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Irish School Wins Science Award

Foras na Gaeilge, responsible for the promotion of the Irish language throughout Ireland have said they are delighted to present Coláiste Íosagáin with two awards for their entries in this year's Esat Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition 2002.

Ailbhe NÍ Dhalaigh and Eimear Nic Diarmada ( both aged 16) 4th year students, at Coláiste Íosagáin win the Foras na Gaeilge 'Best Irish Language' award for their project entitled 'Ni Tusa an t'aon Duine Ait.' the students receive the Foras na Gaeilge Special merit Award for their project. In addition to this, Coláiste Íosagáin wins the award for the highest number of entries submitted to this year's exhibition through the Irish language. the prize for this was a cheque for £500 .

Use of the Irish language is increasing in importance each year at the Esat Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. A total of 11 projects were exhibited in Irish this year, covering such topics as water pollution, road safety and traffic problems.

Éamonn Ó hArgain , Communications Manager at Foras na Gaeilge said," Encouraging primary and secondary students in conversing and ultimately being educated through Irish is something of great importance to the future survival of the Irish language. Foras na Gaeilge is delighted to see t the interest shown from students throughout the country in entering projects to the Exhibition through the Irish language.

We are delighted to see the interest shown from students throughout the country in entering projects to the Exhibition through the Irish language. Coláiste Íosagáin has done an exceptional job this year, as in years past, to enter a very high standard of project with the added effort of presenting them thorough Irish and we are delighted to present these two awards to the schools for their efforts. We look forward to seeing this kind of interest again next year."

Olivia Mitcehll- Travellers

Molloy's Dublin directive on traveller sites - naive and will compound difficulties for local authorities says Mitchell Fine Gael housing spokeswoman Olivia Mitchell TD today (Tuesday) accused Minister Bobby Molloy of naiviety in the exteme if he thinks that a directive to local authorities in the greater Dublin area to provide 15 to 20 bay transient sites for travellers will solve the problem of illegal campsites.

"Without accompanying legislation to regulate the use of such sites and to control unauthorised camping, far from solving the problem, this directive will actually compound the difficulties for Local Authorities and residents in the Dublin area.

"First of all the availability of transient sites will attract travellers to the Dublin area. When they get here, Local Authorities will find themselves in precisely the same legal position as before in terms of dealing with overflow once the site is full. In the absence of accompanying legislation it is merely wishful thinking to assume that if travellers arriving in South Dublin find the transient site full that they will go to Fingal or County Meath.

"Under existing law they can camp on open spaces, car parks or pitches with impunity, as they have in the past. By confining this extraordinary directive to the Dublin area alone the Minister is merely building ghettos which will instantly be occupied and which will have, in effect, little or no transience.

"There is a need for transient sites to facilitate occasional movement but the priority must be the provision of permanent accommodation in a regulated environment."

Level of EU Complaints Against Ireland Leaves Dempsey's Reputation in Tatters

Labour Party Spokesperson on the Environment, Eamon Gilmore, today stated that Minister Noel Dempsey should hang his head in shame as it emerged that 111 environmental complaints against the Government were active at EU level.

"The environmental groups who have secured this information under the Freedom of Information act have done a good days work. The documents expose the abject failure of the Government to protect Ireland's environment at this critical stage in our economic development."

"In particular, the documents reveal the level of concern at EU level about the waste management regime adopted by this Government. The Government has failed to provide the investment needed for a comprehensive waste reduction, recycling and re-use programme. The level of waste produced is still scandalously high.

This is creating huge problems across the country as the only option left to local authorities is landfill or incineration. Minister Dempsey and his cabinet colleagues are part of the problem, not part of the solution when it comes to waste management in this country," stated Deputy Gilmore.

"The Labour Party has produced a comprehensive waste management policy, which this Government has failed to do after nearly five years in office. We emphasise the need for centrally funded waste recycling facilities nationwide. Ireland has to radically alter its attitude to waste production and the Government has to lead that campaign, with both finance and resources. This Government has failure totally in this regard. Recent shocking examples of illegal dumping, especially the dumping of hazardous and clinical waste, are just the latest results of this Governments failure to tackle waste management."

"As the EU Commissioner on the Environment, Ms. Wallastom, visits Ireland, the reputation of the Minister for the Environment is in tatters. On every area of his portfolio, housing, electoral reform, environmental protection and local government reform the Minister's record has been abysmal. He promised much and delivered next to nothing. The fact that with 1% of the EU population, Ireland accounts for 10% of environmental complaints at EU level is a damning indictment of his record," concluded Deputy Gilmore.

Sweetmount Triple Whammy

The patience of residents of Sweetmount Park and Sweetmount Avenue, Dundrum, is close to breaking point according to Cllr Aidan Culhane (Labour, Dundrum). Not only does their road form the incessant rat run around Dundrum, but Eircom last week decided to dig up the road for cable-laying. In a move described by Cllr Culhane as 'appallingly insensitive and stupid' Eircom moved in at a time when the traffic through Sweetmount Park is at its worst while the Ballinteer Road bridge is closed. Added to this the noise and dirt from the construction of the bypass and the situation is intolerable.

'The residents are faced with a triple whammy' according to the Labour councillor - the traffic, the construction works, and now Eircom. I cannot understand why this work is so urgent.' Cllr Culhane went on to call on the telephone company to apologise to the residents. As if matters couldn't get any worse, residents on Sweetmount Avenue awoke to the sound of heavy machinery at 8.30 on Sunday morning.

'It is beyond all reason that a private company can ride roughshod over the wishes of the residents and the council in this way,' claimed Cllr Culhane. 'Eircom did not consult with the council before commencing the work.' The issue was discussed at a meeting of the Dundrum Area Committee of Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council on Monday 28 January where Cllr Culhane and others delivered heavy criticism of the situation in Sweetmount and expressed solidarity with the residents.

Cllr Culhane remarked that 'with the completion of the bypass, the nightmare will be over for the residents of Sweetmount Park, but given what they have had to put up with over many years, this latest stupidity by Eircom is the last straw'.

National Development Plan- Mitchell

Not a single new road project to begin in 2002 - catastrophic for economy, says Mitchell The effects of the national roads allocation in the December budget are only emerging now and will have catastrophic consequences for the economy, said Fine Gael spokeswoman on local government and housing, Olivia Mitchell TD today (Thursday)."It is now clear that not a single new road project will start this year due to lack of funding. Of the 1369 kilometers of road projects planned, only 33 kilometers have been completed! The tender process for the Monasterevin, Ennis, Monaghan and Cashel projects, postponed during the dispute with farmers over compensation, cannot now be recommenced.

"Without a vastly and rapidly improved road infrastructure the prospects for economic recovery are dismal. Over the past five years this government has squandered the opportunities to reduce congestion, improve transport links to the regions and vitally, to improve the competitiveness of Irish business.

"It is unthinkable that work on legendary bottlenecks like Monastrevin and vital inter-urban routes to Cork, Limerick and Derry should not proceed immediately. The 2.5 billion Euro pilfered from the Central Bank reserves, which in any event is only available on a once off basis, should be ring-fenced now for this infrastructural spending.

"The dismay and ire of the Institute of Engineers of Ireland and the InstituteStructural Engineers is entirely understandable when at the behest of the government they have spent the last number of years gearing up and importing skills to deliver on the NDP. Unfortunately, the redundancies and the loss of the skills base will not be confined to the construction industry but will be felt right through out the economy if government commitments under the NDP are not adhered to."

Focus Survey on Housing an Indictment of Government's Record

"The survey published by Focus Ireland yesterday confirms what everyone who is on a housing list knows - that despite having unprecedented resources at its disposal, this government has allowed to develop what is probably the worst housing crisis in the history of the state.

"The estimate from this respected organisation, that 140,000 people are now waiting for housing is a damning indictment of the records of Noel Dempsey and Bobby Molloy in the Department of the Environment. The Focus survey shows that the problem is not confined to urban areas, but that local authorities in predominantly rural areas, like Waterford, Westmeath and Monaghan are also facing an unprecedented demand for housing that they are unable to meet.

"And despite the protestations of Minister Molloy, there is no sign of any real improvement in the situation. Shortly before Christmas the Taoiseach confirmed to me in the Dail that the target of 25,000 new houses set in the Programme for Prosperity and Fairness will not be met.

"Provision for local authority and social housing programmes in the estimates for this year showed an increase of only 7% over 2001. Taking construction inflation into account (which some commentators have been putting as high as 20%, although it has probably reduced somewhat in the past year), the estimate for housing is, at best, the same as last year in real terms.

"The government has clung to failed policies, despite the enormous hardship it has created for those seeking housing. Only a change of government and a change of direction can bring this crisis to an end and provide social housing for those in need and affordable housing for those who can buy for themselves.

"If we are to see an end to the shocking situation highlighted in the Focus Ireland report we must:
* establish a National Housing Authority;
* treat building land as a public resource;
* introduce fair price certification for new houses;
* legislate to protect the consumer rights of homebuyers;
* initiate a front loaded and increased programme for Social Housing'.

'Tis the Season...for Quitting

59 percent of Irish Smokers plan to kick the habit this new year

20th December, 2001 - A new study has revealed that an astounding 59 percent of Irish smokers - over 630,000 people -- will attempt to give up cigarettes this New Year.1 The research was commissioned by nicotine replacement therapy NiQuitinCQ to announce the launch of CQ2, a new online behavioural support plan.

Interestingly, when asked their major reasons for giving up, saving money (54%) ranked nearly as high as the desire for better health (70%). Reasons such as looking better, pleasing loved ones and having better breath scored surprisingly low as motivators for quitting, with only between 0 and 2 percent of smokers citing these reasons as important.

Of the smokers planning to quit, approximately 30 percent will give up using nicotine replacement therapy such as NiQuitinCQ; 7 percent will quit using medication prescribed by a GP, and 8 percent will try hypnosis or other alternative treatments. A shocking 65 percent will attempt to give up 'cold turkey' - ie using willpower alone. "It's great to see so many people attempting to stop smoking this new year, but unfortunate that so many will try and do so with willpower only," said Dr Fenton Howell, Chairman, ASH. "Treatments such as nicotine replacement therapy (NRT) can dramatically boost a smoker's chances of quitting by reducing the withdrawal symptoms. Further, such treatments are available free to smokers with a medical card."

NiQuitinCQ is free to medical card holders and has been proven to nearly double a smoker's chances of quitting successfully.2,3 A study of people who used NiQuitinCQ along with its individually tailored support plan showed that the percentage of people who had successfully quit at six weeks was an additional 26 percent greater than those using NRT alone.4 (Analysis excludes those who did not read or reference NiQuitinCQ materials.)

NiQuitinCQ recently launched 'CQ2' - a new tailored behavioural support plan that can be accessed completely online. After purchasing NiQuitinCQ, the smoker can access the Committed Quitters website by following the instructions inside the NiQuitinCQ package. During sign-up, the smoker will answer an indepth series of questions to develop his/her own personal profile. Once completed, the quitter will be sent a customised support guide and a series of at least eight support mailings to help through the demanding first 10 weeks.

Nicotine replacement therapy, such as NiQuitinCQ, provides nicotine in a medicinal form, without the 4,000 other chemicals, such as harmful tars and gasses, that are inhaled in cigarettes and cause disease. Nearly 6,000 people die in Ireland every year from smoking-related diseases 5 - this is ten times more than the number killed each year in road accidents. Smoking is a major cause of 90% of lung cancer deaths, 25% of deaths from heart disease and about 75% of deaths from bronchitis and emphysema.5

NiQuitinCQ is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline.

ESB Leinster Schools Debating Competition 2nd Round
Southside Students compete for a place in quarter-finals

The second round of the ESB Leinster Schools' Debating Competition begins next Thursday (17th January 2001) at 7.30 pm in Wesley College, Ballinteer where students from St Killian's Deutsche Schule Clonskeagh, Rosemont Blackrock, Wesley College, Gonzaga College Ranelagh, Loreto Bray, St Lawrence's Loughlinstown, Sancta Maria Ballyroan and Colaiste Iosagain Booterstown will compete for a place in the quarter-finals of the competition.

The students will debate the motion "This House would end Iraqi sanctions".

The winners of the ESB Leinster Schools Debating Competition will receive a perpetual trophy and will go forward to compete in the ESB All ? Ireland Debating series. The All-Ireland Grand Final takes place on 19th April 2002 in Trinity College Dublin.

The ESB Leinster Schools Debating competition gives students the opportunity to participate in well-organised debates on the issues of the day, and the chance to develop their communication, analytical and interpersonal skills, while also having some fun along the way! Sponsored by ESB, the competition is convened by the UCD Literary and Historical Society and the Trinity College Historical Society.

ESB are involved in several education sponsorships such as ESB Munster Schools Debating Competition, ESB West of Ireland Schools Debating Competition, ESB Environmental Awareness Awards, ESB Community Environment Awards, ESB National Children's Choir, ESB MusicFest with the Ark, ESB/National Concert Hall "In Tune" Music Residency initiative, Second Age Theatre Company's Educational Programme for Secondary Schools and ESB

Checkmate, a chess initiative for Primary Schools.

As a community based organisation which reaches into people's everyday lives, the underlying philosophy behind ESB's involvement in such sponsorships, is its belief that young people should be encouraged to develop their potential and to express themselves. ESB recognise that such a contribution to the development of young people is of benefit to the community and the country as a whole.

For further information please contact Donal O'Malley, WHPR, 01- 669 0030, Donal.omalley@ogilvy.com

Mitchell accuses Govt of burying major infrastructural policy change in innocuous Housing Bill

Fine Gael Frontbench spokesperson on local government and housing, Olivia Mitchell, TD, this morning (Thursday) accused the Government of burying a major infrastructural policy change in an innocuous Housing Bill. "The Bill provides that from now on Local Authorities will have to borrow the money and recoup the outlay by way of charges on the user, instead of central

government funding capital infrastructure undertaken by Local Authorities by way of direct capital grants.

"In view of the massive investment required in waste facilities as well as in water and drainage infrastructure this represents an enormous increase in charges, particularly in developing counties. The public has some experience of paying operational charges but incorporating the capital cost of drainage and waste facilities into such charges is a totally new departure.

"While it is clear that since the Government has squandered the budget surpluses of recent years, any future Government will have to find alternative sources of finance for vital infrastructure, but this cannot be done by subterfuge.

"The Minister's press statement and explanatory memorandum goes into great detail on every section of the Bill but amazingly makes no mention of its single most significant feature. "It is small wonder the public complain of a 'democratic deficit' and become increasingly cynical about their politicians".

Fine Gael Bill to regulate electrical contractors will save lives says Higgins

Fine Gael spokesman on public enterprise Jim Higgins TD today (Tuesday) published a Bill to regulate electrical contractors, which would save lives.

"The legislation being introduced by Fine Gael today is specifically designed to improve electrical installation standards and to save lives. The safe use of electricity is a major issue of public safety. Between 1988 and 1999 there were 76 people killed in Ireland as a result of accidents attributed to electricity. In 1998 nearly 5% of all fires were attributed to electrical causes over 1,261 fires in Irish homes and businesses. However, fire attributed to electrical causes was responsible for nearly 18% of deaths caused by fires that year.

"While all of these fires and fatalities cannot be solely attributed to the standard of work that contractors carry out, it is alarming that the incidence of accidents is at such a high level. There is no doubt that the better regulation of the work of electrical contractors would have a positive impact and reduce the risk of death, damage or injury.

Until recently the Government approach to the issue has been to pass the regulation of electrical contractors from one Government Department ot another. The Tanaiste, Minister for Public Enterprise and the Minister for State for Enterprise, Trade and Employment have all absolved themselves of responsibility for this issue over the past few years.

"The Health and Safety Authority has also claimed it has no responsibility for the regulation of electrical contractors.

"The major impetus for change in this area had come from the Report of the Review Group on Public Safety, whose report was published in July 2000. In the foreword to the report, the Chairman of the Review Group stressed the urgent need to address concerns about the regulation of electrical contractors," said Deputy Higgins.

Dún Laoghaire Rathdown becomes a monarchy

Dún Laoghaire Rathdown County Council has never seen anything like it. At a unique presentation by the players from Dalkey Castle and Heritage Centre, the entire Dún Laoghaire Culture and amenities committee swore true faith and allegiance to His facetious majesty the King of Dalkey.

Included among the new vassals are Cathaoirleach Betty Coffey, Eamon Gilmore TD and Senators Liam Cosgrave and Helen Keogh. The once-off presentation took place as part of the Heritage Centreís drive for funding for their building and their activities. Dún Laoghaire Rathdown are the major backers of the Company that runs the Centre.

At around 6pm on Monday evening, the King of Dalkey and his minions arrived into the Chamber and performed to the delight of the Councillors. Councillor Barry Andrews, a director of the Dalkey Irish Heritage Town Company who arranged for the presentation to take place, said he was delighted at the way it had gone. ìThe Company deserves proper funding and the Councillors needed to be aware of what goes on there. So rather than bringing all the Councillors o Dalkey, the performance was brought directly to the Council Chamber. It was a unique event.

Gilmore Launches Broadside at Govt. as Thousands of Families Face a Homeless Christmas

'Happy Christmas' is lust an empty slogan for thousands of Irish families who have no real home in which to celebrate it this year according to Labour's Eamon Gilmore.

"Last week, I met the mother of two young children who are facing their second successive Christmas as a homeless family. They were evicted from their privately rented flat 18 months ago and since then they have been housed in a B&B. Every morning they have to leave the B&B and walk the streets and public parks until tea-time when they can return."

"The young mother told me that most of Santa's presents from last year are still in a black plastic bag in her sister's flat and that she does not know how she will manage a second homeless Christmas. Even Jesus did not have to spend a second Christmas in the stable!."

"Another woman who was evicted from her flat last summer has a child who has had continuing colds and flu for the past couple of months. She cannot leave her child in bed during the day in the B&B so she has to shuffle him between department stores to keep him warm," continued Deputy Gilmore. "There are now over 1,000 children in the Greater Dublin area, who will spend Christmas night homeless in a B&B."

"There are many more who spend this Christmas worried at the prospect of eviction which faces them in the new year. A retired teacher, renting her flat for over 10 years, is due to be evicted in February. A middle aged working woman got a 'Notice to Quit, order yesterday."

"60,000 housing applicants, some of whom have been on Council waiting lists for over 10 years, will spend this Christmas wondering if they will ever be able to celebrate Christmas in their own homes."

"Why is it that after 4 years of this country's greatest prosperity so many of our fellow citizens are either homeless or without a home of their own?," continued Deputy Gilmore.

"Why were more Irish families evicted from their homes in the past 4 years then were evicted in any 4 year period of the Land War of the 19th Century. The present Government, and especially Environment Minister Noel Dempsey, and Housing Minister Bobby Molloy, should be ashamed of this cruelty which their failed policies have produced for these Irish families."

"How dies a homeless family in a B&B spend Christmas? Does Santa come? Can the children play with their toys all day, or must they leave the B&B and walk the empty streets, like every other day? How do you celebrate Christmas if you have no home?."

"My wish for the New Year is that we remove from Office those who have been responsible for the Housing Crisis in this country, and that we begin to implement the new housing policies which I have been arguing for on behalf of the Labour Party. Surely we can fight to ensure that none of those families who are homeless this Christmas will have to face another one in a B&B," concluded Deputy Gilmore.

 

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