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Fine Gael TD andMinister of State, BrianHayes has said that theAction Plan for Jobslaunched by theTaoiseach, Enda Kenny,the Minister for Jobs,Richard Bruton, and theTánaiste, EamonGilmore, containsprogressive measuresthat will help get DublinSouth West back towork.

“The Action Plan forJobs will make itcheaper and easier todo business and tocreate jobs. It willsupport existing Irishbusinesses and new

start-ups, while helpingto attract inwardinvestment fromoverseas. The Plan willset the environment toachieve the Taoiseach’saim of having 100,000more people workingand making Ireland thebest small country inthe world in which to dobusiness by 2016. “The Plan changes theway Governmentinteracts with business,by cutting costs and redtape. It contains 15 keyactions to make it easierto do business and growjobs. Under a keyelement of the plan,County Enterprise

Boards will be replacedby a new One Stop Shopmicro enterprisesupport structure.Through a new networkof Local EnterpriseOffices in localauthorities, EnterpriseIreland will provideexpert help to start-upbusinesses at a locallevel. “We want to encouragefirms in Dublin SouthWest to sell theirproducts abroad inlucrative exportmarkets. EnterpriseIreland will identify awider group of potentialexporting companiesunder a new Potential

Exporters Division. Thecorporation taxexemption for start-upswill be extended to2014, and a newDevelopment CapitalScheme will help fundmid-sized indigenouscompanies with majorgrowth potential. “Accessing creditremains a majorchallenge for manyfirms in Dublin SouthWest; this will bedirectly addressed bythe Partial CreditGuarantee Scheme andthe Micro Finance Fund,which will help

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Cllr. Emer Higgins hasurged local residents toget involved in the TidyTowns competition andSpring Clean campaign

Fine Gael’s CouncillorEmer Higgins has urged

residents to roll uptheir sleeves and helpclean up their village.Her call comes ahead ofan information eveningorganised by SouthDublin County Councilfor residents interested

businesses struggling toget loans. To helpindigenous firms growtheir business herepublic procurement willbe made moreaccessible to SMEs and itwill be easier for smallbusinesses to wincontracts with largemultinationals. Fundingwill also be increasedfor mentoring anddevelopmentprogrammes for SMEmanagers. “A range of initiativeswill target sectors that

have high potential forgrowth includingmanufacturing,life-sciences, cloudcomputing, digitalgaming, agri-food andtourism. Thissustainable model willconsign thebubble-economicspolicies of the previousGovernment to history.

“This Plan is a workingdocument and itstargets will be closelymonitored and updatedon a quarterly basis.

Every Governmentdepartment must playits part. By restructuringthe banks, reformingour employment andtraining services,establishing newERAand introducing a moresustainable taxationsystem the Governmenthas already taken thesteps necessary torebuild our brokeneconomy. This Plan willbuild on this progresswith the ultimate aim ofgetting Ireland back towork.”

in entering their townor village in the TidyTown 2012 competition.

“Lucan is the onlyvillage in our Countywhich enters the annualTidy Townscompetition. They havea fantastic team oflocal volunteers whomake a huge effort toensure the village iskept in tip topcondition and theyalways do well in thenational competition.But Lucan isn’t the onlytidy village in our areaand there is no reasonwhy villages such asPalmerstown,Clondalkin, newcastle ,Rathcoole and Saggartcannot be recognised inthis competition,” saidCllr. Emer Higgins.“I have spoken toresidents inPalmerstown,newcastle andRathcoole and urgedthem to come along tothe information nightthe Council are runningto promote the

initiative. If the idea ofentering the Tidy Townscompetition seems a bitdaunting, then yourcommunity mightinstead be interested inorganising a SpringClean,” suggested Cllr.Higgins.“During the month ofApril An Taisce offerssupport and resourcesto estates andcommunities who rollup their sleeves andcleanup their area.South Dublin CountyCouncil also offer SocialCredits to local groupswho tidy their villages –so the benefits aretwofold,” continuedCllr. Higgins.

“If you are interested infinding out more abouthow to get involved inthe Tidy TownsCompetition or thenational Spring Cleanget in touch with theCouncil or contact medirectly and I’ll do all Ican to support yourcommunity,” concludedHiggins.

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Jobs plaN will help ........ FroM page 1

A new regulation beingintroduced by theFrench Government thatwill require motorists tocarry a breathalyzer intheir car at all timeswhilst travelling inFrance have been

acknowledged by IrishFerries as a positivemeasure that will helpreduce road accidentsand make travelling inFrance even safer forIrish holidaymakers.To that end, the

company confirms thatbreathalyzers will go onsale on board theirIreland/France cruiseferry Oscar Wilde aheadof April when the newregulations come intoforce.

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Energy Minister Pat Rabbitte has welcomed thebeginning of a two-week publicity campaign tohighlight the dangers of carbon monoxidepoisoning.“I am very pleased to see that good advice on thissilent killer is being given to the public in such ahigh-profile manner. I am particularly pleased tonote that the campaign includes advice on how toselect a suitable carbon monoxide alarm from themany currently available.It is my hope that people will pay attention to this,and that we can prevent any more tragic deaths

from occurring. I commend Bord Gais networks onthis important work”, said the Minister.Press, television and radio messages providinginformation about how to protect against carbonmonoxide poisoning have been prepared by BordGais networks. The campaign is supported by theRegister of Gas Installers of Ireland, the nationalStandards Authority of Ireland, the Irish LPGAssociation and the Commission for EnergyRegulation.Further information is available onwww.carbonmonoxide.ie

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Labour T.D., RobertDowds has called on theGovernment not to loseits nerve in relation totackling alcohol abuse. “As a member of theOireachtas Healthcommittee whichrecommended toughlegislative action totackle the scourge ofalcohol abuse prevalentin the country, I am afirm supporter ofMinister Róisín Shortalland her dedicatedeffort to get to gripswith the extent of thealcohol problem inIreland, and protectchildren from exposureto alcohol marketing. "Due to the widespreadand serious alcohol

abuse in Ireland, it ishigh time theGovernment held itsnerve and did whatprevious Governmentsdid not have thecourage to do, and thatis to protect thephysical and mentalhealth of the public. "In the past,Governments havetaken the easy optionand abdicated theirresponsibility in thisregard, even thoughalcohol abuse is themost prevalent form ofdrug abuse in Ireland. "The list of the ways inwhich alcohol isdamaging Irish societyis a very long one, butthe single fact that

2,000 hospital beds arebeing occupied everynight because ofalcohol-related injuriesand illnesses speak foritself. "It is essential we put inplace practices todiscourage excessiveuse of alcohol, and forthat reason I fullysupport measuresoutlines in the nationalSubstance MisuseStrategy such as theintroduction ofminimum pricing toprevent supermarketsusing alcohol as a lossleader, and the need tocurtail or ban alcoholadvertisement. "Clearly, there aremajor forces who are

coming out against thischange, not least ofwhich is the wellfinanced drinksindustry. However, forthe sake of our people'shealth, we must changeour deeply destructiverelationship withalcohol. The profits ofthe drinks industrysimply cannot comebefore the health of theIrish people. "We must strive to getto a place where wetreat alcoholresponsibly, and that isa place where we, as apeople, can socialisewith one or two drinkswithout gettinghammered out of ourminds."

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Fine Gael TD, DerekKeating, has said that thePersonal Insolvency Bill is akey step in solving ourmortgage crisis. The Bill has been publishedby the Minister for Justice,Alan Shatter, and theMinister for Finance,Michael noonan. This draftBill puts forward a range ofoptions that will providemuch needed relief forthose struggling withpersonal debt. This is anextremely complex areaand one of nationalimportance. However, it isaffecting many families inthe Dublin Mid-WestConstituency and affectingmany young families whomay have returned to livewith their parents because

of their insolvencysituation.

A key part of theGovernment strategy isdealing with mortgagearrears. However, the writedown of small debts up tothe value of €20,000 will bemade possible through whatis called a Debt ReliefCertificate. These twoschemes will directly helpthousands of people and Iwelcome it. The final andcrucial element of thislegislation is the reformingof the bankruptcyarrangements which reducethe period of time that aperson would be consideredbankrupt from 12 years to 3years. Derek Keating says “this Bill

is an excellent start and itwill now go before the JointOireachtas Committee forconsideration and I ampositive that it will bepublished and that we willsee it implement in thisterm of the Dáil.

However, I want to hearyour views on this matterand I am determined tochart a way out of this crisiswith the Government byhelping young people whohave been caught up in thefinancial circumstances thatthis Government hasinherited and that theyhave to live with as a resultof the previousadministration’smishandling of ourfinances”

Sinn Fein Dublin Mid-Westrepresentative Eoin Ó Broinhas said that ‘the loss of binwaivers will cost low incomefamilies €200 per year andwill lead to increasedfinancial hardship, povertyand illegal dumping.’ Thecomments come afterGreyhound has startedcontacting households withbin waivers outlining the

cost of their service whenthe waivers cease at theend of March 2012.

O Broin said that “Last yearSouth Dublin County Councilsold their bin collectionservice to Greyhound. Theprivate company made itclear that while it wouldhonour the waiver for 12months.

“Greyhound has now startedcontacting some of itscustomers currentlycovered by the waiverinviting them to meetings tooutline what happens afterMarch.“Customers are being toldthat their waiver ends inMarch and that if they wantto remain with Greyhoundthey must pay up to€200 a

loss oF biN waiVer will cosT FaMilies €200 per Yearyear. A number of paymentoptions are being offeredincluding a €40 annual feeand either a set lift chargefor black and brown bins ora charge by weight. Somecustomers are also beingoffered a €189 flat chargefor the year to cover alllifts.“Whatever option one looksat it, the bottom line is thatlow income families,already struggling to makeends meet, will have to payout an extra €200 per year.

“Many of the familiesaffects are already living onthe breadline, they havehad social welfare paymentscut and in some instancesalso have to pay thehousehold charge.“An extra €200 a year ormore to these families is asevere blow, which willhave a very significantimpact on the householdbudgets concerned.“It will lead to increasedfinancial hardship for manyand increased poverty for

some. It will also lead,unfortunately, to anincrease in illegal dumping,the bill for which willultimately be borne by theCouncil and the taxpayer.“There is an urgent need forthe Government tointervene and replace whatwas the local authority binwaiver with a new centrallyfunded scheme to ensurethat families are not forcedto make impossible choicesof paying for food, heat orbin collections.”

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“caughT iN The web”an older & bolder reporton older people’s battle

with bureaucracyThe Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly has launched‘Caught in the Web’ - an Older & Bolderreport which shines a spotlight on thedifficulties older people have in accessingvital information about access to publicservices.

“Isolation, sensory problems, lack of accessto the internet, the failure of some serviceproviders to offer adequate or appropriateinformation about their services all createbarriers between the older person and whatthey need and are entitled to in order to getthe most from their lives,” Ms. O’Reilly said.

Director of Older & Bolder Patricia Conboycalled for a simpler system to be adopted toavoid the real hardship people areexperiencing throughout the country.

“One man interviewed in the report waited along time for a wheelchair and then got twoon the same day. Older people should nothave to battle with bureaucracy. They shouldbe able to make a telephone call and havetheir query tracked through a centraltracking system the same way you can if youbuy a book on Amazon or buy a flight or senda registered letter in the post. This wouldnot entail enormous expenditure and indeedmay say money in the long run.”

Local T.D., Minister forChildren and YouthAffairs, FrancesFitzgerald was amongthose who participatedin The OperationTransformation 5k FunRun in The PhoenixPark. MinisterFitzgerald was joinedby OperationTransformation hostKathrine Thomas andClondalkin womenKaren and May Shieldsat the hugely succesfulevent.

“There was a fantasticatmosphere at the 5kchallenge. It is soencouraging to seepeople turning toexercise and fitness inan effort to improvetheir lifestyle. I amdelighted for theleaders who have beenan inspiration to somany peoplethroughout the countryas well as here in Lucanand Clondalkin – theywere thrilled to havecompleted thechallenge,” saidMinister FrancesFitzgerald.

“In my position asMinister for Childrenand Youth Affairs, I amworking hard toencourage children andyoung people to take upsports and physicalactivities. MyDepartment isrepresented on thegovernment’s newSpecial Advisory Groupon obesity and we arecurrently working on anumber of initiatives, inconjunction with othergovernmentdepartments, toimprove healthy eatingand rates of physicalactivity among childrenand young people. I amfully supportive of theGAA, FAI and IRFU andthe work they do bothnationally and locallyhere in Lucan andClondalkin,” saidFitzgerald. "Childhood obesity is amajor concern.Research from the‘Growing-Up in Ireland’national longitudinalstudy contains somevery worrying datashowing that nearly aquarter of Irish children

are either overweightor obese. These findingspose a serious challengewhich requires adetermined andmulti-faceted response.Improving rates of playand physical activityamong children is acritical part of thisresponse,” continued

Fitzgerald“I would like tocongratulate all ofthose who followed theOperationTransformationprogramme andencourage people to bemore health and fitnessconscious. I know howhard it is to fit a fitness

regime into yourschedule, but its timewe as a nation,prioritised our healthand well-being. I havetried many of Dr. Eva'sdishes myself and amhoping to be able tocontinue healthiereating,” concludedFitzgerald.

FiTZgeralD Takes oN operaTioNTraNsForMaTioN challeNge

Minister Fitzgerald pictured with Operation Transformation Host KathrineThomas and Clondalkin women Karen and May Shields


Greyhound racing received a huge boost when the IGBannounced the entrance of Betfair into the Irishgreyhound racing sponsorship world for the first time.The online betting firm will sponsor one of thegreyhound calendar's marquee events at ShelbournePark which will now be known as the Betfair 600. Thenew sponsorship brings a number of new additionalpositive facets to this year's event as a result of Betfaircoming on board:

1) The final will be televised live on RTE on Saturday12th May as part of an hour long broadcast.2) In conjunction with the event, 5 regional trial stakeswill be run (venues listed below) with the winners

receiving complimentary entry to the main event atShelbourne.3) Total prize money for the event including regionaltrial stakes will be over €51k (41% increase on 2011 withwinners prize alone rising 25% to 25k from 20k).Increased prize money throughout the event.

IGB CEO Adrian neilan said "It's great news to haveBetfair as a high profile sponsor at Shelbourne Park forthis classic event, coming off the back of severalpositive announcements in recent weeks regarding lastyear's figures, increased prize money, the SIS deal andthe new sponsorship agreement for the SIS Live GoldCup. We are expecting the Betfair 600 to produce some

Top Models Roz Purcell and Daniella Moyles were first out of thetraps at Shelbourne Park to help the Irish Greyhound Boardannounce an exciting new sponsorship with Betfair. The onlinebetting firm, will sponsor one of the greyhound calendar'smarquee events at Shelbourne Park, which will now be known asthe Betfair 600.

fantastic racing over the 4 week period at Shelbourne Park andBetfair's involvement ensures that the trend of an increase in prizemoney for all our major events continues at Shelbourne Park in2012. This is another ringing endorsement of the popularity ofGreyhound racing in Ireland and given we had over 750,000 visitorsto our stadia last year I am very confident that Betfair will see asignificant return for their investment in this industry".

Graham Ross, Regional Manager for Betfair in Ireland commented"Betfair is delighted to be associated with such an historic andsignificant race in the Irish Greyhound racing calendar. In light ofthe popularity of greyhound racing across our local andinternational business, we are pleased to be in a position topartner with the Irish Greyhound Board to promote our brandwithin the industry. Following the successful launch of our GlobalOperations office in the adjacent Watermarque office building inMay 2011, this sponsorship represents an ideal opportunity to workwith Shelbourne Park, an important part of our local community.We look forward to involving our 85 (and growing) staff indelivering what should be a memorable sporting occasion".

Patrick Flynn, Sales Operations and Commercial Manager ofShelbourne added "Greyhound racing in Ireland's flagship stadiumwhere pictures and content are beamed far and wide gives Betfairthe perfect platform to increase their customer base. I would alsolike to recognize the support of the Hegarty family who havesponsored the event for the last two years but sportingly acceptedthe additional benefits that the Betfair sponsorship andinvolvement would bring in helping increase further the profile ofthis prestigious event and greyhound racing".

igb aNNouNce New Marquee spoNsorship wiTh beTFair For shelbourNe parkHuge boost for entrants as new Betfair 600 classic to have increased prizemonies,

with Final to be televised live on RTE

Betfair 600 Schedule:First rd heats Saturday 21st April / Second rd heats Saturday 28thApril / Semi-Finals Saturday 5th May / Final Saturday 12th May

Prizemoney:Winner €25,000 Second €6,000 Third €3,000 Unplaced €1,500Unplaced semi-finalists €500 each: Heat Winners €150 each:Unplaced second round €100 each:

Trial Stakes: Will be run at Limerick, Cork, Tralee, Harolds Cross& Galway with the winner of each along with the winner of theGain Feeds Irish Cesarewitch at Mullingar all receiving €500 andfree entry to the Betfair 600 at Shelbourne Park and lining up inthe opening round heat on Saturday 21st April


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Speaking in response tothe third consecutiverise in live registerfigures for Lucan andClondalkin Sinn FéinDublin-Mid Westrepresentative Eoin ÓBroin has called for thecreation of a “jobs taskforce” for the area to“tackle the growing

unemployment crisis”.Ó Broin said:“January’slive register figures forLucan and Clondalkinmake for depressingreading. While thestate wide figures showa marginal drop for thethird month in a row,Dublin Mid-Westunemployment

calls For Jobs Task Forceas lucaN & cloNDalkiN

uNeMploYMeNT rises agaiNcontinues to rise.“This is the thirdconsecutive rise in theLucan and Clondalkinlive register figures.8,968 people weresigning on in January.Twenty per cent ofthese were under 25years old.

“And of course thesefigures do not includethe hundreds offormerlyself-employmentpeople now out of workor the hundreds of localyoung people forced toemigrate in search ofwork.“More people aresigning on in DublinMid-West today thanwhen Fine Gael andLabour took office.“Without urgent actionLucan and Clondalkinare going to lose anentire generation tounemployment andemigration. We are alsolikely to seeconcentrated pocketsof long term and

intergenerationalunemployment acrossthe constituency as wehad in the 1970s and1980s.

“In the coming days Iwill be writing tocommunity, businessand statutory leaders inDublin Mid-Westseeking to meet themto discuss the need fora dedicated jobs taskforce in the area. Thepurpose of the taskforce would be to bringtogether key players inthe local economy tolobby for increasedsupport for businessand increasedinvestment in jobcreation.

“Enda Kenny hasrepeatedly said thatgetting people back towork was his numberone priority. What theunemployed people ofDublin Mid-West Want ismore action and lesswords from theTaoiseach.”

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There was an increase of 11% in the number of people contacting the CrimeVictims Helpline in 2011. Over 6000 calls were dealt with by volunteersoperating this much needed service. This includes calls received from thoseaffected by crime and calls made by volunteers to provide assistance tothese people. Over 17% of the calls received related to physical assaults.Unprovoked assaults, especially on the streets late at night, continue tobe a feature of many calls to the Helpline. In the case of such anunprovoked assault it can be very difficult for the Gardaí to trace theperpetrator/s. If there is no CCTV footage and if no witnesses comeforward, the attacker/s may not be brought to justice.

Maeve Ryan, Co-ordinator of the national Crime Victims Helpline said today,“There is no specific reason why the number of calls increased over thepast 12 months. It may simply be that there is a greater awareness of theservice. Our confidential service assists all those who call, irrespective ofthe reason why the person is affected. Some people for example, find thatthey feel afraid and vulnerable following a crime; some are upset by theirexperience with the criminal justice system and others face financialdifficulties as a result of the crime. Crime Victims Helpline volunteersprovide support and information to help each caller deal with the veryindividual problems that arise for them as a result of crime. This includesadvising callers of the availability of other specialist services for victims ofcrime.”

Maeve Ryan went on to say, “We encourage anyone who has become avictim of crime to talk about the incident to someone - and if someindependent assistance is required the Crime Victims Helpline can help.Every day we help people who are experiencing emotional and practicaldifficulties, as a result of a crime.”

The national Crime Victims Helpline provides an opportunity for peoplewho are feeling isolated, anxious, angry, sad, nervous and afraid as a resultof a crime to find emotional support on the phone, while others may havequestions about the justice system, or require information on local servicesfor victims of crime in their area.

The national Helpline numbers are Free Phone 116 006 and Call Save1850 21 14 07. The number for texts is 085 1337711

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Cllr. William Lavelle,Fine Gael councillor forLucan has welcomedthe Government’s newAction Plan for Jobs andits particularcommitment todeveloping Ireland’scloud computing sector.At today’s meeting ofSouth Dublin CountyCouncil, Cllr. Lavelleproposed a motioncalling on IDA Ireland toprioritise West Dublin;and in particularGrange Castle

International BusinessPark, for targetedinvestment indeveloping a cloudcomputingcentre-of-excellence.Cllr. Lavelle said thatlast year a high-levelreport commissioned byMicrosoft estimatedthat by 2014 the cloudcomputing industry inIreland could be worth€9.5billion and employ8,600 people.

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The vast majority ofpeople in Ireland wouldbe in favour of basicDIY skills being addedin some shape or formto the Irish secondaryschool curriculumaccording to a pollcarried out by the AA.

The AA has a first-handinterest in the subjecthaving just launched anew subscription basedservice for homeemergencies such asburst pipes, brokendown boliers and faultyelectrics called AAHomeEmergency Response.

Of a group of 11,000people polled by AAHome Emergency

Response, 90% eithercompletely orsomewhat agreed thatthe valuable life skillsshould be taught topupils with manysuggesting transitionyear as a goodopportunity to do so.Just 2% of those polledsaid they were stronglyopposed to the notion.

“It is amazing howmany of us don’t havethe first clue abouthow to carry out asimple task likechanging a tap-washeror bleeding a radiator.”Says AA’s ConorFaughnan. “Evenwiring a plug is verysimple when you knowhow to do it but

impossible and evendangerous if youdon’t.”

A quarter of allrespondents polledsaid they’recompletely cluelessabout DIY. While inthe minority comparedto the 60% ofrespondents whodescribed themselvesas either somewhat orvery good atDIY, further poll resultsgenerated by AA HomeEmergency Responsesuggest that it could bea dying art amongyounger generations.

One of the majorbarriers identified bythose poll participants

under the age of 35 visà vis DIY was having noone to teach them thebasics according to AAHome EmergencyResponse. A third ofthosewithin this agecategory who cannotdo DIY said it’s becausethey’ve never had theopportunity to learncompared to 14% ofthose over the age of65 and 19% of thoseaged between 55 and65 years.

The under 35s werehowever also quickerto admit that lazinessand a general lack ofinterest were to blamefor their nonexistentDIY skills.

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to the cloud-computersector is the provisionof data centres. This isan area where SouthDublin County Council isalready to the fore inattracting data centersto the county. Microsoftestablished its first everdata centre outside theUSA in Grange CastleBusiness Park and hasnow commencedconstruction of Phase 2.Google last year alsoannounced that it is toinvest €75m in theprovision of a datacentre, also at GrangeCastle.“But I think this is onlythe tip of the iceberg. Ifeel we can attracteven more investmentand jobs, in particularto Grange Castle givenits ideal location andthe all-importantavailability of a securepower supply to thebusiness park.“In light of today’sannouncement of theGovernment’s newAction Plan for Jobs andthe priority focus oncloud computing, I amcalling on IDA Ireland toprioritise West Dublinfor further targetedinvestment indeveloping the cloudcomputing industry. Ifeel Grange Castlecould become a globalcentre-of-excellencefor cloud computing.This will requireproactively promotingthe business park andbuilding-up links with

higher educationinstitutions to developthe associated potentialfor spin-off ITenterprises built oncloud computingtechnology.In response to Cllr.Lavelle’s motion, theCounty Managerreported: “It is theCouncils intentions tobe at the forefront ofseeking to have GrangeCastle Business Parkbecome a world centreof this important newindustry. To this end theCouncil in partnershipwith ESB and othersrecently completed amajor project toprovide an additional110KV circuits fromInchicore to GrangeCastle. Looking to thefuture and to ensurethe availability andsecurity of powersupply the Council havebeen in discussions withEirgrid and ESB topromote and ensure theconstruction of a new220KV station in theAdamstown area at anearly date. The IDA hasbeen aware of theCouncils aspirations andour capacity to meetthe requirements ofthose involved in CloudComputing services.”

Cllr. Lavelle concluded:““The ‘cloud’ presentsmany opportunities forjob creation. It isimportant that wegrasp theseopportunities.“


An open day will beheld in Collinstown ParkCommunity College onThursday 8th March2012 from 9.30am –130pm and from7.00pm – 8.30pm for allthose interested inattending a full /part-time AdultEducation or PostLeaving Certificatecourse. CollinstownPark CommunityCollege is located onthe neilstown Road inRowlagh, Clondalkinabout five minutes fromthe Liffey ValleyShopping Centre.Courses are available inEarly Childhood Careand Education,Computers and BusinessStudies, Payroll andBookkeeping, F.I.TInformation Technology(Specialising in PCMaintenance),Hairdressing andBeauty, Youth Work,Health Care Support,Pre-nursing Studies,

ECDL, ECDL Advanced,Return to Learning/General Studies, Englishfor Speakers of otherLanguages, Specialneeds ClassroomAssistant, After SchoolSupport Skills, BeautyCare, nails and Massageor Reception Skills. Thecollege particularlywelcomes adults whohave left school sometime ago and who wishto increase their skillsand gain aqualification.Courses are availableon a full-time andpart-time basis and areopen to school leaversand mature students.There are a number ofsupports available toadults on SocialProtection paymentswho wish to study atCollinstown ParkCommunity Collegeincluding VTOS andBack to EducationAllowance (BTEA). TheVTOS scheme allows

adults who have been inreceipt of a socialprotection payment formore than six months tokeep their benefitswhile attending a fulltime course. Studentseligible for VTOS do notpay fees and receiveother supports such asbooks, meal and travelallowance and acontribution towardschildcare for pre-schoolchildren, those whohave been unemployedfor more than twelvemonths also receive anadditional payment.The Back to EducationAllowance providespeople on SocialProtection payments anopportunity to return toeducation whilecontinuing to receivetheir normal benefitand includes a once offpayment to cover thecosts involved returningto education.One of the mostsuccessful courses in

Collinstown ParkCommunity College isthe InformationTechnology(Specialising in PCMaintenance) course,this course is run aspart of the FIT – FastTrack to InformationTechnology Programme.The course is aimed atpeople who have aninterest but no formaltraining in this area andfollows a highlyspecialised programmeto provide learners witha standard of technicalskill and generaleducation to meet thegrowing demands of theindustry.Collinstown ParkCommunity College alsooffers a broad range ofpart time courses.These flexible optionsallow students toachieve a specificqualification such asECDL, or a FETACComponent certificatein one year or to

The college is only five minutes from the Liffey Valley Shopping Centre

Buses 40 / 76 /76A / 76B / 210

Students who are in receipt of Social Protection payments may be eligible for VTOS/BTEA(full-time courses) or BTEI (part-time courses)

opeN DaY For plc aND aDulT coursescolliNsTowN park coMMuNiTY college

complete a MajorFETAC Certificate overa longer period.Part-time courses areprovided as part of theBack to EducationInitiative (BTEI)allowing people onsocial protectionpayments to studywhile retaining their

benefit. Many of thesecourses are particularlysuitable for people wholeft school without aLeaving Certificate whowould like to gain aqualification.The Open Day on the8th of March will giveall those with aninterest in studying at

Collinstown ParkCommunity College achance to find out moreabout individual coursecontent and talk to thecourse Tutors. Moreinformation is availableon the College websitewww.collinstownpark.ie or contact the schoolat 01 4572300.

Co Dublin Vocational Educational Committee

COLLinSTOWn PARk COMMuniTy COLLEGERowlagh, Clondalkin, Dublin 22

OPEn DAy Adult and Further Education / PLC CoursesDATE : THuRSDAy 8th MARCH 2012 TiME : 9.30am - 1.30pm & 7.00pm – 8.30pm

• Early Childhood Care and Education FETAC Level 5 & 6• Computers and Business Studies FETAC Level 5• Payroll and computerised Bookkeeping FETAC Level 5• F.i.T (Fast Track to information Technology)

FETAC Level 5• Hairdressing and Beauty FETAC Level 5• youth Work FETAC Level 5• Health Care Support FETAC Level 5• Pre-nursing Studies FETAC Level 5

• Special needs Classroom Assistant FETAC Level 5• After School Support Skills FETAC Level 5 • Beauty Care, nails and Massage FETAC Level 5• Reception Skills FETAC Level 5• ECDL, ECDL Advanced• Return to Learning/ General Studies FETAC Level 4• English for Speakers of other Languages

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FOR FuRTHER DETAiLS SEE OuR WEBSiTE : www.collinstownpark.ie / Telephone : 4572300

Collinstown Park Community College offers a broad range of coursesincluding Computers and Business Studies


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Q. My daughterhad breast implantsinserted a few yearsago now. She seemsextremely concernedabout the procedureand i feel that theymay have been thoseFrench siliconimplants which arenow considereddefective. Would shehave any cause ofaction?

A. This is a hugeworry for many womenthroughout Europewho had thesedefective implantsinserted. It seems tobe the case that theseimplants containedindustrial gradesilicone, more usuallyused in furnituremanufacturing, ratherthan medical grade asrequired. It becomesa complex situation asto whether or not it isa case of productliability under theLiABiLiTy FORDEFECTiVE PRODuCTACTS, 1991 or Medicalnegligence. What ismost important isthat, if your daughterintends to take thematter further, sheshould do so as soon aspossible as there aretwo years only fromthe DATE OFknOWLEDGE in which

to pursue a claim.Remember also, that amedical report wouldhave to be obtained tosubstantiate a claimconfirming that theproducts insertedwere defective andshould “for healthreasons” be removed.It can take someconsiderable time inwhich to obtain thesereports and therefore,speedy action isimperative.

Broadly speakinghowever under theLiability for DefectiveProducts Act 1991, aproducer (of aproduct) shall beliable for damagecaused wholly orpartially by a defect inhis product where aproducer is defined as:

a) The manufactureror producer of afinished product or;

b) The manufactureror producer of any rawmaterials or;

c) The manufactureror producer of acomponent part of aproduct or;

d In the case ofproducts of the soil,stock farming,fisheries and game,

which have undergoneinitial processing, theperson who carried outsuch processing or;

e) Any person who, byputting his name,trademark or otherdistinguishing featureon the product or usinghis name or any suchmark or feature inrelation to theproduct, has heldhimself out to be theproducer of theproduct or;

f) Any person who hasimported the productinto a member statefrom a place outsidethe Europeancommunities in order,in the course of anybusiness of his, tosupply it to another or;

g) Any person who wasliable as producer ofthis product pursuantto sub-section 3 of thissection.

As you can see fromthis wide definition, itcovers within its remitboth importers andthose who re-brandand re-package aproduct. In the recentcase of the FrenchManufacturingCompany, Poly ImplantProthese (PIP) whoseproducts were also soldto a Dutch Company,this Act would establishthe Dutch Company asa PRODuCER eventhough they are morestrictly a re-distributoror a supplier inbusiness terms. Thiswould mean that theproducer of theproduct would orshould be sued underthe Liability forDefective Products Act.A further aspect of theabove definition is theprovision whichimposes potentialliability on ALL WHOSuPPLy A PRODuCThowever, liability isprovisional in that itonly renders suppliersliable in circumstanceswhere that supplierfails to identify aperson higher up thechain of liability as aproducer. The sectiontherefore turns asupplier into aproducer for the

purpose of imposingliability if the followingconditions aresatisfied:

a) The producer cannotbe identified by takingreasonable steps;

b) The injured personrequires a supplier toidentify someone fromthe list;

c) The request is madewithin a reasonabletime after the damageoccurs;

d) The suppliers failedto comply with therequest or to identifythe producer;

As you can appreciatetherefore, any Solicitorwho is entrusted withthis case will have a lotof work to do toidentify the correctDefendants and all ofthis must be donewithin the requiredtime under the statuteof limitation in orderthat the case is notstatute barred. Thequestion also arises asto whether or not thesurgeon who undertookthe surgery should beincluded as a potentialDefendant. In a casesuch as this, there is anunusual crossoverbetween professionalnegligence on the partof the surgeon andproduct liability on thepart of theproducer/supplier andthe question arises asto who is liable incircumstances wherethe products aresourced and suppliedas a part of a medicalpackage where theconsumer i.e. yourdaughter, has no realsay in the choice ofproduct used. In otherwords, your daughterdid not have the choiceas to which implantsshe wanted to use.The subject probablynever came up duringthe course of anypre-surgeryconsultation. Again,this question addscomplexity to anycase, particularly incircumstances where,as with some moderncosmetic clinics, theyhave distributing rights

to be the sole providerof a particular productor specialisedprocedure. In suchcircumstances, thepatient is not onlyavailing of thatparticular clinic butalso the clinic’s choiceof product. The linetherefore betweenproduct liability andthe liability of theperson promoting orsupplying the product,i.e. the cosmeticclinic, is blurred.These are importantreasons why yourdaughter should seeklegal advice soonerrather than later as, agreat deal of workwould need to be doneon the part of theSolicitor prior to theissue of proceedingswhere the clock stopsin terms of the statuteof limitations.

Q. i had a hipreplacement back in2009 which was oneof those DePuy HipProducts. i have beenfearful about doinganything about itsince and wonder if istill have time to takeany action?

A. The DePuyOrthopaedics recall oftheir Acetabular HipReplacement systemwas publiclyannounced in August2010 and was due tothe high failure ratesof the implants. Thestatute of limitationsstarts to run in medicalnegligence cases fromthe DATE OFknOWLEDGE. This canbe a difficult date toascertain. Previously,under the terms of aHigh Court decision,the relevant date was“when the Plaintiffreceived medicaladvice from anotherconsultant in relationto the procedure thatit was faulty”.However, the decisionof this particular casein question wasappealed to theSupreme Court and thedate of knowledge waschanged in theSupreme Court and washeld to be the datewhen THE PLAinTiFFBECAME AWARE THAT

The Legal Column

Romaine Scally is the principal in the firm of ROMAINE SCALLY AND COMPANY SOLICITORSMain Street Tallaght, Dublin 24 TEL 4599506 FAX 4599510 email: [email protected]

by Romaine ScallyTHE PROCEDuRE WASunnECESSARy ORFAuLTy WHiCH (inTHiS PARTiCuLARCASE On APPEAL TOTHE SuPREME COuRT)WAS HELD AS THEDATE WHEn THEPLAinTiFF BECAMEAWARE OF THESCAnDAL in THEMEDiA. Applying thisto the presentsituation, where adefective productreceives WiDESPREADMEDiA COVERAGE apotential Plaintiff isLikELy TO BE AFFixEDWiTH knOWLEDGE ASOF THE DATE OF THE(MEDiA) COVERAGE.In your case, theproblems with this hipreplacement systembecame publicknowledge in August2010. Even if youpersonally were notaware of any problemswith your hip joint atthat time,nonetheless, thewidespread mediacoverage attributed tothis problem will morethan likely beattributed to you asyour date ofknowledge. Thiswould mean that youhave until August ofthis year in which toconsider bringing aclaim. Rememberalso, however, that tosuccessfully bring aclaim, your legal teamwill have to have amedical report from anIndependent MedicalConsultant confirmingthat the product wasdefective and whatsteps need to be takento remedy thesituation. LegalPractitioners must bevery careful about thehuge costs implicationsfor clients and cannotmount actions withouta favourable reportidentifying the correctDefendants whetherthey be the producerof a product or thephysician carrying outthe procedure or both.This is obviously a coreconsideration ashaving an Order forCosts against a clientas a result of suing anincorrect Defendantcould be catastrophic.Medical negligencecosts tend to be

extremely high. If youare considering takingthe matter further, Iwould suggest that youtake legal adviceimmediately.

Q. My husbandhas had to havefurther surgerybecause the clip usedto pin his heart duringsurgery wasdefective. Seeminglythis product wassupplied by aparticular laboratoryand recalled in May2011. i feel veryupset with thesurgeon. Would myhusband have anyright of action againstthe surgeon?

A. This is adifficult question.Basically, physicianscan legally distancethemselves from theproducts they usewhere the physician isrelying onrepresentations madeby the producers as tothe safety of theproduct. In a casesuch as you describe,the hospital where thesurgery was carriedout and the physicianwho actually carriedout the procedure, areunlikely to beattributed with blamefor the choice ofproduct. This howeverbecomes significantlymore blurred when itcomes to cosmeticsurgery. In someinstances, cosmeticsurgery clinics havethe sole right to aparticular productand, as such, thephysician/surgeon inthat case couldpossibly be attributedwith choosing a faultyproduct as it might bethe only product usedfor that particularprocedure by theparticular clinic. In acase such as youdescribe, any action islikely to be under theLiability for DefectiveProducts Act and notas against thephysician. Again, Iwould refer you to theearlier repliesregarding the timelimits involved intaking any such action.

In this edition of the paper, Romaine ScallySolicitor, of Romaine Scally & Company,Solicitors, Main Street, Tallaght, Dublin 24,Telephone 01-4599506 email [email protected] with the question of product liabilityand where it crosses over with medicalnegligence.

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The national YouthCouncil of Ireland(nYCI) welcomed thereport of the nationalSubstance MisuseStrategy SteeringGroup, but emphasisedthe need to act on itsrecommendations.“The practical,evidence-basedmeasures outlined inthis report present agreat opportunity forIreland to reducealcohol misuse and toaddress alcohol relatedharm in particularamong children andyoung people,” saidJames Doorley,Assistant Director ofnYCI speaking at thelaunch.“We know that therewill be resistance fromthe drinks industry toany measures which

will reduce their salesand profits, however,now is time for theGovernment to put thepublic health andwell-being of childrenand young peopleahead of any private orcorporate interests”continued Mr Doorley.“The problem here is

not young people, butthe environment wehave created wherealcohol is cheap, easilyavailable and heavilypromoted: with alcoholreadily available inalmost every cornerstore and cheaper thanbottled water, it ishardly surprising thatchildren and youngpeople in Ireland under18 have among thehighest levels of alcoholconsumption and riskydrinking in western

Europe.”“We support therecommendations inthis report in relation tothe issues around theprice, availability andadvertising of alcohol inparticular. In relation tothe introduction of aminimum unit price pergram of alcohol: all theindependent evidenceclearly demonstratesthat the children andyoung people under 18are price sensitive andthat cheap drinks areparticularly associatedwith binge drinking andheavy drinking. While inrelation to availability,the reality is that wehave a vastly greaternumber of outletsselling alcohol thanbefore, making it mucheasier for young peopleunder 18 to access

greater quantities ofalcohol and morefrequently.”“This report lays out anumber of practicalactions which theevidence shows can betaken to address these,and other relatedissues, resulting in ameasureable reductionin alcohol related harmand deaths amongyoung people.”“We cannot afford towait any longer: thesooner we act, themore young people wecan save fromunnecessary alcoholrelated harm, the morefamilies we can protectfrom unnecessarydisintegration, and thegreater the benefit toour economy andsociety as a whole,”concluded Mr Doorley.

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Dublin South West TD, Brian Hayes, haswelcomed the launch of the Blue StarProgramme, a new pilot programme forprimary school pupils, which aims to fosterbetter understanding and knowledge of theEuropean Union and how it affects our lives.Minister Hayes stated, “I was delighted to seethe Blue Star programme being launched bythe Government. At a time when the

European Union is facing difficulties,especially with regard to its single currency,it is important to remind ourselves of thevalue and benefits of the “European project”,both currently and historically. I think the BlueStar programme provides a perfectopportunity to provide young people with aperspective of Europe and Ireland’s role in it.”Minister Hayes continued, “From my own

experience of visiting schools across DublinSouth West to discuss our democracy andpolitical system, I believe this initiative willgreatly enhance for young people theirunderstanding of the European Unionmovement. The benefits of European unity tothe wider European citizenship are manifoldand include the creation of the commonmarket; equality for women and minority

groups including people with disabilities andimplementation of standards on production &safety in the work place.”Minister Hayes concluded “I encourage allprimary schools across the constituency toapply to participate in the programme andthis can be done by [email protected]. Furtherinformation is also available from my office.”

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The gaming industryoffers South Dublinstudents some of themost viable andexciting careeropportunities in Irelandtoday. That’s accordingto Dr. Stephen Brennan,Director of Marketingand Strategy with theDigital HubDevelopment Agency(DHDA), who wasspeaking earlier thisweek at the launch ofthe Irish leg of Dare tobe Digital.Dare to be Digital is aninternational videogames developmentcompetition forthird-level students. InIreland, it iscoordinated by theDHDA, and supportedby the north-SouthCooperation Unit at theDepartment ofEducation and Skills.

“This competitionoffers students fromSouth Dublin – andthroughout Ireland – afoot in the door of thegaming industry, which– without doubt – is oneof the most excitingand booming industriesin the country,” said Dr.Stephen Brennan. “notonly is it bucking thetrend by creating jobsat a time of nationalrecession, it is alsocontinuously evolving inresponse to newtechnologicaldevelopments. “Many of the jobs onoffer in gaming today

didn’t even exist fouror five years ago. Andit’s not just those withtechnological ormathematical skills whoshould consider gamingas their choice ofcareer – in addition tocoders andprogrammers, it alsopresents opportunitiesfor artists, designers,sound engineers,translators, marketersand animators.“The Government’snewly published ActionPlan for Jobs namesdigital games as one ofthe industries that willreceive support todouble in size over thenext two years. Thismeans thousands ofnew jobs for thoseready to take theirplace in this newworkforce.”

Teams of five students –usually a mix of artists,programmers and audiospecialists – can apply.Successful applicantswill spend nine weeksat Abertay University inScotland in summer2012, developingprototype video gamesand receivingmentoring fromindustry experts.Participating studentsreceive a weeklystipend of £150 each,free accommodation atthe University’s halls ofresidence, and a teambudget of £200. At the end of thecompetition, the

students’ prototypesare displayed at talentshowcasing event DareProtoPlay. The generalpublic and industryexperts get to play andvote for the games.The threehighest-scoring teamsreceive prizes of £2,500and the chance toattend the BAFTA VideoGames Awards tocompete for thecoveted ‘Ones toWatch’ award.

“This is a very realopportunity for SouthDublin based studentsto make a name forthemselves within thegames industry,” saidDr. Brennan. “AtAbertay, participatingteams get to meet andwork with mentors fromsome of the biggestnames in gaming –companies like Sega,Sony and Rockstar. Interms of careerdevelopment,participating in thiscompetition isinvaluable – not only dostudents get fantasticnetworking andmentoringopportunities, but theyalso get to develop aprototype game, whichfor many of them goeson to present a viablebusiness opportunity.”

Further informationabout Dare to be Digitalis available at:www.daretobedigital.com.

Jamie McCormick, Marketing Manager with Gala Networks Europe, Dr.Stephen Brennan, Director of Marketing and Strategy with the Digital HubDevelopment Agency (DHDA), “Angry Bird” (Student Shane Kavanagh),“Pacman” (Student Jason Yu), Alan Boyce, Chief Operating Officer atNevermind Games, “Sonic the Hedgehog” (Student Cillian Bellew).Photographer Marc O'Sullivan

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geT oN Your bike!2012 will see members of the Laurels Charity Crewget on their bikes and cycle from Galway to Dublinagain, all in aid of a great cause. The local charity organisation commenced itsfundraising efforts a few years ago and since then hasraised over €100,000 in vital funds for the children’smedical & research foundation (CMRF) based at OurLady’s Children’s Hospital.Straight Ahead:After learning about the great work that the charityorganisation ‘Straight Ahead’ were doing through theCMRF the Laurels Charity Crew decided that in 2012all money raised would go towards enabling thischarity to carry out vital surgeries. Through the workcarried out by Straight Ahead and the fundraisingefforts of the laurels charity crew, children and youngadults with severe spinal injuries are able to have lifechanging surgeries. The surgeries are performed freeof charge by the team of surgeons involved andthey’re completely reliant on charity support to fundthe cost of these important procedures. Each surgerycosts approx €15,000 and in 2012 the charities hopeto raise enough money to cover the costs of 10operations. The Road from here:Already, over 150 volunteers have signed up to cyclefrom Galway to Dublin over the course of two daysin April. The training program has commenced and

These X-Rays were taken within hours of eachotherthe cyclists are dusting off their helmets inpreparation. The laurels charity crew chairpersonDenis McCarthy says “there’s a great sense ofcamaraderie between everyone that takes part. Thecycle isn’t easy but it’s very rewarding when you getto the finish line, and of course it’s all for a greatcause”.For the next few weeks the laurels charity crew willconcentrate their efforts on raising more money,aiming to beat the 2011 total of over €60,000. As wellas the cycle, there will be a women’s 10k walk, andauctions that have some money can’t buy prizes pluslot’s more. If you would like to donate money to thisgreat cause or learn more about the fundraisingefforts you can visit www.laurelscharitycrew.com


Mensa are offering thepeople of Dublin theopportunity to attend aMensa IQ Test session.Everyone who scoreswithin the top two percent of the populationwill be invited to joinMensa. new memberswould join the other110,000 members ofThe High IQ Societybased around theworld; with over 22,500Mensans based in theBritish Isles.A Mensa supervised IQtest session has beenorganised on Saturday24 March (1.45pm) at StConleth’s College foranyone interested infinding out their own IQscore for just €20.50.To reserve a place onthe test you can bookonline by visiting the IQTest section of theMensa website atwww.mensa.org.uk.Alternatively you cancontact Helen Oliver on+44(0)1902 772 771(option 1) or [email protected] for more information.More information aboutMensa and IQ testingcan be found via theMensa website atwww.mensa.org.uk.Chris Tyler, Chairman of

British Mensa, says“there are a variety ofreasons why peopletake the IQ test,whether it is simplycuriosity or for thechallenge, but manypeople are pleasantlysurprised by their IQscore. A high IQ can alsobe beneficial whenapplying for universityor for progression in thejob market; it can makeyou stand out as acandidate.’’Mensa currently has1,000 members inIreland and 75 membersin Dublin. The societywelcomes people fromall walks of life, withthe objective ofenjoying each other’scompany andparticipating in a rangeof social and culturalactivities.

The society’s aims areto provide a stimulatingintellectual and socialenvironment for itsmembers; to identifyand foster humanintelligence for thebenefit of humanity;and to encourageresearch into thenature, characteristicsand uses ofintelligence.

are You reaDY For The ulTiMaTe challeNge?DiscoVer Your iq as MeNsa

oFFers TesT iN DubliN

Local Fine Gael TD andMinister of State, BrianHayes has welcomedthe announcement fromthe Minister forTransport, Leo VaradkarTD that he is to conducta nationwide audit ofspeed limits.Minister Hayes stated,“I welcome theannouncement by theMinister. This audit islong overdue and is

vital to ensure that allspeed restrictions areboth safe and sensible.The aim of the audit isto start overhauling theinconsistenciesbetween differentcounties and regionsand put and end toconfusion amongdrivers. Although thisprocess is expected totake some time, theaudit will be a crucial

first step.”Minister Hayescontinued, “Recentroad safety measureslike speed cameras andnew drink driving lawshave gone a long waytowards improving roadsafety, however, weneed to ensure that theright speed limits are inoperation on the rightroads. We all know ofcases where speed

limits areinappropriately low orinappropriately high.There can be someconfusion amongdrivers about thevarious speed limitswhich should and doapply, as well as theapproach to speed limitsignage on national,regional and localroads.”Minister Hayes

concluded, “Speedlimit bands are set bythe Minister forTransport, however,specific limits appliedon particular roads aredetermined by localauthorities, inconsultation with theGardai and in respect ofnational primary andsecondary roads withthe nRA. This audit willbe conducted by the

nRA and localauthorities inconsultation with theDepartment ofTransport and I would

encourage residents inDublin South West tohighlight their concernsto South Dublin CountyCouncil”

Minister Brian Hayes at the N81

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To aDVerTise iN iN aNY oF ourpublicaTioNs coNTacT oursales TeaM oN 01 451 3822

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Fine Gael Catherinenoone said that theGovernment shouldconsider introducing anelectronic paymentcard, which wouldfunction like a debitcard for those on socialwelfare. Senator nooneadded that such anapproach could help tocut down on fraudwithin the socialwelfare system.

“We need to be lookingat all possible optionsto reduce our socialwelfare bill, andcracking down on fraudis key to this. Under the

system I am proposing,social welfarepayments could be putdirectly onto a debitcard, which could beused just like a lasercard to buy goods andservices. “The Government ishoping that fraudcontrol measures willamount to savings of€625 million this year.Social welfare fraud isnot a victimless crime;it undermines publicconfidence in thesystem and it means taxpayers’ money is goingto those who do notdeserve it.

“By switching to a debitcard system, it wouldbe easier for theGovernment to ensurethat State funds arebeing directed at thosewho need them most.To allow for a certaindegree of flexibility,the system could allowa set amount of moneyto be withdrawn froman ATM each week. “A debit card systemwould ensure that thoseresiding outside theState could not falselyclaim welfare. It wouldalso help to cut downon the black economy,by ensuring that most

social welfare funds arespent on legitimategoods and services.

“The debit card systemcould be implementedas part of a range ofother anti-fraudinitiatives beingimplemented by theGovernment, includingdata matching, identitychecks and regularentitlement reviews. Iwould urge the Ministerfor Social Protection tointroduce the socialwelfare debit card on atrial basis, to explorewhether there is meritto the system.”

The Lord Mayor of Dublin, Andrew Montague, launched a new ImmigrantCouncil of Ireland mentoring programme which is aimed at supportingteenagers from migrant backgrounds.The new programme – ‘Ambassadors for Change’ – will be run by young people,for young people. Under the programme, volunteers aged 18 to 30 – who are,themselves, from migrant backgrounds – will be trained as ‘ambassadors’ andwill then be matched with participating secondary schools. In these schools,they will be available to provide informal advice, guidance and support tostudents from migrant backgrounds – and to encourage them to do well, bothin an academic and a social context. Anybody interested in volunteering with the ‘Ambassadors for Change’programme – or any Dublin schools that would like to get involved – shouldcontact the ICI on 01-6740202, Email: [email protected].

Pictured at the launch were Irish-born Chinese woman Eva Pau; Hailuunetsiyanwa, who moved to Ireland from Zimbabwe when he was 14 andchildren’s TV presenter Diana Bunici, who is originally from Moldova (Pic: MarcO’Sullivan)

iMMigraNT couNcil’s MeNToriNg prograMMe lauNcheD social welFare ‘DebiT carD’ coulDhelp To cuT DowN oN FrauD

Minister Frances Fitzgerald TD has welcomed theannouncement of local funding from the nationalTransport Authority for public and sustainable travel.Speaking at the announcement, Minister Fitzgeraldsaid “It is fantastic news that these funds are to bereleased. The improvement of Saggart VillageJunction has been long overdue and the Old nangorRoad has caused concern for student’s safety comingfrom Gaelscoil Chluain Dolcain and Coláiste Chilliain."The national Transport Authority has released€426,000 in funding for local projects as part of awider grant of €1.681 million for South Dublin CountyCouncil. Projects included in the Clondalkin and

Lucan area include part funding for the upgrade ofStation Road and Saggart Village crossroads,improved pedestrian safety and traffic managementon the Old nangor Road, the completion ofpermeability routes in Corkagh Park and accessroutes into Grange Castle Business Park.“I am especially pleased to see that €175,000 hasbeen allocated to the design and planning of a newquality bus corridor into Grange Castle. This newroute will be a significant boost and will furtherenhance the business park’s reputation, particularlyas a key strategic investment site for the IDA.”concluded Fitzgerald.

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