Sunday 19 May 2013
WHAT A wonderful idea The Gathering is- an initiative designed at encouraging all those around the world with connections to Ireland to make a visit to our little country. They get to bask in our Irishness and we get to boost our troubled economy in the process.
THIS TIME last year the main political parties were in ' general election' mode, and each of them were vying to gain enough seats to form the next government. In the end, Fine Gael and Labour won, and the remainder were left languishing in opposition.
THIS YEAR Ireland, is giving €669 million in Overseas Development Aid. Hopefully, the upcoming budget will not see the Government renege on its word by slashing vital Development funds. Recently, a commentator took to radio and television arguing that we spend too much on overseas aid. On the one hand, he argues that money for emergency aid is necessary, on the other, that the development budget needs to be cut. Drastically. The inter-relatedness of the two issues exposes a glaring inconsistency in his argument. Countries with a sound, adequate infrastructure are always able to manage natural disasters better than those lacking even the most basic services.
Martin McGuinness is the latest name pencilled into the race to be President. It has been the most entertaining Aras campaign I can remember. Eight days left. Will we see Bob Geldof enter the fray? You know we want to.
L IFE AS we know it in our house has ceased to exist in recent days due to extended work commitments on my behalf for a few weeks. 12 hour shifts and night-time meetings have resulted in the house turning into an even bigger tip than normal (I actually didn't think it was possible but it is) and the kids threatening to ring Childline on the basis of parental neglect.
DO YOU know your next door neighbour? How about that family that live three houses away?
LEAVING AND Junior Cert results are history and it's back to 'normality'. At least for most people. Four years ago I got a call asking me if I would fill in teaching German for a teacher out on maternity leave. It was great to be back in the classroom. When the teacher came back the principal kept me on teaching English and religion. It's the job I like best and I managed to keep the job for four years.
AFTER YEARS when the perception was that the Central Bank did very little to control the activities of our financial institutions, it's perhaps not surprising that Big Brother has decided to more tightly regulate, not the banks, but the credit unions.
WHAT IS it about sport that gets almost everyone in Ireland so riled up? I might be on my own here but I just don't get all the hype. This past weekend was jam-packed with various events-so I'm told and the way people were acting it was as if all their Christmases had come at once. For some, I suppose it's entertaining to watch their county or national team compete for the top prize but for others it's a case of any teams, any match will do, so long as sport is on the box.
ON SUNDAY New York remembered the 10th anniversary of 9/11. Not just New York, but right across the world, people paused to remember that awful day when the planes hit the Twin Towers in lower Manhattan.
Since 2006 average earnings have been reduced by more than 25%. An exception to the rule is an increase in legal service costs, which have risen by 12%. National Competitiveness Council reports that we are the fourth most expensive country in the world to enforce business transactions to the courts. The Competition Authority produced a blueprint, five years ago, that would enhance productivity, efficiency and cut costs of legal work. Most recommendations have gathered dust to date.
AS BOB Dylan once said ' the times they are a changin' and parents, for one have all sorts of unprecedented issues to deal with. This week saw a new departure as a parent filed a law suit against Facebook for failing to do, frankly what he should have been doing himself-monitor his child's online activity.
THE 10TH anniversary of 9/11 has passed with an emotional outpouring of collective grief in the United States and in other country's affected by the world's worst terrorist outrage in which almost 3,000 innocent people lost their lives.
WHEN I was a vet student, I witnessed a dog being deliberately bled to death. A Beagle, bred for use in the laboratory, was anaesthetised then connected up to a range of monitors, so that his respiratory rate, blood pressure and other parameters could be measured.
IFELT a sort of empathy with Sinead O'Connor last week when she went on The Late Late in a desperate bid to find a man. I know she's a bit bonkers and her fashion sense leaves a lot to be desired (whoever let her out of the house with that haircut is no friend of hers let me tell you). But she's a good laugh and I bet you anything she'd stand her round on a date.
IWAS out of the office for the past week and had a rare chance to listen in to some morning radio. Although the same old talking heads were present in the form of Tubridy, D'Arcy, Dunne and Hayes, and while each does an OK job, there was a serious lack of cutting edge.
Red Cross volunteers in Wicklow this week will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the Red Cross Red Crescent movement on May 8, World Red Cross Red Crescent Day.
Wicklow Enterprise Centre has secured over €190,000 in funding which will be used to improve access to Wicklow Gaol and for new audio and video equipment.
Taxpayer-funded trips to various locations in America and Europe for the wives and children of some members of the board of Wicklow Enterprise Park Ltd (WEP) have led to controversy.
While plans are afoot to permanently close A&E services at St. Columcille's Hospital, a trauma and cardiac/stroke by-pass policy has been in operation for some time.
In a lengthy response to the allegations of using taxpayers money to fund trips abroad for the spouses and children of some board members Wicklow Enterprise Park Ltd (WEP) said the decision was based on the duration of the trips.
A Garda fraud investigation is taking place after development levies for Glebe Hall were marked as paid when Wicklow Town Council hadn't in fact received any money.
In the wake of this week's concerns raised by the Garda Representative Association over the manner in which crime figures are registered a Wicklow County Councillor has warned that extra pressure is being placed on urban stations to cover rural areas as a result of cutbacks.
Irish farmers are getting €140 per head below their UK counterparts this week for the average steer, according to Chris Fox, Chairperson of Wicklow ICMSA.
The National Campaign against Home and Water Tax celebrated May Day Worker's Day by occupying the County Buildings and marching down Wicklow town's Main Street.
Gardai caught a man using credit card details to buy a phone online.
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