Month: September 2007

IRISH companies are being urged to enter the European Business Awards 2008, the competition that show- cases Europe’s business skills and competencies.

Companies only have one more month to enter the awards as the deadline for entries is the October 18.

“European business is innovative and talented and it is important that

we showcase examples of this bril- liance. For the rest of the world the European Business Awards is an ad- vert of our abilities and for Europe, an example for all of us of what is possible,” said Adrian Tripp, Chief Executive of the European Business aN LAU Ke ce

This opportunity follows the suc- cess of an Irish company in the European Business Awards 2007, Diageo, a Dublin-based company drinks business with a collection of

brands including Guinness, Baileys and Smirnoff, which was selected to compete in The AXA Award for Corporate Sustainability.

For short-listed and winning com- panies the recognition and exposure is very powerful as the European Business Awards has extended its partnership with The Wall Street Journal Europe and has set collabo- rations with important national Me- dia Patrons.

“Every business day The Wall

Street Journal Europe reports on business issues and companies across the region.

Our association with the European Business Awards allows us to honour the best of these companies and the vision and energy of their leaders,’ said Jonathan Wilson, director of marketing and business development, The Wall Street Journal Europe.

The names of the winners will be revealed on March 11, 2008, at the high profile awards ceremony held in

the InterContinental Paris Le Grand in Paris and attended by Europe’s business elite. The entry deadline 1s 18 October 2007.

The European Business Awards is supported by organisations, CMS Legal Services EEIG and Société (os ilore- 8 oe

To obtain further information or to enter please visit www.businessa- wardseurope.com, telephone 0044 O 20 7234 3535 or email info@busines sawardseurope.com.

THE Sisters of Mercy in Lahinch have lodged a planning objection against what they describe as a “con- crete jungle” proposal for the north Clare coastal village.

In the plan, Brendan O’Doherty, Patrick Montgomery, Paul Mont- gomery and John McInerney plan to develop 114 residential units, to in- clude a number of holiday homes.

In their objection, the Sisters state, “While we are not opposed to devel- opment in Lahinch, we do believe that a development of this size and nature is not in keeping with the character of the village.

“This is a huge development of over 100 homes, including apartment blocks, duplexes and a variety of house styles, and one entrance with the potential to generate over 200 ve- hicles poses a serious danger to us, other traffic using Station Road and eee COMETS

“We also have serious concerns with regard to the visual impact of this development. As it is directly opposite our house, we will be look- ing at a ‘concrete jungle’.

“We would also ask you to look at this development in light of the se- rious issues of anti-social behaviour on Station Road and the fact that the services to Lahinch including sew- age, water supply and electricity are seriously over-stretched.”

In her Toloysab hwy (eyem Marie O’Donoghue claims that “in the main, Lahinch permanent residents are not at all adverse to development. It is the bread and butter on which a Seaside resort thrives. However, cur- rent development is doing nothing for the village apart from creating a ghost town, which is a lot less attrac- tive to holiday-makers than it was 20 years ago.”

Michael and Maria Vaughan of Vaughan Lodge Hotel have also ex- pressed their opposition against the evee

They state, “The transient popula- tion of summer house-owners creates massive pressure on scarce resources for a period of 10 weeks in summer and leaves the village without com- munity for long periods in the win- oe

A decision on the application is due later this month.

A 42-YEAR-OLD man facing a string of serious charges including three counts of rape, possession of a shotgun, false imprisonment and threatening to kill, assault and bur- glary, has been refused bail.

The accused, who cannot be named for le- gal reasons, is facing eight charges in total arising out of an alleged inci- dent at a house in west Clare on Sunday, Sep- tember 9 last.

Detective Garda TJ Mol- loy told Mil- town Malbay District Court that he arrested the accused at Ennistymon Garda __ Station last Wednesday morning.

He charged the accused with eight alleged offences. He made no reply to each charge.

Superintendent Gabriel O’Gara said the DPP had directed that the case be dealt with on indictment and the State was seeking to remand the accused in custody for one week.

He said he was seeking the remand in custody on a number of grounds. These were that the charges were “very serious’ and that there was a “likelihood of interference with wit-

nesses”.

Supt O’Gara said gardai were “car- rying out enquiries in relation to ad- dresses used previously by this man.

“Based on those circumstances, I would ask that he be remanded in custody,’ said Supt O’Gara.

IDS roatesnety solicitor, | Eugene O’Kelly said he was surprised

to hear “there 1s a question of 1n- MKS ICOM ALOE witnesses”.

He noted that his client was facing “very se- rious” charges, but stressed that he was entitled to benefit from the presumption of innocence.

He said the accused had ex- Same neeb eA support.

Supt O’Gara replied that the

charges before the court were “in the higher scale, with regards serious- ness.” He said that the “family sup- port is to be admired, but it is this man here that is facing the charges. The possibility of intimidation of witnesses is a very real possibility,” said Supt O’Gara.

Judge Joseph Mangan remanded the accused in custody, to appear again in court later this week.

NINETY per cent of the staff at En- nis General Hospital are preparing to strike if issues relating to staff- ing numbers at the hospital are not resolved.

Last evening (Monday), more than 90 per cent of the 130 INO nursing staff, 85 per cent of SIPTU’s nursing staff and 100 per cent of the support

staff at the hospital voted in favour of industrial action.

In total, 270 of the hospital’s dis- eruntled 300-member staff are pre- paring to down tools if a resolution to the crisis cannot be found.

Staff and management at the hospi- tal have been involved in a number of industrial relation issues, which were brought to a head with the HSE staff- ing embargo at the beginning of the

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Among the concerns expressed by employees is the night staffing of the male medical and female medical wards. The wards, which can have up to 26 patients each, have just two nurses on night duty in each ward made up of several different rooms.

Following an independent report, it was agreed that three nurses would be provided in each ward at night.

Prior to the staffing embargo, a floating nurse was provided between the two wards and it was agreed to provide another nurse in June.

As a result of the budget freeze, the “floating nurse” has been lost. Staff say they are now concerned by reports that if one of the two nurses on night duty is off sick, there will be no replacement, leaving one nurse responsible for 26 patients.

Following the result of the ballot, Mary Fogarty of the INO said her union 1S now going to seek assistance from the Labour Relations Commis- sion. She said she is particularly concerned about the cutbacks in the nurse-led units at the hospital, includ- ing palliative care, infection control, repertory care and heart failure.

“A blunt curtailment of services at the hospital concerns us most. These nurse-led units are critical to patients even on a humanity level. I will be writing to management again, asking them to pullback on the curtailment of these services,” she said.

Tony Kenny of SIPTU told

TEAGASC has decided to change the way it delivers its advisory serv- ice, in an effort, it says, to meet the changing needs of modern farmers. Successive recent agricultural policy reforms have provided the oppor- tunity to shift the future develop- ment of farm businesses away from scheme-driven income to a more market-based business.

The new advisory service, For Bet- ter Farming, was launched by Tea- gasc last week.

“This new service is built around four distinct programmes — business and technology, good farm practice, rural development and adult train- ing,’ said Pat Boyle, head of advisory in Teagasc.

“The Business and Technology Programme will deliver cutting-edge technology to commercial farmers, bringing the best knowledge from the applied research carried out at Teagasc research centres onto dairy, drystock and tillage farms.

“Increased specialisation among our advisors will provide our farm- er clients with the information and knowledge to increase their profits by adopting new production tech- niques onto their farms.

“Dedicated business and technol- ogy advisors, supported by a national eroup of enterprise specialists, will focus on improving farm businesses by challenging the status quo and increasing the uptake of technology onto farms.”

The new service will be delivered

through Teagasc’s nationwide office network, which is organised into 18 area units, to allow Teagasc to pro- vide a local service to all our custom- ers, regardless of location.

The Business and Technology Pro- gramme will be delivered by 78 spe- cialist dairy advisors, 32 cattle and sheep advisors, and 15 tillage advi- SOrs.

The four programme areas will provide a full range of services to farmers meeting the diverse needs of our customers.

“European and world agricultural policy is continuously changing and evolving, presenting new challenges and opportunities for farmers, and for organisations like Teagasc that provide services to them,” said Tom Kirley, acting director of Teagasc.

“We have had milk quotas for nearly 25 years, but a major change is expected as part of the 2008 health check of the CAP.

“Tt is 15 years since the McSharry reforms brought in a whole new raft of schemes.

“The Fischler reform has already confined many of these schemes to history with the introduction of the Single Farm Payment but others like REPS, farm retirement and forestry remain and will continue to have a major influence on Irish farms”, he continued.

“The new advisory service an- nounced today by Teagasc equips us to provide the best possible service to farmers in these changing times, and to assist the future development Ome Detour haw leuinelnomee

WITH just a week to go before the beginning of this year’s National Ploughing Championships, excite- ment is already beginning to reach fever-pitch in and around the Tul- lamore venue.

With final preparations now being made, organisers are expecting a good crowd this year following the massive success of staging the World Ploughing Championships last year.

Food 1s likely to be one of the main attractions at this year’s champion- ships with a number of exciting new gastronomic additions to the pro- eau beeueslen

Leader will host the most fantastic food village, featuring gourmets and gourmand’s, foodies and faddies,

even the most demanding of divas will find their every craving satisfied Ain UOCoMB UNE TeXon

From baked foods to ice cream, fruit to chocolate and from whiskey to cocktails, Leader’s food village will cater for all. With a similar fo- cus as the craft village, the aim 1s to heighten awareness of the fantastic range and variety available from lo- cal producers.

A food créche will also be provided to keep your goodies in the best con- dition, so you can enjoy the rest of iW elom-NOAB ASLO (one

Another attraction which will prove very popular is GM Canopies, an in- tegrated farmers market consisting exclusively of Irish farm and cottage industry products, including fudge and jelly bean confectionery, free

range eggs, organic vegetables and Irish manufactured woollen socks.

The Braganza Food and Wine hall will also have plenty to keep you with going throughout the day with Tea Time Express, Lakeshore Foods, Keelings Fruit and Fox’s Confection- ery being just some of the exhibitors in the Braganza.

Education, which always plays a big role at the ploughing, with many edu- cational bodies taking stands includ- ing the National Consumer Agency, Citizens Information Bureau, The Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht and Harper Adams University in the UK. Harper Ad- ams is the UK’s largest specialist provider of higher education of land, food and rural-based industries and will be handing out information on

education, training and research.

The tourism industry in this coun- try is as strong as ever with the ploughing attracting many overseas visitors from countries such as Po- land, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and Syndey, Australia.

Failte Ireland will be distributing information on education and train- ing, Mid Ireland Tourism, Northern Ireland ‘Tourist Board, Kilkenny Tourism, Meath Tourism, Shannon Development will also be busy pro- moting their regions as popular holi- day destinations. From further afield, The Province of Manitoba will be present promoting agriculture and agri-business in Canada.

Or course, along with this there will also be a bit of ploughing. For more check out Www.npa.ie.

LIKE an annoying relations at Christ- mas time, Irish farmers can’t seem to shake the threat of foot and mouth disease. Restrictions are once again in place across the island of Ireland and Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan and her Northern Irish counterpart Michelle Gildernew.

The latest outbreak, which comes just days after the state lifted re- strictions imposed in the wake of the August scare, saw a ban on UK farm exports and the setting up of disinfection points at Irish ports and airports.

IFA President Padraig Walshe de- scribed the latest outbreak of foot and mouth disease in the UK is most

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‘The IFA and its members are to- tally committed to all emergency measures to prevent FMD reaching this country. The latest outbreak in the UK, which comes just six weeks after the original Surrey outbreak, highlights the highly infectious and virulent nature of foot and mouth disease,” he said.

‘This time frame is a lot longer than it takes to transport beef from Brazil which is one of the control measures the EU rely on. FMD 1s endemic in Brazil and the European Union are taking unnecessary risks with the importation of 330,000 tonnes on an annual basis.

“The USA, Japan and a number of other counties are not prepared to

take the risk involved with Brazilian beef imports.”

Just last week, Minister Coughlan had announced the discontinuation in Ireland of bio-security measures, such as the removal of disinfectant points from ports and airports, after Britain was declared free from foot and mouth.

A ban on the importation from Britain of live cattle, sheep, pigs and goats, as well as fresh meat, meat products, raw milk and other animal products was also lifted.

The latest case of foot and mouth disease was discover on Wednesday last on a farm some 30 miles from the outbreak centre of last months small outbreak in southern England.

The origin of the latest outbreak is

still unclear but experts are research- ing the possibility of a link between the latest outbreak and the August outbreak.

Meanwhile, the ICSA has called for the Pirbright laboratory, where the first outbreak is believed to have originated, to a safer, more protected location.

A report issued last week by the UK authorities confirmed that the FMD outbreak was caused by a leak, and at least five lapses in bio — secu- rity measures.

“In the USA, all these kinds of fa- cilities, which handle dangerous and Sensitive materials such as viruses, are located off — shore, as a further barrier to accidental leaks,” said Mal- colm Thompson, ICSA president.

MINISTER of State, Tony Killeen, has received assurances from the Minister for Agriculture and Food and the EU Commissioner for Health and Consumer Protection that all produce entering the EU must meet standards equivalent to those re- quired of community producers.

The response follows Minister Kil- leen’s representation on behalf of a number of Clare farmers who had expressed concern over the standard of Brazilian beef imports.

“Minister Mary Coughlan and Mr Markos Kyprianou confirmed that

EU policy requires that third coun- Daves bee] ole )u KO) mr-DObONT-D mm oyueye LUC Kmppe ete! standards at least equivalent to those required for production in, and trade between, EU member States,’ ex- plained Minister Killeen.

“As regards traceability and con- trols of residues of veterinary medi- cines, the commissioner said that the purpose of EU legislation is not to impose on exporting third countries a system of guarantees that is equal to the EU system, but that the export- ing country provides guarantees that are equivalent to EU standards.

“Commissioner Kyprianou pointed out that his service is committed to

protecting the health of European consumers and livestock.

“The commissioner also assured Minister Coughlan that the Commis- sion will not hesitate to take appro- priate protection measures if a prod- uct, imported from a third country or produced in the domestic market represents a risk for the health of ECX consumers, livestock or plants.

‘Tam also aware of a similar assur- ance to members of the Dail in Sep- tember 2006 by a senior commission official.”

In a letter this week to Minister Killeen, the Minister for Agriculture and Food stated, “I have consistently

expressed the view that Irish farmers deserve fair play in the market place. At EU level I have advocated that produce imported from third coun- tries must meet standards equivalent to those required of community pro- ducers. In the interests of our pro- ducers and consumers | will continue to adopt this approach.”

Concern have been raised by all of the Irish farming organisations in recent months over the safety of Brazilian beef. Foot and Mouth dis- ease 1S widespread in many areas of Brazil and fears have been raised of spreading the disease through the importation of infected animals.

IT was a day for hurling in Corofin on Saturday. Hundred of young sharp shooters from six clubs turned out to show their stuff and prove once again that hurling is alive and well in north ETc

Teams representing Ruan, Crush- een, Lisdoonvarna, Corofin, Kilna- mona and Inagh all competed in the first ever North Clare Hurling Cham- pionship. The competition took shape through the course of the year, developing from a few challenge matches into a fully fledged regional competition.

There was much to play for on Sat- urday with a Cup, Shield and Plaque all up for grabs for the winning Rere betsy

Home side Corofin took the Burren Cup, seeing off a spirited Kilnamona side in the final. Tubber/Crusheen beat an enthusiastic Lisdoonvarna side to take the Plaque while Inagh beat off Ruan to win the Shield.

“The competition was a= great success. We had a situation where there was no hurling being played in Corofin once the teams had been knocked out of their competitions. I rang around some of the local clubs to try and arrange a challenge and it seemed that there were playing little hurling up there too,” said organiser Vincent Maloney, of Corofin GAA Sitios

“They were mad to get involved. Within a week we had five match- es played, and it just took off from there.”

The popularity of hurling has been spreading in north Clare in recent years with young people becoming involved in the sport in traditionally football areas such as Ballyvaughan and Lisdoonvarna.

“The interest is there from the young people but they need match- es. A lot of the north Clare teams would tend to be knocked out at an early stage of the championships and that leaves them with no matches throughout most of the summer,’ continued Vincent.

“There are a lot of people in north Clare who are putting in great efforts to keep hurling alive in the area. Peter Casey has hundreds of kids playing hurling in Lisdoonvarna and Alex Ferguson would not be more professional.

‘Johnny O’ Rourke did the same for Inagh years ago and there are people in every club doing the same. I must thank Corofin GAA Club and John Malone for managing the tournament on the day, Gerry Quinn who pre- sented the medals, Ambrose Hagney for his refereeing and all the manag- ers and trainers for all the teams who took part.”

Saturday’s competition was such a success that it now looks likely to be- come an annual event with Ennisty- mon and Clonbonny set to join from next year.

THE rugged surrounds of the Bur- ren may have been the very centre of financial and social activity in Me- dieval Clare, a new excavation has shown.

Early indications from an excava- tion, undertaken earlier this month at the Caherconnell Stone Fort near Carron, have revealed that the struc- ture was a much more important building than previously thought, and most probably the property of a wealthy landowner.

Following a 10-day archaeological excavation, undertaken during Herit- age Week ‘07, it has been discovered that Caherconnell Stone Fort is twice the size of the 300-500 standard cashels that are now under study in

the Burren.

The true size of the fort at Caher- connell is 40 metres in diameter, and with a thick stone walls rising to over three metres in places it would have taken considerable resources, both in manpower and finances to construct.

Artefacts uncovered included two disc-shaped quernstones of the ro- tary type, used to grind cereals while iron arrowhead, three inches in length and with barbs at its base, were also found.

“Both the arrowhead and quern- stone fragments are very fine ex- amples, and are not of a quality you would expect to find in the cashel of a normal farmer of the period,” said Dr Michelle Comber of NUI Galway, who is currently researching early medieval settlements in the Burren.

“All told, it seems very likely that the people living at Caherconnell were of the nobility. Wealthy farm- ers who ruled much of the land in the vicinity of their cashel. Work so far places the site in the upper ech- elons of the Early Medieval social system.”

A piece of sandstone was also found, which was probably used as a hearth stone and, as the Burren 1s predominantly limestone, the sand- stone is likely to have been imported Seer NUR

“The excavation has exceeded our expectations and has produced a lot of information that was previously unknown,” said excavation site di- rector, Graham Hull of TVAS ar- chaeological consultancy based in Sul te

The excavation was undertaken by a partnership of NUI Galway, TVAS and the Davoren family. The visitor centre incorporates Ireland’s first Stone Fort virtual tour and illumi- nates the historical and archaeologi- cal secrets of the more famous Bur- ren monuments. The centre on the family farm now attracts over 20,000 visitors per year.

“When the company was estab- lished in 2003 one of our long term goals was to see the fort dated and preserved,’ said Sean Davoren. “We are very grateful to Dr Comber and Graham Hull for volunteering their time and resources to begin this V0) 0.e

“The work they have carried out has been amazing and their enthusi- asm infectious.”