Issue No.1,134 - the complete edition

THE IRISH EMIGRANT

It was a week that will be remembered as one in which the nation's senior citizens decided to show they are still a force to be reckoned with. The Budget provision which would have had seen many of them making some contribution towards their health care has now been radically altered and only 5% of those over the age of 70 will not be eligible for a medical card. Few will argue that that 5% are well able to make a contribution but some argue on their behalf as a matter of principle.

Even with the Government concessions, two very well attended protests were staged in Dublin during the week. For many of those participating, the protest remained important to let the Government know what would happen if it tinkered with any other concessions to the elderly such as free travel,  free television licences, fuel and telephone subsidies.

A light plane crashed in the Wicklow Mountains in stormy weather on Saturday, killing all four occupants who had flown from England.

The big news late on Friday concerned billionaire businessman Seán Quinn. He had run foul of the Financial Regulator and stood down as a director of his group's insurance company.

In Australia Ireland had a narrow victory in the first leg of the International Rules series.

A week to remember, or forget

It was a week to forget for Fianna Fáil and the Government but thousands of elderly people insist that they will never allow them to forget it and intend to prove that, not just at the next General  Election, whenever that may be, but at the local and European elections next June.

Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan's Budget of almost two weeks ago remains highly unpopular, with all sections of the community agreeing that, while the economy is in dire straits, the necessary sacrifices should be made by someone else. All seemed to also agree that the someone else should not include the nation's pensioners who had paid their dues in hard times and should now be allowed to live out their years without having to strike a balance between their health and their finances.

Our senior citizens had expressed their displeasure so effectively that twice last weekend Taoiseach Brian Cowen indicated that  he was ready to make major concessions on the question of medical card eligibility for the over 70s. Vague promises were not sufficient so Mr Cowen postponed a visit to China. He had been due to fly out with an Enterprise Ireland-organised trade mission last Sunday night.

Listeners to breakfast time radio on Tuesday learned that a press conference had been scheduled for 9:45am  to deal with the issue. The Taoiseach was joined by Minister for Health Mary Harney and Green Party leader John Gormley as he announced a revised scheme which includes a simple means test but which will result in 95% of the over-70s retaining a full medical card. Only a single person with an income in excess of €36,500 per annum or a couple on €73k will be excluded.

While all new applicants will be subject to the means test, those already in possession of a medical card will simply receive a letter from the Health Service Executive informing them of the new eligibility limits. It will then be up to each individual to declare if he or she is earning more than the limit. Minister Harney indicated that there would be spot checks to ensure that the anticipated 20,000 medical cards are returned. It was suggested that those on State pensions might be subject to more scrutiny than others.

To achieve the €100m savings which the original proposal sought to deliver the Government plans to adjust the fees paid to doctors. Former civil servant Eddie Sullivan, currently chairman of the Public Appointments Service, is considering submissions from doctors and others before recommending a new single capitation rate to be paid to GPs in respect of each person on their books over the age of 70. He is due to report by Wednesday.

At present a doctor receives €161 per year in respect of each person over 70 who qualified for the old means-tested medical card and €640 per year for those who only qualify on age grounds.

Savings are also to be made in the national drugs bill. To this end Dr Michael Barry has been asked to produce proposals by December 1.

Most people seemed to view the changes positively although there are still those who want a return to the universal medical card scheme for the over 70s. Among them is Independent TD Finian McGrath who on Monday night announced that he was withdrawing his support from the Government. Joe Behan, who resigned from Fianna Fáil over the issue, also said he wasn't satisfied with the changes.

Despite the Government concessions Fine Gael proceeded with its motion calling for all over 70s to continue to receive free medical care, irrespective of income. After a long and heated debate on Wednesday the Government had a seven vote majority when TDs trooped through the lobbies. Former Fianna Fáil TD Joe Behan and Independent TD Finian McGrath voted with the Opposition.

Two other Independent TDs, Michael Lowry and Jackie Healy Rae, voted with the Government; by then Mr Lowry had  been given a written commitment that the eligibility threshold for obtaining the medical card would be held in line with inflation.

Before the Government announced its changes to the medical card scheme two protest meetings had been planned for Dublin. The first, organised by Age Action, was due to take place in a city centre hotel on Tuesday at 11:00am, by which time the changes to the scheme had been announced. The protesters, however, had travelled from all parts of the country on their free travel passes and were no less angry than when they set out in the morning. The numbers, at more than 1,000, proved too large to be accommodated in the hotel and someone contacted the Parish Priest of St Andrew's in Westland Row who agreed to make the church available.

What happened in the church caused controversy for the remainder of the week. Politicians had been invited to address the meeting but when Fianna Fáil Minister of State John Moloney stood up to speak he was booed and heckled to such an extent that he had no option but to give up. At one stage a woman ran up to him on the altar and grabbed the microphone.

Attempts were made to shout down Fiona O'Malley of the PDs but she managed to speak through the commotion. Opposition leaders Enda Kenny and Éamon Gilmore were given a warmer reception, as was Sinn Féin's Caoimhghín Ó Caolain.

There was considerable debate as to appropriateness of the behaviour at the meeting in the following days. Some argued the priest was wrong to allow the church to be used for this purpose, others were happy with that but maintained that the protesters should have shown some respect "in the house of God", while many defended the right of the protesters to make their feelings known. There were, of course, others who insisted that the behaviour was entirely inappropriate in any venue.

The next protest was scheduled for lunchtime on Wednesday. This time everyone was surprised at the turnout. An estimated 15,000 marched through the city to Leinster house where they gave vent to their anger, particularly when they were addressed by Fianna Fáil Minister of State Máire Hoctor and Ciarán Cuffe of the Green Party. Again opposition TDs were cheered.

Many of those taking part in both protests were interviewed by the media and one of the most frequently heard comments was, "I have voted for Fianna Fáil all my life but never again..."

If the Government was in any doubt as to just how badly the medical card issue had been handled a Red C opinion poll in yesterday's Sunday Business Post confirmed the worst. The survey on which the poll was based was conducted on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday when the controversy was at its height. Fianna Fáil was down ten percentage points to 26%, Fine Gael was up five to 33% and Labour up six to 15%. Of the others Sinn Féin was up one to 10%, the PDs were down one to 2% and the Independents remained at 8%.

The bandwagon is getting crowded

Now that the protests over the medical card have largely subsided, others who are opposed to aspects of the Budget are receiving more air time. Buoyed up by the success of the pensioners they believe that the Government will cave in if the protests are loud enough. They are also encouraged by the ease with which the trade union movement managed to win concessions on the 1% levy.

In the days immediately after the Budget, trade union leaders met the Taoiseach to voice their concern at the indiscriminate nature of the 1% levy on all income up to €100k. Last Sunday night Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan indicated that some concessions would be made on the levy. He followed up on Tuesday evening by announcing that the levy which was to be deducted from gross income will not apply to those on or below the minimum wage of €8.65 per hour. However it will apply to all income for anyone earning above that amount.

The cost to the exchequer would be €50m but, in announcing the change, Mr Lenihan said that further adjustments will be made to the scheme in the Finance Bill to ensure that the anticipated yield remains the same. This could be achieved by lowering the 2% threshold from €100k or having a 3% levy for very high earners.

Teachers, students, soldiers and farmers all have their gripes about the Budget. As the nation's elderly ended their protest outside the Dáil on Wednesday they were replaced by some 10,000 students protesting over the increase in the college registration fee (from around €900 to €1,500) and at the possibility that tuition fees will be reintroduced.

At every opportunity teachers' unions tried to get in on the act by referring to proposed savings in education as catastrophic for the nation's children. Having seen the publicity given to the elderly, teachers are now planning a similar protest outside Leinster House on Wednesday when the Dáil debates a Labour motion aimed at reversing cuts in the primary education budget.

The families of Longford-based soldiers protested on Thursday when Army Chief of Staff General Dermot Earley visited the local barracks to discuss its planned closure. The 150 soldiers based there keep their jobs but will be required to travel 45 minutes to Athlone. 

On Thursday night it was the turn of the farmers to complain about the Budget. Angry voices were raised at a meeting in Claremorris and it required the intervention of IFA president Pádraig Walshe before Fianna Fáil TDs Frank Fahey and Beverly Flynn could be heard over the jeers, when they tried to address the 1000-strong gathering. More protests are to be staged around the country against cuts in various State subsidies.

Others also protested without taking to the streets; a grant scheme for young people with disabilities has been radically altered; the travel trade is opposed to the air travel tax and ISME, the Irish Small and Medium Enterprises association, has many problems with the Budget. It took some time for airport authorities outside Dublin to realise that the tax favours Dublin. Travellers flying from Dublin to cities such as Glasgow, Manchester, Liverpool and Cardiff will pay €2 tax while from most other airports it will by €10.

Rules take over from the objectives

The Competition Authority was presumably put in place to ensure that cartels, formal or informal, didn't lead to inflated prices but it seems to have forgotten its purpose and is now intent on applying a set of rules whatever the consequences.

Last weekend when the Taoiseach suggested he would be contacting the Irish Medical Organisation about what almost everyone agrees are inflated fees paid to GPs for treating the over 70s, the Competition Authority became concerned. The situation was apparently serious enough for staff to work overtime to get the word out on Sunday that it would be a breach of the law for the Government or the Health Service Executive to enter negotiations with the IMO.

By that stage the Government had already indicated that it had been in touch with the IMO but from that point on any mention of these contacts referred to consultations rather than negotiations. At one stage a member of the Competition Authority came on RTÉ radio and, while trying to explain the rational for Sunday's statement to a bewildered interviewer, he managed to confuse the entire nation.

The law under which a trade association (the IMO) is prevented from negotiating on behalf of individual traders (GPs) has been in place since 1991. However no one, inside or outside the Competition Authority, has been able to explain why it wasn't invoked earlier this decade, when the IMO held out for a fee of €640 per patient although the Government thought about one third of that figure would have been more appropriate.

We were again reminded during the week that Fine Gael health spokesperson Dr James Reilly was chairman of the IMO when the fee was negotiated back in 2001. He was, in fact, opposed to the concept of better-off elderly people being given medical cards. When reminded of this on RTÉ's Prime Time programme he claimed the right to have a change of mind, having seen the success of the scheme. He didn't say when he was converted but it seems to have been very recently and certainly within the past year.

Four die in plane crash

Gardaí yesterday confirmed that four bodies had been recovered from the wreckage of light aircraft that crashed at close to the summit of the 531 metre Corriebracks mountain near Hollywood, Co. Wicklow.

The Piper PA 28 aircraft took off from Gloucester in England on Saturday morning and was last in contact while flying over the Wicklow mountains. Air traffic control in Dublin, it has been reported, passed responsibility for the plane to the controller at Kilrush airfield in Co. Kildare where it was due to land a short time later.

The aircraft was not heard from again but no one has explained why the alarm wasn't raised for some six hours until a relative of those on board made enquiries. By then it was too dark to carry out a proper search and it wasn't until early on Sunday that the wreckage was found. The weather on Saturday had been particularly bad with strong winds and persistent driving rain.

The names of the victims have not been released yet. The pilot is said to have been a Bristol-based property developer in his 40s who regularly flew in to visit relatives in Newbridge, Co. Kildare. His passengers were his wife, their 14-year-old son and their son's best friend, also 14.

At around 9:00pm last Sunday a 21-year-old man became the latest victim of a Dublin gangland killing. Gavin McCarthy was standing outside a fast-food outlet on Sheriff Street in Dublin's north inner city when a youth on a bicycle approached him and shot him in the face. Reports suggested that the killer in this case could have been as young as 17 but when an arrest was made later in the week the suspect was aged 20.

It later emerged that Mr McCarthy's brother pursued the killer and caught up with him. In the ensuing scuffle the gunman made good his escape but abandoned the bicycle and a handgun.

It is being assumed that Mr McCarthy, who was well known to gardaí, is the fourth victim of a feud that broke out after gang leader Christy Griffin was charged with the rape of a minor. He is now serving a life sentence. The gang split, with some members appalled at Griffin's behaviour and others staying loyal to him.

A 27-year-old man is in a critical condition in hospital after being shot in the head in a Tallaght apartment at 6:30am on Wednesday morning. It is reported that, on hearing the doorbell ring, he opened a third-floor window to see who it was and was hit by a shotgun blast. The victim was employed as a postman and has never been in trouble with the gardaí. The only theory as to a motive for the attack is that the victim recently intervened in a row in a Tallaght pub.

Bits and Pieces

Heading into winter and Des Kenny runs Dublin Marathon

Clocks were put back an hour on Sunday morning. The extra hour in bed was welcomed but now we are into the dark winter evenings until late March.

Today is a Bank Holiday, one that was introduced in relatively recent times when the gap between the August Bank Holiday and Christmas was considered too long.

Today is also the day of the Dublin City Marathon and well-known Galway bookseller Des Kenny is taking part. For him this is a fundraising project and he has chosen the Galway Rape Crisis Centre and Galway Simon Community to benefit.

Online donations can be made via a secure link at http://www.mycharity.ie/event/desikenny

Firemen robbed while out on call

Cars and wallets were stolen from the fire station in Bray, Co. Wicklow last weekend while the firemen were answering an emergency call. The wallets and car keys were taken from lockers before a car was stolen. The driver then returned with another man who stole a second car; both were recovered a short time later and one had been damaged. Gardaí were said to be following a definite line of inquiry.

Increase in use of cocaine

A new survey on cocaine use in Ireland shows a growing use of the drug. When adults between the ages of 15 and 64 were questioned 1.7% of males said that they had used the drug in the past year. This was up from 0.9% five years earlier.  Use among females increased from 0.5% to 1.0%.

In the North the comparable figures were males up from 1.0% to 2.8% and females from 0.1% to 0.9%.

Co. Clare explosives factory still on the agenda

An Bord Pleanála is currently conducting an oral hearing into the proposal to build an explosives factory close to the Co. Clare village of Kildysart. Clare County Council has granted planning permission for the facility, which will be located beside Cahercon Pier, through which explosives will be exported.

Most locals appear to be vehemently opposed to the development but they are not taking part in the hearing. Their counsel unsuccessfully raised a procedural issue on the opening day and withdrew when the hearing wasn't adjourned pending a High Court ruling.

Gardaí to be armed with pepper spray

All unarmed gardaí are to be issued with pepper spray canisters to combat the growing number of assaults on members of the force when they are called to deal with public order incidents or to arrest drink and drug crazed suspects.

The use of pepper spray was recommended by the head of the garda inspectorate, Kathleen O'Toole, Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy supported the initiative and it was sanctioned by the Government at a recent Cabinet meeting.

Car bargains available

A regular theme in the media in recent weeks is the number of second hand cars on the market and the difficulties being experienced by car dealerships. It is reported that 19 dealerships have gone out of business in recent months. Used car prices are said to have slumped by 25% as finance houses sell off a growing number of repossessed vehicles.

Three Scott medals presented to gardaí

At a passing-out ceremony in Templemore on Thursday Minister for Justice Dermot Ahern presented three members of the gardaí with Scott medals for bravery. Garda Patrick Kavanagh and Garda Stephen Foley, both based at Store Street in Dublin, received their medals for their actions in arresting two armed raiders after a robbery in North Strand in 2002. Garda Charles Armstrong of Dublin's Bridewell garda station received his medal for tackling two raiders armed with knives in an attempted robbery in September 2006.

National Lottery Winning Numbers:

Wed: 1, 2, 19, 27, 32, 34 (40) - the jackpot of €3.99m was not won
Sat: 3, 12, 15, 16, 28, 43 (4) - the jackpot of €4.88m was not won

Fine for Environment Minister

Environment Minister Sammy Wilson received a £40 fine when he rode his motorcycle a short distance for a pre-MOT test when it was untaxed. Mr Wilson has described the law occasioning the fine as "absurd" and said he had been unaware he was doing anything wrong.

Wife claims Murray is in English jail

Denying reports that dissident republican Paddy Murray is in protective custody, Tish Murray of Antrim Town has revealed that her husband, who is serving a sentence for abduction, has been moved to an English jail to serve the remainder of his sentence. The NI Prison Service has confirmed that Murray is no longer in their custody.

Prior to being sentenced Murray had been warned by the PSNI that his life was in danger as former colleagues believed he was an informer.

Ulster-Scots materials costing £2m now out of date

A report by the Education and Training Inspectorate into the work of the Curriculum Development Unit for Ulster Scots has highlighted a number of weaknesses in the management of the project. The project, which produced learning materials for Ulster Scots costing almost £2m, failed to alert teachers to their availability, and also failed to train teachers in their use. Although 22 schools took part in a pilot project, none of the material was left with the schools when the project came to an end.

Abortion debate postponed

In the Westminster Parliament British MPs ran out of time and didn't hold a vote on whether to extend the 1967 Abortion Act to the North. There is a view that the Labour Government felt it had enough controversy on its hands and changed the order of business so that time became a problem.

Former minister calls for cancellation of INLA commemoration

St Paul's GAA club in west Belfast has cancelled a function which had been due to take place in November to commemorate INLA member Christopher 'Crip' McWilliams. McWilliams, who died of cancer earlier this year, killed loyalist Billy Wright in the Maze prison 11 years ago.

Former Minister for Culture, Arts and Leisure Edwin Poots of the DUP had earlier called on the club to cancel the function on the grounds that it would damage the GAA's image. Apparently the club's officers were unaware of the purpose of the booking when it was made.

Post-mortem leads to murder inquiry in Armagh death

A post-mortem carried out on the body of dairy farmer Victor Stewart (45), whose body was found at his house in Middletown, Co. Armagh by a caller on Wednesday, has led the PSNI to launch a murder inquiry. It is estimated that Mr Stewart, a single man who lived on his own, was killed on Monday night. He was last seen the previous day.

Yesterday the PSNI said that robbery was the probable motive for what was a particularly vicious attack.

Quinn parents meet Garda Commissioner

Breege and Stephen Quinn, the parents of 21-year-old Paul Quinn who was murdered in Monaghan in October last year, have had a meeting with the Republic's Garda Commissioner, Fachtna Murphy. Speaking before the meeting Mr Quinn said he hoped there would soon be a breakthrough, despite a lack of witnesses due, he claims, to intimidation in Cullyhanna.

Attack linked with fatal car crash

Shortly after the funeral of Conor McManus from Belfast, who died in a car crash near Crumlin, Co. Antrim last Sunday morning, Joe Gaskin (28) was beaten and stabbed by a group of people before being hit by a Vauxhall Vectra. It was in a stolen Vectra that Mr McManus was travelling and it is believed a second man in the car ran from the scene after the crash.

Movilla students might be moved to other schools

Students at Movilla High School, who have had no classes for two weeks due to a strike by teachers, may this week be moved to new schools though this proposal has not met with the agreement of the NASUWT union. The teachers at the school went on strike after they had had their pay docked when they refused to teach a pupil who had allegedly assaulted a member of staff.

McIlveen jury discharged

At Antrim Crown Court the trial of six young Ballymena men, charged with the murder of 15-year-old Michael McIlveen, came to a halt on the 27th day, with the judge discharging the jury. Justice Treacy told the jury that he had come to this decision "as a result of certain matters which have arisen". A new jury will be sworn in on November 10.

The Catholic teenager died as a result of brain damage a day after he was savagely beaten in an apparent sectarian attack in Ballymena in May 2006.

Danny Morrison acquittal confirmed

As expected, former Sinn Féin publicity director Danny Morrison and seven others had their convictions of 1990 overturned in the High Court on Friday. The eight had been convicted on charges relating to the kidnap of an RUC informer.

After the convictions had been quashed Mr Morrison claimed he had a right to know why the Criminal Cases Review Commission had recommended  his acquittal. There is a suspicion that it relates to the involvement in the abduction of Freddie Scappaticci who, it is rumoured, was also an RUC double agent.

Road death in Co. Antrim

Stephen Moorcroft (35), from Balnamore, Co. Antrim, died in a two-car collision between Ballymoney and Aghadowey at about 7:00am on Tuesday.

McIlveen jury discharged

At Antrim Crown Court the trial of six young Ballymena men, charged with the murder of 15-year-old Michael McIlveen, came to a halt on the 27th day, with the judge discharging the jury. Justice Treacy told the jury that he had come to this decision "as a result of certain matters which have arisen". A new jury will be sworn in on November 10.

The Catholic teenager died as a result of brain damage a day after he was savagely beaten in an apparent sectarian attack in Ballymena in May 2006.

The Courts

DPP to explain reasons for non-prosecution

Director of Public Prosecutions James Hamilton has announced that he plans, in limited circumstances, to disclose the reasons for not going ahead with a prosecution when there is a known suspect. Initially he will only do so in cases of death caused by crime, road traffic incident or industrial accident.

A written explanation will be given on request to the victim's next of kin or to professionals acting on their behalf. There will, however, be restrictions on the type of information released. Mr Hamilton believes that the reasons will not be published in the media as it could lead to libel cases. Contacts between the representative of the DPP and the victim's family will be considered privileged but when it goes beyond that the laws of libel apply.

Judge dismisses schoolyard accident case

Ruling on a case brought by a mother on behalf of her eight-year-old daughter, who broke her arm in a schoolyard fall, Judge Harvey Kenny said that if such cases continue to be brought before the courts children would no longer be allowed to play in the schoolyard.  Anne-Marie McNulty of Glanmire, Co. Cork claimed there was no supervision and that the child had been knocked down. However the judge accepted the evidence of the school principal, a teacher and a special needs assistant that the child had tripped and that there had been adequate supervision of the schoolyard at the time. Ms McNulty was ordered to pay all costs associated with the case.

18-month sentence for attack with hatchet

Neil Crumlish (61) received an 18-month sentence with nine months suspended when he was found guilty at Donegal Circuit Court on Thursday of attacking his former partner with a hatchet and a broom. The court heard that Crumlish had hit Dorothy Kelly (65) with a broom and a hatchet after an argument last December in the house they shared in Mountcharles, Co. Donegal. Ms Kelly spent six days in hospital after the attack.

In his statement Crumlish admitted that he hit her "a wee blow" on the back of the head and claimed that he immediately tried to stop the bleeding but Ms Kelly wouldn't let him.

Ten years for stabbing

Dubliner Darren Duff (36) was given a ten-year sentence for stabbing a man in the stomach, causing him very serious injuries. When Duff, of Poppintree in Ballymun, was convicted in July the jury reached its verdict based on statements that the victim and other witnesses made to gardaí in the aftermath of the incident, rather than on evidence given by them in the court.

The victim and ten witnesses refused to give evidence. In passing sentence Judge Frank O'Donnell said he was in no doubt that the reason for their refusal was fear.

Youth charged with Waterloo Road murder

Finn Colclough (18), of Waterloo Road, Dublin is currently before the Central Criminal Court charged with the murder of Seán Nolan of Fairview in May last year. The court heard that Colclough had stabbed the victim with a kitchen knife after Mr Nolan and two friends had approached the house looking for a corkscrew to open a bottle of wine. One witness claimed that Colclough had drunk between eight and 14 rounds of drink at a 21st birthday party prior to the incident and that he had also smoked cannabis. The trial continues.

Other cases:

• Paul Murphy (23) of Knocknaheeny, Cork was remanded in custody after being charged with  assault causing serious harm to Dónal Manley on October 10. The body of Mr Manley, a retired barman, was found with head injuries at his home in High Street in the city.

• Sadhbh Mohan (4), who was badly burned by spilled coffee in the Liffey Valley Centre as a baby, was awarded €20k in the High Court on Wednesday. Sadhbh, who sued premises operator Nude Ltd through her mother Helen Mohan of Ongar Chase, Co. Dublin, suffered burns when the coffee spilled from a takeaway cup with an unsecured lid.

• A jury failed to agree a verdict in the case in which motorcyclist Niall McGrath (25), from Ballintra, Co. Donegal, was charged with dangerous driving causing the deaths of three people who were travelling in two cars on the Ballyshannon to Donegal town road in September 2005. The case was adjourned until December 16.

• At a High Court hearing the State agreed to provide interim accommodation to a mentally-ill Afghan refugee pending his application for asylum. The man, who arrived in Ireland in 2005, was barred from hostel accommodation due to violent and unacceptable behaviour and has been sleeping in a Dublin factory for the past two months.

Employment & Industrial Relations

100 Aer Arann jobs under threat

In a major cost-cutting exercise Aer Arann is seeking up to 100 redundancies, or around 25% of its staff. The airline currently operates 12 aircraft providing 600 flights per week and has one plane on lease. It links some provincial airports with Dublin, flies to a number of British cities from Galway, Cork and Waterford and also flies to a few European destinations.

A spokesman said key routes remain unaffected but the company is to change its business model to ensure its long-term viability. It will offer fully-crewed aircraft to other airlines on lease or charter

Galway Airport staff threaten strike

Staff at Galway Airport, who are members of the trade union SIPTU, are threatening industrial action over the Hallowe'en weekend following a decision by management to make cuts in both working hours and pay. The planned action, involving some 45 ground crew, terminal operations staff and fire crew, came shortly after the airport's only regular customer, Aer Arann, announced more than 100 redundancies.

Airport management has said flights will operate normally in the event of the strike going ahead.

Reform work practices to fund pay rises, Minister tells HSE

Minister for Health Mary Harney has told the Health Service Executive that it must fund staff pay increases by savings achieved through work practice reform. The Minister stressed that health services should not be curtailed to fund the 3.5% increase due next September under the proposed national wage agreement.

It later emerged that the same message has been sent to all Government departments and all State agencies.

Union recommends acceptance of pay deal

SIPTU, the largest union in the State, has recommended to its members that they vote in favour of the new national pay agreement; balloting started on Thursday. Union president Jack O'Connor said the decision had been taken unanimously by the union's executive.

Award for painter who complained of colleagues smoking

An Employment Appeals Tribunal awarded Kevin Vaughan of Carrigart, Co. Donegal €7,200 for constructive dismissal by his employer, Paul McGaughey of Mulroy, Carrigart. The Tribunal found that Mr Vaughan's complaints about colleagues smoking in the workplace had been ignored by Mr McGaughey, and that disagreement over working hours led to his constructive dismissal.

Politics & Politicians

Galway construction project price could reach €20m

The High Court rejected an effort by the city council to overturn an arbitrator's finding that the council had behaved unreasonably towards SKC, which ceased work on the site after the council had withdrawn funds paid under an acceleration agreement.

Politicians call on British to release Omagh data

At a meeting of the British-Irish Inter-Parliamentary Body on Monday, TDs and MPs combined in calling on the Westminster Government to release details of recorded phone conversations of those suspected of carrying out the 1998 Omagh bombing. It is accepted that key recordings were made on the day of the atrocity. 

For the first time since the body was set up in 1990, a member of the Ulster Unionist Party participated.  Ken Maginnis nearly didn't make it, however, as he thought it was being held in Newcastle, Co. Down and had to make a last minute dash to Newcastle in England

In an apparent response to unionist sensitivities the body will in future be known as the British Irish Assembly.

International gathering for UNFCCC meeting

Delegates from Africa, Asia, South America, Australia, North America and Europe were among those at a three-day meeting of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change held at Farmleigh House in Dublin last week. Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources Éamon Ryan opened the three-day event, which focused on reaching an agreement on the transfer of low-carbon technologies to developing countries.

Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern on Tuesday fell down stairs at his home and broke his right leg. He has, however, remained active, although using crutches, and was in the Dáil on Wednesday for the vote on the over-70s medical card issue. That night he attended the Trinity College Historical Society to be presented with a gold medal for his outstanding contribution to public discourse.

Health

€4.25m award for girl with cerebral palsy

Grace Stynes (7) was awarded €4.25m in the High Court on Tuesday in an action taken on her behalf by her mother who alleged negligence in the circumstances of her birth at the Coombe Hospital in Dublin. Justice Michael Hanna approved the settlement, which was agreed by the hospital and the HSE without any admission of liability.

Grace, of Brownstown, Co. Kildare, uses a wheelchair and requires a number of different therapeutic services as a result of deprivation of oxygen at a crucial time during the delivery.

Acute in-patient services to end in Monaghan

The Health Service Executive announced on Thursday that it plans to transfer all acute in-patient services from Monaghan Hospital to Cavan Hospital. This will mean the redeployment of 130 staff. The change was originally due to come into effect on November 30 but the establishment of a number of support services required for the success of the plan is behind schedule and the move will probably be delayed until the end of February.

The Health Service Executive says the decision was made in the interests of patient safety. The Monaghan catchment area with small numbers of patients in various categories does not allow medical staff to maintain their skills. The decision has been greeted with trenchant criticism from many living in the area.

Carlingford Lough to be spanned by new bridge

The plans for a new bridge across Carlingford Lough, linking Counties Down and Louth, have been placed on public display in both counties. The €21m Narrow Water Bridge will link the towns of Warrenpoint and Omeath.

Change of management for luxury Cork hotel

The US-based West Paces Hotel Group has ended its management contract with the owners of the luxury hotel in Castlemartyr, Co. Cork and it will no longer trade under the Capella brand. It is expected that Dromoland Castle will take over the running of the restored manor house and hotel.

TDs call for removal of aviation tax anomaly

Speaking to a meeting of the Joint Oireachteas Committee on Transport on Wednesday, Frank Feighan, TD for Roscommon-South Leitrim, called on Minister for Transport Noel Dempsey to remove one particular anomaly of the new aviation tax.

Those travelling to certain airports in Britain from Dublin will be charged only €2, while those travelling from regional airports in the west of Ireland will be charged the full €10 tax. His proposal was supported by committee chairman Frank Fahey (FF), and was adopted unanimously by the committee members.

Proposal to ban traffic from Dublin

Dublin City Council has warned that it may soon have to ban all traffic from the city centre. Congestion combined with building projects are expected to bring traffic to a standstill if action is not taken.  The initial restrictions are expected within two years, with work starting on Metro North and the Luas extension.

Taoiseach visits in China

Taoiseach Brian Cowen arrived in China on Wednesday, two days late. He had been due to travel last Sunday evening with an Enterprise Ireland trade delegation of around 100 companies but remained in Dublin to deal with the medical card crisis. Minister for Education Batt O'Keeffe stood in during the Taoiseach's absence.

In Beijing on Thursday the Taoiseach had a meeting with the Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao. He also addressed a business breakfast attended by more than 500 people. This was organised by Enterprise Ireland and his audience were the representatives of the 96 Irish companies taking part in the trade mission and their Chinese clients.

Mr Cowen also attended an IDA Ireland event aimed at encouraging Chinese financial institutions to set up operations in Dublin's International Financial Services Centre.

By Sunday Mr Cowen was back in Ireland.

Morale of Irish workers in Brussels hit by Lisbon outcome

Speaking to a Joint Oireachtas Sub-Committee on Ireland's Future in the EU, RTE's European editor Seán Whelan reported a lowering of morale among Brussels-based Irish civil servants following the outcome of the Lisbon Treaty referendum.  He spoke of the "shrinkage in terms of Irish influence" that is perceived following the No vote.

Mr Whelan also highlighted other problems generated by the Irish No vote; internal political problems in Austria, tension between the prime minister and the president of Poland, and fears in Croatia that the country will not be admitted to the EU in 2010.

Ireland wins first leg of International rules series

Ireland won the first of the two International rules series tests against Australia in Perth today. In the end it turned out to be very close with Ireland holding out to win by 45 points to 44. A crowd of 35,000 watched Ireland lead at the end of the first quarter but the Australians drew level, 19 points each at half time. By the end of the third quarter it looked quite comfortable for the Irish as they scored more freely than the Aussies to take a 17-point lead. The lead increased in the final quarter but then the home sided started to assert itself and had almost closed the gap when the game ended.

Conservation & The Environment

Three towns remain seriously littered

The campaign being conducted by Irish Business Against Litter is having a lasting impact, with the number of towns classified as "Clean to European norms" continuing to increase. The latest survey, carried out by An Taisce on behalf of IBAL, put Cavan at the top of that category, followed by Galway and Ennis. At the other end of the scale Cobh was considered the dirtiest town in Ireland followed by Bray and Tullamore, while Cork was labelled the dirtiest city.

Particular mention was made of the amount of litter on roads leading from Cork city, something I first wrote about in November 2003.

City Council to clean up Capel Street

Dublin City Council is to carry out renovation work on Capel Street which will see the removal of neon signs and merchandise visible in sex-shops. The street is to be given special conservation status, a designation that will see much tighter planning controls.

Most of the buildings on Capel Street date from the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries and property owners will no longer be able to make material changes to their buildings without permission.

Tenders sought for raising of Asgard II

A final decision on salvaging the sail training vessel Asgard II, which sank off the French coast last month, is expected to be made this week. The Department of Defence and Coiste an Asgard are working on costing estimates for raising the vessel, which lies in 80 metres of water in the Bay of Biscay.

European planner criticises random housing

Speaking at the presentation of European urban and regional planning awards in Dublin Castle on Thursday, leading European planner Virna Bussadori criticised the sprawl of rural housing in this country. Ms Bussadori, president of the European Council of Spatial Planners, spoke of the need to understand that land is not an infinite resource and that some areas should be protected in the public interest.

Waterford is the latest for a water scare

The residents of Waterford city are the latest to be alerted to the state of their water supply after excess levels of lead were found in samples taken from an area close to the city centre. Leaflets are to be delivered to those living in pre-1970 houses and Director of Services Colette Byrne said that corrective measures are to be taken.

Education 

ASTI executive against teachers' promotion on merit

Proposals by the Department of Education that in future secondary school teachers will be promoted on merit rather than seniority have received mixed reactions from teachers' union ASTI. While the union leadership has backed the proposals, some members of the union's executive are opposed. The new scheme, which is due to come into effect from next year, is one sought by the Department for the past ten years.

HEA grant backs language digitisation project

The Higher Education Authority's Programme for Research in Third Level Institutions has awarded a €28m grant to a research body involved in digitising sound recordings, documents and images relating to the Irish Language. The Digital Humanities Observatory will work with material such as the sound recordings of Irish speakers in the State taken between 1928 and 1931. Examples are online at the Digital Humanities Observatory website.

Entertainment & The Arts

Cutbacks at RTE

National broadcaster RTÉ is feeling the pinch with a downturn in advertising revenue. To counteract this, the 2,300 staff at the station have been told that a salary freeze will apply until next September. This means no cost of living increases, no merit increases, no annual increments and no bonuses.  Director General Cathal Goan and his five most senior executives have volunteered to take a pay cut of 17.5%.

The cost saving measures will also mean restrictions on foreign travel, an effective ban on replacing those who leave, and the non-renewal of contracts for freelance staff.

TV3 is facing similar problems and is laying off 15 staff.

Jazz Festival for Cork over Bank Holiday weekend

Some 1,000 musicians will be performing at this year's Cork Jazz Festival which takes place in the city over the Bank Holiday weekend. Included in the line-up are Acker Bilk and Kenny Ball, who will play at Cork Opera House.

Death of Fr Austin Flannery

Fr Austin Flannery, a member of the Dominican Order and a former president of the Irish Anti-Apartheid Movement, has died at the age of 83.  Fr Flannery's translation of the documents of the Second Vatican Council became the standard version in the English language.

Road victims named

• Michael Mulryan (80), of Glasnevin, Dublin was the victim in the collision between a car and a truck at Caherciveen, Co. Kerry on October 15.

• The woman who lost her life when the car in which she was a passenger crashed at Rossleaghan, Portlaoise in the early hours of October 18, was named as Claire Hennessy (24) of Kilminchy, Co. Laois.

• Kevin Rocke (36) was the SUV driver who died in a single vehicle accident at  Ballynacargy, Co. Westmeath last Saturday. He was from the area.

• The driver who was killed in a road accident in west Cork in the early hours of last Sunday was Francis O' Driscoll (19), of Prospect Grove, Dunmanway.

Road deaths in Counties Limerick, Dublin, Kildare, Galway and Cavan

• Rob McElligott (21) of Ballyhahill, Limerick was killed at around 9:20pm  last Sunday when the car he was driving crashed near Glin, Co. Limerick. Three passengers escaped with minor injuries in the single-vehicle accident.

• Two 16-year-old youths were injured when the bicycle on which they were travelling was involved in a collision with a car on Dublin's Parnell Square on October 18. One of the boys died from his injuries on Monday evening.

• A collision involving two cars at Laraghbyran, Maynooth, Co. Kildare, at 10:00pm last Sunday night resulted in the death of Ion Postolachi (33), of Maynooth, who was the sole occupant  of one of the vehicles.

• Paul Higgins (26) was fatally injured in the early hours of Saturday when the van he was driving went out of control and collided with a ditch near his home at Ruanmore, Ardrahan, Co Galway.

• Jonathon Heagney (26), from Galbally near Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, was found dead by the side of Carrickmacross Road outside Kingscourt, Co. Cavan at 2:00pm on Saturday. Gardaí say that he had been hit by a vehicle which failed to stop sometime between 2:00am and 2:00pm.

• A 42-year-old woman, who was travelling alone, was killed in a three-car accident in Co. Galway on Sunday evening. The accident happened at Recess, on the Maam Cross to Clifden road.

Bausch & Lomb cost-cutting not to include redundancies

An extension by three days to the plant closure at Christmas is one of the cost-cutting measures to be taken by Bausch & Lomb in Waterford. Management has allayed fears that redundancies are a possibility at the contact lens manufacturing plant which employs some 1,400 staff.

Major builder in trouble

An administrator has been appointed to the operations of Derry-based builder Taggart Holdings which operates in Ireland and Britain. The company's bankers have called in administrators as it was unable to service its debts. At this stage it is the Irish operations of Taggart Holdings that are in administration. In addition to Britain the company also has interests in the US, eastern Europe, France and New Zealand.

It is thought that a £100m land purchase in Belfast and the £65m purchase of a British building company, both in 2006, have turned out to be bad investments with the downturn in the property market.

IL&P to cut jobs in Britain

A decision not to pursue new mortgage lending in Britain next year has led to Irish Life & Permanent cutting 70 jobs at CHL, its British-based buy-to-let mortgage business. CHL currently has 175 staff and those remaining will focus on maximising profits on existing loans in 2009.

Banks under scrutiny

The country's six main financial institutions have been instructed by the Financial Regulator to produce plans showing how they will reduce the risks they are currently facing. As part of the deal under which the government is guaranteeing bank deposits and interbank loans the Financial Regulator will also place monitors in each bank. The regulator is currently recruiting 20 experienced bankers for this purpose.

On Friday Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan signed the orders confirming that the six main Irish-headquartered financial institutions are now covered under the recently announced guarantee scheme. Allied Irish Bank, Bank of Ireland, Anglo Irish Bank, Irish Life & Permanent, EBS and Irish Nationwide Building Society had earlier submitted the "guaranteed acceptance deeds" confirming their intention to participate in the scheme.

Seán Quinn resigns from board of Quinn Insurance

Businessman Seán Quinn has resigned from the board of Quinn Insurance after the company was fined €3.25m by the Financial Regulator, for failing to notify the IFSRA office of a €288m loan to other group companies. The money was then used by Quinn family members to shore up their investments, particularly in Anglo Irish Bank; the family owns 15% of the bank's shares.

Mr Quinn was hit with a personal fine of €200k. In a statement he accepted full responsibility for the "breach of regulation" but added, "I feel the levels of fines do not reflect the fact that there was no risk to policyholders or the taxpayer but are a result of pressures existing in the current environment". He was referring to the barrage of criticism targeted at the Regulator in recent weeks.

Severe flooding in Kerry

A combination of heavy rain and high tides caused severe flooding in Kerry on Thursday, with the town of Kenmare experiencing some of the worst flooding in living memory. At one stage there was up to four feet of water in the Square and on Main Street after the River Finnihy burst its banks.

The fact that new housing developments have been built on flood plains is thought to have been a contributory cause. The county council closed the Cork-Killarney road for a time near Glenflesk after flood waters built up at Garries Bridge.

A wet and windy week

Strong winds were a feature of the week starting on Monday when, although windy, there was little rain. It was different on both Thursday and Saturday when the winds were stronger, at up to 110kph, and the rain torrential at times. Over the week we had 250% of the normal rainfall for the time of year but also saw quite a bit of the sun on the days when it wasn't raining.

Wintry conditions are to be a feature of the coming week. A northerly airflow will keep daytime temperatures in single digits and give us frosts at night. Rainfall will be mostly light but some showers are expected. These could be of sleet or snow on high ground.

Latest Temperatures: Day 11C (52F).................Night 3C (37F)

S P O R T

G.A.A.

Compromise Rules First Test
    Australia 44    Ireland 45

Interprovincial Hurling Semi Finals
    Munster 2-14    Ulster 1-12
    Connacht 1-10    Leinster 2-11

Interprovincial Football Semi Finals
    Munster 1-5    Ulster 0-5
    Connacht 2-15    Leinster 0-11

Soccer

FAI Cup Semi Final
    St Pat's Ath. 1    Bohemians 3
    Galway Utd 0    Derry City 1

Eircom Premier Division
    St Pat's Ath. 0    Galway Utd 1

Rugby

Magners League
Fri:    Connacht 14    Edinburgh 27
    Glasgow 15    Leinster 12
Sat:    Ulster 22    Munster 6   

AIB League Division One

    Ballymena 14    UL Bohemians 9
    Dungannon 22    Dolphin 16
    Galwegians 14    Old Belvedere 12
    Garryowen 19    Buccaneers 8
    St Mary’s C 16    Cork Con 9
    Terenure C 10    Shannon 35
    UCD 10     Blackrock C 6
    Y. Munster 0    Clontarf 7
   

Sports Shorts

Green Dragon in top three in Volvo Ocean Race

Galway-based Green Dragon spent a number of days holding first place in the Volvo Ocean Race and was the first team to cross the first scoring gate at Ilha de Fernando de Noronha on Thursday. The four points picked up for this put Green Dragon in a three-way tie for the overall lead.

As of last night the yacht was lying third, 25 nautical miles behind Ericsson 4 and 19 behind Puma.

Ger O'Rourke's Delta Lloyd was lying in seventh position, 96 miles behind the leader. http://www.traclive.dk/events/event_20081011_VORLeg1/

Golf:

At the Castello Masters in Spain Rory McIlroy was best of the Irish, sharing ninth place on –12, eight shots behind winner Sergio Garcia. 
__________________________________________________________
Irish Emigrant Publications
a: Unit 4, Campus Innovation Centre, Upper Newcastle, Galway, Ireland
t: +353 (0)91 569158
e: info@emigrant.ie
w: http://www.IrishEmigrant.com
__________________________________________________________
For recruitment advertising, email Denis at info@emigrant.ie
For all other advertising, email Catherine at sales@emigrant.ie

To help support this publication, see our voluntary subscription programme at http://www.emigrant.ie/gift.asp
__________________________________________________________
To subscribe: email majordomo@ieplists.com with SUBSCRIBE IENT in the body of the message.
To unsubscribe: email majordomo@ieplists.com with UNSUBSCRIBE IENT in the body of the message.
__________________________________________________________

---

Using the buttons below you can save this article to your favourite social bookmarking site