work & life issue 24

www.impact.ie

ISSUE 24 • WINTER-SPRING 2014

THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

NEW SICK LEAVE RULESMAKING A LIVING WAGENELSON MANDELATHAT FESTIVAL FEELING A NEW GENERATION OF IMPACT REPS

ALSO INSIDETRUST AT WORK. WOMEN’S HEALTH. BOXING CHAMP. IMPACT BENEFITS.

THE RISEN PEOPLE. WORLD CUP CASUALTIES. WINTER WOOLIES. TOOLING UP FOR SPRING. BEING PAID IN BEER. COLD WEATHER FOOD. REAL-LIFE MOVIES. MUSICAL FUEDS.

IRISH SOCCER UNDER NEW MANAGEMENT. BOOKS. ALL THE NEWS. LOTS OF PRIZES.

ALL AT SEAUnderwater workers keep the fishing industry safe.

WORK

6. WORKING FOR A LIVINGCampaigners are calling for a‘living wage’.

9. NELSON MANDELALessons in solidarity.

10. FEELING FESTIVEThe local authority workersbehind your local festival.

14. IN TRAININGIMPACT’s training investmentdelivers results.

16. ALL AT SEA

Meet the seafaring scientistswho help maintain thousandsof jobs. And prawns.

19. RIGHTS AT WORKUnderstanding new publicservice sick leave rules.

21. YOUR CAREERTrust and be trusted at work.

39. INTERNATIONALThousands could die as Qatarprepares for the world cup.

1WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

work&& life Winter-Spring 2014

In this issue

NEWS

40. SLEEPOVERS

40. SPECIAL NEEDS ASSISTANTS

40. PUBLIC SERVICE PAY

40. AGRICULTURE DISPUTE

41. COILLTE FEARS RESURFACE

41. IMPACT BACKS PHILIPPINES

42. JOBS GROWTH TO SLOW

42. KIDS LEARN UNION LESSON

42. IRISH WATER

PRIZES AND OFFERS

13. Save money with IMPACT.

23. Half price tickets to The Risen People.

36. Books to win.

46. Win €50 in our prize quiz.

47. Rate Work & Life and win €100.

Work & Life is produced by IMPACT trade union'sCommunications Unit and edited by BernardHarbor.

Front cover: Photo by Kelvin Gillmor. IMPACT rep and marine scientist Jennifer Doyleat the Marine Institute in beautiful Oranmore,county Galway. See page 16 for story.

Contact IMPACT at: Nerney's Court, Dublin 1. Phone: 01-817-1500.Email: [email protected]

Designed by: N. O'Brien Design & Print Management Ltd. Phone: 01-864-1920Email: [email protected]

Printed by Boylan Print Group.

Advertising sales: Niki O’Brien. Phone: 01-864-1920.

Unless otherwise stated, the views contained in Work &LIfe do not necessarily reflect the policy of IMPACT tradeunion.

Work & Life is printed on environmentally friendly paper,certified by the European Eco Label. This magazine is100% recyclable.

Work & Life magazine is a fullparticipating member of the PressCouncil of Ireland and supports theOffice of the Press Ombudsman. Inaddition to defending the freedom ofthe press, this scheme offers readers aquick, fair and free method of dealing

with complaints that they may have in relation to articlesthat appear in our pages. To contact the Office of thePress Ombudsman go to www.pressombudsman.ie orwww.presscouncil.ie

All suppliers to Work & Life recognise ICTU-affiliated tradeunions.

LIFE

2. WORKING FOR BEERIn Amsterdam. Where else?

4. IMPACT PEOPLEBoxing champ Stephen‘Block’ Reynolds.

24. FASHIONKnitwearis back.

26. FOODCasserolesforcomfort.

28. GARDENSTooling up for spring.

30. HEALTHWomen watching their health.

32. MOVIESWhen real life is wrong.

34. MUSICStrained siblings.

36. BOOKSIMPACT man retraces thegold rush.

44. SPORTSIrish soccer under newmanagement.

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WINTER-SPRING 20142

Will work for beerSTRANGE WORLD

THE BIG PICTURE

THIS STRANGE story is not as crazy as it first seems. A state-funded agency in Amsterdam is paying street cleaners in beer and tobacco. The Rainbow Foundation’s innovative move followed complaints about some of the city alcoholics’ anti-social behaviour. The answer? Give them a few cans of beer and some smokes, feed them a hot meal, and put them to work cleaning the streets for a tenner a day.

The beer is spread out over the shift: Two cans to start the morning, two at lunchtime and one at the end of the afternoon. In a city renowned for its pragmatic approach to substance abuse, local residents and project workers are pleased with the results. Anti-social behaviour is down and the alcoholics are experiencing structure, satisfaction and the self-respect that comes with work.

Most of the workers seem happy too, despite getting weaker beer than they might usually drink. And they also bring their own bit of pragmatism to the party: “I think I can speak for the group and say that, if they didn’t give us beers, then

we wouldn’t come,” says one fluorescent-clad participant, quoted in the Huffington Post.

Just one niggling doubt. That must be expensive lager, what with the Dutch national minimum wage currently at €8.48 an hour. Sláinte!

Child’s play?IMPACT’S BOARDS and Voluntary Agencies branch is launching a campaign to highlight the invaluable work done by IMPACT members in the youth sector. As cutbacks deepen, our members continue to provide vital services to young people under growing pressure.

Pictured here (clockwise from left) are Maquta, Ben, Adrian and Mainie who took part in filming for the campaign at the Balgaddy after-school club. The initiative provides a comfortable atmosphere for informal education and recreation and a place to mingle with peers in a safe and fun environment.

Local IMPACT rep John O’Hara works with the group. “Building relationships is a key element of the work and this can often take time and patience. But it’s worth it when you see kids developing and growing in confidentce in their own right,” he says.

The campaign video is available at www.youtube.com/user/IMPACTUnion.

xx

100 years agoThousands follow Alice Brady’s funeral cortege from her home to Glasnevin cemetary on 4th January 1914, after she died from tetanus as a result of a gunshot wound to her hand. She was struck by a ricochet when a strike breaker fired his pistol into a crowd.

On 18th January locked-out workers gather at Croydon (now Fairview) Park, where Larkin advises them to go back to work on the best terms available. His one injunction to them is not to sign the form renouncing the ITGWU. The next day 1,000 dockers try to return to work, but only 500 are taken back. The SS Hare brings one of the final food consignments from British trade unions into Dublin.

William Martin Murphy receives a vote of thanks at the annual general meeting of the Dublin Chamber of Commerce on 27th January. Artist William Orpen is commissioned to paint his portrait (you can see the finished work in the Dublin Divided exhibition currently showing in Dublin’s Hugh Lane Gallery).

The Local Government Board of Inquiry into the Housing Conditions of Dublin’s Working Class is published on 18th February. It’s unsparing in its description of the social crisis in the capital, and it names the slum landlords who are members of Dublin Corporation.

In the first week of February, Charlie Chaplin makes his film début in the comedy short Making a Living. In the same week his famous tramp is introduced to audiences in the Keystone comedy The Kid Auto Race.

On 10th March suffragist Mary Richardson damages Velázquez’s Rokeby Venus with a meat chopper in London’s National Gallery. Belgian surgeon Albert Hustin makes the first successful non-direct blood transfusion, using anticoagulants, on 27th March.

Across the pond, the Ludlow massacre takes place in Colorado on 20th April when the Colorado National Guard and Colorado Fuel and Iron Company guards attack a tent colony of 1,200 striking coal miners and their families. The massacre saw the violent deaths of 19-25 people – sources vary – including two women and 11 children asphyxiated and burned to death under a single tent.

The deaths occurred after a day-long fight between the company’s men and striking workers. Ludlow was the deadliest single incident in the southern Colorado coal strike, which lasted from September 1913 to December 1914

3

That was then…

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

ACE PUBLIC SERVANTS

Clerk who ledthe risingBETTER KNOWN as one of the signatories of the 1916 proclamation, and a martyr of the Easter Rising, Eamonn Ceannt was a clerk in Dublin Corporation.Born in east county Galway, where his father was stationed with the Royal Irish Constabulary, Ceannt was also to become a founding father of IMPACT, through his activism in the Dublin Municipal Officers Association (DMOA), a forerunner of the modern union.

A big supporter of Larkin’s efforts to unionise Dublin’s casual dock workers and labourers, he was something of a militant on the DMOA executive where he advocated extending membership to the civil service and other local authorities as he fought for better terms and conditions for clerical staff. He served as the union’s vice chairman in 1909 and chairman in 1910.

A member of the Gaelic League executive and master of the uilleann pipes, Ceannt joined the Irish Republican Brotherhood around 1913 and was among the founding members of the Irish Volunteers. As an executive member of the Volunteers, he helped plan the Rising.

He was stationed at the Marrowbone Lane distillery in south Dublin during the fighting, where the 100-plus men under his command included Cathal Brugha, and W T Cosgrave. His unit saw intense fighting, but surrendered when Pearse gave the order.

He was 34 when he was executed by firing squad on 8th May 1916. The union set up a fund to assist his widow and children. More recently, the IMPACT office in Dublin was named Eamonn Ceannt House.

IMPACT people

WINTER-SPRING 2014 4

Tell me about yourself.I’m from Ballinacarrow, County Sligo. We were a sporty family. Dad was a junior county footballer and Mam was a marathon runner. She always made sure we were involved in sport.

What’s the day job?I’m a traffic and litter warden. I like being outdoors and meeting people. The job’s easier if you treat people as you like to be treated yourself. I always wait a few minutes if someone is parked where they shouldn’t be, unless they’re in a disabled space or on the footpath.

What’s your earliest memory?I spent lots of summers in my mother’s home in Castlebar. We’d go fishing and climbing or walking up the bogs. As a kid, I always wanted a pen-knife for Christmas. I would carve my own toys.

How long have you been in the ring?Over 20 years. I had a bit of a career in weight training and then coach Mercedes Taaffe asked me to do strength training with a local boxing club. I was 22, but she thought I had potential. People are normally leaving the sport at that age.

I won my first amateur fight and then lost the next three. But I didn’t give up and I won everything else. I’ve five senior titles – two in super-heavyweight and three at heavyweight – plus four national titles. I just missed out on qualification for the 2000 Olympics. That was really difficult, when you put everything into following your dream and it comes to an end.

When did you turn professional?I retired from amateur boxing at 27. Then back in 2011, aged 38, I turned professional. I’ve won my three professional fights. My brother Alan – a great boxer – is my coach. It was a great fight when I beat Declan Trainer in the seventh round to win the Celtic Nations cruiser weight title. Boxing careers are short, but I’m hoping to have a shot at an Irish title in the New Year.

Training must be toughI trained 2-3 times a day as an amateur. Runs and sprint training in the morning, then working with a slip bag at lunchtime to get into the habit of moving your face, which means you don’t get hit as much. Then some sparring in the evening. I train even harder as a professional, with more focus on the recovery. I eat well and get plenty of rest.

What clubs are you are involved in? After retiring from amateur boxing I coached the club in Ballnacarrow and we turned out 40 national champions at all ages. A senior title is the only thing

Martina O’Leary went a few rounds with STEPHEN ‘BLOCK’ REYNOLDS of IMPACT’s Sligo branch, who recently triumphed in his third professional boxing match to win the Celtic Nations cruiser weight title in Belfast. All at the age of 40.

Boxing clever

WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS 5

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we’ve yet to pick up. I coach nearly every day and go to a tournament most weekends. I was also asked to set up a boxing club as part of the Cranmore regeneration project in Sligo town. We’re doing well with lots of good boxers and a waiting list of up to six months.

And you were an IMPACT rep.Yes. I was on the Sligo branch committee for a few years. It is a great branch and it’s great having that security there. You need someone to keep management and the Government in check. To make sure they’re playing ball.

How do you relax?I would have the odd bottle of Guinness at the weekend. I love to play my guitar and I write music. I bring the guitar along to the local and we have a sing-song. I make wood carvings. All sorts. My bed, the fireplace and mirror frames.

What makes you laugh out loud?Seeing the kids messing in the boxing clubs. They keep me young. It’s brilliant.

What’s the worst feature of your character?I’m a bear when I don’t get my eight hours sleep.

Do you travel at all?I’m going to Australia next year, which will be good fun.

What music are you into?Country music. Johnny Cash and Kris Kristofferson.

What do you read?The only books I read are boxing or sport-related.

What about TV?I got rid of the telly about a year ago.

What is your favourite dish to cook?Roast chicken with roast veg.

What really annoys you?I don’t like people who are deceitful.

What’s the best piece of advice you ever received?Don’t be afraid to listen to other opinions. You’ll always learn something.

What advice would you give your 18-year-old self?Go to college, study hard, get a good job for yourself and exercise. I’ve learned never to say never. In the past I said I’d never turn professional and I’m eating those words.

Interview by Martina O’Leary


Wage

A wage thon givingTHIS NEW year marks the beginning of life in post-

bailout Ireland. After three long years, there’s some hope that we now have an opportunity to shape our future, rebuild our republic, and begin a national conversation about how we want to develop as a sovereign state.

This hope places a big responsibility on unions and other progressives. We have to work hard to ensure that any recovery dividend is both sensibly spent and fairly distributed among the people who’ve been squeezed since the crisis began.

Especially those who’ve been squeezed most. The people that are scraping by day-to-day, some

working two jobs, many on zero-hour contracts, mostly unable to plan a future for themselves or their families. The men and women who clean our offices in the morning, make our sandwiches at lunchtime, deal with our service queries throughout the day, or serve us a meal or a pint after a long week in the office.

Since 2008, the combined effect

The campaign for a ‘living wage’ tackles the relationship between work, wages and welfare says PADDY COLE.

of the recession – high unemployment, stagnating wages and high living costs – have depressed living standards across most of the working economy. Meanwhile profits have soared for some, while any hit the very rich felt still left them comfortably immune from the hardship and insecurity of the ‘little people.’

What’s a living wage?The campaign for a living wage, which is finally gaining ground in Ireland, is part of building a realistic alternative. A living wage is more than the national minimum wage. It means hourly pay and adequate working hours that allow employees earn enough to enjoy the basic human needs of housing, healthcare, food, clothes and heating.

A living wage would set a blue ribbon standard for ethical employers while tackling the growing phenomenon of the working poor. It would address income inequality, wage stagnation and falling living standards.

And a living wage could help boost recovery by increasing both the purchasing power and spending confidence of low paid workers. More money in their pockets means more spending in the high street and a boost for the economy.

It’s a simple concept that values workers and work. And it’s getting wide recognition as an effective means of helping the

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WILL WORK FOR LIVING WAGE


at can keep

On FIS alone, taxpayers like you and me are subsidising profitable employers to the tune of €229 million this year, with over €280 million budgeted for next year. The figures are as alarming as they are unsustainable.

A social welfare system that was meant to establish a safety net for individuals and families who’ve fallen on hard times is morphing into a prop for businesses, including huge and profitable multinationals. A recent Dáil answer listed retail giants like Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Lidl and Pennys as having large numbers of staff who claim FIS or jobseekers benefits.

“A living wage is more than the national minimum. It means

hourly pay and adequate working hours that allow employees earn enough to enjoy the basic human

needs of housing, healthcare, food, clothes and heating.”

lowest paid escape precarious and undervalued employment.

It would also mean far less reliance on the taxpayer-funded benefits, which the working poor now need to survive. Almost 90,000 employees are currently receiving jobseekers benefits because their pay is too low or their working hours are too few. And, since the crisis, the number of workers claiming Family Income Supplement (FIS) has risen by 60%. Over 41,000 low-income families, including as many as 4,000 public servants, now depend on FIS to keep food on the table and a roof over their heads.


Continued on page 8


There’s no practical reason to prevent us adopting a similar system in Ireland – and rewarding businesses that pay the living wage by buying their products and using their services.

What now? The fight for decent wages, which long precedes this economic crisis, is often wrongly seen as a zero-sum game where workers’ advances are by definition an employer’s loss. UK blue-chip companies like KPMG, Aviva and Deloitte clearly don’t see it that way.

Nobody was talking about pay increases when we were at the mercy of the troika. But many politicians are now coming round to the idea of a living wage as part of economic recovery. Social protection minister Joan Burton made a strong commitment to the idea at last November’s Labour party conference, where she explicitly linked pay bargaining to economic recovery.

“Recovery must come from the middle out, not the top down. It is the earnings of the middle and working classes that have

always fuelled economic expansion here, and growth in their wages will be central to real and lasting recovery,” she opined.

By showing solidarity with low paid people in precarious employment, trade unions have an opportunity to

demonstrate a new relevance to workers who have tended not to see us as particularly relevant to their lives. We can do that by building a winnable campaign for a living wage, including a pledge to support businesses that pay it.

Paddy Cole is a member of the Young Workers Network and communications officer for

Dailwatch.ie.


Already saddled with unsustainable debts by reckless banks and property speculators, the state cannot be expected to permanently bridge the gap between the inadequate wages companies like these pay and the cost of meeting workers’ basic living standards.

Living wage UK Right now, the London living wage has been set at £8.80 (€10.55) an hour for those aged 21 and over – more than 16% above the £6.31 (€7.56) national minimum wage. The British Living Wage Foundation has attracted some serious household names as corporate partners, including KPMG, Aviva and Deloitte who respect the voluntary living wage and reap the benefits of higher productivity, lower absenteeism and a workforce more receptive to changed working practices.

Labour party leader Ed Milliband has committed his party to implementing a living wage when in government. On the opposite side of the political fence, London’s Tory mayor Boris Johnson has been steadfast in his support for the idea.

Wage



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Nelson Mandela


THE STORY of Nelson Mandela’s life andstruggle to overcome the oppressiveapartheid regime, culminating in hiselection as president in 1994, providesinspiration to struggles againstrepression and injustice across the globe.

His sad death also brought memories ofthe role of Irish trade unions in the anti-apartheid struggle as the brave stance ofthe Dunnes Stores strikers wasacknowledged and celebrated. TwelveDunnes workers were on strike for twoand a half years in the 1980s after beingvictimised for refusing to handle goodsproduced in the apartheid state. Mandelahimself said their support helped himkeep going.

Last month the South African trade unionfederation Cosatu hailed the DunnesStores strikers as an exceptional exampleof international workers’ solidarity. Theiraction also brought the apartheid issueto national attention, helping to galvaniseIrish opinion against the regime.

I was a young teenager at the time andthe Dunnes strikers were the first peopleto make me aware of what washappening in South Africa. Their picketwas a landmark presence in Dublin’s citycentre throughout the strike, and I canonly imagine how tough it was tomaintain that for two and a half years.One of my schoolmates – now an IMPACTmember, as it happens – organised asimilar boycott of South African goods inour school, and pestered the staff untilthey got behind it.

It forced a bunch of young school kids tohave a discussion about what apartheidmeant. It was a conversation we probablywouldn’t have had without the exampleof the Dunnes workers. The gradualrealisation that our small action was partof something much bigger – somethingthat really put pressure on the apartheidregime – was an important lesson inactivism and solidarity.

Niall Shanahan

A lesson insolidarity

TRADE UNIONS inIreland and acrossthe globe paidtribute to the late,great NelsonMandela followinghis death on 6thDecember. ICTUgeneral secretaryDavid Beggexpressed“deep sadness”at his passingand extendedcondolences tohis family andfriends, and to theSouth African tradeunion movement.

IMPACT’s centralexecutive committeealso sent condolencesto the South Africanlabour movement from itsDecember meeting. IMPACTwas among the unions thatcontributed to travelling coststo enable former Dunnes Storesworkers to attend Mandela’sfuneral. They were on strike foralmost three years in the 1980s afterbeing victimised for refusing to handlegoods produced in the apartheid state.

Mr Begg said Mandela was an icon for allwho fight injustice. “I extend our heartfeltsympathies and condolences to the Congressof South African Trade Unions, who played apivotal role in the long fight to end Apartheid.

“That long struggle highlighted the importance ofsolidarity, as exemplified by the Dunnes workers.Their brave actions gave practical expression to thebelief that an injury to one is the concern of all, evenif the injured are thousands of miles away on adifferent continent,” he said.

John Douglas, general secretary of their union Mandate,said it was fitting that the Dunnes women were able to attend Mandela’s funeral. “MrMandela is an enormous loss to South Africa and the rest of the world. His knowledgeand leadership will leave an enormous vacuum, which will be extraordinarily difficult tofill. His legacy of justice, equality and solidarity will continue, without borders, forever,”he said.

Rosa Pavanelli, general secretary of the international trade union federation PublicServices International, said: “We are grateful to Madiba for the extraordinary lessons hetaught the world. He suffered and fought to end apartheid. He struggled to establishdemocracy through dialogue. He succeeded in being a great president for South Africa;a respected and inspirational political leader for the whole world and a champion of anti-discrimination, social justice and solidarity.”

He was a leader who never let us down l

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Culture and economy

Local festivals across Ireland were bigger and better than ever last year. NIALL SHANAHAN spoke to some of the local authority staff who are boosting our culture and giving local economies a much-needed lift.

Festival

FROM MATCHMAKING in Lisdoonvarna to the Fleadh Ceol, Ireland has a deep and strong festival tradition. It’s an opportunity to break from the routine, doll the place up, and invite guests to enjoy themselves and look at the area in a brand new light.

Last year’s festival scene was busier and brighter than ever before, with a clutch of new festivals added to the hardy perennials. The Gathering provided the impetus for more ambition with the number of additional visitors to the country suggesting it had worked a little extra magic.

But where do you start when it comes to organising a festival? Who’s got the inspiration? Who turns the vision into reality? Who makes it all run smoothly? And who cleans up afterwards?

While the success of our festivals is rooted in relationships between communities, business and local councils, the role of local authorities is crucial. The most successful festivals draw

on the creativity of local authority staff and the capacity of a council to deliver the logistics and infrastructure needed to run a successful event.

‘Festival of the year’ is one of the key categories in the Chambers Ireland annual ‘excellence in local government’ awards, illustrating how the business community regards the economic role of festivals and the local authorities’ part in delivering them.

UniqueWaterford city council’s Finn Brophy is events controller and safety officer for the wide range of events now hosted in the city. “We’ve developed a unique range of festivals in Waterford. It started for me in 2005 with the first visit of the tall ships, which we hosted again in 2011. They sail right into the heart of the city. It’s been a tremendous success. We had a quarter of a million visits on just one day in 2011,” he says.

Waterford’s harvest festival draws huge crowds.


fever flying highFinn has been involved in festivals full-time since 2009. “We’ve developed two festivals with a national profile, Winterval and the Waterford harvest festival in the second weekend in September. Over five years it’s evolved from a three-day food event into a week-long festival and our goal is to continue to develop its national profile.”

Winterval features a winter market, 3D light show, toy museum, and Santa’s grotto, all planted right in the historic heart of the city. “The sense of anticipation following the success of the first year was quite strong and I think it really drove attendance,” Finn says. Its second year saw footfall increase by 8% over 2012.

ambitious plans remain. “The picture isn’t entirely clear, but the programme of work is there and it’s helping to develop a buzz about Waterford. 2014 is going to be a big year for the city,” says Finn.

InspirationMeanwhile back in the smoke, Dublin’s deputy city librarian Brendan Teeling and senior librarian Tara Doyle provided the inspiration and driving force for a new and very successful Dublin Festival of History last September. “I’d seen a festival of history in the UK a few years ago and it stayed in my mind. I really wanted to do something like it in Dublin and the Gathering provided an opportunity to get some funding,” says Brendan.

A marriage of Brendan’s personal interest and the city’s important historical collection gave birth to an idea that gained immediate support in the council. “We were taking a leap of faith

The ultimate goal is to place the local event on the national calendar, encouraging more people to travel to Waterford. “We market the festivals nationally and we engage in intense market research. Tourism is central to Waterford’s future development. The recession has hit us hard with unemployment now 26% in the city. So the festivals play a huge role in attracting visitors and creating a great atmosphere in the city.”

IdeasThe council invests half a million euro a year, not to mention the time of three staff in its economic development office. And the new ideas keep coming. Next year the emphasis will be on Waterford’s Viking heritage, starting in January with a family event on the quays to symbolise the city’s birth 1,100 years ago.

“We’ll host a special Saint Patrick’s day event, a medieval pageant and a stage of the Circuit of Ireland rally in June. There’s also a three-day music festival, the marathon and the independently-run Spraoi arts festival, which takes place on the August holiday weekend. There’ll also be lots of smaller, one-off events.”

Despite some uncertainty about the future, with Waterford city and county councils due to merge under Government reforms,

as far as the audience was concerned, although I suppose we were quietly confident,” he recalls.

Planning only began in the spring, but the festival proved an instant hit. Tara was charged with getting it up and running, and is now poring over the feedback from thousands of people who went to events. “I’m delighted and overwhelmed by the response. We have a survey running on our website and the audience response has been fantastic,” she says.

There was a strong attendance at all the festival events, with Simon Schama’s discussion of the story of the Jews, which coincided with his book and BBC TV series, pulling a particularly strong crowd. “All the feedback suggests that audiences loved the breadth and variety of what was on offer,” says Tara.

BusinessThe history festival drew huge numbers into the city and won support from independent bookshops in the area. “I suppose we are supporting businesses by bringing people into the city. That’s part of the council’s remit,” says Brendan. “We brought 4,000 people into Dublin city centre over four days. That has to have

“We are supporting businesses by bringing people intothe city. We brought 4,000 people into Dublin city centre

over four days. That has to have an effect. There really was a buzz about the place.”

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Culture and economy

an effect. There really was a buzz about the place and it really added to the sense that Dublin is a place of history and heritage.”

It also presented an opportunity to promote another valuable council service. “As well as a bookshop, we had a pop-up library at the events. We were able to showcase the range of interesting history titles that are available for free all the time. People could bring in their library cards and borrow from the collection,” says Tara.

The festival demonstrated the flexibility of library staff. “It’s not something that’s often recognized. The pop-up library was a new and interesting way of bringing the library into the community. Everyone involved was happy to go the extra mile,” she says.

Tara promises another great festival when it runs again from 26th September to 3rd October this year. “We have a big wish list for the next programme. I promise you we’ll come up with some really good stuff,” she enthuses.

Across the country, hundreds of big and small festivals increase footfall in our towns, cities and villages generating a positive vibe, boosting economic activity and increasing consumer confidence. But it’s about more than economics. Festivals tap into our cultural self esteem and celebrate the best of our communities.

In or out of recession, festivals continue to highlight the richness and diversity of our places and people. And they’re a celebration of the creativity and vitality of the local authority staff who make it happen

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Dublin’s three-day Bram Stoker festival celebrated the Dublin-born author of Dracula in October. Cue free pop-up events, a city-wide vampire hunt, and a range of specially-themed literary and theatre events.

Tara Doyle and Brendan Teeling.

IMPACT members can save a lot of money from the widerange of financial benefits provided or negotiated by theunion. Some of these are free to all IMPACT members.Others are optional benefits, available only to IMPACTmembers, which can mean savings on insurance, salaryprotection, additional pension coverage and more. You mustbe an IMPACT member to avail of these benefits and services.

l €4,000 specified critical illness or death benefit

l Free legal help in bodily injury cases

l Free 24/7 legal advice helpline

l Free 24/7 confidential counselling helpline

l Free 24/7 domestic assistance helpline.

l Gaeltacht scholarships for members’ children

l Industrial relations scholarships

l Benevolent grants for members in financial distress.

l Car insurance

l Home insurance

l Travel insurance

l Additional pension benefits

l Salary protection and life cover.

You’re better off in IMPACT

IMPACT members are entitled to

Members can opt to avail of IMPACT-facilitated financialbenefits

IMPACT members can also apply for

IMPACT Trade Union

Phone: 01-817-1500Email: [email protected]

www.impact.ie

FULL DETAILS ON WWW.IMPACT.IE

WINTER-SPRING 201414

Workplace representatives

THE ACHIEVEMENTS of over 75 IMPACT members were ac-knowledged at two training graduation ceremonies late lastyear. They were among over 200 ordinary workers who haveput themselves forward as union reps to help protect ourmembers in workplaces across the country.

The new initiative stems from a 2011 decision to prioritisetraining for local reps, and to develop a new form of trainingmore relevant to today’s workplace challenges.

Derek Beatty of the union’s Boards and Voluntary Agenciesbranch said the training was about levelling the playing field.“Before I was going into meetings with management feeling Iwasn’t as prepared as them. I would always have been confi-dent, but the training has definitely given me more confi-dence,” he said.

The courses – developed and mostly delivered by IMPACT staff– are done on a modular basis, with participants committingto four separate days training at each of two levels. They havebeen run in Dublin, Cork and Galway, with additional sessionsin the midlands, the northeast and the south-east.

ParticipationFeedback from participants has welcomed the participative,discussion and exercise-based modules in areas like commu-nications, dealing with employers, representing members, em-ployment law, building more effective branches, and unionstructures. An encouraging number of participants have sincebeen elected to branch executive committees, while othershave taken on bigger roles in their branches and workplaces.

Speaking at the recent graduation ceremony in Dublin,IMPACT deputy general secretary Kevin Callinan said the aimwas to develop our people, who he said were the best resourceavailable to the union. “We need well-trained activists to helpdefend our members and be ready to achieve more when the

Go to the top Over 200 workplace reps havecompleted a new IMPACTtraining programme aimed atimproving the union’seffectiveness in the workplace.

Killian Brennan of the IMPACT Cabin Crew branch also saidthat solid skills and knowledge training had improved his con-fidence. “It also allows you to network with other people fromother parts of the union. It makes you realise you’re part ofsomething bigger than your own branch, and there are areasof commonality with other sections, whether people are work-ing in the public sector or a private enterprise,” he said.

Deirdre Desmond of the Agri Labs branch being presented withher certificate by honorary training officer Margaret Coughlan.


upturn comes. Our training graduates have demonstrated thatthey have the desire and capacity to develop their skills andtake those skills into the workplace,” he said.

The awards were presented by the union’s honorary trainingofficer Margaret Coughlan, who praised the level of partici-pation and achievement and pledged the union’s continuedsupport for activist training. Margaret chairs the IMPACTtraining committee, which oversees the initiative.

Martina O’Leary l

NOW IN its third year, the union’s ‘Making an IMPACT’workplace representatives’ training is open to memberswho want to become workplace union reps or improvetheir existing skills. Places are limited and those inter-ested must apply and set out their reasons for wanting toparticipate. Applicants must also agree to do each of fourmodules, which take place on separate days.

Applicants for level one don’t need previous experience,but they must have a willingness and potential to becomean effective IMPACT workplace representative. Level two isdesigned for more experienced activists and those whohave completed level one.

Once confirmed, training dates for 2014 will be distrib-uted to branch secretaries and through the IMPACT e-bul-letin and website. In the meantime, you can get moreinformation from your local official or from Margaret Gor-man at [email protected].

“The training makes you realise you’re partof something bigger than your own branch.There are areas of commonality with other

sections, whether people are working in thepublic sector or a private enterprise.”

of the class

Level one graduates David Devine (Fingal), Maria McLoughlin and Sean Twamley (Dublin Hospitals),

Margaret O’Dwyer, (Kildare) and Kevin Paul Corbett (Institutes of Technology).

Declan Murphy (Agri Labs) and Olivia McLoughlin (HSE Dublin North) graduated in December 2013.

Over to you?

Photos: C

onor Healy


Public service

MARTINA O’LEARY meets the seafaring staff and scientists who help maintain thousands of jobs that depend on the sea. SPARE A thought for Jennifer Doyle next time you’re tucking into your Dublin Bay prawns as a lovely fish supper. For this IMPACT rep spends 45 days at sea each year to make sure there are enough quality crustaceans on your plate.

Along with about 50 other staff at the Marine Institute’s fisheries ecosystem group in beautiful Oranmore outside

Prawn freeGalway city, Jennifer’s work is about surveying nephrops – or Dublin Bay prawns to you and me – giving advice on the stock and how many fish can be sustainably removed.

“Hundreds of fishermen’s livelihoods depend on healthy fish and nephrops stocks. The prawns are our second most valuable fish stocks, worth €80 million a year to the Irish economy. If you don’t have a good handle on the stock status that’s all at risk,” says the scientist.

Going to sea to do underwater surveys – usually for 10 or 15 days at a time – is just part of the job. There’s also a lot of preparation and, afterwards, a lot of data to be analysed.


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The agency is responsible for promoting the sustainable development of marine resources and providing advice to the industry, government and European Union. Its wide remit includes safeguarding the marine environment and its natural resources, research, and facilitating access to critical marine infrastructure like the national research vessels, data buoy network and a wave energy test site.

VesselsThe Marine Institute contracts P&O Maritime to operate its two vessels, Celtic Voyager and Celtic Explorer, which is a multipurpose vessel designed to undertake a wide array of offshore and deep-sea surveys. Both boats are fitted with state-of-the-art instrumentation, laboratories and IT equipment, which are used for fisheries research, environmental monitoring, climate studies, seabed mapping, oceanography, seismic surveys, student training and meteorological investigations.

P&O Maritime’s transport and logistics officer Tom O’Leary is the local IMPACT contact, representing everyone from labourers and cooks to seafarers, technicians and engineers. “We represent the best people in this industry. Clocking out and going home at the end of the day just doesn’t work here as anything could go wrong with the ship at a moment’s notice. You can’t walk away at five o’clock. We all pull together,” he says.

EnormousEvery piece of equipment is unloaded and cleaned and serviced once the ship docks. It sounds straightforward, but some of the equipment is enormous. Think of your average sitting room, and double the size. A winch for the remotely operated vehicle (ROV) is as big as a wide-load artic truck. So is the ROV operations cabin, which contains the technical equipment and screens for monitoring the seabed.

Gear superintendent John Barry has helped design moorings for Marine Institute weather and scientific buoys. “Next week

Jennifer and her colleagues provide the best possible advice on the numbers and health of the fish, and manage its recovery if the stock is not all it should be. And the data is also used as the basis of fishing limits when our ministers negotiate in the European Council of Ministers. “This information on the health of the stock is key to negotiating EU fishing limits. It’s essential the minister has this data at his fingertips for the December Fisheries Council meeting,” says Jennifer.

Ireland has a seabed territory of up to 220 million acres, an area nearly ten times greater than its land mass. The Marine Institute is tasked with minding this precious resource, which creates jobs and earns millions for the Irish economy every year.

The Celtic Explorer.

John Barry, Paddy O’Driscoll and Tom O’Leary from P&O Maritime.

I’m going to sea to recover moorings that were left there from wave energy experiments, clearing the site for another big job,” he says.

Paddy O’Driscoll, is one of six ROV technicians and pilots. He was part of the team that helped a NUIG research team discover a new seabed and amazing marine-life off the west coast of Ireland recently. “We do scientific trips and occasional external work for other organisations,” explains Paddy.

have two HD cameras. The equipment’s size and high-tech features make the job really intricate,” says Paddy.

The P&O team spends about 100 days at sea each year. “You do your 12-hour shift. Have your food, do your laundry and chores, into bed and away again in the morning. It keeps us busy,” says Paddy. Equipment is repaired between trips. “We need time to repair a lot of the equipment. Everything takes a lot of planning as you can’t get parts off the shelf. Many of the cables are fibreoptic.”

Achievement“It gives a great sense of achievement to go to sea, get the data, analyse it, and then feed into the assessment process producing the best advice we can on the prawn stocks. We are also pretty much to the forefront in technology. In Europe we’re seen as an established scientific institute that uses this technology to its best,” says Jennifer.

Jennifer and her colleagues also have many dry land chores, including sampling the fish stock in the ports and auction halls, processing and analysing data, attending meetings, presenting data, and agreeing the status of the stock at European level. “I love going to sea, it’s great. You never know what you’ll be like until you go. A lot of people think it’s very romantic and nice being outdoors. But big weather affects everybody and it can be very uncomfortable,” she says.

Public service


Being at sea means working in an enclosed, confined environment that’s both a place of work and a residence. “You have to respect the weather and your colleagues. You can’t just throw your gear on the cabin floor. If the alarm goes and you have to get out of the cabin fast, something left on the ground is a hazard. You have to be constantly on guard and aware that you’re in a working environment,” explains Jennifer.

Smooth operatorsThere’s also pressure to get as much information as possible during each trip, because vessel time is expensive. “We often survey the nephrops in 24-hour operations. Not because of animal behaviour, but to maximise the production time. All the analysis is done on board so we come off with everything ready to go. It’s a very smooth-running process,” she adds.

The Marine Institute scientists and P&O crews work alongside one another. It takes a team of six technicians and pilots to operate the seabed survey on a 24-hour basis. “You rotate because you can’t fly for 12 hours at a time. The ROV just flys over the bottom of the seabed, operated by thrusters. We

“The prawns are our second most valuable fish stocks, worth €80

million a year to the Irish economy. If you don’t have a good handle on the stock status that’s all at risk.”

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ROV technician/pilot Paddy O’Driscoll.

Scientist Jennifer Doyle.

THE FINAL shape of new certified sick leave arrangements,which are expected to come into force for most publicservants in March, will be determined by binding arbitrationin the Labour Court. Unions were awaiting its decision as thisissue of Work & Life went to print.

Paid certified sick leave for non-critical illnesses has beenhalved to three months on full pay, followed by three monthson half pay in any four-year period. But IMPACT has ensuredthat the previous arrangements – six months on full pay,followed by six months on half pay – will remain in cases ofcritical illness.

Existing arrangements for occupational illnesses and injuries– conditions caused by or at work, respectively – remainunchanged. But public servants need to be aware of how thenew rules will be applied, and particularly how ‘critical’ illnesswill be defined from now on.

Looking backLike the old system, the new arrangements limit the amountof paid leave available in a ‘rolling’ four year period – or thefour years prior to the date on which your sick leave begins.For non-critical illnesses, this is now three months on full pay,followed by three months on half pay in any four-year period.

However, an existing second one-year ‘look back’ mechanismalso remains in place. This takes account of sick leave overthe 12-months prior to the date of illness in a way that’sadvantageous to the worker concerned. It works like this:

l There will be a maximum of 183 days paid sick leave ateither full or half pay in four years.

l But if a worker has taken fewer than 183 days sick leavein that four-year period, a second look-back over theprevious 12 months will determine the rate at which theworker should be paid.

Your rights at work


So, a worker who had 123 days sick leave prior to 2013, buthad taken no sick leave in 2013, would be able to take up to60 days sick leave at full pay in 2014 if necessary. This isbecause the overall limit of 183 days in four years is qualifiedto provide for up to 92 days at full pay in the 12-month beforethe date of a current illness.

Critical conditionSo what’s a critical illness? First, there is no list of conditionsthat fit the bill. Instead, there’s a set of requirements that hasto be met for an illness to be defined as ‘critical.’ Theyinclude:

l The worker must be under the care of a medical consul -tant (or, in some cases, another medical pro fessional)

l The worker must furnish evidence of the critical natureof the illness

l The worker must be medically unfit to return to work

New rules on publicservice sick leave

Big changes to public serviceeligibility for paid certified sickleave kick in this year. Make sureyou know the new rules.

‰continued on page 20

Photo: dream

stime.com

20 WINTER-SPRING 2014

Your rights at workl The worker must have at least one of the following: an

acute life threatening illness; a chronic progressive illnesswith well-established potential to reduce life expectancy ifthere is no medical intervention; a major physical traumarequiring acute operative surgical treatment; or in-patientcare of at least two weeks.

As Work & Life went to print, IMPACT was working to ensurethat these criteria take account of the particularcircumstances of pregnancy-related illness, disability andmental health. These issues had been referred to the LabourCourt.

Discretion and appealsBy and large, the new rules are likely to be applied quiterigidly. But, in exceptional circumstances, managers will havethe discretion to extend paid sick leave beyond the new limitsfor non-critical illnesses – even where the medical criteria arenot met. In doing so, a manager will have to consider theindividual’s previous sick leave record and the potentialimpact on the workplace of an early return to work.

It will be possible for staff to appeal management decisionson medical grounds if extended leave is refused on medicalgrounds – and to appeal a management decision not to usetheir discretion to allow extended leave in a particular case.

The new arrangements are complex in many respects. Youcan get much more information from our website –www.impact.ie l

MAIN POINTSl Existing schemes for occupational illnesses or injuries unchanged.

l Paid sick leave for critical illnesses remains at six months full pay,followed by six months half pay.

l New criteria to determine whether an illness is ‘critical.’

l Paid sick leave for non-critical illnesses halved to three months onfull pay, followed by three months on half pay.

l Management has limited discretion to extend paid leave in non-critical cases.

l Workers can appeal on medical grounds, or when managementdiscretion to extend paid leave in non-critical cases is refused.

l The new rules are expected to apply from 1st March 2014 formost public servants, and from September 2014 in schools andcolleges.

l Pre-2014 rules continue to apply for staff on sick leave when thechanges come in – but only for the current illness.

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Failing to follow through on promises is the fastest way to losetrust. Just don’t make any commitments that you don’t intendto follow up. Many of us manage to keep the big promises butfall down on the small ones. Being let down a number of timesdestroys trust, no matter how small the issue seems.

Trust is best built from the top down, with senior leaders bestplaced to influence the overall culture of an organisation.However departmental and team leaders also exert a majorinfluence on trust levels in their departments and teams – andreap the benefits in terms of motivation and highperformance.

ExampleStart building trust by leading by example and demonstratingtrust. Trust flourishes in the presence of trust and staff whofeel trusted are more motivated to focus their time and effortson the job and achieve team goals in a cooperative and timelymanner. Clear, open and consistent communication isessential. Ensure team members are fully aware of andunderstand organisational and team goals, values andchallenges.

Your career

I’VE YET to meet anyone who, given the choice, would opt towork in a low-trust rather than a high-trust environment. Weinstinctively know that trust is important in the workplace andour gut instincts are supported by plenty of research.

Studies link trust to innovation, high performance,productivity, customer satisfaction and a myriad of otherpositives. Low trust is linked to conflict, disempowerment,absenteeism, poor job satisfaction and other symptoms ofdysfunctional organisations.

Stephen Covey describes low-trust workplaces as toxic,leading to the contagions of “criticising, complaining,comparing, competing, contending, and cynicism,” which allimpact negatively on an organisation’s ability to thrive. Peoplespend a lot of energy watching their backs in low-trust workenvironments, trying to work out what the real agendas areand second guessing each other.

Trust is the glue that bonds people. So theability to build and inspire trust is anessential competency in the modernworkplace regardless ofwhether you want to workas a team member, lead ateam, or climb thecareer ladder to seniormanagement.

Develop your ability to trust andbe trusted if you want to thrivein your career, says ISOBELBUTLER.


‰continued on page 22

Taking on trust

Failing to follow through on promises is the fastest way to lose trust. Just don’t make any commitments that

you don’t intend to follow up.

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excuses or blame others. Try to understand why mistakeshappened and learn from them. It’s far more productive thatfocusing on whose fault it was.

BlameA blame culture motivates staff to act out of fear and investtime and energy in hiding mistakes rather than fixing them,learning and moving on. This is compounded if you also jumpto conclusions without checking facts.

Focus on shared goals and avoid personal or hidden agendas,which breed mistrust. Trust your team members to do theirjob. Ensure your staff are trained, give instructions, and thenlet them get on with it. Hovering and micromanaging will beinterpreted as lack of trust and is likely to provoke mistakes.

FeedbackAlways focus on what’s going well rather than what’s goingwrong. Recognise the positive actions and behaviour of theteam and give recognition and feedback. Reinforcing thebehaviour that you want encourages more people to act inthat manner.

Provide opportunities to meet and talk with team members.Ask for opinions and ideas. Listen and give feedback andcredit for ideas and efforts. Treat everyone as an equal and

valued team member, no matter what their status.Show genuine respect and you’ll be

respected for it.

A simple way to destroy trust is to avoidtaking responsibility for your ownactions. You compound this if you make


Your career

Treat all team members as equal andvalued team members, no matter whattheir status. Show genuine respect and

you’ll be respected for it.

Top trust tips1. Be honest

2. Follow through on commitments

3. Provide feedback

4. Admit to mistakes and fix them

5. Acknowledge the positives

6. Be consistent

7. Be open to, and give credit for, ideas

8. Show integrity

9. Don’t make assumptions

10. Maintain confidentiality.

Isobel Butler is an independent organisational psychologist who works with people on a wide range of workplace issues including conflict management, dealing with change and solving problems. If there are specific issues you’d like her to tackle in these

articles send them in via the editor, Work & Life magazine, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1 or [email protected].

Inconsistency and mixed messages leave your team unable toknow where you stand or how you’re going to react.Withholding information can start the rumour machine andmisinformation is more likely to be believed in a low-trustenvironment. If you aren’t in a position to reveal confidentialinformation, say so and promise to do so as soon as you can.Then follow through on this promise.

It only takes one bad experience to destroy trust. Be honestwith yourself and reflect on whether you are part of aproblem, and take action if the answer is yes. Leaders needfollowers and people only follow those they trust l

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Lockout theatre offer


The Risen People

IMPACTmembers’offerIMPACT MEMBERS can get half-price ticketsfor the Abbey theatre’s production ofJames Plunkett’s The Risen People.Premium tickets for the play,which inspired Plunkett’s best-selling novel Strumpet City,retail for €40. In a uniqueoffer, IMPACT memberscan buy them for €20.

The Abbey’s new versionof the famous playmarks the centenaryof the 1913 DublinLockout. Set in theshadow of the dis -pute, its epic story ofstruggle and soli -darity is told throughthe familiar charac -ters of Annie, Fitz,Rashers and Henn -essy.

A defining moment inIrish history isbrought vividly to lifethrough music, move -ment and song in thisnew adaptation bydirector Jimmy Fay, incollaboration withmovement direc torColin Dunne and com -poser and musicaldirector Conor Lin -ehan.

To avail of our uniquediscount offer, book inperson, online or overthe phone using thepromotional code"IMPACT."

The Risen People runsat the Abbey until 1stFebruary 2014 l

Knitwear is back, big time.But make it sexy not

frumpy, says TRISHO’MAHONY.

‰

IT’S OFFICIAL. Knitwear is fashion’s IT pieceright now. When you see oversized fishermansweaters and big crazy multicoloured knitsadorning the aisles in Top Shop and weaving

their way down catwalks, you know woolis back at the top of its game.

Until recently woolly jumpers wereconsigned to the back of the wardrobe.

That’s changed and it’s time to movethem into prime position. There’s asmany different styles as there are

different types of wool.

Girlfriends are wearing ‘boyfriend’cardigans that look like they’re straight

out of 1940s Connemara.Unisex Aran sweaters, cableknits in lambswool andcashmere, gaudy patchworkponchos, Aztec prints, Fair

Isle sweaters, prissywindowpane check cardigans, houndstooth and

tartan pullovers. They’re everywhere.

To say nothing of fluffy angora and mohair invitingyou to reach out and touch. Anything goes, so long as

it’s knitted. And if you buy wisely and exercise propercare and cleaning, quality knitwear will last for years.

Knit one, twirl one


Looking good

The surge in sales is greatnews for indigenous Irishcottage industries, of whichthere are plenty. Monaster -evin-based Aran Craftsare busier than they’vebeen since they openedfor business in the 1950s.Their export market isflourishing and they’reexpanding retail openinghours. For a great selectionof knits at very competitiveprices, order online atarancrafts.com.

Carraig Donn, 100% Irish-owned with 33stores nationwide, is Ireland’s largestknitwear manufacturer. They have anextensive range of contemporary andtraditional Arans for ladies, gents andchildren. These come in machine andhand knit in 100% merino and 100%wool. Accessories range from socks,handbags blankets and throws. A unisexworsted wool oatmeal sweater will setyou back €49.95.

London-based Tipperary designerTim Ryan’s knitwear is bohemian,romantic glamour. Tim’s designs areexpensive, but timeless. Even ifyou’re not investing, it’s worthlooking at his collection for ideas.Other Irish names worth looking outfor are Sinead Clarke of EssenC, AineIrish Knitwear, Heather Finn, LisaShawgi, Sphere One by Lucy Downes andNatasha Wilkie.

Heat factorThere are some extremely good imitations on the high street– you’ll knock a season or two out of them for €20 or so. Theylack the heat factor though, and any I’ve bought go bally eventhough I take great care. There are some extremely nastyimitations: AVOID, even if the shop is giving them away.

For Vintage check out Dublin Top Shops, Urban Outfittersand individual outlets clustered in Temple Bar. Checkthe condition before you commit, unless you want theholey look.

Without getting too hung up on image, thetrick is to make your knitwear look goodwhile serving its main purpose – keepingyou warm. It’s about finding that balancebetween modern, feminine and fun, ratherthan frumpy, unforgiving and clinging toall the wrong places. Think Mrs BrownsBoys’ rose pink V-neck cardigan versusNastassja Kinski’s crimson mohairsweater-dress in Paris Texas.

Ways to wear For a high trend, around town, daytime look,

wear an oversized knit jumper dress with over-the-knee socks and knee-high boots. Introduce acontrasting leather belt if you have to havestructure and a waistline to cinch in. Or wear overa floral girly, skater dress for a feminine look. Bedaring with colour.

Chunky cardigans are an ‘in’ alternative to coats.Show some of your dress by leaving the cardi openand then belting. Avoid the knitted belt that comeswith the cardigan. It’s dated and the result shapeless.

Leggings and skinny jeans always work with oversizedsweaters and chunky knits. Wear cropped skinnies

with a sexy heel for a dressed up alternative.

Try a snug-fitted fine wool sweater with loose pants andbrogues as smart-casual work attire. A shirt will reduce skinirritations that wool can cause. Or wear with a knee-lengthskirt (preferably shiny or leather) and ankle boots. SeeJonathan Saunders and Richard Nicoll on how best to put thelook together.

Don’t restrict your sequinsto pre-Christmas. Wearshiny knits with sequinsand embellishments for aspecial night look any timeof year. Try Top Shop orRiver Island.

Use a vintage brooch towraparound a cardigan fora more romantic look thana formal jacket. Ponchoscreate a layered, butfinished look. See PhaseEight in Debenhams for anatural coral cable ponchowith thick-ribbed roll neckfor €113, or a CarraigDonn Poncho for €63.

Add a collection of yourfavourite brooches to yourboyfriend cardigan to putyour unique twist to theensemble l

SHETLAND PONIES sporting Fair Islecardigans and trendy striped sweatersfor chickens and goats have takenthe art of knitwear to anotherlevel. I’m not kidding! If you knowthe right knitter, you can evenget a woolly suit for your pettortoise. Dress him up as acheese burger, a birthday cake or roastchicken. See thepurledewe.blogspot for more.


Paul Costello,Dunnes Stores.

Nastassja Kinski

In the kitchen

MARGARET HANNIGANis turning to casserolesfor that cold weathercomfort.

‰

SPRING OFFICIALLY begins on 1st February according to theIrish calendar. This is a month earlier than Britain but,interestingly, it doesn’t make winter end any sooner here.Despite the shelves of Easter eggs that appear in the shopscome February, our stomachs never forget we’re still eatingfor cold weather.

The word from a renowned weather oracle – not the Germanoctopus, but perhaps the New Zealand postman – has it thatwe’ll have snow in February. So we might leave the saladspinner tucked away for another month or so, and keep thecasserole dishes stacked at the front of the press.

The word casserole comes from the French word for saucepan.But it was a French Canadian called Elmire Jolicoeur who put

it all together during a cold New Hampshirewinter in 1866. He browned meat and

vegetables on the top of the stoveand, in a radical departure,

he cooked them slowlyin liquid in the

oven.


Wine adds flavour and theacidity helps tenderise the

meat as it cooks. Beer, ale orstout similarly lose their

bitterness in long slow cookingand add depth to the sauce.

One of the best things about cooking a casserole, apart from the fabuloussmells and tastes, is that everything cooks together in the one pot. Wherethings can go wrong, is if everything is just lobbed willy-nilly into the pot,and boiled rather than slowly simmered. In the interests of clarity, andbecause we all need a bigger bang for our buck, I’ve drawn up a fewguidelines and found a recipe for soup that you cook in the oven like acasserole. It really couldn’t be easier than that.

DisintegrateMeat pieces should be around 1.5 inches by 1.25 inches. A bit bigger isfine, but anything smaller or thinner will disintegrate. Pre-packedsupermarket packs can be hard to judge, so it’s better to buy a whole pieceand cut it yourself. Allow 6-8oz per person, and an extra bit for secondhelpings and freezing.

The meat should be seared at a high temperature to seal in the juices andgive a rich colour. Do it in small batches, and don’t overcrowd the pan

as the steam rushing out of the meat will prevent it from browningbecause the pan will be too damp.

The liquid you add makes the sauce, so choose it accordingly.Wine adds flavour and the acidity helps tenderise the meat asit cooks. Beer, ale or stout similarly lose their bitterness in longslow cooking and add depth to the sauce.

For thickening, add flour to the pot after the meat is brownedbut before the liquid is added. Or toss the meat in flour before

browning, or strain off the liquid and reduce separately by boilingit down, or add a flour and butter paste whisked in tiny flecks. One

ounce of butter combined with 1oz flour will thicken one pint of liquid.

Don’t cut the vegetables too small or they’ll collapse.

Bring to a simmer – not a rolling boil – on the hob and transfer to a low ovenof gas1/175F/140C. Fan ovens may need to be lower and the temperatureof each oven varies. You’re looking for only an occasional bubble breakingthe surface l 27WORK & LIFE: THE MAGAZINE FOR IMPACT MEMBERS

Some people are puzzled by the whole casserole thing and can’t see howit’s different, in any meaningful way, from a stew. Let me sort that one outfor you. A stew is where meat and vegetables are cooked in liquid, and theheat is applied to the bottom of the pan, on the stovetop or hob. Acasserole is where the vessel is in an oven, and the heat circulates all roundit, cooking it slowly and gently.

CasseroleAs well as the ubiquitous beef and chicken dishes, members of thecasserole family include ragout, hotpot, tagine, moussaka, shepherds pie,and gratins. One for everyone in the audience, as it were. Ingredients

l 8oz (225g) peeled carrots, cut into 2 inch(5 cm) lengths.

l 8oz (225g) peeled celeriac or celery, cutinto 2 inch (5 cm) pieces.

l 8oz (225g) trimmed and washed leeks,halved and cut into 2 inch (5 cm) lengths.

l 8oz (225g) peeled swede, cut into 2 inch(5 cm) pieces.

l One small onion, peeled and roughlychopped.

l 2.5 pints (1.5 litres) stock made withMarigold Swiss Bouillon vegetable powderor other good quality vegetable stock.

l Three bay leaves.

l Salt and freshly milled black pepper.

l Six teaspoons fat-free Greek yoghurt.

l A few fresh chives, snipped.

l Pre-heat the oven to gas mark 1, 275F(140C).

l You will also need a lidded flameproofcasserole with a capacity of six pints (3.5litres).

Method

There's not much to do here once everything ispeeled and chopped. All you do is place every-thing in the casserole and bring it up to a gen-tle simmer, then put the lid on and place it inthe lowest part of the oven. Leave it there forthree hours, by which time the vegetables willbe meltingly tender.

Next remove the bay leaves and process or liq-uidise the soup to a purée in several batches.Then gently re-heat and serve the soup in bowlswith a teaspoon of Greek yoghurt swirled intoeach and garnished with the fresh chives.

Winter rootveg soup

As well as the ubiquitous beef and chickendishes, members of the casserole family

include ragout, hotpot, tagine, moussaka, shepherds pie, and gratins. One for

everyone in the audience, as it were.

Photos: dream

stime.com

Green fingers

Tooling Only fools neglect their tools, says ITA PATTEN.

WINTER-SPRING 2014

THIS YEAR I’ve decided to sort out my collection of garden tools. I suggest you do the same as it’s a task we put on the long finger at our peril.

Look into your garden shed, garage or wherever it is that you store your tools and take a critical look at them. Are they neatly stacked, oiled and sharpened? All ready and eager for the work ahead? Or, like mine, are they tossed in the corner behind the bikes, with tines tangled into spokes, blunt and caked in dry mud.

My gardening resolution is to review my collection, clean and sharpen the ones worth keeping, and buy a few new ones. This list of eight items should be sufficient to keep the average garden in tip top shape.

SECATEURSSecateurs are used for pruning woody stems up to 2cm thick and thicker stems of soft shoots. They are also invaluable for taking cuttings. They should be kept sharp and cleaned regularly with an oily rag. They come with different types of blades; anvil, parrot beak, and my favourite the by-pass which has a scissor-like action. Felco is the preferred brand of professional gardeners. Not all garden centres sell this brand, but most stock cheaper and perfectly adequate brands such as Fiskars and Wolf Garten.

GARDEN KNIFE Knives, like the secateurs, must be kept sharp. This is such a versatile and handy tool which can be used for light pruning, taking and preparing cuttings and also cutting string.

HOEHoes are the essential tool for weeding and aerating the soil. I prefer to use the type known as the Dutch hoe. I use it on annual and shallow rooted weeds, by cutting underneath them, severing the roots from leaves as I walk backwards. The uprooted weeds can be raked off or left lying on the soil to dry out and die.

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Your hoe should have a handle long enough to avoid bending over. Keep the edge of the hoe sharp by filing once or twice a year. A while ago I read an article lauding a different type of hoe – the swoe. A swoe has a sharp arrow shaped tip and is apparently ideal for tight spaces and for use between rows of plants. They retail at around €19 and I intend to investigate just how efficient they are.

DIGGING FORKThis is a very useful tool for turning heavy soil, lifting rootcrops, shifting bulky material like garden compost and digging out perennial weeds such as creeping buttercup and bindweed. They are generally available in two sizes, standard and border. The latter is sometimes referred to as the “ladies” fork, but I prefer to use the standard size. The head and neck should be forged in a single piece, with no welds or rough edges.

SPADESpades are an essential tool for general cultivation, lifting soil and digging holes for planting. (And French drains, of course! See the last issue of Work & Life.) Stainless steel spades are more expensive, but they make for lighter work and will never rust.

Ita Patton is a craft gardener in the National Botanic Gardens.

up RAKEThe two main types of rake are garden and lawn rakes. The garden rake has 12-14 rounded teeth and they’re used for levelling and breaking up the soil surface. The lighter lawn or spring-tined rake is a must-have tool for lawn maintenance as it’s used for raking out thatch, moss and dead grass and clearing away fallen leaves.

SHEARSShears are mostly used for cutting hedges. But they come in very handy for cutting hard-to-reach areas of grass and cutting down soft stemmed herbaceous plants too. Check the feel and weight of your new shears before purchasing. If they are too heavy, the work will be very tiring. Wilkinson and Spear & Jackson are two good brands to look out for.

WHEELBARROWIf you have the storage space I’d recommend that you buy a wheelbarrow. Don’t be tempted to overload the barrow as it is better to make that extra journey than strain your back. If your garden is very small and you really don’t have the space, try the mini version, ie, a bucket. I always bring my bucket with me when deadheading or weeding small beds.

Finally, don’t be tempted by the cheap tools like wood chippers and electric hedge trimmers in discount supermarkets. They’ll rarely (if ever) be used and will produce very poor results. Save your money for the better brands that make gardening such a joy!

Don’t assume the girls are better than the guys when it comes to minding themselves, says KAREN WARD.

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Be good to yourself

WINTER-SPRING 2014

Work on being a

IT’S A myth that women look after their health better than men. It comes from the fact that women often share more of life’s challenges with loved ones, thereby lessening worries and anxieties. But women, especially those who work and have children, also tend to juggle everything while neglecting themselves.Most of us think of physical health in terms of ideal weight and a certain degree of fitness. But there’s so much more to our physical health and it’s well worth a regular check-up with your local doctor to make sure your gynaecological, breast, lung and blood health are what they should be.

Other parts of our body are also easily neglected. Dental care is a good example. We usually avoid the dentist until there’s a problem. But regular checkups can prevent a myriad of future problems. Log onto the Irish Dental Association website (www.ida.ie) to find your nearest dentist.

Foot care is another neglected area. When was the last time you visited a chiropodist or podiatrist? You can find out where to go and what to expect from the website www.chiropodypodiatryireland.ie.

For healthier skin, make sure you use sun creams in the summer and good quality moisturiser in the winter. Regular rehydration with water and herbal teas also goes a long way to maintaining a youthful glow.

Mind your mindDon’t neglect your mental health either. Many of us dwell on the past, clogging up our brain with old hurts and mistakes. Or instead we might live in the future, wishing our lives away or wanting the proverbial grass to be greener.

Instead, focus on the here and now in the practise of ‘mindfulness,’ which means being completely present when you do what you do. Focus on what is possible rather than what you think you need or want to do. There are

extreme reaction to an innocuous event. If this sounds familiar, the best remedy is to find a simple way to release your emotions safely and appropriately.

Throw yourself 100% into the tough day, but look forward to going home to your safe haven. Close your eyes and imagine that you’ll soon be on your comfy sofa with a warm rug to snuggle up in. On the way home get a video to help you cry or laugh away the frustrations of the day.

If you feel angry, a physical release like the gym or a run or fast walk can help you visualise the feelings literally sinking

into the ground. It’s simple and free to do.


Karen Ward, holistic therapist from RTÉ’s Health Squad and energy therapist from BBC’s Last Resort, is author of the

best selling Change a Little to Change a Lot and Heart Space: Restore and Renew Body, Mind and Soul relaxation CD.

www.karenwardholistictherapist.com

well womanmany excellent meditation and mindfulness classes to help avoid any anxious feelings or negative thinking (see www.mindfulnesireland.org).

Remember that a problem shared is a problem halved. Ease a challenging situation by phoning a friend to chat and share. But if something too personal is really bothering you, don’t be afraid to contact Irish Association of Counselling and Psychotherapy (www.irish-counselling.ie) for advice on getting professional help.

Emotional whirlIreland is a place where we tend to put on a brave face and keep a stiff upper lip. Consequentially, we women may have grown up in the habit of not releasing some of our emotions, particularly anger and sadness.

Even if we ‘de-press’ these feelings they will eventually seep out, often in the form of a physical ailment or an

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STRESS AFFECTS us all in varying degrees and at different times in our lives. Depending on where we are mentally, physically and emotionally, it can often be the little things that get to us while we sail through the bigger problems life throws our way.

When our stress levels rise, it can translate physically to sweaty hands, shallow and fast breathing and racing thoughts. Have you noticed that your breath is always slow and calm when you’re relaxed?

So it follows that the simple act of breathing slowly helps us to relax. You can simply do it yourself and breathe slowly for 20 breaths. Or you could consider going to a yoga, t’ai chi or meditation class to learn some vital relaxation techniques.

Taking time-out to do this may be considered indulgent. But regular deep-breathing is a necessity not a luxury. Your local health food centre is a great source of details for local classes. HYPERLINK “http://www.irishhealthstores.com”www.irishhealthstores.com

De-stress not distress!

At the movies


RECENT RELEASES based on ‘true stories’ have reopened debatesabout movie representations – and misrepresentations – of realevents, with critics exercised about the need for historical accuracyin films. Among them are high-profile Oscar contenders CaptainPhillips, Philomena, Saving Mr. Banks, The Butler, and Twelve Years aSlave.

Philomena is derived from a book by journalist Martin Sixsmith abouthis attempts to find out what happened to an Irish woman’s sonwho was forcibly given up for adoption in the 1960s. The film hasbeen criticised in some quarters for misrepresenting the nunsinvolved as actively obstructing Sixsmith’s and Philomena Lee’sefforts.

While the apparently realistic denouement to Captain Phillipsappears preposterously gung-ho, it is by all accounts accurate.However, supposedly less so, according to some of his crewmen, isTom Hanks’ representation of the eponymous sailor as a selfless hero.

In Saving Mr Banks, Walt Disney is an avuncular presence who coaxesthe disagreeable PL Travers’ participation in the film of her book MaryPoppins. The film presents her as thrilled with Disney’s adaptation; inreality Travers’ reported response was: “Oh God, what have they done?”

Historical anomalies are evident in Lee Daniels’ The Butler, whichpresents a sketch of real events, taking the life of Eugene Allen as thebasis for the character Cecil Gaines. However, much of Gaines’ story isfabrication, including his parents’ back story of racist abuse and thedeath of his son in Vietnam.

Similar questions have been raised about the provenance of the sourcestory for Steve McQueen’s 12 Years a Slave, with suggestions that theoriginal biography of Solomon Northtup was embellished to rally theanti-slavery movement. It’s been suggested that this accusation isderived from academics hired as ‘historical assassins’ by studios ormarketers to scupper awards rivals.

But the role of screenwriters and filmmakers is to tell stories andconstruct engaging narratives. These may often be at odds with thecomplexities of history or the often formless nature of real life. Formany filmmakers the retention of an artistic or central truth isjustification for applying the gloss of fiction.

Are you for reel?How true does a true story

have to be? MORGAN O’BRIENlooks over some recent movies

that have provoked criticism.

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Twelve

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Slave

CaptainPhillips

Philomena


While Philomena may welloverstate the level of religiouscomplicity in this case, itremains a far less brutalindictment of institutionalisedmistreatment than TheMagdelene Sisters. Morebroadly, the story provides anengaging and essentially honestaccount of Philomena’sstruggle, laced with nicelyjudged central performancesfrom Steve Coogan and JudiDench.

Criticisms of Captain Phillipsare more subjective. But, in abroader sense, the film is aneven handed exploration ofpiracy as much as it is an actiondrama. Conversely, since SavingMr Banks was produced byDisney, it comes as littlesurprise that it embroiders thetruth and offers a somewhatrose-tinted image of thecompany’s founder.

The social history of Americaand its complicated, and oftenunpalatable, relationship withrace provides the broadercontext of The Butler and 12Years A Slave. The films bendthe particulars of their storiesto suit this broader purpose.

There may be a concern thatfilmgoers will assume what theyare watching is a truthfulrepresentation. While few willwatch X-Men: First Class andbelieve that a band of mutantheroes help resolve the Cubanmissile crisis, a slew of recenthigh profile films, includingArgo, The King’s Speech, andThe Queen, all contain varyinglevels of fictive embellishment.

Nevertheless, audiences seemlittle concerned about thefactual reliability and truth -fulness in films. Movies basedon true stories or historicalevents remain strong perform -ers at the box office and at theawards l

Screen test12 Years A Slave (10th January)Chiwetel Ejiofor features as Solomon Northup, a free man kidnapped and sold into slavery in 19thcentury United States. The strong support cast features Brad Pitt, Michael Fassbender, Paul Giamattiand Benedict Cumberbatch.

Her (10th January)Director Spike Jonze applies his idiosyncratic style to a tale of a lonely writer (Joaquin Phoenix)who develops a relationship with a computer operating system voiced by Scarlett Johansson.

The Wolf of Wall Street (17th January)Leonardo DiCaprio is once again directed by Martin Scorsese in a biographical satireof fraud and excess in the titular home of stockbroking.

Inside Llewyn Davis (24th January)The Coen brothers’ return with a film about 1960s singer-songwriter (Oscar Isaac) whoplots a Zelig-like trail through the New York folk scene. Carey Mulligan, John Goodmanand Justin Timberlake also star.

Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (31st January)Tom Clancy’s enduring character, previously portrayed by Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and Ben Affleck, is given a reboot withChris Prine in the title role. Director Kenneth Branagh features in support along with Kevin Costner and Keira Knightley.

RoboCop (7th February)Remake of 1987 cult classic features Joel Kinnaman, alumni of television series TheKilling, as the cyborg police officer. Strong support is provided by Gary Oldman, MichaelKeaton and Samuel L. Jackson.

The Dallas Buyer’s Club (7th February)Biographical drama set in the 1980s about Ron Woodroof (Matthew McConaughey)who begins importing illegal medicine after being diagnosed with AIDS. Jennifer Garnerand Jared Leto are among the support cast.

Labour Day (7th February)Jason Reitman directs this adaptation of Joyce Maynard’s novel about a single mother (Kate Winslet) who gives help to aninjured man (Josh Brolin) who she soon realises is an escaped convict.

Charlie Countryman (14th February)Shia LaBeouf is the eponymous Charlie, who falls in love with a Romanian woman (Evan Rachel Wood) but has to contendwith her criminal boyfriend. Advance notices have primarily focused on cuts made by American censors.

The Monument Men (21st February)George Clooney directs and stars in this comedy drama based on a real lifeWorld War II platoon charged with rescuing works of art seized by theNazis. Matt Damon, Bill Murray and John Goodman are amongst theensemble cast.

Non-Stop (28th February) Liam Neeson continues to plough the action-man furrow in this highconcept thriller about a federal marshall who becomes embroiled in a mid-air hijacking.

BISHOP DESMOND Tutu once proclaimed that “you don’t choose your family; theyare god’s gift to you, as you are to them.” Coming from a slightly different angle,the writer Robert Brault observed: “If minutes were kept of a family gatheringthey would show that ‘members not present’ and ‘subjects discussed’ wereone and the same.”

Given this spread of familial experience, it’s no surprise that musicalsiblings have had mixed results when it comes to maintaining that kindredconnection. On balance, the number of familial fallings-out is aboveaverage in the rock ‘n’ roll fraternity.

The question of whether there are common root causes is an interestingone (for anoraks). Is the fall-out rate linked to talent and creativity? Orcreative ego? Substance abuse (or lack of it), perhaps?

At my beloved Arsenal, we are fond of saying: “Arsenal is Family.” Butthere are always exceptions, none more notable than the rift betweenlifelong supporters Ray and Dave Davies of The Kinks. Dave puts it likethis: “I think Ray has been happy for only three years in his life. Andthose were the three years before I was born.”

A row over whether You Really Got Me was the first ever punk song (Ray)as opposed to the first ever heavy metal anthem (Dave) is a strangebasis for a family feud. Cue poor old Dave’s consignment to a careertop-heavy with B-sides (if you discount the truly wonderful Death of aClown). The real reason for the rift? These boys were way too talentedfor their own good.

ChemistryLook further and you’d be forgiven for thinking the only brothers whogot on were The Righteous Brothers. And they weren’t brothers.

Imagine the weird chemistry between Don and Phil Everly. For almosta decade their only communication was through the harmonies. So thewords Be-Bop-A-Lula might actually decode as “I’m going to punch yourlights out you bell end.” Meanwhile, after working with brother Sly of theFamily Stone, Freddie retired from the music industry and became apastor in Vallejo. Who wouldn’t?

However tiresome, the more recent fraternal fissures of the Gallagherbrothers can’t take away from the fact that Definitely Maybe and What’sThe Story Morning Glory sold over 30 million copies between them. As Cillawould say, that’s a lorra, lorra G chords. I wouldn’t be surprised if thesetwo actually can get along, but just ‘couldn’t be bothered’ in thatMancunian way.

Then there’s poor old David Knopfler, who broke from older sibling Mark’sDire Straits in a ‘this will never work’ kind of way in the middle of recordingthe breakthrough album Making Movies. He received no credits on thealbum. Tragic: Eat your heart out Romeo and Juliet.

Play it loud

RAYMOND CONNOLLY is saddened to find morerifts than riffs among musical siblings.

Why can’t you just play together nicely?


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“The minutes of a familygathering would show that‘members not present’ and‘subjects discussed’ were

one and the same.”

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That said, twins seem to have fared much better in the getting-along department.Plentiful examples include The Proclaimers, Bros and, so far at least, Jedward. Ofcourse it’s difficult to have artistic differences without any art.

And take Tegan and Sara. While they might not be Canada’s most popular lesbianidentical twin singer-songwriters, they are definitely in the top five. And let’s notforget The Thompson Twins although, sadly, they weren’t twins.

Safety in numbers?Ogden Nash once said a family “is a unit composed not only of children but ofmen, women, an occasional animal and the common cold.” So perhaps safety innumbers is the formula for maintaining wholesome family relations. The Osmondsare a prime example and the Jackson Five were motoring along nicely until Randyarrived and ruined the band’s name.

Despite comprising three brothers and a first cousin, those sons of a preacherman The Kings of Leon seem an altogether connected bunch. Hopefully

this can one day lead to the creation of a second song.

Alas, the theory falls slightly flat in the strange case of the NolanSisters’ spat. Not that it would be like Irish women to fall out

or anything. But, at the end of the day, we’re all somebody’schildren. The reason grandparents and grand children getalong so well is that they have a common enemy l

Soduko difficult solutionSoduko easy solution

Spring 2014solutions (From page 46.)


Autumn 2013 Crossword SolutionsSee page 46 for the competition winners from Issue 23.

ACROSS: 5. Clogheen 6. Arc 9. Thrill 13. Master 16. Scatter 17. Hood 18.Arid 20. Poe 21. US 22. Morocco 23. Lee 24. Anchor 25. Oboe. DOWN:1. Almanac 2. Ogre 3. Weep 4. Anthem 6. Arras 7. Ri 8. Clare 10. Duty12. Davis 14. Tadpole 15. Rake 17. Hoodoo 19. Ruin 22. Moor

1 Death Of A ClownThe Kinks (1967)The lions they won’t fight and the tigers won’t roar.Pure genius.

2 Wouldn’t It Be NiceThe Beach Boys (1966)New Persil Automatic washes whiter. A Pet Sound.

3 You Shook Me All Night Long AC/DC (1980)The young brothers do a Richards and Wood.

4 This Town Ain’t Big Enough For The Both Of Us

Sparks (1974)“And it ain’t me who’s gonna leave?” Neither am I.

5 Sultans Of Swing Dire Straits (1978)Check out Guitar George. He knows all the chords.Tell the Gallaghers.

1 When Will I Be Famous? Bros (1987)Hopefully never again.

2 I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles) The Proclaimers (1988)Cue silly men at weddings doing a conservative pogo.

3 MmmBop Hanson (1997)Doo-wop-diddy-doo-wop. Or as Jim Royle says...do one.

4 JumpVan Halen (1983)Please do.

5 Halfway Down The Stairs Robin the Frog (1977)Technically Kermit’s nephew. But hey, they’re frogs

Family Jewels

Family Fiascos

8 9 3 1 5 7 2 4 6

4 6 7 8 9 2 1 3 5

1 2 5 3 4 6 8 7 9

5 7 2 6 3 4 9 1 8

6 4 8 5 1 9 3 2 7

3 1 9 2 7 8 5 6 4

2 5 4 7 8 1 6 9 3

9 3 6 4 2 5 7 8 1

7 8 1 9 6 3 4 5 2

3 5 6 1 7 9 4 8 2

8 9 4 2 3 6 1 5 7

1 2 7 8 5 4 3 6 9

6 4 8 9 1 2 5 7 3

5 3 9 6 8 7 2 1 4

7 1 2 3 4 5 6 9 8

2 8 5 7 6 3 9 4 1

9 6 1 4 2 8 7 3 5

4 7 3 5 9 1 8 2 6

gardens. There is a greatdisparity there, with peopletrying to eek-out an exis -tence.”

Micί Mac Gabhann leftIreland looking for gold andreturned home, a wealthyman. His Donegal house wasa symbol of his success andRoger Casement was amongthe guests at his home.Tracing his steps, Michael’sjourney took him acrossAmerica by bus, train and car;driving around Montana,hiking in the mountains.

Ghost towns“I flew to Anchorage, Alaskaand travelled to the Klondikeby train, small planes andminibus. I cycled the hills insearch of Micί’s gold claimand kayaked on the Yukonriver. I followed my nose onthe journey as interesting newworlds and people opened upto me, be it in the miningghost towns or on native

American reservations, ranch houses or isolated Alaskanvillages.

Michael, who lives in Donegal with his wife, has three adultchildren who are all travelling the world. He’s not sure what hisnext topic will be, but rest assured there are more books in thepipeline.

Interview by Martina O’Leary. Footprints Across America ispublished by Orpen Press and costs €16 l

Author interview


INSPIRED BY the Irishimmigrant Micί Mac Gabh -ann, whose adventures arerecounted in Rotha Mόr antSaoil or The Big Wheel of Life,Michael McMonagle hasfollowed his journey fromDerry to the Klondike goldrush via New York, the greatplains, the Rocky mountainsand the vast Alaskanwilderness.

His new book FootprintAcross America compares theland that Micí encounteredin the late 19th century withthe very different America oftoday.

An IMPACT member formany years until his retire -ment, Michael worked in anumber of social work,community and child careroles in the HSE and NorthWestern Health Board. Hisfirst book detailed a walkbetween Gartan in Donegaland Clonmacnoise in CountyOffaly. “It was my storyabout walking the backroads. I decided to keep asort of memoir for my children. I didn’t really think of it aswriting until someone suggested I send it to a publisher. Theypublished it and then I came up with the idea of tracing Micί’sstory,” he says.

Boyhood dreamChasing Micί’s fading footprints across America and onto theKlondike was a boyhood dream. “His dream was fuelled bythe prospect of gold and silver. Mine, by curiosity and a desireto glimpse the wonders he encountered, and to see how theworld he passed through had changed,” says Michael.

Boom and bust were as common in Micί’s time as they arenow. “When you travel through America, you are hit by thenumber of homeless people. The second thing that struck mewas the amount of people who needed two or three jobs tosurvive.

I met a priest in Butte County, Montana who told me about themining towns he grew up in. As a child he would hardly see hisfather, who worked a 12-hour day. I also met a guy who workedin insurance and had a second job tending to almost 40

After the gold rushWhen he was studying The Big Wheel of Life in primary school, former IMPACT

member MICHAEL McMONAGLE couldn’t have known he’d follow its real-lifecharacter’s quest across America over a century later.

You could win a copy of FootprintsAcross America. Simply send youranswer to this question toFootprints Across AmericaCompetition, Roisin Nolan,IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1.Get it to us by 7th March 2014 tobe in with a chance to win.

Where does Michael McMonaglelive?

Win a copy

“His dream was fuelled by the prospect of goldand silver. Mine, by curiosity and a desire to glimpse

the wonders he encountered, and to see how theworld he passed through had changed.”

Book reviews


‰More reviews on page 38

ONE OF the great advan-tages of being a book loveris the ability to inhabit an-other place and time.While history lessons tellof large-scale battles andupheavals, a well-writtenand researched noveltakes the reader into thelives of ordinary peopleand shows that, inmany ways, all lives areextraordinary.

In this book thehuman side of therunaway slave’s net-work and Quaker be-liefs are illuminated in both thesmallest details and the dramatic events of Amer-ica in the 1850s.

Honor Bright, a young Quaker woman from England, findsherself alone in Ohio where nothing is familiar or easy. Moreout of pragmatism than love, Honor marries Jack Haymakera young dairy farmer. She soon finds herself at odds with hisfamily when she helps runaway slaves who stop near theirproperty in need of help.

The Haymakers are not uncaring but Honor is breaking thelaw, which could mean the family paying a ruinous price.Jack’s family also object to her friendship with Belle Mills, anon-Quaker milliner from a neighbouring town, who is knownto help runaways. As matters escalate Honor turns to Belle forhelp.

At first, Honor is repelled by the Americans’ unsentimentalityand their ability to move on. But, as she gradually growsstronger and more intuitive, she also becomes less judge-mental. She learns how even the strongest-held principlesmust sometimes be tempered in the face of harsh reality.

The story is peopled with interesting, complex characters.Even the relationship between Honor and the slave catcherDonovan is well-drawn and believable. This is a slow-movingbook, beautifully evoking the hard-working and simple livesof the Quaker community. But it is ultimately a satisfying andworthwhile read.

Kathryn Smith

THIS BOOK is guaranteed to shiver your timbers and rattleyour jib. It will sort out the cabin boys from the commandersand the armchair travellers from the Admirals. That beingsaid, it’s the work of a man whose journeys sailing across theglobe were entirely fictional.

Patrick O’ Brian is best known forhis series of 20 novels set dur-ing the Napoleonic wars, whichfeature English naval officerCaptain Jack Aubrey and hisclose friend and fellow voyagerDr Stephen Maturin, physicianand spy. The novels can beread as stand-alone adven-tures or as one long story,with each book simply achapter in the tale.

If this isn’t ringing anybells, you may recall seeingRussell Crowe in a ponytailand satin breeches leapingfrom the rigging of a tallship in a film called Mas-ter and Commander: The

Far Side of the World. He wasplaying the aforementioned Captain Jack in a

story based on a mish-mash of the O’Brian novels. Paul Bet-tany played Dr Maturin and, as I recall, he had to performsome pretty tricky surgery on a wound to his own abdomenusing a mirror and a very sharp knife.

Travel was indeed a hazardous business – with wealth no pro-tection against injury, illness or death – according to the ac-counts in this book, which are seventeenth and eighteenthcentury extracts from travel diaries and correspondence. In DrMaturin’s case, even the Royal Navy could not protect him,though he did survive to tell the tale.

The language and phrasing reflect the age in which the pieceswere written. This can be cumbersome and elaborate but it re-flects a period when much was still unknown about foreignlands. In the absence of Trip Advisor and Google Earth therewere more surprises and dangers awaiting the intrepid trav-eller.

This curiosity of a book was first published in 1947, whichmakes it an antique twice over. It will make O’Brian fans andcollectors of curiosities very happy. Everyone else, approachwith caution.

Margaret Hannigan

The Last Runaway Tracy Chevalier (Harper Collins, £7.99 inthe UK)

Slaves tohistory

Not forlandlubbersA Book of VoyagesEdited by Patrick O’Brian (HarperCollins, £14.99 in the UK)

More book reviews


THIS IS an interesting cross-breed of a book. Like a crossbetween a loping, laconicIrish Wolfhound, and aDoberman Pincer, it can belaid back and gracious. Butthere’s a wide streak ofnasty running through it.

A woman in Dublin has dis-appeared from her blood-stained bedroom on the eveof World War Two, and amurder hunt is underway.Recalled from his localbeat in the pastoral splen-dour of Baltinglass, Ser-geant Stefan Gillespie isinstructed to travel toNew York and bring the

prime suspect home.

Seventeen years earlier a young son witnesses his father beingtaken from his home in West Cork by his former Irish com-rades-in-arms. His dad is never seen alive again. These eventsare only two strands of the tangled web woven by the author,

IT’S 1969 and biochemists Millie and Jim Hunter are profes-sors at Chubb University in Holloman, Connecticut. Life hasnot been easy for them. A brilliant scholar and now renownedscientist, Jim is black. And it wasn’t acceptable for a girl likeMillie to be involved with a black boy when they first met backin 1955.

Despite racial prejudice, Millie has devoted 18 years of her lifeto Jim. In awe of his brilliance, she has always put her ownconsiderable career in second place. They live in near-povertyas all spare income has been sunk into Jim’s research. Life isabout to change though, as Jim has written a book whichlooks set to become a best seller.

While working in her lab one night, Millie discovers that alethal toxin has disappeared from her fridge. At a social oc-casion the next night, an old friend of the Hunter’s dies and

his death is attributed to poison-ing. This is followed by moredeaths and at least two of the vic-tims are directly connected to theHunters.

The police suspect Jim as he isthe obvious link between the poi-son and the victims. But nothingcan be proved. Could Jim be akiller? If so, why now wheneverything is going so well forhim? If Jim is not the killer whywould anyone want to framehim? Many small town secrets are exposedas the police search for the possibly unpalatable truth.

Colleen McCullough is famous for The Thorn Birds, one of themost talked about and widely-read books of its day. This of-fering is unlikely to launch her back into stratospheric sales.Both the plot and characters are somewhat improbable andthe book lacks authenticity. However, it is pacy, dramatic andeasy to read.

Kathryn Smith

Poisoned plot lacks authenticityThe Prodigal Son Coleen McCullough (Harper Collins, £7.99 in the UK)

The wearing of the greenThe City of Strangers

Michael Russell (Avon, £7.99 in the UK)

which also include the Gate actor and impresario, MichaelMacLiammoir, a Jewish gangster, Nazis, the IRA, and a plot toassassinate King George V of England. And that’s not givingyou any spoilers.

The episodic construction of the book gets in the way of thestory at times. The plot seems to snake away in an unexpecteddirection every ten pages or so. This can make it difficult toengage fully with the characters, as their relative importanceto the story appears to shift and slide.

The one constant is Stefan Gillespie, the calm centre of thestorm whose thoughtful, intelligent presence illuminates thebook. Stefan is a character with a lot of life in him and lookslikely to have further adventures ahead. In the company of hissidekick Dessie MacMahon, primed to provide light relief, andhis immediate superior Superintendent Gregory whose ag-gression, crudeness and cunning make him an appropriatefoil for Gillespie’s innately civilised approach, I forsee a fran-chise ahead.

The writing is relaxed and confident with a natural flow. Thecharacters are well-drawn and vivid, but they are a bit crowdedby the demands of the plot. Worth a look.

Margaret Hannigan

A union delegation, recently returned from the oil-wealthystate, found absolutely no improvements. Workers said theywere being forced to live in squalid labour camps with up to14 men typically sleeping in each room and 600 sharing twokitchens.


International

WHEN A top premiershipmanager speaks out aboutworkers’ rights you knowsomebody’s got a problem. Sowhen Arsenal boss ArsèneWenger called on soccer’sworld governing body FIFA toact on human rights abuses inQatar – venue for the 2022world cup tournament – manypeople sat up and listened.

Wenger highlighted the plight of French-Algerian footballerZahir Belounis, who was effectively trapped in the country fortwo years under its restrictive ‘kafala’ sponsorship law. Thisgives employers the power to withhold exit visas from the 1.3million migrant workers drafted in to build the monumentalstadiums and infrastructure needed to host this huge andprestigious event.

The resulting list of human rightsviolations includes excessiveworking hours in extreme heat withno access to drinking water,hazardous working conditions,workers going unpaid for months,the confiscation of passports,overcrowded labour camps and,needless to say, a prohibition onforming trade unions.

The International Trade UnionConfederation (ITUC) has estimatedthat up to 4,000 workers – a dozena week – could be expected to die

by the time a ball is kicked. This in a state declared theworld’s richest country in 2012 with a staggering per capitaGDP of $100,889, compared to $51,704 in the USA.

Last September, the Guardian newspaper reported that 44Nepalese workers died of heart failure and workplaceaccidents in just one three-month period, after being forcedto work in daytime heat of 50 degrees. European constructionfirms can easily replace them as thousands more desperatemigrant workers are expected to flock to this constructionfrenzy before 2022.

Tournament of deathUnions havewarned thatthousands coulddie as Qatarprepares to hostthe 2022 worldcup. SIOBHÁNCURRAN reports.

Forced to work in daytime heat of 50 degrees, it’sestimated that up to 4,000 workers – a dozen aweek – could die before a ball is kicked in 2022.

European construction firms can easily replace themas thousands more desperate migrant workers are

expected to flock to this construction frenzy.

Migrants work in the country’s booming construction industry for low, sometimes no, wages.

Photo: ILO

/Apex Im

age

Wenger speaks out.

But the world may be waking up to the fact that there’snothing sportsmanlike about the goings on in Qatar. Followingthe international pressure from unions and organisations likethe UN, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, FIFAfinally held meetings with both the ITUC and the Emir ofQatar towards the end of last year.

Under-fire FIFA president Sepp Blatter subsequently promisedto find a solution. “Football will be the winner because we canshow the world it is possible to create good workingconditions,” he claimed. Let’s hope he’s right. If not, thetournament must be moved to a country with more respect forhuman rights.

Register your protest via www.rerunthevote.org l

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IN BRIEF

Public pay declinesAVERAGE PUBLIC service pay has fallen by nearly €50 a week since 2009 according to official data. The figures, from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), do not include the so-called pension levy, which has further reduced public service pay by 7% on average.

The CSO calculates that average weekly wages in the public sector are down by €47.88 (5%) since 2009. This compares to a much smaller average decline of €2.41 (0.4%) in the private sector. The figures also reveal an 8.3% decline in public service employment between 2009 and 2013.

Council mergersproceedLEGISLATION AIMED at reducing the number of local authorities from 114 to 31 has been published. The Local Government Bill 2013 is set to be enacted before next summer’s local elections. IMPACT moved to ensure that the changes will be managed through the Croke Park process when the legislation was first mooted last year. That commitment remains as part of the Haddington Road deal, which means there will be no compulsory redundancies and staff will get protection in redeployment or relocation situations.

Agricultural actionTECHNICAL STAFF in the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action. The dispute follows the department’s decision to refuse IMPACT members the chance to compete for assistant principal posts, in defiance of a new policy that says all staff can apply for civil service vacancies.

Cabin crew settleAER LINGUS cabin crew in Shannon airport voted strongly in favour of Labour Relations Commission proposals to resolve a dispute over staffing of new planes being introduced for transatlantic routes. Among other things, the proposals scotch management plans to outsource the work and close its Shannon base.

HSE MANAGEMENT’S failure to deal with excessive sleepover demands on staff in residential child care and disability facilities has been referred to the Labour Court. IMPACT and Siptu say the HSE and various employers are in breach of Irish and EU working time legislation, with many staff expected to work 55-70 hours a week.

HSE management has admitted that residential child care and disability agencies are routinely breaching working time legislation by requiring staff to work an excessive number of sleepovers on top of their standard 39-hour working week. Staff are systematically required to work seven-hour sleepover shifts for just €6.40 an hour, well below the statutory minimum wage of €8.65.

The HSE and agency management have failed to reach a resolution on the issue during six months of talks, despite being required to do so under the Haddington Road agreement.

IMPACT national secretary Louise O’Donnell said the HSE and its agencies were claiming that the sleepover issue could not be resolved because of cost and resource constraints.

“There appears to be no effective limit on pay costs for chief executives. Meanwhile managers order staff to work as many as seven sleepovers a fortnight, in flagrant breach of Irish and EU working time laws. All for the princely sum of €3 an hour after tax,” she said.


Union business

Sleepover row referred to court

IMPACT HAS made proposals for tighter monitoring of JobBridge placements in classrooms after the union identified a “worrying and growing trend” of supplementing or replacing SNA posts with work experience placements.

In a submission to the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education and Social Protection, the union said it was aware of at least 100 cases of potential displacement of SNA posts through JobBridge, which exists to give work experience to unemployed young people.

The union says only experienced SNAs can deliver maximum educational and social benefits to children with special needs.

“IMPACT supports quality work experience programmes as a means of enhancing skills and providing a valuable first step into the world of work. However, some employers in the education sector are misusing JobBridge. Much greater care is needed in vetting the places on offer and ensuring that JobBridge is not used as a substitute for employment,” it said.

Meanwhile, the union welcomed the news that 400 additional full-time special needs assistant posts are to be created by the end of this year. The number of SNA posts has been capped at 10,575 for the last four years, while demand for SNA services continues to grow.

IMPACT official Dessie Robinson said the full-time nature of the posts was particularly welcome. “The recent practice of allocating portions of SNA posts to schools, rather than full-time SNAs, has placed further pressure on schools working to educate children with special needs. These full-time posts are very welcome and will go some way to meeting the increased demand in our schools,” he said.

SNA job fears cited


A MERGER of Bord na Mona and Coillte would leave the state forestry company as a small and relatively weak voice within a much larger company focused heavily on energy production, IMPACT has said.

The union fears that a rebalancing of company priorities following a merger would likely divert wood to energy production rather than maintaining its most economically-advantageous use. This would seriously weaken Coillte’s economic base, with consequences for its ability to sustain its social and environmental functions, including access to state forests for recreation and tourism.

In a paper called Coillte: The way forward IMPACT’s Coillte Branch has outlined fears that a merged company would divert substantial amounts of high-grade timber to energy generation, with significant adverse effects on Coillte’s forestry, environmental and social operations.

IMPACT national secretary Matt Staunton said: “If Coillte activity is rebalanced in this way, the economic return from the public forest will be weakened. The social and environmental benefits will then diminish because they are sustained by the economic return from forestry operations. Irish forest output should generate the highest possible value economically, environmentally and socially.”

IMPACT’S CENTRAL executive committee has approved a €150,000 donation to an international trade union appeal for assistance in the Philippines, which is reeling from the impact of typhoon Haiyan. The typhoon hit the country last November, killing over 6,000 people and leaving thousands homeless and destitute.

The IMPACT donation, which comes from the union’s developing world fund – made up of 3% of each member’s union subs – went to an emergency appeal established by international trade union federation Public Services International (PSI).

The initiative will contribute to immediate humanitarian aid efforts and will also help establish purpose-built permanent community solidarity centres to deal with future emergencies.

PSI general secretary Rosa Pavanelli called the union’s donation an “extraordinary” contribution. “IMPACT’s support is truly amazing. We are well aware that the

circumstances for your members are not easy and that you have struggled for a number of years

under difficult conditions. So this contribution is doubly generous,” she said.

IMPACT’s developing world fund was established when the union was formed in the early 1990s and has since contributed over €7 million to trade union and

community development projects in countries around the world.

IMPACT’s Coillte Branch has successfully campaigned against the sale of Coillte forest harvesting rights. It’s publication Save Our Forests set out the economic, environmental and social benefits provided by the company. It also commissioned an economic assessment of the proposal by economist Peter Bacon, which concluded that a sale of Coillte harvesting rights was not justifiable on economic grounds and would cost the State €1.3 billion.

Coillte at merger risk

IMPACT backsPhilippines appeal

Kids learn union lesson

THE TRADE union-backed Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) is predicting slower employment growth over the next two years. Its researchers predict employment will increase by 1.1% in 2014 and 1.2% in 2015, compared to 2.3% last year.

The report says unemployment will fall to 10.4% – more than double the pre-crisis level – by 2016, while long term unemployment will remain a “core problem” for the economy. It also foresees slow economic growth this year, followed by higher rates in 2015 and 2016. It predicts 1.1% growth in gross domestic product (GDP) this year, after even lower growth of 0.5% in 2013.

Its 2014 growth forecast is lower than those of the Department of Finance (2%) and the Economic and Social Research Institute (2.6%). But it foresees a return to higher growth levels in 2015 (1.8%) and 2016 (3%).

NERI says trends in employment indicate a permanent reshaping of the labour market. It says employment growth is most likely in higher-paid sectors, while the number of middle-paying occupations is likely to decline or stagnate. It says over a fifth of Irish jobs are now low-paid.

NERI describes its predictions as “positive but cautious.” It says potential threats to economic recovery include a weakening export outlook, high long-term unemployment, and an overhang of personal debt.

Union business


IMPACT IS among the sponsors of a new schools’ pack that explains the significance of the 1913-1914 Dublin Lockout on our lives today. The pack, launched in December, will supplement the existing ICTU Youth Connect programme, which has delivered lessons about working life, trade unions and international solidarity to thousands of school children over the past three years. The programme was initially established with a substantial grant from IMPACT’s former Tax Officials’ branch.

Young actors in period costume sold special Lockout centenary newspapers, as guests queued for bread and soup at the launch – to mark how thousands of Dubliners were fed at union food kitchens during the Lockout. Pupils from schools in Mayo, Cork and Dublin’s inner city explained how the pack had helped them make sense of the dispute and its lessons for modern Ireland.

The pack includes materials for teachers, case studies, handouts, photos and video. ICTU deputy general secretary Sally Ann Kinahan said the module emphasised group work and classroom discussion. “It brings the history of the struggle for decent work to life and explains the reasons behind the 1913 Lockout and the impact of those events on our lives today,” she said.

JOBS GROWTH TO SLOW DOWN A BIT

SHORT CUTS

Employers benefit ALMOST 90,000 employees are currently receiving jobseekers benefits because their pay is too low or their working hours are too few. And over 40,000 working families are receiving family income supplement (FIS), according to recent figures.

The figures emerged as unions voiced increasing concerns about casual work and ‘zero hours’ contracts, where staff must be available for work but employers don’t provide set hours. A recent Dáil answer listed retail giants like Dunnes Stores, Tesco, Lidl and Pennys as having large numbers of staff who also claim FIS or jobseekers benefits.

Driven madIMPACT HAS rejected Road Safety Authority (RSA) claims that the local authority driver licence service was characterised by long delays. IMPACT national secretary Peter Nolan said local authorities had provided an excellent service prior to the transfer of services to the RSA. He said the RSA had greatly exaggerated the length of any delays which, in any case, were mainly caused by additional work associated with the transfer.

Water works?MANAGEMENT MUST produce stronger service level agreements (SLAs) to ensure that water services are maintained and improved when they transfer from local authorities to Irish Water this year, IMPACT has said. The union has also continued to press for an absolute assurance that its members will not be ‘conscripted’ into the new water company against their will. IMPACT national secretary Eamonn Donnelly has told management that the union’s continued cooperation is founded on the commitment that staff will not be moved compulsorily.

Lump sums safe THE DEPARTMENT of Finance has confirmed that changes to a tax measure called ‘top slicing relief’ will have no impact on retirement lump sums paid under Revenue-approved pension arrangements and statutory schemes. In 2012, the Government abolished top slicing relief on ex-gratia lump sum payments of over €200,000 made in respect of retirements or terminations of employment. The relief was scrapped altogether in the 2014 budget.

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Obituary

Carmel Kirwan1941-2013

CARMEL KIRWAN, who died13th November 2013, made animmense contribution toorganising and supportingschool secretaries over fourdecades. She was employed inSaint Mary’s secondary school,New Ross, county Wexford from1978 until her retirement in2006, and she established anetwork of school secretaries inthe south-east.

In the early 1980s, Carmelbecame involved in the LocalGovernment and PublicServices Union’s schoolsecretaries’ vocational groupand actively promoted theunion to this isolated group ofworkers. She was chair of thevocational group from 1989until its dissolution in 2007,when the IMPACT SchoolSecretaries’ branch wasformed. She used her extensiveexperience and amazingleadership skills as chair of thebranch for its first 18 months,having previously been amember of the union’s Wexfordbranch.

With the support of (nowretired) officials Al Butler andAlice Moore, Carmel achieved avery successful outcome in theLabour Court and then shared this experience with othersecretaries who found themselves in difficulty with theiremployers. She always encouraged secretaries to be proactiveon their own behalf and to actively use the help and

information available from theirunion. She was a strong advo -cate for training to be providedand funded centrally for allschool secretaries.

Carmel led a sustained andhard-working effort, which sawmembership of the vocationalgroup treble in 2000. In 2003she helped steer a way throughwhat was euphemisticallyknown as “the contingencyplan,” with the Department ofEducation, in an effort toachieve better terms andconditions for school secre -taries.

Carmel prepared a handbook,setting out the various rolesand responsibilities of comm -ittee members, as well asstanding orders guidelines andprotocols for the first annualgeneral meeting of the branch.Her input and efforts in the first15 months proved fruitful aswell-organised and well atten -ded AGMs followed year onyear.

After her retirement Carmelremained a member and atten -ded the AGM each year. Shealso attended regional meet -ings between 2010 and 2012and her sound advice and yearsof experience were warmly

received by many members. Suaimhneas sioraí dá hanamdílis.

Patricia Whelan, former secretary of the School Secretaries’branch and vocational group.

IMPACT members get information firstIMPACT members are entitled to receive a fortnightly e-bulletin, which contains news on thedevelopments that affect your income and working conditions, plus details of unioncampaigns. The bulletin goes to all IMPACT members for whom we have a current emailaddress. If you are not receiving it, please send your current email address, postal addressand mobile phone number to [email protected]. You can also get the most up-to-date newsand information from our website – www.impact.ie.

IMPACT-Trade-Union impacttu

Tea


Sport

Mrs Doyle must keep the ‘sangidges’ coming while we wait to see if O’Neill and Keane will gel, says KEVIN NOLAN.

A CUP of tea, a round of ‘sangidges’ and a nice chat. The ingredients are evocative of an evening with Mrs Doyle. But tea, sandwiches and a chat is just one of the little sideshows that come with the new Ireland management team of Martin O’Neill and Roy Keane.

The casual aspects of international duty were done away with in the Trapattoni era. The Italian, who famously banned mushrooms from the players’ diets, kept things rather controlled when it came to players’ downtime. They spent a lot of time in their hotel rooms as Trap stuck to a rigid understanding of how to be an international footballer.

It was as far as could be from Charlton-era pints in Hill 16 on Gardiner Street, or Harry Ramsden’s challenge.

We know from his barbs at his ketchup-banning Sunderland successor Paolo di Canio, that O’Neill doesn’t believe every idea from an Italian football manager is a good one. So it’s no surprise that some things have changed.

SpiritAnd that’s where the cup of tea comes in. Keane remembered from his Ireland playing days that the simple act of sitting around the hotel lobby with his team-mates for a cupán tae, and maybe a sneaky custard cream, whiled away the evenings, alleviated the boredom, and helped build team spirit. The evening chat is back on the agenda.

Under the O’Neill-Keane axis, players have also been given time off to leave the camp and visit their families. It’s not a matter of letting the players out on the lash or replacing the Italian ideal of alcohol for sportsmen (a small glass of wine at dinner) with the old-school British and Irish habit (a feed of pints).

Many members of the current Ireland squad drink very little, some (James McClean for one) abstain from booze altogether. But it does seem to be a case of handing the players a bit more freedom, with the manager safe in the knowledge that few in the current set-up will risk the wrath of Keane by arriving back after curfew in a wobbly state.

RealistOf course the real relationship that matters is that between O’Neill and Keane. Ever the realist, Keane admits that results alone will define success and the FAI will not stick with the dynamic duo if Ireland fail to qualify for France 2016. No talk of four-year plans from this man. Irish football fans are likely to share this pragmatism, regardless of how they feel about Keane or the Saipan incident.

for two


Already the signs are good. O’Neill has even been able to poke fun at Keane a number of times since they signed on the dotted line. He told his assistant that his stance in Saipan was wrong, and joked that Keane’s response was to tell him he’d picked the wrong team for Celtic’s UEFA cup final.

The media pack is slowly learning about O’Neill’s dry sense of humour. On numerous occasions, the Derry man has been forced to follow a quip with the line “that’s a joke, by the way.” The journalists are also getting to grips with Keane’s dry wit and icy stare again. The combined wit is more Vladimir and Estragon than Morecambe and Wise.

On being asked about Fergie, Keane raised his eyebrows as if to say he didn’t understand, and came back with the response: “Do you mean Alex Ferguson?” Small things add up to a lot with O’Neill and Keane, who famously contested the wording of Manchester United’s press release when he left the club over the detail of his length of service. The press pack will have learned to keep their phones on silent at press conferences.

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“The media pack is slowly learning about O’Neill’s dry sense of humour and Keane’s

icy stare. The combined wit is more Vladimir and Estragon than

Morecambe and Wise.”

The first few days of the O’Neill-Keane reign were a whirlwind with hours easily eaten up by meetings, contract talks, travel and training. The pair will spend more time working out how to work together now the dust has settled after the Latvia and Poland games.

Again, early signs are positive, with both men keen to attend matches involving Irish players. Keane attended three games in the space of 24 hours at one stage, even taking in a reserve game between Coventry City and his old club Forest. Giovanni Trapattoni barely attended three games in a year, let alone one weekend.

It’s in that downtime, between now and the March 2014 game at home to Serbia, when O’Neill and Keane will find out for certain if they can work together. Mrs Doyle might need to keep the tea and sandwiches coming until then.

46

Just answer five easyquestions and you could win €50.YOU COULD add €50 to your wallet orpurse by answering five easy questionsand sending your entry, name andaddress to Roisin Nolan, Work & Lifeprize quiz, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court,Dublin 1. Get your entry in by Friday 7thMarch 2014. We’ll send €50 to the firstcompleted entry pulled from the hat.*You’ll find the answers in this issue ofWork & Life.

How much is the London ‘living wage’worth?A The same as the legal minimum wageB 16% above the legal minimum wageC Its weight in gold.

New public service sick leave rules areexpected to take effect:A On production of a doctor’s

certificateB When you’re feeling under the

weather C 1st March 2014.

A recent film based on Martin Sixsmith’sbook is about:A Philomena LeeB Bruce LeeC Philomena Begley.

Which premiership manager recentlyspoke out on workers’ rights in Qatar?A Mauricio PochettinoB David MoyesC Arsène Wenger.

Which pop act had brothers in its line-up?A The Walker BrothersB The Kinks C Brotherhood of Man.

The small print*You must be a paid-up IMPACT member to win. Only one entry per person (multiple entries will notbe considered). Entries must reach us by Friday 7thMarch 2014. The editor’s decision is final. That’s it!

Win Win Win

Prize quiz

Winners! The winners from competitions in the autumn issue were:

Crossword: Brian McKeever, Cavan. Bebove: Marian Fogarty, Limerick. Quiz: Elizabeth Stewart, Fáilte Ireland. The Spinning Heart: John Fields, State Laboratory. Survey: Concepta Guthrie, Clare.

Lots more competitions to enter in this issue!

Win €50 by completing the crossword and sending your entry, name and address to Roisin Nolan, Work & Life crossword, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1, by Friday 7th March 2014.

We’ll send €50 to the first correct entry pulled from a hat.

ACROSS1. Along with Ivy she is

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clearly in a shed gersoma (7)32. A must for the nursery! (5)33. To tear down, dismantle (5)34. Pelt the real skin (7)35. Bacon can sometimes have

this problem (5)36. Craft (5)DOWN1. Ever popular greeting (5)2. Dwells (5)3. Enclosure is 0.9144 metres (5)4. He shows up for finer iced tea (4)5. To break down a sentence into parts

of speech can lead you spare! (5)6. He who calls this guy calls the tune

(5)7. Sluice the reins (5)12. Peter Pan is happy there (9)13. Intricate, express at great length (9)15. New, untested (7)

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Difficult

16. Largest city in Canada (7)18. Audible range (7)19. Segregate with me very tardy (7)24. Female relations (5)25. Force the e limp (5)26. Bashfully (5)27. The practice of making unethical or

immoral monetary loans (5)28. Play this card game developed in Italy in

the 14th century, in some star occasion(5)

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Crossw

ord composed by

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arkin

PRIZE CROSSWORD

win€50 1 7 2 4

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8

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The survey1. What did you think of the articles in the spring 2014

issue of Work & Life?

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2. What did you think of the layout, style and pictures inthe spring 2014 issue of Work & Life?

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3. What were your favourite three articles?

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5. What subjects would you like to see in future issuesof Work & Life?

1 __________________________________________________

2 __________________________________________________

3 __________________________________________________

6. What did you think of the balance between unionnews and other articles?

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7. Any other comments? ______________________________

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How do you likeWork & Life?WE HOPE you enjoyed this issue of Work & Life, the

magazine for IMPACT members. We want to hear yourviews, and we’re offering a €100 prize to one lucky

winner who completes this questionnaire.

Simply complete this short survey and send it to Roisin Nolan,Work & Life survey, IMPACT, Nerney’s Court, Dublin 1. You can also

send your views by email to [email protected].

We’ll send €100 to the first completed entry pulled from a hat.*

win€100

Your view

The small print*You must be a paid-up IMPACT member to win. Only one entry per person (multiple entries will not be considered).

Entries must reach us by Friday 7th March 2014. The editor’s decision is final. That’s it!



Commercial membership services

IMPACT has facilitated the provision of a number of national membership services and discount schemes on behalf of its members. These include Additional Voluntary Contribution Schemes (Pensions),Life Assurance, Salary Protection in the case of illness and Car, House and Travel Insurance Schemes. A number of local discount schemes are also negotiated by local branches.

The Union uses the size and composition of its membership base and, where possible, competition between the various service providers, to seek the best possible deals for the widest possible sectionsof our membership. It is probable that the majority of members will get better value from these schemes than if they sought the same service individually. However, this will not be true in all cases andthere will be occasions where individual members may, because of their specific circumstances, be able to get better value elsewhere. It is not possible always to ensure that all schemes will be acces-sible equally to all members and the scheme underwriters will not depart totally from their normal actuarial or risk assessment procedures and rules.

IMPACT does not make any claims as to the quality or reliability of any of these products/services and while advising members of the availability of the National Membership Services and DiscountSchemes does not endorse or recommend any particular product or service. IMPACT's role is that of facilitator to ensure that such schemes are available to its members. All contracts are directly betweenthe product/service provider and the individual member. IMPACT is not in any way a party to these contracts and will not accept any responsibility or liability arising from any act or omission on the partof the product or service provider. Neither IMPACT nor any member of its staff receives any fees or commissions or other rewards from these product or service providers arising from such schemes.

While IMPACT does occasionally provide such product/service providers with limited information regarding IMPACT branch and/or workplace representatives for the purpose of advertising such schemes,the Union does not make any personal data relating to individual Union members available to them for any purpose.

The Union requires that product/service providers agree to ensure that all such schemes comply with all lawful requirements including the Equal Status Act 2000.

Advertisements for agreed membership services will have an logo on them.

Some of the companies providing agreed membership services may offer other products or services (that are not as a result of any agreement or arrangement with IMPACT) directly to IMPACT members.The Union has no role whatsoever in relation to such products or services. Likewise, other product or service providers may make offers directly to IMPACT members through advertisements in the Unionnewspaper or otherwise. These do not arise as a result of agreements or arrangements with IMPACT and the Union does not ask members to consider availing of such products/services and accepts noresponsibility whatsoever for any such offers.

The product/service providers with which IMPACT has agreed the provision of membership services and/or discount schemes are as follows:

Brassington & Co. Ltd. Cornmarket Group Financial Services Ltd.Travel Insurance – all Divisions. Car Insurance – all Divisions.

Salary Protection and Life Assurance – Local Government and Health Divisions only.

Group Insurance Services (GIS) Marsh Financial Services Ltd.Car Insurance – all Divisions. AVC Schemes – all Divisions excluding Municipal Employees.House Insurance – all Divisions. Salary Protection and Life Assurance – Civil Service and Services & Enterprises Divisions only.

December 2004

DISCLAIMER (Approved by CEC 10th December 2004)

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