agreeing to work together to develop a strategy for their sector, these companies have identified a range of high-value products that when brought to the international marketplace will lead to increased exports and create employment in the food sector.”

For more information on the World Food Technology & Innovation Forum visit the website on http://www.foodinnovate.com/

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/agriculture-innovation-driving-growth-for-irelands-food-industry-199153.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/future-of-dublin-region-under-microscope-197089.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/future-of-dublin-region-under-microscope-197089.html#comments Tue, 28 Feb 2012 17:39:39 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=197089

Dublin’s Lord Mayor, Andrew Montague, launched a new initiative called ‘Changing Faces – Shifting Sands’ at the Mansion House, Dawson St. today.

The Report analyses the demographic changes in the greater Dublin Region and makes recommendations for Dublin’s future based on Eurostat data. One of the report findings projects the capital’s population will increase by almost 50 per cent from 4.5 million in 2010 to 6.5 million in 2060. 

Commissioned by Dublin City Council as part of its “Think Dublin“ programme it focuses on key trends in the structure and the movement of the population. 

According to Dublin City Council, in the last number of years a ‘baby boom’ has resulted in one of the highest birth rates in the EU-27. This means the number of people in the over 65 age group is set to double by 2035, requiring “careful policy planning across domains including pensions, health and care services, housing and the development of technological solutions for independent living.”

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These and other findings were discussed at a launch in Dublin’s Mansion House. Lord Mayor Andrew Montague, one of the contributors to the launch provocation said: “The challenge of Governance is the key to how we manage and address the other challenges in education, ageing, transport, business and jobs.”

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/future-of-dublin-region-under-microscope-197089.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/canada-crys-out-for-irish-construction-workers-196549.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/canada-crys-out-for-irish-construction-workers-196549.html#comments Mon, 27 Feb 2012 21:55:16 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=196549

File photo showing a construction site in Vancouver, British Columbia. The construction industry in the Canadian province, facing a severe worker shortage, sent a delegation to Ireland to try to recruit 80,000 construction workers. (Jeff Vinnick/Getty Images)

DUBLIN—A Canadian construction industry delegation arrived this week in Ireland on a hunt for up to 80,000 qualified workers desperately needed for British Columbia’s booming building sites.

An 11-man delegation from the British Columbia Construction Association (BCCA) promised “a world of opportunities” to Irish construction workers, according to a report in The Irish Times.

The British Columbia Construction Association promised “a world of opportunities” for Ireland’s construction workers.

The association, which represents more than 2,000 construction companies in Canada’s western-most province, sent delegates to discuss their trades and skill requirements with relevant government departments, the Construction Industry Federation, the National Training and Employment Authority, among other groups. The delegation is also expected to visit the Working Abroad Expo next weekend in Dublin.

President of the BCCA, Manley McLachlan, stressed the resilience of the British Columbian economy, with huge projects worth over $200 billion slated for construction in the oil/gas, mining, and residential sectors.

“We have a significant amount of work scheduled and a very significant shortfall in skilled workers,” said McLachlan.

He said that the industry faces critical skills shortages in the near future, with upward of 35,000 foremen and senior managers scheduled for retirement in the coming years.

The delegation said it hopes to confirm that Ireland’s apprenticeship and training systems provide a good match with Canadian educational methods, which would make Irish candidates ideal British Columbian recruiters.

Cultural factors also work in Ireland’s favor, with Irish workers expected to settle well in Canada’s West. The application process is being streamlined, meaning workers could find themselves working in Canada within three months. Successful candidates are also invited to bring their spouses with them.

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With a population of 4.5 million scattered over an area 10 times the size of Ireland, or almost 1.4 times the size of Texas, British Columbia expects to add over 330,000 jobs in the next two years.

The construction industry delegation said that at present, they were only focusing recruitment efforts on Irish workers.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/canada-crys-out-for-irish-construction-workers-196549.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/paypal-announces-1-000-new-jobs-in-ireland-194334.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/paypal-announces-1-000-new-jobs-in-ireland-194334.html#comments Wed, 22 Feb 2012 16:39:06 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=194334

Louise Phelan, Vice-President of global operations for PayPal (Martin Murphy/The Epoch Times)

DUBLIN -- PayPal is to open a state of the art European Operations Centre in Dundalk with the creation of 1,000 new jobs.

Yesterday’s notification was the first substantial jobs announcement since the downturn. Global online payments firm PayPal,which is owned by eBay, currently employs 1,400 people in Ireland.

Recruitment will commence in July with an estimated 300 jobs to be filled by year end, it is expected that PayPal will employ 2,400 people by 2016, making it one of the largest internet employers in the country.

Louise Phelan, Vice-President of global operations for PayPal, said “This is a great day for PayPal Ireland and is truly a testament to the proven track record of our existing operation in Ireland. I am very proud to support Irish job creation and look forward to working with our new teammates in Dundalk. IDA Ireland has been a close partner of PayPal’s since we established our first location in 2003, and I look forward to continuing to work closely with IDA in the coming years.”

Ms Phelan continued by saying that the new employees will be joining PayPal at an exciting time. “Our vision is to help people pay for things anytime, anywhere and on any type of electronic device. We’re reimagining money to work better for consumers and businesses at a time when the line between the online world and the high street is breaking down. Our new teammates in Dundalk and Dublin will help us create the future of money.” 

Commenting on the announcement, Irish Development Authority (IDA) CEO Barry O’Leary said: “Employment intensive investments are a key part of IDA’s Horizon 2020 strategy. This announcement by PayPal capitalizes on the growth of services globally … It is a clear endorsement of Ireland’s attractiveness to multinational investors and will have a significant impact in the wider North East region.” 

American Chamber Chief Executive, Joanne Richardson said, “Ireland now has a strong track record as a world class location for born on the internet and we expect these positive investments to continue.”

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“US companies have now created over 2,000 new jobs since the start of the year. The 600 US companies here continue to play a vital role in Ireland’s economy, employing 100,000 directly, and have a total investment in Ireland of $190 billion. In 2011 US companies accounted for three quarters of all new IDA jobs, in what was a record year for FDI in Ireland.”

PayPal’s European operation centre opened in Dublin in 2003. Since then the number of staff has increased from just 25 to more than 1,400 today.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/paypal-announces-1-000-new-jobs-in-ireland-194334.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/future-chinese-regime-leader-called-on-to-end-human-rights-abuses-192965.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/future-chinese-regime-leader-called-on-to-end-human-rights-abuses-192965.html#comments Sun, 19 Feb 2012 21:06:01 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=192965

Irish Falun Gong practitioners gather outside Dublin Castle to appeal to visiting Chinese Vice-President, Mr Xi Jinping, to end the persecution of the practice in China (Gerald O'Connor/The Epoch Times)

Chinese Falun Gong practitioners gathered outside Dublin Castle on Sunday to urge Chinese Communist Vice-President Xi Jinping to end the persecution of Falun Gong in China so they could return home.

The persecution of Falun Gong began under the order of former Chinese President Jiang Zemin on July 20th, 1999. Falun Gong continues to comprise the “largest group of prisoners of conscience in the world, numbering in the hundreds of thousands at any given time,” according to a press release from representatives of the spiritual movement. Falun Gong is a spiritual practice emphasising the virtues of Truthfulness, Compassion, and Tolerance.

China’s human rights record is appalling.

- Noeleen Hartigan, Programmes Director of Amnesty International Ireland

Around 40 Falun Gong practitioners meditated outside Dublin Castle in the spring sunshine with banners that called for the arrest of those who were, and are, involved in the persecution, and to ask Xi Jinping to end it. Many of them had experience of being in detention in China for practicing Falun Gong.

The group consisted of Chinese citizens, some with young children who have never seen their families in China.

Sunday was the second day of Xi Jinping’s visit; he had previously visited Shannon Development Centre and Bunratty Castle in the West of Ireland.

Mr Xi Jinping is widely tipped to be the next leader of the Communist Regime in China. He currently holds the role of vice-president, and is ranked among the most powerful men in the Chinese communist party.

Xi Jinping may have actually played a role in the persecution, according to the press release. He was, according to the release, put in charge of the “6521 project,” designed to attack Falun Gong, Tibetans, and democracy activists during a year of politically sensitive anniversaries in 2009.

According to the statement, “The campaign required all levels of government and neighbourhood committees to monitor and report on potential disturbances, such as instances where Falun Gong practitioners distribute informational literature about the persecution to their neighbours.”

The Irish Anti-War Movement (IAWM) criticised the “indulgent” welcome given by the Irish Government to the officials representing the Chinese Regime.

CEO of the IAWM, Mr Jim Roche, said: “While it is understandable that Irish people should welcome trade links with big economies like China, particularly in these difficult recessionary times, this must not be at any price. We must uphold Ireland’s long tradition of support for basic human rights around the world – including in China.

“The Chinese government has an appalling record in this regard, with the suppression of the Tiananmen Square pro democracy protesters in 1989, its continual harassment of the Falun Gong and dissidents and its suppression of the rights of the people of Tibet,” he added.

“The Irish Government seems willing to turn a blind eye to suppression of human rights. This must stop. They should use the visit by Xi Jinping to put pressure on him to allow the Chinese people to choose their government and to express their beliefs openly,” said Mr Roche.

Amnesty International called the visit of Xi Jinping “an opportunity”.

Noeleen Hartigan, Programmes Director of Amnesty International Ireland, said: “China’s human rights record is appalling. It is the world’s number one executioner. A minimum of 190,000 people are in ‘administrative detention’, many of them in forced labour camps. Human rights activists are targeted for harassment, arrest and some have even disappeared, while the use of torture is endemic.

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“We welcome the fact that the Irish Government raises human rights issues with the Chinese government, including individual cases, both in Beijing and in Dublin, and that the Tánaiste intends doing so this weekend. 

“But it is crucial that our leaders speak with one voice and make clear the concerns of many Irish people about China’s abuse of human rights in their meetings with Vice-President Xi Jinping this weekend,” said Ms Hartigan. 

“It is obviously important that we build and maintain trading relations with a country like China. But even in the midst of a recession we cannot let trade opportunities blind us to our responsibility to support courageous Chinese human rights activists risking their freedom and their lives every single day,” she said.

Tomorrow will see the Vice-President sign a trade agreement at an Enterprise Ireland forum.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/future-chinese-regime-leader-called-on-to-end-human-rights-abuses-192965.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/european-commission-executes-action-plan-to-deal-with-youth-unemployment-191225.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/european-commission-executes-action-plan-to-deal-with-youth-unemployment-191225.html#comments Wed, 15 Feb 2012 17:03:26 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=191225 DUBLIN -- Youth unemployment across the eurozone is reaching critical levels in some Member States.

The European Union (EU) has stated that “this can have long term consequences with young Europeans becoming alienated from the world of work.”

With this in mind the commission has decided to launch a join Action teams in the Member States with the highest youth unemployment to deliver quick results on the ground.

This is why European leaders at a meeting in Brussels on January 30th, 2012 (informal European Council), agreed to a strong drive to combat youth unemployment delivering quickly on two concrete objectives. 

First, we must do everything to help young people get in to work, education or training. Second, to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) – creators of 80 per cent of jobs in Europe – get affordable access to financing. Restrictions on usual sources of financing and the cost of borrowing are inhibiting SMEs from filling orders or taking on new contracts and this has a dampening effect on the economy and on employment. 

Greece(46.6 per cent) and Spain(49.6 per cent) are clearly the worst countries for youth unemployment with Portugal (35.1 per cent) the next nearest country.

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The European Commission says that their experts are “ready to go on the ground and work with the specific situation and needs of each country. Available EU funding and expertise will be used as a catalyst to boost national efforts to tackle youth unemployment and SME funding problems.”

Most common causes of high unemployment

It is impossible to generalise, says the EU, however they believe that in Greece, Ireland and Portugal the causes are most certainly linked to economic and financial crisis, “often exacerbated by existing structural difficulties”. In former eastern block states such as Slovakia, Lithuania and Latvia the skills mismatch between the labour market demand and supply is one of the main causes. Hence, short term solutions will need to reflect those different situations.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/world/european-commission-executes-action-plan-to-deal-with-youth-unemployment-191225.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/moody-s-rating-agency-downgrades-6-european-countries-and-warns-uk-and-france-2-190758.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/moody-s-rating-agency-downgrades-6-european-countries-and-warns-uk-and-france-2-190758.html#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 17:11:01 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=190758

This picture taken on Jan. 17, 2012 in Paris shows a close-up of the opening page of the ratings agency Moody's website. (Joel Saget/AFP/Getty Images)

DUBLIN-France, the United Kingdom and Austria are in jeopardy of loosing their triple-A ratings from Moody’s rating agency.

Six European countries including Spain, Italy and Portugal have suffered downgrades from Moody’s, who have cited “uncertainty over the euro area’s prospects for institutional reform of its fiscal and economic framework and the resources that will be made available to deal with the crisis,” as contributing factors for the latest downgrades.

Moody’s believe that Europe has a weak macroeconomic prospect and therefore this threatens the implementation of domestic austerity programmes and the structural reforms that are needed to promote competitiveness.

Moody’s say that the above factors will result in market confidence remaing fragile.

“To a varying degree, these factors are constraining the creditworthiness of all European sovereigns and exacerbating the susceptibility of a number of sovereigns to particular financial and macroeconomic exposures,” said Moody’s who added that these constraints have also prompted the rating agency to “change to negative the outlooks on the AAA ratings of Austria, France and the United Kingdom.”

It should be noted that a major factor limiting the magnitude of Moody’s rating adjustments is “the European authorities’ commitment to preserving the monetary union and implementing whatever reforms are needed to restore market confidence.”

It is not all bad news because Nordic countries such as Denmark, Finland, Sweden as well as Germany, Luxembourg and the Netherlands have all maintained their triple-A status.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/moody-s-rating-agency-downgrades-6-european-countries-and-warns-uk-and-france-2-190758.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/100-000-new-jobs-to-be-created-by-2016-190730.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/100-000-new-jobs-to-be-created-by-2016-190730.html#comments Tue, 14 Feb 2012 16:33:54 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=190730 DUBLIN -- The government’s plan to rebuild the economy and create 100,000 new jobs was lanuched today under the guise of the first annual Action Plan for Jobs.

It will not be easy, but we are determined to implement the plan…

According to the government, the plan, ‘contains over 270 actions to be implemented in 2012 by all 15 Government Departments as well as 36 State Agencies, [it] will improve support for job-creating businesses and remove barriers to employment-creation across the economy.’

The launch in Dublin was attended by The Taoiseach (Irish Premier) Mr Enda Kenny, the Tánaiste (Vice Premier) Eamon Gilmore and the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mr Richard Bruton.

“The ultimate goal and top priority of government has always been to get Ireland back to work,” said Mr Kenny who added that seeing this goal implemented is the ‘all-consuming obsession’ of every member of the government.

“Economic recovery has to be matched by a jobs recovery … We will target specific sectors with new policy supports and improve the way government interacts with businesses by cutting costs and red tape. I will ensure that the government works hard to deliver on this ambitious plan,” stated Mr Kenny.

Commenting on how the government plans to create these new jobs, Mr Bruton said there is no ‘big bang’ solution to the jobs crisis.

“It will take a period of hard work by businesses, government, and people across the country to rebuild the economy brick by brick, reform by reform, to get back to sustainable enterprise-led growth where more businesses can start up, expand and create new jobs.”

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“We will improve access to finance for small businesses, reduce costs and red tape, and improve supports for exports, management and innovation. It will not be easy, but we are determined to implement the plan, rebuild the economy and create the jobs we so badly need,” concluded Mr Bruton.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/100-000-new-jobs-to-be-created-by-2016-190730.html/feed 1 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/eircom-criticised-over-stolen-data-by-commissioner-189407.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/eircom-criticised-over-stolen-data-by-commissioner-189407.html#comments Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:50:24 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=189407 DUBLIN -- Telecoms provider, EIRCOM, has notified the Data Protection Commissioner, Mr Billy Hawkes, over a potential data breach for up to 6,845 eMobile and Meteor customers.

It’s extremely surprising that in two separate incidents Eircom laptops were not encrypted.

- Mr Billy Hawkes, Data Protection Commissioner

Mr Hawkes has been critical of Eircom’s tardiness in reporting the breach which happened in December 2011. The data was contained on three unencrypted laptops which were stolen from Eircom’s offices at Parkwest, Dublin and also from the home of an employee. 

A statement from the telecoms company said “the incidents were immediately reported to the Gardai and two separate investigations are ongoing. There is no evidence at this time that the data at risk has been used by a third party.”

“As a precautionary step, we have contacted the Irish Banking Federation, who has notified their members of the potential risk to data for affected eMobile and Meteor customers,” said Eircom.

However, speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland this morning, Billy Hawkes said “On the scale of breaches that he deals with at the Data protection office, it would be one of the most serious breaches.” Mr Hawkes gave two reasons for the seriousness, the first was the nature of the financial data on the unencrypted laptops which he said was ‘putting people at risk of identity theft.’ Secondly, the long delay in telling people that their data had been compromised. Mr Hawkes said that “this meant that those involved did not have ample opportunity to protect themselves.”  

Mr Hawkes said he was critical of Eircom because they were a communications company and thus subject to higher security standards by law than other companies.

When asked if Eircom’s delay in contacting customers was due to their trying to assertain what data was on the laptops, Mr Hawkes said that this was not a valid excuse, “our normal delay in getting in reports is 24 to 48 hours, which is our guideline for reports of such incidents.”

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With respect to the issue of data not being encrypted, Mr Hawkes said when customer data is being stored on a laptop then it is “bog standard security” to have it encrypted. “It’s extremely surprising that in two separate incidents Eircom laptops were not encrypted,” concluded Mr Hawkes.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/eircom-criticised-over-stolen-data-by-commissioner-189407.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/the-eu-needs-to-up-their-game-in-innovation-as-global-competition-grows-stronger-189027.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/the-eu-needs-to-up-their-game-in-innovation-as-global-competition-grows-stronger-189027.html#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:59:49 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=189027

Antonio Tajani, on the left, and Máire Geoghegan-Quinn. Location: Brussels -- EC/Berlaymont (europa.eu)

DUBLIN -- The rate of increase of innovation performance growth among Member States in the European Union (EU) is slowing down.
This was one of the findings of the Innovation Union Scoreboard 2011 which was released this week. 

Another worrying finding was that the EU is not closing the persistent gap with global innovation leaders US, Japan and South Korea. The largest gap for the EU27 remains in terms of private sector innovation.

It is not all negative news because the report did find that almost all Member States have improved their innovation performance and the EU still maintains a considerable lead over emerging economies such as China, Brazil, India, Russia, and South Africa.

Within the EU, the Nordic countries maintain their dominance with Sweden topping the table closely followed by Denmark, Germany and Finland.

According to European Commission Vice-President Antonio Tajani, “This year’s results are a clear warning that more efforts to boost innovation are needed. If we want to close the gap with our main economic partners and to overcome the current crisis, innovation deserves all our attention. In particular, I count on enterprises as they have proven to be the key to success in innovation. But successful start ups in other parts of the world show that some lessons still need to be learnt in Europe.” 

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Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Máire Geoghegan-Quinn reiterated Vice-President Antonio Tajani when she called for a more balanced national research and innovation system from EU countries. “The Scoreboard also identifies a gap with the US in terms of top-end research. We urgently need a European Research Area to inject fresh competition, generate more excellence, and attract and retain the best global talent,” said Máire Geoghegan-Quinn.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/the-eu-needs-to-up-their-game-in-innovation-as-global-competition-grows-stronger-189027.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/96-per-cent-of-households-fail-to-register-for-new-poperty-tax-186411.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/96-per-cent-of-households-fail-to-register-for-new-poperty-tax-186411.html#comments Thu, 09 Feb 2012 07:30:58 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=186411

(Getty Images)

In a serious climbdown for the Government, the Irish Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government, Mr Phil Hogan TD, announced on Tuesday that he has established a high level and focussed inter-departmental expert group to consider the structures and methods for an equitable valuation-based property tax that will replace the current 100 euro Household Charge. The Group is tasked with reporting back to the Minister by the end of April 2012.

However, while the Minister claims that the Government is committed to replacing the household tax with a more equitable solution, another organisation would suggest that the Government’s hand has been forced. The Campaign Against Household & Water Taxes (CAHWT) has stated that a mass boycott of registration for the Household Tax was already on course, based on the government’s own figures of around 4 percent compliance after the first month. This means that 96 percent of householders have not signed up, they say, with an actual slow-down in the rate since early January. If this rate was to continue, only 12 percent would have registered by March 31st. Registration also includes people not liable for the charge at all, said the statement, masking the real level of non-payment.

According to the CAHWT, the figures bear out the overwhelming opposition to the Household Tax illustrated by attendances at CAHWT meetings. Thousands have attended public meetings in cities and towns, such as 500 in Cork, 350 in Limerick, 300 in west Donegal, 400 in Enniscorthy, 350 in Clonmel, 250 in Kilkenny and thousands at localised meetings in Dublin. Further meetings had been planned for Leitrim, Kildare, Mayo, Monaghan and Roscommon this week, with more planned for next week.

Ordinary people are angry, they refuse to pay the gambling debts of bankers and developers…

The organisation says the message is that “ordinary people are angry, but are determined to resist government attempts to force them once again to pay the gambling debts of bankers and developers. People are not fooled by government claims that this tax [the household charge] is to fund local services -- meetings in Dublin expressed their anger at the sell-off of waste collection, a key local public service, to private operators.”

The Minister stressed the Government’s firm commitment to introduce a valuation-based property tax to replace the Household Charge at the earliest opportunity. He said: “Ireland is one of the last countries in Europe to introduce property-based charges to fund local services. The tax base in Ireland needs to be broadened, but the focus must move away from taxing people’s work to lessen the impact on growth and to support employment. The expert group is to report to me by the end of April 2012 on the design, scope and implementation of the property tax, and I intend to bring proposals for an equitable valuation-based property tax to replace the Household Charge to Government as soon as possible thereafter.”

The group will be independently chaired by Dr Don Thornhill, who is recognised as having expertise in this area. It will be comprised of senior officials from the Departments of Environment, Community and Local Government; Finance; Public Expenditure and Reform; Communications, Energy and Natural Resources; Social Protection; and the Revenue Commissioners. The group may also call on technical expertise from the Central Statistics Office, An Post/Ordnance Survey Ireland, the Property Registration Authority, the Valuation Office, the Property Services Regulatory Authority, and other individuals, organisations and agencies as it may deem to be of assistance in carrying out its work.

The Minister welcomed the fact that over 66,000 residential properties have registered for the Household Charge, equating to 6.6 million euro. “I would like to acknowledge and thank those people who have registered their properties and paid the Household Charge at this early stage. The large numbers of people paying the charge is a clear indication of compliance with the legislation and the acceptance that it is necessary to fund vital local services in our communities.”

According to Mr Hogan, the 100 euro will go towards paying for essential local services: public parks, libraries, open spaces and leisure amenities, planning and development, fire and emergency services, maintenance and cleaning of streets, and street lighting. These services are integral, he says, to the quality of life in local communities.

The terms of reference for the expert Inter-Departmental Group are:

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“To consider the design of a property tax to be approved by Government to replace the Household Charge, and that is equitable and is informed by previous work and international experience.”

The Group is also to consider the appropriate arrangements for a robust audit function and
strong enforcement and penalty provisions for non-compliance.

Referring to the Household Charge, the CAHWT stated: “We are confident that this tax can and will be beaten. People see this as their one real chance to send a message about the ongoing austerity. Non-payment and non-registration are the only effective means to beat the tax and we encourage people to hold firm, ignore the government propaganda that will come and see that, by St Patrick’s Day, we can have hundreds of thousands refusing to register and make the tax unworkable.”

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/96-per-cent-of-households-fail-to-register-for-new-poperty-tax-186411.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/irish-consumers-are-back-saving-for-that-rainy-day-187836.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/irish-consumers-are-back-saving-for-that-rainy-day-187836.html#comments Tue, 07 Feb 2012 16:16:16 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=187836 DUBLIN -- Consumers in Ireland have reduced their spending and increased their savings were the findings of a report released today.

The Nationwide UK (Ireland) / ESRI (Economic and Social Research Institute) Savings Index stated that savings have increased by 23 points in January to bring the Index to 114, the highest level since October last year and six points higher than January 2011.

The proportion of people who believe that government policy discourages saving remains high.

- Mr. Synnott, Managing Director of Nationwide UK (Ireland)

It is unclear whether the new saving takeup is due to new year resolutions or worries related to austerity; either way, in January 2012 the number of people saving regularly rose by almost 50 per cent.

The percentage of people not saving at all also fell (31 per cent) in January.

According to Nationwide, savers have a more optimistic outlook towards the saving environment with 34 per cent believing that now is a good time to save compared with 28 per cent in January 2011. However, the number of people who believe that government policy is activly discouraging saving remains high at 55 per cent. This could be due to the increase in DIRT(Deposit Interest Retention Tax) on savings.

Commenting on the Index, Brendan Synnott, Managing Director of Nationwide UK (Ireland) said, “Overall the data is showing that the savings culture in Ireland remains strong and is growing as demonstrated by the 23 point increase in the overall index since last month and 6 point increase versus January 2011. 

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“Although there appears to be a greater degree of optimism among consumers about their ability to save, the proportion of people who believe that government policy discourages saving remains high and at the same level as January 2011,” said Mr Synnott.

As part of the survey consumers were asked what they were saving for. The largest proportion indicates that they are saving with a precautionary motive with 35 per cent of responses indicating saving for unexpected expenses. When asked their preference as to how they might allocate any money over and above their everyday needs, 53 per cent of consumers would use the surplus to pay off debts, including their mortgage.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/irish-consumers-are-back-saving-for-that-rainy-day-187836.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/graduates-to-be-cross-trained-to-fill-it-jobs-186420.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/graduates-to-be-cross-trained-to-fill-it-jobs-186420.html#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:39:34 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=186420

In a bid to bridge the shortage of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) staff required to fill the positions currently vacant in this sector, the government has devised a new graduate skills conversion programme which will have over 750 places available.

The initiative was launched by The Minister for Education and Skills, Mr Ruairí Quinn, along with Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Mr Richard Bruton. 

Speaking at the launch, Mr Quinn said that, “Providing the right skills at the right time for the right jobs is absolutely essential if we are to get the Irish economy back on its feet.”

It is his belief that action needs to be taken to “develop a sustainable domestic supply of high level ICT skills.” The Labour Minister said that over time, this initiative would help to further expand and develop the ICT industry, as well as support innovation and growth in other areas of the economy.

According to Mr Quinn, more than 750 places are being made available on 17 new graduate skills conversion programmes across the country. People can apply for a place today through the Bluebrick website for courses commencing in March, and participation in the programmes will be fully subsidised; no fees will be charged.

“The Action Plan also sets out how we are going to build the supply and quality of graduates in the medium to long term. It establishes an ambitious target of doubling the annual output of ICT graduates from 1,000 this year to 2,000 by 2018,” said Mr Quinn.

Minister Richard Bruton added: “The Government’s plan to get jobs and growth back into the country will have no ‘big bang’ solution, but will require transformation across all sectors and a brick-by-brick rebuilding of the economy. A key part of this will be to get the greatest possible benefit out of the strengths we have, and the ICT sector, where there are over 1,000 vacancies and great potential for future growth, provides a major opportunity for employment if we can provide the necessary skills.”

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Peter O’Neill, President of the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland, and country general manager for IBM Ireland, said that the publication of the ICT Action Plan was an important initiative. 

“Increasingly, the availability of skills is a key driver in foreign direct investment decisions, and Ireland’s young, skilled and flexible talent pool has been a strong attraction for multinational companies locating here.”

Senator Mary Moran has warmly welcomed the announcement and added, “I would encourage graduates to take up the offer of these courses as soon as possible.”

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/graduates-to-be-cross-trained-to-fill-it-jobs-186420.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/taxi-regulation-report-recommends-sweeping-changes-186378.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/taxi-regulation-report-recommends-sweeping-changes-186378.html#comments Sun, 05 Feb 2012 21:38:11 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=186378

The Minister for Public & Commuter Transport, Mr Alan Kelly TD, published the Government’s report into the future of the taxi sector on Tuesday. The report contains over 40 key actions to address deficiencies in taxi regulation as part of a Programme for Government commitment to review the taxi sector.

“This is the most radical examination of the taxi sector in Ireland ever,” said Minister Kelly.

“The powers of the Gardai will be extended as a key action, with strengthened collaboration with the National Transport Authority for more effective on street enforcement. We will also be tightening up on the rental sector, removing criminal elements from the sector and creating a much more robust system of regulation,” he said.

“The broad aim of this report is to increase consumer confidence in the sector and eliminate the rogue elements in the sector. We also want to ensure that legitimate and professional taxi operators and drivers can be rewarded fairly by operating under a regulatory regime that is adequately enforced. We want it to be a sector worth working in. This report will allow us to achieve this and we have brought taxi regulation right back to the top of the transport agenda,” said Minister Kelly.

Speaking following the publication of the report, Labour Deputy Mr John Lyons has welcomed the review as a major step towards addressing areas of concern in the industry, for the benefit of consumers and drivers alike. 

“Last year’s Prime Time investigation raised significant public concerns about unlawful and dangerous practices by rogue elements in the taxi industry. This behaviour undermined public confidence and unfairly affected the vast majority of legitimate taxi operators and drivers,” he said.

Proposal for Change

The report proposes actions under six categories: Compliance & Enforcement, Consumer and Industry Assurance, Driver Licensing, Vehicle Licensing & Standards, Accessible Services, and Fleet Management & Rental Controls. These measures include increasing Garda powers to issue fixed-charge penalties for breaches of legislation, the facilitation of a smartphone app to check if a driver is licensed, and limiting the age of taxi cars. Low cost hackney licences for rural community groups or businesses with limited areas of operation are also to be introduced.

As part of the report, Indecon consultants were also engaged to examine the current market situation regarding taxis. They identified a significant oversupply of taxis in the Irish market currently, which they estimate to be in the region of 13-22 per cent ahead of taxi demand.

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Speaking at the formal publication of the report the Minister said: “This is an action-orientated report, and work on these measures will start immediately. The National Transport Authority will be key partners in driving these actions. 

“One new provision I’m keen to develop is the specific hackney for rural places. Transport is not just an urban issue, and we need to adopt a different regulatory approach for many isolated places that currently have no taxi service. With rural Ireland suffering from social isolation we have to give people some form of transport options,” he said.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/taxi-regulation-report-recommends-sweeping-changes-186378.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/students-challanged-to-think-outside-the-box-for-charity-186402.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/students-challanged-to-think-outside-the-box-for-charity-186402.html#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 09:00:31 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=186402

Apprentice boss, Bill Cullen is joined by secondary school students Sarah Egan and Sean Naughton, to appeal to secondary school students nationwide, to support the 2012, Kellogg’s Fun Raise 4 Kids Campaign and raise much needed funds for Our Lady’s Child Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. (Martin Murphy/The Epoch Times)

Apprentice boss, Bill Cullen and mentor, Jackie Lavin, are appealing to secondary school students across Ireland to support the 2012, Kellogg’s Fun Raise 4 Kids Campaign.

The event is to raise funds for Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. The two celebrities are challenging students to come up with the ‘most innovative’ ideas and events, to raise funds for the hospital. The best ideas will be in with a chance of winning a mentoring session for their school, with Bill and Jackie.

Speaking at the launch, Bill Cullen said: “This campaign is all about teenagers helping teenagers. We know that many children and teenagers who are seriously ill are forced to spend time away from their families and friends, sometimes in isolation, when battling illness. This campaign helps to raise much needed funds to improve their experience, while in hospital. I believe in rewarding those who ‘think outside the box’. Young people always amaze me with the ideas they can generate and we are really looking forward to working on this campaign and to sharing our entrepreneurial skills with the school that stands out from the crowd.”

Ms Dympna Cawley, Assistant Director of Nursing at Our Lady’s said that to date, over 10,000 school students have raised over 2.4 million euro through Kellogg’s Fun Raise 4 Kids. 

In 2012, funds raised through Kellogg’s Fun Raise 4 Kids will go towards improving teenage services at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin.

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Students are invited to register their event to be in with a chance to win a mentoring session with Bill and Jackie. Kellogg’s Fun Raise 4 Kids week takes place from April 23rd to 27th, 2012. There are prizes on offer for students who raise the most funds and for those who organise the most successful event. Log onto www.kelloggs.ie/funraise4kids for more details.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/students-challanged-to-think-outside-the-box-for-charity-186402.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/irish-tourism-promises-a-hectic-year-ahead-186436.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/irish-tourism-promises-a-hectic-year-ahead-186436.html#comments Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:25:17 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=186436 Tourism Ireland kicks off 2012 with the pull of a new global advertising campaign-’Jump into Ireland’ to promote the country overseas during the next three years.

The campaign consists of advertising on television in Britain, US, Spain and Italy and online in 22 other markets in which Tourism Ireland has a presence to an estimated audience of 200 million. 

The soundtrack for the TV ads is from the latest album ‘Fallen Empires’ by Co Tyrone band Snow Patrol.

This new service is fruit of the hard work of many people in Dublin and Dubai.

Niall Gibbons from Tourism Ireland said “Interest in Ireland remains strong in all our markets. Overseas tourism to Ireland grew from all main markets and grew ahead of our competitors. We are targeting further growth in 2012 and in the years ahead and our goal is to welcome 9 million people to Ireland by 2015.”

The launch of the Campaign coincided with Dublin Airport’s new daily long haul service to Dubai operated by Emirates airline. An airport Emirates official said that bookings are already hectic and a return flight in early 2012 would cost in the region of 700 euro. Dublin Airport’s Declan Collier said “This new service is fruit of the hard work of many people in Dublin and Dubai.” 

Tourism Ireland’s Sinead Grace said “This new service greatly enhances our connectivity from vital new emerging markets like Australia, New Zealand, India, South Africa as well as the middle East. We have worked closely through co-operative marketing programmes with Emirates and Dublin Airport to help secure and drive demand for the new route and this activity will continue in the months ahead.”

Other major events happening this year to boost tourism are the Volvo Ocean Race which started on October 29th at Alicante Spain. From there the route takes the race to Cape Town, Abu Dhabi, Sanya, Auckland, Miami and across the Atlantic to Lisbon and will culminate in three laps around Ireland and finish at Galway. The closing ceremony will be held in Galway followed by a ten day festival celebrating the event.

Another event that is destined to attract thousands of tourists is the American college football game between teams Navy and Notre Dame which will be held in the Aviva Stadium later this year. The Notre Dame-Navy rivalry is the longest continuous rivalry in college football with the two schools having met every year since 1927 “To see this stadium is to believe it” said Navy athletic director Chet Gladchuk. “Although modest in capacity, few stadiums anywhere have attended to the detail, aesthetics and fan comfort found at Aviva. I guarantee those that travel to Ireland and attend this event will enjoy an experience that will be awesome and a memory not to be forgotten.”

Tourism Ireland has put a promotional campaign in place to ensure as many as possible travel here for the game. A specially prolonged ad highlighting the many things to do and see around Ireland is running now on NBC television during national football league games in New York, Boston, Chicago and Los Angeles.

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The events of last year including the visits of Queen Elizabeth and President Obama, Rory McElroy’s US Open win and the MTV Music Awards hosted in Belfast to 632 million homes in 150 countries, provided fantastic opportunities for Tourism Ireland to promote Ireland on the international stage, and unsuspecting commuters passing through Sydney’s Central Station on St Patrick’s day last were surprised when troupes of Irish dancers brought the station to a standstill. The performance was posted on YouTube where it has been viewed by two million people to date.

In the second half of this year Tourism Ireland intend to promote ‘The Gathering’ in 2013 to the 70 million people across the world who are linked to Ireland through relatives and friends.

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/irish-tourism-promises-a-hectic-year-ahead-186436.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/homeless-worst-off-after-budget-say-charities-159131.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/homeless-worst-off-after-budget-say-charities-159131.html#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 03:01:33 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=159131

Homeless man Dublin shop door. (Martin Murphy/The Epoch Times)

Those in most need of assistance are left wanting after budget changes say charities that look after the homeless.

A statement from Focus Ireland said that they are concerned about the review of Rent Supplement caps in 2012. “The maximum rents allowed for single people are already very low, which make it very hard for people leaving homelessness to secure decent accommodation. It’s crucial that the review doesn’t implement cuts to the maximum allowable rents for single people leaving homelessness,” says Focus Ireland.

Threshold, the national housing charity, has also expressed disappointment with the changes announced to the Rent Supplement in the Budget Estimates. “The changes will result in increased hardship for those who are dependent on Rent Supplement,” said a statement from Threshold.

Bob Jordan, Director of Threshold, said: “We’re disappointed that, for the Rent Supplement scheme, the Department of Social Protection is imposing a 25 per cent increase on the contribution single tenants make towards their rent, rising from the existing weekly contribution of 24 euro to 30 euro per week. 

“For people who are dependent on social welfare, this is a huge increase and one they can ill afford. It will impact directly on their capacity to purchase essential goods and services, such as heating, clothing and food.”

The Society of St Vincent de Paul (SVP) welcomes the fact that basic social welfare rates are being maintained, however they believe that many families who seek the support of SVP will be further disadvantaged by many elements of the budget. 

“The cumulative changes in areas of Rent Supplement, the winter Fuel Allowance, Drugs Payment Scheme, the Back to School Clothing and Footwear Allowance, the One Parent Family Payment and changes in the cost of school transport and student maintenance grants, will have a huge impact on their ability to maintain a reasonable standard of living,” say SVP.

According to SVP, the groups which will be most adversely affected by the cuts are families with school-going children, one parent families, families on social welfare or in work on low pay in private rented accommodation and households already struggling to pay energy bills.

“Calls for help to the Society of St Vincent de Paul have increased substantially in the past year and we anticipate an even further jump in those calls as the full impact of Budget 2012 takes effect in the New Year,” say SVP.

Support

Labour Party Deputy John Lyons has stated that even accounting for the current financial challenges facing the country, Labour has ensured that fairness and balance are evident in the Budget statement on expenditure. 

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Deputy Lyons stated: “In Social Protection, weekly payment rates have been maintained, there are no changes in state pension rates and payments to carers have been preserved. These people are the most vulnerable in our society and we have protected their payments. 

]]> http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/homeless-worst-off-after-budget-say-charities-159131.html/feed 0 http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/review-of-disability-allowance-cuts-welcomed-159005.html http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/ireland/review-of-disability-allowance-cuts-welcomed-159005.html#comments Wed, 14 Dec 2011 02:06:53 +0000 Epoch Times http://www.theepochtimes.com/n2/?p=159005 Fine Gael Dublin Mid-West Deputy, Mr Derek Keating TD, has said the announcement by the Taoiseach in the Dáil last Wednesday that budgetary changes to the disability allowance for new, young claimants will not now form part of the Social Welfare Bill is a welcome move which will be well received by all.

Deputy Keating went on to say that this announcement is proof that politics works, and that Government Deputies who have chosen not to support the Budget have removed themselves from any influence over Government proposals.

“The proposal to reduce the payment for new, young disability claimants did not sit well with many deputies, who last night relayed their concerns to the Minister. 

“I am delighted to hear that as a result the decision has been made to suspend this measure from the Social welfare Bill until a review takes place,” said Mr Keating.

“Minister Burton consulted widely with disability support groups and organisations before any budgetary decision was made. Nonetheless the fact that the situation is to be reviewed by Ita Mangan, Chair of the Tax and Social Welfare Commission, is good news,” he said.

Meanwhile, Labour Party TD for Dublin North Central, Mr Aodhán Ó Ríordáin, said he welcomed the decision by Minister for Social Protection, Ms Joan Burton TD, to review the proposed changes to the Disability Allowance.

Taoiseach and Government Ministers receptive to Deputies concerns

“I know that there has been a lot of unease regarding the measures outlined in the Budget, and the fact that it will not feature in the Social Welfare Bill means there will be more time to assess the merits of the proposed changes,” he said.

“I thank the Minister for listening to the concerns of individuals and interest groups who have voiced their disquiet over the past two days, and it is my hope that a more suitable resolution can be found,” said Mr Ó Ríordáin.

Mr Ó Ríordáin’s party colleague, Gerald Nash, TD for Louth and East Meath, also welcomed the move. 
“The Government’s priority in this budget has been to protect the most vulnerable in our society including children, the elderly, & people with disabilities, by ensuring that basic welfare payments were maintained, that those on low pay have been exempted from USC, and that nobody’s pay packet was hit by extra taxes,” said Mr Nash.

“Minister Burton’s decision to take another look at this highlights her capacity to take on board constructive suggestions made by myself and my fellow TDs and Senators and I welcome her engagement with us on this issue.”

Minister of State, Sean Sherlock TD, also welcomed the announcements by both the Taoiseach, Enda Kenny TD, and Minister Burton that the issue of disability payments will be revisited.

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“I welcome the co-ordination which has taken place by both parties in Government to look at changes to disability payments. The discussions which have taken place between backbenchers and ministers from both parties are a strong sign that this Government is committed to reaching a consensus on important issues like this. 

“Against an extremely difficult economic climate – huge challenges remain to restore Ireland’s public finances. With this task, tough budgetary choices remain; despite this, both parties in Government remain committed to working in unison to ensure that those who are most vulnerable are protected,” said Mr Sherlock.

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